Travel

       Pacific Northwest/Canada   

 I just got back from the trip of a lifetime. And that may be an understatement. It was incredible…I was fortunate enough to do this trip with my family and boyfriend. We went to 4 separate places on this trip and I want to do each one justice.

First we start in Seattle…

    We flew into Seattle with surprisingly good weather. We took the light rail train from the airport to downtown. ( very easy and only like 2 bucks,  I recommend ). We then walked around the piers and ate dinner. The view of the Sound is very pretty and a nice place to eat on the water.

 

My cute sister and I outside the Piers.

 

    We spent the next day exploring Seattle; and like probably 100% of the tourists there, we went to Pikes Market. The market is awesome! I highly recommend this! Its probably the number one attraction in Seattle and I think its justified. The throwing of the fish is great and entertaining! The flowers they sell at the market are beautiful and are everywhere, making it a great view. I loved all the food and art they sell there. I also have to say the amount of street performers and musicians astounded me. They are everywhere! Some very good, Some not so great. There was one man literally playing a McDonald's cup! That is it, just a cup. And one women was playing a washtub. Quite the creative crowd. I will say there are some strange people in that city. Many people literally just talking to themselves. I saw one man just standing holding a sign that said "I need a fat bitch" . Um… ok. Don't know how to respond to that but alright. Very entertaining.

 

 

 

It was raining in the morning hence the boots.

 

    The other places we went that I would recommend are: the chihuly exhibit, Pine street, the piers, Bavarian meats (great German food in the market), and Zara :). (they have some great shopping downtown)

    The character of the city is artistic, creative, a little grungy and free spirited. Definitely worth visiting but probably my least favorite on the trip. ( but only because the other places were so mind blowing).

Victoria, B.C.

    If you haven't heard of Victoria, British Columbia it is a small city on Vancouver island. It has a heavy British influence but is still inherently Canadian. It is out of a postcard. We took the ferry from Washington into Victoria (since its an island). The first thing we see when we get on land… they are filming a Disney movie… right outside Parliament. I mean that's how perfect this city is. Like a freaking Disney movie perfect. The cross walk signal was birds chirping!!! Literally chirping birds signaling when you are supposed to walk! This place is laid back, colorful, beautiful and friendly. I was amazed by the flowers everywhere!!! This city is perfect, pristine and clean. We met so many Canadians, all of whom were so friendly and nice! We even walked by a police officer and said " excuse me" and he said " I'm not in an hurry, I get paid whether I walk slow or fast,  smiled and casually walked off". No ones in a hurry. Picture perfect.

Parliament

 

The Grand Empress Hotel

Queen Victoria



 

See the cute Harbour Seal??

 

       We did a whale watching tour in the afternoon and saw about 4 Killer whales. Including one named "granny" who is 103 years old, the oldest killer whale recorded in the world. When we saw the orcas they were hunting for salmon and we could actually hear them calling to each other with the hydrophone. Seeing these intelligent creatures in the wild is surreal. They are brilliant hunters and to be able to watch them in their habitat is once in a lifetime.

Oh hello whale!

 

    My whole family and I were shocked at how happy, clean and colorful this city was. We did not want to leave. 

    Whether you are whale watching, seeing the harbor seals at fisherman Warf, walking around downtown, or having high tea at the empress hotel, Victoria will not disappoint.

To Sequim:

    Sequim Washington is a small town right on the outside of the Olympic national park. It is known for its beautiful  lavender they grow there. The lavender farms are worth seeing. (if you want to visit the park I suggest staying here)

 

    First we visited the most spectacular place: Hurricane Ridge.

    We drove up the mountain and when we reach the top it is the most beautiful view I have ever seen.  Snowcapped mountains all in a row. Stunning. We all were in shock..

 

    We then went hiking to the top of the mountain and walked right through the clouds. Literally in the clouds.

 

Yup, that's snow.



Clouds rolling in

    There were also deer everywhere! The crazy thing was you could get so close you could almost touch them. They weren't scared of humans at all. It was wonderful. (I'm kind of obsessed with animals by the way)

 

    Hurricane ridge is a must do! It is something I will never forget it and highly suggest to everyone!

    The next day was jam packed within the park.

    First trek was hiking to Marymere Falls, a gorgeous waterfall in the forest. I was astounded by the size of the trees and sheer beauty.

 



Badass Waterfall.

       After the waterfall we then made our way into the Hoh Rainforest. The cool thing about the Olympic Park is the different temperate zones, it actually has a rainforest. The hike through the Hoh rainforest looked like Jurassic park. Everything was green and covered in moss. The trees were huge and intimidating with hanging vines and mosses. I was really waiting for a dinosaur to come out. I loved being totally immersed in the nature and wilderness. The ground was so covered in moss and leaves it felt bouncy and soft.  It is a rare American forest.

 

Hiding in the jungle

 

     My mom is obsessed with the beach so we stopped at Rialto Beach, which ended up being a great decision. (we passed through Forks from Twilight… not impressed) The beach was not a typical beach. It blew us away. (So far just about everything in the park has surpassed our expectations). This is a pebble beach with gigantic cliffs and drift wood all along it. I have never been to a beach like this one, it was beautiful! (My dad also found some shark vertebrae!)

    The Olympic National Park blew every expectation we had out of the water! It was stunning. If you want to be in the wilderness and really appreciate the beauty of nature, this is the place. We went to the mountains, waterfalls, rainforest and beach in 2 days and in 1 park! How many places can you do that? This is something that should be on everyone's bucket list. I am dying to go back.

Back to Canada: Whistler, B.C.

    This may have been my favorite stop. ( even though its near impossible to pick ) Whistler, B.C. is my kind of heaven. A small village perched inside the Canadian Rockies that breathes beauty. The air just feels clean and fresh. You are truly in the great outdoors. Surrounded by mountains and lakes the only people you see are in the small village. The village is at the bottom of Whistler mountain. (This was the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics).

    Just like Victoria, it is clean, laid back and populated by friendly Canadians. ( and a ton of Australians)  Being healthy, sustainable and respecting nature is a way of life here. Its just how they are.

     In the winter, Whistler has some of the best skiing in the world, but in the summer it is one of the best places for outdoor adventure. Mainly mountain biking. We went up the skii lift and watched the mountain bikers race down the mountain (and saw a bear not too far away from them). We decided to try  mountain bike ourselves. Well... we were SUPPOSED to bike to Lost Lake and back it, and it would only take about an hour or so. But we ironically got lost going to Lost Lake. Somehow we got on the wrong trail which was definitely more advanced. There was a steep hill with a sharp turn at the bottom and both my sister and I had EPIC wipeouts. We came racing down the hill and both lost control of the bikes and flew into the bushes… pretty hilarious.. Minimal damage, maximum embarrassment. Bruises and scrapes but no broken bones thanks to the bushes that caught us. I'll remember that fall forever. I don't think professional mountain biking is in my future. But it was fun!

    One of the main attractions in Whistler is the Peak to Peak Gondola. It is the highest and longest gondola in the world. It gives you the best view of the multitude of gigantic mountains around you. Definitely worth every penny.

My sister and I in the gondola

 

The view in the gondola

    We did biking, the chair lifts, farmers market (awesome), the gondola and enjoyed the village. I suggest the maple taffy which we got at the farmers market. They put maple syrup on a stick and then put it on ice so it turns into taffy. Delicious! They also had a lot of authentic Australian food ( so many Australians live there not sure why) but they had Australian meat pies ( I got a veggie one) and it was so good. Maybe my favorite food I had. Yummy.

    Whistler is so relaxing and just a breath of fresh air. I am already trying to plan my next trip back here. It was that wonderful. Made me want to be Canadian.

    We left Whistler and had to drive back to Seattle to catch our flight back to reality. This was one of the best trips of my life. It was unique and beautiful every second. We did so much more that I didn't even mention (otherwise it would be way too long). This trip was an eye opener. It reminds me how much I love being outdoors. Canada reminded me to slow down and enjoy life. ( even talked to some Canadians who said Americans go too fast and stress to much… so true) Nobody in Canada seemed stressed or in a hurry. They were all polite and inviting. I would love to make another trip to our northern neighbors.

    Enjoying this trip with my boyfriend and family made it even more memorable. I will truly never forget this incredible vacation. It was once in a lifetime.

 

Animals we saw: deer, chipmunks, woodpeckers, killer whales, 3 bears and a bald eagle!

 

 

If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. :)

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 D.C.!!

I grew up incredibly lucky to have found the friends I did. I have known them since middle and elementary school.  Even some are in my family home videos.

In fact I would call these friends my family, because they basically are.

My friend this weekend hit it on the head when she said we were "chosen family."

She's right.

 

 

....

 

My friend and I  went to visit our other friend in D.C. (where she lives now) for the weekend.

 

We had to get a picture at the Texas site of the World War II memorial. Being Texans and all.

This was imperative.

 

At night we went out to a few bars that were a lot of fun. (Maybe too much fun since we were all dead the next day) My favorite bar was Brixton. It had 3 floors. One that was more relaxed, a dance floor and a roof top. Of course we stayed mostly at the dancing floor. Duh.

I wore this jumpsuit (I may now be obsessed with jumpsuits) Saturday night.

My goal is to find about 5 more jumpsuits in assorted colors. Because they are amazing, and comfy.

Just add some awesome shoes and jewelry and done.

 

 

 

 

During the day we walked around to do all the touristy things...

Just threw a sweater over my gingham shirt, added a necklace and put on some skinny jeans.

Easy Peasy.



 

WHTIE HOUSE!

 

It actually looks fake. Its too perfect. Or maybe it has just been in too many movies.

I waited a very long time to see Olivia Pope walk in, but she didn't.

Damn.

 

It is pretty though.

 



 

Me at the capital!!!

I love this chambray shirt. I just tied it up like a crop top and wore it with my J. Crew skirt.

 

 

We saw the Smithsonian natural history museum, the capital, the White House, Washington monument, WWII memorial, Library of Congress and more.

It was all amazing.

We also went into Georgetown for dinner one night which I suggest. Its such a pretty area.

Overall, I love the city.

Everything is so patriotic.

I kept wanting to scream "Merica!"

But really, it is a cool city filled with important people and beautiful old buildings. (I always love cities with nice architecture)

 

...

 

But the best part was seeing my friends. We all live in different cities now, but it doesn't change how close we are.  I always hate saying goodbye to them, but I know we will make a way to see each other soon. My life would be so different without them.

 

 My Chosen Family.

 

 

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Charleston Weekend:

      I made it ! I actually survived my first 10 k! It was such a fun run I highly recommend the Cooper River Bridge Run to anyone who wants to do a 10 k. There were 40,000 people running the race it was crazy! Bands were playing along with people cheering for you, it was great. I honestly had so much fun I can't wait to do another one! Let me tell you if I can do a 10k, anyone can do it. I used to hate running until recently. I was always scared to do a race so I forced my boyfriend to sign me up so I had to do one. I wanted to prove to myself I could. Plus my boyfriend did it last year and my competitive side came out and I couldn't let him do it and not me.  Moral of the story: you really can do it.

        After the race we spent the day in Charleston walking around the city. Downtown, King street has H&M, J Crew, Madwell, Forever 21, Kate Spade and more. It also has great restaurants and bars. We stopped at a bar called Boones and had a drink. I got a cocktail called the Mull-it. It was so very delicious and very southern. It was like an old fashioned with bourbon, cider, cinnamon, clove and lemon peel. Delicious!

      We were exhausted from waking up and running so early we got dinner on king street, hung around for a while then went back to the hotel to sleep.

 

All in all it was a great and relaxing weekend. To be honest I'm just glad I finished the race. Surprisingly I was able to run it all, proof that adrenaline and determination can help you do just about anything.







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          Its going to be a busy spring! In just a couple weeks I will be running my first race. Eeeek! I will be doing a 10k in Charleston called the Cooper River Bridge Run. For someone who used to HATE running, this is a big deal for me. I have to say the past few months training for this race I've really started loving running. Its amazing how your body adapts. I had forced my boyfriend to sign me up for this race and make me do it. Lets hope I make it.
               In May I will be going to Washington D.C. to visit my best friend who lives there now. I can't wait to see her and my other best friend from Dallas who is meeting us. It will be a fun girls weekend for sure! I love D.C., I'm really hoping I can run into Olivia Pope...
              Then June I will be going with my boyfriend and family to the Pacific northwest! We will be visiting Seattle, Vancouver and Whistler. Canada, eh? Yes, very excited to visit out northern neighbors. Needless to say, I'm beyond excited. As I have mentioned before, traveling is my favorite thing in the world. I will be posting about all 3 trips in the next few months and can give some inside scoop on what to do and where to go! I can't wait to post about all these adventures!