My St. Thomas Wish List

I've got my plane tickets and my vacation rental booked and a car waiting for me. We are going to St. Thomas! I've really been hoping to get to the Virgin Islands for a while and we've decided to start with the U.S. Virgin Islands and see how we like it. We'll only be gone for a week, so we won't need a passport. Not quite enough time to go island hopping to the British Virgin Islands.

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Though this will mostly be a relax-and-chill vacation, we're definitely going to be wandering the island (and driving on the left side of the road!) and seeing all there is to see, as well as eating all the delicious food. I have a wish list that may be too long for our time there, but the island is very small, so maybe not.

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Plantation Crown & Hawk Botanical Garden

Guess who doesn't say no to a trip to the botanical garden? Did you guess me? Because it's me! I love looking at new plants and flowers that I might never see again. I don't know much about this place, except the admission cost, so we'll see if it's worth the trip.

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Magic Ice

Is it dumb that they built a place with ice sculptures when it's generally 90 degrees outside? I don't care, because it sounds awesome and a fantastic way to cool off for a little bit. I am excited to go from shorts  to wearing a parka, gloves and a hat. Alcohol might also be involved, but even if it's not, I'm really curious to explore this place.

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Skyride to Paradise Point

I'm not one to pass up a trip up a mountain in a gondola. I mean, views from the sky are always breathtaking, so I'm looking forward to taking the trip up, enjoying the view, watching the exotic birds, and then getting a meal before taking the Skyride back down again. Maybe we'll wait it out and watch the sunset from the top on the observation deck. I hear that's really something.

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Blackbeard's Castle

Castles are the worst. Said no one, ever. They have such rich history, plus their just really effing cool. Blackbeard's Castle is one of the historic sites on St. Thomas, in an area known as the Williamsburg of the Caribbean. It spans 5 acres and tells me all about the pirate legacy of St. Thomas. It also sits on a hilltop and gives you tremendous views of the harbor. I'll even get some extra exercise walking up the famous 99 Steps to the site.

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Coral World Ocean Park

I'm all about local wildlife...and seeing marine animals while I'm not in the water with them. I'll probably go snorkeling, but I guarantee it won't be as awesome for me as Coral World, because I'm a weenie who's terrified of being in the water with anything that isn't a clownfish, bat ray, or sea turtle. At Coral World, I can get up close and personal to things like sting rays and tropical birds, and I can watch other people swim with sharks, as well and enjoy things from the safety of their undersea observatory.

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Hassel Island Ruins

This island is a National Park of 135 acres and used to be a home for those with leprosy and other infectious diseases. The island's buildings fell into disrepair and now stand as ruins with a very vibrant and interesting history. I'm totally going to strap on my walking shoes and bring my camera to immortalize all these things in the middle of awesome flora. 

Have you been to St. Thomas? If so, where should I go and, more importantly, where should I eat?

We're Going Back to Hogwarts

Well, maybe not me, at least not at the moment But for those awesome little witches and wizards in the UK, the Hogwarts Express is speeding its way to that amazing castle we all know and love.

If you're headed back to school, good luck, have fun, and don't fix that broken Vanishing Cabinet, please. #19YearsLater

If you want some posts about my Harry Potter adventures, here's my latest. I figured out I would have been 3 years ahead of Harry if I'd gone to Hogwarts, studying in Ravenclaw Tower. What year would you have been in relation to The Boy Who Lived? Which house would have been in?

My Portland Coffee Tour Part 6

It's the time again. It may be super warm outside, but it's never stopped me from drinking coffee. I just switch mainly to iced. We have had a few cooler mornings that called for a hot cup of Joe, and I definitely took advantage of those, because iced coffee may be good, but it's not always as good as hot.

This month I took a few different turns around the city, including Beaverton (we're about 8 miles from actual downtown). 

Lionheart Coffee

This adorable coffee house in Beaverton was one I couldn't pass up. I mean, it's called Lionheart after all. It sounds awesome. I ordered the special - a cardamom latte - and an apple pastry. I wasn't disappointed. Cardamom is great for digestive issues and helps out your kidneys. It had a nice spicy flavor that you don't particularly get with cinnamon. 

Look how beautiful that latte is! Also, that rustic tart. OMG was this a lovely breakfast. 

I love the minimalist look of the shop. There's a little gallery wall featuring artwork from local artists, and the space itself has a sort of apothecary/chemist feel, which is interesting. The coffee is affordable (I don't have my receipt, but my two items ran me less than $7) and the employees were very nice. I've actually been meaning to go back.

Edit: I returned and tried their pumpkin pie latte, because it's Fall y'all! I was never so excited to be drinking something pumpkin-y. Not only did it not have that gross pumpkin spice flavor everyone uses and overpowers the coffee and coats your tongue with a weird film, it was very mellow and lovely and I could have had another one after. 

Kiosko Coffee

I found out about Kiosko Coffee on Instagram and immediately put it on my list of shops to visit. It's down by the waterfront and close to Portland's new beach that the city made, so it encouraged me to go check that out as well. 

Kiosko started as just a coffee roaster, which finally opened their own coffee kiosk (hence the name). They specialize in Spanish-style coffee with lovely spices and colors. They Instagrammed a pic of their new 9 spice honey chai, which looked phenomenal, and their summer affogato. If you've never had an affogato, you need to try it. Traditionally it's a gelato with espresso poured over it. I went in thinking I would try both and whatever food they had available. 

This set-up is gorgeous, as was their outdoor seating was fantastic. You find yourself on the edge of a little park with flowers. All the outdoor tables have umbrellas and are perfect for one or two people. Your affogato is do-it-yourself and comes with your choice of ice cream. It was almost a shame to ruin it by pouring the espresso over it, but look at it!

Mondays call for caffeine and sugar. I think an #affogato checks both of those boxes ☑️☕☑️🍦 . . #jetsetter #jetset #ilovetravel #tourist #tourism #tblogger #tbloggers #travelblog #travel #travelblogger #travelgirl #travelgram #instatravel #traveler #traveller #budgettravel #budgettraveler #budgettraveller #affogato #kiosko #kioskocoffee #portlandcoffee #portland

A post shared by Shereen Travels Cheap (@srayle) on Aug 14, 2017 at 10:02am PDT

I was pretty proud of that Boomerang pour. The ladies next to me were pretty interested in my order. I saved my affogato for after my coffee and croissant, all of which were excellent. I'd happily grab some items to go and take them down to the beach with me. All of my choices had tremendous flavor and the affogato was delightedly spicy. These three items cost me $12.25 ($5 for the affogato, $2.50 for my croissant, and $4.75 for my 9 spice chai). I found that to be pretty budget-friendly, and would suggest splitting the affogato with a friend, giving you a chance to enjoy the lovely weather, the excellent service and one of the best cups I've had in Portland. 

Jim & Patty's Coffee

There are several locations for Jim & Patty's, the previous owners of Coffee People, but I hit up the Beaverton one, because it's closer to me. The menu and vibe are the same though. I actually went two different times, because coffee. They serve a ton of their own baked goods and even have breakfast sandwiches. They also have a variety of sizes to choose from, all with fun names: Bean, Wally, June, Ward and Eldridge. 

My first visit there, Eric went with me. We ordered some cold beverages: He had a peanut butter mocha and I opted for the salted caramel latte. I love how it looks like my coffee has a name. Scar! (or, if you're a Walking Dead fan, read in Rick's voice: "Scarl!" LOL!) I also had to try their coconut cake, which was really light and fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness. My coffee was perfectly balanced between caramel and salt. I loved it. 

On my next visit, I went alone for breakfast and ordered both a peppermint mocha and one of their breakfast sandwiches. The sandwich is made to order on homemade biscuits and my coffee was a dark chocolate with just enough peppermint to not be overpowering. I wouldn't say no to another one. The shop has a great family-friendly atmosphere, with handpainted murals on the walls, and an enormous amount of seating, which is hard to find. Eric paid the first time we visited, and I think it came to around $14 in total. On my own, it came to $10.45 (sandwich was $5.40 and my drink was $5.05). I'm not sure how the charging system works, but there you have it. $10 for a scratch-made sandwich and coffee seems to be a rather good deal for breakfast, and my drink was miles better than Starbucks.

Salt & Straw's Wiz Bang Bar

I was going to write a review of Barista, since I visited them after Wiz Bang at the Pine Street Market (Portland's fancy food hall), but I made the mistake of ordering a cold brew and have now decided that I officially hate the taste of cold brew and won't make that mistake again. For some reason, it tastes like spoiled milk to me, so instead, I'll give you a review of the giant eclipse cone I had at Wiz Bang. The concoction was a limited edition ice cream creation in honor of this month's solar eclipse that everyone was freaking out about.

So, I should have known that I would need a second person to help me eat this thing. It was a charcoal waffle cone, with a golden rim, turmeric, sassflower and ginger ice cream, dipped in a charcoal black sesame magic shell and topped with "moon rocks" (Pop Rocks). It was huge and it cost $8.50, which I was not surprised by. My favorite part was the topping with the popping candy. The ice cream (soft serve) tasted a lot like green tea to me and it had a slightly yellow color to look like the sun. It was good, but I wouldn't go out of my way to have it again if it were a normal menu item. I appreciated the creativity though and I ate at least 80% of it before I gave up on myself and my ability to eat a gigantic waffle cone.

So, that's my round-up for the month. I hope you enjoyed it and you take the time to seek out some local coffee and food establishments where you live and when you travel. Where's your favorite coffee shop?