Category Archives: hawaii

my 7 super shots from here + there

i don’t fancy myself much of a photographer but will give this a go…

my travelin’ partner in crime, Leah, from Leah Travels tagged me to participate in HostelBookers’ 7 Super Shots. i enjoyed putting this together as it inspired me in a time when i have not been traveling. incredible, the power of photographs! it was fun to see & read what other travel bloggers posted as well. there are some amazing pictures out there that will cause wanderlust in anyone!

a photo that takes my breath away:

sunset in santorini, greece

it was a dream come true to go to Greece this past fall. seeing the Acropolis has been on my bucket list for a LONG time. i’m still carrying the awestruck feeling of seeing it with my own eyes. along with visiting Athens, i also stopped over to the beautiful island of Santorini. it truly looks like all the photographs you’ve seen. AND, for me, it had the most incredible sunsets i’ve ever watched go down. it took my breath away, quite literally.

a photo that makes me laugh or smile:

miami beach, florida

this photo may not incite laughter or cause you to smile but it does for me. Miami is my ‘happy place’ and whenever i’m feeling a little blue, i look at this picture and am reminded of the warm sun, calm water & peace i feel when i’m in Miami. it makes me say ahhh.

a photo that makes me dream:

gouverneur beach in st. barts

if you’ve visited St. Barts you know it’s an absolute dream. i think everything there is dreamy. the weather, the beaches, the food & drinks, the lifestyle, the people – it is HEAVEN on earth. i dream about St. Barts all the time & cannot get back there soon enough.

a photo that makes me think:

berlin wall, germany

there are so many moments in history landmarked around the world and i certainly haven’t seen them all. for me, seeing the Berlin Wall brought home the division of a country that has reunited in my lifetime. World War II was so horrific and the division of a city and country must have been such a dark and sad time in Germany. this picture certainly conjures up thoughts of darkness and sadness to me.

a photo that makes my mouth water:

champagne in provence, france

sante! champagne may not make your mouth water and it doesn’t always mine either. BUT i spent my birthday this year in France and had the pleasure of being reminded how much i love French food. my mouth is watering just thinking about all the delicious food and drinks i devoured while there. bon appetit!

a photo that tells a story:

roman forum in rome, italy

you may think lola’s all fun & games. i am mostly BUT i do enjoy history quite a bit. i have been to Rome a couple of times and even with a personal guide, still am overwhelmed by all that makes up the Roman Forum. so much history, so many stories. everyone from Jesus to Caesar – even me – walked this cobbled path. truly the center of Rome and, at one time, the whole of the world.

a photo that i’m most proud of (aka, my NationalGeographic shot):

nepali coast in kauai, hawaii

it was easy to catch the beauty of the Nepali Coast at the end of the Waimea Canyon in Kauai, Hawaii. it certainly helped that mother nature decided to give me a rainbow to highlight the beauty of this place. like i said, i don’t think i’m a world-class photographer, so i appreciate a subject that is photogenic!

so, there it is – my 7 Super Shots. this is an area of improvement for me and look forward to learning more about photography at the upcoming travel blogger conference – TBEX. i’m going to tag friends who i know are better about taking photos…their’s are sure to inspire wanting to travel near & far.

Raul of ilivetotravel

Keane of Keane Li

Craig of Stay Adventurous

Kirsten of aviators and a camera

Aaron of  The Adventures of elatlboy

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Filed under france, germany, greece, hawaii, italy, miami, st. barts, travel

somewhere over the rainbow – Kauai, Hawaii

aloha lola

Hawaii – is it worth the journey? well…I’ve always been a skeptic. i am fortunate enough to be so much closer to Europe and the Caribbean so i’ve poo pooed Hawaii. it is beautiful – YES. it has the comforts of the US but feels different than other states – YES. it’s a LOOONG way to go.

it’s not something i’ll be doing often. BUT i truly enjoyed my visit there this time. people really reaaaallly love it there and there must be a reason. for me, it was the tremendous pride i saw in the local people. their culture is special and unique to the United States. for that i am proud too. their history, folklore, dancing & story telling was fascinating.  here are some other likes and dislikes from my visit to the Aloha state!

things i loved:

the ocean

the surfers

the sunsets

things i didn’t love:

the expense

the food

the rain

Best of the Best: Waimea Canyon

the grand canyon of the pacific

Worst of the Worst: MAJOR flight delays & losing 3 full days traveling

Favorite Moment: being over a rainbow at the Nepali Coast

incredible to be over the rainbow!

Biggest Regret: not trying surfing

until next time – mahalo Hawaii!!!

XO – lola

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lola goes to la-la land

hooray for hollywood!

star power!

sing along with me “california girls, we’re unforgettable, daisy dukes, bikinis on top”

then a hop, skip and a jump over to paradise in the pacific!

don't forget the sunblock

time to get your tan on, lola! trip numero tres is to none other than Los Angeles, CA & Kauai, Hawaii. should be a fun-filled, sand & sun-filled vacay! can’t wait to share my adventures of discovering Hollywood & Hawaii.

see you soon golden & aloha states!

XO – lola

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Filed under california, hawaii, travel