My Top 10 Travel Destinations
Since I was in my early twenties I caught the travel bug and this bug has never left. I really started heavily traveling the past 7 years with my husband and every year we try and up the ante. Here is a list of my top ten favorite travel destinations so far, not in any particular order.
Greece- I know that Greece is still fresh on my mind because we got back 2 weeks ago, but it now has a very special place in my heart. The day after we got back from Santorini, I thought “ so when are we going back?” Greece is a place that definitely lives up to the hype. There are many other islands I want to check out here, and we were supposed to go to Athens but had to come back early so still a lot more to see! Everything about Greece I loved. From the food and wine, to the culture, to the beautiful views. It was hard to find something I didn’t fall in love with.
Australia- My husband and I took our first trip to Australia last December. We really had no expectations about going and it was on my list although not very high on it just because it was so far away, He ended up having a conference here so we got to stay for free and his flight was paid for which was amazing. I was super nervous about the 17 hour flight because I have a fear of flying, but it really was not bad at all and actually went by fast, I would definitely do it again. After visiting Bondi we honestly thought about actually moving here, we loved it that much! Bondi is one of the most relaxing places I have ever been to, people don’t even walk around with shoes on! I realized that as I get older i love just chill places with delicious fresh food! Our dream is to one day leave the United States and escape to Australia.
Las Vegas- It is hard to imagine life without Las Vegas in it. In fact, I should probably do a special Las Vegas travel guide because I have been about 50 times in 10 years ( really I lost count). Milan and I met in Vegas in 2014 and got engaged and married here. No matter what, Vegas will always be our home away from home. As we have gotten older we appreciate the finer Vegas experiences, such as dining, shopping and going to the spa. We will still throw in a club or show once in a while. What we love about Vegas is that it is always changing and there is something for everybody. Every time we go, we get to check out something brand new and exciting or go back to the places we love.
Belgrade- Belgrade is the capital city of Serbia and a place I can honestly say I would have never seen myself visiting if not for my husband. He was born in Belgrade and moved to Canada when he was little but still has family there. Since we have been together, I have been four different times. Sure, it is not the most beautiful or charming city, in fact many people would consider it ugly or dreary especially with such Communist era architecture. I just love it there, and it is probably one of the only cities in Europe that has no been taken over my Instagram Tourists. People still smoke everywhere, including in restaurants and hotels, and I mean A LOT. Even though I do not like cigarette smoke, for some reason I enjoy this. This city has it’s own unique feel that is just so special I cannot describe it in words.
The French Riviera- Although we only went here once a while ago, some of the best memories I have are from here. It was our first Euro Trip together, where we did London, Paris, Nice, and Monaco. When we got off the train from Nice, we walked to our hotel, and just in time for the Bastille Day Fireworks. We actually had no idea there was a famous fireworks show on Bastille Day. When we arrived to our hotel we were told we had a balcony and view of the fireworks show to our surprise. Just in time for the show we went upstairs and got to see the show high above the crowd. After a day in Nice, we went to Monaco. We stayed at the Fairmont Monte Carlo. It was really fun to go to such a small country/ principality. The casino was definitely a huge highlight, it felt straight out of a James Bond Movie.
Mayakoba- Mayakoba is an area in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. We went there for the first time two years ago, and cannot wait to go back. Imagine a Venice in Mexico, with beautiful canals and boats. It is a very relaxing and unique place. Mayakoba encapsulates 4 different hotels and you take a cute little boat in between the hotels (or you can hop on a gold cart but the boat is way more fun). Our favorite hotel was the Banyan Tree. Another sort of James Bond esq experience was rolling up to the Banyan tree hotel in a boat.
Venice- Speaking of Venice…When we went to Venice, I really thought it would end up being in a sort of Italian Disney World- being heavily warned about all the tourists. I was completely wrong and absolutely loved it. We also went in low season which was perfect. We had St. Marks Square basically all to ourselves. It is such a fun city to wander and eat Cicchetti ( Apertivo in Venice). We drank a ton of wine and stumbled around enjoying the sites and sounds of Venice. We did do a Gondola ride to check that off the list, and honestly it was the only real let down of Venice. It was 30 minutes but felt like 5 minutes and we paid like 90 Euros- we got super ripped off. Next time I would love to rent a boat. We took a boat to the airport at 5am and it was one of the most fun experiences ever- the boat literally docked at the airport entrance!
Paris- Paris is one of those places we always find ourselves going back to, even though sometimes it isn’t all that perfect but maybe that is what we enjoy about it. Paris in my opinion is not like in the movies or how you see it on Instagram with heavy filters. It can be dirty, people can be rude, cabbies can be assholes. It reminds me of a french version of New York City. Yet, there is nowhere else in the world like Paris, it just has that Je ne sais Quoi! I have so far been to Paris 5 different times- going on 6 this year. After only about 2 months of us dating, Milan flew to Paris from Dallas to visit me for 4 days while I was alone in an AirBnB shooting fashion week in Paris. It was the most romantic thing anybody has ever done for me.
New Orleans- Nola is unlike any other place in the US, or really the world. Even though we love it here, we have not been in a while and are definitely due for a trip back since it is only an hour flight from us. The only problem with Nola is that it is too much fun, too much eating and drinking. It is such a charming city, and the best parts are away from Bourbon Street including Frenchman Street, The Warehouse District, and The Garden District. Our favorite thing to do in Nola is to have brunch at Commander’s Palace and drink their 25 cent martinis. Yes you heard me right, 25 cent martinis. They are incredible and you can only have I think 3 but 3 is more than enough.
Sonoma Valley- Sonoma is the less touristy and more rustic neighbor of Napa Valley. We always joke that we are one day going to buy a little house, retire here, and grow a garden. Sonoma is probably the most relaxing place on this list, and I don’t even know why ( maybe all the wine?!). We always stay at the Fairmont which has the best spa and one of our favorite restaurants in the world, Sante. Each trip we visit probably about 2-3 wineries, and a few tasting rooms downtown.
Places still on my list to get to maybe in the next couple years!
Tokyo- Scheduled to go in October!!!!
Italian Coast- Positano, Capri, Ischia, Cinque Terre, Procida, all of the above if possible!
Banff- A beautiful place in Canada with Moraine Lake and Lake Louise .
Barcelona/Madrid- I have never been to Spain yet, so a definite must someday!
And Many More!