Parents + 10/10 Holiday!

October is flying by! I can't believe that it has already been almost 3 weeks since my parents came to visit...which also means that it has been 3 weeks since vacation time [and I'm ready for another!]. This time when my parents came, they actually stayed for 10 whole days versus the 4 days they ended up being here last time. [You may remember the disastrous flight delays they experienced the first time]. I was so excited to have them back when they could experience sunny October weather and also see my apartment fully decorated and set up - much more adult-like than the first time they were here!

We spent the first three days of their trip hanging out in Taipei since I still had to work. I did manage to take one day off, and we made the iconic Taipei 101 visit - which we somehow missed on their first trip!

How cute are they?

Luckily my parents were able to come at a perfect time for our 10/10 holiday weekend [woohoo four day weekend!], so Jordan and I decided that the best way to show them Taiwan was to go on a road trip around the island: first to Hualien and Taroko Gorge and then around to Kaohsiung. We rented a car in Taipei and hit the road early on Thursday morning...but unfortunately a lot of other people had the same idea as us! It took us quite awhile to get out of the city and onto the main highway, but once we were clear of the car cloggage, we picked up speed and were on our way to Hualien. The mountains we drove through were absolutely stunning.

Gorgeous view of the Qingshui Cliffs.

Feeling a little tired after 4 hours of driving!

Hi road trip buddy :)

Jordan found a perfect bed and breakfast for us to stay at that was right at the mouth of Taroko Gorge. Our first afternoon we arrived just in time to do a short hike so that my parents could get a sense of the beautiful surroundings. That night we introduced my dad to his first night market experience [an experience he avoided on his first Taiwan trip]. Last time we were in Hualien, Jordan and I found a fantastic seafood "restaurant" in the night market - definitely a must experience for Taiwan visitors!

Hanging out with the lions - RAWR!

A little bit sweaty, but enjoying the views.

A little bit of rain never hurt anyone, right?

Sweaty and ready for some giant grilled oysters!

Enjoying some much deserved beverages. 

Biggest shrimp in the world!!

We had a full day in Taroko Gorge on Friday, and luckily the weather was absolutely gorgeous - bright blue sky with sunshine! And conveniently for us, the buses were blocked from going all the way up the gorge...so no Chinese tourists for us! Total win.

We couldn't resist stopping on our drive up the gorge to capture this view at Swallow's Grotto!

We tried to get across that bridge, but they wouldn't let us :(

Yikes! Scary wasp sign!

Hanging out with dad!

Family pic!

Loving that waterfall in the background.

How cute is this pic? We captured the hand-holding moment.

Taking a rest before preparing to hike up LOTS of stairs.

Saturday morning dawned rainy and cloudy, which wasn't too big of a deal since we were piling back in the car to head down the East Coast Highway. We were all feeling a little sleepy after the big hike the day before, but as the sun started peeking out from behind the clouds about an hour in and we turned up the radio, the cameras came out! We stopped at some of the best views on the coast - all gorgeous and dramatic. I was pretty impressed that we didn't get lost until the very end of the drive, and I'm ashamed to admit that it was my fault :( But we still managed the whole drive in about 8 hours! Not too bad considering that we stopped for lunch and missed our turn to Kaohsiung.

One of my favorite views in all of Taiwan.

Right after we snapped this pic, the rain came down in sheets and we had to run for cover!

All of us were pretty tired after the day spent in the car, so we took our time in Kaohsiung easy. But we DID make sure to see the famous giant rubber ducky!

And there it is in all of its glory!

Couldn't resist getting this iconic shot :)

And of course we needed a duck selfie. Typ.

We dropped the car off in Kaohsiung and headed back to Taipei on the high speed rail - always a fun experience and one that my parents found impressive. [Why America can't figure out a similar system is beyond me, but that's another discussion!]. Unfortunately the last two days of their visit I had to go back to work, but by that point my parents were expert tourists and used the MRT to their advantage!

So now the question is, who will be the next visitor??