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my jaunts: san diego, california

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the sunset cliffs in san diego just south of ocean beach

the sunset cliffs in san diego just south of ocean beach

at the request of two jaunt readers, i am including a post on san diego today!  san diego embodies southern california to me. it has all of the relaxation of the beach cities with a little bit of urban edge.  mix in a strong mexican culture (seen in its abundant mexican food restaurants and over-the-top dia de los muertos festivities), along with a strong armed forces culture (the navy is everywhere in this town from the uss midway aircraft carrier and museum to the naval base at point loma, and the marines have a huge base just north of town) and you have a city rich in personality.

i never know where to start with san diego because there is so much to do and so varied of choices.  let me give you just a taste of my favorites:

balboa park in san diego

balboa park in san diego

  • the culture – balboa park is home of the zoo, 15 museums, and gorgeous grounds, and is an absolute must-see.  i really enjoy strolling the pedestrian areas near the lily pond and japanese friendship garden.  for a quick (and perfect) break, enjoy happy hour at the gorgeous prado restaurant.  a nearby bandstand has an enormous outdoor pipe organ, and provides concerts throughout the year.  the old globe theater is also inside by the museum of man.  i am not a big fan of zoos, but the san diego zoo is a definite stop.  it’s famous, and there is a reason why.  the peacocks roam freely throughout the park and the pandas are too cute for words.  the orangutans are right there in front of you, hanging out inches from the glass that separates you.  my friend, nic, swears the dc zoo is better, but i haven’t been there, so you’ll have to be the judge.  the safari park is also supposedly amazing, though i have not visited, and it offers a zipline over the elephants, giraffes, etc.
cuuuute panda at the san diego zoo

cuuuute panda at the san diego zoo

  • the food – little italy is full of restaurants (mostly italian) and always packed with people.  everyone argues over the best italian restaurant, but i’ve enjoyed the pizza at isola, one of the newer restaurants in the area.  a stop at extraordinary desserts afterward is necessary if for no other reason than to ogle at the beautiful pastries and cakes.  nearby, just north of the airport, lucha libre offers the largest and most inventive burritos i’ve had.  as seen on diners, drive-ins, and dives, this place is known for its large and delicious burrito concoctions in an atmosphere filled with luchador mexican wrestling memorabilia.  the lines are long, so try to go during non-peak times.
the dining room at lucha libre in san diego - crazy big burritos!

the dining room at lucha libre in san diego – crazy big burritos!

  • the beaches – i stayed at the beach cottages on pacific beach during my last trip to san diego, and the beach culture is something else.  walking along the boardwalk, every house had a surfboard over the balcony/veranda, with wetsuits hanging on clothes lines outside.  beautiful people bike, skate, and run by carrying surfboards, walking dogs, or just grabbing a beer at one of the many establishments along the beach or mission bay drive.  lahaina beach house provides amazing views with a great patio, as does woody’s just a few doors down.  the olive cafe on mission bay has a warm atmosphere, as well.  also check out the embarcadero, a stretch of land along the san diego bay filled with public art, grassy knolls, and shopping.
brunch and view at lahaina beach house on ocean beach

brunch and view at lahaina beach house on ocean beach

  • the nightlife – the gaslamp district near downtown is full of bars, restaurants, clubs, and some of the city’s nicest hotels, and is completely walkable.  on one of my trips to san diego, we were able to walk from our hotel to petco park (home of the san diego padres), then to dinner, and later out for dessert and drinks. altitude sky lounge at the top of the marriott was named by travel + leisure as one of america’s best outdoor bars, and there are plenty of late night bars that offer reverse happy hours that run until midnight!
the dia de los muertos festival at old town in san diego

the dia de los muertos festival at old town in san diego

who should go: beach-goers, photogs, the overworked looking for some relaxation

what to listen to: mexican institute of sound

what to pack: a swimsuit, a camera, and a picnic for balboa park or the embarcadero

some of the desserts offered at extraordinary desserts in san diego's little italy

some of the desserts offered at extraordinary desserts in san diego’s little italy

technology thursday: travel websites that change it all

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imagine if you could have your friends and family fund your travel. where would you go? the sky is the limit!

imagine if you could have your friends and family fund your travel. where would you go? the sky is the limit!

i thought it would be fun to write a travel technology post each tuesday, complete with innovative websites, apps, etc.  then monday night turned into tuesday night and tuesday night turned into wednesday night,and now i bring you travel technology tuesday thursday!

on this inaugural travel tech thursday, i thought i would highlight a few sites that have helped me travel (and one that i can’t wait to start using).

just googling some info on northern california during a recent train ride from los angeles to seattle (stay tuned for post!)

just googling some info on northern california during a recent train ride from los angeles to seattle (stay tuned for post!)

1. triptease.com – my friend, katie, turned me on to this website, which provides clean, exciting layouts for personal travel recommendations.  anyone can join for free and start creating travel reviews – for hotels, restaurants, cities, you name it – with professional-looking layouts that scream sophistication.  check out jaunt’s recommendations here.  i have found this extremely helpful when planning a trip, too.  type in a city name, and you can instantly learn the hot spots in town from style setters’ recommendations.

a recent post i wrote on a restaurant in dallas on triptease.com

a recent post i wrote on a restaurant in dallas on triptease.com

2. trevolta.com – my friend, katie (and not the katie of triptease.com but another katie of auditing fame), sent me this site last week.  and – holy travel! – does this sound amazing!  basically, it’s like kickstarter for travel.  you create a page with your dream destination, when you would visit, what you would do, and – most importantly – how much money you need to make it happen.  and then you send to people to contribute!  say you’ve always wanted to go to brazil and would just love to go during the world cup next summer.  well, you could write up a post, estimate your cost, and send out to friends and relatives just in time for the holidays so they can fund your trip instead of paying for another bed, bath, and beyond giftcard (not that another bb&b gift card wouldn’t be amazing, as well).  the homepage also mentions “generous donors,” implying that strangers can be inspired by your trip and donate, as well.  the site is still in its planning phase, but it’s rolling out soon. sign up on their website and invite friends to get yourself to the top of the list.

my husband eating corn from the san luis obispo thursday night farmers' market, noted on eatwellguide.org for sustainable food!

my husband eating corn from the san luis obispo thursday night farmers’ market, noted on eatwellguide.org for sustainable food!

3. eatwellguide.org – my inner hippie from los angeles is coming out on this one. let’s say you’re taking a road trip from los angeles to dallas (ok, selfish thought as this was the road trip my husband and i made at least once – sometimes twice! – each year) and you’re sick of eating fast food while on the go.  there’s only so many chicken mcnuggets and $5 footlongs you can eat while being completely sedentary and still feel good about your life.  enter: eatwellguide.org, your quick guide to healthy and sustainable options while driving across the country (or visiting a new city!).  i haphazardly entered albuquerque, new mexico as a search term since this was often where we would spend the night.  the site returned two bakers, one bed and breakfast, two community gardens, six farmers’ markets, and ten restaurants that all promote sustainable food.  so much better than junk food!  and if you’re planning on staying awhile, they also recommend, co-ops, farmers, etc.

i just bought an iphone (after rocking the blackberry for 4+ years), and can’t wait to try some new travel apps during my trip to italy next month!  in the meantime, tell me which travel sites you love!

my jaunts: for love of the game

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a beautiful night for baseball at chavez ravine in los angeles

a beautiful night for baseball at chavez ravine in los angeles

all of this post-season baseball has me excited for, well, the best sport in america.  i haven’t always been a fan, though.  during a wildly fun trip to new york in the summer of 2004, my best friend dragged me to a new york yankees baseball game.  i was very skeptical of this outing (why do we need to go to the bronx again?) and frantically looked up safety issues for the surrounding burroughs.

my first ever major league game at yankee stadium with kim!

my first ever major league game at yankee stadium with kim!

once in the park, though, i fell in love.  the fans, the music, the hot dogs and beer, the players – i loved it all!  and it was so decidedly new york.  it was big and it was passionate and it was that crazy high of community you get at any great sporting event.  and it didn’t hurt that a-rod hit a walk-off home run to win the game (fact: i did not know who a-rod was at said game, but rather fell in love with hideki matsui).  riding back on the subway to manhattan (crammed full of fans, by the way – no safety issues there!), a long-time yankees fan struck up a conversation and, after hearing this was my first game, said, ‘after a game like that, you’re a fan for life.’  and so i am.

enjoying the game from the bleachers at the rangers ballpark in arlington

enjoying the game from the bleachers at the rangers ballpark in arlington

fast forward 9 years, and i’m now married to an avid baseball fan, which means we spend a fair amount of our summers watching baseball.  naturally, any trip to a major city involves catching a game or at least a stadium tour.  i’m looking for a map to track the stadiums visited (anyone have any ideas?  i’m all ears!), but in the meantime, please enjoy some photos and, of course, some lists.

the view of downtown pittsburgh from pnc park - stunning!

the view of downtown pittsburgh from pnc park – stunning!

  • favorite stadium overall: old yankees stadium (of course, it’s where the magic happened)
  • favorite view from the stands: tied between pnc park, where the pittsburgh pirates play, and petco park, where the san diego padres play.  one is on the water with the city in the background, and the other is in the middle of downtown san diego.  stunning.
  • favorite hot dog: the world famous dodger dog in dodger stadium in echo park, los angeles
  • favorite beer: the many microbrews offered at safeco field, where the seattle mariners play
  • favorite stands: the crammed and awkward stands at fenway park in boston (especially the green monster!)
  • favorite fans: the bleacher creatures :)
the view of downtown san diego from petco park

the view of downtown san diego from petco park

what are your favorite sports related sites to visit?

my jaunts: gypsy flamenco caves in grenada, spain

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a typical grenada balcony, as seen during our night stroll through the sacromonte neighborhood

a typical grenada balcony, as seen during our night stroll through the sacromonte neighborhood

so, honest truth: spain is my favorite country in the world (outside of the US, obvs). i’ve spent the most time there, i studied abroad there, i (somewhat) speak the language, i’ve learned its history and read its novels. and one of my favorite evenings out in spain was to watch the flamenco dancers in the caves in grenada. touristy? yes. but totally unlike anything i had ever seen before.

at the flamenco show at zambra maria la canastera in the sacromonte neighborhood of grenada, spain

at the flamenco show at zambra maria la canastera in the sacromonte neighborhood of grenada, spain

imagine my surprise when – while watching anthony bourdain’s ‘parts unknown’ – i saw those same flamenco dancers on tv talking with tony! and i’m not talking about a similar cave with similar dancers down the street. nope, anthony met and talked with the exact same dancers in the exact same cave over ten years after i met and danced with them.

one of the dancers at maría la canastera in the gypsey caves of grenada

one of the dancers at maría la canastera in the gypsey caves of grenada

a friend i was studying abroad with found this amazing deal where we were picked up from our hotel, brought to the cave for the flamenco dancing (which included a drink), watched (and participated in!) the flamenco dancing, and then were led on a night tour of grenada, which culminated in a perfect view of the lit alhambra from across the cliff. we thought – and rightly so – that it was one of our best nights in spain. we were poor students studying abroad and our idea of entertainment was the street buskers outside. these guys were a major upgrade.

a typical grenada balcony, as seen during our night stroll through the sacromonte neighborhood

this guy totally owned it. check out his castanets! think the kids in the back are having a life-changing moment?

click here to see a brief video of bourdain enjoying the flamenco. however, you’ll need to watch the full episode to see videos of the actual dancing and interviews with the dancers. and check out my photos from 2003 with the same dancers, all clearly taken before i invested in a digital camera (those were the old days, kids). enjoy!

walking through the grenada cobble-stone streets at night.

walking through the grenada cobble-stone streets at night.

travel tips: how to pack for fall style

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traveling in the fall or winter can be difficult due to the size and quantity of the clothes required to pack (e.g. those boots needed for cooler weather probably take up a little more room than summer’s teeny weeny bikini and t-strap sandals).  so, what to do?

  • wear your bulkiest clothes on the flight, including your boots, coat, and tote
  • try to bring only one jacket that works for both day and night
  • stick to one color scheme, or bring prints that all work together (note below the gold, browns, and black tones all work together due to the combos in the bags and jacket)
  • remember to keep your clothes appropriate for your travel – if you will be doing a lot of walking (like i do), then pack comfortable shoes.  perhaps replace heeled boots for evening with wedge boots or a flat that is dressed up with a lot of hardware.
  • pack accessories that can dress clothes up a bit so you don’t have to have costume changes throughout the day

see below for some of my fall favorites.  do you have any tips for packing for autumn adventures?

fall-travel-style

1. merona crewneck pullover with bird print from target, $19.99  2. banana republic regalia drop earrings, $39.50  3. burberry leather trim blanket wrap jacket, $995  4. alice & olivia bauery boatneck bell sleeve dress, $237.60  5. clare vivier re bonjour clutch, $143  6. kate spade montreal boots, $398  7. coach legacy turnlock tote in mirror metallic metal, $348  8. the french knot pointy skimmer in suede from madewell, $98  9. j.crew stretch skinny herringbone cargo pant, $98

my jaunts: where do i go next??

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one great thing about my job is that i currently earn four glorious weeks of vacation per year. this seems shockingly high given some of my friends’ vacation accruals (unless you live outside of the US, and then you are probably laughing hysterically that four weeks seems high). however, it is always so difficult to find the time to take it! i have so many ideas for future adventures, yet there just seems too little time to take them. this weekend i attended the dallas gilt city warehouse sale with my friend, becca, and i purchased the jetsetter (travel arm of gilt) bon voyage book. with it comes the ability to have a jetsetter concierge plan a vacation for me, even down to creating the itinerary and booking the hotels. this makes me very excited. excited is actually an understatement. i am giddy!

so now on to the difficult part: where to go? i’ll let you in on a few of my ideas, and please let me in on a few of yours! there is literally nowhere where i am uninterested in visiting, so the sky’s the limit!

  • southern africa – this is really at the top of my list. i’ve never visited africa before and, well, it’s huge. how do you even choose where to go in a giant CONTINENT? i read brendan’s adventures blog, where he drove a motorcycle through africa, and it has inspired me to explore the chobe national park in botswana and the red sand dunes in namibia. also, if you haven’t read his blog, you need to – beautiful writing and quite the adventure. i’ve also wanted to see victoria falls in zimbabwe/zambia and tour the wine country of south africa. sounds like i may be biting off more than i can chew, but when you’re already taking the longest flight of your life, you kind of want to take advantage of it. :)
  • yucatan peninsula, mexico – i have this vision of the most perfect road trip ever, but i’m still afraid for safety reasons of traveling to mexico (if you’ve been recently, please leave a comment letting me know if my fears are unfounded!).  i’d love to start in cancun, taking a brief jaunt to the islas de mujeres, where the beaches are supposed to be wonderful.  traveling south to tulum i could then take in the mayan ruins (though let’s be honest, can we really honor the mayans after the calendar-ending-in-2012 debacle?) and laze around on the breathtaking beaches.  next up would be a trip to the cenotes of the peninsula, which are these crazy sinkholes that have created other-worldly caves below the earth’s surface.  and finally, a trip to merida to see the old town and meet its people.
  • scandinavia – i don’t know much about scandinavia, but i’ve been drawn to it ever since the norway ride in epcot’s world adventure.  the design, the people, the bent on life – it’s all different and extremely fascinating.  i’d love to see the lush gardens, boat culture, clean streets, and try different foods.  from the cloud-covered island of litla dimun in the faroe islands to the glass igloos you can sleep in to view the northern lights in finland, i’m intrigued by the unique natural phenomenons that occur in this far north region.  viking river cruise, anyone?
  • turkey – well, turkey seems to have it all, and i’m always so excited to see friends post photos of trips here.  the markets look exotic with heaps of colorful spices; the country seems colorful and welcoming, with plenty to offer in the way of fantastic photo opportunities.  outside of the cities, the beaches are supposed to be beautiful, and the natural rock pools in pamukkale appear to be fake!
so where do i go? i’m leaning towards africa for the moment, but i am open to any suggestions. any if anyone has great ideas on how to fund these vacays, do fill me in on your secret.

my jaunts: brooklyn, new york

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kite day in the park in dumbo, with a great view of downtown manhattan in the background

kite day in the park in dumbo, with a great view of downtown manhattan in the background

“you know where i make my money?” the cab driver asked me as i sped to jfk, with williamsburg in the rearview mirror: “brooklyn.”

after several friends moved to brooklyn from manhattan a few years ago, i realized something must be up. after all of the years of carrie bradshaw scoffing at the idea of brooklyn, and cabs intent on never crossing that bridge, i figured it was just a place for new families escaping the manhattan crowds and artists in search of cheaper rents. while it does have a healthy dose of both, it also has – as i found on my short weekend trip a few weeks ago – action, vibrancy, and some pretty cool unique spaces.

mast brothers chocolate in williamsburg

mast brothers chocolate in williamsburg

the first thing that surprised me about brooklyn is that there are people everywhere. obviously normal in manhattan, but for some reason i didn’t expect this in brooklyn. there are also skyscrapers, fourth floor walk-ups, hole-in-the-wall restaurants and large, commercial bars. also, brooklyn is big. like, really big. like, i can’t walk across it like i can manhattan big. so where to even start? too overwhelming for one short weekend, i decided to narrow my trip to something i knew a lot about my from days in los feliz, los angeles: hipsterville. so, williamsburg it was!

a few resources i used for suggestions:

my husband and i started the trip by renting an apartment in the heart of northern williamsburg off of airbnb.com. for about half of what an area hotel would cost, we were closer to the action and had an entire apartment to ourselves. it was also really interesting to see how people live in new york. having a three bedroom house in dallas has separate issues (e.g. the need to purchase lawn equipment) than having a fourth-floor walkup in williamsburg (e.g. how to store your clothes when your unit has no closets). after leaving our things and changing clothes, we headed to spuyten duyvil’s backyard for beers and friends. when we started to want some food, we ended up at berry park, where i got a kick out of all of the skateboards parked inside.

beers in the garden at spuyten duyvil in williamsburg

beers in the garden at spuyten duyvil in williamsburg

saturday was spent reveling in the fall air (hello, city trench!) and covering a lot of ground. walking shoes were a necessity! after a delicious french-press brunch at egg (cash only, like many places in brooklyn), we took the east river ferry (it’s a boat, people) south to dumbo (district under the manhattan bridge overpass), where we strolled around checking out jane’s carousel, powerHouse books, and the loft dan humphrey grew up in before moving into the van der woodsen penthouse on the upper east side. brooklyn heights – with its brownstones, lush gardens, and great views of manhattan – is just south of dumbo, so we walked down the brooklyn heights promenade, enjoying the views of downtown new york and the crisp fall air.

the humphreys (dan, jenny, rufus - the whole bunch) lived here before moving in with the van der woodsens. if you don't know what i'm talking about, then you're not doing it right.

the humphreys (dan, jenny, rufus – the whole bunch) lived here before moving in with the van der woodsens. if you don’t know what i’m talking about, then you’re not doing it right.

after lunch at superfine, it was back up to williamsburg, where we checked out the sketchbrook project, which was one of my favorite finds of the entire trip (check out my previous post on it here), and mast brothers chocolate  (see photo  above), which i had read about in kinfolk and lived up to its reputation. i was extremely surprised and excited to find mast brothers chocolate bars being sold at poketo in little tokyo, los angeles, just one week later. a rest was in order to watch some college football (it is that time of year), at which point i saw roger sterling walk by. apparently celebrities aren’t just in la.

the baby soda jazz band playing in the delightfully intimate cafe moto

the baby soda jazz band playing in the delightfully intimate cafe moto

c’est christine mentioned great live jazz at cafe moto, and if there is one thing to know about me, it is that i like live jazz. so a few of us walked over and planted ourselves at a table next to the baby soda jazz band, where we stayed for about four hours. fantastic jazz, excellent food, wonderful company; the night could not have been better. we purchased two cds, called for encores, and had a generally merry time. would absolutely return.

baby soda jazz at cafe moto

baby soda jazz at cafe moto

with only one day left, we knew we had to cover a lot of ground. thankfully we had some friends to help. starting out with breakfast donuts at dough in bed-stuy, we savored lemon poppyseed and chocolate caramel sea salt donuts (hello, delicious), and then attempted to walk it off by crossing south into crown heights and then prospect park and park slope. the walk down eastern parkway was spectacular with leafy promenades, the botanical gardens, the brooklyn museum, the magestic brooklyn library, and finally into prospect park. the size of the buildings was completely unexpected as i did not realize just how large brooklyn was. i instantly fell in love. i can totally see why people move here and stay, and find it to have enough city while still being home at the same time. and since now the secret of brooklyn is out, you better get there fast. but you can rest assured that the cabs will be there, too.

donuts at dough in bed-stuy - with flavors that were too difficult to choose between!

donuts at dough in bed-stuy – with flavors that were too difficult to choose between!

who should go: indie music lovers, book worms, readers of kinfolk
what to read: motherless brooklyn by jonathan lethem
what to pack: comfortable flats or kicks for walking, light jackets for fall to take you from cool mornings and evenings into warm days

strolling through brooklyn heights reminded me of watching sesame street

strolling through brooklyn heights reminded me of watching sesame street

dancing in front of the majestic brooklyn public library

dancing in front of the majestic brooklyn public library

my jaunts: brooklyn, los angeles, oh my!

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a beautiful day in brooklyn spent walking along the east river

a beautiful day in brooklyn spent walking along the east river

apologies for the delay in posting – there are just too many things going on! i haven’t had a chance to upload anything substantial these past couple of weeks, but there are so many places i’ve gone and things i’ve seen that i want to share. with trips to manhattan, brooklyn, and los angeles in the past several weeks, i have too much to write and not enough time to do it. in the meantime, a few things i came across during my travels that i just adore:

  • the sketchbook project in brooklyn – this is a library based in williamsburg that also roves across the country and encourages artists, writers, even YOU to sketch in a notebook, tag with themes, send back to the project, and then allow others to check out your work. you are notified each time someone checks out your book, and you can check out others’ books through random selection or by searching with key words for themes people have associated to books. so hipster, so fun.
the sketchbook project library in williamsburg, brooklyn

the sketchbook project library in williamsburg, brooklyn

  • my new book – one of my favorite things to do in new cities is check out their independent bookstores. my friend, matt, took me to powerHouse books in DUMBO (Distict Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass…seriously), brooklyn, and i purchased a copy of “a week at the airport” by alain de botton. basically, he was given access to an airport for a week, and he writes about what he saw, his adventures, and who he met. there are photos. i cannot wait to read it. problem: i still need to finish infinite jest, and i only recently made it to the halfway mark circa page 600.
powerHouse books in dumbo, brooklyn, where i purchased "a week at the airport" by alain de botton

powerHouse books in dumbo, brooklyn, where i purchased “a week at the airport” by alain de botton

  • the magic castle – when i lived in la, i thought this elusive magic castle was dumb. basically, it’s this old castle-like house where a bunch of magicians go each night and perform tricks and illusions for members (and their guests!) who adhere to a strict dress code and pay a lot for dinner. except then i heard that neil patrick harris was the president. so off we went, underdressed in business casual but overamazed at the ridiculous amount of times i kept saying “no really, how did you do that??” no photos were allowed inside, but suffice it to say that the three stories worth of narrow hallways lined with pictures to the ceiling, a piano with a ghost that plays any song you request, and tricks performed up close and even in your hand will leave you amazed…and full from the delicious meal, as well. i shall return.
red carpet at the magic castle (like my work badge?)

red carpet at the magic castle (like my work badge?)

i hope you have been just as busy and exploring new places on your own. let me know if you’ve found any i should check out! i’m looking forward to being back in town for a few weeks to have some adventures around dallas.

my jaunts: road trip through new england

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the lighthouse at cape elizabeth, outside of portland, maine

the lighthouse at cape elizabeth, outside of portland, maine

a few years ago, my soon-to-be husband and i traveled to a part of the country i had been dying to see: the northeast. previously, i had seen new york and boston, but everything north and in the middle was unchartered territory. i had heard stories of the quaint towns and lush landscapes, and couldn’t wait to see it for myself. we booked a rental car, packed some seersucker and khaki (it was june), and flew to boston!

a quick train took us from boston to maine, which was our first stop, to visit friends in portland. so here’s the thing about portland: it’s adorable. unique shops line narrow streets with vintage-looking signs hanging from brick buildings. the sea is right there, and the smell of salt is everywhere. a lobster (lob-stah) roll is a must. as is a tour of lighthouses. i thought they would be on the outskirts of town and few and far between. they were not. they were everywhere! the one in cape elizabeth is a real winner, with a charming gift shop and stunning views. also, the land’s end flagship store is in freeport, and it’s pretty epic. buy some deck shoes and rain boots, and you’ll be good to go for the rest of your trip.

vintage-looking signs in downtown portland, maine

vintage-looking signs in downtown portland, maine

after a couple of days in maine, we decided to head west, first through new hampshire, then vermont, and ending the day in upstate new york. having lived in texas and california, the idea of passing through three states in one day (and having enough time to get out explore them) seemed absurd. but that’s just the crazy part of new england, and the one that makes map tests of that area so difficult (seriously – how does anyone ever remember which is new hampshire and which is vermont?).

the local watering hole in barnard, vermont - just north of woodstock

the local watering hole in barnard, vermont – just north of woodstock

in new hampshire, we stopped at dartmouth, and toured the campus. we walked the perimeter of campus and also toured the orozco murals, which were named a new national landmark this year. in vermont, we stopped in woodstock, where i instantly fell in love. now, my friend from vermont tells me that local vermonters make fun of woodstock – it’s just a little too pretty and too quaint and too on-the-highway-looking-for-tourists. but it was just right for me. from the adorable stores lining the main street to the woodstock crier chalkboard on the main square (feel free to leave your own note or announcement!), i was hooked. the woodstock inn and resort in the middle of town had me calling my mom and trying to call off my dallas-planned wedding in favor of a destination wedding to woodstock (don’t worry, she talked me off the ledge). all i’m saying is that it’s got charm. we took a detour to barnard, just a few miles north of woodstock, and enjoyed ice cream from a general store while we watched families play in the local watering hole.

the woodstock town crier - definitely fell in love with this

the woodstock town crier – definitely fell in love with this

we ended the day in cooperstown, new york, where we stayed at the inn at cooperstown (to this day, one of my favorite b&b’s – check out my post here). if you’re ever in town, you should a) stay at the inn, b) eat at alex & ika, and c) visit the baseball hall of fame. the hall of fame is extremely well done, and you get to meet phanatic (even though i’m a yankees fan, i still have a soft spot in my heart for the phillies mascot).

phanatic and me in cooperstown, ny at the baseball hall of fame

phanatic and me in cooperstown, ny at the baseball hall of fame

a day after exploring cooperstown, we were ready to head back to boston with a quick jaunt to cape cod. we stopped to check out smith college (where we ate at 40 green street – so delicious) as i had been reading sylvia plath’s journals from college, and basically was falling in love. what a beautiful campus! so crazy to think miss plath walked those same walkways so many years ago.

40 green street across the street from smith college

40 green street across the street from smith college

our final stop was cape cod, where we rented a house in dennis, and stayed for a few days. the weather was perfect, the beaches were cool and expansive, and i found my single-best nature discovery yet: the outdoor shower! a staple of cape cod homes, the outdoor shower is not to be missed. birds chirping and the cool morning breeze – it was perfect. and no road trip would be complete without a trip to a bonafide diner, which is exactly what we did on our last day when we visited grumpy’s in east dennis. great food, good people, and a perfect end to a relaxing week spent exploring new england.

my first experience with an outdoor shower - amazing!

my first experience with an outdoor shower – amazing!

who should go: those looking to escape for awhile, baseball fans
what to read: a moose and a lobster walk into a bar…: tales from maine, by john mcdonald, the unabridged journals of sylvia plath, edited by karen v. kukil
what to pack: layers! it gets cool at night.
when to go: we went in june and enjoyed gorgeous weather, but new england is also famous for its beautiful trees in the fall – book early and see the foliage in late september/early october (as long as a storm doesn’t beat you to it)