Best Barbecue in Austin - Salt Lick BBQ

While in Texas, we knew we absolutely had to try some barbecue. We did quite a bit of research before ultimately settling on Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood, Texas. Of course, there are countless barbecue restaurants from which to choose, but we only had the chance to try out one. Fortunately, we are very happy with our choice!

Salt Lick has an amazing entrance. You can see your food being made on this huge roasting pit.

You would think that would be gross, but it totally wasn't! Everything smelled delicious!

Next we made our way to our tables, which are fun picnic tables. The establishment was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, it was quite cold but otherwise we would have sat outside and enjoyed the gardens. In fact, there is an on-site winery! The actual restaurant doesn't serve alcohol (and is cash only!!) but you can walk next door and get a bucket of beers or a nice wine. 

Now, on to the food. Oh. My. Goodness. It was unbelievably good. It felt kind of like a family picnic. It wasn't fancy, but boy was it good! The plates were plastic but it actually kind of added to the experience somehow. My favorites were the mac n cheese and pulled pork! I'm not a fan of beans or coleslaw, but my husband was very pleased with those. I would say the brisket and chicken were also delicious but still were not as good as the pulled pork. SO. GOOD. 

You may need to get a reservation as it is a very popular establishment. In fact, they even had signs asking you take no longer than an hour and a half to enjoy your meal if there is a wait. When we went there were plenty of tables, so it may depend on when you go. I imagine weekends there may be a bit of a wait. 

If you'd like help finding the best restaurants for your next trip, I'd love to help! Check out MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

A Fun Day in Cincinnati

My husband and Ialways try to squeeze in a quick day trip whenever we get the chance. Living within driving distance of a wonderful city like Cincinnati, we had to make the trek! There are so many things you can do in Cincy, it was hard to choose! We had tickets to see the Reds play later in the day, so we were on the hunt for a great half-day activity. After a bit of research, we settled on the zoo! 

The Cincinnati zoo is a place full of memories for me. My cousins and I used to go to the zoo all the time growing up (I have a lot of family in the area). We had a blast walking around and checking out the exhibits. 

Next up was lunch at Skyline. If you go to Cincinnati and don't get Skyline, you're missing out! There is nothing better than Skyline chili. Oh man, it's delicious. We met up with some family at our favorite restaurant, then still had a little bit of time to kill before the game.

We wound up doing a bit of shopping downtown - there are a few great yarn store for knitting enthusiasts like myself! It's a great way to explore and enjoy everything the city has to offer.

Finally, we headed to the Reds stadium to finish out our day with some good old fashion baseball! It was a blast. We hadn't been to a baseball game in a very long time, so we were thrilled! 

All in all, we had a great day exploring and enjoying the city. Cincinnati is a wonderful place, and I highly encourage you check it out if you get the opportunity! If you'd like some help planning your next day trip, check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Trying New Food While Abroad - Fun or Disastrous?

When I travel I absolutely love to throw myself into the culture, that includes the food! Trying new food is always so tempting, but I've found it's incredibly important to play it safe sometimes. Finding the balance can be tough, so I thought I'd share some of my experiences.

Korean Barbecue in Downtown Singapore

While staying in Singapore, my husband introduced me to an AMAZING restaurant in downtown Singapore that served Korean Barbecue. I know it sounds odd to try Korean food while in Singapore, but Singapore combines the best of many asian countries' cuisines. I have to say, hands down that meal has been my favorite food I've ever had on my travel. I didn't worry too much about what it was I was eating, we just sort of went with it! Now, here I was staying in one city for a few weeks so if I did have a reaction to the food, it wouldn't be the end of the world. If I had to leave for an international flight, I probably would have played it a bit safer. Luckily, it worked out just fine! My husband and I had a great date night with some delicious food.

Streetfood in Malasia

This situation was a bit more high risk! My husband and I were going to be flying back to Singapore on the same day, but we really wanted to go for it! We had local friends who showed us around the Kuala Lumpur and brought us to their favorite street vendors. We had some immodium at the ready and decided it was worth the risk. We ate some pretty unique foods while there! We sampled some frog, ate a century egg (it was black and gelatinous!) and tried a bite of something that I have literally no idea what animal it came from - they didn't know the word in english. I must say my stomach did have a bit of trouble afterwards, but nothing disastrous. All in all, it was successful!

Portuguese Cuisine 

Finally, while in Portugal we finished off our trip with a classic portuguese meal in a lovely local restaurant. The restaurant was recommended to us by our hotel concierge, then we asked the waiter for advice on which local dish was best. I went for a pork dish (tasty!) while my husband took a risk and ate octopus! I originally considered a sausage dish, but those tend to not end well with me so I took that into account and went for pork chop rather than a sausage dish. Meanwhile, my husband threw caution to the wind (we had an international flight the next morning) and went big! I am no where near as adventurous as he is, but I still like to enjoy the culture.

Whether you are a foodie or like to play it safe,  I've found that dessert is always a decent bet. In Italy I ate gelato on the daily! Those dishes tend to use similar ingredients across the board and have some seriously amazing flavor!

No matter your food preferences, my company, Miles Into Memories Travel, is happy to organize a trip that suits your needs! Check out MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com to get started today!

How To Be A Tourist In Your Hometown

If you love adventure but are still saving up for your next big trip, satisfy your wanderlust with a bit of hometown tourism! My husband and I used to have "Date Days" where we would pick a few major attractions in our town and make a day of it! We used to live in Raleigh so let's start there.

Visit the Local Museums
While it may not be NYC, Raleigh has its fair share of awesome museums - many of which are free! Each date day we would pick a new one to go visit - the art museum, history museum and arboretum to name a few!

Check Out The Best Restaurants

On these date days, we liked to shake things up! Instead of going to the same old restaurants for dinner, we ventured out! We went out of our way to the heart of downtown and loved to try some classic Raleigh hot spots like The Raleigh Times or Busy Bee. So good! You can also go on sites like Trip Advisor and see what other people and tourists have enjoyed. You never know what you'll stumble across.

My handsome husband at a local Brew Pub on our date day!

Get Out in Nature
Finally, check out the local foliage. We like to go on a little hike in Umstead park and have a picnic by the water. It's a great way to get exercise and get some fresh air. Even in the biggest of cities, a park or hiking trails are sure to be nearby.

The perfect picnic spot!

Make the most of your weekends and don't be afraid to try new things!

Malena

City Highlights - Barcelona

I'm starting a series where I'll be covering the highlights of some of my favorite cities. To kick things off, I thought I'd dive into one of my absolute favorite cities: Barcelona. There are so many places in Barca that are worth checking out, but here are a few of my favorites!

#1 - The beaches! Even in the wintertime (which is predominantly when I've spent time in Barca) the beaches are absolutely gorgeous. You can relax and soak up the sun in the summer, or in the cooler months just take a stroll and enjoy the view. There are even spots along the beach with make shift soccer goals set up and workout equipment.

 

 A shot of some beautiful beaches during sunset - taken from a train

#2 Ice Barcelona - If you are into the night life, Barca has several unique clubs and bars, but my favorite is the Ice Bar, aptly called Ice Barcelona! It's a lot of fun! The walls, chair, bar and even the glasses are made of ice. They give you fun, puffy silver jackets to wear along with some gloves. It was a ton of fun!

Hanging in Ice Barcelona around Christmas time

#3 La Sagrada Familia - The legendary Barcelona Artist, Antoni Gaudi designed several structures throughout the city, and arguably his most famous work is La Sagrada Familia. This breathtaking (and enormous) church is an absolute must-see; just be prepared to see some construction since it will be another 10 years or so before the church is completed.

The beautiful (and hard to photograph) La Sagrada Familia

#4 Park Guell - If you want an idyllic view of the city, Park Guell is the place to visit! Like the Sagrada Familia, it was designed by the magnificent Gaudi. The tiling is beautiful and there are some beautiful hikes as well. The outer area is free, but if you want to get the best views you'll have to pay just a few euros to enter the center area.

Park Guell at sunset is my favorite

 #5 - Camp Nou!!! - FC Barcelona, the professional soccer team of Barcelona, is the heartbeat of the city. If you don't have a chance to go see a game in person, at the very least it's worth touring the museum and stadium. Soccer is a huge part of the culture in Barca, so even if soccer isn't your cup of tea, I still recommend checking it out!

Down on the field during the tour

I had the time of my life at El Clasico! If you're not familiar, it's a legendary game between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. The atmosphere was unlike anything I've ever experienced.

I'd love to help you plan a trip of a lifetime to see the sights of Barcelona. Give me a shout at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Prepping and Packing For My First Cruise

I have been lucky enough to travel the world and see some pretty amazing sites, but never form the deck of a cruise ship! This weekend I am so excited to be headed to the Bahamas with my sisters and best friend! All that's left to do is pack!

I may or may not be stalling just a little by writing this blog post, but I'm mostly packed anyway - here's what I'm bringing!

Clothing - I'm bringing a combination of sun dresses, bikinis and comfy clothes! I'll be sporting my usual airport attire - yoga pants and a hoodie (which can double as workout clothes). Then the rest of the time I plan to be in a bikini or a fun, bright and colorful dress. I'll probably also throw in one or two nicer dress to wear if we decide to go to a fancy dinner or clubbing while on board. That's the fun part about cruises! You get to spend your time being super comfortable and relaxing by the pool. My kind of attire.

Shoes - I'm only bringing 3 pairs of shoes - sandals, flip flops and running shoes. Keeping it simple so I can fit everything in a carry-on.

Toiletries - I'll be bringing the my usual line-up. Plenty of mini products and of course, my trusty shampoo bar. I absolutely love my lush shampoo bar for travel because a) they work great b) it's one less liquid I have to bring!

Accessories - I'll be rocking some top-notch Target sunglasses and floppy hat. Total I think I spent like $15 on the pair so if I lose one or both, no big deal! Other than that, I'll be keeping things pretty simple - my usual stud earrings, my class ring and of course, my engagement ring!  I might throw in a baseball hat in case it gets windy and my sunhat isn't cutting it.

Extras - I'm bringing ALL the sunscreen! AKA my giant bottle of SPF 70. My entire goal is to just not come home burnt to a crisp. Other than that, I've made sure to bring all of my chargers, my kindle, plenty of books, my camera, my GoPro, my boarding documents and most importantly my passport!! 

I'm so excited for this trip! It's a new experience for me - I'm letting someone else plan for once! Ordinarily, I'm the one who coordinates everything, and I'd love to help you out on your next trip. Check out my travel company at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.

Spanish Food

The longer I’ve stayed in Spain the more I’m learning that my dislike of all seafood can be quite bothersome in this country. They throw tuna in everything! Order a garden salad? TUNA. (No mention of the pesky fish on the menu of course. Just lettuce, tomato etc.)

What about potatoe salad with breadsticks (what.) TUNA. Why? Or at least notify me of the tuna –ness. As it is I’m lucky I’m not allergic and just am not a fan. It pops up in the most unlikely places!

Same with Paella. Even if it says chicken Paella, you can bet they will likely throw in some sort of seafood… often with no warning.

They are also rather fond of calamari, though I have less issue with that particular dish because it is typically rather well marked.

Enough with the negatives – I have discovered the beauty that is a croquette. SO GOOD. Think mozzarella stick, but more bread than cheese, usually with some chicken, ham or (sigh) tuna thrown in. They are delicious! My one complain (completely on me, not Spain) is that if you order a sampler plate you never know which is which so there is always the lurking possibility that I could accidentally bite into a tuna croquette!

Also, it would be remiss to not mention Haribo. Yes, like the gummy bear. I swear they are so much better in Europe. Haribo is native to Germany and I guess because Spain/England/Ireland are so much closer to Germany than the US that the quality here is vastly improved. They are so so good. I’m not a huge gummy bear person at home, I mean I enjoy one every now and then, but I’m not drawn to them. Here I’m all about them! I’ve tried the variety sampler packs, the strawberries, the sour packs and of course plenty of the classic gummy bears too.

Overall I have had a wonderful time abroad and I’ve done rather well eating wise. I’ve made a point to sample the local cuisine but I could definitely go for a Mountain Dew and some Doritos right about now!