Picture It with Priscila

What Not to Miss in San Luis Obispo (SLO)

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

I had wanted to go to SLO on a whim last year, but I was pleasantly shocked by how much I would love it when I got there. There are the most fabulous food options in town – huge portions of pasta, pillowy pizza, or tri tip sandwiches. But there’s also blue coastal and green hill views straight out from a postcard. Oh, and did I mention wine?

Why Go?

SLO has a pretty well-known college, but it’s also a lovely coastal town that’s close to wine countries and hilly hiking trails. However, since it is a college town, you’ll also get lots of affordable food options that’s deliciously fresh (thanks to the local agriculture) and fun night activities to keep you entertained.

Where to Stay?

On my last trip, my family and I really enjoyed our stay at Avenue Inn Downtown. It’s not a fancy resort, but it has all the amenities you need, free parking, and is walkable to downtown restaurants and wine bars. 

How to Get Around?

It looks like downtown has a public transit line, but I highly recommend a car for this area as you’ll need it to access hiking trails and explore the other areas (i.e. Morro Rock, Paso Robles). The only tricky thing will be having to pay for downtown parking unless you choose to stay there and walk to places. 

Top 3 Things to Do

  • Bluffs Trail – This is an easy flat trail in the Montaña de Oro State Park that follows the bluffs along the coast. I’ve read that you can see whales or seals from time to time, but I haven’t been lucky to spot any wildlife besides birds. However, what is amazing are the ocean waves. In both cloudy and sunny conditions, the views are spectacular.
  • Morro Rock – Just north above the Bluffs Trail is Morro Rock. It’s a well known landmark when one is driving up the Central Coast and while you can’t climb it, you can walk around it and see wild sea otters! Definitely worth a stop.
  • Madonna Inn – This historical motel is known for its 110 individually themed rooms (all different!) that’s over-the top with their decorations, a little kitchy, and very whimsical. You don’t need to stay here to enjoy a visit. It’s definitely fun to see, walk the grounds, visit the gift shops, and maybe even get a slice of their Pink Champagne cake. 

Top 3 Things to Eat

  • Flour House – This is my favorite place in SLO! The pizza here is unrivaled – the crust is pillowy yet has a lovely chew. In addition to classics, they also have fresh takes on the combination of toppings. BUT, if you’re not in the mood for pizza, the pasta is also fantastic. In fact, I had the best gnocchi of my life during my last visit. It was in a saffron cream sauce with an osso buco. Oh, and the drinks are delightful as well. There’s creative Italian twists on classics as well as a nice selection of wines. TIP: They don’t take reservations and are only open for dinner so be prepared to wait.

  • Mama’s Meatball – This is my number 2 recommendation in SLO. We had this last time when we wanted a night in the hotel. We ordered pastas to go and the portions were generous and the flavors were impeccable! It was perfect for a night in especially when the goal was to binge on carbs with TV. 
  • High St. Deli – This sandwich shop is well known in SLO, particularly the college kids as sandwiches used to be $4.20 after 4:20PM back in the day. Nowadays, the sandwiches are a bit pricier. While the sandwiches are good, I don’t find them particularly super unique although it is located in an ideal middle spot between the Bluffs Trail and Morro Rock.

Final Thoughts  

I think the great thing about SLO is that it can be a one night stop on your way up to San Francisco or down to San Diego OR you can spend a long weekend enjoying the small coastal town vibes. 

How to See Both Sides of Iguazu Falls (Argentina and Brazil) in 48 Hours

Iguazu Falls has been on my bucket list ever since I saw it in Soarin’ Around the World at Shanghai Disneyland. I couldn’t believe such a place existed and when I found out it was at the border of Argentina and Brazil, I knew I had to add it to my itinerary when I went to Argentina if possible (spoiler alert: it’s definitely possible!).

Why Go?

Igauzu Falls is a spectacular waterfall system that is nearly three times as wide and almost twice as tall as Niagara Falls. I’ve never been, but for my fellow Americans, I think that’s a helpful reference for those who have. Whereas Niagara Falls has three distinct waterfalls, Iguazu Falls has about 275 waterfalls. When we did our trail on the Brazil side, we walked for almost a mile and there was a continuous wall of waterfalls on the other side to gaze at. If that doesn’t sound cool, I don’t know how else to convince you! 

Where to Stay?

You can stay on either the Argentina or the Brazil side. For the Argentina side, it’s Puerto Iguazu while for the Brazil side, it’s Foz do Iguaçu. I can’t speak for the Brazil side although I heard that you can use Uber there and that the town is slightly bigger. We stayed on the Argentina side at an Airbnb and our hostess helped connect us with a private driver company that was fairly priced. I will say that the town is pretty small, but there’s a few restaurants and a couple small markets for the short time you’ll be there. 

How to Get Around?

Taxi/Personal driver was the main source of transportation for us since we lived a few miles outside of town at an Airbnb. However, if you stay in town, there’s a main bus terminal that has frequent buses that will take you to the parks. This would be my recommendation especially if you are a solo traveler or in a smaller party. We had 4 people in our party so luckily, the rates worked out about the same for us either way. If you prefer a taxi/driver, if you take a taxi in town, you’ll often get their business card if you want to call them for another drive. TIP: Negotiation is ok, but make sure you do it upfront. Rates can vary so if a price seems off, it’s ok to push back.

Day 1

Today will be focused on the Argentina side although if you want to switch the days, that is perfectly okay too. I will note that the Argentina side is more of a full day whereas the Brazil side can be done in a half day if you only want to focus on the falls. 

The Argentina park has about 5 trails and if you arrive at opening and leave at closing, you can likely do all the trails. For us, we were advised to go in a bit later for less traffic so we only spent about 5-6 hours at the park. We got to do all the trails except for one, Sendero Macuco, which is a jungle walk rather than a trail leading to a grand view point. 

The first thing to do when you get in is decide if you want to do an extra adventure such as a boating adventure. We opted out of a paid adventure since we weren’t prepared to get soaked. TIP: The Brazil side offers a path where you can experience the waterfalls without having to pay for a boat experience!

Then, the next thing to do is get a train ticket to see Devil’s Throat. Devil’s Throat is one of the main waterfalls at Iguazu Falls and is well known for having a U-shaped chasm and presenting a powerful experience for viewers. Side note: You don’t have to take the train to Devil’s Throat, but the path follows the train route and the view is not particularly exciting so I would just take the train to save time and energy. 

You can’t choose your time so planning your time around the ticket can be a little tricky. For us, we had about an hour and a half so we did the Sendero Verde walk which was a short 15-20 min walk into the park and had some food. You can take the train for this portion, but I don’t think it’s necessary unless someone in your party has mobility concerns and/or wants to conserve energy.

After taking the train, the walk to the main viewpoint of Devil’s Throat (Paseo Garganta del Diablo) is probably about 0.75 miles one way. It does take longer than expected, even though it’s a flat, metal walkway, due to the path being used as a 2-way pathway and the speed of the other guests around so be prepared to be patient. At the main viewpoint, it’s directed to be a one-way path where you can get different angles of Devil’s Throat. Definitely prep for more patience as everyone wants to be at the rails for their pictures and videos. The strength of the waterfall is incredibly strong so you’ll likely get a light mist on your face and you’ll also likely not see to the bottom of the fall. Definitely a must do! TIP: I would venture more down the path to decrease the wait time for your time at the rails as everyone normally stops for the first possible position even though there are multiple great viewpoints.

The other 2 main trails are Circuito Inferior (Lower Circuit) and Paseo Superior (Upper Circuit). We heard good things about both so we wanted to do both and I definitely recommend doing both! We started with the Upper Circuit which provided views from the top of the waterfalls. Think Devil’s Throat but for the other falls. Overall, it was just really neat to say that you’ve stood on top of waterfalls and marvel at how these walkways were built. For the Lower Circuit, you get to be more in the waterfalls. You get to walk by them and see a more pulled back view of the falls from a closer angle. If you’re worried about time, the time estimates listed on the signs are not indicative of the path lengths but also taking into account taking pictures and slowing down for other guests so don’t be discouraged by them. There’s also side detours that you can cut out if you want to make time to do both trails. 

At the end of the day, I recommend getting some local river fish (pacu or surubi) in town to refuel before winding down for day 2! 

Day 2

For the Brazil side, if you’re staying on the Argentina side, you will have to go through immigration. For us, our driver dropped us off and told us where to go to get processed. I believe it was the same concept for the buses although the buses seemed to get there faster as they had their own dedicated route. TIP: For Americans, a visa is required so you’ll need to apply for that at least two months before your trip. 

The park is situated across from a bird park that is also pretty popular. I believe it’s a rescue sanctuary for birds, but unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to go as we were expecting rain so we wanted to go to the park first. Our initial plan was to visit it after the park if there was time available. 

In the park, you’ll have to take a bus to the main trail. There are 2 other stops beforehand for other trails if you want to add additional walking to your day. We didn’t have a chance to do this as rain started pouring halfway during our day and we got soaked. We got off at the stop where most people get off which I believe is stop number 3. 

Once you get off, there’s only one trail to venture on! It’s less than a mile one way where you’re walking the entire stretch of Iguazu Falls from the opposite side and you truly get to experience how vast the falls actually are. Every step is like another perfect panoramic picture even though it’s hard to capture on film just how vast the falls are. 

At the end of the trail, you’ll get a chance to venture out on a metal walkway towards the center of a fall. I highly recommend this as you get to experience firsthand the power (both water dumping and the winds) of the fall while getting fun pictures. You’ll also feel like a kid running through a water park too! TIP: I would recommend bringing extra clothes in a plastic bag that you can change into afterwards. It got pretty cold for us after and being cold and wet is never a fun feeling. Waterproof shoes would also be great if you’ve got those! I brought extra socks but they just got soaked the minute I put my feet back into my shoes. 

Afterwards, you can line up to take a bus back towards the front of the park and head out OR you can get a bite to eat! There’s a buffet option if you want to try multiple things, but we opted for the quick service location which was honestly fantastic. We got fish and chips, a burger, fried chicken, fresh fruit juices, and acai bowls, and they were all generous portions, decently priced, and surprisingly well executed for a park. 

TIP: If you’re on a tight schedule, I think you can mix your travel day in with the Brazil side and then do the Argentina side the next day before flying out at night the next day. You’ll be tired, but it’s doable. 

Final Thoughts

Iguazu Falls was truly one of the most amazing natural wonders I have seen up close. I don’t think I need to go back, but I’m so, so glad I got to see it. If I were to go back, I would be excited to see blue water. Apparently, we went right after a flooding so there was extra dirt/sediment in the water than usual. I’m also a fan of waterfalls so I know I’m biased. But really, if you have the choice, I recommend making a trip here at least once in your lifetime! 

How to Spend 3 Days in Buenos Aires

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Buenos Aires aside from really good food – fantastic steakhouses, craveworthy gelato, fresh empanadas, flowing wine, the list goes on. And while I did get all that, I also got interactions with the kindest people, hours looking at beautiful art, and learning a new slice of history. Overall, I got to savor a new culture that I didn’t really know before. My joke since I’ve been back is that even though I was not asked, I would happily be their travel ambassador! 

Why Go?

If my intro didn’t get it away, Buenos Aires, and to be honest, Argentina as a whole, has a lot to offer! Side note: We bought our flight with a mix of saved and purchased miles under a promotion for foodie destinations so it’s an objective fact that Buenos Aires is well known for its food. But there’s also great shopping, art museums, eco parks, and historical locations.

Where to Stay?

Due to our itinerary, I got to stay in both the Centro neighborhood and the Palermo neighborhood. Both have their pros and cons. With the Centro neighborhood, you are close to all the major tourist locations. On the other hand, in the Palermo neighborhood, you are closer to the foodie spots and better shopping as it’s less touristy. Here is the hotel I stayed in in Centro, and here is the Airbnb I stayed in in Palermo. Both were comfortable, safe, and walkable to a number of locations on this itinerary! 

How to Get Around?

If you’re traveling in a group or are ok with being mid-range with your budget on transportation, Cabify was easy to use and affordable. It’s another version of Uber and most 10-15 minute trips were no more than $8. I didn’t try out the public transportation, but it seemed well connected to the major neighborhoods. I did hear from a fellow traveler that the bus card was difficult to get so that may provide a hurdle. The other option is to have exact change, but cash can be hard to come by since ATMs don’t always have enough cash to withdraw. 

Day 1

Now, I’m assuming travel days are not included so these are day long itineraries but you can always modify them. 

Start your day off with a medialuna and a coffee at your nearest cafe. There’s so many beautiful cafes around – one of the many things I loved while walking around Argentina. Ours was Gontran Cherrier. It was good, but not worth going out of your way for. Anyway, medialunas are a unique Argentine item you should try – they’re eggy croissants that are either drizzled or dipped in simple syrup.

After breakfast, it’s time to visit an ecopark (aka a zoo). This was the one I visited, and it was great, but my friend who was there longer also mentioned that they visited another one in another neighborhood! How cool is that?! 

After the ecopark, we had our first of many gelatos. We stopped at Cremolatti – a fairly popular chain as we also visited one when we were in Puerto Igauza. It was a cool break before going to the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. This was a free fine arts museum that had tapestries, paintings, sculptures, and architectural artifacts (including some very interesting drug making tools from tribes). Definitely worth a visit if you’re a fan of art museums! 

We had a really exciting dinner coming up, but we were feeling a bit peckish so we stopped by Tres Monos for a snack and a drink. The drink menu is short, but all really good. Makes sense since it made the list of top 50 bars in the world. The drinks were creative since they were twists on Argentine classics. You might get a different menu though as their menu rotates seasonally. We went close to opening so we didn’t have to wait, but I read that it can get really busy at night so plan ahead!

Our dinner was a rooftop asado experience! You can book on their site or through AirBnb. I recommend their site as it’s cheaper! I had heard an asado is a must when visiting Argentina, but as we didn’t know anyone who would host one for us, we signed up for this experience. We got to try a lot of Argentine must eats. We started with an empanada, sampled some black sausage, tried our first choripan, indulged in some pork belly with grilled vegetables, savored tri tip, relished ribeye, and ended with a dulce de leche “cheesecake.” Our amazing host also introduced us to common condiments that are frequently used – chimichurri (herbs/oil mixture) and criolla (pickled onions/peppers). In addition to the meats, we also got to pair them with three lovely Argentine wines – chardonnay, malbec, and cabernet franc. It definitely made me want to go take a trip to Mendoza (another area of Argentina known for its wine) in the future! The wines were smooth and paired so well with the food. In between all the courses, we got to learn about Argentine culture through food and ask questions. In addition, our group got along so well naturally so it was fun to make new friends. We also got to try a fernet and cola (not my thing as it’s a bit too licoricey for my taste), but since it’s a unique Argentine liquor, I’m glad I tried it! They also gave us an alfajor for tomorrow – how sweet is that (pun intended)? Fantastic first day!  

Day 2

Start the second day with an Italian brunch. Italian food is common, popular, and authentic due to the Italian migration that happened after World War II.  I recommend Cucina Paradiso, also visited in the Buenos Aires episode of “Somebody Feel Phil.” This has multiple locations and serves really solid Italian food. We had a variety of different pastas and all were good. For dessert, I would skip the tiramisu but get the cannoli.

Afterwards, we headed to El Ateneo Grand Splendid. This was the most beautiful bookstore I’ve ever been to. It used to be a theater, but it’s now filled with books and CDs, and the stage is now a cafe. Definitely worth a stop!

The Recoleta Cemetery is fairly close by if you want to visit. We opted out since the guided tours were in Spanish and we figured that a tour would be helpful considering our limited Argentina history. Lastly, it was also more than what we wanted to pay if we couldn’t join a tour (~$20-25/person).

Since we didn’t visit the cemetery, we headed over to the San Telmo Market for some shopping. We ended up snacking on a choripan at La Choripanería! The fries were surprisingly really fantastic (crisp on the outside and soft on the inside with a yummy dip) and the choripan was perfectly grilled and flavorful as well!

We had snagged a dinner reservation at Don Julio whilst planning so this was something we really looked forward to. It’s supposed to be one of the best steakhouses in the world. I don’t know if it is, but it is one of the best. The short ribs are a must! I don’t know where they get these cuts, but it was fatty without any fat chunks. How?!?! The price was also easy on the wallet compared to the quality you would get in the U.S. – we got a bottle of wine, two waters, sausage appetizer, a tomahawk, and a full rack of short ribs for ~$250 for a party of 4. They even gave us complimentary empanadas, bread, and dulce de leche dessert truffles!

We ended the night with gelato (what else?). We tried Rapanui (another chain) this time. I personally vote this as my favorite gelato spot – the dulce de leche flavors were creamy and sweet, and the fruity flavors were the perfect balance of tart and sweet. 

Day 3

For the third day, I recommend another breakfast at a cafe. There are so many options, from dulce de leche pastries, empanadas, medialunas, etc. Plus, cafes are so plentiful so there’s definitely a good cafe near wherever you’re staying. For us, we went to Dos Escudos which also has a few locations throughout Buenos Aires. 

After breakfast, head over to Casa Rosada, the Argentine equivalent of the White House. You can’t go inside the Casa Rosada, but there is a free museum just a few steps away that is great for understanding a bit more about Argentine history (although keep in mind that all the signs are in Spanish).

Casa Rosada

After Casa Rosada, there’s 2 options. 

  1. We opted to go to the Mafalda statue. Mafalada is a beloved Argentine comic book character from the 60s that is on a lot of souvenirs. I got so curious after seeing her everywhere so naturally, I got in the spirit of things. And I was not the only one! In fact, the only line that we truly encountered while in Argentina was the line to take a picture with Mafalda. There were also street performers nearby due to the crowd, tour buses doing drop-offs, and even a professional photographer if you wanted to opt to buy photos. Mafalda is beloved for sure! 
  2. For the non-Mafalda fans, I would go get some Argentine pizza. Güerrín is closeby to Casa Rosada and highly rated. We went to La Mezzetta on a different day. My friend who went to both described both as incredibly cheesy so you’ll get a good experience at either location. Just a note that you have to order whole pies at Güerrín although you can order slices at La Mezzetta. After some pizza, I would recommend stopping by Cadore for gelato, which is also highly rated. I will say their dulce de leche gelato was my favorite of the trip. The texture of their gelato felt silkier and finer, and the dulce de leche flavor tasted milkier rather than just sweet. For the fruit flavors, I would still say Rapanui takes the crown. 

Depending whether you ate or not, feel free to switch the next 2 things. 

  1. We wandered into Galerías Pacífico which is a shopping mall (in case you need anything), BUT we found out that there are free art exhibits on the top floor so I recommend stopping by and enjoying some free art for an hour or two! 
  2. For dinner, I suggest Santos Manjares. Prices are midrange and we actually came here twice because the food was fantastic and the prices really great. It was full both times so be prepared to wait if necessary. We didn’t have to the first time when we went at 9P, but we did have to wait 20 minutes the next day at 1:30P. Wine is cheaper than water so we got house wine both times, sausage to make our own little choripans, and bife de lomo (aka filet mignon steak). They have grilled vegetables for a side if you’re craving some plants, but they also have a mashed pumpkin that’s not heavy on butter or oil if you’re craving a healthier version of mashed potatoes. The restaurant is also incredibly highly efficient especially with only 5-6 servers at a time. 

BONUS Day 4

I wanted to include a bonus day itinerary for Las Chicas de la 3. If you’re a fan of Netflix Street Food, you’ll know of this place. It’s a stall in the middle of a marketplace that is outside of Buenos Aires (~30 minutes depending on traffic) and only open Tuesday through Friday, 9:30A-2:30P. Despite that, if you can make a visit, you absolutely should! Pato is just as kind and warm in the series as she is in person, and the food is just as delicious as you dreamed it would be. The fried empanadas were the best that I had during the trip, and the tortilla is the ultimate breakfast pie. In this case, the tortilla is a potato/egg mixture that sandwiches ham and cheese (not the burrito wrapper). She basically created a mutli-course meal of all the most popular items and was thoughtful enough to do splits so my brother and I could try as many different things as we could. We also got a seat by the window so we got front row access to the kitchen action! Overall, it was such a highlight of our trip so if there’s space in your itinerary, definitely try to make it happen. The location is also about 15-20 min away from EZE in case you want to be like us and visit after landing at the airport! 

Extra Things To Do

One thing I want to do the next time I visit is to watch a tango show. I didn’t get to see as much impromptu public dancing as I had hoped, and honestly as a fan of musicals and shows, even though they’re considered tourist attractions, I think I would still enjoy it. 

Another thing I would like to do next time is visit the neighborhood Caminito. While I know there’s not much “to see” in terms of tourist sites, I want to experience the vibe, eat a choripan, and see the street art. 

Other locations to visit:

Other food locations I didn’t get to try

Final Thoughts

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Buenos Aires, and although I want to visit other parts of Argentina, I probably wouldn’t spend another 3 days here (just due to limited time off). However, a day or 2 to re-savor the good meals and try a few new ones on the way to another location sounds like a good future goal to have!