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Nina Near and Far

How to have adventures near and far.

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Category: Travel Guides

Posted on August 15, 2020

Things to do in 1000 Islands Gananoque: A Visitor’s Guide

Visiting the 1000 Islands? Find hotels, restaurants, and things to do!

  • Ontario
  • Ottawa-Gatineau Adventures
  • Travel
  • Travel Guides
  • Updated for COVID-19
 by ninanearandfar0 comment
Things to do in 1000 Islands Gananoque: A Visitor’s Guide
Posted on June 27, 2019June 27, 2019

8 Mental Health Benefits of Travel (That You Can Recreate at Home)

Mental health requires more than a vacation.

  • Travel Guides
  • Travel Thoughts
 by ninanearandfar0 comment
8 Mental Health Benefits of Travel (That You Can Recreate at Home)
Posted on January 3, 2019January 27, 2019

Playa Hermosa Guanacaste: A Visitor’s Guide to Restaurants, Activities, and Day Trips

Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica, is a quaint and(more…)

  • Costa Rica
  • Travel Guides
 by ninanearandfar0 comment
Playa Hermosa Guanacaste: A Visitor’s Guide to Restaurants, Activities, and Day Trips
Posted on July 11, 2018January 11, 2019

The San Francisco City Pass: Which Attractions to See (and Which to Skip)

With so much to see, how can you possibly choose?

  • California
  • Travel Guides
  • United States
 by ninanearandfar0 comment
The San Francisco City Pass: Which Attractions to See (and Which to Skip)
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
Posted on June 3, 2017May 28, 2019

The Perfect 24 Hours in Copenhagen

What to see and do with one day in Copenhagen.

  • Denmark
  • History and Exploration
  • Travel Guides
 by Nina Danielle17 comments
The Perfect 24 Hours in Copenhagen
Posted on February 6, 2017January 22, 2019

The Ultimate Travel Guide: Things to do San Juan, Puerto Rico

A full trip itinerary for San Juan, Puerto Rico! Things to do, places to go, and more.

  • puerto rico
  • Travel Guides
 by Nina Danielle0 comment
The Ultimate Travel Guide: Things to do San Juan, Puerto Rico

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.

Good news from my academic life! 😍 (From a virt Good news from my academic life! 😍 (From a virtual event for which I have exactly zero photos lol) ⁣ On October 23 I competed in a thesis competition among Masters and Ph.D. research students in my department. My presentation won 2nd place! πŸ₯ˆ SWIPE for a snippet of my slides. ⁣ My work examines how leadership impacts the way that employees experience stress at work (positively as challenges or as something threatening and hindering). I developed a theory of how leaders might be able to do this - by promoting a few different psychological states or mindsets in employees - and I’m just about done collecting date to test me hypotheses! During the Q&A of the presentation I shared the story of my former co-worker passing away from depression last Fall as an example of a stressful experience that can not be construed as a positive (and therefore falls outside of the theory I explore through my research). I plan to donate 10% of my prize money to an organization that supports men’s mental health in memory of my co-worker ❀️❀️❀️
Remembrance Day πŸ–€β€οΈ I absolutely love the R Remembrance Day πŸ–€β€οΈ I absolutely love the Remembrance Day projections on the @nac.cna 😍 It’s a on a loop with some other neat projections so I had to wait a while between photos! I needed two photos for this final shot (foreground in focus and background in focus) and it took a few attempts to get the poppies where I wanted them. Glad I waited because I love how this turned out! ⁣ November is usually a prime fundraising opportunity for the Royal Canadian Legion through poppy sales. Unsurprisingly, poppy sales are lower than usual this year. The Royal Canadian Legion accepts online donations from $5 and up ☺️ I already made a donation and the link is my bio if you would like to do the same. #myottawa #remembranceday #remembranceday2020 #ottawalife #topottawaphoto
Reconnecting with the things that make me happy πŸ₯° πŸ“· ⁣ I often tie photography to travel, events, and activities so with the big reduction in all of those things this year I sort of forgot how much I love being out with my camera!We are at the end of the outdoor cycling but still a ways off from skating and snowshoeing season. I decided that returning to photography for it’s own sake would be a good way to get out and about that feels purposeful and can be done safely with a friend. ⁣ This year more than ever I think it’s important to have a plan for movement and getting out; especially if you’re still working from home like me! Even with the hopeful news today there is a long winter ahead. What are you doing to keep moving and get out of the house? ⁣ πŸ“Έ @passportunities #myottawa #ottawa #ottawalife
Looking back on beautiful Fall days! 🍁 Here’s Looking back on beautiful Fall days! 🍁 Here’s a safe day trip idea for the beautiful weekend of sunshine and warm weather ahead: make your way to Wakefield, QC. Park in town and walk to the covered bridge. On the walk back, stop at the Wakefield bakery and get a treat to enjoy by the water! ⁣ Other ideas: ⁣ β˜€οΈ Visit an @ncc_ccn trail like Jack Pine or Mer Bleue and take bird seed! ⁣ β˜€οΈ Enjoy the final weekend of @oneworldbazaar and mention Nina Near and Far for 10% off your purchase (on purchases up to $500) ⁣ β˜€οΈ Enjoy Afternoon Tea at the now-reopened Zoey’s restaurant at @fairmontlaurier ⁣ β˜€οΈ Support a local restaurant with a patio. Inside dining also returns this Saturday, November 7! ⁣ β˜€οΈ Shop local. The weather is perfect for bopping between local shops. ⁣ What are your plans for the weekend?
Happy Thanksgiving to my Canada friends πŸ¦ƒ Voila Happy Thanksgiving to my Canada friends πŸ¦ƒ 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! πŸ‚ ⁣ What to do with your harvest haul? SAVE THIS POST of my go-to squash recipes! ⁣ πŸ‚ 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 thenΒ roast at 425Β°F until it’s crispy. ⁣ πŸ‚ Acorn squash: cut in half, scoop the middle. Baked at 350Β°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. ⁣ πŸ‚ Celebration squash: scoop the middle and bake at 350Β°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. ⁣ πŸ‚ Spaghetti squash: cut in half, scoop out, and roast at 450Β°F for 40 minutes. Prepare your favourite meatballs. Scrape out the spaghetti squash and use it as... well, spaghetti! ⁣ πŸ‚ 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 350Β°F for 40 minutes. ⁣ πŸ‚ 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 πŸ€” because it was all spectacular. ⁣ Stay for dessert; the homemade pumpkin ice cream is a must-try for Fall! πŸ‚ ⁣ 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 πŸ₯° ⁣ 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! πŸŽ‰ ⁣ 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! β€’ BONUS: tag your friends and tell them about the contest. Tags without an explanation will be removed. β€’ 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
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