New Orleans (Part II)

May 18, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 1 Comment

After a fun-filled afternoon on Frenchman Street, we headed back to our AirBnB to freshen up before dinner. The three of us stopped at this really cute food hall for a couple drinks and appetizers, and even Linley had his very first Ritz cracker!

Although it was overstimulating for Alex, the two of us had to go to Bourbon Street just for the hell of it. The best part was catching jazz outdoors at one of my favorite local spots. Next visit we’ll spend more time on Frenchman Street – where all the locals hang out – but it was funny to laugh at the Bourbon Street shenanigans, have mediocre food and ultimately head back to see Linley.

Luckily our next day was much better than the previous evening! Linley and I walked around in the morning together, strolled through the local neighborhoods, and admired the old architecture and funkiness of the cafes nearby. Once we got back, the three of us enjoyed a great brunch and even better conversation with some locals. We really loved how friendly and laid back everyone was, and kept fantasizing about moving there one day.

Our afternoon was full of adventure in the French Quarter! Linley was a good boy in the Uber and it was fun to experience the quarter with Alex and Lin this time. 💛 We wandered around, enjoyed the waterfront walk and view, met some kind strangers near Jackson Square, and ended up getting beignets and hurricanes. Hearing all the jazz music and the overall atmosphere brought back some fond memories. But doing all this with my two favorite guys made this time in New Orleans extra special. I can’t wait for next time! And stay tuned for another post…

Media taken Monday, March 24 & Tuesday, March 25, 2025 in New Orleans, LA.✨

New Orleans (Part I)

May 7, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 1 Comment

New Orleans hits different when you’re with your two best friends (the third time’s the charm)!

Although heading east after The Grand Canyon was bittersweet, we had a blast in New Orleans, and were majorly looking forward to that leg of the trip. Alex and Linley had never been, so experiencing it through their eyes was really fun. And it was fun to stay in a part of town and explore new places I hadn’t yet!

We stayed near Crescent Park in the cutest AirBnB (definitely one of my favorites of the honeymoon, and one of my favorites ever!) and walked New Orleans’ version of the Beltline toward Frenchmen Street. It was great to see another part of town that wasn’t as touristy as places I’d stayed at in 2022 and 2023.

Frenchmen Street is WAY better and much more local than Bourbon Street (next time we’ll be staying there more). We enjoyed delicious espresso martinis, mezcal drinks and seafood lunch at this cute cafe, and one of the employees brought her newly-rescued dog in! While we were eating, a gentleman struck up conversation with us and told us about some of the local history while we waited for his bike to be repaired across the street. He was a local artist himself, and it was amazing to hear about his life and all that New Orleans had been through. When we were done with our afternoon cocktails, Linley even found some “Jerry beads” along the way!

Before heading out for dinner, we knew we weren’t done exploring. While admiring the local architecture, funky art and old, southern charm down neighborhood streets, we stumbled across a dog-themed bar called Pepp’s Pub. All dogs got their photos taken and we even got our photos taken after a shot, too! A kind stranger who’d lost her dog not too long ago sat with us and it was awesome to hear about her life and her beloved pup.

All of our first afternoon reminded us to slow down, always chat with strangers and to appreciate the moments we had as our “Tracey Trio!”

We continued to have such a great time in New Orleans, but more to come on that later 😌

Photos taken Monday, March 24, 2025 in New Orleans, LA 💛

Albuquerque

May 2, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 1 Comment

Back to the honeymoon posts! 😀 Albuquerque, New Mexico did not disappoint. From the delicious food to the kindest people, I highly recommend paying this city a visit. My only regret is that we should’ve spent more time here instead of Santa Fe, but c’est la vie!

Highs

Our AirBnB was super cute!
We drove by the Breaking Bad house, and didn’t get screamed at by the paranoid lady who lives there haha!
We had the most delicious dinner and mezcal drinks, and the restaurant was super dog friendly. Our server loved us and Linley even got a free chicken dinner from the owner!
We walked to Bar Uno, a super dog friendly bar downtown, and our bartender was incredible. He was super nice and loved Linley, too… as did the other patrons.
Simply walking around and exploring our area with Alex and Linley was so much fun; it’s always the little things!

Low

I had the *worst* bloody nose at night. It woke me up and I had the worst night sleep of the entire trip that night by far.

Buffalos

At Bar Uno, a lady came in who was clearly on pills. Our lovely bartender actually cut her off and called it out. It was sad to see someone going through that, but really responsible on our bartender’s end and Alex and I sincerely appreciated his nonjudgmental approach. Well done, sir!
I missed the morning walk before heading east because of my stupid bloody nose and shitty night’s sleep, but Alex and Lin saw some hot air balloons together! Although slightly jealous since they’re a New Mexico staple, I was happy they got to experience them together!

Media taken March 22 & 23, 2025✨

Sedona

April 24, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 1 Comment

Sedona, Arizona – although touristy – didn’t disappoint!

Highs

We lucked out weather-wise! It was a little hot on our way to the car, but I’m so glad we visited and hiked when we did!
Linley had a big ole smile on his face the entire hike! 😀
Alex and I wore our matching dog fist shirts, and we met a sweet couple and their young daughter who wanted to pet Linley. They apparently had the same shirts as us, and also a small, white dog named Waffles, but didn’t wear them or bring him along. It reminded me of how much Alex and I love bringing Linley wherever we can!
The views were absolutely stunning! I mean, they were truly breathtaking (proof below).
We met so many friendly people on the hike, all of whom loved Lin!

Lows

The parking sucked. The touristy energy of the area sucked. It definitely wasn’t our vibe, but we had a great hike as a trio regardless!
I had to carry Lin’s poop bag for a while, and because of the heat, it stank BAD haha! 🤣

Buffalo

Lin’s paws were stained with the orange-colored dirt from the hike. He majorly needed a bath and a good grooming after our trip haha! All the dogs at the parks and along walks wanted to smell him after that… 😅

Media taken Friday, March 21, 2025.

Fun in Flagstaff

April 23, 2025April 23, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 1 Comment

We definitely had fun in Flagstaff between visiting the Grand Canyon and hiking in Sedona the following day!

Highs

The brewery we stopped at was awesome! Bummer we had to sit outside, but other than that it was great!
Our Thai takeout was wonderful, and enjoying it at our cozy AirBnB was perfect.
Stargazing at both our AirBnBs was amazing! I wish we would’ve enjoyed it a bit more…
The distillery we found after our Grand Canyon adventure was so great, that we visited three times while we were there!
We stopped for lunch and great cocktails after hiking in Sedona, and a kind couple paid for our drinks!

Lows

We couldn’t sit outside at the brewery, and it took us so long to find a spot that we could actually bring Lin into for dining… which just so happened to be our AirBnB! It was a headache but it was all good in the end.
Alex definitely got sunburned from sitting in the sun after hiking in Sedona…
On our last night in Flagstaff, we picked up some Indian takeout and it was absolutely horrible. It was flavorless, watery… none of what we were expecting. We love Indian food and we definitely need to order some soon now that we’re back in Atlanta!

Buffalo

When we visited the distillery for coffee on our way back East toward Albuquerque, Misty (our lovely bartender and barista!) accidentally made Linley three pup cups instead of one. She thought we asked for two to go, but we really wanted to mugs to go! It was sweet and Linley definitely enjoyed them.

Media taken March 20-22, 2025 in Arizona.✨

The Grand Canyon

April 21, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 1 Comment

I’m going to put a pause on the “high, low, buffalo” theme for our honeymoon posts; the Grand Canyon was absolutely beautiful, it was the perfect day, and it was an incredible first visit for all three of us! I promised Linley that I would take him someday when I first rescued him over seven years ago, and it meant so much that we finally made it together — with our other best friend right by our side, too! 💛

From all the adults and kids who were smiling and greeting us as we walked by, to the kind gentleman who took his dog on a similar road trip just because, and the two young women who gave Linley some love on our way out: we had the best day as a family and couldn’t have asked for anything more. 🥹

Media taken Thursday, March 20, 2025 at the Grand Canyon. ✨

Our Flagstaff AirBnB

April 18, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 3 Comments

The ranch we stayed at in Flagstaff, Arizona deserves its own post. From location to views, appliances to coziness, this place was just what we needed and then some. We’ll be back and this was probably our favorite AirBnB of the entire trip.

The best parts? Our big, family breakfast, seeing the gophers dig in the neighbor’s yard, and seeing Lin run around and have so much fun!

Media taken Wednesday, March 19 & Thursday, March 20, 2025.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

April 17, 2025April 17, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 1 Comment

Santa Fe did not disappoint! From the food and drinks, to the beautiful hiking, and all the crazy weather in between: I highly recommend paying this unique town a visit.

Highs

Our AirBnB was awesome! It was the quintessential desert stay that we wanted and needed. We also enjoyed nice breakfasts there each morning; Lin enjoyed sitting at the table with us! 💛
The rail yard near our place had some amazing breweries, and it was cool to see the trains roll by while we walked and enjoyed our time in the area.
It took forever to find a good, dog-friendly spot for dinner, but once we did it was worth it! We enjoyed good food and spicy margs before our next day of adventure.
We had a very fun, windy hike in the morning during our full day there. We almost got lost of the hike, but luckily we didn’t, and it was great to beat the crowd and the heat!!
Our lunch spot was wonderful and I enjoyed some of the best nachos to-date. They also let Linley hang out inside with us, and he was getting all the attention per usual.
After an eventful drive, we hung out at a brewery outside of the city center, and had a blast making it a restful part of our afternoon.
We stopped by a really cool pottery bar for a drink before dinner, and it was fun to watch people make pottery while we had great martinis out of pottery glasses!

Lows

Santa Fe really isn’t as dog friendly as I’d thought it would be. Even some places don’t seat you outside during certain days or times of the week… in hindsight, I wish we’d spent more time in Albuquerque as opposed to Santa Fe.
Linley actually had some bad altitude sickness in the morning on our second day there! I’d had it bad in Peru with my mom in 2018, so I knew all the symptoms he was experiencing. He bounced back in time for the hike, but definitely look for warning signs in yourselves and pets (nauseous, cold and shaky, etc.)

Buffalo

We really had a wild full-day of weather, including a dust storm AND a snow storm in the same day! It was wild, but very cool to experience.

Photos taken Tuesday, March 18, 2025.

Oklahoma

April 16, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 3 Comments

Like the places we visited in Arkansas, Oklahoma City was a very underrated place with some really surprising, unique spots!

Highs:

Our garage-style AirBnB was super cool! We loved it and had the best time. We barely stayed in, but we enjoyed coffee and laughing at the local news the next morning before we left. (Shout out local news… it’s always so much better than the other garbage!)
We enjoyed drinks and brunch in a cute part of town that actually reminded me of a small, beach town I’d visited near San Francisco. Linley, of course, got more attention…
The park downtown that we walked through was absolutely beautiful! So many families were out and about, and it was a gorgeous day overall.
We popped into a cool library-style distillery before dinner, and when I say we had the most creative cocktails yet, I mean it! Alex ordered a pho-nomenial drink that literally tasted like Vietnamese pho! Our minds are still blown… 10/10 would recommend!
Believe it or not, we had dinner on a “lake” with the most beautiful sunset. It was a lovely way to continue our trip out west. And my gluten free vege burger with a gin and tonic didn’t hurt either!

Lows

Bricktown was super crowded! The river walk was way too touristy and packed, and that part of the day really wasn’t as enjoyable. But we quickly remedied that with the distillery visit I mentioned above.
I slept like *garbage* that night, because Linley kept pushing into my back the entire night. I love when he snuggles up to me, but it was a little too far… he made my stomach push out and it was feeling it for a while there! (He’s worth it, but still!)

Buffalo

We made the most of our dinner, but boy did it get cold while we were sitting outside! Next time, I’ll remember to bring blankets for all of us.

Media taken Sunday, March 16, 2025.

Arkansas

April 15, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 5 Comments

Our first stop on the honeymoon road trip was Arkansas, which may not seem super glamorous, but it didn’t disappoint! Here are some of my favorite photos and “highs, lows and buffalos” from the first state on our journey:

Highs

Our AirBnB in Russellville was amazing! 10/10 would recommend the home. Seeing Linley run around in a yard was a big plus, too.
Hiking in the Ozarks was amazing! Although rainy at first, this was an underrated hiking spot that everyone should check out at least once.
The distillery we found in Little Rock was amazing! They had the best service and St. Patty’s Day drinks, and we ran into some kind strangers there and along the way.

Lows

Our county was a dry county, and we had NO idea! We tried ordering margs at two different places, only to realize the nearest liquor, beer or wine was at least 40 miles away! We still have a good laugh about it haha…
Of course some family stuff had to go down during this leg of the trip, but so it goes. Alex and Linley are my family, and that’s all that matters. 💛

Buffalo

Alex was whistling while we walked through a creepy Dollar General, and the cashier commented and said it felt like a horror movie. Way to go, Alex, for creeping out a complete stranger! 😅

Photos taken Saturday, March 14, 2025.

Honeymoon “high, low, buffalos!”

April 13, 2025April 13, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 3 Comments

March 14-27, 2025… what can I say! Those were the two best weeks of my life. Alex, Linley and I went on the honeymoon road trip of a lifetime.

As excited as I am to write alllllll about it, I probably can’t; it’d take too long and I’ll always have the memories in my heart. Instead, I’ll share stories “high, low, buffalo” style. Haven’t heard of this? Well, I’ll share a few highs, lows (or weird situations, I should say!) and “buffalo’s” are random things that happened on the trip.

What qualifies as a “buffalo?” Well, the fact that we encountered a severe dust THEN snow storm in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the same day definitely qualifies. More to come on that later 🙂

Stay tuned in the coming weeks! In the meantime, here’s some disposable camera photos from our trip of a lifetime.

There’s something about disposable cameras…

April 8, 2025 / Cate Tracey / Leave a comment

March was our best month yet! Our best friends got married in one of our favorite places, we were married at one of our favorite places, and we had the honeymoon roadtrip of a lifetime as a trio. Although more photos of all that will come, I wanted to share the disposable camera photos our friends and family took during our reception. I immediately knew having these out would be a hit, and what a great idea it was! I look forward to seeing more photos soon, but here’s what we have so far…