This was a year like no other, one that was not exactly conducive to travel. However, we were fortunate enough to have taken several amazing trips before and after the pandemic began. And we rounded those all up in this week’s podcast episode. Listen to episode 3 right here for our top 10 trips of 2020!

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Transcript: Our Top 10 Trips from 2020

Juliana: Hello, bonjour, hola. We love traveling this year, but it was a bit different for everyone. We rounded up our top 10 trips from 2020. This year, we were able to take some trips that were far from home, but also ones close by.

JQ: This is Travel Babies, a podcast on all things travel. I’m JQ from the travel blog, JQ Louise.com.

Juliana: And I’m Juliana from Travel Juliana.

JQ: Each week we talk about important travel topics to help you decide when, where, and how to explore the world in style. Let’s get to it.

Hong Kong 

Juliana: So, Jacqueline, your first trip this year was to Hong Kong. What airline did you guys fly?

JQ: So we actually flew Virgin, so we flew Virgin Atlantic to London and then from London on to Hong Kong and we got to try their amazing life flatbeds. It was super cool. And since we flew on Christmas Day, all the staff were actually wearing Christmas outfits and it was really festive.

Juliana: OK, cool. So where did you guys stay when you got there?

Juliana: So we actually got to stay at the amazing St. Regis Hong Kong. It was brand new. The hotel had just opened and we actually got to try out the St. Regis Butler service. So we even had a butler unpack us when we arrived.

Juliana: Wow. So cool. So I also see that they have a really cool pool.

JQ: Yeah. So thankfully Hong Kong is nice and warm even in December and January. So it was like seventy or seventy-five most of the time we were there. So we got to go to the pool a little bit.

Juliana: So what else did you guys do when you got there?

JQ: So Hong Kong is filled with things that do you would literally need a lifetime to do everything. But we tried to hit all the highlights. The first one is heading up to Victoria Peak on the peak tram. So this is a little tram car that you take up the mountain. And this is where people get those classic photos of, you know, overlooking the Hong Kong Bay and Kowloon and just all the skyscrapers. It was so amazing. We loved it.

Juliana: And then I also heard about Big Buddha. Tell us about that.

JQ: So another classic Hong Kong thing to do is you take the subway out to an island takes about 45 minutes to an hour on the subway. All of a sudden you’re out of Hong Kong, you’re out in literally like a tropical bay. So you’re on an island, you know, you’re far away from all the skyscrapers. And what you do is you hop on the Ngong Ping 360car and this takes you to another island where you get to see the big Buddha. So it’s literally a gigantic Buddha on one of these islands and even just getting there as part of the adventure. So these cable cars, it’s about a ten minute ten or fifteen minute ride, I think. And you get to just enjoy the views. And if you pay a little bit extra, you can get what they call a crystal cabin, cable car.

Juliana: So what’s that?

JQ: So the crystal cabins, you know, in a cable car, just like if you’re on a ski mountain and normally the floor, you know, you can’t see out of the floor. But if this one it’s a glass floor.

Juliana: Cool. So you must have got some really cool views from there.

JQ: And you’re going over the ocean. You’re going over mountains and trees, and it’s just an amazing view.

Juliana: So Hong Kong has a lot of temples, right. you guys visited a few..

JQ: There’s so many temples. One of our favorites was right in central Hong Kong called the Man Mo Temple. So this one is beautiful. It’s known for all of its incense and it’s free to enter. You can just walk in, check it out. And it’s important to remember that all visitors should be respectful because these are spiritual and religious sites as well as historical sites. So, you know, just be respectful and, you know, really just explore and try to soak up the culture.

Juliana: So there must have smelled really good when you were inside with all the incense.

JQ: Yeah. Oh my God. It was so nice. And it was so, you know, it really felt like an authentic experience.

Juliana: Cool. Did you guys visit any other temples?

JQ: So we went to a few. One of them was the Chi Lin Nunnery. So this is actually on the Kowloon side of the bay and this is a huge complex. So this is a historical nunnery on the calendar side of the bay. And it was another beautiful temple complex to check out. And even though the day we visited it was a little rainy, it was still really cool. We got some great photos and it was a lot of fun.

Juliana: Cool. And I also heard that Hong Kong has a lot of parks all around the city.

JQ: Yeah. So even though Hong Kong has so many skyscrapers and it’s super modern, they have invested a lot in public green spaces. So, you know, you definitely have to check these out. And honestly, they’re hard to miss. There are lots of parks everywhere. And one of the cool ones is Hong Kong Park. And this is home to the Edward Youde Aviary. And this is literally a public aviary in the middle of Hong Kong.

Juliana: And did you guys see any museums when you when you were there?

JQ: Yep. So Hong Kong again, you know, they have everything. So one of the museums we went to was the Hong Kong Museum of Art. And this is on the Kowloon side, right on the bay in many of the exhibits are actually free to enter. So you can just. Walk right in and, you know, start exploring the art, and because it’s a modern art museum, there’s a lot of interactive exhibits. I remember there was this one exhibit where there were these beautiful ribbons with some beautiful paint work on them where you could just walk amongst them. And it was supposed to be like a forest.

Juliana: Wow. So cool. So were there any other notable places to visit when you’re in Hong Kong?

JQ:  So actually, right there near the Hong Kong Art Museum on Kowloon, on the Kowloon side, there’s a huge new complex that was just developed. So it’s called the K 11 Mall. And this is like an ultra luxury mall. I mean, it’s only it has couture brands, international brands, kind of streetwear brands and so on. The first few floors, it’s ultra luxury and the higher up you go, it’s kind of the more accessible brands.

Juliana: But so it’s like 11 floors of just like luxury mall.

JQ: Luxury mall. There’s really good there’s an awesome food court there, too. Like we got some really good food there, too.

Juliana: Oh, wow. Cool. So, yeah. Moving on to food. What are some of your favorite spots to eat in Hong Kong?

JQ: So Hong Kong like again, it’s such an international city, but it’s really known for its Michelin starred dim sum. Hong Kong actually has the cheapest Michelin starred restaurant in the whole world. This is called Tim Ho Wan. And this they have a few locations now, but their original was literally the cheapest Michelin starred place you could go to, like you could get a Michelin starred dish for only a few dollars.

Juliana: Wow. So awesome.

JQ: And we’ll put the link below, but you should really check out our blog on our visit to Hong Kong, because the food is amazing and I’m getting hungry juts looking at the photos.

Juliana: The pictures are so cute like of the dim sum because they put little faces on them.

JQ: It’s really cool. Yeah, they really have fun with it. I mean, there’s one place called Yum Cha . Chow is actually the word of going for dim sum in Cantonese, but there’s a restaurant now called Yamaoka and it’s really Instagram worthy. I mean, they have fun with their dim sum dishes, like there is dumplings in bonds and they put little faces and they turn them into fun little characters.

Juliana: Well, Hong Kong seems so cool. Hopefully, I’ll get to go this year.

JQ: Yeah, I’m so grateful that we got to go before all this craziness started. It’s definitely worth a trip. OK, Juliana, let’s move on to a big trip that you took before covid.

Keeping reading for the last in our list of top 10 trips of 2020!

Top 10 Trips: Medellin, Colombia

Juliana: Yeah. So in January of this year, I got to go to Medellin, Colombia. It was a really cool trip. So actually the reason I went was because my boyfriend, Pierre-Luc, was he’s a PhD student and he was doing a project that was based there. So I visited while he was there.

JQ: Wow. Yeah. Medellin seems so amazing. I mean, that’s one of the hot destinations right now because it’s kind of an up and coming city. I know there’s a lot of funky, cool stuff. And I heard they have really good food, too.

Juliana: Yeah, definitely. So, I mean, there’s a lot to do in Medellin. And of course, it’s there’s a lot of fun nightlife, especially right in the city center. There’s a lot of restaurants, bars and clubs. So it really makes for a lot of fun. And it’s pretty easy to get to from Boston. I don’t think there are any direct flights, but you just do a quick stop in Miami.

JQ: Yeah. What airline did you take?

Juliana: So I flew American, so I just stopped right in Miami. And then it was another quick flight to Medellin. So it’s definitely a trip that I recommend everybody take. I really cannot wait to go back with covid right now. It’s a little bit hard, but I really want to visit as soon as I can.

JQ: So what were some of the places you visited?

Juliana: So first I’ll start off with food because we did eat at so many good restaurants. I think the notable ones was where definitely the Tusi rooftop. So from there we just got drinks there. But the drinks were so amazing, so creative. And you get an amazing view of the city right from the rooftop.

JQ: Oh, I think I’ve seen that one on Instagram. I need to go.

Juliana: It’s so cute. Yeah. And they have like a really cute really Instagram, a will spot with, like wings where you, you know, oh, in the back and you can stand in front of it and take a really cute picture. And then another one I would mention is Restaurant El Celio, which is I think that the chef used to be a Michelin star chef and there are no Michelin stars in Colombia. But if there was one, this would definitely be one of them. We had an eleven-course tasting menu with a wine pairing. And the great thing about managing to, especially if you’re coming from the U.S. is that everything is super affordable. So, you know, you can get an eleven-course dinner for under sixty dollars. And it’s a restaurant. El Celio, it was especially amazing because we got to have it was very experimental. So like the first course was just chocolate, sugar, and coffee grinds mixed up, poured over your hands. And it was like exfoliation and then you could lick the chocolate off. It was so yummy and just such a cool experience.

JQ: It’s so cool. I’ve never seen anything like that.

Keeping reading for the last in our list of top 10 trips of 2020!

Juliana: I mean, either.

JQ: That sounds great, so, you know, what else did you do, like what were some of the activities you guys did when you were there?

Juliana: Yeah, so like I said, there’s a ton to do in managing, you know, with museums and parks. One of our one of the parks you went to was called Park Arvi which to get to, you have to take a cable car, kind of like what you took in Hong Kong. You have to go all the way up, especially from Medlin. You have to go. It’s I would say it’s like maybe 45 minutes to an hour. You go all the way up and you can really feel how high you are when you’re going up because you look out the window and you see just, you know, as you’re going up, you see the city is kind of like in a valley. So as you get a little bit higher, t

JQ: That’s where you probably got a lot of nice photos, too.

Juliana: Yeah, exactly. I mean, I did like a time-lapse video of as we were going up and it was just so cool to see all the greenery and the trees as you go up. And then once you get to the park, there’s a lot of cute spots to eat and take more photos.

Really, really definitely a must when you go in.

JQ: What about museums? Yeah, and Columbia has a lot of cool art museums.

Juliana: We went to the mom, which is the Museum of Modern Art, and they have a lot of really cool new exhibits. They’re usually changing, changing them quite often. So when you go, it’ll it’ll probably be different. And it’s you can get, you know, the student ticket price. And so it’s really cheap, really affordable. Again, that’s awesome.

JQ: Yeah. Medellin seems like a really affordable, cool city to visit, so that’s definitely on my list for 2021.

Juliana:  Yeah. And another thing that they have a lot of, which definitely makes it great for millennials and people who really want to try and eat, you know, more healthy but still experience the culture of food when they’re there. They have a lot of vegan and vegetarian options, especially in the city. So one place that we went basically every day for breakfast was called the Ceres Cafe. And it’s a fully vegetarian menu. We had amazing food every single day and always different dishes, but healthy, yummy, and very Colombian.

JQ: And did you feel safe most of the time you were there? I know a big concern with visiting Columbia and a few other places in South America. It’s just, you know, tourists are sometimes targeted. So what did you think?

Juliana: Yeah, I mean, I think like any big city, you kind of just have to watch out where you’re walking around and, you know, especially traveling in groups or pairs is probably best. I think when you when you’re clearly a tourist in a city, of course, you know, the locals who are maybe, you know, pickpocketing, you just have to watch out for things like that in any big city. So, I mean, I felt completely safe most of the time. Of course, you want to stay in the bigger city centers and stay in the right areas.

Juliana: Yeah. And I mean, your research, the downtown. Yeah, definitely. Do your research. The downtown area is super safe. You know, there’s I would say in the bigger touristy areas especially, there’s a lot of police there too. So, you know, there is a lot of crime in Colombia, but obviously only in certain parts.

JQ: Well, that’s good to hear. Medellin is definitely on my list. I’m excited to kind of explore more South America next year. Keeping reading for the last in our list of top 10 trips of 2020!

Deer Valley, UT

Juliana: Yeah, absolutely. OK, so let’s move on to the next trip. So JQ, at the beginning of 2020, you went to Deer Valley, so let’s hear about that.

JQ: Yeah. So actually it’s a funny story because our only ski trip we took this year was actually to Deer Valley in Park City and it was supposed to be the first of many because we love skiing. But you know how things turned out. We actually had a huge ski trip as our first and only ski trip this year.

Juliana: So how is the skiing there? I’ve never been out west.

JQ:  So this was our first time skiing out west, too. And it was awesome. I mean, they call Utah as the place with the greatest snow on Earth. And it was definitely true. I mean, there was tons of powder, tons of fresh snow, and we just had a great time.

Juliana: Great. So you think it’s more for advance and expert skiers?

Juliana: So the great thing at Deer Valley, in particular, is that no matter what lift you go to, there are usually all types of trails going off of each lifts, others beginner trails and immediate advanced expert. So no matter what your skill level is, you can really have fun the whole day.

Juliana: Yeah, and it looks like there are some really great eating options there. So what were some of your favorites?

JQ: Yeah, so I mean, there’s so much great dining on the mountain, whether you want just a quick bite in a little lodge or if you want a real sit down meal, there’s tons of options. I mean, one of our favorites was the Royal Street Cafe, and this is located Mid Mountain right near the Silverlake Lodge. And this is a it’s a sit down restaurant. Perfect for lunch. You can grab lots of elevated classics. I mean, some of their famous things are the Crab Tower and their whole selection of burgers and sandwiches.

Juliana: Sounds so yummy. So I heard they had this thing called ski butlers. So what is that?

JQ: So ski butlers is awesome. And it’s funny because now it probably makes even more sense during covid than it did before. So basically it’s a door to door ski rental service. So since we flew out there, we didn’t want to bring our skis with us, so we wanted to just rent skis when we got there and ski butlers, they actually came to our room, fitted us for our boots and our skis. We told them what we wanted, so they brought a few options.

Juliana: Oh, great. That’s so convenient because I know whenever, you know, I’m newer to skiing and every time I’m going to rent skis, I don’t exactly know. So I feel like having someone to help you choose is really nice.

JQ: Yeah, they’re so helpful. I mean, these guys don’t really know what they’re doing and it was so nice not having to do that whole waiting in line at the ski rental place with the million other people. It was so relaxing.

Juliana: And so I know when you guys went there, you got to ski with a pro. So tell us about that.

JQ: So Deer Valley has this amazing program called Ski with the Champion, and you get to choose to ski with one of their seven Olympic skiers. And we actually got to ski with their mountain ambassador, Heidi Vossler. And she was awesome. She knows the mountain like the back of her hand. We had so much fun skiing and we literally went on every lift and we explored the whole mountain in one day.

Juliana: That sounds so cool. So did you get to ski with her, like, the entire day?

JQ: Yeah, we skied with her for like four hours.

Julina: That’s awesome. And you guys are already really good. So was she giving, like, more tips and just like how? Like just more skiing tips?

 JQ: Yeah. I mean, she gave us some tips, but it was more like exploring. So it wasn’t like a class. It was like, just like skiing with your friend, who knows the whole mountain perfectly.

Juliana: That’s so cool. So much fun.

JQ: All right. So let’s get back to skiing. You took a ski trip, right, Juliana? Keeping reading for the last in our list of top 10 trips of 2020!

Top 10 Trips: Sunday River, ME

Juliana: Yeah. So we went to Sunday River at the beginning of February last year, and it was so much fun. It’s, you know, about a three and a half-hour drive from Boston. So it’s definitely a great trip to make into a little weekend getaway.

JQ: Oh, that’s awesome. Yeah. I mean, Sunday River is great because you can stop off on in Portland on the way up, and then you only have a few more hours to go.

Juliana: Yeah, definitely. One place we always stop by near Portland or driving through is Pan Mei Miyake. I love that place. It’s so good. So we definitely stop there on the way there and on the way back I think. But no, Sunday River was so much fun. I think specifically for me, you know, I’m a more beginner skier. I took a lesson. It really helps my confidence and just helped me, you know, have more fun when I was actually skiing.

JQ: That’s awesome. Yeah, the lessons are great. I mean, I think everyone should take lessons. I mean, when we were in Deer Valley, we basically took a lesson with that pro and it helped me a lot.

Juliana: Yeah. And I mean, it’s really just about getting yourself ready to ski, especially at the beginning of the season when you haven’t been skiing all year and you’re trying to get your body back into it. And, you know, for me, the first time I skied, I was just super scared. So it’s just like getting over the fear of falling and knowing how to fall and having fun with it just helps a lot. And lessons, again, like that was definitely my favorite part. And I just took a group lesson. So it was a small group of us and the instructor did a lot of exercises so I could watch other people do it first. And so it was just really a lot of fun.

JQ: Yeah, I mean, in skiing, it’s just such a great sport because it’s fun for the whole family. It’s safe. It’s it gets you outside in the winter. And in New England, it’s tough for us to actually get enough sunlight, enough time outside.

Juliana: Exactly. And that’s the one thing too I really like about it is if you get started really early, you know, you get there right when the lift’s open, you ski all day and then by 4pm you’re really tired and you’re ready to have a nice dinner and go to bed. It’s just a great way to stay active in the winter, as you said.

JQ: Exactly. Awesome. Well, that sounds like a lot of fun.

Juliana: Yeah, definitely.

And so, Juliana, so one more trip pre-pandemic. You went to West Palm, like right before all this happened, right? Yeah. Keeping reading for the last in our list of top 10 trips of 2020!

West Palm Beach, FL

Juliana: So it was just a great little warm weather trip in March. I mean, it was definitely you know, I was really happy that we we got to go before covid and everything happened. You know, it’s a quick flight from Boston. And it’s kind of, you know, I always love going to Florida like we love Miami. So I just wanted to go to a different place than Miami I liked.

JQ: How was it compared to Miami? It was really relaxed. I mean, I think it’s definitely a great retirement place. You know, it’s more of a relaxing like it’s not as it’s not, you know, not as hustle and bustle of Miami with all of the clubs and restaurants. It’s still really fun. And there’s great places to eat. Of course, there’s the beach. I mean, it’s a really relaxing place.

JQ: Yeah, that’s a nice little quiet trip. I mean, and it looks like you guys had fun, like you got a lot of nice photos.

Juliana; And yeah, it was really like there was so many hotels and restaurants and little kind of like market type places where we could take a lot of photos and grab a bunch of different things to eat. So that was really fun. This place called Grandview Market, which we went to for breakfast every day, they had like grape juice places and smoothies and a few other healthy options. So that was really fun. And again, like a really cute photo spot. And then there was an avocado only restaurant where they had, like, all different kind of avocado dishes. What he loved and then, as I said, you know, just going to the beach or the hotel pool was really great. Oh, awesome.

JQ: So what were some of the other places you went? I mean, I saw you got all those classic photos that everyone thinks up for West Palm.

Juliana: Yeah. So, I mean, we definitely checked out a lot of the main spots. We went to the Colony Hotel, which is really cute. They have like, different really pretty wallpaper all over the place on every floor. So basically we were just going every four and what like want to take pictures.

JQ: Oh, it was different.

Juliana Yeah, every floor and all the like. The lobby was different. The bathroom was even so pretty like so colorful and so summery.

JQ: I remember those photos now.

Juliana: Yeah. And then the other place we went to was the Breakers and that was just such a cool like a huge mansion property. You know, you go down and there’s a really, really long driveway to get in. So we are Uber dropped us off, at the beginning of driveway. We walk down. There’s so many pretty flowers all along the way, like they really keep it looking nice. And then we just grabbed a drink in the hotel bar. It was so much fun, such a cool interior to like. It really felt like we were in some kind of mansion.

JQ: Yeah, super historic. That’s so cool. Yeah..

Juliana: So then when we got back, everything kind of blew up with Covid and there was a really long period where it felt like we just couldn’t even leave her house and couldn’t travel. So, you know, once things started to open up, where was the first place that you traveled JQ?

Keeping reading for the last in our list of top 10 trips of 2020!

Top 10 Trips: Camden, ME 

JQ: So once things started to reopen and we knew it was safe and there were, you know, all the protocols in place in the first place that we went was actually for my birthday weekend. We headed up to Camden, Maine, and we stayed at a hotel that’s been on my list for years. We stayed at the Camden Harbor inn.

Juliana: Oh, yeah, it’s so quaint and historical. So tell us more about that. Yeah.

JQ: So Camden, it’s about four hours from Boston, so it’s a little bit of a long drive for a weekend, but it’s totally worth it. And in the summer it’s nice because it stays light out so late. So even if you leave after work on a Friday, you still get there and it’s still light out.

Juliana: Right. Which is something I miss so much these days.

JQ: I know. Me too. So we stayed at the amazing Camden Harbor, which is a Relais & Chateau property, and it overlooks the harbor. And it’s just a really five star hotel like we had such an amazing time.

Juliana: Yeah. So you said Camden is like right on the harbor, so you kind of get like a Waterview? And how far is Camden from Portland? Just for reference.

JQ: So it’s about two hours north of port to a little over two hours north

Juliana: So even north more north of Sunday River, which is in Newry.

JQ: Yeah. So yeah, we stopped in Portland on the way up. We had a quick snack and then we just kept driving. But yeah, again, you know, Portland is always a really good stopping point.

Juliana: Yeah. For sure. So what are some of the activities you guys did in Camden?

JQ: So the hotel has a huge focus on its culinary program. They take it really seriously. So any meal that we could we really tried to eat at the hotel. We had breakfast there. We had dinner there. The breakfast was so cool because they print out a little menu card with each person’s name on it.

Juliana: Oh, so cute.

JQ: Like they had one that said, Jacqueline. They had one that said, Drew. And they do that for all their guests each morning.

Juliana: It was nice meeting you really want to go. And I heard you guys did like an all lobster tasting menu.

JQ: So what was that like? Yeah. So one of their famous things is they do a lobster tasting menu since they’re literally like a few feet from the harbor. So they get the freshest seafood ever and, you know, Maine lobster is just the best. Yeah. So they do this tasting menu and it had seven courses, all different things on it. They prepare lobster in their coolest ways. Like this isn’t your basic, you know, lobster roll

It’s like they get super creative. There were a few like Asian fusion inspired dishes.

Juliana: I love that when they incorporate lobster and seafood.

JQ: Yeah. And just some really modern interpretations of it. We’ll leave the link below to the blog all about it. We highly recommend it. So worth it.

Juliana: Cool. So were there any other, you know, kind of outdoor activities? It’s probably just like such a nice area to walk around in the summer especially.

JQ: Definitely so the downtown in Camden is the cutest little New England town. You can just walk there right from the hotel, just a few minutes to get into the downtown and into the harbor. So definitely recommend just making a little time to walk around. But also there’s a few activities that you want to do to one of them is taking a ride on the schooner surprise.

Juliana: Oh, I love schooners.

JQ: So Schooner Surprise is a one-hundred-year-old schooner and they do differently like sunset rides, lunchtime rides, kind of romantic charters. You can do whatever you.

Juliana: Always fun, and they were all open during covid in the summertime, the season,

JQ: Yeah, they were open this season. I mean, they had some, like, capacity limits. They can only have, like, half as many people. Right. As they normally do. So honestly made it kind of nice like we had there were us and a few other people and that was it. It was almost like a private charter.

Yeah. So much fun.

JQ: And then the other big thing in Camden, and we’ve done this a few times, is that you want to go and drive up this amazing mountain and it’s only a few minutes away from town, but you pay a really small fee to go up the toll road and then you drive up the mountain and you have just a sweeping view of Camden in the harbor. And it’s just like a postcard view.

Juliana: Oh, so pretty cool. And so what mountain is that?

JQ: So it’s called Mount Battie and you can just search Mount Daddy Toll Road and it should come up. So and it’s only six dollars per adult, including your car. So it’s like if there’s two people you just pay twelve dollars and then you get to drive up the road. It takes like a few minutes. And then you get to the top and you can take some awesome photos and just enjoy the view.

Juliana: Yeah. So cool.

JQ: And we even saw some people having a little picnic lunch up there too.

Juliana: Oh yeah. That sounds like a great spot for one.

JQ: So honestly, I mean I highly recommend staying at the Camden Harbor in Take a schooner ride on Schooner Surprise. Take the toll road up to Mount Battie and then just, you know, enjoy the evenings by the harbor and just strolled in downtown.

Juliana: Yeah. OK, so let’s move on to the next trip. So you took a lot of different summer trips this year. JQ So what was another one?

Keeping reading for the last in our list of top 10 trips of 2020!

Nantucket, MA 

JQ: So another big one that we did was we actually flew to Nantucket. So Camden was the first trip at all that we took out of Boston, but Nantucket was the first place that we flew since the pandemic started.

Juliana: Oh, right. So which airline did you guys fly?

JQ: So we took Cape Air compares a little you know, it’s a small airline, but they’re the experts in getting you to Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard or Cape Cod. Yeah.

Juliana: And so how long is the flight from Boston, like from Logan to Nantucket?

JQ: So it’s literally like thirty five minutes.

Juliana: Oh, cool. So that’s a really fast way faster than driving.

JQ: Yeah, way faster. You don’t have to deal with the ferry. And if you’re like us and you live downtown, I mean it takes us ten minutes to get to the airport.

Juliana: Yeah. So much quicker.

JQ: And then there were no lines. I mean and you don’t have to get to the airport that far in advance, you know. And for Cape Air, I honestly recommend get there like a half an hour before your flight because. Right. You just need time to get through security, but then your flight’s not going to board until like the actual time of the flight.

Juliana: Oh, because it’s such a small flight. Yeah.

JQ: Because there’s literally like you and maybe one other passenger and then just the pilot. Right.

Juliana: So when you guys got to Nantucket, how was it getting from the airport there to your hotel? So it was a little tricky. So this was the first time that we flew there. So I didn’t know. So I had called around and tried to ask, you know, what was the best thing to do? Because I knew others were still a little weird this summer. Yeah, they weren’t fully so there weren’t that many Uber as there normally are. So I was trying to ask around and figure out, OK, should I schedule a taxi and. Oh yeah. And a few people told me, oh there’ll be plenty of taxis just waiting but there wasn’t.

Juliana Oh my gosh.

JQ: So I ended up having to call for a taxi once we got there and we only had to wait like ten or fifteen minutes. But that’s not too bad. But definitely like preorder a taxi that we are waiting for you when you get there.

Juliana: Yeah, that’s really good to know. And so what hotel did you guys stay at?

JQ: So we actually didn’t stay at a hotel. We actually do this. So this was part of a media visit. So we actually got to stay at a gorgeous house.

Juliana: Oh, yeah, I remember seeing pictures. It looks so gorgeous and huge, too.

JQ: Yeah. So we got to stay in like this huge five or six-bedroom house that was hosted. We were hosted by Blue Flag Partners. So they’re building this gorgeous development out, in Sconset. So we got to stay in one of their model homes. And it was awesome. I mean, honestly, we got the real Nantucket experience of staying in a house. We had a huge backyard. We got to grill. We had a jeep that we drove around the whole time,

Juliana: Especially back then, like that was in, what, June or July? I think it was just so nice to have an outdoor space where you didn’t have to wear a mask where you were alone, where you could just stay outside as long as you wanted. Keeping reading for the last in our list of top 10 trips of 2020!

Juliana: Exactly. I know. So this was over the Fourth of July. So we were in Boston literally for months without ever leaving. So we were so happy. Just have fresh air and have space and have, you know, just a sea breeze it was awesome!

Juliana: I know covid really made us appreciate more, you know, smaller things that we ,just took from and took for granted before. Great. So did you guys. I know you said you grilled so you cooked a little bit. And did you go to any restaurants nearby?

JQ: So I mean we definitely. To grill as much as we wanted to, but I mean, also Nantucket has so many amazing restaurants we want to buy. Well, I mean, my favorite all time favorite is Galley Beach. And I know that’s a really popular one, but I mean, the food is awesome. Like, you’re literally eating on the beach.

Juliana: What’s your favorite dish there?

JQ:  So they have my favorite lobster roll on the island. Oh, yeah. It’s like the perfect lobster roll.

It’s the perfect size. It’s not too over the top. It’s just perfectly put together and executed and it’s just, you know, pair that with any of their cool, funky cocktails and that perfect Nantucket meal.

Juliana: Yeah. Perfect in the summer.

Juliana: Awesome. So and you guys rented a jeep. So did you drive anywhere cool.

JQ: I mean, we drove everywhere. I mean, we even drove on the beach. I mean, you know, we just tried to, you know, do kind of your classic Nantucket things while we were there.

OK, so, yeah, you actually did a bunch of day trips this summer. To which one was your favorite?

Keeping reading for the last in our list of top 10 trips of 2020!

Top 10 Trips: Rockport, MA

Juliana: Yeah, I got to do a lot of different trips this year. Rockport was definitely one of my favorites. It’s so easy to get to from Boston. We actually took the train there. So, you know, it’s about an hour and 20 minutes on the train. If you leave from your station, you go to Rockport and then once you get into the town, it’s only about another 15 minute walk into the downtown. It’s so much fun.

JQ: That’s awesome. That’s super convenient. Yeah.

Juliana: And once you get into downtown, they have all these really cute shops and little restaurants. And then there’s the beach, you into his front beach. So, you know, it’s all right there. And so many great seafood options for for lunch and dinner.

Jq: That’s awesome. I know Rock Port’s gorgeous. I mean, we actually went there this weekend. They have a little like holiday light display right now. And it’s so cute.

Juliana: I mean, yeah, I know. I want to go again this year, like this time of year just to see all the holiday stuff. But in the summer, it’s just great because, you know, in Boston it can kind of be hard to unless you’re going to Nantucket or are on the Cape, it can be hard to go to a beach. So I love going, you know, north of Boston and going to some of those beaches, too.

JQ: Yeah. And it’s awesome because those are all accessible via the MBTA. So it’s super easy if you live downtown, you just hop on the train, and then all of a sudden you’re in a beautiful coastal village.

Juliana: I know. And these towns are so quaint and cute and I just really loved it. That’s awesome.

Miami, FL

OK, great. So let’s move on to your trip to Miami JQ. So where did you guys stay?

JQ: So we went to Miami for our one-year wedding anniversary and I’m so glad we made the trip down because we actually got to stay at the brand new Bal Harbour, St. Regis.

Juliana: Oh, yeah. It looked so great. I remember seeing some pictures. So what was it like?

JQ: So it was amazing. I mean, this was our first time staying in Bal Harbour, which is, you know, in the northern part of Miami Beach. And it was amazing. We’re right on the beach.

Juliana: Normally you guys stay in South Beach.. When we went for your bachelor party. South Beach. Yeah. Yeah.

JQ: Normally we’re in South Beach, but this time we wanted it kind of a quieter, relaxing trip. So we stayed at the St. Regis in Bal Harbour and we loved it. I mean, the service was amazing. The food was amazing. The views were amazing. I mean, it was just really a five star stay.  

Juliana: Yeah. It looks just so gorgeous and so luxury.

JQ: Definitely. And we actually had an amazing imperial suite. So we had two balconies, a huge living room, a huge bedroom, huge walk-in closet. And just like beautiful modern bathrooms, we loved it. I mean, it was just such a relaxing getaway and the weather was nice. We got a little beach time, pool time, and then we got to go to some more restaurants.

Juliana: Yeah. And so you guys went in October, so the weather was still really nice then. I mean, it’s always nice, but it’s still like beach weather.

JQ: Yeah. I mean, it was definitely hot enough for the beach. We went I mean, it rained only one of the days for a little bit, but it was still sunny and hot. And, you know, we got to wear like nice summer outfits the whole time.

Juliana: So, you know, I always love Miami. So the food also looks so good. Where did you guys eat?

JQ: So we went to so many great places. I mean, we actually ate at a few different beach clubs because, again, like, you know, with covid, we’re trying to stay outside and in Miami. I mean, why not? The weather is perfect for outdoor dining. Right? So we went to the brand new one hotel Beach Club.

Juliana: Oh, I love One Hotel. The pool. The rooftop pool is amazing.

JQ: Well, and their new beach club, it’s like Tulum themed. So it’s kind of boho vibe. So cool. So that was awesome. And then went to another one that was also brand new called Joia Beach.

Juliana: Oh, cool. So how was that one? So Joyo Beach is kind of like Mikinos vibe so the decor was really cool.

Juliana: Fancy. Yeah. And it had all this like Greek food and Mediterranean food. It was like so healthy, so fresh. I mean like honestly I have some of the best just tomatoes that I’ve had in so, just so fresh.

Juliana: I know I love Miami has really great Mediterranean food. I know one of my favorite restaurants is Byblos.

Juliana: Oh my God. It’s so good. I would go to Miami just for the restaurants, honestly.

JQ: Oh, my God. Me too. It was amazing. I’m so glad we went. And last but not least, our last favorite trip of twenty 20 was actually Juliana’s trip to Puerto Rico.

Keeping reading for the last in our list of top 10 trips of 2020!

Top 10 Trips: San Juan, Puerto Rico

Juliana: Yeah, it was my first time going. It was so much fun. I really want to go back. So, you know, we went to a bunch of different places. We stayed in the Condado area, so right on the beach. And actually, when the last day we were there at the beach, they actually closed just because of Covid. So it’s crazy. I mean, the timing could not have worked out better. So it was definitely well planned. And then we visited el Yunque, which is the national park. We went there, too. Yeah, it’s so much fun. I mean, I think during covid, it’s probably less busy than it normally is because I can imagine it being so crowded. 

But when we went, there was only a couple of other cars and people, you know, hiking up to like the little kind of like the waterfall. Yeah, the waterfall and everything. The waterfall was so much fun. Literally haven’t seen anything like that before. You hike up and you’re in this, like, natural waterfall, it cools you right off because the weather in Puerto Rico is pretty humid and hot. So it is a great humid in that rainforest. Yeah, super humid there. It was actually cooler in the rainforest then, like in downtown Puerto Rico, really when we were there. We also went pretty early in the morning. So I think it just got hotter as the day went on. But the rainfall, the rainfall in El Yunque., was just so cool. I really want to go back.

JQ: Oh, that’s awesome. Yeah, we went because when we went to Puerto Rico a while ago, we actually stayed at a hotel near El Yunque. So I’m glad you guys got to go. That was awesome. Yeah.

Juliana: And then one of my favorite beaches that we went to is called Seven Seas Beach. It’s about an hour from El Yunque. So we stayed in Condado and then we drove to El Yunque, which is about an hour, and then we drove another hour to the seven seas. So it was kind of like a circle that we made and seven seasons definitely less touristy than the area. So when we went there was basically no one there, beautiful, beautiful blue water beach, like basically no sand in the water. It was just so great.

JQ: Oh, really, Crystal-Clear. I love that.

Juliana: And I got some amazing pictures. We just relax there for most of the day, and that was during the week. So maybe that was also why it was less crowded, but it was just gorgeous. And, you know, Puerto Rico has great food, you know, love,

JQ: lots of fresh stuff, fresh vegetables. Keeping reading for the last in our list of top 10 trips of 2020!

Juliana: We went to this restaurant, which is more of like fine dining in Puerto Rico called 1919. It was in that restaurant. And, you know, they have like a five-course tasting menu. It was so delicious. But, you know, there are so many great food options, too, just like all arepas. You can get those anywhere.

JQ: They’re so good. So and mofongo. Oh, I love the mofongo with the veggies and anything with yuca. I’m, I’m in. I love it. So delicious. Fried or steamed.

I love it. I wish that we had more of that in Boston. Me too. Awesome. All right.

JQ: So those were our top ten trips from 2020. And we just want to say that, you know, while this wasn’t the year any of us had planned and I know a lot of trips got canceled or postponed, and Juliana and I both had trips that were canceled and postponed. We tried to make the best out of it. And I’m just so happy that we got to do all these local trips and trips that we usually wouldn’t have taken.

Juliana: Yeah, absolutely. Me too. OK, so that’s all the time we have today on Travel Babes. Join us next time for our top five trips that we want to take in 2021. Thanks, JQ

JQ: Thanks, Juliana.