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Author: Aukse

Getting Married at Walt Disney World (February 23, 2016)

Getting Married at Walt Disney World (February 23, 2016)

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Let me tell you, I never thought I would be a Disney Bride, I never really even considered it my whole entire Disney-loving life; but when the circumstances for Brian’s and my wedding changed drastically (involving lots of drama including the event planner stealing a bunch of money from our original reception restaurant venue and then taking off into the sunset), I was back at square one after a few months of planning and deposits. We had already booked a…

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Valle Restaurant, Oceanside Review: Elevated Mexican Dining and a Taste of Valle de Guadalupe in North County

Valle Restaurant, Oceanside Review: Elevated Mexican Dining and a Taste of Valle de Guadalupe in North County

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Valle is easily the nicest restaurant in Oceanside, and probably all of North County, San Diego. It’s new, it’s Michelin recommended, and if you’re into elevated, true Mexican cuisine, I wouldn’t skip trying out Valle. Honestly, I knew nothing about the place before coming here with my family this month, but we had really great servers who told us about the owner’s culinary and winemaking history in the Valle de Guadalupe in Northwestern Mexico. This is where most of Mexico’s…

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Oceanside, California Murals, April, 2023

Oceanside, California Murals, April, 2023

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Some of my extended family moved to Oceanside, California, just about an hour north of San Diego and an hour south of Orange County, about 25 years ago. My folks followed about 10 years ago, so I have been hanging out in this area of California for a long time. On my most recent trip, I was looking for something to do that I’ve never done before in O’side, and stumbled across the fact that Oceanside is one of 14…

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The Art Institute of Chicago, March, 2023

The Art Institute of Chicago, March, 2023

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I often think about how lucky I am to live in such an amazing city with incredible restaurants, sports teams, activities and architecture. We always make it a point to become members of one or two museums at a time – as a family of six, it’s worth it because it pays itself off within one or two visits. The one membership I keep renewing forever into eternity, though, is for the Art Institute of Chicago. Often rated as one…

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Nayara Resorts Restaurants, Ranked! Costa Rica, 2023

Nayara Resorts Restaurants, Ranked! Costa Rica, 2023

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We ate dinner at almost all of the restaurants on offer at the sweeping Nayara Resort in Costa Rica and I can say that they were all good. We only skipped Las Terrazas (though for breakfast, it was the best complimentary buffet breakfast of most resorts and hotels I’ve been to worldwide) and Mis Amores (but we did have their lunch menu by the pool several times and absolutely no complaints there!). There were a few stand-outs, though, and so…

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Other Restaurants/Bars/Cafes around Nayara Resort, Costa Rica, 2023

Other Restaurants/Bars/Cafes around Nayara Resort, Costa Rica, 2023

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This article is going to cover the other places around Nayara Resort to hang out. First, and most important, is the Las Terrazas restaurant at Nayara Gardens. We never ate here for dinner, but we had our complimentary breakfast here every day. The bright and airy restaurant is right next to the reception area, and is really quite huge, but the atmosphere in the morning is buzzing. Each morning, a different type of coffee is served and they list it…

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Mistico Hanging Bridges Tour, Costa Rica, February, 2023

Mistico Hanging Bridges Tour, Costa Rica, February, 2023

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If there is one tour that you do near the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica, this hanging bridges tour has got to be it. It’s a several mile easy hike through primary and secondary forest, and your cross six hanging, suspension bridges along the way. We used a guide through Jacamar Tours, which was booked through our resort – Nayara Gardens, and we booked a private tour. I was super nervous about this experience because I’m not really great with…

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Nostalgia Wine Bar at Nayara Gardens Review: Exceptional Wine Pairing Experience and Tapas in Costa Rica

Nostalgia Wine Bar at Nayara Gardens Review: Exceptional Wine Pairing Experience and Tapas in Costa Rica

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Nostalgia Wine Bar at Nayara Gardens in Costa Rica was one of our favorite places to dine at the entire Nayara resort, so much so, that we ate here twice! The first time was celebrating our anniversary – we participated in the multi-course wine tasting dinner which was exquisite. The second time was enjoying some of their wines by the glass and spanish tapas menu. I had really low expectations when it came to the wine tasting dinner. Typically, I…

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Taverna Violi Restaurant, Oak Brook, Illinois, March 25, 2023

Taverna Violi Restaurant, Oak Brook, Illinois, March 25, 2023

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Taverna Violi is the new kid on the block at Oak Brook mall, having taken over the space that was formerly Mon Ami Gabi. Let’s just take a moment to shed a tear for the loss of that superb restaurant at Oak Brook! OK, moving on! Violi is a Greek Taverna, and this is not your regular old Greek diner. It’s most definitely a step up from even the old standard restaurants in Greek Town, and is a worthy replacement…

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Asia Luna Restaurant, Nayara Gardens, Costa Rica, February 23 & March 1, 2023

Asia Luna Restaurant, Nayara Gardens, Costa Rica, February 23 & March 1, 2023

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We loved Asia Luna Restaurant so much, that we ate here twice during our week-long stay at Nayara Gardens! If you search around, you’ll find that most folks who review the resort on Trip Advisor or wherever else, also list Asia Luna as one of the best meals they had at the resort. We ate here on our first and last nights at the resort. Asia Luna is called a fusion restaurant, however it is really mostly heavily Asian influenced….

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