Browsing Tag

2017

Travel

New York Itinerary

December 2, 2017

Trying to plan a perfect girls getaway? Look no further than NEW YORK CITY!!!! Since this was our second visit here, I thought I would share some highlights (a perfect itinerary for a girls weekend).

1. Walk around Central Park and boat ride on the lake (The Loeb Boathouse)


2. Top of Rockefeller Center. The view is stunning!!!!

3. The Flatiron building. Bonus: It’s located by the restaurant Eataly!!

4. Brooklyn  (The first photo is the view of the Manhattan Bridge from a street in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Next, walking on the Brooklyn Bridge.)

5. The National History Museum. This museum is HUGE and you could spend a day or two exploring. If you watched Night at the Museum, you will love identifying the different characters and artifacts from the movie.

6.Enjoy a play!!! For my first show in New York, we were able to secure opening night tickets for the fabulous Rockettes…..phenomenal.  The choreography and costumes put us in the Christmas spirit.

7. Pick a fun hotel! Decide the area you prefer to be closest to. For us, it was Central Park and 5th Ave. We stayed at Le Parker Meridian with a wonderful view of Central Park and a great little bar, perfect for late night chats and a glass of wine.

 Our favorite time to visit is November. The weather is chilly so you can wear all your cute layers BUT hopefully no snow yet.  This definitely makes it easier to walk/drive around. Also, the department stores are decorated for Christmas and The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is delivered.

Restaurant recommendations, two of my favorite are Sarabeths and Eataly. Leave any of your recommendations in the comments for my future trips!!!!

xoxo

A

Travel

Iceland Day 3

July 10, 2017

My favorite photos from this trip are of this beautiful flower field and church in Vík í Myrdal. Next stop, Reynisfjara Beach, one of the most popular beaches in Iceland with its black sand and rock formations. The beautiful waterfall is Rangárþing eystra. Loved walking close enough to feel the powerful mist. A campsite is located just a few feet away. I concluded with my list of favorite places in Iceland.  You might want to add to your travel bucket list!  Enjoy!

Favorite destinations in Iceland:

  • Bruarfoss Waterfall
  • Gullfoss Falls
  • Secret Lagoon *Admission $27 per person for swimming. Food, lockers, & bathrooms available. (Less crowds and cost than Blue Lagoon.)
  • Seljalandsfoss Waterfall Waterfall. * Ability to hike behind the falls. Bring a waterproof jacket and shoes.
  • Gljúfrabúi Waterfall, Þórsmerkurvegur
  • Skógafoss Waterfall
  • Solheimasandur Plane Wreck *1 1/2 hour roundtrip from parking lot to wreckage. Sadly site is being destroyed by tourists.
  • Dyrhólaey Arch
  • Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Reynishverfisvegur, Iceland
  • Reynisdrangar View, Iceland
  • Fjaðrárgljúfur    *Canyon in south east Iceland up to 100 m deep and about 2 kilometres long, with the Fjaðrá river flowing through it.
  • Skaftafell, Reykjavík, Iceland
  • Jökulsárlón Skaftafell National Park

xoxo

A

Travel

Iceland Day 2

July 10, 2017

Skaftárhreppur, with beautiful waterfalls along the road and hikes to even more spectacular ones. These photos depict such incredible scenery!

We pulled over on the road so I could take the following picture. This rocky area is what covers most of Iceland and can be seen for hundreds of miles while driving.

xoxo

A

Travel

Iceland Day 1

July 10, 2017

My 23rd birthday weekend adventure in Iceland!  Although, I experienced a short layover here back in April, there was no time for exploring.  However, this trip was scheduled during their 24 hours of daylight. This allowed us to tour into the night hours, thus extending our weekend vacay.

Iceland is difficult to describe. The main cities remind me of Europe, the countryside… a mix of Kawaii and Ireland (with LESS people)..and the weather, unpredictable. One minute, it’s sunny 50 degrees  (their warm summer) and the next, windy and rainy.

Our first destination pictured was Bláskógabyggð. Glad to have GPS with names like this!  Although not pictured, our second stop was Flúðir home to Secrete Lagoon Hot Springs. Comparing this to the Blue Lagoon that Iceland is famous for, I prefer Secrete Lagoon. Blue Lagoon is larger, nicer facilities and future home to a 5 star hotel, but it also has the crowds. Secrete Lagoon is Iceland’s oldest, authentic swimming pool, and a great traditional, less crowded, Icelandic experience.

Last up is Jökulsárlón the Glacier Lagoon. This is the furthest point up the coast we ventured. This glaciers are GORGEOUS. Remember, this is SUMMER in Iceland. This lagoon flows into the Atlantic Ocean and leaves huge chunks of ice on the black sand beach. After visiting this lagoon, head across the street to the beach to see the ice on the shore. Surely not tempted to swim in that water!

Stay tuned for Iceland..Day 2 🙂

xoxo

A

Lifestyle

Engagement Party + Bridal Gifts

July 9, 2017

Enjoying our beautiful June engagement party hosted at the home of my parents. Here are a few photos. Unfortunately, we had so much fun we forgot about pictures during the event!

I also wanted to share photos of the gift bags/boxes for the bridal party. The bridesmaids received a teal beach tote filled with fun items, including, an oversized, super soft, palm beach towel from Nordstroms.

For the groomsmen, hand made wood boxes inscribed with the groomsmen names and wedding date.  We discovered them on ETSY. Although we had to wait 5 weeks for their arrival, it was so worth it. Inside was a tie clip from Tie Bar and some miniature liquor bottles.

xoxo

A

Lifestyle

Engaged!

May 11, 2017

 Exciting news…. I AM OFFICIALLY ENGAGED!!!!

After 5 years, my boyfriend asked me to be his wife.

May 5th started with Justin surprising me with breakfast, church and a shopping spree. Next, I enjoyed a manicure and lunch at my favorite Italian restaurant. We then headed down to the beach at Crystal Cove.  Here I spied a beautiful tropical picnic (as we are considering Fiji for our honeymoon!!!). Flower petals lead to a blanket filled with gorgeous bouquets of Hawaiian flowers, pillows, blankets, candles, chocolate covered strawberries, apple cider and my favorite angel food cake. After proposing with an absolutely breathtaking ring that Justin had designed, my two dogs came running around the corner to complete the surprise. It started to sprinkle as we walked the beach but the clouds parted and  the Lord blessed us with a perfect rainbow!

Justin’s siblings help him implement this wonderful experience. Truly one of the happiest days of my life!!  Thanks Victoria for these photos to remember our day!

xoxo

A

Travel

Europe Itinerary + Iceland

May 10, 2017

Looking for a whirlwind trip around Europe? I have the perfect itinerary that allows you discover 5 countries in 9 days. Based upon low cost airfare, we flew in and out of The Netherlands and road tripped through Germany, Austria and Belgium. My scheduled date was based upon the tulip festival in the Netherlands which occurs mid April lasting 8 weeks. Since there was extensive driving required, we traveled into the evenings with late hotel checkins.  Thus how we were able to began most days in a new country.

Tips: When traveling by car through Europe, check on available parking and be aware of high rates.

Day 1:

       Departure LAX  (Flight duration 8 hours 45 minutes)

       Arrive Iceland 1:35pm – layover 1 hour 35 minutes

       Depart Iceland at 3:10pm (Flight duration 3 hours 20 minutes)

Day 2:

        Arrive 8:30pm in Amsterdam

Day 3:

      Amsterdam > Destination: Bruges, Belgium (2 hour 30 minute drive)

Activities:

  • The “Ten Wijngaerde” Béguinage (24-30 Begijnhof, 8000 Bruges, Belgium). The only preserved beguinage in the Belgian city of Bruges.
  • The Markt (Markt, 8000 Brugge, Belgium) The heart of the city. This includes medieval  architecture and The Belfry tower.
  • The Belfry  (Belfort, 7 Markt, Bruges, Belgium)
  • Rozenhoedkaai (Rozenhoedkaai, 8000 Brugge, Belgium) A famous corner area in Bruges that is ideal for taking pictures and obtaining a beautiful view of the city.
  • Wander canals eating waffles and chocolate!
  • Eat dinner in The Markt square. There are plenty of wonderful restaurants to choose from.

Hotel Van der Valk Brugge-Oostkamp.

Day 4:

  • When in Belgium eat waffles!  We ate them for desert and at Chez Albert the next morning with fresh strawberries.

    Bruges Belgium > Destination: Eltz Castle Germany (3 hour 50 minutes drive)

  • Eltz castle is closed for part of the year so check their website. Open daily from 9:30am – 5:30pm.  However, we arrived after closing but still hiked and photographed this spectacular castle from the outside.

Hotel Villa Vinum Cochem.

Day 5:

Hotel Villa Vinum Cochem > Destination: Reichsburg Castle, Cochem (4 minute drive)

Destination: Hohenzollern Castle (72379 Burg Hohenzollern, Germany) (4 hour drive)

  • Purchased tickets for castle but cash is required for parking and tram.
  • Destination: Neuschwanstein Castle (Neuschwansteinstraße 20, 87645 Schwangau, Germany) (2 hour 45 minute drive)
  • Entrance tickets are available only at the Ticketcenter Hohenschwangau in the village below the castle. Make sure to find the right tram since they have 4 different bus stops all going different places. Our bus to go up the hill came every 30 minutes.  However, we waited for a second bus because of volume of people.  Give yourself plenty of time. Tickets for the castle include a guided tour inside the rooms. Without a ticket, you can view the castle from a distant bridge.

Neuschwanstein Castle > Salzburg, Austria (2 hours 45 minute drive)

This whole day was unplanned. We headed south and discovered the beautiful town of Salzburg.

Day 6:

    Salzburg Austria

Things to do:

  • Mozart’s birthplace (Getreidegasse 9, Salzburg 5020, Austria)
  • Mozartplatz
  • Salzburg Cathedral (Domplatz, Salzburg 5010, Austria)
  • Salzburg Fortress (Moenchsberg 34, Salzburg 5020, Austria)
  • St. Peter’s Abbey (Sankt-Peter-Bezirk | off Kapitalpl., Salzburg 5020, Austria)
  • Wander the street markets
  • Sound of Music was filmed in Salzburg.   Many tours and destinations to visit including Mehlweg where Julie Andrews sings the opening song in this movie.

Salzburg > Amsterdam (10 hour drive)

Day 7:

     Amsterdam

   Since we added the detour to Salzburg, we were unable to visit Giethoorn, Netherlands.  This is on my list if I return. However, we were able to visit a similar looking city Zaanse Schans, 25 minutes from Amsterdam. This neighborhood is known for its well preserved wind mills that can be toured. Besides the scenery, I enjoyed more delicious Belgium and Dutch waffles.

Zaanse Schans > Amsterdam City Center

  • Wander Jordaan Neighborhood known for its picturesque canals and houses
  • Walk through Centrum and Red Light District
  • I Amsterdam sign (Hobbemastraat 19, 1071 XZ Amsterdam)
  • Rijksmuseum (Museumstraat 1, 1071 XX Amsterdam)
  • Flower marker (Singel 630 to 600 1017 AZ   Amsterdam)

The Amsterdam Flower Market is open Monday to Saturday 09:00 to 17:30 and Sunday from 11:30 to 17:30. Market is located on the Singel canal between the Koningsplein and the Muntplein.

Hyatt Place Amsterdam Airport (Rijnlanderweg 800, Hoofddorp 2132 NK)

Day 8:

Amsterdam

  • Keukenhof festival – Deemed one of the largest and prettiest flower gardens in the world.  Keukenhof goes back to the 15th century. Over 100 companies and 500 flower growers participate in creating the garden that includes 7 million spring-flowing bulbs. This year Keukenhof is open March 23 – May 21.
  • Viewed individual flower fields owned by local residents near Keukenhof.

Day 9:

Fly out of Amsterdam > Iceland

  • With a  3 hour 50 layover in Iceland, we decided to leave the airport and explore.  This is not recommended unless you’re willing to plan every minute, your plane arrives on time, and are willing to run. I booked our seats in row 2 for an early exit with our carry on bags through customs. We then grabbed a cab on a 20 minute journey to Blue Lagoon.   Here we enjoyed a wonderful hour swim, fruit smoothie and two relaxing face masks. Due to its popularity, buy tickets ahead of time.  After the swim, we showered and quickly returned to the airport. Thankfully, we made it through security just in time for our flight.  Glad nothing hindered our departure.

And that wraps up the INSANE itinerary for this trip… 5 countries in 9 days.  Great trip but glad to be home!

xoxo

A

Travel

Zaanse Schans

April 24, 2017

 

Zaanse Schans, a picturesque neighborhood in Zaandam best known for its windmills and quaint houses. Located 25 minutes from the center of Amsterdam, it made an ideal day trip.

xoxo

A

Travel

Streets of Amsterdam

April 23, 2017

Amsterdam is a unique city filled with bikes and peaceful canals. We spent a full day as tourists visiting the Jordan neighborhood, the floating flower market, Rijksmuseum and finally, the I Amsterdam sign.

xoxo

A