Headed to the Hawaiian Islands and want to visit a location that is packed with fun activities? Kailua-Kona Hawaii is a top destination for visitors for a good reason – it has a wide variety of beaches, trails, scenic dining, cultural activities, and unique adventure... Read more
It's been a few weeks since our family left and I'm still just glowing with joy that we had such a fantastic trip with them! They were here on Oahu for two entire weeks. Yes, Americans who take trips longer than one week do exist and they are thriving because of it.... Read more
What's that famous Lord of the Rings quote about going out your front door? ‘Dangerous business,' indeed. Pandemic or not, sometimes travel plans just fall apart. Whatever you had expected turns into a crumpled heap of disappointments and you just have to make... Read more
Now that we are allowed to move about in New Zealand again, us tourists turned temporary residents all ask each other the same question: “Where did you end up during lockdown?” While some were at hostels sharing rooms and meals with other backpackers, we... Read more
We originally planned to go to both Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound during out epic New Zealand road trip, but with the intense flooding that happened just before our visit, Milford was no longer an option without a very long bus ride. So, we chose to spend what we... Read more
After a great time in Arthur's Pass, we were headed to explore the Franz Josef Glacier area for a few days. It was going to be a 3+-hour driving day, so we didn't plan much – as we didn't know what the weather would be like. However, it was a beautiful day, so... Read more
When researching must-stop places on your New Zealand road trip, you probably won't come across Picton – we didn't. However, most visitors still end up in this small, but picturesque port town because it is where the interisland ferry picks up and drops off... Read more
Trying to decide on a first destination in a place with hundreds of amazing options is a challenge. Luckily, we were celebrating my birthday a few days after landing in Auckland and I only wanted one thing: sunshine. GLORIOUS SUNSHINE! After six weeks of winter in... Read more
We don't always plan to splurge for birthdays and other special occasions … but when we do, we tend to really go all out (like learning to cook in Rome or hot air ballooning over Colorado Springs). So, when we decided to go to New Zealand for my big 3-0, I... Read more
It is no big secret that the Iceland New Year's Eve celebration is over the top. Locals often spend entire paychecks on fireworks and we were warned multiple times that it gets really crazy. We definitely wanted to check out the celebration! But I was a little... Read more
