HNHO - Casa Carolina | Highlight - Taj Mahal in Dubrovnik | Experience Highlight - Backroads

WHERE TO NEXT?

Dear Traveler,

It’s 9:30PM in Marrakesh and I’ve just arrived back to my hotel. I left at 8AM this morning. I am halfway through the PURE Life Experiences conference and it is both exhausting and exciting!

I am meeting with some of my favorite people in the travel industry and I’ve learned so much that I want to share with you! Look out for it in a future newsletter (and follow along on instagram).

The last newsletter’s most popular article was Condé Nast Travel’s 27 Best Women’s Loungewear Sets for Long Travel Days. This inspired me to send a few gifts!

This week’s inspirational articles include the most refreshing vacations, the most beautiful hikes in the world, ideas for Taylor and Travis’ honeymoon, small luxurious ships that cater to “never cruisers” and the 26 best trips for 2026.

The informational articles include the steps to take if your passport goes missing abroad, an assessment of AI travel tools and stylish new Italian catamarans.

Also articles on Albania, Norway, Spain, Seychelles and Arctic cruises.

“What we do for our kids?!”

My conference ends at 4AM Friday morning. (The closing party destination is always a surprise and everyone loves to dance until dawn). My son’s fraternity parent’s weekend starts with a tailgate at 5:30PM Friday. The only way for me to make it somewhat on time is to go from the closing party straight to the airport, take a 1:20AM flight to Barcelona, a 3 hour layover, an 8 hour 45 minute flight to JFK and another 2.5 hours to Indianapolis. If all the stars align I will arrive in time for a beer before the game starts.

Wish me luck!

And five days later I’m off again – on a scouting trip to Mallorca, Sardinia, Puglia and Rome! I am so excited for the incredible culinary, active, boating, wine and cultural adventures I have planned for these destinations. Of course I will share details with you to inspire your future adventures! Because of all of these travels, our next newsletter will be Wednesday, October 15.

Where to next for you?

Warmly,

Below:

Experience Highlight – Backroads
This week’s highlight – Taj Mahal in Dubrovnik
Hot New Hotel Opening – Casa Columbia
Inspiration + Information

BACKROADS – CHOOSING THE RIGHT ADVENTURE

After the success of our family’s first group trip to Norway last year, we knew we wanted another Backroads multi-adventure for this summer – this time to Croatia. Different destination, different culture, new guides and guests. And we all loved it!

When we returned, a friend reached out with so many questions about our experience. She wanted to know about everything – the hotels, the restaurants, the activities and how this trip compared to other Backroads options. These are exactly the details I sort through when working with clients, so you can focus on the excitement of planning rather than getting overwhelmed by choices.

Backroads actually offers several types of Croatia trips. Some visit just Croatia, others combine it with Montenegro or Slovenia. Some go in a northerly direction, others go south.

So how do you choose the perfect adventure?

Here was my framework for picking the right trip for us:

Start with where you haven’t been.
I’d visited Croatia before and promised myself I’d bring my family back – it’s one of my favorite places for families with adult kids. I’ve also been to Montenegro and Slovenia. With only 10 days to travel, Croatia was the best choice for us.

Consider your activity style.
Backroads offers biking-focused trips and multi-adventure trips. I love variety, so multi-adventure is perfect.

Look at your travel window.
We had a tight window between summer jobs ending and college starting, which narrowed our options quickly. Sometimes the calendar makes the decision for you.

Think about your fellow travelers.
If you’re bringing kids, I love that Backroads zeroes in on specific age ranges. We could have chosen “Families with Teens and 20’s” or “Families with 20’s and Beyond.” We went with the latter because the dates worked better for us, but both would have been great fits.

Hotel style matters – to a point.
Backroads offers Premier or Casual hotel options, and some trips include both. We had to prioritize other factors, so we “got what we got” for hotels – and they were fine.

Consider how much time you want to spend researching.
You could spend hours reading reviews from strangers who might have completely different travel styles than you. Or you could use that time for something more enjoyable and let an expert handle the research.

Why work with an advisor?
I dive into the details that matter most – the specific route and destinations, hotel quality comparisons and activity levels. I will even share available insights about your fellow travelers. You get peace of mind knowing you’ve picked the right trip, plus I customize a few extra days at the beginning and/or end – for special experiences (and hand picked hotels) with just your family.

Here’s what I told my friend, and what I tell my clients:
Backroads trips are about the people you’re with and the adventures you share, not just the hotels where you sleep. The company has spent 40+ years perfecting their formula – multiple daily route options, expert leaders and local experiences.

That being said, to complicate things further, there are also several other companies that offer active trips. Of course I will help you sort through those to find the best fit for you.

Below I’ll share some of the photos from our adventure. Starting with the extra couple of days for our family in Split to begin the trip.

We had a walking tour of Split’s highlights, chartered a boat (very similar to my favorite Italian boat, the Pardo), went island hopping, ate fresh fish at a chic beach cub for lunch, had a delicious dinner at a vibey restaurant by the water and stayed at my favorite heritage hotel. Walking home from dinner we passed this huge yachtwith a half basketball court. There are a lot of big boats in Croatia.

Then we had a full five days of hiking, biking, kayaking, swimming and exploring with our new friends and guides. My favorite moment of the trip was our last bike ride along the coast of Korčula – that ended with all of us doing a surprise dive into the sea (with full bike clothes on).

We ended the trip with extra time in Dubrovnik (it’s a must!). Off roading on 4x4s to the top of Mt Sdr for beautiful views, sunbathing on our hotel’s “beach” overlooking the old town and walking to town for a nice dinner.

Reach out to plan your

Backroads trip

TAJ MAHAL

Culinary experiences are included in every itinerary I send you on. Tasting tours, visiting markets, cooking classes or visiting a local family’s home to make a traditional dish (like soparnik in Croatia). Rounding out those experiences are a curated list of restaurant recommendations.

During a trip, after a week of immersing yourself in a new cuisine, it’s fun to branch out to other cuisines too. In Croatia, one of the restaurants my Croatian partner recommended for our final night dinner is Taj Mahal. “All our clients love this place as they feel vibe of neighboring country.” It is a Bosnian restaurant in the Old Town of Dubrovnik.

Their story…

“Taj Mahal was created out of the love of two people who share the same devotion for food, tradition, family and all those old customs that include a table full of food, the smell of grandma’s kitchen and that one plate always ready for a guides to come.”

Free range meats, vegetable dishes, kabobs, salads, flatbread and a dish called grandma’s pillow. See the full menu here.

I decided to go with a restaurant with a view over the sea, but my Travel Coordinator, Michelle, took her family to Taj Mahal last year and they all loved it! And another family on our Backroads trip also went and loved it too.

Michelle said “The food was delicious, every dish full of flavor and beautifully prepared. What really stood out was how well it suited everyone in our group. The kids loved their meals just as much as the adults, which made the experience even more enjoyable.”

Put it on your list!

📷 Taj Mahal

Reach out to plan your trip to

Croatia

🌟 Casa Carolina Hotel opened earlier this year in Cartagena’s historic walled Old Town.

Why visit Casa Carolina?

The space is a beautifully transformed 16th-century colonial mansion. During restoration, original frescoes and murals more than 400 years old were uncovered and are now part of the hotel’s decor
With only 15 rooms and suites, Casa Carolina offers a personalized and tranquil stay that feels more like a private retreat than a hotel.
The rooftop bar delivers locally inspired cocktails in a setting with sweeping views of Cartagena’s cathedral, rooftops and the Governor’s Palace.
There are two outdoor pools—one in the courtyard and another on the rooftop—creating peaceful spots for lounging, yoga or simply unwinding.

Of course it comes with the usual perks and VIP treatment when booking your stay through Truvay Travel.