Tag: USA

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Destination Hawaii Kauai USA

Waimea Canyon, “The Grand Canyon in the Pacific”

If you make a trip out to Kaua’i, you definitely have to make a trip out to Waimea Canyon. Known as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific”, Located on the southwest side of the island, the canyon is a mile long and 3,600 feet. I think it’s kind of ironic that I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon, even though I’ve lived in Arizona for 8 years and I’ve only been to Kaua’i twice! It’s pretty easy to navigate to the canyon and the views are gorgeous, but I’m probably biased because you know I love my Hawai’i nei.



We went to Waimea Canyon the same day we toured the Na Pali Coast, but we ended up back at our hotel, Kaua’i Beach Villas in Lihue, before driving back. The drive from our hotel to the canyon was about an hour. It’s funny, because you’d think that since Hawai’i is a bunch of small islands it wouldn’t take that long to get anywhere, but Kaua’i has one main road going around the island and the speed limit doesn’t ever get over 50! If you follow the long winding road to the top, it’s pretty easy to find the lookout point. There’s plenty of parking and a great vantage point from the top, not to mention all the stops you can take on the way up and down.

It was kind of rainy our whole trip to Kaua’i, but luckily it was clear skies when we made it up there. It was pretty cold and windy when we were up there so these were all the pictures I got!





Have you been to Waimea Canyon?
Let me know in the comments below!
Categories
Destination Hawaii Oahu USA

Hiking Lanikai Pillbox on O’ahu

Lanikai Pillbox is one of my favorite hikes in Hawai’i because the hike isn’t really difficult and the views are amazing. Located in Kailua, it’s called Lanikai because of the views of Lanikai beach and ‘pillbox’ because of the old concrete bunkers that were used in WWII and got repurposed into rest stops and vantage points on the hike.



 

The hike isn’t super long and you get beautiful 360 views of the ocean and mountainside the whole way up. You have to park in a neighborhood to get to the trailhead. It can be confusing finding the entrance, so be careful not to trespass into the neighbor’s homes! The first stretch of the trail is uphill and if it’s rainy, it can be muddy, but there are ropes to help you up along the way. Once you past that little uphill slope, the trail is pretty easy to follow. There are usually people on the trail up and early so if you do get lost, you can just follow someone else.



 

As you make the trek up, you get a view of Lanikai on the ocean side and lush, green view of Kailua and the golf course on the mountainside. I think I’ll say this about every place in Hawai’i, but my pictures will never do it justice.



Have you been to Lanikai Pillbox? What’s your favorite place to hike?
Let me know in the comments below!

Categories
Boston Destination Lifestyle Massachusetts USA

Why A Little Island Girl From Hawai’i Is A NE Patriots Fan

I love football. Not so much that I know a ridiculous amount of stats or to call plays – hell I don’t even like playing Madden – but I love football. I just love the game. I love how emotionally invested the diehard fans are. I love the rivalries, the trash talk. I especially love when the New England Patriots pull of those flea flickers. I always get asked, rather condescendingly,

Why are you a Patriots fan?

Why in the hell would a girl from Hawai’i be a Patriots fan? The obnoxious answer is, We don’t have a team, so I get to pick whoever I want. [insert sassy emoji girl] Which is true. I have Hawai’i friends whose loyalty lay all across the US so why can’t I be a Pats fan?

My first live Pats game @ Gillette Stadium

The truth is, I never grew up watching football or any other sport for that matter. Most people’s loyalty is inherited through their parents or the city they grew up in – I was SOL on both counts. But I learned the game while I was in college watching the Patriots. Specifically, the 07 Patriots – you know, that heartbreaking season they went undefeated and got burned by the Giants in Super Bowl 42. I didn’t even fully understand how epic that season was at the time.

I get it when people say they hate Tom Brady. I didn’t even like Tom Brady at first. I remember watching him that season thinking, there is no way this guy is that good. That was 10 years ago and Tom Brady is still that good. Hell, you could even argue that he’s better. I jumped on the Pats train when they drafted Rob Gronkowski in 2010; I was at the University of Arizona when Gronk was there and if I’m being completely honest, I loved that the Pats had the same colors as my beloved Wildcats.

Happiness after the epic Butler catch of SB49

Call me a bandwagon fan, call the Pats cheaters – I’ve accepted the endless trash talk that comes with being a Patriots fan. It just comes with the territory. But whatever you say or think about them, I think they play some great football, that Belichick is a football genius, and Tom Brady is absolutely the Greatest Of All Time. I just love the stories. I love Tom Brady’s underdog story – 6th round 199th draft pick. I love how Belichick finds these undrafted free agents who come in clutch. Between Gronk, Edelman, and Amendola and even back to Bruschi – the legendary linebacker who’s half Filipino and a fellow Arizona Wildcat – there is just so much for me to love about them.

Meeting Trent Dilfer the season he said the Pats ‘were done’

I love my New England Patriots and you can trash talk me up and down all day everyday, but I’m a ride or die kind of girl. I know that Brady is not immortal and the dynasty isn’t gonna last forever, but I’m gonna enjoy this ride as long as we can and even if they start having season records like the Browns, I’m still gonna wear that Flying Elvis loud and proud. #PatsNation

Categories
Dallas Destination Texas USA

Enchant Christmas Light Maze at Globe Life Park

Enchant Christmas is the world’s largest outdoor Christmas light maze at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. It is the first time they’ve brought it out to Texas and I heard about it from one of my good friends while we were hanging out on Christmas Day. I didn’t get to go home to Hawai’i for the holidays this year and hadn’t really been feeling the Christmas spirit, but just driving up to Enchant made me feel giddy like a little kid! I don’t know what it is about Christmas lights, but it definitely made my Christmas!

Tickets cost $29.95 for adults and $21.95 for children. They do give military, senior, EMS, and first responder discount as well as family packs. You can purchase tickets in advanced on their website at www.enchantchristmas.com, but since we went last minute, we purchased them there. The maze is open until December 31st, 2018 so if you’re in the Dallas metro, you have one last weekend to go check it out!



There’s so many things to do and see there, like the ice skating pond, marketplace, Santa’s palace, food trucks, and the Christmas maze. The maze is definitely the highlight. We really just went for the maze and photo ops! We were freezing afterwards and got some spiked hot chocolate, which was definitely the cherry on top of the night. But without further ado, the pictures!

entrance to the maze
icicles

 

giant lit ornament

snowflakes

mini tunnel of string lights
ugly laughing face

obligatory selfies



tunnel of lights

bridge over the ice pond

Texas sign – because, Texas

Have you been to any cool Christmas things this season? Where did you go?
Categories
Colorado Denver Destination USA

The Denver Art Museum & The Star Wars Costume Exhibit

Star Wars and the Power of the Costume exhibit was held at the Denver Art Museum from November 13th, 2016 – April 9, 2017. I went to visit Denver back in February and never got around to posting it until now. The exhibit was a self-guided tour, and although I’m neither a Star Wars fan nor a fashionista, I couldn’t help but appreciate the detail and intricacy of the costumes – so much work goes into one piece!

art outside of the museum



The museum itself is big – there’s separate buildings and multiple floors with different exhibits going on at once. I remembered there being a floor with abstract art, one with Asian art and even Polynesian art. We saw the Star Wars exhibit first, then we wandered around the rest of the museum. Here’s some of the art we saw:

this dragon reminded me of my dog, Yeyo!

And now for the good stuff! Of course, it wouldn’t be Star Wars without the light sabers…

I kinda wished that I was more of a Star Wars fan because I think I would’ve appreciated it so much more, but my favorite part had to be Princess Leia’s wardrobe.

And you know I can’t end it without this!

Categories
Boston Destination Hotels Massachusetts USA

YOTEL Boston Review | Boston Seaport


The YOTEL Boston

 

I did my first solo trip and had my first visit to Boston for the first time last September and before going, I really had no idea where to stay. A few friends have told me that I’d be fine almost anywhere since the city is so walkable. Before settling on two hotels, I checked Airbnb but didn’t see anything in my budget that I liked or felt like I would be safe in. My first night there, I used my Chase Sapphire Reserve points to stay at the Club Quarters Hotel in the Financial District but while googling for the cheapest, nicest hotel I liked, I found the YOTEL Boston and loved the pictures! It definitely helped that it just opened this past Summer and if you know me, I love new and shiny things.

 



 
Before I get into the nitty gritty, I know there’s some of you who are too lazy to read so here’s the TL;DR verison:

 

PROS

  • Great location
  • Nice amenities – full sized shampoo & conditioner, heated towel rack, bluetooth connection to TV
  • Rooftop bar with a view
  • Friendly and helpful staff

 

CONS

  • Regular rooms are smaller than average
  • Can be pricey, but average priced for Boston Seaport

 

Located in the Seaport District, YOTEL Boston is a “micro hotel” and the second U.S. location of the London based chain – the first is in New York. The YOTEL logo is kind of cartoon-y to me and there’s definitely a purple color scheme throughout, but I loved the modern / futuristic look. When you first walk in, there’s a concierge desk, but you check-in using the kiosk to the left of the desk. Check-in is similar to check-in kiosks they have at airports – you just pull up the reservation, follow the screens and get your room key programmed.

 


Programming my key.

 

Even the elevators were an experience – I was legitimately amused that the elevators were playing elevator music! The room was relatively easy to find and I was really satisfied with the floor plan I picked. When I said it was a “micro hotel”, I meant the rooms are smaller compared to the average hotel. When I travel, I enjoy being comfortable but I also know I’m probably not going to spend most of my time there. I didn’t completely mind staying in a smaller room, but I was worried about it a little so I ended up booking the Premium Queen Accessible Room. Not gonna lie, it was kind of nice having all that room!

 

I loved the design and amenities in the room – there’s a rain shower, full sized shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the shower, a heated towel rack, bluetooth connection to the TV, an aux connection, a bottle opener built into the TV frame, plugs everywhere, and even a reclining bed! I think it had a reclining bed because it was the accessible room, but I can’t be completely sure. There isn’t a closet and the door to the bathroom has a clear sliding door – though there is a curtain, it doesn’t feel as private.

 


The backlit TV

 


This bed reclines!

 


Instead of a closet, there’s a little rack area equipped with an iron, ironing board, and a hair dryer.

 


The plugs are over the nightstand next to the bed, but they all connect to the TV.

 

 


The heated towel rack is to the left of me and you can see the full sized hand lotion and soap to the right.

 


The accessible shower.

 


Full sized everything!

 

There’s a bar with a kitchen in the lobby and on the roof. The rooftop bar is super cute because it has a view of the city – although I completely forgot to take a picture of it. 🙁 I did, however, get this picture of the entrance to the rooftop area:

 

 

I did a lot of price comparisons before finally settling on YOTEL. Boston is pretty expensive in general, but for a brand new hotel in that location, it was pretty reasonable. I ended up booking the hotel through Orbitz and the weekend I stayed it averaged out to $187 a night, but I found a coupon that gave me 15% off so my total after taxes and fees came out to $349. Seriously, I google coupons before pulling the trigger on anything online! I don’t think I would’ve booked it if I didn’t have the coupon, but I’m so glad that I did.

 

Overall, I loved staying here and I would definitely stay here again and consider staying at another YOTEL. The amenities are great, it’s clean, walking distance from a lot of things, and all the staff I encountered were super nice and helpful.

 

YOTEL Boston

65 Seaport Blvd
Boston, MA 02210
www.yotel.com/en/hotels/yotel-boston
@yotel_boston

 

 



Categories
Dallas Eats Food & Drink

ICENY Dallas


 

I don’t know about you, but to meet it feels like there’s always some new food trend or other breaking out on the scene. Sometimes those Facebook videos look mouthwatering, other times I’m thinking why would you do that? but to each his own and the foodie in me won’t completely knock it til I try it. Rolled ice cream is one of those trends. Rolled ice cream originated in Thailand a few years back and seems like it hit the US pretty hard in the last year or so. I’ve been wanting to try it out, but to be completely honest, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth! But I saw the COMING SOON signs hung up outside of I CE NY‘s new Uptown Dallas location and knew I had to check it out once it opened.

 




 


 

I CE NY is a franchise rolled ice cream shop that obviously started in New York and spread across the U.S. Located in a strip mall on the corner of McKinney Ave and Boll St, I personally would miss it if I didn’t know it was there. The shop itself is cute – once you walk in, the cash registers are located to your left and you can see 3 big steel grills lined up behind the plexi glass. There’s several concoctions to choose from on the menu, or you can be rebellious and opt to customize. All the combos in the pre-made menu are $7 each, which comes out to $8 and some change with tax. My only gripe about their menu is that there’s no nuts! No peanuts, almonds or anything.


 

I ended up getting the Milk Tea and subbed one of the ingredients for mochi balls. According to the menu, it should’ve came with cookie straws but I didn’t get any. 🙁 Overall, it’s a pretty cool concept – the cream is poured over those freezing steel grills, mashed with any ingredients and then rolled up before getting put into a cup. The ice cream itself is nothing spectacular, but if you love ice cream, I don’t see why you wouldn’t like it. I don’t think I’d be a regular just because of cost and I don’t have a sweet tooth in general but the next time I get a huge ice cream craving, I just might walk over.

 

I CE NY (Uptown Dallas)

2633 McKinney Ave #170

Dallas, TX 75204

www.icenyicecream.com
@icenydallas

Categories
Colorado Denver Destination USA

Broncos Stadium: Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium

lil ol’ me outside of the stadium

In honor of the FIRST Monday Night Football of the season a little flashback to the time I toured the Broncos Stadium. As you will see in my pictures, I’m most definitely not a Broncos fan but I am a football fan so I low key geeked out on this tour.




 

It costs $20 to do a tour and you don’t have to have reservations in advanced, but you can check the schedule on the Mile High Stadium website. Since I did the tour over 6 months ago and it wasn’t my teams stadium, I don’t remember all the fun facts but here’s what I do remember:

 

  • The waitlist for season tickets is ridiculously long – like possibly years long.
  • The grass on the field grows year round. There’s miles of pipes underneath that will drain the field. This makes the field really flat.
  • There’s little holding cells for cops to hold belligerent fans in during the game.

 

There were definitely a lot more cool fun facts and we saw everything from the executive suites to the visitor’s locker room. I just love how die hard the city of Denver has been for their team, but I can’t imagine watching the game in a blizzard of snow! The best fans are ride or die though. 😉

view from the field
yes, I totally wore my Pats hat

view from one of the suites

on the way to the visitor’s locker room
panoramic view of the field
pin me to your bucket list!

Have you toured or been to an NFL stadium? Which one have you been to?



Categories
Colorado Denver Destination USA

Red Rocks Amphitheater

I’ve been to Denver twice this year and I have to say, it’s definitely up there on my list of favorite cities, I think I would seriously consider moving there if I ever got tired of Dallas and feel like I could brave the winter! I went for the first time last February and had a mini reunion with a couple sorority sisters.




 

Red Rocks is an open air amphitheater that was opened in 1941. It’s located about 10 miles to the west of Denver in Morrison, Colorado and sits at an elevation of about 6400 ft. Let me tell you, that altitude is NO joke because I was winded walking up and down the steps! The weather was pretty much perfect the day we went and you can see crazy people scattered in my pictures working out.

 

The view from the top is amazing, by the view from the stage is crazier. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be an artist playing! But after visiting, seeing a concert here is definitely on my bucket list.

 

view of the stage

Have you been out to Red Rocks? Who'd you see live?



Categories
Coffee Dallas Dallas Eats Destination Food & Drink Texas USA

Starbucks Reserve | Uptown Dallas

 

Anyone who knows me knows how much of a Starbucks aficionado I am. I’ve been a gold card member for years and have a pretty hefty Starbucks city mug and tumblr collection, but that’ll all have to share another time. So when I heard there was a Starbucks Reserve opening in Uptown Dallas – and within walking distance! – I was all over it.

 




 

 

A Starbucks Reserve is a craft coffee bar – basically a fancy hipster Starbucks. The flagship reserve store is located in Seattle, of course, but reserve shops are popping up all over the U.S. They have all the typical Starbucks drinks but feature the small lot coffees and fancy brews like nitro cold brew, clover coffee, siphon, etc. They also serve floats and affogato, though I’m not sure about the food menu.

 

 

The Uptown Dallas location is nestled on the corner of McKinney and Olive in the appropriately named 20 floor building. When I moved to Uptown a few months ago, I knew they were building a Starbucks there but had no idea it was going to be a reserve. If you blink too quickly, you might miss it because the infamous siren logo is nowhere to be found.

 

 

Once you walk in, you’ll notice the bar equipped with all kinds of brewing gadgets and the reserve coffees on display. The seating area is wide and open with tons of space and outlets to plug in. Everything from the chalkboard menu to the food display screams hipster minimalist and if I’m being completely honest, the millennial in me totally loves it.

 

 

From what I hear, this particular Reserve store opened at the end of June 2017. I’ve been three times since I heard about it and I don’t know if it’s the atmosphere, but I like being there more than a regular Starbucks and I love how the special coffee menu changes. The first time I went, I went with a friend just to check it out. I’m a sucker for nitro anything (love me some nitro Guinness) so I tried the Nitro Cold Brew and you know I had to get the Classic Affogato! Normally I’m not a fan of Starbie’s cold brew, but I love it in nitro form. I don’t have a big sweet tooth, but the Affogato was really good.

 

The second time I went I tried the Iced Hazelnut Bianco Latte – a house-made hazelnut-praline-infused milk combined with small-lot espresso. I really liked the hazelnut-praline flavor but the infused milk just really sweet. I even tried it with an extra shot, but it’s just too much for me. Maybe if they toned it down a little, I might actually like it more than my favorite, the light caramel extra shot Macchiato.

 

The third time I went, I tried the Nitro Cascara Cloud Cold Brew. If you don’t know, cascara is the dried skin of coffee cherries. I’m definitely a fan of their Cascara Latte, so this was right up my alley. I’m thinking I’m going to be a regular here, although there are a few coffee shops in the area I haven’t checked out yet!

 

Overall, love the store, love the concept, and of course, love the coffee. There is much coffee to be had at this Reserve store. Although the notorious green siren is MIA, I totally approve of the reserve logo. I mean how cute are these cups? #starbuckshoe