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Month: April 2018

Posted on April 21, 2018March 19, 2019

Things to do in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica: The Best Places, Activities, and Restaurants

Where to stay, what to do, and where to eat in paradise!

  • Costa Rica
  • Travel Guides
  • Winter Getaways
 by Nina Danielle4 comments
Things to do in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica: The Best Places, Activities, and Restaurants

Hi! I’m Nina, and welcome to Nina Near and Far – the Ottawa-based travel blog for people pursing career and academic goals. Nina Near and Far is about making the most of your time off, weekends, and vacation days by exploring you own city and taking short, adventure-packed trips.

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canada friends 🦃 Voila Happy Thanksgiving to my Canada friends 🦃 Voila, the pumpkin pie that Nick stayed up super late to finish while I went to bed because it turns out that after the crust spends two hours in the fridge and the pie bakes for an hour... then you wait 2 more hours for it to set. But, I got up in the morning and collected leaves for a pie photoshoot, so obviously I did my part. ⁣ Things look a little different this year, but I hope everyone is still finding ways to enjoy the holiday 🧡 as always, one of the things that I am grateful for is all of you!
Fall day idea: pick up some local Fall harvest and Fall day idea: pick up some local Fall harvest and then make delicious meals, snacks, and sides! Miller’s Farm in Manotick is one of my favourite places to go in the Fall - and I come home with a ton of yummy fall harvest! 🍂 ⁣ What to do with your harvest haul? SAVE THIS POST of my go-to squash recipes! ⁣ 🍂 Delicata squash: cut a slit and scoop out the middle. Slice it (sort of like onion rings). Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and then roast at 425°F until it’s crispy. ⁣ 🍂 Acorn squash: cut in half, scoop the middle. Baked at 350°F for 40 minutes. On the stove, cook ground turkey with a can of diced tomatoes, garlic, and some Chile powder. Scoop the mix into the acorn squash and drizzle with cheese. ⁣ 🍂 Celebration squash: scoop the middle and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove, coat with butter, a bit of brown sugar, cinnamon, and fill the bowl of the squash with walnut bits and a little more butter. Return to the oven (about 10 minutes) until walnuts and squash are soft. ⁣ 🍂 Spaghetti squash: cut in half, scoop out, and roast at 450°F for 40 minutes. Prepare your favourite meatballs. Scrape out the spaghetti squash and use it as... well, spaghetti! ⁣ 🍂 Butternut squash: I love butternut squash soup! Peel and cut your butternut squash and make a soup with a carrot, onion, and apple, a can of coconut milk, 4+ cups of vegetable broth depending on your desired thickness of soup, and all the garlic, salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg you want with juuuuust a little pinch of cayenne pepper! Cook in a pot until everything is soft then blend or purée. ⁣ 🍎 Apples: apple crisp, of course! Slice up 6 apples and toss with a bit of white sugar, a little bit of lemon juice, and cinnamon and spread them in a baking dish. Mix a cup light brown sugar, 3/4 cup old fashioned oats, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, and a bit of salt. Put the mix over the apples and put in the oven at 350°F for 40 minutes. ⁣ 🍂 Pumpkin! We’ll be attempting pumpkin pie this weekend ourselves... I’ll let you know how it goes 😍 ⁣ What’s your favourite Fall recipe?
Fall days are here and the colours are beautiful! Fall days are here and the colours are beautiful! 😍🍁 Snapped this quick Fall photo on a ride with @passportunities tonight. ⁣ Here’s a quick list of some of the Fall posts you’ll find on the Nina Near and Far blog and day trip guides that are perfect for the season! ⁣ 🍁 Ottawa Fall Colours: The Best Places and Day Trips (it’s not all Gatineau Park!) ⁣ 🍁 The Top Things to do in Ottawa in the Fall ⁣ 🍁 Gatineau Park Guide (updated today) ⁣ 🍁 Guides to Brockville, 1000 Islands, Westport, and more! ⁣ 🍁 14 Day Trip ideas that are less than 2 hours from Ottawa. ⁣ It’s all linked in my bio! ⁣ What’s on your Fall bucket list? I’m hoping to get out for a day trip or two for some leaf-spotting.
Ottawa Fall Date Idea! 😍 SAVE for the next time Ottawa Fall Date Idea! 😍 SAVE for the next time you want a night out or to treat yourself... ⁣ @zoes.ottawa reopened this week with an incredible fall menu. Thanks to @fairmontlaurier for letting me be one of the first people to try it! ⁣ The signature cocktails include Fall flavours like pumpkin spice, apple, and ginger. SWIPE for a smoky surprise! ⁣ Their Perfect Pairings menu matches a signature cocktail with a cold or hot plate for a delicious experience. ⁣ My favourite pairings were the Cauliflower Pakora & Crushed Coconut, the Beef Tartar & Henry of Pelham Estate Baco Noir, the Roasted Beets & Phony Negroni... realizing that I am just listing off everything I ate 🤔 because it was all spectacular. ⁣ Stay for dessert; the homemade pumpkin ice cream is a must-try for Fall! 🍂 ⁣ What are your favourite Fall flavours? ⁣ #myottawa #ottawalife #apt613 #facesottawa #topottawaphoto #ottawa #yowcity #ottcity #ottawaphoto #ottawafoodie #ottawafood
We’re back from a beautiful cottage weekend with We’re back from a beautiful cottage weekend with friends! 🏡 After months of work from home and constant screen time, it felt so good to spend a couple of days away from the computer and with limited reception. It was so nice to disconnect! We played games, read books, went out on the pedal boat/ kayak/ stand up paddle boards, and just hung out with great company - @lanakrcole @scottfphotos @passportunities @crowlandsphotos 🥰 ⁣ This was actually my first time doing a cottage weekend like this! I loved it and we will definitely do this again. I hope you had a great weekend and a chance to relax and recharge, too! What are your favourite ways to disconnect lately?
GIVEAWAY! Bring the world home with you! 🌍 If t GIVEAWAY! Bring the world home with you! 🌍 If this year has taught us anything, I think one thing is the importance of loving your space. What better way to do that than with beautiful and unique pieces from around the world? ⁣ The @oneworldbazaar (formerly the Third World Bazaar) curates products from across the globe, ranging from decorative hand blow glassware from Mexico to blankets made of ethical alpaca fur from Peru! This year, bringing the One World Bazaar into your home is easier than ever with their new e-commerce store 😍 as soon as Nick and I moved to this apartment, I knew that I wanted some One World Bazaar pieces for decor! ⁣ The One World Bazaar location in Manotick will also be open beginning September 24. The bazaar is a destination all of of it’s own and easily one of the coolest shopping experiences there is. ⁣ GIVEAWAY! 🎉 ⁣ Start bringing the world into your home with a $100 Gift Card to One World Bazaar and a special invite to their VIP night! Many of the pieces at One World Bazaar are one of a kind, and as a VIP you get first dibs. ⁣ To enter: 1. follow @ninanearandfar and @oneworldbazaar 2. LIKE & SAVE this post 3. comment and tell me why you want to win this prize and/or why you love One World Bazaar! • BONUS: tag your friends and tell them about the contest. Tags without an explanation will be removed. • BONUS x 3 check out my stories for more ways to enter! ⁣ Contest closes at 9PM on Friday, September 11. The winner will be announced Sunday evening. ⁣ #myottawa #ottawalife #apt613 #facesottawa #topottawaphoto #ottawa #yowcity #ottcity #ottawaphoto
Talk about a Canadian experience! 🛶 Hit SAVE to Talk about a Canadian experience! 🛶 Hit SAVE to add this to your bucket list for next year! ⁣ Eco-Odessey is a truly unique experience just outside of Wakefield, QC where you can canoe, pedal boat, or paddle board your way through a massive water maze of wooden channels and mossy canals 😍 they are now closed for the season, but will open again in the spring! ⁣ We went on the Wanderer Adventure, a 2-hour expedition by canoe where we had to follow the fish markers through the maze! It was one of the most peaceful adventures I have been on. The water was so still! We also saw lots of frogs and turtles along the way 🐢 ⁣ Psssst! For more adventures in/near Ottawa check out my blog post: Epic Ottawa Adventures for every season. It’s linked in my bio!
Don’t you feel like you could walk straight to h Don’t you feel like you could walk straight to heaven through this photo? 😍 It’s by design! Photography tip 📸 ‘leading lines’ like the banisters in this photo bring the viewer right into your photo and it’s an easy way to make a powerful image. SWIPE to step inside! ⁣ I am absolutely loving downtown-living to be able to visit amazing spots like this around the city on an afternoon walk. ⁣ You’ll find this beautiful gazebo behind the Ottawa Parliament Buildings, looking out over the Ottawa River. The perfect place for some photography practice and a great view for sunset👌🏻 ⁣ #myottawa #facesottawa #topottawaphoto #ottawa #yowcity #ottcity #apt613 #ottawaphoto
I have to be honest, I am not quite ready for it t I have to be honest, I am not quite ready for it to be September... Working and doing my Masters at the University of Ottawa, it feels like it’s been one long semester since March 🙈 I could use a bonus week of August! ⁣ I’m hosting the virtual live sessions for the University of Ottawa Telfer MBA and MHA orientation for the next 5 days so it’s going to be a busy week (and weekend). I’ll be taking some downtime (still working, just less) next week to recharge before beginning my own Fall semester and ticking a couple of final items off my summer bucket list 👌🏻 Mostly, I am trying to make the most of the sunshine and warm weather while it’s here! ⁣ What about you? How is everyone doing? #myOttawa
If ever there were a pair of shoes that walked 500 If ever there were a pair of shoes that walked 500 miles and then walked 500 more, it would have to be every pair that I have gotten from @mansfieldsshoes in Manotick! ⁣ When Mansfield’s Shoes first offered to gift me a pair of sneakers last summer I was happy to collaborate with a local business and loved how cute the shoes were, but I dramatically underestimated how much of a difference they were going to make for me. The brands that Mansfield’s Shoes carries are not only cute and stylish, but also high-quality and really comfortable. I walk constantly when travelling, for photography, with friends, and for my own well-being so it did not take long to notice how much better the shoes were! ⁣ Now, I own 2 pairs of sandals, sneakers, and flip flops from @MansfieldShoes and have pretty much abandoned all of the other footwear in my closet because my shoes and sandals from Mansfield’s are just that much more comfortable. ⁣ Mansfield’s Shoes recently launched a beautiful online store and offers $5 delivery within Ottawa, or you can visit their location in Manotick! P.S. I have an ongoing relationship with Mansfield’s Shoes but this was not an arranged promotion 🙂 just credit where it’s due for an amazing small business with great products! ⁣ What local businesses (Ottawa or elsewhere) do you shop at for clothing, shoes, or accessories? #myottawa
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