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Put in Bay, OH – A Hidden Gem In The Midwest

Where? That is what I said when I my Dad told me that he had a wonderful, family friendly spot for us to visit this summer. Growing up on Lake Michigan, a destination on Lake Eerie truly felt foreign to me.  We had spent many holidays in Ohio but never visited this surprising gem.  To get to Put In Bay, you have to get to Toledo, Ohio and then ferry over by boat to this island in the Midwest (the Ferry is $8/adult and $17/car).  Not only is Put In Bay beautiful, but it is also has historical significance.

Its location in between Canada and the United states provided the British army a strategic advantage during the War of 1812 (remember learning about that?!?)  In any case because of its historical significance, Put In Bay is a US National Park with a sunning International Peace Monument to commemorate the battle victory.  Although the island itself is only 3.7 miles long and 1.5 miles wide we were able to have a memorable visit there because of a few things that they island has done right in attracting tourism.

Casual Atmosphere

As soon as you get off the ferry, you are offered golf carts and bikes to get around the island.  These are truly the most practical ( and the most fun) way to get around.  A car is truly just unnecessary, parking on the island is limited and it takes longer to get to and in your car than it would just to walk most times.

The few hotels on the island are huddled together near the downtown part of the island where all the restaurants and shopping is located. The island generally is well manicured but the downtown is immaculately clean and welcoming, especially to families.  There are incredible parks, a carousel, indoor and outdoor dining, water sports, and boutique ice cream and retail parlors everywhere.  Its truly just picture perfect.

Engaging Park Services

Due to the historical side of Put In Bay Island and the large international Peace Memorial Park, it is impossible not to participate in the learning that is so ingrown to the community there.  The park service has a very nice free museum with a theater to make sure that everyone who visit understands that Put In Bay is more than meets the eye.

Island Life

I know, it sounds funny but truly being on a island, no matter where always kind of seems exotic.  There is water EVERYWHERE and it is part of every landscape.  Our favorite spot that we visited EACH day we were there was the South Bass Island Lighthouse, this tiny lighthouse is located on the edge of the island with the most stunning views and breeze.  The kids and I danced in the wind for hours wishing we had a kite with us.

With the bikes we were able to explore every nook and cranny of this island and I rode with my Dad at sunrise and at sunset.  It was such an amazing bonding experience.  ( Be aware that in the month of June, the island experiences an infestation of May Flies, large dragonfly looking insects that  are harmless but literally swarm the island for two weeks.)

All in all, Put In Bay ended up being a great little getaway in the Midwest.  We stayed at the Put In Bay Resort and Conference Center.  I would say it was an average hotel that has a pool, continental breakfast and spotty wifi.  Although it was just fine for our visit, with the tiki bar by the pool and ashtrays everywhere, the resort had a little bit of a ‘Spring Break’ vibe that I would probably veer away from next time.

If you are looking for a quick little Midwest getaway, check out Put In Bay, you won’t regret it.  To see other family friendly adventures, click here.

Cheers,

Rina

Travel

Park City, Utah Will Give You Life

When I first became a mother I was told by veteran Mom’s that taking time for yourself is important. When my kids were infants I found it difficult to separate myself from family life and always carried a feeling of “mom guilt.”  Now that my kids are 5 and 7, I understand why that advice is so important.  With no diapers, bottles or sleep schedules, I have a lot less “mom guilt” leaving the kids to spend time with their dad or grandparents to have some “me” time.

Destination: Park City, Utah

Back in October, I went with four friends to Park City, Utah. We stayed at the Montage in Deer Valley. Though it was off-season, and we didn’t go for skiing, there was still plenty to do! We rented a four-bedroom residence which offered a kitchen to make at-home meals or store late night snacks. We didn’t really make good use of the kitchen since we were trying to escape the daily routine of family life including cooking and dishes!  The Montage offered complimentary coffee and assorted teas in the morning which was a nice, and much needed, touch.  

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A quick note: For those of you who have altitude sickness, Deer Park sits at almost 7000 feet so you might want to come prepared with some extra oxygen or Advil for minor headaches. I suffered my first night there, but staying hydrated helped get me back up and running the next day! Learn more about altitude sickness here.

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Sundance and North Forty Escapes

Two excursions that we really enjoyed were our trip to Sundance and our trip to North Forty Escapes.  The Montage was kind enough to offer a complementary car for us to drive out to Sundance. We did a hike to Stewart Falls which made for the perfect outdoorsy addition to our girls trip. If you decide to make your way there, bring a sweatshirt or light jacket…there are several microclimates along the hike which make you both hot and cold (be prepared)!  It’s not overly strenuous but also not easy so make sure you are wearing proper shoes.  

Our drive to North Forty Escapes took us through the weaving back roads of Park City.  If you plan to drive yourself, be sure you have your bearings and directions..we lost cell service… you don’t want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere!  When we arrived we did some clay shooting and horseback riding.  It made for a fun and productive way to be together in the great outdoors.  The sign for the ranch is small so be sure to keep your eyes peeled on your drive in.  

Tried Shooting For The First Time
Tried Clay Shooting For The First Time (not hunting, I am a vegetarian and animal lover!)


No trip is complete without food!  As a vegetarian, I can be picky about the places I suggest. Two dinner spots that stuck out were, Chimayo and River horse.    Chimayo is a quaint restaurant which offers Mexican fare.  I would recommend the wild mushroom enchiladas with a delicious spicy margarita.  River horse was a more dressy upscale restaurant that offered live music and delicious food!  The pot-stickers and tofu dishes were outstanding!  Both were beautiful in their own ways and accommodating to food requests.

When it was all said and done, a quick weekend trip away was just what the doctor ordered. The spa at the Montage (the #1 spa in Park City) was the cherry on top!  When I came home I was ready to get back to the routine and daily life of being a good wife and mom to my family.

Your Chick,

Sonia

Travel

The Chicks Take Miami – Our Top 3 Must See Spots

All of this cold weather has us dreaming about this past summer when the chicks came together and agreed that a little getaway was in order. We rounded up childcare, got the husbands to buy into a getaway for the gals, shopped, planned, and shopped some more (see our airport looks here) and finally booked our tickets for the famous Miami Beach.

It had been AGES since any of us had been there so we did a lot of research and mixed a little old with the new when we planned our stay.  For nostalgia’s sake we went to the Fontainebleau Miami Beach Towers for our stay, in our 20s we used to enjoy spending time in their gorgeous lobby bar, Bleau Bar.  Our suite was heavenly, water on both sides and up in the  sky, we knew when we stepped into the suite that no matter what we had planned for the weekend that we were going to have a great time.  The suites in the towers at Fontainebleau  are fully stocked with a full kitchen and COFFEE!  Thank God, mornings without coffee are just awful especially after a long night!  The rooms were so comfortable and spacious, we all had room to breathe, spread out, take a break/nap, and gather.  We had all the right ingredients for an amazing weekend: good company, gorgeous location, no agenda, good vibes, and for the next three days NOTHING TO DO.  We left laptops, books, and to-do lists at home.

Espanola Way

We started at the tried at true Espanola Way for an immersive ‘Welcome to Miami’ moment.  The weather is always just perfect in Miami, no wonder you can’t help but feel happy when you are there.  Espanola way is so unique, with its cafes that spill out into the streets, string lights that stretch the entire block, aromas from foods all over the world, and live music that sets the mood which makes this block one of a kind.  Even though the temptation to stop into the first place you see is real, walking all the way down to Tapas N Tintos is well worth it.  This has been a chick favorite for ages, the flamenco dancers, tapas, intimate seating and cute servers make this restaurant a truly unique experience that can only be found in this corner of Miami.

Wynwood Walls

We popped into Blo BlowDry Bar for a little pampering the next morning before we started on the day’s adventures, we had an amazing morning with the staff there, so patient and hilarious, nothing like fun people to really elevate a girls weekend.   Since our last visit, Miami has become home to many creative hotspots and hosts amazing events like Art Basel each year.  Since we were just popping in for the weekend, we were determined to check out the installments at Wynwood Walls which was only about a ten minute cab ride from South Beach.  This enormous indoor/outdoor installment is not only beautiful, but also a bloggers dream come true! Backdrop after backdrop grace the grounds and alternative structural installments capture the imagination.   After strolling through the walls, we wandered around the corner and popped into KYU a vegetarian friendly restaurant where we ate the most amazing grilled cauliflower head with avocado drizzle.  This restaurant was so yummy and such an unexpected find.

After a fairly relaxing day, we were craving a high energy, high intensity environment.  LIV nightclub has been on our list, but they were closed for renovations so we headed to Rockwell to get our groove on.  A crowded nightclub may have been a little bit different than we remembered but we had a great time.

We knew that we would not want to leave Miami without a dip in the ocean, so we headed over to the beach the next morning to really just get the 360 experience, and the water was so warm, it was hardly refreshing against the Florida heat but it was still so liberating.  Something about the way salt water makes you float just makes us tick.  We floated for what seemed like an hour with nothing but a view of the sky, definitely one of my favorite moments of the weekend.  With a few of our favorite beauty products in our bags, we were good to go!

By recommendation, we headed to the stunning Scarpetta Lounge for dinner, conveniently for us located in Fontainebleau.  This restaurant makes you want to sit straight, look on point, order a fancy drink, take pictures, and just relish  the moment.  The food was excellent; they were accommodating for our vegetarian needs, and made dishes especially for us.   This was an expensive meal, but it was worth it!  Next stop was the hotel lobby bar where we had so many memories and laughs from years ago.  The bar is just stunning and massive!  Our cocktail for the night was a French 75, it’s a mix of champagne, lemon juice and simple syrup and a whole lotta sexy.  It’s a must try and the bartender at the bar NAILED IT!

SLS Pool Party

We were on a roll; we called it a night since our last day was going to be spent at the SLS pool party by recommendation the next day.  I am still speechless when it comes to our experience at SLS.  Please know that this weekly pool party books up months in advance so if you are going to Miami and want to go to this book it ASAP here.  SLS took a few tips from the Las Vegas pool party model and blew it out of the water literally, we spent eight hours there in total (thank god for physical sunscreen) and each one was different and unexpected.  The crowd was diverse but not stuffy, the staff were friendly and attentive and the venue was just breathtaking and intimate.  They have mastered the flow of this event and have good control over the crowd which we really appreciated.


Needless to say, we used the flight home to catch a quick cat-nap and hydrate.  In summary, our trip was epic and hopefully the start of a tradition with the chicks.  A little mommy getaway does the soul and spirit good. We were thrilled to get back to our families but super grateful for the break.

If we had to narrow it down to our top three things that you just can’t negotiate and miss on your next trip, they would be a visit to:

Tapas N Tintos – Espanola Way

Wynwood Walls

SLS Pool Party

These are a MUST MUST MUST!

What is your favorite thing to do in Miami?

For more travels posts, check out our post on a recent trip to Sao Paulo in Brazil.

Cheers,

Rina

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food, Life, Lifestyle, Travel

Why São Paulo, Brazil Should Be On Your Bucket List

My husband and I were excited to attend our friend’s wedding this past October in São Paulo, Brazil. I’m anxious to share my first travel post about our trip. I hope I could do justice to all of my memorable experiences. Luckily, I have pictures to help. 🙂

We stayed at the Radisson Blu São Paulo, which was the official hotel for all the wedding guests. The hotel rooms were clean and spacious and our bathroom was equipped with L’Occitane products, which are a personal favorite. I have to mention, the Radisson Blu São Paulo, did a fantastic job with the daily buffet breakfast which includes an extensive offering of fresh coffee, cereals, pastries, eggs, cured meats, fresh juices and a whole lot more.

I can admit, as a vegetarian I was concerned about traveling to a country that relishes their meat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I was surprised to find there were quite a few highly recommended vegetarian restaurants.  In between our time attending wedding events, we had a chance to visit ‘Goa’ a fusion cuisine with Indo-Brazilian influence. They source fresh ingredients from their farm right in their very own backyard.

We even had a chance to go to the ‘Mercado Municipal’ and try countless exotic fruit sourced from all over the world including the Amazon. One delicious fruit after another, we were in heaven and wanted to purchase crates full of the delectable variety. But beware! This is a tourist hot-spot so all the fruit is marked up considerably and you are better off just taste testing.

By the way, here’s what I wore to the market that day: A simple white button down with a bright red ruffled skirt with brown flats (for comfort). I fit right in!

São Paulo is quite populated and there are many impoverished areas yet it’s easy to find people smiling, especially seen on the portraits of city walls drenched in lively graffiti at every turn. One such place is Beco do Batman, English: Batman’s Alley. Along with street art, which serve as great photo-ops, this area is host to cool art galleries, co-working spaces and amazing fine dining.

Beco Do Batman

Beco Do Batman

It was wedding day in São Paulo and we were ready to witness our friends tie the knot and celebrate Brazil style. Receptions in Brazil go on till 5AM! It seemed like an impossible task but if anyone was up to it, it was we New Yorkers. They served multiple courses throughout the night to keep us fueled and the bar kept flowing. We were such troopers; we partied hard all night and shut the place down. We still got it!

Here’s what I wore to this fabulous event. This sparkly maxi was a big hit and so comfortable to dance in:

…and here’s Mr. Sagir making a cameo.

The wedding was followed by a buddy-moon in Bahia, Brazil. For those who may not know of this new trend, a buddy-moon incorporates your friends on your honeymoon. It’s the official after-party to your wedding! Although, the reception was nothing short of fantastic! Buddy-moons are a fun way to continue the celebrations with friends.

We took a short flight from São Paulo to Bahia, then a bus and finally a boat in the dark underneath the starlit sky to a place called Barra Grande, a beach town on the Marau peninsula. On the way to the boat, we stopped at a local eatery off the highway specializing in empadas. The palm heart flavored empadas were a favorite amongst us and we even stopped to get more on our return trip. Here’s a quick video I took of the quaint eatery while we waited for our food.

Having returned for a month now, I’m missing the warmth. I don’t just mean the weather, but the familiarity of the locals. I understand more about the inviting culture after having been there and miss it so much. I’ll share more about the second half of our trip soon so stay tuned for my next post!

XO,
Puja
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