Taos is one of the most enchanting towns in the state of enchantment. At nearly 7,000 feet in elevation, this northern city sits on the edge of the Rio Grande in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the start of the Rocky Mountain range. It has a rich indigenous culture and is home to a World Heritage Site (Taos Pueblo). It’s a renowned art colony, with a world-class ski resort, majestic landscape, distinctive cuisine, and so much more. It’s a place where national jurisdictions have changed hands three times (Spanish, Mexican, American), and encompasses the past, present, and future. Here is our guide to a perfect weekend in this perfect city…

We decided to spend a recent weekend getaway in Ojai, CA. I only heard great reviews about this mountain-side “small town” saddled between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara and wanted to check it out for myself. I imagined a true small town, far inland, and away from it all. Like one of those Hallmark channel Christmas movie settings (is anyone else obsessed with those? I’m going to imagine you just said, yes.). What I got was a quaint town, only 15-20 minutes inland from the coastal city of Ventura. Surrounded by mountains and ranches, and filled with things to do and see (and eat), especially during our weekend stay, Ojai is definitely a unique place to visit. Here are a few of our favorites, to create your own ideal itinerary… 

Sayulita was once a hidden beach village off the beaten path until Pinterest, Instagram and Bachelor in Paradise took over. It lies just 25 miles north of Puerto Vallarta along Riviera Nayarit and the Madre Occidental Mountain range. It’s not only a small and sleepy beach town, but it’s home to some beautiful artisans, great beaches and surf. Not to mention it’s next to Mexico’s version of the Galapagos, the Islas Marietas. We had a long weekend to explore this colorful town and knock the islands off of our bucket list.  Here’s how to do it all in one day (because you can #SiSePuede)…

Most people agree that Joshua Tree is a magical place. Situated between California’s Mojave Desert and the lower Colorado Desert, it’s home to the native Joshua Tree (hence the name), Joshua Tree National Park and Little San Bernardino Mountains. Due to its beautiful topography and nature, it has a long history of luring in artists, hikers, rock climbers alike. Only located 2.5 hours away from both Los Angeles and San Diego, it’s no wonder why so many Angelinos and San Diegans purchase second homes here. Joshua Tree has quite a bit to offer, whether you’re there for a day, the weekend, or forever. Here’s our must-dos…

Wrote an article for Celiac.com on my travels through Texas' four biggest cities, and the best gluten-free / celiac friendly options I found during my road trip. 

The Ferguson fire that roared through the Yosemite region was scary but was no match for the brave firefighters who defended our amazing National Park.  Now that the park re-opened, we have compiled a list of must-sees and dos during your next visit. Late Summer is a great time to jump in the cool water, take a hike on a misty trail and visit the phenomenal high country. Read more via the link... 

We had a lot of fun in Seoul this past spring and I was able to get my fill of Korean BBQ, KoMex (nm, no such thing as too much KoMex), Korean cosmetics, and raccoons (yes, raccoons). The highlight was visiting the infamous (?) Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates North Korea from South Korea. Here are my favorite places, and more importantly, food items, and what’s worth visiting if you only have one day.

Walking into Santiago felt like it took forever, but I never walked so lightly, so briskly into a city on the Camino. What a feeling ! Which I believe would be more bitter than sweet, if it weren’t for this cold (slightly better) and my blister-riddled feet. Santiago is an old and beautiful city, full of history. But I seem to always visit cathedrals while they are being renovated. There were quite a few pilgrims rejoicing in front of the construction site (that’s what it was).  They were all either crying, laughing, hugging, or laying on the square’s floor, staring at the clouds and digesting their own feelings. I didn’t recognize most, but I did run into Thomas, Tongdo, Mitchell and Peter.  Peter was my Camino stalker from Hungary, who I felt the need to take a photo with in front of the cathedral (because it was a win-win situation).  As the photo was being taken, and with a heavy accent he told me that he hoped he as a Hungarian was a positive representation of Hungary, causing me to burst out into laughter. Then apologized for perhaps making me feel uncomfortable for placing his arm around me for the photo. Nah dude, you breathing heavily behind me on the trail and in restaurants made me feel uncomfortable.

Upon leaving our ´hotel,´we located a bar to have coffee and zummo OJ.  It wasn´t raining until about 10 minutes into our trail.  Having a cold, this really put a damper on things (no pun intended).  Luckily we had stopped at a pharmacy were I was able to get some herbal medicine.  I was also able to get a refill on my prescriptions I had on me.  Why is the US Healthcare system as corrupt as it is?  For example, I got 30 Tramadol tablets for 5 euros without a prescription or insurance.  Must be nice, Europe.  Must be real nice. Unfortunately, no Z-pack without a prescription. 

We decided to decline the €10 a person breakfast buffet that the hotel had to offer.  Instead we opted for coffee and gluten-free stale muffins for 2 euros each at nearby bar.  This AM was cold, and as we were leaving Sarria, I kept thinking to myself that I am sure this city has more to offer, and that we weren´t in a good mindset yesterday to enjoy it.

The church bells made it impossible to continue sleeping in our wonderful, warm and comfy beds. How are people in these towns 'ok' with church bells going off until midnight and then waking up you up again at 7 AM? Seven hour of silent sleep isn't enough. We barely made it outside before hitting a wall of 1°C cold fog, forcing us to throw on more layers. The fog gave the city this eerie vibe we weren’t accustomed to. We decided to stop at the café for coffee and OJ, and toast (the gluten-free bread I purchased yesterday). We then went to the cathedral where mass was taking place, and took pictures realizing later that there was a poster with a camera crossed off in the front. Sorry Jesus.

We thought our very mediocre hotel would’ve a least included breakfast, but alas, we paid an extra €12 extra for some empty calories. How do you say BS in Spanish? It was 10K to the first town, and the trail paralleled the road the entire time. I can’t stand when the Camino parallels the road or the highway, as it takes away from the Camino charm. In the town of Villa Franca, we met up with other peregrinos and headed up towards the mountains. Inclines are never too exciting, but we ran into Noah, from DC, who we had not seen since the first day. He told me that our friend Ana was probably already in Burgos, and thought that he too would walk the full 30 miles to get there by today. He introduced me to a couple of his Italian friends, who spoke limited English. I love being lost in translation on this Camino... Communication seems to fluctuate between hand gestures and laughter.

We had a late start, due to waiting for our bags to arrive from Orrison to Roncesvalles. Remember how I said we were supposed to stay in Orrison? So did our backpacks, but we couldn't afford waiting around for them, because of the cold weather.