Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

On day 17 Dale picked up croissants before our drive to Mostar! In order to get to Dubrovnik we had to drive through Bosnia and Herzegovina so we decided to make it a day trip. Our only difficulty was finding a spot to park the car, but once we found a lot we were off to explore. Mostar was filled with beautiful stores and amazing views from the rebuilt medieval bridge. We had an amazing lunch which started with Turkish coffee.

After lunch we visited a mosque that was open for tourists and climbed to the top of the minaret. The views were amazing but I was a little afraid of height! The rest of our visit was spent walking around town before we got back on the road to our last stop: Dubrovnik.

---

Bandelier National Monument: Part Two

After the whole family walked the Main Loop Trail, Dale and I decided to continue on to the Alcove Trail. In hindsight, I may have let Dale climb the 140 ft. of ladders while I relaxed at the bottom but we safely made it up and down and the view was great. Approximately 25 ancestral Pueblo people lived at the top!

We ended our time at the monument with one more hike to the Upper Falls waterfall. This was a beautiful hike around 1.5 miles each way, ending at the waterfall. (It even had some rocks similar to Tent Rocks which was still closed for visitors.) There are tons of hiking opportunities in the area and I would love to return to the park and hike some of the other trails as well! That night we had a great dinner at Dr. Field Goods. Don’t let the unassuming location stop you from visiting, the food was incredible (I had the shrimp tacos)!

---

Hello, Santa Fe!

Right after Easter lunch my family packed up and headed to Santa Fe, New Mexcio! Our road trip began with a quick stop in Hutchinson, Kansas to see my Grammy and Pop’s childhood homes and then the next morning we made our way to our Airbnb outside of Santa Fe. Our trip was filled with good food, hiking & lots of time relaxing at the house. Here are a few snapshots from our Airbnb to kickoff the trip!

---

Crystal Bridges

Last week Dale and I spent the week in Arkansas leading up to our friends Michael and Joanna’s wedding. One of my favorite parts was finally getting a chance to visit Crystal Bridges! If you are visiting Arkansas I would definitely recommend visiting. Here are a few of my favorite pieces we saw:

---

San Francisco

Earlier this month Dale finally had a week off and we headed to California! Our first stop was San Francisco, I loved getting the chance to see family and also see where Dale spent his childhood though first grade. Our second day we finally ventured into the city and began our day on Market Street. After walking to the Ferry Building to grab breakfast we made our way to China Town.

I loved having a whole day to just walk around and explore. After China Town we spent some time shopping around Union Square before heading to lunch with a friend. After we ate we headed to the pier to see the sea lions and had a delicious brownie at Ghirardelli. Before heading to Palo Alto for dinner at Zareen’s we made a quick pit-stop at Twin Peaks for a view of the city. Our first few days were great, San Fran is really one of my favorite cities in the US. Next up, Carmel Valley!

---

Austin Part Two

Hello, friends! Our second day in Austin began with breakfast at Russell's Bistro with some family friends. Afterward we decided to hike up to Mount Bonnell – even though it was a cloudy day the view was still beautiful! Next up was a visit to The Contemporary Austin's Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park at Laguna Gloria. Close to the park we discovered a garden complete with a group of peacocks! 

After enjoying the museum we headed downtown to walk around Lady Bird Lake. I couldn't help but  stop to try out the swan paddle boats, they reminded me of pictures I have seen in Japan! Our walk ended back on Rainey Street where we had dinner at G'Raj Mahal. Our final stop was a beer flight at Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden. I can't wait for the next opportunity we have to come back to Austin because there was still so much to do that we didn't have time for in our short weekend visit! After another night in our tiny house we were headed back to KC. Until next time, ATX! 

---