About Us
Vacation Idea is an award-winning blog run by Ema and Chris. While our website VacationIdea.com is small with under 200 pages and all the content written by just the two of us, you'll find a host of diverse and hidden vacation ideas for weekend getaways, day trips, and longer vacations, based on our personal travels.
Keeping the site small allows us to keep it up to date with our latest discoveries and photos while we travel. We hope that reading this inspires you to travel to our favorite hidden gems.
Why trust us? We founded this site decades ago and not only are we expert road trippers, but we also work with tourism agencies to stay pluggend into the latest openings and what's new and unique in travel. Chris is an award-winning photographer and designer, giving our contant a visually stunning polish.
In addition, we've spent decades perfecting our useful guide format, not only helping you avoid mistakes, but also making sure you don't miss any of the highlights on your own trip.
Press and Institutional Mentions
Our awards and media mentions:
The Team:
Ema Kisel - Editor, & Trip Developer
Ema is a travel editor and trip creator. Ema's passion is creating inspirational, approachable guides that all types of travelers can enjoy.
Chris Walsh - Professional Photographer and Website Designer
Chris Walsh is an award-winning full time professional travel photographer, videographer, and web designer. Driven by his passion for storytelling, Chris loves finding new ways to make Vacation Idea guides more visually appealing and interesting.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do I need to be an experienced traveler to go on these trips?
You don't need to be an experienced traveler to enjoy the trips and ideas on this site. Our goal is to make travel accessible and inspiring for everyone, regardless of their experience level. We feature a wide range of options, from simple day trips and local adventures to longer vacations, so you can find an idea that fits your comfort level and lifestyle. The most important thing is a sense of curiosity and a desire to explore.
There are so many ideas on your site! Where do I start?
That's a great question! It's true that there are a lot of ideas to explore. The best place to start is by thinking about what you're looking for right now. Here are a few ways to begin:
- By Trip Type: Are you interested in a quick day trip, a weekend escape, or a longer vacation? You can browse our guides based on the length of your trip.
- By Interest: Are you hoping for a romantic getaway, or a fun family trip? We have sections dedicated to specific interests like beaches, destination guides, and seasonal activities.
- By Location: Do you have a specific state or region in mind? You can start by searching for ideas close to home to discover hidden gems in your own backyard.
- By Occasion: Are you planning a honeymoon, birthday or an anniversary trip?
No matter where you begin, the goal is simply to get inspired. Pick a place or a theme that sounds interesting to you, and start exploring from there!
Are you on social media?
You betcha! Follow along on Facebook (370,000 followers) , X (15,000 followers) , or Pinterest (30,000 followers).
Where do you travel most?
We've been chasing stories down backroads and city streets for years, so the answer to this question is always changing! We currently call Austin, Texas, home, so we spend a lot of time exploring the great state of Texas.
That said, we’ve been fortunate to live in many incredible places. We’ve called Manhattan, Hawaii, and various cities across Europe home for years or months at a time. When our son was two, we put all our belongings in storage and went around the world with just six (large and heavy!) bags for five whole years! We based ourselves in places one, two or sometimes three months at a time. We were able to do this thanks to many incredible Airbnb, FurnishedFinder and other hosts, from Italy, Croatia, Switzerlandand and Scotland to Massachusetts, Hawaii and New Zealand.
We believe the best way to know a place is to truly live there for a while. Our goal is to inspire you to discover the local favorites in your own backyard, and perhaps rent your home and hit the road like we did for a truly life changing experience.
Do you have a travel book?
Our dream is to write a best selling travel book about our top favorite weekend getaways in the USA (and perhaps another about our life as digital nomads) as early as as next year.
Contact:
Get in touch via email: editors@vacationidea.com
Get in touch via Facebook or X
Mailing Address: VacationIdea LLC, 1530 PB Ln, K4554, Wichita Falls, TX 76302