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Musings and Misc

Kate Thomas

A Nomination and News! An Update from Kate – July 2014

Hello there! Well, things are bubbling over here for me and Travel with Kate. And I wanted to share the exciting news! From Expedia to TripAdvisor to USA Today and 10Best the Travel with Kate online presence is spreading! First, USA Today and 10 Best nominated me for a people’s choice award as one of the top ten video travel bloggers online. To explain my category they wrote: “A video log, or vlog, may be one of the best ways to sample a destination before you see it. The world’s top travel videographers do it with expertly-shot footage and witty narrative. Their audience turns to them for more than breathtaking landscapes or adrenaline-spiking activities. These multimedia artists also translate the culture and…

Rediscovering Los Angeles with my Fellow Locals

Living in one place for many years, gives us the impression that we have a holistic view of our own hometown. But the truth of the matter is our experiences, our family, our friends, and even the address of our home all impact our understanding of our cities. And I am currently learning this lesson in a big way. Last year, I moved back to my hometown of Los Angeles after living in New York for five years. At the time, I braced myself for some intense culture shock. Despite the upgrades in weather and certain facets of life “ I was concerned that the LA I knew would not hold my attention as had New York. I am not going to next tell…

What’s Kate Up To?

I am so pleased to announce that Travel with Kate is reaching new heights. First of all, I know you’ve heard me mentioning Expedia a lot lately. And that is because I have recently joined their team of content creators for the Expedia Viewfinder blog. I suppose this is my official announcement!! I’m joining other prominent travel bloggers that I have been admiring for years. And so far, I have posted three articles there: A post on escaping to Tulum, Mexico for a warm-weather getaway; a piece about going back in time to Rat Pack Vegas; and my latest is about my two favorite European restaurants in LA. And that’s just the beginning.…

Speaking at the Women’s Travel Festival!

Last Saturday, on International Women’s Day, I took part in a wonderful event empowering women to travel. It was the first annual, Women’s Travel Festival held in New York City. And it was clear that from the seasoned, career-travelers on stage to the festival attendees – the room was full of friends. Wait. Not just friends, but sisters. A love for travel, solo or otherwise, means you embrace new friendships and new adventures. And the festival was packed with open-hearted and brave women coming together over their common passions. For that and many other reasons, I was so honored to be one of the speakers.…

Traveling Back in Time with My Dad

In a recent article for Expedia Viewfinder, I write about how I might travel using a time machine if given the opportunity. The post was inspired by Expedia™s campaign in support of the new Dreamworks film, Mr. Peabody and Sherman. And in writing my piece, I was really surprised to find how personal the topic of time travel turned out to be for me. Most people might choose to go back to some profound moment in world history. And in the film, the main characters do exactly that from Troy to Versailles to Ancient Egypt, accidentally wreaking havoc on the space-time continuum. But me!? I™d go back to the toe-tapping era of the 1950™s in Vegas. Why? Well, first of…

What is Local Travel Anyway?

It is a core mission of my website and video series to help my viewers travel locally. Either here or on other travel publications, I’m sure you’ve seen articles referencing local travel, getting an authentic experience, or experiential travel. And you might be wondering, what do these buzz words mean exactly? I think there are two main components to local travel. One is the ability to experience a destination for what it is today. The other is to make personal connections with people from a different part of the world. Both opportunities can enhance your trip and impact your life. Every destination has a living, breathing society that is evolving all the time. Think about your hometown or New York…