Vacation Vagabonds

14/11/2020

Marvel at the national landmarks in Washington, DC that make up America's front yard. Apart from the politicking, DC is perhaps best known for its stunning monuments and world class museums that spark awe in visitors and locals alike. Here is our DG Guide to the National Mall & Monuments for the highlights and helpful tips - from locals! “There is nothing so American as our national parks.......

http://vacationvagabonds.com/2020/11/14/dc-guide-national-mall-monuments/

Marvel at the national landmarks in Washington, DC that make up America’s front yard. Apart from the politicking, DC is perhaps best known for its stunning monuments and world class museums t…

09/09/2020

Baby, you light my soul on fire. 🌟 Exploring the mountains, spotting wildlife, star gazing, glacier lake swimming 🏔 ☀️ 💦 The mountains are always tugging at our heartstrings, and we feel so rejuvenated here. Colorado has been a welcome change of pace from our regular DC city life.
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As much as we would have loved to stay, we left at the right time ... Just yesterday, snow transformed Crested Butte, we could hardly recognize it!
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08/09/2020

On Cloud 9 ☁️ somebody pinch us, the Maroon Bells are too dreamy! 💫 We’re STILL soaking in that post-hike feeling of accomplishment after this 12 mile stretch from Crested Butte to Aspen. 🏔 The crazy thing is, rain was pouring for almost the entire hike until we reached this spot at the end. Check out our last post on why you should do THIS hike and Colorado Stories for our latest mountain adventures. 🥾
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Whatever you have going on this week, just remember, it’s already Tuesday! For our American 🇺🇸 followers, we hope you had a good long holiday weekend!
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02/09/2020

Let’s raise a glass to hump day - we’re halfway through the week! 🍻 🐪 Did you know Colorado is home to over 400 breweries and has one of the highest concentrations of beer per capita in the US? 🥾 We’ve enjoyed kicking back after hikes and sipping from local taps in Crested Butte.
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Must-try local breweries:
🍺 Public House - Modern Colorado saloon with a great patio deck serving up a wide variety of Colorado beers and good food.
🍺 The Eldo - We both loved the CB Cerveza Lager and there are a few other great beers on tap. Rooftop deck looks out over the Main Street for great people watching.
🍺 Irwin Brewing - Wider selection of beers, open Friday & Saturday afternoons.
🍹 For those seeking something stronger, Montanya Distillers makes their own rum and it smells incredible! Also some of the best food in town for a casual bite + creative drinks.

27/08/2020

All good things are wild and free. 🏔💫
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Mountain bound and we couldn’t be MORE EXCITED! Most of y’all voted Texas in our Stories, but we are heading to COLORADO! It was our first time flying in 8 months and we’ve been super anxious about it but it was either that or a 28 hour drive. So, we masked up, packed a ton of wipes and hand sanitizer, and kept as much social distance as we could. 😷
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Edited by us

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25/08/2020

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “Washington, DC”? For us, one of the first things we associate are the incredible monuments and museums! ☀️ You can still visit the grounds and Capitol building exterior currently while the Capitol Visitor Center is closed for tours, and you’ll still get quite an amazing view! More ideas for ways to experience DC safely during COVID are live on the blog. 🚘 🌼 @ United States Capitol

24/08/2020

Monument sighting from the Potomac River is so fun and gives such a unique perspective of Washington, DC. Plus, it feels at least 10 degrees out on the water, and it gets HOT 🥵 in DC, y’all.
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Recognize any of these spots? SWIPE ➡️ Check out other safe outdoors focused activities and spots to refuel🍹in our latest post!
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💦SIGHTS FROM THE WATER 💦
Key Bridge
National Cathedral
Georgetown Waterfront
Georgetown University - looks like a castle!
Kennedy Center
Watergate - as in, the scandal, that is now a mix of offices and dope condos
Lincoln Memorial
Washington Monument
Alexandria Old Town waterfront
Fort Washington
Mount Vernon @ Washington D.C.

22/08/2020

‼️Save for now or later!‼️ We’re sharing our TRAVEL GUIDE to safely planning a trip to DC in the times of COVID-19 - linked in profile! 😷 We’ve included plenty of outdoors-centric attractions, local restaurants and bars with great patio seating, and more — including this castle garden!
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Also sharing this before and after edit. What do y’all think? 🧡 @ Heurich House Museum

20/08/2020

Exploring DC’s charming little alleyways and finding hidden gems like this converted carriage house.🐴 🌱 Check out for details about another cool hidden DC gem that’s actually a castle garden and currently open for free to the public! More DC activities and travel planning tips in the age of COVID-19 about to drop too over on Vacation Vagabonds! 🧡 @ Washington D.C.

20/08/2020

WE WANT TO KNOW... What are some of the hidden gems you’ve recently discovered closer to home? 🧡👟
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We’ve been taking a lot of neighborhood walks during COVID-19 to blow off steam and found a secret garden full of wisteria 🍇 in the springtime.
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Did you know the Heinrich House 🏰 () also has a “secret” Castle Garden currently open to the public?
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19/08/2020

When it rains, look for a rainbow. 🌈 When it gets dark, look for the stars. 🌟 Can you spot the double rainbow? 👀
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This week has been quite the doozy for us, but we are doing our best to slow down in the evenings to unwind and workout every day, even on rainy days which we’ve been getting a lot of in DC lately. ☔️ We’re also working on a new Dc travel post that will go up this week! How’s your week going so far?

16/08/2020

Oh darling, let’s be adventurers. 🌞🗺 🧭
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How is it already halfway through August!!? Time flies when you’re having fun, and also you know, when you’re mostly stuck at home most of the year. 👀
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The cloudy weather in DC has really cooled things off thankfully (perfect for exploring the of you saw our stories yesterday) but has us missing sunny Michigan summer. 🐬💙

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@ Torch Lake, Michigan

13/08/2020

Looking out across Lake Michigan over the horizon, it’s hard not to feel a sense of wonder. 💫 Did you know Lake Michigan is the second largest Great Lake by volume and the sixth largest freshwater lake in the world? 🐠 Plus it’s greatest depth is 923 feet!
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We couldn’t decide, what do you think, #1 or #2?
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P.S. We just booked our next US trip and are sooo excited! Will share more with y’all on stories later today!

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@ Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail

11/08/2020

Sun kissed in the sunflowers 🌻☀️ ‼️ SAVE FOR FUTURE SUNFLOWER ADVENTURING ‼️ Finding new local spots has been so much fun! We just barely made it to McKee-Beshers about 1 hour outside of DC last night and had fun exploring a new area. Only sadly most of the sunflowers had already faded (see our stories 😂), and we had no idea there are more fields to explore where more might be in bloom until after we left. We’ll definitely check out some more spots to try to catch more!
🌻 McKee-Beshers: according to other people, there are still flowers in bloom in other fields, you’ll just have to go looking for them
🌻 Butler’s Orchard: pick your own fruit, veggies and flowers ($3 entrance, closed Mon)
🌻 Rocky Point Creamery: ice cream PLUS sunflowers! $1 per flower (closed on Mon)
🌻 Burnside Farms: over 30 types of sunflowers and a sunflower maze ($12 per person, $14 at sunset, open daily)
🌻 Clarksville Sunflower Festival: t acres of sunflowers (this year they have time slotted tickets and limited entry for social distancing)
🌻 Maryland Agricultural Resource Council: $1 per flower or $10 dozen, leashed dogs permitted
🌻 Clear Meadow Farm: typically blooms late, in September (sadly no sunflowers this year due to COVID-19)

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09/08/2020

You are my adventure and my home all at once 💫 Cotton candy skies, late sunsets, and playing with sparklers. 🔥🧡 What are some of your favorite summertime moments?

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@ Traverse City, Michigan

08/08/2020

In a world as beautiful as this, there’s no time to be bored. 🧡🐠 As a side not, I (B) think we should launch a new series of S nearly falling down, since that appears to be happening more often. 😂 ➡️ SWIPE (If you saw our post the other day, you’ll know what we’re talking about)
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@ Lake Michigan

07/08/2020

Save for later 💾 Traveling in the times of COVID. 🚘 The first photo looks pretty normal, but don’t be fooled... There weren’t people around so we posed for a couple quick photos sans masks 😷 and put them right back on.
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We popped into Traverse City, the Cherry Capital of the World, 🍒 for a glimpse of this charming little town and can’t wait to come back another time when we can really explore the town more but had fun getting a little taste.
What to Do - Recommendations:
👟 Stroll Front Street. It’s a pedestrian zone and the street is painted colorfully with shops and restaurants lining the block, plus lots of the buildings are beautiful and historic.
☕️ Caffeine buzz at Brew off East Front Street. The cafe is located in the historic Old Opera House. We took our drinks to go this time but would definitely come back to hang out once seating is reopened.
🚲 Bike along the lake. There’s a separate bike path/sidewalk with gorgeous views of the water.
🍒 Buy all kinds of cherry products at Cherry Republic. It’s honestly a bit touristy but such a huge variety of products!
🍷 Sip some wine at a local winery! There are several nearby, plus breweries and a meadery! Check out our full list a few posts back. @ Traverse City, Michigan

04/08/2020

This is what you get on the second take only AFTER you almost tumble down the sand dunes 😅 (swipe ✅ and to see just how high this was, check out our other sand dune photo of the beach a little ways back). S hit the camera’s autotimer and ran over to get into place and nearly tipped us both over. 🙈
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One thing we’ve been doing a lot more of during COVID is picnics. Just pack along something cool to sip on, some snacks (always cheese), a blanket, and voila! 🧺 🧀 🍷
This was the perfect date night watching the sunset from our private little spot way up high. Tag your adventure buddy 🙌🏼
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@ Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

03/08/2020

This may seem like a dessert 🐪 but can you spot the brilliant blue water of Lake Michigan in the corner? 💦 We’ve had so much fun exploring and sharing northern Michigan with you all! More to come!
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Now we’re back home in DC resettling in and had so much fun sharing our little urban garden and farmers market haul in Stories this weekend. 🌱🍅🌽 And we finally put away all our clothes and luggage. When you get home from a trip, do you put everything in its place right away or do you procrastinate? 😅🧳
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01/08/2020

🎶 It was summertime in northern Michigan 🎶 Yeeeep just hit y’all with some Kid Rock. 🤣 Highly recommend hiking the dunes from Sleeping Bear Point in the evening to catch the sunset, maybe bring some vino or mead (did ya catch our last post on regional wineries?). We had this outlook of Lake Michigan all to ourselves, and the sunset was magnificent! 🔥 1 or 2... full or half foot pop? Princess Diaries, anyone? 👸🏼

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@ Sleeping Bear Point Trail

31/07/2020

We found the Caribbean in Michigan! 🐠💦
Torch Lake has crystal clear waters (maybe just a tad cooler than Caribbean water) and a limestone and sandy bottom with a massive “Sand Bar” on the South end. Heavenly! 🧡
Wishing all our Friday’s looked a lot more like this. Happy almost weekend, y’all!!
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@ Torch Lake, Michigan

29/07/2020

A trip to Traverse City would be incomplete without a stop (or several) at a vineyard... It is considered Michigan wine country after all! 🍷 🍇 There are also several breweries and a meadery in the area too! 🐝
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✨ Save this post for a roundup of the prettiest spots to sip. ✨
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🍷 Mari Vineyards - Beautiful view on a hill overlooking East Arm Grand Traverse Bay and some vines on the property. Right now, they’re taking reservations for the patio and visits are limited to 50 minutes to allow cleaning between guests. We showed up without notice and snagged a spot in our socially distanced square in the grass, which had a nice view but was hot without shade on a particularly hot sunny day. Masks are required everywhere when not seated, and we felt very safe and comfortable!
🍷 Peninsula Cellars - Unique setting in an old school house
🍷 Brys Estate Vineyard and Winery - Lake views from the deck
🍷 Chateau Grand Traverse - More lake views, notably drove movement to establish region as American Viticultural Area
🍷 Hawthorne - Nice hilltop views, we’ve been told to try their cherry 🍒 wine
🍯 St. Ambrose Cellars - Head about an hour south from Traverse City to experience this meadery gem that features several taps, a beer garden, disc golf course, and food truck. @ Traverse City, Michigan

28/07/2020

We interrupt our regular programmed content for a VERY important announcement... the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is now open!!! 🐘🐝🦋🐍 With new safety precautions in place, like timed entry passes, required masks, enhanced cleaning, and one-way traffic, we can’t wait to go back to one of our favorite DC activities and FINALLY see the cheetah babies we’ve been watching grow up on we**am. *pic taken pre-COVID*
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@ Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

27/07/2020

Monday’s made better with ‘za and magical sunsets 🍕Tag your pizza buddy!👇🏼 Lake Michigan is THE place to be for sunset, with a full countdown and applause as the sun slowly inches beneath the horizon. And in the summer, sunset is soo late around 9:30pm with the sunset lingering until 10pm! 💕 SAVE TIP FOR LATER ✨ Arrive early, especially on weekends, to grab a romantic spot. We liked the public beach area in Empire, MI off S. Lake Michigan Dr. where there’s parking at a park and a long stretch of sand and barrier wall. An even better idea — bring a paddle hard or kayak and watch the light show from the water (last shot). 🧡
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@ Empire, Michigan

25/07/2020

Spark your wanderlust ✨💦 We’re having the best time exploring northern Michigan and have been opting for all the socially distant activities. Did you know Torch Lake

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@ Torch Lake, Michigan

22/07/2020

Found a little slice of paradise in the neighborhood that transported us to a different world, if only for a couple hours. Doesn’t this give you Moroccan vibes? 🌵🧡 Came for the sparkling wine and whipped feta (Swipe to see our spread), stayed for the vibes. 💫

is open for business with the prettiest patio space and plenty o’ space in the city to socially distance.

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@ Lulu's Winegarden

20/07/2020

Have you ever been camping and thought you had EVERY little thing you needed only to realize too late that you forgot at least one essential? 🏕 For our last trip, we forgot a lighter for our fire, but luckily the campground store was selling them. 😅 What’s your favorite camping food/meal? Not sure this counts as actual food but s’mores is a winner in our books! 🔥

‼️ SAVE FOR LATER ‼️

HOW TO SAVE💰
Investing in quality gear doesn’t mean you have to pay a fortune.
🥾 Steep and Cheap always has sales on awesome outdoors gear. We bought our tent from here and it’s held up well.
🥾 has great sales sometimes and also has an affordable product line, like these foldout chairs we’ve had for years and love.
🥾 Shop second-hand from Goodwill, , or a local shop.

ESSENTIALS
✅ Tent
✅ Sleeping bag
✅ Mattress pad
✅ Pillow
✅ Flash light
✅ Bug spray + sunscreen
✅ Toiletries (going to add hand sanitizer here, especially during COVID because we use it constantly)
✅ Lighter 😂 plus firewood and starters
✅ Cooler with food essentials and WATER (always have our nalgene)

EXTRAS
✅ Foldable chairs - for chilling by the fire or anywhere really
✅ Bottle opener - so handy!
✅ Towels - for bathing and laying out for picnics/tanning
✅ Hammock - because who doesn’t love swinging and looking up at the trees?
✅ Mood lighting - electronic tea candles are so pretty and useful in providing extra lighting
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14/07/2020

Happy Monday! Hope y’all got through the day better than we did... 6 shots of espresso later and we’ve barely made it. 🙈😅 Stay safe out there y’all and remember to stop and appreciate the little things, like stunning sunsets.
Rock Creek trail has been one of our favorites to explore that extends through most of DC from North to South, and we’re always surprised at the number of critters we see in the middle of the city.
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@ Rock Creek Park

12/07/2020

The feeling of summertime freedom is indescribable. This weekend we splashed around on the lakeshore, paddled around in a canoe, made campfire s’mores, slept under the stars. 🏕🦋 🛶

Road trips have become our frequent escapes this summer and finding adventures closer to home. This campground find was a clear winner, just 2 hours from DC. 🚘 Rocky Gap State Park is super accessible with drive in campsites, dog friendly, general store, and boat rentals.
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@ Rocky Gap State Park

04/07/2020

Happy Fourth of July, y’all! 🇺🇸 🥾 Wishing we were back on this mountain top in the snow (taken exactly one year ago, YES IN JULY!!) instead of sweltering in the DC heat, but we’ve had a great weekend. 😅☀️ And yeah in case you were wondering, we were unprepared for the snow, not expecting to see much in the middle of summer and were slipping and sliding a bit. 👀🎩🐴 If you saw our stories yesterday, you know we discovered the cutest little colonial town just an hour’s drive from DC where George Washington grew up thanks to . 👏🏼 Can’t wait to write up more about it soon to share! •
@ Grand Teton National Park