travel blog - Stevie Jewel

06.08.18

30A Beach Days

It’s almost summer time! Which means it’s the perfect time for a road trip….especially to the beach! We recently went down to Florida for a little Memorial day getaway and had such a good time. I had so much fun in fact that I’m sharing with you some of our favorite things we did while on the 30A stretch of the pan handle!

The Donut Hole

I have a few favorite things about the donut hole, beginning with the laid back vibe and centering around red velvet donuts for $1.35. It’s the perfect way to begin a beach day and if you happen to be dining alone you can usually skip the line and sit right at the bar! Order the “diet plate”, it’s more than you need but it’s worth it!

Dogs after 4pm

This is something I was so excited to find out about. After 4pm, on some of the beaches, you can bring your pup! Audrey is almost always with me and I was so excited that she was going to be able to go to the beach with us! She had a great time and loved all the attention from passersby.

Seaside

A trip to the beach wouldn’t be complete without a stroll through the beach towns! We love Seaside because of the vintage airstream food trailers and also because we found this great little taco stop that was so good! Seaside also has this open air market just off the beach with tiny little booths. These booths don’t have hardly any of the typical tourist items that are overtly branded with the location, it’s more of a curated collection of beach inspired items. You can usually find something special that will perfectly mark the memory of your trip.

A Room With a View

Find a rooftop bar with a view of the ocean! We found one in Rosemary, but there are several along 30A to try! It’s really just about the experience and in my book a rooftop ocean view is the perfect way to enjoy an afternoon!

05.25.18

I’m on a River Boat Cruise!

I love boating, I think it’s so relaxing to be out on the water. Especially on a river boat cruise!

I love boating on the lake, taking a ferry, or crossing the English Channel. It’s so peaceful out on the water and the view as you depart and arrive is just so beautiful, especially if you’re talking about a big boat or a city with a skyline like New York City. I’ve been on dinner cruises before, but this river boat cruise in New Orleans was such a great time!

It was so much fun, and while the food was decent, it was really the experience that made it worthwhile.

Actually, the gumbo on the cruise was DELICIOUS, the rest of the food was pretty typical. However, the stories from the captain, the views, the history of the city, it was all such a beautiful way to take in another side of New Orleans. The cruise is a couple hours long and you boat out on the Natchez River and then dinner commences in two sessions.

There is a Dixieland Jazz band that plays great music (as one would expect in New Orleans) while your out on the water. The captain also gives all sorts of educational information about landmarks and sites, one being the Domino sugar factory. The boat has lots of historic older elements that the captain talks about as well. However, the real gem of these tourist attraction is watching the sunset over the city of New Orleans. We were there in May and so the sun was setting behind the French Quarter which made for some stunning views of the city.

Once we were docked back at shore we were in the perfect location to talk the nightlife of the French Quarter; specifically Jackson Square and Bourbon Street. While the nightlife of the French Quarter isn’t my typical cup of tea, it’s still an experience that most should see when visiting New Orleans.

Have you been on a boat cruise? What was your favorite part?

05.18.17

Tree Museum

This past weekend I had a great time celebrating my mother, I hope you did too! Then a few days ago, I went to a tree museum for the first time in my life. It sounds odd, but it was a beautiful walk through the forest with added art installations that artists, inspired by the landscape, had been commissioned to create. We had a picnic lunch and then strolled the forest for a few hours taking in the self guided tour. It was a great way to get outside on a beautiful day and get some use of of my boots!

04.11.17

Monte Carlo Casino and a Day in Monaco

We began the day with a leisurely breakfast and then strolled around the city exploring the beach, dipping our toes in the mediterranean, and then went to Nice, France for a few hours.

When we came back we got ready for a night out going to the very chic Yoshi for dinner after visiting the famous (and infamous) Monte Carlo Casino. The casino was worth visiting just for the history and the architecture given that it was built in the late 1800s and remains much the same today.

The frescos on the ceilings and the plasterwork even have nods to the casino within them. Yoshi was a Michelin star Japanese restaurant and everything we ate was beyond compare. The chefs were so friendly and the atmosphere and design were both works of art. I definitely recommend visiting both Yoshi and the Casino. Yoshi was connected to our hotel, Hotel Metropole, which makes it a great option if you’re staying there as well! You can check out my thoughts on Metropole here.

04.08.17

Monaco

I dreamed about Monaco and what it would be like to visit. After riding through France from Paris and having seen lavender fields, and free roaming herds of cattle, and pink trees that I’m still trying to find a name for, I was so excited to experience Monaco.

Arriving on the train I felt like Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl when she’s finally a Ziegfeld girl. The train station alone set the tone for what our time in Monaco would be like, it was beautifully designed, had an incredible view, and was so clean!

Monaco is so small that we were able to walk from the train to the hotel. The architecture, the atmosphere, everything was so inspiring! Once we arrived at Hotel Metropole we were enchanted with how lovely it was, and the bar downstairs had some of the most creative drinks.

We Strolled around on our first afternoon and took in the views and some excellent food at Brasserie le Cafe de Paris.

03.30.17

Vintage Tea in Dublin

I’m such a fan of tea. Also of high tea. And double decker buses. So Vintage Tea Tours was an absolute dream! It’s fairly new, so I’m so glad that my mum stumbled across it when she was exploring Dublin! As soon as you walk down the cobblestone street it feels as though you’re on your way to experience a cross between the Knight Bus of Harry Potter and a Tea Party with the mad hatter and Alice. Once seated on the second level we were greeted with a tray of treats and an offering of tea flavors. I chose the rosé champagne tea which was light and fruity. The array of edible offerings ranged from a sour green apple cupcake to cucumber and cream cheese finger sandwiches. Then we were off and touring around Dublin viewing all the best that it has to offer from Phoenix Park to the Spire in the heart of the city, passing Trinity College and Temple Bar along the way! All in all the experience was truly a delight. Our host was knowledgable, friendly, and attentive, the bus was well restored and well appointed for a tea tour, and the food was fun and whimsical.