About

Welcome!

I’m Sherry!

…the Travel Writer who doesn’t fly.

Follow my adventures and misadventures, especially in life over 70! I’ve cruised on oceans and rivers, rode the rails here and abroad and crisscrossed the U.S. and Canada in my campervan many times. Slow, intentional travel has been a part of my life nearly forever.

As a solo traveler for 60+ years, I know how to go with the flow when plans go haywire and celebrate when everything goes as I hoped. Exploring the world without flying means slow travel is my only option, and that’s what I’ve been writing about for 25 years.

As this site grows, I’ll post recipes that I’ve collected on my travels. I’ll recount my favorite travel stories, tales about growing up, finding my ancestry roots, and plain old everyday anecdotes. Not to mention my take on trying to age gracefully.

Some of my happiest times are when I’m in motion – driving, cruising, and simply watching the scenery from a train window. Oh, and walking my dog, Poppy. She’s a great camping companion and loves every new campsite.

Thanks for stopping by Truly Sherry. I’m glad you’re here!

Discover inspiring stories, life experiences, packing guides, and travel tips to help you dream big, live small & travel the world with confidence and intention.

Explore the Blog

Behind this blog

What You’ll Find on Truly Sherry:

WHY NOW: It was important to start this personal, slow travel and lifestyle blog as I enter my mid-70s. I want to share my expert solo and slow travel tips and experiences, restaurants and recipes, camping adventures and of course, cruise and train travel.

REFLECTIONS: It wasn’t easy to figure out a new plan at this age, when I should be retired. But retirement isn’t on the agenda. With so many stories to tell, travel advice to share and life experiences to entertain and inspire, I launched Truly Sherry.

Get to Know Me

coffee order

Decaf + caramel oat milk.

favorite destination

Paris.

always in my suitcase

Air-pods + hand sanitizer.

favorite activities

Walking, ,van life, cooking, seeing old friends.

On my bucket list

Antarctica, Botswana.

Guilty pleasure

Chicago deep dish pizza.

Window or aisle?

Window…always.

currently binging

Cheers and Frasier of course!

Sherry’s Slow Travel Life

I’ve always been curious about exploring new places and local eats. Nothing wild or crazy, no chocolate-covered ants or camping on a glacier. What most interests me is the “getting there” and the people I meet along the way. And yes, I travel the world solo.

Over the past five decades, people have asked me how I get to some of the places I’ve visited if I don’t fly. My stock reply used to be, “if there’s a port, I can get there.” And it’s basically true. From ports around the world, I’ve taken high-speed trains, traversed almost all the rivers in Europe multiple times, been on creepy trains through former Soviet Bloc countries, stayed at five-star hotels and over 200 cruises.

My latest thrill is traveling around North America in my camper van with my dogs, Poppy and Chip. Actually, it’s only been Poppy for the last 4 years. Chip is my newest 4.3 lbs. buddy. One of my favorite things to do is to just find a quiet campground and hangout for a few days, explore nearby small towns and chat with the locals. I don’t rush.

Sherry standing at the Arctic Circle sign.

TRULY SHERRY BLENDS SLOW TRAVEL, SOLO JOURNEYS & GREAT EATS…

HAVE YOU EVER…?

Walked through a forest in Alaska with a herd of reindeer…
Taken a rickety wooden boat on a tributary of the Amazon river to catch, cook and taste piraña…
Visited the Sign Post Forest in the Yukon to paint and nail a block of wood with your name and home town…
Watched from an expedition ship as the aurora borealis colored the night sky in shades of greens and reds…
Met Julia Child at a cooking demonstration where she personally served a share of a French omelet…
Zoomed across the rolling hills of Tuscany from Rome to Venice to catch a river ship…
River-cruised from the Black Sea to the North Sea in three-weeks…
Stepped across the “line” into the Arctic Circle on a drive from Fairbanks, AK…
Sipped fresh-brewed peppermint tea in a Tunisian prayer house…
Spent two-weeks on a river cruise from Budapest, Hungary to Amsterdam, Netherlands…
Climbed 229 steps at Pompey’s Pillar to see the only remaining signature of the 1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition…
Taken three trains to board a ship for a river cruise going back and forth from Luxembourg to Budapest and back…
Crossed the Atlantic 22 times, mostly aboard Cunard’s Queen Mary…
Saw the sunrise over Oahu’s Diamond Head mountain, from the deck of a ship at sea…
Celebrated the birthday of Peter the Great in St. Petersburg, Russia…

If any of these experiences make you curious…Read On!

FAQ

Wow…that’s a tough question. Paris, of course, is my #1 favorite destination followed by anywhere in Alaska. Dunoon, Scotland and Chicago (my hometown). I love our National Parks including Badlands NP, and Corps of Engineers campgrounds. Quebec City is on my favs list, too.

Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha! But if I had to fly, it would be Alaska Airlines.

I launched my first site, a cruise blog, in 2009.

Last count it was 210 cruises. That includes oceans and rivers.

If you want to work with me, I’d love to hear from you. Please fill out the contact form on this site. Over the years, I’ve helped to market cruise lines (ocean and river), tourism boards, hotel and resort properties and various travel products.

What am I planning for 2026?

Queen Mary 2 cruise ship at sea in the fog.

Queen Mary 2 Crossing

Train tracks traveling between red rock cliffs.

Amtrak to the Southwest

Sherry standing at the near-edge in the Badlands.

Return to the badlands

And just like that…

MORE ABOUT SHERRY

Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, I’m a midwesterner at heart. Though I’ve lived in Florida for 26 years, Chicago is still my home.

I’m a grandma, aunt and rescue dog owner.

After starting one of the first cruise-only online travel agencies in 1995, my solo travel adventures kicked into high gear just a few years later.

For nearly 20 years, when my kids were adults, I traveled at least a total of five months a year. Once I made it to Europe, I’d spend two or three months exploring new places and revisiting others that I knew well.

Twenty-two transatlantic crossings, mostly aboard Queen Mary 2, were my transport to Europe, because I don’t fly.

My goal was to see how far I could travel the world without setting foot on a plane.

From the Arctic Circle to Tunisia, Russia to Hawai’i, Florida to Alaska, I’ve clocked thousands of overland and oversea miles. All solo and all without flying.