Best of Bend, OR in the Fall

November 3, 2014 By 6 Comments
Fall hikes in Bend, OR

Fall hikes in Bend, OR

With a town like Bend, Oregon the peak times are in the summer, with all the water sports, lakes, fishing, hiking and the list goes on. And in the winter, with the skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and anything else you can think of.  The falls seems to be the “off season” if you will. But don’t let that keep from enjoying this great town. We got to experience Bend with all it’s outdoor splendor without having to share with a lot of other people. The restaurants that are usually packed, were just quite full. The hiking trails that are ever so popular, had a crowd, but parking spots were easy to find. The the breweries pour beer all year long and that’s really all that matters, right? And you can follow the Bend Ale Trail to all 14 breweries.

Let’s get the food out of the way, since you all know we love to eat, but don’t worry I won’t skip the hiking. I had done my research ahead of time and even asked [Read more…]

Filed Under: Good Eats, Hiking, Oregon, USA Tagged With: , , , ,

Where to Eat in San Antonio

October 23, 2014 By 1 Comment
The drinks outside of downtown are WAY better. Like this moonshine cocktail

The drinks outside of downtown are WAY better. Like this moonshine cocktail

This post is for all of you that love great food. Our favorite part of traveling is experiencing the food in other places.  We stumbled upon so many great places that I had to create a post with all the food we indulged in. Not just that, but Texas has a great array of beer. I do love my beer and this Portland girl is not used to so many choices in other cities besides my own.

I have another post, Not Your Typical San Antonio Travel Tips. In that post I shared how you need to get out of downtown for the good food. Even though the umbrellas on the river win you over with their quaintness, know that the food is not that great. But don’t worry, there is great food within walking distance. [Read more…]

Filed Under: San Antonio, USA Tagged With: ,

Not Your Typical San Antonio Travel Tips

October 9, 2014 By 3 Comments

San antonio travel tips

Google what to do in San Antonio and you will get a list of ideas. Places to see, where to walk, what to enjoy and just maybe, how to get there. But what about all the great places that the locals enjoy in their city? Where are those places and are they just as fun as the tourist spots? What is the easiest way to get around if you don’t have a car so you can take in those hidden gems. Don’t worry, I have answers for you.

Let’s at least start with a few of the obvious reasons of why we went to San Antonio, then I will get into the stuff that will really help you get around and enjoy your time.
 [Read more…]

Filed Under: San Antonio, USA, Vacation Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

14 Travel Tips for Seattle

September 25, 2014 By 9 Comments

Things to do in SeattleWe arrived to Seattle by train and from there we explored as many different types of transportation that we could, including lots of walking. Since we didn’t have our own personal transportation we decided to go it the whole way with just backpacks. The first thing we decided to do was drop our packs in our boutique hotel , The Roosevelt. From there we had the freedom to experience all of Seattle.

There are all the usual suspects of Seattle like the Space Needle, Pike Place and Starbucks coffee. Yet there is so much more to see and do in this great city. Finding a cheap place to stay is tough, but not out of the question (I have a few suggestions).  And there is a lot of ground to cover, so check out how we did it without completely killing ourselves. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Seattle, Tips While Traveling, USA Tagged With: , ,

Why You Must See Oneonta Gorge

September 9, 2014 By Leave a Comment
The stunningly beautiful Oneonta Gorge

The stunningly beautiful Oneonta Gorge

Let’s start here. How do you even pronounce it? I say On-ee ANH- tuh, but a hiking site also suggests oh-nee-ANH-tuh. All that to say, I’m pretty close. Either way, people will think you will know what you are talking about.

Here is why you must visit Oneonta Gorge: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Hiking, Oregon, Portland, USA Tagged With: , , , , , ,

9 Reason to See Crater Lake National Park Oregon

September 4, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Yes! Crater Lake really is that blue

Yes! Crater Lake really is that blue

I’m embarrassed to say I have lived in Oregon most of my life and I had never been to Crater Lake. I had flown over it and thought it looked beautiful, but I had never driven to it and looked at it in all it’s glory. I will also be honest and say it wasn’t even on my radar as a place to visit, just a thought in the back of my head.

Then everything changed… [Read more…]

Filed Under: Hiking, Oregon, USA Tagged With: , ,

Spending a Day in Portland

September 2, 2014 By 2 Comments
The Stone House in Forest Park Portland, OR

The Stone House in Forest Park Portland, OR

I love my city. There is so much to do here, and when the sun is shining there is no place I would rather be. My all time love of the city is the food scene, but I love to combine that with some of the other great features of our city…Hiking, right in the city. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Oregon, Portland, USA Tagged With: , , , , ,

5 Great Day Trips Out Of Portland

August 18, 2014 By 2 Comments
Sunset at Pacific City

Sunset at Pacific City

There is so much to see and do within Portland, but the best part of Portland is the fact that it’s so dang close to so much you can experience all kinds of adventures.  As summer winds down these are some great places to get to before the school season starts. If you don’t make it before then, don’t worry, September and October are usually good months to take in the last of summer. Enjoy any of these as day trips or weekend getaways while the weather is still great. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Hiking, Oregon, USA Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Painted Hills in Oregon

August 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Painted Hills Oregon

Painted Hills Oregon

The Painted Hills are considered one of the 7 Wonders of Oregon. I had seen so many pictures I finally decided to pack my family in the car and check it out. Now these are not easily accessible and are they are pretty much out in the middle of nowhere, but we made our way there regardless.

The best route to get there from Portland would be to go over Mt. Hood. We were at the Sara Bareilles concert at the Edgefield in Troutdale, so we left the concert that night and made our way to The Dalles to spend the night. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn and Suites. Since this is so close to home, normally there is no reason to even look for a place to stay in The Dalles, so I was surprised that we found a hotel that was so nice.  Service was really good, they got us everything we needed to make our stay perfect. I loved the modern look of the place too, and it was just as clean in the rooms as it was in the lobby. Even breakfast was good. Great selection including make your own waffles. It was also nice that we were just a little over 2 hours away from The Painted Hills outside of Mitchell, Oregon. [Read more…]

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Prague

August 5, 2014 By 3 Comments
Prague at Night never gets old

I could wander the streets of Prague all night long. So incredibly beautiful.

I had very fond memories of Prague from 20 years ago. We had actually been twice and each time was quite the adventure. Think small winding streets with no GPS. Finding the place you had rented, from a shack about 20-40 minutes out of town, was not as easy to find as one might think. One time we got there after dark and trying to read a map and maneuver the streets took us over an hour to find our room. This time was much easier.

I was so eager to get back and experience it all over again, except this time…in Spring. We really did do all the touristy things, but I loved it.

Things to do in Prague: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Czech Republic, Europe Tagged With: , ,