Are you an independent traveler who chooses museums over tourist traps, personalized experiences over generic tours, and local restaurants over anywhere with laminated menus in four languages?

Then you’re in the right place!

I’m Carol Cram: novelist, passionate lover of the arts, and an enthusiastic traveler who books concert tickets and special exhibitions before hotel rooms.

If you love arts and culture, concerts, great food, the occasional wildlife encounter, and hidden gems that make a trip genuinely memorable rather than just another checklist of sights, then come along with me for the ride!

Travel for me means more than checking off sites.

Travel means finding ways to engage with locals while also adding to my knowledge. Lately, I’ve taken to signing up for creative workshops (and that includes cooking classes) in the places I’m visiting.

This week, I’m featuring the photography workshop I took in Rome with Giulio d’Ercole of Rome Photo Fun Tours. For four hours, he led me around seven churches and into the streets of Roma to show me how to capture compelling memories with my phone.

Read my account of the morning:

Take a Photography Tour in Rome and Learn with an Expert

If creative experiences are your kind of travel, explore the Creative Activities section of my Arts & Culture hub to find hands-on, skills-based experiences that make a trip memorable—and I’m adding to the list with every trip!