Our most anticipated day in Japan came on July 17…we had tickets to watch sumo wrestling in Japan, something we have been talking about for months now. I have to say, we have become lackadaisical travelers…rarely planning anything in advance anymore, showing up to new countries and cities having no idea what to see, do, or how to get around. …
Kyoto, Japan in Photos
Since arriving in Japan, we have been sightseeing at warp speed. The clock is ticking…in just two short weeks our amazing adventure will be coming to a conclusion and we will be back in Columbia, Maryland. Feeling the need to squeeze every ounce that we can out of these last few weeks, we are out and about all day long, …
How to Plan a Hiroshima Day Trip from Kyoto, Japan
Hiroshima is the site where the first of two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan during World War II. I had imagined Hiroshima to be a radioactive wasteland, a terrible, lingering reminder of the horror of WWII. As we learned on our day trip to Hiroshima, that is not the case at all. Hiroshima is a thriving city, very much …
First Impressions of Japan: 24 Hours in Osaka & Kyoto
Konnichiwa! We are now in Japan, our final country before heading home to the United States. At the time that I am writing this we have only been in Japan for four days and it is quickly becoming one of our favorite countries. I know it sounds like I have a lot of favorites but Japan is truly topping the list, …
Jeju, South Korea in Photos
Jeju, a small island off of the southern coast of South Korea, is a hotspot of tourism for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean tourists. The island is dotted with UNESCO World Heritage Sites, hiking trails, shopping areas, small amusement parks, various museums, and beaches. We heard great things about Jeju so we devoted most of our time in South Korea here. …
Making New Friends in South Korea
It was our last night in Seoul. I had just finished doing the laundry and preparing our things for our early flight to Jeju the next morning. It was 9 pm and Tim and I were hungry so we decided to go out and get a quick bite to eat. Leaving Tyler and Kara in our hotel room, we vowed …
48 Hours in Seoul, South Korea
We had just 48 hours in Seoul, just enough time to see the capital of South Korea before flying south to the island of Jeju, South Korea’s playground. While planning our time in South Korea, I read that there was not much to see and do in Seoul. One day is sufficient and two days are more than enough. At the …
How to Visit the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur
The main reason we visited Kuala Lumpur was to see the Petronas Towers. We have an affinity for visiting the world’s tallest buildings and our list would not be complete without climbing the Petronas Twin Towers. We flew here from Singapore, just a short, cheap flight away, and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for two days. This is just enough time …
How We Spent Four Days in Singapore
Singapore, a city that is also a country, is the closest that we would get to the equator on our trip around the world. We were just 137 kilometers (85 miles) from the equator and wow, could we tell! This is one hot city. We spent four days in Singapore, walking around in the sticky heat. Our taxi driver from …
365 Days of Travel in 100 Photos
This is a recap of the first 12 months of our trip around the world. So, here we are, 32 countries visited, 365 days of travel, and thousands of memories made. Here is a recap of our year, shown with our 100 favorite photos. In no particular order at all, here are some of our best moments, favorite spots, and unforgettable …
A Tale of Two Zoos
Did you know that Australia is home to more species of animal than any other country in the world that can kill you? Did you know that there are people in Australia crazy enough to pick them up and show them to you? Most people are familiar with Steve Irwin, aka the Crocodile Hunter, who wrestled crocodiles, captured poisonous snakes, …
The Great Barrier Reef: Cruising to Lady Musgrave Island
Before the start of our year long trip, we all had an activity that was a “must do.” For Kara, that “must do” activity was to go snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. We were all in agreement that we could not visit Australia without paying a visit to this natural wonder of the world, so our journey through Australia …
How to Hike the Rim Walk at Kings Canyon, Australia
Many people who travel to Australia visit Uluru. How can you miss seeing Australia’s most popular natural attraction? But there is a lot more out here than just a large, red rock plunked down in the outback. It can be hard to justify flying all the way to the Red Centre, only to spend a day or two viewing Uluru, …
One Day Road Trip on the Great Ocean Road, Australia
The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s great drives. It is comparable to Big Sur in California with coastal views, winding roads, and many, many scenic viewpoints. For many people, the Great Ocean Road is a highlight when visiting Australia. There’s a lot to see and do along the way. In this post, we cover the best spots to …
Wine Tasting in Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale: Our Experience in 2015
The area around Adelaide is Australia’s premiere wine region. Sitting around Adelaide are Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, and Clare Valley. Some people say that Barossa is the best and most well known, with McLaren Vale a few spots lower down on the list. The area around Adelaide produces some of the world’s best Shiraz, as well as very …
5 Amazing Things to Do on the Tasman Peninsula, Australia
The Tasman Peninsula may look small on a map, but there is a lot to do here. Speed boat cruises, ghost tours, hiking, touring one of Australia’s many penitentiaries, bird watching, whale watching, multi-day trekking…lots of great activities to choose from! The Tasman Peninsula is located one hour away from Tasmania’s capital city, Hobart. We used this is our home base …
It’s A Feeding Frenzy at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary!
Kangaroos, wombats, and Tasmanian Devils, oh my! Time for another animal encounter, this time at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in Tasmania, Australia. Tasmania, an island that sits off the southern coast of Australia, is home to some of the most unique wildlife in the world. Here, mothers raise their young in pouches, mammals lay eggs, and devils roam at night. We …
Now We Can Call Ourselves Bushwalkers
In Norway and Italy we were hikers. In Nepal we were trekkers. In New Zealand we were trampers. Now that we are in Australia and successfully hiked the Wineglass Bay Circuit, we can call ourselves bushwalkers. We had a week to spend in Tasmania, and like always, we were on the lookout for some of the best hikes (or bushwalks, …
Ten Fun Things To Do with Kids on the North Island of New Zealand
The second half of our New Zealand adventure took us through the North Island. Although the North Island lacks the stunning scenery that we were wowed by on the South Island, there are still heaps of fun activities for families. The North Island has it all…beaches, volcanoes, fabulous cities, famous movie sets, more adrenaline generating activities, and even caves filled …
Photo Tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set
What is the cutest little spot in New Zealand? The answer is Hobbiton, the movie set for The Shire in both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. What is Hobbiton? Hobbiton was constructed in 1999 for the filming of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It was used for just several weeks of filming and not intended …