Booking the Perfect Hotel Abroad

When embarking on a great adventure abroad, booking hotels can be daunting! And I've certainly seen my fair share of terrible housing - hotels and hostels. But there are definitely steps you can take to hedge your bets and land a nice hotel.

Take the Local Economy into Account

A $30/night hotel means VERY different things in Pair verse Thailand. For $30 bucks in Paris you might just get mugged and see some very mysterious stains on the covers. In Thailand you're staying at the Ritz! True story, we stayed at the fanciest hotel of my life in Thailand for next to nothing. It had a bidet, heated toilet seat and unlimited free snacks. It was awesome! Especially since we are used to staying in hostels and travel on a budget.

Read TONS of Reviews

Obviously, I recommend good ole fashion Trip Advisor, but also look for blogs. I like hearing travelers' first-hand experience - just make sure they are trustworthy and have a similar travel style to yours. Be on the lookout for paid blog posts as that may create a bias. Read the best AND worst of each hotel, but rely on the middle reviews.

Trust Your Traveling Friends (wisely)
Finally, ask your friends for advice! Hopefully you have nice, reliable friends who live a similar lifestyle/ travel style to your own. Before you ask for their favorite place to stay, be sure to get an idea of their preferences. Are they a hotel kinda gal? Or a backpacking hostel lover?

If you need help deciding which hotel is best for you, I'd love to help! Check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com. 

Best Barbecue in Austin - Salt Lick BBQ

While in Texas, we knew we absolutely had to try some barbecue. We did quite a bit of research before ultimately settling on Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood, Texas. Of course, there are countless barbecue restaurants from which to choose, but we only had the chance to try out one. Fortunately, we are very happy with our choice!

Salt Lick has an amazing entrance. You can see your food being made on this huge roasting pit.

You would think that would be gross, but it totally wasn't! Everything smelled delicious!

Next we made our way to our tables, which are fun picnic tables. The establishment was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, it was quite cold but otherwise we would have sat outside and enjoyed the gardens. In fact, there is an on-site winery! The actual restaurant doesn't serve alcohol (and is cash only!!) but you can walk next door and get a bucket of beers or a nice wine. 

Now, on to the food. Oh. My. Goodness. It was unbelievably good. It felt kind of like a family picnic. It wasn't fancy, but boy was it good! The plates were plastic but it actually kind of added to the experience somehow. My favorites were the mac n cheese and pulled pork! I'm not a fan of beans or coleslaw, but my husband was very pleased with those. I would say the brisket and chicken were also delicious but still were not as good as the pulled pork. SO. GOOD. 

You may need to get a reservation as it is a very popular establishment. In fact, they even had signs asking you take no longer than an hour and a half to enjoy your meal if there is a wait. When we went there were plenty of tables, so it may depend on when you go. I imagine weekends there may be a bit of a wait. 

If you'd like help finding the best restaurants for your next trip, I'd love to help! Check out MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Things to Do In Austin, Texas

I recently spent a week hanging out in Austin with my husband's family. It was my first time in Texas, and I had a blast! I highly recommend checking it out if you ever get the chance. Before I dive into our activities, I do want to preface this by saying we only had a few days to actually explore the city. We were in Texas for the Formula One race, so that took up a lot of our time. There is SO much to do in this town, so don't limit yourself to these!

First and foremost, go see live music! Do it! Austin, like Nashville, is a very musical city. We actually managed to see live music three times: once at Antone's ( a blues type club), once at a saloon (a real saloon!) and once at the raceway (Brittney Spears, no less)

Antone's is a great place to visit if you like more blues-type music. You just need to make sure to get there early! There are only a few tables, and they go fast. They also don't serve food, but you can bring your own food if you want to. We brought in some pizzas and it worked out perfectly. Be sure to look up parking before you go, because it is in the city. We managed to find some nearby for relatively little money.

This little saloon was great! It was small, authentic and had plenty of people in cowboy boots two-stepping away! (I don't know if they were actually two-stepping, but that was my best guess)

Next, we went to the Bullock Museum, AKA Texas State History. We really enjoyed our time here! It's a pretty big museum and we were tight on time, so we only hit the highlights. It is definitely worth checking out. They have rotating exhibits on the main floor, and while I was there, it was rodeo themed! Super interesting and very appropriate for Texas.

The museum also had this amazing mosaic on the floor of the lobby. As you moved up the museum, you got a better view. It was incredible!

Side note: I really love to knit so I had to make a pit stop at Hill Country Weavers. They were named one of the best yarn shops in America. Truthfully, I was a little underwhelmed and one of the attendants was a bit snarky. It's a nice shop, but they were not very newbie-friendly.

Finally, I have to mention the Circuit of the Americas! This was the Formula 1 track where we spent a lot of our time. It was a very cool experience, but there is a TON of mud. Just be extra careful and wear boots if there has been any rain at all. I was not even a big race fan before this experience (my husband's family love F1), but after experiencing it, I am definitely interested in it now!

There are so many attractions in Austin I would have liked to visit (like the bat bridge!), but we squeezed in what we could. All in all, Austin is a very cool place. Check it out if you can! Or I'd be happy to help you plan your trip. Visit my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com. 

My First Formula 1 Race - Austin, Texas

I recently spent a week in Austin, Texas to see the Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, and I had a great time! I was not a huge F1 fan before the trip, I must admit, but my husband's family are huge fans. I decided to jump on the bandwagon and root for my Mother-in-law's favorite drive, Kimi Raikonnen! I bought a cheap t-shirt from Amazon with a pithy saying ahead of time and picked up a Ferrari cap at the venue. I was ready!

On Thursday, we got the chance to go to the Pit Walk. It. Was. COOL! We got to see pit stops up close and personal and get a good look at the cars. I believe pit walks are invite only, but we somehow got passes.

Day one started with RAIN. A lot of rain. Fortunately, we had been creeping on the weather and were prepared. We had our Frogg Toggs (highly recommend) and were braced for the rain. It was just practice so we didn't end up staying too, too late. We walked around the track, bought some souvenirs and watched the cars kick up a ton of water as they zoomed past. All in all, it was pretty cool!

Day two was qualifying! I took the opportunity to get to know the sport a little better. My husband answered all of my questions, and I really started to get in to it! Our favorites did relatively well and qualifying was fun! Today the wind was our biggest challenge. The struggle was real, and I ended up back in my rain outfit trying to ward off the cold. We were going to stick around for the Bruno Mars concert afterwards, but my poor husband was coming down with a cold so we called it an early day.

Finally, it was race day! It was awesome! I actually kind of followed the whole race and understood what was happening. And the best part? Our favorite driver won!!! Kimi for the win! It was his first win in over 100 races. It was really exciting and all in all I would recommend it!

We ended the whole fun trip with good old Brittney Spears. Her concert was included in the price of the pass (general admission), and I had to see her! My middle school dreams came true as she was everything you would expect her to be, haha.

Even if it's a sport I'm not overly familiar with, I'm happy to learn and help plan! If  you want a sport-themed getaway, I'd love to help. Visit MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

What To Do When Your Trip Goes Wrong

If you saw my last post, I hinted at a bit of a disaster during our trip to New Hampshire. The fact of the matter is if you travel often enough, you're bound to have a trip or two go horribly wrong. Ours definitely took a turn for the worse, but it wasn't the end of the world.

Let's start at the beginning. My husband and I wanted to take our dogs on a fun hiking and camping trip in the mountains of New Hampshire. It's about a 13-hour drive from our house, so it was a bit of a time commitment. We decided to leave Thursday night, drive 5 hours, stay with my aunt and finish the drive early Friday. We would drive home all day on Monday. We arrived Friday afternoon and all was well. We set up camp, confirmed our hikes and enjoyed the campfire.

That night we slept with our dogs in our tent and our little guy, Miles, was uncharacteristically restless. He was also shivering a bit which was unusual. He had his sweater on him and it really wasn't terribly cold so it seemed a bit odd for him to shiver. I ended up pulling him in my sleeping bag and cuddling him. Unfortunately, the next morning, he got worse. We kept thinking he was just cold, but NOPE.

We made our way to the trail head (about a 15 minute drive away) and after a bit of stressful parking, started our hike! We barely made it up the approach trail when Miles threw up. Normally that is a concerning sign for dogs, but Miles has a long history of eating too fast and throwing up. We had brought extra food in our packs so we weren't toooo concerned about him. We paused, gave him water and waited for his tummy to settle. We figured we would feed him a repeat breakfast in a little while to keep his energy up.

As we hiked, I noticed he wasn't up front all eager and tugging like he normally is on a hike. That was another warning sign. It only took about a mile and a half before he just stopped on the trail. That was when we knew he was NOT feeling good. Poor guy. We rested for a few minutes and tried again to no avail. He would not walk any further.

 

Walking back down the trail holding Miles

 

As annoying as it was to turn around on our 8 mile hike so early, we needed to take care of our little guy. He is 12 years old and only 10 pounds so he's not exactly a rugged dog. We ended up carrying him down the trail and calling my sister, a vet. She recommended we take him to see a local vet to make sure it was just a bug and not something more serious. Unfortunately, our phones did not work well so it was hard to get directions etc. and by the time we got to a vet, it was closed (It was Saturday). We then got in touch with my sister to see if we needed to take him to an emergency vet. She had us buy a thermometer to take his temperature (yes, in his butt. FUN). She also had us do a few other basic tests and decided he likely had the doggy version of the flu. We babied him and kept a close eye on him, ready to rush him to the emergency vet as needed.

By the end of the night it was clear he would not be able to hike the next day. This was incredibly disappointing. We had driven all that way only to hike a total of 3 miles. But that's just life. Sometimes things happen and plans go awry. We decided rather than just hang out in camp the next day (it was raining) we would drive home Sunday instead of Monday.

Fortunately, Miles was much improved the next day, but he was definitely not up for a hike. I think we made the right decision to just come home. It was unfortunate and heart-breaking but the right choice for my dog.

Trips don't always go smoothly. Sometimes they can go downright horridly. Fortunately for us, Miles has recovered and it was all just a huge inconvenience. We handled the situation the best we could,  talked through every possible solution and made the decision that was right for us. The most important thing to remember is to keep a positive attitude. We still got to camp, spend time outside, enjoy the beautiful leaves, spend time as a family and above all Miles is OK. Always put your safety and health first and look on the brightside. Unplanned events can really stink (and cost some serious $$$) so remember that travel insurance! Especially if you go abroad.

We are hoping to go on a "do-over trip" in a few years. Fingers crossed we'll actually get to hike that mountain the next time around!

If you'd like help planning your next big adventure, check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

A Fall Trip to New England

I absolutely love Autumn. The fashion, the crisp air and of course, the colors! The leaves change and turn red, orange and yellow. It's absolutely stunning. This year, my husband and I decided to dive in to Fall and road trip to White Mountain National Park to camp and hike and enjoy the season!

Now, unfortunately our trip did not quite go as planned - I'll go into that in my next post. But long story short, we left a day early and only got in one mini hike. Fortunately, it was gorgeous! The leaves were so bright and lovely.

It looked like something out of a postcard.

If you ever have a chance to go on a road trip through Vermont and New Hampshire, you absolutely should. It looked like something out of a Hallmark movie! 

If you'd like help planning your own little getaway, visit MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com! 

Carpe Diem - Don't Wait to Take That Trip

While I am a HUGE planner, sometimes you just need to take a leap and DO IT. Obviously it's unrealistic to just seize the day and travel everyday (Gotta pay those bills somehow!). However, I think it's really important to still keep that sense of adventure and excitement in your life. That's why when my husband brought up his desire to explore New Hampshire, specifically he white mountain region, in the fall. He was initially thinking of planning a trip for next year, but I suggested we head out in a few short weeks! We had the vacation days, we will be road tripping and camping so the cost is low, so why not?

The long and the short of it is you aren't guaranteed a tomorrow. While I think it's unrealistic to expect every day of your life to be a grand adventure, I DO think it's incredibly important to put your plans into action. We ordered a guidebook and next weekend we are off on an adventure to see the leaves change color. Oh and did I mention we bought our plane tickets to Australia yesterday? Heck yes!

Seize the day doesn't always mean traveling on a dime, but it does mean you need to take action. Whether that action is hopping on a plane or just buying the ticket, go do it!

If you need help getting started, I'm happy to help! Check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

My Favorite Travel Shoes

If you're anything like me, finding cute, travel-worthy shoes is nothing short of an overwhelming challenge. I constantly struggle to balance cute outfits with functionality. I've worn everything from heavy-duty boots to running shoes to sandals, and I have some recommendations.

First up! My Plaka Sandals in Sunset Sangria. I found mine on Amazon for approximately $30. These sandals had great reviews and were designed for walking. They are cute, functional and look great with skirts and dresses! I bought them for my honeymoon and trekked all over Portugal in these bad boys. I only had a little bit of trouble once I hit about 16k steps. Not too shabby! 

If you're going traveling in the winter, I recommend a good ole winter "combat style" boot. I don't have a specific brand to recommend as I tend to buy whatever is convenient IN STORE. That's my tip. Don't buy online! It's incredibly important to try these shoes on. Boots are tricky! They rub the ankles, pinch the toes or just cause blisters. (If you are OK with returning shipments, I suppose you could do online, but my experience is it's much better to buy in store.) My other tip is WATERPROOF. They sell spray that will waterproof most materials, and it's amazing. I can't tell you how thankful I was for my warm, hardy, waterproof boots when standing out in the freezing cold rain in Ireland. 

For more tips on everything from packing lists to travel destinations, shoot me an email at Malena@MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com or visit my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com. 

My Top Packing Tips

Packing is always my least favorite part of any trip. Unfortunately, it's absolutely necessary! I've been on my fair share of trips, and these are my best packing tips:

Pack Staples
I personally am a big fan of relying on basics. That means instead of bringing 6 pairs of shoes, bring just a few pairs that will work with multiple outfits. The same goes with accessories! Bring neutral shoes and accessories and keep the color focused on shirts or dresses. I personally like to bring a good old pair of jeans that I can wear multiple times with different tops. You'll get a lot diverse looks with minimal items! This will help keep your bags light and manageable, while keeping your instagram photos fresh and fun!


Don't Overpack
You may think you are doing yourself a favor by packing extra t-shirts and extra outfits, but generally I find too many choices lead to feeling overwhelmed. You will wind up with a bag that is insanely heavy and your bag will quickly descend into chaos as you rifle through trying to find the perfect top. If you pack specific outfits, you'll save time getting ready for the day and leave more space for souvenirs. Try writing out a packing list and checking each item off as it packs. You'll feel confident knowing you have amazing outfits and everything you'll need!


Don't Panic
Finally, don't worry if you forget something! Honestly, if you have your medications, passport, ID and some money, everything else can be bought once you arrive - unless your destination is somewhere remote. I once lost my entire toiletry kit in Italy and had to replace EVERYTHING. It was actually a bit fun wandering through the store and picking out new shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush and more. You just have to make the best of your situation and remember that you can always buy what you need when you get there!

Different techniques work for different people, and I personally find that having each outfit laid out and packed together makes for an easy, efficient trip! If you'd like help planning for your trip (and even a comprehensive packing list!), I'd love to help. Visit my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Why I Chose NOT to Do a Destination Wedding

 First off, I have absolutely nothing against destination weddings! I think they can be beautiful and magical and definitely work for some people. That said, here are the reasons we opted to not pursue a destination wedding, despite our love of travel.

Take Guests Into Account

When planning a destination wedding, you should consider your friends and family. Some family members are elderly and not inclined to travel, others may not have the finances to make the trip. If you want your wedding to just be a few very close family members, I would talk the idea over before finalizing any plans. Who knows! Some people may be dying for a pre-organized vacation and it could be a hit.

 Convenience

 Planning a wedding is a HUGE undertaking. Trying to coordinate florists, ministers, reception halls, DJ's, caterers and more. It is a LOT of work. Having your venue be within driving distance is much easier than trying to juggle time zones and international call rates. Unless you can find a reliable on-site coordinator to help you out, it may be prove to be almost impossible! And on top of arranging the usual wedding vendors, you'll also likely be asked to make international travel arrangements for loved ones.

Less Expensive

Finally, consider the costs. On top of all the usual wedding costs, you have to include international airfare which can easily climb above $1000. It all depends on how big your ceremony and reception are, but typically, weddings are expensive even when they are local. And don't forget about currency conversion! Of course, you can also off set the costs of travel by ultimately hosting a very small, intimate ceremony and reception abroad. Smaller = usually less expensive.

Ultimately, my husband and I were really happy with our choice to stay local. We found an absolutely gorgeous venue that was like an actual castle! We decided to do the event without an organizer - or should I say paid organizer. My husband and I spent hours and hours coordinating everything ourselves, and it ultimately went really well! We had an amazing time!

If you and your fiance are considering an international wedding, I would be happy to help coordinate the travel. Check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Airport Tips and Tricks

Airports are inevitable if you're an adventure seeker like myself. Airports are synonymous with lines and long waits, but I've found what works for me, and I thought I'd share my tips.


Step One: Leave Yourself Time!
This is honestly the biggest tip I can offer. If you leave yourself just twenty minutes to check your bag, go through security and catch your flight, you are going to be so stressed and have an unpleasant experience. I always find that the more time I leave, the easier the check in process is. Inevitably, when you are running late, the baggage check and security lines are insane.


Step Two: Bring Entertainment
I am a huge fan of stocking up on activities! I like things that fit easily in my backpack that don't require power. Some examples include: an adult coloring book, paperback books, notebook, sketchbook, knitting (with airport-friendly needles). Bring a variety of activities!


Step Three: Roll With It
Finally, just be ready for delays, cancellation and a little bit of chaos. Anyone who has travelled a great deal has had a terrible airport day. You just need to accept that as part of traveling. For example, on our honeymoon, we missed our connecting flight to Portugal and wound up stranded in Madrid for 12 hours. We made the most of it and explored Spain! Just because we could! No matter where you get stuck, try to make the most of it. If you're stuck in airport, take a nap, Skype a friend, make up a silly game. You will eventually get to where you need to be, and a bad attitude never helped anyone!

Exploring Tent Rocks in New Mexico

As an avid lover of the outdoors, when I learned we were going to New Mexico, I naturally started researching beautiful hikes. One of the first places I came across was the Tent Rocks! They are one of the most beautiful natural geologic formations in the world! Just look how pretty and unique!

Those "balls" on top of the pillars are actually rock! They formed naturally! How cool!

The hike consisted of narrow pathways between GORGEOUS rock walls. It was a curvy, winding path with plenty of big step-ups. We even saw a few snakes which I wasn't overly thrilled about. 

This was my favorite part. In order to get up to the top and check out the spectacular views, we had to do some serious scrambling. The path is generally pretty tame, but man oh man was the last part steep. It was pretty much straight up, and even had handholds you needed to use to get up. The end result was very few other tourists up top. Challenging, but so worth it!

How beautiful!

If you are ever considering adventuring around New Mexico, I highly recommend checking out Tent Rocks! I would love to help you coordinate your trip! Check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

A Fun Day in Cincinnati

My husband and Ialways try to squeeze in a quick day trip whenever we get the chance. Living within driving distance of a wonderful city like Cincinnati, we had to make the trek! There are so many things you can do in Cincy, it was hard to choose! We had tickets to see the Reds play later in the day, so we were on the hunt for a great half-day activity. After a bit of research, we settled on the zoo! 

The Cincinnati zoo is a place full of memories for me. My cousins and I used to go to the zoo all the time growing up (I have a lot of family in the area). We had a blast walking around and checking out the exhibits. 

Next up was lunch at Skyline. If you go to Cincinnati and don't get Skyline, you're missing out! There is nothing better than Skyline chili. Oh man, it's delicious. We met up with some family at our favorite restaurant, then still had a little bit of time to kill before the game.

We wound up doing a bit of shopping downtown - there are a few great yarn store for knitting enthusiasts like myself! It's a great way to explore and enjoy everything the city has to offer.

Finally, we headed to the Reds stadium to finish out our day with some good old fashion baseball! It was a blast. We hadn't been to a baseball game in a very long time, so we were thrilled! 

All in all, we had a great day exploring and enjoying the city. Cincinnati is a wonderful place, and I highly encourage you check it out if you get the opportunity! If you'd like some help planning your next day trip, check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

World Cup Winners - France! (My Paris Recommendations)

The World Cup has officially come to a close, and France will be taking home the cup. While I am not a huge fan of the French national team, I'm definitely happy for them. Winning something so huge is every soccer player's dream. The feeling must be unlike any other!

That being said, I thought I'd throw it back to my time in Paris and highlight some things you can't miss out on!

Some attractions are obvious such as the legendary Louvre. Here I am in front of the beautiful, famous pyramid! Pro tip, if you want to check out the incredible artwork, don't use this entrance. There are actually several, lesser-known entrances that will inevitably have much shorter lines.

Of course, if you are anywhere near Paris, you HAVE to see the Eiffel Tower, even if just from afar. In fact, you'll want to make a point to see it from a few angles. If you only go up close, you won't get the full effect. Although, I certainly do encourage you to go up if you can! Just be aware if it gets too windy, they will close the top and not issue a refund. Unfortunately, that's what happened to me the last time I was in town. Even from halfway up, there is still a stupendous view! This is one of those attractions that you should definitely buy tickets ahead of time. The lines can get crazy!

Finally, don't forget to check out the insane lock bridge. The legend says if you write you and your lover's initials on a lock and attach it to the bridge, you'll stay together forever. It must be true since I did just that with my husband (then boyfriend) and so far so good! 

Finally, don't forget about the food! I encourage you to do research and find the best places to eat. Bakeries, cafes and gourmet food abound, so indulge and immerse yourself in the culture as much as possible! 

I have a passion for travel, and my priority is to always respect the culture and really dive into the culture. If you would like help being a traveler and not a tourist, please visit my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com. I'd love to help you get started!

Australia/ New Zealand Planning Begins

I am SO excited for our next really big trip - Australia and New Zealand! We are aiming to go next February or March and stay for two whole weeks. Heck yes. But right now, I'm at the most overwhelming part of the trip - the planning phase! Everything looks so beautiful, and I want to see everything!

Here are some of my favorites based on reading reviews and doing some research:

Nevis Swing in Queenstown, NZ

This is essentially the world's biggest swing and is similar to a bungee jump. I had the opportunity to jump off the world's largest bridge bungee jump in South Africa, and now I'm hooked! It just looks jaw-droppingly gorgeous. I'm not sure if we will end up having time for this activity, but I will be thrilled if we can squeeze it in!

Sydney Bridge Climb

This is a classic! It looks so fun and adventurous! Right up my alley for sure!

Hikes in New Zealand

We are big hiking enthusiasts, so of course we will be doing some hiking while abroad! Though likely this will just be day hikes this time around. Some of my favorites (again, based on pictures) will be Fox Glacier, Midford Sound and the classic Volcano hike. I think we will probably pick our favorite and build that into our itinerary. We'll just have to see! But how cool is it that you can see a volcano and glacier in the same country??

Hobbiton

Finally, my husband is a big Lord of the Rings fan, so I can almost guarantee we will do something related to the movies. Whether that's a full-fledged visit to Hobbiton or just stopping to see some places where scenes were filmed, we will just have to see! 

Great Barrier Reefs

I think this one we will definitely end up doing! You see so many pictures of the Great Barrier Reef, and I just want to experience that in person! Whether that be just seeing it from a boat, snorkeling or even going up in a plane has yet to be determined. Either way, I'm excited!!

Planning a trip is a big undertaking, but I absolutely love it! If you would like some help getting your trip organized, check out my website MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com! 

Hobbiton (North Island, Nearish to Auckland)

World Cup Excitement

It's the most wonderful time of the year! And for once, I don't mean Christmas. I look forward to the World Cup, and I am always so excited when the games begin! As a life-long soccer fan, I thoroughly enjoy watching the tournament unfold. I've had the pleasure of going to several professional soccer matches, but not the world cup.... yet.

It has been announced that the 2026 World Cup will be in the U.S./Canada/Mexico! Come hell or high water, I will be at one of those games. I know it's years away, but it's going to be so much fun. Hopefully, a game will be somewhere near my house (or any of my friends/relative houses!) as I imagine hotel space will be limited and expensive. Still totally worth it.

I've been watching as many games as physically possible and am LOVING the action. It was a bit of a shocker that Messi and Ronaldo's teams were both sent packing pretty early in the tournament. I had the joy of watching the two meet a few years back in El Clasico (See photo below). 

I love watching international matches - the passion! You just don't see that soccer culture here in the U.S. Normally, the U.S. is in the tournament so there's an uptick in soccer enthusiasm, but this year no such luck. None of my top 3 teams (U.S.A, Canada and Holland) are in the tournament so I've just been arbitrarily picking teams and rooting for them. It's so much more fun when you have a team! 

I was really pulling hard for Iceland, but alas. They were knocked out. 

If you'd like to take your family and friends to a World Cup game one day, just let me know! Check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com for more info. 

South Kaibab Trail - Grand Canyon

Our final hike of the trip was the incredibly beautiful South Kaibab Trail. This trail is a bit shorter than the Bright Angel trail but definitely still a challenge. We did a total of 6 miles and had a blast! 

There are a few trail markers along the way - Ooh Aah Point, Cedar Ridge and Skeleton Point. It's something like .2 miles to Ooh Aah Point, 1.5 miles to Cedar Ridge and 3 miles down to Skeleton Point. Just remember if you go down, you have to come back up!

The path is fairly closed off in the beginning, but it really opens up at the aptly-named Ooh Aah Point. It's a great turn around spot for families with children or inexperienced hikers. 

From there, the path is fairly narrow and a little scary at times! I was constantly worrying about one of us slipping off the edge. Realistically, the trail is plenty wide enough and is rarely a straight drop. Just be careful and pay attention to where you are going and it will be fine!

We took a brief break at Cedar Ridge on the way down before making our way to Skeleton Point. We actually went up to the left at the end of the trail so we could get a better view of the river and it was so nice!

Skeleton Point

After resting and enjoying the view, we hiked back up to Cedar Ridge where we used the restrooms that were available (not very pleasant, but still nice that they are there!) and then enjoyed a nice lunch. It's kind of the ultimate picnic spot! I really enjoy taking leisurely hikes and just relaxing with my husband and taking it all in.

This trail is also known for having donkeys going up and down alongside hikers. If you encounter any, be sure to step off the trail and be respectful. The donkeys are used to humans and won't cause any trouble unless provoked. 

All in all, we had an awesome time hiking this trail! It was towards the end of our trip, so we were definitely tired. However, we left plenty of time, took tons of breaks and ate lots of snacks and were just fine. As always, hike responsibly, be mindful of your abilities and the weather conditions and you'll be just fine!

If you'd like any help planning your next adventure, email me at Malena@MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com or check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Rim Trail at the Grand Canyon

After our exciting (but strenuous) hike down Bright Angel Trail, we were ready for an easy hike. We opted to check out the Rim Trail. It's a 2 or 3 mile hike along the rim (how apt). It was a lot of fun! It's paved and there are plenty of places to stop and rest along the way. We even stopped in a gift shop and picked up some postcards. However, I think my favorite part was the views!

All in all, it was a nice, easy hike with stunning views. I would highly recommend this if you are looking for an easy trail or have young (or old) members of your party. It was nice to hike with my friends and just enjoy being in nature.

If you'd like some help planning your next adventure, check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Bright Angel Trail

Our first hike at the Grand Canyon was the bright angel trail! It was so fun and SO exhausting! It is inadvisable to try to hike from the trailhead all the way down to the river and back up in one day. With that in mind we decided to hike down to Indian Gardens or Plateau Point and back up. We were staying at Mather campground so we caught the free shuttle to the trailhead and started our adventure.

It's 4.5 miles from the trailhead down to Indian Gardens (which is lush and beautiful!), so it's a 9-mile round-trip hike if you choose that route. Also, side note, Indian Garden is the perfect place to relax, eat some lunch and get some water. There is also a ranger's station there, which is always good to know.

We were feeling pretty good, so we decided to go the extra mile and a half out to plateau point, adding another 3 miles onto our hike. It was so worth it! We got to see the river and really take in the views. Unfortunately, there were some people messing around on the rocks and not being very respectful. I would highly recommend being a little cautious and staying on the trail if you do decide to venture out to the point. It's really windy, and it only takes one huge gust to blow you off. Be careful! Honestly it was a really great experience.

For me, this trail was an absolute must-do. I highly recommend it! Just be safe, pack lots of water and snacks and bring a trail guide. I suggest you check out this trail guide: https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/BrightAngelTrail.pdf
It was tremendously helpful!

As always, if you'd like help planning your next adventure, visit MilesintoMemoriesTravel.com.

A Pit Stop at Hoover Dam

After a brief visit to Las Vegas we embarked on our four hour drive to the Grand Canyon! Fun fact -  about a half an hour into the drive, we run right into the Hoover Dam! It was definitely worth a pit stop for some beautiful pictures. If you do this trip yourself, pro tip - drive past the first three pay-to-park lots. If you drive across the dam, there is FREE parking available there! After we parked (for free!) we hopped out of our car and made our way out on the dam. It was absolutely beautiful!

It was a bit of a trek to reach the main area, but it was definitely worth it! There are even bathrooms out on the dam. They are up in these little towers and everything! 

The views were spectacular, and I'm glad that we took the time to check out this piece of Americana. 

I will say the sun was absolutely brutal. Definitely load up on sunscreen, grab a hat and brace yourself. The desert sun is no joke! It didn't take us a long time to check it out, so we were all glad we took the time to check it out. 

If you ever want help planning your own adventure, let me know! Check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com, or send me an email at Malena@MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Vegas Baby!

The time had finally arrived! We were ready for our vacation - Vegas, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon and back to Vegas! The flight to Vegas was pretty uneventful (just how you want flights to be!) 

We landed in Vegas pretty early in the day, so we got our rental car and got on our way. We checked into the hotel and then made our way to the strip. I really wasn't too excited for this portion of our trip, but I had never been to Vegas so I was eager to explore. The hotels in Vegas are just absolutely unreal! They are whole shopping malls! I absolutely loved the different themes. Like Paris:

And New York:

And Venice!

It was a blast to just stroll down the streets and take it all in.  It was so much fun to see all the famous sites you always see in movies! It was also exciting to see the casinos. I myself am not a big gambler, but I set aside a little bit of money to play with. Sure enough, my husband and I had fun! We even tried our hand at black jack. I wanted to try it - even if it was $15 per hand! We didn't lose toooo much money but called it quits pretty quickly. I did win it "big" on the Big Bang Theory slot machine! Of course, we pretty much just won back the money we spent, but still! We walked away with a whopping big profit of $6. Boom. All in all, Vegas was fun but way over priced. I would probably go back again, but there are definitely places I would like to visit first. 

Best Beach in North Carolina

There are many beach communities in North Carolina - Outer Banks, Wilmington, Carolina Beach, Topsail... the list goes on. I have had the opportunity to visit many of these beaches, and I've finally picked my favorite... Kure Beach! Never heard of it? Exactly.

While I absolutely LOVE the Outer Banks, it took me literally 3 hours to go 5 miles on the way to our beach house on my last visit. No thank you! Wilmington and Carolina beaches are well-known and I've found that they often become quite crowded during the summer months (winter months are a whole different story!).

Kure Beach is located on Pleasure Island (I kid you not, that's what it's called). This is an island near Wilmington and is home to Carolina Beach, Fort Fisher and, of course, Kure Beach. Now I'll add this note here - it's pronounced kurr - ee beach, not "cure." #LocalInsight

The reason I've landed on Kure Beach as my favorite beach is for several reasons. Let's start with parking. If you want FREE, UNLIMITED parking, Kure beach is for you! Just look for spots near the pier! That's the key - stay near the pier. Not only, is there parking, but you can also stop in the pier for a convenient bathroom, any forgotten items (towel, sunscreen, sunglasses) and some seriously delicious ice cream. It's the perfect spot!

The beach is nice and comparable to other good ole Carolina Beaches, but the convenience found at Kure beach really seals the deal for me. I actually lived and worked on Pleasure Island for a summer, and I tried all the beaches in town. Time and time again I found myself heading over to Kure beach for easy parking and a nice, relaxing day in the sun. If you are ever in the area, check it out! Even the hotels and beach houses are a smidge cheaper (but by no means cheap) than those in the surrounding area. It's honestly a lovely place to spend a vacation and I highly recommend it!

If you'd like some recommendations for other travel ideas, I'd love to help! Shoot me an email at
Malena@MilesIntoMemoreisTravel.com or visit my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.