Now, don’t get me wrong, while Gulf Shores is probably the exception, most beach towns we’ve been to, haven’t had the best food. But, the places to eat in Gulf Shores were far from average and the same goes for the places to eat in Orange Beach! (If you’re confused on the difference between Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, don’t be – they’re two separate towns, right next to each other, split by the Gulf State Park)

The Best Restaurants in Gulf Shores

The Hangout

This is hands down one of the coolest spots in all of Gulf Shores. It’s both a restaurant and a bar AND has tons of outdoor activities. With everything from live music, to Foosball, to giant foam parties, this place has it all. On the weekends, they’re open pretty late and there’s always something going on.

What we recommend: Listen, we’re not saying their food is the greatest of all time, but we highly recommend grabbing an order of their fried pickles and a shark attack to sip on and you’re in for a good time!

101 E Beach Blvd, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Lulu’s

Second to only The Hangout, Lulu’s in Gulf Shores is a unique treat. This was one of the spots we took everyone during the week of our wedding. They not only have good food, but they also have a giant ropes course, areas to play in the sand and a giant gift shop.

What we recommend: We love the crab melt and the fried green tomatoes.

Pro tip: you can get on the wait list at Lulu’s to avoid having to wait as long – this is a game changer, especially during the summer months!

200 E 25th Ave, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Picnic Beach

From the creators of The Hangout, Picnic Beach offers a change-up to the typical beach food. Their mottos is “Good Clean BBQ” and it is that and SO much more. We grabbed lunch from here the week of our wedding and it was hands down a crowd favorite. Picnic Beach should definitely be on your list of Gulf Shores restaurants to hit up!

What we recommend: The Picnic Brisket Salad was my favorite and the white BBQ sauce was everyone’s favorite! Their parmesan bacon truffle fries are absolutely delicious and their Caribbean bowl never disappoints.

128 E 1st Ave, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Sunset Cork Room – Now called Savanna Kitchen

I don’t even know where to begin with this amazing place. Don’t get me wrong, we love eating right on the beach when we’re in Gulf Shores, but Savanna is more than worth the short drive away from the beach. We hosted our rehearsal dinner at their previous spot (Sunset Corkroom) and it was out of this world. You can read more about how awesome Sunset Cork Room was to work with in our Destination Wedding Vendors post! As the owner of Sunset Corkroom was ready to retire, Savanna Kitchen was born. We’ve been here multiple times since they open and every visit we’re reminded at the quality and craftsmanship that goes into every dish they create.

225 E 16th Ave, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Crico’s Pizza

This place has the best pizza Gulf Shores has to offer. Their lunch buffet was our absolute favorite and so incredibly cheap. We ended up deciding to order 10 pizzas from here for our first night in Gulf Shores for our wedding. We accidentally found ourselves here for lunch on our first trip to Gulf Shores and we’ve gone back every single time we’re there because the pizza is just that good.

MAY 2023 UPDATE: They are still not running their lunch buffet. Nonetheless, it’s still worth a stop to try their delicious pizza!

What we recommend: There isn’t a bad pizza here, but if you can, skip the delivery and pop in here for lunch, you can thank us later! You also can’t pass up their cricostix, they’re absolutely to die for!

309 Gulf Shores Pkwy, Gulf Shores, AL

Bahama Bob’s

One of our tried & true spots. They probably have the best popcorn shrimp in Gulf Shores. While it’s right on the beach, you can’t see the water from the restaurant, but that has never been an issue for us because the food is delicious. **Bahama Bob’s had a fire in 2023 – they have reopened as of May 2024**

What we recommend: Popcorn shrimp! And of course, a bushwhacker!

601 W Beach Blvd, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Sea N Suds

Similar to Bahama Bob’s, this right-on-the-beach spot is filled with all of the quintessential beach food. We’ve been to Sea n Suds multiple times and always loved everything we’ve eaten. We usually try to snag a spot at the bar and watch the guys shuck fresh oysters. Unlike Bahama Bob’s, Sea N Suds is right on the water, so you’ll have perfect sunset views! And if there’s a wait, you can always grab a drink at the bar closest to the beach and hang out while you wait.

What we recommend: Snag some of the freshly shucked oysters and a delicious cocktail.

405 E Beach Blvd, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Papa Rocco’s

This came at the recommendation of a local – which usually means it’s going to be tried and true, and that it was. Papa Rocco’s makes out list of the best places to eat in Gulf Shores not entirely because of the pizza. The real show stopper here is the baked oysters. Food is served until midnight, so no need to rush off the beach either.

What we recommend: The Italian salad is absolutely delicious, the all meat pizza is amazing and the baked oysters can not be missed.

101 W 6th Ave, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Lambert’s

Technically, this spot is located just north of Gulf Shores, in Foley, but close enough to be considered. Home of the “throwed rolls,” Lamberts is a delicious little southern restaurant. The sides are served family style (aka – all you can eat) after you choose your entree.

What we recommend: Definitely try the chicken fried steak and chicken tenders. Eat as many rolls as you can catch and fill up on all the delicious sides!

Pro tip: Bring cash! That’s all they accept – They do have an ATM, but who wants to have to pay ATM fees?

2981 S McKenzie St, Foley, AL 36535

Orange Beach Restaurants

If you’re still confused on the whole Orange Beach/ Gulf Shores split, don’t be. It’s practically one big town, split down the middle by a giant park. Orange Beach is on the side closer to Florida.

The Ruby Slipper

Best brunch in Gulf Shores or I suppose it’d be the best brunch in Orange Beach, but you know what I mean. They have a HUGE menu and do happen to be a chain, but it’s a small, semi-local chain so definitely worth visiting.

What we recommend: If you enjoy a bloody Mary, GET THEIRS! They are absolutely delicious. And if you enjoy spicy, be sure to try the jalepeno infused vodka in your Bloody Mary…It’s delicious. The eggs Benedict is also fabulous. They get super busy – try to get there early during the busy season & holidays.

24151 Perdido Beach Blvd, Orange Beach, AL 36561

Brick & Spoon

Another great brunch spot in Orange Beach. This place is known for it’s huge build your own bloody Mary option and a delicious brunch menu. This place also get’s super busy so get there early and get to building your bloody Mary with your checklist!

What we recommend: Build a bloody Mary on the checklist card! You can pick whatever you want on it! DO NOT skip the stuffed french toast – it’s brunch perfection.

24705 Canal Rd, Orange Beach, AL 36561

Buzzcatz

If you have a followed us for a while then you know that we love pastries, breads and sweets. Buzzcatz is all of those and much more. This small little coffee shop packs a big punch in the form of pastries and delicious treats. We tried Buzzcatz the first time we went to Gulf Shores and have been back every time since. We love it so much that we made an order for our goodbye breakfast for our wedding guests the day after our wedding. It is definitely one of the best breakfasts spots in Orange Beach and easily our favorite.

What we recommend: Homemade Pop Tarts, blueberry biscuit sandwiches (one of the most delicious things we have ever had), breakfast sandwiches and the cinnamon rolls…. AKA pretty much anything and everything there! And we’d be silly not to mention their breakfast quesadilla – we’d stand it up next to some of the best breakfasts we’ve ever had! It’s a “daily special” but if you ask nicely, your server may let you have one!

25689 Canal Rd, Orange Beach, AL 36561

 

 

 

 

 

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Cobalt, The Restaurant

Every good foodie town needs at least one really good, fine dining restaurant, regardless of how big or small the town is. When it comes to places to eat in Orange Beach, the fine dining options are somewhat limited. Thankfully, there’s Cobalt, The Restaurant, located on Perdido Bay, right next to the Caribe Resort. Spectacular views, awesome drinks and insanely good food is just a small part of what Cobalt offers. Whether it be for a romantic waterfront dinner or a nice dinner out with the family, Cobalt is the best fine dining in this awesome little beach town.

What we recommend: Crab bisque, pecan fried catfish (Heart eyes), the filet and the bloody Mary(catching on yet).

28099 Perdido Beach Blvd, Orange Beach, AL 36561

Coastal Orange Beach

This is a newer spot in Orange beach… Well, newer as in 2023! If you’re looking for something a little elevated, while still being right on the beach, Coastal is just that. This spot has two sides to it, the nicer, restaurant side and a beach bar side! They also have a massive gift shop!

What we recommend: The tuna poke nachos are always a winner here! There also wasn’t a single cocktail we had that wasn’t delicious.

25722 Perdido Beach Blvd, Orange Beach, AL 36561

Ginny Lane

There’s no shortage of restaurants at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama but one that has always stuck out to us was Ginny Lane (and the sister properties)!

4851 Wharf Pkwy E, Orange Beach, AL 36561

After what feels like a million trips to the area over the last couple of years, we think we have a pretty good grasp of the best restaurants in Gulf Shores and Orange beach. Did we leave out one of your favorites? Or have a new recommendation that we should try? Let us know in the comments!

The post The Best Restaurants in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach appeared first on Tastebud Travels.

Traveling has always been a big deal to us. We love the thrill of planning a trip! Shortly after our wedding in 2018, we decided we wanted to go somewhere at least one weekend a month for all of 2019. And we’ve almost kept it up exactly every year since them A lot of people think there is no way this is possible, so we’re sharing all of our tips on how we accomplished it and how you can too. There’s no reason you can’t travel more!

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A post shared by Tiff & Thomas| + (@tastebudtravel_) on Jan 10, 2019 at 2:21pm PST

Have a plan

I initially had this at the end of our list… But honestly, everything starts with a good plan. We’re planners. Call it a blessing. Call it a curse. Whatever you call it, we call it the only way we travel.

By having a plan, we don’t mean having every second of your time accounted for. Plans sometimes scare people. We don’t mean the scary kind of planning. We mean do some research and educate yourself. Our favorite way to keep this info together is with a shared note.

If you aren’t big on researching much, researching your travel should be something you should be into. Especially if you’re the one planning/booking/paying for this travel.

Pick what’s important to you when you travel. For us, this changes in every destination! In Boston, it was seeing historic sites; In Chicago, it was the food; In Colorado, it’s usually the mountains. Knowing what’s most important to you while on your trips, will help give you a focus for your travels.

Research what’s important to you. Make sure that thing(s) or places are open on the days you’ll be there. Check to see how much it/they cost.

Write it all down. As you can see from the second note above, we create a very, very loose itinerary. So we at least have some sort of direction. Wandering aimlessly can be so fun and it’s how we’ve found some of the most amazing spots, but honestly, if you have a rough idea, even if it’s “Roam around x area, but leave by x time to get to x place” it’s going to help you see more, do more and most importantly, keep you on budget.

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Follow the travel sales or travel deals

We always use tools like Google Flights, TripAdvisor and Kayak to make sure we’re getting the best prices. This doesn’t necessarily mean knowing when each of the travel websites hosted actual sales – It really means checking the websites regularly enough to know what the prices are usually at.

Now, there are some times when there are actual travel sales… Usually around holidays or major shopping events. However, these sometimes are only called sales, when in reality, they’re just telling you you are getting a good price. Don’t be fooled!

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Use Google Flights and Google Flights Explore Feature

We try not to be biased, but seriously, Google is king. Never have we thought there was one best flight search engine. Even Google has its flaws (HELLO – No Southwest Flights listed), but we do know, Google Flights is one of the most comprehensive tools out there.

There were only a few destinations we knew we wanted to visit on specific dates, this meant the other 8+ months of the year, we could go just about anywhere. We used Google Flights to see where we could get cheap flights from the Dallas area. If you’ve never used Google Flights before, or aren’t sure how to use Google Flights Explore feature to get the best prices, you can check out the video below.

You can also set up Google Flight alerts within the Google Flights tool. By setting up these alerts on a specific flight or flights, you’ll receive an email, from Google, letting you know when the price has gone up or down.

Book various things as you find good deals

We’re both very travel minded people, so naturally, we’re always looking at travel things. As we were searching, if we came upon a really good deal, we would book right then. This meant, even if what we were booking was for a trip three months out, if we knew it was a good deal, we would go ahead and book.

Don’t buy in to the “best day to book flights” hype

Many, many people will say Tuesdays are the best time to book flights… But honestly, in 2019, we proved it just isn’t true. We found our cheapest flights EVER on a Friday! Yes, are you more likely to find a good deal on a Tuesday? Probably. BUT if you’re watching the deals all week long, you’ll quickly see there are good deals and seven days of the week.

Travel around long weekends

Saving your PTO for the extra long trips is always a good idea. By traveling on the weekends and especially around long weekends, we were able to keep our PTO for our bigger trips. Obviously, if you don’t get paid time off, then this doesn’t apply to you. But if you do, hopefully this is a no brainer!

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Mark every purchase on trips to stay on budget

We’ve talked before about how we used shared notes (on iPhone) to keep track of our travel planning with things like what we want to eat/see/do and a rough agenda while we’re traveling. But on that same note, we also mark down every dollar we spend. From the time we book the first thing to the time we get home, we make sure we know what we’ve spent. Usually we don’t write down every single amount throughout the day, but we do make sure (or at least try to) before each day is over, we’ve written down what each of us has spent for the day

By keeping track in a place we can both, easily access, we’re always able to stay on top of our spending. And if we happened to hit our daily budget for food or “extras” in a day, we know the next day we need to cut back a bit.

Add in road trips when possible

Flights can get expensive. And if you have a car (or the ability to rent one) you can pretty much get anywhere. Road trip planning is usually a little less strenuous because you can do whatever you want, given you have the time, while driving.

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It’s crazy how life works! Just over two months ago we were trekking around Europe and this week we’re prepping for Christmas! Since we returned from Europe, life hasn’t slowed down for us one bit! We’ve been a little MIA because…. Well, #LIFE We’re hoping to jump back in to our regular posting schedule and to crank out all of the awesome blog posts we have lined up! . . . #London #EuropeTravels #TiffAndThomasTravel #LondonStreets #LondonCity #ItsSoLondon #ThingsToDoInLondon #PrettyLittleLondon #ILoveLondon #VisitLondon #ExploreLondon #VisitEngland #TimeoutLondon #London #Londonist #UnitedKingdom #UK #BeautifulDestinations #LiveToTravel #WanderlustTravel #RoamTheWorld #TravelHappy #TowerBridge

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Spend (a little) less on frivolous things at home

If you’ve followed us for any amount of time, you know we enjoy the finer things in life… But we also know how to be cheap as hell. But, there are some things we just can’t and wont give up – like eating out. We did, however, cut back on the number of times we ate out each month. We also cut our frivolous spending – no one needs 30 purses or 100 pair of shoes. Totally exaggerating, but it’s the truth. In the past, we’ve occasionally gotten in the habit of see it – want it – get it. And this is definitely not a good place to be. Our next point has certainly helped keep us on track with our spending.

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Make an all around budget and stick to it

Haha, easier said than done. But if you can see everything laid out, you’re more likely to stick to it. Our overall “family” budget is laid out by month – we list out each of our post-tax deduction pay amounts (meaning after we’ve contributed to 401K/IRA/insurance/other pre-tax deductions), which bill we’re planning to pay that week, how much we’re sending to savings and how much we’re putting towards paying off our credit cards (see example below).

We know exactly where every single one of our dollars is going, before it ever even hits our bank account. For us, being able to actually see our money has made the biggest difference.

We also, both, have 20% of our paychecks direct deposited into our “joint account.” For the most part (don’t have a heart attack, y’all) we keep the majority of our money separate, but our joint account is where we pull money for our travels. We never see that money in either of our main accounts, so we’re never tempted to spend it before it goes in to that account, meaning, we always have money in our “travel fund.” Direct deposit is a godsend, y’all.

Figure out where you can save money

You’d think we would have thought of this one sooner… But we didn’t and we could kick ourselves for it. Once we started looking at our bills, we really tried to figure out where we could cut back. Once we cut out everything we possibly could (AKA NOTHING) I started calling each of our service providers to see if I could negotiate down the bill to save some money.

We ended up switching car insurance plans from USAA to Elephant Insurance and saved over 50%!! Which was a HUGE savings. I also got our cable and internet down by 20% just by getting on the phone with our cable provider and walking through all of the services we had and cutting the ones we didn’t use. The guy explained that so many people pay for things they’ve never used and probably will never use! He also suggested calling once every six months – their plans and services change so frequently, he said they can almost always offer discounts in some way or another!

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Utilize credit cards with airline mile rewards

If you don’t have or use credit cards, obviously this isn’t a tip you can put to good use. We happen to have the American Airlines Citi Advantage card. After our beach wedding and honeymoon in Antigua in 2018, we decided we would shift most of our general spending to this card. By doing this, we were able to book a few different flights solely on miles.

I know credit cards aren’t for everyone, but if you are thinking about getting a credit card, try to find one that will benefit you in some way! If you’re already going to be spending money on credit cards, might as well get something out of it!

Prioritize Travel

Last, but certainly not least… We made travel a priority. I can not tell you how many people (friends/family/friends parents/random people at the nail salon) would ask us how we managed to travel so much and then tell us they wanted the secret on how to travel more…. The secret is, there is no secret! When you prioritize anything in your life, you’re putting it at the forefront and focusing on it. Going in to 2019, this is exactly what we did. We knew we had to make a few, small changes to our overall lifestyle, but we truly put travel at the forefront of everything we did. And this made the biggest difference for us.

Our 2019 travel:

January: Fredericksburg, TX; Portland, OR; Willamette Valley, OR

February: Waco, TX; Denver, CO

March: Keystone, CO; Austin, TX

April: Chicago, IL

May: Boulder, CO; Los Angeles, CA; San Diego, CA; Austin, TX

June: Reading, PA; Fredericksburg, TX

July: Houston, TX

August: Wimberly, TX; San Antonio, TX; New Braunfels, TX

September: Austin, TX; Paris, France

October: Brussels, Belgium; Brugge, Belgium; London, England

November: Fredericksburg TX

December: Colorado Springs, CO; Breckenridge, CO

We set travel goals, we allocated our budget, we made (some) sacrifices, but we did exactly what we set out to do. We traveled 74 days out of 2019 – that’s just over 20% of the year! It wasn’t always easy, but it was always adventurous! If you have any questions on the specifics of anything we mentioned, please feel free to comment below, shoot us an email or a message on Instagram! We’d love to know if we inspired you to travel more this year! Happy Travels!

The post How We Traveled Every Month of The Year + How You Can Travel More appeared first on Tastebud Travels.

If we thought planning a destination wedding was tough, we never imaged how hard it’d be to pack for a destination wedding AND pack for our honeymoon. Because we got married in Alabama and flew out of New Orleans for our honeymoon in Antigua at Cocobay Resort, we had had to pack for both before we left home.

Thankfully, we’re both pretty good packers and have been on so many trips together we know how to make it all work.

Tips for packing for your honeymoon

1. Don’t overpack

If you’re going on a tropical honeymoon, you don’t need a million outfits and 600 pairs of shoes. Keep your packing light. Only bring the essentials and things that have multi-purposes!

2. Follow your resort/hotel on Instagram

Think I’m crazy for saying that? I probably am, but if you follow the resort, or search their location on IG you can see what other people are wearing and get a feel for how others are/aren’t dressing.

3. Try to fit everything in a carryon

We’ve been really fortunate and only ever had one of our bags get lost and it was when we were coming home, but the thought of losing a bag while we’re on the way to a destination is terrifying. Because we packed things that could be worn more than once and packed tons of lightweight items (tropical = warm temps = no heavy clothing) we had more than enough room in our carryons for everything we needed.

4. Wear a “honeymoon shirt” on the plane

Technically this isn’t a honeymoon packing tip, but close enough. Ladies, listen closely. Wear that honeymoon shirt. I don’t care what your new husband is wearing, but you wear that damn shirt. People will congratulate you everywhere you go, the flight attendants might give you a little something extra (champagne or a double shot of vodka for your drink – yes, both really happened to us) and it just makes it a little more fun watching people read your shirt.

5. Think of what you’ll be doing on your honeymoon

This is one of the first things we do when we start packing for any trip. If you know you’re going to be lounging 24/7 on your honeymoon, your packing list should reflect that. Write out each day you’ll be traveling and do a rough outline of your activities for each day and pack based off of that.

Honeymoon packing list for her

Swimsuits:

If you’re going on a tropical honeymoon where water will be involved like we did, you’ll probably live in swimsuits. I wanted to make sure I had enough swimsuits so I never had to wear the same one twice – doing it for the ‘gram, y’all! The ones below are the ones I took with us, but I highly recommend checking out my list of black one piece swimsuits and my full list of the best swimsuits!

Dresses & rompers:

Remember how I said you’ll live in swimsuits? Well, the same goes for dresses for your honeymoon as well as rompers for when it’s time to take the swimsuit off. Don’t ignore this y’all – dresses are king (or queen) for a tropical honeymoon.

Tops:

When you’re sick of dresses, it’s always nice to have a cute and comfy top to throw on. This is especially true if you get a little too much sun or just want to be a little more covered up. As I mentioned before, you definitely need to grab a “honeymoon shirt,” wear it on the plane, wear it at your resort/hotel, wear it all the time.

Cover ups:

I know some people could care less, but having a cute coverup to throw over my swimsuit is always the cherry on top. I only brought a couple cover ups because I knew they could be worn over and over again. Bonus points if your cover up doubles as a cute top or something to wear over a dress – less stuff you have to pack means a less stuffed suitcase!

Shoes:

Ah shoes. I could be barefoot 24/7 and I’d be perfectly fine, but for some reason, that’s not acceptable to the rest of the world. I recommend bringing one nice pair of sandals, one pair of wedges and one casual sandal. We didn’t do any super active activities so we had no need for tennis shoes, but definitely bring those if you’re going to go zip-lining or something of that sort.

Intimates:

If you’re squeamish, skip over this section. If not – don’t skip (or skimp) on the intimates. This is your honeymoon. Snag some cute sleepwear and some sultry intimates. I don’t care if you normally wear a t-shirt and shorts to bed, your honeymoon is not the time for normal. Take a step outside your comfort zone and grab something special for this special time! Be sure to check out my list for some of the BEST cheap lingerie.

Accessories:

I’ve said it once, i’ll say it a million times. I don’t wear a ton of jewelry as it is and I rarely bring any of my nicer jewelry when we travel. BUT I did bring a few cute accessories on our honeymoon.

Honeymoon packing list for him

Tops:

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it a million times. Guys have it so much easier than girls when it comes to packing. Throw a few shirts in a bag and call it done. Thomas packed a nice polo, a couple button downs and of course, one of his crazy button downs. Easy peasy.

Bottoms:

Is it just me or do guys have it so much easier than girls when it comes to clothes? When it comes to pants, some resorts require long pants for dinner, but most resorts and hotels don’t hold people to this. Thomas loves a good pair of linen pants and made sure to wear his favorite linen pants multiple times on our honeymoon. Between those and a pair or two of nice shorts, he was set.

Swim:

Thomas enjoys loud swim trunks and that is exactly what he brought on our honeymoon. Guys swim trunks dry a lot faster than women’s swimsuits so usually three is a good number to bring.

Shoes:

Thomas’ shoe choices were very similar to mine. One nicer sandal, one casual sandal and a closed toed shoe.

If you’re looking for more, you can check out our entire list of  honeymoon packing essentials that can be bought on amazon, because who doesn’t love free 2-day shipping and free returns?

Hopefully these tips and packing list will help you pack for your honeymoon like a champ!

The post Honeymoon Packing List & Tips appeared first on Tastebud Travels.

If you’ve ever asked yourself “what can I bring on a plane” you know it can be a tricky task trying to navigate – especially when you don’t know what you can bring on a plane based on TSA regulations! What to pack in my carry on is always one of the first things we each think about when prepping for a flight! When it comes to long haul flight essentials or even just airplane essentials, everyones list is different. Here’s a few of our airplane essentials!

Airplane Essentials

1. Space Saver bags

These are absolute heaven! Especially if you are traveling with only a carry on. We use them for ski travel and it makes things so much easier and gives us so much more room in our bag for all of the extra stuff we need. They are the best!

2. Headphone splitter or Bluetooth transmitter for airplane

We used to be 100% all about the iPhone headphone splitter annnnnnd then AirPods became a thing and for us, it didn’t make sense to bring our old headphone styles with us on a flight. These headphone splitters are great if you have a travel companion. But if you prefer to use Bluetooth headphones while on the plane, we definitely recommend this Bluetooth transmitter fir airplane rides! You plug it in to the normal headphone jack, connect to your headphones and you’re good to go!

3. Ginger Candies

AKA motion sickness saver! I am the queen of motion sickness. I get it in the car, on a plane, sitting down, standing up, laying in a bed. You name it, and I’ve had motion sickness in or on it. I’ve tried tons of different candies, like these Queasy Drops, but so far the ginger candy chews are my favorite. If you truly can’t stand the taste of ginger the Queasy Drops are definitely the next best thing!

4. Travel water bottles

When we first wrote this post, YETI did not have “bottles” but they do now! We always recommend one of the YETI bottles, but if you aren’t looking to spend that amount there are tons of great water bottles out there that are perfect for traveling.

5. Disinfecting Wipes – Travel Size

After the last couple of years, you’d think this was a no brainer! But taking disinfecting wipes on a plane is something we’ve done long before 2020! We use them to wipe down those nasty tray tables and all surrounding areas. Even without the threat of illness, those things are still gross and don’t often get wiped down!

6. RFID Card Sleeves

Some people have no idea how these little guys can literally save you when traveling. I know I sure didn’t. There are so many crazies out there trying to steal all of your info, but if you have your credit cards, traveler ID cards, or any other important card (or passport for that matter) in a RFID protected sleeve, you can save yourself the trouble of identity theft and/or having your accounts drained!

7. Bose QuietComfort headphones

We definitely don’t like to spend money on things that we know can be bought for a cheaper price in a similar product. But you guys, THERE IS NO COMPARISON with noise canceling headphones. None. You know the noise you hear on the plane? The general cabin noise? There is none of that with noise canceling headphones. Not one single bit. It is pure magic. These are worth every single penny!

8. The best travel pillow

Anyone who has ever flown and tried to sleep understands the importance of a good travel pillow. We’ve tried a lot. I mean a LOT. This is one of the BEST travel pillows we have ever used. It is so perfect. I don’t know how they do it, but I get the most comfortable sleep with this little guy- and he isn’t annoying to lug around the airport! Another one of our more recent favorites is definitely the inflatable travel pillow – hardly takes up any space and always fits in your purse or carry on!

What are some of your airplane essentials?

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Your Guide to Tulum

Difference between Tulum town and Tulum beach

There are two different areas of Tulum; Tulum Beach and Downtown Tulum. The Tulum beach area runs the length of the beach and is about three miles long. Tulum Beach Road consists of the beach resorts, tons of restaurants, shopping and more and Downtown Tulum is exactly that – downtown!

Beach clubs in Tulum

Just like beach clubs in other places of the world, beach clubs in Tulum are fabulous. Most of them are connected to a beachfront hotel or beachfront restaurant. If you aren’t staying at the Hotel, usually, you can pay a small fee to enjoy the amenities it offers. Usually this fee can be paid by purchasing a certain amount of food or drink.

Beach Access in Tulum

Beach access in Tulum can be a little tricky if you aren’t staying beachfront. In order to get on the beach, you either need to purchase food or drink from one of the beach clubs, or enter via the public beach, which is a good ways away from most of the fun.

Where to stay in Tulum?

We stayed on the jungle side of Tulum which is right across the street from the beach but it’s still different than staying on the beach. We will definitely stay on the beach side at one of the beach hotels next time so we don’t have to find a beach club every time to be able to access the beach and we’d definitely recommend you do the same.

Outdoor restaurants in Tulum

Most restaurants and shops in Tulum are outside or “open air” style restaurants, with lots of bugs. We’ve been to other tropical destinations but have never felt the mosquitos as much as we did in Tulum. The copal helps immensely, but be sure to bring bug spray (with deet!) and apply frequently. Also, with most places being outside and the intense humidity, you’ll definitely want to plan your attire appropriately.

The food in Tulum

If you read last week’s post on the best restaurants in Tulum, you can pretty much skip over the section. If not – listen up! Eating in Tulum it’s not like eating in America or other countries for that matter. Eating in Tulum as an art form… It has meaning and purpose and so much life. It’s an experience in itself. Better yet, just read last week’s post!

A few of our favorite restaurants in Tulum:

• Hartwood – difficult to get in to, but so, so worth it! $$$
• Gitano – One of the best vibes, with delicious cocktails $$
• The Real Coconut – Clean eating at its finest $$

Happy Hours in Tulum

There are quite a few happy hour spots in the Tulum Beach area. 2 for 1 cocktails is the most common type of happy hour specials we saw and it was usually for margaritas and mojitos. If you saw last week’s Tulum food post, you know we LOVED the passion fruit mojito at Tulumunchies, which we got on happy hour! We loved being able to get tasty drinks for a discount to start off our nights.

Beach Swings in Tulum

If you looked up the best Instagram spots in Tulum, you’ve no doubt seen some of the gorgeous swings lining bars and beaches. Most of those lists only list swings at some of the bigger places like Coco Tulum (which does have gorgeous white swings, BTW). But the beach swings are literally everywhere. At least half of the restaurants (probably more) we went to had them. They’re not some hidden secret you have to go search out. Just blink and you’ll find them.

Is Tulum Affordable?

There are a few things you have to take into consideration when it comes to deciding if Tulum is affordable. We went during a very slow time, so our accommodations were incredibly affordable.
When it comes to the affordability of food in Tulum, we felt the prices, in most cases, were somewhat lower than those of any normal city in the US.

• Meals: Most between $10-$15/person
• Drinks: The average cocktail was roughly $8. Cocktails in Tulum seemed to be far lower priced than what we’re used to, especially for the quality!
• Accommodations: We paid $40/night at Sunset Hotel Tulum, (because of AirBnB credit, we paid even less!). However, we do know most of the year, especially at the nicer hotels, you can spend upwards of $400usd/ night.
• Activities: There are SO many! Cenotes cost between $2 and $15. Be sure to have pesos here as most are cash only!

Burning Copal for mosquitos

While we highly recommend bringing a deet-based mosquito spray like the Off Deep Woods travel size bug spray. BUT, just about every restaurant you enter will be burning Copal to help ward off those pesky mosquitoes. You’ll see the restaurant or beach clubs in Tulum walking around with what essentially looks like a small pot that is smoking (don’t twist our words with that one), this is Copal and we thought it smelled amazing!

Air Conditioning

This one was kinda big for us (but not big enough for us to really care). We are very hot natured people so having air conditioning is one of the first things we look for when booking a place to stay. Tulum is trying to remain as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible. That being said, many of the hotels are run off of solar panels or similar contraptions. Meaning, many either don’t have air conditioning or don’t run the air conditioning during the day…. Which, for us, was totally understandable.
At our hotel in Tulum, the air conditioning would turn off at 7:30am and not come back on until 7:30pm. For us this was okay because we just planned our day around leaving by 7:30 am and then didn’t spend much time there during the day unless we needed to shower or get ready. Be sure to keep this in mind when looking where to stay in Tulum.

How to get to Tulum

There are multiple ways to get from Cancun to Tulum; the bus, a taxi, shuttle or renting a car. We think renting a car is the best option available for the 2 hour trip from Cancun to Tulum. It will give you the freedom and ability to not only explore Tulum to the fullest without having to pay for taxis every time you need to go somewhere, but also to explore on the way down from Cancun to Tulum.
The drive from Cancun to Tulum is incredibly easy, as it’s only the one main highway all the way down to Tulum. The roads are easy to navigate, just make sure you watch speed limit signs as the speeds change quickly and if you’re a nervous driver, stay in the right lane. Additionally, Mexico is big on texting and driving so make sure to keep your eyes on the road and not on your phone!

Do I need a car in Tulum?

If you’re planning to explore more than just the immediate area you’re staying in, we definitely recommend renting a car. We loved being able to drive to places to eat, explore or just sightsee at our free will. To really get to see everything there is to see in Tulum we think a car is absolutely necessary. But be sure your accommodation offers parking, because parking in Tulum can be a little difficult.

There is no Uber in Tulum

With Uber popping up everywhere, we were somewhat surprised to hear there was no Uber in Tulum. BUT, once we arrived, we quickly saw why. There are taxis everywhere in Tulum. Morning, noon and night, the taxis are there.

Tips for taking a taxi in Tulum:

• Pricing changes throughout the day. More demand = higher prices.
• Most drivers speak at least a bit of english.
• Ask the driver “how much from here to x destination” to get their pricing.
• When they give you their price, haggle with the driver a little BEFORE you get in the car. You should be able to get their price down at least a little.

Renting a car in Mexico

Rental cars in Mexico are fairly cheap. In Cancun, you’ll find several of the big US rental car companies like Hertz, Budget, Fox, Alamo, Enterprise (which is what we recommend) as well as other local rental car companies.

• Cost: Roughly $10-$15/ day, but when you add insurance is when renting a car in Mexico gets expensive.
• Insurance: About $20/day for liability coverage and $30/day for full coverage. Mexico requires everyone to pay for liability insurance on rental cars. Most US car insurance and/or US credit card companies typically won’t cover rental cars in Mexico but check with them to confirm.
• Damage waiver: $150-$2500. Taking the physical damage waiver is up to each renter. Depending on how much coverage you take for physical damage will determine the hold put on the card. Taking no coverage on the car will have the highest hold around $1500-$2500 US dollars. One of the highest hold’s for a rental car we have ever heard of. Taking the full damage waiver will have the lowest hold around $150 on top of the rental.

Parking in the beach area is limited

This one is no joke. If you aren’t staying in the beach area and are able to walk most places or ride a bike, beware. Parking is incredibly limited. Some restaurants offer a couple parking spots and there is one, maybe two general parking areas, but other than that parking in Tulum is extremely limited.

Tulum’s speed bumps

The roads in Tulum are easy to drive on other than the SPEED BUMPS. They are huge and, at times, hard to see, so stay alert and make sure to pay attention to these. They can really do damage to your car if you go too fast.

Bike rentals in Tulum

If you aren’t renting a car, we highly recommend renting bikes. Bike rentals in Tulum are fairly easy to come by and range in price from $3/day to $15/day. Ask your hotel concierge for who they recommend and if you don’t have a concierge, just take a stroll down the beach road, you’ll see plenty of places to rent bikes.

Cenotes in Tulum

Tulum and the entire Yucatán Peninsula is known for cenotes. A cenote is a deep water-filled sinkhole that has natural pools that make their way to the surface when the underground cavern collapses. Some cenotes are caves or caverns, some cenotes are totally enclosed and some are semi-open. There’s plenty to choose from in Tulum. We visited two of the best cenotes in Tulum – Cenote Dos Ojos and Cenote Calavera.

Overall, Tulum is one of the most special places we’ve ever been and we highly recommend it to anyone looking to escape for a long weekend! Our guide to Tulum touched on a ton of things, but was there one thing you were curious about that we didn’t touch on? Let us know in the comments!

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Capturing Travel Memories & Planning Travel When You Can’t Travel

Catch up on your favorite travel movies or travel shows

Travel movies and travel shows are a dime a dozen and if you’ve watched one, there’s a good chance you’re being recommended a million more. Here’s a few travel movies and travel shows from Netflix to get you in the travel spirit:

Travel Movies

The Way
The Bucket List
Last Holiday 
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Into the Wild
Mama Mia

Travel shows on Netflix

(If you don’t have a Netflix account, you can use our Netflix coupon code and sign up for an account or just do what everyone else always does and borrow someone else’s account, ha!)
Ugly Delicious
Stay Here
Somebody Feed Phil
The Chef Show
Street Food

Read a travel book

Reading a travel book may not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about jetting off to a far away destination, but since the latter is not an option, give reading a travel book a try! Sometimes, the best travel books are the ones you had no idea even involved travel!
Eat Pray Love
The Caliph’s House: A Year in Casablanca
The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner
Eat, Pray, #FML
A Moveable Feast
Unhoneymooners — travel to Hawaii
Red White and Royal Blue — set in USA and London
One Day in December — set in London
Crazy Rich Asians series — set in Asia/USA
The Nightingale — set in France/Europe
The Simple Wild — set in Alaska
The Little Paris Bookshop
Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes
A Gentleman in Moscow — Russia
The Light Between Oceans — Australia
Where’d You Go, Bernadette — Antartica
Paper Towns — road trip
13 Little Blue Envelopes
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Lets Get Lost
Mosquitoland

P.S. Thank you to Kayla from Kayla blogs for helping me with the list of books. If you don’t follow her, Kayla shares tons of book recs and was exactly the person I had in mind to help me pull together this list!

Become a travel planner and plan your next trip

With all of the downtime you have while you aren’t traveling, you can become quite the travel planner. If you’re hoping to find the best travel deals and to figure out how to plan the perfect trip, you can read our post on how we traveled all 12 months of the year in 2019. It’s filled with great tips and tricks and of course, tons of travel inspiration!

Consider virtual travel

Okay, hear us out on this one. With friends all over the world, why not leverage the fact that they are literally just a FaceTime or video call away? They don’t have to be in an exotic location or have picture-perfect scenery.

Give your friends a call, ask them what’s going on in their slice of the world, have them show you what it looks like out their window. Relish in everything that is virtual travel. It may not be as fabulous as traveling, but it beats sitting at home staring at the wall.
You can also check out this virtual travel magazine from The Smithsonian for some of the best virtual travel destinations.

Display your favorite travel photos or travel decorations

Our house is already a shrine to our travel memories but over the last six months, we’ve been trying to be more mindful with our home decor. Instead of having a huge/random gallery wall on our stairs, we chose some of our favorite travel photos and displayed them in a more organized (and way cuter) way.

We found the thin black frames at Walmart for so, super cheap, paired them with a bundle of cheap photo mats from Amazon Warehouse (if you haven’t used Amazon Warehouse or checked out Amazon Outlet, you HAVE to check both out, so many great deals!) and printed our photos at Costco. We’re still figuring out how to style the actual table, but we’re already loving having our Uchi Cookbook (that Tyson Cole signed for me a few years back at a food event eek!) and The Definitive Guide to Being a Texan from Texas Humor on the table! Decorating doesn’t have to be expensive, y’all!

We have both always had a major thing for maps, we’ve just never been able to find the ONE we couldn’t live without. Finding the perfect city map prints was not an easy task for us but when we found Mapiful, we knew it was the perfect fit.
There are a select few travel destinations that we hold so incredibly dear to our hearts and two of those destinations are the city map prints we chose to start with – Gulf Shores and New York. Mapiful has such an easy platform to use, has so many options for customization AND no two maps are the same… It would be hard to find a map print that didn’t fit someone’s style. These stunning map prints would also make the perfect Mother’s Day gift! Right now, you can get 50% off on your second map! The more the merrier!

Whether you’re trying to relive some of your favorite travel memories, planning travel or just reminiscing on past travels, hopefully these ideas have sparked something inside you to help get you through the rest of this travel-less-pandemic!

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You know the rush you get when the wheels of a plane lift off the ground, and you know your next stop is going to be your destination? I absolutely love that feeling. There really isn’t anything about traveling I don’t absolutely love, except the part where you have to come home and join the real world again. 

1. Clean your house before you go. This is a no brainer for me because I hate having a messy house. Coming home to a messy house is the quickest way to send me in to a tizzy. Finding clean sheets on my bed and no clutter filling the hallways when I walk in to my house for the first time after a trip is the best feeling ever.

2. Grab a few delicious Jimmy Dean Freezer Breakfast Bowls to have for your first morning back from vacation. No one likes being hungry, much less, being hungry and having nothing to eat. We always try to stock the refrigerator with a few things to eat on our first morning home. Jimmy Dean makes it so easy to fall in love with their amazing flavors and high-quality ingredients. These bowls are also perfect for a super quick and super delicious dinner. Plus, they’re big enough to fill Thomas and I up.

3. Load up on coffee. I know, I know, not everyone has coffee running through their veins. But for those of us who do, or even slightly enjoy it… STOCK UP BEFORE YOU GO. Having a fresh cup of coffee with a delicious breakfast on your first morning home from your travels can totally be a lifesaver!
4. Fill your car with gas. Maybe you like going to the gas station and standing in the elements to pump your gas… Or maybe you can’t stand it just as much as the next person. Fill up your tank before you head out on your travels. Having to fill up first thing in the morning after you

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1. Keep your skin moisturized, the last thing you need while traveling is dried out skin! Always keep chap stick, moisturizer, and lotion in your carry on, just to be safe! I love tossing my favorite moisturizer and a cute chap stick in an adorable makeup bag or carrying case and taking it with me while traveling!

2. Plan a few indoor activities! Summer is prime sunshine time, but it is important to give your skin (and body) a rest and enjoy some indoor activities. Whether you’re surfing in Maui or hiking in Oregon, you can take some time out and enjoy a massage indoors or sit for a long meal to get out of the sun! Remember to take a bottle of your favorite flavor of vitaminwater with you on your indoor activities! I love filling up my favorite tumbler or reusable water bottle with a cold power-c vitaminwater so I can have it on the go!

3. Grab a bottle (our five) of your favorite flavor of vitaminwater to quench your thirst and keep you hydrated before your adventure even begins! Target stores are practically everywhere, so popping in to one (or four) while you’re traveling is so easy, anyone can do it! You can even toss a vitaminwater in your checked bag before you head to the airport for instant hydration whenever you touch down at your destination! Whenever you pop in to Target, be sure to text the “shelf-selfie” to the number below to unlock a hidden discount on vitaminwater!

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Before you read my list, please understand I am a skeptic. I will try any product at least once, but I am always skeptical of how it will work, or if it will even work for me. If I am recommending you a product, it’s because I have used it for a long time and know it’s worth recommending!

1. Rodan+Fields Enhancements Lash Boost

You guys. This stuff is straight from heaven. It is magic, witchcraft, something from the gods! I had never heard of this stuff this time last year, and now I can’t live without it! I use it every night, and I might lose my mind if I forgot it while traveling.
I started using this little tube of magic in January and my eyelashes have had SIGNIFICANT growth and I get so many compliments on them now. I know I boast that I love being frugal, but this product is MORE than worth the money. It is amazing! And I’ve been using the same tube since January and I don’t see it running out anytime soon…. So, even if it only lasts six months it’s less than $1 per day, and I’d say that’s a damn good deal!
2. Primer!

I swear by the E.L.F. Color Correcting Primer! We take so many photos while traveling and I hate being able to see my pores or blemishes in photos! The E.L.F. Primer is so cheap and works SO well, I couldn’t and wouldn’t travel without it! I also love the POREfessional Primer from Benefit Cosmetics, but it’s a little more pricey than the ELF primer!
3. Your favorite moisturizer! When traveling I always grab my Neutrogena Healthy Defense Moisturizer. I have such sensitive skin, the thought of getting too dry (or too oily) terrifies me. I never have any problems with this moisturizer and it always travels well!
4. Vaseline / 100% Petroleum Jelly

I may or may not be a little crazy by recommending this, but you guys, you can’t beat the basics when traveling. I take the little travel size of vaseline with me every time I travel. To me, vaseline is a classic product that can pretty much help with everything! Swipe a little on your lashes as a conditioner right before bed, put some on your lips, rub a little on your dry cuticles, the possibilities are endless!
5. Clarisonic Mia

Have you caught on that I have problem skin? Well even if you don’t have problem skin, this little tool is amazing! Traveling can be stressful and getting blemishes during travel is NOT something I enjoy. Being in different climates and environments is also one of the biggest things that clogs my pores, so having my Clarisonic with me is super important! The adorable carrying case makes packing it very easy!
6. Rodan + Fields Multi-Function Eye Cream

Traveling = tons of photos, and no one likes seeing under eye bags in those photos! But sensitive skin = even more sensitive eye skin! I have tried a BILLION eye creams. And I’ve found one that doesn’t make my eyes burn and actually helps with the under eye bags AND keeping the wrinkles at bay!
7. Eyebrow/ Face Razor

I know what you’re thinking… This girl is shaving her face… Not quite. I hate waxing, shaving and tweezing while traveling (and all the time). I’ve been using these little face razors for a while now, and they are totally amazing. When traveling, I’d SO MUCH rather spend my days exploring instead of shaving or tweezing, and these razors have allowed me to do that. I was skeptical at first, but the hair certainly grows back slower, thinner, and lighter- mind blown!
8. Travel Size Fragrance.

Everyone enjoys smelling nice, and having a travel size of your favorite scent is always a good idea. I love the Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue for women travel size, and literally never go anywhere without it!
9. Self Tanning Wipes

During the summer months, I love having a little extra color. These wipes are so easy to use and are compact and lightweight, so perfect for traveling! I also really like the Tan Towels Brand Self Tanning Wipes, they are just a little pricier than the L’Oreal wipes. Whenever one of those two fail me, or get a little streaky, OR if I have time to let dry, I reach for my Rodan+Fields Sunless tanner! This tanner has seriously saved me when I got a streaky spray tan and needed a little patching!
10. OGX Argan Oil Dry Oil Spray

If you are anything like me, you like having pretty and healthy hair (who doesn’t?). I 100% credit this spray for keeping my hair looking healthy between cuts! I give it a few sprays in the morning and a few at night, and it has my hair looking AND feeling heavenly. It always finds its way in to my toiletries bag!
    

What are some of your favorite beauty products that you just have to have when traveling?

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Landmass Goods World Scratch Off Map

These maps are the ultimate gift for every traveler! They have different maps for different kinds of travel. With so many vibrant colors under the foil, and some awesome packaging, everyone should have one!
Travel Organizer

These are the only way I travel. Seriously, I’m kinda of an organizational freak, and having my suitcase or luggage organized is so important to me. And I love being able to use these to hold dirty laundry to keep clean and dirty clothes separate.
Mini Surge Plus travel outlet.

If you’re like me and travel with lots of gadgets, and are always running out of outlets, you need one of these! Between my cellphone, laptop camera, and battery pack charger I can take up three outlets alone. This is so crucial, especially when traveling with friends or family!
Fun travel fund holder

This travel fund holder is the perfect gift for someone who likes to save the old fashion way. It’s practically a travel piggie bank – what’s better than that?
Small leather travel jewelry holder

This travel jewelry holder can totally be used for men or women. It can hold rings, watches, necklaces, earrings, cuff links and just about every other kind of jewelry or small accessories! Perfect for keeping all of your jewelry safe and organized.
Portable charger

Seriously, if you don’t have at least like four of these portable chargers, how do you survive? This one is my favorite portable charger for travel because it charges so quickly and can handle charging multiple devices at one time.

Mini cocktail kit

If there’s one thing we enjoy more than hearing the sound of a plane engine roaring, it’s enjoying a cocktail on the plane. This mini cocktail kit is not only TSA approved, but also absolutely delicious.

Phone tripod

This phone tripod might be one of the greatest travel gadgets we have ever purchased. We’ve given this as a gift for honeymooners, Christmas gift for travelers, and everything in between. It’s such a great gift for a solo-traveler or a couple traveling by themselves.

Space saver travel bags

These are one of our favorite things, especially for winter travel. They can take your luggage from overstuffed to more than enough room. These space saver bags are super easy to use and give you SO much room. The perfect gift for any traveler.

Camera lens add-on

This extra phone camera lens makes such a great gift for the traveler who loves to take tons of photos!

Travel backpack

If you’re looking for the best backpack for a traveler, look no further. This backpack may look small, but it expands and has pockets for just about everything. With a strap that holds this bag on luggage and endless storage, it makes the perfect gift for any traveler.

 

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