Alli Talley

May 25, 2016

Cruising as Wanderlusting Explorers

Alli Talley

May 25, 2016

When it comes to cruising, we’ve noticed there’s a really funny (and puzzling) stigma:

Adventurous souls are afraid to cruise.

They think of it as a limiting way to travel. “You’re stuck on a boat”, they say. “You’re just one of the masses”, they say. “You can never go do your own thing”, they say.

Well, friends. We’re here to break - no, CRUSH that stigma. Because it’s simply not true. We actually think cruising oftentimes gives us the ability to see and experience MORE than traveling on our own. Think about it… Every day you’re waking up in a new, exciting, and exotic location. What wanderlust soul wouldn’t be into that?! Exactly. We’re here today to share a few tips on how to get the most out of your cruise, you adventurous souls, you.

First things first, RESEARCH.

Before our Carnival Caribbean cruise, we spent ample time researching each island we’d be visiting. Keeping our itinerary in mind, we’d plan our day around the times we’d be at each location. For example, we knew we’d be entering the port of St. Thomas at 10am. We’d head straight to our favorite beach, (Magens Bay), beat the crowds and get our tan on, then hit up the local milkshake shop - all before noon! Leaving the rest of the day to get lost in the town, make new friends (we made some animal friends), or go on a hike!

Next order of business: Don’t post up on the beach too long.

You’re on a cruise. You’re relaxed. You’re in a warm and tropical location, and the desire to create that “Corona commercial” moment is oh-so-real. But be strategic. Don’t spend all day laying out in a place where there’s a lot to see and do. We’ve found a couple hours on the beach is all we need, and the rest of the day is devoted to exploring. Trust us. You can lay in a chaise lounge on the sea days - go see the sights!

When it comes to excursions, go outside your comfort zone!

Find the excursions that excite, and possibly scare you! Whether it’s scuba diving in St. Thomas, taking a salsa class in Old San Juan, or the Island Dune Buggy Adventure in Turk & Caicos, there are PLENTY of options for fun and invigorating excursions! Pick something different in each port, and you’re bound to have the trip of a lifetime. We explored Grand Turk via a dune buggy - and it was a day we will never forget!

Last but not least, get off the ship early!

Whether you’ve booked an excursion or you’re exploring the island on your own, try to be the first ones off the ship. Really utilize the time you have in that location. We’ve found that the early morning is a perfect time to chat with the locals, get a cup of coffee, or find an off-the-beaten-path restaurant for breakfast! In San Juan, we were sharing a piña colada (where the drink was created!) and had already explored the Fort San Cristobal while some people were just getting off the boat. If you get off early, you will see so much that by the end of your day in port you’ll feel like a local yourself!

There you have it, folks. Cruising IS for the wanderlust explorers.

Carnival truly knows how to ensure that their guests get the most out of their time at each port… That’s why our adventurous souls keep coming back!! And hey, why visit one island in the Caribbean, when you can go to four?!

This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind. Head on over.

Alli Talley

May 18, 2016

Europe, France

La Réserve Paris: A Magical 24 Hours in Complete Luxury

Alli Talley

May 18, 2016

Europe, France

La Réserve Paris was one of the greatest 24 hour experiences of our lives. Please, if you have the opportunity to really indulge, stay here.

We want to keep this blog post simple. If we dwell on this experience too long, we feel that nothing else will ever compare and the remainder of our life we will be dissatisfied with our accommodations. If you know us, you may know we like to tell stories and occasionally embellish, but this is not the case with the La Réserve hotel brand. The goal of the brand is to offer the comfort of refined simplicity along with an uncluttered, unpretentious hotel experience. To us, it really redefined what a luxury hotel stay feels like. Or maybe we should say it defined it for the first time?

To begin our stay we were greeted warmly by the concierge, as well as Valerie, who assisted us during our time at La Réserve. We had a short tour of the property, and then were taken up to our amazing suite. Here’s a rundown of our room, along with photos (they do not do it justice)…

When we walked in, the staff had so generously left us a bottle of champagne. It was the perfect way to start exploring our room.

Right off the bat we have to mention that we had two bathrooms. We don’t have two bathrooms in our home in Costa Mesa, so this is already a luxury. Bobby was slightly obsessed (understatement) with the toilets. The toilet has an automatic, heated seat, as well as numerous options to assist with cleanliness. It is ridiculous.

The room has a fully stocked bar (coffee, soda, waters, spirits, whiskey, etc.) that would be replenished every time we left, a massive living room, and a bed that made us feel as if we were lying on a Cumulus cloud.

There are 3 TV’s in the room, all concealed by mirrors. So, when they are off, it’s just a mirror. Bobby was slightly obsessed (understatement) with this too.

Aside from the toilets in the bathroom, the room is also equipped with heated floors, heated towel racks, a massive bath tub (where one of the TVs is situated), and a perfect shower. It has a 16 by 16-inch square rainfall showerhead, amazing water pressure, and the room is soundproof (so you can sing at the top of your lungs!). Bobby has a shower rating system, based on numerous factors, and this is one of the only 10’s we have come across!

We appreciate a nice, comfy robe to lounge in. La Réserve provides you with two robes. A thin, light robe and a big, fluffy robe. Thank you, La Réserve, for that magnificent touch.

The room is equipped with two iPads that control everything you can imagine. The TV, the lights, if we need help from Valerie… anything.

Okay, so that is probably enough about the room. Just go. Trust us.

While you are there, spend one-night dining at Le Gabriel, the Michelin Two-starred restaurant at La Réserve. The restaurant offers contemporary French cuisine that is inspired by the season. Our summer meal included duck liver, lobster ravioli, mackerel, pigeon, and a variety of other mind-blowing courses. Each of the 10 courses was presented creatively with high quality ingredients that left our taste buds craving more while our stomachs cried “slow down!”

After an amazing dinner and good night of rest in our room, we headed back to Le Gabriel for breakfast. There we were dazzled again with delicious pastries and lattes. We both just wanted time to slow down, because we knew our time at La Réserve was coming to a close.

It has taken us nearly 9 months to post this blog because we thought we could never recover from such an amazing experience. While we love to travel and are obsessed with great hotels, La Réserve made us feel like we should retire from this gig at the top. But then again, La Réserve’s flagship is in Geneva! We are hopeful to stay with La Réserve again, and are now on a journey to find hotels that create experiences as magical as we had here.

Thank you, La Réserve, for an incredible stay!

Alli Talley

May 11, 2016

Carnival, Cruising

5 Ways We Kept Fit On Our Carnival Cruise

Alli Talley

May 11, 2016

Carnival, Cruising

If you’re reading this and have cruised before, you probably know alllllll about the endless amount of DELICIOUS food and drinks that you can consume while aboard.

For kids, it’s all about ice cream and pizza. For adults, we’re talking about steaks, lobster, chocolate melting cake (our favorite), mojitos, icy-cool margaritas… And who are we kidding? Adults love the ice cream and pizza too! There’s always something new to try, and a new restaurant option on board to discover. It’s easy to plan your whole day simply around eating!

We decided that on this trip we were going to find ways to keep fit, while still FULLY enjoying our Carnival cruise experience (we’ll never say no to a chocolate melting cake). While we probably still came home a little heavier, here are 5 ways that we put in a little extra effort to avoid too much weight gain…

1. ALWAYS TAKE THE STAIRS. This may seem like a lot, considering the Lido deck is on the 9th deck, our room was on the 6th, and our dining room was on the 3rd… but we only took the elevator TWO times during our entire 7-day cruise. Once when we got on the ship with our bags, and once when we got off. With how many flights of stairs we climbed during our trip, we believe this one rule made quite a difference. It’s not always easy climbing all those stairs, but when you reflect on all of the delicious and decadent food you’ve been consuming, you should find some inner motivation. Even if you can’t take the stairs every time, we suggest making a conscious effort to choose the stairs more often.

2. ONE CHEAT MEAL. We decided on this cruise that we would only have 1 meal a day where we indulge. While we’re the first to admit that we did not succeed at this every single day, we stayed strong a good 5 out of the 7 days. On our last cruise, Bobby would order huge portions at breakfast, would snack all day (a whole pizza could be a “snack”), and then order enough for 3 people at dinner. This time, we tried to limit this habit to happening just once a day. The rest of the day, we’d stick to fresh fruits, veggies, protein, and healthy fats. That way when the extravagant dinners rolled around and we were enticed by the fancy entrees, we didn’t feel guilty ordering two. And one of every dessert. Just to try.

3. WHEN ON LAND, WALK! Take the opportunity to stretch your legs at ports by walking to your destination! (Obviously use your judgment, as this may not always make sense depending on where you are!) While we were relaxing on Magens Bay in St. Thomas, we decided to go get a cold treat from Famous Delite Dairy Bar, a local shack with amazing milkshakes. Located a mile from the beach, it would’ve been easy to hop in a cab and be there in 2 minutes. But, since we were on our way to get milkshakes, we decided to walk instead. Not only did it make the milkshake a little more guilt-free, but we saw some beautiful scenery and laughed the whole way up the hill. That being said, if you have time, explore on foot. It’s worth it!

4. UTILIZE THE GYM. That’s right. We work out on board. The Carnival Glory has a state-of-the-art gym that we used as much as we could. That being said, if a gym isn’t your style, there’s also a basketball court and running track, both with panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea. You simply can’t beat it!

5. KEEP MOVING. We purposefully jam-pack our days with activity, and are always on the go. While soaking in the sun is definitely a big priority when it comes to cruising, we never let that be our whole day. We aim to find multiple activities to engage in, and purposefully stagger them among various parts of the ship. We found that we were easily walking 5+ miles each day on board, simply by going from one activity to the next!

This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind. Head on over.

Alli Talley

May 3, 2016

Carnival, Cruising, Mexico

The Top Five Things To Do In Cozumel

Alli Talley

May 3, 2016

Carnival, Cruising, Mexico

We’re convinced the island of Cozumel has it all. If the Carnival Cruise you are planning has a day in Cozumel, take this opportunity to do a little happy dance - because this island is the BEST!

Beautiful white sand beaches, crystal blue water, rich history, gorgeous, delicious food… AND the best margaritas we’ve ever had. (We’re serious. They’re so good.) One day on the heavenly island can be overwhelming. It may be small, (only 30 miles long and 10 miles wide), but Cozumel is mighty. The opportunities are endless on this gorgeous island, so we’ve come up with our Top 5 Things to do in Cozumel. Enjoy

1. Rent a SUV. This is crucial. The port in Cozumel has several different car rentals, all of which are trusted and reliable. Because these companies work with cruise passengers often, they are extremely helpful, quick, and friendly! We were off of the ship and in a SUV in less than an hour - giving us plenty of time to explore the island! Cozumel is small, so it’s extremely easy to navigate (there’s only one major road), and the scenery is breathtaking! Plus the best part of renting a car is the freedom to stop whenever you please! *Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship! ;)

2. Visit the Mayan Ruins of San Gervasio. This is a stop we weren’t planning on making, but we saw the signs as we were driving and thought it sounded cool. And boy, were we blown away! San Gervasio are the largest ruins in Cozumel, and date back to 100 B.C. These ruins were purely religious, as the temples and statues honor Ix-Chel, the goddess of fertility. Women would pilgrimage to San Gervasio to make sacrifices to the goddess, in hopes that they too could be fertile. Today the ruins are incredibly intact and fascinating to see! While you can book guides to take you around, we had no problem navigating ourselves.

3. Eat lunch. On the beach. After we visited the ruins of San Gervasio, we made our way back down the coast… only to find several restaurants located directly on the sand! This was perfect timing, as we were getting really hungry! We found a spot that had a fun ambiance and grabbed a seat. Before we knew it we were eating chips and guacamole, drinking fresh margaritas, and wishing that time could stand still.

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4. Find a hammock. On the beach. Nothing, and we mean NOTHING, is better after a big lunch than laying in a hammock by the ocean and taking a siesta! Luckily, there are several spots along the coast of Cozumel that you can rent hammocks - and it truly is a glorious thing. We suggest finding one that’s near a local bar where you can…

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5. Share fresh coconut water. And document it. This was the perfect way to end our day in paradise. The coconuts are so big in Cozumel, we definitely recommend sharing them! Once you’re done with the water, the bartenders will cut the coconut up so you can eat the meat on the inside. Coconut water is our favorite healthy, hydrating, and refreshing treat, and the coconuts in Cozumel were some of the best we’ve had!

There you have it. Our Cozumel Top 5! While these were some of our favorite activities, we know there’s a LOT more to see than we mentioned… so we’d love to hear yours!!

This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind. Head on over.

Alli Talley

March 21, 2016

USA, Nevada

Romantic Valentine's Getaway at the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas!

Alli Talley

March 21, 2016

USA, Nevada

For the past couple of years we’ve been on the hunt for the best spot to stay on the Las Vegas Strip. It’s surprisingly harder to find than you would think. It’s all about the location, the views, the amenities, and of COURSE the pool. There are many, many, factors that go into our decision… And we’re writing this blog to let you know that we believe we’ve found it. The Mandarin Oriental is our new favorite place to stay on the Las Vegas Strip!

First of all, the room speaks for itself. It's spacious, modern, and very zen. One would never know they're staying on one of the busiest, loudest, and craziest streets in the world. This room is completely sound proof and a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas! Nearly everything can be turned on or off by a remote control, and the bed is a pillowy perfection that required us to incorporate several naps into our daily itinerary. We didn't hate it. Plus... can we talk about this BATH TUB?

It's heaven! When it comes to baths, the Mandarin Oriental leaves no detail spared - as they even equip you with bath salts, luxury beauty amenities, slippers, and a TV in the bathroom mirror. Pour yourself a glass of wine, and you have your own personal, in-room spa!

The Mandarin Oriental is just as stunning outside as it is inside. We couldn't get over the way the silvery-blue building sparkles in the sunlight. Photos don't do this structure justice!

Those of you that have been following TN for awhile now, know that for us, it's all about the little details. We appreciate hotels that go above and beyond to show care and appreciation for their guests. At the Mandarin Oriental, they do just that. Every day they gave us fresh water bottles by our bed, hot coffee and tea in the morning, and nightly turn down. Even when we ventured out to explore the strip, the staff would offer directions, recommendations, and water bottles for our excursion! We can't say enough about the hospitality at The MO.

Even on Valentines Day, we arrived back at our room to find this amazing set up. Cupcakes, champagne and chocolate covered strawberries... What more could we ask for!? We're coming here every Valentines Day!

The view from the Mandarin Oriental's Tea Lounge were breathtaking... Especially at night. Once again, this hotel feels like an oasis from the chaotic strip. We loved having a glass of wine in the Lounge and watching the hustle and bustle happening down below.

Staying at the Las Vegas Mandarin Oriental was pure magic. We can't wait to return.