NZ & CI – Day 5: Queenstown
When we landed in Queenstown, it was already dark and weirdly COLD! We jumped into our rental car and headed to our AirBnB. It was actually pretty scary because the streets didn’t have street lamps and it was really dark. We were traveling uphill and was eventually surrounded by mist and fog. The next morning, […]
NZ & CI – Day 4: Hahei and the Coromandel Peninsula
Today was our last day in the North Island. We had a long day of driving ahead of us because I had purposely scheduled an out-of-the-way trip to the Coromandel Peninsula to visit the beautiful Cathedral Cove. Cathedral Cove is a “must see” in the area, especially if you time your trip just right for […]
NZ & CI – Day 3: Matamata and Tauranga
Driving from Los Angeles to the Redwood National Forest in California is about a 11-12 hour drive. Driving from our AirBnB in the city to the Whakarewarewa Redwood Forest took less than 10 minutes. There was a sudden transition from bustling city to wooded forest but it was nice to be so close! We had […]
NZ & CI – Day 2: Rotorua
On Day 2, we woke up insanely stiff and sore. Every step was a painful reminder of the 38,500 steps we took up and down the Tongariro Crossing. However, we were SO excited for a new day and a new adventure. We made the 1 1/2 hour drive from Turangi to Rotorua and made it […]
NZ & CI – Day 1: The Tongariro Alpine Crossing
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is one of the most popular day hikes in New Zealand. The National Park has dual World Heritage status for its natural features and cultural significance to the Maori people. It’s a one-way 19.4km (12.1 mile) hike over the volcanic terrain of Mt. Tongariro, passing the base of Mt. Ngauruhoe (aka […]
New Zealand & The Cook Islands
New Zealand was at the top of our travel bucket list so when we had the excuse of a honeymoon, we went all out and spent the most magnificent two weeks exploring the North and South islands of New Zealand and Rarotonga and Aitutaki of the Cook Islands. I spent A LONG time planning this […]
Day 7 and 7.5 – Homeward Bound
Last Saturday morning, we finished cleaning the house and packed up the car.. but not before Dollie could get one more run around the backyard. The drive home was LONG and exhausting. We finally made it back to LA at about 6-7am on Sunday.
Day 6: Seattle
Last Friday, the last full day of our trip, Peter, my brother, my cousin, and I took a very windy ferry ride into the city. We met up with my cousin and her boyfriend to have lunch at the same restaurant Peter and I had lunch at with our friends 5 years ago. Mmm poutine..We […]
Day 5: Mt. Rainier
Last Thursday, we spent a lazy morning sitting on the dock and sipping coffee. Eventually, I pulled out the kayaks and we floated on the lake. We even got Dollie to sit on my kayak for a few minutes! Before we arrived in Washington, there had been wildfires in Canada that was blowing smoke over […]
Day 4: Hood Canal
Last Wednesday, after almost 12 hours of driving the night before, we woke up at the last leg of our trip road, Hood Canal. We spent the day fishing, catching crabs, collecting and shucking oysters, and having Canadian dim sum and roasted duck. The last time we were here 7 years ago, Dollie was only […]