Arizona Wrap Up - Activities and Video

If you find yourself in Arizona, you will soon discover how much there is to do and see out here in the desert.  In just 3.5 days I was able to go hot air balloon riding, drive Tomcars through the desert, spend hours relaxing in the spa, attend a western chuckwagon dinner (complete with bull riding and line dancing), hike among the saguaros and chollas, and enjoy some of Arizona's amazing Mexican food.   

So like most of my wrap up posts, I figured I would share some of the best things I ate, what I did while visiting this beautiful state, and a video of my short stay in the Grand Canyon State.  

Recap Video 

The best thing I ate was easily breakfast at the Boulders Resort and Spa.  If you find yourself in Scottsdale, stop in to order the chilaquiles.  I ordered this more than once and plan to find a way to recreate this amazing breakfast.  Chicken, salsa verde, beans, and the perfectly fried egg are just a few of the ingredients in this amazing breakfast.  

A Visitors Guide to St. Augustine - Sites, Video, and Where To Eat!

A long weekend in historic St. Augustine, Florida was just what I needed to kick off 2018.  Some sunshine, exploring, and Katie Wander-esque sites to see.  Add in some fantastic food and a road trip to see some manatees and you have a wonderful four days away.  Why visit St. Augustine?  The history and the charm of visiting the oldest continuously settled City in the United States, St. Augustine.  Stay for the food, the alligators, the historic lighthouse, and the free boozey tours.  

You probably know my favorite way to give you a taste of a new place is A) through a post like this and B) through a recap video.  Here is my video recapping a fantastic four day in Northern Florida.  

And after that video got you all excited to visit, here is my guide to whats worth seeing, whats worth eating, and the few extras I did not have time to do (but maybe you do!). 

Grand Cayman - VIDEO

I am so happy to finally... FINALLY have my Grand Cayman video up and running for you all.  First off, I had to go through a lot (I mean a lot) of GoPro footage.  Then there was the whole trimming clips, adding music and the work of phasing between clips. Oh, and let's not forget to mention the three times GoPro studio crashed when I was almost done.  And not just crashed, crashed and deemed my project folders invalid.  It's been a treacherous journey here my friends.  But here it is, and I love it, and it is such a fun way to look back at a fantastic trip with a great group of people.  These videos are by far my favorite souvenir from trips near and far. 

Video 

Link to YouTube

Katie Skis the West: VIDEO

Okay, I admit it.  I am really backlogged on my GoPro videos.  Just last night I (finally) finished a video of my ski footage out west.  This is no small feat as I had to go through a whole lot of videos from two winters worth of skiing the west.  Then, I had to edit a few for contrast and brightness, and clip them all way down, to fit a 3.5-minute song to be exact.  You don't even want to know how long this process takes. 

Featured in this video are clips of skiing with family and friends (or just skiing solo!) at Snowbird, Snowbasin, Solitude, Canyons (now Park City), and Brighton (all in Utah ). At the end is Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole (both Wyoming). While I also had the chance to ski Deer Valley and Alta (both skiers only mountains in Utah and a blast) I didn't bring my GoPro those days. Because let's be honest, sometimes it's nice to unplug and just ski.

So, without further adieu, a montage of Katie skis the west, clips from the 2014-2015 and 2015 to 2016 ski seasons. And yes, after skiing all of these amazing mountains, Jackson you are still my favorite. 

Or watch it here on You Tube

Happy Skiing, 

Katie 

VIDEO: Moab Trip and the Best of Groupon (Outdoors!)

I am slowly recapping my GoPro video montages of my previous trips (Yep, a little behind!).  So today's post is a pairing.  Shopping and a movie.  First, the recap of my Moab 2016 trip, camping along Potash Road, hiking Corona Arch and Mill Creek Canyon, and mountain biking Navajo Rocks and Lower Merrimack and Monitor. 

Followed by a little shopping. 

While I have more outdoor gear than I am willing to admit, there is no such thing as too much, right? I mean yes you have the bike but what about the bike cover for storing your bike outside?  Or a portable hammock for your next camping trip? While I usually use Groupon for activities, I recently started browsing their selection of outdoor and adventure gear. I was pleasantly surprised to see they have everything from tents to close, and even big name brands like Mountain Hardware. While I haven't purchased any of these items yet, these were the fun and useful items I found on Groupon that had good ratings, and a great price. 

Video : And eating our way through San Juan

My new favorite thing, is organizing the food of my travels onto a post (with an awesome RECAP video at the end!).  Because lets be honest, the food just may be the best part about traveling.  Being on vacation and trying new food is the best combination (calories don't count once you get off the plane).  

A Few Things About The Food: 

My initial thoughts of Puerto Rico would be an abundance of fresh seafood, tacos, and plantains.  And in a few ways, I my thoughts were right, and wrong.  

• Tacos were mediocre
• Mofongo absolutely delicious (and really really heavy)
• Mojitos are perfection
• Fresh (not fried) seafood was not as abundant as I thought
• Amazing homemade sauces
• Vegetables are a rare sighting

VIDEO and Travel Guide to Madeira (Portugal)

The island of Madeira is well known among the European tourists.  

Not so much with Americans.  

You will most like be one of few (if the only) American traveling around the Island of Madeira.  Everyone I talked to about Madeira really had no idea about the island but a little bit about the wine.  If you are looking for a European island getaway to Madeira, then this guide is for you.  I have included some important information, our day by day itinerary including GPS locations, and important information.  This guide also includes links to all my posts about our various trips around the island.