February 2012
3 posts
4 tags
Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy
YOU GUYS. This place exists.
We have to go immediately.
Due to erosion and landslides, the only thing keeping this town connected to the rest of the world is a pedestrian footbridge.
The town was built by ancient Etruscans about 60 miles north of Rome, with carved rock archways, narrow footpaths and multitudes of wine cellars. Just reading about this town makes me hungry. Ancient olive...
6 tags
An Italian Christmas Story, by Brittany Carson
My awesome friend Brittany Carson spent two weeks in Italy (Yep, I’m green with jealousy). As soon as she showed me a few of her beautiful photos of my favorite place on earth, I knew I had to have her tell you all a little about her trip! Enjoy!
—
Buon Giorno Readers!
A month ago, I went on a two week Christmas family vacation to Florence, Italy. Right now you’re probably...
4 tags
January 2012
14 posts
4 tags
4 tags
Unstitched: How I Travel
Lillian from Unstitched, a really fun design blog with lots of travel sprinkled in, asked me to do a blog feature called “How I Travel.”
Want to see how I pack + travel? Check it out!
3 tags
@TripIt Visualization: My Last 2 Years in Travel
This little project by @gem_ray is kind of fantastic.
It pulled in my TripIt stats from the last 2 years(-ish) and created some cool visualizations, including:
Which trips I fly the most (LAX - PVG. Seriously racking up the miles there.)
How long I’ve spent on those flights (3+ days spent just flying back and forth from LAX to Shanghai?! Ouch.)
My fave airports (LAX)
Which airline I...
5 tags
Grand Opening: Palihotel Melrose
Palihotel Melrose. Los Angeles, CA.
Eek! I kind of don’t want to share this deal because I don’t want it to sell out before I can convince myself to buy it.
UrbanDaddy Perks is having a deal to get all of this for $400:
2 nights at Palihotel Melrose in a Queen room with a terrace
A “Raid the Minibar” bundle - which I assume means you get to.. raid the minibar for...
4 tags
10 tags
Weekend Adventures, Pt. 3: Huangshan Villages
Yup, there’s a Part 3.
I spent my last day in Huangshan visiting a few of the other villages and sites around the area.
I also stopped at the Mukang Bamboo Forest, where scenes of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon were filmed. It’s spectacular. Not a single sound but bamboo rustling in the wind. I climbed about 1,000 steps to the top, with a beautiful view of the tiny little town of...
Anonymous asked: HELLO! I have been an avid follower of you blog for a long time now and find your information/photos absolutely indispensible!!! I am about to go to Marrakech on the 29th of January until the 3rd of February. We wanted to go to Essouria as well. Do you have any advice/places to go/things to do etc! Thank you so much. Jemima
8 tags
Tanzania, Africa: Chole Mjini Treehouse Lodge
Chole Mjini Treehouse Lodge.
I love this eco-lodge hideaway in Tanzania.
Built on Chole Island, this lodge stays true to its environmental ideology while maintaining its own individual character and design.
Chole Mjini focuses on being green, and on contributing heavily to the local community.
The Chole Mjini Conservation & Development Company has actually built a primary school and an...
6 tags
Södermalm, Sweden: Home to the Girl with the...
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Did you watch it yet?! You should. And then you should go visit this gorgeous, gorgeous little town.
There’s definitely nothing that stokes my wanderlust more than watching a movie set in a beautiful, not-yet-explored (by me) place.
The movie was filmed in Stockholm, Sweden, mostly set in a province called Södermalm, which covers an island...
5 tags
4 tags
6 tags
Opening: The Ace Hotel in Los Angeles
The Ace Hotel is coming to LA!
If you haven’t heard yet, they’re planning to take over the old United Artists Theatre on Broadway. What’s more, rumor is that they’ll be keeping and renovating the theatre itself.
The United Artists Theatre was opened in 1927 as the flagship house for the studio, and it was the city’s tallest privately owned structure until 1956....
7 tags
4 tags
December 2011
6 posts
8 tags
7 tags
Adventures in Xidi, Pt. 2: Pig's Heaven Inn
Pig’s Heaven Inn is a hidden haven in the midst of a beautiful ancient village called Xidi, just outside Huangshan (the Yellow Mountain).
After finding myself at just another oak doorway in a narrow alley, I was surprised to find such an warm escape waiting inside. Sunlight streams in through the skywell into the patio. Brightly colored lanterns line the sitting area in the bottom...
7 tags
Adventures in Xidi, Pt. 1
I check out of the Kerry Hotel in Shanghai at 5AM, when it’s still dark outside. Jump in a cab and ask him to take me to the bus station. Weird look. “Really? You want to take a long-distance bus…?” “Yes sir, the bus station, please.”
Apparently girls don’t travel alone by bus too often in Shanghai.
We speed past the city, bridges, skyscrapers just...
4 tags
3 tags
“If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you...”
– Anthony Bourdain.
Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook.
November 2011
9 posts
6 tags
Wasserauen, Switzerland: Äscher Cliff Restaurant
Yep, I would definitely be willing to hike 3 hours to eat at the Äscher Cliff Restaurant in Switzerland.
You have to climb about 770m in altitude from Wasserauen Station, a relatively challenging uphill hike. But the perks? You get this view… and Swiss rösti.
(Photo from My Switzerland)
10 tags
Home for the Holidays: Santa Rosa, CA
Santa Rosa.
Wine country. Rolling hills and grapevines. Warm fall colors everywhere and the perfect amount of chill in the air.
Gotta love going home for the holidays. I always make sure to visit a couple of my favorite places in Santa Rosa, no matter how short the trip.
Aroma Roasters.
Located in Railroad Square, Aromas is a colorful cafe + ice cream shop with lots of character. Good...
1 tag
Happy 100 (Posts)!
Just realized this is my 100th post!
I just want to take a second to thank you all so much for reading my blog, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading some of these posts as much as I’ve had researching and writing them. Plus, I hope it’s inspired at least one of you out there to go somewhere unexpected and awesome.
So, I thought I’d get a little personal for this post and...
7 tags
Pang Mapha, Thailand: Cave Lodge
Cave Lodge.
A mountain lodge located just next to Tham Lod, a famous cave, this lodge offers tours all over the area: kayaking, cave exploring, trekking, and meeting the friendly hill tribe villages nearby.
The bungalows were designed based on traditional hillside villages, and have an open, welcoming feel with lots of natural materials. Hammocks, swings, and lots of wildlife to see!
See more...
12 tags
Mr. and Mrs. Smith Hotels Roundup
Mr. and Mrs. Smith Hotels carefully curates top boutique hotels from around the world with anonymous reviews, and they do a great job of showing lots of photos, reviews, and first-person commentary.
I was stoked to see that Hipmunk has added Mr. and Mrs. Smith Hotels to their hotel lineup.
So in honor of that, I decided to gather up a few of the many gorgeous boutique hotels available on...
5 tags
9 tags
Bali, Indonesia: Desa Seni
Desa Seni Village Resort.
I love that this resort feels a little bit more real than the standard over-the-top luxury resorts you might expect from a place like Bali (not that I’d complain about a chance to stay in any one of those resorts..).
Built in refurbished antique wooden Balinese huts, the guesthouses of Desa Seni feel a lot more organic. It’s located just a short walk...
7 tags
Lapland, Finland: Husky Safari
As someone with an adorable husky at home, I’ve always wanted to see her play in the snow.
So.. what could be better than a whole team of huskies to play with in Finland?
I found a tour that not only includes a husky safari with a team of huskies well-cared for and bred by the Saija Lodge, but also includes cross-country skiing school, a snowmobile safari, snowshoeing and a smoke sauna,...
October 2011
16 posts
8 tags
Kutná Hora, Czech Republic: Bone Church
Happy Halloween!
In honor of all the creepy crawlies, the Bone Church (formally known as the Sedlec Ossuary) in Kutna Hora, just a quick train ride outside of Prague, is the perfect place to visit today.
The cemetary became a popular burial site beginning in the 1200s, and the church was built in the 1400s. A hundred years later, legend tells us that the number of burials outgrew the space...
7 tags
Update on Cinque Terre, Italy
Vernazza before & after.
I’ve heard that there is now limited train access to Monterosso and Vernazza for residents and rescuers, and electricity is back too. Prior to today, rescuers and other helpers could only reach the town by boat. 4 people still missing. 9 fatalities, including one volunteer rescuer in Monterosso.
It’s estimated that 35,000 cubic meters of debris need to...
11 tags
Mudslides and Floods Hit Cinque Terre, Italy
Yesterday, the area known as Liguria in northern Italy was hit hard by torrential rain and mudslides. This area is home to one of my favorite places in the world, and an area very close to my heart: the Cinque Terre.
The Cinque Terre (“Five Lands”) is a collection of five colorful villages perched on the cliffs on the coast of Liguria. I don’t know a single person who’s...
6 tags
Singapore: New Majestic Hotel
My parents are in Singapore right now. Color me jealous.
Singapore’s been steadily putting itself on the map as a fantastic tourist destination for those interested in luxury, design, high quality service, and top-notch cuisine (the Mozza that opened this year in Marina Bay Sands is definitely at the top of my list of must-dos). And of course, lots and lots of shopping.
The New Majestic...
11 tags
The Amazon, Peru: Aqua Expeditions
Sailing the Amazon in luxury.
Aqua Expeditions are the first luxury ships to cruise the Amazon in Peru. The Aria and the Aqua, are narrow frame smaller size ships that are able to navigate the smaller rivers and tributaries, allowing guests to experience the Amazon firsthand in ways that haven’t been possible before.
Such a great combination of adventure and luxury.
The staff is...
7 tags
Weekend Adventures at DeLuna Fest
My travel-filled summer lasted well into fall this year. Luckily, this last trip was spent in sunny summer weather in Pensacola, FL. I had a blast during my extended weekend trip last week for DeLuna Fest.
Pensacola Beach is one of the best places you could have a music festival, and the closest I’ve been able to get to some awesome acts. Also, loved getting to see my friends’ band...
3 tags
7 tags
Vienna, Austria: Flederhaus (Hammock House)
How fun is this?
Designed and created by architects Heri + Salli, this open-air house in Vienna is set in a public park and acts as a local hangout spot for people to relax. Perfect place to settle up with a good book and a cup of coffee.
Definitely a must-see in Vienna!
(Photos from Arch Daily)
‘
10 tags
Sicily, Italy: Città del Mare
Located near the village of Terrasini in Sicily, Italy, Città del Mare is a resort right on the cliffs with a multi-level waterslide that drops you right into the ocean. This looks like SO much fun.
Not quite a secluded or romantic getaway, but I would totally check it out just for those waterslides. Lots of watersports as well: kayaking, snorkeling and scuba diving, kitesurfing, and sailing...
9 tags
The Maldives: Huvafen Fushi
My mind is here today. Huvafen Fushi - a Maldives Luxury Resort.
Pictures say it all.
8 tags
New Zealand Adventure Tours
New Zealand is one of the coolest places for adventure junkies to get their adrenaline fix.
I didn’t even know some of these activities existed, but they’re definitely once-in-a-lifetime experiences with some really cool unique twists and lots of adrenaline rushes.
Enjoy!
The Swoop.
Located at the Agrodome in Rotorua, you get strapped into this sleeping bag contraption, raised...
8 tags
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: The Iron Horse Hotel
This hotel is just… cool.
Eclectic vintage decoration pieces. Motorcycles. Other rugged, leather, manly stuff.
The Iron Horse Hotel is a boutique hotel with 100 loft-style rooms, located in a historic warehouse in downtown Milwaukee. 12-ft high wood ceilings, rich upholstery, exposed brick walls. As the owner and as a carpenter by trade, Tim Dixon did a fantastic job of capturing the...
1 tag
3 tags
Punta Uva, Costa Rica: Tree House Lodge
I think I begged my parents for a treehouse just like this when I was a kid. (Except mine had more rope ladders and swings and slides.)
In the midst of the forest, just a few steps away from the Punta Uva Beach, this treehouse is built in and around an old 100+ year old Sangrillo tree using only sustainable wood obtained from fallen trees.
This two bedroom split level house is basically...
10 tags
Weekend Adventures in Carmel
I went up to Carmel last weekend for a close friend’s wedding, and had a little time to wander around downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea during the day.
Carmel-by-the-Sea is a charming little downtown village of cobblestone streets, galleries and shops filled with eclectic goods, bakeries filled with European pastries, and unique historic architecture. You’ll find that every other visitor...
4 tags
September 2011
17 posts
9 tags
A Day in Jodhpur, India: The Blue City
Jodhpur, located in the state of Rajasthan, India, is internationally known as the “Blue City,” for its indigo-painted homes in the old town surrounding the imposing Mehrangarh Fort.
The common color comes from the caste-led beliefs that the highest castes differentiate themselves from those lower by painting their homes blue, but it’s led to a simply beautiful outcome: a...
9 tags
Addo, South Africa: Gorah Elephant Camp
Yep. ELEPHANTS.
Oh, and lions, rhinos, leopards, warthogs, zebras, ostriches, buffalo, and more.
Addo is home to the densest elephant population on the earth, making Gorah Elephant Camp one of the coolest places to see all varieties of wildlife up close and personal.
The Gorah Elephant Camp is a seriously deluxe camp situated in the Addo Elephant park that literally overlooks a watering...