Alli Talley

February 12, 2017

Laguna is for Lovers

Alli Talley

February 12, 2017

We can’t think of a better, more romantic beachside town to spend Valentine’s Day than Laguna Beach.

The early morning mist, walks along cozy cottages by the sea, world class shopping, sunset cocktails, and candlelit dinners by the ocean… Laguna Beach is like a fairy tale. But very real. And very doable!! Trust us that you will win some serious points with your significant other if you plan a romantic weekend (or even a day trip) here. We’ll help.

Let’s start with brunch.

Breakfast is our favorite meal, so we take brunch very seriously. The Ranch has recently opened a restaurant called Harvest, and it is AMAZING. From bourbon bacon cinnamon rolls, to fresh pressed juice, to the perfect eggs benedict… you can’t go wrong. Best part is? It’s off the beaten path. You won’t wait in long lines, you won’t feel like the average tourist, and you most likely WILL have an incredible view of the surrounding landscape. It’s our little secret… So please don’t tell too many people. ;)

As far as accommodations, we HIGHLY recommend staying at Casa Laguna Hotel and Spa. Do it. (And thank us later). This little boutique hotel has recently been remodeled by famed designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard, and it is absolutely perfect. From the colorful tiles to the cloud-like beds, to the lush, tropical grounds… Casa Laguna is a peaceful, colorful, and charming oasis - located just across the street from the beach!

Whether we’re on a vacation or a “staycation”, once 3pm hits we’re usually ready for a cocktail (Just us?). Tommy Bahama has our favorite cocktails (get the Sunburn!!!) complete with a relaxing, tropical vibe, live music, and shopping. That’s right - shopping! After we drink, we shop! (Probably should do it the other way around.) Regardless, we love their classic, beach-y style and comfortable designs. Last time we were there, we both walked out with a whole new wardrobe!

Spend the afternoon meandering the streets. Find a hidden gem of a cafe (and tell us about it!), explore art galleries, or relax on the beach. So many options...

Then there’s dinner. Driftwood Kitchen is our new date night go-to. The restaurant is a converted beach home that has an amazing vibe. Their menu is seasonal and constantly changing, so we can’t tell you what to order (unless the grilled Spanish octopus or Chilean sea bass are still on the menu). But we can tell you that it will be good. And you will want dessert. Even just so you can enjoy the ocean views a little bit longer. The Driftwood Kitchen staff does an incredible job at making every guest feel as though they are family… It’s truly a special place!

Next, walk off your food and turn up the romance by heading to Ruby Street Park. This beautiful little lookout point is a great spot to enjoy the sounds of the ocean or stargaze. It may be occupied on Valentine’s Day, but it’s definitely worth checking out.

Still ready to rage? Or Ruby Street Park is too crowded? Head to Mozambique where chances are the dance party has already gotten started! Their live music is always incredible, and the people watching is even better. We can’t leave Laguna without popping in for a song or two… or ten!

There it is! A romantic, incredible day in this beautiful little town. Enjoy!

***BONUS***

Since it was so hard to narrow down our favorite Laguna Beach spots (and in case you have a whole weekend), here’s a few more:

Drinks:

The Rooftop Bar :: The BEST mojitos (and perfect for catching the sunset)! Just make sure you get there early - it can fill up fast! Maybe head here for a cocktail before dinner? It is Valentine’s Day, so you may as well splurge.

Broadway :: These craft cocktail specialists can whip up just about anything, and their seasonal drinks are always our favorites. Not sure what to order? Have them surprise you!

Breakfast:

Banzai Bowls :: Our favorite acai bowls in town! (And if you've never had an acai bowl, you're REALLY in for a treat!) Bobby's favorite is the "Da Kine" and Alli loves the "Diamond Head"!

Heidelberg Cafe :: From the pastries, to the coffee, to the breakfast burritos - this longtime Laguna staple will never let you down. The patio is our favorite spot to have a cup of coffee and have a long, leisurely breakfast.

Lunch:

The Stand :: Healthy, fresh, and affordable! This vegetarian-lovers dream never disappoints. It’s a casual, pay at the counter kind of place - so we recommend getting your food to go and taking it to the beach for a romantic picnic!

Dinner:

Splashes :: Located at the stunning Surf and Sand Hotel, Splashes is literally on the beach (hence the name)! Some of the best seafood we’ve ever had has been here, and the romantic ambiance is par none. Splashes is a Valentines Day dream!

For a full list of all the Valentine's Day specials and events in Laguna Beach go ----> HERE.

This article was originally published for Visit Laguna Beach’s Blog

Alli Talley

February 9, 2017

Asia, Japan

Welcome to Tokyo: Our First Days in Japan at the Park Hotel

Alli Talley

February 9, 2017

Asia, Japan

Japan is insane. Let’s just start there. Over the years we’ve been blessed to travel to some pretty incredible locations. Every trip we take we come home saying “well that will be hard to beat!” and Japan was no different! The food, the culture, the art, the architecture, you name it… the Japanese do many things (let’s be real - pretty much everything) very, very well.

Our first stop in Japan was the Park Hotel in Tokyo. It is basically an art gallery hotel, as you will notice from the moment you enter the 10 floor high Atrium lobby. It is decorated with original wooden artwork, trees, flowers, and boasts massive floor to ceiling windows that gives you a jaw-dropping view of the city, Tokyo Tower, and Mt. Fuji. It’s pretty surreal.

Your room will take the art gallery feel to the next level, as many of the rooms feature amazing artwork. We stayed in an Artist Room King, which is a premium room where artists created the original artwork. Each room is different, and captures the artists’ particular passion. The artists spend months perfecting their room. (How cool is that?!) Ours was the Kabuki room, which had some incredible paintings both by our bed and in the bathroom.

The Park Hotel is situated in a business district, which is a short walk from the shopping Mecca of Ginza. Although you probably won’t spend too much time in your hotel while you are in Tokyo, the Park Hotel was a great home base that we loved coming back to for a mid-day nap. Note… we also really appreciated this hotel when it came to breakfast. There was an amazing spread of food each day, and we quickly learned that this is not the norm in Japan. Most restaurants nearby did not serve breakfast, or did not open until 10 or 11 am, so it is great to have a hotel that serves a hearty breakfast.

Once we filled up on our breakfast, we would start walking. The Park Hotel is near a train station, and has plenty of sights within walking distance, so you feel like you’re in a good spot. We loved the location, as it was close to popular sights, but a little quieter and off the beaten path. Aka not touristy AT ALL! While we were there we visited the Tokyo Tower, Ginza, the Shiodome area, found some great Ramen, and tried to get lost on small, bustling streets.

At the end of the day, we were so thankful to return to a wonderful staff at the Park Hotel that had our room ready, a spot with a view to drink a glass of wine, and an overall cozy atmosphere. Don’t forget that it is freezing in Tokyo in January… literally. (Bring layers, as most restaurants, shops and bars BLAST their heaters. You’ll be freezing to sweating hot in no time!)

If there’s anything you should know about us, it’s that we love staying in unique hotels. The Park Hotel Tokyo was the perfect blend of a traditional Japanese hotel (the Ryokan), and the 5 star hotels nearby. It is a solid 4 stars, everything is done very well, and it really doubles as an epic art gallery. (Plus the view from the rooms are hard to beat!!)

Side note: We recommend that you stay in Tokyo for at least 5 days. There’s so much to eat, see, and do – you’ll be overwhelmed if you have less time.

We’ll meet you there!

Alli Talley

February 7, 2017

Asia, Japan

Traveling Spoon: Keiko, Kyoto, and an INCREDIBLE Culinary Experience

Alli Talley

February 7, 2017

Asia, Japan

Today we want to introduce you to an experience that will take your travels to the next level.

But first, we have to figure out what type of traveler you are. Are you the “typical tourist” or do you like to explore on your own? Do you frequent McDonalds when you’re in foreign countries, or do you like to try the “local” food? If you crave a cultural experience that will take you off the eaten path, we cannot WAIT to share with you about Traveling Spoon!!

The best way to describe it is exactly how they do on their website, that “Traveling Spoon is like having a friend’s mom cook you a home cooked meal in every country you visit”. And your “friend’s mom” will even let you help cook, or go to the local market and pick out ingredients (if you’d like). Traveling Spoon connects travelers with vetted local hosts and provides an incredible culinary experience. Depending on how adventurous you are, you have three options:

1. Enjoy an amazing in-home meal

2. Cook with your host, and then indulge in your creation

3. Spend time in the local market with your host, followed by preparing and enjoying the meal

Do whatever fits your time frame, but we would highly recommend that at a minimum you do some cooking. During our time in Kyoto, Japan, we had a blast cooking with our host, a retired English teacher named Keiko. It was an experience we’ll never forget…

We arrived by train to a station in Northern Kyoto, and Keiko was there to pick us up right on time. We instantly connected with her warm, kind demeanor - and we were thankful that she spoke flawless English! 10 minutes later we were slipping off our shoes as we headed into her traditional Japanese home. We sat on the cushions on the floor where Keiko shared with us about her family, her background in cooking (and teaching), and gave us a brief overview of what we were doing that day.

As is very common in Japan, the first part of our meal involved tea. Keiko taught us about the 4 common green teas (Matcha, Sencha, Gyokuro, and Bancha) and showed us how to prepare each of them. Best green tea you’ve ever had? Most likely. There’s something about experiencing this in Keiko’s home that made it that much cooler.

Into the kitchen we went! Keiko had tasks for all of us, and did a wonderful job explaining what we were doing. We made a variety of simple dishes, including nijujaga (a Japanese stew with meat and potatoes), a lotus root and chicken creation, and miso soup. After about an hour of preparation, we all sat down to enjoy our lunch. It was AMAZING. Every dish was delicious, and tasted that much better that we had helped prepare it! We felt so accomplished (and very Japanese)!! We loved sharing the meal with Keiko and learning all about Kyoto and her life there. We could have stayed and talked to her for hours! Once we were all finished, we were so sad that our time with Keiko was coming to a close.

To simplify, these are the experiences that fuel our desire to travel. While the food we ate was amazing, we highly recommend this even more for the people you will meet and spend time with. We learned more about Japanese culture in our 3 hours with Keiko than the rest of the trip combined. So, if you have the desire to get beyond the standard tourist experiences (and we hope that you do!), please check out Traveling Spoon. They are located in 18 countries primarily throughout Asia (with a few other locations outside Asia) and did we mention it’s extremely affordable?!

Enjoy the company, appreciate the authentic cuisine, and if you visit Keiko please tell her that we say hello!

Alli Talley

January 28, 2017

Asia, Japan

You’re Welcome… A Quick Recap on 3 Japanese Mini Bars

Alli Talley

January 28, 2017

Asia, Japan

Okay, so we can admit that there are FOR SURE other hidden gems in Japan that we don’t know about. Duh. But these are our three favorite watering holes from our recent trip to Japan. We want to share this with you, but would advise that you don’t tell anybody else. Part of the amazingness was that we always found a seat. If the secret gets out, good luck. These bars are all small, incredible, and hard to find. So let’s get to it.

Tokyo

Little Smith- Hike two stories underground (below an office building) and you will meet bartenders dressed to the nines in white tuxedoes, ready to concoct homemade libations based on your liking. There is no menu here, so you say “Omakase” (“trust the chef”) and tell them what your spirit of choice is. Since there is probably a cover charge here, you’re going to want to hunker down at the beautiful oval shaped bar and enjoy a couple cocktails at Little Smith. We suggest sharing something off the menu as well, as all of their food is amazing!

Osaka

Bar Core- Japan is known to have a plethora of small bars. This may be the smallest. Please find it and enjoy a Japanese whisky with five of your friends (it only holds 6). It is a standing-only bar that we stumbled upon after dinner one night, and we will never forget it. Great whisky selection, great pours, and a great vibe. (If you’re not a fan of whiskey, ask for a gin cocktail. We’re not sure what all was in it, but Alli is still dreaming about it!)

Kyoto

Bar Bunkyu- While all three of these spots are a little different (and really hard to compare), Bar Bunkyu was probably our favorite. It is another tiny, 8-person bar with great pours (you order a single and the bartender pours a double – yes please!!) It’s dimly lit, totally hidden, and as Alli liked to say, it’s just “sexy”. We were in Kyoto for 3 nights, and always ended the night here. It is primarily a whisky bar, but the bartender Nao has plenty of delicious cocktails to offer up as well. Please go here. And take us with you.

There’s a reason we titled this blog “You’re welcome”. Go find these spots and you can thank us later.

Alli Talley

January 26, 2017

USA, Washington

A Glassy Weekend at the Hotel Murano

Alli Talley

January 26, 2017

USA, Washington

When we think of Washington, Seattle is our go to spot. We had never really ventured out beyond the touristy comfort of Pike’s Market, Gas Works Park, and the Space Needle. But recently we had the opportunity to spend some time in Tacoma, a short 30-minute drive from Seattle. Little did we know that Tacoma is a city known for its world-renowned glass art that has a walkable downtown with a mix of historic architecture, urban design, and yummy restaurants!

We stumbled upon a gem in Hotel Murano, a boutique downtown Tacoma hotel that boasts incredible service and beautiful, modern style. They take great pride in Tacoma being the epicenter of the American glass art movement, as you can see by the INCREDIBLE glass art throughout the hotel. We we absolutely blown away by some of the pieces. We were especially fond of how the hotel featured artists on each floor. When you stepped out of the elevator, you would see photographs of each glass artist, possibly photographs or elements from the process, and the finished product. Fascinating!

Our room was amazing. It was spacious and had awesome views of the city with windows wrapping all around the room. The bathroom had everything we needed, including a great shower (Bobby’s favorite). Living in Southern California, we haven’t experienced much Fall weather, so really it was just so nice to have cold temperatures and a cozy bed.

Each morning we ate at Bite, their restaurant where Hotel Murano continues to showcase art, both on the walls and with the food. When you go for breakfast, indulge in the Breakfast Club or the Brioche French Toast, and maybe a Bacon Bloody Mary!

When not eating at Bite or relaxing in bed, we spent our time exploring Tacoma. Here are some of our favorites that we think you should check out:

Museum of Glass (or just check out every floor in Hotel Murano)
Original House of Donuts
Point Definace Park
Union Station
Bridge of Glass
Anthem Coffee

After our days exploring Tacoma, we’d perch up at the Lobby Bar and enjoy more glass art. We’re confident that you have never seen this much glass art in your life (unless you’re a glass artist). It’s crazy how many different styles there are, and how intricate some of it can be.

One of our biggest regrets about our time at Hotel Murano… not taking our dog, Sally. They are pet friendly! It would have been the paw-fect place for her to relax (hehe).

Overall, this is a great hotel in a really awesome city that most people haven’t explored. On your next trip to Seattle, carve out some time for Tacoma and stay a few nights at Hotel Murano!