Travel

Wandering around Rockefeller Plaza

 in General Fashion / Travel  tagged lifestyle / new york / outfits / spring 2023 by

wearing: statement earrings / green stripe top / black belt / yellow pouch bag / spring nail polish / jeans / sneakers /

Hello New York! For my college-age daughter’s spring break, we decided to take a trip to New York. In all the times I have gone to New York for fashion week, I never did any of the tourist check boxes! Isn’t that crazy?! So, despite being to the big apple numerous times, this was my first time exploring the city and seeing all of the iconic landmarks.

On day one, we went to Rockefeller Plaza. My daughter is a huge video game fan, so the Nintendo Store was huge on her list of places to visit. So, after enjoying a yummy lunch at Yama Ramen (I will post about restaurants next week), we went straight to the Nintendo store.

I didn’t realize there was a mini museum inside the store! There were tons of vintage Nintendo game consoles including ones I remember from high school and college. It was fun to see the evolution of gaming amongst the modern store selling the latest and greatest in Nintendo products.

Pictured above, is just one of the many vintage products on display inside the Nintendo store at Rockefeller Plaza. We enjoyed exploring the store and my daughter did end up buying a few items on her wish list.

After the Nintendo store, we walked around the plaza and enjoyed seeing the ice skating rink in its final days of winter. I did take a few pictures, but there were a lot of people in them, and I don’t think they want to be on my blog, so I left those photos out. Sorry!

Near the skating rink is an iconic Kate Spade store. Kate Spade is known for her kitschy designs and New York themed accessories. Aren’t these Taxi flats adorable?

There were several Taxi and New York themed items in store at Kate Spade. Her collection is always fun and lighthearted. Love!

After exploring the ice skating rink and Kate Spade, we wandered over to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. It is such a beautiful church; my photos are terrible! I wish I had my camera instead of an iPhone to capture its beauty. You will just have to believe me that the building is magical!

Of course, when you have an engineering student for a daughter, no trip is complete without a quick visit to the Lego store. Say “hi” to Mario and Luigi!

We got lucky and enjoyed mild weather that day as we wandered around Rockefeller Plaza. It was fun to be a tourist and enjoy an iconic landmark in New York City. Stay tuned for more coverage of my recent trip to the big apple!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Wandering around Sonoma

 in General Fashion / Travel  tagged outfits / sonoma / staycation / winter 2024 by

wearing: sweater / statement earrings / black handbag / nail polish / straight leg jeans (old, also love this pair) / black belt /rose and white sneakers /

If you are heading up to wine country and are looking for a beautiful place to grab coffee and learn a little bit about California history, then Downtown Sonoma is the place to go!

There is a fabulous cafe where you can grab coffee and a small breakfast when you first arrive. Basque Boulangerie Cafe has delicious coffee and an overall good vibe. We enjoyed grabbing to-go coffee’s and wandering around downtown.

Sonoma has a mission built in 1823 which you can visit; but double check hours if you would like to go inside.

In addition to a mission, Sonoma State Park includes the Sonoma Barracks, Blue Wing Inn, La Casa Grande, and Toscano Hotel. These sites can be seen downtown, very close to each other by the square. This is the site where California declared its independence from Mexico and captured General Vallejo.

After soaking in California history, I highly recommend indulging in local chocolate! The Chocolate Cow offers locally made chocolate which is to-die-for! I enjoyed a S’Mores, and it was amazing!!

Of course, after eating chocolate you will want to burn it off! haha. You can take a nice walk over to the Hacienda of General Vallejo; one building on site is pictured below. There you will find hiking trails and a serene location to spend some time, or your day. If you aren’t up for walking, there is a parking lot.

We didn’t end up eating lunch downtown, but there are several places to eat; hopefully next time I can find a place and recommend it to you! In the meantime, eat chocolate. haha

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Places to eat in Santa Rosa

 in Travel  tagged lifestyle / restaurants / santa rosa / staycation by

pictured: pasta from 19ten Bar & Provisions /

Santa Rosa is a quick drive north on highway 101 from the city. There are a lot of fun activities to do in the area for either a day trip, or a weekend staycation. While visiting Santa Rosa in late December, we ate at several restaurants, some we loved, and a couple which were “meh.” So, I decided to curate all my favorite places to eat in Santa Rosa right here in one convenient post! This way, when you head up to Santa Rosa for a day trip or staycation, you will know exactly where to eat! Yum!

pictured: Santa Rosa Omlette from Americana

  • 19ten Bar & Provisions
    • 115 4th St., Santa Rosa
    • Favorites: Miso Cilantro Fettucine, 19ten Burger, Spiced Apple & Brie
  • Jackson’s Bar and Oven
    • 135 4th St., Santa Rosa
    • Favorites: all the pizzas, Mac & Cheese, Truffle Fries, and the burger.
  • A’Roma Roasters Coffee and Tea
    • 5th St., Santa Rosa (near the train station)
    • Favorites: Salted Caramel Latte, all the coffee is good tho!
  • Americana
    • 205 5th St, Santa Rosa
    • Favorites: Santa Rosa Omlette, Chicken Fried Chicken, Breakfast Sandwich
    • They also serve lunch, but we didn’t taste it. I am sure it is good! They use all local ingredients, love that!

When you walk around downtown, see how many Peanuts characters you can spot! It’s fun!

Do you have any favorite places to eat in Santa Rosa?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

pictured below: Spiced Apple & Brie from 19ten Bar & Provisions