Month: January 2018

Hallgrimskirkja – Say That Three Times Fast

Posted on January 29, 2018 by

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The second tallest building in Iceland is the Lutheran church, Hallgrimskirkja. It sits in the center of Reykjavík and has become one of the city’s best known symbols. Brett’s birthday happened to fall on a Sunday and he was raised Lutheran, so what better…

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The Land of Fire and Ice

Posted on January 21, 2018 by

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Winter in Iceland might seem like a really bad idea. And when I planned a trip to Reykjavik in January, I was a little concerned I was making a huge mistake. But we got a smokin’ deal through Travel Zoo and being winter people,…

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Liebster Award

Posted on January 14, 2018 by

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The Liebster Award is a blogging award which is peer given and a way to promote new blogs and connect people. Thank you very much to Aixa (Mucho Spanish) for the nomination! Be sure to check out her amazing blog. She writes about travel experiences,…

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Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”

Hunter S. Thompson

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Throwing it back to when we hiked the Inca Trail a year and a half ago. Those are 500 year old “look out” ruins overlooking Machu Picchu. We just booked our plane tickets for Nepal. I can’t stop singing Cat Stevens. I have a feeling EBC is going to make this traipse through the Andes seem like child’s play. #tbt * * * #andes #peru #incatrail #machupicchu #ruins #hiking #trek #highaltitude #ontopoftheworld #wearebutaspeck #abovetheclouds #ancientcivilization #incas #exploretheworld #adventure #beautyinnature #optoutside #takeahike #pushyourself #emptynestadventures
A few years ago I did 23andme. I’ve been contacted by several distant relatives and we’ve been able to figure out who our common ancestor is, but the best one happened a couple months ago. I got an email from a woman named Jennifer and we figured out that my granddad and her grandma were brother and sister. We share a great-grandfather, Benjamin Harrison, whom my son, Gray Harrison is named after. Jennifer told me that she has a mug that my grandma (her grandma’s sister-in-law) had made for our great-grandfather Benjamin Harrison (my grandma’s father-in-law), and she is sending it to me. So, while my husband told 23andme to destroy his DNA because he thinks it’s all a government conspiracy, my DNA has connected me with a family heirloom and a really cool cousin! It’s been fun discovering all we have in common, and pretty funny that we are connected with a lot of the same people on IG. This gorgeous photo is courtesy of my newfound cousin and kindred spirit @msnightfall #mojavedesert * Swipe to see a photo of my grandma (the maker of the mug) and me. She died when I was 5 and she was only 58. It’s hard not to feel like we both got ripped off. #familyiseverything * * * #23andme #cousins #dna #familygenes #hikers #travelers #photographers #adventurers #outdoorlovers #lifeenthusiasts #californiaraised #emptynestadventures
On our recent road trip to Texas we took a detour to Oklahoma City. I always do a lot of research on the cities we visit and then map everything out. We walk a lot; I think the best way to get to know a place is to walk around it. Here are a few highlights. * Pedestrian Bridge: go at night when it’s lit up. It is a little strange though because this is a bridge to nowhere. There is literally nothing but farmland when you cross it. #bridgetonowhere * Ghost signs: I love ghost signs and these were a fun surprise we happened upon when walking around. The Hoover repair shop was my fave! The window was broken so we got a good look inside. Crazy that it still looks like it did all those years ago. #walldogs * Milk Bottle Grocery: Once a grocery store on Route 66, it’s now an insurance office, but they’ve kept the iconic bottle. #milkbottlegrocery * Gold Dome: Another Route 66 landmark, it has retained its golden glory. #golddome * Oklahoma Stockyards: We were lucky enough to see a bunch of longhorns on their way to the St. Paddy’s parade. #stockyards * OKC National Memorial: Such a moving and beautiful tribute to the ‘95 bombing that took the lives of 168 people including 19 children. I couldn’t stop crying while in the museum learning about the people who were killed. It was brutal. Each victim has a chair (the children’s are little) that light up at night. #okcmemorial * Land Rush Monument: This massive monument is amazing! It pays homage to the Land Rush of 1889 when the government gave land away to whomever claimed it to promote westward expansion. #westwardho * * * #oklahoma #oklahomacity #50states #exploreyourcountry #roadtrip #letsgosomewhere #visitnewplaces #midwest #middleamerica #route66 #ghostsigns #frontier #prairieland #emptynestadventures
Today was crazy in the best possible way. It was absolutely gorgeous and no one was there! I’d forgotten what it’s like to just go and not have to bob and weave around a million people. “I like it a lot.” #perfectday * * * #colorado #spring #breckenridge #optoutside #mountains #peak9 #bluebirdday #emptynestadventures
We were in Adrian, Texas, the mid-point on Route 66 between LA and Chicago at sunrise, and other than seeing the lady put up the flags at the mid-point sign, the place was deserted. This abandoned filling station was a veritable time capsule, although it appears to have been recently painted. I love thinking about all the people who filled up here and bought a Coke in the days of yore. Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong decade. #route66 * * * #adriantexas #midpoint #americathebeautiful #roadtrip #timecapsule #getyourkicks #explore #goseestuff #letsgosomewhere #50statesgoal #ilovehistory #america #truetexas #ilovetheusa #roadtripadventures #emptynestadventures
Going through the Route 66 town of Amarillo, hitting up the Cadillac Ranch is a must. Make sure to bring some spray paint. A couple of days ago we heard one of our best friends had a massive heart attack. He’s going to be fine, but our spray paint tribute was for him. He’s not a very demonstrative one, but he knows we love him. #tomorrowisntguaranteed #tellpeopleyoulovethem #di P.S. Those clouds turned into the scariest storm with tornado warning I’ve ever been in. We had to seek shelter under a freeway overpass and it was hailing and lighting like I’ve never seen. 😩#roadtripadventures * * * #amarillo #texas #thingsarebiggerintexas #cadilacranch #tornadowarning #roadtrip #springbreak #seetheusa #exploreyourcountry #route66 #youllseeamarillo #getyourkicks #newsights #emptynestadventures
On Tuesdays and the weekends there is a light show on the Cathedral of San Fernando in San Antonio that runs through the entire history of the area in 26 minutes. I wasn’t expecting much, but it was awesome! #texashistory * * * #deepintheheartoftexas #sanantonio #texas #everythingisbiggerintexas #roadtrip #springbreak #exploreyourcountry #letsgosomewhere #americathebeautiful #historyisimportant #learnnewthings #emptynestadventures
On our way through Kansas, we met The Keeper of the Plains. He’s 44 feet (13.4 meters) tall and quite impressive. #wichita * * * #kansas #roadtrip #springbreak #seeamerica #50statesgoal #nativeamericanhistory #letsgosomewhere #haveadventures #exploreyourcountry #ilovetheusa #carkaraoke #emptynestadventures

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