Five things I love about Toronto!

Posted in Toronto by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

Last year my sister and I celebrated our 5th annual Sisters Trip in Toronto, Canada! To celebrate our 5th anniversary, I’m sharing five unique spots that I would definitely recommend to any traveler. Next time you head over to Toronto, make sure to check these off your list!

1. The Distillery District

The site that was once the Gooderham and Worts Distillery is now home to a brick lined pedestrian area filled with unique boutiques, restaurants and cafes. Make sure to stop by Mill Street Brewery for a beer flight and the Soma Chocolatemaker for a chocolate snack! Don’t forget to check out the events calendar to increase your chances of seeing an art show, festival or concert!

2. St. Lawrence Market

I don’t think you can find a better spot to buy all your local fruits, vegetables, spices, meats and bakery items in Toronto! This was a perfect place to stop for lunch, do a little shopping and most importantly….people watch! We even managed to buy one of my favorite travel souvenirs… maple leaf mittens!! On Saturday’s, visit the outdoor farmers market and make a point to grab some fresh flowers!

3. Open Air Books & Maps

Calling all fellow travelers!! If you’re in Toronto, you MUST visit this hidden bookstore. It’s FILLED, floor to ceiling, with travel books and maps. You could spend hours trying to find the perfect selection and you’ll leave feeling inspired to start your next journey! Can’t find a book? Ask the attendant (if you can find them buried under the pile)! The books are definitely overpriced, but it’s worth it to have a fun experience.

4. Fika Cafe on Kensingon Street

I’m not sure what makes Kensington Street so special, but it was in every travel book and article I read while preparing for this trip. I normally would say to skip it, but I know most of you won’t if it’s your first time to Toronto. So…carry on to Kensington street if you must, but promise me that you will stop in Fika Cafe! It’s. So. Yummy.

5. Dark Horse Expresso Bar

Queen Street was a “must visit” street according to just about every travel book, so we made sure to walk and shop during our weekend trip. After walking…and walking…and walking, we needed a coffee…BAD! Dark Horse came to the rescue and it was the perfect spot to enjoy a nice iced coffee and organic chocolate brownie!

Have you been to Toronto? What are some of your favorite spots?

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?

6Jan2014

What I crossed off my non-existent ‘Bucket List’ in 2013

Posted in Alaska, California, Greece, Istanbul, Turkey, Sweden, Toronto by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

This week I decided to look through some of the blogs I follow as a activity given to me from WordPress via ‘Zero to Hero’ Challenge (30 days to a better blog in 2014). I stumbled on something that really caught my eye – 30 Tested Adventures for your 2014 Bucket List from Bucket List Publications. It’s a collection of pictures to inspire you while you’re creating your 2014 Bucket List and you should all check it out ’cause it’s pretty amazing! (Thanks Lesley!)

There’s only one little problem to this….I don’t actually have an official Bucket List! ….Gasp!!

I like to think that I’m a very organized person and I travel quite a bit so I should technically have one, but I don’t. I’m more of a traveling free spirit and have some ideas on where I would like to go but most of my trips just kinda…happen. I’m officially changing this for 2014 and going to focus on something more…official. Check out my newly expanded Andiamo Pinterest Page! For 2014 I’m hoping to cross off Carlsberg Visiting Center for a Brew Tour, Pulpit Rock in Norway, Vasa Museum in Stockholm, Tivoli Park in Copenhagen, stay in the town of Bergen to view the fjords of Norway and see all the amazing architecture in Dubai!

For a recap of what I crossed off my non-existent Bucket List in 2013…see below!

If you have a ‘Bucket List’ Pinterest Page, I want to follow it! Let me know the address and I’ll be sure to check it out!

See a sunset in Santorini, Greece

Join a new Wine Club!

Visit the Harem at Topkapi Palace

See what a real Alaskan town looks like!

Zip Line in Skagway, Alaska

Bike ride to Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska

Find the blue domed buildings in Oia – Santorini, Greece

Buy something at St. Lawrence Market (one of the worlds best markets)in Toronto, Canada

Visit Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle!

Stay in a cozy cottage for wine tasting in Paso Robles, California

View the Bosphorus Bridge (Connecting Europe and Asia)

Take a cruise through Glacier Bay National Park

Wine Tasting in Niagara Falls Region

Visit my first mosque – Sultan Ahmed (Blue Mosque)

Visit ‘Little Venice’ in Mykonos, Greece

Find the largest Fig Tree in the US (Moreton Fig Tree, Santa Barbara, California)

Walk along the Boardwalk on the Toronto Islands

Try Turkish Tea with a Turkish Delight Treat

23Nov2013

“I am the cute one…she’s just my sister”

Posted in Uncategorized by Kristina @ Three Little Birds travel

I never thought I would reference a song by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in my travel blog, but it’s essential to describing the sometimes strange, but absolutely amazing relationship I have with my big sister. I get the feeling that most of you may need a refresher on this ~~Grammy award winning~~ song, so click HERE and you can thank me later.

Let me start by saying that my sister and I are not twins. As I’ve said many many times, “We are TWO different people!” We look similar…and we talk the same (sometimes), but that’s only because we come from the SAME PARENTS! Duh!! No matter how many times I explain this, people can’t help but point out all the features that we share. Drives me a bit batty (can you tell?), so we started singing this song to each other to try and just laugh about the situation. Truth is…I love her to pieces…even though I’m definitely, for sure, without a doubt, the cute one!

In 2009, one of us came up with the brilliant idea to travel to New York City together. Why? It was simple, we had never been and thought it was ridiculous that two well educated, young (and cute) ladies had never been to the Big Apple. Since we live in Chicago, a big city is nothing new, but this big city had so many amazing sights that we couldn’t wait to book a flight and pack our bags. We did just that and jam-packed one weekend in August with everything that New York City had to offer. Broadway, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, Grand Central Station, Serendipity, NY Public Library, Ellis Island and about a million other things! It was a whirlwind trip, but I think to our surprise, we made it without absolutely killing each other!! Since that trip, we’ve started our annual ‘Sisters Trips’ and have had the most amazing experiences in Mexico, Italy, Eastern Europe and Toronto/Niagara region. I can’t wait to plan our 2014 trip (we’re thinking Iceland!!).

Here are some fun pictures that we’ve taken along the way! Enjoy!