que onda?

We're spending all week on Isla Mujeres, a small Mexican Island off the coast of Cancun in the Caribbean Sea. Historically, Isla Mujeres was a refuge for pirates, but now the demure little island is known more for it's fishermen, Mayan ruins, turtles, and dolphins. I'm excited to relax on the beach, eat, drink, and enjoy the gorgeous scenery. Hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Image via Mexico Guru

long weekend

I'm heading down to San Diego today for an extra-long weekend filled with friends, bike riding, beach bumming, and stuffing my face with fish tacos!

konnichiwa!

I just arrived home after two amazing weeks in Japan. We were a bit apprehensive about going on this trip, and seriously thought about canceling ... but now that all is said and done, I'm so happy that we decided to go. We spent most of our time in the Kansai region with a brief two-day visit to Tokyo.

I'll be posting some photos (we took A LOT of photos) as soon as I have time. Happy Monday!

{Image}

australia {melbourne}

I'll finish up my Australia trip posts with Melbourne. Melbourne is a beautiful city and, as most people say, it definitely has a more European vibe. 

We stayed in St Kilda, which is full of great cafes, bakeries and shops.

Doesn't that breakfast sandwich look tasty? Seriously, we had some of the best breakfasts on this trip. 

Luna Park was just a few blocks away ... kind of creepy, no?

"I Am Not Sorry" by Richard Bell

General entry was free at all of the museums (awesome), so we definitely took in some amazing art.

Drew was interviewed by a local news crew! They were doing a piece on tipping (it isn't common place) and wanted his opinion on the subject.

Well, my Australia posts have come to end. I hope you enjoyed them!

australia {fraser island}

After Brisbane, we drove up to Hervey Bay and took the ferry over to Fraser Island, which is considered the largest sand island in the world.

You need 4WD to traverse the sand roads on Fraser, so either bring your own or make arrangements with the one and only taxi on the island. Fraser Island is a dream … crystal clear water, a beautiful white sand beach that spans 75 miles and dingoes!

Apparently it is fairly rare to see dingoes, but we spotted at least 4 on our trip and saw lots of tracks on the beach.

Swimming is not recommended as the water is chock full of tiger sharks—we saw A LOT of sharks in the water while looking down from Indian Head. Yes, those are sharks ... but "they're only about 7 ft long" said our guide ...

We stayed at the Eurong Beach Resort on the eastern side of the island (and I would say the prettiest side).

There weren’t many people this time of year, and it was so relaxing to just hang out or troll the beach for treasures.

There are a number of tours available through the resort. We took one up to Indian Head to check out the marine life and the Maheno shipwreck and another to Lake Birrabeen one of Fraser’s 100 crystal clear fresh water lakes.

We hated to leave, but we had Melbourne to look forward to ...

australia {brisbane and the tweed coast}

From Sydney, we flew up to Brisbane and rented the cutest little “bumble bee” of a car.

Me driving on the left side of the road = SCARRY. That's why it only lasted about 1.5 minutes ...

Brisbane is a little more laid back than Sydney—it’s a big city that doesn’t feel like a big city and I really enjoyed the slower pace.

We visited some family in Murwillumbah. Murwillumbah is located in the Tweed Valley, a very lovely area in NSW. It is such a beautiful place.

You can see Mount Warning from the back patio!

Yes, the prawns were amazing.

It was fun gathering eggs and the "girls" follow Trev around like he's their mother!

We spent one afternoon in Byron Bay. Byron is full of gorgeous beach homes, shops, surfers and tourists (aka, us!).

Mary took this photo of us and it's one of my favorites ... which leads us to the end of our time in Brisbane.

Next up, Fraser Island—the largest sand island in the world!

australia {sydney}

We took an amazing trip to Australia in September and I'll be sharing some of my photos over the next few weeks.

Our first stop on the trip was Sydney, to visit my little Sister. Sydney is a gorgeous city and I could definitely live there. Beautiful beaches, temperate weather, lovely food and shops … oh, and the coffee is out of this world good!

Beautiful Bondi Beach.

Couldn't Resist! ;]

Afternoon Refreshments (we did a lot of "refreshing").

Sydney Botanical Garden. Do you see all of the fruit bats? They're nicknamed "Flying Foxes" and the trees were full of them!

You'll see these Ibis everywhere ... apparently they're quite the nuisance.

We stopped by Bourke Street Bakery, in Surry Hills, and picked up a few treats. Those little strawberry creme brulee tarts were scrumptious! Yum.

Mary's hood (Newtown).

Bottle of bubbly at The Opera Bar = the perfect afternoon.

View of Sydney Harbor from the Manly Ferry.

Sydney is full of these beautiful Terrace Houses (photo by Mary).

We took the ferry back from Manly after sunset on our last night in Sydney. Isn't the Opera House even more dramatic all lit up at night? It's the perfect parting shot.

Next up, Brisbane!

Happy Labor Day

Enjoy the last days of Summer ... I wish I could spend mine is this adorable cottage.

{Image Via Beach Cottage Love}

Weekend Getaway

Wouldn't it be nice to pack up one of these bags for a last minute weekend away?

{Bags: Dell'Ga | Globe-Trotter | A.P.C.}