Category: Travel Guides

WASHINGTON: Travel Guide

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STATE 2 of 50

For our second state, we traveled back west to Washington. We stayed 4 nights in downtown Seattle, then traveled to Woodinville for 2 nights. When it comes to traveling, we are definitely more “city people”. One of our favorite things to do is to eat and drink our way through a city, and Seattle and Woodinville were the perfect places for this.

Seattle, home to the Space Needle and Pike Place Market, is a beautiful city with amazing views – if it isn’t too cloudy and rainy. With 4 days in the city, we were able to hit all of the tourist spots, while still having time to enjoy a cup of coffee and pastry in a quiet area and viewing the city from a local’s eye. Woodinville, just a 30 minute drive outside downtown Seattle, is appropriately known as the wine country, as it is home to 130+ wineries, including my all-time favorite Chateau Ste Michelle in the Hollywood District.

DAY ONE

  • Fly into SEATAC Airport and travel to downtown Seattle using the Link Light Rail (public transit).
  • Check into your AirBnB, and head to Starbucks Reserve Seattle Roastery, where you can try the Whiskey Barrel-Aged Cold Brew or an Espresso Flight.
  • End your first night at The Angry Beaver, Seattle’s only hockey bar! Catch a Seattle Kraken game or test your knowledge with trivia night on Wednesdays.

DAY TWO

  • Walk down to Piroshky Piroshky for one (or 5) of their sweet or savory piroshkys (hand held pies). The potato and cheese and the chocolate cream hazelnut roll were amazing! It’s no wonder they were on their best sellers list.
  • Stop just a block away for coffee from Starbucks @ 1st and Pike. It’s the sister store to the original Starbucks and is right in front of the Pike Place Market entrance. We were able to watch vendors bringing in that day’s sells, from flowers to seafood.
  • Hop on the Seattle Monorail to the Seattle Center. Here, we visited the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, and the International Fountain. One main highlight from this center was the moving floor at the Space Needle. Seeing how high up we were was a little scary, but so worth it!
  • Next grab a late lunch at Dick’s Drive-In, a fast-food burger chain located only in Washington. Take your food to go, and head to Kerry Park for overlooking sunset views of the city.

DAY THREE

  • Start your day with breakfast pastries from La Panier Bakery and coffee from The First Starbucks.
  • Head to Pier 57, and ride on the Argosy Harbor Cruise. This is a 1-hour narrated tour around Elliot Bay detailing all there is about Seattle, the ports, and beyond. After, ride the Seattle Great Wheel and visit the local shops on the pier. Here is where the Seattle Aquarium is also located.
  • Grab lunch at Pike Place Chowder, where you can sample all of their amazing, and prize-winning, chowders.
  • End the day on the Red Light District Tour with Beneath the Streets. It is an adults-only version of their underground history tour of Seattle’s original neighborhoods before the Great Seattle Fire in the 1880s.

DAY FOUR

  • Pike Place Market day! In the past two days, you would’ve visited some places located in or near Pike Place Market following this guide, but the market needs a day all to itself. Here are a few places to stop for a drink or a bite:
    • Ghost Alley Espresso
    • Daily Dozen Doughnut Co.
    • Seattle Dumpling Co.
    • Falafel King
    • Mee Sum Pastry
    • Chicken Valley
    • The Pike Brewing Company
    • Seattle Beer Co.
  • Make sure to also watch fish fly at the Pike Place Fish Market, stick gum to the infamous Gum Wall, deposit coins in Rachel the Pig for charity (and good luck!) and purchase fresh flowers (especially during tulip season) from one of the many local flower vendors.
  • Freshen up after a full day at the market for a delicious seafood dinner at Matt’s in the Market, overlooking Pike Place Market.

DAY FIVE and SIX

  • Head to Woodinville’s Hollywood District and stay at Holly Creek Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast (highly recommend booking directly through the website – the owner, Rebecca, is an amazing host and her breakfast is to die for!) The best part is this B&B is just a few steps away from everything there is to offer in the Hollywood District.
  • Purchase the Hurray for Hollywood tasting pass through Woodinville Wine Country’s website for wine tastings at local cellars. Make sure to visit Chateau Ste Michelle to tour their bottling facilities while enjoying a glass of their Eroica Riesling, grab a slice of great pizza at Village Wines, or stop for a cold beer at Good Brewing Hollywood Taproom.

There is so much more to this great state, and maybe one day we’ll be back to see more! This guide can definitely be shortened to squeeze in a day or two at Mount Rainier National Park or a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island, both places we wish we were able to visit on our trip. I hope this guide can help you in planning your next vacation to the Pacific Northwest!

-Rebecca

For more information on the places mentioned in this post or help planning your vacation, fill out the form below!

HAWAII: Travel Guide

Published on by joyfulplannerLeave a comment
STATE 1 of 50

We stayed 6 nights at Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa for our honeymoon in the spring of 2021. It is located in Ko Olina, a quiet gated area on the southwestern shore of Oahu. It’s 30 minutes outside of Honolulu and has spectacular beach sunsets. In Ko Olina, there are other resorts and beach houses, an ABC Store, souvenir shops, a golf course, local restaurants…everything you’d ever need for a relaxing beach vacation, nestled away from the hustle and bustle of crowded touristy areas.

Unless you are me. While my husband would be perfectly content napping in a beach chair all day, I am the exact opposite. I am that crazy tourist with a backpack on and a map in hand, stopping to take a picture of almost everything I see. But, because I love my husband, you will notice this travel guide has the best of both worlds. Times where we did not leave the resort all day for him, and times where we were gone from sun up to sun down for me.

If you are planning a Hawaiian vacation and do not know where to start, this is the guide for you. I did endless research into the island (besides just watching Lilo & Stitch), and I can confidently say there is something for everyone in this breathtaking state.

DAY ONE

  • Arrive in Honolulu and travel to Ko Olina to check-in at Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa.
  • Explore the resort and Ko Olina by walking out to look-out points on the beachside, snacking on spam masubi from the ABC Store, and visiting Monkeypod Kitchen for happy hour (Mai Tai with their Garlic Truffle Oil Fries is a must!)

DAY TWO

  • Walk to the Marriott Beach Club to pick up your Enterprise car rental from the kiosk in their lobby.
  • Head to Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck. Make sure to get there for 10:30am (any later and the line is down the street!) and order the shrimp scampi plate. You won’t regret it!
  • Travel to Laniakea Beach to see magnificent sea turtles laying on the beach and playing in the ocean waves (make sure to head there during lunchtime as it is supposedly when the turtles are most active!)
  • Drive to Dole Plantation, where you can ride the Pineapple Express Train Tour, explore the Plantation Garden, and walk through the Pineapple Garden Maze. Stop at the Plantation Grille for an afternoon snack of Dole Whip and fresh pineapple.
  • Lastly, make your way to downtown Honolulu to visit local breweries, such as Honolulu Beerworks, Hana Koa Brewing Company, or Aloha Beer Company.
  • End your day at Waikiki Brewing Company, which has a full dinner menu and a fun and lively atmosphere!

DAY THREE

  • Get back in your rental car and spend your day at Pearl Harbor National Memorial. Here you can visit the USS Arizona Memorial, walk through exhibit galleries on the Road to War and the Attack, explore the USS Bowfin, Battleship Missouri Memorial, and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, and take a walk through the Remembrance Circle. I highly recommend purchasing the narrated walking tour, which can be used throughout the area for more in depth knowledge .
  • After, head to the Mai Tai Bar at The Royal Hawaiian Resort in Waikiki for a pre-dinner cocktail, followed by a short sunset walk on Waikiki Beach to dinner at Duke’s, located at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort.

DAY FOUR

  • Wake up before dawn and head to Kaiwai State Park on the east side of the island. Hike the Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail at sunrise and take in the fantastic views of the island and ocean. If you are there from December through April, you may even get to see humpback whales migrating from Alaska to Hawaii!
  • Stop at Leonard’s Bakery for delicious malasadas (Portuguese doughnuts without the hole). They are stuffed with a wide variety of flavor options, including our favorites – Macadamia Nut and Custard.
  • Drop off your rental car at a local Enterprise office in downtown Honolulu and catch a ride share back to the resort (unfortunately you cannot return rental cars to their Ko Olina location).
  • Spend the afternoon relaxing before heading to dinner at KA WA’A, Aulani’s own Luau! The Luau starts with a pre-show demonstration, including traditional flower arranging and taro pounding. You are served a three-course plated bento dinner, followed by the Luau performance!

DAY FIVE AND SIX

  • Spend the rest of your trip enjoying all Aulani has to offer!
  • At Ko Olina Beach, you are able to rent snorkels, boogie boards, and paddle boards for use or even a private casabella (2-seat lounger with awning) or cabana. You can take a swim in the Ka Maka Grotto, the infinity-edge pool overlooking Ko Olina Beach, or go snorkeling in the Rainbow Reef, their 3,800-square-foot saltwater private snorkeling lagoon. There is also a lazy river and two rapid water adventures: Volcanic Vertical and Tubestone Curl.
  • Aulani also offers multiple dining services, including poolside and beachside service, grab-and-go selections, shaved ice, and casual sit-down restaurants. In addition, they offer character experiences, with Mickey Mouse and friends dressed in their best Hawaiian gear, photography services for beachside photos, spa and salon services, and so much more!

And just like all the best vacations, they sadly come to an end, but I hope this guide can help you in planning a magical Hawaiian vacation like ours was. Mahola!

-Rebecca

For more information on the places mentioned in this post or help planning your Hawaiian vacation, fill out the form below!