Tower of London

Our first impression of London was that it was looked cleaner, felt safer, and smelled better than the cities in Southern California. We walked from the hotel back to the Tower of London after sleeping in for our first full day (and only) in the city. We didn’t have any tickets purchased or really any…

Butler Peak, Big Bear

Last summer, Phillip and I went up to Big Bear to search for a wedding venue, but made a weekend trip out of it with all there is to see and do in the area. People often ask us why we chose Big Bear as a place to get married, which we answer with a…

Mist and Snow: Mt. Rainier

The Pacific Northwest is perhaps my most favorite place in the world. There is something magical about the richness of the greenery, the mist that surrounds the forests, the eerie silence of the wild. Phillip took me up to Washington for my birthday this past year, partially to see his grandmother, who lives in Redmond,…

HI – Day 6 – The Fair Wind II

As one of the earliest days that we’ve had, we arrived in Keauhou Bay at 8:30 to board the Fair Winds II, a boat that would take us to Captain Cook Bay – officially Kealakekua Bay. While we were still metabolizing our Dramamine and finding our sea legs, the crew served us breakfast and sailed us…

HI – Day 4 – Hawi

A big part of our group wanted to check out Hawi, a town on the north side of the island that they had heard was known for their arts and crafts. As some of us wanted to do a hike instead, we compromised by finding a hike nearby. Pololu Valley Overlock had an impressive view…

HI – Day 3 – Snorkeling

We’re still not used to this time zone. We get tired early and wake up early, which isn’t quite conducive to adjusting to “island time.” Awake before the sun, we decided to find snorkel gear to rent, planning to arrive at the rental shop as they opened at 8 am. Boss Frog’s in downtown Kailua-Kona…