Where Did You Have Your Epiphanie? // Jamaica + Grand Cayman

Today in Where Did You Have Your Epiphanie?, we're cruising back over to Jamaica and Grand Cayman! Our friend Amy Locurto of Living Locurto and I Heart Faces took a family vacation there last August with Turquoise Belle by her side.

Amy's top 5 favorite things on the Jamaica + Grand Cayman Carnival cruise include:

1) Visiting the gorgeous Half Moon Bay Resort in Jamaica was my favorite shore excursion of the trip. That place is absolute paradise! Swimming with the dolphins was the ultimate highlight. You wade out into the water and they swim right up to you! Of course I opted out to take photos. Capturing my families faces was worth sitting out on the shore:-)

2) Family time was another one of my favorite things. When you leave port, there is no phone access unless you want to pay international roaming fees and the internet is so slow that it's not worth your time. This means no distractions and time to relax and spend time with your family. I so enjoyed hanging out on our balcony and watching my daughter look for mermaids. Plus, it was a great way to get her to stand still for photos. ha!

3) Sunsets on the ship were absolutely amazing! Definitely a favorite thing.

4) If you're ever in Grand Cayman with kids, I highly suggest taking them on the local Jolly Roger Pirate Ship. It's such a blast! I have some fun video of it here and it will make you want to go for sure. You can take this tour with a cruise or on your own.

5) I couldn't have a favorite thing without including some type of chocolate. Let me just say, the Carnival Chocolate Melting Cake is to die for. Really.

Thanks for sharing, Amy. Looks like you guys had a blast!

Oh, and one last thing for novice cruisers embarking on an excursion in the near future... check out Amy's 15 Tips for First Time Cruisers. Super helpful information you will definitely appreciate!


Attention all those who own Epiphanie bags! We know you've been to some fabulous places. Or live in some incredible, travel-worthy cities for that matter. We want to hear from you! Send a few shots and your list of 5 favorite things to do in that location to media@epiphaniebags.com.  Include a short bio about yourself and note "Where Did You Have Your Epiphanie?" in the subject line. Thanks!

Where Did You Have Your Epiphanie? // Paris

Our next stop in Where Did You Have Your Epiphanie? is so fabulous, we have a bag named in her honor. It is of course the one, the only - Paris!

Let's join Erin as she travels to Europe for the first time. Turquoise Lola functioned as her faithful accessory charged with accommodating a Canon 50D, two lenses, personal items and water.

Erin wrote that her life dream was to sit in front of the Eiffel Tower. We're so happy you made that dream come true!

While in Paris, Erin suggests the following:

1)  Sit in front of the Eiffel Tower with a baguette and bottle of wine right before sunset, to watch the tower transform into a lighted beauty.  

2)  Rent a bike or walk the city.  My girlfriend and I spent 2 days walking the city and taking in the culture.  So much is missed when riding the Metro.

3)  Have dinner at Le 404, which was our one splurge meal in Paris.  Recommended by a friend, it has the most amazing moroccan food.  And try the mojitos, they are to die for.

4)  Wander through a cemetery in Paris... Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise, is one of the largest.  The history and architecture of the tombs are amazing.

5)  Notre Dame is so peaceful and breathtaking.  You can also climb to the top for a birds eye view!

And a side note:  Get some basic French down and use it... the locals are much more friendly when you attempt to speak their language!

Erin at Le 404, mojito in hand.

That was fun, Erin! Thanks for sharing your first journey to Paris with us!

Attention all those who own Epiphanie bags! We know you've been to some fabulous places. Or live in some incredible, travel-worthy cities for that matter. We want to hear from you! Send a few shots and your list of 5 favorite things to do in that location to media@epiphaniebags.com.  Include a short bio about yourself and note "Where Did You Have Your Epiphanie?" in the subject line. Thanks!

Where Did You Have Your Epiphanie? // Rocky Mountains

Our travel series brings us back the States today as Leslie shares her Rocky Mountain adventure.

And an adventure it was. You see, Leslie's dear husband gave her a "photo safari" in the Rocky Mountains for her mother's day gift. You know, just a sweet and innocent short hike to photograph the sunrise and a waterfall.

Leslie is pictured below with her future brother-in-law, Nick.

Well this harmless little excursion turned into an unplanned, six mile hike up and down a mountain. And there was some snow. And she wasn't wearing proper hiking shoes! Leslie says, "Two miles of the hike was in the snow, deep snow! The trail itself was packed pretty solid, but very slippery. If you stepped off the trail, you risked sinking in the snow above your knees."

Can you imagine?

Luckily, her travel guide, Jared was kind enough to carry her Clover when the hike became the obstacle course of Leslie's life.

Jared, we don't even know you, but you are indeed a true gentleman!

Despite the elements, Leslie still came away with these five favorites for the Rocky Mountains/Estes Park, Colorado:

1) Hire a guide for a day trip. We used Yellow Wood Guiding (ywguiding.com) and learned a lot about the area and photography from Jared.

2) Have lunch at DeLeo's Park Theatre Cafe & Deli (www.deleosdeli.com) in Estes Park.

3) Hike the Wild Basin to Calypso Cascades and enjoy several other waterfalls on the way.

4) Drive Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitors Center. (http://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/visitor_centers.htm)

5) See the sights or hike the trails at Bear and Sprague Lakes. Although less than 4 miles apart, Bear Lake was frozen and under several feet of snow while there was almost no snow to be seen around Sprague Lake during our trip there in late May.

Wow, thanks for sharing Leslie! Such a great adventure!

Attention all those who own Epiphanie bags! We know you've been to some fabulous places. Or live in some incredible, travel-worthy cities for that matter. We want to hear from you! Send a few shots and your list of 5 favorite things to do in that location to media@epiphaniebags.com.  Include a short bio about yourself and note "Where Did You Have Your Epiphanie?" in the subject line. Thanks!

Where Did You Have Your Epiphanie? // Iceland

Hot doesn't even begin to describe the heat we've had in Texas this summer. So today we thought it would be refreshing to escape to the faraway, much colder land that is Iceland.

Dyanamaria is our guide.

Last year Dyanamaria and her Red Lola were Iceland-bound to visit her family.

Dyanamaria's Iceland musts include:

1. Drive around Iceland - There's only one major road that goes all the way around the island and it happens to drive by some of the most incredible sights in the country.  If you drive around the South, you can get from Reykjavik in the West to Eskifjörður in the East in about 14 hours including stops at all these unbelievable places (that's why I'm wearing the same outfit in most of my photos with my Epiphanie bag.) Then you can drive back home along the North and see how completely different the landscape is.

2. Jökulsárlón -  An incredible glacier lagoon where you can watch icebergs break off the glacier and float out into the sea.

3. The Blue Lagoon - It's relaxing, it's warm.  There's a reason every tourist goes there... it's totally awesome.

4. Námafjall - It smells like warm, moldy, rotting eggs. It looks like Mars and it's one of the coolest places I've seen on earth.

5. Eat -  Iceland gets a bad food rap thanks to some of their more unusual food traditions, (especially their smelly fermented shark snack, hákarl, which Icelanders actually enjoy even though one open jar will stink up an entire room) but this was one trip I came back fatter than I left no matter how much hiking I did.  The Icelandic Lamb was perfection and unlike any lamb I've tried anywhere else.  On the East Coast, we jumped onto a little fishing boat to catch Icelandic Cod so we could have it battered and fried up for us at dinner. There are wild blueberries, bilberries and crow berries that you can pick on practically any hike to eat later with Icelandic Skyr and sugar.  I  ate flatbrauð with smjör in the morning, had an afternoon pönnukökur break, and an evening kleinur and coffee after dinner... sure you could try puffin or moss soup, but there's so much other good food to munch on that you may not even have time to try the crazy stuff!

(I'm sneaking in a #6.  Þingeyrarkirkja - I'm biased... it was built by my great great great grandfather... you won't find it in any English guidebooks that I know of, but if you meet an Icelander, have them look it up in one of theirs.  You'll get directions down a long ranch road and out of nowhere this black stone church pops up.  It's perfectly preserved and really incredible.

More pictures from Dyanamaria's trip to Iceland can be found on her blog. And we're not kidding. You really should see them because they are absolutely breathtaking.

Dyanamaria, you are adorable and we are so grateful for your Where Did You Have Your Epiphanie? submission. We know our readers are too!

Where Did You Have Your Epiphanie? // Western Caribbean

Hello friends! We're doing a little rearranging over here so you will now find Where Did You Have Your Epiphanie? on Tuesdays! We hope you've enjoyed our recent visits to London and Versailles!

Now get ready to hit the water with Jamila as she travels the Western Caribbean! Jamila and her sisters just returned from a Carnival Cruise trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; and Cozumel, Mexico.

Grey Clover had the lucky fortune of traveling by Jamila's side!

Before describing her favorite things to do in each location, Jamila wants you to know -

"If you haven't been on a cruise, DO IT!  There is nothing like going to sleep in one country and waking up in another without the hassles of airport security, gas money, worrying about food, etc.  I had a balcony stateroom so every day, I took advantage of eating my tasty continental breakfast (room service delivered) on the balcony while staring out into the beauty of the vast blue waters.  I made sure I seized those quiet moments throughout the day, where I could quiet my mind and be at peace.  Sometimes, it's hard to grab these moments when we're in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives."

 Done, Jamila! We're in!

Jamila's absolute favorites in each vacation spot include:

Montego Bay, Jamaica

• Eat well at The Pork Pit, right in the heart of Montego Bay. Be sure to try their jerk meats, Jamaican sodas, and the festival (a dessert).
• Horseback Ride N' Swim with Chukka Caribbean.  Ride through the countryside with gorgeous views and then take your horse into the ocean! An unforgettable experience.

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

• Relax on the Seven Mile Beach where won't get enough of the turquoise blue water.  While there, you can capitalize on snorkeling, parasailing, jet skiing, and more.

Cozumel, Mexico

• Deep Sea Trek & Snorkeling at Jeanie's in Downtown Cozumel. Walk on the ocean floor, 20 feet beneath the surface, for a unique adventure under the sea where the fish are at your fingertips.
• Ernesto's Fajitas. Great mexican food in a location overlooking the water.

Thanks for sharing your vacation and pictures with us, Jamila! We loved it!