Our school system always gives kids a 4-day weekend in late October/early November at the end of the first quarter, and it affords families a nice opportunity to take a short trip when other areas of the country aren't on break. Therefore, you can travel at an off time when you can enjoy fewer crowds and better prices, no matter where you go! Our son, a junior in high school, wanted to visit the Georgia Tech campus, so this gave us an excuse to visit Atlanta -- a town we hadn't traveled to in 20 years. It was great visiting in early November, when the weather is a bit cooler! We stayed with some good friends in the area and also got to visit relatives. Of course, we managed to squeeze in some sightseeing, scooter riding, and wonderful gluten free meals, to boot! Within an hour of landing and renting a car, we stopped at Hell Yeah Gluten Free Bakery, near Inman Park. It's a good thing we swung by here when we did (just before lunchtime), as they were already running out of some of their more popular items. Their specialty is fresh-made donuts, so we got an assortment... Read more →
If you love Italy but have already been to some of the popular tourist destinations like Rome, Florence, and Venice, you may want to consider a more "off the beaten path" tour of one of Italy's many beautiful and less touristy areas. This is Bluone Tours' specialty: guided, small group tours to many of the regions of Italy known for their history, medieval hilltop towns, religious sites, vineyards, olive groves, beaches, scenic vistas, and, of course, regional food and wine specialties. Fortunately, Italian restauranteurs are typically very well-versed about Celiac Disease and how to prepare safe gluten free meals for diners that require them. However, in some of these "less traveled" areas outside the big cities, it's smart to have an Italian-speaking guide who can make arrangements with the restauranteurs in advance -- and act as an advocate and liaison when arriving at the restaurant. After all, English is not always spoken as fluently by restaurant workers in these more provincial areas as it is in the big cities. But all of this is no worry when you travel with Bluone Tours. Marcello and Raffaella Tori, the couple that owns Bluone Tours, accompany all tour groups and have experience with... Read more →
It has been quite a ride over the past 12 years serving the gluten free community. When I first launched GlutenFreeTravelSite back in April 2008, "Celiac" and "gluten free" weren't yet household terms. Many people weren't even aware of what they meant...not to mention how someone avoiding gluten would be able to dine out, travel, and attend social events involving food. That's why I launched the website, just a few short years after our own son was diagnosed with Celiac at age two. I felt the need to educate those recently diagnosed and to provide hope that, yes, there were indeed places we could all go and get a safe and delicious meal. It just took a bit of effort to find them.... So that's what GlutenFreeTravelSite -- and later our Dine Gluten Free mobile app -- set out to do. We gave the gluten free community a way to share their experiences dining out and traveling with others who needed to be sure they wouldn't get sick when venturing out. We made it easy to find and read peer reviews of places in the U.S. and all over the world that took gluten free dining seriously. We were the... Read more →
VISIT THIS DREAM DESTINATION AND STAY SAFELY GLUTEN FREE South Africa has long been a popular destination, but many gluten free travelers have been hesitant to visit Cape Town or go on safari out of concern that they wouldn't be able to safely follow their gluten free diet. Now, thanks to travel agent Ellen Morse of Gluten Free Travel-Us, who has Celiac herself, this destination is a possibility for anyone following a strict gluten free diet. Ellen has worked with SITA World Tours, a top travel company based in South Africa. Together, they have thoroughly vetted hotels, safari camps, and restaurants in order to find the safest possibilities for gluten free clients. Ellen will take care of all your gluten free needs while also getting you the most advantageous pricing available through SITA World Tours. This is not a group tour, however. Like all Ellen's suggested itineraries for amazing destinations around the world, you can travel at any time, choose your desired length of stay, and customize the trip based on your interests. You'll visit Cape Town and see the harbor, Table Mountain, the downtown area and central business district, the Castle of Good Hope, and scenic vistas...and also take... Read more →
Brazil has long been a popular destination for Europeans, and they still flock there for the gorgeous beaches and amazing sights such as Corcovado. It is a great option for Americans, as there is little if any issue with time zone adjustments, and the exchange rate is in our favor right now. (Also, please note that the Amazon fires are way off in a different part of the country than what you'd be seeing, so there are no issues regarding that.) This is a unique itinerary you won't find elsewhere. Ellen Morse of Gluten Free Travel-Us (gluten free herself for decades) has worked with Condor Tours and Travel and local suppliers to ensure a safe gluten free experience. No one else is offering this ability to see the highlights outlined below with the vetting that Ellen and Condor have done. And, as always, this is NOT a group tour, but it can be taken any time and adjusted to your individual timing and travel preferences. You'll start your journey in Rio de Janeiro, whose inhabitants call it the “Marvelous City.” Located on the Bay of Guanabara, Rio has a mountainous landscape that contrasts with an intensely blue sea. Here the... Read more →
For the first time in years, our family visited The Melting Pot to celebrate my Birthday a couple weeks ago. It was my choice as a venue...I wanted to go someplace festive -- and that we hadn't been for some time. I'm a big fondue fan, and the place has somewhat of a relaxed and celebratory feel to it. We knew they offered plenty of gluten free choices, but we brought our own gluten free bread for our Celiac son to dip in the cheese fondue appetizer -- and a gluten free brownie for dipping in the chocolate dessert fondue. We had remembered that when we had been there years ago, they only had veggies and apples for gluten free folks to dip in the cheese fondue...and fruit and marshmallows for the chocolate fondue. Well, we were pleasantly surprised to find out when we arrived that our "supplemental" food we had brought wasn't even needed. At some point since our last visit many years ago, they added gluten free bread for their GF patrons to dip into the cheese fondue -- as well as gluten free chocolate brownies and pound cake for the dessert fondue. The Melting Pot locations are... Read more →
Thanks to a collaboration between Gluten Free Travel-Us and a company called Premiant City Tours, you can now safely travel gluten free to Prague in the Czech Republic. It is such a beautiful city with more castles than anywhere else in the world, and the area of Karlovy Vary is one of great spas and natural waters. Ellen Morse, founder of Gluten Free Travel-Us, worked very closely with Premiant City Tours, based in Prague, to vet all hotels and restaurants, speaking directly with the Chefs. They feel very confident about the destination. The city of Prague, the jewel of the Czech Republic, is rapidly becoming a popular destination for Americans. This is a trip that would work for all seasons of the year -- Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. This is an individual itinerary, NOT a group trip, so you can choose any dates for travel. You will be staying at only the finest hotels with desirable locations, luxury accomodations, and full amenities. Below you will find a brief description of all the wonderful reasons to travel to Prague -- and a taste of what you can see. For a full day-by-day suggested itinerary with all the details, you can... Read more →
A family-friendly itinerary for London, organized by gluten free travel specialist Ellen Morse of Gluten Free Travel-Us, in conjunction with Kensington Tours. Travelers will enjoy dining gluten free at restaurants near all the top tourist sites. Not a group tour, but can be taken any time. Read more →
I'd never really tried Eggplant Parmesan until I was well into adulthood, so it's no surprise my sons won't give it a fair shot. But I love it. So when I saw some beautiful eggplants in the grocery store last week, I got a craving. I rarely make it, and I figured I'd go to the effort even if my husband and I were the only ones who would enjoy it. The great thing is...I almost always have all the ingredients for this recipe on hand, except for the eggplant. I'd gotten a fantastic tip from an Italian friend years ago...she told me to slice the eggplant thin and let it soak in milk for at least several hours before preparing the recipe. This is supposed to take the bitterness out of the eggplant. And it totally works! The recipe that follows is just adapted from the recipe we use for Chicken Parmesan, and I essentially "wing it." So I don't have measurements. It depends on how much you're making. I found that one eggplant is plenty to make a 9 x 12 casserole of Eggplant Parmesan for four people. Here are the steps I follow. 1.) Preheat oven to... Read more →
We are now well over a decade into the gluten free awakening in our country. By "awakening" I mean when "gluten free" became part of our lexicon, and more people became aware of gluten's affects on individuals with Celiac and gluten sensitivity. Whether you were one of those getting a diagnosis -- or if it was a family member or friend -- "gluten free" was something that was now on your radar. And of course, there have also been plenty of people who have chosen to adopt a gluten free diet, for various other reasons. The point is, the demand for gluten free meals has really taken off over the past decade, and many restaurants have worked hard to help those with Celiac and gluten sensitivity enjoy a safe and thoughtfully prepared meal. Of course, we all know that other restaurants have simply "hopped on the bandwagon" for business reasons, slapping "GF" notations on menu items without much regard for the proper training of "front of house" staff (servers, managers) and "back of house" staff (kitchen). That is a continual challenge for those of us dining out. The more research you can do about a restaurant before setting foot in... Read more →
Ireland has always been a popular destination for travelers. And it's no wonder. There is a rich history to explore, as well as natural beauty almost everywhere you turn. In fact, you've probably heard of the Cliffs of Moher and the Ring of Kerry. But imagine how spectacular it would be to see them in person. And if you're a fan of medieval towns and castles, Ireland is not to be missed. There are even ancient stone circles and other interesting ruins to explore. Fortunately for all of us, Ireland is the "gold standard" of gluten free travel, as they have a higher than average rate of Celiac disease in their population...and therefore are knowledgeable and careful about keeping gluten free diners safe. But if you're just too busy with your day-to-day work and family responsibilities to plan a trip to Ireland on your own (who isn't?!), you may want to consider enlisting the help of Ellen Morse, a gluten free travel specialist with literally DECADES of experience in both the travel industry AND as a gluten free traveler herself. There is no one better to plan a trip to Ireland on your behalf! The way Ellen typically works with... Read more →
Our older son will be choosing a college soon and embarking on the next chapter of his life in the Fall. While he does not have Celiac -- and no dietary restrictions that we know of -- our younger son (currently a sophomore) does. While it is still over two years from the start of college for him, we all know how quickly the time goes, and before we know it, he will be in the throes of evaluating what colleges to apply to. My hope has always been that he would be able to go to any of the colleges he is accepted into -- without worrying about the gluten free scene on campus. While I'm not sure we are completely "there" yet, I am encouraged by the progress colleges across the country have made regarding providing gluten free options for their Celiac and gluten sensitive students. (The settlement agreement between the United States of America and Lesley University in Massachusetts back in 2012 regarding students with food allergies, helped. The Justice Department expanded the definition of "disability" to include food allergies, and said all students must enjoy reasonable access to dining facilities trained on allergen and food safety... Read more →