Travel

My San Francisco trip is a perfect example. I stayed at 1 Hotel and splurged on a room with a view, worth every penny. Over three days I walked through the Ferry Building, rode streetcars, ate fresh crab, and wandered through neighborhoods I hadn’t visited in years. That city has a way of stealing your heart all over again every single time you go back.

Then there was Zion, where I took a group of my city friends on a real desert adventure. We stayed at Cable Mountain Lodge right at the park entrance, and the whole point was to experience the area like a local. The canyoneering hike alone was worth the trip, watching friends who’d never done anything like it push through their nerves and come out the other side absolutely grinning was one of my favorite travel memories.

I also have some strong opinions about traveling with kids. My seven rules include gems like “every restaurant is kid-friendly if you show up right when they open” and “just say no to cruises and all-inclusive resorts.” Boats, bikes, and gelato can fix almost any bad day on the road with little ones. And our girls trips, like the Sanibel Shell Show with Hannah Milman, who took us to visit her shell shack on a remote island, are proof that the best adventures happen when you let someone who actually knows the place show you around. Whether you’re planning a family vacation, a girls trip, or a solo escape, these posts are my honest take on the places that are worth your time and your camera roll.