wanderlust wednesday: the blue ridge parkway

One of the places i'm really excited to see on our cross country journey is the Blue Ridge Parkway, which runs from Virginia to North Carolina along the Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain in the Appalachian mountains. The whole scenic drive is 469 miles of beautiful mountain top switchbacks and scenic views! Over 15 million people visited the Blue Ridge Parkway last year, which is crazy! So we figure it must be worth visiting! Have you ever driven it? Any tips!?

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wanderlust wednesday: paris

Because Fall is right around the corner, I thought today would be perfect to feature Paris because nothing beats Paris in Autumn...the oncoming chill is perfect for sipping a cafe au lait while wandering around the various arrondisements. Needless to say,  I love everything about Paris (well I think I love macarons the most!)

I've been lucky enough to have visited Paris twice, and each time is as memorable as the last. In 2009 my mom and I stayed in Paris for a few wonderful days. We spent countless hours at the Louvre, visited Notre Dame, walked the Champs-Élysées up to the Arc de Triumph, and meandered around my favorite area, Montmartre. On my first trip to Paris I woke up early,  went on a run, and ended up at the magnificent church, the Sacre Coeur in Montmartre.  I just remember sitting in a pew, staring up at at this beautiful tile mosaic; it literally took my breath away. Even though each of these sites attract millions of visitors each year, did you know that Disneyland Paris still outranks them (even the Louvre) as the most visited attraction in all of Europe? I have yet to visit Disneyland Paris, but it must be wonderful to attract all those people each year!

When we visited Paris, it was already mid-November, and seemed like the perfect time to travel there. We never had lines, or felt like we were walking amongst hundreds of other tourists. The weather held out and most of the time the air was crisp and the skies were blue! Instead of feeling like tourists, we were able to almost envision what life would be like as Parisians. 

The view from our hotel window:

 

Montmartre is my favorite section of Paris, and the Sacre Coeur is my all time favorite church. 

Have you all been to Paris before?

wanderlust wednesday: amsterdam

Last time I was in Europe, I stayed in Amsterdam for a few days. I thought it was just going to be another long layover on our trip and nothing special, but I was totally wrong! Amsterdam ended up being one of my favorite stops on mine and my mom's three week jaunt across Europe.We both fell in love with the canals, the thousands of bikes scattered everywhere, the skinny houses, and the pannekoeken. 

 

It is such a dynamic city, and the "coffee shops" and red light district are just small parts. We wandered around with my friend, Margriet, who was an exchange student that lived with me in Seattle while she was attending a year of law school in the states. She took us off the beaten path and explained a lot about the Netherlands as a people and a country. 

We were visually thrilled by the Van Gogh Museum and absolutely moved by the Anne Frank House. There is so much to see and do in the Amsterdam, that I highly recommend a visit next time you are in Europe.

There is so much to see and do in the Amsterdam, that I highly recommend a visit next time you are in Europe. If you need a place to rest your head, make sure to check out Accor Hotels. If you need something "traditional" to eat, make sure to grab some pannekoeken and if you want somewhere to shop, make sure to check out the beautiful Amsterdam brand,  Scotch & Soda.

wanderlust wednesday: sri lanka

Up until 2012,  the north and east parts of Sri Lanka were under the occupation of the Tamil Tigers, and off-limits to tourists. Traveling off the beaten path was ill-advised and virtually impossible because of tedious military check points. Photo

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But the good news is that the country is  now free of the Tamil Tigers, and  tourism is being steadily encouraged.Photo

For now, the north and east coasts are undeveloped and their natural beauty unspoiled. If you go, it is not uncommon to find yourself the only tourist around, and the only person sitting on stretches of pristine beaches.  

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All this underdeveloped and rugged  beauty means that it is probably not suitable yet for travelers wanting 5 star luxury resorts and an easy vacation...for the rest of us, it means perfection! Photo

wanderlust wednesday: san diego, california

There has been a lot of talk about California recently in my circle of friends. A few have taken off down the coast on road trips and they all have come back raving about the golden state!


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When it comes to destinations in California, I think San Diego would make a perfect jumping off point.

Last time I was in San Diego, I was fresh out of high school (almost 8 years ago! YIKES!). These photos are convincing me that I definitely need to head back asap!

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The awesome travel blog, Entourist, has a great locals guide to San Diego if you want to check out some hot spots, and if you are looking for a hotel, Venere has tons of great options.

PhotoHave you all been to San Diego before? Any tips for us for our impending road trip!?

wanderlust wednesday: onuk island, balabac palawan, philippines

 Onuk is a privately owned island off of the southern tip of Palawan in the Philippines. Although privately owned, it is rumored that the owner/ mayor of Onuk will let you onto the island to explore for a few hours.

The island is relatively uninhabited, which would make it easy to pretend that the island is your own secret getaway. 

The photos alone make me want to paddle out and visit this little unknown island! It looks absolutely stunning. If you want to learn more about how to get to Onuk, check out this super informative blog post (scroll halfway down until you get to Wednesday). The writers of that blog also took these amazing shots!

The last photo of Onuk Island won a National Geographic contest! Just set me down on this island with my computer and some wifi (and Brian: ) and I think I would be happy for life! 

wanderlust wednesday: long beach, washington

I know this post is a day delayed (yikes!) but sometimes life gets in the way and I have to put the blog on the back burner! But I am so excited to share with you all photos from last weekend, so I am going to roll with Wanderlust Wednesday Thursday.

Long Beach, Washington is located about 4 hours south of Seattle on the coast. The population of long beach is just over 1,000 people, but i'm sure it triples in the summer with people coming from all over Washington and Oregon to play on the wind whipped beaches.

One of the funny things about Washington beaches, is the fact that you can drive on them. You will be waddling down to the water and a truck will fly by you! Despite the beach traffic, the beaches are pristine, wide and seemingly never ending.

 

Pilot, the most adorable puppy ever, absolutely loved the beach!

 

More photos tomorrow!