Travel Diary: La Jolla

As most of you know J and I ventured to California at the beginning of October. Our friends were getting married and if you’re going to travel across the country you might as well make a vacation out of it. We spent most of our trip in La Jolla, which is just outside of San Diego. Today I’m going to share all the places we ate and things we did during our time in La Jolla.

Getting there

We flew in on a Wednesday to San Diego airport and stayed the night in San Diego. The next morning we rented a car and made the short trip to La Jolla. Literally like 15-20 minutes.  If you want to make a little road trip out of it you could fly into LAX. It’s about 2 hours from La Jolla but I’m not sure if that’s with or without LA traffic. 

Food & Drink

Duck Dive- This was the first place we went to when we got to La Jolla. We had some time to kill before checking into our Air BnB, and some friends were having drinks here. They have a great HH and I had the Cucumber Lemonade, which was amazing!! We were there on a Thursday so it was pretty quiet but, I’m pretty sure this place gets a little crazy on the weekends. They also have food, but no one in our group ate so I can’t speak to that.

The Taco Stand- This was recommended to multiple people in our group by many people, and I will say it lived up to the hype. It’s a tiny little place so the line is always long and there’s not a lot of seating however, I promise it’s worth the wait. Between everyone in our group we probably tried all the tacos and I don’t think I heard one negative comment. The chips and gauc were also really good. If you’re questioning the line when you get there I will leave you with this… we ate there twice in two days. If that doesn’t tell you how good their food is idk what does.

Brunch Republic- I think I found this place by searching on instagram, but again it did not disappoint. I felt a lot of pressure because our whole group joined for brunch here, and everyone raved about the food… and the bloody Marys! Being from FL people only use Zing Zang so; it can be weird going other places that don’t use that. This one was so good though. I’m pretty sure I had two! Also you have to get their pancake flight. We got cinnamon roll, lemon coconut and Oreo cookie! We split it with the entire table and still didn’t finish!! (The Oreo was my favorite! You have to try that one.)

Waterbar- This place is AHMAZING! The restaurant itself is gorgeous but the views are great too! It’s right on the boardwalk overlooking the water so you really can’t beat it. Also the DRINKS!! The drinks were so so good. We didn’t eat here but I got the Ganga and Merlion (frozen) and they were some of the best drinks I’ve ever had. We also went here twice if that says anything.

We also ventured to some random bars in the downtown area. We didn’t go anywhere that was a disappointment. There were tons of other places I would have liked to try as well. I’m sure you can’t go wrong. 

What To Do

Torrey Pines- There are two parts to this one. First is the golf course. We didn’t do this but, all the guys said the course is great. If you are traveling with a golfer you should definitely look into playing. If golf isn’t your thing there is also a Torrey Pines Nature Reserve that you can hike. This is what we did with a big group one day. It’s a super easy hike, and it gives you some amazing views. Once you get to the top you can hike down and walk the beach back to your car. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Kayaking- A few of us decided to go on a kayak tour one day to see the seals and the caves. I will say it was a little disappointing because we didn’t get to see caves or seals. The water was really rough that day, so they couldn’t take us close to the caves for safety reasons. As for the seals/sea lions, I’m not sure if the girls that booked misheard or what, but, we definitely didn’t get close to those either. There’s a bunch of different places you can go if you just google it. I’m pretty sure we did La Jolla Kayak. I will say our guide was super cool and very informative.

Seals & Sea Lions- WARNING! The sea lions and seals do not smell the best! Since we didn’t get to see them on our kayak tour the following day we went down to La Jolla Cove and walked along the water. There were TONS of them. It was cool to see them, but I promise you won’t be able to stand the smell that long.

Downtown La Jolla- The downtown area is so cute!! There are tons of shops and restaurants that you could spend the day just wondering around, popping into shops and grabbing lunch. This is where we went to a few bars at night as well. It’s a great area!

Lime/Bird- If you are wondering what the heck I am talking about I will tell you I had never heard of these things before this trip. These two companies are scooter companies that leave scooters all over the area. Think citi bike in NYC but a scooter and no docking station. These things are awesome! You just download the app, find a scooter, scan the QR code and you’re off!! When you get to your destination or you’re over it you just scan the QR code to end the ride and take a photo for the app. Easy as that!  They are great for exploring the city and zipping all over the place. We rented these the first day and went up and down the boardwalk. I will say I was a little nervous at first with all the people but it was so fun and I quickly got the hang of it. It’s also really cheap. I think it’s like $1 to rent and then like $0.15 a minute. I don’t think I ever paid more than $8 and we rented them for 20-30 minutes at a time. Highly recommend at least checking these out.

Belmont Park- This is your quintessential boardwalk park. While we didn’t go this time the day we left I was texting my mom and realized this was the place we went on my 10^th birthday and I rode the roller coaster 10 times… once for each year obviously! If I had done that now I probably would have puked. If I would have realized sooner I definitely would have rode it at least once.

Crystal Pier- This pier was really cool because you can actually rent cottages to stay in right on the pier. While we didn’t do that we did walk out on it. There were a couple little shops and a ton of fishermen. I wanted to stay in one of the cottages so bad when I saw them. Maybe next time. If you are planning a trip I would definitely look into it. 

Stay

I can’t speak to this much because we stayed in an Air BnB. There were about 12 of us so it was a pretty big house. There is no shortage of hotels if that’s more your style. (I would check out those pier cottages.)

I hope you enjoyed this travel diary. If you are planning a trip and have any questions please feel free to reach out. I had so much fun and can’t wait to get back to California! Be sure to check back in 2 weeks for my San Diego travel diary. (Ideally it would be up next week but with Thanksgiving I know that is NOT realistic.)

Travel Guide: Charleston

After my last trip to Charleston a couple weeks ago I have finally made time to put together a travel guide. Fun Fact: I went to Charleston for the first time last April 2017, and have been 4 times since! It’s a beautiful city with so much to do; TONS of great food and bars/nightlife. If you’ve never been, I highly suggest planning a trip. If you need help on what to do when you get there see below.

Things to do:

·      Charleston City Market- This is a must. There are tons of great things in the market like soaps, jewelry, art and tons of other great items. The main thing they are known for is hand woven baskets. There are a lot of different places to purchase them in the market and sometimes you can even see the ladies weaving them.

·      Rainbow Row- This is an iconic place in Charleston. I love all the different colors and it’s very gram worthy. I highly suggest making a quick stop to at least snap a photo.

·      The Battery- We walked along Battery Street, which is right on the water and looked at all the beautiful homes. It led us to a park at the end with different statues and a gazebo.

·      Pineapple Fountain- I am obsessed with pineapples so this was a must for me on my first trip. (And every other trip since.) It’s another gram worthy photo and a cute little area to walk around. (You actually see pineapples ALL over Charleston… they are a sign of hospitality in The South.)

·      Tipsy Tour- I did this when I went with some girlfriends in December and it was a blast. There’s two options for the tour: Option 1 is a public tour that leaves from Downtown on Friday’s at 2pm. Option 2 is a private tour that I believe you can do any day. They will come and pick you up and it’s just you and your friends. You can drink on the bus, and they take you to a winery, distillery & brewery. You get 4-6 samples at each place. The public tour is $60 and I believe the private one is $75. (Call for rates and to schedule if you decide to do the private one.)

·      Fort Sumter & Fort Moultrie- If history is your thing this is right up your ally. My mom loves history so when we went last April we toured Fort Sumter. I would definitely recommend it, especially if you are traveling with kids.

·      Plantations- There are TONS of plantations outside of downtown. There are too many to name but definitely something I would check out. My cousin got married at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens and we got to see the Gardens for free and decided to tour the plantation house while we were there. Another great option is Boone Hall Plantation. Any Notebook fans out there? 

·      There’s also tons of shopping all over downtown. There’s cute local boutiques and shops as well as big names chain stores.

Eat:

·      Poogan’s Porch- I’ve technically been here twice although the first time I was way too hung-over to eat. The food looked amazing so I made sure to go back the last time I was there. I’m so glad I did because it did not disappoint. The biscuits they bring you to start are out of this world. I got the veggie quiche and grits that were both really tasty. We also split the chicken and waffles and those were AMAZING! They also have some fun brunch cocktails, but we just stuck with mimosas.

·      The Darling- They are known as an oyster bar but have tons of other great options. I got a fried shrimp basket but I think I envied my friend that got the pasta because it was really, really good! (The interior is also really cute!)

·      Eli’s Table- This is another place I went for brunch. This is a farm to table concept, which is always fun to try. I got the shrimp and grit benedict and it was sooooo yummy! We also got an order of beignets for the table; because you gotta balance savory with sweet!

·      The Watch Rooftop Kitchen & Spirits- This place is known for their sunsets. When I went with my girlfriends we had reservations for drinks outside at sunset and then dinner inside after. It literally rained our whole trip. L Needless to say we skipped the sunset and just had dinner. Their menu is a little on the smaller side but I got truffle fries and the Caesar salad and it did not disappoint. (They also have an amazing coffee bar right outside this hotel. It's called The Rise and it's totally gram worthy. I wish I could have their vanilla almond latte everyday!)

·      82 Queen- This is a great restaurant if you are looking for a really nice dinner. The restaurant is huge with a couple different buildings and lots of outdoor seating. It’s a la cart, but probably one of the best meals I had. We all had the she crab soup and it was really good. I got the bouillabaisse for my entrée and the table shared grits, potatoes and asparagus. I was so full after this dinner, but I just couldn’t stop eating. Hah

You will be hard-pressed to find somewhere with bad food in Charleston. I personally love southern food so it was a struggle to pick things out at each place. Almost everywhere you go they will have fried green tomatoes, shrimp & grits & she crab soup, however, they all put their own spin on it. **I HIGHLY suggest making reservations for meals. Every time I go we make sure to have all our meals planned out with reservations. I'm normally not one to stick to a schedule, but it's pretty necessary here!**

Nightlife:

·      Republic- Any Southern Charm fans out there? They frequented this club a lot in the first couple seasons. If you are looking for a very club big city scene this is your spot. They have VIP, a small inside area, and a very large outside area. It’s a good time if you are looking to party!

·      Ink N Ivy- This bar is the best of both worlds. When we walked in downstairs it was pretty low key. There was a bar, some tables and even thought there was a lot of people everyone was just talking/hanging out. My friend and I noticed a line to go upstairs and thought we would check it out. It was a complete 180 from the downstairs. Loud music. Lights. TONS of people dancing. This is great if you want to have a crazy time but just aren’t on that level yet.

·      The Vendue Rooftop- This is a rooftop bar located inside the Vendue hotel. There are so many rooftop bars in Charleston and this is one we hit up for afternoon drinks. They have a ton of seating but they were also very crowded. There were 2 or 3 bars, which made it a little easier to get drinks.

·      Pavilion Bar- Another rooftop bar. This one is located on top of the Market Pavilion Hotel. We went here after dinner one night and it was really pretty. They have a pool on the roof, which I’m assuming you can use if you go during the day. I really liked the vibe of this one and it wasn’t nearly as crowded as the Vendue. We also went at night, which might have had something to do with it.

·      Husk Bar- This is located next to Husk restaurant (I’ve never eaten there but the menu intrigues me because they change it daily.) Husk Bar is technically a whiskey bar but they obviously have wine and other liquors. The vibe was very casual and they actually have seating upstairs and I believe you can get bar bites up there.

·      Warehouse- We went here on a Thursday and it was super chill. A pretty big space and I liked the décor. It wasn’t the speed we were looking for since it was a Thursday but we went back on Friday and it was much more lively.

·      The Commodore- Again any Southern Charm fans out there? This is Shep’s bar and it is interesting to say the least. We went at a really random time so it was SUPER dead but I’ve heard it gets pretty lively. We are all Southern Charm fans so we went for that reason alone.

Stay:

I’ve only stayed in Airbnb's and a Marriot right outside of downtown. I would highly suggest going the Airbnb route because hotels can be very expensive. If you are set on staying in a hotel, here are a few I’ve heard good things about or have been in at least the lobby:

·      The Mills House Wyndham Grand Hotel

·      The Vendue

·      The Restoration

·      The Market Pavilion Hotel

There are also TONS of smaller local hotels. (Almost like Bed & Breakfasts)

Top: Fig & Willow Boutique sold out (similar here & here) | Jeans: Old Navy | Shoes: Target | Purse: Amazon | Sunnies: Lulu's | Lipstick: Make Up For Ever Artist Rouge Lipstick in Rose Wood

I hope you enjoyed this travel guide. If you are planning a trip and want more recommendations in any of the sections above shoot me an email or leave your questions in the comments below. (There’s a handful of places/things that I have left out of this guide since it’s already so long.)

Travel Diary: Raleigh

Happy Thursday!

I'm finally getting around to my Raleigh travel diary. (J and I went there over the Holidays and I'm actually from a small town just outside of Raleigh.) I was debating if I would even do a travel guide/diary but a girl reached out on Instagram asking for recommendations for her trip. So, I thought why not do a post?

I will say I don't have a ton of insight on where to stay (I always stay at my dads house; however, I can give you lots of places to eat, drink and things to do.

EAT

Beasley's Chicken +Honey: This is a restaurant owned by Ashley Christensen, who you might recognize from Iron Chef. I got the chicken & waffles; since that's one of their staples and it did not disappoint!  The waffle was the size of the plate, crispy on the outside and nice and fluffy on the inside! They also gave me two huge pieces of chicken, which I definitely didn't finish. J got the Nashville hot chicken sandwich and it was definitely HOT!! Luckily he loves spicy, however,  I did notice a table next to us struggling to eat theirs. Our server did warn him before he ordered that it was going to be very hot so, he knew what he was getting himself into. We also ordered the Mac-N-Cheese custard and whipped potatoes. Both were very good. If you can go on Saturday or Sunday the brunch menu looked even better than the regular menu. They also have lots of specialty cocktails.

DuckDonuts: These are some of my favorite donuts!! This is a chain restaurant, and if you are from the north east you have probably seen one. I however, am not lucky enough to have one in Florida yet. They have flavors to choose from or you can customize your own. I usually get vanilla with Oreos & fudge drizzle or Lemon icing with coconut. The best part is they make the donuts fresh when you order, and then they are nice and warm if you eat them in the shop.

Brigs: This is a breakfast place with a couple locations in the area. They have all your normal breakfast items: eggs, pancakes, waffles, omelets, bacon, etc. and everything is really good. My dad and I usually go there for breakfast when I visit.

Trophy Tap& Table: We popped in here for a drink but the food looked amazing. They even had a beer called Trophy Wife, which I found hilarious and had to get. (It was really good!) Trophy is a brewery and they have 3 different concepts: The brewery, Tap & Table and a pizza place. I would definitely check them out.

Drink

Bond Brothers: There is no shortage of breweries in the area that is for sure. This on is located near downtown and my dad always ravs about it. It's pretty big and they have a nice outdoor area, which would be perfect in the summer. 

Fortnight BrewingCompany: This is another brewery and it's actually located in Cary just right outside of Raleigh. They are all English inspired beers, which makes them a little different. They have lots of games and you can order in food if you're hungry. 

Landmark Tavern: We stopped in here for a quick drink while walking around downtown. Nothing super special but, the bartender was nice and the drinks were pretty cheap.

If breweries aren't your thing or you want a livelier bar, there are a dime a dozen downtown! You're sure to find something you'll enjoy. 

Things To Do

Cameron Village: This place has grown so much since I was younger. There are a ton of shops, dinning, and boutique fitness studios here. I would definitely recommend spending the day walking around and doing some shopping and grabbing lunch at one of the restaurants. If you want to keep up your workout routine while visiting you can definitely find something here.

Streets of Southpoint: This is the big shopping mall in the area. It's actually in Durham, and  if you want shops your more familiar with (Nordstrom, Apple, Anthropologie, Restoration Hardware, Sephora, etc.), this is where you want to go. Most places are inside but they do have a little outside section too.

Downtown Raleigh: Downtown Raleigh is very walkable and there's a ton of things to do. With lots of restaurants and bars and even some shops you could spend a whole day walking around. There's also a lot of history since it's the capitol. Even though I've been 100 times I like to walk around the capitol building and read all the different statues & plaques. They also have a history and science museum with free admission. (Donations recommended)

Parks: Raleigh and the surrounding areas have really great parks and trails. Whether you want a place for your kids to play, a nice mild hike or even a long bike ride there is something for everyone. I suggest checking out their site here.

Sweater: Loft old (similar here & here) | Jeans: Old Navy | Boots: Steve Madden old (identical here) | Sunnies: Quay Australia | Bag: Nordstrom old (similar here same bag just no longer offered in my color) | Earrings: BaubleBar | Lipstick: Make Up For Ever Artist Rouge Lipstick in Rose Wood

There are so many other things I love to do when I visit. These are just the ones we did on our visit in December. If you are planning a trip soon and want some other suggestions please shoot me an email and I would be more than happy to give you suggestions tailored to you.

I hope you enjoyed this travel diary. I want to get better about actually putting these together for all the places I visit. 

I hope you have a great rest of your Thursday and an even better weekend!