Travel Archives - Darling Darleen | A Lifestyle Design Blog

What To Do In Downtown Denver

What To Do in Downtown Denver

This past weekend I headed to Denver for a family wedding, which was so beautiful! I took my oldest daughter, and we had the best mommy/daughter girls trip seeing family and the beautiful union of my nephew and his bride. I made sure that the weekend was a long one, so we could spend quality time hanging out with family after the wedding. We spent a beautiful fall day in Downtown Denver, and the weather was so gorgeous and sunny in the high 60s. I fell in love with the vibrant, walkable downtown area of Denver with yummy eatery and eclectic shops. The last time I was in Downtown Denver I don’t remember it being this urban, cool gathering place of art galleries, boutiques and the best farm-to-table restaurants. Perhaps I missed it, but I was truly impressed this last trip!

We started off in Downtown Denver walking around Larimar Square and checking out all the specialty boutiques. Many of the shops have a distinctive fashion style from modern to bohemian to punk. All the shops are housed in Victorian-style buildings and the street is lined with light strings that hang across the main road. I hear the best time to visit is at night when the lights are on.

We did quite a bit of walking around Downtown Denver but these mules were so comfortable! My feet did not hurt. Truth is there is a lot of walk, so if you have sensitive feet wear comfortable shoes around Downtown Denver. However, there is quite a bit of parking lots around the area. After hanging out in Larimar, we walked up to Union Station, which is located in the heart of Downtown Denver. Union Station is a renovated 100-year-old train station with chef-owned restaurants, a hotel and numerous boutiques. I had the best homemade gingersnap and banana pudding ice cream at Milkbox Ice Creamery. And my brother loved his vegan Oreo cookie ice cream. You can play shuffle board, pool, chess or just read a book in the common area. It a great place to gather with friends.

Our last stop was just a short walk up to the Dairy Block, another historic block with tastemaker restaurants, a chic hotel and quirky boutiques. I loved the casual cafeteria style of eating with open communal tables. The alley way is the perfect spot to snap a picture or play bean toss games.

Here are a few of my items I packed for my trip to Denver in the Fall.

Casual Fall City Outfits:

Sporty Fall City Outfits:

Travel: Cruising to the Bahamas

Cruising to the Bahamas

Oh Bahamas. Take me back to Paradise! Looking through these pictures brings back so many good memories that my friends and I created on this glorious birthday girls weekend. I miss my friends, and I love them for loving me and celebrating my big 4-0 with a surprise cruise trip to the Bahamas. It was exciting! It was magical. And it was the perfect escape from reality weekend. Don’t you love it when a trip goes as perfectly planned? It truly is the best! Cruising to the Bahamas was on our agenda, and it was the first time I had ever been to the Bahamas. I definitely don’t want it to be my last. I would say that I’m not much of a cruise girl. This was my second cruise that I have ever been on. It turned out to be a great experience. We all agreed that going on a cruise with girlfriends is the way to travel to a Caribbean island. We had such a blast just lounging around, eat whatever, karaoke, comedy club and our favorite dancing! Our cruising to the Bahamas trip was short and quick and worked well with our busy mom life. We went on a 4-day cruise trip and it was the perfect time and didn’t put too much strain on our families.

When we arrived, after cruising to the Bahamas, we headed to the local tourist spots and book a private charter boat to the islands around the Bahamas. That is the best way to see the turquoise waters, snorkel and have a beach to yourself. The water was amazing! So warm and blue. Our charter boat took us to a reef to snorkel and then to a island with white sand. We had it all to ourselves. It was magical! After our boat trip, we headed to the streets of Nassau for shopping and the search for fresh conch salad. We found a local food stand making conch salad and it was seriously one of the best seafood salad I had ever have. So yummy! I am definitely planning to return to this beautiful island and do more exploring!

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The Ultimate Guide to 30A Florida

The Ultimate Guide to 30A Florida

When we lived up in Connecticut, we were obsessed with Cape Cod and it’s islands and visited the area multiple times a year. When I found out we were moving to the South, my heart ached because I knew our summer times at Cape Cod were coming to an end. But since we have moved to Atlanta, the Florida Panhandle, specifically the 30A, has become a new beach favorite and a replacement for our beloved Cape Cod. Just a short 5 hour drive and we are at the world’s most beautiful beaches. We visit the 30A quite a bit every year, that by request from so many of you, I put together the Ultimate Guide to 30A Florida–broken up by beaches of where to stay, eat and shop. Before I give you a breakdown of the 30A, so many have asked what exactly is the 30A. Well it is short beach highway, called 30A, located between Destin and Panama City. It’s quaint and quiet with charming chic beach towns that line the crystal emerald blue waters and white sandy beaches. The beach communities on the 30A have strict commercial and residential codes that prohibits high-rises and hotels to be built and construction to adhere to architectural details and codes. This keeps the charm of towns and keeps the large hotels out! The beach towns are very laid back and perfect for families. It’s not a place for beach clubbing and nightlife which is found in Destin or Panama City. So please stay away partygoers! 🙂 Check out The Ultimate Guide to 30A Florida!

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When is the best time to visit 30A Florida? Well, anytime is good, of course! But we LOVE love love going in September/October. The ocean water is amazing at this time. So calm and the perfect temperature. I love to take out my paddle board in the morning, and you see the most amazing marine life because there is usually no waves in the water and the water is so clear you can see right down to the bottom. Also, the beach towns are much quieter with less tourists. This year, I was lucky enough to have my sister Christine and her family came out to visit us in Seaside, Florida, and they loved it so much they are scheduling another visit next year at the same time.

Okay below is the Ultimate Guide to 30A Florida broken up by beach towns. As far as where to stay, here are some recommended websites. Since there are not a lot of hotels on the 30A, we usually book a beach house. In addition to Homeaway and Airbnb, here are some other websites we have used that manages many of the rental homes on the 30A. You can search by beach town:

Seaside, Florida

Fun fact: The Truman Show was filmed here!

My favorite things to do in Seaside is stroll the charming beach entrances. A great place to take pictures and watch the sunset. Look up the town events to see what is happening in the Square like the Farmer’s Market and Movie Night.

Where to Eat: Seaside Square is the place to be for good eats and yummy desserts

The Great Southern Cafe–we eat here every time we visit. Fresh fish and seafood with a southern flair. We love the open-air casual seating. It gets quite busy but worth the wait.
The Food Trucks at the Square–lined with numerous little food trucks, we like to get lunch here and frozen treats. I like to stop by and grab a smoothie in the morning and grilled cheese sandwich in the afternoon. And we are so excited they added a shaved ice and bakery.
Dawson Yogurt & Heavenly’s Shortcakes–two great choices for frozen yummy treats. We love to bike over to the Square just to get a ice-cream from Dawson or a strawberry shortcake from Heavenly’s.

Where to Shop: head to Seaside Square to find outdoor shops and restaurants

Perspicasity–a popular open-air clothing bazaar and a great place to find a beach cover up, flip flops or straw hat
Sundog Books–I love strolling and look through their unique books, prints, artwork and postcards
Modica Market–a gourmet grocery store with pre-made food, deli sandwiches and desserts. A quirky store with a lot of random knick knacks. I like to buy their spices.
The Seaside Style–pickup a Seaside t-shirt for the family. They also have the cutest children’s swimsuits.
Deja Vu–trendy dresses and tops and hats.
Duckies–a fun toy store that even attracts adults! My kids love this place.

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Watercolor, Florida

Watercolor is located right next to Seaside Florida

My favorite thing to do in Watercolor is bike to the park then take the bike trails over to Western Lake and watch the sunset. Biking around the charming neighborhoods to see the homes is also a favorite thing to do.

Where to stay:

Watercolor Inn— a luxury inn with great amenities and located right on the beach.

Where to Eat:

Fish Out of Water–over looking the beach and located in the Watercolor Inn, chic cafe with southern style seafood dishes
The Wine Bar–located right on the main drag, they have an extensive wine list but we like to go for the gourmet dishes.

Where to Shop:

The Blue Giraffe–find local art and gifts at this gallery
Fuss Boutique--casual, stylish clothes and shoes
Beachfolly–need a bathing suit? Head to Beachfolly!

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Alys Beach, Florida

Alys Beach is a fairly new luxury beach town with stark white homes with architectural details of angles and curves similar to the same architecture-style of Bermuda. The town’s stunning bright white buildings is a dramatic beautiful contrast against the emerald blue ocean. The town is fairly quiet since its mostly residential. Furture plans are in the works to bring in more shops and restaurants.

Where to Eat

George’s at Alys Beach Locally sourced and organic, George’s is a great place to stop for lunch or an early dinner.
Fonville Press–the local coffee shop that serves pastries and cafe-type food. Also pick up a good book to read.
Charlie’s Donuts–Get there early to grab homemade, freshly baked donuts
Piper’s Kitchen–a great place to grab a quick bite as you head to the beach

Where to Shop

Alys Shoppe–pick up a local t-shirt or a hat before you head to the beach

If you love architect, you can spend the day strolling through the neighborhoods admiring all the details.

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Seagrove, Florida (Watersound)

We love staying in Seagrove because beach houses are a little more cheaper and because the beaches are a little more flatter than Seaside…and that’s important if your husband and boys are into skim boarding!

Where to Eat

The Perfect Pig–tasty yummy chic bistro that serves breakfast and lunch with a focus on ham and bacon
Steamboat Grill–a good place to grab a burger or fried seafood
Cowgirl Kitchen–great atmosphere. Love the wraps and salads
Angelina’s–if you are wanting Italian food or homemade pizza, Angelina’s is the place to head.
The Hub at the 30A–definitely stop by The Hub which is lined with restaurants, shopping and entertainment

We like to go to Goatfeathers in Seagrove to pick up fresh seafood if we plan to do a low country boil, which we do frequently when we head to the beach.

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Rosemary Beach, Florida (Seacrest Beach)

Where to Stay:

The Pearl–chic and hip and with the cutest black and white striped awnings and most recognizable building in Rosemary
Rosemary Beach Inn–quaint and small, but charming boutique hotel right in the heart of Rosemary
Rosemary Cottage Rentals–the town has their own beach rental site for cottages

Where to Eat:

Sugar Shak–get your sugar fix here with ice cream and candy
Havana Beach Bar & Grill–located in The Pearl and has a Cuban and Spanish flare. Head there for brunch!
La Crema Tapas & Chocolate–inspired by the cafes of Barcelona with small and grand tapas. Its the perfect spot for people watching right on Main Street
Restaurant Paradis–country-chic seafood restaurant
Amavida Coffee and Tea--if you like tea like I do this place has some fun brews. Also pick up a yummy pastry.

Where to Shop:

Rosemary Beach Trading Co–cute gift shop with clothes to local finds. Definitely a place to stop.
Patchouli’s–fun shop with a great selection of candles, makeup and skincare items.
Ophelia–really cute swimwear with top of the line brands

Check out these previous beach posts on the 30A or search Florida

Exploring Savannah Georgia

Exploring Savannah Georgia

Where to go on a quick weekend trip from Atlanta? Savannah Georgia of course! We have been to Savannah before, and I loved the charm of the town, but we were there for just a couple of hours so we didn’t do much exploring. So this past Labor Day weekend we took a day for exploring Savannah Georgia. The historic town reminded me a lot of Charleston. The geography is quite similar with it being right on the coastline and the ocean and river nearby. Savannah and Charleston are both port cities with a preserved historic Southern district. Moss-covered trees line the streets and horse-drawn carriage rides wind through the colorful colonial-style houses. So many stories to tell in both cities! We had so much fun exploring Savannah Georgia and squeezed in as much as we could in one day. If you have one day for exploring Savannah Georgia (and doing it with kids), here are a few of suggestions on where to go:

Exploring Savannah Georgia:

River Street— Located along the Savannah River, River Street is lined with antique shops, art galleries, charming boutiques and brew pubs with the view of the river. Many of the antique shops are located in renovated cotton warehouses. It’s perfect for window shopping!
Forsyth Park— a 30-acre park right in the middle of Savannah, we had the children let some energy out but also take a rest from walking. There is a huge fountain in the middle of the park that resembles the grand fountain in Paris.
Squares of Savannah–there are about 22 green park squares (about a block around). They are surrounded by historic churches, charming homes, statues and museums. Live oak trees with Spanish moss line the walk ways. We had so much fun exploring the squares of Savannah. So much history and they kept the city alive!
Leopold’s Ice Cream— after walking around Savannah take break and grab some Leopold Ice Cream. Yum Yum! Your kids will be happy and same with you! Homemade ice cream, this place is worth the wait.
City Market— is a courtyard filled with shops and restaurants. You can grab a bite to eat here while listening to live music.
Trolley Tour— Take a trolley tour to sightsee about the city. We didn’t take one but saw a lot of trolleys around Savannah and my kids really want to jump on one for the ride.
The Pirates’ House–be sure to make reservations for dinner at The Pirates’ House. It’s one of the oldest buildings in Georgia. The ambiance is fun and the kids are intrigued. A fun place to grab a bite of dinner.

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Shop The Fix Shoes from Amazon Fashion! These sliders were the best walking around the city.

Playing Tourist in New York City

I just got back from a long weekend in New York City and Connecticut meeting up with family and seeing old friends. Hitting up all the tourist stops with family is like playing tourist in New York City. Unless you’ve been following along with a while, many people don’t know that I used to live in Connecticut and use to work in Manhattan. That was back in the day before children. So I have a lot of great memories of New York City and the life back then. It’s always fun playing tourist in New York City with family. This trip was especially fun because I got to see family and then I would take the train up to Connecticut and spent some time with dear friends. The best of both worlds. Also, New York City during the summer time is just so perfect! If you’re looking for a place to stay while you visit this beautiful city, try some place like the Crowne Plaza hotel near Times Square and experience the Big Apple in style.

Wore this white cotton dress with a wide belt when we explored lower manhattan | sandals | earrings | bag

Freedom Towers in Lower Manhattan. Such a tender spirit there. First time visiting this sacred monument.

We spent one day in upper Manhattan and rented bikes to explore the area and also cover a lot of Central Park. Bike riding is the best to see all the best spot of Central Park. With all the riding, we also felt justified to stuff our face with yummy desserts! To many to count. But we hit up Laduree, Dominique Ansel Bakery and Levain Bakery. We hit a day were the weather was perfect. Not too hot and not too cold.

I wore these comfy jeggings with this pink blouse and slides for our biking day.

The red ruffle shirt was another day spent at Central Park.

Can’t beat an evening in Connecticut especially when you are surrounded by girlfriends who are close like sisters. Attended a beautiful dinner at my friend Tiffany’s charming home on the Long Island Sound with a tropical theme. How beautiful is this dinner? And how gorgeous are my friends? Loved getting all dressed up for the event.

Got to always hit up Brooklyn Bridge when you are playing tourist in New York City. This is the best place to get a good view of lower Manhattan!

Wearing Copper Theory ruffle blouse and white jeans (white is not recommendable in NYC! ;)) | Sneakers | sunglasses

Where is your favorite spots to visit in New York City? I listed a few of my favorite in this New York City Guide post.

Here are a few favorite pieces to take a long with your travel to New York City:

Traveling to Cancun Mexico

Traveling to Cancun Mexico

My husband and I just got back from an awesome, much-needed and long-overdue couple’s trip. This past weekend, we traveled to Cancun Mexico and met up with some of our dear friends from Connecticut. Traveling to Cancun Mexico and leaving four children behind and a new puppy was no easy feat. We don’t live near any family, and there were so many silly obstacles to overcome to make it happen. I seriously was about to throw in the towel when I found out my passport expired two days after we got back (Mexico has a 2-month expiration passport request), but somehow I got everything taken care of and we stuck with our plans of traveling to Cancun Mexico! So glad we made it happen! It was so nice to spend time with my husband and laugh and chat about things that had nothing to do with the kids or house or financial obligations. And even better to see good friends we haven’t seen in quite some time.

If you have future plans of traveling to Cancun Mexico, I highly recommend staying at the Secrets Silversands Resort. It is all-inclusive and adults-only resort about 20 minutes from the Cancun airport. The resort grounds are so beautiful and the food was amazing! You can eat whenever, and they have multiple restaurants, and they have fresh seafood all day long. Our room was so nice with a modern style and a jacuzzi in the middle of the room. My only complaint was the beach was not my favorite. There was coral in the shallow part of the water so you couldn’t walk in without hurting you feet! But the ocean view was so beautiful with that turquoise Mexico water.

Arriving from Cancun airport and getting ready to head to the ocean.

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Ocean view of one of the restaurant spots. This was also our favorite spot at night for stargazing and listening to the waves!

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Heading to the pool to work on those tan lines!

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DMJewelry: tag necklace | charm bracelet

One of the nights out with dinner with friends and then off to a live show.

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Can’t get enough of the gorgeous hibicus flowers varieties all around the ground of the resort.

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Another beach shot.

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Last night in Cancun with dinner at Navios.

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Magnolia Plantation and Garden

Magnolia Plantation and Garden

During our trip to Charleston South Carolina, we decided to take a day trip to Magnolia Plantation and Garden in North Charleston. The grounds of the plantation are magnificent and are a great way to explore the area of South Carolina and its history. There is a beautiful home on the property, but really the beauty is in the English gardens and trails around the plantation. Magnolia Plantation and Garden backs up to the Ashley River, which is home to wide salt marshes and many alligators. We saw too many to count! The plantation is known for the introduction to the United States of the camellia flower. There was so many varieties! After walking the plantation, we now want to plant camellia flowers in our backyard. They are gorgeous and a true Southern flower. The plantation has a cute little petting zoo, which my kids loved. There is also a horticulture maze that is fun to get lot in. If you head to Charleston South Carolina, Magnolia Plantation and Garden is definitely a place to visit.

I decided to wear this breezy blue printed dress (SIMILAR) that was so comfortable to wear on a hot spring day in Charleston. Earrings and chunky charm bracelet is from my shop. Here is the pink clutch I wore, which is similar to this clutch. And these comfy ballet flats.

Here are some other breezy printed dresses:

Exploring Historic Charleston

Exploring Historic Charleston

Part of our spring break this year was spent exploring Historic Charleston, South Carolina. My husband couldn’t take the whole week off from work, so we decided to do a vacation half of the week and head somewhere driving distant and somewhere we had never been. We choose Charleston area, and are so glad we did…regardless of the chilly Spring temperature. We ended up renting a beach house on the Isle of Palms, which is about 20 minutes away from Historic Charleston and right on the beach. So we got the best of both worlds–beach and a charming historic downtown. I can’t believe we have lived in the South for about five years now and have never been to Charleston. It is so charming and packed with history and the most colorful row houses. Most of the homes have flowering window boxes on cobblestone streets with flickering wall lamps. I love how each home has a plaque on the outside sharing a historic story about the house and telling you the year it was built. Some of them even mention if there is a ghost that haunts the house or a famous person that visited the home. You can spend an entire afternoon just reading the plaques. Our day for exploring Historic Charleston was actually a perfect Spring day. My kids are now big enough to walk and walk–no stroller, no diapers and no naps! So liberating!! Especially after 10 years of dealing with the baby stage, my littlest is now strong enough to keep up with the oldest. We mostly walked the streets and visited the parks. We walked to Rainbow Row and then through all the side streets of the French Quarter. We visited the Historic Charleston City Market, which has a lot of great local art and crafts. We headed to Waterfront Park and White Point Garden. There are a lot of historic museums to visit but with the children I didn’t want to tire them out too much! Definitely by the end of the day they were good to go! If you don’t have walkable children, you can always do the carriage rides which takes you through the entire city and a great way exploring Historic Charleston.

My yellow Spring Dress was so comfortable to wear and a great travel item.

ShopBop is having a HUGE sale right now that ends this weekend! 20% off $500 or less and then 25% off $500 or more. Here are a few of my favorite items.

Alys Beach

Pom Pom Bag | Wooden Sandals

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Alys Beach

During our fall break, we headed to our favorite spot on the Florida Panhandle and spent an afternoon at Alys Beach. I had heard from Georgia locals that we needed to go check out this oceanside-planned community that looked like a town you’d find along the Mediterranean coast. The white Moroccan-style architecture buildings and bright white stucco houses against the turquoise emerald seas and the white soft sand makes for a dreamy escape from reality. We spent the afternoon just strolling along the white stone-paved streets of Alys Beach and admiring the architecture and the design flair of the small community.

One of my favorite design elements of Alys Beach was the courtyard homes that had elegant gardens, fountains, terrace and pools. You were welcomed with these gorgeous wrought iron doors before entering the courtyard and then the main house was behind the courtyard. Of course I had to do some Zillow spying on the homes up for sale and all the interiors of Alys Beach homes embrace a modern, seaside aesthetic.

Next time we visit this visually stunning beach town, we need to go check out the town’s pool, which I hear is like being transported to an exotic oasis. And since we always bring our bikes, I’d like to take a stroll on their nature park boardwalk.

Get the Alys Beach look:

30A Florida

30A Florida

Jump for joy for route 30A Florida! One of my favorite things about living in the south is how close we are to the 30A Florida beaches and beach towns. White soft sand, blue warm water, charming beach towns. It’s true beach heaven. I always tell my husband that we need to just move down to the 30A Florida because we visit too often and are always so sad to leave. I love that we finished the summer visiting the 30A Florida during Labor Day weekend. We met up with my other family members for the weekend who drove from Texas and Tennessee. We rented an awesome beach house right across the street from the beach and was large enough to fit about 30 people in it! No complaining here! It was the perfect set up.

So what is the 30A Florida? It is a scenic highway that runs along the Gulf of Mexico coastline about 20 minutes from Destin, Florida. The most charming small beach towns line the quiet highway. I have posted about some of their towns like Seaside , Seaside Beaches, and more Seaside! Seaside, Florida is where the Truman Show was filmed. This year we rented in Sea Grove, a town over from Seaside. I loved the beach because we were right next to Eastern Lake, so it was great for the kids to play in the shallow section of the lake that ran into the ocean.

The ocean water near 30A Florida was so warm! I’m usually one who just likes to beach on the sand and not really get in the water. But this year, I spent quite a bit of time in the water boogie boarding, paddle boarding, snorkeling, kayaking and getting wet with my kids. It was so fun and the warm water helped make it perfect to do so! I’m so glad my family came out to enjoy this beautiful area. Even my brother from Vegas flew out to the 30A Florida, so it was quite the treat! Here are a few pictures from our trip. And of course, I wish I took more but beaching can be so busy!