Category Archives: Drinks

Belize: Caye Caulker

March 25, 2015

belize part 1 sail boats

I’m finally sharing my Belize pictures! We traveled there at the end of December but we took so many great pictures it was hard to decide which ones to share and how to break them up so I don’t overwhelm you. We left late at night on the 30th of December so we arrived in Belize City on New Year’s Eve (also the eve of my birthday). We rode the water taxi over to Caye Caulker. It was a pretty rough ride but luckily I didn’t get motion sick.

belize part 1 caye caulker dock

It was so incredible to be finally seeing the island we had researched so much about. The warm air felt so amazing and I got really excited seeing all the pretty blue water and coconut trees.

belize part 1 walker and jessica drinks

We found our taxi driver (golf cart driver) and got quickly settled into our cabana before finding something to eat. Our driver/caretaker for the week recommended Rosa’s for lunch. It’s one of the more touristy restaurants but the food was good and finally I was sipping on a tropical beverage. Ah…

belize part 1 caye caulker main st

After lunch we all agreed a nap was in order if we were going to party like the locals for New Year’s Eve. We rested up and later in the evening got all dressed up to go out. We found a fun place to have dinner and then made our way to The Split where just about everyone on the island was dancing and drinking and having a great time. We got some tropical drinks and hit the dance floor. It had been far too long since I just let loose and danced and it felt great.

belize part 1 jessica and walker 2015

After a while we realized it was almost midnight. We made our way closer to the water and everyone began to countdown. Walker had stepped into the water and I wanted to join but I was wearing strappy sandals (and not the water kind). I was frantically taking them off and trying to get to the water before the countdown ended. 3…2…1 I made it just in time! We yelled happy New Year and happy birthday to me and stood there arm in arm watching the fireworks display. It was pretty magical. There we were,  we had just arrived in Belize that very day, we were standing with our feet in the Caribbean Sea, it was New Year’s Day, and fireworks were going off. Not to mention it was my first birthday ever to not have to wear a coat of any kind.

belize part 1 jessica on dock

The next day, or rather later that day, for my birthday we had brunch, went and hung out by The Split, did a bit of exploring, and then had a bit of a strange dinner with a very pleasant ending. We had finished our meal and were getting ready to pay and leave when most of the lights went out. We all assumed it was just some sort of power failure until we saw a very lovely looking dessert with a candle on it headed our way. Everyone sang happy birthday and it was really special. Also the chocolate torte or whatever it was was so good.

belize part 1 poolside

Over the next couple of days we enjoyed the pool at our Cabana, we tried a lot of the island foods, we shopped around town, we went to a local basketball tournament (that was so much fun), and enjoyed the sun. Walker and I also went snorkeling one day but I think I’ll save that for another post.

belize part 1 public dock

On another day we decided we would just bike around the island and see what we could find. I think that was one of my favorite days. We biked around the less frequented part of the island so it was very relaxing. We also found the public dock which was pretty scary to walk on as you can see. But how beautiful is that water! I swam around for a little while and it felt so warm yet refreshing.

belize part 1 puppy

Oh my gosh the cutest puppy in a basket.

belize part 1 side street belize part 1 walker on dock belize part 1 walker
belize part 1 jessica

On our last night on Caye Caulker Walker and I discovered a little local restaurant really close to our Cabanas where we had one of the best meals on the island. We were a bit sad that we found it so late in our trip but at least we found it. It was the perfect way to end our time on the island.

I also made a custom gold Belize charm to wear while we were there which was really fun and when I got back it was a nice conversation piece.

My first trip to birmingham

August 26, 2014

birmingham brewery
birmingham brewery beer
birmingham beer garden birmingham bonsai birmingham botanical gardens walker birmingham brewery 2
birmingham sloss

Back in July Walker and I headed to Birmingham to visit his sister and family. It was my first time there and I was super excited to visit a new city and of course be in the south. People down there are so, so nice. I just felt so welcome and taken care of the entire trip. We visited a few local breweries (one of our favorite things to do when we travel), the botanical gardens, and a few popular sites around town.

If you remember I also got to meet with the fine folks over at State Traditions which was so crazy because they contacted me about working with them just before our trip. The timing couldn’t have been better!

We spent most of our time camping while in Alabama (more on that later) but I’m excited for our next trip out because I feel like we have a lot left to see. If you know of any must see places in Birmingham or the surrounding area let me know! I like to keep a list of places to see for next time.

Juiceland

August 5, 2014

juiceland sign
juiceland beet juice juiceland cactus juiceland green juice juiceland juices juiceland water fountain

The other night we met up with some friends to see Dazed and Confused at an outdoor showing. The movie is filmed in Austin and Walker and I were both missing it by the end of the movie. Luckily I had one more Austin post planned so I could reminisce just a bit more.

One of the mornings we were in Austin we went to Juiceland to treat ourselves. The menu is full of the most tasty and interesting combinations and it had been too long since I had been. It seems to be pretty popular now because they have about 9 locations all over the city. Crazy! We got a green juice, a refreshing watermelon juice (it was pretty warm that morning), and some beet juice because the color is so amazing.

We sat in the shade and sipped our drinks. I can almost taste them now and feel the warmth on my face and the breeze through the live oak trees. Austin sure is easy to miss. Memories will have to do until our next trip out (I hope it’s not too long though).