Somehow it’s already Halloween! On this spookiest of days, I’m reminiscing on the girls’ trip Sara and I took just last month, which was a whirlwind adventure that included a fall must-visit: Salem, Massachusetts.

I’ve always heard that Salem in October is pure chaos, but by going in late September, we lucked out. The town was buzzing with energy but wasn’t overwhelming. Our timing was perfect… but our arrival? Not so much.

After a very delayed flight into Boston, waiting for our rental car, and driving to nearby Marblehead (just ten minutes from Salem), we didn’t get into our Airbnb until about 4 a.m. That left us with just one full day to do Salem – but if I do say so myself, we nailed it.

~8:15 a.m.: Wake up in Marblehead

Despite the lack of sleep, Sara and I managed to rally. We started our day at Blue Canoe Cafe for a much-needed breakfast, then wandered over to Wicked Ducks, where I grabbed a few fun goodies for the kids (any guesses what they were?). After a little window shopping, we headed back to grab the car and hit the road for Salem.

11:00 a.m.: Park in Salem

Finding parking in Salem is no small feat, but we scored a spot in a garage for just $0.65/hour thanks to a friendly attendant at another lot who pointed us there. Definitely a solid way to start our visit.

Our first stop was Crave, a sandwich spot Sara found on TikTok. It absolutely lived up to the hype, with the kind of hearty, delicious lunch that powers you through an entire day of exploring.

With our afternoon tour in mind, we squeezed in a few quick stops first:

• Punto Urban Art Museum – beautiful murals, including a nostalgic Strawberry Shortcake piece
  
• The Lost Library – a sort of hidden gem gift shop with photo ops galore (and a secret black star that unlocks a “treasure”)
  
• District Trading Company – my favorite souvenir find plus some amazing travel tips for Portland, Maine
  

12:45 p.m.: Tour the Salem Witch Museum

We actually booked our Salem Witch Museum tickets at about 2 a.m. while waiting for our rental car (talk about dedicated). This ended up being the busiest stop of the day; even with our tickets, we waited about half an hour to get in.

Inside, the museum walks you through the history of the Salem Witch Trials as well as how “witches” have been portrayed in pop culture over the centuries. It’s definitely worth visiting, though note that the dark and dramatic presentation might be too spooky for kids (mine would not have loved it).

From there, we wandered around town and checked out:

• The all-black John Ward House (perfect photo spot)
  
• Essex Street, which feels straight out of Halloweentown
  
• The iconic Bewitched sculpture – along with a small crowd of fellow selfie-takers
  

2:20 p.m.: Caffeinate at Blackcraft Coffee

Next up: Blackcraft Coffee, another Sara find. They recently started using a reservation system because the lines were getting that long. Luckily, we snagged a slot at 2:20 p.m. – about fifteen minutes after our arrival – which gave us time to poke around the shop first.

Sara ordered the Good Witch Latte, while I went for the Sea Witch; both drinks were delicious. We were definitely fading, so the caffeine was more than welcome… as were the cookies we picked up at Goodnight Fatty to help us power through the afternoon. 

3:30 p.m.: Take a Quick Rest

After a stop at the Brick Box for some LEGO-themed fun, we finally admitted defeat and headed back to our Airbnb for a breather. I curled up with my witchy read (keeping things on-theme, obviously) and nibbled on a cookie or two while Sara napped. After all, it’s a marathon, not a sprint!

6:00 p.m.: Dinner at Three Cod Tavern

Exhaustion had officially hit by dinnertime, so we kept it simple with Three Cod Tavern, just a short walk away from our Airbnb. Despite what appeared to be an engagement party happening, we managed to get a table for two. Highlight: I got the lobster roll I’d been waiting for. Pricey? A little. Worth it? Absolutely.

After dinner, we strolled through the neighborhood, soaking in all the Halloween decor and crisp fall air. As much as it pained us to pack up, we couldn’t have asked for a better one-day adventure in Salem. It was short, sweet, and full of magic.

If You Go:

• Visit in late September to avoid the October crowds but still catch all the spooky charm.
  
• Book museum tickets and coffee reservations early, as these things fill up fast!
  
• Stay in Marblehead if you want a quieter home base with easy access to Salem.

Looking for some other girls’ trips?

While my international travels wrapped up in May, I’ve spent a lot of this summer exploring the Tampa Bay area – and finding plenty of great local restaurants along the way. Since the season “officially” wraps up today, in honor of Labor Day, here are my top 10 must-eats from the season:

Coffee & Breakfast

The Salty Donut (5808 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604)

I’ve written about The Salty Donut before, but when they opened up a new location in Seminole Heights, I knew I had to scope it out. We brought the whole fam for what turned out to be quite the event. While I would have appreciated some indoor seating, the donuts were delectable, as always. 

Foxtail Coffee Co. (10907 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33618)

Founded in Winter Park, this Florida-based chain has quickly become a favorite of ours. They have a really nice selection of coffee- and tea-based drinks, as well as a fantastic bakery case. The kids are always happy when we pop in for a visit!

Eclipse Cafe (6118 Gunn Hwy, Tampa, FL 33625)

Per their website, Eclipse is “Florida’s first coffee shop merging fresh brews with functional mushrooms.” While I haven’t tested out any of the mushroom drinks, I can attest to their selection of treats. We’ve already found ourselves here a couple of times this summer.

Lunch & Dinner

Kelp Sushi Joint (6507 W Waters Ave Ste 9, Tampa, FL 33634)

You can also find Kelp in South Tampa, but their Town N Country location has become one of my go-to elevated spots for fabulous sushi – it’s just as great for a date night as it is for a family dinner. I’ve had several different dishes, and everything has always been 10/10.

Mad Dogs & Englishmen (4914 S MacDill Ave, Tampa, FL 33611)

Our good friend Megan suggested that she and I meet up here for dinner, and she was spot on with her recommendation. The drinks and the dessert were both great, but it’s honestly the salad that I’m still thinking about. It was huge and crispy with so much flavor – I’m getting hungry just writing about it.

Shaker & Peel (3159 Curlew Rd, Oldsmar, FL 34677)

This is the place to take your taco Tuesday to a whole new level! Megan and I also met up here for a bite, and it did not disappoint. We both enjoyed some perfectly salted margaritas, and after a shared app and two tacos (highly recommend getting the grouper), I was totally full.

Tampa Burger Co. (500 S Howard Ave, Tampa, FL 33606)

While I didn’t get the chance to eat this burger on-site – we actually got them when their food truck was in the neighborhood –  I was still very impressed with the quality. They have a nice selection of hamburgers, ranging from classic to eclectic, so there’s something for every carnivore.

Main Munchery (5346 Main St #101, New Port Richey, FL 34652)

It’s a bit of a trek from Tampa proper, but I was happy to make the ~40 minute drive to grab lunch with Sara at the newest “go-to spot” in NPR. We had a smorgasbord of dishes, but for me, the macaroni and cheese was the highlight of our meal – and the pumpkin cheesecake was delightful to-go.

Brews

Coppertail Brewing (2601 E 2nd Ave, Tampa, FL 33605)

Every time I pop into Coppertail, I remember how much I like it. Not only do they have a great selection of local beers and ciders, but their food menu is also really strong. This is a great spot by Ybor to go out with friends or family and just hang out for a few hours – with a drink in hand, of course.

Hop State Brewing (7052 Benjamin Rd, Tampa, FL 33634)

We were thrilled when we learned there was a new brewery opening up in our neck of the woods, so we visited with friends shortly after opening. This place may be off the beaten path, but it’s not one to miss! Their array of craft seltzers really sold it for me; I’m sure I’ll be back soon.

And as a bonus, here are some food finds outside of Tampa Bay that I really enjoyed this summer:

• In Cape Coral, the highlight of our long weekend might have been STUFF-A-BAGEL.
• In Naples, our visit to Great Wolf Lodge included two great restaurants, which I highlighted in that post.
• In Ocala, my mom and I grabbed a quick lunch at Smalls Sliders, which absolutely hit the spot.

We don’t usually travel in the summer – last year’s trip to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland aside – because 1) it’s expensive, and 2) it’s hot! That being said, at the beginning of August, we found ourselves at Great Wolf Lodge in Naples. My mom had actually floated the idea out because she was off from school at the same time my son and daughter were wrapping up their summer vacation, so we packed up the car, the kids, and way too many snacks for a three-day adventure to Florida’s first-ever GWL.

Now historically, I’m not a water park person, but this was no ordinary water park – for starters, it’s indoors. My four year old had the time of his life, and the rest of us had a pretty great time too. Here’s how it went down:

Day 1: Road Trip + Arrival

What should normally be a 3-hour drive from my house in Tampa turned into a 5-hour drive – with a Publix pitstop, because we’re Floridians to our core – so we rolled up to Great Wolf Naples at about 6 in the evening. After we parked ($19/day), we headed straight to the check-in kiosks. The process was super smooth, and we then got our wristbands, which were our room key, water park pass, and credit card rolled into one bright orange package.

What was more exciting for the kids though was that we were greeted with balloon animals in the lobby, then made our way to the seventh floor. There was plenty of space for the four of us, and we easily could have fit another two people into our room – though we may have opted for the bunk beds, with a larger crew!

After a quick scout of the water park, we grabbed dinner at The Hungry Wolf Food Hall. This had plenty of options for even the pickiest eaters, but we found the food was a little lackluster, especially for the price. They were actually out of the kid souvenir cups when we went, though the concierge was able to reconcile this afterward. 

We then popped into the gift shop to score some of the iconic wolf ears (mandatory, obviously, and free)! I put my youngest to bed, and my mom stayed with her, so the oldest and I could grab dessert. A huge thanks to the staff at Wood’s End Creamery, who handed us a second scoop after the first one took a tragic nosedive. Legends.

Day 2: Slides + Sweets

The kids actually slept in after our late night, which was a treat for all of us. It also meant we could still hit the water park when it opened at 10. While the baby was a big fan of the Otter Springs toddler-friendly splash zone (nothing like a water table for a one year old), he found his true calling at the four-story interactive splash fort, Otter Cave Waterworks. 

My mom and I alternated who joined him on the slides here, and he had the time of his life. The Crooked Creek lazy river couldn’t compete. We pried him away as we got close to lunch time, so that we could dry off and change. We then drove off-property for lunch at Cracklin’ Jacks, because fried Southern things are my mom’s love language. The portions were huge – we all came back with leftovers. 

We then went back to the room for a post-lunch rest before round two of resort fun. My mom purchased a wand for the oldest at MagiQuest. We didn’t opt to play the full game (which had additional pricing involved), but a wand that could interact with objects all around the hotel meant he was still living his best wizard life. 

Our evening also included another stop at Wood’s End Creamery – so everyone could enjoy it! – and more lobby balloon animals. Dinner was fridge leftovers and zero regrets. My mom escorted the dude to the evening dance party before baths, snuggles, and lights out wrapped the day.

Day 3: Rewind + Repeat

This looked a lot like the previous day because we’d clearly unlocked a system that worked. We were basically first in line for the water park opening, and my son was even more confident on the slides this time around – going so far as to take one slide on his belly when that wasn’t actually allowed (whoops).

We opted to go off-site for lunch again, this time visiting Fernandez the Bull Cuban Café based on a recommendation from Sara. I got a Cuban – obviously – and would definitely recommend a stop. The staff was attentive, and once again, we came back with plenty of leftovers to carry us through the rest of the day. 

After our afternoon rest, highlights included kid sprints, button-making, and gemstone shopping at Oliver’s Mining Co. (My son is still carrying these gemstones around!). My mom also made a friend in the lobby and we grabbed some chocolate chip cookies for pre-dinner dessert.

We ended the night with one last bath and one last tuck-in before calling it lights out and heading out the next morning.

Final Thoughts

• Would we go back? Definitely – the kids had a blast, and we didn’t have to deal with normal summer problems like sunburns or pop-up thunderstorms.
• Do you need three days? I think this was the perfect amount. We went Wednesday – Saturday, and definitely noticed it got busier Friday night, so I’d target a mid-week stay if you can.
• Best for what age? There’s something for everyone, though I think 4+ would be the best focus. I don’t know that my daughter had quite as much fun as my son.
• What did it cost? For the hotel, water park access, parking, and on-site food, it was right around $1,000 for the four of us for three nights. I can’t say it was cheap, but it felt like a lot included in the price.

Maybe it was the wand (or maybe it was the air conditioning), but the adventure definitely felt magical – even without doing all the extras. I expect we’ll be making a return trip in the not-too-distant future.

When we were in Australia earlier this year, we had two major goals:

1. Visit the Great Barrier Reef
2. See Bluey’s house for real life

If you didn’t know, Bluey (of kid’s TV show fame) and her family live in Brisbane, Australia. Since we just so happened to be in the city already, we knew from the get-go that we’d find a way to visit. Fortunately, Bluey’s World Brisbane opened at the end of last year, and we planned to spend our final day of the trip around it.

At $50 AUD (~$30 USD) for each of us – except for the baby, who was free – it wasn’t cheap, and we didn’t really know what to expect since the attraction was so new. So was it worth it? Here’s what we found:

• You get a pair of ears! When you arrive, each person gets to pick a pair of Heeler family ears, and you get to keep them! It was such a fun surprise, and months later, our kids are still wearing them around the house. These were a big hit.

• The experience is guided. Groups are let in one at a time, and while you’ll see other groups here and there, the experience is led by cast members who guide you through a storyline. We really enjoyed this, and it kept our guy engaged throughout.

• No photos are allowed (mostly). Once you’re inside the experience, photos are off-limits until the very end. It caught us off guard, but honestly? It helped us all stay in the moment. If you’re big on taking pictures, just know you’ll have to wait.

• Prepared for the gift shop. It’s elaborate and definitely very tempting. My mom found herself with several pieces of merch. There’s also food and a playground at the end of the experience. We opted to walk to a nearby restaurant, but our kids burned off energy at the playground first.

So… was it worth it?

For our family, absolutely. It was well-designed, thoughtfully executed, and our four-year-old was the perfect age for it. If your kid(s) are Bluey fans, it’s a must-do while in Brisbane. That said, if your little ones aren’t into Bluey – or you’ve got older kids – you might want to look into other attractions like Movie World or Dreamworld, which might be a better fit.

It’s been quite the year of travel so far! In January, Tyler and I jumped on a great deal for a long weekend in Paris; in March, we took our families to Brisbane and sailed the coast; and in May, we capitalized on the ultimate bleisure experience: a conference in Vilamoura, Portugal. 

With my flight and hotel covered, we booked Tyler’s $1,100 plane ticket (ouch), turning a work trip into a gorgeous escape on Portugal’s southern coast. We enjoyed soaking in the sun, the sand, and more glasses of wine than I can count. Here are the highlights:

Where We Stayed: Hotel Vila Galé Marina

We checked into the Hotel Vila Galé Marina in Vilamoura and were immediately able to get into our room – despite the fact that it was 11am. The room was comfortable – though the separate bidet caught me by surprise – but the main selling feature was the pool, which was definitely giving Mediterranean dreams. We had a great view of it from our balcony, though I made sure to make time to work poolside as well (and grab a snack from the pool bar). As a bonus, it was just a few minutes to walk to the conference at the Tivoli Marina Vilamoura Algarve Resort, which meant the location couldn’t be beat.

Where We Dined: ÀCosta by Olivier Algarve

One of my partners invited me out to dinner for the first night, and I asked if it would be possible to bring my husband along – they said of course! This was definitely the place to take him, and I honestly can’t wait to go back. We started with drinks, then a smorgasbord of appetizers: crispy bread, grilled shrimp, monkfish, ceviche, etc. Then we were delighted with squid ink rice with shrimp and fish, as well as pomegranate seed salads. Despite this stellar menu, it was the dessert that stole the show. I’m still thinking about the Dom Rodrigo, a regional egg-based dessert that’s like nothing I’ve ever had before…

Where We Hiked: Seven Hanging Valleys

A coworker recommended that we prioritize this hike above all else when in the region, and she was spot on. We got an Uber from the hotel (it was about 45 minutes away from our hotel) and hit the Percurso dos Sete Vales Suspensos. We got there early to beat the heat – and make it back in time for my afternoon meetings – but it was still crowded. And for good reason; y’all, it’s STUNNING. We stopped frequently to get pictures of the jagged cliffs and the turquoise waters. We ended up dropping off the trail halfway through so I could make my meetings, but if I could suggest one stop in the Algarve, it’s this one. 

Where We Partied: Praia de Vilamoura

We wrapped things up with a “bon voyage” beach bash on Praia de Vilamoura, steps away from the conference center. Talk about ending the trip on a strong note! We enjoyed a fiery performance with lots of actual fire, seemingly bottomless food and drinks, and the golden hour glow as the sun set on the water. I made a point of kicking off my sandals and dipping my feet in – you can take the girl out of Florida, but she’ll still find her way to the beach. I definitely added one of my partners on Duolingo (I’ve got to keep up my streak), then walked back to the hotel to pack up my things. 

Final Thoughts

Three nights made for a very quick trip, especially when most of the time was spent in the conference center. I got just enough of a taste to know that we’re absolutely coming back – though next time, we’re skipping the conference and doubling the vinho verde (IYKYK). If you’re craving a trip that’s equal parts scenic and spicy, add this Portuguese paradise to your list.

Other bleisure highlights…

Hello friends! March came and went – it felt like time passed much faster while we were “down under.” That being said, I have so, so much to share about our family trip to Australia. For starters: everything about our cruise!

As I’d mentioned previously, we booked a cruise that would take us to Cairns, as well as Airlie Beach and Port Douglas. From Brisbane, this was actually the most efficient way for us all to get up the coast in the time we had, and it meant we didn’t spend hours on end driving. Looking back on it, I’m definitely happy with our choice. What made the adventure even better is that my mom and Maggie joined us – I hadn’t been on a trip with my sister in years, so it was definitely time.

Was our cruise relaxing? Sometimes. Was it fun? Absolutely. Did we see the Great Barrier Reef? Spoiler: we did. Here’s a recap of our seven days at sea on the Carnival Luminosa: 

Day 1: Depart Brisbane

March 16

We kicked off the trip with a smooth check-in (a huge shout out to the staff that saw our overloaded stroller and escorted us through like VIPs). We boarded the ship, found our muster station, and made our way to the room. Now, Megan has splurged on some fancy rooms before – see the Havana Club – but this was my first time opting for the upgrade on a cruise. We figured if we were going to be nap trapped once a day, we should at least treat ourselves to a balcony. 😉

After settling in with our things, we explored the ship and had our first dinner in the main dining room. Tyler and our son needed a little rest after all the excitement, so they stayed back. My one year old daughter was living her best life with a plate of spaghetti while the girls enjoyed a nice dinner together. A solid start.

Day 2: Fun Day at Sea

March 17

Nothing says cruise life like waking up early and hitting the breakfast buffet. We had a full day at sea, which meant exploring the ship’s offerings: trivia games (we obviously played Friends and Harry Potter), poolside lounging, Dr. Seuss storytime for the kiddos, and soft-serve cones on repeat for everyone.

Was this the most celebratory St. Patrick’s Day we’ve had on a vacation? No, that title probably goes to Ireland, with Denmark in second. At least everyone wore green! That is until we took our afternoon rest and changed for sunset family photos before dinner. We wrapped the night with a “Dive-In Movie” by the pool featuring Moana 2. As Moana would say, the sea, it calls me.

Day 3: Airlie Beach

March 18

We packed up for our first day ashore and caught the shuttle boat to Airlie Beach. The tropical vibes were slightly dampened by a bit of rain, but we found cover at a breezy bar – appropriately named The Bar – and soaked in the views with a drink in hand.

The little ones ran wild at the Whitsundays Adventure Playground, and we strolled around the beach town before heading back to the ship for lunch and some downtime. Dinner was full of music and dancing, and we wrapped up the night picking out our favorite photos from the night before.

Day 4: Cairns & Green Island

March 19

This was the big one. After docking in Cairns, we joined up with our group tour and took an ~hour-long boat ride to Green Island, which was lush, tropical, and totally gorgeous. Our son was so excited to go for a swim in the crystal blue water, and we had the best time splashing around.

We grabbed lunch at the on-site Canopy Grill, where a bird attempted to share the baby’s food – and she was not about it. After settling her down, we made our way to our glass bottom boat tour. This allowed us to see the Great Barrier Reef up close, as well as tons of wildlife – and two sea turtles! This was my biggest goal for the trip, and considering snorkeling wasn’t in the cards for us, I’m so glad we were able to make it happen. 

We made a new American friend on the boat ride back, let the kids go wild at the coolest Fig Tree Playground, then unwound with cold drinks at Hemingway’s Brewery before sailing off again. Peak cruise day.

Day 5: Port Douglas

March 20

After breakfast, we set out to explore Port Douglas, a sleepy beach town with cute shops. We picked up more sunscreen at the pharmacy for our fair skinned crew, then walked up to the Flagstaff Hill lookout for a great playground and even better views of the shore.

Back on board, we hit the buffet and caught a quick nap. We met up for our nightly family dinner, played air hockey in the arcade, and wrapped up the evening with laughs at a PG-rated comedy show. The kiddos were falling asleep in their seats after a long few days of adventuring, so we got them tucked in for the night after that.

Day 6: Scenic Cruising – Willis Island

March 21

We didn’t stop at Willis Island, but cruising past it was really interesting – plus, we got to hear from one of the few people who lives ashore. We spent the day soaking up ship life: ping pong, foosball, arcade, and a much-needed pool session.

We regrouped for family dinner and then had our own in-room movie night featuring The Bad Guys. It was a lovely day aboard.

Day 7: Final Sea Day

March 22

We were firmly in “never want to leave” mode by our final full day – especially the dude, who told us he wanted to stay on the boat forever. After breakfast, we joined in on “Creativity at Sea” for some early morning coloring, then hit the arcade for one last air hockey battle.

We got in some more pool time, a last-minute snack run, and one more Dive-In Movie (The Lorax, a family favorite) wrapped up the evening. The highlight of the day? Definitely the Turtle Trek, a ridiculously adorable crawling race. Our baby girl has perfected her scooting, and she took home second place. 

Would I Cruise the Reef Again?

100% yes. This was exactly what our family needed to make getting up and down the Australian coast easy and convenient. We got to see everything we wanted – read: the Great Barrier Reef – without dedicating hours each day to driving on the other side of the road. Instead, we got in a lot more naps (and quality time with the family). Everyone had a really great time, and my mom is already itching to book our next cruise. Maybe we revisit the Mediterranean?

February has definitely been an exciting month! Not only did we have a quick getaway to Paris, but I was also invited to attend the Daytona 500 through work. I’m not one to pass up a new travel opportunity, though the real fun was that my family was invited to join in! We packed up the kids and hit the road for the ultimate racing experience. 

Day One: Fresh From Florida 250

We kicked off our Daytona adventure with a packed car and high spirits. We left around 11 a.m. and made a pit stop for lunch at McDonald’s (as one does on a road trip). After a quick bite, we were back on the road and headed straight to the Daytona Grande Oceanfront Hotel. We had just enough time to freshen up before meeting my team for dinner at 4Rivers. 

During dinner, the kiddos needed a bit of a stretch break, so Tyler brought them outside to explore – where they also scored some CW swag. From there, we took a golf cart ride to the track, cruising through the tunnel and onto the field for the pre-show. There’s nothing like standing in the middle of a racetrack! The best part was that we got to meet the legend himself, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who kindly signed an autograph for our son. We enjoyed a few laps of the race, but between the long day of travel and the noise (even through their headphones), we called it an early night.

Day Two: United Rentals 300

Everyone enjoyed sleeping in before we grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel. We then headed over to PopStroke for some mini golf with the team. The kids had a fun time – especially our oldest, who also discovered their on-site playground! We ate lunch there as well, then headed back to the hotel for naptime. 

After some much-needed downtime, we drove over to the track and rode the golf cart in. We were lucky enough to be able to watch the race from a suite, which the kids (and I) preferred to being on the ground. Not only did we have a better view, it also wasn’t nearly so loud! To everyone’s surprise, we made it through the whole race. 

Day Three: Daytona 500

This was our longest day at the track! We had breakfast at the hotel again before making our way back to the track. We squished on to a golf cart with some other attendees, and returned to the suite. This was a great place to meet everyone and settle in before our garage tour.

This tour proved to be a bit much for both kids. Not only was it a lot of walking around, it was also hot. We ended up bailing early, and making our way back to the suite for lunch (and for the oldest, a power nap). This worked out well because we had some serious excitement: Pitbull kicked things off with a concert, the Thunderbirds had an impressive air show, and the President actually made an appearance. 

Anthony Mackie had everyone start their engines AND we spotted Michael Jordan in the suite next door, so we definitely started the race strong. Of course, they then announced a rain delay after only eleven laps – and we called it. Since we had a long drive ahead of us, we didn’t want to try to power through. After all, we did get quite a bit of race watching in! We hopped onto a golf cart for the ride back to the car and started our journey home.

As any NASCAR driver would tell you, pacing is key. With our two young kids in tow, we quickly realized that long race days can be a lot to handle. We ended up leaving two of the races early and broke up one day with time back at the hotel. Did everything go exactly to plan? Definitely not. But did we have a good time? Yes. And when we’re traveling with kids, that’s all I can ask for.

As quickly as we planned it, our time in Paris was over just like that! We only had three days in the city, so we had to make the most of it without fitting in too much – after all, a vacation away from the kids should be relaxing! I think this trip was a nice mix, and there were plenty of highlights. These are a few of my bests:

Best Late-Night Activity: Moulin Rouge

Tyler and I have both been to Paris before, but the Moulin Rouge was never in the budget. That being said, I had someone highly recommend it for a kids-free trip, so we jumped on it when we saw they had cheaper tickets available for the 11pm showing. We definitely pregamed the event with a nap since this was the day we arrived in the city, but we had a great time. The elaborate costumes and impressive gymnastics are what make the show great, though the story-telling was also fun (as was seeing the home of the can-can). It’s admittedly a little pricey, but it’s certainly an experience I’m glad to have! 

Best Restaurant: La Padellina

Obviously, Paris is known for its French cuisine, but we can’t resist some good Italian food! Pasta is practically our love language, and La Padellina delivered. It makes sense, since Italy is right next door, but we were so impressed with the quality and freshness of our meal. We made a reservation – which I would recommend, since the space is small – and we were seated promptly. My pesto rotini dish was so flavorful without being heavy, and the tiramisu was delightfully decadent (order one to share). As a bonus, we found the meal to be very reasonably priced; we spent less than $43 USD for both of us.

While I obviously had a favorite, everywhere we ate was quite good. For specific dishes, I would recommend…

• Best croissant: Boulangerie BO&MIE
• Best brioche: Notre Pâtisserie
• Best cheese dish: Linette
• Best avocado toast: Kozy Bosquet
• Best chocolate cake: Harper’s Bazar Paris 15

Best Kids Shop: Tikibou

We might have been traveling without our kids, but we didn’t stop thinking about them! Of course, we had to bring them each home a little something from Paris. We stumbled upon Tikibou, a whimsical store specializing in children’s gifts and toys. They had such a nice selection of options, with most of them from French companies. It was such a treat to choose from all these treasures; we landed on some cute wooden animal toys for our daughter and a delightful music box for our son. Even the paper bag we got was colorful and fun – I would absolutely recommend a pop-in, even if it’s for your inner child.

Best Tourist Must-Do: The Eiffel Tower

We were staying within a ten minute walk of the Eiffel Tower, so we made a trip on more than one occasion. We’re hardly alone in choosing this as one of, if not the most iconic experiences of Paris, but there’s something to be said for the way it lights up the sky at night, especially when it starts to sparkle. We didn’t go up to the top – though I have done that in the past – but I was delighted to extend our walk back to the hotel on our last night to make our way under (well, immediately to the side of) the structure. After all, what’s a trip to Paris if you didn’t see the Eiffel Tower?

It was definitely a whirlwind to plan, but we had a great time! And of course, we loved coming home to the kiddos.

Some other quick trips in Europe…

Ahead of my study abroad trip in 2014, my mom gifted me with a lovely luggage set. I have brought it out countless times over the years, though I usually favor my Away bag. That being said, the carry-on from this set was the perfect size for our Air Canada flights to Tokyo, so I opted to dust it off. Unfortunately, I should have inspected it a little further…

Here’s the scene: we’ve just arrived at our hotel in Montreal for our overnight layover, the kids are excited to be off the plane (and to see the snow), and we are ready to settle in for a chill night in the room. I’m pulling out pajamas and collapsing handles on our bags, but my handle just won’t go down. It’s stuck in the upright position, anddddd cue my internal panic. I can’t get this bag on to our next flight if the handle won’t work, since that means it won’t fit in the overhead bin.

Whelp, so much to our smooth start. We determined the best move was for Tyler to head out to a nearby shopping plaza while I stayed in the hotel with the kids. He would source a new carry-on for me to use. He took an Uber to a nearby Marshalls and sent me a few pictures of the luggage options they had available. I picked one that seemed to be the correct dimensions, so he scooped that up (and grabbed a drink at a nearby pub while in town).

He returned triumphant, and with enough time that he and our son could still get some time to play in the show before dinner. I quickly repacked my things and transferred everything into my new suitcase. Goodbye, broken carry-on. I left it behind in the hotel the next morning, a relic of my earliest international travels, as we made our way to the airport for our flight to Japan.

Travel, especially with kids, is not without its hiccups, but this is certainly one of the wildest ones. I was honestly pretty impressed with how quickly we were able to troubleshoot, and the new bag fit into the overhead bin without any issues. From there, it carried us through the rest of our trip!

As I’ve always said, go where the cheap flights take you! So when $333 flights to Paris, France, popped up on Google Flights, it was an (almost) immediate yes. That’s exactly how Tyler and I found ourselves planning a last-minute trip – we’re going at the end of the month! We were able to quickly coordinate dog and childcare, so now we’re gearing up for a few days of just the two of us in the City of Light – marking our first return since our trip in 2018!

Here’s what we have locked in so far:

• The flights. When I clicked into the flights for details, they showed $440 per person – which is still a great price for Paris from Tampa. That being said, when I started playing with the dates, they popped up at just $333! That officially makes these the cheapest international flights we’ve ever booked. We could only get two of them at price, so we booked them and hoped we’d figure out the logistics in the next 24 hours. Fortunately, we were able to make it work.

• The hotel. For our accommodations, we wanted something cozy and central. Enter the Eiffel Turenne Hotel, which is just a short stroll from the Eiffel Tower. We’ll definitely be making our way over there for a picnic or two, as well exploring the nearby restaurants (which are generally quite well regarded). Its proximity to the major attractions, as well as the price point, made this the perfect home base for the two of us on our long weekend adventure.

And here’s what we’re still planning:

• The meals. Speaking of renowned restaurants, I am eager to make a reservation at a Michelin-starred restaurant (or two) for either lunch or dinner. We had a seriously great meal at Marchal in Copenhagen, which is the last Michelin spot we’ve visited. Since this trip will be just the two of us, we don’t have to cater to our children’s palates. If you have any recommendations, feel free to drop them in the comments!

• The activities. There’s so much to do, and so little time! This is definitely a quick trip – though not quite as quick as when we were in Paris the last time – so we’re prioritizing our potential adventures. A couple options that we’ve kicked around are making a trip to the Catacombs, for a combo of cool and creepy, as well as a visit to Disneyland Paris, which would be a first for Tyler. I also expect a few museum visits – when in Paris!

We usually have a lot more time to plan a trip, but there’s something about pulling this together so quickly that is both chaotic and freeing. We’ll nail down a couple more things, but outside of that, we’re leaving room for spontaneity! I’ve been told that Paris is a city that rewards wanderers, and we plan to embrace that mentality – baguette in hand. 😉

Looking for more content about Paris, France?

As we count down these final moments of 2024, it’s time to look back at the incredible journeys of the past year. For me, those journeys included going back to work after maternity leave, as well as moving back to the heart of Tampa (I’m now just ten minutes from the airport!). There were several great trips this year as well, though honestly, I felt like the year flew by!

I am confident there will be plenty of adventures ahead, but for now, let’s kick off the countdown to 2025 with my 2024 travel recap. Who doesn’t love a little wanderlust to ring in the new year? ✨

5+… Countries I Visited

While a lot of my adventures were local – including the week I spent moving from one house to the other before promptly heading on vacation – I still managed to visit six different countries in 2024! Each one offered something special. 

• I marked my first visit to Asia with a two week trip to Japan, making the most of my maternity leave with visits to Tokyo and Kyoto.
• We summered in Europe with time in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. That new direct flight to Zurich from Tampa is a great one!
• I also explored the stunning natural beauty of Canada (with three different visits). All of the trips this year were quick, but I love some time up north.
• Of course, I wrapped up the year with some time in Ireland with Tyler’s family, as we road tripped all around the Emerald Isle.

4… Favorite Moments from 2024

Picking my top moments from 2024 is no easy task, but let’s give it a go:

• Seeing the way my son lit up at Tokyo Disney Resort. We’re Florida folks, but this was his first Disney visit (outside of our weekend at Disney Springs earlier in the year). I think if you asked him his favorite part of our trip to Japan, he’d still tell you that it was meeting Mickey Mouse.
• Falling in love with Lindau, Germany. Tyler and I had visited Hamburg several years ago, and it left us with a meh taste in our mouths. I’m glad we didn’t write off the country, because Lindau was a perfect summer getaway. It was cute and low-key, with plenty of ice cream options. 10/10.
• Finding some bleisure time in Whistler, Canada. While I prefer my work trips to be a little closer to the airport – it took us ~3 hours to drive there from the Vancouver airport – I loved getting to explore a bit. The gondola ride with the gorgeous views is definitely one I’ll remember for a long time!
• Scoring a Global Entry appointment for our baby girl before we left for Japan! I was refreshing the website practically daily to see if new appointments would become available for her, and I was so excited to have one become available. We have certainly gotten our money’s worth!

Each of these moments was a reminder that travel is so much more than just the destination – it’s all about the adventures along the way. 😉 

3… Key Travel Purchases

Now that we’ve got an extra person in tow, we’ve had to make some additional travel investments. These three purchases – two of which I wrote about here – really changed the game:

• A travel stroller: We could not have made it through two weeks in Japan without this little guy. As much as we love our Mockingbird, we needed something lightweight and compact for the tiny restaurants and tight walkways (as well as when we couldn’t find an elevator in a metro). 
• The Stevyn Rolling Duffel from Calpak: Only one of our kids can walk, and neither of them can consistently manage their own bag. The fact that this has multiple compartments (for separating clean and dirty) and stacks on top of another roller bag makes this potentially my best purchase all year. 
• A seat on the plane for the baby: This 100% adds to your travel costs, but it is also 1,000% worth it! We bought our little girl a seat for the trip to Ireland, and it meant we all got the chance to rest up ahead of our arrival in Dublin. If your baby can sit on their own, I cannot recommend this more. Honestly, I wish we had bought one for her for the flight to Switzerland!

Each of these items definitely made my travels this year more stress-free and enjoyable. They were definitely worth the investment!

2… Kids I Traveled With

I thought I had a handle on traveling with a kid, but 2024 was the year I had to figure out how to travel with both a toddler and a baby! There were definitely challenges (and plenty of travel snacks), but it was also incredibly rewarding.

Ultimately, my best recommendation for traveling with kid(s) is not to overplan your days. Yes, prepare what you can (see travel purchases above), but when we take our kids with us on our adventures, we pick one thing to accomplish each day. On the day we went to the Swiss Museum of Transport, that was our entire plan for the day; and when we went to the teamLab Planets exhibit in Tokyo, that was all we had on the agenda.

Everything else you manage to accomplish beyond that one thing is extra. 🙂 And if you don’t “do” anything else – outside of keeping your child(ren) alive – then you’ve still managed to knock out your list for the day.

1… Big Trip Coming Up: Australia!

As you know, we’re heading to Australia this year! 🇦🇺 I have been talking about getting to Australia for years, and I’m thrilled that we’ll be kicking off our 2025 adventures with a dream trip to the land down under. The thing I’m most excited about? The Great Barrier Reef.

Since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to see the world’s largest living structure, and next year, I’ll finally get the chance to see it. As a family, we’re taking a cruise from Brisbane that will get us right to the heart of this natural wonder. Picture this: crystal-clear waters, vibrant coral reefs, and a whole world of marine life just waiting to be discovered. I’m not sure whether we’ll be snorkeling (we will have the kiddos with us, after all), but regardless of how we see it, I know it’s going to be magical.

So, as we step into 2025, I’m finalizing my plans for this Aussie adventure. Of course, there are plenty more travel ideas in the works – we’ve been kicking around a domestic roadtrip, though I just saw some very compelling prices for a round two trip to Tokyo – but Australia is definitely at the top of my list.

I can’t wait to share all the incredible experiences I’ll have in the new year. I hope you’ll come along for the ride with me, even if it takes me a beat to get my updates here on the blog. Cheers to 2024, and here’s to a new year filled with even more adventures, discoveries, and memories. ✈️

As you know, we’ve been to Ireland more than a handful of times over the past ten years or so… We most recently went on a family trip to Ireland in 2022 (you can check out the cost breakdown on that here), but Tyler and I love to get back there. I would say this was definitely our most ambitious trip there, as we rented a car and turned it into a multi-stop family road trip. Buckle up – this is how we spent our holiday in Ireland:

Day 1: The Journey Begins

It all started with a super-smooth airport experience in Tampa. We parked in the economy lot (pricing-wise, this is your best bet) and met up with my in-laws. From there, it was off to Atlanta for a long layover. What’s the best way to survive a 5+ hour layover? Fast food, obviously. The kiddos were thrilled. After some serious snack damage, it was finally time to board the flight to Dublin, where the adventure really began.

Day 2: Arriving in Dublin

Touchdown in Dublin! After breezing through customs, we hopped on a shuttle to Thrifty to pick up our Renault Trafic. The guy at the counter tried to get us to downgrade to something just a bit smaller, but with a crew of six, plus luggage, we didn’t have a ton of options. We took a quick detour to Halfords for a booster seat for our son, since it was cheaper to buy one than rent one. A quick stop at Lidl for some groceries, and we were off—driving on the other side of the road (always a thrilling experience – huge kudos to Tyler for captaining our ship).

… and Immediately Hitting the Road

We drove through the countryside to Cork on very little sleep, so we detoured. A pit stop at Dunnes for a caffeine jolt and leg stretch was absolutely called for. After a brief parking struggle, we finally checked into the Leonardo Hotel Cork (which we had actually stayed at previously). Dinner at The Oliver Plunkett was hearty – I’d pass on the pizza, but the Irish lamb stew was just what I needed on a cold evening. By the time we made it back to the hotel, we were all tuckered out.

Day 3: Exploring Cork City

Breakfast at The Bookshelf at The Elysian was a lovely way to start the day. From there, we made our way to Shalom Park. This was a fun return, as our kiddo had played there two years ago – we definitely got some great then and now moments! We then popped into Aldi for a few more groceries (and a couple kids’ books, including one about Kevin the Carrot). Post-nap, we found ourselves at Marina Market, which is Cork’s largest indoor market. Think Armature Works in Tampa. We got toasties and burritos, as well as watched the ice skating. We wrapped up our evening with a wander back to the hotel.

Day 4: Navigating County Cork

We started our day at the Dulce Bun House (because who can resist an Irish sweet bun?), then hit up Penneys for some window shopping. When in Ireland! We then attempted to visit the Blackrock Castle Observatory, but it was closed for field trips. Whoops. Instead, we walked around Cork Harbor before meeting up with my friend Clo for a lovely lunch at Castle Café. Note: the mussels are definitely a sharing dish! We then hit the road to Rosscarbery. We met up with some family friends, who were kind enough to let us stay with them, then hit up Nolans bar for drinks with Tyler’s parents. The night ended with fish and chips from Max Bites, where the owner learned everything he could about us!

Day 5: Chill Vibes in Rosscarbery

After a late start, we left the kiddos with my in-laws and had a little breakfast date at Drip Coffee. Fun fact: I introduced their staff to the London Fog, which they loved. If you ever find yourself in Rosscarbery with this beverage, you have me to thank. 😉 We spent the day leisurely walking around Rosscarbery and checking out the playground (another return from our last trip). It was a slow, easy day—exactly what we needed after some of the go-go-go. Later, we celebrated our baby girl’s first birthday at Dunes Bar and Bistro. I would definitely recommend the curry, though the staff surprised her with a delicious lemon cupcake to top off the evening.

Day 6: Dingle or Bust

The morning started with a flurry of packing and cleaning – had to get the house back in order for our friends! After a final goodbye with them, we made quick stops for cough drops and cold medicine (this is the part of the trip when pretty much everyone came down with a cold). The drive to the Dingle Peninsula was gorgeous, though we learned that our Airbnb in Cloghane was very remote. After dropping off our bags, we grabbed some groceries at the closest grocery store, the SPAR Castlegregory, and made sure we were stocked up – it’s not easy to run out again when it’s 20 minutes away! The rest of the night was spent cozying up in the house, with a fire in the fireplace.

Day 7: Blown Away by Glanteenassig Forest Park

These roads were by far the most treacherous of our trip! We had a bit of a mishap that required reversing before we finally made our way to Glanteenassig Forest Park! We were immediately met with a crazy wind at Lough Caum. The scenery was breathtaking, but we were literally being blown away – we didn’t even get the kids out of the back. We drove a little further down to Lough Slat, which was calm enough for us all to do some exploring. After some much-needed downtime at the house, we popped into O’Connors Pub for drinks and dinner, where we learned the locals were calling our car a “mini bus.” The food was so-so, but the vibes were perfect.

Day 8: Detour in Limerick

We had to get started early, as this was the longest drive! About halfway through our trip to Leitrim, we made a quick detour into Limerick. Rift Coffee was a wild experience, where both Tyler’s and my beverages were made differently than we expected. Then we wandered around the People’s Park, which had the best playground we’d seen – definitely recommend it for a stop with kids! Gas prices were insane (around $120 USD to fill up the tank), but the adventure didn’t stop there. We then met up with Tyler’s family in Leitrim, where we got to see their homes and their farms. The cows were humongous! Afterward, we checked into our Airbnb at Lough Rynn, ready for a good rest before our next adventure.

Day 9: A More Relaxed Day

This was the quiet day we needed to power through the rest of the trip! The boys popped over to GALA Mohill, where the shopkeeper adored our son. They brought back beverages from Berry & Brew, but we then took it easy watching Home Alone. We had a late lunch (I have found the Irish really like to have a meal at 2pm) at Lough Rynn Castle. The castle was our first of the trip, and it was beautiful – totally decked out in Christmas decorations. Our lunch with the family definitely extended into dinner, but we were able to walk back to our Airbnb with full bellies and full hearts. We capped it off with a Ratatouille viewing before bed – because there are no screen time limits on vacation. 😉 

Day 10: Goodbye Dublin

It was time to pack up and check out, with a final goodbye to the family. We made one last stop at Boyce & Co Cafe (their cookies were so good) before making the drive back to Dublin. Finding parking in the city was a nightmare, but after some trials related to parking a MINI BUS, we finally made it to Lemon & Duke for lunch with Tyler’s cousin, Lína. This was lovely and a great way to wrap up the trip before dealing with the logistics of returning the car during rush hour traffic. Fortunately, we made it back in time, then shuttled over to the Clayton Airport Hotel. And that was it. We were in for the night, ready to head home the next day.

And that, my friends, was our Irish family adventure— it was far from a perfectly planned trip, but it was the spontaneous moments and a little bit of chaos along the way that made it that much more fun.

Is it just me, or did October fly by? Our month was very busy, and I think we spent most of it running around Tampa Bay – except for when we were hunkered down at home during the storm. Even in the craziness, we had a ton of fun. Here are the highlights from last month:

Top 3 Places

• Arbors Playground in Land O’ Lakes is definitely a hidden gem! We’ve been going for a while now, as it’s a great central spot for our friends and family in the ‘burbs to meet up with the kiddos. Their shady cover did take a hit during the storm, but it’s a huge selling feature to have a covered playground – I’m sure it’ll be patched in no time.
• This was our first time attending Storytime in the Patch with Mother Boo in Hyde Park, and we could barely tear our son away. They had laid out blankets to listen to the books – there were probably about eight that Mother Boo went through – and we got to take pictures at the end. This was totally cute, and we’ll definitely go back.
• My in-laws recommended meeting up at The Rollin’ Mullet for dinner one night in Seminole Heights. The food was solid, but it was honestly the energy that made for a fun experience. It was super family-friendly, with a huge lawn full of kids playing. They had a performer come out, so it did get quite loud, but I think it’s worth a visit to hang out with friends.

Top 3 Activities

• The Home Depot Kids Workshop is always worth a pop in! On the first Saturday of the month, they have a free craft available for kids. Be sure to get there early (it runs 9-12) because they do sell out. The activity for October was a “build your own fire truck” – our son was very, very excited. We actually picked up the November craft this weekend, but haven’t built it yet!
• On the Saturday before Halloween, the whole family went to Trick or Treat Spooktacular at KRATE, and it was a ton of fun, with many of the businesses participating. Plus, when the kiddos were done trick or treating, we could wrap up our evening at the playground over by the stage. We’ve done this a couple times, and I’d absolutely recommend it.
• Guppyween at the Florida Aquarium was such a hit last year, so we knew we should go for round two this year – this time, with two kids in tow! I love that they give out non-candy (the favorite item this year was a fish tattoo), and the underwater pumpkin carving is very cool to watch. Plus, the aquarium did a great job of pulsing visitors, so it never felt too crowded.

Top 3 Restaurants

• We probably average a visit to Pasta di Guy once every two weeks, but what can I say? It’s one of our favorites. They have a few locations in the Tampa Bay area, but we usually hit up the one in Wesley Chapel. I love their chef’s pasta with pesto. They occasionally run BOGO deals with Uber Eats, but you’re better off ordering directly and earning points with them. 😉
• I’ve lived in the area for almost ten years now, and I just went to Miguel’s Mexican Seafood and Grill for the first time as a belated birthday celebration with my in-laws. What a great spot! Our service was great, and the food was really good. We had a ton of leftovers; I’ve only heard good things, so I can’t believe it took me so long to visit!
• Lee’s Grocery is tucked away in Tampa Heights, and it’s a really easy spot to meet up with the family. It’s also possibly our son’s favorite restaurant – he loves their pizza! It can get a little pricey, depending on your topping preferences, but you’ll have pizza for days. I recommend bringing friends and planning to share. Plus, on a Friday night, the atmosphere is so fun. 

Looking for past Tampa Bay highlights?

It has been *a time* down here in Tampa Bay! It’s hard to believe that not one, but two hurricanes have interrupted our lives (and our power) since I was in Whistler for a work conference – and posting about the Swiss Museum of Transport. It was a quick trip, especially for two full days’ worth of travel, but I still made the most of it! Here are the highlights:

Hotel: Fairmont Château Whistler

4599 Chateau Blvd, Whistler, BC V8E 0Z5, Canada

The Fairmont Château Whistler is a gorgeous ski lodge with easy access to the village. I thought the food on-site was great, and the staff was so helpful. I loved how easily we could access the rest of the town – what I did not love was that it took us a 2.5 hour bus ride to get here from Vancouver. I would definitely recommend the hotel, but might recommend flying into a closer airport!

Restaurant: Hy’s Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar

4308 Main St, Whistler, BC V8E 1A9, Canada

We ate most of our meals at the hotel, but as a team, we went out to Hy’s Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar for dinner. There were a lot of us there for a Tuesday night, so I wasn’t surprised that service was a little slow. That being said, the food was very good. My steak was a perfect medium rare, but it was actually their cheesecake that stole the show. I heard great things about the other dessert options (and their dirty martinis) as well.

Activity: Whistler Blackcomb – Peak 2 Peak Gondola

PEAK Gondola Blackcomb, PEAK 2, Whistler, BC V0N 1B4, Canada

My friend Emily and I spent the morning traversing the mountain tops. We took the Whistler Gondola up to the PEAK 2 PEAK, and then we had the opportunity to explore both Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. It was a little foggy when we were up there, but the views we got were breathtaking. Just know that this gondola – similar to the cable car we rode in Austria – is both the world’s highest lift of its kind and world’s longest unsupported span for a lift of this kind. It is not for those with a fear of heights!

Looking for more Canada content?

Grindelwald Switzerland is located in the Jungfrau region of Switzerland. A beautiful part of the country with some of the highest mountain tops in Europe and some awesome hikes and adventures. 

We took a day trip to Grindelwald from our base in Interlaken and it was nothing short of an adventure. 

Interlaken is about a 30 minute direct train ride to Grindelwald onboard the Berner-Oberland-Bahn train. A few key notes here, this route is not included in any Swiss travel passes. However, if you have the half fare card you will get a discount. Additionally, when boarding the train make sure you board a car labeled Grindelwald. Some of the cars open at other stops and it can get confusing while on board. Be prepared for the train to be packed! We got to the train station early and still did not get a seat and were packed near the door with other travelers. If you will need to be seated for the journey I suggest you upgrade for a 1^st class fare which is what we did for our return journey and were able to find open seats.  

We traveled to Switzerland in July and while it was warm in the city it was chilly up in the mountains so make sure you wear layers as temperatures will change throughout the day. 

When arriving in Grindelwald you will be in the heart of the city. Many travelers will be walking with luggage to their hotel or storing them in the luggage lockers at the train station. There are plenty of shops and dining within the heart of Grindelwald but one of the main attractions is Grindelwald First, which is basically an adventure park. They have so many paid and free activities from hiking, nature walks, playgrounds, zipping, mountain carts and scooters, and so much more. 

If you plan to do any paid activities I highly recommend pre purchasing tickets online. 

We purchased the one adventure pass and it’s important to note this does include your gondola fares all day. Don’t make the mistake I did and think it’s not included! 

Purchasing the adventure pass does not necessarily guarantee your admittance on the adventure of your choice so you need to arrive early especially if you plan to do one of the zip lining options. 

Be prepared for lines for the gondolas and adventure activities. 

Our group was very excited to do the mountain cart which is a low riding tricycle with no pedals just hand breaks. You zoom down the mountain to incredible views and adrenaline rushes. It was like playing Mario cart, we had a blast! 

However, we had to wait 2 hours for our turn. So, bring snack and water and be prepared to stand and wait. But I promise it’s worth it! 

Following our mountain cart adventure, we enjoyed a drink and snack at one of the bases before taking the gondola all the way to the top to partake in the first walk. This is a free activity that is a metal structure that wraps around a mountain for some incredible views! 

This is the best place for photo ops. There is a restaurant and bar at the end of first walk as well. 

To head back down you can hike or take the gondola but once again be prepared to wait. The lower and upper gondolas have the longest waits. 

After our day at Grindelwald first we headed back to the city center for lunch. I couldn’t tell you where we ate but there were plenty of choices and we had a great meal, at a bit of an elevated price given how popular of a tourist destination it is. 

At the base of Grindelwald, you have the opportunity to visit multiple other mountain tops including Pfingstegg which has a mountain coaster. We had this on our itinerary however struggled to find the gondola station and it was getting later in the day than we expected. I would recommend understanding how to get to each Gondola base prior to arriving in Grindelwald.  

Since trains only run every hour, you really need to plan your day out to make it back to your home base. 

If you are in the Jungfrau region I highly recommend planning a full day for Grindelwald and Grindelwald First.  Since the trains end early in the region you’ll still have time for a night cap at your home base or an early bed time after a jam packed day of adventure 

Hello from Whistler, Canada! More to come on that – as I’m reunited with my coworkers for some “bleisure” time, I was reminded of this. 🙂 

One of my coworkers had just returned from Switzerland when we were preparing to leave last month. She told me that we absolutely could not miss the Swiss Museum of Transport, that it had been a highlight of their trip. As a mom of a vehicle-loving kiddo, I was immediately onboard.

We took the train from Zurich to Lucerne, and then a local train (more similar to the metro) to “Luzern Verkehrshaus.” This brought us basically to the museum’s front door – we only had to cross the street, and we were there!

Then, we purchased our tickets (which you can do ahead of time here). We opted for the standard museum ticket, which is 35 CHF per adult. Kids under six are free, so the total cost for the four of us was ~$75 USD. Not our cheapest outing, but I definitely think it was worthwhile.

After a quick snack in the on-site restaurant, we popped outside and the real fun began. Our son, who is 3.5, had the best time as we explored all sorts of machines. Trains, tractors, construction vehicles, cars – there was so much to see and do and climb! Our baby girl really enjoyed the buttons that made the animals make sounds in the farm area (by the tractors), but this museum was really meant for our eldest. Both little and big kids will love it.

My favorite part was the display of cars. This indoor exhibit had so many different cars to look at, including many different Porsches, all lined up on the wall. This building also had a few different vehicles – like a large bicycle, a carousel, and a water rocket. We honestly could have spent the whole day in the museum and probably wouldn’t have seen everything. This is a great activity for a family.

Bonus: in the aeronautics building, they also had a live jazz band come out at one point. It was random, but enjoyable!

When we eventually called it a day, we then walked back along the lake to the city center. It was a great way to wrap a really fun outing to the museum. I would absolutely recommend this for an adventure, especially if you have kids traveling with you. It was an easy train ride from Zurich, so not one to miss!

We got back home late on Wednesday, and many loads of laundry later, I think we’re back to our usual routines – aside from the holiday weekend, anyway! As I catch up with folks, I continue to tell them how delightful Lindau was, a true surprise and delight for our family. There were a few places we’d considered visiting when we booked our tickets to Zurich earlier this year. We strongly considered Italy, but something about this lakeside town spoke to us. 

As I’ve shared before, we don’t often travel in the summer since it gets so expensive; we prefer to travel when and where there are cheap flights available. Finding a good price on direct flights this summer was such a treat, and Lindau was the perfect spot to spend some of our summer vacation. Here’s how we spent our five days there:

Day 1: Arrive in Lindau

After we landed at ZRH, we made our way to the SBB ticket office to get our train tickets to Lindau. They no longer had any direct train tickets available (we learned these fill up in advance), but their team was able to book us a train to Romanshorn, Switzerland, followed by a train to Lindau, Germany. Romanshorn is also on Lake Constance (also known as Bodensee), and the stop allowed us to break up the travel – and grab some baked snacks from Dä Sunne Beck Strassmann. 

Once we arrived in Lindau, we walked from the train station to our Airbnb. It’s very popular to stay on the island in Lindau, which is where most of the restaurants and shops are, but we really enjoyed our condo on the mainland – I would definitely recommend the “Hugo Inn.” There was no air conditioning, but the cross breeze was perfect, and we were able to settle in quickly.

We figured we needed to venture out for groceries, so our adventure for the evening was to the nearby Denns BioMarkt. We quickly found out this market was focused on organic foods, so we didn’t get quite the haul we’d anticipated, but we got what we needed to make dinner for the night.

Day 2: Explore the Island

We walked to the island in the morning, wandering through the Schindlerwiese – Lindau am Bodensee park and walking along the bridge. We got breakfast at the Theater Café Lindau where Tyler and I split a large breakfast (it was very large), and we were introduced to the bees of the area. Note: they may require a sacrifice to leave you alone at meal time!

From there, we walked around without much advance planning to see what we could find. Highlights include:

• Spielplatz Insel Lindenschanze (“spielplatz” means “playground” – one of the German words I picked up on the trip)
• Karlsbastion
• Ring for Peace
• Pulverturm and Pulverschanze
• Spielplatz an der Pulverschanze

We also stopped by REWE for an in-depth grocery haul, and were able to knock out most of our shopping there. Of course, we obviously had to grab a little treat on the walk back to the Airbnb for our afternoon rest – gelato from La Shazada was just the thing.

In the evening, we made our way back to the island for dinner at Cantinetta al Lago. I had the seafood risotto, which I shared with the baby girl – we both loved it. The boys each had a pizza, which was large enough for leftovers. We sat on the terrace and enjoyed a gorgeous sunset before heading back.

Day 3: Ferry to Bregenz

We crossed another country off our list! As I shared last week, we took a day trip to Bregenz, Austria because of how close it was to Lindau. In approximately 20 minutes, we were in a whole new country! I love that about Europe.

Our big Lindau stop for the day – outside of the ferry office – was Jean & Jacques Lindau. This little ice cream shop has excellent Google reviews, and considering they’ve been around for almost 100 years, they clearly know what they’re doing! We found that ice cream was surprisingly inexpensive on the island – it was less than $6 USD for three of us to get a single scoop cone – so we made sure to treat ourselves.

Day 4: Train to Friedrichshafen

Since Tyler had to spend the day working (I guess this was arguably a “bleisure” trip for him), I needed to figure out a plan for the rest of us. What we landed on as our chosen kid-friendly activity was the Zeppelin Museum Friedrichshafen – or as our son would call it, the blimp museum!

Getting there was an adventure on its own. I don’t have cell service abroad, and I don’t speak German, so I loaded up my map directions while I had wifi and hoped for the best. Fortunately, the three of us made it onto the train (with a little assistance from strangers with the stroller), and we made the 40-minute train ride to Friedrichshafen, Germany. From there, we walked to the museum.

I got a discount on my ticket for taking the train there, and neither kid required a ticket, so it was fairly inexpensive. The exhibits were very interactive, and it was honestly more interesting than I expected it to be. That being said, we weren’t allowed to eat inside the exhibit, and the museum restaurant was closed, so we ended up heading back – after a quick visit to the Buchhornbrunnen fountain – and eating a very late lunch at the Airbnb. Tyler had made a run out to EDEKA for more groceries, so we were well stocked.

Our evening went a little haywire, as we walked about twenty minutes to a restaurant to get dinner, only to find it unexpectedly closed. We were able to pivot quickly though, and ended up grabbing dinner at Hotel Landgasthof Köchlin. Their beer garden was really nice, albeit a little expensive, and we convinced our kiddo that his chicken schnitzel was really one big chicken nugget – so that was a win. We had quite a ways to get back to the Airbnb, but the pedestrian paths made for a nice walk home.

Day 5: Explore the Island, Part 2

We had already done the big stuff we wanted to accomplish, but it was nice to have this as a “down day,” where we could be a little more low-key. We got the opportunity to go back to the island, grab breakfast at Café Hugo – owned by the same folks as our Airbnb – and soak in some more sights. Some of the best ones were:

• Neuer Lindauer Leuchtturm – the only lighthouse in Bavaria, with a lot of stairs!
• Freie Uferstelle – Südliche Insel
• Shutzinger am see
• Ginger’s Café & Bar
• Lindauer Wissenspfad, Wissenspylon an der Spielbank

We spent the afternoon resting and packing up, though we did make a quick venture out for a “swim” in the nearby Kneipp-Anlage. Our son made a friend there, and his dad joked that they were speaking the universal language of Paw Patrol. It was a great way for us to wrap up our stay in Lindau, as we grabbed an early train the next morning.

Hello from Zurich! We have been having the loveliest time in both Germany and Switzerland, but one of the highlights of this vacation has definitely been the day trip we made to Bregenz, Austria. We had planned to do this all along, since Bregenz is very close to Lindau, Germany, where we stayed. It gave us the chance to cross another country off our visit list, so we figured, why not?

Much like when we took our day trip to Talinn, Estonia, last year, we knew we had to keep a tight schedule – especially with two small kids in tow. Fortunately, this time around, we didn’t have to spend nearly as long on the boat! We walked from our Airbnb in Lindau to the island and bought tickets to board the 10am BSB ferry from Lindau. It was only a ~20 minute ferry ride (though we could have taken the train in a similar amount of time), so we were docked before 10:30.

Our first stop was finding somewhere for food, as we’d eaten a light breakfast in the apartment. We landed on Café Götze, where we had a very nice selection of drinks and pastries. I ordered a vanilla frappe, which was more like a milkshake than I’d envisioned, but still very good!

We then made our way to the Pfänderbahn, after a quick side trip at a playground we stumbled upon. This mountain cable car takes you from Bregenz to the peak of Pfänder. Some people opt to hike one of the directions, but we bought roundtrip tickets (no hiking with the stroller). The cable car is very quick and smooth – much nicer than the cable car ride we had in Santorini – and had us to the top in no time. Our son, who is three now, overall enjoyed it.

Of course, he couldn’t enjoy anything as much as the very cool playground at the top. With a retired cable car, swings, and a longggg slide, there was nothing better for him – not even the view of Lake Constance could compete. We also checked out the Alpenwildpark, which is free to enter and had some animals I hadn’t seen before in real life. Who knew wild boards are kind of cute?

It was very chilly at the peak, so we were glad to have brought our jackets. It was much balmier after we made our way down! At that point, we were due for a late lunch. We ate on the terrace at Restaurant Kornmesser, which was gorgeous. They had an expansive menu selection, including for kids, though both Tyler and I opted to get the pork schnitzel. I had eaten it on our last trip to Germany, so I knew I liked it, but it was nice to revisit the dish.

After that, we headed back to the dock to catch our return ferry to Lindau, and made our way to the Airbnb! I couldn’t help but make a quick stop at Jean & Jacques Lindau for an ice cream cone on the way, just because, but more on that to come. 🙂

Once again, I spent the end of July in New York City for work. As soon as I locked in my travel, I knew I would be preparing for some delicious meals – and the city did not disappoint. In the two days that I was there, I got to indulge in some truly delectable dishes. These include…

Coffee: 787 Coffee

245 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

I stopped by for caffeine and a cookie on my way into meetings for the day, and this little storefront was perfect. I hung out at one of the tables in front while they made my drink, and then the cashier asked if she could take my picture for their Instagram – does that make me famous? I was very happy with my treats and would definitely make a pitstop here again to power up for the day.

Breakfast: Parker & Quinn

64 W 39th St, New York, NY 10018

My partners asked me what I was interested in eating for a breakfast meeting, and since I’m not even close to being local, I had to rely on Google reviews. They did not disappoint! After seeing the photos, I got the malted waffle, which had lemon cream, meringue, and berries. It was so, so good, and it carried me through the bulk of the day. I would absolutely recommend a visit.

Lunch: Quality Bistro

120 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019

I have previously gone to both Quality Italian and Quality Meats, so when I was presented with Quality Bistro as a lunch choice, I knew I was in for a high quality meal. Do not skip on the butter service! In fact, plan to get a lighter dish – I enjoyed the scallops, but two people in our group loved the caesar – so you can go to town on the bread, butter, and everything that comes with it.

Drinks: Broken Shaker

23 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10010

A bar doesn’t have to card me for it to be one of my favorites, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. 😉 All jokes aside, the partners I met here are local, so they knew exactly which tucked away rooftop bar to recommend when I told them I could meet up for pre-dinner drinks. Their margarita is a staple for a summer evening in the sun. 10/10, this place is where golden hour should be spent.

Dinner: La Grande Boucherie

145 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019

If you’re looking for authentic French food, look no further. Our server – who was indeed French – gave us his best recommendations, and we went along for the ride. It was fantastic! We started the meal with charcuterie, then shared two steaks among the four of us. The filet mignon au poivre stole the show, for sure. We’re still talking about the steak on a call two weeks later!

Tasting Menu: Gramercy Tavern

42 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003
Y’all know I wouldn’t turn down a Michelin star! Funny enough, I had gone to Gramercy Tavern for one of my first client meetings, so I already knew this would be good – even if I didn’t see Jimmy Fallon this time. When our publisher team recommended the five course seasonal dinner menu, I was sold. Truly a delightful meal, with impeccable service from their team. Do not miss this!

I recently just got back from 10 days across Switzerland, and my gosh was it magical! This was my first European summer and the first time I have crossed the Atlantic since 2017! And let me tell you the trip did not disappoint.

But everyone knows Europe is expensive, and even more expensive in the middle of summer. And ofcourse the stereotype that comes with Switzerland is that it’s EXPENSIVE!

So how expensive was it you may ask? And more importantly, how did I Girl Math the trip?

Well let’s break it down:

Total Out of Pocket: $3,929.28

Switzerland can be affordable, I had known about this trip for over a year and had been budgeting a planning so when I arrived home I had the almost $4,000 in savings ready to cover my credit card costs.

I am so fortunate to have been able to experience this once in a lifetime trip with some of the best girls and ofcourse my Queen, Taylor Swift.

But if you are looking to make your Switzerland Trip a bit less expensive here are some tips.

Book in shoulder season, starting in late August – Beginning of December and January-April average flight prices Tampa – Zurich are $750. Almost $1,000 less than I spent for peak season.

Hotels too will run you cheaper. We stayed 4 nights in Zurich during the busiest month of the year, plus the Era’s Tour being in town for 2 of those nights made the 4 nights we spent there just as expensive as our other 6 nights in Thun, Interlaken, and Lucerne.

Figure out how much you will be using public transportation and what Swiss Card Option is best. We thankfully chose right with our purchase of the Half Fare Card and 9 out of 10 times I think it will be the right choice for most travelers. We were able to get half off every fare we bought, and it still came in under the price of the Swiss Card that includes everything (except certain mountain trains and gondolas).

Don’t eat on the main roads. We got caught in a tourist spot in Lucerne right around lunch time because of rain. My Cesar Salad and two Aperol Spritz was more expensive than any other meal.

Maximize your credit card points. I knew a year out I would be going on this trip, so I did research on travel credit cards and was able to get most of my flight covered with points. Had I not gone during the busy season I could have benefited from maximizing my points for upgrades rather than cashing them out to cover my flight.

Moral of the story don’t let money stop you from traveling. If you have time, a plan, and can be flexible, even expensive countries like Switzerland are within reach.

When asked to choose between sweet and savory, I pick sweet every time. And as you’ve seen in my past posts, I very rarely say no to dessert – in fact, I have highlighted more than a few of my favorite spots for sweets, including…

• Harry Waugh Dessert Room
• Voodoo Doughnut
• Days Ice Cream
• Parkesdale Market
• The Salty Donut
• Bright Ice
• Crumbl

Naturally, when I saw that Ben & Jerry’s was on tour in Tampa last week, I knew I wanted to be there. Tyler and I were able to coordinate our work schedules for a quick pop to the Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop in Midtown Tampa to see what this Creamy, Dreamy Non-Dairy Summer Tour was all about.

Here’s what you need to know:

What’s going on?

Ben & Jerry’s is celebrating their new oat milk non-dairy recipe at a handful of scoop shops around the country. Tyler has found that he’s a little more sensitive to dairy in his “old age,” so we’ve been exploring alternative ice cream options – in addition to bringing Lactaid on our dairy-filled adventures. In addition to sharing free samples of some of their updated flavors (we had non-dairy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Strawberry Cheezecake), they had some fun photo opps in and around the shop.

Where is the tour now?

They’ve already made stops at Lume Studio in NYC and, of course, the Midtown Scoop Shop here in Tampa. This week (July 16-17, 2024), the tour will make its way to the Inman Park Scoop Shop in Atlanta, Georgia. After that, you can find it in some other great cities, like…

• July 23-24: North Hills Mall Scoop Shop – Raleigh, North Carolina
• July 30-31: District Wharf Scoop Shop – Washington, DC
• August 6-7: Watertown Scoop Shop – Boston, Massachusetts
• August 13-14: Church St. Scoop Shop – Burlington, Vermont

Do you need tickets?

Nope! This is a totally free event, so you can walk up to enjoy the samples and ambience whenever it makes sense for you. We got to our local scoop shop at around 2:30pm, and there were a couple folks waiting in line to take photos, but we were able to get samples right away. I imagine it would get busier at the end of the work day.

Where can I get more information?

I may have spent the last thirty years forming expert opinions on all things dessert, but I am far from the expert on this event! If there’s something else you need to know, I’d recommend getting more information on their website here.

Side note: I highly recommend bringing a baby along to share in the non-dairy delight. Our daughter enjoyed her first couple nibbles of ice cream, and I think she’s a fan! She even brought her own spoon.

July is off to a strong start, I’ll tell you what! I have been fortunate enough to have had some fantastic nights out already this month at some great Tampa restaurants. If you’re looking for a date night spot in the area, look no further – all of these places have a great selection of dishes with terrific service. Bonus: each night was $160 (or less) for two, including drinks and tip.

Michael’s Grill

11720 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33618

Sara and I saw Michael’s Grill highlighted on Instagram as a hidden gem, so we put it on our list of places to visit. It took us a few weeks to nail down a date we were both available (as you know, June was wild), but once we locked down for early July, it worked out perfectly as a chance to celebrate her upcoming birthday. I started the evening with a blueberry mule, then we both enjoyed the bread and garlic butter before our entrees arrived. We both ordered the special, a filet with goat cheese and bacon jelly, which was so tasty, I finished it quickly. Of course, that meant I could only fit a few bites of our fantastic dessert: their famous bread pudding with ice cream. I left very full and very happy!

Total price for two: $155.07

Élevage SoHo Kitchen & Bar

1207 S Howard Ave, Tampa, FL 33606

Due to some tricky scheduling around our anniversary later this month – my trip to New York actually overlaps – we managed to lock down childcare and get some time to celebrate early! Tyler has been to 

Élevage, located inside the Epicurean Hotel, a few times, but this was my first visit. We ordered a bottle of the St. Clair to share, based on our server’s recommendation. It was super light, a perfect summer wine. We then split the pork belly appetizer before getting our mains. I ordered the stuffed acorn squash, while he got the “homage to Bern’s” – another one of my favorite local eats, and the owners of this restaurant as well. The food was excellent, with solid portion sizes. Neither of us was able to finish!

Total price for two: $160.00

Note: we did also pay $5 for valet parking as well, which is required at the Epicurean Hotel – but it’s free before 7pm!

The Sacred Pepper

15405 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33618

Sara and I actually visited last summer for the first time, and I knew then that I’d be bringing Tyler for a night out one of these days. I had highlighted it briefly as a restaurant highlight last year after our meal because we had such a great time; this year, I’ve probably reviewed the menu half a dozen times planning our date. When I last ate at Sacred Pepper, I had a delicious mocktail (I always defer to the bartender for their recommendation) as well as a hearty grilled pork chop. The pasta was such a nice complement to the dish without feeling overwhelming. For dessert, I had the crème brûlée bread pudding, which came with vanilla ice cream, which was the perfect size for sharing. Definitely recommend – especially for the price!

Total price for two: $104.55

Y’all, June was a whirlwind! My apologies for my disappearance here over the past few weeks – I am very glad to be feeling a little more sorted after a hectic month. Our kiddo just started at preschool at the beginning of the summer, so when we weren’t dealing with all that’s associated with that (read: new germs), here are some of the cool places we managed to visit:

The Tampa Club

101 E Kennedy Blvd #4200, Tampa, FL 33602

I hadn’t heard of The Tampa Club before Tyler shared with me that it would be host to the Tampa Gator Club’s annual scholarship banquet. Located in the Bank of America building downtown, I have since learned that they are a business and social club with a lot to offer – including a gorgeous space with views of downtown. My mom agreed to babysit for the evening, so we were able to enjoy a delicious dinner and celebrate the newest members of the Gator Nation.

Museum of Science and Industry

4801 E Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33617

We won a family membership to MOSI last year, and we’ve been able to take the kiddos for a few visits over the past year. It had been a little bit since I’d visited, so I was surprised to see all the updates they’ve made to the space! My son is three, and he had the best time exploring the different exhibits – especially the one that “took us to the moon.” If you’ve got a kid who loves to build and learn, I would definitely recommend a stop. Be prepared to play with trains!

Seminole Garden Center

5800 N Central Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

You may recall that I wrote some of my first travel content for Ayana’s blog back in the day, and she knows how to throw a stellar party (as seen here). My daughter and I got the chance to visit the Seminole Garden Center for the first time as we celebrated Ayana and Vagner’s baby sprinkle. The space is beautiful and one that you can really make your own – definitely the perfect spot to host an event like this! Plus, looking online, the rates are really reasonable for a local event space.

Tropicana Field

1 Tropicana Dr., St. Petersburg, FL 33705

Since we’re planning our trip to Ireland for later this year, we couldn’t miss out on the Irish Heritage Rays game! We made the trek to Tropicana Field – not quite as convenient since we no longer live in St. Pete – and had a great afternoon with my in-laws. We got seats really close to the field, and I got to try my first cookie from Cookie Fueled Mama (would recommend). It had been almost two years since our son’s first game, so it was very fun to make our return.

The Florida Aquarium

701 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602

We rounded out the month with a Florida Aquarium visit! Our friends have a daughter who is just a little older than ours, and we were able to get one of them in for free with our membership, so they met us there. All three kids were enthralled with the sea life. I honestly do not know of a better local place to take children during the summer since there is a ton of space to run around, AND IT’S AIR CONDITIONED. We almost immediately renewed our membership. We’ll be back soon!

I may be a bit biased but I promise if you do this tour you will agree with me. On my most recent cruise, we made a stop to the beautiful island of St. Lucia. It was my fist time ever visiting the island and this tour made me fall in love and St. Lucia quickly became my new happy place.  

After a lot of research on this to do on the island I knew that I wanted to see the famous Pitons. A UNESCO World Heritage site, this is one of the most popular attractions in St. Lucia. Their world class beaches, mud baths, hiking and snorkeling are some other highlights of the island. My favorite way to explore is always by water. I am happiest on a boat so I knew this is how I wanted to explore the Pitons and the rest of St. Lucia.  

Because we were on a cruise, a ship excursion is somewhere we always look first. Especially sailing on NCL we got $50 off per person for shore excursions so we wanted to get a deal if we could. However, as an experienced cruiser I know that sometimes cruise sponsored excursions can be overpacked and my vision of a beautiful Piton photo seemed far fetched with a boat full of people.  

So I took to the internet looking at TripAdvisor, Viator, and GetMyGuide and stumbled upon a full day private boat rental at a cheaper price than it was for 4 people on a cruise ship excursion.  

Not only was the price great, but so was the reviews. With over 300 Five Star Reviews, this tour almost felt too good to be true. The tour was a small motor boat that picked you up within walking distance of the ship. It was a full day fully customizable tour that offered the ability to add trips to the famous mud paths and other local towns in St. Lucia.  

Upon arrival in St. Lucia we walked to a nearby pier where other cruise ship passengers were picking up their tours. Majority of these tour were cruise ship sponsored and they were PACKING people into boats. You were basically sitting on top of each other. There was no better satisfaction and knowing we made the right decision for a private tour, well before we got on the boat.  

After a bit of time waiting for our boat, we boarded just our family of 4 and took off for our day of adventure. It was absolutely magical. We went through the lovers bridge and saw local boys diving off cliffs (for money ofcourse). We went into Hurricane Bay where million dollar homes and resorts line the coastline. Took private and breathtaking photos of the Pitons, went to 2 beaches and had the chance to snorkel at multiple locations. We also toured one of the local towns that was formerly the capital where we picked up food and drinks.  

It doesn’t seem like much but I can tell you it was one of the most magical days and by far one of the best excursions I have ever been on. I can’t recommend St. Lucia enough or this private tour. It is 100% worth the money! 

When you start getting targeted ads about an amazing park less than an hour away, they stick with you.

That’s how I felt about Bonnet Springs Park, anyway. I had seen it shared by some Tampa and Orlando-based moms as the park to visit with kids in tow. I mean, I have some favorite parks for the kiddos – like these – but this seemed like a whole new level.

So over Memorial Day weekend, we made the trek. After a pitstop at Starbucks, we drove about 50 minutes to Lakeland, Florida. Bonnet Springs Park is located right off of I-4, so it was an easy drive from Wesley Chapel, and we got to pass some of our Plant City favorites along the way. I’m looking at you, Parkesdale and Dinosaur World.

When we saw the park welcome sign, we knew immediately why this place is so popular. It’s huge! Per their website, the park is 168 acres, as seen on their map below, and it has a ton of activities. After entering the park, we still needed to drive for about five minutes to get close to the playground. That parking lot fills up early, so if you need to park elsewhere, not to worry – there is a tram. That’s right, the park is so big it needs a tram.

And we loved it. We spent a good chunk of time in the playground, with highlights that include the extra long slides and the excavators, before making our way to Mable the Owl. Mable is amazing! This giant owl is perfect for your little climber, and we definitely hung out here for a bit, while our son scrambled around. We also enjoyed Los Trompos, which are great spinning rides – there were several adults enjoying them too, though I personally can only spin for so long!

Since it was Memorial Day, they also had some visiting exhibits, like a petting zoo and a dinosaur fossil dig, but honestly, our kid was happy just to play in the shade of some of the giant trees. It was hard to convince him to go home! While it’s not close enough for us to go all the time, I definitely think we’ll go back in the future. And when we do, the Florida Children’s Museum will be a must-visit – it looks so cool!

I am very far from the days when I was asking myself “what’s my next trip,” and I couldn’t be more excited. Not only are we going to Switzerland, Germany, and Ireland later this year, but we’re also booking into 2025 with a big one: Brisbane, Australia.

Now, I wasn’t necessarily looking for flights to Australia… I was just poking around on the Google Flights’ Explore tool. I actually saw first an amazing deal to Auckland, New Zealand, at ~$780 per person – that’s about $100 cheaper than we paid when we went in 2022. (If you need a sign to go to Auckland, this is it.) Tyler and I were chatting about it, but ultimately, we couldn’t justify such an expense for a place we’ve gone to recently.

That being said, the prices for flights to Brisbane, Australia, were not too shabby – I noted them when I set my price limits and hovered over New Zealand. At ~$985 per adult (and ~$945 per kid), they were still a great deal for us to get to that side of the world and in line with what we paid to go to Japan in February this year. Did it dazzle us the way the Auckland flights did? No. The fact remained, though, that we haven’t seen prices to Australia this low in a long time – and we didn’t want to miss out.

We noodled on it for a few days, but as I saw availability start shrinking, I knew I wanted to jump on it. In the not-too-distant future, we’ll have school schedules to work around; this is our chance to show our kids the world whenever it makes sense for us. It’s also another chance for us to travel with our larger families, as Tyler’s mom, my mom, and my sister will be joining us as well.

Some things we’re looking into while we’re there:

• Cruising to Cairns – which we’ve already booked!
• Seeing the Great Barrier Reef
• Visiting Bluey’s house (IYKYK)

So mates, if you’ve got recommendations for Queensland, please send them my way! We’ve got a lot of really fun travel to look forward to, and I couldn’t be more excited.

And if you need more reason to get to New Zealand…

I am back at home after a fantastic week in San Diego! This was my first time visiting, and I can see why it’s so popular – it is absolutely gorgeous. While I did spend most of my time there working, I still got to see a bit of all the city has to offer. Here were the highlights:

Hotel: Paradise Point Resort & Spa

What a beautiful resort! I was thrilled when I saw that we would be staying at Paradise Point. The resort is conveniently located only about fifteen minutes away from the airport, while still being accessible to all sorts of activities. We even drove by SeaWorld on our way in! My room was spacious and came with a fridge, and while the resort feels sprawling, it’s quick to walk around – plus, easy access to the beach. I’d definitely stay here again.

Dinner: OB Surf Lodge

Our entire team bussed over to Ocean Beach for dinner at OB Surf Lodge. The staff was very friendly and quick to address things, even though there were probably about 150 of us there. I enjoyed a “daiquirita,” a seasonal summer drink they offer that really dazzled with its blue hue. Plus, the food was great! We had a nice mix of food options, but honestly, my favorite dish was the salt and pepper wings. I’m still talking about them!

Drinks: Miss B’s Coconut Club

A few of us met up with one of our partners for a quick drink when we had a free afternoon. We ended up walking down Mission Beach (got my steps in) and making our way to Miss B’s Coconut Club. Their drink menu had some delightful options, though I will say, the giant flamingo cup stole the show. Note: you’ll need ~3 people to enjoy one of those bad boys, so plan accordingly! You can’t close out your tab until you return the cub.

Walk: Belmont Park

We got lucky because there’s a spring festival happening right now at Belmont Park – “Belmont in Bloom” – but my team would tell you that I was falling all over myself walking along the boardwalk. Not only are there a ton of rides available, but there are also just as many (if not more) adorable photo opps along the way. We stopped into Draft for drinks, and I spent the afternoon soaking in the ocean breeze from my seat. 10/10.

Y’all, how is it already May? I cannot get over how quickly this year has already gone by. This summer is prepping to be a big one for travel, much like the summer of 2022. So far, this is what I have on the docket:

May: San Diego, California

This post is actually coming at you from 30,000 feet! I am en route to San Diego for a team off-site, much like those I have done in Denver, Colorado, and Seattle, Washington. It’s not quite a Cabo San Lucas retreat since, you know, we’re still working, but I think it’ll be fun. As a bonus, I have a long layover in Denver on my way out, so I get to squeeze in a little lunch with Liz! I’m not totally sure what the plans are for SD at this point, but as always, I’ll report back.

Early July: Anniversary Trip 2024

We have to work around the school schedule and other travel plans for both my mom and Tyler’s parents – gotta secure that childcare – so we are moving our annual anniversary trip to earlier in the month. We’re still figuring out where to go, but we have a few ideas we’re kicking around. Current contenders include: Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. We will be keeping this one quick, going away for a long weekend, so we need to keep it close-ish.

Late July: New York City, New York

Last year, Tyler and I capitalized on my work conference in NYC for a hybrid anniversary trip (more on that here), but this time, I’m keeping it strictly business. Of course, since it’s a conference, I’m sure there will still be plenty of fun. I just got approval for this trip at the end of last week, so planning is in the very early stages. That being said, I guarantee I’m going to have some great meals – that may just be my favorite part about traveling for conferences. 😉

August: Lindau, Germany + Zurich, Switzerland

This is the big one! Tyler, the kiddos, and I are hopping on a direct flight to Zurich and soaking in some of that sweet Swiss summer sun (say that five times fast). I laid out our current itinerary here, which details out our current plans for Lindau and Zurich – plus a day trip to Austria. Of course, we’ll adjust as needed, since traveling with kids is its own kind of adventure. If you have any recommendations for activities while we’re there, please let me know!

One of my favorite authors is Emily Henry, and her books take up a prominent spot on my bookshelf – as you can see in the picture! She does a great job highlighting characters taking vacations of their own, transporting the reader to fun new locations. These are some of my favorite books to bring with me as a “beach read,” and I would highly recommend them. I actually brought all three books with me to Cabo last year!

Fortunately for all of us, her new novel, Funny Story, comes out tomorrow. Not only do I expect this book to spotlight northern Michigan, but I am super excited to celebrate this evening at Book + Bottle’s midnight release party in St. Pete. What a great way to support and #shoplocal at a local bookstore!

If you didn’t get tickets (I barely managed to), not to fret – there are tons of options available for this book release celebration, with most of the events taking place tomorrow. You can see all of them here, but for my fellow Florida friends, these are the bookstores to check out:

• Barnes & Noble, Plaza Venezia
• Barnes & Noble, Colonial Orlando
• Bodacious Bookstore and Cafe
• Book + Bottle
• Books-A-Million, Destin
• Books-A-Million, Gainesville
• Books-A-Million, Kissimmee
• Books-A-Million, Lakeland
• Books & Books
• Murder on the Beach/Bookwise Boca
• San Marco Bookstore
• Sunshine Book Co.
• The Book Mark
• The Gilded Page
• Tombolo Books
• Writer’s Block Bookstore, Winter Garden
• Writer’s Block Bookstore, Winter Park

Happy reading, y’all! I can’t wait to bring this book with me to San Diego for my next trip – more on that soon. 😉

Norwegian Viva is the newest ship to the NCL family. Released in 2023 this is a reimagined take on cruising within their Prima Class ships. As someone who is a huge fan of the Edge Class Ships on Celebrity Cruise line, Viva’s modern design really resembled the sleekness of Celebrity. The modern design, mixed with fun add ons such as Go Karts and Mini Golf is a great new take on a new era of cruising.

While it was a beautiful design and one of my favorite aspects of cruising on Viva, there were some things that were disappointing. Let’s dive into my favorite things about Viva and some areas for improvement.

What I Loved

• Modern Design

I am a huge fan of the new design of cruise ships. With their modern interiors that make you feel like you are at a luxury resort. While the colorful world of Carnival and Royal Caribbean is fun and feels like vacation. I do love the elegance factor that Viva had by their muted yet modern design choice.

• Rooms

To add onto the modern design, I absolutely loved our room. The bathroom was huge, one of the larger showers I have had on a cruise ship and the room had plenty of storage with 3 closets. We had connecting balcony rooms which was nice when you are traveling with a group.

• Restaurant Options

Norwegian has always been known for their dining options. Particularly on Viva that had 12 restaurants onboard that included their complementary main dining room, The local Bar and Grill (complimentary), Buffet (complementary), food hall (complementary), and themed restaurants such as a steakhouse and Italian inspired dining. I also enjoyed that The Local Bar and Grill was open for breakfast and late night till 3am!

• Beetlejuice

I love onboard entertainment, especially when it is inspired by Broadway. On board Viva they performed their version of Beetlejuice the musical and I really enjoyed it. It rivaled the shows put on by Royal Caribbean like Mamma Mia and Grease.

What I Didn’t Love

• The Service

I didn’t love the service, especially in the dining room. We often had to wait awhile to be seen by a server, food was forgotten, drinks were late or never made it to our table. They also used tablets to collect our order and often slowed down the process or caused issues.

• Pool Areas

The main pool is incredibly small as well as the seating area around it. There are two additional infinity pools on a lower deck which were always incredibly packed and often had a lot of kids splashing around in them. A kid’s pool or adults on section would have been nice. Or the addition of hot tubs near the infinity pools rather than just by the main pool. You can pay to have access to the Vibe Beach Club however it was sold on our travel week. But even in the Vibe Beach Club there are only hot tubs available.

• Food Hall

Our meals in the specialty dining were great, and most nights enjoyed dinner in the main dining room. However, lunch in the food hall was incredibly disappointing. While you have about 5 different mini restaurants to choose from each restaurant only gives you a couple options. And nothing impressed us. We were really excited about the idea of a food hall on board a cruise ship since there are so fabulous on land but this left us disappointed.

We started and ended our trip to Japan with stays in Tokyo! We were able to spend time in both Odaiba and Ueno, getting a feel for each area of the city – they were both very different. It’s hard to believe that we’ve already been back for over a month, but I’m still thinking about these highlights.

Outdoor Spot: Sumida River Walk

We have learned on multiple trips that having a place to get the wiggles out is key – the Sumida River Walk proved to be the perfect space for us this time around! Not only do they have some beautiful greenery and public bathrooms available (bonus), but they have an excellent playground. Our kiddo loved doing the obstacle course and sliding down the giant whale slide; we loved the views of Tokyo Skytree that we got without dealing with a huge crowd of people. If you need a spot just to walk around with your morning coffee, you’ve found it.

Hotel: Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba

We actually thought that we had great stays throughout the trip, and that includes our second hotel in Tokyo, the Mimaru Tokyo Ueno Inaricho. That being said, the Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba won out as our favorite for a few different reasons. The amenities were definitely a little nicer, and our room had a very spacious bathroom. It was also more accessible – not only while inside the building (there were multiple elevators, which we needed with the stroller), but also to the malls and restaurants nearby in the area. From when we got there to when we left, we walked everywhere!

Kid-Friendly Activity: Unko Museum

With approximately 24 waking hours to explore Odaiba before we made our way toward Tokyo Disney, we had to find activities quickly. Fortunately, I had read up on the Unko Museum in a post from The Tokyo Chapter, and I knew it would be a hit with our toddler. Who knew poop could be so kawaii? We bought tickets as walk-ins, and we spent a couple hours here, just playing and taking photos. Everything is interactive, including ball pits, dance parties, and “catch the poop.” Bonus: we each got a “souvenir” to take home (which are currently in our toy bin). 

Restaurant: Michikusa

This wasn’t even our first choice for dinner, but I’m so grateful that our first choice was booked up since this was by far our favorite meal of the whole trip! Not only was the food delicious – the adults all got yakisoba, which I would highly recommend – but the owner was incredibly friendly and attentive, going so far as to offer us a translation device (though we got by without it). The staff worked with us around some toddler dietary restrictions to ensure our kiddo had something to eat, and everyone was just so nice. To top it all off, they include a small treat with your meal. I would absolutely go back here.

Other restaurants we enjoyed:

• bills Odaiba was the perfect kid-friendly brunch spot for us, with big fluffy pancakes!
• HATCOFFEE LATTEART STAND gave us the cutest hot beverages without a long line.
• Kura Sushi has a lot of US locations, but we got to enjoy dinner at their global flagship in Asakusa.
• The Ecute Ueno store sold the cutest bear donuts from Shiretoko Factory!

Art Installation: teamLab Planets

While I’m lucky to have been able to visit both teamLab Planets and teamLab Borderless – my detailed post on the exhibits is here – I have to say that Planets was my favorite of the two, and a truly great part of our time in Tokyo. Whether we were standing in the room with dangling lights or pushing the giant balls around, it made for such a fun experience. I think we would have spent more time in the water if my son was a little older (or taller), but we didn’t really miss it thanks to all the other interactive elements. If you need a cool place to spend a morning in Tokyo, this is it.

Place to Buy Diapers: Babies R’ Us

We had packed enough diapers to get us through the first few days of our trip, since we knew we could purchase more when we got to Japan! That being said, diapers aren’t always the most available in convenient stores, especially if your baby isn’t a middle size. Fortunately, Babies R’ Us had a very wide selection of brands and sizes, so we were able to purchase a size that worked for our daughter. One large package got us through the whole rest of the trip, though we did end up purchasing a “travel pack” of five at the airport just in case. Tip: know your baby’s weight in kilograms for easy purchasing!

Want to learn more about Katie’s time in Japan?

After spending our morning at the teamLab Planets exhibit, the five of us took the train over to Urayasu, Japan, where Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea are located. We then spent one day in each park and explored a bit of the area around us as well. These are the highlights:

Hotel: Oriental Hotel Tokyo Bay

We booked a room at the Oriental Hotel Tokyo Bay after finding a good deal on Orbitz for a “Family Plus Room” with four twin beds. The hotel is not on park property, but is a Tokyo Disney Resort® Partner Hotel. This meant we had frequent access to a shuttle to and from the parks, and it really allowed our days to go smoothly. The hotel also had some great amenities, including their evening “happy hour” (it was from 2pm to 11pm) with free snacks and drinks. We had a great experience here, and I would definitely recommend it for families going to the parks.

Tokyo Disney Resort: Baby Centers

This was my first time in a Disney park with a baby or a kid in general, not counting Disney Springs, so I became very well acquainted with the baby centers – these were amazing! I was so appreciative to have a dedicated space to nurse and change our daughter. Even the mothers’ nursing room had separate booths for privacy. The weather at the parks when we were there was quite cold and wet (we actually bought an umbrella after the first day), so this also offered us a space to get out of the rain and warm up a bit! They also sell things you might need, like diapers and stroller covers, so they’re a great kid resource overall.

Tokyo DisneySea: Mermaid Lagoon

DisneySea is definitely geared toward more of a teen audience with its ride offerings, so we found that Mermaid Lagoon was the port of call where we spent most of our time. Our son really enjoyed both Scuttle’s Scooters and Flounder’s Flying Fish Coaster, which were the outdoor rides, but the indoor area had a ton going on – and it made for the perfect area to get out of the rain. Ariel’s Playground was a great spot to get out the wiggles, while our son also enjoyed his ride on Jumpin’ Jellyfish. Plus, they have shops and restaurants as well, so you could spend a large part of your day here.

Tokyo Disneyland: Toontown

I grew up visiting Toontown at Magic Kingdom in Orlando, but that closed in 2011 – seeing it in Tokyo was a nice throwback! The kiddo loved it, taking the opportunity to explore everyone’s homes (watching the cake bake and deflate at Minnie’s house was a hit), as well as visit with the big man himself: Mickey Mouse. Fun fact: if you ask our son his favorite part of the entire trip to Japan, meeting Mickey is what he says. We also took a ride on Gadget’s Go Coaster – this is reminiscent of “The Barnstormer” – and got bao bread sandwiches at the Good Time Cafe.

Other Fun Notes:

• Park food is surprisingly inexpensive for a theme park. Example: we paid ~$3 USD for a large chai churro. The popcorn stands are especially popular, garnering huge lines, and it comes in all sorts of flavors; we saw matcha white chocolate, curry, black pepper, and pistachio.

• Character hats are all the rage, and they are also reasonably priced (~$21 USD) for a theme park. We tried to convince our son to bring one home, as we figured he’d love a big, fuzzy hat with Sully or Mike Wazowski as a souvenir, but he wasn’t interested in doing more than try them on.

• Aquatopia was our favorite “new” ride, without a counterpart I’ve seen at either Magic Kingdom or Disneyland Paris. It was actually the first ride we went on, located in the Port Discovery area of DisneySea. I was eager to try The Happy Ride with Baymax at Disneyland, but the line was too long for us.

Was it worth it? Absolutely! Tickets are very reasonably priced, totaling ~$137 USD for each adult for two days at the park. It also helped that our kids were both free, as children at Tokyo Disney Resort do not need a ticket until age 4. While the wet, rainy weather may have dampened our daughter’s experience, our son continues to talk about what a great time he had. I would 100% do it again.

Looking for more Japan content?

It wasn’t too long ago that I was chatting with Megan about her Switzerland plans this summer, and here I am now! You may recall that we recently booked tickets to Ireland for November somewhat recently, but when the cheap flights call – I answer.

I had been exploring options on Google Flights for possible anniversary trips. Last year, we went to NYC, and I was scoping out some other northern US cities for us; both Chicago, IL, and Boston, MA, were looking appealing with flights in the mid-$200s for this summer. I scrolled over to see what our European options were – you know, just for fun – and I was surprised to find direct flights to Zurich starting in the high-$400s. Um, hello!

Switzerland is a little far for an anniversary trip, but not too far with the kiddos in tow! I abandoned my initial search to see what I could do with the dates. We couldn’t get the price under $500 per seat, but considering we have a lap baby – we did get it under $400 per person! At this price point (I repeat: direct flights!), the flights were too good to pass up.

Tyler and I had a layover in Zurich en route to our honeymoon in 2017, but we didn’t actually get to explore the city. I’m so excited to go back and see Switzerland! We’ve even put together our initial plan for what the trip will look like.

• We arrive at ZRH and immediately get on the train to Lindau, Germany. It’s a town on Lake Constance (Bodensee), which will hopefully show us all there is to love about southern Germany. We weren’t thrilled with Hamburg, but this is Bavaria – it’s supposed to be excellent.

• We’ll take a day trip to Bregenz, Austria, which is also on Lake Constance. It’s a 15-20 minute ferry ride away from Lindau, which makes it even easier to get to than our Estonia day trip! Unfortunately, we’ll miss the annual Bregenz Festival, but I think it will still be fun. Plus, the views!

• From Lindau, we will take the train back to Zurich and wrap up our trip with four days there. It’s definitely more expensive to stay in Switzerland than in Germany or Austria, but they also have a wider selection of activities – especially for kids. It also puts us super close to ZRH for our return home.

• We may or may not make the trip to Vaduz, Liechtenstein. It would take us about an hour and a half to get there from either Lindau or Zurich, and there would definitely be a train transfer to a bus. This could be fun as another day trip, but we’ll play it by ear.

With this now on the books, we’ll need to keep it a little more low-key for our anniversary trip this summer. We’re probably road tripping, a la our 2020 vacation. Any recommendations?

Hi all, its been a minute since I have updated you all on my travel. Unfortunately it’s been INSANE at work and truthfully I have never needed a vacation more than the one I had last week.

Last week I went on my annual spring break cruise and this year we went all out.

Not only did we try a completely new cruise line, we also traveled to Puerto Rico to get on the ship and stopped at 3 new stops in the Southern Caribbean. Because of my extensive cruising experience it is hard to get so much newness out of one trip, so I cannot wait to share.

Over the next couple weeks I am going to break everything down from my thought on Norwegian Cruise Lines to what my new favorite island is. So I hope you come back to hear all the details!

For now though here are some highlights from the trip.

• Harrison’s Cave, Barbados
• The Baths, Virgin Gorda
• The Pitons, St. Lucia
• Catamaran to St. John
• Sugar Beach, St. Lucia

After spending three days in Urayasu for Disney – more to come on that – we said goodbye to my mom and hopped on the shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto. There, we met up with my mother-in-law and spent five rainy days in Kyoto. These are the highlights of our time there, activities and locations I would highly recommend:

Outdoor Spot: Kyoto Gyoen National Garden

As much as I enjoyed the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, it was packed the entire time we were there – unlike the Kyoto Gyoen National Garden. Right by Kyoto the Imperial Palace, the garden is incredibly spacious and offers a lot more to take in – including cherry blossoms! The weather was less than ideal while we were there (it actually snowed on us), but this is pretty centrally located and would be an excellent spot to while away the hours.

Hotel: Kyoto Four Sisters Residence

The Kyoto Four Sisters Residence is an apartment-style hotel, and it was the perfect spot for us to call home during our time in the city. They offered a kitchen as well as two bedrooms, so we had plenty of room for three adults and two children. The staff was incredibly friendly, and we found the location worked well for us in terms of accessibility – we could walk to the nearest metro stop in approximately ten minutes! I would definitely stay here again.

Restaurant: Lino

You might not expect an Italian restaurant to be our favorite from our time in Kyoto, which should tell you just how fantastic this was. When we got there, they only had bar seating available – the tables were filled up on a Tuesday night! While it was a little on the pricier side (~$100 for both of us, including drinks), it was definitely worth the splurge. If you’re looking for a date night, you should look no further. I keep talking about how tasty my seafood risotto was!

Other restaurants we enjoyed:

• Cafe & Wine Bar Knuckles gave us a little taste of the US at a great price, and the staff was so nice.
• Kyo-Umare Gohan-Biyori – Karasuma Marutamachi has a huge selection to choose from, so everyone can get what they want.
• School Bus Coffee Bakers makes for a lovely breakfast spot with bus-shaped bread.
• Ebisugawa Gyoza Nakajima is a cash-only restaurant; they’re known for their gyoza, but we enjoyed everything!

Kid-Friendly Activity: Kyoto Railway Museum

I had read about the Kyoto Railway Museum on The Tokyo Chapter, so I had this place on my radar already. Our son’s ticket was 200 yen (~$1 USD), while we spent ~$10 USD each for the adult tickets. This space is huge, and it will be a hit for any transportation-loving kid, with many exhibits on all parts of the train. They do have a restaurant and food truck on-site, as well as a play area upstairs for when the kiddos get antsy. Definitely a strong rainy day activity.

Day Trip: Nara, Japan

We managed to get an express metro to Nara – this is definitely worth the price – and we spent our morning petting and feeding the local deer! There are several vendors around the parks selling 10-packs of crackers for 200 yen (~$1 USD), so we found ourselves going back to buy more when we ran out. The deer know when you have them! This was such a different experience from anything I’ve done before, and I’m glad we made the trip over.

Note from Katie: allow me to introduce you to my sister, Maggie! Maggie and I have been traveling together for as far back as I can remember, though you may recognize her from our family adventures in Ireland or our girls’ trip to three countries in one week. I am so excited for her to share some thoughts on the blog.

Traveling anywhere can be a bit overwhelming, especially when going to places like Disney. Since the parks now have a reservation system, you are less likely to encounter too much chaos whilst inside, but Disney Springs is still very popular and you do not need a ticket or reservation to enter. Meaning – it can get very crowded, very fast. So my very first DO is to arrive early in the day. DON’T arrive several hours early – there is no rope drop ceremony and everything opens at the same time. I will be referencing different locations throughout Disney Springs, but for a full list of retailers, restaurants, and attractions at Disney springs, check out their website here. 

When you initially enter Disney Springs, you are surrounded by shopping. You can find just about anything. From souvenirs to makeup to socks, there is something for everyone. DON’T buy things that are readily available off Disney property. There is a Sephora and a Kate Spade, which MAY have a few Disney “inspired” products, but stores like Fabletics and Harley Davidson are the same as they would be in any mall. Vera Bradley and Uniqlo do have Disney specific sections, so those may be worth a look. The main attraction, of course, are the Disney souvenir stores like World of Disney and Pin Traders. DO check out the Marketplace Co-Op for gifts for Disney loving adults. Highlights include: prints, pet products, housewares, and even Disney exclusive wearables (dresses and magicbands FTW). 

In regards to souvenirs for kids, DO consider pin trading on property. You can pick up a starter set or lanyard pin set with a few pins at almost any Disney store and ask the cashiers if they have a pin trading board. It is tons of fun for the younger ones and you don’t have to spend a lot. Plus, you may find a rare one if you check each store. My recommendation, though, is DON’T buy the blind boxes or starter sets if you are able to purchase a specific pin you would want more (then you don’t have to trade if you don’t want to). 

A major feature of Disney Springs is their LEGO store. I personally, DON’T think going in is worth it. The inside of the store is visually similar to any other LEGO store in the area. There are no Disney specific discounts or exclusives. The line to get inside is frequently long and once you do get in, it is very crowded and overstimulating. DO take a look at the LEGO sculptures outside and in the water. If you are hoping for a LEGO experience, check out LEGOLAND in nearby Winter Haven.

Food experiences at the Springs are varied. You can grab a bite at a quick service restaurant, a food truck, chef restaurants, or a themed eatery. Before picking a restaurant, DO check their outside or online menu. There are several restaurants with similar fare but very different quality and ambiance. For example, if you are of legal drinking age, DO go to the Jellyfish Bar in the T-Rex Cafe, but DON’T have a meal there. The ambiance is magical and immersive, but the food itself is relatively underwhelming and overpriced for adults. For children, it could be a very fun experience. Other themed restaurants, such as the Edison, or a chef restaurant, such as Morimoto, can offer a better dining experience for a similar price tag. If you decide to grab a drink at the T-Rex Cafe, a souvenir glass is included in the price, unlike other bars on property. Also, DO check the menu for allergens or food restrictions. Since Disney does not ACTUALLY own some of these restaurants, they set their own standards for food preparation. 

While specific restaurants have different wait times, DO consider downloading the My Disney Experience app and booking a reservation or calling ahead for times. For example, Gideon’s Bakehouse has a virtual queue, but that virtual queue can be several hours and you may STILL need to spend an hour or more waiting in a physical line. It’s a pretty good cookie, but for me, I would say DON’T spend the day waiting in line for longer than you’d wait for Space Mountain and Peter Pan combined. If you are dying to have a cookie from Gideon’s Bakehouse, I would recommend driving a little farther and getting one at their East End Market location – the wait time is substantially shorter and the cookies are just as good. 

Disney Springs is a lot of walking in very hot, humid weather. DO make sure to wear comfortable shoes. People will often do DisneyBound outfits to the parks and wear uncomfortable footwear. While there are places to sit, DON’T come to the parks or Disney Springs wearing something that you’re not willing to walk in for ten miles. You will most likely not need a jacket, so DON’T bring it. If you are worried about the weather, DO bring a rain poncho instead. You can purchase them onsite at almost any bigger store.

Bonus Pro-Tips: 

1. Take a picture of your parking garage location. There are four parking garages and you’ll want to remember which one you were in at the end of a long day. 
2. Stay hydrated. All Disney properties let you bring in a refillable water bottle and there are fill stations and water fountains all over. If you are not a fan of water, like me, consider bringing flavored drink packets. 
3. DisneyBound! Adults are not allowed to wear character costumes, even in Disney Springs, but finding pieces in your closet that resemble your favorite character can enhance the magic. For kids, there is the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique where you can provide your child with a magical dress-up experience onsite. 
4. Hotel hopping. You don’t have to be staying in a hotel on property to check them out. Obviously, don’t try to access guest specific areas, but you can definitely check out their gift shops and lobby areas. Around the holidays, Disney hotels have themed gingerbread houses (way more elaborate ones than you are likely thinking – think functioning quarter-scale carousels and lighthouses) and you are able to walk into the hotel to check them out. My personal favorites would have to be the Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Yacht Club Resort, and you can take the bus from Disney Springs to there and back.

Disney Springs can be a full day of fun and unique experiences. Whether you are a frequent visitor to Disney or this is your first time in the House of Mouse, these tips can come in handy to help you make the best of your day. 

Thank you for coming to my TEDtalk. 🙂

Looking for other Orlando Disney content? Here are some options:

When we were researching what to do in Tokyo, one thing came recommended over and over again: the teamLab Planets exhibit. Since it’s popular, we booked tickets in advance, planning to attend while we were en route from Tokyo to Urayasu. We weren’t sure how our toddler would like it, but since he was free (kids under four don’t require a ticket), we figured we could roll the dice.

So, for JPY 3,800 per adult – approximately $25 USD each – we had our tickets in hand on a rainy Wednesday morning. It had been recommended to us to go to the teamLab Planets exhibit earlier in the day, which I would definitely agree with for beating the crowds. My mom joined us as well, and she was actually able to purchase a ticket at the door. We locked our luggage and stroller to bike locks outside of the building, but we also had a smaller locker inside for jackets, backpacks and shoes. That’s right, this exhibit is barefoot only.

There are a couple parts where you have your feet in water, with one section going up to about my knees, but most of it was pretty dry. There are also a lot of mirrored sections, which is something else to note when planning your wardrobe. We all wore pants that could be rolled up, though our son’s pants could not be totally saved – they definitely got wet. Fortunately, he didn’t mind. I wore the baby in a carrier throughout, which worked well for all the parts we walked through (even the beanbag room).

As it turns out, we did not have to worry about the kiddo – he loved the whole thing. We spent about two hours going through the various parts of the exhibit. It’s very interactive, with different parts of their app available to change colors, as well as just things to push on and touch. We spent very little time actually in the water, instead favoring the room with light strings and the room with giant light up balls.

It was so much fun, we actually decided we should book tickets for the other teamLab exhibit in Tokyo, which just opened in February 2024: Borderless, a new permanent exhibit.

Now, the teamLab Borderless has dynamic pricing based on ticket availability (this is also implemented at Disney), so you could see adult tickets range from 3,800 – 4,800 JPY, which is somewhere between $25 and $33 USD. We locked in the last tickets available for our last day in Tokyo, so we could attend with my mother-in-law, as well as the kiddos.

What I found interesting about Borderless is that there is no specific “flow” to the exhibit – maybe I should have guessed, considering the name! You work your way in and out of rooms (shoes on this time), as different artwork bleeds into and out of the parts of the space. There are some similar elements between the two exhibits, like the room with light strings, but most of it was entirely new. There is also a tea room at the “back” of the exhibit, though we didn’t attend, as well as a “sketch factory” where you can incorporate your drawing into an “aquarium” type room (a big hit with our son). We spent about two hours here as well as we went through the different parts of the exhibit – though most of that time was probably spent on the “slide!” IYKYK.

Personally, I preferred the Planets exhibit, based on the artwork offering and the structure, but I think both are certainly worth seeing. Either exhibit makes for a great kid-friendly activity, though they’re definitely something you could enjoy as an adults-only group as well. Just make sure to buy those tickets in advance, especially for Borderless!

You can also find permanent teamLab exhibits in other parts of the world, including…

• Macao, China
• Beijing, China
• Osaka, Japan
• Fukuoka, Japan
• Marina Bay, Singapore

There are pop-up exhibits as well, and they’re constantly rolling out more. They even have one right now in Miami, Florida, called Superblue Miami! Be sure to check out the teamLab website for additional details.

Hello friends! We just returned from a fabulous trip to Japan yesterday and are adjusting back to Eastern time – that 14-hour time difference is no joke, and our baby girl is pretty sure it’s daytime in the middle of the night. We’ll get there, and there is much, much more to come on all the great things we did during our 2+ week vacation, but first things first: we’re going to Ireland!

Tyler and I knew that we would likely be making a return trip to Ireland this year, as he is currently working on obtaining some documents around his family’s history in the country. He had a price alert set up, and we were keeping a close eye on timing that would work for us. When we found tickets for our 2022 trip to Ireland, we got them at a great price (~$400 for Tyler’s basic economy ticket, and ~$600 for my upgraded ticket), which was how we got so many family members involved. 

Fun fact: we had actually been trying to book tickets to Tokyo when we bought those tickets, so we’ve come full circle there!

We were pretty confident we wouldn’t see anything at the $400 price point, based on flight prices in the market right now, but we did expect we could make something in the $500s work. We’re particularly sensitive to flight pricing now that we’re buying tickets for four people, so we wanted to make sure we didn’t overspend. A few weeks ago, I was poking around on Google Flights to see what was available and flights to Dublin for November caught my eye. The timing worked well for us for our jobs, allowing us to capitalize on some baked in holidays, and it gave us the time to refresh our budget.

So with just a few days left before we boarded our flight to Tokyo, we jumped on them. Since our daughter will be almost one, we bought her a seat – we learned on our 2022 trip that it’s worth it with a baby that age, even if we could have her fly in our laps for much cheaper. We spent $567 per person (with a base fare of $50, per the Delta breakout), which isn’t an amazing price, but one we felt good about locking in. 

And now, we plan! We’ve been kicking around the idea of doing a road trip around the island, similar to what we did in Iceland a few years ago (but without the campervan, haha). We haven’t ever rented a car in Ireland, but it was hugely helpful when we went to the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand, and it makes getting around with kids a lot easier. If you have any must-visits or a recommended route – I definitely want to revisit Kinsale – please send them my way! I’m so excited to go back to Ireland, this time as a family of four.

Looking for more Ireland content? Check out these:

We’re in the final stretch before we leave for Japan! It feels like we only just booked the tickets (apparently, that was in August), but the trip will be here before we know it. Of course, that means I’ve spent the last few weeks figuring out what we need to get before we go. We have our Ireland toddler packing list to work off of, but we’ve also needed to upgrade some things. These are recent purchases I’ve made to ensure we’re all set for our trip:

Reusable Water Bottles

We have definitely had a water bottle of milk explode on us mid-flight – gotta love that cabin pressurization – so we wanted to make sure we had new water bottles that were in great shape. This is not the time to bring the bottle that kind of leaks! I found a great deal at CamelBak earlier this month on a few colors of the Eddy®+ Kids 14oz Bottle with Tritan™ Renew. This water bottle is a favorite of ours for our son since it has such a watertight seal, so we picked up two of them at 50% off. They’re also a great option for him to bring to bed, so he’s already put them to good use.

Luggage

While I stand by my Away bag, having the bigger carry-on means I can’t use it as my carry-on for every flight – and Air Canada can be strict with their size guides! Fortunately, I still have my Chaps luggage from when I studied abroad, but we decided it would be a good idea to upgrade our kids’ suitcase. After seeing Ayana rave about her Calpak bag, we opted for the Stevyn Rolling Duffel. This is bigger than our son’s current suitcase, and it should have plenty of room for both their things. Bonus: the trolley sleeve means we can stack it on our other luggage – we don’t have to count on our toddler to pull it the whole time!

Winter Clothes

In Florida, we don’t have a ton of call for warm weather clothes; it’s currently a balmy 62 degrees outside. That being said, Tokyo is going to be quite cold (and Montreal will be even colder)! We knew we needed to find some heavy duty products to keep the kiddos warm. You know how much I advocate for a good coat, which we managed to find for our son at Gap on an excellent deal; as a bonus, it has Mickey Mouse on it, so he’s all about it. We also picked up some snow suits and a jacket for our daughter, taking advantage of great sales at both Old Navy and Columbia. We also got some new things for us. 😉

Travel Stroller

This was the hardest purchase for us to make, since we love our Mockingbird stroller. It has been great to us on so many trips, but everything I read said that we needed something more compact for Japan. After doing a lot of research, I determined that a Bugaboo stroller would work well for us. What didn’t work well for us was the price tag. I scoured Facebook Marketplace, and I ended up finding a great deal on a Bugaboo Bee – and when that one sold before I could see it (d’oh!), I found another one a little further away. We got it secondhand for $125, which was much easier to swallow for a second stroller.

It’s been a busy winter! As we figure out what it means to have two kids in tow, we haven’t let that stop us from trying new restaurants and locations. We found a lot of new eats while we were at Disney Springs last month, but these are our highlights from around Tampa Bay:

The Pearl

Located on Water Street, The Pearl Tampa was a last-minute find that we ended up loving! They have two other locations in Ohio, but this is their only one in Florida. We took my in-laws out to lunch as a thank you for babysitting, and everyone was very pleased with their dishes. I got this grilled cheese, which was seriously delicious. Parking can be tricky – know the restrictions on the nearby Publix garage!

Grillsmith

Tyler and I went out to Grillsmith Wesley Chapel, which has five total locations in Central Florida, for a brunch date. We liked it so much, we ended up coming back with the whole family! I haven’t figured out which dish is my favorite yet, but Tyler seems to have found a new love in their cajun shrimp and chicken pasta. He suggested that my father-in-law get it on our last visit, and it also won him over.

Social Roost

We no longer live in St. Pete, but I had good reason to make the trip down for brunch at Social Roost – it was a surprise celebration for Megan’s 30th birthday! They have a really expansive menu, but I loved how they had different savory and sweet options. It’s worth noting that they do not have changing tables in their bathrooms (ask me how I found out), but their staff was so nice and accommodating as we figured out a solution for that.

Crumbl

So, I’ve shared my love of Crumbl in the past, and we have somewhat regularly picked up cookies from our nearby location in Lutz. However, we recently snagged cookies from the Crumbl USF location for the first time, which was our second week in a row ordering – Gideon’s has nothing on some of these recent rollouts! Especially with some of their new products (hello, cinnamon squares), this is one to keep an eye on.

Sucré Table

Sara’s recommendation got me to Sucré Table last week, located on Kennedy in Tampa, and I’ve got to say – I’m a fan! While the prices are a little higher than I’d like to spend on pastries and coffee or tea, I think it’s a great option for a girls’ outing or a date. I got an extra large pistachio croissant, as well as a London fog. Seating is limited both inside and out, so know that you may need to stake out a table.

Shake Shack

While it was hardly my first time in a Shake Shack, a free burger deal brought me to their Midtown location for the first time a few weeks back. This is the only Shake Shack in Tampa, with their next closest restaurants over in the Orlando area. I think this is a strong anchor for Midtown as a whole, which has more to offer than I’d realized in terms of restaurants and shops. Their fries are some of my favorite fast food ones!

Other Recommendations

While none of these was a new location or restaurant, I have visited some old favorites as well! If you’re looking for somewhere great to eat in Tampa Bay, you can’t go wrong with The Fat Rabbit Pub in Tampa Palms; Psomi in Hyde Park; Chuck Lager in Wesley Chapel; and Armature Works in Tampa Heights.

Last month was my 30^th birthday. And the celebrations have been ongoing all month long. This past weekend I had some of my closest friends come stay with me for a long weekend to celebrate this milestone birthday. Friday  to Sunday were jam packed with activities all showcasing some of the best the Tampa Bay Area has to offer. If you are looking to show guests around or simply looking at some of my favorite places in the bay areas keep on reading.  

Friday was a travel day for most and I made a trip to the airport to pick up my friend Alexis who was flying in from snowy Nashville. We immediately went to get some food and a quick drink right along the water at the Getaway. The getaway is a perfect spot to stop if you are making your way from Tampa to St. Pete and want to enjoy a casual outdoor waterfront restaurant bar.  

Once everyone arrived we headed out to downtown St. Pete. As a Pinellas County girl I am biased and have to say St. Pete is the best place for a night out. One of my friends suggested we go to “Welcome to the Farm” which is a bar owned by Country music star Chase Rice. I have to say I LOVED this bar. They had live music all night from very talented artists and bands. The vibes were spot on, everyone was having the best time singing and dancing along. We had planned to bar hop to a few spots but were enjoying our time so much we decided to stay all night.  

After a quick night sleep, we woke up and headed to Downtown Dunedin. I was really looking forward to taking my out of town guests to this fun downtown for some brewery hopping. We started at Dunedin Brewery where we grabbed some delicious wings and other bar snacks while enjoying some local beers. We headed to my favorite brewery next Woodwright Brewery which is known for their German Beer. My friends all enjoyed getting a flight to try a lot of different varieties. Unfortunately, it was a cold day in Florida and since Dunedin is located right on the water it was incredibly windy and not great for walking around and exploring more. We opted to hop in the car and driving around for me to show them the water front, beach and so much more the area has to offer. We rounded out our time with some orange ice cream at Lane’s lemonade. Another local favorite.  

After our day trip to Dunedin we had to quickly get ready for dinner and another night out. My friend Lindsay put on a lovely birthday dinner at On Swann in the very popular area of Hyde Park. I highly recommend Hype Park to visitors both for lunch or dinner as well as for shopping. We all enjoyed appetizers and delicious entrees before diving into a custom Taylor Swift themed cake. Very on brand.  

After much discussion on where to spend our evening because Tampa doesn’t have a great area with multiple bars for a non college scene, we ended up at Armature works. First at the downstairs bar and then up to their rooftop bar MBird. While the drinks are a bit pricier, MBird always has great vibes and great views. It was a fun night of enjoying some of my favorite people! 

The weekend came and went so quickly so I was incredibly sad to wake up Sunday morning to all of my friends getting ready to get back home. We rounded out the weekend with a breakfast at First Watch which never disappoints.  

After this weekend and the whole month, I feel incredibly grateful for the people I have in my life and those who are with me heading into this new decade!  

It’s been a busy month as we get our baby girl set up for global travel! After receiving her passport on December 30 – more on passport timelines here – I immediately submitted (that same day) an application for her to get Global Entry. This had always been a part of our plan, though we suspected we would need to have her interview on arrival upon our return from Japan. Fortunately, we were able to snag a last-minute interview ahead of time, so now this little lady is ready to go! Here’s what our timelines looked like for Global Entry:

• December 30 – We submitted her application for Global Entry through the Trusted Traveler Programs Website, located here: https://ttp.dhs.gov. We paid our $100 fee at this time as well.

• January 1 – We received an email update that she was conditionally approved – yay! Of course, that meant it was time to schedule an interview for her. I looked at our three closest airports, and there was nothing available until after we left for our trip.

• January 1 to January 11 – I periodically checked the website to see if any interviews opened up. I almost snagged one at the Sanford airport (about two hours away), but I decided to hold out for something closer at either Tampa or Orlando. While I could have used a service, like Megan did, I ultimately found an appointment for January 19 at TPA!

• January 19 – Since we weren’t ghosted this time, our little girl had her interview and got her picture taken. We then received her official approval on our walk back to the short-term parking lot!

So, within a month, we knocked out everything – a timeline I’ve never seen before, but I’m quite grateful we accomplished. Now we’re just waiting on her physical card to come in the mail.

The agent we spoke to also recommended we look into the Global Entry mobile app, which will be my next step. When we have two kids in tow on our travels, I appreciate anything that helps us move more efficiently!

Our son is officially three years old! To celebrate, we decided to go away for the weekend and introduce him to the magic of Disney. We didn’t visit any of the parks this time (he’ll get to experience those next month in Tokyo), but we had a ton of fun at Disney Springs. Here’s how we spent our money over the two days in Orlando:

Hotel: $187

We stayed at the Buena Vista Suites Orlando on Saturday night, and it was exactly what we needed it to be. It was close to Disney Springs, our room was spacious – important when you need to set up a pack and play for a baby – and the hotel offered both free parking and free breakfast. We definitely made the most of those! There was an on-site resort fee of $20.25 (included above), but the overall cost was still reasonable compared to other hotels in the area.

Food: $218

To no one’s surprise, this was our biggest expense. As I’ve mentioned before, we like to eat well! We also had a big lunch planned at Rainforest Cafe as part of the birthday celebration. For the three of us, the cost of that lunch was about $83, so that was our biggest meal expense. We also indulged in some tasty snacks from both Salt & Straw and Gideon’s Bakehouse. We weren’t actually able to eat dinner at Disney Springs on Saturday night due to the crowds (Note to make reservations!), so we ended up grabbing Tijuana Flats nearby.

Rides: $45

I had done a little research before we left, so I knew that the carousel and train in the marketplace area of Disney Springs would be a big hit with our kiddo. What I did not know is that they run on tokens, which each cost $5 (or you can get six tokens for $20). We ended up needing three tokens, but our big ride expense was the $30 we spent on our Aerophile balloon flight! This was the “early bird” ticket cost for both our son and I to ride. Even with the wind, we both had a great time – though it’s worth noting that the ride he keeps talking about is the train…

Souvenirs: $25

Since this was a birthday trip, we told our son he could pick out a toy to bring home. After much deliberation, he decided on a remote control Mater from Cars. He’s already managed to wear out the batteries, so I think this was a solid choice!

Dog Sitting: $50

Of course, when we spend the night away, we need to make sure our pups are taken care of too! This covered the three times they needed to be let out while we were gone.

Total: $525

No one said a weekend at Disney would be cheap! Even without a park visit, this is definitely not a budget-friendly location. That being said, we did find some ways to save, like staying off property and grabbing early tickets for the hot air balloon flight, and we were happy to celebrate with our kiddo. We’re fortunate to only live about an hour and a half away, so we could also do a day trip to make it more cost effective – if we didn’t have both kids with us, I think we would have opted for that. That being said, we were very happy to have somewhere nearby to grab a nap!

It’s another new year and another opportunity for some epic trips. I already have some solids plans and a million ideas. Hopefully this helps inspire you to get out and explore in 2024! 

Planned and Booked! 

Southern Caribbean Cruise  

It wouldn’t be a year of travel if I didn’t have a cruise planned. This year we are doing something a bit different and flying to get to our starting port. Living in Florida we have never had to fly to get to our cruise port. However, to travel to many of the southern Caribbean islands during a 7 night cruise you have to start in Puerto Rico. We will be sailing on the brand new Norwegian Viva and will be jam packed with stops including; Tortola, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Antigua, Barbados, and St. Lucia. The later 3 stops are brand new ports that I am so excited to visit.  

Paris and Switzerland 

This trip has become my entire personality over the last 6 months since officially securing my Taylor Swift Era’s tour tickets for Zurich. While not everything has been planned we have a good idea of itinerary and highlights. What we are calling our “Europa Eras” summer will take place late June/early July and start in Paris for 3 to 4 nights and round out with 9 nights in Switzerland visiting multiple parts of the country including Interlaken, Lucerne, and Zurich. Its been almost 7 years since I’ve been to Europe and I have been fully preparing to go all out! 

Daydreaming and Possible Trips! 

California – San Diego, LA, and Disneyland 

Fingers crossed work sends me out to California in late May for our annual conference. If I make the cross country trip I will be planning on extending my travel to explore San Diego and visit my friend Kate in LA and finally checking out Disneyland.  

While this is a short list for me, I am sure the year is going to bring out a bunch of opportunity to travel with friends and family. I am so excited to see what this year brings.  

With our Japan trip coming up next month (!!), we knew we would need to move fast to get our newborn daughter’s passport. We did a lot of prep work in advance, which I detailed here, to ensure we would have it in time for our trip.

Then, surprise! While working through all of her paperwork, we found that Tyler’s passport would fall into the six-month expiration window during our trip. This isn’t necessarily an issue for Canada or Japan (I checked the State Department site), but some airlines, as well as many countries, won’t allow you to travel if your passport is within six months of expiration. At least we caught it in time to renew, and we threw together his renewal application to send out when we sent our baby girl’s.

Now, timelines have varied significantly for passport applications over the last couple years, but in our case, expedited processing was truly expedited – especially over the holidays! This is what both the adult and child application timelines looked like for us:

• December 15 – We had photos taken and submitted materials in-person at the post office for our child passport. The adult passport renewal application was mailed at the same time.

Side note: I recommend taking the photos at the post office, it’s so convenient (and only $15). Plus, you can feel confident that the photos will meet the requirements!

• December 20 – The adult passport renewal application moved to “in process” on the passport status website, located here:

• December 21 – The child passport application moved to “in process.” At this point, I signed up for email updates!

• December 27 – I received an email that the child passport application was approved and being printed. In the email, it stated that it should be received around December 30.

• December 30 – Right on time, we received our baby girl’s passport! Just fifteen days after her appointment at the post office.

• January 2 – Tyler got an email that his adult renewal application was approved and being printed. In the email, it stated that his passport should arrive around January 5.

• January 5 – As expected, Tyler’s passport arrived! Three weeks to the day after he mailed out his paperwork. Now we’re just waiting for the return of their documents (birth certificate, old passport), which we expect to arrive this week.

All in, the process for both the child passport application and the adult passport renewal took between 2-3 weeks. We did pay for expedited service, which we felt was worth the upcharge, but we were told at the post office that we would potentially have been okay with standard service. I definitely appreciate that we no longer have to worry about this. In fact, we already have our daughter’s flight tickets and her conditional approval for Global Entry!

Take this as a reminder to check your passport expiration dates. And if you need to renew quickly, not all hope is lost – expedited service is a solid option that I would definitely recommend!

Looking for other passport-related content?

This is one of my favorite posts to do every year. Looking back on all the fun had, new places I’ve checked off the bucket list, and reminiscing on all the memories made. Here is a quick snapshot of my 2023 year in travel! 

January – California 

I kicked off the year in California to celebrate my last year in my 20s. One of my favorite travel partners Shea accompanied me to Temecula and Laguna Beach. The highlights being our Jeep Tour to Wineries in Temecula, a fabulous Spa day, exploring the coastline of Laguna Beach, and a birthday dinner at a fabular Mexican restaurant with an appearance by my favorite California local, Kate.  

March – First of a few quick NYC Trips 

My first time back in the city since 2018. Was so fun to catch up with old friends and experience a few days of winter weather.  

March – Celebrity Beyond 

We cruised with Captain Kate again on one of Celebrity’s most popular ships, Beyond. We made stops in Nassau, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Costa Maya. The highlight being our tour to the 7 Color Lagoon in Bacalar, Mexico.  

April – Concerts 

While not an out of town trip, I can’t go without mentioning that in April I got to go to the ERAS TOUR! I have become uncontrollably obsessed with Taylor Swift since this night and have a fun surprise in store in 2024! 

However, April being the month of concerts, I did travel to Greensboro, NC for my annual Kenny concert and my annual girls trip with Lacy. Highlight of the trip easily being meeting the band in the loop of our hotel and getting upgraded tickets to the sandbar! Seeing Kenny Chesney that close was something high on my bucket list.  

June – NYC Round 2 

In June I once again did a quick trip to NYC with coworkers. We made the most of our short trip bar hopping in the West Village, and eating at the famous Bar Pitti. We also stumbled upon a comedy show which was so awful but incredibly memorable.  

July – Carnival Horizon 

In July I went on my 2^nd of 3 cruises for the year. This time on one of our favorite ships Carnival Horizon. We absolutely love staying in the Havana Club. Highlight of this trip were getting to climb Dunn River Falls in Jamaica and swim with stingrays in Grand Cayman.  

August – NYC and Lacy’s 30^th Birthday Cruise 

August was a packed month as I went with my family for a long weekend trip in NYC for the Bucs vs Jets game. My mom and I got to get a lot of shopping in and ate all of our NYC favorites. We even walked multiple miles in search of cheesecake.  

The day after returning from NYC I hooped on my last cruise of the year. This was my first time sailing out of Tampa which was so nice and convenient. We rented a private catamaran in Cozumel which was the highlight of the trip for me.  

September – Disney and Weddings 

September was another busy month with back to back weekend trips. First was a long weekend at Disney where Kate treated me to the VIP employee experience. Free tickets on top of incredibly discounted rooms allowed us to stay at the Rivera one night and the Contemporary 2 nights. We met up with my friend Claire and V and enjoyed riding Guardians daily, getting on the new ride Tron, and having an incredible meal at the Canadian Steakhouse. I never get tired of Disney Days.  

The following weekend was a very special weekend, it was one of my closest college friend Julie’s wedding. I traveled for a long weekend to West Palm Beach and enjoyed seeing so many old friends and partying the night away. I wish I remembered more of the trip haha 

November – Chicago  

The last trip of the year was yet another girls trip. Shea and I finished our year like we started it, exploring another new city. This time it was Chicago. For a long weekend trip we packed so much into our schedule. But the highlight here was surely the food. We did not have a single bad meal! 

Now that it’s officially winter in the Northern Hemisphere, I’ve been thinking about some of my favorite cold weather spots! Obviously, a lot of folks like to travel to Florida to warm up in the winter, but as a Floridian? That’s not quite as exciting. In fact, I prefer to travel somewhere cold and make the most of the season. If you’re looking for a wintery wonderland, these are my top recommendations:

East Coast, USA: Asheville, North Carolina

I’ve been able to visit Asheville, North Carolina at various points throughout the year, between work and visits with friends, but there’s something special about going during the winter. The Biltmore is beautifully done up for the holidays, and is definitely a must-do. While there could be snow, it’s not an overwhelming amount if you’re not used to the cold – and I loved sharing the flurries with our dogs when we last visited. Plus, Asheville has plenty of breweries and restaurants, perfect for when you need a new spot to warm up.

West Coast, USA: Denver, Colorado

This is another spot I’ve been able to visit throughout the year, and while I love Colorado over the summer, there is just something special about visiting during the winter – especially with all the outdoor activities. Last December, I got to spend some time there with my team from work, and I had such a fun time ice skating for the first time since high school. That being said, I’ve also had a blast tubing in the snow and exploring the nearby ice castles. Denver is also super accessible to other parts of Colorado, including Boulder (a fave)!

Abroad: Dublin, Ireland

I knew my recommendation would be in Europe – hello, Christmas markets – but over the years, it’s been Dublin that has really stolen my heart. While the last time we went was in the spring over St. Patrick’s Day, our first visit to the city was right before the holidays. I appreciated how everything was decorated for the holidays, and I learned that they really know how to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Temple Bar. There is so much to love about Dublin, and it’s one of my favorite places to share with my family and friends. I’ve actually been looking for tickets for our next visit…

We leave for our trip to Japan in just about two months now, and with our daughter’s passport appointment later this week, we’re really in full-on planning mode! Fortunately, I think we’ve got a lot of our logistics in a good spot. Here’s what we have figured out so far for the two weeks we’ll be in Japan…

Stop 1: Montreal, Canada

Since we’re flying Air Canada, we actually have layovers in Montreal on both legs of the trip. We’ll ultimately spend two nights here, but it gives us a chance to explore the city, as well as break up the journey (never a bad thing, when you have kids in tow). We still need to lock in accommodations, but I’m excited to get a chance to explore this part of Canada. I’ve only been to Toronto and Niagara Falls, though I’ve heard excellent things about Montreal!

Stop 2: Tokyo, Japan

We’re set to fly into and out of Narita International Airport (NRT), so we have book-ended our time in Japan with stays in Tokyo. We’ll spend six nights here total, across two different parts of the city. At the beginning of our trip, we’ll be at the Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba, which is to the south of Tokyo proper, near the Daiba metro station. For our return to the city, we booked a room at the Mimaru Tokyo Ueno Inaricho, which is to the north, a short walk from Ueno Park.

Stop 3: Urayasu, Japan

Of course, no visit to Tokyo would be complete without a visit to Disney! I had a great time at Disneyland Paris during both my study abroad and my girls’ trip with my mom and sister. While our kids haven’t yet visited Disney World in Orlando, we’re thrilled to share this experience with them – I know my mom is especially excited to check another park off her list. We’ll spend three nights here, to ensure we get one full day at both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.

Stop 4: Kyoto, Japan

We’re still looking into our accommodation options for Kyoto – it seems that an Airbnb may be a better fit than a hotel in this area – but we’re planning to spend five nights here. This will be a nice to see a different part of Japan, as it’s known for offering a look into “traditional” Japanese culture. The rail options make it pretty easy to get around, so we may also explore different day trip possibilities – Nara and Osaka are both on our radar as nearby options. 

We’re definitely still figuring out our best stops, so if you have any recommendations for while we’re there, please let me know!

Hello hello! It’s been a few weeks since my last post, but that’s because we’ve embarked on a new adventure over here: our baby girl has arrived! She and I are both in good health, and we’re all excited to lock down more travel plans – for example, we’ve booked three out of four accommodations for our trip to Japan next year.

Of course, as we look ahead to new trips and locations, it’s good to remember the ones we’ve taken as well. It can be easy to get caught up in the places I didn’t go (like a wedding in NYC or a work trip to Scottsdale, Arizona), but I was actually surprised by just how many trips I managed to take, now that I’m looking back on it! Some of which I’d already forgotten about… To recap, here’s where the year took me:

January: Las Vegas, Nevada

It wasn’t until I scrolled back on my calendar that I remembered taking this trip! Yes, it was for work, but I managed to make the most of my bleisure time there. Plus, with access to so many delicious restaurants, I ate really, really well. Shout out to the partners who took me out to dinner!

April: Stockholm, Sweden; Tallinn, Estonia; Helsinki, Finland

After a lot of local adventures in March, we took our first international trip of the year! We landed in Stockholm on the first of April, so definitely started the month strong. From there, we took the ferry to Helsinki, and from there, we took a day trip to Tallinn. Our plans were definitely a little ambitious with a toddler in tow, but we made it work.

May: Yellowstone National Park; Seattle, Washington

This was my peak first trimester travel, so I wasn’t feeling my best. However, I’m so glad I powered through for these adventures! Sara and I had the best time bopping around Yellowstone National Park, even when we had no wifi. Then, rather than return home, I flew directly to Seattle for work. It was a whirlwind, but so worth it.

July + August: NYC, New York

I had passed on taking a trip to NYC for a wedding in June for a few different reasons, so I was glad Tyler and I had the opportunity to go in July for our anniversary! It was such a nice little getaway, even when you add in that we were both working, and it gave us a chance to explore the city together, many years after our first visit.

September: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Not every company that will fund a team retreat to an all-inclusive resort, so I am very fortunate that I had the opportunity to jump on this! Even though I was into my third trimester at this point and not the most comfortable, I absolutely had a great time in Cabo with my team. This was my last trip of the year, so I went out with a bang!

Would I have liked to travel more this year? Absolutely. But after the last decade of traveling, I know that there will be more opportunities to adventure next year, and the year after that, and the year after that. Right now, I’m enjoying some time at home with the family – and, of course, keeping an eye on Google Flights for any deals that are too good to pass up. 😉

Happy Thanksgiving to all! While you are enjoying indulging in your favorite holiday foods its also time to start thinking about all the holiday activities coming up here in Tampa. One of my favorite ways to get into the holiday spirit is to visit many of the Holiday Pop Up bars across the Tampa Bay area.

Here is a list of some of the best pop ups in the area and ofcourse some of my favorites.

1. OffSHOR, Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa
   1. OffSHOR is offering a unique way to enjoy the holiday season. Every Thursday there will be rooftop pool parties with holiday themed games, décor and movie screenings. Fridays there will be Santa lead cocktail classes and Sundays will be Christmas Cookies and Cocktails where you can decorate holiday cookies an pair them with cocktails.
2. Woodwright Brewing Company, Dunedin, FL
   1. One of my favorite breweries in town. This beer garden will be transformed into a winter wonderland with campfires and live music throughout the month.
3. Luberjack Lounge, St. Petersburg, FL
   1. Feature photo ops and speciality cocktails will be the highlights at this Central Ave pop up.
4. Xmas Bar St. Pete, St. Petersburg, FL
   1. This festive popup bar in St. Pete features an array of holiday themed cocktails like the Naughty or Nice Bubbly, Jingle Juice, Mistletoe’s Kiss, Drunken Gingerbread, Here to Sleigh, and more. Take a shot of the Cinnamon Toast, Butter Cookie, or the Peppermint Crush.
5. Willa’s, Tampa, FL
   1. Head to Willa’s to enjoy dinner under all the festive decorations. There are also some specialty cocktails on the menu to get you in the spirt.
6. Barterhouse Ybor, Tampa, FL
7. Santa’s Social Club, Duendin, FL
   1. A full emersive experience in this cocktail lounge. One of my favorites every year.
8. Miracle at Mezzo, St. Petersburg, FL
   1. Always the most popular Holiday bar in town. I am partial to the Christmapolitan but excited to try some of their new holiday themed drinks.
9. Icicles Craft Cocktails, Tampa, FL
10. Sippin’ Santa, Dunedin, FL

I feel as if I officially hit countdown mode for our trip to Japan in the spring and realized all that we have left to do for it! Not only do we still have some accommodations to book, but I woke up at 4am and realized we’re getting close to crunch time as far as getting our newborn’s passport. Unfortunately, it’s not necessarily something I can move on immediately, seeing as she hasn’t been born yet…

That being said, we are definitely preparing as best as we can to ensure she has her passport in hand (or more likely, one of our hands) come time for our trip. Here’s what we’ve got planned:

• We have an appointment scheduled. This was something we did with our son when getting his passport because children under the age of 16 are required to apply for their passport in person, with both parents present. I booked an appointment through a nearby USPS for 3 weeks after our induction date, at which point I expect we’ll have her birth certificate back – essentially, the core document to get her passport. In the event we get this back sooner than expected, I’ll probably try to bump up the appointment.

• We have photos scheduled – at the same appointment! Considering we’re in a time crunch, I want to make sure we’re using a service that will get us the photos we need. Generally, photo guidelines around newborns are much more lenient, but we figured it was worth the additional $15 to nor have to worry about it. I imagine we’ll put a white sheet in her car seat, as this has been recommended for newborns. Otherwise, we may try laying her down on a white background and taking the photo from above.

• We’re expediting her passport application. As of writing, processing times for routine passport applications are 7-10 weeks, and expedited applications are 3-5 weeks. We should have about eight weeks between her passport appointment and our trip, but we’re not taking any chances with timing. This page from the US Department of State offers great insight into the different options for getting your passport fast. It’s helpful to know that “urgent travel” is an option, in the event her documentation is delayed.

We will probably also submit her application for Global Entry ahead of our trip for conditional approval so that she can interview for arrival upon our return – or maybe we’ll see about snagging an interview quickly ahead of time!

Chicago has been on my bucket list for a while. I was actually supposed to go in July of 2020 to see the Rays play the Cubs, however a global pandemic and no fans at MLB games put a stop to that trip.  

So early this year when Southwest was offering their annual birthday sale, one of my favorite travel buddies reached out and said “Where should we go?” Chicago was an easy choice considering neither of us has been and it would be an easy long weekend trip.  

It has finally come to Chicago week, we leave Friday morning and come back Sunday night. So while it is a short trip we have it loaded with fun.  

Here are some of the highlights.  

Second City Show 

Hands down the event I am most excited for. So many famous comedians and SNL cast members have come through these doors. From someone who loves live shows and comedy I am so excited to see the hype around Second City.  

Art Institute of Chicago 

While I am not super knowledgeable about art, I have been told time after time I need to check out the Art Institute of Chicago. I’ll be sure to do a full review and if I think its worth the $32 admission fee.  

Wrigley Tour 

It is on my bucket list to go to every MLB stadium. While there will be no baseball it will be fun to visit this iconic field.  

Topo Gigio Ristorante 

A local Italian restaurant that came highly recommended. I never pass up good Italian food. Will be the perfect comfort food to pair with the cold weather right before our Second City Show. 

Cindy’s Rooftop 

Another highly recommended spot. Cindy’s Rooftop is a bar and restaurant that overlooks the city with incredible views and tasty drinks. 

Riverwalk, Millenium Park, Lake Front Park 

As someone who did not grow up in a walkable city I am most looking forward being able to walk all the beautiful public areas in Chicago.  

I used to go to Scottsdale, Arizona, annually for a conference that I loved, but I haven’t been out there since early 2020… Man, that was a killer bleisure trip. Not only did I get to explore the city with Emily, but I then flew from there to Denver, Colorado. I got to tube down Copper Mountain and frolic in ice castles, all before traveling shut down for a bit.

Back to Scottsdale. As I mentioned previously, my team planned a smaller off-site in the city that just happened a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately, it was not advisable for me to attend, since baby #2 is due any day now! I understood, but was definitely bummed to be missing out.

Instead, I had a quiet week at work, and I lived vicariously through my team. Their adventures have had me dreaming about all the great things in Scottsdale, like…

• The team stayed at the Omni Montelucia, which is just down the road from the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa where I used to stay. Both hotels are gorgeous and are easily accessible to Camelback Mountain – one of my best hike recommendations!

• The first night, the team went out to play Topgolf, which is a great experience out in the desert. I know because I played it in Las Vegas! This is the sort of activity that is perfected by a cool night out with great coworkers. I’ve also gone to Topgolf in Tampa, and it’s just not the same.

• The team ate well. I know that they went to The House Brasserie and Culinary Dropout, both of which have great reviews. Megan and I have definitely eaten some great food in Scottsdale, but my favorite of all time is Postino. Before they left, I was telling all my coworkers about it!

Yes, Scottsdale is also where I fell on a cactus, but I have had so many great experiences there! I’m definitely excited for the next time I can get out that way – maybe with both kiddos in tow – and soak it all in. You can bet I’ll be getting a Postino breadboard!

We are quickly approaching the biggest shopping holidays of the year. If you are looking for gifts for the traveler on your list or you yourself are a travel and looking for things to purchase at a great discount, I have my current wish list for the holiday season.  

And of course as you are shopping these sales be sure to shop through Rakuten.com to get an additional cashback discount.  

Calpak Luka Duffle  

• For my big Europe trip next summer, I am looking for the perfect personal item. This Calpak Luka Duffle has caught my eye. I have watched many packing videos on tik tok and other travelers are able to fit multiple days worth of outfits and toiletries in this bag. This bag has a dedicated shoe area and multiple pockets to stay organized. And the biggest item I look for in my travel bags, a luggage trolly.  

Compression Board Suitcase 

• Also for my big Europe trip, I am doing my best (as a notorious overpacker) to do carry-on only. With that I want to invest in a new carry on suitcase. I have been specifically looking at suitcases with compression board technology, to try to optimize space where I can. I would love to hear your recommendations if you have a favorite carry on suitcase.  

• Monos 
• Away 
• Samsonite 

Noise Canceling Headphones 

• With a few long-haul flights next year, I would love to invest in a good pair of noise canceling headphones. These are currently on sale with Amazon and I have loved my past JBL speakers.  

Trtl Pillow 

• I can never get comfortable when it comes to sleeping on planes. I have heard great things about the Trtl Pillow and would love to give it a shot to see if it helps me get a few hours rest while in the air.  

Portable Charger 

• While I have a ton of portable chargers, this one has caught my eye for being the tiniest I have seen. This would be a great stocking stuffer for anyone on your list.  

Packable backpack 

• My packable backpack finally saw its last trip this past July. I love having an extra bag packed for any day trips or to use if I buy too many things on a trip These bags fold up to their own little bag to make them easy to throw into any carry on or personal item bag.  

The Florida Aquarium is located in downtown Tampa, right next to the cruise port on Channelside. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and it offers over 250k square feet of wildlife and activities to explore. We’ve now been members of the aquarium for over a year, and since getting a family membership in August 2022, we’ve probably averaged a visit once per month.

At $185 for a family of four, an annual membership is definitely the way to go, even if you’re not fully committed to monthly visits – if you go twice in a year, it will be worth it (especially because the membership also includes parking). That being said, if you’re not totally sold, these are some of the things I love about The Florida Aquarium:

• It’s huge. You could easily spend a whole day here exploring, though we typically choose to spend a half day. That means we pick a handful of things to hit once we get there, usually based on what’s speaking to our son. There are so many different exhibits, including the new MORPH’D – which opened earlier this year, definitely would recommend – so it feels like we see something new every time we go.

• It’s family friendly. We have spent a ton of time on the outdoor playground and splash pad (of course, we also see the penguins while outside), and our kiddo is finally seeing the appeal of petting some of the sea creatures available, like jellyfish and stingrays. They also have Rocky and Tango as character meet and greets! It’s generally stroller-friendly as well, though you may end up waiting in line to use the elevator.

• There’s always something going on. Earlier this month, we attended their Penguin Waddle 2023, which they hosted for African Penguin Awareness Day. We’re currently discussing whether we are going to make a stop at Guppyween 2023 this weekend, which is their Halloween event (with a sensory friendly option available in the morning). I think they do a great job of offering different activities and engaging with the community.

• Bonus: it’s air conditioned. Look, this may not seem like a huge selling feature, but a lot of activities around the Tampa Bay area are outdoors – and that means you’re subjected to the elements, including the heat. As I’m writing this, the temperature is currently 81 degrees! We love having a built in activity that offers shade and A/C, especially when it’s so conveniently located to other things around downtown Tampa.

When it came time in August to renew our membership, it was a no-brainer for us – especially when they offered a discount for doing so early! Prior to last year, I hadn’t been to The Florida Aquarium since I was a kid, but I’m so glad we’ve made it a regular part of our lives.

If you haven’t been to Disney in a hot minute you may be surprised on your next vacation to learn there is no more fast passes. Gone are the days of the ticket stands outside rides telling you when to come back for a shorter wait. Even the app and making fast pass reservations are gone. Well the free version at least. Since COVID shut down Disney World in 2020, the park has come out with a ton of new changes, most notably Genie Plus.

Genie Plus is a paid service that allows you to skip the line on included attractions once per day. The price varies from park to park and day to day, but you can expect this add on to cost between $15-$35 per day. The cost allows you to book available fast passes throughout your day either at one park or multiple. So what are the pros and cons.

Let’s start with the Cons

• Not all rides are available
  • If you are expecting to buy Genie Plus to get fast passes for new rides such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Tron, think again. These newer rides are not included with Genie Plus and require a separate Lighting Lane Purchase.
• Limited Availability
  • You’ll notice with a Genie Plus purchase that some rides are sold out right in the beginning of the day. Popular rides like Frozen fast passes sell out immediately.
• Purchases can only happen once in the park.
  • To make the most of your purchase, you are going to have to optimize your park time and start first thing in the morning.
• 1 Reservation at a Time
  • Unlike the old app based fast pass system where you could start your day with 3 reservations, you can only have one reservation at a time. Unless you book something that is over 2 hours away, then once you pass the 2 hour mark you can make another fast pass reservation.
• Another Cost
  • It Is worth mentioning that this is an add on feature. And while Disney is one of the most expensive vacations people take, adding this level of experience just adds to the already high price tag.

Now for some Pros of Genie Plus

• Time Saver
  • If you are short on time or have little ones who struggle to wait in line, this can be well worth your money.
• Park Hopping Freedom
  • For the same price as a Genie Plus ticket to Magic Kingdom or Hollywood studios you can do a park hopping version that allows you to have fast pass access at all the parks. If I were to recommend Genie Plus is would be only this feature with Magic Kingdom being apart of your day, as they have the most rides to choose from on the app.

And just a few added tips from my experience using Genie Plus

• Always purchase Genie Plus Park Hopper option to maximize your ride availability
• If you care more about riding new rides and planning your day accordingly, purchase individual lighting lanes at 7:00am.
• If you are holding on to a fast pass for 2 hour or more make sure to book another reservation as soon as the 2 hour mark passes
• Get to the parks early to optimize your time and ride availability
• Must do rides that tend to have long wait or sell out of fast passes like Frozen, be sure to select first even if it is not an ideal time.
• If you want to drop a fast pass, be sure to see a customer experience agent at a blue tent located throughout the park.

Sara and I have been going to Sweetfields Farm in Brooksville, Florida, for many years. We usually go in the spring to check out the sunflowers, as I wrote about in 2021 and in 2022.

But last year, I also went for their fall season, when they trade in their sunflower maze for a corn maze, and it reminded me what a great spot Sweetfields is for a visit this time of year too. When Sara asked if I was interested in going out for some Florida fall fun, I said yes! We went over the weekend, and we got lucky with some really nice weather the morning we were there – it was also quite busy, as it seems a lot of folks had the same idea.

We rode the hayride (twice), we admired the animals, we played with many of the games and kids’ toys, we successfully completed the corn maze without getting too lost, we ate a bunch of kettle corn, and we each left with a tiny pumpkin to bring home. This was actually my first time riding their hayride, but since my son loved it – as he did with most of the activities – we opted to go again. 🙂 We however decided we did not need to finish the corn maze again…

If you’re considering a visit to Sweetfields Farm for their fall season, here are some things to know:

• It’s open now through November 5. They’re open on Saturdays and Sundays, though do have some availability on Fridays and Mondays as well, which are likely to be less crowded. That being said, it’s good to buy your ticket in advance because they can (and do) sell out.

• Your admission includes quite a bit! The only extras we paid for were our kettle corn ($4 per bag) and the pumpkins ($2 each for minis). That being said, if you are also interested in purchasing other food or drinks, painting a pumpkin, or shooting off the cannon, it’s good to plan on spending a little extra. 

• Bring your sunscreen. It may be fall, but you’re still in Florida, and you can plan to spend at least a few hours outside in the sunshine. I also suggest packing some snacks and water in a backpack, which kept us going for most of the morning. Check the weather though – an umbrella could also be worthwhile.

Our tickets were about $14 each online with the fees, and the kiddo was free (since he’s under three), and I definitely felt it was money well spent for ~3 hours of running around a farm. If you’re looking for that fall feeling, you don’t have to look any further.

PS – per their website, the sunflowers will be back in May 2024!

Now that I’m back from Cabo San Lucas, it’s occurred to me that I managed to take quite a few trips during this pregnancy! I brought the family to Stockholm, Tallinn, and Helsinki; I bopped around Yellowstone National Park, then flew to Seattle; I turned an NYC work trip into an anniversary vacation; and I only just returned from Mexico. 

Looking back on all of it, it’s hard to believe that it all happened during this pregnancy, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. I am grateful to have had more opportunity to travel with this baby than I did when I was pregnant with our son during peak COVID, but even then, we managed a couple different road trips! We hit Savannah and Charleston in one, then Asheville and Blue Ridge on another.

All that to be said, I have done a significant amount of travel across two different pregnancies, and I have curated a packing list that has served me well. However you’re traveling – car, plane, boat, etc. – here are my must-haves to bring along with you:

• Medications (and medical devices). Always check with your medical provider on what medications or supplements you should be taking, but for me, this has included: prenatal vitamins, fiber supplements, iron supplements, baby aspirin, and Unisom. I also keep handy Tums and acetaminophen, though those are in a separate pouch. I have also packed my blood pressure cuff to ensure I could keep monitoring my BP. None of these have been flagged for me by TSA before, though I did once have my breast pump brought out for additional screening… You can worry about that post-pregnancy. 😉

• Compression socks. I know that these are often recommended for flights in general, especially long ones – looking at the 16-hour flight to Auckland we took last year – but I hadn’t gotten on the compression sock train until my OB recommended them for my flight to Mexico. It’s much more common to have swelling in your feet during your second and third trimesters, so that’s one advantage of wearing them, but they also can help improve blood flow from your legs to your heart. I recommend Bombas; they’re a little pricey, but the reviews (and my experience with them) are great. 

• Snacks. No matter what stage of pregnancy I’ve been in, I’ve found I’m never upset to have snacks packed. Evaluate what’s going to make sense for you, based on how you’re feeling. For example, ginger snacks may be helpful if you’re feeling nauseous during your first trimester, but snacks with higher protein may make you feel better later on. My go-tos this pregnancy have been dry cereal, peanut butter crackers, and granola bars. I would also suggest bringing some water flavor packets if water by itself makes you feel sick – it will help you stay hydrated if you can better stomach the taste!

• A pillow. Now, it may not always be feasible for you to throw a full-size body pillow into your carry-on bag for a flight, but trust me when I say you will want some extra cushion. During this trip to Cabo, I was definitely using all four pillows on my bed to create a pillow fort around my body. This allowed me to put some extra support under my legs and belly, which at this point in pregnancy, is a must. I would also recommend a neck pillow, if you’re flying! I have really appreciated having mine on my recent trips.

• Comfy clothes. This could mean different things for different people, but during this summer of travel, it has meant a lot of dresses. I love being able to just throw something on and call it an outfit, without it putting too much pressure on my belly. An important note here: make sure they fit. I actually tried to bring a romper I wore at ~20 weeks pregnant to Mexico (as seen in this post), but at 29 weeks pregnant, it just did not fit the way I wanted it to. I know that it’s annoying to buy a ton of new maternity clothes, but it may be worth a shopping trip for a few key pieces. I’ve had good luck with Old Navy!

Traveling while pregnant may not be easy, but hopefully this gives you a guideline to make it a little easier. Good luck!

Looking for other pregnancy-related content?

I wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t already planning a trip for 2024. I am so excited to be planning my first European trip in over 5 years! And with that I was adamant about getting Global Entry.

Global Entry is a US Customs and Border Protection program that allows for expedited clearance through US customs, greatly reducing wait times.

With my love for TSA precheck, I knew that I wanted to invest in further ease of travel. First, I opened a new travel credit card with Capital One. The Capital One Venture is an entry level travel card and perfect for those just getting into the points game. Upon sign up you get 75K bonus miles as well as reimbursement for TSA Precheck or Global Entry. Its is worth going with Global Entry as TSA is included.

However, it is well know that the process to get Global Entry is not easy and requires going through some hoops to get a highly coveted interview. But of course, I have a hack for you.

First thing you are going to want to do is apply for Global Entry. You will need your passport, Driver’s License, Employment info dating back to 2018, as well as addresses dating back to 2018. You will also need to pay the $100 application fee.

Next you will need to schedule an interview. You’ll be able to search locations and appointment availability up to your desired date. I recommend at least 2 weeks out from your trip. You get approved on the spot but can take up to 10 days to get your global entry card. However, here is where the problem lies. You’ll often find that there are no appointments, even if you are looking 9 months down the road as I was. I was applying in September looking for an appointment all the way through June and had no availability.

And that is where Appointment Scanner comes into play. Appointment Scanner is an online tool that for $29 will send you text and email alerts when Global Entry appointments become available. You’ll have to be quick to react and have flexibility in your schedule to grab canceled appointments or last-minute location drops. Upon signing up for Appointment Scanner, you will be able to requests your last available date as well as day of the week you are available. The service will then send you appointments that fit your desired filters. While the service doesn’t promise an appointment, I have had many friends use the app and have success and I was able to snag an appointment in under 4 hours of signing up for the service.

So, if you are planning an international trip for next Spring/Summer, it is worth while to start the application and interview process now for Global Entry.

Last week, I was at the Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos for our annual company retreat. While I’ve been to a few off-sites with my team – Denver last December and Seattle in May – this was the first time I was told to leave my laptop at home. Unlike our off-site events, this trip to Baja California Sur was not meant to have a focus on work. Instead, since my company is totally remote, it was a chance to bring a large group of us together for team bonding and relaxing ahead of the holidays. What a concept!

What made this a little tricky is that I’m in my third trimester now, so traveling is even more involved than in my first and second. Fortunately, I got approval from my doctor to make the trip, so long as I continued my current medication regimen and wore compression socks on the plane. They typically don’t recommend traveling after 32 weeks of pregnancy, so I was in a sweet spot at 29 weeks – it was definitely my last travel hurrah before this baby is born!

I’m so glad I was able to make it work logistically because it was a great trip. Aside from leisurely hanging out with my coworkers (definitely a perk), these are the highlights from Cabo:

• Staying at the Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos. I’ve never stayed at an all-inclusive resort before, and I’ve gotta say – would recommend! Even though I couldn’t “make the most” of my all-inclusive experience, as I’m not drinking, I still really appreciated all the amenities. I definitely enjoyed getting drinks and food delivered poolside (as well as from the swim up bars), as well as convenient room service when I was resting in my room. I felt very well taken care of the whole time.

• Getting a facial at the Rock Spa. Part of our retreat experience was to pick an activity, which ranged from a spa treatment to ATV rides. I opted for a facial at the on-site spa, and I’m very glad I did. It was my first one ever, and I found that the experience was incredibly relaxing. I was laid out on a table like for a massage (unexpected for me), and then wrapped up in a warm blanket while my face, neck, and shoulders were tended to for about an hour. I definitely carry some tension in my neck and shoulders, so this helped work some of that out!

• Eating dinner at Sunset Monalisa. This restaurant was not part of the Hard Rock, so we took a ~30 minute bus ride to get there for a truly beautiful dinner. The restaurant is located on what feels like the side of a cliff and offers amazing views of the ocean and beach. We watched the sun set over us before finally eating dinner, which was quite tasty. They were also super considerate of my current dietary needs! I would absolutely consider this an amazing option for a destination wedding.

• Drinking piñatas at the pool. Just because I’m not drinking alcohol doesn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy some frozen beverages from the swim up bar! I learned on our last day there that the staff often refers to the virgin piña coladas I’d been enjoying (which were very refreshing when laying out in the sun) as “piñatas,” which made the experience that much more delightful. I’m not a heavy drinker even when I’m not pregnant, so I really appreciated that they made my drinks accessible and fun as well.

My slight sunburn has officially faded to a light tan, but I’ll be thinking about this trip for a long time. Unfortunately, I’m missing a smaller team off-site to Scottsdale, Arizona, next month, but I figure if I had to miss one of these, I’m glad it was the one in the city I’ve been to several times before! I’ll just be imagining I’m poolside with a piñata until then…

I was 20 years old when I first flew to Europe. I had just flown by myself for the first time from Tampa to Miami, and then met up with my classmates as we boarded our flight to Paris, France. It was a whole new adventure for me, who had previously never gone further outside the country than Mexico and the Bahamas, and I am completely serious when I say that study abroad changed my life.

That was the summer of 2014, and I learned so much about myself. I could embrace challenges and do scary things! But it also taught me to love travel, so I made it a priority. After graduating, starting my job (which also came with its own travel perks), and moving in with my boyfriend, it stayed on the radar. I knew there were more adventures to be had.

In December 2016, Tyler (then my fiance) and I went to Dublin, Ireland. I used a referral bonus from work to fund our flights, and we stayed in a cheap hotel on the “wrong side” of the River Liffey. We spent a week in the city, other than our Paddywagon bus tour to the Cliffs of Moher, meeting with Tyler’s family and discovering lots to love about Ireland. It was hard to leave on Christmas Eve, but I already had a few trips lined up – my bachelorette cruise to Mexico and then our honeymoon in the Mediterranean. I loved knowing I had more travel to look forward to.

And from there, I never stopped. Whether it was with Tyler or family or friends or even through work, I kept making plans to find adventure out there, whatever it might look like.

A global pandemic in 2020 certainly disrupted our plans – I am certain we will never get such a great deal on flights to Shanghai again – but we pivoted. We took the opportunity to travel domestically, see some more of what the USA has to offer. Add to that a 2021 baby, and our travel style changed again. We couldn’t be as nimble as we once were, and we had to prioritize nicer accommodations, but we kept going. We learned how to travel with him. That kid is now two, and he’s been to more countries than I had at 22 – I love that.

Which brings me here: 29, with my 30th birthday in just a few days, a second kid coming in just a few months. I know that travel will change again for me. But as I prepare to spend some time at an all-inclusive in Cabo San Lucas later this month, and then take a major family trip to Japan early next year, I am still so excited to learn and discover more about this world. When you find something you love to do, you keep doing it. Sometimes it isn’t easy, but it’s always worth it.

I am incredibly grateful for this last decade of adventures, but as I prepare for my 30s, I am confident that there are many, many more to be had.

For those interested, my travel abroad timeline looks like the below:

• May 2014: England, France
• December 2016: Ireland
• May 2017: Mexico
• August 2017: Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro
• October 2017: Canada
• March 2018: Iceland
• May 2018: England, France, Iceland
• August 2018: Cuba
• October 2018: Canada
• December 2018: Belgium, France, Ireland, Netherlands
• March 2019: Denmark, England, Germany
• May 2019: Brazil
• October 2019: England, Ireland
• December 2019: England, Scotland
• March 2022: England, Ireland
• May 2022: Spain
• July 2022: Canada
• November 2022: New Zealand
• March 2023: Estonia, Finland, Sweden

As you all know Cozumel, Mexico is one of my favorite cruise ports because of their abundance of activities. They have something for just about everyone. From shopping, to exploring Mayan Ruins, to beach clubs and snorkeling you can come back time and time again and try something new.  

On my latest cruise to Cozumel, we took a private catamaran tour onboard the Zeus Catamaran. I highly recommend if you are traveling with a group to book your own private tour. With a group of 8 we ended up only paying an extra $50 each above the group tour rates. And I can tell you it was worth every penny. The perks of a private tour are endless but most notably you get to customize your own excursion and spend the day how you wish.  

On this tour we set sail from a marina that was about a 5 minute drive from the cruise port. Once at the marina our guides escorted us onto the boat and helped us get situated with all our belongings. Our guides were great, we had 5 crew members that took care of our every need throughout the day. From preparing food, to being our bartenders and DJs we had the absolute best time.  

Once we set sail from the marina, we made our way to our first of 3 snorkeling stops. The great thing about a catamaran is if you don’t want to snorkel the hammock netting is the perfect place to enjoy the open ocean either during your sail or while the group is snorkeling. A few of us opted out of the first snorkel stop and hung out on the catamaran enjoying a nice cold beer and the beautiful blue water.  

I did however jump in on our next snorkel location which was at Columbia Reef, one of the area’s national parks. Here we saw a plethora of fish and even got to swim with a sea turtle. While we were snorkeling one of our guides hopped in the water to show us around the reef which was something I have never experienced on any other snorkeling trip. Typically, the boat will drop anchor and you can come and go from the boat as you please. This excursion was like a guided tour of the reef which allowed us to see so many more things. Additionally, another member of the crew snorkeled with us and took photos for us to purchase at the end of our excursion.  

Our next stop was Playa El Cielo which is a famous sanctuary of starfish and one of the most popular attractions in Cozumel. After getting to see some starfish we ventured a short distance away to El Cielito which is a sandbar. To me this was one of the highlights of the trip. Our guides prepared fresh pico, guacamole, and fish ceviche for us to enjoy while in the water. Oh and did I mention the endless margaritas?! 

After spending some time at the sandbar we started to make our way back to the marina and this was my favorite part of the tour. I enjoyed the best part of a catamaran which is the front hammock and took in the beautiful water and costal scenery. My happy place is indeed on a catamaran in the Caribbean.  

Our summer has been more low-key than a lot of them, especially considering last year’s summer of travel. Instead, we made a point of exploring the Tampa Bay area and trying out new restaurants. Now that we’re settling into September, here are the new-to-us restaurant highlights we uncovered this summer and would recommend:

June Favorites

• Rome + Fig. Tyler and I went for the first time, coordinating a little brunch date while our son was with my in-laws. We sat at the bar since they didn’t have any tables available (note: may be worth a reservation), and we each had a tasty meal, as well as drinks. It is a little pricey, but I would say it’s a solid spot for a date or a girls’ brunch.

• Portillo’s Tampa. We brought the kiddo here for lunch on our way home, hitting up this location near USF. I had been to the Portillo’s Brandon location prior to this (as well as one in Chicago), so this was new to me. Their menu holds up as a fast food option without feeling like fast food. A solid option for lunch or dinner with your family!

• Melting Pot Social. This recently opened up in downtown Tampa, and my mother-in-law suggested it as a good lunch spot. I would definitely recommend it! The menu is expansive, bringing in personal-sized pots to give you that fondue experience you love, while also layering in some new bites. I will absolutely be going back.

July Must-Eats

• Willa’s. While I felt too old to be celebrating a friend’s 30th birthday at WTR earlier in the month, Willa’s was a much better fit. Our friend Ayana was also celebrating her 30th, and she had rented out the restaurant. They put together a great menu with a wide selection of finger foods that really hit the spot. I need to check out their day-to-day menu!

• Ice Dreammm Shop. In honor of National Ice Cream Day, we scoped out some nearby ice cream options, and this was by far the most recommended. Now we know why! It was a rainy afternoon, but we had a delightful visit with some great custom flavors. A medium was plenty for me, and we ended up bringing our kids’ cup home.

• Shake-A-Salad. There are a ton of great restaurant options at KRATE, which I’ve highlighted on the blog before. But it took a dinner visit with Sara where I was craving a salad that brought my into Shake-A-Salad, and I haven’t looked back. I love their custom salads, which are HUGE. I’ve probably gone four times since this visit. So good!

August Recommendations

• EggTown – Wesley Chapel. They have a few locations throughout the Tampa Bay area, but this was the first time I’ve been to any of them! I love how they have both sweet and savory options for brunch, as well as a solid kids’ menu. This is definitely somewhere you’ll want to arrive early to ensure you can get a seat! A great family breakfast spot.

• The Sacred Pepper. Sara and I had to push out our initial plans, so we had a belated celebration for her 30th birthday here! It was worth the wait. The food is tasty, and they have a great selection on their menu for a fancier night out, without a truly fancy price tag. I would go back the next time I have an occasion that needs a little extra oomph!

• Cigar City Brewing Taproom Downtown. I have been to their main location before, but as we prepared to see the Gators play volleyball at Amalie Arena, this spot couldn’t be beat! The menu is definitely a little more narrow in terms of options, but a really great spot to stop for dinner or drinks, especially before heading into the arena.

Just last week I had the chance to visit Costa Maya’s Chacchoben Maya Ruins. While I have only been to Costa Maya once, I have been to Mexico over a dozen times and have never visited any of their famous ruins. So, this felt long overdue.  

These ruins were not discovered until June of 1994 over 1000 years after Chacchoben was expected to have been occupied by the Maya civilization. After 8 years of excavation and restoration of the ruins, Chacchoben opened to the public in October 2022.  

At the ruins you will see about 6 structures that represented ceremonial centers, temples, and homes of some of the Maya population. Upon visiting you will walk through a jungle, seeing monkey, plenty of natural plant remedies, and so much more.  

Planning your visit you will need to prebook a tour that will pick you up right at the cruise terminal. We booked through Viator. You will drive about 45 minutes to the ruins where you will then be guided around the ruins for about an hour and a half with time to explore on your own. Be prepared for a lot of walking and stair climbing. Bug spray, sunscreen, a hat, and shoes you are okay getting dirty is a must. It would also be wise to bring water as it gets incredibly hot in Costa Maya. Our tour guide carried a backpack full of water for our group which was clutch.  

After you tour the ruins there are local merchant gift shops as well as a concession stand cooking up local Mexican dishes. The pico and guacamole was AMAZING!  

So on your next visit to Costa Maya I would highly recommend a visit to the Chacchoben Ruins or if you find yourself in other parts of Mexico, be sure to do your research and find some ruins. I promise it is worth the visit.   

Since we’re back from our anniversary trip to NYC, our travel plans for this year are pretty much wrapped up; after all, baby #2 is expected to make her arrival in just a few months. I have one more trip planned for September, and then I’ll be hunkered down at home.

That doesn’t mean we can’t plan for next year though. 😉

About a week and a half ago, I was perusing Google Flights’ Explore tool (as one does) to see what sort of deals were available for next spring. Flights, as a whole, have gotten pricier, so I’ve had to get choosy about what I feel comfortable paying. And then I spotted it – flights from Tampa to Tokyo, only one layover each way, for just under $1k per person.

Now, is this an amazing deal? Not really. I mean, we had tickets to Shanghai for March 2020 that were under $400 apiece – not that we actually made it on that trip. That being said, we feel that threshold is a solidly good price to pay to get to the other side of the world. Last year, we jumped all over those New Zealand flights because they were actually under $900 per person.

However, that involved travel with one toddler. Come next spring, we’ll be traveling with one toddler and one infant. We ended up booking the tickets before the price went up – taking advantage of the 24-hour rule to cancel without penalty – and then having a long discussion about whether we felt comfortable traveling with two kiddos in tow, especially when one will be so small. After a lot of research and talking through it, we determined it was worth trying.

As a bonus, we also got both our moms on board with the trip, so we will have some extra adult help on this vacation! It’ll be a little bit like our family trip to Ireland last year all over again, but this time in a country we’ve never visited before! We’re also making the most of my parental leave policy – I’m off work anyway – and staying there for about two weeks.

Are we crazy? Maybe. But if it sucks, we’ll just spend most of our time in the hotel and chalk it up to a lesson. And if it doesn’t, we get the chance to explore both Tokyo and Kyoto (tentative plan, that’s definitely a work in progress) with our two kids and show them a little bit more of the world.

So as soon as this baby is born, we’ll be filing for her passport (likely expediting, based on current timelines) and applying for Global Entry. It’s a lot to plan, but we couldn’t be more excited!

As I shared a few weeks ago, we ultimately landed on NYC as our 2023 anniversary trip! It wasn’t exactly on our radar for places we wanted to go, but the timing worked out perfectly with a work conference I’d be attending in the city, so we capitalized on having most of the nights in the hotel already covered. Three days and change is not a lot of time to explore, especially when we both had work to do, but I think we did a great job of finding the bleisure in our visit.

Here’s how we spent our time:

Day 1, Sunday

We almost gave up our seats on our flight to JFK when they increased the payout to $700 per person, but they ultimately didn’t need us to! Instead, we arrived on time to NYC, around 2pm. We got a Lyft to the Henn na Hotel New York, where we were greeted by a dinosaur! Definitely a fun way to kick off the trip. We then grabbed some snacks from a nearby CVS and settled into our room.

We ventured into Times Square, which was quite busy, and made our way to the New York Marriott Marquis, so I could check in for my conference. After picking up my name badge, we made our way to Monkey Bar for dinner. We didn’t have reservations, but we were lucky to get a table in their bar area – definitely would recommend it for a cool atmosphere with good food, though be prepared for a more expensive evening! We stopped by nearby Paley Park for a view of the fountain (and a cute photo opp) before taking the subway back to our hotel for the night.

Day 2, Monday

I spent most of my time in meetings due to the conference, and Tyler spent the day working from the hotel. While we got the chance to hang out in the afternoon for a bit before my dinner with my agency (and watch some Ted Lasso), this was by far the least time we spent together. That being said – I still got to eat some great meals with my work partners!

• Junior’s on Broadway – while I didn’t get a slice of the cheesecake they’re best known for, I did get to start my day with a very classic breakfast. Prices felt quite reasonable, and the location is right in the heart of Times Square.
• Lodi – I met a new partner here based on her recommendation as a local, and it was a seriously great lunch spot. I really enjoyed both my pasta and my salad, as well as their patio dining in Rockefeller Plaza. This was just what I wanted – highly recommend.
• Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse – my agency brought several clients together for dinner, and we had a great time. It’s definitely decadent! Despite it being a steakhouse, I got the scallops, which were quite good. You can find this outside NYC too.

Day 3, Tuesday

We both kicked off the day with more meetings and work. I met a partner for breakfast at Michael’s New York, which was a super old school spot. It was very tucked away, but worth a trek – we even met Michael! I then headed over to the New York Marriott Marquis for my morning meetings, before meeting a different partner for lunch at Joe Allen. I really liked this place, which felt like a hole in the wall, despite being a five minute walk from the hustle and bustle of Times Square.

From here, I actually bumped into Tyler on the street, which was a fun surprise! He was looking for lunch, so I joined him at Carmine’s. I snacked on a cannoli while he got a plate of enough pasta to feed an entire family – he brought back a lot of leftovers to the room! I wrapped up my meetings with a stop at Ground Central Coffee (which was very good, I’d recommend it) and then made my way back to the Henn na Hotel New York.

Now that I’m in my second trimester, I’m higher energy than I was during my first trimester travels, but I was still beat come 5pm. We opted for a low-key night in the hotel, watching TV and eating our leftovers from Carmine’s. Tyler also popped out for a quick visit to the nearby Taco Bell Cantina (they serve alcohol!), but we called it an early night.

Day 4, Wednesday

This was fully our day to spend together and see the city! Of course, since we have a toddler at home, and this trip essentially functioned as our babymoon, we capitalized on our time to ourselves and had a very lazy morning of watching TV in bed. Becoming parents has definitely impacted how we travel, even when we don’t have the kiddo in tow, and I gotta say – I really appreciate the opportunity to sleep in!

Of course, we did eventually venture out. We had a great lunch at 5 Napkin Burger, which lived up to its Google reviews hype – I’d definitely get the patty melt again! From there, we walked over to the Walter Kerr Theater to see Hadestown. This show had come highly recommended by several of our friends, and I thought it was really good. The music is great, but you should definitely know the Greek myths it’s based on going into it.

The show let out close to 5pm, so we wandered around for a bit before packing up that evening. Stops included another visit to Taco Bell Cantina, as well as Amorino Gelato and Cafe – a perfect walking dessert! – and Carnegie Pizza. Since we flew out the next morning, we definitely got in all our snacks (and steps).

I am officially back from my 19^th cruise! Wild to think I will be taking my 20^th later this month!

On this last cruise we ventured to a few islands and attractions that we haven’t been to or done in almost 15 years. One being the famous Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios Jamaica.

Dunn’s River Falls is a famous waterfall near Ocho Rios, Jamaica and one of the most popular tourist attractions on the island because it is not only a beautiful natural wonder, but it is also fun climbing adventure.

We booked our tour through Shore Excursions Group and it was $68 per person which included transportation to and from the park as well as park admission. Our group was small, 2 families consisting of 8 people total so we were able to quickly get in and out of the park.

Our tour began at the cruise port where our guide was waiting for us in the main port area. Once we had our entire group we boarded a van and drove about 15 minutes to Dunn’s River Falls. Once we arrived, we gathered all the belongings we would need; swimsuit, hats, sunglasses, water shoes, and what I wish I would have brought a water proof case for my camera. The photo ops along the climb are well worth bringing your phone or gopro to show all your family back home. However, if you don’t wish to worry about taking your own photos, there are guides filming your whole climb and taking group and individual shots along the way. Additionally, make sure you bring cash to tip your guide. It’s a long walk back to the parking lot if you forget anything.

Once we gathered ourselves and were ready to go our guide took us to the main entrance of the park where we got our wristbands and quick entrance into the park. Larger tour groups were arriving around the same time and we were able to get in well before them due to our small numbers.

Once in the park we began our walk to the entrance of the falls. There we were passed off to one of the falls tour guides who would be leading us up the waterfall. They separate you into groups of about 20 people per guide and you make your way down to the beach and begin your journey. As you climb up the falls you are holding hands with the person in front of you and behind of you. We saw kids as young as 5 climbing and my parents who are in their 60s were also able to make it up the falls with help from the guides.

Along the way you will have plenty of photo opportunities as well as chances to slide down natural water slides and trust falls into large pools.

Overall the experience is a 10 out of 10 but I do have some helpful tips:

• Book with a smaller tour company, you will spend far less time waiting around for members of your group. This will allow you extra time to explore the island if your ship stays in port long.
• Buy a waterproof phone case such as this one from Amazon. You will want to capture every moment you can.
• If you have a gopro, make sure you have a way to attach it to your body and can easily remove it for guides and other families to take photos for you.
• Ladies, wear shorts over your swimsuit, and a one piece is probably the way to go. Remember you are climbing a water fall so you want to be comfortable and covered.
• Invest in water shoes with traction. The guides at the park clean off the rocks every day to make them as easy to walk on as possible, but they are still slippery. The more traction on your shoes the better.
• Don’t wear sunglasses. Even if it’s sunny, the waterfall is within a rainforest and it won’t be very sunny during your climb.
• Have your cash with you on your climb. They will be expecting it as soon as you are done.
• Head down and don’t grab anything from the local vendors on your exit. These vendors will try to put bracelets on your hands and demand money. Just keep your head down and walk to the exit if you are not interested in purchasing something.
• Be prepared to get wet. There is no saving your hair from getting wet on this excursion.

I had shared previously how I was selected for secondary screening on our way home from New Zealand last year… But then I got it again on our way home from Finland in April. To have it happen once in a while is totally normal, even if you have TSA Pre Check or Global Entry, but twice in a row for my international trips felt like something was amiss.

That being said, I hadn’t done any research into fixing this, since I figured three times makes a trend. I planned to find out next month, when I come back from Mexico, if this was truly an issue I needed to address, or just a weird fluke incident. I mentioned my double “SSSS” experiences on a recent work call though, and my coworker suggested I could use a redress number.

This stuck with me. Was that really a solution for this? I’ve had a known traveler number (or KTN) for several years now, since I’ve had both TSA Pre Check and Global Entry. Typically, next to the KTN box when purchasing flights, there is also a box for a redress number. But what even is that?

So, I did some research. According to the Homeland Security website, the “Redress Control Number (redress number) is a unique seven-digit identifier issued by the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Secure Flight program to match travelers with the results of their redress case through the DHS TRIP program.” What that breaks down to is, it gives you a chance to file a case with the Department of Homeland Security, in the event you’ve had issues pop up during travel screenings – including being selected for secondary screening multiple times. If, based on your inquiry, they determine you shouldn’t be an increased risk or require additional screenings, you’ll be assigned a redress number that helps keep you from being misidentified in the future.

On July 24, I filed my case, which included sharing my SSSS experiences coming home from both New Zealand and Finland. I expected this could take weeks or even months for review, so I was pleasantly surprised to get a response on July 28 – just four days later! Based on their review of my inquiry, they suggested my experiences were most likely caused by 1) a misidentification against a government record, or 2) a random selection. Regardless, I was assigned a redress number to include on future flights to help further identify me on future flights.

I could still be randomly selected on future travels, but it shouldn’t happen twice in a row anymore. The process was incredibly smooth, and I would definitely recommend it if you’re running into bumps with security screenings. Now I’m even more excited to return to international travel!

Looking to file your own DHS inquiry? You can start here: https://www.dhs.gov/dhs-trip

Over the weekend, we went with our neighbors and their kiddos to Jurassic Quest, which according to their website, is the “largest and most realistic traveling dinosaur experience in North America.” We purchased our tickets in advance so we could take advantage of their time in Tampa, and these dinosaur-loving toddlers were thrilled to have the chance to run around the fairgrounds. Tyler and I were a little less impressed.

We thought about it, and the reason for that is because we went to Dinosaur World earlier this year, and we thought it was great. Located less than 20 minutes from the fairgrounds where Jurassic Quest is currently set up (open here from July 21-30, 2023), it felt to us like the better option – but that may not always be the case. If you’re debating between a visit to Jurassic Quest or Dinosaur World, this is what you should evaluate:

Indoors vs Outdoors

Jurassic Quest events are usually held indoors, which was the case when we attended at the fairgrounds – everything was inside. Their FAQ notes that “in some cases, there may be activities or exhibits set up outside the venue for your family to best enjoy.” We definitely appreciated having air conditioning during these hot Florida summers.

Dinosaur World, on the other hand, is predominantly outdoors, with only small sections of the park inside. This gives them a lot more space, but it will definitely be much more impacted by the weather.

Dinosaurs vs Activities

We were so impressed by the sheer amount of dinosaurs at Dinosaur World – per their website, the Plant City location has “hundreds of life-sized dinosaurs in a natural setting.” Our son really loved the “dinosaur statues,” and he continues to talk about them. They offer some moving dinosaurs inside an exhibit, but the focus is definitely on the dinosaurs around the park. Their activities are more limited, though the playground was solid.

At Jurassic Quest, they had way fewer dinosaurs – I would estimate about twenty of them – because their focus seems to be much more around the activities and rides that they offer. For our 2.5 year old, this is not a huge selling feature because moving dinosaurs are still pretty scary (he briefly sat on one before demanding to be removed), and he isn’t a fan of inflatables. We had paid for him to have an “unlimited” ticket so he could access all of the activities, but he really only took advantage of the jeep ride and the fossil dig. He was able to play on their playground without an upgraded ticket. Depending on your kid, it may make sense not to upgrade their ticket… or look at other options.

Ticket Price

Now, as I’d mentioned in my blog post about Dinosaur World, we got a great deal on our tickets because of the reciprocal relationship they have with the Florida Aquarium – just $20 for the three of us. At full price, it would be $40 for us to visit.

On the flip side, for the three of us to attend Jurassic Quest, with a 10% discount (we used code RAPTOR), it was $90 – eek! Fortunately, both venues allowed us to bring in outside food to avoid that as an added expense, but we did not feel like Jurassic Quest was worth ~4 visits to Dinosaur World.

Availability and Convenience

Since Jurassic Quest is a traveling show, you can find it all over North America at different times. Their upcoming locations include Rapid City, South Dakota; Portland, Maine; Wenatchee, Washington; and Daytona Beach, Florida. 

Dinosaur World currently only offers three permanent locations in Plant City, Florida; Cave City, Kentucky; and Glen Rose, Texas. Depending on your situation, it may be much more convenient for you to visit Jurassic Quest than Dinosaur World, but we do love that Dinosaur World is there for us to visit year-round.

For us, the answer is easy: Dinosaur World is a much better fit for us at this time. If our kiddo was older and more interested in rides or if we were to move further away from Dinosaur World, that could definitely change. It’s important to evaluate the two based on your needs and see what works best!

I wrote a few weeks back about how we didn’t yet have our anniversary plans in place this year, and I wasn’t sure what we were going to do. Shortly after that, the ultimate bleisure opportunity popped up, and we jumped on it – we’re going to New York City! I can’t say NYC was on our shortlist, but we’re going to make the most of it! We haven’t been together in the city since we volunteered there in 2012, so it’s definitely a much different vibe.

Now both Tyler and I will be working for part of the time we’re in the city, so it’s not exactly a full-on getaway. That being said, we’ll still have plenty of time to hang out and explore in the evenings, as well as on the days we added on to the trip. Plus, it makes for really cost effective travel, considering my flight and most of the days we’re in the hotel are covered by my company.

Here’s what we have planned so far:

• Flights. We’re flying in over the weekend to get settled in before work, and then we’ve extended our stay two days. I would have loved to get a little more time in the city before we needed to leave, but this is what made the most sense for the price!

• Hotel. We’ll be staying at the Henn na Hotel New York, which is right in the middle of Times Square. I have generally stayed elsewhere in the city when I’ve gone in the past, so this will give us a chance to be right in the middle of the hustle and bustle.

• Broadway. Of course, since we’re right there, we also needed to snag some Broadway tickets! We’ll be seeing Hadestown during an afternoon showing, which came highly recommended by two different friends, so I’m very excited to check this one out.

• Restaurants. I got some really great recommendations from a colleague, but so far, we’ve just got one restaurant reservation for Casa Mono. Other restaurants we’re looking at closely, but haven’t reserved yet, are Monkey Bar and Principe.

I’ve also been trying to sell Tyler on a visit to the Seaglass Carousel, so we’ll see if I can make that one work while we’re there…

Looking for other NYC content?

This time next week I will be once again sailing across the Caribbean on one of my favorite ships Carnival Horizon. You all know I am not a Carnival girly but you do know my love for the Havana Club.

Once again my family will be taking over the Havana Club on a 6 night Western Caribbean cruise, sailing to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.  

So here is all we have planned! 

Ocho Rios, Jamaica 

I have not been to Ocho Rios in about 5 years so this is one stop I am really excited about hitting up. We will be visiting Dunn’s River Falls which is a natural waterfall known for its ability to climb. We have done this as a family a couple times but not in the last 15 years or so. How it works is a group climbs up the water fall by holding hands with the person in front and behind. A tour guide navigates you up and you stop along the way at some nature small lagoons and natural water slides. While the climb is incredible, it is also beautiful, as you are surrounded by the Jamaican Rainforest.  

Grand Cayman 

While you recently visited Grand Cayman back in March, we took the opportunity for a relaxed shopping day around town. This time however we are headed out to the water for a 2 stop snorkel trip and ofcourse the famous Stingray City. We will be traveling with our beloved Captain Marvin who I highly recommend when visiting Grand Cayman. The boats are smaller so you are visiting these stops without the crowds of people. But the real highlight here is getting to swim with wild stingrays. And you may think I am crazy for doing this, but we have also done this tour a couple times and these stingrays are so use to people they are excited for you to arrive, pick them up and feed them. This is a great experience for all ages. I still have vivid memories of my 4 year old brother climbing all over my mom not wanting the stingrays to touch him. But I promise even with his own naïve fear there is nothing to be scared about.  

Cozumel  

Then our final Stop is Cozumel, Mexico where we will go shopping. As I have told you all before the Caribbean is one of the best places to go shopping for jewelry as you can haggle the prices and they are duty free. And Cozumel is one of the best stops because of the sheer number of stores that are available in downtown. While we are walking around I wouldn’t be surprised if we stopped around for a few margaritas and maybe lunch at our favorite spot Pancho’s Backyard.  

I can’t wait to share even more highlights when I get back but Bon Voyage for now! 

At the end of May, I got a text that my friend Julie was planning a big birthday celebration for her 30th (which is actually today – happy birthday, Julie!). We knew they would have a reserved space at WTR Tampa and that tickets to enter would cost us $20 each, but we didn’t do a ton of research after that. After all, of course we’d be there to help her celebrate! Julie and I have been friends since we were eleven.

So earlier this month, we rolled up to the WTR Pool (after we paid our $15 parking fee), and we went through the queue to enter. They did have someone checking bags and technically it says there’s a dress code, though I don’t know what could be considered “inappropriate” for what turned out to be a giant pool party. They opened at noon, and we got there just after 1pm to find what we then considered fairly crowded…

Fortunately, Julie and her husband Adam had reserved a cabana, which gave us a nice shady spot to hang out, snack and drink, in addition to the pool. As time went on, it got significantly more crowded. By about 4pm, it was difficult to find space in the pool. They had good music going throughout the day with a DJ, but it really picked up when Sickick got there later in the afternoon. The dance floor was crazy, but our cabana was near enough that I didn’t feel the need to leave our space.

We ended up heading home right around 6pm, but there were a lot of folks just getting started. I have never been to a venue like this, but these were my key takeaways:

• It’s more fun if you’re drinking. Since I am currently pregnant with baby #2, I am not drinking any alcohol, and I can assure you – this is an environment that’s better with some booze. There’s a whole celebration done when someone orders bottle service, and everyone seems to be getting a bucket or pitcher of something. I was quite grateful that our cabana server kept me well-stocked on Diet Coke and water.

• It can get pricey quickly. Our cabana rental required a minimum spend of several hundred dollars, and when I checked in with Adam, we had blown past it. Across the twelve folks attending, we spent just under $1k on food and drink. He covered $400 of that spend, but it still put us at about $200 for the both of us. You’ll want to plan your budget accordingly, though I feel strongly that the cabana is worth investing in.

• It wasn’t really my scene. I think this is best exhibited in my bathing suit, which was arguably the largest one on the property… While there were at least two other 30th birthday parties happening (as well as one post-divorce celebration), the whole environment made me feel old. I definitely think this is a great spot for someone single and in their early 20s, who’s willing to throw down a little bit of money for a day in the sun – but that’s not really me anymore. I am fortunate to have a pool at home, where we can hang out with our friends… for free.

That being said, this could be a great option for a day if you’re entertaining visitors from outside Florida, or if you’re just more fun and hip than I am – after all, I am an almost-30-year-old married lady about to have her second kid. I am glad to have gone and to have celebrated Julie’s birthday together, but I can’t say I’ll be going back any time soon.

Traveling to NYC can be incredibly overwhelming. From the public transit to the millions of people walking the streets. But I’d argue that finding places to eat can be the most overwhelming part about visiting the big apple. Not because they’re limited choices, but because there are so many choices!
I recently traveled to NYC for work and am currently planning a long weekend trip with family in august.
And figuring out where to eat has been a challenge.
However, during my last trip I was lucky enough to travel with a formal local and she took us to a great spot in Greenwich Village. I think you need to add to your must do list next time you’re in the city.
Bar Pitti is the perfect summer time dining location. With their expansive patio and open air interior, this Italian restaurant is known to host a glamorous crowd.
The menu is limited but each day they have an expansive list of specials that bounce from table to table on an old school blackboard.
Since this restaurant is so popular, expect to wait. They don’t take reservations and run everything old school. The hostess stands on the street taking names on pen and paper. But on a beautiful NYC summer night you won’t mind hanging out. In edition to no reservation Bar Pitti also does not take credit cards. This is a cash only establishment and was a bit of a shock to us when we sat down. Thankfully we were able to combine our cash and had a delicious meal under our $200 budget for a group of 4. If you forget cash, don’t worry they have an on-site ATM.
Now onto the most important part, the food. I had the hardest time picking what I wanted to eat. It lead to a lot of googling since a lot of meals were in their native Italian description. I chose the Pappardelle alla Fiesolana, which is a flat, large homemade pasta with smoke bacon, cream, tomatoes, and parmigiano. It was probably the best pasta dish I have ever had.
In addition to homemade pasta Bar Pitti offers wines by the bottle and multiple appetizers to enjoy.
I highly recommend Bar Pitti for not only the food, but the experience, and prime people watching. 

When Tyler and I took our 2020 anniversary trip to Savannah, Georgia, I learned all about what it meant to road trip while pregnant.

Three years later – we’re having baby #2! And since we’re no longer faced with the same travel restrictions that were in place with our son, my travel has been a lot more involved.

Since finding out I was pregnant in late March, I have:

• flown to Stockholm, Sweden

• traveled by ferry to both Tallinn, Estonia, and Helsinki, Finland

• flown back across the Atlantic (to Orlando, FL)

• flown to Bozeman, Montana

• driven all around Yellowstone National Park

• flown to Seattle, Washington

• flown back across the country to Tampa, FL

And we’ve got some more travel on the docket! We’re still finalizing plans for our anniversary trip next month – more to come on that – and I have a work trip to Cabo, Mexico, coming up at the end of the summer. Just because I’m pregnant, doesn’t mean I’m not traveling!

I’m not saying that these trips weren’t made a little more difficult by my pregnancy, but there are definitely some tips and tricks I picked up the first time (and learned this time) to make it easier.

1) Pack all the snacks. I learned this from our road trips, and it’s served me well. I like dry snacks that travel well, like granola bars and peanut butter crackers. These can help settle your stomach if you’re feeling nauseous, as well as carry you through to your next meal.

Side note: when packing your snacks, don’t forget your prenatal vitamins and any other supplements you’re taking!

2) Stay hydrated. Especially up in the air, it can be difficult to get enough water, and it’s extra important when you’re pregnant. I found the best way to keep on top of it was to pack my biggest water bottle, and refill it whenever possible.

3) Get up and move around. Regardless of my travel activities, I actively made time to move around and get my blood flowing. When you’re on a longer flight, this is even more important to help prevent blood clots. Bonus: it gives you more opportunities to hit your 10k steps!

4) Pack clothes that fit and feel good. Your body changes quickly while pregnant, and my clothes that fit on our trip to Scandinavia didn’t fit quite the same in Bozeman. Sara actually leant me a hair tie to I could “button” my jeans! When in doubt, go for something a little oversized.

5) Show yourself grace. I skipped a nice dinner out with my coworkers in Seattle because I was so tired. I took it easier on our hikes in Yellowstone because I wasn’t feeling my best. It’s hard not to “make the most” of trips, but at the same time, you’re *making* a human – that’s pretty important too.

On that note, I actually skipped a trip for a family wedding earlier this month. It would have been very involved, made more complicated by my pregnancy, and honestly, I think Tyler had more fun without me. It’s okay to turn down travel opportunities sometimes! Though now that I’m in my second trimester and feeling good overall, I’m excited to have some upcoming plans to look forward to. 😊

After spending some time in Stockholm, Sweden, we took the ferry over to Helsinki, Finland, for the second half of our trip (which was broken up by a quick day trip to Tallinn, Estonia). We were really happy with our hotel, the Holiday Inn Helsinki City Centre, which was centrally located, but the best thing we did in Helsinki was eat! We had made reservations in advance, based on research that said it could be difficult to get into restaurants, and we were happy with all the places we ate. If you’re looking for dining recommendations, look no further:

• BLINIt is a Russian restaurant, voted for having the best blinis in the city. You can think of a blini as being very similar to a crepe, and they had a ton of options. Tyler and I both opted for crepes – his savory, mine sweet – as well as split some of their dumplings. The restaurant is a little more tucked away, but it offered a hearty meal to warm us right up, and it was worth the tram ride over to check it out.
• Woolshed, a Finland-local Australian gastropub, is located right in the city center – in fact, it was just around the corner from our hotel. The location, in addition to the great reviews, had us ordering it for dinner to-go. Tyler picked up our handcrafted burgers which were delicious, as well as accompanied by both fries and a salad. This is so far beyond Outback Steakhouse – definitely recommended.

• Café Esplanad made for a perfect breakfast stop before our visit to the Helsinki Cathedral. We hadn’t even planned to pop in, but as we walked by the window and looked into the bakery, we knew we wanted to pivot our plans. You’ll want to prepare your sweet tooth for some tasty treats from the bakery case, as they get rather decadent. A great spot for people watching too.

• Hesburger is a Finnish fast food chain, and with a toddler in tow, we were happy to have a kid-friendly stop that still felt like “eating local.” They actually have over 500 locations across several countries in Europe, but this was the first place we had seen one. We ended up popping into a location nearby our hotel for a quick lunch, and we were really happy with the quality of the food.

• Restaurant Krog Roba, located in the Hotel Lilla Roberts, was probably my favorite meal of the whole trip. We had saved this Nordic restaurant for our dinner reservation for the last night of our stay, and it did not disappoint. It was a beautiful spot, and our drinks and meals were delicious. It felt upscale, while still being accessible to a family with a toddler – it was one of the only places we went with a kid’s menu!

• Fazer Café Kluuvikatu is known for its chocolate, and that’s basically all I needed to know before we committed to a dessert stop. Whether you’re looking for a chocolate or two, or something much more involved, this is a really great cafe for a visit. The rest of the food is supposed to be tasty, but I can only attest to their dessert – which was absolutely worth popping in for!

Even a month after, it’s hard to believe the whirlwind May I had. After all, I visited four new states in just three days! While Washington was a bonus “bleisure” trip for me from work, Sara and I planned our Yellowstone National Park vacation as part of our “50 before 50” initiative. As we both prepare to turn 30 later this year, it was a great way to set ourselves up for another decade of exploring.

Side note: current state counts for both of us are Katie – 27 and Sara – 30.

And explore, we did! Our 3.5 days exploring Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding area gave us a chance to get off the beaten path and turn off the road when something looked interesting. We had loose plans going into the trip, which meant we had plenty of opportunities to pivot. Here’s how we spent our time there…

Day 1: Bozeman, Montana > Gardiner, Montana

After a layover in Minneapolis, and the shared excitement of a girl sitting next to us on the plane receiving her acceptance to nursing school, we made it to Bozeman. Bozeman is one of the three airports accessible to Yellowstone National Park, and it was the best (read: cheapest) option for us. We landed in the early afternoon and picked up our Avis rental car – free upgrade! – to begin our drive south.

On our way to Gardiner, we stopped in Livingston, Montana, which turned out to be super cute. We spent a couple hours wandering around downtown, finding such gems as the book sale at the Livingston-Park County Public Library, where we both picked up some new reads; as well as Fireflies Coffee and Ice Cream, which was the perfect snack stop.

Driving from there, we found a rest stop with gorgeous views, which is apparently common in that area – use the rest stops as a chance to soak it all in! We checked into the Antler Lodge, which is just outside the entrance to Yellowstone National Park. We grabbed dinner at Outlaws Pizza (would recommend) and picked up groceries from the Gardiner Market, then called it a night.

Day 2: Gardiner, Montana > Yellowstone National Park

Since we were right by the entrance to the park, this was our day to really soak in the park. After breakfast at the hotel, we packed up and checked out. Before entering the park, we were able to see the Yellowstone National Park Gateway Garden, as well as the Roosevelt Arch. We then paid our $35 entry fee – good for a week! – and made our way into Yellowstone National Park.

The park itself is beautiful, though we learned quickly that our great idea to visit in early May (more of the shoulder season) meant that some roads and views were still closed off due to snow. Not something two Florida girls had considered, but it did impact what we could see and do. Fortunately, we still got to see a ton of great things, including:

• The Albright Visitor Center, where we had our first bison sighting
• Pallet Spring
• Canary, Dreyad Springs
• Roaring Mountain
• Norris Geyser Basin Overlook (the actual basin was one of several things closed off)
• Gibbon Falls
• Madison Information Station, which was the closest we got to bison
• Fountain Paint Pot trail – highly recommend a stop!
• Midway Geyser Basin trail, where you’ll find Grand Prismatic Spring

And then we wrapped it up with an Old Faithful eruption, right as we got to our hotel, the Old Faithful Inn! In theory, this was a great place to stay, as the cabin was built in the early 1900s and kept us right by the geyser. In practice, we found it didn’t provide enough to be worthwhile. While super convenient, the restaurant options were lacking (and several were closed when we got there), we had a shared bathroom, and only one of the three hotels in the area – the Snow Lodge – offered internet access. I’m glad to have the experience, but I can’t say I’d stay here again.

Day 3: Yellowstone National Park > West Yellowstone, Montana

We had breakfast at the Old Faithful Inn Dining Room, then managed to get another view of Old Faithful erupting, before we checked out. We used this opportunity to pick up some goodies from the gift shop – I got a YNP tee shirt for the kiddo for only $5 – and use the Snow Lodge’s internet before we hit the road.

We were now working part of the previous day’s path backwards, so there was a lot of overlap in the sights. New stops for us this time around were Black Sand Basin and then Biscuit Basin, where we had another bison sighting. From there, we made our way out of the West Entrance of the park, which brought us to West Yellowstone.

Lucky for us, we were able to check in early to the Explorer Cabins (affiliated with Gray Wolf Inn & Suites)! So we opted for an easy afternoon, walking around the shops and grabbing a late lunch at Firehole Bar-B-Que Co. We then “made camp” at our cabin for the night, which was absolutely lovely. I mean, who can pass up a s’mores kit?

Day 4: West Yellowstone, Montana > Bozeman, Montana

After breakfast at the hotel, we headed out, with big plans for a new state! We grabbed gas, then coffee (and huckleberry ice cream) from the Espresso & Ice Cream House, then began our drive into Idaho! We were on our way to Upper Mesa Falls, which Sara had raved about from a previous visit to the area.

Well, the road to Upper Mesa Falls was closed due to snow. This was definitely disappointing, but we still got to check out the Island Park Dam (surprisingly gorgeous), as well as shop for snacks at Robin’s Roost. We made our way back to West Yellowstone for lunch, getting a great takeaway deal from Ernie’s Bakery & Deli, then started our trip north.

Shout out to Sara for the excellent playlists, as this was definitely our heaviest day of driving. When we arrived in Bozeman, I had so many new songs to add, and we were able to check into the RSVP Motel. Don’t let the “motel” fool you, this place is super cute. We then took the afternoon to explore downtown, which included highlights like Steep Mountain Tea House, The Montana Scene, and La Petite Châtelaine Chocolat Co. We ultimately made our way to Sidewinders, for some seriously tasty spinach artichoke dip.

Our evening was low-key, while I shopped for a covid test (a requirement for work), and we scoped out some of the local little free libraries. We put gas in the car and made sure we were as packed as possible before our very, very early flights out the next morning.

The Tampa Bay area has been known for baseball for decades. With an MLB team, 5 minor league teams, and a training ground for amateurs and professionals alike. 

But those you know the Tampa Bay Rays know that going to a baseball game is way more than just showing up for 9 innings, a hot dog, and a beer. The area has baseball staples that will give you the whole step back in time experience. 

I like to call it the St. Pete Baseball Trifecta and I am about to tell you how to complete this Tampa Bay Area bucket list day. 

Your first stop on our 3 stop game day road trip is El Cap. Located just outside of downtown, St. Petersburg on 4^th Street, this old school hole in the wall has been around since the 1960s and is a St. Pete staple. Their vintage memorabilia takes you back in time through baseball history. From the Devil Rays inaugural season to their trip to the World Season and everything in between, history is written on the wall. During your trip to El Cap you will need to get yourself a beer, their world famous hamburger, fries, and onion rings. You’ll walk out of their under $25 for a dinner for two. There is no better deal in town. 

The next stop is Tropicana Field, because its game time. No matter where you sit you will be sitting in a nice AC building while enjoying a baseball game. A huge perk in my opinion. No sweat and no rainouts. Its a win win. While you are their be sure to check out Ball Park and Rec to get some drinks and play a few bar games. Also be sure to stop by the touch tank to see the inhouse stingrays, and cap off your time at the team store to get all the best merch. 

After what I assume will be a Rays Win, cause they are the best team in baseball, take the walk way to Fergs; another St. Pete staple. Fergs opened in 1992 and baseball always brings the biggest crowds to the bar. They see over 17,000 during open day and set a record for over 30,000 for the World Series. So if you cant get yourself into the stadium be sure to hang out at Fergs as it was voted one of the top 100 Sports Bars in the country. 

We aren’t even at the All Star break so you have plenty of time to add the St. Pete Baseball Trifecta to your summer plans!

Friends, somehow, tomorrow is June. Where has this year gone! I’ve been fortunate to go on a few different adventures so far this year – I haven’t even shared everything we did in Finland – but we’re less than two months out from our anniversary, and we don’t know how we’re going to celebrate it this year.

We have some really great anniversary trips to live up to, which have included…

• 2020: Savannah, Georgia + Charleston, South Carolina
• 2021: San Francisco, California
• 2022: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

And along the way, we’ve learned some things that we prefer for our anniversary trip. Mainly, we want to celebrate our peak summer anniversary somewhere it doesn’t necessarily feel like peak summer – we definitely like to go somewhere cooler! We also want to have opportunities to eat well, and we need to make sure we have childcare while we’re away (so we also won’t be gone for too long; probably about 5 days).

So far, the only place we’ve really discussed is Traverse City, Michigan. Tyler works with a lot of folks based in Michigan, and I used to work with a Detroit-based team, so we’ve heard only good things about the place, from the wineries to the beaches. That being said, it’s not that easy for us to get to Traverse City. We’re potentially looking at multiple layovers, which eats into a lot of our travel, and the tickets are definitely more expensive than we like to purchase – more than we have spent to get to Europe several times!

This has left us with nothing planned. Do we bite the bullet on Traverse City, knowing that it meets what we’re looking for, but requires compromises on travel time and flight cost? Or do we keep looking for some other hidden gem? If y’all have recommendations, please drop them here, since we’ll need to get something on the books soon to travel in July!

You may recall that Sara and I are on a mission to visit all 50 states by the time we turn 50. Because of this, we planned a trip to Yellowstone for May.

And then, I had a bit of a wrench thrown into our travel plans. My company planned a big team trip that overlapped with our travels. My boss told me she completely understood if I needed to skip it, but after my trip with the team to Denver, Colorado, last year, I knew wanted to be there if I could make it work.

So I ended up booking a new flight from Bozeman, Montana that was just after my original flight home. Rather than fly to Tampa, I would instead be flying directly to Seattle, Washington, for our team offsite. From there, I would fly home two days later. It did mean I missed the first day of the offsite, but since I got in two full days of content – plus hanging out with my team – it was worth it. Plus, Sara confirmed she had no problems making the flight home alone.

So my schedule for that week laid out looked like this:

• Sunday: spend the morning Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Then drive to West Yellowstone, Montana. Spend the night there.

• Monday: drive from West Yellowstone, Montana to Upper Mesa Falls, Idaho. Find out it’s closed off, so do some exploring in Island Park, Idaho. Drive to Bozeman, Montana for the second part of the day.

• Tuesday: fly out of Bozeman, Montana, early in the morning. Land in Seattle, Washington, and arrive at the hotel by 8:40am, just in time for a full day of meetings.

Of course, that’s not all we did in Yellowstone – more to come there – but y’all, I was beat! That’s a LOT of new stuff (and new states) to take in over a very short time. It was definitely worth the adventure, but I’m pretty sure I’m still recovering from the fast pace of the last couple trips. Maybe for the next one, I can stay in one place for more than a night or two. 😉

If you are a frequent traveler, especially one who either overpacks or budget travels like myself you know packing is an art from. Over the years I have discovered some great products that have made traveling so much easier.

1. Lululemon Fanny Pack
   • While it doesn’t have to be lululemon, any sort of fanny pack has been an airport game changer. Having my phone, wallet, headphones, and most importantly chapstick all attached right to my body has been a huge convenience through airport security. While a fanny pack will count as a personal item on most airlines, the lululemon version is small enough to stuff in even your most packed up personal item or carry on. Once on the plane I take it out either attach it to me or sit it on my lap and it holds just about everything I need in flight without me having to dig through a bag under my seat.
2. Dual Port Charger
   • For my apple watch users, how many times have you forgotten your charger while traveling? Also how annoying is it to have multiple plugs and cords when you get to a hotel with limited outlet space. Well this 2 in 1 charger has been a space saver. I can easily charge both my watch and phone while on the go.
3. Compression Packing Cubes
   • One of my newer discoveries when I was traveling to California in January for 5 days all in a carry on. I was having a hard time getting my sweaters tiny enough to fit in my suitcase. I found both air compression packing bags as well as compression packing cubes. While the air compression packing bags are great for bulky items, I find myself using the compression packing cubes on almost every trip to save on space.
4. Airtag
   • Especially if you have connecting flights or traveling internationally I hightly recommend an Apple Airtag or some type of tacking product on your luggage. There is nothing worse than arriving to your destination with no clue where your bag is.
5. Bottle Filter
   • No one needs to waste precious travel funds on overpriced water bottles at airports. That’s why I purchased the LARQ Bottle Filter which is a water bottle with a built in filtration system so you can drink clean water no matter where in the world you might be. Additionally the size is perfect for your personal or carry on item.

When we were planning last month’s day trip to Tallinn, we knew it was going to be a quick one. After all, our whole vacation was less than a week! But we also recognized this was an opportunity to visit Estonia that we might never get again, and we had to jump on it.

Ultimately, we decided that we could make it work, and we framed the adventure as if it were a day at a cruise port. So on our second day in Finland, we got up early to board the 7:30am Tallink Megastar. The two-hour ferry ride – which was quite lovely by the way, definitely a nicer boat than I had expected for a “quick trip” – brought us to the ferry terminal in Tallinn. With only seven hours in the city, we hit the ground running…

First up, we had to stop for sustenance. RØST Bakery was on our way to Old Town, and it was the perfect place for pastries and coffee. We then made our way to the Viru Gate, which has some beautiful flower vendors outside of it – should you want to pick up a bouquet on your way into the Old Town. 

From there, we hit up a lot of the major sites: Katariina käik (a beautiful alleyway) and the town hall were two of our early ones. We had a quick snack at Kohvik Must Puudel, which was a super cute cafe with a wide menu selection. We then visited the Danish King’s Garden – I imagine it’s nicer in warmer weather, but we did see the “dementor” statues – and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. There was truly some lovely architecture to enjoy, and the whole visit reminded me a lot of our time in Dubrovnik during our honeymoon.

We then did a quick round of gift shopping. Cafe Maiasmokk is the oldest cafe in Estonia and gave us some great chocolates to bring home. We also searched several cute shops before finding the perfect nesting doll for our kiddo at Ehted, Kalliskivid, Kellad, Kullassepp in the Old Town. (Side note: that nesting doll did not make the trip home, but that is a story for another day.)

After that, we were off! We boarded our 4:30pm Tallink Megastar ride back to Helsinki, enjoyed the onboard playroom with our son, and definitely made dinner out of the on-site Burger King. We try to eat at local restaurants, but it doesn’t always work! We were totally beat upon our arrival back in Helsinki at 6:30, and we promptly headed back to the hotel to call it a night.

Was it a long day? Oh, yes. Was it worth it? Definitely.

Just last weekend I got to check a major bucket list item off the list. But it was not planned and definitely not how I imagined finally see my favorite artist Kenny Chesney in the Sandbar!

Rewind to the end of 2022 when my best friend Lacy and I were planning our annual girls’ trip. It has been a tradition as of late to book our trip around a concert. Last year we saw Luke Combs in Charleston and in prior years we have traveled to Jacksonville to see Thomas Rhett and Atlanta to see Dierks Bentley. This year our travels took us to Greensboro, NC to see my all-time favorite artist Kenny Chesney. While this would be my 5^th time seeing him, this was Lacy and I’s first time together and I was so excited to share this experience with her.

We signed up for presale and were hopeful we could splurge and get Sandbar tickets. If you are unaware, the Sandbar is what Kenny Chesney call’s his pit area next to the stage. Very on brand with his island vibes. Unfortunately, they were not selling pit tickets for this show as the arena was much smaller than his usual stadium tours. We settled for 20^th row floor seats, still a great spot to be in.

Fast forward to last weekend when it was finally Kenny weekend in Greensboro. I flew out Friday morning where Lacy picked me up. We had lunch and did a bit of shopping before checking into our hotel. We decided not to splurge on a hotel and just picked a random hotel close to the Greensboro Coliseum.

Later that evening we headed out to dinner and noticed about a dozen buses in the hotel parking lot. To me they looked like tour buses. I said on the way to dinner, “What if the band is staying at our hotel?”

A few hours later after dinner and some drinks we arrived back to the hotel to see more tour buses and a branded Blue Chair Bay Rum bus, which is Kenny Chesney’s Rum. At this moment I knew that had to be staying there and at the very least using the large parking lot as a home base.

We went upstairs, changed into comfy clothes, grabbed our bottle of Blue Chair Bay Coconut Rum and headed down to a take a picture with the bus. Once we got our photos we headed inside, carrying our bottle of rum when we were waved down by a pretty intoxicated man. Lacy and I both looked at each other like, “Is he waving at us?’. We reluctantly walked over. That’s when I recognized the female bass player from Kenny’s band and multiple others wearing Blue Chair Bay Merch. We chatted for awhile, took a selfie, and went back upstairs, purely thinking of how cool it was we got to meet the band.

But the story didn’t end there. We went back to our room, dropped the rum off and decided to go back down to actually have a drink. On our way down 19 floors we ran into the same drunk guy who happened to be the keyboard player in the band. He invited us to their small corner in the lobby bar, demanded the man with the credit card buy us drinks.

Over the next two hours we chatted and got to know the bass player, guitarist, keyboardist, drummer, and multiple representatives of Blue Chair Bay. Chatted about where we were from, what we did for work, what other concerts and music we liked. I have to say it was one of the most genuine group of strangers I have ever met.

But the story doesn’t end there. During our evening of free drinks and good conversations the keyboardist insisted the main man in charge of Blue Chair Bay hook us up with Sandbar tickets! My literal bucket list. I was dying inside but played it cool and did not get my hopes up. We exchanged numbers and the very next morning he texted me saying he had 2 Sandbar wristbands saved for me and to text him when we got to the venue.

I was geeking out in pure excitement.

We spent the day getting pampered at the spa and once we were dressed, ready, and a few drinks in of Blue Chair Bay Rum we made our way to the arena. We texted our new friend Mark who moments later responded with where to meet him. A big hug later from Mark he banded us up and I was finally going to check off seeing a Kenny Chesney Concert in the pit off my bucket list!

The 3.5 hour concert went buy in a blink but the memories are forever. Not only the memories of standing inches away from my favorite artist but the insane memory of meeting his band at a random hotel lobby bar in Greensboro, NC.

I thought I was a Kenny Groupie before, but I guess I really am now.

It’s hard to believe that, just a month ago, we were exploring Stockholm! April flew by, and here I am prepping to go to Bozeman and Seattle later this month (more to come on those). But before I get too ahead of myself, this is how we spent our ~48 hours in Stockholm. 

Side note: I definitely think an extra day for the city would have been ideal, but we were working around cheap flights!

Day 1: Arlanda

After a rough night of sleep for all of us on the flight from MCO to KEF, then our second leg from Keflavik to Stockholm, we were beat. We managed to catch the Arlanda Express from the airport with a few minutes to spare, which got us super close to our hotel. We got to the Scandic Grand Central shortly before check-in, but we were able to drop off our bags and explore for a bit.

We had a blast playing in the snow at the nearby park, Norra Bantorget, then grabbed a quick snack at Bröd & Salt before heading back to the hotel. We collectively enjoyed a quick afternoon nap to power us through the rest of the day – including our dinner reservation! We stopped to see Sergels torg, a major public square, and walked down Drottninggatan, a popular pedestrian street, before getting to the restaurant: Bistro Bestick.

This is definitely a restaurant where you want a reservation! That being said, while the food was good, it was not super child-friendly. They had a high chair available, but it was definitely more of a date night vibe, and the menu offered few customizations we could make work for him. Since we had a jet lagged and hungry kiddo, we hurried through our meal and picked him up some fruit and yogurt from a nearby 7-Eleven. Definitely a “you live, you learn” moment for us! We went back to the hotel for the night after that.

Day 2: Gamla Stan

After enjoying an expansive breakfast at our hotel, we headed out for a morning adventure! We played at the Riksplan park by the Parliament House (Riksdagshuset) before heading into Gamla Stan. Gamla Stan is its own island and is considered the old town of Stockholm. They had a ton of local shops to see, as well as some fun tourist sites – like the Iron Boy statue and the Källargränd urinal.

As we were making our way back to the hotel for an afternoon nap, we walked through Kungsträdgården. This park is known for its cherry blossoms, but unfortunately, they weren’t in bloom while we were there! The weather was so cold, so while we didn’t get to enjoy the cherry blossoms, we did get to see plenty of snow.

In the evening, we stopped at the Observatorielundens parklek, a cute playground, before heading to dinner. Based on the previous evening, we actually canceled our dinner reservation and opted to go to Burgers & Beer Svea instead – which was a great option for something more casual that we could all enjoy. After dinner, we returned to Observatorielunden for some more snow play, as well as made a quick grocery stop at Co-op, before calling it a night.

Day 3: Rådhuset Station

Our last day in Stockholm! We enjoyed breakfast at the hotel again before checking out and dropping off our bags. We had scoped out some nearby must-visits, including the Rådhuset Station, a metro station that looks like another planet, and the Kronobergsparken, a park filled with plenty of snow to play in. The highlight of the morning might have been the Lekplatsen Kungsholms strand, which is a fabulous playground right by the river. We were there for quite awhile before walking along the Klara sjö back to the hotel.

Back at Scandic Grand Central, we scooped our bags, and we started our adventure toward the ferry terminal. After a quick stop at the nearby Åhléns mall – which we did mostly to access the Systembolaget liquor store (also where you buy beer) – we went to the T-Centralen Station. This metro station is done entirely in blues and whites (there are several stations with cool art themes to discover), and we rode to the other side of the city.

We stopped in at East Side Cafe for a late lunch while the kiddo napped in his stroller, then walked to the nearby ferry terminal for our boat to Helsinki….

This past March on my most recent cruise we had a stop in Cozumel, Mexico. As you all know Cozumel is one of my favorite cruise ports because of the abundance of activities.  

Over 10 years ago we traveled to Cozumel and went to this small beach called Paradise Beach. I remember is being a private beach with a floating jungle gym, and small restaurant, and a few chairs. Fast forward to 2023 Paradise Beach is voted one of the best all inclusive beach clubs in the Caribbean.

For $60 you have access to free chairs, a private beach and pool, and unlimited food and drink.

From the moment you walk into Paradise Beach you are encompassed in a tropical paradise with palm trees and tropical flowers lining the pathway to a large bar, pool, and open beach. You are greeted by a hostess who helps you pick the perfect seat location for you stay and they immediately take your first drink order of the day and treat you to a plate of chips, guac, and their famous pico.

For an all inclusive beach club, I do have to say the food was top notch. My favorite was the tacos and nachos. But they have more variety than just your favorite Mexican street food. They have everything from hamburgers to chicken fingers to salads for those wanting to be on the healthier side.

And same with drinks, you can order any type of alcoholic drink you can imagine as well as non-alcoholic sodas and water. Paradise beach has something for everyone.

And if you are wondering if kids are welcome… the answer is yes. For an additional $18 you can purchase a fun pass which gives you access to the floating water park, kayaks, stand up paddle boards, and water hammocks. You can purchase this addition at any point throughout the day.

If you are coming from a cruise ship all you need to do is catch a taxi at the cruise port. We paid $17 each way for a taxi ride and it took around 10 minutes to get there. Be sure to pack cash to pay and tip your driver as well as the wait staff at Paradise Beach.

My biggest tip before you book your day at Paradise Beach is to make sure you get their early. We found that around 11am the place was quickly filling up so chair locations, especially for large parties were limited. If your ship doesn’t dock until mid day, I would suggest skipping out on Paradise Beach and enjoying on your next trip to Cozumel.

But for those who arrive early or are staying on the island I can wait to hear what you think of this Paradise on Earth.

I am not a golfer. Now, I’ve done a round or two of mini golf, and I am always happy to meet friends at TopGolf, but I’ve never actually played golf. That being said, on a bleisure trip to Phoenix, Arizona, a few years back, I got to attend the Waste Management Phoenix Open. It was a party! Certainly, golfers know how to have a good time.

So about a month ago, I signed up to volunteer with the Tampa Gator Club – go Gators! – during their 2023 Scholarship Golf Tournament. This is their biggest scholarship fundraiser of the year, which they hosted last weekend at Bay Palms Golf Complex. To no one’s surprise, this was my first time on the course, but it was gorgeous! They have a great setup there, and I honestly think it’s a bit of a hidden gem for all you golfers out there. If you’re ready for tee time, here’s what you need to know.

• It’s located on Macdill Air Force Base. Right on the water, the complex offers two 18-hole courses that are completely tucked away into the base, both of them with beautiful views of the bay. Despite living in South Tampa for a few years, I had no idea this existed prior to my volunteering.

• It’s open to the public for play! You don’t have to wait for a specialty tournament, but you do need to get clearance to come on base before you can get to the golf complex. I had to submit my drivers license information in advance so the Tampa Gator Club could make sure my background check was done ahead of time.

• The clubhouse has a lot to offer. As a volunteer, this is where I spent most of my day, and I was surprised by the size of the space – as well as everything in it! They have a private tournament room, a pro shop, a restaurant, and a sizable locker room, so you won’t have to leave the area while you’re there.

Our tournament was located on the South Course, but both it and the North Course are supposed to be great options to play. I will note that there wasn’t much shade, so the Florida sunshine can definitely hit you hard. Of course, it’s not so bad if you’re mostly zipping around in a golf cart. 😉 

Last week was a whirlwind. As many of you know Taylor Swift made her Eras Tour stop in Tampa Thursday – Saturday. Like every other Swiftie I signed up for the verified fan sale and participated in The Great War with Ticketmaster. While I was unsuccessful in getting tickets firsthand I was still determined to go. And with the concert buzz all over social media, my FOMO was at an all time high.

For weeks leading up to the concert, I checked every ticket outlet in the hopes that I could get a ticket at a “reasonable” price. The cheapest seat was ofcourse in the nosebleeds going for over $500.

Since I am an avid concert goer I know that the best way to get a deal is either get the tickets first hand or day of from someone who is no longer able to attend and hoping to get something back for their ticket.

So for the weeks leading up to the show I watched ticket prices in the other cities to try to understand when I may be able to snag the best deal. Thank god for tiktok because I learned so much from the fans in Arizona, Vegas, and Arlington.

Fast forward to Thursday, the day of her first show in Tampa. I knew I wouldn’t be able to go that night but it was a perfect way to understand how the ticket prices may work for the rest of the weekend. Every hour I refreshed all my ticket apps, Stubhub, Vivid Seats, Seat Geek, TicPick, and Gametime. All day, tickets were still $500 or more. My anxiety grew over the thought of not being able to go to this show.

But around 4:40pm day of, tickets in section 120 and 126 opened up with about 75 tickets for around $250. I knew that if this happened for Friday or Saturday I would be fulfilling a bucket list concert and a history making event to say the least. My energy was up, I was excited that the weeks of anxiety looking over tickets might actually pay off.

Later that night, I was still anxiously looking at tickets for Friday, fully thinking that I wouldn’t get tickets till about 4:30pm and would have to hustle to get ready and head over the bridge for Taylor to come on at 8pm. But thank god I looked because those same tickets that were released earlier in the day, were released for Friday’s show and I was able to snag two last minute lower level tickets for $250!!!

My adrenaline was high, I could barely sleep. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning.

While the concert goes down as one of the best in history, despite my slightly obstructed view, I think the real thrill was the spontaneity of the days and moments leading up to show time. It will for sure be a memory that will Long Live.

So if you are thinking of going to the Taylor Swift Era’s Tour, take this as your sign to buy the tickets and have the time of your life!

Now that we’ve returned from Scandinavia – more to come on that soon! – we’re setting our sights on planning our upcoming anniversary trip. We try to get away every year, just the two of us, to celebrate. These are some of our recent ones:

• 2020 anniversary trip: Savannah, Georgia
• 2021 anniversary trip: San Francisco, California
• 2022 anniversary trip: Toronto, Canada

This encouraged me to actually log our expenses from our 2022 anniversary trip to Toronto, Canada. Because I flew directly from the vacation to a bachelorette party in Austin, Texas, our normal flow of checking in with the budget was messed up. That put me here, almost nine months later, with a pile of receipts on my vanity that I didn’t want to toss.

So this weekend, we handled it! We dug deep into our credit card statements, and I was finally able to recycle the receipts. Here’s how our costs broke down, and approximately what we’d plan to budget for our 2023 anniversary trip.

Hotel: $822

We stayed at Ode Toronto for all five nights of our trip, and I would absolutely go back. It’s family-owned, and it honestly felt like staying in an upscale Airbnb. Our “host” was quite friendly and showed us around upon check-in, then continued to make sure our stay was excellent. We were conveniently located for public transit, but we also had a great patio to enjoy when hanging out at the hotel. 

Flights: $735

This is definitely more than we’d usually spend on flights to Toronto at $368 per person – we paid less per person to go to Spain last year! That being said, we didn’t have as much flexibility on the timing, since we wanted to be there for our anniversary, and I was flying to a bachelorette party right after. This also impacted our ticket costs, as I had to book a multi-leg ticket, allowing me to fly to Toronto from Tampa, but then fly to Austin from Toronto.

Food: $638

Food in Toronto is expensive! This also isn’t an area where we tried to budget further, which can be done by buying groceries and cooking in your hotel. Instead, we ate outside the room for snacks and meals throughout the day. We found that our main meals averaged about $60 USD, though Viaggio, our best meal of the trip, did cost us $83. When we’re on vacation, we definitely like to eat well, so going out is something we consider as part of our budget.

Niagara Falls Tour: $230

I wouldn’t say this is required for a trip to Toronto, but we loved getting to see Niagara Falls for the first time. Tours can obviously fluctuate in terms of costs, and if this is something you want to do, you can probably find cheaper. That being said, we were very happy with the stops ours made – more information on how we picked it here – and so we felt the cost was very much worth it. This includes the CAD tip we gave at the end!

Transportation: $167

It took us a minute to figure out the best way to manage public transit, but once we picked up our PRESTO all-day tickets from Shoppers Drug Mart, we had a much easier (and more convenient) time getting around. This is definitely something I recommend looking into ahead of a trip to Toronto! We also purchased a Lyft to get us to and from the Toronto airport for ease, and paid to park at the airport in Tampa.

Add in $29 spent on miscellaneous items, and our total comes to $2,621 for the 5-day trip. Could we have done it cheaper? Definitely. But based on our time constraints, and the fact that it was a celebratory trip, we’re happy with where things netted out. Now to start planning 2023…

Looking for more Canada content? Check out these…

One of my absolute favorite things is when a friend asks for travel recommendations. I love sharing my love of travel and the great experiences I have had across the world.

Most recently my friend asked me about travel recommendations to Scottsdale and Sedona. While I gave her some hike she must do, spas she must visit, and some shopping to kill time our longest conversation and my longest list of recommendations was about food.

While I have only traveled to Scottsdale once, I can tell you I never had a bad meal during my 5 day trip.

So if you are heading out to the Scottsdale area and looking for some restaurant inspo, be sure to check out my favorites.

SumoMaya

This Mexican-Asian fusion restaurant is my top choice for anyone looking to have a fancier evening. They have everything from sushi, tacos, to small tapas place. And you can’t forget about the delicious cocktails. My recommendation would be the guacamole, Pescado Dorado Tacos, and the Maya Roll.

The Mission

Located in Old Town Scottsdale, this restaurant is in a prime location for visitors. Our dinner at the Mission lasted hours as we were putting back their signature margaritas. If you are a fan of Mexican, Spanish, or South/Central America cuisine, the Mission needs to be on your list. I can’t pick any one thing to order here but don’t leave without the tableside guacamole and your weight in margaritas.

Diego Pops

On the more moderate side, Diego pops is a fun and playful dining spot with the same vibe for their food. They specialize in unique tacos, burritos, and poke bowls. This is a great spot for Happy Hour which is daily form 3-6pm where they offer ½ apps, $6 Margaritas, and many other choices.

On my most recent cruise, we visited a new port; Costa Maya, Mexico. While this is a popular cruise port this was my first time ever visiting. While the port itself offers your typical dolphin tours, beach breaks, and Mayan ruins, we were interested in a visit to Bacalar Lagoon. Located about an hour and a half away from the Costa Maya cruise terminal and 2 hours from the very popular Tulum, we were a bit skeptical if the 3 hour round trip was going to be worth it.

The picture alone should give you my answer. It was 100% worth it.

Bacalar Lagoon is known as “Laguna de los Siete Colores” the Lake of 7 colors. Exploring the entire Caribbean through the years I have seen some blue blue water but nothing compares to the vast area of blue tons within Bacalar. This fresh water lagoon has many ways of exploring its beauty from boat rides to beach days to tubing and rafting Bacalar can cater to any experience.

During our visit we were in port on a Wednesday. And fun fact Bacalar Lagoon does not allow any motorized boats on the water on Wednesday to help preserve the Lagoon. We were a bit bummed to find this out because our ideal excursion would have been to take a boat ride. However it turned out to be the best situation. We were able to book a tour with 30 people through Celebrity Cruises for a guided raft tour. We sat on a bamboo raft with 4 people and a guide who maneuvered through mangroves as we journeyed out to the Lagoon.

As we crossed the final mangrove to the open area of the Lagoon my breath was taken away with the vast beauty. It looked like the lagoon went for miles. We were able to stop and swim for a bit and the water was a perfect temperature. It stays close to 70 degrees year around, making it the perfect swimming spot. The lagoon had a nice sandy bottom with minimal fish that you can see through the crystal clear water.

Overall it was an amazing day and well worth the 3 hour journey. I highly recommend a visit to Bacalar Lagoon should you find yourself in Costa Maya or Tulum.

We may be preparing to leave for Sweden shortly – we made a handful of dinner reservations on Saturday night to carry us through the trip – but it got me thinking about what a great month we had exploring locally here in the Tampa Bay area. Having a toddler has definitely forced us to get creative with our weekend plans, and we’ve uncovered some awesome new places in the process. Here are a few from just this past month:

Florida Avenue Brewing in Wesley Chapel, FL

We have been here a few times now, and it continues to prove a great spot to bring visitors when they’re visiting us up here in the North Tampa area. The beer garden is huge, and now is the perfect time to enjoy it before the weather gets too hot. We had a great lunch here earlier this month with my father-in-law.

Gunner Paw Park in Zephyrhills, FL

Our pups may not travel like they used to – in 2020, they joined us on adventures to Georgia and North Carolina – but we still try to explore with them locally! This was a great dog park that we discovered nearby in Zephyrhills, and it came with a bonus: a cool playground for our son as well.

Florida Railroad Museum in Parrish, FL

We joined what seemed like hundreds of families in Parrish for a day out with Thomas the Tank Engine! It was my first visit to the Florida Railroad Museum, which is definitely off the beaten path, but worth visiting if you have a vehicle-obsessed kid. We met up with other parent friends, and it was a blast for the kiddos to ride a real train!

KRATE in Wesley Chapel, FL

I’ve talked about KRATE before on the blog, but it continues to be a winner as far as local activities are involved. We went there for a car show in the middle of the month that our son loved. Then it proved a great option to meet my parents for lunch this past weekend, since there are so many restaurants to choose from!

Happy Hangar Cafe in Lutz, FL

We just went here yesterday with my in-laws, and it was such a treat! The restaurant is located at the Tampa North Flight Center, so we got to watch all kinds of propeller planes take off and land during breakfast. The food was also tasty, and really reasonably priced. It’s no surprise that our traveling toddler loves airplanes!

Dinosaur World in Plant City, FL

This theme park already got its own dedicated post, but it remains a March highlight. Our son has regularly asked to see the pictures from our visit there at the beginning of the month, and I’m sure we’ll be making a return trip in the future. For all the experiences it offers, the price just can’t be beat!

As great as March was, I know April is going to be even better. Here’s to a spring full of new adventures – happy travels, y’all!

If you don’t know the ever popular Captain Kate from TikTok or Instagram you are certainly missing out. 

This full-time cruise ship Captain, part time mermaid, and forever cat mom to the famous Bug Naked is certainly someone you want to follow, and more importantly take your next vacation with. 

Captain Kate, is the Captain of Celebrity Beyond. The newest ship in the wildly popular Celebrity Edge ship class. 

These ships cater to a more adult crowd with an emphasis on unique food, creative bar space, and amble entertainment. 

But the real highlight is the first female American mega cruise ship captain, Kate McCue. She not only drives the boat, but manages the over 3000 crew on board, all while in 4 inch Louboutins, and we think that’s pretty bad ass here at Bitches be Tripping. 

Captain Kate is originally from San Francisco, CA and began her sailing career at California State University Maritime Academy where she graduated in 1999. She got her first gig onboard Disney Cruise Lines as a third mate and quickly advanced to a second officer in 2003 for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity’s parent company. The following year she was promoted to first officer and attended the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies in Baltimore to earn her Chief Mate and Master’s License to enable her to become a Captain. Upon her return to RCL she was promoted to senior first officer and then staff captain who is second in command in 2011.

It wasn’t until 2015 when Captain Kate was reached out to by the CEO of Celebrity Cruise Lines (who is also a woman) to apply for a role as Captain with them. She was hired and appointed as Captain of Celebrity Summit where she became the first American woman to command a modern “mega ship”. She has been championed as the significant change made that help bring about gender equality within the company. During her time at Celebrity, Captain Kate has commanded Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Edge, and now Celebrity Beyond which debuted in Spring of 2022.

I have actually sailed with Captain Kate twice. First on Celebrity Edge in 2021 onboard the second sailing to leave the US after the COVID lockdown and then just last week on Celebrity Beyond which she help launch. 

On both sailings I have noticed what a queen and celebrity Captain Kate truly is. She cares so much about her job, crew ,and guests. You get the chance to see her many times throughout the cruise. Whether that be grabbing a coffee at the bistro, pouring drinks and doing tricks at the martini bar, or hosting Captain’s Q&A and Bug trivia. 

Her presence and excitement is felt throughout the cruise from her 10am announcements with my favorite mom quotes to her getting up bright and early on disembarkation day to wish you a safe travel home. 

She truly gives me the goosebumps at how much she has accomplished not only as a woman but as a person. 

So while I’ll continue harp on Celebrity being my favorite cruise line, a cruise on Celebrity with Captain Kate at the helm puts the experience above and beyond.  

Over the last 29 years, I can’t count how many times I’ve driven by Dinosaur World. Located off of I-4 in Plant City, it has been a staple of any trip between Tampa and Orlando. There is a large T-Rex outside, beckoning you to come in.

Well, after bringing the kiddo to Parkesdale a few weeks ago, he saw that T-Rex, and it spoke to him. Our drive home was filled with requests for “more dinosaurs.” We knew we’d be making the trip back very soon. So we did a little research.

Dinosaur World actually has three locations across the US: ours in Plant City, Florida; as well as one in Cave City, Kentucky; and one in Glen Rose, Texas. Even more surprising to us is how inexpensive the tickets are! Children two and under are free, but kids 3-12 are only $14.95, and adult tickets are $19.95.

That is, if you’re paying full price. Tyler and I are members at the Florida Aquarium, which has a reciprocal relationship with Dinosaur World – as do many other local museums, zoos, etc. Our tickets were discounted 50%, and our son got in for free. At $20 for the three of us, we figured it was worth a visit!

So, we headed that way on a Saturday morning earlier this month. It’s about a 40 minute drive from us in Wesley Chapel, but as mentioned, super easy to get to from the Interstate. They open at 9 am, which is great for parents starting their days early, so we got there around 9:30.

And it was pretty quiet! We learned it fills up as the day goes on (they close at 5), but we were able to quickly purchase our tickets and get the lay of the land. Other than snacks in the gift shop, they don’t have food, but you’re welcome to bring your own – or have it delivered in!

We spent the next two hours wandering the park, soaking in the many dinosaurs there were to see. The dude spent the entire time pointing out his new favorites. He’s seen dinosaurs in books, but this was a whole new level. Admittedly, he wasn’t a fan of the animatronics, but there are only three of those in their museum (and we were warned that little kids often don’t like them). But between the playground and what seemed like hundreds of dinosaur figures throughout the park, he had a great time. Honestly, we did too! It was such a joy to see him explore and take it all in.

When we headed out around 11:30, the gift shop was much busier, so we ended up skipping a toy purchase. That being said, I would absolutely go back! And if you’re a parent, this is a must-do activity for the kids, perfect for either a morning or afternoon adventure. They’ll run around and tire themselves out learning about dinosaurs, all for a very reasonable price.

Trust me – you’ll have a roaring good time. 🦖

I can hardly believe that we are leaving for Scandinavia this month! When we went to New Zealand in November, we had the luxury of being there for close to two weeks, so we were able to space out a lot of our activities. That is definitely not the case for this trip. Similar to when I went on a girls’ trip with my mom and sister, we will have six days to cover three countries. That’s right, three countries! Because of that, we’ve had to be very strategic in our planning. Here’s what’s on the books:

• Our flights. As I wrote about previously, we got an excellent deal on multi-city flights out of Orlando – only $382 per person! We’re flying into Stockholm and out of Helsinki, which is a great way to guarantee you see multiple spots. We’ve known from the beginning that we needed to coordinate transit between the two cities, but instead of flying between them, we opted to book…

• Our ferries. We booked an overnight ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki on Tallink, which will essentially be a mini cruise. What’s great is that this covered our hotel for the night, as well as our transit – similar to our sleeper train from Glasgow to London. Because the ferries are so accessible, we also booked a day trip to Tallinn from Helsinki, giving us an opportunity to spend a day in Estonia!

• Our hotels. We only have a few days in each city, so we wanted to make sure we’re centrally located to all the spots we want to hit! In Stockholm, we’ll be staying in the Scandic Grand Central, which is in the Norrmalm neighborhood. In Helsinki, we are booked at the Holiday Inn Helsinki City Centre, which is right next to the train station. It definitely cuts down on our inner city travel.

Now, we just need to book a few dinners – we’ve read it can be difficult to get into restaurants without a reservation – but we’re excited to head out so soon! We enjoyed our time in Copenhagen much more than we’d expected, and we’re thrilled to be scoping out more Nordic countries…

Note from Katie: allow me to introduce you to my good friend, Megan! (No, not that Megan.) I had the pleasure of rooming with Megan during my study abroad trip to Paris and London, and we’ve been friends ever since. She is based in South Florida, and she also loves to travel any time she gets the chance! I am thrilled to have her share some thoughts on the blog.

One of the best things to happen to South Florida is the Brightline. You can go from downtown West Palm Beach to the heart of Miami in just over an hour. Even better, Brightline will be extending up to Orlando before the year is over and will eventually make its way over to Tampa. I can’t wait to take a train up to visit Mickey! 

Brightline is perfect for trips to watch the Heat play, to go to the Food Network’s South Beach Food and Wine Festival, take a cruise out of the Port of Miami or go explore downtown Fort Lauderdale. Out of all the things you can see and do with Brightline, my favorite is date day! 

My boyfriend and I celebrated our three year anniversary this past November with a day trip down to Miami via the Brightline. We have done trips in the past on the Brightline, but this one was definitely our favorite trip. Our morning started early to make sure we got to the West Palm Beach station on time. These trains don’t wait for anyone and they run on a very tight schedule, so make sure you get there in plenty of time. The station and the trains are very clean and the seats are pretty comfortable as well. It takes just over an hour to get down to the Miami station. Coffee, snacks and drinks (in case you were wondering, yes, they serve beer on the train) are served on the way down. 

The Miami station is in the heart of downtown. A short few blocks away from Bayside, the Miami-Dade Arena (where the Miami Heat plays) and the Frost Science Museum, Aquarium and Planetarium. This trip however, we set our sights on the Wynwood District. Brightline provides free, electric transportation within five miles of the station and luckily enough, Wynwood is only a few miles away. If you make reservations ahead of time, you can reserve a Tesla to shuttle you. We didn’t do this, so we took the first-come-first-served electric golf cart that picks you up right out front of the station. 

After a short ride, we made it to our first destination, Mayami. Here we enjoyed a tasty brunch and sipped on bottomless mimosas. From here we walked on over to the famous Wynwood Walls. The Wynwood area is known for its street art and murals. At the walls you can peruse through some of the more popular murals and art exhibits. Once we had our fill of art, we mosied on down to Freehold Miami. My cousin turned me onto Freehold while visiting him in Brooklyn a few years ago and I knew we had to make a visit to their newest location in Miami. Here we enjoyed a few adult beverages before making our way to our final stop of the night. Astra is a rooftop bar and has some very beautiful views of the Miami skyline. We arrived just as the sun was setting and got to see downtown Miami all lit up, I guess they call it Magic City for a reason because it was magical. After a few more libations, we Ubered back to the station to get on the train that would take us back to West Palm Beach. 

It was a wonderful day and we certainly will be taking another day trip down to Miami to do some more exploring! 

Looking for other Miami content?

The last time I went to Parkesdale Market in Plant City, I was sorely disappointed to find that they weren’t offering their “world famous” strawberry shortcake, as it was out of season. This year, I was ready. Tyler and I packed up the kiddo, and we headed to Parkesdale Market this weekend so we could get our hands on that shortcake.

Their current menu, available through mid-April, is alllllll about the strawberry shortcake. Makes sense, seeing as it’s strawberry season here in Florida. Tyler and I both opted to get the classic #1, which is a strawberry shortcake with their non-dairy topping for only $6! Take note: you can probably share a dish, as we were both too stuffed to finish our dishes. 

We also enjoyed sitting on their strawberry throne and checking out the market for strawberry (and other fruit-related) goods. Parkesdale Market definitely goes all out during strawberry season, but there are some other options you can capitalize on if you’re in the Tampa Bay area:

• The Florida Strawberry Festival kicks off this Thursday, March 2, and runs through Sunday, March 12. Don’t miss out on some of the rides, the food, and some awesome entertainment options! I remember going as a kid and having so much fun.

• U-Pick strawberries just taste better, considering you put in the effort to find all the best ones! Keel Farms is a great option, with strawberry picking available through the end of March. You can complement it with their Strawberry Riesling.

• Other farmers markets around Tampa Bay are likely to have Plant City strawberries, considering how close of a drive it is. I know Boyette Family Farms in Wesley Chapel has been promoting the fresh strawberries they have available. 

Go get your strawberry on, friends!

For any teenager in the 2000s Laguna Beach is a symbol of pop culture. As popular as the MTV show was, the beaches and town itself is just as noteworthy and worth a visit.

On my most recent trip to California, we made our way to Laguna Beach for a 24 hour trip before we had to head back home. And although the trip was short, it was the perfect amount of time to visit this beautiful, small seaside town.

10:30am We arrived after an hour and a half drive from Temecula, CA to check into our hotel, The Laguna Beach House. This boutique hotel was perfect for our stay. It was located along the famous Heisler Park and was walkable to main beach and down town. The hotel has spacious rooms, a lovely heated pool, hot tub and fire pit. We enjoyed the location and relaxing in the hot tub after a long day of walking.

11:00am After checking in we walked around the north side of Heisler Park before grabbing lunch at Asada Tacos. This was a great spot to enjoy lunch outside.

12:00pm After lunch we walked the length of Heisler Park and took so many photos along the beach and rocky waterfront. Heisler Park is a must and is typically the photos you see of the shoreline of Laguna with the beautiful greenery and blue water.  From Heisler Park we walked to downtown Laguna Beach for some shopping and gelato at Gelato Paradiso, which is a must visit as it is located on the famous Peppertree Lane. Be sure to go off the beaten path to find some cool and unique shops within downtown.

3:00pm After walking off our gelato we headed back to the hotel to enjoy the hot tub before getting ready for pre dinner drinks at Las Brisas. The sunset views were beautiful and worthwhile to grab dinner or just drinks.

6:30pm Dinner at South of Nicks. If you are going to eat anywhere from my recommendations let it be South of Nick’s. This was one of the best Mexican inspired meals I have had. Everything from the drinks to the apps and of course the entrees were mouth watering. The vibes were also great and the perfect place to celebrate my 29^th birthday.

10:00pm After a long-extended dinner we wrapped our day in Laguna Beach in the hot tub once again. It was the perfect California day.

On Saturday, my in-laws were watching our son, so we made our way across the bridge to St. Pete. We met some friends at Madeira Beach and spent the morning celebrating one of their birthdays. We had planned to stop for lunch on our way to pick up the kiddo, but as we got in the car to go, we still needed to figure out our destination.

Ultimately, we landed on Good Fortune St. Pete.

Now, neither Tyler nor I had ever gone, but we have had good experiences at other restaurants in the Hunger Thirst Group portfolio, like The Avenue and No Vacancy. We figured it was worth trying!

Parking was a little tricky, due to a Rays game, but we managed to park in the parking garage next to Ford’s Garage. This was super convenient, and I’d definitely recommend it if you’re going to Good Fortune. It can be a little hard to find the restaurant, as it’s located in the lower level of Station House, so you may have to double back.

Once we found it, we were able to get a table immediately. We’d reviewed the menu options online, but were pleasantly surprised to find that they also had brunch going on Saturday afternoon. I ended up ordering the “bacon and eggs,” which includes glazed pork, chili eggs, sweet potato scramble and milk bread. It was very good, but also spicier than I expected! It was also a very good deal, at approximately the same cost of one small plate ($16).

Tyler ordered from the small plates menu, so his meal was definitely pricier. He got two bao, pork dumplings, and spare ribs, which totaled $41. I can’t say it’s a cheap place to eat, but it’s such a fun vibe, and it’s a great spot to bring a date, as there’s something for everyone to eat. It’s also right in the heart of St. Pete, so it’s an easy stop.

Bonus: they have a karaoke room! We didn’t try it out this time, but after my most recent karaoke in Austin, I might have to go back and show off…

If you’re ever looking for Asian fusion downtown or a fun spot for a night out, I’d definitely recommend a visit to Good Fortune St. Pete!

As you know, we try to support small businesses and eat local. This was easy to do when we lived in St. Pete, as it has a very local-driven culture. Now that we’re solidly in the ‘burbs of Wesley Chapel, we have had to work a little harder!

In honor of Valentine’s Day, these are five Tampa Bay restaurants I’ve tried in the last two months that I loved – and I know you will too! ♥️

Shelly’s Cafe, near USF, is so good that we’ve actually gone twice! It’s proven to be the perfect “middle” spot from South Tampa, so a great option for us to meet friends for brunch. We’ve gone for brunch, and it gets busy – I’d definitely recommend getting there around 10am to ensure you get a seat. Otherwise, the French toast (and fresh fruit) are worth waiting for a table.

Early Bird in Pinellas Park is close to our old house, so of course, we only found it after we moved out. 😅 That being said, if you find yourself in the St. Pete area, this is a solid breakfast option with really reasonable prices. I got the chicken fried steak, and Tyler got the breakfast burger, which we were both very happy with. Important note: they do close at 2:30.

The Fat Rabbit Pub in Tampa Palms is a super laid back bar, perfect for watching a game or catching up with friends. Tyler and I ended up grabbing seats at the bar for a late lunch, and the bartender was super attentive – one time, I didn’t even see her refill my drink. Their menu has a wide variety of options, though I’d highly recommend my Key West grilled chicken sandwich.

Macondo Coffee Roasters in Wesley Chapel is another one I’ve managed to hit up twice! In full transparency, it’s also the closest of these options to our house, but it’s the caramel frappe that had me coming back for more. If you’re looking to get your caffeine hit and/or work from a cool cafe space for an hour or two, this is definitely the spot. Tables inside will go early!

Yummy House South China Bistro in South Tampa came highly recommended by my in-laws, so we joined them for dinner there over the weekend. We typically do Chinese takeout by us, but the food was so fresh (and portions so large) that I may have to reconsider my stance! I’d definitely come back during lunch time to try their dim sum, but the dinner was worth a visit.

Bonus: while it wasn’t my first time at The C House (Seminole Heights) or Ginger Beard Coffee (Channelside), I did visit these local favorites over the last couple months as well.

Looking for other great local eats?

You probably have never heard of Temecula, CA before, but let me tell you it needs to be on your bucket list. Especially if you love wine!

I had never heard of Temecula until I saw an influencer I follow do a trip there looking for wedding venues. I was very interested in it because it was a California wine region I have never heard of, so I started doing some research and figured it would be the perfect place for a birthday girls trip.

Temecula is located about an hour and a half south of LA and an hour north of San Diego. Because Tampa had no direct flights to San Diego we opted to fly into LAX and make the drive south. Minus the unprecedented rain, the drive was super easy.

Temecula is a small town, and the wine region is nestled right along the border of Old Town. I like to describe it like we were visiting a friend’s hometown and they just happen to have over 50 wineries. While most people who visit are local to the surrounding southern California area, it has all the amenities you would want in a vacation destination.  

With a variety of hotels to choose from, we got a great deal at Ponte Vineyard Inn and we couldn’t be happier with our choice. This small boutique hotel has 2 restaurants on property, a pool, a winery, and amazing views of the vineyards. It is also located within walking distance of several other wineries.

Upon check in we were please with how spacious our double queen room was, we had a giant bathroom with a walk in shower as well as a private patio with vineyard views. I highly recommend checking out this property.

To make sure we were able to experience all we could in Temecula and try as many wineries as possible we opted for a Jeep tour through Sunrider Jeep Tours and it was the best experience ever. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and because it was a private tour we were able to go at our own pace and he catered our stops to our taste preferences. On the tour we stopped at Frangipani Estate Winery, Palumbo Winery (my personal favorite), and Akash Winery which as the perfect atmosphere to hang out with friends or make some new ones if you are out of towners like us. And I can’t forget to tell you to order the pizza. Not sure if it was all the wine or if it was truly the best pizza I have had!

Other notable wineries we stopped at on our trip were Ponte Winery located on our hotel’s property, Oak Mountain which has the only caves in Temecula, Doffo which has an awesome motorcycle collection, and Altisima Winery which has million dollar views and the ideal place in Temecuala for lunch.

Speaking of food, Temecula is home to some great local restaurants, besides Gaspar at Altisma Winery, I would recommend Goat & Vine and Small Barn for dinner and EAT Marketplace and Toast for breakfast. Every meal we ate felt fresh and was incredibly delicious.

While we didn’t get to experience it, Temecula also has a very popular brewery scene if you get tired of wine…. But who gets tired of wine?

However, we were able to check-out a local speakeasy which there are multiple in Temecula. Apparition Room was the one we chose and we loved the small atmosphere and were able to cap our night with some yummy chocolate martinis. You will need to get a reservation about a week in advance as these speakeasies are very popular and offer limited availability.

Outside of drinking and eating there is so much to do in Temecula. One of their novelties is hot air balloons. While we were unable to go on our hot air balloon tour due to weather, I highly recommend adding it to your agenda. It will be an early wake up call but sunrise over the vineyards will be 100% worth it.

If you are looking for a bit more relaxation on your trip, we hit up the Pechanga Spa and were treated to massages and all the amenities like a sauna, steam room, whirlpool, and outdoor pool. I find that it is the perfect recovery after a full day of drinking delicious wine.

Now if the wine, the food, the hot air balloon, and spa haven’t made you add Temecula to your bucket list I will convince you with the people. The people in this town were some of the friendliest I have met while traveling. Everyone from our tour guides to the wine makers were so incredibly welcoming and eager to show off their hidden gem of a town. You could truly tell how proud they were of their growing city.

Y’all know that I like to take my vacations abroad. We went to five different countries last year (as I detailed out here), and we’ve got a trip to Sweden and Finland coming up in just a few weeks. And yet, last week, I booked two tickets to Bozeman, Montana, in May. Why is that?

One word: Sara.

Or, in three words: fifty by fifty.

Sara – who has joined me on various local adventures, a trip to Colorado, an adventure to Utah, as well as a girls’ trip to Ireland – approached me a few months ago with a proposal. We should hit all fifty states by the time we turn fifty. I quickly pulled together a spreadsheet that looks something like this…

I determined that I have been to 25 states, while Sara has been to 29. We’re both turning 30 this year, so we definitely have time to hit all of them – but there’s no time like the present to get started! We decided that Yellowstone was a great place to start, as it gave Sara the chance to visit Wyoming (which I did spontaneously a few years ago), and it gave me the opportunity to cross Montana off my list.

Last week, I discovered a solid price on tickets to Bozeman from Tampa for May, which I’ve read is a great time to visit Yellowstone. The snow has melted, but the crowds haven’t quite started up. I found this guide super helpful as we determined if we could pull off a ~4 day visit and do everything we wanted to. The easy answer? Yes. 😉

So now, Sara and I will be hitting up Yellowstone National Park in just a few months! The flight tickets have been booked, so we just have to plan the rest of our visit… if you have any recommendations, please send them my way!

I might be biased but I may have the best birthday out there. Each year it falls at or near a 3 day weekend making it the perfect time to escape for a long weekend getaway. Plus, if you are not traveling in January you are missing out on cheaper rates and lower crowds.

I was pleasantly surprised how I was able to make 4 night hotels accommodations, flights, tours, and a rental car under $2000 for 2 people. I thank myself for spending all of cyber week hunting for the best deals. So take note and mark you calendars for Cyber Week 2023 and make sure to get some great deals.

So lets jump right into the good stuff. My 5-day/4-Night Southern California Birthday Itinerary!

Day 1 Saturday January 14^th

7:05am Flight from Tampa to LAX

• Pro tip: always try to take the first flight out. You are less likely to get delayed

10:15am Pick up Rental Car from Alamo

• This as my first time ever renting from Alamo and the pick up process was so smooth. We booked a mid size SUV and were able to pick from any car on the lot.

11:30am Lunch at Tender Greens and Donuts at Randy’s

• My friend Shea and I went to LA almost 4 year ago to the day and fell in love with the freshness of Tender Greens. Because it is a California chain we were able to find plenty of options on our route. Plus we conveniently picked a location near Randy’s donuts cause we cant go a meal without dessert.

12:30 pm Drive to Temecula

• Our first stop of the trip was a Southern California wine region called Temecula. It is about an hour and half south of LA and about an hour north of San Diego. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Stay tuned next week where I gush all over how much I love Temecula.

2:00 pm Target Stop

• I always recommend making some sort of grocery run. It was a game changer to have bottle water and snacks in our room.

2:30 pm Check into Ponte Vineyard Inn

• After a long rainy drive we finally made it to the cutest boutique hotel located right on a vineyard. We are convinced we got an upgraded room with a nice birthday Moscato to kick off the trip.

3:30 pm Drinks at Ponte Vineyard Winery

• We were eager to get the trip started, so after unpacking and freshening up we walked over to the on sight winery for our first wine tasting of the trip.

7:15 pm Dinner at Small Barn

• Our first night out, we headed to Old Town to one of Temecula’s most popular restaurants, Small Barn. The cocktails were yummy as was my steak.

9:15 pm Drinks at Apparition Room

• Another hidden gem in Temecula is their speakeasies. While you have to make reservations well in advanced we were excited to check out this cool spot and end our first night with some Chocolate Martinis.

Day 2 Sunday January 15^th

9:00 am Breakfast at Eat Marketplace

• Since we were still on east coast time, we were up bright and early and ready to eat. We headed over to a cute café in Old Town for some delicious breakfast sandwiches.

11:00 am Jeep Tour

• By far the highlight of the trip was this private jeep tour with Sunrider Jeep Tour. We stopped by 3 Wineries; Frangipani, Palumbo (my personal favorite), and Akash where they have delicious brick oven pizzas and a fun atmosphere. Our tour guide as great, he stopped along the vineyards explaining the wine growing process and answering our endless questions. Our wine tastings were included in the tour.

4:00 pm Drinks with new friends at Doffo

• We made some friends at Akash who invited us to another wine tasting at Doffo. We had a great time hanging out with them and once again drinking way more wine.

6:00 pm Dinner at The Cellar

• After a long day of drinking we decided to stay in for the night and do dinner at the Hotel. Ponte Vineyard has 3 restaurants on property and we decided to check out The Cellar where we watched some Sunday night football.

Day 3 Monday January 16^th

9:00 am Breakfast at Toast

• Another early morning for us East Coast girls. We were actually suppose to go on a hot air balloon tour but unfortunately it got cancelled because of weather. So instead we went to a local’s favorite brunch spot, Toast and ate so much. It was delicious. I highly recommend the avocado toast.

11:00 am Walk Around Old Town

• We then popped over to Old Town to explore the shops. We were a bit underwhelmed by the selection.

12:00 pm Lunch and Wine Tasting at Altisima

• The wine here was subpar however the views and the food were amazing! The weather turned around and it ended up being a beautiful afternoon for us to sit outside and enjoy the view.

2:00 pm Wine tasting at Oak Mountain

• We headed to our last wine tasting of the trip at Oak Mountain which is home to the only caves in Temecula. We happened to run into our new friends from the day before and enjoyed another glass of wine before heading out.

3:00 pm Spa Evening at Pechanga

• Because our hot air balloon got canceled we decided to treat ourself to a spa evening. We each got an hour long massage and enjoyed the amenities such as the sauna, steam room, and whirlpool.

7:00 pm Dinner at Goat & Vine

• Titled the best restaurant in Temecula, we figured this would be a great place to wrap up our time in this cool city. The food did not disappoint. However I highly recommend joining their virtual waitlist because even on a Monday we had about an hour wait.

Day 4 Tuesday January 17^th

8:00 am Breakfast at Le Coffee Shop

• 3/3 with great breakfast spots. This little coffee shop had the crepe I had been craving all trip.

9:00 am Drive to Laguna Beach

• We took the scenic route along the Pacific Coast Highway to our next stop Laguna Beach. It was about an hour and a half drive.

10:30 am Check into Laguna Beach House

• Another great boutique hotel located right along the famous Helser Park.

11:00 am Lunch at Asada Tacos

• We started our time in Laguna Beach with tacos and margaritas. I couldn’t think of a better way to start a day.

12:00 pm Walk Helser Park and Downtown Laguna Beach

• Any photos you see of Laguna Beach come from Helser Park. This scenic cliffside walking path is covered with tropical flower and palm trees with staircases leading right to the rocky coast.
• After walking Helser Park we made our way to downtown Laguna where we shopped their cute boutiques and enjoyed their famous gelato at Gelato Pardiso on Pepper Tree Lane.

4:30 pm Sunset Drinks at Las Brisas

• A good friend drove down from Santa Monica to celebrate my birthday so we kicked off the evening watching a gorgeous sunset at Las Brisas and enjoying some yummy margaritas.

6:30 pm Dinner at South of Nick’s

• Wow this last meal did not disappoint! This modern Mexican restaurant had a great vibe and great food. We ordered a margarita pitcher to keep the party going. I highly recommend this spot on your next trip to Laguna Beach

10:00 pm Evening Hot Tub

• After a lot of walking, we wrapped up the day in the hot tub recapping another amazing girls trip.

Day 5 Wednesday January 18^th

8:30 am Drive back to LAX

• We left plenty of time to get to LAX because you know… LA traffic. And let me tell you we are so glad we did. What should have been an hour drive took almost 2 hours.

10:30 am Randy’s Donuts… again

• We couldn’t stop thinking of these donuts so had to grab a few more before heading to the airport.

11:00 am Arrive at LAX 

• Crying because an amazing trip has come to a close and we were heading back to reality.

Be sure to check back here on the blog as I continue to write some dedicated posts for Temecula and Laguna Beach. I am positive you will want to add both to your travel bucket list.

My trip to Las Vegas last week was for a work conference, but I made the most of it! Namely, I ate lots and lots of good food while I was there. If you’re looking for some seriously tasty meals on the Las Vegas strip, I’d start with these…

Note: wherever you’re going to eat, I highly suggest you make a reservation! People without a reservation, even for lunch, had to wait for a significant amount of time for a table. Someone at the conference was telling me the earliest they could walk into a nearby restaurant for dinner was 11pm!

• Yardbird Table & Bar, located in the Venetian on Restaurant Row. This was the first place I ate on this trip, and it was a great spot for lunch – it definitely set the tone for the visit! Their appetizers were delicious and decadent, especially the chicken biscuits. My group also swore by the deviled eggs (not my thing). I got a salad for my main course, which was surprisingly filling. I would definitely go hungry!

• Grand Lux Cafe, located in the Venetian, right off the casino. A partner suggested we meet here for breakfast, as he had gone before, and he was spot on. There are so many options to choose from, ranging from a large buffet to an expansive menu. I got the Belgian waffle, which hit the spot, but he got the French toast, and it stole the show – it’s huge! The prices are also pretty reasonable, especially for a place so close to the action.

• Lago, located in the Bellagio. My agency chose this for our dinner together, and it might have been my favorite meal of the whole trip. Not only did we have a lovely view of the Bellagio fountains, putting on a show every 15 minutes or so, but the food was so good! I ordered the lemon tagliolini, and I have not stopped talking about how bright and fresh it was. I wish I’d had room for dessert after, because the dishes we saw go by looked great.

• SW Steakhouse, located in the Wynn, on the ground floor. This dinner was coordinated by a partner, and I have three words: short rib ravioli. The pretzel bread was a worthy starter, and our server actually sold me on the scallops as my main course – it did not disappoint. The sides are definitely shareable (we got two for three people), and I’m pretty sure I can still taste the cream they put in the au gratin potatoes. This is a great dinner option.

• STK, located in the Cosmopolitan, on the third floor. It may take you a bit to work your way up there, but it’s worth the trek! I got the 8oz wagyu flat iron steak with truffle butter, which I can’t recommend more, but everything we had was great. The staff was so nice and attentive, ensuring we had a great time. When we were admiring the dessert of a neighboring table, our server coordinated one for us as well – as it turns out, it was the birthday dessert! This is a must-eat.

• Hells Kitchen, located just outside Caesars. I didn’t make a return visit for this conference, but this was 100% a highlight from my last visit to Las Vegas, and I’m still recommending it to folks. If you’re struggling to get a dinner reservation, you may be able to sneak in for lunch – that’s what I did. Gordon Ramsay also has several other restaurant options in the area, so it may be worth exploring those as well.

Looking for drinks? I’d also suggest…

• Petrossian Bar, located in the Bellagio, near the hotel entrance. The staff was very attentive to our needs.

• The Chandelier, located in the Cosmopolitan, close to the casino. This was a favorite from the conference!

• Amalfi by Bobby Flay, located in Caesars, across from the Vista cocktail lounge. Highly recommend their aperol spritz.

Hey Everyone! It’s been a minute. Between Holiday Travels and Birthday Trips its been a whirlwind of a few weeks. But I’m back and excited to share all I have planned for 2023.

It’s going to be hard to top some incredible trip from 2022 like Maine, Vegas, and a Girls Trip to Disney and Charleston but I have a few trips already on the book I am quickly counting down the days.

January: Birthday Trip to California

I just got back from the best trip to California to kick off my last year in my 20s. We visited Temecula which is a growing wine region in Southern California, right between LA and San Diego. We drank and ate and drank some more and I cannot wait to tell you more about this hidden gem. We ended the trip at the beach, as you should in Southern California. We stayed one night in Laguna Beach and I can’t get over how perfect of a town it truly is. I seriously lived out my high school MTV life.

March: Cruising on Beyond

Not even 3 months later and I am headed back on a Celebrity Cruise, this time on their brand new ship the Celebrity Beyond. Captained by Captain Kate non the less. If you don’t know Captain Kate, immediately stop reading and check her out on social media. On this cruise we will be headed to Nassau, Grand Cayman, my favorite port Cozumel, and a new stop for me, Costa Maya where we will be visiting the Bacalar Lagoon. Just wait till you see how blue this water is!

April: Greensboro, NC

Yes, I know Greensboro sounds like a very random place, but for anyone who knows me you know my love for Kenny Chesney runs deep and I would go just about anywhere to see him. This time he is taking me to Greensboro, NC for a little getaway with my best friend Lacy. Besides losing our voices singing Kenny’s biggest hit we will be exploring some wineries, breweries, and of course finding a spa to relax in. Is it a girls trip without a spa day?

July: Back at Sea

I’m heading back out to sea with a cruise this time on Carnival Horizon. For those who know, Carnival Horizon is a must do ship, specifically if you are staying in the Havana Club. This area has a private, pool, 2 hot tubs, and private bar. We have a aft facing room and corner suite booked and I cannot wait to have the wrap around balcony of my dreams. While we booked this trip for the ship we will be also have some great stops. Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica. I haven’t been to Jamaica in year and I am very excited to climb Dunn River Falls again!

While not set in stone I have some other trips in the works.

• Staycation at Gasparilla Inn & Club located in Boca Grande
• Fall Girls trip to Virginia
• Multiple trips to help my bestie celebrate her PHD in South Carolina
• Celebrity a dear friend’s 30th in Nashville

I’m so excited for what this year has to offer. Comment below your most anticipated travel plans of 2023!

Less than a day after publishing last week’s post, Tyler and I sat down to do some serious flight searching. With Google Flights’ Explore Tool cast to the big screen, we started poking around. We had several requirements to hit:

• The flights had to be no more than $500 per person. We’ve been fortunate with some of our recent flight deals – like the steal of a flight we got to Spain – and we couldn’t stomach spending more than that for this next vacation. I wouldn’t say we’re “budget travelers,” but the money we don’t spend on flights can be spent on other travel-related experiences. For example, our accommodations have generally gotten more expensive now that we have a toddler in tow!

• We had to leave the continental US. I say that as I am literally en route to Nevada, but we really wanted to go abroad again for this family trip. Considering we can’t return to New Zealand at that price point, we narrowed down our options to locations in both Europe and South America. We also looked at flights going out of both Tampa and Orlando, since that gave us some more availability within our budget.

• The location had to be new to us. We were definitely open to a new city in a country we’ve visited before, as I touched on with some of the options we’d been reviewing. However, we opted not to return to Copenhagen and Amsterdam since we’ve been there before, despite the solid flight prices available. Those locations are both wonderful, and I’d highly recommend them, but we wanted another chance to explore somewhere new.

Ultimately, we found some great deals out of Orlando to the Nordic countries, so we played around with the dates and availability there. What was super exciting for me was to find these price points even on multi-city flights, so we knew we’d get the chance to hit up at least two new spots. Which is how we booked this upcoming trip for the spring, flying into Stockholm, Sweden, then flying home from Helsinki, Finland. We’ll be flying Icelandair, so we’ll have quick layovers in Iceland both ways, but we couldn’t pass it up; our flights were only $382 per person!

I’m very excited to have this trip on the books and start planning our next adventure!

As I shared last week, I am headed to Las Vegas later this month! However, Tyler and I have been trying to figure out our next trip. After last year’s trip highlights – including Ireland, Spain, and New Zealand – we’ve got high hopes for 2023.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean deep pockets for 2023, and flights are EXPENSIVE right now. My best tip for traveling is generally to go where the cheap flights take us, and friends, there aren’t very many cheap flights to be had. After scouring Google Flights’ Explore Tool, these are a few of the potential next trips we’ve been looking into:

• Oslo, Norway. When we went to Copenhagen a few years ago, I tried to see if we could also squeeze in a trip to Norway, as I’ve heard only good things. We ended up taking the train to Hamburg instead, but I’ve kept this one on my radar. At only $434 per person, it’s the best deal on the list – but it would mean flying out of Orlando.

• Helsinki, Finland. When we bought our tickets to Spain last year, I had been evaluating a solid deal to Helsinki as well. The prices aren’t quite as amazing this time around – $522 per person – but a strong offering compared to the market. It would also give us a nice chance to return to the beautiful Nordic countryside!

• Malaga, Spain. At $592 per person, this is the most expensive option we looked at, and it would be a quick return to Spain. That being said, we’ve been told that the Southern coast has a totally different vibe. Plus, we could pair this with a quick trip to Tangier, Morocco – that’d be a new continent for us!

• Frankfurt, Germany. We didn’t have the most amazing time the last time we were in Germany, but I think we should probably give it another chance – especially when the tickets are under $500 per person. We know that Germany can be a very affordable vacation, and it could give us the opportunity to bop around Europe.

We haven’t purchased anything yet, but you can bet we’re closely monitoring!

As I told Megan last week, after all my travel last year, I was feeling a little stressed about not yet having a trip booked for this year. Well friends, that is no longer the case! I have officially booked my tickets to Las Vegas for later this month. I am capitalizing on a work trip, but still. 😉 Here’s what I have planned so far:

• My hotel. While this will be my third time in Las Vegas, I am excited to be staying at Harrah’s Las Vegas for the first time. When I’ve gone in the past, I’ve stayed at MGM and The Flamingo, so it will be fun to get a new perspective. I find that the hotel really influences your experience in Vegas, more than I’ve noticed anywhere else.

• My flights. I last flew Frontier to New Jersey in the fall, and they got me again this time. Even though I’m going for work, it made more sense for me to book with them as they offer a direct flight, unlike most major airlines out of Tampa – I just had to pay additionally for a carry-on bag. At ~$250 roundtrip, including the bag, it was worth it!

I am currently in the process of scheduling meetings, but what I really need to get figured out is a good place for dinner! I had such a great meal at Hell’s Kitchen the last time I was there, and we went to some seriously delicious restaurants on my most recent work trip, so the bar has been set high. Any recommendations?

Looking for more Las Vegas content?

Right before New Year’s, my family and I took a cruise on Celebrity Summit with stops in Key West and Nassau.

While I have been to Key West multiple times, it was my first time there on a cruise ship and my first time back in 7 years!

We didn’t have any excursions or tours planned but rather planned to walk the island as the cruise terminal is in the heart of Duval Street and a walk away from the Southernmost Point.

While we managed to walk the distance, our one biggest regret was not renting a golf cart to explore the island. Which is wild we didn’t even think of it considering we have rented golf carts in multiple ports to optimize our exploring.

Everyone on the island was traveling by golf cart so it was not hard to find multiple companies along our walk to rent one. Unfortunately, with it being a holiday week, most were booked up.

So instead, we walked, and we walked a lot. From the cruise ship port to the southernmost point (our first stop) it was about 1.5 mile walk. Then we walked that length again along Duval street to check out the shops, bars, and restaurants.

While 3-4 miles of walking isn’t a dealbreaker by any means, Key West has so many cute side streets, impressive homes, and hidden gems it would have been nice to explore by golf cart and get so much more out of our day.

So next time you are in Key West whether it be a short or long time, I highly recommend renting a golf cart and exploring this charming city.

As you do be sure to check out some of my Key West favorites.

• Southernmost Point
• Mallory Square
• Hogsbreath Saloon
• Mile Marker 0
• Hemingway House
• Key West Lighthouse
• Duval Street Bars (Sloopy Joes)
• Smather’s Beach
• Blue Heaven for Brunch

Three years ago, I was coming back to the US after a wonderful trip to Edinburgh and Glasgow. It was a trick getting into the city – you may recall, our train didn’t exist – but once we got there, we had the opportunity to really see the city at its holiday peak. This was the last time we spent the holidays away from home, and I think back on it fondly, especially as we start planning our trips for this year. This is how we spent four days in Glasgow…

Day 1: Buchanan Bus Station

With pre-booked train tickets in hand, we learned that there were no trains going in or out of Edinburgh – including our planned train to Glasgow. We had to pivot our plan, and we purchased tickets for the next bus heading that way. We ended up getting to Buchanan Bus Station that afternoon and immediately seeking out a late lunch.

We found The Citizen Glasgow, which offered some delicious Scottish dishes and really hit the spot. It also gave us an opportunity to further explore Buchanan Street before making our way to our gorgeous Airbnb. We settled in then called it an early evening at home. We figured we earned some rest after a trying travel day.

Day 2: Christmas Fair at George Square

We spent the morning shopping – even though I’d packed my good coat, I still needed gloves! We found some at Primark before hitting up the Christmas Fair at George Square. As I’ve mentioned before, I love a good Christmas market! Highlights include the Kris Kringle Nook Glühwein House, as well as some very tasty macarons.

We later made our way to Bread Meats Bread, a family business with some really great burgers. I’d highly recommend it! We then shopped for groceries at Sainsbury’s to bring back to our Airbnb, and we spent the rest of the evening cozying up there.

Day 3: Glasgow Mural Trail

This was definitely the day we did the most running around, as we tried to follow the Glasgow Mural Trail! Highlights include:

• Glasgow Green, a huge park near our Airbnb and home to the People’s Palace museum
• The Willow Tea Rooms, where Tyler and I had a delightful afternoon tea
• A return to the Christmas Fair at George Square
• Glasgow Cathedral and the Necropolis, two must-visits for any Glasgow tourist
• Drygate Brewing Co., which offered us the perfect pints right when we needed them

At the Airbnb, we did run into an issue with the washing machine that turned into a whole event – essentially, our clothes were locked in there – but the host worked with us to quickly get it resolved. She even sent them out for drycleaning, which we got back the next day!

Day 4: WEST Brewery

As we finalized the laundry drama, our day was off to a slow start. We ended up grabbing lunch at WEST Brewery, which gave me a chance to try haggis! (Full transparency: I got vegan haggis.) We also enjoyed neeps and tatties, as well as a walk through Glasgow Green.

Our afternoon and evening was spent checking out the local shops. A fun one we found was in St. Enoch Centre, called the Selfie Store. I know these are more common now, but we hadn’t seen one before, and we had a lot of fun taking pictures! We also made another visit to the Christmas Fair at George Square, followed by dinner and drinks at Speakeasy.

Day 5: Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

We checked out of our Airbnb and dropped our luggage at Glasgow Central Station, as we prepared for a very full day running around. We meandered through Kelvingrove Park as we made our way to ​​BrewDog Glasgow for lunch. It’s definitely worth a visit for solid food and beer! We then had a great time exploring the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

Of course, since our train wasn’t leaving until late that night, we still had a lot of time to run around the city after our museum visit. Highlights include:

• Oxfam Bookshop, which had a wide selection of wares
• Glasgow Botanic Gardens, which has some gorgeous greenhouses
• Loop & Scoop, where we indulged in ice cream and churros
• Browns Brasserie & Bar, where we had a wonderful dinner before heading back to the train station

We then boarded our Caledonian Sleeper train to London, where we’d wake up just in time to celebrate New Year’s Eve…

Looking for more Scotland or holiday content?

The Copeland Family is back again with another cruise. This time sailing on Celebrity Summit for a 4 Night Holiday Sailing.

Now you have heard me rave multiple times about Celebrity Cruises and how they are my favorite cruise line even though I only have been on one of their ships. But from the modern design to the upscale food to the included drink package what is there not to love?

Celebrity Summit is one of Celebrities older ships, built in 2001 this ship actually just had a full upgrade in 2019 to include reimagined dining locations, upgrade staterooms, and new bar concepts.

While this is a smaller ship than we are use to at only 90,000 tons, we are looking forward to a nice post holiday getaway.

And while you are reading this from wherever in the world you may be I am exploring one of my favorite locations in the world, Key West, FL.

With plans to explore the island, eat conch fritters, and do some shopping we will also be making a stop in Nassau, an island we have frequented a lot over the last couple years. There we will be doing something different… wine and chocolate making at the famous Graycliff Hotel.

I hope this post finds you well and enjoying a relaxing Holiday season.

Can’t wait to share more of our family’s holiday travels in the New Year.

See you in 2023!

Happy holidays, everyone! I’m hunkered down at home with the family after a wonderful Christmas celebration, and I am just incredibly grateful for this year. Highlights include:

• Taking my first solo trip to Osprey and Venice
• Going on a family vacation to Ireland
• Visiting Boston for the first time
• Spending time across Spain, in Madrid and Barcelona
• Making our way to Toronto for our anniversary
• Celebrating Chelsea’s Austin bachelorette and Greenville wedding
• Exploring New Zealand, both Hahei and Auckland

And of course, wrapping things up with a work trip to Denver, Colorado earlier this month! I spent four days there, and I had a wonderful time – despite the cold. This is what I did that made the trip so great:

• Ate the best food. I am fortunate that my new team prioritizes good meals – we had dinner reservations each night we were there, and I would highly recommend all of the places where we dined: The Kitchen, Tamayo, and Sunday Vinyl. Plus, I swung by Torchy’s Tacos for lunch on my way in!

• Ice skated downtown. Tyler and I went on an ice skating date in the summer of 2010, and I hadn’t been ice skating since; needless to say, I was a little nervous to hit the ice. Lucky for me, we had the rink rented out for our group, so I was able to stay close to the wall of the rink and put in a dozen laps or so. I didn’t even fall!

• Met with great people. The best part of the trip was definitely the folks I spent it with. Not only did I get to fit in a lunchtime visit with my good friend Liz, but I also got to get to know my team after joining the company last month. As much as I love remote work, there’s something to be said for meeting in person.

I hope your year was just as great and travel-filled as mine was. Here’s to more adventures in 2023!

Well it’s officially December and officially the holiday season. I absolutely love this time of year. From getting to celebrate with friends and family to all the lights and décor, you can’t help but be in a good mood during the holiday season.

One of my favorite things about the holidays is how festive people get, especially some local bars in the Tampa Bay area. If you are looking for a fun night out and even a cute photo op you must check out one of these local holiday pop up bars.

Intermezzo Coffee and Cocktails in St. Pete, transforms into Miracle at Mezzo again this year. This is a great bar to stop in for the holiday festivities for morning coffee and then later in the evening for Christmas themed cocktails. Some of the highlighted cocktails include a Christmaspolitan and the ever popular Christmas Cricket. The drink names alone are sure to get you in the holiday spirit.

Sonder Social Club in Dunedin also gets into the holiday spirit with Christmas décor, lights, and specialty drinks. This intimate setting is perfect for any night during the holiday season. The bar has rolled out new food and drinks for the holiday season, including a 12 Drinks of Christmas cocktail menu.

Popular items from last year and are sure to appear again are:

• Brown Butter Old Fashioned—Evan Williams Bonded Bourbon Diplimatico Reserva, Darvelle Brandy, PX Sherry and bitters
• Christina’s Coquito—coconut, clove, all spice, eggnog and the option of Don Q Reserva or Dobel Anejo (this is actually made using the owner Christina’s family recipe)
• Milk + Cookies—Mellow Corn Whiskey, Sonder mylk, oat milk, chocolate, all spice, banana and marzapan, served with a warm chocolate chip cookie.

You can check out both of these holiday pop ups through New Years!

While we still call the Tampa Bay area home, a few weeks ago, we officially made the move to Wesley Chapel from St. Petersburg. There is a lot to love about St. Pete – especially the restaurants – but we’re excited to spend some time exploring the area around us now. Wesley Chapel has historically been alllll suburbs, but I think we’ll uncover some gems.

For starters, KRATE. Located at The Grove, a major shopping area just off of I-75, KRATE officially opened in June 2022 with the main goal of providing a home for small businesses. They have 94 shipping container “krates” that house 46 locally owned restaurants and shops. Sara and I have done some shopping there in the past, and we went as a family with my in-laws for their trunk or treating event over Halloween weekend. Most recently, we went a couple weekends ago to piece together a smorgasbord for dinner from various restaurants. I love having so many options to choose from, and each visit is a little different.

So far, some of my favorite spots have been:

• Provisions – Ayana, who I’ve done some guest posts for, was the one who got this restaurant on my radar. Sara and I stopped by for some caffeinated drinks and a delicious sandwich – it’s the perfect little cafe for hanging out.

• Blush Wine Room – I have now been here a couple times, and it’s the frozen piña colada that keeps bringing me back. They come in a little to-go pouch, so you can bring your drink with you as you explore other KRATE offerings.

• Yummy Tablas – I haven’t sampled their catering, which is a big part of their business, but I loved being able to grab a little charcuterie board to go! We got a nice selection of various foods, though it did feel a little pricey based on the portion size.

• Flipn’ Fries Factory – KRATE currently offers two fry-focused shops, but Sara recommended this one. After eating there, I can concur this is worth the visit. She and I split a small portion, so don’t necessarily feel like you need to upgrade – it’s big!

• Katie Beth’s – Not a restaurant, but a very cute shop! I originally stopped in because we share a namesake, but I ended up walking out with an adorable keychain. They have a nice offering, and it’d be a perfect spot to get a gift.

Side note: I haven’t eaten there, but Tyler strongly recommends the burrito from Tacos El Patron. This place had a huge line, so we could tell it’s popular for a reason!

What’s also great about KRATE is they are constantly hosting different events. They share a weekly schedule on their social media pages of everything happening there that week. They’ve had a lot going on for the holidays, including various photo opps and karaoke moments. They frequently have live music, and there’s a playground as well, so it’s quite family friendly. Much like Armature Works in downtown Tampa, there’s something here for everyone.

Bonus: as of writing, KRATE is also host to a pair of glasses frames from the Glazer Vision Foundation. For every photo posted on social with the frames using the hashtag #OneShareOnePair and tagging @glazervisionfdn, Glazer Vision Foundation will provide a child with a free eye exam and glasses.

Hello from 30,000 feet! I am writing this blog post en route to Denver, thinking about the last time I was on a plane. While travel without a toddler is much easier, I don’t think this work trip will be quite as much fun as our time in New Zealand…

Day 1: Heritage Hotel

Since we’d pretty immediately left Auckland for our first four days in Hahei, our first real day in Auckland was actually our return. We returned our rental car to the CBD Europcar location – an adventure of its own, considering the lack of parking available – and we made the walk to our Airbnb at Heritage Hotel.

Our apartment was lovely, and we were ready to stock it with groceries to cover us for the next week. We scoped out Good To Go as an option, but ultimately decided that Countdown (our new fave) was the way to go. We picked up dinner as well, then headed back to the apartment for an early night.

Day 2: Albert Park

After getting ready for the day, our first stop was Remedy Coffee. This coffee shop is super cute with great reviews, and we had a tasty breakfast there. Definitely would recommend! It’s very close to Albert Park, which we hit up next. You generally will take stairs to access the park, but we managed to find a very steep ramp that would accommodate the stroller.

From there, we kept bopping to nearby locations. We walked through the University of Auckland campus, picking up another round of coffee at the Shaky Isles, and then headed into Auckland Domain. We did a little bit of exploring there before heading back to the Airbnb for naptime.

Post-nap, we met up with Tyler’s parents – you may remember them from our trips to Scotland, Puerto Rico, or Ireland – at Dr Rudi’s Rooftop Brewing Co. for dinner. We almost didn’t get in due to their no sandal policy, but we promised to be out before it got too late. We felt the food was okay, but the energy was bopping – it’s definitely a hotspot. We were much happier with the ice cream we got at the nearby Melt pop-up before heading back to our respective apartments.

Day 3: Scratch Bakers

We bumped into Tyler’s mom Diane on our walk to breakfast at Scratch Bakers for breakfast. Our son loved his croissant here, and we thought our pastries were pretty great as well – another solid breakfast spot. We then walked over to Victoria Park to scope out their playground offering.

It was at this point that we decided we really needed to replace the cupholder on our stroller. It had fallen off the plane in transit on our way, but it turns out, it was harder to find a replacement than we expected! We hit up Electrify NZ, Kathmandu, and Farmers before calling it quits.

For drinks, we met up with my in-laws at The Brewers Co-Operative, which was a laid-back restaurant with a great beer selection. I ended up eating dinner at the apartment, but Tyler picked up pizza from Hell for dinner, and he said he’d recommend it.

Day 4: Silo Park

Tyler had to work in the morning, so I packed up the dude, and we went off on an adventure! I’d already looked into Myers Park, which has a humongous playground, which we both found very fun. If you’re traveling with toddlers, this is a must-do.

We then made our way through Aotea Square and stumbled upon the window display at Smith & Caughey’s. It was brand new, so it had drawn quite a crowd! He and I had brunch at Chuffed, which is a fairly small space, but has good food and fun vibes. We then went back for naptime and to get Tyler.

Our afternoon consisted of more park visits, including Daldy Street Park and Silo Park. We actually met up with Tyler’s parents at the second spot and walked all through Halsey Wharf. We then left the dude with them for a sleepover, as we had a big day the next day – our Waitomo Glowworm Caves visit!

Note: after doing some research online, we attempted to visit the Sky Cafe without purchasing an observation pass for Sky Tower, but this is not possible. We didn’t think it was worth it to purchase the pass, but something to know!

Day 5: Waitomo Glowworm Caves

We started our day bright and early, as this was the day we’d planned to take our tour. A 16-person bus picked us up from our hotel, and we made our way to the caves. Along the way, we stopped for snacks, as well as a quick ostrich visit.

Unfortunately, you can’t take pictures inside the Waitomo Glowworm Caves until the very end of the tour – external light can upset the worms and cause them to “turn off” – but I don’t know that any pictures would do it justice. This was a really cool experience, and since glowworms are only located in New Zealand and Australia, I’m so glad we did it. I would highly recommend adding this to your itinerary, as we got to see the inside of the caves, as well as take a quick boat ride.

The second feature of our tour was Te Puia. This was not what we expected it to be, and knowing what I know now, I don’t know that I would go again. Highlights were the geysers, as well as the Kiwi Conservation Centre – we got to see three kiwi birds, which isn’t something I’d expected! It was a long drive back, but I had pineapple lumps to munch on. We picked up the little guy just in time for dinner and bed.

Day 6: Waiheke Island

After grabbing coffee at Camper Coffee Roasting Co., we caught the Fullers360 ferry at the downtown terminal. There are a ton of nearby islands that are accessible by ferry, but we opted for a trip to Waiheke Island. This came highly recommended by my in-laws, who had spent their first half of the trip there while we were in Hahei, as well as my friend Kim.

We only spent a few hours there, but we would recommend it to! It’s a very different vibe compared to the Auckland CBD area, but it was refreshing. Despite the rain, we enjoyed the walk to Oneroa Village. On the way, we hit up Alison Park and Havana Coffee Works, before ultimately landing on Little Oneroa Beach. There is a great playground here, and we basically had the place to ourselves.

We hustled back for naptime, and the rest of our day was spent locally. We enjoyed the holiday displays being set up in the Britomart area, made another stop at the Smith & Caughey’s display for Tyler to see the wonders of The Chaos Before Christmas, and picked up some more groceries from Countdown to carry us through the trip.

Day 7: Britomart

Tyler had another morning of work, so the kiddo and I hit up the Britomart area. There are tons of stores over here, and it made for a nice walk. We got some macarons from Bluebells Cakery and admired the setup at Freyberg Square, then wound up back at Remedy Coffee (it’s that good).

After running back to the apartment to grab Ty, we went to the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, which is free to visit (some exhibits are paid). We then went on the hunt for ice cream, landing at Island Gelato – it was very good, and worth the bad weather we had to brave to get there!

Our evening was low-key, as we packed up and made the last Countdown run of the trip for plane snacks. Tyler picked up Potstickers for our dinner, and they had some seriously good dumplings. We ate it while watching TV in bed, then called it a night.

The next morning, we hit up the Round the Corner Cafe for coffee before boarding the SkyDrive bus to the airport, where I learned what SSSS means. We had such a wonderful time, though I know I’ll have to go back to visit the South Island!

If you are looking to get into the Holiday Spirit this season but can’t make the time to get up to the snowy mountains or the Christmas Magic of NYC. St. Augustine might surprise you as a great place for a Holiday getaway.

With their magic display of Christmas Lights St. Augustine’s annual Night of Lights Celebration is running through January 29^th. In their 29^th year Nights of Lights is listed as one of the top 10 holiday light displays in the world.

It is a bucket list item worth checking off this holiday season.

To learn more be sure to check off our bucket list spot light article: St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights.