September 27, 2018

The 6 Earliest Christmas Markets to Open in 2018

September 27, 2018/ Meghan Oaks

A few months ago, Aaron and I got a killer deal on tickets to Germany over Thanksgiving week thanks to emails that we get from Scott’s Cheap Flights. We fly out the day before Thanksgiving and will be in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria for about a week - I’m so excited!!! I’m MOST excited to visit a few Christmas markets while we are there! Sadly, we will be flying back to Texas before most of the markets open. But I have been able to find some that will be open while we are there and they are most definitely on our itinerary! I’ve compiled a list of 6 of the earliest opening markets for the 2018 season in case you, like us, booked a trip that ends before Christmas market season really gets into full swing, but still want to visit a few.

May 29, 2015

Dive Log: Grünersee (Bucket List Item)

May 29, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

The REAL reason we went to Austria in May was to dive the famous Grünersee. After seeing it in countless magazines and on too many ''Top 10 Dives to Do Before You Die'' lists, we knew we HAD to add it to our bucket list and make it happen. I mean, it's pretty awesome to say that you've dove in the Alps too. Most people go to ski, but we're crazy and go to dive.

May 27, 2015

Dive Log: Grüblsee in Styria, Austria

May 27, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

We took advantage of another long weekend in May (there are quite a few of them this month!) and headed to Austria for some diving and to check another item off of our bucket list. We booked two day tours with a dive shop out of Vienna, Neptun Diving. On Saturday, we dove at Grüblsee near Vorndernberg, Austria. And what a dive it was! The small lake, more of a pond really, is located at about 800 meters (2600 feet) in elevation, with a small dive shop and school next to it. It is officially the highest dive school in all of Europe! Surrounded on three sides by mountains and looking over a nearby ski area, the scenery is pretty awesome. We were blessed with beautiful weather too - not too hot for dry suit diving, but not too cold so that you couldn't warm up between dives.

April 14, 2015

Salt Mine Tour in Austria

April 14, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

Salzburg = Salz + burg. Quite literally, salt castle. Salzburg may be famous for it's starring role in the Sound of Music, but it has a long, long, long history with salt, salt mining, and it was the profits from the salt mining that financed the building of the city. Now, you may know that Aaron and I are never ones to pass up a mine tour, and we knew that this was one thing we had to do on our weekend getaway to Austria.

April 10, 2015

Dive Log: Attersee, Austrian Alps

April 10, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

Easter weekend is a long weekend in Europe and most people have Friday and Monday off. We would have hated to waste the long weekend sitting at home, so we did what we do most weekends: traveled! At first, we wanted to go back to the Netherlands, to Keukenhof, to see the tulips in full bloom, but hotel prices were through the roof! I couldn't find anything less than about 120 euro per night. And over 3 nights, that can get expensive. Enter plan B: Austria!