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Posts Tagged ‘Inspiration’

Travel Inspiration Wednesdays: Yountville, CA

Posted in San Francisco, Travel, tagged , , , , , on October 19, 2011| 2 Comments »

This week’s travel idea was inspired by my recent bike riding trip in Napa Valley (post coming!).  It was my first time in Yountville and it was so quaint that I immediately decided that I had to plan an ideal weekend getaway for me and the hubs sometime in the near future.  While we are by no means oenophiles, we do enjoy drinking wine and eating delicious food, making Yountville the perfect town, since it is home to Thomas Keller’s famed restaurants and numerous tasting rooms.

Featured Travel Idea: Yountville, Napa Valley Wine Region




top: cottages, secret garden, ma(i)sonry, wine making

middle: anthropologie, napa valley, ad hoc

bottom: bike riding, croissant, bouchon

Stay at the charming Cottages of Napa Valley, which in addition to being pet friendly also has the added perk of providing a daily breakfast basket of pastries from Bouchon Bakery.  What better way to start the day then with a chocolate almond croissant in bed?  Afterwards,walk through town taking in the shops, chic tasting rooms, and gourmet restaurants and head to the Hill Family Farm and Jacobsen Orchards for the Secret Garden Tour.  The Jacobsen Orchards is the organic farm contracted to French Laundry, so even if you can’t get a reservation or afford to eat at the restaurant, you can still tour their garden and sample the fruits and vegetables. Another slightly off the beaten path activity is the wine making experience at Paraduxx where you can mix your very own blend.  Spend the rest of the weekend biking through the beautiful rolling hills of Napa Valley and stopping by the numerous intimate family owned wineries.  After you’ve had your fill of wine, head to Ma(i)sonry to peruse the art gallery or St. Helena Olive Oil Co. to sample numerous varieties of olive oils, mustards, salts, and sauces.  Round out your weekend with a visit to any number of notable restaurants in Yountville, like Thomas Keller’s casual family style restaurant Ad Hoc, the landmark farm-to-table restaurant Mustard Grill, or the Michelin starred yet unpretentious Redd.

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Travel Inspiration Wednesdays: Hudson Valley

Posted in Travel, tagged , , , , , , on October 11, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Fall is finally here!  I’m so excited! I spent the last two years in the land of perpetual summer and I’m happy that I finally get to experience a change of seasons.  Is there anything better than drinking warm apple cider, breathing in the crisp air, and watching the leaves change colors? I think not.

Featured Travel Idea: Hudson Valley, New York



top: great jack o’lantern, wine tote, blue hill, sweater

middle: working farm, bedford post inn, apple picking

bottom: fall foliage, fall outfit, apple cider

Hudson Valley would make a lovely weekend getaway for those living in the NYC metropolitan area.  Stay at the intimate yet luxurious Bedford Post Inn, which includes a complimentary yoga class and daily homemade pastries for breakfast.  After a peaceful night’s sleep, spend the next two days hiking and taking in the wonderful fall foliage,visiting a working farm, or apple-picking.  Squeeze in a picnic and a glass of wine or two.  Savor the seasonal ingredients at Blue Hill at Stone Barns for dinner.  Finally, get in the Halloween spirit with a good scare at The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze.

 

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Travel Inspiration Wednesdays: Palm Springs

Posted in Travel, tagged , , , , on October 5, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Happy Hump Day! Wednesdays are always a little hard to get through, it’s a little busier, you’re energy level is waning, the weekend is close enough to make plans but still 2 full workdays away.  For me though, Wednesdays also mean that I get Travelzoo’s Top 20 newsletter.  I love checking out the travel deals first thing in the morning and then spending the day daydreaming about all the wonderful trips I could take.  Traveling is my passion and although I don’t always get a chance to travel, I’m always thinking about my next trip and finding travel inspiration throughout my daily life.

I’ll be posting travel ideas on here every Wednesday to hopefully inspire you and maybe even help you get through your Wednesdays a little easier 🙂

Featured Travel Idea: Palm Springs, California (inspired by Mad Men & Pan Am)


top: postcard, luggage, ace hotel

middle: ace hotel, rental, swimsuit, sundress

bottom: corvette, dress, joshua tree 

Palm Springs would make a fun girls weekend getaway.  First, we’d get into the spirit of the 60’s by renting a mod vacation house complete with a pool and barbecue grill or staying in the Ace Hotel for an affordable yet unique experience.  We would then rent a classic convertible and drive to nearby Joshua Tree National Park for an early morning hike and tons of fun photo opportunities with the girls.  When the sun starts to get too hot, we’d head back to the house or hotel for an afternoon dip in our retro inspired bathing suits.  And finally in the evening, the we would get dolled up in fun retro dresses and go out for dinner and classic cocktails!

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