stappm's VirtualTourist Home Page

Hi my name is Meredith. I love love love to travel and I am married to the most wonderful man in the world.

One thing you should know about my tips..... I DO NOT BACKPACK you will very rarely find a budget or economy hotel in my tips or on my agenda. ... for some reason I get a lot of people emailing for tips on the cheap... and well.... I am sorry but cheap is not for me, preferably. Don't get me wrong I love a good value, and Chatuchuk is a place I adore, but when laying my head on a pillow at night I will, with a smile even, gladly pay for service, location, amenities, etc. basically the whole lot!

No treking, no camping, and just "say no to cruises!" A nice long walk or even a stroll and I have my walkers on. However trekking implies a shoe that is not for me....and as for the Cruise Ships "bon voyage" I am not interested... I did one once and was my form of Hell the entire 5 days. When I travel I want to pick up some local color, local fineries at the local dineries. And on a Cruise ship, it's middle America value priced for 1295... all those "folks" from red states I do not understand and honestly I do not want to know why they voted for BUSH, spare me. Cruise ships and cruise people are frightening and being confined in on a boat with them scares the living hell out of me! No Joke!

FYI- we can tell you are a tourist if you call San Francisco "Frisco", don't.... Thanks Finnigan!

TIP #1 The things you fear traveling alone are probably the same fears you have at home. Go! Alone doesn't mean lonely, boring, or poor.... "SARK"

If you wait for your friends to have enough money, time off, or desire for the same travel destinations as you, you may very well spend your life waiting instead of traveling. A friend of mine once said traveling alone was so self-indulgent she had trouble traveling with groups ever since. She was right. I have found it much easier to meet people and soak up the local color by myself then with a group. Plus when one gets bored or tired, you can move on. I remember having to wait over an 1 hour for a friend to ready herself to go the beach.... she had to blow out her hair just right, apply her make-up.... but we were going to the beach.... it was all going to get wet.... needless to say, that travel companion did not last. Don't get me wrong, I love my friends. But traveling by myself has allowed me to meet and make lovely friends all over the globe plus that is how I met my husband. YALLA!

I do like this place, The San Francisco Bay Area, but I have always lived here. In fact I am one of the few actually born here. So I am dedicating myself to leaving.... to be an Expat ....soon - just need to find the place.......

Travel far, and stay awhile. And If you are lucky you will meet some dodgy people, have some sketchy experiences, & eat some food that upsets your tummy. You will be tired, sun burnt and your feet will ache. You might even see something that makes you mad. But it will all be well worth it! Cause in the end, you won't remember any of those things too long and if you do it will be in a great story. Because I promise you, that in between those hard experiences you will meet wonderful people, eat fabulous food, feel the sun and wind on your skin, see things that are amazing, and do things that are extraordinary. And maybe, just maybe...... if your lucky.... you'll be part of someone elses great story!