HWD Travels: Barcelona

Last year when I first discovered Google Flights and Scott's Cheap Flights, my first cheap flight find was roundtrip tickets from Austin to Barcelona for $382.

And on an actual, reputable airline! Not a Fedex plane!

I booked them within minutes...and eventually our Barcelona trip became Trip #7 of our Twelve Trips in Twelve Months. Armed with plenty of stretchy pants and walking shoes, we flew to Spain to walk and eat our way through my favorite, favorite city. 

Armed with our favorite carryon suitcases and plenty of books, we made our way over to Barcelona. While my personal item is this bag full of our iPads, our refillable water bottles, and our jackets, Brett has a soft cooler full of our snacks. This time we kept it pretty simple with sandwich stuff, some produce, and dried fruit. TSA didn't even want to go through our food this time, which is definitely a first for us.

Also, before I forget, two of the three books I read this trip are highly, highly recommended: The Marriage Pact and The Rules of Magic. You must read them!

We landed in Barcelona around 10:30 in the morning and used a transfer service to get to our Airbnb. We definitely could've taken the Metro, but I love to set up a transfer service when we first land in international destinations - after a long flight, I'm not really feeling up for navigating local transportation. 

We wanted an Airbnb that was in a more local neighborhood and the one we chose was absolutely perfect. It was super close to the Metro and was in the most quaint little square full of little restaurants, shops, and a market. It was definitely not a touristy area by any means - we highly, highly recommend staying here. Plus, it was super close to Camp Nou, which made our excursion to a Barcelona game that much better. But more on that later. By purchasing a five day Metro pass, we were able to stay in the most perfect area and conveniently travel all over the city. 

I purchased tickets for a Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour in advance, we hopped on at the Camp Nou stop near our Airbnb, and we spent the afternoon riding around the city. We're so glad we did this right after we landed in Barcelona since it let us explore the city and get our bearings, despite us being so, so tired from traveling. 

Since this was not my first time to Barcelona, I knew how much I wanted to eat during our short time there (we were there from a Thursday to a Monday). So that we could see as many local restaurants as we could, I booked two separate tapas tours. At first I felt silly and indulgent - like, who books two? But later we agreed it was definitely a very, very good decision. 

The first night we were in Barcelona, we took this tapas tour and not only did we get a tour of a local market, but we were taken to the guide's favorite little restaurants. We wanted tours that would take us to places we wouldn't have seen on our own, order food we wouldn't have ordered on our own, and try foods we wouldn't have thought of on our own (the combo of mussels+potato chips + champagne comes to mind) - this was definitely accomplished. SO. WORTH. IT. 

Like yes, could we have worked up the courage to go into a local hole-in-the-wall? Sure. But find four to go to in one night that all had incredibly amazing food? Not as easy.

If you learn nothing else from this post, know that taking multiple food tours can be an excellent idea.

Brett bought two wedding gifts for me: a sunset cruise around Santorini (see more about our Trip #3 to Greece here) and a cooking class in Barcelona. (Y'all. The guy gets me.)

On our second day in Barcelona, we took the Metro to the cutest apartment where we were treated to a tour of La Boqueria market and the most incredible cooking class.

While Brett originally purchased the class here (with the Market tour upgrade), you can also buy it here.

After the market class, we were given samples of some of the many examples of tapas before cooking an entire meal. We loved this class. Like, absolutely LOVED.

Although I don't eat most seafood and a lot of paella doesn't appeal to me (#UnpopularOpinionAlert), I could live the rest of my days on cheese bocadillos (sandwiches where they grate fresh tomato and garlic on freshly baked bread before loading pile it with fresh cheese - YES YES YES), Spanish tortillas (an omelette loaded with potatoes - OMG YES), and CHURROS. 

Speaking of churros, I ate plenty. It was Brett's first time to try, and Mr. I-won't-like-them-because-I-dislike-chocolate was definitely one step above licking the plates.

There was one churreria near our Airbnb that was just worth weight gain alone, but we also loved using one of my favorite food blogger's Guide to Barcelona and ate at her favorite churro place.

After our cooking class, we explored the city by foot until our second tapas tour.

Again, we loved that we were able to see many different restaurants that we normally would not have even tried. An added bonus is that these are walking tours - so not only is it helping the copious amounts of food you're attempting to digest, but it was a great way to see different areas as well. And our guide, Carla, was just precious - I could have listened to her read the phone book. Her passion for Barcelona and its history, culture, and traditions is just mesmerizing. 

On Saturday we explored the city by Metro and foot before tracking down the restaurant I've been dying to try. We explored Catedral de Barcelona and found a coffeeshop for my coffee-snob hubby.

One of my favorite food bloggers moved to Barcelona and just raves about her favorite favorite Mexican food restaurant there - so naturally I was chomping at the bit to see for myself. 

And oh my word. Y'all. This restaurant. AKA the reason I'm searching for vintage amber drinkware on garage sale sites and eating quesadilla cheese and corn tortilla quesadillas by the handful.

I would search for flight deals to Barcelona just to eat at San Pedrito again...and chat with its staff from Puebla, Mexico. Seriously, friendliest people ever!

After hanging around this jewel of a restaurant for what seemed to be several hours, we made our way to a Barcelona soccer game. We had decided last minute to splurge on tickets and y'all, we are so glad we did. I'm not even a soccer fan (aside from that time I lived in Mexico during the World Cup, decided I was a diehard Germany fan, and bought myself a handful of jerseys) but this experience might be the top of the trip. IT WAS SO COOL. Like might-be-the-highlight-of-our-trip cool. The people, the energy, the chants. ALL OF IT. 

Not to mention the fact that it seems everyone takes out their bocadillos to eat during halftime. THESE ARE MY KIND OF PEOPLE. 

On our last full day in Barcelona, I wanted to show Brett Park Guell since I hadn't seen it in years. I bought tickets early, early to try and beat the crowds. Although it was more under construction than what I remember, it was definitely a good start to a Sunday.

We ended our trip doing something I've always wanted to go back to Barcelona and do: people watch in Las Ramblas while drinking sangria. And I misspoke before: while the Barcelona game was a close second, this was definitely the highlight of my trip. Since Las Ramblas is crazy busy and arguably the most touristy spot, the people watching was truly top notch. 

Aside from that, we packed up what seemed like a dozen bocadillos for our plane ride, and headed home. Brett was definitely detained in the Barcelona airport for "special screening" and our flight was at risk of being completely cancelled, but all ended well in the end. 

A special shout out to my favorite purse, a jean jacket, some black Lululemon, a Target Dollar Spot scarf, black tennis shoes, black boots, and five pairs of turquoise earrings for allowing me to fit in a carryon. Y'all are the true heroes.

Barcelona, we miss you terribly.

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Our Travel Must Haves

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During our 12 trips in 12 months, hubby and I have gotten pretty good at knowing what we love to pack. Just between our first four trips alone, we've been on THIRTEEN flights together. We've really acquired quite the list of our travel must-haves - below you'll find our running list of the top favorites.

• Power bank - Remember that time we watched eight back-to-back episodes of Game of Thrones on an iPad during our flight home from Athens and that time we took a twelve-hour tour of the country of Iceland, taking photos almost the entire time? Anytime we've completely drained our batteries, we reach for our teeny-tiny power bank to charge our electronics back up. It's only right to start our list of must-haves off with this literal powerhouse.

• TSA Precheck - Oh my gosh. I cannot say enough about this. My mom and I each made an appointment to get our TSA Precheck and it was the most painless process ever. Less than $100 and lasts five years, I think this is worth every penny - considering the only thing I hate about airports are long, stressful- and often grumpy - security lines. (If Brett and I keep traveling internationally, I'm definitely going to consider getting the Global Entry as well.) And, for some reason, because I'm TSA Prechecked, Brett automatically gets TSA Precheck as well when we check in together for our flights. I don't know how, but it's a lovely perk. Being in the TSA Prechecked line also helps when I'm trying to bring a cooler full of food with me...but more on that later.

• iPad - duh. Mine's full of borrowed library titles, Kindle books (I scour Reese Witherspoon's book club for recommendations), the Spotify rain station (seriously the best for tuning out airplane noise), and Sex and the City. Brett's is full of basketball games, Game of Thrones, and science reads. Like I said before, a flight home from Greece once flew by because we were so engrossed in eight back-to-back episodes of Game of Thrones. Brett keeps his iPad in his super nifty man-case with all of his other plane essentials (like earphones and headphone splitter); mine lives in my go-to purse.

• TSA-compliant toiletry bag - in high school, my mom pretty much bought each of us three girls the entire Jon Hart collection. I didn't really appreciate it too much at the time, but now that I'm an adult and traveling, all of my precious duffels and carry-ons are the equivalent of GOLD. Easily my favorite piece would be my Airport Chico - instead of using a gross, disposable quart-sized bag for each trip, I reuse my monogrammed, clear pouch. Like, Brett is totally getting one for Christmas. But, if really pushed, I'd have to also mention that I love my go-to carry-on bag (this one stays under my seat and my cooler goes up top), my first aid kit, and my undies bag. (Side note: if I'm not bringing a cooler, I use this bag as my overhead compartment bag. But if I'm road tripping, I use my duffel.)

• Massage ball - I can't find a direct link but years ago I purchased a small, spiky massage ball at a yoga studio and it is one of my favorite things to keep in my carry-on. About the size of a tennis ball, it takes up very little room, but I use it for stretching after a long flight, relieving any back/shoulder tension, and for working out any restless leg issues while in the air. (Similarly, a tennis ball has worked well for me in the past as well - here's why.) I keep it in my favorite little bag that holds my earphones, tea bags, power bank, chapstick, moisturizer, pens, socks, phone, and passport/ID.

• Socks - hi, my feet get cold. So along with the rest of the traveling Memaws, I need socks. My favorites are this pair, which my sisters and I all got for Christmas. Pricey, but so worth it. I will never be on a plane without them.

• Headphone splitter - As I briefly touched on above, one of Brett's best birthday gifts was a $6 splitter. He keeps it in his tech envelope with his earphones so that if we both want to watch an episode of Game of Thrones or a downloaded rental of The Big Sick (bless you, iTunes), we can do so.

• White noise machine - Brett and I are essentially babies and unable to sleep without white noise, so this baby is a high priority for us to pack. And I know, I know - "But Haley! They have an APP for this!" Yes, I'm aware. But the app doesn't fill up the room, and we're snobs who need that. If Brett has a cold room with loud white noise, he can sleep well. It's fairly lightweight and tiny, so in our suitcases it goes.

• Eye mask - We only bring this sucker in case of emergencies. Brett is unable to sleep if there's even a shred of light in the room - the guy even has our printer blacked out...and it's in a separate room. Assuming the place we're staying is suitable for Brett's sleeping needs is just dangerous, so I bring along this magical mask. I had read somewhere that it was highly recommended (the reviews are pretty incredible) for lighter sleepers that need blackened rooms. With this baby, Brett is out like a light.

• Travel hair straightener - my hair is pretty naturally straight, but for times on trips I want my thick, thick hair to be a bit more sleek, this guy is the best. It's tiny, light, and powerful. Plus, it's so inexpensive. Totally worth to keep in your toiletry bag. Just saying.

• First aid kit - Yes, I know. You're like, "Of course." But Brett and I essentially bring a small pharmacy packed in one of my favorite toiletry bags. It lives under our sink so that we can easily grab-and-go. Between his, ahem, adventurous eating, my accident-prone self, and the fact we walk all over kingdom come on our trips (no time for naps, y'all), we need quite the spread. Tummy meds, ibuprofen, bandages of all sizes, itchy eye drops, sore throat lozenges, etc. This thing is jam packed. And don't forget the Benedryl - I've been known to shamelessly pop one of these bad boys before a transatlantic flight. I SAID NO SHAME.

• Travel books - Again, you're probably like, "NO SHOCKER HERE, SHERLOCK." But Brett and I get travel books used on Amazon for our upcoming trips. I use them to plan, Brett reads them on the plane ride over there, and we'll reference them while we're there. We do this for every trip, so now we have quite the lovely collection of places we've been together. The bookshelf of travel books is definitely one of our favorite nooks in our home as it is a curation of all our adventures.

• Skincare samples - I have the worst luck with toiletries getting goopy and messy on trips. And my skin royally freaks out during plane travel. Thankfully my favorite skincare line Paula's Choice sells samples for essentially every single one of her products. Before a trip, I'll buy a sample packet of every item I need for every day we're there.

• Insulated water bottle - you know, the kind that keeps things hot/cold for a ridiculous amount of time. Once through security, I fill it up with cold water, or go on the hunt for some hot water (because my carryon totally as at least a dozen tea bags at this point). That way during my flight, I can keep it full of iced water or hot tea (and I particularly love this Kitchn article about in-flight tea). While on our trip, I usually keep it full of water and in my favorite purse (with my iPad, powerbank, camera...this guy fits it ALL). My favorite water bottle is a hot pink bottle that my precious friend gave me for my tea...but I must admit I'm also quite smitten with the insulated tumbler my sister got us for our Punta Cana trip and always pack that as well. Something about having the cup and bottle both with me keeps my water intake pretty high.

• Snacks - I've said it before, and I'll say it again. We bring a lot of food. Between my picky eating and our preference of not blowing our budget on airport food (because HI we're trying to go on twelve trips here!), we pack my carryon cooler full. If we have a morning flight, I'll have several cereal cups and clementines in there for Brett so that he just has to grab some milk once we're through security. I'll bring muffins and grapes for myself. If it's a longer day of traveling, we'll also bring bagged salad (read the article here about how you cant totally bring this through security), turkey sandwich stuff (with my TSA-approved mayo packets), jerky, sliced cheese, crackers, nuts, dried fruit, white cheddar popcorn, and Pringles. One time we brought leftover pizza and it was just DELIGHTFUL. I've been known to bring bean and cheese tacos, veggies + hummus, apples + caramel, peanut butter - really I've tried it all. TSA loves me - I've even received a marriage proposal from a TSA guy, once he saw my cooler full of TSA-approved food. Like, good food. That particular flight we had a full spread of cheeses, crackers, strawberry preserve packets, apples, and salami. Now that was a true gem - and so was the proposal.

Note: I particularly love this article for airplane food ideas (as well as the article comments)...and anything The Kitchn publishes in general.

• Travel Tea Kettle - Hi, I love tea. Specifically hot tea. This collapsible tea kettle takes up the smallest amount of space and once we reach our destination, I can enjoy a steaming cup in my previously-mentioned insulated cup or water bottle. Brett is also a coffee snob (serious perks of marrying a chemistry major, y'all) and enjoys using it for his pour-over-whatever. Or, in the rare instances we land at a really strange hour (like, our midnight arrival in Iceland), we can make oatmeal, mac and cheese, or rice if we happen to have some of those cups with us and if finding food outside of our accommodations just seems too daunting/exhausting/impossible.

Take the items listed above, throw in Brett's favorite carryon, my favorite neck pillow, a dozen hot tea packets, and some all-black tights, you will have a pretty good summary of what's with us on an airplane. And did I mention our favorite camera backpack? Now I just need to figure out how to incorporate some margaritas into our packing game - I'd be pretty set after that.

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HWD Travels: Santorini

When some flights from Texas to Greece popped up for less then $400 round trip, I knew it was a sign to eat some gyros and gaze at some sunsets for Brett's birthday.

Armed with three seasons of Game of Thrones, a rented download of The Big Sick, my trusty water bottle, and a cooler full of TSA-approved snacks, we happily made our way to Santorini for Trip #4.

Brett got a carry-on suitcase, an iPad, and the most precious technology case from my parents for his birthday, he was pretty pumped to play with his new traveling toys.

He also got the most amazing neck pillow, but I stole that because sister needs her sleep.

And, while we're talking about amazing things we brought - bless Paula's Choice. My favorite skincare line (seriously, my whole family swears by it) offers almost every single one of her products in sample size, so before a trip I load up because my skin royally freaks out after airplane travel.

Now, before we begin, you should know that Brett gained twelve pounds in the short time we were in Greece. If that's not a sign of a good trip, then I don't know what is. Just so you know.

Side note: We were supposed to get to Athens earlier than we did, but due to some flight delays, we didn't get to Athens until dinner. We had the best meal at Lithos, recommended by our amazing hotel O&B Athens Boutique Hotel. Our transfer to and from the hotel was arranged through the hotel, and since we left too early the next day to enjoy their free breakfast, they sent a breakfast box with us. Also, their bathroom was huge, which I feel is worth mentioning for some European rooms. Can't recommend them enough.

After a night in Athens, we flew a quick 45-minute flight on Olympic Air to Santorini. We were only in Greece for such a relatively short time, that we thought it worth it to fly rather than take a ferry.

Upon arriving, our delightful hotel Prekas Apartments picked us up from the airport. I'm so happy we stayed here - the village of Imerovigli is tranquil and beautiful. If you learn nothing else from this post, please remember Imerovigli. And remember Prekas Apartments - the owner is one of the most personable people I've ever met, the entire hotel had such stunning views, and each morning the most delightful breakfast tray would appear on our balcony. 

Also, you should be warned - you can't flush toilet paper in Greece. But once you're over that, everything is a delight.

Also, going in October was such a good idea. I had read that October - the shoulder season - is perfect weather (hi, 70s!) and the island is only at 60% capacity...whereas in the high season, the island is at 100%. I cannot imagine.

After lots of, "Oh my word, can you believe this view?" Brett got the recommendation for the best gyros on the island. So off to Lucky's Souvlakis in Fira (about a 30 minute walk from Imerovigli) we went. 

Other restaurants we loved in Santorini: Mezzo, Anogi, Posidonia, Mama's House. 

IT'S ALL SO GOOD, Y'ALL.

Also, I like to collect ornaments (hi, so does everyone else, I KNOW - but I love that our tree is ONLY ornaments from places we've been together) on our trips, as well as blue and white dishware. The villages of Fira and Oia hooked us up.

Whenever we go somewhere, we love to take a cooking class or a wine tour. Santorini Wine Tours was incredible. I feel like Brett and I have been to our fair share of wineries, and this was easily one of the most informative tours we've ever been on. Oh my WORD.

If you're especially into the whites like Pinot Grigio, you'll just adore Greece. But, I'm a reds-only gal and I still had the best time. I know I've read that people are like, "Greece has horrible red wine!" but I totally thought they had some of the best table reds I've ever had. But maybe my palette isn't refined enough. 

That's definitely a possibility. #margaritapalette

Our tour guide, Michael, was the best. He used to be a sommelier for a restaurant, so instead of just teaching us about how Santorini gets four inches of rain a year, how the soil is volcanic, how the vines are nurtured to grow like baskets so that they're low to the ground and protected from the wind (which was all SO interesting), he was also able to comprehensively teach us about identifying flavor notes, wine pairings, and how to fool a sommelier into thinking you're a true wine snob. It was the best.

And, I don't want to brag, but I totally got a 99 on my Can-You-Fool-a-Sommelier demonstration. Just throwing that out there.

Also before you're like, "Is everything really THE best? It seems that everything is THE best on this." Know that I read THE worst books on this trip. Like, I literally cannot recommend a single one. So, don't worry - I'm only writing about the events that I want to remember and whole-heartedly recommend.

Speaking of, if you go to Santorini, you have to do a sunset caldera cruise. It was one of Brett's wedding gifts to me and although I was feeling a little seasick, it was the most magical time. I'd go back to Greece just to snorkel in the sea and eat fried, fresh fish on a boat. 

But if really pressed, Brett and I would both agree the highlight of the trip (although it is really, really difficult to choose) would be renting an ATV from Makis Rental and driving all over the island. 

Brett and I were in Santorini for three nights. We decided we could have stayed one more night, at most - but otherwise it was a perfect length. Had we been there for a little longer, we would have visited Perissa for the Black Sand Beach and Amoudi Bay for a traditional fish tavern. Brett would have probably also liked to hike Skaros Rock. 

We flew back to Athens and, per Santorini Dave's recommendation, stayed at the Sofitel Athens Airport since our flight the next day back home was very, very early. We loved this hotel - the shower was huge, it was a few minutes walk to the airport, and we just took the nearby metro into Athens to see the Acropolis and eat at the most delightful locally-recommended restaurant.

We had intentions of doing one of Rick Steves' free walking tours of Athens, but I forgot my headphones in the hotel.

The most lovely trip. Like, seriously.

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HWD Travels: Iceland

September 13th-16th, 2017

When Brett and I stumbled upon tickets from Austin to Iceland for $350 round trip (hi, I obsessively search flight deals!), we jumped on the chance to spend a long weekend exploring for our Trip #3 of our Twelve Trips in Twelve Months. 

For this trip, I've broken up our itinerary by day, since we legitimately loved how we spent our short time there. Everything we did, I highly recommend. Also, September was the perfect time to go - no crowds and perfect weather. (And by perfect, I mean 30s to 50s. Which I'll happily take in the land of ice.)

I have a small roll-on cooler I got from TJMaxx that I always bring with me as a carry-on and fill with TSA-approved food that we eat throughout the day. I'm especially glad I did it this trip since the international terminal of JFK where we had our layover had limited food options and IcelandAir only had food for purchase. Plus, the cooler proved handy for our tour of Iceland, but more on that later.

Brett and I have a routine at the Austin airport that once we're through TSA (where, let me tell you, I always get pulled aside to get my cooler searched, and EVERY SINGLE TIME they are severely impressed. This time, I even got a marriage proposal. Just saying.), Brett goes and buys milk to eat his cereal, and I go buy ice. My cooler always has a few cereal cups for Brett, and I have two Ziploc bags where I can fill a bag halfway with ice and double/triple/quadruple bag it to act as a makeshift ice pack. 

Also, on that note. paying for TSA Precheck is so worth it. One short interview and $85 is all I had to do to get five years of TSA Precheck. Which is so worth it for this Nervous Nelly.

We flew from Austin to JFK, where we had a short layover. I read this awesome article on The Kitchn about how you can totally carry-on bagged salad, so we tried it. So it was just delightful enjoying turkey sandwiches and salad in the airport....that, you know, didn't cost more than a day of parking.

Which, that said, TSA-approved mayonnaise packets are probably one of my best Amazon purchases. No judgement, y'all. Brett eats all. day. long. So the fact I was able to make him FOUR (!!!) turkey sandwiches was just magical. I'm pretty sure the loaf of bread, package of turkey, and mayo packets are what prompted that TSA gentleman's flattering marriage proposal.

Or maybe it was the olives, sliced cheese, summer sausage, grapes, and crackers that we had for dinner on our IcelandAir flight. But I digress.

Once we landed in Iceland, it was 11:50 PM. I know there is an economical bus line that takes you from the airport to Reykjavik, but once I've finished a day of travel, I'm ready for a snack, shower, and most likely a nap - and am not in the mood to deal with nagivation. So, I'm sure quite a few people disagree with me here, but I usually pay for airport-to-hotel transfer. We used Back to Iceland Travel for our airport transfers, and it was worth every penny. 

Also, the famous cooler came in handy again when we got to our hotel at 1AM. We were starving, and had the loveliest, classiest dinner of sandwiches and Pringles.

Day 2:

We stayed at Storm Hotel because of its good location and included breakfast. Which, again, considering my husband is marathon training and hungry ALL OF THE TIME, this was an excellent choice. He was able to load up on oatmeal and hardboiled eggs and breads, while I was just content with my Cheerios and chocolate croissants. Seriously, it was an impressive spread and totally worth it. 

Since we were in Iceland for such a short period of time, and we weren't sure if we'd ever get to come back, we wanted to see a lot of the nation's beauty. I booked a tour that specifically sees the Golden Circle and the South Coast - it was great because this specific tour hit all of the sights on our wishlist, but also is a long enough tour that deters most people. In other words, we were on a minibus with only one other couple.

Had we been stuffed into a mega bus with dozens of other people, I'm not sure if I would've enjoyed our day nearly as much. Most people pay to take just a general Golden Circle Tour, so be cautious of those. Unless being on a large bus with tons of other people is right up your alley. Which, if that be the case, power to ya.

Anyway, every 10 to 90 minutes, we'd stop and be given a time to meet back at the bus, giving us plenty of time to explore. Again, I'm glad we brought our cooler because although there were food options at many of our stops, I wanted to spend our time exploring, rather than waiting in line for food.

Plus, considering I'm such a picky eater, I can't take the risk of assuming places would have something I'd eat. Struggle is real.

We were also glad we packed water bottles from home, since the water is so pure in this country that you can fill up in both sinks and rivers alike. 

Plus, we loved that between each stop, the charismatic, Icelandic bus driver told stories about Iceland's history, people, and landscape. Errr, Brett loved this. I have a bad habit of sleeping hard in any moving vehicle. But let me tell you, I had some incredible naps that day.

No matter how long you're in Iceland, you must do this tour. 

We asked our tour guide for dinner recommendations, and he spoke highly of a fish and chips food truck. 

Afterwards, we stopped by MicroBar for some Icelandic beer. (Note: two craft beers set us back almost $40. LOL. Super cute pub, though!) If we had been in Iceland for longer, we would've signed up for a brewery tour.

Day 3:

Brett's a coffee snob (a perk of his Chemistry degree), so we started the morning searching for Reykjavik Roasters. 

Iceland is very much into their warm drinks, hot soups, and fresh bread - all of which I can get on board with. The amount of tea and hot chocolate I ingested in four days was pretty impressive.

I also read five books and used twelve hand warmers. Statistics.

For our third day in Iceland, we wanted to see the iconic church with the good city views and we wanted to try a famous Icelandic hot dog. 

Also, I'm a picky eater, but if there's something that seemingly everyone raves about, I'll give it a shot. And take it from me - you have to order these hot dogs with everything on them. The combination was good. 

It is also important to note that our tour guide called Bill Clinton a noun synonymous with not-brave for trying this famous Icelandic hot dog establishment and only getting mustard. So yeah.

I will also note this is my favorite travel bag ever. It fits everything - hand warmers, camera, iPad, travel guides, snacks, battery pack, my thousand chapsticks, etc and can be zippered shut. And, you know, it's pink and monogrammed. The important stuff. 

(Wait until they have one of their delightful 35% off sales. Just lovely. But not lovely for my bank account.)

It's hard to pick a highlight of our trip, but if reallyyy pressed, Brett and I might pick our Warm Baths and Cool Lights Tour. We were taken to Laugarvatn Fontana - a geothermal bath - where we were treated to an Icelandic buffet dinner, and then had several hours to soak in the baths. Which, naturally we did with some Icelandic beers. 

Just magical.

The saunas and steam rooms weren't too shabby, either.

Also, two things you must know about baths in Iceland: you either bring your own towel or pay to rent one (I think I paid an absurd $8 per towel because HELLO TOWELS TAKE UP VALUABLE SUITCASE SPACE), and you must take a fully-nude shower in the public showers before entering the water. I feel like that should be mentioned. Because the latter was definitely a first for me (Brett: "Wait, you didn't do it for like, high school football?" I know it's shocking, but I did not play high school football.)

But then, the Northern Lights came out to play while we were in the baths. IN THE FREAKING BATHS, Y'ALL. OH MY WORD. 

Even better (can it get any better?), the rest of the evening was spent exploring the Icelandic countryside searching for the lights. Our driver was very knowledgeable and knew the best watching spots. Out in the country, there is no light and there were clear skies - AKA perfect conditions. 

And, not like a grainy iPhone photo will even begin to do this justice, but I'll leave it here regardless. To say it was an amazing evening is an understatement. 

And again, because we did a very specific tour, we were on a mini bus of only a handful of other people. I saw a pickup location for a general Northern Lights tour (without the dinner and geothermal bath), and it was dozens upon dozens of people loading a huge bus. Which, I predict, would not have been as magical. But that's just my two cents.

Also, this is my PSA about the most amazing rain boots. I love the look of Hunters, but cannot afford them. Enter my favorite pair from Amazon. FORTY DOLLARS. You're welcome.

$39.99

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Day 4:

Since the famous Blue Lagoon is between the airport and Reyjkavik, it is recommended that you go when you're leaving the airport, or on your way to the airport. Since our flight wasn't until 5PM, we chose to go before we traveled back to Texas.

I had read reviews about how many people enjoyed soaking for hours in the warm waters before boarding a plane. Which was really all the convincing I needed.

I booked a transfer with Back to Iceland Travel, which, again, was worth every penny. I didn't have to worry about bus depots, or rental cars, or luggage. While we were at the Blue Lagoon, we didn't have to pay for the Blue Lagoon to store our luggage - our bags were safely kept with our Back to Iceland Travel driver in our private minibus. I can't recommend this decision enough.  

And, Blue Lagoon - oh my word. I know there are plenty of people that are out there that complain about the cost and, yes, it is expensive. We did the Comfort Package, which included the face mask, a towel (again, with the towels), and one free drink.

But we really, really enjoyed this date. We spent two hours soaking in the healing waters, sipping cider(s) and beer(s) from the swim-up bar, and wearing face masks. They really know what they're doing here.

Make sure during your nakey shower you lay the conditioner on thick and leave it on upon entering the Blue Lagoon - the silica that makes the waters oh-so healing is apparently really destructive for hair.

Also, those people that are able to get precious Blue Lagoon photos without the face mask getting in their eyes? I'd love to know their secrets.

Maybe next time I'll get a better picture.

Yes, next time.

We'll be back.

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HWD Travels: Sedona

HWD Travels

Sedona

August 24th-28th, 2017

After two nights in Scottsdale, Brett and I made our way to Sedona for Trip #2 of our twelve trips. Armed with our three favorite Sedona resources (here, here, and here), Brett and I planned four days exploring Sedona and daytripping our way through Arizona. Our plan was to use Sedona as a base for exploring the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, and Horseshoe Bend, as well as several Sedona hiking spots. It was just perfect.

And many thanks to that rental car for driving us all over Arizona. You're the real MVP.

We stayed at the Enchantment Resort and, my word, I could have just lived at their pool. They also had a great weekday happy hour with discounted drinks and appetizers, and I could've happily subsided on their prickly pear margarita and potato skins. Plus, with a happy hour view like this, why would you want to leave?

We hiked Cathedral Rock and Devil's Bridge.

We hiked the Bright Angel Trail at the Grand Canyon. 

It was magical.

And I was so grateful to have fancy-pants hiking shoes. 

We found a Trader Joe's and spent many pitstops mid-hike nomming on chicken salad, cheese, and dried fruit. 

Even better, Brett and I have a deal that at any point a hike isn't enjoyable for me anymore, I find a lovely spot to stop and pull out my book while Brett explores on. Typically this happens when things get a little too steep or crawl-on-all-fours for my taste. And, lucky for me, some of the best books I've read lately were on this trips. SO GOOD.

Also, this European guy tripped walking backwards. And now I'll forever have this photo.

After hiking the Grand Canyon, we had the most amazing Italian food in Sedona. Gerardo's was just incredible. I've been telling everyone that will listen about our perfect wine-filled, sore-legs, my-God-hand-me-the-carbs dinner date we had after a full day hiking into and out of a pretty famous canyon. Plus, their precious patio had string lights, which automatically makes me a member of the fan club. 

However, I'm already thinking about going back to Sedona for their food...and string lights.

After hiking Cathedral Rock, my trusty New York Times book led us to the famous Coffee Pot Restaurant - home of the 101 omelettes.

We explored the wineries of Sedona - we loved Page Spring Cellars and Javelina Leap and did tastings at both. 

We did make a stop at Horseshoe Bend on our last day (and had the loveliest lunch date eating turkey sandwiches and apples in the air-conditioned reprieve of our car - because y'all, that midday sun is NO JOKE. Love, Texans), but I'd have to say my highlight of the entire trip would be the Antelope Canyon tour. 

Arizona, we miss you already.

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HWD Travels: Santa Fe

A huge thanks to Hannah Black Photography for your friendship and these photos. 

HWD Travels

Santa Fe

Santa Fe, New Mexico June 22nd - June 26th, 2017

Before the idea of 12 Trips in 12 Months was born, Brett and I were planning a wedding. 

Or, more specifically my mom and I were planning a wedding, with Brett nodding in agreement every now and again. But I digress. 

We wanted a teeny-tiny restaurant wedding in a cool city with good food. We wanted a wedding weekend filled with gorgeous first-look landscapes, a food tour with our friends, and a private cooking class in lieu of a rehearsal dinner. 

It all sounds very specific and very us, but I laugh at how many different cities my mom and I went through in the beginning stages. Our emails were literally all over the map. The world map.

But, once common sense kicked in a we realized we needed somewhere our friends could easily get to (bye, Hawaii!), with predictable weather (you're out, Big Sur!), and had excellent margaritas (sorry, Portland, but this Texan has her doubts), we loved the idea of returning to Santa Fe almost a year after we first went. 

Santa Fe - the place that I announced had my all-time favorite cooking class and favorite hike to date. And I feel like that statement has some weight, considering Brett and I like to take a cooking class and find a few good hikes on almost every trip we take. 

It really just made perfect sense to declare our lifetime of love there.

And, oh. How I love that we can now always celebrate the wonderful city of Santa Fe as the place we exchanged wedding vows. It'll serve us so well for many anniversary trips to come. 

Edited to add: we now go to Santa Fe once a year. Click here for our other yearly traditions!

To kick off our year of seeing 12 places in 12 months before our first wedding anniversary, I present to you the highlights of our wonderful wedding weekend in Santa Fe, New Mexico. 

Many of our loved ones stayed with us at the beautiful Loretto Inn. Really, the place is just gorgeous. In short, being under the same roof all weekend was just lovely and many drinks - both poolside and barside - were enjoyed together. 

(Edited to add: We try to go to Santa Fe every year, and have enjoyed staying at AirBnbs + rentals so that we had kitchen access. In terms of hotels, we love La Fonda, but we also love the Inn at Alameda — but only if you stay in one of their free standing rooms! I love Inn at Alameda’s happy hour, their breakfast, their hot tub, the courtyard, the ample parking, the walking distance to everything, and their rooms - but again, only if you get one of their ground floor, free standing rooms. I wish I could remember the name of those!)

The day before the wedding, Brett and I wanted to have a first look before the craziness of the festivities and the oh-my-gosh-are-we-keeping-everyone-waiting worry set in. It's really hard to pick the best decision of my wedding weekend, but this one definitely is up there. We drove out to Tent Rocks - our favorite hike and scenery in general - for sunrise pictures in our wedding gear, and it was so nice to take our time and enjoy each other. Plus, all the kind words and well wishes from the hikers definitely didn't hurt. 

And, until you've changed into your wedding dress near a string of port-a-potties, you haven't really lived. 

(Edited to add: Brett always picks a few hikes for us to do in Santa Fe when we visit. He loved to reference this book as a starting place. But truly, if anything, you HAVE to take an early morning hike to Tent Rocks. Just beautiful.)

I should also add, the day before everything, my mom, sisters, and I went to Ten Thousand Waves for some spa treatments and hot tub soaking (the latter was a private tub with the most gorgeous scenery). When Brett and I visit, we try to always book an hour of one of their private tubs. SO RELAXING.

Before our rehearsal dinner, we wanted to celebrate all of our friends for trekking out to celebrate us. I love my margaritas, so I thought it would be fun to work with Food Tour New Mexico to create a private Margarita Tour of Santa Fe for us to enjoy.

Y'all, it was so fun. Like, oh my word. 

And, don't be fooled by the name - we had the best food to go with our margaritas. Special shout out to Georgia, Santacafe, and Thunderbird for putting up with this rowdy bunch. Thank you also to Chocolate en la Plaza for the sweets and the Bell Tower for the views!

(Edited to add: Santa Fe has THE BEST restaurants. OH MY WORD. Every year we go we find a new favorite. Our favorite starting place for finding new restaurants is the Margarita Trail. My favorite restaurant I think is Teahouse Santa Fe. SO GOOD. And I love the Farmers Market, as well as breakfast crepes at The French Pastry Shop. And Plaza Cafe - pregnant me LIVES for their lemonade and sopapillas. And the tableside guacamole at the restaurant in La Fonda is THE BEST I’ve ever had. And Bell Tower is perfect for a margarita with a good view. And the wineries! Agh. I could go on. Brett has too many favorites to name, he says.)

After taking two of the most interesting, well-run cooking classes at the Santa Fe School of cooking, we knew we wanted to gather twenty of our loved ones for a private cooking class.

We were never down with the idea of a traditional, sit-down rehearsal dinner, anyway.

I'm so glad we went the nontraditional route. 

We even used one of their cookbooks as our wedding guest book. 

If you're ever anywhere near the Santa Fe School of Cooking, I can't recommend their classes enough. When Brett and I first visited, we did two separate classes and were completely smitten. Some of the best cooking classes we’ve ever taken, and we love to do a cooking class or food tour on every trip we take. So if you’re visiting Santa Fe, please consider looking into taking one of their classes!

(Need something else fun to do? Go hot air ballooning - we went on our first trip to Santa Fe and it was MAGICAL.)

We did a cooking class in lieu of a traditional rehearsal dinner and it was SO MUCH FUN. (We also used one of the Cooking School’s cookbooks as our wedding guestbook. CAN’T RECOMMEND ENOUGH. Now we have this cookbook displayed in our home.)

Also, yes - we did our first look, a margarita tour, and a private cooking class all in one day. It was really going to be a hard day to beat. 

Until, you know, our wedding happened.

If you're considering a small, intimate wedding, do it. If you're considering a destination wedding, do it. If you're considering a restaurant wedding, do it. 

If you're thinking about combining all three and having a non-traditional wedding with good food, amazing drinks, and none of those horrible traditions - do it. Pink Adobe was the absolute best place to have a wedding. Like, the best. 

Oh my word, I wouldn't change a thing about my wedding. And I hear that's pretty rare.

Also, let's talk cake. 

If you choose to have your cakes from Whole Foods, you can get a several different kinds of cake and get anniversary cake anytime you want. Plus, that leaves more room in the budget for margaritas.

Which is really what matters. 

 And, it makes getting anniversary cakes EASY PEASY.

Can't wait to celebrate many anniversaries to come in Santa Fe with Whole Foods cheesecake. 

Questions? Feel free to shoot me an email!

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HWD Travels: Scottsdale

To kick off our 12 trips in 12 months, I asked Brett, "Where do you want to go first? Where do you want to go most?" 

Without even looking up from his phone, he said, "Hiking in Arizona."

And that was that. 

Sidenote: We've been affectionately calling each of our planned trips this year our "honeymoon," and then dissolving into a ridiculous fit of giggles. As a forewarning, know that if you tell people your honeymoon is in Arizona, most will give a polite, "Ohhh!" Some - hi, John from Advantage Rental Cars! - will go as far to ask, "You chose here?" (However, he in the same breath also described the Grand Canyon as "just a large hole in the ground," so his opinions are to be taken very, very lightly.)

Haters aside, I adored Arizona. We wanted to spend some time together with some serious hiking and swimming, and Arizona fit those qualifications beautifully. Our first stop was two nights in Scottsdale.

After reading Ambitious Kitchen's post, I knew we had to stay at the Four Seasons at Troon North. Those views! That pool! The margarita making class!

Brett loved that it was nestled at the base of Pinnacle Peak and had numerous hiking trails from which to choose. I lusted after the pool. 

Y'all, those views. 

With the resort property being over thirty five thousand square feet, the views were plentiful. Each casita had its own balcony, which I thought was a huge plus. If the pool drew me in, the balcony beckoned me to stay. Some of my favorite moments from our trip were hitting up the free coffee bar to load up on drinks and homemade muffins (SO. GOOD.) to enjoy on our tranquil little balcony.  

(And, you know, the dozens of snacks and breakfast foods we piled into our checked bag. Please tell me we're not the only ones who do this.) 

Seriously, it's just so peaceful. I'd go back immediately. 

More specifically, I'd go back immediately for tacos.

Barrio Queen tacos, to be exact. 

And being from Texas, I feel that Brett and I toe the line of Snobby prettyyyyy closely. But y'all. I'd catch a flight just to eat more of their fish tacos.

I mayyy have gotten slightlyyyy irritated hiking Camelback Mountain when I realized we weren't going to eat two dinners in a row here. (My apologies to any kind soul on that trail. Taco FOMO is real.) 

Side note: As long as you're not preoccupied with the thought of tacos, I highly recommend Camelback. The sunset was pretty incredible, once my irritation dissipated. 

Scottsdale, I'll be back. Between your views and your tacos, I'm quite smitten. 

Places we adored: Four Seasons, Barrio Queen, Pinnacle Peak, Camelback Mountain

Resources we used: AK's Travel Guide to Scottsdale, Fodor's Arizona and the Grand Canyon, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Phoenix

Our all-time favorite camera backpack

Books I read: The Marriage Lie (SO GOOD)

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