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While we are in Mexico for our destination wedding we are lucky enough to have many Spanish speaking friends with us, and very lucky that they are willing to put together some tours for us.
These are not your get on the big tourbus with the guy making bad jokes selling you expensive and crappy beer kind of tours.
These are the kind of tours where you hire all your own things, like bus, driver, food, drinks etc…and get them to take you where you want to go and completely on your schedule.
I’m thrilled we were still able to tour, and see all the great things the Mayan Riviera has to offer, but we don’t have to get herded here and there, have people trying to sell us time shares, and spend a set amount of time at every place with zero flexibility.
Hello freedom, this is a great and different kind of touring.
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Dreaming of la dolce vita in Tuscany
It’s Winter, it’s cold, and every year around this time everyone starts to get a bit blue. Looking for a winter escape? Why not pull out a copy of the novel Under the Tuscan Sun and dream of living la dolce vita in Tuscany?
The book is amazing, and helps take you away to dream land…where love, natural beauty, good food and great wine are a part of everyday life.
So if it’s a cold night and you’re looking for something to do that will warm your heart and soul, open Under the Tuscan Sun, or dream about living your own dolce vita dream life in Tuscany.
Don’t you feel warmer already?
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Over the last few weeks we’ve been on a road trip throughout the USA. We started in Toronto, went to Washington DC for Christmas and then on to Charleston, Savannah, and finally Florida.
Our first stop in Florida was outside of Jacksonville in a road hotel. We were both too tired to continue on, and we’d been stuck in a never ending traffic jam that took us 3 hours just to get outside of Savannah. As frustrating as it was, it was also heartbreaking. Originally we couldn’t figure out why the traffic was taking forever to move…seriously, we were going 20 mph for 2 hours straight. It was like we were in a street parade for Senior’s Day!
So of course we started getting frustrated and agitated…until we came upon the real reason the traffic had been so backed up. There was a massive crash involving a semi truck and four cars and all of them were completely destroyed. There were five police cars around, skid marks everywhere, a few tow trucks…and a Hearse. No ambulance, just a Hearse.
This whole scene really haunted me. The cars all looked like they had been put through a garbage compactor and I couldn’t stop thinking about the people that used to be in them. Mothers, daughters, sons, friends, colleagues…those people could be so many important things to so many different people.
And now they are gone.
Then of course my thoughts turned inside our car, and thinking about how much I care about my fiancé, and how I would be completely devastated if he wasn’t with me.
So after holding back some tears we chatted about how many crazy accidents we’ve seen on this trip. And how none of them were worth it.
We decided to slow down, enjoy the drive, and chill out with the passing, speeding, and other carryings on that put us closer to harms way.
Sometimes it’s okay to get to a destination later, especially if it means you arrive alive.
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As I wrote about here and here, we’re taking a road trip from Toronto all the way to the Florida Keys and back, by car.
With all the crazy weather there has been on the Eastern Coast it’s been a huge mix between chilly temperatures, rain storms, sunny days, and warm weather.
The best part of all this crazy weather is the sunsets they create.
Here are some of my favourite shots of gorgeous sunsets in the clouds we’ve seen on our roadtrip.
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For years I have wanted to go to Savannah. It all started when I was an ESL teacher in Korea. On one of our many nights of drinking wine together my friend Lise and I shared stories on our favourite cities to visit. Lise mentioned that her favourite city by far was Savannah – with all the gardens on every block, beautiful historical architecture and Southern charm.
Gorgeous buildings on every corner in Savannah
When my fiance and I showed up in Savannah we weren’t sure where to go or what to expect. We parked by the river and walked around the tourist area. It was pretty busy and lots of tourists were walking around, going in the boutiques, and tasting the local seafood. The cobble stone streets and old buildings created a wonderful ambience, but one of the coolest things were the sidewalks, which was concrete with oyster shells and other shells mixed in. It was super original – I’ve never seen anything like it before!
Savannah river sidewalks have a seashells mixed in!
Once we had a coffee in the outdoor market we headed up to higher ground and walked around the old town. It was gorgeous! There were big, beautiful, historical homes with wonderful landscaping, and at almost every block there was a small city park. With the slow, Southern pace, beautiful homes and lovely little parks Savannah was the most walking friendly city I’ve been in.
Parks on every block make Savannah a great city to walk in
We didn’t have a plan in particular for the day, we just wanted to explore and visit the city – given the small city and walkable environment it was easy to do!
So we strolled, visited the parks, read all the plaques and learned about the monuments in each park, and strolled some more.
When it was time for a break we happened upon a gorgeous building – the Forsyth Mansion. We sat back, had a glass of wine and admired the phenomenal restoration of the historical building. It was stunning and fuelled so many ideas about how I would decorate my fantasy house.
The gorgeous Forsyth Mansion is worth a visit
One of the dining rooms at the Foryth Mansion
When the sun set we strolled back to the car, admired the final scenes and headed back on the road to our next stop.
Savannah was a beautiful city to visit, and if I’d had more time I would have loved to stay in the Forsythe Mansion, eat at the great restaurants and live like a Southerner for a few days.
Up Next: Key West, Florida
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Christmas is over, it went well, and our trip to Washington DC has wharfed into a whole new adventure! We’re going to the Florida Keys!
In the beginning of planning our trip we decided we wanted to see many of the cities and sights along the way to Florida. Since flying to all these different places would be way too expensive we decided a road trip would be a fun and less expensive way to see all these great places along the way.
We came up with a general plan, and then asked our frequent traveller friends for their recommendations.
Charleston was a city that everyone kept on recommending.
And I can see why.
It’s a lovely city. So beautiful and charming and historical. There are so many small streets, with well maintained buildings, and whole lot of that Southern Charm.
We planned on only spending a few hours in Charleston. But we got pulled in. We walked randomly around the city, admired the architecture and unique character of the city, strolled some more, stopped for a glass of wine, and continued on. Several hours later we found ourselves surprised at how much time had passed!
So instead of charging on we stayed at a local hotel and kept on enjoying!
If I could do this leg of the trip differently I would have spent more time in Charleston, and taken a guided tour to learn about all the history.
But, since we need to be in Key West in a few days it’s time to motor on!
Up Next: Savannah
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Like most people my family is spread all over. Some are in England, some are in Montreal,Toronto, Vancouver and all the places in between.
Inevitably spending time with family for Christmas involves a lot of travel.
This year we’re heading to Washington, DC to spend some time with my fiance’s family (Hi Matias!).
So this morning we hit the road, and we’ll drive, drive, drive for 10 hours or so for our family visit.
How far do you travel for Christmas?
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New Years dream come true
Since 1999 I’ve had a dream that I would spend New Years Eve on the beach drinking wine out of the bottle with close friends. I’ve done the wild club scene, the house parties, and the fancy restaurants for New Years, and I’ve been looking for something more personal and intimate.
Every year I’ve tried to make it happen. But inevitably it doesn’t work out. I can’t afford the trip, nobody can come with me, or other plans take priority.
This year my dream of welcoming the New Year with a bottle of Chianti on the beach is finally becoming a reality. My fiance and I are taking a road trip for Christmas, and we’re going to the Florida keys for New Years.
I’m so excited!
Photo Credit: Bnae on Fotothing
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A mini staycation may be the perfect fix for you! It doesn’t take a ton of planning and can be really inexpensive too.
Step One: Set aside a day or two and make it into a mini staycation. It could be right now, or if you’re slammed with work/life within the next little while.
Step Two: Think of all the great things in your city that you just never get to see. Remember that art gallery that re-opened that you have never been to? That amazing Swiss restaurant that you have been dying to try? Make a list of what you want to do, and then figure out what you can reasonably do within two days…but make sure you save some time for relaxing so you’re not burned out from your mini staycation.
Step Three: Make any reservations that need to be made, and contact your friends if you’d like to include them in your plans.
Step Four: Based on what you want to do, and who you want to do it with, build a basic schedule for your mini staycation.
Step Five: Enjoy!
Here’s an example of a staycation plans and budget for a 2 day mini vacation in Toronto. For me I love to tour around and get exercise, so those are central to my plans.
Friday night:
- Nap after work
- Meet up with friends and try out the cheese fondue place on Elm Street for a late dinner ($60 per person)
Saturday:
- Sleep in
- Grab a coffee and go to specialty book store with big fluffy coaches and classical music playing. Select a few books that will set my imagination on fire! ($30)
- Go for a light lunch on Front Street ($20)
- Drop by St. Lawrence Market – pick up some flowers and wine ($40)
- Take a long walk along the Toronto Harbourfront – get some exercise and sit on the beach chairs watching the waves pass by while letting my mind wander
- Return home, have a hot bath and get all sassied up for tonight.
- Date night! Go to the new French “communal style” restaurant I’ve been dying to try out ($120 for 2)
Sunday:
- Sleep in
- Go for a swim and steam
- Head up to the Art Gallery of Ontario for lunch ($25)
- Tour around the gallery and get art inspired! ($20)
- Go to High Park for a walk and duck watching
- Head home, order sushi in, read new books and relax! ($20)
For a total of $335 I’ve lived like a queen for a weekend, seen the scenes, and had a lovely mini staycation.
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I have this funny habit.
Every time I go to a new place I like I suggest to my fiance that we should move there, or a buy a country house, or rent a chalet, or build a cottage or…
He’s so patient. He nods and supports my crazy ideas and let’s me rattle off all the plans I’ve concocted. I’ll research for a few weeks and send him many real estate listings…..and then the idea will fade into the background and be replaced with another equally absurd suggestion.
I asked him one time when we were going to buy a cottage and he smiled and replied “When you find a place you want to buy, and it sticks in your mind for more than one month, I’ll know you’re serious”.
I laughed.
Guilty as charged!
