Travel: Healdsburg, California

I know it’s been a while since I made a little travel guide, and I apologize! Just been so so busy… but that means I have some great ones coming up for you guys!

Most recently, I took my mom and I on a mini weekend getaway to Healdsburg, California - it’s a quaint little town in Sonoma County, among the lush wine country vineyards. My friend owns a beautiful hotel up there and invited us to stay for the weekend, and we had the most lovely time - really what I needed after a super hectic few months abroad.

Where To Stay: We stayed at my friend’s hotel, The Madrona. It’s the most gorgeous 1800’s mansion turned boutique hotel and cottages. There are 24 rooms total, and they’re all completely unique (the main house, carriage house, cottages etc. all have different vibes as well). I’ve always loved vintage architecture and design, so the details here were so dreamy. The custom mirrors, original fireplaces, staircases, and that main living room area, OMG. I literally wanted to move in! They have all of my favorite body products from Flamingo Estate in the bathrooms, and a gorgeous bar and restaurant. I also spent an afternoon exploring the property and checking out the pool and the gardens (where they harvest fresh produce for the restaurant). This hotel just has such a rich history and I loved that it felt peaceful, romantic, luxurious and classic all at the same time.

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What To See: Healdsburg is a pretty laid back, small town. The main thing to do in wine country is well, drink wine! Tons of wineries in the area that make a perfect day drinking excursion. There are several wine tasting rooms in the town as well. We mainly just walked around the town square and visited a bunch of very cute shops- Russian River Tea Co. for some delish local teas and chocolates to take home, Copperfield’s Books to pick up something to read on the front porch of The Madrona, and Forager for STUNNING home goods. Also loved Oakville Grocery - the coolest country wine mart/deli/coffee bar vibe with a ton of local products for sale.

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Where To Eat: Honestly we had almost every meal at The Madrona. Their restaurant is headed by a Michelin star chef and it shows. The entire menu is divine - some of our favorite things we tried throughout our stay were the smoked trout with housemade bread, the fried chicken, the black cod, and the deviled eggs! We also had one dinner at Spoonbar in town, which was also fantastic. The portions are great and it was a very popular dinner spot. Also have to mention Quail & Condor Bakery for all the freshest pastries and Black Oak Coffee Roasters for my favorite iced latte I had on this trip. Truly can’t wait to make it back up to Healdsburg soon - I think a summer girls trip for wine tasting is like the ideal way to spend a weekend here!

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#ShowUpStartLiving in Seattle with Blueground Homes

This past weekend, I went up to Seattle, Washington with some friends. I love Seattle - it’s so close to Portland but the cities both have such a different vibe. I mostly just visit Seattle for work, or for very short 1 or 2 day stays, so recently when I felt like I needed a longer stay for a change of scenery, Seattle was an appealing choice.

I was so excited to partner with Blueground Homes on this little trip - I heard about Blueground from a friend recently and was immediately interested, and when I saw they had apartments in Seattle and other cities I frequently visit like LA, NYC and Chicago, I knew it would be an awesome way to experience these places. They also have international locations in Istanbul, Greece, London and more! Basically, Blueground is similar to Airbnb or other hosting platforms, except they specialize in long-term stays in major cities (their minimum reservation length is one month). Each apartment is brand new, furnished with trendy eye-catching furniture pieces and comes with everything you need to “show up, start living” as they say. Literally EVERYTHING - towels, sheets, cooking utensils, bluetooth speakers, TV, even books. You just pull up with your suitcase and start your new life.

Our apartment was a gorgeous, spacious, airy one bedroom on the 24th floor of the Kinect in Seattle. When I say this building was amazing… you have to see it to believe it. Not only was the apartment itself dope, but there was a 24 hour gym, a barbecue deck, multiple beautifully designed communal workspaces, and my favorite perk: rooftop pool and terrace on the 41st floor, with a 360 degree view of Seattle.

I honestly spent most of this week in the apartment - not only did I have a ton of work to finish, but with all the Coronavirus stuff going on, my friends and I decided it was probably smart to avoid large crowds - this was a bit of a bummer because we wanted to do some museums, the aquarium and the flea market this weekend which are some of my favorite Seattle pastimes. But alas, I know I’ll be back to revisit those. And this doesn’t mean we didn’t have fun! Something that I think was the most fun was cooking and eating meals together - I live alone, so cooking and having family-style dinners is something I missed so much. One night we made pasta with vodka sauce, the next day we made pizza, and one night we ordered Chinese on Postmates (from a local restaurant called CantonEats - soooo good). We also had a blast drinking wine, playing card games, watching movies, and making up TikTok dances. I haven’t been home much recently, so having a low-key week with some quality friend time was exactly what I needed.

During the day, we all worked on our own personal projects, getting a ton of writing, editing and emailing done. I felt really productive and recharged when I could just sit down and focus on my work. A new environment is so helpful for me because I feel like it’s so hard for me to focus in my own home. This Blueground apartment had a desk and a large dining table, so we all had space for out personal workflow setups which was awesome. I had 3 photoshoots while I was in Seattle, so work kept me pretty busy.

We also explored the neighborhood around the Blueground home (right in downtown Seattle!) and found the cutest matcha cafe (Nana’s Green Tea), amazing dumplings (Dough Zone Dumpling House) and a gorgeous Scandinavian coffee shop (Cafe Hagen). There’s also a Pressed Juicery and my favorite spin studio, Burncycle, literally 4 blocks away! It’s also near Capitol Hill and the Amazon Spheres. This area is so ideal to stay in if you’re looking to visit Seattle.

I honestly can’t wait to stay in another Blueground Home soon, and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking to switch up their living situation and try out a new city for a month or two (or more!). You’re not locked into a lease, and they make it so simple to move and change your lifestyle whenever you want. This is by far my new favorite way to experience a city - it’s so much more personal than a hotel, and much more comfortable than an Airbnb, since it actually feels like your own space. I also just loved the ease of check-in and checkout, and the modernity of everything being a tap away on the incredibly well-designed Blueground app.

So…. which city should I visit next?

A Food Guide: Portland, Oregon

There’s nothing I’m asked more often, aside from what camera I use, than what to do when visiting Portland. There is SO much to do here, but Portland is famous for having incredibly diverse and high-quality food options. Honestly, even living here I’m going out to eat at least 4 times a week and constantly finding new spots. I’m a huge foodie, even though I don’t always post my meals on social media - my love for food developed even more after moving to Portland.

I’ve had this ongoing note in my phone where I add restaurants I love so I don’t forget the names - if I’m in a certain neighborhood, I can always glance at this to figure out where to eat. If I’m showing someone the city, I know all the must-hit spots to take them. And now, my extremely curated index of Portland’s finest eateries is seeing the light of day and being shared with the universe. Protect this list with your life… and happy eating.

Breakfast/Brunch 

jam on hawthorne - mothers bistro - pine state biscuits - tasty n alder - moberi - st. honore - kure  - coco donuts - blue star donuts - papa haydn - greenleaf juice - lovejoy bakers - breken kitchen - olympia provisions - proud mary - hey love - cheryl’s on 12th - figlia americana

I always recommend Tasty n Alder and Pine State to people who are visiting Portland for the first time - definitely a real PDX experience. Mother’s and Jam are fabulous for a traditional brunch, but be ready to wait in a LONG line on weekends. Breken and Olympia are a lot more lowkey, and great for coffee dates and weekdays. Definitely check out Proud Mary if you love beautifully plated food and a good Aussie accent. Kure and Moberi are tied in my book for best acai/smoothie places!

Lunch/Dinner

luc lac - vivienne - bullard - XLB - departure - urban farmer - siri indian cuisine - por que no - screen door - sizzle pie - grassa - lardo - bamboo sushi - Santa Fe - imperial - paley’s place - rosa rosa - pepino’s - killer burger - little big burger - garden bar - noraneko - hem 23 - afuri - boxer ramen - poke mon - quickfish - guero no.1 tortas - baan thai - boke bowl - swagat - tusk - cheese & crack - montage - virtuous pie - kachka - hem23 - paadee - shalom y’all - thai peacock - marrakesh - prasad - harlow - montesacro - bunk sandwiches - hat yai - stella taco - the whole bowl - grilled cheese grill - delores - nong’s khao man gai - jackrabbit - sea sweets poke - luce - besaw’s - andina - paragon - pok pok - langbaan

Portland has so many absolutely fantastic options for global cuisines, and all of the ones I’ve listed here are awesome. Check out XLB for a curated Chinese street food menu, Grassa for fresh pasta, and Por Que No for the most raved-about tacos in PDX. Shalom Y’all is a trendy new Israeli spot, known for their hummus and lebneh. Vegans are in luck in PDX - restaurants like Garden Bar, The Whole Bowl, Prasad, Virtuous Pie, Harlow and Stella Taco (get the fried avocado tacos!) are all vegan-friendly. Portland also has a lot of highly-rated Asian options - see Departure, Bamboo, Pok Pok, Hat Yai, Nong’s, Thai Peacock and Paadee. I also always take people to Afuri (SE Portland location) and Montage for the atmosphere - both of these are great for large groups.

Tea/Coffee

tea bar - barista - public domain - good coffee - zero degrees - tea chai te - heart coffee - bubble n tea - smith tea room - townshend’s tea - coava coffee - case study coffee - stumptown coffee - upper left - never coffee -water ave. coffee co. - maurice - kozy bar - presso coffee

Coffee shops in Portland are a dime a dozen, but there are certain ones that are a cut above the rest. Barista and Good Coffee are my faves, and aside from quality roasts they’re spacious and great places to sit and get some work done. I spend most of my time at Tea Bar, which is a coffee shop minus the coffee - they do tea lattes, matcha, boba and everything else tea. Upper Left also has a cute small bites menu, and Stumptown is the classic Portland brew you have to try.

Bars

rontoms - multnomah whiskey library - teardrop lounge - circa 33 - angel face - brix tavern - river pig saloon - mcmenamin’s back stage - barlow - momo’s - pepe le moko - departure - jackknife - opal bar - west

Rontoms has to be my favorite bar to take friends - the drinks are cheap, they have a chic interior and ping pong tables and a patio out back and it’s perfect in the summer. Brix and River Pig are also awesome for groups, especially if you want food as well. I love Angel Face, West and Pepe Le Moko for smaller groups or dates - super cute candelit hideouts. Back Stage is a fun one if you’re into pool and want a very Portland-y vibe, and the speakeasy at Circa 33 still makes me excited every time I go!

Check out these recommendations and let me know what you think (you can follow me on Instagram) - and if you have any recommendations for me, definitely shout them out! :)

Travel: Oahu, Hawaii

I’ve been chasing summer this whole year, and December is no different. About a month ago, I got a cheap flight alert - PDX to Honolulu round trip for just $280. I sent a screenshot to my friends Candace and Dillon, and we were all kinda like… wow, what if we just booked that and went to Hawaii? So we did.

I haven’t been back to Hawaii since I was about 12, when I went to Kaua’i with my family. I remember playing with geckos in the beach house we stayed at, watching the summer olympics and eating shave ice with my dad, attending a local luau and best of all, snorkeling. That Hawaii trip was a total highlight of my childhood, and it made me so excited for this trip! I was wondering how Oahu would be different, and what kind of experiences Hawaii had to offer for no-longer-kids.

Where To Stay:
For the first 4 nights of our trip, we got an Airbnb on Waikiki Beach. It was super cheap and the location was incredible - a 5 min walk down to the ocean, right next to tons of amazing food spots and the main strip of shops there. However, the Airbnb property itself was kinda underwhelming. It was fine, but I think we only put up with it because we were gone all day every day.

The last day we were in Honolulu, Dillon had left so Candace and I decided to splurge a lil and ditched the Airbnb for the Surfjack Hotel + Swim Club down the street from our first place. We found this place on IG and it looked SO cute! The rooms were amazing and it’s got a chic little bungalow type pool area, plus a trendy coffee shop called Olive + Oliver and upscale restaurant, Mahina and Suns, on site. I also loved that they bring in local artists and musicians every day to sell their work or provide entertainment. It really gives that Hawaiian vibe and I love seeing larger businesses support their community.

Some other lovely hotels in the area are the Laylow, the Modern Honolulu, the Alohilani, the Mariott Waikiki Beach, and the Royal Hawaiian. Hotels in this area honestly are not cheap (why we went with an Airbnb for a few nights) - the best deals we saw were definitely for the Surfjack and the Modern on HotelTonight.

Shameless plug, but if you use code “NEDANAN” on HotelTonight, it saves you $25 off your first booking. No, this isn’t sponsored, I wish it was haha. Just a little traveler tip, since some of the best deals are on there!

What To See:
There is SO much to do on Oahu. Although we did quite a bit of baking on the beach, we made an effort to see as much of the island as possible. The first day there, we hung out on Waikiki Beach, wandered around trying some of the local food spots near our place, and seeing what was cool for photos. The second day, we checked out Hanauma Bay on recommendation of an Uber driver and we were not disappointed! The nature preserve there is stunning and really popular for snorkeling because of all the reef wildlife, and it was probably one of my fave beaches we went to.

Dillon also got up at 5 am and hiked every morning. He did Koko Head, Diamond Head, and Waimea Falls! I was not a part of these hikes but I support his athleticism lol. The photos were amazing, and if hiking is something you’re into, Oahu has tons of good ones.

We rented a car and drove up to the North Shore the next day, stopping along the way at Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens. This is a must-see! The views here are just breathtaking, and you can get that iconic middle-of-the-road IG photo (although there are literally signs everywhere saying no photos on the road, so don’t get caught!). These botanical gardens are home to thousands of rare tropical plants and trees exclusive to Hawaii, and they’re surrounded by this gorgeous mountain range.

Once on the North Shore, we beach-hopped and ate everything in sight. For beaches there, we stopped by Laniakea Beach to see the turtles (we saw some in the water but an annoying tourist in, you guessed it, cargo shorts, scared them away), and then laid out and spent our day at Kawela Bay Beach Park. The beaches here are so serene and quiet, definitely a welcome change from the bustle of Honolulu. Besides us, the only other people around really were surfers.

For breakfast we got açai bowls at Sunrise Shack, which is a cute lil spot in Haleiwa - really popular with the surfers. After the beach, we did açai bowls literally again at Haleiwa Bowls, which was better in my opinion! We also got the famous fresh poke bowls at the grocery store Foodland for the drive home.

Where To Eat:
I already mentioned some of our favorite picks from the North Shore and the restaurant in our hotel, but there was no shortage of amazing food in Honolulu. Arvo is a cute little Aussie coffee shop in the art district area, serving up lavender lattes, charcoal lattes, matcha and the like, as well as avo toast, smoked salmon toast, and any number of cute breakfasty items with a floral accent. Absolutely loved the food and coffee here - I wish we went back! It’s also in a cute shopping center with other local businesses like a boba shop, a florist, and a vintage Hawaiian shirt retailer.

Maguro Spot is an unsuspecting hole-in-the-wall poke restaurant that you can NOT miss. The poke here was insane - the type of fresh that melts in your mouth! We found it from it’s rave reviews on Yelp. Across the street is Musubi Iyasume Cafe, which was the best spam musubi I’ve had in a long time - again, crazy good Yelp reviews led us here. Aloha Kitchen is a lovely little breakfast spot with an island twist on traditional diner items - think Kahlua pork benedict and coconut souffle pancakes. Island Vintage Coffee - get the honey latte and the lilikoi açai bowl here! - was also a great breakfast/lunch stop and reminded me of Urth Caffe :) Rainbow Drive-In was the best traditional Hawaiian food we found. Love some good old fashioned shoyu chicken with 2 scoops of rice and creamy mac salad.

Also, if you’re looking for a chic bar, check out the Laylow’s outdoor bar Hideout Waikiki - super cute drinks and great service.

This trip was such a welcome vacation from all the work I’ve been doing and the stress I’ve been under lately. Sometimes you really just need to convince your best friends to go to Hawaii with you and take photos and veg out on the beach. Ugh, I can’t wait to go back.

Travel: Luang Prabang, Laos

Laos is one of those places I never thought I’d end up going. It’s a small, landlocked country in Southeast Asia that’s almost completely jungle. When I got the opportunity to go to Luang Prabang and shoot at an ethical elephant sanctuary, I jumped at the chance, even though I hardly knew where I was going. Truth is, I love traveling - I’ll go anywhere. I want to see things and eat new food and experience different cultures. I was so pleasantly surprised by my experience in Luang Prabang. Not only was the nature completely stunning and the people are so wonderful, but Lao food is now some of my favorite cuisine! So glad I took this opportunity.

Where To Stay:
Luang Prabang is not the capital of Laos (that would be Vientiane) so it’s definitely a smaller city vibe. That being said, there are still great accommodation options for tourists and visitors. The hotel we stayed at was called Sada Hotel, and I really loved it for several reasons: 1. most of the staff spoke some english which was helpful when asking for directions 2. it’s on a main road so you can walk to markets and restaurants and easily grab tuk-tuks, and 3. the grounds and rooms are so cute! The food at our hotel was also great - we had the complimentary breakfast every day, and got pad thai most of the days we were there for lunch as well.

Nearby there’s also a Sofitel, Villa Maly, and Mekong Riverview Hotel. Beautiful, 5 star hotels in Laos are so inexpensive - I’d recommend splurging and enjoying your time here :)

What To See:

Our main focus while in Luang Prabang was spending time at MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary, taking photos and getting to know the beautiful elephants they’ve rescued. MandaLao is Laos’ first ethical and observational elephant tour, showing people how they can be close to elephants and learn about them while maintaining respect for these wild animals. Most elephant camps in Laos are ones where riding is the main attraction, which is so harmful to elephants and a brutal process for them to go through. MandaLao really stresses the importance of education on elephant welfare - a tour there includes learning about elephants from an expert, meeting all the elephants and feeding them bananas, and then going for a jungle hike!

Laos is such a vibrant, culturally rich place. When we weren’t at the sanctuary, we spent our time going to the night market, checking out cute shops and restaurants in town, and some of the Buddhist temples. There’s also Mt. Phousi for a quick hike and a stellar view, and Kuang Si Falls for an amazing swimming/hiking spot. I’d honestly recommend just walking around - there’s so much to see at every turn.

Where To Eat:

pictured above: the noodle soup that changed me forever.

Normally in this section of my blog post, I’d give you recommendations on some good restaurants to check out. But the thing I discovered about Luang Prabang is that most of the best restaurants were unmarked hole-in-the-wall places we stumbled into by accident. Probably the best meal we had the whole trip is about one block away from Sada Hotel - we walked in and I asked for a menu. The woman said, “No menu. Only one thing. Noodle soup. Ok?”

So I said, “Ok.” and we sat down. When she brought us the noodle soup I quickly realized why it was the only thing on the menu.

The street food in Luang Prabang is also amazing- be sure to try the coconut pancakes. For those ACTUALLY wanting some restaurant recs - we really loved Bouang and Dyen Sabai.

Here are some more photos from my time in Luang Prabang!

I hope some of this inspired you to maybe travel to Laos one day. I feel like this country absolutely doesn’t get enough credit - it took my breath away from the moment I landed. The people here are also some of the kindest I’ve ever met. I can’t wait to go back someday and see more of it. If you’ve been to Laos, let me know in the comments!