While the highlight of November was traveling out of the country for the first time since the summer, my December adventures all took place in the U.S. On the way to my home state of New Jersey, where I spent Christmas with my parents, I stopped by the Jersey Shore to check out two cities I haven’t been to before – and I traveled to Minnesota for the first time.
New Jersey – The Old
Having grown up in New Jersey, some of my favorite memories from my childhood are of summer vacations “down the Shore.” So even though I’ve been to some of the best beaches in the world as an adult, the Jersey Shore still holds a very special place in my heart. Since I haven’t been there since college, I was excited to have the opportunity to go back – this time to explore Asbury Park and Red Bank with my friend Erin of 10 Miles Behind Me.
Even though December is not exactly the ideal time to go to the beach (especially in the Northeast U.S.), we still had plenty of eating, drinking, shopping, and strolling to do. One highlight for me was discovering the fantastic street art in Asbury Park, and I had some memorable meals in Red Bank including the fish tacos at Taylor Sam’s. We also stayed in two lovely hotels – Asbury Park Inn and The Oyster Point Hotel in Red Bank, which were beautifully decorated for the holidays.
Minnesota – The New
December is also not the ideal time to go to Minnesota, but I’ve been long overdue for a trip there. One of my dearest friends lives in Minneapolis, and our other former roommate and I went to visit her for a weekend. It was pretty chilly (see the banner image!), but we made the most of it by seeing our favorite singer-songwriter (Kris Delmhorst) in concert, touring the very impressive Minneapolis Institute of Art and enjoying some glühwein at the European Christmas Market in St. Paul.
What’s Next?
I’m supposed to be heading to Miami this weekend to escape Boston’s frigid temperatures; however, we’re supposed to get a snow storm the day I’m due to take off. I’m also planning to head back to New York City at the end of the month for TravMedia’s International Media Marketplace (IMM) and The New York Times Travel Show.