travel Archives - Page 9 of 10

Del Frisco’s, New York City

May 12, 2016

After going to Rockefeller Center and enjoying the view at the top, my mom and I were pretty hungry! We didn’t have a place planned, so I just Yelped a place nearby and found Del Frisco’s, a small upscale steakhouse chain found in the US. We were both in the mood for steak so we decided to try it out!

Del Frisco’s was located in a big office building and we definitely felt a bit under-dressed for a fancy restaurant. Everyone eating was decked out in their full business suites, meanwhile here were two tourists, LOL. However, we didn’t feel as if we were treated differently and the staff were very nice and accommodating throughout our meal!
Complimentary bread: To start, we were given a nice loaf of warm bread to munch on. The bread was fluffy, soft and came out lightly toasted. No complaints here!
Wagyu beef french dip, $23: Originally, my mom and I were going to share this because it sounded amazing! However, after telling my server about my dairy restriction, she told me the wagyu beef is smothered in butter before getting cooked. Sigh.

So, my mom ended up eating this herself. There was a LOT of beef inside the sandwich, to the point where she was almost unable to finish it. She said it was very tender and delicious though, and the horseradish dip went well with the beef.
Prime steak salad, $25: I wanted to try the steak, but I didn’t want to pay $50 for steak at lunch so I went with the prime steak salad. That way, I was still able to try their famous steak! The salad normally comes with blue and Parmesan cheese, and dressing. Obviously I wanted to have the dairy component, but due to my stupid and frustrating restriction, and risk of getting super sick I had to order without it.

Despite not having cheese and dressing, I found the salad to be really good! The steak was very tender and amaaaaazing. There was also a great amount of ripe avocado, which made the salad more creamy and filling. The only complaint I have would be that the leaves didn’t look or taste that fresh. Some of the leaves were quite wilted so I didn’t eat those ones.

Overall, we enjoyed our lunch at Del Frisco’s. Our server was very accommodating to my dairy restriction and went to confirm that that the dish could be made dairy free before placing the order. I really appreciated that.

Thanks for reading!

Carmen

Travel Diary: Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise, New York City

May 5, 2016

I spent almost a week in the concrete jungle, and am now back in Vancouver and ready to share my trip with you all. There was a lot my mom and I wanted to do, so our ‘vacation’ was really fast paced and I ended up doing a tremendous amount of walking there. Far more walking than I would normally do in Vancouver!

There are so many posts I have lined up from my Big Apple visit, but I decided to talk about the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise first because it was my favourite touristy activity.

I had the NYC CityPASS, which is a ticket booklet that offers you admission to 6 popular NYC attractions at a discounted price. You can click here for the full CityPASS review.

The Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise was included as one of the activities, and you had the option of choosing which scheduled cruise you wanted. You can go on the NYC CityPASS website for more information on the cruises.

We chose the Harbour Lights Cruise, as we wanted to see the city lit up at night!
Since this is the sunset cruise, this scheduled cruise only runs once per day, obviously. The other cruises, such as the Landmark or Liberty Cruises, run twice a day.

The pier where the cruise is located is about a 10 minute walk from Times Square, depending on how fast you walk. You can also take the bus from Times Square.

The weather was a bit muggy but that did not dampen our mood at all! Since it was more of a chillier day, we sat inside the cruise. Pictured above is the outside top deck (there are two floors).
Once the cruise started to move, people moved inside because it was a windy night and also raining a bit. But on a beautiful, warm day, you will definitely want to be on the balcony!

On Circle Line’s website, you can see the routes in which the ships go, as well as the length of time it runs for. The Harbour Lights cruise was 2 hours and goes around the bottom half of Manhattan, and back around the same way so you don’t have to worry if you are sitting on the side of the boat without the better view.

Now, on to the beautiful views!
On the cruise, we also got to see some attractions on the other side of Manhattan. We passed a port where soldiers were deported to Europe in World War 1 & 2 in New Jersey. We also saw the old Colgate factory in New Jersey. These things we wouldn’t have known if it wasn’t for our informative and engaging tour guide!

Pictured above is the old Pepsi sign, where the factory used to be in Brooklyn!
Passing by New York City, with the Empire State Building in the background!
We scored great seats since we went a hour early! The only annoying thing about our seats was that it was directly facing the stairs to the deck. Since the boat was going pretty fast and it was chilly that day, the cold wind blasted up to us whenever people would open the doors. It got a bit annoying because other customers held the door open for their friends, which made our entire area really cold!

Good thing there was an angry customer who went down and told them to not leave the door open as everyone upstairs was starting to freeze. Thank you, haha!
Going under the three bridges that connect Brooklyn and Queens to Manhattan! The tour guide, who was awesome btw, told us an easy way to remember the order of the bridges was BMW – Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg.

This one was either the Manhattan or Williamsburg bridge, sorry, I don’t remember which one exactly.
The sun was beginning to set at 8 pm! Pictured above is the famous Brooklyn Bridge, one of the first steel cable and oldest bridges in North America. We learned that when it was first built, citizens and government officials alike were hesitant to cross the bridge because it was the first time they used steel cable there.

We also learned from the tour guide that the engineer used double the amount of steel cable than necessary. So, you can easily tell the Brooklyn Bridge apart from the other two based on how much more cable and wire it has.
I actually didn’t know the Harbour Lights cruise went around the Statue of Liberty, so I was pleasantly surprised when it was announced!

This picture is probably my favourite photo of the trip that I took. Lady Liberty looks so majestic and beautiful lit up like that.
On the way back, our side of the boat faced Manhattan so I was able to take nicer city view photos. This is a photo of Lower Manhattan, featuring the World Trade Center building.

Since my mom and I didn’t go on any tours and just explored the city on our own, it was really nice to learn about NYC from an experienced tour guide. Throughout the evening, the tour guide told us fun and interesting facts about the city – hidden facts you wouldn’t really know.

To add to it even more, he had a really great sense of humour and I had a lot of laughs listening to his stories and facts! For me, that’s what made the sightseeing cruise so enjoyable and memorable. I would highly recommend taking this cruise, whether or not it’s your first time to the Big Apple!

Check out the NYC CityPASS for tickets to the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise!

Yay!

Thanks for reading,

Carmen

Media passes provided on behalf of CityPASS. Opinions are own.

My Opinion on Airbnb: Pros, Cons, and Tips

April 12, 2016

Those who know me well know that I am constantly on Airbnb, creating wishlists of places I want to go. Whenever I am stressed or in a bad mood, going on Airbnb is very soothing and helps take my mind off things. Airbnb is a website that lets you rent homes or space from other everyday people. It could be the basement suite, a room in a house, an apartment, a RV, a treehouse, an igloo… you name it, the possibilities are endless!

Since I am constantly browsing on Airbnb, I would consider myself to be somewhat of an expert on it, and thought I would share some pros, cons, and tips I have learned along the way!

This post is not sponsored by Airbnb, they don’t even know I am writing this. I just thought it might be helpful as I’ve had some friends ask me about Airbnb before.

During the summertime, the boyfriend and I went to Kelowna for a short getaway trip. Although I do love travelling, I don’t get to go as much as I would like due to money and time constraints. We tried to save as much money as possible, or at least try to get our money’s worth.

This is why we decided on trying out Airbnb! First, I’ll explain what Airbnb is, pros & cons, and my advice. I will also follow this article up with a review on my first Airbnb suite in Kelowna, to be published later this month!

Airbnb Review and Opinion — Photo credit: KelleyLouise.com/Airbnb

PROS:

Save money. There are many Airbnbs out there that cost significantly less than a hotel. Plus, if you rent out an apartment or house and split the cost with your travel crew, you will save a lot of money!
The great thing about Airbnb is that you are getting more of an authentic experience as you get to live in a home similar to locals. You really get to explore and view the city at the same level that locals do.
It’s also more unique compared to a hotel. When choosing your Airbnb, you can decide on whether you want the entire place, a single room, or shared room.
By choosing the latter two listed above, you are able to meet other travellers and form friendships with them!
Airbnbs also have a higher chance of including a full kitchen, which is something I prefer so that I don’t have to eat out every single meal (also saves money!).
More flexible: I find that individual hosts are more flexible in terms of check in/check out time, given that no one else has booked the listing right after you.
Local tips: Hosts mostly live in the city, if not in the same space as you! Hosts are always down to suggest local, lesser-known places to explore rather than the tourist hot spots.

CONS:

The most common complaints I’ve seen on reviews are messiness, dirtiness, and rude hosts. Read my tips below on how to prevent Airbnb horror stories from happening on your next vacation!
Another con is the cancellation policy. Each host has its own cancellation policy, and if it is labelled as ‘strict’, you will not get a refund after your booking. This has caused trouble in the past when travel plans did not go through with my friend and was troublesome for her. Airbnb service fees are non-refundable, even if it is under the flexible cancellation policy.
Hidden fees. Although a place may state that it is $100 a night, this does not include the cleaning or Airbnb service charge. Certain cities such as San Fran add an ‘occupancy tax’ fee too. Often, the cleaning fee & service charge add up to an additional $200! I know to be wary and to keep in mind a possible additional hidden fee. See photo below for an example.
Customer service: Airbnb’s customer service is pretty much non-existent. Should issues arise, you will have to dig through their ‘help center’, which didn’t help my issue at all. You have to go through a ridiculous number of steps before you are actually placed on an online chat with an agent, there are no telephone agents.
Just plain ol’ bad luck. Sometimes, no matter how much research you do, you just have bad luck. I saw this happen with my friend, who was very diligent in her research. The host she booked with had excellent reviews. However, during the trip, the listing was very dirty and the host became very sketchy. He denied her allegations, said her family stayed the whole time (they stayed for 1 night before they couldn’t handle the dirtiness), and even CHANGED his profile name on Airbnb after my friend contacted him!

TIPS:

RESEARCH. RESEARCH. RESEARCH. Many of the cons can be prevented with extensive research, as I always do before selecting a place on my wishlists! I can not stress how important research is before hand.
Read previous reviews. I only trust places with many positive reviews. If less than 80% of reviews are positive, I’m not taking the chance and moving on! Also go through the host’s profile and see if they seem legitimate or not.
Read the description CAREFULLY and message your host if you have any questions beforehand. If the Airbnb listing looks very messy and disorganized in terms of writing, I close the listing immediately.
- The way I see it is kind of like a resume. Why would you send off your resume (the Airbnb listing) to potential employers (your guests, people who are paying you to stay at your place) when it is poorly written and unedited? If you’re not going to take the effort to edit and write clearly, it raises red flags with me.
Check the refund policy – flexible means full refund until the day before, moderate is full refund until five days before, and strict is 50% refund one week before and no refund under a week. I am more likely to book a place that has flexible or moderate refund, but I understand the strict policy is better for the host. If you are unsure about your dates, I would recommend finding flexible or moderate listings.
Stay organized. This is similar to my first important tip on research. Find out what amenities your Airbnb has and what it doesn’t have. Some places don’t offer shampoo or laundry, for example.

Conclusion:

Airbnb is a great alternative to hotels and you would either save money, or get more value for your dollar. I love Airbnb and can see myself using it as I travel more because it saves money and is unique. However, I do like the familiarity and consistency of hotels so I would probably do a mix of both!

If you are someone who doesn’t want to do research, I would recommend staying at a hotel because you know what to expect, and hotels follow a standard protocol in regards to cleaning & customer service.

If you have any other questions, let me know in the comments! I hope this post helps your travel plans, and that you’ll enjoy Airbnb as much as I do. I have saved up money and am going on a trip soon, and will be living in my second Airbnb!

Stayed tuned for my review on the first Airbnb I stayed at in Kelowna!

Thanks for reading,
Carmen

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Airbnb.

Travel Diaries: Horseback riding in Kelowna (Pegasus Riding School & Trail Rides)

May 21, 2015

Greetings everyone!

I’m continuing my travel journal today, with what I did during my second day in the beautiful city of Kelowna!

One of the top things that we wanted to do in Kelowna was horseback riding. Prior to the trip, I had done some research and narrowed it down to a small, horseback riding company due to the significantly lower price they offered.

We went with Pegasus Riding School & Trail Rides, which was about a 30 minute drive from the main part of Kelowna, on the other side of Okanagan Lake. You have to take some small, windy roads up a mountain to get there, but the reward is that the view is a bit nicer from up top.

A one hour ride was $40, compared to most places in central Kelowna that were around $60-80 a hour. So much cheaper! To some people, it may be a bit out of the way but we didn’t mind driving a bit extra. The only thing we didn’t like was that we weren’t able to book a reservation, so our plans were up in the air until the day before.

They also only take requests through the traditional telephone (no text or online booking), so you’ll have to call the owner and let them know which day you want and time. Even if you tell them, they can’t guarantee that time for you and tell you to wait and see if other customers call. If others call for the same time, they’ll open the spot up but if not, unfortunately you’ll have to find another time.

This got a bit tedious but oh well, we were able to save money!
After giving you a helmet and riding boots, you’re on your way! One person from Pegasus leads the way, I really liked our guide that day.

Monkey was the slowest horse in the entire group, so we were pretty behind most of the time. He also has to stay in the back because our guide told us that one of their white horses loved to bite Monkey in the back during trail rides. Now, Monkey does not like white horses or behind in front of any other horses – poor guy! Nonetheless, I really liked him – he was a very sweet, shy, and gentle horsey =)
After around 30 minutes of riding, we reached the view point! I’m glad that the weather was cooperating with us, so we had a nice clear view of West Kelowna and Okanagan lake.

Some tips I would give to others would be to wear comfortable, stretchy pants. Your legs may be sore as they get stretched out due to how wide the horse’s body is. Also, as the horse trots along, your body bounces up and down a bit so you may end up with a sore lower back as you try to balance. Personally, I was okay though!

Afterwards, we went to explore West Kelowna’s winery region, the Westside wine trail. The most popular one there is the famous Mission Hill winery, but we didn’t really have a great experience. It was too busy and staff weren’t that friendly.

Our personal favourite from the Westside region was Quail’s Gate. It wasn’t as busy as Mission Hill but had fantastic service, and one of their wines was served with chocolate – yum!!! My favourite part was the view though. They have a big, grassy hill for visitors to relax in and soak in the beautiful Okanagan view, which is what I certainly did.

Have you been horseback riding before? How did you like it?

Thanks for reading!

-Carmen

Travel Diaries: Winetasting & Hiking in Kelowna

May 20, 2015

I just came back from a nice little getaway to the beautiful city of Kelowna and had the idea to attempt travel blogging. I’ve never really done this before but I do follow my awesome friend’s travel blog, so I figured I would give this a try.

For those who don’t know, Kelowna is a small city located around 4 hours away from Vancouver, in the same province (British Columbia). It is a pretty easy drive up as you just follow the highway. This city is situated in the interior region of BC, otherwise known as the Okanagan Valley.

The Okanagan Valley is very well known for the beautiful Okanagan Lake which I couldn’t take my eyes off of and the beautiful summer weather, which in turns produces their famous fresh and delicious fruits. In particular, Kelowna is well known for their tremendous amount of wineries and outdoor activities! It is the perfect place to come and enjoy the great outdoors!
I don’t normally go hiking, but one of my best friends who lived here for 4 years recommended that we hike up to Knox Mountain. I’m glad that we went in the early afternoon, because by the time we were done the hike, the sun was directly on top of us and it was getting really hot. The hike up to the first viewpoint took around 15 minutes, and was pretty easy. There was some slight uphill, but nothing that bad.

From there, we saw signs leading to the Paul’s Tomb hike, and decided to follow that instead of going to the second viewpoint at Knox Mountain. The hike to Paul’s Tomb was a lot easier because there wasn’t much uphill, and a lot of gradual downhill! It took us around 30 minutes at a leisurely pace to get to Paul’s Tomb.

When we got to Paul’s Tomb, I was in awe at how beautiful the view was. The trail was pretty quiet, and we were the only ones there which was something I really appreciated about a smaller city like Kelowna.

We sat here for awhile, absorbing the beautiful view that was Okanagan Lake and the surrounding mountains. Waves gently brushing over the rocks, a gentle cool lake breeze gave us a break from the hot sun, and clear water.

The walk back took more effort than the getting there, but it was so worth it! We took shelter and cooled off whenever the sun would get hidden behind the fluffy white clouds. There was slight uphill as the walk there is downhill, so you do get a bit of a workout. As someone who doesn’t hike often, I certainly felt it in my calves and hamstrings after finishing the hike.

After a quick lunch, we were off to our first wine tasting! There are five main winery regions in Kelowna, which can be found on the online pamphlet or in the wineries themselves. We decided to go to the Lake Country region first. I recommend having a car in Kelowna, as many of the wineries are in secluded, hidden areas. Also, a map – we got lost a few times with all the winding off-roads!

Unfortunately, I didn’t take pictures of all the wineries as I hadn’t thought of blogging about this trip until afterwards =( My favourite winery in Lake Country was Arrowleaf! The inside had a nice, modern, clean design and had floor to ceiling windows. They also had a nice grassy area for a picnic or a patio where you can enjoy their wine.
This is the view from Grey Monk winery. All the wineries that we went to had breathtaking views of Okanagan Lake! The Lake Country region had around 6 different wineries, we went to 3 of the wineries. At most, wineries in the same region are no more than a 15 minutes drive away from each other but usually less than 7 minutes.

Never been wine tasting?

Worry not! When you arrive at the winery, one of the workers will approach you and ask if you’re interested in sampling some wine. Some wineries charge a small fee (I remember the ones we went to ranged from $3-$8), but sometimes they waive the fee if you purchase a bottle of wine from them. Others offer complementary tasting.

Then, they give you a small menu with all the different types of wine that is available for sampling, it can vary from day to day. Most places limit you to four samples. You will start with the lighest wines (typically the whites and rose) and move on to the heavier wines. This method works better for your taste palette.

Wine tasting goes by pretty fast! In each winery, we completed the wine tasting in under ten minutes and spent the rest of the time walking outside, enjoying the view, or checking out the products on sale.

Where did we stay?

We found a nice, comfortable place on AirBNB! It was very centrally located and convenient. Our host was wonderful and the place was readily stocked with all the necessities plus minor little details. We chose to go with AirBNB instead of a hotel mainly because Kelowna hotels cost significantly more in the summer due to the influx of tourists and were all sold out already, and because we wanted a full kitchen in case we decided to cook.

Thanks for reading! Stay posted on more wine tastings, horseback riding, and an outdoor high ropes/obstacle course!

-Carmen