U.S. Road Trip Destination 2: Arizona

Arriving in Arizona, Chris and I did what every good tourist does – we headed straight to the Grand Canyon. We were lucky enough to get a beautiful day. It wasn't too sunny and the sky was perfectly clear, allowing us to see the GC in all its glory. Quick story, I never actually wanted to see the Grand Canyon. In my teenage years, I remember my mom always talking about going, which made it seem uncool and mom-like. It wasn't until my friend who had just finished traveling the world for a year said to me: "For everything we saw in the world, the Grand Canyon was truly epic." And that it was. Very grand, very epic. 

We didn't spend a ton of time there, I know you can ride mules around the rim and there are a ton of tours, but we came in from the south rim and drove (gotta love having a car!) to various points starting from the main entrance. Not going to lie, my fear of heights really kicked in when Chris tried to get me to stand on a lone rock overlooking the canyon. Overall, definitely worth it. It's really hard to capture in photos because its depth is so detailed and intricate. I had chills walking up to its grandness. It's something you must do in your lifetime.

From there we arrived at Chris's aunt and uncle's home in Scottsdale. They were kind enough to let us stay for a few days, use the pool, and just veg out. It was 105 and sunny, right up my alley!  We also ate at Flower Child, and I might've loved the decor as much as the food. This place is adorable, has amazing healthy food options, and Chicago needs one asap!

Once we set in, a day trip to Sedona was in order. People rave about Sedona, so it was an absolute must. Here is what we did in Sedona and what you should consider doing:

1. Hike Devil's Bridge Trail. An amazing trail that had me huffing and puffing, but not overly difficult. Plus I needed to burn off all those car snacks. When you arrive, you can either drive your car through a ridiculously bumpy path to get to the trail (which we did) or hike the bumpy path as part of the trail. I will say the trail was harder than I thought it was going to be, so I was pretty happy we drove in. At the end when you arrive at the bridge, you should walk out on it. It looks way scarier than it is! Chris immediately ran out onto it, and then we talked a father and daughter into taking little risks and overcoming their fear. They scored some great pics because of it! When you arrive, head towards the right side. There is a path to it hidden behind plant life, and it takes you right out.

2. Enchantment Resort. We weren't staying here, but we wish we were. However, you are more than welcome to stop in for lunch. Their restaurant, Ti Gavo, was really great and they have beautiful floor to ceiling windows so you can sip on some rosé and gaze out at the mountains. I only had two glasses and tried to plot sneaking into the spa (which I've heard is unbelievably amazing), but I digress.

3. Take a helicopter tour on the fly, literally. Chris and I decided to take a helicopter tour after strolling down the shopping strip. It was $89/per person for a 17 minute ride. I'd never been in a helicopter before, so it was worth the experience. We signed up in a small storefront on the shopping strip, and then simply drove to the Sedona Airport (you'll see the Airport Tours), hop in a copter and then look like a total badass. They distribute passengers by weight, and I was somehow lucky enough to get the front seat and some awesome pics. Our Pilot, Lewis, a veteran of the coastguard and our armed forces, was a funny guy who made us laugh. They video tape the whole ride, you just don't know it till the end. But since I gave you the heads up you can prepare for your closeup. 

4. Tlaquepaque. We didn't make it here, mostly because we wanted to end on a high note (you know, flying in a helicopter) but Chris's cousin said it was worth it. More of a place to browse, unless you're in the market to buy some good art.

5. Take a pink jeep tour. Something else we didn't get around to, but highly recommended from everyone we talked to. 

A different trail we found when driving around. Didn't hike this one, but walked a bit for the view!

View from the helicopter

That's it for now! We're heading to Big Sur and then Carmel, CA which I hear is absolutely gorgeous. Updates to come!

U.S. Road Trip Destination 1: Colorado

Rainbow Lakes

For the past couple of days, Chris and I have been on the road traversing America from Chicago to California. Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical about the whole driving for hours...and hours....and hours.....thing. And when I told people, they looked at me like I'd just about lost my mind – which made me second guess it all over again. However, I can now say that it's well worth it and I would have flown over some of the most beautiful natural works of art I've ever seen. Not to mention the little adventures we've been able to take on the fly while driving. It's the stuff movies are made of, guys. Plus, we packed a ton of really good snacks and listened to Serial the podcast the whole way, which took up an entire 10 hour drive. 

Since then, we've checked out the Grand Canyon (which I will post next). We're currently in Scottsdale, Arizona staying with family and getting in some good pool time, but I wanted to share some photos from our adventures in Colorado. To kick it off we camped at Rainbow Lakes in Nederland, Colorado near Boulder. It was absolutely beautiful and the first taste of camping I've had in a very long time. From there, we stayed with a friend in Grand Junction and explored The Colorado National Monument which is pretty much a mini Grand Canyon, and I couldn't get over the beauty of all of it, particularly how the different hues of blues and greens formed from sky, mountains and land created abstract stripes. Just gorgeous. A few tips so far:

1. If you're looking for adventure and can manage riding in a car for a long time, there's really no better way to see the U.S. It's truly mind blowing – and the options for what you do along the way are endless. You'll be seeing wall paper backgrounds for your computer in real life.
2. Take your time packing. We forgot a few necessities that we had to make a Target run for (wine bottle opener, cups, plastic bags for garbage, paper towels and most importantly toilet paper) that we had at home and simply forgot! Do your best to get everything right the first time so you don't have to spend extra cash for things you already have.
3. Hike-ish. If you plan on visiting The Monument and want some quality site seeing without hiking for miles and miles, just drive it! You can explore numerous points, take pictures and pretend you hiked the whole thing. Our favorite look out (the one in the photos) was at Cold Shivers Point.
4. Wear sunscreen while driving in the car. Yes, those UV rays shine through, and before you know it you will have one tan arm and one super pale arm. It's funny for a while, but then you have to go back to work and everyone will laugh at you. Plus, sunscreen should be worn daily to protect your pretty faces.
5. Get a good night of sleep. Driving wears you out, which is weird because you are sitting in a car basically doing nothing. But it does. When you get the opportunity to sink into a cozy bed, or even in a tent - take those extra hours to rest your eyes because time on the road can get tiresome.

We'll be doing a day trip to Sedona tomorrow, and then onward to San Francisco. We're still trying to figure out where to Hike in Sedona so if anyone has any recommendations, let us know! Hope you're having a great week.

The Colorado National Monument

Lessons learned from traveling

My Puerto Rico trip involved a simple game introduced to us by my friend Jess, called "Highlight, Lowlight, Lesson learned" – and it was as much of a bonding experience as it was fun. Throughout our dinners, we would reflect on our individual best times, worst times, and the lessons we'd recently acknowledged from our Puerto Rican excursions.

I'm deeply grateful that at this stage in my life I continue to surround myself with intelligent, charismatic and beautiful women – they are my Wikipedia, my vodka, my Dr. Phil and much more. Their wisdom has answered more of my questions than google.com. On our final vacation dinner, we were planning to name our highlight, lowlight and lesson learned from the entire trip. Instead, we opted for hotel robes, beds, room service and some early shut eye.

So here, as a souvenir for myself, I'd like to note mine while it's fresh.

Highlight: Our 6-course dinner at Fern, by Jean-Georges. You can read my review here. Undeniably a lovely and hilarious time. 

Lowlight: We made the mistake of not making any real plans for New Years Eve (oops!) and couldn't get in anywhere!!
We finally ended up getting a table at Meat Market in El San Juan Hotel, but for a while there we thought we'd be bringing in 2015 in a cab. *Phew*

Lesson Learned: The word "bread" is a great way to remember dinner etiquette. If you form a "b" with your left hand (Index and thumb touch to form a circle, other fingers stick straight up) and a "d" with your right hand (Index and thumb form a circle, other fingers stick straight up) – it's easy to remember that "b"read is always on the left and "d"rinks are always on the right.

Puerto Rico Color

My past vacations have almost always resulted in one tragic mistake: not applying enough sunscreen. With an Irish heritage, I have always been on the light-skinned side. Too often, I pushed my limits and came home red as a lobster. Not to mention I've highly increased my chances of getting skin cancer. As I've grown a bit older and wiser, I've become an avid sunscreen re-applier and skin paranoia enthusiast. Instead of making repeat mistakes, I've been looking after my skin like I would a family member. On my recent vacation to Puerto Rico, I partook in vacation activities with my skin's interest in mind. I did get some color, but mostly through the bold visuals on the streets of Old San Juan. Here are some tactics and a favorite product of mine to aid you through those tempting sunny days. Mostly common knowledge, but also a nice reminder.

1. Sunscreen, duh. I love Blue Lizard sunscreen because of how smooth it feels on my skin, and it also acts as a brightener (at least I think so). It contains Zinc Oxide - the stuff that saves your skin from UVA rays (aging rays), and not just from burning. Only look for products that contain Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Stabilized avobenzone, or Mexoryl RX – these are the ingredients that will provide UVA protection, according to Jessica Wu's Feed your Face.

2. Black Tea Therapy. If you do get a really bad burn that causes swelling, take an ibuprofen to bring it down. Slather as much aloe vera as you can and stay out of the sun! You can also try a DIY trick that has helped me in the past: Buy black tea bags, soak 3 of them in lukewarm water. Soak a soft towel in the black tea water and pat the towel on your burn. Allow your skin to absorb it. Repeat. It can help reduce redness and minimize pain. You can pick up the tea bags at Walgreens for five dollars, Tazo black tea works as well. And then hey, bonus – tea to drink later.

3. Hats off to Hats. Wear a big hat, like this one!  Or this one! The shade from the hat will cover your face, as well as provide sun protection so that you aren't left with a sunburned scalp, that causes skin to peel in your hair. Who wants to be the girl with the dandruff, anyway? Yikes.

4. Watch your back. If you go snorkeling, be wary of your back getting burned. Just because you are under water doesn't mean you're safe. Water's reflectiveness can boost UV rays. Apply a waterproof, high sunblock liberally all over. If you can, wear a rash guard shirt for serious protection.

Walked into Forever 21 right before my trip to be greeted with a huge sale rack of summer
clothing in the dead of winter. I'm not a crop top/bustier kinda girl – but for 4.99? Sure, why not. 
Don't mind if I do...
Similar skirt / Crop top