Soft Luxe Travels: Day 1 - The Journey to Vigan Part 1

September 01, 2025

Soft Luxe Travels: Day 1 - The Journey to Vigan Part 1

In this post, we will start our journey to Vigan!

The Night Before

After packing our things, I did a few things for myself to help me relax and decompress so that I can sleep. I'm a night owl and not used to waking up early nor sleeping early, so I have to be strategic.

I painted my nails that night after all my chores, so that the nail polish wouldn't chip.

However, I forgot that I needed to make pressed sandwiches for our breakfast the following day!

Because really, what’s a road trip mom without freshly painted nails and a last-minute kitchen hustle? 😂

So, I had to do a lot of washing and hoped for the best that my nail polish will not chip!

Luncheon meat, eggs, Kewpie

Trust me, it tastes better than it sounds at 11 PM while trying not to chip your polish.

That night, we also tried the Ube Halaya from Amira's. This was from our trip to Tagaytay.

I'll try to make a review of this on my food blog.

With everything prepped, I finally let myself drift off—half excited, half anxious, but fully determined to make memories. I think I was able to sleep for 5 hours then my alarm rang.

The Morning of the Journey

I used my BYS Queen Bee Palette for this look. I kept it simple as it's going to be a long drive. I skipped the mascara, too.

Funny how I put more thought into my makeup lasting a long drive than into the actual length of the drive itself. Priorities. 😏

I'm testing out a new method to prevent my foundation from caking as I have very dry, textured skin. I kept it simple that day, so as to see if the method works. I'll share it with you soon. I'd like to test it in different conditions.

I'm loving this headband, by the way. It didn't give me a headache even after several hours of wearing it!

The Journey Begins

I always bring my humidifier on long journeys. It's not only good for me and my son, but for my sister who has asthma.

It’s one of those little mom hacks that makes the ride smoother—hydrated skin, calm breathing, and peace of mind for everyone. And did you know that you drink less during a long drive when you have a humidifier on? That's because it moistens your nasal mucosa and prevents dry throat.

First Stopover

Our first stopover was at Shell Balagtas. The restrooms were disgusting as there were no flushes on most stalls. Hundreds, if not thousands of people go through that place daily. Management should fix their toilets.

Lunch at Shakey's

For lunch, we spotted Shakey's while on the road!

This placemat serves as a distraction while you wait for your food

We ordered the group meal special of the month:

Chicken nuggets

Iced tea

Carbonara (Filipino version)

My son and I only ate chicken, mojos, and rice. We didn't want to eat dairy as sometimes we're sensitive

Free pizza! Road trip rule: free pizza always tastes better, even if you didn’t plan to eat it.

Snack Break at Dunkin' Donuts

Drive-thru orders at Dunkin' were donuts, coffee, and hot chocolate.

Snapshots on the Road

It was a very long drive. Normally, it's just 7 hours, but we've had several stopovers so that our driver won't get too tired. We also needed the bathroom breaks and a chance to stretch.

I was amused when I saw this beehive accent on the facade of the public market

Travel tip: always look up—you’ll spot the quirkiest details while everyone else is just rushing inside.

Provincial markets are usually huge and very clean.

I saw several of these markets in different towns and provinces and I'm very impressed with what their local government has done. Public markets here in Manila are usually wet, dirty, and smelly. That's why I never go to them.

Ilocos Sur, Finally

Look at that beautiful welcome arc! And the coffee shop beside it totally complemented it! At first I thought it was connected to the arc, like a heritage office, but when we passed by it, it turned out to be a coffee shop!