KATIE KENNEDY - Page 74 of 266 -

Going Back to New Orleans

April 18, 2022

Going Back to New Orleans
📍 Warehouse District, New Orleans

New Orleans, NOLA, Louisiana, Travel, French Quarter

It was July 2012. I had just recently turned 21 years old and was off on a celebratory weekend with my mom. After going back and forth on the destination, I convinced my mom to book a trip to a certain city in Louisiana. It was everything I could have hoped for. The music, the food, the history, the people, every aspect of this place touched a piece of my soul in ways a city never had before. What resulted was a decade-long affair with the city of New Orleans that continues today. Regardless of the season, occasion, or company, I fall even deeper in love with the Crescent City. Trips and life, in general, had to be rescheduled during the Spring of 2020, and our trips to New Orleans were no exception. After a few years of replanning, I was just now finally able to return to the city I love so much. After nearly three years away, I’m so thankful for last week’s trip to this incredible city. Here’s a quick roundup of going back to New Orleans.

Revisiting Old Favorites

The list of classic restaurants in New Orleans is seemingly endless. Brennan’s, Antoine’s, Arnaud’s… I’ve had the pleasure of dining at many of them. Each time I revisit the city, I always try to prioritize a few of these classics to revel in the city’s culinary history. While some travelers to the Crescent City focus on parties and late nights, I would prefer a reservation for a five-course meal and exciting company. No matter how you decide to plan your time in New Orleans, come hungry!

Exploring New Neighborhoods

For many who visit, the French Quarter is the main focus while on a visit to New Orleans. Even after ten years, I’m guilty of that from time to time. I was so happy to spend an afternoon in the Faubourg Marigny on this trip. Just one neighborhood over from the FQ, it’s full of great music, incredible restaurants, and so much character. A true highlight of the day was visiting the Hotel Peter and Paul for lunch at their Elysian Bar. If you still have room after lunch, either scoot next door to Sundae Best for homemade ice cream or take a quick stroll to Baldwin & Co. for an afternoon coffee.

New Orleans, NOLA, Louisiana, French Quarter, Travel

Trying New Restaurants

It seems like each month, a brand new restaurant in New Orleans pops up on my radar. The cuisines vary as much as the city itself, and it’s so incredible to learn more about the chefs that call NOLA home. Last week, I had reservations at what I lovingly believe to be ‘neo-classics.’ They may not be as old as some of the favorites in the French Quarter, but I’m very confident some of these newer restaurants will be equally cherished in 100 plus years. Compere Lapin, Cane, and Table, Maypop, are just a quick list of the new-to-me spots that have been on my radar.

Traveling Via Streetcar

We had the pleasure of staying at the Ace Hotel in the Warehouse District during this trip. While there were so many things to love about this hotel, the nearby streetcar was such a perk. Whether you’re coming to or from the Garden District, the streetcar stop is right at your front door. On my last day in New Orleans, I took the streetcar along Saint Charles Avenue to explore the Garden District. It was such a lovely day and may now be my preferred mode of transportation.

New Orleans, NOLA, Louisiana, French Quarter, Travel, Brennan's

Feeling Inspired for Long Weekend Guides

I’ve recently launched Long Weekend Guides. It’s a culmination of three passions: travel, writing, and photography. I’ll be selling travel guides and exclusive digital prints to some of my favorite destinations. Gasparilla Inn and Newport are already live, but be on the lookout for our latest New Orleans edition, coming soon! There’s also a boutique where you can find links to my travel and beach essentials. Your continued support into this new venture means the world to me!

Finally Reconnecting With the City

After three years of being away from a city that means so much to me, it just felt good to be back. Although I’ve lived in New Orleans (yet- you never know where life will take you), it truly felt like a long overdue homecoming. When I write about NOLA here, I always hope that I can inspire at least one like-minded reader to see this city through my eyes.

So, I’ve written nearly 800 words on the city of New Orleans and that’s no where near enough to share my love and passion for this town. Visiting the Crescent City is truly what you make of it. If you decide to just party it up on Bourbon Street, I promise you’ll have a great time, but will sadly miss out on the soul of this city. For just over 300 years, New Orleans has been a city to be yourself and enjoy life’s pleasures. Here’s to 300 more!

Love from New Orleans,
Katie

As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.

Another Trip to the Ringling

April 9, 2022

Another Trip to the Ringling
📍 Sarasota, Florida

Ringling Museum, Ca' d'Zan, Sarasota, Florida

A few weeks ago, we had the privilege of hosting David’s parents for their week in Florida. They still call Vermont home, and we only get to see them a few times a year. So, this was such an incredible treat! In fact, we realized that this was their first trip back to the Sunshine State since our wedding in 2018. My word! Where does the time go? While hosting, we wanted to make sure we sprinkled in some fun day trips and helped them explore new corners of Tampa Bay. An obvious choice was taking them to one of my favorite secrets in the area, Sarasota’s Ringling Museum!

Ringling Museum, Sarasota, Florida, Coastal Living, Grand Millennial

The Ca’ d’Zan

When you arrive at the museum, make a bee-line for the Ca’ d’Zan. A lover of all things Venetian, the Ringlings were inspired by the Floating City in Italy to create a Gothic revival mansion steps from Sarasota Bay. In fact, Ca’ d’Zan translates to House of John in Venetian dialect. As you walk through the mansion, you can’t help and think, “if these walls could talk.” John and Mable Ringling would frequently hold extravagant parties here. Nearly 100 years later, every corner still oozes the opulence and gild associated with the Roaring Twenties.

Orange to Apple: Another Trip to the Ringling

Sarasota Bay

Not to be outdone is the bayfront façade. Here, you get a full view of the home’s stain-glassed windows and gothic features. It was enough to leave me speechless. Take a moment to take in spans of Sarasota Bay. On our most recent trip, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, allowing for the colors of the stained glass to shine. Maybe next time, I’ll bring a book to sit on the steps that lead directly into the water.

The Gardens

After the Ca’ d’zan, we took the time to walk through the sprawling gardens on the Ringling property. Mrs. Kennedy is an avant gardeners and particularly loved this portion of our trip. Mable Ringling, in particular, had a very green thumb and took great pride in her work. Her greatest joy was the Rose Garden which serves as a central point to the museum. In total, there are about 66 acres of garden space, includes 14 sweeping Banyan trees that make you feel like you’re in an ancient forest. To take full advantage of the gardens, I recommend coming during the cooler Spring or Fall months.

Sarasota, Florida, Ringling Museum, Sarah Bray, Coastal Living, Grand Millennial

The Art Museum

The piece de resistance of The Ringling must be the Art Museum. It’s the greatest testament to John Ringling’s legacy. The exterior is designed to look like a Renaissance Italian palace in the prettiest shade of pink. As you walk through the sweeping archways and statues, you instantly feel transported to Europe. Inside, there are 21 different galleries filled with Baroque and Late Medieval art straight from Ringling’s extensive collection. Throughout his life, he had acquired well over 1,000 pieces. Although I don’t have an art background, visiting art museums is one of my favorite pastimes. Walking through the museum was such a joy. I just can’t believe such a beautiful collection was right in my backyard all along.

What an experience! The Ringling Museum was the perfect excuse to visit Sarasota. As you plan a trip to the Gulf Coast, maybe even with your own in-laws, be sure to make time away from our world-renowned beaches for an opportunity to explore a different side of Florida. Happy travels!

Love from Florida,
Katie

As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.

What’s Up, Buttercup? Vol. 1

April 7, 2022

What’s Up, Buttercup? Vol. 1
📍 St. Pete, Florida

long weekend guides, weezie towels, inventing Anna, French, New Orleans

I always love knowing about what’s going on in the lives of my favorite bloggers. It helps me become more invested as a reader and ultimately creates a stronger community. Some of my favorites are Ashley’s Monday Morning Musings posts, Sydney’s Lately posts, and Carly’s On My Radar posts. Because I would love for you all to learn more about my offline life, I’m starting a new segment called What’s Up, Buttercup? Here, I’ll be sharing five things that are on my mind. I’m not sure how frequent it will be yet, but let’s say once a month. My life isn’t that interesting to make this a weekly affair. So, without further ado…

Launching Long Weekend Guides

I’ve recently launched Long Weekend Guides. It’s a culmination of three passions: travel, writing, and photography. I’ll be selling travel guides and exclusive digital prints to some of my favorite destinations. Gasparilla Inn and Newport are already live, but be on the lookout for more as I keep building my content portfolio. There’s also a boutique where you can find links to my travel and beach essentials. Your continued support into this new venture means the world to me!

New Orleans, Here We Come!

I’ve had a love affair with the city of New Orleans for nearly ten years at this point. It’s my favorite city and one that I always return to, time and again. We’re heading back to the Crescent City this weekend for the first time since November 2019. I’m getting a little emotional just thinking about it! The city has an almost mystical quality to it. I cannot recommend visiting this historic city enough!

Weezie Robes are the Greatest

I received a new cozy robe in the mail from Weezie Towels just moments ago. It has long-sleeves, a seafoam gingham print, and KCK embroidered in a beautiful French Blue. I wish I were snuggled up with it on this stormy Florida day, but I’ll be sharing pictures and a review soon. As a smaller blogger, I’m always thankful for every brand I work with. Weezie Towels has always been exceptionally kind to me, and their products are simply amazing!

Inventing Anna and Beyond

I absolutely loved Netflix’s show, Inventing Anna. It was truly such a wild ride! Although Anna Delvey conned her way through so much of NYC society, she is by no means history’s only female con artist. I recently started reading Confident Women by Tori Telfer. It tells the story of some of the greatest female swindlers in history. All of these women used their endless charisma to get what they wanted. I can’t help but wonder how their lives would have differed if they had used their “powers” for good instead of self-interest.

Learning French

Finally, I’ve found new inspiration to dive back into my DuoLingo app. One of my hidden talents is that I can easily pick up languages, but I haven’t had a real focus. Most times, I jump from Italian to French to Spanish and back again. An upcoming trip in May has me practicing my French every day. I would say a hint, but I bet you can already guess where I’ll be traveling to. The next challenge is to get David to start practicing French with me!

I hope you enjoyed this quick, little snapshot into my life. One of my goals is to share a bit more of my daily life and this may be the right place to start. Come back tomorrow for your regularly scheduled style and travel content.

Love form Florida,
Katie

Thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.