Travel – Page 13

Categories: Travel

Carnival Glory | Eastern Caribbean Cruise | Day 1

We left on our cruise – the seventh one for both of us – on Saturday, May 16. We had driven to Boca Raton the previous day, staying in a hotel (overrun by school-age boys who looked like they were competing in some sort of lacrosse match) and driving to Miami in the morning. While we could have driven up on Saturday, it’s a 5-hour drive and would have meant rushing around on Saturday morning. This way, we could wake up leisurely, have breakfast, and make the one-hour trip to Miami with ease.

Getting to the port and checking in was a breeze. We got there around 11:30 with all the other early birds, and it was probably 30 minutes from the time we got to the port to the time we entered the ship for the first time. Such a smooth process!

Since we didn’t have access to our room until 1:30, we found a spot on the lido deck and grabbed lunch from Guy’s Burger Joint. It was already pretty busy!

Around 1:20, we decided to make our way to our room and relax inside until it was time for the safety demonstation, which is usually around 3:30. Our luggage got delivered during this time and I unpacked while my mom slept (she wasn’t feeling too good at this point in time and I was worried about her!)

At 3:20, we left our room to head to our muster station, which was easy to find and thankfully, the safety demonstration didn’t take all too long! Afterward, we went up to the Serenity Deck for the rest of the afternoon. We got fruity drinks and watched the ship set sail from Miami! Eventually, people started leaving to get ready for dinner, so we were able to score a cabana where I took the most wonderful nap.

Around 6:30, we left to get ready for dinner. We decided on the late dining time again, but next cruise, I think I’m going to opt for early dining, just because we miss out on a lot of great shows with late dining.

I was really, really nervous about our dinner mates on this cruise. On our cruise last year, my mom and I were seated with a couple that we just didn’t mesh well with. Dinners were very awkward and we even opted for the buffet one night, just to avoid another awkward dinner with them! Well, I am happy to report that our dinner mates this cruise were AMAZING. They were so friendly and personable, which made the dinners so much fun.

We sat with two sisters, one of whom was around my age and the other a little bit older; two brothers who were around my mom’s age; two friends, also around my mom’s age; and also a mom and her daughter and her daughter’s friend, although they only came to the first dinner and then switched to the earlier dining time. It was a great group and we had lots of good laughs and conversation.

After dinner, my mom and I walked over to the Amber Palace, which is where all the shows happened. We watched the “Welcome Aboard” show, though it was less like a show and more like the cruise director talking about the shows. Hmm. We did get to see the two comedians on the ship do their bits! They were hilarious! (Especially because there was this stodgy old man sitting in the front row with his arms crossed, not finding anything they said funny… so of course, the comedians heckled him a bit.)

After the show, Mom and I went back to our room, got comfy in our jammies, read for a bit, and then went to bed around 11:30. Tomorrow, we had a busy day planned in Half Moon Cay – bike riding and hiking!

Categories: Recurring Series, Travel

A Weekend in Pictures: Savannah

My Savannah weekend was wonderful! I am so glad my mom and I decided to do this race and spend the weekend away in Savannah. It was a quick trip (we got in late Friday afternoon and left early Sunday morning), but it was really the perfect amount of time. Let’s recap! (And sorry… this post is going to be insanely long!)

Our drive to Savannah was easy-peasy! We hit a few slow-downs, but nothing major. We arrived around 3:30, checked in to the hotel (Hilton Savannah Desoto in the historic district.) The above picture was the view from our hotel room – pretty sweet!

After checking in and dropping our stuff in our room, we immediately headed downstairs to the expo. We were given some incredible swag – my favorite being the New Balance tote bag! It is roomy and made of really great material, so I can’t wait to put it to use! We also got a drawstring backpack and a pretty magnet. At the expo, Publix was there handing out free gifts: a strainer, earbuds, sunglasses, and an infuser water bottle. Fleet Feet was also there, and they had a fun wheel you could spin for some awesome prizes. My mom won a 20% off coupon and I won a 10% off shoes coupon. I’m hoping I can just go online and use it because what a great prize, yeah?!

After checking out the expo, we headed back to the hotel room with our loot and then relaxed for about an hour before heading out for dinner. I remembered Crystal Beer Parlor from the list of recommendations Jess had given me last year, and when I realized it was just half a mile from the hotel, I jumped at the chance to go! This place has so much history. It opened in 1933, making it Savannah’s second oldest restaurant. But this place first started operating in early 1900’s as a family grocery store.

For my dinner, I ordered the Classic Crystal Burger with a side of fries and a cider. All were fantastic! The burger was juicy and delicious, the fries were crisp, and the cider was yummy! (Cider, fun fact, is the only “beer” I will drink, and that is because it is not really beer. At least, that’s what all my beer-loving friends tell me, haha. It’s more like sparkling apple juice than beer.)

After dinner, we walked over to Forsyth Park, since it wasn’t too far from the restaurant. It was beautiful as the sun was getting ready to set and the park was pretty empty. We found the finish line of the race (!), which was pretty fun. And we walked around the park – with me sighing in delight about how pretty this park is and how much I love being in Savannah – until deciding to call it a night and go back to the hotel.

From there, I took a shower, read for a bit, and then fell asleep at 9:15. Because I know how to party.

And then it was race day! It was cooooold Saturday morning. Florida had been having straight-up summerlike temperatures the past few weeks, so I’d been feeling a wee bit spoiled. It was 40 degrees on Saturday morning and I was not prepared. I’m glad I had my long-sleeved pullover, but it definitely was not warm. Luckily, we only had a 10-minute walk to the race site, so we didn’t leave the hotel until about 7:10 and the race started at 7:30. By the time we got down there, took a few pictures, and got in place, it was time to go!

The race itself? It was okay. I knew I was going to have a tough time when I was struggling barely half a mile in. Eventually, I decided to adopt a run .1 mile, walk .1 mile interval. This worked quite well for me! I managed to hit all the intervals and it allowed me to walk slowly and recover since I could catch up my pace with my runs. It also made the race go by at warp speed, which was nice.

The course measured long (3.22 miles) and I wound up with a finish time of 47:30, which is not the >45:00 I wanted, but I am still happy with that time. It puts me under 15-min/miles (all throughout training, I was averaging 16-17-min/miles), and I honestly cannot be mad at myself for not finishing in what I might deem a “better time.” And that’s all that matters… the fact that I feel good about how I finished.

After the race, I met up with my mom who finished way before me and we found mimosas! The perfect way to end a race, if I do say so myself.

Races that give you a medal for completing a 5k are my favorite kind of races. 🙂

We didn’t stay long in the park after the race because it was still super cold and we are Florida girls with thin skin! We can’t handle it! So, we walked back to the hotel and decided to eat in the hotel restaurant for breakfast. We just didn’t feel like venturing back out in the cold. Their breakfast was… okay. Nothing special. Just meh.

After breakfast, Mom and I went back to our hotel room where we took the most deliciously pleasing naps. Postrace naps are the best kind of naps, yes?

(We actually planned to just nap until housekeeping came in to clean our room and give us new towels. Except at 1:45, we were still waiting on housekeeping. We finally had to call the front desk to have them bring us towels so we could take showers! I would never recommend this Hilton location in Savannah – it’s a rundown hotel with walls so thin you can hear your neighbors talking. Definitely not worth the price at all.)

Eventually, we were able to procure towels, take showers, and get ready for the day! Saturday afternoon was beautiful! We checked out an adorable bookstore, had ice cream at Leopold’s, and walked down River Street.

Around 5:30, we wandered up to Rocks on the Roof for some pre-dinner drinks. My mom got a beer and I ordered a Savannah Tea, which was good but a bit too strong for my liking.

For dinner, we decided on Huey’s on the River (another Jess recommendation!) I know this is the go-to brunch spot that I must try the next time I’m in Savannah, but I did enjoy their dinner menu! We actually decided to sit at the bar rather than wait for a table in the restaurant, which was an A+ decision. The bartenders are phenomenal and made me immediately feel at home. (Also, one of them bore a striking resemblance to Sam Jaeger, or Joel from Parenthood. For a second, I though it was Sam!) (I wish I had the courage to mention this to him!) (Safe to say, he was very, very, VERY cute.)

For dinner, I got a simple burger and fries meal, though I wish I had tried their red beans and rice. I was just in a mood for a burger, even though I had had one the night before. (I rarely eat burgers nowadays, so it felt like such a treat!)

And that caps off our trip to Savannah! After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and I took a bubble bath, read, and then fell asleep at 9:30. I want to feel lame for being 27 and on vacation and falling asleep before 10pm… but I just can’t. That’s just the perfect epitome of who I am – a girl who has one drink and doesn’t want anything else, who fancies a good meal with fun conversation, and who just wants to take a bubble bath and read at the end of the day more than anything else.

We left Savannah early (around 8am), and got back in town around 3pm. And this guy was super happy to see us! He went to “camp” while we were away, and he had a blast (they texted my mom three pictures of him having fun – I love that they do that now!) He spent most of Sunday night in a deep sleep. Poor guy was tuckered out from all his camp adventures! 😉

And that was Savannah! Such a wonderful weekend, such a wonderful city. I still feel deeply that I will move there someday. I’m not sure when, but Savannah is where my heart is. Simple as that.

How was your weekend?

Categories: Travel

A St. Augustine Getaway

It’s no secret that I love to travel. So, when my boyfriend suggested we do an experience gift for Christmas rather than a physical gift, I was 100% on board. And when he brought up a weekend in St. Augustine as a possible idea, I couldn’t say yes fast enough. I’ve wanted to visit St. Augustine forever (I almost opted for that for my birthday trip over Savannah), so I was super stoked about our trip.

Some of the highlights…

Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum – I’ve actually never been to one of these museums (there’s one in Orlando I’ve wanted to visit, but just haven’t gotten around to), so I thought it was pretty interesting. And Alex got the biggest laugh watching me walk through the Revolving Tunnel. That thing is a TRIP.
Mi Casa Cafe – If you visit St. Augustine, please do me a favor and visit this amazing little place. They have incredible sangrias. The best I’ve ever had (not that I’m a huge sangria connoisseur, so take my opinion as it is.) It was just a really fun little bar with a great atmosphere and fabulous live music.
Columbia – We have a few Columbia restaurants in Tampa, but I had heard it’s a must-visit in St. Augustine, so this was our fancy dinner out. I’ve never been to a Tampa area Columbia restaurant, so I had nothing to compare it to, but I enjoyed my meal! They give you a huge hunk of Cuban bread (which was honestly my favorite part. I’m super classy, is what I’m saying.), we had more sangrias, and a delicious meal. Now I need to visit the ones in Tampa!
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum – This was the #1 place I wanted to visit while in St. Augustine, and I loved it. It’s one of the few places in the city you have to drive to get to, but it’s not more than five minutes out of the city and totally worth it. We climbed the 200-something steps to the top, and the views were pretty incredible. It was a bit foggy (we went in the morning), so my photos didn’t turn out great, but it was still super special. After climbing to the top, we headed over to the keeper’s house, which was filled with artifacts and interesting tidbits about life as a lighthouse keeper. Highly recommend!
Castillo de San Marcos – I mean, you have to visit the fort when you’re in St. Augustine. You just can’t not do it. It’s so beautiful and historic, and a must-visit spot in the city. We took our time walking through all the rooms and even got to see the cannon shoot off. There’s not much I can say, other than goooo.
Local Heros Bar & Grill – We went here for a drink on Friday night but we’re underimpressed. Then, on Saturday afternoon, after walking around to find lunch (I was basically at my breaking point by this time. I was dehydrated, hungry, and tired, and I could just feel myself shutting down. In other words, I hit my Introvert Wall.), we finally decided to try this again. And I’m happy we did! Our food was delicious and we had incredible service (the service the previous night was meh). It’s one of those hole-in-the-wall places you wouldn’t really think to visit, but I’d recommend it, if only for a cheap but good lunch.
Wolf’s Museum of Mystery – Our waiter at the bar implored us to go here after Alex asked for a recommendation on something to do. My thoughts? Creepy. Weird. Not my thing. Here are some of the exhibits: a remade Lizzie Borden bedroom, an alien mortuary, and an exorcist bathroom. Not. My. Thing. I was happy to leave!
Milltop Tavern – We went here for dinner on Saturday night, and it was okay. They didn’t have much in the way of food (or at least food I wanted.) I think it’s more of a place to go for drinks and appies, than an actual sit-down meal. And the service was pretty lame. So. Meh.
Whetstone Chocolates – I am still dreaming of the chocolates we got at this place! They were so good. I ordered a sea salt caramel and a chocolate-covered peanut butter Oreo. I forget what Alex got, but we were both basically moaning in ecstasy while walking down the street eating our chocolates. We’re classy folk.
Ghost Tours of St. Augustine – This was the last excursion we did while in St. Augustine! I love doing ghost tours because it’s fun to learn the haunted history of a city and a city as old as St. Augustine is bound to have some cool stories! But I really was underwhelmed by this tour. Our host was okay, but she didn’t really give us the history of the different spots she took us to. Rather, she told about times people have seen a ghost (and most times, she couldn’t even tell us who the ghost was or what significance he/she had.) I bought this as a Groupon ($13 for the both of us), and I’m really glad I didn’t pay full price. Next time, I’m going to scope out a better ghost tour!

And that’s our trip in a nutshell! (A long nutshell.) I had a super fun time with Alex, and we travel really well together. We both liked to get out there and do stuff and see the city, but we also needed quiet time in the hotel room to regroup and relax. As an introvert, that relaxation time is suuuuuper important to me. That’s what energizes me. We had a good time, saw some awesome sights, and have already been talking about going back soon.

Have you ever visited St. Augustine?

Categories: Travel

I Left My Heart in Savannah

Last weekend, my mom and I took a quick trip to Savannah for my birthday. We drove up there on Friday and came back on Monday, so we had about three nights and two full days there.

I think I could have stayed there forever.

I titled this post “I left my heart in Savannah” because it’s true. Savannah stole a tiny piece of me.

I don’t know about you, but when I go on vacation, I always feel a little off-balance. I love exploring and traveling, but there is really nothing like home. Home is familiarity. Home is your own space and your regular grocery store and your favorite coffee shop and your local library and the Target where you know exactly what lays in every single aisle. So when I leave my city to go somewhere else, I feel like a foreigner. I feel out of place, as if I’m shouting from the rooftops that “I am a visitor to your city! I am new! I do not know the streets. Or the best brunch spots. Or where the library is. I couldn’t give someone directions if you gave me a map to look off of.”

And then I come back home and I breathe a bit easier. Ahh. This is home. This is my spot. This is familiar and comfortable and right.

Savannah was different. Savannah felt familiar. It felt comfortable. It felt right from the moment I drove into the city. Sure, I had to use Google Maps every single time I wanted to explore a new part of town, but it just felt like I was learning my way around my city. I felt connected to Savannah. To the picturesque tree-lined streets and the beautifully historic buildings and the sweet, gracious people and the charming historic squares. Savannah felt like home.

My mom and I are similar in many ways, and one way is that we’re both low-key introverts. We like to be busy and do things, but we also need time to recuperate. So I knew we didn’t want a jam-packed vacation. We wanted to eat good food, go on some tours, and just mosey around the city at our pace. And that’s what we did.

We went on two different tours: a walking tour of the city and a ghost tour. Both Lisa and Jess had recommended Savannah Dan’s walking tour, so I booked a tour with him. I remember the first time I saw him walking up to the meeting square and I got this strange fluttering in my belly, like I was meeting a celebrity! He was dressed in a powder blue suit and white hat, and he was friendly and personable and funny from the get-go. The whole tour was amazing and I’m so happy we did it, even if I did want to chop my feet off at the end (I am not used to walking and standing around for two hours!) I would recommend him to anyone. Hey, even my mom, who gets bored by history, liked it. So, if that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is.

(The ghost tour was okay. I booked a cheap one – $13 for both my mom and me! – because I was trying to be conscious of our budget. It was interesting, and our host was quite the character, but nothing to write home about.)

We visited the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, which was one of the best parts of my trip. Being in that cathedral, walking down the aisle and gazing at the stained glass paintings and stations of the cross… just… awe-inspiring. It was peaceful, serene, holy, and sacred. And so, so, so, so, so gorgeous.

The only house tour we did was Juliette Gordon Low’s house tour, the founder of the Girl Scouts. I wasn’t a Girl Scout, but I wanted to walk through the house because I just adore history and I wanted the chance to view such a historic landmark of Savannah. And it was so beautiful. Goodness. I can’t remember, but I think all the furniture is original to Juliette’s family and it was staged like it was when Juliette lived in this house. I loved walking through the rooms and trying to imagine people living in this place and having conversations and eating meals and sleeping and just… life. It was pretty incredible.

In any event, my trip was fantastic. Honestly, I knew I would most likely love Savannah. After all, I named it one of the top three cities I would move to, if I ever wanted to leave Florida. I didn’t know I would fall in love with this adorable town. I didn’t know I would leave a piece of me when I left. I’m not saying I’m moving to Savannah anytime soon. The thought of the cost of such a move, starting over with a new job and new friends, and being far away from family makes my stomach knot up in anxiety. What I am saying is that Savannah will forever hold a special place in my heart. And that I’ll be back to visit this charming city very soon.

Categories: Travel

Carnival Liberty | Bahamas Cruise | Day 5 Recap

Here we are! The last cruise recap. It’s been so fun reliving my cruise through these posts and pictures. Thursday was another great day on my vacation, and we docked in Freeport, which is on the island of Great Bahama in the northwest area of The Bahamas. It’s a beautiful island and we had a blast there!

6:30am: Up and attem!
We have an early start to our day because we were docking at 8am and wanted to get off the ship as soon as we could.

7:15am: Breakfast
Mom and I head up to the lido deck for another buffet breakfast. We find a great spot by a window and have breakfast with a beautiful view!

8:10am: Entering Freeport
We leave the ship and make our way through the Port of Freeport. Today, we planned another pool day at a local resort and we needed to take a taxi to get there. It was super easy to find a taxi, and we wait around with passengers from our ship until more people arrived to fill up an entire taxi. (A full taxi equaled seven people, minus the driver.)

8:45am: Resort Relaxin’
We pay $15 each to purchase a day pass at the Grand Lucayan resort. It’s a 3-5 minute walk from where the taxi dropped us off. The resort was beautiful. It would be such a great place to vacation! We spend our time lounging poolside, swimming, reading, and people-watching. We think about renting jet skis but after finding out they cost $65 (per person) for a half-hour, we nix that plan rull quick.

12:00pm: Lunch and Freeport Shopping
We decided to leave the resort around noon. We found an outside restaurant to eat lunch, and I treated myself to a frozen mango margarita because it sounded yummy and day drinking is a must on vacation, right? Right. (This makes me sound like a lush, but I promise I’m not. When I’m not on vacation, I rarely have alcoholic beverages. I think my last one was at my work’s Christmas party in mid-December!)

After lunch, we walk around the shops in the area but don’t find anything worth buying. We also come upon another straw market which is the same as the one we went through in Nassau. Lots of shouting and being asked to come into their stalls. No thanks!

1:15pm: Back to the port
We take a taxi back to the port, where we do some shopping. My mom finds a nice shirt for her fiance and I poke around a few shops in search of something, but nothing strikes my fancy. Oh, well! We eventually make our way back on the ship.

2:15pm: Afternoon munchies
After dropping our things off in our cabin, we head up to the lido deck in search of sweets. And we are pleased to find out that it’s “Chocolate Extravaganza” time! Lots of chocolate treats to choose from, but nothing that I really love. I eat some, but not much.

3:30pm: Get ready
I take a shower and get ready for dinner early because we had a party to get to before dinner!

4:45pm: VIFP Party!
Carnival gets all the past guests together for a fun party on the last day of the cruise. Mom and I are currently “Gold” members, which is the lowest level. We receive a yummy free drink, appetizers, and see a cute presentation that talks about the cruise line and cheer for the ships you’ve been on when you mention them. (My mom and I have done Inspiration, Freedom, Paradise, and Liberty!) (It’s so stupid, but I tend to get choked up during this. WHY, EMOTIONS?! You be strange.) And then, they play music and people came on stage to dance! (Not me. I do not dance.) It was a fun little event, though, and you can’t deny the free drink is totes worth it. (Oh, god, I really do sound like a lush!)

6:00pm: Relaxing
Mom and I went back to our cabin after the event and play a few rounds of Scattegories. Then, we were both exhausted from our really hard, busy day of sitting poolside on a tropical island and drinking at a party. (LIFE IS SO HARD, YOU GUYS!) So we take naps!

8:15pm: Dinner
At dinner tonight, I order a BBQ chicken flatbread for my appetizer that was out of this world amazing (I’m still dreaming about it!). For my main course, I have steak and whipped potatoes. And for dessert, warm chocolate melting cake! I felt a little underwhelmed with the food on this cruise ship. There were good options, but nothing that really appealed to me, so I felt like I kept eating the same stuff.

9:30pm: Back to the cabin
We go back to the cabin so we can pack our bags and get everything ready to go. We prefer to do our own debarkation (rather than leaving our suitcases outside our cabin for Carnival to take from the ship to the port terminal) since it means we can usually leave 1-2 hours earlier. At the end of a cruise, I’m ready to be off the ship and on the road home as soon as possible! We don’t do much tonight, just getting our things ready to go and reading in bed. Very low-key night! And look at our towel animal for Thursday night! We found him hanging from our ceiling. Too cute, too cute!