Tag: Travel Guides

Destinations, Food, North Carolina, Restaurant Roundups and Reviews, Travel, USA

Pit-Stop Paradise: A BBQ-Filled Day Trip Guide to Lexington, North Carolina

Alyssa stands in front of the Lexington Courthouse, shielding her eyes from the sun

Continuing our efforts to visit at least one destination in the Southeastern U.S. each month, Michael and I decided to make the quick trip up to Lexington, North Carolina, one Saturday in early February. This wasn’t our first visit to the small, Piedmont town just south of Winston-Salem. We made the trek almost exactly one …

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 Ultimate 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 …

Charlotte, Destinations, Food, North Carolina, Restaurant Roundups and Reviews, Travel, USA

Queen City on Tap: A Review of Every Charlotte Brewery (Updated for 2024!)

Krystal is standing in front of a wooden fence with string lights hung. She is wearing a black silk tee and holding a golden, hazy beer and smiling while looking left.

There are very few truly public gathering places left. Sure, there are ever-shrinking public parks, gardens, and libraries, but beyond that? There’s little else. In Charlotte, breweries step in to fill the void; despite being private businesses, they act as a meeting place for people from all walks of life. Even though there are waves …

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

Rosario Islands Day Trip: A Review of Islabela Eco Resort

Alyssa standing in the water at Islabela

A trip to Cartagena wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the beach. But after reading numerous reviews of the beaches in the Bocagrande district citing thick crowds, constant offers from street vendors (including oyster scams and sudden massages), and slightly murky water, Michael and I decided to look further afield to Colombia’s Rosario Islands. …