Hawaii, The Big Island

We landed in Kona around 9pm and drove in the darkness, surrounded by lava and water to get to the hotel. Its super dark on all the islands because of the light restrictions they have at night. We made it to our room and were so excited to see what the island looked like the next day!

It's our first full day on Hawaii's Big Island! (we arrived 9:30pm the night before) We can't wait to have a look at our hotel grounds and Hapuna Beach. Once we look around we get in the car and head out for breakfast. We stopped at the Hawaiian Style Café in Waimea…SO good! The food was great, the service was great and fast, and the cost was low! (My three favorite things when we eat out!) I had some biscuits and gravy with hash browns and eggs and my husband some toast, eggs and bacon…yum, yum! It was crazy how cold it got as we drove up into the mountain, 80 degrees by the beach and 65 up where we ate. After eating we took Kohala Mountain Road to Pololu lookout…


warning, warning, warning!

which we then found out had a trail to a black sand beach. We decided we would hike down (without any water) since we drove all that way to see it…p.s. the views are spectacular! We get down there and put our toes in our first black sand beach! Very cool! Now it's time to hike back up…we made it but we were tired and had to ask some people for some water. We took a look around some shops in the area and then headed back to the hotel via the Akoni Pule Hwy along the coast where we were able to see the mountains of Maui. We spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach and in the sand. I ended up having to take a nap because the jet lag caught up with me. Then we went to a resort neighborhood of Waikoloa and had some dinner and walked around the shops. What a great 1^st day!



view from 1/2 way down the hike

toes in the black sand

The Whole Island Drive, Day 2

A View from the Top, Day 3

Waipio Valley, Day 4

Under the Sea, Day 5

Saying Goodbye, Day 6

Key West: Day 3 & 4

Saturday we had the day to do whatever we want. The hotel had Jet Ski rentals so we decided to rent one and go on a trip around the island. It was really cool! We saw this are where the Navy was carving out a “hide-a-way” base for submarines but since they were doing this during the space race they quickly figured out that you could see these channels from space and that there weren’t so hidden so they scrapped the project. They were about 90ft and now they are about 60ft, freaked me out not going to lie. You can see them from google earth too. Sliding over the crystal clear water was really cool! It was only a few feet deep. Then when we got to the southern tip of the island our guide had us cut the engines and wait and see if some dolphins would show up; and they did!!! After that we went to the pool and had some more drinks…yummy Bahama Mamas! And after eating an early dinner we went for a drive north on Highway 1. We drove all the way to Marathon Key, seeing some funny named Keys, privately owned Keys and seven mile long bridges; of course the top was down! Made our way back and just rested; we surprisingly went to bed really early! But aren’t vacations for relaxing! 

Sunday came and it was time to leave, we made our way to the small airport where I had my 1^st slice of key lime pie (haha, I was so full at all the other restaurants)! Then we headed to Tampa (side note, had some Mexican food at the airport there and they didn’t have refried beans! Don’t know what kind of Mexican restaurants they run in Florida but that’s BS!) And then made it home to Houston! Good to be back!

Key West: Day 1 & 2

Since we didn’t have an official honeymoon we kind of count this as it! Six months after our wedding and over the Thanksgiving holiday we decided to go to Key West, Florida. We get onto a little puddle jumper (18 passenger plane) and head for the keys! Since this was our first real vacation together we even rented a red mustang convertible! Ugh, so wonderful! We drove around the island to be familiar with our surroundings and then we headed to the hotel to relax, have some drinks and figure out what we were going to do for Thanksgiving dinner. To our surprise when we got to our room Matt’s parents had sent us a welcome basket with coronas, chips and salsa! So sweet! I had plenty of time to plan this trip so I found tons of coupons online for free drinks and deserts. So we decided to go to Two Friends Patio for dinner. Since it was thanksgiving night the busy part of the island wasn’t so busy; we had a really good dinner and then went across the street for some drinks. I was feeling pretty sleep though so after a few drinks we headed back to the hotel.

The next day before our parasailing trip we had breakfast at the same place we had dinner. Just as good too! The waiter asked, “What can I get you to drink? Orange juice, coffee, one of our grey goose specials?” Matt said, “I didn’t know I had that option!” It was funny. So after that we waited on the pier for our boat to take out into the water for an adventure! Parasailing was so much fun, but if I had to choose between that or sky diving I would do sky diving again….I don’t know, something about the water makes me nervous :P After that we hung around the square for a while and then headed for our next activity. We went sunba diving but since the water was choppy (making the water murky) we couldn’t go to the reef, we should have asked for our money back then and there. Instead we went to this lame area and didn’t see any fish, just other stuff. And the girl that did it didn’t know her job very well b/c she didn’t put enough weight on my weight belt and I kept floating up. So I think it’s safe to say we won’t be doing that again! After we got cleaned up we went to dinner on Mallory Square at Hot Tin Roof. The food was wonderful! And if it hadn’t been cloudy we would have had a perfect view of the sunset, but…you can’t predict the weather. 

Headed back to the USA!

Once back in Munich (even the same hotel) we get our room, relax and get ready for our last night in Europe. We head out to this cute restaurant next to a creek and have our farewell dinner with our director and travel mates. Once everybody started drinking things went smoother, there were some older ladies that went and we wish we had had the chance to talk to them sooner since they could easily be me and Ashley 20yrs down the road. It was a really good and filling meal! We went back to the hotel for some sleep.

The next morning we were up and ready to go! We got on the bus that took us to the airport, one bad thing…I felt a cold coming on :-/ oh no!!! By the time we got to the Frankfurt airport I was done for, we got a few more souvenirs and I got some cold meds before we boarded our 10hr flight. The cold meds didn’t work and I wasn’t feeling so good. I was able to ask around and found someone with some American cold medicine and that help tremendously! We made it back to Houston where our men were waiting for us! <3 

<3 So glad to be home <3

The hills are alive with the Sound of Music

Gardens from The Sound of Music

We only had one night here which is a bummer because it is such a wonderful, quaint little town. We arrive in Salzburg and are greeted by our local city guide. She shows us the city or Mozart’s birthplace and his old home along with some scenes from The Sounds of Music we have some free time to do some shopping and I found this wonderful Christmas store that I had to get something from and I picked up some more art from a street artist (which I was doing in every city). We had some more time to just look around and had a drink at a café before it was time to head to the hotel. The hotel had a WONDERFUL view of the palace up on the hill. But the staff wasn’t that great, oh well, what were we going to do about it. 

Mozart's family home

The next morning we went to see one of Hitler’s Eagle nests. We had to wake up really early before the fog rolled in but we made it. It is crazy to be where someone that caused so much history once stood. The views were breath taking, such a beautiful place in this world. Once we got back to meet the rest of the group that didn’t go on the excursion we had some time to get some food and relax before our bus had to leave. So I went to a grocery store close by to find some Ziploc bags to put the wine I was bringing home in. I knew if I could find ‘Ziploc’ I would be okay (nice to have universal brand)! I did find some and I grabbed some snacks for the road and we were off! Back to Munich we go. 

view from the Eagles Nest

Wien, Austria (Vienna)

We arrive in Vienna, the classical musical capital! We get settled into our hotel and turns out we have a corner room which meant 2 of the “walls” were ceiling to floor windows! We had view of the heart of the new city. Our hotel was right next to a park and in walking distance off all the shopping :D When we get there it is dinner time so we head to this very fun restaurant to have so good fun, entertainment, and homemade peach schnapps! After dinner we are back at the hotel, get ready for bed and watch some BBC soap operas (the only thing in English around these parts).

{Schönbrunn Palace from the back yard}

The next day we are off to the Schönbrunn Palace! (This was one of our excursions) The palace is a 1,400 room estate that was a summer home for the Habsburg monarchs. Maria Theresa of Austria was the only female ruler of the Habsburg’s and the last. She reigned for 40 years and had 16 children! Some of which were: Queen Marie Antoinette of France, Queen Maria Carolina of Naples, Duchess Maria Amalia of Parma and two Holy Roman Emperors, Joseph II and Leopold. She was known as the Mother of Europe since so many of her heirs became royalty is other countries. They say the reason why she had so many children is because she truly loved her husband, Francis Stephen, and they had more than just their arranged marriage.  After our trip to the palace we had our guided walk through the imperial city. We saw the Imperial Boulevards and the State Opera and a walk through the oldest part of the city and where we saw some Roman ruins and the place where the Lipizzaner Stallions are trained! (My dad took me to see them when they came to the US!) And we also saw St. Stephen’s Cathedral and finished up with a trip down to the Crypt where the Royal Family rests. After that we had some free time and we went to Ashley’s must go to spot, Swarovski. Man did she enjoy that! After that we went window shopping and found some souvenirs for our family before we headed on a hunt for this shop I saw with the cutest sweater dresses in the window! We finally found it! We go inside and I ask the store clerk if they have any more like the one on the manikin. She said that was her only one because it was handmade and she wanted me to try it on. I asked her how much it was (did want to get in over my head here if it was handmade) and she said it was only 50€!!! What a deal! It looked great and Ashley got it for me as a bridesmaid gift. I also got another short sleeved sweater. Then we headed back up the road for dinner (pizza, yum!) and then back to the hotel for some R&R.

The next morning we are off to Salzburg, the home of The Sound of Music. We first make a stop in Krems to catch a ferry to enjoy the Danube Valley. While on the cruse we see a beautiful monastery in Melk and nearby Melk is the remains of an old castle where King Richard the Lion Hearted was held prisoner, pretty cool!

Gardens at Schönbrunn

the beautiful church on the Danube

Buda and Pest become one to make Budapest!

{Parliament}

Budapest was originally two cities divided by the River Danube; Buda, the hilly side (I remember that by hills = Buda belly, haha) and Pest, the flat side. We came in on the Buda side and went over the river to our hotel on the Pest side. That night we had an excursion, a night dinner river cruise on the Danube! It was amazing! They had such good food and it was so neat to see the city by night! We saw the bridges, Fishermen’s Bastion and Parliament all lit up and it was so pretty! Then we went back to the hotel to get some rest before tomorrow’s adventure!

The next day was jammed packed with stuff! We met with our local city guide and she was so wonderful! We really liked her! And she took us to the great Synagogue and walked us through Old Buda to the Fisherman’s Bastion where we got a bird’s eye view of the Danube, Pest and Parliament. What was so crazy about this city is that not a lot of repairs had been made since WWII (keep in mind the Communists had only been out of this area for about 10yrs). A lot of the buildings on the main roads had their facades redone but not the other three sides of the buildings. Then we had some free time and Ashley and I went to the “prettiest” McDonalds ever (so our tour director said) and walked the streets; she needed an extra bag and I wanted to get some ‘Bulls Blood’ red wine for my husband. Then we went to this nice little local restaurant and had more of that yummy Budapest food! They had some gypsy music there so that made the night fun too! The next morning as we headed out of Budapest we stopped at the Gundel and had a wonderfully delicious chocolate pastry!  

{Fisherman's Bastion}

{Treats from the Gundel}