Welcome to One Checked Bag

Not ready to slow down!  I am making the most of my life, traveling the world and exploring new places.  Few things have such an impact and influence on life as does travel.  Join me on this adventure called life, One Checked Bag as we go!

Sunrise in the Sahara with Camel
Taking a picture of That Wanaka Tree
At the Square in Santa Maria de Montserrat

My Featured Blogs

Deciding between hotel loyalty programs and Expedia
When Hotel Loyalty Makes Sense—and When It Doesn’t
Are the rewards of a hotel loyalty program better than the flexibility of Expedia's OneKeyCash program? Here are my thoughts.
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Hobbiton, NZ
New Zealand’s North Island Was Different — And That Was Okay
Our Journey from Wellington to Rotorua After the drama, beauty, and occasional white-knuckle driving of the South Island, our final stretch through New Zealand’s North ...
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Marrakech
First Time in Marrakech: Chaos, Souks, & a Hidden Riad
1st time in Marrakech? Here's what it felt like arriving in Morocco, finding our Riad, navigating the Medina and souks, and experiencing Jemaa El-Fnaa at ...
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Latest Blogs

The Historic Cardrona Hotel
New Zealand
New Zealand Travel Q&A: What I Wish I Knew Before We Went
After reflecting on our 12-day journey through New Zealand, I thought it might be helpful to answer a few questions you may have if you ...
Hobbiton, NZ
New Zealand
New Zealand’s North Island Was Different — And That Was Okay
Our Journey from Wellington to Rotorua After the drama, beauty, and occasional white-knuckle driving of the South Island, our final stretch through New Zealand’s North ...
Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War at Te Papa
New Zealand
Our New Zealand Journey Continues, Days 7 and 8
Leaving Christchurch, and our damaged rental car behind, and flew to Wellington. After a scary landing, we visited Te Papa where we were left speechless.
Lake Tekapo Lupin Field
New Zealand
Cardrona to Christchurch…What Could Go Wrong?
Our journey from Cardrona to Christchurch was filled with New Zealand's natural beauty. Lake Pukaki and Lake Tekapo were stunning and the Lupin Fields amazed!

My favorite Quotes

"Not all those who wander are lost."
-J.R.R. Tolkien

Hello!

I’m Stephen MacNeil—a tax professional with a love for travel.  As I begin my transition to retirement, I have no plans to slow down.  In fact, in so many ways, I feel this is just the beginning of living!  Here, I share my adventures, insights, and tips to hopefully inspire and empower you to live your dreams through travel. 

You won’t find me bungee jumping off a bridge or scuba diving for lost treasure.  I’ll save that for the true daring.  But my travel isn’t without adventure.  I always attempt to do something new and challenging with each journey.  I try my best to capture what I feel and experience through my writings and photographs.  

This blog is more than just a collection of my thoughts—it’s a community. Subscribe to the One Checked Bag newsletter, where I unpack some deeper insights on my destinations, musings from the road, travel tips, and other relevant and useful information.  

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