The last little bit I’ve been fortunate enough to travel around a BUNCH! Whether it was a weekend away in Montreal, a week away in Toronto or an amazing road trip across eastern Canada, it feels like I’ve been on the go for a while. But I am so happy when travelling, I feel as though it is my calling! My friends all feel the same, that’s why we get on so well. Collectively, I reckon we have been all over the world. In fact, my friend recently did an all round trip in the UK, it took her months. But when she came home she couldn’t stop talking about the Southwest coast of England. She said the views were something out of a dream. So she actually ended up looking at some of Lovat’s holiday homes for sale in Cornwall and similar so she could have her own retreat to go to whenever she wanted to. We were all so happy for her, me, perhaps a little jealous. But I’ve never loved anywhere so much that I want to call it home, or, a second home in her case. But that’s just me! In fact, when I’m travelling, I’m always conscious of looking for a place to stay where Lyric can have a little space, ie. Mama needs her own bed, but it’s not always that simple. This is my main focus you see. However, it’s not always been that simple for me to find somewhere. That is, until I was introduced to Airbnb!
I think it was 2009, a friend and I were travelling to New York City, and we all know just how expensive hotels are in NYC. She told me about this website that you could essentially rent out someone’s apartment. Say WHA? We were able to find a place just blocks away from Time Square at 1/3 of the cost of a hotel. We had our own kitchen, and our own space. Amazing. Allow me to show you a little of how Airbnb works.
When you go to Airbnb.ca, you’ll see an easy search function. Simply enter your travel details and click search. It’ll present you with a map and a chance to narrow down your search with more options. Browse the listings until you see just what you want. You’ll be able to see reviews from previous travellers and you can always contact the host prior to booking. I’ve found hosts to be so gracious in answering any questions I have.
While on my East Coast road trip, one of the things we just HAD to do was whale watching! So, I found an amazing company in a remote area of Nova Scotia that offered whale watching tours. The tricky part was finding somewhere to stay. Straight to Airbnb I went! I found Carolyn’s listing easily by narrowing down my search to only include listing for entire apartments, and referencing the map so that I’d be close to the tour. One simple click, and I was set to go! Carolyn wrote me with instructions on how to enter the apartment and let me know if I had any questions, that she was there to help.
By the time we reached Digby, we’d had a few nights in hotels as quick stop-overs, and were ready to relax in our own space. We arrived via ferry and with the instructions from our host, we were able to find our place easily. There was a grocery store along the way, so we stopped for a few essentials to cook suppers and breakfasts. What a blessing it is to eat breakfast in your jammies and then lounge on the couch.
As you can tell, Lyric settled in quite easily. He kept referring the apartment to our little house. It was undoubtedly the CUTEST place I’ve ever stayed in. The next day we were off for a little island adventure, touring light houses and whale watching! It was incredible! So beautiful and breathtaking. Whale watching tours are available in many regions, for example san diego whale watching or California whale watching, so make sure you check for availability when you next travel. I’d love to experience them all as it was truly magical.
If you’re thinking of travelling, anywhere in the world, be sure to check out Airbnb first! I can promise you won’t be disappointed. As well, because I’m nice, follow THIS LINK to sign up and you’ll receive $20 off your first booking!! Now you definitely can’t go wrong with that!
To follow along on my mommy adventures and get a behind the scenes look into my life, make sure to follow my Instagram Account today. For more of my East Coast road trip, check out #SummerWithLyric, it was an adventure we won’t soon forget!
Photos via: Amanda Hayden Photography
Live, Laugh, Love