Cinque Terre, Italy is life’s hidden gem. For real. This place is so magnificent and my absolute favorite place I have ever traveled to. It has so much to offer you! Cinque Terre is located on the Italian Riviera and means, “five lands” in Italian. The five coastal villages are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. There are a lot of things that I wanted to do and see, but my time was so limited. I actually thought this would be my least favorite part of my trip. It was kind of just added on as we were planning our itinerary. Boy, was I wrong! We stayed two nights and I truly wish we had more time, but we used our time wisely and made the most out of it.

We were in the South of France prior to coming to Italy. We took the train from Nice, France to Riomaggiore, Italy. We had to do 2 train transfers before getting to Riomaggiore. This is why I suggest packing light and only bringing only a carry on if you are going to be hopping and bopping all over the place like I was. It is no joke when you are running around, transferring trains and whatnot. Sometimes there will be elevators, but not all of the time. It gets real hot and sticky guys if you travel in late summer, so definitely always have some water on hand too! Tara tip* Many places in Europe have drinkable water fountains where you can fill up water bottles. It is a good idea to bring a small bottle with you, if you want to save some extra money.

I would recommend staying in Riomaggiore if you had the option to! I believe that it had the best overall of everything compared to the other 4 towns. Honestly, each village is such a gem, it is truly hard to pick one! The good news is that they are SO close to one another by train so it’s very easy to see all 5 during your stay regardless. We chose to stay in an Airbnb, which turned out to be out of this world. I felt just like a local and like I actually lived in Riomaggiore myself! It was unbelievable really. I would stay here again any day of the week and highly recommend looking into an Airbnb here. (I will link the house and short video clip of the AirBNB we stayed in at the bottom of the page).

Riomaggiore is such an incredible sight, as you can see. It is almost out of a movie with all of the  locals, authentic shops, and houses. It is the first stop out of all of the Cinque Terre towns and is a great starting point. Major plus is that Cinque Terre has the best food, hands down. I’ll get more into the food later. Even if it was the worst meals, I don’t think that would even have an impact on my thoughts about Cinque Terre! Really! The colors are breathtaking, the views are amazing, and the experience staying in the town of Riomaggiore was totally incredible.

After we met up with our AirBNB host, we took lots of pictures and soaked in the town of Riomaggiore. We walked around a bunch and did some window shopping and window eating. If you go here and don’t try out on some of these delicious foods you are missing out on life. My favorite food from this area is the potato rosemary focaccia (although it is so hard to choose between that or the pesto, both equally amazing).  You would think it was somewhat of a strange combo but it makes complete sense once you try it!

It really doesn’t get much better in life than that piece of focaccia. Yum. Since I am on the topic of food I will list below the absolute must try foods in Cinque Terre 🙂

Must Try Foods in Cinque Terre:

*Potato and rosemary focaccia (or any other focaccia bread for that matter, but this is by far the best combo and most enjoyed) Best focaccia I found was in Riomaggiore at a cute little pink focaccia shop on the main street ❤

*Pesto ANYTHING. Period. Done.  

*Pesto pasta-dinner @Vernazza (order the local pasta and/or gnocchi) | Pesto sandwich-lunch or app @Corniglia (order the pesto and stracciatella cheese sandwich. Completely out of this world and costs 5€. We literally just ordered one sandwich as an appetizer with our Aeperol Spritz and then quickly ordered a second one. That good.

*Seafood Cups. These little things are ridiculously fresh and fun to eat! You can mix and match to cater to what types of seafood you like most. Don’t make the mistake I did and go to Mama Mia instead of Tutti Fritti when you are in Riomaggiore. You must go to Tutti Fritti! It is so fresh and such great quality seafood. I should have taken a picture f the place and the seafood cup, but completely missed the mark on that one. You get the picture though!

We also walked down by the water to check out the scene. There were so many people  laying out on the rocks, jumping in the water, taking a swim, shopping, walking around, taking pictures and just simply enjoying life. I will say this, there are A LOT of tourists in the towns so if you want to just get away from it all and be left alone, this is not the place for you. I am sure you could tell that already, but just in case! With that being said, there are many peaceful places and experiences you can have in these towns and that is the beauty of Cinque Terre ❤

After walking around for awhile, we decided to go to a local wine shop and grab a few items for our AirBNB. We picked up some local white wine and snacks and headed back to our house to relax and get ready for dinner in town. We stayed in Riomaggiore and had drinks and dinner at a lovely restaurant called, Bar Vini (Bar e Vini a Pie de Ma), overlooking the water. It was quite picturesque!

After dinner and drinks, we walked back to our AirBNB and settled in for the night. It was quite an adventure already and we only just explored one village. I was super excited for day two because we were heading to all of the other towns in Cinque Terre.

Goodnight Italia!

Tara Tips*

To Stay

AirBNB | Stay in an AirBNB to get a better idea of what life is really like in Cinque Terre! Don’t skimp on the balcony and/or ocean view!

Riomaggiore | This is an excellent town to stay in and a great starting point!

*Our AirBNB link below 🙂

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/18091752?euid=5110d551-7e8d-48e4-f90b-5468f20b88af&check_in=2018-09-27&guests=1&adults=1

To Do

Walk | Walk around Riomaggiore and take in all of the sights. It’s a pretty spectacular place. Everything is SO colorful and full of life here!

Beach Day | Hang out on the enormous rocks by the sea just like the locals :). Take your beach towel down there and enjoy life!

Train Hop! | Cinque Terre means “five lands.” You can visit all 5 coastal villages, Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso by train, each within about 5 minutes apart. Get the Cinque Terre all day train pass if you are going to visit multiple villages

To Eat | Drink

Taste all of the foods from this area! The focaccia bread, the pesto, the seafood cups, it’s all so tasty. Cinque Terre is the best food I have ever had in my entire life!

Bar Vini | Riomaggiore | Visit for  dinner and/or drinks overlooking the Italian Riviera. Make a reservation if you would like to have dinner at the very top because they only have few seatings available. The bar area below is equally impressive. We ended up having our drinks and apps on the lower level. It was a beautiful night ❤

Cinque Terre ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

 

 

 

 

France is so chic. Now I totally get what all the fuss is over. When I didn’t think it could get any better after visiting Paris, it did. The South of France is the most incredibly amazing and ridiculous place out there. I’ll explain more later, but expect to spend a lot of $$$$ if you want to do it right there. You could do the French Riviera on a budget, but I recommend enjoying the beach clubs and planning a day or two to relax by the Mediterranean Sea. Just keep that in mind while planning and you’ll be good to go! But first, our train ride to Nice from Paris.

The train system in Europe is quite awesome. You can bring a whole entire feast if you wanted and just relax and enjoy the view! That’s rose wine in that cup so yes, you can drink too. Tara Tip* Make sure to pick up some snacks (croissants, baked goods, etc) prior to leaving for a long train ride. You won’t regret it. It was a 6 hour train ride from Paris to Nice. Our train was delayed (just like every train and flight we had during our adventure! It happens!) due to another train’s malfunction in front of us, so it ended up being a 7 and a half hour ride. I got to tell you though, it was the most gorgeous train ride, looking at all the french chateaus in wine country and all the beauty of the Mediterranean Sea. It didn’t matter too much but I was anxious to get to Nice for sure. It got us in a little bit late, but not too late to not enjoy the nightlife and explore a little! Tara tip* Even if you’re tired, you have to push yourself! Even if it’s just a late dinner out, a drink, some gelato) Just get out. Our hotel was only about a 10 minute drive from the Nice Ville Train Station. We grabbed a taxi and we were off!

We stayed at Hotel Le Grimaldi by Happyculture in downtown Nice. Is was truly the BEST location. Our hotel  was close to everything downtown, restaurants, bars, old town nice, Jardin Albert, Promenade des Angelis, and more. It is a six minute walk to Jardin Albert, which is the center of the town, and a seven minute walk to the Promenade des Angelis and beach. It was a little less expensive because it was not right on the water, which was a plus for me. Again, the French Rivera is all around pricey so just know before you go! Below is the view from our balcony. It was amazing waking up to this view for four nights.

A GREAT place to go out if you’re looking for a fun night in Nice is Old Town. It is so alive and vibrant. There are tons of people out late hanging out with friends, standing around on the cobblestone streets, enjoying life with others. We grabbed some dinner at one of the first places we found (so hungry!) and then headed out on the town.  

Day 2: We got up a little later than we wanted to. All thanks to our night out in Old Town. I was pumped to get outside and head to a beach club. I have heard many things about these beach clubs in Nice and they are as awesome as everyone says. They cost on average 25€ to secure a lounge chair, 6€ for a towel, and about 5€ for an umbrella. Tara Tip* Bring your OWN towel from the hotel you are staying at. That will save a little. I ended up totally forgetting to do so the first time, but remembered the second.

Beach Clubs|What to expect: 

Before entering expect to pay about 35€ * Rocky beaches (Nice are known for these!) *Average cost for a bottle of Rose is about 30€, low end * Food/drinks available and delicious depending which clubs you go to! * Once you pay, your lounge chair is YOURS for the day * Do not leave your personal items alone-have someone watch them as you swim or plan accordingly (These are faaaancy places and you should be ok, but things happen) * You can eat at the restaurant right there if you want a sit down meal * There are many beach clubs to choose from right off the Promenade des Angelis * They usually close around 7pm, some a little later (they turn into lounges, clubs, and restaurants at night only * The Mediterranean Sea is INCREDIBLE! Swim and swim away * There are servers that will come to you and take your order so all you need to do is RELAX and ENJOY! ❤

My favorite beach club is called, Ruhl Plage. They have it going on there. I loved the whole vibe and the food and drinks are awesome.

I loved hanging out here for the day. One of the most relaxed feelings in my life! I totally get the whole South of France living.

After relaxing all day and enjoying some ice cold rose with fresh watermelon, we headed straight to dinner. We didn’t even get ready that night, just went out as is. We ate downtown at a restaurant that you MUST go to called, La Cucina. There are only a few tables and the chef makes everything from scratch. It was quite an experience! We spent hours there eating and enjoying.

I will never forget the warm goat cheese salad we ordered. It was above and beyond. Please go there and order it. Life changing. We also had the homemade truffle pasta, raspberry tiramisu, and a couple glasses of rose. When in the South of France, drink any rose from Provence and you will never want to drink one not from Provence ever again. Just saying.

Day 3: Trip to Monaco! I will talk about this in another post just about this amazing country. After our day trip there, we enjoyed more of Nice and went out for Gelato in Old Town.

 

Day 4: Last day in the French Rivera! We woke up and I had my usual espresso and a chocolate croissant. We decided to go to another beach club for the day and then spend some time at night walking along the Promenade des Anglais. We chose to beach at Le Galet and we ended up getting a great spot, close to the front of the sea.

Such a relaxing day! After the beach club, we sat down for dinner at Attimi. Attimi is known for their quality ingredients, thin crust pizzas, and fresh italian food. A must! It was a beautiful night walking along the Promenade. The sunsets are spectacular in Nice.

We of course grabbed some gelato along our walk, and then went back to our hotel to pack. We had an early train ride out of Nice to Cinque Terre, Italy the next morning. Goodnight, Nice!

Tara Tips*

To Stay

Hotel Le Grimaldi by Happyculture | Downtown Nice | This is where I stayed for four nights and it was the perfect location for all of our daily travels. It is about a 10 minute minute drive to the train station and a 7 minute walk to the Promenade des Anglais.

To Do

Beach clubs |  They are the way to go if you want to relax by the sea | My fav beach club is Ruhl Plague | See above for more info on “beach clubs | what to expect”

Train Hop! | Traveling by train to other places in the French Riviera is easy and a MUST if you have the time! Visit Monaco if you have one free day.

To Eat

Breakfast | Grab a pastry and an espresso from a local bakery and be on your way! This was one of my favorite things to do.

Lunch | You can order food from any of the beach clubs (at least the ones we went to!) The food at Ruhl Plage was awesome. Order the fresh watermelon and Rosé to start. I miss this way of life like you wouldn’t believe!

Dinner | La Cucina and Attimi are AMAZING dinner options!

Dessert | Must get gelato from Fennochio (Old Town)

Nighttime

Old Town Nice|  Such a fun place to go out in and for dinner!

Walk the Promenade|Make sure you walk at sunset at least one of the nights! It’s pretty beautiful.  You don’t have to do the whole 4 mile walk, walk as much as you would like!

Keep In Mind

The South of France is expensive so plan accordingly!

Beach clubs are the way to go if you want to relax by the sea | My fav beach club is Ruhl Plague

Au revoir, France! ❤

 

 

Paris, I never thought I would fall head over heels in love with you, but I sure did. I can not wait to see you again!

Charming isn’t it? Ahhh, Paris.

Where do I even start with my love for Paris? Really France in general, but Paris has such a huge part of my heart. The lifestyle blew my mind. I enjoyed all the cafes and the cafe lifestyle. Can we talk about the chocolate au pain just for a second? The cheese? The freshly baked bread? It is ALL SO RIDICULOUS people. Good, now that we got that out of the way, I can get down to the details. I think Paris would be the ultimate girls trip, if you’re going for a big city vibe. Just a side note!

Back to the adventure now…One of my coworkers came with me on this 3 week European adventure. We arrived at Charles du galle airport after a very long overnight red eye from Seattle. What was the most unfortunate part was that we lost a half of day in Paris due to a missing connecting flight. It was a very sad moment when we saw our plane but could not go on it! The worst! We did finally get another flight out from the Dublin airport about 5 hours later. When I landed in Paris, I was kind of nervous. It was late at night, I was in a whole new place, and the taxi guy was in a totally different area from where all the other taxis were. I just didn’t have a great feeling about it all, but everything turned out okay. It was a short half hour trip into the city and we were there! I would definitely recommend the location of our hotel. We stayed in the Le Marais district of Paris, which is a lovely neighborhood all around. There are plenty of cafes, shops, bakeries all around to enjoy. Our hotel was called Villa Beaumarchais and it was such an enjoyable experience. Breakfast is included and it was my favorite part about the whole stay. I have never had a better breakfast buffet, that I can honestly say. Homemade crepes, Nutella, freshly baked baguettes, croissants, and numerous cheeses and jams.

We went out for dinner on our first night there to a place right around the corner from our hotel called, Grazie. It was a quick and yummy meal, which is exactly what we needed. We had a big day ahead of us exploring Paris the next day.

Day 2: Breakfast like I said before was literally incredible. I wanted to sit there all day and graze like goat haha. Time to explore though! I made my friend walk all over Paris, which is why she got major blisters all over her feet by the end of the day. Tara tip* bring bandaids with you, you’re going to need them! It’s so much better to be able to take a couple as you venture out and slap one on if needed. The shoes I ended up bringing were BOMB though so I hardly had that problem. (I’ll be posting about them in my fav travel shoe post. Stay tuned!)

We decided to walk from our hotel to the Notre Dame de Paris also known as Notre Dame Cathedral first. So many people were there taking pictures of this beautiful cathedral and soaking it all in. After, we stopped at the famous bookstore, Shakespeare and Company, which was such a unique and quaint bookshop.

We were SO thirsty walking around for miles and miles so we decided to stop at a restaurant along the way to the Eiffel Tower called, La Fregate. We decided to relax for a little and order some wine and waters. W ordered SO many waters! Like, too many waters. All the waters cost about $35, ahhhhh! lol. We never did that again, let me just say that. But we definietly needed the hyrdration in that moment! It was a such great break though on our way!

I was so thrilled to keep on walking so we can get our picnic on at the Eiffel Tower! We stopped at a wonderful little wine shop, a bakery for some fresh bread, and a “supermarche,” or grocery store in french. It was incredible to finally see the iconic Effiel Tower and to experience a lovely picnic underneath it. Tara tip* You must have a picnic under the Eiffel! We sat on the other side of the Eiffel Tower where there were less people around, but it was a little dusty, which I wasn’t expecting! Below is our picnic spread. I still think about what a wonderful experience and how delicious this was. I am such a HUGE picnic fan in this BEYOND 🙂

We walked up to the Trocadero to get another view of the Eiffel and take some pics. There is a great cafe up there and a lovely rooftop restaurant that you can enjoy some views from! We just stopped for some cute pictures because we had much more to see!

After taking some pictures, we made our way to see the Arc de Triomphe. We were getting very tired (I’m sure the glasses of rose and heat didn’t help! lol) but we pushed through and got our second wind. Finally made it to the Arc de Triomphe!

Next, we walked on over to perhaps one of the most expensive and famous streets around, Champs Elysees. One of my favorite things to eat is Macaroons so we of course had to visit THE one and only Laudree. It was so girly and beautiul inside and out! Didn’t leave there without ordering a bunch of macaroons for the road!

After that, we started to walk back towards Le Marais and grab some late dinner. We stopped a few times along the way to soak in the beautiful sunset and check out Love Lock Bridge <3. Some of the best things in life are free, and sunsets are one them. I am a sucker for a good one, but really, who isn’t??

We kept walking and walking until we reached Le Marais district. We were only about a 15 minute walk from our hotel. What a day of walking and sightseeing! We picked a fun spot and we weren’t too hungry, so we just ordered a nice cheese plate and some drinks. It was so nice to sit down for awhile and relax.

All in all we walked about 13 miles that day and let me just say that every step was so worth it because I got to see A LOT of Paris. Next visit, I would love to spend some time in the Montamrate area, located in the 18th arrondissament. Until next time!

Merci Beaucoup, Paris! ❤

Tara Tips*

Paris = EVERYTHING! Need I say more?

To Stay

 Le Marais district | located in the 8th arrondissement |  Experience the trendy area of Paris

Villa Beaumarchais | Le Marais | This great hotel option for location, price, and buffet breakfast

Citizen M | AMAZING airport hotel by Charles de Gaulle | if you need to be close to the airport, this is the place!

To Do

Eiffel Tower | Must have a picnic at the Eiffel Tower. Grab some cheese, wine, and a baguette and head on over for an experience you will never forget

Notre Dame de Paris | A must see! It is also very close to the famous shopping area

Champs Elysees | This is a very famous shopping district! There are so many stores and restaurants on this street.

Laduree | This is such a unique place! It’s very girly and fun too. You must get some macaroons here and enjoy them with a little champs!

Seine | Walk along the Seine River and prepare to feel in awe. Bring a bottle of wine and some goodies and relax along the river. You will find lots of people doing this at night!

Love Lock Bridge | Buy a lock or bring your own and enjoy this special experience.

Shakespeare and Company | Famous bookstore | If you love books, you NEED to come here. Located near the Notre Dame de Paris.

Walk, walk, and walk! I walked over 12 miles and loved every minute of it!

To Eat

I can’t even begin to tell you how much cheese and bread I had while I was in Paris!

Breakfast | Enjoy the buffet at your hotel (if they offer one). Ours was INCREDIBLE and I still think about it today. If not, grab yourself a chocolate croissant at a local cafe and people watch for the morning.

Lunch | Picnic style | Buy a bunch of picnic items and head over to the Eiffel Tower or a nice park. Enjoy all of the local cheeses and breads. I recommend getting some hummus and olives too. Whatever looks good at the markets, just buy and enjoy! Enjoy lunch at Le Fregate for a sit down meal. Order the Croque Monsieur with fries and sit outside.

Dinner | Enjoy Epicure for a fancy night out | Cafe du Trocadéro for a nice night filled with the Eiffel Tower in your distance. They have a lovely outside patio area to enjoy the view too. For dinner, I ended up in the Le Marais District and enjoyed…you guessed it…some more cheese! Can you blame though?? When in Paris!

Au revoir! 

First off, let me start by saying that I love America and I love our country. With that being said, I love Europe equally, if not a smidge more. Sorry red, white, and blue! Maybe it’s because I have European blood in me. Not sure on that one. What I do know is that the train system over there is ballin, the food tastes so fresh, and I love how you can be in another country within hours. There are many more reasons on why I love Europe, but maybe I should save that for another time! I can’t wait to be back there exploring around. I hope the international travel posts give you some insight into these amazing places and good ideas for when you visit them in your adventures. Below are 3 helpful tips to hopefully make traveling a little easier! Happy travels!

Top 3 International Travel Tips

International Travel Tip #1: Pack lightly if you are planning on visiting multiple countries at a time. It really was a no brainer for me to only bring a carry on and my Longchamp when heading over to Europe for 3 weeks. I knew it would be a huge burden if I brought my large suitcase with me, and I’m so glad I didn’t. It actually worked out quite well and I was really proud of my packing skills. I totally surprised myself on that one. A MUST HAVE ITEM for traveling is packing cubes. I linked them below for you. These packing cubes saved me so much time and energy while I was traveling around to different locations, and staying in a new hotel every few days or so. All of your clothes will not be all over your hotel room or AirBNB because they will have their nice little packing cube to stay in. This is HUGE people! Buy these! I purchased mine originally from Nordstroms, but they sell out quickly. Luckily, they are back in stock and linked below!! 🙂 The brand is called Calpack, and they are a neutral white marble color. I also linked some from Amazon for you too. Get packing!

https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/calpak-5-piece-packing-cube-set/4763780?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FAll%20Results&color=milk%20marble

International Travel Tip #2: Bring a small crossbody with you. I brought my MZ Wallace Micro Crosby Bag with me and used it every day I was out and about. This is the perfect bag for you to bring with you because it has enough room for your cell phone (I have an 8 plus), debit/credit cards, license, keys, lipgloss, hair-ties, and some travel sized makeup. A passport fits perfectly in there as well. Yes, it is expensive for a small phone bag, but the quality is amazing. Tara Tip* I like to get my favorite perfumes in mini sample sizes and carry those along with me in my purse. It gets really hot out there if you’re walking around a lot, which means it gets real sweaty people. Sample size perfumes are the perfect thing to toss in your bag. I’m telling you, you will not regret this compact phone purse! The one I have is navy blue and gold, but is no longer in stock. I’ll check back for you guys! I linked the bag in black below.

https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/mz-wallace-micro-crosby-bag/4734702?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FAll%20Results&color=black

International Travel Tip #3: Pack a couple small travel bags with essential items needed for long flights and/or your day to day travels. I found perfect travel pouches  you can take with you that come in all different sizes and are only $10! They really were a lifesaver when it came to organizing my belonging in my purse. I used most of them in my Longchamp bag and saved a few others for my suitcase. Here are some must have items I usually always have with me while traveling:  disinfectant wipes, spray hand sanitizer, travel size deodorant, powdered sunscreen, lavender hand lotion, rose face spray. I never forget my silk eye mask for overnight flights. It is a lifesaver and I swear by it! I’ve purchased a few items from this brand and can tell you, that it is so worth it!  If you’re looking for an eye mask, look no further! See link below for my favorite eye mask.

https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/slip-for-beauty-sleep-slipsilk-pure-silk-sleep-mask/4186792?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FAll%20Results&color=violet

Bonus Tip* A little champs never hurts no one. Wink Wink.

Cheers to red-eye flights and long travel days! ❤

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be still my heart. Doesn’t get much better than this folks, which is why this should be on the TOP of your must see list. If you have had the pleasure of visiting this area, I am sure you know what I am talking about here. Breathtaking views, incredible mountains, so much to see and do, the list goes on and on.

One thing I must say though, is that if you are planning on making the trip up to Banff, I would recommend staying at The Fairmount Chateau at Lake Louise, a luxury resort hotel. It is a bit pricey, which is something to keep in mind and plan for if you need to in advance. It is an experience, which is what I am all about in life. Nothing in my opinion (and I have stayed in all sorts of places) can compare to this hotel because of it’s location and just overall presence. Good news. The good news is that you can enjoy SO much of what the Fairmount Chateau has to offer even if you are not a guest at the hotel, because you can still use many of the facilities and nearby attractions. You could have lunch, dinner, drinks, you name it, all at the Fairmount, and then head back to wherever you might be staying. Besides the views and food, what I really enjoyed about staying here is that everything is at your fingertips. If you want to go hiking first thing in the morning, done. Just step out a few feet and you are in total mountain and trail bliss. (I’ll get to my favorite hike steps away from the resort in a few moments). If you would like to go on an amazing kayak ride, done.

*Tara Tip – Kayak rides are free for all guests staying at the hotel. Hey, it all adds up. The kayak ride was quite remarkable. The lake is a sparkling emerald hue and the mountains and glacier in the background are beyond beautiful. Below is a picture of me just enjoying the ride with the other kayakers in the background 🙂

There will be a lot of people canoeing, just fyi. If you want that classic picture of just you and the mountain like the picture before this, make sure to get out there early or when they are far enough in front of you (which is what I did).

Let’s talk about #lunchviews for a quick second here. This is your view for lunch, depending which restaurant you choose to sit down and dine al fresco at. There are 2 main options, and both are equally good. There is also a very popular lounge in the main area of the hotel, along with some other options too. The salmon is SO fresh up in Canada! I first realized how good the fish is in Canada when I was eating up in Vancouver, B.C. @ the Teahouse. Alberta is no different. Yum and done. 

Tara Tip* They have live musicians on the weekends play outside near the lake for guests of the hotel to enjoy. It made the experience staying here that much more special.

Day 2 was an icy, icy adventure! I saved that for another post because we traveled to a new area and did a tour. There is a lot of information on that so if you are interested in adventuring to an ice glacier, check out my travel post on “Columbia Icefield Glacier Adventure Tour.” 🙂

This sight doesn’t get old. Like at all. What do you think?

Our last day was spent in the mountains. This particular hike was what I was really looking forward to the most so I was quite excited. At the very top of the mountain, you will find a nice little tea house waiting for you to enjoy biscuits and tea in. It was a fairly difficult hike I would say. Roundtrip was about 7 miles. You can find the trail and other trails right outside the Fairmount’s doors.

Side-note…I wasn’t nervous at all hiking in the woods/wilderness around the hotel. I felt so much more more comfortable than in the other areas in Canada we were recently in. There are loads and loads of people hanging around which is probably one reason why.

If you would like to go on this same hike, make sure you follow the trail that says, “Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House.” There is another hike that leads you to a teahouse, but it isn’t as good, and there are lots of people around because it’s a much shorter hike (about 3-4 miles roundtrip). Not many tourists like to do the hard hikes, so they choose the easier path and all end up in the same spot. A lot of people were confused by the two teahouses and which one to really hike to, including us. Luckily we met a nice family who told us to do the longer one and it was well worth the hike up! It felt like it took forever to finally reach the tea house!

When I finally got to the top and new the tea house was a few feet away, I was beyond thrilled.

We made it!! Here’s a little background information about The Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse. It’s a pretty legit place, as you can see from the picture above.

The tea house was really so neat! I wish that every hike had something cool at the top, not just a good view. A biergarten, a teahouse, a restaurant, maybe Nordstroms. Any of those would work. I couldn’t wait to sit down and enjoy the view with some hot tea and biscuits. We found the most perfect little spot in the corner, just for the two of us. We immediately ordered some biscuits and tea and chowed down. I could have stayed there all day, but we had lunch plans back at the hotel and we’re leaving for Calgary shortly after that.

I practically ran back down the mountain because I had to shower and pack my bags before lunch and taking off. I was so sad to go, but I didn’t leave without getting another fresh salmon salad. Yum! I truly loved it here so much and would have loved to stay longer. Next time I return to the Banff area, I want to check out Lake Moraine and more of the town of Banff. We drove trough it and there’s tons of restaurant and shops there. It is such a cute mountain town! I think it would be a great idea to stay in town for a night or two and stay by Lake Louise for a night or two also. Next stop was Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It wasn’t that long of a trip. It only took about 2 hours and we were there. Come join me!

 

 

Emerald Lake has my heart forever ❤ It is located in Yoho National Park and is surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. This place is such a perfect getaway to relax and rejuvenate. I can’t even explain it, you will just have to visit and see for yourself. We stayed at Emerald Lake Lodge, right on the lake. I would not stay anywhere else in this area. The cabins, the scenery, the restaurant, the beauty, it’s all so amazing. If you want a place to truly get away from it all in the mountains, this is the place for you!

With that said, there are crowds and crowds of people near the lake area itself. Everyone is taking pictures and hanging around to soak up that view. You can rent kayaks for about $70 and ride around the lake also. There are buses after buses that come and see this magnificent lake and enjoy the surrounding area, but most do not stay too long.

When you are in your private cabin, you feel that there’s really nothing else around besides you and the emerald green lake in the distance. It is quite an experience. Before we checked in and put down our belongings we had some time on our hands. We ended up using the spa for a bit, which I highly recommend. The views from the hot tub outside were incredible and they had a sauna also. The spa is included and does not cost extra if you are staying at the lodge. Our cabin was UNREAL. We stayed in the Honeymoon Suite, which was spectacular to say the least. The porch wrapped around the entire lake so we had some major views.

We sat out on the porch for awhile and had cocktails and a cheese plate, provided by the lodge. We ordered dinner from the Lodge restaurant, which was top notch. Dinner, wine, views…nothing better. Cheers.  

It was a little misty the first day we arrived, but that didn’t even matter. Nothing can make Emerald Lake look bad and that is the total truth. The next morning we took a walk along the lake. There is SO much to do in this area and all of the options are good. I decided to take a walk around the lake on one of the trails. I wanted another view of our lodge area and to see what was on the other side. It was such a nice morning walk. I kind of wish I could do that tomorrow morning now that I am thinking about it. Bummer.

The next morning we had breakfast at the restaurant. Ask for a window seat and enjoy the view! They have a breakfast buffet or you can order off the menu. Everything was really delicious and I was glad to have a nice meal in before our next stop.

I was so sad to leave this place, but at the same time extremely excited inside because during I have been dreaming about arriving in Banff. Banff was top on my bucket list so I was thrilled it was our next spot! We’re off. See you in Banff!

 

 

Getting CRAY In Kootenay! What an incredibly awesome and quite frankly, strange, place this is. More on that below. Kootenay National Park can not be missed though guys. It is a total gem. Like all other National Parks, they are National Parks for a reason, and Kootenay does not disappoint in any way. If you like the spa and like to relax, this is the park for you. Yes, there’s a spa here. Pump. It. Up.

We spent two nights at a campsite right outside of the park. The campsite was ok. It was a public campground area, which was perfect for us because we needed all the hookups for the RV. Once we were exploring around in the park, we realized that there were a lot of good places to stay, but our spots were already booked for the two nights.

Tara Tip* State campgrounds are much more scenic than public campgrounds but have less accommodations. Public campground spots tend to be very close to one another. I usually always prefer to stay in a state campground when camping or road tripping. 

Huge baby. That was me for many parts of this journey. Literally could not take all these beware of bear in the area signs. Yikes. Then you hear it from the park rangers and it freaks you out even more. It was a situation I really didn’t want to jump right into to say the least. Somehow we got forced into going on this hike as a family. I was scared the whole way to our destination, which was STUNNING by the way. After I finished the trail called, Dog Lake Trail, I was SO happy I went because I would have missed out on such a great experience. It was a little sketchy because like I said in a previous post, Canadian wilderness is no joke at all, and there were not many people on the trail, like at all. When I finally saw another family I felt much better about everything though. It gave me some comfort knowing it wasn’t us just out there in the middle of it all.

Above is my husband, who decided to take a dip in the lake, and my father-in-law on the side. I decided not to stray too far in and away from the trail, if you know what I mean. Aren’t these views just gorgeous though? It was such a lovely hike and one that is well recommended. The trail was not too far in from the main entrance so it is a great trailhead to take if you don’t want to ride through the entire park.

The way back to our RV was like a peace of cake compared to how I felt on the way there. After I hike, I always feel great because I feel like I really accomplished something. Being out in nature does that to you and so does seeing something new and different. That’s what I love about traveling around.

Okay, the next stop was my favorite in this whole little adventure in Kootenay for many reasons, but the number one reason is because it was SPA time. Who doesn’t love a good spa? Radium Hot Springs is the real deal. Check it out for yourself and you’ll understand why!

This may look like a gigantic pool in the middle of the mountains, but it is so much more. You can find these hot springs in the south entrance of Kootenay National Park. There is a main spa right near the hot springs called, Pleiades Spa and Wellness. They have every kind of treatment, yoga class, and lots of healthy juices/meals to order. Keep in mind, there is an entrance fee to enter the pools, but you can stay as long as you would like. There are showers and lockers available at the facility too. After hiking through the wilderness, this was well worth the visit.

Not many people believed that this was a “real” animal, but indeed it is. I took this picture while I was waiting for our pizza. There were so many Sheep Dogs, it was bananas! They were all over the side of the road just hanging out with their buddies. Speaking of Bull Horn Sheep Dogs, there’s a pretty good coffee place in town called, Bull Horn Coffee. That’s where we decided to stop and grab some hot coffee before heading to our next adventure. It was some decent coffee, which is sometimes difficult to find when you are road tripping around. Coffee=happiness. Are you with me?

I have saved the best for last. Low and behold…the Wizard of Kootenay my friends. Yes, you heard me correctly, straight up wizard. This is where it gets a little strange like I said earlier in the post. I truly wish I took a picture of him, but it was so early in the morning and my phone was in the RV at the time. I did get to snap a picture of his house, which was pretty interesting in itself, don’t you think? He looks exactly like the last person on the wood carvings with the red hat. You can google search him and you should be able to see some photos. He is a pretty famous artist in the area and his carvings are quite amazing. What was kind of funny about the whole thing was that we were sitting eating breakfast at a restaurant in town (there are not that many). A man dressed up in a wizard outfit, who looked EXACTLY like a wizard would look, sat down at the table next to us. He must be a regular there because they knew exactly what he wanted to eat and they brought it to him almost immediately. After he left (his house was across the street), I saw his long, red hat and red cloak on top of the bushes as he was climbing down his ladder to the main area of his house/work I assume. It was just a very interesting sight to see that you don’t get to experience everyday, or do you? #wizardofkootenay

 

Okay Kootenay, it’s been a real adventure for sure! I didn’t even get to the part about our RV catching somewhat on fire, but that’s not that interesting, or is it!? That really did happen, but luckily no flames and major damage. Something was burning and you could smell it, so we had to turn off all of our power. It was this long and not so fun story to tell, but the good news was that everything ended up being okay, minus all of our cold food! We didn’t have too much longer until we were staying in hotels, so we pushed through. Onward and upward.

Next spot, Emerald Lake ❤

Oh Canada! Oh Canada!

Mount Revelstoke National Park is a GLORIOUS place to visit and I wish we had more time to explore, but we had a schedule to follow and had to make our way to our next campsite. We did have the opportunity to stop and spend the day in the park and in and around the town of Revelstoke itself. It is a pretty neat little ski town. This video was taken near the entrance of the park. That’s Jimmy in the background saying, “Tara, we’re rolling.” Haha. I just needed a quick shot because it was oh so beautiful!  The drive up to the very top is completely worth the trip so don’t pass that by. You won’t regret it!

Once we got to the top of the mountain (about a 20 minute drive or so) My husband and father in law decided to go on a longer hike through the park and I decided to do something shorter and easier with my mother in law. It worked out for the best and gave us some girl time. We decided to take this trail below called, Koo Koo Sint Trail and it was just what we were looking for. Simple and easy hike to an incredible viewpoint. Keep this on your list as a must do! Check and check. 

 

The viewpoint was breathtaking and well worth it, as you can see! Again, the hike to this view was super simple so it is an easy hike for all ages. I am not even sure if I would actually call it a hike, it’s definitely more of a short walk.

I am not going to lie, was pretty nervous about all of the bear warnings everywhere. Canada wilderness is no joke my friends. It really made my mother in law and myself very nervous. We made sure to bring our bear mace a long and played music on our phone while we were on the paths. Tara Tip* If you are exploring the Canadian Wilderness, make sure to bring some bear mace along with you or even buy some bear bells. We saw a lot of people carrying them and supposedly they help too. Hey, whatever works! It’s the wild out there, people. 

Does anyone else enjoy taking photos of random animals and whatnot along their travels? I could not resist this little guy just nibbling on some food. Totally adorable!

After we stayed at the viewpoint for awhile, we made our way back down to the RV. There is a shuttle that you can take to get back down to the parking lot area or you can just walk back down on your own. We decided to walk down and not wait for the shuttle, which was definitely the way to go. Such beauty along the way!

I unfortunately did not keep any of my photos from the town of Revelstoke, but this is a great place to do a little window shopping and grab some lunch or dinner. We ate at The Village Idiot Bar and Grill. It was a great place for a late lunch and good beers! They also have a wine/beer/liquor store in town so you can pick up any of those goodies if needed! We got some local beers for the road and then we were off to our next adventure, Kootenay National Park. Get ready for some craziness in Kootenay!

Anyone down for a little road trip? I always am. Road trips and trains for the win. I’ll take those any day over flying, but flying definitely gets you there faster for sure!

Canada has SO MUCH to offer. We took a family RV road trip in July from Washington all the way up to Banff National Park. Our final destination was Calgary, Canada, which my husband and I flew back to Seattle from. Our parents met us for the Fourth of July and we spent a couple days here in Woodinville, enjoying some good wine and food. We took off on the road for a little over a week and returned back home on the 14th. It was quite a journey and our first time traveling in a RV, which is a whole other beast to deal with. I’ll explain more on that in another post lol.

Paul Lake and Martha Creek Campsites

Day 1: We started off on our journey and road for about 4 hours to Paul Lake Provincial Park. We were campsite number 99 and we camped out for the night there. I much rather camp with an RV than in a tent, let me tell you. So many great things that come along with bringing an RV with you, like a bed, mini kitchen, bathroom etc. They are also a lot of maintenance and work though too so you definitely need to outweigh your options on that. I think that renting one for an occasion like this would be a great idea!

We set up camp for the night and enjoyed a warm fire, wine, and good food. We stopped at Whole Foods before taking off and bought all kinds of pasta salads and already made foods like tuna fish, egg salad, etc. For dinner, we grilled burgers and a Portobello Mushroom for me, topped them off with all of the fixings…delish!

Tara Tip* In Canada, campsites have people that drive around asking if you would like to purchase firewood for the night. It is usually around $8 a bundle. 

These are my must pack food items for camping/road trips:

Chips, Crackers, Cheese, Protein Bars, Cheese Doodles (total weakness of mine), Any kind of gummy snack (I buy mine from Whole Foods, like everything else I purchase for our trips), and Marcona Almonds (trust me on these guys!)  There’s nothing better than sitting by the fire and enjoying some good wine with cheese, bread, and almonds while camping! Don’t forget the Cheese Doodles too! 🙂 

Day 2: Hello Nature! One of the best feelings is waking up literally in nature. I don’t know what it is, but it just feels good to the soul. Anyone else feel that way!?? We spent a little time enjoying some hot coffee, listening to the birds, and looking at the beautiful mountains and trees. Tara Tip* If you plan on camping out, make sure to carefully look at the site you are interested in because it is always better if you get a nice view along your travels! Some spots have nicer views than others. Also, if you don’t want to be too close to your neighbors (or if you do), it’s good to look into that! More popular places book out WAY in advance so keep that in mind too and you will be good to go! Time to pack up and get out on the road!

Next campsite was in Martha Creek Provincial Park. This campsite was AAAA-MAZING. We did not get a spot on the water, but if you do decide to camp here, you MUST. Luckily, we still had a nice view of the mountains and trees, and we were only a very short walk to the lake. The lake is called Lake Revelstoke and what is even more amazing is the national park itself, which I will get to shortly. We set up camp and chilled out for the night. We brought our drinks down to the lake and listened to the water. It was such a peaceful place!

By the way, half the reason why I posted this picture above is because these Zero Gravity Recliner chairs are awesome for camping. They are from Camping World and you need these if you camp a lot. Go buy them. See Link here: 

https://www.campingworld.com/zero-gravity-recliner-beige-2-pack

Day 3: Revelstoke National Park. Going to save the next two places for another post! See my section in, “Travel.”

This blog has been a very long time coming and has changed in many different ways. I started writing in this space a few years ago and since then, it has turned into something that I am really proud of. I took a few breaks here and there, but always seemed to come back to it. I hope you enjoy reading about some of my favorite places and spaces! Below is one of my favorite quotes, which I found in the charming city of Prague ❤ So true though, no?

A little bit about me:

I love traveling to places new and old, and seeing the world around me

I love all living things in this world (minus most insects, sorry!)

Clothes, shoes, clothes, shoes…need I say more? Favorite store on this planet is without a doubt, Nordstrom, hello my love!

I have a husband that I adore and a cat named Clyde (Little Man, Clydie, Stink are some other names I may refer to him as)

You can find me either at Whole Foods or Nordstroms. I love going to the grocery store. Is that weird??

Born and raised in New Jersey! If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. Ain’t that the truth my fellow NJ friends??

I have lived in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Utah, and California!

We currently live in the Pacific Northwest in Washington State, which is a dream come true for us! We ❤ the west coast 🙂

There’s so much beauty everywhere you turn in this world, and it is just begging for us to come and enjoy it! ❤  See you there.