Sassy Southern Blonde

A Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kelsie Bynum

Washington D.C. Travel Guide


Happy Friday Y’all!

Out of all the places I traveled to this summer, Washington D.C. was definitely one of the best. I had always wanted to go, so my best friend and I jumped at the opportunity to visit our other friends in the city. There are a MILLION touristy things to do in D.C. to say the least, so we chose our top picks and went from there. Between the museums and the memorials, you’ll never get bored! (The nightlife is just as good) We stayed at Trump International Hotel and I cannot say enough great things about the location. The hotel is very elaborate, yet beautiful and the staff was always kind and helpful! Below, I’m listing my favorite attractions and restaurants if you’re ever in the Washington D.C. area!

Best Things to Do

-Visit the National Museum of American History. **There are a ton of museums in D.C., but this one was THE coolest. I also loved the Newseum too!**

-Get a drink at the rooftop bar of the Washington Hotel overlooking the White House

-Go to the National Mall and wander around to the different memorials like Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson.. **Unless you enjoy walking far distances in the middle of July, (I def don’t) I suggest taking an Uber to Jefferson**

-Shop around M Street in Georgetown, these cute store fronts will keep you busy for hours

-City Centre is a trendy area in downtown D.C. that has designer shopping and trendy restaurants. They also have cool outdoor decorations like the colorful camel statue I posted above!

**For cat lovers: Cats are my absolute fave, so when we stumbled upon a cat cafe, I knew we HAD to go inside. Crumbs and Whiskers has around 18 to 20 cats at any given time that are all available for adoption. You can pay to play with them for an hour and a half and drink coffee. So basically, the perfect day!

Best Restaurants

-GEORGETOWN CUPCAKES.. Obsessed isn’t the word. I loved the TLC show, DC Cupcakes, so this was the first thing on my list to visit **My best friend also gets them shipped to Mississippi every year for her birthday and they’re just as good**

-GCDC.. I’m always down to eat a grilled cheese sandwich, and this place did not disappoint! You can order one of the options on their menu or make your own. I also recommend adding a cup of tomato soup!

-Martin’s Tavern is known for their Presidental customers like JFK and Bill Clinton. You can actually take a picture in the booth where Kennedy proposed to Jackie in the restaurant. Plus the food is phenomenal, so it’s a win-win!

-Orange Anchor.. They have bottomless mimosa deals every weekend AND red velvet waffles, need I say more?!

-El Centro..  We ate at this upscale Mexican restaurant and it’s so worth the price! I ordered the chicken tacos that were delicious, and we also got their churros with chocolate dipping sauce for the table!

-The Hamilton.. We wanted to eat here for dinner, but the wait was long, so we made a reservation for brunch on Sunday instead. I have eaten more than my fair share of brunch, so I can safely say this is THE best I have ever had. My best friend and I split the french toast and the chicken biscuit with gravy because we couldn’t choose just one 🙂

**I didn’t link my outfits, but comment below if you have a question about where anything is from! I hope everyone has a fun weekend and enjoys the last few days of summer break!

XOXO

Kels

Europe Travel Guide

Over the past few years, I have gotten to travel to some amazing places, but my recent trip to Europe was by far my favorite adventure. I think traveling is something everyone should get to do because it’s SO eye opening and makes you more culturally aware. Although there were a few bumps along the way, I wouldn’t trade this experience and the things I got to see for anything! The more I travel, the more I fall in love with it, which is why I decided I want Sassy Southern Blonde to go into the direction of a lifestyle blog. My posts will still largely be fashion related, but I want to share other topics, like traveling, that I’m passionate about on my site! Below, I’m listing my top places/things to do by city that I **highly recommend** if you’re traveling to Europe in the future! 🙂

 

PARIS

~ See the Eiffel Tower light show that begins at the top of every hour when it gets dark! **The sun didn’t set until around 10, so it gave us extra time to sight-see before**

~ Visit the Louvre and view the Mona Lisa among other famous artwork. **Disclaimer: the painting is a lot smaller than you’d think**

~ Shop along the Champs-Elysees and be sure to visit the flagship Louis Vuitton store even if it’s just to look! **They were sold out of the cross body I wanted 🙁

~ My favorite show is Gossip Girl, so I had to buy macaroons at Laduree like Blair Waldorf! **Plus it’s only a block from Louis Vuitton**

~ Drive to the Palace of Versailles 10 miles outside Paris for the most extravagant architecture! **I enjoyed going here also because I’m completely fascinated with Marie Antoinette**

FLORENCE

~ See Michelangelo’s most famous sculpture, David, at the Galleria dell’Accademia

~ Schedule a wine tasting at one of the many wineries in the area.. **My favorite wine was Prosecco, which is pretty similar to Moscato**

~ Make sure to eat LOTS of pasta and pizza.. **I don’t think I had one bad meal there… even the McDonald’s was great ;)**

ROME

~ Tour the Colosseum and the Forum **This was the day we walked the most, so wear comfy shoes! They say Rome wasn’t built in a day, but I’m pretty sure we hit all the main attractions within a few hours**

~Visit Vatican City and go to the Vatican Museum where you’ll find beautifully painted ceilings among other artwork. **This is where the Sistine Chapel is located and it is absolutely breathtaking**

~Make time to go to the Trevi Fountain! **We missed visiting here and not experiencing this is my biggest regret of the trip**

VENICE

~ Ride a Gondola! **It looked like so much fun, but we never found time to do it**

~ Have a beach day on the Isle of Lido, just a Vaporetto (water taxi) ride away! **Don’t forget to pack sunscreen because the Italian sun is way worse…**

~ Travel to the Isle of Burano and admire the pretty colored houses along the island **We took SO many pictures here, I posted my favorite two above!**

 

These are just a few of the hundreds of things to do and see around Europe! I didn’t link the details of my outfits, but if y’all have any questions, just comment!! I hope everyone had a fabulous 4th of July. I decided to stay in Laurel and spend time with my family since I’m traveling to Washington D.C. next week! As always, thanks for reading!

 

XOXO

Kels