A good friend of mine reached out a few months ago asking if I could make it to her wedding in Chicago. To a city that I have been wanting to visit for a while now, you know I was ecstatic to be able to hit up the town and attend the wedding. I planned to have an extra day there to explore and to do some touristy things, so we flew out Thursday night returning to Seattle on Sunday- just enough time to relax and sightsee around the city. As soon as we landed, the girlfriend and I went out on the town since we heard Chicago was known for late night parties, however, we never expected the fun we found ourselves! Friday was our free day to explore the city and its amazing views. One of the bride’s local friends, an architecture tour guide, was generous enough to take us on a walking tour along the Magnificent Mile, describing in detail all of the amazing history among Chicago. We saw buildings built during the boom of Chicago, the Chicago Tribune Tower, an extravagant Macy’s with a Tiffany Favrile glass celling, made with 30 thousand pieces of stained glass, the largest of it’s kind. That evening we had the chance to hit up one of the hottest spots in the city, Cindy’s. Saturday we had some time before the wedding to venture to Millennium Park and check out “the Bean” or officially called the Cloud Gate. We walked down the Magnificent Mile, making stops at the Chicago Theater, walked the entire river walk from the Navy pier to the river bend. Sunday was our recovery day from the wedding festivities with some last minute shopping/exploring the downtown area. Found a little café with delicious sweet treats to calm the spirit and prepare for the journey back home with the reality of going back to work on Monday lingering.
Chicago was such a great new city to explore. It is exploring that keeps my wanderlust spirit alive while making me grateful for the city I get to call home.
0 Comments
A last minute trip is something we all need from time to time. The weather in Seattle has continued to be indecisive going from cloudy, rainy days to decent but not overly warm days. I was looking for a quick escape to a warm place that allowed me to disconnect for a few days and that meant jet-setting off to a weekend with the boys. This trip was all about getting full summer vibes and crazy heat, 107 degrees to be exact, to start the season of vacations off right.
Palm Springs, California is the stomping ground for a few event such as Coachella and Stagecoach and a destination for many during the summer months. During that time, the city is alive and raging day and night, but this was not the case for our boy’s trip. We wanted to escape the busy work life and rushing city of Seattle to a poolside, let me hear my own thoughts, kind of trip. It’s important for each and everyone of us to take that break from the daily grind to recharge and let our mind, body and soul relax and find peace for a few days. Palm Springs has some great Spanish architecture and smooth colors that gives off a desert western feel. The Airbnb we stayed had a great pool and hot tub where we spent most of the hours lounging around like iguanas in the sun. There were plenty of bars and restaurants to enjoy during the days and evenings for great meals and happy hours. We were fortunate enough to also find an interesting destination: this mirage or glass house that we found 15 minutes out of town. The view from this beautiful place allowed us to see the entire city while taking in the deserts plains and what felt like dangerous, uncharted land. My recommendation would be to go just before they close because the sunset hits the building just right and projects amazing colors out in to the desert. So as you can see this post is just a quick flashback to a fun boy’s weekend, designed to let readers know that its important to disconnect for a few days every once in a while. Bring a book to read, listen to some music while floating on your flamingo in the pool or explore the city- whatever you need your quick getaway to entail. It will help you come back as a new person that is ready to tackle the grind and allow you to see things a bit more clearly. Hope you enjoy the read and photos. It was my first time traveling to Aspen, Colorado & away from Seattle for New Years. Usually, I enjoy getting fancy and taking it to the city, all suited up, whiskey in hand, ready to ring in the new year on the dance floor. This year was a little different, with a slight change of pace. I gave up the city celebration for the cabin vibes to experience something new and it has been great to compare the two. The beautiful scenery and days with nature was a great way to reset and start off 2017 with a clear and relaxed mind, body and soul. The hardest part about planning for this trip was packing for a trip to a place I’ve never been- multiple events like days on the mountain, cozy cabin living, luxury outings out on the town and the New Year’s Eve celebration. So many activities, so little room to pack it all! The way I started packing for this trip was by getting all the essentials i.e., boxers, socks, t-shirts, set up first. Small suggestion to maximize your space is by stuffing your socks in your shoes and it helps keep the shape of your shoes. If I am going to be gone for a week, I tend to bring a little extra just in case unexpected extra stays or layovers happen. Next I packed shoes. Think about having a nice pair of evening shoes, day shoes or in this case boots for the cold and a comfortable pair to run around the city. Since it is Aspen, in the dead of winter, I am brining black Chelsea boots (evening), brown Barney New York boots (day) and some rugged yet stylish brown boots (fun snow day). As a little bonus, I had to bring my slippers by Ugg for the days we were sore from Snowmass pass. Working my way up, came the pants. Kept it clean and straight forward with some black and maroon ZARA pants and medium navy denim from All for Mankind. This allowed me to play around with the black and brown boots, as well as, all the colorful flannel and sweaters to even things out. Speaking of flannels, that’s pretty much all that I decided to bring for this trip. I focused on keeping myself warm, since this trip was going to be filled with cabin and outdoor adventures rather than city roaming. I decided on four J. Crew flannel and plaid shirts, and one denim Express shirt. Again these shirts mixed well with the boots and pants I selected. I also grabbed some grey sweaters to tone down the plaid shirts but still keep me warm if I need to strip the jacket indoors. Finally, the outerwear gear- the Nordic Parka from J Crew is big, puffy, and furry- it’s bold but man is it warm. The green complimented the flannel and jeans while the fur hood added a arctic escape. Although, I was surprised at the fact that I only needed it for the layover in Denver being – 6 degrees and all. I can never forget about my navy 3 breast Topman peacoat, It comes with me everywhere on my trips in the city or other states. A classic way to complete your gent or street style outfit. When it came to New Years Eve, I traditionally enjoy being well dressed for this event. Just something about a black suit or tux, finished with a bowtie, watching the ball drop, that makes ringing in the new year special. But that is for another post.
All in all I can say Aspen was a great vacation and a great way to get away from the city bustle and relax for a few days. Being able to explore the back roads on ATV’s and reaching summit peaks just to shred down on snowboards was something I needed to start 2017 right. |
eat. party. live.Sharing different cultures, foods, fashion styles, and experiences from around the world. Archives
September 2017
Categories |