Posts in City Guides
Christmas Prelude With Kennebunkport Maine From Your Couch This Year
Christmas Prelude With Kennebunkport Maine From Your Couch This Year

The event kicks off today through the 13th so I will be Christmas Preluding from my couch!

This virtual programming will include the ever-popular Hat Parade on Saturday, Dec. 5, with people able to sign up now online, and participate in the “parade” through the wonders of Zoom. Prizes will be sent to the winners.

All of Prelude’s signature events - the Dock Square and Cape Porpoise tree lightings, caroling at the monastery, Santa arriving by lobster boat - will be pre-recorded and virtual this year, along with cooking and cocktail classes, shopping nights, a tour of White Columns and Dock Square, the story of the history of Prelude, a tree and wreath festival and Santa reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas in front of a fire each evening.

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City GuidesSamantha RubleComment
Bentonville Road Trip: Discover Public and Outdoor Art Throughout Arkansas- Explore ARkanvas Now
Bentonville Road Trip: Discover Public and Outdoor Art Throughout Arkansas- Explore ARkanvas Now

Yes, I know, 2020 has changed traveling an awful lot!! But when the invitation arrives in my inbox to spend a weekend in Bentonville exploring public art and all of my fave museums and restaurants to see exactly how Bentonville is keeping people living safely-well…it is impossible to say no!!!!

I visited Bentonville 8 times in 2019 on assignment and was greatly missing it! The downtown square is so quaint streets plus Bentonville has such a great food and drink scene and its many museums and local shops just make my heart sing. A weekend in Bentonville even in a pandemic is a great idea and couldn’t be easier to do. Remember , it’s only two hours from Tulsa! And with all of the public art and trails…well even if you just want to stay outdoors to keep distance, you are going to have a heck of a good time, Bentonville is truly the perfect place to take a weekend getaway or even just a day trip! Truth be told-I felt safer in Bentonville than I do in Tulsa right now. Everyone is wearing masks and being so respectful of one another. They are really embracing the social distancing protocols and it’s beautiful to see.

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Black Lives Matter, City GuidesSamantha RubleComment
GREAT ESCAPE: HIDDEN GEM IN GORE OKLAHOMA- CELEBRATE A FALL GETAWAY AT BLUE DOORS AT TENKILLER
GREAT ESCAPE: HIDDEN GEM IN GORE OKLAHOMA- CELEBRATE A FALL GETAWAY AT BLUE DOORS AT TENKILLER

HEY, ADVENTURERS.

I’m really happy to be sharing a travel related post today! They are few and far between this year! A weekend trip an hour and a half from my home feels like a HUGE deal.

OH, THE FLOW OF LIFE…

A couple of weeks ago Lin and I were treated to a weekend stay at Blue Doors At Tenkiller. Blue Doors is a gorgeous place to get lost in nature this fall and just relax, rest, & find balance. A change of scenery is so good for the soul!! Lucky for you-we did the “summer excursion” to get this review our for you in the perfect season! All though I know many of you enjoy summer and all seasons so just know Blue Doors has it all- fishing and kayaking in summer, hiking and cozying up by the fire in the fall…there just really isn’t a bad time of year for renting a cabin here! (all though they are closed in the Winter and that is when i would really love to visit..LOL!)

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City GuidesSamantha RubleComment
Traveling During COVID 19-Pet Friendly Staycation Review: The Ambassador OKC,Autograph Collection
Traveling During COVID 19-Pet Friendly Staycation Review: The Ambassador OKC,Autograph Collection

We have been home since early March and I know we both have been craving a major change of scenery so I decided we could get our feet wet with a little two day trip to OKC. The drive (yay for driving because you could not pay me to get on a plane right now) is less than two hours from Tulsa so we would not have to use a public restroom. (STILL not okay with the idea of having to use a public restroom and not sure when I will be)

I feel like the rest of 2020 will be devoted devoted to all things in close to home showing some love to our home state! Anyway….I teamed up with The Ambassador OKC , Autograph Collection for our little adventure ! I have been following them for quite some time and have been impressed with how they are being super safe for their hotel guests.

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City Guides, Diary, Les ChiensSamantha RubleComment
TRAVEL MOVIES TO WATCH DURING THE LOCKDOWN
TRAVEL MOVIES TO WATCH DURING THE LOCKDOWN

Happy Monday. Today begins the 7th week of self iso and I know we are all grieving the summer trips we had planned. I am truly wondering when it will feel 100% safe to get on a plane again.

So today, I am offering you a list of my favorite and the most beautiful travel movies to watch on a lockdown. By the way, watching inspiring movies is one of the best ways to see the world without leaving home. Whether you’re after a good story or just amazing views of the most beautiful places – these travel movies will fill a tiny void in your heart!

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City Guides, EntertainSamantha RubleComment
Day Trip To Napa From San Francisco
Day Trip To Napa From San Francisco

Lin and I have driven through Napa on one of our long distance moto adventures but wine and motorcycles are not a good pair!!!!! So when we booked my 40th birthday trip to San Fran, I thought it would be fun to take a day trip to Napa. But hmm…renting a car…well that doesn’t really solve the whole wine driving situation. And I was not interested in staying overnight with such limited time in my fave city. So I did some research and discovered The Napa Valley Wine Train!

The 36-mile Napa Valley Wine Train through California’s wine country runs from Napa to St. Helena and back, bringing you not only a gorgeous view, but also a delicious multi-course meal and delectable wines.

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City GuidesSamantha Ruble Comment
Marin County Getaway - Mill Valley & Tiburon Travel Diary
Marin County Getaway - Mill Valley & Tiburon Travel Diary

We stayed in Tiburon all though you could easily stay in Tiburon or Mill Valley!! Both are very nice - main difference is that Mill Valley is inland and Tiburon is on the water, so the question is would you prefer a “foresty” feel (Mill Valley), or a seaside one (Tiburon). Either way you can't lose...! In Tiburon you have the very lovely walk along the shoreline at "Blackie's Pasture" and it's a great place to picnic/read the Sunday paper, if it's warm out. Main street (with killer bay views, is far more appealing than MV's downtown. There are nice restaurants/bars with decks overlooking the bay and SF. Sam's restaurant with its deck views of the bay is a local treasure (packed during happy hour/Sunday brunch) although not inexpensive. But is anything inexpensive in California?! LOL! WHERE TO STAY

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City GuidesSamantha RubleComment
Fall Couple's Retreat In Carlton Landing At The Verana Home
Fall Couple's Retreat In Carlton Landing At The Verana Home

Every time I visit Carlton Landing, I enjoy it more and more. As a creature of habit, I do tend to visit a lot of the same places because I love them, but always add something new to my trip each time.

At the beginning of November (where did the month go?), I whisked my friends away to Carlton Landing for a fun couple’s weekend. I had never experienced fall in Carlton Landing and I kept hearing that it was actually the favorite season of many locals who live in CL full time! It was also Brooke and Eric’s 6 year anniversary so the weekend away was perfect timing for this fall couple’s retreat.

First things first..stop at the local liquor store to grab some wine and beer!! The other couple’s were in charge of food.

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City Guides, Diary, Health + WellnessSamantha Ruble Comment
Tour De Farm: Make The Most of Shopping and Eating in Tulsa
Tour De Farm: Make The Most of Shopping and Eating in Tulsa

A weekend in Tulsa.

Think certain outdoor shopping areas are mostly all chain stores lately?!

Yeah me too! Yawn. Yawn. Yawn.

Want more of a unique shopping experience? Want to discover one-of-a-kind buys? Most of us have our usual shopping spots, so why not break the routine and experience some of Tulsa’s quaint and historic gems?! I personally love uncovering hidden treasures and I love the seeing more and more of the local movement!

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Beauty, City Guides, Features, Francophile, Shop, StyleSamantha RubleComment
Frida Southwest In Oklahoma City
Frida Southwest In Oklahoma City

ou know those times when you really don't want or need a fancy meal and all you really crave is just a simple plate of deliciousness? Well, I have those often and right now, I'm craving Frida Southwest. It’s cold outside and I am seriously this close to getting in the car and just driving to OKC for a Frida Southwest lunch.

A recent trip to Oklahoma City actually led me to Frida and now I cannot get the place out of my head! A welcome addition to the blooming again Paseo area, (an area I have a ton of love for having grown up in OKC) it serves up beautifully flavoursome dishes inspired by the cuisine of Santa Fe and Northern Mexico.

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City GuidesSamantha Ruble Comment
Making Memories With Head Country// Friends, Art, & BBQ Along With Downtown Tulsa's Most Instragrammable Walls
Making Memories With Head Country// Friends, Art, & BBQ Along With Downtown Tulsa's Most Instragrammable Walls

I love exploring a city I’m visiting and capturing its essence. When I travel somewhere new, or if I want to play tourist in my own city, I like to find the best spots to take pictures. I so look forward to really capturing all the hot spots in all the cities I travel to and sharing them with you so you can also capture some amazing photos for your Insta grid. And we know it's for Instagram, right?! Laugh out loud. 

So there are some people who never feel the urge to leave the house . They’re completely content to stay in the city they came from and literally just float in the 360 degrees that surround them. And then there’s the rest of us who can’t sit still . We have a love for travel and curiosity. We love taking risks, exploring new places, ideas, and foods. We even live for the day trips hitting that big magical open road exploring our own cities .

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City Guides, Features, StyleSamantha Ruble Comments
48 Hours In Plano Texas With Visit Plano
48 Hours In Plano Texas With Visit Plano

I’ll begin by saying Plano is such a glorious easy escape from Oklahoma.It’s a thriving city with a great selection of restaurants, shops, and things to do! It’s truly such a destination. Had the best #LaborDay weekend in Plano Texas 🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷. The weekend involved delicious food, coffee, margaritas, shopping, nature , and a handsome horse named RED

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City GuidesSamantha RubleComment
Bees' Knees on Boardwalk-Carlton Landing
Bees' Knees on Boardwalk-Carlton Landing

I hosted a fabulous weekend giveaway a few weeks ago which you all really showed up for! Carlton landing was so excited to see how many of you wanted to celebrate some really fantastic life events here so they are gifting my readers 20% off a vacation rental. Just use promo code gofrenchyourself when booking. This promo code is good through the rest of this year!

May I suggest the gorgeous Bees’ Knees on Boardwalk. This is the home I stayed in along with my gal pals for our girls getaway in Carlton Landing! This vacation rental cottage sleeps 13, has 4 bedrooms, and 2.5 bathrooms. We really loved the home's open concept living and dining area with a fully stocked kitchen

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City GuidesSamantha RubleComment
Girls Weekend In Carlton Landing
Girls Weekend In Carlton Landing

So lovely was the loneliness of a wild lake”

— -EDGAR ALLAN POE

If I had to compile a list of my favorite places I’ve ever stayed at, there’s no doubt that Carlton Landing would feature highly. Top three even!! Carlton Landing is a place of bucket list dreams and if you take nothing else away from this blog post, please take away this: you absolutely must visit at some time in your life. Save up and go for a special occasion, you’ll be on cloud nine the entire time you’re there - I guarantee it’ll be one of the most magical stays you’ve ever had. It’s like your very own Edgartown here in Oklahoma!

I spent every summer on the water as a kid and teenager with my lovely grandparents and they are the fondest memories to this day. So I invited my best girls to a lovely Carlton Landing girls getaway last weekend. I was so ready to escape and get close to the water! A girls weekend at the lake can offer excitement as well as relaxation which checks all of the boxes for any girl boss.

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City GuidesSamantha Ruble Comments