Beach Hopping In SoCal – Redondo and Hermosa

After two days of sightseeing around SoCal, I spent two more days at Hotel Irvine attending the Women in Travel summit. I don’t have many photos to share, but it was a really neat experience. I loved learning about all the different ways to work in the travel industry, different ethical conundrums, and hearing how…

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Newport Beach and Balboa Island

Friday is the start of the pre-conference meetings for the Women in Travel summit and I booked two for myself one at 9:30, one at 3:30. The first is about how to monetize your blog, and the second is about round the world trip planning. I’ve never made money from this blog and I’m curious…

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San Juan Capistrano

After my morning in Laguna Beach, I head inland to the historic town of San Juan Capistrano to check out the mission and Los Rios Street. It’s a nice little town with a Spanish colonial feel to it. And just in case you weren’t sure, the mission itself proclaims that it’s “Worth a Visit”. Admission…

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Welcome to the O.C. – Laguna Beach

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go to L.A. for an extended weekend to attend the Women in Travel summit and visit my friend Jenny who recently moved there. It was a very last minute trip, but fortunately I had Alaska air miles and was able to purchase a relatively cheap ticket….

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Lovely Little La Conner

After our colorful morning admiring all the pretty tulips, Lori and I head over to the small town of La Conner. As a kid, Lori would often spend summers up here with her friends and family, playing on the beach. She has great memories and enjoys showing me around. There are two major streets in…

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Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Get ready for a blast of color right in your face! A few weeks ago, Lori and I took a day off from our Mt Rainier training to check out the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Located about an hour and a half north of Seattle, the tulip festival is easily accessible and incredibly popular with…

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Iceland Breakdown and Travel Tips

I spent 5 days in Iceland, and as I may have said a time or two, it most definitely wasn’t enough. I’d love to go back in the summertime and drive the Ring Road, and there are some ice caves and glaciers I didn’t get to explore. Plus, I haven’t eaten at every restaurant nor…

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Charming Reykjavik Part 2

It’s true what they say – all good things must come to an end. Such is the nature of our trip to Iceland. After five very brief days, it is time for us to head home. Our flight doesn’t leave until 5pm, so we have the morning free to explore Reykjavik one more time. I…

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Northern Lights Explosion

I am so excited for tonight. Originally, we were supposed to have our Northern Lights boat tour on our second night in Iceland, but when we showed up at the kiosk, they told us it was canceled due to bad weather. We rescheduled for Sunday night (tonight) but there’s still no guarantee the tour will…

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Skógafoss, Seljalandsfoss and Eyjafjallajökull

Is that a mouthful or what? I’ve been to all three of those places and I still have no clue how to say them. Fortunately, that doesn’t deter from enjoying them. Last week I told you about exploring the glacier and black sand beaches along the South Shore. After our stop at the black sand…

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South Shore Shenanigans

How is it our last full day in Iceland already? Didn’t we just get here? Five days really isn’t enough time to spend in this beautiful country. Lucky for you guys, I still have a handful of posts left, there’s just that much to see! This morning we’re being picked up once again for our…

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Relaxing in the Blue Lagoon…Kind Of

One of the few experiences I knew about Iceland before coming here was the Blue Lagoon. No, not the 1980 Brooke Shields movie. The geothermally heated, ice blue water is one of Iceland’s most famous attractions, and an entry ticket is included in the package we purchased last June. We don’t get to choose our…

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