#1. Old Lahaina Luau Starting a Hawaiian vacation off with a luau is the perfect way to get in the spirit. This luau follows tradition closely on intimate, oceanfront grounds. In my opinion, this is the best luau. They care about every little detail of your experience. Upon arrival, there is a live ukulele performance and you are greeted with a fresh lei and a mai tai, then escorted to your seat. I couldn’t help but feel like I was a…
My advice is, take the early morning departure out to Lanai. The boat ride is smooth and watching the sunrise out on the water is an experience. How cool is that?! Take a day trip, and mark another place off the list! We really enjoyed the ride over, and even saw a huge pod of dolphins jumping. Once you arrive and get off the ferry, there’s a short walk to the General Store. This market is great because there are many…
Vancouver BC is approximately a six-hour drive from Portland, Oregon. Why haven’t we come here sooner? I don’t know. When I was searching Airbnb, I found several charismatic spaces but this one really stuck out. I read a little bit about where it lives in Gastown, and I was sold on it. Gastown is Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood. Cobble stone streets, historic brick buildings, vintage lampposts, and one of the only working steam clocks still around!…
Three years ago I was in Powell’s looking at hiking guide books when I came across one about Utah’s National Parks. Being from the Pacific Northwest, I was fascinated by the desert landscape and the fact that there were so many unique national parks in one state! I bought the book and put the road trip idea on my bucket list for later. I can’t tell you how exciting it felt to be reading through my book for the 100th…
Isn’t the name just adorable?! Mom flew in on Saturday for the three day weekend and I had a fun little day planned for us. No specifics, but knew we would be headed out to Hood River. The drive is about an hour from Portland, and I’ll take any excuse to drive by the Columbia River Gorge. When family is visiting, my first instinct is wanting to show them all the places I know and love. However, I love checking out new…
There is nothing I love more than waking up before the sun. We set our alarm for 3:30 am, got drive thru coffee and headed up towards Mt. Hood. Trillium Lake is so still and beautiful at this hour. It was ideal for a quick trip but if you want warm weather and decide to paddle board, canoe, swim etc., this lake is perfect. I don’t think I could ask for a better view of Mt. Hood. And that reflection, wow.…
No, we didn’t go to the Butchart Gardens or have high tea. Why did you go to Victoria then?! Victoria is charming. From the architecture to the Sitka Spruce’s, the friendly and engaging people, the coffee shops and bakeries on every corner. There is so much to experience, it was just a matter of choosing what to do with our two days. I had a short list of things I was interested in seeing but other than that the trip…
Valentine’s Day is my absolute favorite holiday. Gifting is also my love language and handwritten cards.. I die.…
The Neighbourhood, coffee and sunshine encouraged a beach trip. Cannon Beach is usually our go-to just because it’s closest and is a cute little town with lots of shops, but when all you want is to lay a blanket down and enjoy the sunshine- Pacific City is perfection. It can’t be coincidence that the few times we have been there the weather has been exceptional. Cape Kiwanda is probably the most instagrammed place on the Oregon Coast, but it is…
Drift Creek Falls is an easy trail and 3 miles round trip. The highlight of the trail is the suspension bridge that overlooks a waterfall. The scenery is also beautiful throughout. It is located about ten minutes outside of Lincoln City, so it is an easy trip to the beach afterwards. I would recommend a day trip to complete the trail, grab a cider at McMenamins Lighthouse and head to the beach :))) …