how to travel on a budget: accommodations

Posted on September 6, 2013 by jaunt blog

a stay at the parker palm springs with a deal from jetsetter

turns out that traveling can be an expensive hobby, especially when your hotel is costing you an arm and a leg. call me crazy, but when i travel, i tend to spend minimal time in a hotel. while i like to stay in cool places with a great atmosphere and helpful staff, the costs can really add up and take over my travel budget. over the past several years, though, i’ve seen an amazing number of resources pop up devoted to budget travel, many of which have really good deals for hotels. here, i’ve pooled together some of my favorites for obtaining cheaper accommodations.

subscribe to every budget travel site you can find. my personal favorites are the ones that include luxury accommodations at discounted prices. try jetsetter, tablet hotels, and living social (check out their escapes section). through jetsetter, my husband and i spent a night at the luxurious and quirky parker palm springs for under $160 (to this day, my favorite hotel). my best friend and i were able to score a hotel one block from union square in san francisco for under $180 per night (rarely can you find anything in that area for under $250). and for our honeymoon, i found a great deal on jetsetter for the hotel hera in athens. it was walking distance to the acropolis, subway, and pedestrian mall, our room had a balcony with a view of the acropolis, and, best of all, we paid in USD and were therefore not subject to fluctuations in the euro. amazing.

our hotel in sedona, purchased from a deal on sniqueaway.com (now owned by jetsetter)

our fantastic hotel in sedona (our room had an outdoor shower!), purchased from a deal on sniqueaway.com (now owned by jetsetter)

try an apartment instead of a hotel. when my best friend and i were planning our trip to barcelona, we were struck by how expensive meals were. our solution? we booked an apartment for a week instead of a hotel. the apartment gave us plenty of room to spread out, cost less per night than a hotel in a similar area, and allowed us to have a kitchen where we could prepare lunches or snacks from food purchased at the market. this cut down significantly on meal costs, and we were ~~happy to make our own bed~~ fine with not having our bed made each morning. try airbnb for apartment rentals (or rent a private room in someone’s house/apartment for even cheaper), or search local apartment rental sites online.

just washing some dishes at our apartment in barcelona!

just washing some dishes at our apartment in the fashionable el born district of barcelona!

travel in non-peak times. ok, so this isn’t rocket science, but its true. a hotel room on a tuesday night is cheaper than one on a saturday night. however, not all of us have the luxury of unlimited vacation days to spare on midweek travel. instead, try traveling during non-peak months. i have a friend who always takes a trip with her husband over labor day; since kids are already back in school (or soon to be in school), she is able to find cheaper flights and hotels. my husband and i visited new york in the middle of december once for crazy cheap prices. it was after the thanksgiving rush, but before the christmas rush, and both our hotel and flights were much cheaper than usual. january and february are also inexpensive travel months.
sign up for every hotel point system, especially if you travel for work. points can add up fast, especially if you take advantage of promotions throughout the year. my marriott points from work have allowed me to stay for free for five nights in dc, two nights in seattle, countless nights in random cities for weddings, and one night at the ritz in half moon bay as part of our california central coast trip last year. i don’t have the matching hotel point credit card, but some of my coworkers have seen even more increases in points through that.

those are some of my favorite tips. what are yours?

our personal fire pit at our free room at the ritz in half moon bay – thanks, marriott points!

jaunt chats: texas hill country

Posted on August 29, 2013 by jaunt blog

biking through central texas hill country

during my husband’s and my anniversary trip to san antonio a few weeks ago, i was struck by the beauty of that part of texas. rolling hills covered in dense trees make for a picture not at all what most people expect when they think of texas. my husband, parker, has always loved this area, and recently went on a biking trip through hill country with some of his friends. his stories of german-settled towns and gorgeous scenery were so great that i had to share. read on, and then come explore this part of texas!

the boys while biking through hill country, texas

jaunt: where did you travel, and when?
parker: three of my friends from high school and i traveled to central texas (an area of the state known as the “hill country”) in early october for a biking/camping/drinking trip. the hill country is located south and west of austin and extends basically from west of san antonio all the way to a bit north of austin. two of my friends and i set off down I-35 to meet kevin, another friend of ours, at his house in austin. after eating a few tacos at a delightful little dive off south congress in austin, we hit the road. we were at our destination in fredericksburg by 4pm.

jaunt: how did you plan for your trip? any good sites or books you’d recommend?
p: my friend, derek, bought a book called “biking trips across texas,” which had a bevy of great ideas. we ended up settling on a route that would allow us to stay in fredericksburg one night and then camp in two highly recommended state parks the following two nights. fredericksburg is a really cool place and should be a must-visit for anyone who is going to that part of texas. we also learned the hard way that if you’re planning an “active” trip with friends, it’s essential to find out who already has certain pieces of gear. even though four of us were biking, we were together the whole time, so you only need one bike pump, etc. thankfully we didn’t end up needing much of the gear we brought, but it’s good to always plan out who should bring what ahead of time.

the boys taking a break during biking

jaunt: ok, aside from planning out our gear in advance, what are the three things jaunt readers must do or see while in the hill country?
p: if you are going to spend any time at all in the texas hill country and are inclined toward being outdoors, then you will not be short of things to do. here are my top three:

1. spend a night at lost maples state park and have your mind changed forever about texas being a flat, ugly state without any trees. due to some geographical oddity, this part of texas is filled with stands of maple trees that would be more at home in the northern united states than in central texas. when you combine the maple trees with gently flowing streams and gorgeous, rugged hillsides, there is no wonder that the park general store sells a coffee mug that proudly proclaims, “Lost Maples State Park: The Most Beautiful Spot in Texas!” side note: i bought said mug for my wife, so if you come over to our house for a cup of coffee then you can see it for yourself!

a river runs through it

2. take a dip in the frio river. we spent the third night of the trip at garner state park, which is about 25 miles from lost maples. garner was also really beautiful, but was a bit more crowded than our previous camping experience. one of the highlights of this particular state park is that the frio river flows right through the middle of it. the frio is spring-fed, so its water stays very cold all year long. the region was in the midst of a heat wave when we there, so swimming in the frio felt completely amazing. the water is also really clear and you can rent paddle boats and inner tubes that allow you to lazily float and look at the fish.

frio river in hill country, texas

3. eat german food and drink german beer in fredericksburg. much of central texas was founded by german and czech immigrants, and the small town of fredericksburg (about 50 miles from austin) takes its heritage quite seriously. the main street of the town is lined with german breweries and german restaurants. we spent a night eating sausage – knockwurst, bratwurst, and weisswurst – and drinking an amazing array of beers. for those traveling from big cities, you’ll be amazed at the affordability of everything.

jaunt: what is the overall vibe of this trip/to whom would you recommend this trip?
p: the hill country is definitely a relaxing place. there are a lot of interesting towns, most of which are separated by beautiful drives. our trip was a bit different because we spent so much time biking (which can be relaxing in its own way but is probably best described as taxing). nevertheless, one can find anything in this part of texas – from nice resorts to bed and breakfasts to beautiful camping. basically, you can plan a trip to fit any vibe or mood.

go pro shot of biking through the hill country

jaunt: ok, i’m sold (minus the biking part). what did you read while traveling? would you recommend?
p: one of my favorite books is about this part of the world. it’s not about biking, camping, or the hill country, in particular, but it is about texas politics in austin in the 1950s. it’s called “the gay place” by billy lee brammer and it does a wonderful job of evoking the details of a certain time in a certain place. as any trip to the hill country will probably start or end in austin, it would make for a great read. there are also several books about road biking in texas, including the aforementioned one that derek purchased before our trip.

note: thank you to derek for all photos in this post!

hill country, texas

map-themed goods for the back-to-school blues

Posted on August 27, 2013 by jaunt blog

well, school is back in session. this usually means my travels are winding down since my husband is a ~~grad student~~ professor (doctor!), and is tied to the school calendar. our travel budget suffered a bit, too, with that whole “moving across the country” bit that happened last month! luckily, i’ve found some map-themed goods that are helping me scratch the old travel itch without yet hitting “purchase” on some tickets to mexico. i love a good map (i still use an atlas over gps whenever possible, call me old-fashioned), and these are some of my favorites i’ve seen lately. enjoy!

1. best made wonderful silk-screened maps (many cities available!), $140 2. city map glasses, $12.50 each 3. charlotte olympia discover brazil shopper tote bag, $532 4. madewell printcode scarf, $44.50 5. j.crew printed case for iphone 5, $9.99 6. ben’s garden “vintage brooklyn map” trinket tray, $98

my favorite: food markets

Posted on August 23, 2013 by jaunt blog

the gorgeous west side market in cleveland

traveling a lot can become pricey, and one way i like to save a little money is by buying food at markets rather than eating every meal out at a restaurant. my husband and i did this in santorini for several meals (ok, it’s a little more fun when you’re eating a homemade sandwich overlooking the aegean from a private balcony). and in addition to saving money, i’ve found that i really enjoy exploring food markets. they give you a sense of the tastes of that area, allow you to talk with a lot of people, and they tend to be in colorful, bustling settings that allow for some pretty cool people-watching. smaller restaurants nestled inside the markets can have fantastic food, at a fraction of the price.

though difficult, i’ve narrowed down the list to give you three of my favorites. each was unique and very specific to city in which it’s located.

granville island public market, vancouver, canada – hugging the water on granville island across from vancouver, this market has it all. aside from quite the delicious breakfast, the market has the most gorgeous fruits that runs on for aisles. nestled among the food are wine stalls, gourmet food displays, stationery stores, and more. but that is just the beginning. head out back to find granville brewery (we stopped to try a beer flight), more shops, and great views.

inside the granville island public market in vancouver

west side market, cleveland, ohio – i was in cleveland for work last year, and took a cue from 36 hours to stop by the farmers’ market. heaven. i ordered a crepe from crêpes de luxe and sat high above the stalls, overlooking the fantastic architecture (over 100 years old) and customers as they shopped for their day’s meals. i had no idea cleveland was such a foodie city, and if you’re laughing about that as you read this, then you clearly haven’t discovered it yet, either. home to many renowned chefs, cleveland knows good food, and this market is the hub of it all.

outside the west side market in cleveland with the welcoming crew

la boqueria, barcelona, spain – i briefly touched on this market in my post on barcelona, but it deserves another mention. colorful fruits are next to fresh fish are next to bright juices are next to a candy display. the market is overwhelming yet exactly what i was looking for as i enjoyed a fresh salad from puerto latino and a café from el quím. and since it’s located just off the la rambla, the large pedestrian mall, the people-watching is superb.

spices and chilies and fruits, oh my! at la boqueria in barcelona.

do you know of any markets i should add to my list?

los huevos at la boqueria in barcelona.

admiring the fruit at granville island public market in vancouver

my jaunts: santorini, greece

Posted on August 20, 2013 by jaunt blog

view of the santorini caldera from our balcony at astra suites

my husband’s and my second anniversary was a couple of weeks ago (see our anniversary trip to san antonio here), and it got me to thinking about our previous trips together, namely our honeymoon that we took to the shockingly beautiful santorini, greece. i had seen the photos and thought there was no way it would be so astonishing in person. yep, it was. santorini can be expensive, but let me tell you, it is totally worth it.

these guys run the donkey rides from the port to the cliff’s edge in fira. no nonsense here. you get on a donkey and you ride. no regrets.

where to stay
so santorini is an island with multiple cities, not just one city like many people think. fira/thira is the port city, and is quite busy. filled with a lot of tourist stores (this is where the cruise ships dock on a daily basis), it also has some hidden gems. one in particular is the donkey ride you can take from the port down below (the only thing at sea level) up a winding (and completely dangerous by US standards) path to the cliff’s edge where the town resides. i highly recommend this, and i highly recommend doing it at night, so you can’t see just how sharp that cliff is that you’re climbing. oh yeah, if you’re into clubbing, stay in fira.

climbing the stone path from the port to fira…on donkeys…in the dark. terrifying/awesome.

oia is the nicest city in my opinion and lays claim to the most beautiful sunset in the world (i believe it – keep reading). it is also the furthest away from the port, so if you’re staying in oia and want to explore the island, you will definitely need a car or need to explore the bus options. imerovigli is between fira and oia, and is where we stayed at astra suites.

overlooking fira from imerovigli in santorini

it is a 30 minute walk along the cliff’s edge to fira (which was a walk we made often and thoroughly enjoyed), which was just far enough away to get away from the crowds and enjoy a bit more of the true santorini lifestyle. i highly recommend astra (for more information on astra suites, see my triptease review) if for nothing else than you get the owner, george’s, suggestions for your time in santorini. which leads me to our next topic…

what to do
santorini was perfect for me in that it was big enough for me to explore and get to know another culture. but also small enough that you feel like you can sit at your hotel pool for a day and not feel guilty about doing nothing other than soaking in the breathtaking views. a few of my favorites things we did:

overlooking the caldera while hiking the santorini volcano

– boat cruise around the caldera – santorini is an island that was formed after a giant volcano erupted. there’s a chance it will still erupt. it’s the chance santorinians are willing to take when living on the island in exchange for living in utopia. the boat cruise we took sailed around the caldera and docked at the volcano site, which we hiked up while learning about the history of the island. we also visited the hot springs created by the volcano (which unfortunately have a strong sulphur smell) and swam in the sea while our captains made us dinner. we then sailed to oia where we watched the sunset while we were serenaded by saxophone (cheesy? yes. perfect? you betcha.).

swimming the hot springs in santorini – strong sulphur smells, but worth it!

– explore the island – we rented a car one day and drove around the island. we stopped at megalochori, a small, quaint, narrow, white, artsy town with a cute square that held tavernas and wineries and giant fuschia flowers that appeared to be fake they were so pretty. adorable.

town entrance to megalachori on santorini

we then drove to akrotiri, which houses the site of the (then closed) ruins of minoan civilization. we parked and hiked around the cliff to the red beach – stunning. it’s a small beach at the bottom of the red volcanic cliff just filled with people.

the red beach in santorini (see the throngs of people at the bottom of the cliff)

the next stop was perivolos, which houses the black beach on the back of the island – called the black beach due to the small black pebbles that line the water instead of sand – very good at exfoliating, but also so hot! kind of a party vibe if you’re looking for that (think tons of beach bars and thumping music).

pebble “sand” from the black beach on the back of santorini island

we wanted to explore a little more, so we hopped back in the car and headed to pyrgos, a quaint town on a hill in the middle of the island. an old venetian fort stands on top of the hill and inside is franco’s cafe, which provides sweeping views of the caldera and black beaches, all with classical music playing. it was quite nice after the craziness of the black beach. also, order a freddo. last stop: oia. best. stop. yet. the streets are narrow and the pedestrian paths are paved in marble and lined with art galleries, jewelry stores, and nice restaurants (a far cry from the tacky souvenir shops of fira). we parked just outside of town and walked in, which leads me to my final must-do of the island…

oia, santorini – so perfect for food and sunsets and watching beautiful people stroll by.

– eat fresh seafood in oia while watching the sunset. magical. at the edge of oia, we descended 250 OLD stone stairs to the bay of ammoudi. about 10 fresh seafood restaurants are located here and we had made reservations at dimitri’s, recommended by our trusty friend, george. we arrived in time for the sunset and sat at the edge (literally) of the bay. one wrong step and we could have easily fallen in. the owner’s wife is canadian and she waited on us and helped us order our meal – some mezedes (appetizers, and p.s. order as many greek salads as you can – they are divine), some wine, and one whole fish to split between us.

dinner at dimitri’s at the bay of ammoudi in oia, santorini

while the travel costs and accommodations can be pricey (do look into hostels or cities on the back of the island if that’s keeping you from going), santorini is worth every penny. i promise.

the santorini sunset, as seen from the bay of ammoudi in oia

jaunt chats: macau

Posted on August 16, 2013 by jaunt blog

macau landscape. source: see-ming lee link to photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/8698207921/

so…who’s heard of macau? i had heard some stories (mostly along the lines of vegas on steroids), but had yet to talk to anyone who had been. and then my friend, kate, was sent over for an entire month for a work project. bingo. read on for her recount of the this many-faced city.

first impressions
i was sent to macau, china on a work trip in february 2012. i had never heard of macau before i was told to board a plane in three days, so i spent a couple of days researching the macau and hong kong areas of china before i left. i found out macau was the las vegas of asia, except about ten times bigger and with much higher stakes poker. hong kong was a very western city with a large mix of ethnic and religious backgrounds. so i shoved as many work pants and sweaters into my suitcase as i could and headed out!

once i landed, i had to figure out how to get from hong kong (where my flight landed) to macau. commercial airlines do not fly to macau so i needed to take a ferry. i recommend anyone traveling to macau from the US stay the night in hong kong before and then figure out the ferry the next morning! you’ll be exhausted after a long plane ride and that way you can look up the ferry schedule in the morning and not have to wait – the ferries run about once every two hours. however, since i had to report to work the next morning, i had no choice but to wait for the ferry the evening i arrived in hong kong. i just missed the 8pm ferry and had to wait two hours in the hong kong airport until the 10pm ferry. not ideal, but i made it!

grand lisboa casino in macau. source: By WiNG (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons from Wikimedia Commons link to photo: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMacao_Hotel_Lisboa.jpg

i had never been to asia before, so there were lots of memorable moments. when i arrived at the casino in macau (we were investigating fraud at a casino, so i worked and lived there), people started taking my picture for no reason. i think it is because i’m tall and beautiful – ha!

i also liked watching my male coworkers interact with the very aggressive prostitutes in the casinos. if any male decides to visit macau, you must prepare yourself for continuous cat-calling in mandarin. one prostitute followed a coworker up to his room and knocked on his door!

asian gambling is much different than in vegas. no one drinks any alcohol – in fact, we had a difficult time getting an alcoholic beverage in the casinos. they drink tea and smoke cigarettes and concentrate on their poker game.

interestingly, macau was a portuguese colony and there were many catholic churches and beautiful cathedrals. i was in macau on ash wednesday and walked to a local catholic church for mass. there were a ton of nuns at the church – all of different ethnic backgrounds. they mostly spoke mandarin and some english, but they were very friendly and wanted to hear about the catholic community in the united states. they let me keep a psalm book in mandarin with a photo of pope benedict to give to my grandfather. he loved it!

st. paul’s ruins in macau. source: taken by stephanie (creative commons) link to photo: http://www.world66.com/asia/northeastasia/china/macau/lib/gallery/showimage?pic=asia/northeastasia/china/macau/st_pauls_ruins_1

i was not a fan on mandarin cuisine, but it was fun to get to try it in asia. there are a ton of high end restaurants and shops on the casino strip and each casino had a food court with a mcdonald’s, pizza and kentucky fried chicken – for some reason the locals seem to love KFC!

must-see sights
if you are going to visit for a day, you must spend a day walking around the casinos and people watching. i had so much fun walking through the casinos. the shopping is also fabulous; there are a wide range of shops, from high end like prada and gucci to cheaper local stores. however, the clothes are designed to fit asian women – so if you’re tall of curvy, nothing will fit. but accessories are still available and one size fits all!

senado square in macau. source: taken by lao loong. link to photo: http://www.world66.com/asia/northeastasia/china/macau/lib/gallery/showimage?pic=asia/northeastasia/china/macau/macau_largo_di_sen

if you like religious churches and cathedrals, macau has some very beautiful sites. i walked around the town one weekend afternoon and saw a handful of different churches. the downtown square area is also fun. i just missed chinese new year by a week, but the decorations were still hanging on the streets. there was also a traditional dragon dance in the square when i went – i’m not sure if they perform every day or if it was a random dragon dancing event. there are tons of cute china and stationary stores in the square. i would recommend walking around the city during the day, it can get pretty dark and confusing at night – the streets aren’t very well lit and the landscape is pretty hilly. you can definitely see the city of macau, outside of the casinos, in a day.

i also had fun experiencing a night club in a casino. unlike the gambling, the night clubs are very similar to vegas – think lots of glow sticks, glitter, dancing and alcohol. most people visiting the casinos are from mainland china or hong kong and can speak english, so you’ll make friends on the dance floor. techno music and avril lavigne were hot when i was there!

macau tower. source: By WiNG (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons from Wikimedia Commons link to photo: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMacau_Tower_2009.jpg

who should go
i would recommend anyone who is into gambling and likes to focus on the strategy and competition, as opposed to the social aspect. the gambling looks pretty intense. i didn’t get to visit a spa at the casino, but i heard they were very nice. the night clubs were also fun – so anyone into dancing and glow sticks would also have fun in macau. if you’re already planning a trip to hong kong, macau would be fun to see in a day or experience a night dancing and eating out, but i wouldn’t recommend planning a long vacation to macau, unless you really like the casino experience.

what to pack
i recommend packing layers. it can be cool in the mornings, but gets pretty muggy by afternoon. don’t forget eye drops and nasal spray – smoking is allowed everywhere, so your allergies can flare up if you’re not use to cigarette smoke. i would also bring a computer/iPad to communicate via email with friends and family. the internet in the casino was free and with the time difference, calling home is difficult. a small purse or something to keep money close to you is a good idea as well as pick-pocketing can happen. and lots of books/movies for the long airplane ride.

mandarin food in macau – photo by kate

last thoughts
you are probably going to stick out in crowds – so embrace the tourist mentality. most people were very friendly and helpful. and knowing a few phrases in mandarin before going would be helpful as well. most casino employees knew english, but taxi drivers, and local store owners did not. if you’re up for an adventure and aren’t afraid of experiencing new and different cultures a trip to macau would be for you!

old portuguese quarter in macau. source: taken by stephanie (creative commons) link to photo: http://www.world66.com/asia/northeastasia/china/macau/lib/gallery/showimage?pic=asia/northeastasia/china/macau/old_portugese_quar

my favorite trends: the neutral ankle strap flat

Posted on August 9, 2013 by jaunt blog

after three long, glorious weeks off work, life is back to normal. i went back to work this week and my husband is preparing for his classes he will teach this fall. i feel like summer just started, yet here we are, already in august.

though summer may be wrapping up, the texas heat is definitely here to stay. i’ve been looking for flats that are cool enough for the heat (walking around san antonio comfortably required as much skin to be showing as possible!), but in earthy neutral hues that won’t look quite so springy. searching online, i found a lot of options, and it turned out that all of my favorites had a unique addition: the ankle strap. how cute are these! (side note: i usually like to show options in all different price points, but i just could not resist showing all of these beautiful flats, though some are definitely out of reach price-wise.)

i’m also a big fan of ankle straps for traveling ever since a walking tour debacle when i made the ridiculous mistake of wearing slip-on sandals for a full-day stroll across madrid. i almost lost my shoe four times and kept stepping out of them on stair climbs (it was my first time to europe; excuse me for trying to look chic). sometimes people (myself included) shy away from the ankle strap because it can appear to cut your leg length in half. if that keeps you up at night (no judgment), then just find an ankle strap in a color close to your skin tone, and you’ll be good to go.

1. asos format leather flat sandal, $37.13 2. chloé two-tone ankle strap sandal, $525 3. loeffler randall erika ankle strap flat, $250 4. louise et cie carrie sandal, $117.95 5. lovins glitter flats, $118

travel tip: write home!

Posted on August 4, 2013 by jaunt blog

receiving mail is one of life’s greatest pleasures (admit it: you get excited when you receive a hand-written letter or invitation in the mail). how many of us, though, actually take the time to write a letter? the world of emails, texts, and ipads have left us no real reason to send mail, other than the joy it brings both the sender and receiver.

sending postcards from my trips is one of my favorite parts of traveling. i love buying cheesy postcards in bulk from tacky tourist stands or finding the perfect photo of a cathedral that is currently ensconced in scaffolding (lookin’ at you, milan cathedral!). my friends and family then get to experience a part of my travels, and with a foreign stamp, postmark, and photo – most of the time for just around one US dollar.

usually the most difficult part of writing to friends back home is determing – in a foreign language – which stamp i need for my postcard. i find it easiest to address the card first, and then show the address – with the country’s name – to the attendant. also, remember to jot down the addresses of your friends and family BEFORE you leave home; just trust me on that one.

happy writing!

my jaunts: san antonio, texas

Posted on July 31, 2013 by jaunt blog

two years and counting! celebrating at the monterey in southtown, san antonio

this past week was my husband’s and my second wedding anniversary. how it has already been two years, i do not know. since we moved back to texas from los angeles less than two weeks ago, we decided to celebrate our anniversary by exploring some of texas, and san antonio seemed to fit the bill.

the northern – and more quiet – end of the san antonio riverwalk

a short road trip away, san antonio far exceeded my expectations (and my expectations were not low). i knew it was a large city (7th in the US), had some nice parts of town, and counted the alamo and riverwalk among its attractions, but that was basically where my knowledge ended. i was surprised to find that san antonio has some really unique neighborhoods with restaurants that would excite even LA foodies, and with people that make texas proud. my three favorite neighborhoods included:

cuban-inspired design mixed with victorian surroundings at the hotel havana in san antonio

refreshing cocktails at ocho, just below our room at the hotel havana and overlooking the river

downtown/riverwalk – this tends to be the neighborhood everyone already knows. the touristy restaurants that line part of the riverwalk, and the alamo across the street ensure you don’t forget about little ol’ san antone. this time, however, i stayed at the hotel havana on the northern, and more quiet, end of the riverwalk. no tourists on this end of the river, but instead tranquil and lush paths a short walk away from all of the action. the hotel havana (found through jetsetter) is a beautifully designed hotel that i could not stop photographing (see my triptease review for more info). inside was the ocho bar and restaurant, which overlooked the river and served cuban dishes with a twist. around the corner from our hotel was the san antonio public library, in which we found the book cellar, a used bookstore owned by the library that charges next to nothing for books. we made off with over thirty books (including tons of travel books!) for less than $25. total steal. just across hwy 35 in the up and coming five points neighborhood is the cove, a taco and burger joint attached to a car wash, laundromat, a playground, and beer garden. because why not? get a taco and one of the fifty texas beers on tap in the back. oh yeah, and they locally source all of their ingredients. it just works.

fifty texas beers on tap at the cove in five points, san antonio

locally-sourced foods at the cove in five points, san antonio

king william/southtown – this is the place to be these days, and it is only a few short blocks south of downtown. king william is known for its stately victorian homes, some of which have been renovated into b&bs. around the corner on st. mary’s and alamo streets are rows of restaurants, shops, and bars (too much to see, too little time). we settled on the monterey for dinner and the blue star brewing company (in the same complex as art galleries and a coffee shop) for drinks after. the monterey had an atmosphere of a diner mixed with your favorite patio bar, but with food from a five star restaurant. we had several small plates of redfish crudo, charred squid with bonito and shirokara aioli, and a pork belly and egg yolk rice bowl. dessert of mochi rum cake with cherry ice cream finished the meal, which was just incredible.

the monterey in southtown, san antonio

pearl brewery – the pearl brewery complex just south of the lovely alamo heights and southeast of the historic monte vista is a renovation masterpiece. the old pearl brewery and surrounding area has been transformed into a mixed-use space for a branch of the culinary institute of america, world-class restaurants, shops, living areas, an event space (housed in an old stable), and a soon-to-be-opened boutique hotel. based on a recommendation from 36 hours, we chose il sogno for lunch, the famed italian restaurant from world-renowned chef and san antonio native andrew weissman. since we were there at an odd time on a tuesday, we didn’t have to wait (lines often reach around the restaurant), and the food lived up to the hype. i had spicy rigatoni with squid, white beans, and olives that was flavorful with a kick. the shops at pearl brewery are nothing terribly special, except for the twig bookstore, which focuses on books from and about texas.

welcome to pearl brewery!

excellent italian food at il sogno in pearl brewery, san antonio

more than the alamo and riverwalk, san antonio is now one of my favorite cities to visit. i will definitely return to explore more of southtown and the pearl brewery restaurants. do you have any san antonio favorites i should add to my list?

my favorites: art museums

Posted on July 26, 2013 by jaunt blog

my friend, kate, and i on the lawn at the getty center a few years back

i’m a bit of an art junkie; i can’t seem to stay away from museums in any city i visit. the more modern, the better, but i appreciate it all. here are some of my favorite museums throughout the world. there is no way to narrow it down to just three, so stay tuned for additions to this list throughout the year. what are your favorites?

the menil collection, houston, texas – my friend, amanda, found this museum while we were both visiting my parents after they moved to houston. known for its surrealist art collection (it includes a room with other-worldly gadgets, knick-knacks, masks, etc. owned by the surrealists – a personal fave everytime i visit), this is a must-see for every magritte, dalí, and miró fan. and best of all, it’s free.
peggy guggenheim collection, venice, italy – i visited this museum, housed in peggy guggenheim’s former home in venice, while studying abroad in asolo, italy. overlooking the grand canal, the museum includes art peggy collected throughout her avant garde life. i highly recommend the tour, which provides scandalous insights into the life of the collector. sadly, i have no photos from the museum, so please check out this google images link to see how grand the setting is.
the getty center, los angeles, california – it’s hard to not fall in love with the getty. overlooking west los angeles, the getty’s unbelievable views are rivaled only by the architecture and bright gardens within the musuem’s campus. i love(d) bringing a picnic to eat on the expansive green lawn, and then taking a tour of the latest photography exhibit. while it does cost to park (discounted after 5pm!), entrance to the museum and exhibits is…you guessed it…free!

the cactus garden at the getty center in los angeles

the gardens at the getty center in los angeles

my friend, amanda, and me at the menil collection almost 15 (yikes!) years ago. still one of my very favorites, even though my love for permed hair has lapsed.

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