A few weeks ago I hosted a women’s empowerment brunch sponsored by Ciroc at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. I was truly honored to be recognized as a woman making power moves. I think it’s really important for women to come together to support, inspire and motivate one another. I make sure to surround myself with hardworking, independent women that push me to be the best version of me. Everyone at the brunch were women that I look up to that inspire me in some way or another.
“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass”.- Maya Angelou
Check out my most recent girls trip to Miami! It was a last minute trip because we found a great flight deal. Highlights include: Road tripping to Key West for a day, jet skiing, staying at the Versace Mansion, and a girls night out on the town! See below…
It’s no secret that Christmas through New Years is the busiest time to travel. Unless you make plans months in advance, your travel options are pretty limited if you hold off booking until the last minute–especially if you don’t want to pay an arm and a leg. Since my schedule changes daily and I wasn’t able to book a big trip in advance, this year I kept it low key and went on a road trip with my sister and best friend. I had always wanted to visit the White Sand Desert, so we decided to hit the road and drive to New Mexico from Los Angeles.
Our first stop: Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Albuquerque: We drove thirteen hours straight to Albuquerque (yes, it felt as long as it sounds) and spent the night there. We left LA around 7am and arrived in Albuquerque around 8pm. I always do my research on what to do and where to eat when I visit a new place, so we had a game plan for dinner. We were exhausted from the drive so wanted something casual and comforting and decided to try Frontier Restaurant. I’m all about hole in the wall spots and this place was right up my alley. It has a vintage Western theme and serves authentic Mexican food—and the best part: it’s open late. The menu is extensive and reasonably priced- you can get a burrito for as little as three dollars. New Mexico is known for their green chile, so I ordered the Frontier Burrito with green chile sauce. It had beef, beans, and green chile inside, and green chili stew and cheese on top. It was delicious. Also, be sure to try one of their warm freshly baked cinnamon rolls for dessert. Killer.
Next stop: Taos, New Mexico.
Taos: The drive from Albuquerque to Taos was two and a half hours and we were surrounded by snow-covered mountains. I’m a Cali girl, born and raised, so seeing snow is exciting. The drive through the snowy mountains to Taos was really beautiful. Taos is a small town surrounded by the Sangre De Cristo Mountains in Northern New Mexico. It’s known for its historic adobe buildings, most notably the Taos Pueblo, an adobe complex that was inhabited by Native Americans for centuries. We spent a half day visiting the Taos Pueblo ($16 cover charge), and walking through the town plaza and shopping at the authentic Navajo art galleries and boutiques. We were in love with all of the amazing southwestern decor and turquoise jewelry.
Next stop: Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Santa Fe:
Where to stay: We spent two nights at La Fonda on the Plaza which was conveniently located in the main square, right in the heart of Santa Fe. La Fonda has a lot of interesting history. City records show that the hotel sits on the site of the town’s first inn when the spaniards discovered the city in 1607, making the property the oldest hotel site in America. La Fonda’s history can be traced back 400 years. Throughout the 19th century the hotel was a popular lodging open among soldiers, gold seekers, gamblers and politicians. It still remains a Santa Fe landmark today. The hotel was so lively and festive–it was beautifully decorated for the holidays and the lobby was buzzing with guests lounging by the fireplaces and dining in the lobby cafe and restaurant. We spent New Years Eve sipping hot chocolate by a fireplace and venturing out to the main plaza right when the clock struck midnight. I highly recommend dining at La Plazuela, the restaurant located off the main lobby. With a garden-like courtyard featuring twinkle light trees, it’s a beautiful setting to enjoy any meal of the day. La Fonda is a great place to stay and perfectly located in the heart of Santa Fe.
Where to eat:
Tomasitas: I always ask for suggestions on social media on where to eat in every city I visit. For Santa Fe, a ton of people suggested Tomasitas. We went for lunch and ordered just about everything–from the sopapillas, chalupas, and flautas to the enchiladas and tacos. My favorite was the freshly baked sopapillas with the honey butter and maple syrup.
Rosewood Inn at the Anasazi: We went to dinner at the Rosewood Inn at the Anasazi. This charming boutique hotel was also centrally located off the main plaza. It had a cozy library and living rooms off the main lobby where family and friends gathered around fireplaces with cocktails and wine. Off the main lobby is the Anasazi Bar & Lounge which is a great place to have a few drinks and delicious appetizers. The Cubanitos, Pork Belly sliders is an absolute must order. They melt in your mouth and the flavor was impeccable. If you are visiting Santa Fe, The Rosewood Inn at The Anasazi is worth a stop.
Last stop: White Sand Desert National Monument, New Mexico.
White Sand Desert: We decided to take a four-hour detour from Santa Fe to the White Sand Desert on our drive back to Los Angeles. I had seen breathtaking photos of the white sand dunes on the internet and couldn’t leave New Mexico without checking them out. It is a national monument so there is a $5 a person entrance fee. There is a long road and you can park in different areas throughout the park to explore the dunes. There are also a few hiking trails that are fun if you have the time. It was like nothing i’ve ever seen, it almost felt like you were on a white sand beach rather than the middle of the desert. We couldn’t stay long since we had a 12 –hour drive back to Los Angeles ahead of us, but it really was worth the stop.
TRAVEL TIP: The altitude level in New Mexico is fairly high, so if you’re prone to sickness (like my poor sister), you might want to make a stop at the drug store before you hit the road!
To see more of my travels visit: www.Instagram.com/NicoleIsaacs
In December I spent a few nights on the quaint and charming Coral Sands resort in Harbour Island, Bahamas. I flew into North Eleuthera from Miami, which was an easy 55-minute flight (there are direct flights into North Eleuthera from Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Nassau). Harbour Island is located off the Northeast Coast of Eleuthera Island and is just a short boat ride from the airport. I had only been to Nassau before so was excited to experience a different part of the Bahamas this time around.
Coral Sands is a boutique hotel situated on their famous pink sand beach. It’s small and privately owned, with only 38 rooms. There is charm that comes with staying at a smaller boutique hotel. The vibe was intimate–the main lobby felt as though you were in a friend’s cozy living room. My room was in the newly-designed and renovated main building above the lobby. It had double balconies and a comfortable living room area. It was beach chic and airy with lots of natural light–perfect for a romantic getaway. If you are vacationing with family or friends, I suggest looking into one of their ocean-front beach cottages, they are more spacious and give you a little more privacy.
My favorite part about staying at Coral Sands was the beach—the sand felt like silk and the water was turquoise. I now know why the beach was ranked the #1 beach in the Caribbean by the Travel Channel, it was one of the prettiest beaches I’ve come across in all of my travels. Even on a rainy day, the beach was breathtaking. It wasn’t at all crowded–I felt like I had a private beach all to myself. Most people visit Nassau or Exuma when visiting the Bahamas, making Harbour Island and Coral Sands beach one of the Bahamas best kept secrets. The hotel offers beach activities like snorkeling, scuba diving, deep sea fishing and beach picnics, and golf cart rentals to explore the island. Overlooking the beach, the open-air Terrace Restaurant is a great place to break away during the day to have lunch. With the hotel’s lagoon pool on one side and the ocean on the other, the restaurant offers nice ambience with breathtaking views. The menu offerings were pretty standard– sandwiches, burgers, pizza, salads, and seafood—but everything was delicious.
I suggest venturing out into town which is only a five minute walk from the hotel. Dunmore Town is the epicenter of Harbour Island and has an array of restaurants, boutiques, small markets, and art galleries. The town has a lot of charm and didn’t feel touristy. In fact, I barely saw any tourists–mostly just locals going about their days. If you like to hit up local food spots like I do when I travel, go to Dunmore Deli for breakfast and hitting up the Queen Conch for dinner. Queen Conch is right on the water and only a short 10-minute walk from Coral Sands. The blackened fish tacos were some of the best I’ve ever had.
If you are planning a Bahamas trip, I would definitely recommend looking into Harbour Island. It was a great island to explore and staying at Coral Sands was a great way to experience it. It is perfect for a romantic getaway or a fun place to vacation with family or friends.
