Grant and Luke
Our Life in Photos and Words

Blog of Our Travels

All But One at Each Universal
All But One at Each Universal

Our annual Halloween trip began with a return to Florida, with a little twist this year: we started in Tampa. Grant was already in the state, doing his usual Fort Lauderdale gallivanting. I joined him later because, as always, I approach Florida with a healthy dose of skepticism.

I landed in Tampa without any issues, and we kicked things off at Union, a restaurant Grant had found because of its Parker House rolls. He’s been obsessed with those things lately, and these did not disappoint.

The reason I wanted to start in Tampa was Busch Gardens. We’d been a few years ago, and I was ready for a return visit. We hadn’t bought front-of-the-line passes, which made us a little nervous, but everything worked out. We rode Iron Gwazi, hit a few haunted houses, caught a few shows, and called it a night. Afterward, we stopped at an unusual food truck pavilion with several Indian food options. It was okay, though the style of food wasn’t quite my favorite.

Read More
Domestic Travel, YearLuke MartinFlorida, CaliforniaComment
Prepositions Matter: Choosing Marrakech, Morocco
Prepositions Matter: Choosing Marrakech, Morocco

There were countless places I could have chosen, but Marrakech made the list for one very specific reason: I wanted to see the snake charmers. That was it. That was enough. Sometimes a choice does not need to be supported by a spreadsheet of pros and cons. Sometimes curiosity is reason enough to book the flight.

Getting to Marrakech required a long layover in Amsterdam, so the day before leaving, I mapped out a list of things I could see between flights. I did not expect much from the stopover. Amsterdam was not the destination; it was merely a preposition—a place I had to pass through on my way to somewhere else.

Read More
Year, International TravelLuke Martin2026, Morocco, NetherlandsComment
We May Have Created an Adventure Seeker
We May Have Created an Adventure Seeker

Every summer we make the trip to Schlitterbahn. Somewhere along the way it stopped being just another vacation and quietly became one of those traditions that marks the passing of time. Every year we tell ourselves we'll ride the same favorites, find a few new ones, eat too much junk food, and wonder why we don't come more often. It's one of those trips that always seems worth the drive—or, in this year's case, the flight. This summer, though, the trip carried a little more anticipation than usual because for the first time it wasn't really about us anymore. It was about Ripley.

Read More
Ripley, Year, Domestic TravelLuke Martin2026, Ripley, TexasComment
Two Trips, Two Very Different Adventures: Mexico, North Carolina, and Traveling with a Toddler

Traveling with a toddler has taught us that trips rarely go exactly as planned. Sometimes that means discovering hidden gems, and other times it means accidentally ending up in the wrong border crossing lane with no cell service while trying to navigate international travel. Over the course of two weeks, we somehow managed to do both.

Read More
Ripley, Year, Domestic Travel, International TravelLuke Martin2026, North Carolina, MexicoComment
Peru, Potatoes, and Poorly Researched Decisions
Peru, Potatoes, and Poorly Researched Decisions

My birthday is four days away from Ripley’s, which essentially means I celebrate whenever there’s an opening in the calendar. This was 39—so not the “big one”—but 40 is looming like a midlife boss battle, so expectations are building. Grant and I agreed I’d push my “real” birthday trip to April, and suddenly the weekend was here. For reasons I still cannot logically explain, I chose Lima, Peru. Booked it about 6–7 weeks ago, did essentially no planning until the week of, and somehow convinced myself that was a solid, mature, well-thought-out strategy.

Read More
Year, International TravelLuke Martin2026, PeruComment
Splashing at a Waterpark by Day, Bundling Up in the Snow by Night

Grant and I couldn’t quite decide how to “do” Chicago. We had booked cheap flights months ago—one of those fares that pops up and feels irresponsible not to buy—and told ourselves we’d figure out the details later. As the trip got closer, we still didn’t have a real plan. That’s when I did something bold: I let Grant take the lead.

Read More
Year, Ripley, Domestic TravelLuke Martin2026, Wisconsin, IllinoisComment
Rome Is Old — and It Got Old Quick
Rome Is Old — and It Got Old Quick

There are so many movies about Rome. So many sweeping shots, golden-hour ruins, Vespa montages, and romanticized piazzas that make it feel like this mythical, timeless place you’re supposed to fall in love with instantly. But appearances are deceiving. Rome is kind of like Instagram. You see the perfectly framed photo, but not the chaos just outside the shot. The reality is a million tourists, shoulder-to-shoulder, all trying to get their version of the same picture. March is considered “low season,” and yet it felt busy in a way that reminded me of San Diego Comic-Con — except Comic-Con has wide streets. Rome does not. Rome is narrow. And old. And crowded.

Read More
Year, International TravelLuke Martin2026, ItalyComment
How We Took a Nearly-2-Year-Old Deep Into the Jungle
How We Took a Nearly-2-Year-Old Deep Into the Jungle

Grant and I have a long-standing love affair with Belize—well, probably better to say Ian Anderson’s Caves Branch, an eco-lodge tucked deep into the jungle where the food is great, the adventures are wild, and there are more stairs than anywhere else in the world. We first stayed there back in September 2015, and it sparked our love for travel. It was the kind of place that permanently resets your standards for vacations.

Read More
Year, Ripley, International TravelLuke Martin2026, BelizeComment
Rescheduling Food in Mexico
Rescheduling Food in Mexico

Spanish is not my first language. Not even my second. In fact, I don’t pretend to know much of it at all. So, dealing with a Mexican airline that primarily operated in Spanish proved to be... a challenge. Our original flight was changed, then changed again—without notice. After realizing the most recent switch, I called to change it a third time. What was originally supposed to be a Valentine’s Day trip for Grant and me turned into a solo adventure in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Read More
Year, International TravelLuke Martin2025, MexicoComment
Travel Feels Good in A Place Like This...Boston, Iceland, and New York

Because we need this, all of us, that indescribable feeling when the cabin lights go dim and we go somewhere we’ve never been before; not just entertained, but somehow reborn. One day, Nicole Kidman can recite these lines as a spoof of her AMC commercial, which has gone on way too long. What else has gone on too long is our drought of traveling, but that has now come to an end with a week-long trip to celebrate Emily’s birthday. With Ripley consuming our lives, we needed a good excuse to break out of baby jail, and this was the perfect excuse.

Read More
International Travel, YearLuke Martin2025, Iceland, New York, MassachusettsComment
Luke's Birthday in El Salvador

This year, I decided to shake things up and celebrate my birthday in the beautiful country of El Salvador. Known for its stunning beaches, rich culture, and amazing landscapes, it was the perfect backdrop for a memorable celebration. Grant took a side trip to Miami first, and then we met up there and flew down to San Salvador. It was nighttime, so we couldn’t see much,  but the drive to the Sheraton El Presidente was quite nice because of the blue and white lights that lit the entire 45 minute drive to San Salvador.

Read More
Year, International TravelLuke Martin2025, El SalvadorComment
Jamaica Was Not Our Speed
Jamaica Was Not Our Speed

Bob Marley sang a song about “Forget Your Troubles.” We want to just forget Jamaica all together.

It has been over a month since we went to Montego Bay, Jamaica, and I have yet to write the blog. It was a bad trip. Not because Grant and I were fighting, worried about the baby, or anything—but the country and culture were not a match.

Read More
International Travel, YearLuke Martin2025, JamaicaComment
Five East Coast States Over Labor Day Weekend
Five East Coast States Over Labor Day Weekend

We set out to explore Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York on our first road trip outside of California with Ripley. This region was uncharted territory for both Grant and me, and I was eager to hit the road. Grant had been wanting to visit Atlantic City (the Las Vegas of the East) for a while, so after some persuasion, he agreed to a sightseeing road trip as long as we included Atlantic City in our itinerary. We planned the trip over Labor Day to take advantage of the extra day off work. My mom was in town and joined us, providing extra help with our unruly 5-month-old.

Read More
Domestic Travel, YearLuke Martin2024, Delaware, New York, Maryland, New Jersey, PennsylvaniaComment
Father’s Day in Mazatlán
Father’s Day in Mazatlán

Well, it has been a minute since we have traveled anywhere interesting. Something about a baby. Since it was Father’s Day—we decided to start the annual tradition of traveling with Ripley somewhere international. I am unsure if Ripley is fully aware that he has committed to this forever and ever, but as I write this and memorialize it officially in this blog—it is happening!

Read More
Year, International TravelLuke Martin2024, MexicoComment
38 in Las Vegas
38 in Las Vegas

December was the month of colds. We did travel to Houston, San Antonio, and Seattle for Christmas, but there wasn’t enough to talk about. Beginning in January— it’s all about Grant’s birthday. The weekend of January 5th-7th which has been discussed for months — finally arrived. Grant painstakingly crafts his birthday to fit as much craziness in as possible and for everyone to maximize the time they are with each other.

Read More
Year, Domestic TravelLuke Martin2024, NevadaComment
How Many Shows Can We Fit In?

If we do Friday at 7 pm then we can fit in the 11 pm show, but we shouldn’t do that because the 11 pm show is offered on Saturday at 3 pm, and then we can do the 8 pm other show, but we have to check to see if it’s close to the theater and tickets aren’t crazy expensive. These logistical nightmares were our daily reality for the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday trip that Grant, Emily, and I took to New York City to see shows on Broadway. With none of us have been to NYC in a few years, it being a Holiday weekend (Veterans Day) and the baby still cooking— why not?

Read More
Domestic Travel, YearLuke Martin2023, New YorkComment