For our very last trip together before baby, we headed to Los Angeles for the weekend. A trip we have made together many many times. We both enjoy our trips to LA and they usually come with a purpose. This time it was to see our favorite band who was playing their last show together. Something we both really enjoy in a place we both enjoy. It was a great weekend. But while we were there we started talking about why we come to LA so often and what we really like about this city. We came up with the three following reasons:

1.We love the food. Whether it’s In-N-Out (which we can get in more places than just LA), Tommy’s Original Hamburger (if you love deliciously gross chili burgers- which we do), Portillos (chicago style hotdogs), and various other delicious and restaurants (some actually being real restaurants), we love the food in Southern California. Enough that we would probably make a special trip for it.

2. We love baseball. Do I really need to say more? If you are a reader of this blog you know our goal is to visit every baseball park in the United States, but we can’t get enough of the Dodgers or Dodger Stadium and try to visit it at least once a year.

3. We love the beaches. Although LA beaches are not the best in the world they do offer an eclectic beach experience. They are beautiful in their own right.

I think it makes for an easy get-away for us because it’s close enough that an hour and a half flight is easy, even if it’s just for a day, but yet it’s far away enough to make it a fun experience and feel like we got out of our daily grind for awhile.

What is your favorite place to visit over and over again and why?

Of all the places we chose to visit this summer, we had our hearts set on visiting San Antonio, Texas. I had never been before and Reid had gone once as a kid. I’m not sure what I expected San Antonio to be like but I found it to be beautiful and bustling all at the same time. We arrived on Saturday afternoon and after checking into our hotel we decided we wanted to explore the Alamo that afternoon and jaunt down the river walk that evening.

The Alamo has special meaning to me because as my mom puts it: “I am a daughter of the Texas Revolution.” Basically this means I have ancestors from San Antonio and I should be proud of it (of course I am- I am proud of all my ancestors). Anyways, the Alamo really is a great place to explore and I would recommend it to anyone. How could you even possible consider going to San Antonio and not making a stop at the Alamo? It’s also free to visit and explore thanks to the The Daughters of the Republic of Texas who have been maintaining and preserving this historic site since 1905. While it’s free admission they do appreciate donations.

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Who doesn’t like to stay in a sexy boutique hotel where the accommodations are contemporary, unique and stylish? Unfortunately, it’s not always an option when you are looking for affordability and a place to house your children. Or perhaps you love the idea of modern but prefer the ease of a chain? Choice Hotels new brand Cambria Suites allows you to get the both of best worlds. It’s affordable, convenient yet sleek and modern. It’s a hotel chain where you will feel comfortable bringing your family on vacation or bringing your loved one for a quick romantic getaway. It’s a great choice too for those health conscious travelers because they offer organic and healthy options at their cafes and have healthy freshly prepared snacks to grab.

We were invited to stay at Cambria Suites on our recent trip to San Antonio. We loved the close proximity to the airport- yet it didn’t feel like an airport hotel at all. The room was modern and chic. When I stay at a hotel I really notice the little things. I think little things can make a hotel room feel luxurious over cheap. This hotel nailed it from the Bath & Body Works bathroom products all the way down to the Wolf Gang Puck coffee and organic tea. I’m serious, I know those are small in the large picture but a hotel that pays attention to detail makes a really big difference in your quality of stay. We definitely did not feel we were sleeping at the Super 8 Motel.

I also loved that there was an LCD TV in every room. We had a two-room suite so there was three! That’s one more TV then we have in our house. The rooms were large, spacious and the most important thing- the beds were super comfortable. Look at how it’s decorated, isn’t it fun? There are 15 locations across the country and more in the works. Definitely recommended for my budget-minded traveler friends who still like the life of luxury (that’s me).

Jet Blue came out with an interesting promotion that I felt was worth mentioning; the  All you can jet pass for $599! Purchase now through August 21 and you will be able to travel from September 8 to October 8 on any flight and as often as you want! If you have the time to take off- this is totally worth it! Or just travel every single weekend for the month!

Maybe you were planning a trip during that time that would have cost $600 anyways- this could be a great option for you to get your moneys worth. Read the details at Jet Blue’s website and let me know if you take them up on this offer!

In my last post I mentioned that in order for us to rent a car on Saturday to get to Northern Minnesota we needed to rent a car in Winnipeg and drive across the border (thank goodness we remembered our passports!).  So we really did not spend that much time in Canada but we did make a few worthwhile stops on our way through that must be mentioned so that the next time you go to Canada you can be sure to enjoy as well.

First off, did you know Winnipeg is the Slurpee capitol of the world? I did and the ONLY thing I cared about was making sure I got a Canadian Slurpee. They are ten times better because in Canada they don’t put any air in their Slurpees so it’s more flavorful and you don’t get all those annoying ice crystals like you do with American Slurpees after you have sucked all of the flavor out of them. Being that I am seven months pregnant and crave Slurpees constantly this was a huge deal!

Also have you ever had Canadian candy? Pretty darn good. Since we were already at 7-Eleven we had to pick up some to enjoy. It’s a little different than American candy, just different varieties and companies. Also, and this is Reid’s favorite- the thing he was looking forward to most- was ketchup potato chips. That’s right you read correctly. I wasn’t a huge fan but he gobbled that bag so quickly- I thought he was going to choke!

Lastly we passed the Canadian Royal Mint on the way through town and decided we had to stop.  We wished we had more time to take the tour but unfortunately we were running a bit late so we settled on the gift shop as Reid wanted to purchase a proof set. Because the upcoming winter Olympics are going to be in Canada this year it was cool to see all the special coins they had create to commemorate the occasion. Next time we are there we will be sure to plan more time and take a tour.

I wish we could have spent more time in Canada other than the few short hours, I would have loved to see more of the city and check out the parks but unfortunately we had a different destination in mind and were a little more excited about that. But I must say if you are going to Canada any time soon- at least make sure to stop by a 7-Eleven and get a Slurpee, some candy and some ketchup chips! Our only regret was not having time to get some gravy fries… oh well there is always next time!