Rome is a beautiful city, just jaw dropping! It has beautiful architecture, gorgeous fountains, amazing food and lovely people.  While it is best to stay in Rome for more than 3 days, I wanted to share with you how to see Rome in 3 days and my personal must do's.

On your arrival day, you should do something that is on you bucket list to get it out of the way since you don't have a full day.  My personal must do is a Private Pizza & Pasta class! I always wanted to make pizza and pasta in Italy. I recommend you utilize Rome Pizza School if you decided to attend a class.

For Day 2 and Day 3 you need to make sure you are ready for full days! You should be out and about around 7:00am and your day could end about 8:00pm.

​Day 2:

-Spanish Steps/Trevi Fountain/ Pantheon- I would do these first if you want great photos (no crowds and they are all walking distance, especially if you stay in a hotel nearby)
-Roman Forum and Palatine Hill/Circus Maximum
-Colosseum (If you have time, stop by Trajan's Market which is the oldest mall in the world)
-Pantheon (If you would like a tour) 
-Piazza Navona
-Via Borgognona, Via Condotti and Via del Corso
-Musum and Crypt of Capuchins

*I recommend having lunch either in Piazza della Rotonda (by the Pantheon) or in Piazza Navona

​Day 3:

-St. Peters Basilica
-St. Peters Basilica Dome
-Sistine Chapel and Vatican City Museums
-Campo di Fiori
-Ponte Sisto/Basilica di Santa Maria (in Travestere)
-Janiculum Hill AKA The Gianicolo Hill (in Travestere)
-Tiber River Cruise

*I recommend having lunch around Campo di Fiori or in Travestere

Please be aware that these places are extremely crowded and you can stand in line for hours.  I recommend that you pre-purchase your tickets or get a tour that has all of these attractions.  Remember I am a Travel Agent and would love to help you with your upcoming trip!

"When in Rome, Do as Romans do"

P.S The Trevi Fountain is one of the oldest water sources in Rome.  Make sure to make your wish!  Throw your coin with your right hand over your left should to ensure you will come back to Rome sometime in the future.  

Firstly, Happy New Year to everyone and wishing you much love in 2017!  I decided to take a road trip to cities and states that I have never been to.  After all, I do want to touch every state in the USA and every country in the world. 

Road trip consisted of: Little Rock (Arkansas), Tunica (Mississippi), Memphis and Nashville (Tennessee).

A little bit about traveling during the holidays- I spent Christmas Eve in Little Rock, Christmas in Tunica and NYE in Nashville.  I will say that traveling during the holidays can be a bit tough as a lot of attractions  and restaurants are close.  However, Little Rock does keep mainly everything open until 6pm on Christmas Eve and they do stop serving alcohol at midnight until the day after Christmas.  I decided to do Tunica for Christmas because Casinos operate 24 hours a day.  Nashville during NYE is a huge celebration and they do have a guitar drop since it is known as Music City.

I must say that my day consisted of being out and about all day.  I walked an average of 15,000 steps a day! But it was an experience of a lifetime!  Below is a few things that I did at each city:

Little Rock, AK- Leaning about how little rock got their name, doing a private distillery tour as well as a comedy show.

Tunica- Visited different casinos
Memphis- Attending a college basketball game at the Fedex Forum.  Doing a behind the scene tours on how Gibson makes their guitars.  As well as going to the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King got shot and the National Civil Rights Museum. I even got to see 5 ducks walk the red carpet into an elevator.

Nashville- Went to a vineyard and had a private tour on how they make their wines, attended WWE and the Music City Bowl and visited the Parthenon.

I must say I completely underestimate Little Rock as everyone says there is nothing to do.  However, you can’t have an opinion when you have never been there.  I decided to tune everyone out and planned my visit. On the other hand, I heard great things about Memphis but I did not like Memphis at all.  It has great attractions but the city itself, is not for me.  I couldn’t even sleep at night because there were sirens all night long. Memphis was a city where it was great to experience it for myself, but I wouldn’t go back. In regards to Tunica, if you do not gamble this town is not for you!  There is absolutely nothing to do except Resorts & Casinos.  But if you do gamble, you will have a blast!  Lastly, Nashville was absolutely amazing and fun. 
My top recommendations for each city:

Little Rock Must Do:
-La Petite Roche Plaza 
-Clinton Presidential Center
-River Market
-Rock Town Distillery
-Diamond Bear Brewing
-Electric Cowboy
-Loony Bin Comedy Club

Restaurant recommendation: Stickyz

​Tunica Must do:
-Horseshoe
-Gold Strike Casino
-Tunica Roadhouse (I only recommend their suites not their gambling)

Restaurant recommendation: Jack Binion’s

​Memphis Must do:
-National Civil Rights Museum
-Stax Museum
-Gibson Guitar Factory
-Graceland
-Sun Studio
-Rock N’ Soul Museum
-Peabody Hotel Ducks
-Beale Street

Restaurant recommendations:  Blue Plate Café, Central BBQ and Rendezvous (I rather Central BBQ than Rendezvous)

​Nashville Must Do:
-Country Music Hall of Fame
-Parthenon
-Broadway Street
-Arrington Vineyards
-Belle Meade Plantation
-Nashville Armory

Restaurant recommendations: Hattie B’s, Fulins, Demo’s, Biscuit Love, Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar.  (Hattie B’s & Biscuit Love have a line that may have you waiting for up to 45 minutes BUT IT IS WORTH IT.  Fulins has the best sushi I’ve ever had and Bourbon Street has an amazing environment and food)

If you are thinking about doing a road trip from Texas, you should definitely give this road trip a try!  If I had more time, I would have made my way to Lexington, Cincinnati and Detroit!

If you ever need help planning a road trip send me a message and I will gladly help! Make 2017 a travel year!

I will start by saying that I did not have high hopes for South Padre prior to going there.  A lot of people didn’t speak highly of SPI and everyone mainly talks about spring break and how crazy it gets.  But sometimes you just have to go see it for yourself.  In short: My expectations were highly exceeded, I had an awesome time and there weren’t as many people as I anticipated.  While the beaches are not great, they were better than expected and a 100% better than Galveston, TX.  I will never put a toe in Galveston water and I didn’t feel that way about SPI whatsoever. South Padre is pretty small, but the island offers great restaurants and a variety of activities!  It is definitely a great quick getaway spot.  South Padre Island is also very dog friendly and worked out perfect for me!
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South Padre has various activities such as bay fishing, deep water fishing, horseback riding on the beach, zip lining, dolphin watching, dinner cruises, sand castle lessons, water sports, waterpark, and more!  Also, if you are a seafood fanatic they have amazing seafood with a variety of restaurants. During the summer, Clayton’s and Louie’s Backyard have fireworks on the weekends by the beach. It is very nice! 

​Some of the restaurants that I went to are as followed: Louie’s Backyard, Beachside Bar & Grill, Clayton’s, Palm St Pier Bar & Grill and the Meatball Café.  They were all exquisite!  If I had to rank them Palm Street would be first and Beachside bar would be second.   I really liked Palm St. because it had an amazing environment, a lovely view and the food was to die for!  I got the seafood platter and it included peel and eat shrimp, oysters on the half shell, fried shrimp, coconut shrimp, calamari and ceviche.  It was a huge platter and it could feed 4 people for only $34 bucks! What a steal! 

Beachside bar & grill is located in Pearl South Padre resort.  Their buffet was delicious and it included unlimited champagne and mimosas. Bottomless mimosas anyone?

Clayton’s food was really good but they have the best drinks in town hands down.  Their turbo Pina Coladas are dangerous and yummy!  They also have a live DJ and a live band at night.  They are the biggest beach bar in Texas and there is entertainment all day long.
Louie’s Backyard has a buffet that offers crab legs and prime rib.  Can I say heaven? Plus the view is spectacular and watching the sunset there is a must. They also offer nightlife in their bar upstairs with a live DJ.
The meatball café has amazing food, good servers but HORRIBLE kitchen staff.  I literally waited for my salad 30 minutes, for my pasta 45 minutes and for the pizza almost 1 ½ hours! It was horrible.  The food is very exquisite though.  I would recommend calling it in and taking it to go.
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So now you know all the great places to visit in South Padre Island, Texas.

​Las Vegas is by far one of my favorite cities in the United States.  It has absolutely everything that you want for a perfect destination and getaway.  It has the beautiful skyline, the lights, resorts & casinos, shopping, shows, day parties, nightlife, dining, adventures, sightseeing and so much more! It truly has everything that a vacation desires.  When people think Vegas they just think partying.  But you do not have to go to Vegas to party to have a great time.  With everything that there is to offer, you would fall in love regardless! Click here to read my blog on the best bottomless mimosas brunches in Vegas
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My favorite thing to do in Vegas by far is to walk the strip.  Walking the strip is never the same experience, I can guarantee you that! You see various things and acts that are very entertaining. I also love visiting different Casinos.  I love their décor, their structure and various things they offer.  Each one is absolutely unique and their themes can be super fun. 

​Another thing that is a must while is hot in Las Vegas is to spend time by the pool. Ultimately, you can go to a pool party or just to the pool at your resort.  Either way, pools are always extremely full.  I like to try different pools every time I visit Vegas.  This time, I went to the pool party at the Cosmopolitan which is the Marquee daytime party and it was beyond packed but super fun.  Also, if you are trying to save some money you can always put yourself on the list.  It has to be females only or an even ratio for men/women. 

One thing that I really wanted to do while I was in Vegas was to take one of my IG followers out to eat for Brunch.  It is always nice to get to know people, share stories and network.  I had the opportunity to take Lean (@leyanlow) to Terrance Pointe Cafe at the Wynn.  I gave him different options and that was the one of his choice.  We sat at the terrace and we had a great view of the pool.  It was beautiful!  However, it was such a pleasure to get to meet Lean and we had an amazing time, great conversation and I am pretty sure I have a new person to call friend :-)

Another location that I recommend is downtown Vegas!  I know so many people that continuously go to Vegas and have never been there.  Freemont Experience is a MUST do in Vegas.  It is so much fun! You can also zipline, listen to live music, gamble, party and so much more!  My favorite casino downtown is “The D” by far.   If you haven’t been make sure you do next time!

​A few restaurants I tried this time around were Terrance Pointe Café, Lobster Me, Smashburger, and Margaritaville.   I was only there for 2 days so there wasn’t much time to try others.  But I will say, my favorite buffet in Las Vegas is Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace.

Overall, Vegas never lets me down. If you have not been you should definitely give it a try.  I like to stay at different hotels every time I go.  Therefore, my experience is never the same.  Remember, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!
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If you need advice for any Vegas restaurants, hotels, excursions etc. don’t hesitate to ask me.  I would also be delighted to book your trip.

Oh Alexandria, what a beautiful small town you are.  Although I didn’t find much to do in Alexandria, it is definitely near everything!  You can reach DC, Georgetown and National Harbor within minutes.  I will say, I found King Street and the waterfront to be great in Alexandria.  They have great views, boutiques and restaurants.  Their ice cream is delicious and freshly made.  My top 3 restaurants that did not disappoint were Brabo Tasting Room, Vaso’s  Mediterranean Bistro and Blackwall Hitch. 

Brabo Tasting Room was very tasty.  I literally only went there to try their famous muscles.  It was definitely not a disappointment.  The muscles had a white wine sauce that was the icing on the cake.   Not only was the food delicious, the service was great.

I love Greek food and I always try to find good Greek restaurants or Mediterranean restaurants. So I decided to try Vaso’s Mediterranean Bistro because it had great reviews.  I must say, the reviews are very accurate.  I went there for dinner and I was told they didn’t have the Greek/gyro platter for dinner. It was a bummer and I almost walked out.  However, because customer service was ammmmazing they still served me what I went there for.  The food was exquisite.  If you are ever in town, make sure to give them a try. 

Lastly, Blackwall Hitch was a great restaurant/bar.  It was right on the waterfront and it had a great view.  I got the Chesapeake steamer boil. OMG it was heaven on earth.  It had snow crab legs, shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, potatoes, corn and sausage.  If you are a seafood lover, this is worth a try. 

I also took a water taxi to National Harbor which is located in Maryland. I must say it was beautiful piece of gem.  It is kind of like a boardwalk right by the water.  They even have a huge screen that plays movies some days.  I went to Redstone American Grill and the view is lovely, the environment is super fun and the drinks are amazing.  The service is one of the best services I’ve ever had.  The entire staff is friendly and knows exactly how to treat their customers. 

Below are some photos of the trip :-)

Oh Maldives, Maldives! If only I could go back!

​I must say, Maldives has by far the prettiest ocean I have ever laid my eyes on.  It is a color that I cannot even explain; it is just admirable in every way possible.   Which by the way, the photos do not make justice, I promise you!  You did not even have to snorkel or scuba dive to see the beautiful fishes and sharks.  You could see them extremely clear by just looking down.  There are also baby reef sharks that come to shore.  They are super friendly and I couldn’t even believe it.  If anything, they are more scared of you than you are of them. Snorkeling was breathtaking!  Seeing the life under water and just admiring how beautiful god’s creation truly is, it is beyond a blessing.  The coolest thing I saw while snorkeling was the “drop-off.” Which was seeing the shallow reef areas around the island and then it just drops super steep.  It was seeing how the ocean goes from turquoise to dark blue but all under water, it was beyond stunning.

I forgot to mention, for those that do not know anything about Maldives….Maldives is their own country located below Sri Lanka, and it is composed of atolls and hundreds of islands.  All the resorts are on their own private Island!  I mean how cool is that?  If you do not like the beach, water sports, drinking and relaxing: THIS VACATION IS NOT FOR YOU! 

​As soon as you arrive to the airport, your resort will transport you to your final destination.  You will either take a boat or a sea plane to your resort.  I remember stepping out of the airport and welp, there were the boats waiting.  I mean, it wasn’t even a 20 second walk from the airport to the boat.  It was literally right there!  I must admit I was amaze. But I think I was more amaze at the color of the water than at the structure of the airport/transportations. 

The resorts in Maldives also offer over the water bungalows.  If you want to get the full Maldives experience, I recommend getting one.  I cannot even describe how amazing is to see the sunrise/sunset from your patio and being able to wake up and start your day snorkeling without having to leave your room.   The seclusion from being in a bungalow is priceless.  On top of that, you may just get lucky and see a pod of dolphins playing in your backyard.

The food in the resort was amazing and so were their restaurants! But my favorite by far was the Arabic restaurant, yummy so delicious! (Craving it as we speak!) Then it was the Italian restaurant and the Thai restaurant.  But I literally have no complaints, even the buffet was great.  I thought it was very nice that all the restaurants had sand as their floor.   I could take my shoes off and play with my feet on the sand.  Oh but of course, I cannot forget having dinner on the beach.   A table set right on the beach, secluded and extremely romantic with a seafood platter.   Which was exquisite!  But the coolest meal of all was the octopus that we caught fishing the day before.  I mean, who catches their own octopus and then eats it?  BEST EXPERIENCE EVER

Maldives, is so far my top destination, just beautiful! Although I must say, Maldives is the most expensive destination I have been to.  However, it is worth every penny! If you have the luxury of going, I would definitely recommend it! You will NOT be disappointed. 

If you ever need help booking your Maldives trip, I am here to help.  I would love to book it for you!

​P.S I want to thank Centara and the entire staff for making our stay the best stay we have ever had! We were treated amazing and we met some of the most amazing people ever!  We are truly grateful.

Although I wasn't in Dubai that long, I was still able to experience some of it.  Which by the way, what a beautiful city!

Of course the first place I wanted to visit was Burj Al Arab.  The one and only 7 star hotel!  The only way to even put a foot on their property is by having a reservation.  The reservation can either be for dining or for your stay.  I made the reservation 3 weeks in advance for Al Muntaha to make sure there was availability.   I would have been heart broken!  Al Muntaha is their restaurant on the 27th floor.  Which has a spending minimum, of course it does! *sigh*  Which leads me to the food... The food was good, no complaints, but it did not reflect on the price.  For the price, I was expecting the food to be finger licking good!!  But overall it was a good experience, and I mean I ate at Burj Al Arab. 

This past weekend, I took a trip to New England.  In 1 weekend I was able to visit 3 states and 5 cities.  In Massachusetts I went to Boston, Foxboro and Salem.  In New Hampshire I went to Portsmouth and in Maine I went to Kittery.  I must say that New England is very beautiful in it's own way and of course very historic.  They truly have beautiful cities and towns.

My first stop was Boston, which by the way truly lets you embrace Fall.  During my visit I went by Boston Common, Harborwalk and Chinatown.  I went to Boston Common because I could not go to Boston and not admire this beautiful time of the year.  It was breathtaking and relaxing to just sit there and truly enjoy what life has to offer.  I went to Harborwalk and made a stop at the Sail Loft Restaurant for a drink.  However, they did not have any good wine, at least not what I drink.  They said it was supposed to have a nice view but their patio is very small and had no seats outside, so it was pointless.   I also stopped at a food truck called Cookie Monstah and OMG those cookies were AMAZING!  For dinner, I decided to go to Chinatown to eat Shabu Shabu and I went to Kaze.  The service was astounding and the food was delicious.  If you've never had Shabu Shabu you should def. try it one day! They bring you broth, meat, veggies of your choice  and you cook it exactly how you want it.  It's such a fun experience at a restaurant.  At night, I went to the W Lounge at the W Boston Hotel.  The Lounge is stunning and the service was great.  The W Lounge is classy, sophisticated with a great atmosphere. 

The following day I decided to go on an all day adventure. My first stop was Salem, Massachusetts.  Salem is a very small town which is known for its historic witchcraft.  Which by the way, the town is a bit creepy.  One of their monuments is literally a witch which sits in the middle of the city.  During my stop at Salem I went by Salem Beer Works for a drink.  One of the drinks I had was a hot alcoholic beverage! Which was totally a first for me.  It was literally like an alcoholic apple cider.  I must say it was very different and delicious!  Afterwards, I made a stop at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site where the Friendship of Salem is docked.  Salem may be a small town but very historic and such a gem.  
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My next stop was Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  I must say this is a beautiful town and super chic, I truly enjoyed it.  It has the cutest shops and boutiques for some great shopping.  While in Portsmouth,  I had dinner at a restaurant named Surf.  I must say the restaurant has a great view but the service wasn't great.  Also, the food was such a disappointment as well.  It was little and not that great, not my type of meal.  Maybe I just had the wrong entree.  Portsmouth is also known for their ice cream and although it was cold, I  still had to get some.  Therefore, I decided to make a stop at Kilwins.  Their ice cream was delicious and worth every calorie!
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My last stop was Kittery, Maine.  Kittery seemed like a boring town in my eyes.  However, they do have outlets and if you LOVE shopping then this is the town for you.  I can only imagine how crazy this will be during black friday. 

Finally, I cannot go to New England without going to Foxboro for a Patriots game.  I will support the Patriots every chance I get!  I will always enjoy my time at Gillette Stadium.  The energy, the fans and the game! How can you not love it?  Go Patriots!

I want to start by saying that Tampa is a beautiful city.  However, it is not my type of city because there wasn't that much to do during the day.  I personally think there is nothing besides nightlife and that is not something I enjoy all the time. Therefore, I was not a big fan of Tampa.  However, I did love Clearwater.  So I guess I could say I love the cities that surround Tampa. 
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I couldn't go to Tampa and not go to Ybor City.  Which I must say the environment was really nice.  However, that goes back to their nightlife.  I did try the Acropolis Greek Tavern which is in the middle of Ybor.  I walked in there and I literally freaked out.  It was so messy with napkins all over the floor.  I literally looked down at the ground (with an ugly face), then looked back up and the waiter was standing right there.  So I asked eww why is your restaurant so gross.  So she explained to me that they have a mini show every day and they throw napkins everywhere for fun.  So after that, I relaxed and actually decided to eat outside.  The staff was awesome, the view was great and I was actually loving the fact that I could people watch.  Oh and did I forget to say how amazing the food was?  I am obsessed with Greek food!  The Greek Salad was literally amazing.  It was me trying to eat healthy while still getting the lamb as protein. YUM!  Then I tried another dish which was basically a greek jambalaya (that is how the waiter explained it).  But it was so exquisite! 

I love Sunday Funday and I was looking forward to experience it in Tampa. But it was not a Funday, more like a regular Sunday.  I went to Ybor city again, riverwalk and Jackson's Bistro on Harbour Island.  Jackson's Bistro had a breathtaking view, the food was delicious but the service was horrible and the atmosphere was boring.  I also went to Bad Monkey which the atmosphere was pretty cool and people were so nice.  They do not serve food, but they did order pizzas for everyone there.  It was super cool and something I've never seen before.  

Enough about Tampa, let's talk about Clearwater.  I need to take a vacay just to Clearwater, I loved it!  It was beautiful and very relaxing.  The rooftop of Jimmys Crows Nest had an amazing view, great drinks but their food menu is *blah*.  I didn't eat there and I am glad I didn't.  I mean who eats a bag of chips with a burger? I want fries!  So I ended up going to Frenchy's Rockaway Grill.  What an amazing restaurant!  First of all, I do not know what alcoholic drink I had but it was frozen, it was super strong  and had like 6 or 7 different liquors.  I was in heaven!  I tried the grilled grouper sandwich and the buffalo grouper sandwich.  The grouper was great.  I also noticed everyone waking around with ice creams and realized there was an ice cream store in every corner.  Jackpot.  I decided to try the cookie monster.  It was cookies and cream with cookie dough, PERFECT COMBINATION.  Clearwater just had everything I wanted.  It had the beach, water sports, amazing views, great atmosphere and delicious food.  I just loved it!

I took a quick little trip to Dallas, Texas for relaxation.  I had an amazing time!  I must say Dallas has a lot to offer and has an awesome downtown!  The only thing that I did not like was that a lot of restaurants stop serving food between lunch and dinner.  They are not close, they just offer drinks.  I literally went to 4 restaurants, Lark on the Park being one, and none of them were offering food.  I was starving! I couldn't wait till dinner time.  I finally found Ziziki's which is a Greek restaurant. I love Greek food! So I thought hmm... why not give it a try. Then, I found out that it was the number one Greek Restaurant in Dallas, YUM! I hit the jackpot! It was an amazing restaurant!  The service was great and the food was delicious.  

I also had great time at the W Hotel, such a beautiful property.  I love SPG Hotels! The Bliss Spa had great customer service and made me feel so welcome.  The W Hotel also has the infinity pool which overlooks downtown and the American Airlines Center.  It has a beautiful and breathtaking view.  It was such a relaxing getaway!