Travel Tuesday

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Scenes from New Orleans

February 6, 2018 in Travel by traveleatlove | No comments

Mardi Gras is almost here, and it’s fun to imagine the transition New Orleans has made since our visit to Royal Sonesta New Orleans back in December!

This coming week the hotel hosts their annual Greasing of the Poles tradition to kick off Mardi Gras, and it promises to be an exciting and revelry-filled time for all!

New Orleans was definitely one of those places where I took a ton of photos, and the below are a few scenes I wanted to share.

Voodoo shops and ghost tours were definitely on our list of things to do in New Orleans, and a Haunted History tour was a fun way to see the city. The New Orleans Ghost Tour showed us around the French Quarter, where we learned some spooky stories, took in amazing architecture and history, and had a cocktail stop at the famous Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop.

This spot was most DEFINITELY haunted. I could feel it all over.

They also made a delicious Dark n Stormy.

Throughout the tour we learned tales of New Orleans’ most haunted places like LaLaurie Mansion. I think it would have been creepier at night, but I would recommend it at any time!

Drinks to-go were a novelty and freedom that we took advantage of a few times. I am not a fan of sweet drinks, so I skipped the Hurricanes and enjoyed a Mint Julep from Pat O’Brien’s.

We had incredible weather in New Orleans and loved our time admiring architecture like the St. Louis Cathedral and outdoor spaces like Jackson Square, both a short walk from the Sonesta. Everything in New Orleans felt so bright and fresh and vibrant!

Inside the cathedral offered a beautiful calming feeling; I am not super religious, but I love the peace that comes over me in a church like this.

French 75s at Arnaud’s French 75 bar were delicious, and set me on a French 75 kick for the week. We loved the service at the bar as well; it had such a classic old vibe. It also felt pretty haunted; a few times I felt something brushing my face and hair and had a few “out of the corner of my eye” sightings. I love a haunted city!

Coffee and beignets from Cafe du Monde were of course a must-try. We ended up ordering a ton of coffee for home. I liked the beignets, but those at Royal Sonesta New Orleans ended up being my favorite by far.

We found music everywhere in New Orleans (and I danced), and it just added to the festive, relaxed vibe of our getaway. Since it was almost Christmas, we saw several parades of local school children singing and playing instruments. It was so sweet.

To work off all of those beignets and cocktails and yummy dishes, we explored most of the city by foot. Armstrong Park is a must-visit for enjoying the outdoors, art, and pop up performances. It’s a great escape when the rest of the city feels too bustling for you.

New Orleans was quite an experience, and we are excited to plan another visit.

Travel Tuesday: Lavender by the Bay, North Fork

July 11, 2016 in Travel by traveleatlove | 5 comments

I wish you could smell it, but for now, photos will have to do. Part of my Cross Sound Ferry trip to the North Fork of Long Island was a visit to the absolutely heavenly Lavender by the Bay. I have always dreamed of visiting a lavender farm, and this lived up to every expectation I had.

Lavender by the Bay grows both English and French lavender and allows visitors to wander along paths in their gorgeous fields. The farm is located near many great North Fork wineries, and across from Sep’s, a farm you also must visit.

Lavender by the Bay

In addition to the outdoor beauty at Lavender by the Bay, an adorable farm store welcomes visitors and features all sorts of items including dried lavender, baking lavender, soaps, lavender honey (delicious in a gin and tonic), and more.

We were warmly welcomed by the farm’s owner and received our own lavender bunches, complete with instructions for drying, to bring home. Thanks to this excursion, I am typing this blog post surrounded by the beautiful smell of dried lavender, which reminds me completely of my nana. It’s such a good memory to have!

If you are visiting the North Fork of Long Island, definitely add a visit to Lavender by the Bay to your itinerary. Even if the lavender isn’t in bloom, all it leaves behind will still be worth visiting for.

Tags: lavender, Long Island, Long Island wine country, North Fork, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger, Travel Tuesday

Ashford Castle Lough Corrib Boat Rides

August 18, 2015 in Travel by traveleatlove | 3 comments

Every trip to Ireland takes another little piece of my heart and makes it that much harder to leave. Our visits to Ashford Castle, just named world’s best hotel, are always special treats. We visited Ashford last fall for lunch on our last Ireland trip, and this time around we decided to take a boat ride on the Isle of Inisfree. The day we chose ended up being the only cloudy, windy, rainy day we had in 10 days, but despite the weather we enjoyed a gorgeous cruise on Lough Corrib.

You can board the boat either at Ashford Castle after paying five Euros per person to have access to the grounds, or you can park at the pier in Cong and hop on just for the price of the cruise. Since we knew we would want to have drinks in the hotel after, we parked on property.

Soon enough we were being whisked into Lough Corrib, tossed about by the swells from the windy day, surrounded by the freshest air and green scenery.

Lough Corrib is home to 365 islands, one for each day of the year. The boat ride from Ashford Castle typically stops at Inchagoill Island so that passengers can explore monastic ruins, some dating back to the 5th century. Unfortunately for us, due to the rough conditions of the lough, we couldn’t safely land the boat, and that portion of the trip was cancelled. It just gives us another reason to return!

In addition to the natural beauty of Galway and Mayo, one of the best parts of the trip was the musician on board. Martin Noone sings, plays accordion, tells stories, and has passengers on their feet, dancing and singing. He was so sweet and so part of what I love about Ireland, song, story, tradition, and good fun. boat from Ashford Castle

After the cruise, we were a little chilly and more than ready to warm up inside Ashford Castle. I can never get over how grand it is.

We were dressed for boating and decided to sit in The Prince of Wales Bar, which felt a little more casual.

What’s better than an Irish whiskey tasting in a castle? We were warmed right up as we explored different notes of the whiskeys and chattered as we listened to the rain hit the window. It was one of those perfect moments that you think about later and just want to be in again.