Next stop, Alaska. Bucket list, check.

It took two large planes, one small plane, and a boat to get to Halibut Cove which is a little island about 5 miles from Homer, Alaska. We were after the true Alaskan experience, rustic yet refined, plus plenty of adventure. It was a total success. We stayed at a lodge where our living quarters for seven nights consisted of a rustic two bedroom cabin with an outdoor bathroom. We met in the lodge for each meal with amazing farm to table type cuisine. The days were filled with guided experiences through the mountains, lakes and ocean. The nights were cozy and never dark.

Our first day consisted of a hike to a glacier lake. We kayaked to see glaciers and then had a bonfire on the beach. It was gorgeous and adventurous. We saw a lot of bear poop and sprayed a lot of bug spray. The next day was bear watching. We took a float plane to a national park and after wading to shore, we hiked/walked to view bears up close and personal. It was beyond amazing. Around the next day or two, we went fishing! We started out deep sea fishing for halibut. Charlotte and I were pretty green from the rocking waves. John and Johnny caught enough halibut to supply us for the next 6 months. After the rough waters, we trolled through calmer seas for salmon. Johnny caught his limit of king salmon within 30 minutes. Charlotte and I were much less green. Johnny helped clean the fish off the back of the boat while throwing some to the seagulls and maybe eating a few pieces of sashimi himself. John was the color that screams the happiest dad in the world. We met at the lodge for every dinner which was a 4 course wine-paired dinner consisting of freshly caught seafood and amazing everything else. Before dinner was “happy hour” where John and I had a cocktail and all of us enjoyed freshly caught oysters. After dinner, we would sit around a fire while roasting s’mores and participating in ax throwing. The sun actually never set, so most nights we didn’t realize it was past our bedtime. John and I celebrated our 13th anniversary one night where we opened a bottle of champagne on our porch around 10 pm which looked like about 4 pm. It was a moment I’ll never forget. A few more days went by with more adventures. We went to an island to beach comb. We saw Bald Eagles and combed the beach for feathers and rocks which led into another bonfire where we roasted hot dogs and played with fire. More bug spray ensued and more picturesque moments kept happening. John and I both did a real cold plunge in Alaska. I think John did more than one. I also paddle boarded in full rain gear and was able to do a headstand on the board in the mild waters of the cove. One day in the rain, we decided to kayak over to the local coffee shop and post office. Johnny trolled his fishing line along the way. We had coffee, milkshakes and sent a post card to ourselves. It felt like we had gone back 100 years. Another excursion consisted of a day in Homer (the closest city to Halibut Cove). We took a boat to get back to the mainland and got to experience the “spit” as they call it, a narrow strip of land (about a mile wide) that extends into the ocean about 5 miles – a natural feature. It is lined with postcard worthy shops and restaurants. We got souvenirs and fish and chips. We toured the city of Homer and then went back to the spit to do the oyster bar. Oh my, we ordered around 4 dozen oysters and savored every last one. To finish off the spit, we put up our dollar at the famous Salty Dawg Saloon (they even let the kids in to do this). On our last day, we went out on a boat to see more wildlife. This is when we saw the most adorable otters. There was a mama with her baby on her belly and then there was the cutest little guy that actually waved to us as we went by, picture below. We saw more bald eagles and gorgeous mountains jutting up from the ocean. I could go on and on about each breathtaking moment. Like usual, the pictures are part of our journal. Alaska was EVERYTHING and more. We were grateful for each and every moment in mother nature’s epic wilderness.

One last thing to document about this trip is the travel day home. Poor Charlotte woke up feeling sick and ended up in bed with a stomach bug for a couple hours while we packed. We hoped she could feel well enough to get to the airport. We took the boat back to the spit and were on our way to the Homer airport. However, at some point traffic came to a stop. This narrow strip of land has only two lanes going out and in; there is no other way to get to Homer. We were at a standstill for over an hour and realized the entire highway was closed due to an accident. Charlotte was still feeling quite sick and we really needed to get to that flight. After much discussion, we decided our last ditch effort would be to get out of the car and walk up the spit with our luggage to hopefully get to the airport on time. We literally dragged our four giant bags over a mile to get past the road closure (with the help of our lodge team). Poor Charlotte was miserable. We were able to get a ride on the other side and made it to the airport on time. Charlotte continued to feel unwell for the next 24 hours and had an awful stomach ache the following day on our last flight home. Quite the ending to our Alaskan adventure.

Things to remember: John forgetting his belt, Johnny’s fall on last day’s hike, slippery eel-looking creatures Johnny caught in tide pools, ax throwing inside,

We went back to the beautiful Bahamas for Spring Break. I think I’ve said this before, but words can’t really describe this place. I’ll try a little… but it’s best left to pictures.

The water is that color you only thought was fake in photos, the catamaran is like a floating hotel, the nurse sharks are like cute stray cats, the sandbars feel like Mars, the conch shell blowing is our music class, the meals are an expedition in and of themselves, the snorkeling is like a National Geographic show and is now turning into free-diving, the amount of sunscreen needed is equivalent to your daily water intake, the yachts are inspiring/ridiculous, the remoras are real and the most annoying fish, the calm that being on the ocean brings is actually a true story and not a pirate’s tale, and lastly, the new adventures everyday never cease to fulfill all four of our wanderlust souls (a considerable feat).

Things to remember: The water park at Baja Mar before we went on the boat, Bahamas turquoise, nurse sharks, Easter egg hunt on a deserted island, breakfast, lunch, dinner, lazy rivers, Johnny getting locked in bathroom, John’s iPhone taking one for the team, Charlotte finding my Apple Watch in the ocean, being pulled on paddle boards, tubing, fishing (catching a shark … kind of), conch, remoras, barracudas, turtles, lizards, jumping off the boat, free-diving, Pablo’s plane, Charlotte and Johnny driving the boat, ChatGPT writing a script for us, boating/hiking/walking in the rain on a deserted island, wave diving/flipping, walking on the ocean floor with a rock, crab races, bug bites, sand bars, sunsets, rain, Phase 10, the (?) baths, wetsuits, paddle boarding, feeding/petting nurse sharks, the Bahamas playlist, Mucho Gusto, Hannah and Dom, calm, never wanting it to end.

We were grateful to take a break from the crazy winter of 2023 to find refuge in our one of our favorite places, Punta Mita. It truly is where we find that peaceful, easy feeling. The sun, sand, ocean and golf cart make the Mellors happy.

Things to remember: Golf cart rides with the Punta Mita playlist, breakfast on the patio, reading around the fire and finishing Where The Red Fern Grows, surfing, fishing, whale watching with the most epic jump, snorkeling in the cold water, tide pooling, the mariachi band, the local kids jumping onto the golf cart, frisbee on the grass, Charlotte and Johnny walking home from Sufi, speedbumps, and that peaceful, easy feeling I wish we could bottle up and take home.

This was our 6th Christmas at the Rosewood Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen. Thank you once again, Santa, for letting us spend seven days together in such a magical place. We truly get to escape from the craziness of the Christmas season and melt into Mexico with sun, sand and the ocean. This year had some unusual weather where it rained nonstop for our last three days. We had to get creative with indoor activities which only made us “bond” more.

Things to remember: Feeding the turtles off our dock, lots of sailing and kayaking to snorkel, the Mayakoba Von Dutch boat, sea scooters, the deserted beach, my sunburn, dinner at La Ceiba, Johnny’s bumble bee kite, Charlotte’s very uncomfortable mouth (due to an orthodontic “crossbow” device), Santa coming in on a horse, giant chess, ping pong, arcade games, the Pueblito, bike riding, the spa, John and I taking a cocktail class, the rain, more rain, and them some rain again.

We were so excited to finally take the kids to Lake Powell! Lake Powell was a family tradition when John and I grew up, but we haven’t been there with Charlotte and Johnny until this year. Our close friends, the Kohlers, invited us to join them for three nights on a houseboat. I think we all could’ve stayed a lot longer. We did a lot of water sports, hiking, cliff jumping, fishing, star watching, lizard catching and enjoying time with friends. The kids are hooked and so are we! Can’t wait to do it again.

Lots of things to remember: Captain John (official houseboat driver), ski boat overheating, night swimming off the slide, the tube crash (poor Charlotte), Johnny catching lots of lizards, a fish taking the whole bait and fishing pole, playing cards, yummy dinners, not showering, hiking to an old boat wreck, low water, wake surfing, water skiing, knee boarding, John’s epic Top Gun moment driving Grady’s speedboat through the canyon at full speed, using Starlink for the first time, Otter pops, catfish,

Europe finally opened up (post-Covid) and we came running!

Barcelona was our first stop where we toured the city in a day, went to an amusement park and practiced Spain Spanish. We tried to get our bearings straight with the new time zone, etc. Charlotte and Johnny adjusted right away and slept over 12 hours every night. We loved walking through the bustling streets hearing all the sounds and smelling all the smells. Our city tour lead us through the Sagrada Familia and also to Park Guell where we experienced lots of Gaudi art. The amusement park was next and was definitely a highlight. It’s called Tibidabo (which is really fun to say) and is located on the top of a mountain overlooking the city. Tibidabo is one of the oldest parks in the world and is still functioning (mostly). There were a few times I might have have been nervous for our safety. Overall, Barcelona is such a fun and lively city with plenty to do. Mellors took it all in and I’m sure we will be back again soon.

Our next stop was Mallorca, a short flight from Barcelona. There we got to relax at the beach for several days. The water was dreamy; that beautiful turquoise blue, calm and shallow. We went ocean fishing and toured around on an old fishing boat. We ate some amazing food and mostly enjoyed the slow pace of a European beach town. We didn’t find another American the entire 6 days. On our last day, we went into an old city center where the original stonewalls still surrounded the city. It was amazing to walk around the historic cobble streets and shop at the local market. Mallorca felt like a world away from anywhere. We loved the rustic, old European vibe and tried to pull off a little South American Spanish when possible. Not sure we really got away with it.

Our last spot was Paris. Ahhhh… Paris. We love this city. We enjoyed even more incredible food, toured the Louvre, went to the top of the Eiffel Tour, and played at the local carnival across the street from our hotel in the Tuileries. Once again, I found myself nervous for our safety as the light-hearted European carnival attendees loosely ran the show. Paris has always been so good to us and everyone is always so kind to our children. I could’ve stayed the rest of summer in Paris:) Someday.

It was a whirlwind of a trip (12 nights abroad) and we tried to soak in every charming moment Europe had to offer. Charlotte and Johnny are rockstar travelers and can get over jet-lag and new beds and strange food faster than John and I. We love to see the world through their eyes and they truly are our inspiration for so much adventure. Thank you, kids, and thank you, Europe! We missed you.

Things to remember:

European breakfasts at every hotel, small spaces and closets, stone walls and buildings, Gaudi, art everywhere you look, interesting food, city smells, the scary Ferris Wheel rides and the virtual roller coaster ride (with the pink dragon) at Tibidabo, the rooftop pool, European bathing suits or lack there of, Rose all day, taxis, the dinner in Mallorca on the mountain, Charlotte braiding Johnny’s hair, cats, the king bed in Mallorca, the cruise ship music at night, our balcony view, skip ball in swimming pool, slowing down, Johnny catching a fish within the first 60 seconds, filming the scene from Aladdin under the tree, rain in Paris, more rain in Paris, waiting under the umbrellas at the Louvre, filming WWII German movie in lobby, John feeling sick in crowded Eiffel Tower elevator, Eiffel Tower opened late due to striking workers, the carnival in the Tuileries with another virtual ride, Johnny running like Naruto with his hands behind him, feeling homesick, anchovy lunch, riding ponies next door, John walking down main street with giant inflated toy, macaroons, loving our tribe and grateful for culture and experiences abroad.

Pictures from Barcelona:

Pictures from Mallorca:

Pictures from Paris:

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