We started our third day in Copenhagen at Amalienborg Palace. The complex is made of four identical buildings, which include the official residences of the Danish royal family and the current Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II. The palace was constructed in the 1700’s and visitors are allowed to tour one of the buildings which is now a museum showcasing how the monarchy once lived.
Read MoreAbout a month ago, Alex and I came across discounted tickets on a flight to Copenhagen. As we both had a long weekend for Columbus Day, we decided to go for it and booked them on the spot! Alex visited Copenhagen 5 or 6 years ago for work, but was not able to explore much during his time there. I had never been to Denmark so this was a perfect opportunity enjoy a long weekend! We pretty much hit the pavement once we landed and packed a lot in on this trip knowing we had to make the most of our four days. Copenhagen is a super walkable city which we loved and averaged around 9-miles of walking each day we were there!
Read MoreOur final stop in Newfoundland before driving back to St. John’s was to the Fogo Islands. About four or five years ago, Alex came across an article in Bloomberg Magazine talking about the recent opening of the Fogo Island Inn. Architecturally, the inn is such am amazing structure which perches on stilts and hugs the North Atlantic Coastline. What makes this hotel extra special is that it is part of a charity which gives back to the island and many of the employees are locals as well. We had pinned this article in our “Places to Visit” file and were very excited about checking it out. After an hour ferry ride from the mainland, we arrived in the Fogo Islands.
Read MoreIt was almost a five-hour drive from Gros Morne National Park to Twillingate where we spent one night. Because we were leaving for the Fogo Islands the following morning, we made sure to pack in a lot during the time we had in Twillingate. Twillingate is a beautiful area and famous for the icebergs which float down from Greenland. Unfortunately, iceberg season runs from May to June, so we missed this, but we’ve already discussed coming back another year to view them!
Read MoreThe third stop of our trip was to Gros Morne National Park. When I was reading about places to visit in Newfoundland, I came across this quote: “Gros Morne may be the most breathtaking park you’ve never heard of”. Located on the west coast of Newfoundland, the park lies within the Long-Range Mountains and is dotted with beautiful seaside villages, beaches, lighthouses and freshwater fjords.
Read MoreIt was a three-hour drive from St. John’s to our second stop, the adorable fishing village of Trinity. Before checking into our hotel, we drove north to the town of Elliston where they have an incredible puffin colony. There is a short pathway to the site and we could see them pretty close! They are such cute and funny animals and honestly, we had to google information about puffins because I was unaware they could fly. Turns out, puffins are not a type of penguin like I originally thought. Puffins can fly unlike penguins who swim. It was fun watching them and the viewing area was so beautiful.
Read MoreHello from Canada! Alex and I are currently exploring Newfoundland and although we’ve only been here for a few days, this area really does pack a punch in terms of beauty! To get to Newfoundland, we took an early-morning flight (6:20am), had a brief layover in Toronto, and then landed in St. John’s, Newfoundland around 2:00pm.
Read MoreIt has been an unseasonably cool August here in New York (unlike July which was the hottest month on record!) and last weekend Alex and I took advantage of the weather by boarding a ferry to Governors Island. We’ve never been before and I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it ended up being a really great New York day!!
Read MoreWith warmer weather officially here in New York, I thought it would be fun to make some Coconut Macaroons. I made these the first time while staying with family back in March when my sister-in-law, Kim, discovered a bag of shredded coconut which was going to expire and wondered out loud what could be made with it. I immediately thought of Coconut Macaroons and came across this recipe. They were incredibly easy to make and ended up tasting delicious. The cookies are both soft and crunchy at the same time while the chocolate adds another depth of flavor which makes them perfect to enjoy on a warm summer day.
Read MoreWhile Alex and I were in Toronto two weekends ago, we decided to drive to Niagara Falls for the day. Niagara Falls has been on my New York bucket list for awhile and despite living in New York on and off for almost 8 years, we had never visited. When we realized the falls were only an hour-and-a-half from Toronto, we decided to rent a car and head out there.
Read MoreAlex and I celebrated our 10-year anniversary last week! I still can’t believe it’s been ten years - time please slow down! In honor of our 10-year anniversary we decided to celebrate doing what we love - exploring a new city. We decided to visit Toronto as it has been on our list to visit for awhile and only an hour-and-a-half flight from New York. The plane into Toronto actually lands on an island directly across from the city center. There is a short ferry ride (a whole 2 minutes!) to get across to the main city center and then we were able to walk to the hotel directly from there. I think it may have been the easiest flight to hotel experience we’ve ever encountered in our travels! It was also a fun way to see the skyline right from the get go!
Read MoreWhen I think of Maui, one of the first things that comes to mind is the Road to Hana. After doing a lot of research about this drive, most of what I read recommended to stay overnight in Hana in order to really maximize your time exploring this part of Hawaii. Alex and I ended up doing just that and spent a full day driving the Road to Hana, staying overnight in Hana and then taking an alternative route home where we ended at Haleakalā National Park.
Read MoreAloha! Alex and I just returned from a week long stay in Hawaii. My brother, Chris, and his wife, Melissa, invited a group of friends and family to Maui to help celebrate their marriage. For the majority of the group, it was the first time visiting Hawaii, Alex and myself included. We had such a wonderful trip! It really is a beautiful island with so much to see and explore.
Read MoreOne of my favorite restaurants to visit while living in North Carolina was Kindred. It’s located 30-minutes north of Charlotte in the small town of Davidson, NC. I enjoyed going for brunch, but dinner was an absolute favorite. Why? Because of their Milk Bread. Served only in the evenings, this bread is everything you want in a carb. It is warm, fluffy, soft and delicious! I’ve had daydreams about this bread - it is THAT good!
Read MoreWe have officially been in New York for one month and I cannot believe how quickly these last few weeks have flown. We are trying to take advantage of being back in this amazing city and definitely feel like we are in the “honeymoon” phase. In the past, Alex and I would hibernate and venture only so far from our apartment during winter in New York (thankfully, everything you could possibly need or want is only a short walk away or can be delivered right to your doorstop!). This time around, things are still fresh and new and we are making sure to take advantage of our free time and explore some “new-to-us” neighborhoods.
Read MoreOne of the perks about moving back to New York in December is being able to experience Christmas in the city. New York goes all out for the holidays with over-the-top display windows, huge light installations and Christmas trees in every store. It makes an already bright city shine even brighter.
Read MoreWell, its official. Our time in San Francisco ends tomorrow as we fly to New York to start this next journey. It is a very bittersweet time for Alex and I as we are excited about this new adventure but sad to leave the Bay Area. In the last five months, we have grown to really love this city once again. We’ve tried to make the most of our time here, but we both agree it still feels too short! I will miss being close to my brother and sister-in-law. It has been really special getting to spend more time with the both of them. San Francisco doesn’t have the best reputation for its weather, but the last few months have been just beautiful (aside from some major smoke and rain a couple weeks ago!). It’s easy to romanticize the city now that we are leaving (I’ve complained about the hills since Day 1 and haven’t stopped - they truly are a beast of their own!), but even still San Francisco sure has stolen my heart!
Read MoreRice Crispy Treats have always reminded me of my childhood. There was always someone’s mom who brought them to a class party or holiday event. Even today my high school friend, Tara, continues to make them whenever we get together (she knows I can’t resist!). I found this recipe which takes the original instructions and tweaks them just a bit to make a more nutty and flavorful rice crispy treat. Something as simple as toasting the butter and adding additional salt really makes this dessert POP! Plus, they are SO EASY. I put these together in less than 10 minutes and could not be more happy with the results. Enjoy!
Read MoreA few weeks back, Alex and I were making a list of things we want to do before leaving San Francisco (for those of you that don’t know, SURPRISE! We are moving to New York in December!!). One road trip Alex really wanted to fit in was visiting Yosemite National Park. We had this conversation on a Tuesday and by Saturday afternoon, we were on our way!! The planning felt a bit rushed (I tend to like to take my time with doing research), but we really wanted to visit before it got too cold and snowy. My parents visited Yosemite in September and were helpful in giving us recommendations as well.
Read MoreWe had plans with my brother and sister-in-law to come over for Family Dinner this past weekend and I wanted to have a unique fall dessert waiting for them after our main meal. After searching online for a fall cookie recipe, I settled on these Chocolate Chunk-Pumpkin Seed Cookies.
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