Travel Archives - Alyssa Smirnov https://alyssasmirnov.com/category/travel/ Fashion and Lifestyle Blog Mon, 29 Nov 2021 05:41:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.5 https://alyssasmirnov.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/cropped-big-1-32x32.png Travel Archives - Alyssa Smirnov https://alyssasmirnov.com/category/travel/ 32 32 A Day in Van Lierop Park https://alyssasmirnov.com/a-day-in-van-lierop-park/ https://alyssasmirnov.com/a-day-in-van-lierop-park/#comments Wed, 29 Sep 2021 19:00:35 +0000 https://alyssasmirnov.com/?p=11576
Van Lierop Park, Blooming lupine flowers

What comes to your mind when you think of summer? Some might give you the obvious (and in my opinion, the pessimistic) answer. Heat and humidity. But if you ask a staunch nature lover like me, summer means beach days, resort retreats, double rainbows, and a chance to chase butterflies. Basically, a long, warm handshake with nature. But the thing that I look forward to the most each season is frolicking in flower fields. 

Think rolling carpets of bright sunflowers and neverending rows of colorful tulips, happily swaying under the golden sun. It’s magical to just think about these tiny patches of heaven on earth. 

My first stop this season was Van Lierop Park. It’s quite a recent addition to the city parks and a stunning one at that. You will find pathways lined with wildflowers, peaceful trails, views of Mount Rainier, and a field of gorgeous purple lupines stretching as far as the eye can see. There’s also a walking trail around the field itself that you can use while taking in the picturesque views. 

Van Lierop Park was actually formerly Van Lierop Bulb Farm. The city purchased the land to build something that everyone in the community can enjoy. With families, bikers, and other trail users already coming in flocks, suffice to say, the city plan was a success. 

The flowers are in full bloom in June so that’s the perfect time to visit. For Van Lierop Park, I wanted to wear something that makes me feel comfortable, lets me enjoy the gentle breeze AND helps me live that fairy tale moment among the flowers. This one-shoulder white dress from Chicwish checked all the boxes. It features an exaggerated bow on the single shoulder and a side slit at the hem. It’s comfy, elegant, and charming even with its simplistic beauty. 

Just like Van Lierop Park is the ideal location for your pre-wedding or bridal shower photoshoots, this dress is also perfect for such events. Plus, white truly stands out against the purple lupine field. So, your photos are bound to come out stunning. Dresses are an easy way to put together a whole look.

While Van Lierop Park will stay in my top favorites, I still have more flower fields and farms on the list to visit this summer. Many more walks among the blooms, basking in nature’s glory. 

Van Lierop Park, Blooming lupine flowers
Van Lierop Park, Blooming lupine flowers

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]]> https://alyssasmirnov.com/a-day-in-van-lierop-park/feed/ 2 Crescent Valley Lavender Farm Gig Harbor https://alyssasmirnov.com/crescent-valley-lavender-farm-gig-harbor/ https://alyssasmirnov.com/crescent-valley-lavender-farm-gig-harbor/#respond Tue, 28 Sep 2021 19:00:56 +0000 https://alyssasmirnov.com/?p=11582
Crescent Valley Lavender Farm Gig Harbor

Another day, another flower field. I don’t know about you. But for me, visiting flower farms and bathing in all the beauty is peak summer activity. Especially after being confined in our homes for so long, immersing in nature, witnessing vibrant fresh blooms, and feeling the breeze while you do that can be really cathartic. 

This season, I have been on a mission to discover flower destinations around me. And in my quest, I stumbled upon the beautiful Crescent Valley Lavender Farm that’s actually just opened up this year. The little gem is tucked away in a quiet corner in Gig Harbor, Washington State. Thrilled would be an understatement of what I feel to have this beauty so close to home. 

Crescent Valley Lavender Farm was established by a lovely couple Glenn and Diana Liebner and their daughter in 2015. You know how they say — beauty becomes beautiful when it’s shared with others. So now in 2021, the kind owners decided to open the farm to the public, and I for one couldn’t be happier. June is when lavender is in full bloom and that’s when the grand opening was held.  

Sadly, as of August 1st, 2021, the farm has been closed for the season. But when you pay a visit next season, 7 different varieties of lavender will be waiting for you. From Royal Velvet to White lavender, the farm is filled with rows of refreshing goodness. A burst of white, lilac, and violet-blues with a little gazebo in the middle. Some varieties such as Grosso are used to extract oils that we all love so much. Some such as Royal Velvet can be used for culinary purposes. While others like Folgate and Melissa are richer in color, sweetly fragrant, and used in potpourris after drying.

The best part about Crescent Valley Lavender Farm is that they also offer you-cuts. You get to pick your own lavender that you could use to make bouquets, wreaths, or whatever you want. The farm provides you with scissors and a basket to give you that proper harvesting feel.

Crescent Valley Lavender Farm Gig Harbor
Crescent Valley Lavender Farm Gig Harbor

They have a gift shop at the farm too. So along with your own lavender clippings, you also have the option of bringing home lavender essential oils, bath bombs, lip balms, lotions, scrubs, and other personal care products. And as you can imagine, they smell like heaven. The only thing you have to be careful about when visiting the farm is buying the parking ticket in advance since they have limited parking space. 

For my visit, nothing seemed more fitting than a lilac maxi dress. It’s made of the softest, breathable material and features short ruffled sleeves. The backless design with a knot in the middle makes it even more interesting. To feed that farm-inspired look, I also carried a Pamela Munson Basket Petite Isla Bahia Bag. I love the woven corn husk material — a nod to sustainable fashion. The white leather handle and a knot on the front offers a nice contrast. The bag opens up to a fabric-lined interior which is roomy enough to store all your essentials, including those lavender clippings 🙂

Crescent Valley Lavender Farm Gig Harbor Washington state lavender farm Washington state lavender farm Washington state lavender farm Washington state lavender farm

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]]> https://alyssasmirnov.com/crescent-valley-lavender-farm-gig-harbor/feed/ 0 Colorful Outfit at the Rainbow Rails https://alyssasmirnov.com/colorful-outfit-at-the-rainbow-rails/ https://alyssasmirnov.com/colorful-outfit-at-the-rainbow-rails/#respond Thu, 06 May 2021 19:17:05 +0000 https://alyssasmirnov.com/?p=10936
colorful outfit rainbow railroad

Colors significantly impact your mood and how you feel. Have you ever noticed how a clear blue sky makes you feel hopeful and happy as compared to a dull and dreary grey sky that makes you feel sad and sorrowful for no reason? Life is definitely more fun with colors. Sometimes a colorful outfit may seem difficult to style but I tend to focus on one piece at a time to not overpower the look. 

I started to realize that even more during the lockdown. When you are confined in your home with nowhere to go, it’s easy to bind yourself to basics. The basics are comfortable, sure. But after some time they start to feel uninspiring and monotonous. You also feel a shift in your mood. The trick that I found uplifted my spirits during these tough times was that when I wore a colorful outfit it made me happy. It might not seem so convincing in theory but inject some colors into your wardrobe and you will feel the difference. Naturally you will gravitate toward the more fun and bright items when you are happier.

With that very thought in mind, I got this beautiful bright blue sweater for the fall season. Striking, stunning, and surprisingly easy to style, the classic blue color is among my favorites. This bright blue sweater has brought me joy on days that I felt down. It is super soft and cozy with a relaxed fit. Wearing it feels like getting warm hugs and I love it. What I wanted to pair it with was a no-brainer. It goes perfectly with blue denim jeans and looks effortlessly stylish. Since I was exploring the area on this particular day, I chose my wonderfully comfortable YSL espadrilles. They are so comfy that I could walk the entire day and my feet would still be happy. Their black and earthy tones make it super easy to style them with most outfits. I would recommend sizing down at least half a size because the leather does stretch out over time. 

Speaking about colors, on the same day, I happened upon this cheerful railway track painted in rainbow colors. This little chunk of color is aptly called Rainbow Railroad and made me so happy. This only goes to show that when you have a positive mindset and bright hopes, the universe repays with beautiful things. 

Let’s vow to never let ourselves deprive our lives of colors. Brighten your wardrobe, brighten your day. Love colorful outfits? See some red looks HERE. Would you like to see more colorful outfits styled? Tell me in the comments below.  This location is called the Rainbow Rails in Olympia, Washington. 

rainbow railroad colorful outfit blue sweater
rainbow railroad colorful outfit blue sweater

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]]> https://alyssasmirnov.com/colorful-outfit-at-the-rainbow-rails/feed/ 0 Post Hotel, Leavenworth, Washington Experience https://alyssasmirnov.com/post-hotel-leavenworth-washington-experience/ https://alyssasmirnov.com/post-hotel-leavenworth-washington-experience/#respond Sun, 24 Jan 2021 20:00:19 +0000 https://alyssasmirnov.com/?p=10874
post hotel Leavenworth Washington marble bathtub

For Christmas 2020 I was gifted a one night stay to Post Hotel. The Post Hotel is a boutique hotel in Leavenworth, Washington. It is known and has become popular for its various sauna and steam rooms. It is considered very luxurious and comes with the price tag to match. It follows the German theme set by the town of Leavenworth.  Me and my husband decided we didn’t want to wait and booked it soon after. We ended up staying in the first week if January. I loved the idea of a winter getaway and The Post Hotel in Leavenworth seemed like the perfect spot.

Booking and Check-in

Since we did book somewhat last minute, I had to check frequently and wait for a cancelation to reserve us a booking. We also wanted to go on the weekend to avoid taking too much time off work. It’s important to keep in mind that if you book on Friday or Saturday, they require a minimum of two nights. Even if you were only gifted one night for the gift card. Booking was easily down online and the hotel was quick to answer any questions I had over the phone as well. We ended up paying the extra night ourselves but it turned out better. It is about a 2.5 hour drive from us so we didn’t want to have to drive back home the next day and we got to enjoy more experiences.

We arrived and the check-in process was simple and quick. They have good security at the front door as you have to use your key card to get in or get buzzed in by the front desk. They took our temperature for covid safety measures and gave us a little overview of the hotel offerings. One of the best parts about the hotel is that they offer a free parking garage to their guests. This turned out to be a huge plus because it did snow quite a lot while we were there but our car stayed clear and we didn’t even have to go outside to put our luggage away. 

We were really impressed when we got to the room. It was very cozy and nicely designed. I love the balcony and fireplace. We had the Mountain View room. In the video below I shared a room tour. Each of their rooms features a large marble bath. The bath was really beautiful but it does take a while to fill up and I didn’t find it that comfortable. It cools off quickly due to the cold marble. The room was very clean. Some of the amenities included were a large wardrobe, tv, mini fridge, iron and hairdryer. Many of the guests in this hotel wear their robes around the hotel. This is probably because they spend most of their time at the pool area. The hotel provides the robes and slippers in each guest room. Each room also gifts water bottles to the guests that they can use to fill up at the water stations around the hotel.

Pool and Spa

The pool is one of the most popular features that attracts people to Post Hotel. Upon entry into the pool room you are greeted and handed a clean towel. You can choose your own lounging chair to place your belongings. There were a variety of large round cushioned loungers and and the traditional fold out kind. During our stay the hotel seemed to be quite full so at times there was some difficulty finding an open spot. The staff is helpful and try to locate one for you if you ask. The pool area consists of a large half indoor and half outdoor pool, a hot jacuzzi outside, a hot jacuzzi inside, 2 very cold dip tubs, and foot soaks of varying temperatures. They also have several rooms that include 3 steam rooms and 3 dry saunas of varying temperatures with various essential oil infusions. They also have one cold room. I really enjoyed all these rooms, they were very relaxing as well as beautifully designed. The entire pool area was clean and seemed to be well maintained. They had a water station there as well. The only negative was that it did get a little crowded at one point while we were there. The hotel also offers a paid spa that is separate. There you can get massages and other treatments. We didn’t try anything but it is there as an option. I did not take any photos at the pool area as it was too crowded and they do ask guests to avoid taking photos for privacy reasons. It’s best to leave your phone in your room and enjoy the moment. 

post hotel Leavenworth Washington cozy fireplace in lobby
post hotel Leavenworth Washington snow outfit the arrivals moya coat

Food

One of amenities factored into the price at Post Hotel are the meals. They offer complimentary breakfast, lunch and an evening dessert. They don’t offer a dinner but you have the option of going into the town and getting something there or they have night bites which are small snacking plates. We ended up ordering take out from some places in the city. The meals that they provided were very good and filling. You are able to order multiple dishes to make sure you get full and you can try different things. Another tip is that you are able to order lattes and various coffees even though it wasn’t on the menu. They have a rotating seasonal menu so during our entire stay the menu was the same for breakfast and dinner. They feature German dishes so that you can get the full Germantown experience. The nightly dessert also changed so we got to experience something new both nights. The first night was chocolate pudding and a cookie and the second night was a baked fruit tart. I included some photos of our dishes at the bottom of the post. Overall the food was really good and fresh. They also had a lot of beverage options to choose from. After you check out or if you are only staying one night. You are allowed to stay on the grounds till 2pm. This way you can still enjoy the lunch even if you only stay one night. 

Things to Do

Although you could totally just relax at the hotel all day, we wanted to get outside for some winter fun. There’s many options for fun activities near Leavenworth, especially in the winter. For our full day there, we planned a snowmobiling tour. It was through the company Leavenworth Snowmobile Tours. We chose to do the two hour tour and it was perfect for us! My husband really enjoys more adventurous activities and I thought it would be fun too so i booked it. I just rode as the passenger on the back and he was the driver. It was just long enough. Riding through the snow covered mountains was definitely one of the most beautiful sights. The only negative about the tour was that it was quite bumpy. I had a hard time holding on at one point. Our guide said that the trails probably wasn’t groomed recently so it might not always be so bumpy. Another fun activity that I was considering was a sleigh ride. It looked so cool and it would be better for a larger group, if you have kids or just want a more calm activity. There are several companies that offer sleigh rides. Near the town there is also a reindeer farm. This would be another fun option with kids. The town of Leavenworth itself is also really nice to walk around and explore. They have a variety of shops to look through. 

Overall I really enjoyed our little winter getaway to the The Post Hotel in Leavenworth, Washington. It was very relaxing at the pool and spa rooms yet I feel that we got to enjoy some fun winter activities outdoor as well. I would definitely recommend visiting there at least once to experience it and I hope to come back some day. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment down below and I’d be happy to answer. 

]]> https://alyssasmirnov.com/post-hotel-leavenworth-washington-experience/feed/ 0 The Brothers Greenhouses, Hobbit House in Washington https://alyssasmirnov.com/the-brothers-greenhouses-hobbit-house-in-washington/ https://alyssasmirnov.com/the-brothers-greenhouses-hobbit-house-in-washington/#respond Fri, 25 Sep 2020 19:00:47 +0000 https://alyssasmirnov.com/?p=10662
The Brothers Greenhouses Hobbit House in Washington State

No matter how much you love your home, there is nothing quite like being out in nature. There is just something about being among plants, and feeling the wind in your hair that is so soothing, refreshing even. Since I have always had a thing for such moments, I recently decided to go to The Brothers Greenhouses in Washington.

This is home to the enchanting Hobbit House, a beautiful remake of the ones featured in the legendary Lord of the Rings. Its designer, Cheryl, even got its picture signed by Sean Austin, one of the actors in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

It is therefore not surprising that this place is a favorite among the movie buffs, some even going as far as coming to visit it in full Hobbit attire. When visiting the Hobbit House in Washington, you’re not just restricted to the cute little pavement, you can go inside. But it was closed when we went, such a bummer in my opinion but I have something to look forward to for my next visit.

However, all was not lost. We still got to see lots of plants and flowers in the various greenhouses. There were succulents, perennials,houseplants, and a few edibles. The place even has a cute gift shop that sells cards, local tile art, gardening essentials, and fairy garden accessories.

There are also people you can ask questions to and workshops that happen all year round. I even got word of a yearly tomato-tasting event that is held every September and features 40 to 50 tomatoes; a unique opportunity for all tomato lovers! And if your thing is photography, they also have a contest to keep you busy.

Needless to say, there is a lot to do at The Brothers Greenhouses. All things considered, it is a cool place to visit, and I will definitely go back again!

For this look I wore this beautiful side bow top from Chicwish. It’s a knit style top with good stretch and it’s very cozy. The bow is a perfect way to dress up a simple long sleeve. I paired it with some dark wash jeans, my Saint Laurent espadrilles and my classic Chanel medium flap.

The Brothers Greenhouses Hobbit House in Washington State

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]]> https://alyssasmirnov.com/the-brothers-greenhouses-hobbit-house-in-washington/feed/ 0 What to Wear to a Horse Ranch https://alyssasmirnov.com/what-to-wear-to-a-horse-ranch/ https://alyssasmirnov.com/what-to-wear-to-a-horse-ranch/#respond Fri, 14 Aug 2020 19:00:57 +0000 https://alyssasmirnov.com/?p=10326

A horse ranch is where summer fun comes alive, especially for those of us with an equestrian spirit and a little adventure in our bones. Bobby’s Ranch in Massachusetts is particularly amazing for a good old time in the saddle. The trails are gorgeous. The horses are also gentle, friendly, and very well-trained. While this activity guarantees fun, you can’t have your outfit lodging in the bushes or your boots slipping through the stirrups. So, what to wear to a horse ranch?

I love dark, solid colors. But that wasn’t the only reason I went for an all-black outfit for my trip to Bobby’s Ranch. As you’d imagine, horseback riding means not only getting a little dirt on your boots but also your clothes. I chose black pants and a black off-the-shoulder top so that the dirt from the horse and the trail doesn’t show too much. It’s also important that the pair of pants you choose is stretchy and allows you to move around comfortably. Stretchy pants will also prevent chafing.

Another thing that I made sure while putting together my outfit for the ranch was to go for long pants. They protect you against the pesky bugs usually found on the trails. As you can notice, my pants were also comfortably snug. But why is that important? A snug fit ensures that your pants don’t ride up your calves which if happens is not quite flattering if you ask me and also puts you at a risk for insect bites.

So, if you are confused about what to wear to a horse ranch, it’s best to go for clothes that are darker in color, not too baggy, and preferably include long pants. As for the footwear, riding boots are absolutely important and I cannot stress this enough. They give you maximum security during horseback riding. Their short heel ensures that your foot stays nicely hooked in the stirrup and doesn’t slip through. The soles are also usually flat and smooth, so your boot doesn’t get stuck in case of a fall. I paired my outfit with comfy leather riding boots that went a little over my pants.

To complete my look, I went with a brown cross-body bag that held a few important things I needed to carry. A cross-body bag allows you to be hands-free as you fully focus on having fun. While my clothes were fit for a horseback riding adventure in terms of functionality, I’d like to think that my accessories represented my inner cowgirl spirit.

Also, don’t forget to double up on sunscreen. Last but not least, stash a few hair ties in your bag. Style is important but so is your sanity when your hair is sticking to your face in the summer heat. Luckily, I made all the right choices and had a pleasant experience riding the gentlest horse.

Now that you know what to wear to a horse ranch, I hope you’d tick all the right boxes too.

Interesting in more cute yet functional looks? Check out all my travel blogs HERE.

 

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]]> https://alyssasmirnov.com/what-to-wear-to-a-horse-ranch/feed/ 0 Costa Rica Travel Guide and Tips https://alyssasmirnov.com/costa-rica-travel-guide-and-tips/ https://alyssasmirnov.com/costa-rica-travel-guide-and-tips/#comments Sat, 08 Feb 2020 20:36:49 +0000 https://alyssasmirnov.com/?p=10074

If you’re thinking to visit Costa Rica, be ready for an adventure! There’s so much to see and explore that it would be almost be a waste to just stay at the hotel the entire time. If you’re looking for just a relaxing trip instead then you can still visit Costa Rica but I would suggest to look for hotels close to the airport and possibly considering an all-inclusive option. I chose to divide our trip among two different parts of Costa Rica to experience different areas. First we stayed in La Fortuna, by the volcano, and then we drove to Nosara, by the beach.

One Week Itinerary

    • Fly in to San Jose Airport
    • Drive to La Fortuna
    • Stay in La Fortuna for two days
    • Drive to Nosara
    • Stay in Nosara for two Days
    • Drive to Liberia Airport
    • Fly out ot Liberia Airport

La Fortuna, Costa Rica

After landing in San Jose airport and going through customs (this took so long!) we got our rental car and began our drive to La Fortuna. It’s about 2.5 hours away. What we quickly realized about driving in Costa Rica is that you need a reliable car. The rental car was ok but definitely not the best maintained. Even though the city is not that far away it takes a while to get there because the roads are very twisty and there are lots of steep hills going up and down so you have to maintain a low speed. Also there are very many stray dogs around the roads, be careful! It was finally nice to arrive at our hotel, The Royal Corin. The hotel here was excellent, I can’t think of anything bad to say. We had the most beautiful view of the volcano (see picture above) from our balcony. Our room was very clean and there was a delicious breakfast buffet included. Also we had free parking for our rental car and there was lots of places nearby to explore. My favorite part about this hotel though was the hot springs! They have pools filled with water that flows from the volcano and they are so warm, like 104 degrees. It’s so relaxing and you want to relax in the pool all day. They also have about 5 small jacuzzi that your can use too and a natural steam room, however the steam room was not warm.

The hotel has two restaurants, and two bars, one is a swim up! There’s lots of surrounding restaurants as well if you want to try different places. While in La Fortuna we did an ATV tour through Power Wheels Adventures. This was super fun and we went though a farm and saw lots of wildlife, then we went to La Fortuna waterfall and finished with lunch. Our second day, we visited Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park. This was another beautiful walk through the jungle and you can even spot some monkeys, toucan and sloth if you’re lucky. Its best to wear closed toe shoes here but I didn’t know, oops. The climate in La Fortuna was different than Nosara as it was warm but more overcast and often times there was clouds covering the volcano but thankfully it cleared up one day. Also it did rain a few times but generally it was not very humid there. 

Nosar, Costa Rica

After our stay in La Fortuna, we started our 4.5 hour drive down to Nosara. The drive didn’t seem so long but wow I am warning you now the roads are bad! Half the time we were driving on an unpaved dirt/grave road. This is why I’m telling you, get a good car! However I still saw it as an adventure. You can make some stops along the way but we were trying to get there quickly. Nosara is a very small ocean town and we stayed at the Hotel Boutique Lagarta Lodge. As soon as I arrived here I was amazed at how beautiful it is! It’s situated in a protected nature reserve and has an epic view of the ocean and jungle. Every night there is the best sunset. Our room was very impressive, the private balcony had a hammock and the view looked out into the jungle and we could see animals climbing on the trees right outside. The climate in Nosara was much more humid and felt hotter. We made good use of the air conditioning there. Our hotel has one restaurant and breakfast is free. The food was good but same as american prices, dinner is about $20-$30 per person however it’s a bit difficult to go anywhere else for dinner because its far and you have to drive down the bad road. Instead I would suggest trying other places for lunch. A very convient feature of the hotel is that they offer a beach shutter. They go to both Playa Pelada and Playa Guiones. We went to both but I prefer Guiones. Playa Pelada has a very cool rock section on the beach with sea animals inside and we ate at Le Luna while here. I liked it but the ocean was a bit  rocky even in the swimming areas. For our second day in Nosara we decided to get an ATV rental so we could explore the town a bit better and have a little more flexibility with going to the beach instead of using the shuttle. Playa Guiones beach was one of the highlights of the entire trip. There we got boogie board rentals and swam in the ocean half of the day. We got fresh coconuts from a vendor nearby. At this beach you can walk to several nearby shops and the swimming area is not rocky at all and so warm for swimming. We did get quite burned even though we used sunscreen so make to to use a high SPF and reapply frequently. The hotel pool was also a very beautiful and relaxing place to swim. They use natural minerals instead of chlorine to keep the water clean and the water was decently warm but not like the hot springs. On the last night we used the tripod to get a picture of us together. 

Top Tips

    • If you plan to drive, get an SUV or a car that does well on off roads.
    • Use Bug Spray, especially at night
    • Plan all the places you want to visit ahead of time. 
    • I recommend ATV rental even if you have a car, in Nosara because it will be easier to get around. The front desk at the hotel was able to arrange it for us.
    • Don’t take a bunch of stuff to the beach and bring a waterproof phone holder that you can swim with because it’s not safe to leave your stuff unattended. I used this.
    • Use a tripod with your phone or camera to take pictures with the people you’re traveling with.

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]]> https://alyssasmirnov.com/costa-rica-travel-guide-and-tips/feed/ 1 A Week In Greece https://alyssasmirnov.com/a-week-in-greece/ https://alyssasmirnov.com/a-week-in-greece/#respond Wed, 09 Oct 2019 02:27:15 +0000 https://alyssasmirnov.com/?p=9908

Greece has always been a dream vacation for me and this year we were lucky enough to be able to go. Everything is so beautiful and there are so many things to do but we had to fit it into a week. I wanted to share our experiences and recommendations in case you are curious or are planning a trip yourself! We decided to visit Santorini as a more relaxing destination and then Athens to see more of historic Greece. I’ll split the post into a section for each destination because although it’s the same country, both locations are so different. 

Santorini, Greece

In Santorini we stayed in the capital city, Fira. On this island I would definitely recommend staying in a more developed city because there’s more things to do and everything is close which is much more convenient. The other main city is Oia, which we visited one of the days. The hotel we stayed at is called Kastro Suites. It’s quite small with less than 10 rooms but I really loved how quiet and private it felt and every room has an amazing caldera view. This was the most important to me when looking for a room. I would suggest looking for a hotel that provides breakfast. It was very convenient not to have to look for breakfast every day but just be able to eat quickly and start exploring. Be prepared for a lot of walking and stairs all over the island! Even within the city we stayed at, there was stairs between the shops and the ground is all uneven stone. To get up to the hotels you have to drag your suitcase up a large hill. Most hotels can help carry the luggage so I would call ahead to check.  I packed a few pairs of heels and ended up wearing sandals the whole time! For exploring the island you can either get a rental car or lots of people get ATV’s. We decided to get a rental car because they picked us up from the airport, there was A/C and they drove us to the ferry port after our stay. We used Spiridakos for car rental and we didn’t have to pay for parking anywhere. The fun in Santorini is going around and seeing everything from one end of the island to the other. It’s quite small and you can drive the whole thing in about an hour. If we had more time I would have done a sailing cruise but I feel like I got to see everything I wanted to.

Trip Schedule

Monday- Arrive in Santorini

Tuesday- Kamari Beach, Ancient Thera, Red Beach, Akrotiri Lighthouse

Wednesday-Ammoudi, Oia

Thursday-Ferry to Athens

Friday-Historic Sites in Athens

Saturday-Plaka, Lake Vouliagmeni

santorini fira view sunset

Where We Ate

    • Argo Restaraunt-Good but pricy! Our favorite was the Santorini Salad
    • Volcano Blue-Very good with no wait time
    • Ouzeri-My favorite and best priced in Fira
    • Pelekanos-Ate here while visiting Oia, very nice view.
    • Asterias- Went to lunch here while near the Red beach.

The food is one of the best parts of visiting Greece! So many good options and definitely one of my favorite cuisines. I would recommend making a reservation for dinner because often times there will be a wait time if you come after 7. Most of the nice restaurants average about $50 for dinner for two people. Santorini does not have safe to drink tap water so be prepared to buy water bottles at dinner or you can bring your own.

santorini pool view caldera

Athens, Greece

Athens is a busy city full of history. It has an entirely different vibe from Santorini. It almost feels more like being back home than being on a relaxing island like Santorini. The tourist area is much more defined in this city and is mostly just the city center and historic sites. We stayed in an Airbnb and it was our first time but I was very impressed! It was nicer than many hotels I’ve seen and it had a kitchen and laundry which was very convenient. Not to mention the rooftop view was unbeatable. For our two full days in Athens we spent the first day visiting all the interesting historic sites. Although you can spend a week doing this, we picked a few favorites and visited those. It does get quite exhausting walking around the city in the hot sun all day. Everything in the city is within walking distance so there was not any need for a car or rental. On the second day we were so tired from walking around all day the day before and we wanted to enjoy the sun before we head back to the cold in Boston so we decided to try Lake Vouliagmeni. It was so fun, I;m really happy we went. It’s a natural hot spring and it’s full of the fish that nibble on your dead skin. You have to pay to get in but they provide changing areas, lockers, and sunbeds. The water was  very warm, about 80 degrees. We had to take a taxi to get there because it’s about half an a hour away from the city. I would highly recomend downloading the about Beat. It’s like uber but for taxi’s and the prices are better and you can call them from anywhere.

Sites

    • The Acropolis-This contains several sites within one area
    • The Acropolis Museum
    • Panathenaic Stadium

    • Temple of Olympian Zeus

    • Zappeio Hall
    • National Garden
    • Plaka-Outdoor market and restaraunts

Food in Athens

    • If Espresso Bar-Breakfast
    • The Brunch Factory-Breakfast, nice to walk through the Plaka when coming here.
    • God’s Restaurant-My Favorite one we went to!
    • Greek Stories
    • Liondi

Thankfully tap water is safe to drink in Athens so you can save there. The food is similar to Santorini but I would still recomend making reservations for dinner.

Interesting things About Greece

    • Most places you can not flush toilet paper. I was surprised when I saw the sign in the bathroom.
    • There is so much Graffitti in Athens! Almost every wall is covered.
    • You can use the google translate app with camera to translate words you can ‘t read.
    • There are lots of stray cats all over the island of Santorini.
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