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EXPLORING THE CALIFORNIA DESERT: THE MOORTEN BOTANICAL GARDEN AND CACTARIUM

Interior of the World’s 1st Cactarium

Palm Springs is famous for it’s meticulously kept lawns and mid-century architecture. It’s also the home of the Moorten Botanical Gardens and Cactarium, which houses over 3,000 cacti, succulents, and other plants native to the desert.

Read the post on my travel blog.

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EXPLORING GERMANY: PRIVATE STREET ART TOUR OF BERLIN

Jadore Tong’s Elephant Playing with a Balloon mural

If you’re a fan of street art, Berlin is a must-see destination. Even if you consider all painting on the side of a building, graffiti, exploring Berlin might make you stop and look a little closer. The city is an ever-changing gallery filled with large scale murals by world-renowned artists as well as random graffiti tags. I recently visited Berlin, and took a fantastic private street art tour called Writing on the Walls to see some of the best known works in world of street art, check it out on my blog!

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EXPLORING CALIFORNIA: THE NEW TESLA SUPERCHARGER IN KETTLEMAN CITY

The exterior of the new Tesla Supercharger in Kettleman City

With the holidays upon us, more people will be hitting the road. For Tesla owners, this can mean long wait times at Supercharger stations. For those traveling on the I-5 between Los Angeles and San Francisco, there is good news. A 40 stall Supercharger station just opened in Kettleman City.

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EXPLORING GREECE: THE WINDMILLS OF MYKONOS

Ana and the windmills

Mykonos, Greece is known as “the island of the winds.” Windmills have been one of the most iconic landmarks of the Greek islands since the 16th century.

Continue reading about windmills of Mykonos on my blog!

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EXPLORING MONTANA: A STAY AT THE RANCH AT ROCK CREEK WITH DOGS

Horsing around at the Ranch at Rock Creek

I’m a big fan of Montana and try to visit the Treasure State as often as I can. Last month my husband made a repeat visit to The Ranch at Rock Creek in Philipsburg and this time we took our two Labrador Retrievers with us.

Read more about pet-friendly stay at the Ranch on my blog!

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Exploring Italy: Where to Eat in Taormina, Sicily

Burrata for breakfast at the Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea

Tell people you are going to Sicily and you are sure to get a positive response from those who have visited that will some variation of “the food is amazing.”

Sicily has a reputation for being part of Italy, yet separate from it with it’s own unique traditions, customs and food. It’s definitely still Southern Italian cuisine, but with Greek, Arab, Spanish and French influences. Sicilian dishes often have olives, pine nuts, saffron, pistachios and an enthusiastic dose of exotic spices. 

Continue reading

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EXPLORING ITALY: MT. ETNA HELICOPTER TOUR IN SICILY

The otherworldly landscape of Mt. Etna

I find volcanic landscapes oddly compelling and helicopters are my favorite mode of transportation. So it did not come as much of a surprise to me that the highlight of my trip to Sicily was the helicopter tour of Mt. Etna.

Check out whole post on my travel blog

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Montana morning moment @RockCreekRanch is today's virtualvacay

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EXPLORING MAUI, HAWAII: A STAY AT TRAVAASA HANA

Pool and the Pacific at Travaasa

If you want to drive the Road to Hana at a more relaxed pace, and stay for a night (or three) in the Hana area, Travaasa Hana (formerly known as the Hotel Hana Maui) is the best bet for the luxury traveler. There are other options in town (including Airbnb properties), but if you want a full-service property, Travaasa is the way to go. Travaasa also offers a stay three nights and fly for free promotion that allows those who want to skip driving the Road to Hana altogether.

Keep reading about my stay at Travaasa Hana!

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EXPLORING MAUI, HAWAII: ROAD TO HANA HIGHLIGHTS– THE VENUS POOL

Jumping for Joy at the Venus Pools

Some the best highlights on Maui’s famed Road to Hana are beyond the town of Hana. While most guide books will claim you can do this scenic Hawaiian road trip in 3 hours, I’d suggest taking at least two days. Spend a night (or three) in the Hana area so you can explore the area at your own pace and linger at the places you like.

See all images from Venus Pool on my blog!

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EXPLORING MAUI, HAWAII: SUNSET STROLL AND HAPPY HOUR PICKS IN WAILEA

The Mana Kai Maui during golden hour

During my amazing girls trip to Maui our base for the first few days was the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort. Our first night on the island we took a walk along the beach towards Kihei to enjoy the sunset views.

Check out the Maui photo essay

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EXPLORING MAUI, HAWAII: A SUNSET SAIL ON THE ALLI’I NUI

Sailing at sunset on Maui

On my recent girls trip to Maui, I decided to take a sunset cruise to check out the scenery by boat. After reading many reviews, I booked on the Royal Feast Dinner Sail aboard the Alii Nui.

Read full review of Maui sunset sail.

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Pendleton blankets at Chihuly Garden and Glass is today's virtualvacay #Seattle

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EXPLORING LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: THE MUSEUM OF ICE CREAM

Obligatory selfie at the Museum of Ice Cream

One of my favorite things about Los Angeles is how many interesting and quirky events there are to check out. Last week I got a chance to visit the highly instagramable Museum of Ice Cream in the downtown LA Arts District.

Continue reading about Museum of Ice Cream

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EXPLORING MINNEAPOLIS: CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF PRINCE ON THE OFFICIAL PAISLEY PARK VIP TOUR

Prince art decorating the Performer Suite at the Loews Minneapolis Hotel

Last week I spent a few days in Minneapolis, Minnesota and used the opportunity to take the Official Paisley Park VIP Tour. I have always been a music fan and Prince has been an essential part of the soundtrack of my life. My brother and nephews live in Minneapolis and were game to join me on our trip to the suburb of Chanhassen where rock icon and musician Prince built his multipurpose estate and production compound in 1987.

Note: Paisley Park has a strict “no photos” policy, and asks guests to power off their phones when on the grounds. There is a photo opportunity available for purchase, where guests can have their picture taken next to a 10 foot high mural of Prince and get the image files on a Paisley Park flash drive. I bought this opportunity but my flash drive does not work, and I am attempting to get the image files from the staff at Paisley Park.

Read more on my travel blog

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Rainbow wall in #WeHo is today's virtualvacay #LAStory

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Beach vibes in #Montenegro is today's virtualvacay