City girl. Traveling soul. Always hungry.
We woke up buried under a thick blanket on a chilly morning. South Africa’s days are piping hot, but its nights are soft and pleasant. After an overly-generous breakfast from our B&B host (is 4 eggs really necessary?) we bid goodbye to Swellendam with reticence. There was just one more day “on the road” before... Continue Reading →
We woke up to the sound of the ocean. It was so refreshing and perfect. The B&B was quiet except for the occasional clanking of dishes from the kitchen down the hall. We ate through a huge, delicious breakfast from our host that included a mountain of fresh fruit. She recommended a short hike that... Continue Reading →
We were already getting on another airplane after just two days in Jo’Burg. The next few days would be spent driving the Garden Route along South Africa’s southern coast. This part of the trip was added late in the game after I unearthed a mountain of information about the beautiful the coastline along the route.... Continue Reading →
Woke up in our 2-bedroom hotel “apartment” that cost the equivalent of $75 a night. The conversion rate in SA was still blowing my mind. Breakfast by the mall set us back a mere few dollars, with the bonus of mocking “touristy” tourists outside our window as they awaited the arrival of the Big Red... Continue Reading →
South Africa has been on my mind for months. We have this local wine bar in Yorkville called Kaia that is South African-owned, and we’ve never once had a plate of food or glass of wine that wasn’t perfect (try the baked lemons). The best part about it is sitting at the bar, shamelessly exploiting... Continue Reading →
It was nice to wake up in a real hotel room and not one that was one gust of wind from extinction. The air outside was brisk but it was also bright and inviting. I inhaled a full plate of hotel breakfast buffet food and several cups of coffee to prep for the day. Buzzing... Continue Reading →
Amidst howling wind and the intermittent shutoff of our motel’s ancient heater, I managed to get a bit of sleep. I moved the winter coat pressed against the motel door to block the draft and it was caked in fresh snow. So basically, it snowed inside our room. My heart ached for the check-out counter.... Continue Reading →
I craved that bit of land full of desert plains, dusty roads, and mountain views. Despite my endless love of the Southwest, I don’t make it out there very often. My mom and brother set off for a month to tackle the region, a trend that has become more common each year. The need to... Continue Reading →
Before heading back to the states, we made a 3-day stopover in Sydney, Australia. After nearly 2 weeks bopping between New Zealand hostels we chose to end our travels at a real hotel—one of those place with private bathrooms and something to decorate the walls other than coat hooks and “house rules” stickers. It was... Continue Reading →
Lake Matheson was the destination for our morning stroll before driving on to Queenstown. Katie was anxious to get there as early as possible, citing the need to avoid those tourist-mobbed bus tours that kept following us throughout our travels. A loop trail leads to the lake, which rewards you with a glass-like reflective scene... Continue Reading →
Chaos & Coffee Beans 