The other weekend we went down to Boulder for a night to check out the scene. Boulder is so wild and eclectic - it's like no other city I've been to. Here are a few pictures from our trip, and some recommendations, if you're headed that way...
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Palomas
What's your go-to summer drink? My favorite has always been the Paloma. It's not quite as sweet as a margarita and it's so refreshing on a hot summer afternoon. We made them yesterday and drank them on the back porch:
Here's how to make them: pour 1 oz tequila into a glass and add equal parts (about 1/2 cup) fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and soda water. Add crushed ice, a slice of lime and a sprig of mint. So easy and they're such a pretty color!
Here's how to make them: pour 1 oz tequila into a glass and add equal parts (about 1/2 cup) fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and soda water. Add crushed ice, a slice of lime and a sprig of mint. So easy and they're such a pretty color!
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Budget Travel Tips for Europe
European adventures can be so much fun and so expensive. But! There are a few things you can do to explore a new city or country without spending a fortune...
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Summer Adventuring
Summer is the best time for adventures - our favorite thing to do is hop in the car and take off for a few days. Once we took a trip to Colorado wine country; another time we explored Moab and the Grand Canyon. I love road trips (especially when I'm the passenger!) and summer is the perfect time to take a few. We put together a list of our road trip essentials - perfect for summer adventuring.
1. The best CD for long, relaxed drives
2. A water bottle, to fill up wherever you stop
3. I just bought these sunglasses for the summer, and I'm obsessed. (And, if you're a glasses or contact lens wearer, like we both are, prescription sunglasses are great for traveling and adventuring)
4. A journal so you remember everything
5. Rubber flip flops - easy to throw on for exploring and even easier to kick off in the car
6. A swim suit, for those times you find yourself by the ocean or a lake or a hot spring (top + bottom)
7. SNACKS! The best part of any road trip
8. A big bag that you can throw everything in and take with you when you go exploring
9. A Leatherman...for everything
10. Camera (and phone!) for taking pictures of anything and everything you see and do
Where are you off to this summer?! We went on our annual adventure trip earlier this month and we're heading east to visit family in July....
2. A water bottle, to fill up wherever you stop
3. I just bought these sunglasses for the summer, and I'm obsessed. (And, if you're a glasses or contact lens wearer, like we both are, prescription sunglasses are great for traveling and adventuring)
4. A journal so you remember everything
5. Rubber flip flops - easy to throw on for exploring and even easier to kick off in the car
6. A swim suit, for those times you find yourself by the ocean or a lake or a hot spring (top + bottom)
7. SNACKS! The best part of any road trip
8. A big bag that you can throw everything in and take with you when you go exploring
9. A Leatherman...for everything
10. Camera (and phone!) for taking pictures of anything and everything you see and do
Where are you off to this summer?! We went on our annual adventure trip earlier this month and we're heading east to visit family in July....
Monday, June 15, 2015
Pesto Three Ways
One of our favorite dishes is spaghetti with homemade pesto and roasted cherry tomatoes but that can be pretty winter-y....and now that summer is here (!), we feel like eating lighter meals, preferably outside. But! Pesto is so versatile and you can put it on so many things other than pasta - here are three that we like for the warmer months:
Thursday, June 11, 2015
5 Things to do in Florence
Today we're continuing on with our summer series of five things for summer travelers to do in different Italian cities. Right now: Florence!
1. Climb the Duomo. Most people visit the Duomo, but did you know that you can climb it too? We did this during a trip to Florence in 2011 and we felt like little mice scurrying up the building! Obviously the view from the top is amazing.
2. Buy leather. Florence has an amazing leather market (San Lorenzo) with bags, wallets, jackets....everything.
3. Eat steak. The home of Florentine steak (bistecca alla Fiorentina) has tons of good options but our favorite place is Trattoria Sostanza. The waiter will bring the steak out to show you before it gets cooked and everything there is so delicious.
4. See the David in person. Many people think it's okay to go up to the Piazzale Michelangelo to see the replica, but it's not! The real thing is at the Accademia Gallery and it's completely worth the entrance fee, the lines, etc. It will blow you away.
5. Drink delicious wine at aperitivo. Florence is the capital of Tuscany, arguably the most famous wine region in Italy. You can't go wrong.
1. Climb the Duomo. Most people visit the Duomo, but did you know that you can climb it too? We did this during a trip to Florence in 2011 and we felt like little mice scurrying up the building! Obviously the view from the top is amazing.
2. Buy leather. Florence has an amazing leather market (San Lorenzo) with bags, wallets, jackets....everything.
3. Eat steak. The home of Florentine steak (bistecca alla Fiorentina) has tons of good options but our favorite place is Trattoria Sostanza. The waiter will bring the steak out to show you before it gets cooked and everything there is so delicious.
5. Drink delicious wine at aperitivo. Florence is the capital of Tuscany, arguably the most famous wine region in Italy. You can't go wrong.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
The Adventure Trip
Last week we went camping for a few days and we met a family while we were hiking. We started talking to them and the littlest boy announced, "we're on our epic trip!" His father explained that each year when the kids get out of school, they do a camping trip for a few days, to a different spot. We told them that we do the same, every spring, and the little boy said, "And do you call it the epic trip too?!" But we call ours the adventure trip! We pick a starting point, camp there for a few days and then continue on to wherever we feel like....here are a few pictures from this year's Adventure Trip:
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
5 Camping Essentials for the Non-Camper
Last June we started a camping tradition: we would pick a starting point, camp there for a couple of nights and then go wherever we felt like from there.
It started by accident; last spring we decided to go to Moab, Utah to camp for two nights. We hiked during the day and sat by the campfire at night and we were having a great time so we decided to continue on to the Grand Canyon. After two days there, we made our way back to Colorado via Mesa Verde where we spent our last night. Last year's trip was one of our favorite trips of all time (we both wrote about it here) and now we're looking forward to our second annual spontaneous camp trip.
The kicker is: I didn't grow up camping and prior to last year's trip, I had a self-imposed camping limit of two nights (now it's up to five!). I always thought that I would prefer to stay in a hotel with down comforters and hot showers, but camping can be a great, inexpensive way to explore new areas. Here are a few things that I like to bring with me to stretch a two day trip into a five day trip:
It started by accident; last spring we decided to go to Moab, Utah to camp for two nights. We hiked during the day and sat by the campfire at night and we were having a great time so we decided to continue on to the Grand Canyon. After two days there, we made our way back to Colorado via Mesa Verde where we spent our last night. Last year's trip was one of our favorite trips of all time (we both wrote about it here) and now we're looking forward to our second annual spontaneous camp trip.
The kicker is: I didn't grow up camping and prior to last year's trip, I had a self-imposed camping limit of two nights (now it's up to five!). I always thought that I would prefer to stay in a hotel with down comforters and hot showers, but camping can be a great, inexpensive way to explore new areas. Here are a few things that I like to bring with me to stretch a two day trip into a five day trip:
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Thank You Cortina
Today we're very excited to announce that Ryan has signed with the Fife Flyers for the 2015/2016 hockey season and we will be heading to Scotland in August! After four wonderful years in Cortina, we're ready for a change of scenery and are so, so excited about this new opportunity. That being said, Cortina will always be in our hearts and we are so grateful for the past four years that we got to spend there. Living in Italy was something that we never knew to dream of, but now we feel so lucky that for a while, we could call Cortina home.
Thank you to everyone who followed along during the Italy years....and now, on to Scotland! xo
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