Europe
Europe Destinations
Salzburg: Alive With More Than the Sound of Music
I’m finding it truly difficult to put into words how much I loved Salzburg. A few days ago, when we arrived in Innsbruck, it was love almost instantly but then we arrived in Salzburg, we hardly remembered Innsbruck existed. These are a few of our favorite things Your Best Tip for Salzburg Get the Salzburg card. I wish every major city would do this. You can buy the Salzburg card in 24, 48, and 72-hour increments. You can get one at the major transportation hubs, online, or at your hotel. It is a pre-paid access card to all the major tourist attractions, museums, and public transportation (including the fantastic concert…
Everything You Need To Know For Your First Oktoberfest
For those of us who live for the planning phase of travel, there are details that are important to know and plenty of planning ahead that needs to be done. Let us take you on the journey to make sure your Oktoberfest experience is the best it can be. We wanted to go to Oktoberfest in 2020, but then the world shut down. And again in 2021. In 2022, we had prior commitments that caused a third year of missing this bucket list experience. So, 2023 was our year and we were committed to making it happen. Oktoberfest planning starts in the Spring Table reservations for all the beer tents…
Paros – A Perfect Paradise in the Cyclades
While island hopping around the Cyclades in Greece with my friend Kelli, the second stop was Paros. In building the itinerary, Mykonos and Santorini felt obligatory, but Paros was a well-researched decision. With its bougainvillea-draped walkways, beautiful views and easy pace, it was my favorite stop of all! Leaving Mykonos As promised in the last post, I’ll start with the ugly – the ferry terminal in Mykonos. It was horrible! We had booked a mid-morning ferry to Paros but it was running late (like they tend to do). This part was not a big deal, but we got to the ferry terminal and there were swarms of people. We surely…
Mykonos – Overhyped Destination or Not to be Missed?
After a surprisingly wonderful couple of days in Athens, it was time for Kelli and I to set sail (or ferry) for Mykonos. Mykonos would be the first of 3 Cyclades island destinations. When we created our itinerary, we were skeptical about dedicating time to Mykonos because it gets such mixed reviews. Many travel bloggers say to skip it, it’s crowded, touristy and overhyped. Others list is as one of their favorites for it’s beauty, activities and nightlife (after all, it is the most visited of the islands). Well we weren’t looking for nightlife but we could not skip it either…so one night it was! How to Get From Athens…
Athens – More Than a Stepping Stone to the Greek Islands
Athens is the entry point to Greece for most travelers, but after this trip, I will tell you…it should be more than a stepping off point. Athens was a wonderful city. So much history, architecture, art and food!! You remember my travel buddy, Kelli, from our Epic Utah Road trip? Well, we are back with a much grander trip. This time, Greece! We started off in Athens for a short stop before setting sail (or ferry, as the case may be) to Mykonos, Paros and Santorini. Athens Kelli and I are both planners and this always works out so well. You know how you hear about friends where one is…
Christmas on the Rhine – Cruising into the Holiday Spirit
Is anyone else still trying to take their Covid-canceled trips? I wish I could say that this Viking Cruise was the last of mine, but sadly I have one more to go. Booking our Christmas on the Rhine Viking River Cruise Our mom and I had originally booked the “In Search of Northern Lights” ocean voyage for January 2022. When that was canceled, our credits had to be used by January 2023 and with our schedules, we needed to book something in late autumn – hence, the Christmas on the Rhine. The European Christmas Markets had long been in my plans and this really seemed like an ideal way to…
Dublin, Deadly Fun (and that’s a good thing)
“When I die Dublin will be written in my heart”, James Joyce Dublin has always been a dream. However, in doing my research, not everyone is keen on the Dublin experience. Of course you hear this about many capital cities; Paris, London and Rome come to mind. Many travel bloggers turn up their noses and prefer to head out to other destinations around Ireland. Others love this city. I needed to find out for myself. Arriving in Dublin I arrived in Dublin via train after an exhilarating but exhausting day exploring Belfast. I had planned to grab a taxi to the hotel, Aloft Dublin City in the Liberties. But when…
The Best of Northern Ireland – Giant’s Causeway and Belfast
After a bucket list kind of day at the Cliffs of Moher and Galway, it was an early morning start for a trip to Northern Ireland. I had no idea what to expect from Northern Ireland; people LOVE Belfast, but I did not do any research. Well, aside from chatting with my favorite bartender, Neil, at Elway’s in Denver International Airport. He is from Belfast and gave me a couple of pointers. However, before I get to Belfast, there is a must-see destination to visit first: Giant’s Causeway. Northern Ireland and Giant’s Causeway For those that haven’t heard of it, The Giant’s Causeway is a dramatic natural wonder that is…
A Whirlwind Visit to the Cliffs of Moher and Galway
Is this a traditional or ideal travel post? No. Would I recommend this specific route? No. Would I say we spent enough time in any particular location? No. Do I feel like we packed as much into the short amount of time we had? Absolutely, yes! It was an incredible, whirlwind trip that tested the limits of my planning skills. In a nutshell, it was a loop from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher to Galway to Belfast and back to Dublin. This first post covers the Cliffs of Moher and Galway leg. First Stop – Sean’s Bar I arrived in Dublin early in the morning; rested and ready to…
3 Incredible Days in Edinburgh
While planning a family trip to London for the American Football NFL UK series (Go Seahawks!), I decided that it would be irresponsible not to bop over to Edinburgh for a few days before the rest of the family arrived. Scotland has always been on our list and our great-grandmother was born there so it was even more special. Getting There Mombehaving and I flew into Heathrow and took the train from London to Edinburgh. London’s public transportation system made this an easy maneuver – we took the Tube from Heathrow to King’s Cross and left from there. I bought the train tickets on Rail Europe ahead of time and…
