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Honest travel stories, destination guides, and firsthand adventures from across all 50 U.S. states and beyond. Every post is written from real experience, never sponsored, and always rooted in the belief that meaningful travel doesn't have to be expensive.

Exploration • Learning • Lifestyle

Explore Every Travel Blog Post

Welcome to the full collection of travel blog posts from It's How I Travel. Every travel blog post here is written from firsthand experience, never sponsored, and rooted in the belief that meaningful travel doesn't have to be expensive.

Whether you're searching for free things to do in major U.S. cities, mindful travel tips, or honest destination guides from across all 50 states and beyond, you'll find travel blog posts here that focus on real experiences over polished marketing. New travel blog posts are added regularly, so check back often or subscribe to the newsletter to get them straight to your inbox.

For travel inspiration between posts, you can also explore our Pinterest boards or follow along on Instagram.

Historic Wilmington NC
Mindful Travel

The History of Wilmington, NC: A Coastal City Worth Exploring

There are many beautiful cities along the east coast of the United States, but only three major coastal cities sit between North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia: Savannah, Charleston, and Wilmington. Each has its own charm, but Wilmington stands apart with its cobblestone streets, colonial architecture, and award-winning Riverwalk. Named after Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington, and incorporated in 1739, the city once served as the capital of North Carolina. Today, you can walk past repurposed federal buildings, gaze across the Cape Fear River at the legendary USS North Carolina battleship, and feel the unique blend of Northeastern charm and Southern hospitality. As someone who recently moved here, I have come to appreciate Wilmington in a way I never could as a visitor. This post dives into the history that makes Wilmington one of the most fascinating coastal cities in the South.

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Spirit Airlines Ends Operations
News

Spirit to End Operations

Spirit Airlines is shutting down. After a $500 million rescue deal with the Trump administration fell apart, the ultra-low-cost carrier that reshaped budget travel in America is preparing to ground its fleet for good. Years of mounting losses, fierce competition, pandemic struggles, engine defects, and rising fuel costs finally caught up with the airline that built its name on rock-bottom fares and add-on fees for everything else.
So what does this mean for travelers? Fewer affordable options, thousands of jobs lost, and a major shift in how budget travel works in the United States. Even if Spirit was far from perfect, its absence leaves a real gap for price-conscious flyers. Here’s a breakdown of what happened, why the bailout failed, and what the shutdown means for the future of cheap air travel and the travelers who relied on it.

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Exploring Wilmington NC
Mindful Travel

Why Exploring Your Hometown Is Real Travel

I was raised in greater Boston and spent most of my adult life in New Hampshire before making the move to Wilmington, NC. Now when someone asks where I am from, I say Wilmington. Not because I am hiding my roots, but because it is where I feel at home, and I want to share it.
Travel has always been about learning and growing for me. I have visited all 50 US states, most of Canada, and several countries across Europe and Australia. There is more world to see, but right now I am pausing to take a deeper look at my new home.
Exploring your hometown, regardless of its size, can be just as meaningful and enlightening as traveling to the other side of the world. This post kicks off a series on Wilmington, the Port City, and what makes North Carolina worth slowing down for.

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I'm Back
News

I’m here, I’m here!

It’s been a busy spring at home, but travel is back on the agenda in a big way. We are heading to Washington D.C. and Baltimore for a quick baseball getaway before prepping for another trip to the other side of the planet. That’s right, we are heading back to Australia for the second time in six months, with a pit stop in Fiji thanks to a great deal with Fiji Airways. Beyond the upcoming trips, there is a lot of writing in the pipeline from past adventures, and the It’s How I Travel store is growing with a fresh focus on fun, eye-catching t-shirts. There is a lot more to come!

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Image of four MLB parks
Top 5

The 5 Best MLB Parks for a Weekend Getaway (And the Cities That Make Them Worth It)

I love travel and I love baseball, and when those two things combine it makes for one of my favorite kinds of weekends. I have been to every city that hosts an MLB team and caught a game in over half of them. Not every great city has a great park, and not every great park sits in a city worth building a weekend around. This list is where both come together. From the iconic ivy walls of Wrigley Field in Chicago to the unmatched skyline views at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, these five ballparks earned their spots based on the full experience, the stadium, the neighborhood, and the city itself. Whether you are a die-hard baseball fan or just looking for a great excuse to explore somewhere new, these are the MLB parks worth planning a weekend around.

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Weekend In Saint Augustine Florida
United States

A Weekend in Saint Augustine: The City, the History, and the Beach

Saint Augustine, Florida is somewhere we had always wanted to visit, and when the opportunity finally came, it did not disappoint. Founded in 1565, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in the continental United States, and that history is felt everywhere you go.
We spent the weekend splitting our time between Saint Augustine Beach and the city itself. The beach is classic Florida, wide open and easy to enjoy. The city, on the other hand, feels like stepping into a completely different world, one that predates the United States entirely.
If you are looking for a destination that blends genuine history, great food, and a beach in one compact weekend trip, Saint Augustine belongs on your list.

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The Best Travel Accessories for Long Flights (What We Actually Pack)
Suggestions & Tips

The Best Travel Accessories for Long Flights (What We Actually Pack)

Headed on a long-haul flight? After logging thousands of miles, including a 15-hour flight from Los Angeles to Brisbane, Australia, we have learned that the right gear makes all the difference. In this post, we are sharing the best travel accessories for long flights, the ones we actually pack and rely on every single time we leave the ground. From the YETI Crossroads Backpack, which keeps everything organized and accessible without ever leaving the overhead bin, to the Apple AirPods Max, which blocks out every crying baby and dinner cart on the plane, every item on this list has been tested on real trips to real places. We also cover clothing tips, compression gear, tech essentials, and a few small items that most people overlook but will wonder how they ever traveled without. This is not a sponsored list. This is what we actually use.

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Cruise ship in stormy seas with a magnifying glass revealing the truth, illustrating the dark side of the cruise industry
Mindful Travel

The Dark Side of the Cruise Industry: What Passengers Are Never Told

Imagine sitting in a peaceful café by large French windows in Amsterdam, watching the city go by. It’s a busy day yet tranquil. A few moments later, the crowds walking past start to grow from hundreds to thousands. They are loud and talking amongst themselves and none of them come into the café. They line up at McDonald’s and pack into the chain restaurant across the way. Suddenly, as fast as they appeared, they are gone, all returning to the massive cruise ship docked at Amsterdam’s port.
Amsterdam is one of many cities actively pushing back against the cruise industry, and they are not alone. From exploited workers earning less than $2 an hour, to ships that produce more sulfur emissions than a billion cars, to port cities that see little of the money passengers spend, the true cost of cruising is much higher than advertised.

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