Search Results for: small town

Falling in Love with Beaufort, South Carolina

March 12, 2018

After our first day in Savannah, we felt like we had explored most of the city on foot and were looking for a spontaneous day trip somewhere in the area to explore a new area for the day. Initially my thought was Hilton Head, South Carolina, however upon further research most people suggested that Hilton Head is great for a vacation but not necessarily a day trip – they did recommend however the cute little South Carolina town of Beaufort. So upon a couple quick image searches to see what it looked like and seeing the incredible little town full of old houses and Spanish Moss, we jumped at it and headed to Beaufort, South Carolina for the day.

We started our day with a drive through the Old Point neighborhood stopping at every chance we got to gawk at the incredible old Southern houses and amazing oaks lining the streets covered in hanging Spanish moss. Beaufort is the Southern small town of your dreams and that’s no exaggeration – it’s gorgeous.

After an hour or so of driving and stopping, driving and stopping in the neighborhood, we headed for the main street in town on Bay Street. We parked the car and wandered up and down the street, popping into the stores and buying a few things. Finally we headed to Q on Bay for some lunch and had amazing Southern food, including my final indulgence of shrimp and grits of the trip.

Only about an hour from Savannah and an hour from Charleston, Beaufort is the perfect day trip if you’re in either city and looking to explore more of the area. This little magical town was a treat and we were really glad we gave it a chance on a spontaneous decision!

24 Hours on the Garden Isle : A Weekend on Kauai

January 22, 2018

In December this past year, we decided to spend Christmas in Hawaii with my parents for a long 9 days of relaxation and family time. But on the way over, we decided to see a spot of the Hawaiian Islands that’s long been on our travel list: Kauai. The beautiful Garden Island as it’s known was well worth our 24 hour stopover en route to Honolulu and I’m so glad we got to see it. While I don’t know if I could spend long amounts of time there (it has a pretty small town feel), I loved getting to see the landscape which is so different than the other islands in the Hawaiian chain and get a sense of how different it feels. So in video format, here’s a good way to spend 24 hours on the Garden Isle!

The Best Autumn Weekend Roadtrip from Boston

October 31, 2016

The New England Autumn is world-renowned, and well worth it. A couple weeks ago we decided to check out this famed part of the US during the Fall and I can’t stop raving about it. The colors were incredible, the scenery stunning and the small towns to die for. So if you’re thinking of doing you’re own Fall road trip in the North East of the US, here is the best Autumn weekend road trip from Boston, a great city to base out of in order to see the most of this part of the country. You’ll roam through the college towns of New Hampshire, the rolling hills of Vermont and the scenic byways of Massachusetts on this feast for the eyes journey! And if you only have a weekend to see it, that’s ok! While you could drive this part of the country for weeks seeing all there is to see, here’s the best way to see the most in a weekend!

Day 1 – Leave Boston bright and early!

Drive from Boston to Hanover, New Hampshire, the home of the famous Dartmouth University and lovely little North Eastern town, complete with grassy lawns and falling leaves.

Stop for Lunch at Molly’s Restaurant and Bar for clam chowder and wood fired pizzas in a cozy pub-like atmosphere.

Jump back in the car and head to the outskirts of Woodstock, Vermont – specifically headed toward the Sleepy Hollow Farm in the rolling foliage covered hills of Vermont.

This breathtaking off-the-beaten-path farm is magnificent in the Autumn, with leaves all around and the colors of the rolling hills looking like an oil painting. Stop for a while and take in the scenery here in the backroads of Vermont, an area that will for sure keep your eyes fixed on all the beauty around you!

When you’re ready to head on, drive the 10 minutes down the hills into Woodstock itself, the most beautiful little town you might ever see. Woodstock, Vermont is quite literally out of a story book, with colonial houses lining the main street, blocks from the town butcher and market. Spend some time here just admiring the best of small town USA, amidst the falling leaves and the Autumn colors.

Once you’re done admiring one of the most beautiful places in the US, jump back in the car and drive over the mountains to Manchester, Vermont. Along the way though, be sure to stop at Plymouth Artisan Cheeses along Vermont Route 4. Pick up maple syrup, Vermont cheddar cheese and homemade apple butter!

After your quick stop to pick up Vermont’s finest artisan products, head back out on the road towards Manchester, Vermont where you’ll stay for the night. On the road you’ll climb in elevation, crossing the Green Mountains and take in the gorgeous scenery of the drive.

Once in Manchester, Vermont, make your way to the gorgeous Taconic Hotel, a Kimpton property in this cute little New England town. Here you’ll stay for the night, cozy in the hotel and eating dinner next to a roaring fire at the hotel restaurant, the Copper Grouse.

Day 2 – Sleep in, then get back on the road bound for Massachusetts!

In the morning on Day 2, take your time getting up and around and enjoy the coziness of the Taconic Hotel, especially on chilly Fall days! When ready, head out of Manchester, Vermont towards Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Stop and wander this cute little town and grab a bit to eat at the Spring Street Market and Cafe, then get back on the road for a scenic drive back to Boston along scenic Route 2.

Along the way, stop and admire the foliage in the hilly windy roads and Windsor Lake outside of North Adams and the views over the Connecticut River outside of Gill. Take your time on the drive back to Boston, admiring the foliage and tiny towns along the way!

While you could spend weeks exploring the Autumn colors of New England, start with an introduction weekend and this is a great itinerary to see as much as you can in a weekend of these beautiful States!

What you Need to Know before Going to Machu Picchu

July 28, 2016

Machu Picchu… it’s one of those places that seems only real in a fairytale. And it is that magical in person and it is well worth a trip to see it for yourself, but it’s also kind of a trek to get there. And with so many questions about how to visit Machu Picchu, today I’m telling you exactly what you need to know before going to Machu Picchu and exactly how to get there!

Buy Your tickets Ahead of Time

You can’t buy tickets for Machu Picchu at the gate, so be sure to buy them before you go. We booked ours about a month before our trip through our hotel concierge but you can also do it yourself online. Just beware, the website is a little tricky and a bit confusing.

How to Get There

So Machu Picchu is accessible only via rail and there is no other way to get there. You have to go through Cusco, take a train to Aguas Calientes, then a 30 minute bus ride up to the monument itself.

Trains

You have a few different options for trains to Machu Picchu. We rode with PeruRail because their times worked best for us but you can also ride with Inka Rail. We took the PeruRail Expedition train which was quite comfortable. Also note that the station in Cusco is not actually in Cusco; you’ll leave from Poroy Station which is about a 35 minute car ride from Cusco itself. We arranged transfer through our hotel which worked out nicely.

A separate note on our train experience – you should book your train tickets online before you go. You will get an email saying to pick up your tickets at the train station office. I read it as you could pick them up at least a half hour before your train. In actuality, you must pick them up 4 hours prior to your train time, meaning for morning trains, you’ll have to pick them up the day before. We didn’t know this and when we arrived at the train station in Poroy the morning of our train, we found out our tickets had been canceled since we hadn’t picked them up and had to buy new tickets. Luckily there were still a few seats available, but for future reference, be sure to pick them up the DAY BEFORE!

Buses in Aguas Calientes

When you arrive on the train, you’ll be in Aguas Calientes, a small town at the base of the mountain where Machu Picchu is. Most people stay here as there are lots of hotel options, though you can stay right at the gates of Machu Picchu at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge which is what we did, but more on that later. Once you arrive by train, you’ll need to buy a bus ticket. There aren’t great signs pointing you to where you do this, but take the bridge over the river and then right below it will be a tiny hut that says “Official Bus Tickets.” Here you’ll buy your tickets up the mountain. It’s $25 per person for a roundtrip and they take US dollars or Peruvian soles.

This bus up the mountain is rickety and bumpy, and if you are prone to car sickness, be aware of that up front. It takes about 25-30 minutes to get up the tiny windy road.

Traveling to Peru?

See all my posts on Peru!

Travel Tips : Driving in Italy

June 20, 2016

One of our favorite parts of our trip to Italy this time was our drive from Rome up through Umbria and Tuscany. The Italian countryside truly is beyond stunning and I’m so glad that we got to experience more than just the cities during this trip. But if you’re going to rent a car and drive in Italy, here are my tips and tricks for driving in Italy.

Get a small car.

The first rule of driving in Italy, don’t rent a big car. If you have lots of people and luggage, it might be better to get a driver or take a tour bus because frankly, these towns are tiny, the roads are really narrow and parking areas barely have room for tiny European cars. So whatever company you go through, make sure it’s a small car.

Follow the signage – Italy has great signs on the roadways.

We found the signage in Italy to be excellent. Everywhere we went, signs were laid out orderly and easy to read. We had GPS on our phones and a paper map but there were many times we just followed the signs and it was really easy.

Be aware of Toll roads … Go through “tickets” line.

Many of the highways through Umbria and Tuscany are toll roads, so just follow the signs and you’ll be fine. Be sure though to go through the line that says “tickets” in Italian (billeteries), grab a ticket and then when you exit the highway, again go to the sign that looks like money (white) and pay the toll. Many lines take both cash and credit cards.

In all small to large towns, there are parking areas outside the city that you can park at and pay, then walk in. Don’t try to park in the cities.

In almost all the small towns we went through (and I know Florence does this too) you aren’t allowed to drive into the city as a tourist. Instead, you must park your car in the car parks outside the city and then walk in. Be sure to pay for your parking (and put the receipt in your car) before heading into town.

Be aware of road speed cameras – there are lots.

In the Umbria/Tuscany section of the highway we drove, there were tons of speed cameras. As long as you stay around the 110 km/hour speed you should be fine. People were speeding past us as well so I’m sure the limit for the cameras is higher than that, but that’s a good speed limit to stick with if in doubt.

Most highways are 110 km/hour speed and in towns, most are 50-60 km/hour. There aren’t many speed signs so just go with the flow of traffic.

While we found there aren’t very many speed signs throughout Italy, we just went with the flow of traffic and eventually saw signs. Most of the highways we were on were 110 km/hour speed and in most towns it was around 60 km/hour. Stick to those and you should be fine.

The roads move fluidly … Do as the Italians do.

When in Italy, do as the Italians do, right? So same goes for on the highways as the traffic moves much more fluidly than it does in the States or even in the UK. Lanes merge together quickly and no one uses blinkers on the highway. So just go with it and move with the traffic and you’ll be fine!

Traveling to Italy?

Check out my archives for more posts on Italy here!

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Falling in Love with Beaufort, South Carolina

24 Hours on the Garden Isle : A Weekend on Kauai