I'm Jennifer (aka Dr. J), the voice and photographer behind Sidewalk Safari travel blog. I’m an American-Irish expat and part-time travel blogger living in Lisbon, Portugal with a busy full time ‘day job’ as a project manager at Google. I’ve been blogging on Sidewalk Safari since 2008.
I aim to inspire people who have a demanding job to see that it is possible to achieve work-life balance and travel extensively, making use of every business trip and vacation day to see the great wide world.
I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that Sidewalk Safari would not be possible without the crack travel planning skills of my husband of more than 25 years, Scott. Scott blogs about achieving better work-life balance on VacationCounts. You can find VacationCounts on Facebook too.

Before moving to Portugal, we lived for 12 years in Dublin, Ireland. Before that, we lived in various cities in the U.S. including San Francisco and Philadelphia. My business-trips often take me to the U.S. so you can expect to see travel blog posts about plenty of American destinations too.
We love to walk (thus the name Sidewalk Safari was born) and believe that places are best experienced on foot. Oh...and for those of you outside of the U.S., 'Sidewalk' = 'Footpath' ;-)
Sidewalk Safari has been featured on a number of travel websites and blogs:
Sidewalk Safari has been featured on a number of travel websites and blogs:
Of course, you can also find me on social media:
Twitter: @SidewalkSafari
Facebook: @SidewalkSafariBlog
Instagram: @drj_sidewalksafari
Pinterest: @SidewalkSafari
Twitter: @SidewalkSafari
Facebook: @SidewalkSafariBlog
Instagram: @drj_sidewalksafari
Pinterest: @SidewalkSafari
You can also check out our growing collection of travel web stories.
Sidewalk Safari Travel Stats
I was a scientist once-upon-a-time (that’s why my nickname is Dr. J) and I love data so I couldn’t resist teeing up a few stats about Sidewalk Safari.
- 63 countries visited (66 if you count the UK as 4 distinct entities: Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England)
- More than 250 destinations covered on the blog
- More than 1500 miles walked per year
Sidewalk Safari Travel Blog Favorites
Here are some of our favorite trips written up on the blog across various travel dimensions:
Favorite Destination in Ireland
Favorite Road Trip
Favorite Festival
Favorite Food Halls and Farmers Markets
23 European Farmers Markets and Food Halls Worth Visiting For
Favorite UNESCO Heritage Site
Visiting The Temples at Angkor in Cambodia on a 2-day Tour with a Private Air-Conditioned Car and Guide
Favorite Birdwatching Trip
Why Uganda is a Birdwatchers Paradise
Coolest Wildlife Encounters
Best Place to Drink Coffee
Best Place to Eat Comfort Food
A Taste of Buffalo: What to Eat in Western New York
Best Place to See Fall Foliage
Autumn Foliage: Top 10 Japanese Temples in Kyoto for Leaf Peeping
Favorite European City Break
Favorite Boutique Wine Region
Favorite European Christmas Market
Favorite Place to Travel for Christmas
Favorite New Year’s Eve Destination
New Year's Eve in Málaga, Spain - Celebrating "Año Nuevo" with A Week in Andalusia