sweden | travel scrapbook

After spending a few days in Denmark we made our way back to Sweden.  Out of the blue we came across the most beautiful seaside town called Mellbystrand where we stopped for lunch and dipped our toes in the cool ocean.

Prior to our trip as we were Googling routes along the way, we found out that the Ikea Museum had just opened a month before.  It is in the city of Älmhult where Ikea was born and now lives a museum dedicated to the iconic Swedish furniture giant.  We decided to make a stop and luckily for us it was during lunch time so we enjoyed, yet another, meal of Swedish meatballs and chokladbollar (or chocolate balls as my kids call them). They also have an Ikea hotel nearby.

Next stop was a lovely city called Växjö in the middle of Sweden.  We made it our home base for a couple of days.

We visited a moose farm where we walked along acres and acres of forestland and tried to spy a moose or two.  We were lucky enough at the end of our visit to spot a few lounging around.  Because they are used to people they did not charge or get spooked by us, which was quite surprising. They really are amazing animals!

We decided to take a break from staying in hotels so we booked an Airbnb in the countryside of Mörbylånga, in the south-eastern side of Sweden, on the island of Öland in the Baltic Sea.  The house we stayed in used to be an old general store which the kids found super cool and they ended up loving it the best of all the hotels we stayed in.  It was a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of all the busy cities we had visited.

Our next stop on the journey was in Vastervik which is a beautiful coastal town.  The property we stayed at was right on the Baltic Sea and of course we had to go swimming in it, along with experiencing an authentic floating Swedish sauna which was pretty heavenly.

We spent the last few nights in Stockholm which is definitely one of my new favorite cities.  The vibrancy of this city can be felt everywhere you go.  It is a very walkable city and the fashion, arts and design can be found all over.  

Good-bye Sweden .. I'll definitely visit again!

Previously:  Our travels in ... Copenhagen and Gothenburg

gothenburg, sweden | travel scrapbook

This summer we traveled to Sweden and Denmark.  Visiting these Scandinavian countries has always been on my 'travel bucket list' so when we were planning on purchasing a new Volvo this year, we decided to take advantage of their overseas delivery program. Volvo has a fantastic program -- you order your car in the US and then they fly you and a companion over to Sweden to pick it up.  Along with some other perks, they allow you to drive it around for a few weeks and then return it and they ship it back home. Our car was unfortunately not ready for us to pick up from the factory, so they kindly provided us with the exact same model to drive around during our time there.

Our journey started in Gothenburg which is the second largest city in Sweden.  It is a lovely and beautiful city to walk around. I was consistently in awe of the architecture.  The restaurants are amazing with the freshest seafood you can find.  Luckily, I have two children who love trying new foods and especially bubbling pots of "just caught" mussels.  We also definitely ate our weight in Swedish meatballs, but then again how could you not when you are in Sweden!

Two things my kids couldn't believe while in Sweden were the fun children's parks that they had all over.  Everywhere we went we came across unique and different play-parks where they were able to let off some energy and run around.  As well, we must talk about the candy in Sweden!  There are so many stores that just have bins upon bins of candy, chocolates and salty or sweet licorice.  Oh the Swedes love their black licorice!

Up next I will share our time in Copenhagen.  It is in the running for one of my favorite European cities.  

ireland | personal

We started our summer holidays off in Ireland for a vacation with extended family members.  We organized a driver through Butlers to take us around the country for a week and then after, the four of us rented a car and made our way to Dublin for the remainder of our holiday.  As soon as we got off the red-eye in Shannon our driver Mike met us and took us right away to the Blarney Stone.  We could have all done with a bit of shut eye and a shower but when in Ireland you must kiss the Blarney Stone and that is just what we did!

Our itinerary was packed full of stops each day but luckily we had the luxury of taking our time in each area if we wanted it.   That was something we all really appreciated.  The cities we ended up spending time in were:  Cork, Kenmare, Killarney, Dingle, Co Clare, Galway, Connemara, Bunratty, Athlone,  and Dublin

We did not stay overnight in Kinsale but we stopped and explored for a couple of hours.  It is a lovely historic port and fishing town full of color and charm.

The surrounding areas around Dingle were full of majestic views.

Stunning scenery and beaches at Inch Beach County Kerry.

The Cliffs of Moher are one of those sites that leaves you in awe.  Molly was excited when she realized that a scene from Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was filmed here.  Plan to spend a couple of hours walking around and don't forget to pick up a 99 ice cream when you are done.

And of course I tried to make friends with a few 'Cliffs of Moher' cows.  This one gave me "the stink eye" and didn't really appreciate me shooting him.

We made our way to the gorgeous Kylemore Abbey.  The story of how this castle and abbey came about was pretty incredible.  A London doctor by the name of Mitchell Henry bought the land for his new bride Margaret Vaughan after visiting it on their honeymoon and falling in love with it.  Margaret was so charmed by Connemara that Mitchell returned and purchased the 15,000 acre estate as a romantic gift for her.  The Henrys went onto having nine children and enjoyed a happy and carefree life at Kylemore, but tragically Margaret only enjoyed it for a short time.  In 1874, as the family was holidaying in Egypt, she fell ill with dysentery and died at the age of 45 .  Mitchell Henry had her body brought to Kylemore and laid to rest in the mausoleum on the grounds.  He then built the Neo-Gothic Church to the east of the castle as a memorial chapel to to his wife.  The church was built as a "cathedral in miniature" and is pretty spectacular.    

In 1920 a community of nuns of the Benedictine Order settled in Kylemore and started a renowned boarding school for girls until they closed it in 2010.  Visitors now can enjoy the grounds and learn all about the history of the Abbey. 

We came across a long lost relative in Clifden who is the owner of Lavelle Art Gallery.  Great meeting you Gavin!

Two nights were spent in Galway which was a lovely city to explore.

We spent a night in Bunratty and took part in the Bunratty Medieval Castle Banquet.   Luckily it wasn't exactly like Medieval Times -- a little more authentic ;-)

Eventually we made our way to Dublin for the remainder of our trip. 

mojave desert + joshua tree | personal

On our way to Palm Springs and back we chose to drive through the Mojave Desert (Mojave National Preserve).  We did this drive a few years ago and it was one of our favorites because you skip the highway and go on an open road and practically don't ever see another car for miles upon miles.  They warn you to have a full tank of gas and water in your car because it is the desert and can get "extremely" hot.  Also, look out for roadrunners and turtles crossing the road!    You eventually come across the Historic Route 66 in Amboy, CA and Roy's Motel and Cafe where it is a must to get out and snap a few photos while stretching your legs.  

When getting close to Palm Desert you will know it because of all the windmills or I should say wind turbines.  Palm Springs is home to the oldest wind farm in the US and at present time there are approximately 2,700 of them surrounding the area.  It is quite an amazing site to see.

On our way back we drove through the Joshua Tree National Park which is full of spectacular views, incredible plants/trees and "very" windy roads. 

palm springs, ca | personal

Back in April we returned to Palm Springs.  Something about the dry heat, palm trees, architecture and beautiful views makes me very happy. We've stayed at this property a couple of times before and each time I'm there I can't stop photographing the grounds and all of the beauty.  I recently read someones review on how Palm Springs is luxurious yet quirky.  That explains it to a T and maybe why I love it so much.

neon boneyard, las vegas | personal

A few years ago when we were in Las Vegas I wanted to check out the Neon Boneyard but didn't realize you had to book in advance.  This time I got organized and booked the tour a few weeks before we arrived.  The museum is about a 10 minute drive outside of the strip and is housed inside the former La Concha Motel lobby.  The tour is an hour long and a guide takes you around and explains where each of the signs came from and their history.  Its an amazing site to see and interesting to learn how the Neon Museum is collecting, preserving and exhibiting these iconic Las Vegas signs.

the scout guide is out!

A good part of 2014 was spent working with Heather Cundey, editor of The Scout Guide - Northern New Jersey, to create Volume 1 of The Scout Guide, Northern NJ.  Each photo shoot we did of the business owners, entrepreneurs and artisans was unique and special.  Below are some of my favorite spreads.

The guide will be available in shops and businesses through the Northern NJ area.  In the meantime I would love to give away some copies of the book.  Comment below with your name and email and I will follow up with you.  

Special thanks to Heather Cundey (editor), Felicia Geller (Stylist) and Helaine Winer (Social Media) for being an great team to work with.