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April 15, 2018 by Christine

3 Scenic Lookout Points Not to be Missed While Visiting L.A.

Whether you are planning to travel to Los Angeles for the famous beaches or stargazing along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, there are plenty of perfect spots to take in the sweeping vistas of the city. Here are 3 Scenic Lookout Points Not to be Missed While Visiting L.A…
Griffith Park Observatory: For the best views of L.A. and the iconic Hollywood sign, head up to the Griffith Observatory in Griffith Park for a scenic viewpoint in every direction. Look southwest for amazing views of the entire L.A. valley below, or turn northwest for a view of those nine legendary letters overlooking L.A. For a view of some heavenly bodies, visit the public telescopes, point one at the sky, and do some serious stargazing.

If you’re the hiking sort, take the Hollyridge Trail for a brisk walk leading directly behind the Hollywood sign. This is an awesome viewpoint to see the large sign letters framing the sprawling metropolis below. This is also the perfect spot for some hardcore travel photography or an excellent selfie.
Hollywood Bowl Scenic Overlook:

Mulholland Drive was immortalized in song and film for good reason. This 24-mile scenic drive affords dozens of scenic overlooks of Los Angeles, the mountains, the Hollywood sign, and on a clear day, the Pacific Ocean. Cruise down Mulholland to the Hollywood Bowl Scenic Overlook, located just above the famous L.A. theater. There’s a small parking lot nearby so you won’t be winded from a heavy hike, and you can save your breath for that breathtaking view.

The park is open from sunrise to sunset, so be there at either time for the photographer’s sweet light and some cinematic and romantic views of Tinseltown. Downtown L.A. is that clump of tall buildings in the distance, and from this hilltop view, you can almost see the famous 72 suburbs in search of a city.

Parker Mesa Overlook:
For the best spot to see where the city meets the sea, check out Parker Mesa Overlook. Nature lovers will find the mountain and ocean views along the hiking trails spectacular. Take some good walking shoes and sunscreen for the walk of several miles. Don’t worry, the view is totally worth the effort. If you’re not up for hiking, rent a mountain bike for the day instead.

Access to the awe-inspiring view starts in Topanga State Park, which happens to contain the largest wildland areas located inside the boundaries of a major city. Start hiking from the East Topanga Fire Road or Trippet Ranch.
L.A. is famous for its traffic jams and sprawling highways, so a word to the wise — ditch the car whenever possible in favour of a day hiking or cycling. You’ll do the environment a favor and spend less of your valuable time stuck in traffic and more time enjoying these gorgeous views. Hope you enjoyed discovering the 3 Scenic Lookout Points Not to be Missed While Visiting L.A. and have a fabulous trip!

Stay fabulous

Christine

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April 8, 2018 by Christine

The Red Kite Boutique Holiday House

The Red Kite Boutique Holiday House: The Easter break gave us the opportunity for a little staycation and a good excuse to visit The Red Kite Boutique Holiday House in Hay on Wye, our friends Juliette and Neal’s beautifully renovated Welsh farmhouse. The Red Kite Boutique Holiday House was recently featured in Home & Antiques Magazine and tipped as ‘the perfect retreat’ -we couldn’t agree more!
We hopped on the train from Manchester to Hereford (2hrs) and headed up to The Red Kite (30mins drive). Situated just 5 miles from Hay on Wye, The Red Kite is the ideal location for those wanting a countryside getaway but with the option of all the delights of a culturally rich, creative town just a short drive away.
As we approached The Red Kite it became obvious that the views from the property were going to be breath-taking. The unspoilt views stretch out across the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons.
Surrounded by 15 acres of land and thousands of acres of beautiful common land this really is the perfect place for peace and quiet. Upon arrival we went straight out for a walk with Juliette and Schmoo (the dog) and made friends with some of the neighbouring sheep.
The Red Kite Boutique Holiday House is rented out in its entirety and has 4 impeccable bedrooms, so can accommodate 8 people easily- great for a family get together! Juliette’s eye for interior design is incredible, every room has been finished to such a high-standard with every detail considered, from the colour palette to the fabrics, to individual vintage and antique pieces dotted around (hashtag goals).
I loved flicking through Juliette’s book collection, lounging in my new Oversized Knit Top from Tobi, it’s the perfect top for relaxing in. I can only imagine how dreamy the sitting room at The Red Kite would be on a cold winters night with the log burner blazing, fortunately the weather held out for us and the promise of spring was in the air.
There’s something inspiring about The Red Kite, the energy there is fresh and just invokes creativity. Juliette and Neal left London after finding the Red Kite in pursuit of their creative passions. Juliette has worked her creative magic on The Red Kite and now writes and draws. Mr T found the ideal spot just outside the door for doing a little sketch of the landscape.
Our bedroom overlooked the Black Mountains with a view that stretched for miles, it made it difficult to get up in the morning! We felt very spoilt. At night the stars over The Red Kite are dazzling, you forget how incredible the stars can be when you live in the city.
It was such a pleasure to spend a restful couple of days relaxing, reading, drawing the scenery and generally taking a moment to breath in the country air and drink the water from the fresh spring onsite- The Red Kite Boutique Holiday House truly is the perfect retreat!

For booking & availability visit The Red Kite website HERE

Stay fabulous

Christine

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April 4, 2018 by Christine

Walking with wild horses- Black Mountains, Wales

Walking with wild horses- Black Mountains, Wales: Our Easter break meant a relaxing staycation in Hay-On-Wye. We couldn’t wait to get out in the fresh air and explore the surrounding areas, to drink in those expansive views! An overcast Friday saw us walking with wild horses in the Black Mountains…

The Black Mountains are a group of hills spread across parts of Powys and Monmouthshire in southeast Wales, extending across the England/ Wales border into Herefordshire. We put on our wellies and raincoats and headed out into the countryside…

We rambled through the fallen ferns and bracken, jumped across the streams and did our best to avoid the snow that remained from this winter’s cold snap. The wind was blowing and the country air soon put the colour back in our cheeks.

The Black Mountains are well known to ramblers and walkers as they offer a range of walks and climbs across many of the ridge trails. The ease of access by car or foot make The Black Mountains a great destination for anyone looking to stretch their legs and experience the countryside.
On my list of ‘goals for 2018’ is to stare at the horizon at least once a week and boy did I nail that this week! The horizon stretched undisrupted for miles, the rolling hills sprawled for as far as the eye could see.
We were staying with our lovely friends Juliette and Neal and their dog Schmoo, we chatted and walked, stopping every so often to take in the scenery. Schmoo was busy bounding across the hillside, pausing suddenly when she detected a hare or something scurrying in the bushes.
As we got closer to the foothills of the mountains we saw some wild horses, we approached them cautiously. The wild horses had long manes and were very trusting and relaxed as we bent down to greet them.
The wild horses walked alongside us whilst grazing on the land. There are lots of wild horses and ponies living up on the Black Mountains and across the hillsides in Wales. The beautiful wild horses are free to roam and have a somewhat mystical nature (I half expected one of them to have a horn) it is thought that the wild horses and ponies have lived around the Brecon Beacons since the Roman times.Despite the overcast weather, I couldn’t help but think that the colours of the rolling hills, the horses and the occasional patch of snow would make for the perfect landscape painting. As well as horses we were fortunate enough to see lots of Welsh sheep and their tiny lambs >squeal!!!< and a giant hare thumping along.
There’s nothing quite like getting out in the countryside to put things into perspective! Being surrounded by mother nature in all her majestic glory can be quite humbling, to stand on those great Mountains and walk across the rugged land that has and will continue to be there much longer than we can comprehend…Once back at the car, a little windswept and ready for a warm drink- we had the small challenge of removing Mr T’s wellies (that were royally stuck!) – fabulous times indeed!

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‘Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better’ -Albert Einstein

Stay fabulous

Christine

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