Everything's bigger...

In Austin, Texas!!

I was able to take a short getaway with a friend to explore the wild, wild west ;) It was my first trip to Texas and they even let me in without any cowboy boots on!

Austin has become all the rage, so I figured I should check it out before the weather turned 115 degrees there this summer. We really didn't have an agenda, but we did know that some good food would be had. And Austin, my friends, is foodie heaven! Perfect patio weather, margaritas, and authentic tex-mex will make any girl happy. We arrived and ventured to South Congress (SoCo) which was a cute touristy area, but the locals hang there too. It happened to be the weekend of their annual hot rod show so that was fun to see! We grabbed some food and after wandering decided to take a seat outside and listen to some good, 'ole music at Guero's Taco Bar. I also had some other friends in town, so that night we decided to check out Rainey Street and then 6th street, both hot spots for night life. We had a fun evening and my favorite spot was a little hidden gem called Midnight Cowboy. A private room and a specailty cocktail menu!? YUM!

After speaking with some locals, we decided our Sunday brunch spot would be Maria's Taco Xpress. Man, what an awesome decision! This place was as unique as they come and you could tell it was good from the line out the door. The food was delicious! They also have 'hippie church' every Sunday so of course we had to stay and experience that. Let me tell you, it was an experience, but a great one!! So fun! There aren't a lot of touristy spots to see, but if you visit be sure to check out the Driskill Hotel and the Texas State Capital. Both are absolutely beautiful! We also were able to hear some wonderful musicians at The Continental Club. A def must is to find the live music somewhere while you're in Austin!

My friend left before me so I got my walk on and explored the city alone on Monday. The weather was nice and I always enjoy seeing the local community and the neighborhoods. I also had planned to check out Elizabeth Street Cafe which is vietnamese and got rave reviews. It was the cutest, and the food was awesome too! I had the best cocktail too. Perfect, relaxing day :)

Austin definitely has a 'Texas' flavor to it, but it's not those dusty roads that I used to associate with the state. The people were really friendly and it seemed like a fun, relaxed city.

Giddy up, folks!

Excellent Eats

One of the joys of traveling is the amazing food you get to sample! And it's ok to try it all because if you're like me, you walk it all off exploring :) Here are my top 5 foodie picks within the US.

Bon Appetit!!

Atlanta-
Ammazza: authentic Napoletana pizza. Great, family-style atmosphere.

San Fran-
Le Colonial: one of the best meals I've ever had!! French-vietnamese fusion. Perfect for a date night.

NYC-
Jane: fab little brunch spot in SOHO.

Chicago-
Nightwood: farm-to-table deliciousness. Menu changes daily and the drinks are yummy too!

Austin-
Maria's Tacos: get the barbacoa taco. Go on a Sunday to enjoy the 'hippie church-gospel style' experience :)

All Aboard!

I'd have to agree with George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life when he states the three most exciting sounds in the world are "anchor chains, plane motors, and train whistles."

Traveling intrigues, excites, challenges, and most importantly, inspires me. I'm hoping this blog will capture my travel experiences and also provide some tips and good recs if you're looking to venture to a similar place. I've had the opportunity to 'spread my wings' and am looking forward to many more adventures, both local and overseas. I actually want to reminisce to this time eight years ago when I took my first 'big' overseas trip in 2005 and ventured to Ireland. I was in college at the time and the experience was wonderful! Beautiful landscape, kind people, and such a peaceful place altogether. After returning, I remember not wanting to speak to anyone who hadn't gone with me because they just couldn't relate. I also burnt all my pics to a cd and my roommates and I watched the slideshow on our TV and talked about our trip non-stop for two weeks. My, how I've come since then! Now, I can pick up and go, rest for a day, and then head back to full-time work. Hey, whatever it takes to fit some travel in, right!?

Since then I've had some incredible opportunities that I want to highlight. I've visited some great U.S. cities like San Fran, ATL, Miami, Chi, DC, Boulder, Savannah, NOLA, Vegas, and NYC. I've also journeyed to some faraway places! I've been able to visit Africa twice now- Cape Town, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. I recently put on my 'big girl' pants and took a two week adventure by myself to Spain, France, and Italy in the summer of 2012. It was an unbelievable trip and so empowering!! I think that experience sealed the deal for me that all my disposable income and time was going to be set aside for travel adventures :)

I'm already more enlightened by the travel experiences I've had thus far. Now, it's time to add some more stamps to my passport. I hear the whistle blowing now...come join me as I journey along!

Ireland, 2005

"To travel is to take a journey into yourself." -Danny Kaye