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When a hurricane caused a huge oak tree to crash into our home, it was a long, grueling process of sorting through insurance, structural damage, rebuilding, etc. that took about 6 months. We turned the unexpected event into the opportunity to design our dream garage though, and while it took a lot of work to […]

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bda
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  • Chuck - Awesome. Fantastic job.ReplyCancel

  • Em - It looks awesome, Robyn!! We definitely need one of those gear track things… 🙂ReplyCancel

Travel

We recently took a trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and it just might be our top favorite trip that we’ve ever taken to date! The Grand Tetons were nothing short of epic, and every where we looked, we were in awe of the stunning views. We stayed at the Alpenhof Lodge, (pictured below) and absolutely […]

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bda
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Travel

To celebrate Jordan’s graduation, our birthdays, and our 7 year anniversary, we saved up and splurged on a vacation to Hawaii! While it was a long flight to get there, it was certainly worth it. We went on lots of adventures, saw some incredibly beautiful scenic views, and ate tons of fish tacos and shave […]

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bda
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  • Stephanie Scholl - Y’all would need a vacation from your vacation 😉 Ha! Jordan’s face on the kayak says it all.

    Hawaii is seriously stunning and the landscape is magnificent – I am loving these images!!ReplyCancel

    • The Van Dykes - Haha! That kayak trip was brutal! 😉 Thank you, friend!ReplyCancel

  • Carole - Kauai is one of the most glorious places on earth – a real Garden of Eden. You did a great job of immersing yourselves in the beauty and I loved sharing it again vicariously as we texted/emailed many days sharing pictures and hidden places discovered on my visits there. Thanks again for the way you included me!

    Did you feel like you caught some Hawaiian culture on this island? I believe it’s easily missed if it’s not sought out and that’s a shame. I would suggest squeezing in one more thing – the Smith Family boat trip up the Wailua River to the Fern Grotto (https://www.smithskauai.com/fern-grotto/) for some stories/legends of ancient culture, historical sites and listening/singing along to some Hawaiian songs accompanied by ukulele. I know their name doesn’t sound Hawaiian, but they are. The Fern Grotto is a true secret gem. Philodendron leaves along the trail are large enough to hide behind! And hearing the Hawaiian wedding song performed in the natural amphitheater covered in hundreds of lush ferns was a Hawaiian goose bump moment for me! Just an extra idea.

    Your photographs are awesome!! Takes me right back. 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Lauren - Love reading these posts! I wrote to you on Instagram about your time in Maui and can’t wait for those posts as we will be there for our entire honeymoon!

    One question! When you are doing all of these activities do you take your photos with your phone camera or do you take your big one? I always struggle with taking my DSLR around for activities when on vacation because sometimes it just seems like a lot to lug around but then at the same time I feel like I need it for all the scenery.

    P.s. Love your new home!!ReplyCancel

    • The Van Dykes - Hi Lauren! Thank you so much! Maui posts are coming up very soon and I hope you find them helpful and have the best time on your honeymoon!! 🙂

      I actually ended up just taking my medium format film camera (which is HUGE and even heavier than my DSLR) for a few scenic shots, a waterproof point & shoot for our water adventures, and my iPhone. For the majority of our more intense hikes and such I ended up just taking shots on my iPhone because it just became too much. 🙂 I completely understand the struggle but I’m thankful for the few shots we did take on our nicer camera! Hope that helps!ReplyCancel