Tag: Restaurants

Destinations, North Carolina, Travel

Winter Travel Guide for Boone and Blowing Rock, North Carolina

Snow. That’s just one of the many reasons that Michael and I chose to move to North Carolina in 2019. For snow. But like, occasional snow. Just often enough that we would feel excited when it snowed, but not so often that it would hinder our daily life. And while it finally snowed a few …

California, Destinations, Travel, USA

San Francisco in One Square Mile: Exploring Cow Hollow, Russian Hill, and the Marina District

A view of a typical street in San Francisco - the road is very steep!

I recently made a short visit to San Francisco with Mary of Twenty Two West to assist her in her booth at West Coast Craft. I know, what a dream gig, right? My last visit to San Francisco was with Michael in 2015, and we pretty much checked off every item on every guidebook’s list …

Destinations, North Carolina, Travel, USA

The Wayward Day Trip Guide to Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Alyssa wears an all-black outfit on a bridge in Old Salem

At the start of 2020, Michael and I made a New Year’s Resolution to visit a different destination in the Carolinas each month. Well, you know what happened next. This post contains affiliate links and I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking one of these links (at no additional …

Destinations, Travel, US Virgin Islands, USA

Travel Guide for Four Days in St. Croix, USVI

Alyssa is walking along the paved shore in Frederiksted, St. Croix. She is wearing a tan jumpsuit and a Panama hat

Back in August, Michael and I took our first flight since the start of the pandemic. We weren’t even planning to travel by air; we were set on doing a mini-road trip to Richmond, Virginia, to celebrate our dating anniversary (13 years – time flies!). But, as I often do when I’m bored, I found …

Destinations, Spain, Travel

A Relaxed Approach to Visiting Barcelona, Spain

Alyssa stands on a balcony in Park Guell

It’s true that overtourism has taken hold of Barcelona. When you combine a dense, walkable city with a multitude of sights and rich culture, there can be no other result. Even during my visit in October, which is shoulder season, the crowds in parts of the city were unbearable. But sometimes you simply have to …

Destinations, Spain, Travel

72 Hours in Madrid, Spain

Alyssa standing in front of the Metropolitan building in Madrid

When I shared with friends and family that Michael and I were traveling to Spain, many people excitedly asked, “Oh, are you going to Barcelona?!” Not a single person asked if we were going to Madrid. That seems absurd, doesn’t it? It is the capital of the country after all, and that should count for …

Destinations, North Carolina, Travel, USA

Touring the Triangle: A Long-Weekend Travel Guide for Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina

NC Capitol Building

I nearly titled this post “Troubles in the Triangle,” because it was a rollercoaster of a trip. Not because anything really went wrong in the cities themselves—they’re great!—but because our flights home kept getting canceled, doubling our trip length. But despite moments of panic at the thought of incurring unexpected expenses and trying to handle …

Colombia, Destinations, Travel

Travel Guide for Four Days in Cartagena, Colombia

Alyssa standing in front of a bright pink wall in Cartagena

“Wow, Cartagena?” People asked Michael and me, over and over again when we told people where we were traveling for our eleventh (dating) anniversary. The truth is, we weren’t really considering international destinations for our trip. Our sights were initially set on Portland, Maine, by first flying to Boston and making the two-hour drive up. …

Charlotte, Destinations, North Carolina, Travel, USA

Summer Reign in the Queen City: The Ultimate Summer Weekend Travel Guide for Charlotte, North Carolina

Alyssa and Michael standing on a bridge over the National Whitewater Center's whitewater rafting course

“Do we fly or do we drive?” Michael and I kept asking each other during the month of June. We’d just made plans to visit friends in their adopted hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, over the July 4th holiday weekend, and with the cost-savings of having a place to stay, we considered flying to save …

Destinations, Florida, Packing Lists, Style, Travel, USA

A Lazy Beach Getaway in John’s Pass, Florida, and Everything I Packed

The sun sets over the Gulf Coast

Michael’s answer to where he wanted to go for his birthday was the same as last year: “The beach.” “Are you sure?” I asked. “Absolutely,” he replied, and off I went exploring both of Florida’s coasts on Airbnb. I compiled a short list of places to stay, and he chose a small studio in John’s …