Dan and I spent a long weekend in Montreal, as we do almost every year, last May, but this May, our friends joined us from Virginia for a memorable birthday weekend! We had a wonderful time and great weather, enjoying fantastic meals, tasty drinks, and a bit of relaxation. This post details our 4-day itinerary for those looking for a Montreal itinerary focused on great food and drinks.
Montreal!
Dan and I flew from New York’s JFK airport to Athens, Greece last month for a 10-day summer getaway (which I will be writing about soon). We arrived at the airport early in the hopes of visiting a lounge and we were super lucky – the JFK Capital One Lounge had just opened with in the week! Of course, we had to visit this brand new lounge. In sum, the JFK Capital One Lounge is a fantastic lounge, currently the best of the credit card lounges at JFK. The staff was attentive and nice, the food was plentiful and tasty, and the drinks were flowing and well-prepared. The lounge also screamed New York City and was just really fun to visit. Don’t miss it on your next visit to JFK Terminal 4!
The lovely bar in the JKF Capital One Lounge.
The JFK Capital One Lounge is located inside JFK Terminal 4, past security. Once you clear security, go downstairs and take a right (with your back toward security). The Capital One Lounge is located in the midst of numerous shopping outlets toward the B Gates, generally across from Le Grand Comptoir (a decent outlet if you lack lounge access). The lounge is very easy to find, although its not near most of the other JFK Terminal 4 credit card lounges (which are on the first floor to the left of security).
The brand new JFK Capital One Lounge entrance!
I spent 24 hours in St. Augustine a couple weeks ago, in April 2025, after attend a family wedding in the area. I wrote a post about St. Augustine as a whole here. While touristy, St. Augustine offers some decent places to eat, and I really enjoyed my lunch at The Floridian – a true Florida restaurant owned by Floridians and using local ingredients. This post details my lunch at the Floridian, which I very much recommend visiting if in St. Augustine.
Welcome to the Floridian! A adorable old-Florida sign.
St. Augustine is a small city on Florida’s northeast Atlantic Coast. Founded in 1565 (yes, a whopping 200 years before the USA was founded!), St. Augustine’s claims to be the United States’ oldest city and is loaded with early American history. Today, the town is quite charming, offering visitors a walkable old town, gorgeous Spanish Architecture, including a castle(!), and tranquil beaches. St. Augustine makes a fun weekend getaway or a stop on a longer Florida itinerary. One could easily spend several days in and around St. Augustine, but if you only have 24 hours, this itinerary is for you! Based off my recent weekend in St. Augustine, this post explains how you can make the most of St. Augustine in 24 hours!
The group at Flagler College’s Dining Hall during our 24 hours in St. Augustine. And that is, indeed, Tiffany stained glass behind us!
Begin your time in St. Augustine on Aviles Street, aka the city’s oldest street, preferably in the morning to avoid the crowds of tourists and get the best pictures (without said tourists). There is nothing you really must “do” on Aviles except walk and take in the old timey sites (Aviles Street really leans into its status as “oldest street”). When you reach Plaza de la Constitución, what I would describe as one of St. Augustine’s main squares, walk up to the water to view the Medici Lion Marble Statutes (copies of the real Italian ones) guarding the draw bridge and then circle back to Plaza de la Constitución to view its gorgeous Oak Trees with Spanish Moss and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, which is a very beautiful and old Catholic Church. It still holds mass every Sunday if you are interested.
St. Augustine – the oldest city in the USA.
On our yearly 2024 vacation to San Juan, Puerto Rico, I scoured online reviews for the best new restaurants. Celeste kept showing up in my searches, and it was recommended to us by a foodie friend with family in Puerto Rico. We booked a dinner before leaving home, despite the menu being very seafood heavy (and us not being seafood people!). In the end, Celeste was absolutely FANTASTIC and our favorite meal in Puerto Rico! HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
Dan at Celeste on our 7th wedding anniversary!
Celeste is a small wine and seafood bar located in San Juan’s Puerta de Tierra neighborhood (between Old San Juan and Condado). We walked to Celeste after drinks in Old San Juan, as it was our anniversary! The restaurant itself is quite small on a quiet street. The dining room is decorated in an airy fashion, with clean white tables and local art decorating the walls. We were given a warm welcome and promptly seated on arrival.
Celeste’s dining room.
