An Incredible Adventure Through Northern Idaho

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Full disclosure: visiting Idaho for a summer vacation never really crossed my mind either. I mean, isn’t it just the land of potatoes? (That last question is verbatim what one friend asked when I mentioned I was going on a trip to Idaho.)

My one-week journey in July through Northern Idaho has now proven that this magical land is anything but boring and only potatoes. Quite honestly, the stunning landscape and plethora of outdoor adventures blew me away and was beyond anything I could have imagined. Let me show you.

Couer d'Alene, Idaho — Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

My journey began with arrival into Missoula, Montana (which BTW, has daily non-stop flights on both United and American from Chicago) to meet up with my friend Mandy. We spent two days visiting Thompson Falls, MT before embarking on our road trip through Northern Idaho. Our journey took us in one big loop starting in Sandpoint, ID on to Coeur d’Alene, ID, ending in Wallace, ID before returning to Missoula, MT for my flight home.

Ready To Road Trip With Mandy Through Northern Idaho

I’m sharing some favorite things to see and do in or around each location:

Sandpoint, Idaho

Schweitzer Mountain Resort- This year-round mountain resort has so many amazing activities and views, it’s worth spending at least one full day exploring, but I recommend more time if your schedule permits. We enjoyed our time at Schweitzer Mountain riding the chair lift to the top of the mountain (several times because we just could not get enough of those incredible views), horseback riding to the top of Picnic Point and enjoying a lovely lunch at the Sky House.

Top Of Schweitzer Mountain Photo Credit: Mandy Bruggeman

Cruise Lake Pend Oreille– Idaho’s largest and deepest lake is perfect for a fun day of boating, wildlife viewing and relaxing. We took a lovely afternoon trip with Lake Pend Oreille Cruises soaking in the sun and some gorgeous views, while getting a little history download on the area.

Lake Pend Orielle Cruise — Lake Pend Oreille Cruise

Beautiful Lake Pend Orielle — Beautiful Lake Pend Oreille

Enjoying An Afternoon Cruise On Lake Pend Orielle — Enjoying An Afternoon Cruise On Lake Pend Oreille

Explore Downtown Sandpoint– This quaint downtown area is definitely worth checking out and can easily be done by foot. A few favorite spots to discover are the mural art alley, food truck park and beachfront area with a miniature Statue of Liberty replica.

Farragut State Park– A must visit on the drive to Coeur d’Alene, this state park was once a World War II-era naval training site, but is now a favorite spot for camping, hiking and boating. We hiked around Beaver Bay which has a great family-friendly beach, beautiful blue-green waters and spectacular views. We also visited the Museum at the Brig to see and learn more about how the site was used for naval training. Don’t miss Farragut State Park, it’s a real gem!

Views On Our Hike At Farragut State Park

Check out the Instagram Reel (short form video) I created on Farragut State Park here!

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho (CDA)

Bike the Centennial Trail– The North Idaho Centennial Trail is 23 miles long, extending from the Idaho/Washington state line to Higgins Point, about 6 miles east of Coeur d’Alene. I had my first e-bike experience on the roundtrip bike ride to Higgins Point and absolutely loved it (both the trail and the e-bike experience)! You still must pedal on an e-bike, but it helps to put it in to turbo mode on those steep uphill climbs, which is exactly what I did. Highly recommend for whatever distance you plan to ride on the Centennial Trail (we rented the bikes from CDA Bike Co. in downtown Coeur d’Alene).

Centennial Trail Couer d'Alene, Idaho — Centennial Trail Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Sunset Kayak Tour– One of the best kayak tours I’ve been on! The waters were so calm on Fernan Lake, the majestic hues during the sunset were fantastic, and the best part, there was no one else around! It was such a peaceful evening and ROW Adventure Center was a great outfitter for the experience. Our tour even included a pit stop on an island where we had snacks and champagne as the sun began to set.

Best Sunset Kayak Trip Ever! Photo Credit: Mandy Bruggeman

Check out my Instagram Reel on the sunset kayak tour here!

Zipline Adventure– Truth be told, I was scared out of my mind to go ziplining! But, I embraced stepping WAY outside of my comfort zone and went for it on this trip. We did the 7-line zipline course with Timberline Adventures, which also includes crossing two sky bridges and two auto-belays. Let’s just my heart was racing and I was barely breathing, but it was absolutely worth every ounce of fear seeing those stunning views over Lake Coeur d’Alene. I’m proud of myself for taking the chance!

Ready For The Zipline Adventure Photo Credit: Mandy Bruggeman

Just Crossed The Sky Bridge Photo Credit: Mandy Bruggeman

Here’s the Instagram Reel I created from my suspension bridge crossing, click here!

Downtown Coeur d’Alene– Situated right on Lake Coeur d’Alene, I loved the vibe of this fun downtown area with all the shops and restaurants. It was a nice reprieve from all the adventures to leisurely stroll and pop by one of the many awesome coffee shops and grab an iced coffee, and then walk along the world’s longest floating boardwalk!

World's Longest Floating Boardwalk CDA — World’s Longest Floating Boardwalk CDA

Wallace, Idaho

Old Mission State Park– We visited Old Mission State Park on the way to Wallace from Coeur d’Alene. Home to Idaho’s oldest building and rich with history of missionaries, we spent our visit going on a quick hike around the grounds while also taking in the beautiful views and a stop at the Cataldo Mission.

Downtown Wallace– A quintessential small American town, I loved the vibe and atmosphere of Wallace. Wallace is known as the world’s largest silver producer, making it the richest mining town still in existence. There are decorated mining carts throughout the town, a man-hole cover claiming Wallace to be “The Center of the Universe” and lots of fun, quirky sights. Such a unique place.

"The Center of the Universe" Wallace, Idaho — “The Center of the Universe” Wallace, Idaho

Silver Mining Tour– This was my first time in a mine and learning about the intensely laborious and risky job of a miner. Through Sierra Silver Mine Tours, we took a trolley to the site of an actual silver mine and donning a hard hat, walked through the mine with a history lesson and newfound appreciation for what it takes to excavate and extract silver. Definitely looking at any silver items I own with a huge sense of gratitude.

Route of the Hiawatha Trail– After an incredible week of exploration and adventures, biking the Hiawatha Trail was absolutely the cherry on top and my favorite activity of the trip. I will boldly say this is the best bike ride of my entire life! The 15-mile, all downhill, scenic bike trail on the Idaho/Montana border is something that you can not miss. Through tunnels, over trestles and with the most incredible views, I think I said the word “WOW” about every minute!! The best part is there are shuttles to meet you at the end of the trail and take you and your bike back up to the top of the mountain (although I saw plenty of people riding the trail back uphill). Perfect for families and anyone really, do not miss the Hiawatha trail, it’s truly spectacular!

Check out my Instagram Reel on the Hiawatha Trail here.

I hope through my words and more so, through my pictures, I’ve brought to light what an incredible place Northern Idaho is. After living 16 months cooped up in quarantine life, this was the most ideal excursion; spending almost all of our time outdoors, enjoying the beauty and gifts of Mother Nature. I highly recommend visiting Idaho, as it is a year-round outdoor playground, with stunning landscapes and incredible hospitality.

Please Note: While this post is in collaboration with the Idaho Tourism Board, all opinions are my own.

My Greatest Discovery So Far Of 2021

The SED (See/Eat/Do) Guide to Kauai

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For as long as I can remember, Hawaii has been on my bucket list of places to visit. I’ve grown up seeing this magical place in tv shows, movies, magazines, travel fliers, you name it. It always just seemed like this mystical land that I knew I’d one day make it to. And, I’m happy to say, that I can finally cross off Hawaii (well, Kauai only) from my list. I’ve become so enamored, that I know I need to see and experience more of the island life again sometime soon.

When I mentioned to others that I was going to Hawaii, almost every single person made the same comment; if you can only go to one island, Kauai is the one you should go to. It’s very lush, has lots of outdoor activities and is unbelievably beautiful. While I don’t think you can go wrong visiting any of the Hawaiian Islands, I’d say this sentiment is on point.

Kauai is also known as the filming site for many popular movies like Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean, to name a few. That should help paint a picture of this rugged, tropical landscape. With the famous Na Pali Coast and stunning beaches, Kauai truly is paradise. I’m sharing some of my favorite things we had the chance to see/eat/do during our 5-day trip.

See

There is honestly so much to see that I think no amount of time will feel like enough. We did SO much in our 5 days and I feel like we barely scratched the surface. I’m listing just a few favorites out of all of that we had the chance to see.

Waimea Canyon- Absolutely not to be missed, I kept calling it the “lush Grand Canyon” cause that is what it looks like. Make the drive to the lookout for the most spectacular views.

Na Pali Coast- Another place that can’t be missed is the Na Pali Coast. One of the places I was most excited to see on this trip and it’s worth seeing it from any vantage point you can (air, sea, land).

Kilauea Lighthouse- Not only a picturesque lighthouse, but also some fantastic views of the edge of the Na Pali Coast.

Spouting Horn- Right along the coast line, I like to describe Spouting Horn like the ocean version of Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park. It’s a tall shooting geyser

ALL the beaches- We stopped as at many beaches as we could, but I know there are many, many more! Each was beautiful in its own way 🙂

Eat

I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of vegetarian food on Kauai and I have to say I was blown away at not only how many options there were, but how fresh everything was. We had some fantastic meals and treats, and here’s a highlight of some favorites.

Island Taco– Some of the best ever cilantro lime tofu tacos as well as bean and spiced rice enchiladas.

Jo Jo’s Shave Ice– A must while visiting Hawaii in general; shaved ice! This one from Jo Jo’s was special because we got the pineapple and coconut shaved ice, but found underneath it all was macadamia nut ice cream. So delicious!

Moloaa’s Sunrise Juice Bar– A great recommendations from my friend Amanda. This roadside stop had so many fresh juice and smoothie options as well as great breakfast and sandwich options.

Moloaa's Sunrise Bar — Moloaa’s Sunrise Juice Bar

Java Kai– Loved this adorable spot in Kapaa and I had the best ever iced macadamia nut latte. Wish I could have another one right now.

The Right Slice– OMG do not leave without getting the mango pie! It was to die for (I only got a picture of the blueberry pina colada though). Wish I could’ve brought an entire pie back!

Thai Food Coconut Corner- This spot had great vegetarian options and we really enjoyed the pad Thai as well as tofu curry with pineapple.

Thai Food Corner — Thai Food Coconut Corner

Kalapaki Bay Sunset Cruise– No joke, we landed at the airport, picked up our rental car and head straight out on a sunset catamaran cruise with Kauai Beach Boys. This cruise is situated on the Hulei’a River in Kalapaki Bay, so different than all the other sunset boat cruises along the Na Pali Coast. We had a blast on this chill cruise, where we sipped on delicious tropical drinks and enjoyed the beautiful views. What an amazing way to kick-off a Hawaiian adventure!

Hiking the Kuilau Ridge Jungle Trail– An absolute must while visiting Kauai is a hike through one of the many trails on the island. The lush, green, beautiful landscape lends itself to a plethora of options from pretty easy to probably one of the hardest, steepest hikes around. I choose to go the more easy-moderate route on this trip with Kauai Hiking Tours. While the elevation was not that difficult compared to other hikes I’ve done before, what got me on this hike was all the mud! It definitely made for a fun adventure and my first time using hiking poles on a hike. I had a blast though and our awesome guide Jeremiah was so knowledgeable and took us to some great look out points. At the end of the hike, we also got to see the famous rainbow eucalyptus trees, which are something cool I’ve never see before!

Great Hike with Jeremiah from Kauai Hiking Tours

Auli’i Luau– One of my bucket list items for many years has been to go to a luau in Hawaii and I can finally put a check mark next to that box! One of my biggest concerns though has always been how much (if any) vegetarian items would be available. I was beyond excited when I saw that not only does Auli’i Luau have very clearly marked vegetarian (and vegan and gluten-free) options, but it’s the only beachfront luau in Kauai. It was a no-brainer then that we made it a point to experience Auli’i Luau. The setting, drinks, food and performances were spectacular and we had a great time (even though it did rain on and off). If you’ve never been, a luau is definitely something fun to experience, especially when in Hawaii.

Great Food Selection at Aulii Luau — Great Food Selection at Auli’i Luau

Na Pali Sunset Cruise– One of the most famous coastlines in the world belongs to Kauai; the Na Pali Coastline. There are many sunset cruise options available and we had the chance to go out with Kauai Sea Tours. I’ve been on many excursions around the world and I have to say this was one of the best ones I’ve ever been on. Everything from the catamaran itself to the crew, hospitality, service and food/drinks were exceptional. Of course the views were out of this world…that majestic coast line with all the vibrant colors and cliffs truly took my breath away. A work of art by Mother Nature. And, the biggest and probably best surprise of them all was the sheer number of whales that we saw! There must have been at least 30 whale sightings on our trip and that honestly brought the biggest smile to my face. The sunset was spectacular on the evening we were out and all in all, one of the best cruises I’ve ever been on, hands-down.

Famous Napali Coast — Famous Na Pali Coast

Napali Coast with Kauai Sea Tours — Na Pali Coast with Kauai Sea Tours

So, as you can see, we covered quite a bit in just 5 days. What an amazing adventure and I can’t wait to visit more islands of beautiful Hawaii. Until we meet next time, I’ll have these amazing images etched in my memory forever. Love you Kauai!

Please Note: While some experiences were sponsored, all opinions are my own.

A Focus On Wellness At The Westin Puerto Vallarta

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As part of my weeklong trip with my parents to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, we had the privilege of staying at The Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta (PV) for three nights. This was my first time to this beautiful resort and let me tell you, we loved it!

Upon arrival, we were greeted by our amazing host Hector and he pulled out all the stops for our welcome; some fun props for photos, a delicious non-alcoholic drink and a huge welcome sign all waiting for us. Wow, we really felt like celebrities for a moment!

Our Special Welcome To The Westin Puerto Vallarta

Delicious Non- Alcoholic Drink Upon Arrival

After checking-in, we arrived to our fantastic room with the most wonderful view from the balcony. Not only that, there were the cutest and tastiest treats waiting for us in the room alongside some champagne. You better believe we thoroughly enjoyed these thoughtfully curated welcome gifts.

Beautiful Room At The Westin Puerto Vallarta

Another View Of Our Room At The Westin Puerto Vallarta

Adorable Treats Waiting In Our Room Upon Arrival

Beautiful Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Time To Enjoy Some Champagne On The Balcony

The Westin PV is a beautifully landscaped property with tall, lush, palm trees making the resort feel almost like a secluded tropical island. I really loved this about the Westin PV and I took tons of pictures every single day while walking around and lounging by the pool. We definitely enjoyed relaxing poolside as well as beachside in pergolas (what the Westin PV calls their cabanas). We had our own private pergola for the stay and we took full advantage of chilling by the water, listening to the ocean waves and dozing off in the afternoon. Definitely living our best lives!

The Westin PV has an emphasis on wellness and even has an entire program focused around it. Like other Westins, there is a focus on #sleepwell with the Heavenly Beds in all the rooms as well as #eatwell with healthier culinary options (I’ll discuss more about this later). We were so lucky to get to experience some of the great amenities and wellness offers throughout the resort. Here are some of the fun things we were up to during our stay:

Sunrise Yoga Class- We enjoyed an early yoga class in the wellness center with a specially trained yoga instructor. It was a great way to stretch and start our morning on a positive note.

Sunrise Yoga Class at Westin Puerto Vallarta

Fitness Center at the Westin Puerto Vallarta

Beachside massages- Quite possibly one of the best experiences EVER! If you’ve never had a massage beachside, I highly recommend it, and do it at the Westin PV. My parents got Swedish massages and I received a Thai Massage (which is more stretching than a regular massage). Listening to the sounds of the ocean waves and tropical birds, with a light breeze on our skin was one of the most relaxing and rejuvenating experiences. It is a must!

Relaxation at the Spa- Even though we loved our beachside massages, we did still have to check out the spa, didn’t we?! ha ha. My Mom and I treated ourselves to facials and not only loved our treatments, but the estheticians were amazing as well. Mom and I left with glowing, radiant skin and we truly felt like a million bucks.

As I mentioned earlier, the Westin also has a special focus on lighter and healthier meal options at the restaurants throughout the resort as well as room service. Each day we were treated to some of the #eatwell concepts prepared by Chef Gerardo De la Pena. He went out of his way to showcase his amazing culinary skills and how the Westin can accommodate any dietary restriction. Our vegetarian food at each meal was next-level. Take a look:

#eatwell Room-Service Healthy Vegetarian Salad

#eatwell Salad In A Jar At La Cascada Restaurant

Vegan Asian Style Jicama Tacos Beachside

Amazing Vegetarian Feast Prepared By Chef Gerardo

Chef Gerardo Is Amazing — Chef Gerardo Is Genius

I’ll leave you with just a few more pictures of our wonderful time at the Westin PV. I truly can not rave enough about the service, the property, the food and our overall experience. If you are looking for an escape from reality for a bit, this is your place. I promise you will love it.

How I would Like To Spend All Of My Days

Thank You Westin PV! Can Not Wait To Come Back!

Please Note: While this post is in collaboration with The Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta, all opinions are my own.

A Stay At The Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa

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Here’s a real testament to how much I love Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; I went there not once, but twice already this year! And it’s only October! Now if that doesn’t speak volumes for a jet-setting, international traveler, I don’t know what does. Read all about my first visit here.

On both of these trips I stayed at the wonderful Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa. The Marriott Puerto Vallarta (PV) just completed a huge renovation with everything from rooms to the gorgeous new pool with swim up bar and restaurant. I absolutely love the décor and inviting space the Marriott PV has created. The beautiful landscaping and welcoming design aesthetics really create a relaxing environment for your stay. Take a look:

The Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa

I was so lucky to have the opportunity to bring both of my parents on this trip. One thing we consistently noticed throughout our stay was the exceptional service. The staff always greeted us saying “welcome home” and asked if we were enjoying our stay and if there was anything we needed. A dedication to next-level hospitality and the utmost in customer service are definitely a cornerstone of the Marriott PV ; you can see and feel it, without it being overbearing. We truly felt the warmth of each and every staff person, who seemed vested in making our overall stay extraordinary.

In addition to the stunning property and friendly hospitality, the resort lends itself to fun activities as well as the ultimate in relaxation. The Marriott PV team set us up with some great adventures, but also built in plenty of downtime for us to relax and enjoy the hot Mexican sun by the new infinity pool (I’m still rocking a lovely bronze glow from my trip by the way).

More than that, you’ll notice how the team went above and beyond to personalize our stay. They truly took to heart who we are and what we enjoy and created unique moments to celebrate us. We felt so special and were literally left speechless at moments; just take a look at some of the ways we were treated like royalty:

In- Room Deliveries– Upon arrival to our room, we were greeted with so many lovely gifts and treats! And, every single day there were more surprises awaiting us.

Welcome Snacks Waiting In Our Room Upon Arrival

Welcome Snacks and Drinks — Welcome Snacks And Drinks

The Most Thoughtful Gift Ever, A Personalized Pillow Cover

Chocolate Covered Strawberries Awaiting One Evening Upon Our Return To The Room

Beautiful Hand-Blown Glass Heart Gift With Lovely Note

Private Tequila Tasting– A dedicated tequila tasting of the proprietary blend the Marriott PV has developed on its own, led by Audrey Formisano, the resort’s tequila sommelier . This was my first time doing a tequila tasting like this. It was fun…and strong 🙂

Tequila Tasting At Marriott Puerto Vallarta

Special Vegetarian Dinner– An exquisite 7-course vegetarian dinner prepared just for us. Not only did the team create a beautiful vegetarian menu for us to take home, they designed white linen napkins with my Vegetarian Tourist logo on it! Talk about attention to detail! The executive chef presented each course to us and we absolutely LOVED everything we had for dinner and still talk about it to this day. And, wait til you see what the pastry chef created at dessert, just for me:

Personalized Napkins and a 7 Course Vegetarian Dinner

Absolutely Blown Away By The Thought Of The Culinary Team

Spa Treatments– A visit to the tranquil spa Ohtli on the Marriott PV property is a must. A full-body massage and body wrap definitely helped this city girl feel completely relaxed and left my skin feeling baby soft. I highly recommend getting any treatment you can at Ohtli, it’s so serene and has the best amenities!

Ready For Ohtli Spa At The Marriot Puerto Vallarta

Lucky To Give You An Insider's Peek At The Spa — Lucky To Give You A Rare Insider’s Peek At The Spa

Couple's Massage Space — Couple’s Massage Space

Puerto Vallarta City Tour– We had the privilege of a private half day tour to see Puerto Vallarta with the ever wonderful guide Adrian. He took us to the main area of downtown to walk along the Malecon and see all the great art, walk through Old Town and even visit a tortilleria to see where fresh tortillas are made.

Tour Through Puerto Vallarta With Our Guide Adrian

One Of My Favorite Art Works Along The Malecon

Some Sights From Our Tour of Puerto Vallarta!

Private Oceanside Cabana– Our own private cabana that overlooked the ocean was right next to the new outdoor restaurant and swim up bar. We thoroughly enjoyed our days here, ordering exotic drinks like strawberry mojitos and pina coladas and having them delivered straight to the cabana. One more than one occasion you would have found at least one of us taking an afternoon siesta. Truly living our best beach lives!

Beautiful New Outdoor Pool Bar and Restaurant

Nothing A Pina Colada and Hammock Can't Cure — Nothing A Pina Colada and Hammock Can’t Cure

Eco-Friendly Adventure– The Marriott PV has a dedicated program for nature conservation and one of the cool offers they have for guests at the resort is a turtle release program. They take and monitor the turtle eggs until hatching and then along with guests, release the baby turtles back into the Bay of Banderas. We unfortunately missed the evening they were doing the release, but we did get to meet a baby turtle!

Free Time!– And more than anything else, just spending our days relaxing and enjoying the beautiful property and amenities of the Marriott PV was one of the best parts of our stay.

My Favorite Spot At The Breakfast Buffet

Still The BEST Chilaquiles Of My Life!!!

Where I Would Like To Spend All My Days!

Catching A Gorgeous PV Sunset Along Marriott’s Beach

So, as you can see, we lived it up at the Marriott PV! I have to say that in all my years, I have NEVER seen my parents so incredibly happy and so relaxed on a vacation. My parents are not normally beach people and to see them enjoy afternoons in a pool or sitting in a cabana with a pina colada in hand, just seriously touched my heart. That coupled with the BEST hospitality made this a trip we will ever forget. And for that, I can’t thank the Marriott PV enough for the memories they helped us create.

As our wonderful hosts Cristina and Mariana said, “it’s not goodbye, it’s see you soon. Mi casa es su casa.” It’s true, we will come back home soon, that I promise! Wondering if I should just make a trip in December and visit PV 3 times this year??? 🙂

Please Note: While this post is in collaboration with Visit Puerto Vallarta and the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa, all opinions are my own.