Honeymoon in South Africa and Mauritius

How We Chose South Africa and Mauritius as our Honeymoon Destination

Traveling is really important to Chris and I, so choosing our honeymoon destination was as big a decision for us as choosing our wedding venue. We have been to a lot of amazing places and we wanted to make sure our honeymoon stood out and was really a once in a lifetime trip. South Africa and Mauritius didn’t disappoint. Continue reading “Honeymoon in South Africa and Mauritius”

The Ultimate Guide to the Road to Hana

Waianapanapa State Park

If you’re planning a trip to Maui, it’s very likely that Road to Hana is on your list of things to do. You’ll likely read a ton of information, like I did and be overwhelmed with the amount of things to see along this road. Believe me, this is not the type of journey you want to take without doing some planning first. In this guide, I’ll talk through the things you need to consider and be aware of before you go.  I’ll also provide you with my list of the 10 spots along this road that still stand out to me, even months later! Continue reading “The Ultimate Guide to the Road to Hana”

An Epic Two-Week Hawaii Itinerary: Oahu, the Big Island, Kauai, and Maui

When planning a trip to Hawaii, many will tell you not to island hop because there’s so much to do and see on each island and a few days isn’t nearly enough to see everything. And yes, there’s a lot of traveling, flights, rental cars, etc. But for us, going to Hawaii is not something we can just pick up and do every year. It’s very likely that we won’t be able to visit Hawaii 4 times in our lifetime. It’s really far, requires a lot of time off work and it’s not all that cheap. We’re ‘on the go’ type travelers anyway, so we went for it. We wanted to get a taste of everything and so now, when and if we do get a chance to go back to Hawaii, we can make a more informed decision on which island we want to go back to and what we want to do there. I realize this may not be the way to do it for everyone, but for us it was so worth it and I have no regrets! In this post, I’ll share our two-week Hawaii itinerary including tips, highlights, and things to do on each island.  Continue reading “An Epic Two-Week Hawaii Itinerary: Oahu, the Big Island, Kauai, and Maui”

Hike to Maryland Heights

Harpers Ferry National Historic Park not only offers great views, but there’s a ton of history. The park covers over 4,000 acres at the border of Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia. It’s also where the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers converge and the midpoint and headquarters of the AT (Appalachian Trail). Maryland Heights is the highest mountain that overlooks Harper’s Ferry, offering spectacular views. Continue reading “Hike to Maryland Heights”

Top 3 Short Hikes With Big Views Near NYC

With so much to see and do in NYC, it might not seem like the place to go for some quality time in nature. But whether you live in the city or are visiting the area, there are actually quite a few places within a reasonable distance that offer some really great hiking! Check out my 3 favorite short hikes close to NYC. Continue reading “Top 3 Short Hikes With Big Views Near NYC”

6 Days in Las Vegas and Death Valley

Devil's Golf Course, Death Valley National Park

Covering 3.4 million acres of desert, Death Valley National Park is the largest national park in the US. The park is home to the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level and the darkest night sky in the United States. For this trip, we didn’t do our typical road trip. Instead, we based out of Las Vegas with a 2-day side trip to the park. When it comes to vacations, I prefer to be in nature, but one of the things I love about Las Vegas is that there’s something for everyone, including nature lovers! There’s plenty of adventure just a short drive away!

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Everything You Need to Know to See Washington D.C.’s Cherry Blossoms

Cherry Blossoms and the Jefferson Memorial from the Tidal Basin in Washington D.C.

There is really no better way to celebrate the beginning of spring than seeing the cherry blossoms in full bloom in Washington D.C. People come from all over the world to witness the blooming of these famous trees. If you are okay with some last minute planning, it truly is worth a visit! Here is everything you need to know when planning a trip to see the D.C. cherry blossoms.

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Insider Tips for Planning a Road Trip around Iceland’s South Coast

Dyrhólaey

Iceland is full of beautiful scenery and natural attractions: waterfalls, volcanoes, geysers, glaciers, and of course the northern lights! And you can actually see all of these in one five-day visit to Iceland’s south coast. On top of all this, for us it was only a 5 hour (direct) flight from Baltimore! The decision to go to Iceland was a no-brainer for us. If you’re looking to plan a trip to Iceland, read on for some insider tips!

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The Ultimate Washington Road Trip: North Cascades, Mount Rainier, and Olympic

Between the three national parks in Washington state, you can see USA’s fourth highest peak, the world’s only temperate rainforest, and one of the most remote and beautiful regions of the country. If you’re looking to see beautiful coast lines with tide pools, rainforests and jagged glacier capped mountain peaks all in one trip, head to the PNW! In this post, I’ll share our one-week itinerary for a Washington road trip that includes North Cascades, Mount Rainier, and Olympic National Parks.

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A Weekend at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Trip Location: Tennessee
Number of Days: 3 days/3 nights
Stops: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Being that we live on the east coast, it’s not always easy for us to explore national parks for a weekend, since most parks are at least a 5 hour flight away and then some decent driving time on top of that. With our goal of seeing every national park in the US and our limited PTO, Great Smoky Mountains National Park was the perfect weekend getaway for us.

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