Laguna is for Lovers

We can’t think of a better, more romantic beachside town to spend Valentine’s Day than Laguna Beach. 

The early morning mist, walks along cozy cottages by the sea, world class shopping, sunset cocktails, and candlelit dinners by the ocean… Laguna Beach is like a fairy tale. But very real. And very doable!! Trust us that you will win some serious points with your significant other if you plan a romantic weekend (or even a day trip) here. We’ll help.

Let’s start with brunch. 

Breakfast is our favorite meal, so we take brunch very seriously. The Ranch has recently opened a restaurant called Harvest, and it is AMAZING. From bourbon bacon cinnamon rolls, to fresh pressed juice, to the perfect eggs benedict… you can’t go wrong. Best part is? It’s off the beaten path. You won’t wait in long lines, you won’t feel like the average tourist, and you most likely WILL have an incredible view of the surrounding landscape. It’s our little secret… So please don’t tell too many people. ;)

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As far as accommodations, we HIGHLY recommend staying at Casa Laguna Hotel and Spa. Do it. (And thank us later). This little boutique hotel has recently been remodeled by famed designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard, and it is absolutely perfect. From the colorful tiles to the cloud-like beds, to the lush, tropical grounds… Casa Laguna is a peaceful, colorful, and charming oasis - located just across the street from the beach!

Whether we’re on a vacation or a “staycation”, once 3pm hits we’re usually ready for a cocktail (Just us?). Tommy Bahama has our favorite cocktails (get the Sunburn!!!) complete with a relaxing, tropical vibe, live music, and shopping. That’s right - shopping! After we drink, we shop! (Probably should do it the other way around.) Regardless, we love their classic, beach-y style and comfortable designs. Last time we were there, we both walked out with a whole new wardrobe!

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Spend the afternoon meandering the streets. Find a hidden gem of a cafe (and tell us about it!), explore art galleries, or relax on the beach. So many options...

Then there’s dinner. Driftwood Kitchen is our new date night go-to. The restaurant is a converted beach home that has an amazing vibe. Their menu is seasonal and constantly changing, so we can’t tell you what to order (unless the grilled Spanish octopus or Chilean sea bass are still on the menu). But we can tell you that it will be good. And you will want dessert. Even just so you can enjoy the ocean views a little bit longer. The Driftwood Kitchen staff does an incredible job at making every guest feel as though they are family… It’s truly a special place!

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Next, walk off your food and turn up the romance by heading to Ruby Street Park. This beautiful little lookout point is a great spot to enjoy the sounds of the ocean or stargaze. It may be occupied on Valentine’s Day, but it’s definitely worth checking out. 

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Still ready to rage? Or Ruby Street Park is too crowded? Head to Mozambique where chances are the dance party has already gotten started! Their live music is always incredible, and the people watching is even better. We can’t leave Laguna without popping in for a song or two… or ten!

There it is! A romantic, incredible day in this beautiful little town. Enjoy!

***BONUS***

Since it was so hard to narrow down our favorite Laguna Beach spots (and in case you have a whole weekend), here’s a few more:

Drinks:

The Rooftop Bar :: The BEST mojitos (and perfect for catching the sunset)! Just make sure you get there early - it can fill up fast! Maybe head here for a cocktail before dinner? It is Valentine’s Day, so you may as well splurge. 

Broadway :: These craft cocktail specialists can whip up just about anything, and their seasonal drinks are always our favorites. Not sure what to order? Have them surprise you!

Breakfast:

Banzai Bowls :: Our favorite acai bowls in town! (And if you've never had an acai bowl, you're REALLY in for a treat!) Bobby's favorite is the "Da Kine" and Alli loves the "Diamond Head"!

Heidelberg Cafe :: From the pastries, to the coffee, to the breakfast burritos - this longtime Laguna staple will never let you down. The patio is our favorite spot to have a cup of coffee and have a long, leisurely breakfast.

Lunch:

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The Stand :: Healthy, fresh, and affordable! This vegetarian-lovers dream never disappoints. It’s a casual, pay at the counter kind of place - so we recommend getting your food to go and taking it to the beach for a romantic picnic!

Dinner:

Splashes :: Located at the stunning Surf and Sand Hotel, Splashes is literally on the beach (hence the name)! Some of the best seafood we’ve ever had has been here, and the romantic ambiance is par none. Splashes is a Valentines Day dream!

For a full list of all the Valentine's Day specials and events in Laguna Beach go ----> HERE.  

This article was originally published for Visit Laguna Beach’s Blog

When Traveling with Your Spouse, Don’t Be Afraid to Be Goofy…

Traveling with your spouse is the best. There's nothing better than exploring new places and cultures with your favorite person on earth! While you and your spouse may travel a little differently and have diverse personalities, we'd like to propose a challenge. On your next trip together, don't be afraid to be GOOFY! 

Whether you are the extrovert who is the first one on stage during Karaoke, or the shy recluse who would rather hole up in your room and read a book, we ask that you push the boundaries of silliness on your next trip. Here’s why…

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Being silly will help you make more friends. When we challenge you to be goofy, we’re asking that you let your hair down and have fun. In those moments, you will have a smile on your face and your joy will be contagious. People gravitate towards those that are having a good time, so naturally you will meet more friends!  On our trip to Fort Myers & Sanibel Island, we had the opportunity to bond with some fellow bloggers, as well as some random locals along the way. We went on an incredible parasailing adventure with Sunny Island Adventures as well as a beautiful kayaking tour of J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. While we have INCREDIBLE memories from the scenery of those excursions, our favorite memories are those with our new friends. Driving in the rain belting Adele’s new song or jumping for joy when spotting a manatee outside the Harbourside Grill… we treasure those!

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Acting goofy will cause you and your spouse to develop a unique sense of humor with inside jokes and memories that are yours… and only yours. This is probably one of our favorite things about marriage. As you live life together, you develop a ridiculous sense of humor that is completely yours. Most of the humor that we have between us probably is not that funny to others around us. But that makes it more fun :) This happens more while we are traveling, because while traveling you are often relaxed, stress-free, and often have days full of laughter. Traveling also wears you down, and those moments come where you lash out because you are hungry (Bobby) or you have some strange comments in your sleep (Alli). Sometimes these happenings cause mini fights in the moment (Bobby’s hanger), but give us years of laughter when reminiscing.

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Being wacky will gain more trust and respect for one another. Whether it is watching the other one dance crazy, or grabbing the microphone and singing karaoke, we think being goofy builds trust and respect. Often being goofy can be really vulnerable, and embarrassing. Going for it with the one you love screams, “I love you, I trust you, and I don’t care what anybody thinks of me but you”. 

A little silliness makes vacation more RELAXING and more of an ESCAPE from your normal. This may sound like more of the same, but it’s just a reminder to let loose a little bit on vacation. Vacation is meant to get away from the daily grind, so let yourself do that. Eat some ice cream, go on the kid’s waterslide, and climb the palm trees if you want to!

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Getting out of your comfort zone = more fun! One way we do this is by taking ridiculous pictures. On our trip to Sanibel Island, we found some great spots for fun photos on Cabbage Key as well as in town on Sanibel. While you may get some awkward stares while snapping the photo, you will have great memories from the experience!

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Whether you have a spouse, a significant other, or are traveling solo, we think these are great reasons why you should push the envelope of silliness. It will make your trips more memorable, and you will make new friends to share those experiences with. We’d love for you to send us an email and share with us how you unwind, relax, and act goofy. Happy traveling! 

Thank you to The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel for Sponsoring this post!

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Why Cruising is Perfect for Newlyweds

Choosing a vacation as a newlywed couple can be difficult. We’ll be the first to admit it. You must agree on a location, itinerary, hotel(s), length of stay, points of interest... we could go on and on. Both of us have different views on what a vacation should look like, and we’re sure many of you can relate! This, friends, brings us to the beauty and ease of cruising… it’s all done for you! All you have to do is agree upon where and when you’d like to cruise, and pack your bags. Thanks to Carnival, vacation mode happens the minute you start booking your trip! Perfect mode of travel for newlyweds? We think so! Here are just a few reasons why:


1. You’re completely off the grid. No work, no chores, no emails! There’s no better feeling than setting an away message, turning your phone on airplane mode, and spending quality, uninterrupted time with your significant other. Sure, you can have Wi-Fi if you prefer, but we love the excuse to turn off our phones. After a couple days at sea, you’ll even forget you have a phone! You’ll be too busy gazing into the wondrous blue ocean from your hot tub.

2. You can pick your own adventure. We stopped at three ports on our Western Caribbean cruise: Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, Mexico. Being the thrill-seekers we are, we lived it up at each destination. Booking excursions was quick and easy, and everything we did exceeded our expectations.


In Jamaica we took an aerial tram up to the top of a large mountain! We saw the most incredible views of Jamaica, and some of the most beautiful plants, trees, and wildlife we’ve ever seen! There were spiders. BIG spiders. But we won’t show you those.

We also went bobsledding. Bobby was stoked because he’s been a longtime fan of the movie Cool Runnings. Alli was stoked because she could say she’d “Bobsledded with Bob.”

 In Grand Cayman we took a Catamaran around the island, and couldn’t believe how warm and how blue the water was!

In Cozumel, we rented a Jeep and explored the island!

We discovered beautiful beaches, sipped coconut water on the sand, and toured real Mayan ruins. We even made a friend!

We were amazed by all that you can see and do in ONE day at each location. Newlyweds that are cruising to rest and relax, however, can go a different route. There are excursions for private island getaways, beach clubs, and massages. Maybe next trip we’ll slow down! ;)

3. Finally, cruising is extremely romantic. It seems as though everywhere you turn there are opportunities for romance!


Whether we were treating ourselves to a candlelit dinner at Cucina del Capitano, (one of the specialty restaurants aboard the Carnival Breeze - it’s intimate, candlelit, and absolutely delicious!),

 Or taking a nightly stroll along the peaceful and colorfully lit Lido Deck,

Or cuddled up next to each other watching a Broadway-quality show, it felt as though we were living in a dream!

A dream that is PERFECT for newlyweds like us. 

This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind. Head on over

1 Year as Newlyweds

Carnival recently invited us on a Western Caribbean cruise to celebrate our one year anniversary. Words cannot describe how excited we are to share our cruising adventure!  Whether you’re single, married, or have a family, cruising is an experience you’ll never forget. Our goal is to get all of you wanderlusters to give cruising a try… we’re sure you’ll be hooked!

From the moment we said “I do,” life has been a trip… literally! In the past year we’ve done everything from skydiving in Malibu, to wine tasting in Mexico, to ziplining in Panama! (Those who say life slows down when you get married… they’re all wrong!) All of the trips and adventures aside, it is still hard for us to believe that we’re coming up on our ONE YEAR anniversary. (And yes… we’re still calling ourselves newlyweds. It’s a feeling, not a deadline!)

Our one year anniversary had been looming in our heads for the past couple of months… we kept going back and forth on how we wanted to celebrate. We knew that whatever we did needed to be EPIC.  It needed to be unique. It needed to be adventurous, but still upscale. We wanted to be pampered, but not bored. We went back and forth for weeks about what we should do. And that's when we heard from Carnival...

A CRUISE. AN ANNIVERSARY CRUISE!

At first, I (Alli) was more excited than Bobby, who was a little hesitant. He wasn’t very familiar with cruising, and had heard mixed reviews (we’ll share more about that later). However, when Bobby did some research and saw that our ship had waterslides, 24 hour pizza, and mini golf… he was sold. We chose a six-night Western Caribbean cruise that left from Miami, and before we could say “Vacation!” we were stocking up on sunscreen and packing our bags!

It is impossible for us to share with you ALL of the highlights from our Carnival cruise in just one blog post - every single day was packed full of adventures! Over the next couple of weeks we will be highlighting some of our favorite experiences from the trip and some of the reasons why we chose to cruise. Today, we’re showing you why we think anniversaries (and any sort of celebration, really) are best spent on the open seas!

First things first, let’s talk about the Atrium. Known as the “Welcoming Area” on Carnival ships, the Breeze Atrium is more than just welcoming - it’s an experience!

Floating lanterns, live music, shops, bars… it feels as though you’ve entered a different world! When we first walked into the atrium, we stopped for a moment to take it all in. “THIS is our home for the next six days?! Is this real life?!” We knew we were in for an anniversary trip to remember.

In the evenings we celebrated “our way,” with wine and cheese on our stateroom balcony.

We would watch the tropical coastlines drift away in the distance, share our favorite memories of the year so far, and gush over the fact that we were on our own private balcony. On a gorgeous cruise ship. In the Caribbean. Six nights at sea, and the view never got old... 

 

During one of our days at sea, we planned a spa day. Because every anniversary trip should include massages, right? As soon as we stepped into Cloud 9 Spa, we felt like royalty. There was soothing music playing in the background, gorgeous tile, lavish artwork, and delicious cups of hot herbal tea. The friendly Cloud 9 staff walked us through several of the different relaxation rooms, and explained what each one does, and the health benefits that go with it. We decided our time in the spa counted as our “workout” for the day!

Bobby loved the “Thalasso Pool”… which is basically a giant sea-water hot tub! He would have stayed there all afternoon!

Fortunately, we had an appointment for a couples massage that we needed to get to… and both of us will agree that it was the best massage we’ve EVER had. Afterwards we lounged (and napped) in one of the gorgeous relaxation rooms. Can you spot Bobby?

You can’t celebrate an anniversary without food. One evening we decided to get dressed up and celebrate our anniversary in style. First stop: the elegant Blush Dining Room!

Our table overlooked the whole bottom floor of the restaurant, giving us the perfect view to scope out what was being served. ;) Our server, Wiji, brought us course after course of delicious specialty menu items, and, because we were celebrating, we ordered several of each! Our favorite? The Chocolate Melting Cake! If you’ve cruised Carnival before, you know what we’re talking about!

 

Following our celebratory feast, we had drinks and sang along at the Piano Bar, laughed ‘till we cried at the comedy show, and then treated ourselves to a midnight snack. (Hey - we’re celebrating, remember?)

 

We couldn’t get enough of the pizza from the 24-hour pizzeria on board. And if you ask us, pizza at midnight is the perfect way to start year two of marriage!

As you can see, the celebration possibilities aboard the Carnival Breeze are endless. You can tailor your celebrations based on what you enjoy - and that’s what makes cruising so fun! You can celebrate by relaxing in the spa, seeing a musical production in the Ovation Theater, or by joining a massive dance party on the Lido Deck!  Thanks for tagging along… more of our Carnival adventures to come!

This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind. Head on over