New York and Turning 30

Start spreading the news...I’m blogging again... 

I think that introduction shows just how rusty I am with this blogging malarkey. It’s too late to say happy New Year so instead I’ll just say hello and happy 2019. How are we all?

I thought I’d get back on the horse with a somewhat unassuming post on NEW FLIPPING YORK!!! I know I’ve been absent from the blog but if you follow me over on Instagram you may have seen a post or few thousand I’ve put up o the big apple.

I went for my thirtieth birthday last month and after romanticising about it through Sex and the City episodes and Frank Sinatra songs and I have to say it lives up to the name and so much more.

Chris and I were there for six magical days, taking in the sights and the atmosphere. I won’t bore you with all the details of where to go and why because to be honest it would seem a bit patronising. They’re tourist attractions for a reason and I can assure you they are worth visiting. I will say though that my highlights were the Empire State Building for the views- I mean just look at them.

One place I really do have to tell you about is this gorgeous gorgeous restaurant in Brooklyn called the River Cafe. Chris took me here on my 30th Birthday as a surprise and I can honestly say it was the most special, thoughtful and magical thing anyone has ever done for me. He made reservations 9 months in advance to ensure I had the best birthday ever and I have to say he nailed it. The restaurant itself has been there for 42 years and boasts the most stunning views of Manhattan on the riverside of Brooklyn, right next to the Brooklyn Bridge.

As we entered we were greeted by the sound of beautiful jazz music played on the piano and the breathtaking views through the large windowed restaurant. The dress code for the evening was “jackets for gentleman for dinner anytime after 4pm. Ties preferred” and then I realised why Chris had been so adamant on the dress I wore. Usually he’s not interested! Ha!

We had the most exquisite dinner I’ve ever had in my life from the three course set menu and honestly I had a really tough time choosing what to have. Everything sounded amazing and its the longest I’ve ever spent pouring over a menu, which doesn’t surprise me as the restaurant is Michelin Star. Eventually I chose the Three Shells for an appetizer.

A variety of chilled shellfish, fresh abalone, citrus, soy, lime, Shigoku oysters, cucumber Champagne mignonette, Peconic Bay scallop ceviche, sea bean, tomato and coriander.

Chris’ main looked equally delicious. He went for the Colorado rack of lamb, braised lamb breast and Swiss chard cannelloni, Sicillian pistachio and arugula pesto, whipped ricotta.

All in all it was such a special place to spend my birthday. I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t shed a tear or two because honestly I’ve never felt so special in all my life. If you are ever in New York and celebrating something special,I urge you to go. It is phenomenal.

On another birthday note that is a whole different class of fabulous is the Sex and The City tour! 2018 Marked the twentieth anniversary of the show and I couldn’t help but wonder... would anyone still be into it as much as I am? It turns out they are and if you too are a fan of the show, this is a must do tour! Firstly our tour guide Melissa Stokoski was fricking hilarious. I mean she is a comedian but she’s awesome and she really made the tour. A bunch of single gals and us ladies with unfortunate husbands who were forced to join all gathered by the fountain outside Central Park to get on the bus and from there we were whisked away and shown various locations the show was shot at.

During the tour you get to stop at some of the famous filming locations such as Carrie’s House (eek!) and the bar known as ‘Scout’ in the sow for a cosmopolitan or two. It was bloody awesome and well worth doing!

Yes this is a crappy iPhone photo but fuck it, it's New York!

Finally the last thing I would recommend on my to do list in New York would be cycling. Yup! But not just cycling anywhere- cycling in Central Park!

Until I visited New York I had no idea quite how HUGE Central Park really is so to get as much out of it as we could we hired bikes for couple of hours. The park itself used to have traffic running through it but then got pedestrian-ised so the roads that remain are perfect for cycling novices and beginners plus you can see so much more of it on a bike rather than walking!

So those are the un-touristy things that I would recommend and yeah I’m 30 now! It’s been three weeks since I got back from New York and hand on heart I still miss it now and feel sad to be back.

Maybe its the fact it’s new year and I’m doing dry January, maybe I’m having a quarter life crisis at 30 (I mean, what do you do in your thirties anyway!?) or maybe it’s the best city in the world and it has changed me forever. I think its a combination of all three but who knows!

Bumbling in The Lake District | Why Van Life is perfect for a festival wedding*

The beginning of September marked an exciting time for Chris and I. Not only were we going to a wedding in one of our favourite place in the UK- The Lake District, we were visiting campervan styley which meant we could really get in tune with the stunning scenery of the lakes.

We rented from the fabulous Bumble Campers who you may remember I did a post with last October on discovering the Peak District (here). Having had such a great experience and making lots of awesome memories travelling in their campers, it seemed only right that we used them again and so off we went in another of their campers, bumbling about in the beautiful hills of Cumbria.

The Lake District is a fair old trek from where we are in Lincolnshire but thankfully the journey was made really easy for us; having comfortable captain style chairs on board and the van itself being an automatic so Chris could just put his foot down and cruise all the way there. The automatic engine was also a god send when it came to the hills meaning we didn’t have to worry about what gear to be in or worse- stalling on a steep incline!

Once we reached our destination we were greeted by the stunning scenery and views over Lake Buttermere- something you just cannot get from a hotel here so we felt very lucky to have a home on wheels to take in the views over the weekend. We could see why our friends have fallen in love with the lakes and this was the perfect location for a festival come village fete wedding and to take some amazing photographs- so much so I may have twisted Chris' arm into doing a little photo shoot with me...

I mean, do I really have to explain why I wanted to take photos here!?

The campervan was totally perfect for this style wedding as being in the middle of nowhere and with non-existent phone signal, we didn’t have the worry of sorting taxis or feeling like we were leaving the party too early. The van was parked behind the marquee meaning we could dance the night away then curl up in the full size double bed in the back- bliss! With posh porta loos, we had access to washing and toilet facilities just like you would on a normal campsite and with the back of the van consisting of a fridge, gas hob and sink with running water, we were good to go an everything we needed to feel fresh as a daisy and ready for the day. The day after the wedding we may not have been fresh little daisies thanks to alcohol but our wilted selves were so thankful to be able to cook up a bacon butty on site when we awoke!

The journey home may have been long with a hangover but I was perfectly happy and entertained thanks to the leisure battery with plug socket and USB plug in space so I could watch a film, edit photos and even start the write up on this blog post! It was a total life saver for both Chris and I being technology addicts knowing that we had fully charged phones and devices on the go.

Yet again we had another fantastic adventure thanks to Bumble Campers. If you’re looking to hire one and seek adventure, I’d highly recommend coming up to the Lake District. The scenery is just phenomenal and unlike anywhere else I’ve been in the UK. I’d also recommend a camper for a festival wedding over a hotel anytime. It’s less stress and you are free to come and go as you please plus both Chris and I agree it’s a lot cheaper than mucking about with accommodation and taxis! Our next venture will most likely be to a festival but whether it’s a bumble rental or one of their vans for sale? Who knows. We are teetering on the edge of getting one eek!

After this trip I feel truly buzzing about Bumble Campers all over again and feel so fortunate to have had experiences on our trip that you'll only get in a van/ camping setting rather than a four walled hotel room. I also think it just makes a trip that bit more exciting and more of an adventure so what are you waiting for?

If you want to see more of what we got up to on our adventures, I also did a vlog!

When are you booking to #bumbleabout ?

The Atkinson Grimshaw Suite | North Star Club*

When you flick through Pinterest do you ever see these idyllic cabins set in the woods with fairy lights and décor gorgeousness then wonder- where are these places? Do they even exist? Well I can confirm that there is such a place IRL located in North Yorkshire and I’ve been lucky enough to stay not once but twice! May I present to you- North Star Club

If you read my post from May last year, you’ll know I had the sheer pleasure of staying in the Moon Suite at North Star Club (which you can read all about here) whereas this time around we were in the hideaway suite known as the Atkinson Grimshaw.

This is the latest suite to join the North Star family, being just a couple of months old and on first impressions I couldn’t get over how stunning it was! Yet again the interiors have been nailed with the green and rose gold décor being a breath of fresh air against the white wash wood. So why is it called a “Hideaway Suite” you ask? Well, this style of cabin is more secluded than the traditional lodges, being entirely surrounded by trees and set back from the others. You get a real sense of seclusion both inside and out of the cabin which makes for a wonderful romantic retreat and place to unwind from the world.

The layout of this suite is a clever use of space but in a different way to the other cabins. This time the emphasis has been put on the bedroom and living space being one large room; all featured around the main attraction- a comfy cosy bed that boasts relaxation in pretty surroundings. I much preferred the dining room also being in the same room as it means you can enjoy the fireplace when both eating or relaxing.

Staying in the lodge was a much needed and welcome break for both Chris and I from our hectic lifestyles and we celebrated the seclusion with candle light, wine and paperback books along with plenty of much needed sleep. We had so much sleep in fact that on our first night we slept a total of 12 hours! Whoops! This just goes to show how tranquil staying in the lodge was and how much we truly relaxed in our surroundings and to me that’s a sign of a good place to stay.

Last time we stayed at North Star we indulged ourselves in eating out at The Star Inn at Sancton; just a couple of miles from the camp but this time we decided to use the lodge to its full potential and eat in. Whoever says eating in is boring hasn’t got an imagination because we went to town on our menu! The first night we had a feast of minted lamb chops, greek yoghurt, couscous, hummous, salad and more all accompanied by red wine and it as sensational. Chris cooked the lamb on the BBQ to perfection and by the time we were finished our bellies were at bursting point. And we didn’t stop there with the food- oh no. The following morning we were feasting on smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels with bucks fizz. We take our eating very seriously! If you don’t want to eat in there is always a wonderful selection of restaurants recommended on the North Star website.

Before heading out for the day, the Wood Shed is a great place to get a hit of coffee and a slab of cake to start the day right. Coffee and cake is provided on honesty bar basis which I think is a great idea and means you can come down whenever suits you.

Here is also where you can pick up extra communal pots and pans for cooking or just come and relax in the lounge area or at the grand wooden table. I imagine this area is pretty perfect for groups of people coming away together and is another stunning space to be in as well as your cabin.

One of my favourite parts of staying at North Star has to be the cabin wood burner so naturally we spent our second night toasting marshmallows over the flames and cosying up listening to the fire crackle and burn. Its little things like this that make staying here so special and create memories to look back on fondly.

Overall North Star yet again did not disappoint with its luxurious glamping site. I feel like we made more of a point of unwinding this time around and I can honestly say its probably the most relaxed I’ve been staying away from home. As I mentioned before when I did a write up the only thing for me that it is lacking is the dog friendly element but that is out of North Star’s hands; being a decision made by the land owners. I know Harry would have loved to come and stay too but alas it was not meant to be and instead he went on a dog holiday to my mama’s.

If you want to see more of what we got up to during our stay be sure to watch the vlog below!

Have you booked your stay yet?