Category: Travel

City Eats: Primrose Bakery, London

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If you know me, you know I really like cupcakes. While we lived in Germany, however, there weren’t too many places you could even find a cupcake. So, when I stumbled upon Primrose Bakery in London while planning our trip there, I was so excited!

This place was so fun and the cupcakes were absolutely delicious! The bakery felt cozy, funky, and eclectic all at once, and those are absolutely my favorite types of places. It took us so long to decide, but my sister and I finally decided on an Earl Grey cupcake and a salted caramel cupcake. I still can’t believe we only got two!

If you’re ever in London, have a cupcake (or two) at Primrose Bakery, you won’t be disappointed.

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A Stroll Through the Garden District, New Orleans

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I cannot believe it has already been almost a year since we visited New Orleans in the springtime. Jason and I have made so many wonderful memories together in the city throughout the course of our relationship and we were so excited to get back last year. There is so much to love about New Orleans. The history, the food, the people, the culture, the music, the beauty. For us it is even more, as it holds such special memories with so many people that we love and have celebrated life’s greatest joys with in the city. This time it was really special and memorable once again, because we shared this trip with our sweet daughter and niece and my sister. It was really wonderful to share one of our favorite places with people we love so much. Truly, one of my favorite ways to show the people I love how much I care is to share my favorite things and places with them.

One of the things about this trip that we were most excited about was the amount of time we had to really explore and take in the beauty of the city. We set aside an entire day to just explore parts of the city on foot. We decided to spend some of that time in the Garden District seeing the historic homes and the gorgeous foliage. Being there, walking there, just made you feel like you were a part of living, breathing history. You could almost imagine the people who lived in these homes and walked on these streets, over the course of its existence. There is definitely something to be said for a place that just makes you feel so much and spend time just reflecting on everything that it is.

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Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

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Jason and I are so happy to have been able to take Addison to one of our favorite places in the entire world, Walt Disney World!

We tossed around the idea of going to Disney for a while and actually decided against it until she was a bit older, but then she started showing an interest in costumed characters and certain Disney movies and characters. So, after lots of research and tons of planning, we decided to go for it. I am so glad we did! We had the best time experiencing Disney through her eyes. She loved meeting the characters and was not intimidated at all. In fact, she learned really quickly to take each character her little autograph book and give them big hugs! She was such a trooper and we all had such a great time together. She took naps in her stroller when she was tired, but when a show began or it was time to meet a character, she was all eyes and ears!

One thing that I was really passionate about us doing was a character meal. After researching and considering Addy’s favorite characters, we decided on Chef Mickey’s Fun Time Buffet at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Addy has loved her Little People Mickey and Minnie for as long as she was old enough to hold them and play with them, so it was really important to Jason and I that we find a meal that included both Mickey and Minnie. We felt that for this trip, Chef Mickey’s would be perfect and we could also schedule our meal on a day that we did not have tickets to the parks, since the restaurant and resort are outside the parks and do not require an admission ticket. We had read prior to reserving our meal that the food is not necessarily the best of all of the character meals, but because of the nostalgia and ambiance of the Contemporary Resort, as well as the character line-up, we decided that it was a risk we were willing to take. Honestly, we were quite happy with our meal and especially loved the sweet options, and of course, the Mickey-shaped waffles!

We really loved Chef Mickey’s Fun Time Buffet and we really enjoyed spending time exploring the Contemporary Resort as well, as I have long been enamored with “the Disney resort that the monorail runs through.” I think our time at the Contemporary Resort brought out the kid in all of us.

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Travel Log: Disneyland Paris at Christmastime

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While living in Europe, Jason and I were fortunate enough to be able to visit Disneyland Paris multiple times. I love Disney Parks at any time of the year, but Christmastime is especially magical.

When people knew we had visited Disneyland Paris, one question we got many times was “How does Disneyland Paris compare to Walt Disney World in Florida or Disneyland in California?” To be honest, we went in to each experience with no expectations or comparisons between either park and we feel that each individual park has its own set of unique experiences, food that is unique to each park, and rides that were either unique to each park or were slightly different than the “same” ride at another park. In my opinion, no one park is better than the other, we love them all! One of my favorite memories of Disneyland Paris was when a cast member noticed that we traded pins, which is not typically a huge draw for visitors of the Disneyland Paris parks, but he made a point of bringing out some limited edition pins specific to Disneyland Paris and traded as many pins as we needed to get all the pins that he had, that we wanted.

One year, we opted to spend Thanksgiving Day at the park and ring in the Christmas season there. We were able to see the park’s Christmas parade on Thanksgiving Day, take in all the festive decor, and just enjoy the magic that being at a Disney Park brings. Speaking of enjoying the magic of Disney Parks, we are really excited to be spending a bit of time at Walt Disney World this holiday season; we are especially excited to take Addy to Disney for the first time, as she loves Mickey, Minnie, and Olaf, music and dancing. I also cannot wait to experience Epcot Festival of the Holidays and try things from each of the Holiday Kitchens! Obviously if you read this blog, or know me personally, you know food is one of my very favorite things. 😉

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and are able to spend time with the people (and pets) that you love, make time to slow down, and relish in the season.

 

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Travel Log: Waco + The Magnolia Silos

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This past Spring, Jason and I were finally able to take a trip to Waco, Texas and the Magnolia Silos. Fixer Upper has been such a source of decor inspiration for us, so it was really neat to visit the Magnolia campus and find a few treasures in Magnolia Market.

My sister and niece joined us on our trip and we all really enjoyed our time in Waco. While Jason was off speaking to students at Baylor, sister and I enjoyed several cups of joe from Common Grounds. Common Grounds is just outside of the Baylor campus and is such a neat, local coffee joint. It has a really funky vibe, which is just the kind of place I like.

When we all met back up, we enjoyed perusing the market, checking out the delicious food trucks at the Silos, and of course, the very tasty treats from the Silos Baking Co.

 

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Travel Log: Viareggio, Italy

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On our last trip to Florence, Jason and I took an AM train and spent a day in the seaside city of Viareggio. Located on the Tyrrhenian Sea, Viareggio was initially established as a port for the neighboring city of Lucca and is known for its shipbuilding industry.

Viareggio is also known for the ‘Carnivale di Viareggio,’ whose parade was first organized by wealthy citizens of the city and held in 1873. The first parade was not all celebration, however, and turned into a protest when some of the city’s citizens refused to be forced into paying high taxes and wore masks to the parade in protest. The red and white adorned clown, Burlamacco, has greeted carnival guests since 1931 and his colors were chosen as a nod to the traditional beach umbrella colors of the city.

We started our day in traditional Italian fashion, with a cappuccino and a (ridiculously delicious, chocolate-and-hazelnut-filled) pastry. We spent the rest of our day appreciating the city’s charm and stunning art nouveau architecture via “La Passeggiata,” a promenade which spans 3 kilometers and is filled with restaurants, gelaterias, and shops. We enjoyed a leisurely stroll along the beach which concluded with a lunch of seafood pasta, Aperol spritzes, and a seaside view. We ended our day with what else? Gelato.

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A Day in Vail

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Though we have lived here almost a year and a half already, we are just beginning to check some places off of our Colorado To-See list. We spent a day in Vail with my sister and niece recently and we all really enjoyed ourselves.

We took the scenic route from Colorado Springs, which was so nice and relaxing and we were also rewarded with wonderful vistas and views. We arrived in Vail around lunch time, so we started our day there with a meal at Alpenrose Restaurant, a German-Austrian restaurant. Vail is so reminiscent of Germany, so it only made sense to enjoy a German meal there. Everything was delicious, but hands-down, everyone’s favorite thing was the Spätzel! It was cooked the way we like it, with just a bit of crunch. We dined al fresco and enjoyed people-watching and seeing the festive attire worn by skiers and snowboarders – most went all out, as it was the last ski weekend of the season.

After lunch, we spent time shopping in Vail Village and then walked from there to Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, where we were rewarded with stunning views, peaceful streams, and once at the Gardens, the babies were able to enjoy some time on the lawn playing together.

I think our day in Vail was my favorite kind of day: no real plan, no time constraints – just exploring a new place with people I love. The kind of day that fills my soul and that I know I’ll always remember and cherish.

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City Eats: Churrería Laietana, Barcelona

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I can think of few things in life which are better than stumbling upon hidden gems in a new city. Unassuming, unapologetic, old gems. Like this one. Jason and I discovered Churrería Laietana on a stroll our first morning in Barcelona. We were attempting to navigate and discover the city and almost missed out entirely. Thankfully we stumbled upon the café at just the time we both needed a morning pick-me-up, which inspired us to peruse the menu and stay. The tiny cafe featured a sparse menu and few places to sit, but what it lacked in variety and space it more than made up in taste. There was such an authenticity about the space and the feel of the churrería; watching the churros being piped, fried, drained, and covered in sugar made you feel like you were a part of the whole decadent process. We savored an order of freshly made churros with a cup of thick drinking chocolate, perfect for dipping the delicious bits of fried dough in.

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Signs of Solvang

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I have posted about Solvang before, here. While I was getting that post ready for the blog, I realized I should just do a separate post on the amazing signage there. As a marketing major, I am always inspired by good branding.

Many of the buildings in Solvang have façades that were modeled in the “Danish Provincial” style and exhibit the characteristic half-timbered façade. In addition, many of the signs feature windmills, a nod to the four windmills in the village.

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Travel Log: Florence, Mercado Centrale

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On our last trip to Florence before moving back to the States, Jason and I spent a morning eating our way through Mercado Centrale. Packed with food and artisan stalls, Mercado Centrale is a covered market located in the San Lorenzo neighborhood of Florence. Jason and I started our trip with a cappuccino and croissant at the café located on the second floor. I loved getting our mornings in Italy started with a cappuccino and pastry, while we took in the surroundings of wherever we happened to be that day. It allowed us the chance to relax and reflect before getting full days worth of touring started.

After consuming our morning meal, we walked back downstairs to check out all of shops and stalls. There was so much fresh fruit, vegetables, pastries, and bread – and of course, pasta, wine, salamis, and fresh cheeses (like our favorite, buffalo mozzarella!!) We sampled bruschetta, cheese, and Italian cookies. We purchased cookies for consumption back in our apartment, pasta and treats to take back home to Germany, and a few gifts for friends.

We ended our morning with a flipping amazing cannoli from Savini (and may have come back and had another for breakfast on a different day) and set out to explore more of our favorite city in Europe.

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