I love the ocean. Sailing is one thing is wished I did more often. Recently me and my friend Elyssa went sailing in Newport, it was so much fun! We had a few drinks and got some sun. I wore a great new pullover I got from Nantucket Whaler last time I was on Nantucket, it’s perfect for a day on the water!
We sailed on the Adirondack II with Sailing Excursions, it takes off right from Bowens Wharf. We had a fantastic crew, lots a laughs and tons of fun!
I definitely recommend you take an afternoon to check out Sailing Excursions!
I love summer for the sole reason that I get to wear all the cute Lilly Pulitzer pieces I have. Sometimes wearing Lilly in Boston in the middle of winter just doesn’t make sense. I love breaking out my brightest outfits during the summer because come Fall they get tossed in the back of my closet and I don’t see them again until Memorial Day.
Last weekend I went to Newport with one of my good friends Elyssa. We decided to go for the Newport Flower show hosted by the Newport Preservation Society at the Rosecliff mansion. Rosecliff is so beautiful, fun fact the old Great Gatsby movie featured Rosecliff in some of their scenes! We started the day with brunch and then strolled around downtown Newport for a little while. Thames Street is so great for shopping and people watching! We stopped at the Smoke House for some mudslides before heading over to the Flower Show. (BTW please excuse the ever present hair elastic on my wrist in all of the photos 🙄)
The Flower Show was fabulous! There were tons of vendors sent up and you can’t beat the view! We strolled through the ball room taking it all in.
After the Flower Show we headed over to Newport Vineyards to do a wine tasting. I love doing wine tastings, and Newport Vineyards is one of my favorite wineries in New England! We had a great bartender Brenden who was so helpful and fun. One of my favorite wines there is the Great White, it is the perfect crisp white wine for a summer day. It was Elyssa’s first time there and she loved the Dry Rose!
To end the day we headed over to my favorite spot in Newport, Castle Hill Inn. It is an absolutely stunning property and the view over the water can’t be beat. They have a gorgeous lawn with adirondack chairs that you can hang out in and have a cocktail. We grabbed dinner out on the patio. The food is delicious, but it wad the sunset that stole the show! We go there about an hour before sunset and it was so breathtaking to watch while we enjoyed a delicious dinner. The bartenders here know what they’re doing and make some of the best cocktails in Newport! I got a dark and stormy which didn’t disappoint.
It was a perfect day in Newport. Its just a short drive from Boston but when I do make the trip down I like to fit as much as possible into the trip! Newport has so much to offer, I can’t wait to go back.
One of the best things to do during a brutal city winter is escape to the mountains for some skiing! I started skiing when I was 7 years old and I instantly fell in love! When I was that age I would go skiing every Wednesday after school during the winter with Ski camp and I would go on the weekends with my friends and family. Unfortunately now a days I only get to go skiing once or twice a season but we always make a weekend out of it! So whether you’re an expert skier looking to take on some black diamonds or if your new and want to hang out in the lodge (read bar) there is somewhere for you in New England! Here are my top 3!
Jay is the first trip me and my boyfriend ever went on together so maybe it has a special place in my heart but trust me it is worth the drive! Plenty to do far advanced skiers and new skiers.
This is a great place for beginner skiers and families! Plus stay at the Mount Washington Hotel, its gorgeous and everyone should visit there at least once. Not a big skier? Plenty else to do at Bretton Woods!
One of my favorite places to ski! Also just a short drive to Woodstock VT if you want to take the day off from the slopes. Such a cute area of Vermont and just a 2.5 hour drive from Boston!
Now of course there a tons of other fantastic places to ski in New England, Stowe, Loon, Sugarbush the list goes on and on. If you have never skied I encourage you to go out and try this winter, take an intro lesson its hard it can be cold but it is so much fun! Tell me what your favorites are in the comments! What is a place you have never been but are dying to try?
So I know, I’m super basic! But it’s who I am and I love being basic! So this morning my roommates and I got up super early, left the city and drove all the way up to the New Hampshire boarder to visit Colby Farm. If you’re on Instagram I’m sure you have seen the pictures of people frolicking through sunflower fields, if you haven’t go take a look at their geotag it’s so magical! It is a fantasy! Peak bloom was last week but there were still plenty of sunflowers to ogle at. The sunflowers are not the only attraction there are pumpkins and plenty of goodies in the farm stand. All the place needs is some picnic tables so people can stay and enjoy the sunflowers for a little longer! I bought some banana bread and cider donuts before leaving and they were both delicious! If you can’t make it to Colby Farm this season for the sunflowers definitely put it on your list for next year!
I have been coming to the Cape since I was less than a year old, I am somewhat set in my ways here. I like to go to the same beaches every year, I have my two favorite breakfast places, and there are restaurants that are a must go year after year. The other day I couldn’t decide where I wanted to eat so I hoped on Yelp just to scroll through all the nearby restaurants, right at the top of the app Yelp informed me that a new restaurant had just opened two weeks ago, Encore Bistro and Bar.
Now as someone who has worked in the restaurant business for a while I am always a little nervous to try places that JUST opened. It takes time to get a restaurant up and running to 100%. It takes time to train your waitstaff, your kitchen staff needs sometime to work out all the kinks that may arise with the food. But this place had 5 stars on Yelp and everyone said it was amazing, so why not give it a try?
Boy am I glad I did! From the moment we walked in the place oozed New England charm, simple blue and white walls, with subtle nautical decor and fresh sunflowers. At the end of the dinning room is a large accent wall made of drift wood, hand crafted by the owners Joanne and her son. Our waitress Hannah was friendly and very knowledgable about the menu she pointed out a few dishes that had been fairly popular since the opening. We decided to star with the truffle fries, I love truffle fries and always try them if they are on the menu and these ones were amazing! Hannah let us take our time but I never felt like we were sitting around waiting for her, she helped me make the decision between the duck and the lobster Alfredo. I went with the Lobster Alfredo and my mom had the Lobster Encore, when dinner came Hannah suggested a few wine pairing for us and was spot on! For desert my mom had the creme brulee and I had the gelato, we did a splitsy and both were to die for!
It was definitely the best meal I have had down here in a long time, the lobster was so fresh and cooked to perfection. If you are in the Dennis area I cannot recommend Encore enough, tucked away right over by the Dennis Play House it is the perfect spot for a nice dinner out. The owner was so gracious floating around the dinning room checking in on her patrons, you can make reservations until 6pm but if you want to go after that it is first come first serve but we didn’t have a problem and were sat right away. If there is a wait there is a bar and lounge area you can have a drink while waiting. Congrats to the Encore owners and staff, you guys blew me away, you ran like a well oiled machine, oh and did I mention the chef Tyler is only 23 fresh out of culinary school? Bravo! Can’t wait to come back!
Truffle Fries, we had as an appetizerWhat was left of the truffle fries when I was done!Lobster AlfredoLobster Encore
Katie From Boston 