• Bingo Abroad
  • Bingo Abroad

The Global Adventure

AKA Sabbatical Part III
Quit our jobs, sold our condo and put everything in storage to head off this time for some round the world adventures - seeing where life takes us, enjoying the sights and eats, and having amazing experiences.
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  • Auckland Adventures

    5. März 2019 in Neuseeland ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Made it to Continent #6!!!

    After so long in Thailand with its awful air pollution and humidity, it's so nice to be in New Zealand with beautiful parks and clean air.

    Plus we got to catch up with our friend Ella who we met in Wadi Rum, Jordan. It was so fun having her show us around her hometown of Auckland.Weiterlesen

  • Magical Fiji

    7. Juni 2019 in Fidschi ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    Fiji is insane. So glad we added this to our itinerary.

    Resorts are beautiful and filled with so many activities - snorkeling from the shore, yoga overlooking the water, tubing in the ocean at sunset, game nights, hiking.

    Sure, the service isn't amazing at most of the island resorts as "Fiji Time" is definitely a really thing here but we are meeting fun people at the communal dinners, reading a lot while overlooking the ocean, and soaking up all the views.
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  • 10 Years of Marriage

    14. Juni 2019 in Fidschi ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Well time flies. Brice and I have now been married for over 10 years!

    Fiji seemed like the perfect place to celebrate our anniversary when we were there in June. We debated exactly what we wanted to do but landed on getting all dressed up in white, doing a mini vow renewal over a nice dinner on our basically private beach, and getting these beautiful professional photos taken.

    Here are a few of our favorites!
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  • Beautiful Hard Hike on Mt Hood

    21. Juli 2019 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Awesome day hiking up on Mt Hood with some girls from CFPD. Talk about gorgeous views - we saw all the mountains: Rainier, St Helens, Adams, Jefferson, even the Sisters.

    The monarch butterflies were even out in full force to our surprise. They were everywhere, which got a little eerie at times with thousands swarming us at any given moment. And then there were all the ladybugs (do they migrate with butterflies?!). They would not leave us alone and one even bit Celina, so she claims. Who knew that was a thing.

    So much fun catching up with these girls and getting in a great hike.
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  • We're Now White Water Kayakers!

    16. August 2019 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We just spent the last 3 days out on the Klickitat River with @wetplanet learning to white water kayak. Man is it hard - mentally challenging, a little intimidating at times (especially flipping over with current and rocks), and certainly physically tough.

    That being said, it is beautiful out on the water, our guides and fellow kayakers were awesome, and I’m feeling mighty accomplished now as we conquered a lot of Class 2 rapids and one big Class 3 called Ishy Pishy. 💪🏻

    My body is now very sore and I’m thankful we don’t have to be on the water today, but so glad we did it!
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  • 25 Years of Friendship

    26. August 2019 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Went on a short hike around Wahkeena Falls (such a pretty spot!) the other day with my friend Laura, her new baby and her adorable dog.

    We discussed how friendships can evolve, grow and sometimes fade out over time with all the changes life can bring. Relationships can be hard to maintain while living in different locations around the world and in different aspects in life.

    We have been friends since we were 10, or maybe even earlier as our moms met when we were babies. I feel extra thankful we’ve managed to keep this friendship despite all our moves, job changes and now kiddos.

    It was so nice spending the day together. Plus we got to stop at Sugarpine Drivein on the way back for amazing lunch and delicious ice cream.
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  • See Ya Later, Portland!

    29. August 2019 in den USA ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Oh Portland, thank you for such a lovely extended visit! My 8 weeks back in town flew by. It was wonderful to have quality time with my parents and so many friends, and to enjoy Oregon summer - wine tasting, hiking, patio dinners, laying in the park. (More summer highlights on my other blog). While the time in Portland was super nice, I’m excited to be back on the road and see some beautiful new places.Weiterlesen

  • Hello Idaho!!

    30. August 2019 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Made it across the first state line of our road trip and to McCall, Idaho to visit our good friends Jenny and Skylar.

    Jenny, the ever active half-robot, half-human, planned a hike for our first full day up to Box Lake. Just a casual 7-miles round trip with 2500’ elevation gain. Brice wasn’t the happiest but the view at the top was lovely and the cold beers and fries after well earned.Weiterlesen

  • Yellowstone, Days 1-3

    5. September 2019 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Yellowstone, you are real cool.

    Days 1-3 of our national park adventure included seeing lots and lots of crazy geysers, staying at the historic and beautiful Old Faithful Inn, hiking 24+ miles, having a sketchy encounter with a male elk while walking back from one said hike, learning a sorts of science facts and eating a lot of ice cream.

    After one hot day of hiking, we got some snacks and camped out in front of Grand Geyser, the tallest predictable geyser in the world, waiting for it to erupt. We had to wait over an hour but what a sight once it started - powerful bursts that shoot 200 feet in the air. So cool.

    Everything in the park we saw was beautiful and colorful. Such an amazing first few days.
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  • Amazing Yellowstone, Days 4-5

    6. September 2019 in den USA ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    The other few days we spent further north of the park.

    After driving around Lake Yellowstone, we were greeted by herds of buffalo and even got our first buffalo jam on the road - definitely the only kind of traffic I’m ok with!!

    We saw the Grand Prismatic Spring and Excelsior Crater, though not as exciting as we imagined.

    We crossed the Continental Divide.

    My favorite by far was Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs. The colors and reflections in the pools of hot spring water were astounding. A fun surprise was a family of elk hanging in one of the terraces.

    Another plus was seeing the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. I did a short hike to the Brink of the Lower Falls, which was a sight, being over the 300’ waterfall as it shoots down the canyon.

    We saw a pronghorn and even a big group of elk next to Mammoth Visitor Center with the male trying to herd all the ladies.

    Our last evening we spotted a bear finally! I maybe got too excited and was certainly too close vs the recommended range, but nothing bad happened as the cute black bear was more focused on snacking. I learned my lesson though! 😬
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  • Grand Tetons!

    9. September 2019 in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Our last morning in Yellowstone, we drove south down to exit the park. No exciting stops or animal sightings along the way - once you’ve seen a hundred buffalo, I guess you’ve seen em all.

    The weather the last few days turned on us and went from sunny and 85 to rain and 45. Talk about a quick change.

    But with nearly 6 days, we drove almost the entire park and clearly saw a lot! What an experience.

    From Yellowstone, we entered Grand Teton NP. Though much much smaller in that we saw almost everything in just one day, I found it to be spectacular. The clouds cleared enough for us to make out the massive mountain peaks. I convinced Brice to do a hike around Jenny Lake for even more gorgeous views. Minus not getting to see a moose like we hoped, it was pretty great.
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  • Hello 35

    10. September 2019 in den USA ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    A pretty perfect birthday.

    A nice run through Jackson.
    A lovely brunch of excellent food including cake - why not have cake for breakfast on your birthday?!
    An afternoon reading and catching up with family.
    An evening viewing incredible wildlife and landscape photography at local galleries.
    Drinks while sitting on a western saddle at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.
    A fabulous dinner at Gather - oh man that truffle pasta.

    All that and still in bed by 10. 🙌🏻 #thisis35
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  • Beautiful South Dakota

    12. September 2019 in den USA ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Wow, the Black Hills in western South Dakota are much more beautiful and the land is way more mountainous than I expected it to be. I’ve loved watching the scenery change as we drive east.

    We first visited Mount Rushmore and was shocked how much I liked it. I was so impressed by how massive and detailed the sculptures are. Even more impressive when you realize how much rock that had to explode to carve it.

    The next day the sun came back out so we did a 10-mile hike through Custer State Park up to Black Elk Peak. This is apparently the highest point between the Pyrenees and the Rockies. Who would’ve thought you’d only need to be at 7,200’ for that claim. The views all along the trail but especially at the summit were stunning.
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  • Badlands or the moon?

    14. September 2019 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    The Badlands in western South Dakota is a pretty funky place. Just minutes before arriving to the park, it’s just flat prairie grassland. Then bam, it looks like you’re on the moon, with layered rock formations made by almost a million years of erosion.

    We went on a short hike on Door Trail where you’re allowed to walk along the rocks and get up close to the formations. I thought it was pretty cool, Brice was less impressed.
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  • Detour through Nebraska

    15. September 2019 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Took a little detour on our way from South Dakota to Colorado through Nebraska, in part to say I’ve been to Nebraska and in part for a few road trip stops. One included Chimney Rock, not the most exciting geological feature we’ve seen but it’s on the Nebraska state coin and other billboards and things so fun to see.

    We also stopped at the Scotts Bluff National Monument, which was surprisingly cool. The 800’ hill has a split through which people traveling west would pass. It was often difficult with howling winds or deep mud. From the park we were even able to walk a portion of the original Oregon Trail. Would not have wanted to do that in a little wagon!

    The drive to the top of the bluff was beautiful and we passed through the only 3 car tunnels in the whole state! Such a fun little stop.
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  • Windy Weather at Rocky Mtn Park

    17. September 2019 in den USA ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    It was 85 in the valley of Denver but once we got up to 12,000’ in elevation in the Rocky Mountain National Park, boy did the weather shift. Extreme winds that even made our little car bounce a bit. And those winds weren’t supposed to be bad at only 35mph, vs the avg winter winds of 100+!

    The views were beautiful, especially of the alpine tundra where it is too cold and windy for trees to grow. We visited the highest visitor center in all the NPS and hiked up “Huffers Hill” for a nice and chilly view.
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  • Amazing weekend exploring Moab

    21. September 2019 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    The red rocks. The canyons. The massive rock formations. The views of the rivers. It’s all beautiful here in Moab. After years of wanting to see Arches National Park, I finally got to check it off the list. But it was Canyonlands that really stole the show. Mesa Arch is incredible as were all the overlooks. The hike up to the Upheaval Dome was hot but the view into the funky mysterious crater was definitely worth it.

    It was fun exploring the parks and town of Moab while catching up with our friend Summer.
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  • Nothing Burger

    23. September 2019 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We always laugh at my mom for the story of her visiting Delicate Arch years back and having to crawl on her hands and knees, being so afraid of the heights. Yesterday Brice and I finally went back to Arches to do that same hike and test out how ridiculous she might have been. Is it actually a “nothing burger” as she likes to say or was she right to be afraid?

    About half way up the massive rock, we saw the trail become more narrow with a steep slope on its left. “Ahh I bet that’s where she started panicking.” A few minutes later, around the curve there was the top. The slick rock drops down and bam, there’s Delicate Arch. Beautiful formation with lovely views surrounding it. The path wasn’t so large at that point and I could finally understand my mom’s concerns.

    I wasn’t too phased though and was determined to be like the other tourists getting a photo under the arch. Brice, more like my mom, was getting a little unnerved at this point and decided, nope heading down. Fortunately other tourists were more than happy to take my photo for me 😜
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  • Exploring Durango

    24. September 2019 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    When looking at where to stay to visit Mesa Verde National Park, Brice pitched a blah town close to the park. Sure there was a Holiday Inn Express, our typical go to but definitely no other charm or appeal in the area.

    I had heard Durango was an adorable tourist town with good restaurants and a nice vibe. Once we also saw it had lovely looking BnB, Brice was convinced it was worth the extra 30 min in the car each way.

    So glad we made the choice. The BnB is fabulous with an amazing breakfast, beautiful garden where I spent the afternoon reading. We had two nice dinners out; one with excellent live music. The bars were hip, the old time gold rush vibe in town fun, the riverfront path nice for a walk, and I was even able to get our car cleaned (boy it needed it). Such a good few nights. Even Brice agreed.
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  • The grand Grand Canyon

    27. September 2019 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    I haven’t been here since I was about 7, and man it is huge. Bigger than my memory for sure.

    Unlike most tourists to the Grand Canyon who come out for a 10-minute view, just long enough for a few photos, we decided to spend 3 days here. We had a fun day biking 21 miles along the South Rim. The views along the ride were amazing. But it was definitely tiring, with both of us barely awake at 8pm later that night.

    The third day we hiked a little ways down into the canyon on the South Kaibab Trail which goes all the way to the Colorado River. We only went a few miles and I felt the steep decline on my knees. It certainly made me both impressed by people who do Rim to Rim and not so disappointed we didn’t get to do it!

    This was now National Park #10 along our US journey and we sadly are getting a little tired of canyons. While some are very different from others, it seems a bit like going to Europe and how after a while all the beautiful, ornate castles just look the same.

    So we are taking a break from national parks and heading to Vegas for a few days. Crossfit, fun dinners, reading by the pool all on tap instead!
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  • Thanks Vegas

    2. Oktober 2019 in den USA ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    After so many days hiking and exploring National Parks, we needed a little break. To most people, heading to Las Vegas probably wouldn’t sound like the right place for that, but for us it was great. We booked four nights in a beautiful one bedroom apartment at the Marriott right off the strip. We got in four great workouts, cooked a lot of veggies and ate healthy (we only ate for one meal in four days!), got in some needed shopping. Plus we did have some fun- watching the Bellagio fountains, attending an incredibly funny show (Miss Behaved), and getting a great Korean dinner at Best Friend. We may have had one too many drinks the final night but it was worth it (I think? 😂)...Weiterlesen

  • Trail Ride Thru Zion

    4. Oktober 2019 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Decided to do something a little different now that we have hiked through most of the national parks, and signed up for a 3-hour trail ride instead. My horse Murphy and Brice’s Sundance were both well cared for, mellow and certainly loved being near each other.

    It was a dusty ride, but amazing views, especially from trails we wouldn’t go on otherwise, and we even spotted lots of deer. Our guide may have been a bit obnoxious but he did keep things entertaining.

    Overall it was a lovely day and fun change up from all the hiking.
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  • Bryce Canyon - 5 Stars

    5. Oktober 2019 in den USA ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Second time to Bryce Canyon and 12th National Park in 3 months, but I’m still just as smitten. The crazy hoodoos. The beautiful colors of pinks and whites from the rocks. The surprising greenery in the midst of it all. It makes me feel slightly in awe and generally just smile at its beauty.

    We did a short hike down into the hoodoos along Queens Garden trail and up to Navajo Loop, through Wall Street, a short area with tall yet narrow slots and even some random trees growing.

    After a short drive to the end of the scenic road, I took another little hike along the Rim Trail, taking in all the sights.

    We drove back to St George through the east side of Zion. Amazing. Crazy how different it was from where we were the day prior. Much larger slick rock, and the Chekerboard Mesa with its hatch marks crisscrossing the rock were unique. The mile-long tunnel with its carved massive windows to the outside, and the views of the canyon coming down from the hillside were just awesome.

    Such a good day.
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