travel Archives - Page 2 of 5

0 In travel

hotel playtime in palm springs

When it comes to sun protection, I take it so so seriously, even obsessively, especially in the desert. Some of the actives in my skincare routine can cause photosensitivity, so I make sure to protect my skin properly. David’s too- he’ll burn badly if we’re not careful. I wear this sunscreen every day under makeup, and this one when it’s extra hot and sweaty. This one is water-resistant for swimming and such, and this powder formula is perfect for reapplying, especially over makeup. [sunnies: similar blush, purple, red, silver]

We definately didn’t need all that sunscreen during the early-morning ‘June gloom,’ if I’m being honest. So I slept in a bit, and spent the greyish time puttering around our hotel suite, writing a few cards (peep my succulents from the botanical gardens enjoying the Saguaro, too!), and waiting for the sun to come out.

I was glad when it emerged fairly quickly, more so when it made for a picture-postcard perfect pool day! I wore a rather sassy one-piece again, and tied my hair up with a scarf– unicorn hair can’t really get wet in a pool. My suit is last season’s, available currently in white, or there’s this lookalike as well if navy’s what you need.

I was a big fan of the pool area at the Saguaro. Not too crowded, poppy and colorful with the rainbow of the hotel surrounding. It had a a great bar and service, and the pool was positively stocked with fun inflatables. That floatmingo and I were meant to be, obviously.

When we had enough of Palm Springs poolside, we headed back to the room to cool off. We cleaned ourselves up and got dressed, and headed out to play tourist.

The Parker-Meridien was our first stop. It’s a must-visit in Palm Springs if design speaks to you at all… the eye candy calls to me like magnetic north, and I pretty much become the heart-eye emoji.

The lobby decor is so good, I can barely stand it. Forget a room, I just want to move in right there and live among the prettiness. We briefly considered the Parker when contemplating a small SoCal wedding, and the aesthetic of the space played a big part.

Really, the entire property is stunning. It’s landscaped to have lots of little alcoves, and it feels very private. We found a hammock in this shady grove, and it was the perfect spot to relax with an cocktail before moving on to our next adventure.

loveravayna

July 6, 2016

0 In los angeles/ travel

brights and whites in palm springs

We had a great time at the Saguaro in Palm Springs. For this last minute getaway, I was excited when I snagged a great rate on the Hotel Tonight app. A broken air conditioner in our room sent me back to the front desk before David had brought the car around, but they promptly upgraded us to a lovely chartreuse corner suite. I really love me a hotel upgrade, and have been pretty lucky lately, getting them frequently.

It was very much of a working weekend for us- good stuff upcoming! That said, I had a mimosa within reach most of the weekend, and that’s just the way I like my vacations. And y’all know I’m not about to drop my skincare game while travelling, so I had a little mask-and-manicure session while the morning clouds burned off and then got ready for the day while David snoozed.

When the sun came out, we met it at the pool. I’ve been loving one piece swimsuits the last few summers, and this white crochet number is my new favorite this year. I just adore white with a (safe) tan, and I think the cutwork is super sassy but still very classy.

I brought JLaw with- I just know we’d get along merrily!

swimsuit (on amazon) // bracelet // sunnies… i wish. $13 dupes! // earrings // heirloom rings (similar) // nail polish // similar pineapple dress (mine is old from TJ Maxx) // oxford

We splashed around in the pool some, but mostly talked, read, and and drank, napped and soaked in the sun. When we got overheated, we retreated to our suite. We cooled off, cleaned up and headed out for a little shopping in Palm Springs.

Thrift shopping is always my jam, but especially int Palm Springs. We went to several stores while in town, but I’m always most excited about visiting Dazzles. It’s full of all the prettiest things – I either want to move in or buy the store out.

I had a very interesting and kind of sad conversation with the proprietor. He asked why we were taking pictures, was very sweet and supportive of my blog, and explained he inquired because other vintage dealers notoriously come photograph to duplicate the drama of Dazzles. So though I swanned about for far too long dancing to an amazing era-appropriate soundtrack, I didn’t feel right sharing all of the detailed images of the wares. Trust me, check Instagram hashtags if you must, but you just have to go shop for yourself!

We kept supper crazy casual, with burgers and sweet potato fries at Woody’s. I love that place- it’s a totally unfancy diner, but the food is yummy, the drinks are cold and it’s astonishingly inexpensive. And tthe live music in the back room is so fun and festive!

Mrs. Rose brought the house down as I devoured a mushroom burger and sipped cava and flirted with my husband… wasn’t mad at any of it. Every day is different, but I always love Palm Springs.

loveRavayna

June 29, 2016

0 In travel

maracas beach

Trinidad was just such an amazing trip. It wasn’t perfect though- one of the more frustrating incidents was our Maracas Beach day. We’d cleared the whole day, woke up early to prep and load up a dozen people, and headed off in a caravan to drive around the island to Maracas.

As we stopped for snacks and pictures at the overlook en route, we realized that the grey morning mist looked atypically thick. It was still cloudy when we unloaded and sent our driver off, and that mist promptly turned to rain. Fortunately, the rain was warm, so we decided to stick it out, make the best of it, and just have lunch first.

Maracas is known for its shark-and-bake, a Trini fried fish sandwich. Richard’s is legendary, and has always been our favorite. But we had time to kill as we waited out the storm, so we had a progressive lunch and ate at Daphne’s as well. It was yummy, but Richard’s was still my fave- I adore piling my bake with spicy slaw, salted cucumbers, mango chutney, and plenty pepper sauce.

I had used my Silhouette to cut vinyl labels for some covered sip-a-mugs, figuring they’d be useful at the beach, and they were! We used bits of soca lyrics for the personalization, and they made for vacation-long jokes on very handy cocktail cups.

The sun didn’t come out, but it did dry and warm up a bit post-lunch, so we were glad. We walked the beach for a while, and eventually meandered in to wade in the water (and compare tans). Erin won… David lost, as if anyone’s surprised by that.

The water was really pretty nice, and I do hate crowded beaches, so it wound up working out okay, all things considered. It just made me sad that the views were so dreary, because Maracas is stunningly beautiful on a clear day, and I wish I could share that with you.

After a while, storm clouds rolled in again, so we decided to cut our losses before another drenching. I called our driver Kevin, and got him to come pick us up earlier than we’d planned.

And of course, we made a stop at the the fruit stand on the way home from the beach. So much fresh local produce, as well as sugarcane juice, freshly pressed by the friendliest vendor.

We shopped and made friends, until Kevin rounded us up and home we went, to rest up before that night’s fete.

loveRavayna

June 19, 2016

0 In travel

moorten botanical gardens

Even in familiar places, like Palm Springs, I’m always looking for new adventures. When we ran away for the weekend a few weeks ago, we made a point of visiting the Moorten Botanical Garden and I was so glad we did! Established in 1938, it’s the loveliest enclave.

I’ve never seen more variety of cacti, succulents, and other desert flora in one place…. I was a kid in a candy store. I love succulents- I carried them in my wedding bouquet- so I moseyed down the paths like molasses, inspecting the gardens carefully.

Some of those cacti are older than I am, which is kind of mind boggling to think about. It was really interesting to see the transition in texture from rough bark to smooth flesh on the oldies. I have a special soft spot for agaves- we have a few in our backyard, and they’re a favorite chicken snack, so not nearly as stunning as these.

The property is just gorgeous- beautifully yet authentically landscaped. There’s a small greenhouse, which is full of a million amazing spiky varietals, labeled and arrayed in a magical little space.

Marimekko Target set (kids, sold out) // jean jacket // hat // gladiators

Creosote- that bramble with bits of white fluff- is such a weird plant, and I just love it. I was perpetually burying my face in it and inhaling. It looks so delicate, but is actually hardy, and it smells like fireworks or a campfire, sharp and smoky. I especially adore it when intermingled with really fragrant florals, like tuberose or peonies- it’s a lovely little contradiction.

But when I made it to the succulent nursery section, my day was made. Table after table of beautiful succulents at amazing prices… I wanted dozens, not gonna lie. But I limited myself to a small mix-and-match of $1 baby succulents. I spent far too long deliberating, but it was hard to decide which were sturdy enough to survive my epic black thumb. All are still hanging on at home, out of reach of chicken nibbles, so I’m feeling hopeful over here!

loveRavayna

June 15, 2016

8 In lifestyle/ travel

totally Trini

One of the best things about our Trinidad vacations is how much it feels like home. That expectation’s should be a little unrealistic- we moved to the States in time for me to start kindergarten, and I didn’t return to the island until I was a grown woman. But from the time I feel the humid air at Piarco, Trinidad embraces.

Part of it is our guest quarters. My aunt Annemarie hosts us all (David and I, our besties Erin and Craig, my mom, aunt and uncle, my cousin and her new fiancé- a whole crew!) at her lovely home, and it’s perfect for playtime and partying… ‘liming’ is the Trini translation. She’s just the most gracious hostess, and makes her home a pleasure for us to visit.

Auntie has the loveliest ladies helping her at home. They spoil us rotten, and take such good care of us. Mrs Rose and her daughter kept us in literal feasts, and Mrs Rhona (to my mom’s right) kept us in stitches too. We always joke that their goal is to fatten us up till our costumes don’t fit- these women are some talented cooks.

More on Trini food in an upcoming post… Back to the party! says Auntie Angela. ?

The house pretty much has a revolving door, so the soca music starts the party early in the morning, and it goes all day. Aunties and family and friends stream in and out as Craig, the most patient bartender in the world, keeps drinks full and strong. Poolside is a sociable place to be in the Trini heat on the days we stay in.

Each of us maxes out our duty -free purchase upon arrival in Trinidad, and we stock the bar. Absolut Karnival is a bit of a thing on our trips- it’s a local market limited edition, flavored with passion fruit and orange blossom, and we drink it with soda, lime and bitters. When we’re not drinking rum, that is. We drink a lot of rum. It’s a Trini ting.

The house has plenty: people, food and drink, bright colors, photos of my auntie’s winning carnival costumes. And Lola, my aunt’s parrot- she’s something else. My mom taught her to say my name on a previous trip, and hand to g-d if Lola doesn’t call for me incessantly. Bless his heart, Craig spent some time trying to teach her other names, but no such luck.. She only wanted to sqwawk ‘vayna, vayna’ ad infinitum every time she saw me or heard my name.

If you visit our family, someone’s going to tell you about the savannah, (Queen’s Savannah Park), and claim it as the largest roundabout in the world. I don’t know about all that (proof or it didn’t happen), but it’s home to good stuff. Aside from the carnival festivities it hosts, there are vendors of every stripe dotted along the roundabout all the time- fruit, drinks, oyster shooters, kebab, roti, and more.

For us, it’s always about going to see the coconut man. Normally we’d do oysters, then coconuts but we kept missing the oysterman. It’s not like the street food vendors are on some kind of easily accessible schedule, and rumor and routine are only so reliable on Trini time.

Coconut water in bottle or can can be as cold-pressed and raw as it wants, but it can’t compare to a fresh Trini coconut hacked open. After all the water has been drunk, the coconut and machete meet again, to expose the yummy coconut jelly ready for eating.

We’re always interested in shopping local, seeing markets, and engaging with the vendors. We made a trip with Auntie Annemarie out to El Soccoro Road, where lots of fruit vendors are. The produce is arranged prettily, like at an American farmer’s market, but the varieties differ greatly. I was totally intrigued by the fresh pigeon peas in their pod, and the assortment of chilis made me realize exactly why homemade Trini hot sauce is so good.

I spent some time chatting with the shop owner while I browsed, and while he chopped my sugarcane to reasonable lengths. Trini people are just chatty. Auntie enjoyed art directing from the idling driver’s seat- peep her there?

similar black dresses // vintage chambray dress similar // similar // gaimo espadrilles similar, 2

The sun was setting as we headed home, so we took a long detour to go up to the lookout. Port-of-Spain and the sea beyond were really gorgeous as the sun slipped below the horizon and pinpricks of light sparked on.

loveRavayna

June 7, 2016

1 In travel

trinidad boat day

While we were in Trinidad, we chartered a small boat for the day to spend some time on the water and go DDI, or down de islands. Motoring off in the direction of Venezuela, we headed towards the Bocas Islands in Dragon’s Mouth, with no real agenda but some good times in the sunshine.

Not gonna lie, things got fantastic real fast. Our boat wasn’t fancy, but it was more than plenty fun- that’s typical Trini style. The weather was absolutely stunning, 85 degrees, and the water sparkled in the sunshine.

The soca music was blasting- David and Craig make a hell of a dj team- and the drinks were cold. The islands rising from the sea made for a beautiful sight, and it was so lovely and breezy out on the water.

Erin and I attempted our very own Titanic moment- rather unsuccessfully, but we were surely entertained. My precious aunt Judy joined us for our boat day- she’s so sassy and so sweet, we all loved getting to spend more time with her.

We spent some time up in the captain’s chair, admiring the views. Wilderness and stunning beauty in equal turn, and as far as eyes could see.

We were very much into the private party aspect of the boat charter. With lots of fetes (big open-bar parties) upcoming, we were all reveling in the open air, considering it our warm-up for the crowds and madness that makes up carnival.

It was pretty much a great big party on that gorgeous water… and in it, too.

In between drinking and diving, I did a little sunning. Reality check: I worked on my tan for six seconds before I decided it was too hot, I was missing the fun on the back of the boat and that my swimsuit sleeves would leave awful lines.

So I tucked my sleeves into my bikini top and returned to the dance party. And on we raged…

It was noisy and rowdy and fun and fantastic, and we all had such a good time! We came across few other vessels, but the ones we did were all happy to join the party.

We were surprised at how quickly the time had flown when our captain advised last dips and drinks, since it was time to head back to land. We had soaked in the sun, and were toasty and tired as we disembarked, met our driver, and headed home for supper.

asos bikini, similar, 2, 3, under $50! | cynthia steffe shift, similar, 2, 3 | vintage earrings, similar, 2, 3 | erin’s bikini: vs, similar, 2, 3 | nail polish

loveRavayna

May 4, 2016

0 In travel

salt and sand: a tobago beach day

I wouldn’t call myself a beach bunny, and I can be picky about where I swim, but I do love the sunshine on my (well-protected!) skin, salt in the air, and sand in my hair. And the beach at Pigeon Point, in Tobago, is one of the the closest to paradise I’ve found on this earth- warm, crystalline waters just stretch as far as the eye can see. It’s serious beach bum inspiration.

In past years, we’ve taken glass-bottom boats out to the Nylon Pool, a pretty little tide pool on the Buccoo Reef. But we’ve noted the deterioration of the reef and the destruction of the coral from the crowds over the years, and felt guilty about our contribution to the damage. Destroying the environment can take some fun out of the experience, so we decided to skip the group tour and just enjoy the beach instead. Absolutely perfect weather, a cooler of Carib and some rum runners perfected that plan.

One of the best part of our carnival trips is best friend time. It’s a royal pain having your friends a plane flight away, but par for my course. So I’m practically beside myself to have Erin with me for long enough that we actually get over the excitement of being reunited. We have the best time together AND wear the same size… it’s vacation partner perfection!

It feels like serious gravy that we love each other’s husbands, too, and that they are good friends as well. It makes for a very fun group.. on the beach and pretty much everywhere else!

We rented umbrellas and chairs, and reveled in the fact that there were only a few other families out on the beach that day. Most people go to Tobago to recover after carnival madness, but schedule conflicts dictated a beach pre-party for us instead. I adored escaping ahead of the crowds, and having places practically to ourselves.

I also had too much fun disturbing that peace…. like Craig skipping rocks. I hatched an ill-fated water tackle plan, with humorous results. I imagine it looked like birds flying at a window, but it felt like hitting a warm laughing wall.

similar bikini, 2, 3, 4 // vintage kimono- similar, in pink, darks, under $30 // sunglasses, lust! // ear jackets // white nail polish

And y’all know I don’t believe in missing meals. So when a roti shop stop was suggested on the walk back to the house, I was all about the curry goat (plenty pepper, please). And let’s be real- only seaside in the rural Caribbean is a sandy bikini appropriate restaurant attire. Viva vacation!

LoveRavayna

April 20, 2016

0 In travel

a trini girl, an island intro

If you’ve met my mom and heard her voice or eaten her cooking, you can tell she’s a Trini. Though I’m Trini-born as well, being raised in the US means most people don’t realize that. But if you’ve wondered about my year-round-tan or curves, heard my pepper mouth or the soca music playing, that’s the Trini in me coming out.

We moved to the States when I was three, and I didn’t return to Trinidad until I was grown. But now, we make the journey home every few years. Coordinating with our best friends and family members, we plan our Carnival vacation for months in advance, and count down to our two weeks away. Trinidad allows us to relax and rage unlike no other, share our time between poolside and parties, and all of the sunshine and soca music anyone could ever want. I’m looking forward to sharing our vacation with y’all, and introducing you to my Trinidad.

We flew United from LAX to Houston, where our best couple friends met us for happy hour, and the next 6 hours to Port of Spain. With a late-night landing, Customs took forever, but you might as well get on Trini time from the start. We headed to our house to greet family, eat and sleep, and then headed right back to Piarco Airport for the first flight in the morning, the island-hopper over to Tobago for a few days by the sea.

With our Trini trip in mind, I had gifted Erin this weekender and scored one for myself, too! A ton of my girlfriends have (and love) this bag- with good reason. It’s carry-on compliant, but expandable, and can hold everything you’d ever need comfortably. Beloved Thread did an amazing job customizing them for us. (That said, I’d be buying us these if I was shopping now.)

The flight to Tobago is only 35 minutes on a wee little plane. I’ll honestly say that we spent longer drinking piña coladas in the open-air Tobago airport bar waiting for our rental van than we did in actual transit. After a short drive to our condo, we beelined for the backyard pool- I’d worn my bikini under my romper, so I couldn’t strip and sunscreen fast enough. Erin and I turned on the soca, and it was promptly poolside playtime, complete with a dance party and braid bar, while the men made a store run. It was vacation time and we were beyond ready to relax and soak in the Trini sunshine.

weekender (also loving 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), F21 romper (similar), Target bikini (similar, 2, 3)

Our condo was family owned, and the location was perfection. When you can hear the waves from where you stand, it’s no hassle to walk down to the beach for the afternoon. So when the men returned with supplies, we packed the cooler and did exactly that. We had the local beach mostly to our little family… David and I, our besties Erin and Craig, my mom, my auntie (her sister) Sandy and her husband, my uncle Winnie. We made quite the crew visiting Tobago, and would only grow upon the return to Trini mainland.

As the sun started to dip, we walked home from the beach. We had a nice little cocktail hour, cooling off and cleaning up for dinner. We loaded up the party van for a local seafood restaurant- there’s not much on Tobago. We toasted with sangria, and laughed over grilled lobsters, shrimp, fish, and veggies. We all turned in early that bed that night… we had lots of vacationing up ahead of us!

loveRavayna

April 12, 2016

0 In food/ travel

new-to-us nola eats

If we weren’t socializing or exploring New Orleans during our visit, we were in pursuit of delicious eats. I doubt that’s shocking- y’all know how passionate I am about food, and we needed to make our first visits to some yummy new spots.

John Besh and Aaron Sanchez’s bromance is behind the aptly-named Johnny Sanchez, a farm-to-table taqueria in the CBD. We headed there for a hair of the dog and brunch before the Saints game, and it was scrumptious. The smoked pork grillades on jalapeno grits were tender and flavorful, ceviche was perfectly balanced, and we had multiple bowls of queso. Ordering every taco on the menu led to the discovery that there are no bad options there, and the bartender was on point as well.

The St. Roch Market was renovated and opened after we moved away, so I was excited to check it out for lunch. So many eatery options exist in this Marigny food hall, it was hard to narrow it down and order. An adorable cat-puccino from Coast Coffee was good browsing fuel, and I considered sweet Louisiana satsumas from St Roch Forage excellent souvenirs.

The food didn’t disappoint either! I was so pleased with a bowl of duck gumbo, a scrumptious charcuterie plate, and a gigantic pulled pork sandwich. The blue crab and persimmon salad from Elysian Seafood was fresh and flavorful, the perfect counterbalance to the richness of the rest of the meal.

As soon as we booked our flight, I made our reservation at Shaya. I’m obsessed with Israeli food, and Alon Shaya is racking in the accolades as he modernizes and honors the foods of our forefathers. We ordered most of the items on the menu, which was an excellent life choice, and tore through mounds of pillowy steaming pita alongside.

We got an assortment of delicious dips: a trio of hummus topped with lamb ragu, fried chickpeas, and curried cauliflower, smoky baba ganoush, lutenitsa, tabouleh, and ikra, a caviar and shallot spread I simply adore. Ever the avo toast lover, I had to try Shaya’s version, topped with smoked whitefish and pink peppercorn. The crispy halloumi and falafel were crunchy and light, the shakshouka spicy and delicious, and the duck matzo ball soup downright incredible. David practically had to roll me and my best girlfriend Shelly out… such a magnificent meal.

And I may love a fancy meal, but celeb chefs don’t have anything over decades of friendship. My friend Mike was one of the first I met at Tulane, and he’s killing it at his restaurant on Freret Street, Liberty Cheesesteaks. It was bustling and it just made me so proud of him, his hard work, and success.

No shocker that all the eats were excellent. I’m not normally a cheez-wiz girl, but it just works with the provolone and steak. Italian subs are my deli go-to, and Mikey is making some killer overstuffed ones, but the personal heat index option is clutch. With an assortment of locally grown peppers sorted by spiciness, you can turn up the heat perfectly- Padrons are my jam, but I had a taste of all of them!

If you’re headed to New Orleans soon (lucky!), don’t hesitate to try any of these good eats, and make sure and let me know what you think!
loveRavayna

March 26, 2016

0 In travel

honey island swamp tour

While in New Orleans, we made a point of having a little swamp adventure. So we crawled out of bed just after sunrise to caffeinate and head out of the city. It was chilly and early, and we were a bit on the struggle bus as we entered Slidell and arrived at Honey Island Swamp Tours.

We motored off into the swamp, and quickly saw a gorgeous pelican. We stopped to admire it, and it preened for a bit before taking flight.

We spotted a blue egret as well, but it was more stubborn. I was snapping away [?: loveRavayna], especially all the different camps. Families have owned these spots in the swamp since the 40’s (Noah’s Ark is the oldest) and have built and rebuilt their camps over the years (and hurricane seasons.) I was intrigued to see how greatly their repair and luxury levels vary.

David and I’ve been out in the swamp dozens of times, but this was a first for our couple friends. I’d always heard from guides that swamp cypress is special because it manages to live in varying standing water, and sends roots and knuckles up through the the swamp’s surface. I think they’re beautiful, especially draped with Spanish moss.

We were all excited to spot an alligator! It was so cold that morning that we didn’t expect any to be awake and out, so it was cool to see his beady eyes breaking the surface of the murky water. He was a big one, too.

We saw the cutest raccoons, and stopped to watch them frolic. I could not stop thinking of Meeko and singing ‘Just Around the Riverbend’ like a big dork. I know they are rabies infested and all that jazz, but they are just really stinkin cute up close.

We also ran into a family of swamp pigs- Papa approached first, and was rather daring, swimming right up to our boat. We fed him a few treats, and Momma and Baby oreo piglet came along in quick succession.

We loved getting out into the fresh air and were glad to get up close with so many varieties of Louisiana creatures. I don’t love group tours, but Honey Island did a good job of keeping it personal, and the swamp’s a pretty big place, so we only saw one or two other boats. It was a lovely nature escape… there’s really no place like the Atchafalaya Swamp.