jolenegoes: Travel blog + Reviews + TRAVEL Tips

In the same vein as my recent brunch blog, I spent the weekend introducing my dear friend Mariah to my city. I've written this many times in my 2020 blogs, but the pandemic has really pushed me to explore locally and redefine the the idea that adventures take place only in faraway, unfamiliar places. I've lived in Long Beach for most of my life, but I am constantly revisiting its quiet corners and colorful crevices. Day 1 Pit stop at Hilltop Park for city views and peaceful v

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller After one of the hardest years of our lives, Jennifer and I were off yet again, on another adventure abroad. This time, we began the first half of our 10-day trip revisiting one of our favorite cities: Copenhagen, Denmark. The last time we visited was two years prior, almost to the day, at least according to our passport stamps. As I stepped off the plane onto Danish soil, I felt something sp

Most of us are not blessed with a disposable income and unlimited time off from our 9 to 5 daily grind, but that doesn’t mean we can’t squeeze in an adventure here and there. This one goes out to my fellow Weekend Warriors. Instead of planning an expensive trip to go somewhere far and exotic, Cathrine and I decided to have a staycation, choosing to venture out into our local Los Angeles labyrinth instead of boarding a plane to go elsewhere. Our staycation began on Friday nigh

It was an overcast Saturday morning, a perfect match for the new, melancholy album by Bastille. I relished some “me time,” even if that meant encountering traffic on the 91-E as I drove past the sweeping hills and developing communities out near Corona. For the third consecutive year in a row, I cleared an entire day’s schedule to drive down to Cherry Valley and enjoy all things lavender at the Lavender Festival. After picking up my friend from Riverside, we were on our way b

If you've been following along with my adventures since last year, then you already know at least a little bit about my figure skating past and my ever-living love for the sport. This year, I chose to attend Stars on Ice again, since my experience last year was so positive. While the cast wasn't as large this year (I definitely missed Adam Rippon's sass), the show still did not disappoint. The skaters performed a variety of routines, ranging from dramatic and contemporary to

Over the weekend, I decided to splurge and attend Pop Up Disney: A Mickey Celebration, located at ESPN Zone's old home in Downtown Disney. Pop Up Disney! is Disney's an Instagrammer's heaven, composed of a number of themed rooms celebrating everyone's favorite mouse. Please note that for the first time ever on this blog, these photos were NOT taken by me! They were taken by my friend Monte Dobbs. Please message me if you'd like her contact info, or you can find her at @montef

While Disney may be taking over our social media feeds, Knott's Berry Farm has its own kind of vintage California charm, complete with some great Instagram-worthy photo spots. Visiting Knott's is not all about the rides - you can get some great photos there too! 1. Fiesta Village Windows I absolutely loved all of the bright colors in Fiesta Village! As we were wandering, we noticed some very cute, very colorful windows, perfect for a cheery Instagram photo. 2. Boardwalk SURF

I'm sure by now it's no secret that I practically bleed Disney, so attending another Southern Californian theme park is not normally on my radar. However, I started following various theme park blogs last year to help me plan my Disney World vacation and have subsequently found myself unable to escape the numerous social media posts and ever-growing popularity of Knott's Berry Farm's Boysenberry Festival. I already had a lot of fun plans in the month of April, but when one of

Even though my Instagram feed has flooded with super bloom photos, I decided to take up my friend Stefani's invitation to a different kind of spring outing - the Flower Fields in Carlsbad. I'd never been before, and I couldn't see any reason not to go. Photos? Flowers? Day trip? Sign me up! We arrived in Carlsbad Village after a traffic-laced 2.5-hour drive from Long Beach. It was around 1PM and we grabbed coffee and lunch first. For coffee, we visited Sleeping Tiger Coffee -

Sometimes, a mental health day means going to Disney California Adventure in the middle of the week! My cousin Caleb invited me as one of his guests to be signed into one of my happiest places, so of course I couldn't say no. Please enjoy this collection of photos in lieu of a review... after all, a picture is worth a thousand words, right? My aunt was visiting from Virginia, so my priority was making sure she had the best time, especially since I really love DCA and it was h