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Chicago Weekend Guide

Chicago is the perfect city for a weekend getaway in the summer. The weather was perfect for site seeing and the city had so much to offer. I had a blast staying downtown and seeing the sights while indulging in deep dish pizza. Here are my recommended stops for resturants and things to do.

Copy this google map to use for your own vacation and make edits to see your top spots.

Restaurants & Bars

1.  Au Cheval

This burger bar is a must on your list of places to eat. If your traveling with a small group, save time an eat at the bar. The wait is usually over an hour. The wait time a testament to the quality of the burgers! read more

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Top 10 Things to See & Do in Longboat Key, FL

Longboat Key Florida has always been a special family vacation destination. My family loves going there for spring break or Christmas. We usually coordinate with extended family and all try to stay on the island at the same time. After many years of going to Longboat Key, I am excited to round up my Top 10 Things to See & Do in Longboat Key, FL.

Here’s a map to help start your planning if you are thinking of going to Florida. read more

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Phoenix, Arizona: Great Winter Getaway

#Arizona #travel #blog #travelblog #Scottsdale

It’s mid-December and getting cold in most of the U.S., but not in Phoenix. Southern Arizona has a great warm winter that makes it the perfect destination for a trip to escape the cold. The Phoenix/Scottsdale area has so much to offer from fun hikes, shopping, great restaurants, art walks, and more.

#Arizona #travel #blog #travelblog #Scottsdale

Scottsdale is the town just East of Phoenix and recently revamped their tourism with the Experience Scottsdale media push, check out their website, it has awesome city walk guides.

While it’s great to write about my trip, I realized I can offer more than just text and pictures! I found a way to share my Google maps for everyone to download. This is a great resource to help everyone start planning a trip. You can add the Google maps to your phone and make edits to customize the trip. It lets you have all your addresses in one place to get a better idea of the city layout. Planning a trip can be time-consuming so hopefully this helps. Let me know if you have any edits or feedback to make the Google maps even better! read more

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New Orleans: Top 5 Things to do

New Orleans Bourbon St. #NewOrleans #bourbonst

I’ve been to New Orleans multiple times but wanted to go back for a day to capture the city for the blog. For this trip, I traveled with my friend Sarah Kelly. Sarah is a fellow co-worker at Southwest Airlines and also an amazing photographer, check out her website. We flew there Saturday morning and returned Saturday night. With little time to spare we headed straight to the French Quarter.

Here are the highlights:

Cafe Du Monde
Jackson Square
The Carousel Bar
Pat O’Brien’s
Bourbon Street

read more

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4 Things I won’t fly without

Be prepared for the next time you fly with these four things:
Disclosure for this post.

1) TSA Pre-check

TSA pre-check is a time saver! If you don’t already have it click here to apply.  It’s $85 for 5 years and certain credit cards and rewards programs cover the fee- check here to see if you’re eligible.

Another way to get TSA pre-check is through Global Entry. Global Entry is $15 more, costing $100, but gives you access to quicker lines when flying internationally. Find out more about Global entry here. read more

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24 Hours in St. Louis, MO

24 Hours in St. Louis, MO was the perfect amount of time to explore the city for a girls weekend!

I traveled with two friends, Katie and Kate. We debated between getting Uber’s whole time or renting a car. Ultimately we decided that renting a car would actually be cheaper and allow us the flexibility to drive around to multiple locations.

I booked the hotel with points, which is always nice, and we stayed right downtown at the Hyatt Regency. The hotel was in a great location and even walking distance to the St. Louis Cardinals baseball stadium. The only downside to the hotel was parking. The lot was full when we arrived and had to park a block over. read more