Wanderlust – …on the B.L.

Lake Tahoe Travel Guide

September 30, 2019September 30, 2019 RaeAnna

Outdoorsy is not necessarily the adjective I would attribute to myself, but I do love the great outdoors. When traveling, I tend to find myself doing as many outdoor things as any adventure enthusiast, so travel me is gung ho outdoorsy.

Lake Tahoe has been on my places to visit for a long time, but I never had a reason to go until recently. I was already trying to figure out a way to make it back there before I had even left. I’ve seen a few lakes in a few corners of the world, but I’ve never seen a lake quite like this. The water is indescribably beautiful. Clear and turquoise. I half expected to see dolphins or whales. I’m not an idiot, I know they don’t live in lakes, but I’ve only ever seen water like that in very specific places in the ocean.

Being completely honest, I had never really thought of where Lake Tahoe is. I knew it was somewhere Californians visit. It straddles the California-Nevada stateline. I stayed in South Lake Tahoe, which is on the California side. Between the North and South sides is a rivalry. On the plane, I sat next to a lady who lived in South Lake Tahoe, and the man sitting next to her lived on the North. I would love to say I’m exaggerating when I say things got heated as they debated which was better, but I put my headphones in to better ignore them. I saw no blood, so there’s that. From what I gleaned from the locals is the North side is made up of twelve(?) towns. They’re more remote and quiet with less walkability but the same amenities as the South, more compact, touristy, and robust, side of the lake. South Lake Tahoe is one city with more ski resorts and better walkability. It just depends on what you want atmosphere wise. I haven’t been to the North side, but I hear it’s great.

201909306011011555812276298 — Channeling my inner Aquaman.

20190930_180246-01 — View from Cave Rock.

Places to Stay
Hotel Becket is where I stayed. It’s cute, clean, and within walking distance of just about everything you could want. It looks like an old motor lodge that has been completely renovated with modern amenities.
Honestly, there are tons of places you can stay around Lake Tahoe. There is no shortage and something for every budget.

201909305536670238035234776 — Enjoying the boat tour of Emerald Bay.

What to Eat
Riva Grill The Riva Grill is a gorgeous restaurant with an amazing view of the lake. It’s beloved by the locals and this tourist. You can even park your boat at the dock and eat and outdoor patio for warm days. The food is really amazing. I don’t care for crab, but their crab risotto is superb. One of the reasons I fell for this restaurant is their sense of humor. The signature drink is the Wet Woody. I don’t drink, but they made me a Virgin Woody. Best drink ever. The drink menu is full of risqué details and double entendres.
Driftwood Cafe is in Heavenly Village across from Hotel Becket. Family friendly with large portions, it’s a great place to start your day with a hearty meal before hitting the slopes, the trails, or the water.

20190930_180413-01 — Sitting on the Nevada-California state line.

Things to Do
Water Sports are one of the biggest draws to Lake Tahoe. The waves are even big enough to surf. Shocked. But true. From jet skis to water skis, there’s something for everyone on this lake.
Snow Sports are a huge draw in the colder months. I wasn’t lucky enough to be there for the snow, but I’ve been told the skiing and snowboarding is amazing. Hopefully, I can make it back soon to experience it for myself.
Clearly Tahoe is a clear kayak rental. It was absolutely amazing. The water in Lake Tahoe is so clear you’ll want to be able to see it as much as possible. Clearly Tahoe offers guided tours around the lake in their completely transparent kayaks. I’m a huge fan of kayaking, so this was amazing for me. At night, they offer LED tours, which allow you to see the lake in a completely different light. This really was incredible.
Hiking opportunities are everywhere. Cave Rock is an easy hike with a stunning view of the lake. There are tons of places to hike and stop to take in the beauty or capture a picture. There’s also a great overlook of Emerald Bay.
Heavenly Village is a cute shopping area full of stores and restaurants nestled into the bottom of the mountain. It’s a great place to find a bite to eat or pick out a souvenir. I got a little work done at a coffee shop because workation!
California-Nevada State Line is a great picture opportunity. I like to call it my Walk to Remember moment because I was two places at once. If you walk about a quarter mile up the mountain on the road going through Heavenly Village, you’ll find a great spot where the line is in the road.
Boat Tours are an amazing way to see the Sierra Nevada mountains and the lake. We took the Emerald Bay boat tour out of Zephyr Cove. It is gorgeous. The water is a beautiful emerald color. Plus you can hear fun facts about the Lake and the history surrounding the area.
Vikingsholm is a 38 room mansion on Emerald Bay open for tours. I wasn’t able to visit it, but I did get to see it on the boat tour. It was gorgeous. Hopefully, I’ll be able to see it the next time I visit.

20190930_175527-01 — A tea house on an island in the middle of Emerald Bay.

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.

Books, Reading Lists

Up, Up, and Away Reads

September 11, 2018September 11, 2018 RaeAnna

Getting ready for take off at Hobby Airport in Houston!

I wasn’t even in Houston for a full month, and I’m off again on another adventure. Alabama has been trying to kill me for a year every time I drove through it, so I decided to fly. Plus flying is faster and more convenient. I just can’t take my dog on the plane! So I’m a free mama this go around. Here are the books I’m going to try to read my way through over the next ten days. Wish me luck!