Category Archives: miami

Travel Brand Shout Outs to Sixt and Flytographer!

Over the past year I have been so fortunate to discover and work with these two travel brands and I wanted to take the time to give them the credit they are due. Both Sixt and Flytographer are consistently professional and a pleasure to work with. Here’s a quick run down of my experiences with both brands in the United States and abroad! Proof positive that consistency in business and customer satisfaction can be universal.

Lola Approved Sixtlola_blackpink

As a frequent traveler, I rent cars quite a bit. It’s usually fine but not above and beyond. With Sixt, all three instances were just that, above and beyond. Truly, hands down, the best car rental experiences of my renting career.

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In Seattle I tried one of Sixt’s luxury cars – a sweet BMW, perfect for a drive into the countryside for a wedding. Not only was the process painless but the staff were extremely helpful. AND upon return, it could not have been easier. Pull up and pass off the keys, that is it!

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In Iceland we rented an SUV for our Icelandic roadtrip. It was perfect for the time of year and road conditions. I particularly loved Sixt’s concern for us as they followed our progress on our journey. Again, upon return, the process couldn’t have more simple.

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In Miami I had the pleasure of cruising around in one of Sixt’s fantasy cars – an ombre neon pink Mini Cooper, perfect for Lola and SoBe. The rental process was a piece of cake and the staff ensured I knew where I was going and then upon return it was just a matter of handing over keys and getting an emailed receipt. Nothing could be easier. Parting with that little baby was the hardest part!

Founded in Germany, Sixt is one of the oldest, most prestigious car rental companies in all of Europe and the world. Renowned internationally for their quality customer care and low rental rates, Sixt has recently opened branches in the United States. Now you can experience the benefits of a great car rental from Sixt both stateside and worldwide. Sixt has locations in 105 countries across the globe.

Lola Approved Flytographerlola_blackpink

My favorite travel photos in the past year have been those with Flytographer. Alyson Aliano for Flytographer captured fun moments in California for a girl’s glam weekend. Acting like a fly on the wall, she was able to get truly wonderful candids.

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Soon thereafter, we found ourselves in Amsterdam having a tour of the city and getting some great action snaps with Flytographer’s Traci White of the girls enjoying learning all about Amsterdam’s neighborhoods. Again, non-intrusive and professional. I love these photos showing what it is like to be on a tour and not just of the things you learn but your reaction to it all.

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Finally, my most recent time working with Flytographer was in my beloved Miami. They had just found a local photographer, Daniel Lateulade, and I happened to be there and loved the idea of getting photos around various highlights of South Beach. It was amazing! Some of my very favorite pictures of myself. You can see why.

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The highly acclaimed Flytographer captures travelers around the globe every day whether it’s special romantic trip, family vacation, girlfriend getaway or a reunion & more! Capture memories in over 100 cities worldwide with their hand-picked list of over 170 professional photographers. It’s like strolling the streets with a local friend who shares insider tips, all the while discretely chronicling unforgettable vacation memories.

Disclaimer: all of my experiences with both of these brands have been complimentary but they are still my favorite travel brands I’ve worked with over the past year. Customer satisfaction and professionalism are priceless and that’s why they are Lola Approved.

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Filed under amsterdam, car rentals, iceland, los angeles, miami, seattle, travel, travel photography

Marooned in Miami

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YES Miami IS my favorite place, true… but what happened that time when I got stuck there accidentally and ended up with NO clothes except what I had on?!

Bite me, Hercules!

Bite me, Hercules!

It MAY surprise you, this is the story of how Lola was a flexible traveler that rolled with the punches. You see, in the earliest days of January I went down to Miami to see my lovely dear friend, Mrs. O Around the World, who happened to be stateside for the New Year. She figured she could convince me to go to Miami since it IS my go-to place. She was right. However, like any typical New England January, I had a massive snow storm to contend with. Worry not, I was determined to get down to South Beach and the warmer climes even if it meant 12 hours behind schedule.

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While it wasn’t the usual sunny Miami I know and love, I still managed to have a super time AND the sun peeked out for just a bit on Sunday before my flight home. Off to the airport I went and once there, learned that my flight to Boston was massively delayed due to icing on the planes. Long story short, I was forced to flit between gates, restaurants and bars while waiting for my plane to leave. Not departing until 8pm (supposedly) I made my way back to my gate at 7:40 to learn they had given up my seat. You see, I may have beaten ‘Hercules’ the snowstorm and made it to Miami on Friday but lots of people never made it OUT of Miami starting that Friday. So, 30+ people, 3 days of trying to fly stand-by, well a lucky person scored my seat. BIG BUMMER right? I really didn’t know just how bad it was until I went to the airline club to get rebooked. The SOONEST that I was going to be able to fly out of Miami was Wednesday. CRAZY right?! But it was a real problem all over the country practically. So, what can you do? Deal with it. I was actually due to return to Miami on the upcoming Friday morning, so after a bit of mulling it over, it seemed silly to leave only to return less than 2 days later. I called back to the airlines (who returned my call 4 hours later – that’s how backed up they were) to say, let’s cancel my return and departure back. After half an hour on the phone, I had my points and dollars back BUT…I still needed to sort out a few important things. Like where was I going to stay AND more importantly wear, since my bag DID go to Boston on my original flight out.

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I decided to head over to Fort Lauderdale as I could get a deal there for a few days and then go back to South Beach on Thursday before my friends arrived Friday. That part was easy. The hard part was, wait for it…SHOPPING! Where could I go and what would I buy that could get me through the next few days. A mall made sense but I’ll tell you a little secret about me. I actually don’t enjoy shopping all that much. Especially mandatory shopping. Buying underwear & flip flops exactly like the ones you sent home isn’t very fun. I like my stuff. I didn’t wanna have to replace it. I tried to be practical with my white jeans and one cardigan I had and I actually think I did really well in 2.5 hours. Then I had to virtual shop my closet with my best friend at home, so that she could Fed Ex me stuff for the weekend. Also an interesting exercise. Finally, I had NO BAG to tote my stuff around (newly purchased and what was being shipped). So onto to Amazon I went and bought a backpack that I knew I’d need anyhow for my summer travels. It was actually a very funny thing, planes were not getting in or out of lots of the East Coast but Fed Ex and UPS made it to the W Fort Lauderdale Hotel the next day with my stuff, no problem. The irony!

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Now, I’m sure you’re thinking, “oh, you poor thing, getting stuck in Miami” said super sarcastically. Well, I’ll just let you know that week was total crap for weather. Rainy and cold, there was no sunshiny bonus for moi. AND the other irony is that I didn’t travel with my computer so I really couldn’t get much work done. So, what did I learn and what’s the moral of this story?!

1) If you must get home during bad winter weather do not, I repeat, DO NOT leave your departure gate. Airlines stink and you never know when they’ll suddenly board and give your seat away despite your already having checked into the flight! Airline employees try to throw around their authority and take advantage of people’s desperation in situations like these. I refuse to be caught up in their nonsense so I readjusted and made my own rules.

2) Shopping makes for fun travel souvenirs AND forced vacay isn’t the absolute worst.

3) Always keep your make up and toiletries in your carry on ladies. While this little detour in plans set me back a bit due to the shopping spree, let’s face it, make up, etc. would have cost a fortune more and that I didn’t have extra of at home to be shipped to me.

4) Travel with your computer, LOLA, you never know what is going to happen and you’ve proven Murphy’s Law TRUE.

5) Isn’t it better to just roll with it than to stress and spend hours at the airport for days on end or on the phone?! YES I say! I am far more flexible than you might ever imagine and that’s one of the BEST things travel has taught me.

Has something like this happened to you before? What would you do in this situation?

PS: The staff at W Fort Lauderdale were amazing and I really loved the hotel!

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Filed under miami, travel

My Year in Travel – 2013

This year was a great year of travel for me, hitting some brand new destinations and revisiting some of my old favorites. BUT, for me, the VERY BEST thing about this year in travel are all the wonderful people who I met or was reunited with in various locations around the world. My travels wouldn’t be anything without the people on my journey.

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January saw me in NYC and meeting friends old and new – who knew how important they’d all become in my life over the course of this year. I count my blessings for you.

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In January I also skied in Verbier, Switzerland and absolutely loved my time with the legendary Warren Smith. I truly hope to see him again in 2014.

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Rounding out January, I went to Copenhagen for the very first time and got to reconnect with a travel friend, Christoffer. I loved the cool capital city of Denmark.

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February saw me catching up with a dear travel buddy, Anita, in Montreal, Canada for the very first time. We had a ball doing all kinds of wintery fun things like staying in an Ice Hotel and going to Igloofest.

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March was my month for Barcelona & Costa Brava, Spain. I was thrilled to meet up with a fellow traveler, Brian, in Barcelona and was lucky enough to see him again in London in November.

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Going to Costa Brava was an incredible experience. I love that area of Spain and really cannot get enough, especially of the coast. But, the people on this trip really made it the very best. I can’t imagine a more fun press trip.

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April found me in back in NYC. I always love my NYC trips because I get to catch up with very special friends like Jeff & Craig – 2 of my favorites!!

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May saw me in my favorite, Miami. I cannot get enough of this city. While I had my usual fun of beach, pool, dinner, drinks and dancing, I particularly enjoyed working with the fantastic luxe swimwear company, Orchid Boutique, during this trip. Talk about a great collection as well as a staff of kindred spirits!

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June was an incredible month chalked full of fun things. Kicking off in Toronto for a conference with so many of my favorite fellow travelers, I actually wonder if we’ll ever be able to beat our #RWTBEX time here. I love you all so much!

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I also got to spend a bit of time with one of my most lovely traveling partners, Mrs. O, Ana. I was able to show her a bit of Americana in the amazing seaside town of Newport, Rhode Island. We had a ball doing Newport the luxe way.

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Wrapping up my June, I had an incredible visit to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. What a great girls weekend we had there and our host, the Bahia Hotel and Carlos, made my trip 100% amazing. Cannot wait to return.

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July found me back in Euroland – one of Lola’s favorites. Although, this was a “repeat” journey of sorts, I did manage to do a few new things. One of which was going to the Henley Royal Regatta.

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Post-UK was a return visit to Prague and Budapest. Two of my favorites that I’ve never visited in the summertime. Absolutely stunning! So was hanging out with friends made on a previous trip. Always nice to share a beer with good people.

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August took me back to Montreal once again and NYC. This trip was extra special because of the time well spent with lifelong friends and a last visit with a friend that would soon depart. Anita, Montreal will always make me think of you fondly. I love you and that city so much.

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September took me to two cities I wanted to know better. First was Seattle with my newly found soul mate, Erin. There is nowhere I wouldn’t go with this girl. And we both wanted to celebrate happy moments, like our dear friends, Captain & Clark’s wedding!

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Toward the end of September, Erin and I were reunited again in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. I like to think of it as the city of sisterly love! We had a blast discovering different neighborhoods of Philly & laughing with each other all the while.

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October I was lucky enough to be reunited with 2 of my favorite traveling partners again, Ana & Mary Anne along with Mary Anne’s BFF Maxine, for a GLAM LA girls weekend.

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November was a busy fun month with a visit back to the UK for a conference and reconnecting with so many fun friends from around the world. I’m so glad our paths cross from time to time.

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Followed up by a quick jaunt to France and Amsterdam for more girlfriend fun. I wouldn’t choose to travel any other way. Traveling with Ashley, Ana & Mary Anne was the very best.

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And I managed to squeeze in a last minute trip back to NYC with my girlfriends and once again be reunited with some of my favorite people.

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In December I finished off my year of travel back in Miami to celebrate Erin’s birthday. I cannot think of a better place to end my year. It is my happy spot and it was made so much better being there, laughing and enjoying life, with two of my travel besties, Erin & Esther.

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Maybe you see some common themes in my travels. Repeat places, repeat friends, repeated silliness and smiles. Traveling is my lifeline and a huge part of my heart as are all the people I meet along the way. My world is better for all of you. Here’s to many more reunions on the road and good times ahead in 2014! Happy travels…

XO – Lola

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Filed under amsterdam, barcelona, budapest, cabo san lucas, copenhagen, costa brava, henley-on-thames, london, los angeles, miami, montreal, new york, newport, philadelphia, prague, seattle, toronto, travel, verbier

#CTC13: Capture the Color with @travelsupermkt

being with LOLA is like being with Skittles

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here we are, a year later and it’s “Capture the Color” time again with Travel Supermarket. i actually enjoy participating in this because it makes me really look through all my travel photos and relive my trips! the idea behind it is you publish a post with pictures that capture these five colors – blue, green, yellow, white, and red – to try and win a boat load of prizes including the grand prize grand – a £3,000 travel fund. now, you know Lola cannot put her entry in without adding a token PINK category!  i was invited to participate by my pal Erin from The World Wanderer and so i hope i do her proud with my CTC photos.

BLUE my favorite kind of blue is the blue of the ocean. this is a photo i have many versions of from over the years. me, coming in for a landing over Miami Beach – LOLA’S favorite quick escape.

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GREEN was the color of the day at the Montreal Botanical Garden. isn’t this butterfly just so pretty? there are so many wonderfully pretty things to discover in Montreal.

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YELLOW i love the golden yellow umbrellas these monks are carrying shading them from the Cambodian sun. my entire CTC post could have been full of just Cambodia photos. that county is so colorfully beautiful!

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WHITE isn’t this such a gorgeous shot of the Swiss Alps? i was soooo very lucky to ski in the winter of 2013 in Verbier, Switzerland where this photo was shot. now i never want to ski anywhere else.

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RED Paris is such a special city. red wouldn’t be the first color i’d use to describe it but it would certainly be the color i would use to describe the Pigalle neighborhood where you can find the Moulin Rouge.

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PINK and my token pink photo! i just adore this pink sombrero that i was gifted during my trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico from the Bahia Hotel. now i need to return so i can wear it again. ANDALE!

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now for the tagging on my part…

Joshua from Engineer on the Road

Calan from Discovering Your Truth

Tom from Waegook Tom

Yishyene from Small Crazy

Keryn from Walking on Travels

looking forward to seeing your photos friends. i know you all have been doing some amazing travels over the last year so let’s see your colors shine!

XO – LOLA

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Filed under cabo san lucas, cambodia, miami, montreal, paris, travel, verbier

The Top 6 Florida Beaches

The Beach is that WAY!

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Why not head down to Florida this summer? Goodness knows, it is one of Lola’s favorite places for several reasons. Most importantly, the Sunshine State is home to some of the world’s top beaches and resorts. No matter what’s on your vacation check-list, there is definitely a beach here for you. Pack your beach hats and sunscreen because we are going on a tour of Lola’s top 6 Florida beaches!

 South Beach

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What’s a Florida beach story without mentioning the infamous and chic South Beach?  SoBe is a universal playground offering non-stop dining, luxurious hotels, high-end shopping and killer nightlife. No wonder celebrities, jetsetters and vacation lovers have made this beach one of the hottest and most popular places to visit in Miami (and all of Florida!).  Not to mention, it’s walking distance to my favorite luxury swimwear  store, The Orchid Boutique!

Panama City Beach

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I hope you are ready for Spring Break!  This beach is one of the most well-known Florida gathering spots for college kids, especially during Spring Break and other holiday break months.  There are plenty beach-side activities to do along the shores and don’t forget the nightlife!  I guess the Las Vegas adage can definitely apply here: “Whatever happens in Panama City stays in Panama City…” Bring over your friends (and killer Brazilian bikinis) and get ready to party! PS…once upon a time this was MY playground!!

Fort Lauderdale

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Fort-Lauderdale’s proximity to South Beach makes this beach too often overlooked, especially considering how UN-crowded it is.  In the past, this beach was recognized as another hotspot for beach-crazed Spring Breakers. However, the tides have turned and this beach is now celebrated for its family oriented environment and budget-friendly ambience. Most of the resorts in Fort-Lauderdale even offer much lower rates than its more popular neighbor, South Beach.  Fort Lauderdale also has great beachfront dining, clear waters and a fantastic nightlife scene. Sounds tres bon to moi!

Naples Beach

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One of my favorite things about Naples Beach is its gorgeous long pier that is seems to extend endlessly out into the horizon. Not only does the pier have a nostalgic country-feel on one side, but on the other, there are beachfront mansions on Millionaires’ Row that are always amazing to gawk at.  In addition, most Naples residents will boast at how soft the sand is on their beaches (and trust me, it really is!) with the soft sand, a gorgeous pier that provides incredible sunset vantage point and beachfront views of the lifestyles of the rich and famous, who wouldn’t want to travel here for a beach vacay?! HELLO sugar daddy!

Key West

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Located at Florida’s southern-most tip, the beaches on Key West are absolutely breath-taking! It has the ideal clear-blue waters to spend the day swimming, fishing and snorkeling.  And here’s an added bonus: you can do these activities alongside the famous Fort Zachary Taylor historical landmark! Better yet, you can make a road-trip out of the drive down to Key West with your friends and family. Be sure not to miss out on the scenic views on your way to Key West. I can see myself crusin’ in a convertible with the top down right about now!

Sanibel Island Beach

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It’s hard to find a beach with calmer waters than on Sanibel Island.  Its true claim to fame is the beach’s abundance of shells on its shores.  Spend an afternoon collecting them is an activity that Sanibel Island locals call “shelling.” One of Lola’s favorite pastimes…makes a pretty souvenir!

Now that I’ve dished out the details on my favorite Florida Beaches, you’ll need to pack accordingly to be ready for a fun, tropical vacation at any one of these hotspots! Check out the exclusive swimwear and resort wear outfits, courtesy of The Orchid Boutique, that Lola recommends you add to your packing list:

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SoBe/Ft Lauderdale

This swimsuit and cover-up duo are perfect for the South Beach scene or Ft. Lauderdale where you may find yourself going from an afternoon at the beach to early evening cocktails at the bar!

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Since it’s a youthful crowd on the beaches of Panama City, you probably want to sport a swimsuit that’s comfortable yet cute!

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Love the bright colors in this cover-up. To me, it says sexy & sophisticated, which is everything Naples captures!

Key West

Key West always conjures up classic novels and old movies. It must be because it was once home to Ernest Hemingway and the set of many Hollywood films. This retro swimsuit and colorful bag would fit right in!

Sanibel

Sanibel Island is renowned for its shells so a smart but sassy monokini would be a practical choice. You’ll need a sunhat to cover your face and shoulders if you’re going to hunt long for those beautiful treasures from the sea!

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Filed under fashion, florida, miami, travel