When our friends Gunnar and Laurie invited us to join them on a Greek Island cruise with her sister Nicole and brother-in-law Tim, we didn’t hesitate. With just two months’ notice, we jumped at the chance. To our delight, another couple in our friend circle—John and Diane—also signed on for the adventure. Piraeus Greece If you’ve ever booked a cruise that starts or ends in Athens, you’ll know the actual port is in Piraeus, a [...]
Some friends invited us on a week-long Greek Island cruise, and when we looked at the cost of airfare, we immediately got the idea to pair the trip with an additional week plus in another European country. Portugal quickly rose as our choice and the plans fell into place. We ended up deciding to fly from home to Lisbon and then touring on our way to Porto for 4 nights. Then we'd transition back to [...]
Some friends invited us on a week-long Greek Island cruise, and when we looked at the cost of airfare, we immediately got the idea to pair the trip with an additional week plus in another European country. Portugal quickly rose as our choice and the plans fell into place. We ended up deciding to fly from home to Lisbon and then touring on our way to Porto for 4 nights. Then we'd transition back to [...]
Oahu: Aloha Awaits Oahu, is the most populated and most frequently visited Hawaiian island - with sun-soaked beaches, historic landmarks, and a laid-back charm that’s pure Hawaii. From war memorials to trolley rides, this trip packs in the best of the greater Honolulu area. Let’s dive into our adventure! Day 1 - Waikiki Our flight touched down at the Honolulu airport at 7:30am - but we couldn't check-in to our hotel until 4:00pm. Thankfully, the [...]
The Big Island of Hawaii: A Wild Welcome Hawaii’s largest island is named Hawaii, but is referred to as "The Big Island". The youngest of the islands, it is the most untamed. It offers volcanic landscapes, rugged trails, and laid-back vibes. Over five days, we dove into its raw beauty—despite a few flight hiccups. Here’s our journey through this island of fire and sea. Big Island of Hawaii Day 1: A Rocky Start [...]
Kauai, Hawaii: Jam-Packed Adventures Kauai, dubbed the Garden Isle, is Hawaii’s lush, untamed gem. With jagged cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and quiet towns, it’s a paradise for adventurers and relaxation seekers alike. Over five days, we soaked in its beauty—from coastal drives to hidden valleys. Here’s our journey! Day 1: Arrival and Southern Charm Our Kauai adventure begins with a quick, early morning Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu, Oahu to Lihue, Kauai. Landing at [...]
Maui: A Small Island with Big Personality Aloha! Welcome to Maui, Hawaii’s second-largest island, where rugged coastlines, volcanic landscapes, and vibrant towns create a paradise that’s equal parts adventure and relaxation. . As a part of a larger trip to Japan, we will use Hawaii as a place to explore before and after to get acclimated to the time change. We've never been to Hawaii before and in fact, [...]
Overview We hadn't planned to go to Japan this winter, in fact Japan wasn't even on our radar. Then, one of our sons called us in late fall and said he was going to visit Japan for 9 days in February (after he finished up a job he was working on in Saipan) and wanted to know if we were interested in joining him for a little adventure. After a little bit of consideration, we [...]
Overview For years we heard a lot of good things about taking a river cruise in Europe. After sampling the river cruise experience for a few days in Egypt on the Nile in 2023, we decided to take the plunge and go all in with Viking's 23-day Cross Europe cruise called European Sojourn (their longest river cruise). Go big or go home as the saying goes! So, we even front-ended and back-ended this cruise starting [...]
Overview This post covers The Netherlands portion our 9 country 35-day adventure across Europe and picks up the adventure as we leave Belgium. This included a trip to Transylvania in Romania, a 23-day Viking River cruise across Europe from Bucharest to Amsterdam and then a trip that we arranged after the cruise to both Belgium and The Netherlands. An overview of this trip can be found at A European Sojourn with links to the other [...]
