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Travel Diaries

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Hey loves!

Vacations are vital to recharge, reconnect and just take a good break from the same ole, same ole! I was so happy that we planned a family vacation to San Francisco before baby comes. I was tired of looking at the same Dallas every day, doing the same thing and going the same places. It was high time to experience a change of scenery!

 

Our brother in law and his girlfriend have lived in San Francisco for about four years now. We’ve visited the city about two years ago and had a great time exploring. So when my brother in law called and said he was going to pop the question and wanted the family to be there, of course we said yes!!  San Francisco, here we come!

 

It can be a bit stressful planning a family vacation. Ticket prices, accommodations and how to get around are always the starting point. I was extremely happy to partner with Mazda on this trip and be offered the opportunity to drive the Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring during our time in the city! I knew we needed a vehicle that would allow us space and the ability to be comfortable. After all, we are traveling with a 3 year old and a pregnant lady who needs to be able to sit back and relax at the drop of a dime. The Mazda CX-5 is a crossover vehicle so there was just enough space to do just that. But, if you have a very large family, this vehicle is not for you. Especially if you have more than one car seat, it will be a bit tight in my opinion!

 

So lets get started on my travel diaries shall we? I also posted videos of my trip on my Instagram sharing the highlights of each day. So be sure to head to my Instagram and click on the “Travel” highlight icon to see everything in action!

 

Travel Diary Day 1:

We arrived in San Francisco at around 10:30 am that morning after a 3 hour flight. This flight was also my first experience of having to take Camille to the bathroom on an airplane. Not fun folks!! Squeezing me and her in that little closet with this belly was the worst ever lol. Anyway, after we landed we picked up our Mazda and immediately headed to brunch. We were so hungry! We ate at Rusty’s Southern Restaurant and the food was pretty good. Not amazing, but good ya know?!

 

After which, we headed to the Golden Gate bridge! This is where my brother in law wanted to propose! We were in charge of scouting the perfect location for him to pop the question. That took about 2 hours because of traffic and a lot of the roads to get to the Golden Gate were closed. But, we finally found the spot for everyone to meet and he popped the question. Oh and she said yes!  If you want to see the proposal, head to my Instagram to check  my “Travel” Highlights!

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Landed in San Francisco, so its time to hit the streets!

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But first, Breakfast at Rusty’s Southern Restaurant in downtown San Fran!

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She’s beautiful! The Golden Gate Bridge!

 

Travel Diary Day 2:

Sunday morning we headed to Sausalito for brunch and to check out the area. I always heard that Sausalito has gorgeous views and is the cutest little boat town. We ate at Bayside Cafe and it was delish! They also serve fresh pressed juices (I ordered the carrot & apple- so good), coffees and shakes too. My blueberry pancake were huge and I couldn’t finish it even though I tried. I thought it was so cute that they served Mickey Mouse pancakes for the kids too! Eric thought it was a bunny lol!

 

After we ate, we walked around and checked out the house boats. There were so many to see! The owners really take great care of the decks with flowers and unique art work. It was to be appreciated! I really wished we could see the inside of one of the houseboats. I would love to stay overnight just for the experience!

 

Next up was the Marin Headlands. I wanted to take Camille to the Marine Mammal Center. I didn’t take any pictures here, but you can see a snippet of our experience on my “Travel” highlights on Instagram. The Marine Mammal Center in the Marin Headlands is a rescue center for seal and sea lions. We learned a lot about how the center rescue the animals, how they treat them and saw a few of the sea lions too! It was funny to see the sea lions escape some of the care takers who were trying to give them their medicine.

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Breakfast in Sausalito at Bayside Cafe! Check out the Mickey Mouse pancakes for Camille:)

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The houseboats in Sausalito are so unique and pretty. The owners keeps the decks full of flowers and color!

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The houseboats in Sausalito are so pretty. I loved how the owners decorated the decks!

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Let’s chat about the Mazda shall we?

Oh, I can’t let the blog post go on without sharing a little bit about the Mazda CX-5! Again, this is a crossover vehicle that seats 5. I wouldn’t recommend it for large families, especially those of you with multiple car seats, you would need a SUV for that purpose. If you are traveling with a car seat, this vehicle does offer the LATCH system which made it very quick and easy to secure Camille’s car seat. The car seat LATCH system is great for peace of mind that your child car seat is safe and tightly secured while you’re hitting the road. This checks off my safety concerns as a parent for sure!

 

But, lets talk about how gorgeous the metallic red paint is? It reminded me of red candy apples! The 2018 CX-5 offers metallic finishes and other paint options as well. I’d personally would go for this red, its beautiful! This vehicle pretty much has everything you need. It offers Navigation, rear view camera, great sound system and the power rear lift gate system. Also, The Mazda Connect System is easily accessible and visible so that you can keep your eyes on the road. It allows you to easily access your navigation, music and radio functions. Unfortunately it does not have Apple car play feature!! Which, as an iPhone user, is a necessary feature for me in my car to have access to my music and google maps features. Otherwise, this vehicle suited our needs for our daily travels.

 

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2018 Mazda CX-5 black and white interior is so stylish!

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Time to head off to our next stop… but not until Camille gets in her car seat of course!

 

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2018 Mazda CX-5!

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Mazda CX-5 offers striking metallic paint finishes. This candy apple red was a beauty in person!

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Mazda CX-5 has great trunk space for travel!

Camille admiring the sun roof in the Mazda CX-5!

 

After we completed the tour of the Mammal Center, our next stop was the Point Bonita Lighthouse. The Point Bonita Lighthouse is still an active lighthouse and is at the Southwest tip of the Marin Headlands. There is a .5 walk that is pretty steep before you can access the lighthouse, so be sure to be prepared with comfortable shoes before you go! Unfortunately, once we got to the trail, there was a sign up stating the lighthouse was closed for the day. So we just walked the trail towards the lighthouse and walked back. Let me tell you, my thighs and legs were burning!!! Those inclines were no joke. I definitely got my work out on. But, it was worth it to see the views and the waves crashing against the shore!

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Our little photographer captured Mommy and Daddy on one of the trails in Marin Headlands!

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We walked the trail to the Point Bonita Lighthouse! The views were amazing!

 

Travel Diary Day 3: The Painted Ladies, Lombard Street and Ghirardelli Square

We started the day off with brunch at Brenda’s French Soul Food. Food was very good and the beignets are huge! I would share more about the food and ambiance of the restaurant, but one of the servers were quite rude. It ruined the experience for me so thats all I have to say about that. Lol.

 

Anyway, after brunch we headed to see The Painted Ladies. You guys know what The Painted Ladies are right? The houses in the opening scene of “Full House!” These houses are known for their feature on the show and of course, the gorgeous Victorian architecture. They are a tourist attraction so you will also see people stopping by to take pictures. We didn’t get to see The Painted Ladies when we visited San Fran two years ago, so it was on my list of Things to Do. I was glad we stopped to check these ladies out!

 

What made it really enjoyable is that its across the street from Alamo Square, which is a beautiful park and picnic area. We let Camille enjoy herself at the playground for a while which made her a happy camper. Be sure to check out my Travel Diary video on the Travel Highlights section on my Instagram to see more!  The views from The Painted Ladies are beautiful and worth the stop to enjoy and take in the city. I would suggest even packing a picnic to eat on the hill and enjoy the sights while you’re there as well!

 

After the park, we headed to Lombard Street, also known as, The Crookedest Street in the World.” I’m not gonna lie, we were all a little nervous because the street to even get to Lombard Street had a VERY high incline. But, after we went down the hill, it wasn’t so bad. It really is a crooked street and is filled with people walking the street or at the bottom of the hill taking pictures. It was a fun, quick stop to check off my things to do list without even getting out of the car. So I do recommend experiencing it at least once.

 

Our last tourist stop was at Ghirardelli Square. Friends, you must go so you can stop by the original Ghirardelli Ice Cream shop! I had a Ghirardelli Salted Caramel Sundae when I went to Vegas last year with my husband. It’s AMAZING! So anytime we are on the West coast, we MUST stop by Ghirardelli. Ghirardelli Square is basically a square with shops, restaurants, and great views to enjoy as well. We got our sundaes at Ghirardelli and it was worth all the calories and sugar! So good! Camille had a great time eating most of my sundae too. I tell you, when you’re a parent nothing is yours anymore! She always reminds me that I should share with her. Go figure!

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The Painted Ladies!

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The Painted Ladies: “Everywhere you look, there’s a heart! A hand to hold on to – Full House!

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Lombard Street: The Crookedest Street in the World!

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Ghirardelli Square: Unique spot filled with shops and restaurants!

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Ghirardelli: The MOST DELICIOUS Salted Caramel Sundae ever in life!

 

I hope you enjoyed this travel diary as I shared with you some of our stops on our last family vacation before we become a family of four! This trip meant even more to me knowing that soon, things will change again in the Green household. So it was important to experience new scenery and create moments with Camille as our family of three comes to an end. Again, check out my travel diary videos on my Instagram to see more. I know you will enjoy it!

 

 

Do you have any family vacations coming up soon? Where are you headed? I would love to know!

 

 

Disclosure: Alwayz Fashionably Late may also participate in sponsored posts. This post regarding my Mazda CX-5 experience is sponsored. Please trust that all views and opinions provided are my own! I strive on being completely honest with my readers and audience!

 

 

 

 

 

May 3, 2018 0 comment
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traverse city michigan, pure michigan, travel diaries, best family vacation, best family road trip, road trip adventures, detroit to traverse city michigan, Brys Estate Vineyard, Brys Secret Gardens, Michigan wineries

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The saying there is no place like home rings so true! Especially since I returned back to my home town, Detroit, after three years, for a week long family vacation. I am so excited to share with you one of the highlights of my trip to Pure Michigan, which was visiting Traverse City!! I was born and raised in Detroit up until I went to college. So you can imagine that I  never experienced Michigan as a visitor or tourist. I always heard of people saying they were going “Up North” for the summer. I imagined them staying in wooded cabins or camping. Not really my style, so I didn’t think I was missing out… until I saw the Pure Michigan commercials that is!

 

The Pure Michigan commercials showed all of these beautiful towns, right in my home state, Michigan! I knew I wanted to return home to see my dad for a summer vacation. But, I also thought, how cool would it be to do a road trip and experience some of the sights I saw in the commercials? So we decided to road trip to Traverse City, Michigan, about a 4 hour drive from Detroit. Traverse City, Michigan is home to beaches, wineries, beer distilleries, light houses and plenty of outdoor activities for all of you outdoorsy folk out there. Of course its family friendly too with splash parks, U-Pick farms and more. Oh,  did I mention sand dunes?? Oh yes, you read right!

 

So stick around as I share with you the best vacation I’ve had, right in my home state, Michigan!

 

Day One: Traverse City, Here we come!!

 

We headed out around 10:00 am to grab breakfast before we hit the road to TC. Fortunately, the drive was about 4.5 hours from Detroit, which is perfect when you have a toddler in tow. The weather was a bit cloudy and rainy on the road, but the closer we got to the city, the skies began to clear up and all was well. I was so thankful that we had a spacious and comfortable SUV for the trip. The 2017 GMC Acadia had plenty amenities like WiFi, Apple Car Play, dual sun roofs and a third row. Camille really loved the dual sunroofs as she was all about checking the skies and trees as we were driving. Its funny how kids have a way of reminding you to look at the simple, beautiful things that we somehow take for granted.

 

Once we made it to Traverse City, we headed straight to the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Sleeping Bear Dunes is simply the most amazing sight on the Lake Michigan shoreline. In order to get there, you have to go thru Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive to access the points along the way to the dunes. You do need a park pass in order to drive thru. There are various points where you can pull off and take in the beauty of each stop along the way. I captured this picture of Camille at one of the points. This pic is all her daddy idea and I love it. I’m telling you Camille was living her absolute best life on this trip!

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Once we made it through a few of the stops, we were not prepared for the beauty that is the Sleeping Bear Dunes. As we walked up the path, it was super windy as the wind from Lake Michigan swept thru with sand whirling around us. But, once we were able to look up, I saw the most beautiful sight. The dunes are breath taking. You can hike up or down the dunes, but its not really recommended. I’ve read that it could take a full hour or more start to finish. These pictures are not really doing much justice. Thats why you just have to book a trip to Michigan and see it yourself!

 

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Camille and her Papa!

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Can you see the people hiking up the dune?

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After the dunes, we ate and went back to our hotel, Bayshore Resort, to check in and relax. Bayshore Resort has its own private beach on Grand Traverse Bay. So you don’t have to worry about it being too crowded, which was perfect after a long day of travel and sight seeing. The rooms are very spacious and we were fortunate to get a beach front view. The decor is an older, victorian style, which is not my usual preference. But, very clean, comfortable and most importantly, great customer service.

Camille had an absolute blast playing in the beach and getting her feet wet. The weather while we were in Traverse City was very cool, even though it was August. The high was maybe 75 that day. So as you can imagine, the temperature was much cooler off the beach. Eric and I regretted not getting a bottle of wine before checking in to the hotel. Its something about relaxing by the beach, the sound of the waves and just feeling at peace makes you want to indulge in a glass of wine. We asked one of the hotel guests who were outside drinking wine, where did they purchase theirs. They kindly offered us some wine to share with them! Such a kind gesture from strangers made for such a perfect ending to a long day.

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View from our hotel room at Bayshore Resort!

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Day 2: Sailing with Tall Ship Manitou, Wine Tasting and Blueberry Picking at Brys Estate!

 

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We woke up around 8 after a wonderful nights sleep. Who wouldn’t want to wake up to this beach side view? Eric loved to open the balcony and hear the waves crashing about, even though it was so chilly outside. Bayshore Resort also offers a free, continental style breakfast which works well when you just want a bite to eat before heading out for a day full of activities.

 

The agenda for the day was sailing and visiting a few of the wineries in the Old Mission Peninsula! I’ve never been sailing before, so this was a new experience for us all. It was very cold that day and we instantly regretted not packing warmer clothing. But, we did the best we could and headed out for our sailing adventure at Tall Ship Manitou!!

 

Tall Ship Manitou offers 2 hour sails at various times of the day, even an afternoon Ice Cream sail for kids, where they can enjoy Moomer’s Ice Cream on deck, a local area favorite. What is also cool about Tall Ship is that you can do an over night sail or a private sail for 2 hours. We really loved how they got the crowd to participate in raising the sails. Camille even got in on the action too! It was a long 2 hours as it was very chilly. Thankfully, we bought hoodies at their shop and they were kind enough to provide us with blankets. Tall Ship Manitou is definitely one activity you want to add to your list of things to do while in Traverse City!

After sailing, we went back to the hotel to change and head out for some wine tasting. Traverse City is home to various wineries and vineyards in Leenlanau and Old Mission Peninsula. Its a short drive from our hotel of about 20 minutes.      Brys Estates was the first winery on our list and it did not disappoint. The grounds are beautiful and they also offer wine tours and an outdoor patio on the upper deck that overlooks the vineyard. Eric and I tasted various wines and they were all delicious. The Pinot Noir Reisling was my personal favorite. Brys also offers a wine club and can ship their wine offerings to you!

 

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Brys also has a Secret Garden and its beautiful. Lavender, a flower garden, strawberry and blueberry can be found. They also offer U-Pick where you can pick your own fruit!! Camille had a blast picking her blueberries, although she seem to have ate more than put them in her basket. The setting is just beautiful as you can see rows and rows of lavender. Unfortunately, our trip was after the lavender season ended, only by a few weeks. So be sure to head their between July and early August to take in the beautiful lavender color and scent. It was still a sight to see and I am determined to come back when its in season!

 

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After wine tasting and visiting the Secret Garden at Brys, our little one was exhausted and fell sleep in the car. We had plans to visit more wineries, but I knew that my baby wouldn’t be able to take any more adventures for the day. So we headed back to the hotel and ordered pizza and relaxed again by the beach. It was the culmination of such a perfect trip that I would never forget.

 

Day 3: Time to Return to Detroit!

 

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Pillow Fight!

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Thursday was our last day in T.C. I was so sad to leave as there was still so much more I wanted to see and do. We headed out and grabbed lunch in Downtown Traverse City. Their downtown area has plenty of shops and local restaurants. I really wanted to explore this area more, but we had to get back on the road. We did however, made sure to stop at Moomer’s Ice Cream as its been hailed as, “America’s Best Ice Cream Parlor” by USA Today. They make over 100 different flavors of ice cream, so who can argue with that title? It most certainly was yummy! I was glad to stop by for some delicious ice cream before we headed home.

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Our trip to Traverse City is definitely one for the books! We all had such a great time! It made my heart full to see Camille having such a great time, especially being there with her Papa. My dad told me the other day that he will never forget that trip. He said he constantly think about it and how happy he was to share those moments with us. Thats what family vacations are all about. Those memories that make you smile, just at the thought of it, the smiles and laughter or just the feeling of pure bliss. Even writing this post and looking at these pictures makes me so emotional to reflect on such a fun time.

 

So the next time you are considering a family trip, I invite you to my home state, Michigan, to explore all of its beauty and precious moments that I personally experienced myself, with my family. Add Traverse City to your list of destinations, you most certainly won’t regret it!

 

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Special Thanks to:

Traverse City Tourism

 Bayshore Resort Hotel

Tall Ship Sailing for our lovely sail,

Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery for an informative and delicious wine tasting

Sleeping Bear National Park for such an amazing experience!

Also, special thanks to Tony Denim of Tony Denim Photography for capturing such AMAZING shots of us on the Tall Ship Manitou and at Brys Estate!!

 

Disclaimer: This blog post is sponsored by Traverse City Tourism. Views and opinion written in this blog post are solely my own. I strive to provide trustworthy content for my viewers you can depend upon.

October 1, 2017 0 comment
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