beer | for the love of nike

Exploring Whistler, But Not in Winter

November 18, 2019 by jennifermdarling

It’s no secret that Whistler is a little slice of heaven. People have been traveling there to ski for ages. What I didn’t know is that this place is even better in the summer! The ski slopes morph into mountain biking trails, the hiking and biking paths are unparalleled, and the gondolas are fun to ride just for the views. We stayed at the Delta Whistler Suites and really enjoyed it. It’s the perfect spot to unwind in the hot […]

Categories: shoes • Tags: beer, Canada, hiking, nature, Nike, road trip, things to do in Canada, things to do in Whistler, Travel, travel blog, travel photography, Whistler

Exploring Vancouver / for the love of nike / Jennifer Martinez Conway

Exploring Vancouver: a shiny seaport by the seashore

November 4, 2019 by jennifermdarling

For being in such a rainy part of the world, Vancouver is a brilliant place. The skies may be grey, but there is color in the streets (and the water ways). This coastal seaport was the first stop on a long weekend road trip to Whistler. Before I get ahead of myself. Let me show you around. A really great way to see the city is by boat–and a speed boat will get you there twice as fast. The only downside […]

Categories: shoes • Tags: beer, Canada, culture, nature, Nike, photography, road trip, things to do in Vancouver, Travel, travel blog, urban, Vancouver

Exploring Napa

May 23, 2019 by jennifermdarling

After a quick weekend in Napa, I am blown away by the beauty that big ol’ plot of land has to offer. It reminded me very much of the soft, sloping hills of the European countryside. Here’s a list of what we did while we were there: stayed at Napa Valley Marriott went hiking in Sugarloaf State Park–all the way to the top of Bald Mountain for sweeping views of the Bay Area did a little wine tasting at Castello di Amorosa […]

Categories: shoes • Tags: beer, craft beer, hiking, Napa, Nike, photography, Russian River Brewing, Sonoma, things to do in Napa, Travel, travel blog, wine

Exploring San Diego / for the love of nike

The Land of Those Who Face Water From A Cliff (aka San Diego)

May 2, 2019 by jennifermdarling

San Diego, named for Diego de San Nicolás by the Spaniards, was the first spot visited by Europeans on the West Coast of the United States. As you probably already guessed, Native Americans had been there wayyyy before 1542–the Kumeyaay people to be exact. Kumeyaay translates to “those who face the water from a cliff.” It’s got a ring to it. I recently took a weekend trip to this beautiful coastal city. It was my first time back since I […]

Categories: shoes • Tags: art, beer, craft beer, fine art, food, Nike, photography, San Diego, things to do in California, things to do in San Diego, Travel

Happy Nike New Year! Celebrating 2018, Moving into 2019

checkin’ a few more items off the good ole gotta-do-this-before-I-die list (2018 edition)

January 8, 2019 by jennifermdarling

It’s that time of year again–when we take stock of big events and personal hurdles. I find it encouraging and exciting to go back through the last 365 days come the first of every January. If you couldn’t already tell, my current pass times of choice are travel, art, music, as well as good food and beer. I’m sure these will change as I mature, but for now, I’ve checked a few more items off the good ole gotta-do-this-before-I-die list. […]

Categories: shoes • Tags: 2018, art, art museum, beer, fashion, fine art, new year, Nike, reflections, sneakerhead, sneakers, Travel, travel photography

Christmas in Brugge, Belgium / for the love of nike

Brugge is the Winter Wonder Land You’ve Never Heard of

December 21, 2018 by jennifermdarling

Okay. So maybe you have heard of Brugge, but I never had before planning the Christmas vacation of my dreams. It truly is one of the most magical places I’ve ever laid eyes on. Of course, I happened upon Brugge as giant floppy snowflakes fell from the skies, so I may be extraordinarily partial. It’s the largest city in the Flemish Region of Belgium. The canal-based layouts create an atmosphere like that of a fairytale (in fact, the region has […]

Categories: shoes • Tags: art, beer, Belgium, Brugge, fine art, history, Nike, photography, things to do in Belgium, things to do in Brugge, Travel, travel blog, travel photography

Solvang

August 21, 2018 by jennifermdarling

Solvang, California, located in the Santa Ynez Valley, is the unofficial capital of Denmark in America. I also heard someone refer to it as Poor Man’s Wine Country. If that means it’s a place where you can buy a reasonably priced bottle of wine, I’m sold! In the early 1900s Danish immigrants who’d been living in the midwest were eager to ditch the winters, and established their own community inspired by their homeland in more hospitable climates. It’s pretty remarkable […]

Categories: shoes • Tags: architecture, art, beer, California, Danish, Denmark, photography, Solvang, things to do in Solvang, Travel, wine, Winery

Sunny Seattle

July 3, 2018 by jennifermdarling

Sunny Seattle: those words sound as though they don’t belong together. I’ve visited the beautiful city many times, and this trip was so beautiful and the weather was so pleasant–it felt like a different place. Where I Stayed: The Westin My Favorite Meal: The Premium Sushi Omakase at Shiro’s Sushi My Favorite New Brewery: Cloudburst and Fremont My Favorite New Beer Shop: TeKu Tavern Best Quick Tourist-y Thing to Do: The hour long harbor tour with Argosy You Can’t Miss: Pike Place Market, […]

Categories: shoes • Tags: art, beer, fine art, foodie, Nike, photography, Seattle, sneakerhead, sneakers, things to do in seattle, Travel, travel blog, travel photography

Jenny’s back in Chi!

April 12, 2018 by jennifermdarling

I finally made it back to Chicago after moving around a year ago. It was good to be back! The weekend went by super fast, but I still got up to some trouble. Here’s what I did: Stayed at The Gwen (where they have a great bar and curling on their terrace) grabbed coffee at Eataly brunched at HopCat with friends went to Emporium (an arcade bar) in Wicker Park had pizza and beer at Piece visited Shed Aquarium

Categories: shoes • Tags: animals, art, beer, Chicago, fine art, food, photography, sneakers, things to do in chicago, Travel, travel blog, travel photography