We're often asked what our favorite places have been from our travels. It’s always tough to answer because there are things we’ve loved about every place we’ve visited! So, we thought about it for a while and came up with a list of our favorite places and experiences from the past year!
WARNING: We are not responsible for any impulse trips you book while reading this.
Click here for the original version of this post that we wrote for Live The Adventure
Iceland’s Golden Circle
Iceland was hands down the most beautiful country we’ve visited. We stayed in Reykjavik and honestly weren’t initially sure what all the hype was about. And then we rented a car and drove about 15 mins outside of city on the infamous Golden Circle and it all made sense.
Iceland’s landscape is beautiful and strikingly different in each direction. From geysers to waterfalls to hot springs, it offers some of the most varied and amazing views, all within a day’s drive.
For even more inspiration, you can watch our video compilation from our day, check out our exact itinerary and get a taste of Iceland.
Innsbruck, Austria
A few years ago, we watched a youtube video of a man flying down a mountain on an alpine coaster without any brakes and knew we had to try it! The only problem: the coaster was located in a small town in the middle of Austria. Flash forward to this past summer and there we were standing in line at the foot of Serles Peak in Austria, buying tickets for Mieder’s Mountain Coaster!
Not only did we tick something amazing off our bucket list, but we also had the chance to stay in and explore the nearby city of Innsbruck, Austria which immediately became my favorite city so far! You can read about why here :)
Southern France
In June 2016, we did an epic bus trip through southern France. We started in Bordeaux and ended in Nice before heading off to Milan. During those few weeks, we hiked the tallest sand dune in Europe (the Grande Dune du Pilat), scaled the calanques outside of Marseilles, and took the scariest and most beautiful bus ride through the Gorge du Verdon (often referred to as the French Grand Canyon). It might be cheating to lump these all together, but we couldn’t pick just one place from France!!
Grand Canyon
Before we set sail (literally) for Europe, we did a pretty epic road trip around the US. We actually drove a whopping 10,000 miles from January to March. We saw a lot of amazing things along the way, but the Grand Canyon was by far the most epic sight.
We visited the south rim and still maintain it’s been the most grand (for lack of better word) sight we’ve seen!
West Texas
Like southern France, we couldn’t pick a favorite spot in Texas. So instead, we’re going with all of west Texas. :) We’ve visited central Texas, specifically the Austin area, more times than we can count and have driven all over northern and eastern Texas, but this was our first time driving west. It’s definitely not for everyone, but if you’re a fan of the odd and unique, then it’s a good bet you’ll find it fascinating.
The spots we loved most were Bandera (cowboy capital of the world), Marfa (a remarkably tiny and artsy town in the middle of nowhere with supposed UFO activity), Big Bend (one of our favorite national parks) and Terlingua (a strange and quirky ghost town on the Texas-Mexico border).
Taxco
One great thing about traveling with no real agenda is that you get to go to unheard of locations based on other people’s recommendations. That’s how we ended up in Taxco in Mexico. Our friend was turning 30 and invited us to celebrate with him in Mexico City. We were in Munich at the time and didn’t think it’d be feasible to get down to him by the next month. But after some research, we found a way to affordably make our way back to the states and ultimately down to Mexico. It ended up being one of our favorite spontaneous decisions!
Not only did we get to explore Mexico City, but we also did a day trip to the small silver mining town of Taxco. It was unlike any city we’ve seen. The tiny town is built into the side of a mountain with streets so small that VW bugs are the only cars compact enough to fit down them. Despite being small and secluded, it was buzzing with people and street vendors and offered some pretty amazing views!
Dubrovnik’s Old City
One of the first cities we visited in Europe was Dubrovnik which is located on the southernmost coast of Croatia. Often referred to as the “Pearl of the Adriatic” and used as the backdrop for Game of Throne’s King’s Landing, visiting the Old City is like stepping straight into medieval times. If you visit, make sure you wander away from the crowds and down the alleys. Every one we strolled down surprised us with hidden bars, cafes, gardens and friendly cats.
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There you have it! Our top 7 destinations from our year of travel.
We've been to a lot of countries and seen so many amazing places, but we've only barely scratched the surface! We can't wait to keep sharing our travels and the amazing pictures we capture with you all!
But for now, we hope these destinations inspire you to get out and explore the awesome things this world has to offer whether they're down the road or on the other side of the world.
Fellow Stemians! What is the coolest place you've ever traveled to? Leave us a comment and let us know!
Unless otherwise noted all photos and copy used are the work of The Endless Adventure