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One Quick Day in Langkawi
Also known as the biggest mistake in our Malaysia trip I am not saying “mistake” because it was terrible and we shouldn’t have gone. I am saying we made a tremendous mistake in not staying in Langkawi forever. We should have planned more time. We should have just stayed forever. Arriving in Langkawi Langkawi is the main island of an archipelago of 99 islands in the Strait of Malacca, off the northwest coast of Malaysia at the border of Thailand. We arrived after a very quick flight from Penang and ordered a Grab (the SE Asia equivalent of Uber). It is here we met our driver, Arthur, who tried very…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Our Hobbiton Journey – A Pilgrimage to Nerd Paradise
Hobbiton – Our New Zealand Side Trip When my husband and I had an opportunity to visit New Zealand as an add-on to our Tahiti trip, we couldn’t wait. We knew it was going to be a short trip, but we had one absolute: Hobbiton. The Shire If you are a Lord of the Rings fan, you know this is an absolute MUST DO. If you are not a Lord of the Rings fan, first of all, what is wrong with you? Second of all, this tour is still a really cool experience. Alexander Farms has done an amazing job with this tour. A Little Background Peter Jackson found the…
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Papeete – Gateway to French Polynesia
Sister Solo Experience There are times where we do travel without a sister. My husband, Pat, likes to do things just us (which I don’t get, lol), and Peggy has friends who want to travel places with her. It’s weird, but it happens. And we often times wish the other sister was there to share the view or the experience. For me, Mo’orea was one of those times. The planning of an epic husband-inclusive experience One of our best friends turned 50 this year, and decided he wanted to go to Tahiti for his birthday. But then he discovered the island paradise of Mo’orea, and we went into planning mode.…
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Christmas on the Rhine – Cruising into the Holiday Spirit
This wasn’t the cruise we had originally planned but I am sure glad it is the cruise we took. I don’t think there is a better way to experience the Christmas markets than with a Viking River Cruise. 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…
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Las Vegas Off Strip – Because Sometimes you Need To Go
We really wanted more than casino bars and your typical Vegas fare when we decided to do a little remote working. So we had to dig in for this trip and find what you need to know before you go for the fantastic, slightly “extra” experience when doing Las Vegas right. A little Disclosure Peggy and I lived in Vegas in the 90s. Post college, early baby years, in total we spent about 6 years living out in Summerlin. We have knowledge of the city from a more-than-a-tourist point-of-view. It’s been a while, but it did provide us with the comfortability of Las Vegas outside of the Strip. Sister Side…
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Unique Maui Activities That You May Not Know About
Sisbehaving Adventure Time As previously mentioned, my husband and I left Maui and spent a couple of days on Oahu. We flew back to Maui early in the morning and grabbed Peggy to head out for our sisbehaving adventure time. My husband has grown accustomed to this and is fairly well versed in staying out of harm’s way. We knew that we wanted to check a few boxes that were off the beaten path, and the Nakalele Blowhole was first on that list. Now, if you aren’t familiar with blowholes (yes, I’m going to giggle every single time I use the term blowhole), it’s a gamble whether it will be…
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Iao Valley State Park – One of the Best Experiences On Maui
Maybe this isn’t a secret, maybe it was just me who was in the dark? In all of my previous trips to Maui, I had never heard of Iao Valley State Park. But this might be the most easily accessible, most stunningly beautiful spot on the island. When you plan a trip to Maui, you do your research, you plan your excursions. If it is your first trip you’ll likely do Haleakala or the Road to Hana. Definitely some whale watching, snorkeling and sunset cruises. Maybe just hanging at the beach or exploring the beach towns is your thing. I thought I’d done all of the must-be-seen sights on previous…
