Well Traveled, Well Read

I recently had one of the most magical girls’ getaways to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We hiked. We drank beers and ate burgers at lunch and had fancy cocktails and multiple courses at dinner. We napped and read books in the afternoons. We drank coffee while a moose frolicked just in front of our patio. And we played Mah Jong. It was one of those perfect weekends where the crowds were minimal; the skies were clear; and everyone seemed to agree on everything. It was, in short, like being in a Disney production of a girls’ getaway minus the singing mice. At this point, I should probably quit while I’m ahead and never go back, but I absolutely fell in love with the Tetons and plan to return in the future. If my husband is reading this, start packing your bags babe. Because our trip was so perfect, I’m sharing our itinerary here, and of course, I have some great book suggestions! I would also like to invite Jackson Hole enthusiasts (I know I have a few in my subscription list) to add their ow...

London, with its vibrant arts scene, rich history, and multicultural culinary options, is one of my favorite cities in the world. My parents were living in London when I was born, and my mom flew home shortly before my due date to ensure she had a proper epidural, which wasn’t available in London at the time. No dual citizenry for me, but after experiencing childbirth, I can’t fault my mom for that. We were back in London shortly thereafter where I spent my very early years taking daily strolls through the London parks rain or shine. Over the years, we went back on family trips, renting a flat, going to the theater, and exploring the city together. I have so many wonderful London memories – being there for World Cup soccer and being part of the intense excitement and watching the sun come up over Hampstead Heath with my brother and friends the next morning, seeing the ballet and leaving with sore cheeks because I couldn’t stop smiling, singing Christmas carols with the cast of a Co...

We finished off our summer vacation with just over a week in Big Sky, Montana. We fell in love with the wide-open spaces and the beautiful topography, and we enjoyed the slow pace of this mountain destination. We had lots of adventures and tried some new things, but we also had plenty of time to sit back, relax, and read. How to Get There… Fly into Bozeman, Montana (for my Dallas readers, both American and Southwest offer direct flights) and rent a car. The drive to Big Sky is about an hour of easy driving and is very scenic. There are some shuttle services available, but I do recommend having a car while you’re in Big Sky. Note that the lines for rental cars at the Bozeman airport were INSANE. We had a reservation and waited at the Hertz counter for more than 45 minutes. The Avis line was even longer, and all the lines looked even longer on our way home. Plan for that, book using status to skip the lines, or explore other options. Last summer I used Turo, and that was much quick...

Austin, Texas is one of my favorite cities. I spent four years in college there and another three years for graduate school, and my husband and I have frequently taken weekend trips there over the years to attend Austin City Limits, visit family, enjoy the lake views, and pretend we are young enough for the night life scene. More recently I have enjoyed experiencing Austin with my daughter, and I have to say Austin is a perfect destination for the tween set. So here are my top suggestions for Austin with tweens. What to Do: We loved renting boats at Zilker Park Boat Rentals (bonus that it’s right next to a playground if younger kids are with you and the Barton Springs Pool for a dip) and paddling around. It’s so fun to be out on the water, and it’s a nice way to get some exercise in. This was also a great opportunity for people and dog watching – people jumping into the water, people playing music, dogs in life vests, people paddle boarding, etc. Bonus points that it was a super e...

Sometimes just staying in a nice hotel can be a vacation in and of itself – no cooking, no cleaning, no household projects hanging over your head. My husband and I recently took a few nights at a hotel and read books by the pool, ate food cooked by someone else, drank champagne, and played board games and Gin Rummy. We also like to go as a family and with family friends to Hyatt Lost Pines Resort (outside of Austin) where they have a lazy river, a nice pool, tons of children’s activities, and wide-open spaces to lounge or run and play. This post is dedicated to those lazy vacations where you don’t see much beyond the hotel. If you are in the market for something light and beachy, something you can fall asleep reading by the pool and maybe even lose your place in without it mattering too terribly much, I suggest these three breezy novels: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter begins in a postage stamp sized coastal village in Italy where a young hotel proprietor dreams of attracting glamo...

Last summer we dropped our daughter off at camp for a week right in the heart of the Texas hill country. Deciding that we could best capitalize on this time together by not spending it with more time in the car, we rented a house in Fredericksburg, Texas and spent the week there.  I confess, we were tired, and this was our first kid-free trip since before COVID, so we spent a lot of time napping, reading (me), playing the guitar (my husband), and napping some more. I went out to breakfast one morning, polished off four cups of coffee then went back to our rental, crawled back in bed and went right back to sleep. That said, we were there for a week and got out every day to explore, stretching out what would otherwise be a fun and relatively busy weekend trip into a slow-paced week. If you are planning a visit, I have you covered on what to do, where to eat, and of course, what to read. What to Do… There are lots of vineyards and tasting rooms in the Fredericksburg area, so this...

I have spent a lot of time in New York City – two years living there after college, lots of mother daughter trips (first with my mom and now with my daughter), family vacations as a teen and in my early 20s, and visits to see old friends. Today I’m on a flight to NYC for a work trip with hopes to get some free moments for exploring. There are so many ways to experience the City and so many fantastic books set in the City, so I am planning a multi-part series on NYC. If you ever need tips, feel free to write a comment or drop me a line! So here goes, part one of my three-part top 30 New York City reads, in no particular order … with some other more specific posts coming later. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is one of my all-time favorite memoirs. The story focuses on Walls’ childhood with her alcoholic but charismatic father and her free-spirited mother who wasn’t interested in the constraints of family life and childrearing. Walls and her siblings learn to take care of themselves...