Gluten Free Review: Lockwood Cafe in Ames, Iowa

Gluten Free Review: Lockwood Cafe in Ames, Iowa

Gluten-Free Review: Lockwood Cafe in Ames, Iowa | Looking for gluten-free dining in Ames, Iowa? Read our review of Lockwood Cafe, featuring gluten-free crepes, baked goods, and coffee in a cozy local setting.

Two of my sisters live in Ames, Iowa and I visit them a lot which is so fun! When I am there they like to take me to their favorite spots and Lockwood Cafe is one that I was introduced to recently and it was such a cool vibe and the food was yummy! It is a building that was converted grain silo building into this fun breakfast and coffee spot in Ames! They have the coolest eclectic decor, the restaurant is filled with plants and art and the menu caters to special dietary needs which is the best! I really enjoyed the food and the coffee was even better! The person taking my order (on both days) was knowlegable about my allergy and they were so friendly!

First Impressions: The Vibe

I feel like it’s important to talk about the overall vibe of the coffee shop a little more because from the moment you walk in, Lockwood Cafe really feels like more than just a place to eat, it is like a whole curated hangout spot where you can talk with friends, get some work done or just grab a bite to eat. I love the artsy vibe, the plants everywhere and the relaxed vibe! I believe there is also outdoor seating beside the train tracks when the weather gets warmer! OH and there was a gallery in back which I think is open occasionally which is such a cool addition to this cafe!

Gluten-Free Review: Lockwood Cafe in Ames, Iowa | Looking for gluten-free dining in Ames, Iowa? Read our review of Lockwood Cafe, featuring gluten-free crepes, baked goods, and coffee in a cozy local setting.
Gluten-Free Review: Lockwood Cafe in Ames, Iowa | Looking for gluten-free dining in Ames, Iowa? Read our review of Lockwood Cafe, featuring gluten-free crepes, baked goods, and coffee in a cozy local setting.

Gluten-Free Focus: What You’ll Find

Lockwood Cafe isn’t a dedicated gluten free restaurant but they do offer several gluten free options to choose from which can be hard to find sometimes so it’s nice that they cater to allergies the best that they can! Here are the gluten free things I loved:

Crepes

They had both sweet and savory crepes to choose from which is what they are known for and they can be made gluten free! I am not a savory crepe person, I wish I was but I’m just not haha! But I got the Banana Nutella Crepes! Note: They did let me know that the granola is made with Quaker Oats and can’t be 100% sure if they are gluten free so I got mine without the granola but they offered to add a sliced banana on the side and it was just as delicous! I was so happy with my meal and I appreciated that they told me about the granola, it confirmed that they were knowledgable of my allergy which just gave me peace of mind!

Coffee

I think that both of my sisters visit Lockwood frequently for their coffee, it is so good! They were telling us that they make most of their own syrups and they like to offer fun seasonal options. When I was there I got an iced latte with raspberry syrup and German chocolate cake syrup and it was PERFECTION. It wasn’t too sweet, the coffee was so good and I have tried over and over to recreate the same flavors at home! They do such a good job with their coffee drinks at Lockwood Cafe!

They also had a dessert case that had a couple of gluten free pastries in it but I’m not sure how consistent it is so I didn’t want to get too into detail about it!

Lockwood Ames Menu

Gluten-Free Review: Lockwood Cafe in Ames, Iowa | Looking for gluten-free dining in Ames, Iowa? Read our review of Lockwood Cafe, featuring gluten-free crepes, baked goods, and coffee in a cozy local setting.
Gluten-Free Review: Lockwood Cafe in Ames, Iowa | Looking for gluten-free dining in Ames, Iowa? Read our review of Lockwood Cafe, featuring gluten-free crepes, baked goods, and coffee in a cozy local setting.

I really think that if you live in the Ames area or even if you’re just passing through, you should take the time to check out Lockwood Cafe! It really is the kind of place that instantly feels welcoming, has great food, delicious and creative drinks, and an atmosphere that makes you want to hang out just a little bit longer. I’m sure you will love it and it is absolutely worth stopping by whether you eat gluten free or not! I really feel like spots like these deserve to be shared about, especially when they make dining out more accessible and enjoyable for those with dietary needs! If you have any questions about eating gluten free at Lockwood Cafe, more menu recommendations, or visiting Ames in general, you can ask them below or if you are more comfortable you can email me at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you ASAP with an answer!

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Spend a Day at Disneyland in Tokyo Japan

Spend a Day at Disneyland in Tokyo, Japan!

Hi Friends!

If you are planning a trip to Japan and are even a little bit of a Disney adult like Dustin and I and you're even thinking about not going to Tokyo Disneyland, let me stop you right now and say: YOU HAVE TO DO IT. Seriously, this place is pure magic and has a charm that’s totally unique compared to other Disney parks we've been to! The classic Disney vibes mixed with a fun Japanese twist make it such a special experience. When we were planning our trip to Tokyo, we knew both Disneyland Tokyo and Tokyo DisneySea had to be on our must-do list! As you probably know by now, we went in early April and it turned out to be the perfect time—great weather and manageable crowds. Dustin and I soaked up every bit of the magic, food, rides, and fun we could fit into our one day at the park!

🎟️ Getting There + Buying Tickets

We bought our tickets ahead of time through the official Tokyo Disney Resort website, and I definitely recommend doing that — they can sell out, especially during busy seasons or when there's a new attraction. If you want there are other options that you can also use third-party platforms like Klook if you prefer, but we found the official site worked just fine and then I didn't have to worry about transferring anything over or dealing with extra steps, it was just in the app.

Like I mentioned, for us getting to the park was very easy because we were staying at Grand Nikko Tokyo Bay Maihama (we loved our stay here so much) and it was a quick 5 minute walk to the Disney Resort Line! But if we weren’t staying right in the area it was also super and we could have taken the train to Maihama Station and then transferred to the Disney Resort Line. The Disney Resort Line feels like the first ride of the day because of the Mickey-shaped windows and handles, which are adorable)! We got there at about 8:15 AM and it opened at 9:00 AM. There was already such a long line forming and I recommend getting there about 45 minutes to an hour early to not be at the back of the line when the park opens. The gates opened a bit ahead of schedule (like at 8:50ish). Make sure you have your tickets on the app, it made things so much smoother!

🏰 How to Skip the Lines at Disneyland Tokyo

I am not an expert by any means, I just wanted to note what we did and noticed about the fast pass system when we were visiting. From what I understand, the classic paper FastPass system is gone much like other Disney parks, and Disneyland Tokyo now uses Disney Premier Access (paid) and Standby Passes for some attractions. We used the Tokyo Disney Resort app to keep track of wait times, reserve access to certain rides, and even order food — it’s a must. We bought the Disney Premier Access to be able to choose a ride right away when we got there and once we scanned into the ride we were able to look on the app again and choose another option from Disney Premier Access. We kept doing this throughout the day and adjusting our plan as we knew the next ride we were going on, it helped a ton with avoiding crazy lines!

One big tip: if there's something you must ride, go straight there at rope drop or pay for Premier Access.

Make the most of your visit with these handy tools available in the Tokyo Disney Resort app:

🎟️ 1. Disney Premier Access (Paid)

  • What it is: A paid reservation system that lets you skip the regular line at select popular attractions.

  • How to use it:

    • Open the Tokyo Disney Resort app, link your park tickets, choose an attraction and select a time slot, pay directly through the app and show your QR code when it’s time to ride!

🆓 2. Standby Pass (Free)

  • What it is: A virtual queue system that gives you a time window to join the line—no payment required.

  • How to use it:

    • Reserve your Standby Pass through the app (subject to availability), come back during your time window and join the physical line.

🎢 The Rides We Went On (And Which Were Totally Worth It)

  1. Pirates of the Caribbean - This is another classic that is pretty much the same every park we have been to but we will always recommend for people to ride it because it is just so good, we loved it!

  2. Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast - This was the cutest ride ever that reminded me of the Rattatouli ride at Epcot in Florida but done 10x better honestly! You get to ride in a teacup and feel like you are immersed into the Beauty and the Beast movie while watching animatronics and listening to music while moving around in the teacup. This ride was done so well and we loved it! This ride was really popular and is a must-see in my opinion! We bought a Premier Access to skip the long line!

  3. The Happy Ride With Baymax - I would compare this ride to the Aliens ride at Hollywood Studios in Orlando! It was a fun ride, the energy from the cast members was amazing and we loved it! It was actually a little bit longer than I expected as well. Because we were trying to squeeze in as much as we could in the one day we were there, bought a Premier Access to skip the long line!

  4. Pinoccios’s Daring Journey - We also really liked this ride, it was pretty nostalgic and just overall enjoyable. It would be great to take any member of your family on it!

  5. Pooh’s Hunny Hunt - The cutest ride, we loved it! It is basically just a journey through the Hundred Acre Wood with cute scenes and getting to see the characters that are in Winnie the Pooh. There was really no wait and we loved it! Definitely a good ride for all ages.

  6. Mark Twain Riverboat - We went on this around 3 in the afternoon because we needed a break from all of the walking that we were doing and it was the same ride as the one in Disney World. We liked going on it and it was a nice break from the crowd!

  7. Haunted Mansion - This is always a classic and pretty much the same everywhere we have been but we will always ride it!

  8. Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin - We didn’t even really know what we were getting ourselves into when we got in line for this ride but we wanted to go on something and we were in the area so we decided on this when we saw it only had like a 30 minute wait. It was a cute ride and was like no ride we have here in Orlando so that was a fun experience!

I know I have said this a few times but we were only there for one day so there were a few rides we didn’t have time to go on. We chose to skip Splash Mountain and Peter Pan’s Flight and then we were sad to realize that Big Thunder Mountain was down for refurbishment when we were there as well so we missed that one. We wanted to make sure that we got to go on rides that we wouldn’t be able to here at home. So yes we skipped out on some of the bigger rides but we were definitely okay with it because each of them seemed so similar to rides that we have here in Orlando at Disney World.

🍴 What We Ate

Okay, real talk: everything I watched about the food at Disneyland Tokyo was that it was so great and some of the best food they had ever had at a theme park and so on… guys, we weren’t fans of the food at the parks, like at all. There were some things that weren’t horrible but besides the food being really cute and themed well, it didn’t taste great. This is obviously just my opinion but I would lower the expectation of the taste of the food at Disney Sea and Disneyland Tokyo quite a bit before you visit! The second day we ate breakfast and dinner outside of the park and for “lunch” we just had a couple of snacks here and there!

🥐 Breakfast

We ate breakfast at our hotel, Grand Nikko Tokyo Bay Maihama! We weren’t sure if there were going to be a ton of options for breakfast in the park so we just ate before we went. I’m glad we did this because we were able to get right to going on the rides!

🥐 Lunch

We ate lunch at Huey, Dewey and Louie’s Good Time Cafe and we pretty much got one of everything and was mostly disappointed in the food with the exception of the Bacon and Basil Pizza. We got the Tariakyi Chicken on the Bao Bun which we would rate a 5/10. The last thing we ordered was the special breaded chicken sandwich on a bao bun, I can’t remember what it is called but it was probably a 6/10. Don’t get me wrong, the food was so cute- it just didn’t taste the best!

🍗 Snacks

  • Soy Sauce Popcorn – There were so many kinds of popcorn to try but the lines were seriously always so long. They had flavors like black pepper, caramel, and a curry flavor that smelled great! They had the option to buy popcorn in regular boxes or you could go all-in with a souvenir bucket — we saw people collecting them like trophies, they were so cute but I couldn’t bring myself to get one and then try to fit it in my suitcase on the way back to the states. We ended up trying the Soy Sauce popcorn because there was a short line during a parade that was happening and it made sense why the lines were always so long, it was delish!

  • Churros – The churros were really good, we had many and my favorite from Disneyland was the creme brûlée churro!

🛍️ Souvenirs We Bought (Because You Have to)

Shopping at Disneyland Tokyo and even DisneySea Tokyo was honestly in my top 5 favorite things that we did while we were there. Every store we went into there was SOMETHING that I couldn’t resist picking up. They had so many fun Mickey-shaped snacks that I felt that I couldn’t live without. The merch here is seriously next level, with tons of Japan-exclusive items you won’t find anywhere else—especially all things Duffy, which has a massive fan base here so if you are also a fan, prepare your wallet! Haha We tried to go into all of the stores, like the little kiosks near each land those had themed goodies that you might miss if you walked past. I also couldn’t leave without getting some of the themed plushies that I wouldn’t find here in the states as well as the iconic Mickey Mouse shaped sunglasses that I have seen everywhere! We definitely bought way more than we planned, but I have zero regrets! A little tip, shopping during parades or early morning was much less stressful because the crowds were preoccupied and not shopping, so I would shop during those times if you want to browse in peace!

💡 Tips for First-Timers

  • Download the Tokyo Disney Resort app before your trip and use it!

  • Make sure you log in and link your tickets before getting to the park, you will want to use the app with your linked tickets to get into the park!

  • Check availability for rides and make reservations right after park entry. Availability for the fast pass options can go fast—especially on weekends and holidays!

  • Make sure you bring a portable charger, you’ll be on your phone all day and it will come in handy, I promise!

  • Utilize mobile ordering when it is available at select quick-service locations in the app! It is great for skipping food lines!

  • Pack compact umbrella or raincoat — Tokyo weather can change quickly and again you will be happy you brought it.

  • Make sure you arrive early to the park to wait in line. I would aim to get there at least 30–45 minutes before park opening. The earlier you get in line the earlier you will get into the park and be able to get the fast passes that you want for the rides on your list.

  • I would have a plan going into the day but at the same time be flexible. It is smart to have a few rides on your list that are must-do attractions for you but also be ready to adjust the plan based on crowd levels and wait times for the day that you are at the park!

I can’t express enough how Disneyland Tokyo totally lived up to the hype and then some. Whether you're a Disney die-hard or just looking for a fun day while you're in Tokyo, this park is 100% worth the visit. From the park being so insanely detailed with theming, to the fun and unique rides and all the themed snacks and merchandise, it was such a magical day! If you're going to Japan and a Disney fan and you are on the fence about going, I promise it’s 100% worth it. We hope that someday we will be able to go back and experience it again! Until then, we’ll just be reliving the magic through our memories (and the snacks we brought home)! If you have any questions while planning your own trip or want to know more about anything that I mentioned above, feel free to reach out, I’m always happy to chat about anything Disney! You can comment below or you can send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible! ✨

Much Love, 

Emma

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Spend a Day Exploring Dornoch Scotland with Viator

Hi Friends!

One of the stops on our cruise was a day trip to Dornoch, Scotland! We booked a tour that hit a lot of the stops that we were wanting to check off of our list that had a good mix of history, nature stops, and also local experiences. I am going to share all of the details of the day from exploring the Dunrobin Castle and gardens to exploring the small town of Dornoch with some gluten free stops along the way! There really was something for everyone in our group on this tour that we did and we loved the touches of Harry Potter here and there as well!

There were 6 planned stops on the tour that we booked but we has such an amazing tour guide and honestly our group was great too that we got to add a few stops along the way! I will share which stops were on the planned tour and which stops we got to add in as I talk about them below!

Black Rock Gorge - {unplanned} This spot was the first on our tour and it was a Harry Potter filming location! It is a short scenic walk to get to and the photos seriously don’t do it justice- it was so pretty in person! I believe that this filming location is from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when he is in the dragon portion of the competition! Overall, a very pretty stop that we were happy to add to the day!

scotland tour with Viator
scotland tour with viator review
Scotland day trip with viator review

Struie Hill - {planned} This is known as the Million Dollar viewpoint that looks over the Dornoch Firth. We stopped here for a few photos before we top here for photos for about 10 minutes before heading to the next stop!

viator day tip to Dornoch Scotland
review of Scotland day trip to Dornoch with viator

Dornoch Cathedral - {planned} - Dornoch cathedral is in the middle of this cute town that we stopped in and it was made famous by the wedding of Madonna to Guy Ritchie which was a cool fun fact! We walked by it but didn’t go in during the tour!

milk and honey Dornoch Scotland gluten free review

Milk + Honey - We stopped into this place for lunch on the way when we were in the town of Dornoch and we were pleased with the food that we got! It was a little cafe and I got the yummiest tuna sandwich with cucumber and a side salad! We also got lattes and pie for dessert and it was SO SO GOOD! All of my food was gluten-free and they were very knowledgable of my allergy which was great!

Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!
Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!
Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!

Dornoch Jail & Dornoch Bookstore - {planned} These were also stops that we made while we were in the town of Dornoch and the Dornoch Jail was actually turned into the cutest store with lots too look at! It was fun to see how the jail cells were turned into different sections of things to shop! The Dornoch Bookshop was another fun stop to just browse through the hundreds of books that they had to look through!

dornoch hotel in Scotland
Dornoch jail store
dornoch scotland jail store

Dunrobin Castle and Gardens - {planned} This castle was such a cool stop, we has so much fun exploring the Dunrobin Castle and the gardens that surrounded it. A little backstory, the Dunrobin Castle is the most northerly of Scotland's large castles and has 189 rooms. Dunrobin Castle is also one of Britain's oldest continuously inhabited houses dating back to the early 1300s, home to the Earls and later, the Dukes of Sutherland. The castle is in a magnificent setting with amazing gardens. On your visit you will witness an amazing falconry display in the delightful castle gardens. These birds of prey will delight you. Then visit the castle museum before touring the furnished castle itself. The Castle, which resembles a French chateâu with its towering conical spires, has seen the architectural influences of Sir Charles Barry, who designed London’s Houses of Parliament, and Scotland’s own Sir Robert Lorimer. It was so cool and we learned a lot when we were visiting here!

dunrobin castle tour with viator
dunrobin castle tour
Dunrobin castle gardens
Dunrobin inside the castle
Dunrobin Castle Gardens
dunrobin castle inside

The Tea Room - This was the little cafe that was at the entrance of the Dunrobin Castle but it was really yummy! They had a ton of things that were marked gluten-free. I ordered a cup of soup to go and it was so good! But one thing to note, you can’t take food on the tour so I should have had the soup while I was sitting there- just keep that in mind! But it was really good and definitely recommend it! My parents and Dustin had pastries that weren’t gluten free but they liked them and the lattes that we all got were also good!

Mermaid of the North - {unplanned} - This was another stop that our tour guide stopped at on the way back to the ship! It is a statue that sits on a rock on the shore of the Seaboard Village of Balintore called Mermaid of the North. The sculpture was inspired by local folklore and she was designed as part of a Sculpture Park celebrating local heritage, Folklore, Faith, Fortitude, Fishing & Four Corners of the World. I didn’t have this stop on my list but it was cool to stop and learn a little but more about it when we had time!

Highland Cows - {unplanned} - At the very end of the day we still had some time before we needed to be back on the ship so we took the long way back and tried to find some Highland Cows at a local farm. Our guide, Emma, was so nice and took us to a few farm areas before we found some! They were way out in the field but that was perfect and we got to check seeing Highland Cows off our Scotland bucket list!

If you are anything like us, you will really leave the town of Dornoch and Dunrobin Castle with fun memories of their history, the stunning landscapes, and the charm of it all. Whether you're admiring the views from the castle grounds or enjoying a gluten-free meal at one of the local cafes, it’s clear that this corner of Scotland offers something special for every traveler! Let me know if you eat at any of these spots! If you have any questions you can comment below or as always you can send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible!

Much Love, 

Emma

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Where to Eat, Stay and Play Around Iceland

Hi Friends!

Iceland was the first stop in our 14 day adventure last summer and it’s just about the last blog post that I have on the docket to write! The first thing to note about Iceland was that it went NOWHERE near what we originally had planned itinerary wise. Instead of being in Iceland for 4, almost 5 days- we spent two of those days in the Minneapolis airport (insert nervous sweating emoji)… ANYWAYS, once we finally got there we had a lot of ground to cover in less time than we had planned but we really tried to make the best of it! I should also note that the mishaps and plans continued to get changed for pretty much the entirety of the trip but I wanted to share the itinerary and things we did do and our experiences anyway! So buckle in while I tell you the ADVENTURE we went on while we were exploring Iceland in June!

A Few Things to Have on Hand!

  1. Rain Jacket

  2. Umbrella

  3. Backpack for purchases

  4. Camera or Phone for pictures

  5. LAYERS! I was so thankful that I had a rain jacket, a sweatshirt and a t-shirt on because I shed and added layers all day long!

Day One in Iceland

When we arrived in Iceland, my parents picked us up at the airport and then we pretty much immediately started driving to go see all of the sights in the The Golden Circle. This is a very popular touristy route that you can take in southern Iceland that covers about 300 km/180 miles and you can loop from Reykjavík into the southern uplands and then back. With our shortened time we didn’t get to all of them but I will list the popular ones below with some info on the stop!

  1. Þingvellir National Park: A site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, Þingvellir was the location of Iceland's ancient parliament and lies in a rift valley marking the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.

  2. Gullfoss Waterfall: Known as the "Golden Falls," this two-tiered waterfall on the Hvítá river cascades into a deep crevice, creating a stunning display of natural beauty.

  3. Geysir Geothermal Area: Home to the famous Geysir and its active neighbor Strokkur, which erupts every 5–10 minutes, this geothermal area showcases Iceland's geothermal activity.

  4. Kerið Volcanic Crater: A volcanic crater lake located in the Grímsnes area, Kerið is known for its visually recognizable caldera and aquamarine-colored water.

  5. Faxi Waterfall (Vatnsleysufoss): Situated on the Tungufljót river, Faxi is a picturesque waterfall known for its salmon-filled waters and a popular spot for fishing.

Experience Iceland
Experience Iceland

If you are short on time, adding a few or all of these destinations to your list is an easy way to see many things in a shorter amount of time. We got to see so many different areas of Iceland along The Golden Circle route.

At the end of this day we stayed in a little two bedroom cabin in Þingvellir National Park. I will link the cabin that we stayed in here, we paid $220 for the night but it was a good location and you could look out onto Þingvallavatn lake which is seriously stunning. We booked this cabin through Airbnb, it was small but had anything we really could have needed. I wouldn’t plan on making a five course meal but we were able to make dinner and breakfast here without any problems.

Experience Iceland
Experience Iceland

Day Two in Iceland

Coffee shop in Penninn - We went in to browse the bookstore and grabbed a coffee while we were in there. The bookstore was so cute and had so many options book wise. I know it was the middle of June when we were there but Dustin and I both got a pumpkin spiced latte and it really just hit the spot! It was so good, not too sweet, so good!

Hallgrímskirkja - This is also known as the Church of Hallgrímur and was high on our to-do list when we were in Reykjavik! Its has a really cool modern design which we learned is inspired by Iceland's volcanic landscapes! It is super tall and it stands tall as one of the city's most famous landmarks. When we were there we also walked along Rainbow Road.

Experience Iceland
Experience Iceland

Rainbow Road - This is a really cool street with colorful crosswalks that symbolize the city's spirit of inclusivity and love. Both were high on our must see lists and they were right next to each other, making for an easy stop! There were also a lot of shops to wander around in and out of along this road which we took advantage of! We liked this bookstore called Bókabúðin Bergstaðastræti and this record shop called Geisladiskabúð Valda.

Experience Iceland
Experience Iceland

Krua Thai Restaurant - We were visiting Rainbow Road and the iconic Hallgrímskirkja church right around lunch time and we were so happy to stumble into the yummiest food we had in Iceland! They had a lot of gluten free options and the waiter was very knowledgeable of my gluten allergy. I honestly think that our waiter was the owner as well but nonetheless, knowledgeable! I decided to get the Pad Thai and I added chicken, it was SO good! We were also able to get whatever spice level that we wanted. Dustin got the chicken Kuayda Pad with rice and it was like a red curry. It was also able to be made gluten free! The portions were huge and I ended up taking about half of mine to go for later, side note, it reheated well!

We stayed at a farmhouse that was right next to a lighthouse and the beach but since we stayed there the house was taken off of Airbnb, but if we were going to do it all again, we probably would have stayed in Reykjavik! We only stayed where we did to be closer to The Blue Lagoon but that wasn’t necessary after all and staying near the port where we got on our ship would have been a good idea as well!

Day Three in Iceland

The Blue Lagoon - We were supposed to wake up early on this morning and go to The Blue Lagoon for our 8:30am slot but while we were on our way there from the airbnb we were told that there was no way to get to The Blue Lagoon due to volcano activity that was happening on the road. We were so sad but obviously would rather be safe than put ourselves in danger so we didn’t get to see The Blue Lagoon. The staff was very helpful and offered to move our reservation date but with it being our last day there they refunded our tickets. If you’re going I would absolutely recommend trying to visit The Blue Lagoon. Possibly plan to do this early in your trip just in case there needs to be adjustments to your reservation for any reason. One tip we did hear when we were on our cruise but not before the trip was to not let your hair go into The Blue Lagoon because it makes it feel gross even after washing it.

FlyOver Iceland - When we found out that we weren’t going to be able to go to The Blue Lagoon we pivoted, went to lunch at Rost and then decided to do the FlyOver Iceland experience in Reykjavik which was pretty cool. FlyOver Iceland is sort of like Soarin’ at Epcot for those of you who have done that! It suspends you in the air, giving you the feeling of flight while watching a film that takes you on a journey across Iceland while also using special effects like wind, scents and mist which is just a very cool interactive experience. It was about $40 a person for the whole tour and movie, I think it was really cool to watch and see what we missed on our trip.

Experience Iceland coffee
Experience Iceland

Rost Reykjavik - This was a coffee shop that was closer to the cruise port but we stopped here for breakfast before we got onto our ship! To eat I got the hot ham and cheese on gluten free bread, it was good! Dustin got one of their specials that was specific to that day but it was out of his comfort zone and he still loved it. To drink I got the one of their special lattes that was being advertised on the chalk board but it had like caramel popcorn on top and was so good! It was definitely more of a sweet treat rather than a regular coffee situation! Dustin just had a latte and liked that as well!

Driving in Iceland

With all that we wanted to do and see in a short amount of time, we opted to rent a car and drive around Iceland on our visit. At first we were hesitant of what it would be like driving in Iceland as a tourist but after doing it, it was absolutely the right choice for us. The roads were well-maintained, there were clear signs for directions and really there wasn’t too much traffic. We got to see lots of stunning views of volcanic mountains, geysers, glaciers, and waterfalls, there was so much scenery to take in literally around every turn. There were some roads that were a little more narrow or were gravel, especially in more remote areas so I would definitely recommend to always drive carefully, be alert and also to be prepared for varying weather conditions. But overall, driving in Iceland was relatively easy, and the freedom to stop whenever you want to take in the different views of the island was one of the best parts! Lastly, the locals are friendly and helpful, so if you need any assistance, don't hesitate to ask. This might absolutely be different for you depending on when you are visiting but for 4 days it was about $475 for our rental car!

Experience Iceland
Experience Iceland

After three fun filled days exploring Iceland, we got to see and experience so many things. We loved seeing the landscapes of The Golden Circle and adventure of missing being able to relax in The Blue Lagoon. Iceland was such a huge destination to check off of our bucket lists and we definitely recommend visiting! Whether you're wanting to see the stunning waterfalls, walking through volcanic craters, or trying Icelandic meals, you will make so many memories on the trip! As always, if you have any questions at all, please comment below or send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you asap!

Much Love, 

Emma

WHAT TO READ NEXT!

Spend a Day in Malmo, Sweden

Hi Friends!

As I mentioned before, when we got off of our cruise we had 3 days in Copenhagen and Sweden and we spent one of those days exploring near our hotel in Malmo, Sweden! We didn’t have a whole lot on our list of what we wanted to see so we just let the day take us where it went. Even without a plan we had a lot of fun eating yummy food, exploring a castle and wandering the streets of Malmo!

 
Explore the vibrant city of Malmö, Sweden in a day with top sights and attractions.

Where to Stay!

Raddison Blu Hotel, Malmo

I touched on where we stayed in the blog post called Spend Two Days in Copenhagen, Denmark but I will share about the hotel here as well! After the cruise, we stayed three days in Malmo, Sweden because it was a lot cheaper than staying in Copenhagen but it allowed us to explore parts of Sweden and parts of Denmark while costing a little bit less. It was really nice because we were a quick train ride from anywhere we wanted to go and we didn’t feel like we were missing out on anything by staying in Malmo! We stayed at Raddison Blu Hotel, Malmo and it was such a nice spot to stay and the location couldn’t have been better! It was nice and clean, the staff was super friendly, they had air conditioning in our rooms, comfortable beds, tea and coffee in the room and the rooms were huge!

 
 

Breakfast and Coffee

Nybergs - We stopped in here to get coffee actually a couple of times! We liked stopping in here to grab a coffee after getting off the train before going back to the hotel because it was on the walk from the train station to the hotel. We also got breakfast here once as well and it was pretty good! I got scrambled eggs and bacon. They also had surprisingly quite a few gluten free pastries to choose from as well. I had an almond type cookie and also like a moon pie thing as well and both were good! They also had wifi which was nice to have when we needed it. Even if you don’t stop for coffee, it is a great place to stop and to check on missed messages!

Modern and historic architecture in Malmö, Sweden
Pedestrian street in the heart of Malmö city for shopping and sightseeing

Information on Malmo Museum!

Malmohus Castle - The Malmohus Castle is the oldest surviving Renaissance castle. We spend about an hour wandering around the castle and then we spend about 30ish minutes in the science museum portion of the castle which was (in my opinion) really cool! The castle was built between 1526 and 1539 and is the oldest preserved Renaissance castle in the Nordic region, inside there was a ton to look at from history to fashion to animals. There was so much inside! It cost Dustin and I about $18 to visit both sides of the museum. They also had the cutest gift shop, I seriously kick myself for not getting anything from there, I loved the things they had!

Beautiful city park in Malmö, Sweden perfect for a relaxing walk
A vibrant cityscape of Malmö with modern buildings and historical landmarks to explore in a day.
Beautiful city park in Malmö, Sweden perfect for a relaxing walk
A vibrant cityscape of Malmö with modern buildings and historical landmarks to explore in a day.
A vibrant cityscape of Malmö with modern buildings and historical landmarks to explore in a day.
A vibrant cityscape of Malmö with modern buildings and historical landmarks to explore in a day.

Lunch

MAX - We stopped here pretty much as soon as we checked into our hotel and I would say it is like their McDonalds. But here they had gluten free options and that was SO exciting! I had a bacon cheeseburger and a side of fries but I got the cheese fries that had onion and jalapeños on top. All of it was really good and we were thankful to have a quick meal to eat and we would definitely eat here again.

Savor delicious Swedish cuisine at top restaurants in Malmö.
Savor delicious Swedish cuisine at top restaurants in Malmö.
 
 

Stortorget Historic Market Square - After we went to the museum and had lunch it was raining pretty hard but we still wanted to explore the area. We found ourselves wandering around Stortorget Historic Market Square and there were a ton of people just hanging out, having lunch and lounging. It was really pretty and had some cool historic spots as well if you are wanting to check some that kind of thing out!

Relax in Malmö's lush city parks, perfect for a leisurely afternoon
Relax in Malmö's lush city parks, perfect for a leisurely afternoon
Relax in Malmö's lush city parks, perfect for a leisurely afternoon
Relax in Malmö's lush city parks, perfect for a leisurely afternoon

Dinner Ideas

Sabaidee Thai Trianglen - This was another place that we ordered dinner to the hotel when we were in Malmo and it was SO freakin good! Before this trip I have had curry but this Thai place had a red curry that in the most dramatic way possible, changed my life haha! It was so good and I wish I could find a place here in Florida that properly replicated the curry that we had. We also had pad Thai in our order which was really good but it had chilis on top of it that I didn’t see and I put about four of them in my mouth at one time and I’m not sure I have been the same since, lol it was SO spicy! I’m sure if I would have ordered it without the chilis it would have been just as good! We defiantly recommend to order from this spot, just be careful with the spice levels of things if that isn’t something you enjoy!

Explore local Swedish food in Malmö's restaurants, offering a variety of culinary delights.

Davidshall Pizzeria - We ordered this pizza one night after a long day of exploring and it didn’t disappoint! It was really yummy, the crust was shockingly good. You gluten free friends know that crust isn’t the thing we get excited about when it comes to pretty much anything haha but it was really good! I got the Margherita Pizza and it was so good, would absolutely get it again if I was given the chance! My parents got a non gluten free Hawaiian type of pizza and they liked it as well! We can’t remember what Dustin had but he said it whatever it was he liked it! It was nice to have many options to order in after long exploring days, we ordered in dinner all of the nights that we were in Malmo, actually!

 

A Few Things to Have on Hand!

  1. Rain Jacket

  2. Umbrella

  3. Backpack for purchases

  4. Camera or Phone for pictures

  5. LAYERS! I was so thankful that I had a rain jacket, a sweatshirt and a t-shirt on because I shed and added layers all day long!

Discover Malmö's historic buildings, including medieval structures and modern landmarks.
Discover Malmö's historic buildings, including medieval structures and modern landmarks.
 

After the cruise was over we were happy to have a day where we just sort of strolled around and didn’t have a strict plan. Malmo was cute and unexpected, plus it was really cool to see where Dustin travels for work a few times a year! He got to show us around which I loved! Have you been to Malmo or any other part of Sweden? I honestly never really had Sweden on my radar until recently but I’m glad to have spent some time there! If you have any questions at all, please comment below or send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you asap!

Much Love, 

Emma

WHAT TO READ NEXT!

Daytrip to Helsingor, Denmark from Malmo, Sweden

Hi Friends!

As I mentioned before, when we got off of our cruise we had 3 days in Copenhagen and Sweden and we spent one of those days and took about an hour train ride to Helsingor, Denmark! We initially went so that we could explore Kronborg Castle which is the famous setting for Shakespear’s play, Hamlet. We were so happy that we added this to our list of things to do because we went for the castle and ended up seeing really cool views on the train, cute shopping in the town next to the castle and had a really yummy lunch as well! I will get into more detail about that though below!

Explore the Hidden Gems of Helsingor: A Day Trip from Malmo Discover the charming city of Helsingor on a day trip from Malmo, Sweden. Uncover historical sites, local cuisine, and breathtaking views.
Explore the Hidden Gems of Helsingor: A Day Trip from Malmo Discover the charming city of Helsingor on a day trip from Malmo, Sweden. Uncover historical sites, local cuisine, and breathtaking views.

A Few Things to Have on Hand!

  1. Rain Jacket

  2. Umbrella

  3. Backpack for purchases

  4. Camera or Phone for pictures

  5. LAYERS! I was so thankful that I had a rain jacket, a sweatshirt and a t-shirt on because I shed and added layers all day long!

Information on taking the Train

Using the train to get from Malmo to Helsingor was very simple and was actually a great experience. I recommend using the train to get around if you are visiting. I am going to link to the official Rail Europe website here for you to check out. But we stayed at the Raddison Blu in Malmo and got on the train at Malmo Central Station and got off at at Köbenhavn H and got on the train to Helsingor which was about an hour and 40 minute trip one way, but definitely worth it in my opinion! It was easy to use and if there ever was any confusion, we just asked for help from someone that was working in the station and they were very helpful!

 

Where to Stay!

Raddison Blu Hotel, Malmo

I touched on where we stayed in the blog post called Spend Two Days in Copenhagen, Denmark but I will share about the hotel here as well! After the cruise, we stayed three days in Malmo, Sweden because it was a lot cheaper than staying in Copenhagen but it allowed us to explore parts of Sweden and parts of Denmark while costing a little bit less. It was really nice because we were a quick train ride from anywhere we wanted to go and we didn’t feel like we were missing out on anything by staying in Malmo! We stayed at Raddison Blu Hotel, Malmo and it was such a nice spot to stay and the location couldn’t have been better! It was nice and clean, the staff was super friendly, they had air conditioning in our rooms, comfortable beds, tea and coffee in the room and the rooms were huge!

 

Information on Kronborg Castle!

Kronborg Castle - The Kronborg Castle has been around since 1420 and since then has burned to the ground and been rebuilt. This is the actual castle that Shakespeare set Hamlet in and has a lot of history with that in the castle. There were many ships passing into the Baltic Sea which used to pay tolls at Kronborg Castle and Helsingør but now is a tourist attraction. The Kronberg Castle is about a 10ish minute walk from the train station and we paid about $20 a person to get into it but there was a lot to see while we were in there! They had a tour you could pay for but we just did it on our own and really liked doing it that way. When you are doing the tour through the castle you have to put your backpack in a locker but they give you a key that you take with you and then give back once you’re done. We spent about 3 hours touring the castle but that includes the inside of the castle, the outside where the grounds are, spending some time in the cafe and then looking at the gift shop as well! We were absolutely happy with taking the day to make this trip.

Explore the Hidden Gems of Helsingor: A Day Trip from Malmo Discover the charming city of Helsingor on a day trip from Malmo, Sweden. Uncover historical sites, local cuisine, and breathtaking views.
Explore the Hidden Gems of Helsingor: A Day Trip from Malmo Discover the charming city of Helsingor on a day trip from Malmo, Sweden. Uncover historical sites, local cuisine, and breathtaking views.

Shopping around Helsingor - We wandered the streets of Helsingor after lunch for about two hours, there were lots of shops to go into and explore. I didn’t make a note of any specific stores but we went into a few clothings stores, a book shop, a couple of antique stores and even a little convenient shop that had a lot to look at. We all got a couple of things and then headed back to the train to beat the commuting rush back to Malmo, Sweden.

Explore the Hidden Gems of Helsingor: A Day Trip from Malmo Discover the charming city of Helsingor on a day trip from Malmo, Sweden. Uncover historical sites, local cuisine, and breathtaking views.
Explore the Hidden Gems of Helsingor: A Day Trip from Malmo Discover the charming city of Helsingor on a day trip from Malmo, Sweden. Uncover historical sites, local cuisine, and breathtaking views.
Explore the Hidden Gems of Helsingor: A Day Trip from Malmo Discover the charming city of Helsingor on a day trip from Malmo, Sweden. Uncover historical sites, local cuisine, and breathtaking views.

Where We Ate

Cafe Kaiser - After we spent the morning at Kronberg Castle we started to wander back to the train but decided we should stop and get a late lunch before the train ride back. We found this cute spot on the corner with outdoor seating but opted to eat inside because it looked like it was going to start raining. I had a glass of Pino noir and a really yummy sliced chicken sandwich with cucumber and sort of hummas spread. It was really good and so were the fries! There were so many options in this area to eat but if you are overwhelmed and just want to know where you’re going to have lunch this spot was great and had gluten free options that were tasty!

Explore the Hidden Gems of Helsingor: A Day Trip from Malmo Discover the charming city of Helsingor on a day trip from Malmo, Sweden. Uncover historical sites, local cuisine, and breathtaking views.
Explore the Hidden Gems of Helsingor: A Day Trip from Malmo Discover the charming city of Helsingor on a day trip from Malmo, Sweden. Uncover historical sites, local cuisine, and breathtaking views.

We were so happy to off on a little day trip outside of the city and we were so happy with the little town that we found. We loved touring the castle and then shopping around after! Have you been to Helsingor? What was your favorite part when you were there? As always, if you have any questions at all, please comment below or send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you asap!

Much Love, 

Emma

WHAT TO READ NEXT!

Gluten Free In Malmo, Sweden

Hi Friends!

As I have mentioned many times before, I like to plan ahead a little bit when it comes to where we will be eating when we are on a vacation and this is mostly just because I am so scared with my allergy of not having something to eat or causing problems with whatever group I am in or the horrible “I got glutened and my day is over” feeling. If you are traveling to Malmo, Sweden soon, don’t worry at all there were plenty of options! There are only a few places on these lists because we were traveling between Copenhagen, Helsingor and Malmo on this portion of the trip so the meals were split up between all three spots but I will share where we did eat with you guys below!

Where to Eat Gluten Free around Malmo, Sweden

MAX - We stopped here pretty much as soon as we checked into our hotel and I would say it is like their McDonalds. But here they had gluten free options and that was SO exciting! I had a bacon cheeseburger and a side of fries but I got the cheese fries that had onion and jalapeños on top. All of it was really good and we were thankful to have a quick meal to eat and we would definitely eat here again.

Sabaidee Thai Trianglen - This was another place that we ordered dinner to the hotel when we were in Malmo and it was SO freakin good! Before this trip I have had curry but this Thai place had a red curry that in the most dramatic way possible, changed my life haha! It was so good and I wish I could find a place here in Florida that properly replicated the curry that we had. We also had pad Thai in our order which was really good but it had chilis on top of it that I didn’t see and I put about four of them in my mouth at one time and I’m not sure I have been the same since, lol it was SO spicy! I’m sure if I would have ordered it without the chilis it would have been just as good! We defiantly recommend to order from this spot, just be careful with the spice levels of things if that isn’t something you enjoy!

Nybergs - We stopped in here to get coffee actually a couple of times! We liked stopping in here to grab a coffee after getting off the train before going back to the hotel because it was on the walk from the train station to the hotel. We also got breakfast here once as well and it was pretty good! I got scrambled eggs and bacon. They also had surprisingly quite a few gluten free pastries to choose from as well. I had an almond type cookie and also like a moon pie thing as well and both were good! They also had wifi which was nice to have when we needed it. Even if you don’t stop for coffee, it is a great place to stop and to check on missed messages!

Davidshall Pizzeria - We ordered this pizza one night after a long day of exploring and it didn’t disappoint! It was really yummy, the crust was shockingly good. You gluten free friends know that crust isn’t the thing we get excited about when it comes to pretty much anything haha but it was really good! I got the Margherita Pizza and it was so good, would absolutely get it again if I was given the chance! My parents got a non gluten free Hawaiian type of pizza and they liked it as well! We can’t remember what Dustin had but he said it whatever it was he liked it! It was nice to have many options to order in after long exploring days, we ordered in dinner all of the nights that we were in Malmo, actually!

We did get to spend quite a bit of time in Malmo but eating out was split between a few different spots like Copenhagen and Helsingor! Like most other places on this trip, I was so happy to have found many options for gluten-free eating that were actually really tasty. Have you eaten at any of these spots or visited Sweden? Let me know if you eat at any of these spots! If you have any questions you can comment below or as always you can send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible!

Much Love, 

Emma

WHAT TO READ NEXT!

Spend Two Days in Copenhagen, Denmark

Hi Friends!

Once we got off of our cruise we had 3 days in Copenhagen and Sweden and we spent one and a half of the three days in Copenhagen exploring! We had a lot of things on our list that we wanted to check out but as the day went on we sort of just let the day take us where it went and it was a lot of fun. A few things that were on our list was a canal tour, Tivoli Gardens, Amalieaborg castle and then just wandering around the iconic buildings that we have all seen in pictures! Trust me, those pictures of the colorful buildings lining the canal were spot on and it was such a pretty place to sightsee! Below I will share where we stayed, where we ate and what things we did in Copenhagen!

Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!

A Few Things to Have on Hand!

  1. Rain Jacket

  2. Umbrella

  3. Backpack for purchases

  4. Camera or Phone for pictures

  5. LAYERS! I was so thankful that I had a rain jacket, a sweatshirt and a t-shirt on because I shed and added layers all day long!

Where to Stay!

Raddison Blu Hotel, Malmo

When we got off of our cruise ship we stayed at the same hotel for the whole three days that we were there and it made the most sense for us to stay in Malmo, Sweden because it was a lot cheaper than staying in Copenhagen. It was really nice because we were a quick train ride from anywhere we wanted to go and we didn’t feel like we were missing out on anything by staying in Malmo! We stayed at Raddison Blu Hotel, Malmo and it was such a nice spot to stay and the location couldn’t have been better! It was nice and clean, the staff was super friendly, they had air conditioning in our rooms, comfortable beds, tea and coffee in the room and the rooms were huge!

Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!

Where to Stop!

Tivoli Gardens - This place was like the most chaotic amusement park I had ever seen haha it was really cool to walk around and look through the shops and see the different things that they had to offer but we were there on a Sunday and it seemed like everyone else was also there. I believe we each paid about $25 just to walk around the park and then if you wanted to go on rides they were a little bit more than that. It was definitely a cool thing to see in the middle of the city but I’m not sure I would pay to go in again if I were to go back!

Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!

Amalienborg Palace - We originally wanted to see the changing of the guard at the palace but we ended up doing our canal tour at the same time so we skipped it but if you can you should watch this iconic event! We could see the castle from where the canal tour started so it was perfect to see it at the same time! They also had the option to go inside and do a museum tour but we didn’t do that while we were there.

Lime Scooters - We took these Lime Scooters on a little tour around by ourselves and it was so much fun! We took the train a little bit further out from the center of the city to look for the Trash Trolls that we had heard about. When we got off the train, we saw the Lime Scooters so we downloaded the app and took them on a ride! Unfortunately we couldn’t for the lives of us find the Trash Trolls we were looking for but the scooters were so much fun it didn’t matter in the end! We probably would have had better luck with the Trash Trolls if we planned a little bit more ahead, so if you go, find them before you are without internet! If you feel comfortable on a scooter, I really recommend doing this for a little self guided tour around the city!

Original Canal Tour of Copenhagen - When we were visiting, we knew we wanted to do an iconic canal tour and we decided to go with the Original Canal Tour of Copenhagen. We liked the open boat seating and the tour guide was great! We paid like $15 a person and it was totally worth it. While we were on the boat we got to see The Copenhagen Opera House, Amalienborg Palace, Christiansborg Palace, the Black Diamond Library which was SO cool, The Little Mermaid statue and so many side alley canals with tons of house boats and tons to look at! The tour took maybe about 45 minutes if I am remembering correctly and different boats were picking people up about every half hour. I can’t recommend doing this tour enough!

Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!

Thrifting Along the Canal - We were so happy to stumble on this thrift market that was set up along the canal, there were so many things to look at and we actually have two small pieces of art in our house now from the market! A note, we could only pay with cash but there was an ATM at the 7 Eleven that was about a three minute walk away from the thrift market! I don’t know the days it is open but if they’re there when you are visiting, definitely stop!

Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!

Where to Eat

Espresso House - We stopped in here for a cup of coffee after wandering through the Tivoli Gardens and it was pretty tasty! Not much to say, it was a cute coffee shop and there were bathrooms to use which was nice! Espresso House was like a Starbucks in the states, they were everywhere and we actually stopped into a different location on another day! Like I said, good coffee and a good place to stop in and relax for a bit.

Wagamama - We ate here when we were in Tivoli Gardens for lunch and it wasn’t our first option but we were all starving and I knew I could eat here so we just settled and had lunch! They were very knowledgeable about allergies and the manager was the person who came to take my order. I got the Pad Thai with chicken and it was pretty good! Not a 10/10 but if it had a little bit more sauce it would have been much better! Dustin got some kind of ramen and liked it a lot! I would eat here again, especially because of how well they took care of allergies.

Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!

With only spending about a day and a half in Copenhagen, as you can tell we were able to fit so many things in and see so much! If we had a little bit more time we probably would have ventured out and did some things outside of the city. But that just means we need to visit again for a longer amount of time! Have you been to Copenhagen? What was your favorite part when you were there? As always, if you have any questions at all, please comment below or send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you asap!

Much Love, 

Emma

WHAT TO READ NEXT!

Gluten Free In Scotland

Hi Friends!

As I have mentioned before, I am a big planner when it comes to where we will be eating when we are on vacation and this is mostly just because I am so scared with my allergy of not having something to eat or causing problems with whatever group I am in or the horrible “I got glutened and my day is over” feeling. If you are traveling to Scotland soon, don’t worry at all! The few towns that we stopped in I had no problems finding something to eat, they were really great with gluten allergies. We stopped in Kirkwall, Dornoch and the Dunrobin Castle in the Northern Highlands and I found food in each place! There are only a few places on these lists because Scotland was only stops on our cruise, we didn’t spend a ton of time in each of these places but I will share those with you guys below!

Where to Eat Gluten Free around Scotland

Dornoch, Scotland

Milk + Honey - We stopped into this place for lunch on the way back to the cruise ship from visiting a castle and we were pleased with the food that we got! It was a little cafe and I got the yummiest tuna sandwich with cucumber and a side salad! We also got lattes and pie for dessert and it was SO SO GOOD! All of my food was gluten-free and they were very knowledgable of my allergy which was great!

Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!
Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!
Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!

Golspie, Scotland

The Tea Room - This was the little cafe that was at the entrance of the Dunrobin Castle but it was really yummy! They had a ton of things that were marked gluten-free. I ordered a cup of soup to go and it was so good! But one thing to note, you can’t take food on the tour so I should have had the soup while I was sitting there- just keep that in mind! But it was really good and definitely recommend it! My parents and Dustin had pastries that weren’t gluten free but they liked them and the lattes that we all got were also good!

Kirkwall, Scotland

Archive Coffee Shop - We stopped in here to get coffee and use their wifi for a few minutes to check on where my parents were and I am so glad we stopped because it was the cutest little coffee shop. We both got lattes and they were good! They also had a food menu but we weren’t eating. A great place to stop for a pick me up and to check on missed messages if you didn’t have service there like us! Haha

Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!

Harbour Fry Fish & Chips - I was SO happy to stumble upon this restaurant. It was on the main strip of shops and as you can see below, it literally said “ask about our gluten free options” and WOW was it yummy! The inside was small but like a fast paced diner almost. We ended up sharing a table with a couple and their Australian shepherd (some of you probably know we have two Aussies at home!!) and had the best time. It was great conversation with locals and was honestly the highlight of our day. The fish was crispy and delicious and 10/10 recommend eating here if you are visiting! Plus the staff was SO friendly! I can’t say enough good things about this spot!

Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!
Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!
Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!

Like I said, we were only in these spots when we got off the cruise ship on a couple of different days but for the time that we were there we found some good spots! There were some good traditional Scottish dishes as well as just some favorites that we found! Plus I was so happy to have found a plethora of gluten-free options that were actually delicious. Have you eaten at any of these spots? Let me know if you eat at any of these spots! If you have any questions you can comment below or as always you can send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible!

Much Love, 

Emma

WHAT TO READ NEXT!

Stratton Mountain, Vermont: Where to Eat, Stay and Play

Hi guys!

We spent a long weekend on Stratton Mountain in Vermont a few weeks ago and it was the perfect fall getaway, especially if you are looking to find a relaxing spot with stunning views! We were there for a wedding and it was the prettiest location! If you have been around for awhile you probably remember us living in Boston for a couple of years.

Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.

When we lived there the timing never lined up for us to go on a fall leaf turning adventure so we were very excited to check that off of our travel bucket list! It was also the perfect time to go, the weather was a little chilly at night and just had the perfect fall vibes! Below I am going to walk through the two hotels we stayed at, the best gluten free spots to eat, and what to do during your weekend escape to Stratton Mountain!

Where to Stay: Long Trail House

Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.
Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.
Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.
Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.

We stayed at the property called Long Trail House and we really liked it! It had a full kitchen, a fireplace and a living room with comfortable couches! As you can see it is more of a rustic vibe but that would be perfect for all of the activities that the mountain had to offer. It was right across the street from all of the restaurants and shopping that was on the mountain and we really liked our stay here. It was also nice because we were on the first floor and we could hang out on our balcony. The only thing we wish that was different about the room was that the bedroom needed a ceiling fan! But other than that we definitely recommend staying here.

Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.
Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.

Where to Eat on Stratton Mountain, Vermont:

Benedicts - We ate here for breakfast one morning and it tasted really good, they were knowledgable about my gluten allergy and we liked the atmosphere. We sat at the bar because they were really busy and the bartender kept apologizing for the delay because they were training a new cook. We both ordered The Basic Breakfast which was 2 eggs, bacon, toast and breakfast potatoes and it took about 45 minutes for our food to come out. I do think it was a fluke or something though because everyone around us who ordered about the same time as we did got their food way before us. So it might have been a delay for my allergy which does happen at a lot of places! I would definitely give this spot a try if you are visiting!! I linked the menu here so you can check it out before you go!

Upper Standard Coffee - We grabbed coffee here three of the mornings that we were on the mountain and I think we were learning as we went because the coffee got better each morning. The first morning was VERY sweet, so if that’s not your thing then I would ask for fewer pumps of syrup! I got an iced latte with white chocolate and peppermint syrup and Dustin got the same thing but hot! Definitely check it out, just keep in mind the sweetness levels if you aren’t into coffee that is super sweet! Here is the menu for you to check out!

Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.
Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.

Bar 802 - We actually spent a lot of time here at this restaurant just hanging out! It was a little bit more low-key and we loved sitting outside by the fire listening to live music. We did eat here a couple of times but the gluten free options were limited so it was more like snacky foods that we got but the BRUSSEL SPROUTS were SO GOOD. That sounds dramatic but we got an order of them three different times in the three days that we were there haha another thing that we got was the chips and guac one night and that was also good! I did like that the GF options were labeled on the menu though, that made things easy to navigate in terms of eating. Here is the menu for you to check it out before you go visit.

Fire Tower Restaurant and Tavern - We went to dinner here one night and it was pretty good! The gluten free options were a bit limited and I wasn’t able to eat their fries because they were in a shared fryer so that was a bummer. But we actually both got the American Wagyu Burger that had cheddar cheese, arugula, a roasted garlic aioli and shallots on top, it was really good! Dustin got a side of fries and liked them a lot and I was underwhelmed with my side salad but it wasn’t bad! Another night that we were here we ordered a pizza to take back to our room from Fire Tower and it was pretty good, it was called The Bianco. The pizza was able to be made with a gluten free crust and had garlic oil, mozzarella, ricotta, goat cheese, parmesan, hot honey and toasted pistachios on it. We liked it but if I were to order pizza from here again I would get The Nepoli! Here is a link to the menu to check out before you go!

Green Door Pub - This bar is under the restaurant called Mulligans and it was a bar that was opened a lot later than the other spots around Stratton Mountain. We only went there for about an hour one night but it was fun! They have pool and spots to sit and hang out. If you are wanting somewhere to go after dinner for a couple more drinks this is the place to do it! I will link the page again here so you know where to go and how to get to it because it isn’t an obvious spot!

Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.
Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.

Grocery Stores

Shaw’s - We went to this grocery store that was about 30 minutes away from Stratton Mountain beuacase we wanted to get somethings for the hotel room that didn’t cost an arm and a leg from the grocery store that is in the village on Stratton Mountain. Shaw’s was nice and we were glad to find this spot because we ended up spending the afternoon in Manchester, VT and I will share more about that below! But the grocery store had everything we needed with gluten free options and reasonably priced for being the only grocery store nearby us!

The Market in Main Base Lodge - This was the little market/grocery store that was actually on the mountain and surprisingly they had many options for us to choose from. We went here after we found out our second hotel had a full kitchen to get some things for breakfasts and a frozen pizza to have after a night of drinking. Like I said, they did have a lot of options but as we expected it was pretty pricey for basic items. I would use this store as a “I forgot milk” type of thing if you have the option to stop at a grocery store before you get to the mountain! Also, they had weird hours and were usually closed after 2pm but we were there in October so it very well could be open longer when they are in their busy season!

What to Do in Manchester, Vermont:

I think I should preface this list by saying this trip was very casual and leisurely for us and we didn’t do a ton of planning before getting there because we wanted to have a low-key go-with-the-flow getaway trip. Keeping that in mind, there will be things missing from this list that are major activities that didn’t get to see, all the more reason to go back!

Dana L. Thompson Memorial Park - On the Friday that we were there we didn’t really have anything on the agenda! We had driven about 30 minutes to go to a grocery store to get some things for the hotel room and we ended up having a little picnic lunch and walked around this park for a few hours and it was so nice! I’m sure we loved it even more because of the leaves that were changing but it was just so nice out and it was easy to walk the trails and wander around! They also had a dog park here so we people/dog watched for awhile as well!

Northshire Bookstore - This was also in Manchester and we went in to just check it out and WOW, this book store was absolutely huge and had SO many books! They had a huge gift section, huge kids section and upstairs they also had second hand books that were priced really well and in great condition! I actually can’t believe I walked out of that store empty handed but I can’t recommend going in here enough!

Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.
Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.
Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.
Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.

Things to do in Stratton Mountain, Vermont:

There are also SO SO SO many activities that were on the mountain and we didn’t really do any of them! But I will link the page that has all of the “Things To Do in Stratton Mountain” right here! Like I mentioned, we went for a wedding so we did things for that and then we were also not there during the busy season so we kept our activities pretty low key so maybe next time we will do some of these things!

Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.
Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.
Discover the best places to eat, stay, and play in Stratton Mountain, Vermont with our comprehensive travel guide. Plan your perfect getaway now and experience the beauty of the mountain.

Shopping

We didn’t do any shopping really while we were there but there were many stores so I wanted to list those for you guys just so you know what to look forward to when you are there visiting! Lots of winter gear and gifts!

Ever since we lived in Boston we had always wanted to go a little fall leaves getaway to somewhere in New England and it just never lined up season wise when we lived there. I am so happy that we got to spend the weekend there, it was low key, go with the flow and seriously stunning. I kept saying the whole trip that the pictures I was taking weren’t doing the colors of New England justice AT ALL! I would absolutely add Vermont in the fall to your bucket list of travel destinations! If you have any questions at all or have something to add to the list of must dos while visiting the Vermont area, I would love to add it to the list so please comment below or send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you asap!

Much Love, 

Emma

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