Memory Monday - Burano, Italy

It wasn't until I read an article about hidden-treasure-towns that I was reminded of a short day trip to Murano, Italy.  This small island is located north of Venice, the waters of Laguna Veneta and Isla San Michele separating the two.  Murano is known for glassmaking, a craft that populates the town with artisans. Of course our number one to-do on the list was to see a working glass factory. In 1291 it was mandated that all glass workers move to Murano because of the fire danger it posed to Venice. Quickly after moving their lives for their craft, these glass workers became the most affluent among the town.  They were exempt from prosecution, could carry swords, and some of their daughters married into the royal blood line.  Most interestingly, they were the only glassmakers who could make mirrored glass in all of Europe. Who knew the glass industry was such a complex one.

>> Getting to Murano from Venice is fairly simple.  If you've been to Venice you know the transportation system is solely boat driven. We took a ferry to Murano and walked to the Murano Glass Factory.  Murano as a town is divided into seven small islands that are connected by bridges. It was slightly confusing to get around but the endless rows of boats is something I'll never forget.  There are small shops that line the walkways in case you want to lightly shop.  I picked up a glass beaded bracelet after seeing the process of it's origination in the factory. This little town has a charm all it's own. Every house or building is a different color than the last one and the streets aren't overcrowded and adorned with souvenirs like Venice.  I'm begging you, explore Murano!

 

 

 

 

cheers-

Exploring Antelope Canyon

>> A friend passed on a quote that made me realize: the process of getting somewhere is important and defining. "A good traveler has no set plans and is not intent on arriving." Sometimes, half of enjoying a destination is getting there. And just sometimes you can't help but laugh at how incredibly unique that journey turned out to be.

>> The drive from Flagstaff to the Utah/Arizona border is a picture book. Fields of muted mustard plains line a skyline of purple hued mountains. Around every bend is another breathtaking snapshot. As the temperature is getting warmer around this time of year, the combination of turned down windows and your favorite song makes the drive ultimate bliss. Until you come to a road block. And the reroute takes you another hour. And you have to unexpectedly pay for a guided tour once you get there. Then it becomes a little frustrating. All of this only made for an interesting story about how we arrived to Antelope Canyon and we couldn't help but laugh when our tour guide turned out to be a little cooky.
My friend and I, thinking we are adventure pros, thought it'll be no problem "just finding the place." Obviously wrong. As we drove down a red dirt road to the rim, we passed by a sign that read "Adventure Antelope Canyon Tour" which earned us a few stares.  We continued on. Then, we were approached by two hair braided, bulky men in a jeep. Apparently we needed a tour since it was private property.  Oops. Tail between our legs, we reluctantly forked over thirty dollars and loaded into an old suburban with an Asian family.

>>Antelope Canyon has only recently, within the past five years, become a popular tourist attraction.  Since the slot canyons are only accessible by way of Navajo guide, history plays a large role in the canyons' beauty.  Erosion of Navajo Sandstone formed the pottery-like canyon walls, a look that makes it the most visited and photographed slot canyon in the Southwest. To the elder Navajo, the sacred canyons are like cathedrals. Our tour guide explained he was never allowed to play in them because of their superstition. He also mentioned the dust devils that frequent are manifestations of the devil or skin walkers... we just wanted to see some cool canyons.
We weren't disappointed. As our feet sink into the red pigmented dirt, a cool brush of air reveals that the canyon is quite delicate and your voice can be heard from the other end. It is awe-inspiring. Our jaws literally dropped and our necks became stiff from gazing upward and snapping pictures.  The way the sunlight peaks through the top of the canyon makes you believe that these canyons are indeed sacred. Even though the journey to Antelope Canyon was longer than intended, it was far more worth any monetary or timely value. You should definitely journey on and enjoy these blissful canyons!

          

 

  

  

cheers-

Twenty hours in Norfolk

 

Growing up in Arizona classifies me as a west coast girl. It wasn't until I moved to Texas that I was exposed to a Carolina accent or this idea of dressing up "nice" to go out on the town. Board shorts aren't appropriate bar apparel? who knew. Thus my toes have never touched East Coast waters. To be fair they still haven't, there was far too much ice in the water.. you get my drift. I had the opportunity to stay waterside on the port for just under 24 hours and it was beyond beautiful!  My friend and I moseyed around the port to soak in the view and noticed mermaid statues everywhere!  Norfolk adopted a campaign ten years ago to make a mermaid their mascot in order to attract tourism. It gives tourism and locals a physical symbol of Norfolk. And it worked.  I love mermaids and I love Norfolk. I couldn't help but snap a few of all the mermaids. I also couldn't help but feel like I needed some chowder. So we set out on a quest to find some traditional old port city grub. Boy, did we hit the jackpot. We found an old church that was converted into a restaurant called the Freemason Abbey. However sacrilegious it might be, we chowed. literally.  They had the most delicious crab chowder. Add some sweet biscuits and we were donezo. We definitely stumbled into a small gem.  After our bellies were nice and full, we walked around downtown and popped into some of the stores.  For a Saturday it was a little desolate but nonetheless, walking around the snowy streets was a nice change of pace.  So if you get a chance to explore Norfolk, Virginia- try it out!  Eat the chowder and give into the mermaids.

xoxo

 

   

 

Hula-ing through Oahu

Traveling with friends is seriously the coolest. If you know me, you know that I love traveling and I love friends. With the flexibility and benefits of my job its quite easy to say "let's go to _____ next weekend, you down?" and really mean it. And I realize how lucky that is.  When my roommate/coworker Lolly wanted to go somewhere tropical for her birthday we jumped on the Hawaii bandwagon.  Even though I can check the over-ten-visits box on the agriculture form, I couldn't resist indulging in fresh pineapple (my unconditional if there were one item left on earth favorite) and exposing my pale brown skin to some rays. Besides, I have enough family on Oahu to take in a small traveling circus.  So- it was decided we'd move work around, each bring someone along, rent a car, and declare camp at my grandma's.  Here are some abso-freakin-lutely awesome things that you gotta do.

>>dinner/drinks at RumFire on Waikki Beach
You can't go wrong with delicious cocktails, fried rice, beachfront. You just can't.

 

>>cliff jumping @ Waimea Beach

Although the swells are large in the winter, it's usually calm and relaxing. Jumping off the cliff is pure adrenaline and safe since you can see to the bottom!

>>snorkeling in Hanama Bay with a lifeproof camera case

If you love snorkeling and tourist traps as much as I do, Hanama Bay is the place for you! Even though you have to pay and watch a conservation video, it's a sure thing you're going to see some spectacular fish and creatures. Since it's a protected bay, the waves are minimal and the government makes sure the water stays its prettiest. With a lifeproof case you can snap embarrassing snorkel pics to save as blackmail, as well as remember the underwater landscapes that you ooed & ahhhed about!

  

>>sunbathing on the warm shores of Lanikai

Lanikai is one of my favorite beaches in the entire world and I knew it as soon as my toes hit it's sand. Once I read that it was rated number one by Conde Nast in 2009, I knew we had to explore.  We all easily determined it was the highlight of our trip. The sand is powder and the water, so clear you can see the flip flop tan on my feet.  It must have been the double rainbow that cast a bliss over the entire beach because it was beyond perfect. There were kayakers journeying to the two small nearby islands Na Mokulua, beach volleyball players hitting the ball around, and kids chasing each other into the water, but somehow all you could hear was the waves lingering up the shores. Needless to say we didn't want to leave and reluctantly drug our cooler back to the car.

 

>>indulge in local eats:

Leonard's Bakery Malasadas > think donuts without the hole just out of the oven, a polynesian treat!

North Shore's Matsumoto's Shave Ice > fine shaved ice with every tropical flavor you can think of.

Shrimp Trucks > shrimp any way you want it, as fresh as you can get it. coconut. pineapple. BOMB.

  

>>get your luau on at Paradise Cove

Seeing it as a fit last hurrah, we luau-ed our last night in Paradise. As soon as they put the leis around our necks we booked it to the Piña Coladas and Mai-tais. My cousin used to hula dance in the Paradise Cove Luau, so I knew it would be a great show. It takes place right on one of the coves just down the shoreline from Ko'Olina, which makes for a breathtaking backdrop and unreal sunset. There's something about a jaw dropping sunset that makes you truly thankful for the day you just experienced. The luau encompasses a ceremonial cooking of Kalua Pig.  "Kalua" literally means to cook in an underground oven.  And that's what they did: plopped it in a banana leaf covered hole. This unleashed a phenomenal aroma as the hula dancers moved to live Hawaiian music. Next we satisfied hunger with a traditional Hawaiian buffet that included poi, macaroni salad, and of course Kalua pig. You'll die of taste bud overload. The highlight is definitely the dancing. There is traditional hula, tahitian dancing, the polynesian war dance: the Haka, and spine shivering fire dancing. If you want to get the full Hawaii experience you have to luau. And you have to absolutely volunteer yourself to dance on stage, whether you've had a few piñas or not. 

 

 

>>don't look at your watch but don't wake up too late. 

live on hawaiian time. 

do it all & soak it up.

there's so much to do & see that it can be overwhelming -but with the right mindset everything is worth seeing.  

xoxo