1. I think my favorite vacation of all time was our sailing/biking trip to Croatia. The picture says it all. I can’t think of anything I would rather do than ride a bike through some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. The climate was perfect for me, the days were leisurely (well, compared to most vacations), I got the perfect amount of exercise, and every day was a different adventure.
2. My second favorite vacation also involved biking. This vacation was actually two parts and the longest vacation I ever took. The first week was all biking and we biked through Germany, Switzerland and Austria around the gorgeous Bodensee Lake. Everything about it was perfect, the scenery, the weather, the biking, the food, and the company (we went with two brand new friends and had a blast).
During the second week of this trip we stayed in a villa on the side of cliff overlooking Lago Maggiore in Cannobio, Italy. This was very unusual for us – nothing but relaxing and sightseeing. It was a nice break after all the biking and the scenery (and food) was outstanding.
3. Is it bad that I’m ranking our honeymoon third in the list? For our honeymoon we spent 3 days touring Barcelona before boarding a ship for a Mediterranean cruise. Not only did I love Barcelona, but all our ports of call were beautiful. I especially liked Tuscany and plan to go back there for sure. One of the highlights was the Tuscan feast at the farmhouse pictured above. Abundant and delicious food, complete with a donkey walking across the room. What an experience. The best part of cruising is the variety of things to do and see each day.
4. Next comes Utah and this includes Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon and Lake Powell, all of which were spectacular. Zion will always hold a special place in our hearts. It has taken over as our number one favorite national park. The photo above is Zion Valley. This was a solid week of outdoor adventure through some of the most remarkable landscape I’ve ever seen. As much as I don’t like going back to places I’ve already been when there’s so much more world to explore, this is a definite to revisit.
5. Back to biking trips. We took a week-long bike tour of the Canadian Rockies. And this wasn’t just a bike tour. It was billed as an adventure tour. Although the weather didn’t cooperate for our hot air balloon ride, we did manage to go white water rafting, sea kayaking and sail plane soaring. Talk about a different adventure every day. The terrain was tough, the temperatures varied greatly, the wildlife was everywhere, and the sights were amazing.
6. Yosemite has to make it on my list. One year we went from Lake Tahoe (which is also worth a great mention – loved that place too) to Yosemite. We happened to luck out with the best waterfalls in decades. I guess timing is everything when you visit Yosemite and we hit the jackpot. The picture above is just one of the many waterfalls that we hiked up. Lots and lots of hiking and climbing on this trip. Loved every minute of it.
7. I had to trick Karlo into this trip. We actually flew into Las Vegas, but I couldn’t tell him that. I called this our “Southern Nevada” trip because there is no way I could get Karlo to Vegas for vacation. We did slip into the evil city for a couple of nights, but this was another outdoor adventure filled with hiking, rafting and riding ATVs. We loved it.
8. Just this past year I fell in love with Virginia. I can’t believe how quickly I fell for this place and how ‘at home’ I felt. The week was perfect and included awesome hiking and what has to be THE BEST motorcycle rides in the country. The best part about this place is how close it is to home. Can’t wait to go back.
9. And speaking of close to home and stealing our hearts, we fell so hard for Maine after our first vacation to Acadia National Park that we bought land (and a house) just to be closer to it. We still have the dream of having a second home and partially retiring to mid-coast Maine. So much beauty, so many outdoor activities, such a nice lifestyle. I heart Maine.
10. One of the most fun vacations was to Washington State several years ago. I was on a business trip and Karlo flew across the country to spend time with me. Not only that, but my friend “CA Sue” also flew up and the three of us had a ball. We took the ferry over to Victoria, BC and rented scooters all day and strolled around island. In addition to that, Karlo and I spent some time alone hiking Mt. Rainer. That is the closest you can come to Heaven while still on earth. We had the perfect day and the perfect hike. Sue and I also had some alone time and strolled through Seattle, shopping at Pikes Market and taking in the sights of the city.
Now where will we be off to next?
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