I was bitten by the “travel bug” at a very young age. I grew up on a small dairy farm in Brownsville, Wisconsin, which my family still runs today, and getting away from chores was always a most welcomed treat. My parents would pack up the family station wagon and we would drive all night to arrive 14 hours later at my grandparents’ home in Rogers, Arkansas. As an adult, I still love summer vacations just as much as I did as kid. I thought I would share a few thoughts on my recent trip to Europe.

I took a ten day vacation to France which included a few days in Paris, the “City of Light,” and then stayed in the country with a group of friends at a wonderful château in Bordeaux. We had a marvelous time enjoying the country and doing a fair share of wine tasting! As much as I enjoy the French countryside, I love Paris. It is an amazing city, steeped in culture, home to thousands of sidewalk cafes, and priceless architectural wonders like Notre Dame and the Louvre.

In Paris I stayed at our terrific Courtyard by Marriott Paris Neuilly. Neuilly is an upscale, gorgeous tree-lined neighborhood and the hotel sits in the heart of it all. The property recently underwent a full lobby renovation and it’s a real show stopper. It features a stylish international bar called 58 Bar and Lounge and a delightful restaurant called Brasserie Victor Hugo, named after the world-renowned French author. The wallpaper in the brasserie is Victor Hugo’s actual hand writing that was blown up to poster size and fills all sides of the room. I really enjoyed staying at this hotel, because it is tucked away in a residential part of the city, still close enough to the sites, but far enough away that you get a real sense of everyday life for your typical Parisian.

I’ll be traveling a little more throughout the summer and am looking forward to sharing my experiences from those trips with you as well. Until then, I’d love to hear from you about any summer trips you have planned for the summer or that you may have already taken – especially if they were in a Courtyard!

Thanks for helping me keep Courtyard on the go.

Brian