Welcome to 2020!

We know you have a lot of choices when it comes to travel blog to follow and we want to say a BIG thank you for choosing us. How many choices for travel blogs do you have? Millions and millions!

So, out of millions of travel blogs, why choose The Educational Tourist?

NO Fluff

I can’t get over what I see in some other blogs. They shall remain nameless, here, because my mom said, “If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all.” and frankly, I think that is good advice.

However; you’ve seen those blogs. Crazy bait and switch headlines. Pages and pages of whiny and entitled ‘woe is me’ stuff. Pages of “I’m the greatest thing since sliced bread” stuff.

My personal favorite…and by that I mean, stuff I hate, are the photos of girls showing stuff they shouldn’t. I might sound like an old lady or old fogie, but when I see a beautiful young lady traveler in a gorgeous outfit that is quite literally showing her panties or breasts I can’t help but sigh, roll my eyes and think, really? What does that have to do with travel?

You won’t see any of that goofiness here. I’m not willing to sell my soul for a few more likes on Instagram or Twitter by literally baring it all. LOL!

We admire cultures. We respect them. We appreciate them.

More than that – we respect ourselves!

NO insanely gorgeous magazine quality photos

You won’t see that here either. While Mr. Educational Tourist is an amazing photographer and is capable of fantastic photos we don’t waste our time taking them on vacation.

Yes, I said – waste our time.

How is taking fantastic photos a waste of time in our opinion?

Well, those fantastic  – stunning – mind-blowingly gorgeous photos take time. LOTS of time.

One in particular springs to mind. A lovely young lady blogger in a perfect outfit was leaping on the top of a building in Cappadocia Turkey with hot air balloons in the background. It was a stunning photo – gorgeous colors – the perfect moment. BUT, that same blogger talked about how she had to iron her outfit that had been rumpled in transit, got up at 2 – in the morning, to stage the pillows and furniture on the roof and then wait until sunrise for the perfect photo. Then she had to take back all the pillows and furniture back where she found them. She spent the better part of two days to get a stunning photo.

Me? I’d rather be seeing the country.

To each his/her own, but in my opinion, that time was wasted. If you are interested in a photoshoot of epic proportions but aren’t willing to spend 2 days on it consider hiring a local photographer to set up the shot. I’ve seen lots of professional photographs in front of the Eiffel Tower. That might be a nice compromise.

We have a limited amount of time to see the area and we aren’t going to spend 2 days of it to get a single photograph.

Learn about the Destination

We learn about the destination – before we go and we share that with you.

We read about what makes that destination special. We watch movies, eat food, read books, study history, and architecture, and learn a little bit of the language. I especially enjoy art and learning what was invented in this new place.

How is The Educational Tourist different from other travel blogs?

The amount of research.

See that paper I’m holding in the photo above? It is an outline of the kids’ book I write about destinations – the rough draft. After months of research, I compile that and take it with me.

Once I’ve used it with my own kids on our adventures I come home, tweak and publish for you.

Why recreate the wheel by trying to do the same thing yourself?

Why take time from your busy life, the work you specialize in, the time you spend to keep your household running, to research things you can find here? Use your expertise in your job and family and life and take advantage of my expertise here.

Click on any of these destinations to access the kids’ travel activity book:

Vatican City          Spain       France       Canada        Austin   

    New York       London       New York      Prado Museum      Louvre Museum

Other bloggers SAY they research but, to be honest, our research is far and away deeper and with a broader reach than you’ll find anywhere else.

Also, my research comes with 17 years of teaching experience!

How does this benefit you? You don’t have to recreate the wheel.

When you see a destination that interests you from the places we’ve visited, just read here and you’ll find all you need to know – customs, food, inventions, famous people and more! We’ve even created lists of kids books on every possible topic related to your destination. For example – in the Italy list you’ll find books on pasta, Catholicism, pizza, gelato, Michelangelo and soccer.

Improve Your Child’s Future

The world your child will take over is nothing we can imagine now.

The jobs they’ll have aren’t even jobs right now. That is how fast things are changing.

How do you prepare a child for something that isn’t here yet?

How do you guide them towards a future you can’t envision? What is the best foundation you can give them for a world that is both shrinking and growing at the same time?

Guide your children to be open to the world – the whole world and not just their small part. Show them how to roll with the punches and adapt to a changing environment. Teach them how to talk to people and listen. These skills will be a huge part of the future.

How can you teach your child these important skills?

Travel. Plain and simple travel is the very best experience you can give your try to secure a bright future.

How does travel prepare your child in ways traditional education can’t?

The world is small. With technology, we can talk to people 24/7. Companies from all over the world do business together and understanding each other is critical. Exposure to new things, new people, new experiences gives your children real skills they’ll need.

Have fun!

We have fun together. We enjoy life to the fullest. Laugh and learn along with us!

Happy Travels,

Natalie, The Educational Tourist