Opa!! Greece in Pictures!

Posted in Greece by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

This weekend is Greek Fest in Chicago….Lincoln Park Greek Fest to be exact. My friends asked me to go, but I’m busy packing for my Scandinavia trip! I leave tonight and couldn’t be more excited.

Greece was one of the most beautiful places I have ever traveled to! Never in my life have I see such bright blue and turquoise water. I spent a week in Athens, Santorini, Oia and Mykonos with one of my closest friends and we had a blast! We sailed around the gorgeous island of Santorini, laid on the white sandy beaches in Mykonos and raced around Athens to find the famous Poet Sandal Maker.

Although I’m missing Greek Fest this year, it was great to go back in my photo albums and pull up some of my favorite photos of the trip!

Enjoy the pics below and enjoy Greek Fest for all my fellow Chicagoans!

31May2014

You will NOT believe what Lady Gaga and I have in common!!

Posted in California by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

A few years ago my sister, a close childhood friend and I attended Chicago’s Windy City Wine Fest near Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park. We fell in love with Cass Winery and made plans to one day do a Girls Weekend and visit the vineyard in Paso Robles, California.

In June 2013, the three of us headed to Paso for a fun filled weekend of wine tasting and sightseeing! We had a few areas of interest on our list, but the one I was most excited about was Hearst Castle!

Hearst Castle was THE place to be in the 1920s and many celebrities and political figures would often visit. Imagine Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, Bob Hope, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill playing tennis, swimming in the beautiful pools, watching movies in the theater or walking through the world’s largest private zoo! We saw all of these on our Grand Rooms tour for only $25!!

Fast forward to 2014 and another celebrity has entered this enchanted castle….Lady Gaga! She filmed her new bizarre and perplexing video “G.U.Y” at Hearst Castle. It was fun to watch the video and remember all the spots that I had been…but then I thought “How could they let her swim in that pool!?!?! Clark Gable swam in that pool!! ”

See below for her latest video. I’ve also added some time marks since I’m sure you don’t want to sit through 11 minutes of this!

1:50 mark – Main castle entrance

2:20 mark – First views of Neptune’s pool

4:50 mark – First views of the Roman pool

7:20 mark – Beautiful shot and overview of Hearst Castle

It was such a beautifully foggy day at Hearst Castle when we went. The ride up to the Castle was surprisingly long and winding. You really got a good sense of the exclusivity and privacy these celebrities and political figures felt. When you see Neptune’s Pool and the Roman Pool, you truly go back in time!

2Apr2014

Michigan Travel Map! Adventures of an unexpected drinking tour (without the drinking)!

Posted in Custom Maps, Michigan by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

For all those who read my last post – During my 40 days of sobriety, I went to a brewery, a distillery and two wineries! – you may be wondering if there is a handy map out there that you can follow for your own Michigan adventure.

Well, you’re in luck!!

Here’s the route we took from Chicago to Michigan, complete with the hotel we stayed at and each stop we made along the way! You can bet I’ll be using this map again when I make a trip back AFTER Lent! I can’t wait to actually try the assortment of drinks from Bell’s Brewery, St. Julian winery, Round Barn and Journeyman Distillery!

If you’d like to see a photo tour of the trip, make sure to check out my Pinterest Board – “Pure Michigan”

Happy travels!!

Michigan Map

31Mar2014

During my 40 days of sobriety, I went to a brewery, a distillery and two wineries!

Posted in Michigan, Travel Bites by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

‘Tis the season for the Christian observance of Lent! It’s the time of the year that, if you’re a Christian, you’re giving something up or proclaim that you’re going to be a better person in some way. I always find Lent entertaining because you’re always trying to one-up the other Christian in the group (to be God’s favorite of course). This year I gave up drinking. My sister gave up reading celebrity gossip. I honestly don’t know who won this battle ’cause it sure seems like we both lost!

I thought this Lent was going to be somewhat easy until I realized that I have two weddings to attend before Easter! The first wedding was in Plymouth, Michigan so three of us girls packed into a car and make the 4hr journey to celebrate with our close friend. What I didn’t realize was there was a number of wineries, a brewery and a distillery on the way to/from the wedding. Although I’m sober for Lent, I just HAD to make the numerous stops with my friends so they could taste all the yummy drinks!

The first stop on this epic road trip was Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo, MI! We stopped here for a lunch on the way to the wedding and ate a delicious meal at the Eccentric Cafe. After requesting water at the bar, the bartender proclaimed that she gave up Lent for Lent. Genius. I may consider this for next year!

After lunch, we walked next door to the Bell’s General Store and stocked up on our favorite beer! I love stouts and porters so I took a chance that I would love Bell’s selection and grabbed a custom 6-pack. My friends did the same and then we hopped in the car and drove the rest of the way to the wedding. My 6-pack is currently sitting in my refrigerator, ready to be opened on Easter!

Wedding time!! Lots of eating, dancing and no drinking for me, but the party went all night and we had an amazing time at the Inn at St. Johns! Congrats to Lara and Jason!

We woke up early the next morning to get a jump start on the 4hr drive back to Chicago. About 3hrs in, we stopped at St. Julian Winery, one of the original wineries in Michigan. The girls filled out their tasting sheets as I roamed around the festive store (it was St. Patrick’s Day and they had made a wine tree for the holiday). Michigan is known for making fruit wine and St. Julian’s selection didn’t disappoint. They also make a unique Vodka distilled from 100% grape spirits! Of course I had to pick up a few things to save for my own after-Easter festivities!

Travel Tip: Don’t forget your wine skins! A cheap purchase to save your precious wine during transport!

Right next door to St. Julian is Round Barn Winery (it’s also a Brewery and Distillery) so obviously, we had to stop there too! The girls filled out their tasting sheets, gathered their tokens and enjoyed a variety of yummy drinks! During the visit, we were told about another local distillery, Journeyman Distillery. Did we have time for one more stop?? Yep!!

About 10 minutes later, we found a somewhat hidden building with a small logo indicating we had arrived at Journeyman Distillery (Journeyman story video). The outside of the building is intriguing and once you step inside, it’s incredibly enchanting. From the wood flooring to the iron seating, this place instantly makes you want to kick back and enjoy a fine whiskey, rum or gin. Although the whiskey flight was only $4, the girls were a bit tired, so we purchased a few items from the gift shop and promised to return on another adventure (aka, my birthday in August!). I really can’t express enough how much I was kicking myself for making such a ridiculous Lent resolution!! This place is truly amazing and it’s a must-see if you’re in the area!

Our last stop of the trip was to grab a must needed bite to eat! My friend Ali had recommended a fantastic place called The Stray Dog. She had been there on a previous trip and had a whole list of great things to say about it. We walked in and immediately fell in love! There was dog stuff everywhere! Dog pictures on the wall, dog push pin artwork, dog coat hooks, dog glasses and dog napkin holders! I was in puppy heaven! We grabbed a table and ordered food for a family of 12 that consisted of chips & guac, veggie tacos and two pizzas (’cause we couldn’t decide on just one). Food was delicious and a perfect meal before we had to hit the road again for the last hour of our trip.

Unexpected road trips are the best!! What unexpected road trips have you been on?

23Mar2014

I don’t want to be mean….but Sacramento, your “Chicago-style” pizza is terrible.

Posted in California, Travel Bites by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

In my last post, I told you a little story about how I ended up at Folsom Prison…in my stilettos. Although a bit terrifying at first, it’s a great example about how fun and unexpected your travels can be! The reason I ended up in Folsom, CA in the first place was because 1/2 the people in my training class proclaimed that a certain pizza restaurant was “the best Chicago-style pizza in California.”

The restaurant they were talking about is called Chicago Fire and I’m sorry, but it DOES NOT taste like Chicago style pizza!! I suppose it’s ok if you’ve never had Lou Malnati’s or Giordano’s, but if you have, you’ll agree that it doesn’t quite match up. Although I figured I would come to this conclusion, I wanted to make a sincere effort and embrace the highly recommended spot. The Folsom location didn’t open until 4pm, which was 4hrs away, so I settled for the Sacramento location.

I ordered my take-away cheese deep-dish pizza and enjoyed a much needed drink at the bar. Remember, I had just been to Folsom prison so I probably could have used a few drinks at this point! The staff was friendly and the restaurant itself was lively which made for a very entertaining 30-40min wait. While I was waiting and scanning the bar scene, I noticed something missing…no Old Style. “Surely it’s a mistake,” I thought. How could you have a Chicago-themed restaurant with no Old Style? I kindly asked the bartender if they had any and I knew my answer when he looked at me like I had 3 heads. At least they had PBR (which debuted at the Chicago World Fair in 1893).

Finally, my pizza had arrived!! I was so hungry at this point but decided to just bring it back to my hotel so I could eat and pack for my flight the next morning. Here’s what I saw as I opened the box…

Looks amazing, right?! Probably tastes just as amazing, right?!? NOPE. While it LOOKS like a traditional Chicago deep-dish pizza, the taste was just….off. The cheese and tomatoes were similar to Lou Malnati’s, but the crust was just not right and if you can’t make a good crust, then what’s the point (in my professional opinion)! Unfortunately, I couldn’t take the smell anymore so in the hotel hallway it went.

My advice, save yourself the trip and ship yourself a Lou’s or Giordano’s! A better option, if you’re in the traveling spirit, would be to book a trip to my hometown of Chicago!

11Mar2014

When I say Folsom, you say Cash!!

Posted in California by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

Here’s a little fact about me….one of my favorite actresses of all time is Reese Witherspoon! Even if some of the movies she’s starred in are cheesy, I still love every bit of it and will re-watch them a million times! Legally Blonde (1 and 2), Sweet Home Alabama, This Means War…the list goes on and on! So, of course, when Walk the Line came out in 2005 I had to see it. I knew very little about June Carter or Johnny Cash, but I became an instant fan! Every now and then I feel a little bit country and can’t help singing along to the soundtrack or listening to the Johnny Cash station on Pandora.

Walk The Line Movie Poster – photo courtesy of Apple.com

This brings me to a little story about my recent week in Sacramento, California. It was a work trip (certification class), in a city I’ve never been to, and I was stuck for a week without preparing one bit for any type of sightseeing. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, the best advice I can give you is ask around for guidance or suggestions. When people want to visit Chicago, I honestly won’t shut up about my city (the BEST city in the world!!) and others tend to do the same.

Since everyone in my class knew I was from Chicago they suggested I try Chicago style pizza and the best spot was in Folsom, California. Now, I didn’t tell them this because I felt incredibly ignorant, but what went through my head was “Folsom….as in Johnny Cash Folsom Prison?” I few days later I found out that it was EXACTLY what they meant. Unfortunately, the pizza place was closed so I decided to see what was happening at Folsom Prison. You know…the prison that’s no longer in use and has a nice big museum and gives you informational free tours???? WRONG. I was so very, very wrong.

It started of well. I spotted the entrance via a stone sign and drove in. It seemed safe and I made a note of the welcoming and natural landscaping. Nice touch Folsom, nice touch. “Exactly how a museum entrance should look,” I thought.

I parked in what I thought was the museum parking, but quickly noticed that this was also the parking for prison visitors. “Hmm, what prison visitors?” And then I saw it. A van pulled up and let off real prisoners in neon jumpsuits. Here’s what went through my head next, in order:

1. Wait…this is still an active prison? I’m in stiletto heels and totally overdressed for a prison.

2. The prisoners are looking at me in my stiletto heels and know I’m totally overdressed for a prison…but they probably like it. Creepy.

3. OMG, I think the entrance to the museum is where they let out the prisoners.

4. Yes, I am correct.

5. How fast can I run, in my stiletto heels, back to my car if one of the shackles breaks off?

The prisoners were quickly escorted away, clearing a path for me to walk to the museum. Behind the security office, I saw this.

Not what I was expecting, but I went in anyway. There was a nice man at the counter who took my $2 museum fee and told me to look around. The space is very small and there is a lot of stuff so you have to take your time to read all the little informational cards next to each cased item. Of course Johnny Cash posters and newspaper articles are everywhere.

Other than pointing out the Johnny Cash memorabilia, he did mention some additional “highlights.” One was that all the California state license plates are made at Folsom. Interesting. Next, he told me that Rick James was a prisoner there and that the museum houses his guitar. Strange. Here it is.

Overall, for $2 and very last minute planning, it was fairly interesting. It did leave me wondering a bit more about Folsom Prison and the history. I did find some additional information through Wikipedia and then watched a video about some of the history behind his visit.

Photo courtesy of solitarywatch.com

Before I left, I snapped a quick shot of the prison. The same shot that Johnny Cash once took that’s now quite iconic.

My pic of Folsom Prison

Johnny in front of Folsom Prison (Photo courtesy of chasinggoodness.com)

Feeling satisfied with my visit, I headed back to the car and back to Sacramento. If you’re ever in the Sacramento area, I would suggest stopping by! It’s only 23 miles away and there is a nice quaint downtown area that you can spend time in if you’re not up for the whole prison thing!

8Feb2014

Sochi Best Dressed list = My future travel plans!

Posted in Uncategorized by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

Despite all the massive controversy surrounding the 2014 Sochi Olympics, I thought the Opening Ceremonies were vibrant, bold, risk-taking, well constructed and inspirational!

Wait…wait…I’m not talking about politics! I’m talking about the mostly fashionable Olympic uniforms and the controversy over the USA deciding to wear ugly ~~Christmas~~ sweaters. Seriously Ralph? Yuck!

Photo courtesy of Emag.com.uk

I’ve decided to use this controversy to aid me in creating a future travel list (outside the USA), based solely on countries who I feel were the Best Dressed! Here we go:

1. Canada

I’ve been to Toronto and Victoria already, but just seeing these bright red wool coats makes me want to plan another trip. I may just buy one for myself and head up to Calgary to go on a bobsleigh ride! How very Olympic of me!

Photo courtesy of Huffingtonpost.ca

2. Germany

Was anyone expecting Germany to walk out in Rainbow jackets? Not me, but I loved it! It’s colorful and playful and it just gives me one more reason to see this country that’s been on my list for quite some time. At the top of my list is Neuschwanstein Castle! That place looks so magical that I’m assuming there’s a permanent rainbow over it at all times!

Photo courtesy of Sportsgrid.com

3. Bermuda

What can I say? It’s the middle of winter in Chicago and I have ‘shorts envy.’

Photo courtesy of ew.com

4. Lithuania

When I was a little girl, I boldly announced to my entire family that my first car would be a lime green Dodge Neon. Of course, as I got older, that completely changed, but I do still love the color! After doing a bit of research I was able to find all sorts of fun things to do there and now can’t wait to plan a trip.

Photo courtesy of Theweek.com

5. New Zealand

New Zealand gets 3 S’s: Simple, Sleek and Stylish.

Wait…wait…who’s that guy carrying the flag? Ok, New Zealand gets 4 S’s – “Sexy” for Shane Dobbin. And my bags are already packed…

Photo courtney of National Post

Photo courtesy of Zimbio.com

Which Olympic uniforms were your favorite?

30Jan2014

Is it Gelato o’clock?

Posted in Italy, Travel Bites by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

In 2011, my sister and I went to Italy in the hopes of discovering the most mouthwatering, savory, flavorful meals we’ve ever tasted in our lives. What we didn’t realize was that we would discover all of those things in one divine item…gelato. In two weeks, we managed to consume what a normal human would enjoy in two years (ok, maybe four). Seriously! We ate so much that we just starting saying “Is it gelato o’clock?” to each other.

Don’t believe me? Yeah…umm…just scroll down.

oops.

Holy ~~Guacamole~~ Gelato!

Right?!?

We walked absolutely everywhere, so I’m happy to report that we did successfully fit back into the coach airline seats for the long flight home.

If I had to narrow it down (and give you somewhere to focus) I would say that GROM and Giolitti were my favorites. You can only find Giolitti in Rome, but GROM is all over Italy and a few other countries. There are also three locations for GROM in New York so the USA can get their fix too!

Curious to know what flavors we tried? Duh, OF COURSE you are!

Drum roll please……((Deep Breath))…..Chocolate, Oreo, Dark Chocolate, Baileys, Cinnamon, Mint, Stracciatella, Salted Caramel, Pistachio, Bacio, Hazelnut, Coconut, Maroon Glacee, Pear, Fig, Caramel, Italian Opera Cake, Biscotti, Tiramisu, Caffe, Nutella, Honey, Basil, Caramelized Fig, Walnut, Cannoli, Sesame, White Peach & Lavender and Bellini.

Have you tried gelato? What are your favorite flavors?

28Jan2014

I went to Cancun and brought Prague, Hawaii, Brussels and Greece with me!!

Posted in Cancun 2014, Czech Republic, Greece, Hawaii by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

I finally made it back home from Cancun and I’m already missing the warm sunshine, gorgeous aqua waters and bright green landscape. Here in Chicago the normal winter color palette consists of either white (snow), grey (old snow) or black (really dirty snow) so it was quite a fresh change to see all those beautiful colors for a week. As soon as I got off the plane I was hit with a wonderful “Welcome Home” from Chicago – negative degree weather! Thanks Chicago…

My trip started off at O’hare airport, looking out at all those typical winter colors and counting down the minutes until boarding began. Of course the inevitable happened when my coworker arrived at the gate and looked at me…and then my carry-on suitcase…and then back at me.

“That’s all you brought??”

“Yep! I always bring a carry-on. If I forget something, I can buy it there. It’s the only way to travel!”

He obviously didn’t read #4 on my 14 travel tips for 2014 – There is only one size luggage for 2014 and it’s called Carry-On. No excuses. What he also didn’t know was that I managed to pack not only my Cancun necessities, but some items from Prague, Hawaii, Brussels AND Greece!! All in my not so fancy carry-on!! Let me explain a little more on why and how I was about to accomplish this amazing feat.

If you remember in my post “Pick one souvenir, and stick with it“, when I travel I don’t spend a lot of money on nonsense items and souvenirs. I stick to ornaments and then decorate my pretty Christmas tree during the holidays. However, there are always exceptions to rules and this is one of them. If you find something you LOVE and know you will USE it, then buy it. I don’t like “stuff” and I don’t like dragging a large amount of goodies with me when I’m traveling from city to city, so if I pick up something it has to be useful and special. When deciding what to pack for Cancun I came across some travel items, from all over the world, that I thought would be useful and not take up too much space! Here’s what I brought:

1. Prague – I’m obsessed with chapstick and always make sure I have some within my nearest reach. Since my sister and I did a Beer Tour in Prague, I thought it only made sense that I purchase beer chapstick from Czech Beer Cosmetics company! I came across this store randomly on the way back to the hotel and brought home lip balm for all of my friends. I normally don’t bring too many gifts home, but these were inexpensive and small so they hardly took up space in my carry-on. Since I purchased over 10 small items, they threw in Beer Shampoo too! My remaining showers in Eastern Europe improved instantly!

Czech Beer Lip Balm

2. Hawaii – Any part of a beach trip, in my opinion, requires a sarong! They don’t take up too much space and are the perfect cover-up because you can wear them in all sorts of different ways. My favorite sarong was actually a gift from one of my close friends who used to live in Hawaii. Every time I see the bright pink and red flowers, I remember that moment that she gave this to me. It’s such a simple gift that will be used over and over again! On the trip to Cancun, I used it as a beach towel and it was perfect.

Sarong from Hawaii

3. Brussels – This next item was also a gift, but this time from my sister. In 2013, my sister traveled to Brussels and had to make the obvious stop to see the little peeing man, otherwise known as the Brussels landmark – Manneken Pis. What she didn’t realize was that there was a whole museum dedicated to this little man’s clothes! There’s actually over 800 different outfits that have been dedicated from countries all around the world. I wouldn’t say that this was on her “to-do” list, but it definitely would have been on mine so that’s why she backtracked and went. She brought me back a deck of playing cards that I like to take on my trips in case I have some downtime. Easy to store so in the carry-on they went!

Manneken Pis playing cards from Brussels

4. Greece – My close friend and I visited Greece in October 2013 and had the most relaxing week of stuffing our faces with seafood, watching the Santorini sunsets and laying on the beach. On our last day we took the ferry back to Athens in hopes of seeing the Acropolis. After what seemed like an episode from “The Amazing Race,” we arrive in Athens and found the Acropolis closed. We were so disappointed, but determined to get the only other thing on our Athens list crossed off – Visiting the Poet Sandal Maker. We raced to the shop and hesitantly went down a dark alley in hopes of the famous man who has designed sandals for celebrities such as John Lennon, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jackie Kennedy, and Sophia Loren. We quickly picked out a few pairs and on our way we went! Since i knew I was going to get some beach time in, I packed them in the carry-on!