Day 179: Lake Tekapo
Ok, so I’m jumping ahead a bit, but I could hardly keep from posting this shot of Lake Tekapo! The photo doesn’t come close to describing what it is really like! The colors…wow!! And all this on a rather cloudy day! I wonder what it would be like on a bright, sunny day. I am so overwhelmed by the beauty of New Zealand! Lake Tekapo is famous for it’s gorgeous blue/turquoise colored water and amazing purple, pink, and yellow lupine flowers. It’s all rather stunning and difficult to take in. You can just… Read More
Day 178: Tongariro Photoblog
Tongariro National Park is a fabulous destination and definitely one to put on your list! There are several short walks, even trails that lead to waterfalls. And then there’s the more famous “Tongariro Alpine Crossing” which goes from one end of the park to the other, and can take between five to eight hours to complete. The trails offer stunning vistas and you’ll even recognize areas from the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, as many scenes were filmed here. We were not able to do the complete crossing, so I’ll reserve my comments… Read More
Day 176: Wai-o-tapu Geothermal Wonderland
Wai-o-tapu Geothermal Wonderland is quite likely one of New Zealand’s most colorful, most diverse geothermal experiences. This must-see destination is located close to both Rotorua and Taupo and offers three different walks of varying lengths that highlight the geysers, hot springs, and volcanic activity New Zealand is famous for. The walks are relatively easy, though they could prove to be challenging to those who have problems with mobility. At Wai-o-tapu, you will find intensely colored springs, bubbling mud pits, and steam rising throughout. The greens, reds, oranges, and yellows are almost unbelievable and… Read More
Day 175: The Coromandel Area, New Zealand
The Coromandel area in New Zealand is lovely. We could have spent a week there and still not run out of things to explore! Below are a few of our favorite not to miss areas. First off, the windy, twisty long way up to the Coromandel (route 25 on the west side of the Peninsula). The views are just stunning, if not a bit scary. You don’t have to use this route to arrive into the Coromandel area, as there is a much easier, more direct route, but the views are worth… Read More
Day 173: Hobbiton New Zealand
J.R.R. Tolkien. Author of some of our favorite books, now turned movies. A favorite of all of ours, how could we not visit New Zealand, where the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings were filmed? The scenery in the movies made the books come to life and we were captivated with the thought of visiting some of the same locations in which these movies were made. Truth be told, we had never really considered New Zealand as a destination before viewing the movies. And then there was Hobbiton! Should we or shouldn’t… Read More
Tahiti: Sofitel Moorea
We stayed at the Sofitel Moorea for five nights in an overwater bungalow, number 2012 while the kids stayed in a beautiful lagoon view bungalow, number 323. This is the same resort we stayed at on our honeymoon while on Moorea and we were curious to see how it had changed. It was lovely then and it is lovely now. As always, photos first and then our review. The Sofitel Moorea is located just a mile from the Moorea Ferry port as well as the airport, and a taxi costs between $15-20 USD,… Read More
Day 159: The Day Our Passports Disappeared!
We knew we’d get robbed at some point. Thank you, Playacar, Mexico. We can now check that off our list (though we realize it may happen again!). We also knew we’d lose important things that would remain gone. Two days after finally finding an available iphone 6 in CA, it also went missing while hiking in gorgeous Idyllwild! That’s another story, another blog post. But the one thing we dreaded most, apart from anyone’s safety being in danger, was losing our treasured passports! We’ve been fairly obsessed about keeping track of where… Read More
Chefs in Training – La Farfalla, Escondido, CA
We arrived into Los Angeles late Tuesday night, on Nov. 4th. We made our way to the rental car agency, picked up our van, and headed south to San Diego. What should have taken about two hours took us about three, and we arrived at our friend, Terry’s home at 1:30 am. Instead of sleeping, she had insisted on staying awake to greet us. We have not seen Terry for over ten years, so it was wonderful having the time to catch up. Terry is an amazing chef as well as gardener. Below is… Read More
When the Storm Sweeps In
We spent several hours exploring every nook and cranny of this spectacular stretch of coastline in Puerta Aventuras. Tide pools and craggy coral rock formations were mesmerizing and I could hardly put my camera down. The kids were equally absorbed in their explorations, diving into the natural pool, navigating the rocky coral, and discovering all sorts of new creatures. We found this colorful crab bathing in a tide pool before scurrying away from us, looking for protection. He was gracious enough to let me photograph him for a few moments, but… Read More
Deena Gainor
Six Hearts One Journey 
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