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Throwback: Shenandoah Valley, Virginia

January 21, 2018January 5, 2022Throwback, Travelfeatured, Shenandoah Mountain, Shenandoah National Park, Shenandoah Valley, Virginia11 Comments

Shenandoah Valley — wow, there’s nothing quite like it, Imagine yourself way up high, overlooking the colourful mountains in breath-taking west Virginia. Drenched in southern charm, Shenandoah Valley is a great place for hikers, bikers, adventurists, and lovers of life alike!

Shenandoah Valley lies between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Allegheny Mountains to the west. It stretches approximately 300 kilometres from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia to Roanoke, Virginia.

The spectacular views — the sun falls over the incredible mountains at the Shenandoah National Park. Like most national parks (in Canada, as well), you will have to pay an entry fee to gain access to the park. It is also important to come prepared — the land is vast and seemingly wild to the unfamiliar

Smithers, BC (#Canada150 Pt. 2)

July 13, 2017June 11, 2018TravelBritish Columbia, featured, Smithers14 Comments

From Jasper, we headed north to British Columbia via the Yellowhead Highway. Our first night car camping when we reached Smithers, B.C.

We climbed the Hudson Bay Mountain, in search of a Smithers Street Piano — which we eventually found back in town (RE: It’s a flying piano).

That was a hard climb, though, at least for me.

The view from above:

Smithers, British Columbia from Emily Santos on Vimeo.

Throwback Thursday: London, United Kingdom

February 9, 2017January 5, 2022Throwback, TravelEngland, featured, Great Britian, London, United Kingdom16 Comments

This week, as I continue my travel photo throwbacks, I’m going to take you back to 2012 when I visited London England on my United Kingdom adventure. I stayed in the UK for about two weeks, and while I was there, I visited Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

This trip was the first time I traveled alone (on a plane). I stayed with my good friend, Lisa, in Luton for the majority of it. I also ventured out on my own on a few excursions, including Abbey Road, and Windsor Castle.

I shared the original posts many years ago, but I will be re-sharing in the coming days with freshly edited material. Until then, here is a refresher – some images from London, England.

Trollstigen (Norway Pt 5)

June 16, 2016June 11, 2018Travelfeatured, Norway, Trolls, Trollstigen14 Comments

Staying in Geirangerfjord, about a 15 – 20 minute drive from the Juvet Landscape Hotel, is the Trollstigen mountain road. Located on the western coast of Norway, this 55km stretch of road is one of the most visited attractions in the country – even though it is closed for much of winter and autumn months.

Trollstigen isn’t only breath-taking, it makes the list of most dangerous roads in the world. “The road has a steep incline of 9 percent with 11 hairpin bends as it snakes its way along the steep mountainside at its a highest point, Stigrøra, at an elevation of 858 meters above the sea level,” according to dangerousroads.org. “The route’s steep 10% incline, narrow width and 11 hairpin bends make it a supremely wavy ride.”

Norwegian folkore has it: trolls roam through the mountains of Trollstigen (meaning “The Troll’s Path”) every night, but change to stone in the sunlight each morning.

What an incredible roadway – spectacular, really.

My troll continues his journey. A “Trolls Crossing” sign at the foot of the route.

My clothing for this trip is proudly sponsored by SAIL. Follow my adventures on sail.ca.

Stockholm & Vaxholm (Sweden Pt 1)

May 24, 2016June 11, 2018Travelfeatured, Stockholm, Sweden, Vaxholm10 Comments

I have finally arrived in Sweden! After taking a more than five hour flight from Toronto to Iceland, we touched down at Vasteras airport – just 80 minutes outside of Stockholm.

We stayed at the beautiful, waterfront Hotel Diplomat in Stockholm. Our room had a courtyard view with a small balcony, but we had no problem viewing the water while eating our early morning breakfast. This hotel is top notch; it’s exactly what the photos depict. Clean, historic and perfectly situated in old Stockholm.

We also used our evening to explore Vaxholm, located in the city’s archipelago. Our hotel was right across from the Cinderella Viking Line ferry (NOTE: each way will cost you about $25 CAD per person). “Idyllic archipelago town with many well-preserved wooden houses from the turn of the last century, painted in the archipelago’s typical delicate pastel tones. Vaxholm has numerous charming restaurants, cafés and shops,” reads the visitstockholm.com website.