Weekend Trip to San Fran

Last weekend I met Ryan out in San Fran for a quick mini vacation together. I haven't been to California since I was 8, so I'm grateful I had the opportunity to go back and explore the city with him! Below is a re-cap of our quick weekend getaway!

Dress | Sperry Sneakers

How I book my (affordable) flights: 
Hopper

If you love traveling as much as I do, you should download this app right now. Hopper allows you to watch the trips you want to take and notifies you as soon as prices drop. The app also tells you the best time to book and if you should wait for a better price. I've booked numerous trips through this app and I can honestly say it has saved me so much money on flights!

Where to stay: 
The Grand Hyatt 

The Hyatt, located in Union Square was the perfect place for us
to stay. We were in the center of it all (lots of shopping & restaurants) and we could walk to almost everything we wanted to see. Our room was so nice and the staff treated us well. We even received a free bottle of wine & a cheese plate!

View from our room : )


What to do: 

Alamo Square:

Anyone recognize these famous houses from the Full House opening? Ryan and I got to spend a little bit of time during our trip relaxing in Alamo park which faces the pretty "Painted Ladies". If you're ever in San Fran you should definitely check this park out, besides the houses, the views of the city are so pretty!

Alcatraz:

Walking through a place where 1,545 prisoners were once held was definitely an experience. Ryan and I did the walking/audio tour of Alcatraz and this is something I think everyone should do when in San Francisco.  Bent bars and holes dug out by spoons still remained where prisoners once tried to escape, it's definitely a site to see. I suggest buying your tickers ahead of time because weekend tours sell out fast!

Fisherman's Wharf:

After the Alcatraz tour we took a walk over to Fisherman's Wharf for lunch. Vendors are lined up down the street where you can get clam chowder in a bread bowl or any type of seafood you want! Ryan got the crab & lobster roll, it was so delicious! 

City Bus Tours:

We decided to be extremely touristy one day and hopped on a City Bus Tour. After 2 hours we saw everything San Fran had to offer with the option of jumping on or off the bus at any stop. The tour covers everything you could possibly want to see in the city, so we really felt as though we experienced everything we wanted to!

Where to eat:

Anzu:

Located inside Hotel Nikko, this was a great spot for Asian-inflected California cuisine. They offer a handful of special rolls as well as sake martinis! 

Ferry Building Farmers Market: 
On Saturday mornings the Ferry Building host a huge farmers market. They have everything from dim-sum to ice cream, so Ryan and I decided to eat our way around the building. We shared the best breakfast sandwich we've ever had, a pork boa bun (a must have when eating dim sum), and finished with ice cream from the shop rated #5 on the food network. I got the "breakfast" flavor which was a bourbon flavor infused with cornflakes, it was so good!

Mr. Holmes Bakehouse:

When researching "places to eat in San Fran," Mr. Holmes Bakehouse appeared everywhere I looked! So of course I dragged Ryan here, and we split an expresso cream filled doughnut and also bought the matcha covered croissant. Mr. Holmes is most famous for their cruffin but they were sold out by the time we got there. If you have a sweet tooth this is definitely something to put on your list!

Belga:

This belgian/french/California restaurant was so good for brunch. The menu offered such great options, I had a hard time choosing what to get. I ended up ordering a bloody mary and avocado toast made with pea humus, lemon oil and pickled onions, it was so good! 

A few other places to eat at:

• Poke Time: If you like poke bowls, this is a must do. The restaurant is set up like a chipotle or salad works and you check off a list of everything you want it your bowl.
• Hong Kong Lounge II: This is a great place for a variety of dim-sum and asian food. I'm pretty sure we ordered everything on the menu!
• Colibri: Located in Union Square, this restaurant had great margaritas! I loved their fish tacos & fresh guacamole!

Thanks for reading!

Backless Midi Dress

Backless midi dress | Similar heels (for pre-order)

Wedding season seems to be in full swing and I've found the perfect dress to wear for those upcoming fall ceremonies! This dress from Lulu's is only $48, and they always have discount codes you can add to knock the price down a little bit more! The stretch knit is extremely comfortable and wraps around your figure perfectly (i'm wearing a small for reference). The round, high neckline and deep V back make this dress elegant and perfect for not only weddings, but any occasion! 

Thanks for reading! 

Favorite Workouts To Do

Fitness has always been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started off with gymnastics, which eventually lead me to a life long journey full of cheerleading & lacrosse. Every time I’m asked how I stay in shape no one ever believes that I owe my fitness to cheerleading. I've learned so much about body control, strength and core strength due to the sport that it helps me shape my workouts now.

 Since I’ve retired from sports I’m constantly trying to come up with new workouts or take new classes that are fun yet challenging. In this post I’m highlighting all of my favorite workouts/classes I’ve tried that keep me in shape.

Sports Bra | Pants | Sneakers |

Hot Yoga:

This is one of my favorite workouts to do when it’s cold outside. The class is relaxing yet extremely challenging due to the 90 minutes you spend in a hot 110-degree room. While taking these classes consistently I’ve noticed that my flexibility & body control started to improve. Another bonus, hot yoga is said to burn about 1000 calories per class. If you’re considering trying out a class, drink an excessive amount of water throughout the day beforehand because you will sweat it out. For the girls (and guys!) who live by me, check out this studio.

Aerial Yoga:

I've taken a handful of beginner aerial yoga classes and have come to love it. The class takes you through several seated positions in the swing so you learn to trust it, then the positions gradually get more challenging and eventually you start to invert. The inversions are said to help decompress your spine, it feels great on your body and hanging upside down for a while isn't as bad as it seems. I truly believe anyone can take an aerial yoga class; I've experienced classes with people of all ages and different skill levels. 

Tone It Up:

ToneIt Up has become my go to place for free workouts. Every Monday they send a newsletter to your inbox of your weekly workout and each day focuses on a different area of the body. When I head to the gym I just pull up the daily workout page on their app and immediately have a plan. This is perfect for when you don't know what to work or what moves to do and most workouts require no equipment, you can do them all at home! Each workout comes with multiple images showing you how to do each move properly as well! 

TRX Straps:

Another one of my favorite workouts to do at the gym is using the TRX straps. Even though these exercises are all bodyweight lifting, the workout itself is tough! I usually work on arms & core or I'll do a leg workout with the straps. You can find great exercises here.

Below I've highlighted some of my favorite workout gear, use the arrows to scroll! 

All photography done by: Chelsea Swanger

Check out her page here!