Hello all!

Melissa here with a highlight video of our wonderful time in Rio! My husband Mark and I were lucky enough to spend about a week in this amazing country. And the best part? We could pack up and leave the children behind! That’s right. Just peace, quiet, and much-needed one-on-one time with my adorable hubby. Here were some of our favorite things to do in Rio!

Talk about dinner with a view! We had a delicious meal at a restaurant complex overlooking the beautiful lake Lagoa. This is actually where they will be building the village and hosting some of the events for the Rio Olympics 2016. Exciting stuff!

Next were the botanical gardens, probably the most gorgeous gardens I’ve ever seen! In Portuguese, they are called the Jardim botanico do Rio de Janeiro. The gardens were breathtaking, filled with exotic tropical plants I had never before seen. Really a must-see if you’re in the area!

We also passed the famous Ipanema beach. I couldn’t help but humming “Girl from Ipanema” as we took in the sights. It was a gorgeous day and the beach was packed. We noticed lots of visitors tanning, swimming, and playing soccer along the sand. From what we could see the waves were getting pretty high! It’s probably a perfect spot for surfing, too. We were able to video the beach a little later in the day and at that time you can really appreciate the setting sun along the mountain ridges. Spectacular!

I’m ending this video with sights from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, one of the most famous peaks in Rio. From way up high, we could take in all the beauty of the mountains and the city nestled just next door. Also some great views of the Guanabara Bay coastline and some of the Atlantic Ocean. So if you’re in Rio and you’re not afraid of heights, take the cable car to the top – you won’t regret it!

And that concludes this highlight reel of our trip to Brazil. I’ll be posting more about our stay so stay tuned!