Farmer In Heels

It has been a month since I last posted at Farmer in Heels and as much as I have missed delving into exciting Experiential Marketing campaigns and creating Celebrity Fashion looks, I have been on an amazing trip to North America.
Before heading off I put together a When In Doubt, Travel set of posts and I'm so happy that I did. It was super helpful to have some sort of idea of all the places I wanted to visit as I know what we are like. Go all that way and still miss out on seeing something incredible. But none of the locations disappointed at all, with some amazing views and activities to keep you busy from morning to, well, morning.

Toronto

One thing you have to make sure you do if you head to Toronto, the Niagara Falls. We made sure we did it properly with a helicopter ride over the breathtaking sites followed by a trip on the Hornblower. Spoiler alert...make sure you actually wear your poncho properly as when they say you get a little wet that is a complete understatement.
Another beautiful little spot in a built up city is Sugar Beach. An old car park which has been transformed into an idilic location is a great place to sit, relax and watch planes fly into the Toronto Islands Airport.
Another amazing place you have to make sure you go to is the CN Tower. We were lucky enough to head up when the Blue Jays were playing below which was a great site, but even without that it was amazing being able to see for miles whilst the sun was setting.
Now I'm not great with heights but with floor below me all is okay, however a lift with a glass floor no thank you.
Chicago is a great city, but you definitely need to make sure you know where you are going as safety is key. Something else that is important, weather changes. Chicago can go from being very lovely to windy and foggy pretty quickly, but I guess that's why it's called the Windy City.
Millenium Park is a great place to visit, not just for the famous Bean, but like any park there is so much more. An open air theatre and some incredible fountains whilst also being able to walk along the lake front.
The Willis tower is incredible. On your journey up you are given the history of the building along with fun facts about how many Barack Obamas in height the building is (283) and you can also see 4 different states from the great height.
Now I know I said see through lifts and heights are not my thing, but when you've had a rose lunch you can power through most things. Just make sure you don't look down.
I know now if I hadn't have had the balls to do this I would be completely regretting it now.
A great day trip in Miami is The Everglades. It's closer than you think and such a great experience to get on a hover craft and spot Aligators. Be prepared that it's not like the movies and they are not just swimming around near you, they are often hiding and there is every chance you might not even see any but being on the boat itself is a lot of fun.

The final stop on our Gingers On Tour Take 2 holiday will be Miami and I can not wait. I think it's one of the places that you just have to go to and experience, however I also think it's going to be one of those places you need quite a bit of money to be able to enjoy it.

Ocean Drive
Wynwood Walls
Sugar Factory
Fat Tuesday
The Everglades

My next stop on my trip will be Chicago, and therefore the next in my, When in Doubt, Travel, series.
Chicago has never been a place I have specifically wanted to visit, but as part of holiday plans we all get to put forward ideas and Chicago seemed like a good fit for us all. Now I can't wait to be strolling down Navy Pier and visiting quirky restaurants, oh and of course eating lots of proper pizza.
Take a look at what I can't wait to see in a couple of weeks.

Millennium Park

Navy Pier

Willis Tower Sky Deck

With just over three weeks until I set off for another two week adventure, I'm putting together some great places I can't wait to visit. First in the series, Toronto.

To celebrate St Patricks Day, I'm going back to my grand weekend away in Dublin with some helpful travel guide tips for this lively city.
For a start it's super cheap to get there. Depending on when you go, you can get a return flight for as little as £20 - who can say no to that. You might as well meet your friends over there as it's probably cheaper than travelling around the country on trains or driving. This is exactly what we did. We travelled at the end of September 2015 as a pre last year of University trip, along with celebrating one of the girls 21st Birthday. What a way to celebrate!
We were quite lucky to have lovely sunny weather, which allowed us to spend our days exploring along the river and visiting tourist sites. We did get around the castle, some museums and the University, but really the tourist site you have to go to no matter what is the Guiness Storehouse. I had previously never tried Guiness but thought this would be the ideal place, and the Storehouse itself was incredible. Shaped like a glass of a Guiness the experience inside was full of fun and knowledge. You're taken through the process of how it is made in an interactive way as you work your way up. Following this you are taken through an advertising timeline, which for me was super interesting to see how advertising has developed over the years, especially with a brand that has always been on top form. We were also treated to an impromptu band performance and Irish dancing masterclass. You can't not be happy when your surrounded by an atmosphere like this.
You then have the option to learn how to pour the perfect pint in their own bar set-up and then enjoy your own pint in the stunning views of the rooftop bar.
I feel like the general gist of this trip away, and just being in Dublin, was enjoying yourself with a drink in your hand. Make sure you head down to Temple Bar during your evenings. It can be quite rammed, so be prepared for that, and can also be quite expensive. I advise to stay off the spirits and stay with the pints as they are much cheaper in comparison.
Most bars have live music, which creates a great lively atmosphere that the Irish are so well-known for. They also love a good throwback song.
Be aware that some of the bars turn into 21+ on the weekends. We had this issue, but stumbled across a bar/club on our second night, Buskers, and loved every second. A proper girls night out.
Everywhere is close in Dublin, which means an easy stumbling home distance and such an great city to explore. I can't wait to go back!

LA has always been one of the places on my bucket list from when I was young, probably due to religiously watching The Hills. I was lucky enough to tick the golden state off last summer as part of my American tour.
LA was our last stop and for a very good reason - a beach on the doorstep! The main objectives of our four days - Universal Studios, Hollywood Hills Tour and then relax. Oh and try and get some sort of tan, which as you probably have guessed was an epic fail.
We stayed right on Venice Beach which was so lovely but if you stay in this area definitely be prepared for the vast amount of weed smoking and homeless people. We landed late afternoon and and took a quick exploration of the beach front before planning our route to Universal the following day. Be warned, travel in LA is not as great as you would probably think, and everything is so spread out from each other so research into this before you plan on going anywhere.
Luckily everything went pretty smoothly and I was so excited to be heading to Universal. I have never been to any of their parks before but knew that it was going to be pretty impressive. It definitely didn't disappoint. I loved the themed areas, especially the Harry Potter Land. You just felt like you were in a movie world the whole day with characters popping up and music being played. I would definitely suggest to take a look at what time the shows are on. They are repeated throughout the day but I wouldn't miss any as they are all so interesting in seeing how films are made whether it be with animals or stunt fighting. Also make sure you go on the tour around the studios. You get to see the sets in which TV shows such as the Voice are being filmed, along with old film sets such as Jaws. Definitely a great day out and something I would recommend.
Our other day trip during our time in LA was heading up to the Hollywood Hills to see how the other half really live. The Hollywood Walk of Fame and Chinese Theatre are definitely must see's and are so much more impressive than when they are shown through films and tv. However, be prepared to be heckled about tours and be not able to stop at specific stars, especially if a celebrity has just passed away.
As much as the heckling is annoying, do talk to them if you want to go on a tour as you can play them off each other to get a better deal. I would suggest it even if you're not super interested in celebrity houses as the views are truly stunning and is the easiest way to see so much of the city.
Our other two days were spent relaxing on the beach, and cycling up and down it. The latter was definitely needed after our final night meal at the Cheescake Factory. If you are going to anywhere in America, see if you have one of these nearby but do be prepared for the long queue to get in. The food is amazing and the cheesecakes are to die for. It was a perfect last night to an amazing trip, cheesecake and cocktails with a beach view, don't think it could have been any better.