Trip Overview:

2 nights in Vegas, staying at The Flamingo

4 nights in Sonoma, staying in an Air B and B within Sonoma County

Introduction:

You must make girls trips happen.  This sage wisdom has been imparted on me by many a female elder.  On a girls trip, women don’t necessarily divorce themselves from their  identities as wives, girlfriends, or mothers, but rather, blissfully revel in a brief suspension of sometimes reckless, often times therapeutic, responsibility-free weekends full of laughter, nostalgia, and shamelessness.  My two best friends and I have made a westward girls trip every summer for the last five years, and it is a highlight of our summers. We always start our trip off in Vegas and then make our way into whichever reach of California happens to be our flavor-of-the-year. As I reflect on how our itinerary came to be decided for year 5, I can’t help but giggle at how our trip objectives have  evolved over the years.  In fact, the cross-section of our trip objectives and our ages could be very well suited to a human life and development textbook to illustrate the progression of the female mind.

For example…

Year 1 Vegas: stay up all night to watch a Vegas sunrise, not pay for a single drink, live off lime or lemon wedges, dine at Denny’s as a last resort

Year 5 Vegas: get craft cocktails at a unique and fancy bar, wine and dine at up-and-coming restaurants, find a fun but semi-tame pool party and only party during the day

Though many goals for our year 5 trip evolved, a few transcended time…

Year 1 Vegas: spot a famous person, win big playing craps

Year 5 Vegas: spot a famous person, win big playing craps

Some hopes never die.  Nevertheless, we decided Vegas had to remain a constant entry-point to the wild west, and that Sonoma and Napa would be a California destination most congruent with our almost-30-year-old desires. Below I’ll recap highlights and where-to’s that might help you build an ultimate girls trip yourself.

Vegas Highlights and Where-to’s:

Herald a “healthy” buzz at Squeeze in the Linq Promenade: On a mid-July day, the merciless Nevada sun begs for immediate thirst quenching.  What better to quench one’s thirst, or to replenish one’s vitamin C store, than a fresh squeezed juice over ice?  Even better yet, how about throwing some vodka or Prosecco into the mix?  I visited Squeeze approximately four times within our short stint in Vegas to get my berry and bubbles fix daily!  I am a huge fan of Prosecco and fresh berries, so the marriage of the two in a to-go container, fully equipped with a straw, made for one very happy Vegas tourista.  Squeeze has excellent happy hour deals and specials on select days of the week. If you plan to do some day-drinking poolside or gambling, I recommend hitting Squeeze after breakfast or brunch but before heading to your destination so you can cleanse your pallet and enjoy a sip on the strip.  

Gamble at Vegas’ glam, yet inviting, boutique hotel, The Cromwell. The Cromwell replaced Buffalo Bill’s Gambling Saloon back in 2014, and it has rapidly become my go-to on the strip for gambling and pool partying.  Consistently rocking $5-10 minimums at the table games, a younger, but not too young, crowd, and a rooftop pool club that overlooks the Bellagio fountains, The Cromwell is an ideal gem smack dab in the middle of the strip for you and your girlfriends to stake claim. Our highlight of this year’s Vegas trip was tripling our money at the craps table thanks to my step mother’s one hour long dice roll!  She is an energy healer/eastern medicine guru who takes channeling positive energy seriously, especially when gambling.

Grab cocktails at the Cosmopolitan’s Chandelier bar and The Venetian’s The Dorsey. Though a tad pricey, these two cocktail lounges make for a lavishly appropriate ambiance for girl talk. Cara, Jackie, and I were sure to order different cocktails than one another so we could delightfully sip and sample.  Both lounges offer unique, craft cocktails that have both made it to my “best cocktails I’ve ever had” list.

Try Daylight at Mandalay Bay: I thought I had experienced every Vegas pool club the strip has to offer at this point in my seasoned Vegas-going career, however, I was remiss, I had never waded in the waters of Daylight, over at Mandalay Bay. Mandalay Bay, in my opinion, has maintained itself as a timeless, gimmick-free, iconic strip staple. Though a bit further down from the epicenter of the strip, past Wynn and Encore, the girls and I felt like we had been transported to an exotic resort.  With white-washed, stucco cabana structures and desert-oasis flora and fauna lining the outer edges of the pool, Daylight provided us a definitively out-of-office afternoon.

Yardbird at The Venetian: Though the southern comfort food craze has become a tad cliche, there is good reason chefs and restaurateurs have popularized the down-home, salty, sweet, buttery cuisine: it’s finger-lickin’ good (in the words of the Colonel).  This was my second time visiting Yardbird, and my sequel proved this new piece of Venetian real-estate’s superior consistency.  The girls and I happily shared a variety of southern delights, from skillet cornbread to cheesy mashed potatoes.  Our plan to gamble after dinner rapidly changed to throwing on anything with an elastic waistband and crashing into a food coma back at the hotel room after our second cocktails and third dish of shared southern indulgence.

Beauty and Essex at The Cosmopolitan: I went out to Vegas earlier than the girls to spend a couple nights gambling and wining and dining with my dad and stepmom, a family tradition we’ve come to cherish and honor whenever it’s possible and someone’s birthday or someone’s feeling the Vegas itch. Though my dad and I like to frequent our tried and true Vegas spots, we always also try to test out at least one new restaurant, bar, or casino on our Vegas trips.  We were heading to the Cosmopolitan to check out the restaurant my cousin had booked for his wedding in August. The restaurant we planned to scope for my cousin wasn’t open yet, so we explored the restaurant level and set our sights on Beauty and Essex.  Beauty and Essex’s “lobby” is intriguingly, and somewhat confusingly, a guitar shop full of vintage guitars and vinyl records, some in glass cases.  This shop is entirely walled off and sound proof.  When they luckily announced they had room for two, the hostess opened the door from the back of the shop to a dimly lit dining room lined with dark velvet curtains and booths, glittering chandeliers, and candle-lit tables.  Pops and I ordered adventurously, beginning with “grilled cheese wantons” which were served in individual wanton soup ladles of rich tomato soup… is your mouth watering yet? Though my dad and I had a wonderful time together, laughing and indulging, Beauty and Essex’s glam meets goth setting is a sexy and romantic spot, perfect for date night.  I shall be returning next time with my husband.

Sonoma, Napa, & Livermore: The Grape Escape

Ready to abandon the bright lights and ceaseless noise, the girls and I flew from Vegas to San Francisco where we stopped for lunch at a good friend of our’s who, in typical Barefoot Contessa fashion, spoiled us rotten with a three course meal topped off with artisan chocolates.  We got to meet and greet her Instagram famed  laboradoodle, Bacon, which was equally an indulgent experience.

After Bacon kisses and thanking our ever gracious host and chef, we hit the road with our rental car for Sonoma, an easy 45 minute drive out of the city and across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.  We always look forward to checking in to a new Air B and B, especially one we know is going to be charming, funky, or bohemian.  We reserved in Sonoma, largely due to price, but also after researching the town of Sonoma and deciding its quaint, Mexican-infused Western town plaza was most enticing.  Our Air B and B was tucked away in a wooded suburb amidst the rolling hills of Sonoma County.  Our cottage shared the property with the host’s home, but yet still afforded us enough privacy… save the wild turkeys who perhaps caught a glimpse of us doing a Tabata workout from the living room one morning.  The property was a paradisaical sprawl of pruned pear trees, spritely Succulent beds, and untamed forest.  At the center of it all was our very own patio, equipped with a fire pit, grill, and outdoor dining table. It was the idyllic setting for three best girlfriends seeking uninterrupted, wine drinking, cheese nibbling bliss.

Once we got settled into our cottage and freshened up, we decided to hit the town of Sonoma to get a lay of the land and a bite to eat.  Ubers are alive and well in the Napa/Sonoma area, so we were covered in the way of transportation.  Perhaps because it was a Sunday night, we were lucky enough to get seated at The Girl and the Fig, one of Sonoma’s most reputable restaurants.  They sat us outside on the bistro lit back patio, where we nestled in to a cushion benched table and wrapped ourselves in blankets they provided.  It felt like dining from the comfort of my own couch.  The food was divine and so was the wine.  Our first brush with Sonoma food and wine was undoubtedly a success that set the bar high.

Knowing we had a robust itinerary of biking, eating, and drinking, none of us had trouble awakening on our first full day in Sonoma.  We took another Uber to the Napa Valley Bike Tours, where we had reserved three cruiser bikes for a full day.  The rental shop provided excellent maps and suggestions.  We saddled up and merrily embraced the Vine Trail, a newly constructed path that takes biking wine-o’s on a more sheltered journey to and fro Napa, Yountville, and the surrounding wineries.  Blissfully feeling like the crew of Now and Then, we biked and sang a leisurely 6.5 miles from the Napa shop to the lavishly charming town of Yountville.  Yountville, though slightly pretentious, is a classy, gourmet restaurant studded, well manicured town bustling with young families and couples.  We felt slightly out of place arriving in our fitness apparel, most Yountville folk were pristinely dressed head to toe. We had reservations for brunch at Redd, and arrived right on time.  Sadly, Redd made us wait for close to 20 minutes or more before seating us and then took an additional 15-20 minutes to take our drink orders.  This was disappointing and we wondered if our apparel had anything to do with the lack of attentive service we were receiving.  Regardless, the food was tasty… once it finally got to us.

After Redd, we biked the short distance down the main drag to Stewart vineyards for a reserved tasting.  Though it lacks a scenic backdrop, the tasting room boasts vaulted ceilings with exposed wooden beams and modern ensconced chandeliers. Our pourer was incredibly knowledgeable and more than happy to answer our endless questions.  The wine was superb, I considered becoming a member.  After a glass at Redd and this initial tasting, I was feeling groovy to say the least, albeit, wary of my ability to wine taste all the livelong day.

Our first stop on our tour de Yountville was Cliff Lede, pronounced “Cliff Lady.”  My brother recommended this winery to me because of its wine, ambiance, and rock and roll touches.  He and his wife were able to visit on a slower day, so his wine pourer took them downstairs to their unique “basement” lounge that houses one-of-a-kind rock and roll memorabilia.  Unfortunately, a private party had booked the Backstage Tasting Lounge on the day the girls and I visited, so we weren’t as lucky.  However, Art, our comical, exuberant, seasoned wine pourer, taught us all about the history of the vineyard and how rock and roll makes its way into every aspect of the wine making and tasting process, beginning with the grapes. In fact, the vineyard owner, Cliff Lede, has paid homage to some of the rock greats by naming each block of the vineyard after his favorite rock songs.  We salute you Mr. Lede. This ended up being one of our favorite stops of the whole trip; the wine was excellent, the tasting room was cheerful, and Art was both a riot and a generous pourer.

Buzzing with a case of the giggles, we mounted our cruisers for a return into Yountville.  As leisurely wine sippers and semi light-weight’s, we rapidly amended our itinerary that previously outlined visiting 3-4 wineries in a day to two.  We were planning to visit Chandon as our final winery for the day, but they would be closing by the time we biked to them, so we instead opted for biking through Yountville in search of an outdoor patio where we could order some appetizers to share.  My brother had recommended R + D Kitchen as a must for dining, so we happily embraced a high top table on their back patio and ordered a bevy of state-of-the-art appetizers: deviled eggs and sushi, which truly hit the spot.  They also served one of the best buttery chardonnays I had on the whole trip, which is saying a lot for THE land of butter bomb chardonnays. Soon our buzzes turned to drunk and it was time to return the bikes and grocery shop for a dinner in on our private estate back in Sonoma County.  We then took an Uber from Yountville to the Oxbow Market in Napa to purchase some groceries for our at-home dinner.  Oxbow Market is a must visit when in Napa.  It’s an indoor space teeming with fragrant shops and stalls for both the gourmand and health nut alike. We spent a great deal of time wandering Oxbow, and lingered a bit too long at the cheese and wine shop. After Ubering back to Sonoma and exchanging our workout clothes for yoga pants and sweatshirts, we were ready to prepare a romantic, candlelit charcuterie board and grilled salmon dinner. One of our favorite moments was sitting under the stars, listening to some 90’s alternative, laughing, wine sipping, and enjoying a simply prepared meal ourselves.

The next morning heralded our glamorous Napa Wine Train adventure.  The wine train instructions said to dress in your finest, an invitation Cara, Jackie, and I warmly welcome.  After dolling ourselves up, we took an Uber to Napa where we first returned to the ever fragrant, sensory overload of Oxbow Market for a quick on-the-go breakfast before heading back to the train station where we decided to purchase our own bottles of wine instead of buying wine by the glass on the train.  We rapidly discovered that we were the only ones who heeded the dress code, and felt a bit overdressed, nonetheless, it added a sense of glam to our day and it made us feel the part when we sat down to our four course gourmet lunch in the dining car.  Though a bit touristy, the wine train is a unique way to immerse yourself amidst the vines and travel back in time to 1915 when the railcars were used for lavish rail travel from Denver to Winter Park.  The Napa Valley Wine Train company purchased the railcars in 1987 and spent a great deal of time restoring the cars to achieve the authentic cars they have today with rich Mahogany paneling  and plush velvet armchairs. The girls and I took the gourmet express trip, which doesn’t stop at any wineries, but instead takes passengers on a scenic 3 hour ride through wine country, provides a multi-course gourmet meal in the dining car, and a complimentary welcome taste of wine.  The girls and I boarded the train in the Cabernet Sauvignon car, and spent our first hour shamelessly staging photo after photo, trying to capture our level of unabashed glam we were experiencing. We ventured out to the caboose to watch the track move beneath us like a conveyor belt and the meticulously poised rows of vines pass us on either side like spokes on a bike wheel. When it was our turn to mosey into the dining car, we sat down in a cushioned booth and had our waitress pop our bottle of champagne.  We took our sweet time savoring every bite of the surprisingly decadent and delicious meal, and sipping our bubbles and then chardonnay to follow. I say surprisingly with regard to the meal because as I mentioned earlier, with such a touristy venue as this, I half expected the food to be average or just okay, but it truly lived up to its “gourmet” title as advertised.

Full and buzzing, we disembarked the train and hopped in an Uber to make our 3 PM reservation for a winery in Sonoma called Scribe, one that was highly recommended to me by a good friend.  Besides Cliff Lede, Scribe was probably one of our other favorite wineries we visited.  The only downside to Scribe was that we were still so full from our lunch aboard the wine train that we couldn’t truly enjoy the culinary works of art Scribe pairs with their tasting.  Next time, I would absolutely return to Scribe but on an empty stomach! Scribe has an exotic, desert meets French country, meets Italian villa aesthetic.  The drive up to Scribe is lined by skinny, looming palm trees and the patio adjoining the Italian Villa style inn is perched atop the scorched and arid plains of the property.  Fighting our food coma from the wine train, we reclined on the comfortable outdoor furniture and tried our best to continue consuming.  The food at Scribe is very health conscious and farm fresh.  Some of the dishes included vegetable quinoa with fresh mint and endive salad with edible flowers. I think the ultra cool, almost hipster, ambiance trumps their wine varietals, but we all enjoyed their Rose immensely.

Back at the Air B and B we tried to deflate ourselves in preparation for our next consumption.  Shockingly, this only took a few hours before we were ready to head back into the endearing Sonoma Plaza for some Mexican grub at Maya.  Feeling a little bit wined out for the moment, we opted for some Margaritas with our tacos as we debriefed on our exceptionally lavish second day in wine country.  We ended our evening at the cozy bar of the Swiss Hotel in the heart of Sonoma Plaza.  I felt transported to the chalets I visited in Switzerland with my husband as we sniffed, sipped, and swirled our glasses of Cab Sav at our table for three.

The following morning was Jackie’s last day with us, as she was catching an evening plane out of San Francisco for NYC.  After enjoying a perfectly sunny Californian breakfast at Sunflower Caffe (a MUST when in Sonoma), we decided to venture to Livermore, a wine tasting region closer to San Francisco and nearby to a BART train station that would take Jackie straight to the airport.  Cara had visited Livermore before and thought we all might enjoy its scenic, less pretentious vibe with lower tasting fees.  In Livermore, we visited Stony Ridge Winery and Wente.  Stony Ridge’s outdoor space makes up for the tasting room’s modesty.  The girls and I had fun walking under and gazing up at the arbor adorned with intertwining spring green vines laden with heavy bounds of grapes on the front patio.  The tasting fee was considerably cheaper than Yountville and Sonoma, which afforded us some room for purchasing a couple of bottles.  Wente was one of the biggest wineries we visited on the trip, but also one of our absolute favorites.  The tasting room was charming and our wine pourer, a retired high school principal, not only taught us all about volatilizing the esters, but also ended up giving us a double tasting for the price of one basic tasting.  It was at Wente that I tasted my now all time best wine called The Nth Degree; a perfectly balanced Chardonnay, delicately layered with notes of creme brulee, vanilla, and croissants to name a few.  Our pourer had us sip the Nth degree and then sip the regular Wente Chardonnay from the basic tasting to compare and contrast the quality… it was stark.  Sadly, the Nth degree is a cool $75 per bottle… gives me something to aspire to!

We bid Jackie a nearly tearful goodbye and then Cara and I took the scenic route from Livemore to the iconic Napa Valley sign for a sunset photo op.  Cara and I spent the evening in the comfort of our cozy Air B and B with an at-home charcuterie dinner while snuggling in fear to The Keepers on Netflix.  Cara insisted we sleep with the lights on.

On our way to the airport, Cara and I stopped at the scenic overlook for The Golden Gate Bridge and admired the Northern California landscape for a final swan song.

All in all, our Sonoma getaway was the perfect slice of relaxation, imbibing, and foodie-ing for our fifth annual summer girls trip.  We learned volumes about viticulture, drank in the rural landscape (pun intended), and soaked up the most affordable, reliable form of therapy: giggling and gabbing with your forever girlfriends.

Our flight didn’t get in until around 7:00 p.m. from Budapest, leaving us feeling that typical airport induced delirium.  We took a 20 minute bus ride from Marco Polo airport to get to the actual islands of Venice, and then strolled the cobble stone streets that arch and jigsaw over and through murky, emerald canals to reach our hotel.  Though we were laden with luggage, I loved this stroll into the heart of Venice in the sun setting light.  Everything had a golden hue to it, even the sweating tourists and trash collecting in the crevices of the canals.  Having already been to Venice, once we checked in to our hotel, Hotel Villa Rosa, which was quite nice and very affordable, we had only one itinerary item: pasta. Czech and Hungarian cuisine left us pining for something our taste buds could truly celebrate.  Ultimately, we were highly successful in our mission di carbohydrates and I’ll describe this more in depth within the highlights below.  Venice has a magical quality to it.  Sure, it might  feel like you’re walking Main Street of Disneyworld, but when you catch an empty side canal and take in the stone and ivy covered walls with their painted shutters ajar and window boxes overflowing with flowers, it’s hard to not fall in love with this fictional feeling city.

Highlights and moments:

Enjoying one of the best meals of my life dockside of a canal with an authentic Italian ambiance. Sadly, we don’t remember the name of this little family run canal-side delight, but the good news is that we simply stumbled into this gem not expecting much of the food, but more so selecting it for its romantic waterside ambiance.  In fact, we were expecting the food to be sub-par, considering how touristy Venice is and knowing that usually with touristy comes overpricing and under quality.  Maybe it was having these low expectations, or maybe it was the culinary low we had just experienced in the previous country, but when we sank our teeth into those cheesy, creamy, handmade pastas, speaking became an unnecessary chore and our pants feeling a bit tighter became a worthwhile discomfort.

Taking a moonlit walk through the streets and canals.  After dinner we got an “after dinner drink” of two bottled beers from a street vendor as we strolled the cobble stone streets lined with shops and vendors closing up for the day.  We got a little merrily lost, and popped into as local a Venice bar could probably feel, and ogled some beautiful people on the back patio.

In conclusion, Venice certainly awed me more when I was 4 years younger and seeing it for the first time.  Its grittier, non-fictional underbelly seemed to rear its head  a bit more lucidly this time around.  Nonetheless, it still possesses a magical aura about it. Its movie set aesthetic spawns a fanciful vibe, and indulging in hand crafted pasta while watching the sun sink down below a canal spanning bridge was a memory my senses will never forget.

I had no idea what to expect with Budapest.  As we boarded our outbound train from Vienna I tried to prepare my brain for what was to come, but all that I could remember from my research on our next city was that it was inexpensive and many Europeans, namely Brits, flock to it for “Stag” and “Hen” parties.  Coming from Vienna, Austria, a glistening gem of cleanly sidewalks and manicured sophistication, our first glances of Budapest couldn’t have procured a starker contrast. Budapest defines “shabby chic.” The buildings in Budapest are stunning, yet coated with a film of dirt and grime. To me, Budapest was almost like a cobwebby museum overtaken by 20 somethings and hipsters.  The buildings look nearly haunted and dilapidated, yet modern art and bass thumping clubs share the same sidewalks.  The crowd in Budapest was so primarily young that I felt like we’d arrived in Neverland and would maybe come across Peter Pan at any given moment.  Young, beautiful Europeans spilled out of every park, club, and bar.  My love for Budapest is nearly analogous to my love for 90’s rock: it emanates nostalgia, it’s gritty, it’s grungy, it’s sexy, and it makes you want to drink.

We stayed in a hotel called Hotel Carat, a boutique hotel with reasonably priced rooms and an ideal location.  Though recommended to us by my step mom’s Hungarian Princess friend (literally, her dad was the President of Hungary), the service from the staff at Carat was some of the worst I received over the course of my entire journey. Do not stay there.  Do, however, walk all the way down to the Danube River, marvel at the Hungarian Parliament Building, cross over from Buda to Pest, and then finish off your evening with shots of Unicum at one of the many unique bars and clubs.  Budapest is an old urban sprawl infested with an eclectic mix of the young and restless.

Highlights and moments:

-RUIN PUB visit! A sweeping trend in Budapest is ruin pubs or ruin bars, which are simply “reclaimed” bars that are constructed within the “ruins” of once functioning establishments such as parking lots, barber shops, car garages, etc. Like I said, Budapest defines “shabby chic.”  The ruin bars keep the original structures of the original establishments and simply add whimsical elements of the bizarre and fanciful to the exposed brick or stone walls that have withstood the test of time.  We chose to find the very first ruin pub to pop up in Budapest, called Szimpla Kert, located within the Jewish Quarter.  From the front, the bar was completely undetectable, it blended right in with the gritty, gray stone facades lining the quarter.  However, upon entering this unique watering hole, we were bombarded with rainbow colored lights, dolls, technology, vegetation, and props of all varieties adorning the walls.  Rooms of varying sizes and themes line the hallways that lead to an open-air beer garden in the middle.  The bar is two tiered and filled with patrons of all different ages and walks of life.  Alex, dad, Jackie, and I opted for a technology themed room, where vacuums, computer monitors, electric bicycles, and blenders decorated the walls.  We posted up at a banquet style picnic table and imbibed for hours, laughing and talking. I’ll never forget when a girl came by carrying a basket of oversized peeled carrots for sale.  She claimed this was a Hungarian bar tradition, so of course I had to buy one.  I received a receipt for my 30 cent carrot purchase, yup, a receipt.  This purchase broke the ice with the lovely young British couple seated next to us, and we ended up sharing quite a few good laughs when Alex and dad couldn’t hide their immaturity and started pretending my carrot souvenir was a humanly appendage. Men.

-Experiencing the most awkward pedicure of my life at a Hungarian bath house. We were game for trying something authentic and unique, that also offered us something quasi relaxing.  Our hotel recommended visiting a Hungarian bathhouse, and after learning that a rather popular one was not all too far away called Széchenyi Thermal Bath, we decided to give it a try.  This popular attraction year-round is certainly a uniquely European experience.  The building that houses the thermal baths is palatial looking, but yet, it also holds fast to the shabby chic motif I spoke of earlier, there is a tinge of grime mixed in with the opulent façade. After purchasing our tickets, which come in a variety of offers and packages, we were given a wristband device that served as our entrance “key” and key to a locker in the locker room.  The locker rooms reminded me of centuries old YMCA locker rooms, with nude women of all ages spilling out of tiled, wet cubby-like rooms and an overpowering smell of chlorine bombarding our senses.  By no means did I find the bathhouse to possess a zen, spa-like ambiance.  It was like a water park or gym pool bustling with Europeans.  We got into our bikinis and met my dad and Alex out near the entrance to the outdoor thermal baths.  The outdoor pool deck was lovely.  It reminded me of a less glamorous Vegas pool party.  It was mostly all adults, I don’t recall seeing a single child, and many pool goers were attractive, and keeping with the theme of Budapest, on the younger side.  No music played, but a small hut shaped bar served a snaking line of scantily clad bathers.  It was a very interesting scene.  There were barely any chaise-lounges or daybeds, pretty much everyone was laying on towels on the hard cement pool deck…which was not exactly the relaxing, cushy set-up our hearts desired.  But, we made the most of it!  The thermal baths were fun to try, but I found them to be a bit too hot for comfort on that sweltering August day.  The whole experience was like a muted version of a Vegas pool party, which to me perfectly encapsulated the European experience- people weren’t imbibing to the point of unconsciousness, no one was shouting or fist pumping, there wasn’t heart liquidating music playing, and there weren’t silicone enhanced cocktail waitresses keeping everyone spending money, it was a simple, age-old, skin improving, way to unwind and enjoy either some solitude or some social interaction.

After soaking up the sun and sweating in the baths for a couple of hours, Jackie and my dad went off for a couple’s massage, while I opted for a much needed pedicure.  This “pedicure” still makes me giggle when I look back on it.  First, the elderly woman who did not speak a lick of English, not that I would expect that it simply just added to the hilarity of the situation, scolded me for not soaking my feet long enough in the baths.  So…I had to go back down to the baths and stand in the water for 10 minutes before returning to her.  Upon my return, I discovered the pedicure chair was the same bed they use for waxing- a chair very similar to a dentist chair, covered in a towel.  The Hungarian grandma continued to speak to me in Hungarian, but I was able to deduce that she wanted me to put my feet on her shoulders.  She huffed and puffed and sometimes growled at the state of my feet.  She poked and prodded, cut, and clipped.  I had a choice of about three colors, of which all looked dried up.  I opted for a fuschia of sorts.  The huffing and puffing increased on her end, and my feet were basically touching her nose, as she needed to inch her large glasses closer to further inspect the situation.  I decided to look away and tried as hard as I could not to laugh at the fact that I had my feet propped up on some elderly Hungarian woman’s shoulders. In the end, she told me to review her work (in Hungarian of course) and, with one eye squinted closed, fearfully, I peered down at my toes. Fuschia polish smattered each toe nearly down to the toe knuckle, and small hairs and grains of sand, or who knows what, blemished the toe nails.  I smiled uneasily and asked kindly if she could perhaps clean them up a bit so the polish was simply on my toe nails.  She reluctantly obliged, and after her scraping one foot, I commended her work, tipped her generously, and chalked the whole thing up to embracing a new experience.  Bottom line, don’t get a pedicure at a Hungarian bathhouse.

-Taking a Danube River Cruise.  Though this is a very touristy thing to do, it’s fun and worth it.  The food is served buffet style and the band is a little cheesy, but the views of the city and the Parliament Building all floodlit at night are stunning.  Our waiter served us shots of Unicum, a Hungarian liquor, at the end of the night, which fueled us with some liquid confidence before we braved our first Hungarian casino, which is housed near the river bank on the Buda side.  We didn’t win all too big, but we played some Texas Hold ‘Em for an hour or two, before wading our way through a sea of 20 something’s flooding the streets, to get back to our hotel.

We took a very reasonably priced shuttle van that provided door to door service from Cesky Krumlov to Vienna, Austria.  From the moment we entered Austria to the moment we left, we all were unexpectedly impressed beyond belief by how pristine, well kept, clean, and efficient Vienna was.  Our hotel, Hotel Beethoven, was gorgeous and somewhat opulent, considering the meager price we paid. Though it might sound criminal, we weren’t feeling all too eager to sight-see.  Traveling from city to city within 24 hour time frames can really take it out of you, thus resulting in a weakened desire to sightsee and an increased desire to wine and dine.  My step mom, Jackie, went down to our concierge to ask about tourist information and found out about a film festival.  We all were slightly skeptical, but this event actually ended up being a highlight of the past week!Overall, Vienna is a highly impressive city.  The sidewalks nearly glitter it’s so clean, and the people are quite easy on the eyes as well.

  
Highlights and moments:

-Making up our own captions at the Music Film Festival. After a pleasant walk past the palatial Parliament Building, we arrived at the bustling  City Hall Square. Stands of food vendors of every flavor, culture, and fragrance lined the square and gorgeous people stood holding tapas sized portions of various delicacies and beverages, laughing and celebrating the summer and the arts.  There was a two leveled open air bar that was situated to the right of the large screen that adorned the front of the awe-inspiring City Hall.  We found a table on the upper level, which boasted the perfect view of the screen and orchestra.  Alex and I went down into the sea of people below to hunt out the best looking grub, which was quite a challenge due to the inundation of choice, but we eventually set our sights on both an aromatic seafood stand and a wiener-filled authentic Austrian food stand.  We then indulged in a few too many glasses of wine, while chowing down on fresh seafood and wieners and inventing our own lines to the German film projected on the big screen.  After devouring our dinner, we all were craving something sweet and the ever-present scent of melting chocolate coming from the creperie below didn’t help matters.  We caved and bought 3 different chocolate and fruit filled crepes, which I am still dreaming about to this day.  If you ever make it to Vienna, Austria during July, be sure to visit the Music Film Festival, it’s well worth it!

 

  
  

 

About two hours south of Prague lies an enchanting medieval wonder called Cesky Krumlov.  When we told Prague locals our next destination was Cesky Krumlov, they got a wistful look in their eyes and commended us on our honorable and enviable decision to visit one of Czech Republic’s more off-the-beaten-path gems known for its quaint, pastoral vibe and 13th century castle.  Upon arrival into Cesky Krumlov, we immediately learned of its Quaintness, and I purposefully capitalize that “q,” as we quickly discovered the lack of public transit and assistance the moment we disembarked the train.  Luckily, a bus pulled up not too shortly after we arrived, and it seemed to be our only way out of the station, so after attempting to communicate with the friendly bus driver and dropping the name of the hotel street name, we boarded the bus with fingers crossed and nerves elevated.  The bus driver was kind enough to make sure we got off at our correct stop, and we only had to walk a few steps from the stop before entering the gates of one of the most charming villages I have ever seen.  It was like entering a medieval village on a movie set or Disney World, or the Renaissance Festival.  Large cinnamon sugar covered dough desserts, called Trdelnik, baking on cylindrical spits perfumed the air, as Bohemian (real Bohemian) musicians played whimsical, Renaissance-y harps and steel drums.  The cobble stone pathway was lined with touristic shops, each one decorated with exposed wooden beams and Renaissance murals.  Our hotel, The Hotel Bellevue, was in a fabulous location and boasted the top restaurant, Le Jardin, in the village.  We only stayed one night in Cesky Krumlov, but I would certainly return for more.  Though there may not be an overwhelming amount of activities to pursue or sites to see within this idyllic town in South Bohemia, it’s a romantic escape into a fanciful, medieval time warp.

Highlights and moments:

-Leisurely lunch along the Vltava river.  We went to Papa’s on the river and sat at a picnic table outside in their back riverside patio.  The river feels a lot more intimate in Cesky Krumlov than it does in Prague.  Charming, storybook homes border the river on either side with inviting pubs and restaurants interspersed throughout.  One of Cesky Krumlov’s claims to recreational fame is canoe and raft renting on the babbling, rapid-minimal stretch of Vltava River running through it.  As we dined at Papa’s we observed countless families, couples, and friends enjoying a mildly adventurous paddle down the river.  Some pubs that back up to the river allow for river riders to “dock” their vessels at their back patio for a paddling pit-stop pint. Alex and I knew we had to ease ourselves down that river at one point or another before departing.

-Strolling and stopping for drinks with Alex.  Cesky Krumlov is the perfect place for ambling aimlessly.  At any given moment, you half expect all the villagers to bust open their shutters from their flower boxed windows and begin singing a cheery song in unison.  Taking this village in through the eyes and on foot is marvel worthy in itself, especially if you’re from the states and only see such medieval relics in hokey amusement parks.  Alex and I walked and stopped in shops and stopped at a cool lookout point, and then finally into an adorable little pub along the river.  We got a table on the back patio so we could sip beer and cider and listen to the soothing gush of the river.  Just as a warning to fellow travelers interested in visiting Cesky Krumlov, bring a sweater or light jacket.  We were visiting in late July and we both had to wear rain jackets due to a slightly cooler, misty kind of climate.  Alex and I enjoyed the autumn-like reprieve from the city swelter, and as we took in our surroundings, a glorious full-arching rainbow appeared in the sky behind us.  Like an artist’s finishing touch on his masterpiece, this sealed the deal for me in terms of my Cesky Krumlov love affair. It truly is now forever my “somewhere over the rainbow.”

-Dinner at Le Jardin.  Like I said before, our hotel housed the top rated restaurant in town, but beyond the wonderful convenience of the restaurant, the food was top notch. I actually rate this dinner as one of my top meals of my entire trip.  The ambiance is lovely, as the restaurant is in a stone-walled cellar type room and candle lit.

-Canoeing down the Vltava river.  Alex and I were determined to get ourselves onto some type of river vessel, and so we set out bright and early the following morning to rent an inflatable canoe and bob on down the lazy natural river.  I cannot describe in words just how relaxing and peaceful an experience this was for us, I can only highly recommend you do it!  There are a few rapids, but they are nothing to sweat about.  It’s a super fun worthwhile experience.  

-Climbing the tower of the 13th century castle and witnessing my dear dad’s height fright.  The castle is a really neat piece of architecture that was originally built in the Gothic style, but was renovated in the Renaissance style in the 16th century.  The tower of the castle is what I envision Ariel from The Little Mermaid living in with Prince Eric. The etchings on the tower looked like light pink, fanning seashells.  We weren’t in the mood for a giant history lesson and also wanted to get lunch at an awesome cave spot before catching our shuttle to Vienna that afternoon, so we decided to simply climb the stairs of the tower and enjoy the panoramic views at the top.  Perhaps I shouldn’t have said “simply,” this was not the easiest feat, especially for Jackie and my pops, who suffers from a terrible hip needing replacement.  The stairs became narrower and narrower, and the stream of tourists coming up and down simultaneously did not make the climb any easier.  I will say, however, the views from the top are worth it.

I had attached high expectations to Prague based off of the opinions of friends and family. We have ancestral roots in Prague and throughout the Czech Republic, so in addition to “czechin” out the unique historical landmarks and indulging in the cuisine, I was looking forward to connecting with the culture and stomping grounds of our ancestors. Prague was also a momentous destination because I was finally reuniting with Alex, who I hadn’t seen in a month. Prague certainly is an attractive city, with its cobble stoned squares of old and new, its crowning hilltop complex of castle and historical buildings, and its stately Charles Bridge stretching across the Vltava River. I have to say, though, I think the best part of our Prague experience was the seamless service we received at our unforgettable hotel, The Residence Agnes. I’ve never received such personalized, attentive care from a hotel staff as we experienced at The Residence Agnes. Beautiful Mikaela greeted us with a sunny smile and sat us down in the inviting atrium-like lobby when we arrived and provided us with maps, brochures, beverages, and recommendations. The entire staff worked round the clock to ensure we were happy, informed, and equipped with reservations and ideas for activities everyday. They even surprised me with a homemade gourmet birthday cake on my birthday and none of us even said it was my birthday, they took note of it from looking at my passport. One of the best parts about Agnes was also the unlimited complimentary wine they offered any hour of the day in the lobby. We took full advantage of this perk and, though the other guests probably didn’t appreciate our endless giggle fests, we shared many a laugh and story while saving a great deal of money. Prague is a wonderful city worth visiting, especially if castles, astrological clocks, and clubbing are all in your wheelhouse. I cannot say it was my favorite destination, most likely because I overhyped it based off of the opinions of friends and family, but I think also because it is very much a city and I think at this point I was ready for some trees and open space. But it was certainly worth, sorry last time I promise, “czeching” out ;). 

Highlights and moments:

-Reuniting with my dearest Al pal. Alex flew in on the 26th and it was a joyous reunion! I missed that handsome goofball.   

   
-Daily runs along the Vltava River. I enjoyed running on the pedestrian-friendly path that ran parallel to the expansive River. These runs were necessary after all the free wine imbibing we did at Agnes.       -A stellar 4 course meal at Mlynec Restaurant. This was a Residence Agnes recommendation and it surely didn’t disappoint. With stunning views of the Charles Bridge at sunset and a unique and avant gard menu, this restaurant proved to be a culinary experience for all five senses.    

   
-Wine-ing and walking along the Charles Bridge at night. Alex and I savored a romantic night cap at a little table that was perched atop a lookout over the river. We then took a stroll across the bridge itself which was enchanting and slightly spooky. The bridge is lined with incredible sculptures, and while some were monuments to saints or Angels, others depicted more visceral aspects of the human experience such as anguished prisoners. There was a guy performing fire breathing which added to the whimsy of the walk along this historic bridge where kings used to parade across on coronation day.    

    
    
 -Exploring the famous bone church in Kutna Hora. Yes, you read that correctly, bone church… human bone church. Though there isn’t much to this tiny town about an hour outside of Prague, if you’re into Halloween thrills like I am, the bone church, properly known as The Sedlec Ossuary, is worth a visit. With an unassuming facade, the church shocks and for some appalls, as the church’s interior is adorned in 40,000 human bones. Most of the skeletons were victims of The Black Plague. Originally buried in the All Saints Church Cemetery, all of the skeletons were exhumed at the end of the 15th century and stored in the Ossuary, an underground portion of the church, when the church closed. In the 18th century, under Schwarzenberg direction, the bones housed in the Ossuary became the sinister interior design that it continues to showcase today, and that attracts tourists from all over the globe. The focal point of the small church would be the chandelier in the center, constructed by at least one of every single bone in the human body.    

    
    
    
    
 

Unfortunately, Jackie and I couldn’t get a train until later afternoon out of London on the Eurostar, and for an outrageously expensive price that I’d rather not even mention, we also had to stop in Brussels where we had to hope we could catch a local train to Amsterdam.  To make the adventure even more fun, we nearly missed our train to Brussels after waiting in a line to try to get our train from Brussels to Amsterdam purchased ahead of time, and then discovered our entire train to Brussels was chalk full of Tommorrowland goers.  We didn’t arrive to Amsterdam until around 8:00 p.m., where we showed up exhausted and starving.  We were greeted by my dad, who was uncontrollably giggling, and my step mom who almost ran into the glass door of the hotel. I was overjoyed to finally reunite with my pops after having not seen him for a month.  Though, on this journey, with every happy reunion came a sad departure, as my first night in Amsterdam was Jackie’s final night with me.  We lived it up in Amsterdam for one final girls night out hurrah, and even though I was missing my other half, I thoroughly loved Amsterdam in all its coffee shop, bike riding, beautiful Nordic people glory.

Highlights and moments:

-Dinner at Le Bouf.  I didn’t know what to expect of Amsterdam cuisine, but boy was I pleasantly surprised.  Being the queen of contradiction, I love salad and I love French fries.  Amsterdam is all about this counteractive meal choice as well!  Every menu I saw featured a beautiful salad selection, and all salads came with French fries.  Jackie and I split a gnocchi appetizer, which I am still dreaming about, and then merrily devoured our salads and frites, feeling somewhat healthy and somewhat over indulgent at the same time. We caught up with my dad, step mom who is also named Jackie, and my step sister and her fiancé who were with us for part of the next leg of my journey.

-Bar mini-crawling with Jackie on her last night. Though I’ve never been to New Orleans, we bar hopped on a street that reminded me of what I imagine Bourbon Street looking like- rows of various bars with loud music and live music, colorful lights, and intoxicated people stumbling and weaving. We went to a cool hole-in-the-wall jazz bar first, and then had a little too much to drink at a loud dance-friendly bar full of travelers and locals alike, all looking far younger than us.  Jackie and I danced our little hearts out, simultaneously living in the moment while also trying to block out the fact that she had to leave the next day.

-Visiting the Van Gogh Museum.  I love Van Gogh, and even though Starry Night is not housed in this museum, it’s a beautiful museum with a technology enhanced audio guide.

-Running through Vondel Park.  Amsterdam may be one of the most active cities I’ve ever visited.  There are hardly any cars, everyone bikes.  I saw a woman decked out in a cocktail dress and stilettos hop on her bicycle and be on her merry way.  Vondel Park runs through the middle of the city and its an endless stretch of paths, open fields, small ponds, outdoor concert venues, outdoor cafes, and benches.  I’ve never seen a green space utilized by so many people all at once.  It’s hard to escape the ever present smell of marijuana, which I don’t partake in, but don’t mind the smell of, so that was a unique addition to my run through the park.

-The red light district.  After having been to Vegas countless times, the red light district truly seemed like nothing to gawk at. I was glad we saw it, because it’s certainly different and interesting, but on the surface, I didn’t find it drastically different from the scantily clad cocktail waitresses and go-go dancers that parade around the casinos and clubs in Vegas.  Of course, when I saw a “client” enter one of the rooms and the black curtains draw to a close, then I recognized just how different the spectacle is from anywhere else in the world.

All in all, I’d really like to return to Amsterdam for a longer period of time.  I loved its liberal and active vibe, and I surprisingly loved the food.