Travelchicmic.

Pronounced: Travel-chick-mick... I'm a travelling Canadian Mom who loves vintage, fashion, food, home decor and searching for unique finds around the world. I love meeting new people, learning about new cultures and discovering more of this world we live in. Let me take you on my journey!

[travelchicmic]

I took a family vacay to Vancouver this past August to finally discover more of Canada. I usually want to travel internationally, but I know that my home country has a lot to offer and its time I see more. My desire to visit Vancouver also comes from wanting to experience possibly living in another city in Canada, so I wanted to see if it was a good fit for me and my family. Being a big city girl and from Toronto, many people were telling me I would not like it. But once I laid eyes on the mountains and the city I really fell in love. I really admired the scenery and the beaches, and it was Kitsilano Beach that took my breath away. The fresh air and water make me want to live in this environment for the health and well-being of my family. I like the different neighborhoods and also the way the city is set up. I'm glad there is diversity but it's not as much as Toronto which I would miss. I know there's many things I would miss in Toronto, but I think it's always good to have an adventure, life is too short to just stay in the same place or comfort zone. I was born and raised in Toronto, I been here my whole life and the city is great without a doubt. However my trip really confirmed that I want to make moves and experience one of my bucket list items, to experience living in a new city. I would prefer to try a foreign country of course, but I'm being realistic since I have a family and need job security. I'm ready for the west coast, hopefully Vancity wants me too. Time will tell if this will happen, but I'm gonna make it happen!

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I am a big fan of brunch and while I visited NYC I had to try out Clinton Street Bakery Company located in the Lower East Side. I had the blueberry pancakes with their amazing maple syrup and it was heavenly. The best pancakes out there, perfectly fluffy and cooked to perfection, I never loved pancakes this much until I had them here. I would definitely come back to try everything on their menu, but this was a splurge for us since our sad Canadian dollar is suffering so badly. I never spent this much for brunch but all worth it. I heard Clinton Street Bakery Co. is even in Japan too! I will make sure to have it wherever they are located when I travel.

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I love these boxes for baked goods at Mr. Holmes Bakehouse. I use my box now for putting little knick knacs and papers. I wish I could have a box of cruffins and pastries delivered to my home. Wishful thinking. Day dreaming of eating their pastries again someday.

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My favourite bakery in the world has got to be Mr. Holmes Bakehouse in San Francisco. It is worth the wait in the morning, especially if you really want to try their signature pastry called a “cruffin” they have amazing flavours everyday. You must line up atleast 45 min. before they open their doors and the line up moves fairly quickly since the shop only bakes so many cruffins a day, and there’s a limit of two. If you miss out on the cruffins the rest of the pastries are super scrumptious, fresh and all good to eat. You can purchase a box and fill it up with a bunch of pastries to take home. I must have spent $40 on a box filled with assorted pastries on my first visit and that included no cruffins, but I went back and made sure I tried the cruffins before I left SF. This is a must to do when visiting SF if you have a sweet tooth. You will not be disappointed, I guarantee a satisfied palette and belly. Please start opening these bakeries on the East Coast!

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My summer in San Francisco was a great experience. Definitely a city I would live in if I could afford it. I enjoyed everything the city had to offer. Beautiful architecture, a picturesque setting by the Bay, great shopping and restaurants, and perfect mild weather. I was able to check out a cool food truck fest called “Off The Grid” and hung out among the locals and ate some good food and listened to cool music, good vibes all around. I definitely miss eating sweet baked goods from Mr. Holmes Bakehouse, nothing like it at home. I need to satisfy my sweet tooth!!!

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Hanging out in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Good mexican eats and local shops to explore. Or also known as a Hipster haven, which I don’t mind at all.

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Photo booth fun in San Francisco on our family adventure in San Francisco! (via Check out my UNIQLO photos)

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Any chance we could get to sample local food in Colombia we took it. Every meal was super tasty and even the most simple dishes had such a great combination of flavours. We sampled cheese with hot chocolate, empanadas, traditional meals with avocado, plantains, egg with rice and beans. When in Bogota I tried Coca tea which was sweet and helped with altitude sickness.

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Breakfast time at The Grace Hotel in Bogota. Nice patio but food was just mediocre here.

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Our boutique hotel accommodations on our first night in Bogota at The Grace Hotel. Another stylish hotel, with friendly staff and nice comfortable rooms. We had the only room on the first floor with a patio and kitchen (but we never used either of them). The area is near the financial district and walking distance to many nice restaurants. It's like a hidden gem you could say.

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Visiting Museo Botero in Bogota with free admission too.

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Can't get enough of Click Clack hotel, Bogota.

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Click Clack Hotel in Bogota, one of my favourite hotel stays.

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While staying in Bogota, we enjoyed our temporary home at the Click Clack hotel, an uber trendy hotel stay with an impressive interior design filled with many details to keep you entertained. A really cool hotel perfect for young travellers, hipsters, business travellers and young hip families like us! The hotel room provides an iPad to use during your stay where you can arrange hotel service from booking reservations for the hotel rooftop restaurant or room service, or use it to plan your day in the city...such a great idea! The breakfast buffet included with our stay was the best I ever had in all the places I have stayed in! It had a great selection of food, exotic local fruits, freshly squeezed juices and coffee you can even take away. The hotel is located in a safe area of the city in a neighbourhood called Chico, near Park 93 with many restaurants and shopping nearby. You can even walk around here at night time with no issues. The hotel was even voted one of the "Best 50 Urban Hotels of the World in 2013" by Wallpaper Magazine. Check it out here and be sure to stay here if you like stylish hotels: http://www.clickclackhotel.com 

[travelchicmic]

Our Breakfast tour in Bogota for a half-day using Urban Adventures with Intrepid and More Local Tours. This was the perfect way to taste the flavours of the city, absorb the culture and see how locals live. Our friendly local tour guide did a great job of showing us what Bogota has to offer, along with travel tips, history and keeping us safe. We loved it!

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Plaza de Bolivar or Bolivar Square in Bogota Colombia on our urban adventure.

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This past summer, I decided to take my family on an adventure to Colombia! Most people question why I chose this destination and assume that its a dangerous place, especially since it had a bad reputation for many years with the obvious Pablo Escobar, drug wars and all...but times have changed and the country is filled with plenty to offer! From natural beauty, amazing landscapes, rich culture, great food (and coffee of course), friendly people and so much more. I never touched South America until now, and I'm glad that I finally discovered what an absolutely fantastic place Colombia is. I highly recommend to visit here and even families too, we never felt unsafe. Our direct flight from Toronto was only a 6 hour ride away. Our first stop was Bogota! Above shows us visiting the Monserrate for city views high above and even got to ride a cable car to the top.