A few posts ago, I mentioned that April and I had penchant for searching for “World’s Biggest [insert random object here]”–well, this trip was filled with them! I mean, how else are you going to break up a long road trip? sidenote: now that I’m thinking about it, Minnesota and Australia seem to have a large number of … Continue reading Paul Bunyan and Other Big Things
Things change. I know, I know–let the eye rolling begin. However, I am only mentioning this because for my 30th birthday I received the book 1000 Places to See Before You Die. In the USA chapters, it lists International Falls, MN as one of these places. I have been dropping hints to April left, right, … Continue reading International Falls
You always travel with your passport, right? Of course, I keep it with me all the time–because you never know when you might have to leave the country quickly. I thought so, but I wanted to double check…and well, remind you to bring your passport. Like for Birthday Trip #1, my only requests for Birthday … Continue reading Have Passport, Will Roadtrip.
Built between 1460-1478 for Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, Topkapı Palace is definitely one of the crown jewels of Istanbul’s glory. The sprawling grounds have amazing views of the city, but with every amenity available inside, there would have been no reason to leave the grounds! Sultan Mehmed spared no expense in building his dream home–complete … Continue reading The Palace of Sultans
We did a lot of walking around (and there were like 30 in our group, so I’m sure we were quite the spectacle!), but it meant for a lot of great shots of the city. I could babble on and on about all the things we saw, but really the best part about it was just … Continue reading Walkabout in Istanbul
Well, it certainly would not be a trip to Istanbul if you didn’t go to the bazaars! Yes, there are numerous bazaars in Instanbul. Bazaar literally means market and there are many to be found. We went to the two most famous: Kapalı Çarşı and Mısır Çarşısı. The Kapalı Çarşı, or Grand Bazaar, was just that: GRAND. It … Continue reading Amazingly Bazaar
Also known as the Blue Mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque was built from 1609-1616. While seven years may seem like a long time, when you arrive and realize how enormous and intricate it is, you’ll be impressed that it only took seven years! In fact, it makes the neighboring Hagia Sophia look tiny in comparison. … Continue reading The Sultan Ahmed Mosque
Just kidding! I mean, I could easily do it AND provide you with at least 3 pictures per day…but I shall refrain, simply because well, there is a great big world out there to explore! Our first day in Istanbul was all ours. So once we got to the hotel and unpacked our things, we grabbed … Continue reading Istanbul, Part 1 of 78.
I’m not sure why, but I’m having a hard time writing about Istanbul. If I have to be perfectly honest, I think it’s a combination of several things. Such as (thanks for asking!) being scared I’m going to miss something, as well as trying to figure out how to cull down all my photos (I’m … Continue reading Istanbul, An Introduction.
The Epicurious Texan 