The Geographer

Late March/Early April 2025

Our itinerary was as follows:

• Day 1 - Flew into Zagreb and arrived mid-afternoon
• Day 2 - Drove to and explored Plitvice NP, then drove to Zadar
• Day 3 - Explored Zadar, stopped at Primosten, then drove to Split
• Day 4 - Explored Split (the market, Diocletian's Palace, Silver Gate, Gregory of Nin statue, city viewpoint)
• Day 5 - Explored Split and Hajduk soccer game!
• Day 6 - Drove to Dubrovnik and walked around Old Town
• Day 7 - Explored Dubrovnik (City Walls, Maritime Museum)
• Day 8 - Explored Dubrovnik (Ethnography Museum) then flew to Zagreb in evening
• Day 9 - Explored Zagreb (St Mark's Church, Lotrscak Tower, Tesla Museum)
• Day 10 - Flew home first thing in morning!

We've always wanted to explore Croatia as it has been a growing tourist destination in the last 10 years or so. Our friends were also thinking of a Croatia trip so we decided to plan a trip together and explore as much as we could. None of us wanted to visit in peak season due to the higher prices and crowds so we opted for a spring trip to avoid those factors. Most places were quiet with minimal tourists and overall the weather was warm and springlike with only a few days of rain.

Our first day was our usual of just relaxing in the Airbnb and then walking around some to find a cool dinner spot. Most restaurants in Zagreb are smaller so once they are filled there is usually a few hour wait. I think this is partly due to the season we traveled in. Spring is seen as off-peak season so they are mainly accommodating the locals. I suspect they add outdoor seating in the summer when it is warmer and busier. It also seemed like most locals went out to eat around 7-8pm. So after learning some of these factors we tried to go a bit early to beat the dinner rush. Our first night we ate at Curry Bowl and it was delicious. The best dish, in my opinion, was the calamari rice bowl and black pork curry bowl. That entire street has several restaurants that looked good as well.

The next day we walked around the Zagreb farmers market to get snacks for our road trip. It was raining and the coldest day of the trip, but we brought rain jackets and umbrellas thankfully! After packing up we hit the road to visit the gorgeous Plitvice National Park. This park has miles and miles of trails next to and over the many waterfalls. Since it was a rainy and cold day, we felt like we had the entire park to ourselves. We entered at Entrance 2 (we pre-purchased tickets which is recommended but probably was not necessary in the off season) and took the ferry across to route H, I believe it was. We hiked all along the falls and up to Station 3 where the bus picked us up and drove us back down to Entrance 2. We were cold and drenched but it was so amazing and worth it! From there we drove down to Zadar, which is a beautiful city along the coast that perhaps isn't as popular as Split and Dubrovnik. We had a great sushi dinner at Antiquus Sushi and More.

Exploring Zadar in the morning was a lot of fun and stopping in various cafes. We stopped at the Sea Organ which is a staircase designed to sound like an organ (the musical instrument) from the waves of the sea. Afterwards, we started to make our way to Split. There was one city we wanted to see along the way so we stopped at Primosten, which is a small city that has an old town portion that is on a small peninsula (barely so, it is almost an island). The islet has a beautiful cemetery at the top of the hill that provides stunning views of the area. We walked the entire area in about 45-60 minutes. From there we continued on to Split, which is a popular tourist destination in the summer. For dinner, Aaron's coworkers who live in Split, recommended Articok - which was delicious and had a fun vibe (as it got later into the night, it turned into more of a club vibe).

We met up with 2 of Aaron's co-workers that live in Split for lunch the following day. It was super fun for them to meet - this was the first coworker from the USA they met in person! We had a great time learning about them and life in Croatia. After filling up on a massive steak lunch we walked around Diocletian's Palace, Silver Gate, Gregory of Nin statue (rub his toe for good luck!) the markets, and the riverside promenade. After departing our new local friends we headed up the stairs to 'Viewpoint to Marjan' (as it is labeled on Google Maps). There is a bar at the top of the stairs and a great view of Split. You can continue up the stairs to hike further into the park from this point as well. The views were well worth all the stairs! That night we had dinner at Sug and Aaron had a whole fish which he said was delicious and I had octopus. My dish was a bit strange - it had a beef gravy with the octopus.

Our local friends mentioned there was a soccer match the following day, so we looked and were able to buy tickets the day of the game. Aaron snagged some great seats close to mid-field and not in the rowdy fan area (or the 'hooligan' area). Before heading to the game we stopped at Kantun Paulina for some cevapi sausage sandwiches. They were so good and a popular spot with the locals too. We really enjoyed the soccer game and felt like the only tourists there. There was one score that was reversed and the fans went crazy - throwing flares and smoke bombs on the field to show their dissatisfaction with the refs. The local team, Hajduk, won the game though! That night we had dinner at Baza which was my favorite restaurant in Split that we tried.

We were having rental car issues throughout our trip but then our car wouldn't start the next morning as we were leaving Split. Thankfully the mechanic arrived within 30 minutes and ran diagnostics. He said the car was having electrical issues and would be safest to drive straight to our destination. We wanted to stop at Omis and the Roman ruins of Salona before reaching our hotel in Dubrovnik, but alas skipped all sights to ensure we'd make it to Dubrovnik without more issues. Salona is of historical significance since it was the capital of the Roman province Dalmatia and was founded in the 3rd century BC. Once we arrived in Dubrovnik, we relaxed, walked around Old Town, and grabbed dinner (dinner was poke bowls at Bota Sare Oyster & Sushi Bar - it was ok).

I bought a Dubrovnik Pass for us since I wanted to walk along the city walls and was glad I did as there were a few museums along the city walls we would not have seen otherwise. The views along the city walls are amazing and well worth the price of this touristy attraction. Since it was off season the walls were not busy at all, even in mid day. Along the way we walked through an art exhibit and the Maritime Museum. Then we found some chai tea at Dukah Bar - chai tea is hard to find in the coastal cities (lol). Lunch was at Barba - we got shrimp burgers and an octopus burger. It was ok (not much flavor and too much bread). At that point we were tired and ready for a brief siesta. Dinner was at Fish & El Pupo and was delicious!

As we were coming to the end of our trip we were getting tired but were excited to explore more of Zagreb. After a relaxing final morning in Dubrovnik spent at the Ethnography Museum, finding the Game of Thrones 'Walk of Shame Stairs' (under renovation), and a great lunch at Soul Kitchen Dubrovnik we flew back to Zagreb. We found a more traditional restaurant for dinner, Ficlek, and I had veal schnitzel. It was SO good - we would highly recommend this spot!

On our last day we tried to walk as much as possible knowing the next day of travel was going to be very long (3 flights to get home ugh!). Aaron was able to find a place with chai tea and amazing quiche for breakfast, Figa Garden. From there we walked to St Mark's Church (which was undergoing renovations), walked to the Lotrscak Tower, and around the Croatian National Theater. Lotrscak Tower is atop of a hill so we skipped paying to enter the tower and just admired the views. Last attraction on our list was the Nikola Tesla Technical Museum. This museum is like an engineer's dream and is focused on the evolution of energy generation. Only one small corner of the museum had detailed information on Nikola Tesla himself, which was a bit disappointing. For dinner we met up with another of Aaron's coworkers at a local spot where we had a massive plate of cevapi - it was amazing!

We went to bed super early to be able to catch our 6am flight the following day. We loved the sustainable phone charging station at the Zagreb Airport as well! It was a long day on the way home, but we were so glad we got to experience the beauty and cultural diversity of Croatia! Thank you Croatia for your hospitality!

Late January 2025

Our itinerary was as follows:

• Day 0 – Flew in & arrived late
• Day 1 – Toured Merida (city hall, local church, park)
• Day 2 – Explored a cenote (Mani-Chan)
• Day 3 – Checked out Progreso, Chicxulub
• Day 4 – Walked around town for shopping and food
• Day 5 – Flew home

Aaron's uncle moved to Merida a little over a year ago so we decided it would be fun to visit with him and explore the town. Merida is on the northern side of the Yucatan peninsula and is generally rated as a safe destination since a lot of locals retire here (from what we heard).

Getting there from Denver required a layover so it took a day for us to get down there.

On our first full day, Aaron's uncle Mitch hired a local friend and tour guide to take us all around. We toured the Palacio Municipal de Mérida (city hall), walked around a local church, old quarter, and the art museum of Francisco de Goya. Goya had a dark style - at least that's my experience from the sketches that were showcased. We also walked along the Gran Parque La Plancha - a large and newly built beautiful park close to the city center. After a long day of exploring the city we hit a little siesta then dinner a block from our hotel at María Raíz y Tierra. Dinner was amazing and I'd recommend it! We had the entire restaurant to ourselves but maybe that's because we eat dinner a little earlier than most lol.

The next day we explored on our own trying to find a good cenote. We ended up visiting Cenote Mani-Chan which was about an hour from our hotel. Most of the drive there was a paved 4 lane highway but once we exited the highway it was mostly a single track dirt road back to the cenote. We were honestly a little nervous but once we pulled up we felt a sense of relief that it was actually there! We just did a bit of swimming in the first cenote and then left. There are two on the property however and you can also pay for a meal with your ticket if you’d like. They don’t really speak English so be aware of that. That night we ate at an Argentina steakhouse - La Rueda. It was delicious! We survived on our basic Spanish there as well. The restaurant was very popular and there was a line when we arrived!

We wanted to hit up a beach so Uncle Mitch recruited Alejandro again to take us up to Progreso. We stopped at the Reserva Ecológica El Corchito on the way. Your ticket buys you a ride across the river and at the ecological park there are two open air cenotes. There’s lots of wildlife around as well. From there we made it to the Chicxulub pier and beach at Progreso. We found a tiki hut and ordered a ton of ceviche to feast on and enjoy the views! The temperature was warm but it was pretty windy day so I mainly ate a ton of ceviche then laid down for a nap in the sand. After that we headed back to town and had a short break at the hotel.

Dinner was another AMAZING spot, Micaela Mar & Leña. Would highly recommend as well!

On our last day we just wanted to walk around, shop, and eat all the good food. So the three of us met for breakfast at SOCO Mérida, a bakery serving up a great breakfast menu. From there we just wandered around, shopped, and admired the architecture. On our way back we popped in for a late lunch at Siqueff, a Lebanese restaurant. After that we headed to our hotel, chilled at the pool and had dinner there as well.

Our flight home left first thing in the morning so we wanted to get a good night's sleep. Merida is a beautiful town with lots of history and amazing food! We had a great time in Merida and would definitely recommend it as a destination. Our tour guide Alejandro was fantastic!

September 2024

Our itinerary was as follows:

• Day 0 – Flew into Bangor, ME arrived at Airbnb late
• Day 1 – Day on the water with lunch at Thurston’s
• Day 2 – Acadia National Park (Precipice Hike)
• Day 3 – LL Bean outlet & then Main Center for Coastal Fisheries
• Day 4 – Acadia NP part 2!
• Day 5 – Stopped at Stephen King’s house then flew home

I’ve always wanted to visit Maine and see Acadia National Park especially since my best friend spends just about every fall up there with her in-laws.

We finally made it happen in late September! On our first full day, we rode in a traditional lobstering boat from the parent’s place in Surry, ME to Thurston’s for an amazing lobster lunch. Aaron had the full lobster meal and I ordered a lobster roll. It was delicious! It was clearly the spot to go to as it was very popular!

After a day on the water we watched the sunset and headed back to our Airbnb to rest and relax in preparation for our hike the next day!

Precipice hike in Acadia NP is dangerous with vertical routes with exposed cliffs that require climbing on iron rungs. There are lots of restrictions such as no dogs, no young children, no hiking in dark or wet conditions, etc. and I completely understand why! It was quite the fun and intense hike in places. The vast majority of the hike wasn’t treacherous, but be prepared for the scary and narrow portions close to the summit where it is vertical and requires climbing the iron rungs. My hands were definitely tired at the end, but overall the summit was worth it!

After a long day hiking our group lucked out and snagged a table at McKay’s Public House in Bar Harbor. It was delicious and had a beautiful patio!

The next day was a rainy grey day so we opted for a bit of shopping fun at the LL Bean outlet then headed to the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries. At the center we met Leroy who is one of the friendliest lobsterers, who explained all about lobstering and showed us lobster anatomy on a real very rare calico lobster they have at the center.

Aaron and I still wanted to see the rest of the Acadia so we headed back over the following day to do some more exploring. We partially walked around Jordan Pond which has a narrow wood plank trail so that hikers do not disturb the natural environment.

From there we went to Thunder Hole, but we were there at close to low tide so it was pretty calm. The best time to view is 1-2 hours before or after high tide. Despite missing the thundering waves, I am glad we were able to soak in the gorgeous views along the coast as the sun was beginning to set. This was our last day in Maine so we had to get a full lobster dinner again before heading home the next day.

Before flying home, we made a quick stop at Stephen King’s former house in Bangor. The house is private property and therefore no tours are offered, but you can walk along the sidewalk to take pictures. The property has a unique wooden tree sculpture, a beautiful red Victorian home, and a Stephen King-esque wrought iron fence adorned with bats and a 3 headed dragon-like reptile.

July 2024

Our itinerary was as follows:

• Day 0 – Flew in on red-eye flight
• Day 1 – Arrived in Edinburgh late morning and drove to the family cairn (~3 hr drive)
• Day 2 – Hiked to the family cairn then tried to drive to Isle of Skye (stopped at Falls of Falloch)
• Day 3 – Visited Eilean Donan castle, Bride's Veil Falls, Old Mann of Storr hike, and finally made it to our B&B on Isle of Skye
• Day 4 – Drove back to Edinburgh, stopped at Invergarry Castle on the way
• Day 5 – Explored Edinburgh (Royal Mile, St Giles Cathedral, Scott Monument, and the free National Galleries of Scotland)
• Day 6 – Day trip to Stirling (Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument)
• Day 7 – Train from Edinburgh to London, walked around London
• Day 8 – Day trip to Dover (Dover Castle, Dover cliffs, and Western Heights of Dover fort)
• Day 9 – Flew home from London Heathrow airport

My family wanted to take a trip to the UK over the summer, so Aaron and I created this itinerary to be able to visit a lot of Scotland and visit our family cairn. We tried to fit a lot into this itinerary as my brother and his girlfriend are in college and only had a short break between semesters.

Once we landed, we were tired, but we rallied, got airport coffee, and picked up our rental car. Then we were off to drive on the left side of the road! The rental car agency in Edinburgh was very pushy about insurance, asked to see our policy, and asked if our credit card could cover the FULL cost of the vehicle. Since we were tired and did not have those documents ready, we just opted for the rental car company's insurance. We arrived at our B&B in time to relax, take a short nap then eat dinner at our B&B.

The next day, after a full English breakfast, we had a guided tour from a local clansman of our family cairn. It was awesome to see and hear more of the history from someone so knowledgeable. From there we hit the road to drive to the Isle of Skye. We stopped at the Falls of Falloch and then found a restaruant for lunch. The drive was beautiful along the western side of Scotland. We grabbed dinner then pushed on for the last hour of the drive. An hour away from our Isle of Skye B&B there was an accident that completely shut down the road. We were told the road would be shut down for at least 5-10 hours. Since it was getting dark, we decided to turn around and find lodging elsewhere. We ended up lodging at the B&B where we ate dinner. It was a very long day but glad we were safe and finally able to go to bed.

We still had an hour drive to Isle of Skye, so I suggested we visit the sites along the way to maximize our day. We stopped at the privately owned Eilean Donan Castle. Since it is private the castle can be closed at any point for events; we recommend checking beforehand. The castle is set in a gorgeous location along Loch Duich. Then we finally made it to Isle of Skye! After a quick stop for pictures at Bride's Veil Falls, we continued to the Old Man of Storr trail. The trailhead parking was very busy, so we had to circle a few times to find parking. This trail is well worth the stop for epic views and stunning landscapes. I wish we had more time to do the full trail

The next day was another full day with lots of driving as we drove back to Edinburgh. Along the way we stopped at Invergarry Castle which is fenced off to prevent people from walking over the ruins and further eroding the castle. It was a nice way to break up the long drive! Once we got to Edinburgh we checked into our Airbnb and grabbed some dinner. There was a great Greek place just a block away called Ola Kala Greek Grill (202 Morrison Street).

With one full day in Edinburgh, we tried to hit all the major tourist spots. Our first destination was to walk the Royal Mile for shopping and sightseeing. It was quite busy – the streets were packed with people exploring. We also made the mistake of not booking the Edinburgh Castle weeks in advance. It was already fully booked. We walked through the St Giles Cathedral, founded in 1124, which was beautiful and so ornate. From there, we walked over to the Scott Monument and relaxed on the lawn to discuss what we wanted to do next. Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish poet, writer, and historian and is known as the father of historical novels and historical romances. While relaxing, we noticed the National Galleries of Scotland had a sign saying it was free, so we decided to explore the museum. One of the largest works was that of a stag – known as the 'Monarch of the Glen.'

We wanted to get outside of the city so the following day, we did a day trip to Stirling. We visited the Stirling Castle which was massive and had amazing views of the city. It took us quite awhile to fully explore the castle. Up next was the Wallace Monument. The monument overlooks the field where William Wallace led troops to victory at The Battle of Stirling Bridge. The Wallace Monument has 4 main floors including the top viewpoint area. The monument has a narrow spiral staircase consisting of 246 steps to the top, so I would not recommend this attraction for anyone who is claustrophobic. After another long day, we were drained, so we headed back to the Airbnb for dinner and relaxation.

From there we transferred to London by way of a high-speed train from Edinburgh, which took about 4.5 hours. It was great to see the beautiful countryside and all the small towns along the way. Once we arrived in London we checked into our hotel, relaxed for a bit, walked along the Thames to see Big Ben from across the river, then grabbed dinner.

Our last day was spent in Dover to explore Dover Castle and the wartime tunnels. Dover Castle also had awesome fire power re-enactments with muskets and cannons. Once we toured through the castle, we wanted to walk along the cliffs of Dover. We got lucky and were able to flag down an open taxi driver. There was a cruise ship in port, so all taxi drivers were booked. The driver was kind enough to take us to the hike for the cliffs and wait for us before returning us back to the Dover train station. Since we still had a bit of time before our train, we took a short walkable detour to see the Western Heights of Dover fort. This seemed to be a lesser-known destination as we only saw a few other people walking around the whole fort while we were there. It was a cool stop and was worth the time to find something less touristy.

We flew home the next day completely exhausted from a packed itinerary. Overall, this was a very fast and packed itnerary with a lot of driving and 'windshield time' to cover the long distances to see the country. This is not our usual travel style, but we were on a tighter timeframe.

April 2024

Our itinerary was as follows:

• Day 1 – Flew in / dinner
• Day 2 – Explored old San Juan, dinner at La Cueva Del Mar
• Day 3 – Snorkeled at Escambron Beach, late lunch at OPA!
• Day 4 – El Yunque National Forest and transferred to a hotel in Luquillo
• Day 5 – Seven Seas Beach and Playa Colora
• Day 6 – Flew home

In what has become an annual tradition, we set our eyes on a beach destination for a spring trip. We selected Puerto Rico since it had been years since we've been and we know a few folks on the island which made the trip even more enjoyable!

On the first day we arrived in the afternoon after a 6 hour direct flight from Denver (we were glad this option exists!). It was overcast and raining so we decided to relax and then head for an early dinner. Close to the hotel was a restaurant called Ropa Vieja Grill which was delicious!

It was still raining the following day which was perfect as we needed a relaxing day. We had a lazy morning then walked around Old San Juan just exploring. There are so many colorful streets and cute shops! The clouds started to break that afternoon so we enjoyed a little pool time. For dinner we went to La Cueva Del Mar, which was recommended by a friend and was so good!

With the weather becoming hot and beautiful we visited Escambron Beach to swim and snorkel. We mostly saw Caribbean fish. We started on the West side closer to the parks for a few hours then walked over to the protected bay. On the bay side we snorkeled a bit more and I saw two sea turtles! The bay had very calm waters making it really enjoyable for snorkeling.

After all that fun in the sun we were super hungry. Aaron found a gem just down the street from our hotel called OPA! Greek Kouzina (1302 Ashford Ave, San Juan) - it was SO good! We had the place to ourselves since we were having a late lunch.

We really wanted to explore more of the island outside San Juan so got up early the next day and drove down to El Yuque National Forest. It's about an hour drive from San Juan. I read online it is important to arrive early but we didn't have any issues getting into the park. We pulled up to the main entry around 10am to no line whatsoever. However, there were large tour buses we ran into throughout our time exploring. We stopped at the main waterfalls, Yokahu Tower for ocean views, and a short hike at Juan Diego Creek. A number of hikes were closed which limited our exploration.

We were ready for lunch so we stopped at La Parrilla in Luquillo. It was a touristy spot but still delicious. We tried the local traditional dish of Mofongo. Later our friends told us that Mofongo is a traditional Puerto Rican dish that is eaten once a year typically since it's very heavy.

On our final day, we drove a little bit farther up the coast to explore some beaches. We swam and enjoyed Seven Seas Beach in Fajardo which was a beautiful calm bay to swim in. Parking was wide open and $5 (credit card only, no cash).

While at Seven Seas Beach we heard about a more secluded beach that required a short hike. We walked down to Playa Colora and it was so picturesque and absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, the currents were really strong, so we didn't get to snorkel, but we did swim briefly. We were very cautious swimming here and didn't go too far out just to be safe.

Our trip was very relaxing and we're always happy to have some beach time especially when it feels like a long winter (we flew home to snow)!

October 2023

Our itinerary was as follows:

• Day 1 – Flew in San Francisco; dinner at Kokkari Estiatorio
• Day 2 – Golden Gate Bridge/park, dinner at Roka Akor
• Day 3 – Alcatraz Island, explored town, flew to Arcata (N Cali)
• Day 4 – Explored Trinidad
• Day 5 – Redwoods NP (all the hikes!)
• Day 6 – Explored the coast/Eureka
• Day 7 – Flew home (direct Arcata to DIA)

It had been awhile since I'd been to San Fran and similar for Aaron so we thought it would be fun to do a city and national park combo trip! Our first day in town we wanted to take it easy so we decided to enjoy a delicious Greek dinner at Kokkari Estiatorio.

The next day we were ready to explore so we drove over the Golden Gate Bridge to the viewpoint, walked around the Fort Baker site (aka Battery Spencer), then took the Kirby Cove path all the way down to Kirby Beach. If you have time, we'd recommend the walk down to the beach for another vantage point of the bridge!

After some down time, we found an amazing restaurant for dinner, Roka Akor. Was one of the best meals of my life! We were able to watch them cook over an open flame.

Before our vacation, we booked the tour for Alcatraz Island and now the day was here! The cellhouse audio tour was really well done (and is award winning apparently). We started with the cellhouse tour then walked through the rest of the island. We did select a mid-morning tour and it was not too crowded but definitely was busier when we left around lunch time.

After getting back to town we had lunch then explored town a bit more before our flight to Arcata in northern Cali. United now offers direct flights from Arcata to DIA making the trip more streamlined. That night we got into our Airbnb which was located in Trinidad, CA. This was a great location for access to Redwoods National Park.

The next day we wanted to explore Trinidad, which is such a cute town, so we did a hike along Trinidad State Beach. We had the entire beach to ourselves for almost the entire hike. Overall, we had a really relaxing day after the hustle and bustle of the city. We walked around Trinidad a bit more that evening and had a great dinner at the local eatery, Trinidad Bay Eatery and Gallery.

For the highlight of the second half of the trip, we visited Redwoods National Park. We started with Trillium Falls hike (~1 mile) then Lady Bird Johnson (1.5 mile) famous hike and drove around the park area a bit more. We found one more hike we wanted to explore, Ossagon hike down to the ocean (4 miles total). As you can imagine it was downhill going down to the ocean and then straight uphill for the 2 miles back. But it was a gorgeous hike and well worth it!

After all the hiking the previous day we wanted a more relaxing day, so we decided to check out Eureka, and some sites along the way. First, we stopped at Luffenholtz Beach which had amazing views, then drove down to the Ma-le'l Dunes for a short hike out to Humboldt Beach. The dunes trail was super fun and reminded Aaron of NW panhandle of FL before it became highly developed.

Downtown Eureka was absolutely picturesque – stop at the Table Bluff Lighthouse for views of the town from across the bay. We then walked down to the Ingomar Club which has very ornate architecture. Right across from the Ingomar Club is the Pink Lady Mansion; all the houses on Waterfront Drive are so charming!

After an amazing week and the really relaxing time enjoying nature in northern Cali, it was time for us to head home after one final sunset.

June 2023

Our itinerary was as follows:

• Day 1 – Flew in Puerto Vallarta (PV)
• Day 2 – SUP/snorkel Los Arcos, dinner at Pepe's Tacos
• Day 3 – Snorkeled Conchas Chinas Beach, lunch at Oyster Grill de la Docena
• Day 4 – Deep sea fishing day! Dinner at Azafran Restaurante
• Day 5 – Flew to Mexico (MX) City
• Day 6 – Toured the Archaeological Museum in MX City
• Day 7 – Toured Teotihuacan, dinner at Limosneros in MX city
• Day 8 – Flew home

Since we live in a land locked state, I often crave a beach trip so this trip was booked to give me some sun & surf fun! We flew into Puerto Vallarta and I really loved how cute the town was! We stayed at Villa Premiere and had a room with a beautiful ocean view where we could watch the sunset every night.

The next day we wanted to snorkel the Los Arcos National Park so we booked a stand up paddleboard (SUP) / snorkel adventure! I've only SUP'ed on freshwater/calm lakes so this was a new challenge but we had fun paddleboarding out to the park area. From there we donned our snorkel gear and dove in. Later we had dinner at the local famous spot, Pepe's Tacos, reputed for having the best tacos al pastor (my favorite). It did not disappoint.

What I love more than anything is a day spent on the beach just relaxing and having an opportunity to snorkel around on my own. So, we were able to make that happen at Conchas Chinas Beach and I saw so many pufferfish! Highly recommend this spot which is just outside of town and not overly crowded. We found a great lunch spot at Oyster Grill de la Docena with fresh fish and absolutely delicious food!

Aaron really wanted to do some fishing so we took a boat out with a captain to see what was biting! Unfortunately, we didn't catch anything so we weren't able to bring home any delicious fish. But luckily, we found an amazing dinner spot, Azafran Restaurante. It was delicious AND we had the entire restaurant to ourselves. Afterwards we needed to walk off our dinner so we walked along the Los Muertos Beach Pier. From certain angles the sail at the end of the pier looks like an alien spaceship!

The next day we flew to Mexico City; we've always heard amazing things about the city. We toured the National Museum of Archaeology which was massive, but about a third of it was closed for renovations. We still greatly enjoyed it. There were many additional sightseeing attractions nearby, I wish we had planned more time to explore those as well.

The last stop on our trip was a group tour of Teotihuacan. It was a long day – we took a bus out to the site, then toured the site, then a bus trip back to the city. It was so amazing to see the original paintings and some original construction there. Most of the structures that you see are restored to what archeologists believe it looked like.

We had a delicious dinner to end our time in Mexico City at Limosneros. Would highly recommend this spot as well. The next day we flew home, tan and full of good food!

September 2022

Our itinerary was as follows:

• Day 1 – Flew in NYC and spent a day there
• Day 2 – Explored Brooklyn and walked the bridge then red eye flight to Madrid
• Day 3 – Arrived in Madrid and relaxed for the day
• Day 4 – City tour of Madrid
• Day 5 – Cable car into the W side of Madrid, explored city and Parque de El Retiro
• Day 6 – High speed train down to Malaga, then beach time!
• Day 7 – Spent day exploring Caminito del Rey
• Day 8 – Picasso Museum, Castillo de Gibralfaro & Alcazaba
• Day 9 – Hopped over to Valencia (flight that connected through Madrid), walked around
• Day 10 – Valencia city tour and beach time
• Day 11 – City of Arts and Sciences then a flamenco show
• Day 12 – Drove from Valencia to Barcelona (stopped at Peniscola on the way)
• Day 13 – La Sagrada Familia, dinner paella cooking class
• Day 14 – Parc Guell, lunch at La Perillosa
• Day 15 – Flew home

Since we typically can't sleep on planes, we decided to spend a day in New York before catching the red eye flight to Madrid to ease some of the jet lag. While in NYC, we had lunch at the Time Out Market New York then walked across part of the Brooklyn Bridge. It was mid-September and still very hot but it was a beautiful day. That evening we caught our flight to Spain. We were very jet lagged once we arrived so we couldn't help but take a nap and relax for most of the day. The next day we felt much better and were ready for the private city tour we'd booked in advance. We always enjoy these as a way to familiarize ourselves with the town while learning a lot of history.

The next day we did a little hiking near the cable car Casa de Campo station (Madrid Cableway, Casa de Campo station to Rosales station) then rode the cable car over. Was a fun way to see some views of the city. Afterwards I decided I wanted to explore more while Aaron took an afternoon siesta, so I walked around the gorgeous Parque de El Retiro. The park is massive, and I'd highly recommend three spots: the Great Pond of El Retiro, the Palacio de Cristal, and the Rose Garden on the south side.

The next day we took the high-speed train down to Malaga (~2.5 hours) and hit the beach! That evening we had paella for dinner at what felt like a touristy spot (recommended from the hotel receptionist).

We really enjoy doing unique and outdoor activities so when I saw Caminito del Rey I knew we'd love it! I couldn't find detailed information on how to arrange logistics so here is what we did in detail: we took the train from Malaga into the small town of El Chorro (~40 min ride) and arrived at 9:37am. Then we took the bus to the Caminito del Rey stop (see the schedule in the picture below). The bus departs El Chorro every 30 minutes; we caught the 10am bus. Bring 2.55 euro per person in cash for the bus (check online for updated pricing).

The bus ride took about ~20 minutes to arrive at the entrance to the hike. I believe it was the 2nd stop (at the time we were there).

We had reservations for a guided tour at 11am so I was a bit worried about arriving on time. We walked really fast and got to the entrance in ~15 minutes (so roughly at 10:45am). It was about a mile to the entrance so plan accordingly for your fitness level. Once we got to the entrance, they provided hair nets and hard hats and gave a short safety overview. We decided at that point to forgo the guided tour and just do the self-guided option. They did not have any issue with this (since the guided tour is more expensive). Then we were off to do the hike on our own, which starts off as a wide, safe path through the mountains with gorgeous views. We were able to pass the large, guided groups without issue on this part of the path as most would stop and sit down to talk through the history. Most of the trail is easy, just some small hills here and there. Then it narrows and you are walking on wooden planks hundreds of feet above the ground. It was scary but amazing! Once you weave through the canyon it ends with a wide normal pathway that leads back to El Chorro.

Overall, my watch tracked total length as ~2.6 miles from entrance all the way back to El Chorro. This took us an hour so we arrived back in town just after noon.

Since we weren’t sure how long the full trail would take we booked the 2pm train back to Malaga. This allowed us to enjoy a nice leisurely lunch at Restaurante La Garganta (across from the train stop) which has great views on their interior patio area.

The next day we walked through the Picasso Museum and it was amazing to see the evolution of his work! I had extra energy so I explored town more by visiting Alcazaba and Castillo de Gibralfaro which offered stunning views of the city and ocean. I loved all the Moorish architecture as well! That evening we had a fancy dinner at Balausta (in Hotel Palacio Solecio).

We really wanted to explore more of the Spanish coastline so then we flew to Valencia (connected through Madrid). That day we just had some evening beach time when we arrived. Of course, we had a Valencia city tour booked for the following day. It was amazing to learn so much about the city and see so many beautiful sites. We were ready to move! An amazing site in Valencia is the City of Arts and Sciences. You truly could spend all day within this complex – there are so many exhibits covering a wide variety of topics, not to mention the stunning architecture and sculptures surrounding the buildings. That evening we had to experience a traditional flamenco show! It was a lot of fun, but we were exhausted and not thrilled about eating dinner so late (we ate at about 9pm).

To allow ourselves more time to explore the coastline at our leisure we rented a car for the final leg of the trip, driving from Valencia to Barcelona. We stopped at Pucol for some road snacks (grocery items were SO cheap!) and then stopped in Peniscola. We decided to hang out at the beach in Peniscola for a bit and walk along the fort for gorgeous views! Was a really cute small tourist town for locals at the end of their busy season.

Then along the drive to Barcelona we accidentally (and embarrassingly) filled the car with diesel (ugh!). Please don’t make the same mistake as us! We learned the rental car insurance does not cover this (of course). And it is very difficult to communicate with the rental agency once back home. They WILL charge the credit card on file without even asking for signature or permission (since this is stipulated in the rental agreement) FYI. Luckily our travel credit card has great insurance and they covered the maintenance expense.

Once in Barcelona we walked around La Sagrada Familia and then had lunch at Zed Barcelona which was amazing! Then back to the hotel for a little down time before our paella cooking class. We love to take cooking classes to learn how to make traditional local dishes! The next day we had fun walking through Parc Guell which was conceived by Gaudi and Guell as an idealistic future-style community. It was very busy with a line of people waiting to take a picture on the famous steps. We skipped the photo op and instead found an amazing lunch spot, La Perillosa. After a little down time, we decided to walk around Barcelona and found a great dinner spot.

We had so much amazing food and for such reasonable prices too! The next day we unfortunately had to fly home. Adios Spain!

June 2022

Our itinerary was as follows:

• Day 1 – Flew into Key West
• Day 2 – Arrived in Key West after flight delays, beach time!
• Day 3 – Dry Tortugas National Park
• Day 4 – Scuba diving
• Day 5 – Toured Truman's Little White House and Ft Zachary Taylor; Dinner at Latitudes on Sunset Kay
• Day 6 – Flew home!

I've always wanted to visit Dry Tortugas National Park and finally made it happen on this trip! I've been to the Florida Keys before but never had the time or planned well enough in advance to visit the park which is 68 miles west of Key West.

Unfortunately when we left Denver we were delayed by afternoon thunderstorms so we missed our connection in Dallas for Key West. They booked us on a flight to Miami, where we spent the night (after sitting at the airport for hours trying to get our bags, but alas they didn't tell us the bags were checked through to our final destination = Key West so that was fun). In the morning we caught the first flight from Miami to Key West – thankfully a short flight and completed the long journey! We were grateful to finally arrive and decided we needed some lunch and then beach relaxation time! We stayed on Stock Island, which is a very short drive from Key West just to save a bit of money. We stayed at The Perry Hotel and Marina Key West. They had a coffee shop and a few restaurants within the complex that were very good! It was a beautiful, new hotel that we loved! Our room was on the front corner of the hotel so we had a large balcony and were able to watch the sunsets each night. They also offer a shuttle from the hotel to downtown Key West which was really convinent.

The next day we caught the ferry to Dry Tortugas, which took about 2 hours. We packed snorkel gear but complimentary gear and food are included in the ticket price. There was a hurricane making its way towards Florida so it rained most of the morning. We decided to explore the fort then snorkel once the storm passed. We felt like we had plenty of time to do both, but for me personally I could snorkel all day! You can camp here too; I would assume you'd have to reserve a spot well in advance.

The snorkeling was good but not great that day due to low visibility/ overcast day. But it was fun to swim around almost the entire fort. That evening we relaxed and had dinner at the hotel which was delicious.

The next day we wanted to do some scuba diving, so we found a dive shop and booked two dives for the afternoon. We saw lots of fish and a lobster – was a fun day but again with storms moving in visibility wasn't the best.

Our last full day we decided to walk around and tour Truman's Little White House and then head down to Ft Zachary Taylor. We learned a lot during the tour and wished the weather was better for swimming at Ft Taylor as the beach had red warning flags posted.

Our last stop was Sunset Key for a nice dinner at Latitudes. We took a short ferry ride over (about 15 minutes) from Key West and had an incredible dinner. I had shrimp carbonara with lamb bacon (!) – it was enough to feed two and delicious! The sky was ominous as we left after our amazing dinner.

The next day we lucked out and caught the last flight out of Key West. All other flights for the day were canceled due to the incoming hurricane. This trip had many stressful travel moments and an early start to hurricane season, but we were glad to be able to visit!

November 2021

Our itinerary was as follows:

• Day 1 – Flew into Honolulu, Oahu then hopped over to the Big Island
• Day 2 – Explored Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (Big Island)
• Day 3 – Visited Akaka State Park, Carlsmith Beach Park, and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park at night (Big Island)
• Day 4 – Japanese Garden and Lymann museum then flew over to Kauai
• Day 5 – Thanksgiving Day spent relaxing beachside in Kapa'a, Kauai
• Day 6 – Beach/ SCUBA day, dinner at Sam's Oceanview restaurant (Kauai)
• Day 7 – Beach/ SCUBA day (Kauai)
• Day 8 – Waimea Canyon (Kauai)
• Day 9 – Hanakapi'ai Falls hike along the Na Pali coast (Kauai)
• Day 10 – Helicopter ride around Kauai then Luau (Kauai)
• Day 11 – Tunnel beach snorkeling and dinner then flew home

We visited Hawaii for our honeymoon and stayed for 1.5 weeks. I had not been to Kauai before and heard lots of amazing things so wanted to spend the bulk of our time on that island exploring.

We started our trip with a visit to the Big Island to see the Volcanoes National Park. You are not able to walk close to the lava flows, so I'd recommend bringing binoculars to see the eruption better. We also visited it again at night (would recommend!) and could see the lava flow better. It was eerie to watch at night – the skies were red from the glow!

I also wanted to chase waterfalls because there are so many in Hawaii. Akaka State Park allowed for that with a gorgeous waterfall at the end of a paved pathway.

From the Big Island we hopped over to Kauai. Our first full day in Kauai landed on Thanksgiving Day so we bought groceries the night before so we could cook ourselves dinner and use the leftovers for lunches over the next week. I relaxed at our Airbnb in Kapa'a on Thanksgiving while Aaron did his first Scuba check out dive. We then had a great dinner down the street at Sam's Oceanview Restaurant.

I joined Aaron on his second check out Scuba dive the following day then we spent the rest of the day relaxing on the beach. The next day we explored more of the island by driving up to Waimea Canyon and the various viewpoints looking out over the Na Pali Coast. The entire area is stunning, and I'd definitely recommend the drive up there.

Our good friends were also honeymooning the same week we were in Kauai (happy coincidence!) so we met with them for dinner and then the four of us did the long Hanakapi'ai Falls hike (~9 miles) along the Na Pali coast the next day. Despite being a long hike, it was well worth it! The views of the coast along the hike were gorgeous! The waterfall at the end was pretty and swimming in the pond was very refreshing!

I've always felt that helicopter or aerial tours are the best way to view amazing landscapes, so I convinced Aaron to do a helicopter tour. I found a standard tour but wish I had opted for the doors off style helicopter tour. We both felt a bit nauseous on the tour. After a break and some relaxation time we went to a traditional luau for dinner and entertainment. The show was the best part of the luau. The food, however, was disappointing. It was a buffet and we felt the food was bland.

Our flight home was a red eye so we enjoyed every last minute on Kauai by visiting Tunnels Beach for a little snorkeling and beach time. We had the beach almost entirely to ourselves and it was a great end to a fabulous honeymoon!

April 2021

Our itinerary was as follows:

• Day 1 – Flew into Cabo
• Day 2 – Beach day then dinner at El Farallon
• Day 3 – Drove over to La Paz and swam with sea lions
• Day 4 – Pool time and walked around town
• Day 5 – Beach/pool day
• Day 6 – Drove over to San Jose del Cabo to explore and for lunch
• Day 7 – Flew home!

Since we live in Colorado, I was craving some beach time. So we hopped on a flight down to Cabo, Mexico for a little rest and relaxation. I was also hoping to swim with the whale sharks as I know they inhabit the area during the winter months but we missed the end of the season by a week.

Cabo itself is very touristy and geared towards American and international tourists, which means it is a pretty safe destination.

On our first day there we just relaxed and enjoyed the pool and beach. I try to book one higher end dinner on each trip we take so I made reservations a few weeks before we left at El Farallon. It is right on the ocean (looks like it was carved out of the cliff) and is a part of the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos hotel. The restaurant itself is gorgeous and the food was great! There were also fireworks at the hotel as we finished dinner.

The following day we were picked up and driven to La Paz for what was originally a whale shark tour. We adjusted with the tour operator for a sea lion tour instead. After a long boat ride we arrived at the sea lion preserve. The quick pivot in plans was well worth it! The sea lion pups have the personality of puppies and were so playful. The water was very cold to me so I wore a wet suit and Aaron braved it without one.

Otherwise, we explored downtown Cabo and wanted to hike to the top of Mt. Solmar near the Waldorf Astoria. We didn't feel comfortable venturing onto someone's private property to get to the trailhead. He had a sign saying you could access, but we opted out since it required you to walk by their dog kennel compound (some of the dogs seemed aggressive).

We also explored the town of San Jose del Cabo, which was very cute and really enjoyed all the restaurants around the main square.

September 2020

Our itinerary was as follows:

• Day 1 – Drove west to Moab, Utah from Denver area
• Day 2 – Arches and Canyonlands NP
• Day 3 – Drove to Flagstaff, Arizona
• Day 4 – Sunset Volcano Crater, Wupatki National Monument
• Day 5 – Grand Canyon (Bright Angel Trail)
• Day 6 – Meteor Crater
• Day 7 – Drove to Sedona, ATV exploring
• Day 8 – Headed to Lake Powell kayaking/exploring
• Day 9 – Drove home!

Even during COVID we wanted to get out and explore so we figured why not do a road trip! Aaron hadn't been to the Grand Canyon before so we built a road trip around the Grand Canyon as our main destination.

There are so many gorgeous National and State Parks along the way so we stopped at Arches and Canyonlands in Moab. They are both stunning and my tip would be to pack a light dinner or snack and stay to watch the sunset on the red rocks. It is truly a gorgeous time to take pictures.

From there we drove to Flagstaff and stayed in the city as our central point. This allowed us to visit other parks such as Sunset Volcano Crater and Wupatki National Monument. These are absolutely worth a visit if you are in the area. The next day we drove over to the Grand Canyon, South Rim. We enjoyed a few viewpoints then decided to hike down the Bright Angel Trail. We hiked down about 1.5 miles, which was a 1,100 ft drop in elevation, before turning around to hike the 1.5 miles back to the top. If I were to do this again I would either plan to hike this all day OR get the permits needed for overnight camping and hike to the Colorado River. Near the Bright Angel Trailhead there is also Grand Canyon Village with cool museums, lookouts, and lodging if you want to stay in the park. Meteor Crater is another interesting stop that is close by!

Sedona is only a short drive south of Flagstaff, so we headed down and rented an ATV to do some exploring & hiking!

Last stop on our trip was Lake Powell. I visited as a kid and have always wanted to go back. The water is incredibly clear but cold and of course such a gorgeous setting to go swimming or kayak. We kayaked through the canyons and stopped to swim for a bit.

This itinerary worked perfectly for us to explore lots of parks while social distancing!

September 2019

Our itinerary was as follows:

• Day 1 – Flew into Rome, evening city tour
• Day 2 – Explored the Colosseum and Roman Forum Park, Rome
• Day 3 – Travel to Florence, Accademia Gallery Tour
• Day 4 – Brunelleschi's Dome in morning then Uffizi in afternoon, Florence
• Day 5 – Tuscan bike wine tour, Impruneta
• Day 6 – Explored Impruneta/ leisure day
• Day 7 – Transfer to Parma for Parma Ham factory tour and tasting
• Day 8 – Transfer to Sardinia via flight, stayed in Palau
• Day 9 – Explored the area near Palau (Roccia dell'Orso & La Fortezza di Monte Altura) via e-bikes
• Day 10 – Took a boat around the island
• Day 11 – Transfer to Rome via flight
• Day 12 – Rome cooking class
• Day 13 – Flew home!

Note: We took this trip before COVID changed the landscape of international travel so some of these experiences may be different today.

Upon arriving we were exhausted so it was nice to relax before going on a pre-booked evening city tour. A city tour is great to get familiar with a new place relatively quickly. The next day we toured the famous Colosseum and the Roman Forum. We were walking for at least half the day so dress comfortably. To be honest, I loved the Roman Forum more than the Colosseum! We hired a travel agency to help us plan this trip and it was well worth it. They booked all the tickets for each site in advance which saved us from the long entry lines for the famous attractions. Also, we mostly walked around Rome or got taxis for transportation.

Next, we transferred to Florence via high-speed train. At the Accademia Gallery we saw Michelangelo's David and various other famous works of art. Then the next day we climbed to the top of Brunelleschi Dome which was well worth the climb for the amazing 360-degree views of the city despite feeling slightly claustrophobia during the climb. Later that day we visited the Uffizi Gallery and saw lots of great works, most notable would be 'The Birth of Venus.' Be patient here, the crowds were quite large.

After Florence we transferred to a small Tuscan town. But before we arrived at our hotel, we did a bike tour of a few Tuscan wineries, ending at our hotel. We stayed at Relais Villa Olmo and I would highly highly recommend this hotel. It had an on-site restaurant which was amazing, a great pool, and great views of the countryside. We were able to walk to the town of Impruneta to get espresso and explore a bit. It was a welcome break from the hustle of the big city to a small country town.

Aaron really wanted to do a Parma ham tour and tasting so we were able to squeeze that in, transferring to the town of Parma, then hopping over to a tour of the factory. Someone was in complete awe! They take such pride in their wines, meats, and cheeses (among other things!) which we greatly appreciated and respected!

From Parma, I wanted some beach time, so we took a short flight down to Sardinia to the town of Palau. We rented e-bikes to see some of the nearby sights, Roccia dell'Orso and La Fortezza di Monte Altura. Roccia dell'Orso translates to "Bear Rock" due its resemblance to you guessed it – a bear. I personally enjoyed the great views from the point. La Fortezza di Monte Altura was a WWI / WWII fort. The next day we decided to hire a boat to take us around the island, so we did some swimming and snorkeling as well. The beaches were so gorgeous this picture does not do them justice!

Since our flights were roundtrip out of Rome we transferred back to Rome a day before our flight home for a cooking class. We were able to shop at a local market for supplies and then cooked for hours creating a massive feast. The wine and snacks were flowing so much we had a few people fall out of their chairs when we finally sat down to eat our creations! Overall, this was one of my very favorite trips ever!

November 2018

My itinerary was as follows:

• Day 1 – Longhorn Cavern
• Day 2 – Whip In for lunch, Suerte for dinner
• Day 3 – Allen's Boots and shopping, Capitol, campus
• Day 4 – Zax for dinner
• Day 5 – Mount Bonnell and Hope Outdoor Gallery

I traveled to Austin for a work conference and was able to fly out a day early, on Sunday, with a friend to do some sightseeing. We drove about 1.5 hours NW of Austin to check out Longhorn Cavern. By the time we landed and drove out there we arrived about 45 minutes before the last tour of the day at 4pm. The only way to see the cavern is by a guided tour which lasts about 90 minutes and is provided rain or shine. The cave interior was formed by an underground river carving out the limestone and was a great tour overall.

There were sections of the cave filled completely with crystals.

Once we finished the tour we drove to Austin and grabbed a light dinner at a cool marketplace location near the hotel.

The next day we attended our conference in the morning, picked up my co-worker and went to Whip In for an Indian style lunch. Then for dinner, we hit up Suerte which was great!

On Tuesday, we listened to many presentations and then had some free time to check out the iconic cowboy store of Allen's Boots. Talk about variety and crazy price ranges! We saw women's boot prices ranging from $130 to $1,200 and I am sure more expensive ones were available. After the boot store we drove around town for a short period, down to the capitol building and through campus. Our networking dinner was at Lambert's, which offered us an excellent brisket and BBQ selection.

Wednesday we stayed at the hotel all day for the conference, as it was unseasonably cold and rainy, only leaving for dinner. Dinner was another networking group dinner at Zax, which was good.

On our last day, Thursday, we closed out the conference after lunch then headed to check out Mount Bonnell before our flight home. It offered a beautiful view of the Colorado River and the city. There are amazing homes along the river. One of the boat houses looked like an actual mansion. There are only 99 stairs up to the viewpoint and it really does not take long to walk up to the top to this completely FREE lookout point.

Then we headed to Hope Outdoor Gallery, which is a graffiti community park. The artwork can last months or just hours, so this is an ever-evolving art gallery! You can walk up along the side to get a view of the city here as well. After our brief stops we headed to the airport to fly home.

September 2018

Our itinerary was as follows:

• Lima (3 nights)
• Arequipa (1 night)
• Colca Canyon (1 night in Chivay)
• Puno (2 nights)
• Cusco (1 night)
• Aguas Calientes (1 night)
• Cusco (1 night)
• Puerto Maldonado (1 night)
• Lima (1 night)

After landing in Lima we walked around Parque del Amor, Miraflores, Lima. The weather was overcast and cool. Ate at the superb Astrid y Gaston for lunch, and overall just took it easy walking around town.

Day two in Lima we visited the Larco Museum, which was great - be sure to walk through the Erotic Collection as well (wink wink). Then attended a chocolate making class at the Choco Museum, which was a little touristy but was well worth it!

In Arequipa we had a private tour of Plaza de Armas, cathedral, and the Convent of Santa Catalina monastery. All great sites and it was amazing to learn the history - the tour guides are very well educated!

Arequipa to Colca Canyon was a 2 day group bus tour (about 20 folks). The first day of the tour we traveled to the Colca Canyon and then stayed in the small town of Chivay. The lunch spots serve local fare and I tried everything - it was all so good! We skipped the La Calera Thermal Waters that afternoon as we were a bit worn down from the day and glad we did because apparently it had a strong sulfur smell. The hotel (Casa Andina Standard - this line of hotels in Peru is really nice, loved each one!) had an observatory so we paid for tickets ($10 each) and enjoyed viewing stars and nebulas from the hotel. There was minimal light pollution so we were able to see the Milky Way.

The next day we saw the Cruz del Condor lookout and traveled to Puno. The condors were huge and cool to see, but after seeing the 10th one we grew a bit bored. Our tour group stopped back in Chivay for another fabulous local lunch spot - this time I tried the alpaca with a chimichurri-like sauce, and it was my favorite thing on the buffet line! After lunch we drove from Chivay to Puno which is a very long drive (~6 hours). We stopped at the highest elevation lake for pictures, Mirador Lagunillas, elevation 4413 meters. (Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world.)

In Puno, we left for an all-day group boat tour of Lake Titicaca which started with the Uros floating islands and then continued to Taquile Island. People have lived on the man-made floating reed islands of Uros since pre-Incan times. They are constantly having to re-build the islands, and they also build traditional boats from the reeds as well. Taquile Island was beautiful and we loved the dry, warm climate. On Taquile island to flush the toilets you have to bring in a gallon jug of water with you - you've been warned!

Next day we flew to Cusco where we had a private tour visiting the main plaza, the Cathedral, the Temple of the Sun Koricancha, as well as two ruin sites.

We then left Cusco the next day for a Sacred Valley tour on the way to Aguas Calientes. The private tour included time at the Fortress and Citadel of Ollantaytambo. On our long drive to Ollantaytambo we stopped for lunch at Tunupa - which was this beautiful mansion type building and the food was amazing! Tour guides will eat with their group but the drivers will eat separately (since the drivers typically speak very little English but the tour guides are fluent in several languages). From there we waited for the train to take us to Aguas Calientes.

After spending the night in Aguas Calientes, we caught the earlier bus up to Machu Picchu. We explored with a private tour guide, then had time to ourselves; in total spent about 4 hours exploring Machu Picchu.

It was interesting to hear the tour guide talk about the similarities of Machu Picchu to the pyramids (#aliens haha). When we got back to town, we shopped around and it was so interesting to see so many major US brand logos modified! We ate a delicious buffet lunch back in town at the El MaPi Hotel and then caught the train back to Cusco.

From Cusco we caught a flight the next morning to Puerto Maldonado, a city known as the gateway to the Amazon rainforest. When we arrived, we took a boat out for an evening river night watch and saw baby vicuña.

Our original itinerary included two days in the rainforest then flying back to Lima and straight home from there on our last day. Aaron had other plans... As soon as we arrived at the Inkaterra Field Station Lodge (the name should have given it away right?!) Aaron and I realized they turn the electricity off during certain periods of the night.

The place is already 90 something degrees and 90 percent humidity so it felt like there was no reprieve! He was the one who ultimately decided he couldn’t handle the place (which to be fair it was his birthday that day) so we changed plans and high tailed it back to Lima the next day. Oops - our mistake!

Back in Lima we relaxed for the rest of the day and booked a cooking class for the next day before our red eye flight home. The next day we explored the Museum of Art of Lima (MALI), the park area around the museum, and then went to our cooking class. The cooking class was such a good idea - we highly recommend it! We shopped for food at the local markets and saw lots of exotic fruits, had a local teach us some delicious dishes (which yes I have made at home and it was very good if I do say so myself), and really enjoyed getting to know the people!

Aaron's Corner: Peru has some of the most awe-inspiring landscapes I have ever seen. In particular I was attracted to both the aesthetic and feel of alpine desert. There's something intensely pleasurable about being in a high elevation, with almost no humidity, surrounded by emptiness. If you've ever had the feeling that the world is so noisy you can't hear yourself think, imagine the lofty elevations of Peru as exactly the opposite. It inspires the imagination, quiets the nerves, and somehow you feel lighter and more at peace for having been there. I could have spent days wandering the outskirts of Arequipa, adjacent to active volcanos and farmland, simply taking it all in.

May 2018

The list of dives was as follows:

• Aquarium Reef
• Captain Grumpy Reef
• Long Key Ledge
• Pillars of Atlantis Reef
• Victory Reef
• Davis Reef
• Alligator Reef (night dive)
• Benwood Wreck

• Molasses Reef - Probably our favorite due to the awesome coral formations and lots of fish at the reef

• Boink Dive Point

This was a unique trip of my mom and I serving as chaperones for the Boy Scout troop my brother participates in. We drove down to Key Islamorada from Atlanta first thing in the morning and spent a week at the Boy Scout Florida Sea Base Camp – the Boy Scouts are lucky to have such a beautiful camp to offer to their scouts!

The first day was spent checking in and also checking our scuba diving skills. We all passed, phew!

The next 6 days were spent on the ocean visiting about two dive spots per day, with one exception when we had a night dive in addition to our two dives that day. We saw SO many fish and a handful of nurse sharks throughout the time in the Keys.

Please follow the safety rules put in place by BSA. Dive knives are not allowed. One renegade dad HAD to break the rules and bring his knife. Guess what - he dropped it as he was surfacing… I saw the sun reflecting off a piece of metal as I was about to surface - it was his knife! Lucky for him I saved it, even though it wasn't allowed! Can you guess who it was from the picture (lol)?

April 2018

Our itinerary was as follows:

• Day 1 – Coronado Beach, Hotel del Coronado
• Day 2 – Torrey Pines State Reserve, Point Loma, Dinner in Gaslamp quarter
• Day 3 – La Jolla kayaking, exploring, Sunset Cliff
• Day 4 – Balboa Park, Little Italy in evening

I attended a work conference at the Hotel del Coronado, Coronado Beach. Lucky me, I know, and Aaron met me there when the conference was over. The first day we spent walking along Coronado Beach because I thought it was such a beautiful area I wanted to share it with Aaron.

The next day we drove to Torrey Pines Park and explored some of the trails and walked along the beach there. It was absolutely stunning!

Later that afternoon we drove to Point Loma which offers an excellent vantage point of San Diego and there is a cute lighthouse and museum there. Drive around the entire point because the other side has a rugged, beautiful coastline. That evening we walked around the Gaslamp quarter, which was a happening part of town.

La Jolla was the next stop the following day. We took a group kayak tour around the bay. We learned a lot about the area on the tour but were unable to snorkel. It was an entertaining tour as one couple fell out of their kayak. That evening we drove out to Sunset Cliff which offered spectacular sunset views.

Our last day consisted of walking around Balboa Park, which is quite expansive. We went through a few museums, a greenhouse, and ate lunch there, but felt like we could have easily spent another few hours exploring. That evening we visited Little Italy for dinner and swear we saw the real life Godfather (lol).

Aaron's Corner: San Diego boasts some of the best weather in the country and it's not hard to understand why. It's not that humid and generally stays in the 60's and 70's most of the year. I thought it was absolutely beautiful there and it's hard not to be charmed by the "California living by the beach" vibe. However, it also brings into sharp focus problems of income disparity and homelessness. In some areas of downtown there are huge amounts of people living on the streets and in public parks. Meanwhile twenty minutes away, houses sell for tens of millions of dollars depending on how close to the water they are. A friend once told me that a funny thing happens to people that move to Southern California. They become successful quickly, or they leave. I couldn't agree more. The desirable weather and gorgeous scenery carries a hefty price tag.

December 29, 2017 to January 1, 2018

Our itinerary was as follows:

• Day 1 – Drove in, White Duck Tacos for dinner
• Day 2 – Biltmore Estates (all day)
• Day 3 – Curate, shopping, Ben's Tune Up for NYE festivities
• Day 4 – Drove home

Since we'd always heard that Asheville was very dog friendly we decided to drive there with Aaron's two dogs. We got there in the late afternoon, opted for an afternoon siesta then some time at a local dog park. In the evening, we stopped at White Duck Tacos for a quick delicious dinner.

The next day we wanted to take full advantage of our Biltmore Estates day pass so we hiked the grounds, went to the petting zoo, and drove the entire estate.

After the dogs had enough exercise we dropped them back at the hotel and went back for the wine tasting and the evening tour of the main house, which was decorated for Christmas. It was so beautiful – Christmas trees literally everywhere!

The next day was NYE and we wanted to take it easy so we enjoyed an amazing lunch (lunch and dinner really! LOL) at Curate. IT WAS SO GOOD! Highly recommend this place!

Then we tried to walk some of that food off and shopped a bit. Someone bought a nice used bass guitar… 😉

For NYE celebrations it was freezing cold and we were worried about the dogs so we decided to play it low key and check out Ben's Tune Up – a former auto repair shop turned bar. They had a funky scene with live reggae that night and lots of fire pits, so we could stay warm while outside. The band definitely nailed the hippie/reggae hipsters look aka white dudes with dreads and expensive hiking clothes… haha! But hey they were rocking the place! Was a fun spot I'd visit again! We didn't last long though in the cold and headed back to the hotel.

June 2017

Our itinerary was as follows:

• Day 1 – Flew into Calgary and drove to Canmore
• Day 2 – Banff Sites (Canmore, Fairmont, Bow Falls, Vermillion Lakes, Banff Hot Springs)
• Day 3 – Banff Sites (Bankhead Ghost Town, Stanley Glacier, Continental Divide, Surprise Corner)
• Day 4 – Lake Louise, Mirror Lake, Lake Agnes, (plus hike to Lake Agnes Tea House), Moraine Lake
• Day 5 – Icefields Parkway to Jasper (Bow Lake and Num-ti-jah lodge, Peyto Lake and Bow Summit View Point, Weeping Wall, Columbia Icefields, Glacier Skywalk)
• Day 6 – Jasper area sights (Jasper Tram, Jasper Fairmont Maligne Canyon, Athabasca Falls)
• Day 7 – Drove to Calgary (stopped at Lake Louise for a canoe ride break)
• Day 8 – Flew home

I took this trip with my best friends and it was a great time! Canmore is the town just outside of Banff where we found a beautiful Airbnb with amazing views. This was a bit cheaper, less crowded, and only a short drive from Banff.

In Banff, we walked around the famous Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in the rain – it was beautiful! We walked down to the riverside to view Bow Falls but got soaked in the downpour. The best view of the falls and the hotel is across Bow River at Surprise Corner Viewpoint (highly recommend). The town of Banff was adorable – there was even an open-air market setup, so we walked around and shopped a little.

We also drove over to the Vermillion Lakes – was a pretty stop but seemed very marshy. While we were cruising outside of town we stopped to hike the Bankhead Ghost Town, which is an abandoned mining town with a lot of ruins left – didn't see any bears but you should ALWAYS hike with a bear bell or other protection.

Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are some of the most famous views in the area. Of course, we stopped and were in awe at the beauty! We hiked up to Lake Agnes Tea House (cash only) for the most spectacular view of Lake Louise. The squirrels and chipmunks were VERY tame; they would walk up and steal food!

The drive to Jasper National Park was amazing – it was a long one but lots of great sites along the way so plan your day accordingly. Most notable was Peyto Lake and the Bow Summit View point – my favorite stops! I wanted to sit and stare at Peyto Lake (see picture below) the whole day. We packed lunches, so we sat off to the side and ate while enjoying the absolutely breathtaking view.

Another noteworthy stop was the Columbia Icefields Athabasca glacier where we took the bus tour onto the glacier. You can do a combination of the Glacier tour and Glacier Skywalk (a glass walkway 918 feet above the valley). If you are feeling brave, lay down on the glass walkway and take a selfie for an awesome picture!

The town of Jasper is a smaller version of Banff (aka less crowded). The views of the mountains as you walk through town are hard to completely absorb - you are surrounded by such wild and rugged beauty. In Jasper, we rode the Jasper Tram for stunning views of the city and mountains and hiked around at the top. Stopped by Jasper Fairmont (I'd recommend skipping) to say hello to the horses and then spent some time at Maligne Canyon. The water and ice formed the curved smoothed canyon walls – a stunning sight.

During the drive we saw an awesome double rainbow!

While driving back we stopped at Lake Louise for a fun canoe ride. We skipped this before but it was SO fun! As you can tell we had some fun with selfies too, selfie-ception time! Haha!

February 2016

The itinerary was as follows:

• Day 1 – Flew in on a red eye flight and relaxed
• Day 2 – Hallgrímskirkja Church, shopped and walked around Reykjavík
• Day 3 – Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Skógafoss Waterfall, Reynisdrangar black sand beach, and Vik
• Day 4 – Skaftafell glacier and ice caves, Jökulsárlón lake
• Day 5 – Relaxed at Blue Lagoon
• Day 6 – Perlan, Hellisheiðarvirkjun geothermal power plant, Viking Museum
• Day 7 – Drove the Golden Circle (Thingvellir National Park, Geysir, Gullfoss waterfall, Kerið crater)
• Day 8 – Bessastadir (the President's house), Grotta Lighthouse, explored town some more
• Day 9 – Flew home first thing in the morning

The first day was one of relaxation since it was a red eye flight into Iceland. The next day I walked around town and visited the church, which was such a unique building. I booked the “Jokulsarlon and Ice Caving” tour with a tour group called Extreme Iceland. This was a small tour group of about 15 people which hit all the main sites along the southwestern portion of the coastline.

The next morning we started our South Coast adventure. The first stop was the famous Seljalandsfoss waterfall where you can actually walk behind the falls! Next we visited the powerful Skogafoss waterfall. You can climb the stairs alongside for incredible views from above. Then we continued to Vik and the famous Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach with its dramatic basalt columns and crashing waves. Be careful as the waves are strong, and we were told it has caught tourists off guard in the past.

At the Seljalandsfoss waterfall there is a pathway to another area with some hidden waterfalls, I’d recommend walking out there if you can (our tour group had a limited amount of time and and I wished I saw the path earlier to explore more). It was an easy quick walk there and back.

We stopped and spent the night at Höfn, which is essentially a place for tourists to stop and sleep. The ‘town’ has maybe one or two hotels and that was about it. I was hoping we would drive around after dinner to view the Northern lights, but the country has a strict policy that tour guide drivers must get 8 hours of sleep. So our group stayed up and caught as much of the northern lights as we could. This blurry picture was the best we captured.

The next day the group was off to the ice caves in Skaftafell. The caves were filled in with a good bit of snow and relatively narrow to walk through, but were very beautiful. The group then stopped at Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon where it was raining – overall a cold and soggy day but beautiful. Seeing the icebergs floating in the lagoon was surreal! Then we made the long drive back to Reykjavík.

Once back in town we hit the famous Blue Lagoon, which was touristy, but the warm waters felt amazing in the cold air! After dinner we decided to do some northern light hunting on our own. Had some success but as you'd imagine the light pollution of the city made it difficult to see and capture pictures.

The Golden circle tour is a MUST SEE which includes 4 stops: Thingvellir National Park, Geysir, Gullfoss waterfall, and Kerið crater. We hiked around Thingvellir National Park and stopped at the Öxarárfoss waterfall. Since it was February the waterfall was almost completely frozen over, offering awe inspiring views. You can also snorkel the Silfra fissure (created by the separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates) – we did not but I wish I had! Throughout the trip we saw the adorable Icelandic horses - they're smaller and fluffier than regular horses and so photogenic!

Iceland exceeded all my expectations. The landscapes are otherworldly, the people are friendly, and despite the cold February weather, I would highly recommend visiting in winter for the chance to see the Northern Lights and ice caves!