Written by Brian Callender | Photography by Julie Boyd After the life-changing year we had in 2017, with getting married and moving away from our childhood homes, 2018 was significantly more laid back. We once again stayed exclusively in North America, marking our second straight…
Written by Brian Callender | Photography by Julie Boyd Coming out of an incredible 2016, we knew 2017 would have a tough time competing. After all, we had two international trips in 2016 and none planned for 2017. Well, even without leaving the country, we…
Crater Lake in Summer| Written by Brian Callender | Photography by Julie Boyd
With full time jobs, it’s no secret that we do our best to fill every available weekend with an adventure. This year, with the Fourth of July falling on a Tuesday, we saw another opportunity to get away and explore something new.
In the weeks leading up to the holiday, Julie and I had gone back and forth about whether we wanted to take a long road trip or a shorter excursion closer to home. One of the nice advantages with our recent move to the Bay Area is being just four hours from Yosemite, a place that is near and dear to us. This time however, we felt the urge to visit a new destination and the idea of Crater Lake kept bouncing into our conversations.
After much deliberation and just a few days to plan, we pulled the trigger and decided to head north to Oregon.
Continue reading A Summer Escape to Crater Lake National Park
Written by Julie Boyd | Photography by Julie Boyd Over the past few years Brian and I have learned some tips and tricks for making sure we are prepared for our hikes. Some things may seem obvious, but sometimes even the most experienced hikers are…
Written by Julie Boyd | Photography by Julie Boyd Photography is a huge passion of mine, so taking great photos when traveling comes naturally to me. However, just because you are not a photographer, doesn’t mean you can’t take great images as well! After all,…
The Point Reyes National Seashore is a nature preserve located on a peninsula just north of San Fransisco. It is a diverse and special place, as the San Andres Fault divides it from the mainland, making the soil and vegetation different from that on the other side of the Tomales Bay. The landscape is characterized by rolling green hills, rocky cliffs, sandy beaches, and pine forests. There are numerous things to see and explore within the preserve, and one could easily spend several days hiking and talking them all in. For travelers who only have one day, or maybe even an afternoon, here are a few must-see gems! Continue reading Four Places to Visit in Point Reyes National Seashore
Written by Brian Callender | Photography by Julie Boyd London, one of the world’s most popular destinations, and one of our favorites, is a city that offers visitors a magnitude of choices to explore. Interested in history? London has you covered. The city has played…
Written by Brian Callender | Photography by Julie Boyd Without question, we live in a pretty incredible time period in human history. Thanks to technological advances, the world is at its most interconnected, making travel accessible to the masses. Much like it has been since…
With the recent move to Northern California, Julie and I had been craving our next adventure, specifically something outdoors. Our trip to Europe over Christmas break had satisfied our desire to travel abroad, but focused entirely on cities (after all it was winter!). Itching to get back out into nature, we started mapping out some potential excursions from our new home base. Over the course of an extended weekend, we made plans to drive from the Bay Area to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks.
Continue reading A Spring Spin Through Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks | California
Written by Brian Callender and Julie Boyd| Photography by Julie Boyd You may have noticed we have been a bit quieter on the blog than normal, and that is because there have been some changes behind the scenes. Earlier this year, I (Brian) had the opportunity…
Tower Bridge Castle | Written by Brian Callender & Julie Boyd | Photography by Julie Boyd Cities, no matter the size, have their hallmarks, their must visit destinations. Chances are, if you find yourself in a big city, there will be no shortage of such…
Written by Brian Callender | Photography by Julie Boyd
We’re currently in the midst of a Southern California winter, which means short periods of rain mixed with the usual sunshine and cooler nights. While we have seen more rain this year than has come in quite a while, we know that many others are digging out of snow and much chillier temperatures. For us, it’s our favorite time of year, and an opportunity to break out the jackets, sweatshirts, hot chocolate, and snowboards! But if you’re ready to say goodbye to winter and already planning for a summer getaway, look no further than our neighbors to the north. Here are five reasons why you should visit Canada in 2017!
Continue reading 5 Reasons Why Now is the Time to Book Your 2017 Canadian Adventure
Written by Julie Boyd | Photography by Julie Boyd Jasper National Park in Alberta has a rugged beauty that calls to be explored. It is Canada’s largest National Park, and is home to some pretty epic scenery, including giant glaciers, thundering waterfalls, and quiet alpine forests. Brian…
Written by Julie Boyd | Photography by Julie Boyd Last summer Brian and I took a 17-day trip to Europe. Without a doubt, my favorite part of the excursion was the time that we spent exploring the rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands. We rented a…
The Best Places to Visit in Banff | Words and Photos by Julie Boyd
There is no shortage of beautiful scenery in Banff National Park.
Before flying up to Alberta, Canada, I spent a fair amount of time researching the best places to visit, and what the ideal times were for taking great photographs were, and how to avoid the crowds.
Here are what we consider to be the best places to visit in Banff, along with some tips for you to help you plan your trip.
Continue reading The Best Places to Visit in Banff National Park | Alberta, Canada
Mt. Edith Cavell Hike| Written by Brian Callender | Photography by Julie Boyd One of Jasper National Park’s easiest trails and most scenic views lies along the Mt. Edith Cavell Hike. The Mt. Edith Cavell hike will take you to breathtaking views of Angel Glacier,…
Written by Brian Callender | Photography by Julie Boyd After completing a full day of driving along the Icefields Parkway, (read: part one and part two) it felt amazing to drop our bags off at the hotel, shower, and head into town for dinner. While the…
“The mountains are calling, and I must go.” – John Muir
I was exhausted. I had just finished teaching a workshop on essay writing, shot my last wedding of the year, and I made it through mourning the loss of my grandfather. I finally had a chance to breathe, but I still felt suffocated. More than ever, I needed to get away. I needed to recharge. More than ever John Muir’s famous quote, “The mountains are calling, and I must go,” rang true for me.
Continue reading The Mountains are Calling| Chasing the Last Fall Colors in the Eastern Sierras
Written by Julie Boyd | Photography by Julie Boyd Winter is a magical time to visit Yosemite National Park. The valley is dusted with snow, the waterfalls are icy, the weather is chilly, and the summer crowds have dispersed. If you are lucky, you’ll get to…
Written by Julie Boyd | Photography by Julie Boyd Joshua Tree National Park lies in California’s Mojave Desert. While Brian and I prefer mountain landscapes, there’s no denying that Joshua Tree has a unique beauty that makes it worth visiting. Ranging from broken up rock…
Fresh off an awesome hike to the Plain of Six Glaciers, we still had several hours of sunlight left to explore the area before sunset. Julie had come across Takakkaw Falls while researching the trip, and suggested a quick visit to fill in the rest of our afternoon. While not an original part of our trip plans, we decided to make our way to nearby Yoho National Park to explore.
Continue reading An Afternoon in Yoho National Park | British Columbia, Canada
Written by Brian Callender | Photography by Julie Boyd As we planned out our Canadian adventure, Julie and I each had a long list of “must visit” locations. Many of these destinations were shared, and that was especially true of Moraine Lake. If you spend any time…
Written by Brian Callender | Photography by Julie Boyd As mentioned in our last post, while visiting Banff, we opted to stay outside the park in Kananaksis Country. We spent most of our first day in Calgary, but after checking into our hotel, we decided there was…
Off to Canada!
Julie and I had been attempting to make a plan to visit Canada for what seemed like the past few years. We previously had reserved hotel rooms in Vancouver a couple winters back, but ended up cancelling that trip in favor of a California road trip. After reading a post by one of my favorite travel bloggers about visiting Alberta, we were convinced it was time to put our daydreams into action and plan our next trip. Planned earlier this spring, our journey would take us to two of the big national parks in Alberta, Banff and Jasper, as we immersed ourselves in the Canadian Rockies. Giant mountains, blue lakes, endless scenery, we couldn’t think of a better way to spend our summer vacation, and off to Canada we went.
Continue reading Our Canadian Adventure Begins! | Calgary, Canada
Written by Brian Callender I’ve talked about before, the ways in which “travel hacking” has played in important role in helping us travel. Much of our every day credit card spend is done through the Chase Sapphire Preferred, and I detailed here why I love the card.…
How to Travel With a Full Time Job | Written by Brian Callender | Photography by Julie Boyd Julie and I love to travel which should come as no surprise, after all, it’s why we started this travel blog! We love sharing our experiences, and hope…
While Brian and I not-so-patiently wait for our trip to the Canadian Rockies later this month, we thought it would be fun to revisit some of our past trips in a new series called Time Travel Tuesday. As I was scouring my old files for inspiration, I came across one of my favorite trips to see the fall colors in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, circa 2009. This was my first trip to the East side of range, having visited Yosemite several times, and the splendor of the craggy, snow-capped peaks and brilliant display of golden leaves has left me aching to go back ever since.
Continue reading Time Travel Tuesday | Fall Colors in the Eastern Sierras, California
Written by Brian Callender | Photography by Julie Boyd Growing up, I spent a good chunk of my childhood in Pasadena. My mother grew up there and my grandparents lived in the same house until I was early into my teenage years. Despite this, I…
Written by Brian Callender | Photography by Julie Boyd Summer has officially made its way to Southern California, so we have our fans and air conditioner working overtime. All this heat has us daydreaming of cooler locales, foggy mornings, rainy afternoons, and snowy weekend getaways.…
We solemnly swear that we are up to no good.
It’s no surprise that Julie and I are big Harry Potter fans. When we moved in together last year, there was no argument, we were both bringing our collection of the books. Before I met Julie, she visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, which I remain jealous of to this day. Together, we had an amazing adventure last year at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour Making of Harry Potter experience. So, as Southern California residents, we have been eagerly awaiting the opening of Hollywood’s version of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. With only a short time remaining before the busy summer season, we decided to make our visit this past Memorial Day.
Continue reading The Wizarding World of Harry Potter | Hollywood, California