Tag: weekend travel

TRAVEL BLOG: Cape Cod, MA

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Happy Monday!

I am SO excited for this week’s post – I am finally back to travel content! As much as I’ve loved being creative in other areas over the past few months, I’m glad to be able to write about traveling once again for a change. I will still be exploring different health and fitness related posts in the future, but it’s nice to switch back and forth at the moment.

This past weekend, I was able to spend a few days in Wellfleet on Cape Cod. Friday was my birthday, so a few of my friends and I rented a house by Lecount Hollow Beach from Thursday to Sunday. I’ve grown up visiting Wellfleet each summer since I was born, so I knew I wanted to spend my birthday weekend there once again. This was especially exciting because of the circumstances over the last few months. I haven’t been able to see lots of these friends because of social distancing, so now that things are finally starting to open up and we’ve all be quarantining in our respective towns, we were able to get together once again.

On Thursday we drove down later in the afternoon, so while we didn’t get a full vacation day in, it was nice to relax and enjoy a sunset dinner on the beach once we arrived. It was also nice to start off the weekend on a quieter note, before the big birthday celebrations began.

On Friday, my actual birthday, I was able to get a full beach day in at Lecount Hollow, and my mom stopped by for a bit as well. My favorite thing about Wellfleet, and the main reason I wanted to spend my birthday here, is the Beachcomber restaurant – and lucky for me, the first day they opened their outdoor seating was Friday. I had such a great lunch here with my mom and a few friends before heading back to the beach, and getting ready for the rest of my friends to arrive that night.

Later in the afternoon, my dad and my brother joined us as well, and shortly after the rest of my friends. We had such a great time hanging out and eating back at the house and on our deck, and then had our big celebration into the night!

Saturday was our last full day of vacation, and more visitors were able to join us! We spent this day at Cahoon Hollow Beach instead, where the Beachcomber is located, and met up with my aunt and uncle as well. Of course I had to have a second lunch at the Beachcomber on Saturday too, and this was nice to be able to bring all of my friends there who couldn’t join the first time. Once again, after our beach day was over we headed back to the house, enjoyed a cook out dinner outside, and enjoyed the beach for the rest of the night.

Sunday morning was checkout, and since it was also Father’s Day, most of us had to head out pretty early to get home. That being said, it was the perfect number of days for us to get away for a weekend, get beautiful beach weather, and see friends and family who I haven’t been able to recently. I wish we had more time, it always seems to go by so fast, but I know we’ll have lots more beach days and weekends in the near future 🙂

Of course we all were careful before and while traveling and took the necessary and responsible precautions when going into public places! Being able to eat out at a restaurant was such an exciting concept, though, and I simply could not wait any longer. As repetitive as the days seem, there really is not much to talk about a beach vacation – we spent every day eating, relaxing, and eating some more! I did want to include this weekend in today’s post, though, because this did start as a travel blog, and this was the first trip I’ve been able to take since my trip to Florida in March!

Now that I’m home and catching up on this productive Monday, I’m thinking about how lucky I am to have had this past weekend with friends and family, and I’m realizing that what is truly important in life is quality time with those people around you – not any material good or experience. Especially during quarantine, I’ve learned to value these memories so much more, and I’m excited for what’s to come as we bounce back from this unfortunate time and begin enjoying moments together again. I’m very much looking forward to the next few months of summer ahead, and I’m feeling optimistic about the future situation in Massachusetts. I will likely be returning to some health and fitness posts in the coming weeks, but stay tuned for more adventures to come (likely back to the beach)!

Thank you all for sticking with me through the non-travel times, and I will see you all next week!

xx,

Megan

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TRAVEL GUIDE: 24 Hours in Amsterdam

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Welcome back, everyone!

If you remember from my previous post, one of my final weekends abroad was split between two major cities: Paris and Amsterdam. This was definitely an ambitious travel plan, but we were able to make the most of what time we had in both cities, and I think we did a pretty good job.

Out of everywhere I traveled while studying in Madrid, Amsterdam was definitely my favorite. I’m not sure exactly what it was that made this trip stand out over all of the others, but the atmosphere and the culture I experienced here was like a fairytale, and I know I’ll be back soon. We spent about a day and a half in Amsterdam, but everything we did could have been condensed into one day. So, if you find yourself in Amsterdam for just one day, keep reading for my recommendations.

Before even getting to Amsterdam, you’ll want to book tickets to the Anne Frank house – these sell out VERY quickly, so make sure to look into this as soon as you start planning your trip. When I visited, we booked the weekend too late, and so by that point everything was sold out. These tours are fairly quick, so I recommend either starting or ending your day with this, so you don’t have to break up your entire schedule.

A great way to see the city is by taking a canal cruise, and these run all day so you can plan this around the rest of your schedule. You’ll likely need to purchase tickets in advance for this as well, but they’re much more available and flexible. This cruise is, in my opinion, the best way to see the buildings, the nature, and the whole environment of the city in a relaxing way. Each canal is lined with such beautiful apartments and bridges, so it’s definitely worth exploring.

Another more underrated activity that I think is definitely worth your time is the Heineken Experience. The Heineken brewery is located in Amsterdam, and what we thought was going to be just another tour of the building turned out to be one of the coolest experiences I’ve had. The whole event is way more than a tour, so while you do get to see and learn about the behind-the-scenes aspect of the brewery, you also get to experience an entire show, ride, game, and party (it sounds crazy, but there’s no other way to explain it). Once again, you will need tickets for this, but it was the best $20 I’ve spent.

Aside from scheduled activities, I definitely suggest taking some time to walk around on your own and see some smaller city sites. Dam Square is a beautiful place to explore, and there are lots of shops and boutiques in the area, so you’ll have lots to do. Amsterdam is also home to a number of wonderful museums, including the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh, and the Moco. If you find yourself left with any extra time in the day, this is a great way to fill it.

If you’re looking for something to do at night during your short stay in Amsterdam, I would say the best scene is a bar. This is all we did during our stay, as we’d been told the club scene is not the best, but its definitely a very social city and there is always lots going on at night. Lots of the smaller bars and restaurants were the most fun, as they weren’t too crazy and we could all relax together after a long day of activities.

As far as transportation goes, Amsterdam is a very walkable city. That being said, most (if not all) locals bike everywhere. So, if you’re looking to get around quickly, or just to fit in with everyone else, renting a bike for the day is a great idea. If you choose to stay on foot, though, be careful crossing the streets!

For housing, be aware that Amsterdam is not a cheap city to stay in. This was by far the most expensive Airbnb I booked while traveling abroad, but it was very much worth it. If you’re looking to spend a little extra for a cool experience, I also suggest looking into a houseboat – you’ll see these all along the canals, and if I ever return to Amsterdam, I will definitely be staying in one!

This wouldn’t be a proper travel guide if I didn’t touch on the food, so, here are a couple of my favorites:

  • Pancakes (or poffertjes – mini pancakes)
  • Cheese
  • Stroopwafel
  • Frites and mayonnaise
  • Herring (I never tried this, but I’ve heard it’s great there!)

In the end, you really can’t go wrong in Amsterdam, and if you’re ever planning a trip to Europe or don’t know where to go next, this city is my number one recommendation. While there is so much to do, there’s also a very relaxed feel to the city, so even though we were always going during our stay, I never felt overwhelmed. I would love to hear any of your experiences in Amsterdam, and I’m always available for questions or further suggestions. That’s all for now, and I’ll see you next week with some more travel tips!

xx,

Megan

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