Your Guide to La Jolla California

For our anniversary, we wanted a relaxing, extra long weekend. While looking up places to visit in California, I stumbled on the web site for La Jolla, California, and I was sold. We also wanted to rent a convertible. When we arrived in San Diego, we headed to the Payless Car Rental desk, and the young man on duty was extremely helpful. He spent several minutes working out details so we could get the car that we wanted, printed off maps for us, gave us personal recommendations (which ended up being one of our favorite stops!). I wish I had taken time to write the young man's name down, because I was very impressed. In a world where customer service appears to be fading, you REALLY notice companies who go above and beyond. We are new fans to Payless!

We stayed at the La Jolla Cove which was directly across the street from the ocean (stunning views from our balcony). While it was an older hotel, it had been remodeled in a chick beach theme, and the lobby was STUNNING. Besides the fact it smelled like heaven (seriously, I should have asked about the candles they were burning), they had snacks, drinks, a sitting area, and a beautiful fountain. What really sold me on staying there, however, was the fact they offered complimentary breakfast on the roof! So every morning, we sat on the roof taking in views, and enjoying the breakfast. I fell in love with the Mango juice, and yogurt parfaits. Best granola EVER.

Another reason we chose La Jolla is the wildlife that is located directly across the street from the hotel. You can walk right up to the Sea Lions, Seals, and tons of tropical birds. I knew Josh would love it, and I was right! They also have gorgeous cliffs, walkways and beaches to enjoy.

The views were absolutely stunning.

My favorite thing in the whole world is taking walks along the beach, coffee in hand. There's  nothing quite like it, and honestly, it's such a simple tribute to the beauty of God's handiwork.

We took time to visit the SALK institute in La Jolla. My husband works in architecture, so we generally look up cool buildings to see. Oddly enough, I think I was more excited than Josh to see it. It's extremely modern, but very unique. It's worth stopping by for a photo op!

The town is very charming...it's full of boutique stores, art, architecture, coffee shops, and the best Gelato shop we've ever visited. It was also home to one of the best meals, ever! I'll be doing a separate post all on that, too.

We can't wait to visit again, but next time, I think we are gong to make it a family getaway!

Travel Love: SoCal Anniversary Style

Josh and I booked a trip to California via Southwest Vacations. It was my first to book through southwest, and honestly, it was SO easy, and very affordable. I love that you can research everything on your own, plug in your destination then fine tune the trip to fit your budget and vacation needs.

Also, I am always impressed with Southwest Customer Service. I've flown pretty much every airline within the US, and nothing compares to their friendliness and ease. Basically, they are the Chic-Fil-A of Airlines. Ha!

I visited California with my parents when I was a teenager, and I still vividly remember all the things that I fell in love with then. They are still my favorite things now as an adult. The weather, the coast, the small boutique beach towns. Everything feels tropical right down to the food. We arrived late afternoon and hit the ground running. First stop was visiting the Sea Lions & Seals located just steps from our hotel.

We tackled In & Out Burger on our second night. Josh grew up eating there regularly (he's from California), and I've heard about it a LOT from his family. It didn't disappoint. The person in front of us ordered extra sauce, so I copied them and did the same. Wise. ;) My only regret was not ordering a shake. I've heard rave reviews on their ice cream, but I'll be sure and try them again next time. ;)

Another foodie location that I was dying to try was Salt & Straw. I had heard about their ice cream via another blogger, and ya'll...it was LIFE CHANGING. There are simply no words. Okay, I have lots of words, but without further ado, my favorite flavor was Peanut Butter Stout Ice Cream. Part of me wants to cry that this ice cream is only available via West Coast...

Last, but not least, we rented a Camaro convertible for the trip. I had no idea I was a Camaro girl until now...oh me oh my...want a FUN car to drive. I think we could have drove the entire time and I would have been happy.

Travel Love: Visiting Northern Ireland (Flashback Post)

Sharing a few of my favorite memories from our trip to Ireland a few years back...

Be sure to visit the Carrick A Rede Rope Bridge...

The views are stunning, you'll get a nice workout, and you'll have visited one of the most iconic bridges in N. Ireland. But, in all seriousness, pictures simply don't do justice to this area of the world.

My favorite part of this area was the opposite side of the bridge. Just a short hike down o the water where you could see nothing but rugged beauty for miles. The Carrick A Rede Rope Bridge is located near Ballintoy in County Antrim.

Order an Irish Coffee...

Have you ever watched the original Herbie movies? Well, in the scene where he makes Irish Coffee and shares it with Herbie, I always thought it looked so good. Ha! So, while visiting N. Ireland, we stopped at a pub for lunch (where else? ha!) and had my first "real" Irish Coffee. It's creamy, stout, and unforgettable. 

Visit The Giant's Causeway...

Another favorite stop was the Giant's Causeway, and not for the reasons you'd think. While the basalt columns are quite the sight to behold, it's the views leading to the columns that took my breath away.

Not to mention, it makes for a great photo op.

And those are just a few of my favorite memories from Northern Ireland!

Travel Love: Walking In Memphis

We took the girls to Memphis for an overnight trip, and they loved it! When we arrived at the hotel, Evie gasped, "Oh, Thank you so much!!". She was so excited, she couldn't settle down enough to sleep until well after midnight. But, I'll take less sleep when I end up with sweet pictures of happy girls. They really are so much fun at this stage because EVERYTHING is amazing and new to them.

On the first night, we ate at the cheesecake factory (Seriously, one of my favorite places on earth!), took the girls on a carousel ride, and then Ikea. Our hotel was across the street from Ikea! Perfect.

The next morning, we headed to a local donut spot, Howard's Donuts. I always spend hours researching places to eat. The donut shop got rave reviews, and I can see why. I thought they were super moist and melt in your mouth. Evie and Ella loved it, too! I had the coconut donut, and it literally tasted like a giant slice of coconut pie. It was that rich and delicious!

After that, we headed to the local Botanic Gardens. I had no idea that Memphis had a gardens, so I was pleasantly surprised. I wish we had spent more time there, and I would love to visit again. It was such a fun outing! Besides the usually garden fan fare, they had a built in playground, tiny play houses, swings, and fun little areas for kids to play in. They went crazy!!

We also stopped at the Bass Pro Shop, walked along the river, and hit up Ugly Mug Coffee. I had an iced Salted Caramel Latte, and it was SO good. A bit more on the sweet side, so next time, I'll have to order half sweetener.

Places to note:

Howard's Donuts - Cordova, TN
Ugly Mug Coffee- Memphis, TN
Cheesecake Factory-Wolfchase Mall

Travel Love: Missouri Road Trip

On Saturday, we packed up our bags on what was supposed to be a day trip. At the last minute, we decided to make it our first mini vacation with the girls---gulp--and stay in a hotel. This allowed us to drive further into Missouri and take our time just getting away!

We stayed in Springfield, Mo at the Hilton Garden Inn. The hotel is one that we've stayed at before, and I just love it. They offer a delicious breakfast, an indoor pool, and the rooms are very comfortable and clean. The staff is always very helpful, and I'm impressed with how they make it feel like an escape from every day life. So nice!

The first night we ate at Culver's (I love their old-fashioned butter burgers!) and then headed straight to the hotel to let the girls swim. They both love the water, and Evie goes crazy when she sees "big" pools. She is most definitely our water baby.

The next morning we took our time enjoying breakfast, then headed off to visit the original Bass Pro Shop. This place is fun even if you aren't a big "outdoors" kind of person. There are indoor oversize fish tanks, turtle tanks, and even alligator's! Eek!

On our way home, we stopped at an Italian Restaurant that's a bit off beat. Hence the giant meatball picture above! Haha.

We made a few pit stops mainly for coffee, and ice cream. If you are ever in the Ozarks, visit the Keeter Center Creamery and try their Ice Cream. I had the Bob Cat Crunch that was loaded with all sorts of goodies nestled in creamy rich chocolate ice cream. It was sooooo good.

Well, that's a wrap. I'm ready to stay home for a few months to recover! I'm kidding. Sort of. ;)

Around The Winding Road, To The Lake We Go

One of my favorite things to do, is go for long drives with the windows down (and the radio turned up of course!). Especially, when the weather is nice. Yesterday, we did just that. We worked our way around the lake...through the spiraling roads, and up, up, up, the mountain top, only to work our way back down to one of my favorite spots: the Marina!

Evie was all about feeding the fish. I think we went through about six bags in less than 10 minutes! Ella, however, was not about to let go of her sippee cup even to feed the fish. She was happy to just watch her sister. ;) It's fun watching the girls experience new things!

After yesterday's adventures, I've decided on a few things: We need an Airstream, a boat, and a hammock. And a fire pit to make S'mores! I think Josh might agree. Just maybe. ;)

NYC: The Sights!

We started our walking tour of NYC at 8:30 in the morning! It was a fast paced tour, because the goal is to see as many iconic places within nine hours. Yes, it was an exhausting day, but well worth it. :) Here's the video footage:

It was fun getting to see Lady Liberty! She's quite the giant.

This was the view from the boat as we headed to the Statue of Liberty! Quite a site. Also, the boat ride was a bit rocky. ;)

We stopped at Wall Street for a few minutes. It was crazy busy.

We visited the 9/11 Memorial Pools and saw the iconic World Trade Center One. They are in the process of building the others. It was a humbling moment to see the size of the pools, and the names.

We also visited the Empire State Building. Visibility was low, but it was still fun to see the site where famous movies have been filmed (the entire time, I was thinking about Sleepless in Seattle).

The highlight of the trip for Josh was visiting Little Italy. Josh was in heaven! I'll share about the food later! It was really beautiful.

 
My tourist husband. Hahaha. And yes, he's got a lot of Italian in him. ;)

We ended our last night with a buggy ride through Central Park. It was magical! Not exaggerating. Honestly, I think Central Park and The Plaza were my favorite parts of NYC. :)

We saw tons of other sites, most of which were on my IG: Times Square (ick), Rockefeller Center (beautiful!), Radio City, Trump Tower (whoa, the guards!!!!), Broadway (saw Aladdin), Grand Central Station (I cannot believe I didn't take very many pictures...it was beautiful!), SoHo, St. Patrick's Cathedral (gorgeous), and several other areas. :)

If you are headed to NYC, I would HIGHLY recommend a walking tour. We dozens and dozens of sites I haven't even listed.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm throwing it way back today...to our trip to Ireland (several years ago)! We went for our 3rd anniversary. It was one of the best trips of my life and I'm super thankful for my Irish heritage. I felt like fit right in...the pale skin, blue eyes, and unruly hair, well...yeah, that's me alright. Ha! ;) You can see more images from our trip here, if you happen to enjoy that sort of thing. TGIF!

An Overnight Getaway

We were heading out of town for a wedding, so Josh decided to make an overnight trip out of it. We stayed at the Arlington Hotel. It's very old, and quaint, and I loved the antiques sprinkled throughout the hotel lobby. It had a very regal feel to it!

The room had a beautiful view, and I didn't want to leave the comfy bed. I may have binged watched "The Bush People of Alaska" for hours. I'd never watched the show, and found it fascinating, if not, a bit different, too. Ha!

We enjoyed dinner in the dining room that included Crab Legs!! My favorite! We also walked around town, enjoyed room service (I forgot to take a picture...but I had Salted Caramel Apple Pie...SO GOOD!!). We also tried tons of other food: chocolate & caramel apple treats at a little candy shop across the street from the hotel, pancakes for breakfast at one of our favorite places, and warm mocha's made from Belgium chocolate. I may have been on a sugar high for the rest of the weekend! And with that, I'll leave you with a picture of the ridiculously good caramel apples we feasted on... ;)