We read a lot about urban camping in Japan, before ever going over there and doing it ourselves. The main thing that made me feel confident about it being safe was that my mother had approved of it and even found it herself AND that on one of the recommendations it had said a police officer had suggested the park first.
Continue readingCozumel offers rich Maya history and some of the best drift diving on the planet. Explore coral walls alive with color. Between dives, soak up local culture, fresh seafood, and sun-drenched Caribbean charm.
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has shaped history for over 2,700 years with its remarkable legacy. Once the epicenter of the mighty Roman Empire, it gave the world enduring wonders like the Colosseum and the Pantheon. Today, its vibrant streets pulse with life, blending ancient ruins, Renaissance masterpieces, and modern Italian charm into a captivating story of resilience and innovation.
Experience a perfect day in Rome filled with stunning landmarks and vibrant energy. Start at the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano and explore the grandeur of the Colosseum. Stroll through Piazza Venezia, toss a coin at the Trevi Fountain, and admire the elegance of Montecitorio Palace. Visit Piazza del Popolo and climb the Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti for breathtaking views. End your journey at the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore, soaking in its serene beauty.
Jackson, Wyoming or “Jackson Hole” is best known for its multiple ski/snowboard resorts. It is how I got to know the city in my youth; I was a downhill racer and frequented all 3 of the resorts for competitions. This is not why we had gone back though. Josh and I (Ash) are not skiers (I’m not into it as much and he’s never been), but traveling to Idaho wouldn’t of been as complete if we hadn’t of visited. Plus the easiest way to Jackson is through Idaho, so half the battle had already been won as we were in Idaho Falls (gateway to Yellowstone National Park).
Jackson mainly thrives on tourists, with the resorts, National Elk Refuge, and many artists, and outdoors-y things to do. We stayed at the Jackson Hole Lodge in downtown. They had a great hot tub that was open from 8am to 9pm, was located only 2-4 city blocks from everything downtown, and had a gas station right across the street. The only draw back was the small bathroom. I’m only 5’4″ and I had to squat to wash my hair and basically had to squish into a corner to open the door and get out of the bathroom, but it was cheap-ish and well located.
We had gotten a late start on the drive from Idaho Falls, so we didn’t get into Jackson until 6pm or so Mountain time and were starving….time to look for decent food. We ended up eating authentic Western food, hahaha, not; we walked to the only Indian restaurant in Jackson: The Indian. They had amazing food! It was a little pricey: getting the Bison Dumplings (Appetizer), Tikka Masal Chicken (2/3 crown spice, which was Very Spicy and I love spice, but man was my nose running), Josh got the Murg Makhani Chicken (3/3 spice), and a full side of Garlic Naan bread for about 70 USD. Oh, and we each got an alcoholic drink; I would especially recommend the Vodka Bombay Buck. For a Jackson downtown dinner the food was greatly portioned (leaving us some extras to take home), well priced, and had amazing presentation….aka I would absolutely go back here and tell all my friends to go too.
Leaving the restaurant with a full belly, a take home bag in our hand, and the snow falling around us, it seemed like a dream. The snow flakes were big, fluffy flakes that drifted slowly. It was perfect weather for the nice outdoor hot-tub.
The next morning we woke to an adventure out to the National Elk Refuge wagon ride. Our ride lasted an hour, taking us close to 2-3 groups of Elk, and driven by a well informed guide, costing only 21 USD per adult. We bought the tickets at the Visitor Center located on the main road from Jackson towards Yellowstone; the Visitor Center is also the location where the bus picks you up and drives you to the entrance. Our guide mentioned that the annual goal is to have 5,000 elk, but during our visit they had counted approximately 7,000, with about 200 buffalo, and at least one pack of wolves. Due to the over population on the refuge the U.S. government had instituted hunting on the refuge earlier in the season to prevent the wildlife from coming down earlier than October or November and was also providing about 50-70% of the food necessary to the elk from January to about April when the refuge was expected to provide winter feed for survival. Funding for the refuge and other such programs are provided by the antlers that the elk naturally shed annually; it was mentioned that antlers can go for around 1,000 USD and hides from elk that die of natural causes (aka old age) can go for even more; raising around 30,000 USD annually.
Before heading back over the Rocky Mountains to Idaho Falls, Idaho, we wanted to pick up some breakfast/lunch. Just south of St. John’s Episcopal Church, off the beaten pathway, sat Teton Thai Plate; a small, 6-7 table restaurant, that served some decent Thai cuisine. We order Cashew Nut chicken, pad thai, 1 Thai Iced Tea, and a Steamed Dumpling appetizer. The food was filling and delicious, but the best part of the meal were the dumplings!
Read about Eastern Idaho: here | International Travels: here | Other U.S. Locals: here
Rome, or Roma as they say it when you are walking around town…is a gorgeous city. It is incredibly easy to get lost in the architecture, the history and the romance of it. There is nothing quite like seeing the history in person. In fact, no matter how much planning you do, you will inevitably find yourself accidentally bumping into bits of history that you hadn’t planned to, distracting you from your goals, and causing all sorts of delightful delays in whatever plan you established before you set out to view the city. I, for one, absolutely enjoyed being taken in by all of the random little tidbits of history that just happened along at odd times. Continue reading
Having grown up in the Midwest, St. Louis wasn’t usually regarded as a top tourist destination as a child. Now that I’m grown, I find that there is more to like about this town, and there are some advantages if you want to spend a weekend or even a few days hanging out and enjoying the scenery.
Continue readingMany websites don’t really supply helpful information of things to do in Tacoma. The only website I could find for things to do was tripadvisor.com but that wasn’t all too helpful when I wanted to show my mother why I fell in love with the area.
Continue readingMany things really surprised me during this hike.
Golden Gate Bridge
When people think of San Francisco the first thing that’s conjured to the mind is the Golden Gate bridge, but there is so much more to this fantastic city. I was blessed enough to spend one month with family and friends in this magnificent city and truly marvel in all of its splendor. Continue reading
Oh, Canada, Oh Canada!!!
Testing out our passports. For my 18th birthday we traveled to this amazing city.
Best place that we have traveled to out of the country thus far. We have recently been to Vancouver and we both thought it was the ugly step child compared to this amazing city right across the strait.
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Beautiful water and cultural city. Largely known for the Space Needle and being a mecca of new bands and musics. I personally know it as the land of flowers, since I always see the flower sellers at Pike’s Place (more on that later). Side note: Seahawks just won the Super Bowl; not much of a sports fan, but it is pretty cool to live by a city that just won.
I have also been to the Space Needle, Pine St shopping area, taken the monorail between the two (great transportation), then walked down to Pike’s place and the new Ferris wheel. My father also talked me into going on the duck boat tours, since it was the only time he had been to Seattle and the second time I had.