ashleyd /

48 Hours in South Beach

This is definitely something I could get accustomed to seeing every single evening after a long day of work. There is nothing like the warm, setting sun over the ocean and the sound of crashing waves.

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I spent a whirlwind 48 hours down in Miami for a business trip with my co-workers. It was one of the better work experiences I’ve had down in South Beach for a multitude of reasons and while I am definitely exhausted I was able to enjoy the trip. (You can see a few of my other Miami posts here, here, here , and here)

Run

No trip, whether business or personal, is complete without a run around the area to explore new sites and enjoy fresh air. This trip was no different and while I only squeezed in one run during the 48 hour trip, it was at least a good one. The views were gorgeous early Tuesday morning as I ran down Collins Avenue enjoying a strong breeze and took in the art deco hotels and sites.

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Hotel

Grand Beach Hotel: It is often difficult to find hotels in South Beach that fit the price range for corporate travel. We were all very pleased with our hotel this trip, Grand Beach Hotel. Located in South Beach the hotel boasts an all-suites model which means that every room is complete with 2 full baths, sofa, private balcony with ocean view, and king size bed. The balcony allowed me space to enjoy the morning breeze as I checked emails and the beach access was convenient for our group’s free time yesterday afternoon. I really can’t find a negative thing to say about the hotel. The staff was friendly, the breakfast was delicious, the pool was gorgeous, and the hot tubs stayed open all night!

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Dinner and Night Life:

 Last night our celebratory team dinner was held at Yuca which is a located in the middle of South Beach on Lincoln Road. From the first sip of their mojito I knew it was going to be a delicious evening. Everything was a fresh and new taste on Cuban classic dishes such as mojitos, empanadas, and slow marinated flank steak with plenty of spice. There were multiple large groups at Yuca last night but the service was still very attentive. I would come back here again for a fun dinner in South Beach before a night on the town as it was walking distance from the other bars we visited last night including The Delano and The WALL Nightclub Lounge at the W Hotel.

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Your turn: Which do you prefer- South Beach or Las Vegas? If you’ve never been, which one do you want to visit?

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ashleyd /

Visiting New York City: A Day In Brooklyn

My parents are in town and that means we’ve been going non-stop! It’s so much fun but holy heck I’m ready for a nap.

For the past year I’ve heard about Egg from my parents. Last year during a snow storm my parents ended up having an amazing breakfast experience there due to the food and overall staff kindness and needless to say they’ve been talking about it ever since. Yesterday we ended up spending a perfect afternoon in Brooklyn complete with brunch, fresh air, flowers, and a museum visit!

Here is our itinerary in case you want to replicate our Brooklyn afternoon:

Egg Restaurant (Williamsburg, cash only, no reservations) A laid back, casual, little bit hipster brunch spot in Williamsburg that sources their ingredients locally and includes complimentary delicious beignets with every meal. The highlights were their French press coffee, mint roasted grapefruit, candied bacon, and home made biscuits. The line may look intimidating but it moves pretty quickly. 

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Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (Prospect Heights, $8 donation requested) This is truly a hidden treasure! I’ve never heard much about it but it really is one of New York’s best kept secrets! Even with the recent rains and overcast skies it was a beautiful way to spend two hours and so relaxing compared to the speed of the city.

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Brooklyn Museum ($12 suggested donation, right next door to the Gardens) The Brooklyn Museum is another hidden treasure that I’ve run by more than a few times but never visited before. The museum itself is best known for it’s Egyptian wing which was incredible! It amazed me that they included a mummy outside of the sarcophagus and some really detailed videos describing the processes they used to restore them. In addition, we spent time seeing the John Singer Sargent watercolor exhibit and the Rodin collection.

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Overall it was a great afternoon in Brooklyn and I would suggest everyone enjoy a similar afternoon whether you’re a local or just in town visiting!

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ashleyd /

Healthy Travel: Balancing Workouts + Food

I am so happy it’s finally Friday!! The sun is shining here in Cincinnati today and the weather forecast for New York City is beautiful for the weekend!

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We don’t have many plans other than to celebrate a friends birthday and while Bo is scuba diving on Saturday I’m going to spend the day running and enjoying the gorgeous weather with Katie while also finally checking Balthazar off my brunch bucket list!

It’s easy to say that I want to stay healthy during business travel but it isn’t always easy to practice what we preach. Luckily, this week it was easier than I expected! 

I think the trick to staying healthy this week was balance and having the time. The training that I was in all week finished each day by 5pm which allowed plenty of time to catch up on work. This meant that each evening I was able to enjoy a relaxed dinner with co-workers or friends while still getting to bed in time to wake up for a morning workout. Here’s a glimpse at my workouts for the week along with some of the restaurants that I was able to try!

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Notice a trend here? I ate out each night but I balanced it with very healthy meals during the day and a daily workout that pushed me whether that meant lifting heavy or running fast.

Overall, it was a great week of travel though I’m looking forward to being home. Too bad I don’t fly out until late tonight! For those of you who get to Cincinnati, like Emily, I will be doing another post on the Cincinnati food scene as I was amazed by all the new restaurants this week! So delicious!

To those folks running and racing Flying Pig, New Jersey, or any other race this weekend GOOD LUCK!

Your turn: Do you have any plans this weekend?

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