I just got back from the most wonderful little trip with my mom to one of my all-time favourite places—my OG hometown, Nelson, BC. This hidden gem tucked into the mountains is easily one of my favourite places to escape to for SO many reasons! This post is more of a little Nelson BC travel diary of everything we got up to. A soft, cozy recap of what we actually did, because this trip felt so special. It was aesthetic, homey, slow in the best way… and just exactly what we needed. I’ve already written a full guide with all of my go-to spots—restaurants, shops, what to do, and everything in between (you can read that here) with more in depth details of Nelson and the best spots. Nelson BC : Travel Diary Wednesday — Getting Into Town We got into Nelson Wednesday afternoon around 3pm and headed straight to our chic Airbnb, which was perfectly located right downtown. And somehow—just my luck—we were one street behind the Kootenay Co-op. I was sooo happy about this! If you know, you know… this is my all-time favorite grocery store. I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever been to a better health market. It has everything. So of course, after settling in, we walked straight over and spent a good hour just wandering. We stocked up on fresh produce, little snacks (they have the BEST healthy snacks & treats), and everything we needed for a couple homemade meals I had planned. I grabbed fresh salmon from the market section, green olives (they have the most beautiful olive bar), crushed pistachios from the bulk bins, and so many fruits and veggies for our stay. Honestly, it might sound random, but this is one of my favourite parts of coming to Nelson. I could spend hours in that market and be completely content. After our little grocery moment, we headed back, freshened up, and went out for dinner at Yum Son—one of my go-to spots when I first get into town. It’s modern Vietnamese, super fresh and flavourful, and just always hits. The mushroom Bao buns are insane (my favourite), and I always get the tofu vermicelli bowl. The space itself is such a vibe too—cute bar, great cocktails, just the perfect easy first night. You can eat in or order out depending on your mood! They also have the cutest mirrors in the bathroom lol… Thursday — Marzano Morning & Shopping Downtown Thursday morning started exactly how it should—with brunch at Marzano. I say this in my Nelson guide, but if I had to choose one place to go in this city, it would be Marzano. It’s that good. It genuinely feels like being transported to Italy. My mom and I split the yogurt bowl and the avocado toast so we could try both (highly recommend doing this), and of course we both got matcha lattes. Everything about this morning brunch was perfect and so aesthetic. After that, we spent the rest of the day doing one of my favorite things in Nelson—shopping. The boutiques, the vintage, the little hidden gems, all the chic stores… it’s seriously unmatched. We wandered slowly, popped in and out of shops, and just took our time with it and picked up some really cute finds to bring home. (If you want all my exact favorite stores and can’t-miss spots, you can check out my full Nelson guide here.) My lovely mom also snapped some iconic photos of me in the cutest spring outfit that I’m currently obsessed with—I’ll link the full look and styling details here because it’s such a good transitional outfit for this time of year, I love a good printed look for Spring and I share all about this look over in my Fashion & Style edit you can read over here. That evening, we headed back to the Airbnb, dropped off our shopping bags, and I popped back over to the market (happily) to grab a few last things for at home dinner that I have been craving to make. I made us one of my favourite meals—a salmon Caesar salad with crispy chickpeas. It’s fresh, simple, and so good. I’ll link the full recipe here if you want to make it. It was the perfect way to end off our shopping day! Friday — Picnic Brunch, A Little Day Trip, & Marzano’s Again Friday morning felt extra special. I woke up early and walked over to the market while it was completely quiet—just me in the store, grabbing a few fresh things for our morning brunch at home. It felt kind of magical. When I got back, I made us the prettiest little brunch breakfast spread—fresh fruit, green juice, and my current obsession: my honey grapefruit & pistachio yogurt bowl. It’s bright, fresh, and just so good. I share my full recipe here so you can make it too, I mean how can you not after seeing how gorgeous it is!! After breakfast, we drove out to Rossland, which was really meaningful because my mom grew up going there. She showed me where her grandparents lived and some of her old spots, and we popped into a few cute little stores while we were there. It was such a sweet, nostalgic part of the trip. We headed back to Nelson in the afternoon, rested and then got ready to head to dinner—back to Marzano (because obviously). If you some other great restaurant & bar recommendations when visiting Nelson check out my Full Travel Guide to Nelson BC here. I list all the great and popular spots in Nelson and the charm. Take this as your sign to go to Marzano for dinner, at least one of the nights! Make a reservation ahead of time. Their chefs are trained in Naples, and the food is just on another level. First a glass of Italian Prosecco because obviously. It pairs so well with the burrata. We ordered a mushroom pizza, side of gnocchi, the … Continue reading A Perfect Few Day in Nelson BC; Travel Diary