Oh hi, just checking in with you all once again from the lovely and blooming state of Alaska! The weather has been absolutely stunning the last few weeks, and instead of snow, we have bright green leaves, pollen (boo), and muddy hiking trails. Because it’s been so nice, the snow boots have been swapped out for hiking shoes, and the siren call of the outdoors has us enchanted and ready for adventure. There was one particular day a few weeks ago that was overly gorgeous, so my good friends (with their awesome dog Reggie) and I hit up Bodenburg Butte, which is a low mountaintop 16 miles from where I live. I grabbed my new Jord Wood Watch for our hike, because a watch that reflects my love of adventure and outdoors deserves to participate on ... Read More
Hatcher Pass with Pins To Kill
I know it’s been a while since I’ve updated you all on where we are/what we are doing, but if you follow along on Instagram, you know by now that we’ve been up in Alaska since October. We have loved every second of being up here, and will miss it like crazy when we leave. I am so behind with amazing pictures and stories to share with you (hello 3-month European adventure), that I haven’t even thought twice about posting on Alaska … until now! The weather has been a real gem lately, and I just received some gorgeous leggings from Pins to Kill, so in true Alaskan form, I took my butt outside (in the leggings of course), and went on a bit of an adventure with my sister and friend the other day. I insulated my leggings with a pair of ... Read More
Glamping Bali with Sandat Tents
If I had to put one thing, and one thing only, on a bucket list for Bali, Indonesia, it would *hands down* be to go glamping again. Yes, you heard me right, glamping in Bali! There is literally nothing finer in life than staying in one of Southeast Asia’s most luxurious tents. Let me tell you, for all those who have sworn off camping altogether: give glamping a go and I promise you’ll change your mind. Like most travelers researching all the tips, tricks, places, views, eats, etc for "the island of the gods," glamping in Bali wasn’t top of my list, or even at all for that matter, because I had no idea it even existed. As I searched for the less ordinary, more unique lodgings for our most recent trip to Bali, I stumbled upon Sandat ... Read More
5 Reasons to Book a Yacht Charter This Summer
I would have never considered booking a yacht charter for summer vacation…until we got the chance to go on one last summer with MedSailors. I honestly thought yacht charters would totally out of our budget range, and that's why they were never in the radar. Turns out I was wrong, and I'm glad I was! We had the best time sailing the Dalmatian Coast (Croatia) for a week with Medsailors (they also have tours in Greece and Turkey), and I can't wait to tell you all about it within this next month! There are a couple different yacht charter options, you can either: rent out one for yourself (aka you are your own skipper), or you can join a company that provides skippered yachts (aka you don't have to worry about a thing). For us, skippered ... Read More
Bali Cooking Class
I've always wanted to join a cooking class. You'd think after visiting 20-something countries including Italy, Thailand, and Japan, we would have snuck a few in there, but alas, we failed to (shame). Because of this, we made it a point to schedule in a cooking class during our time in Bali, and for $27 USD we couldn't pass one up. Derik and I spent 30 days in Indonesian paradise last July, and found ourselves gravitating to Ubud on the days we didn't have anything planned. I'm not sure if it was the cheap villas, the cultural experience, or the mind-blowing food, but Ubud was love at first sight in 2012, and better yet in 2015. After reading a few reviews online, and our good friend Melanie (who, crazy enough, was on our tour through New ... Read More
Revisiting the Grand Mirage
One of the most unique things Derik and I have experienced in our travels, was the opportunity to revisit a place we absolutely loved a few years prior. As we were making plans to leave New Zealand last year and looking forward to our travels through Bali, Singapore, and Europe, Grand Mirage All-Inclusive Resort invited us to stay a few days while we were visiting Bali. We had an amazing time at the Grand Mirage in 2012 (how's that for a dated post), and wouldn't dream of declining such a wonderful and welcome invite! The Grand Mirage recently had undergone some management changes, and I was curious how those changes effected our stay, and if we would even notice the difference. Thankfully for us, it was just as we remembered, and we ... Read More
PNW Coast with Jord Wood Watches
Derik and I had the pleasure of visiting the Pacific Northwest over Thanksgiving break to see family and friends. While we mainly stayed in the Portland/Vancouver area, we couldn't resist going out to the coast to revisit where it all began, and enjoy a day full of memories, delicious food (at our favorite coastal stop: Camp 18), and to take a few pictures with our amazing watches from Jord Wood Watches that we had received a week prior. When Jord contacted Derik and I to do a review on their watches, I immediately fell in love with every single watch as I surfed through their site. Not only are they 100% unique in comparison to other watches, the designs, the craftsmanship, and the presentation of each watch was beyond ... Read More
A Luxury Villa Stay in Mallorca, Spain
Having the opportunity to jet away on vacation is wonderful, but being able to bring family along makes it a million times better! After spending the summer on-the-go, we were ready for a nice seven day getaway with Travelopo.com in a luxury villa (pinch me), where we could spend time with my sister, her adorable family (a great brother-in-law and two nieces under three), and a childhood friend, catching up and enjoying life. Travelopo.com Luxury Villa Review From the second my browser loaded Travelopo's website, I knew we were going to have a good time, regardless of the fact we literally had no clue what our villa was going to look like until two days before we arrived. I mean, GOODNESS, have you seen the rentals on their site? ... Read More
Anniversary Getaway at the Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul
This year Derik and I celebrated our fifth year wedding anniversary. For the last four years, Derik has done an amazing job putting together surprises and making our anniversary special, and I wanted to return the favor with planning this year's getaway. I found an amazing deal on a cruise around the Aegean Sea into the Mediterranean (posts about that coming soon), with the departure port leaving from Istanbul, Turkey. I've always wanted to visit Istanbul, and the fact that our cruise left from this cultural and historical city, had me super excited! Derik knew nothing of our cruise plans, or the fact that we were traveling to Istanbul, and I wanted to make sure I added little surprises the entire week. I partnered with Shangri-la ... Read More