The final two days of this road trip! We spent these days in and around Portland, Oregon and making the drive back up to Seattle to end our trip. This part of the trip is far more of a choose your own adventure, as they are countless things to do around Portland. We visited the quirky Enchanted Forest Amusement Park, the last troll we needed to see of Thomas Dambo’s PNW trolls, and walked around downtown Portland. This article includes many more ideas of how to fill your time
Read MoreWhen the start of the Redwoods National Park is less than 30 minutes away from the end of the Oregon Coast, it only makes sense to add it on to your trip. While the Oregon Coast was definitely the main attraction of this road trip, our side trip into Redwoods National Park was definitely a highlight for all. We started Day 5 in Crescent City, CA - a great base city for exploring the Redwoods State and National Parks. This is the part of the road trip where you start to slow down a bit, but still are eager to see something dramatic and maybe something new. Redwoods allowed us to just stop at a few places, just do a couple hikes but for a large payoff. Then on Day 6, we started making our way back up Oregon to enjoy a few spots around Oregon’s I-5 before heading back to Seattle.
Read MoreContinuing on down the Oregon Coast, Days 3 and 4 of this 8 day road trip of Oregon and the Redwoods National Park got us just cross the border to California! These two days took us through the quieter and rugged south Oregon Coast. There are less people, but definitely not less beauty. This section of the coast features more dramatic views off the coast from sea rocks to sand dunes and lots of opportunities to see wildlife. In this itinerary, we break up the sights into 2 days but you can easily stretch it out into more days if you have time. Additional sights for each day are included in this guide, along with where to stay.
Read MoreThe first two days of our Oregon Coast road trip took us from our home in Seattle to Newport, OR. We explored the cute towns, tide pools and gorgeous beaches of Oregon’s north coast and made it to the central coast. Below details each stop we took along the way, the best places to stay and additional stops to add to your itinerary. We did this road trip with our two kids, aged 3 & 4, but it can be modified for any group.
Read MoreOne of the most scenic road trips in the world, the Oregon Coast is a must see. This road trip is easily accessible from Portland and Seattle and is easy to do no matter who is in your group. The roads are well-paved, even if a bit windy, and the must-see stops are frequent. This road trip can be customized to fit the interests of your family - from focusing on nature and gorgeous photo spots to wildlife spotting to eating your way down the coast. Just a short extension and across the border into California, the Redwoods National Park and its moody forests are the perfect addition to the moody Oregon Coast. This guide will help you with planning your own trip along the coast.
Read MoreDiscover the best family-friendly things to do in Indianapolis in the fall! Kid-friendly itinerary with museums, parks, zoo and tips for toddlers.
Read MoreAt the southern end of New Zealand’s South Island, Dunedin is the gateway to the Otago region. It is a region of dramatic coastal landscapes, rare wildlife spotting, and unique architectural history. Dunedin is the second largest city on the South Island and a popular destination for both road trippers and cruise passengers. We visited Dunedin as the first stop on a Cruise circling around New Zealand. To get the full experience of this area, forgo the organized tours, rent a car, and explore on your own. Here, I outline how we self-drove Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula in one day.
Read MoreBeach bums and adventure lovers alike will be in paradise on Maui, Hawaii’s second-largest island. You can find humpback whales, black sand or pristine white sand beaches, volcanos, renowned snorkeling, tropical forests, and so much more. A must-visit destination for all travelers. Start planning your trip to Maui now with this list of the 13 best things to do.
Read MoreGoing from the Sacred Valley to Lake Titicaca (or vice versa) is a common route for most travelers in Peru. Puno is the gateway to the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. With car travel often discouraged in Peru, it is often difficult to figure out the best way to travel across the country. Here we outline the different ways to get between Cusco and Puno and each ones’ benefits.
Read MoreI do not know if there is any country in the world more picturesque, unique, and just downright unbelievable as Iceland. I am generally averse to visiting the same destination multiple times as there are so many other places in the world to explore, but Iceland might just be an exception. With so much of the island untouched, you can come back and visit multiple times and still find new and unexpected gems. We visited in the middle of June for 11 days and drove around the entire country. All seasons have their perks and there really is no wrong time to visit. We chose mid-June because it was only at the start of peak season, 22+ hours of daylight, lupines would be in peak bloom, and temperatures would be getting warmer.
Read MoreOur fourth day driving the Ring Road was action packed as we went through the martian landscape of northeast Iceland. The highlights of this section of the Ring Road include the powerful Dettifoss waterfall, the geothermal lava fields of Krafla and Hevrir, a lava cave steam bath, volcanic craters, lava rock fields, and the gorgeous Lake Mývatn. It was a long day that ended with a problem with our Airbnb.
Read MoreIceland is expensive. It is the 4th most expensive country in the world based on consumer price indexes. High food costs are a large part of it. There are certainly ways to keep your costs down if you strategize. During our 11-day trip around Iceland, we spent less than $8 a day per person on food. You go to Iceland for the beautiful landscapes and thrilling experiences, save your money for accommodations and activities rather than food. Here are practical tips for eating cheap in Iceland.
Read MoreIceland has some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world. The Land of Fire & Ice is packed with volcanoes, glaciers, and rugged terrain to explore. Iceland is a destination that is difficult to top. While you still will be impressed with this country if all you did was drive around and take pictures, getting out of your comfort zone and taking on some adventure will leave you with lifetime memories. When we travel we always try to prioritize experiences over spending unnecessary money on food and fancy accommodations. Like everything in Iceland, these activities are pricey but oh so worth it. There is so much to do in summer to make use of those long days and the midnight sun. Here we list the 5 adventure activities we did during our trip and rank them based on our experiences.
Read MoreSnæfellsnes Peninsula is one of the most extraordinary regions in Iceland for dramatic landscapes and must-see sights. You can see everything from glaciers, lava fields, waterfalls, varying colored beaches, steep ocean cliffs, or volcano peaks. Here we recommend the 8 top things to see and do on your trip through Snæfellsnes. We were visiting Snæfellsnes as a detour from the Ring Road (we were traveling counter-clockwise). The first two places listed we visited after our drive to Snæfellsnes from Akureyri. The remaining 6 we visited the next day as we made our way back to Reykjavik ending our Ring Road Trip. Snæfellsnes Peninsula is also a great day trip from Reykjavik whether by driving it yourself or taking a tour.
Read MoreOur longest driving day took us from Akureyri to Grundarfjörður, across the north of the country. Most of the day consisted of gawking out the car's windows at the beautiful scenery we drove through. We took the occasional stop to fly the drone when the surroundings were just too captivating to ignore. This day was the start of our detour from the Ring Road to Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Snæfellsnes Peninsula has some of the most alluring views in all of Iceland. After our long drive, we visited two great spots on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula: the city of Stykkishólmur and Kirkjufell. We spent the night in the most amazing Airbnb overlooking Kirkjufell and the ocean.
Read MoreWhat better way to revel in the beauty of Iceland than stay in a tiny house right in nature. There are hundreds of amazing Airbnbs found all over the country. We booked 7 incredible free-standing houses for our trip along the Ring Road. Focusing on tiny houses, cottages, or cabins, there were several great options located in small villages or on farms in the middle of nowhere. Each house had everything you would find in a studio apartment: a kitchen, bathroom, and large room for living and sleeping. Cooking our dinners in the Airbnb in each night saved us hundreds of dollars in food costs, especially in a pricey country like Iceland. Here are the 7 Airbnbs that we booked and our experience spending the night in Iceland's nature.
Read MoreThe drive from the Mývatn region to Akureyri was the shortest, even with a detour to Húsavík. Most of our time was spent on a miserable Whale Watching tour in the cold pouring rain. There were no whales to be seen. Our day started to look up after getting to the magnificent Godafoss waterfall. In Akureyri, the 2nd largest city in Iceland, we visited one of the northernmost botanical gardens and their church upon the hill.
Read MoreOur fourth day driving the Ring Road was action packed as we went through the martian landscape of northeast Iceland. The highlights of this section of the Ring Road include the powerful Dettifoss waterfall, the geothermal lava fields of Krafla and Hevrir, a lava cave steam bath, volcanic craters, lava rock fields, and the gorgeous Lake Mývatn. It was a long day that ended with a problem with our Airbnb.
Read More
