My week in Instagrams: Boston edition

June 30, 2015Leigh Anne Zinsmeister Leave a comment

I’m back from what turned out to be an incredibly rejuvenating four days in Boston, Massachusetts! While I sort out my thoughts and edit the 200+ photos I took over the coming days, here are the Instagrams I posted while I was gone – they turned out to form a great overview of my trip.

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As soon as I stepped out of the South Station bus terminal, I knew I would fall in love with Boston. The blue skies and perfect weather (which lasted my entire stay) certainly helped, but I suspect this city would have charmed me regardless.

On day 1 I walked the entirety of the Freedom Trail, and then some (let’s just say if I spot a waterfront I will go out of my way to explore it). This shot is from the Charlestown Bridge during golden hour, and it makes me want to jump in a sailboat and forget all my worries!

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On day 2 I finally achieved a lifelong bucket-list item: A Red Sox game in Fenway Park! I’m a Red Sox fan, but any baseball fan would appreciate the oldest park in America – it opened in 1912 and retains much of that vintage feel.

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Another golden hour shot because Boston is just so photogenic! I was basically obsessed with the weather, the architecture and taking photos throughout my stay.

On day 3 I finally made my way to the top of the Prudential Tower! I’m so thankful for better weather than my visit to the World Trade Center a few weeks ago – I could see all of Boston and then some.

Finally on day 4 before hopping back on the Megabus, I ventured out to Cambridge to visit Harvard University. It was pretty cool to explore the campus and the surrounding area – just being there made me feel a little bit smarter!

I’ll be posting more in-depth content on my Boston trip over the coming weeks, but in the meantime you can follow me on Instagram here!

Cleveland is cool

April 9, 2015Leigh Anne Zinsmeister 7 Comments

Last month, when New York was still a frozen tundra and I was dreaming of tropical getaways, I boarded a plane to one of my favorite places in the world: Cleveland, Ohio.

I know. Cleveland?! In the winter?! Cleveland isn’t even considered a popular destination when the weather is nice, let alone in March when it’s buried in snow. But my mom and sister were there on an extended trip, so my cousin and I (she lives in Atlanta) decided to fly out at the same time and make it a girls’ weekend.

So why do I love Cleveland so much? Well, it is one of my many “homes,” having been born there to two parents who lived in Cleveland for decades. I have a lot of extended family in the area and make my way back every couple years. But even if not for these connections, I think Cleveland is awesome.

It’s stunning, for starters. I’m a city girl through and through, but come on: Look at all of that SPACE! Look at the TREES! You can actually watch the sun set without peering around buildings. And this is my aunt’s yard in the suburbs, not the countryside. And all of that snow, completely untouched even though it’d been around for days. Anyone who’s spent an hour in NYC during the winter knows that this would be ugly slush in the Big Apple.

Here’s something that surprises a lot of people: Cleveland has a fabulous museum scene, and not just the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I try to visit a new museum every time I’m around and I’ve yet to be disappointed. This trip, we went to the Cleveland Museum of Art – which is free! – and had so much fun exploring the new addition. Check out all of the natural light!

Of course, having my family around made the trip pretty fantastic as well. One of our first stops (after a stop at Bob Evans so I could devour all the breakfast foods) was the grocery store, where we stocked up on junk food. Yup, five ladies consumed all of this garbage over the course of two and a half days.

And of course, it wouldn’t have been the same without these girls – and our very own Grumpy Cat, Scully.

Yep – Cleveland is awesome.

Looking back: Ireland 2010

March 17, 2015Leigh Anne Zinsmeister 2 Comments

I’ve been looking for an excuse to start sharing my past adventures on here, things that I did and saw before I started blogging. What better way to start than by sharing photos from my very first trip abroad, to Ireland in 2010? And on St. Patrick’s Day no less.

The summer after my sophomore year of college, I grabbed my brand-new passport and jumped on a plane to Europe, where I spent a month hopping around Ireland, England and Italy. In Ireland, I stayed in Dublin and took day trips to Wicklow County and Belfast. I lucked out with fantastic weather – it only rained twice in the week I was there (in the spring no less!)

What a wonderful first trip it was. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

My week in Instagrams: Phoenix edition!

December 27, 2014Leigh Anne Zinsmeister 1 Comment

Hi friends! Between travel and the holidays, I’ve fallen a bit behind on these Instagram posts – whoops! So if it’s OK with you (and even if it’s not), today I’m going to catch you all up on my trip to Phoenix, and next week I’ll do a massive photo dump from NYC!

The main reason for this trip was that my brother and his girlfriend graduated from ASU! It’s been three years since I walked that stage myself, and I was thrilled to discover that giant balloons are still released at the end of the ceremony. We’re a party school after all – and what better reason to party than earning your degree? Congratulations to Steve, Lily and all of the other graduates!

Last week was also the first time my siblings and I had all been together since last Christmas. What a treat! These two are my very best friends and we always have such a blast when we’re all together.

After a couple days of family time, I headed to downtown Phoenix to crash on Steve’s couch for a couple nights and revisit my favorite old haunts from college and the years that followed. This waffle and bacon are from my favorite spot, Matt’s Big Breakfast. The wait can be intimidating, but I assure you it is always worth it!

Martinis at Hanny’s are only $5, and cheaper after midnight. If I thought that was a steal when I was younger, it seems even better now that I routinely pay $15 for cocktails in NYC!

Ah, the tacos. Most of you know about my obsession, and that every trip to Phoenix (or Dallas!) requires quality Mexican food. Luckily, Courtney and Gabrielle are always up for a foodie adventure (remember when Courtney and I ate our way around NYC?) and treated me to my favorite tacos from Gallo Blanco! Thanks ladies!

One of the best parts of Phoenix is the sunsets. I captured this one from my brother’s balcony.

At the end of my trip I spent a weekend lying on my best friend’s couch, watching Christmas movies and cuddling her pug. Best weekend ever. It was the first time I’d met Jak, who I consider my very first nephew.

You can see more pictures of my trip here, and follow me on Instagram here!

Festive Phoenix

December 24, 2014Leigh Anne Zinsmeister 3 Comments

By now, you all know how much I love Christmas in New York City – with the exception of that pesky winter weather, of course. So last week, I spent a few days venturing around Phoenix, Arizona, where I lived for 6 years before moving to NYC. The weather was a beautiful 60 degrees and the holiday decorations, very festive and very Arizona

It’s hard to tell, but every year this mountain (“A” Mountain) near Arizona State University features giant fake wisemen making their way to the top. I like to joke that the gifts they bring are likely vodka, rum and tequila.