I firmly believe that it’s really important to explore your own city. It would be such a waste of a perfectly good destination if you didn’t. This is where the staycation comes into play. It’s a great way to get the feel of a relaxing vacation when you don’t have the time or funds for one. While travel is obviously something that I’m passionate about, I have a fondness for staycations and the vacation vibes they provide in between big trips. There are two ways to plan a fantastic staycation: 1.) think of yourself as a tourist in your own city and venture to unchartered territory (to you, anyways), or 2.) book a hotel with some sort of spa/pool facility, get yourself a good book and chilllllllll. When my boyfriend and I staycationed at The Freehand earlier this year (see staycation blog here), we chose the first option. We went to a popular restaurant we’d both never been to and wandered around the city, popping into bars and enjoying the River Walk. I have to say, staying downtown and enjoying the city lights and attractions definitely made me love Chicago even more than I already do. It’s about time we try the second option, but more on that later. Whichever option you choose, you are sure to have an amazing time and a whole new appreciation of your hometown. Plus, you get the added bonus of having the knowledge and experience to play concierge to your friends and family when they ask for accommodation or restaurant suggestions. Below are my best tips for planning the perfect staycation, take them as you will and let me know what you’re favorite staycation plans are in the comments!
- Choosing the hotel: This is most likely your first step in planning your staycation. Base this decision on what kind of experience you’re looking for, i.e.- if you want to relax, book a hotel with room service, a pool and/or spa and a comfy bed, or if you want to explore, choose a hip hotel in the center of the action. If you live in a big city like I do, the options for hotels are endless and can get a little pricey. As I am not made of money, I usually check if there are any deals on LivingSocial or Groupon first.
- Planning activities: Since you’re familiar with the lay of the land, I’m sure you already know exactly what you’d like to do. Choose something that you’ve always had on your hometown bucket list, but haven’t made time for yet. Maybe it’s finally caving in and checking out that city attraction all the tourists rave about, or seeing a play at the local theater or even trying out a trendy bar. If you aren’t planning on venturing out, make a spa appointment or check if your hotel has any special in-room features you can utilize.
- Doing dinner: Whether you’re relaxing or exploring, you gotta eat. For the relaxing type – kick back in your hotel room with some room service or order delivery and eat it in your robe. If you’re feeling adventurous, go out to a restaurant featuring a style of cuisine you’ve never tried. Either way, order decadently and enjoy.
- Sleeping in: I don’t really have a whole lot to say on this topic, other than, if you are staycationing, it’s imperative that you sleep in at least a little bit. Bonus points for you if you order breakfast in bed.
- The morning after: Take your time in the morning and don’t rush to leave the hotel. Go for a dip in the pool, go out for breakfast, have a morning shopping spree… whatever you want! Squeeze every last bit out of this staycation, and don’t even think about checking out early.
- Going back to reality: Of course returning from any sort of vacation is always rough, but since you were only a few miles from home, it should be easier to get back into the swing of things. Take the rest of the day to soak up all the good staycation vibes and go back into your weekly routine feeling refreshed and happy to know your city a little better.
After breakfast, we drove to Graceland, which we both had mixed feelings about. We paid $10.00 to park and went in to
Our next stop was The Stax Museum of American Soul Music. Admission was $13 and the tour started with a 20 minute film on the history of the recording studio.
The museum itself was filled with artifacts from soul music superstars like Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Aretha Franklin, Booker T and The MGs, Carla Thomas, and many more. The old recording equipment was preserved and in the same studio they used to record the greats. The number of artists and albums associated with Stax Records is staggering, and you can feel the full affect of it as you walk through the hall lined with all such records. You exit through the gift shop, I’m a sucker for a good gift shop, and this one’s filled with unique gifts, records and miscellaneous music memorabilia. The museum is definitely a must-see in Memphis.
We went to back to Midtown to The Beauty Shop for lunch. The hip restaurant used to be a beauty parlor (pretty obvious) and held onto the dryer chairs which they recycled into seats at the dining tables. The food was out-of-control good. We had the lemon zest olives to start and then I had the BLTA and Mike had the Salmon Gravalax sandwich, both of which came with homemade chips. We both completely devoured our lunches. The staff were wonderful, and happy to suggest any of their many delicious offerings if you’re having trouble deciding.
Afterwards, we drove to the National Civil Rights Museum, at the Lorraine Motel. The museum is set at the motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, and occupies the building across the street as well.
The entry fee is $15.00. It was a very emotional experience, being there, as well as being very educational. It is a lot of information to take in, so be sure to set aside enough time to fully appreciate it. Each exhibit is beautifully made and mostly interactive.
We walked down Main Street afterwards, and stopped into Bluff City Coffee. We took the well-made beverages to go so we could wander around a bit more. We popped into Red Velvet, a great shop filled with vintage and vintage inspired clothing and accessories. The woman manning the store was amazing and gave us a ton of great suggestions on bars and shops to check out. Across the street, we went into a thrift store called The Broken Arrow that was very cool.
It had an eclectic collection of goods ranging from teacups to CCR albums to cowboy boots. We checked into our new hotel, The Sheraton (thank you, Mike!) and decided to go jump into the pool. We had it to ourselves, so we swam around for a while before going back to the room to get ready for our last night out on the town. Our first stop was The Peabody Hotel to have a Jack Daniels cocktail in their Corner Bar.
We went to Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous for dinner, which was just across the street and down an alley from The Peabody. We got seated right away in their main dining room. We started with the sausage and cheese plate, which seemed to be a staple on menus in Memphis. It was served with a heap of saltine crackers and it was AMAZING.
For our entrees, I had the beef brisket and Mike had the pork ribs, both served with beans and cole slaw. We sat in silence as we ate, attacking everything on our plates and sneaking bites of each other’s food without asking. The meal was so good, we had to sit there for a minute after to get ourselves out of the food coma.
After dinner, we went to the Absinthe Room above King’s Palace Café. While Mike partook in the namesake drink, I ordered a gin and tonic. Just the smell of the absinthe (black licorice) made me feel sick to my stomach. It was more of a dive bar, with three pool tables, each in their own little room. There was a jukebox in the bar that the patrons kept playing The Eagles on, and a couple at the bar that paid for their drinks all in quarters. It was an interesting and lively crowd that we enjoyed being a part of, even if it was only for the one drink.
When we finished our drinks, we went to Wet Willie’s to sample their boozy slushies. The slushies were just alright, but the two man band that was performing while we drank them was fantastic. We had planned to take our mediocre slushies and walk, but changed our minds when they started playing. From there we went to BB King’s to pay tribute to the blues legend with a beer. They had a soul cover band playing and everybody danced.
From that point on, things became a little hazy. I know we had a few more drinks, and I know we made a stop into a couple of souvenir shops and bought a few things that we didn’t really need (I’m looking at you, Elvis clock!).
Restaurant and wandered in. Somehow I wound up onstage singing 
check out the ticket situation. The cheapest tour was $36 a person and the prices went up to $72 a person for the VIP tour. I read somewhere online that you could go up to the gate and peak at the mansion for free, but they shot that idea down real quick. The woman at the guest relations 
counter told us that we were only allowed to do that from 7:30am to 8:30am. So we didn’t see the house. But! We did look around the overpriced gift shops for a bit. The area was starting to get crowded with tourists, so we bypassed the additional Elvis Museums and themed diners and moved on.
The old recording equipment was preserved and in the same studio they used to record the greats. The number of artists and albums associated with Stax Records is staggering, and you can feel the full affect of it as you walk through the hall lined with all such records. You exit through the gift shop, I’m a sucker for a good gift shop, and this one’s filled with unique gifts, records and miscellaneous music memorabilia. The museum is definitely a must-see in Memphis.
ordered a gin and tonic. Just the smell of the absinthe (black licorice) made me feel sick to my stomach. It was more of a dive bar, with three pool tables, each in their own little room. There was a jukebox in the bar that the patrons kept playing The Eagles on, and a couple at the bar that paid for their drinks all in quarters. It was an interesting and lively crowd that we enjoyed being a part of, even if it was only for the one drink.
When we finished our drinks, we went to Wet Willie’s to sample their boozy slushies. The slushies were just alright, but the two man band that was performing while we drank them was fantastic. We had planned to take our mediocre slushies and walk, but changed our minds when they started playing. From there we went to BB King’s to pay tribute to the blues legend with a beer. They had a soul cover band playing and everybody danced.
From that point on, things became a little hazy. I know we had a few more drinks, and I know we made a stop into a couple of souvenir shops and bought a few things that we didn’t really need (I’m looking at you, Elvis clock!).
brush fires as we drove through Southern Illinois. Some were small and would probably put themselves out, but some we passed were scary big and had firetrucks rushing toward them. I had never seen anything like it, the smoke was clouding up both sides of the highway. As we approached Memphis, we passed over the Mississippi River, with the huge glass pyramid Bass Pro Shop looming to our left. When we reached our hotel, we checked into our room, only to 
discover we were put into a room with double beds. This was one of the few reasons I was a little underwhelmed with the hotel. But, that’s what you get when you book budget I guess! We took solace in the fact that it was simply a place to sleep and we wouldn’t be spending much time there. Mike and I headed out to explore pretty quickly after checking in. We could see the river from right outside our hotel, and we passed some beautiful buildings and parks on our way to Main Street. We had dinner at The Majestic Grille, a restaurant fashioned to look like an outdoor movie theater with palm trees and twinkly lights.
Sabrina (the original with Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart) played in the background as we waited 20 minutes for our beers to arrive. However, the trouble was soon 
forgotten when they brought over a basket of delicious,
They played a good mix of old and new tunes, and even did a couple covers. Halfway through, Dave Grohl invited an old Battle of the Bands foe to join him on stage, and they sang “Under Pressure”.
We went to Club 152, enchanted by the music coming from inside and happy about the no cover. After a while, we called it a night and wandered back to the hotel. The next morning, we went down to enjoy our free breakfast only to discover that it had already closed… at 9am. What?? So we walked over to Café Keough on Main Street for some coffee.
While the service wasn’t full of Southern Hospitality, the café was gorgeous, their menu was unique and my latte was superb. We walked through Memphis Park and over to the pedestrian walkway bridge that leads to Mud Island.
of a mini Bourbon Street in NOLA (check out the New Orleans blog 
over the guitars in the gift shop. We went to the
Our tour guide was knowledgeable and charismatic and punctuated each music fun fact with a song that was recorded in the studio. In the same building is a café and gift shop which was fun to browse.
Later that evening, we went to Flight Wine Bar for dinner. We each got a wine flight with dinner, I had the Sibling Rivalry, all white wines. For dinner we got a few small plates to share, including: veal scallopini, chicken and waffles, and shrimp and grits. The food was so flavorful and had me wishing we had ordered more than small plates.
After dinner, we walked back to Beale Street and sat down at King’s Palace Café Blues Patio to listen to some good music and enjoy a Beale Big Ass Beer.
We sat by the window and waited for a waitress that never came. When we went to the bar to get a drink, we were told we would just have to keep waiting at the table. We didn’t mind waiting because the music was so good, but it did take an awfully long time for two measly drinks. After the band finished, we ended our night back at the hotel with a game of rummy and a bottle of wine.
To Be Continued…
Earlier in the year, Mr. Grohl broke his leg, but instead of cancelling the tour, he had an amazing Rock ’n’ Roll throne made to play from. It was adorned with guitar necks and strobe lights, and had the Foo Fighter Logo emblazoned on the chair back. After the show, we hopped back over to Beale Street for some cheap drinks and Blues.
While the service wasn’t full of Southern Hospitality, the café was gorgeous, their menu was unique and my latte was superb. We walked through Memphis Park and over to the pedestrian walkway bridge that leads to Mud Island.
Venturing a little further down Beale Street, we ended up at Jerry Lee Lewis’s Café for a night cap. There was an amazing rockabilly band playing when we arrived, called Smooth and the Bully Boys.
Our first meal included Shabu Shabu, a Korean style hot pot, and bibimbap, a vegetable and rice dish. By the time we made it back to my cousin’s apartment, I was spent. We talked a little bit about what I wanted to do while I was there and she showed me the guest room before I passed out. Katie obviously still went to work while I was there, which allowed for a good balance of having her as my Seoul guide and giving me time to explore on my own. Most days started with a hike through Namsan Park, which was walking distance away from their apartment.
The park was gorgeously maintained and every time I walked through it I tried to go a different way. The walk up to
to the Pont des Arts in Paris. After my walks, I’d head back to the apartment to meet up with Katie and zip around Seoul on her Vespa. We browsed the markets, ate street food, and saw the sights. Not many of the locals spoke English, but I found I could get by with knowing just two Korean words: hello (“annyeonghaseyo”) and thank you (“kamsahamnida”). I picked up a few more as I went, but a hello and a smile went a long way. I loved browsing through the markets and haggling with the vendors. We went to Insadong and Namdaemun markets on one of the first days I was there. They both had their own unique atmospheres. 
Insadong was my favorite, with its great mix of new stores and old goods. I obsessed over the kitschy t-shirts and the traditional Korean masks, the red bean donuts from the street vendors and shoppers walking around with huge, curly ice cream cones (called Jipangi). My cousin had lived in Seoul for a while at this point, and knew all the best little restaurants with the most authentic Korean cuisine. We had Mandu dumplings, Tteokbokki (rice noodles in a spicy red sauce), Korean soups, barbecue, and kimchi, so much kimchi. Of course my favorite meals were the Korean BBQs.
I loved all the banchan served on the side: the pickles, fish cakes, seaweed, bean sprouts, rice… so many little dishes crowding the table. The wait for the meat to cook at the table made it taste that much more delicious. All of that chased down with shots of Soju and glasses of beer mixed with sprite (it sounds weird, but it’s actually very refreshing). One night, we went out with Katie and her boyfriend’s friends for Korean Barbecue and then out on the town. Our first bar stop served us a plastic-lined picnic basket filled with ice, fruit and an amazing punch, with extra-long straws poking out.
One of my favorite places that Katie took me to was Gyeongbokgung Palace, a beautiful historic site that we wandered through for a full afternoon.
The architecture, koi ponds, and gardens were stunning, and with the addition of the blooming cherry blossoms, it was almost impossible to leave without taking about three thousand pictures. We also walked to the King Sejong statue, which was very close to Gyeongbokgung Palace.
When I had a morning to myself , I took a taxi to Jogyesa Buddhist Temple, with help from a note that Katie wrote in Korean for the driver. The temple was starting to be decorated for Buddha’s birthday, which is in the beginning of May. It was absolutely breathtaking.
There were lanterns of every color strung up in the trees to form a canopy over the courtyard. I listened to the prayers and lit incense, and tried to take in the whole scene. It was a very humbling experience to be in the presence of something so spiritual.
Afterwards, I met Katie at a traditional Korean tea house for a mug of thick, spiced tea with Korean cookies. The tea house was atop one of the stores in the market, and looked out on the cherry blossoms right outside the window.
We rode everywhere in Seoul on Katie’s Vespa, which was so exciting and a little scary. We rode up steep hills in the mountains, and in traffic through the city – everywhere.
The Island, a popular destination thanks to a famous Korean Soap Opera: Winter Sonata, was like a fairytale. The main walk was lined with white, balloon-shaped lanterns. There 
were interesting statues at every turn, and a man in what looked like a smiling potato costume acted as a mascot. We rode a four person bike-mobile around the island, taking in the scenery. I had one of my favorite delicacies, a red bean bao…ok, more than one. The island was only a little crowded, and we spent a good amount of time exploring and looking at everything there was to offer. They did have accommodations on Nami Island, however, they book pretty far in advance so we 
ended up staying elsewhere. We took the ferry back to the mainland and had a delicious dinner of Dak Galbi, a specialty of the area made with rice cakes, chicken and spicy sauce, then took a taxi to our hotel. The hotel happened to be in the middle of nowhere, which was weird enough, before you factored in the rave that seemed to be happening next door to the hotel. It was a long day, we just rolled with it. We put Louie to sleep in the hotel room, and sat on the porch and drank Cass beer and talked. It had already been an amazing trip and I still had a few days to go.
We had a pretty low-key day after Nami Island, taking our time getting back to Seoul. Katie dazzled us with her fabulous Korean cooking skills for dinner. After dinner, we planned out what else I should do before I returned to Chicago; referring to the Seoul Bucket List I had made in the beginning of the trip that was now mostly crossed off. On Katie’s suggestion, I took another solo excursion to the National Museum of Korea, where I spent a few hours learning more about the amazing country I had become so fond of. The museum was very large, and had an outdoor portion with gardens and statues. I wandered through these and stumbled upon a waterfall full of very vocal frogs, aptly named Dragon Falls. They were so loud, I ended up staying awhile on a bench, just listening.
After exploring the museum, I, again, met up with Katie and we were off to wander around Bukchon Hanok Village, an area of traditional-style houses. It was a beautiful time warp in the middle of this bustling city.
From there, she very generously allowed me to give in to my shopping addiction and took me to a few cute neighborhoods to browse, including Myeongdong, a hip fashion area.
She also had directed me to one of the more famous department stores, Shinsegae, where I fell in love with Korean Fashion and got hopelessly lost in the underground market below. I walked up and down the aisles, searching 
for the exit that would lead me to the corner I was supposed to meet Katie at. While I wandered, I still shopped, of course, and marveled at the interesting, bargain fashions. I finally made it out, and found my cousin. It was a moment equivalent to a toddler finding their “lost” mom in a supermarket. I was so happy to see her.
mackerel and went out for a beer on Hongdae, a popular club-y neighborhood in Seoul. On one of my last evenings in Seoul, Okjung invited us to her apartment for a home-cooked meal. She made us Pajeon (scallion pancakes) and other delicacies, and we talked about Korea, writing, and life in general. We had a lovely time with Okjung and her husband, and I’m happy to have had the opportunity meet them. On my last day in Seoul, Katie and I rode a tandem bike along the Han River in Hangang Park. I didn’t want to leave. I enjoyed everything about this trip: the people I met, all the food, shopping, sights…everything. Seoul inspired me. In a way, Korea is the reason I started this blog. The first picture I posted on RebeccaWanderlusting is me at Gyeongbokgung Palace. Seoul gave me some soul, and led me to this amazing adventure I’m living now.
***Big, Big THANK YOU to Katie and James for housing me and being amazing tour guides. Your local expertise made this trip so much more than simple tourism. I love you both!
We go to Maiden Lake in Wisconsin every year for Independence Day, it’s a family tradition (as per my previous Lakewood, WI post). This year, I drove up with my boyfriend straight from Chicago, which was a first. We left at 6:30am on Friday, stopping for coffee first and then we were on our way. It was an easy five hour jaunt up through Milwaukee, Green Bay and straight on to Lakewood. We arrived just before noon and got ready to go on the boat 
right away. It was a perfect day to go out on the lake, warm enough to make you want to jump in the water but with a perfect breeze. We cruised around for a bit and then stopped for cocktails and snacks, which were stored in the coolers. It was a perfect afternoon of lounging out on the water. After snacks, I was talked into trying to water-ski, which was a painful failure. If I didn’t get a mouthful of lake water getting pulled directly out 
of the skis, I was flying backwards with the skis pulling my legs out to the sides. I did manage to get up halfway on the skis once, but I got so excited that I flung my hands up in the air, effectively letting go of the rope. I called it quits after that and we headed back to the cabin to tie up the boat and get ready for dinner. There are a lot of great restaurants and supper clubs around Lakewood, but because of the holiday weekend and the size of our group, it’s usually easier to make dinner at home. The end result is always delicious, and enjoyed on the porch in good company. After dinner a few of us walked from the cabin to the Maiden Lake Supper Club to enjoy a drink al fresco on their deck by the lake. The Supper Club is a Maiden Lake institution and is really the only the restaurant that’s actually on the lake.
There is always a wait to enjoy their large portioned, comfort foods and seating in the bar and on the deck is always limited. Luckily, we were able to get a table and enjoy the sun setting over the lake. On our walk back, we admired the other cabins along the lake. Some were 
newly built, and some maintained their rustic charm. My favorite had a small red box on a post with the title Maiden Lake Library on it out front. Its front window displayed an array of books, with take one leave one written under the shelves. We came home to a giant bonfire behind the house primed and ready for s’mores making. It was a perfect ending to our first day at the lake. The next day was July 4th, and I woke up early to paddle-board before the bigger boats came out. It is the most peaceful thing to be out in the middle of the perfectly-still lake on the paddle-board. After I got my fill of inner peace, we started our Independence Day celebrations early with a huge breakfast. The best part of 
lake life is that everything revolves around when we can get out on the boat. While half of us cleaned up from breakfast, the rest of our group readied the boats to take them out for the day. We set shortly after, split between two boats. I tried to ski again, and this time I was finally successful! I got up for a while and was satisfied enough to quit while I was ahead. The boats met up to anchor and so we could swim and sip cocktails in the sunshine. When we docked for the day, my boyfriend and I went to the grocery store for burger fixins and then drove down the road to Sweet Memories, an amazing candy store in Lakewood. 
contestants did not disappoint. There were Minions, Pirates, Winnie the Pooh, and even Snow White and her seven buddies showed up for the occasion. The next holiday festivity was our annual trip to the best ice cream stop in the Midwest, Northern D’Lites. They have delicious soft serve in an ever changing cycle of flavors and all the usual suspects as far 
as frozen treats go. It’s a humble pick-up window surrounded by picnic tables, complete with friendly staff and a long line of customers. After our collective sweet tooth was satiated, we drove off to find parking for the fireworks show, which we watched in the back of my uncle’s pick-up truck. The fireworks display is always great, and this year it was the same. However, the 
next day, we were assured by one of the grocery store clerks at True Value that this year was a little lean because next year is the town’s centennial, which they will go all out for. Our last day at the Cabin, my boyfriend and I spent the morning Kayaking to one of the beautiful inlets on the south side of Maiden Lake. Our whole crew had one last spin around the lake in the speed boats and one last swim before we put away all of the boating gear, took the boats out of the water, and closed up the cabin. It’s always sad leaving, but hopefully we’ll be back sooner rather than later. On our way home, my boyfriend and I stopped at two vastly different but equally important Wisconsin landmarks. The first was Bagley Rapids in Mountain, WI and the second was Mars Cheese Castle in Kenosha, WI. Bagley Rapids is a beautiful park and campground in the Nicolet National Forest.
We had to drive down a very narrow, dirt road to get to the parking lot, which was very small and perhaps the wrong parking lot. However, we finally made it down to the rapids, which we heard before they came into view. It was a gorgeous scene. We were able to take a walk along the side of the rapids before we had to get back to the car and continue on home. We drove for another three hours before reaching Kenosha, the location of the famous Mars Cheese Castle.
I’ve passed it many times without exiting the highway to visit, but this time we exited route 94 and pulled into the parking lot of the castle. It is a mecca of cheese, sausage and condiments. It is also one of the last stops on the highway to pick up some New Glarus beer, which is only available in Wisconsin and so delicious. I have to say, it was pretty expensive compared to other stops ($3 extra for a 6-pack of Spotted Cow). We purchased some cheese, sausage and beer regardless of the price and stopped in the restaurant for a bite to eat before finishing the drive to Chicago. We both had bratwursts, which were very good, but the service was slow and without a smile. The rest of the drive went smoothly, and soon we were home safe and sound. Before long, I was asleep, dreaming of being back at the lake.
rebeccawanderlusting 