Travelling Lore

One of my favorite types of establishments to visit while traveling are breweries and Boston is no exception.  Having toured the Samuel Adams Brewery , we decided to make the walk through the Seaport District to Harpoon Brewery's Beer Hall .  Coming from Northern Virginia where all of the breweries around me are small and locally owned (and make great beer!), stepping into Harpoon's Beer Hall was nothing short of awesome. I absolutely loved the decor of the place: wooden furnishings; modern but medieval-inspired chandeliers; long beer tables that reminded me of a German Oktoberfest (bucket list item!).  To say it was crowded was an understatement, but we managed to squeeze our way into a small section of table and enjoy a few flights.  I'm not a big fan of their UFO White that a lot of bars carry.  However, I was quite pleased to see that there was so much more to choose from once inside Harpoon's mothership.  Oddly enough, I found myself enjoy...

When it comes to South America one of the first countries that tends to pop up in conversation is Peru and its breathtaking 15th century Inca site, Machu Picchu. Though I have yet to visit it (hopefully one day!), I trust it’s as amazing in person as I read about. However, I feel its majesty tends to overshadow the existence of many other pre-Hispanic sites spread over the continent. One such site is Tiwanaku , a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is pre-Inca and nearly a millennium older than Machu Picchu. Located near Lake Titicaca on Bolivia’s Altiplano at an altitude of 3850 m (12,631 ft), Tiwanaku flourished into a city between 400 A.D. and 900 A.D. in what is now the Province of Ingavi, Department of La Paz. Much of the ancient city, which was built from adobe, is overlain by the modern town. Fortunately, the stone buildings from the ceremonial center have been preserved in archaeological zones. What remains of the city still spans over a great deal of land an...

A couple of years ago I visited Northern Ireland after a fun-filled road trip of Ireland's gorgeous emerald landscapes.  We only had one day to see as much of Northern Ireland as we could before we flew north to Norway.  Since my fiance and I are both science nerds, we prioritized our sightseeing and chose to skip Belfast in lieu of some iconic geologic sites.  I would have loved to see the Titantic Museum in Belfast as I hear it's absolutely wonderful, but unfortunately we just didn't have enough time to squeeze it into our day trip.  So for those of you in a similar time crunch situation--or for those of you looking for some travel planning inspiration--I've put together the itinerary we followed in Northern Ireland. Stop #1: The Dark Hedges We left from Dublin bright and early to make our way to the infamous Dark Hedges .  We stayed in Gogarty's Hostel , situated right in the middle of Temple Bar.  Our private room was small, but clean, albe...

Once we'd visited Arenal Volcano National Park and had a leisurely lunch, we finally arrived at Tabacon Hot Springs .  Only a 15-minute drive away from the park, Tabacon hot springs was the first hot springs resort to open to the public in the Arenal Volcano region and remains the most acclaimed luxury hot springs and resort in Costa Rica. Tabacon Hot Springs are completely natural in that the water flows by gravity through the property and forms pools and waterfalls throughout the resort.  In comparison, there are a fair amount of hot springs that are man made by drilling into an underground well and using pumps to circulate the water.  Additionally, they're an eco-friendly and carbon neutral resort and emphasize creating a closer experience with nature for their guests. Beneath the resort flows the Tabacon River, which is heated by Arenal Volcano. There are five different springs throughout the property with temperatures that range from 77 to 122 degrees...

Several years ago in 2012--way before I conceived the idea of starting a travel blog--I visited Costa Rica for the first time with a friend.  Unfortunately, back then I didn't keep a journal of what I did each day, so I've lost a lot of detailed memories about my trip.  Fortunately, though, I did take lots of pictures, so at least I have these to jog my memory! One of the first things I did when I visited was take a bus to Volcán Arenal, or Arenal Volcano .  Along the way from Heredia, where I stayed, to the volcano were plenty of colorful shops against Costa Rica's wonderfully lush landscape. The 5,357-foot Arenal Volcano is located in Arenal Volcano National Park , a 29,692-acre swatch of land within the expansive 504,094 acres of the Arenal Conservation Area.  The conservation area protects 16 reserves between the Tilarán and Guanacaste mountain ranges where there's a an incredible amount of biodiversity.  The national park also encompas...

I generally have a minimal make up routine when I'm not traveling, so this makes it easy for me to make quick decisions on what products to pack for travel.  Unless you know you'll be attending fancy events or clubs most nights, I recommend keeping simplicity and a neutral color palette in mind.  I usually pack the basics--concealer, foundation, mascara, and eyeliner--along with a neutral eyeshadow palette, a small blush, tinted lip balm, and the necessary make up brushes. Below are some of my go to makeup products that I wear most days and also take with me on travel.  Feel free to pull from this suggestion list or substitute with your own favorite product. 1. bareMinerals Matte Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 ($28.50) I've recently switched to using a liquid foundation (I'm trying out different products for my wedding), but I've used this bareMinerals powder foundation for years.  One pot usually lasts me a year and it's not as messy as li...

Our very last stop in Northern Ireland (before returning to Dublin to fly to Norway) was Dunluce Castle.  On the way there from Giant's Causeway, we saw telltale signs of the Giro D'Italia 2014 that had happened a day or two prior, hence the giant bicycle art in the grass. Dunluce Castle is also located in County Antrim and is a short 10-15 minute drive away from Giant's Causeway.  It was built into the cliffs of north Antrim around 1500 by the MacQuillan family, though the earliest mention of it in written records was in 1513.  In the 1550s the MacDonnell clan seized the castle under the famous warrior chieftan Sorely Boy MacDonnell.  This occurred during a period of violence and rebellion when Sorely Boy sought to consolidate MacDonnell territories in Scotland and Ireland. By the 17th century Dunluce had become the seat of the earls of Antrim.  A small town had established itself by 1608 and can be seen by visitors exploring findings from arc...