Travel Guides – Page 3 – …on the B.L.

Miami

October 3, 2018October 4, 2018 RaeAnna

Touring the grounds and gardens of Vizcaya Museum.

I have been so busy working and catching up on my reading that I’ve been crappy on writing blog posts. So this is the first of several to come. Read an overview of the completely unplanned trip I had: here.

When I left for vacation, Florida was not on the radar. Let alone Miami. I’d only been to Miami once five years ago, and Alex had never been. It was a really fun part of our trip. The last time I went was to visit a friend from college, who had grown up in Little Havana. I hadn’t thought about what to do because he showed me around his hometown. This trip, I had to figure out what to do because Alex had no idea either.

20180917_142125(0)-01.jpeg — Feeling hot and sweaty!

I, of course, reached out to my best friend. “Ok Google, what should I do in Miami?” Alex loves gardens and botany; I love pretty places. One of the top results was Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. It looked super pretty. Let me tell you, it is super pretty. Alex got in for free because he’s a Marine. Yay for military discounts! For us regular people, it costs $18. It’s worth it; I promise. The house was built in the early 1900’s on Biscayne Bay by James Deering. It’s ridiculous. Holy shit. The house is magnificent looking out onto the ocean. There’s a cement boat down stairs off the back terrace. It’s supposed to protect the house from swells, but I think it’s a rich person opulence thing. The gardens surrounding the house are incredible. Spectacular. The house is a big square surrounded a beautiful indoor garden. I can only imagine what it looked like when it was brand new. We wandered around for hours. I’m ready to move in if they ever decide to get out of the museum business.

After Vizcaya, we met our college friend at a local bar: Porterhouse Bar & Grill. I’m not a drinker, but they have ridiculously cheap drinks for Happy Hour 5:00-9:00 every day. Their coffee is good! We arrived at 6:00, and by 7:30, the bar was poppin’. The bar-staff is kind but very busy.

We ended up having a really low key weekend. On Sunday, we went to Shuckers Waterfront Bar to watch football with friends. The food is good bar food completely overshadowed by the awesome view. They have great virgin drinks, and my friends say their regular drinks are good too. The bar is literally on the waterfront. The seating area is open to the outdoors, and there is a terrace completely outside. Tons of docks are right along the bar, so boats are pulling up constantly. People coming and going in swimsuits. It’s kind of the perfect place to feel like you’re in Miami.

Standing on one of the docks at Shuckers Waterfront.

On Monday, the day we left, we spent the day doing super touristy stuff. If you’re in Miami, you need to go to Little Havana, also known as Calle Ocho. It’s just one of those things you should do. There are lots of places to park on the street. It’s for sure a tourist trap, but it’s a bright, fun tourist trap filled with locals. You need to try Cuban Coffee. I really liked it at La Colada Gourmet. It will put hair on your chest. The owners were really wonderful. They took the time to explain the significance of Cuban Coffee to Alex and I. You will only need one cup. Just walking around is fun. Azucar Ice Cream Company is a must. Their flavors have deep roots in Cuban culture. Super yummy and rich. I suggest sticking to one scoop. Worth a stop for sure. It took me awhile to find the Welcome to Little Havana Mural. The address is: 801 SW 27th Ave, Miami, FL 33135. It is in an alley next to a Chase Bank on the corner of 8th Street and Beacom. It’s the perfect Instagram spot!

We decided to head to Miami Beach and Lincoln Road. Lincoln Road is the Rodeo Drive/Michigan Avenue/Fifth Avenue of Miami. The buildings are bright white. Lots of people are bustling around shopping. I stopped into Starbucks to pick up a Miami mug because I’m basic. Alex and I meandered our way to the beach. It was a Monday in the middle of September, so the beach was very empty. The boardwalk was quiet. Walking along the boardwalk and beach you’ll see the pastel and art deco architecture Miami is famous for. The beach is pretty with blue-green water. We waded in, but I was too lazy to actually go for a swim. We didn’t stay long. It’s fun to just walk around, especially when the area is so quiet.

Ropa Vieja, Black Beans, and Cafe con Leche at Versailles Restaurant.

Before leaving Miami, we went back to Little Havana to eat some Cuban food. We went to Versailles Restaurant. It is one of the most famous Cuban restaurants in Miami. They’re open late, and I hear it’s the place to go for late night food. The place is giant. There are mirrors all around the main dining room, which is the Versailles influence, I think. The wait staff is friendly and efficient. We ordered, and the food was brought to us incredibly quickly. I love fried plantains. They have great ones. I’m a fan. I ordered Ropa Vieja because it’s my favorite, a side of black beans, and a cafe con leche. I ordered way more food than I needed, but it was worth it. Yumminess.

Miami is such a fun city. Five days is nowhere near enough to explore, but it was a blast!

Drinking Cuban Coffee at La Colada Gourmet.

Vizcaya Museum & Garden
Instagram: @vizcaya_museum
3251 S Miami Avenue
Miami, FL 33129

Porterhouse Bar & Grill
17004 Collins Avenue
Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160

Shuckers Waterfront Bar
Instagram: @shuckersmiami
1819 79th Street Causeway
North Bay Village, FL 33141

La Colada Gourmet
Instagram: @lacoladagourmet
1518 SW 8th Street
Miami, FL 33135

Azucar Ice Cream Company
Instagram: @azucaricecream
1503 SW 8th Street
Miami, FL 33135

Welcome to Little Havana Mural
801 SW 27th Avenue
Miami, FL 33135

Versailles Restaurant and Bakery
Instagram: @versaillesmiami
3555 SW 8th Street
Miami, FL 33135

Travel, Travel Guides

A Fabulous Disaster

September 29, 2018June 25, 2019 RaeAnna

Angel Oak, a 400 year old tree, in Charleston.

I am a planner. I like having plans. No. I love having plans. They make me feel safe and comfortable and, you know, like I have a plan.

This vacation was not off to smooth sailing in the plan department. I was going to visit Alex in North Carolina to celebrate ten days of his much deserved leave from the Marines. (I know, he’s a bad-ass.) As things go with the military, leave was o.k.ed by the peeps in charge nine days before I hopped on a plane. The month leading up to, he was on a boat with minimal contact, so these non-plans were made through one email a day. Due to the surprising hurricane, which was most definitely not included in the vacation, he almost didn’t make it off the boat. So we made tentative plans to head to Savannah and Charleston for vacation. That was the plan when I got off the plane. Literally.

Alex met me at the airport on a Tuesday in Jacksonville, North Carolina; it’s an hour north of Wilmington, North Carolina: the hub of hurricane-desimation. I got off the plane. We hopped in his beater of a car. He packed a bag at the barracks. We were evacuating within an hour of wheels on the ground. We were NOT going to be stuck in the eye of the storm for ten days.

Before we get started on this story, I want you to keep in mind two things: 1) I was working 40 hours a week. 2) The condition of Alex’s car. He bought a beater after one of his deployments. Traveling in it was potentially more worrisome than the hurricane. It could fall apart at any moment. I’m not joking. (It did not fall apart. It made it like the confident hunk-a-junk it is.) This car does NOT have A/C. I repeat. NO air conditioning. In the South. On a roadtrip. In Miami. Yikes. Hot as dragon balls.

The beautiful circular staircase at Vizcaya.

First stop: We were exhausted, so we stopped at the first hotel – if it can be called that – we saw in Myrtle Beach. The next day, we woke up and headed for Waffle House. It’s a roadtrip must for me! I grabbed my laptop, and as I dug into a pecan waffle and cheesy eggs, I started looking up Air BnB’s. Alex filled me in on the hurricane, the stock market, politics, and other things I almost care about. I’m kidding. I care a little. All the Air BnB’s were expensive. I’m a budget traveler, and Alex makes me look lavish. He found a hotel in Jacksonville for a steal. The pictures and Google reviews made it look acceptable. Spoiler: It wasn’t.

We ended up leaving Jacksonville after the first night because there were bugs, and I got bit up. I have PTSD; one of the triggers for me is bugs because I had an unfortunately extended run-in with bed bugs in high school. After a good cry in a moldy shower, we headed to the place where all problems are solved. Starbucks. I texted my savior, I mean best friend. She works at Hilton and is an Art History grad student. There is this awesome Hilton Honors Friends & Family discount through which she saved my vacation and mental sanity in one fell swoop. Unfortunately due to the hurricane, there were no affordable hotels in the area. On a whim, I looked up rooms in Miami. They were super inexpensive. Instead of doing a Charleston and Savannah trip, we decided to head to Miami for five days.

I love Miami. It’s such a fun city. One of our friends from college – a fraternity brother of Alex’s – lives in Miami, so we had to see him. The hotel was fabulous. Thank you Kelsey. In Miami, we saw Vizcaya, Little Havana, Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, and a couple bars. It was a blast. Never did I think I would evacuate a hurricane TO Florida. Read about that trip here!

As our time in Miami began to fade, we needed to figure out what we would do with our last four days. One of Kelsey’s favorite places is St. Augustine, Florida, and I’ve heard her talk about it for years. We decided to head there. That discount hooked us up again for two days! There we went to the Castillo de San Marcos. I did a lot of eating. We toured around the pretty town. The hurricane damage and flooding had not abated, so we extended our stay a day to enjoy the beach.

I called Delta a few times while in St. Augustine. The Jacksonville airport kept losing power, so no flights were leaving or arriving. The roads to Jacksonville were also not open due to flooding. Even if the airport was open, I couldn’t get there. Luckily, Delta was super helpful and rescheduled my Friday flight to Monday. Hurrication extended!

Where to next? Well, Charleston got us five hours closer to the airport, and I wanted to go. There’s so much to do there, but I didn’t know anything to do. Holy smokes it is gorgeous! Other than seeing the Angel Oak, Alex and I pretty much just walked around the city! It reminded me of New Orleans in a lot of ways. I will be back to explore more.

I made it back to Jacksonville on Saturday night. On Sunday, we drove around town and to the marina on base to see the hurricane damage. It was definitely something.

My flight took off as replanned on Monday afternoon.

There was no plan. At all. The entire trip. The only thing planned was the date and time of my flight. One of which was moved. It ended up being a blessing we didn’t have plans because the hurricane would have ruined them anyways. I’m glad I had this fabulous disaster of a non-planned vacation with Alex because he thrives in chaos and truly enjoys watching me be uncomfortable. I don’t know if I would do it again intentionally, but it is one of the most fun trips I’ve had, though, equally stressful.

Alex and I at Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine.

Travel, Travel Guides

Travel Guide: Steamboat Springs

August 19, 2018 RaeAnna

View of the valley on the hike to Fish Creek Falls.

Steamboat Springs has grown immensely popular in the last twenty years as a tourist town for the outdoorsy adventurers. The summer it hosts bikers, hikers, and watersports. The winter snows bring the skiers and snowboarders out to play. Steamboat Springs is home to 88 Olympians and counting, so you’re guaranteed winter sports galore.

If you don’t want to read all of my posts about Steamboat Springs, Colorado, (although, you should; I’m a great writer writing about great places) here’s a quick look at all of the places you need to go! I’m linking all my posts, so feel free to click and read on.

Hanging out on a ski lift outside my grandparents’ condo.

OUTDOORS
Mount Werner
Mount Werner is the mountain in Steamboat. In the summer it is a hub of bikers and hikers. In the winter, strap on your skis or snowboard and head up the mountain. You can ride the gondola up, but I highly suggest embracing your adventurer and hiking up the mountain. It’s beautiful. If you can, the peak is where the best views in town can be seen.
Fish Creek Falls
Fish Creek Falls has become an iconic destination. It’s $5 to park, and then off you go! There are several trails of varying difficulty. There are two different falls. The first is less than half a mile down hill from the parking lot. It is absolutely gorgeous. Between mid-morning and mid-afternoon, it is pretty busy. It clears out after 6:00. If you’re up for a long and sometimes tricky hike uphill, there’s a pretty bridge over the water. Further up, you’ll find the second falls, which are amazing. Few people venture this far. Passed that is Long Lake. It is definitely worth a trip to any of the sites and trails.
Tubing
Due to weather conditions, I wasn’t able to go tubing. The river conditions were not suitable the entire time I was there, unfortunately. There are several shops along the Yampa River in downtown Steamboat. The price is $20 for tube rentals and includes a shuttle ride back to the shop at the end of your trip.
Alpine Slide
I have done this in the past, and it is so much fun! I wasn’t able to do it during my last trip because of construction. It’s closed this summer, but next summer have at it. It’s like a summertime luge on wheels. Not the cheapest activity, but you could spend way more on other things. It starts at $12, but the more rides you buy the better the deal.

SHOPPING
Downtown Steamboat is as close to idyllic as I have ever seen. When people think of Colorado, this is what comes to mind. A cozy downtown filled with lots of little shops of all shapes and sizes nestled into the valley of mountains. No matter where you look, you’ll find mountains as far as the eye can see.
Ruby Jane Boutique
Ruby Jane is a cute store filled with clothes, jewelry, accessories, and more. I bought a purse I have been using constantly. Instagram @rubyjane.valleygirlboutique
Fringe Boutique
The exterior is blue with white trim. I would have gone broke buying everything I loved in this store. I got a few presents for friends, necklaces, and quippy cards. Instagram @fringeboutiquesteamboat
Steamboat Art Company
My go to for cute, funny, and unique art in Steamboat. Instagram @steamboatartco
Off the Beaten Path
This bookstore is adorable. I love that there menu items are named after famous books and iconic characters. They have a great section. I settled in to get some work done a few times on vacation. Instagram @steamboat_books

FOOD
Bésame
I fell in love with this new restaurant. It is an unexpected flavor bomb in the middle of Americana. Latin food in small town Colorado. It’s pretty amazing! Instagram @besamesteamboat
Lyon’s Corner Drug & Soda Fountain
I have loved this place my whole life. A traditional drug store with a traditional soda fountain. Grab an ice cream and a phosphate. Heaven!
The Shack
It’s an institution in my family. Open in the morning to mid-afternoon, it’s a diner with a lodge flare. Once on the outside patio when I was young, there was a tiny bat napping, and it was the highlight of that trip.
Salt + Lime
Great Mexican food and a fun, modern decor. I love the rooftop seating with views of downtown and mountains. The tacos are amazing, and they have a mocktail menu! Instagram @saltandlimesteamboat

Travel, Travel Guides

San Antonio Day Trip

April 4, 2018June 23, 2019 RaeAnna

Attention!!! Books are no longer my only friends in Houston. I have human friends in my most recent home city. It’s a very exciting development for me.

Even better, I’m growing close with another blogger. A business blogger and digital nomad (goals) from New Zealand. Elise runs the blog House of Brazen! She has limited time in the US, and we’re exploring as much of it as we can before she’s off on her next adventure. Where? No one knows.

On Thursday, we hopped in the car early heading West on I-10 until we ran into the San Antonio River Walk…. There were a couple turns, but not many. Being the non-early birds that we are. Starbucks was our first stop. Quickly followed by the first Buc-ee’s we saw. If you’re not from Texas and happen to be in Southern Texas, find a Buc-ee’s, go to the bathroom, buy a kolache, and try some beef jerky. I guarantee you have never seen anything like it before. It’s the most Texas gas station you’ll ever encounter, and we are absolutely bonkers over them.

Three hours later, we hopped out of the car and headed right to the river walk. We walked along the river looking at the beautiful architecture, bridges, art, and people watching.

The river walk is such a beautiful place. It stretches on a long while in several directions. There are areas where the tourists congregate, and areas where you hardly pass anyone. Sidewalks, usually, run on both sides of the river. They aren’t very wide, so you often have to “think thin” as people pass. Restaurant patios spill into sidewalks. You won’t have to search far for food, and everything smells amazing.

The river walk is teaming with life. People. Flowers. Water. Wild life. I really can’t tell you how gorgeous it is. The architecture is beautiful and varies. The bridges across the river keep changing. My favorite, however, was a bridge covered in bright green ivy… I don’t know if it was ivy, but that is what I’m going with.

Elise and I headed to the Alamo because, well, it’s the Alamo. It’s not very big. It’s beautiful. It’s always crowded. You could probably walk around reading every plaque for hours if you wanted. There are guided tours and audio tours. We weren’t that concerned with more than strolling through, which is free! Save money where you can to spend it on things like day trips to cool places or saving to visit her in New Zealand. (Fingers crossed you’ll all follow my adventures there.)

After the Alamo, we went to lunch at Rita’s. Elise threw chips for the birdies to eat. I stared at a gorgeous dog who sat next to us. We ate Mexican food completely content with our lives. Finishing up, we walked around the river walk for a little while longer.

After a fun day in San Antonio, we hopped back in the car for the three hours home… But also another stop at Buc-ee’s because duh. More kolaches were consumed. Beef jerky was bought to be taken home – I highly suggest the Bohemian Garlic. I dropped Elise at her place before heading to mine. Beau was ecstatic to see me. I – the non-morning person I am – crawled straight into bed.

Travel, Travel Guides

San Diego Beaches

July 15, 2017September 8, 2019 RaeAnna

I meant to post as I was on vacation… Time ran away with me, and I ended up reading far less than I meant to.

I was really feeling myself on the beach at Coronado. It’s a beautiful beach with a view of the ocean and Point Loma. The sand has flecks of gold in it; well, I don’t know if it’s gold, but it seems like it’s gold.

I have loved Coronado since I was little. My parents brought me here when I was very young. I went back by myself at nineteen, which is when I really fell in love with the island. I visited several times during college for vacation. I love staying on Coronado because it is bustling during the day quieting down a lot after dark. You don’t even need a car once you’re there because everything is so close by. The food is great. There are tons of super fancy hotels to choose from. I highly suggest Coronado as a place to stay for a weekend or a month, if you can afford it. I have read many books by the beach here. Also the houses are amazing, so I suggest walking around just to look at the beautiful houses, gardens, and gates.

Due to traveling with my beautiful boxer-mix Beauvoir, Beau for short, I ended up at more dog beaches than people beaches. And by more I actually mean: I only went the the beach once without her. She was a sandy mess, but so worth the exhaustion it brought on!

San Diego is so incredibly dog friendly. Almost every beach in the area has a section that is dog friendly. My favorite dog beaches being: Coronado Dog beach, Ocean Beach dog beach, Fiesta Island dog beach, and Del Mar. All of which are super dog friendly! It’s amazing. Although, it’s not an ideal place to read! Lots of barking. Lots of running around. Lots of fun for everyone but the books! Coronado Dog Beach is West from the Hotel Del Coronado and bumps up against the Naval Base on the island. Ocean Beach Dog Beach is a few blocks away from the main drag in Ocean Beach. Beau really enjoyed this beach because there is an area more inland with very few waves. Beau is scared of waves, so this was a winner for us. The whole neighborhood is extremely dog friendly. There are awesome cliffs to climb next to the pier. Fiesta Island has a reputation for being one of the best dog beaches in the country; it’s gorgeous. Del Mar is North of San Diego. It’s a really beautiful dog beach, but the downside is that dogs have to be leashed during the summer. Beau was a bit upset by this. She couldn’t run around and be her normally social self at this dog beach, but she ended up having a good time anyways.

I had a great time hanging out at the beaches in San Diego. They are some of my favorite, but the ocean is chilly. Be prepared!

One of the best doughnut shops in the country (no exaggeration), is in downtown San Diego. Donut Bar has amazingly creative concoctions and yummy coffee too. I didn’t want to eat in downtown, so the donuts and I went to the beach with Beau! Before leaving, one of the employees brought a treat out for my dog. “No dog left behind.”

Anyways, I enjoyed a book, donuts, and coffee on the beach at Coronado. It was a rough way to spend the day!