Hong Kong {Big Buddha and Victoria Peak - Days 1 & 2}

We had a really early morning out of Houston (with a layover in DFW), but luckily we had a row to ourselves and were able to stretch out and sleep for a while during our 16+hour flight! We arrived in Hong Kong a little ahead of schedule and took the Airport Express into town. We had also purchased an Oyster Card, so we were able to take the metro from the main station to the station with our hotel - Admiralty! 

We checked into our hotel (The JW Marriott - I can't recommend highly enough) and decompressed a bit. We also took advantage of the executive lounge and grabbed a few drinks before dinner.

Our first stop was Tim Ho Wan in Sham Shui Po (there are a few locations around town). It is one of the cheapest Michelin-rated restaurants in the world! We got a spread of dim sum including BBQ pork buns (favorite!), fresh shrimp siu mai, turnip cakes, steamed beef balls, and pan fried leek dumplings. It was an absolute feast for about $12! Afterwards, we walked around Temple Street Night market for a bit before we crashed for the night.

The next morning, we took a train out to Lantau Island. Unfortunately the cable car system was down for maintenance (for 6 months! Ah!) and we had to catch a bus up to the top of the island to see the Tian Tan Buddha (aka Big Buddha). It only took about 45 minutes (vs. the 30 for the cable car), but it was much less scenic! We also got caught in a bus with a gigantic hornet on the way down, so that made our drive a bit more interesting. The driver had to pull over to kill this thing that was probably bigger than my thumb - yikes.

We climbed to the top to see the Buddha, walked around the Wisdom Path and then wandered around Po Lin Monastery. We had worked up an appetite, so we grabbed a set lunch at the monastery. It was one of the best vegetarian meals we've ever had! 

After lunch, we went to the back of the monastery and listened to the monks chanting for quite a while. It was very relaxing to listen to, the weather was perfect - it was just a really great afternoon. It was also close to Buddha's birthday, so they had a ceremony to bathe the Buddha - see a picture of me taking part below!

That evening, we hung out in the executive lounge (you'll find this is a trend...) and had some amazing (and free!) food and drinks. We ended up taking a taxi to Victoria Peak as the line for the tram was seriously insane. We found a more secluded path off and hiked around the peak. We stopped in time to watch the light show before we headed back down the peak and called it a night! Great first (real) day in Hong Kong!

Next up: Our trip to Tai Long Wan Beach and Macau!

We're Off To: Hong Kong!

We jumped on a pretty crazy airline fare back in December and booked a trip to Hong Kong for 9 days. We will be sampling a ton of food, hiking, swimming at some amazing beaches, and taking a day trip to Macau.

We're also hoping to get a fair bit of relaxation time in as we haven't had a longer vacation in about a year. We're definitely hoping to recharge on this trip!

If anyone has any recommendations, we're love to hear them! You can always follow along on instagram, but we will absolutely be posting recaps when we return.

Seattle, WA

After our last morning in Friday Harbor, we caught a ferry back to the mainland. The Pacific Northwest is my absolute favorite area in the US, so we took our time driving back to Seattle. We made a quick stop on Whidbey Island to see the Deception Point bridge and then grabbed some back roads in search of the Tulip Route.

Once we reached Roozengarde, we grabbed a quick lunch and wandered around the fields of daffodils! We were a bit sad we missed the tulips (I think we were only a week or so early), but the fields of yellow were pretty beautiful as well.

Jason had done some research into the best wineries in Washington State and it just so happened that a few were on our way back to Seattle in a city called Woodinville. We only had time for one that evening, so we picked Chateau Ste. Michelle. We really enjoyed all of the wine, but especially their rieslings.

Once we got back into Seattle, we walked around Gasworks Park and saw the Fremont Troll. That evening, we went to the local Kinokuniya store to pick up some Japanese goods and eat some amazing Korean BBQ! Honestly, we're both missing Japan SO much these days, so I'd bet that we'll be heading back there ASAP.

The next morning, we went to Portage Bay for some delicious pancakes and migas. And coffee. So much coffee. Ballard Locks were only a few blocks away, so we walked over there and even got to see the most insane yacht go through them.

We briefly walked through Pike Place Market before our wine cravings got the better of us! We headed back to Woodinville and visited Novelty Hill/Januik Winery and Delille Cellars. It was a perfect way to end our trip! We can't wait to go back to the San Juan Islands (as well as Olympic National Park) and explore new areas, like Mount Rainier and Walla Walla wine country.

Next Up: We're heading to Hong Kong! We can't wait to explore the city, try amazing new foods and decompress a little. We haven't been on a longer vacation in about a year. We can't wait to share that trip with you when we return.