Take a Big
Adventure
Albania
November 2020 – December 2020 (4 weeks); bus into Tirana from Podgorica, Montenegro -> rent car from airport and drive to Vlorë -> Sarande -> Blue Eye -> Gjirokaster -> Korçë -> Voskapoje -> Pogradec -> 2 weeks in North Macedonia -> Berat -> Shkoder -> Theth -> Durres -> Tirana -> fly out to Dallas, Texas USA
Arizona
Favorite road trip stops include Sedona, Scottsdale, and Cave Creek; favorite activities in Sedona include hiking the trails and soaking up the vortex energy, listening to the Flute Guy play on top of Boynton Pass Vortex, grabbing a beer and bite at The Hudson and a pizza and wings at Picazzo’s; grab a bite at The Mission in Scottsdale, and shop for gems in Cave Creek
Australia
November 2022 – January 2023 (2.5 months); fly into Perth (4 nights) -> drive to Chittering (7 nights) -> fly to Cairnes (7 nights) -> scuba dive Great Barrier Reef – > buy Greyhound bus pass and bus to Townsville (2 nights) -> day on Magnetic Island -> bus to Airlie Beach (2 nights) -> catamaran through Whitsundays -> overnight bus to Noosa (4 nights) -> drive to farm west of Toowomba (3 nights) – > drive to Toowomba (1 night) -> bus to Brisbane (6 nights) -> bus to Gold Coast
(3 nights) – > bus to Brisbane for Christmas Actually Show (1 night) – > bus to Byron Bay (1 night) – > bus to Yamba (3 nights) – > bus to Byron Bay for Christmas (4 nights) – > bus to Yamba (3 nights) – > overnight bus to Sydney (6 nights) – > NYE in Sydney (most epic) – > overnight bus to Melbourne (4 nights) – > rent car and drive Great Ocean Road (2 nights) – > drive to Cape Douglas (2 nights) – > drive to Melbourne, return car, and fly to Hobart, Tasmania (3 nights) – > rent car and drive to Bicheno (2 nights) – > Sheffield (2 nights) – > Grindewald (2 nights) – > Celebrate Reed’s 40 th – > Saint Helens for Bay of Fires (2 nights) – > drive to Hobart, return car, and fly out to Christchurch, New Zealand
Costa Rica
February 2021 – April 2021 (3 months); fly into San Jose -> rent car and drive to Playa Hermosa in Guanacaste -> El Castillo near Arenal -> La Fortuna Arenal -> Monteverde -> La Fortuna Arenal -> Jaco -> Manuel Antonio -> Dominical -> Uvita -> Ojochal -> Puerto Jiménez -> Osa Peninsula National Park -> Uvita -> Quepos -> Tamarindo -> Nosara -> Sámara -> San Jose -> fly out to Dallas, Texas USA
Croatia
September 2020 – October 2020 (6 weeks); fly into Split -> ferry to Brač -> ferry to Hvar -> ferry to Dubrovnik -> rent car and drive to Makarska -> Sibenik and Krka Falls -> Zadar -> Rovinj -> Pula -> Motovun -> Rijeka -> Plitvice National Park -> Zagreb -> fly out to Montenegro
Greece
Late July 2021 – October 2021 (3 months); fly into Athens -> ferry to Syros -> ferry to Naxos -> ferry to Paros -> ferry to Ios -> ferry to Santorino -> ferry to Mykonos -> ferry to Athens -> taxi to Saronida -> taxi to Athens -> ferry to Crete -> rent car in Chania -> drive to Kissamos -> ferry to Balos Beach – > Falasarna – > Samaria Gorge hike -> Rethymno -> Matala -> Istro -> Agios Nikolaos -> Chania -> ferry to Athens – > fly out to Dallas, Texas USA
Idaho
Favorite road trip stops include Indian Rocks State Park, Victor, and Coeur d’Alene; favorite activities include camping, hiking, staying at the Finn & Feather Inn in Victor and delighting in their three-course breakfast and views of the Tetons, having huckleberry milkshakes, and grabbing dinner on a boat on Coeur d’Alene Lake
Illinois
June 2021 – Fly into Chicago from Dallas; favorite activities include the river cruise (we’re on team Wendella); grab an Italian beef and beer at Wrigley Field and watch the Cubs play the Cardinals (Go Cards!), have happy hour at City Winery, get a bone in prime cut at Gibson’s Steakhouse and take some pictures in the downtown lights with the river in the background afterward; finish the night with some laughs at The Second City improv comedy show; chill on the beach of Lake Michigan and see if make friends with someone with a yacht (you are going in the summertime, right?)
Malaysia
October 2022 (1 month) – Fly into Kuala Lampur (6 nights) – > fly to Langkawi (4 nights) – > fly to Penang high rise apartment (5 nights) – > taxi to Old Town Penang (3 nights) – > fly to Tawau on the Island of Borneo – > taxi to Semporna (2 nights) -> ferry to Mabul Island – > Scuba Junkies Dive Resort (6 nights) – > ferry to Semporna (1 night) – > fly to Kota Kinabalu (6 nights) – > fly to Kuala Lampur (1 night) – > fly out to Perth, Australia
Montana
Favorite road trip stops include Columbia Falls, Bigfork, Big Sky, Glacier National Park, and Missoula; favorite activities include camping and hiking in Glacier, going to the farmers’ market and Gunsight Saloon in Columbia Falls, skiing in Big Sky, going to Whistling Andy’s Distillery in Bigfork, and playing golf with friends into the wee twilight hours in Missoula
Montenegro
October 2020 – November 2020 (two weeks); fly into Podgorica -> rent car and drive to Kotor -> Perast -> Tara Canyon -> Dormitor National Park -> Sveti Stefan -> Budva -> Podgorica -> bus out to Albania
Nevada
Favorite road trip stops include Reno and Las Vegas; favorite activities include video poker, blackjack, pool hanging, walking the town, eating fancily, and playing credit card roulette
New Zealand
February 2023 – March 2023 (1.5 months) – Fly into Christchurch (1 night) – > rent car and drive to Blenheim in Marlborough Wine Country (4 nights) – > drive to Christchurch, return rental car, get different rental car, and drive to Timaru (1 night) – > Queenstown (3 nights) – > bungy jump Kawarau Bridge and Nevis swing – > bus to Routeburn Trail Great Walk (3-day hike; 2 nights) – > bus to Milford Sound cruise post hike – > bus to Queenstown (3 nights) – > drive to Dunedin (4 nights) -> Lake Tekapo (2 nights) – > Wanaka (4 nights) – > Queenstown (1 night) – > Franz Joseph (2 nights) – > drive up West Coast to Nelson (2 nights) – > Blenheim via Havlock (2 nights) – > Lake Tekapo for Dark Sky Project and then to Twizel (3 nights) – > Twizel Salmon & Wine Festival – > Christchurch (1 night) – > return rental car and fly out to Wellington (2 nights) – > rent car and drive to Rotorua (4 nights) – > day trip to Hobbiton – > Turangi (2 nights) – > Tongariro Alpine Crossing hike – > Tutukaka (3 nights) – > Taupo (1 night) – > Wellington (1 night) – > fly out to Dallas, TX
North Macedonia
November 2020 (two weeks); drive into Lake Ohrid from Pogradec, Albania -> Skopje -> Matka Canyon -> drive to Berat, Albania
Oregon
Favorite road trip stops include Corvallis, Portland, Astoria, Bend, and Cannon Beach; favorite activities include wine tasting pinots through the Willamette Valley, grabbing brunch at Bellhop in Corvallis, going brewery hopping in Portland, walking around Astoria’s quaint town, adventuring in and around Bend, soaking in the views of Haystack Rock on Cannon Beach, getting iced Americanos from Dutch Bros, and hiking awesome trails like the Trail of Ten Falls; that’s Central Oregon baby
Tennessee
December 2021 – Fly into Nashville from Dallas; favorite activities include bar hopping the Boardwalk during the day (fave bar is Whiskey Bent); grab some hot chicken for lunch, go to a Titans game, go to a song writers’ showcase at The Listening Room, watch a concert at the Ryman Theatre (Amy Grant and Vince Gil’s Christmas Show will put you in the spirit), dance the night away bar hopping the Boardwalk
Texas
Favorite road trip stops include Austin and Dallas (note that we are from these two cities and Texas has many more gems for travel, but these are the most near and dear to our hearts); favorite activities include margs at Mi Cocina in Dallas, margs at Maudie’s in Austin, walk the Katy Trail in Dallas and the Greenbelt in Austin, take a swim in Barton Springs Pool in Austin, get on a party barge on Lake Austin, catch some live music at Moody Theater, go to ACL in Zilker Park, catch a Cowboys game at Jerryworld, get a turkey leg and beer at halftime of TX/OU at the Texas State Fair, breakfast tacos at Tacodeli, and brunch at Lucy’s Fried Chicken
Thailand
August 2022 (1 month) – Fly into Bangkok (4 nights) -> Fly to Koh Samui and ferry to Koh Phangan (4 nights) -> Full Moon Party -> ferry to Koh Samui (4 nights) -> ferry bus ferry to Koh Phi Phi (7 nights) -> Railay Beach Krabi (4 nights) -> fly to Chiang Mai (4 nights) -> fly out to Hanoi, Vietnam
Utah
Favorite road trip stops include Lake Powell, Kanab, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest; favorite activities include renting a houseboat, exploring canyons, and naming rocks on Lake Powell; camping and hiking in the many forests, and taking in the diverse terrain on the drives between stops; and canyoneering around Zion with awesome and passionate pros like Micah and Ted of East Zion Experiences
Vietnam
September 2022 (1 month) – Fly into Hanoi (4 nights) -> sleeper bus to Sapa (4 nights) -> bus to Ha Giang -> Ha Giang Motorcycle Loop (3 days, 2 nights) -> bus to Hanoi -> bus to Ha Long Bay -> Bay Cruise (2 nights) -> boat and taxi to Catba City, Catba Island -> bus, ferry, car, and fly to Da Nang (2 nights) -> Hoi Ann (6 nights) -> fly to Ho Chi Minh City (3 nights) -> Mekong River Delta Cruise -> Fly out to Kuala Lampur, Malaysia
Washington
Favorite road trip stops include Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, Olympic National Park, Seattle, Leavenworth, Cape Disappointment State Park, Wenatchee, and Orcas Island; favorite activities include hiking the Paradise and Skyline trails and sledding on a trash bag on Mount Rainier, hiking the Maple Pass Loop of North Cascades, camping in the forests and Parks, taking disappointed pictures at Cape Disappointment State Park, taking in the mossy trees in the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic, eating our way through the Public Market, taking the boat cruise, and going to the top of the Space Needle in Seattle, having fresh shellfish feasts and going whale watching on Orcas Island, and tubing the river, hiking the Colchuck Lake Trail, and playing mini golf in and around Leavenworth
Wyoming
Favorite road trip stops include Grand Teton National Park and Jackson; favorite activities include swimming in Jenny Lake and hiking Teton trails, trekking up the Summit Trail at Jackson Hole Resort and having a beer at the top of the gondola, walking around the Jackson town and getting a slice at Hand Fire Pizza
