fall travel

Fall Vacation, Booked: Northern Spain

Errezil view by Oskar Calero on Fivehundredpx

I couldn’t be happier. Over the past few weeks, my family and I have been discussing possible destinations for a fall trip. This weekend, we decided on a place and booked flights: We’re headed to northern Spain at the end of September!

None of us have been there before. (I’ve actually never visited Spain!) To be honest, I didn’t know much about the area until I started researching. But the more I read, the more excited I became. It seems that northeast Spain has pretty beaches, amazingВ mountains, picturesque vineyards and quaint towns.

We’re still figuring out how we’ll break down our 11 days there, but here’s the rough itinerary we’re considering: We’ll spend the first few days outside Bilbao, exploring the area and neighboring Asturias. From there, we’ll drive to La Rioja, and enjoy some time among the vineyards. Then, we’ll head north, into the French Pyrenees. We’ll finish up with a few days in and around San Sebastian. (Perhaps including Errezil, the place in the photo above.)

Though it’s going to be my first time in Spain, I’m okay with bypassing Madrid and Barcelona. I’d love to spend time exploring both places, but I really need a break from hectic city life. I’m very much looking forward to more low-key enjoyment—and lots of gorgeous scenery.

Have you been to northern Spain or southern France? If so, I’d love to hear your recommendations!

(Image by Oskar Calero via 500px on Pinterest)

Fall Trip, Booked: The Grand Canyon!

the grand canyon

Okay, I know I just got back from GuatemalaВ and should have no business going away anytime soon. But this evening, I booked another trip. For next weekend. Mal, Peter and I are going to the Grand Canyon!

Somehow, none of us have ever been and we decided it was time to rectify that. We won’t have a lot of time there—just four days by the South Rim—so we likely won’t make it to the bottom. (Also, mule rides are out of the question. I’m horribly allergic to horses…which I found out the hard way on an 8th grade field trip to a dude ranch.) But we’re hoping to get in a few good treks—and lots of great photos!

If you have any tips about where to hike, what to see/do/eat, please let me know. We’re flying in and out of Phoenix. Also, I feel like it’ll be pretty tough to get away from all the touristy stuff, but if you have recommendations on how to do so, I’d love to hear!

(Photo via Grand Canyon NPS)