SHOP MY OUTFIT (Size: XS)
I am a proud Enneagram 7, so that means I want to celebrate every little thing, especially my birthday! I love planning a weekend trip for my birthday each year, and I decided on Nashville this time. My choice to go somewhere driving distance was largely due to the chaos that ensued last year! (More on that HERE) Having my car felt like I had more control of the situation and trip! Lol.
SHOP MY OUTFIT (Size: XS)
The weekend we usually travel for my birthday was Taylor Swift in Nashville, and hotel rates had tripled! If I didn’t get to see her in concert, I definitely wasn’t paying those prices. Luckily, we went the last weekend in April and it was the perfect time! I just had to book at The Graduate Hotel, and our stay was amazing! I’m so glad we were there the entire weekend. Last July, we only stayed for one night before moving over to an Airbnb!
As far as food goes, I had a lot of making up to do from our July trip! I booked touristy restaurants, and the dishes were just so subpar. Bo was disappointed in me, BUT I gained his trust back this time! Lol. I normally do better research, so I stepped my game up and we went to some delicious spots!
Korean Pork Belly Bao at Virago
We checked into The Graduate on Thursday afternoon and grabbed drinks at the White Limozeen! I ordered the Anti Hero, which was great. They also have incredible frozen drinks during the summer. Bo and I split some truffle fries, and they were crisped to perfection! Our dinner reservation was at Virago, and Bo was apprehensive at first. I had eaten there years ago, and I’m happy I booked it! I ordered the Tokyo Sangria, Fire Crunch Roll to split, and the Korean Pork Belly Bao as my main dish. SO GOOD! Especially the Bao!
SHOP MY OUTFIT (Size: XS) *15% off with kelsiebynum*
I received lots of recommendations and didn’t have enough time to try them all, but I did book Barcelona Wine Bar for a night cap! Everyone said to try the olive oil cake, and it was very interesting. I think Bo liked it more than I did! I wish we could have had dinner there too because the menu looked great! We really covered a lot of ground on night 1! Haha.
Loveless Cafe Biscuits + Chocolate Chip Pancakes
After I made Bo take pictures of me Friday morning, we drove to Loveless Cafe for breakfast! Many people don’t know this, but you can make reservations beforehand. If you don’t, you’ll be waiting at least an hour or more! The food was exactly what I hoped it would be though, just good Southern cooking. We rode over to Green Hills when we were finished and shopped around the mall for a bit! Bo loves going to Nordstrom! Hahah.
SHOP MY OUTFIT (Top: XS, Skirt: XXS)
Creste Di Gallo at Sixty Vines
From there, we strolled around 12 South and grabbed margaritas and guacamole at Bartaco! This guy was selling vintage pieces on the sidewalk, and Bo found a cool camo pullover. He was so excited! Lol. We ended up meeting our friends for dinner at Sixty Vines! I ordered the Froze and the Creste Di Gallo. This restaurant has great views because it’s on a rooftop off Broadway and the food is pretty good too!
SHOP MY OUTFIT (Size: XS in both)
French Toast at The Mockingbird
We started Saturday at The Mockingbird for brunch! Bo and I both love peeking at other people’s tables to see what they ordered, and someone had gotten the best looking cheeseburger! I went with the French Toast and it was perfect, though. Bo was hungover, so he didn’t eat much of his meal. Lol! We roamed around Broadway for a little while, but it was SO crowded. I had booked an early dinner reservation, so we did the most touristy thing possible and hit the Country Music Hall of Fame!
I personally love a good museum, and I enjoyed seeing all the exhibits! For as many times as I’ve been to Nashville, I’m surprised this was my first time going. We then went to our 5 o’clock dinner at Bourbon Steak because that was the only time available! It was absolutely incredible. I loved that they offered a flight of fries with various dipping sauces instead of just bread! I ordered the filet and Bo went all out with the Lobster Pot Pie. The presentation was as perfect as the dish! It’s saved on my Nashville highlight if you want to watch! 🙂
Fry Flight at Bourbon Steak
Bo and I had every intention of going to Broadway after dinner, especially to the Twelve Thirty Club rooftop! I LOVE that place and the drinks are always delish. However, we somehow ended up back at our hotel in pajamas ordering Tiff’s Treats! *Their cookies are amazing if you’re ever in a city with one* But I wouldn’t have wanted to end my birthday trip any other way! I’m so glad we were able to go. Let me know if I missed any trip details you want to know!
PS: I’ll link all outfits with sizing under each photo!
XO
Kels
I wish we would have had time to explore the OC, but we had a lot of ground to cover! Once we finished lunch in Beverly Hills, we decided to visit another popular restaurant called The Ivy. They have the most beautiful pink and orange flowers everywhere along with incredible red velvet cake that they’re know for!
Afterwards, we got back on PCH and drove through Malibu. We were already running late, so we skipped the Santa Monica Pier unfortunately! Lexus truly spoiled us the entire trip, but the hotel stays were next level! We checked into the Santa Barbara Ritz Carlton with even more breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. We had a delicious private dinner at Angel Oak and got ready for Day 2!
We continued on our California coast road trip to Monterey on Wednesday, but we did take a detour to Solvang! I’ve wanted to visit this town since it was featured on Vanderpump Rules, and it looked like we stepped into Denmark with all the Danish accents! We grabbed a few pastries at The Solvang Bakery and drove around before driving to San Luis Obispo for lunch!
We arrived in Monterey early to have some downtime before dinner! We stayed at Monterey Plaza Hotel and literally opened our balcony doors to listen to the waves crashing! It was so nice. Lexus threw a beautiful cocktail hour on the water and we ate at the restaurant there. I really wanted to see Big Sur, so we decided to at least go to Carmel by the Sea Thursday morning!
Bo and I went on the most fabulous vacation to the Bahamas in September, and I somehow forgot to recap our trip! Since the Bahamas is a hot spot for summer travel, I decided to go ahead and share our experience even if it’s 6 months late! Lol. Atlantis is a popular spot, but I knew I wanted to book our stay at Baha Mar after seeing photos of the resort on Instagram. The only other time I’d been to the Bahamas was during a cruise in 2013, so I was excited to go back!
We caught an early morning flight to Nassau on Friday and landed by lunch. I hadn’t traveled outside the country in years, so I was nervous! Everything went smoothly and I never felt unsafe, though. I did book a car for us through Baha Mar that was right by baggage claim. This was a more expensive option, but I wasn’t trying to flag down a taxi! Lol.
Once we arrived at Baha Mar, I instantly knew I made the right decision to book there! The resort is beyond gorgeous with the most breathtaking views. We were even upgraded to a Presidential suite at no extra cost. We immediately threw on our swimsuits and headed to the beach for an afternoon of relaxation before dinner!
I had read online that booking your dinner reservations in advance was a must, especially for popular restaurants! We dined at the Italian restaurant Fi’lia the first night. I ordered the Rigatoni Alla Carbonara and it was SO good and creamy! Just look at the photo!
We did a lot of lounging on Saturday! We started at the beach that morning, and Bo insisted on going snorkeling. I opted out of that activity and read my book while watching him snorkel in the distance. Lol! I LOVE a spicy watermelon margarita, so I ordered one at the pool with a side of truffle fries. The perfect snack before dinner at Costa! I was most excited to try this restaurant, but the food (or what I got) ended up being my least favorite of the trip. The dessert churros made up for it, though! And I still recommend booking here because the restaurant itself is so cool!
TRAVEL TIP: This is probably a good time to mention that the food is expensive, BUT I did think most of it tasted great! We had a heads up about the food before we left, so I bought a ton of snacks to put in Bo’s suitcase along with a few bottled waters and liquor. It’s totally legal to travel with liquor in your checked bag to the Bahamas! Just make sure it’s packed well. Bo was mad I made him check a bag since he prefers a carry-on, but it was 100% worth it!
Everyone said to try Cafe Madeleine for breakfast or lunch, and I’m glad we did! I went with the Breakfast Sandwich on Croissant, and it melted in my mouth. The donuts are also phenomenal as I had to have a sweet treat on the side! Lol. This meal fueled me up for the on-site waterpark Bo made me go to! We ended up having a lot of fun, and this would be perfect if you have kids. I had no idea that the resort was so kid friendly!
We ate dinner at Cleo on Sunday night which was a Mediterranean style restaurant! We chose the Hummus as an appetizer, and I got the Basil Pesto Rigatoni as my meal. Bo ordered the Moroccan Lamb Tagines which ended up being the winner between our two dishes! Haha.
While we were at the waterpark, we noticed a gorgeous pool area which turned out to be the Baha Bay Beach Club! You have to spend a minimum of $200 to sit in the secluded area, but it’s for an all day pass. We decided to splurge and do it on our last day! It was so nice sitting under the palm trees looking out at the beautiful blue ocean! We ate at Marcus later that night, and I’m still thinking about the fried chicken all these months later. I’m not a big collared greens girl, but I definitely recommend that with the sweet potato mash!
I personally think traveling to Baha Mar the weekend after Labor Day is the perfect time to go! The weather is amazing, the resort isn’t crowded, not to mention the rates drop significantly. I know you run the risk of hurricane season in September, but it’s worth it as long as you book the refundable options! Lol. We stayed at SLS, but there’s also Rosewood and Grand Hyatt. I’m not super familiar with the other hotels, but I do believe Rosewood is strictly for adults! I hope I answered all your questions! Let me know if I missed anything! 🙂
I have traveled to Palm Beach a handful of times since I was little, and each trip is better than the last! I spent several summers exploring Palm Beach when I was younger because I have family who lives nearby. It’s such a beautiful place, and I loved going with my friend Brenna! We ate, we shopped, and we took LOTS of photos! 🙂
We grabbed a quick late lunch at Pura Vida, and it was arguably my favorite meal of the trip! Brenna and I both ordered the Mango Salmon Bowl (I switched out the quinoa for brown rice) and it was incredible. A meal I could eat daily! 🙂 Since it was our first night, I booked a more casual dinner spot called Avocado Grill! I had also eaten there in December and loved the avocado dishes along with the dumplings. They have great drinks too!
Our first stop on Friday was lunch at Swifty’s inside The Colony Hotel! It’s such a cute spot to grab a bite to eat not to mention how aesthetically pleasing the place is. I chose the club sandwich with truffle fries and ate my entire plate. Brenna and I almost split the fries, but we were glad we didn’t because both orders were gone! We took pictures around The Colony and then headed to Worth Avenue to do some shopping!
Buying a Chanel bag has been on my bucket list for years, and I finally found the perfect one in their spring collection! I fell in love with the pale pink bag because I knew IF I ever purchased one, it had to my favorite color. Surprisingly, I still have no buyers’ remorse, and I really believe it was a great investment! And I’m sure if anyone in the financial world is reading that last sentence, they are laughing! Lol.
The turquoise door is one of the most popular photo spots in Palm Beach, but what they don’t tell you is how bad the lighting is if it’s full sunshine! Haha. We ran by Saturday morning before our lunch reservation while the sun was behind a cloud! After we finished there, we headed to Restoration Hardware because they have the BEST prime rib sandwich. I’m sure other things are just as good, but I always chose that with truffle fries! RH is such a vibe, and I’m obsessed with eating there if I’m in a city with one.
We ate at Sant Ambroeus Saturday night, and we both ordered the Linguine Cacio e Pepe which was just super buttery cheese noodles! Hahah. Brenna and I both had afternoon flights, so we grabbed breakfast at Surfside Diner Sunday morning! She got the french toast and I went with the blueberry pancakes. The side of bacon was the perfect crispy texture! Once we finished, we wandered around The Breakers before going to the airport. It was the perfect adult Spring Break with a little work and a little play! 🙂
WHERE TO EAT