Travel Guide – Page 2 – …on the B.L.

My First Cruise

March 12, 2019March 12, 2019 RaeAnna

This is my current most favorite swimsuit.

I was ready to sail away in this cute dress!

I needed this comfy top and shorts with my sunburn!

I love these pants, but the wind took them!

Grammy and her oldest brother. Love this top.

I had never been on a cruise before. I lived most of my life in the Midwest, which made cruises a not very cheap option. Now that I live in Houston, I really should start going on cruises more often.

In love with this bikini and beach pants.

This cruise was put together to celebrate my grandmother’s 80th birthday. There were 18 of us in attendance. There were three over 80 year olds, one turning 80 this year, a bunch of cousins my parents age, my parents, a seven year old, and a fourteen year old. It was a varied bunch. I roomed with my parents because I like saving money…. As great as they are; next time, I will be getting my own room.

I LOVE this dress that I wore on formal night!

Going into the cruise, I really had no idea what to expect. The only real expectation I had was there would be a lot of water and sky. Those expectations were met. I sailed on the Carnival Triumph for their second to last trip ever before going into dry dock to return under a different name. It was a four day cruise to Cozumel, Mexico. We boarded Thursday morning, I was eating beignets by 10:00 am on Monday morning in the French Quarter. We had a room with a balcony. If you can afford it, have a balcony. They’re great; the view is spectacular. It also helped keep the seasickness to a minimum.

The sunsets were amazing in this jumpsuit!

Carnival Cruises have amazing guest relations. I kinda fell in love with Larson – the guy who cleaned our room. He was wonderful. I had a tag in my beach pants, he chased me down the hall and helped me cut it off because “Miss RaeAnna, your tag does not look good!” I appreciate that level of kindness and honesty.

I would call Carnival the Walmart of cruise lines. It is cheap but does the job. It is absolutely excellent for people watching. There are all kinds. I truly, deeply mean that. A whole bunch of fun and laughs, but I think I’m ready for the Target of cruise lines next time.

Here are some things I learned:

Bring your own toilet paper. The toilet paper is awful. One ply. Chaps the butt hole really well, which is unpleasant.

Explore on the first day. Take an hour to walk the entire ship. I’m kind of a stickler for knowing where everything is and how to get there. Taking the time saves more time later especially if you happen to be intoxicated.
Drinks aren’t free. I don’t drink alcohol, but the non-alcoholic versions are only a dollar cheaper than the alcoholic versions. There are drink packages. If you’re going to have more than five drinks a day, go with the package. It pays off.

Super windy. Cruise ships are incredibly windy. Give up on the long hair being down. It won’t work. Also anything that can blow in the wind, will, so dress appropriately.

Eat everything. Unlike drinks. Food is free. I ordered two appetizers and two desserts every single meal because I wanted to try them, and they were free. I gained a few pounds, but I have no regrets. I never want to regret food I didn’t eat.

Look inside the gym. I didn’t work out because I hate it. I did wander the gym. It was at the very front of the boat, and they view was bonkers.

Wifi sucks. It costs money to have any internet. Even after paying the $40, the wifi sucks. It’s good enough to send messages and snapchats to friends on land, but not great for browsing Instagram or uploading videos. Forget streaming. If you don’t need the internet, use the time to digitally detox.

Meet people! I am introvert. I have a horrible time putting myself out there to meet people. I spent the entire cruise hanging out with my parents. They’re great, but they don’t have my kind of dancing stamina. Finally on the last night, I met people and went dancing. I should have done it sooner.

The cruise is not about the destination. I’ve been to Mexico, but I have not done Mexico. I was there for seven hours. I spent the day on the beach and parasailing. I spoke zero Spanish. It doesn’t count. Cruising is about cruising not about the destination.

Bring reading material. Ok. This isn’t a necessity, but I really loved sitting on the deck reading. It was probably my favorite thing. I almost never get to simply enjoy the sun and reading anymore.
Go see stuff. There is a bunch to do. Go do it.
Gambling. Drinking. Oh my. Carnival cruises are geared more towards the gamblers, drinkers, and bingo players. I don’t do any of those things. Luckily, I have fun just listening to music.

I enjoyed my first cruise. I would really like to go again with a friend or a partner, so I can enjoy the nightlife more fully. I’m currently trying to pressure all my gal pals into going on a cruise with me.

Houston, On the Town

Small Business Saturday

November 24, 2018June 23, 2019 RaeAnna

Shop jewelry from BurdLife | Jeans | Shoes | Shirt | Sweater

Happy Small Business Saturday!

If you don’t know what Small Business Saturday is, it is a day in America to celebrate the small and local businesses we love and falls on the last Saturday in November. I like to think of it as the real kick off to the busiest shopping season of the year.

This year, I decided to visit my beautiful and talented friend Natasha at Burd and Burdie, her pop-up store. She is the owner and creator of BurdLife, a jewelry collection. Her work is amazing. Everything is handmade by her. She has big and sparkly, petite and girly, long and dangly, and so much in between. I fell in love with her jewelry last month when a mutual friend introduced us. Natasha is also one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever met. Her smile and laugh are beyond contagious. You’ll want to go into her store and just hang out with her all day.

Burd and Burdie is open now through the end of December in River Oaks here in Houston. If you’re local, you should stop in before it’s too late. You can see and try on Natasha’s absolutely stunning pieces. She also has amazing clothes, purses, shoes, rugs, candles, and a few other things. Everything is hand-picked by Natasha and locally sourced. Everytime I walk in, I want to take everything home with me. I’m not exaggerating. If I come into a boatload of money, I will hire her to decorate my house and my body. She has an eye for the alluring. Her Instagram handles are @burdlifeofficial and @burdandburdie.

Burd and Burdie is not the only local business I love. So here are six of my favorite local Houston places I frequent!

A 2nd Cup – I love this coffee shop because their profits go toward ending human trafficking!
Tout Suite – This is one of those hip Houston hot spots.
Kaboom Books – Read about this hidden gem of a used bookstore here.
Brazos Bookstore – They have a great selection of new books and host a bunch of events.
Tea Sip – I love this Heights tea store!!!
Crave Cupcakes – Yumminess.

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Travel, Travel Guides

Charleston, South Carolina

October 6, 2018October 4, 2018 RaeAnna

When I first knew I was going on vacation, I wanted to go to Charleston. Everyone talks about how amazing it is. I had never been. Fixing that was high on my list of things to do. With Hurricane Florence landing, my plans got thrown up in the air, and Charleston was thrown out of the non-plan. UNTIL! My flight was delayed four days. Charleston was stuck back into the non-plan because Alex and I didn’t want to spend five days in hurricane wasteland, I mean, Jacksonville, North Carolina. Charleston, why not?

Charleston is stunning. It reminded me of New Orleans. A North Carolina, smaller version of New Orleans. It’s charming with a flair of its own. I had no idea what there was to do in Charleston. I hadn’t worried about it because Charleston was no longer in the non-plan. We arrived, and had no idea what to do. Other than, it’s pretty!

Charleston is gorgeous! We weren’t there very long. Hardly a day and a half. I could have walked around forever basking in the glory. You know those photographs were the sun halos around things like buildings or treats or boats, etc. Well that’s how Charleston feels. It feels like the sun is haloing everything in cozy warmth.

Alex and I had lunch at Brown Dog Deli before walking around downtown. There was a really beautiful graveyard. I wish I could tell you where, but I can’t. We stopped by the Historic City Market in the French Quarter. It didn’t feel very historic because they were kind and air conditioned the place.

I love baked goods. I kept seeing mention of Sugar Bakeshop on the famous Cannon Street. The cupcakes are soooooooo yummy. I loved it. It’s cute. It’s tasty. There’s an adorable courtyard. The iced tea is also fabulous. They use paper straws. Saving the world one straw at a time!!!

The next and last day, we woke up, had brunch, and headed to do the one thing everyone said we had to do in Charleston. The Angel Oak. It’s a 400 year old oak tree. It’s imposing and beautiful. It’s not technically located in Charleston, but it’s worth the 15 minute drive. There is absolutely nothing else around it, so it is the destination.

After seeing the tree, Alex and I went to the Waterfront Park. It’s so pretty. There are fountains that invite you to wade. It’s the perfect thing to help relax and cool off in the southern heat. The Pineapple Fountain is super cute. Kids and grown-ups and dogs alike wade into the cool water for the perfect Instagram moment. The park overlooks the bay; aka, why it’s called waterfront. We stood and watched dolphins swim. There is something magical about dolphins in the wild. I can’t explain it. I just love it.

Charleston is a town with so much to offer. You kind of have to have an idea of what you’re doing or what you want to do. I had no idea about either. I would love to go back now that I know what there is to do.

Travel, Travel Guides

St. Augustine

October 4, 2018October 4, 2018 RaeAnna

After the Miami part of our trip (read here), Alex and I headed to St. Augustine, Florida. I have been hearing about this place for so long. My bestest friend, Kelsey, has named it her favorite place. As the good friend I am, I went without her.

I had no idea what there was to do or see or eat in St. Augustine. Other than it exists on a beach. I was told to go to Castillo de San Marcos. Beyond that, we were continuing the no plan theme indefinitely. The first day, I had a ton of work to get done. Alex was tired. We decided to grab food and drive around just enough to see what there was to do. Very exciting stuff… I was in bed by 9:30.

The birds watching for fish in the ocean.

On the second day, we went to the big, old fort. Castillo de San Marcos is very old and very cool. It started out as a Spanish fort because St. Augustine used to be a Spanish colony. As the land changed hands so did the fort. It was changed and expanded and all sorts of fun stuff. Unfortunately, like most super old, historic buildings, there was no air conditioning. This may come as a surprise, but Florida is super hot. We were dumb and decided to tour during the hottest part of the day. Fortunately, it started to rain. We wandered around the downtown – honestly, I don’t know if it’s the downtown area – or the historic area of St. Augustine. It’s so pretty. There is a college. The dorm is a reworked luxury hotel… It’s not fair. Actually, it is a disservice to those “poor” college students. They will never live somewhere that nice ever again. So ha!

You can’t wander very far from the ocean. As we walked back to the car after bopping around town and being jealous of the privileged college students, we walked along the water. Things kept jumping out of the water. I couldn’t decide if it was a dolphin or fish or shark or what have you. We sat on the wall next to Castillo de San Marcos watching the birds hunt for fish. It turned out big fish were corralling little fish against the walls and rocks for. I saw my first live jelly fish in the wild. It was really interesting to watch.

We were actually supposed to leave after our second full day, but Hurricane Florence did not cooperate. The roads leading back to Jacksonville, North Carolina, where I was flying out of, were closed. I was unable to make my flight the following day. Once that was rescheduled, we extended our stay in St. Augustine’s by a day.

The super cool college dorm that’s setting expectations too high.

Our last day was a beach day. Before the beach, we stopped at a cute little coffee shop in the historic district. Then, we grabbed some sushi. I have a terrible tendency to eat a lot before going to the beach… Not good for bikini pictures, folks. Don’t do what I do. Alex and I played in the waves. I was hit in the chest by a jumping fish. He taught me -unsuccessfully – how to do a Marine take down thing. I ate some sand practicing. I should just practice my run away tactic. I feel that would have a higher success rate. Anyways… The beach was beautiful. The ocean was green-blue. The water was warm. I got sand in all my naughty bits.

St. Augustine was a really fun addendum to our trip. I would go back in a heartbeat for the architecture alone.

Travel, Travel Guides

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.