I did take German in high school…

so I bet I could pick it up again pretty quickly, no? Four weeks vacation – MINIMUM? Yeah, I’m moving to Germany.

Trip Alertz

I’m sure by now most of you are using or at have at least heard of sites like Groupon and Living Social. Recently I even posted about a similar site, Heartsy, which is for Etsy. Well now, there is yet another daily deal site to add to the mix, yet this time it’s solely for travel. On TripAlertz, the more people that book a deal, the lower the overall cost is. You’ll find exceptional deals on some of the world’s finest resorts in the most desirable destinations. You can even help select which locations become deals – just vote on upcoming deals and the ones with the most votes become bookable. Deals go live every Tuesday and last for 2 weeks. At the most, you’ll pay the low “member price” and once a certain number of people book, the price goes even lower and you’ll pay the “epic price.”

I am always looking for a deal, especially when I travel. And since I am trying to travel more these days, this site is right up my alley!

A subway station?

Can you believe this is a subway station in Stockholm???? They sure don’t look anything like this in America! And I’ll be it doesn’t smell like pee either.

via Lovely Pieces

My wealthy alter ego.

Many people have talents. They sing, they dance, they make things. I don’t do any of those things. I spend money. And yes, I consider it a talent because I am very, very good at it. Keep in mind, however, that though I spend money, I am a bargain shopper by definition and my ultimate goal when making a purchase is to get the lowest possible price I can find. And let me be clear – this takes work, people! Just once though, I would like to do something, go somewhere, buy something and not think about price. Just outright buy it, maybe even without looking at the price tag.

Because of all this, I imagine my wealthy alter ego and what she looks like on vacation. Her vacation to a stunning tropical location where all the drinks come with umbrellas and are served by tanned men with sexy accents wearing nothing but grape leaves.

Tortoise Oversized Sunglasses / Two Tone Wide Brim Hat / Kate Spade ‘Date Night’ Floral Ring / Jill Sander Weekender Bag / One-Shoulder Ruche Tank / Christian Louboutin Une Plume Wedge / DVF Beach Cover

Sedona or Bust!

image via

Our next vacation will be to beautiful (at least that’s what I hear), Sedona, Arizona. It’s still a couple months away but I am a scheduler and a planner so I am already ready to go! This is what we are calling our budget vacation as we will be driving from Southern California (for 8 loooooooooooong hours), and our monster dog, Logan, will also be tagging along. I’m sure we will spend a gang of money, but we’re calling it budget because a) we have no airfare costs, and b) no dog boarding, which is an astronomical $300 for a full week. We will still board our kitty but she’s cheap and easy (that’s what she said!) at only $12/day.

The point of this post, however, is to seek some advice and knowledge from those of you who have traveled to Sedona before. We like to hike/walk, eat and drink. Are there specific trails you recommend? Tours that are must sees? Restaurants with fabulous happy hours? We plan to go to the Grand Canyon but know nothing about it. Can you do it by yourself or do you need to take a tour? Is there hiking there? What about places that allow pets? Anything any everything you know – I want to know!

Ready? Set? SHARE!

Kermit on Capitol Hill

Kermit the Frog is going on a field trip! Jim Henson’s widow has donated the original Kermit (along with 10 other muppet collection characters) to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. I grew up with Kermit and his friends so this is definitely an exhibit I would really enjoying seeing. I’ll be in the area (sort of) in October… D.C. – here I come!

Leaf House

Yet another installment in the “I want to go to there” series. Or bitter house envy. Take your pick, they both qualify. The Leaf House, by architects Mareines + Patalano was inspired by Brazil’s Indian architecture and is located just one hour south of Rio de Janeiro.

The generous heights of the open inner spaces allow the SE trade winds to pass perfectly trough the building, providing natural ventilation, passively cooling both the enclosed and open spaces. The purpose of the house was to enhance the interaction between man and nature, trying whenever possible, not to separate them completely. The house also has a curved swimming pool, which snakes into the house, passing below the formal dining room, turning into a pond with aquatic plants and fish. The rear veranda serves as a resting space with five hammocks, called the “Brazilian Lounge”.

I don’t really care what you call it. I’d like to call it home…

Secret Cove

This post brought to you by, I Want to Go to There…

Awarded the 2nd best Seaside Hideaway by Sunset Magazine, relaxation and beauty are in abundance at the Rockwater Secret Cove Resort, part of British Columbia’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Their motto? That time slows down to almost nothing in their oceanfront haven. And when you look at their Tenthouse Suites, you’ll know they aren’t fooling around.

The 1500’ forest boardwalk Tenthouse Suites are nestled among arbutus trees overlooking Secret Cove, with each suite opening onto an endless view of the Pacific Ocean. Because of this, I am officially putting Canada on my list of  must-visit vacation places!

Deep dish

image

As in pizza, friends. I think I may have mentioned before that I’m pretty sure I could eat my weight in pizza. But after I saw this, I might have to reconsider. I live in California and we don’t have deep dish pizza like they do in Chicago. Which is why it’s going on my list of places I must visit. Really, you ask. Just for pizza?

Um…hells to the ye-ah! Especially since I found out you can actually take a Chicago Pizza Tour! It’s an eating tour, people! Most cities have monuments or parks or historical places of interest. Chicago has pizza. Stick to what you do best I suppose. And really, don’t care, cuz with that much pizza, I’d like nothing better than to engorge myself with some deep dish, wash it down with a few brewskis and slip into a temporary food coma, cozy in my hotel. To me, that is a fabulous vacation outing!

Who’s with me?

I want to go to there.

Mexico really is beautiful…