Over the last few years, I have become increasingly more interested in traveling to places of natural beauty. As much as I love visiting cities and seeing incredible architecture, experiencing new cultures, and enjoying the wide range of eating options, there is something about the beauty of nature that pulls at my heartstrings in ways I cannot describe. Maybe it's the fresh mountain air, the vivid colors found only in the great outdoors, or the awe-inspiring views that force me to ponder the meaning of life. All I know is that some of my most enjoyable and memorable experiences have occurred while in the presence of an incredible landscape, a panoramic vista, or a lush countryside. As I slowly integrate into the world of outdoor experiences, I have begun to realize that here in Washington State, ... read more

Ever since we returned from visiting Mike's Grandparents (Ron and Dolores) in Arizona during February of 2005, we had casually discussed meeting them in New Mexico and staying in the Santa Fe area. I was extremely interested in visiting Santa Fe due to it's fascinating historical background and also because it's one of the oldest cities in the United States. Those closest to me know the huge history buff I am; it always intrigues me and I thoroughly enjoy learning as much as I possibly can about the world that occurred before my time! So, during January of 2008, we finally decided to go. We bought our plane tickets, reserved the condo in Santa Fe, and the planning began for a trip that would occur from Thursday, April 24th to Tuesday, April 29th. Day 1 (Thursday, ... read more

We spent the four days over Labor Day weekend (Friday August 31st to Monday September 3rd) on the Northern part of the Oregon Coast. Neither of us had ever visited that area, but I had heard numerous wonderful things and we wanted to check it out for ourselves. Since it was only about a four-hour drive away, we thought it would be the perfect getaway to take advantage of Labor Day weekend. Day 1 (Friday, August 31st) We left early on Friday morning around 9:00. It was sunny and warm out, which always puts a smile on my face, but especially so on vacation days. Our first stop along the way was at a restaurant called Country Cousins in the city of Centralia, Washington. I had eaten here previously when I was 15 with my Grandpa ... read more

We visited Sequim, Washington and the surrounding area on an extended weekend trip during July of 2007. I did not write a day by day account of this trip, so below I will provide a brief summary of the places we saw and things we did. Sequim is located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State along the Dungeness River near the base of the Olympic Mountains. It is most famously known as one of the driest spots in Washington, only receiving an average of 15 inches of rain each year. Because of the lack of rain, the city has attracted many retirees, including Mike’s grandparents, who call Sequim home for six to seven months each year. Our reason for visiting the area was of course to visit his grandparents, but I also wanted to see ... read more

After spending two weeks in England and Wales, we left Bath early in the morning on the 27th of September, taking the train into central London. From there, we took the Eurostar high-speed train directly to Paris. We spent a full week in Paris, visiting many of the well-known sights, and took several day-trips outside of the city to places such as Château de Versailles, Château de Fontainebleau, the town of Chartres and it's famous Cathedral, and the Paris Disneyland Resort. This blog entry covers the week we spent in Paris. Lodging: We chose to stay at Hotel Muguet, based on a combination of Rick Steves' recommendation and the great reviews it received on Tripadvisor.com. The hotel was located in the charming Rue Cler neighborhood, a traditional Parisian neighborhood near the Eiffel Tower. We paid 125 ... read more