Hiking, Slow travel, Travel Diary, United States, Walking Holidays

Bellingham, a Walking Paradise

4 Comments
teddy bear cove chuckanut drive

Why we love Bellingham, WA

It’s no secret that Washington is Eric and I’s favorite state in the United States, followed closely by Oregon. We visit the Pacific Northwest as often as possible. One of the reasons we love this area is because it is a walking paradise. Notice I said walking, not hiking. Most people think hiking when they plan a trip here, and for good reason. The North Cascades, Mt. Rainier and Olympic Mountains offer epic hikes, but zoom in closer on the map and you’ll discover endless possibilities.
Continue Reading

Europe, Reflections & Humor, Slow travel, Travel Diary, Trip Planning

Pastries Nearly Killed the Budget…and Me

No Comments

No matter how much time I spend planning & budgeting, our trips always seem to wander off track, which I’m totally fine with because it matches our travel style.  Our recent trip to Germany & Austria, however, was a unique divergence…we blew our budget on PASTRIES!

Continue Reading

Europe, Slow travel, Travel Diary, Trip Planning, Walking Holidays

Why I LOVE Haus Hepi

No Comments
Obertraun Austria

Have you ever stayed at a place where you thought, “I could live here” or “I would like to be adopted by these people?” Well, that is EXACTLY how we felt after a five night stay at Haus Hepi in Obertraun, Austria.

A year ago when I began planning a trip “somewhere” in Europe, I knew two things: we wanted beautiful landscapes for hiking & a place to stay that felt like home. I looked at farm stays all across Bavaria & Iceland, coastal cottages in Portugal, villas in Costa Rica. I used a lot of non-English search terms, trying to find lodging that only the locals would know about…and that’s when I discovered Haus Hepi. I had never heard of Obertraun, but Haus Hepi’s site said they had a hiking package which included customized advice on hiking itineraries plus transportation from Salzburg plus the option to add dinner prepared by a professional chef. PERFECT! I built the rest of our two week trip around this place, & boy am I SOOOOOO glad I did.
Continue Reading