Eleven years ago today the love of my life officially became my husband.  And exactly eleven years ago to the minute, I sat in my bed in my single girl apartment for the last time, writing my vows.  I’m last minute like that.  And by the end of the day my whole life was different.  Forever.  What a great day.

Look at those young kids!!!

Today’s Five Favorites, of course, have to do with my husband.  Our favorite thing to do on special days like this is go on a vacation together.  Even if it’s just for the weekend, we love to get away.  We find it’s the best way to remove distraction and be able to focus each other.  The stresses of home melt away and we can just be us, the goofy kids who hold hands and talk endlessly and take walks {which often end up in some kind of race}.

So today I’m featuring my Five Favorite trips we’ve taken together {without the kids}.

5.  Astoria

Astoria is a calm little town at the mouth of the Columbia River.  It is full of history and the feel of seaside life, with massive ships constantly coming and going.

Colin and I stayed in Astoria for our 4th anniversary and just loved the quaint feel of the town.  Sunday mornings they host a Farmer’s Market which shuts down streets in the center of town.  Farmers, craftsmen and antique collectors from all around the area come to sell their wares.  I LOVE Farmer’s Markets, and this one was spectacular.

4.  Seattle

For a much needed getaway when my oldest two were both still considered toddlers, we dropped off the kids with their grandparents in Bellevue and headed for Downtown Seattle.

We stayed at the uber-hip Hotel Max.  I’m pretty sure we were the least cool people in the building, but I just loved the artist vibe of the hotel.

The good thing about Seattle is that it is great with kids, and great without them.  We wandered Pike Place Market, got lost in a book store {my favorite activity} and strolled hand in hand on the waterfront.  We also had great food and great coffee – because, of course, we were in Seattle.

3.  Banff

I think a honeymoon must count as a kid-free getaway.  We were blessed to spend a week in Banff, Alberta, Canada.  It was breathtakingly beautiful.

We hiked and took drives through the mountains and, yes, took that gondola in the picture to the top of one of the peaks.  I was constantly blown away by the beauty and peacefulness of this place.

My favorite hike while we were there was at Lake Louise.  It is glacier-fed and just positively glows.  We hiked up the slope just behind the lake until we reached a mountain chateau – a resting place for climbers and hikers.  I felt like I was in Switzerland.

Most people ask us why we went to the mountains and not the beach for our honeymoon.  But who wouldn’t want to go to someplace so beautiful and serene?  And without the sunburns, geckos and sand in every nook and cranny.  For us, it was perfection.

2.  Dominican Republic

After a while we had to give in to the beach temptation.  For our tenth anniversary we took an all inclusive vacation to the DR.

We’d never done anything all inclusive before and we LOVED IT {thank you, tax returns!}.  It is such a stress to have to think about budget and money while you are traveling.  Being able to enjoy food and drinks without worrying about cost made the trip so very relaxing.

We had a strict regiment of laying in lounge chairs, reading, napping and swimming in the pool/ocean.  Our biggest decisions of the day was, “Where are we going to eat?”  And, overall, the food was fabulous.  I have never in my life felt so relaxed.

1.  New York

Best. Trip. Ever.

One cold January we thought, “Hey, let’s go visit our friends in New York for the long MLK weekend.”  Well, it turns out they were visiting family in Seattle and weren’t going to be in town.  Then they uttered the words that changed our traveling lives, “You could stay in our apartment if you want to go anyway.”  And so we did.

And we spend a glorious weekend as pretend New York residents in our Upper East Side apartment.  We vowed not to pay admission for anything, to just experience the city.  So we walked.

The first day we walked from the resevoir, through Central Park and Midtown to Times Square.  We ended the day at the top of the Empire State building {we gave in and payed for this}.  The second day we took the subway to the Brooklyn Bridge and wandered the financial district.  We made our way home through the Village and Chelsea.

It was the best trip we’ve ever taken.  Ever.  We talked and laughed and fell in love with the city.  No exhausting museums.  No wallet draining tours.  Just walking around an amazing city with my love.  And in the midst of the weekend, after a tough year for us, we found our center again.  I feel like, in a way, that trip was a rebirth for us.  A renewal.

A huge thank you Jeff and Sarah for blessing us.  You guys are phenomenal.

And now I’m off to celebrate my 11th anniversary with the man I could not imagine life without.  In Seattle.  You’ve gotta repeat the good ones, you know?