Winter Wonderland for Christmas

Hi all! TGIF! In my London recap I mentioned a family Christmas trip to Jackson Hole, WY was in the works. Well that trip is finally here. We leave Monday morning for a winter wonderland. In previous posts about travel I have given pieces of information on what we have planned so I thought I would do a brief one here. Sidenote: I may or may not be stalking Jackson Hole's instagram to see all the pretty snow.

Weather
I think the whole family has been monitoring the weather. Looks like a lot of snow and super cold temperatures. I.Am.So.Excited :)

Where We Are Staying
In a few trips this year, the hubs and I booked an airbnb to stay in, but his parents reserved a townhouse through VRBO. Has anyone used VRBO and airbnb before? I'm curious to see how the two compare. According to the property description, it is within walking distance to downtown Jackson and near the Snow King Ski resort. Sounds super convenient.

What We'll Do
I am truly hoping for a relaxing vacation. There haven't been many opportunities to relax this year. No skiing for anyone which is kind of ironic since Jackson Hole is a ski resort haha A sleigh ride through the National Elk Refuge has been arranged. I think this will be beautiful! We're trying to pin down a snowmobiling excursion that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Dog sledding would be fun too. The Ariel Tram may be a good way to get some amazing photos (plus I read there is a must try waffle place at the top). The hubs and I took an ariel tram in Katoomba, Australia and ended up with some good photos. So far I have read a lot of "best restaurant" guides and assume that means we will be doing a lot of eating while there. Hello gym in January!

I'm very excited and ready to get there. As always, follow along on SnapChat (@r8d6g) to see our adventures.

Until next post...xoxo Becca

London Recap

Welcome back! If you haven't read the Paris Recap, start there first. Sunday we left Paris by train and made the two hour trip to London. Isn't it amazing you can move around Europe so quickly and easily? Not like that in the US! Especially in Texas. Two hours and you're barely out of Houston!

Our train arrived in Paris early afternoon and we met our airbnb host at a local hotel and walked to her apartment. She was a wonderful host and the apartment was in a great location, we could see the London Eye from the window and there are plenty of restaurants downstairs and along the Thames. That first afternoon we were interested in eating (fish 'n chips) and exploring the area we were staying in. Monday morning we had a reservation on the Thames Rocket (sightseeing by speedboat). Can you guess who booked this? The hubs of course lol It was a lot of fun and we enjoyed the tour guide, Little Mike, and skipper Nick. Little Mike was hilarious! Got some great pictures from the boat.

After the Thames tour we made the short walk from the London Eye to Westminster Abbey. Breathtakingly beautiful! No pictures allowed inside so exterior pictures only.

From Westminster Abbey we visited Winston Churchill's War Rooms which was very interesting. Learned a lot about Churchill and his contribution to the UK and the world. Walking through St. James Park we found ourselves at Buckingham Palace. After seeing Palace of Versailles, Buckingham was a little bit of a letdown, but great history all over the city!

The President of Columbia was visiting the Queen so the mall was colorful and welcoming.

 
The UK begins their daylight savings time about a week earlier than the US does, so the days were really short. In an attempt to fit it all in we took a taxi to Shakespeare's Globe Theater. Which is in fact a working theater with 2-3 shows per day. It was very interesting and even though it wasn't on our list of places to see I am very glad we went. The tour guide here was great as well! It's important to note this is not the original Globe as it was destroyed by fire in 1613. This replica was made possible by contributions from donors all over the world.

We walked "home" along the Thames and it was beautiful. The weather while we were in London was amazing and the cool, clear night walking along the River Thames will be a memory I cherish forever. Remember, it's the little things in life that give the most joy!

Unfortunately we wasted the next morning on a hop on, hop off bus. Because the Queen was entertaining the President of Columbia and London's every day traffic the bus didn't make it far. That afternoon we walked from Parliament through Hyde Park to Kensington Palace. It was the only day in London where the weather was cold and drizzly.

The King's Staircase

Dress worn by Princess Diana

Kensington Palace Gardens

Our last day in London we went to the Tower of London which has a very long and rich history. Plus it's where they store the Crown Jewels (no pictures allowed inside, but it was spectacular!). Our Yeoman Warder or "beefeater" tour guide, Dave, was fantastic; witty and full of stories about the Tower's history.

Beefeater Dave

After the tour we made our way outside to see the Tower Bridge one last time.

Then off to Kings Cross Station to see Platform 9 3/4. Had to visit for my sister-in-law. She may or may not have gotten a Platform 9 3/4 hoodie ;)

For our last night we moved to The Savoy hotel which was an experience of a lifetime. We we upgraded to a deluxe suite which was fit for a king! It was huge! If you followed me on snapchat then you saw the awesomeness of the suite. Thanks to the hub's parents we also got to experience The Lion King across the street at the theater.

We covered so much ground while there, but I know we didn't even scratch the surface of London. I would love to go back!

I hope you enjoyed the pictures from Paris and London and all our travels this year. It's been a lot of fun, but our trips are coming to an end. We have a family trip for Christmas to Jacksonhole, WY which I am really looking forward to.

Until next post...xoxo Becca

Paris Recap

We're home! Our trip to Europe was a success, but the hubs and I are happy to be home. It was a long trip with lots of sightseeing and walking. To keep posts to a reasonable length I'm going to make it 2 parts, starting with Paris.

Flights there were good. We arrived on Thursday morning and were able to check into our hotel room early which was a blessing because we were exhausted despite having slept on the flight. Plus we had a view of the tip top of the Eiffel Tower (insert heart eyed emoji). Before arriving, the hubs purchased the Paris Pass which proved to be beneficial for the hop on hop off bus. We spent the majority of Friday touring the city this way and only getting off at the stops we wanted. Sidenote: We purchased the London Pass too so I'll share a post reviewing them both in case anyone is considering either. Saturday we ventured out early to Palace of Versailles which was breathtaking. Because of the size of the estate we spent the majority of the day there. Sunday we headed off to London by train (our first train ride ever!). Enjoy pictures from Paris...

Views from the hop on hop off bus...

Later that night we went back to the Eiffel Tower to see it sparkle.  I had read that the best viewpoint was from Palais de Chaillot, right across the Seine from the tower. It proved to be a great location!

Palace of Versailles

I was obsessed with the fall foliage and symmetrical lines of trees. 

Marie-Antoinette's Estate

London's post will come next Monday. Until next post...xoxo Becca

Weekend Recap

My little love on her way to the vet.

This weekend was really busy. Saturday I spent most of the day house hunting with a friend who is moving about 45-minutes away. She's starting a new job and wanted another set of eyes to help her in her search. I was more than happy to help! Earlier in the week we spent an evening packing up her current apartment. We made a huge dent by tackling the kitchen. p.s. she bribed me with pizza and wine :P Of course I said I would help! Super sad she's moving away, but excited for the opportunities her new position will offer her and I'll have some place to visit when I just need to get out of town. Better have that spare bedroom ready for me girl! :)

Why is it every time I go to pack for a vacation I "have nothing to wear"? Talk about annoying, but gives me an excuse to go shopping to see if I can find anything. Sunday the hubs and I dropped Lexi off at the vet to get her caught up on shots and her teeth cleaned. That is an all day affair so after dropping her off we went home and I ventured off to Target and Marshall's to see if anything caught my attention. During my research on Paris I read a lot about safety and most of the suggestions were to blend in rather then looking like a tourist. It's hard to do when you look lost and can't speak French, but I want to give it a go. Luckily the majority of my fashion tastes are "Parisian" (black, white, muted colors, skinny/fitted jeans, flats, booties, pops of color with scarves). Late afternoon we picked up Lexi and took her to Katy where she will be staying while we are gone. Then dinner with the the family to celebrate the hub's birthday. We went to one of our favorite restaurants, the Taste of Texas. The salad bar is amazing! I ate way too much at the salad bar and ended up taking my whole entree to go. That's ok...lunch today!

Had planned on getting a lot of packing done over the weekend, but that didn't happen so I guess tonight's the night haha Wish me luck because I am sure I will over pack. 

Until next post...xoxo Becca

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

In Friday's post I eluded to another trip in the works. First I want to thank our friends for coming to celebrate the hubs' 30th birthday dinner. It was nice to catch up with everyone :)

Back to the travel announcement...Over the summer we visited the hub's bucket list place, Sydney, and now it's my turn (read my Travel Bucket List). I have dreamed of going to Europe for a long time. I love the idea of walking along the busy streets, seeing the different architectural styles, and standing on the site of so many history placed with a whole lot of history to share (nerd alert!).

I had a hard time narrowing down the Europe list, but we aren't millionaire so for now it is Paris and London. We will spend roughly four days in each city. It will be a lot to cram in, but it's the opportunity of a lifetime and I'm so excited to share this adventure with the hubs.

PARIS

Weather
From my research it appears the weather will be in the 40s and 50s, mild and dry. Seems like almost every trip taken this year involves cool or cold weather. I'm not complaining, I love fall and winter fashion.

Where We Are Staying
Hilton Paris Opera

What We'll Do
So much to see and so little time :( We will definitely see the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. Probably won't spend the money to go up in either, but these are iconic places not to be missed.

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We will take a day to venture out of the city to visit Palace of Versailles. This was a must for me. I believe it will take most of the day to travel and see all of the historic buildings and grounds, but hopefully a day well spent.

Others on the list are Grand Palais, Musee de l'Armee, Notre Dame, and Luxembourg Gardens.

LONDON

Weather
The temperatures appear to be similar to Paris, but October looks to be rainy so we will definitely need to pack accordingly.

Where We Are Staying
Since there isn't a language barrier here we decided to live like a local and get an airbnb. We had such a good experience in Sydney we wanted to try it again. We have booked a place near the London Eye and other sightseeing spots, but it is also convenient for transportation because it's near the Waterloo Station.

What We'll Do

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London Eye (because we're staying next to it lol), Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Westminster Abbey. We will most likely visit Hyde Park (we visited Sydney's Hyde Park) and a few museums related to law enforcement and military.

I'm very excited and ready to get there. As always, follow along on SnapChat (@r8d6g) to see our adventures.

Until next post...xoxo Becca