24 Hours in Memphis

We recently road tripped to Memphis to complete our Global Entry Interview & take a bonus pit stop at Ikea. Once I started researching Memphis (I've never been!), I realized that we had to stay at the Peabody Hotel.

It's super old and historic, has gorgeous high ceilings, and has the DUCKS! There's a whole history around this, but there are ducks that live at the Peabody. They live upstairs on the roof in a special duck penthouse, except every day from 11am-5pm where they live in the fountain in the lobby. They march into the elevator when they hear the John Phillip Souza march - it's adorable! If you are going to see the ducks (you don't have to be a hotel guest to go!), I suggest getting there at least 45min-1hr in advance and grab a seat. You can't be standing unless you're behind certain areas. We snagged a seat at the bar and had a drink while we waited for the little quackers to do their march :) I loved it!!!!

We ate dinner at South of Beale and it was so good! It was located in the arts district about 1 mile from the hotel & Beale St. It had a lot of vegetarian and non vegetarian options. It was casual, had a good beer list, and they give you this incredible popcorn (that I think might be laced with crack) when you sit down. I would definitely eat here again. Matt's side of mac & cheese was absolutely delicious!

We had a drink at the ultimate dive bar - Ernestine & Hazels. This place was a brothel back in the day, and it definitely hasn't been updated since. Like Santa's in Nashville, they serve 4 or 5 different type of bottled beer. It was awful and awesome all at the same time. 

Beale Street, or Memphis' version of Broadway in Nashville, was underwhelming at best. This photo was taken around 10:30pm on a Saturday night - I couldn't believe how few people were out and about! The street is blocked to cars, so pedestrians can wander in and out of bars. Many of the bars were charging a $10 cover, so we didn't head into any. But if you wanted to hit up some live music, this is the place.

 

This was pretty much it! We hit up Ikea the next morning on our way back, but I didn't take any pictures of the Ikea, since it looks just like all the others :) But good news, Nashvillians - this over an hour closer than the Atlanta Ikea. (it took us about 2hr 45min)

Have you ever been to Memphis? Did you see the ducks? What did we miss?
xo 

New Zealand Travel Diary: Road Trip Down the West Coast (of the South Island)

Back to our regularly scheduled New Zealand programming....

After we left the Abel Tasman area, we had about a 6-7 hr drive ahead of us, as our next stop was Franz Josef and Fox Glacier area (more on that soon!), so we decided to make a true road trip out of it and stop anywhere that looked interesting along the way. Let's just say, a it turned into one of my favorite exploring parts of the trip!

The coastline is so beautiful there. It really reminded me of California or the west coast of Mexico (guess it's a west coast thing all over the world?!), with the big rocks in the water and jagged cliffs. Breathtaking! 

One of our biggest detours (only about 20 minutes out of the way) was to the Cape Foulwind Seal Colony. We literally just saw the sign on the highway and decided to see what was at the end of the road! While it's hard to see in these photos, there were cute little seals sunbathing and pulling themselves on the rocks. They were so fun to watch! Not to mention their little protected home was beautiful :)

Can't hate that view.... ;) You decide which one I'm talking about!

Our next stop was just too beautiful not to stop. I don't know exactly what this beach is called, but from what I can see on the map (if you wanted to find it yourself), it's in Woodpecker Bay right at the end of the Fox River. 

It had this beautiful rock that had been washed and weathered by the tides over the years. It was also covered in these amazing little baby clams (I believe). See above!

We were exploring the cave as the tide was coming back in. New Zealand has some of the most drastic tides I've ever seen in my life! 

We had to cross this little end of Fox River (this is where it ended!) to get over to the cave.... the water was actually a quite rapid and COLD! I was glad I was wearing shorts, the water was up to my knees! It was so worth crossing to explore this pretty little beach.

These next two below are just while we were DRIVING. We didn't even stop the car to get these snaps, it was just that beautiful.

Now, the only planned stop we had along the way (road trips are fun like that :)

The Pancake Rocks! I read about this somewhere and it sounded like the perfect spot to take a break and have a picnic lunch.

You were able to walk out on these suspension bridges and go out to see the "pancakes" up close. It was the most humid/tropical area we visited in New Zealand, even though we were getting further south. The bugs and humidity reminded me of Florida.

Nobody is totally sure why the rocks in this particular area are stacked the way they are... there are of course tons of theories. It's limestone, but that's about the only solid fact they have! The big waves come in and at certain times of day create "blowholes" up into the center of the rocks that have been worn away over time. It was so cool to see!

While I didn't get a photo of of this, there was also a great little picnic area to make our little sandwiches for lunch! Seriously, New Zealand, you make it easy to road trip.

LOVED our little road trip down the coast! Franz Josef and Fox Glacier are up next!
xo

*All photos were taken by me or my husband on our Fuji x30, and haven't been edited in any way... mostly because I'm lazy :) NZ is just that beautiful*

Our Visit to Napier & Hawke's Bay - New Zealand Travel Diary

While our stay in Napier was brief, it certainly left its mark on me. 

The quaint, beach side, Art Deco towns charm is unprecedented. Not to mention, it is situated in one of the most prestigious wine regions in New Zealand (or the world, if we are talking Sauvignon Blanc). 

Wine, waves and whimsical appeal - I could've stayed there forever.

We arrived in Napier after our hike along the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. We started early and hiked 20 kilometers, so we were exhausted. Having a ocean view room with balcony was just what the doctor ordered, as I had zero energy left or muscle use in my legs :) I wanted to stay at this hotel but it was full, so we opted for this one. At more than 1/3 of a price discount, it was not decorated as lux as the Art Deco, but simple decor, a comfortable bed, and that balcony - winner winner chicken dinner!

We walked along the beach and enjoyed dinner at Mint. One of the best meals we had in New Zealand! We passed by the Six Sister's Houses (cute row houses on the water front) and admired the adorable 1920's architecture.

The next morning, we ventured out for breakfast and found Mister D's on Tennyson St. Oh yeah, did I mention all the streets are named after famous authors and poets? Adorable.

Mister D's was so delicious! Great coffee, approachable but creative menu. Also right in the thick of downtown Napier if you're in the area. I believe they do lunch and dinner as well, and the atmosphere was so cute, we loved it.

We spent some time wandering around the area and admiring the architecture. Napier suffered from a massive earthquake in 1931 (which is New Zealand's most destructive and deadly natural disaster to date), and so all of the buildings were re-built in the Art Deco style. They're beautiful and have been so well kept - we really loved all the cool buildings and statues in our favorite era of architecture.

Since we had reservations for the ferry, we had to get on the road. On our way out, we wanted to sample this world famous Sauvignon Blanc! We certainly not disappointed. Our favorite was Mission Estate Winery - the oldest winery in New Zealand (established in 1851). This BEAUTIFUL 150 year old mansion that ALSO happens to be a winery... it was heaven! Can I turn back time and get married here pleeeeeaaasssseeeee? You can also stay on the property if you desire. We almost did, but I knew we'd never make it to downtown Napier (about 15 minutes away) in our one night stay.

We truly loved Napier! 1 night was not nearly long enough. It might not be a glacier, mountain or volcano... but it's truly a beautiful, charming place! Put it on your list if you have the chance :)

Have you ever been to Napier or Hawke's Bay? Am I the only one obsessed?
xo