How to Do Van Life in Southwestern USA: A 7-Day Itinerary from Arizona to Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks

How to Do Van Life in Southwestern USA: An Itinerary from Arizona to Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks

Embarking on a road trip through the diverse landscapes of the Southwest USA? Follow our 7-day guide to maximize your time in this region of the sun-soaked deserts of Arizona and Utah. Our guide promises an adventure filled with natural wonders and breathtaking scenery. This blog post outlines a comprehensive itinerary that includes all the national parks within Utah and Arizona, complemented by the freedom of van life! Make no mistake this itinerary is INTENSE and driving 1800 miles in the span of seven days is A LOT of work! Not to mention all the hiking and activities there are to do! If you’re someone who wants to maximize every second of your time and see the most you can in seven days this itinerary is for you!

Day 1: Phoenix AZ

Start your journey in Phoenix, Arizona! This is where you can pick up your Cruise America van, which we highly recommend doing to get the most out of your Southwestern road trip!

Spend time hiking the scenic trails around Sedona but make sure you do the 3.9 mile hike to Devils Bridge for sunset to witness the glowing red rocks of the surrounding canyons! Park your van at a nearby campsite and immerse yourself in the peaceful desert night. We stayed here: Forest Road 302 (FREE near Grand Canyon)

Day 2: The Grand Canyon

Wake up early to witness a sunrise at the Canyon! Venture further north to the Grand Canyon, one of the world's most awe-inspiring natural wonders. Take in the panoramic views from the South Rim, explore the rim trails!

Drive 2 hours north to Page, AZ and walk .5 miles to Horseshoe Bend for an incredible sunset! This is something we’ve done twice and can’t wait to do again. Sunset here is unbelievable!

Campground: Lake Powell Campground $15pp

Day 3: Page and Lake Powell

Lake Powell is the BEST spot to spend your morning or entire day (or even more if you can spare the time!) At the boat dock you can rent a jet ski OR a boat all you need is your license! We did a 2 hour rental and we thought it was the perfect amount of time to go tubing, explore the area and experience the fun!

BEST TIP: PLAN THIS TRIP AS FAR IN ADVNACE AS POSSIBLE! Especially if you want to see the Upper Canyon of Antelope Canyon - we had to book far in advance! Personally we think this was an interesting experience but not essential. It’s amazing but lower canyon is just as great to visit! There are also tons of other canyons in the area to see for free if this isn’t in your budget!!

Make a quick pit stop out of AZ to see the “Welcome to Utah” sign!

Campground: Zion Canyon Campground

Day 4: Zion National Park

Zion National Park is a haven for hikers and nature enthusiasts. Hike the renowned Angel's Landing trail (but be sure to apply for the proper permits HERE) stroll through the Narrows (check the weather and make sure its open we went in June and sadly they were still closed due to heavy water flow melting), and marvel at the towering sandstone cliffs that make Zion a must-see destination. In Zion we LOVED the Canyon Overlook Trail!

Campsite Address: Bryce Canyon

Day Five: Bryce Canyon National PArk

The BEST way to start your day and to see Bryce is horseback riding first thing in the morning before it gets hot out! The views on horseback take you further into the canyon than you could on foot in a shorter amount of time!

Book here! https://canyonrides.com we had the most fun on a 2 hour ride with the most experienced guides!

After that we recommend some hiking in the Canyon - we’ve done the Navajo Loop twice and LOVED it every time! This is the spot with the famous views of the switchbacks!

Next stop in Escalante for some lunch or dinner and drinks at 4th West Pub the only restaurants serving drinks on scenic highway 12! Their food was DELICIOUS! Check out their menu here: https://www.4wpub.com/menu

Don’t stay too late make sure you stop at Capitol Reef for a beautiful sunset before heading to the next stop!

day six:Arches or Canyonlands National Park

Embark on a captivating journey through Arches and Canyonlands National Park Start your day by witnessing the breathtaking sunrise at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park this is a relatively easy hike that you can start in the dark comfortably to secure your spot for sunrise - be warned this does fill up quickly since its a heavily travelled area!

Next head to Arches National Park!

Hike the Windows Trail (0.7 miles) to marvel at the iconic Double Arch and if you do one hike in the park make sure it’s the Delicate Arch! 3mi out and back with incredible views! We LOVE this trail and have done it twice!

For thrill-seekers, experience the adrenaline-pumping Moab ATV Sunset Tour for $544. And after dark opt for an extra adventure with Astrophotography or indulge in mesmerizing Stargazing in the Arches National Dark Sky Area. Elevate your travel experience with this unforgettable day of nature, adventure, and celestial wonders. Book Here with High Point: https://www.highpointhummer.com

Campground: Arches Campground or near Diamond Fork Hot Springs

Day Seven: Arches or Canyonlands National Park and Hot Springs

After all that hiking and exploring the perfect way to end a trip in our opinion: RELAX! Head to one of two Hot Springs: Diamond Fork Hot Springs or Meadow Hot Springs: both are equally beautiful but we did enjoy after all that hiking that Meadow Hot Springs offers a quick walk from the parking lot!

We were lucky enough to get an early morning flight out of Salt Lake City back to NYC so we had our entire day seven to explore and dropped off our van late at night in Salt Lake! But again we can’t stress enough how important it is to plan ahead to maximize every moment of a trip like this! there is so much to see and do and tons of fun stops along the way you’ll want to make!

Everything you must Do if You Only Have 24 Hours in Charleston

A Dog Friendly Guide!

If you find yourself (and you pup) with only 24 hours to explore Charleston, South Carolina - don't worry, there's plenty you can do to get a taste of this charming city! From exploring historic landmarks, to enjoying delicious southern cuisine, here's everything you need to make the most of your time in Charleston!

pineapple fountain at the waterfront park

Start your day bright and early at the Pineapple Fountain at Sunrise! The waterfront park is the perfect spot to kickstart an amazing day watching the sun come up over the bay! And if you’re bringing your pup it’s the perfect place for a walk in the morning! Once you’ve taken in the view…

Lets get some breakfast and stroll around the city! 

Breakfast recommendations: 

• Callies Hot Little Biscuit (Try the grits or southern biscuits!) 

• The Daily (Amazing breakfast sandwiches and food sourced locally) 

• Browns Court Bakery (Bread people this is for you! Try some artisanal bread) 

 Or if you just like a cup of coffee (like me!) 

• Black Tap Coffee

• Starbucks (guilty for always getting a frappuccino to start my day!)

city stroll past rainbow row

Start your morning stroll in the city through Rainbow Row, a collection of colorful historic houses along East Bay Street that are painted in pastel bright colors and have gorgeous flower boxes with blooming flowers, a sure way to brighten the mood! The cobblestone roads make you feel like you are stepping back in time! Continue your walk along the battery, a promenade along the waterfront lined with palms where you can enjoy the views of Fort Sumter, Castle Pinckney and other historic sites!

Make your way over to the Charleston City Market

The Charleston City Market is one of the oldest and most historic markets in the country. Here, you can find handmade crafts, souvenirs, and local foods to take home as a memory of your time in Charleston. (Dogs are allowed at the outdoor portion of the market!)

Paulie and I ALWAYS come home with an ornament from every place we visit and we found ours here!!

time to grab some lunch! 

Before you head out of the busy part of the city, grab lunch at the heart of all the noise and enjoy some people watching and great food! Try: 

• Husk - located in the historic downtown district try some southern classics with a modern twist at this local spot! The menu here changes daily based on the freshest local ingredients! (think Gabriel's restaurant in Emily in Paris vibes!) 

• Lewis Barbeque - DELICIOUS southern BBQ! 

• Pearlz Oyster Bar, an iconic spot downtown - you MUST try the She Crab Soup!!! 

Get out of the bustling city and enjoy a quiet afternoon at a Plantation Tour!

We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens and would recommend this to everyone! Best part: Dogs are allowed and Koda LOVED walking around here! Next time we go back to Charleston we would love to check out another plantation like Boone Hall or Cypress Gardens where The Notebook was filmed!

Finally, there is no better way to end a day than watching the sunset.

Make this EVEN better and watch it at the beach! Isle of Palms (another dog friendly spot!) is the most romantic spot in Charleston to make your 24 hours in Charleston the best it can be! There’s free parking along the public entrances and if you wanted to skip the plantation tour and come spend a few hours in the sunshine at the beach this is also the place to do it! There are options to eat along the street and a boardwalk with shops here too! Next time we will definitely spend more time in this area!

Dinner Time!!!

Before heading out of Charleston make sure you hit a restaurant with some delicious local food for dinner!

Try: 

• Pearlz (yes I already told you this one but seriously this should be high on your list or first choice!) 

• The Ordinary- A restaurant in a restored bank!? HOW COOL IS THIS! Southern food of course! 

• Fig - Whats better than Farm to Table? In our opinion you just can't beat a menu with fresh ingredients!

After our fun filled 24 hours we hope we’ve convinced you that if you only have 24 hours in Charleston, there's no need to worry, as this beautiful seaside city has so much to offer in a short amount of time!

A VERY HONEST RATING OF EVERYWHERE WE TRAVELED IN 2022

32 Flights, 7,490 miles driven, 164 hours driving, 106 Hotels and Airbnbs later…2022 was a year FULL of travel, a goal Paulie and I set in 2021. We wanted to travel for 80% of 2022 and we saved up for the ENTIRE year in 2021 to make these trips happen! We practiced our photography and got in touch with brands and hotels to help make this epic year traveling the world come true. Well, WE DID IT and boy are we EXHAUSTED (in the best way!). We actually have tiktok to thank for this blog article idea…click here to see what we’re talking about!

We’re rating everywhere we traveled to in 2022 by 5 factors:

1. Vibe (Friendliness of locals, attitudes, problems etc.)

2. Fulfilling Entertainment and Adventure 

3. Food

4. Safety

5. Would we go back & if so why not/what we would do differently?

Right in time: Paulie JUST finished our Recap Video on Youtube: Check it out here!

Starting where we began our year of travel in January:

HAWAII 

Big Island Hawaii at Sunset

Kauai Tunnels Beach at Sunset

Haleakala, Maui View of Milky Way

Kauai 9/10

Our first stop in Hawaii was the most green, lush, and incredible place we have ever been. The vibes were amazing, it felt like a place we were meant to be and can't wait to return! Kauai quickly became our favorite Island. There are endless beautiful beaches, waterfalls and scenic drives! We felt safe the entire time we were there. Next time we would go back in the summer because during the winter the water was too rough to swim and we wished we could have surfed!

The Big Island 5/10 

We loved the Black sand beaches and Volcanos National Park! We spent an entire day in the park and that was plenty of time. There aren’t as many things to do here as we were expecting and everything is a decently long drive away…the big island really IS big.

Maui 3/10 

We thought Maui was a bit overrated compared to Kauai. We had the most fun on the road to Hana but felt like the locals did not want us there. On Maui we had the best airbnb walking distance from the town and enjoyed the Haleakala sunset so much!

Hawaii overall felt safe, had INCREDIBLE food (POKE!), felt fulfilling enough that we would go back in the summer because during the winter the water was too rough to swim and we wished we could have surfed! The only reason we can't rate it higher is because of a few negative experiences with the people. We just did not feel like we were respected as fellow Americans and we felt like the locals did not want us there! DON’T TRAVEL TO HAWAII UNTIL YOU WATCH THIS!

February we headed back to the west coast…

CALIFORNIA

Yosemite

Malibu PCH

Santa Barbara PCH

Victoria Beach PCH

Joshua Tree National Park

Yosemite 9/10 

W O W! Yosemite blew us away! We expected to love it but we did not expect to love it as much as we did. We extended our trip here and stayed in the most incredible airbnb in the park!

Pacific Coast Highway 8/10 

We LOVE the PCH. It's actually our second time driving the entire thing! (we did it before travel vlogging back in 2020) Our absolute favorite spot: Santa Barbara! We will most certainly be back here again (we really want to bring our new puppy Koda next time)

Los Angeles 1/10 

Soooo cities are not our thing. We have to be upfront and tell you we were going in expecting not to like LA because we have already been here and Paulie lived here and hated it. We tried to find some new spots we thought we would enjoy, like the Venice Canals which were nice but the homelessness epidemic really took away from the experience. And as stereotypes would conclude, unfortunately we weren’t met with an atmosphere that really felt like somewhere we wanted to spend our time and money. 

Joshua Tree 5/10

This was Paulies second time in Joshua Tree and my first so we both had decently different expectations. We did 4 hikes here in one day and saw an amazing sunset! From a photographer's perspective it was an excellent spot and very motivating! I will say after the third hike we were ready to go because there was not as much to do here as I initially expected. Our favorite trail: Forty Nine Palms Oasis! 

California has its good and bad parts and most definitely has something for everybody! We felt safe for the most part but in the cities we did not. Driving along the coast, watching the whales breach all the way down was extremely fulfilling and such an amazing experience. The adventure California offers is endless, from the mountains, to the beaches and the incredible sequoia trees, we have no doubt we’ll be back here again! 

And in April, we were off to EUROPE…First Stop:

GREECE

Milos

Santorini

Paros

Paros

Paros

Ios

Milos 10/10 

What a hidden gem! Milos is our FAVORITE greek island and became so very quickly after spending just a few days here. We once again, quickly extended our stay. One incredible meal after another, a burning sunset every night and crystal clear water at the outstanding beaches made this one of our favorite places in the world! We loved all the people we spoke to, felt safe at all times-even walking around at night and Milos offers SO much for adventure seekers!

Santorini 2/10 

We have a very unpopular opinion but we wasted so much money here (and getting here) just because it was on both of our bucket lists. We HATED the crowds here and everything was overpriced. Your money will go much further on pretty much any other island, we were so thankful that we cut our trip shorter here and spent more time on Milos.

Paros 8/10 

The beautiful walks through town and the relaxing time we had here gave us the best rejuvenation we desperately needed after the hectic time in Santorini. We thrive in environments like these so if you're anything like us, you will LOVE Paros!

Ios 9/10 

Very underrated and plenty of things to see and do. Very laid back and relaxing and the main town of Chora is absolutely gorgeous, it was so much fun getting lost in the streets. We went to the three churches on the hill to watch the sunset and it was our favorite experience on the island. We also rented an ATV here instead of a car and we had SO MUCH FUN! Highly recommend this activity! 

The vibe here was immaculate and we left feeling completely fulfilled and inspired to continue adventuring!

Click here to watch us travel all of the Greek Islands on YOUTUBE!

On to…

TURKEY

Istanbul 3/10 

Again remember, we hate the city. So we did not really enjoy our time here as much as we had hoped we would. We also didn’t pick a good airbnb so our experience wasn’t ideal. On the other hand the food was amazing and super cheap so we really enjoyed that. The people were nice but we don't suggest going to the markets or grand bazaar if you don't like being touched or pestered. It was extremely intense. We cut our trip short here and headed to…

Cappadocia 10/10 

A super last minute decision to come and it was our favorite place (after Milos of course) on our European summer trip. We got to check off a major bucket list adventure…flying in a HOT AIR BALLOON and made so many lifelong friends. If you come you MUST stay at Koza Caves Hotel,  the family who owns the hotel took the best care of us and made sure we had a once in a lifetime experience!

Pamukkale 5/10 

We came here entirely for the hot springs and were pretty disappointed that you can only go in about ¼ of them and about an hour after they opened it got SO crowded and the tour buses came pouring in. Other than that, this area of Turkey was beautiful and if we hadn’t booked a flight we probably would've extended our time here a few more days!

Turkey overall was one of our favorite places we unexpectedly fell in love with. We went in with a lot of fear about the area because of the unrest in the middle east extremely close by. Overall after leaving the cities we felt pretty safe and we were extremely impressed with the food there! The people were extremely hospitable and nice and we will definitely return to check out the southern part of Turkey!

our last stop in Europe…

ITALY

Tuscany Hot Springs

Amalfi Coast With Family

Lake Como

Dolomites

Sicily

Dolomites

Lake Como 6/10 

We accidentally booked an airbnb here that was non refundable not realizing how far it was from our first destination. And as it happens this was where we met one of our best friends and became one of our favorite places in Italy that we went to! Beautiful, but expensive and not a whole lot to do if you are on a budget so after about three days of relaxing in the mountains we hit the road!

Dolomites 10/10 

Finally! A spot we intentionally went to that we KNEW we would love and we were right! We mentioned above that we are not city people, we love the mountains and the fresh air. The dolomites were everything and more that we had hoped for. The austrian and German mixed influence in the culture made this experience better than we ever could have imagined it would be! This spot was on our bucket list for YEARS! 

Tuscany 6/10 

We mainly went to Tuscany because of the hot springs we HAD to go to…they were beautiful hot springs but there were nasty worms everywhere. There was not a whole lot to do if you don't spend money on a winery tour or book some kind of experience, so for budget travelers not much to do but drive around and look at the insanely beautiful countryside.

Amalfi Coast 10/10 

Easily one of the best spots we visited because we got to spend a week with my family and go sailing around the coast! We stopped in Capri and got to see the blue grotto (another big bucket list experience)

Sicily 4/10 

Last but not least before we left back home for the states we stopped in Sicily! At this point we were getting a little homesick and missing our families…and we truly weren’t impressed with how much garbage there was. We did a big circular road trip around the whole island and we have  to highlight Zingaro National Park. We drove by and thought “hey why not we’re already here” and we ended up going back the next day to visit all the little beaches you can hike to! It was so much fun! We would not recommend walking alone here at night, it has changed quite a bit since I was a kid visiting here.

Watch our Italian road trip on Youtube here!

In August we Flew back to the states…

USA

New Hampshire

Disney

Alabama

Cherry Springs

Cherry Springs 10/10 

Every year since we started dating, around August 10th the Perseid meteor shower lights up the sky and every year we return for our favorite camping trip in Cherry Springs PA! This year we took friends and enjoyed the best trip yet! 

Alabama 10/10 

And in September we dug up  all of our old college energy and visited my sister at the University of Alabama! Her school is a super high energy, cute little college town with lots of shops and great places to eat and amazing football games (of course!) 

New Hampshire  (fall) 9/10 

I got really sick in September so unfortunately I spent a majority of peak fall season in bed. New England where we grew up is unmatched to anywhere else we’ve ever been to experience fall! We will always come home to spend time around here! 

Disney 10/10 

The first trip we took to be together and didn't take our cameras!!! We both agreed to have a full 4 days not creating any content and I'm sure a lot of our followers had no idea we even went to Disney! We haven’t been there since we were kids and absolutely loved being back! We have to say our new favorite ride is the Avatar 4-D experience…technology has sure brought disney quite a long and impressive way! 

In October for Paulie’s Birthday he requested we try out somewhere with some blue warm water…

CARIBBEAN

Aruba 8/10 

We were lucky enough to experience the week in Aruba at one of the nicest hotels on the island, Amsterdam Manor. AMBR had rooms that made you feel like you were at home and just steps away from Eagle beach! Aruba is one of the most magnificent Caribbean islands we have ever visited, we felt super safe here and would walk around off of the resort anywhere anytime!  

Aerial View of AMBR (DJI Air2)

Sailing Cruise in Aruba (iPhone)

Floating on Eagle Beach (GoPro)

Hurricane season: we canceled our trip to Saint Thomas due to hurricane Ian :( 

Next Trip: NCL Getaway 10 Day Cruise to Caribbean!…

We crashed my parents 30th anniversary cruise!

Curacao

Aruba

Bahamas

NCL Cruise

Curacao 7/10 

The island of Sea turtles and Flamingos!!! Two of my favorite animals to observe! (remember when observing these gorgeous creatures to do so at a distance and keep in mind we have zoom lenses!) We loved it here and we want to come back as soon as possible since it was a quick day stop on our cruise! 

Jamaica 0/10 

We got off the ship in port Ochos Rios and immediately we did not feel safe. My mom and I did a cooking class where we were rudely and aggressively approached more than twice and decided after our cooking class we were not waiting for the car and walked back to the ship. There was garbage everywhere and to be honest we would not go back unless we were staying at a nice resort and we probably would not leave the resort!

Bahamas 7/10 

Our FAVORITE stop on the trip! We got to experience a day at the BahaMar and wow it felt like we were kids again! There were literally NO lines at any of the slides in the water parks and they even had a pool where you can go cliff jumping! It was awesome!! We spent the whole day here and did not want to leave! 

We stopped in Aruba again on the cruise but you already read our opinion on that ;) Unfortunately due to severe weather the rest of our ports got canceled so we had a lot of days at sea..so if you're interested in hearing our opinion on traveling via cruise ship: WATCH HERE! 

After bouncing around all over the Caribbean we headed north… WAYYY north…

ICELAND

Iceland 10/10 

It’s our second time here and we will be back! Iceland is unlike any other place we’ve ever been and we L O V E IT! If you’re looking for any recommendations on where to spend your money and travel it’s Iceland, we will recommend it every single time! We rented a van through indie campers and drove around the entire Island (about 1200 miles)! 

And for our last destination of the year…

CANADA

Quebec City 8/10 

We wanted to take a quick weekend trip up to Quebec City for the Christmas market and do some shopping before the holidays! WOW does Canada know how to do christmas decorating right! We got right into the Christmas spirit!  The only negative thing we will say is at nighttime there are some seriously sketchy neighborhoods around here!

In conclusion

…this year was A LOT of traveling. After finally giving ourselves a break and writing this article AND making a YouTube video Paulie and I looked at each other in disbelief how much we accomplished this year alone. We are SO proud of how far we have come and can’t want to see where we decide to go next! Leave a comment below what you’d like to see from us!

The Best 5 Beaches in Turks and Caicos

Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos (Shot on DJI Mavic Air 2)

Turks and Caicos is home to some of the world’s best and most beautiful beaches, so we went to almost every single beach in Turks and Caicos to rank them for you!

1. Grace Bay Beach

To be totally transparent, we did NOT want this beach to be our number-one pick. We’ve always found that the beaches that are less crowded, off the beaten path, and not yet “Insta famous” are so much nicer than the suggested “best beach” in an area.

But… Grace Bay Beach ended up being our favorite beach in Turks and Caicos.

We went to this beach every single day. Grace Bay is a three-mile-long stretch of gorgeous white sand, calm waters, and plenty of snorkeling. The options to entertain you on just this one stretch of beach are endless. You can find places with calm waters or with small, fun waves to play in. You can also explore the resort areas (all beaches are public) or take a stroll down to the natural reserve, where there are significantly less people. But honestly, the entire time we were there—in front of the resort or not—the beach was never overcrowded. The water is crystal clear along the entire beach, and there are so many tropical fish to see! There’s plenty of public parking, but you have to look for it, which does take a little time. All in all, we couldn’t recommend Grace Bay Beach enough!

Taylor Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos (Shot on DJI Mavic Air 2)

2. Taylor Bay Beach

Taylor Bay Beach was a very close second on our list of the best beaches in Turks and Caicos, almost tied for first. The reason we put it second is because of the lack of nearby parking and how difficult it was to find. Our GPS directions took us down side roads that were basically all residential buildings, and we kept driving in circles—it took us 45 minutes to finally see the tiny opening in the sidewalk that we missed the first ten times we drove by. There, we found a dirt patch with room for only a few cars to park. This worked out to our benefit, though—we had the beach entirely to ourselves until 11 a.m., after which we shared it with maybe four other people and a few kayakers.

This beach was immaculate and absolutely worth going to. You CANNOT miss Taylor Bay Beach, and we’ve been recommending it to everyone we know who’s going to Turks and Caicos. There isn’t much snorkeling and there aren’t many waves or rocks in the water, just pure relaxation. Travel tip: the best way to make sure you see every part of the island is to RENT A CAR! It's super cheap, but keep in mind that most cars in Turks and Caicos are manual, so make sure you double-check your booking.

Free Diving Smith’s Reef in Turks & Caicos (Shot on GoPro Hero 9)

3. Smith’s Reef

Smith’s Reef offers some of the best snorkeling in the world. Even better is that it’s easily accessible with plenty of parking. Make sure you bring your own snorkel and fins—these are our favorites! There’s limited space on the beach and it’s a bit rocky, but when we came, we spent so much of our time in the water that we didn’t really notice or mind. You’ll see all kinds of wildlife, like sea turtles, colorful coral, angelfish, parrotfish, sting rays, eagle rays, and so many more! Make sure you use reef-safe sunscreen while you’re at Smith’s Reef, (and at any other beaches you visit).

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4. Mudjin Harbor and Rock Caves

This one’s beauty alone makes it one of the best beaches in Turks and Caicos. You can swim at Mudjin Harbor if you’re a strong swimmer, but on our first day at this beach, there were so many bugs and so much seaweed that we opted out and just took tons of fun photos. On our second day, we followed the path all the way down to the rock caves and cliffs below and spent the entire day enjoying this paradise completely to ourselves!

Make your stay even better by spending a night or two at the beautiful Dragon Cay Resort. The views are out of this world, and the short walk to the beach made staying here that much better for us. We highly recommend this resort (mostly because it’s the only hotel on the entire island), and we do think it’s worth staying overnight.

Tip: follow the path from the resort and you’ll find the entrance to a cave, which leads to stairs on a totally private, beautiful beach with cliffs up above. It’s an absolutely gorgeous place, but swim at your own risk—the waves were huge here.

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5. Shipwreck Beach

As the name suggests, two miles offshore you’ll find the La Famille shipwreck of Turks and Caicos! Since it’s way too far to swim, you’ll have to rent a jet ski or go on a tour to see the shipwreck up close, but the wreck can also be seen from shore…and the beach is impeccable. Just to note, we didn’t see a ton of fish, and we noticed a few more rocks in the water here.

We hope you’ll plan your Turks and Caicos vacation with these stunning beaches in mind! Between the beauty of the beaches and the variety of fun activities in the water, on the beaches, and nearby, you’ll never run out of things to do on these islands. Let us help you plan your next tropical getaway—we’ve got plenty of tips to share! See you on the white-sand beaches…

8 Travel Tips for a Couples Getaway in Aruba!

The best time to visit Aruba…ANYTIME! We love the adventurous yet relaxing feeling of this happy island! Let us help you plan the perfect trip!

R E A D N O W

8 Travel Tips for a Couples Getaway in Aruba!

Aruba is home to some of the bluest water we have ever seen! It was exactly what you’d expect and everything you would hope for a couples getaway in Aruba! While on the Carribean island we felt safe the entire time, even while renting a car and driving around ourselves. (Even so, we always recommend being cautious!) Before leaving for Aruba, even one of our doctors mentioned how much they love the island! We never heard so many good things before leaving for a trip and wanting to note that they were all true! Aruba is ONE HAPPY ISLAND and a place we can’t wait to return to!

Quick Facts about the Island!

Best time to visit: Year Round! This is a vacationing paradise, July-Oct is low season (it gets VERY hot) and high season is Nov-May!

Weather- Due to Aruba being out of the major hurricane path its consistently hot and sunny!

Getting around- We used taxis which were very reasonably priced and used a rental car on our last day to get to the hard to reach spots! 

Currency- USD & AFL

Language- Papiamento (a mix of many popular languages) but english is widely accepted!

Airport - Reina Beatrix International Airport. There is a US Customs Passport control in the airport which means you do not need to clear customs back in the US! (we do suggest arriving a minimum 3 hours early to the airport during high season!) 

Getting There: Aruba is only a 4 hour flight away from New York and there are plenty of direct flights out of the city! The Island itself is only 70 square miles and the entire south side is protected by the government so no infrastructure is allowed, making the north side of the island the main attraction and only 20 minutes from the hotels!

Our Favorite Aruba Photo Spots:

Eagle Beach

Tres Trapi

Flamingo Beach

#1. Live Luxuriously at the Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort 

We LOVED our time at the AMBR. Everyone at the resort made you feel so welcome and treated us like family! The beautiful dutch architecture made you feel like you were stepping into the netherlands. When we weren’t enjoying the beach and the pool, we were (finally) relaxing and taking some much needed time to ourselves, which is what they had in mind when designing this resort. All of the guests we spoke to had the same feelings, this resort was MADE to be relaxing. The beds were SO comfortable, the rooms were super spacious and clean and the kitchen made it all that much better and suitable to stay for longer periods! 

• The BEST part about Amsterdam Manor was its location! It is right on Aruba’s top rated beach and voted one of the worlds best beaches: Eagle Beach and walking distance from any room at the resort. The calm water, the crystal clear blue color and the Divi trees steps away makes this the perfect spot to stay and experience the best of Aruba! 

• There is a lovely pool on the resort with a waterfall and shaded area that we spent a ton of time in.

• AMBR also has two beautiful restaurants (Horizons and Passions) that are FANTASTIC. We ate there every single day to try something new on the menu! Our favorite were the Bitter Ballen, which we never would have tried if the bartender Liz didn't suggest them!

#2. Have a romantic dinner on the beach at Passions 

Passions is AMBR’s beach restaurant and it was our first dining experience at an on the beach restaurant and eating right on the sand watching the sun go down with the waves crashing in the background, is why this experience is included in our must do list. Not to mention how romantic it is for a date night!

#3. Experience a sunset & sunrise on the beach 

After going to Turks and Caicos and regretfully only waking up for one sunrise on our last day of the trip, on this trip Paulie and I made sure every single day we woke up early for sunrise. The Caribbean sunrises are absolutely stunning and worth every moment!

Not only the sunrise but the sunsets are incredible as well and we made it to the beach or went somewhere on the island for every single one!

Our favorite happened to be a quick walk down the beach near Amsterdam Manor. (pictured below)

#4. Jeep Tour to visit Arikok National Park 

Something I honestly didn't know if I would like, was the tour we did in a lifted Jeep around the island. Within the first 5 minutes of getting on the Jeep after they picked us up right from our hotel I knew it was going to be such a fun time! The Jeep rocks you around and it’s an intense ride! They took us all through the island and showed us really great spots we couldn’t have gotten to with a rental car!  The Jeep tour takes you to the Natural Pool, Natural Bridge Ruins, and some quick stops on the rocky south side!

#5. Snorkel around the island; especially at Tres trapi

Around the island, there are TONS of beautiful spots to snorkel! Our favorite spot in particular is Tres Trapi beach. Since the sunrise is on this side of the island, when we arrived to throw up our drone and snorkel before the crowds, we accidentally stumbled upon the perfect spot to see sea turtles in the early morning! (which is the best time to see them)

#6. Go on a sailboat cruise for the day 

Is there anything more romantic than doing something new and adventurous? Get out of your comfort zone and try a sailboat cruise! We sailed all the way to the west side of the island near baby beach to snorkel all day! They gave us a delicious lunch and we got to jump off the rope swing which looks easy until you get up there and suddenly it becomes a little more nerve racking! We recommend this tour to EVERYONE going to Aruba, the staff was wonderful, the boat ride itself was smooth and just an overall perfect way to spend a day in Aruba!

#7. Visit the flamingos at the renaissance private island 

This is something that has been on my bucket list for YEARS! Flamingos are one of my favorite animals so spending the day with them and being able to feed them on an island in Aruba was a total dream come true for me! And Paulie had fun and enjoyed himself as well! For $125 per person (or you can book a night at their hotel and get on the island for free or spend money on a spa treatment they offer) you can spend the entire day on their island! It opens bright and early at 7am and you can catch a boat over to the island (free with your ticket purchase or hotel stay/spa treatment) and runs every 15 minutes!

#8. Rent a car for the day and see the Island!

The last travel tip on our list for a couples getaway in Aruba: you MUST add renting a car to your list, especially if you’re an adventure loving couple! There were a few stops along the island that we wanted to see and the most efficient way was to rent a car to see them all! That way taxi fees don't add up and it was SUPER easy to do through our hotel, we just went to the lobby and the rental car sent a rep to pick us up the next morning and we got the car in under 30 minutes! (approx. $35 for the whole day and we paid an extra $15 to do an airport dropoff) 

• Tres Trapi is the beach we mentioned earlier that we snorkeled at and saw TURTLES! The water here (just like the rest of the island) is such a beautiful hue of blue and along the rocks that line the beach are some great places to jump in! (just check the depth first) You could easily spend an entire day here like we did!

• An unexpected highlight of our trip was near the Bushiribana Ruins something you should check out if you have time and something else we drove by on our jeep tour and had no idea: Small Natural Pool is a must visit spot on the island! When we went, we had the entire spot to ourselves!! It is not a super popular spot on the island and definitely difficult to find at first. Look for two spikes sticking up on the coast of the Bushiribana Ruins and as you walk closer, you’ll see the ladder that leads down. You have to walk a bit on the rocks which can be dangerous so bring some sturdy shoes! Once you get there we jumped off the rocks and swam around for a few hours until the sun set!

Beaches we didnt get to but heard great things about from our hotel staff

1. Baby Beach 

2. Mangel Halto 

3. Old Shipwreck beach

Overall, if you are looking for a safe, unique and beautiful place to spend a romantic Caribbean vacation, Aruba is the perfect place for a couples getaway!

The Best 5 Beaches in Turks and Caicos!

Looking to find the whitest sand, the bluest water and one of the most beautiful Caribbean islands?! Look no further and let us help you find which beach will make your Caribbean vacation to Turks and Caicos a memorable one!

R E A D N O W

The Ultimate Milos Guide to Answer All of Your Questions!

Milos has just about anything and everything you can hope for in a Greek vacationing destination! We’re answering every question you may have about Milos in this Ultimate Milos Guide!

Is Milos Greece worth visiting?

When I tell you Paulie and I reminisced about Milos for the ENTIRE time on our two month long Europe trip, I mean it. We DREAM of going back one day. If there is one Greek island that you HAVE to see, it's Milos. Seriously, skip all the hyped up Islands like Santorini and GO TO MILOS! Everything about this cyclades island was picture perfect and full of summer fun adventures. AND, If you haven't seen our YOUTUBE video yet, go check it out: “Is Milos Greece worth visiting?” Spoiler: as you’ve now read, it is absolutely worth visiting and more of a “when should I go” rather than “should I go”. Of all the places in Europe Paulie and I have been (together or apart) we both agreed, Milos is hands down our favorite. And if that doesn’t convince you, I hope this ultimate Milos guide will help you decide and answer all your questions! 

First and Most Importantly: What to eat?

We did not have a bad meal in Milos once. Go to any of the small restaurants on the water in Adamas (the port town) and grab a delicious Gyro (pronounced “here-oh” with a roll of the tongue). Or go to one of the many bakeries for some absolutely incredible feta and spinach pastries! My mouth is watering writing about this! Obviously, trying the local cheese is a MUST DO. The amount of Feta we ate in a 5 day period is astonishing, really, I don't know how we did not gain 10 pounds. A true greek salad is another must try and if you're a seafood lover, the fresh octopus or fish of any kind on the menu on the Cyclades islands is the best i've ever had! Last but not least make sure you try some fresh pita with spicy cheese dip (tirokafteri).

Some important things we noticed about eating in Milos; we went during the shoulder season of May and a lot of places were not open until 11am. A pastry shop or a Gyro is your best bet if you aren't a big breakfast lover (like me). We had a lot of trouble finding places open after sunset and oftentimes ended up in the port town of Adamas to eat a late dinner. (Although, this may change if you go during peak season). We would also suggest making reservations if there’s any restaurants you’re really hoping to eat at. And lastly if you're on a strict budget (like we were) fear not, the restaurants here had very affordable prices. Plus, there are plenty of grocery stores and markets that sell food and if you have a fridge, that helps with budget friendly meals while still allowing yourself to experience the yummy Greek food!
Helpful tip: in Europe you need to plan on buying a case of water otherwise you're stuck paying about 3-4 euros a bottle at restaurants and at convince. Our suggestion: go to the grocery store for a pack of 6 large bottles for less than 2 euros!

Where to stay in Milos?

For now, Milos lacks the overcrowded resort feel and really embodies the charming true greek vibe, something we couldn't get enough of! We highly recommend staying in an airbnb. Paulie and I chose to stay in a budget friendly airbnb and we were REALLY happy with what we chose. We spent almost no time in the room and were out pretty much the entire day and most of the evening. As we drove around the island we can't speak for the interior of places but from what we saw on the outside, you can’t really go wrong no matter what you choose. Just keep your luggage space in mind because with two large suitcases we were a bit cramped when we were trying to move around as the rooms tend to be on the smaller side when traveling to Europe. There are a lot of choices whether you are going budget, mid range or luxury. If we were to go again we would spend more time here and some time in one of the boutique hotels we saw around the island. 

How long should you stay in Milos?

Ideally 4-5 days is enough on the island to see everything. And if you are coming for a relaxing vacation you could easily spend a week here. If you’re just trying to see the best of the sights Milos has to offer you could do it all in 3 days but we don’t recommend rushing around here, its just so beautiful to rush through it.

How to reach Milos? 

Since we were coming from New York we found a super cheap flight and used our Delta points to fly into London. From London flew to Athens and stayed overnight in an airbnb close to the port (we do not recommend, this area of Athens is pretty dirty) and from Athens we took a ferry. 

The Ferries! Three things we wish we knew before we went that I honestly didn’t read on any other blog;

1. The ferries are RARELY on time. If you are traveling to Milos (or any other greek island) and have a connection ferry, do yourself a favor and make sure they are a few hours apart and expect delays. 

2. DO NOT buy anything but an economy ticket. Anything more is a total waste of money. The seats in economy are super nice and even if your ferry is 8+ hours just don’t do it. These ferries are way more luxurious than you think! And if the seats aren’t completely full they do let you choose your own seat and this includes the nicer class seats.

3. Seasickness! For those who get seasick, you may want to pack some dramamine, sea-bands (my personal savior) or opt for the quick cheap flights available out of Athens. There were a few people struggling and getting seasick on the boat because of how choppy the water was. There was a massive thunderstorm the night before we left and the wind made the seas rock our boat like crazy. Luckily we didn’t get seasick but plenty around us did! 

Is Milos Expensive?

Overall, no. Not at all! There are so many free beaches and things to do that do not cost money to keep you plenty busy everyday. Walking around the towns and swimming are among the most popular to do. BUT it can be expensive, depending on what you’re looking for and what your budget will allow. We were on a strict budget travelling around Europe for two months and were cautious on how much we spent everyday. Due to the high winds we werent able to rent a boat and get to Kleftiko which is the only thing we missed out on and would have cost around $150. 

In Milos we spent about $60/day so about $330 per person for two people for 5 days. 
Rough breakdown of the daily costs:
$20 each per night at Airbnb ($194 total) 
$30 each per day on food & water 
$10 each per day on rental car and gas 
$0 Excursions and extras 
$68 Ferry ticket per person to get to Milos from Athens
TOTAL: About $650 (this price isn't including flights which we paid for with Airline points) 

There are tons of ways that the costs can add up quickly in Milos, at some of the beaches there are beach clubs where you can rent a chair and buy drinks. If you drink alcohol it's usually more expensive here unless you go to a grocery store (we don't drink so this is not a part of our budgets). There are alot of boat tours available daily on the island, ATV rentals or tours and much more! But truly we didn't feel that you needed to do much more here other than explore the beautiful beaches and walk around the seaside villages!

What are the best Beaches?

Paliochori Beach

Paliochori beach has some of the clearest most beautiful water on the island of Milos! We spent the entire day here and loved every second of it! The colorful volcanic rock backdrop behind you makes the views from the water and the sand absolutely picture perfect. Although, there isn’t much sand once you reach the water line, this is a pretty rocky beach with tons of shells and some sharp edges so bring water shoes, check ours out here!

There are 2 restaurants adjacent to the beach (they are a bit expensive so we did not indulge here), a beach club with chairs to rent and not far from other restaurants across the street! We did not see any facilities available here but i’m sure if you ask the restaurants they would know more!

The adventure at Tsigrado Beach!

This was our one of our favorite beaches! When you arrive at the beach entrance (across from Fyriplaka beach) there will be a small crack in the cliffside for you to squeeze down and climb down through the first ladder. As you make your way closer to the beach there are ropes to assist you and one last ladder to get onto the beach. This does require some technical skill and includes some heights for those wondering so less is more for beach essentials and flip flops are a no go. We have a full video on this beach in our MILOS VLOG on YouTube if you’d like to see us climb down! Once you arrive, there are tons of beautiful bright blue grottos to swim around in and enjoy. We did see a few colorful fish snorkeling here but it isn’t the best spot to bring your fins and a mask.

• No amenities or food available here! Make sure you pack plenty of water for your duration and a snack!

• Helpful Tip: Go early this beach fills up quickly during midday! During midday there also is not much shade and you’ll be in direct sunlight so bring some reef safe sunscreen and a nice hat!

The clearest water on the island at Fyriplaka Beach

Across the road from Tsigrado beach is Fyriplaka! Paulie and I could not get over how beautiful the water was and how clear it was! The pictures just don’t do this beach justice! The lounge chairs are 20 Euros for two so it was pretty reasonable but not really necessary (we didn’t buy them) and there is a stand behind them selling food and drinks!

The one of a kind Lunar Landscapes of Sarakaniko Beach!

• Of course the best is saved for last. Sarakaniko beach kept us coming back for more almost every single day of our trip! We came back to this one of kind location 6 times during our trip! Between the cliff jumping, unique moon rock formations, and the pristine water we couldn’t stay away!

• Helpful tip: Behind the waters entrance and before you climb to the cliff jumping spot there are Catacombs and tunnels all throughout that you can explore and walk through. Definitely super creepy and they are unmarked but a good place to stop if you need some shade from the hot greek sun!

What do the towns have to offer in Milos? 

Klima

Klima is the most quaint and colorful fishing village with a restaurant right on the water. You have to park a bit far away as there aren't any places to park your car or ATV anywhere close to here unless youre staying or eating at the restaurant. Walking around here at sunset is perfect and the colorful fishing huts provide the perfect backdrop for a romantic evening in Milos. There are even some cute shops inside the houses as you walk along the shore! 

Mandrakia

Mandrakia is an instantly lovable small fishing village with colorful small boat houses with some turned into airbnbs if you’d like to stay the night! Come here in the afternoon to cool off in the crystal clear water and explore the church. In the evening the perfect spot for dinner is the famous restaurant Medusa!

Firopotamos

We ran into SO many cute cats around this village! Its one of our favorite memories walking around here! Firopotamos is a small seaside fishing village with a beautiful church at the bottom and beautiful blue water to swim in. We only stopped by for a few hours but we wish we spent more time here to swim and enjoy the beach!

Plaka

Plaka: The largest town and the capital of Milos with a castle perched at the top. Beautiful small streets that give the greek island feel as soon as you start to get lost in them! There are no cars allowed here and you’ll have to walk along the Cycladic walkways to see it all. There are plenty of places to eat and shop here, plan to spend at least a few hours enjoying Plaka!

Adamas

Adamas: The port town of Milos and the first place you'll see right off the ferry! This town is the perfect place to start off a trip to Milos. Adamas is full of incredible views, churches and cobblestone walkways. The blue and white buildings truly give the greek feel you’re looking for on a greek vacation!

***Planning tip: The towns are scorching hot during the day! Get here before noon or around sunset for better temperatures

Best Spots to Watch The Sunrise & Sunset?

• Our favorite spot that we watched the sunset was the village of Klima!

• Sarakaniko for sunrise is a MUST DO no one will be there and the sun rising over the white rocks is one of the most incredible things we have ever seen! (sunset is just as amazing!)

  What Is The Best Thing To Do?

In our opinion the best thing to do on Milos is beach hop! The water at every beach is uniquely its own and every beach here is worth a visit! Especially our two favorites: Tsigrado and Sarakaniko. 

Anything to skip?

• YES. Skip the group tours. Complete waste of money, if youre looking to do a tour opt for a boat tour. They’re very affordable here!

• Avoid the tap water and buy bottled water. It isn’t always a 100% sure thing to drink tap water in Europe so we recommend avoiding it altogether and buying bottled water at the grocery stores.

• Google and apple maps are not accurate here at all you will get lost but thats the whole point of adventuring! 

• We would say unless it is absolutely necessary, consider skipping the rental car and opt for an ATV or scooter. If you have luggage, ask your airbnb host to pick you up from the ferry or airport (most are more than willing and understanding about how confusing it is to get around) Truthfully we regretted the rental car because of how difficult it was to drive around and often found ourselves wishing we had an ATV or scooter instead to get around in the towns. The streets are SO TINY!

Safety?

We felt completely safe the entire time we were on Milos and we believe you will too. But with that being said, traveling somewhere new and unfamiliar always means your guard should be up a little higher and you should be taking the right safety precautions.

The forceful and unpredictable greek winds are something you should be paying attention to during your time on Milos and swimming safety is SO important to pay attention to. Sometimes the beaches you go to you might be alone during the off season and the waves can get VERY big here and sometimes the surf is very dangerous.

Transportation? 

Due to this being a small fisherman's island, there is a lack of public transportation, Ubers, taxis or car services. Your best option is to get some sort of transportation while you're here! We recommend an ATV or scooter. While we were in Milos we rented a car to help us get around the island and we had a little too much luggage since we were gone for two months. The entire Island is not that big and can be driven in a short amount of time, BUT make sure you're a confident driver. Most of the rental cars are standard and because of super small roads and tight turns which makes for some difficult driving. There aren't many street signs to assist you and it feels a lot like a free for all without much direction with the locals driving crazy fast.

When to visit? 

When we went in May we felt the water was a bit too cold to be enjoyable. We’d suggest going middle of June to the end of June or anytime after the end of August to the beginning of October. Definitely not recommended during the off season due to the lack of accessibility of the island (significantly less flights or ferries, if any due to weather). Think of this as a summer vacationing island and most stores and restaurants are closed in the winter. 

Any Places We Missed?

• Kleftiko Bay: we were so bummed that we had to cancel our boat trip to go here because of the high wind warnings but this will be our first stop next time we’re in Milos!

• Sykia Cave: another spot we didn’t have time to get to but is on the list for the future!

• Papafragas: This was actually closed when we went. There were brand new fences all around so you couldn’t walk down. If we visited again we’d see if this spot is still closed off.

• Alogomondra and Kapros Beach: On this side of the island there was A LOT of trash and debris in the water which made it completely unswimmable and really gross.

What should I pack with me to Milos?

Milos is a beach vacationing spot so bring all your typical beach vacationing clothes! But pack lighly, as mentioned before the living areas in Europe are much smaller than we are used to in the US. If its possible a carry on is best! There’s a few things we would highly recommend in addition to your normal beachwear;

• watershoes are a must, almost every beach is pretty rocky

• Underwater camera like a GoPro! The water is SO clear and and so much fun to take pictures with. Its a great addition to your trip memories!

• Underwater casing dome for GoPro! Super easy to use and takes normal pictures up a notch!

Extras: Quick Stuff!

• What language do the locals speak on Milos? Greek of course! Rarely will you find English speakers here and sometimes it is a bit hard to communicate but the people are super friendly and will do everything they can to help you!

• Currency? The Euro and for our American followers American Express is not accepted, like anywhere so we wouldn't even bother bringing it with you. 

We truly hope this Ultimate Milos Guide has answered all of your questions! Make sure you check out our Milos video on Youtube for more!

8 Tips to Help You Find The Northern Lights in Alaska!

Seeing the Aurora is on so many traveler's bucket lists. But, catching a glimpse of this phenomenon is pretty rare. Waiting for the perfect combination of solar activity, the right time of year, clear skies and no light pollution all add up to a good chance at finding the northern lights!

First of all, what actually are The Northern Lights? The northern lights or Aurora Borealis is a phenomenon caused by solar storms on the sun (clouds and dust etc.)

1. Plan for the right time of the year
   The lights are only visible during the late fall-early spring. Typically November-April. Which is why this comes up as our number one tip for seeing the Aurora. 

2. Trip duration
   It’s worth mentioning the obvious that the longer your trip is, the better chance you have at seeing the lights.  If you are in the area for a minimum of 3 nights you would have a 90% chance of seeing them. Staying longer increases your odds even more, provided the weather cooperates! With this in mind, we stayed for 8 days just to be sure our efforts were worth it and with the hope of seeing them more than once. If your main goal is to see the northern lights your trip duration should be anywhere from 7-12 days. 

3. Remember to keep warm! The temperature can drop SIGNIFICANTLY when the sun goes down and it may even sound silly to have to mention it on this list. BUT, if you don't prepare correctly your chances of seeing the lights will drop! We didn't prepare as well as we thought we did, even with tons of layers we found ourselves wishing we brought blankets and more hand warmers. Bring a heated blanket, extra camera batteries, hand and toe warmers, and dress in many layers. Check our blog post How to spend a week in Alaska in the winter for our full packing list!

4. Your chances increase with altitude
   As it is similar to stargazing, your chances increase the higher you can get above cloud cover. There are LOTS of higher altitude hotspots that the lights frequently pop out with a safe place to park your car and a good viewpoint getting above the clouds in fairbanks. 

5. The Northern Lights are most active from 12am to 4am!
   But with that being said you can see them before midnight and in the wee hours of the morning too. 

6. Location is everything!
   Your best shot at seeing the lights are at the north pole and the south pole. They are especially more active near the south pole. Go somewhere dark (light pollution in the city) . Fairbanks is located near the arctic circle, but it is still many hours away from the arctic circle and the more north you go, the better your chances are. In fairbanks there still is light pollution and the city lights make it impossible to see them 

7. Check these forecasts: Moon Phases, Aurora, and Weather
   For obvious reasons the weather plays a HUGE part in whether or not the lights will be visible. As soon as we arrived in Fairbanks we went to the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitor Center in town, who told us the weekly forecast and when our best odds of seeing the northern lights were. If you are aurora hunting in the fairbanks area we highly suggest a quick stop here and speaking with a park ranger for a few minutes before heading out on your own for accurate road conditions as well. We also made sure we checked the moon phases. The aurora will appear much brighter with a new moon phase (when the moon is completely dark) as with light pollution the light from the moon makes it more difficult to see the lights. 

8. Something odd that shocked me the first time I ever saw the northern lights (in Iceland) was that they aren’t something really bright that you can see from far away on a typical night. On extraordinary nights, yes this is possible. Out the window it was a clear night and I saw some odd cloud formations in the distance that stretched across the sky. I wondered if it could be the lights and took a long exposure photo on my camera. I was shocked when my display screen was a bright glowing green. Eventually the clouds came closer and closer and were eventually above us and hovered for a while before turning purple, green and twirling around us. We were driving along and stopped on the side of the road in the middle of absolutely nowhere with no one and nothing around us, truly a moment I will remember forever. I think this is REALLY important to mention, we recommend waiting where you are and staying put (in your warm car) for at least 2 hours because you just never know when they’ll pop out and show up! If you see something off in the distance it may be them but wait them out! Longer if you can deal with just sitting in your car or in the cold. Driving around chasing them at different destinations isn’t really worth it unless you find cloud coverage or bad weather at the location you're in. But the lights are constantly moving so you could be driving away from the destination you’ve been at for 2 hours to try another one and 5 minutes later the lights pop out where you just were!  

Extra Tips for Photographers!

Gear that you will need:

• DSLR or Mirrorless camera (high ISO capabilities)
  I personally shoot with a Sony A7rii and have had great results

• Low Aperture Wide Angle lens

• Tripod

• Extra fully charged batteries

Shooting Settings

ISO: This will depend on things like how dark the area is around you due to the moon phase, light pollution, and whether or n

Aperture: As low as it will go. 3.5 is optimal.

Shutter Speed: This depends on how you want your photo to look. If the lights are very active and moving quickly I recommend even as low as 6 seconds to capture them up and up to 22 seconds for slower moving auroras.

File Format: Always shoot your photos in RAW, this will help in post while you are editing your pictures later.

Editing: I always use Lightroom to edit my aurora photos. And use our presets to edit the photo afterwards in Lightroom! 

Bonus: Iphone Photos and Northern lights

With a tripod, it is possible! iPhones nowadays have really become something that can just about take over some lower end DSLR and Mirrorless cameras. Heres a few shots I captured with my iPhone. These are completely unedited taken in RAW format for 10 second exposure on night mode.

Photographing the Northern Lights is HARD. Even for professional photographers like us with years of experience. We both had appropriate gear in order to photograph them and I think because of our lack of practice (not living close enough to photograph them often) made it a bit challenging for us. Especially because they could be there for a moment or 10 minutes, you never know. The formations of the lights are constantly changing so jumping into the photo, staying still while you’re shivering cold, and getting the exposure time correct for the speed of the lights above you and formatting a foreground, is exceptionally harder than we expected. 

I truly think this is something that needs to be practiced and would not recommend going out and buying a camera for this experience just to photograph them. If you want photos, I'd spend the money on a tour that offers them. BUT I won’t ever tell you *not* to buy a camera, just to weigh your options, confidence level and experience with a camera (auto mode won’t really work here). If you're interested in buying a camera we suggest our Sony A7rii or Canon R5 from our GEAR page.

The weather changes constantly and we went out the first night in Alaska to see them at 2am and got the best show of our whole trip that night. The rest of the week we only saw them here and there and nothing like night one due to cloud coverage, snow and sleeping right through our alarms. 

The Perfect 3 Day Weekend in Acadia National Park, Maine!

Now that we’re home from our cross country road trip, we have been itching to head out to the closest National Park to us! We’ve had this destination on our bucket list for a while and we LOVED it!

Acadia National Park encompasses all the best of Maine’s coastal area with tons to do for a fun-filled weekend! Whether you decide to camp or stay at one of the many Inns or hotels nearby, Acadia is packed with adventure! There are over 108 gorgeous square miles that Acadia National Park is set on, so 3-5 days is definitely plenty of time to see most of the highlights of the park.

Some quick helpful tips on the area before we get into things!

Nearby Airports: Bar Harbor, Maine (1 mile) or Portland, Maine (170 miles) 
Temperature: (Summertime) Mid 80s and low 60s/50s at night Campgrounds: 4 (all need reservations & none are first come, first served) 
Hotels: Bar Harbor, Maine (right outside the park) 
Peak season: June-September (especially on weekends!) 
Food: Plenty of dining options, restaurants, (LOTS of lobster), and grocery stores 

Best spots you CAN’T miss:
Stargazing at Sand Beach 
Jordon Pond 
Cadillac Mountain (requires reservations for sunrise drives) 
Bass Harbor Lighthouse
Beehive Loop Trail (OUR FAVORITE!!!)
Ocean Path Trails

Packing List!

TRAVEL GEAR LINKED HERE!

- hiking boots or sneakers

- socks & underwear

- sandals or flip flops (great for showering)

- rain coat

- sweatshirt/sweatpants

- 2 hiking outfits

- 2 comfortable outfits

- pajamas

- sunblock

- water

- cash and credit cards

- camera gear

- toiletries

- air mattress

- extra blankets

- foldable table

- foldable chairs

- cooler

- cooking utensils

Day One 

Arrive at the park as early as possible! The lines to get in can get crazy long! When you arrive you will have the choice to purchase a 7 day pass for $55 or for a little bit more (our recommendation) buy the America The Beautiful pass , it covers the driver and 3 family members, not including children under 16 (they’re free). There are also military and senior citizen discounted passes! 

we recommend camping!

Make sure you plan where you're staying WAY ahead of time ESPECIALLY if you are camping! The campgrounds are not first come first serve. Most of the campgrounds are very affordable and the scheduling site is easy to navigate but you must do so in advance! In addition to that, keep in mind that most of the campgrounds do not have showers (there are some down the road if you need them during your stay.) We stayed at Blackwoods Campground and really enjoyed our stay! They had very clean campsites and bathrooms and we would definitely stay there again!

Tents linked HERE!

If you plan on making dinner at your campsite we recommend stopping at the grocery store (Hannafords) in Bar Harbor to grab your food.

TIP: Skip the grocery store Ice and carry cash! On the way into the campground there are Ice coolers and firewood setup on the roadside by locals who sell ice at better prices! Just leave your cash for the goods you take and you're all set!  

 Drive Park Loop Road

We recommend doing this drive the first or second day to get familiar with the area. It’s a pretty short trip (27 miles) and a one lane road. This is a must do with tons of viewpoints to pull off and take photos, enjoy the scenery, or head to the biking or hiking trails along the way! We ended up driving the road about 3 times during the duration of the trip!

After a drive around park loop road we went to the grocery store to grab dinner (we got burgers & veggie kabobs with some 4 layer dip on the side!) on the way back to our campsite we picked up firewood and ice and headed in to setup camp. Which brings us to our second adventure of Day 1 which ended up being a small disaster…

Bass Harbor Lighthouse 

If you're a photographer we don’t recommend this spot during peak season or on weekends. It gets absolutely PACKED. We arrived about 1.3 miles away to a park ranger directing traffic because the parking lot was completely full. She was not the most helpful and we ended up parking a mile back in the opposite direction at a campsite. All along the sideroads it says” no parking for lighthouse” so if you do want to visit this spot, arrive early or you probably won't get in or you'll have to walk 1-2 miles. With all that said this still made the list because it is definitely worth seeing. It is a gorgeous spot and iconic for Maine!

TIP: When you arrive there will be an obvious path for the lighthouse, to get to where we took the photos below you have to go to the left of the lighthouse near the back end of the parking lot and towards the wooded area to find the dirt path leading down to wooden steps that will then take you down where we stood for our photos!

Sand Beach (Stargazing) 

Milky Way Views!

If you have enough energy left after all that check the weather for the night and see if there are clear skies! We went back to our campsite, made dinner and had some smores before heading out to this next spot! Make sure you bring some extra blankets with you or a jacket, the winds at the beach pick up at night and it gets VERY cold. This was a highlight from our trip as we are both avid stargazers and absolutely love astrophotography! It is the second place in the northeast where you can easily see the milky way with your naked eye!

DAY TWO 

If you're an early bird this adventure is for you! 

Cadillac Mountain Sunrise

We are not early birds and after a long night of stargazing we slept through our alarms (both mornings in a row) but we heard great things and saw some great photos from our neighbors at the campsite! Online you have to book tickets in advance and you'll need to arrive about an hour before the sun actually starts rising. For those of you who are like us, the views from the top are just as beautiful during the day! 

Beehive Loop Trail 

Quick hiking tips for this trail:

• 1.8 miles roundtrip (UPHILL) 

• There are ladders and platforms and this hike is VERY steep and high up

• Bring extra water if you can manage hiking it up the ladders 

• There are no bathrooms around

• Wear proper footwear (hiking shoes or sneakers, definitely NO flipflops) 

Arrive as early as possible! We got to the Beehive loop trail at 9am and we parked about 40 cars away (both sides of the road) from the trailhead. This hike is also much more straining after the sun has fully risen due to the high temperatures in the summer. You can also extend the 1.8 mile trip if you decide to hike The Bowl. The Bowl is a 1.3 mile loop around Bowl Lake. This can extend your hike by over an hour so make sure you plan ahead! This hike was by far our favorite hike we’ve done in the northeast. The ladders, platforms and challenge to get to the top made it so much fun! And you can’t beat the view!

Bar Harbor 

In town there are tons of boutique shops and cute touristy nik naks you can purchase. There is also no shortage of restaurants here with tons of local lobster specials and great places to eat! The price ranges at every spot but you can definitely find something no matter your budget! We spent a good 4 hours walking around town and you can easily spend the entire day here depending on what you're looking for! 

Jordan Pond (Sunset)

The last part of the day should be spent at Jordan Pond. If you arrive early enough there are hiking trails along the lake that end up back near the main parking lot. If you want to spend dinner at Jordan Pond House, make sure you book reservations ahead of time so you don't have to wait! They have tables out on the lawn and a great menu selection!  

DAY THREE

Checkout at 10am from the campsite and always leave no trace! Clean up after yourself and make the next people’s stay just as enjoyable as yours! Our goal was to wake up for sunrise on our third day and we skipped star gazing the night before. Unfortunately we were woken up by a child screaming at 3 in the morning. After a few minutes we got up to see what was going on and from our tent we could see the parents begging the child to come back in the tent. Super confused, we chose not to get involved and mind our own business as this went on for the next hour. Needless to say we missed our 5am alarms for sunrise. With that story, keep in mind the park and the campgrounds are kid friendly and we hope you don't have this experience! 

Sand Beach 

This beach makes our list again! We spotted this spot from the Beehive trail and spent the night stargazing and had to see it up close during the sunshine! The water here is SO blue and gorgeous! Be cautious, it may look beautiful to swim in but the water is always freezing! We actually had advisories on our weather apps during the weekend we stayed to make sure we knew the risks of swimming and hypothermia. (if you look in the picture to the right, the beach featured above our heads is Sand Beach)

Depending on how much time you need to get back home on the 3rd day you can plan your trip around a few different options. If you're a hiker there are a few trails we want to check out next time we go back:
Precipice trail
Wonderland trail
Carriage road
The schooner trail
Tide pools along the coast 

On our way back home we stumbled upon an AMAZING restaurant called Happy Clam Shack! We wanted to save the best for last because if you get the chance to stop by, the food is amazing, the atmosphere is even better and we loved every bit about it! It was the perfect way to end our 3 day weekend in Acadia National Park! 

How to Spend 7 Amazing Days in Alaska This Winter!

Alaskan winters are COLD. Like, really cold. The weather can range anywhere from 20 degrees to -40 degrees and may change drastically throughout your trip! Alaska is not the destination to go to without some serious trip planning, at least if you want to experience everything Alaska has to offer! Alaska is one of those places where if you plan right, you can see everything we did or more in one visit. We recommend at least a week to see everything (we went for 8 days).

We broke it down day by day and are going to give you all the essential information to make your winter trip to Alaska amazing! 

Our Trip Duration: 8 Days in November 2021

First, and my favorite part: PACKING!

Here is a packing list of everything
you need to survive the Alaskan cold! 
shop our amazon
for our exact recommendations!

Extras: Hand and Toe warmers, bathing suit for hot springs, pajamas, warm blanket

How much or how little of all of these are totally up to you and how minimally you like to travel! My tip would be to find an airbnb that has a washer and dryer and invest in some really good quality thermals and socks! (We also always doubled up on socks and used toe warmers everyday!)

How much should you expect to spend?

This is the cost breakdown between Paulie and I, his cousin and her boyfriend who went on the trip with us! We are always looking to save money and use it towards another trip. Obviously there are a lot of variables here, and you could end up spending significantly more (or less) depending on how you like to travel or how many excursions you want to do!

TIP: We highly recommend planning trips with friends or family members, even the ones who you wouldn't normally think would go! We have had such fun experiences with unexpected friends and family joining us on trips and we extend the invite every time we travel! BONUS: It's also a great way to split the costs between everyone and have a budget friendly destination vacation!!

Flights: $223
Flight Insurance: $22
Airbnb Rental: $855/ $214pp
Turo Car Rental: $461/ $115
Excursions: Reindeer Ranch $30
Excursion: LARS Fairbanks: $15
Excursion: Dog Sledding $68
Excursion: Hot Springs & Ice Caves $30
Food $150
Gas (approx. 3.50/gal) $43
Extras (face mask for cold, souvenirs, lyft) $75
TOTAL: $1,000 EACH

In total we spent about $1,000 each, we spent a lot of time doing free things in the area to bring our costs down, and to be honest there really was not a whole lot of touristy things to go spend money on. Alaska is referred to as “The Last Frontier” and for good reason, most of the activities for you to do are outdoors and in nature! If you are looking for a place to reset, this is the spot! Certainly away from people and reconnecting with nature in a beautiful environment.

Getting there: FROM NEW YORK CITY 

Friend to drive us to the airport (FREE) 
Flight from JFK to Seattle 5hr 41min
Layover 2.5 hours
Seattle to Anchorage 3hr 50min
Layover 4 hours
Anchorage to Fairbanks 41min

DAY ONE

Arrive in Fairbanks 
Pick up rental car, we used Turo!
There are MUCH cheaper options in this area using this app and we had such a great experience! Remember when picking up the car its extremely cold and the keyfobs don't work right away, be prepared to stand in the cold while you warm it up and don't try to open the door before or you'll set off the car alarm like we did and have to listen to it until we could get the key fob warmed up!
Breakfast: The Cookie Jar (best rated breakfast spot in fairbanks, lives up to the hype)
Highly recommend the cinnamon buns, hot chocolate and a skillet 
Head to Airbnb to check in (we had an early check in allowed) 
Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center, FREE, for info and history, 8am-5pm, tons of helpful info about northern lights
Large Animal Research Station (LARS) - 12pm, $15, TIX
NAP TIME 3pm-2am 
Jet lag got us and if you're coming from the east coast it will get you too! Plan a solid few hours to get some rest! The roads get dangerously icy so it's SUPER important to be awake and aware while driving! 
Northern Lights 3am-5am BEST lights display we had on the entire trip!
Back to Airbnb for some Zzz’s (5am-10am) 

NORTHERN LIGHTS TIPS  

Some quick helpful tips for trying to spot the northern lights on your Alaska excursion!

1. DON'T pay for a tour if you have a rental car. Research or check out our blog post “How to see the northern lights in Alaska”. There are some incredible viewing spots in the area that you can drive to and see them. (Chena Lakes, Murphy Dome, Cleary Summit to name a few!)

2. Check the weather forecast! If it's a clear night you will probably see them, but cloud coverage and any snow/rain makes it impossible to view them. You can also check the https://www.gi.alaska.edu/monitors/aurora-forecast predictions website to see how active they are projected to be for that night.

3. We found that the sweet spot to seeing them was after midnight into the morning hours.

4. Pack hand and toe warmers and dress in layers! Maybe even bring a heavy blanket! Photographers, make sure you bring extra batteries, the cold drains your batteries quickly! 

5. With all that being said, set your alarms and drive out EVERY night to try and see them, you just never know! Every night the light prediction said low activity, we saw them. And on our first night it was cloudy in town and when we drove up to Cleary Summit it was clear and the BEST show of the entire trip! 
   Check out our blog post: 8 TIPS TO HELP YOU FIND THE NORTHERN LIGHTS IN ALASKA!

DAY TWO

10am: Wakeup 
Breakfast at : Bagels & Brew Drive In, Check out their awesome menu here!
Drive to the Town of Fox, beautiful views along the way and see Gold Dredge #8 
Drive back into Fairbanks and see the Alaskan pipeline viewing point on the way 
Noon: 2 Miles of hiking trails behind Creamer’s Field & Boreal Tree Forest Trail 
Lunch at Thai drive through (tons of thai places in the area we went here and LOVED it) 
Antler Arch in town (quick stop no more than 5 minutes) 
Museum of the North University of Alaska open 10am-5:30pm $16 (double check here)
Pickup groceries at Fred Meyers (don't bother with the walmart, they had NOTHING and so expensive!)
NAP: 7pm-2am
Northern Lights: Attempted to see the lights at Olnes Pond & Cleary Summit but it was too cloudy so we missed them

DAY THREE

8:30am: wakeup, made breakfast and packed PBJ for lunch
Sunrise on the road (Sunrise is later here! It starts coming up at 9am!) 
10:30am: Running Reindeer Ranch $30 per person 
12pm: Eat lunch at Olnes Pond 
Pioneer Park stop for 30 minutes on the way back (Not worth the stop during winter months in our opinion, everything is closed)
5pm: make dinner at airbnb and get to sleep early for Northern lights viewing 
1am: wakeup Northern lights attempt at Murphy Dome (We slept right through our alarms but this was our plan!)

DAY FOUR

7am wakeup 
7:30 breakfast at Jason's Donuts - this local spot is AMAZING open 6am-noon (double for special deals here!)
Drive to Denali National Park (about 3 hours from Fairbanks on icy snowy roads) 
12pm Lunch in the car (we had PBJ’s)
Hike Horseshoe Lake Trail (most roads and trails are closed at the park check the NPS website for more info)  
Denali Kennels near park entrance (check HERE for when they are open to public, when we went it was 1-4 on Sat & Sun) 
Drive back to Fairbanks and go to Haystack Mountain (this drive is not for the faint of heart) and Cleary Summit (we faintly saw them at Cleary summit)

DAY FIVE 

7am Wakeup and make breakfast 
8am Drive to Castner Ice Cave (3hr drive) 
VIEWS ON THE WAY ARE AMAZING don’t underestimate how many times you’ll want to stop at the pull offs!
Arrive at Castner Ice Caves 2.2 Mile Round Trip Hike (FREE) 

LOCATION: South of Delta Junction, Alaska. It's located at milepost 217.3 on the Richardson Highway / About 150 miles down the Richardson Highway, just a ways past Delta Junction the road passes over a good number of creeks that feed into the Delta River. One of those is Castner Creek. At that point you just pull over, park along the highway (which is really just an ordinary 2 lane road with almost no traffic) and cross your fingers.

TIPS: There are actually 2 trails you can take, one on either side of the creek. We took the North trail in, and somehow ended up coming out on the South trail… we think at some point they connected. ALWAYS have all trails map downloaded before you go and check the comments there to see the conditions!

DAY SIX 

10am: Woke up and made breakfast at airbnb
Drive to Chena Hot Springs Resort 
Geothermal Renewable Energy tour (ask for Bash) 
Ice Museum (skip this unless you want an overpriced apple martini or a photo op with tons of tourists- we hated this)  
Chena Hot Springs (full day pass $15) 
So, a few things about Chena Hot Springs. It is a resort and if you wanted to you could stay here for part of your trip to Fairbanks or the entire time, its up to you! We recommend after visiting here, if you would want to go in the hot springs more than once, an overnight would suffice. There really is NOTHING around except the resort. With that being said, also plan on only eating at the one restaurant the resort offers. One important part of their menu to highlight is that they grow their own hydroponic lettuce and tomatoes (which you can visit on the tour) which we loved! They do have tons of other pretty reasonably priced tours like northern lights with warm yurt tour etc. Their prices run around $250 a night.
After our visit at the hot springs we tried viewing the northern Lights at Chena Rec Area (no show) and tried to see them in town in Fairbanks (no show) and we went home around 3:45am.

DAY SEVEN

Lady of the Lake Hike 
We skipped out on this one, we were just too cold & tired (-13 degrees out) 
Creamer's Field short walk around the hikes we didn't get to 
2:30pm Rods Alaskan Adventures (he is great! Offers a lot of outdoor activities like dog sledding and snowmobiling)  
Dog Sledding (we used groupon $68+tip) 30min ride (that is ALL you need) 
SnowMobiling Tour (we weren’t able to do this because of the lack of snow!)
(BUT - We say do one or the other, it's just SO cold even in November that the wind (or worse, snow) blowing in your face is hardly worth it in our opinion and we cancelled our snow mobile tour)
4pm Santa Claus House (SKIP IT!!! A tourist trap and things are WAY overpriced, get to the airport for the same, if not better items or go into town for cheaper finds!) 
6:30pm Dinner at The Pump House (reservations needed) we highly recommend this spot, their menu makes it worth every penny! Make sure you try some delicious reindeer sausage!