Welcome to Food, Fun & Faraway Places! I’m so glad you found your way here!

Let’s pretend we’re sitting at a cafe in France, or maybe Italy, or maybe…in your neighborhood! Grab your coffee or tea and let me take a minute to introduce myself and tell you a little about this site and how to find your away around.

My name is Kelly Stilwell and I’m the writer and photographer behind Food, Fun & Faraway Places.

This blog was born from my passion for writing. When my kids were little, I wrote for print magazines. It was my outlet and a way to share the joys and frustrations of parenting.

Eventually, an editor told me to start a blog. I wish I could remember which editor it was so I could thank them! This little blog has turned into my full-time business where I write about a few of my passions; Food, Fun & Faraway Places.

In 2024, my book, 100 Things To Do In Sarasota Before You Die, was published in partnership with Reedy Press. I love being able to share my home with readers who love Florida as much as I do!

Cover of book.

Food

Whether it’s a new dish I’m making at home like these oatmeal raisin cookies, a tasting at one of the best restaurants in Amman, Jordan, rolling along the Canadian Rockies while having a gourmet lunch on Rocky Mountaineer, or fine dining on a River Cruise with my family in France, I LOVE FOOD!

I’ve created recipes for many brands such as Dole, Wisconsin Cheese, The Republic of Tea, and Safeway Grocery Stores. All the recipes here are things I love to eat.

And because I love to eat, I will occasionally go back to making Weight Watchers recipes. The program helped me lose baby weight many years ago and works every time I work at it.

I have never worked with Weight Watchers on a campaign. I just love the recipes, so you will find quite a few recipes that work with the Points program here, like this list of Weight Watchers desserts or these Italian Weight Watchers Recipes.

Fun

You’ll find all kinds of fun here, and of course it overlaps with food and travel. I had a blast in Lima, Peru, visiting the market and learning to make Peruvian Causa. In Jordan, we stayed a the Feynan Ecolodge and sipped tea on the roof while looking at the millions of stars.

As we live just 90 minutes from Orlando, we do visit the Disney Parks. Visiting the Epcot Festival of Food and Wine is always so much fun, but if you’re there any time of year, the Epcot restaurants are definitely where you should eat!

Travel

In the past ten years, I’ve discovered an insatiable passion for travel. I want to see the world!

If you like adventure, check out my trip to Machu Picchu in Peru.

I even explored the Acton Tunichil Muknal underground cave in Belize, though you can’t take photos as there are ancient skeletons inside. See my list of best things to do in Belize.

When in Indonesia, I climbed to the top of the Piaynemo summit for the best view of Raja Ampat.

I walked the ancient streets of Jerash in Jordan, and stayed Feynan Ecolodge, voted one of the top Ecolodges in the world by National Geographic Traveler.

One of my favorite ways to travel is by river cruise, and I’ve sailed with Viking River Cruises down the Rhine, the Rhone, and the Danube.

I traveled on Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Banff to see the Canadian Rockies in 2017, and in 2018 I was honored to join Rocky Mountaineer as an Ambassador, which I’ve continued.

I also write for Bradenton Magazine, Golf Kitchen, and others.

I travel with my family as well as on press trips where I learn about new destinations to share with you here. 

Some places are near:

We are so grateful to be recognized as #3 on this list of Best Food & Travel Blogs for 2024!

Some are all about the journey:

Some took a while to arrive:

And finally, I’ve had some pretty amazing food around the world!

Follow Food, Fun & Faraway Places

I save all this on Pinterest, so if you are more visual, check out a few of my boards.

And be sure to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook.

Finally, I hope you’ve decided you would like to be part of the family at Food, Fun & Faraway Places! You’ll see a subscribe button on the front page.

As always, I’d love to hear from you! Contact me anytime at kastilwell@gmail.com. Thanks for spending time here today!