It’s forty-four degrees, cloudy, and rainy here in Seattle, and I’m jealous of all those people who are spending Christmas in the Caribbean. Every now and then I hear about a family that’s done with Christmas stress and decides that everyone should spend the holiday season together at some resort in Puerto Rico or the Bahamas. Now, that would be a Christmas vacation. Continue reading
Author Archives: kate
Butchart Gardens: Photo Gallery
Elsewhere on my blog, I’ve published a longer, in-depth piece about my visit to what must be one of the prettiest places in all of Canada. I even called my visit to Butchart Gardens one of my top all-time travel experiences. This is a beautiful, serene spot, and luckily, it’s relatively accessible for Americans and Canadians. All-star gardens have long been the purview of Western Europe, Continue reading
The Lakes Region From The Window Of A Seaplane
While New Hampshire may not seem exotic – especially to those of us born and bred North-easterners – the time I spent there learning how to travel for adventure and leisure cemented my early passion for exploration. To this day, New Hampshire remains one of my top destinations, and as I compose this post, I can’t believe I’ve never taken Kevin to this gorgeous slice of the United States. Continue reading
Salzburg Is For Eating Doughnuts
Salzburg, Austria, a city made famous by Mozart, The Sound of Music, and as a home base for skiers and all sorts of adventurous types. While I fell in love with the city at first sight, Salzburg’s dining and lodging scene tends to cater to those with a higher budget than most American twenty-somethings have. I managed to secure a budget hotel a few months before our visit, but on our first (and only) morning in Salzburg, Continue reading
Can Someone Just Help Me Get To Seattle, Please?
Okay, so this story actually starts a couple of months ago.
Back in June, I booked a flight on American Airlines so that Kevin and I could visit his parents in Seattle the week after Thanksgiving (post-holiday travel is cheaper, y’all!). We were all set to depart DCA on December 2 at 6:45 am, which would have had us arriving in Seattle at 10:15 am. Perfect, right? That way, Kevin would be able to work remotely for most of the day. Continue reading
5 San Francisco Cliches Worth Embracing
San Francisco is my favorite city in the United States, and for good reason. There’s plenty of parks, gardens, bakeries, and waterfront views to keep any urban dweller entertained, and in a fantasy world where San Francisco rents are affordable, Kevin and I would be packing our belongings into the first available moving van we could find. Continue reading
Photo of the Week: November 30, 2015
The west coast of the U.S. receives all of the sunset-related attention, but as a lifelong east coaster, I don’t think our offerings are anything to scoff at. I snapped this photograph on a Sunday while visiting Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park last October. Kevin and I had spent the afternoon at his company picnic in nearby Delaplane, and decided to cap off the unseasonably warm autumn day on Skyline Drive, the park’s famed scenic thoroughfare. Continue reading
The Fall Colors and Quiet Paths of Butchart Gardens
While bad weather and limited open attractions often accompany traveling in the off season, sometimes, a little winter travel can yield an incredibly unique experience that simply can’t be purchased. Butchart Gardens, Canada’s world-famous botanical garden, is one of British Columbia’s top tourist attractions. In the summer months, lovers of all things flowers flock to Butchart Gardens, and the crowds can be overwhelming for those who had hoped nature would bring some solitude. Continue reading
Malbun, Liechtenstein: Photo Gallery
Without a doubt, Liechtenstein tops my “Cool Places I’ve Traveled To” list. For small nation flanked by popular destinations on all sides, Liechtenstein packs plenty of beauty into little square mileage. While Vaduz is its capital, I found the tiny ski-resort town of Malbun to be the country’s shining star. Continue reading
A Haunted Hike in Bergen, Norway
Witches, trolls, hiking, and a city of red roofs…why, I must be talking about Scandinavia! A seamless blend of urban life and nature, enchanting Bergen, Norway offers all of Scandinavia’s trademark classics to those who visit.. Coming from a whirlwind tour of Paris and London, Bergen felt like a radically different planet. I might have known all about Norway’s fjords, cliffs, and glaciers, but Norway’s delightful cities with earthy attractions surprised me. I hadn’t had any expectations for Bergen; after all, most travel to the region to tour the world-famous Sognefjord. Who knew its cities had so much nature to offer as well? Continue reading
