why you should take a solo road trip... annually

It's been four months since I took my most recent solo road trip... and I'm just now writing about it. I was worried that if I waited, I wouldn't have that same elated feeling that I had when I got back... but going through my pictures is bringing it back and reviving me all over again. 

I've done a solo road trip before; I drove down the California coast when I was going through a break-up or few. It was so therapeutic and life changing in ways that I thought I could never redo a trip like that. 

I was wrong. 

When you travel alone, there are things that happen that have taken me a couple months to really reflect on and realize and now I'm ready to tell you why you should do it. 

Let it be known- it's going to be scary. The days leading up to this trip, it was kinda hard for me to talk about it or plan a whole lot. I didn't know if I was going to be able to do this again. There were a lot of thoughts like "do I really have to do this again?" and "maybe I should just see what friends I can meet up with along the way." The truth is- I could EASILY do it again, and I didn't need any plans, friends, or safety blankets to help me out. 

So, reason #1- You'll conquer some fears. 

When I decided to book this trip, I knew I was in some sort of funk that I needed to kick before I got to the iHeartRadio Music Festival. I've always been proud to be fiercely independent, but after moving in with the bf, I quickly built up a lot of dependency on him. He helps me find everything I lost, calms me down when I'm over-stressing and working myself, and gives me that comfort of not being alone. Somehow I had subconsciously let myself think that I couldn't do things without him anymore. Honestly, this made me hate myself. Of course it's nice to have that person to help you out, but everyone should have some independence in a relationship... and if you're anything like me, you have to find a lot of ways to remain your independent, self serving person while keeping the relationship happy. [Let me know if you have any real secrets or tips for that, btw.] As soon as I had my first meal out and alone, while talking to the bartender, I realized I hadn't "lost myself," she was just put on a back burner. 

Reason #2- You will empower yourself and ignite independence and strength.A lot of people immediately ask "but where do you eat?" when I tell them about a solo trip. What do you mean where do I eat? I eat at whatever bar or restaurant Yelp and Facebook suggest to me, duh. I typically sit at a bar, so I can talk to the bartender, other solo visitors, or my phone. There's no pressure to talk or not talk, but the option is there if you want it. It's brilliant, and far less awkward than it feels when you arrive at a place before all your other friends and you're impatiently waiting on them. The best part- 

Reason #3- You can eat wherever you want. Order as much food or drinks as you want. No splitting checks, and no judgment. 

That "no judgment" thing is big. I think one of the biggest issues people have with solo trips is worrying about what other people will think about them doing everything alone. Let me tell you what they'll think- the same thing you're [probably, hopefully] thinking right now- that's badass. Bartenders high fived me, and fellow hikers offered to help with pictures, then literally applaused or said "oh WOW!!" when they saw I already had the photos under control. [I would set up my GoPro on a tripod, then look at it/control it from an app on my phone.]  People at the hotels and hostels were welcoming and helpful and friendly [although I was a little nervous to tell some of them I was staying alone.. but it ended up being nbd]. When's the last time you didn't care about what people thought about you? Unfortunately, it's not often enough for me anymore.

Reason #4- You'll realize the world really doesn't give a f#@% about what you're doing... and it'll free your mind to also not care about what your self is doing. 

Speaking of other people... when you plan a trip with others, whether it be one or ten other people, you have to plan things with them. Where do they wanna stay? What's their budget? When do they wanna be there or leave or move on? Do they even wanna commit to a trip? It's exhausting. You know what's not?

Reason #5- You get to live on your own time and on your own budget. Your plans can change whenever you want them to. There's no one to answer to. 

Something else that's in your control- what you listen to along the road trip. After reading "my Bible" on my last road trip, I decided to try some books on tape to give me that same feel. [What I didn't realize before this trip is that it wasn't just the book that changed me in California.. it was the whole experience.] I listened to "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck" and "Creativity, Inc" to help revive my brain and give me some real therapeutic thoughts. Maybe you'll want a podcast, or music blasting as you sing along.. or, get all of the above.

Reason #6- The time you'll have with yourself and the road is magical. You can let your mind go wild and the scenery will [hopefully] make it all okay. 

I kept setting my GoPro on the dash because the views were unbelievable. A lot of them are still on my Insta Highlights.

THE ULTIMATE REASON: You will come back invigorated, confident, excited to share everything with everyone you know, and ready to take on anything in this world.

I should clarify why I specifically say road trip and not just any solo trip. When you're alone, you need to stay active so that you don't feel that lonely factor. The more I discovered, the more badass I felt. The more I traveled, the more I learned... about the world and myself. I can't imagine going to a beach resort or one city for a couple days by myself. As much as I love a good drink and meal, I don't want to be drunk trying to explore my way home. I also don't want to just sleep on the beach alone all day. Booorriinnggg.

So my trip started in Denver, went through Utah, and ended in Las Vegas. It was only four days alone, but I wanted at least one or two more by the time I got to Vegas and had to answer to people again. Three days would be enough to get all of this goodness, I think.. and is a fair place to start for those

who are a little worried. And maybe "annually" is a ridiculous goal, but it's what I'm going to aim for. There's no reason for me to put something so beneficial to my life and health off. Maybe it won't always include National Parks, a full week away, a plane ride to my first destination, or my sweet minivan named Bonnie... but I'll always try to make some time for myself.

Now that I've gotten into all of this again, expect some details about each place that I stopped [and all of the amazing places I got to stay as a solo traveler] in the next couple weeks. Maybe you'll be ready to book something for you and yourself by then, too.

love,
elizabethany

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halloween 2018: how i made my imagine dragons costume

I. LOVE. HALLOWEEN. I know I've said this before. Every year I spend months coming up with an idea, then buying entirely too many things to make it work. I try everything on over the course of a couple weeks and am ready to go on Halloween. 

Not this year. This year I came up with an idea a couple weeks ago, and started ordering things last week. It all arrive on Thursday and I put it together for the first time Saturday morning, a couple hours before my Farmoween Halloween party. The panic kicked in immediately and was very real. Nothing worked in real life like it did in my head. 

I was going to be Imagine Dragons. They have been all over the radio this year and I finally got to see them in concert, so it fits my rule of something having to do with my life that year. I'd be this fun colorful dragon and then I'd have a thought bubble that was dry/erase so people could be hilarious and draw things that I'm imagining. 

Problem one: I didn't know what a dragon looked like. 

I did some research on the Google machine and decided it's a lizard with wings. Instead of painting an entire bodysuit like I did the past two years, I bought one. Didn't try it on, just felt good about a medium. [Note: a medium was not good. It was way too tight.]

Problem two: There were zero tails that matched my bodysuit. 

In my head, this was no issue. I'd buy any random tail and spray paint it to match. I never thought about the fact that there is no paint that is holographic like my bodysuit was. I bought a holographic green tail, and ended up painting dark purple over it. It actually worked better than I thought when I started painting.

Problem three: Getting the thought bubble on. 

I had seen thought bubble headbands on Amazon, but they weren't Prime, so I ordered some random thought bubble magnet thing. It was so damn heavy. Thanks to my dad, mom, and boyfriend, we figured out how to peel off the dry/erase layer, glued that to some foam board, then glued all of it to a wire hanger that we wrapped around a very tight headband. With 3 minutes left until I had to leave, it seemed pretty sturdy. I hot glued some nice demon horns on there for extra scary dragon effect.

Problem four: How to do my make-up

Maybe this isn't a problem... this is probably the most exciting part of Halloween now. It helps me feel girly even if I look ridiculous in my costume. I found this tutorial on dragon make-up, bought a dragon scale make-up stencil [turns out that's a thing, I guess], and got to work. I just held the stencil on my face and used a contour brush to put about 5 shades of teal, purple, and blue on my face. It turned out to be much easier than I imagined, and I'm obsessed with it. 

I had other problems like forgetting my wings at home and having to send the other Dragon back to get them, and my shirt constantly hanging out underneath, my other Dragon having a giant costume head that was impossible to stick the thought bubble onto, not having any good shoes, and a lack of people wanting to draw on my thought bubble, but overall- it came together and I'm good with it. Maybe not my best Halloween costume, but it'll do. 

I mean, Instagram likes aren't adding up like I'd like them to, but life isn't all about the likes... right?... 

love,
elizabethany

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photo diary: adventures in costa rica

One of the trendiest places to travel to right now: Costa Rica. I'm a follower not a leader in travel so I jumped on that bandwagon, too. 

*I say I'm a follower with traveling because it is so much easier to get recommendations from friends on Facebook before going than to go blind and probably spend too much money on everything.*

I'm pretty sure AirBNB deserves the credit for making the country trendy. They've regularly featured treehouses with monkeys or just really chill vibes, then steer you towards the beautiful beaches and jungles and dayum- it looks lovely. 

My plan was to have a bunch of friends get a big house for $150/night and a private chef [they have so many cheap options] but getting adult friends to commit is nearly impossible, even though we finally have our own money to spend. We ended up going with another couple and getting my first ever all inclusive experience.

All-inclusive is bittersweet to me. You can get a really good deal, drink unlimited beverages, get four plates of food at every meal, and have lovely pool time... but you also feel obligated to stay there and not explore. Luckily, I think we spent our time pretty wisely. 

Our resort: DoubleTree in Puntarenas

Cost: $327 per person for four nights

The resort was right on the beach, with seemingly nothing else around. The beach had mostly black sand, and large volcanic rocks at the shore. Because of the rocks and the waves, we weren't allowed to swim in it. I tried to be a mf rebel and do it anyway, but having fist-size rocks come hurdling at your ankles isn't fun for more than .7 seconds. They were fun to look through, though. They had such fun colors and shapes and I planned on bringing them back to show everyone, but TSA stole them out of my carry on bag. WTF. 

It's one of those rare beaches that is not photogenic at all... but it's pretty cool when you're there in person.

We woke up every morning by 7:30 to eat breakfast and be at the pool by 8am. It was strangely easy. It might have been the fact that I was on a mission to try every drink on the menu, but no one can confirm. We wanted to soak up that sun before heading to the jungles. 

Important thing to realize: While different locations in Costa Rica are technically close, the roads are insanely windy and it took us three hours to get to the mountains and volcanoes from the beach. 

Adventure #1- Lake Arenal area. I, once again, had starred everything I found on Pinterest that I wanted to try and see. There were 15+ things and I had to narrow it down to what was easy to do in one day.. on Friday the 13th. We chose La Fortuna Waterfall and Tabacon Hot Springs. 

The drive there proved to be terrifying. The roads are narrow and windy, and trucks are zipping around and crossing over lines like it's nothing. When we got towards the top of the mountain, the fog was so thick we couldn't see five feet in front of us. The man kept driving while I crouched behind the seat in the back, not wanting to see our death happen.

Also, if you refuse to give a homeless person money on the road, they'll know where you come from and they'll hit your window and give you the middle finger. Stand your ground, okay?

I will say, though... it's all worth it. There's so much to look at everywhere you go.

La Fortuna is really easy to make happen, assuming you can handle going down 514 steps, and then back up when you're done. You just pay $15 a person at the entrance of the park and go. It's worth it. It was huge, and you don't have to spend too much time there, but it's still nice to see.

250 feet top to bottom of the waterfall, and a nice hang out/wading area to the side.

From Fortuna, Tabacon Hot Springs are only about twenty quick minutes. We GPS'ed to a resort, but after parking along the street, they sent us back to some little trail that went down to the hot springs that felt like a hot urban oasis in the jungle. There was graffiti and cement, but also fallen trees, mossy stone steps, and natural round hot tubs.

We spent under an hour here, but you could easily spend half a day and be happy. Besides the man who may have been on drugs and was just floating around, everyone was chillin, minding their business, and probably posted up there for a few hours.

If you're a photographer- it's a dream place for a photoshoot with all sorts of backgrounds/scenes. I had all of these great ideas for brilliant pics but they didn't work out in my favor. I'm sure you could really kill it, though.


Because of the earlier foggy drive, we didn't want to risk driving the same way or in the dark, so I found Costa Rica's first craft brewery along the other side of the lake that only added about 10 minutes to our route, but gave us a completely different drive and views of every angle of the lake.

views of the water and of beers. 

For adventure #2, we had to go ziplining. Again, my original plan was changed because of convenience, but I'm not upset with how it turned out. Instead of going back to the mountains and doing an above-the-trees course, we did one through the trees and over smaller waterfalls that was thirty minutes away- Adventure Park.

We lucked out in getting a tour without anyone else [1:00 on a Saturday], which was a real game changer. No waiting, no unfamiliar faces in our photos... it might change the way I think about paying extra for a private tour in the future.

My face on the right does not accurately portray how fun I thought it was. 

They also let us swim in a little waterfall/pool for a while, which again, was extra great with it only being the four of us. One of our guides even got fancy with his pictures he took of us. That leaf adds SO much privacy, amiright?! 

At night, it was vacation-business as usual- dinner, drinks, dancing... and some really extravagant shows that I hope you saw glimpses of on my Instagram story. At one point, the two of us ended up becoming the stars of the show. *shocker* My drunk and ADD mind could not focus on lines though and I don't think the show runners appreciated that.

If you're thinking of going to Costa Rica, DO IT. You can easily do a full week if you're driving to stay in different places every two days. That would be the only thing I'll do differently next time I go- don't stay in one place the entire time you're there.

Also learned:

• When it comes to the food- don't expect spicy. I was surprised to find out that Costa Ricans hate spicy food, but it's all very flavorful, with a bit more sweet than spice. 
• They don't have a military, and I find that to be very cool. They're also very proud. 
• The people who work in tourism seem to have a much better quality of life than those who don't... and the tourism workers know how to help you out [with hopes of a tip].
• Sloths and monkeys aren't going to be everywhere like they suggest... at least not in regularly traveled paths. We saw exactly zero sloths, and the only monkeys we saw were at the Monkey House. 

Now, because it wouldn't be a vacation post without a handstand pic, there's this one from the hot springs. 

love,
elizabethany

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visiting a monkey house in costa rica

I sat down to start writing my Costa Rica blog when I realized there was one part of the trip that absolutely deserves its own post... and also deserves the first post. Our trip to a "monkey house."

There was really one main reason we wanted to go to Costa Rica- in all of the pictures I've seen, there have been monkeys running around like squirrels. When I did more research, I realized that's an internet thing and not necessarily a real thing you can expect. After even more research, I really couldn't decide where to go to make sure I was able to touch a monkey. 

We decided to talk to one of those people who try to make you spend way too much for some excursion at a hotel and said to cut the BS- all we care about are some monkeys. He told us to meet a cab driver who would take us to a place five minutes away... the "monkey house."

This guy, Chino, took us through a neighborhood while we all thought we were definitely getting scammed and probably doomed, then ended up in someone's yard who had dozens of monkeys running around. It was literally someone's house who grew fruit that the monkeys loved. Nothing official, nothing you can find on the Internet.

The Monkey House yard

Chino grabbed us some bananas, told us to stand by the tree holding them, and BAM, just like that- monkeys were running up to us, on us, grabbing the bananas, and being much more friendly than even I could imagine. If you know one important thing about me, it's that only two things can make me smile on a rough day: doing gymnastics, and watching monkey videos. I was in Heaven. 

Not gonna lie, I was scared, but so happy, amazed, and just everything. 

They loved selfies, gave serious side eye, and even straight chilled on us.

There's no such thing as too many monkey pictures so here are my favorites. 

 Unfortunately, there's an unhappy but hilarious way this story ends, my friends.

We were warned from the beginning to stay away from the "alpha" monkey. It was obvious which one he was. He watched from afar and had a bigger "beard" than the rest. If he got upset, we'd be in trouble with wild animals.

At one point, there were four monkeys on my man. Two of them started fighting each other, and Alpha was not pumped about that. He must have ran from 50 yards away to attack his leg, start screaming very loudly, then run back. It was so quick none of us really knew what had happened, but he had a scratch on his leg and a really small puncture. Chino and his friend did some of their Costa Rican witchcraft [pouring alcohol on it], acted like it was nbd, and kept handing us bananas.

Uhhh, I think I'm done here.

Two of them, neither one the Alpha, were inseparable from each other, and making this face:

Chino: "Oh they're smiling!"

All of us: Uhhh, you have a different idea of smiling than we do."

We took a few more pictures [because priorities], left, had some drinks, and decided to worry about whether or not it was a real issue later. 

Everything has been fine for him, but the next day we heard a different story from Chino when we saw him in the lobby. Another man he took to the house had worn a hat that the monkey took off his head. When he went to steal it back, monkey was not happy. Monkey fought back. Human went to hospital for stitches. 

So... if you're going to be in the Puntarenas area like we were... think about how badass you feel that day. Are you too scared or are you ready to take a risk? Are you ready to fight a monkey for a hat? We need you somewhere between those things. Fighting a monkey is bad. Do not go find Chino for the Monkey House if you think a hat is important. Stay in your hotel. Go get a pina colada.. and then still stay there even when it may seem like a good idea again.

More on Costa Rica very soon.

love,
elizabethany

PS I made that very dramatic graphic for Pinterest purposes, of course. 

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listen: what it's like to be a redskins cheerleader

Holy CRAZY life on the show lately! My "Exposed" segment has been taking off and I've been having all sorts of artists on my show/podcast lately and it has been feeling so good!

Beyond musicians though, I love talking to people who do other things that may be a little in the spotlight or at least a combination of known and mysterious.

Like... how about Redskins Cheerleaders?!

Two of them came into my show the other day thinking we'd do some quick live thing
promoting their upcoming auditions, but I had more plans. I wanted to pick their brains... find out about their lives and expectations and everything there is! For the first time in a while, I knew I didn't have to write down questions because I'd just be so genuinely interested.. but I did write some of them down after the fact.

• What does it take to be on the team?
• How much time/effort does it take during the week?
• How much do they get paid?
• What else do they do with their lives?
• What's a game day like?
• Do they have friendships or any sort of relationship with players?
• How do they make sure they stand out among the cheerleaders on the field? 

There are a lot of giggles and us being girls, but that's what happens when you're vibing right?! Listen to the fun with Candess and Javai:

Listen to "What does it take to be a First Lady of Football?" on Spreaker.

Also, check out their beauty:

get with the winning team #HTTR photo cred: WRC_CANDESS on twitter #OAKvsWAS

A post shared by CANDESS 🍭 (@candesscee) on Sep 25, 2017 at 7:48am PDT

Mood:Post @dancebody stretch!!!! #Katia'sClass #dancebody

A post shared by WRC Javai (@wrc_javai) on Jun 14, 2017 at 12:07pm PDT

I guess this means I have some new besties on the field to call upon for an extra special good time next season?! *fingers crossed*

love,
elizabethany

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what i'm wearing: fun pieces from tobi

Do you see a bunch of online stores and wonder if the clothes are good, how they'll fit, etc? I've wondered that about Tobi, and now I got to try them out!

They sent me three items and as always, I'll keep it real in my opinion/review/etc!

First up: A velvet party dress. 

Holiday party season may be over, but that doesn't mean you can't wear a dress throughout the winter. The thigh high boot trend helps everything stay warm even in a dress. It's a lovely thing.

For daytime:

-velvet dress from Tobi

-white sweater from Express

-flat thigh high boots from JustFab [similar]

For nighttime: 

-velvet shift dress from Tobi

-old black leather jacket [similar]

-black lace-up boots from JustFab 

-gold drop necklace from Amazon [similar]

I got the dress in a medium, which is my normal dress size. It was a little tighter than I expected it to be, but it's actually perfect for these kind of outfits. With a jacket or something over it [even though it has a fun, low back], it's everything a girl could hope for.


Second piece: Plunging blouse

-plunge twisty/knot top from Tobi

-jeans from Express

-same lace up boots as above [open toed version at Tobi]

-silver drop necklace from FabFitFun [similar]

I wore this to a work event in NYC, which may have been a bit adventurous because it's definitely low cut and open on the bottom, but I think it was still okay. It's subtly sexy, and that's my favorite kind. It's a very light material, which was also unexpected, but in black it's not see through.


Finally, a striped turtleneck croptop. 

-crop top from Tobi

-jeans from Express

-booties from Kohls [kinda similar]

The crop top is SO FUN. It's velvet and mesh, turtleneck and bell-sleeves.... it's a lot of trends in one! I originally planned on wearing black pants with it [which will happen eventually] but decided to go full monotone for this post. I never wear these booties and they need some love... what do we think?

The lovely thing about Tobi is that they always have great sales... it's one of those places I'll be checking regularly now that I've gotten my first order. Have you gotten anything from there before? Link me!

love,

elizabethany

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what i'm wearing: my jingle ball outfit and the rejects

It's been a month since Jingle Ball, so it seems like the perfect time to post about my outfit!

...Mostly because I've officially gotten all the reject pieces into the mail and sent back.

You see, for Jingle Ball, I always order TONS of things on Black Friday, then cross my fingers that somehow something goes together.

For the first time ever, it actually worked.

-bodysuit from Boohoo [currently sold out]

-leather skirt from Zara

-snakeskin/suede booties from Kohls

-lovely, customized hair extensions thanks to Ruby Devine at Frizzles

I did my own hair and make-up again because #trustissues. Stila has a new liquid glitter eyeshadow thing that was a STAPLE for the holiday season [see another look up close here]. Add some blue bottom eyeliner, a litttttle bit of a smokey eye, and fake eyelashes and BAM I'm out the door. 

The look is definitely one of my favorites, even though I hate the whole slicked back hair thing in pictures. It was fun to test my coworkers' ability to keep their eyes up, and it looked good on stage, even with ridiculous faces.

Now, back to those rejects I was talking about. 

I ordered about $700 worth of things from Asos, Express, Boohoo, Lulu's, and more random places. I threw together some possibilities while hungover or just not put together to send to friends for opinions. If I'm gonna look good in such a moment, it'll be a real winner when I'm put together. 

Here are some of those options, without my face because ain't nobody wanna see that mess. Trust me... but there were too many solid options to NOT share.

I brought this outfit to Capital One Arena with me in case of a Nipplegate. The velvet bodysuit is fun and different, but it was too black to be festive, right?

-bodysuit from ASOS

-same skirt from Zara

-shoes from JustFab

This was another runner up. These pants would never be something I wear on any other occasion, but that's what made them fun. Ultimately, I didn't think they'd look as good on stage, but they're also from ASOS. 

Something about this seems like a pajama outfit that you can also wear out and be a little slutty. I wish I had a real reason to keep the top, but I don't get dressed up nearly as much as I'd like to. 

-Mesh crop top from ASOS

-pants from Boohoo

All of these sparkles would have looked BOMB on stage, but the sleeves were just... too much. The dress is from Lulu's.

This was another one I really loved, but I wore blue velvet two years ago and I just KNOW everyone would remember that and be disappointed. This Lulu's dress was hella comfy and flattering... and appears to be sold out for now unless you tell me within 30 hours that you want to buy a size medium from me. :)

Finally, this dress... which is the same design as the bodysuit I wore, and I LOVED it.... but uh... it covered half of my ass. It requires someone with a short torso. They seemed to be sold out of this also, but here are similar looks.

There was one more "reject," but I loved it too much to let it go to waste. The good thing about the Jingle Ball orders, is that I normally have something left over for New Year's Eve. Enter this sexy little number. 

-bodysuit from ASOS

-skirt from ASOS

-shoes from JustFab

Whew. Now I have some closure. Money is back in my account, photos are posted, I'm getting nothing for any of this besides the feeling of accomplishment and the aforementioned closure. For the two outfits I kept, it was about $125, not including accessories that I already had for a while. That's the beauty of Black Friday and I wish every day was Black Friday except not really because I would need a buy a house just for a closet. 

Maybe next year I'll hire an actual stylist.... but probably not. #trustissues #thisisfun

love,

elizabethany

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listen: johnny bananas talks champs stars

DAYUM it has been a while since I went back to my Real World/MTV roots! I've thought about it a few times, but I would ultimately rather talk to people who deserve to have an ego than those who are on one or two reality shows and think I need to go through some super fancy secret agent to talk to them.

When it's Johnny Bananas, though.. I'll make an exception. This is like a former bucket list item!

Johnny's been cursed since he took all the money from Sara, but he won't admit to that of course. Will he admit to having ONE person he'll never hurt in the game?

Before a mini series of challenges begins with "Champs vs Stars," he called me so I could test his ego and see how calculated he really is. Also- Terrell Owens. Turns out he's not going to be a big fan of Johnny like he had hoped. Shocker. 

Will I do more of these? Meh. I don't HATE it... but I've got bigger plans coming... you'll see. [Unless of course this gets thousands of listens....]

love,
elizabethany

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photo diary: my trip to portland and seattle

I don't know why I always wait til this late in the Fall season to go on my "big trip." It's cold and there's less daylight... but I did it again. 

This time, I called upon the BFF to help me through rough times and escape for a few days to uncharted territory in my life: The Northwest. I told myself it wouldn't be that cold. I believed that 50 degrees as a high was just jacket weather. Once again, like last year's trip to Europe, I was way under-prepared for mostly 30-something degree wet weather. 

When life gives you rain, dance in it... or.... something. 

First stop: Portland. 

We didn't really know anyone there and everything I found was like "try this beer" or "you've gotta eat this." So that's what we did. We drank and we ate, and stumbled around the city. [Hey, we were doing the buddy system so it's totally okay, Mom!] There are MULTIPLE breweries on every block it seems, and we tried to go to as many as possible but I'm going to blame the altitude and the higher ABV percentage on our relatively early night. [Don't you look at me like that.]

On Saturday, we got to walk through the Saturday Market which helped me pick up some Christmas gifts for myself, and then Powell's Books which I figured would not be for me, a girl who doesn't read.... but they had some fun journal-style books that I've been wanting to check out. YAY for a daily journal that only makes me write one line a day! 

When you walk everywhere, even if it's a couple miles away, you stumble across things you may not have found otherwise. I spent a solid 20+ minutes on this bridge just taking pictures of a park. [I love a good park in the city.]

Pinterest helped me find a bunch of "Insta-Worthy Spot in Portland," so we looked for a few of those. Including a fountain park [that ended up having zero water working at the time] and the smallest park in the world- Mills End Park. Really- it's just a plant in the middle of the road as if that's a safe place for humans to hang out in. 

Thanks to Facebook friends, I was told about Salt and Straw, an ice cream place with seriously unique flavors. We're talking Thanksgiving Turkey and cranberry-apple stuffing flavors [which I'm eating over there], plus olive oil, basil, mashed potatoes and more that you can see in the menu below. Luckily they let you taste everything and it was FANTASTIC. The BFF loved the mashed potatoes and olive oil flavors, and I was shocked to be ordering the turkey that tasted like a salty maple syrup of sorts. If you go to Portland, skip the Voodoo Doughnuts and check this out instead. There will likely be a line, but it's more unique than the semi- decent doughnuts.

As for other Portland food options, make sure you check out one of the food cart areas [lots of Greek and Asian food, but so good!] and don't think it's weird to eat at a brewery.

Portland has all sorts of places for #views, but if you want all of it, the five minute aerial tram is lovely. 

After a solid 40 hours in Portland, it was off to Seattle. Renting a car was only about $30 for the day, which is cheaper than most Uber rides to downtown. There are SO many places I wish we could have stopped at along the way, but we were antsy and low on time in each city. Plus- when it's cold and rainy- hiking to a waterfall isn't high on my want to do list. 

Seattle came with a tour guide for us- one of my closest high school friends. He helped us feel a little like a local [which is one of my favorite things to do/feel when visiting a city] then we hit the things Pinterest and Facebook told me to. After proudly cheering on my Redskins to a victory in their city, we did some bar hopping. 

One of my favorite things about Portland and Seattle [and really a lot of other cities outside of DC in general] is how much character all the bars have. There's something about the decor that always makes me amazed, even if it's a local sports bar. 

From left, then clockwise- Al's Den in Portland, which was a tiny basement bar in the middle of the street/median. 10 Barrel Brewing in Portland. A punching bag in Sam's Taven's bathroom in Seattle. Nacho Borracho in Seattle. 

One of the most beautiful bars I've ever stepped foot in was in Seattle, though. Someone told me about it on Facebook and my friend said it's normally dead unless it's late on a weekend night. That was perfect. I had all of the room to take all of the pictures of Unicorn. 

Just bring a good camera and someone with not-wasted eyeballs to take some great pics. 

Speaking of drinks, I had also read about a place called Canon, which was tagged with all sorts of Insta-worthy drinks on Instagram so duh, had to go there. Why would anyone travel without planning everything around their Instagram pics?! 

Turns out, you need a reservation just to try out their $18 drinks... but LOOK AT THESE THINGS. 

The Pop Art, Warhol and Bitter Petals. Elementary and Child's Play. Campfire in Georgia. 

Then it was all about the touristy things. Luckily, most of them are really close together in Seattle and we did a lot of walking [and commenting about how rough it was to walk in the cold mountains].

Let's first acknowledge the most beautiful wall to ever exist.. at the Museum of Pop Culture. It's right next to the Space Needle and I saw someone with a perfect picture/reflection and wanted to recreate it, but instead took a couple dozen tries of different angles.

The rest I'm sure you've heard of or seen plenty of so I'll do what everyone wants: Less words, more pictures. 

The very first Starbucks... that was packed the first time I went, but was a fairly normal line at about 9:30 on a Tuesday before my flight.

The Market... which you've probably seen endless videos of fish being thrown, but I was amazed that it was such an old building, that smelled old, and so many random shops! Also, it was interesting to see the set up happening around 9:30.

The Gum Wall, which had unfortunately been cleaned recently. HOW DO YOU CLEAN A LANDMARK LIKE THAT?!

The Fremont Troll, which is amazingly huge when you're driving straight for it. 

The nighttime view from Gas Works Park is breathtaking.

We drank a lot of Rainier beer and heard all about the mountain, but hadn't had clear enough weather to see it. I'm so glad I went on the morning walk before my flight. I walked down Pier 66 and saw it reaching over the stadiums and up to the clouds and just like everyone says- no picture truly captures what your eyeball sees. 

There were also some pretty incredible views on the way home.. which ALMOST makes the fact that you're going home a little better.

In review, in case you're looking to make this mini road trip that's less than three hours between the cities.. [As always, I recommend flagging places that you've seen or been given as recommendations so it's easy to figure out the closest and also the best routes.]

PORTLAND: 

• Uber drivers LOVE to give recommendations
• I stayed at the Hyatt House. It's easy walking to plenty of places, and gives a fantastic free breakfast. 
• Go to as many breweries as possible. Walk around, walk into places that seem intriguing. They won't let you down. 
• Skip Voodoo Doughnuts, get Salt and Straw ice cream
• Eat at a food cart park. Yelp will give you nearby recommendations
• Giggle at Mills End Park
• Walk over Hawthorne Bridge
• Take the aerial tram for a quick and cheap view of the whole city from above
• Check out the market if you're there on Saturday. It's right next to the famous "White Stag" sign and an easy walk to Powell's Books and other things the internet will say are "must-see." 

SEATTLE:

• I stayed at Belltown Inn which was GREAT location, but not the nicest hotel.
• Eat breakfast at Biscuit Bitch
• Pier 66 has a great view of the stadiums, Wheel, Mt. Rainier and more. 
• Go to the Market early [before 10], get your Starbucks if you need to, then go back a little later for the shopping if you must. 
• Gas Works Park has a breathtaking view of the city at night. 
• Get drinks at Unicorn and Canon... if you're into drinks and vibes worth photographing. 
• Museum of Pop's wall is also fun to take pictures in

THINGS I WISH I DID INBETWEEN: [We wanted a straight shot drive, but if you can take a day to drive, do these things]

• Multnomah Falls
• Cannon Beach
• Mt Rainier National Park/High Rock lookout
• Snoqualmie Falls

Okay you have fun pretending like you're gonna do all of these things too, okay? Or making me feel like you're pretending such things. 

love,

elizabethany

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