Lori Barbely
Hi, I’m Lori, the Chief Travel Officer for Mostly Solo Travel! I created this site for solo (and would-be solo) female travelers. My goal is to inspire your trips, give you practical advice on how to plan, and to ease your fears so you can explore the world on your own.
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Christmas in St. Augustine, Florida
Christmas in Florida is tough for me because the warm weather makes it hard for me to get into the holiday spirit! I Come with me to find holiday cheer at Christmas in St. Augustine, Florida. St. Augustine Night of Lights Foregoing the trolley tour, I chose to walk and experience the St. Augustine Night of Lights and it was so magical! However, while I was walking to the Lightner Museum, I was passed by the Grinch driving a golf cart full of guests for a Night of Lights tour and I can’t tell you how sad I was to discover that the Very Un-Merry GrinchMas Ride was sold out…
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The Local St. Augustine
With its old-school motel-style building and flamingo pink exterior, The Local gives big retro Florida vibes, which is what inspired me to stay there on a recent trip to St. Augustine. Did it live up to the hype? Read on to find out! How to Get to The Local St. Augustine Fly into St. Augustine’s Northeast Florida Regional Airport (UST) or Jacksonville International Airport (JAX). The Local is just over an hour drive from Jacksonville International and about 15 minutes from Northeast Florida Regional Airport. The Local is just a 25-minute walk or a 5-minute drive to Plaza de la Constitución and Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. Rooms at…
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Capybara Cafe, St. Augustine, Florida
Opened in late 2024, St. Augustine’s Capybara Cafe is a fun new experience that lets you get up close and personal with these fascinating creatures! For $49 you can spend 30 minutes feeding, learning about, petting, and snuggling Mocha, Latte and their two yet-to-be-named capybara friends! Occasionally their skunk friend named Flower will also make an appearance! The group sizes are kept small, with a maximum of six people, so the capys don’t get overwhelmed and so you’re sure to get ample time with these cuties! The capybaras (and Flower) spend their days doing meet and greets, then head back to Noah’s Ark Sanctuary to spend their evenings doing capy…
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Africa Safari Lake Manyara, Tanzania
Located in Lake Manyara, African Safari Lake Manyara is ideal for those visiting Lake Manyara National Park and makes for an excellent overnight en route to Serengeti National Park. When I stayed at the property in July of 2024, it was dealing with the aftereffects of rainy season flooding. Parts of the property and some of the tents were still underwater. The roads were extremely rutted (the most of any I traveled on in Tanzania or Zanzibar) and there was construction of new tents taking place on the property. All these factors, combined with a few others, make it a property that I wouldn’t rush to stay at again unless…
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Day in the Life on Safari: What a Typical Day in the Serengeti Looks Like
By the very nature of wild animals being wild, there truly is no typical day on safari. That being said, I thought it would be fun to share a day in my life while on safari so you can get a sense of what a typical day on safari might look like! I took a five-day point-to-point safari and this was day four of five of my journey. A Day in the Life on Safari: Time 3:50 AM My alarm goes off in the early morning at 3:50 AM, and I’m really not ready to be awake, but I’m fueled by the excitement that today is hot air balloon day!…
