5 (tie). Napa Valley
Okay, so I couldn't exactly narrow it down to 5, so number 5 of my favorite travels of 2017 is tied. We had an amazing escape to Napa Valley for a week in August, which was a trip to mark 7 years since Tor and I met. Thanks to Visit Napa Valley, we had an incredible itinerary that took us to several different vineyards and hotels in the valley that we had never visited before. With my dad nearby in Livermore, we visit Napa Valley often but this trip definitely stood out. We had some of the best wines we've ever tasted, especially at B Cellars where we bought several bottles of their AMAZING cabernet sauvignon and poured some this past Christmas with my in-laws. The fires this past autumn devastated several parts of the valley, and our hearts continue to go out to those who were deeply affected our lost everything. Luckily, the spots we visited are back up and running, and most were left unscathed.Check out our Napa Valley trip posts here, here, and here, and our Napa Travel Guide here.
[gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="15142,15143"] [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="15183,15144"] [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="15145,15146"]5 (tie). Arizona & Grand Canyon
Shortly after our first wedding anniversary, Tor and I traveled to Arizona to visit family. We snuck away to Sedona for a few days, which had been on my bucket list for a while. One thing that we knew we needed to accomplish on our trip was watching the sun rise at the Grand Canyon, so we did just that. We woke up at 2:30 am at our hotel L'Auberge de Sedona, drove 2 hours north to the Grand Canyon, picked an isolated spot on the edge of the canyon where it was just us, and we watched the most magical sunrise of our lives.Check out our Sedona & Grand Canyon trip posts here, here, and here, and our Arizona Travel Guide here.
[gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="15153,15182"] [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="15154,15155"]4. Santa Barbara
The last time Tor and I were in Santa Barbara County, we were getting married. So we decided to spend our wedding anniversary weekend in Santa Barbara near the beach. We had a beautiful little cottage suite at tucked away in the mountains at Belmond El Encanto which felt so cozy with a view of the mountains and Santa Barbara down below. Each night, we would curl up on the outdoor patio of the main building under the stars, wrapped in a comfy blanket as we sipped champagne. We couldn't have picked a better getaway for our first wedding anniversary, so it makes the list of our top 5 favorite travels of 2017.Check out our Santa Barbara trip posts here and here, and our Santa Barbara Travel Guide here.
[gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="15176,15179"] [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="15177,15158"] [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="15180,15156"] [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="15159,15157"]3. Charleston
Charleston had been on my bucket list for years, so when Tor had a filming opportunity in Atlanta, we jumped at the prospect of getting to travel to Charleston for the first time for a few days. We got to stay at the incredibly beautiful Zero George hotel, which was full of history (right up my alley!). Charleston is an extremely picturesque city with gorgeous homes and cobblestone streets. It was just as quaint as I had imagined it. But it wasn't the houses that stood out the most to me in Charleston - it was the food! We dined on some of the best food during our trip, especially seafood. I still keep talking about the most amazing lobster roll I've ever had at 167 Raw (thanks to my friend Grace at The Stripe for that recommendation!).Check out our Charleston trip posts here, here, and here, and our Charleston Travel Guide here.
[gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="15163,15165"] [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="15164,15175"] [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="15181,15174"]2. Iceland
You were expecting Iceland to be number 1 of my favorite travels of 2017, weren't you? I consider the number 1 position to be a tie, especially since Iceland was so incredible the first time around that we went again in the same year. I feel like I have become Iceland's unofficial PR girl and spokesperson since it's certainly a place I cannot stop talking about. It's really that amazing. Tor and I first went to Iceland in January 2017, but we were only there for 3 days. So in October, we decided to do a 2.5 week trek around the entire country. Iceland is my favorite place in the world. It's so naturally beautiful and there are many parts that are completely untouched. My favorite parts were the Westfjords and northern Iceland, as they were less touched by tourists and just absolutely serene and peaceful. The Icelandic culture fascinates me and I find myself agreeing with many aspects of their way of life. Iceland needs to be seen to be believed, so definitely put it at the top of your travel wish list!Check out our January 2017 Iceland trip posts here and here, our October/November 2017 trip posts Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here, Part 5 here, Part 6 here, Part 7 here, Part 8 here, and Part 9 here, and our Iceland Travel Guide here.
[gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="15172,15171"] [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="15169,15170"] [gallery link="none" columns="2" size="full" ids="15168,15173"]1. Paris
Number 1 of my favorite travels of 2017 would be our first trip of the entire year - Paris. The reason why it's my favorite is because we got to travel with our closest friends to one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Six of us boarded a plane in Los Angeles and flew to Paris, where we joined up with nearly 10 more of our amazing pals and then proceeded to have an incredible 5 days together. We were there with Tor's costars from his tv show Reign for a convention, so for two days I spent my time exploring the city with the other wives, boyfriends, husbands, and girlfriends waiting for our partners to come back to the hotel (we stayed at Pavillon de la Reine) at the end of the day after meeting with fans. Afterwards, we would all gather for dinner at a delicious restaurant in Le Marais and eat until our bellies were full and drink so much wine that we felt it in the morning. We all had planned ahead to stay in Paris an extra few days after the convention, so we did the typical tourist spots together - the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, etc. We also did some shopping together, which turned out to be dangerous in Paris. Best of all was getting dressed up for dinner at night and laughing over good food and wine. Traveling with friends is always the best, especially when it's our friends. This was our fourth international trip with these peeps - first Monaco, then Ireland, and then of course we had all lived in Toronto together for three years. But traveling with friends is why our January 2017 trip to Paris is my number 1 favorite trip of the year.Check out our Paris trip posts here, here, and here, and our Paris Travel Guide here.
And so, those are my 5 favorite travels of 2017. I am so excited to see where 2018 takes us. We already have a few trips planned, including one to Finland in January, and Italy and the UK in May. My ultimate travel goal for 2018 is to finally get to Asia - Japan and Hong Kong are number 1 and 2 on my list. I always said I wouldn't even consider starting a family until we get to Asia, and we were hopeful that 2017 was the year we would get to go. That proved not to be the case, so I am making it a priority to travel there in 2018. Until then, I am looking forward to all the adventures I get to go on with my husband over the next 12 months. I know there won't be one dull adventure, because there never is.
What were your favorite travels of 2017?
As this year nears the end of its final chapter, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on some of my favorite travels of 2017 before we ring in a new one. 2017 took us to many cities and many countries – some for the first time and some for the second, third, or tenth time. Wherever we went, I was glad we got to explore each destination together and share the best of the best with all of you.
I’m ranking my 5 favorite travels of 2017 from fifth to my ultimate favorite trip. It was hard to narrow down just to 5, since we were so lucky to get to visit so many incredibly places this past year. While 2016 took us around Europe and even gave us the chance to call Spain “home” for a few months, 2017 took us around California, Arizona, British Columbia, and even more around Europe.
5 (tie). Napa Valley
Okay, so I couldn’t exactly narrow it down to 5, so number 5 of my favorite travels of 2017 is tied. We had an amazing escape to Napa Valley for a week in August, which was a trip to mark 7 years since Tor and I met. Thanks to Visit Napa Valley, we had an incredible itinerary that took us to several different vineyards and hotels in the valley that we had never visited before. With my dad nearby in Livermore, we visit Napa Valley often but this trip definitely stood out. We had some of the best wines we’ve ever tasted, especially at B Cellars where we bought several bottles of their AMAZING cabernet sauvignon and poured some this past Christmas with my in-laws. The fires this past autumn devastated several parts of the valley, and our hearts continue to go out to those who were deeply affected our lost everything. Luckily, the spots we visited are back up and running, and most were left unscathed.
Check out our Napa Valley trip posts here, here, and here, and our Napa Travel Guide here.
5 (tie). Arizona & Grand Canyon
Shortly after our first wedding anniversary, Tor and I traveled to Arizona to visit family. We snuck away to Sedona for a few days, which had been on my bucket list for a while. One thing that we knew we needed to accomplish on our trip was watching the sun rise at the Grand Canyon, so we did just that. We woke up at 2:30 am at our hotel L’Auberge de Sedona, drove 2 hours north to the Grand Canyon, picked an isolated spot on the edge of the canyon where it was just us, and we watched the most magical sunrise of our lives.
Check out our Sedona & Grand Canyon trip posts here, here, and here, and our Arizona Travel Guide here.
4. Santa Barbara
The last time Tor and I were in Santa Barbara County, we were getting married. So we decided to spend our wedding anniversary weekend in Santa Barbara near the beach. We had a beautiful little cottage suite at tucked away in the mountains at Belmond El Encanto which felt so cozy with a view of the mountains and Santa Barbara down below. Each night, we would curl up on the outdoor patio of the main building under the stars, wrapped in a comfy blanket as we sipped champagne. We couldn’t have picked a better getaway for our first wedding anniversary, so it makes the list of our top 5 favorite travels of 2017.
Check out our Santa Barbara trip posts here and here, and our Santa Barbara Travel Guide here.
3. Charleston
Charleston had been on my bucket list for years, so when Tor had a filming opportunity in Atlanta, we jumped at the prospect of getting to travel to Charleston for the first time for a few days. We got to stay at the incredibly beautiful Zero George hotel, which was full of history (right up my alley!). Charleston is an extremely picturesque city with gorgeous homes and cobblestone streets. It was just as quaint as I had imagined it. But it wasn’t the houses that stood out the most to me in Charleston – it was the food! We dined on some of the best food during our trip, especially seafood. I still keep talking about the most amazing lobster roll I’ve ever had at 167 Raw (thanks to my friend Grace at The Stripe for that recommendation!).
Check out our Charleston trip posts here, here, and here, and our Charleston Travel Guide here.
2. Iceland
You were expecting Iceland to be number 1 of my favorite travels of 2017, weren’t you? I consider the number 1 position to be a tie, especially since Iceland was so incredible the first time around that we went again in the same year. I feel like I have become Iceland’s unofficial PR girl and spokesperson since it’s certainly a place I cannot stop talking about. It’s really that amazing. Tor and I first went to Iceland in January 2017, but we were only there for 3 days. So in October, we decided to do a 2.5 week trek around the entire country. Iceland is my favorite place in the world. It’s so naturally beautiful and there are many parts that are completely untouched. My favorite parts were the Westfjords and northern Iceland, as they were less touched by tourists and just absolutely serene and peaceful. The Icelandic culture fascinates me and I find myself agreeing with many aspects of their way of life. Iceland needs to be seen to be believed, so definitely put it at the top of your travel wish list!
Check out our January 2017 Iceland trip posts here and here, our October/November 2017 trip posts Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here, Part 5 here, Part 6 here, Part 7 here, Part 8 here, and Part 9 here, and our Iceland Travel Guide here.
1. Paris
Number 1 of my favorite travels of 2017 would be our first trip of the entire year – Paris. The reason why it’s my favorite is because we got to travel with our closest friends to one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Six of us boarded a plane in Los Angeles and flew to Paris, where we joined up with nearly 10 more of our amazing pals and then proceeded to have an incredible 5 days together. We were there with Tor’s costars from his tv show Reign for a convention, so for two days I spent my time exploring the city with the other wives, boyfriends, husbands, and girlfriends waiting for our partners to come back to the hotel (we stayed at Pavillon de la Reine) at the end of the day after meeting with fans. Afterwards, we would all gather for dinner at a delicious restaurant in Le Marais and eat until our bellies were full and drink so much wine that we felt it in the morning. We all had planned ahead to stay in Paris an extra few days after the convention, so we did the typical tourist spots together – the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, etc. We also did some shopping together, which turned out to be dangerous in Paris. Best of all was getting dressed up for dinner at night and laughing over good food and wine. Traveling with friends is always the best, especially when it’s our friends. This was our fourth international trip with these peeps – first Monaco, then Ireland, and then of course we had all lived in Toronto together for three years. But traveling with friends is why our January 2017 trip to Paris is my number 1 favorite trip of the year.
Check out our Paris trip posts here, here, and here, and our Paris Travel Guide here.
And so, those are my 5 favorite travels of 2017. I am so excited to see where 2018 takes us. We already have a few trips planned, including one to Finland in January, and Italy and the UK in May. My ultimate travel goal for 2018 is to finally get to Asia – Japan and Hong Kong are number 1 and 2 on my list. I always said I wouldn’t even consider starting a family until we get to Asia, and we were hopeful that 2017 was the year we would get to go. That proved not to be the case, so I am making it a priority to travel there in 2018. Until then, I am looking forward to all the adventures I get to go on with my husband over the next 12 months. I know there won’t be one dull adventure, because there never is.
What were your favorite travels of 2017?
I love your travel posts. I wish I had the ability to travel as much as you-that’s my dream is to see the world! I didn’t have any exciting travel this year but come Sept I will be heading to Iceland and your posts have been so helpful in my planning stages! I was surprised it wasn’t #1 on your list 🙂
I am so excited for you to be traveling to Iceland! You are going to love it! If you need any suggestions or recommendations, you know who to ask 😉
I went to Paris in January and missed the convention but I loved Reign so much. I love all the travel posts. Thanks so much for sharing. I was wondering if you and Torrance will possibly being doing any conventions in the future?
Yes, Tor will be at the Jus In Bello (Jibland 3) convention in Rome, so we are traveling there in May 2018 😉
This is so lovely! I have to admit, I was so surprised that Iceland wasn’t number 1 haha. In 2017, I visited four states for the first time (Tennessee, Texas, Massachusetts, and Connecticut) in addition to spending time in New York City. I also moved to London for grad school immediately after finishing undergrad — which I certainly didn’t plan on!
In 2018, I’m planning to visit Vienna for the first time and hopefully return to Edinburgh and Paris. I also want to do more travel around London; top priorities are returning to Brighton, Bath, and St Albans.
If you ever want suggestions for fun things for history nerds to do in London/the UK, do give a shout 🙂
haha even my husband was surprised Iceland wasn’t number 1, but it really was close. Paris took the cake just because it was an unforgettable trip with friends that we probably won’t get to experience again.
We will be returning to London in May 2018, and I am excited about hopefully getting to visit Highclere (Downton Abbey)!
You have to visit the Philippines if youre coming in Asia.
We talked about visiting the Philippines last night!
Costa Rica, Botswana and Cape Town, South Africa were absolutely beautiful and adventurous… 2017 was a great travel year! I would definitely recommend all of those places:)
Africa is high on our list as well!
Yes it was so beautiful! My friends and I went on a safari in Botswana for five days and immediately saw elephants, giraffes, zebra and antelope within the first ten minutes! I would totally recommended:) if you’d like to hear more about the safari my instagram’s in the website section:) Cape Town was stunning too with the mountains and sea as was Costa Rica (it felt like a more adventurous and less lazy southern vacation. There was lots to do and everyone was so nice! Thanks to you, Iceland is now DEFINITELY on my list:) My family is headed to Spain and Morocco in March and we’re SO excited! Thanks so much for inspiring me with Iceland and other places too. I’ve been loving your style so much as well xx
Living in London, I visited every corner and place of this beautiful city. So I took this past year as an opportunity to visit different places in the UK. I went back to Brighton, I visited the Cotswolds several times, I went to Bath, Oxford, Cambridge, Stratford-upon-Avon, but the most wonderful places I visited were, I think, Stonehenge and the Lake District. I was simply watching and experiencing the Nature being majestic, mysterious and beautiful. Sometimes we forget that we live near gorgeous spots so I think this is what pleases me the most about traveling in 2017.
Looking forward to your next travel posts and vlogs in 2018!
And also Highclere Castle, how could I forget??
We are visiting the Cotswolds for the first time this upcoming spring! And Highclere Castle! They’re doing a Downton Abbey event the week we are in that part of England… I am SQUEALING.
Put Thailand on ur Asia adventure!
It’s number 3 on our list! My husband is dying to go.
This year we went to Paris, Madrid, Mexico, and Morocco:) I also moved cities! Visiting Morocco checked Africa off my continent list! I just have Antartica now which probably won’t happen for quite a while considering there are other places I’m more desperate to visit.
I am actually desperate to visit Antarctica! The only problem is the only way to get there is by seaplane or by ship…. I don’t really think I can do either with my fears of flying and being on a boat. If they ever invent a teleport machine though, I’ll be right there!
I know I tweeted you but again, amazing year! We went to Prague in March, drove all the way down to my hometown of Le Puy en Velay in the Haute-Loire region of France, I visited San Francisco a second time with my best friend, got to visit Edinburgh for the first time and my fiancé, Omar, and I got to spend Christmas in Paris. We were very lucky to have had these holidays and locations to retreat to!
If you ever visit the Cotswolds, Somerset and/or Bristol, I know each of them like the back of my hand and can recommend so many places! Top tip: Go to Bibury village, it is absolutely stunning! And Westonbirt Arboretum is always stunning in the Spring/Summer/Autumn 🙂
Thank you so much for the recommendations for the Cotswolds! We can’t wait to visit in May 🙂
Honestly, like you said, I was surprised because I was expecting to find Iceland numer 1! 😂 Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to travel much during the year but I went to Florence and this has been my favourite travel of 2017! I had already been in Florence but I didn’t see everything, so this time I had the opportunity to see what I missed last time. I’m currently waiting for my next travel (Paris!! I’m leaving tomorrow). I read on twitter you’ll be in Rome this year: will you go somewhere else in Italy? Even if I’m Italian, I’ve never been in Rome but my friend and I are already planning to visit it in September 😊
haha Iceland is number 1 in my heart, always! Florence is beautiful. I loved it there when we visited for our honeymoon. And yes we will be in Rome in May! We are hoping to visit one other Italian city before we head to the UK.