Andrew and I took a two-part honeymoon: We traveled to Scotland right after our wedding in October of 2016 and then saved up our vacation days to travel to Spain for 10 days in May of 2017, starting with three days in Barcelona. I have been wanting to visit Spain for over a decade. It all started with a missed flight. In college, I studied abroad in London and my girlfriends and I would often take …
My Favorite Books of 2016
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, I had a book review blog. And while I don’t blog there anymore, I certainly didn’t stop reading and I definitely didn’t stop having opinions about what I read. So once a year I like to share my favorite books, the ones I’d recommend you pick up as well. Let me know what you’re reading and loving, too! If you have a macabre fascination with cults (like me), …
Isle of Skye, Scotland
Our last stop on our trip to Scotland (after a stay in Edinburgh and Glencoe) was two days in the Isle of Skye. This island has an otherworldly charm and so many natural wonders to explore. On our way there, we stopped at Eilean Donan castle. We splurged a bit and decided to stay at the Kinloch Lodge on Skye. The hotel reminded me of a classic English hunting lodge and they maintain some traditions that might …
Glencoe, Scotland
After our days in Edinburgh, we drove north into the highlands. We decided to stay in Glencoe, but I wanted to make a stop in the Loch Lomond region to hike. This region is known for its spectacular lochs (or lakes, as we say) and beautiful green rolling hills. We parked at a trailhead in the village of Balmaha and did a short hike to the top of Conic Hill. P.S. This is the best website I …
Edinburgh, Scotland
Andrew and I are actually going on two honeymoon trips. I know, I know, but are you really surprised? After all, travel has been very important to our relationship—we even included it in our wedding design by naming each table after a destination we had visited together. We were married in October and decided to wait until the next calendar year to go on our long honeymoon so we would have enough vacation time to spend a full two …
Deception Pass, Washington
After visiting the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, we drove to Deception Pass State Park for some hiking. We did two trails: Lottie Point to see the namesake Deception Pass bridge and Rosario Beach to explore the tide pools and expansive views of the Pacific Ocean. We parked at the Bowman Bay picnic area near the fishing pier, which allowed us to take the short hikes in both directions. We spotted a deer and two bald …
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, Washington
I’ve had a love affair with tulips for a long time and seeing the tulip fields in Holland has been on my bucket list. Imagine my wonder and surprise when Instagram alerted me to the fact that there are fields of tulips to be frolicked in right here in the USA! Last year I saw pictures of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Washington State and immediately knew I had to go. It was so …
