Travel

Star Wars Lightsaber Workshop at Disney World

March 3, 2022

`Darth Vader 3D Ears | Star Wars Shirt`

Custom Star Wars Lightsabers Experience

My recent trip to Disney World included a visit to Hollywood Studios – a park I haven’t been to in years! Since then they have added the popular Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge section. From riding Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run to being hawk-watched by Storm Troopers, the whole area is a different galaxy, however it’s secret gem is Savi’s Handbuilt Lightsaber Workshop. Reservations are needed for this experience. Keep reading below to learn how to make them!

Important Information About Reservations

Reservations for Savi’s Handbuilt Lightsaber Workshop will go live 60 days prior to your park visit date. I highly recommended making your reservation as soon as it becomes available as they can go fast, and the chance of a walk-up spot being open is very slim. The cost of the workshop is $219.99 per person, plus tax. This includes the 20-minute experience, one 31″ custom lightsaber, one carrying case, and a souvenir pin. A credit card is required to make the reservation, but will not be charged until the day of the workshop when you check in. In addition to your workshop reservation, you will also need a valid park ticket and park reservation to Hollywood Studios for that same day. Workshop cancellations must be done at least one day prior to avoid cancellation fees.

Choosing Your Hilt Style

After checking in with a Gatherer at Savi’s Workshop, you will be presented with four hilt themes to choose from: Peace & Justice, Power & Control, Elemental Nature, and Protection & Defense. The style you choose will determine which hilt pieces you’ll obtain to create your lightsaber. After deciding, the Gatherer will hand you a check-in card and a souvenir enamel pin that corresponds with your theme (shown above). They were to be worn on the left side over your heart, visible for the Gatherers to see. I picked Protection & Defense. The pins were a nice surprise momento!

Building Your Lightsaber

Once everyone has checked in, the group will be led inside by Gatherers to your building post. They then brought out your respected kit of parts based on your pin’s theme. These were numbered and sorted for you to choose from as you assembled your hilt. First we got to pick our crystal: violet, blue, green, or red (I chose violet). Next, the Gatherers led us through the creation of our custom hilt and igniting our lightsabers in a special chamber. It was magical! I loved how my hilt turned out and seeing everyone activate their lightsaber was really cool. Definitely a unique experience that you can’t do anywhere else!

Tips for After the Workshop

Now that you have your lightsaber, it’s time to take pictures around Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. We had purchased a Disney Memory Maker when booking our park tickets (highly recommend), so we found a Disney PhotoPass cast member to take photos of us together with our lightsabers! They did a great job and provided us with a lot of options to choose from. Since we wanted to continue our day at the park, and not deal with the lightsabers on the flight home, we dropped off our carrying cases at Droid Depot to be shipped. Both items were sent to one address for around $35 with standard shipping.

`Darth Vader 3D Ears | Star Wars Shirt`

Full Guide To Ambergris Caye, Belize

September 28, 2018

Visiting the city of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, Belize was a beautiful, relaxing, eye-opening vacation. The water was crystal clear, the sun was hot, and the locals were very friendly. In this post, I have outlined everything you should know about traveling to Belize and staying on the island of Ambergris Caye. From recommended vaccines to how to obtain global entry status, keep reading for a full travel guide to Ambergris Caye, Belize!

How To Prepare For A Trip To Belize

Hepatitis A Vaccine

Technically, there are no vaccines required to travel to Belize. However, it is highly recommended that you get a Hepatitis A vaccine. This vaccine combats feeling ill from contaminated food and water (the water in Ambergris Caye is not safe to drink!). It was actually super easy to set up. If you type in “Walgreens Hepatitis A vaccine” you can find a nearby location to make an appointment online. I was able to do this during my lunch break!

Passport

This might be obvious, but you will need an updated passport to fly out of the country and, more importantly, to get back in. Make sure your passport is up to date!

Global Entry

This is not required, however, it will save you A TON of time going through security as well as customs. If you have Global Entry, you automatically have TSA pre-check. This, in my opinion, is a necessity in life if you like to travel a lot. Entering the United States on our way back was a breeze using Global Entry. We left a LONG line behind us! It made me question why I didn’t apply for Global Entry sooner. You can create an account and apply for Global Entry here. Travel tip: If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, the $100 application fee is covered!

Simple Clothes

I’m always one for sequin and suede, however, Ambergris Caye Island is not a place to be flashy. Think very, very simple beach clothing and nothing too tight (not the best place for a glamorous Instagram photoshoot). The local women mostly wear jeans and jean shorts with solid-colored tees and tank tops.

Money

Credit cards are accepted on the island, however, US cash goes a long way. The locals offered better discounts if you paid in cash, and some businesses advertising credit cards did not have a machine to run them. There are lots of ATMs in the area, so you can easily take out cash while there. I would have a little cash at all times to be safe! $2 US is $1 Belize, so the US dollar goes a long way. This makes Belize an affordable place to travel!

How to get to Ambergris Caye from Belize City Airport

To get to Ambergris Caye you first have to fly into Belize City. From there you can either take a 3-hour ferry to Ambergris Caye OR you can take a 15-minute flight on a small plane. The small plane costs more than the ferry, but the plane is much faster and only holds about 8 people. Basically, what is your time worth? We paid about $160 roundtrip for the small plane. There are two main companies: Mayan Air and Tropic Air. Either one can be taken from the airport in Belize airport. The small plane gave gorgeous views – it was breathtaking!

Where to Stay on Ambergris Caye

There are many hotels on the island, however, we decided to stay in an Airbnb apartment. I’m sure it was the only Airbnb on the island – and all the locals knew it. The Airbnb was located on Front Street, which is officially marked on a map as Barrier Reef Drive. The decision to stay in an Airbnb was made after doing some research on hotels. A lot of them had reviews of robberies from hotel rooms! This is obviously not always the case, we just decided that we would feel safer in an Airbnb. We stayed at this two-bedroom apartment, which had great reviews and was right in downtown San Pedro. It was perfect because we were walking distance of all of the restaurants and water activities! We utilized our kitchen by shopping at the nearby grocery store (SuperBuy) and saving money on eating out.

We unknowingly booked our trip during the weekend of Belize Independence Day (September 21). Because of this, we witnessed all of the parades and celebrations from our apartment balcony! What a party. If staying in downtown San Pedro, it is super noisy at night from the nearby bars and clubs. Noisy as if the music was in your living room. We personally didn’t mind this and were able to sleep fine, but if you are a light sleeper I recommend staying further from the downtown area or investing in some earplugs.

What To Do on Ambergris Caye

Scuba/Snorkel

Ambergris Caye is known for having some of the best scuba and snorkeling spots in the world. If you’re into scuba diving, The Blue Hole is a must. For snorkeling, I highly recommend doing a tour of both the Hol Chan Reserve and Shark Ray Alley. We did both and it was downright amazing and the highlight of our trip. The other two people who were supposed to be on our boat never showed up, so we got a private tour for the price of a group!

Snorkel the Hol Chan Reserve

The Hol Chan Reserve takes you right into the action of the Barrier Reef. Shark Ray Alley was personally my favorite out of the two. This area is full of nurse sharks who know they are going to get food when they hear the tour boats. Because of this they “swarm” the boat. Once they are done eating, you can then jump in the water and snorkel. Not only are you swimming among 3-6 foot nurse sharks – don’t worry, they only suck on you if you stick your fingers in front of their mouth – but also among huge, beautiful STINGRAY! I have never seen stingrays up close like that and they are absolutely beautiful. They are now one of my favorite animals and should really have their own emoji.

Finding a place that offers a snorkel or scuba tour is easy, there is no need to book before you go. There are multiple along the beach and the locals (plus Google Maps) can help point you in the right direction. You do usually need to book one day before going, however, rather than the day of the desired time.

Secret Beach

This is the only actual beach on the island where you can go in freely right from the sand. The other “beach” parts usually have barriers or a bunch of seaweed right at shore. Secret Beach is about a 30-minute ride from San Pedro and you can get there by golf cart (this is how people get around the island). It was pretty easy to get there, but I did use Google Maps on my phone. Secret Beach was so much fun and was a great whole-day trip.

Maruba Beach Klub

There are two main bars here, Maruba Beach Klub and Pirate’s Not-So-Secret Beach Bar. We spent most of our time at Maruba Beach Klub. It had a great vibe and wasn’t too crowded! They also had really good food & drinks that were brought in pretty presentations.

Maruba’s Viper Challenge

Maruba has a signature rum shot called The Viper Challenge. The rum is stored in a bottle with an actual snake in it 😳🐍. The challenge consists of sticking your finger in the rum, a member of staff lighting your finger on fire (don’t worry it’s only for a second if you’re smart), licking of bunch of sugar off a piece of pineapple, taking the shot of rum, then eating the pineapple. It wasn’t too bad and was a lot of fun to do. Plus, you get to put your name on the bar wall if you do it! Everyone around joined in to cheer and watch, so it was a great time.

The water at Secret Beach was the clearest I have ever seen. I used a waterproof pouch to take my phone out with me and was able to get pictures of us in the water!

Eat

Because we went during Independence Day weekend and tourist low season, a lot of popular Ambergris Caye restaurants were actually closed on holiday. Belize only got its Independence about 30 some years ago, so it is a huge deal and most places give their employees 3-6 weeks off for it. This was a little disappointing as I love to check out the recommended restaurants in an area, however, it ended up working out because all of the beachside restaurants were still open.

Drink at Palapa Bar and Grill

We spent the majority of our meals and swim time out at Palapa Bar and Grill. I really liked this bar because they are right over the water and have their own swimming/layout area attached! Their nachos and specialty drinks are also bomb 👌🏼 Some other places to check out to eat include Sandy Toes, Wayo’s, Fido’s, and Caliente Restaurant. There was a pretty good place right by Jaguar’s bar that is open on the weekend for brunch that we went to (forgot the name). They had amazing fried puffs of dough (also forgot what they were called). Restaurants that were closed while we were there, but recommended to check out if open, include The Truck Stop, Elvi’s Restaurant, and Wild Mangos. Belikin is the official beer of Belize and is basically the only beer offered at most places!

Relax

You’re on an ISLAND. Don’t try to pack your days too much. The island is there for you to leisurely enjoy some much-needed time off.

Would I Go Back?

Ambergris Caye was absolutely beautiful. However, I do not recommend it as a solo or girls group travel location. About 43% of Belize’s population lives in poverty. Just being an American will make you stick out like a sore thumb.

Have you been to Ambergris Caye? What was your favorite part? Make sure to save the below pin for later!

How I Booked A Round Trip Flight to Belize For Under $100

August 23, 2018

Traveling on a Budget

The desire to travel a lot is great, until you realize how much you have left in your bank account or how much you have racked up on your credit card. This was a constant dilemma for me this past year. Luckily, I had heard about saving towards travel with the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card and made the decision to apply (check out everything you need to know about the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card’s application process & benefits in a post I wrote here!). I have had this card for about two months now and I’m already seeing huge benefits. I recently applied for Global Entry and used the card’s perk of covering 100% of the application fee as well as transferred my reward points from a different Chase credit card to my Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card

Transferring points from one Chase credit card to another is a perk not really advertised. BUT SO WORTH IT. On my Chase Freedom credit card, my points towards travel redemption were worth $181. After switching these same reward points to my Chase Sapphire Reserve account, that same amount was worth $285 towards travel redemption. WHAT?? The Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card is focused on giving you more for your buck specifically towards travel and transportation. For this reason, I have found it to be complete magic if you are going to redeem reward points towards travel and transportation anyway.

Using the Travel section of the Chase Sapphire Reserve redemption section, I looked up round trip and one-way flights to Belize for an upcoming vacation. Using my now $285 towards redemption, the total amount left after booking my flight there and back (tip: sometimes it’s cheaper to book your two flights as one-ways) was only $93. If I did not switch my points over from my other account to get the extra travel inflation, it would have been a lot more. Magic.

Do you have any must-know travel hacks? Comment below!

How To Spend 48 Hours In Charleston, SC

August 10, 2018

how to spend 48 hours in charleston travel guide

Charleston, South Carolina has been on my travel list for awhile now, and luckily I was able to visit this past weekend with one of my girlfriends. We ate all the biscuits & gravy our stomachs could handle, shopped at local boutiques, and explored downtown Charleston’s nightlife. Read below for where to eat, walk around and experience nightlife during your girls trip!

Walk Down Rainbow Row

This is probably the most Instagramable tourist spot in Charleston, however the city has multiple known, and not so known, spots to grab a great pic. Rainbow Row consists of 13 colorful houses aligned from 83 to 107 East Bay Street. Rainbow Row is also a close walk to another popular attraction, The Pineapple Fountain, as well as restaurants and shops – making it easy to explore multiple parts of downtown!

Outfit – Top: Amazon Prime // Skirt: Red Dress Boutique // Sandals: Steve Madden // Handbag: Red Dress Boutique

Dine at Magnolias

It was very apparent during my trip that pimento cheese is a staple ingredient of most Charleston dishes. Now imagine this gooey cheese on top of the perfect piece of filet beef. Are you hungry yet? Magnolias – an upscale Southern restaurant – sits on East Bay St. with a pastel pink exterior and amazing food. Honestly, sponsored aside, our dinner at Magnolias was one of the best dinners I have ever had. I’m not even exaggerating. We started our meal with a cocktail toast and appetizers. If you like your drink to be on the sweeter side, I recommend the Flirtini (it’s also pink & cute). Our two appetizers consisted of trying the fried green tomatoes and spicy mustard deviled eggs. It was my first time trying fried green tomatoes, and the pairing with white cheddar grits, country ham, caramelized onion chutney, and tomato butter did not disappoint. I thought my expectations had been exceeded with the appetizers and house bread, then came the main course. The most perfect grilled filet of beef topped with melted pimento cheese (drool) paired with asparagus, herb potato cake, grilled Roma tomatoes and a Madeira demi-glaze. The filet was a pretty big size and if I had more room in my stomach I would have finished the whole thing. While my food stomach was full, my dessert stomach was dying for some Southern pecan pie.

Disclaimer: dinner at Magnolias was part of a sponsored collaboration, however all opinions are my own!

Outfit – Dress: House of Sage (located in Charleston!) // Sandals: Steve Madden

Visit The Mills House Hotel’s Courtyard

Whether you are staying in another hotel or in an Airbnb, visiting the 1st floor courtyard of The Mills House Hotel is a must for a quick pic. The outdoor area features small tables to sit, a grand water fountain and the perfectly pink backdrop of the hotel. While we stayed at an Airbnb this trip, my top pick for a hotel would be here for sure! The hotel also has a pretty cute outdoor pool and restaurant.

Outfit – Top: Amazon Prime // Skirt: Red Dress Boutique // Sandals: Steve Madden // Handbag: Red Dress Boutique

Brunch on Poogan’s Porch’s Balcony

Poogan’s Porch – Charleston’s oldest independent culinary establishment – is a cute, quaint restaurant located in downtown Charleston. Featuring indoor seating, an outdoor porch and a second floor balcony, it is defiantly a unique dining experience to try out during your trip. We had the pleasure of being seated on the second floor balcony (highly recommend this seating if possible!). Since brunch wouldn’t be brunch without a little booze, we started our meal with two Zoe’s Iced Coffee (Van Gough Espresso Vodka, Bailey’s, Kahlua, and King Bean Blended Coffee). Next – and my favorite food item out of the whole meal – was the restaurant’s famous Pimento Cheese Fritters (served with green tomato jam). I’m still thinking about these, they were that good! Defiantly recommend if you’re dining in. Offered to each table are also complimentary biscuits and butter, which were crumbly and soft. Topping off our meal with an order of Biscuits & Gravy and Pulled Pork Benedict, we left super full and satisfied.

Disclaimer: brunch at Poogan’s Porch was part of a sponsored collaboration, however all opinions are my own!

Outfit – Top: Amazon Prime // Skirt: Red Dress Boutique // Sandals: Steve Madden // Handbag: Red Dress Boutique

Stay In An Airbnb

I wish we could have stayed in many of the amazing Charleston hotels, however mama’s got a budget to fit in all of these trips. We decided to do an Airbnb as there are a lot of affordable Airbnb’s a close drive from downtown Charleston. Our Airbnb was A TINY HOUSE *cute heart eyes*. Nestled in the backyard of its parent house, this quaint cottage was decorated in white and teal decor.

Although the house was really cute, we quickly realized it was a tiny house in a woodsy backyard area. We had to buy bug spray for lots of mosquito bites (I ended up with 30+ on my legs), ask for blinds for the windows to have some privacy and deal with camper-style bathroom facilities. So, while it was on the cheaper end, we had to suffer some common luxuries with the cost cut (just an fyi). For this reason I would stay in an Airbnb again if visiting Charleston, just one with normal plumbing inside an actual house.

Lunch at Hominy Grill

hominy grill charleston lunch biscuits and gravy

Hands down the best biscuits and gravy were had here. Hominy Grill is perfect for lunch on a lazy afternoon. They don’t take reservations so depending what time you get there you might have to wait a bit (we went around 1pm on a Friday and waited 20 minutes. If you do have to wait, there’s an outside window bar for drinks to pass the time. After trying the regular cheese grits, fried cheese grits, mac and cheese, regular biscuit and biscuits & gravy, my favorites were the regular cheese grits and biscuits & gravy!

The Pour House

Our Airbnb was conveniently right by The Pour House, a popular music venue that also serves as a restaurant (called The Lot) and host to a Sunday Market. While we didn’t get a chance to check out the musical acts at night (on my list for next time), we did have Sunday brunch and walk through the back of the establishment’s Sunday Market featuring local art & food vendors.

Kings St.

This is the place to go if you want nightlife. There are many bars along Kings St., offering a variety of aesthetic and drinks. If you want fun dancing (think 90s throw backs, latin and top pop), I highly recommend Uptown Social. I had the most fun here dancing and singing the night away – I even helped start a limbo train, twice. Also, across the street from Uptown Social was a Booze Pop truck for those wanting to keep the fun going after the bars closed. I’m not sure if this is always located in that spot, however it is a sweet treat if you do find it. Republic Garden and Lounge has a nice outdoor patio to dine before it turns into a dancing club around 10:30pm (they have a $5 cover charge). Stars Rooftop and The Commodore are also hot spots.

Other Places to Go In Charleston That I Recommend (& Currently Saving For Next Time)

Callie’s Little Hot Biscuits
Magnolia Plantation
Folly Beach
Pineapple Fountain
Battery Park
Cru Café
Eleve Rooftop
The Gin Joint
Butcher & Bee
The Park Café
Sugar Bakeshop

Other Things To Know About Charleston

During the hurricane season the mosquitos are ruthless. I unfortunately know this from huge welt bites on my legs.
Charleston is a prominent known ghost town – they offer tours if you’re interested!
A lot of the nearby “island” towns are only a 10-15 minute Uber to downtown. We stayed in James Island and were a 12 minute ride.
You can see many iconic places from The Notebook in Charleston, like The American Theatre and Boone Plantation.
It rains a lot in Charleston. The good thing, though, is that most of the time you can wait it out 20 minutes and it’ll be done.
Charleston offers great beaches if you have the time to check them out! I recommend Folly Beach and Sullivan’s Island.

Have Charleston recommendations? Leave them in the comments! Like this content? Feel free to Pin the images above & below!

The Best Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona for a Girl’s Trip

July 2, 2018

scottsdale arizona girls trip travel guide

This year I have had one major travel bug, especially towards girls trips. Sometimes after all the bar hopping and sightseeing you need a vacay from your vacay. Scottsdale, Arizona is the perfect place to relax – without breaking bank – while still being able to explore a new travel destination.

where-to-stay-arizona-girls-trip — The best resort to stay at for an Arizona girls trip!

The Scottsdale Plaza Resort offered a desert oasis among tranquil surroundings. From gorgeous views of Camelback and Mummy Mountain to poolside cocktails, it was the perfect spot for rejuvenation (and photo shoots!). Located in Paradise Valley, the resort provided just that – paradise. I loved the Spanish-inspired architecture and cactus-filled grounds as it portrayed what I imagined Arizona to look and feel like.

scottsdale plaza resort arizona girls trip

Although the hotel features a luxurious spa, tennis court and golf course, the best part – in my opinion – was the pool. Swimmers and sun tanners ranged in age from young kids to those retired, however the vibe of the pool deck was the perfect mix of relaxation and pool party. The tunes, especially, were on point (I’m talking the best summer dance mix I’ve ever heard).

Aside from the best summer playlist and full-exposure to Arizona’s sun, the main pool also has a stocked bar. Cafe Cabana offered frozen cocktails, quesadillas, tacos, salads and more, all to have poolside while catching some rays. Who doesn’t want to relax with a Pina Colada in hand?

If you love to take pictures and do photo shoots like I do, Scottsdale Plaza Resort’s pool is perfect for a photo op. We woke up early to get to the pool before other guests and had a good 45 minutes to snap some Instagram-worthy shots. Great content opportunities for bloggers!

The resort features two sit-down restaurants on-site with one – Garden Court – conveniently located outside by the pool (as well as inside). We took advantage of this location a few mornings during our stay to have breakfast before hitting the pool right after. I recommend having the JD Favorite – two eggs your way with roasted potatoes, buttermilk biscuit or toast, and choice of sausage, bacon or house-made corned beef.

Scottsdale Plaza Resort is conveniently located a quick Uber ride from Old Town Scottsdale, a quaint little town with a Southwestern vibe. From old west cowboy decor to authentic cacti along the sidewalks, exploring the area accentuated the desert lifestyle. If you’re in the area, make sure to grab a sweet treat at Sugar Bowl!

I highly recommend Scottsdale Plaza Resort and personally plan to stay again. Check out the resort’s current deals & packages here to make your stay even more great!

City Guide: Nashville

May 12, 2018

Nashville City Guide

It’s always fun to explore new places and experience new cultures. A 360 from my recent Miami girls trip, Nashville was the perfect authentic getaway filled with good food, good music, and a good time. Thinking about taking your own girls trip down South? Make sure to hit all the memorable spots with my Nashville City Guide!

Biscuit Love

Ready for the best southern brunch spot in Nashville? Biscuit Love will have you using ‘Y’all’ in your vocabulary all the way to 5 more pounds. We luckily only had to wait 10 minutes before being seated, however the wait can sometimes be longer depending on day and time. I recommend sharing the blueberry compote and lemon mascarpone Bonuts among the table to start, followed by the Southern Benny (pictured above). The different locations feature extra cute signs – perfect for a photo op! You can never go wrong with biscuits & gravy.

12 South Wall Murals

Ready for a photo op? 12 South District is the best opportunity to hit multiple wall murals within just a few blocks. It wouldn’t be a Nashville City Guide without them!

Blue & White Striped Wall & Rolling Stone Tongue: 2608 12th Ave S on the side of Draper James

I Believe in Nashville Wall: 10 feet from the Blue & White Striped Wall

Nashville at Heart Wall (Tie Dye Wall): 2705 12th Ave S on the side of Corner Music

I Love Donuts: 1110 Caruthers Ave. at Five Daughters Bakery 12th South

21st Ave Shopping

Head over to 21st Ave S for daytime boutique shopping. The whole street is full of popular brands and hidden gem, including Altar’d State (this location has the cutest dressing room and in-store greenery), The Impeccable Pig, Posh Boutique, and Dress Up Vanderbilt (check out their Hello Nashville tributes throughout the store!).

The floral skirt featured in the wall mural pictures above was purchased at Altar’d State.

Sprocket Rocket Nashville

Pedal Pedal!

This will be the highlight of your trip. Pedal your way to Broadway Street (& booze) with Sprocket Rocket Party Bike, Nashville’s #1 party bike! The bikes hold up to 16 – make new friends! – and is a BYOB pedal tour around Nashville’s best nightlife. This was hands down so much fun! Our bike was shared with a bachelorette party and birthday party: 16 women belting out to Backstreet Boys & old school Nelly.

The Grilled Cheeserie

Not to be cheesy, but The Grilled Cheeserie melted my food cravings. Literally the best grilled cheese I have ever had. Their menu features an array of specialty melts, but the Buffalo South took 1st place in my heart. Pepper jack, pulled organic chicken, buffalo sauce, blue cheese aioli and pickled celery on country white sourdough bread. YUM. Take a seat at their milkshake bar and stay awhile!

Five Daughters Bakery

Those with a sweet tooth take note. Five Daughter Bakery is the cutest bakery with the best donuts. Spring 2018 staple flavors include Triple Strawberry with strawberry cream infusion, Lemon Blueberry with lemon curd infusion (tried it – I can vouch it was phenomenal), and Parent Trap: PB Cookies and Cream with peanut butter cream infusion. Is your mouth watering yet? Donuts, Cronuts, Cinnamon buns – it’s hard to choose just one. Sit back and relax at the bakery’s outdoor patio seating!

BarTaco 12 South

Among the many BBQ joints you’ll find BarTaco, a beachy Mexican restaurant serving creative tacos and cocktails. Unique to other nearby establishments, customers check off their desired items on your own personal order form – I tried a ginger grapefruit juice, the plantains appetizer, one mojo pork carnitas taco, one glazed pork belly taco, and one chicken pastor #noregrets. My favorite taco was the glazed pork belly due to its sweet maple finish! For a large order the bill was actually pretty reasonable. Would recommend for a sit-down lunch!

S’more Love bakery

One of the best surprises was finding that there were so many desert trucks on 12 South Ave. S’mores, shaved ice, peach cobbler, you name it! I tried S’more Love – the cutest desert food truck I’ve ever seen. Unlike most s’mores, the desert came out on heart shaped gram crackers, adorned with toppings. Like coconut? The Samoa S’more was to die for! Coconut shavings and caramel complete with a chocolate drizzle. Who said s’mores couldn’t be gourmet?

FGL House

There are many bars in Nashville, however my favorite was FGL House (Florida Georgia Line’s new bar). Enjoy live country music on the first floor or a full dance floor and rooftop on the third! My favorite aspect about FGL House was the variety of danceable music DJ’ed: pop, country, Latin, 80s, 90s. Everyone was dancing and having a good time, taking in views of the Music City skyline at the outside rooftop. It was certainly a party that all could enjoy.

Hatty B’s Hot Chicken

Y’all come get your hot chicken! There’s no other place than Hatty B’s. Choose your spice level, two sides & dig in in the restaurants’ indoor or outdoor seating. Tip: the mac & cheese side is out of this world.

Bars on Broadway

Looking for a night out? Broadway Street is the place to be. Compared to other “bar areas” in Nashville, Broadway Street is touristy yet the best place to be if you’re not from the area. Think Chicago’s Wrigleyville gone country. From Tootsies to The Stage to Honkey Tonk Central, hear Nashville’s best live music and experience what Music City is all about.

Martin’s BBQ Joint

If you look BBQ you’ll love Martin’s BBQ! Each table gets an array of four BBQ sauces to pair with your meal, ranging from mild to spicy. My pulled pork sandwich and side of mac & cheese was amazing. Make sure to not get there too late in the day – the restaurant is open until they sell out!

music city sign nashville — Music City sign at Biscuit Love

I’m always planning a next vacation to explore & experience. I hope this Nashville City Guide helped you plan! Where should the next travel checkoff be?

City Guide: Miami

April 8, 2018

If you’re looking for the best girls trip destination in a warm climate, look no further than Miami. From nonstop nightlife to amazing food, Miami has a little bit of everything to offer wanderlust junkies and Spring Break dwellers.

Miami City Guide

I had been wanting to go to Miami for quite some time now, eager to see what the hype was all about. After visiting for the first time a few weeks ago with a couple of girlfriends from work, I not only loved the area, but already wanting to plan a trip back. South Beach – the “Vegas Strip” of Miami Beach – offered a great location close to the best beaches and nightlife, Little Havana highlighted salsa dancing and live Latin music, Brickell – the “downtown” local hangout – catered a familiar city feel to back home, and Wynwood – Miami’s art district – gave a glimpse into Miami’s local art scene (not to mention the best Instagramable wall murals). Read below for my Miami City Guide!

Wynwood

Dress: Express // Necklace: 6th Borough Boutique // Handbag: H&M // Sandals: Steve Madden

The Wynwood area is jam packed with colorful murals and artistic flavor. Each block features one-of-a-kind wall art creating the perfect – and Instagram worthy – backdrop for a photo op. Above are just a sliver of my favorite walls that were found along the streets, however the Wynwood area also has a designated Wynwood Walls outdoor museum showcasing urban graffiti for viewers to admire. What makes Wynwood special, aside from the murals, were the local art vendors along the sidewalk and gallery stores. I got the most beautiful copper ring from a vendor called Daddy Daughter Jewelry – shop their items here!

El Patio

Hands down the best place to dance. Held outside on a – well, patio – party goers shake their hips to a mix of Latin/Pop remixes. El Patio is unique in the sense that you pay a $30 cover fee (bring cash!), which is then given back to you in “tickets” to use at the bar. I honestly felt like we were playing Monopoly as the tickets looked like play money. Each drink was about 2 tickets! We went on a Sunday night and it was crowded back-to-back with nonstop dancing and good times. I could only imagine how much fun a Saturday night would be!

Nikki Beach Miami

Forget the prestigious pool parties and head to Nikki Beach Miami, a chic beach club on the tip of South Beach. All you need to get in is your ID, swim suit, and good attitude. Featuring cabana beds, bars, and beach access, Nikki Beach Miami offers the perfect bougie spot to have a drink and mingle while showing off your new bikini. The cabana beds range from $350-$750, however there are many other areas to hangout while sitting or standing. Make sure to take a pic in front of their notorious tee-pee!

Bodega South Beach

Ever been to a hidden speakeasy? What looks like a small, casual taco joint on the outside is actually concealing a swank bar, featuring velvet seating and pricey cocktails. While grabbing $3 tacos from Bodega’s exterior, we noticed people opening a not-in-use porter potty door adorned with stickers, attached to a corner wall. After confirming this was indeed not a bathroom, we followed in to find the hidden bar (and cool wall sign).

American Social Brickell

Sip on your cocktail underneath the palm trees! American Social, a sports bar located in downtown Miami’s Brickell neighborhood, offers food, drinks, and classic waterfront scenery.

Havana 1957

Enjoy traditional Cuban food with the backdrop of Ocean Drive at Havana 1957. 10 flavors of mojitos to choose from + Ropa Vieja had me in heaven. The Cuban Combo appetizer plate was perfect to split, which I highly recommend to get a quick taste of different dishes – ham croquettes, bite size pork, plantain chips, fried yuca, potato balls stuffed with pork and tamal seasoned pork. Needless to say, we left in a food coma.

Gramps Wynwood

The place is just as fun as the name. Gramps, a tropical bar in Wynwood, features fun cocktails, colorful seating and a stage for live entertainment. We came upon the joint after checking out the Wynwood Walls (Gramps is a very close walk from this) and were luckily able to take advantage of their weekday Happy Hour deal. 50% off all drinks? Yes, please! We didn’t have time to stay for the stage entertainment, however Gramps has everything from live music to Bingo!

Ball & Chain

Welcome to Little Havana! Ball & Chain, an iconic bar featuring delicious Cuban food and live Latin music, is a must-stop place to go at night. While waiting for our tapas, we partook in a free salsa dancing class hosted right in front of our booth! As for the food, come with a empty stomach. The plates may be small, but there are multiple dishes to choose from to share with the table. My favorite was the Churrasco sliders paired with my Pina Basil Margarita!

Morgan’s Restaurant

Southern charm meets tropical chic at Morgan’s Restaurant. Located in Wynwood (can you tell I really liked the Wynwood area?), the dining establishment was by far one of the cuter brunch spots in Miami due to it’s lush greenery. The drinks come in mason jars! The food was delicious and the plates were large enough to split. I recommend the Eggs Benedict Traditional with their famous hashed spuds!

Need-To-Know Tips for Visiting Miami

You NEED either a promoter’s hook-up or a table bought to get into any pool party – the pool parties are very exclusive (and expensive)
Utilize promoters to gain free – yes completely free – VIP access to clubs. Promoters will often come up and talk to you while laying out at the beach or will post a comment on your Insta pic to DM them about deals. Warning: Many promoters are salesy, but it’s worth having a contact for the express entry and complimentary drinks!
Some bars have a $20-$30 cover charge. Bring cash!
Spanish is spoken just as much as English.
Not all of the hot-spots are along the beach (or Ocean Drive). Miami is spread out through a variety of neighborhoods, all offering their own unique flare worth checking out.