Montreal Photography – Saturday afternoon I wandered the streets of Plateau Mont-Royal. This ended up being one of the favorite parts of my solo travel in Montreal. I listened to music, window shopped and took in the scenery of the creative and unique graffiti art of this funky and eclectic neighborhood.
Work life has been extremely busy with major changes, but I have still managed to squeeze in a trip. Due to this reality, my lack of free time and exhaustion and due to the fact that I took so many good pictures during my trip, this post will be more photo heavy than words. So, let start at the beginning…
A few weeks ago I finally pulled the trigger and booked a flight and hotel to Montreal by myself. After the hesitation in booking it and questioning whether I should really even go prior to departure, I finally arrive in Montreal on Friday morning. My hesitation came from this being my first solo trip. Meaning that, I was going completely by myself and would know no one. I picked Montreal because it was close (less than 2 hour flight) from DC, its heavy French influence, it being a big city with lots to do, and importantly, the fact that its known to be very safe. I happen to take all these things into consideration over and over again before getting on the flight there. I figured, if worse came to worse and I got scared when I was there, I would just stay in my hotel the entire time and veg out. Luckily, that did not happen and I did a bunch of exploring, took a bunch of photos, and had a great time all by “solo traveling” self!
My first stop was for coffee at Kafein Cafe Bar in downtown. Kafein is a two story cafe with good coffee, a good cafe menu selection and a sweet little bar downstairs. It was very chill in there and had kind of a hipster vibe.
On my walk to Kafein…little did I know there was much more of this (graffiti art) to come on day 2 – Saturday.
Thanks to my husband for letting me use some of his points for a free weekend stay at the Ritz Carlton (got to love Marriott points and being married to someone who has a boat load of them)! I plan to write a detailed post about my stay here, so more to come in the future.
I was only in the hotel for a minute before I ventured into Old Montreal. My first stop was for some poutine at Montreal Poutine. For those who don’t know, poutine is french fries, gravy and cheese curds, and its heavy and delicious. Since it was my first time, I went with the regular poutine and enjoy every bite I could get down.
Next was a stroll through Old Montreal’s quaint historic streets and a visit to Notre-Dame Basilica where I was able to capture its dramatic old world architecture.
The next two stops were wine bars of Old Montreal. Accords Bar a Vin is a super cute wine bar that prides itself on it’s natural and organic local and international wine selection. I sat down with the bartender and told him what kind of french wine I liked and he had me taste two different wines before I made the selection. My second stop was Bistro le Modavie Bar a Vin. Modavie’s was a pretty lively bar and restaurant with a large wine selection and it apparently gets even more lively during the night as it plays live jazz music 6 nights a week. Both bars had attractive wine cellars on display!
After Old Montreal, I hustled back to my hotel for a massage session at St James Spa and a sauna session from its roof top pool area.
And lastly, for dinner I went to Maison Boulud. Maison Boulud is an award winning French restaurant and just happen to be in the hotel I was staying (two birds, one stone). I sat at the bar and ordered the Gnocchetti Au Homard (lobster gnocchi, yum yum) for my entree and Chocolat Coulant (more yum yum) for dessert. They also served me a compliment starter dish. I somehow missed the server’s description but it appeared as arancini or the italian dish of fried rice and cheese balls. Regardless, it was an awesome free surprise! This meal was all things delicious!
After a crazy busy week at work, a long day (6am flight to Montreal) of exploring Montreal and a lovely dinner, I took the elevator upstairs and fell asleep swiftly in my cozy hotel bed. More to come…
FRIDAY
TRAIN
Last weekend I ended up in NYC for 36 or so hours. After a discussion with my husband about his work travel schedule and a last minute decision to book a train, early Friday evening I found myself on the NE Regional train heading to Penn Station. We planned to spend the evenings together in the City for the weekend. We met at Penn Station and walked about 15mins to our hotel, The Springhill Inn & Suites on W. 37th St. As expected in NYC, the real estate was tight. But the room was nice, neat and well decorated. And, most importantly, the hotel was in a good location and at a special rate of $109 a night, we were definitely satisfied.
PUB
For dinner, we ventured out in search of a sports bar within walking distance. Let’s not forget, it’s March and it’s NCAA tournament time. Our main focus was finding a bar with lots of TVs and with seats open for us in front of them. We ended up at Playwrights Irish Pub near Herald Square. Playwrights has a more modern and trendy take on an Irish pub with lots of beer options, lots of wood décor, lots of TVs, loud music playing and even a sofa/lounge area for congregating. It had pretty good bar food with an Irish and American mix. My burger was quite tasty and so was my husband’s corned beef sandwich.
SATURDAY
PARK
Saturday morning I decided to go for a jog to Central Park. During the 1.2 mile jog there, I thoroughly enjoyed the scenery. NYC is pretty much a concrete jungle with little surprises within, which is fascinating to me. I entered the south entrance of Central Park and was greeted by The Pond and reminded of my hometown of Seattle (which I posted a visit about in February). I jogged up and around and found myself on a pathway with many people of similar mind who were getting it in that Saturday morning as well.
MASSAGE
This trip was mainly unplanned with it being so last minute. However, I did manage to plan a massage, thanks to a spa-finder gift card I had received! There were only so many options that were in somewhat close proximity and didn’t excessively go over my $100 gift card. So I settled in with The Mandarin Spa (not to be confused with The Spa at the Mandarin). I ended up with a 90 min combo of Japanese-Style Shiatsu Massage (60mins) and Foot Spa and Reflexology (30mins) for $120. I highly advise folks to google Shiatsu massage before participating in it. I must say, this was the most intense form of massage I have ever had. The masseuse (or Olympic Style Athlete) used her fingers, thumbs, palms, elbows, knees and feet to massage and stretch my body. There was some serious stretching going on and some serious release of every pressure point in my body from my ears to my toes. It involved the masseuse climbing on the table, and on top of me, at certain points. This massage is not for the faint of hearts. At one point, I was sitting cross-legged leaning forward and my masseuse had me put my arms up for stretching purposes, next thing I know she locks me in and flips me backward laying above her with her knees in my lower back, elbows in in my shoulders, and arms hung out to the side, and she is keeping me afloat above her. Intense! But all in all, pretty awesome! Every muscle in my body felt more relaxed. I highly recommend, if you are comfortable with the description (I added a photo from the internet as an example of a move).
WINE
After the massage, I stopped at Rockefeller Center and ended up grabbing a glass of wine and bite to eat at Morrell Wine Bar across the street. With it being across the street from Rockefeller Center, it was a little more expensive per glass than I would normally like to pay and it had no wine flight options (which, in my opinion, every wine bar should have). However, it does have an award winning wine by the glass selection and overall is a very nice wine bar. I did enjoy my glass of Te Mata Estate Sauvignon Blanc and my order of crab stuffed mushrooms was delicious, as it should be.
COFFEE
From there, I ventured to Gregory’s Coffee shop on 44th. Gregory’s Coffee is a chain that has several locations throughout NYC and is all about maintaining the quality of the fresh roasted coffee beans which they import from farmers all over the world. This particular shop had a good vibe going; it was busy, but not too busy, no long lines, no waiting for a seat even though it was pretty full, and, of course, it had good music playing. There were a mix of people hanging in there from friends catching up, to people doing work, to people just taking a minute to sit down, relax, and enjoy their espresso, like myself.
CHAMPAGNE
At Gregory’s, I was googling another wine bar to pop into, when I came across a champagne bar called Flute Bar. Flute Bar is where speakeasy meets champagne bar and it’s pretty damn cool. In 1997, it took over a speakeasy space and Flute oozes it as you walk down underground entering into a dimly lit scene of plush sofas and curtains and leather chairs. I sat down at the bar and ordered their champagne flight, which was all things good. The owner of the restaurant also brought me a ginger champagne that he had been working on developing, which was very good as well. I spent the next hour talking with the owner and bartender about the bar and its history, their champagne school and classes, and, of course, just about life in general. I highly recommend an evening drink at this very cool place.
DINNER W/TVs
Though I really wanted to go to back to Flute that evening, Flute did not have TVs and remember it is March and NCAA tournament time. So we ended up at Brendan’s Bar and Grill. This restaurant near Harold Square is basically a more upscale Irish pub. But Brendan’s had what we were in search of: TVs and a menu selection that was beyond just pub food. The Maryland Crab-cake salad was very good and so was the Spicy Lemon Penne Shrimp pasta, however, my husband’s Black Angus Steak was very overcooked.
SUNDAY
We left the city pretty early to get a jump start on our 3.5 hour drive home. I have no regrets of my decision to embark on this last minute weekend trip. I enjoyed my evenings with my husband and thoroughly enjoy wandering around the city on Saturday. It was short and sweet and a nice little weekend adventure.
Thank goodness for local travel! As much as I like idea of quitting my job and traveling the world (and admire those who do), it’s just not an option for me. I love spending time with my husband and dog and, for the most part, I enjoy my job (and making a stable income) as well. With all this being said and according the travel blog world, this technically makes me a part-time travel blogger. Luckily for me, I live in a great part of the country where after a long week of work I have the ability to get in my car or hop on a train and get to some neat local areas quickly. This weekend, I did just that with two of my friends and headed about 30 miles outside of DC to the Lansdowne Resort aka “the gateway” to Virginia Wine Country.
There was great anticipation for this weekend getaway! We found a really great deal at the Lansdowne Resort. Two words that are like sweet music to my ears: “Wine & Unwind!” This special includes 2 night accommodations, a 60 min spa service, a Saturday wine tour and daily buffet breakfast for about $340 per person. I mean, who wouldn’t be excited about this type of weekend! So, the Lansdowne Resort promotes itself as a luxury resort. It’s located along the Potomac River and features both a spa and golf experience. For those who like to jog or take a stroll, there is a nice 2.5 mile path that runs along part of the river. Unfortunately, none of us took advantage (we were in it for the spa & wine).
The Resort partially won my heart at check-in… “why yes, I would love a champagne welcome!” I did opt for a $9 per night upgrade for a high room with a view and that was definitely provided. After check-in, our Friday night started out with our spa treatments. The special included the choice of a Swedish massage, facial or manicure. We all ended up selecting the massage. Honestly, and unfortunately for me, my massage was just OK. I would describe it as a light body rub down with excessive amounts of oil. However, my friends both thoroughly enjoyed their massages. So much, that one of them described her masseuse as an “angel.” And they said the amount of pressure and, more importantly, amount of oil applied to the body was just right. The spa also featured a jacuzzi, steam room and sauna, which were all taken advantage of! After the spa, we ate dinner one of the resorts restaurant, Stonewalls Tavern. The restaurant had a nice selection of your basic American cuisine. We had a cheese plate, flat bread, burgers and, of course, wine!
Saturday started with breakfast at another one of the resorts restaurants, Riverside Hearth. This breakfast buffet featured an omelet and waffle station and had a decent selection of other breakfast sides, pastries and fruit. Breakfast was good, but the most anticipated part of our trip was the wine tour. We departed at the resort at 11am in a small tour bus that held about 12 passengers. After a bumpy ride, our first stop was approximately 30 mins away to Corcoran Vineyard and Cider. Now I have been to several wineries in VA Wine Country, and honestly, this was one of the most disappointing in terms of atmosphere. VA Wine country is quite beautiful with lots of rolling hills and scenery. This place was basically in a residential neighborhood and there was not much scenery besides a random blue horse statue outside their barn-like tasting room. We decided to make the best of it and just drink, so we went with their $15 cider and wine tasting. While we were not impressed with their wine selection, we did thoroughly enjoy their cider selection which is what they are really known for and award winning. This does make me question the Lansdowne Resort decision to include a place that is more of a cider brewery (with poor wine) into their 2-stops “wine tour.” However, two of us did walk away with a bottle of their PoPo Peach Cider!
The second stop was 8 Chain North Winery and, thankfully, it did not disappoint. It had a nice tasting room, even nicer outdoor patio area with a lovely view and, for the dog lovers, it was dog friendly! We enjoyed our $8 tasting, bought a bottle of their Francois Montand Brut Rose and enjoy the rest of our tour time soaking in the scenery and sun on the rare 60 degree winter day! Though we were sad to have to leave the winery, Lansdowne Resort did have a nice outdoor fire pit which was a good place to sit outside and enjoy another glass of wine. We were not alone in our thinking because the pit was pretty crowded. After enjoying the fire pit, we headed to Pub 46 Lounge at The Gulf Club on the resort. Another American cuisine restaurant that did have a little twist on their food, i.e.: Truffle Bacon Popcorn and Chicken and Waffle Fritters. All in all, we had a really nice weekend, enjoyed our accommodations and thought that it was a convenient and fun local weekend getaway!
I truly believe Seattle is one of the most beautiful cities in the United States. It is surrounded by lakes and the Puget Sound with houseboats afloat on the blue water. It sits on hills with mountains in the distant background. And there are beautiful trees, grasslands and parks everywhere giving pops of green. On a clear day it is quite magnificent to see a city among such nature. And this day, just happened to be that! I visited Gas Works Park to take some cityscape photos and what a view I got.
On the way from Gas Works Park, we drove through the hipster neighborhood of Fremont. Now, I really just wanted to stop and see the Troll under the Bridge, but something pulled us to drive towards and over the Fremont Bridge. For those who don’t know, Fremont is the self-proclaimed “Center of the Universe” with some geophysical (magical) gravitational pull. And after reading about it, I now understand why we drove the opposite direction just to cross the bridge and immediately turn back around. Read more about it here. There are pictures, so you can be the judge. Anyhow, Fremont also has a history of troll spotting (more magic), hence the gigantic, creepy, one eyed, blue eye Troll statue, which is actual pretty cool to photograph.
After the troll, we headed to Ivar’s Salmon House at North Shore for a late lunch. Ivar’s is a seafood restaurant staple in Seattle. It provides waterfront dining on Lake Union with a city skyline view. It’s atmosphere is also really neat; it has the feel of a traditional Native American longhouse with Native American décor and art. I love clam chowder and it is definitely not to be missed here! Of course, we also enjoyed some 14 Hands Washington State wine with our meal.
Unfortunately, this was my last stop for my visit home besides the airport. Luckily, Seatac Airport has a Vino Volo…it’s never too late to grab a wine tasting. An appropriate ending to a fun weekend trip before I caught my red-eye flight home. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Edmonds, Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. And I am looking forward to my next visit here!
After a long direct flight from Washington, DC, I touched down in Seattle, WA late evening around 9pm. The best thing about the 6 hour flight from the East Coast to the West Coast is that you make up for time. If planned correctly (an evening flight in and red-eye flight out), you can truly maximize full days and get the most out of a long weekend trip. Well, that is, if you can handle the 3 hour time change which may bring a little bit of jet lag. My advice is to just power through it, rally, and drink lots of coffee!
My motivation for this trip was a quick visit home. My parents live just north of Seattle in Edmonds, WA. Edmonds sits on the beautiful shores of the Puget Sound. Though, traditionally, a homestead and lodging community, it is now a modern residential and commercial Seattle suburban city boosting a quaint downtown, several beaches and picturesque waterfront views. Some of the best things about the Pacific Northwest, Seattle and Edmonds are the mild winters and the beautiful nature that surrounds it. My first morning started off with a short run to a nearby lake, Lake Ballinger. Lake Ballinger is surrounded by homes, a golf course, a park, and biking and running trials. It’s a definitely great little lake to visit, swim and fish at the during the summer.
After my morning run, we headed into downtown Edmonds to what is supposed to be its best brunch spot, Rusty Pelican Café. The coffee there was served with heavy whipping cream which is thick, sweet and all things yummy. I had the best mimosa I have had in a long time. It was raspberry infused, very refreshing and it reminded me of the beach! Between the four of us we ate the crepes, french toast, pancakes and eggs benedict. All were very good! However, if you are a French toast lover, it is not to be missed here. After brunch we strolled down to Edmonds Ferry Terminal to spend some time walking around Brackett’s Landing Park, one of its bordering beaches with a great view.
Our afternoon involved a much anticipated visit to Chateau Ste Michelle Winery. The Winery is located in the popular Woodinville Wine Country about 30 mins from downtown Seattle. I have been on several wine tours in both Napa and Northern VA and I must say that this was a fun and informative tour. First of all, the tour is free! And secondly, it involves a complimentary 3 sampling wine tasting! It doesn’t get much that! The tour and tasting lasted about 35 minutes total. After, we enjoyed some of their “Themed Tastings” ($10) in their Tasting Room Bar, as well the Col Solare Bottega tasting. Col Solare is a winemaker partnership between the Chateau Ste. Michelle and Marchesi Antinori of Italy. It has its own tasting room within the winery and it is a very cool experience. And, I did end up walking away with a delicious bottle to take home!
Overall, we had a great day! I definitely recommend visiting both downtown Edmonds and Woodinville Wine Country for a not-so-typically Seattle day trip experience.
Friday
My first weekend trip of 2016! I headed to NYC via Amtrak from DC to visit a college roomie and very good friend who lives in Astoria, Queens. One of the best things about the Northeast US is the close proximity of big cities and the ability to travel by rail. I must admit, there’s something special about a Friday night Amtrak train to Penn Station; the movement, the crowds, the chaos…it makes me feel alive!
I arrived to Astoria via Uber (yes, I cheated) to my friend’s cute brownstone apartment. After a little bit of chatting and catching up, we headed to the heart of Astoria to one of its most popular Greek restaurants Taverna Kyclades for dinner. As expected, the restaurant was jam packed, but it was well worth the wait. Warning: portion sizes are big, as they should be. We indulged ourselves with fried cheese, greek salad, shrimp and sole stuffed with crabmeat. And of course, wine! Delicious all around!
After dinner, as we strolled down Ditmars Blvd taking in the chill city vibe of Queens in January, a bouncer lured us into what we discovered was a new bar to the neighborhood, The Ditty. The Ditty, oh The Ditty…think hipster vibe, hipster model bartenders, good drinks, good music and games (board and video). In my mind, this is all that you can ask for in a neighborhood bar (did I mention hipster model bartenders). Anyhow, we finished our night out there enjoying good conversation in a fun atmosphere.
Saturday
I love brunch! But I guess I love any excuse to eat good food and have a day drink. I especially love a brunch that involves fried chicken. And luckily, my friend lives within a short walk to Burnside Biscuit, a restaurant serving southern food with twist that focuses on “giving back to the community that raised its founders while celebrating local, organic sourcing.” Or, a restaurant that serves some damn good chicken and waffles, which we both enjoyed thoroughly as we drank our coffee, tea and day drinks! Across the street from Burnside on 30th and 33rd resides the United Brother Fruit Market. The fruit look good, the place was buzzing and it made for a charming Astoria corner picture.
At night we ventured into The City (Manhattan) to meet up with friends for dinner and a birthday celebration. We ate dinner at Wildair, which serve flavorful and unique sharing plates. The restaurant was small, only seating about 40 people with no reservations. If you can time it well, it’s worth the culinary experience. After dinner we stopped at Wassail, my first cider bar experience. This place has over 90 ciders to pick from and my favorite was the Christian Drouin, Pays d’Auge AOP. I really just started enjoying cider this past year so I was excited about this place, however the lack of heat in the restaurant did hinder the experience some (note to restaurant: heat in January is a necessity in NYC). Our last stop was all about celebrating the birthday girl with some dancing at Pianos. We made our way to the “Upstairs Lounge” and spent the rest of the evening dancing the night away to 90s hip-hop and pop!
Sunday
Coffee, an early morning train and finding my way back home to DC!
In August, on the way to Seattle for my sister’s wedding, we made a stop at the Grand Canyons via Sedona, Arizona. We stayed at the lovely and peaceful Enchantment Resort, placed in the beautiful setting of the Red Rocks. We were able to go on hikes directly from the resort and it was just a few minutes drive to the center of town where there are additional dinning and shopping options. We booked a guided Grand Canyon day tour via “All-Star Grand Canyon Tours.” They transported us from the resort to the Grand Canyons and made several stops within the canyons. The tour guide was great, super friendly and knowledgeable. I suggest the tour company for those who have a short period of time, but want to see and learn a lot without the stress of transportation. Hint: reminder that the altitude in the grand canyon is crazy high, I had one glass of wine with lunch and pretty much immediately feel asleep in the car on the way to the next stop (believe me, my tolerance level is way stronger than that). Luckily the next stop had a shop that sold coffee for a much needed afternoon pick me up.
In May, we celebrated our 5 year anniversary at Couples Swept Away in Negril, Jamaica. All I can say is “no worries.” This vacation was what you would expect of a classic beach vacation in an all-inclusive resort. However, the resort had a phenomenal location; imagine calmly floating in picturesque clear water with a cocktail in your hand. The resort also includes excellent resort activities like a sunset catamaran cruise, snorkeling, water sports and shuttles to Rick’s Cafe for cliff diving. Our room had an amazing sunset view, the food was great and service was 5 stars. I highly recommend Couples Swept Away and Negril for those who seek a “worry-free” Caribbean beach vacation. And I can’t forget about the fresh brewed coffee and bottle of champagne delivered to your room each morning!
In April, I traveled with my husband to Athens, Greece for his work. Athen appeared as a booming European Metropolitan city while we were there, which was about a month before their financial collapse. We visited the Acropolis, scored time for a 3-Island day tour, and I spent many hours walking around the shopping district (The Plaka, Monastiraki Flea Market, & Ermou Street) and enjoying traditionally Greek coffee, wine, and food. One of the highlights of my trip was the fish pedicure, nibble nibble = smooth feet. The highlight of our hotel, Athens Ledra, has a roof top a view of The Acropolis and a roof top pool.
