• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About/Hire Me
    • About Me
    • Hire Me
    • Contact
    • Family
    • Faith
    • FAQ
    • My Running Story
    • Recipes
  • Disney
  • Fitness
    • runDisney Information Page
    • Fitness
    • Races
  • Parenting
  • Travel

Through Heather's Looking Glass

  • Disney
  • Fitness
  • Travel
  • family
  • About Me

How To Make Your Next Trip The Best Ever

February 12, 2021 | Travel

I love to travel, and the last year has strengthened my desire to get out and explore as much as possible in a safe way. If youโ€™re daydreaming about your next trip, and youโ€™re on a mission to ensure itโ€™s the best one ever, here are some tips to keep in mind as you plan!

Image from

Researching excursions and activities

When you browse brochures or scroll through online photos of deluxe hotels, golden beaches and swimming pools, itโ€™s easy to get carried away with hotel and resort amenities and decadent rooms. While itโ€™s important to choose a place that crosses all of the boxes, itโ€™s also important to research the surrounding area and see what kinds of excursions and activities are available. From sea kayaking and snorkeling to horseback riding, rock climbing, learning to cook local specialties and taking dance classes, thereโ€™s time to enjoy all kinds of experiences during your vacation. Read reviews, get ideas from travel blogs like mine or search pins on Pinterest and see how the locals live and how they like to spend their time. Planning ahead enables you to discover and explore ideas and it will also save time and effort when you arrive at your destination. I do not recommend just showing up and “winging it!”

Finding the perfect accommodation

The range of accommodation options available to travelers now is impressive. Today, you can put down roots for a weekend or a couple of weeks in hotels, resorts, apartments, beach houses, tree houses, log cabins in the woods or even transparent pods that enable you to stargaze or try and spot the Northern Lights. Depending on your location and the type of break youโ€™re planning, you can browse the best hotels with hot tubs in room options, luxury beach resorts, spa hotels, ranches, glamping destinations or city center lofts at the touch of a button. Think about where you want to go, how you want to spend your time and how much you want to spend. You may have to sacrifice in another are if the hotel or location of accommodations is really important to you. Make a list ranking things so you know what is more important!

Adding a personal touch

When youโ€™re planning an itinerary, itโ€™s always a good idea to personalize your plans. It can be tempting to copy and paste from somebody elseโ€™s trip, but we all have different interests. Spend some time researching places to visit and things to see and do and add a personal touch. If youโ€™re organizing a weekend away for an anniversary or a vacation for a special birthday celebration, for example, you could arrange for the hotel to ensure that there are balloons or a bouquet of flowers waiting in the room, book a table at a restaurant your partner has always wanted to visit or even ask for a shout out if you go to a soccer or football game or you get tickets for a concert. Little things can often make a big difference!

Picture courtesy of

Many of us are longing to book a vacation and enjoy the freedom to roam. If youโ€™ve started thinking about your next trip or weekend away, take these tips into consideration to make it the best trip ever. Plan ahead, research the area, explore unique accommodation options and add a personal touch!

Related: Packing for a Disney Trip

Like this:

Like Loading...

Sign up for my newsletter

Primary Sidebar

I am Heather Montgomery, a 30 something southern girl living in Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband Bobby, 10-year-old daughter Emma Kate, and our goldendoodles Dolly and Luna. I’m just a regular girl who likes to workout, travel, hang with my family, text, and eat chips and queso. Be sure to check out my “about me” page for more info!
Thank you for visiting, and feel free to contact me with questions, (or for PR inquiries or press trip invites) at Support@HeathersLookingGlass.com.

Please, no guest post requests. ๐Ÿ™‚

More about me

Privacy Policy

You can also find me here:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • Youโ€™ll Get It When You Get Here: A Spring Break on Alabamaโ€™s Beaches That Actually Feels Like a Break
  • A Word for 2026
  • Merry Christmas 2025
  • A Magical Christmas Weekend at Gaylord Opryland: Our Family Favorites
  • Convenient Ways to Increase your Fitness

 

Search

How to Start a Blog

How to start a blog
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
  • Disney
  • Fitness
  • Travel
  • Family
Dry January is over! We made it, yall! ๐Ÿ˜‚ ๐Ÿ’ƒ๐Ÿป ๐Ÿน Pl Dry January is over! We made it, yall! ๐Ÿ˜‚ ๐Ÿ’ƒ๐Ÿป ๐Ÿน 

Please make sure you take your pets inside in this weather. We donโ€™t want to find a real cat outside. ๐Ÿฅถ 

Did you participate in dry January? 

#dryjanuary #margaritatime #snowmeme #snowfunny #cheerstothat
โœจ G I V I N G B A C K โœจ Weโ€™ve partnered with some โœจ G I V I N G  B A C K โœจ
Weโ€™ve partnered with some friends in order to send FIVE of you $ 1 , 0 0 0 ๐Ÿ’ฐeach!! 

๐“๐Ž ๐„๐๐“๐„๐‘:
โญ๏ธ LIKE and SAVE this post!
โญ๏ธ COMMENT - any comment will do 
โญ๏ธ FOLLOW @betterdaysgiveaways and all accounts they follow

๐๐Ž๐๐”๐’:
๐ŸŽ‰ SHARE this reel to your story
๐ŸŽ‰ TAG a friend who may need this 

Open worldwide ๐ŸŒŽ
Must be 18+ to participate 
This is our only account - beware of imposters
Closes 11:59pm est on 2/3
Recipients selected at random + announced via stories within 24-48 hours 

This promotion is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Instagram.

#beachvacay #springvacation #oceanviews #travelgirldiary
I was so tired of dragging around heavy, clunky ba I was so tired of dragging around heavy, clunky bags on my trips! โœˆ๏ธ

So I invested in the Carry-On from @hulkenbag! Itโ€™s lightweight, sleek, and glides effortlessly wherever I go. It has 4 pockets and opens from the top, so itโ€™s very easy to grab things in flight! Iโ€™ve got room for everything I need and can fit all my devices, snacks, books, and a neck pillow seamlessly inside.

I always pair my Carry-On with the Schlep Stack because who has time to dig through a messy bag? ๐Ÿ‘œโœจ

Trust me, Hulken is a total game-changer!

#HulkenPartner #TravelMadeEasy #HulkenBags #RollingTote #TravelInStyle
POV: you order a Shirley Temple at home and the se POV: you order a Shirley Temple at home and the service is questionable but the drink is excellent. ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ’
Letโ€™s kick off 2026 with a little bit of wellness, and a whole lot of humor. I just wanted the restaurant experience at home, ok? ๐Ÿ˜

โ€ข Prebiotic soda
โ€ข Shirley Templeโ€“inspired flavor
โ€ข 20 calories per can
โ€ข No mixing, just crack the can and enjoy

@bloomsupps #giftedbybloom #bloompop
Today is National Plan Your Vacation Day ๐Ÿš (ad) T Today is National Plan Your Vacation Day ๐Ÿš (ad)

The beaches of Alabama are the kind of place where the days feel slow, the kids are happy, and you donโ€™t feel like you need a vacation after your vacation.

Alabama beaches in the spring just make sense.

๐Ÿ‘‰ Check out the link in my bio for where to stay + how to plan it.
@visitalabamasbeaches #albeachblogger #alspringvacay #springvacation
Anyone else stuck at home/school closed? โ„๏ธ At le Anyone else stuck at home/school closed? โ„๏ธ 
At least I got my house cleaned. ๐Ÿ˜‚

We are grateful we have electricity, I know many are not so lucky. But the boredom level was getting real over here, so it was time to get creative! New parenting hack! 

#parentingtip #parentingmeme #snowday2026 #parentingfunny
Just a few funnies as we kick off another week. I Just a few funnies as we kick off another week. I have found laughter truly is great medicine. 

We are iced in and school is cancelled tomorrow! ๐Ÿฅถ ๐Ÿซ 

#funnymemes4ya #scrollstopper

Copyright © 2026 · Through Heather's Looking Glass · Theme by Bella Creative Studio

%d