CHECK OUT OUR NEW EPISODE OF COCKTAIL ADVENTURES!

THE PIÑA COLADA – HERE!

A  Maui Style Menu

Are we dreaming of a tasty trip or virtual vacation Maui Style? We cannot travel across the vast Pacific Ocean to the island of Maui, but we can pretend like we are! Virtual Vacations can transport us to a place we can’t get to for one reason or another. This Maui Style Menu will help you bring all of the essential elements together!

Building a Maui Style staycation for you has been an absolute pleasure. Using my decades of Hawaiian memories and experiences has fueled my dream to share it with YOU!

I was frustrated by my lack of travel choices and had a hunch that you were too. I created a Virtual Vacation Guide – Maui Style to offer ideas, suggestions, links, and recipes to assist you in your next Maui adventure at home. Choose one authentic Hawaiian Maui Style menu item or all of them and have some fun tasting these wonderful family tested recipes in your own backyard.

Start your day!

Start your day with a tangy Acaí Bowl, layered with tropical fruit and berries, and finish with the Hawaiian granola crunch you hid in the bottom of the bowl. Want it, sweeter? Drizzle some local organic honey over the top!

Maybe you and your family are more of the Banana Macadamia Nut Pancake kind of people? I have Maui-adapted an excellent whole-grain pancake recipe I found in the NY Times. It has a lot of ingredients, but it is totally worth it. The pancake texture is sheer perfection, and they come out perfect every time we make them.

We freeze the extras in sandwich baggies so that we can eat them anytime we have the urge, but don’t have the time to make them.

Lunchtime ideas

For lunch, there are two options in The Guide – You can, of course, create your own favorite lunch or why not try a Poké Bowl? Have you ever tasted one before?

I have become obsessed with this dish for lunch, as well as a low-cal dinner. I love the mixture of firm, fresh tuna, combined with the garden goodness of fresh veggies and Asian rice. It is light, healthy, and so flipping delicious!

You can buy your fresh tuna and add Poké spices (like this one) to it, or go to the local luxury grocery store and order their ready-made version. We buy ours at Bristol Farms in California. If freshly caught tuna cannot be found in your neighborhood, you can substitute bbq chicken or even buy fresh fish online and have it shipped.

This virtual vacation is yours to create, so live it up! Try something new!! People are using their creativity these days by buying their favorite bagels from a New York Bakery or ordering specialty BBQ from Kansas City. With just the click of a button, we can buy anything we desire from anywhere in the world. 

Another appealing lunch or afternoon snack option is to order Hama Hama Oysters from Washington State and pop them open on the grill. Maybe this would be best sampled late in the day with an adult beverage like a Piña Colada! Honestly, my mouth is watering as I type!

The Guide has suggestions for oyster toppings as well if you don’t like them plain.

The Piña Colada

We taste-tested different Piña Colada recipes for you and want you to know we survived! LOL! We ended up really liking this one, and it has just essential ingredients, nothing unusual. It is terrific, just the perfect combo of pineapple and coconut flavors.

Sit back on your patio, sipping tropical Piña Coladas, slurping a few oysters, and listen to Hawaiian music. Sounds pretty relaxing, doesn’t it?

We even created a DOUBLE BONUS EPISODE OF COCKTAIL ADVENTURES – PIÑA COLADA – HERE!

The Perfect Mai Tai – Recipe by Monkey Pod

In the Introductory Post for the Virtual Vacation – Maui Style, I share why we love this Mai Tai recipe so much! The secret is in the Lilikoi foam made from passion fruit pureé and eggwhites which are beaten until a firm foam appears! Simply amazing. All links to the products are in The Guide too.

Two Dinners to Choose From!

Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Cilantro Sauce

Taking your family’s preferences in mind, you may know exactly what to make for a Maui-inspired dinner at your house. In The Guide, there are two recipes; Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Cilantro Sauce and Grilled Pineapple, or Seared Ahi Tuna with Easy Fried Rice and Cabbage Slaw with Ina Garten’s Dressing

Substitute steak or chicken in the tacos, add refried beans instead, or a fruit salad. This meal is yours to make to your liking! Maybe you aren’t a fish eater? If you want to step out of your comfort zone, do it, Maui-Style! Try it!

Seared Ahi

This recipe has a super fun back story. Troy, our dear friend and excellent cook, suggested Craig join him for an incredible barbecue class. Troy’s skills are exceptional, and Craig’s are not far behind. However, why not learn from an award-winning pitmaster, Harry Soo from Slap Yo’ Daddy BBQ.

Craig enjoyed his first time so much that he asked our son Nick, son-in-law Brent and my stepfather Gus to join him at another class. During the lesson, they learned techniques, recipes, and sampled all of their cooking! They came home to share great stories and to then rest from their meat feast.

The Seared Ahi recipe is all from Harry Soo. It seemed like an intimidating recipe that perhaps you would only eat at a restaurant. We found it not hard to make and looks so impressive. Your guests will be blown away at how tender and delicious this is! We make it all the time now!

Dessert

No special meal during a virtual vacation would be complete without a knock-your-socks-off kind of dessert! We use this Brownie Dessert recipe all the time and we love it!

My recipe for Hula Pie is inspired by a special dessert we always order at Kimo’s, located in Lahaina Maui. Kimo’s has been serving traditional Hawaiian style cuisine since 1977. You can sit at the ocean’s edge at this Hawaiian dining oasis and wait for a vibrant Maui sunset while tiki torches light your table. We love the variety of grilled fish dishes and sides and always look forward to sharing a piece of their world-famous Hula Pie.

Each piece of pie is piled high with ice cream, covered in chocolate fudge and finished with whipped cream and nuts. 

Which recipe will you make first? I love them all and would spread them out over a few days. Although they are all Hawaiian inspired, they are entirely appropriate at any time of year!

Have you downloaded your Virtual Vacation Guide yet?

More posts on the Virtual Vacation Guide:

How to Create Your Own Virtual Vacation – Maui Style

Get Everything You Need For Your Maui Staycation

When you recreate any of these ideas, please let me know! Use the tag #virtualvacationmauistyle on Instagram or Facebook and tag me HERE and HERE.

Pin for Later

The post Taste Your Virtual Vacation – A Delicious Maui Style Menu appeared first on Adventures of Empty Nesters.

A  Maui Staycation – Yes, Please!

Last week, in my first post for How to Create a Virtual Vacation Maui Style, I introduced you to the general concept of creating a vacation at home. The Coronavirus has hijacked travel, and we need to have a way to at least pretend to be in a tropical destination. Don’t we?

Creating a path to explore a Maui Staycation was my way of getting past the indisputable travel obstacles we are facing.

Check out the new Guide!

Why not create your own virtual vacation and bring in new tropical staging elements or utilize what you already have?

1. Order a colorful orchid lei from your local florist, make a list of beachy items you already have, then add to the list to bring this idea to life!
2. Make a playlist of Hawaiian music, which MUST include Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. Nothing sounds more like Maui to me than to hear this song! Do you know it? 
3. What type of tropical aromas transport me to Maui? The yummy scents of coconut and pineapple, tropical sunscreen mixed with sea spray & salt air all remind me of Maui. Embellish your surroundings with new candles or maybe you already have a favorite candle that you love to burn? Check out Glade Hawaiian Breeze and  Lifes’ a Beach
4. A luxury vacation often includes a visit to the hotel spa. This type of relaxation is just one more activity we cannot currently enjoy, so let’s pretend we can by ordering a lovely tropical smelling lotion. 

Lotion and Candles

My dear friend Kathy gave me this amazing Pure Fiji Coconut Lotion for my birthday last year, and I use it all the time. I call it my vacation lotion! What a perfect addition to this Virtual Vacation Maui Style.

Start the plan

Make a list of what you would like to do to celebrate a virtual vacation in Maui. You will need some lead time on the ordering of the Da Vine Lilikoi Pureé (for the perfect Mai Tai) and Hawaiian Coffee (to go with your Macadamia Nut Pancakes). Decide which (or all) of my list of ideas you will use and make a plan.

Did you download your Guide? If not, you can do that ==> Here!

I just love the idea of enjoying a vacation without leaving home. Why not include other family members or friends and share this Hawaiian vacation project? How fun would that be? 

The Tasty Part

In my next post, I will dive into more details about all of my menu suggestions. You can always move ahead if you would like! You might want to check out the Guide to find all of the ingredients as soon as possible!

Any questions? Please let me know if you have any, and I will do my best to answer! When you come up with additional ideas, please share them!

One more time… in case you missed the Introduction to How to Create a Virtual Vacation Maui Style 

Aloha friends!

Let’s connect on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram – Hope to see you there!

Pin for Pinterest

The post Get Everything You Need For Your Maui Staycation! appeared first on Adventures of Empty Nesters.

A Virtual Vacation? What is that?

Imagine the cold-sweet sip of a tropical Mai Tai, Seared Ahi Tuna with Vegetable Fried Rice, and a mound of ice cream covered in chocolate fudge in a decadent slice of Hula Pie. Yes, please! Tell me more. This delicious list is just the beginning of an authentic and tasty Maui Style vacation you can create at home.

The COVID 19 pandemic has all but ruined our travel calendar and certainly curtailed any type of air travel over the blue Pacific. Many people have underlying health conditions that prevent any possibility of travel no matter what is happening in the world. Maybe a Maui vacation is not in the budget at all?

Well, my non-traveling friends, I have a solution. Disappointed by my lack of travel options during the Stay at Home mandate, I needed to change my thinking. I had to look at my current situation and determine just how to move forward when I could not write about future travel or plan any of our own adventures. Just like you, I couldn’t enjoy a Maui vacation if I wanted to!

I created my first virtual vacation based upon decades of personal experience enjoying amazing Maui vacations. My first trip to Maui was with my family as a 12-year-old, and I have visited more than 20 other times. Maui is truly one of the most unique and special tropical destinations in the world. I know what we love about it, and I want you to feel, smell, and taste my favorite things about Maui without leaving home. How do I do that? 

Creating a list of ideas for you to create your own virtual vacation was a labor of love. I made a long list of everything that made Maui special for Craig and me but was realistically duplicatable. Everything is in one downloadable guide! 

Can I bring you soft white sand, and fresh tropical breezes? No, I can’t, sorry about that. Can I make suggestions for where to buy unique products that will get your Maui vacation vibes flowing? Yes, my friends, I can!

How does Maui feel, smell, and taste? What are our favorite restaurants? What is the very BEST Mai Tai on the planet? Oh, do I have a drink for you! At Monkey Pod (two locations in Maui), they serve the most delectable Mai Tai, which is not too sweet and tastes just right. The reason it is so over the top incredible is the lilikoi foam. I made it for you, so you would know just the way to do it.

Why Maui?

Let me count the ways!! We go back year after year for the peace, beauty and laid back atmosphere of Maui. You can find luxury hotels and resorts, but at the same time, there is a welcoming, slower pace that is uniquely Maui. The sunsets are magnificent almost nightly, and the local food is farm to table, from right on the island. Tourists from around the world flock here year-round. There is no wrong time of year to visit Maui. 

We have visited in February and seen whale after whale frolicking offshore and in October when the kids have gone back to school. The island quiets down a little in the winter, but we also like it there in the summer when the entire island is buzzing with happy tourists.

You can go wine tasting up-country at Maui Wine, visit Surfing Goat Dairy, or even take a tour of Ocean Vodka. The beaches are long and wide, and water sports are ready when you are! And the rainbows appear any time there is a rain shower and the sun comes out. 

The Virtual Vacation Maui Series

I decided to make this a series of articles, so there wasn’t too much to digest in just one post. How do you begin? How much time and energy do you have to recreate the feel of Maui in your own home? Maybe you would like to make a terrific BBQ meal and finish with a divine recipe that tastes just like Kimo’s famous Hula Pie? I have that for you! 

Kimo’s has been serving traditional Hawaiian style cuisine since 1977. At this Hawaiian dining oasis in Lahaina, you can sit near the ocean and wait for a vibrant Maui sunset while tiki torches light your table. We love the variety of grilled fish dishes and sides and always look forward to sharing a piece of their world-famous Hula Pie.

Each piece is piled high with ice cream, covered in chocolate fudge and finished with whipped cream and nuts. Absolutely divine! We make our own version at home quite often.

We cannot get to Hawaii right now, but we sure can imagine ourselves kicking back on a lounge chair with a tropical drink in our hands.

I plan to give you the info you need to enjoy a weekend at home, Maui Style. Virtual vacations can be such a fun and exciting way to celebrate a destination without the risks and limitations of COVID-19 and the cost of travel. 

Let’s start today with the idea of your surroundings. Do you have a spot in your back yard where you could imagine as a little Maui oasis? Do you have a balcony? Porch? Living room? Work with what you have!

Why not order a beautiful lei from your local florist? You can decide how many you need, but imagine the authentic selfies you can take? SO FUN! I called several florists in the area and looked online as well. I wanted to give business to a local florist, so I chose Duran’s Flowers in Pasadena. 

Do you have any Hawaiian or beach-type outfits you can wear to help with your vacation mood? I love Tommy Bahamas and often buy their colorful dresses and bathing suits. Craig has a collection of casual and Hawaiian shirts that he wears, again and again, year after year. They never go out of style!

Can you set aside an evening or weekend (or week if you want to ) to create a virtual vacation Maui Style? This idea will work for singles, couples, and families, and you can decide which of my suggestions appeals to you most or use them all!

Why not take this idea to the next level by creating a backyard setting like a movie set! Bring in sand if you wish! Do you need to buy new beach towels? We did, ours were pretty tired, and I found four new ones on Macys.com on sale!

Are you starting to feel it? What do you think? Should we start with a Mai Tai! I think so. Check out our new Mai Tai Cocktail Adventure on my IGTV Instagram – HERE!

Monkey Pod Mai Tai

Ingredients:

·      1 oz. Light Rum

·      1 oz. Dark Rum

·      1/2 oz. macadamia-nut orgeat or almond orgeat

·      1/2 oz. Orange Curaçao

·      3/4 oz. fresh lime juice

Honey Lilikoi Foam

·      1/2 oz. honey

·      1 oz. lilikoi purée – Da Vine Brand

·      1 oz. simple syrup

·      1 oz. egg whites

·      1.5 oz. cold water

Method 

Mix foam ingredients well and put in a Whipped Cream Dispenser and refrigerate. OR Use a hand mixer in a bowl & blend ingredients on high speed till foamy. We had better luck with the bowl method, but I would try the Whipped Cream maker again. It makes a pretty design with the dispenser tip.

Add lime juice, orgeat, Orange Curaçao, and Light Rum to mixing glass. Shake with 1 cup cubed ice about 30 seconds and pour into a highball glass. Float dark rum. Top with honey-lilikoi foam 

Note: Recipe makes plenty enough foam for four cocktails. It keeps for a couple of days in the canister, refrigerated. If made in a bowl, it best to use right away. Refrigerate between uses.

There are more blog posts to come! Want to skip ahead to your Virtual Vacation now?

Click on the photo below for the Complete Download of ALL Recipes and product links for this Virtual Vacation – Maui Style

Final Thoughts:

 I created this virtual vacation just for YOU!  Maybe you want to do EVERYTHING; perhaps you just want to make a cocktail. You can pick and choose, mix and match any of my Hawaiian ideas. I promise it will be a different sort of vacation filled with authentic Hawaiian treats, and you will have a blast! This will be the most amazing vacation you make just for yourself, family & friends… at HOME!

We have a new logo for the series too! (How cute is this?)

When you recreate any of these ideas, please let me know! Use the tag #virtualvacationmauistyle on Instagram or Facebook and tag me HERE and HERE.

Thank you for Caitlin Shannon of Ember & Co for the Maui Style logo and gorgeous design in the guide!

Aloha Friends!

Pin Me on Pinterest!

The post How to Create Your Own Virtual Vacation – Maui Style! appeared first on Adventures of Empty Nesters.

Got travel challenges?

Are you wondering what to do now that we can’t travel freely? I know we all have to do our part and therefore, armchair travel is best for now.

Traveling is my passion, my career, and what lights me up. I am always thrilled to hear about your latest trip and the vacations of others. I can live vicariously or better yet; I can find adventure too. Since we are not currently traveling, and many of us have chosen to cancel or postpone travel arrangements, maybe now is the time to dream about your next trip?

Life is busy and we don’t always take time to enjoy the process of the hunt! To create the perfect trip or vacation, a carefully researched itinerary is the best way to go! Now is the time to get down into the teeny tiny details!

We can’t travel now, but we can plan for the future!

Take a moment to contemplate and explore where you want to go next. Make inquiries, study blog posts, Google (or Bing) destinations! Look for travel companies with tours and peruse their suggested itineraries. For those of you who love to learn more about local food, check out cooking school destinations. The travel and hospitality industries are suffering dearly from the ramifications of the Coronavirus and we can help them with our future planning.

Yesterday on Instagram I noticed that a small tour company in Spain was thrilled to receive an online inquiry! Sales must be very depressing right now and any glimmer of optimism is appreciated. Ask questions, take notes, research your next destination. Have fun with it. The travel restrictions are a temporary challenge, and we should be ready when it is time to travel again.

How to research a trip

• Ask! Ask your friends where they have been and have genuinely enjoyed!
• Make a list of possible destinations
• Check out travel blogs and websites
• Dream BIG! Why not?
• Go online to your local library, check out a book, and study – Many are offering curbside pick up
• Read a novel about a destination you were curious about, borrow from another reader
• Join Instagram, scroll through thousands of colorful photos of dreamy destinations, use hashtags to narrow down your search
• Pinterest offers millions of travel tips too!

Where else can we look for more details?

Are you curious about a specialized type of tour? What about destinations that are perfect for older travelers, adventurous travelers, hungry travelers or artistic travelers?  

Let’s dream about our next adventure!

Check out my Instagram account @suzannestavert and my brand new one @theadventuresofemptynesters for food photos and adventures!

Pin for Pinterest

The post Can’t Travel Today? 8 Ways to Help You Dream Now & Play Later appeared first on Adventures of Empty Nesters.

Tasty Dishes & Enticing Cocktails

I began my search for the tastiest dishes of the year by sifting through my photos starting in January. However, by the time I reached the month of June, I had already chosen 30 different tantalizing feasts for the eyes! How to choose?

Be honest, do you want to see that many of my “highlights”? I don’t believe so. Therefore, I carefully looked for colorful, unique meals and surprisingly incredible drinks that are worth celebrating once again. A few of them are favorites due to their unique nature or element of surprise!

I have narrowed down this list to a more manageable number and I hope you enjoy revisiting them as much as I do!

Maui

We began a very ambitious travel year with a relaxing, mostly rainy, week in Maui. However, we raised a toast of Piña Coladas on a delightful, sunny afternoon by the pool. Cheers!

Oh, my dear, these are the best crab cakes on earth. Doesn’t the lovely plate and vibrant blue tablecloth put it over the top? Many of you have enjoyed Mama’s Fish House, in the small town of Paia and I know you feel the same way about this unique Hawaiian restaurant. The location looks like the set of a movie, and although pretty pricey, the food is fabulous!         

Iceland

Best Experience Ever!

With so many memorable adventures, our trip to Iceland remains one of the most out of the ordinary tours we have enjoyed. From the astounding natural wonders to petting wild Icelandic horses and an exquisite black sand beach with completely clear, faceted icebergs. The driver of our tour bus brought back a mini glacier rock where centuries-old ice was chiseled and added to our Bourbon Old Fashioned. Mic drop.

Also, we tasted the global favorite Icelandic hot dog from a cart in downtown Reykjavic. I am not a big fan of hot dogs, but Craig and our friends Danny and Drew from Collette sampled them for me. They unanimously agreed the dogs were delicious!

North Dakota

Does North Dakota come to mind when you think “fantastic food”?  Maybe not, but we sure had an amazing dinner where the steaks were cooked in hot oil on pitchforks! Always looking to find adventure in everything I do, I was shocked over the preparation of these steaks! Click here to read more about my trip to North Dakota – I was so impressed!

Italy

It is nearly impossible to find a favorite dish in the gastronomically superior country of Italy! I narrowed it down to these few, with still a dozen more I could share. Please say a prayer for our friends in Italy; the virus is indeed causing havoc with the travel industry.

My divine trip to Italy began with a culinary tour with Oldways. We were joined by chefs from SRV in Boston, MA. We took several hands-on classes while on the road in Verona and Northern Italy. This risotto below is soft and gooey with fresh peas and ham. I can never get enough gelato and in Italy, it is a 3:00 pm required refreshment stop.

A Road Trip in South Dakota with Awesome Food!

On our empty nester road trip through South Dakota, I was traveling with some very adventurous eaters! Watching someone else eat a Bison burger was just what this non-Bison eater needed. I do appreciate that many people love to eat different sorts of animals, but I will stick with the standard fare. Troy thought his enormous burger was outstanding.

Breakfast in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Our first time in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, will not be our last. This spectacular city is the kind of place I could stay for quite a while. With the Grand Tetons looking over your shoulder, the upscale restaurants excellent shopping and chic locals, it was my kind of place. This lovely laid-back town has a movie star vibe, and I kept looking for Kevin Costner to be sitting at the next table.

An LA dinner with friends Tammy & Steve

Close to home in Los Angeles, we enjoyed an eclectic meal with dear friends. LA is the foodie town of towns right now, and we are investigating as many restaurants as we can! Otium has been around for a while and serves consistently delicious and beautifully prepared dishes. Sharing is a must!

More Italy

Because well… there’s always more Italian food that needs revisiting!

Kansas City, Kansas Food Tour

Did you know that Kansas City, Kansas is a fabulous food town? We spent a day and a half sampling and sipping through this fascinating city. I have never been a fan of boba, but we visited this colorful little Boba Blend, and I am a convert now! Their recipes were smart, fresh and tasty, not to mention Insta-worthy!

Pasadena Masters of Taste

As a firm believer in dining with loved ones, we spent an afternoon with my parents at the Masters of Taste in Pasadena. On a warm Sunday afternoon, we tried lots of different restaurant samples and a few kick-ass cocktails. Do you have food events in your area? The Event Brite website usually has a long list of them.

Seattle

My list of Seattle favorites is very very long. The talented chefs maximize the local PNW ingredients and create inventive dishes. We look forward to our frequent visits here.

However, at this moment in Seattle, the corona-virus might be destroying the restaurant scene. Office buildings are shut down and most people are working from home so no one is going out to lunch and dinner. I feel terribly for the workers who don’t have customers to serve and small businesses that are suffering.

I have received many emails from local Seattle restauranteurs and chefs sharing the safety precautions taken in their restaurants. 

Japan

If you have been following my travels, you will know that I absolutely adore Japan! In addition to the intriguing history and spectacular architecture, the authentic local cuisine is fresh and healthy. 

To narrow down my favorites in Japan is impossible, so I just offered up three photos. The dessert below was so pretty, you couldn’t believe you could eat it! Shabu Shabu means “swish swish” in Japanese. The server heats up boiling water and dips our veggies and meat in the hot water to cook them. So good and so fun!

Two last photos of my food experience in Japan

While staying at the famous Park Hyatt in Tokyo I enjoyed a very fancy meal on the 52nd floor with a view of Tokyo and devoured the best dessert and cappuccino of my life!

Why do I take photos of my food? 

I have been doing this for years! Way before Instagram was a national past-time, my feverish, food photography was commonplace. The dazzling colors and presentations always make me smile, and I captured them for my enjoyment and reference. 

I now do this as part of my job, lucky me. Do you use Instagram to look for popular restaurants and dishes? When I am preparing to visit a new city, I always search for the hashtags that will help me find the most delicious and talked about places. Also, I search for blog posts that reference my destination. Our dining life has been saved on many of our trips because an avid food photographer took a great photo of a tasty-looking dish or meal. 

Check out my Instagram account @suzannestavert and my brand new one @theadventuresoemptynesters for food photos and adventures!

How was your 2019? What were your tastiest dishes of the year? Do tell!

Pin for Pinterest

The post The Tastiest Dishes & Most Delicious Cocktails of 2019 appeared first on Adventures of Empty Nesters.

Hello friends & Happy New Year – I hope that you were able to hang out with family and friends, devour some delicious meals and maybe even find a little adventure! We enjoyed all of these things too!

It has been a fabulous year of travel!

Wow, to narrow down my top travel highlights of the year was truly a challenge. 2019 was one heck of a travel adventure full of eclectic destinations, firsts and second time visits, discovery and nature so big it takes your breath away. Literally.

January began with a relaxing but rainy week in Maui and then the travel wheels got moving very quickly! No time for resting, extraordinary destinations were waiting for us to arrive.

I know that you are super busy and you cannot always make time to read every single one of my posts… so here are some of the top travel highlights and links to their respective posts. I once again want to thank you for being here and for reading and commenting on my adventures. I truly appreciate you.

My goal is to provide you with helpful, interesting info that you couldn’t find anywhere else!

A few fun statistics:

Travel In the US

I visited SIX new states in the beautiful USA! I spent time in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Kansas! Discovering more of the US, especially by car, was something I have wanted to do for quite some time. There is no better way to see a new state than to drive through it because it is just not the same to fly in and fly out.  As we drove through the grasslands of North Dakota the only two colors we could see for miles was the crisp baby blue of the sky and the vibrant chartreuse green of the grass. We meandered through the spectacular Badlands of South Dakota and West all the way across Wyoming to Jackson Hole.

Driving through the Kentucky horse country was just like you and I dreamed it would be! It was easy to stop in small charming towns and then make our way down to the fantastic Music City of Nashville.

Europe & Asia

I was able to once again this year make it back to Italy, the land of handmade pasta, prosecco and the best darn cheese on earth.  I traveled through Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto Japan to venture deep into the local culture, enjoy their kind hospitality and eat amazing food! I feel so fortunate to work with companies like Collette, Oldways, Odakyu and Keihan where they took me on an insider’s tour of some incredible and delicious destinations.

Lots of travel in wildly different places!

Overall, I took 17 trips, flew thousands of miles, drove more hours in the car than I EVER have before and filmed an e-p-i-c video of our tour in Iceland with my friends at Collette. I traveled through several states in the Midwest where I sampled some sweet and savory BBQ, sipped some outstanding bourbon with delicious hints of caramel and then ended my year in December with a milestone birthday for both my husband Craig and my Mom. Whew!

I am b-l-e-s-s-e-d.  It is not lost on me that this ambitious travel schedule may sound crazy to some of you and others wish you were packed in my suitcase!

My free-lance travel writing career keeps me super busy, especially now that my nest is empty, there is plenty of time for this exciting and satisfying occupation. I LOVE working with companies who want to share their tours and destinations with you! What better way to see a destination up close than when I take you along with me through video, social media and my blog posts.

Here we go, my top travel highlights of 2019!

Maui x 2

We were lucky enough to visit our beloved Maui once in January and then again for an extended time in October celebrating 35 years of marriage. We were upgraded to a ridiculous suite at the Hyatt Andaz and treated truly like VIPs. I will never forget our spectacular and relaxing anniversary trip!

Iceland

Next, I had to research and pack up just the right layers of clothing for our trip to Iceland in February. Besides experiencing wonders of nature that I never knew existed, chasing the Northern Lights was a bucket list item for me and for Craig. We did it! We stood in the middle of the night watching the vast sky in the frigid wind to catch a glimpse of the dancing, elusive Northern Lights.

Italy

Guess who traveled with Oldways and three chefs from the restaurant SRV in Boston to enjoy art, local cuisine, architecture and culture? Me! Oldways is helping people live healthier, happier lives through honoring cultural food traditions which includes food and nutrition. I love it!

They have created these one of a kind tours to celebrate in the origins of healthy foods, as well as offer insights and education through participating chefs and other programs. While on tour, the cooking classes led by these culinary experts, help us understand how to create delicious dishes all while visiting the countries of origin. Such a brilliant idea!

Additionally, Craig met me at the conclusion of the tour in Venice and then we traveled through the Emilia–Romagna region which has earned “the breadbasket” of Italy title. This area is known for its gastronomic and wine-making tradition. Eating and touring our way through this heavenly place was a dream for both of us!

North Dakota

Yep, I went to North Dakota and I loved it! I attended the Midwest Travel Conference in Medora, ND and had a blast in this adorable tiny town. The entrance to Theodore Roosevelt National Park sits just steps away from downtown Medora and we drove thru the park early in the morning where we walked among wild horses and witnessed many baby Bison quietly grazing next to their mamas. You don’t see this in Los Angeles!

South Dakota/Wyoming

Craig met me in North Dakota and we drove a few hours to Rapid City, South Dakota to meet with the other half of our traveling foursome, Troy and Brad. We have all been friends since before we could drink bourbon, and several years ago we began to create innovative itineraries to see these “bucket list” destinations. Mt Rushmore and the Badlands have been in on all four of our travel bucket lists and now was the time to see them!

Oh – klahoma! – Pawhuska, OK

Even if you have never seen her show, I bet you know probably know who The Pioneer Woman is!  Ree Drummond also known at The Pioneer Woman, has lovingly beautified the tiny town of Pawhuska, Oklahoma. This destination is about an hour outside Tulsa and she has built quite the attraction. Her exquisite hotel is called The Boarding House and we were able to nab a reservation for two nights in August which are nearly impossible to get!

My mother-in law Claudia has followed Ree’s career on the Food Network from the beginning and just loves everything about her. We took this active 85 year old all the way to OK in the dead of summer to enjoy the entire experience! It was a once in a lifetime trip. You can read all about it HERE!

Kentucky Bourbon Trail

The Travelers had one more bucket list item left for 2019 – To drive through the Bourbon Trail, visit distilleries and any other historic sites along our route. This is an adult tour every fan of bourbon should take! Oh my! The history, the craftsmanship, attention to detail and marketing genius of these distilleries was inspiring, not to mention super tasty!

The tour is filled with quaint small towns, kind people, enthusiastic bourbon drinkers, fun bars, speakeasys and a fabulous food scene. For hipsters to empty nesters, a trip to the Bourbon Trail is an awesome adventure.

Nashville

After meandering through Louisville, Lexington, Frankfurt and Bardstown, Kentucky it was time to keep moving south to the very lively and special city of Nashville, TN. I was lucky to have been before, but the guys had not. However the city is rapidly changing and growing, so it was like visiting a new place all over again for me!

We stayed in a super hip Airbnb just steps from downtown and then attempted to see, experience, eat and listen to as much as we could in just a couple of days. Good grief the food is amazing!

Seattle with the girls

I don’t often travel with girlfriends, but it was finally time to arrange our crazy schedules and carve out time to visit Seattle, one of my most favorite cities in the US and where our grown up daughter lives. We had a blast!

One of the best things about traveling with these three ladies is that they just said, “Plan whatever you think we will like!” and I could not have asked for better travel partners. We all seem to love the same things like food, architecture, history, hand-crafted cocktails, laughter, you get the idea…

I was given carte blanche to create the itinerary and even to dictate the hotel I wanted to stay in, the restaurants I wanted to revisit and anything else I adored about Seattle.

Kansas City, KS

Five food and travel writers and I were treated to a thoughtfully planned, 1 1/2 day-feast, filled with tastes from bakeries, to snack foods, cocktails to BBQ by Visit Kansas City. Since I had never visited Kansas before, this fun foodie trip checked one more state for me to almost complete my visits to all 50 states

I gained an education eating my way through KCK (Kansas City, Kansas)! We made 15 stops and were quite full by the end of two days. I highly recommend you taking a look at these tasty food stops.

I was introduced to a long list of delightful, delectable, savory and sweet bites I had never ever tasted before! The Kansas City food scene impressed me a lot.

Japan by Rail

To end the year with another trip to Japan, was a dream come true. I was invited by two transportation companies to see for myself how comfortable and convenient it is to tour Japan by rail.

My tour in Japan began in Tokyo, where enormous train stations like Shinjuku and Shinagawa, stretch through city blocks and offer fantastic shopping options, casual dining, coffee houses and sweet treats. Everyone uses public transportation and companies like my hosts offer quite a long list of terrific options which carry every passenger where they need to go.

Japan should be on the travel list of every traveler; it is nearly impossible to compare it to anywhere else in the world. Tours are a great way to explore it and my friends at Collette took me on a tour that was so detailed, so well executed that I never had to worry about anything!

Did you enjoy my travel highlights of 2019? I hope you will come back here soon and also visit me on social media. Thanks again!

Let’s connect on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram – Hope to see you there!

Pin to Pinterest

The post What a fantastic year! My Top Travel Highlights of 2019 appeared first on Adventures of Empty Nesters.

Do you like to travel at the holidays ?

About three years ago, I sent out a request for all of you to share your favorite holiday destination. This collaborative post was super fun to do and I thoroughly enjoyed reading where YOU like to go!

I think it is about time we did this again!

What I am looking for:

• The name of the city you traveled to and two or three sentences describing why you enjoyed it there.
•  A photo of the city (with you in the photo if possible)
• A caption for the photo
• If you have a blog, please also include the name and URL

Don’t sweat the details, just email me the info and attach the photo and you will be included! Please send to me by 11/21/18.

Email: suzannestavert@me.com

I do like to travel at the holidays. I find it extra exciting and can absolutely feel a difference traveling in November and December vs. any other time of year.  I have a few tips that may help:

1. Be organized. Have all of your travel documents together.
2. Check in to your flight the day before.
3. If you are checking bags make sure you understand how to use the kiosks that are now at most airports.
4. Make sure you have luggage tags Check out ours here ==> AdventuresinTravel
5. Give yourself plenty of time for check in and security lines.
6. There are many first time fliers and travelers who rarely travel. This can frustrate the frequent traveler. Be kind.
7. Packing: Finish packing the night before. Do not leave anything until the morning of your flight. If your flight is delayed or cancelled, you want to have complete focus to fix it.
8. Have your electronics charged and stowed in your carry on.
9. Do you have your ride to the airport decided? Give yourself plenty of time.
10. Have fun! Enjoy the lights, decorations and maybe get a Pumpkin Spice Latte!

Want to receive these posts via email? Leave your email in the space to the right. I promise to keep it safe.

Let’s Connect!

Let’s connect over on social media here ==>  Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, check out our photos on Instagram, or pins on Pinterest

The post Do you like to travel at the holidays? Come share your story. appeared first on Adventures of Empty Nesters.

Finding the best things to do on Oahu can be a challenge, there are so many to choose from!

We recently had an absolute blast traveling to this exotic paradise with long time friends and our grown kids. Our dear friend Pam has lived on the island for 30 years and insisted on taking us to her favorite spots. We were able to experience Oahu from a locals perspective and now you will benefit too from her awesome ideas!

The Fairly Obvious Things to Do on Oahu and More ~ Make it a checklist!

Drink a Mai Tai – Need I say more?

See Waikiki Beach – I am sure that you have heard that it is “crowded”. So what? You need to see this most famous beach.

Walk the beach – Take a walk down the shore of Waikiki Beach to see the colorful and vibrant hotel scene.

Sit on the beach – Just sit. On any beach, take in the Hawaiian beauty everywhere you look.

Snorkel – Hawaii boasts some of the best in the world!

Scuba dive – For the more adventurous traveler!

Kayak – A great way to see Oahu is from the water.

Paddle Board – Always fun and there are so many places you can rent a board.

Go to a luau – Everyone needs to enjoy this unique adventure once in their life. We had a huge Disney fan traveling with us and her one wish for the trip was to attend the Luau at Aulani, the famous Disney Resort. The entertainment was so professional and the audience loved it. The food was outstanding as well.

Go out on a touring boat – A local friend rented a yacht and the captain took us out along Waikiki Beach with views of Diamond Head that would make you swoon. There are many sunset cruises you can take on the island.

Hiking –

Hike Diamond Head – A perfect way to spend the morning or afternoon!

Niko’s Fish Market – Located fairly close to the airport, this very popular eatery and fish market is quite the find. We loved it. You order your local Hawaiian dishes and then find a seat. Lots of grilled fish, shrimp, burgers, salads and served with famous Hawaiian side dishes.

Hike Pill box – We woke up early for this activity but it was so worth it. The sunrise views from the ridge are unlike any we had ever seen, however, the hike is quite challenging. We read where people said it is “easy”, it is not. Do not wear flip flops or go on a Saturday or Holiday. Plan for a weekday and wear tennis shoes!

Hike Makapuu Lighthouse – There is an easy paved hike up the mountain with spectacular views!

Eat ~

Eat Poke – One of my favorite foods on the planet. Diced raw tuna, with herbs, spices, onions, vinegar and other ingredients. We found a little place that offered ten different kinds!

Eat an acaí bowl – Also a Suzanne favorite! Frozen acaí with fresh fruit and a little honey – Omgeee

Go to Banan at the base of Diamond Head – In Waikiki, after you have hiked Diamond Head or just take a drive over to eat delicious frozen banana-acaí bowls. At the Banan food truck, every dish is made with frozen banana as a base. Divine.

Go to the North Shore

Go to Pipeline and watch the surf – If you are visiting in January through March – You must experience the enormous winter waves. But at any other time of year, the beaches are still absolutely beautiful and much less crowded than Waikiki.

Eat Every Taco at V- Land Taco Truck North Shore – Best darn tacos we have had in a long time!

Eat at any food truck – There are several food trucks along the highway that offer delicious spicy shrimp, grilled fish, pineapple and other tasty Hawaiian dishes.

Eat shaved ice at Matsumoto Shaved Ice in Haleiwa (North Shore) – While you are in the North Shore area do not miss this and don’t let the line scare you away. This is a sweet, icy rainbow treat!

Eat & go to coffee at Island Vintage Coffee and have their Acai Bowl too! – Right next door to Matsumoto you will find this local coffee chain. They make amazing coffee and terrific acaí bowls too!

Shop at Rocky Point Collective – North Shore Collective – Looking for the perfect gift, a souvenir, a piece of beach jewelry? You must visit this adorable shop.

Get out of the city ~

Visit Kailua – East side of Oahu – We actually spent most of our time on the east side of Oahu in this charming town.

Visit Kualoa Ranch – Don’t miss this place! Jurassic Park was filmed here and the views are out of this world! You can tour, ride ATVs and enjoy several other outdoor activities.

Visit Lanikai Beach – Also over on the East side, near the Pillbox hike and the prettiest beach in the world!

This should provide a great start to a fabulous trip to Oahu!

Other post links to Oahu adventures –

Say Yes to Travel with a Large Group of Family and Friends

Twenty Foot Waves and The Very Best Place to Shop on the North Shore

Pin for Later

Readers Please Note ~

Make sure you click over to the Home Page to see what else is happening on the blog – At the top of the home page you will find The Empty Nest, Restaurants & Food, Travel, Work with Me, Press and Contact. We have lots to offer here on AdventuresofEmptyNesters.com

The post Adventures in Hawaii :: 26 of the Best Things to Do on Oahu appeared first on Adventures of Empty Nesters.

Huge waves and the very best place to shop on the North Shore of Oahu

Our recent trip to Oahu was a trip of firsts. We hiked in places I never dreamed of seeing, swam off the shore of Waikiki after jumping off a forty-seven foot yacht, ate the tastiest organic food at the local farmers market, viewed the largest waves we have ever seen and found the best place to shop on the North Shore.

What is The North Shore?

I have always heard this term, North Shore, watched surfing movies and listened to urban tales of gnarly waves at Pipeline. But what does that mean? Where is this? How do I see these enormous waves?

Luckily for us, Pam, our dear friend and local surfer, showed us exactly where we needed to be. We were traveling to Oahu, the Hawaiian island known for the largest waves and it was during the Winter season. The best waves are typically between January and March and you will find them at the Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu.

The waves are huge on the other beaches of the North Shore as well, but Pipeline is the most famous. The legendary Banzai Pipeline Hawaii is known around the world for its enormous perfect barrel waves.

This was a mind-blowing experience. To see waves of this magnitude and surfers actually surfing them is incredible.They would start at the top and literally surf straight down in a vertical line. When the waves are big like this, the surf sponsors put together a Shootout contest where the day of the event is determined when the largest waves arrive.

The Shootout is a uniquely jersey-less, four-man-team format and the only contest where surfers can score a perfect 12-point ride. Another thing that sets it apart from other competitions is the fact that the call to surf or not surf is something voted on by the surfers themselves.

These are expert-level conditions and only extremely experienced watermen should be in the water — especially at Pipeline, which is notorious for huge waves that break in shallow water just above a sharp reef, forming large, hollow tubes.

From our Airbnb in Kailua, on the east side of the island, we drove an hour or so north to see this ocean phenomenon and we were blown away. We witnessed towering, clear, pale green, twenty foot mountains of water for the surfers to slide and cut their way down.

These waves are not for ordinary mortals but for expert professionals who know how to handle them, but it is still very dangerous. Additionally, for the typical tourist, timing a trip to coincide with the big waves is never a guarantee and we were so fortunate! Three days after we left the waves even climbed to fifty feet!

It was an adventure checked off the bucket list for many of us in our group. Mesmerized by these gigantic, scary waves we literally stood for hours watching surfer after amazing surfer, catch these beasts.

There were spectators lining the sand and photographers from around the world trying to capture these waves on video. The curl of the waves are just far enough away that with my lens it was a challenge to capture the magnitude of their power. Below is a video of the action around me on the beach at Pipeline.

After the contest was over we walked across the street from Pipeline Beach to the cutest, hippest little studio/shop on the North Shore. This is a MUST visit!

Rocky Point Collective – The Best Place to Shop on the North Shore!

Rocky Point Collective is a working art studio featuring local artists, craftsmen & innovators on the North Shore of Oahu and was created by Mia Russi. The studio is filled with clever Hawaiian design, cool beach products, gorgeous ocean and surf photography, colorful graphic art, a friendly staff and the prettiest beach jewelry called Washed Up Jewelry. We went crazy for the pieces that she makes right there in her office.

Check out this A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E SHOP! Kimi, Kylie and I had a hard time deciding which piece to buy, so we bought them all! Rings, bracelets and necklaces. So pretty!

You can find them here ==> on their Instagram: @RockyPointCollective and @washedupjewelry

The website: WashedUpJewelry.com

Pin for Later

Are you receiving our posts via email? Hope so! If not, why aren’t you? Just leave your email in the box in the right hand column.

The post Twenty Foot Waves & The Very Best Place to Shop on the North Shore appeared first on Adventures of Empty Nesters.

Travel with a large group – Fun or too challenging?

Typically, I travel with Craig or by myself. What would it be like traveling with a group of friends? Would I get enough time alone? What do I do about the travel blogging part of the trip? Will they be annoyed by my taking photos of our food and drinks? They were not annoyed in the slightest, they even helped out!

One of my biggest dilemmas of travel blogging is finding a balance between being in the moment of a travel adventure and making sure I capture just the right details. I do take notes, but just pausing and writing down some of my immediate reactions and emotions is paramount to authenticity. I wrote the bulk of this post while on vacation, everyone else was relaxing or talking or playing games in between activities.

Party of Nine ~

We are traveling with dear, long time friends (I hate to say OLD); Troy and his two adult children, Kimi and Jack, Brad and Rebecca and our son Nick and girlfriend Kylie. Our daughter Alex and fiancé Brent needed to save their PTO for their honeymoon later this year.

There are nine of us. I wasn’t sure how that would work out and it has been seamless. We rented two SUV’s which was a superb idea! So easy to get everywhere and very comfy. Everyone is generous with their space, their offers to help with clean up or cooking or really anything that needs attention. We laugh, talk, and laugh some more. We have a lot of history together, stories to revisit, not to mention a whole lot in common.

Our friend Pam, and sister of Troy, lives here on Oahu and planned an extraordinarily “local” vacation for us. She took us to hikes we never knew about, cute little local restaurants, farmers markets and an afternoon excursion on a forty-seven foot yacht with her best friends.

Swimming party on a yacht ~

No I am not kidding. This boat was dreamy with white leather seats, a large dining area where we could relax and have salty snacks, two bedrooms and a very capable captain. After toasting with the perfect Mai Tai, we embarked from the Honolulu Yacht club. Our plan for adventure was to cruise the turquoise Pacific Ocean just off the shore of Waikiki Beach and famous Diamond Head. For me, until now, a view like this could only be seen on Hawaii Five-O! We were presented with an amazing opportunity to see the popular golden shores of Oahu from this perspective and we pinched ourselves.

We anchored offshore and dove, swam and paddled as the majestic Diamond Head watched over us. The stern of the boat would gently turn in a circle so every couple of minutes you would see the busy Waikiki Beach and then Diamond Head and so on. We all marveled at this moment in time and how fortunate we were.

Pam’s husband is a chef at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and he made us dinner after our cruise. Really… juicy steak with spicy Chimichurri sauce,Yukon gold potatoes, broccoli rabe sautéed in olive oil and lots of salt and pepper, Caesar salad, and fresh Hawaiian pineapple.

Friendship ~

My connection with these wonderful people runs so deep. Most of us have known each other since high school, but Craig and Brad met in third grade. This is what life is really about. Being with people you care about and finding adventure! It is quite a challenge to combine nine personal calendars and be able to get a trip planned, but we did it!

The impetus of this trip was an extraordinary meal with Outstanding in the Field at Kualoa Farms where Jumanji and Jurassic Park were filmed. We all stayed in an adorable Airbnb in Kailua, on the east side of Oahu. If you polled everyone in the group, it would be a unanimous thumbs up! It was a very successful, fantastic trip and we will attempt to do this again somewhere new next year if possible. Traveling in a large group was easy for us!

Have you planned a trip for a large group? Was it successful?

Do you know other travelers who would enjoy the post? Please forward to them!

You can find us here:  Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, check out our photos on Instagram, or pins on Pinterest

The post Say Yes to Travel with a Large Group of Family & Friends appeared first on Adventures of Empty Nesters.