I grew up in the U.S. state of Georgia and for as long as I can remember, I have dreamed about visiting faraway places.

Now I actually visit those faraway places . . . plus lots of destinations closer to home. I first left the United States in my teens back in 2011, and over the last 11 years I have become a travel expert.

My travels have taken me to four different continents and given me many treasured memories. I have hiked the Camino de Santiago in Spain, excavated on a mountainside in Turkey, marveled at Peru’s historic sites, and gone snorkeling in a cenote in Mexico.

I started this blog because I want you to know that you can travel, too. It doesn’t matter if you can’t leave your country or even your state or city.

There is so much to do and explore, wherever you may be. While my posts cover many locations around the world, the theme throughout is the same: appreciating the value of local travel.

I like to focus on all the tiny things that make a place special. Whether I’m exploring ancient tombs in Italy or relaxing in my home state of Georgia, I try to approach every moment with a spirit of discovery.

I know that I have become a better, a happier, and a more educated person through traveling. Day Trip Queen will help you to have great travel experiences, too!

Why day trips?

As you might have guessed from the name of this site, I love day trips. Why? Because you can fit them into even the busiest of schedules.

I’m a busy person. Most of us struggle to find time to travel, and I am no exception. But if I can still make time for adventure, you can too!

Traveling is not my full-time job. I’m a PhD student in Classics at Harvard University, which means I get paid to study and teach about the ancient Mediterranean world. It’s awesome, but graduate school is also very time-consuming.

My job as a graduate student sometimes involves international travel during the summer, but on a day-to-day basis I have no time.

My solution? Day trips! When it comes to adventure, go big or go home is a stupid maxim. Go little or even go tiny – just get out there and explore.

Day trips are amazing because you can gather your energy and have a meaningful experience in a short amount of time.

They are often cheap, too. You may not have the money for a weeklong Paris extravaganza, but you can probably afford the gas to drive an hour to that cool state park.

And that’s while you will often find me promoting day trips on this site. I love them wholeheartedly, and I want you to, too!

Why I Created Day Trip Queen

I love traveling internationally, and I wouldn’t be who I am today without those experiences. But the impetus for this travel blog came from adventures closer to home.

In Summer 2021, I headed to my hometown of Duluth, Georgia to spend a few months with my family before getting married. After a year without travel, a year isolating in my apartment in Boston, I decided it was time to get out and visit local Georgia attractions.

My mom and I spent hours day-tripping around Georgia. We visited historic sites, found all the weird roadside oddities, and discovered the best donuts in Atlanta.

When I was younger, I was so eager to get out and see the world that I didn’t appreciate what was right in front of me. But that summer I realized just how fascinating my home state is, from Native American mounds to beautiful mountain vistas.

I wanted to share my love for Georgia, and travel in general, with the world. So I created this site to do just that.

Day Trip Queen was born from my belief that every place has something worth appreciating. Your country or region is fascinating, just like mine.

Get out there and explore! Day Trip Queen is here to help.

Now you know more about me, so go explore the website. Click on one of the topics below to get started!

Southeast U.S.

Northeast U.S.

Europe