by kitty | Friday, February 7th, 2020 | Israel, Jordan, Middle East
Jordan River Friday, February 7th We left Mt. Nebo and took the Exodus route & King’s Highway to cross the Sheik Hussein border from Jordan to Israel. Chris was able to get re-baptised in the Jordan River. We also were able to view Mount Hermon from our...
by kitty | Friday, February 7th, 2020 | Jordan, Middle East
Mt. Nebo Friday, February 7th After our last night at Mövenpick Hotel Amman, we drove to Mt. Nebo. Mt. Nebo is where Moses was promised a view of the Holy Land and on a clear day you are supposed to be able to see the Dead Sea and Jerusalem. But we were not there on a...
by kitty | Thursday, February 6th, 2020 | Jordan, Middle East
Petra Thursday, February 06 We traveled with a large group of mostly couples to Jordan and Israel. On Feb 4, we rode a bus to Houston to catch a flight to Turkey then Amman, Israel. Even though the flight started February 4th, we did not arrive at the hotel until...
by kitty | Thursday, December 6th, 2018 | Hungary
Budapest Thursday, December 6 Today we drove from Szekszárd to Budapest’s Memento Park. After the Soviets left Hungary in 1990, the Hungarians took the Communist statues and put them in a special park to remember their oppression. We visited Memento...
by kitty | Wednesday, December 5th, 2018 | Hungary
Szekszárd Wednesday, December 5 Today we had a wine tasting at Bock and then headed out to Szekszárd. When we arrived, we checked into the Takler Kuria Hotel & went to dinner at Optimus Restaurant (Bodri Winery). We also had a tour of the Takler Kuria cellars. ...
by kitty | Tuesday, December 4th, 2018 | Hungary
Villány Monday, December 3 After the churches in Pécs, we drove to Villány. This village is tiny and filled with wine tasting venues all lined up down the main street. We stayed at The Crocus Hotel, which is operated by Gere Winery. We have stayed at some...
by kitty | Monday, December 3rd, 2018 | Hungary
Pécs Monday, December 3 After checking out of the hotel, we walked to the Mosque of Pasha Gazi Kasim. This church-turned-mosque-turned-church-again sits in the middle of Széchenyi square. There were many variations of a church before the Turks took over the...
by kitty | Sunday, December 2nd, 2018 | Hungary
Pécs Sunday, December 2 Hotel Palatinus was beautiful. The lobby was entirely built in Art Nouveau, from stained-glass windows to the details in the ceiling work. The economy rooms need a bit of help, though, so stay in the renovated rooms if you decide to go. We...
by kitty | Friday, November 30th, 2018 | Hungary
Bikal Friday, November 30 – Puchner Castle Puchner Castle Hotel is a very neat place to stay. The suite we had was amazing and the bed was the most comfortable one of our trip so far. They have two major bathhouses with mineral water baths. After relaxing in...
by kitty | Thursday, November 29th, 2018 | Hungary
Hévíz Thursday, November 29 The first amazing thing we saw today was the view from our room of the sunrise over Lake Balaton. After this (and our breakfast of coffee and cold cuts), we went to Festetics Palace in Keszthely near Hévíz. This palace was built in 1745...
by kitty | Wednesday, November 28th, 2018 | Hungary
Badacsony, Lake Balaton Wednesday, November 28 To sum up Viking: If you want a vacation where you want to put forth no effort at all, Viking is good for that. You pick your excursions and they give you an itinerary and shuttle you wherever you need to be. Plenty of...
by kitty | Tuesday, November 27th, 2018 | Hungary
Budapest, Hungary Tuesday, November 27 This morning we boarded a bus to go to our final destination, Budapest. The bus was a smooth drive, but took about three hours from Vienna to Budapest. Entering Budapest was almost magical. On the outskirts of the city are...
by kitty | Sunday, November 25th, 2018 | Austria
Vienna, Austria November 25th Today we headed to old historical Vienna. The locals use the German version of the city name – Wien, pronounced “Vee-in.” Just say it really quickly. We walked from the Austrian parliament Building to Heldenplatz, or Heroes’ Square. One...
by kitty | Saturday, November 24th, 2018 | Austria
Krems, Austria November 24th Göttweig Abbey, which began in 1083, is located near the historic city of Krems. There are 43 monks who live here without many modern luxuries (like air conditioning & electric lights in some rooms). They run an active winery and own...
by kitty | Friday, November 23rd, 2018 | Czech Republic
Český Krumlov & Linz November 23rd From our port in Linz, we took a 1 ½ hour bus ride to Český Krumlov in the Czech Republic. Flowing through this village of 13,000 is the Vltava River which winds around their 13th Century castle. This castle was built from...
by kitty | Thursday, November 22nd, 2018 | Germany
Passau, Germany November 21st, 2018 We landed in Munich, Germany around 9:30AM. The airport shuttle took us to passport control. Once through, we collected our bags and found the Viking representative. We boarded a large bus and traveled through the German countryside...
by kitty | Tuesday, November 20th, 2018 | Europe, Hungary
November 20, 2018 Today we fly to Germany. In Germany, we will board a Viking River Cruise, sail for a week, and end up in Hungary. Our Itinerary: Munich, Germany Passau, Germany Linz, Austria Krems, Austria Vienna, Austria Bratislava, Slovakia Budapest, Hungary...
by kitty | Sunday, May 27th, 2018 | Austin
Austin, Texas For our 12th Anniversary, we stayed at the brand-new Fairmont in Austin. This is definitely a hotel that I recommend. But this is a fun story. We originally booked on August 2017 to celebrate New Years’ Eve. The Fairmont was not finished being...
by kitty | Sunday, May 22nd, 2016 | America, California
May 2016 For our 10th wedding anniversary, Chris and I traveled to wine country. Itinerary: May 21st-22nd: Boulder City @ Boulder Dam Hotel. Visited the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. Ate dinner at the Dillinger on Saturday & at the Centurion Lounge before our...
by kitty | Thursday, May 12th, 2016 | New Mexico
May 20 -22 We went to the Grand Canyon and Hover Dam on the way to Sonoma. Our flight routed through Las Vegas and so we decided to stay an extra few days to have some fun. We rented a car and drove to Boulder City. We stayed at the Boulder Dam Hotel, which included...
by kitty | Monday, December 8th, 2014 | Europe, France
During Thanksgiving, Chris, my mother, and I traveled with a high school group to London and France. After we left London, we took a train to Paris. Paris – We traversed the city, taking in sites like Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Louvre...
by kitty | Sunday, December 7th, 2014 | England, Europe
During Thanksgiving, Chris, my mother, and I traveled with a high school group to London and France. In London, we visited the Globe Theatre, The British museum, and went on the Harry Potter Studio Tour. London 800_IMG_9662...
by kitty | Saturday, June 8th, 2013 | America, Hawaii
Hawaii In May of 2013, Chris and I traveled to Hawaii. We stayed in Honolulu, then traveled to Maui to experience a luau and a giant crater, Mt. Haleakala. We then went to the Big Island and enjoyed the Royal Kona Resort’s lagoon pool and a helicopter ride over...
by kitty | Sunday, December 30th, 2012 | America, Canada
Montreal, Canada We are from Louisiana, where December can be either 70F or 35F depending on what Louisiana feels like doing and the closest we get to snow is opening the freezer. About an hour after our plane landed in Montreal, a blizzard came into town and the snow...
by kitty | Friday, June 22nd, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Return to Tokyo 6-22-2012 9:09:18 AM After leaving our luxurious ryokan, we headed back to Tokyo to enjoy our last apartment (Airbnb) and our last week in Japan. We stayed in Shibuya and kept ourselves busy with long walks, eating onigiri (rice balls), and many other...
by kitty | Wednesday, June 20th, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Hakone 6-20-2012 8:54:59 AM Wednesday, June 20th Finally. We made it to Hakone. But it turns out that the storm caused landslides, which restricted bus and train travel. Our hotel was on the side of a mountain, but we could not reach it. We found a nearby hotel, Hotel...
by kitty | Tuesday, June 19th, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Nara 6-19-2012 4:43:42 PM Tuesday, June 19th After leaving Koya-san and our friendly monks, we headed out to Nara, which houses a giant Buddha. The temple was surrounded by more friendly deer, although these were a bit more aggressive and tended to eat maps right out...
by kitty | Monday, June 18th, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Koya-san 6-18-2012 11:43:42 PM Monday, June 18th After the visiting Taiyo Castle, we headed to Koya-san, which is hidden on a mountain side and is very hard to get to. One of the reasons it is so out of the way is because it is filled with Buddhist Monks and temples....
by kitty | Monday, June 18th, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Taiyo Castle in Himeji 6-18-2012 9:09:18 AM Monday, June 18th We went to an amazing place today. Update: Taiyo Castle had reproductions of numerous famous sites from around the world. In the pictures, you can see the Arc de Triomphe, Tienanmen square, Terra Cotta...
by kitty | Sunday, June 17th, 2012 | America, Asia, Japan
Miyajima Island 6-17-2012 8:54:59 PM Sunday, June 17th Today we went to Miyajima Island, where there is a Torii gate at Itsukushima Shrine that is placed in a spot where it is sometimes in the middle of the ocean and sometimes in the middle of a beach. A neat bonus...
by kitty | Saturday, June 16th, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Bitchu-Takahashi Castle and Gion Corner 6-16-2012 11:19:30 AM Saturday, June 16th Chris and I woke up and took our little walk to the subway station from Chisun Hotel in Hiroshima. We were headed to Bitchu-Takahashi Castle. It was a rainy looking day. By the time we...
by kitty | Friday, June 15th, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Hiroshima 6-15-2012 3:22:23 PM Friday, June 15th Today, Chris and I went to the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Museum. This museum remembers the victims of the atomic bomb. They had displays that told the actions leading to the event, lists of the 140,000 victims next to...
by kitty | Thursday, June 14th, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Himeji 6-14-2012 4:43:42 PM Thursday, June 14th We woke up at our nice hotel and went to the Himeji Castle. We figured that this castle would not take long, given how many castles we have seen. Himeji was under construction and would not be done for two more years....
by kitty | Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Wednesday, June 13th We traveled to go see the golden pavilion today. It was originally the retirement villa of the shogun and according to his will it became a Zen temple after his death in 1408. It is really covered in gold leaf. Like a lot of temples and buildings...
by kitty | Tuesday, June 12th, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Osaka 6-12-2012 3:40:20 PM Tuesday, June 12th Today we took a day trip to Osaka from Kyoto. We went to the aquarium in Osaka because it is one of the biggest aquariums and has the biggest saltwater tank in the world. We also found the best sushi place EVER....
by kitty | Monday, June 11th, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Saturday, June 9th We left Inuyama early in the morning and headed to Hikone. We went straight to Hikone Castle. Hikone Castle was very beautiful. It had a museum and tourists could go into the castle. The museum had neat antiques and replicas of items used more than...
by kitty | Sunday, June 10th, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Kyoto-Day 2 6-10-2012 9:21:09 AM Sunday, June 10th Today is my birthday. I am 26 years old. With that being said, we decided to check into our hotel, APA Kyoto Gion Hotel, and enjoy the day. Hotel Gion is in the Gion district in Kyoto. The Gion district is where all...
by kitty | Saturday, June 9th, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Saturday, June 9th We left Inuyama early in the morning and headed to Hikone. We went straight to Hikone Castle. Hikone Castle was very beautiful. It had a museum and tourists could go into the castle. The museum had neat antiques and replicas of items used more than...
by kitty | Thursday, June 7th, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Adventures in Tsumago. Thursday, June 7th We began today with a traditional breakfast. We then spent time walking around the shops of Tsumago that sold little trinkets, groceries, and treats. Arrival in Inuyama. Thursday, June 7th We arrived late in Inuyama. We found...
by kitty | Wednesday, June 6th, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Wednesday, June 6th We woke up at Hotel New Station and took at traditional Japanese bath. To do this, you go to the 7th floor and go in the appropriate sliding door based on your gender. The women’s section locked so no men could get in. They didn’t worry...
by kitty | Tuesday, June 5th, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Tuesday, June 5th We left Tokyo after a quick breakfast at the restaurant below our apartment, the Oriental-Recipe Cafe. We then went to the JR train station and ordered tickets to Matsumoto. We took a short train to Shinjuku then boarded another train headed to...
by kitty | Monday, June 4th, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Monday, June 4 We went to Shibuya Crossing today. When you leave the station, you can see the Hachiko statue that commemorates the most loyal dog ever. Shibuya Crossing is like Times Square in New York. Tons of people, tons of food, and tons of shopping. There was...
by kitty | Sunday, June 3rd, 2012 | Asia, Japan
Sunday, June 3 On Sunday, Chris and I woke up and head to the Meiji Shrine. The Meiji Shrine is dedicated to Emperor Meiji, who ascended to the throne in 1867, and dedicated his life to modernizing Japan while still keeping the traditional Japan sacred. He began by...
by kitty | Saturday, June 2nd, 2012 | Asia, Japan
We left Shreveport at 5:36 PM on May 31st and headed to Memphis, Tennessee. Around 11:40 PM Shreveport time is when we landed at the airport in Los Angeles (9:40 their time). Our plane left at what was 3:10 AM Shreveport time towards Tokyo, Japan. The flight was 11...
by kitty | Saturday, May 26th, 2012 | Asia, Japan
When I began earning a salary through teaching last October (2011), my husband, Chris, and I decided to save up the money for a dream vacation the upcoming summer. I have always wanted to go to Japan and Chris is always on board for an adventure, so we decided that in...
by kitty | Tuesday, August 10th, 2010 | America, New York
Hawaii Times SquareTimes Square Central Park 800_IMG_2616 800_IMG_2612 800_IMG_2610 800_IMG_2609 800_IMG_2606 800_IMG_2588 BeachConey Island Beach & Boardwalk Beach The Hamptons The Hamptons Statue of Liberty Statue of Liberty 800_IMG_3585 800_IMG_3545...
by kitty | Monday, May 10th, 2010 | America, Cozumel
Chris and I took a cruise from Galveston to Cozumel. This was our first major trip together. GalvestonThe street in front of our hotel. GalvestonView from our Hotel room GalvestonBishop’s House… Galveston Galveston Galveston GalvestonPool at our hotel....
