Wanderlust Wednesday: 2015 Travel Bucket List

I've always got the next trip on the brain. While we don't *officially* have anything booked for 2015, I'm already dreaming up where we'll go next (Poor Matt... but hey, he knew this about me when he married me!!!). Here are the places I'm wanderlusting after for 2015.

New Zealand

Full disclosure - this trip is practically booked. Thanks to my husband's former life in touring & some built up American miles... we're scoring this trip for next to nothing. While normal AA reward flights aren't worth the miles you put up, they're surprisingly affordable to NZ. Not to mention the low amount of taxes (less than $100 per person) makes this a no brainer. PLUS, my best friend, Ashley, will be living & working there for several months starting in February! Stay tuned as she will be guest blogging on her experience on making the decision, living in another country, and so on.

via

Maine

I've never been.... and I'm dying to go! I just want to wear nautical sweaters & eat lobster. Is that so much to ask for? It just looks like a true New England dream land; rustic cabins, adorable local shops, lighthouses, rocky beaches & more! I'm thinking late Spring... perhaps May. Have you ever been? I'd love tips & insight, because I'm mainly thinking about the sweater opportunities. I saw read this article last year about Maine and have been dreaming about it ever since.

via

Charleston, SC

If Maine is the New England preppy dream, then Charleston is the Southern Belle fantasy. I've visited Savannah just once, and it was so beautiful & charming! I've heard Charleston is similar in some ways, and from photos & stories I've seen, I have no doubt I would love to go there. From what I hear, the food scene is pretty great, so I look forward to eating my way around town.

via

Iceland

With the development that WOW Airlines has $99 one way flights to Iceland.... it may have opened up some time & budget for us to get to that beautiful arctic tundra. Matt was able to go in 2012 & he is obsessed, and would love to take me. I, of course, will not object to new adventures. I heard it's almost sensory overload, but it looks magical.

(via Matt)

Asheville, NC

I almost have no excuse... but how have we NOT been here?! It's a 5 hour drive... seriously, no excuse. 2015 WILL include Asheville. There's wine tasting at the Biltmore, beautiful hikes, cabins & what seems like quirky towns to explore. Count me in.

via

London

Ok, so this isn't quite bucket list because I've lived, studied abroad, and visited several other times, however, I haven't been to London since 2011! And the fact that Matt has never been... I'd really love to show him my old stomping grounds. It was my first love, so I'm sure it will always be my favorite city. I could spend hours wandering around & be perfectly content. Maybe we'll get back there this year.

(via me)

...and of course, everywhere else in the world. I am still dreaming of Croatia, Portugal, Pacific Islands, Australia, Thailand, Whistler, Grand Canyon, Costa Rica, Cuba, Norway, Turks & Caicos, San Diego, Portland, Austin, Duluth, Traverse City, and all the other favorites like LA, NYC, Chicago, South Florida, Seattle & more...

Yes, I have a problem. But hey - work hard, play hard. This is how I play.

Do you have any trips planned for 2015? Have you been to any of these places? I'd love your insight!

xo

Wine Destinations in the United States

I'm a HUGE fan of wine. 

A personal favorite form our local winery, Arrington Vineyards.

Although red wine was an "acquired taste" for many, I started drinking it almost immediately. I'm guessing it has something to do with my grandfather sneaking me sips as a kid. We're Italian - what did you expect?

Anyway, one of my favorite things to do is go WINE TASTING! It's such a fun way to explore an area and enjoy a beverage at the same time :)

We are traveling to Italy in a few weeks and I can hardly contain myself thinking about all of the new, delicious, local wine I'm going to consume -- especially in Tuscany!

Can't get to Tuscany? No problem. These are so many amazing wine destinations in the good ol' USA. Here are four:

Ithaca/Finger Lakes, NY

The view from Ventosa Vineyards back patio where you can have lunch. I suggest the 2010 Pinot Noir.

I was in the Ithaca area for work in June & August, and it's just gorgeous; there are several huge, long lakes (which is where they get their name, Finger Lakes) with wineries scattered around them. They also happen to have wonderful dairy farms.... can you say wine & cheese party?

Napa Valley, CA

enjoying the lawn outside of V. Sattui Winery

This might be a given, but you'd be surprised how many people think good wine only comes from Italy. You can make this a day trip from San Francisco or Sacramento.... and I'd highly suggest it! It's beautiful and there are so many wineries to choose from. I am dying to go back to Napa, it's been years. I remember loving V. Sattui & the Coppola Winery, but here is a comprehensive list from Food & Wine on the best wineries in Napa since it's been a while for me :)

Lake Chelan, WA

view from Benson Winery

If you missed my post about how much I loved Chelan (OR what to pack for a weekend there), check them out. If you don't feel like clicking more things, just take my word for it - you'll love Chelan. A quick 3hr jaunt from Seattle, this unassuming wine country is about as idyllic as it comes; hillside vineyards with sweeping views of the cozy lake town. Personal favorites were Karma & Benson.

Traverse City, MI

I've been told by several friends that I need to visit Michigan. Confession: I've never been in the state, with the exception of the Detroit airport. I'd really like to remedy that by visiting the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail. It looks amazing! While I can't personally vouch for this area, I am confident it won't disappoint. After all, people from Michigan are obsessed with it, so I'm sure I'll love it, too! More on the LP Wine Trail here.

There are also many stand alone wineries across the USA that are really awesome, like Arrington Vineyards in the Nashville area :) 

Have you ever been to these areas? Do you like wine tasting? Is there another wino location I need to know about?! Share below!

xo

Travel Diary: 10 Days in Seattle

I'm falling in love with the PNW a little more each time I visit. I've also realized I've spent over 3 weeks there in the last calendar year... wow!

a photo from my trip in January

This time I was able to go out for a bachelorette weekend followed by the wedding... with a lot of time spent with friends in between!

10 Days in Seattle held a lot of activities for me:
Bachelorette weekend at Lake Chelan (Dinner, drinks, wine tasting, laying out, lounging in the cabin, shopping, travel days)
Down time in Seattle (Dinner, coffee, working, shopping, exploring, working out)
Wedding Festivities (Rehearsal dinner, doing the bridal party's hair, wedding ceremony & reception)

Here's how I packed (not pictured: 1 set of work out clothes, 1 set pj pants & tank, 2 earrings, 2 necklaces)

Little Mistress strapless dress, $105 / Topshop black cocktail dress, $56 / Skater dress / Nicole Miller dress, $710 / American Eagle Outfitters blue shirt / MANGO long sleeve sweater, $16 / Abercrombie Fitch white tank top / Alice Olivia sleeveless shirt / T By Alexander Wang white tank top / American Eagle Outfitters black jacket / Jacket / Flower kimono / MICHAEL Michael Kors blue jeans / H&M chino shorts, $8.16 / Bandeau bikini top / Swim suit / Restricted ballet shoes / Madden Girl wedge shoes / Wedge shoes, $115 / MICHAEL Michael Kors leather purse / Ulster Weavers canvas purse, $24 / Michael Kors leather handbag / Michael Stars hat / Phase Eight wrap shawl, $46 / Lightweight scarve, $20 / H M waist belt, $21 / Yves Saint Laurent round glasses

4 tops
2 bottoms
4 dresses
4 outerwear/sweater
2 scarves
3 shoes
3 bags
bathing suit, hat, belt, sunglasses

I'll get into the outfit combos in an upcoming post! Let's just say this is a great set of clothes to work with.... the possibilities are pretty endless.

The first three days were the bachelorette party in Lake Chelan. It was so so so much fun! Another upcoming post. 10 days is so hard to write about in a concise manner :)

Between the girls weekend in Chelan & Matt arriving (he came about 6 days after I did), I stayed with my friend Cait in her apartment in Madison Park.

The view was amazing... and so was the weather! We had that sliding door open 24/7. It was awesome. Plus, Madison Park is adorable! There are tons of little shops and restaurant, and even their Starbucks is cute - it feels like a big ski lodge.

Some fun activities for the week:
- I went to Orange Theory with Cait in Capitol Hill - i've never tried that workout before, have you? It's a 60 minute "class" where you spend half the time doing weight/strength circuits and half the time on the treadmill doing bursts, intermixed with rowing (for recovery). It was tough work but fun! Because you're constantly rotating, the time went really quickly. I'd definitely go again!

- Sitka & Spruce is a restaurant I've wanted to try (as I've been to two of their other concepts - London Plane & Bar Sajour in Pioneer Square) and it definitely impressed me. 

we sat right next to the "kitchen" in the open concept

the menu.... everything was divine!

Everything on the menu was delicious and perfectly prepared, the staff was friendly & knowledgeable (i love when wine recommendations are spot on!) and the atmosphere can not be beat. There are only about 30 spots in the whole restaurant, and it's definitely a leisurely dining experience. Lucky for us, we walked in around 6pm on a Wednesday, but I would recommend reservations if you're really interested in going (especially on the weekend). Oh and I don't care if you're Paleo or Gluten Free (those with Celiac, you get a free pass because I don't actually want to cause you harm) -you NEED to get the London Plane bread. It's worth every cheat day you've ever dreamed of.

- Victrola Coffee Roasters is a coffee shop in Capital Hill that I just loved! Big open windows & tables, great coffee (no drip - large batch french press), free wifi & cool vibe.

It was such a great week with Cait. And her new apartment is amazing!

The wedding was SO MUCH FUN! I was able to do the bride's hair and she looked gorgeous. What do you think?

I'm definitely not a pro... but it's so fun!

Here are a few snaps from the wedding.

On the dance floor with Cait!

My date showed up! 

#TheLondonSemester
Also, i promise that's not a baby bump I've got going on. My dress has pockets and it was opening at an unfortunate time! 

Once Matt arrived, stayed in this AirBNB apartment (more on AirBNB in Seattle, here!) in the Wallingford area, and we absolutely LOVED it! Here are a few pics I borrowed from their listing (it is even more gorgeous in person! Great spot!)

We were obsessed. Bigger than most 1br apartments, and we stayed 3 nights for less than the price of 1 night in a Seattle hotel. We LOVE AirBNB!

Some spots we hit up:
- Zoka Coffee (Greenlake) was about two blocks from our apartment so I walked there to pick up coffee for Matt and I. What a gorgeous walk! And Zoka was buzzing with cute families & puppies on a Saturday morning. I also was able to go to the Zoka in University District with Cait! Try the lavender mocha. 

- Oddfellows Cafe was somewhere I passed by on the bus and decided to look up on Yelp. Turns out, it's a Seattle favorite of many. Awesome vibe & even better food!

inside

We sat at that little table on the back patio... so cozy! Plus the weather was gorgeous that day... definitely doesn't hurt! Definitely try the Baked Eggs... they're amazing! 

- Discovery Park is NW of the city center and feels totally removed. We laid in the grass and enjoyed the sunshine... I could have stayed there forever!

The park is right on the water. Isn't it terrible how much it rains here? Aren't all of my photos gloomy and terrible? This rain business is a LIE.

- We lucked out and Cait's friends were going Boating on Lake Goodwin one afternoon. Again.... gloomy and terrible.

Matt went wake boarding and got some good jumps (not pictured: him being sore for 4 days after haha!) - it was fun!

- Taste of India for dinner with Sharyn & Bryan. Get the Channa Masala!

- Portage Bay Cafe for Brunch. This is our 3rd time eating here.... and it won't be our last.

- Driving around Alki Beach area in West Seattle. It's a cute little beach town! Who would have thought that existed in the PNW?

- Cafe Flora for dinner. This vegetarian restaurant would please even the most carnivorous carnivore. Everything is INSANELY DELICIOUS. I wish I lived down the street, I'd stop cooking and just eat here. We went here for the first time for Sharyn's rehearsal dinner and I've dreamed about it ever since. Try the Beet Gnocchi!

And of course, I'm dying to go back! It was 65 and sunny every day, filled with friends & good coffee. I absolutely love it out there. Looking for an excuse to go back out....

Do you have any must-try restaurants, coffee or activities in Seattle? I have a few more here if you want to check it out!

Stay tuned to how I used my packing list & for the details on Lake Chelan!

Americana Inspired Vacations for the 4th of July (or anytime)

I LOVE the 4th of July - it reminds me of being a kid :) Sparklers on the beach in my american flag bathing suit.... those were the days. There's also something whimsical about places that are "quintessentially American". These are typically old money/preppy towns (like Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod), but I think there are more options than you might think.

In honor of America's 238th birthday, let's take it back to the 13 original Colonies. Here are some gorgeous places on the East Coast that I LOVE visiting or am DYING to visit! There are so many amazing places you can go to and you don't even need a passport and just scream 'MERICA (in a the best way possible).

Grab your pullover & loafers, and let's see this country.

Maine
New England's crown jewel is #1 on my list right now. I've never been to most of the NE states, but I'd really like to. I want to eat lobster in my nautical sweaters and search for lighthouses. Maybe stay IN a lighthouse? A girl can dream :)

I saw this spread in Condé Nast Traveler and it just reminded me why I want to go there.

Finger Lakes, NY

My mom is from Upstate New York. I've always wondered why Upstate New York was used as a phrase for the 99% of the state that isn't MANHATTAN. New York State is huge! With that being said, I've been to the Buffalo/Niagara area a few times, but nowhere else "Upstate". I recently went to Ithaca, NY for a scouting trip and have fallen in love! There are a few long lakes called the Finger Lakes, and the area is crawling with charming farm towns, wineries, and creameries (hello, wine & cheese heaven!)... not to mention that Ithaca is the home to Cornell University, arguably one of the most beautiful college campus I've ever seen. And there's a WATERFALL a half mile from campus. Get yourself a B&B and go wine tasting for the weekend.

Waterfront restaurant in Ithaca

                             one of the many waterfalls                            Downtown Ithaca, crawling with cute cafe's

Savannah, GA

I'd dreamed of going to Savannah for years, and finally made my way there a couple of years ago. It's extremely charming, full of history, and beautiful as could be. There are ghost tours (my favorite) to accompany the extensive history, dozens of cute restaurants and shops line the cobble stone streets, and plenty to do no matter what your travel style is. I can't wait to go back, and eat here.

I'll be celebrating the 4th in good ole' Tennessee this year, followed by a month on my favorite beach (working holiday, if you will). I can't wait! Where are you celebrating America's Birthday?

Have you ever been to these places? Would you go back? Where else is on your list of Americana Quaint towns?

Save Money on Round Trip Flights by Booking One-Way's Instead

When I started traveling (I was 15 going to visit my boyfriend ;), a one-way flight was a HUGE cost. I could never figure out why it wasn't half of the cost of the flight. Now, with airlines like Southwest, Allegiant, and Frontier, it's more common to pick your times and pick your price.

However, when traveling on larger airlines, I always like to check the one-way to round trip ratio - JUST incase.

I'm in a wedding in Seattle in April, and going out early for the bachelorette party. I'll be flying April 10-20 and Matt will join me towards the end for the actual wedding. A few months ago when I looked, flights were around $250 round trip (GREAT for Seattle), but it was early out, so i waited.

Wrong. Move.

Round Trip Flights from Nashville to Seattle April 10-20

Checking in this week, flights were $405 MINIMUM for undesirable departure times or several layovers on the basics like Delta, American, United, etc. Woof. I know sometimes you don't get everything you want, but it seems awful to overpay for no convenience?!

After checking Frontier, and seeing almost a $75 price difference ($330, much better!) - $150 there, $180 back - I thought I would see my options of booking two one-ways on the larger airlines, or perhaps only one Frontier flight (they're kinda my least favorite. No water or anything!)

It takes an extra minute to search again, but it can be so worth it! Low and behold, there was major money to be saved.

TO SEATTLE - $130

FROM SEATTLE - $132

That takes me $404.05 flight down to $262.02.... Saving me $142.40. Essentially paying for all of mine and half of Matt's flight! I'll take it! Or as a couple, we saved almost $300 on our trip. That's quite a large chunk of money!

So next time you're booking travel - just for kicks - try it out. It might save you some money, it might not. But it's totally worth looking!

Have you ever booked two one-way flights instead of a round trip? Any tricks to saving money on airlines?

xo

PS - I always book directly through the airline! But Expedia is a great way to see most of your major airlines in one spot. Once you've found a good price, head to the airline's website to complete your booking. Prices are always the same, and if it's not, call the airline! They'll be happy to honor that price!

How to Budget Travel Into Your Lifestyle: Part I

If there's one question I've been asked over and over, it's "how do you travel so much?" quickly followed by things like "It's so expensive" and "I wish I could do that"

Well guess what - YOU CAN! All it takes is deciding what is more important: a new shirt for $50 - or knowing that's 1/4 of your flight to Seattle.

via

Full disclosure on financials for this. I will give you an idea of my budget and how I made it work. It's about budgeting your essentials, and then deciding what's most important to you.

When I was 24 I was working at my first job, and after my raise, I was making $35,000/year. After taxes, this came to about $2700/month.

This is about what I was budgeting a month. Of course there's always the things you forget about, but I'm $100 under budget, and that's also what misc expenses are for. I also always budget extra into my 'gas' budget, for things like your registration, burnt out break lights, and oil changes.

My rent was rather low, but to make up for it, I was making double car payments ($300x2) so I could pay my car off early. Once that was done, I planned on taking that extra $300 a month to place towards student loans. Budgeting means taking care of responsibilities and debt first.

What you might notice is low is my "fun" budgets - $150 for eating out, for example. At approximately $15/meal with tax and tip, puts me at 10 outings a month (or 2 per week and a couple left over). This is more than enough to accommodate girls nights, coffee stops here and there, so-and-so's birthday, brunch on Saturdays with my roommate. There is absolutely no reason no eat out every night unless you don't have a kitchen. And even then, you can get a hot plate. It's one of the biggest money vacuums to a young budgeter - don't fall for the trap! Save your restaurant excursions for special occasions and being social. Skip the table for 1 or the close relationship with the local pizza delivery guy.

A small experiment - let's say every dinner costs $15 with tip. Every "quick, cheap" lunch costs $6, and every coffee you stop for is $3. If you do each of these things 3 days a week (very easy to do if you aren't paying attention!) you're looking at an average cost of $72 per week, or just under $300 per month. Check your eating out habits, and start saving to eat out when you're in Chicago instead.

Another thing that's low is my "others" category: mani/pedi's, movies, buying clothes. I would limit myself to 1 movies a month in the theater, and 1 mani/pedi every 2 months. A bottle of nail polish costs $8, and $35 saved is a 1/5 of a plane ticket.

Now clothes. Ohhhhh clothes. I'm a girl. I love them. But there are more important things in life! This doesn't mean I never buy any - it just means I play it right. I wait for sales, scope out TJ Maxx, and save my $50 budget from this month, so next month I have $100 to play with :) It's much more satisfying, and I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.

Giving myself this budget allows me to fly 8-10 times a year, visiting friends and places all over the US. I'd also like to add that I took a few babysitting jobs a month - between 1-3 per months - and put that cash directly into a box labeled TRAVEL FUND. This is how I managed to visit Europe three years in a row. $50-100 per babysitting job, I was pulling in about $2k per year of unexpected cash. This could easily be done with a 1 day a week night job at a coffee shop, or doing retail floor sets. If you work one, 5 hours shift a week at $8/hr, you'll earn $2000 before taxes. Now where did you want to go again?

If you find yourself thinking you have no room in your budget, I'd challenge you to do this. Take your debit/credit card statement from last month and get a few colors of highlighters. Highlight anything like in spending (i.e., all coffee, or all take out/eat in food, all clothes shopping). You'll be shocked what you're spending! I did this with my coffee habit fresh out of college, and realized I was buying 1-2 coffees every single day - putting my bill at almost $200 a month! For that, I could have purchased a fancy espresso machine. I put myself on a budget of 2x a week, for more like $25 per month, and enjoyed my new extra $175 to buy myself a plane ticket.

via

Budgeting travel is all about taking all of your "extras" and deciding if they're worth it. Let's say you want to take a trip to New York with your girlfriends.
Flight: $200
3 days of meals: $150
Drinks+Coffee: $75
Broadway Show: $100
Hotel split 4 ways: $225pp
Weekend Metro Card: $25
Misc Spending: $50
Trip total: $800

Luxuries You Want:
iPhone 5s came out (you still have a 4s) = $200
Monthly Mani/Pedi $600/year (at $50 per session, including tip)
Never Packing Yourself a Lunch $1560/year (at $6/day, 5 days a week for 52 weeks)

Deciding if they're worth it?: 
Stick with your 4s for another 6 months, and your flight is paid for. $200 saved
Take cut your spa days to every 2 months instead, and pay for your hotel & drinks/coffee $300 saved
Decided to pack your lunch MWF every week, with leftovers, or batch cooked meals (very affordable) - even if you spend $50 extra on groceries a month, you'll have enough money to pay for your drinks, food, coffee, souvenirs, metro card, broadway show, and still have $275 extra to put towards your next trip. $650 saved

It's a matter of priorities. If new technology is on the top of your list, then go for the iPhone. If seeing old friends and new places ranks higher, stick with the ghetto phone as long as you can (I got an iPhone when the 4s came out - and I still have it), and enjoy texting slightly lesser quality photos to your friends stuck at home.

Do you have any budget tips or tricks? Where would you like to save up to go?
xo

Wanderlust Wednesday: Seattle, WA

Happy New Year to all! Now that you're one week in, do you still have a resolution? :)

I didn't really make any this year, but in the back of my mind I want to
- continually make  healthier choices
- travel more
- save more money
- finish fixing up this HOUSE

Hopefully I keep up with the first one... and the other three seem to happen easier for me ;)

Now to channel my second hope for my year, I've got a trip to Seattle happening this weekend. Long story short, but the original reasons for the trip are no longer existent, but my ticket was non refundable.... so Seattle, here I come!

This will be my second trip ever to Seattle, and I get to go again in April to assist Sharyn in getting MARRIED, and i'm so glad I can go twice in a short period of time! Because I freaking love it there.

Some places I'd highly recommend:

Using AirBNB.com - We stayed here and it was the best decision. It was about 7 blocks from Pikes Market and right by a major bus line. Not to mention we had a 2br condo for half the price of a 200 sq foot hotel room! Holler.

Portage Bay Cafe - Delicious brunch. They even have a 'toppings bar' full of fresh berries and other treats if you order french toast or pancakes.

Chocolati - Cute little coffee shop/chocolate shop in the Wallingford area.

Bauhaus Books and Coffee - Near downtown Seattle, good coffee, but awesome vibe. Has a wall full of books. I loved it.

Skillet Diner - Definitely not your mamas diner. The atmosphere was perfect and the food was divine. In the Ballard area.

Ferry to Bainbridge Island - it's really inexpensive and a nice 30 minute trip. Bainbridge Island is this cute small town with a bunch of wonderful shops and restaurants. We ate here and had ice cream here. Going there was one of my favorite nights of our trip!

Hiking Poo Poo Point - Besides it's funny name, Poo Poo Point is one of the best views i've ever seen - you can clearly see Mt. Reiner and it's beautiful. It's located in Issaquah, about 30 minutes from Seattle. The trail is moderate (a few steep points for this Florida girl, but nothing you can't handle!) Probably about a 3 hour round trip hike. On our way out, we stopped at the Issaquah Brewhouse, which is a Rogue brewery, which was a lot of fun. And well deserved after our hike!


This time, I know a few things we'll be doing:

Snowboarding at Crystal Mountain - Now let's review... I'm not very good. But it's fun! And I got my very own snowboard for Christmas from my wonderful husband :)

apparently she's a good one. i'll let ya know. via Forum

Dinner at Radiator Whisky for Traci's Birthday - this place looks AMAZING. Grilled Goat Cheese and Tomato Jam sandwich is looking like the winner... plus one of their signature cocktails, please.

Planning Sharyn's Bachlorette weekend in Victoria, BC! This i'm super excited about, because I've had BC on my list for a while now. From what I hear, it's amazing. So i'm pumped.

Drinking more coffee than I could imagine - which is fine with me, because I LOVE IT! I'd like to try here, here, and here (looks like fun!).

Have you been to Seattle? Any tips to offer? Also taking any tips from experienced visitors to Victoria, BC! xo