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Disneyland: Pixar Pier Rides & Attractions (Before and After Photos)
Where can you get a cookie as big as your face? Check out the makeover in California Adventure to the Pixar Pier! Get the latest on your favorite Pixar themed attractions including #ToyStory, Incredibles, and Inside Out. See the pier before and after photos! #disneyland
Pixar Pier Now Open!
Although Pixar Fest officially ends on Sept 3rd, 2018, the new Pixar Pier rides and attractions will remain in California Adventure! Here are some before and after photos:
PARADISE PIER - BEFORE
PIxar Pier After
PIXAR PIER - AFTER
To be honest, not much has changed, Disney just gave everything a bit of a Pixar face-lift!
PARADISE PIER ENTRANCE - BEFORE
PIXAR PIER ENTRANCE - AFTER
RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS ON PIXAR PIER
Best ride, hands up (see what I did there), is the Incredicoaster! If you haven't seen Incredibles 2 yet, I highly encourage watching it before you ride! Jack Jack is on the loose and using all of his new powers throughout the ride causing the family to team up and try to catch this newly super-powered baby.
What's changed? Not much. Same track just moves to the Incredibles theme song and you see the characters in the tunnels. I must say though, adding the red tunnels to the outside of the coaster has kinda made it look like the ride is under construction. I miss the clean look of California Screamin'.
CALIFORNIA SCREAMIN' ENTRANCE - BEFORE
INCREDICOASTER ENTRANCE - AFTER
CALIFORNIA SCREAMCAM - BEFORE
INCREDICOASTER SCREAM CAM - AFTER
CALIFORNIA SCREAMIN' FRONT ROW - BEFORE
INCREDICOASTER FRONT ROW - AFTER
What has really changed is the wait time... We've waited over an hour for the Incredicoaster (twice). That never happened with California Screamin'! BUT while you wait, you have to get a giant warm chocolate chip cookie from Jack-Jack Cookie Num Nums!
This cookie is as big as my face!
They heat them up right there!
Thanks for the cookie, Jack jack!
Of all the things to take off the pier, I thought King Triton's Carousel actually fit when it was Paradise Pier with The Little Mermaid Ride and Ariel's Grotto it was a mermaid theme! I feel like they could have made this a Finding Nemo ride and they could have kept some of the underwater elements. No one consulted with me! Jessie’s Critter Carousel is NOW OPEN! Looked like a regular carousel with some Toy Story umph to it! Also, Jessie has a very harsh light on her.
Jessie’s Critter Carousel
Toy Story Mania is still there with a slight adjustment to the front. Basically, Fast Passes were added and changed the entrance around. I still haven't beat Josh at this yet, but I'm still reigning champ at Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters!
The boardwalk games are now Pixar themed. Maybe I'll actually play them! :)
FOOD ON PIXAR PIER
What was on Pixar Pier before it was Pixar Pier? I don't remember either. Nothing stood out on Paradise Pier but now its crystal clear what each food vendor is now serving.
PARADISE ICE CREAM ON PARADISE PIER - BEFORE
ADORABLE SNOWMAN FROSTED TREATS ON PIXAR PIER - AFTER
The line was ALWAYS long for Paradise Ice Cream during the summer but now it's just ridiculous. People were waiting an hour for the new lemon treats! Also, don't try and get ice cream 30 mins prior to closing. They close early and have no mercy.
Everyone loves Disneyland Churros! Pick one up at Senior Buzz Churros! Ole!
HOT DOG! GET YOUR HOT ANGRY DOG!
Turkey Legs are still being served... I still won't get one. Only because I have issues with eating meat on a bone! Josh calls me weird!
How cute is this Zurg?!:
PIXAR FEST - Summer 2018
Summer of 2017 the theme was Hero Up with the release of The Guardians of the Galaxy ride. Last summer, Pixar was the theme applying to a parade, fireworks show, specialty food and decorations, and the launch of Pixar Pier.
Cars land had a few decorations including Buzz and Woody decked out cars with this random girl (check out her Sully popcorn holder):
These posters are my absolute favorite! They are always so clever and make me laugh out loud!
Toy Story can always be found in the Paint the Night parade!
It was a fun summer, Pixar Fest! I wonder what summer 2019 will bring (besides Star Wars!)!
See our related post: Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort
Don’t forget to pack these guys
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Lake Tahoe Hiking Trails for the Casual Hiker
Lake Tahoe is a great place for hiking, even for those who casually hike! Here are 2 hiking trails for the whole family to enjoy (dogs too)! Check out the Cascade Falls Trail and the Eagle Lake Trails near Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe, California. Things to do in Lake Tahoe #Hike #California #LakeTahoe
I love to go hiking but I would not categorize myself as a “hiker.” I like trails with a mild incline, shade, pretty views, and something more strenuous than just a walk outside. Doesn’t everyone? We spent a weekend in Lake Tahoe and tried a different hike each morning. These trails, Eagle Lake & Cascade, came pretty close to my description. Along the trails, we saw many families with small children and lots of people with dogs ranging from all sizes. Almost anyone can enjoy these moderate hikes!
Related Post: Guide to Lake Tahoe Summer Weekend Getaway - Everything you need to know about Tahoe!
EAGLE LAKE TRAILS
Distance: 1.8 miles (round trip)
Elevation Gain: 433 feet
Time: 2 hours if you want some time to explore around the lake or even jump in for a swim!
Parking: There is a very small parking lot off the trailhead but it fills up quickly! You’re better off parking along the road as soon as you see the sign. Try to get there before 10a for a good spot!
This moderate hike trails from the top road along Emerald Bay through the wilderness to a small lake nestled in the trees. Start at the trailhead and fill out a permit which is just filling out some contact info and holding onto a piece of paper.
Start heading Southwest up the stairs to the bridge and enjoy the waterfall.
We hiked up to a ridge, hugged some trees, had some fun, and took a few pictures!
Emerald Bay
SISTER, STAND RIGHT HERE. JK, I LOVE MY SISTER!
From the ridge, we continued down the trail until we hit a fork in the road and the sign had fallen down. Take a right for the lake, it’s another 5 min downhill.
As we arrived, a group was leaving saying they saw a bear on the opposite side of lake and he jumped in to cool off. They showed us the trail they took so we wandered around the lake and kept our eyes open for the bear across the lake. Unfortunately, we weren’t lucky enough to see the bear but we did have some nice views!
We made some friends too!
After about 15-20 mins sitting on a rock in the serene lake, we decided to head back.
More info:
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/california/eagle-lake-trail
Related Post: Guide to Lake Tahoe Summer Weekend Getaway - Everything you need to know about Tahoe!
Cascade Falls Trail
Distance: 1.4 miles (round trip)
Elevation Gain: 236 Feet
Time: 1.5-2 hours leaving plenty of time to enjoy the falls and the view
Parking: There is a very small parking lot off the trailhead but it fills up quickly! You’re better off parking along the road as soon as you see the sign. Try to get there before 10a for a good spot! Unless you’re the Mystery Machine! ——>
We parked fairly close to the spot we did the day before for the Eagle Lake Trail. There was a parking area through the campsite but there were limited spots available so we parked on the side of the road.
The trail starts fairly easy, walking among the trees on flat ground until you hit the trail along the mountain which is fairly rocky, make sure you watch your step!
Once you make it through the trail, you’ll find the falls and beautiful views!
Cascade Falls Views
Cascade Falls
Of course we found more friends!
Chipmunks!
Do you see the lizard?
More information:
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/california/cascade-falls
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Related Post: Guide to Lake Tahoe Summer Weekend Getaway - Everything you need to know about Tahoe!
Ice Cream Review: Game of Cones at Wanderlust Creamery
Wanderlust Creamery is one of my favorite ice cream shops as they have successfully combined two of my favorite things, travel and ice cream! With the finale of Game of Thrones fast approaching, you must try the seasonal Game of Cones flavors, featuring inspired concoctions from Westeros and beyond!
Wanderlust Creamery - Game of Cones Seasonal Flavors
Locations in Los Angeles, CA: Tarzana, Atwater Village, Venice
Website: Wanderlust Creamery
Wanderlust Creamery is one of my favorite ice cream shops as they have successfully combined two of my favorite things, travel and ice cream! Their unique flavors represent ingredients found around the world, giving you a taste from different countries.
I don’t know if you’ve heard, but this show called Game of Thrones is wrapping up their final season in May. Wanderlust has done it again and has come out with some seasonal Game of Cones flavors, featuring inspired flavors from Westeros and beyond!
Game of Cones Flavors
Winter is Here - Oatmeal ice cream swirled with a housemade honey caramel spiked with 10 year Islay scotch.
WINTER IS HERE
Oatmeal ice cream swirled with a housemade honey caramel spiked with 10 year Islay scotch.
CRÉME OF THE POPPY
We took French coquelicot liqueur, made from wild red poppy flowers, along with grassfed dairy + a sprinkling of poppy seeds to create this "Milk of the Poppy"- inspired flavor.
GROWING STRONG
Our ode to Highgarden: lemon verbena ice cream, speckled with crystalized roses, marigolds, + candied bergamot orange.
DRAGON GLACE
A glassy sorbet of darkest chocolate + Russian imperial stout beer. Vegan & dairy free.
CANDIED PLUMS
DOTHROCKY ROAD - Alderwood smoked sea salt dark chocolate ice cream, with trails of housemade vanilla bean marshmallow creme + smoked almonds.
...from Dorne. Custard ice cream, swirled with housemade spiced plum jam.
A FLAVOR OF ICE & FIRE
An ICY, knee-bending concoction of ‘Fire & Blood’. Sorbet of DRAGONfruit, BLOOD orange, & FIREy ancho chili. Dairy free.
CHILDREN OF THE FOREST FRUITS
Mascarpone ice cream swirled with a housemade jam of blackberry wine, red currants, & wild forest berries.
DOTHROCKY ROAD
Alderwood smoked sea salt dark chocolate ice cream, with trails of housemade vanilla bean marshmallow creme + smoked almonds.
We tried all of them but our favorites were Dothrocky Road and Winter is Here.
The Dothrocky Road has an amazing light and fluffy vanilla bean marshmallow creme ribbon through it. With the sea salt dark chocolate ice cream, that salty sweet combo leaves you wanting more!
Winter is Here had a great caramel mix in with a hint of smooth scotch in the aftertaste!
Hurry in, these flavors are only available through April 1st - May 31st.
*AVAILABLE AT ATWATER VILLAGE, VENICE & TARZANA LOCATIONS. SELECT FLAVORS AVAILABLE EVERY SUNDAY AT SMORGASBURG LA*
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Sweet Review: Milk Bar - Los Angeles
Momofuku’s Milk Bar is open in Los Angeles and people are flocking from all over for these tasty treats! Cookies, cakes, and soft serve will leave you happy and full! Ice cream in LA | Dessert Menu in Los Angeles | Where to go in LA #icecream #losangeles
MILK BAR LOS ANGELES
Location: 7150 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Website: https://milkbarstore.com/
Soft Serve Ice Cream
Milk Bar LA opened on Melrose last September and Angelinos couldn’t be happier! With wait times from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours, Milk Bar treats have proven they are worth the wait! Fortunately, the wait times aren’t as detrimental these days!
With the first Milk Bar location opening in 2008 under the Momofuku Restaurant chain, LA marks #14 with 9 stores in New York, and other locations including Washington, DC, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Toronto.
This award winning bakery was started by Chef Christina Tosi. You may know her as the dessert wizard from the PBS show and can also be found on Netflix, where she creates dreamy desserts along side Chef David Chang. You can even find her as a judge on Masterchef with Gordon Ramsey! She’s all over the place!
MILK BAR MENU
The menu is full of many delicious sweet options, I was kinda glad there was a 35 minute wait to figure out what I wanted.
Milk Bar is built on a world of possibility: we make our cult-favorite treats with unexpected combinations & impossible flavors. We’re on a mission to make the ordinary extraordinary – grab a cookie and come along with us!
Menu
Menu
After hearing their motto, the menu seemed to make more sense. I decided to go with some cookies and ice cream… Soft Serve Ice Cream with Birthday Dough Bites and SPRINKLES! ALWAYS GET SPRINKLES ON TOP! ;-D
Soft Serve Ice Cream
There were only 2 soft serve options: Cereal Milk or Pineapple Fo Sho’ Whip… I dare you to try the twist of those. Supposedly it’s tasty. Right around Valentine’s Day there was a Red Velvet soft serve!
Toppings
All of the cakes looked so good! You can buy a whole cake or just a slice!
We were all completely satisfied with our selections!
MILK BAR CLASSROOM
The classroom is available for individuals to sign up or a great place for a group event!
For about $95, you can make the best cake you’ll ever make in your life!
In our cake classes we’ll show you all the steps for assembling our most popular layer cake flavor combinations (an irresistible balance of cake, spread, frosting, crumbs, and crunch!), and how we transform our cake scraps and turn them into bite sized cake truffles! Or join us in making our signature item, crack pie®, from start to finish with a bonus lesson on turning cake scraps into truffles while your pie is in the oven!
At the end of class all participants take home everything they make, plus recipes and other bonus info! All ages and all levels of expertise welcome.
Classes are offered in our Logan Circle, DC Flagship and Los Angeles flagship locations as well as our Brooklyn HQ
Sign up here: https://milkbarstore.com/events/classes/
SO. MUCH. PINK!!
Don’t have time for a class? Try making treats at home:
And make them in style:
Don’t live in New York or Los Angeles? Goldbely can help and deliver these tasty treats to your door! Check it out here: Milk Bar on Goldbely
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6 Days in Aruba - What to do in Aruba and Full Itinerary Included!
Aruba is the perfect place for your next vacation! Not only is the weather perfect, but the hotels along the beaches are beautiful! We stayed in Oranjestad for a few days then moved downtown to see the flamingos! See where to eat and things to do in Aruba!
We spent 6 glorious days in Aruba and it didn’t seem like enough! The island is known as “One Happy Island” and it definitely lives up to it’s name! The people are so nice there, it’s very clean, and you feel very safe. The beaches are gorgeous, full of white sand from coral and white rock weathering away onto the shores.
Flamingo Beach on Renaissance Island
There are many activities to do for couples or as families. If you’re bringing kids, teens would enjoy the island more than tiny kids. We were there for 6 days and never bored. Here is all you need to know to plan your perfect trip to Aruba.
UTV Tour - Around Aruba UTV Tours
This blog uses affiliate links. If you’d like to purchase a recommended product, please use the link to support this blog. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, it simply allows me to continue creating these posts. Thank you so much for your love and support!
DAY 1
Arrival into Aruba
We arrived into Aruba’s Queen Beatrix Airport, right along the water! Arriving was pretty easy, we got off the plane, handed a government agent our declaration card and scanned our passports where our picture was taken by an automated machine. Also, the airport had views of the ocean were gorgeous while walking through!
Pro-tip: Tourism boards are usually parked in the arrivals area with reusable bags filled with coupons and info about Aruba... they are FREE, so take one! We used them all over, around the hotel, threw towels in for our UTV tour, to the beach, etc.
Taxi Drive views of Downtown from the Aruba Airport
It’s a $25 flat rate to get from the airport to the high rise hotels or $18 to get to the Downtown hotels. Here is a link to handy chart for taxi rates for getting around Aruba: Taxi Fares in Aruba
Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort, Spa & Casino
Address: Juan E, J.E. Irausquin Blvd #85, Noord, Aruba
Website: Hyatt Regency Aruba
We ALWAYS find THE BEST rates through Booking.com. See deals of up to 50% off! You can save a bunch of money if you book a bundle flight+room+rental car! They even have apartments, lodges, and houses you can rent, just like AirBnB or VRBO! By booking through this link, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you! PLEASE support our blog and bookmark this link!
We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort, Spa & Casino for 4 nights over New Years 2019! Located mid beach of hotel row, it is the perfect place to spend the day at the beach and walking distance to everything! The rooms were so nice, hard wood floors and super spacious! The pool was huge, complete with a water slide, volleyball net and swim up bar to get your drink on!
My favorite part of walking through the resort was looking for wildlife! Parrots, swans, large iguanas, coi fish, and turtles were all over!
Read our full HOTEL REVIEW here: Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort, Spa & Casino
We also stayed at the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino so we could visit the flamingos on Renaissance Island’s Flamingo Beach! Read our full review on the Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino and Everything you need to know about Flamingo Beach. We’ll get more into that on Day 5 and 6!
Afternoon Beach Time
After we checked into the Hyatt Regency Aruba, we couldn’t wait to go to the beach and grab a bite to eat! There were a bunch of restaurants inland but we wanted to eat by the water. From our room, I could see a restaurant on Pelican Pier and said we should eat there. Reviews on Yelp and Google Maps said The Pelican Nest Seafood & Grill Bar was good, which was good enough for me!
Pelican Pier in Aruba
Restaurant: The Pelican Nest Seafood & Grill Bar
Address: On Pelican Pier, J.E. Irausquin Blvd 237, Noord, Aruba
Website: pelican-aruba.com
Cuisine type: Caribbean, Seafood | Price Range: $20 - $30
We sat down in the bar which was open seating, ordered chicken sandwiches and happy hour beverages since we were there between 4-6pm. We sat at the bar along the walkway and weren’t complaining about the oceanfront views.
Pelican Nest Drinks
Chicken Sandwiches at Pelican Nest
After our meal, not sure if it was lunch or dinner, but walked along the beach to catch a beautiful sunset.
Sunset on Aruba Beach
Watch where you step, you never know what you might find!
Ice Cream in Aruba - Gelatissimo Palm Beach
Address: J.E. Irausquin Blvd 345, Noord, Aruba
Website: Gianni’s Gelatissimo
Pricing: $3-$8
Gelatissimo - Ice Cream in Aruba
We went exploring inland where we saw shops and restaurants on our drive in. Of course we had to find some ice cream and we came across some delicious gelato at Gelatissimo!
I went with a waffle cone trying the Stracciatella (chocolate chip) and Nutella (chocolate hazelnut).
Stracciatella (chocolate chip) and Nutella (chocolate hazelnut)
New Years in Aruba
New Years Fireworks in Aruba
We asked our cab driver where the place to be is at midnight on New Years Eve, to which he said, “right in front of your hotel!” Perfect. He wasn’t wrong, we had a few drinks at the bar and wandered down to the beach around 11p. Fireworks are legal in Aruba so they were going off all day along with these giant firecrackers that people would set up randomly in the streets. We sat and watched as people set off sparklers and small fireworks around us. As soon as midnight hit, a bunch of barges in the water close to the beach shot off fireworks for a good 20 minutes! It was spectacular, the whole beach was lit up from this amazing display!
New Years Fireworks in Aruba
DAY 2
Breakfast in Aruba - Dushi Bagels & Burgers
Address: J. E. Irausquin Blvd #87 Noord, Aruba
Website: http://www.dushibagelsandburgers.com
Cuisine type: Bagels, Breakfast, Burgers, Sandwiches | Price Range: $7-$12
We decided to try a restaurant recommended by a friend, which was walking distance to our hotel called Dushi Bagels. The price was right for our meals and the service was quick. There was a bit of a wait so we just ate at the bar. They also offer to go options if you’re in a hurry! We enjoyed a breakfast burrito with ham, french toast, and delicious hash browns.
UTV Tours - Around Aruba Tours
Website: https://www.aroundarubatours.com/tours-in-aruba/
Or book through Viator tours: Aruba UTV Tour
Booking: We took a 4 hour UTV Tour around the island with Around Aruba Tours. It was $180 for the 2 of us. The Hyatt Regency concierge was able to book the afternoon tour for us. They also offer ATV tours and Jeep tours too! Note: An ATV is for one person, the UTVs hold 2-4 people. The driver should be at least 18 years old with a valid driving license while the minimum age for the passengers is set at 6 years.
What to bring: You will get very dusty, I’d avoid wearing white. You must wear sunglasses or something to protect your eyes. They will provide a souvenir bandana to shield half of your face from the dirt and dust. The tour ends in the Natural Pool, where you can jump in the water if you want to, I’d wear a swimsuit under your clothes because there isn’t a place to change. Also, bring a towel if you’re going in the water! The tour provides small bottles of water that they have in coolers on ice.
Our guide was AB, who was energetic and funny, and he even grew up on the island! He picked us up at our hotel in a school bus around 2pm and took us to Phillip’s Animal Garden to get situated. We paid there (they do take credit cards) and as the tour company was collecting information and payment, we were able to wander and feed the island’s most exotic animals.
Our first stop was the Alto Vista Chapel which was built in 1750. It was renovated in 1950’s and rebuilt by missionaries from Venezuela. It resembles the church in Westworld to me!
Alto Vista Chapel
Alto Vista Chapel
We traveled as a group following single file. Driving from spot to spot was dusty (and very bumpy) but had spectacular views.
Aruba UTV Tour Views
The next stop was the Natural Bridge, where a rock formation created a bridge. Not a whole lot to see but you can walk on top of it (or jump).
Our next stop was the abandoned Bushiribana Gold Mill, which sits on the northern coast. This site once processed ore from mines in the nearby hills during Aruba's gold rush of the nineteenth century. In 1824, gold was found on the island and over 3 million pounds of gold were produced.
Next, we entered the Arikok National Park on Aruba’s east coast. Conchi is a natural ocean pool sheltered by craggy rock formations. Beaches include Boca Prins and Dos Playa, a turtle nesting site.
Some got in the pool while others wandered around. I climbed on rocks and could see crabs and fish in the shallow waters nearby. Josh got in and waved!
Natural Pool
Crabs at the Natural Pool
We were dropped off at our hotel and needed to shower off the dirt! We were starving and wanted to go somewhere close-by that we could walk to…
Dinner at Smokey Joe’s Island Grill
Address: J.E. Irausquin Blvd 87, Noord, Aruba
Website: http://www.smokeyjoesaruba.com/
Cuisine type: American, International | Price Range: $20 - $30
AB our UTV tour guide recommended Smokey Joe’s and told us they have all you can eat ribs on Tuesday and Thursday claiming they are “the best ribs in the Caribbean.” The ribs were good, and we got some chicken as well. The service was really slow, but we weren’t in a rush, just hungry!
I saw the Pink Iguana drink on the menu and it was everything I wanted. It was like a Miami vice or lava flow, filled with coconut cream, rum and strawberries! For dessert, we HAD to try the Fried Oreos and vanilla ice cream! We didn’t leave anything behind.
We did a quick stroll around the shops to walk off our dinner.
DAY 3
Breakfast at a Dutch Pancake House - Diana’s Pancake Place
Address: J.E. Irausquin Blvd 370, Noord, Aruba
Website: Facebook Page
Cuisine type: Dutch | Price Range: under $15
Diana’s Pancake House is located by hotel row and across from the Hyatt, above the I Love Aruba store. Dutch pancakes are served as one pancake on a large plate with whatever ingredients you desire from the menu. The pancakes were bigger than my face! I went with the Hawaiian (ham, cheese, and pineapple) and Josh had the Apple Cinnamon. They were good, but we weren’t planning on going back every morning.
Diving with Aqua Windies
Address: Dr. Horacio E. Oduber blvd 4, Eagle Beach, Aruba
Website: aquawindies.com
We went diving two days in a row with Aqua Windies! Everyone was super nice, we would get picked up and get our gear at the dive shop before continuing on to the boat. On our first day our crew was Sean, Big Rob, Rob, and Dan. We went out with Sean, who was new to them. He was very nice, but wasn’t privy as to where to look for marine life that frequented certain spots.
We drove out past our hotel to a dock with tons of birds and the prettiest aqua waters.
We had two great dives, checking out some sunken ships and the coral reef that has grown on and around them! We even caught a ray passing through!
Dinner at Salt and Pepper
Address: J.E. Irausquin Blvd 370-A, Noord, Aruba
Website: http://www.saltandpepperaruba.com/
Cuisine type: Spanish, Tapas | Price Range: $10 - $20
Salt and Pepper shakers were everywhere! They had different salt and pepper shakers at every table and the walls inside had shelves and shelves of shakers. They even offer free sangria for those who bring a set for them to keep! After our dives we were so hungry, so we ordered quite a few tapas plates to try:
Meatballs - my fave
Chicken wings - josh fave
Fried Brie - Yum *drool*
Spicy beef - Great!
Chicken pincho - good sauce
Grouper - not a huge fish fan, but it was pretty good!
Chorizo sausage - it was good, but everything else as better
We ordered a beers to go, you can walk around with alcohol (just like Vegas)! We walked down through some of the hotels and played in the casinos, while checking out the pools and properties.
DAY 4
Diving with Aqua Windies - Aruba Scuba Diving
We went out for a second day of diving with Aqua Windies bright and early to check out the airplanes. Our guide’s name was Ed who was from New Jersey and was hilarious! The airplanes were so cool and so large underwater. You could even go right through them! Our second dive was at Harbor Reef where we found lots of giant eels!
One of our favorite dives was the Airplane Wreck (70-90 ft / 24-30 m), a Convair 400 and a Beech craft 18. Both airplanes were sunk on a sloping reef surrounded by soft corals. Check out our Scuba in Aruba video here:
Relaxation
We shared a sandwich at the pool bar and spent the afternoon by the pool and took a long walk along the beach.
Steak Dinner at the Sunset Grille Steakhouse
Address: J.E. Irausquin Blvd 81, Noord, Aruba
Website: Hilton Aruba Resort | Dinner Menu
For our last dinner over by Palm Beach, we decided to be fancy and have a nice steak dinner. We had a reservation at Sunset Grille, located in the Hilton Aruba Resort, which was right next to our hotel and a quick jaunt down the beach.
We sat outside to enjoy the sunset while at the Sunset Grille! I had a mouth watering Filet Mignon and Josh ordered the Cowboy Bone-in Rib Eye. For sides, we tried the Garlic mashed potatoes and Gouda Cheese Croquettes. The croquettes were little balls of cheese and potato heaven. SO GOOD.
For dessert, we had the Chocolate Decadence Cake, rich and sweet, served with fruit on the side. YUM!
DAY 5
Breakfast at Salt and Pepper
American Breakfast | Price Range: $10 - $20
Even though we had already had dinner here, we loved the service and the breakfast menu looked good! I had and omelet that was overloaded with ham (thats a good thing) with amazing hash browns! Their house coffee was great too, came with free refills!
New Hotel Check-in: Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino
Address: L.G. Smith Blvd 82, Oranjestad, Aruba
Website: Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino
Flamingos on Renaissance Island
Find the best rate to visit these flamingos by booking your room through Booking.com
I had been waiting ALL week to check into this hotel! What I was looking forward to the most for our Aruba trip was meeting the flamingos on Renaissance Island’s Flamingo Beach.
Again, read our full review on the Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino and Everything you need to know about Flamingo Beach.
Renaissance Adult Only hotel
There are 2 hotels at the Renaissance property, both right across from each other. The adults only hotel is more inland but still in the marina. It’s also connected to a very fancy, high end mall and casino! We tried to check in, but our room wasn’t ready. We were given passes to get to Renaissance Island to go to Flamingo Beach!
More flamingo pictures here: Everything you need to know about Flamingo Beach.
Dinner Downtown at Driftwood Restaurant
Address: Driftwood Building, Klipstraat 12, Oranjestad, Aruba
Website: driftwoodaruba.com
Cuisine type: Aruban, Caribbean, Seafood | Price Range: $25 - $35
Loved the ambiance! The walls were plastered with driftwood and it felt like a being on a ship with steering wheels as lamps (minus the sea sickness)! Something happened in the kitchen and it took over an hour to get our food. The way they seat you and take orders, we weren’t quite sure who exactly was our waiter. We asked if everything was alright with our order and they apologized for the delay. A round of drinks with mermaid accoutrements came on the house.
I ordered the chicken with tropical citrus sauce and wish I had the recipe for that sauce! Josh tried the Aruban meal - fresh catch of the day with potato and veggies. Although the presentation of the meal was underwhelming, the food quality was spectacular.
For dessert, we ordered the Brownie a la mode and it was perfection!
Brownie a la mode at Driftwood Aruba
After dinner, we walked around the downtown area and played in a few casinos. I was still reeling from my day with the flamingos!
DAY 6
Renaissance Island’s Flamingo Beach & Breakfast
We had to get up early to go to Flamingo Beach one more time so I could feed them! We tried to hop on the 8am boat but because the tide was low, they were boarding outside so we missed it and waited for the next one. The island wasn’t crowded at all! I was able to feed them and get some great pictures of just us!
One more time, read our full review on the Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino and Everything you need to know about Flamingo Beach.
Feeding flamingos on Flamingo Beach
We had breakfast over by the Iguana beach and this completed our PERFECT Aruba trip.
Departing from the Aruba Airport
We were warned by a few people to get to the airport at least 3 hours early if you are traveling back to the United States from Aruba. Not only do you pass through Aruba customs, but you also pass through US customs. The benefit here is that you don’t have to hassle with customs when you get to the US, the bad part is you spend a long time in lines at the airport. There were 7 steps to get to the gate, here is why it takes so long to get through the Aruba airport customs:
Step 1
First you have to check-in and check your baggage, which took about 30 mins to get to the counter.
Step 2
Next, you have to clear customs with Aruba. This line was outside and luckily it was a nice breezy day! It took about 15 mins to get to the front of this line.
Step 3
After, we were to take everything through the TSA metal detectors, all electronics must come out of your bags. This line took another 15 mins or so.
We thought we were done since we entered the terminal with duty free shops, but no, we were not done yet.
Step 4
We kept walking until we entered the US customs area where you have to find your bags that you checked in step 1. Some bags were on the carousels and others were lined up by airport staff. We were not allowed to open our bags.
Step 5
After gathering our bags, we lined up for the US customs check. The line takes about 30 minutes or Global Entry had no line.
Step 6
Once we were passed the custom agents, we dropped our bags off, again.
Step 7
Now we had to go through the TSA metal detectors one last time. Luckily there was a separate line for TSA pre-check, but you still have to take your shoes off. This took about 10 minutes.
Finally, we entered the terminal to find our gate! We had time to spare and with our Priority Pass account, we could go into the VIP lounge. It was a small lounge with limited snacks: bagged chips, muffins, sandwiches, and drinks included: wine, rum, whiskey, coffee, beer or soda. We were ok with this, all we wanted to do was sit and grab a bite to eat!
We were exhausted when we got back home, but were ready to go back right away! Let us know what you thought of the post or if you have any questions in the comments below!
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Guide to Aruba: Where to Stay, Where to Eat, Things to Do
A complete guide and everything you need to know about Aruba including things to do, restaurants to try, and the best hotels on this one happy island!
How to spend your days on One Happy Island and everything you need to know! This blog uses affiliate links. If you’d like to purchase a recommended product, please use the link to support this blog. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, it simply allows me to continue creating these posts. Thank you so much for your love and support!
Best Hotels in Aruba
There are some great places to stay in Aruba, with the options of hotels in the Downtown area, hotel row along the beach or Airbnb. We decided to stay in hotels but a few friends we met while diving, were loving their Airbnb’s, but they weren’t right on the beach like we were! Hotel row had every hotel you could think of at all price points (Hyatt, Hilton, Ritz Carlton, Marriott, Holiday Inn) located right on the beach.
All of them had casinos and you could walk from one to another. I’m used to Vegas casinos which you cannot compare to Aruba casinos. The casinos played the American dollar with the options of slots in different denominations as well as tables including 3 card poker, black jack, roulette, etc. There wasn’t a fee to enter or anything, and all the casinos seemed to have a players card option. If you play long enough you can get free drinks! On the slots there was an option to order drinks once you hit the threshold.
Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort
We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort, Spa & Casino! Located mid beach of hotel row, it is the perfect place to spend your days at the beach and is walking distance to almost everything! The rooms were so nice, hard wood floors and super spacious! The pool was huge, complete with a water slide, volleyball net and swim up bar to get your drink on!
Read our full HOTEL REVIEW here: Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort, Spa & Casino
Renaissance Island - Flamingo Beach
We also stayed at the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino so we could visit the flamingos on Renaissance Island’s Flamingo Beach! Read our full review on the Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino and Everything you need to know about Flamingo Beach.
Getting To and From the Aruba Airport
TAXI DRIVE VIEWS OF DOWNTOWN FROM THE ARUBA AIRPORT
It’s a $25 flat rate to get a taxi from the Aruba airport to the high rise hotels or $18 to get to the Downtown hotels. Here is a link to a handy chart for taxi rates for getting around Aruba: Taxi Fares in Aruba
Things to do in Aruba
UTV Tour - Around Aruba Tours
Website: https://www.aroundarubatours.com/tours-in-aruba/
Or book through Viator tours: Aruba UTV Tour
Booking: We took a 4 hour UTV Tour around the island with Around Aruba Tours. It was $180 for the 2 of us. The Hyatt Regency concierge was able to book the afternoon tour for us. They also offer ATV tours and Jeep tours too! Note: An ATV is for one person, the UTVs hold 2-4 people. The driver should be at least 18 years old with a valid driving license while the minimum age for the passengers is set at 6 years.
Scuba Diving with Aqua Windies
Address: Dr. Horacio E. Oduber blvd 4, Eagle Beach, Aruba
Website: aquawindies.com
There is so much to see underwater in Aruba! Not only are there shipwrecks to see, but there are also airplanes below! We went with Aqua Windies Dive Shop, which had very experienced divers giving us a chance to see some fish in the most vibrant coral reefs!
You can always rent a boat from our friends at GetMyBoat.com, it’s like Airbnb for boats!
See our Scuba in Aruba Airplane Wreck dive here:
Restaurants and Where to Eat in Aruba
BREAKFAST IN ARUBA
Dushi Bagels & Burgers
Address: J. E. Irausquin Blvd #87 Noord, Aruba
Website: http://www.dushibagelsandburgers.com
Cuisine type: Bagels, Breakfast, Burgers, Sandwiches | Price Range: $7-$12
Looking for the perfect breakfast spot in Aruba? Dushi bagels is your spot! The price was right for our meals and the service was quick. There was a bit of a wait so we just ate at the bar. They also offer to go options if you’re in a hurry! There was an extensive menu of great American breakfast food options, we enjoyed a breakfast burrito with ham, french toast, and delicious hash browns.
Breakfast at a Dutch Pancake House - Diana’s Pancake Place
Address: J.E. Irausquin Blvd 370, Noord, Aruba
Website: Facebook Page
Cuisine type: Dutch | Price Range: under $15
Diana’s Pancake House is located by hotel row and across from the Hyatt, above the I Love Aruba store. Dutch pancakes are served as one pancake on a large plate with whatever ingredients you desire from the menu. The pancakes were bigger than my face! I went with the Hawaiian (ham, cheese, and pineapple) and Josh had the Apple Cinnamon. They were good, but we weren’t planning on going back every morning.
LUNCH/DINNER IN ARUBA
The Pelican Nest Seafood & Grill Bar
Address: On Pelican Pier, J.E. Irausquin Blvd 237, Noord, Aruba
Website: pelican-aruba.com
Cuisine type: Caribbean, Seafood, Sandwiches | Price Range: $20 - $30
The Pelican Nest was built over the water with gorgeous aqua water views one all sides! Most specialty dishes are fish centered. We had a late lunch and had a delicious chicken sandwich and happy hour drinks in the bar!
Smokey Joe’s Island Grill
Address: J.E. Irausquin Blvd 87, Noord, Aruba
Website: http://www.smokeyjoesaruba.com/
Cuisine type: American, International | Price Range: $20 - $30
On Tuesday and Thursday you can get all you can eat ribs! They claim they are “the best ribs in the Caribbean.” The ribs were actually really good, and we got some chicken wings as well. The service was really slow, but we weren’t in a rush, just hungry! Most of the food was American cuisine and very filling!
I saw the Pink Iguana drink on the menu and it was everything I wanted. It was like a Miami vice or lava flow, filled with coconut cream, rum and strawberries! For dessert, we tried the OREO SURPRISE with fried oreos and vanilla ice cream. Nothing was left behind.
Salt and Pepper
Address: J.E. Irausquin Blvd 370-A, Noord, Aruba
Website: http://www.saltandpepperaruba.com/
Cuisine type: Spanish, Tapas | Price Range: $10 - $20
Salt and Pepper shakers were everywhere! They had different salt and pepper shakers at every table and the walls inside had shelves and shelves of shakers. They even offer free sangria for those who bring a set for them to keep! Spanish tapas were the specialty here, perfect for any amount in your party! We ordered 7 items and ate it all! Our faves: meatballs, chicken wings, fried brie
We also enjoyed a delicious breakfast here with many American breakfast options (coffee was great too).
Sunset Grille at the Hilton Aruba
Address: J.E. Irausquin Blvd 81, Noord, Aruba
Website: Hilton Aruba Resort | Dinner Menu
We made a reservation about a month in advance at Sunset Grille, located in the Hilton Aruba Resort among the various hotels along the beach. We sat outside to enjoy the sunset while at the Sunset Grille! I had a mouth watering Filet Mignon and Josh ordered the Cowboy Bone-in Rib Eye. For sides, we tried the Garlic mashed potatoes and Gouda Cheese Croquettes. The croquettes were little balls of cheese and potato heaven. SO GOOD.
Driftwood Restaurant - Downtown Aruba
Address: Driftwood Building, Klipstraat 12, Oranjestad, Aruba
Website: driftwoodaruba.com
Cuisine type: Aruban, Caribbean, Seafood | Price Range: $25 - $35
This place was so charming! The walls were plastered with driftwood and it felt like a being on a ship with steering wheels as lamps (minus the sea sickness)! I ordered the chicken with tropical citrus sauce and wish I had the recipe for that sauce! Josh tried the Aruban meal - fresh catch of the day with potato and veggies. Although the presentation of the meal was underwhelming, the food quality was spectacular. For dessert, we ordered the Brownie a la mode and it was perfection!
Ice Cream in Aruba - Gelatissimo Palm Beach
Address: J.E. Irausquin Blvd 345, Noord, Aruba
Website: Gianni’s Gelatissimo
Pricing: $3-$8
We went exploring inland where we saw shops and restaurants on our drive in. Of course we had to find some ice cream and we came across some delicious gelato at Gelatissimo! They had any flavor of gelato you could imagine. There was something for everyone to enjoy. I went with a waffle cone trying the Stracciatella (chocolate chip) and Nutella (chocolate hazelnut).
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Restaurant Review: Alameda Supper Club - Downtown Los Angeles, CA
After opening their doors in March 2019, the Alameda Supper Club should be added to your Los Angeles restaurant bucket list! Located in ROW DTLA as part of the Manufactory, Chris Bianco’s new dinner restaurant is spectacular! See our full review with menus and pictures!
Alameda Supper Club
Address: 757 ALAMEDA ST,LOS ANGELES, CA 90021
Website and Reservations: https://www.alamedasupperclub.com/
After opening their doors less than 2 weeks ago, the Alameda Supper Club should be added to your restaurant bucket list! Located in ROW DTLA as part of the Manufactory group along with Tartine, Chris Bianco’s new dinner restaurant is spectacular! Although pizza is not served here, there are plenty of appetizing dishes with an Italian flair!
Our food menu is inspired by Chef Chris Bianco's Italian origins with influences from Chef Lee Foden-Clarke's English background, combined with inspiration from the California Farmer's Market. It is is designed to be shared, emphasizing the true meaning of the word “supper”.
Location
Part of ROW DTLA near the Arts District, this trendy area has tons of warehouses, and is home to merchandisers such as Splended / Ella Moss, NationBuilder, Nasty Gal, Colony Capital, Steelcase, rhubarb studios, and Gensler. On Sundays (especially during summer), Smorgasburg LA is the place to be, filled with LA’s best food joints!
Dining Room
The dining room design is very modern, bright and I loved the wood tables in this warehouse space.
Dining Room
The Bar
We had the best table in the place, right next to the kitchen!
Our Table at the Alameda Supper Club
MENU
Alameda Supper Club - Drink Menu
Alameda Supper Club - Food Menu
Drinks at the Alameda Supper Club
SO many great cocktail options with the best names! I loved my Celine Dijon, light and refreshing complete with a huge rectangular shaped ice cube and a metal straw!
Celine Dijon - Pineapple Mostarda, tequila reposado, lilet blanc, seltzer
Apricot Sour - Apricot 4 way, hazelnut, egg white, Japanese gin
Romance Language - mole spices, mezcal, citrus, basil, finochietto, averna
Barley Legal - Fermented Barley, single malt whiskies
Appetizers at Alameda Supper Club
We tried almost all of them! Our favorite was the ham and cheese toast! Almost paste like in a crispy toast, we ordered another round!
Cheddar and Smoked Ham Toast
Grilled Country Bread and Cultured Butter
Bread and butter… always a good choice.
Pork Crackling - Smoked Paprika
The pork crackling was so different, the texture was almost like a chip. Still worth a try.
Entrees at Alameda Supper Club
Let’s start with the pasta. IT WAS ALL AMAZING! The strozzapreti and ravioli were the highlights. The strozzapreti melted in your mouth with a buttery finish and pepper after taste. We discussed how the peas in the ravioli are not your mom’s peas in a can, and so delightful.
Strozzapreti - Sheep’s milk, lemon, black pepper
Ravioli - English Peas and ricotta
The ribeye was also a great choice, the garlic butter gave off so much flavor and not too rich.
Bone-in Rib eye - garlic butter
We weren’t going to order the Fermented Pearl Barley, because it sounded so strange but our waitress, Andrea, recommended it! It was good, but we did prefer the pastas!
Fermented Pearl Barley - turnip
Desserts at Alameda Supper Club
OMG, GET THE ICE CREAM. If you know me, you know I would say that anyway, but I mean it here! So many weird things together, but it was SO good. Hazelnut, Balsamic, olive oil, orange-anise crumble, maldon.
Ice Cream - Hazelnut, Balsamic, olive oil, orange-anise crumble, maldon
Alameda Supper Club Dessert Menu
Buckwheat Cannoli - pistachios
We also enjoyed the buckwheat cannolis with pistachios. Very fitting in the Italian setting. We also ordered the Insalata di Agrumi but weren’t blown away by it, we found it very sour and tart.
Insalata di Agrumi - fresh citrus, lemon cream, tangerine granita, mint
Hope you get down to DTLA and try the latest and greatest restaurant Los Angeles has to offer!
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ARUBA HOTEL REVIEW: Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort, Casino and Spa
The Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Spa And Casino is the perfect place to stay in Aruba! Located right on the beach and walking distance to shops and restaurants, there isn’t a better place to stay. See our hotel review why you should stay at the Hyatt in Aruba!
Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort, Casino and Spa
Address: Juan E, J.E. Irausquin Blvd #85, Aruba
Website: Hyatt Regency Aruba
We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Aruba for 4 nights over New Years 2019! Located mid beach of hotel row, it is the perfect place to spend the day at the beach and walking distance to everything!
Find the best rate to visit Aruba by booking your room through Booking.com and compare rates with Hyatt.com. See deals of up to 50% off! You can save a bunch of money if you book a bundle flight+room! By booking through this link, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you! PLEASE support our blog and bookmark this link!
Rooms at the Hyatt Regency Aruba
The rooms were really nice, super spacious and very modern. Lined with gorgeous hard wood floors and a soft but firm bed, we felt right at home here. The balconies were very small, not really for sitting out on but good for shaking sand off clothes and shoes.
The room was equipped with new appliances like a refrigerator and a very large TV! We work in television, but typically never turn on the TV while we’re on vacation! In Aruba we celebrated New Years an hour before the East Coast, so we came back to the room and watched the ball drop with Ryan Seacrest on our giant tv!
In the window there was a chaise lounge where we would sit and look at the view, nap, or just hang out!
The water was so pretty in Aruba! We loved our view!
Bathrooms at the Hyatt Regency Aruba
Most hotels we’ve gone to lately that have renovated their rooms have walk in rain showers, this was another hotel to add to that list. Don’t get me wrong, they’re perfectly fine and seem to give more space in the bathroom. I like a big counter for all of my toiletries and this place checked all boxes for a perfect bathroom!
Casino at the Hyatt Regency Aruba
I’m used to Vegas casinos which you cannot compare to Aruba casinos. The casinos played in The American dollar with the options of slots in different denominations as well as tables including 3 card poker, black jack, roulette, etc. There wasn’t a fee to enter or anything, all the casinos seemed to have a players card option. If you play long enough you can get free drinks! It was so cool, on the slot machines, there was an option to order drinks once you hit the threshold!
Find the best rate to visit Aruba by booking your room through Booking.com
Not only will you find the best rate out there but by clicking this link and booking a night, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you! PLEASE support our blog and bookmark this link! :-) Thanks!
Pool at the Hyatt Regency Aruba
There were a few pools to choose from to dip into! We enjoyed sitting in the half foot pool and observing around us! They even have a water slide that is fun for all ages!
If you want a drink but don’t want to get out of the pool, you don’t have to here! The main pool has a swim up bar and also a volleyball net.
Relax on the Beach
You can rent a little hut for free if you’re staying at the hotel! Full service and beach chairs come with the rental and feel free to dip in the warm ocean! There are many places along the beach to enjoy some surf - ski doo, wind surf, sunset cruises, pirate ship cruise, anything!
Forgot your sunblock or don’t have enough room in your suitcase? No sweat! For about $2 you can get a spray on by this cool high-tech booth!
Don’t forget to pack these guys:
Restaurants at the Hyatt Regency Aruba
As the Hyatt is a resort, there were many restaurants to keep you on property for convenience and accessibility.
Ruinas del Mar
Open air restaurant with food fresh from the sea or a savory steak. Join them for Sunday Brunch!
Kadushi Juice Bar
Not only do they have a great variety of juices and smoothies, they have POPSICLES! YUM!
Palms
We ate out at the bar between the pool and the beach one day. They serve basic lunch food such as salads, sandwiches, quesadillas, etc. happy hour runs everyday from 5:30-6:30p with discounts on drinks and half price quesadillas!
At night the bar closer to the lobby opens up for the rest of the evening. We had a night cap there every night!
Starbucks/Market
Their Market had a great selection of snacks, to go items and coffee! We grabbed pastries and coffee one morning before we went diving.
Wandering around the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort
The lobby was open aired and had plenty of little nooks to hang out in. Just connect to their wifi to plan your day or to sit and take a break!
My favorite part of walking through the resort was looking for wildlife! Parrots, swans, large iguanas, coi fish, and turtles were all over!
New Years at the Hyatt Regency Aruba
New Years Eve in Aruba
We asked our cab driver where the place to be is at midnight on New Years Eve, to which he said, “right in front of your hotel!” Perfect. He wasn’t wrong, we had a few drinks at the bar and wandered down to the beach around 11p. Fireworks are legal in Aruba so they were going off all day along with these giant firecrackers that people would set up randomly in the streets. We sat and watched as people set off sparklers and small fireworks around us. As soon as midnight hit, a bunch of barges in the water close to the beach shot off fireworks for a good 20 minutes! It was spectacular, the whole beach was lit up from this amazing display!
Please note this is not a sponsored post and based on my own personal experience, all thoughts are my own.
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Find the best rate to visit Aruba by booking your room through Booking.com
Not only will you find the best rate out there but by clicking this link and booking a night, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you! PLEASE support our blog and bookmark this link! :-) Thanks!
Find all Aruba Posts Here: ARUBA POSTS
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Everything you need to know about visiting Flamingo Beach, Aruba!
In Aruba there is an island where you can feed and get up close with pink flamingos on the beach! Here is everything you need to know about Renaissance Island's Flamingo Beach and how to get there!
Everything you need to know about visiting Renaissance Island’s Flamingo Beach, Aruba (part of the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino)!
Address: L.G. Smith Blvd 82, Oranjestad, Aruba
Find the best rate to visit these flamingos by booking your room through Booking.com Not only will you find the best rate out there but by clicking this link and booking a night, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you! PLEASE support our blog and bookmark this link! :-) Thanks!
Flamingos on Flamingo Beach - Renaissance Island
My favorite part of Aruba was definitely hanging out with the gorgeous flamingos living on Renaissance Island’s Flamingo Beach! Just because I’ve posted hundreds of pictures of these pink beauties, doesn’t mean you can find them all over Aruba. They have inhabited the Renaissance Island and you must plan ahead to see them, they are not available to the public. Here’s all you need to know about the island so you don’t miss out on your flamingo selfie.
Let’s flamingle - Flamingo selfie
Flamingos on Renaissance Island
Pricing and Getting to Renaissance Island
This is a perk for staying at the Renaissance Aruba hotel because it’s free to get in! If you’re looking to spend the day there, it’s $100 a day per person but comes with food and a drink. However, if the hotel is completely booked, they might not offer the pass and you can only purchase tickets the day of, first come, first served.
Find the best rate for the Renaissance Aruba by booking your room through Booking.com!
Renaissance Aruba Lobby - Boat Dock in front of Starbucks
The island is open from 7am to 7pm with boats that come every 15 minutes, picking up in the lobby by Starbucks as well as over by the casino. When the tide is low and the boats can’t make it into the lobby, pick up is in front of Lucy’s right across the street from the Renaissance. You must use your room key or day pass to get on the boat to visit the island.
Aruba Adults Only Hotel and Casino
There are 2 hotels at the Renaissance hotel property, an adults-only hotel and a family hotel, both right across from each other. The adults-only hotel is more inland but still in the marina. It’s also connected to a very fancy, high-end mall and casino!
Flamingo Beach on Renaissance Island
These beautiful pink birds hang out at Flamingo Beach all day! Kids are allowed from 9-10am to feed them and take the cutest family photos. Since we stayed at the hotel we ended up going 2 days in a row. We went the first day around 2pm and stayed until 5:30pm. I was immediately glued to the flamingos as soon as we arrived. I probably took 200 pictures/videos!
There were 6 pretty birds and they seemed to all travel as a flock around the beach. It was great people-watching, you could tell who had just arrived for the first time, who was doing it for social media and those who were truly enjoying themselves. And then there was me…
Do the flamingo
Food and drinks served at Mangrove bar until 5pm on Flamingo Beach. I wanted something to match my new pink flamingo friends and went with a strawberry daiquiri.
Drinking with pink sea chickens
We had a burger as a late lunch and ate it on the beach while watching the flamingos roam.
Flamingos starting the conga line
The bartender suggested to leave before 6pm so you didn’t have to wait long for a boat to come.
We came back the next day and missed the 8:15am boat since they loaded across the street because the tide was low to pick us up in the lobby. We caught the 8:30am which was pretty crowded. It was still nice to get there early and have one on one time with my pink friends! The crystal clear water makes this one of the best beaches in Aruba!
Feed Flamingos
Bring a few US quarters, there’s a gum ball dispenser filled with flamingo food when you walk in! $0.50 is a lot of food to feed them for one person. They’ll either eat it right out of your hand or run from you depending how much they’ve already had to eat.
Flamingo Feed
Feeding Flamingos
What else is there to do at Flamingo Beach?
Other than watching the silly flamingos, Flamingo Beach is a great beach to take a dip in! The beach is fully equipped with towels, pool chairs, bar, restaurant, bathrooms, floaty rentals, scuba gear, etc. We charged things to our room or you can pay in US dollars or their local currency, Florin. Don’t miss an opportunity to relax in a hammock! Rent floaties for $6 a day or rent a fancy cabana ahead of time. You can even get massages on the island in private rooms!
Hammock life
Don’t forget the essentials!
Iguana Beach on Renaissance Island
Iguana beach is the family beach and more like a beach! There are plenty of fish to see if you snorkel or you can swim/float/etc.
Breakfast is served from 8a-12p. The menu is limited to a few items for $19.95 USD, you can get a fruit plate, basket of pastries, entrée, and coffee/tea/orange juice.
Secret Spot on Renaissance Island
If you head towards the end of Iguana Beach past the restaurant, there is a hidden area where baby flamingos nest!
The babies aren’t as pink as the adults, but they are still so cute!
It was like a dream! Is this real life!? It sure can be! :) Add Flamingo Beach to your bucket list!
Again, find the best rate for the Renaissance Aruba by booking your room through Booking.com!
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St Patrick's Day Ice Cream & Events in Los Angeles
Happy St Patty’s Day! See how to celebrate with the events in Los Angeles on St Patrick’s this Sunday! Things to do on St Patrick’s Day in LA | Bars for St Patrick’s Day
HAPPY ST PATTY'S DAY! Let's celebrate with a wee bit o'ice cream!
O’Venice Sign in Venice Beach
Here are some other great events in Los Angeles to celebrate St Patricks Day in Los Angeles:
Hermosa Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade
St. Patrick’s Day 5K in Redondo Beach
Casey’s St. Patrick’s Day Street Festival Downtown LA
Rock and Reilly’s Annual St. Paddy’s Day Block Party West Hollywood
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at the Original Farmers Market
Flogging Molly at the Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood
Time Out LA’s The best Irish pubs in Los Angeles to raise a pint
Popsicle: St Patrick's Day - Summer is here! Rick's Pool Bar @ Hotel Figueroa
Downtown LA St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl and Beer Garden!
St Patrick’s Day Ice Cream
Salt and Straw features many different unique flavors that you won't find in most ice cream shops.
Monthly, they rotate seasonal flavors relating to the season or a holiday! For instance, see the weirdest flavors we tried last November:
November Menu
The buttered mashed potatoes and gravy was interesting to say the least. For March, they have some of the best flavors I have ever tried!
The real winner here was the classic: Pots of Gold and Rainbows, which has come back every March since 2013.
Pots of Gold and Rainbows
Mixed with chunks of lucky charms, ice cream makers spend over 600 hours this month separating out the Lucky Charms marshmallows from the cereal to create this fabulous edition. They then seep the cereal in cream for the ice cream base and the marshmallows transform into perfect frozen gooey nuggets that are blended into the cereal goodness.
Stop everything that you're doing and get to the nearest Salt and Straw! Locations and local flavors can be found: HERE
The Venice Beach Sign - St Patrick’s Day
The Venice Chamber has been in the holiday spirit, adding elements to the iconic VENICE sign at Pacific St and Windward Ave! The Venice Sign Committee is responsible for the maintenance of the sign and started the Adopt-a-Bulb program.
Venice Beach Sign - O’Venice
At Christmas, there were red and green bulbs, for Valentine's Day they added a heart with purple lights. See more holidays on their website, Venice Sign Committee. For St Patrick's Day they add the "O" and green lights! So cute!
Hope you enjoy your St Patrick's day! :)
Everything you need to know about Disneyland's Food and Wine Festival 2019
A complete guide to everything you need to know about the 2019 Food and Wine Festival at the Disneyland Resort. Check out the menu, map, how to get tickets, and our favorite treats & eats you can find in California Adventure!
Disneyland Food and Wine Festival 2019
Runs from March 1 to April 23 at California Adventure
Chocolate Crunch Cake
For the past few years, the Disneyland Resort has hosted the Food and Wine Festival along the walkways of California Adventure! Booths are setup along the stretch from Carthay Circle down to the end of PIXAR Pier with a different theme at each one. Items range from food to drinks (with and without alcohol) as well as dessert. All food is served as small portions, appetizer like, and priced from $5-$9 each.
This year, we indulged many great items that I MUST share with you! Here we go…
Get the Sip and Savor Pass!
Sip and Savor Pass - Food and Wine Festival 2019
First off, we purchased the Sip and Savor pass giving 8 tickets for $49, which was the discounted price for Annual Passholders and Employees, otherwise it is $56. Tickets are good at all booths and good for all items except for alcohol. You have to break them off as you purchase your items, otherwise they yell at you. Ok, maybe not yell, but just show them you’re breaking it off. It was a good deal since most of our cuisine averaged out to about $7!
The Food and Wine Festival 2019
There’s a great menu available on the Disney Food Blog site. I saved their free downloadable doc to my phone for easy reference. You can also grab the menu and map at the start of the Food and Wine Festival, I just needed to do my research ahead of time!
Fiscalini White Cheddar Lager Soup served in a Mini Boudin Sourdough Bowl
The first stop on the Food and Wine tour is the Nuts About Cheese booth where we tried the Fiscalini White Cheddar Lager Soup served in a Mini Boudin Sourdough Bowl and the Ham and Vella Jack Cheese Pinwheel with Smoked Pistachios. I LOVED the soup! So creamy and the bread was so fresh and delicious!
Ham and Vella Jack Cheese Pinwheel with Smoked Pistacios
Pepperoni Pizza Egg Rolls with Marinara and Pesto Sauce
Next, we picked up some Pepperoni Pizza Egg Rolls with Marinara and Pesto Sauce at the California Craft Brews booth. Such an interesting texture when you’re used to pizza, nonetheless, they were delicious.
Esquites Sweet Corn Nuggets with Bacon Lardons
Chocolate Crunch Cake
My favorite booth was the Garlic Kissed booth! Not only did they have Esquites Sweet Corn Nuggets with Bacon Lardons and Creamy Mac & Cheese with Garlic Bread Crumble but also the Chocolate Crunch Cake.
Creamy Mac & Cheese with Garlic Bread Crumble
Creamy Mac & Cheese with Garlic Bread Crumble
Salt and Vinegar Parmesan Chicken Wings
Cluck-A-Doodle Moo served up some mean Salt and Vinegar Parmesan Chicken Wings which didn’t taste too much like vinegar. My favorite food of the night was definitely the Harris Ranch Grilled Beef Tenderloin Slider with Chimichurri Sauce. The meat was perfectly cooked topped with extraordinary chimichurri sauce.
Harris Ranch Grilled Beef Tenderloin Slider with Chimichurri Sauce
Ghost Pepper Mac & Cheese with Chili Cheese Corn Chip Dust
We had already tried the Garlic Kissed Mac & Cheese so we had to compare the Peppers Cali-Ente’s Ghost Pepper Mac & Cheese with Chili Cheese Corn Chip Dust. Personally, I preferred the Garlic over the spicy. The garlic had a better flavor and we were expecting the Ghost Pepper to be a little spicier. Either way, it was still superb but if I had to choose one, it would be the Garlic Kissed Mac & Cheese.
Beer Garden
We finished the night with one more beer in the beer garden where live music was playing both Disney tunes and popular songs today.
Beer in the Beer Garden
That’s it! Basically try everything you can and you really won’t be disappointed!
Chocolate Crunch Cake
More information about the Food and Wine Festival, visit the Disneyland website: Click Here
Again, there’s a great menu available on the Disney Food Blog site. I saved their free downloadable doc to my phone for easy reference.
Don’t forget to bring these guys:
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Malibu Wines and Beer Garden in West Hills - Los Angeles, CA
Malibu Wines is one of my favorite wineries in Los Angeles! They recently opened a location in the San Fernando Valley and it is perfect for wine tasting! Things to do in Los Angeles.
Malibu Wines and Beer Garden
Address: 23130 Sherman Way, West Hills, CA 91307
Hours: Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. most nights, with an extension to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday
Website: https://www.malibuwines.com/malibu-wines-beer-garden/
I was ecstatic when I heard Malibu Wines was opening a tasting room in West Hills of the San Fernando Valley! I've been to their tasting room in Malibu and on the Wine Safari so I knew I would automatically like their new wine and beer garden.
Check out our related post: Malibu Wine Safari
The venue is a historic 1930's mission-styled mansion initially owned by 1930s-era actor Francis Lederer, and was declared a historic cultural monument in 1978. For years it has been utilized as an event space but is now licensed to serve beer and wine to the public. No reservations required!
Walking in, I was excited to see their signature WINE sign just like the one in Malibu.
The garden is full of tables and chairs with areas also to put down a blanket on the grass. Near the tasting area there are barrels with tops so that you can enjoy flights or a glass of vino. I found it so enchanting with all the lights hanging from the willow trees.
A band was setup on stage, playing live music all afternoon.
We had trouble finding a table so we posted up around one of the planters.
WINE AND BEER SELECTION
The Semler family own the garden and serve their signature Saddlerock Ranch brand as well as the Selmer branded wine from their vineyard set in the Santa Monica Mountains. Wine and beer are served as flights, by the bottle or by the glass.
Ales from local breweries such as 14 Cannons, Modern Times, Cellador Ales, and Five Threads Brewing are served on tap.
FOOD
Two Doughs food truck is located just off the entrance providing pizza and charcuterie plates for guests. They even have salads! Note they only serve Friday nights as well as all day Saturday & Sunday.
Cheers! Will definitely be back soon!
Here are our some of our favorite things:
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Need more California Wine? Try these posts:
10 Best Brunch Los Angeles Restaurants - with map!
Where to find the best brunch spots and restaurants in Los Angeles! Looking for bottomless mimosas, views or something outside? You can find the perfect spot in my most recent brunch post. You can even have ice cream for breakfast! 10 Best Brunch Los Angeles Restaurants
Santa Monica Pier
10 Best Brunch Spots around Los Angeles - Map included!
Brunch is my favorite meal! I love meeting with my friends all over LA for some breakfast food and a couple of drinks. Let me guide you to great food, bottomless mimosas, outdoor seating, and who takes reservations! It will be the perfect weekend brunch!
Here is a map made with the Wanderlog Travel Planner, so you can follow along, add to your Google maps account, or create your own personal map! Wanderlog allows you to create great maps and guides for any vacation!
WESTSIDE BRUNCH
26 Beach
Address: 3100 Washington Blvd, Venice, CA 90292
($$) With beach umbrellas out front and a mix match of coffee mugs this is such a unique and fun restaurant! I love it because you can have ice cream for breakfast and Mom won't get mad!
Must Haves:
Polar Bear French Toast - Croissant french toast topped with ice cream and berries! Sometimes its not on their menu but you can still order it!
The Peach Melba - 2 "croissant" French toasts, caramelized peaches, vanilla ice cream, melba sauce. Melba is pureed raspberries thickened with powdered sugar.
Reese's Piece's - Stuffed with peanut butter, chopped Reese's, served with Callebaut chocolate sauce on the side
Speaking of ice cream, see our other local ice cream suggestions in our Best Ice Cream in Los Angeles post
The Details:
Outdoor Seating?: Yes and a covered patio - can get hot on warm summer days!
Parking?: Street Parking - I usually park in the residential neighborhood across the street
Takes Reservations?: Yes, Opentable
Bottomless Mimosas?: YES!
Menu: 26 Beach brunch Menu
SALT at the Marina Del Rey Hotel
Address: 13534 Bali Way, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
($$$) Located in the Marina on the water, this place has stunning views of boats floating by and great brunch dishes!
Must Haves:
Croque-Madame - Fra’mani ham and gruyere cheese on brioche, sunny side up farm egg, sauce morna (MOUTH IS WATERING) Morna sauce is like an aioli
Buttermilk Pancakes with Berries and Cream - reminds me of the Starburst commercial every time
The Details:
Outdoor Seating?: Yes, usually pretty sunny - bring sunscreen! Firepits are available too for those cold mornings!
Parking?: Valet parking only ($4 for 4 Hours)
Takes Reservations?: Yes, Opentable
Bottomless Mimosas?: Nope, by the glass
Menu: Click Here
Address: 417 Washington Blvd, Venice, CA 90292
($$-$$$) Jeremy Fall has concocted a special menu incorporating breakfast items into almost anything, even cocktails! The restaurant was inspired by serving breakfast to musicians after finishing their sets during the wee hours of the morning on the Sunset Strip in the 80's and 90's.
Must Haves:
Spiked Cereal Milk - I loved the Cocoa Puffs and Vanilla Vodka. Just like it sounds - cereal milk with the cereal strained out and add alcohol! Why didn't I think of that?
Benedict Fries - the only funky thing was the gruyere cheese - it smelled bad and I picked it off.
Chicken and Biscuits - the gravy is perfection, phenomenal dish
Nighthawk Breakfast Sandwich - maple bacon sausage, scrambled eggs, gruyere cheese, arugula, peppercorn mayo, champagne vinegrette, pretzel bun
Stack O'Bacon - Sweet Tapatio candied bacon! Kinda pricey for bacon.
The Details:
Outdoor Seating?: Not exactly, but there are seats by the windows that are wide open
Parking?: Valet or Street - valet would be easier
Takes Reservations?: Yes, Opentable
Bottomless Mimosas?: I don't think so. but get the Spiked Cereal Milk
Menu: Nighthawk: Breakfast Bar
Whiskey Reds
Address: 13813 Fiji Way, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
($$) Family owned and located in Fisherman's Village in Marina Del Rey, just before the boats hit the channel! There are plenty of covered tables outdoors to enjoy the sea lions swimming and boats sailing by. On Sundays, they offer a brunch buffet.
Must Haves:
Breakfast burrito with a side of tots!
Eggs Benedict - a classic and always great
The Details:
Outdoor Seating?: Tons of outdoor seating with plenty of umbrellas and fire pits if its cold
Parking?: Valet Parking or lot next door (free with validation)
Takes Reservations?: Yes, Opentable
Bottomless Mimosas?: YES
Menu: Whiskey Reds Brunch
Killer Cafe
Address: 4213 Admiralty Way, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
($) Our favorite place to stop for a quick breakfast burrito and hash browns or to nurse a hangover. As a sister to Killer Shrimp and just next door, this has a nice cafe atmosphere complete with a long counter where coffee constantly flows to your cup!
Must Haves:
Breakfast Burrito with avocado and Hash Browns! The hash browns are sooo goood - thick slices of potatoes and a huge brick serving!
Scrambles - huge portions!
I'm not a shrimp fan, but there are a lot of Shrimp items on the menu!
Coffee is great, you can get a free cup if you check-in on Yelp!
The Details:
Outdoor Seating?: There are a few tables on the patio but they are usually in full sun in the morning
Parking?: Parking lot in front
Takes Reservations?: Nope, but you can order from Grubhub if you really can't wait!
Bottomless Mimosas?: Nope, but you can get them by the glass
Menu: Killer Cafe Brunch
Address: 1111 2nd St, Santa Monica, CA 90403
Must Haves:
b a c o n w a f f l e s t a c k - Bacon Waffle Batter, Topped with Two Eggs Any Style, Maple Syrup
e g g s b e n e d i c t - Two Poached Eggs, Canadian Bacon, Classic Hollandaise
The Details:
Outdoor Seating?: Nope, but beautiful Penthouse views!
Parking?: Valet Parking in the hotel or Street Parking
Takes Reservations?: Yes, Opentable
Bottomless Mimosas?: Sometimes? They didn’t offer it last time I went.
Menu: Penthouse Brunch
Address: 220 Rose Ave, Venice, CA 90291
($$) Properly named, located off Rose Ave and Main St, Rose Cafe had a major facelift a few years ago. Chef Jason Neroni (formerly of Superba) has brought back life to this cafe presenting local Southern California cuisine with an international influence from his world travels. Inside you'll find a gorgeous bar designed with a local touch from Studio UNLTD and a bakery with an impressive selection of baked goods on the front counters.
Must Haves:
Pasteries! Served in threes this is a perfect start to your meal
Classic Quiche - Leek, toma, honey nut squash, garden salad with poppyseed vinaigrette
Avocado Toast - So LA, but with a twist - Fried duck egg, pickled fresno chillies, pistachios
The Details:
Outdoor Seating?: Yes, lots, both covered in the beer garden or open air out on the front patio
Parking?: Valet Parking in the back or Street Parking
Takes Reservations?: Yes, Opentable
Bottomless Mimosas?: Nope, but you can get them by the glass or a carafe of Rosé
Menu: Rose Cafe Brunch
HOLLYWOOD Brunch Spots
Norah
Address: 8279 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046
($$$) Fancy brunch for fancy friends! Note: If you go for a birthday, they don't have dessert at brunchtime!
Must Haves:
Cast Iron Corn Bread - YUM
Breakfast Sandwich - so basic, but the combo of egg, sausage and american cheese is pure genius!
Duck Confit Hash - was very popular among the table! Yukon gold potatoes, poached eggs and chili sauce
The Details:
Outdoor Seating?: Yes, if you count a large open window creating a patio atmosphere
Parking?: Street Parking
Takes Reservations?: Yes, Opentable
Bottomless Mimosas?: Nope, but try the seasonal spritzer!
Menu: Norah Brunch
Hamburger Mary's
Address: 8288 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046
($$) Enter if you're looking to have a good time! On weekends the drag queens come out and put on a great show at this famous hamburger stand!
Must Haves:
Chocolate Chip Pancakes!
Mac 'N Cheese Hamburger
Cookies and Cream Milkshake - spectacular!
The Details:
Outdoor Seating?: Yes, there is a patio off of the street
Parking?: Street Parking or a garage across the street
Takes Reservations?: Only for large parties
Bottomless Mimosas?: Yep, the Bloody Mary's are also amazing
Menu: Hamburger Mary's Menu
($$) This spot is located at the end of the Malibu pier and has great farm to table options!
Must Haves:
Breakfast burrito - scrambled eggs, chicken sausage, black beans, cheese, peppers, onions, guacamole
Fried egg sandwich - bacon, arugula, baby potatoes, havarti, country wheat toast, lemon aioli
The Details:
Outdoor Seating?: Yes, lots of patio seating!
Parking?: Lot just before the pier
Takes Reservations?: No, you order at the registers and take a number
Bottomless Mimosas?: Nope, they only have beer and wine, the Malibu Farm Restaurant at the beginning of the pier does have a full bar.
Menu: Malibu Farm Menu
Don’t forget the brunch essentials:
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Thanks for reading!
Love and ice cream,
Kathleen
More to do in the City of Angels
10 Packing Essentials and Check List for Snow Trips
A check-list of what to pack for your next trip to the snow! Packing tips and essentials for skiing, the Northern Lights, a trip to Norway!
Our Packing Essentials for seeing the Northern Lights in Norway
Clothing we wore in the Snow in Norway
When we went to Norway, we were prepared to sit in the snow for hours and prepared for almost anything (weather-wise). These items add up, but here are some good quality, fairly budget friendly options. The best time to purchase snow gear is on Black Friday/Cyber Monday or late Winter/early Spring when stores are clearing out their stock. Here’s what you should pack for a few days in the snow for temperatures around 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Get your FREE packing check-list here: Packing Essentials for Snow Check List and check out items you can buy straight from Amazon: Winter Clothing Packing Essentials
Winter Waterproof Coat - Multilayer Jacket
I loved my North Face Triclimate layer jacket. The outside is waterproof with a removable hood and has a built in fleece jacket that is easy to zip in and out of. It is very well insulated, keeping you warm and the snow and rain out. Plenty of pockets for your gloves, phone, wallet, etc.
2. Snow Pants
I bought some ski pants for the first time in years when we went skiing in Big Bear (California) a few years ago. They definitely came in handy for this trip! I would wear my Under Armour leggings or fleece leggings underneath (see more in #7) so they were comfortable and not too bulky.
3. Waterproof Snow Boots
I’ve never had snow boots (come on, I live in Southern California), but I love my Columbia Loveland Snow Boots! Not only are they warm and comfortable, but my feet never got wet! Trekking through the snow, slush and rain, these boots stood against it all! Also, they were placed in the rain by accident when we were on a boat and they dried very quickly!
4. Waterproof Mittens
I hate it when my hands are cold. I needed gloves or mittens that were comfortable but not constricting. The Burton Gore-Tex Mittens for women keep your hands warm and dry while riding in cold, damp conditions. My favorite feature is that they are iPhone friendly! So many times I wanted to take a picture of reindeer, the Husky dogs, snow, and even Killer Whales (see our Norway 5-Day Itinerary for more details). You can also wear the shells and liner gloves separately on milder days. There is also a pocket for a hand warmer!
PRO-TIP: We bought a second set once we got closer to the trip in case one got wet and needed to dry but we didn’t take the tags off the second set. Luckily we didn’t end up needing them and we were able to return them once we got back from our trip!
Get your FREE packing check-list here: Packing Essentials for Snow Check List
5. Gaiter to keep your neck warm!
I have so many scarves but I loved my Columbia microfleece gaiter the most! It was made of the softest and warmest microfleece and because it is essentially a turtle neck, I didn’t have to worry about it untying or slipping. I could also pull it up and keep my nose warm.
6. Warm Thermal Wool Socks
I lived in my thermal wool socks since they were so warm and cozy! I bought some that went pretty high so we could cross country ski and they were just an added layer to stay warm. For 5 days in Norway, I needed 3 pairs for our longer days in the snow. I wore warm wool socks that were shorter on other days.
7. Leggings and Long Underwear
I mainly wore my fleece leggings and Under Armour Cold Gear leggings every day in Norway. I packed jeans and sometimes I’d wear leggings underneath, but would just wear the leggings out if we were walking to dinner or a store. I also wear them constantly in Los Angeles during the winter. It was a good purchase that I could use these items not just for the trip, but every day!
8. Hats and Beanies
My ears would get cold and I was so glad I had a good beanie! This beanie even has a fleece lining which will surely keep your ears nice and toasty! Also, how cute is the pom pom!?
9. Warm Scarves
Although I used my gaiter most of the time, I had so many cute warm scarves that I wore as well! I liked wearing my light weight, fleece, scarf and always had it in my carry-on for flights and moving locations where we jumped in and out of cars.
10. Hand Warmers
Keep your hands warm! Slip these in your pocket or in your gloves!
Those are the main things that we bought specifically for this trip to Norway. We also packed winter essentials such as sweaters, wool mittens, sweat pants, jeans, etc. We ended up packing 2 large suitcases since most of these items are bulky!
Get your FREE packing check-list here: Packing Essentials for Snow Check List and check out items you can buy straight from Amazon: Winter Clothing Packing Essentials
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More Norway Posts here:
Things to do in Norway: Whale Watching with Wild Orcas in the Norway Channels
We found wild Orcas, aka Killer Whales, while we went whale watching in Norway! Read more about our trip and meeting Shamu in our latest post! Things to do in Norway - Itinerary
We found Wild Orcas (AKA Killer Whales) in Norway and it was amazing! I had seen them at Sea World so many times, but to see them in their natural habitat was so much better!
See our full itinerary here: NORWAY 5 DAY ITINERARY
Getting to the Wild Orcas
IMAGE FROM ACINORWAY.COM
It was finally our day to go whale watching and we were so excited! I was a little apprehensive as to how cold it was going to be, with being on the water and rain in our forecast, but they said there were warm waterproof suits to wear. Perfect, now my clothes won't get wet and I'll still be warm! Win, Win.
BTW, see our guide for what to pack for a trip like this: Packing Essentials and Check List for your next Snow Adventure
We arrived at the dock at 8:00am. We booked this excursion through Off the Map Travel and our whale watching company name was ACIN (Arctic Cruise in Norway). With raindrops starting to fall, we boarded the Arctic Princess, a Lagoon 450 Catamaran. We took our boots off and went inside the heated galley for a briefing from the captain.
Where we were heading to see Killer Whales
RELATED POST: See the Strangest Place to Stay in Norway
After our briefing as to where everything was, we sat in the galley and had coffee and tea while setting sail into the sea. It started to pour down rain, but it was ok, since we had shelter.
As it got brighter (since we were approaching 10am) and the rain dissipated, we decided to go outside and see the sites. As we walked out, our boots had moved from under the table and over near the tarp that had leaked rain water into our shoes. They were soaked! I was then convinced the trip was ruined because I was going to get frostbite on my toes. We got a bunch of paper towels and started to dry them off and son of a gun, they actually dried rather nicely. It wasn't perfect but the Columbia and Ugg brands were made for weather so all was not lost, although I was still cautious of the frostbite situation.
We put on the weatherproof suit and went out on the front of the catamaran to enjoy the view. We were surrounded by snowy mountains with little houses scattered here and there. How do they get around? Didn't seem like there were any shops nearby some of these places!
Catching My First Fish AND Lunch
The time had come to catch lunch. I had never been fishing before (and don't really like to eat fish), so this was going to be quite the experience. Our captain showed us how easy it was by simply dropping the hook in the water, with no bait, and instantly caught a fish. I don't think this is how it usually works but seemed like he knew the right spot! It was my turn along with a few others, so I took a fishing pole and in my hook went.
Everyone caught a fish immediately but me. I think the fish somehow knew I didn't really want catch them. Finally after a few minutes, I felt and tug and had caught my first fish! I started to reel it in, which was taking so long, I was afraid I was turning it the wrong way, but low and behold I could see my hook and a fish was attached.
As it came out of the water, I was excited and sad all at the same time, I exclaimed, "I caught a fish! Sorry fishy!" Right at this moment the rain had picked up and was sleeting so hard, I couldn't open my eyes. The captain came by and took my fish, while I headed for shelter.
Killer Whale Sighting
After another hour or so, a fellow tour company had spotted a pod of killer whales and gave a call to our captain. We drove straight towards them and were there in about 10-15 minutes. WOW! There were probably about 10 Orcas in the pod and they would surface now and again where you could see their prominent white spot near there eye. They weren't jumping out of the water like Free Willy or Shamu at Sea World, but it was still mesmerizing to watch these beautiful creatures.
The whales didn't seemed bothered by the surrounding boats at all, coming fairly close to a couple of them. There was a flock of seagulls trying to get in on the whales feeding situation. We could see where the pod was heading based on where the birds were circling. You could tell when some would surface as they would give a burst through their blow holes.
Killer Whale getting food before the birds steal it!
We watched them for almost an hour it seemed and my feet were so cold, it was to the point where I couldn't really feel them anymore. The fear of frostbite and losing my toes set in, it was time to go inside and warm up and head back to Tromso.
As we glided back, everyone else came in and lunch was just getting started. We had fish soup with the fish we had caught earlier, along with carrots and potatoes. I just had the carrots and potatoes, fish are friends, not food!
RELATED POST: See another activity we did: Magical Reindeer Rides
What an unforgettable experience! We were so glad to see the pod of orcas, killer whales, Shamus', Free Willys' or whatever you'd like to call them!
Don’t forget to pack these guys:
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See more Norway Blog Posts:
Things to do in Norway: Reindeer Rides
We met real reindeer when we went to Norway! We were paraded around in a sled through the snow! See more of our unbelievable experience on the blog!
Reindeer in Norway
What to do in Tromso, Norway: Reindeer Rides
One of our favorite adventures in Norway was a reindeer sleigh ride!
We booked our entire trip through Off the Map Travel, and they set everything up for us from hotels to activities and getting to and from everything. It was really nice that we didn't have to figure out how to get from the airport or how to get to this random place in the middle of Norway.
Reindeer in Tromso, Norway
REINDEER SLEIGH RIDES
Here's how our day went:
From our hotel, we walked over to the Radisson Blu and got on a small bus of about 14 people to the Tromso Lapland. It was a 20-minute drive to the Sami lavvu where we changed into a winter suit and gloves that they provided so our stuff didn’t get wet! BTW, see our guide as to what to pack for a trip like this: Packing Essentials and Check List for your next Snow Adventure
We jumped back on the bus and drove another 20 mins to the reindeer!
After a small hike uphill, the reindeer were waiting for us by our sleighs. I leaped to them (literally, I was that excited)! Of course, I had to pet them and take tons of pictures, which I'm sure they loved me invading their personal space. It's what I do best. ;-)
Soon after, we were all seated and ready for take off.
Reindeer Rides in Norway
The reindeer don't run quite as fast as the sled dogs, it's a slower paced, more peaceful ride. We did a large lap around the trees through the snow. We were all bundled up so it wasn't too cold! It was nice to take in the sites and experience Norway in such a special way.
White reindeer in Norway
This was a once in a lifetime experience. Not only did we have a reindeer ride, but we also learned of the native Sami culture. The reindeer ride consisted of about 7 or 8 reindeer pulling individual sleds. They are connected buy ropes and then all sleds are connected one by one.
At first, the guide was leading the reindeer up and around the hill and then hopped on the sled and away we went. Our ride lasted about 40 mins total and was very peaceful trekking through the freshly powdered snow.
FEEDING REINDEER
Feeding Reindeer
After our ride, they tied the reindeer in a more open area, where we were able to feed them! Most of the time they would knock the food out of my hands and almost force me out of the way with their antlers to eat the remains from the snowy ground. I did get to pet them, their fur is coarse and some of them even had fur fuzz on their antlers!
We then moved locations to a traditional Sami Lavvu (it looks like a teepee) where we had reindeer stew for lunch while being told stories of their culture along and even a joik (Sami song) was sung for us.
It wasn't quite reindeer leading Santa's sleigh, but still had an enjoyable time!
Related Post: We slept in a teepee in the snow! See why in: Where to Stay in Norway
Don’t forget to pack these guys:
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More Norway Posts:
How to Spend 5 Days in Tromso, Norway - Tromsø, Norway Itinerary
We spent a lot of time in the snow in Tromso Norway! Check out how we spent 5 days in northern Norway and our guide to everything you need to know including our favorite activities, where to stay, where to eat, and how to see the Northern Lights!
What is there to do in Tromsø, Norway during winter? PLENTY!
Northern Lights just outside of Tromsø, Norway
For our winter trip, we wandered to Norway and it has been one of our best trips yet! We wanted to see the northern lights but knew it was never guaranteed, so we booked other excursions to make our trip worthwhile while such as dog sledding, reindeer rides, and whale watching.
Josh was working with a producer that has a friend who has a travel business called Off The Map Travel, specializing in trips to the Arctic Circle to find the northern lights. After a few emails back and forth with Katie, she sent us an itinerary that we could adjust to our liking. One thing listed on our itinerary was spending the night in a Sami lavvu (teepee). Josh was very excited about this, but I didn't like the idea of spending the night in a tent in the cold, it sounded awful. Katie assured us it would be warm and everyone loves it. Fine, we'll try it. I still wasn't completely convinced but agreed to it for some reason. Anyway, we finalized our itinerary and the lavvu was like living in a fairytale (well, almost). The next steps were to book our flights and purchase warm clothes since this California girl doesn't know what to do in the snow but wants to build a snowman.
Click here for our Packing Essentials for Snow Guide and Check-List
Getting to Tromso, Norway
Since we were in Syracuse for Christmas, we flew SAS from Newark to Oslo to Tromsø, Norway, and upgraded to business class for more comfort to hopefully get some sleep on the plane. There weren’t any direct flights to Tromsø from New York.
SAS Business class was really nice complete with a large screen in the seat in front of you and a decent selection of entertainment. The food was ok, not your typical American meal, the venison was very tough, but the wine selection was fantastic. Best part was the ice cream, of course, they served 3 Twins Ice Cream - sea salted caramel! SO DELICIOUS!
Day 1
HOTEL IN TROMSO NORWAY: Clarion at the Edge
We arrived in Oslo, went through customs, and continued to baggage claim to get our bags to check them in again to get to Tromso.
Tromsø views
After landing in Tromso, our taxi driver was there to pick us up and take us to our hotel, the Clarion at the Edge. The Clarion is a newer hotel, very modern and eco-friendly. To power the lights in your room you have to put the key in a switch and they all illuminate.
Clarion at the Edge - Tromso, Norway
Our room overlooked the Tromso Sound towards the Arctic Cathedral. Apparently, they are building a port right in front of the hotel so there were 2 giant cranes obstructing our view. The beds were very comfortable and the bathroom is very tiny.
View from our room at the Clarion in Tromso, Norway
Their restaurant on the second floor had good food (and wine). Oh and they had the best sign:
Stressed Spelled Backwards is desserts! YES IT IS!
Presis has swings as dining room chairs
DINNER IN TROMSO: Presis
Storgata 36, 9008 Tromsø, Norway
We had about an hour before we had to meet for our dog sledding adventure, just enough time to grab a bite. Right around the corner from our hotel was a Tapas bar called Presis serving Spanish and Arctic Tapas.
Upon entering, the candlelight from the tables gave a cozy and welcoming vibe, and my eyes lit up when I looked over observing that instead of chairs, some of the tables had swings! The four-year-old inside me wanted to run over and sit on one instantly, but instead, the hostess sat us at a table with plain old regular four-legged chairs by the window instead. It was probably for the better because I would have played on the swing and knocked over food, water, or a candle with the potential of lighting the restaurant on fire. So instead, I sat for a quick picture.
The food was delicious. We had their ham, bread with salt and olive oil, potatoes with a garlic aioli sauce, and spicy meatballs. It was the perfect amount of food for the 2 of us, almost too much!
Click here for our Packing Essentials for Snow Guide and Check-List
Night Dog Sledding and Getting Lost
We quickly walked over to the Scandic Ishavshotel where Arctic Adventure Tours had a small bus was there to take us up to see the puppies! It was about a 30 min drive to our spot and as soon as we got off the bus I ran straight for the dogs!
Dog sledding pup sleeping
They were chained to little dog houses and jumping in and out of them, excited we were there to visit and give them attention! We were called into a room to suit up and get a winter suit, boots, gloves, and a headlamp for our sledding. It was probably for the better to wear their gear since the dogs were so smelly (but still so cute) it wouldn't stink up our clothes on our first day.
We had a quick orientation and headed to the sleds. The dogs instantly started barking and jumping with excitement when they saw us!
We jumped in our sleds and they untied each sled team one by one and off we went! The dogs run fast and are good about following each other. They are even skilled to run and poop at the same time. Lol. I liked riding more than driving! You have to do a little peddling/running when going up hills, the pups get a little tired and need a boost!
The dogs got all tangled and wouldn't run at one point, so we were stranded trying to get them in line. Since we were the last ones, everyone had gone ahead and we were stuck there. We waited for a little bit, and finally saw a headlamp heading towards us. Hooray we were saved! Even the instructor couldn't tear them apart. We sat and waited for another 5 minutes when they finally finished and joined the rest of our group. How could you get mad at a face like this:
Our sleds had pelts to sit on to make it more comfortable!
Dog sleds!
And off we went for about an hour! We saw so many stars and got caught in some snow!
Day 2
Reindeer Sleigh Ride
See our full post here: Reindeer Rides in Norway
The hotel provided a free buffet breakfast in the morning at their restaurant, with tons of options from pancakes to an omelet station.
Our first adventure of the day was a reindeer sleigh ride! We walked over to the Radisson Blu and got on a small bus of about 14 people to the Tromso Lapland. It was a 20 minute drive to the Sami lavvu where we changed into a winter suit and gloves provided by the tour. We jumped back on the bus and drove another 20 mins to the reindeer. After a small hike up the hill, the reindeer were waiting for us by a bunch of sleighs. I leaped to them (literally, I was that excited)!
Reindeer in Norway
Of course I had to pet them and take tons of pictures, which I'm sure they loved me invading their personal space. It's what I do best. Soon after, we were all seated and ready for take off. The reindeer don't run quite as fast as the dogs, it's a slower paced, more peaceful ride.
Reindeer Rides in Tromso, Norway
This was a once in a lifetime experience. Not only did we have a reindeer ride, but we also learned of the native Sami culture. The reindeer ride consisted of about 7 or 8 reindeer pulling individual sleds. They are connected by ropes and then all sleds are connected one by one. At first, the guide was leading the reindeer up and around the hill and then hopped on the sled and away we went. The ride lasted about 40 mins total and was very peaceful trekking through the freshly powdered snow. for 3km. After our ride, they tied the reindeer in a more open area, where we were able to feed them!
Feeding Reindeer
Most of the time they would knock the food out of my hands and almost force me out of the way with their antlers to eat the remains from the snowy ground. I did get to pet them, their fur is coarse and some of them even had fur fuzz on their antlers! We then moved locations to a traditional Sami Lavuu (it looks like a teepee) with an authentic Sami guide where we had reindeer stew for lunch while being told stories of their culture along and even a joik (Sami song) was sung for us. Our guide was from a Sami reindeer herding families explaining how valuable reindeer are enriched in their culture.
See our full story: Reindeer Rides in Tromsø, Norway
Drinks in Tromsø: Huken Pub
Strandgata 22, 9008 Tromsø, Norway
Huken Pub in Tromso, Norway
A storm came in so strong that the rain from it turned into icy roads. We were supposed to go out to see the lights but the bus wasn't going to be safe in the icy conditions and we had to cancel our tour.
We weren't surprised, it was still overcast and others who had gone out the night before drove 2 hours to Finland to see the Northern Lights, some weren't able to catch them at all.
Huken Pub brews
Instead, we went to Huken Pub right around the corner of our hotel. We had some time to kill, where we just wanted to sit and have a beer. This was the perfect place. The decor is unique, suitcases as tables and barn chic interior.
Huken Pub Bar
The people sitting next to us had burgers that looked amazing but we had just had dinner at the hotel. They had a vast selection of Mack beers along with a few others. Not great for large groups as it is a small place inside and doesn't really have a bar to stand at. It's cozy and perfect for 2 people!
After a couple of drinks, we walked around for a bit and enjoyed the charm of this quaint town.
Streets of Tromso
Church in Tromso
Day 3
Whale Watching
See the full story here: Whale Watching in Norway
It was finally our day to go whale watching and we were so excited! I was a little apprehensive as to how cold it was going to be, with being on the water and rain in our forecast, but they said there were warm waterproof suits to wear. Perfect, now my clothes won't get wet and I'll still be warm! Win, Win.
Tromso Harbor
We booked this excursion through Off the Map Travel and our whale watching company name was ACIN (Arctic Cruise in Norway), we boarded the Arctic Princess, a Lagoon 450 Catamaran.
Whale Watching - Orcas in Norway
A fellow tour company had spotted a pod of killer whales and gave a call to our captain. We drove straight towards them. WOW! There were probably about 10 Orcas in the pod and they would surface now and again where you could see their prominent white spot near there eye. They weren't jumping out of the water like Free Willy or Shamu at Sea World, but it was still mesmerizing to watch these beautiful creatures.
Killer whales in Norway
The whales didn't seem bothered by the surrounding boats at all, coming fairly close to a couple of them. There was a flock of seagulls trying to get in on the whales’ feeding situation. We could see where the pod was heading based on where the birds were circling. You could tell when some would surface as they would give a burst through their blowholes.
We watched them for almost an hour it seemed and my feet were so cold, it was to the point where I couldn't really feel them anymore. The fear of frostbite and losing my toes set in, it was time to go inside and warm up and head back to Tromso. See the full story here: Whale Watching in Norway
New Hotel: Sleeping in a Teepee
See our full story of the lavvu stay here: Sleeping in a Teepee
We checked out of our hotel (we told them we needed a late check-out so we could shower and I'm so glad we did! Off the Map travel had arranged our transfer over to the Lyngen Alps. When we arrived, we met Ann Kristin with Aurora Alps, who was in charge of our tours for the next few days. We were supposed to stay in a cabin the first night, so I had one last night to get used to the idea I would be sleeping in a teepee, in the snow. However, they told us our Itinerary had changed and we were spending that night in the teepee. O.M.G. She made it sound like it was no big deal and that it would be easier for us. I was anxious and nervous inside.
Sami Lavvu - Tent we spent the night in
We grabbed our bags and walked to the lavvu (teepee) which was about 50 feet from the house with a lit path and charming white lights strung in front.
HOW ENCHANTING! I then forgot all my fears, and as we entered the candlelit lavvu, I loved everything about it. There was a giant picnic table with food, a bar with hot drinks ready to go, a warm stove with lots of firewood, a comfortable living room setup, and a separate area with sleeping bags. Along with the candles, there were some lights strung along the top of the lavvu giving off plenty of light. I was mesmerized and felt like I was in another world. This was my kind of camping, as long as the fire kept burning!
See more in our full story of the lavvu stay here: Sleeping in a Teepee
Snowshoes and Searching for the Northern Lights
In front of our cozy lavvu, were 2 sets of snowshoes. They were cute and I took a picture but didn't know how to use them. Ann Kristin had advised the Northern Lights would be out that night and we should use the snowshoes to get to the clearing not far from the teepee. We gathered all of our camera gear and Josh helped me get my snowshoes on and off we went. We found the clearing but the sky was cloudy and there was a light rain. We decided to wait a bit and see if the weather would clear up.
After about 15 minutes, we started to see stars and the clouds started to dissipate. We thought we were looking for green flashes or some kind of light in the sky but didn't see anything like that. Josh decided to take pictures of the stars while we waited for the aurora borealis to show. After a few pictures, he yelled, "THAT'S IT!" There it was, on his camera screen, green Northern lights! We realized they looked more like glowing clouds to the naked eye! "What about that?! Or that?!" We shot at everything in the sky, taking tons of shots and getting something a little different every time.
Our first Northern Lights sighting
We were excited we were able to see the lights on our first night and couldn't wait until we were going out with a guide the next night!
Day 4
Dog Sledding Adventure
We checked out of the teepee and stored our bags with Aurora Alps, which they brought them over to the cabin next door later that day. We went back towards Tromsø but stopped just after the bridge for our day dog sledding tour! There were so many cute smelly pups that were so happy to see us!
We felt like pros since we had already gone dog sledding at night in the dark! We put on our suits over our clothes and jumped on our sleds.
Dog sledding in Norway
It was kinda rainy and it seemed like the path they were taking hadn't had snow in a while. In certain areas it was almost like water skiing which was fun but since it was raining, water had somehow leaked into my suit, and I was wet and very very cold.
We warmed up and had some lunch in the community room (and lots of hot chocolate!).
Northern Lights in Finland
Evening Northern Lights Tour
We had a private tour, arranged by Off the Map Travel to go see the Northern Lights. We looked at the weather pattern and hoped we could see the lights and not too many clouds! Our driver picked us up in a large van at our cabin and took us about an hour North of us where the weather was better, and we even drove into Finland to find the Northern Lights! We brought all of our camera gear and ANYTHING to keep us warm.
What are the northern lights exactly? Well, the Aurora is an incredible light show caused by collisions between electrically charged particles released from the sun that enter the earth’s atmosphere and collide with gases such as oxygen and nitrogen. The lights are seen around the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres.
After a many stops over 3 hours, it was time to head back to the cabin. We were beyond thrilled we were able to see the lights.
Day 5
We were exhausted by this point, we had done so much in 4 days! We finally slept in a bit, but I was still excited to try cross country skiing!
Cross country skiing in Norway
Since it was my first time, I may have fallen a couple of times, but overall was fun since it was something I had never done before! My thighs were definitely sore the next day! We took in the scenery, being secluded in the woods, and even saw moose tracks!
Winter in Norway
We stopped at their cabin in the middle of the woods which had no power, but a cozy area for a fire to cook hot dogs and have some hot cocoa from a thermos! We signed the guest book hoping we'd return one day!
New Years Eve Night and the Northern Lights
As we were enjoying our last night in Norway, we went to dinner in the main hall, and then went out at midnight for the neighbors fireworks show. The law allows fireworks to be shot off only on New Years Eve night from 11:30pm to 12:30am. The neighbors gather together to compete against other neighborhoods for the best fireworks display!
Last Glimpse of the Northern Lights
At about 1am the skies started to clear and the Northern Lights were directly above us! We got the GoPro and the rest of our gear and setup for a light show!
There was a glow and we were glad we were to able to see them one last time, or so we thought. We went inside for about an hour to warm up and get ready for bed. Josh went out one last time to take a look and came back yelling, "come out, come out!" I ran outside and could actually see the Northern Lights without a lens!
Northern Lights in Norway
We went inside again to warm up and edit some photos to show our family and friends at home. It was getting close to 5am and it was time for bed. As I got into bed and was scrolling threw Instagram, I heard Josh open the door, he yelled, "they're back, come out!" We went running out and there were bright green streaks across the sky!
Aurora Borealis in Norway
As I was looking in the sky, one of the glowing clouds got brighter and greener and started moving! I turned to Josh and said, "look at that," pointing at the green streak of the aurora borealis!
This green streak only got brighter and brighter and danced across the sky, dazzling different colors of white, green and blue as it moved.
Aurora Borealis near Tromso, Norway
It was the perfect way to end our 5-day trip to Norway and great start to a new year!
Don’t forget to pack these guys:
Please note this is not a sponsored post and based on my own personal experience, all thoughts are my own.
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Sleeping in a Teepee in the Arctic Circle - Would you sleep in a tent in the snow?
You might think we’re crazy, but sleeping in a teepee in Norway was once of the best experiences in our travels! Find out more what this enchanting Lavvu had in store for us and how we found the Northern Lights!
Most Unique Place to Stay in Norway - Sami Lavvu (Norweigian teepee tent)
Most Unique Place to Stay in Norway - Sami Lavvu!
When we were planning our 5-day trip to Norway, our travel agency recommended spending a night in a Sami Lavvu (a Norwegian teepee). My first thought was NO WAY. I had my reasons: It's camping; No bathrooms; It's going to be 20 degrees outside and what are we going to eat? Josh saw it as a good opportunity to do something different. I went camping at a beach with friends once and slept on a hammer (I thought it was a rock), which we had lost when we were building it. I vowed never again to go camping.
After talking with our travel agency Off the Map Travel, Katie highly recommended the lavvu, assuring me the tent would be warm and there were bathrooms. I begrudgingly said yes somehow and had high anxiety when thinking about it.
Arriving at the Teepee in Norway
When we arrived at the Aurora Alps from Tromsø, we were supposed to stay in a cabin the first night, so I had one last night to get used to the idea I would be sleeping in a teepee, in the snow. However, upon arrival, they told us our Itinerary had changed and we were spending that night in the teepee. O.M.G. She made it sound like it was no big deal and that it would be easier for us. I was anxious and nervous inside.
We grabbed our bags and walked towards the Sami Lavvu which was about 50 feet from the house. I looked up a lit path and saw charming white lights strung in front of the most beautiful teepee I had ever seen. HOW ENCHANTING! I then forgot all my fears as we entered the candlelit lavvu, and I loved everything about it, feeling like I was in some sort of fairy tale.
Inside the Lavvu (teepee)
Inside the Sami Lavvu tent
There was a giant picnic table with food, a bar with hot drinks ready to go, a warm stove with lots of firewood, a comfortable living room setup, and a separate area with sleeping bags. Along with the candles, there were some lights strung along the top of the lavvu giving off plenty of light. I was mesmerized and felt like I was in another world. This was my kind of camping.
Ann Kristin was our host and she brought a hot dinner of reindeer stroganoff along with a special dessert. The bathrooms were connected to the house, complete with shower and wifi. Everything was okay and I was complacent. Josh and I sat and watched the fire for a bit, taking it all in for a bit.
Fireplace inside the tent
Looking for the Northern Lights
In front of our cozy lavuu, were 2 sets of snow shoes. They were cute and I took a picture, but didn't know how to use them. Ann Kristin had advised the Northern Lights would be out that night and we should use the snowshoes to get to the clearing not far from the teepee. We gathered all of our camera gear and Josh helped me get my snow shoes on and off we went. We found the clearing but the sky was cloudy and there was a light rain. We decided to wait a bit and see if the weather would clear up.
Snow shoes
After about 15 minutes, we started to see stars, and the clouds started to dissipate. We thought we were looking for green flashes or some kind of light in the sky but didn't see anything like that. Josh decided to take pictures of the stars while we waited for the aurora borealis to show. After a few pictures, he yelled, "THAT'S IT!" There it was, on his camera screen, green Northern lights! We realized they looked more like glowing clouds to the naked eye! "What about that?! Or that?!" We shot at everything in the sky, taking tons of shots and getting something a little different every time.
Glimpse of the Northern Lights in Norway
After close to 30 minutes, it started to get cloudy again, and we were getting cold. It was time to head back and load pictures to our phones so we could post them on social media with the bathroom wifi.
We slept in a teepee in the snow and found the Northern Lights on our own. I can now change my life status to "Adventurous."
See related post for more Norway and Northern Lights photos: 5-Day Itinerary in Tromsø, Norway
Please note this is not a sponsored post and based on my own personal experience, all thoughts are my own.
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Best Star Wars Themed Bar in Hollywood: Scum & Villainy Cantina
The Star Wars bar, Scum and Villainy Cantina has become a permanent fixture in Hollywood! See what to expect from this classic movie in Los Angeles! They take pride in being called a “Geek Bar!”
Scum & Villainy Cantina
Location: 6377 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, California, CA 90028
In Los Angeles there are many pop-up events to go to that are only around for a limited amount of time, such as restaurants like the Saved by the Bell - Saved by the Max, the Museum of Ice Cream and now there a Star Wars themed bar, Scum & Villainy. Now it is staying as a permanent fixture in Hollywood! We all remember the cantina scene in A New Hope, where Han shot first, right?
If not here it is:
I love the Star Wars movies, but I'm not an expert like my friends are. Although, I did rock a 40th Anniversary shirt from the GAP! Disneyland has also opened Star Wars land called Galaxy’s Edge complete with Oga’s Cantina, see more here: 10 Things to do at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
Everyone dresses up for the Star wars Bar, Scum and Villainy
We made reservations by buying tickets online a month in advance. Since they are now permanent in Hollywood, tickets are no longer required and its FREE to visit! Operating hours are from 6p-2am and they often have special events such as karaoke, LA Game Night, see more on their Facebook page for more info: https://www.facebook.com/scumandvillainycantina/
We had a designated check-in time at 8:30p. We arrived around 8:15p and lined up in an alley among ewoks, princesses and other charming characters. There wasn't a marking or anything on the building, just someone standing by the door checking people in. Oh and Han on the wall across from it.
Han SOlo Street Art in Hollywood
We entered the bar and were amazed how it looked!
Everyone was let in at once and we had a little over 2 hours to enjoy our time at the bar. The drink tokens were exchanged for one of their three pre-made mixed drinks (which weren't bad and pretty strong) or a beer. I don’t think this is the case anymore, it was more for their ticketed event.
Drink TOkens
I REALLY WANTED THE GLOW STICKS TO BE STRAWS!
We managed to get a booth in the corner (just like Han Solo).
I WAS REALLY EXCITED I HAD A LIGHT SABER.
There were a lot of lights and fog machines, but what really make this bar great? The patrons. Those who came in costume gave this bar its charm, feeling like you stepped into a galaxy far far away...
2 STORM TROOPERS WALK INTO A BAR...
And here's a little video to see the inside...
For bar snacks, they were served quickly and not bad for bar food. Portions were a decent size and sharable. We got a couple of orders of the AT Tots and the Carbonite Queso.
AT Tots at the Scum and Villainy Bar
Here are the menus known as “Liquids and Solids” instead of Drinks and Food. Clever.
On our way out we got some merchandise, a pint glass and a challenge coin.
I really had a great time being a Star Wars nerd for a night! May the force be with you!
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More things to do in LA:
11 Hella Cool Things to do in San Francisco, California
Here is a list of our 11 favorite things to do in San Francisco including riding a cable car and visiting Alcatraz. | What to do and where to go in San Francisco, California.
San Francisco Skyline
11 Best Things to do in San Francisco, CA
San Francisco is such a great city! We've been so many times, yet there is something new to do every time. With all the hills and located on the coast, there are spectacular views! We love being a tourist and they have some pretty great food there too! Here is a list of our FAVORITE things to do in San Francisco:
1. Ride a Cable Car
I always think of Full House when I see the cable cars. Your trip would not be complete without a ride on these guys! There are three cable car lines: the Powell-Hyde Line, the Powell-Mason Line and the California Line. There's even a cable car museum! It's about $7 to take a ride. Check out San Francisco’s official guide: How to ride a Cable Car
Ride a Cable Car
2. See the Painted Ladies
Address: Steiner St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Check out these iconic brightly colored Victorian beauties. Alamo Square Park, located directly across from the ladies, is the perfect spot to sit and enjoy them! If you're not singing the theme song to Full House in front of these houses, there is something wrong with you. Speaking of, the actual Full House house is located: 1709 Broderick Street, about a mile away. We walked to the Mrs. Doubtfire house instead see #10.
Painted Ladies in San Francisco
3. Check Out Alcatraz
This famous prison is in the middle of the bay, once home to Al Capone. Make sure you buy your tickets a couple weeks in advance, the earlier you go, the less crowds there are. Day tickets to The Rock are only $45, including the ferry to get there and the self guided audio tour. I dare you to try the night tour! Buy tickets here: Alcatraz Tours or Viator offers great bundles and you can get into Alcatraz and the Aquarium for $63!
4. Visit Lombard Street
Address: Lombard St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Check out the 8 crazy zigzag turns down the hill on Lombard Street. It’s fun to drive down!
5. Visit the Sea Lions at Fisherman's Wharf - Pier 39
Address: Beach Street & The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94133
Grab a bite to eat, do some shopping and then come see these guys! There are hundreds of sea lions at times, swimming, barking, and splashing. I could sit and watch them for hours!
6. Visit the Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Presidio of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129
You can drive, bike, and even walk across this massive bridge, or enjoy from a beach nearby. Any way you choose, you can appreciate the beauty of this iconic art deco bridge. If you get to the other side, there is a park/lookout area to snap a few photos. This was taken from the Crissy Fields East Beach:
GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE FROM CRISSY FIELDS EAST BEACH
7. Walk through the Palace of Fine Arts
Address: 3601 Lyon St, San Francisco, CA 94123
Take a walk through the Palace of Fine Arts walking distance from the Crissy Fields beach in #7! Appreciate the Greco-Roman architecture and lookout for turtles and ducks!
See if there are any events while you are there: Palace of Fine Arts Events
8. Get Ice Cream and Sit in the Park
Bi-Rite: 3692 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Bi-Rite is one of the best ice cream establishments in San Francisco. There is always a wait, but it is well worth it. Dolores Park is right across the street, which is a great place to enjoy city views and have some ice cream. The park isn’t always so crowded, it had rained all week and it was a warm beautiful day!
See our full BiRite Ice Cream Review here
9. Go Shopping in Union Square
Address: 333 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94108
Shopping is one of my favorite activities and Union Square has some of the best stores: Macy's, Saks 5th Ave, Tiffany & Co, Nike, Apple, Williams-Sonoma, to name a few. Stop at the Burger Bar in Macy’s for Union Square views and a milkshake! If you go down Powell there are even more shops and a mall off of Market Street.
TONY BENNETT'S "I LEFT MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO"
Milkshake at the Burger Bar
10. Find the Mrs. Doubtfire House
Mrs. Doubtfire House Address: 2640 Steiner St, San Francisco, CA 94115
"Steiner Street. Oooh how lovely!" Quote from Mrs. Doubtfire, one of my favorite movies of all-time. There's even a Robin Williams tribute with people that have signed rocks in the planter. Here's what it looks like: inside the house.
11. Catch a Giant's Game at AT&T Park
Address: 24 Willie Mays Plaza, San Francisco, CA 94107
Check out their schedule and buy tickets: Click Here
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Other things to do in Northern California:
Attention Disneyland Foodies! In this post, we’ll tell you all the places you must go to try Disneyland Resort’s best food and dessert options! Want a Mickey-shaped milkshake or sundae? Check-out where to go! Did someone say ice cream?