What better way to spend turning another year older than to celebrate in a new city with your best friend? Even if only for less than 48 hours. Shelby and I had planned to spend a long weekend in DC over Labor Day because we found super cheap flights, but plans changed when I was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor in July and my surgery was scheduled for the Thursday of that weekend. Check out my facebook or instagram if this totally just caught you off guard. Trust me, it caught me off guard too.
We quickly adjusted our plans less than three weeks before our trip, and booked tickets to travel the weekend before my surgery. At first, I was worried that I might be too sad and would just want to hide under a rock that weekend, but it actually gave me something to look forward to and kept my mind off what would be happening four days after our trip, and my 26th birthday.
There are three airports near the DC area, but I recommend flying into DCA as it is less than 15 minutes from the heart of the city center. If you fly into IAD or BWI, it will be an expensive 50+ minute Uber ride into the city. You can probably save money by taking a bus or the metro, but since we were in town for less than 48 hours, I didn’t want to lose any time.
We stayed at District Hotel in Logan’s Circle. For us, this was the perfect pick! It is not the showiest place, but it was a cheap room ($74/night) that had everything we needed. The location was ideal, as it was less than a block from the hustle and bustle of the endless bars and restaurants offered on 14th Street, and it was also walking distance (less than a mile) to The White House and National Mall (NOT a shopping mall, read about it!).
Shelby’s flight from Detroit landed a few hours before mine, and I wasn’t due into DCA until after 10pm Friday night. So, for our first night I met her at the hotel to drop my bags and we walked a few blocks to Barcelona Wine Bar, where we had arranged 11pm dinner reservations. In some cities, reservations might not be necessary for that time of night but Barcelona was packed and I was too glad we had called ahead. We were seated at a booth in the back room and I loved the atmosphere from the moment we arrived.
We caught up on the 8 months since we had last seen each other and shared several tapas plates; mussels, croquettes, and prawns. As we were about to settle our tab and head to our hotel for the night, our waiter noticed the gift Shelby had given me and asked if it was my birthday. He quickly came back to our table holding a chocolate dessert decorated with a birthday candle. I made a wish and we quickly devoured the deliciousness of what he had just placed on our table.
Prawns at Barcelona
The next morning we woke early, excited to tackle a full day in the city. We headed up 14th Street to The Wydown, a cute little coffee shop where I had a fantastic cardamon pear muffin to tide me over before our yoga session across the street at Lululemon. The Lululemon on 14th Street opens their doors to the public every Saturday morning for a free 50-minute class. They even provide mats, so if you’re traveling light like we were, there is no reason not to go!
Taking a yoga class has become one of my favorite things to do when I travel. It is a great way to get centered in a new place before a busy day on my feet and also a great way to gain exposure to different styles of yoga.
Afterwards, we headed straight to brunch at Le Diplomate, which had the most charming atmosphere of any restaurant we visited on the trip. Their food is excellent, too! There is both indoor and outdoor seating, and every inch tastefully resembles a French cafe.
We each ordered a latte and then split the Avocado Toast and Warm Shrimp Salad since we were in the mood for something light (after the fried croquettes and chocolate cake from the night before). We were pleasantly surprised when our server brought us a basket of assorted breads baked in-house to start our meal. I LOVE bread.
It was about a 20-minute walk from Le Diplomate to the National Mall where we spent the remainder of our day sightseeing. We started at The White House and then the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the Vietnam and Korean War Veterans Memorials. All the while, we used The Washington Monument as our compass, as it can be seen from almost every other sight in the mall. Unfortunately, the monument was closed for repairs when we visited but it just opened back up in mid-September and I have heard from the top it has the best views over DC!
White House selfie!Lincoln MemorialLincoln MemorialWashington Monument view from the Lincoln MemorialMLK Jr. Memorial
After seeing most of the outdoor sights (they seemed to be endless), we headed into the US Holocaust Museum. We planned to only stay here an hour or so but quickly realized that with everything to see there, we could have spent a whole day at the museum! The exhibits are so moving. After almost three hours, we came up for air and back out into the outdoors. We were absolutely starving and in need of a pick-me-up after our time inside the dark museum, so we headed to China Chilcano for a late lunch.
China Chilcano’s menu is a Peruvian/Asian fusion and was our favorite meal of the trip! Although it is a bit on the pricey side, I seriously cannot recommend this place enough. We shared the Ceviche de Pulpo, Salmon Sashimi, the HaKao and Xiao Long Bao Dim Sum, and the Sudado de Pescado Nikkei soup. We enjoyed the Torta de Chocolate as our grand finale. It was all amazing.
Ceviche de PulpoSalmon SashimiXiao Long BaoTorta de Chocolate
We walked back to our hotel, stumbling across Chinatown on our way. We relaxed at our hotel for an hour or so before deciding to head over to Dacha Beer Garden in the Shaw Neighborhood. It was almost a mile away and our feet were pretty tired from the day, so we decided to rent Spin scooters. Community scooters are pretty controversial in some cities, but I just love them! I don’t typically use them in Tampa since I commute on my bike, but they are so fun to use once in a while and are SUPER convenient since you can pick them up and drop them off anywhere within the city. If you haven’t used them yet, use promo code AMANDAMIKOLAJCZYK to get your first free ride.
Chinatown’s Friendship Archway
The beer garden was the perfect vibe for what we were looking for and although it was packed, we were able to get the last open table. We wanted to be in a fun atmosphere, but also a chill one so we would have a chance to catch up without yelling over the music somewhere. Unfortunately, I wasn’t drinking because of my surgery so I can’t speak to their beers, but they make a really tasty Cabrito Poutine if you’re in the mood for a savory bar bite like we were!
On Sunday, our last morning in DC and also MY BIRTHDAY, we took an Uber over to Georgetown. We grabbed coffee at Saxbys Coffee on O Street, where there was literally a line out the door and we could smell the coffee brewing from a few blocks away.
We walked some of the historic campus at Georgetown University and strolled along the Potomac River and Georgetown Waterfront Park. If I hadn’t already fallen in love with this city, the picturesque sights of Georgetown would have certainly sealed the deal with its cobblestone streets and riverside promenade.
The streets of Georgetown have my heart!Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown Waterfront (Virginia is on the other side of that river)
We stopped in to Georgetown Cupcake, which is apparently famous. I didn’t know this until Shelby told me, but Georgetown Cupcake is the location behind the show DC Cupcakes on TLC. The location is sort of a tourist trap, but at least they can make an amazing red velvet cupcake! They also always give a free cupcake of the day to anyone who asks.
As if we hadn’t treated our sweet tooth enough on this trip, we stopped into Ladurée for some authentic French macaroons. I ate the best pistachio macaroon I have ever had, and bought a few more to bring home to Jeremy.
Unfortunately, by this time it was time for us to call an Uber and head to the airport to go our separate ways. This was my second birthday in a row where Shelby and I ventured to a new city together and I treasure these trips so much! I am incredibly lucky to have a bold and adventurous best friend to make memories in new and old places with.
*I would recommend spending at least 3 full days in DC to be able to see more of what the beautiful and well-maintained city has to offer. Did I mention the museums are free?! I also would have liked to venture over to Arlington for a day trip. I guess that just means I’ll have to visit again! 😉
It is hard to believe a month has already passes since our trip to Belize, but I am excited to document our adventures here to preserve the memories! Our trip started on the last Friday in June when we woke up at 3:30am to our phones buzzing with alerts from American Airlines – our flight from Tampa had been delayed five hours and we would miss our connecting flight in Miami. We were pretty groggy but quickly called American to see if there was another flight we could get on, but there wasn’t. We acted quick and in less than 15 minutes, we had gotten dressed, called a Lyft, and booked a rental car to drive four hours from Tampa to Miami. A solution that, at best, would get us to the airport two hours before our flight would depart to Belize.
When we got the the Tampa airport to pick up our rental from Avis, there wasn’t a representative at the counter. After a bit of back and forth, we made another quick decision to cancel our original rental with Avis, and book with Alamo instead since they had someone available to help us. In less than 10 minutes we had the keys in hand with no time to spare. We hoped for a miracle that we would somehow miss Miami traffic during rush hour. Four tired and hungry hours of convincing ourselves we didn’t need to pull over for a bathroom break, but eventually taking a hurried bathroom and gas stop, we made it to MIA about an hour before our flight boarded! Thankfully neither of us checked bags and the security line was moving along pretty nicely.
Our plan could have ended badly had we missed that connecting flight and had to delay our trip by a day or two, but everything worked out perfectly and next thing we knew, we were wheels up.
Caye Caulker
The flight was just over two hours and went by quickly. As soon as our plane landed, we took a taxi from the airport to catch the Belize Express ferry from Belize City to Caye Caulker island. We spent two nights on the island at Sophie’s Guest Rooms. Completely unintentionally, we arrived in Caye Caulker just in time for the annual Lobster Fest celebrations and the small island was buzzing with tourists and locals walking the sandy streets, Belikin beer in hand. We instantly loved the laid-back vibes and fact that there are no cars on the island. The islands and coast of Belize feel more like the laid-back Caribbean than Central America and the motto in Caye Caulker is “go slow”.
We checked in to Sophie’s and immediately went for a swim at the small beach directly in front of the guest house. Afterwards we walked the main strip and it was pretty easy to agree on fresh lobster for dinner. There were several vendors lining the streets that let you hand pick a lobster and then grill it right in front of you! We did exactly that and sat down to enjoy our lobster meal with a few Belikin beers on the water for less than $20. Belikin’s are basically the go-to drink anywhere you go in Belize and places don’t really serve water; you have to drink these things just to keep hydrated, I swear! For dessert, we grabbed a bag of mango from a street vendor for $2BZ, which we soon learned was a common way to sell this popular snack across the entire country. We must have bought almost a bag a day on our trip.
We stopped at Sip N’ Dip Beach Bar for a Pina Colada before calling it an early night. Sip N’ Dip is cool because the bar is built on top of a long dock over the water with tubes, hammocks, and picnic tables in the water for you to sit in while you drink. This is definitely one of the more popular daytime spots on the island for partiers. Before retreating to the hammock at Sophie’s for the evening, we did some exploring off the beaten path and it was interesting to see where the locals lived. We also enjoyed relaxing on a dock away from the crowds just listening to the waves crash.
The next day we woke up to find most of the small island had lost power due to so many people being on the island for Lobster Fest. We went for a 3 mile run around the island, which pretty much took us from one end to the other, and then cooled off with a dip in the ocean before taking a shower from the rain water reserve at Sophie’s (we ran out of regular water mid-shower due to the power loss).
Afterwards, we had some incredible FRESH watermelon juice and enjoyed our breakfast from the homestyle kitchen at Amor y Cafe. Fresh juice in Belize is nothing like in the states. They make the juices to order and are often pulpy, always delicious.
As we headed towards Caveman Snorkeling Tours to start our day on the water, we could see some storm clouds moving in and knew it would definitely be a day full of adventure. We lucked out and had an awesome guide who knew so much about the local marine life. For $35US, we snorkeled through various corals with manatees, nurse sharks, huge stingrays, and tons of other colorful fishes. The guides also provided us with water and fresh fruit. Our boat motor flooded at our last snorkel spot of the day and we thought we were going to be stranded in a huge storm as we could see lightning in the distance and it started to rain on us. Thankfully, after about 20 minutes our guide was able to get the boat started and get us back to shore!
After getting dry, we enjoyed our dinner at Bambooze with swings for seats at our table and ocean views while we ate. I had an aggressively large chicken quesadilla and Jeremy had a whole fish with some rice and beans. I think we ate Marie Sharps hot sauce with every meal not only because it is a Belize product and everywhere, but it is SO good. We planned to order some online as soon as we got back in the states…we haven’t yet but we will soon!
Afterwards, we explored the small island and some of the social spots like Lazy Lizard which is right on “The Split,” a small channel created when Hurricane Hattie hit in 1961 and divided the island. The island on the other side of The Split is uninhabited and made mostly of mangroves. The Lazy Lizard is a bit of a party spot, but you can just swim or relax and drink cocktails in the water like we did.
We took one of the first ferry’s off the island the next morning and headed back to mainland Belize. From the ferry, we took an incredibly sketchy cab ride back to the airport to pick up our rental car. Our cab driver started the drive by telling us about when he was in the old prison in downtown Belize City in the 80’s. At one point of the drive he also stopped the car in the middle of the road to give something from his trunk, where our suitcases were, to someone we drove by on the street. He clearly knew the person, but we had no idea what was going on and were a bit uncomfortable. We later realized we had nothing to worry about, but it probably wouldn’t hurt to make sure we knew the emergency number to call in Belize in case we got in a sticky situation.
Mountain Pine Ridge/El Progresso
We spent the next two nights in the Mountain Pine Ridge area at an Airbnb in El Progresso, Checo Hill Farm. El Progresso is in the middle of absolute nowhere and about 45 minutes from San Ignacio, the main city in the Cayo District near the border of Guatemala. We bottomed out our rental, a Kia Soul, several times down the rocky dirt road coming into El Progresso but let me tell you, it was certainly worth it once we got there! Our host recommended to us the best places to go in Mountain Pine Ridge like the Rio on Pools, Big Rock Falls, and Xunantunich mayan ruins. She also gave us a tour of their organic farm to learn about the fruits and spices they grow, and took us to the top of Checo Hill, which is only a 10 minute hike through their property with 360 views overlooking all of El Progresso.
Since Checo Hill is off the grid, the farm relies on solar power and we had to conserve energy while we were there. Our first day there we enjoyed doing nothing and making dinner with the limited supplies available at the only shop in El Progresso. It was nice to relax in the guesthouse with the sounds of jungle and birds all around us and finally be able to start to disconnect from the rest of the world, or so it felt like.
The next morning, we went for a brutal run that was all downhill one way, and all uphill on the way back. This Florida girl is used to running on flat ground in low elevation, so that uphill climb about killed me! But it still felt good to get moving. After we enjoyed a breakfast prepared by our host with fruits from the farm, we set off for a day of exploring Rio on Pools and Big Rock Falls inside the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve.
Both sights absolutely shattered our expectations and were too incredible to even put into words. Rio on Pools are a long chain of cascading waterfalls in the middle of the forest with at least 100 different natural swimming holes. We could have easily spent a day here exploring and relaxing in the falls. Both sights are also free! You don’t even pay an entrance fee when you enter the reserve.
Big Rock Falls was only about a 25-minute drive away and was slightly different, but just as amazing. The pools at Big Rock falls were bigger than most at Rio on Pools and so was the main fall, but the cascading pools of Rio on Pools cast their own wonder that is hard to compare anything else we saw on the trip to. And the best part, there were hardly any people at both spots! We had a pretty private trip over all, but we were still surprised every time we showed up and had these beautiful, untouched spots in nature either completely, or almost completely, to ourselves.
On our way back to El Progresso, we stopped at a roadside “restaurant” for some burritos and quesadillas. If you go to Belize you will see all these little roadside stops with families selling goods or services right out of their home. These hole in the wall places often have the best food and make for a fun experience. Everywhere we went served thick and fluffy handmade flour tortillas, and I was surprised that the norm for tortillas in Belize is flour and not corn. Regardless, they were amazing and much better than I have had in the states!
Our last morning in El Progresso, we climbed Checo Hill for the last time just after the sun came up. We saw about 15 wild parrots flying in the tree tops and I can honestly say I hadn’t experienced anything like that in my life. We drank in the muggy morning air and enjoyed our last few hours off the grid. Our host again prepared us a homemade breakfast with fruits, eggs, and vegetables from the farm that would tide us over for a day of adventure in San Ignacio.
San Ignacio
Our first stop was the San Ignacio Market downtown where there is something for everyone; locally grown fruits and vegetables galore, homemade quesadillas, fresh juice, clothes, and souvenirs. After we dropped our bags at our Airbnb, which was a small efficiency with a hammock on the screened in patio, we finally set out to explore the much anticipated Xunantunich mayan ruins! To get to the site, you have to drive your car across the Mopan River on a small hand-crank ferry. This was a first for me and a pretty unique experience that added another element of adventure to the day.
We only did two ruin sites on our trip, Xunantunich and Cahal Pech, but there are so many others to explore in Belize. Both sites charge entrance fees and if I remember correctly, it was only $5US or $10US each. Of the two we visited our first day in San Ignacio, Xunantunich was by far our favorite because if you climb to the top of the main temple, you get 360 views over the Belizean countryside, San Ignacio, and Guatemala! Once you’re at the top, it feels A LOT higher than it looks when you are on the ground looking up. Cool for us, by the time we made it to the top we were the only ones up there and got to enjoy the moment just the two of us. But be careful. This site is not like anything you will see or experience in the US and there are no railings at the top, or even for most of the climb up, to keep you from falling.
Since we had already driven our rental to Xunantunich, we decided to drive to Cahal Pech even though it is within walking distance of our Airbnb and the San Ignacio city center. Cahal Pech was a much different experience, as the sites are much lower and are all interconnected. It is worth noting that both sites are still being excavated so if we went back in a few years, there may be more to see.
We only spent one day in San Ignacio and for some reason, it felt like the hottest day on earth for us. It was also the first day of our trip where we had not submerged into water at some point throughout the day. Our Airbnb hosts had told us that the Cahal Pech Resort charged $10US to use their pool for the day and that it is one of the highest viewing points over San Ignacio.
Since we didn’t have anything else planned for the day, we stopped for a traditional Belizean lunch, with several Belikin’s to cool off with, and then got changed into our suits to relax in the resort’s pool until the sun went down. It was the perfect way to cap off our stay in San Ignacio. We caught the Brazil vs. Argentina Copa America semi-final fútbol game at a bar downtown. Jeremy was happy to enjoy some soccer time and I was happy to stuff my face with another homemade quesadilla.
A traditional Garifuna inspired mealAll this for $25.50US!
St. Herman’s Cave & Blue Hole
We took off early and stopped for breakfast in San Ignacio at a place called Pop’s that was recommended to us by locals the day before. I ate my weight in fry jack’s stuffed with eggs and chaya (the mayan spinach), and once again enjoyed some incredible fresh fruit.
Fry jacks!
We intended to bypass the cave and only explore the blue hole however, we did not know there are two entrances to St. Herman’s National Park and we arrived at the cave entrance first. The entrance fee was small ($8.00BZ/$4.00US) and covered both activities. The hike back to the cave was serene and less than a mile through the jungle. You can walk 200 yards into the cave without a guide, but I highly recommend bringing a headlamp because it is pitch black in there. If you stand still and listen, all you can hear is the soft noise of the river trickling beside you. The experience caught us by surprise and we were so glad we stopped!
Afterwards, we drove a few minutes to the next entrance of the park where we got ready to dip in the blue hole! Note: this is not the Great Blue Hole that is part of the Belize Barrier Reef, it is an inland swimming hole and cave system that gets its name from the blue color of the water. In case I forgot to mention this, all the water we swam in Belize (every waterfall, river, ocean, pool, and even the blue hole) was at least 80 degrees and felt beyond incredible! The blue-green water felt nothing short of mythical and we were in awe that we were once again, the only people there for the majority of our stay.
Jaguar Preserve
The drive from St. Herman’s Cave & Blue Hole to the Cockscomb Basin Jaguar Preserve was via bumpy dirt roads surrounded by lush jungly landscape. The entrance fee is $5US and is paid in a building when you first turn down the road to the preserve, but you have to keep driving for 6 miles before actually arriving at the trail heads. We chose to hike the Tiger Fern Trail, a 6.7 mile out-and-back trail that ends at two waterfalls with natural swimming holes. Little did we know, there is also a spot on the trail where you can look out across the thick canopy of the basin and see Victoria’s Peak, the second highest mountain in Belize.
We didn’t swim in the first waterfall’s pool as we had heard the second was the best and was only a few minutes further. We couldn’t believe we were the only ones there! Talk about paradise. We left our clothes behind and jumped into the huge pool with no hesitation. This was without a doubt one of our most memorable experiences from the entire trip. We didn’t actually get to see any jaguar’s while we were here, and a worker we talked to at the preserve said he hasn’t seen one the entire time he has worked there. Apparently they are very shy and rarely spotted during the day, but occasionally they have been seen by tourists and workers.
South Hopkins
Hopkins is a small fishing village on the coast of Belize that is growing slowly due to tourism in the area. Most of the tourist resorts are in South Hopkins, while the local restaurants and accommodations are in North Hopkins. The “main” street in the village is a new one-way and the locals drive the wrong way on it daily, even past the police station. They clearly don’t think the one-way is necessary and we found it pretty comical to continually see cars disobeying the signs. It is just the kind of place that change doesn’t happen often and when it does, it happens slow. Families tend to live here for several generations and like everywhere in Belize, they don’t need to have a lot or make a lot to be happy.
Our Airbnb hosts in San Ignacio had recommended and set us up with a beachfront bungalow on the edge of South Hopkins where they had stayed several times. They let us know that it wasn’t the “cleanest” place, but we though that meant the beach, and we were just excited to have accommodations set up for us that we didn’t have to put our energy into. The place was a pretty dirty and shack and the beach was covered with ant mounds. I love to camp and don’t mind getting dirty and usually, I wouldn’t have a problem staying in less than satisfactory accommodations, especially for one night, but by the 6th night of our trip I envisioned we would just relaxing by the water without a care in the world. I didn’t want to worry about cockroaches crawling on me out of the toilet (this almost happened).
We decided to make the most of it and headed into North Hopkins for dinner at one of the only open places, the Fat Mermaid Beach Cafe. After we crushed some fish tacos and a Belikin, we decided we weren’t quite ready to head back to our shack, so we stopped for a glass of wine at another restaurant in North Hopkins. Halfway through our second glass of wine, Jeremy decided to walk into the resort next door to see if he could get us a cheap room since we would be booking so last minute. Of course, he didn’t tell me that’s what he was doing and just came back to tell me the relieving news. Such a valiant gesture! We stealthily grabbed our bags from our shack in the dark in order to not hurt the hosts’ feelings. As we were leaving, the car wouldn’t start at first and for an instant, we felt both defeated and on the edge of hysteria. Once it started we let out a sigh of relief and burst out laughing. We felt like kids sneaking out of our parents’ house!
When we arrived at The Lodge at Jaguar Reef, we were greeted with welcome drinks and walked to our ocean-front room. Wow! How our night had done a 360. It was SO nice and a definitely the fanciest place I have ever stayed, aside from Blue Haven Resort on our trip to Turks and Caicos. Jaguar Reef has a hot tub, two pools, a private beach, all-inclusive water sports, and a two-story “Big Dock” with a ceviche bar and rope swing. I remember thinking, “so thiiiis is how the other half lives!” This was our first stay of the trip that we were able to take a hot shower and the first time we didn’t have to sleep on top of our blankets because we were so hot without a fan or AC. Jeremy still hasn’t told me how much the room cost, but I am sure it is at least half of what the same room would cost in the states or anywhere else in the Caribbean. Everything in Belize is CHEAP. The Belizean dollar is worth exactly half of the US dollar, and they accept both currencies almost everywhere you go.
The next morning, we climbed out of our California king in a state of utter relaxation and caught the 5:30AM sunrise from the beach. We wanted to catch the first boat to Tobacco Caye from Dangriga at 10AM, so we didn’t waste any time getting ourselves a kayak and paddle board out on the water for an hour. We also took a few jumps from the top of the dock into the warmest ocean water ever before packing up our room and heading for a bite to eat and some fresh mango juice at Thongs Cafe.
Tobacco Caye
We made the 45 minute drive to Dangriga easily and were greeted by the “Dock Master” who charged us $10US to park our car somewhere it would be “safe” while we were at Tobacco Caye. It was two blocks from the dock and basically in the yard of one of his buddies, or possibly someone he didn’t know at all. He was a nice guy and coordinated our boat ride to the island with one of the local boat operators. The fee is $20US per person each way and unfortunately, there is not a real schedule of when boats leave for the island, just sometime between 10AM and 12:30PM.
We ended up waiting at Riverside Cafe, the designated waiting spot for such boat transfers, for an hour and a half before enough passengers arrived to make the trip to the island worthwhile for the boat captain. To help paint the picture, people were walking in and out of the cafe barefoot drinking Belikin’s like they were water. Everyone knew everyone, except us. There was not another tourist in sight and we stuck out like a sore thumb.
Downtown Dangriga
We had Captain Fermin, or rather his son, drive us the smooth 45-minute trip to paradise. As we pulled up to the small island, we knew we were in for a treat. We were once again off the grid, but this time we were staying in a private rustic cabana over the Caribbean with the Belize Barrier Reef right outside our window. Tobacco Caye Paradise, where we stayed, uses only solar energy and collects rainwater for showers and toilets. They do provide clean drinking water and three homemade meals a day for their guests. All this for $80US a night each.
Captain is a loose term in BelizeWelcome to Tobacco Caye ParadiseOur cabin for the day
Tobacco Caye is very small and you can walk the perimeter in less than 10-minutes. There are roughly 20 permanent residents, no cars, no bikes, and rarely shoes on the sandy island. Since it was low season, only two of the six cabanas were rented and we spent all day lounging in our hammock over the water, snorkeling with eagle rays, and enjoying the tranquility of this little slice of paradise. This is a place you only come if you are looking to relax, disconnect, and not have any type of agenda whatsoever.
Eagle Rays off the dockSpotted Eagle RayPretty much all there is to do on Tobacco Caye.
After dark, we spotted some small yellow spotted stingrays and what we think was bioluminescence from our cabana! There was no light pollution which made for perfect stargazing and we thought we might actually get to see the Milky Way, but weren’t quite able to. The ocean breeze and sound of waves crashing right outside our window was the recipe for an outstanding night’s sleep. We were up early the next morning and caught the sunrise from our double-kayak as we paddled around Tobacco Caye. After a breakfast consisting of more homemade Belizean cuisine, we caught the first boat off the island back to the mainland.
North Hopkins
We came back to Hopkins for our last night to stay at an Airbnb on the beach in quiet North Hopkins, only a two hour drive from the Airport. Our Airbnb was a PERFECT little studio bungalow on a large, and mostly private, beachfront.
We didn’t have anything planned for the last 24 hours of our trip, which was rather nice. We went back to the Big Dock at Jaguar Reef for some ceviche and fresh pico de gallo over the water. We also enjoyed some fresh margs and piña coladas! They were soooo good and easily the best cocktails we had on the trip. We took advantage of the amenities and relaxed in the daybeds under the dock and even took a jump into the ocean from the rope swing.
Once back at our Airbnb, Jeremy cracked some coconuts on the beach and played soccer with a few local kids that wandered onto our beachfront (totally normal thing to happen in Belize) while I lounged in the hammock. We had heard from a couple we met on our first night in Hopkins that we had to go to Driftwood for the best pizza in Belize, so we decided to give it a shot for our last dinner of the trip! It was really good and had awesome vibes. It didn’t hurt that it was right on the ocean either!
For our last morning, we decided to catch the sunrise over the ocean again and went for our third run of the trip! It was hard to get moving since we were in a total state of relaxation, but we ended up managing three miles around the village. We passed a few locals grabbing Belikin’s at 6:30AM! It’s really how people stay hydrated in this country, I swear! You are way more likely to see locals drinking a Belikin at this time of morning than you will see them going for a run, that’s for certain. We took our last warm ocean dip of the trip and set off on our winding journey towards the airport. The “highway” towards the airport was actually a bumpy gravel road that we were on for 40 miles! It was unexpected and delayed our ETA a little bit, but not too bad and definitely gave us much to laugh about.
Belize Zoo
Since we had nothing planned for our last day and some time to kill, we decided to stop at the Belize Zoo on our way to the airport. It was right on the way and the zoo has great reviews so we decided to give it a try, even though I am not usually a fan of zoos because it makes me feel sad for the animals. I will admit, they do a pretty good job with the exhibits and all the animals are native to Belize, so they are not forcing the habitats at all. It is also a tropical education center and they teach conservation. The zoo is pretty small and we made it through everything in just about an hour. We got to see several incredible species that we had hoped to see in the wild, like toucans, jaguarundis, tapirs, and jaguars!
Alas, it was time to conclude our trip and head to the airport. But of course, not before finding a gas station to fill up our flat tire! We had been dealing with a slow leak in one of our tires for most of the trip, but after leaving the zoo we noticed it had gotten so bad that we might not make it to the airport before filling it. After stopping and asking for directions and turning around at lest once, we found both a gas station and an air pump to fill our tire for a $1BZ.
“Why Belize?,” so many people have asked us. There are so many wonderful places to visit, and we hope to eventually visit them all, but while we are living in Florida with Central and South America so accessible to us, it seemed like a good place to go! Not only are flights short, but they are cheap ($460 round-trip). Accommodations once you arrive in the country are cheap as well and most of the places we stayed charged less than $40US for a private room. Belize also came highly recommended to me by a coworker and Jeremy has been wanting to go there since he was in grade school. I am so lucky to have the best travel partner and someone who loves new adventures just as much as I do!
On my way home from visiting my friend Shelby in Spain, I had an 8-hour layover in Milan, Italy. I knew the short layover wouldn’t give me a lot of time to see the city, but I had to take advantage of the time I had. I flew into the Orio al Serio (BGY) airport around 6pm and had my luggage held at the airport while I took the 40-minute bus ride to Milan Central Train Station.
The station is absolutely beautiful, inside and out, and was a sight to see in and of itself. Don’t be fooled by this picture, the station is absolutely HUGE. With several trains and buses coming in and out every few minutes, along with thousands of people, finding where you are going once inside can be pretty confusing and overwhelming.
Unfortunately, the office at the airport could only hold my luggage until 11pm before locking up for the night, so I didn’t have a whole lot of time to explore the city. I opted for a restaurant within walking distance of the station called Osteria Fara.
I enjoyed a long, slow and scrumptious dinner to myself in their terraced dining area pictured above before finding my way back to the station to take the bus to the airport.
When I am out to dinner by myself, I always make it a point to look live in the moment and not spend the whole time hiding behind my phone. It brings me a little peace of mind to know I can be entertained and comfortable alone without my device distracting me the entire time. My waiter was very kind to me and engaging which made the experience even more memorable. The food was incredibly fresh and I enjoyed every bite!
aperitivo
mussles
black truffle pasta
I was the only one on the return bus ride and it was a strange feeling. I remember thinking to myself that I hoped they were taking me to the right place! I always feel a bit uncomfortable when I am left on my own in a foreign country, but I think it is normal to feel that way sometimes! All was well and I was safely returned to the airport to collect my baggage and find a place to sleep for the rest of the night.
Never in my life have I seen so many people sleeping on the floor/benches inside an airport. I ended up getting very sick for my return flight home and I think it was mainly due to being trapped in the airport with so many people that night! I had one more, thankfully short, layover at the Cologne Bonn airport (CGN) in Germany, but didn’t have time to leave the airport to see any sites.
I had a safe flight home and even caught the sunset before landing in Miami.
In July of 2017, I took a solo trip abroad to visit my friend Shelby in Spain during her summer study abroad. On my way, I stopped in Glasgow, Scotland for a day/night to do some solo exploring and check another country off my list. I fully intend to go back to Scotland at some point since my time here was so limited, but I was happy to get a taste of what the country has to offer.
I flew from Orlando MCO to Glasgow GLA early Saturday morning and landed around 6am. I had booked a lovely Airbnb for the night near Glasgow’s city centre but couldn’t check-in until later in the afternoon, so I hit the ground running. First up on my agenda was Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. I took a bus from the airport to Glasgow and only had to walk a couple of blocks to Queen Street Station to catch the ScotRail train and take the 45-minute ride to the Balloch stop at Loch Lomond.
Tip: Ask for maps and help BEFORE you leave the airport! Almost every airport has some sort of help/information desk with everything you will need. The woman who helped me told me exactly which bus to get on and which station I would need to go to once in the city centre. I also had my luggage held at the airport for a small fee and put everything I would need for the day/night in my backpack in order to have a lighter load to carry throughout the day. So worth it! Once at the station, navigating to your destination is fairly easy and everyone in Scotland speaks English!
Loch Lomond
The park is centered around Loch (Lake) Lomond and has miles of walking trails, beautiful views and chances to spot wildlife. Being my first solo journey, I admit I was quite a novice with planning and probably missed out on some of the better views in the park because I was too shy to ask which trails I should take. I spent about 4 hours hiking around the lake and through the hills before I realized I hadn’t seen anyone else in over an hour. It sort of gave me the creeps to be in the middle of nowhere so defenseless, so I started my journey into the city for the rest of my stay.
I didn’t have my heart set on seeing anything specific once I got here, but knew I wanted to see The Lighthouse and explore some of the street art that Glasgow is known for. The Lighthouse is Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture and has a spectacular 360 view over the city if you are willing to climb the tower. Admission is free and you can stroll through their photo gallery or stop for a bite at the cafe while you’re there.
Glasgow is known for its street art and there is a TON of it to find while exploring the city centre. Searching for the best pieces is a great way to kill some time in the city. Here are a few I was able to find during my visit!
Since I still had several hours before I could check into my Airbnb, I used my map from the airport and took to the city. I walked to the Glasgow Cathedral just over a mile from the city centre. The cathedral is the site on which Glasgow was founded, which is pretty cool. That thing was built in the 1100’s! Luckily for me, it had started to drizzle outside and not many people were out exploring, so I was able to walk through the cathedral when there were just a handful of others inside; it was so peaceful.
Located just behind the cathedral, across the “Bridge of Sighs”, is the Necropolis (Victorian cemetery). The gravestones are built on the side of a wide hill and it’s a serene sight to see. Unfortunately, I didn’t walk through the graves as much as I would have liked to because it was raining, but it is definitely worth visiting if you have the time!
I was just about to head to my Airbnb when I stumbled upon Tennent’s Brewery and decided to drop in for a tour. Tennent’s Lager is known as “Scotland’s Favourite Pint” so I figured it was worth a try. To me, it is sort of like the Coors or Yuengling of the US. I had fun sampling a few of their brews and learning about the history of the brewery.
Finally, it was time to check-in to my Airbnb and I swear, I have never wanted a hot shower so bad in my life! This was my first experience renting a room in a shared apartment and it was an overall positive experience. The host greeted me when I arrived but I didn’t really see her for the rest of my stay. I usually try not to nap on vacation, but I was so tired from my red-eye flight and a day of walking that I gave in the second I got to my Airbnb. I literally napped for an hour, took a hot shower, and got dressed for a night out.
I had planned to take myself to Ox & Finch for dinner, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have to make a reservation for 1 for dinner. They were too packed and couldn’t seat me so I headed to a spot nearby (can’t remember the name) and spoiled myself with a four-course meal.
Prosciutto Bruschetta
Tiramisu
I had made a few friends in the airport that were staying at a hostel near the University of Glasgow and we decided to meet up for drinks on Ashton Lane. This is the cutest “lane” on the entire planet and there are so many unique bars in this area to check out and grab some fancy cocktails, or a Tennents Lager. Most of the people in this area are college students, but the scene wasn’t over the top by any means. Very hipster.
Ashton Lane
Can you believe I did all of that in less than 24 hours?! Pretty crazy, right! I had to be to the airport around noon the next day, so I woke up early to grab a hearty breakfast in the city centre before catching my flight to SPAIN. I decided to try the traditional “black pudding” with my breakfast and held off on the google search until after I had eaten it. Yes, it contains pig blood. But don’t let that discourage you, it was very good!
When your best friend studies abroad in Spain for a summer, you take full advantage of that opportunity to travel across the world and spend a week with her. Trust me on this. And in July of 2017, that is exactly what I planned to do. I tried to make my travel schedule match with a few friends who were also planning to visit our friend Shelby that summer in Santander, but had no success. At this time, I was working a job that offered limited vacation and I always had to travel around a holiday in order to utilize my vacation hours to the best of my ability and get an extra day off. I knew that I couldn’t miss out on this opportunity, so I ended up planning my first solo trip abroad.
For this trip, I used the site Momondo to book my flight. Momondo will compare tons of 3rd party sites and airlines for you to find the cheapest route to your destination, often with a few long layovers included. I planned to use this to my advantage to squeeze in a few more countries to my 10-day trip. I noticed that I was routed to Spain through Scotland for the cheapest flight option, so I ended up booking a ticket to Glasgow, Scotland so I could explore the city for a day/night on my own before meeting up with Shelby in Spain. I chose a return flight on Momondo with a 10-hour layover in Milan, Italy so I would have enough time to get out and explore the city, at least for a couple hours.
I flew into the tiny Santander Airport and instantly began falling in love with every feeling I experienced – I couldn’t believe I had made it to Spain! Santander is the capital city of the Cantabria region in the northern coast of Spain. Shelby was staying with her family (boyfriend+daughter) in a first-level flat about two blocks off the beach, Playa del Sardinero. Santander is mostly locals and students; definitely not the place to land in Spain if you are expecting everyone to speak english. Most everyone I met spoke only Spanish and this was one of the trips that inspired me to start learning Spanish…it only took me almost two years to actually sign-up for classes. Nonetheless, I was beyond lucky to be crashing on their couch for the week indulging in fresh jamón and Spanish wine that only costed €2 a bottle at the local grocery market.
By the time we got back from the airport on my first night it was getting late and we decided to walk to one of the nearby restaurants for some vino tinto and girl talk. The next day Shelby had to be up early for class and I decided to hang around the flat with her boyfriend, Nick, and daughter, Juliana. We ended up relaxing out on their terrace most of the afternoon catching up and before we knew it, we had polished off our fair share of wine. I wandered down to the beach to catch some sun and woke up from a wine and heat induced nap a few hours later. It was one of those care-fee, “this is what vacation is all about moments” and I couldn’t be happier.
The next day I was yearning for some solo adventure so, as Shelby headed to class I set off on foot down the Playa del Sardinero towards some large bluffs visible off in the distance. I wasn’t really sure of the path I would take to get there, but I knew the Playa de Mataleñas was on the other side of the bluffs and I was dying to explore the small beach that was recommended to me by some of Shelby’s classmates. At the base of the bluffs close to the shoreline, there is a narrow stairway that leads up to a trail that lines the perimeter of a small peninsula leading to the playa.
It was such a beautiful walk and I didn’t want to stop at the beach for long since I could see the Cabo Mayor Lighthouse not much further in the distance, and I knew this wouldn’t be my last trip to the incredible beach. I took some of my favorite pictures from my trip on this sunny walk.
It’s hard for me to remember everything I did on this trip since it has been TWO whole years, but here are a few more highlights.
Dinner: at Vino y Marea is a MUST! The owner, Samuel, is likely to be working and will offer the best service you could possibly imagine. And the food…be ready to enjoy fresh, locally sourced options that are made and served with love. We had an appetizer of prawns and each ordered an entree to split; bull tail, steak, and bacalao. The bull tail and prawns were easily my favorite meals of the trip and both were things I had never tried before! A win win situation.
Samuel!
Cafe con Leche: overlooking the Playa del Sardinero. I stopped at the Balneario de la Concha one morning to enjoy a coffee with some views. This restaurant sits right on the beach and has a small “rooftop” terrace that I was lucky enough to snag a table on and enjoy a great cafe con leche.
Playa de Mataleñas: I went to this somewhat secluded beach several times during my stay in Santander since it was my favorite. One of the most memorable was on Shelby’s last day of class when we came to sip champagne and suntan like the locals. 😉
€2 shots of tequila: We had to have at least one wild night out during my trip. I tagged along with Shelby, Nick, and a group of her classmates to hit the nightclubs. Of course I can’t remember the name of the first bar we went to and ordered shots of tequilas for €2 a piece, but I would recommend it if I did! At that point we were feeling pretty loose and went to some other nightclubs nearby to dance the night away. I was pretty impressed with the nightlife in Santander since it seemed so laid-back during the day. I guess the students all come out of the woodwork after the sun sets. Tequila shots with salt and..lemons?! When in Spain…
Stroll the city center: The city center was only about a mile from where we were staying and I decided to try my luck making it there by foot one day since I was too nervous to try speaking Spanish to the cab drivers at the time. I found my way pretty easily and spent a few hours browsing through the street market and stopping at a local bakery for some eats.
Lunch: at Restaurante Marea Alta. One of the afternoons that I was flying solo while Shelby was at class, I stopped here for a three course lunch. The food was great and the service was friendly! No one spoke english but they did have menu’s in english which made ordering a bit easier.
“Sunrise” beach walk: On my last morning I woke up early and tried to catch the sunrise but it was pretty overcast and my plan sort of fell through. I ended up taking another walk to the Playa de Mataleñas. On my way I passed several people my age coming up from the beach – they had just finished partying from the night before! People in Spain stay out way too late for me. Their norm is to eat dinner around 10pm, go out to the bars/nightclubs around midnight, and around 2-3am the clubs are at their busiest, not closing down like here in the US.
Thank you Shelby & Nick for hosting me! I had the most amazing time!
Sometimes people tell me they can’t get enough time off work or that a weekend isn’t long enough to take a vacation somewhere. Well, I can prove both of those points wrong! And I have many times. I had the opportunity to take a trip to meet up with my friend, Sydney, in New Orleans for 48 hours at the beginning of April. She was there from Atlanta for a few days presenting at the AOTA conference with two of her classmates from her graduate program. I didn’t have to take any time off from work and flew in late on a Friday night and back to Tampa Sunday evening. In between we saw a lot, ate a lot, and best of all I got to hang out with one of my best friends that I rarely get to see!
I got to our hotel around midnight Friday but the city was still very much alive so we decided to paint the town! We ended up grabbing drinks on the infamous Bourbon Street until 4am that night. I usually can NEVER stay up that late, especially while drinking, but there is so much to see on Bourbon street that it is almost impossible to get bored or tired. We got ourselves some Huge Ass Beers (literally), threw some mardi gras beads from a balcony, line danced at Boot Scootin’ Rodeo, and finished the night with a few slices of pizza by the slice.
The next morning we rolled out of bed after 9am, which is late by my usual standards but considering the festivities of the night before, I was pretty pleased. We tried to go to the The Ruby Slipper for brunch but there was over an hour wait and we were starving. I had been there once before on a trip to NOLA and had one of the best breakfast sandwiches of my life! It’s one of the most popular spots in the French Quarter and not the slightest bit overrated. Instead, we opted for one of the many restaurants on the strip where Syd and I split a duck confit entree with a shrimp cream sauce and a side of collard greens. I convinced her to try duck for the first time and it was a success!
Afterwards, Syd’s friends had to make their way to the airport so we went back to the oyster bar at our hotel, TackleBox. We met up there with Syd’s parents, who were in town for the conference, to try some raw oysters before her friends hit the road. I think Syd’s dad and I were the only ones who had tried oysters before and I wasn’t a big fan of raw ones in the past. The oysters at TackleBox were a different story; they were so tender that they just fell apart in my mouth without even having to chew. These were by far the best oyster’s I have had and TackleBox is definitely on my list of go-to restaurants for my next trip to NOLA. Washed it all down with a Bloody Mary, of course.
We spent the rest of the day walking the city, stopping at bars along the way for a drink and an appetizer to share. There was a ton of art on display in Jackson’s Square and after we walked browsed through it all, we stopped to watch some street performers that had drawn in a pretty big crowd. It’s one of those things that’s a little corny but actually pretty fun to watch if you take the time to stop.
We also walked through the French Market, the home of the original Cafe du Monde location, and were impressed by how many shops and foodie stops there were! We didn’t stop for beignets at Cafe du Monde, but I made it a point to go during my first trip to NOLA, as it has been coined one of the most popular attractions in the city. Instead, we stopped at one of the stands inside and got some amazing Pina Colada’s! I think I liked them so much because you could actually taste the rum and it didn’t feel like I was just downing a cup of frozen sugar.
We decided to stop for dinner at Deanie’s, which had been recommended to Syd’s parents and seemed like a somewhat unlikely stop. Picture a throwback diner-style atmosphere with server’s in slacks, a button down shirt, and a tie. Don’t let the diner atmosphere fool you – they are known for their incredible seafood offerings and for good reason! Since none of us could decide on our own entree’s for fear of risking food envy, we opted for getting a few starters and entrees to share. We landed on the Shrimp & Crab Dip, Barbeque Peel & Eat Shrimp, Crabmeat Au Gratin, and their Stuffed Flounder Special of the day. Everything was SO good and I wish I could remember all the ingredients stuffed inside the flounder because it was one of the best meals of my entire life! It was like a heavenly, creamy crab cake stuffing rich with flavor. Instead of bringing dinner rolls before the meal they brought out crawfish boil potatoes that were super good! I think we even had to ask for a second order. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pictures of our meal at Deanie’s (because I was too busy devouring it), but trust me it is a must if you are visiting New Orleans!
After dinner, Syd’s parents called it a night and we ventured back out to Bourbon Street for our last night of people watching. We had one or two beers but they really weren’t necessary after our long day of eating and drinking our way through the city. We witnessed an entire wedding party accompanied by their guests walk down the middle of the street with a police escort. It was cool to see a sea of people crowding the streets part to cheer on the newlyweds in this wild scene.
The next morning we woke up early and grabbed breakfast sandwich’s at Merchant near our hotel. I obviously got the Loxsmith. It seems that lox for breakfast is slowly becoming my go-to on vacation; it’s just not every day you get smoked salmon! We walked down Canal Street and browsed some vintage shops nearby before finding our way to Armstrong Park. There isn’t a ton to see in the park, but it’s nice to get away from the crowds for a few minutes and walk the bridge over the pond.
We stopped for a beer at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, which was built in 1722 and is supposedly the oldest structure in the U.S. to be used as a bar. It has an authentic and grungey feel to it. We also made it a point to check out the Carousel Bar since Syd hadn’t seen it before, but we just took a few pictures and left. I went there on my last trip to NOLA and didn’t get a drink there that time either. It’s a pretty cool concept but a bit overrated in my opinion. The carousel turns sooo slow that you can hardly tell it is moving. It’s still a carousel in a bar though, so I guess that’s pretty cool!
We had spent the day before talking about finding a rooftop bar and surprisingly, there aren’t a ton of reputable ones in the city. We walked several blocks from the French Quarter and settled on Monkey Board. They had a decent beer selection but were pretty dead when we got there. It was still cool to look out over the city and catch up in a bit quieter of a setting.
For our last stop before heading to the airport, we enjoyed one final, incredible and indulgent, meal of the trip. I can’t remember the name of the restaurant we stopped at, but I ordered the cajun seafood pasta and we split an oyster sampler that was noteworthy! We split the sampler between one order of raw oysters and two kinds of baked oysters; spinach/artichoke and cajun.
NOLA isn’t the city I would recommend if you are minding a diet. Most of the meals are greasy, creamy, and heavy – but all around delicious and good for the soul!
Fun Fact: My first time in NOLA was in 2015 when I went with four friends for college spring break. We went for five days/nights! We had a blast on that trip but I think 48 hours is a perfect amount of time in this city for me anymore 🙂
After touring six new states in New England over the course of four days and four nights with my mom and sister last week, it feels good to finally be setting aside some time to relax on my weekend and write about our trip! Life is always moving forward; I just have to try to remember to catch up! Sometimes it can be hard to make time for even our favorite people and things but it is always worth it to do so. Like travel and writing 🙂
I planned this trip with my mom and sister for Memorial Day weekend and this was, surprisingly, the first trip the three of us had taken together as adults. We knew we wanted to stay some cool places, eat some amazing food (seafood!!) and see as many new states as possible. They let me do most of the planning leading up to the trip and I compiled a pretty incredible four day itinerary for us.
The three of us arrived separately on Thursday evening to start our trip in Boston, MA; my mom flew in from Detroit, MI, my sister from San Francisco, CA, and myself from Tampa, FL.
Day 1
After arriving to our hotel well past midnight, I had a restless night of sleep and woke up early on Friday to hit the gym before my mom and sister got up and around. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor, since it was conveniently right next to the airport and my sister could get us a free night with her Hyatt rewards (score!). We had a beautiful 12th floor view over the harbor and downtown Boston from our room.
We grabbed a quick lox bagel breakfast sandwich at home.stead bakery & cafe in the southern part of Boston before heading to see the sights downtown. A lot of people will recommend the Freedom Trail but we weren’t as interested in seeing the history of the city as other travelers may be since we only had one day here. There definitely is a lot to see if you decide to walk it! We started by walking through Boston Common and Boston Public Garden (apparently the first public botanical garden in America). I always love to see a bit of nature in the city. We kept going and wandered through Newbury Street, which is basically a long row of expensive boutiques on a very enchanting street with some older architecture to appreciate as well.
By then, it was time to get off our feet and grab a bite to eat and a cocktail at Citrus & Salt. I highly recommend the Pan-Roasted Scallops (almond jam, gooseberry salsa, candied chiles) for a bite and the Take Your Pants Off for a cocktail. The atmosphere and food was a tasteful and impressive coastal Mexican vibe.
Before heading out of town we stopped to walk through Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall, a great go-to spot for a quick bite in a market-style atmosphere. They seriously have everything you could possibly want from seafood to Greek to homemade Boston cream pies. Also a great spot to grab some souvenirs.
After having our fill of the big city, we headed north up the coast (<2 hours) to Portland, Maine where we had reserved an incredible Airbnb overlooking the Port of Portland. We couldn’t make it to our room without stopping for an indulgent dinner at Scales downtown Portland first. Every item we had was fresh, seasonal, local, and incredible. I don’t have enough good things to say about our experience here, including the service! We started with a bottle of Pinot Gris and the Ramp Rolls that came highly recommended. For our entrees my mom had the Seared Scallops (smooth as butter), my sister had the Pan Roasted Halibut, and I had the Baked Haddock. We literally all but licked our plates clean everything was SO good. And then, of course, we got their seasonal blueberry & peach cobbler to top it all off. Can you say food coma?
We picked up a bottle of wine, checked into our Airbnb, and relaxed in the hot tub before calling it an early night.
Day 2
The day we had the best breakfast of our trip! We started the day at Bayside American Cafe, several blocks off the downtown strip in Portland and we had about a 30 minute wait but it was totally worth it! My sister and I split the crab cake eggs benedict and two bacon cheddar pancakes which was more than enough food. The crab cakes are made fresh each morning with crab caught locally and they are not made with excess breading; light and crisp. Again, we had great service and the funky yet charming vibe, inside what can only be referred to as a hole-in-the-wall, made our experience all the more enjoyable.
After stuffing ourselves to the absolute brim (again), we headed to the Fort Williams Park & Lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth (20 minutes south of Portland) to burn off a few calories. Apparently, the Portland Head Light is the most photographed lighthouse in America and the oldest in Maine. The park is a decent size and there are several trails and even a small beach if you want to spend several hours at the park relaxing.
We headed back to Portland to visit the Urban Farm Fermentory. This is where brewery meets fermentory and you can get flights of kombucha, mead, jun, cider, and beer! The vibes, music, and tasting room are all excellent and we ended up spending several hours here and taking a growler of the blueberry mead for the road. I definitely recommend this for a visit to Portland if you are into any of the five things listed above.
We knew we couldn’t leave Maine without stopping for a lobster roll at Highroller. I was really impressed that their roll was more of a grilled Texas toast roll than a thick bun like most places offer. It seemed like all the good places to get a lobster roll had lines out the door, so be sure not to let yourself get to a point of starvation before stopping somewhere for lunch! We also stopped at Maine Lobster Shack on our way out of town for some clam chowder and lobster stew. I know lobster stew may sound weird but it was actually very good and one of my favorite things we tried on the trip!
We drove about an hour northwest to the quaintest town of Bridgton, Maine to find our next Airbnb. We stayed in a flat above the Depot Street Tap House conveniently right next door to Vivo, a family-owned Italian restaurant where we stopped for dinner. Our flat had a private hot tub which we took advantage of for some relaxation after dinner. If you stop at the Tap House, you have to ask for the Maine’s Tiniest Park Tour! Don’t worry about sounding crazy, they will know what you are talking about and be more than happy to oblige.
Day 3
Staying in Bridgton put us less than an hour away from the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire which is beautiful to drive through, but even more enjoyable if you stop for a hike! There are endless trails to choose from and as you drive through the forest you follow a river with tons of historic covered bridges.
Since we were so close (<1 hour) from the border of Vermont, we decided to stop for lunch at Tuckerbox for some Turkish cuisine and basically, just to say we had been to Vermont.
Next up was an almost 3 hour drive to Providence, Rhode Island – our longest drive of the trip! We rented out an artist’s loft and everything was so uniquely decorated that it blew us all away. There was even a hammock on the deck for us to relax in. Our host had left us a list of restaurant recommendations in the area and we opted for The Slow Rhode because I had been craving a fat, juicy burger for days, and because it was walkable from the flat. It was nice to wind down with a few local brews on our last night of the trip. When we got back to the flat we sat outside on the deck and caught up before settling in for the night.
Day 4
Last, but not least! We started the morning at Providence Bagel where we were greeted with a pleasant aroma of freshly baked bagels. I got the everything bagel with salmon lox smear and it was heavenly. The coffee was sub-par so I would recommend going to a proper coffee house for someone looking for a decent latte, but the bagels were incredible.
If you go to Rhode Island, you HAVE to do the Newport Cliff Walk. It is less than an hour south of Providence and was one of my favorite stops on our entire trip! The trail follows the coast and there are huge mansions and rocky shores/cliffs to take pictures of before ending up at the public beach. This would also be a great spot to come for a morning run. We passed several other sightseers on the walk but it was not crowded by any means and was actually quite pleasant.
Since we were so close (<1 hour) to Mystic, Connecticut we had to make the trip to Mystic Pizza for A Slice of Heaven! For anyone who doesn’t know about the pizza that made the movie famous (Mystic Pizza), you’ll have to go find out for yourself! The pizza did not disappoint and the small town of Mystic is charming and right on the water, making the trip more than worthwhile.
We finished our sites for the last day ahead of schedule so we stopped at Trillium Brewery on our way back to the airport in Boston. The location is in the middle of an industrial park and pretty random, but the brewery was hopping and the beers were SO good. I had two of their blackberry sour’s and if I could have taken more than 3 oz. of liquid in my carry-on, I would have definitely taken a growler for the road!
Overall, New England was an incredible experience and it is so easy to see several states in one trip!
I am so lucky to have friends and family who live in great parts of the country for me to visit. One of my closest friends, Heather, moved to South Carolina last fall and I had yet to visit her in her new digs. She lives on beautiful Johns Island, about 20 minutes south of downtown Charleston.
I recently gave my two-weeks notice at work after accepting a job offer from another company and had a few days between positions to fit in some adventure. I took a half day on my last day of work and made the drive from Tampa to Charleston in just under 7 hours. It is a super easy, flat drive and I passed most of my time calling to catch up with friends and signing along to some throwback tunes.
I have highlighted a few of my favorite stops from my trip below for Charleston and the surrounding area. If you find yourself in SC, try to explore a few places based on my recommendations!
Downtown Charleston
Our first adventure downtown was taking a sunset cruise with Harborview Charters through the harbor, past downtown and the battery, and underneath the iconic Ravenel Bridge. The cruise was $32 per person and well worth it for someone traveling to the city for the first time. You get to learn a little bit of Charleston history and if you are lucky as we were, you will get to see some dolphins too! The Captain and First Mate were extremely laid back and even let us play a song for our friends birthday. The boat was BYOB and everyone on the boat was around our age and had brought some beer/wine along.
After our sunset cruise, we hit the Bay Street Biergarten for cocktails and appetizers. YUM. The German/Southern mix for their appetizers was perfect. I was instantly impressed that they had three or four different pretzel creations on the menu and we tried the Pimento Cheese Pretzel Bombs. Trust me, they did not disappoint! I would definitely recommend this spot for gathering with a group of friends where you want to have a good time, but still be able to hear each other talking over the music in the background.
Later in the weekend, we make a day trip to downtown. A great place to start off any day downtown Charleston is Carmella’s. Carmella’s is a coffee & dessert bar that also serves alcohol if you are more in the mood for a cocktail. I had the pistachio gelato and a latte (HUGE). Heather had some sort of chocolate bread pudding with ice cream on top. It was served warm and wasn’t too sweet, just how I like it! She let me try it and it was my favorite bite of our day, even though everything here was sooo delicious.
Be sure to stop at Henry’s, which was my all-time favorite spot of my trip in terms of aesthetics. Henry’s has a unique atmosphere and is extremely tastefully decorated, while offering tons of Charleston charm! According to the locals, it is one of the best rooftop bars downtown and unlike The Rooftop, we didn’t have to wait in a long line to get up there and enjoy the sunshine. There are several levels, side rooms, and nook spaces to hang out in at Henry’s. You could go 5 or 6 times and have a totally different experience every time!
We also stopped at the Oyster House, Amen Street, and cruised through The Market. The Market is amazing and full of more little shops than I could have ever imagined! If you are looking to bring home souvenirs, make this your only stop. Most of the vendors are locals who set up booths with handmade items and I feel a lot better about buying from them instead of from large companies. The products are more unique as well.
Amen Street had the best value for drinks that we found for the day and we sipped amazing frozen Peach Bellini’s for $7 (and could actually taste the booze in them, too). Although I am not a HUGE fan of Oysters, I did try a few of them that Heather ordered and was impressed. For Happy Hour they sell them for a buck a shuck, which is a great deal! They even have Happy Hour on Saturday & Sunday which is almost unheard of. Also, $5 Moscow Mules during Happy Hour…
While downtown, take a few minutes to walk the pier and check out the Pineapple Fountain located at the Waterfront Park. Pineapples are very symbolic in Charleston and represent hospitality, which is something I did not know before my trip. Have fun capturing an awkward photo in front of it like I did!
Johns Island
The great thing about Johns Island is that all of the restaurants and bars basically fall within a mile of each other on the same strip of Maybank Hwy. You could hit all my recommendations below in one sweep on any given afternoon on your way from Charleston to Kiawah Island or Folly Beach.
You MUST try the She-Crab Soup from Krazy Owls! I could tell it was made fresh that day and has a small kick of spice that balances out the seafood taste perfectly. Just thinking about it right now makes me wish I could go back for another bowl!
If you’re a lover of all things ginger beer, as I am, I would definitely recommend making a pit stop in to Seanachai. I have no idea what they put in their Moscow Mule’s that other bars don’t, but they are seriously incredible. They also have a cute outdoor area and “Whiskey Deck” out back for a casual hangout on a sunny day.
The Royal Tern is the newest restaurant addition to Johns Island and is a bit more upscale. The food is AMAZING, but beware of small portions. I would still highly recommend this spot if you can afford to spend a little bit more for a fancy meal out while on your vacation. There aren’t a lot of spots like this in the area, so make sure to take advantage of it.
We had the PEI Mussels (highly recommend), Peel & Eat Shrimp, Fran’s Yeast Rolls, Tuna Crudo, and the Scallop appetizer. My personal favorite was the Scallop but the portion was incredibly small for the price. So good though! The Mussels were a close second and the portion was fitting for the price. Definitely the best value of everything we tried. The Royal Tern truly is a hidden gem and you may just drive right past it your first time if you aren’t careful.
I have also heard great things about Low Tide Brewing, but we unfortunately never made it there during my trip. My friends on Johns Island go there all the time and love the atmosphere and beer selections. They have tons of indoor and outdoor seating.
Kiawah Island
On your way to Kiawah Island, make sure to stop at Kava Coffee for a solid latte, pastries, and breakfast sandwiches. There isn’t a whole lot in this area, so even if this spot wasn’t delicious it would be a great idea to stop before hitting the island.
We made a pit stop at 48 Wine Bar & Kitchen in Freshfields, which is basically at the entrance of Kiawah Island. 48 Wine Bar has 48 different wines on tap daily and you can fill-up at your own pace using their WineStations. Definitely a cool experience worth checking out! They have daily drink specials, too. The Freshfields area is made up of a few blocks of cute boutiques, restaurants, and a pit-stop for groceries before hitting the island. It is a super cute and safe area for both tourists and locals.
My friend Heather works on Kiawah Island at Timbers Kiawah, and I am pretty lucky that she could tour me through their private ocean residences. The homes are in a secluded enclave right on the beach and the panoramic views are incredible! We rode Priority Bicycles right on the beach sand for about half a mile and enjoyed the scenery, even though it was a windy day. I couldn’t believe how peaceful it was and how private the beach seemed. We even saw a group across the river channel riding horses along the beach! It was an incredible scene.
xoxo
I have also visited Folly Beach and the iconic Angel Oak tree on a separate visit of mine to South Carolina. Folly Beach is the island just north of Kiawah Island before you get to Charleston. The day I went in 2015, we could hear a storm rolling in but the beach was still so sunny without a cloud in sight. One of the locals told us “the sun always shines on Folly Beach”. I just loved that mentality and that phrase has always stuck with me. The Angel Oak is easy to make a quick pit stop to if you are on Johns Island already or traveling to Kiawah Island. It is absolutely stunning and I am so grateful that people are working so hard to preserve such a historic landmark.
When IcelandAir opened up direct flights from Tampa to Reykjavik, we knew we had to jump on the amazing flight deals while they lasted. My boyfriend, Jeremy, and I flew round trip for $398 each on a half-full flight, leaving us plenty of room to stretch out in our own rows. This was our first big trip together (!!!) and we knew it would be one of many more to come.
But why Iceland, might you ask, and in the middle of winter nonetheless? Well, for the same reason that many of my trips come into fruition: pure, spontaneous decision making. I had heard from a friend that the direct flights had opened up from Tampa, plugged some dates into SkyScanner and couldn’t believe how cheap they were! Especially considering the fact that at this point, I was used to the flights prices for Europe and California. We got dates together that would work for both of our work schedules and pulled the trigger.
Day 1:
We landed around 6am at Keflavik International Airport and made our way to pick up our rental from SADcars, which offered the best value we had found. I definitely recommend getting a 4X4 vehicle as weather conditions change quickly and if you are venturing off of the Ring Road, you will certainly need it. The only piece of advice the rental agency gave us was that when opening the car door, hold it tight because if you don’t the wind could bend it backwards and cause damage to the door. Yes, you read that right! We were pretty stunned by that fact and were glad to have that bit of advice before venturing out on our trip.
We grabbed breakfast at Kaffivagninn, a simple local spot on the marina in Reykjavik that Jeremy had found online before our trip and wanted to try. They claim to be the oldest restaurant in Iceland and had soft lighting inside that offered a warm welcome for us by offsetting the darkness that still hung in the sky. We took our trip at the end of January, which means the sun came up around 10:30am every day and set by 5pm. Since we wanted to make it to see some sights on the Golden Circle by the time the sun was coming up, we headed straight there despite the early time of day. Trust me, everyone gets on the road early when traveling here even though the sun comes up late, so don’t give yourself time to get jet lag – just hit the road running!
On our way to Thingvellir National Park, we pulled off several times to take photos as the sun was rising and were instantly in awe of our new landscape. Thingvellir itself overlooks a large lake and has amazing views, but it was a bit too touristy for us and we only stayed about 30 minutes or so. It was a short drive to Geysir further into the Golden Circle, and this site I would highly recommend. Although it was still pretty crowded with tourists, watching the active hot geyser erupt water 100ft. in the air every few minutes was amazing! There are also several other hot mud pits on the grounds to view while you are there.
Our next stop was one of our favorite foodie experiences of the trip and although it was hard to find, it was well worth it after a day of braving the cold and crowds of tourists around the Golden Circle. We got lunch at Fridheimar Tomato Palace, a tomato growing greenhouse heated by geothermal energy that practices sustainability and responsible tourism. We opted for the unlimited fresh tomato soup with a variety of large homemade bread loaves. It was AMAZING and an extremely unique experience that I would recommend to everyone traveling near the Golden Circle.
That night we stayed at Au44 Hostel in Selfoss so we would have a short trip to Hveragerdi Hot Spring River in the morning. Au44 was a modern, quiet hostel with a grocery store next door, which is convenient if you choose to cook for yourself at the hostel as we did. We were so tired after the first day that we did a poor grocery shopping job and also forgot olive oil. We ended up making an interesting dinner of spinach and eggs, without cooking oil, because we were too tired to walk back to the store next door!
Day 2:
We woke up SO early and were very excited to make our way to the Hveragerdi Hot Spring River. We had read so many blogs about bathing in the amazing hot river in the Reykjadalur valley and were ready to make the treacherous hike before the sun came up to beat the crowds. Luckily for us, when we arrived at the start of the trail there was only one other car in the ice-covered parking lot. As we made our way up and over the small mountain, the trail became completely hidden due to the large snow drifts. At a few points, the wind was blowing snow so hard we could hardly see and we had to scoot on our butts around a few very steep ridges to avoid sliding down the edge.
Somehow, we made it down to the valley and were surprised to see there was no shelter to change clothes in. I am pretty adventurous, but holy crap it was SO cold and my fingers felt like they were going to fall off. I could not think of standing in the middle of the wind and snow, naked, while I changed into my swimsuit. We were pretty bummed but had a few other hot pools in mind for the trip, so we started the journey back to our car and enjoyed the beautiful views along the way.
We continued along the Ring Road to Seljalandsfoss waterfall and it was amazing. In my opinion, you don’t need to hit all the waterfalls that Iceland is known for, especially if you go in the winter when you can’t see the greenery because some of them look pretty similar. Opt for one that is very tall, and another that is very wide and you will probably have your fix. After all, there is so much more to look at! If you have crampons, it’s good to wear them to the falls since the water spray can cause the paths to ice over and make it nearly impossible to walk! We definitely had some laughs betting on who would fall first (I think it was me, by the way).
After Seljalandsfoss, we went in search of Seljavallalaug hot spring pool, which is one of the most well-known pools in Iceland. It was a stunning and short hike to the pool and we were surprised that the water was pretty chilly, despite being fed by the hot spring. This one had a shelter and we knew we couldn’t pass jumping in for the sake of it! We walked across the ice in our bare feet and swimsuits in below freezing temps but we went in! We huddled in the corner where the hot water was flowing in for about 2 minutes since it was the only warm part of the pool. Jeremy stayed in a bit longer than myself so I could put some warm clothes on and snap a photo of him. Amazing scenery, am I right?
We went to Reynisfjara Beach afterwards and it was a little rainy so we weren’t able to take any pictures of the pristine black sand beach and tall basalt stacks that were like nothing I had ever seen before. Beware of the sneaker waves!
Night 2 we stayed at Puffin Hostel in Vik and made a makeshift dinner. It’s pretty exhausting being outside in the extreme weather all day! We asked the hotel attendant about the possibility of seeing the northern lights and he said the conditions for the evening were about right. The only problem is, they can come out anywhere from 11pm-4am and you can’t predict it. We grabbed a beer and went up to the famous Reyniskirkja Church in Vik, perched on a high hill, to get away from any light pollution. There were a few other cars parked with us and we couldn’t see anything but some stars in the sky. It was cold, so we got back in the car and laid the seats back to look out the sunroof. All of the sudden, we heard people shouting and knew we had gotten pretty lucky.
It was amazing to watch the green Northern Lights shoot across the sky like glowing fireworks and we watched in awe with grins wide on our faces. We almost forgot to get pictures because it was hard to look away from the sight of them.
Day 3:
The day we climbed a glacier! We knew this would be a pretty driving intensive day, so we set off early to Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon where we would be meeting our glacier tour guide from Blue Iceland. This was the only paid adventure we wanted to do on the trip, as you aren’t legally allowed to do a self-guided tour here. Typically, we aren’t the types to spend a lot on paid adventures and like to find our own way, but this seemed like the right opportunity to.
On our way, we passed incredible and ever-changing landscapes that made me feel more like I was on the moon rather than in another country. Seriously, there were these round rock things covered in green moss that were so unique and incredible. Always make sure when you’re road tripping that you leave yourself plenty of time to get from Point A to Point B so you do not feel rushed if you want to stop to take in certain sights. We also got out and played on some huge ice chunks for about 30 minutes just because they looked cool.
Right before we got to Jokulsarlon, we stopped at Diamond Beach, which ended up being one of my favorite sights from the entire trip. We even had a canvas made to hang in our apartment from one of the pictures I took! I am glad we stopped when we did, because when we passed the next morning the entire beach was covered in snow.
We met our guide, John, and were pretty impressed with our ride for the day!
We toured a “blue cave” at the base of the glacier and then climbed up the glacier for a bit in our crampons. I could not believe how MASSIVE it was! This was my first time seeing a glacier and I was pretty amped up for it. We definitely enjoyed our tour, but if you’re traveling here on a tighter budget, there are certainly plenty of other things to spend your $300 on.
We chose to stay at Guesthouse Nypugardar near Hofn for our third night. The Guesthouse is very hard to find in the dark as it is tucked off the Ring Road a mile or two, but we managed to get there easily with the directions they gave us. The Guesthouse is family run and was very quiet as we were among the only guests there. We had a relaxing evening and enjoyed their farm-fresh breakfast spread the next morning.
Day 4:
In the night, we were hit pretty hard with a snow-storm and had gotten about 8 inches of snow. Thankful for our 4×4 vehicle, we set off for our longest driving day for us thus far.
We didn’t book accommodations for night 4 & 5 as we didn’t quite want to be committed in case we heard of some different places from locals during days 1-3 of the trip. We almost considered staying at the Guesthouse another night since the weather was so bad, but we were worried we might not be able to make the long drive back to Reykjavik in one day on day 5. After some debate, we decide to book night 4 in Vik, and make the drive there despite the white-out conditions. Just after making the decision to head to Vik, we passed one car that had slid off the bank and almost into the Jokulsarlon Lagoon! The weather ended up clearing after the first few hours, and we had a beautiful drive back to Vik and spent most of the day in the car. Did I mention to bring lots of snacks and easy meals to make on the go? I made a few lap PB&J’s throughout our trip while Jeremy drove.
By the time we got to Vik it was getting dark and decided we deserved to splurge on a nice meal. There weren’t a whole lot of places to go in town, but we certainly chose right with Sudur Vik. This restaurant is situated on the upper floor of an old restored house and has a unique atmosphere with a barn-like, rustic feel. The service was friendly and we had some delicious eats! Jeremy had a burger topped with a huge cut of fresh goat cheese and I had a lamb steak. Not pictured: the most incredible Mushroom Bisque (one of my favorites) of my life.
We were very pleased with the accommodations we chose for night four at Guesthouse Carina. We had our own room with an amazing view over the town of Vik and this may have been our favorite stay of the trip. The Guesthouse also provided us breakfast for a slight up-charge, but it was worth it to have a decent meal the next morning.
Day 5:
The night before we had found a trail on our map that we could access from our Guesthouse to trek to the top of the bluff overlooking Reynisfjara, the black sand beach. It ended up being one of our favorite parts of the entire trip! This is why you should always leave a little room in your plans, and your soul, for some spontaneity. Jeremy and I were the only ones at the top of the bluff and it was huge! We explored for hours and couldn’t get enough of the views overlooking the beach and Vik. We felt on top of the world and best of all, like we were the only ones there!
Across Reynisfjara beach from the bluff we were on in the photo above is Dyrhólaey, another viewpoint to overlook the crashing waves of the Atlantic. There were some amazing views on this side of Reynisfjara as well and a short and easy pit stop for anyone to make. We were once again reminded how fierce the waves can be!
On the last night of our trip, we wanted to relax. We had heard so much hype about the Blue Lagoon but were torn as to whether or not it would be the best site for us. We both tend to shy away from the overly touristy and mainstream options. We decided Blue Lagoon wasn’t for us, and instead opted for the Secret Lagoon at half the cost. I can’t say enough good things about the Secret Lagoon! Although it was a good deal smaller, the laid-back atmosphere and more “natural “ vibe was right up our alley. Did you know the Blue Lagoon is man-made, by the way? Such a shame. Be prepared for the requirement to fully cleanse before going in the pool, no bathing suits in the showers. All part of the authentic Iceland experience!
They had a nice boardwalk around the perimeter where you could walk in the cold air and see some other hot pools (too hot to swim in). We enjoyed standing in the steam that the other pools would give off, and then hopping back in the lagoon once we got cold again! We spent about four hours soaking in the hot pool and afterwards decided to head into the city to spend our last night close to the airport.
We got an incredible and affordable room in downtown Reykjavik at Thor Guesthouse. Our room literally overlooked part of the city and we were walking distance to all the best shops, restaurants and sights. We ordered the nightly special from Tapas barinn and it did not disappoint! Basically you select an option for how many plates you want and they bring you out the Chef’s featured small plates. You have no idea what you will be getting before it arrives – how fun! They also have a super neat atmosphere that looks like you’re dining in a somewhat unfinished basement, which you are. Check out a few of our favorites below.
Day 6:
We walked around some of the best sights in downtown Reykjavik on our last morning. Among our favorites were the iconic Harpa Hall, Hallgrimskirkja, and of course the Phallological Museum for some laughs!
Harpa Hall
Hallgrimskirkja
Downtown Reykjavik
What to Pack:
Let me start out by saying one thing, if you’re traveling to Iceland in the winter months as we did, be sure to bring ALL the warm clothes. Before our trip, we checked the weather and it showed around 30-34 degrees Fahrenheit for most of the trip. Both of us being from the north, didn’t think it sounded too bad, BUT the wind will rip through your layers if you do not dress appropriately. I advise bringing a long parka that covers your bum, a good hat that covers your ears fully, snow boots, tall socks, well-insulated mittens, and crampons. It may not be the coldest temperatures you have ever been in, but it is certainly harsh.
Are Hostels & Guesthouses Safe?
YES!! But also, it depends. Do not let what you have seen in the movies or read about online hold you back from the highly affordable and interactive social experience of staying at a hostel or guesthouse. As with anything, it is always best to be smart by staying aware of your surroundings and researching the area you are staying in. Most offer private room accommodations if you do not want to stay in the typical dorm-style space for fear of personal safety or safety of your belongings. Usually, you will still share the kitchen and restrooms with other travelers, but restrooms and showers are typically still private with locking doors. Use this as an opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and learn about each others’ experiences!
I am so happy it is finally time for me to write about turning 25 in Costa Rica! I took this trip with my best friend, Shelby, for my 25th birthday. We both share a love of travel and food, and are extremely compatible, so we always bring the good vibes. Thankfully for me, Shelby majored in Spanish in college and is fluent! I really recommend traveling to Costa Rica with someone who speaks at least a little bit of Spanish, as it is very helpful if you plan to travel to less touristy places. If not, no worries! Don’t let it deter you from your travels here, many people speak English across the country.
There is something about the laid-back lifestyle, crazy roads with speeding mopeds, and well preserved jungles that intoxicated me and left me with a full tank of happiness. Maybe it was the chemistry of the happy birthday vibes mixed with planning an amazing trip with best friend to a land of beaches, jungles and volcanoes, but I never wanted to leave.
Flying into San Jose, Coasta Rica – San Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO)
Day 1:
Shelby and I both took off on early flights the first morning, she from Detroit and myself from Tampa, to meet in Ft. Lauderdale for a short 3 hour flight together on Spirit Airlines ($436 round trip from Tampa, with a carry-on). Read my Travel Tips to learn an easy way of getting free seat changes on airlines, even when flying basic economy. By the time we got our bags and rental car, it was about 12:30pm and we set off for Montezuma. Since we only had 5 days, we decided to get a rental car even though Costa Rica has public transportation across the country. Through my research, I learned that buses often run on “Costa Rica Time”, so I wanted us to have our own wheels for the trip.
We caught the sunset on the Ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera on the Niquoya Peninsula. I was a little nervous to drive our rental onto the bottom deck of the ferry with livestock trucks and vehicles above me, but it was a simple process and nothing to worry about. Once you get parked, you can go to the upper deck and enjoy a cold cerveza. Did I mention the tickets are cheap? About $25 for a car and $1.50 per passenger. A unique experience and perfect, scenic way to get to the peninsula in just over an hour.
Making our way to the small beach town of Montezuma in the dark was a challenge, and I would actually recommend going in the daytime if possible. Luckily for us, Google Maps was somewhat working on my phone and we were able to find the VERY discreet “road”, Calle Pura Vida, that looked more like a long, dirt driveway. Keep in mind, there are no streetlights in this part of the country and many roads are not marked (this being one of them). We drove, in pitch black, down Calle Pura Vida, a small two-track style road, for almost 30 minutes before we stumbled onto the little town of Montezuma. Just past the town, we located our ocean-front hostel, Proyecto Montezuma. We ended up sharing a private room for under $30/night, and even had our own private bathroom. I recommend booking here ahead of time as they sell out often. Be warned: you will take cold showers if you stay in this part of the country, but this is by far my FAVORITE hostel we stayed in. More on that later. 🙂
Downtown Montezuma
Day 2:
We awoke to the sound of crashing waves and looked outside our window at the vast waters of the Pacific. We couldn’t have imagined this view the night before when we were surrounded by the night’s darkness. We took the 10 minute walk to Montezuma to grab some breakfast before heading to Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve for the day.
Cabo Blanco is Costa Rica’s first nature reserve and is very well-preserved with abundant flora and fauna. Beware of the Howler Monkeys! They sound absolutely horrifying, but are actually harmless. We took the Sueco Trail (4km each way) because we wanted to see the beach and it was definitely worth it! You hike for about 2 hours through peaceful woods/jungle to a practically private beach with TONS of monkeys playing in the trees. We loved how private Cabo Blanco was and we only saw about 5 or 6 travelers all day.
We headed back to Montezuma and were going to explore the Montezuma Waterfalls (walking distance from our hostel), but it was almost dark and there was a sketchy local at the start of the falls offering to show us there for a fee. He was probably harmless, but was pretty persistent and we didn’t want to be there alone with him as it got dark so we opted out. We had a local Seafood Paella special and picked up some cervezas to spend the rest of the evening at our hostel. We had one of the best nights of our trip here. Proyecto Montezuma has their own natural pools where you can sit on the rocks or submerge as the ocean waves crash in to keep the pools full. The experience is unique and amazing. We met two travelers from Germany and one from Canada, and spent a few hours chilling in the pools and learning about their travels. Once it got dark, we went back up to the hostel and spent the rest of the evening drinking our beers, chatting with fellow travelers, and lounging in the many hammocks the hostel had to offer.
Natural pools at Proyecto Montezuma
Day 3:
We hit the road early to start our 4-5 hour journey to La Fortuna, which is best known for the Arenal Volcano. We had a blast on the drive, which wound through the mountains and was mostly dirt roads. For this reason, I definitely suggest a full-sized or 4×4 vehicle if you plan to be road tripping through some of the less populated areas as we did.
When we got to La Fortuna it was early afternoon and we walked the town square before checking into the La Selina Hostel. We decided to rent one of their tents ($50) and it was a great experience! If staying for more than one night, I would probably suggest a cheaper option like a dorm space.
La Selina is a very social hostel. They have daily events and most of the travelers were our age. We decided to try the yoga ($5) and it was a life changing event! We practiced for two hours with our instructor, Yousef, along with three other travelers on an open platform under jungle flora with the sounds of a soft rain on the roof overhead and a rushing river in the background. We both went into an extreme meditation during Savasana (a feeling I have been trying to recreate since) and were deeply relaxed. This was one of the most incredible experiences of our trip.
We enjoyed spending the rest of the evening at our hostel and taking part in the free henna tattoo’s and fire show by the pool. The place was buzzing, but we mostly kept to ourselves and caught up on life and just enjoyed each other’s company, along with several glasses of Cabernet.
Day 4:
We ate the most amazing breakfast at our hostel and hit the road for a long day of adventure. We headed towards Cerro Chato Volcano to avoid the crowds of the Arenal Volcano hikes. You can still get amazing views of Arenal Volcano there and we hardly passed anyone else on the trails all day. We planned to do the short “Old Lava” hike at Senderos Los Tucanes, as we were advised against the full hike to Cerro Chato due to the poor weather conditions. Not only did we get lost for two hours trekking up the actual dried lava bed until we reached the clouds, but when we did finally find our way back to the marked trail, we decided to take the go for it and complete the hike to the top of Cerro Chato Volcano to see the green lagoon.
Dried Lava River Bed
We proceeded to hike 4km of steep incline to view the Lake Cerro Chato, a crater formed at the top of dormant Cerro Chato Volcano. Given the rainy conditions, this was an intense and dangerous hike, given the rainy conditions and I would not recommend trying this without hiking boots and PLENTY of water (3L per person). The trail is narrow and steep, and at times can be very slippery due to the clay, especially if it is raining. We pushed ourselves mentally and physically, but in the end I feel the climb was rewarding and would highly recommend to anyone during the dry season.
Laguna!
By the time we left Senderos, it was getting dark and we had not booked a hostel for our last night as we planned to stay closer to the airport but wanted flexiblility if plans changed. With our phones not working for maps, we headed back in the direction we knew towards La Fortuna. Since it was our last night, we wanted to relax in one of the local hot springs, but it was already dark we knew we would only be safe to go to one of the resorts and not the local springs. We stopped at a few fancy resorts and Shelby, covered head-to-toe in mud from our hike, asked about pricing but they turned their noses up to us. After 8 hours in the jungle, we would have paid just about anything for a hot shower, but thankfully a little further down the road, we whipped into Volcano Lodge & Springs and got a room for half the price. We had a steak dinner and relaxed in the hot springs before calling it an early night.
Day 5:
When we woke up on our final morning in Costa Rica, we looked outside and could not believe the stunning view of the Arenal Volcano from our room that we had missed in the dark the night before. It was incredible. We grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel and then headed to the airport to start out journey back to the states. Adios!
Food Gallery:
First of all, I highly recommend stopping at a “Soda”, which is what the locals refer to small roadside stands or local eateries where they serve typical Costa Rican cuisine. We had the most amazing ceviche and freshest mango’s at one we stopped at on our first day heading towards Montezuma. I recommend you eat ALL the mango’s if you visit, I have not been able to find any that even compare to them in the states.
We also enjoyed our favorite cafe con leche while waiting for the ferry. I wish I could remember the name of the place, but it is right next to the ferry and pretty much the only spot to grab food, drinks or stop at the restrooms before boarding. The entrance is on the 2nd floor and you climb the stairs facing the ferry. Absolutely amazing.
Here is a shot of breakfast one morning in Montezuma (so cheap!) where I enjoyed a ham and cheese crepe and Shelby had eggs and toast. Gallo Pinto is served with every meal in Costa Rica, even breakfast. It means “spotted rooster” in Spanish and is said to have gotten its name from the speckled appearance that results in cooking the rice with the beans.
Another funny combo – Seafood Paella Special with french fries & salad! This was our meal in Montezuma after a full day at Cabo Blanco. The mussels were so fresh and although the meal was non-traditional, we enjoyed the fun mixture of the special the locals created.
Breakfast at La Selina hostel did not disappoint and it was definitely the substance of this meal that got us through 8 hours of climbing and exploring the Cerro Chato Volcano! Looking at this now is bringing back the best of memories, and making me drool.
Splurged on some mussels for the last night of our trip at Volcano Lodge. Not as fresh tasting as the ones in our Seafood Paella, but still amazing!
Thank you for reading about our trip! Stay tuned for my next post coming in two weeks – Fire & Ice [land] Road Trip
Amanda on Adventures 