Travel Blogger, Liz, from Among the Pines Shares Her Travel Tips!
by Georgia McKinney
I am Liz, a 22 year old college student studying environmental sciences and park management and conservation since I have always had a passion for traveling and saving the earth. I decided to publish my blog to help inform readers of places they can travel that don’t have to be expensive, encourage them to explore the world and to develop a deeper passion for nature. I named my blog Among the Pines because pine trees were my first love in nature and I feel at home when I see them so it was fitting.
My favorite travel app would have to be Airbnb because I love how easy it is to find exactly what you’re needing and you can easily find a great place to stay for your travels. The reviews make it easy to find someone you can trust as well.
I find good deals for traveling by using Google Flights and testing certain dates and times of the day that would be the best to fly. I always look for cruises last minute since they typically are desperate to fill empty rooms.
I use Kayak to help me track flights and compare them to Airbnb rather than going through a companies main website.
My packing essentials include an emergency blanket, multipurpose wipes, 3-in-1 makeup items, Sorel boots, sunbum sunscreen, sunglasses, my laptop, and a mini travel brush.
Some packing tips I always recommend are packing leggings because you can match anything to them, use organizer bags inside your carry on, always downsize your shampoo, deodorant, etc., and use an old sunglasses case to keep your cords in one place.
A mistake I learned from while traveling was not researching specific destinations and misjudging how much money I really would need. I did this twice: once on a road trip and while I was in Switzerland. It is so important you note how expensive meals will be, as well as gas and anything else you may need througout your trip.
On long flights, I make the time fly by watching movies, reading an exciting book, applying a hydrating face lotion and then laying back in my seat listening to calming music to fall asleep to.
I discover fun things to do in new places I travel to by researching activities you can do around the area, looking for blog posts about things you can’t miss, and talking to locals from the area I am in.
My favorite travel destination is the Olympic Penninsula in Washington. I worked in Olympic National Park and on my days off I explored the area which led me to seeing incredible seastacks locates off the rocky coast line, beach camping, summiting mountains, visiting Canada, and paddle boarding on the lake. The Hoh Rainforest was so unbelievably green and unreal. It has every element of 10 different parks in one.
I learned that looking at flights 3 and 6 months before your trip are the cheapest times you’ll be able to find them. Always look for early morning flights or late night times because those are always discounted as well as flights with layovers.
Here are two of my main social media channels for followers to stay in touch:
