Country 34 & 35 - England and Wales

25th March - 6th April 2019

We said goodbye to North America and were keen for some warmer weather. We flew overnight from Toronto to London in business class with British Airways and sadly it was not as enjoyable as we've known business class to be. The flight was uneventful, I was able to catch up on some new release movies but the seating is the worst which meant no sleep on the red eye flight we chose for that exact reason. Nonetheless we finally arrived, jumped on the tube and made our way to the iconic Paddington station. We were staying in the city for 6 days so after fighting off jetlag for the first 2 days we were finally starting to get on the local schedule.

We got ourselves Oyster cards for the underground rail and by our first day running all over town we had it down pat. Lucky for us we were staying close to Hyde Park so we made that our first stop as the weather was unusually glorious as we walked through among the trees looking for Princess Diana's memorial. It wasn't where google maps said it would be so after a good 40 min walk we ended up at the other end of the park at the lovely water memorial. We walked back past lakes with swans and the locals walking their dogs to get to Kensington Palace - the current home of William and Harry. We purchased a tour that gave us access to the 2 floors and a well set up gallery showcasing the lives of the royals who have lived in the Palace since the building was built. They had 3 tiaras on display in the jewel room and they are more spectacular than they appear on TV and I'm guessing these are the 'lower' ranked ones to not be used that often.

We made our way into central London to Buckingham Palace and it was just as awe inspiring as the last time I was there. With the sun shining & the crowds not too big we were able to walk around the grounds with some ease. The royal flag wasn't flying which meant the old girl wasn't on the premise but the changing of the guard went ahead anyway and we were keen to just see the palace and it did not disappoint.





Much to Caleb's dismay, I booked us onto a hop on hop off bus for the day to get around town. I love doing this as it's an easy way to get to the hot spots but also some more regional parts of the city you wouldn't normally venture to. We started off at Big Ben but unfortunately it's still under reconstruction so not worth a photo. We crossed the Thames and passed the London Eye to arrive at the famed Tower Bridge. We were pleased see a proper British landmark that wasn't under construction or hidden behind a 15 foot fence. With another clear blue sky day it was a sight to see. We even got a picture of an iconic red double decker bus passing over the bridge to top it off. We decided to walk past the Tower of London back towards Big Ben and stopped by Trafalgar Square for a photo. It felt like being in Monopoly!

The dreaded day had finally arrived - Brexit was here! Well by the time this blog is posted we all know the ridiculous way that turned out and continues to be a shambles. But on the day we made our way down to Westminster Abbey to see there was a pro-Brexit rally in full swing. Average age was 60+ easily and there were probably 4000 people. We walked up Parliament St to check out No 10 Downing Street. Security was heavy as expected but we think just a few more guns were on display due the importance of the day. As Parliament St was closed from Westminster Abbey to Trafalgar Square we came across a peaceful march again demanding to leave the EU. Once again no one was under the age of 45+ but this time there were about 80 people. We really feel for our friends in the country who honestly don't know what will happen next.

Caleb's birthday had arrived and it was time to head off to the soccer. Funnily enough a couple of guys he met on a trip to Nepal a few years ago live outside of London and took him to a local football derby. The ground had about 4000 people turn up and it only cost 10 pounds for entry. Standing in the terraces with the local diehard fans and the drummer right behind him he was in his element. He had a great day drinking beer and abusing the opposition keeper while I stayed in the city and explored the Thames waterfront and Notting Hill.

Our time in London came to a quick end so we picked up our hire car and headed south towards Bath where we planned a short stay before heading up towards Manchester. It was Mothers Day so the roads were busy and each stop packed with people. Our first to do item was seeing the famous Stonehenge. With the traffic almost at a standstill in the lead up to the henge, we decided to do our sightseeing fr
om the main road to avoid the crowds. We got a great view and a few great photos before we got back on the road. The next day we drove through Bibury in the Cotswolds. They say that the Cotswolds have some of the most beautiful villages in all of Britain. Whoever 'they' are, they are not wrong. Simply stunning.

We headed north to a small village called Mold where our friends Dan & Emma, who we met on our Vietnam tour way back in August, had a spare room, a couch and a TV they didn't mind lending us for a couple of days. It didn't take long for us to catch up and get acquainted with their 2 cats and 2 dogs. One of their dogs was a 20 week old Newfoundland puppy named Victor and he was half the size of Caleb! After we arrived the boys took the dogs out for a walk around the village when it started snowing. We thought we'd seen the last of the snow but apparently not. The puppies loved it, especially Victor, and after returning home he passed out on the lounge room floor and snored louder than I've heard some humans.


While we were in Wales, we had organised to drive into Manchester for dinner with friends we'd also met on the same Vietnam tour last year. It is so great to have met so many wonderful people who just happen to live within 1 hour of each other. To pay homage to how we all met, we caught up for a lovely Vietnamese dinner in the city for lots of laughs and catch ups. To top it off, one of the families just happened to mention they were off to Athens in a couple of weeks. As luck would have it our dates overlap so we made plans to cross paths once more in sunny Greece.

On our last day in the UK we drove north west to the worlds longest train station name. With the Welsh name Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch it's a bit of a mouth full. Hearing it pronounced by a local is amazing but the English translation is even funnier. Get ready for it - St Mary's Church in the Hollow of the White Hazel near a Rapid Whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near athe Red Cave. Last but not least, we drove back to our friends place to say goodbye and for Caleb to give the not so little Victor one last cuddle. We headed to Manchester for a night at the airport to get ready for our 6am flight to Bulgaria the following day. Nothing like starting a bus tour with a 4am start!

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Country 33 - Canada

27th February - 24th March 2019

With a quick stopover back in Seattle we arrived in Canada to the bright lights of Vancouver. It had been 4 years since I left Vancouver, having lived in Canada for 2 years, and it was so good to be back. This city holds a very special place in my heart and I'll tell anyone that asks that I'd move back to Vancouver tomorrow if life would allow it. VanCity is constantly among the top 5 most expensive cities in the world to live in and by the sounds of it nothing has changed since I left. But instead of thinking of the money you get mountains that meet the sea, access to snow sports & water sports on your doorstep and a general laid back vibe from the locals that allowed me fit in very well and make some of the most amazing friends a girl could ask for. I was excited to take Caleb to the country I used to call home and meet some of the people in my life that made my time there so special.

As luck and a little planning would have it I was spending my birthday in my favourite city. I rallied some of the old troops and organised a night out on the town with 4 great friends to celebrate getting another year older. There was so much joy seeing them after all these years we started chatting and drinking like no time had passed at all. We hit up an old stomping ground in Gastown & the boys happily worked on adding to their Untappd beer app. Before long we were all conspiring to organise a few sickies on Monday so we could hang out at some local breweries in Olympic Village. This is why I love them. We had a fantastic night that ended up at our friends apartment with a glass of Moet and belly hurting laughs. 

It took me the next day to recover from the antics of the night before. Unsurprisingly the hangovers get worse as the years roll on. In the hunt for hangover food Caleb found his new favorite dish - Poutine. Once he'd tried it for the first time it was his meal of choice for the rest of our time in Canada. Seriously. We walked down to Canada Place, where the cruise ships come into port, and had a gorgeous view of Stanley Park as we walked further down the pier to FlyOver Canada. This is an absolute must do when in the city and as I had done it before I knew I had to take Caleb to have a look. Lucky for me they have added a new USA feature so I got something new as well. FlyOver Canada is a 4D experience flying over the country with a birds eye view. You're strapped into the chair and as the lights go dark you're moved forward and when the lights come back on you are dangling over the edge with a curved screen in front of you that gives the illusion you are in the sky. As the footage takes you over the provinces of Canada you get a little water in the face as you fly by Niagara Falls and some wind in your hair as we zoomed through the Rocky Mountains. It is such an awesome experience and a great way to get a taste of the country. To my delight the experience was replicated as we flew over the USA including the islands of Hawaii.

We hopped on a bus that took us over the Lion Gates bridge which gave us amazing views of West Vancouver and downtown on the return trip. Within minutes we arrived at Capilano Suspension bridge. Located 70m above the valley, the swing bridge is a popular place to visit. It began snowing of course which made the whole experience that much better. As you walk across (or crawl as some did) and get to the other side there are a few trails you can take that are wooden boardwalks through the tree tops. The scenery here is breathtaking and well worth the trip. The bus transfer is free from Canada place which is an added bonus. 

Our last night in town was spent with another good friend of mine. Like everyone I had caught up with in the city, Aarti was one of the best. We started our Starbucks journey at the same time and had stores around the corner from each other. After some wine, laughs, a look around their new house & meeting their 2 kiddos we headed out to dinner for some good food and great company. We were off to Quebec the next day so we called it a night but not before planning to meet up again in a few months in Vegas once we return to the US from Europe. With a happy heart we said goodbye to my second home eager to explore the east.

Arriving into -22 degree weather was a bit of a shock to the system but we found it funny that even our Uber driver was complaining about the cold. If a local tells you that you know it's true. Snow was still feet deep around the city and we enjoyed an average of -15 degree days. We stayed just outside Old Town right next to the Parliament building. During our stay we walked into Old Quebec City and visited the famed Chateau Frontenac, a 130 year old Grand Railway Hotel, built on a cliff overlooking the St Lawrence river. We boarded a half day city tour that showed us around the city and at one river side stop we saw how the locals had transformed a park into their own cross country ski area. We ventured around Old Town at night and experienced the beauty of the city lit up in lights.

We decided to rail from Quebec City to Toronto and our first stop on the way was Montreal. We arrived in Montreal to moderate snow fall making our walk to the hotel a tricky one. Once we finally arrived we enjoyed a corner suite view of the city and the unrelenting snow fall. The city is gorgeous and full of history. As we spent our time out and about in Montreal we ventured into Old Town which is home to the stunning Notre-Dame Basilica, old town squares & historical statues. Olympic Park, where the 1976 Olympics were held, was worth the visit and a must do is the city lookout to view the vast span of the city and it's surrounding suburbs.







Back on the train we railed south west towards Canada's capital. Ottawa is very much a government city but the buildings on Wellington Street are worth the stop. The city isn't that big and is concentrated on one main street. We walked into town past another iconic Fairmont hotel and a frozen river that separates Quebec and Ontario. We arrived at the Canadian Federal Parliament which has the Centennial Flame alight in the centre of the square. The National War Memorial is across the road and has a very beautiful tribute to the fallen soldiers from the World Wars. We enjoyed dinner at a local brewery before packing up for our next journey the following day.

Toronto was our final stop on our train journey and it was just as I remembered it to be. Once again playing the tour guide I took Caleb to the CN tower to get a birds eye view of this lake side city. With 360 degree views and a glass floor it was a sight to behold. We walked to the Distillery District, an original distillery dating back to 1837 right on the Toronto waterfront. The company, Gooderham & Worts, went bankrupt in 1990 just as the distillery compound was made a historical site. We did an hour long segway history tour through the pedestrian only facility which now houses art, micro breweries and small craft houses. We found a couple of funky breweries for Caleb to add to his uptappd app, saw the Hockey Hall of Fame and walked through St Lawrence market which could easily be described as a collectors dream market. Dating back to 1803 there were so many rare finds and cheap deals we could have spent a small fortune in there.

As our time in Canada was quickly coming to an end we got a transfer down to Niagara Falls. We stayed on the Canadian side as in my opinion this is the best side to stay for the views and for entertainment. We stayed right near the border crossing next to the indoor waterpark and casino with a balcony view over the falls. The falls were still partially frozen and the river completely frozen over under the border bridge meant that the boat that would normally take you to the base of the horseshoe falls was not running. So we decided to walk the promenade and head towards the tunnels that are dug in behind the horeshoe falls. Some of the openings were completely frozen over but it was still a hell of an experience.

As all good things must come to an end so must our time in North America. Niagara Falls marked the end of a glorious 3 month stint covering different states and territories and now it was time to head east to London just in time for the dreaded Brexit.

Travelers Tip - The train was a very inexpensive way to travel plus we got the added bonus of seeing the countryside as we went. No journey was more than 4 hours which would be about the same time spent at the airport.

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Country 30 - USA, Alaska

19th - 27th February 2019

With a 6am flight we said goodbye to Seattle and made our way north to Anchorage. The flight was non eventful which was great so we could get some rest along the way. As we started to descend the clouds cleared making way for the breathtaking scenery that would be just the tip of the iceberg of what we would see during our time in Alaska. There aren't many ways you can prepare yourself for well below zero temperatures and we didn't but we soon learnt the art of layering.



We had organised a self guided tour for 10 days in Alaska which meant our itinerary, including hotel, car hire, transfers & tours, were all pre organised leaving us with the freedom of independent travel. We spent our first night in Anchorage to get ourselves set up after a long day of traveling and the following morning we picked up our hire car. We followed the Turnagain Inlet coast line, which is surrounded by ice and snow covered mountains, to a small mountainside village called Girdwood where we stayed at a fabulous 5 star resort built in the 1980s. The Alyeska Resort is just heaven and strategically placed at the base of a ski mountain with chairlift access available inside the resort.

After how much we loved snowmobiling in Lake Tahoe, we were keen to give it another go. We decided to book a standard 3 hour tour and ended up with 2 guides, who were a lovely young couple guiding for the first time on their own, using us as their guinea pigs which we were totally ok with. With the sun out, snow falling and a decent few feet of snow already on the ground, we followed the trails that took us to an open field next to a gorgeous little stream. By popular vote, we decided to cross the stream and found ourselves on trails even the guides hadn't traveled on before and uncovered abandoned cabins & vehicles. After a stop next to a larger creek for a well needed hot chocolate, we followed the forest trails to an open field next to the highway where we were able to see what the machines could really do.

Then the snow set it. It was absolutely magical. The snow got so heavy that we had a full whiteout. It became nearly impossible to see where the sky met the ground, changes in terrain or simply a few meters in front of you. What a thrill! Towards the end of our tour the whiteout claimed it's first victim and I successfully crashed the mobile when I couldn't see the small ridge I had to climb. Now these machines are approx 200kg so having it fall on you should hurt but luckily I had about 6 feet of snow below me so I simply sunk into the snow and wriggled my way out while the guide had to come over and get her back upright. Struggling to dig myself out of hole I found myself in, I had to use the side of the snowmobile to pull myself up and out. I was back on the machine for less than a minute when I stacked it again so once I climbed back out we decided to call it a day as the snow storm was only getting heavier while the visibility worse. The heat in the truck was a blessing while the guides loaded the snowmobiles onto the trailer and we then headed back into Girdwood.

We spent that evening and the following day exploring the township of Girdwood and enjoying the outdoor fire pit while the snow continued to fall. We headed back to Anchorage, dropped off our hire car before a quiet night in for our early start the next day. Before the sun came up we were dropped off at the train station checking in for our 11 hour rail journey through the remote back country of Alaska. As we boarded the Denali Star, a retro old train, we settled in for our ride to Fairbanks. The journey was long but we were kept entertained with the regular moose sightings and beautiful scenery especially when going through the mountain range near Denali National Park. The train had to stop at one stage of the journey to entice a moose to get off the tracks. It took a good few minutes to get him to move and then it was full steam ahead.

After a long day of travel we spent the night in Fairbanks before getting a transfer to the remote resort of Chena Hot Springs. Built around a permanent thermal hot spring, this unique resort has its own dog sled kennels, airstrip and ice museum complete with an ice bar. The springs are glorious, even if getting out of the water in -20 degrees is a bit painful. We ventured around the grounds and found being nestled in a valley provided a beautiful backdrop from every angle. The resort is isolated from the outside world with Fairbanks approx 1.5 hour drive away. We watched a plane take off, walked around the ice museum and checked out their gift shop. Before we knew it, it was time for dinner and a quick rest before the main reason for us being in Chena Hot Springs began.

Aurora Borealis. Bucket list. Done. We did a 5 hour late night tour to see the lights. After a 25 min bumpy drive up the mountain in a snowcat, we finally arrived to the middle of nowhere and were greeted by a giant heated teepee. As we spent most of the next 5 hours outside in -27 degrees searching for the northern lights, with a windchill of -40 degrees, that heated teepee was a god send and helped put feeling back into my fingers and toes. We were lucky to see the lights for the last 2 hours on the mountain. And it was magical. The sky wasn't as clear as it could have been but as both Caleb and myself have wanted to see them for as long as we could remember we were stoked to be able to tick another lifelong goal off the list. They called it a night around 3am so we loaded back into the snowcats and after a nice hot shower back in our room I was alseep before my head hit the pillow.

After a swim in the hot springs, sadly it came time to say goodbye to the Alaskan wilderness. As we took a day long train trip up to Fairbanks, this time around we were back on a plane and headed back to Anchorage for our last night before saying goodbye to the US. We decided to splurge a little and had dinner at Benihana which was conveniently located next door to our hotel With a flick of a raw egg, flames that seemed to touch the ceiling and the mouthwatering seafood, it was the best way to close our American chapter of this epic honeymoon.

Travel tip - we loved the freedom of a self guided itinerary. Everything is organised you just have to stay on schedule! Highly recommend for somewhere like Alaska.

Travel tip - there are many once in a lifetime experiences to be had up here (snowmobiling, arctic circle flight, northern lights, wild animal safaris, dog sledding) so be prepared with a little extra spending money so you can make the most out of your trip as you most likely won't be back

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