Tag Archives for vacation

5 driving roads on my bucket list

Can I just say how much I love my Fiat? It’s the best thing I’ve ever owned, ever. I have so much fun driving it, even if it’s just to run errands. Yesterday we drove up to Tahoe to drop my brother off, and even though it was the worst weekend to drive up to Tahoe because of the holiday, I had an awesome time driving it around the twists and turns of the road–especially around Emerald Bay. I couldn’t find a good map to show off how twisty it is, but these pictures show how tight the corners are and how there are essentially no railings.

Driving a blue Fiat around Lake Tahoe is now my favorite hobby. I would live in Tahoe in a heartbeat, but my boyfriend is happier here in Reno. Maybe some day…

But it got me thinking about where else I’d love to drive my Fiat. The car’s Sport mode makes it great for lots of corners, but it’s also fun to amp up the speed and just fly along the highway. I like roads that require me to be an active driver, but also allow me to soak in the scenery.

The Dolomites – Swiss Alps

 

This photo by David Pasztor is breathtaking! I went to Italy as a teen but would love to return and explore the many amazing routes throughout the Dolomites.

Reno to Vegas – Nevada

In a couple weekends, we’re driving down to Vegas. I’ve made this ride before but never as the driver, and of course, never with a super awesome car. I’m so excited to just drive along the state. It’s a pretty flat and deserted drive but I find it very relaxing and it’s a great opportunity to see a lot of the state, including some of the smaller towns and ghost towns.

Highway 1 Big Sur – California

Driving along the ocean sounds dreamy. This is by far one of the most beautiful places in California.

Denali Highway – Alaska

I’ve never been to Alaska but it’s high on my list of places to visit. Any open, mountainous road sounds appealing to me! This is a gravely road so I would consider taking an off-road car instead.

Pikes Peak Highway – Colorado

This looks like an interesting route, especially with the snow and the unique pattern of the road. This looks like it would also be a good route for an off-road car.

Although this is a Mini ad (and it features my favorite singer Michelle Branch), this video sums up how I feel all the time! I love the ending where she is driving around Milan because that looks so pretty–and it reminds me a lot of the drive in Tahoe.

Revisiting my travels | Paris

I’ve had Paris on the brain lately since I’ve been thinking about re-practicing my French reading and writing skills–considering I have a minor in it, oddly enough. French was my favorite subject in high school, so it was natural to incorporate it into my college education, but I ended up having a pretty miserable time studying French in college so it’s not something I think about very often. But for some reason, my interest in French has re-surged lately, and the desire to travel definitely came back in full force after going to Washington D.C. in June. Andrew and I are planning a trip to Germany next year, which I’m really excited about. And I just bought an Italian car with satellite radio so I’ve been listening to BBC World and the French music stations, so, you know, I’ve been thinking Euro lately.

Our first trip together–about two months after we started dating!–was to France and Holland. A pretty big trip for a new couple, but we had a great time. We went in 2009 so it was a while ago! Doesn’t feel that long ago, though… c’est la vie!

My favorite picture of the trip:

Okay, we’re pretty cute. ;)

P.S.

I am way behind on the poetry challenge so I will catch up tomorrow!

Summer 2012 recap

The fall semester starts tomorrow, so my summer is officially at an end. This semester marks the last year of my Master’s program, which is exciting and nerve-wrecking at the same time. It’s been a great summer, though, so I feel pretty good about it coming to a close. Since I started my job a year ago, this is the first year I’ve worked full-time over the summer, but it was nice to know that it’s possible to work 40 hour weeks and still have plenty of time to go out and enjoy life. :)

This summer:

We went to San Francisco to visit my family:

More San Francisco photos here and here.

We had an Epic Fantasy Weekend:

We went to the Renaissance Faire:

More Renaissance Faire photos here.

We moved into our new place and I got my office set up (mostly):

More home office posts on the Battleroom page.

We went to Washington D.C.:

More D.C. pictures here, here and here.

We went hiking up in Truckee:

We went exploring in Virginia City:

We celebrated Andrew’s 24th birthday:

We perused downtown Reno (several times):

Andrew won first place in the car show:

I got a sweet new ride:

And we also saw a lot of great movies and television shows, and played some awesome new games, and spent a lot of time just hanging out. It was a nice few months, but now it’s time to hit the books!

Techie Travel Tips | 6 tips for prepping your gadgets

When I went on my first big trip in 2005 at age 16–a three-week long adventure in Italy and Greece–I had a notebook, an inexpensive digital camera, several heavy books, and a broken CD player. Fast forward seven years, and I now have an overabundance of gadgets that will help me plan, capture and document my travels better than ever before.

I’m heading out to Washington DC tomorrow morning, and I’m getting my technology together tonight so I don’t have to rush doing it in the morning. What I’m bringing:

  • Smartphone–for general tasks like checking flight info, taking pictures, using apps, etc.
  • Nook Color–for reading, primarily, but can also use to browse the internet if need be.
  • Netbook–for uploading/editing pictures, keeping a travel log, watching videos, listening to music.
  • PSP–for playing games (obviously).
  • Nikon D40 DSLR
  • Sony Handicam

My boyfriend is bringing his tablet and phone, and my brother is bringing his phone and his PS Vita, so we should have no shortage of electronic entertainment on the six hour flight to DC.

While I’ve definitely never traveled with this much tech at one time, I’ve developed a list of tips throughout the past couple years that have helped me prepare my gadgets.

  • Invest in extra batteries.

It’s great having an extra battery for your smartphone in the event that you can’t get to a charger. I plan to use my phone a lot throughout the next week, so having an extra charged battery will help keep it powered.

  • Back up and clean off your memory cards.

If you plan to take a lot of pictures or record video, empty your memory cards on your phone or camera so that it won’t fill up. I’m a picture hoarder and never clean my camera card off in a timely fashion, so tonight I’m doing a complete wipe so that it’s all ready for me to take hundreds of photos of the White House or the view from the airplane.

  • Bring extra cords.

When I went to Turkey a couple years ago, I only brought one USB cable to charge my phone, mp3 player and camera. And then I lost it for a couple of days, so I was totally stuck until it finally turned up. USB cables are so small that there’s no reason to not bring at least two. I have a lot of gadgets so I’ll have a few cords. I am bringing a carry-on bag and a messenger bag, so I will keep one main cord in my messenger bag, since that is the one I’ll be opening and closing the most, and a few others stashed in the carry-on luggage.

  • Clean your tech.
It’s a good idea to get all the gunk and dust off of your gadgets before you leave to ensure that there aren’t any particles on your camera lens or fingertips all over your tablet screen. Since your electronics will most likely be going in and out of your bag or pocket–especially in the airport–it also helps to protect them by putting a new screen protector or case on.
  • Make it easily accessible in the airport.

If you’re flying by plane, make it easy to take out your gadgets when you go through the TSA line. Last time I flew, I had a giant laptop that was a pain in the ass to keep taking out of my bag. This time, all of my gadgets are small, and I’m placing them in my tactical bag which has a designated space for them–so I can just tilt my bag sideways on the little tray and gently slide them all out so they can be screened. It helps to place all small items against a larger item. For example:

  • Charge everything the night before.

This should be a given, especially since outlets in airports can be difficult to find. Plug in all of your stuff and pack it all up in the morning before your flight so you won’t be late catching the plane while trying to access your itinerary.

What’s your favorite gadget to bring on your travels?

San Francisco, pt. 3

I realized the other day that I totally forgot to post the rest of my pictures from my quick trip to SF last month. Here are some I took with my real camera (i.e., not my smartphone).

Adventures in Tahoe

This weekend, my boyfriend Andrew and I headed up to Tahoe to celebrate our third anniversary. It was a nice vacation because it only took us 30 minutes to get there!

The view from our hotel room:

We trekked around Emerald Bay:

Yes, I hiked around in a dress and stockings… which actually worked out great because it wasn’t very cold, and after I got wet from the snow, my clothes dried almost instantly.

Andrew suggested we ride the gondola up to Heavenly ski resort, which at first freaked me out a bit since I’m a wee bit afraid of heights, but it was really fun and totally beautiful!

I’ve been to Tahoe many, many times, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen as much of it as I did yesterday.

There were binoculars that you could use to look out over the lake, and we managed to find our car!