Affordable US Destinations

A friend asked me to create a post about good trips for long weekends. Coincidentally, I came across this list from Travel+Leisure magazine of the Best US Cities for Affordable Getaways. I'm not going to reinvent the wheel here so I'll post the link to the list below. You can go there for details. I will list the cities though. 

So....by request, here's a list of awesome US Cities for Affordable Getaways. Some can even be turned into awesome road trips! (I left off a few like Dallas, Austin and Houston). In no particular order:

1. Atlanta, GA
2. Denver, CO (or Aspen)
3. Baltimore
4. Philadelphia
5. Dallas
6. San Juan, PR
7. Charleston, SC
8. Portland, OR
9. New Orleans 
10. Portland, ME 
11. Providence, RI
12. Savannah, GA
13. Salt Lake City, UT
14. Memphis. TN
15. Minneapolis/St. Paul
16. Nashville, TN
17. Kansas City, MO (or Branson)

Here's the link US Cities for Affordable Getaways. Remember, these are affordable US destinations and certainly not an exhaustive list of US Destinations. 

Of this list, New Orleans is one of my favorites. It's like being in a whole different country bc the culture is so unique. Oh...and the food is amazing. Be prepared to gain a solid 5 lbs. I'm also partial to San Juan.

I also particularly agree with Denver. We went there last year and it is an absolutely stunning place to visit. I'm a huge fan of National Parks. Think Yellowstone, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, Grand Canyon etc. I've been dying to get to Niagra Falls...someone should go there soon.  

Are you considering the Great Outdoors? Why not try the Adirondacks?

If you're looking for wineries, consider some less obvious options like Texas wine country, Georgia and Charlottesville, VA. We actually found a pretty awesome winery in Boulder too. 

Spa Trip in Arizona?

What about Martha's Vineyard or the Hamptons? Lake Tahoe? 

Generally any place in California is beautiful. I suggest a roadtrip along Route 1 for some of Cali's most breathtaking views.

Lonely Planet released a list in December 2013: Top 10 US travel destinations for 2014.

I hope this helps inspire someone to take a trip. The summer is nearly over...you deserve a tan. 

**There's no where to go but everywhere...so get going! ! The Green Eyed Venuist

Saudade

When I was in Brazil, I heard the word "Saudade". Saudade is a Portuguese term that is a common fixture in the literature and music of Brazil but has no direct translation in English. Portuguese writer Manuel de Melo described it as: "a pleasure you suffer, an ailment you enjoy."  Ain't that the truth....

On Wikipedia, it states that "saudade describes a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for an absent something or someone that one loves. Moreover, it often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing may never return." Anyone who knows me knows that this is the perfect way to describe how I feel about Rio de Janeiro. This definition is so real to me....it's literally like the words were taken out of my mouth only...evidently, I didn't really know the words to begin with. 

The feeling described above is heightened every time I see the word or read the definition....it's like it touches my soul. And it's a welcome surprise whenever I see it because the word itself just makes me smile. Then when I look at all 500+ pics I snapped while I was there....I swear it nearly breaks my heart that I haven't yet had an opportunity to return (yes....I took over 500 pictures in one week...there might even have been more). The people, the sights, the beauty of it all....it really left a more than lasting impression on me...one I wasn't able to fully express until I learned the true meaning of this word.  

I met a guy on my last day in Rio...at the airport, one of the more beautiful men I'd ever seen, working at one of the passport checkpoints. But since I met him at the airport in Brazil as I was heading back to the states, I had no expectations because in my mind I was thinking that I would never in a million years ever see this guy ever again. Nevertheless, he emerged from his booth with this grin, we exchanged Facebook information and we've kept in touch ever since. This was over a year ago. He chats with me on Facebook in Portuguese, which requires the help of Google translate to understand, but it's fun and he's incredibly passionate. He speaks as if we spent more than 10 mins together....but we didn't, it was probably less than 10 mins actually....ha. Anyway, he's always using this word saudade in our conversations. For example:

Eu estou com saudade de você quando é que você vai vir ao brasil

Here, he's telling me he misses me and asking when I will return to Brazil. At the time, when I would enter the sentence into Google, there was no definition for saudade so it translated all the other words and left saudade as saudade. So, I didn't fully understand what he was trying to say and it was getting frustrating. It was one of those things though, he used the word so often that I had to figure out the meaning. Once I did it was like this light bulb went off in my head and I got exactly what he meant. I felt the same way about Rio. I learned that it wasn't just that he missed me but that he longed for me and it pained him...or at least that's the line he was using lol. 

Wikipedia also describes it as, "the recollection of feelings, experiences, places or events that once brought excitement, pleasure, well-being, which now triggers the senses and makes one live again. It can be described as an emptiness, like something (e.g., places, things one used to do in childhood, or other activities performed in the past) that should be there in a particular moment is missing, and the individual feels this absence. It brings sad and happy feelings all together, sadness for missing and happiness for having experienced the feeling." <---- Isn't is poetic? I really couldn't have said this better myself. I'm not sure if my friends felt the same way but as soon as I stepped off the plane, I felt this intense connection to the place. It's like I understood the people and their lives. All their sentiments about the World Cup and the Olympics, their angst towards the government, the poverty, the culture, the music....whatever I experienced in the brief time I was there, I got it and it was in my heart. Obviously, it helped that the locals thought I was one of them - even boosted my ego a little. Since that trip, I haven't felt this way about any other placed I've traveled to. I'm not sure I'll ever feel the same way again. That's not to say that I'm not still dying to see tons of other new places....I simply mean that in my heart, no place compares to Rio.

I am confident that one day I will return to Rio. Recently an opportunity presented itself and I was crushed that I was unable to take advantage. Both fortunately and unfortunately the plan fell through so there's still some hope for the future. I also know that the Brazilian people have a far greater understanding and sense of saudade than I do. I just like to think that whatever small understanding I do have is like a unique and personal bond that I have with the country.  

It's funny...even though I've discovered this beautiful word that most accurately describes my feelings about Rio, I'll never be able to fully express how amazing it was to be there and experience it for myself. I gotta get back there one day soon. Here's to making that happen.

**There's no where to go but everywhere...so get going! ~ The Green Eyed Venuist

5 Things I Learned From Traveling with Groups

I'm scared to travel alone. That's the honest truth. Some people are fearless - they'll strap on a backpack and traipse all over Central America by themselves. Unfortunately, my solo travel balls haven't dropped yet so, I like to stick with a minimum of one travel companion per trip. 

Sometimes, though, I travel in larger groups. When I do, I inevitably learn a few valuable lessons. 

Let's use this example: 4 women, in one room, on a trip to San Francisco and Napa Valley. Yeah...you've known these chicks for a while...but you don't really know them, know them b/c you've never spent an entire 2.5 days with them. Believe me....by the end of the trip you will know more about them than you ever wanted to in your whole life.

Don't get me wrong, you will likely have a fantastic weekend with these ladies but there will be moments that cause you to judge yourself like, why did I come here with these people? So, I started to take note of when I had those moments because I feel that it is beneficial to share with (read: warn) others. The following are 5 Things I Learned from Group Travel. This is a short, non-exhaustive list of things I learned from my varied travels with friends, in no particular order:

1. You cannot travel with everyone. And I mean that sincerely. If you're like me, you have a small group of close friends that you've known forever. You probably think you know everything about them. You're wrong. Trust me. You might learn new things about your friends that bring you closer together. You might learn of an incredibly annoying personality traits or habit that makes you strongly considering running out into oncoming traffic just to avoid that person. So, my best advice is to choose who you travel with wisely. You don't want to have to leave someone's daughter in a foreign country b/c you spend another minute with them and you hopped on the next thing smoking back home (I kid, but not really).

2. Leave your broke friends at home. I'm not rich. I'm not impoverished either so you can expect me to travel the same way I live my life. But traveling with people that are unwilling to spend money on anything while on vacation REALLY grinds my gears. If you are unable or unwilling to spend some amount of money while on vacation, then you can't come with me. Real talk. 

3. You make memories with your friends. During my latest trip to Paris, my friend and I walked the entire city. One day we purposefully put away the map and meandered. We stumbled across the most beautiful little park. Later, I saw this park on a list of Paris' parks to visit. I don't remember the name of it but it was incredible. At that moment, I texted my friend like, "Remember that cute park we found?! I just saw it on this list...we've already been there! How awesome is that??" Later, over a glass (or whole bottle) of our favorite Carmenere, we can reminisce about the day we got lost in Paris and found that park. See what I mean? Memories are amazing and sometimes the memory of some distant country I've visited helps me get through a long day. It's even better when you can share that memory with a friend. See a pic of the park below:

4. It's ok to stray from the group. If you aren't interested in the taking the group trip to the dog collar museum (there is one, I checked. Just Google "World's Most Boring Museums") or the Spam Museum, then you don't have to. You can make other plans (gasp!) and meet up later. No one should be offended. It's difficult arranging an itinerary that everyone will like so don't stress over it. Go for a walk, sit on the beach or find something else to occupy your time until the group returns. 

5. Be open-minded. While in Rio last year, my friend spoke to a random man on the beach the first day we got there. Turns out he was trying to sell her a day trip to Buzios. he mentioned a yacht, drinks, shopping and food and she was sold. The day trip to Buzios wasn't on our original itinerary but because the five of us had an open-mind, we welcomed the idea of this adventure. A couple of things though: my friend spoke to this random on the beach to get this information. I don't normally talk to random people but I know she will and it's fine b/c we find out cool things to do that way. Just make sure when you strike up conversation with randoms on the beach they aren't just trying to rob you or something, in other words - use discretion. Also, I get terrible sea sickness so I was worried about becoming ill on the yacht. But, I had kept an open-mind and was able to keep myself preoccupied enough that I didn't spend the 2 hours leaned over the side of the boat and that's a positive. Another positive....I got to see this:

And this:

This too: 

This last one is my favorite. Look at how blue the sky was that day. And I could have missed it! But I didn't...b/c I opened my mind to the possibility of the greatness. Everywhere I go, there's always at least one thing that makes me exceedingly happy that I stepped out there.

As I mentioned, these are just a few things I've learned but I think they're really important. You have to be self aware, knowing your tolerance and patience levels in advance. Bad travel companions can ruin an experience. Maybe I'm just really picky about what I want my experience to be. But that's ok too...b/c when you know, then you can make better decisions. Until next time

* There's no where to go but everywhere...so get going! ~ The Green Eyed Venuist

Pack for Weeks in a Carry-on

Foz do Iguaçu + Rainiest Day Ever in the History of Rainy Days

How many of you can say you've been to a UNESCO World Heritage Site? Anybody? Any living soul reading this right now? No....not one of you? Well....I HAVE! Not to toot my own horn or anything (toot. toot.) 

Ladies and Gentleman....have you ever seen such a beautiful sight? This is the Iguazu Falls or Foz de Iguaçu (Cataratas do Iguaçu) In Portuguese. It is the world's more incredible waterfall that finds its home in the area of South American where the borders of Brazil Argentina and Paraguay meet. 

Visit this link to the UNESCO site for more information WHC - Iguazu National Park.

Now, travel back in time with me for a moment. The date is May 14, 2013. We arrived at the small, very very small Foz do Iguaçu International Airport in the middle of some light rain showers. We weren't phased, we were too stoked about what adventures the next day would bring. (Please keep this rain in mind as it will be a significant factor in today's post). We get to the hotel, check in and ask about the next day's forecast. We're told that it might rain a little....understatement of the century. It stormed all night.

The next morning, we get up super early to meet our tour guide. The first thing he does is hand us clear plastic ponchos. This can't be a good sign. 

After getting some administrative things situated, we finally arrived to Iguazu National Park. It's already raining and...this is not just any kind of rain. This is the kind of rain you'd want to take cover from - torrential rain that would normally have caused me to cancel the tour and go back to the hotel and seek refuge in a door's threshold, a bathtub or something. Our guide assured us that the downpour wouldn't last long, he'd given the tour in the rain before and we'd be just fine (He was wrong). We strapped on our ponchos, tried to cover ourselves and our belongings as best as possible and headed out.

This is what it looked like....all. day. long. I've never actually seen so much rain. Ever in life.

Who can say they hiked through a rain forest in the rain to get to the world's most amazing waterfall? This girl. 

Let me also point out that our clear plastic poncho did little to nothing to shield us from the rain. The tour lasted the entire day and it rained the entire day. Our guide had to lay towels down in his back seat for us to sit on. We were beyond drenched...all the way down to our underwear. 

Despite the unwelcome, over-abundance of rain, we still managed to experience the awe-inspiring falls and it was just as magnificent as it would have been on a clear day. It's likely that I would not have appreciated the experience as much if it had not rained. 

Seriously...isn't this jaw droppingly, slap your mother, hold the phone amazing? The whole time I was there I was thinking...I can't believe places like this exist on this earth. It's like something straight out of a dream. 

Every time I look at these pictures I consider photography as a hobby. Despite the hurricane-style deluge, I managed to snap some pretty amazing pics; without completely ruining my camera or falling over the railing in the process.

So, it rained on our parade. Literally. 

In the end, I learned an alternate meaning for the phrase, "Life's not about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain". Of course mine was a less than figurative interpretation because I actually hiked through the forest in a monsoon but it was totally and completely relevant. Just imagine, if we had chosen to cancel the tour that stormy day, I never would have seen this with my own green eyes. I would never have this story to tell. Having stories is part of the adventure, right? I think having a story to tell is one of the best parts about traveling. Of course that's not the only reason I do it but I think it makes me a more interesting person. I have stories to tell about the places I've been, tons of them, and I'm just beginning. In fact, posting on this blog is good outlet for the stories. Don't worry though, I won't tell them all here. Afterall, I need something to talk to people about in person ;-) 

What's your favorite travel story? Share with me in the comments below.

**There's no where to go but everywhere...so get going! ~ The Green-Eyed Venuist

Let's Talk About Airplanes for a Moment....

The worst thing I ever did was rearrange the furniture in my office. Now I have a full frontal, mid level view out of these over-sized windows and I find myself spending large portions of the day....Just. Staring. Not much work gets done during these not so brief interludes in my day. Check out the view. Not too shabby, huh? The sky is what really gets me.

Below, I watch the cars maneuver the intersection. I witnessed the ground-up construction of that apartment complex to the right. Other times, I watch the lunch crowd meandering the streets. Above, I enjoy watching the billowing clouds. I delight in watching storms roll in and I'm even pacified by the sound of thunder and rain against this window. I hears sounds of horns honking, car alarms, jack hammers, etc. But, of my favorite  peering out of my office window activities, none is more fascinating than watching a single airplane drift through the sky. You wanna know why I love watching airplanes? Because the possibilities are endless. 

Have you ever taken the time to really think about how magnificent airplanes really are? A plane carries hundreds of people in the air, at incredible rates of speed, to destinations thousands of miles away in a matter of hours. Think about that....really let that settle in. 

Let's have a little math problem, shall we? Here are some slightly irrelevant facts but...it helps paint the picture. A Boeing 787 Dreamliner can seat up to 335 passengers. Its top speed is 593 mph (I got my car up to 120 mph one time....is that close or nah?). Now, let's pick a destination....I'm thinking Rio de Janeiro because I love that place. Rio is 5,021 miles from Houston. At its top speed, a Dreamliner can get you to Rio in 8 hours and 57 mins. That's a little over the amount of time most of us spend sitting behind a desk at work! Can you imagine?? One single work day's worth of time and you can be in paradise!!! 

It's interesting though, I've never been a huge fan of flying. Planes can be uncomfortable and stuffy, you can get stuck in the middle seat between two fat guys, you can have the misfortune of being assigned the seat by the lavatories or the seat in the exit row that doesn't recline, the seat next to the lady with the big hips that ooze out of her seat and into yours and make the whole left side of your body hot for the entire 3 and a half hour flight, and a host of other bad things. But....knowing that on the other end of that plane ride is some new and exciting adventure, I deliberately and anxiously board the flight.

That sentiment is great but, 94.7% of the time, I'm actually wondering where that plane has been or is going....From where I'm sitting, there is an airport both to the north and south of me. Literally, the possibilities are ENDLESS. But wait.....I don't think you feel me....the planes I see could truly be going or coming from anywhere. The options of destinations or points of departure are indeterminate, countless, boundless, ceaseless (I could go on but I think you get it now) and that provokes me....but in a good way and boy, does my mind wander. 

Yesterday, I noted 6 planes zoom past my humble view. I imagined the first one was flying to Pittsburgh. The second one was flying to London but would ultimately land in Paris. The third plane's final destination was Reykjavik, Iceland. Plane number 4....Columbus, Ohio. Plane 5 was heading to Vegas with a stop over in San Diego. Finally, plane 6 was carrying its passengers to Zurich and I imagined I was on it. Actually, I imagined that the plane hoovered over my building and dropped down a ladder for me and when I scurried upwards onto the plane and into the cabin, the passengers cheered, the flight attendant handed me a chilled glass of champagne and the pilot pinned wings on the lapel of my jacket but....I digress. 

That's enough for today. Everyone enjoy the weekend!

**There's no where to go but everywhere.....so get going! ~ The Green-Eyed Venuist 

Top 50 Cities

Last week, Huff Post Travel Blog posted an article entitled, The Top 50 Cities to See in Your Lifetime. So, of course the first thing I did was click the link, review the list and  count how many of the cities I had actually been to. I'm happy to announce that I've been to 11 of the 50 cities on the list. I'm overjoyed to announce that I plan to increase that number to 15 before the end of 2014. Overall, this is a pretty solid list. Make sure you click the link and count the cities you've been to. Let me know your total in the comments and if you plan to add any in the near future. 

Reviewing this list got me to thinking.........I've been A LOT of places. I'm exponentially grateful for that. Sadly, this list of 50 places also makes me feel like a complete failure in my travel life. How's a lawyer lady supposed to see the world??? Especially when she has to exact justice all day? 10 days vacation doesn't leave much time for world travel. I haven't even gotten to half of the 50 on this list yet! Don't get me wrong....I've been to several other places that aren't on this list. But this is a comprehensive catalog of the TOP, MOST ESSENTIAL PLACES ON EARTH! These are places I MUST see during my lifetime! Life is short people, time waits for no man....I better get a move on. The biggest problem, however, is that I have to work to support this wanderlust of mine. Working takes up entirely too much time. Once I came across a quote - "I travel alot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine." - this pretty much sums it up. Shoot....I need to win the lottery or something. 

** Travel Tip: Travel over holidays. For example, I leave for Greece the Friday before Labor Day weekend. By incorporating the 3-day weekend, I was able to extend my trip to almost 9 days total....but I'm only taking 4 vacation days #winning

So, what's your top 50? Are there any other cities that would consider a must see? Let me know below. 

Also...if there are any places on this list you've been dying to see....start planning. I know most of you have vacation days you haven't used. Now's the perfect opportunity to venture outside your comfort zone. It may not be as expensive or unrealistic as you think. Even if traveling to one of the Top 50 isn't totally attainable, go somewhere....do something...make memories.....have stories to tell.

And remember, there's no where to go but everywhere....so get going!

Stay-cationing in The Woodlands and this weekend's festivities

Houstonians are territorial. You either live in Houston or...you don't. The Woodlands is technically a burb of Houston but if you were to ask anyone that lived there, they'd swear it was it's own continent. It's far enough from the inner city to feel like a whole different venue but close enough that you don't have to go broke or forego cable for the month in order to get there.

Last weekend, several friends and I decided to continue a newly founded tradition of stay-cationing at our friend David's home in the woodlands. David's house is like an oasis outside of the city (hence our weekend usage of #outsidetheloop in all social media postings) and a perfect place to getaway for a while-with lots of room, a huge kitchen and one of the most beautiful backyards with a pool. Check out the pic below:

Gorgeous, right? It was especially perfect given that I currently completely fed up with work and my mundane daily routine. I think part of the reason I love to travel so much, of course I get to see and experience new things, but it really makes me appreciate home. I love heading south on 59 from IAH. The moment I am greeted by the Houston skyline, I get this incredible sense of H-town pride. Plus, who doesn't yearn to feel the cool sheets of their own bed after a long trip?

Despite the fact that Houston is the 4th largest metropolitan city in the US, it is seriously lacking in nightlife options for the professional, semi social 30+ crowd. Also, the 7 of us all come from different backgrounds, culturally, professionally, etc. Fortunately, our first night out we managed to find a venue that suited all our varied interests and we danced the night away on a humid rooftop deck to the sounds of a pretty cool DJ. Here are some pics of me and the ladies:

We directed our caravan back to David's Resort (I coined this name, by the way) later that night and stayed up talking, listening to music and taking a moonlit dip in the pool. If it weren't for the swarms of mosquitoes, this would have been near paradisaical. 

The next morning, the women shopped and prepared brunch and some additional guests joined us. In addition to my love for traveling, I love foooooood. As does my brother. So, we kinda ended up taking over the brunch preparations. Dorian requested my famous cornbread pancakes so I had to introduce them to the group. The cornbread pancakes are a creation from my kitchen....what makes them so special is the addition of Parmesan cheese, butter and scallions. There are two ways they can be done - the easy way is to mix the cheese into the batter. The better way, and my personal favorite, is to sprinkle cheese onto the pancakes while they're in the pan on the uncooked side. That way, when you flip them over, the cheese cooks into the batter and you get this amazing cheesy, crispy crust on one side. The first time I made these for my family....I couldn't flip them fast enough! They were gone within minutes!

We spent the remainder of the day by the pool, on a mission to get me tanned. I managed to catch a few rays but I've got a long way to go before I reach my optimum shade of almondy. lol. 

Finally, it was time to head home. Dorian and I spent the rest of our Saturday evening on a party bus with good friends. I didn't get a pic with my bff, Alan, but this night was in celebration of him so we definitely had to be there to share it with him. 

Sunday was brunch at Hearsay Gastro Pub with #lesbellesnoir....my weekend brunch club with fellow law school grads. We met two new friends, whom essentially joined us in our quest to find the bottom of the bottomless mimosas....see the pic below:

Reflecting on this weekend.........it was definitely one for the books. Tell me about your weekend...or your travel plans for the upcoming July 4th weekend! 3 days weekends are the perfect opportunity to get away....I wanna hear from you! Oh yeah, be safe out there folks and remember: there is nowhere to go but everywhere...so get going!