Vacation

Travel: #EmnBtoAVL

| The Bee Life

This past Memorial Day weekend we hit the road and ventured to a new city for a new adventure down to Asheville, NC.  From initial research on fun vacation spots, to our friends buzzing about visiting this latest hot spot our curiosity was peaked… so we crashed our friends trip and buckled in for a long weekend of exploring!
Travel - EmnBtoAVL - the bee life
Although our weekend consisted mostly of drinking and eating, we did have other trip highlights that made Asheville a memorable city that we’d be happy to visit again.

Blue Ridge Parkway – Craggy Gardens:  With the rolling mountains surrounding the city, the Blue Ridge Parkway is almost unavoidable.  We drove up to the Craggy Gardens pathway that led us to a stunning view, although the fog was rolling in, it did clear up enough for us to grab a few shots and see the true views.  This manageable hike was perfect for all ages and led for a great photo op and perfect spot for a lunch break.

Dog Friendly:  One of the great parts of this trip was being able to bring Moz! Our friends also brought their pup, Maybel, it was great because almost everywhere in Asheville was dog friendly! The one afternoon we went brewery hopping, the pups tagged along and probably met about 15-20 dogs throughout the day.  It was super fun, and the city is really great for us dog lovers whether your dining or drinking.

Rich with History:  One piece of Asheville history that we visited was the stunning Grove Park Inn. Originally built in 1913, this piece of property is impressive and of course has incredible views of the running mountains and downtown Asheville.  Even if you can just stop here for a drink on the outdoor patio (which we did) you’ll be in for a treat and able to enjoy this treasure and explore the original building.  The city center also held grounds for historic learnings and monuments that led us to google search a few times to learn about the cities origins and historical figures.

Be sure to stop back on Friday as I’ll be sharing more details into our favorite eats and breweries from Asheville!

Latest Obsessions 03.18

| The Bee Life

With March being my favorite month, my latest obsessions are full of more of my favorite things! Craving sunshine, sweet summer vacays while keeping busy in these cold months with scandalous TV shows and swooning over our beautiful wedding memories.
Lastest Obsessions 03.18 - the bee life(10
Our Wedding Pictures. I received the edited photos pretty quick, but recently received all of the raw images, that was a field day going through ALL of those pictures. Most of them being full of bloopers and blinks, good for a chuckle, but there were a few gems in there that I just heart-eyed emojied over. I am planning to tease some more wedding pictures this year on the blog, so get ready!

Red Bathing Suits. I am ready for summer, and I am ready for some new suits! With my significant weight loss this past year – I am feeling great in my body and actually looking forward to bathing suit season! I am loving red/orangey suits, whether it’s this one-piece from Target, or this fun ruffle top with a mixed printed bottom from Old Navy. Athleta also has this strappy red one piece that I have my eyes on.

A Sunny Vacay. So being summer ready and bathing suit ready, I need someplace to soak up some rays! We were blessed last year to be able to go on four-great trips, three of which were full of sunshine, bathing suits and lazy days.  So we are looking forward to hitting the road and getting out of town to soak up some more sunshine in my red bathing suits!

Versace. Well, let me clarify, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on FX.  We loved watching OJ vs. the People the first of the series, mainly because that happened when B and I were too young to remember! The acting in both of these series is beyond amazing, Darren Criss has transformed into the super creepy Andrew Cunanan and the rest of the cast is uncanny to their inspired real-life characters. Not to mention the music in the show is sooo on point!

What’ve you been obsessing over? What have you been binging to satisfy the cold months and what vacays or summer fun are you looking forward to?

 

 

Image Sources: Versace | Vacay | Timothy-Logan Photography

 

Travel: Thanksgiving in Palm Desert

| The Bee Life

We were lucky enough to take our #emnbhoneymoon right after our wedding, meaning we spent our first Thanksgiving as husband and wife in sunshine, just the two of us!  We love our families, but it was nice to detox, soak up the sunshine and do something new and not rush around to three different dinners within 48-hours.

Since we were still on east coast time, we woke up fairly early and were ready to roll, enjoying the sunrise from our balcony.  We started our Thanksgiving off with a walk through our resort over to the main hotel to grab Starbucks and explore the extensive campus of the Marriott Desert Springs.  We got back to our condo and B cooked breakfast, we found Home Alone on TV and vegged out, made some calls back home and figured out where we could eat that night searching for a spot to make dinner reservations on Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving in Palm Desert - the bee life
By 10:30 we were suited up and at the pool, soaking up the sun as it warmed from 75-to 91-degrees.  The pool was fairly quite, we were able to nap, cool off and just soak up the sunshine while sipping some drinks. By early afternoon we headed back up to the room to get ready for our early dinner at 4pm. We headed to Palm Springs for our dinner reservation at Eight4Nine.

Luckily they had some Thanksgiving dinner reservations available and we snagged one up for their limited 4-course menu for the evening. This modern venue is sported in all white furniture, with pops of pink and fun art throughout and a stunning patio. Our “First Impressions” was a house-made ricotta with autumn root and shishito pepper giardiniera.  The “Second Course” we were able to select from 5-choices, I went with the Pear Salad while B had the Curried Cauliflower Bisque. For the “Main Event” there were 6-mouth watering options, one of which was your Traditional Roast Turkey – as tempted as I was, I went with the Marsala Pork Tenderloin; dried plum, roasted spiced yams, greens, candied bacon, and toast pine nuts.  B went with the Sourdough-Crusted Chilean Sea Bass with dungeness crab-stuffed piquillo pepper, saffron aioli, greens.  It was all so phenomenal, and we both ended withe the Bourbon Pumpkin Tart and some hot coffee to finish up our Thanksgiving meal.

It was nice being served an extravagant dinner while enjoying each others company after a day of sunshine and pool.  It was definitely a fun and a different Thanksgiving, but one for the books as Mr. & Mrs.

Travel: Lake of the Ozarks

| The Bee Life

B and I were lucky enough to take another awesome vacation this past week.  We headed west-ish for my aunt’s belated 60th birthday trip to the Lake of the Ozarks.  A first for B and I, it was a treasured childhood spot for my mom and her family growing up, with lots of memories in and around the lake!

Days consisted of bikinis, sunshine, pool gossip sessions, corn hole tournaments, cold beers, fishing and ski-dos.  One day the ladies went hiking and explored around Ha Ha Tonka State Park, climbing 317 stairs both ways, while exploring old castle ruins, breath-taking water spots and the natural bridge.
Travel - Ozarks - the bee life
Night’s consisted of large family dinners with St. Louis style ribs paired with incredible spreads of fresh salads, fruit, lots of beverages, including of course, Manhattans.  There were also many family stories shared, reminisced of old times, and lots of laughs.  We celebrated my Aunt’s 60th our last night at the lake, and her gratitude for everyone making the trip there, was exactly the reason we went, to create and share in family memories.

It was a great vacation, full of sunshine, awesome weather and even better company.  We can’t wait to get back to the lake!

Travel: #EmnBtoMB

| The Bee Life

B and I were lucky enough to get away for a few days over Memorial Day weekend with my parents in Myrtle Beach.  The main reason for the trip was to visit my grandma.  She lives down there in a nursing home, and my aunt and cousins also live in the general area. So the goal of the trip was to get my grandma out of that nursing home and spend as much time as possible with her!

Our first full day there was a beach day! Yes, we took my grandma to the pier and got her onto the beach. We avoided the more touristy part of the beach, and went to Myrtle Beach State Park – it was a perfect spot with not too many people. A storm rolled in, but we waited it out and the sun came out, the clouds went away and it was beautiful.  B and I got to stroll down the beach, had some fun in the water and snapped some pictures, while my parents walked the boardwalk with my Grandma.
Myrtle Beach - the bee life
The next day we did some outlet shopping, and then made our way to the community pool where we were staying with a pitcher full of Whiskey Sours (recipe coming soon!),  so music, swimming and a little cat nap in the sun, was the perfect afternoon.  Saturday was a morning workout day and another pool day, and then family time with your standard picnic feast! It had been a bit too long since I’d seen everybody, and B’s first time meeting the cousins – so it was a much needed trip and visit.

Although the trip felt quick, the sunshine was needed and it was great to get out of town for a few days. This trip was also special, because this was B and I’s first “beach” vacation – as we’re used to heading out west, or weekends away at the cabin.

Check back in tomorrow, I’m sharing our Myrtle Beach eats!

Travel: D.C. Eats

| The Bee Life

This past weekend, B surprised me with a trip to Washington D.C. to celebrate our dating anniversary! We always try and figure out places that are close-ish and within driving distance. This trip was just that. He booked this trip at the end of March, and didn’t tell me where we were headed until 5-days before!

The last time we were both in D.C. was for our 8th grade trips, so needless to say I am sure we didn’t appreciate a lot of it. Not to mention, going now, we were able to explore at our pace and more importantly find some good spots to eat and drink!

Cork Wine Bar
Cork was my surprise for B. I found a spot with the same name as our first date! It was a random find, located just North of Logan Circle. Cork’s atmosphere was cozy and intimate. They’re known for their old world wines, but we opted for bubbly and beer. They also recommend about 2-3 plates per person, so we ordered the full gamut! We started with the house-marinated olives and avocado. They were both pure heaven, and we hadn’t even gotten to the main course yet.  B ordered the grilled octopus salad, which was refreshing and light and a lot of great flavor. From there we enjoyed the crispy lemon and black pepper dusted calamari and rock shrimp, sauteed mushrooms and the lavender encrusted lamb chops. Everything was delicious, but the lamp chops were incredible, the taste and flavors beat any expectations.  We ordered the chocolate mousse to share and couldn’t stop gushing over everything we’d just ate.  Everything was phenomenal.

Astro Doughnuts
This was an Instagram find that happened to be walking distance from our hotel! So we popped over to Astro Doughnuts first thing Saturday AM with our coffee to get some sweet treats to kickoff the day.  We ordered the Maple Bacon, PB&J, and Almond Brittle. They were all delicious but the PB&J and Almond Brittle took the cake.  You can also order chicken or specialty sandwiches – but we stuck with the sweets.  It was on point!

Farmers & Distillers
Located in Chinatown, this spot is an urban twist on all types of cuisines, with their own stamp on the drink menu with their distilled alcohol.  This was your typical hot spot, it was bustling and loud.  The food was good, but it was so-so in comparison to our dinner at Cork. At Farmers & Distillers, we opted for the salad and pizza route. Our pizza picks were on point. We ordered the bacon & baby kale and the brie & tart apple, they were both delicious in their own way.  The food was good enough, but I wish we would’ve spent a little more timing finding a different spot with a cozier atmosphere.

We definitely ate well this past weekend in D.C. – and can’t wait to go back to try some new places and head back to a few favorites *cough Cork cough*

If you’ve got any D.C. must-eats, please comment below for our next trip there!

Bon Appetit!

Weekend Getaway Must-Have’s

| The Bee Life

Planning any fall getaways?  October always seems to fly by, but one of our favorite to-do’s is getting out of town for a quick weekend trip, being in the middle of nowhere, no wi-fi, no traffic, no house work, just hanging out and escaping the world.  As much as I love a weekend away with B, it’s even more fun when you can plan it with some friends or family.  Here are a few must-have’s for your upcoming weekend away.

  1. Games:  This is a way to laugh, have some friendly competition and get away from the TV!  Having some good group games like Cranium, Wavelength, Cards Against Humanity or even just a deck of cards will kick your nights off right.
  2. Drinks:  Have a variety of alcoholic beverages, but if you can find a fun recipe that is season specific or a new recipe to try! Split the ingredients with your friends and join together in trying something new.
  3. Music: Whether an inpromptu Basketstreet Boys dance party breaks out or just some background music is needed during games and drinks be sure to bring some portable blue tooth speakers and have some tunes ready to go!
  4. Food: Be sure to have a variety of snacks to enjoy during games and drinks; you can’t go wrong with cheese, crackers, grapes and don’t forget some chocolate to snack on! For dinners and breakfasts, keep it easy, eggs, bagels, oven pizza’s or something you can throw on the grill. After all your away so enjoy the down time.
  5. Local Spot: If you go to the same weekend getaway spot, and you haven’t found your go-to local spot yet, get on it!  Whether it’s a place for breakfast, an ice cream spot, an antique store, or a local brewery (we opt for the local brewery part whenever possible).  It can be your spot away from all your normal local home spots.

What’re you favorite things to do or have on a weekend getaway? 

Cheers to the weekend!


 

Travel: Jackson Hole – Part 3

| The Bee Life

Sick of all the amazing photos of beautiful scenery and food from our trip? Me either. This last recap is for the must see photo stops beyond the millions of other stops you can make along the way.

Oxbow Bend
This is on the north end of Jackson as you’re headed out to Jackson Lake Lodge or Yellowstone.  Not only does Oxbow Bend have great views of Mount Moran, but you can also bet on seeing some wildlife around there, particularly a grizzly or moose.

Jackson Lake Lodge
JLL is a great place for a nicer dinner and drinks especially if you want to be wowed by an amazing view of Mount Moran and the stunning range it belongs too.  Again, another great spot for animal watching especially early morning or in the evenings the floor to ceiling windows allow for nearly unobstructed views.

Jenny Lake
You’ll find that this is a popular destination for new and seasoned visitors.  Whether you’re stopping at a pull off to capture a peak of the lake, jumping on the ferry to cross over, or renting kayaks to paddle along you’ll have stunning views of Teewinot and Mount Owen.  This time around we went the kayak route which can be rented right at the boat dock and it was awesome.

Moulton Barn on Mormon Row 
This is one of the most photographed barns mainly because of it’s stunning views of the Grand Teton not to mention it’s iconic structure.  Since I first went out to JH, Moulton Barn has definitely risen on the map and is more “commericalized” with an outhouse, parking, and even a bridge to be able to walk over and get up close to the barn.  When we first went out the property seemed sacred only being able to get only as close as the fence would allow (below 2009 vs. 2016).  It’s definitely changed over the years, but still a must-see.

2009
2016

Schwabacher Landing
If you do an image search “Jackson Hole Wyoming” one of these iconic pictures of the Grand reflected into water will turn-up.  Most famously shot early mornings at sunrise you’ll be up before the sun to get this shot.  We did that on our last morning, got up early and waited until the sun came up to grab the perfect shot with the pinks on the tips of the mountains.  If you walk the trail further you’ll be guided to another marshy area full of beavers! Definitely a stunning shot that looks nearly fake in photos.

Jackson Town Square
The center of Jackson is cornered with four elk antler arches, huge arches that you can walk under and they stand in their glory day and night. It’s often sometimes hard to get a clean shot in front of an arch due to the tourists walking around and even snapping their own pictures – going early mornings or later in the evenings usually has a smaller crowd.  If not offer to snap a couples photo and have them take yours, in and out!

In Jackson, pretty much anywhere you drive will have stunning views of the Tetons or the foothills, it’s incredible how much beauty is packed into one space.

Questions on JH or just visited? Send me your pictures @mmariebee or leave a comment below!

ICYMI:  JH Recap #1 – Hikes || JH Recap #2 – Food || #EmnBtoJH – 2014

Travel: Jackson Hole – Part 2

| The Bee Life

Since this week is super rough after an amazing trip last week, let the JH recaps continue. This post is all about all the yummy food we ate and the dranks we drank!  There are definitely more places to visit than what we covered this past week, but none the less the spots we picked were pretty tasty too. Enjoy!

Cafe Genevieve
We had seen this spot on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, so we definitely wanted to check it out, it did not disappoint. We ended up at this spot twice for brunch and were introduced to deliciousness AKA pig candy. The pig candy was a game changer, especially when paired with a Bloody Mary.  Oh, and you can buy it online too!  Not only was the atmosphere quaint and cute, but the service and staff was exceptional and the food was great. I went with the Biscuits with Canjun Gravy while B had the Snake River Farms Corned Beef Hash and the Cajun Eggs Benedict, all so good.

Snake River Brewery
The beers are great and it’s supporting local business with delicious food too.  We started with the beer sampler, which in and of itself is worth getting because of the presentation.  We then ordered the pretzels and cheese dip, ohmygawd. I ordered the bison burger, because when you’re out west it’s kind of a necessity to get a bison burger. I definitely over indulged but it was the good kind, plus you forget when the atmosphere is fun and tunes are cranking.

The Deck @ Piste
AKA happy hour at nearly 9,000 ft. AKA one of the most stunning happy hours you might ever go too.  The free gondola rides start at 4:30 and from there the 10-minute or so trip takes you up to The Deck.  The drinks are delicious and the views don’t stop it’s a win-win combination for good conversation and a good time – not to mention live music too!  We were able to get this happy hour in twice while we were in town.

Million Dollar Cowboy Bar
The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is a staple in downtown Jackson.  It’s marquee is a photo stop day or night, but you must be 21 to enter this bar!  It wasn’t until 2-years ago that I finally got to visit the bar.  It’s rustic decor is just what you would expect, and yet the most known item at MDCB is the saddle bar stools. We enjoyed some cocktails and grabbed dinner at the bar, they have a Steakhouse in the basement, but we opted for chicken fingers, burgers and fries. *smiles* It’s definite a must-stop in JH.

A few other spots we visited were the Mangy Moose, E Leaven, Thai Me Up, Smokin’ Iron (awesome patio) and Moo’s Ice Cream. We definitely got to enjoy a lot more food since we stayed in town so we were closer for brunching, lunching or sipping, all of it within walking distance too!

Cheers!