Chicago Valentines Weekend

What are two young single girls in the travel industry supposed to do on Valentines Weekend? Why jet off to Chicago for the weekend, of course! Katie and I planned a weekend in Chicago long before we knew Wilmington would experience the worst winter in years. Our trip happened to fall the same week as our second ice storm of the season but we figured the ice would melt by Friday. Wrong. The ice caused every flight out of Wilmington to be canceled all week. After 2 canceled flights, we made a mad dash to the Raleigh airport to catch a nonstop flight Friday evening. We finally made it to Chicago and took a taxi from the airport to the Marriott on Michigan Avenue. We had beautiful city views from our room! 

We experienced Chicago style pizza at Gino's East and we learned it takes 1 hour to cook and Gino's makes their crust with cornmeal so we thought it tasted like cornbread. A little different and not our favorite. 

Saturday we woke up ready to shop! The Marriott was walking distance to all of Chicagos shopping! We bundled up and found a little corner restaurant called The West Egg for breakfast. They had great food and it was definitely a locals spot. I prepared myself for marathon shopping and Katie led the way! We went in every shop along Michigan Ave and I bought a heavy scarf and gloves because we knew Chicago would be cold, but we didn't realize it would be bone chilling cold. Finally, after 6 hours of shopping and smelling every perfume in the city I needed a break! A lot of people had recommended a hot dog place called Portillos so we braved the cold wind and walked 8 blocks until we smelled our way to the restaurant. It was worth the walk! We shopped the rest of the afternoon and stopped at the infamous Garrett's Popcorn for an appetizer before going to Tavern on Rush for dinner. We were getting ready to leave Tavern on Rush when we realized how crowded it had gotten in the bar area. I turned around to look at everyone and realized it was snowing outside! Katie and I grabbed our stuff, paid our bill, and ran outside! Real snow! We were like 2 little kids outside! Real fluffy powder snow does exist! When we got back to our hotel we walked to the Chicago River to watch the snow! It was beautifully 

The next morning we woke up to sunshine and blue skies so we bundled up again and played tourist by walking to Millenium Park to see Cloud Gate. We found the AAA on Michigan Ave on our walk to the park! 

The park was beautiful and not too crowded on a Sunday morning so we wandered around and watched people ice skate 

We went to the John Hancock Observatory and it was really impressive to see Navy Pier surrounded by ice since the harbor was frozen. 

We visited my favorite pizza place, Giordano's, for lunch and their pizza was 100xs better than Gino's East!  We ended our trip full and happy and already planning our return trip to Chicago!

Charleston Birthday Celebration

Everyone knows that you're supposed to drag out your birthday celebrations as long as possible...especially when you're birthday is smack-dab in the middle of your Dads and brothers. So I extended my celebrations to 2 weeks after the actual day and went with 3 of my very best friends to one of my favorite cities, Charleston, SC.
Mari (friends since we were 7) and Megan (friends since we were 12) and I all piled in Mari's car with our chai lattes and hit the road to Charleston Saturday afternoon. Highway 17 is one of my favorite stretches of road down the NC/SC coast with all of the trees covered in moss and glimpses of the ocean from the road. We met Tiffany (friends since Clemson) on Daniel Island and headed to our hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown. When I go to Charleston I typically have to stay a little outside of the downtown area so we were excited to be able to stay on Calhoun St. and be able to walk every where from our hotel. The Courtyard was beautiful and staff incredible hospitable. We threw our stuff in our room and headed out to do a little shopping before dark, After walking the complete opposite direction on King St than intended for a good half mile we wandered our way to the market area and went in a few shops before having a pre-dinner snack dessert at Kaminsky's. If you haven't been to Kaminsky's, I highly recommend it! What could be better than homemade desserts and specialty dessert coffees and cocktails!? I'll tell you...nothing! 

Since we were all on a sugar high, the cold weather didn't bother us any more as we walked back to our hotel to freshen up for dinner. Many men would question how 4 girls could manage to get ready in 1 bathroom within 1 hour but friends who have been friends forever make it look like an art. 1 girl sits in front of the full length mirror while another stands above her while another girl sits on the bathroom counter and the 4th beside her. All the while hair dryer cords and straightener cords stretch between them and lipstick and hairspray passed down the line.

We made dinner reservations at Fleet Landing on the water. After a couple John Daily's and their famous Shrimp & Grits we wandered down to Griffins for a drink and then to Mac's and sat at Mac's until Mari and Megan were nodding off at the table. We bundled up, linked arms, and strolled down empty King St. back to the Courtyard.
Oh the difference a few years and full time jobs makes. We used to be able to go out every weekend and bounce right back, but now after just a couple drinks and staying out until 1:30am we were silent grumpy women the next day. We only got out of bed because we knew the housekeeping staff would hunt us down by 11am. We packed up the car and went to Poogan's Porch for brunch. I have always heard great things about Poogan's Porch and was excited to finally go there. It is in a cute historic home on Queen St. and the food was simply delectable.
After dropping Tiffany at her car on Daniel Island, we headed north on Hwy 17 back to Wilmington. It was a quick 24 hour birthday celebration and mixing friends from various stages of life can sometimes create drama, but it can also create lots of fun when they all get a long! Lucky me, my best friends from high school got along fabulously with my closest friend from college! I loved being able to celebrate with my best girls all together!

Home Sweet Clemson

I was a happy girl when we received my brothers 40th birthday party invitation and discovered the only hotel available with my travel agent discount was in Clemson - no I didn't plan it that way or trick my parents! 

I don't get to venture back to the Upstate of SC very often as it is a 6 hour drive from Wilmington so to say I was excited was a major understatement. Clemson is the only other place in the world where I feel completely at home and that I could be just as happy there as I am in Wilmington. 

We arrived at the beautiful Courtyard by Marriott in Clemson and then wandered downtown to do some orange shopping. We bought our All In Win Orange Bowl tshirts, and I got a new candle from Razzberry Fizz. We didn't have long before we had to drive to Greenville for my brothers birthday party. 

It was great to spend the evening with my sweet nieces, brother, and sister-in-law and celebrate his big 4-0! 

We spent the night in Clemson and went to First Baptist Church in Clemson which will always feel like my "home" church. The people there were like family to me and took care of my at a crucial time in my life. After church we went to my favorite little spot, Potbelly Deli, with my dearest friend from college, Tiffany. It was so great to catch up before heading back to the beach. 

Clemson will forever hold a piece of my heart and always feel like my home away from home. 

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises - Portugal's Douro River Valley

Portugal? Definitely not a high ranked country on my bucket list! When this Uniworld agent education trip came available I jumped at the opportunity to experience the river cruise, but I'll admit I was less than thrilled about the destination. Little did I know that Portugal's wine country would be some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen!

We arrived in Porto and opened our eyes to the gorgeous blue skies and bright colorful stacked buildings of the city. Upon checking in onboard the Queen Isabel, we unpacked our bags in our beautifully decorated cabin. The 116 passenger ship had less than 60 cabins throughout the 3 decks. Our cabin had 2 twin beds, a dresser, closet, and nice size bathroom. We explored the 3 decks and the upper sundeck before departing for a city tour of Porto. 

Porto was simply beautiful as we walked miles up and down its colorful streets. We visited cathedrals - and took pictures inside which wasn't allowed - and visited one of the oldest bookstores in Europe. 

Our ship set sail on the Douro River and the landscape changed from city to peaceful wine country. We stopped in little vineyard towns and toured wine estates and enjoyed an evening harvesting and pitting olives, sampling Port wine, and learning about olive oils. 

One day we boarded motor coaches and drove inland to Salamanca, Spain. Salamanca is a university town with beautiful architecture and squares lined with shops and tapas bars. 

One of my favorite days was when rode up to a small village of only 65 people called Castillo Rodrigo. The village is perched on the top of a hill with ruins remaining and business still surviving. The village is a tourist destination but also a producer of almonds and honey. 

As we sailed back in to Porto, I sat on the sun deck and reflected on the week I learned a lot about Uniworld Boutique River Cruises and I would love to experience another river cruise some day. I finally discovered the first wine I don't like; Port wine is way too sweet for my tastebuds. The landscape of Portugal surprised me with is beauty and I'm grateful for the experience and people I was able to spend the week with. 

London Calling

Ever since Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen went to London in 2001, I have been dreaming of the day I could step a rain boot clad foot in the city. Finally, 12 years later I achieved that dream and made my first, but not last, visit to London! After a rough sleepless flight to Heathrow from Charlotte, Leigh and I checked in to our hotel and crashed. When we finally awoke from the dead we bundled up and wandered out of our hotel, The Thistle Marble Arch, to Oxford Street. As we stood on the corner of one of the best shopping streets in Europe, across the street from Hyde Park, watching red double-decker busses and black taxi cabs whiz past it finally hit me that I was finally in the #1 city on my bucket list! 

We woke up the next morning refreshed and ready to explore! We purchased a 48 hour hop on hop off bus pass so we road the loop toward Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guards. We arrived about an hour before the ceremony, but there was already a small crowd around the gates. What a site to behold! To stand in front of such a historic palace and think about the history of the city and people that have come and gone from that palace will really make one stop and stare in awe. As we were standing at the base of the Victoria Memorial, all of a sudden a parade of Royal horses appears from the side of the palace. Moments later we watched a black sedan depart the palace with a woman in the backseat who resembled the Queen, but we laughed it off until suddenly the British flag was lowered from the top of the Buckingham Palace and replaced with a Union Jack flag which is the symbol of when the Queen is in residence and when she's not. Leigh and I stopped laughing and stared at each other...we saw the Queen of England! 

We rode the bus to Westminster Square and got off to see the infamous Big Ben and Parlaiment, the River Thymes with the London Eye, and Westminster Abbey. As we passed stood on the corner waiting to cross the street, Big Ben struck 12 noon. Listening to that clock tower strike solidified itself as one of my "Ah Ha" moments in London that I will never forget. 

The afternoon was spent at the Tower of London getting sized for our new jewels from the royal collection. Ok ok, they just let us look at the jewelry. I didn't realize how large the Tower of London was or the history behind it until costing since our sole purpose was the see the Crown Jewels. 

Our second day in London was my personal favorite - although I think I could have been happy to stay in London forever! We strolled through Hyde Park to  catch the bus to Kensington Palace. I'll just admit it thrilled me to no end to wander through Kensington Palace knowing that Prince William, Kate, and baby George were somewhere on the same property as I was! We took our time visiting all of the King and Queens apartments. We got to see the Royal Dress Gallery and iconic fashions from Queen Elizabeth, Princess Dianna, and Princess Anne. My favorite, though,was Queen Victorias' apartment. I was captivated by her story of growing up in the palace and her love story with Prince Albert. 

We treated ourselves to high tea at The Orangery near Kensington Palace and that was truly a highlight of our time! Princess Dianna used to entertain guests at The Orangery so we felt quite special to be able to have high tea there. After tea, we rode the bus through the South Kensington neighborhood to the granddaddy of all department stores, Harrods! Leigh promised herself 30 years ago that she would never step foot in that congested 5 story madhouse again but...she loves me! We pushed through the masses and made it to the specialty tea selections where we stocked up and bought a cheesy token Harrods coffee mug. We survived shopping for an hour before we escaped back outside to see Harrods all lit up with Christmas lights! 

While I only had 2 full days in London, it was just as magical as I anticipated it would be! I was able to see the highlights of London, but quickly discovered that I barely scratched the surface of the historic city. My tea canister is almost empty so it's about time to begin planning my return trip to London! 

Walt Disney World 2014

One day while I was waiting for my taco salad at Pine Valley Market I got a phone call from my branch manager saying that my regional manager wanted to know if I would like to go on a FAM trip - travel agent education trip - in October. Well, sure! My bags are always packed and ready to go! I called my Momma to make sure she didn't mind if I was out of town for her birthday and I booked my flights for Disney!
Now, I have been to Walt Disney World several times but let me tell you going for a true Disney's College of Knowledge trip was a whole new experience! I arrived in Orlando and was whisked away to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge where I checked in to my Savannah View room, activated my new Magic Band, and set off for my favorite park, Epcot! I had some free time before the seminar began so I took in Epcot for lunch at the Rose & Crown Pub in the United Kingdom pavilion.

Once I arrived back at my room, my roommate Terri from the AAA Carolinas location in Winston Salem had arrived. She was such a sweetheart and a true Disney fanatic as she was returning with her family for Thanksgiving. We met up with the other participants and found out every one was from AAA but some were from the Carolinas, the Mid-Atlantic, Kansas, and Michigan.
The 6 AAA Carolinas girls stuck together and we had an incredible week touring the resorts, participating in training seminars on the new My Magic+ experience, experiencing the theme parks and restaurants, taking in the Epcot Food & Wine Festival, and trick or treating through Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.

 

One of our last days, our group went to Port Canaveral and was able to tour the Disney Dream cruise ship! I had never seen any of the Disney Cruise Line ships and let's just say I would travel on this ship with or without children! The ship was so interactive from the way the crew welcomed you aboard to the digital artwork to the 3 different themed dining rooms to the cabins! The ship screamed Disney magic without being overly kiddy. There is even an entire area devoted to the adults complete with several bars, a swimming pool and sun deck, and 2 adults only restaurants. The kids are treated like royalty aboard the ship and their kids only areas are incredible and made me wish I was 6 years old again!

The training week taught me so much about Walt Disney World that I did not know just from experiencing the parks as a guest! I was and still am so excited to share my Disney knowledge with clients and my co-workers! It truly was a magical experience!