Tag: weekend away

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Let's Look Travel

Let’s Look: Best Travel Tips


Hi everyone! Happy Wednesday! I hope you are having a great week so far!  It’s the second Wednesday of the month which means it’s time for another Let’s Look as I link up with Erika and Shay.

Here’s some of the past prompts. In May, we talked about our morning routines, in April, we talked about pet peeves, in March, we talked about Amazon purchases, in February it was about our medicine cabinets.

As we make our way through summer, one thing you may be doing is heading on a trip, so this month, we are talking about travel tips. I did a post about summer travel tips that you can read here. But here’s a bit of a refresher and some new advice!

I broke down my travel tips for a day trip, weekend away and week long trip. I have been going on lots of day trips recently, so I have it down to a science. All these tips are for road trips in a car, but can be altered for flying.

Day Trip

  • Make a list of everything you plan to bring (I always like to keep it on my phone, so I can reference it- write everything down-from wallet to snacks, even chargers)
An example of a packing list (mine are more detailed but this just an example)
  • Totes and smaller pouches are the best tools. I love to bring a big tote (some of my favorite brands are my new Barrington tote, my Longchamp tote and my Thirty One bags) and then store smaller items like chargers, ear buds, gadgets in the pouches.
  • Always bring the necessities in addition to the fun things. (I always bring extra medicine, a first aid kit, a book, my glasses, some backup makeup, a hoodie or sweater, sunscreen or sunglasses- in the summer, just in case I may need them.)
  • A good road trip isn’t complete without some good snacks and don’t forget bottle water and drinks in case you get stranded in a car.
  • I always pack a backup outfit or blanket in case something happens and a day trip turns into an overnight trip. 
  • I always have a go-bag with extra clothes, toiletries, a blanket and pillow in my trunk.

Weekend Away

  • A lot of the same advice applies to a weekend away as they would to a day trip, but here’s a few extra tips. 
  • I always like to use sample products from toiletries and beauty products when I go away. It’s a way to try different products, see what works, but you don’t have to worry about long-term uses.
An example of some free samples that I can’t wait to try when I go away.
  • If you are low on items, use them on the trip and then toss them so you don’t have to bring them back.
  • Don’t overpack, try to keep in mind what events you need to pack for and try and stick with a color scheme too, it makes planning outfits easier

Week Long Trip

  • Always keep a packing list with all the details of every item and every place, event, or activity you need an outfit for.
  • Pack back up items in neutral colors to mix and match for outfits ( I always pack a white shirt, a t-shirt dress, and an extra pair of shoes that can be worn with other outfits.)
  • Leave room for souvenirs or any items you may buy or bring back. 

I enjoy traveling for long and short trips and while packing can be stressful or overwhelming, breaking it down by making lists, keeping things simple and not overthinking always helps. Always remember, if you forget something, you can always pick it up at the store!

That’s just some travel and packing tips that work for me. Tell me, what travel tips do you live by? Let me know in the comments below! Happy Traveling!

Categories
Travel

Chicago in the Summer

Hey guys!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and to our favorite dad’s I hope you had a great Father’s day on Sunday.

Oh hey there Chicago!

This past weekend, my family and I took a weekend getaway to Chicago! I had been to the Windy City a year and a half ago and I loved my time here. You can read all about it here! I was so excited to be going back with my family to share the city with them.

We left around 6:00 am on Friday morning and made our way out to the Midwest.

Once we arrived to the city, we started our time  with a boat ride with a tour of the river and Lake Michigan. It was incredible to see all the buildings and get a bit of a history lesson on the area. It was amazing to see all the the city meet the sea. Ironically, all of my favorite cities, including my hometown are all by the water. I’ve always lived by the water and near the city, this is a feature I hope to have when I move in a few years.

Out at sea

The City from the River

Can it get any more beautiful than this?

After our tour on the river, we headed to Millennium Park and the iconic Bean.

Millenium Park

The Bean

We then took a stroll on the Magnificent Mile, where there were hundreds of stores, everything from Brooks Brothers, Tiffany’s, the Disney store, Nike, Nordstrom’s and more.

I was loving Nike’s decor!

We picked up some sweet treats at Dylan’s Candy Bar. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have the biggest sweet tooth, so this was definitely a highlight!

Dylan’s…YUM!

One of my favorite things about Chicago is how it is a walkable it is. We were able to walk to most of the sites, meals, and other attractions. It was also a beautiful weekend, cooler and cloudy at some points but definitely summer weather.

A beautiful day in the city

We headed to dinner at Rosebud, a delicious and intimate Italian restaurant, just a few blocks from our hotel. I had a delicious pasta with Bolognese sauce. Incredible! We ended up calling it an early night, with an early wake up call, full day of travel and sightseeing, we were ready for an early evening!

Such a delicious pasta

Day 2 had us up bright and early, we ventured out of the city to head to Brick World, a lego comic con event. One of my brothers is a big fan of legos so we went to check out this event. Let me tell you, I was very impressed with the creativity and design work at Brick World.

Here are some of my favorite designs!

This Harry Potter display was so cool!

Another Harry Potter display

And who doesn’t love Mister Rogers?!

We spent the day at Brick World before heading to Portillos for lunch, this 50’s diner setup had sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers and fries. I opted for a southwest salad which was delicious and so filling.

Portillo’s

I loved this Southwest Salad, it was such a good combo

We made our way back to the city for the evening, we did some walking around near our hotel before venturing out for dinner at Devon’s a seafood place. I had some spicy shrimp for an appetizer, which was so delicious and then Lobster Roll for dinner. The lobster roll was so flavorful and filling. It hit the spot!

The Lobster Roll was to die for

We got dessert at our hotel while overlooking the city at night. This rich chocolate cake that I split with my mom and brother completed a delicious meal.

How good does this cake look?

Our final day in Chicago began with mass at the Holy Name Cathedral.

Gorgeous Cathedral

After we finished with Church, we planned to go to the top of the Willis tower, however, it was VERY foggy and there was 0 % visibility.

The Willis Tower

The view from the bottom

We then opted to go to the Field Museum down by the water and see a few exhibits. The museum was huge so we only saw a few sections. I would definitely recommend going back and doing the whole museum, just make sure you have enough time to see everything the museum has to offer.

The Field Museum

Sue the Dinosaur

After we finished at the museum, we made our way out of the city. Although we were only there for a weekend, we packed a lot in. I was so happy I got to go back to Chicago. I know I will be back for sure.

Goodbye Chicago

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and great week ahead!

See you on Thursday!!!

Categories
Travel

Weekend in Chicago

Hello All!

Happy Tuesday!

I hope you all had a great weekend. I took a break from the school work and got away for the weekend. One thing unique about my school is a tradition called Mystery Trips. How it works is students pay a flat rate (typically $100) for a weekend away, but they don’t know where they are going. I loved concept and idea so I signed up with my best friend for a promised weekend of adventures.

We left at 1:30 am on Friday morning.

All packed!

Heading out!

When we were half way there, we learned we were on our way to Chicago. I was  beyond excited, I had never been but was dying to go!

We arrived around 11 am, we checked in and got some lunch.

Starting the trip off with a lunch at Shake Shack!

We started walked down Michigan Ave and made our way to the Cultural Center for a guided tour of some of the top spots of Chicago.

Where the city meets the river in downtown Chicago.

It’s was very chilly in the Windy City. The weather was in the 30s the whole weekend so i was bundled up.

We loved this spot, we walked past it so often it became a landmark when it came to directions.

The ceiling of the cultural center. I was in awe of the design of all the buildings

We toured a Macy’s and I loved the Spring theme!

Although it was freezing outside, it felt like spring with all the pastels!

After our guided tour, we stopped for some sweet treats and to warm up.

We spent time popping into shops and speciality stores to stay warm and try new things. We browsed at the Sugar Factory to see what unique things they had in stock.

We then went to Dylan’s Candy Bar to browse for some sweet treats.

We spent time looking at Nordstrom at all the designers and to see what was in style this season.

Pastels were clearly in I loved these patterns and styles that were in a Prada boutique

We grabbed dinner at an authentic deep dish pizza place- Pizzeria Due. It was my first time having deep dish pizza and I loved it!

Day 1 of Chicago shown by my Fitbit, yes, we walked a lot!

After dinner we headed back to the hotel for an early night. With little sleep the night before and a full day of walking and sightseeing we decided to rest up.

Good morning and let’s kick off day 2!!! We woke up early and got an Uber to head down to Millennium Park to see the Bean!

The Bean!!

We love the bean!

After the Bean we headed over to the Willis Tower (Sears Tower) to see the city from the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

View from the top

The closest I got to the Sky View boxes (a completely clear box overlooking the city below. ) yep, not a fan of heights

After the Willis Tower, We headed to the iconic Navy Pier

Once again the water meeting the land

We went back to the Sugar Factory for a fun lunch.

I got the Four Cheese flatbread

And the ice cream cookie sandwich for dessert. So delicious

These shoes!!!!!

The weather was very chilly so we went back to Nordstrom for more browsing. I saw these stunning shoes, can you guess where they are from?!

Yep, you guessed it! Sex and the City. I was having a fangirl moment in the middle of Nordstrom

After a full day of sightseeing, walking, and window shopping we relaxed by getting some Gelato and treats at Eataly! It was delicious

We did some browsing at Bloomingdales where I had to pick up this purse! It was too cute to pass up!

We spent our last night in Chicago at the Second Street. We saw a very funny show

Great way to end the night

Day 2 shown by my Fitbit, even more walking

The sun setting on Chicago, so beautiful

We headed back to the hotel to pack since we were heading out the next day.

I was so happy I got the opportunity to go to someplace new, Chicago stole my heart. From the clean city and beautiful water, to the food, the shopping and all the sights. I had an absolute blast. Also, i couldn’t have done this trip without my travel companion Shay! Thanks for a great trip!