Travel

Iceland in Photos

Finally! Iceland was an incredibly rugged, sparse and beautiful country. We spent a good amount of time in Reykjavik and saw some of the country by driving the classic "Golden Circle." I'll update this post down the road with the journal I kept as well. For now, pictures! [flickr_set id="72157643621209763"]

A Weekend at Lopez Island

Last weekend we camped in the San Juans on Lopez Island. I originally planned for us to stay on Orcas Island as well, but we caught a later ferry than expected (causing us to be in ferry line in Anacortes for more than six hours!). Here we are, finally in transit. Lopez Island 20130803_0015

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Amanda has a "Pocahontas eating popcorn" look here. Lopez Island 20130803_0024

We didn't want to stretch ourselves trying to island hop, so we stretched out at our campground at Spencer Spit State Park. We totally posed for this photo, but it turned out great! Look at that view from the campsite! Lopez Island 20130803_0079

The beach nearby was pleasantly sandy where there wasn't seaweed. Lopez Island 20130803_0065

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In the morning, our breakfast of champions included some dry granola and hot coffee thanks to my new Jetboil Sol Titanium Stove. It's a great combination of weight and boiling time if you're considering a backpacking camp stove.

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Later in the morning we refilled with a second breakfast between Holly B's Bakery and Caffe La Boheme.

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We spent most of the day exploring Spencer Spit. Lopez Island 20130804_0105

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This is the photo I get when Amanda takes advantage of me teaching her how to use the camera. Lopez Island 20130804_0125

There are sandy beaches in Washington State! Lopez Island 20130804_0110

This is the view of the campground from the spit. Our camp is furthest right. Lopez Island 20130804_0107

We drove south on the island to check out Watmough Bay. I felt like I was on another continent on that beach. It would be amazing if it wasn't a rocky beach. Lopez Island 20130804_0133

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What lunch looked like. Lopez Island 20130804_0140

Amanda made me jump in the water. I'm smiling, but the water was freezing and I think I'm actually in shock at this moment. Lopez Island 20130804_0154

We played on an old dock on our way back out. Lopez Island 20130804_0160

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This was the view at Shark Reef Park. Lopez Island 20130804_0175

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I reacted quick enough to seeing a guy jump in from one of the rocks. I think he was recovering some garbage his child threw in. That's what I call commitment to Leave No Trace! Lopez Island 20130804_0179

In case you're thinking about getting married on Lopez, consider the hay barrel package. Lopez Island 20130804_0184

This is what most of the island looks like by car. Lopez Island 20130804_0185

We stopped by a great little unmanned farm stand on the way back to camp. Lopez Island 20130804_0198

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On our final morning, we woke up to a layer of fog, packed up camp and headed home. We felt rested and thankful we spent all our time seeing so much of Lopez Island.

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New Zealand in Photos: Part 2

New Zealand Card 2_20120220_0023 Ah ha! I knew I'd find the remaining New Zealand photos (See Part 1)! Here are the last remaining shots, mostly from the Parnell suburb of Auckland and Cornwall Park/One Tree Hill. Obviously, Sergio took many of these.

First, this was the winery directly underneath our lodging. New Zealand Card 2_20120220_0004

I believe this was in the Ponsonby suburb. New Zealand Card 2_20120220_0031

Here I am in Parnell. New Zealand Card 2_20120220_0017

Enjoying coffee and free WiFi (hard to find!) in Parnell. New Zealand Card 2_20120220_0035

This is Sergio's happy place: Renkon. New Zealand Card 2_20120220_0049

These next photos are in Cornwall Park, which is something like a hilly Central Park. New Zealand Card 2_20120221_0064

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Did I mention it got stormy? New Zealand Card 2_20120221_0089

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On our last day, we figured out logistics for the flight home and I had a chance to catch up with Amanda over Skype. As much as I loved New Zealand, I was looking forward to getting home and seeing my wife! New Zealand Card 2_20120221_0136