Margaritaville: Key West, FL

Welcome back Blog friends! Sorry I have been gone for a week but I am back and excited to share with you the amazing island of Key West, Florida. I just spent a week here during my last spring break as a college student and fell absolutely in love with it!

Key West is known as the southernmost city in the Continental United States. It is 129 miles southwest of Miami, Florida and is famously known for being the southern terminus of US Highway 1. I highly suggest you fly into Miami International Airport, rent a car and drive down the Florida turn-pipe to Key West. Although it is a one-lane highway the whole way, it is a breath-taking drive along the Florida coast and is a little under 4 hours long. It makes for a beautiful road trip!

Once you are there I suggest you stay at SunSet Key Guest Cottages, which is a Westin Resort located on its' own private island right off of Key West. These 1-4 bedroom cottages, are each designed in traditional Key West architecture and offering magnificent ocean views. Recently winning Travel + Leisure Magazine's Top 500 World's Best Hotels, Sunset Key is a fabulous vacation spot for a romantic get-away for two!

Sunset Key Island View

Sunset Key Cottage View

Located just 500 years from the historic old town of Key West, Sunset Key is accessible only by 24-hour daily launch service from The Westin Key West Resort & Marina. To learn more about this one & only resort check out their e-brochure here.

Key West is home to a number of famous names, beginning with Nobel Peace Prize winner and author, Ernest Hemingway. Legend has it that he wrote A Farewell to Arms while living above the showroom of a Key West Ford dealership in 1928. His home is now open to the public as a museum for tours. In addition, a number of songs have been written about this quaint little town and the song most associated with Key West is Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville.  

Once settled in, I highly suggest you take the launch service over to Key West and moeze around Mallory Square. Being the center of Key West's historic waterfront, Mallory Square stages the famous Key West sunset celebrations and is a must see attraction. Nothing is better and more quick than a Key West sunset. Check out these pictures from my trip:

Aside from the breath-taking sunsets, there are tons of attractions to visit while in Key West. Many visitors rent bicycles and explore the history and architecture of Old Town Key West. Boat excursions are also a great way to view Key West from the water. I suggest taking a sunset sail from Fury Water Adventures. Their Commotion on the Ocean sunset sail is tons of fun and offers a live band while you enjoy all you can eat and drink!

After exploring the island during the day adventure over to Duval Street, the bar and restaurant district, which includes many different night time entertainment options, all within walking distance of each other. Key West offers a great nightlife for all ages - be sure to check out the complete list of bars and restaurants here.

If you would like more information of Key West do not hesitate to ask by leaving a comment. This is a fantastic vacation spot and hands-down one of my favorite places in the entire world!

Until next time, waste away your time in Margaritaville!

The Big Easy: New Orleans, LA

Happy almost Fat Tuesday blog friends! It is finally Mardi Gras season and with that I would like to introduce you to the great city of New Orleans, a.k.a The Big Easy. Each year there are dozens of parades in New Orleans leading up to the big day of Fat Tuesday falling on March 8 this year. Beginning February 20, days are packed with several parades booked back to back where all ages can enjoy whether your on St. Charles Avenue with the family, catching beads from a Central Business District balcony or enjoying the floats on Canal before a night in the French Quarter.

If you are planning on heading over to the city of NoLa for a great escape be sure to check out the 2011 Parade Schedule here. Aside from being notably known for being home to the annual celebrations of Mardi Gras, New Orleans is also famous for its cuisine and birthplace of jazz music. The largest of the city's many music festivals is the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, commonly known as Jazz Fest. This seven day music festival is one of the largest music festivals in the nations, and I suggest if you can't make it out to New Orleans for Mardi Gras you must visit this city for Jazz Fest April 29-May 8, 2011.

While you are in New Orleans, be sure to venture over to the French Quarter and experience the vibrant architecture and unique feel of their intimate culture. The French Quarter, also known as Vieuz Carre - or the "Quarter" to locals, sits on a crescent in the Mississippi River and is New Orleans' oldest neighborhood. Full of architectural distinctions, delicious restaurants, and historical sites, the French Quarter is a must do. Check out some of my favorites within the Quarter:

1. Brennans Restaurant (best restaurant in town)
2. Bourbon Street (great nightlife)
3. French Market (fantastic flea market)
4. The Shops at Canal Place (designer boutiques galore)
5. Cooking Lessons at New Orleans School of Cooking

Aside from these hip spots, New Orleans is world-famous for its beignets which are square-shaped fried pastries that could also be called "french doughnuts." The best of the best are sold by street vendors or local cafe/coffee shops. You also have got to try po' boys, etouffee, red beans and rice, jambalaya, and/or gumbo while you are in NoLa.

After a long day of eating, drinking, and of course shopping,  my suggestion for the best place to stay is Hotel Monteleone located in the French Quarter. This hotel is a historic landmark and a member of Historic Hotels of America. It is said that the French Quarter begins in the lobby of the Hotel Monteleone. Quaint restaurants and specialty shops line the cobblestone streets around this hotel that lead to Jackson Square, the Old French Market and the River Walk. It is promised that each guest will discover New Orleans history around every corner.

New Orleans is a vibrant city for all ages - full of culture, history, and adventure! Take a walk on the wild side and venture over to the Big Easy.

Until next time, happy Fat Tuesday!

City of Angels : Los Angeles, CA

There is nothing better than a Red Carpet Sunday and a night at the Academy Awards. What else could be better to plan a trip to the City of Angels during this high fashion time for celebrities? My perfect escape for this week would have to be Los Angeles, CA as I gaze into the television watching beautiful celebrities walk down the red carpet in preparation to win the infamous award called an Oscar.

LA is a gorgeous and lively city located in Southern California and has been ranked the fifth most powerful and influential city in the world, behind only New York City in the United States. There are millions of things to see and do while your here but because it is Oscar Sunday I think it is important to start with Hollywood and the Kodak Theater.

 

Located in the center of Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard, the Kodak Theatre is the home of the annual Academy Awards (The Oscars).  In a fashion reminiscent of Hollywood's movie-making process, the building is dressed before the ceremony with the famous large red carpet. It is said that the theater is rented to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for weeks before the Oscar night. During the rest of the year, it host numerous live concerts, award shows, symphony performances and others.

While you're in Hollywood, another must see attraction would have to be the Hollywood Sign of course! Created as an advertisement in 1923, the Hollywood Sign originally read HOLLYWOODLAND. Its purpose was to advertise the name of a new housing development in the hills above the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. It is a great place to take pictures and look out over all of LA.

Some more must see landmarks in Los Angeles are:

1. Griffith Observatory
2. Capitol Records Tower
3. Crauman's Chinese Theatre 
4. Staples Center
5. LA Live
6. Dodger Stadium
7. Walt Disney Land
8. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

After seeing all those attractions, my next stop would be 90210 - most commonly known as Beverly Hills. While you are here the two most important things to do are to stay at the Beverly Hills Hotel and to shop Rodeo Drive. Having visited this part of LA this past January for the TCU Rose Bowl, I instantly feel in love. The shopping in this part of LA is fabulous and I highly suggest anyone who loves to prance around in luxury (even if you are not willing to drop 2K on fashionable items like me) to still check out this exceptional areas of LA.

Being as though LA is also home to American Idol I thought I would introduce you to one of my fellow friends, class mate, and role model - Tim Halperin - who has currently made it to the Top 24 on this season of American Idol. I want to leave you with a video of his and ask you to vote for him Tuesday night at 9:30 ET/8:30 CT here.

Until next time, vote Tim Halperin for America's next IDOL!!

Red, White, & Blue : Washington, D.C.

Happy almost President's Day America! I am excited to feature the wonderful city and capital of the United States, Washington, D.C. for this weeks blog post. I have always loved this city for its exciting energy and exclusive excursions that delight and inspire every American citizen.

Once I decided that D.C. was going to be there perfect escape for this week I started doing some research and discovered this awesome travel service called luxeDC. luxeDC is a service that helps plan luxurious trip to DC for individual travel or group/special events. Their services provide its customers with the amenities of a chic hotel collection, outstanding cultural excursions, and award winning dinning and shopping experiences that I would love to share with my readers. I suggest if you are making a trip to DC anytime soon that you explore their website and see what exciting deals they have to offer.

With Washington, D.C. being the home to our nation's capital as well a renown historical landmark, there are so many places to explore. Ideally, I would have to plan a full week vacation to be able to see everything and make it the perfect escape.

The following are my top 10 monuments/memorials/historical landmarks that I suggest any DC tourist to visit:

1. The White House
2. U.S. Capitol
3. Lincoln Memorial
4. Vietnam Veterans Memorial
5. Washington Monument
6. WWII Memorial
7. Jefferson Memorial
8. Arlington National Cemetery
9. Smithsonian Museums
10. Mount Vernon Estate

luxeDC does a fabulous job at giving their customers access to exclusive experiences with the above landmarks. Be sure to check out these inspiring excursions here.

As for hotel arrangements, I suggest to stay at The Hay-Adams hotel located in Lafayette Square across from the White House. This historic hotel is named after the distinguished residents who previously lived on its site: John Hay, Private Assistant to President Lincoln and later Secreatary of State, and Henry Adams, an acclaimed author and descendant of U.S. Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams.

With having 124 rooms and 21 suits, the Hay-Adams offers rooms with views of the White House, St. John's Church or Lafayette Park. To top off gorgeous views, this hotel also offers fine dinning at their restaurant The Lafayette. Overlooking Lafayette Square and the White House, The Lafayette is known to locals and tourists as Washington's preeminent destination for premium dinning. Ohhhh what a view this restaurant has...

I also highly suggest my readers to adventure over to Georgetown for some fabulous shopping. Located along the Potomac River, the neighborhood of Georgetown is absolutely breathtaking. Their cobblestoned streets are lined with internationally-known brands as well as independent unique boutiques. Shopping near Capitol Hill could not get much better than this!

Exciting new energy is thriving in Washington, D.C. and it is a perfect place to escape to for an unforgettable experience. 

Until next time, Happy President's Day and God bless America!

The City of Love | Paris

Happy Valentine's Day Love Bugs! I apologize for the late post but am thrilled that I get to introduce to you the fabulous city of Paris on this wonderful day of LOVE. Paris, France is ranked among the three most important and influential cities in the world and is widely know as the city of true love. What not a better place to escape to on Valentine's day!

My most favorite part about this city is the look and feel it has at dusk. It is a gorgeous city full of elegance and class.

 {Eiffel Tower}

{Arc de Triomphe}

The two most famous and well know pieces of architecture in this city are the Arc de Triomphe and the infamous Eiffel Tower. As for the Arc de Triomphe, there is a beautiful terrace on the top where love birds are invited to admire each of the twelve avenues that stem from the monument. Paris is literally at your feet as you look out over the capital's historic avenues with views of the place de la Concorde, the Tulleries Garden, and the Louvre.

Another famous love spot is the Eiffel Tower. Undoubtedly Paris' must-see monument, the Eiffel Tower was built for the World Fair in 1889 and took two years to complete. Romance is found by taking a lift up to to the third level where you and your honey will be among the clouds with an amazing 360 views of the city. Perfect place to dine for any special occasion.

This city has even more to offer threw its endless museums, shopping, and cultural districts. The most famous museum of them all would have to be The Louvre. Widely accepted as the "museum among museums", The Louvre offers a wide collection of remarkable pieces of art spanning thousands of years. Famous for the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Victory of Samothrace, The Louvre is a must visit.

{The Louvre}

After musuems and monuments, all over the world, when people think Paris, they think fashion. Parisians are known for their impeccable fashion sense and it is not surprise that Paris remains the reigning center of all things couture. One of Paris' major shopping districts, the Champs-Elysees neighborhood is home to both global and exclusive couture designers. On the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, you'll find worldwide upscale luxury brands as well as your everyday affordable chain stores.

To unwind after all the exciting places to visit while in Paris, I suggest you and your better half stay at the Le Meurice Hotel. Located opposite the Tuileries Garden, between Place de la Concorde and the Louvre, Le Meurice has remained known as the jewel in the crown of French luxury hotels since 1835.

Paris is a one of a kind city and a fabulous escape for love.

Until next time, au revoir and happy Valentine's Day!

Barbados

Hi Blog Fam! All these winter flurries in North Texas have resulted in 4 consecutive snow days for TCU and the DFW Metroplex and boy am I experiencing heavy cabin fever. I was planning on introducing my all time favorite ski lodge but this cold weather has made me want to keep day dreaming about basking in the sun on a beautiful beach. What not a better place to escape to than BARBADOS!

This beach looks like simple perfection to me. Pure bliss. The rich nature beauty of Barbados makes me want to stop building snowmen and put on my yellow polka dot bikini!

Located off the Caribbean, Barbados is a world where you can trade in the hustle and bustle of every day life for the pure relaxation of island waves. Drawing on its English, African and West Indian roots, Barbados has established its own distinctive identity. It is famous for its perfect, that's right - I said PERFECT, weather and being the birthplace of rum (YUM!).

With an average daily high temperature of 78 degrees and 3,000 hours of annual sunshine, it's hard to compete with such beautiful weather when you're stranded inside due to ice and snow. Aside from this amazing-ness, rum was discovered on this island 370 years ago from the sugar cane that populates Barbados. It is said that no visit to Barbados is complete without enjoying the popular drink of Rum Punch.

 

For all you snow bunnies out there that are day dreaming away about the tastiness of the most popular distilled spirit of Barbados enjoy this easy recipe for home made Rum Punch:

1 fl. oz. of sour = 1 part West Indian lime juice
2 fl. oz. of sweet = 2 parts simple syrup
3 fl. oz. of strong = 3 parts aged Barbadian Rum
4 fl. oz. of weak = 4 parts water
*Add a dash of berries - and a beautiful Barbadian beach - and enjoy*

Now don't you worry, I have found an amazing resort to go along with Rum Punch in hand. To complete this ultimate escape I would love nothing more than to stay at The Fairmont Royal Pavilion Hotel located in St. James, Barbados. This hotel is known as "the jewel in the crown of Barabdos" and  I mean who can complain about a place like this:

Once again, simple perfection! This hotel has great package deals and a unique schedule for all ages. From November 1 to March 30, The Fairmont Royal Pavillion is an adult's only paradise. A place to reconnect, unwind, relax and drink yummy Rum Punch. The summer months become family time and from April 1 to October 31, the hotel welcomes children of all ages with complimentary daily activities and entertainment for unforgettable picture perfect family vaca. So whether you are looking for love or to splash around with the fam, I am thinking Barbados is another perfect escape!

Until next time, enjoy that Rum Punch!

St. Lucia

Whether it is romance you are looking for or adventurous family fun, the lush West Indies island of St. Lucia is the perfect getaway for all varieties. Known for its' palm-fringed white and/or black sand beaches, miles of luscious rainforest and the majestic Piton Mountains, St. Lucia is a legendary escape from reality.

I must admit that I did not know much about this amazing island until all its' luxuries were introduced to me via the ABC TV show The Bachelor: Season 14. I think what sold this idealistic location to me the most was the 600 acre beach front resort that the bachelor, Jake Palveka, and his two final contestants stayed at called Jade Mountain. Winning Traveler Magazine's "One of the Top Two Caribbean Resorts" and Travel+Leisure Magazine's "World's Best Services" I instantly knew this had to be a place to check out!

{Photos : Courtesy of World Wide Vacation Spots}

The architecture of this resort is absolutely stunning. Architect and owner Nick Troubetzkoy created this hotel based on his philosophy of building in harmony with Caribbean nature. Each room is deemed a sanctuary with individual bridges leading to private infinity pool with the fourth wall entirely absent to embrace the beauties of the island.

"Expect grand sweeping spaces where bedroom, living area and an extravagant private infinity pool glide into one another to form extraordinary platforms floating out into nature."  

- Nike Troubetzkoy -

Weather it is a luxurious spa experience your looking for or exciting beach activities, you can find it all at Jude Mountain. Being situated in the southern part of the island, major sightseeing attractions such as the Rainforest, Botanical Gardens, and Sulphur Springs are all within easy reach it you decided to leave the premises of the hotel for awhile.

Out of all the eco-adventures offered throughout the island zip-lining through the rainforest is a MUST! For those zip-lining new-b's this exhilarating rush along a cable extended from one tree platform to the next is the perfect way to explore the beauty of St. Lucian rainforests. Check out www.adventuretoursstlucia.com for details.

For those of you looking for a more relaxing trip be sure to check out the spa, yogo, and fitness experience at Jade Mountain. Many of the spa treatments are available in the privacy of your sanctuary or in Jade Mountain's boutique St. Lucia spa Kai en Ciel. In addition to these classical body and beauty treatments, complimentary yoga classes and fitness options are available for guests.

{Photo : Courtesy of Jade Mountain}

St. Lucia is the perfect destination, whether you're after romance, rejuvenation or adventure. Personally, I think this is the perfect escape for a honeymoon as well as a legendary family getaway!

Until next time, safe travels everyone!!