This marks my fifth visit to Mexico and my first visit to the capital city. Only two of my prior trips to Mexico are recent enough to make an appearance on @champagneonplanes. Our favorite beach resort vacation was a trip to Playa del Carmen in 2019. The food, the drinks, the hotel, the scenery, and... Continue Reading →
This trip was EPIC! And not because we waited five years for this trip to actually happen. This trip was initially planned for April 2020 as a friends and family 40th birthday celebration. We had a fully drafted itinerary. Nearly all of our reservations were booked and confirmed. We then had to cancel the entire... Continue Reading →
As 2024 comes to a close I need to tell you about my Viking cruise experience. Back in October, we went on an eight-day adult-only Viking ocean cruise. Cruising was a new experience for us. It was a great way to cover a lot of ground in a short time. We explored the sights during... Continue Reading →
We are back from three incredibly relaxing days in Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) where I celebrated my birthday! We tend to gravitate towards cities (e.g. Barcelona, Montreal, Rome) when planning a vacation but shorter trips to warmer climates have been working out for us the last couple of years (e.g. Palm Springs, Puerto Rico,... Continue Reading →
If given the option to head to the beach or the desert, I would choose the desert, as long as it isn't June, July, August, or September. There is something about the desert that keeps me coming back - lots of sunshine and blue skies, lack of humidity, cactus and palm trees, and tacos to... Continue Reading →
I have been dreaming of visiting Nantucket after reading Elin Hilderbrand's novels and many others set in Nantucket. The "queen of beach reads" and several other authors do such a great job describing the scenery, incorporating actual hotels, restaurants, shops, events, etc. into their books. Each book I read felt like a pull to visit... Continue Reading →
I first went to Italy over 20 years ago and always knew I would return one day. Initially thinking we might go to Italy in the Fall of 2020 for our 10th wedding anniversary we kept it on our short list of places to visit until the timing worked out after the pandemic. So how... Continue Reading →
How have I never been to Quebec before?! Montreal and Quebec City are located in Canada's French-speaking Quebec province. Both cities are popular with Americans for long weekend getaways and I now know why - within two hours from Washington, DC you have access to scenic views of the Saint Lawrence River, historic cobblestone streets... Continue Reading →
We booked a three-night trip to Puerto Rico to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary (and 19 years total if you are counting). I knew very few things about Puerto Rico at the time of booking - there was a direct flight from the DC area, I didn't need my passport, there was a newly owned... Continue Reading →
I read that Palm Springs is known for rest, relaxation, and retail. After spending four days, four nights in the Palm Springs area I wholeheartedly agree, however, I would add recreation to the list to cover how we spent our time in Southern California. We enjoyed recent trips to Florida and Arizona where the morning... Continue Reading →
If you are coming to DC to see the Cherry Blossoms or plan to come to the area soon this post is for you! I grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, came to Washington, DC to attend American University and have been in the area since. I love being a tourist in a city that... Continue Reading →
My husband and I just spent four days and five nights in California wine country. We stayed in Sonoma and went to wineries in both Sonoma and Napa. I have previously been to these areas in 2011, 2014, and 2017 but never took the time to document where I stayed, which wineries I visited, where... Continue Reading →
We had a blast at a resort in Florida with tennis amenities back in March and decided to stick with a similar itinerary as we ease back into traveling. We wanted to go somewhere warm and landed on Scottsdale since Arizona is known for its weather and hot desert climate. I planned a three night... Continue Reading →
Champagne and tennis is my favorite new combo, although not at the same time. While many places are safely reopening, there are still some limitations that make us rethink how we travel. With that in mind, I discovered quite a few tennis focused resorts and hotels within the US. My travel backlog is now full... Continue Reading →
We are gravitating towards the mountains these days. Our recent experience at the Inn at Little Washington was the first hotel experience and only the third inside dining experience since the start of COVID-19, but it was a positive one that inspired us to head a little further south and west from the DC area.... Continue Reading →
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