Spring Trip to Arizona with Visit Phoenix

This past April, my mother and I took a trip with Visit Phoenix to Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Mesa Arizona. I personally had never been to the area, and had only stepped foot in Arizona twice before this trip. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I instantly fell in love! The food, the history, the culture is completely different from what I am accustomed to being from the East Coast, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Here are some of the things that we got into!

LODGING

During our trip we stayed at the beautiful Hotel Adeline within walking distance of Old Town Scottsdale. The location was perfect because we could walk to Old Town if we wanted but not be in the thick of it (it can get busy at night from what I understand). The hotel also has an outdoor pool with a poolside bar, a whiskey bar, and a restaurant. We had breakfast at the restaurant and I really enjoyed their breakfast fried rice!

ATTRACTIONS

Taliesin West: One of my favorite stops of the trip was our visit to Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home and desert laboratory built in 1937. Not only is Taliesin West a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Historic Landmark, but they were also hosting a Dale Chihuly exhibit! As a big fan of FLW and Chihuly, this visit was very special. If you’re planning a visit to the area, I suggest adding this to your list! Taliesin West is open 7 days a week and reservations are highly recommended.

Desert Botanical Garden: Taliesin West wasn’t the only place that had a Chihuly exhibit. The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix was also hosting “Chihuly in the Desert” and it was truly spectacular. I loved seeing how the Chihuly pieces worked with the beautiful desert landscape of the botanical garden. Exhibit aside, if you’re a fan of nature, desert landscapes, and botanical gardens, the Desert Botanical Garden needs to be on your list. Keep in mind that advanced tickets are currently required!

Heard Museum: the Heard Museum in Phoenix is a museum that is dedicated to the advancement of American Indian art and presents the stories of American Indian people from a first-person perspective. It was one of my favorite places that we visited. The exhibits were truly beautiful and enlightening. The Heard is open from 10am-4pm and is easily accessible via the Valley Metro Light Rail.

Queen Creek Olive Mill: the Queen Creek Olive Mill is a family owned farm and mill and is the only working and operating olive mill in Arizona! You can take a tour and learn how they make Extra Virgin Olive Oil from blossom to bottle, as well as shop, dine, and enjoy a spa day! My mom and I took the tour and I learned SO much about olive oil including how it’s supposed to taste and how it’s supposed to be stored. Long story short, I’ve been wrong about Extra Virgin Olive Oil my entire life! Go for the educational tour, stay for the delicious food! I recommend getting a cup of gelato and trying it with a little splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The Olive Oil 101 Class is $7/person, free for 12 and under.

FOOD + BEVERAGE

Wine Girl Scottsdale: Before dinner on our first night we stopped at Wine Girl Scottsdale for a glass of wine and an appetizer. I had a “winetail” made with rosé, rose extract, and rose petals and we shared a mushroom flatbread. Both were great! This spot is perfect for girls’ night and is incredibly instagrammable!

CALA Scottsdale: After Wine Girl, we went to the brand new CALA. It’s a mediterranean-inspired restaurant with beautiful decor and ambiance. The flaming saganaki is a must-order, but we loved everything we had!

Lylo Swim Club: Located in the Rise Uptown Hotel, Lylo Swim Club is a Japanese-Hawaiian restaurant on a beautiful poolside patio. I don’t know about you, but I think food and drinks are best enjoyed outside so this place was perfect to me. Don’t skip out on the drinks (almost all can be made non-alcoholic) and definitely get the fries and the musubi!

Palma: This might be one of the coolest restaurants I’ve ever been to (and the food was fantastic!), and if you know me you know that’s saying a lot. Palma recently opened and features a menu of Asian-inspired dishes including sushi. My favorite dish was the popcorn chicken, which doesn’t sound special but it’s fried with the chicken skin still on so it’s crispy and juicy and just absolute perfection. Dine inside with a very cool desert projection that changes as the night progresses, or dine outside amongst palms and fire pits. For extra fun, make a reservation for pin bowling next door at Châm Pang Lanes or grab a tequila or mezcal night cap at Ghost Donkey.

Overall my trip to the Phoenix area was fantastic and it will not be my last time there! Keep in mind that in the Spring and Summer months it can get VERY warm (the high was around 97ºF every day that were there), so plan accordingly! I can’t wait to get back and visit, so comment below with places that I must visit next time!

Portland Maine with Allagash Brewing

Last fall I went to Portland, Maine courtesy of Allagash Brewing. It was my first trip to trip to Maine and my first trip to New England. The whole weekend was absolutely amazing. I was able to tour the brewery, explore the town, and eat lots and lots of seafood! Here are some of the highlights.

Allagash Brewing Company

I am a big fan of beer, and one of my favorite things to do with my husband is tour a brewery and enjoy a tasting of their offerings. Allagash White is one of my all time favorite beers, so I was extra excited to learn more about the company, explore the brewery and taste some of their other beers. We got to see the brewing in action, meet their Brewmaster Jason Perkins, and learn about the culture of the company. I had already liked the company, but now I am in love.

Oyster Shucking and Lobster Rolls with Eventide Oyster Co.

During the trip, we had a very special opportunity to learn how to shuck oysters with the owners of Eventide Oyster Co. while standing in low tide in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. I’ve never had more delicious oysters in my life! Following the oyster tutorial, they made us brown butter lobster rolls. It couldn’t have been a more perfect experience! If you go to Maine, I highly suggest you visit their restaurant.

Sunset Ride on a Lobster Boat

I’m a big fan of lobster. It’s one of my all time favorite foods. Because of this, I was most excited about the ride on a lobster boat with Lucky Catch Cruises to learn more about the industry. I found out that they drop cages and let the lobsters walk in themselves. Then, when they go to retrieve them, they only keep the ones that measure longer than a certain length. They also do not keep the lobsters that are marked as breeders. One of the lobsters in the cage they pulled up was even carrying eggs! While on the boat, we got to enjoy incredibly fresh sushi from Mr. Tuna. The tuna was caught close to Portland! It was some of the best sushi of my life. Together with Allagash beers, a cruise around the harbor looking at beautiful homes and lighthouses, and a gorgeous sunset, this was a huge highlight of the trip.

Stroll Around Portland

On our last day in Portland, my husband Ian and I took a stroll around the city and tried to check out more local spots rather than the touristy area. I didn’t take many photos because I was soaking it all in, but I will say that it is an amazing place and I can’t wait to go back and visit!

12 Hour Layover in London

On my way back from Paris this past January, I had a 12 hour layover in London. It wasn’t supposed to be that long, but the polar vortex in Chicago pushed my flight back. I didn’t mind because it gave me more time to explore the city! After I landed, I took the train in and walked around a lot. I wanted to try something local for lunch but ended up at Shake Shack because I was starving and it was the first place I saw. Luckily, after walking around a lot more, I went to Ye Olde Chester Cheese for a dinner of Fish and Chips with a side of mashed peas washed down with a glass of cider. That was probably my favorite part of the day. Not only was the food delicious, but that pub has been open since 1666 and used to be frequented by literary giants Charles Dickens and Mark Twain (amongst others). I didn’t get to see even a quarter of what I wanted to while I was in London, but I will definitely be going back! In the meantime, here are some photos I took that day.

Summer Trip to Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina is one of the most charming cities I’ve ever visited. It is rich in history (some sordid) with gorgeous old architecture set among palm trees. I definitely recommend exploring and eating as much as you can, but fair warning…it is VERY hot in the summer.

Rainbow Row

I stayed at one of The Inns properties, it was amazing!

Lewis BBQ

I Took a Trip to Paris on a Whim

This past January (I know, I know…this post is a little late), I had an airline credit that I had to spend before it expired. I asked for travel suggestions and my friend Victoria tells me that she is going to Paris in two weeks and that I should go, too! After a very short deliberation and a search for tickets and airbnbs, I booked a round trip ticket with a day layover in London on the way back. I was finally on my way to Europe for the first time!

Due to the government shutdown, Victoria’s flight ended up getting delayed and she missed her connection from Iceland. Because of this, I had a whole day and a half to explore Paris by myself. This led to me taking A LOT of photos. The rest of the time in Paris was spent with Victoria and Nicole, both photographers from Chicago, so this also led to me taking A LOT of photos. Even with all the gloomy winter weather, it was still the best trip I’ve ever been on and I can’t wait to go back!

Food

Food is my favorite part about traveling, and Paris was no exception. I had some of the best food of my life there! This isn’t everything I had, but I assure you it was all delicious.

First up: Le Bistrot Paul Bert. It had come very highly recommended to me by several chef friends, so I knew I had to give it a try. It was really damn good! We were there for lunch so the 3-course menu was very affordable and all of the options sounded delicious. I ordered the pâté de campagne, steak frites, and soufflé. I don’t have a photo of the pâté de campagne because I ate it too fast, but it was a delicious pork country terrine. Le Bistrot Paul Bert is located at 18 Rue Paul Bert in the 11th arrondissement and is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Steak Frites

Soufflé

Another amazing spot was La Jacobine. This was my favorite meal of the trip, and easily one of the best meals of my life. I opted out of the 3-course option and just ordered the duck breast with mushroom sauce with an order of escargot to start. The escargot was so good and wasn’t chewy at all like most of the versions I’ve had here in the States. I used the left over garlic and herb butter to dip the bread in. This should go without saying but: ALWAYS EAT THE BREAD IN PARIS. The duck breast with mushroom sauce was cooked perfectly and the sauce was truly delectable. There are many reasons for me to want to go back to Paris, but this is very high on the list. La Jacobine is located at 59-61, Rue Saint André des Arts in the 6th arrondissement and is open every day of the week but is not open for lunch on Mondays.

Duck Breast with Mushroom Sauce

Now let’s talk pastries. I didn’t eat enough pastries when I was in Paris. But, when I landed I went straight to Du Pain et des Idées to get their escargot croissant with pistachio. It’s called escargot because it’s shaped like a snail’s shell! It was delicious and very much so worth a visit. Du Pain et des Idées is located at 34 Rue Yves Toudic in the 11th arrondissement and is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Du Pain et des Idées

pistachio escargot from Du Pain et des Idées

Overall the food was amazing everywhere. I even cooked a lot at my airbnb with fresh ingredients I found in the market. I just couldn’t believe how delicious everything was. There were two more restaurants that I didn’t photograph, but are also worth a visit: Le Bistrot d'Henri located at 16 Rue Princesse in the 6th arrondissement and is open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week. I had incredible bone marrow and duck breast there! And Soul Kitchen located at 33 Rue Lamarck in Montmartre (18th arrondissement). I went here for breakfast twice during the trip and both times were amazing. They’re open 7 days a week and have vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options. And the coffee was some of the best I’ve ever had!

Street Art

Paris has a TON of great street art. I love street art. It was one of my favorite things about living in NYC and I was very excited to see what there was in Paris. I was especially thrilled to see all of the Space Invader pieces scattered throughout the city! Here are some of my favorite pieces I spotted on my trip.

“This is not vandalism”

Doors

I fell in love with the architecture of Paris, but I think my favorite part was all of the amazing doors!

Montmartre

I loved a lot of the neighborhoods I visited while I was in Paris, but the number one was Montmartre. It is just so charming! And I really enjoyed walking around this hilly area. It’s definitely somewhere I could see myself living! It was also my favorite area to photograph.

Sacre Coeur

Landmarks

I obviously had to visit some of the more touristy attractions in Paris, and I really enjoyed every single one I visited! I went to the Catacombs, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Musée d'Orsay, Musée de l'Orangerie, The Louvre, and Centre Pompidou. My overall takeaways are that art is awesome and Paris has way too many stairs.

Musée d'Orsay

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Inside the Notre Dame. It was sad to see photos of this part after the fire.

Eiffel Tower in the early morning.

Eiffel Tower at sunset

The Louvre

Extras

Overall, Paris is a city I had never really had on my list (I’ve always wanted to visit the French countryside), but it surprised me in a very good way. It is definitely a place I will be visiting again. Let me know what your favorite spots are and where I should go on my next visit!