hello friends! i'm so excited to have a fellow so cal girl here to share all about one of my favorite places with you, san diego!  sam is one of my wonderful sponsors and like she will mention, her and i are super new blog buddies, but i can already tell from this post that she (and her hubs!) like to have fun.  hey sam, maybe next time i can join you guys on your sd adventures?! whatcha think about that??

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Whoa, hello everybody! I'm Sam and I blog over at The Ellison Family Expansion Plan. (I couldn't think of a longer title.) So, I'm going to be honest here and tell you that Kelsey and I are still in the super-new, getting-to-know-you phase of bloggy buddiness. I mean, I knew that she's a SoCal girl, but it wasn't until just now that I realized that she lives in Orange County, just 20 minutes from where I live. (Surprise!)

When Kelsey offered up a Tourist Tuesday spot, I jumped on it. I thought about where I would write about... I could tell you about my home town in Ohio, but meh. I thought about maybe Cleveland? But no, I really don't know a whole lot about Cleveland, even though I spent 18 years an hour away from it. I love San Francisco, but have only been there twice. I could share with you the cool stuff to do in Orange County, but I don't really do a whole lot of cool things here in Orange County. So, knowing that Kelsey has shared about San Diego many times here on her blog, I dug around to see if my potential Tourist Tuesday post would be redundant. Luckily, I didn't find any of what I wanted to share with you guys, so I'm gonna hop to it.

So, Saaaahn Deeahhgo. My husband, Jamie, and I have spent quite a bit of time in San Diego. More specifically, the Gaslamp District. It's our favorite near-home weekend or just overnight getaway. Unfortunately, traffic on a late Friday afternoon (which is when we usually head down) is usually pure crap. Fortunately, we take the Amtrak train down. It's perfect. The cost of our tickets is about the same as gas and parking if we were to drive, it only takes about an hour and 15 minutes, and the train sells beer.

Another bonus to riding the train is that a good portion of the ride is along the ocean!

Once we arrive, we grab a cab and head to our hotel. (Our two favorites being Omni and Hotel Indigo.) After unloading, we'll head off to any number of places. I'm here to hopefully not-too-lengthily tell what those places are... in no particular order.

First, The Field.

Now, I've never been to Ireland, so I can't really say how authentic this place is... but I can say that it's the most authentic-feeling Irish pub I've ever visited. Just about everything in this place has been brought over from Ireland. It's dark and looks like it should be a little musty with wooden booths and little tables and stools squeezed in every available nook. The decor is dusty farming gear that hangs from the walls as well as shelves crammed full of antique-looking jugs, bottles, plates, and other things. They offer fantastic traditional Irish fare and make the best Irish coffee I've ever had with the cream being whipped by hand in a metal bowl. The Guinness are always accurately poured.

The best beginning-of-the-night pizza can be found at Basic.

While a little pricey, the pizza is delicious and huge. They bring it out to you on a tray. Basic is a lofty and trendy looking place that seemingly offers a great nightlife, but we've honestly never stuck around to check it out. That may have to go on our to-do list.

Probably our most frequented bar in Gaslamp would have to be The Tipsy Crow.

Tipsy Crow earned by love by offering a grilled cheese board.

A combination of 2 basic grilled cheese sandwiches with a shot of Blue Cheese Fondue & Tomato Basil Bisque. Choose from Cheddar, Fontina, Gruyere or Muenster on French White or Malted Brown Wheat

Uhm. YES.

Tipsy Crow has maintained by love by constantly offering a superb selection of craft brew both on draft and in a bottle/can. It also helps that this place has games! Fun games, both big and small. They offer shuffleboard, 4-player Pac-Man, a pool table, and a foosball table. Along with those, the booth seating offers huge checkers and huge connect-four.

However, probably the most valuable of assets afforded by Tipsy Crow is variety. When you walk in, you walk into a bar, but there's more! Downstairs they have another bar in a room that either hosts comedy nights or dancing. But then there's also upstairs. Upstairs has yet another bar and is stuffed with puffy leather couches and chairs. One would expect it to smell of rich mahogany, which it doesn't, but it does have many leather bound books that spectate the pool table.

Our favorite end-of-the-night spot is a quick trip to Ciro's Pizza to take back to the hotel (well, given that we hadn't eaten at Basic and still had leftovers.)

Apparently this place also has a great selection of beer on draft, but to be honest, I've never dined in. I've only ever grabbed a slice at the end of the night, usually kinda drunk. Yikes. BUT. It's perfect. It's just perfect at that point of my night.

So, this post has gotten really long, so I suppose I'll wrap it up. I could easily go on to day two of our San Diego adventures, but maybe I'll save that for another time.

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ahhh, makes me want to hop on the train and head to sd right this minute!  thanks so much for sharing sam!  i can't wait for all my readers to get to know you and your wonderful blog more

!

tourist tuesdays: big sur with ashley & a giveaway!

hi guys! i'm so happy to be back with tourist tuesdays and to introduce to you one of my fellow so cal bloggers today, who also happens to be a huge travel fan like me.  and it doesn't hurt that she's absolutely hilarious and beautiful!  plus, she's sharing one of my favorite spots on the west coast with you (which just so happens to be her favorite too!)  we are pretty much soul mates, this girl and i.  and just when you thought it couldn't get any better ... she's giving away ad space too! woo!  

so hurry up and read all about this beautiful california treasure, then enter to win another treasure! 

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Hey, Eat Drink & Be a Tourist readers! My name is Ashley and i'm excited to share with you my favorite spot:

yes, that IS a waterfall spilling onto the beach

Big Sur, CA!

I first discovered Big Sur on a road trip with my best friend and then fiance. it was our last spring break together, so we decided to go out in style! we traveled up Pacific Coast Highway the entire time- enjoying the rolling hills and mountains to the east and the great, expansive pacific ocean to the west.

we even found our wedding location, randomly, while stopping to pee (; although, on our wedding day, it was super foggy and the view up the coast was obstructed...

whodathought we'd be back here in 6 months getting married?!

we camped, we hiked, we floated down the freezing cold big sur river... it was a trip for the books, i tell ya. one that always pops into my head around this time of year when it's still just a little cold to venture out in the redwoods, but warm enough to brave the isolation before the summer crowds.

best seat in the house. house = america.

and now that i've shared with you my favorite spot

i'd like to also share what is sure to be your favorite spot:

a sidebar ad on my blog!

i know, you're thrilled.. so enter below, will ya?!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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thanks so much for sharing all about big sur, ash!  i'm ready for a road trip up the coast now!  how about we get an old vw van and hit the road?  

and good luck to you all with the giveaway!

tourist tuesdays: south korea with chelsea!

hi guys! i'm excited to have a great guest blogger here today for tourist tuesdays.  i love reading all about all your favorite places around the world and i so enjoy lending my blog as a place for you travelers to do it.  i'm so happy to introduce you all to chelsea and have her share some of her favorite things about south korea!

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Hey guys! I’m Chelsea and I blog over at Lost in Travels. I am so excited to be here on Kelsey’s blog today for Tourist Tuesdays! I currently live in South Korea with my husband where I teach adorable little Korean kids English. We decided to move to Korea soon after we got hitched and the call to travel and experience the world was greater than the call to settle down in our hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. We’ve been here for just under two years now and have loved the opportunity that we’ve had to live here and travel abroad. 

I realize that when you hear South Korea, it doesn’t exactly go straight on your vacation bucket list. But after living on a small island off the southern coast of Korea for the last two years, I’ve grown to love it. Korea has such beautiful scenery and the people really take advantage of this seeing as how the majority of the attractions are related to the outdoors. Some of my favorite things on the island are: 

Oedo Island: 

Oedo is an island that rests just off the coast of our island of Geoje. A husband and wife bought it years ago and turned it into one huge botanical garden that comes alive in the spring and summer. This is actually one of the few places my husband and I haven’t yet been to. We are patiently waiting for not only better weather (long boat ride plus windy island in the cold…no thanks) but also for my parents to come this spring since my mom is a slight flower nut. 

Yacht Club: 

Heading to the local yacht club has been one of our favorite past times when the weather is nice. You can rent day sailors for only $30/2 hours or kayaks for $15/2 hours. We’ve been sailing a few times but I’ve learned the hard way that only my husband should steer since every time I’ve tried, we’ve immediately gone overboard. I’ll sick with the kayaks, which is fine by me. We usually follow the coast and around the bend to a few untouched beaches and relax there before heading back. 

Windy Hill: 

Another popular spot on the island is called Windy Hill. It’s pretty self-explanatory from the name. It’s a huge hill that jets out into the ocean with a gorgeous windmill that sits upon it. We loved going out there because not only is the view of the windmill set against the backdrop of the ocean gorgeous but there are also beautiful jutting rocks and cliffs that surround that area that are great for some cliff jumping. 

Shabu shabu: 

Since we’ve lived in Korea, we have fallen in love with the local cuisine. Our favorite by far has been a dish called Shabu Shabu, translated it means ‘swish swish’. The server brings out a boiling pot of broth and sets it on a burner in the middle of the table. They then add various vegetables and bring out sides of raw meat, rice paper and vegetables. With chopsticks you pick up a piece of the raw meat and swish it in the boiling broth, which will cook it within seconds. You then add it to the rice paper, topping it off with one of the various sauces and other veggies, roll it up like a burrito and enjoy!  

Like I said before, we have loved living on our little island in Korea and look forward to possibly another year or two abroad and the adventures that it will inevitably bring. Stop by the blog and say hi, I would love to hear from you!

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thanks so much for sharing, chelsea!

be sure to stop by her blog and say hi.

if you'd like to be a part of my tourist tuesdays series, 

send me an email.  i'd love to have you!!

hey there!

come check me out over here today where i'm answering some pretty tough questions ... like what's the weirdest song i know all the lyrics to .... you'll never guess what the answer is!

hide & go seek

i'm hiding over here today ... sharing my top 5 favorite california getaways. 

come find me!

tourist tuesdays: london with danielle!

hi guys!  hooray for another round of tourist tuesdays!  today i'm very excited to introduce you all to a girl who might love traveling more than i do.  i met danielle in a travel and tourism class last fall and it was a blast getting to know all about her and her crazy travels.  man, this girl has been so many different places! but today, she's sharing london with us.  i love london and it's so fun reliving my travels in england through this post.

and ps - she just started a blog!  make sure to stop by and share some love.

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So far in my 20-something years of life I’ve been able to travel to quite a few places. Nothing, and I mean nothing has taken the title of my favorite country in the world, which is England. 

I’ve been to England three times. Once with my mom to introduce me to our family over there and to take me to all the touristy spots we could go to in two and a half weeks. The second time with my grandma who upgraded our tickets to first class and took me to some places my mom never got the chance to show me. Then the third time with my boyfriend to visit family members I hadn’t seen since the first time I went and to show him around my favorite country! 

I can’t really pinpoint the exact reason why I love England so much. I think it is because it’s so old and full of history, or the gorgeous architecture. Maybe It’s just the fact I’m in another country that has a freaking cool accent that I wish I had. I don’t really know. I just love being there. 

London is my favorite city in the world and the countryside of England is absolutely beautiful. I wish I had better words to describe it but I don’t. London satisfies the city aspect of traveling. They have the underground or ‘Tube’ which is a great time to ride and really easy to use even if you don’t have a particular destination in mind. The Queen lives there and you can go stand outside Buckingham Palace and marvel at how gigantic and beautiful it is, or hope to catch a glimpse of someone royal. The London Eye is a great way to see the city from above. My cousin took me at sunset one time and it was fantastic! Then there is Harrods...should I really get into it? It’s like Costco in that you can eat your way through it for lunch. They have restaurants, an ice cream shop, all the most expensive and fancy clothes, handbags, liquor, and everything you could ever want. If you’ve ever been to South Coast Plaza in Orange County it’s like that, times fifty...maybe one hundred. There’s so many other things to do in London it would take me forever to mention everything. The best way to sightsee around London by yourself would probably be to buy a guide and a map of London (and the underground) and it will show you all the places you must see, how to get there and how much everything costs.

Then there’s the countryside of England. The rolling green hills, the small village life, quaint towns, tiny roads, etc. It really is peaceful here. My great great aunt lives in Ross-on-wye in a rectory with some of my cousins. They always show us around and fill us up with the best home cooked food (sometimes vegan). There’s no rustle and bustle of cars or trains, its just somewhere you go to really relax and take in the beauty. Its a great area to go horseback riding, I did this once and be prepared, they use English saddles. You could even rent a motorcycle somewhere and go on a scenic drive around the area. I recommend doing this in the Spring or Summer because it gets quite chilly in the winter time. If your a big Harry Potter fan like I am, Gloucester and Heresfordshire have quite a few areas where parts of the Harry Potter movie were filmed. 

With that I’ll leave you with some more pictures from my latest trip across the pond! Enjoy! 

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thanks for sharing danielle!
& don't forget to link up in the comments!!

travel // mexico with natasha!

hi friends! today we have one of my fellow san diegans / travel lover.  it seems like natasha has been around the world, she's always off to some new exotic vacation location.  i'm so excited to have her here to share one of her favorite spring travel destinations!  be sure to check out her blog too - she has tons of great travel tips!!

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Hi everyone! 

My name is Natasha, 

and the name of my blog rings true to my heart – 

I really am in love with San Diego, 

my beautiful home town. 

When Kelsey first asked me to guest post on her blog about my favorite destination for spring, 

I immediately wanted to brag about San Diego. 

However, 

my most recent trip has totally inspired me, 

and left me craving more. 

So let’s get to it, 

shall we? 

When I think of Spring Break, 

the first place that always come to mind is… 

MEXICO! 

Today I’m going to share with you my tips for your next trip to Rosarito. 

Where to stay: 

If you're looking for a relaxing experience, 

drive just a few miles past Rosarito, 

and stay at Las Rocas. 

This is where we stayed last weekend, 

and I cannot say enough great things about the place! 

We were treated like royalty the whole time, 

the rooms are beautiful (ours had this amazing vaulted ceiling), 

there are two infinity pools overlooking the pacific ocean, 

the food at the onsite restaurant is bomb, 

oh, 

and did I mention there's a karaoke bar? 

Yeah buddy.

If you're looking to party, 

your best bet is to stay smack dab in the middle of the strip, 

at the Rosarito Beach Hotel. 

The huzband and I stayed here way back in the day, 

when we were first dating. 

It's a fun spot right on the beach, 

and is walking distance to most bars and restaurants.

Where to eat: 

If you're a seafood lover, 

Puerto Nuevo will be your new heaven. 

Drive just a few minutes past Rosarito, 

and you'll find yourself in the "Lobster Capital of Baja". 

Whenever we're down there, 

we head straight to Villa Ortegas. 

Stunning views and affordable prices will keep you coming back too! 

For about $20 you can indulge in fresh buttery lobster, 

rice, beans, amaaaazing tortillas and a whole lot more. 

I'm telling you, 

this place is a MUST! 

What to do: 

Well besides the obvious beach-side activities, 

there's plenty to do in Rosarito. 

Wine tasting in Valle de Guadalupe is simply amazing, 

and you can always do the touristy options of horseback riding on the beach, 

or renting jet skis and kayaks.

One thing that we didn't get to do this time around, 

but that I'm really looking forward to during our next venture, 

is the movie tour of Fox Studios, 

located right there, in the middle of Rosarito. 

Oh yeah, 

did you know that Titanic and Pirates of the Caribbean were filmed there? 

So awesome.. can't wait to check it out! 

I hope that I’ve convinced you to visit Rosarito for yourself. 

Stop by my blog when you get a chance – I post Thursday Travel Tips weekly about all kinds of destinations, and would love to hear what you think!

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i love puerto nuevo - best lobster ever! i can't wait to (hopefully) be in mexico twice this summer!  you make me want to hop in my car and cruise to rosarito right now, natasha! thanks so much for sharing.

my favorite fall activities

originally posted here

[ all images via pinterest ] 

1. Pumpkin patches!  There's something about a pumpkin patch that brings me back to my childhood.  I used to go to the local pumpkin patch every year with my mom, brother and cousin.  We would ride the little rides, pick out pumpkins and take silly pictures on the tractors and hay stacks.  One year, my brother and I were even on the local news in our costumes!  Nothing else really signifies that fall is here than a trip to the pumpkin patch.

2. Apple picking!  There's some great apple picking in Julian, which is only a short drive away from my house, perfect for a day or weekend getaway.  Being able to roam through the orchards and pick apples is so magical.  The smells, colors and scenery make for a great day.  Throw in a fresh baked apple pie from a local bakery and you've got yourself one incredible day. 

3. Corn mazes!  What's funnier than being lost in a corn maze with your friends?  I think that every time I go it takes me longer and longer to make it through the maze.  It's always fun to race your friends to see who can make it through first.  I always hate when I think I'm going the right way and when I turn a corner, BAM!, right into a wall of corn!

4. Bonfires!  Living by the beach, I'm blessed enough to be able to take in bonfires all year long.  I love the crackling of the wood, hot smores, and snuggling up next to the fire.  It doesn't get too cold here in so cal, a bonfire as the sun sets on the beach is a great way to welcome the cooler weather, especially since the tourists have gone home and the beach close to empty.

5. Oktoberfest!  One of my life dreams is to go to Germany's Oktoberfest, but until I can make my dream become a reality I will have to settle for the Oktoberfest celebrations here in cali.  Since I am pretty much obsessed with discovering new beers, Oktoberfest is the perfect place to do that.  Plus, it's fun to be emerged in the traditions of Oktoberfest - from the outfits and songs to food and personalized beer mugs.

6.  Hikes!  I love taking hikes in our local canyons during the fall because the weather is cooler so I'm not sweatin' up a storm the whole time.  I guess I shouldn't really call it a hike, because I'm stopping all the time to take in the sights.  My favorite thing is the changing leaves.  I love all the different colors that a single leaf takes on.  Nature is a beautiful thing.

7.  Wine tasting!  I think fall is the perfect time to go wine tasting.  Temecula is just a short drive away from me and they have tons of great wineries.  The fall weather makes it comfortable to enjoy your wine outside and walk the vineyards with friends.  It's the perfect "Sunday Funday" activity for me and my girlfriends.

What are some of your favorite fall activities?