One of my bucket list items in life has always been to hike in the Black Forest; the very same forest where Hansel and Gretel got lost. So during our drive through this part of Germany, we spent a few days exploring the area, and hiked the Feldberg Steig trail. We were in the very same woods where Little Red Riding Hood encountered the wolf and my heart couldn’t be happier.
To be honest, I had never heard of Dunn’s River Falls prior to our Jamaica trip. But when I heard about the number one tourist destination that was even featured in a James Bond film, I did my homework (watched Dr. No) and decided that it was worth a visit.
The Keleher Preserve is a conservation area in the town of New Scotland that is managed by the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy. This is a larger preserve, with over 440 acres and offers miles of hiking trails with some overlooks of the city of Albany. We got a chance to hike around this gorgeous spot to take in the final days of summer. We even spied some leaves already starting to change color on us!
The journey up to North Point is a beautiful one. We decided to hike to this overlook with our one year old son and had a wonderful time! With multiple views along the way, the trail gently slopes up, giving you a lot of level areas and allowing you to catch your breath as you make your way to the top. This was our first real hike since our son was born, and it was the best way to get ourselves back into hiking shape!
When the plane touched down, my husband and I found ourselves in a Tolkien-esque environment, with jaw dropping cliff faces, blue ocean all around us, and the sun shining bright. It was our first time visiting the Faroe Islands, this gorgeous group of islands in the North Atlantic between Iceland and Scotland. The Faroes are populated with fishermen, captains, the most lovely, down to earth, salty people, and sheep. We had one of the best travel experiences of our lives here.
How does one beat 94 degree weather during summer in New York state? Going for a nice walk under a canopy of trees along a fast-flowing creek works really well! That’s what we did when we recently visited the Wolf Creek Falls Preserve in Knox, New York.
When visiting Iceland, we were excited about the thermal springs everywhere. Everyone has heard of the Blue Lagoon located southwest of Reykjavik for obvious reasons, it is a stunning facility where, as a guest, you are pampered. But not many people have heard of the Hveravellir thermal springs. My husband and I (fiance at the time) were looking for something a little less formal. We wanted to go straight into the ground. No finesse, no spa, just pure thermal springs and us. Hveravellir did not disappoint did not disappoint.
Grafton Lakes State Park is a glorious little destination that is very popular and well-known in its local area for its beach, which is always packed on a hot summer day. However, there is far more to Grafton Park than its beach. We went off the “beaten path” here, onto their small trail that went around Shaver Pond, and had a very private experience.
Two places very near and dear to my heart are Clermont and Olana; two historic homes and estates located in the Hudson River Valley in upstate New York that are now protected State parks. Both places have contributed greatly to local and national history, and in very different ways. We recently visited and hiked around Clermont and I must say that in June, it may be one of my favorite settings in the world.
Perfect white pebbles and clear blue water. That is what you are in for when you visit the Seychelles Beach along the southern coast of Ikaria, Greece. For anyone looking for the idyllic Greek beach to see while they are on vacation, this is the place to visit.