Category Archives: miami

Fun Forecast: New Finds in 4 Great US Cities

Over the course of four weeks this spring I traveled to 3 out of 4 of the United States’ biggest cities and was lucky enough to uncover some great new finds in four US cities. From tours, to shopping, to galleries to where to see and be seen, check out if any of these ideas tickle your fancy too.

New York City

still house whiskey

Small batch distillers in NYC have become ALL the rage so much so that you can find self-guided and somewhat more official distillery tours offered there now. While I have not officially tried the Brooklyn Booze Trail (self-guided tour showcasing the borough’s new generation of spirits, from whiskey and rum to grappa and hibiscus liqueur) or New York Craft Cocktail Tour, I have sampled some of these small batch distillers’ products. My favorites were The Noble Experiment, a small batch rum distiller and Van Brunt Stillhouse, makers of rum, whiskey and grappa. I only sampled their American whiskey and while I would not say I’m a whiskey connoisseur, I found Van Brunt Stillhouse’s whiskey delicious. One or both of these tours are on my radar for a future visit 100%.

Los Angeles

abbot kinney

Abbot Kinney Blvd. located in the Venice Beach neighborhood of LA is a cool street full of fun boutiques, galleries, restaurants and amazing architecture. One of my notable favorites is Beach House Brand – a boutique meant to inspire wanderlust – carrying personally curated items to bring you an “Endless Summer” travel experience of your dreams. I found beautiful dresses, never before seen bikini brands and all kinds of awesome travel accessories. Burro was my other absolute do-not-miss. They carry an eclectic, thoughtful selection of items from all over the world – from stationery, jewelry and home decor to modern toys for kids. Burro says that while their shops are a destination location for tourists they remain the local “go to” favorite. I found some of the best greeting cards ever there as well as a very entertaining selection of gift items.

Miami

peter tunney

Peter Tunney Experience is a gallery located in the Wynwood Walls area of Miami. Peter’s work helps us redefine our way of interacting with and understanding the world around us. Using optimistic headlines such as “BELIEVE”, “GRATTITUDE” and “CHANGE THE WAY YOU SEE EVERYTHING”, Tunney is counter attacking the media’s constant relay of stories of death, destruction, hysteria and greed. It is a refreshing way to think positively and not think or live in fear. The Wynwood Walls area is an international destination within itself, giving Miami a place to gravitate to and explore and serving as tribute to graffiti and street art, which has been somewhat under appreciated and not always respected historically. Both of these things are an absolute, take the time out, must-see.

Chicago

soho house chicago

Opened a little less than a year, Soho House Chicago is a private club with some public spaces such as their ground floor restaurants and bar. Soho House was founded in 1995, in London, as a private members’ club for those in film, media and creative industries BUT you don’t have to be a member to enjoy a drink at Fox Bar or a slice at Pizza East. The Allis is a spot within Soho House Chicago for a coffee, quick bite or cocktail. Also, let’s not forget Chicken Shop where you can enjoy free range chicken from the spit. Now, if you are lucky enough to be a member or know one, I think the roof top deck is the place to see and be seen while viewing downtown Chicago’s skyline. Located in a historic former belt factory in the Fulton Market neighborhood, Soho House Chicago should be a must-do.

PS – all four of these US cities I’ve highlighted have a Soho House!

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Filed under chicago, los angeles, miami, new york, travel, USA

15 Fabulous Airplane Shots

airplane shots

I’ve loved to travel for most of my life and in the past few years I’ve made a bit of a job out of it. While it’s not always terribly lucrative, it has been fun. I DO really LOVE to TRAVEL. I like virtually everything about it. BUT I didn’t always love to fly. Now I’ve truly grown to love it. AND, to me, one of the best things are some of the amazing shots I’ve gotten from the window seat of an airplane. I hope you enjoy the view!

aerial miami beach

Flying over Miami Beach. One of my favorite views.

aerial thailand

Up in the friendly Thai skies. Aren’t the clouds so gorgeous?

aerial atlantic sunset

Catching sunset over the Atlantic Ocean. What a sky!

aerial london

Descending over Londontown. Ello River Thames.

bali

Leaving beautiful Bali. What stunning blue water!

aerial china

Sunset somewhere between Mongolia and China.

aerial iceland

The stunning south coast of Iceland.

aerial greenland

Brrr! Greenland below.

aerial jamaica

Coming in for a landing. Welcome to Jamaica, mon.

aerial india

Sunrise goodbye to India.

aerial boston

My pretty hometown of Boston!

aerial english channel

Last bit of land before the English Channel en route to Paris.

aerial harbor island

Pink sand beaches of Harbor Island, Bahamas. Wow!

midnight sun iceland

Seeing the Midnight Sun in Iceland!

aerial new orleans

Saying goodbye to the mighty Mississippi River in New Orleans.

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Filed under airlines, bahamas, bali, boston, iceland, india, jamaica, london, miami, mongolia, new orleans, travel

Why I Travel

travel

I have all kinds of reasons for traveling. Most of all is the overwhelming curiosity that lives inside me to know more about the INCREDIBLE world we live in. The more I travel, the more I want to travel. It is a real need of mine.

erin

Sometimes I travel for work. Sometimes I travel for vacation. And sometimes I travel to reconnect with those that mean the most. No matter why I travel it is ALWAYS a pleasure. I’ll be crisscrossing the country spending time in New York, LA and Miami in the upcoming weeks. Admittedly, these are all great cities but not really anything new for me. I don’t mind though. I’m going first and foremost to catch up with important people in my life. Sometimes you have to just stop and make the time to show you care to those who support and love you. While there will be a bit of “work” and, at the end, some vacation, the main purpose of these trips is to share the love back to my friends of the world.

  jetset extra & the world wanderer   a hell LOVE a town, the world wanderer, walks of new york   stay adventurous & the world wanderer

In New York there is a travel conference going on. No doubt, it will be good for learning and networking. But I’m not gonna lie, that  is not why I’m going. It’s because conferences bring together some of my favorite people who I love and admire. It is a wonderful opportunity for me to reconnect with great people and to make some new friends. Plus, with little agenda that leaves A LOT of room for ADVENTURE! And future adventures to be planned.

  smallcrazy   discovering your truth   jetset extra

In Los Angeles it’ll be much the same. One of my dearest friends in the world is flying through California and since I’m not sure when I will see her again this year I took this chance to see her now. Sometimes you realize that you have to make the investment in people who get you and are always there. It’ll be a BIG catch up with many awesome people but also an opportunity to do something a little different. We plan to do a small road trip to see a bit of the Cali coast. Stay tuned for some pretty pictures and new discoveries.

miami

From there it’ll be back to my love, Miami. There’s a conference to attend so a fantastic opportunity to learn and network. But it is also a locale that I can never get enough of…my HAPPY spot. I should just go on get a place there already!!

bahamas

And from there, well this is where the vacation comes in. I’m finally going to Eleuthera – the Bahamian island with PINK beaches!! And, seriously, while I call this vacation, you KNOW I’ll be sharing the prettiness of that place with you. Plus, write about what you should see and do if you ever go!

Why do you travel? Do you try to get the most out of your trips even when it’s for work? Would you criss-cross the country in a few weeks time to catch up with special people in your life?

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Filed under bahamas, los angeles, miami, new york, travel

Best Traveled Dress

I travel a lot. And I’m often asked about travel essentials and how and what I choose to pack. There are few staples depending upon the climate but there is one standout dress that seems to accompany me almost everywhere for the last five years and is still going strong!

rodress     Photo 1-16     Photo 2-16    lola_blackpink

The Calypso Classic Ro Dress. Calypso St. Barth is a favorite store of mine found in some lucky locales throughout the USA and, of course, the original in St. Barth. I’ve visited a few but the Boston store is where I do the most damage. Five years ago or so I bought my first Ro dress and knew instantly what a great staple dress this was but since have truly learned it’s value. (The classic Ro dress retails at $195)

I have worn it as going out nighttime dress, a touring day dress, a beach cover up or just something to quickly throw on. This is a dress that keeps you cool and comfortable. It’s a dress that consistently gets complimented. It is a dress that’s forgiving – I think it would look good on anyone. Best of all, you can machine wash it or, in times of necessity, hand wash it in a sink. It looks great with a casual denim jacket or cardigan. It can be worn with leggings and boots. Mine has gone on fancy dinner dates, out dancing at clubs or just chilling at beach bars. Plus, obviously, it travels well in your bag. It is my go-to everything dress!

This dress has literally traveled the globe with me. It’s been to Miami virtually every time I go. Hello cover up or a dress to throw on for lunch. Same idea for Hawaii and Palm Springs. And, seen here on the beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

romex

In St. Martin and St. Barth it’s been a going out dress. Also in London, Bali and seen here in Istanbul.

roturk

This dress traveled with me for my 10,000 mile drive from the United Kingdom to Mongolia. It is that diverse and essential. In Cambodia it was a touring dress of the Phnom Penh Night Market.

rocambo

In Thailand it saw the grandeur of the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

photo 1-14

And as a day dress it met children in an orphanage in Bangalore India.

photo 2-12

Calypso St. Barth has grown from a modest resort-wear boutique to a luxury lifestyle brand with a passionate international following. Inspired by travel, culture & the arts, the brand reveals unique & feminine pieces that can be mixed and matched for effortless elegance, which women of every age have come to love.

Calypso St. Barth’s namesake collection is displayed alongside carefully curated pieces from international designers for an eclectic assortment with wide appeal. To me, entering Calypso St. Barth is like taking a mini-vacation to somewhere exotic. And each of my Calypso pieces are very unique and special to me.

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Filed under boston, cabo san lucas, cambodia, caribbean, fashion, miami, mongol rally, phnom penh, st. barts, travel, turkey

Sexy and the City

I heart Sexy City Travel, do you? I return to all 3 of these cities again and again. I’d love to hear which cities are your Sexy Travel Spots. Here are my top three Sexy Cities.

Paris

photo 2-12

I love Paris. I always have. The people look as delicious as the food and wine! It’s a romantic city but it’s also a sexy city. There is top everything from see and be seen shops, hotels, restaurants and clubs. But, you don’t have to be in the know to get the sexy vibe there. You could just be sitting at a cafe watching the world go by eating French onion soup and drinking a little vin. The French language is sexy. The French women and men are sexy. The French ophthalmologist shops are sexy. French artists make sexy French art. Famous writers from around the world wrote about sexy times in Paris. It’s indisputable.

New York City

photo 1-14

Well, they did make a show about ‘sex’ in this city after all! New York is sexy for many of the same reasons as Paris. I wouldn’t say New York is romantic but it is a fast paced place where there’s always something exciting going on. Again, the people watching is incredible. It’s edgy and fun and that makes it sexy to me. It’s a bit of a rebellious city. Like the sexy rock star! You never know what or who you’re going to see when you step onto the streets of New York. This is one exciting and very alive city. You can feel its energy pulsing at any given hour practically anywhere.

Miami Beach

photo 3-11

Now this city, to me, is the most sexy of the three. It just feels more exotic. The chill international vibe. The swanky sporty cars and scantily clad people. Sex is literally in the air in Miami. That suntan oil summertime smell and lounge music drifting all around. I mean the sand and ocean tend to make you think of sexy things, am I right? Lots of sun-kissed skin. But even the dinners, drinks and dancing is sexier in Miami. That must be why I love it so much.

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Filed under miami, new york, paris, travel