Just spent a girls’ weekend in Austin, Texas! It was my first time in Austin, and really in Texas (I was in Waco for a few hours in 2006, but I don’t really count that). We didn’t have any major plans for the weekend other than exploring Austin. And explore we did!! Here’s a little guide to the places we ate and explored.

Had such a fun time today exploring the Museum of Illusions in Hollywood, Los Angeles. There are multiple rooms with all kinds of crazy illusions that you can pose inside of. Ever wanted to fall off a cliff? You can! Scale a building? Yes! Fight a huge octopus? Mhmm!

This weekend I had the pleasure of staying at The Row in Reno, Nevada. I’d been to Reno a few times post-Burning-Man, but never really explored the city or the resort casinos.

Another day, another hotel review! Obviously I love collaborating with hotels, and LA is one of my favorite places to visit, so here’s another gorgeous LA property for you.

While most people go North of SF just for drinking in Napa, there's actually so much more to wine country than that! Santa Rosa is one of my favorite spots, right on the edge of wine country, with so many little towns all around and plenty of delicious food and beautiful sites.

Ok, I'm FINALLY writing up this Seattle city guide from our trip in early June. Seattle is in my top 3 favorite cities (can you guess the other 2?), and I could absolutely see myself living there. It's a green wonderland - driving through the streets, you end up feeling like you're driving through a national park.

Portland has always been one of my favorite cities: it's incredibly clean and green, it's foodie heaven, and everyone there is super weird. What's not to love!

In its past life, the Sandman was a motel, but it has since transformed into a chic, hipster, Palm-Springs-esque beauty, with a sunlit lodge-like lobby, cute retro rooms, and the most beautiful pool house you'll ever see.

A few weeks ago we visited one of our favorite cities - Seattle! We stayed at Embassy Suites in Pioneer Square, right across from Century Link Stadium. Tbh, prior to getting there, I didn't have super high expectations. Embassy Suites sounds old and fuddy duddy, right? I was so wrong!!!

We recently visited Portland and stayed at the gorgeous Kimpton Hotel Vintage in downtown. The hotel was perfectly situated near restaurants and shopping, a few blocks from the water and bridge views, and directly on the path of the Rose Festival which we accidentally ran into on our first night in Portland!

I recently flew to Los Angeles for a few days for a work trip, and the lovely @chelseapearl joined me. If you know me, you know L.A. is one of my favorite places! There are so many fun new spots to visit every time I go, so I figured why not start recap'ing my trips!

Kimpton's newest location is also it's most luxurious. La Peer is located right off Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, and I was lucky enough to stay there during my last trip to LA. And guess what... I'M OBSESSED.

If you know me, you know that Palm Springs is one of my favorite places to relax and take photos. It's an incredible desert oasis, pulled out of a different time, where phones don't get service and poolside brunch is a state of mind. 

Kimpton is one of my favorite hotel groups in the States, and luckily, I had the pleasure of staying at the Gray in Chicago (and their newest location, in LA: La Peer, look out for a blog post on that coming soon!). Each of Kimpton's hotels is unique, reflective of the city and neighborhood it's in, and incredibly luxurious, with signature accents like a gorgeous tub and shower combo.

Most people aren't aware that there is a strange, colorful oasis in the desert between Los Angeles and San Diego. I heard about it many years ago and have always wanted to journey to see it for myself. A few days ago, I finally made it, and it felt like home.

I don't actually remember the first time I came to LA, but I know that since then, it's felt like a second home. 

I loved staying at Innside New York Nomad during NYFW. The location is super central to everything, the space is large and beautiful, the views from the rooms are incredible, and the beds are seriously the most comfortable ever.

During my trip to the Napa Valley Film Fest, I had the incredible opportunity to stay at Calistoga Motor Lodge and Spa! I'd never heard of this hotel before, and the name threw me off a bit, but oh my gosh, it's the cutest, hipster kitsch-iest, comfiest hotel with rooms that are made to look and feel like motorhomes, but in the best possible way.

Little-known fact about me: I'm not a huge fan of fiction in movies and books. Nor do I drink alcohol. So, Julia, why did you want to go to the Napa Valley Film Fest, you ask? Because: nature, gorgeous venues, documentaries, food presentations, and celebs ... duh.

One thing that my husband and I have in common is that we much prefer driving to flying, so naturally, we love exploring our state and the states around us on road-trips. Last week we drove up the coast to Eureka, which is a little town in the redwood forests of Northern California.