2017 Travel Plans

On January 3, 2017 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Trip Planning6 Comments

I love the new year. It brings all new possibilities for travel, not to mention a tax return to fund said travels. As I mentioned in my 2016 review post, my 2017 travel plans will be on a pretty tight budget. That doesn’t mean that I won’t be traveling this year, just that my trips will be on a smaller scale than last year’s vacations. While not much is firmly set in place, I do have some big plans (as always) for this coming year and I’m excited to share them!

I’m planning on taking four main trips, one for each season, with a few more sprinkled in between for good measure if I can swing it. The two countries I most wanted to visit this year are Mexico and Canada, because I’ve never been to either and we’re practically neighbors. Other than that, I’m planning on traveling domestically by plane, train or automobile. Here’s how it all shakes out (hopefully):

Winter/Spring 2017:

A girls’ trip to Mexico! What better place to escape the Chicago winter than the sunny beaches of Mexico? Right now I’m thinking Playa Del Carmen or Tulum with a day trip to Chichen Itza. My besties and I are thinking we’ll rent a house on vrbo.com and just relax in the sunshine. This is still in the works, so I don’t have all of the details confirmed, but it’s the trip I’m most looking forward to!

Mike and I are planning on revisiting Grand Rapids, MI for a long weekend in April to see my favorite, Aretha Franklin at DeVos Performance Hall. Hopefully, we’ll stay at the JW Marriott again and hit all the places we missed the first time around.

Summer 2017:

Canada! I don’t care who I go with or how I get there. I’m going. I want to see Montreal first, but I would certainly take Toronto as well. In a perfect world, I’d like to drive there and spend a night on the way there or back near Niagara Falls. Right now, I’m just dreaming, but I’m confident I can make it happen.

Fall 2017:

A solo trip somewhere in the States. I’ve got my eye on somewhere in the Northeast like Boston or Maine or even back to New York. Hopefully it will be somewhere I can get some great seafood and clear views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Winter 2017:

Mike and I are both dying to get to the desert. My Aunt and Uncle own a house in Arizona and we’re thinking of flying out there and hopefully using it as a home base to visit Saguaro National Park, Antelope Canyon, and all the other natural beauty the state has to offer. Maybe we’ll rent a car and bring our camping gear to spend a night under the stars.

All that’s left is to figure out the budgets and actually book my 2017 travel plans and I’ll be set! If you have any good recommendations for any of these destinations please share them in the comments.

What are your 2017 travel plans? Where are you most excited to visit?

2016: A Year in Review

On January 1, 2017 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Travel WritingLeave a comment

2016, oh what a year. It had some ups and a lot of downs. That being said, there were a few really great moments that mostly made up for the bad. This year was full of a lot of new destinations and some golden oldies; I got to go on an amazing solo trip and joined my family for a wonderful week in Tennessee. Though so many great things happened, there were a few bouts of hardship that cast an unfortunate shadow. I guess the best we can do is focus on the good things and try to learn something from the bad things.

Part of what made this year so frustrating is that I’ve been with a lot of anxiety in regards to my career, and what I want to do with my life. Real original, I know. This situation has perhaps caused me to overextend my travel plans beyond my budget to get away from the stress, which means my 2017 travel plans will be on a tighter budget. BUT! The good… let’s talk about that.

January:

It was a slow month for travel. I enjoyed a marvelous spa day with one of my favorites at the Mario Tricoci Spa in Chicago and joined my parents for a candlelit hike in Wisconsin.

February:

February brought me on a solo adventure to Washington, D.C., where I had an amazing meal at Le Diplomate, walked around monuments and museums, and learned the dangers of over-planning a trip.

March:

Another slow travel month due to cancelled plans. I got to interview one of my best friends about her time travelling with a brilliant Chicago band through the American South. And, I started planning my big solo trip to Europe.

April:

April was full of Midwest exploring. First, we went on a fun day trip to Lake Geneva, WI, then we enjoyed an amazing weekend in Grand Rapids, MI. I loved Grand Rapids so much that we are planning another trip there in the Spring.

May:

Despite having no travel plans this month for myself, I did feature some fantastic blogs about Jordan, written by the beautiful and Talented Gracie Barrie. And I, personally, wrote some posts about hotel upgrades, bookstores, and travel lessons I learned from my mom in honor of Mother’s Day.

June:

June was all about Tennessee. Mike and I went with my family to Chattanooga and then to Gatlinburg, TN to visit our Tennessee family and to enjoy the Smoky Mountains. It was a wonderful, restorative trip and I hope we make a habit of these family vacations.

July:

We kept tradition alive and went on our annual trip to the cabin in Wisconsin for the 4^th, which I celebrated with a photo blog. I also wrote about finding unique souvenirs, hiking in the Smoky Mountains, and exploring your own city.

August:

August was all about the Great Outdoors. We hiked in Matthiessen State Park and then camped nearby in Utica, IL. I also crossed an item off of my goal list for the year after going on a sunset cruise on Lake Michigan in Chicago.

September & October & November:

Each of these months were dominated by blogs of all my adventures in both Iceland and Copenhagen. This trip was a huge part of my travel plans for the year and I’m so happy with how it all turned out. We also had a nice weekend at the end of September in Milwaukee to see one of Mike’s favorite bands: Thrice.

December:

The highlight of last month, besides the holidays with family of course, was being invited to enjoy Galena for their Luminaria Festival and enjoying a wonderful stay at The Lamberson Guest House there. We had such a relaxing weekend there, which was very much needed.

That does it. Good, Bad, Ugly, it was an interesting year to say the least. Here’s to hoping 2017 brings grand adventures and good vibes all around.

Tell me all about your year in the comments!

Copenhagen Card, Copenhagen, Denmark, RebeccaWanderlusting

Copenhagen Card: Worth It or Not?

On December 28, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Denmark, International TravelLeave a comment

On my recent trip to Copenhagen, I decided to invest in the Copenhagen Card, a city pass that included many attractions and museums. In my original planning for the trip, I thought the card would be an invaluable asset to exploring the city. Plus, the fact that it might save me some money on this tightly budgeted adventure didn’t hurt!

In addition to covering the entry fee for many museums, tours and palaces, the Copenhagen Card also works as a public transportation pass and includes discounts to restaurants and attractions that aren’t included in the card. I ordered my city pass through the website, and opted to pick it up from the visitor center once I arrived in the city, saving the $8 shipping fee.

In total, the seventy-two hour Copenhagen Card cost $89, which I thought I would easily earn back, and then some, with all I wanted to accomplish there. Though I had very high hopes, it turned out to be kind of a daunting task. I had three full days in the city, and wound up going to 2 museums (one, the Copenhagen Contemporary, was not included in the card), 2 palaces, the Round Tower (I visited twice because it was the best place in the city to see the sunset), Tivoli Gardens (the Copenhagen Card only covered the entry fee, the rides and food inside the park was extra), and going on the canal boat tour.

These attractions, combined with the exploring on foot and enjoying the cafes and architecture, completely filled my time in Copenhagen. Here is the breakdown of the attractions I entered using my Copenhagen Card for and their actual entry fees:

The Canal Boat Tour: 80Dkk ($11.25)
Tivoli Gardens: 150Dkk ($21.10)
SMK Art Museum: 145Dkk ($20.40)
Round Tower (twice): 50Dkk ($7)
Amalienborg Palace: 75Dkk ($10.55)
Christianborg Palace Ruins: 50Dkk ($7)
Christianborg Palace Reception Rooms: 90Dkk ($12.66)
Bus to Norrebro: 24Dkk ($3.38)

Total: $93.34

So, was it worth it? Financially, yes, just barely. And it was awfully convenient to use the Copenhagen Card to get in everywhere and to get on the public transportation. Though I could have taken advantage of the public transportation more, I should have taken into consideration how much I would want to walk around.

There were also a couple of attractions that were included that I wish I could have seen, like Frederiksborg Castle, The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, and The National Museum. The truth of it is, I felt like having the Copenhagen Card put a lot of pressure on me to run around and do as much as possible.

Instead of giving into the pressure, I did the opposite, and spent a lot of my time in Copenhagen aimlessly wandering and exploring the beautiful streets and neighborhoods. The end result was a really great trip, tinged with a small amount of guilt that I didn’t do/see enough. Overall, Copenhagen was an amazing city to visit, and I’ll just have to see the things I missed the next time around.

Have you had any experiences with city passes like the Copenhagen Card? Did the end up being useful, or a hindrance?

Luminaria at Lamberson Guest House, Galena, RebeccaWanderlusting

A Weekend in Galena – Part 2

On December 18, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Illinois, US Travel4 Comments

Our first full day in Galena was jam-packed with activities, all leading up to the Night of the Luminaria. We met Rose, of Visit Galena, and the last additions to our group, Max and Natalie, that morning at the Lamberson Guest House before Rose drove us all to Victory Cafe for breakfast. It was a perfectly cozy, small-town diner kind of place, with things like plate-sized pancakes and biscuits and gravy (my favorite) on the menu.

We all sat at a large round table in the window, having at least three different conversations at once at any given time. Though we were still all strangers, it felt comfortable to be sitting at a diner sharing a meal. After breakfast, we piled back into the van and took tours of both the Chestnut Mountain Resort and the Eagle Ridge Resort, which were both bustling due to the snow.

Both properties were gorgeous and catered to their own kind of clientele; Chestnut Mountain being more of a ski resort and Eagle ridge speaking more to the golf/spa/luxury crowd. In the summer, Chestnut Mountain has a unique zip line experience that I would absolutely love to come back and try.

After the resort tours, we moved on to Galena Cellars for a tour and a tasting. Our tour guide was a feisty, knowledgeable woman, who, once we were about to go outside, casually threw on a fur coat the size of a small car. She walked us through the vineyard, despite the snow and empty vines, and gave us some history on the winery and it’s owners.

We also got to see where the wine is fermented and barreled, and the bottling room. Once we were back inside the tasting room/store, she taught us her 5 S’s of wine tasting: see, swirl, sniff, sip and slurp. We were tasting their Seyval Blanc, which I would be happy to take more than one sip of!

From the winery, we moved on to lunch at Fried Green Tomatoes, an Italian Restaurant, which was in a building that used to house Ulysses S. Grant’s family’s leather shop. They sat us at a table in the middle of their main dining room, beneath a beautiful chandelier.

We could see the snow really starting to come down outside, making the street, in all it’s holiday cheer, look like scene from a postcard. They started us out with some wine and bread with olive oil and I knew we were in the right place. Mike and I shared the prime rib wrap and the Tuscan Mac and Cheese, and both options were fantastic.

After lunch, we had a few hours to ourselves before the Night of the Luminaria began. We browsed through the other half of the Helluva Half Mile, stopping into most of the shops and doing some Christmas shopping. On this side of Main Street, the stores we liked the most were Peace of the Past North, Stamp and Ink, and the Galena Garlic Company.

We ran back up to the Lamberson Guest House to drop off our bags, and ended up falling asleep for an hour which caused us to miss wine and cheese hour this time, much to my disappointment. We rushed out to see the living windows displays and all the candles, which lit up the town.

There were candles in their white bags lining every surface in town, and that coupled with the snow made everything look so beautiful. We walked across the pedestrian bridge to Grant Park to admire the statues and canons in the candlelight.

The park was a perfect winter wonderland with a beautiful view of downtown across the river. We walked back to Main Street and met the group at the DeSoto House, first for a drink in their Green Street Tavern and then for dinner downstairs in the General’s Restaurant.

Desoto House was built in 1855 and is the state’s oldest operating hotel. The restaurant was downstairs from the lobby and through an open courtyard with a beautiful Christmas tree in the center. In the restaurant, we sat down to order, starting with a couple bottles of wine for the table. I ordered the scallops for dinner, and they were so good that I forgot to take a picture until I was about half way through (whoops!).

Everything was cooked so perfectly and it was so good. I’m pretty sure everyone in the group was a member of the clean plate club, despite all the other meals we had that day. Everyone was in good spirits and talking animatedly. This was my first trip of this kind, and I am very grateful that I was enjoying it with such a fun group. After dinner, the group dispersed, with most of them heading back to Lamberson, and Mike and I going out to a bar called Gobbie’s for karaoke.

The heavy snow made it a slow night at the bar, but the karaoke was still going, and it was quite the sight to behold. The drinks there were good and decently priced. Rose met us for a drink before heading back home, and it was really nice to get to know her better, especially because we are both apart of the Bey Hive. After our drinks, we headed back to our respective homes (or temporary homes).

The Lamberson Guest House has a good library of DVDs to borrow, so Mike and I headed up to our room for some Captain American and a game of rummy and called it a night. The next morning, we awoke to the sounds of breakfast being made and came downstairs to find that our hosts had made us a three course meal for breakfast. From scratch. The menu included, a homemade gingerbread muffin with whipped cream cheese butter, a fruit salad with lemon poppy seed dressing (atop which sat a kiwi in the shape of a pine tree), and an omelet torte (which I was assured there was only eggs in the bottom and I could eat the top of).

The food was so good, and Brian and Michelle were very attentive while serving it. I was so tempted to stuff a few of those delicious muffins in my purse and run. I need to get the recipe. I don’t know how Michelle had time to prepare such a feast, but I hope she knows that it was the best breakfast we’ve had in a while! After we finished, Chris from Visit Galena showed up and had to roll us out to the van, one by one.

We drove over to the Ulysses S. Grant House for a tour. It was still snowing, and the big brick house looked so pretty. The inside of the house is filled with items that once belonged to the former president, or were replicas of things he had once owned. Our tour guide was sweet and had her presentation down to a science.

My favorite part of the house was the carpet/wallpaper combo, and the statue of Julia Dent Grant out front. Mike and I ran through the deepening snow to take pictures of it, and consequently, got the best view of Galena from where she stands.

After the tour, we decided to head back to Chicago because of the weather. We made the very snowy drive home at a snail’s pace, giving us more time to gush over our time in Galena. Who knew that this little city just three hour’s drive from Chicago would make for such an amazing trip.

Thank you to Visit Galena and the Lamberson Guest House for giving us such a wonderful, relaxing weekend!!

A Weekend in Galena, Illinois, RebeccaWanderlusting

A Weekend in Galena – Part 1

On December 17, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Illinois, US Travel2 Comments

The drive to Galena is relatively short, three hours, and pretty typical up until about the last half hour or so. That’s when the road (route 20) starts curving up and down the hills that make this part of Illinois unique. We had been this exact same way before, on our way to Dubuque, which is just across the Mississippi from Galena, so we knew what to expect. Even so, the view still amazed us.

Our accommodation for the weekend was the Lamberson Guest House, which was perched at the top of a hill in the historic district, overlooking the city. We were invited to stay as their very first guests with a group of other travel writers from around the Midwest. The house was beautifully renovated and is run by a wonderful couple, Brian and Michelle.

The B&B has four suites, each with its own color scheme and décor. We had the Mary Room, at the top back corner. It was a cute, private nook with its own walk-in closet and bathroom. Our hosts graciously gave us a tour of the house, and we loved all the thoughtful touches throughout. I especially loved the homemade shower bombs (lavender scented, and later when Michelle found out I was getting sick, eucalyptus) and makeup remover wipes in the bathroom.

We wanted to go out and explore, so they gave us a brief explanation of the layout of Main Street and reminded us to be back at 5pm for wine and cheese hour. The guest house is in a perfect location because downtown is literally just down the stairs from where the house is, the catch is that there are 220 stairs to go down.

The “Helluva Half Mile” is chockfull of cute boutiques, antique stores and restaurants. We decided to explore the south half of the half mile, saving the other half for the next day. We popped in and out of the cute stores, admiring the window displays and Christmas decorations along the way.

One of our first stops was to pick up some delicious coffee to go from Kaladi’s Coffee Bar to keep us caffeinated while we shopped. We particularly liked the Celebrity Hat Shop, Gustafson & Grey (for their beautiful antique jewelry), and Peace of the Past antique store (for their stacks and stacks of used books). What was so great about this main drag was that each of the stores were so unique, which was a fun departure from the strings of chain stores on other main streets we’ve explored.

After a while of wandering, we headed back up the stairs to the guest house to freshen up for dinner. We came down from our room for wine and cheese at 5pm on the dot and found a beautiful spread of cheese, crackers and dip. Brian and Michelle served us glasses of wine and we met another couple in our group, Denny and Tracy.

Soon after meeting them, we knew we would be in good company for the duration of our trip. As we chatted and enjoyed the cheese, our guide for the evening, Chris (the CEO of Visit Galena) joined us for introductions and then ushered us into a huge Mercedes van to head to dinner. Our destination was the Log Cabin Steakhouse back on Main Street, a Galena staple and the oldest operating restaurant in the city.

The restaurant had supper club vibes with dim lighting and wood paneling on the walls; I felt right at home. Log Cabin is a Greek steakhouse, so of course we started out with saganaki (and onion rings), which came to the table in a blaze of glory. It was delicious.

While we were deliberating over the menu, two more joined our group, Michelle (different from the B&B owner) and her husband, Robert; they blended into our conversation seamlessly. Our meals came with soup or salad and a “relish tray”, which consisted of fresh vegetables and homemade beer cheese that was amazing. Though Chris had warned us that the steaks were huge, it was still a shock to have a plate-sized T-bone placed in front of me.

The food was so good and so filling. After we finished, we all just had to sit for a minute. Once we could move without groans of pain, most of the group went back to the guest house, and Mike and I headed to Miss Kitty’s Grape Escape. This wine bar is located just down the street from the steakhouse, which can be said about almost every other place on the half mile, making it easy to navigate. The bar was so cozy, especially with all the Christmas decorations. There was live music provided by the Aaron Kelly Band.

The music was great! During their break, Mike and I went to say hello to the band and found out that he and the lead singer have some friends in common. Small world, huh? We continued our little bar crawl at the Galena Brewing Company, and had a beer at the bar. There was more live music here, a gentleman with a twelve-string guitar. The beer was fantastic.

I had the Miner’s Treasure, their Amber Ale, and we liked it so much that we got a small growler of it to bring back to the B&B. The bar was very laid back, with friendly bartenders and a jovial crowd. It was a nice place to end the night. I will say, climbing back up those stairs after a huge steak and a couple of drinks is no small feat. We made it to the top and collapsed into bed, looking forward to another great day.

To be continued…

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!

Christianborg Palace, Copenhagen, Denmark, RebeccaWanderlusting

Last Night in Copenhagen

On November 27, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Denmark, International Travel3 Comments

My last night in Copenhagen encompassed everything that I loved about this beautiful city. I visited one of the historic palaces, strolled down the main shopping street, had the best meal of my whole trip, and spent my last couple of krones on a glass of wine enjoyed al fresco.

After a delightful lunch at Atelier September, I walked over to Christianborg Palace via the Royal Library Gardens. The library it’s surrounding gardens were gorgeous, but also swarmed with kids playing Pokemon Go (which had just come to Europe). I walked next door to the palace, which was decidedly less crowded.

Within Christianborg palace, there are a few different areas to explore, all of which were included with my Copenhagen Card. I chose to check out the ruins beneath the palace first, taking the stairs down to view the foundations of castles past. The ruins were a lot larger than I thought they would be, sprawling out beneath the palace with paths weaving through. There were plaques accompanying the landmarks in the ruins and small interactive installments.

To contrast the dark basement of the palace, I went to the reception rooms next, where I donned little blue slipcovers over my shoes to walk around like royalty. The reception rooms were very grand, almost dripping with opulence.

As I wandered from room to room, I seemed to be going at the same pace as another woman, who asked me to take her photo as she shoved her phone in my hands, in each room we entered. She would switch up her poses, then snatch back her phone and walk away. This went on for a few rooms before I had the good sense to skip a couple of rooms and get ahead of her. I couldn’t help but laugh when I passed her again and saw she had roped someone else in to snap some photos as she posed looking pensive on a velvet bench.

My favorite room at Christanborg was the library, of course, but I loved how bright and colorful the whole palace was. After I was done exploring Christianborg, I walked back to my hostel via Stroget, the pedestrian shopping street. I wanted to do some window shopping and browsed along Stroget, and its side streets to look for souvenirs for my family.

After an hour or so of commerce, I sat down at the Victoria Bar in a beautiful square for a cider and some reading. It was another beautiful day in Copenhagen, and I was happy that I got to spend much of it outside. After my drink, I went back to the hostel to rest up and choose a restaurant to go to for dinner.

After reading many glowing reviews and ascertaining that the prices weren’t too crazy, I decided to try Mon Amour, a French restaurant in the Latin Quarter of the city. It was a small, intimate restaurant with a thoughtful menu and a great wine selection. Though the prices were pretty decent, it was still a bit of a splurge for my budget. But it was 100% worth it.

I ordered the Veal Scallopine and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and was extremely happy with my choices. Everything was perfectly cooked and seasoned; I savored each bite. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Mon Amour, and I have no doubt that if it was located in Chicago, we would visit it frequently.

After dinner, I took one last wander around city. Copenhagen and I had gotten off on the wrong foot when I arrived, but I had truly fallen in love with this city. I stopped at Europa café for a glass of wine, leaving my last krones on the table. Despite the late hour and it being a weeknight, the streets were still bustling with people. I sat there contently, people watching and writing for a while before going back to the hostel.

Street musicians played as I walked, and I thought back to the exhibit I saw at the Copenhagen Contemporary, about the band, the National singing their song “Sorrow” over and over. I was sad I had to leave and there was a line in the song that I kept repeating in my head as I walked: “I don’t wanna get over you, I don’t wanna get over you…”. I wanted to hold onto the feeling that I developed over this trip, keep it in the little pocket in my purse to pull out when I’m sad or frustrated or uninspired. That night, I packed up and went to sleep, satisfied with my trip and (mostly) ready to head home.

Nyhavn, Copenhagen, Denmark, RebeccaWanderlusting

In & Around Nyhavn, Copenhagen

On November 20, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Denmark, International Travel3 Comments

On my last day in Copenhagen, I started off bright and early to stuff as much in as possible. It seemed like it was only me and the street washers out as I wandered around the city. It was the perfect time to take photos, with the lack of crowds and the misty morning sunshine.

I decided to head to Nyhavn to have breakfast by the water. Boats were tied up along the canal, their sails still down from the night before. I walked up and down the streets that flanked the water, admiring the colorful buildings that lined each side.

I landed at Hyttefadet Pub for breakfast and got the Danish Brunch, which consisted of eggs (pass), bacon, bread, salami, cheese, jam, melon and coffee. At $15, it seemed like a good deal, and the coffee was good, but the food wasn’t really. My favorite thing about this café, and a lot of the other cafes in Copenhagen, is that they put blankets on the backs of the chairs in case you get cold, which adds a coziness to them.

I decided to give in and walk over to the Little Mermaid statue, which was almost a mile away. The walk took me along the water and it was a beautiful day, but there was a crowd of other people enjoying it with me. The walk took me past a bunch of Copenhagen’s finest attractions, including Amalienborg Palace, the Royal Cast Collection, and Gefion Fountain.

The Little Mermaid statue was swamped with people taking photos. I stood with the crowd, took my picture, shrugged, and walked back the way I came. Gefion Fountain held my attention much longer, with its beautiful sculpture of Gefjun, the Norse Goddess of abundance, and the picturesque church behind it.

The fountain was breathtaking, as was the scenery surrounding it, I could have happily sat there by the water all day. Unfortunately, I was low on time, so I moved on to Amalienborg Palace, home of the Danish Royal Family. The center of the Palace was a beautiful square containing a statue of King Frederik V and guards at every entrance. The guards wear black jackets and blue pants, their outfits topped with the same furry black hats as the British guards.

There is a museum in the palace with artifacts from the long history of Danish Royalty that I decided to check out since it was included with my Copenhagen Card. The museum showcased replicas of rooms within the palace filled with items owned by royal families past. My favorite part of the museum was the large glass cabinet of royal jewels, obviously, and would have been very happy to take any of those items home with me.

I wanted to stay to watch the changing of the guards, but it was still thirty minutes away and the crowds were wearing on me. I cut back through the square and walked over to Atelier September to get some lunch and a break from the overbearing throngs of tourists. The trendy café had a limited menu from which I ordered a lemonade and the avocado toast and has a seat by the window.

Natural light filled the room, highlighting the simple, tasteful décor; it was a nice place to hang out for a bit. The atmosphere was very chill, with the owner’s dog (I presume) wandering around, a black and white scruffy pup that I wanted to steal. The food was delightful and gave me just the boost of energy I needed to keep moving.

Stay tuned for the last blog in the Copenhagen series!

Have you spent time in Nyhavn? What did you think of the Little Mermaid statue?

Solo Trip Snapshots, Copenhagen, RebeccaWanderlusting

Evening Adventures in Copenhagen

On November 13, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Denmark, International Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Torvhallerne in Copenhagen is an outdoor and indoor market that sells everything from homemade beauty products to candy to full meals. I decided to head there for dinner from the SMK National Gallery to try one of the famed Danish open faced sandwiches, the Smørrebrød.

I chose a roast beef one from Hallernes Smørrebrød and went to sit outside in the sunshine to enjoy it. The sandwich had red onions, pickled cauliflower, and pickle pickles on top and it was delicious. It was a beautiful evening so it was nice to be sitting amongst the outdoor stalls with fresh flowers and fruit.

I wandered amongst the stalls after I ate, buying some homemade caramels and drooling over all of the bakeries. The market is a joy to wander through, with different stalls lining two buildings with even more stalls in between the two buildings. The market is beautiful and colorful and a definite must-see in the city, in my humble opinion.

I wanted to spend the evening in the downtown area to explore the cobblestone streets and window shop. Luckily for me, my random wanderings brought me to a bookstore/café I had wanted to check out: Paludan. The café’s walls are lined with color coordinated books, most of them for sale, and an extensive food and beverage menu.

Still full from dinner, I ordered a glass of rose and settled into their upstairs section to read. It was the perfect setting for it. I ended up staying for a couple of glasses of wine and a few chapters, feeling perfectly at home in the beautiful bibliophile’s paradise.

Once I finally left, I continued randomly wandering, admiring the architecture and turning down whatever streets looked appealing. I ran into the Round Tower, which was another attraction included with my Copenhagen Card, so I decided to check it out.

The best part of the Round Tower is the view from the top which is reached by way of the endless slanted, spiral hallway that leads there. It was a dizzying trip, especially after all that wine, but I arrived at the top as the sun was setting (for the second night in a row with a beautiful sunset view).

The platform at the top offered a 360 degree view, showing off the city in red gold light. Sitting on a bench, taking in this beautiful view, I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be there. On the way down, I popped in the small gallery in the middle of the tower which used to be a library frequented by Hans Christian Andersen, but now features works of art. I bought a beautiful copy of his fairy tales for my niece and went on my way.

I was on the hunt for the perfect sidewalk café to get something sweet and a cup of coffee. After thirty minutes of wandering, I settled on Café Phønix for their perfect view of the fountain in the middle of the square and their chocolate fruit cake.

By the time I was done savoring the cake and coffee, it was full dark, and the street lights lit the way back to my hostel. It was another perfect night in Copenhagen.

What are your favorite solo travel activities?

Norrebro Neighborhood, Copenhagen, Denmark, RebeccaWanderlusting

Exploring the Norrebro Neighborhood

On November 9, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Denmark, International Travel1 Comment

I had read that the Norrebro Neighborhood was a fun, hip place to explore so I headed there on my second morning in Copenhagen. I took the 6A bus from downtown, which only took about fifteen minutes. When I got off at the stop that Google Maps had instructed me to, I was a little confused. There was nothing around. No shops, no cute cafes, just warehouses and residences.

I popped into a coffee shop for a latte and to take advantage of their free Wi-Fi. Of course I should have found more exact directions before I left the hostel and took the bus to an unfamiliar neighborhood, but I was too excited to get going to sit down and think about practical things. In the coffee shop, I discovered that the main hub of Norrebro was just a half mile walk away, so I headed in that direction.

I was instantly happy when I arrived in the neighborhood and immediately spotted a cute café, called Sebastopol, for more coffee and a bite to eat. I sat outside in the cobblestone square and people watched while I drank my coffee. This was exactly how I pictured I would spend my time in Copenhagen.

The women of this beautiful city make me want to throw my Ventra Card (public transportation in Chicago) in the river and buy a bike and some flowy dresses. The basket of bread and croissants I ordered (and finished off, I might add) was probably unnecessary, but I rationalized that it would give me the energy I needed to walk around. After I reluctantly peeled myself out of my comfy chair and paid my bill, I started to wander the neighborhood, popping into the very trendy clothing stores and thrift shops as I went.

The stores that I liked best were: Urban Room, a cut clothing and home goods store with beautiful posters and fancy undies, Mondo Kaos, which sold gorgeous vintage dresses with accessories to match, and Baan Suan, really beautiful and practical clothing and jewelry. There were plenty of others that were fun to browse through, but those were the ones that stand out to me.

In between the stores were plenty of cafes, bars, sweet shops and restaurants. Everyone I passed was super stylish and I was so glad I wore something decent that day. After hours of zigzagging through the neighborhood, I wound up at BRUS, a brewery/restaurant with craft beer and cocktails on tap.

I ordered the BRUS Cocktail (when in Rome…), which was a tastier, fancier gin and tonic. They had picnic tables set outside around the restaurant, which is where I sat to enjoy my drink and do some more people watching. The people of Copenhagen gave me some major fashion goals.

I decided to head to the SMK National Gallery from Norrebro, which had me wander back through the neighborhood one last time. My favorite thing about Norrebro is that wherever there was a free space along a wall, people had tables of antiques and used goods set up. It made exploring the neighborhood like a treasure hunt through an antique store.

Plus they had actual great antique stores throughout as well. The walk also took me along the three rectangular lakes in Copenhagen, named Sortedams So. It was a beautiful walk and I passed many other pedestrians and bikers and picnickers enjoying the beautiful day.

The museum itself was housed in a huge building with a sprawling lawn behind it and a pond in front. I arrived there in the late afternoon and the museum closed at 5pm, so I rushed in to see as much as possible. The entry was included in the Copenhagen Card, but my bag was deemed too big, so I had to store it in their cloak room. It was actually a relief not to have to carry that clunky thing around for a while.

I started at the top of the main building and work myself through the works of European Art from the 1300’s to the 1900’s. My favorite paintings were the works of Johan Christian Dahl, whose paintings of Danish landscapes were gorgeous, and the Picasso and Mattisse paintings, of course.

I would have loved to take more time walking through, but I did get through most of the museum in my two hours there. They have a whole other building dedicated to modern art that I wish I had more time in, but that side of the museum was amazing and whimsical in its displays. The two buildings are connected through indoor bridges on the higher floors and a walkway of sculptures on the main floor.

If you plan on visiting the SMK, I would recommend setting aside a few hours to take in all the amazing art there. After the museum closed, I headed back towards downtown, this time on foot. Each new area I was exploring in Copenhagen was making me love the city more and more.

Which neighborhoods in Copenhagen have you explored?