Our St. Augustine Travel Guide

Honestly, I've had this post in my draft section for awhile now and figured it was about time that I  shared Our St. Augustine Travel Guide. Alex & I have been to St. Augustine twice together. Back in July, we headed down to the historic district of St. Augustine to celebrate our two year dating anniversary. This was our first visit in over a year, so it really felt like a new adventure. Especially since we made it a point to visit different and new places. The drive from where we live is almost 3 hours, so after we packed up the car, dropped Olive off at my moms and loaded up on coffee - we made our way to St. Augustine.

COFFEE + DRINKS
Ancient City Brewing - If you're looking for good, locally crafted beer - this is the place to be. Their Castillo Coconut Porter and Mantanzas River Red Ale is to die for. We didn't notice this place first time we went and we were very pleased when we stumbled upon it last time.
The Kookaburra -  A small, but perfect coffee shop located right across from the Plaza de la Constitucion. The have unique lattes like the Honey Badger and Mocha Nut. They also serve aussie pies.

FOOD+SNACKS 
Ice Plant Bar - Their food was pretty amazing here. We ended up sharing the best burger we've had in awhile. We meant to get a handcrafted cocktail, but didn't. Maybe next time!
Costa Brava - Located in the Casa Monica hotel, their charcuterie board was to die for. Their margaritas are pretty epic too.
Cousteau's Waffle & Milkshake Bar - Hot, delicious waffles and decadent ice cream. Need I say more?
Thai House & Sushi Bar - Alex was in sushi heaven. Fresh fish and unique rolls. We actually went to this restaurant the night Alex proposed, but it back then it was called Spy Sushi.
The Hyppo - They offer incredible popsicles in crazy flavour combinations. Definitely a must.

SEE + DO
Fort Mantanzas - An awesome fort that was built in 1924.
Flagler College - This building was a luxury hotel that was built in 1888.
Lightner Museum - Another luxury hotel built in 1887.
St. Augustine Lighthouse - This lighthouse was erected in 1874.
Tolomato Cemetery - This 18th century cemetery is located right near the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse.
Plaza de la Constitucion - Located in the square of St. Augustine, it features old cannons. It's also the oldest public park in continental United States. If you stop by on the right day, they have vendors selling their goods.
Tone Vendor - We aren't really shoppers, so you won't find a list of shop recommendations from us. However, we love adding more vinyl to our record collection. And Tone Vendor had an insane amount of vinyl that we haven't seen in a lot of record stores.

I hope this helps you in any future trips you might take to St. Augustine. Have you ever been before? Any places that you think we should check out next time we go? Let me know in the comments below, so we can discuss!

Midwest Travels: Evansville, Indiana

Last week Alex & I went to Evansville, Indiana to visit his aunt and uncle. We had an absolutely lovely time too. We stayed at their house and it was so, so nice to get to know them better. His uncle makes some incredible pour over coffee too! They made sure to only take us to locally owned restaurants. The first night, his cousin came with us to dinner at a weird, little restaurant called the House of Como. This place was decked out in christmas decorations - everywhere. It didn't matter though, because they had the BEST food.We had incredible Mexican, Greek, killer breakfast food and locally made doughnuts. Aside from the awesome food, I became enamored with the landscape that makes up Indiana. Lots and lots of cornfields! I had never seen a cornfield in person before and to be honest, I kind of loved it. They also took us to a barn to visit their horse and potbellied pig.

 

On Saturday they took us to a heritage festival in a small, neighboring town called New Harmony. This town had some pretty crazy history as well. Back in the early 1800's it was established by the Harmony Society. This town was an attempt at a utopian community. Needless to say it failed. But what a stunning town! It's nestled by the Wabash River and we had great time exploring the downtown area. We even stumbled across a coffee house named after the Black Lodge from the show Twin Peaks. Luckily, for us they had some dame fine coffee too! I mean, seriously, that alone was pretty awesome in itself.

All in all, it was a lovely trip. It was my first time visiting the Midwest and I fell in love with Indiana. To be honest, there's part of me that truly wouldn't mind living there. We plan on visiting his aunt and uncle again in the near future. They were such lovely hosts and we have such great memories from our visit.

My Carry-On Essentials

Next week Alex & I are headed to Indiana to visit family. It's only for three days, which means we won't pack too much. However, there are always a few things that I always take with me - no matter how long I'm staying somewhere. Every time I fly I tend to bring the same carry-on items with me and they have since become my essentials. After years of perfecting the ultimate list, I've whittled it down to the bare bones.

I hate bringing too much stuff just as much as I hate digging through luggage for things that I need in a hurry. Therefore having a list of essential carry-ons is a must for me. As for the carry-on bag, I tend to bring my small mint backpack. It's perfect and compact and the colour makes it really easy in case I get lost in a crowd and Alex has to find me. I usually just pack a small purse in my luggage to use during the duration of my trip. Though honestly, there's been a lot of times where I just use my backpack!

MY CARRY-ON ESSENTIALS

• Wallet - for easy access to IDs, cash, etc.
• iPhone & Charger - with flight app for tickets
• Digital Camera - sometimes I'll bring my compact tripod
• Small Pack of Tissues - because if I don't, I'll need them
• Kindle e-reader - or one of the current books I'm reading
• Snacks - like sunflower seeds, dried fruit or cheddar bunnies
• Sunglasses - because I always need them once I land
• NYX all-over balm - great for rescuing dry skin
• Chewing Gum - for take-offs and landings
• Face Wipes - to wipe of airplane goo ;)

Is there anything else that you tend to bring for your carry-on? Is there anything that you think I'm missing? Let me know in the comments below!

Our French Quarter Travel Guide

Our French Quarter Travel Guide is finally here! I mean, no one was really expecting this... but finally I wanted to create this since we got back from our honeymoon. Now, three months later... hah. Life, right? If you've been following this blog for awhile, it should come as no surprise that I love New Orleans. So I was thrilled when Alex said he wanted to go there for our honeymoon.

I had a blast showing him some of my most-loved places. Unfortunately, we had to leave two days earlier than we had planned, but I still managed to show him the "real" French Quarter. So, if you're thinking about heading to New Orleans for a few days keep the following places in mind.

Alex & I stayed at Hotel St. Marie, in the heart of the French Quarter. What made this hotel cool was the fact that Vacherie was the hotel's restaurant. Since I had frequented their Cafe a lot during my previous trips, I knew that we'd have great food to take up to our room - which we did. But what made this even cooler for me was the fact that the outside of the building was featured in American Horror Story's Coven - which you can see above. Fan girl, I know. But it's my favourite. Anyway, let's move on to some other cool places, shall we?

COFFEE+DRINKS

Cafe Du Monde - If you go anywhere else for beignets and chicory coffee, we're not friends. ;) Cafe Du Monde started all the way back in 1862 and best of all, you just sit down at a table and a waiter comes to take your order. The beignets are perfect, doughy fried pillows and their chicory coffee is something I dream of.

Vacherie Cafe - Luckily for us our honeymoon happened in February, right before Mardis Gras, so we drank a lot of their King Cake lattes - which were incredibly delicious. But their other lattes are great as well.

Tujague's - This is the second oldest restaurant in New Orleans (160 years) and they have the best Ramos Gin Fizz in the Quarter. If you're curious as to what a Ramos Gin Fizz is, it's a gin cocktail with egg whites and orange blossom water. It sounds weird, but I promise you that it is delicious. Even if you're like me and don't care too much for gin.

FOOD

Brennan's - We went here for brunch and indulged on their super fancy eggs benedict. We we're also given free champagne in honor of our honeymoon. One thing we regret not going back to try their famous bananas fosters. Maybe next time. Here's a tip though, ask someone there if they can give you a quick tour of the upstairs. It's incredible!

The Grill - If you're craving diner food, which I do at least once a month, The Grill is the place to go. It's classic diner food at it's finest - with a great price point. They also have the perfect cherry cokes (they add grenadine) and the sweetest, sassiest servers. P.S. Their rubens are to die for!

Vacherie Cafe & Bar - Somehow we managed to not make it to the actual restaurant - every time we made it there it was closed. However we did make it to the Cafe and the Bar to order food, which we took up to our room. The Vacherie Bar's broiled brussels sprouts with fried pork belly is soo good. Also, their roast beef debris po'boy was incredible! As for the Cafe, I'm addicted to their homemade granola and greek yogurt bowls and have been for years now. Their breakfast sandwiches are pretty awesome too.

Coop's - Sadly, we didn't make it here on our trip, but I've been here several times before. It's so good that you have to wait in line for this place, but it is totally worth it. It's a tiny bar with big & delicious meals like marinated lamb ribs, the best fried chicken - hands down - and rabbit jambalaya (don't tell Olive). Seriously, the food served here is unexpected and top notch.

Stanley - Delicious Cajun food with a cool atmosphere and pretty, Instagram-worthy white marble tables. If you sit by the windows you can get a great view of Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral. They have great food and outlandishly decadent eggs benedict with boudin. We went here for brunch the first day we got into town and really enjoyed ourselves.

SHOPPING

Bottom of the Cup Tea Room - This place has been around since 1929 and has the best loose tea. Every time I come to New Orleans I buy some tea to take home with me. This time I got Strawberry Shortcake Black Tea. Last time it was Blueberry Black Tea. All of it is delicious. If you're looking for sage bundles, they have that too!

Esoterica - I go to this place everytime I'm in New Orleans. They have all the supernatural stuff a girl like me could ever want. I've gotten a lot of rare and hard to find books from here too. It's definitely must see place if you're into that kind of thing.

Marie Laveu's House of Voodoo - A French Quarter essential. What more could I say?

Beckham's BookShop - Located on Decatur Street, this awesome bookshop was on our list, but sadly we didn't make it. I've been here before so I can attest to how awesome this place is. Two stories tall with so many books that they overflow onto the floor into random stacks.

Royal Street - Just head down this street for a ton of antique shops and art galleries. Alex & I stopped into so many places that we can't remember all of them. We viewed all of these like museums - it was pretty incredible the items and art pieces that we came across. There are so many to choose from too. You won't be disappointed.

French Market - Tons of vendors and shops.

AROUND TOWN

Jackson Square - This is my favourite place to head to early in the morning whenever I want to feel as though I am in the middle of it all. The view is perfect with the cathedral on one side and the river on the other. Most days there are artists selling their work, tarot card readings, and live music.

Audubon Insectarium  - I'm pretty sure this was Alex's favourite thing that we did while in New Orleans. He loves bugs and this insectarium was incredibly awesome. It even gave you plenty opportunities for hand on experiences. Which we both took advantage of, like the Madagascar hissing cockroach. I even rescued a butterfly who tried to escape.

St. Louis Cemeteries 1, 2 and 3 - Sadly Alex & I didn't make it, but since I've been to all three before, it was on our list.

"Touchdown Jesus" - You have to check this place out late at night. It's located on the back on St. Louis Cathedral. The shadow of the statue reflects itself on the facade of the church. Here's the story behind it.

The Riverfront - It's always nice to walk right alongside the riverfront. We started from where the Insectarium was and made our way back to the French Quarter. It offers views of the bridge and steamboats.

Latrobe Park - If you're looking for a little getaway from the hustle and bustle of the Quarter, this park offers a nice reprieve.

And that's it. Well, for now! I hope you guys enjoyed this travel guide. I had a lot of fun putting it together! If you enjoyed reading it, let me know and I'll keep making them!

If you've been to the French Quarter before and have any suggestions that I missed, I would love to hear them (because honestly, we have to start planning our next trip!). Let me know in the comments below!

Through the Lens: Whitby Cemetery, UK

It's Halloween and I thought it would be the perfect time to share some cemetery photos that I took while I was in England last year. These photos were taken in Whitby (one of my favourite places - ever). Whitby is a beautiful seaside town nestled on the upper east coast of England. Whitby made it's literary appearance in Bram Stoker's Dracula and it looks the part as well. They even have biannual goth festivals! There are 199 intimidating steps in order to get to where the cemetery and the abbey ruins are, but once you do the view is incredible. It's easy to get transported back in time while standing amongst the tombstones on the cliff, overlooking the clustered buildings of the town and listening to the sound of the crashing waves from the sea below.

Headed West: California

Come the middle of May, I will be traveling to California and if you follow me on Instagram you probably already know this! Since I have never been to California before, I am beyond excited because I have always wanted to go. I'll will be staying in Burbank for four days and so far I've made a small list of places I definitely want to go.

• Verdugo Mountains
• Santa Monica Pier
• Joshua Tree National Park
• The Viper Room (to see Ours play) 
• Hollywood Hills

I'd really like to make it out to a desert, but we are unsure which one would be closest.

I'm still keeping an eye out for local places to eat at, "must see" places and fun things to do both indoors and outdoors. I'm really looking forward to taking a million pictures and I am seriously thinking about vlogging bits and pieces of our trip! On a side note, I'm still kicking myself for not doing that when I went to England last year.

Through the Lens: You will understand the love for a location when it is felt deep within your bones...

I made it back home from New Orleans yesterday afternoon. Even though it is nice to be in my own lair - this morning I thought about how if I could, I would go back today, in a heart beat. There is something about that city that seeps into my bones while I am there, something that creates a sense of home within my soul that gets carried back with me. The French Quarter will always be a special place to me and even though I don't live there, I know I will always go back.