Stevie Jewel

Traveling With Your Dog

Audrey joins me more often than not when I’m traveling.  She’s often mistaken for a stuffed animal, and while I fully support stuffed animal travel, I don’t know why people think I would travel with a stuffed dog…but I digress.  Traveling with a dog isn’t difficult, but it’s something you learn tricks to as you do it.  So here are my tips for traveling with girl’s best friend.

1.  Bathroom Break

This seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how easy it is to overlook when you’re in a hurry for a very early morning flight.  Not only will you dog be fidgety, but you’ll feel super guilty, so do what you have to in order to make sure your puppy has a potty break prior to arriving at the airport.

Audrey on our first radio tour! Audrey on our first radio tour!

2. Starbucks Water

Flying is dehydrating for everyone, including you dog!  Starbucks provides free ice water, all you have to do is ask, and your dog will appreciate you for it!

Celebrating Christmas in Canada! Celebrating Christmas in Canada!

3. Travel case

Audrey has a backpack that designed for carrying pets, and she loves it.  She hops right in and she’s always right by me, which is her favorite place to be!  Figure out what works best for you dog, BUT, make sure it fits under the seat! The key is finding a happy medium and making sure your pup will be comfortable during the hours of travel.

Audrey in our hotel room in Chicago before the show. Audrey in our hotel room in Chicago before the show.

4. Paperwork

Have your paperwork in order, especially if traveling internationally.  It will save time and anxiety if you know what you are allowed to have and what they need to make sure your pup is okay to enter the country.

Audrey in Kingston, Ontario Audrey in Kingston, Ontario

5. Food

Audrey in Ottawa before a radio interview Audrey in Ottawa before a radio interview

Flying with dog food is sometimes allowed, but sometimes not.  This can create difficulties upon arrival to your destination, so do a little research prior to takeoff to find out where you can get your dogs food in the travel destination.

I hope these tips help you! Do you travel with your dog? What are your tricks and secrets? Let me know in the comments!

Chicago’s Navy Pier

Navy Pier

We took a stroll down to the pier to see the water and generally explore.  Navy Pier had some great family attractions, but what I enjoyed most was the view of Chicago’s skyline and the extremely aqua hued water!  I have to give an honorable mention to my Steve Madden sneakers here because I wore them all day and they didn’t kill my feet! PS – they are wedges, and I love looking chic while walking miles and miles!

Chicago Street Style and Architecture

I’d heard all about Chicago, but I was nervous that it wouldn’t live up to the hype…it did! I had such a great time exploring downtown, visiting the Buckingham Fountain, and being a total tourist for a moment and visiting the famous bean sculpture.  I love getting to play in different cities all over, but it was a real treat to finally get to visit Chicago! Fashion note – love this came jacket from Free People, it goes with so many outfits, and the pockets make it so convenient to go without a handbag! It makes travel even easier! Do you have a wardrobe staple like this?

Best Chicago Restaurant

I knew Chicago had a great food scene, and because I hadn’t been there before I was really looking forward to trying it out! We found some great spots and I can’t wait to share them with you, so let’s get to it!

Lou Malnati’s

I’ve been lucky enough to try different cuisine in some very food rich cities, but I have to say, Chicago did not disappoint!  I was hoping to find some deep dish pizza and stumbled onto Lou Malnati’s!  There was a wait, but it was worth it, especially the deep dish cookie! If you visit and love chocolate chip cookies and ice cream (who doesn’t?) you should definitely try this.

Eataly

I had known about Eataly from my trip to New York City, read about that here, but I didn’t get to visit until I found one in Chicago! I love the concept of a store, a grocer, and a gourmet restaurant all rolled into one.  Eataly has such an Italian feel, and has special stations from some delectable meals, snacks, and desserts.

Cochon Volant

Cocoon Volant was a restaurant I read about prior to visiting Chicago.  It sounded so good and because I would be there on a Sunday I was looking forward to trying the brunch!  We ordered the Salmon Benedict and the Monsier Foster.  They were both unbelievably decadent and so satisfying, especially for brunch standards! If you enjoy a serious brunch, this establishment should earn a spot on your Chicago list.

Chicago’s Best Donuts

It’s no secret that when I travel I love to explore new places, and especially to try new foods! I had the opportunity to visit Chicago for the first time, and I was so excited, because I’ve heard so many great things about the city.  From the architecture to the dishes, Chicago did not disappoint!  While in the windy city I had the opportunity to compare one of my favorite sweet treats; donuts!  So here are the three I tried and my favorite of my visit to Chicago!

Firecakes

I just stumbled into this place a couple hours after arriving.  It looked so cool on the outside that I just had to try it out, and luckily I got in before the line got really long!  These donuts are very classic as far as donuts go, but the one stand out in my opinion was the Malted Milk Ball! It’s small so it’s not overwhelming but it packs a lot of flavor.  It has a chocolate frosting top and then a cream filling, perfect for an afternoon pick me up!

Stan’s Donuts

I loved the shop!  It was bright and fresh, with a very clean design.  I had heard about Stan’s before so I knew I had to at least try their Donut Cake Shake, which was amazing!  I also sampled a few flavors and my favorite was the Strawberry Bismarck!  It has a very authentic strawberry jam filling, and the dough complimented the jam so well.

Doughnut Vault

This donut shop had a line, and operates from the “open until sold out” mentality, so when I saw how long the line was I got nervous.  By the time we got inside they had sold out of gingerbread and birthday cake flavors already, but they still had Chocolate, Vanilla, and Chestnut.  This donut was by far the best of the trip, it was so fluffy but full at the same time and because the glaze covered almost the entire donut every bite was as satisfying as the first one!  My favorite flavor was the Vanilla, because it’s a true Vanilla bean glaze.

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