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Last month I went to Utah and it was literally so much fun! I made it my goal this year to finally get my butt to a national park and I went to three during our trip. I have traveled more internationally than domestically, and I also made it a goal to see more of the U.S. and am so fortunate that I went to Hawaii and then Utah this year!

I went to Utah initially for Devoted Workshop, a photography workshop in Zion. It was 3 days and I got to learn alongside a bad ass group of gals. The shoots were incredible and it was honestly one of the best experiences! Zion National Park is absolutely gorgeous. Seriously, the views out in Utah are unlike anywhere else.

On the last day of the workshop, Campbell flew into meet me. I wanted to explore more of Utah, so we had a plan of him coming down and us heading to Moab. We spent the first day he was there still in Zion exploring the national park and walking around everywhere. There are tons of small hikes you can do (we were too scared to do Angel’s Landing) so we just did those all day! It was beautiful. We stayed in a super cute AirBnb that was pretty close to the national park on a farm.

The next morning, we stopped to get breakfast at a really cute cafe and then hit the road for Moab! We stayed at Under Canvas Moab and went glamping. Literally it was the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in and we got breakfast delivered to us each morning. It was the best staying there! Campbell hates camping but when you’re sleeping on a king sized memory foam mattress, what is there not to love?

That evening, we got our engagement photos taken by the incredible Autumn Nicole! Her work is mind blowing. We went to Dead Horse State Park and the views were absolutely insane. We had such a fun time shooting and the pictures came out better than I ever could have imagined. I’m obsessed!

The next day in Moab we spent all day at Arches National Park! We did tons of hikes around the park, including Delicate Arch which was my favorite. We got so tired by the afternoon hiking around in the sun that we headed back to Under Canvas and took a nap. Then we went into Moab for dinner and walked around the town!

Our last day! Our flight was at 11pm so we had all day. We spent the morning doing a few hikes in Canyonlands National Park which was gorgeous. It was a ginormous park! We went to Mesa Arch and the views were insane. I was scared to get too close to the edge though! Afterwards, we headed towards Salt Lake City since that’s where we were flying out of. We did this hike to these hot springs which was a lot of fun and change of scenery from red rocks. Except it was so hot outside, we could barely get in the water!

Following the hike, we went to In n’ Out and then walked about the city. Salt Lake City was just okay, so we didn’t walk around for too long until we decided to head to the airport.

Overall, southern Utah was a 10/10 and I already want to go back to explore and shoot more!

Exploring Utah Last month I went to Utah and it was literally so much fun! I made it my goal this year to finally get my butt to a national park and I went to three during our trip.

#archesnationalpark #canyonlands #canyonlandsnationaloark #explore #exploretheus #moab #nationalparks #photographer #photoworkshop #saltlakecity #southwest #Travel #utah #utahnationalparks #wanderlust #zion #zionnationaloark

So it’s been awhile since I’ve written on this personal/travel blog but I thought before my next trip (I leave for Utah on Tuesday), I should write about our Road to Hana experience in Hawaii! For those who don’t know, the Road to Hana is a famous road in Maui that goes around the entire island and has beautiful stops along the way. People recommend to break up the drive into 2 days and stay overnight somewhere along the road, but Campbell and I were ambitious and did the whole thing in a day. We also drove the whole thing and didn’t turn around to drive the “safe” way….Which was a little scary if I’m being honest. Literally the windiest, bumpiest roads on the edge of a cliff…But we made it and are alive to tell the tale. Here are the stops we did along the way. There are more stops than this you can do, but this is what we did!

Stop #1: Hookipa Beach Park

Campbell and I hit the road at the crack of dawn and started our trip at this gorgeous beach park to watch the sunrise. There was almost no one there and it was a beautiful way to wake up and start the day!

Stop #2: Twin Falls

This was our first real stop and was a quick one just to see some waterfalls! The upper falls were closed, but we saw the lower ones. At the gated entrance to the falls, you’ll encounter a cool food truck and later on, portable toilets. The gardens and greenery were beautiful too around the falls.

Stop #3: Huelo Lookout

We stopped here quickly for a really pretty view and a delicious acai bowl! Look out for a food stand on the side of the road and then the lookout is right behind the stand.

Stop #4: Waikamoi Nature Trail

We read that this was supposed to be a very rewarding 0.5-mile trail (each way) that leads to a secluded picnic area via a thick forest of bamboos, mango trees, and eucalyptus trees. However, there was a massive tree fell down so we maybe went 0.2 miles before we couldn’t get any further and had to turnaround!

Stop #5: Honomanu Bay

This was just a scenic pullover on the side of the highway. There are gorgeous views of the ocean!

Stop #6: Ke’anae Peninsula

You have to stop here and go to Auntie Sandy’s Banana Bread! It was probably the best banana bread I’ve ever eaten. The peninsula is also gorgeous and it was a nice stop to stretch our legs!

Stop #7: Wailua Valley State Wayside

This stop actually had proper parking and you can climb up some stairs to a fantastic viewing areas and you can see views south to a gap in the Haleakala Crater and north to the Wailua and Ke’anae Peninsulas. It was stunning!

Stop #8: Three Bears Falls

This stop is also called Upper Waikani Falls in Google Maps, Three Bears Falls are definitely worth the stop though you might have to walk a bit as parking is prohibited directly in front of the falls. It was a really pretty view!

Stop #9: Pua’a Ka’a Falls

These waterfalls are located at the Pua’a Ka’a State Wayside Park! You can walk for five minutes and reach a swimming pool fed directly by a waterfall.

Stop #10: Makapipi Falls

Around mile marker 25, pull over just before or after the one lane bridge and inspect Makapipi Falls from above. This photo stop was one of our favorites!

Stop #11: Nahiku Marketplace

If you didn’t pack food or haven’t eaten already, this was a great stop for lunch. There are so many lunch options and variety in choices of things to eat! I got shrimp tacos and Campbell got huli huli chicken. There are also a few shops you can browse in!

Stop #12: Waianapanapa State Park & Pa’iloa Beach (Black Sand Beach)

In Waianapanapa State Park, you’ll find one of the most famous black sand beaches in Maui – Pa’iloa Beach. It was one of our favorite stops and we spent awhile just wandering around the beach and surrounding areas! It was absolutely gorgeous.

Stop #13: Kaihalulu Beach (Red Sand Beach)

One of the must-see natural attractions on the scenic drive is Kaihalulu Beach – a.k.a “red sand beach”. It was a little trickier to get there! Park your car near the Hana High School and follow the slippery path which hugs on the cliff. Parts are slippery so you have to be careful, but after about 10 minutes of walking, you’ll reach an overlook above the red sand beach. It was mind blowing! We stayed here the longest, swam, and enjoyed the views before it started raining.

Stop #15: Haleakala National Park – Kipahulu

It was getting dark so we made our way to the national park to do two little “hikes” – one through a rainforest and one to some pools. This was a great way to end the day in the car and then prepare for the 2 hour drive back! The Kuloa Point Loop Trail is an easy 0.5-mile loop trail that takes about 20-30 minutes to complete including stops. It leads to the Seven Sacred Pools that meet the ocean. There’s also the Pipiwai Trail which is a 4-mile (return) trail that goes through the rainforest and leads to a bamboo forest and then at the end, supposedly a beautiful waterfall. Since it was getting dark, we just went to the bamboo forest and back, which was about 2-miles (return).

Seriously, doing the Road to Hana is a MUST if you go to Maui! It was the most magical day chasing waterfalls, seeing insane beaches and views, and eating delicious food!

The Road to Hana Experience So it's been awhile since I've written on this personal/travel blog but I thought before my next trip (I leave for Utah on Tuesday), I should write about our Road to Hana experience in Hawaii!

#explorehawaii #hawaii #islandadventure #islandhop #islandlife #maui #mauihawaii #roadtohana #roadtrip #Travel #traveldreams #travelhawaii #wanderlust

Maui is the most beautiful island and jungle land. Campbell and I island hopped over to Maui first thing one morning, picked up our rental jeep, and went off exploring right away!

Our first day in Maui, we stopped at the Iao Valley State Monument and walked around the national park. It literally felt like we were in a jungle and it was so gorgeous! Following, we stopped at the Ma’alaea General Store for lunch and had the best sandwiches. Seriously, STOP HERE! Then after lunch we went to Papawai Point, a famous place to watch for whales and we actually saw a few! It was so insanely cool! We then went to our AirBnb which was such a cute place right near the beach! We stayed in Lahaina, a really adorable town. It was the most perfect beach day so we decided to just spend the whole rest of the day relaxing on the beach. We went to Kaanapali Beach and relaxed, got shave ice, and walked to Black Rock Beach, a famous spot for cliff jumping. It was such a great first day in Maui and there was so much gorgeous sunshine! We had an amazing dinner at Monkeypod that night, 10/10 would recommend!

The next day, we woke up at 5:30am to do the Road to Hana. The Road to Hana is a famous road trip full of waterfalls, beaches, banana bread, and extraordinary adventure that goes around the entire island of Maui. People advise to break it in half because doing the full thing in one day is exhausting, but Campbell and I decided to do the whole thing! Boy, it was exhausting though but so worth it and it was unreal! We left at 6am and got back at 8pm, and both passed out after! The road is SO windy, so it takes a lot longer to drive on since you have to be careful. We saw so many incredible waterfalls, walked on some beautiful beaches, ate yummy food, and admired all the views! I’m going to write a whole blog post just on the Road to Hana, our stops, and some advice we have from doing it!

Our last full day in Hawaii was such a rainy day unfortunately! A big tropical storm hit the island and it changed all of our plans for the last day. We were planning on going snorkeling, but all the boats were canceled. Our other plan was to go up to the Haleakala Crater, but the roads were also closed because of the weather. Instead, we just slept in for the first time our whole vacation (haha) and went out for a delicious breakfast. We explored Lahaina and went to th eLahaina Banyan Court, Old Lahaina Courthouse, Lahaina Harbor, and went in and out of stores on Front St. We were trying to decide our plans, and decided to go to the Maui Ocean Center. We spent a few hours there and it was actually pretty cool, and also something to do in the torrential rain! We had a delicious last dinner and then decided to wake up early before our flight to watch one last sunrise. Sunrises and sunsets are just that much more magical in Hawaii.

I wish we had more time on Maui to explore more of the north part of the island, snorkel, hike the crater, and endless other things. Now we just have to go back!

Hawaii Part Two: Maui Maui is the most beautiful island and jungle land. Campbell and I island hopped over to Maui first thing one morning, picked up our rental jeep, and went off exploring right away!

#explore #explorehawaii #hawaii #life #maui #mauihawaii #Personal #roadtohana #Travel #traveldreams #travelhawaii #travelindustry #travelplanning #wanderlust

Campbell and I just got back from beautiful Hawaii and had the most amazing time! First up on the blog is our time on Oahu. We stayed in Honolulu at a cute AirBnb that was very close to the beach and tons of restaurants. To be honest, if I could have decided again, I would have probably decided to stay outside of the city, either on the North Shore or on the East side of the island. But it was fun staying in Honolulu!

We arrived at 4pm on the first day and picked up our rental car. We then went to our AirBnb to check in and put on our swimsuits right away! We went to the famous Waikiki Beach for sunset and a walk, and then went out for sushi. Then we went to go pass out since we were so exhausted from our travels!

The next day, it was pretty rainy unfortunately. We started off our day with going to the famous Leonard’s Bakery. YOU HAVE TO GO HERE. The malasadas are incredible. Make sure to get one sugar and one cinnamon! Then we hiked to the summit of the Diamond Head Crater. The views were beautiful, even in the rainy weather! You have to get some Dole Whip here, it’s so refreshing after the hike!

Then we went back to Honolulu and got steak plates from Steak Shack. You have to eat steak plates! Afterwards, we went to Waiola Shave Ice and Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor wasn’t an activity we were prioritizing, but since it was rainy, it was a good activity and honestly very interesting! I’m glad we went! Then we decided that despite the rain, we were going to the beach. We drove to Kailua Beach and got a few minutes of sunshine, before the rain started again and we saw a rainbow! Then we ended our day with a Valentine’s Day date at Duke’s! It was so good!

On Friday, we met my old friend Elise and her boyfriend Ryand in Kaneohe at a secret spot called the Chinaman’s Hat! It was the most beautiful secluded beach and we had an amazing session! We went swimming in the beautiful water and then visited Kualoa Regional Park, which was right next to it basically. Afterwards, we drove to the North Shore and man, the beaches and views in this part of the island are stunning. We went to Sunrise Shack for the most amazing Acai Bowls.

We went to a few different beaches, such as Sunset Beach, Shark’s Cove, and Waimea Bay. We got shrimp plates from a food truck and it was so tasty! Then we went to Haleiwa and got shave ice from Aoki’s Shave Ice which was definitely the best shave ice our entire trip! We had an amazing day and the rain held out thankfully! On our way back into town, we stopped at the Nu‘uanu Pali Lookout but it was the windiest weather and hardest rain that I’ve ever seen the second we got up there, so unfortunately, we couldn’t see a thing!

Saturday was our last full day on Oahu! I had another morning session and we went to the Makapuʻu Beach which was stunning! The session was so much fun and we had a little rain, but it brought the most gorgeous rainbow! Then Campbell and I hiked to the Makapuʻu Lighthouse and tide pools. Definitely would recommend! The weather looked good for the rest of the day, so we stayed on the East side of the island and went to some more beaches. We went to Waimanalo Beach and Hanauma Bay. Afterwards, we went to the Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden Visitor Center. We ended our last night with going back to Waikiki for sunset and then went out for a lovely last dinner! We went to a famous Udon noodle restaurant and waited in line for about an hour to get in!

Oahu was absolutely gorgeous! I would definitely advise to spend as much time as you can out of the city and in more of the natural beauty of the island!

Hawaii Part 1: Oahu Campbell and I just got back from beautiful Hawaii and had the most amazing time! First up on the blog is our time on Oahu.

#adventure #hawaii #honoluluhawaii #inspiration #islandadventure #islandlife #northshorehawaii #oahuhawaii #Travel #traveldreams #travelhawaii #wanderlust

All About Money & Finances

Awhile back (like a pretty long time ago), I put a pole on my story about finances. Money has always been so interesting to me and how people save and spend different. Over 50% of people around my age had less than $5,000 saved and 19% of people had credit card debt. $5,000 isn’t a big cushion and your credit card debt should be 0%!

I was fortunate to grow up with parents who taught my siblings…

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#budgettips #finances #inspiration #life #money #moneyblog #Personal #savetotravel #saving #savingtips #spending #Travel

2018 went by way too fast. I still can’t really believe how quickly it went by, but it was honestly the best year with so many positive life changes and milestones. I moved in with Campbell and I celebrated a year at EF. I recently started Ashley Olafsson Photography, chasing my dreams! 2018 also brought some amazing travels and I’m so lucky. I hit my goal of going to 5 new places!

January

We started off the new year with a trip to Maine with Campbell. We stayed at the beautiful Cliff House and had the most wonderful stay. We went during the coldest weekend of the year, so we mostly just binged Netflix in our fancy room and got room service. But we did venture out for delicious Maine seafood and to the hot tub, even though our hair froze!

February

Then in February, I went to New York to see my college roommates. I always wish I could make it to New York more often, but work and life get so busy! I’m so lucky that we have still stayed so close. They are some of the most important people to me and I love them so much. I stayed with Betty, and we had dinner in the city with Nicole and Audrey.

March

In March, Campbell and I went on an amazing beach getaway to Turks & Caicos. It was the most magical, relaxing week in paradise. We had the absolute best time and I didn’t want to go home and back to reality! We spent the whole week just relaxing on the beach, reading, eating delicious food, swimming in the warm sea, sneaking into resort pools, playing with puppies, and so many fun things.

June

In June/July, I went to Cape Cod with my family which was also so nice and relaxing. Nickerson State Park is my home away from home. I grew up going there every summer since I was a baby, and it’s always the best getaway. It’s so nice spending time with family camping!

July

In July/August, we embarked on our Europe adventure for two weeks. Campbell and I went to London, Paris, and Venice with Sarah and Travis and then spent a week in Westward Ho!, England at my family reunion. It was such an epic adventure! Campbell had never been to England before to meet my family, so it was so nice showing him around London and Devon. We had an amazing time with Sarah and Travis exploring some beautiful cities for a week. Such a fun adventure!

August

In August, I went to Denver with EF for our summer weekend. The weekend was such a blast! I’m so fortunate to work at such a fun company. We went hiking in the Red Rocks, went to a music festival, and explored all of the city!

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The next weekend in August, I went to New York with Sarah, Amanda, and my mom for Camp GLP. It was one of the most rewarding weekends, and really the main reason why I finally found the courage to try and start my portrait photography dream business. It was really indescribable, and so life changing.

September

In September, we had the annual MS Walk in Cape Cod which is always the best weekend. It’s such a moving event and I love now that Campbell always comes!

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Later in September, I took Campbell to New Orleans for his 25th birthday. It was a complete surprise, he had no idea! We literally just ate and drank our way through the city and had such a fun time celebrating him. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I wanted to give him a birthday he’d always remember.

October

In October, I went to Ireland for 2 weeks for pleasure and work. It’s an amazing company perk that you get to go on one of our tours a year. I was going on our “A Week in Ireland: Galway, Cork, and Dublin” tour and went a week early to Dublin and Killarney with my mom. We had the most amazing trip! Ireland is so beautiful and didn’t disappoint!

November

I went back to New York finally to see my college roommates! I want to always try to at least go twice a year, but as I mentioned, it’s hard and life gets busy. We had such a fun weekend. Campbell came, and we stayed with Nicole and I got to see Joanna, Betty, and Audrey! I love when we can all get together and I wish I didn’t have to live in another state!

My 5 new places were Turks & Caicos, Venice, Denver, New Orleans, and Ireland. I’m making it a goal for 2019 to go to 5 new places as well and already have exciting things brewing! Hawaii in February, possible trips to Atlanta, Peru, and other wonderful places.

Campbell and I are also ending 2018 with a romantic getaway for my birthday to Getaway House in New Hampshire. It’s been on my bucket list to stay here, and I can’t wait! Hope everyone had some wonderful adventures this year!

Voyages of 2018 2018 went by way too fast. I still can't really believe how quickly it went by, but it was honestly the best year with so many positive life changes and milestones.

#2018travels #adventures #Europe #hawaii #life #maine #neworleans #newyork #newyorkcity #Personal #Travel #turks&caicos #voyagesof2018 #wanderlust

Well, almost a month later and I’m finally blogging the second half of my Ireland trip! Life has been really busy recently. Post Ireland, I thought everything would slow down but life always gets busy and then suddenly, weeks have past since I’ve last blogged! But better late than never!

My tour was a lot of fun for work! We had a great group and everyone got along so well which was nice. Our tours cap at 35, but we had a small group of 17 which was actually really nice and intimate. Our tour director was wonderful! The tour started in Galway, the cutest city on the water. Galway was definitely my favorite city. We mostly had a free day our first day, so I wandered all around and did some shopping followed by a nice, long walk to the beach. It was so beautiful!

We had an excursion the first evening to a Castle Banquet Dinner. It was kind of cheesy since everyone who worked at the banquet dressed up in medieval clothing and addressed me as “my lady” but it was really fun and not everyday you eat dinner in a medieval castle!

The following day we went to the Cliffs of Moher which was SO stunning. I was in awe the entire time looking at the cliffs. The countryside of Ireland is just so beautiful.

The next day, we went to Blarney Castle first thing in the morning and I got to kiss the famous Blarney Stone. The castle was beautiful, but even more so, the castle grounds were really pretty and I loved just roaming around. Afterwards, we went to Cobh, a small town on the water, and learned about the launch site for ships bound for North America which was really interesting. Following, we had an excursion that evening to Kinsale, another cute town on the water, and visited an old fort and had a lovely dinner.

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The tour ended in Dublin, so back to Dublin again! We had a full guided sightseeing the first day and then a free evening, so I got to see my friend, Conor, from when I studied abroad in Australia. It was so good seeing him! We went out to dinner and to a really cool bar with some of his friends.

On our last day, we had an excursion to Glendalough which was beautiful. Then we had a free rest of the day in Dublin, which I did some shopping to finish getting gifts for people. We had a big farewell dinner and drinks, and it was sad saying bye to my group! It’s funny how you can get close to people in just a weeks time!

I really had such a good experience on my first tour assignment for work and am so lucky to have a job that continues to let me explore the world!

2 Weeks Exploring Ireland – Part 2 Well, almost a month later and I'm finally blogging the second half of my Ireland trip! Life has been really busy recently.

#adventure #Destinations #efeducationfirst #Europe #exploreireland #inspiration #ireland #life #Travel #wanderlust

Ireland exceeded my expectations. Not only is the country so beautiful, but the people are so friendly and I could honestly eat cottage pie for every meal. Also, there are sheep, cow, and horses everywhere which makes my heart happy because I love animals. I work for a travel company that sells group tours, and as a company perk, you get to go on one tour a year as a work assignment. I went on our “A Week In Ireland: Galway, Cork, & Dublin” tour, but went a week early with my mom to explore the country a little more. This blog post is going to be about that first week exploring for fun with my mom!

My mom and I had such a great week in Ireland! It went by too quickly! We flew into Dublin, and had a sleepy day exploring the city once we arrived in the morning. We walked through Trinity College, Dublin Castle, Temple Bar, and all the main sites in one day. Then we fell asleep really early because we were exhausted from the traveling and time difference. Dublin is a really cool city, but I was eager to see the countryside and smaller towns, so away we went!

We took the train to Killarney the next day. We were staying there for the next 4 nights to explore County Kerry and wanted to stay in a smaller town than a big city like Dublin. Neither of us drive on the other side of the road, so it was a good place to stay put where we could book day trips. Killarney is the cutest town ever! We stayed right off Main St. on in the best and most central AirBnb. When we got there, we just explored the town, did some shopping, and got dinner and drinks.

The following day, we did a day trip to the Ring of Kerry. It was absolutely beautiful! We had the best day for weather too, sun and blue skies. The views were amazing and we had the best tour guide as well who was so informative and funny. The Ring of Kerry is this famous road trip in County Kerry where you stop in small towns and beautiful coastal views. We were so lucky to have such great weather so we could enjoy the beaches and views. I barely even needed my jacket it was pretty warm!

Then a storm came through Ireland! It wasn’t too bad, just some rain and winds. But the following day, a tour we thought about doing was canceled due to high winds so we relaxed into the morning in our AirBnb, went out for tea and scones, and then shopped and roamed around in the rain. We did a tour of the famous Muckross House, which was really interesting. When the rain got better later in the day, we took a nice walk through the National Park. It was so nice being so central to the town in Killarney, but walking distance to the beautiful National Park. It was still a great and relaxing day, rain and all!

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On our last day in Killarney we did a day trip to the Dingle Peninsula and Slea Head. It was pretty rainy and foggy, but the views were still incredible! We stopped at Inch Beach, Dingle, and other small towns and views.The dramatic cliffs and countryside were unreal and we had another fabulous tour guide. I highly recommend Deros Tours in Killarney!

The following day we took the train back to Dublin and had another night in the city. We saw a family friend which was nice, and went out for dinner and drinks in the Temple Bar area. It was sad seeing my mom go home and I was continuing on to Galway for my tour assignment, but it was so nice traveling together and I’m so grateful for this trip we had! We had the best week and Ireland exceeded my expectations! Also, I realized how much I love whiskey but hate Guinness.

Happy #TravelTuesday! Stay tuned for Ireland Part 2 about my tour assignment!

2 Weeks Exploring Ireland – Part 1 Ireland exceeded my expectations. Not only is the country so beautiful, but the people are so friendly and I could honestly eat cottage pie for every meal.

#beautifulviews #Destinations #Europe #explore #exploreireland #ireland #life #Personal #Travel #traveldreams #travelindustry #wanderlust

This weekend was an absolute blast. It was Campbell’s 25th birthday on Saturday, and what better gift then to surprise him with a trip to New Orleans?! He’s always wanted to go, so I sneakily planned the trip about 6 months ago (yes, I plan far in advance) and surprisingly kept my mouth shut until Friday night. We were about to get ready for bed when I told him I had to text him his birthday present. I texted him his boarding pass and he was so shocked! We quickly packed for our early flight the next morning. He was so surprised and excited!

We stayed at a great AirBnb close to the French Quarter. Would definitely recommend if you’re ever going to New Orleans! It was walking distance, but just far enough that you can sleep peacefully at night. When we got there on Saturday, we immediately walked to Bourbon Street and got hand grenades to go. They were strong! It’s so funny that you can just walk around with alcohol on the streets there. We walked all around the French Quarter and then got lunch at Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar. We were told to not wait in line at ACME and go to Felix’s instead, and we were so glad we did. It was delicious! We ate Po’boys and they were so good.

Afterwards, we continued walking around and saw Jackson Square, Frenchmen Street, Lalaurie Mansion, the Old Absinthe House, and other places. The architecture and streets in the French Quarter were so cute! I loved them!

Campbell and I celebrated that night at Meril. Our AirBnb host recommended the restaurant and it was amazing! Campbell got a flaming cotton candy for his birthday and it was so fun. We had such a nice evening. Then we went back to Frenchmen Street and enjoyed the rest of the night out at a jazz club. The music scene in New Orleans is amazing.

The next day, we got breakfast at The Ruby Slipper Cafe. It was SO good! This place gets very crowded, so I would definitely recommend calling in advance and putting your name down on the mobile app they use to seat you. If you don’t, you’ll end up waiting for at least an hour when you show up.

Afterwards, we took the famous street car to the Garden District and did a self-guided walking tour. We saw all the mansions and were in awe of the southern houses and beauty. We also went to the The Lafayette Cemetery #1. It’s so interesting since New Orleans is below sea level, all the graves are above ground.

Campbell’s grandfather actually grew up in New Orleans, a reason why he always wanted to go. We saw the orphanage where he grew up in (it’s now a Jewish Community Center but there’s a plaque outside) and the school he attended. It was really neat to see that history from Campbell’s family!

We then got snow cones from the famous Sno-Bliz and they definitely lived up to the name. We went back to our AirBnb after to rest for a little bit since we were exhausted from all the drinking, eating, and walking, then continued to roam the French Quarter after our rest. We went to the Napoleon House for Pimm’s Cups and ate gumbo and jambalaya. For dessert, we went to Cafe du Monde and each got our own helping of beignets. THEY WERE SO GOOD. I wish we went there the day before so I could have eaten them twice! Food in New Orleans was so good, it was unreal! Then we went back to Frenchmen Street that night and walked around the Frenchmen Art Market and went to another jazz club.

Our last day we went to Cafe Fleur De Lis for another amazing breakfast. Basically, all we did was eat and drink our way through the city. Then we wandered around through some voodoo shops to kill time before we had to leave for the airport, got a drink at the famous Carousel Bar, and headed home.

It was seriously such a fun weekend and New Orleans is the coolest city! We didn’t have a lot of time and didn’t do things such as the ghost and cemetery tours, but we had the best time just eating and drinking our way through New Orleans!

We’ll be back! Just look how happy he is riding a street car and eating his beignets!

Surprise Trip to New Orleans This weekend was an absolute blast. It was Campbell's 25th birthday on Saturday, and what better gift then to surprise him with a trip to New Orleans?!

#adventure #birthday #Destinations #food #inspiration #life #neworleans #neworleansla #NOLA #Personal #southernusa #Travel #unitedstates #usa #wanderlust