A One-Stop Shop for all the Things
Where to Stay Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort – we typically lean towards Hyatt or Hilton properties because of their rewards system! If you’re looking for a hotel-branded credit card, either of these are the way to go! This property is just steps from the …
Where We Stayed Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego: We loved the location of this Hyatt property! It was within walking (or scootering) distance to a lot of restaurants and a short Uber ride to the Zoo and Mission Beach, which I recommend checking out! What …
The Godfrey: we stayed at The Godfrey Hotel Boston for the weekend and I’d definitely stay there again! It was within walking distance to shopping and multiple restaurants and there was an MBTA (public transportation) stop just a couple blocks away! I was impressed that they had extra umbrellas for us to use one day when it was drizzling (and windy).
Sidebar: we stopped in here to watch an NCAA basketball game during March Madness so if you’re in the area and want to catch a game at a sports bar, this little hole in the wall had great food and the service was good too!
Boston Burger Co: if you like a good burger and shakes, you NEED to stop in here. They have three different locations in the area and a feature burger each month! We went got the Mac Attack and the Porkasaurus – you can’t go wrong with either of them. For dessert we shared the Oreo Frappe but they have a ton of options to choose from!
Levain Bakery: can you go to the Northeast and NOT go to Levain Bakery? There was a line but their menu is pretty simple so they get through customers quickly! I made my husband trek all over the city to go here :).
Flour Bakery Cafe: we went to the South End location and got a boston cream pie to go (DUH) and muffins for breakfast. They also have sandwiches for those that want a lighter lunch on the go!
Ernesto’s: Located in the North End and on the Freedom Trail it’s super easy to get to! We didn’t do any food tours while we were in the city but one group stopped in and got to have a slice of pizza while we were there! The slices are huge – we ended up getting a whole pizza and taking a couple slices back to the hotel with us!
Cafe Bonjour: this breakfast spot was just around the corner from our hotel so we stopped in the morning we were heading home – it was good but nothing to write home about. Keep in mind – we are picky eaters and may not have ordered the right thing on the menu when we visited!
Mike’s Pastry: make sure you have cash if you stop in here! They have cannoli flavors out the wazoo that are delicious – I highly recommend if you like sweets! If you’re not going to Boston any time soon, they have nationwide shipping.
Fenway Park Tour: we didn’t go to Boston during the most ideal time considering we had to bundle up and tour Fenway in the cold rain BUT it was worth it! They let us tour the locker room, press box and go on the Big Green Monster.
TD Garden: one of the big reasons we went to Boston when we did was because the Dallas Mavericks were playing the Boston Celtics – bonus that they were retiring KG’s jersey that night! It was a great atmosphere, the Celtics fans around us were somewhat welcoming and the Mavs won in a close game!
How We Booked Our Flights Because we cancelled our Italy trip (twice lol) and got such a steal when we went to the Maldives, we had some leftover American Airlines miles and chose to make the trip to Maui, Hawaii. We have both been with …
Somehow I made a guide on Instagram and forgot to compile everything in a blog post! So, here goes! This is all from my trip to visit my BFF in Nashville in November of 2020 – shoutout to Southwest for the cheap airfare! Where to …
As I mentioned in my other blog post about getting to the Maldives, this was a HUGE bucket list destination for my husband and I. We made the flights work by using American Airlines miles for a Qatar flight, used Hilton points for the first half of our stay and used the Hilton Friends & Family portal for the second half of our stay. This post will be all things Conrad from the rooms to the service to the excursions we took (and tried to take but were cancelled due to weather). If you’re traveling there soon, I hope this helps and hope you have the BEST vacation ever!
We initially booked the basic overwater villa for the first five nights of the trip using Hilton reward points. As we got closer to confirm our stay, they told us they were still working on the renovations of those villas on the Adults-Only part of the island and upgraded us, complimentary, to a Grand Water Villa with pool. The pool is an infinity pool right at the edge of the sundeck so you can see the fish and sharks swim by while you relax in the sun! We stayed in 417 which is down almost at the very end of the pathway of overwater bungalows. There was a ladder going from the sundeck down into the ocean for easy access and with the way this villa was positioned plus having a wall on one side of our deck, we actually had a lot of privacy!
The second half of our trip was spent in a Deluxe Beach Villa with pool. We originally booked the basic beach villa at the Hilton Friends and Family rate and were offered an upgrade at $210/night plus taxes and fees, which we ended up doing so we’d have our own pool right on the beach. These also have an outdoor shower (don’t worry, there is PLENTY of privacy) that we used just for giggles a couple times instead of the indoor one! The pool is surrounded by plenty of plants and trees so your neighbors can’t see over the wall and those passing by on the beach can’t see in to your villa either. There are other room options to fit all budgets and group sizes, which you can read about here.
All rooms have reusable glass bottles that have drinkable water in them. Ours had 4 bottles and we went through them like no one’s business. They replace them during the turn-down service in the evening as well as when they come in and clean in the morning.
Pro tip: take your own reusable water bottle, make room in the mini fridge for the glass bottles so the water stays cold and ask for a bucket of ice!
The service here was unlike any resort I’ve ever been to – TOP NOTCH. From before we even arrived they were in communication with us via email to make sure our upgrades were taken care of and to assure us that everything was taken care of with our seaplane transfer upon arrival.
From the time we left customs and security with our bags at the airport, a staff members was there ready to help. They took us to the lounge at the seaplane terminal, got us checked in to the hotel and let us know when the plane was ready to take us to the Conrad.
Once we arrived at the Conrad, Isaam was introduced as our Guest Representative and we added him on WhatsApp so we could get in touch with him throughout our stay. He helped us make dinner reservations, book (and reschedule) our excursions and was very prompt to respond when we texted him with questions or requests! He helped us transfer rooms, made sure we scheduled a return COVID test and had our results printed for us upon check out. From start to finish, he was the best and definitely helped to make our experience great!
All of the restaurant staff was very welcoming and friendly. We talked to some about the staff island at the resort where they live, what they did during the lockdown from the pandemic and they were always making sure we were satisfied with our meal.
Pro tip: bring some cash and leave a tip for the cleaners that come twice a day – we left one when we checked out of both rooms with a little note!
Hear me when I say: do NOT wait until the end of your trip schedule excursions!!!! The reason I say this is because the weather there is unpredictable. Did we go in the middle of monsoon season? Yes. Did it only rain 2/11 days we were there? Yes. Book your excursions early enough in your trip so that you can reschedule them if they are cancelled due to weather or not having enough people booked with you.
Our first whale shark excursion on Thursday was cancelled because no one else signed up with us and they have to have a minimum of 4 people signed up in order to go so we rescheduled for Friday. As we were getting ready to board the boat, the sky opened up and it poured all. day. long. Saturday we were supposed to go swim with the turtles but the marine biologist found us at breakfast and told us it was cancelled because of the wind and the waves not being safe for us to go out. Our last chance was Sunday to do the whale sharks before we headed home on Monday and PRAISE THE LORD we were able to go!
The water was a little rough at the beginning on the far side of the reef – we’re talking HUGE waves in a pretty small boat so your girl sat as far back in the boat as possible and prayed I didn’t get seasick. We finally got a call that another boat found a whale shark so our captain whipped the boat around and we made it to a different reef that was so much more calm. I didn’t jump in the first time so my stomach could settle after all the waves we’d just hit but everyone else jumped in and as soon as they came back and were talking about how cool it was, I knew I was jumping in the next time – and it was SO worth it. Swimming with sharks sounds terrifying but whale sharks are really gentle giants.
The resort has non-motorized water sports like kayaks, paddle boards and more that are complimentary for guests to use. They do have motorized options at an additional cost which you can find here. They have multiple scuba excursions including a night dive as well as the whale shark talk and tour and the turtle safari that we weren’t able to do. Here is the list for all the diving options and the prices as well.
Pro tip: you can check out snorkel gear free of charge as long as you return it before you leave!
Let me preface this by saying we are pretty picky eaters and stuck to a few restaurants while we were there. They do have more restaurants that offer a set menu so you pay a set price per person and eat off the menu they provide. You can check out the list of restaurants and their menus here!
This was by far the restaurant we ate at the most – also where their in-villa dining service menu comes from. Reservations are not required since they have plenty of indoor and outdoor seating on the beach. They have food ranging from pasta, pizza, sandwiches and more. We always got a bottle of water which was like $12 so we factored that in to all our meals and never ordered alcohol, just because the drinks were upwards of $20+. They are open every day for lunch and dinner and offer a movie night a couple times as week as well as live music! Over the course of our stay we tried the flat bread pizza, pasta with Bolognese and carbonara sauces and the wagyu beef burger with fries. We got dessert once day after a light lunch and it was the summer romanoff ice cream – to die for.
If you like Chinese food, you should check this spot out! They aren’t open every day so check with your Guest Representative and see when they can make reservations for you. This location is also where breakfast is everyday as well as the Hilton Honors Happy Hour from 4-5pm. They gave us complimentary rolls before our food came out and we ordered the stir-fry beef tenderloin with garlic sauce and the wok-friend chicken with cashews as well as the poached pear with ice cream for dessert. They were both pretty good but nothing out of this world. We only ate at this spot once for dinner during our stay.
Hands down the best view while eating dinner is at Sunset Grill, especially if your reservation is at 7pm. We had a beautiful sunset one night that was absolutely breathtaking. You can also see fish and sharks swim under you while you eat – we got to see a spotted eagle ray as well! Keep in mind this location isn’t open every day either so make reservations to be sure you try it before you leave! We tried their pork chop, sirloin and ribeye when we ate there as well as the baked pineapple in spices for dessert one night (save room for this!!!).
To be quite honest, we almost didn’t eat here after reading that it was an “organic restaurant offering holistic dining experiences” but it was so good that we went back a second time. Don’t judge a book by its cover, people!!! Both of our villas were a very short walk here which was convenient and again, it’s not open every day so make reservations shortly after you arrive (open for lunch and dinner)! We tried their sage marinated chicken breast with pumpkin and shallot risotto (literally mouthwatering) and the grass fed beef tenderloin with potato mousseline. We had a pretty decent sunset once night and sat inside the second time because the wind was so bad.
This is one of the restaurants with a set menu for lunch and dinner (but only open a couple days a week) BUT they do offer an experience where you can pay $85 for champagne and canapes to be able to go in and experience it! We got champagne and went downstairs to watch the fish and sharks swim around us while we were literally submerged under water. If you aren’t crazy about the price or menu for lunch or dinner but still want to see the Maldives’ first underwater restaurant, I recommend going this route!
Thank you for hanging in there and reading all of that! This truly was an amazing experience that I’ll forever remember. Shoutout to my husband for being the points and miles guru that he is and making this trip so much more affordable for us!
Everyone should have a Bucket List of places they’d like to visit. We do and it’s constantly growing. My husband and I LOVE to travel, explore new places together and take in other cultures. The Maldives was a bucket list destination for both of us …
If you’ve been around, you know my dad and I are trying to visit all 30 MLB Stadiums. Last year we had to cancel our Seattle trip and somehow the schedule this year worked out for us to spend a week in California in San Francisco, Oakland, LA and Anaheim. We started the trip off in San Francisco to watch the Cubs and the Giants and I’ve compiled where we stayed and what we did. Of course we ate our way through the city so the restaurants we went to are in the post as well!
Hyatt Place San Francisco Downtown
A contemporary hotel that’s just minutes from Oracle Park, this hotel is the perfect place to stay for the weekend. Typically they have a free breakfast buffet but that along with the Fitness and Business Center, that looked different. Their website says the gym is closed but they are allowing 7 people in there at a time. There is a Safeway about a block away that was convenient for getting some water bottles as well as some sandwiches for lunch one day! The location isn’t far from Pier 39 or Fisherman’s Wharf and there’s a Lyft bike dock right across the street that we used almost every day to get around the city!
Hilton San Francisco Airport
If you have an early flight, I highly recommend this hotel. It’s got a shuttle to and from the airport which is super convenient so you don’t have to worry about getting an Uber or Lyft at the crack of dawn and it only costs $5 per person each way (cheaper than Rideshares). They have a fitness center, pool and a walking track if you want to get some exercise in!
Oracle Park for a Giants Game
The biggest reason for this trip was to go to Oracle Park to cross it off our Ballpark Bucket List. We got to see the Giants play the Cubs and take in the stunning views of the Bay in the background. If you haven’t been to Oracle, I highly suggest going to a game while you’re in San Fran – it’s one of the best ballparks I’ve been to!
Pier 39 – From shopping to restaurants on the water, you have to stop at the pier while you’re in town! We ate lunch at The Wipeout (more below), grabbed dessert at Trish’s Donuts (the best mini donuts I’ve ever eaten), got a Biscoff Latte from the Biscoff Coffee corner and stopped at the little farmer’s market stand that was in there and had the BIGGEST strawberries I’ve ever seen in my life. We walked and biked there when we went but you can also Uber or there is parking right across the street!
Ghirardelli Square – If you love chocolate like me, this place is heaven. There was a line for ice cream but if you wanted to just browse their chocolate selection you could walk right in. They are open from 11am-9pm everyday.
RingCentral Coliseum for an A’s Game – I hate to say it but this ballpark needs some serious TLC. I hope for the team and the city’s sake that they are able to build a new stadium for the A’s before they pack up and leave town! The game was fun though, even though our Royals lost (again). We were able to get tickets online before we went, paid $30 for parking upon arrival and were able to move seats once we got inside to the shade – rookie move on my part getting us seats in the heat of the day.
Umbrella Alley – I stumbled up on this Instagrammer’s dream spot while I was browsing other blogs for things to do that may not be as known in the area. I am SO glad we ventured to Umbrella Alley while we were over that way! The murals are perfect for photo ops. Check out their website to meet the artists and check out the hours it’s open.
The Wipeout Bar & Grill– The afternoon that I arrived we walked to Pier 39 (about 2 miles from the hotel) and decided to eat here for lunch. California, at the time, was still pretty strict on their mask requirements and this restaurant in particular asked that we keep our masks on unless we were actively eating or drinking. Between the three of us we ordered the Coconut Shrimp, Fish and Chips and The Wipeout. The food was pretty good – nothing beats fresh seafood on the coast! We did not make reservations here and only had to wait about 10-15 minutes for a table.
Crab House – This was one of my favorite restaurants because of the view we had! It sits right on the water and we are right about the time the sun was going down. Their crab cake appetizer was probably the best I’ve ever eaten. My entrée was the Garlic Shrimp Pasta and I like garlic but man oh man was this strong! We also ordered crème brulee cheesecake to take back to the hotel (it was delish). We did make reservations here just to be safe.
The Melt – This was our dinner my first night there because we were so exhausted from walking to the Pier and after a morning of travel, no on had the energy to get up and go somewhere to eat SO we ordered The Melt via DoorDash. Probably one of the best decisions of the trip. I ordered the BBQ Bacon Burger, a side of mac n cheese (to. die. for.) and a strawberry lemonade and it was all delicious!
The Dorian – I love a good brunch and The Dorian did not disappoint. Granted it was an adventure getting there (Lyft bikes, not the ebikes, and hills – not a great combo) but the food was good! The service was a little iffy when we first sat down but the waitress got better as the meal went on. Two of us got Ricotta Pancakes and my dad ordered the Billionaire Burrito.
Franciscan Crab Restaurant – I found this restaurant on Yelp and it had pretty good recommendations so we decided to give it a try! We went ahead and made reservations just to be on the safe side and were able to get a table by the window so we had a view of the water and could see Alcatraz, too! Between the three of us we ordered shrimp alfredo, seafood fettuccini with a red sauce and Cioppino (which is a very popular dish out there – basically pasta with different types of seafood in it).
Dottie’s True Blue Cafe – Okay, bear with me on this one. I think before COVID times this would have been a great place to eat breakfast! My dad is a huge Diner’s, Drive In’s and Dive fan and this restaurant was on the show which is why we went! It’s not in the greatest area (downtown) but we took ebikes there and back and they were only seating folks on their rooftop. Their menu was limited and the food was average. I don’t think I’d recommend going until they’re back up and fully running again!
The Bagel Bakery Cafe – We grabbed a bagel here the morning of our drive to Anaheim because it was close and we knew we’d be in the car for a while. There were quite a few people in there getting breakfast but they got everyone in and out in a timely manner. They had bagels with cream cheese, bagel omelets, some baked goods and coffee on the menu.
If you end up in the Bay Area and try any of these places or have another recommendation, please comment below and I’ll add it to this list as a reader recommendation!
Tahiti is a bucket list destination for most people and I was lucky enough to be able to go for my honeymoon back in 2018. We went to Mo’orea for about 10 days and loved every minute of it! We went before I was really …
