All travel posts

2N/3D Backpacking in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, Part 1 (2024)

This was a backpacking trip I'd been looking forward to for a decade: camping at Thousand Island Lake in the Ansel Adams Wilderness. We snagged some last-minute permits near the end of June and spent two nights and three days hiking over mountain passes and camping at beautiful alpine lakes (while battling some serious altitude sickness).

The Black Forest and Breisach, Germany (2023)

Part 8 of my series about our Rhine River cruise with my family in spring 2023.

The cruise set sail and its first stop was the quaint town of Breisach, Germany. From there, we joined a tour to the Schwarzwald, or Black Forest, ate some of the namesake cake and watch wood carving masters make cuckoo clocks.

Bern, Switzerland (2023)

Part 7 of my series about our Rhine River cruise with my family in spring 2023.

D and I met up with the fam bam and crew, and the group of us took the train from Basel to Bern for some city exploring. We stopped by Einstein's flat where he wrote his theory of relativity, found bears in the city center, and had a lovely lunch in the rose gardens. A beautiful city deserving of its UNESCO World Heritage designation!

Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe, Switzerland (2023)

Part 6 of my series about our Rhine River cruise with my family in spring 2023.

Before D and I returned to Basel to meet up with my family and relatives for the Rhine River cruise, we went up to the highest train station in Europe: the Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe. We got to see a branch of the largest and longest glacier in Europe from one of the highest astronomical observatories in the world!

Brienzersee (Lake Brienz), Switzerland (2023)

Part 5 of my series about our Rhine River cruise with my family in spring 2023.

After coming down from Grindelwald First, we took a ferry across Brienzersee, or Lake Brienz, the same day. We hiked up to the beautiful Gießbachfälle (Giessbach falls) and stopped by the cute village of Iseltwald to check out a pier made famous by the K-drama Crash Landing On You.

Grindelwald First and Bachalpsee, Switzerland (2023)

Part 4 of my series about our Rhine River cruise with my family in spring 2023.

D and I hiked through the snow to Bachalpsee, a famous alpine lake near Grindelwald, only to find that it was completely covered in snow still! We also did the popular First Cliff Walk that takes you along the cliff's edge (literally) towards panoramic views of the Grindelwald valley.

Thunersee and St. Beatus Caves, Switzerland (2023)

Part 3 of my series about our Rhine River cruise with my family in spring 2023.

D and I went to visit one of J.R.R. Tolkien's inspirations for the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies: the St. Beatus Caves. An Augustine monastery was built into the caves by its patron saint, who, as legend as it, expelled a fire-breathing dragon from its depths.

Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland (2023)

Part 2 of my series about our Rhine River cruise with my family in spring 2023.

After Basel, D and I took the train to Interlaken, the home base for exploring the Bernese Alps. We had an adventurous first day in Lauterbrunnen Valley, famously nicknamed the valley of 72 waterfalls: getting lost and stuck in the rain and doing an unplanned and very steep (4-mile and 2,900ft of gain!) but pretty hike from Mürren to Stechelberg.

Basel, Switzerland (2023)

This is part #1 of my series about our Rhine River cruise with my family in spring 2023.

D and I landed in Basel a week before my family and the start of the cruise to get settled and do a short trip out to the Swiss Alps before meeting up with everyone back in Basel. We had a lot of fun walking down all the cobblestone streets, seeing the quintessential city sights, and even do some bouldering!

20 days on the Rhine River (2023)

This post is a launchpad to an 11-part blog series on our trip with my family up the Rhine River in spring 2023. Our group was 30 people strong: D and me, my family, my relatives, and some family friends. We spent 8 days on a Rhine River cruise that sailed from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, the Netherlands to see the Kinderdijk Windmills and the world-famous Keukenhof Tulip Gardens (my mom's lifelong dream!).

1N/2D Backpacking in Yosemite High Country (2022)

Our first backpacking trip out in the wilderness: the backcountry of Yosemite National Park. It was doomed from the start, with plenty of snafus on the whole trail, but as the saying goes, "it's about the journey, not the destination". A spectacular trip nonetheless.

6 days in Bali, Indonesia (2022)

We spent six days in Bali, Indonesia for one of our best friends' birthdays. Lots of hot sun, great food, and wonderful times relaxing and exploring beaches with friends.

3 days in Singapore (2022)

We spent three days in Singapore as a stopover while on the way to Bali, Indonesia. Highlights were definitely the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, as well as discovering some incredible coffee along the way.

1 Day in Great Basin National Park (2020)

On our journey back home from Zion and Bryce Canyon, we stopped at one of the most isolated and small national parks, Great Basin National Park in Nevada. The park is home to some of the oldest trees in the world, ancient bristlecone pines!

2 days in Bryce Canyon National Park (2020)

We spent two days hiking in Bryce Canyon National Park, including the Fairyland and Peekaboo Loops, and other famous sights such as Wall Street and the Queen's Garden.

3 days in Zion National Park (2020)

Three beautiful fall days in Zion National Park, including the underrated Kolob Canyons, the Narrows, and a spontaneous drive to Cedar Breaks National Monument.

4 days in the Coast Redwoods (2020)

For our 8th anniversary, D and I spent 4 days hiking in the Redwoods National and State Parks on the northern coast of California. We drove up the scenic 101 Highway, stopping for tourist favorites such as the Avenue of Giants scenic drive, Patrick's Point State Park, and Fern Canyon, just to name a few!

4 days in Colorado's Rocky Mountains (2019)

D and I went on a road trip with my parents in 2019 to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. We stopped at the Flatirons in Boulder and the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs in addition to spending time in the national park. Highlights were seeing elk calves and herds, serene alpine lakes, and standing on the Continental Divide!