So you want to travel more, but don’t think you have time? Enter the quick trip! Courtney and her guests are on a quest to find the BEST DAY in as many cities as they can – one week at a time.
What if I don't have TIME to travel?
Jan 21, 2020
Show notes
Gather round team!
Its a NEW YEAR, BABY! and I’ve got a travel pep talk for you.
I want you to get in the car and take a quick trip.
There is too much to LEARN about LETTING GO and TRUSTING what these trips have to teach us.
I reference the previous episode 13 - Is it really the BEST day? - for finding your travel flow.
See you out there fam!
Is it really the BEST day?
Oct 01, 2019
Show notes
Is it really the BEST day?
We are talking about the “schedule” we follow on the show. What does it mean? Listen in!
It’s a travel flow…
This is my best day but it might not be yours!
This episode is a quick one! We are unpacking the different elements of the schedule we feature around here.
Each episode follows the schedule: GET MOVING GET COFFEE GET SHOPPING GET LUNCH GET TOURISTY GET INSPIRED GET DINNER They are anchor points for me to grab quickly when I travel and don’t have much time. They each have a point and are life giving to me.
My hope is that you will figure out YOUR best day and use the show as a reference point to design trips that bring you joy.
My hope is that you will share the special spots where you live and that we can build a community of BESTIES all over the world. Send me your favorite spots! I would love to feature them on Instagram! Let’s take care of each other and make sure we are hitting the BEST spots when we travel!
All the Best Questions with Jacey Verdicchio
Aug 04, 2019
Show notes
some FAQ’s with Jacey Verdicchio @jaceyverdiccio
My friend, Jacey Verdicchio, writes the BEST newsletter - In A Word. (You can find her on Instagram @jaceyverdicchio) She centers each one around a theme and her latest issue was the word - VACATION.
Y’all, I LOVE this newsletter. Honestly, I love taking a minute to digest her words and scroll through the links and articles she has found. Its obvious she puts lots of thought into what she creates and I so enjoy receiving this twice a month in my email.
She asked if she could interview me for a fun audio companion/ audio postcard for the VACATION newsletter and I so enjoyed our conversation that I wanted to share it here. She helped me unpack and answer a lot of questions that I assume people just know about me - which isn’t true! I’m so glad to have this episode to answer all the FAQ’s that come our way.
We talk about:
- What does the planning of the trip look like? (Budget, itinerary) - What do you feed your kids on the road? - How many hours a day are you in the car? - What are your favorite kid activities on the road? - How do you handle tension/conflict with Michael? - What does #takeittothenips™ look like on the road? - What makes managing all these details less stressful than everyday life?
WHATS IN MY FOOD BAG:
turkey slices mini guacs FRUIT plaintain chips pouches popcorn bars jerky
WHATS IN MY TOY BAG:
audio books Look and See books Water Wow Fresh box of crayons & markers Coloring sheets about where we are headed! Toy cars Doll
Brooklyn
Apr 14, 2019
Show notes
A Day in Brooklyn
with Anderson Davis Broadway actor, director and co-creator, For the Record
I always feel so overwhelmed by New York. But this conversation got me so excited to go This friend of mine Anderson Davis is so dear to me and is the perfect person to take us around Brooklyn. He is passionate about his city and gives us good inside scoop.
GET MOVING:
Brooklyn Bridge Park Take the ferry up to Williamsburg
Bedford Street Ten Foot Single by Stella Dallas - vintage clothing, shoes & more. Bird - Indie boutique Heatonist - Compact shop featuring choice, brand-name hot sauces in various heat levels, plus a tasting bar.
GET LUNCH:
River Deli (Italian) - quintessential Brooklyn cafe Al Di La (Italian) - classic Italian for lunch - then hit Prospect Park! Lucali (Pizza) - get there at 5:45 pm for THE BEST PIZZA IN NEW YORK! Ugly Baby (Thai) - Northern Thai - super authentic
Obviously see a show! TDF - shows you what tickets are available for half price at the TKTS booth in Times Square Need help picking one out? Ask yourself: 1. Do I have kids with me? See The Lion King or Wicked or Harry Potter 2. Musical or play? 3. Fun or serious? 4. What gets good reviews?
GET outta here! Go! And BE amongst the city, the people, the food, the art.
And have the best day.
Baton Rouge
Mar 09, 2019
Show notes
the BEST DAY in Baton Rouge
with Courtney Clark Cleveland The Hometown Episode
My hometown. My beloved B.R. This is my best day. I feel so stressed about all the amazing choices but I had to ask myself, “Where would I tell my good friends to go?” This is my answer.
White Star Market - Gov’t Taco! The Chimes - order the boudin, an oyster poboy and the blackened chicken ceasar salad
GET INSPIRED:
the Mississippi Levee downtown - watch the river flow, see the Old and New State Capitals
GET TOURISTY:
LSU’s campus - grab coffee at Highland Coffees, walk the parade grounds, thru the Quad, pass the Indian Mounds and down to Tiger Stadium and ending at Mike the Tiger’s habitat
GET outta here! Go! And BE amongst the trees, the people, the food, the art.
And have the best day.
Austin
Jan 31, 2019
Show notes
the BEST DAY in Austin
with Brad Otts owner of Green Acres greenacresatx.com
Of course we are beginning our day at GREEN ACRES! Its a glamping boutique property just 25 miles east of Austin, which is perfect to get away and camp and still sleep in a beautiful bed because - yes please for my best day, okay?
Now before we get moving (and if its a Saturday for you), Brad is sending us for BBQ first thing in the morning to Snows BBQ in Lexington. Its ONLY open from 8 am - noon on Saturdays which is just the most magical thing ever.
GET MOVING:
Walk the Town Lake Trails! (and while you are down there grab tacos at Veracruz All Natural)
GET COFFEE:
Brad doesn’t drink coffee BUT he does drink tea and he is sending us to this amazing teahouse called the Steeping Room
Ravenel Bridge: The Ravenel connects Charleston to Mount Pleasant. It is the third longest cable suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere. When they built it, they added a 12 foot wide pedestrian and bicycle path on the side that overlooks the Charleston Harbor. As long as you aren’t scared of heights, it is an amazing way to see the Cooper River, the marinas, and the city shore. You can park at Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park. There is a pier underneath the Ravenel where people fish. It has a cute playground with a mini Ravenel. Morris Island Lighthouse: Go to Folley Beach. Drive to the very end of Ashley Avenue and park. Its about a ¼ mile walk to view the lighthouse and you have to climb over a little sandy ridge. Driftwood lines the shore. Rocky outcrops reach out into the water. Starfish are often in little tide pools. Almost guaranteed to see dolphins. The lighthouse is from the Civil War Era. It sits on a sandbar so it is only accessible by boats. But that’s not the point. Just seeing it from the shore and taking in the beach is the point.
coffee please:
Orange Spot: Its on East Montague in North Charleston. The owners are Julie and Laura. Their syrups are house made. Shelley had their strawberry oat bar and a cafe au lait a couple times a week for two years.
Caviar and Bananas: It’s a speciality market and coffee shop. They have a really good charcuterie counter. Gourmet sandwiches. Espresso bar. Made to order salads. All local ingredients. Its on George Street.
Local Shops:
The Charleston City Market: It’s four city blocks long. Most of it is open air. The land was given as a gift to Charleston by a revolutionary war general in 1788 but the stipulation was that it had to be a public market forever. There is plenty of kitch. But what you must get is a sweetgrass baskets, benne seed wafer cookies, tea from the Charleston Tea plantation.
quick lunch:
Fleet’s Landing: There are loads and loads of places you can go in Charleston to get fantastic shrimp and grits and she crab soup. Shelley loves Fleet’s Landing because it is on the waterfront in historic downtown Charleston. And it has the best views of Charleston Harbor. If you sit outside you can even see Fort Sumter in the distance. Dolphins will also be swimming past you. Its right next to Charleston’s Waterfront park so her HOT TIP: get it to go! Your to go order should include: 1. the Fried Green Tomato Stack (its got Tarragon crab salad in between fried tomatoes) 2. the Seafood Stuffed Hush Puppies 3. the She Crab Soup 4. the Shrimp and Grits
And then go sit on the bench swings on the pier right next to the restaurant.
be inspired:
Read: Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
Tourist Must See:
Take your picture in front of the famous pineapple fountain.
Go out towards Folley Beach. It is calledBowens Island. Thank goodness for GPS or you would never find it. Its tucked away almost in an old neighborhood. Dirtroad. Waterside. They have fresh locally harvested oysters. And the best low country boil. Perfect for sunset. We counted a dozen dolphins swimming by us. No A/C.
But if you need fancy (and we totally understand!) these places are goooood: SNOB, Fig, Hanks’, Husk, Magnolia, 82 Queen