Weekend Blitz

Traveling for the long weekend? Why not join your fellow Americans and take a trip away from wherever “here” is for you.

A few cheap last minute ideas:

Turkey is a magical country with a culture unlike any other in the world. East meets west here, and the people are a literal interpretation of two continents colliding – coupled with a rich history of luxury. The souvenirs you can find are unlike any other. And, although Jeffrey is definitely not a souvenir hunter, I managed to trick him into finding a few good places to do a little hunting.

First things first, I did my research before leaving the states – before you ever land in Istanbul, you need to know what Turkey is known for and therefore what to look for when browsing. Obviously, Turkey is most famous for their rugs. Now, because they’re world-renown, [...]

153 East Bay St. Seafood Dinner, Late Night (bar) $$$

Pearlz, on East Bay St., has never really been in the pool when choosing restaurants before – I don’t know if it’s because it’s a “chain” (it’s also in Columbia, SC) or that it seems so touristy, but either way, I’ve always been intrigued, just never enough to act on it.

That all changed the other night – Jeffrey and I were feeling oysters, and we decided to give Pearlz a try. We walked in to a crowded restaurant and grabbed two seats at the bar. It turned out to be the best place to sit – you can see the guys preparing the oysters right [...]

So, I’m no Jeffrey, which means I might not have taken photos of every single thing Kristen & I did in New York last weekend… no hotel room pic, not a lot of food pics… But hey, I did my best.

Here’s a look back at the fun Kristen and I had in the big city!

Welcome to New York!

First stop: the most delicious brunch at Upstairs at The Kimberly

Upstairs at the Kimberly

And one more view from our brunch – 30 [...]

So, Father’s Day is just around the corner and, if you’re like me, you’re buying your dad’s gift…tomorrow…hopefully…?

If you’re still at a loss for what to get Dear Old Dad, here’s a few travel-inspired gifts that won’t break the bank.

I have been dying for a globe – and my guess is that dads would like this, too:  to sit on his desk and spin when he’s bored, or daydream (do dads daydream?) about where to travel next.

I like this globe because it’s more muted than other globes I’ve seen, and the off-white ocean color seems a bit more Dad-ish than a bright blue.  I’ve seen [...]

We’re leaving early tomorrow morning and coming back Sunday night, for a full two days and one night in the city! [...]

This weekend, I’m helping to host a fun engagement party for one of my very best friends!  It’s going to be so much fun getting together with a lot of our college friends, and getting to see Becca (the bride!) is always the best!

But, staying in town means that we’re not going on a fun trip. So, for weekends like these, when time is spent relaxing with friends and not traipsing around the world, it’s fun to have reminders of travel all around.

That’s why my weekend pick this weekend is goods from Rifle Paper Company, one of the best paper product lines that I’ve found.

I have their 2013 Cities Calendar hanging at my desk and [...]

I’m not a super picky eater, so one of my favorite things to do when traveling is try new foods.  I’ve found that plenty of the foods I fall in love with in another country happen to be available back home, but I’d just never branched out to try something I couldn’t pronounce.

For example, my very favorite Thai dish is something most people around here have never heard of… and it’s way, way better than Pad Thai, guys.

So, here’s a rundown of my favorite foods from other countries – and some suggestions for what to try on your next trip, whether it’s to one of these countries or to your local Mom & Pop ethnic [...]

OK, even though we don’t know where exactly we’re going on our honeymoon yet, believe me, I’ve been daydreaming a lot about it.

Buy it here for $220: http://bit.ly/ZBSfxW

But, if you don’t want to break the bank with just one [...]