Our Favorite Coffee, Food, + Sights in San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

Josiah gets a handful of days off surrounding Easter and as chance would have it we scored some super cheap tickets to San Juan, Puerto Rico that corresponded perfectly with those dates. It was a quick trip, but it was the perfect piece of paradise mixed with urban culture that we needed after a long Midwest winter.

One of the great things about Puerto Rico is although it’s a bit of a hop, skip, and a jump to get to from Nebraska — about a 2 hour flight to Atlanta and then another 3.5 hour flight from Atlanta to San Juan — it’s still technically a U.S. territory so there’s not a huge hassle with customs and such. Definitely a fun getaway that allows for some great beach time, but also feels like a dive into a unique cultural experience as well.

It’s far fetched to call this a “guide.” It’s more a a list-of-things-we-loved-that-hopefully-inspire-your-next-adventure! Thanks for stopping by!

Where we stayed

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t decided to go to San Juan because of this cute hotel (and the cheap tickets obviously). Mood Haus has such a funky, groovy vibe and although in my personal decorating I generally gravitate towards, calm neutrals, something about the poppiness of the color just drew me in. The unit we stayed in was a studio apartment that included a full kitchen that we used for a handful of meals. There was an adorable little porch with a hammock that we spent almost every afternoon and early morning reading on. We did have a ground level room so our view wasn’t amazing, but next time I would try to get a second floor room with a porch for a bit more privacy.

The location of this hotel was pretty dang perfect. It was nestled in Ocean Park — a very artsy, hipster neighborhood only a few blocks from the beach. We had a ton of great coffee and food options within walking distance which was perfect since we didn’t have a car.

The customer service of this hotel was fantastic. They offered flexible check-in and check-out times and were really responsive anytime we needed something. Their sister hotel offered complimentary beach-front yoga (times were limited because of COVID so it never worked out for us to do it, but next time we will definitely take advantage).

One thing I didn’t love about this hotel, and it likely comes from everything being made of cement, but there was a slight musty smell that was present throughout most of our stay. For the price this was a really fun stay.

OUR FAVORITE COFFEE

Café Con Cé - This shop had a really cute back patio where a lot of digital nomads were hanging out. It was super close to our hotel so it was generally our first coffee stop of the day.

Comunión - This shop had stunning floors and citrusy espresso! It seemed like a great place to hang out and get work done.

Café Regina - This was hands down our favorite! I’d highly recommend the iced cashew milk latter (honey, cinnamon, + fresh, creamy almond milk) and any of their sandwiches! We ate here every day for breakfast and still contemplate quitting our jobs and moving to Puerto Rico just to be able to go to this shop every single day.

Filtrado - This place is located in Old San Juan and they definitely do specialty coffee right! The barista was so kind and knowledgable. They have a super cute alleyway to sit in behind the shop where we hung out during a particularly rainy part of the day. It’s the perfect spot to bring a book and sit on a pour over of your choice.

787 - This one was definitely off the beaten bath! It was tucked away from the water up into the hills of San Juan. This place had an adorable swing chair that I fell in love with, but the coolest thing about them is the fact that they GROW THEIR OWN COFFEE! It does not get more local than that.

Transportation

The city itself was really easy to get around in. For the most part we walked (we really, really like walking), but there were a handful of times we did use Uber (to and from the airport, getting to Old San Juan — the historic part of the city, and when we walked further than we realized and didn’t want to walk back.) Renting a car isn’t necessary if you’re just going to stay in the city because parking is awful, but if you do want to venture to the El Yunque Rainforest (which we will totally do next time!) it’s probably best to just rent one.

WEATHER

As you’d imagine the weather was warm and balmy, BUT It did rain some of the days we were there which definitely caught us off guard a few times. I’d definitely recommend ensuring you have a layer to protect with you when you’re out and about just in case! The temperatures were in the 80’s and it was perfect! It did get pretty toasty in the middle of the day so we usually planned to take a break from the sun from like 2-4.

Food

La Preña - This place had a very casual atmosphere (which is what I’m into 90% of the time!) and all outdoor seating (which I am into 100% of the time). We had a mojito colada (it’s a lime + mint piña colada) that was delicious and so refreshing! The yukka fries were super crispy and the perfect side to the fresh ceviche.

La Cueva Del Mar - The shrimp tacos were fabulous (better than the fish ones) and their empanadas were amazing (defiintely recommend the spicy crab and beef).

La Crema Heladeriá - As if you need an excuse to get ice cream on vacation, but if you did, all you need to know is that they have hot honey ice cream with honey comb chunks. 10/10.

Tresbé - This place was right next to our hotel, but the reviews weren’t that amazing so we held off on trying this until our last night. Out of hangry desperation we decided to give it a shot and OMG it was sooooo good. We had phenomenal pork and chicken tacos! Don’t listen to the google reviews — our service was great and the food was so good!

Lote 23 - An outdoor food hall full of really, really cool options. Josiah got a pulled pork sandwich that had bacon, banana, and peanut butter on it which was TO DIE FOR and I got a really fresh poke bowl that was super filling without feeling too heavy.

Café Regina - This shop was already mentioned in the coffee favorites, but worth mentioning the food options as a favorite as well. We went here at least once a day working our way through the sanwhich menu and didn’t find a single thing we didn’t like. They have delicious pastry options as well that make for a great afternoon treat on your walk back from the beach!

Sights

Old San Juan - Just walking around this historic area will provide a lot of entertainment — the architecture is just so, so gorgeous. The colors and details of the buildings will keep you looking left and right! You will have a lot of photo opportunities around every corner! There was a farmer’s market and lots of restaurants and shops. It is a very touristy area, but totally worth going and walking around at least once while you’re in San Juan. It was a short Uber ride from our hotel.

Castillo San Felipe Del Morro - I wasn’t sure if this place would be worth the hype, but it 100% was! If you’re already heading to Old San Juan to do some exploring you have to pop on over to this incredibly old (like built in the 1500’s) castle fortress used through a series of wars over the last couple of centuries. We happened to be there on a day that all the national park’s were free, but if you aren’t so lucky it’s $10 to enter and I really think it would be worth it.

The Beach - Obviously we loved hanging out on the beach! We spent most of our beach time at the beach just north of cafe regina since it was the closest from our hotel. The beach was clean and overall quiet!

Next Time

Although this trip was great there are definitely things we would like to do next time!

• Rent a care to go to the El Yunque Rainforest

• Tour the Bacardi Factory

• A Puerto Rican cooking class

• Kayak the bioluminescent waters

If you’re planning a trip hopefully these will give you some ideas and if you’ve gone to San Juan I would love to hear what you loved!

Our Preparation Canyon Camping Trip

We’ve lived in Omaha for almost 4 years and the fact that we ended up here still surprises both of us. We love big experiences and feel our most selves when we are hiking mountains or swimming in lakes or oceans and Omaha doesn’t necessarily have any of the above in close proximity. HOWEVER we have recently started embracing the outdoor experiences that we DO have within driving distance of us and we have been surprised at the places we have found! Our most recent little weekend trip took us on the Loess Hills Scenic Byway which offered a combination of bluff views and rolling hillsides and landed us at Preparation Canyon State Park.

where we stayed

Preparation Canyon offers ten dispersed camping sites that are first come first serve. When we planned this trip we were feeling more of a car camping vibe (camping where your car is more accessible vs. backcountry where you have to carry everything into the woods) but next time we will for sure do the dispersed camping situation. This time though we booked a last minute reservation at a little mom and pop campground called Loess Hills Hideaway just outside the park.

The campground had 6 rv/tent sites available with electric hookups. The campground also had a couple of rustic cabins that could be rented. There was a community shower house/ bath house that was well maintained and very clean. There was wood for sale and even a washing and dryer if you needed it! The campsites were $15 a night and although they were very close together we lucked out with a spot on the end and didn’t have any neighbors. Worth noting it is cash only and there isn’t reliably someone there to give you change — so bring exact cash. The campground itself is very quiet which was exactly what we were looking for. It’s about a 7 minute drive to the southeast parking lot of Preparation Canyon so you can quickly hit the trails even if you opt to not stay at the state park. We didn’t have time, but there are also a few trails that you can access directly from the campground.

The hiking

Preparation Canyon State Park is nestled in the Loess Hills and it’s only an hour straight north of Omaha.

Whether you’re going up for the day or planning a camping trip in the area I highly recommend throwing on some hiking boots, a camel back, and some snacks and hitting the trails. A few things worth noting — as with a lot of central Midwest hiking, the park and trails are not marked as well as they could be. But do not be deterred, it’s still 100% worth your time. I just wish we would have had a little more guidance before we went.

We struggled to find parking when we just followed the google directions to get into the park so I would suggest parking by the dispersed camping parking lot on the southeast side of the park.

what we cooked

This trip was short and sweet and although I’d love for every meal to be photo-worthy I knew for sanity sake I had to keep the meals for this trip simple.

Dinner

We’re relatively new to camping still (only about two years of experience) and are still finding out camping groove, so we decided to try making foil packs for the first time. If you’re unfamiliar it’s a super simple camping meal that’s literally just chopping up veggies/potatoes and whatever protein you want, tossing it in olive oil, sprinkling it with salt, wrapping it in foil, and throwing it on the fire. The cleanup is minimal and the flavors that result from the food cooking together is just top notch. To make things even more simple I chopped all my ingredients before we left the house so as soon as we were ready to eat I could just toss everything in the foil!

We used squash, potatoes, and onions for our foil packs and they were super delicious!

Dessert

Keeping with the super simple theme, but knowing we would want something sweet, I packed a chocolate bar and a jar of PB to satisfy that post-dinner craving. Keep your chocolate in the cooler to ensure it doesn’t melt!

Breakfast

When we left for this trip I was trying my darned to not go to the store so our breakfast situation is a little random. I grabbed a bad a Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi, sautéed it in some coconut oil, added in some mixed greens once the gnocchi was all crispy, and then topped it with some sunny eggs. Super random, but it was truly so filling and satisfying.

The sunset spot

Loess Hills Overlook was a stunning place to watch the sunset. There’s a trail that is accessible from the overlook which we are certainly going to do next time. We went to the overlook in the middle of the day and took in the gorgeous rolling hills and wildflowers and knew we needed to return for sunset.

When we arrive for sunset there was a group already hanging out at the top of the overlook so we decided to just back up our car, pop the trunk, and lounge in our car to have more privacy. I truly was blown away by the incredible sunset colors.

If you’re in need of a little getaway from Omaha or just wanting to immerse yourself in nature I can not recommend this area enough!

Our first (and Likely last) Camping Trip + A Guide to Eau Claire, Wisconsin

If you're not caught up from my instagram, here's the story. Five months ago Josiah and I had to move out of our Chicago apartment because of an act of violence that made it no longer safe to live there. Instead of just moving to a new Chicago apartment, we both figured out how to make our jobs mobile, bought an old camper, and renovated it in hopes of traveling the United States for six months to a year. A lofty and insanely adventurous endeavor for sure. 

Knowing we were still tied to Chicago until I finished wedding season, we decided to take the camper out for a short test run to get a feel of what things would be like living in it for an extended period of time. We quickly learned that hauling a camper across the country was no willy-nilly task. We left on a Friday after Josiah got off work and what was supposed to be under 5 hours took us over 6 hours to get there. This included bottoming out the camper midway between home and Eau Claire resulting in the camper pulling in a tug-of-war fashion the entire rest of the way and also resulting in both Josiah and I’s blood pressure staying at an insanely unhealthy level for nearly 2.5 hours. Not the greatest start.

We arrived at our campsite and began setting up IN THE DARK. A series of other mishaps and fails quickly opened our eyes to the difficulties that could easily arise living full-time on the road. When Josiah woke up on our last night in Eau Claire, I reluctantly uttered the words "I hate camping." He's always been the one more into the idea than I, so I was surprised and really relieved when he replied, "Me too." 

Over Labor Day Weekend, despite our hesitation because of how stressful the last trip had been, we packed up our camper and towed it to a state park that was 30 minutes from our house only to realize that something was wrong with one of the electrical connections on the camper leaving us with zero electricity. My dad, Josiah, and one of my parent's friends tried everything imaginable to get it to work and after two solid hours, we resolved to just tow the camper back home.

Just a few days after our second failed attempt, our jeep was totaled in an accident leaving us with nothing to pull it with. Fearful of being halfway across the country (trying to work!) and dealing with the incessant list of issues that seam to arise, our cross-country road trip we had planned, has been put on the back-burner. So as of now Eau Claire, Wisconsin still stands as our first and only camping trip. Whether future trips will happen or not, who's to know. Maybe we're just Airbnb people after all. Either way, renovating the trailer was half the fun. (Or three-quarters. or 99.9%) and we were so happy to have had the experience!

Below you will find recommendations if you are visiting Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Food

• The Nucleus - A really great brunch place.

• Informalist - The farm-to-table restaurant we went to for our anniversary dinner.

• Farmers Market - There are so many vendors and it's all under a covering so even if it is raining it's worth going.

Coffee

• Shift - A super cute bike and coffee shop put together.

• Racey's - A dog-friendly little coffee shop connected to The Nucleus. You can actually order food from the Nucleus and eat at Racey's.

Sights + Shops

• Farmer's Market

• Downtown trail - A fun, paved trail that goes through the downtown and by the river.

• Lake Wisotta State Park - Great Hiking!

• Mount Simon - This is only a short little hike to get some great views of Eau Claire.

• Volume One: The Local Store - A super cool gift shop that sells all local goods.

• Revival Records - A really cool record shop!

Our Favorite Coffee + Food in Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville, oh Nashville, where to even begin. To be honest, Nashville has never been at the top of my list of places to visit. Country music has never been my thing and I had many other cities I still hadn't made it to yet that I considered "higher priority." But when some of our best couple friends invited us to join them in Nashville for the Fourth of July, we dropped everything and went. We spent three days there and despite the ridiculously intense heat, we enjoyed a lot of wonderful coffee and a lot of amazing food and I started to see where all of the hype surrounding this city came from! The lack of traffic and absence of general business alone (in comparison to Chicago) had me ready to sign a lease and move. Still not out of the question. ;) I can't wait to plan another visit! Here is a round up of all of the places we loved! If you've been to Nashville, share with me some of your favorite spots!

Hattie B's

Not a healthy place in the slightest, but worth every fried bite! Hattie B's serves up hot chicken to your preferred spiciness level and it is so good! Although fried, the chicken isn't nearly as greasy as a lot of other fried chicken I've had. I got the medium spiciness chicken tenders with coleslaw and fries. Highly recommend!

Pinewood Social

If you're not on broadway with all of the tourists, this place is the place to be! It's a super chill bar / coffee shop / bowling alley full of photo-worthy couch sitting areas. They also have a patio full of yard games and even have a pool! We spent our first evening here and contemplated another. It's the perfect spot to work during the day or cap off the evening at. Obsessed! 

Dose

Coming from Chicago I was initially slightly underwhelmed by the amount of trendy coffee shops in Nashville, but although there were few, the ones we went to, were great! Dose was no exception. My only consistent disappointment was the lack of oatmilk (my favorite non-dairy alternative), but eventually I anticipate some shops to start carrying it. Dose served up an amazing iced almond milk latte, drip coffee, and a very unique avocado toast (with roasted corn, jalepenos, feta, and pickled onions). It was super close to our air b and b in East Nashville so we popped over there a few times. They had a nice, bright vibe and a wide selection of tiems that I really enjoyed. Definitely recommend checking it out! 

Five Daughters Bakery

Known for their 100-layer donuts, this adorable bakery is a MUST if you're in Nashville. Josiah and I shared a peanut butter chocolate one that was really good! Next time I am going to try one of their paleo donuts! 

Burger Up

Although Burger Up is known best for it's beef burgers (obviously) after having Hattie B's fried chicken the night before, I decided to go with a lighter option. I ordered the quinoa patty and a kale salad with parmasan, hazelnuts, and dried cranberries. Oh my gosh, it was so good! Everyone else ordered different burgers and they raved about theirs as well. Definitely a solid place! 

Barista Parlor

I would consider this a coffee shop for serious coffee lovers, but it was super fun! It's a very open space that had a lot of tables available if you wanted to work here during the day. Although I paid almost $8 for an iced almond milk latte, it was so tasty! The neighborhood (Germantown) that this coffee shop was nestled in was cute and fun to explore too. 

Biscuit Love

I don't want to hype this place up to much because I probably wouldn't wait an hour in line again to eat here, but it was a fun experience and seems to be considered a staple when visiting Nashville. I ordered the sausage hash with two sunny side eggs and it was really tasty! According to everyone else at our table the biscuits seemed to be a bit overrated though. 

Ugly Mugs Coffee & Tea

The name alone makes me love this place! They serve up an amazing iced almond milk latte and according to my friend Caitlin, vanilla latte as well. Perhaps my favorite thing about this place was their "Love Coffee Love People" t-shirts that they sold. Definitely picking one up on my next trip! 

Wild Cow

Located right next to Ugly Mugs Coffee & Tea, this adorable little hippie vegetarian restaurant is stealing hearts of meat eaters and veggie heads alike. I ordered the sweet potato black bean tacos with vegan sour cream on corn tortillas with vegan queso and chips and Josiah ordered the chipotle portabello tacos with pineapple coleslaw on the side. Both dishes were so, so good! Their menu had so many amazing options, I'm sad we only got to eat here once! Be aware that they are closed on Tuesdays so you don't make plans to go only to realize they're closed. Not that that happened to us or anything. ;)

Crema

Probably my favorite coffee shop in Nashville! it reminded me so much of one of my favorite Chicago spots. They served up a delicious avocado toast that had goat cheese on it (game changer!) as well as another amazing iced almond milk latte. It's such a bright and plant filled space --- i love it!