Tourists in Toronto | RebeccaWanderlusting

Being Tourists in Toronto

On October 28, 2017 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Canada, International Travel4 Comments

We arrived in Toronto with slight hangovers from a friend’s wedding the night before and a list of places we wanted to see. The first orders of business were: greasy food to cure us, checking into our AirBnB, and deciding on which attractions we wanted to see first.

Because it was on the same street as our Airbnb (just down a ways), we decided to start with the Hockey Hall of Fame. Mike was very excited about this excursion and I was equally as happy to check it off the list (hockey’s not really my thing, despite Mike’s best efforts). The walk down Front Street gave us a great view of the cityscape, and the weather was perfect for wandering.

The Hockey Hall of Fame was situated in the lower level of a mall, tucked into the back near the food court. The entry fee is $19, which is a fair enough price for the amount of memorabilia they have. The standout feature was the Stanley Cup, which was proudly displayed in a beautiful room with a stained glass ceiling. They also had some really fun interactive games and exhibits, including a game where you got foam pucks shot at you as you try to defend your goal.

We exited through the extraordinarily overpriced gift shop and made our way further down Front Street to the St. Lawrence Market, which was much more my style. The market is housed in a huge, brick building and in large tents across the street and is only open on the weekends.

We went inside the building and were immediately hit with amazing smells ranging from fresh baked goods to fruits to coffee to cheese. Each stall presented a fresh new product and experience and it was so fun to walk up and down the aisles. We played with the idea of getting ingredients for dinner to cook at the Airbnb, but we didn’t want to have to run back there to drop the items off.

The cheese and wine in particular were very tempting to me, but my favorite stall was Eve’s Temptations – a bakery that sold beautiful tasty treats. I especially enjoyed their macarons (we tried chocolate caramel and cassis). Nearby to the St. Lawrence Market and Hockey Hall of Fame is the CN Tower and Ripley’s Aquarium. We tried to tack these onto our first day of exploring and just couldn’t swing it; we were so tired.

The next morning, we woke up early, grabbed coffee from the cafe next door, Atlas, and headed over to Casa Loma via public transit. We hoofed it uphill from the train station and up a few flights of stairs to get to the castle. Like the staircase, the entry fee is a little steep at $27 per person, but it came with the guided audio tour which was cool. I will say, if you’re going to visit Casa Loma, do so during the week because it gets super crowded.

While I liked exploring the rooms (especially the library) and learning the history of Casa Loma, my favorite part of the tour was the North Tower. We had to climb two spiral staircases to get to the top of it, but the view was well worth it. I think it may be the best place to view the skyline in Toronto. We really wanted to go down through the tunnels and anunder the castle, but unfortunately it was closed due to a haunted house they were setting up.

On our second night in Toronto, we walked over at dusk to the two neighboring attractions: CN Tower and the Aquarium, and bought a dual ticket for both. The dual ticket is only available online but gives a pretty significant discount, so we bought them in the lobby of the CN Tower before heading up. The elevator to the top is preceded by posters noting facts about the towers construction and a photo-op in front of a green screen. The elevator shoots you up to the top of the 1,800 foot tower at records speed, causing your ears to pop as you look out at the city through the glass walls.

I only kind of wish we came during the day, just so we could see more of the city, but the view at night was still stunning. There are two levels from which you can get a 360 degree view of Toronto and a glass floor to scare the crap out of you. It took some cajoling to get Mike to stand on it, and even then he could only walk quickly across (scaredy cat).

Once we got our fill of the view, we hopped back on the elevator to exit through yet another gift shop to walk next door to the aquarium. I’m not usually one for visiting aquariums on vacations, but I have to say, this one was kind of amazing. Each tank and exhibit were laid out so nicely and there is a tunnel through their large aquarium that you can walk through and walk under sharks. SHARKS!! I walked through twice, it was so cool.

We had so much fun exploring and exclaiming over each fish and critter. The jellyfish exhibit was particularly entrancing. We sat for awhile watching them glide up and down in their tank. We left once we realized it was 9pm and we hadn’t eaten dinner yet, so we walked over to KitKat Italian Bar and Grill. The romantically-lit restaurant was the perfect spot for our impromptu dinner date. They had Montelpuciano wine on their menu, which is one of my favorites.

Mike ordered ribs and I ordered their special pasta for the evening, which was a roasted red pepper agnolotti with artichokes and eggplant. The food was spectacular and exactly what we wanted after a long day walking around. We lingered over the food and wine; the servers were so kind and attentive. It was a wonderful way to end our day of exploring Toronto’s top attractions.

Have you been to Toronto? Which attractions should not be skipped?

Life Happens

On December 8, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Trip PlanningLeave a comment

You may have noticed how a Trip Planning: Traverse City blog keeps appearing and disappearing on here. I think I have some explaining to do.

For a few months now, I was trying to plan a small trip for Mike and I (and our pup) for my birthday this weekend. I looked into a lot of different destinations, but no matter what I tried to plan, things kept falling through. Austin sounded great, but soon became too much for our budget, the flights doubled in price when I was looking into going to Boston and waited too long to book, and now this Traverse City trip just didn’t come together. Life happens, right?

We had been planning up until Monday to drive up to Traverse City tomorrow and stay over for a couple of nights, but due to some unforeseen circumstances we cancelled our reservation. Despite all my best efforts, I couldn’t make it work out. It’s unfortunate, but, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining.

After we had decided the trip wouldn’t work out this time around, we were presented with an exciting opportunity to travel somewhere else instead. It took some scrambling and last-minute decision making, but we decided to go for it. So now we are heading to Galena, IL tomorrow for a romantic weekend away, just the two of us.

We’ll drop Brody off with his grandparents (Mike’s parents) on the way and scoop him back up on our way back home again. Of course we will miss our little pup, but I think he would be happier there, frolicking in their yard then cooped up in our hotel room.

We are so excited to get to explore Galena, especially now, when everything will be decked out for the holidays. We had passed through Galena on our way to Dubuque last year and I have been playing with the idea of visiting ever since. Luckily, now, we’re finally getting our chance!

I guess the lesson here is that when life smashes your plans to smithereens, make that shit into lemonade… or something. Sigh, life happens.

Tell me about life intervening in your travel plans in the comments!

Favorite Travel Memories, Top Five Friday, RebeccaWanderlusting

New Orleans, Louisiana – Revisited

On August 30, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Louisiana, US Travel1 Comment

The city of New Orleans, Louisiana had captivated me long before I ever visited it. I had romanticized the city so much that I knew it needed to be my next trip. Enter Michael. On something like our fourth date, I mentioned my obsession with New Orleans, and he simply said, “well, let’s go then.” I didn’t really think he was being serious, but a few weeks later we were booking our hotel and planning a road trip there. We drove to New Orleans with an overnight stop in Nashville, TN, arriving in Louisiana just in time for dinner. That was two years ago today. Our time in New Orleans was amazing, and though we encountered a few bumps along the way, we didn’t fight once, which is no small feat for a new-ish couple during a 16 hour drive!

Each day was a new adventure, and each night was spent wandering on and around Bourbon Street, Big Ass Beer in hand. My favorite memory of this Louisiana trip is our first full day there: we walked all day, in the rain, popping into stores and bars to try to get dry and toasty. In my humble opinion, New Orleans is prettiest in the rain. While we were there, it was also Southern Decadence, which is NOLA’s pride celebration. This meant that in addition to rain drops, beads and small tubes of lube also fell from the sky. It was a fun festival to partake in and I am glad that our time there fell on the same weekend. This trip is among my all-time favorites for a lot of reasons, but here are nine places and activities that made it so great:

Omni Royal Crescent Hotel: This hotel is a real class act. We ~~lied~~ told them it was our anniversary and they upgraded our room and sent champagne up right after we checked in. Their beds are the comfiest clouds of white linen and their bathrooms are huge. Plus, the location was perfect for us – out of the excitement, but close enough that we could walk almost everywhere we wanted to go.
Cochon Restaurant: We had our first meal in New Orleans here and it gave such a great first impression. Everything we ate was delicious and the atmosphere was very warm and inviting. The restaurant is in the Warehouse District of the city, so it is the perfect place to start out your night if you plan on going out in style. Fair warming: make reservations!
William Faulkner House: Located in a cobblestone alley next to Jackson Square, the William Faulkner house sits perfectly preserved in time. The first floor is a charming bookstore, featuring beautifully bound copies of all the classics. Faulkner wrote his first novel here and it’s a very inspiring place to visit.
Verti Marte: This hidden gem is about a ten minute walk from Bourbon Street and makes the most amazing sandwiches. We had the All That Jazz Sandwich which featured shrimp, deli meat and veggies and was easily one of the best meals we had in New Orleans. The sandwich shop is within a small market and tends to have a line running through it. Be patient though, it’s worth it!
Barataria Preserve: I touched upon this in last week’s blog, but I really, really loved this portion of the Jean Lafitte National Park. We took a four mile hike through the swamp in search of gators and it was amazing. BUT! Learn from our mistake and bring water, not coffee, to quench your thirst while you hike.
Mango Mango: I know, before you say it, I know these slushie/pizza joints or one like it are on every other corner in New Orleans, but hear me out. After hours of drinking and wandering, the pizza at Mango Mango is a lifesaver. It’s perfectly cheesy and thin-crusted and just greasy enough to give you a second wind.
Louis Armstrong Park: If you want to get away from the drinking and debauchery of Bourbon Street, or just want a quiet place to drink your Mango Mango hurricane slushie, Louis Armstrong Park is the place to do it. The park is beautiful and peaceful with well-maintained grounds, ponds and statues of Jazz Greats, like Mr. Armstrong himself.
Carousel Bar: Located in Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter, the aptly named Carousel Bar is truly unique. They offer classic cocktails that are freshly made in the center bar as you rotate slowly around it. The drinks are delicious and the bar is gorgeous. The spinning may cause a tiny bit of motion sickness, but I promise it is worth it.
City Park/Lake Pontchartrain: Both of these must-see spots are just a short drive from downtown, and are so, so pretty. You could easily spend a whole afternoon at either destination, but we visited on our last day of our trip which means we were rushing a bit. Both locations would be perfect for a picnic. We strolled through City Park, enjoying the gardens and then moved to the lake to soak in the Louisiana sun on the concrete steps surrounding it.

There were a couple things we missed during this trip that we really wanted to see, including Preservation Hall, Longue Vue House and Marie Laveau’s grave that definitely would have made this list had we been able to visit them. Hopefully that means that we can go back soon and check them out!

Have you ever been to NOLA? Which are your favorite places there?

Top Five Friday #13

On June 3, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Top Five Friday, Travel Tips3 Comments

Lessons From Traveling as a Couple

I remember the first trip Mike and I ever took together like it was yesterday. It was actually in August, 2014, and we had only been dating for four months at the time. We made the fourteen hour drive to New Orleans and spent three amazing days there. We had stormy afternoons, drunken nights, ran out of money, dealt with some car issues and endured what turned out to be an eighteen hour drive home. In short, we really tested our fairly new relationship. And I’m so glad we did. That trip meant a lot to both of us and we still talk about it frequently; comparing all other vacations to that first perfect trip to NOLA (even despite the bumps in the road). Traveling as a couple can make or break a relationship, but when it’s done right, it can really bring you closer together. Each trip Mike and I take together teaches us something new, whether about each other or how we travel as a couple. We’ve finally gotten a good rhythm. For example, I know not to drag him around to different attractions when he is hungry, and he knows to be patient with me when I am trying to take pictures, and so on. Though I do enjoy traveling solo, Mike will always be my favorite travel buddy. Here are our best tips for couple’s travel so far:

Always discuss the activities and attractions you want to visit beforehand: You would be hard-pressed to find a significant other that enjoys all the exact same things you do. That’s a good thing though, right? Opposites attract! When talking about what you want to do while you’re on vacation, make a list together and make sure both of your interests are equally represented. You will both be much happier to do these things together when you know it was a joint decision.
Stay hydrated and fed to avoid nonsense fights: This might be the most important tip I could give. I cannot tell you how many times Mike and I have bickered over nothing, just because one or both of us was hungry. It seems like such a small thing, but it will save you a lot of grief along the way, I swear.
Plan the financial aspects ahead of time: There is nothing that will sour your vacation together faster than arguing over who will pay for what. If you are splitting the costs, decide who is paying for what before you even leave. Make a list of potential costs and split it up however you want: pay for alternate meals, split the hotel bill at checkout, however you want to divide it up. Just stick with the plan to avoid awkwardness on the road.
Split the responsibilities: Whether it’s dividing the driving hours for a road trip, carrying the backpack, or being in charge of the map, don’t make one person take all of the responsibility. Splitting it equally means that you both have equal amounts of fun. I do not really enjoy driving, but I will take my turn so Mike can rest and enjoy the scenery too.
Always have a Plan B: No matter how much you plan or how evenly you split your costs, there’s bound to be something that doesn’t go exactly as planned. Always have a Plan B to get you through. For example, when Mike and I had planned to go to Toronto earlier this year, we ran into some unforeseen circumstances and had to cancel the trip. Fortunately, we bounced back and went to Grand Rapids instead. Things fall through, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be for the better.

What are your best tips for traveling as a couple? Where was your favorite trip together?

For further reading, here are all of the trips Mike and I have gone on together: New Orleans, New York, Milwaukee River, Dubuque, Memphis, San Francisco, and Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids, MI – Day 1

On April 19, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Michigan, US Travel6 Comments

I don’t know if it’s because of the first reappearance of warm weather or all of the brewery visits, but I absolutely loved our time in Grand Rapids, MI. While it was a pretty short trip, we certainly made the most of our time there. We left early Saturday morning after stopping for coffee, and arrived in Grand Rapids around noon (because of the hour time difference). We started at the Frederik Meijer Sculpture Garden, where it seemed everyone else was starting as well.

There was a line to get in, a $14.50 entrance fee and another line to move through the butterfly sanctuary. BUT! Once we got outside into the sculpture garden proper, we were very happy. The walk through the park was really, truly lovely. The weather was perfect and the sculptures were spread throughout the park so there wasn’t so much of a crowd.

We waltzed through the sculptures and headed to the Japanese Garden to walk around the pond. It was beautiful and tranquil. The walk took us past multiple waterfalls, a gorgeous gazebo, a Japanese Tea House, and a life-size zen garden.

After we had taken it all in, we decided we deserved some lunch and headed to the Electric Cheetah. There was a twenty minute wait, which we spent out in the sunshine. Once we were seated, we perused their extensive root beer list and both chose the Brix Soda Co. The root beer gave us enough pep to devour our amazing “Hot Goat Blast” (goat cheese, cream cheese, veggies and naan) appetizer.

For the main course, I ordered the “I’m not your bro, bro” sandwich which was chicken, bacon, and provolone deliciousness, and Mike had a gigantic reuben sandwich. The Electric Cheetah was everything I wanted it to be: fun décor, delicious food, great service, and root beer to spare. After lunch, we walked down the block to The Sparrows coffee shop for a little more caffeine. The café was super cute inside and they have a bevy of unique periodicals and magazines. They also have an outdoor seating area that was perfect for days like the one we were enjoying.

From there we zipped over to the highly anticipated (to me, anyways) antique stores. As we approached the large warehouse across from the Amtrak Station, I thought perhaps our Google Maps had made a mistake. But no, this HUGE warehouse was just what we were looking for and was chock-full of antiques. I couldn’t wait to explore it. The warehouse was comprised of three different shops: Warehouse One, Lost + Found, and Century Antiques.

I loved exploring the zig-zagging booths of antiques, piled high in Warehouse One and Century, but I really loved the beautifully curated antiques and furniture at Lost + Found. Though rummaging the booths and treasure hunting are a few of my favorite things, there’s something to be said for a well laid out antique store.

Once I had my fill of heirlooms and trinkets, we headed to our hotel to check in. I know I said we were staying at the City Flats Hotel, but it turns out they had overbooked themselves and needed to bump our reservation. So Mike upgraded us to The JW Marriott Grand Rapids instead.

Our room was gorgeous. It had a huge fluffy bed, a city view and a prime shower. Needless to say, we were pretty happy with the change. After reading ourselves for a night on the town, we hit the road. We drove over to Brewery Vivant in the East Hills Neighborhood first. It is a beautiful brewery, with a great outdoor area and a regal dining room with stained glass windows.

We ordered the Vivant taster which included the Farm Hand, Triomphe, Big Red Coq, and Undertaker beers. We also got the marinated olives and the bone marrow to go with our beverages. It was my first time trying bone marrow and I hate to admit it, but it wasn’t for me. Mike liked it though. The beers, however, were all amazing. We bought a 4-pack of the Undertaker to bring home with us.

From there we parked back at the hotel and walked over to Founder’s Brewery. As it turned out, we were there the night of their annual Black Party, celebrating the success of their black beers (stouts, porters…). We bee-lined for the bar and ordered a couple ales (palm reader for me) and settled in to enjoy the live music.
The band, The Animal Years, was fantastic! In fact, they were so good, we are going to see them again on Thursday here in Chicago.

We stuck around until the end of their set and then headed to our next brewery: Grand Rapids Brewing Co. I ordered the Violet MacMillan, a cranberry beer that tasted like ale mixed with cranberry Sprite in a really delicious way. At this point in the night, we were ready for something cheesy, so we ordered a couple of small plates. We got the BBQ quesadilla and a chorizo pizza bread concoction that really hit the spot. The atmosphere of this brewery was more sports bar-like than the other two, but we enjoyed our time there and Mike was happy he could catch up with the hockey game on that night. Our last stop on our self-guided brewery tour was The BOB, a multilevel super bar situated in downtown Grand Rapids. We started in their brewery on the basement level where I tried the Blondie beer and discovered where my craft beer limit ends.

We made our way up to the rooftop that we spotted from the street, walking past what looked like some sort of rave and multiple bachelorette parties. The floor with the roof top terrace provided city views and a sliver of the Grand River. We sat and drank our beers and gushed over the beautiful city. More beer, 14 holes of Golden Tee and a truly awful cover band later, we headed back to the hotel to crash into our heavenly cloud of a bed.

To be continued…

Top Five Friday #6

On October 23, 2015December 1, 2015 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Tennessee, Top Five Friday, US TravelLeave a comment

Memphis Attractions

As you could probably tell from my previous blog posts, I’ve just returned from Memphis. Though my boyfriend and I only spent four days in this Southern city, we enjoyed our time there immensely. It truly is a magnificently musical city with history to spare. There were many aspects of Memphis that we really loved, but below are our top five favorite attractions:

Beale Street: Beale Street is the epitome of Memphis’s Blues music scene. Every bar down this strip has music pouring out of it. It’s one of the main attractions in Memphis and it certainly lives up to the hype. The street is completely lined with bars, gift shops, restaurants and clubs. We tried to stop into most places, and hit a lot of them. Our favorites were: Club 152 (really good music and cheap drinks), Absinthe Room (great second-story dive bar with billiards), King’s Palace Café Patio (home of the Beale Big Ass Beers and amazing Blues music), Rum Boogie Café (we had an excellent lunch here and the staff were awesome) and A. Schwab (a kitschy gift store with three levels of souvenirs).
Sun Studios: This recording studio/historic music icon was Mike’s favorite place that we visited in Memphis. A lot of amazing artists recorded here and add to its famous history; to name a few: Ike Turner, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Howlin Wolf…the list goes on. It’s still currently an active recording studio where many big musicians stop by (U2, Bob Dylan…). The tour is well worth the $13 and includes a history on the studio, information on its big musicians, and a glimpse of the actual recording studio, which still has all its original features. Our tour guide was amazing and full of fun facts about the studio and the musicians. The studio/museum is connected to a café and record/gift shop, which is worth a look around.
National Civil Rights Museum: Set in the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, this museum is too poignant to pass up. After you pay the $15 entrance fee, you start the tour with a short video outlining the purpose of the museum before heading through the exhibits. Each exhibit is purposeful and intriguing, and most are interactive as well. The museum is well laid out, taking you through the history of racial tension in America from the beginning. It does take quite a while to make it through the entirety of the museum and the boarding house across the street, which focuses on the life and motives of James Earl Ray. Plan to spend at least two hours here.
Stax Museum of American Soul Music: It is no secret that I’m a big fan of soul music, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I instantly fell in love with this museum. The history of Stax Records is so rich, and the musicians connected with the company are too many to name (again, to mention a few: Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Booker T and The MG’s…). The flow of the museum starts with a short film, and then moves through the exhibits, which range from the influence of Gospel Music in Soul to a video of Chaka Khan singing on Soul Train to Isaac Hayes’s custom gold Cadillac. The old recording studio is still intact, along with the original mixing console, and is preserved for your viewing pleasure. It really is worth it to check Stax out, I promise you’ll be glad that you did. (Entrance fee is $13.)
Mid-Town: I really wish we could have spent more time in this hip slice of Memphis. We had two great meals in this neighborhood: breakfast at Otherlands Coffee Bar, and lunch at The Beauty Shop. Both restaurants were a joy to be at, and both meals were phenomenal. We walked past cute shops and boutiques in this area and I really regret not exploring it more. We also heard from a couple of Memphis locals that this is the place to be for unique bars and restaurants away from downtown. Unfortunately for us, we received this advice too late in our trip. Oh well, all the more reason to go back, right?