Hawaii

Hawaii—the land of beautiful beaches, dramatic landscapes, and blossoming rainbows

Hawaii tips:

• Be prepared for wild weather changes—sun, rain, wind, and temperature swings are all possible at any moment when you’re on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean

• Keep your eyes peeled for rainbows! Even if it hasn’t rained where you are there are constantly rainbows around that are a real treat to spot.

• The islands are very small and you can see a lot in a small amount of time. It’s also really quick and easy to fly between islands, so don’t limit yourself to just visiting one.

  • Try to get an open jaw flight so you can fly into one island and out of a different one

• Two things you may potentially want to do that I did not:

  • Whale Watching Tour: I did not visit during whale season in Hawaii, but if you are there particularly January-March that is peak whale watching time. I’ve seen a lot of whales in my life and they are magical—highly recommend prioritizing this if you’re there in season.

  • Coffee Tour: Everyone has probably heard of Kona coffee, and Maui coffee is becoming more popular as well. There are plenty of coffee farms and estates you can tour and taste to see how the coffee bean process works on several of the islands. I have experienced this quite thoroughly in Central America and decided I was all set for more coffee deep dives, but I wanted to put it on your radar as another potentially great thing to do in Hawaii.

I visited the Big Island, O’ahu and Maui, and below are all of recommendations for those three islands. The only other island I contemplated visiting was Kauai to see Waimea Canyon State Park and Nā Pali Coast State Wilderness Park, but since it is such a small island and there is not much out there I decided to spend another day on Maui instead.

Waipi’o Valley

The Big Island (AKA The Island of Hawai’i)

I would recommend 3 full days to explore the entirety of the island, starting and ending your loop in Kailua-Kona.

• ‘Akaka Falls Trail: This impressive waterfall is reached by a half mile long trail with a few sets of stairs. Kahuna Falls is also along the trail but the view can be overgrown. It is a nice, paved trail that takes about 20 minutes to complete. The entrance fee to the state park is $5 per person, and it is $10 to park, but you can skip that by simply parking alongside the road outside of the gate.

  • The Hive: An adorable café located in Honomu on the road to ‘Akaka Falls. They’re open for breakfast, lunch and coffee and everything is delicious. Highly recommend!

• Mauna Kea: The highest point in Hawaii! You can go up the volcano from either Hilo or Kona, but the Hilo side is a bit closer. The visitor center is at 9,000ft elevation and there are a couple of short trails with nice views here.

  • Mauna Kea Visitor Center Pu'u Kalepeamoa Trail: A short 1.2 mile long trail up a steep hill to a beautiful viewpoint of Mauna Loa. You are up above the clouds and it is stunning. This is also a popular spot for sunset. It takes about 25 minutes to complete.

  • You’ll need a 4x4 if you want to drive to the summit, and to take some time to adjust to the altitude at the visitor center. You can also hike up, though this is a very strenuous trail. There are summit tours for sunset and stargazing as well.

• Green Sand Beach (Papakolea): There are two options for visiting the famed Green Sand Beach—hike or ride in a local’s pick-up. I hiked the 5 mile long, mostly flat trail out to the beach which took about an hour each way. You essentially walk along the 4x4 path on the coast to the pretty beach. It is quite exposed to sun and wind, so prepare accordingly.

  • I would highly recommend going in the morning before anyone else is out—including the trucks which I would imagine get noisy and chaotic. Even though this is a beach hike I would recommend hiking boots or tennis shoes for the rocks. Keep your eyes peeled for dolphins!

  • If you want to have someone drive you out, arrive from ~9am onwards and there will be locals with trucks waiting to take folks out for $20.

  • The Southernmost point in the US is also right around the corner from the parking lot—it’s about a 10 minute walk down the rocky coast to the marker.

• Punalu’u Black Sand Beach: A famed black sand beach right off the highway worth stopping at.

  • Honua’s Coffee House: A convenient stop for coffee, breakfast, or lunch between the green sand beach and black sand beach.

• Waipi’o Valley: A sacred, fertile valley with a beautiful overlook. Visitors cannot enter the valley aside from a shuttle which runs Monday-Saturday. You cannot hike into the valley either—it is overlook or shuttle only.

• Kaya’s Kawauni: A nice little café off the highway. They open early and the team is super friendly.

Thurston Lava Tube

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park:

The ideal time to visit this park is when there is visible lava flowing, which is obviously impossible to time. Check the park’s website to stay up to date on if there is any chance to see flow while you’re on the island.

The entrance fee is $30 if you do not have a National Park Pass. The park is undergoing construction until ~2026 so expect some closures and modifications.

• Kilauea Overlook: A cool viewpoint with three overlooks of the crater

• Thurston Lava Tube Trail (Nāhuku): A quick, very unique trail through a lava tube. Highly recommend! It is just about 10 minutes and .4 miles long and mostly flat.

• Kīlauea Iki and Crater Rim Trail: This trail is 3.4 miles long with 741ft of elevation gain and takes about an hour and a half to complete. It takes you down into and across the crater then back up along the rim. I did this trail backwards, and would highly recommend that way to have less uphill at the end—start going left from the Lava Tube parking lot.

  • If you’d like to skip the hike, the view at Kīlauea Iki Overlook captures everything quite well and is neat!

• Chain of Craters Road: As you might imagine, this is a chain of a variety of craters along the road. It is 20 miles each way out to the coast and back.

• For a unique experience, stay at this Airbnb on a lava field at the base of the volcano. This tiny home is off-grid and was a very fun place to stay about an hour from the National Park. For a more traditional stay after visiting the park I’d recommend nearby Hilo.

Kailua-Kona

• Ola Brew Co: A nice spot with tasty beers, seltzers, hard juices, hard teas, and a food menu. They also have a location in Hilo.

• Stay at Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa: This is a very expansive property with two pools, two restaurants, tennis courts, yoga, and more. They also have a Giant Manta Ray viewing deck to be able to seasonally view these huge, smart fish. It is one of the few spots to see these unique creatures!

• Kona Brewing: A full restaurant-style brewery with a pretty patio space. The beer is mass produced and average at best.

• On The Rocks: A bar and restaurant on the water with great happy hour specials and validated parking.

Hilo

• Rainbow Falls: A nice large waterfall right near town in Wailuku River State Park

• Makuʻu Point: A great spot to watch sunrise with waves crashing along the rocks.

• Popover: A solid little bakery with sandwiches and donuts

• Wailuku Brew Works: This brewery is located in Keeau, just outside of Hilo. It is a small spot that is quite popular. They have a large tap list, cocktails, and a small food menu from Uncle Bob’s BBQ. The beer is pretty average.

• Skip Wailoa River State Recreation Area

• Skip Hilo Bayfront Beach Park

Manoa Falls

O’ahu

It’s a quick 30 minute flight from the Big Island to O’ahu. O’ahu is most folks least favorite Hawaiian island and I would echo that—I wanted to go to despite this reputation to see a few key things, and I would still recommend visiting overall, just spend the least amount of time here. A day or two is perfect.

Traffic can be awful and Honolulu is just an average big touristy city essentially, but there are still some gems!

• Manoa Falls Trail: This is a moderate 1.9 mile long trail that is relatively steep at points with 577ft of elevation gain up to a pretty waterfall. It can be muddy so proper footwear is key, and it is a very popular trail so expect many other folks. The trail takes just about an hour to complete and parking is $7.

• Howzit Brewing: Great beers at this little industrial taproom in Honolulu. They occasionally have food trucks as well. Parking is awful.

• Stay at Wayfinder Waikiki: A nice hotel a few blocks inland from the beach. They have a beautiful saltwater pool, a delicious onsite restaurant Redfish Poke, and nice amenities. Parking is valet only, but it looks like if you put some effort in you could find street parking.

• Visit Pearl Harbor National Memorial. This is a heavy experience, knowing the tragedy that took place here, but a must. Reserve your USS Arizona experience in advance to take a quick boat ride out to see the memorial. There is a standby line if you don’t get a reservation in advance as well. Note that bags are not allowed into the memorial and parking is $7

• Ka’iwa Ridge Trail (Lanikai Pillbox Trail): You can go as far up and out for this trail as you’d like—to different viewpoints, the first pillbox, the second pillbox, or beyond. It is a very steep trail with loose rocks and dirt, so be prepared and know your limits. It’s rated moderate but I would say that is not accurate, it is a difficult trail. The view of the coastline from above is beautiful. To hike to the first pillbox and back is 1.5 miles and takes about 45 minutes. Note that you cannot park at the trailhead itself, it is a private road, but there is street parking down the hill.

• Inu Island Ales: A tiny spot with a wide variety of beers in Kaneohe.

• The Sunrise Shack: This is a cute spot for açaí bowls and smoothies. They have multiple locations—the one in Kailua is on the way to Lanikai.

• Nu’uanu Pali Lookout: This is supposed to be a beautiful viewpoint, but I tried 3 times to visit it and each time the clouds blocked the view. Good luck!

• Diamond Head Crater Summit Trail: This is a popular 1.9 mile long relatively steep trail with 515ft of elevation gain. Reservations are required, and the latest you can enter is 4:30pm with gates closing at 6pm. I had a reservation but ended up skipping it because the weather was not cooperating—I am still including it on my suggestions because I had planned to hike it and have heard good things.

Haleakalā National Park

Maui

It’s a quick 20 minute flight from Honolulu to Maui. I would recommend 3-4 full days to explore the entirety of the island. If you like boujie-beach filled vacations you can definitely do that on Maui, but my recommendations will focus more on the adventure aspects of the island.

• Kanaha Beach Park: A nice beach behind the airport with some shade from the trees. A good beach to spot sea turtles at!

• Tiffany’s: Delicious restaurant for Asian fusion eats. Great vibes and really fantastic eats. It is a popular spot, so you can join the waitlist online ahead of time if needed. Located in Wailuku, not too far from the airport.

• Esters Fair Prospect: A really cute cocktail bar serving up killer drinks with a few snacks as well. Located on the main strip of Wailuku.

• Take a helicopter tour! I went with Air Maui, but there are several companies offering very similar tours. I did the West Maui and Molokai Tour which was neat—Molokai is the neighboring island that has virtually no tourism so it was awesome to get to drop into the valleys full of waterfalls and see such remote areas.

  • Air Maui has a single seat special where you can call the day before to see what single seats they have left open and get added to the tour for just $100 (saving hundreds of dollars!). Huge win for solo travelers.

Pa’īa

A nice little town 10 minutes from the airport—wander the shops and restaurants along the main strip. The Road to Hana also starts/ends here (depending on your route).

• Wabisabi Soba & Sushi: A solid spot for Japanese eats with outdoor dining

• Baldwin Beach Park: Beautiful beach with ample parking

Haleakalā National Park

This National Park has two sections: Summit & Kipahulu. There is not a road through the park to connect the two. Kipahulu is along The Road to Hana, so more on that later. For the Summit section there are just a handful of trails and overlooks here, so I would say a half day is plenty of time to tackle this section.

The entrance fee is $30 if you do not have a National Park Pass.

• Watching the sunrise at the summit is the most popular thing to do in the park. Reservations are required to enter between 3-7am and the summit visitor center parking lot has limited spaces so go early to snag a spot. Don’t give up hope—most of the folks that were there the day I was left because it was cloudy but about 10 minutes after the sun actually rose it burned off all the clouds and it was stunning.

  • The summit is at 10,000ft so it can be cold and windy, especially before the sun comes up, so be sure to dress appropriately. The weather changes rapidly at that elevation so you never know what to expect!

• Leleiwi Overlook Trail: This is a quick .3 mile trail out to a nice viewpoint where you can see the crater, the coastline, and the summits on the Big Island. There is a cozy little shelter at the trail end to block the wind.

• Sliding Sands Trail (Kéonehe’ehe’e): This trailhead is at the summit visitor center goes out downhill across the crater—you can do a few different things here: hike out as far as you’d like a turn back, hike to Kapalaoa Cabin, or hike point to point and hitchhike back. Just keep in mind you are starting this trail at 10,000ft of elevation gain so it can be tough on your body.

The Upcountry

• Mahalo Aleworks: A solid brewery in Makawao. The upstairs patio has nice views. They partner with Upcountry Sausage and neighboring Marlow for food.

  • There is also a food truck park across the street with Maui Pizza Truck which is delicious!

• MauiWine: A lovely winery in Kula offering tastings, glasses, and bottles in a little cottage. The winery is all quite tasty. Make reservations in advance to avoid a wait.

• Ocean Distillery: A great spot for food and drinks with beautiful views. Vodka is their primary liquor distilled here, but they have a robust menu offering. They also offer tours.

• Sun Yet-Sen Park: A little roadside park with a nice view, especially for sunset.

• I stayed at this Airbnb which was a nice little studio. It’s a half hour from the National Park entrance and has pretty sunset views.

• Skip Kula Botanical Garden

The Road To Hana

The Road to Hana

The famed Road To Hana is a must while on Maui. It is a scenic drive full of 620 curves with roadside waterfalls, state and national parks, beautiful views, and more!

I would recommend downloading the Shaka Guide ahead of time for nice narration through your drive and recommendations on where to stop. I don’t normally pay for things like this but it was a good tool for this unique path + gave lots of history and context to what you are seeing.

I did the reverse loop starting with the backside of the road which is desolate and beautiful—most folks miss this part and just drive from Paia to Hana and back which is fine, but there are some great stops after Hana and why drive the same route twice if you don’t have to? It took me about 7 hours to do the drive from Kula to Paia with lots of stops and hikes along the way. Some recommendations:

• Kipahulu section of Haleakalā National Park: There are just a couple of trails here on this rainforest-y side of the park and very few folks. The Seven Sacred Pools Trail (‘Ohe’o Gulch) is a .6 mile long mostly flat trail out to the famed pools along the coast and takes about 20 minutes to complete.

• Wailua Falls: A really big waterfall right off the road not far after the park

• Skip Venus Pools: This is a muddy overgrown path out to swimming hole and rocky beach about 5-10 minutes from road

• Hana is a nice little isolated town with a few amenities

• Waiʻānapanapa State Park: This is an awesome area with a black sand beach, sea arch, blowhole, and lava tube along a rugged coastline. Reservations are required to visit.

• Don’t miss the lava tube cave off the side of the road not too far after the state park

• Pua'a Ka'a State Wayside Park: Home to a nice little waterfall and stretch break

• Keep your eyes peeled for Rainbow Eucalyptus and Banyan trees along the route after the park

• Twin Falls: This is one of the most popular attractions on the road and the last one before Paia. I found it to be the most overrated and wouldn’t return. It’s $10 to park and enter with 3 waterfalls here and folks swimming in each. After spending most of the day on my own discovering these unique views and hidden waterfalls it felt very toursity and meh to me.

West Maui

• Waihe’e Ridge Trail: This trail is 4.5 miles long with 1,591ft of elevation gain and is rated hard. This trail is on the tropical side of the island so expect hot, humid, and potentially rainy conditions making this trail incredibly muddy and pretty steep at times. There is a picnic table at the summit to sit and enjoy the views—but be prepared that a lot of the times the summit is covered in clouds and the best views are from a bit lower. It takes about 2.5 hours to complete.

• The backside of West Maui from Waihe’e Ridge to Kapalua is a wild ride—literally. It is a one lane road for long stretches with blind curves along the cliffside. The drive is not for the faint of heart, but it is quite beautiful and definitely a unique experience!

  • Olivine Pools: This is an interesting little viewpoint of the pools below—be extremely careful here, the trail is very slick and folks have died on the trail getting down to the pools. I’d recommend just stopping at the rock cliff where you can see the pools below to be safe, especially if it has rained and the trail is slippery. 

  • Nakalele Blowhole: This is another unique stop on the route to a large blowhole. Keep in mind this is a naturally phenomenon and not a waterpark—be careful.

  • Slaughterhouse Beach: This is a really nice beach with good waves and soft sand.

  • Dragon’s Teeth Trail: A short .8 mile long trail that is mostly flat out to Makaluapuna Point and a labyrinth with sharp jagged rocks that are “teeth” sticking up on the shoreline. It takes about 20 minutes to complete and I would recommend proper footwear for the rocky terrain.

• Kapalua Bay Beach: A small but really nice beach popular for snorkeling because the water is so clear.

• Island Vibes Café: A delicious little spot for breakfast and lunch. Good vibes indeed!

• Miso Phat Sushi: This popular sushi restaurant has two locations in West Maui. The eats are delicious and they are BYOB.

• Maui Brewing: This brewery has 5 locations—3 on Maui and 2 on O’ahu. They have full restaurants with each and very different settings. The Kahana location is not the vibe. It’s hot, dark, there’s no outdoor seating, and the food is mediocre—so try one of the other taprooms while you’re visiting.

• Kayak: Hawaii in general but also West Maui is a popular spot to kayak—most tours are a combination of kayaking and snorkeling, some on clear kayaks. My booking got cancelled due to high winds, but would definitely recommend checking it out.

• Kahekili Beach Park: Another great beach with plenty of parking, super clear water and beautiful views of Lanai and Molokai 

• Maui Fruit Ninja: This pop-up moves locations and has crazy acai bowls and yummy juices. Definitely recommend!

• Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop: Super cute shop for delicious pies and lunch items, plus a farmers market is next door.

• Papawai Scenic Lookout: Pretty spot popular for whale watching in the winter months.

• Lahaina: Previously a popular town in West Maui that was destroyed by wildfires. They’re working quickly to rebuild so perhaps in the future it will be somewhere to visit again.

• ‘Īoa Valley State Monument: I would not recommend going out of your way for this—there is one trail the lao Needle Lookout Trail and Ethnobotanical Loop which is a quick and easy .6 of a mile that takes about 15 minutes to complete with a couple of lookout points. Reservations are required, but you can actually skip paying for parking in advance and park in the road outside the gate.

Myrtle Beach, SC

The Myrtle Beach Area is a long stretch of towns along the Atlantic Ocean in Northern South Carolina. This area consists of North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Surfside, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield and Pawleys Island. Everything here is quite touristy but there are still some nice spots to check out and the beaches are great!

Murrells Inlet and Litchfield both have a lot of free beach parking, while at Surfside Beach you’ll need to pay hourly rates. The beaches are dog-friendly but each county has different restrictions during the summer months in terms of timing and leash requirements.

I visit this area each summer for work so I have done some pretty extensive research through my multiple stays. Here are all of my recommendations for breweries, beer bars, restaurants, coffee, where to stay, and more!

Crooked Hammock Brewery

Myrtle Beach Area Beer bars & Breweries:

• Crooked Hammock Brewery: An awesome brewery in North Myrtle Beach! They are located in the Barefoot Landing shopping and dining destination on the intracoastal waterway. Crooked Hammock has an incredible outdoor space with yard games, hammocks, and a variety of seating. They also have two indoor areas—a taproom on one side with tours and the restaurant on the other. Their food is extremely delicious and the beers are solid and easy-drinking, perfect for the beachy location. Don’t miss their bar on the water, Tortuga Island, complete with a full menu, swings, and a fun atmosphere.

• New South Brewing: A good brewery in Myrtle Beach with a wide variety of beers available. They have a unique taproom space and chill vibes.

• Inlet Beer Garden: A beer bar on the Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk with a ton of taps. It has chill vibes and you can order food from the sister restaurant next door as well.

• Quigley’s Pint and Plate: A restaurant-style brewery in Pawleys Island. They have nice outdoor seating and solid beers and food.

• Southern Hops Brewing Company: A solid brewery in Murrells Inlet with patio seating and a full food menu.

• Liberty Tap Room and Grill: A restaurant-style brewery in Myrtle Beach with a full food menu and average beers.

• Voodoo Brewing Company: This is a chain brewery with 20+ locations around the country. They have a pizza-focused food menu, more guest taps that Voodoo taps, poor service, and are overpriced. The beers they make are solid. Located in Murrels Inlet.

• Tidal Creek Brewhouse: A brewery in Myrtle Beach with a large outdoor space, a dog area, a wide variety of beers, a full food menu, and cocktails and wine too. As a forewarning the outdoor space can quickly become overrun by unsupervised children.

• Independent Republic Brewing: A brewery on the intracoastal in Myrtle Beach. This is really more of a dive bar than a brewery, but at least there are nice views! They share a space with Boathouse so you can order food from their kitchen. If you are flying in/out of Myrtle Beach they are right by the airport so this would be a great first or last stop.

• Grand Strand Brewing Company: Solid beers, below average service. They’ve got a nice patio space a few blocks from the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk.

Millstone Biscuit Co. + Brown Fox Coffee at the beach!

Myrtle Beach Area Restaurants and coffee shops:

• Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk: A touristy area full of restaurants and bars with a boardwalk along the inlet. My favorites here are:

  • Neptune Bistro & Raw Bar: Delicious food and cocktails overlooking the water.

  • Wicked Tuna: A sushi and seafood focused restaurant with water views.

  • Dead Dog Saloon: A great spot to grab a drink, especially something frozen!

• Benjamin’s Bakery: A stellar spot in Surfside Beach for breakfast and lunch. Really delicious.

• Banditos Cantina: A delicious restaurant off the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk with upper patio seating and ocean views. Highly recommend!

• National House of Pancakes: This is a wild spot for brunch. The atmosphere is super fun, the food and drinks are over-the-top. It is a bit pricey and there can be a line, but it’s delicious and a unique experience.

• Brown Fox Coffee Box: A cute little coffee stand at the end of the Marsh Walk with great drinks and a small seating area.

• Millstone Biscuit Co.: A great spot for breakfast or lunch in Murrells Inlet and Pawley’s Island with delicious biscuit sandwiches. Order via counter service for dine-in or take-out. This is a popular spot so try to go early!

• Inlet Prohibition Company: A solid restaurant at the south end of Murrells Inlet. They have nice views, a good tap list, and chill vibes.

• Bagel Café: A delicious spot for bagels and breakfast in Pawleys Island!
  

Where to stay:

• Surfside Beach Oceanfront Hotel: An oceanfront hotel with great views and beach access! This was a nice stay while not being too expensive.

• This tiny house Airbnb in Murrells Inlet is great! Perfect for one or two people and close to the Marsh Walk.

• Hampton Inn Pawleys Island: A reasonably-priced and conveniently located hotel. This is your average hotel stay.

Have you been to the Myrtle Beach area? What are your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! Cheers—Alexis

Norfolk, VA

THe Port City of Norfolk is a great spot to spend a weekend!

NFK Tips: 

• Norfolk is a bit spread out so be sure to plan your travels out ahead of time to avoid backtracking across the area.

• Virginia Beach neighbors Norfolk, check out a couple of top recommendations for the city at the bottom of this guide.

• Visit hungry. Everything we ate in Norfolk was extraordinarily good!

• Norfolk is just 1.5 hours from both The Outer Banks and Richmond—check out my guide to OBX here and RVA here.

Adventures & Ales Top Norfolk Recommendations:

• Codex: A wildly delicious restaurant in the heart of downtown Norfolk. I cannot emphasize enough how great everything was—the food was superb and portions were large, the cocktails were fantastic, and the team was super nice. Highly recommend!

• The Veil Brewing Company: The Norfolk taproom of Richmond’s hype brewery The Veil has great beers and a ton of space. Lil Za Pizza is inside making delicious ‘za and they have a small patio out front that is dog-friendly. Stouts, Barleywines and Sours are what they do best here.

• Explore the Chelsea District:

  • Benchtop Brewing: A nice spot with a wide variety of beers. They have indoor and outdoor seating at this taproom and a location in Richmond.

  • Smartmouth Brewing Company: A popular brewery with solid beers and frequent events. Ghost Kitchen food truck lives onsite for eats and they also have a taproom in Virginia Beach.

  • The Birch: A great spot for craft beer, cider, mead, grilled cheese and charcuterie. They have a beautiful space and a small front patio.

  • Grandiflora Wine Garden: A wine bar at an inn with a vegetarian food menu. The use of the word “garden” feels a bit strong here and the wine is very pricey.

• Commune: A great spot for breakfast, lunch, coffee, or happy hour. The food here is fantastic and the team is very nice. They have indoor seating with coffee shop vibes and a small front patio. Commune also has a location in Virginia Beach right next to Esoteric.

  • This is located in Norfolk’s NEON District, an area with street art and shops.

• Handsome Biscuit: A fun old school style spot for sweet potato biscuits that are delicious.

• Cure Coffeehouse: A cute spot downtown for coffee with a small food menu.

• Reaver Beach Brewing: A solid brewery with a nice team. They have frequent food trucks and events and are dog-friendly inside and out. IPAs are what they do best here! They’re Norfolk taproom is a 3 minute drive from The Veil and they also have a space in Virginia Beach.

The Veil Brewing

norfolk Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting:

• Norfolk Botanical Gardens: Beautiful gardens to explore! Tickets are $16 and on Sundays they are dog friendly! They have a massive layout and it is fun to explore.

• Check out the Elizabeth River Trail: This is a 10.5 mile long trail along the waterfront that is great for walking, running and biking.

• American Rover Sunset Cruise: These daily sunset river cruises offer a relaxing journey down the Elizabeth River. The schooner operates via wind on the way out of the harbor and motor on the way back. There is a bar and a bathroom onboard plus a musician. Tickets are $40 Sunday-Thursday and $45 on Fridays and Saturdays. There are a few other companies offering various versions of river cruises as well.

• Town Point Park: A waterfront park with frequent live music and events.

Norfolk Botanical Gardens

recommendations for Virginia Beach & The Surrounding ARea:

• Esoteric: A delightful beer bar and restaurant located in the Vibe Creative District. They have a great tap list, cocktails, and wine along with delicious food. This is a very cute spot with a great back patio as well.

• Commonwealth Brewing Company: A fantastic brewery specializing in IPAs and Sours. They are just north of the airport and worth detouring for. Commonwealth also has coffee and tea in the morning and a pizza kitchen. Their taproom is a popular spot and they have a nice large outdoor space too.

• Oozlefinch Beers and Blending: A Sour-focused brewery in Fort Monroe. Their taproom is right off Fort Monroe National Monument and the outside seating has some water views.

• Coastal Fermentory: A great brewery in The Yard District of Newport News. Their Hazy IPAs are delicious and they have a nice taproom and small patio. A second taproom will be opening in Newport News soon.

Maryland and Delaware's Beaches

The Delmarva Peninsula is home to portions of Maryland and Delaware with nice beaches and some great breweries. This guide goes sequentially driving south to north from Berlin Maryland to Cambridge Maryland after adventuring along the coast.

Burley Oak Brewing

Berlin, Maryland

• Burley Oak Brewing Company: This hype brewery is Sour focused but also makes tasty IPAs. They have a large outdoor space with frequent events. They do not have any food and they do not allow dogs inside or out. Located 15 minutes from Ocean City.

OCean City, Maryland

• The Other One Brewing Company: A solid brewery with a small food menu and non-beer options. They have a dog-friendly shared patio space and are on the south end of Ocean City.

• Stay at the Home2Suites Ocean City Bayside: This is a nice hotel in a good location and is reasonably priced for the area.

• Grab ice cream at King Kone, it’s fantastic!

• Check out Northside Park—this is a great spot to walk, run, or take your dog.

Dewey Beer Co

Dewey Beach, Delaware

• Dewey Beer Company: Dewey has two locations—the original space is a block from the beach in Dewey Beach and their new space in Harbeson, about 30 minutes inland. The beach location has a ridiculously delicious food menu and Harbeson has their newest venture Pizza Machine next door for ‘za. Parking at the beach location can be a little challenging, while Harbeson has ample spots. Sours are what Dewey does best but their IPAs are also good. Dogs are allowed on the patio at the beach and inside and outside at Harbeson.

Big Oyster Brewery

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

• Dogfish Head Brewery has multiple locations—Brewing & Eats is their restaurant and taproom in Rehoboth, emPOURium is next door with cans, and Chesapeake and Maine is the next building with seafood and cocktails. Dogfish Head’s main brewing facility and tasting room is in Milton, DE.

• Stay at Home2Suites Rehoboth: A nice, updated hotel with tasty breakfast and great amenities.

• Thompson Island Brewing Company: A restaurant-style brewery with average beers. It is a beautiful space with a small outdoor space in both the front and back. The space is beautiful, but the location is a bit odd next to a gas station. No dogs allowed.

Lewes, Delaware

• Wander downtown: This is an adorable small town full of shops, restaurants, and parks.

• Olive and Oats: A cute spot for coffee, breakfast or lunch in the heart of downtown.

• Dogfish Head Brewery has an Inn to stay at right downtown!

• Big Oyster Brewery: The beers here are solid but the vibes are not great. They have a full food menu and operate in the style of a restaurant. Half of the seating is in an outdoor tent with plastic dollar store chairs. Skip the pretzel, eat the oysters.

• Grab the ferry to Cape May, New Jersey to extend your adventures. Reservations required.

Wave goodbye to the beach, it’s now time to head inland—

RaR Brewing

Delmar, Delaware

• Loakal Branch Brewing Company: This is a subsidiary of Burley Oak Brewing and more of a local’s dive bar than anything else. I found this to be a very odd spot and not worth visiting.

Salisbury, Maryland

• Burnish Beer Company: A restaurant-style brewery with a full food menu and a large outdoor space. The food here is tasty and the beers are average. Dogs are allowed outside.

Cambridge, Maryland

• RaR Brewing: A Sour focused brewery in downtown Cambridge. Their taproom, their Chessie Burger restaurant, and their cocktail bar The LaboRaRtory are all in a shared row. They have a ton of guest taps and guest cans in the taproom alongside a large house-made beer selection. RaR has a cool space with artwork and chill vibes, but the beers were a bit disappointing. There is no dog-friendly space here.

Have you explored The Delmarva Peninsula? What are your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

The Best Weekend Trips from Charlotte

Whether you are looking for a beach, mountain, or city getaway, there are some really great options within driving distance of Charlotte! These trips range from an hour and 45 minutes drive to four hours for a further escape:

Sierra Nevada Brewing

Asheville, NC

Asheville is a brewery mecca nestled in the mountains well worth visiting.

Start your day at Taco Billy for fantastic breakfast tacos!

Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway for stunning views.

Don’t miss Burial Beer Co. and Dssolvr, two of the best breweries in North Carolina! Hang out in the outdoor space at Sierra Nevada Brewing and be sure to order the pimento beer cheese.

Check out my full Asheville guide here!

Time from central Charlotte: 2 hours

Rainbow Row Charleston

Charleston, SC

Charleston is a beautiful beach town with a plethora of history, restaurants, bars, and breweries.

Hit the beach! There are several options depending on what vibe you are looking for—Folly Beach, Sullivan’s Island, and Isle of Palms.

Be sure to grab beers at Westbrook Brewing and Edmund’s Oast Brewing! Get a cheese plate at Wine and Company and tacos and a frozen screwdriver at Taco Boy.

Check out my full Charleston guide here!

Time from central Charlotte: 3 hours

Forsyth Park Savannah

Savannah, GA

Savannah is beautiful historic city oozing historic charm.

Two Tides Brewing is an absolute must visit, they make incredible beers in an adorable converted house.

Grab lunch at Bull Street Taco in between wandering the historic squares!

Check out my full Savannah guide here!

Time from central Charlotte: 3 hours 45 minutes

Monday Night Brewing

Atlanta, GA

Atlanta is a huge city with a ton of places to explore and things to do.

Monday Night Brewing is the best brewery in the city in my opinion and they have two locations to check out! The Porter Beer Bar is another great option to grab beers at in the Little 5 Points neighborhood.

The Center for Civil and Human Rights is an amazing museum that is a must visit.

Check out my full Atlanta guide here!

Time from central Charlotte: 4 hours

Pretentious Beer Co

Knoxville, TN

Knoxville has a booming downtown district and plenty of charm to keep you entertained.

Start your day at OliBea, a great little brunch spot with delicious food.

Get outside at Ijams Nature Center for hiking and family friendly options.

Check out Abridged Beer Company and Pretentious Beer Co. for fantastic beers!

Check out my full Knoxville guide here!

Time from central Charlotte: 4 hours

Second Street Mural in Wilmington

Wilmington, NC

Wilmington is a relaxed beach town with several distinct areas to explore.

Start your day at Bespoke Coffee, a cute coffee shop right downtown.

Hit the beach! Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach are both great options.

Explore the breweries and don’t miss New Anthem Beer Project and Wilmington Brewing Company.

Check out my full Wilmington guide here!

Time from central Charlotte: 4 hours

The Eighth State Brewing

Greenville, SC

Greenville is a charming little town in upstate South Carolina. Their downtown is perfect to wander around and there is hiking nearby as well!

Start your day at Swamp Rabbit Cafe for amazing sandwiches on stecca bread.

Grab beers at The Eighth State Brewing Company and Birds Fly South Ale Project! The Whale is a fantastic beer bar to check out as well.

Check out my full Greenville guide here!

Time from central Charlotte: 1 hour 45 minutes

Views from the Blue Ridge Parkway

blue ridge mountains, nc

Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway along the mountains and explore the small towns of Marion, Banner Elk, Boone, and more. There are cute little towns along along the Parkway in the mountains!

Check out my full guide here!

Time from central Charlotte: dependent on exact destination—Boone is 2 hours for example

Barrel Culture Brewing

The Triangle, NC

Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Durham make up the triangle area of North Carolina.

Start your day at The Morning Times, a fun cafe with a newspaper theme in downtown Raleigh.

Brewery hop the area and don’t miss Trophy Brewing and Pizza in Raleigh and Barrel Culture Brewing in Durham. State of Beer is a great beer bar as well.

Check out my recommendations for Raleigh and Chapel Hill here!

Time from central Charlotte: 2.5 hours

Another popular weekend getaway option is Gatlinburg, Tennessee! Check out my guide to Gatlinburg here, it was not my favorite destination so I didn’t want to include it as a recommendation on this list, but there is plenty to do and it is nestled right in the mountains!

What are your favorite weekend trips from Charlotte? Let me know in the comments!

The Best Weekend Trips from New Orleans

There are a ton of great places to check out for a couple of days within driving distance of New Orleans. These recommendations range anywhere from an hour drive to six hours for more of an escape!

For my New Orleans Guide, click here!

The North Shore, LA

Covington and Mandeville are the two main towns north of Lake Pontchartrain. I lived in Covington for six months and got to explore all the North Shore offers! Here are my top recommendations:

Visit Abita Brewing for small batch brews from Louisiana’s largest brewery. Also check out Old Rail Brewing Co, a brewery and restaurant with delicious food options. Chafunkta Brewing Company is a small brewery with tasty brews as well!

Opt outside: Explore Fontainebleau State Park—Camp, kayak, hike, or lounge at the lake shore. Bike the Tammany Trace! It spans 31 miles across the North Shore. Float the Bogue Chitto River—there are several companies that have setups for BYOB tubing. Just keep your eyes peeled for gators and snakes!

Barley Oak is a lakefront bar with a small food menu. A fun spot to hang out! The Chimes is a restaurant with a large tap list and delicious spinach and artichoke dip!

Lounge on the outdoor patio at Coffee Rani, which has delicious coffees and a small food menu. Another great spot to start your day is Liz’s Where Y’at Diner, which is a great spot for breakfast!

Time from central New Orleans: 1 hour

Bay St Louis, MS

Lounge at the beach! This is the closest beach getaway from New Orleans.

Grab food and drinks at The Blind Tiger, a fun spot right on the water!

Visit Lazy Magnolia Brewery, it is just north of Bay St Louis in Kiln and has fantastic dark beers!

Time from central New Orleans: 1 hour

Pensacola Beach

Pensacola, FL

Start your day at The Drowsy Poet Coffee Company. The view of the bay is fantastic!

Lounge at the beach—Pensacola has incredibly soft and white sand to relax on!

After the beach head to Pensacola Bay Brewery. They are located right downtown and have great beers!

Check out my full blog here!

Time from central New Orleans: 3 hours

Lafayette, LA

The main reason to go is to visit Parish Brewing in neighboring Broussard, LA. They are one of the top breweries in the country and put out insanely good IPAs.

Another great spot to hang out at is The Wurst Biergarten!

Check out my full blog here!

Time from central New Orleans: 2 hours 15 minutes

Southern Prohibition Brewing

Hattiesburg, MS

Hattiesburg is a small little Southern town. While in the area be sure to check out Laurel, MS as well!

Southern Prohibition Brewing is arguably the best brewery in Mississippi and located right downtown in Hattiesburg.

Hike in De Soto National Forest while in the area!

Time from central New Orleans: 2 hours

Baton Rouge, LA

Go up for an LSU game, concert, or just to hang!

Relax at Tin Roof Brewing. They have a wide array of delicious beers, outdoor seating, and frequent live music.

Check out my other tips here!

Time from central New Orleans: 1 hour 15 minutes

Great Raft Brewing

Shreveport, LA

Shreveport and Bossier are right next to each other and both have plenty of bars and restaurants to keep you entertained.

Great Raft Brewing is the main attraction you want to be sure to check out. They make incredible IPAs and have a really fun atmosphere!

Time from central New Orleans: 5 hours

Natchez, MS

Natchez is a small historic and charming town!

Start your day at Steampunk Espresso Bar, it is cute and they make great coffee!

Check out the Antebellum mansions like Longwood and Stanton Hall.

Hang out on the river! Spend some time lounging by the water (hopefully with a beer in hand).

Check out my full blog here!

Time from central New Orleans: 3 hours

Natchez, MS

Birmingham, AL

I am still surprised by how much I enjoy Birmingham. It is an up and coming city with plenty of things to do!

I highly recommend the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute!

There are several good breweries to check out, such as Trim Tab Brewing, Cahaba Brewing, and Avondale Brewing.

Check out my full blog here!

Time from central New Orleans: 5 hours

Houston, TX

Houston is incredible massive so be sure to plan ahead for your visit!

There are a tonnnn of breweries in the Houston area—my top recommendations are Urban South, Buffalo Bayou, Saint Arnold, SpindleTap, and B-52.

Time from central New Orleans: 5 hours

Ocean Springs/Biloxi/Gulfport, MS

This stretch of Gulf Coast has pretty nice beaches and is conveniently close to New Orleans.

In Ocean Springs The Shed BBQ has live music and a fun atmosphere!

In Gulfport Chandeleur Island Brewing Company is located right in the heart of town with a variety of beers on tap.

Time from central New Orleans: 1.5 hours

The Center for Civil and Human Rights

Atlanta, GA

ATL is another massive city with a ton to see and do, be sure to plan ahead to make the most of your visit.

Monday Night Brewing is one of my favorite breweries in the US and has two locations in ATL!

The Vortex is a touristy restaurant but absolutely delicious! I prefer their location in the Little 5 Points neighborhood. The Porter Beer Bar is right around the block and has a wide variety of beers to choose from.

The Center for Civil and Human Rights allows you to explore the Civil Rights Movement and human rights movements around the world.

Check out my full blog here!

Time from central New Orleans: 6.5 hours

Orange Beach, AL

Gulf Shores and Orange Beach have the nicest beaches on the Gulf Coast aside from the Florida Panhandle, plan to spend most of your time on the sand!

Flora-Bama is a fun bar on the border of Florida and Alabama. It is very country style and can be a wild place so visit during the day if that’s not your scene.

Check out Fairhope Brewing on your way out of town.

Time from central New Orleans: 2 hours

Memphis, TN

Check out the Blues capital of the world! Memphis is more than just Beale Street so be sure to explore!

Wiseacre Brewing has great beers, be sure to check them out while you’re in town!

Check out my other tips here!

Time from central New Orleans: 6 hours

What are your favorite weekend trips from New Orleans? Let me know in the comments!

A Weekend on the North Carolina Coast

Sometimes you find yourself in tiny towns hunting down good beer, which was the case for me last summer on the North Carolina Coast! I was on my way to Emerald Isle and wanted to make an adventure out of it and I ended up at some really cool spots! Check out my route and recommendations:

KINSTON, nc

Your first stop on the way to the coast is Mother Earth Brewing located in downtown Kinston, a small little industrial town. This brewery has won a ton of awards and has a variety of beers on tap. They’ve also got a small outdoor patio to relax on! From Kinston you are headed on to the small town of New Bern.

New bern, nc

New Bern is a cute little town located on the Neuse River. It is the original home to Pepsi, so if you’re into that kind of thing head to the museum! There are two good spots to grab a beer in town that I would recommend:

Brewery 99 is a tiny shack brewery open on Fridays and Saturdays with a small tap list and a rotating cask ale. Snag a bar stool and hang out with the locals!

Beer Army Burger Company is a popular restaurant and brewery in downtown New Bern. Skip the pretzel bites.

From New Bern you are headed across the Croatan National Forest to the coastline!

Morehead city, nc

Morehead City is a more industrial town up the road from New Bern. They were severely impacted by Hurricane Florence and some areas are still rebuilding.

Tight Lines Pub & Brewing recently reopened from hurricane damage, check them out!

atlantic beach, nc

Atlantic Beach is your classic beach town!

Crystal Coast Brewing is located here and has a bright and airy taproom. They have cute North Carolina shaped flight boards and solid IPAs.

beaufort, nc

Beaufort is a cute Southern beach town with an established downtown. You can avoid paying for street parking by just parking on a side street. Skip Front Street Grill.

Fishtowne Brew House is a fun little spot right in the heart of downtown. Their sours are delicious and they have a small area for outdoor seating.

Mill Whistle Brewing is on the grounds of an old mill slightly outside of town. When I visited they had 8 of their own beers and 8 of Crystal Coast’s beers. It is a very small indoor taproom but they’ve got a nice outdoor area as well.

Newport, NC

Shortway Brewing has a nice back beer garden to lounge in and solid beers!

Emerald Isle, NC

I would highly recommend heading over to Emerald Isle for some quality beach time. It is absolutely gorgeous!

The Growler Bar is the best place on the island to grab a beer and kick back with the locals!

If you’re making a full trip of the North Carolina coast, check out my guide to Wilmington here!