Christmas Break Down Under??

Thanks to your voting, we are so excited to be traveling to AUSTRALIA this December!!!!!!! We will be in Victoria, send us a message if you have any advice on what to do! Check back soon for updates and posts from our trip!!!

Capri

What we did:

• Took a boat ride around the island
• Went inside the famous "Blue Grotto"
• Ate at da Giorgio restaurant: Da Giorgio Capri
• Went shopping around town
• Hiked to "Villa Jovis"

Tips:

• If you don't mind spending some extra cash then renting a private boat can really enhance your experience. We rented a boat from Positano and our captain made the experience really fun. There are plenty of companies that offer boat trips, some hotels can negotiate cheaper prices so ask your hotel to check into private boat trips to Capri. Our captain saved time to let us take a dip in the clear turquoise water before we departed from the island.
• DO NOT MISS THE BLUE GROTTO. It may be crowded and a little extra money but its completely worth it. If you skip this then you will regret it. Don't forget to bring extra Euros, around 5 per person but it may vary so it wouldn't hurt to bring extra.
• Da Giorgio restaurant had awesome food and an equally awesome view. Its a pretty nice restaurant but no need to stress out about what you are wearing, the friendly staff welcomes all.
• Most of the shops are very expensive. In general, Capri is an expensive place, but its still fun to window shop where the rich and famous purchase their garments while on vacation.
• Hiking to Villa Jovis is NOT easy! Wear tennis shoes, or shoes that do not hurt your feet. We wore flip flops and were not prepared at all for the near vertical hike to the villa. The view from the top is stunning and the ruins are really cool as well. It was absolutely worth the blisters on our feet over the next few days.

Photos from the beautiful Isle of Capri

Playlists

Whenever we take a road trip somewhere, we ALWAYS burn CDs with mixed playlists! This is great for keeping yourself entertained on long drives and it can really set the mood for your trip. For example, on our Cali road trip, we blasted some "California Gurls" by Katy Perry and "California" by Phantom Planet! Also, when we were leaving Positano, we were very sad so we listened to "Time to Say Goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli.
Having music to listen to on your trips is great because when you are back home and you hear that song, you will think of some great memories from your trip!
Music helps us get pumped for all our trips and we strongly believe it can do that for you, too!
Below are a few songs that you might enjoy:

"Yes" by LMFAO

"Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind

"The Underdog" by Spoon

"Fancy" by Drake

Positano: Albergo California

We stayed at Albergo California (Hotel California) for 5 nights and absolutely loved it.  It was very clean and surprisingly affordable compared to other hotels in Positano. Our room had four twin size beds, a small but nice bathroom, high ceilings and tile floors. There was also a TV and a mini fridge. The room had plenty of space for the luggage of four people.  It opened up to a balcony with an amazing view (pictured below) and a table that we ate breakfast at every morning. The owner, Maria, became our Italian mother, taking care of our every need. She was even able to get us better prices on boat tours and other activities. Overall, the staff was extremely nice and helpful during our stay. The beach is about a five to ten minute walk from the hotel. It’s a beautiful walk past shops, restaurants, and little grocery markets.  However, on the way back up to the hotel, we got pretty exhausted. It seems like a vertical hike but if you just take it slow and enjoy your surroundings it will go by quickly. Its great because you can eat as much pizza as you want and you wont feel bad because you know you are getting a great work out everyday just walking to and from the restaurants. Albergo California is on the same street as the famous hotel La Sirenuse. So, if you are looking for a hotel in a great location for a reasonable price then be sure to keep Albergo California in mind. We would stay there again in a heartbeat! Hotel California Positano - your hotel in amalfi coast

Our Dream Trip to Positano

Our trip to Positano, Italy was by far one of the most incredible and memorable trips that we have ever been on together. Arriving in Positano was a dream come true. The pictures are astonishingly beautiful yet they do not even begin to do the place justice. Colorful houses hug a cliff that overlooks the sparkling turquoise ocean. The food is unbelievably good, the weather is perfect, the air is clean, and the locals treat you like family. We never wanted to leave this little piece of paradise. Basically, it is like heaven on earth...and, if you need proof, there are a few pictures from our trip below. We will write other blogs about what we did, where we visited, and where we stayed but for now just check out the pictures. And just to warn you, if you visit Positano, the rest of your life may seem like a downward spiral...at least, until you find another place as amazing as Positano! :)

Cool websites to check out

1. On Kayak.com if you click on "flights" and then click on "explore" (its on the right under "Flexible dates") then you will see a map of the world. You can type in the airport closest to you in the box at the top of the screen. Then it will show you prices to hundreds of places all over the world that you can fly to from your airport and the price! You can put in the time of year you are planning on going and the maximum price you are willing to pay. You can also search by activities, language, and temperature by clicking on "what?" If you click on "How?" then you can choose whether you want a non stop flight and the number of hours that you are willing to fly. This is great if you want to go on a trip but are not sure where to go!
KAYAK Explore - see where you can go for how much

2. This next site is a universal packing list! All you have to do is enter some information about your trip, for example, dates, temperature, accommodations, activities and more... it only takes a minute or two to fill it out. If you click on the 3.3 MB then you can choose your exact location from a map. Then click "Create packing list." It will give you a detailed list of everything you need on your trip. This site is great for people that don't want to waste time thinking of everything they need for a trip on their own. Its quick, simple and VERY helpful!
The Universal Packing List

Our Travel Bucket List

Machu Picchu, Cusco, Peru

Sugarloaf Mt. Brazil

Elephant Sanctuary, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa

Ko Phi, Thailand

Blue Lagoon, Iceland

Whitsundays, Australia

Sintra, Portugal

Plitvice Falls, Croatia

Bora Bora

Bali, Indonesia

Sri Lanka, India

Victoria Falls, South Africa

Antarctica

The South Island of New Zealand

What's on your travel bucket list? Let us know!
photos from Google Images

Muir Woods

     It must have been meant-to-be for us to see the giant Red Wood trees in Muir Woods, CA. We were very close to missing out on the entire experience... This is how our day went... 6 am: woke up, got packed and started out on our drive from Paso Robles to San Francisco. 9 am: stopped for breakfast at a doughnut shop, ordered some bagels, chatted with some local elderly men, and got a huge bag of free doughnut holes. 11:45 am: made it to the airport, got all checked in and ran to the gate hoping to make a twelve thirty flight. 12:50 pm: didn't get on the 12:30 flight, so we tried for the 2:00 flight. 2:15 pm: We were extremely close to making this flight but passengers ran up and took the seats at the last minute. 2:30 pm: We realized that there were no more flights until 10:50 that night!!!
    So....., instead of waiting around in the airport for hours, we got to go back out and explore California! We decided to cross the golden gate bridge and go through Sausalito and up to Muir Woods. It was a beautiful clear day (perfect weather to visit the golden gate bridge), and driving across the golden gate bridge is an amazing experience! After crossing the bridge we pulled over at the first stop to take pictures and get a better look at the bridge and its surroundings. Looking out over Sausalito reminded us of an island you would see on the coast of Italy or the Caribbean. Absolutely beautiful! Next time we would love to spend more time in that area!
     Next, we made our way up the winding road to Muir Woods. When we got there, we had to pay a $5 entry fee to enter the park, but trust us... it was well worth it!! The trees were gigantic and the forrest was beautiful and enchanting. We could have spent hours looking at the trees, but for times sake we only stayed for about 45 minutes. Muir Woods is one of the only forests left in the world that contains these amazing trees. The Red Wood trees are God's tallest creation on earth, and that is reason enough for a visit!!! The tallest Red Wood in Muir woods is 258 feet tall; if you want proof then go see for yourself! It's an incredible experience and a great thing about Muir Woods, compared to Yosemite or Red Wood National Park, is that its not far at all from San Francisco, which makes it an easy and unforgettable day trip.
      After seeing Muir Woods, we still had time to get back to San Fransicso, eat deep dish pizza, get frozen yogurt (our daily tradition for the trip), and get back to the airport in time for the 10:50 flight (which we actually did not get on either, but no big deal - we made it back home the next day). In the end, I think we were all glad that the flights were full earlier in the day... because otherwise, we never would have had these amazing experiences!

Shell Beach

• Shell Beach is a part of the famous Pismo beach, CA. When we arrived in Pismo beach we drove all around the cliffside neighborhoods and discovered many adorable houses with colorful gardens and incredible views. Definitely not a bad place to live! When you arrive at Shell Beach you have to walk down many flights of stairs to get to the "beach" which actually has no shells and it completely made of rock, sand, and algae. Be sure to get there when the tide is low, because you won't be able to go down the stairs during high tide! Despite the lack of shells, Shell Beach is absolutely amazing. Our cameras were glued to our hand the entire time. There is no such thing as a bad view here; everywhere you look there are sheer cliffs and rolling hills. 

Morro Bay and Avila Beach

• While we were staying in Paso Robles, CA, we decided to take a day trip to some of the coastal towns nearby. The first stop we made was in Morro Bay, a location that was recommended to us by a girl we met at one of the wineries. She told us about an aquarium that we had to see. When we arrived we found that it was a tiny, old building in a beautiful location. We were pleased to find out that tickets are just $2!! When you enter the first room there are three sea lions that you can feed and play with while they are in their cages. They will jump out of the water, climb up ramps, and make A LOT of noise. You can buy a bag of food for just 50 cents and the seals will do tricks for you! View their website. Overall this was one of our favorite things that we did all week. After leaving the aquarium, we walked down to a ledge overlooking the incredible bay. We watched kids learning how to sail in little sailboats and wealthy men relaxing on their yachts. We definitely recommend visiting Morro Bay for a day trip!

•  Our second stop was Avila Beach, which was about an hour drive from Paso Robles. This is a very small town with a great family-friendly beach. It was too chilly to swim, so we spent our time walking past the shops and up the hills around town. Avila was full of children running around, making sand castles, playing on the swing sets, and eating ice cream. Even on a cold day Avila Beach was a great place to enjoy the beautiful California coast. The stores and restaurants facing the beach are cute and fun! If you're taking the kids along, this is a must-see beach!!

Paso Robles

Paso Robles is a quaint little town filled with vineyards and cowboys. The locals are some the friendliest we've come across in California! We highly recommend staying here or at least visiting a few of the local wineries and restaurants. 


Activites:

• We visited the EOS Estate vineyard which, according to our mothers, had excellent wine tasting. We went on a self-guided tour through the winery's testing lab station, the barrel storage room, and ended up on a balcony overlooking the vineyards. This winery has a Tuscan feel to it, and so does the rest of Paso Robles. View the winery's website.This town is not touristy at all, and we were treated as locals. 

Restaurants:

• We had two recommendations to eat at McPhee's Grill, and we loved the food so much that we ate there two nights in a row! The menu includes a wide variety of food, from jambalaya to cedar planked salmon. The second night, we showed up about 30 minutes after they closed, but they went out of their way to make sure we had a great meal that night! The wonderful waitress from the night before was there and came to talk to us, as well as the owner's daughter. We felt so welcome and couldn't have asked for better service. Check out their website. 
• For breakfast we went to Cowgirl Café. Here we met some very nice locals and enjoyed a delicious breakfast! They serve huge pancakes, crispy bacon, hash browns, and much more! It's not a fancy place, it's just a casual, friendly, home-style restaurant. View their website.