Nomadic Living
” All that raw land that rolls in one unbelievable huge bulge over to the West Coast, and all that road going…” -Jack Kerouac
A Site About Being at home in hotels around the world
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Travel Gear
“He who would travel happily must travel light.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Hotel Intel
“I knew it. I knew it. Born in a hotel room – and God damn it – died in a hotel room.” -Eugene O’Neill
Recent Posts
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Review of the Boca Suites Deerfield Beach: Hotel Intel
If you’re searching for a hotel around Boca Raton you’ve got plenty of choices. But if you’re coming in peak season and not made of money those choices get narrow pretty quickly. In that case you might find yourself looking at the Boca Suites Deerfield Beach as I did recently. Can this Best Western property
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Review of the RTIC Everyday Cooler: Gear Guide
Personal day-use coolers have always been a staple of road trip travel. Driving around the Florida coasts as much as I do, mine was getting daily use. Eventually an upgrade was in order and I wanted something with some size and substance. But I was still a bit hesitant to shell out Yeti money for
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Review of the La Quinta Ft Lauderdale Airport: Hotel Intel
If you’re searching for a hotel near FLL or Port Everglades the La Quinta Ft Lauderdale Airport may not be the most obvious choice. I’ve been staying in hotels in this area for two years and still haven’t booked it until now despite being very budget conscious. Was it worth the wait? Let’s find out.
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Florida’s Best Free Attraction? Manatee Lagoon in West Palm Beach
I’d been aware of West Palm’s Manatee Lagoon for a while and had it on a list of attractions to check out. Manatees are found throughout Florida but Manatee Lagoon is known as the best place to observe wild manatees in Florida. When a post popped up in my Instagram feed recently I clicked through
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The Cost of Living In Hotels: Update #4 July-December 2025
There’s not a lot of content on the Internet about the cost of living in hotels full time. Most people who adopt a nomadic lifestyle opt for some combination of AirBnb, monthly leases, or extended stays in hostels. The purpose of these updates is to provide a picture of what it actually costs to live
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How to Fly With Overweight Bags for Free
After nearly 20 years of going to sea I’ve learned how to pack exactly 49 pounds of gear to avoid being charged for overweight bags. But that was before I threw in the towel on carrying a military type sea bag and capitulated to the practicality of a bag with wheels. I settled on a
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Review of the Holiday Inn Hurstbourne Louisville, KY: Hotel Intel
While not known as a popular vacation destination, as long as the bourbon is flowing visitors will always be trotting into Louisville, especially around Derby Season. Are you better off ponying up to stay downtown? If you’d prefer to be stabled in a bedroom community the Holiday Inn Hurstbourne is an outstanding choice. Check current
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A Week in Cambodia’s Chaotic Capital
As a kid growing up in the 1980’s in East Baltimore, I had no awareness of Cambodia. Our neighborhood was working class, and it was the pre-Internet era. We had World maps hanging in our schools, but even these were not entirely reliable because they were often out of date. Especially after 1989 and the
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Beyond Levi’s: A Look Inside The Modern Factory Phnom Penh
When I found the Factory Phnom Penh online I was intrigued with the idea. A former Levi’s garment plant, some might say sweatshop, has been converted to a modern mixed-use campus. There is not a lot of information online about what to expect when you reach the site. The overall impression on the Phnom Penh
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Pattaya Exceeds Its Sleazy Reputation
Most visitors to Thailand are going to be arriving at one of Bangkok’s two large international airports. After spending a few days in the capital you’ll probably want to see some of the country’s famous beaches. Pattaya is pretty famous indeed, but not because its beaches are luxurious or alluring. It’s the whores. The town
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Review of Phnom Penh’s Tuol Sleng Site
I’m not sure there is anyone in the US who thinks about Cambodia without thinking of the Khmer Rouge first. For people who are over 40 we think of the revolution in Cambodia as being a part of recent events. Much like Apartheid or Rwanda. Pol Pot lived until 1998. Duch and Brother Number 2
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Bangkok Basics: Know before You Go
If you’re shopping flights to Thailand specifically or are exploring throughout Southeast Asia the chances are good a visitor to this part of the world will spend at least a little time in Bangkok. If you haven’t visited the region before it can be a little intimidating, and you might not know exactly what to
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