So far this year we have traveled to NYC for 2 nights/3 days. We had a great time and you can read more about it on my blog or look at a sample itinerary based off of that trip. Here's a look at some favorites we'll be revisiting this year and 2 new locations for us! I'll add more details as the trips get planned out and of course I'll be reviewing hotels, restaurants, and activities during and after our trips! First up will be a road trip to Florida. We're going to be visiting areas within a couple of hours of Orlando. So far I've been researching:
Our big trip of the year is going to be to Paris, France. My sister is getting married! My sister and her fiance visited Paris last year and fell in love with the city. When they asked everyone if we'd be willing to go there for their wedding we all jumped for joy! We will be a group of about 30 people celebrating their love on Seine. We are hoping to explore Paris, Versailles, and the Burgundy Region of France during our stay. Finally we'll end the year with a trip to Cuba! We'll be taking a Norwegian Cruise Line cruise out of Miami. The cruise will go to Havana Cuba, and Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. We're completely excited!
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The Hourly Oyster House |
We had planned to go to Canyonlands National Park next and we did drive there but ended up only going to the visitors center. Everyone was a little tired and looking for something different to do. Why not go drink some wine? Heading back into Moab we detoured to Moab Castle Creek Winery. The drive to the winery was very pretty and new to all of us. We tried a few different wines, bought some wine, bought some home goods, and enjoyed our visit. Unfortunately the winery is not pet friendly so Fred hung out in the car with Greg.
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That night we hung in and had the insane task of organizing all of our stuff and all of our new purchases and pack up the car for the ride home. Luckily we had a very big Chevy Suburban!!!
Breakfast time so let's try a new place.....or not. We ventured into Sweet Cravings Restaurant. Unfortunately there is not one thing on their menu that was or could be dairy free. I wish I was kidding but I'm not. Two people in the restaurant confirmed this. Greg and I opted for some black coffee's and sat outside in the gorgeous sunshine with Fred while my parents dined inside. Their experience wasn't much better. They both ordered biscuits and gravy and the biscuits were hard as rocks and the gravy tasted like uncooked flour.
Once they were done we drove up the way to Peace Tree Cafe where I enjoyed breakfast last year. I ordered my warm quinoa bowl with coconut milk, maple syrup, and blueberries. Greg also ordered their green monster juice. Both were perfect to go items and a delicious and not overly filling breakfast.
Today we were exploring Arches National Park which was a little for my parents and a little for us. My parents got to experience the park at the viewpoints and we got to have them watch Fred as we went off on short hikes. We got to drive through the entire park together and then my parents dropped us off to hike at a few areas. We hiked Park Ave, Double Arch, Sand Arch, and Broken Arch. Unfortunately a few roads weren't passable due to flooding and other hikes would have taken us a longer time than we wanted to make them wait. This park is truly one of my happy places.
To end the day we went back to our AirBnb for a bottle of wine, snacks and some star gazing!
Early this morning we stripped the beds, wiped down the kitchen, and loaded up the car. We made our way out of town (with one last stop at Jackey Leighs for a bagel) then on to Bryce Canyon National Park. First up was a stop at the Visitors Center for some shopping and restrooms. We decided to drive all the way to Rainbow Point before stopping. Sadly almost all of our stops were fogged in but it was really unique to see the sights at the different elevations, in the fog, and to see the fog clearing. Bryce is definitely another park we would love to come back to and do some hiking.
Our AirBnB was very easy to find thanks to the directions and maps we were given. We booked Red Rock Getaway for our stay. The unit is a 3 bedroom 2 bath property with a living room, kitchen, dining area, laundry area, garage, gated back yard, and all the amenities you would need. The property was kept up well, and was very clean. The only things we noticed is that the walls were a bit damaged probably from moving the furniture around. We also noticed that one of the chairs in the living room tips over very easily.
When I received our information about entering the property we were told that there would be 2 keys and a garage door opener on the counter. Unfortunately when we got there only 1 key was on the counter. I messaged them on AirBnb and didn't receive a response. The next morning I called the number we had for the housekeepers and was told that a previous renter accidentally drove away with them. This would have been good to know before we arrived so that we knew the garage wouldn't be an option but also so we didn't panic about the owners thinking we lost them and charging us for the loss.
This review took place in October 2016.
We made breakfast at our AirBnb this morning and then hopped in the car and made our way to Zion National Park. We knew that pets weren't allowed on the bus in the park nor on the trails but we were okay with getting a glance at the area and exploring other pet friendly areas. Thanks to the beauty of Highway 9 we didn't have the feeling we were being left out by not being able to go to the trails in Zion. We went past areas where you could see for miles, past a Buffalo ranch, tunnels, and so many high and low viewpoints. We stopped at so many places along the way and finally made our way to the visitors center for some shopping. Greg and I both agree we'd love to go back without Fred and do some hiking! |
To end the night we stayed in at our AirBnb and just had some light snacks and then packed up to head to Moab the next morning!
This review is from October 2016.
After a slow start we made our way into town for some breakfast. We decided to try Jackey Leighs this morning. Greg and I ordered my bagel with eggs and his chocolate chip scone to go. Even though it was a chilly morning we thoroughly enjoyed our meal at their outside tables with Fred. Several locals stopped by our table for a chat. They were very friendly and also loved dogs. My parents dined inside and unfortunately their eggs were overcooked and bland. When we finished with breakfast we walked up the street a bit and did a little shopping at Denny's Wigwam & Curio. We had some time before our afternoon excursion so we visited the local grocery stores for some provisions. First we tried Kanab Natural Foods . Unfortunately the store didn't offer any fresh ingredients or meats that we were looking for but I did find some dairy free and gluten free snacks. Our last stop of the morning was to Glazier's Market. Here we found the last of the items we needed to make dinner at our AirBnb. |
Early in the morning we left Sedona and made our way to our first stop of the day. We had previously been to the Grand Canyon South Rim but this would be the first for my parents. We found a parking spot easily and made our way to the visitor center area. My mother was unfortunately having a bad day with her knees but luckily there are several shaded areas for resting on the way up to the south rim. The 5 of us finally made our way to the Rim and we spent a couple of hours at different view points. Pets area allowed on trails above the Rim but I would love to go back and be able to go hiking in the canyon sometime.
Heading further north we were able to drive through Page AZ. In Page we got to take some peeks at Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam.
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