The primary goal for our US roadtrips was to visit all 50 states in the USA. We have roadtripped for the last 15 years with our children (aka Jetlag & Mayhem) and typically focus on one state at a time. However this year, as part of our Massachusetts roadtrip, there was one state that we couldn’t help traversing. Despite being the smallest US state by size, Rhode Island is famed for its cultural richness and natural beauty. Described as the Ocean State, Rhode Island showcases its New England charm with breathtaking scenery, grand mansions, and seafood. My parents had raved about the charmi ..read more

If you’re a Housewives fan, you’ll have heard of the Berkshires via Dorinda’s storied Blue Stone Manor. The Berkshires are a mountain region located in western Massachusetts and Connecticut. After a few days in Boston and a beach break at Rockport, a trip to the rolling green hills of the Berkshires was just the ticket. There are a host of quaint towns in which to base yourself in. Scouring Airbnb, I found quite a few properties in the charming looking town of Great Barrington. Getting To The Berkshires From coastal Rockport, it was just under three hours drive to the Berks ..read more

Piecing together a roadtrip is like a jigsaw. Sort the edges first and then start piecing the middle bits together. Having booked flights to Boston, that was our starting point. Plus I’d promised Jetlag & Mayhem beach this trip (the last roadtrip was to landlocked Pennsylvania), so planned to end up in Cape Cod. I couldn’t come to Massachusetts without visiting the fabled Salem and was searching around for a picturesque place to stay close by. Trawling the travel blogs, Rockport a quaint seaside village north of Boston looked just the spot. Bidding farewell to Boston, our first stop was t ..read more

Boston had everything I wanted as the launchpad for our Massachusetts Roadtrip. A city steeped in history, a walkable downtown, shopping for the teens and delicious food options. All made even more palatable by a decently priced flight from London with British Airways. I now understand all the fanfare Boston gets, it may even be my new favourite US city… although we were very lucky with August blue skies and sunshine, I’m not so sure how I’d find it in the snow! One of the oldest cities in the United States, Boston is the largest city in New England and the capital of Massachesetts. Foun ..read more

Our annual US roadtrip gives us the chance to hit the open road in an SUV. Before we start, my top tip for hiring a car in the US is to consider whether you need a car at all on arrival at the airport. If you’re starting your journey in a big city, you may want to wait until the next leg of your roadtrip to pick up your hire car. This can be beneficial from both cost, time and general happiness! You won’t have to stand jetlagged in a long airport hire car queue with irritated children (hop in a taxi/public transport straight to your city destination). You won’t have to stress out driving on th ..read more

We have been incredibly fortunate to travel much of the US every summer for the past 14 years. You can find all my itineraries on Jetlag & Mayhem from New Mexico to Hawaii to Wisconsin and Florida. What’s interesting is that as the years progress (Jetlag & Mayhem are now 14 and 12), these trips become more challening to plan. In the old days they would do as they were told with minimal moaning, whether that’s visiting a museum or hiking a national park. Now they are much more opinionated with their top itinerary votes either going to sunbathing or Sephora. So I try to build a trip wher ..read more

Enamoured by the idea of camping but prefer to do it in style? Do you need your ‘tent’ to come with a dishwasher and wood-burning hot tub? Are you picturing yourself surrounded by delightful woodland and a lovely little lake? If so, then the UK’s Lost Garden Retreat is for you! Where is the Lost Garden Retreat? You’ll find this slice of paradise in Hintlesham, Suffolk. The ‘campsite’, is hidden away around the back of a golf course. It took us about 2 hours to drive from North London. There are lots of farm shops etc close by but we did a big supermarket shop before we left to take advantage ..read more

Since moving back to the UK in 2021, I’ve been pretty useless at exploring my home nation. Aside from several trips to the Cotswolds and a weekend in Winchester, life revolves around chauffering children and family commitments. My sister and I were determined to have a weekend off the dance run and pencilled in a minibreak. Where would we go? Enter England’s original seaside destination, Margate. Visitors have been flocking here since the 18th century to sample the sandy beaches and visit the shell grotto. I had read about the opening of the super cool Fort Road Hotel, revived back to life fro ..read more

During Easter break, we ticked off a long awaited item on the travel bucket list; Marrakech. This colourful city really did live up to our expectations and dare I say it, rock the casbah. April was a great time to visit as the temperatures were a touch cooler. It was also the holy month of Ramadan, which meant that there were fewer crowds during the day, although many restaurants remained open to tourists in the fasting hours. Another upside is that Marrakech Menara Airport is only 15 mins from the city centre. Serviced by plenty of airlines including budget ones, there’s another plus for that ..read more

Originating from Middle Eastern architecture, Morocco’s riads are traditional houses built around an interior garden or courtyard. Many have been repurposed into guest houses and if you get the chance, you should stay in one during your Marrakech stay. There are riads to suit all budgets. My travel agent suggested her favourite, Les Jardins de La Medina, as it had a decent sized pool. Very welcomed by Jetlag & Mayhem in the soaring daytime heat! Location Formerly a Prince’s Palace, Les Jardins de la Medina is located close to the Royal Palace in the Kasbah quarter. It is about a 25 mi ..read more