Saw some action on the 2024 thread and figured I'd fire up a 2025 thread....
Hi there and happy new year again my TKP brethren!
This thread is a catch-all place for folks to look to the TKP community for intel, recommendations, advice, etc. about places they are traveling to this year that they may never have been to before. Recommendations for travel, lodging, things to do, and most importantly food & booze, are greatly appreciated.
From the 2024 thread, hokieforever12 just posted that thay are going to
Kauai/Big island, and looking for the inside scoop.
For myself, we are going to Grand Cayman in May, but we kinda covered that in the 2024 thread, and I will be reaching out to flor-ida-hokie to discuss further.
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We are in Williamsburg this weekend running away from the water issues in Richmond. Just ate at a deli in the outlet mall called Baazaro's. Terrific sandwiches and very nice staff. Given that I have never had a meal in Williamsburg that I liked, this was a really pleasant surprise.
We always enjoy Fat Tuna for seafood. Also have had a good meal at Second Street American grill.
We are early birding at Aberdeen Steakhouse for dinner before the storm hits.
I said this in the other thread too, but kephi kitchen for Greek food is great. People are nice, food is great, and the dessert counter is amazing.
I always liked the she crab soup at Barrett's.
I'm heading to Tampa for the playoff game on Sunday. Will be landing early Sunday and hanging out Sunday and Monday.
Appreciate any suggestions for dining or day activities for Monday.
I hear mons Venus is a place to check out π
Try Ulele for lunch or the nearby Armiture Works (food hall with several sit down restaurants as well). They are on the north end of the River Walk and only a couple miles from the stadium.
If you're into cigars (or just drinking in general), Ybor City can be fun, but it's pretty tame during the day. If you're in the 3am party crowd, go after the game. Ybor is a little like Bourbon Street meets Shockoe.
Not sure what time your Monday flight is, but downtown St. Petersburg is a good place to walk around. Several breweries and museums, but it's Monday so check opening hours. Across the bay from Tampa.
Ted Peters Smoked Fish is a must. Doesn't look like much, but the food is fantastic.
Haven is a solid tapas and wine place.
Berns is one of the best steakhouses in the country.
St Pete has a bunch of breweries close together. Green Bench was my favorite.
Ybor City is fun to walk around, especially if you like cigars. There's a pretty solid Greek restaurant that was fun. Can't remember the name.
Another uniquely FL thing to do this time of year is seeing manatees. If you have time, check this out https://www.tampaelectric.com/company/mvc/
Back in 2020 we were in Clearwater and took the trip up to Three Sisters Springs. Really cool to see them. We also hit Weeki Wachee Springs on the way back. Both cool spots if you're in the area.
Went there in January of last year while visiting friends in Long Boat. Large herd (40+) just hanging out, including calves. Very cool, but they don't do much but swim very slowly.
If you're not afraid of spending $$$, Bern's steakhouse is one of the top 5 in the US.
I know parts of Henrico and all of Richmond are stilll under the boil water advisory - where exactly does that extend to? My wife and I are headed down to Richmond for the weekend to meet with a realtor (yay, relocation) and are trying to figure out where would be good to go for dinner and such. We are staying in the Innsbrook Hyatt.
Henrico, Hanover, and Goochland are all under boil advisories on top of Richmond City. We haven't had clean water since Tuesday. We stayed home until we ran out of drinking water. Fortunately we got a deal on a room at one of Marriott's time share properties in Williamsburg so we are shacking up here until the boil advisory is lifted.
A lot of places are still opened under VDH guidance and the advisory should be lifted sometime tomorrow, but for the time being your best bet is to find somewhere in Chesterfield if that isn't too inconvenient for your trip.
Edit: The first water quality test passed. π€The Richmond Oregon Trail live action game is over midday tomorrow.
Edit edit: Boil advisory lifted π ββοΈπ©π π₯³
They are doing 2nd round of testing(first round results from earlier still pending). Chesterfield doesn't have 'boil water advisory' and I suspect the others will be lifted Saturday. That said some places in Carytown that had previously been closed due to the water issue are open tonight. If there's somewhere particular you are wanting to go to, I'd recommend a)checking their Facebook page and/or b) calling ahead to see if they are open.
edit- Max and Cheese types faster than I do lol
The sad thing is that the first thing I thought of with "fastest hand in the west" was, well ...
The crab crepes at Le Yaca are pretty good. I've had some good stuff there.
Thanks for the recommendations everyone! Ended up being an ale house in the same parking lot as the hotel so we ate there Friday and ended up at Mellow Mushroom yesterday.
Found two houses we really liked and put in an offer on one in Chesterfield, so fingers crossed that works out!
I'm a bit concerned now that hokieforever12 is my fiance, as we're going to Kauai and the Big Island for our honeymoon.
Highly recommend a helicopter tour of Kauai and/or a sunset catamaran tour of the Na apali Coast. There's also Koloa Rum Distillery to check out as well
If you're a hiker the first couple miles of the kaualau trail should not be missed. You can do an out and back to a nice beach in a day and get Incredible views down the Na Pali coast. but not for those that have an issue with heights as there are some serious drop offs
You have to get tickets reserved for that hike ahead of time. Spectacular views
Hmm must be a new thing since I don't thing we had to do that. Thanks for the extra info
We're definitely doing the sunset cruise. I'm afraid of heights so not sure about helicopters
Wife and I did north side of Kauai for our honeymoon a couple years ago (stayed 10 minutes past Hanalei) and let me tell you, there is not a more beautiful peaceful place on earth. Hanalei is a real nice town with some great sushi options and a fantastic little bakery (Hanalei bread co). Would recommend hanalei dolphin for sushi and postcards for more classic fare. Both a bit pricey but fantastic. And if you make it down south, Kauai island brewing is a great spot for a beer and bite nearish the airport
We're staying in the north side by Hanalei too. Thanks for the recommendations!
Also strong recommendation to go to Costco on your way out from the airport if you have kids. Not surprisingly, food on Kaua'i is very expensive. In Kauai and Maui, food trucks are great. Also if you go down south by poipu, a hole in the wall Mexican place name "Da Crack" also really good
LOL, rest easy I'm definitely not. I'll say hi if I see a couple on the islands wearing VT gear too
Used to live on Oahu, got married on Kauai. Ke'e Beach at the north end of the NΔpali Coast is one of the best places in the world to watch the sunset. Also on the north side from Kapa'a, you can kayak up the Wailua River to Secret Falls, which are a secret to no one but very pretty. At the south end (and completely around the island) is Polihale State Beach. I've been out there several times without another human in sight. I would not go in the water unless you were a strong swimmer though as the undercurrent here can be very strong. If you want a really memorable experience, try doing a Waimea Canyon downhill bike ride. You start at sunrise before anyone is on the roads and scream down the canyon. It's safe and a blast. Lastly, my favorite restaurant on Kauai is the Beach House Restaurant in Poipu. Amazing food and one of the best sunsets on the island. Congratulations and enjoy.
Thanks for all the recommendations!
We went to the Big Island 2 years ago. It was all awesome, but there were things that really stood out. The night dive with the giant sting rays is mind blowing. Seeing the Milky Way from the top of Mauna Kea has to be seen to believe. Too vast for photos. Looking into the rim of Kilauea at night and seeing the glowing lava slowing moving in a spiderweb of streams. I know you can't time the volcano, but if it is erupting, go. Also, I am afraid of heights, but have enjoyed the one helicopter tour I took elsewhere, but sat in back where it feels more car like.
The revealed books are great for explaining the islands and things to do. Kauai is my favorite of the 5 I've been on. I used to have to travel there for work so having a good to do things on short notice was great and those were the best. The Hawaiian grand canyon is cool if you ve never gone too the real one.
I don't judge.
Good to know, topher
Happy to hear any recommendations for things to do and places to eat in Charleston, SC. Will be there just after Easter. Food-wise, we're not into really fancy places. Indian, Italian, BBQ (that's just me, but the wife and daughter tolerate me taking them there now and then), chicken places, steak houses as long as for regular people and not foo-foo places. Fort Sumter and the downtown market are things I'm thinking about.
Also, any advice on what people think about the general areas around Emory University, University of Georgia, Clemson and University of South Carolina. Taking our daughter to look at the areas as she says she wants to go to school where it is warm but does not want to go out west, so we're looking GA, SC, NC, TN, VA. She does not want to be in a big city, so laces like Georgia Tech are out.
what does she want to study?
Our kids loved UF/Gainesville...very strong, well rounded academics; modest size town; not that far from the beach (Crescent). Downside is shitty local air connections.
She's in 10th grade and has a variety of unrelated areas she is interested in.
Biology, particularly genetics.
Theater, but she is interested in stage crew and not acting. We've already told her, if you want to work stage crew, you don't spend $40,000 a year X 4 years to study theater. You get a job or apprentice after high school. We're not paying massive amounts for her to study what I recently saw as the second lowest paying major after graduation. She needs to go somewhere inexpensive if she studies this.
Graphic design and/or videography. But her interest in this has really faded.
She has not expressed an interest in this, but we want her to look at Marketing. Both of us think she could like that and be pretty good at it given her art and creativity interest. She likes straight-up Art as well, but she does not want to do that as a career. She wants to do it as something she enjoys and not something that has to be work.
Because she does not have a clear front-runner (at least not yet) my wife really wants her to go to a fairly big or at least medium-sized school that offers many different majors. That we she can change tracks if needed.
If you travel thru this area on your hunt for a college, I'd check it out. Academically, UF is kinda like if you glued UVA and VT together.
I love Columbia. Just the right size city. Lots of good food options, things to do, and easy to get to. Campus at USC is also really nice.
Hey! I live in Columbia, SC and have family down in Charleston, SC so I can definitely help with the Columbia, USCe and surrounding areas questions and provide some general tips on Charleston as well and then point to more specifics.
So, Charleston first - there is amazing food across the spectrums of budget and origins. But, right off the rip. Please, don't go to Hyman's Seafood. It's a tourist flytrap and there's far better actual seafood to be had if that's of interest. Just let me know.
Here's a range of places in different areas. There's also a million more excellent spots of course so this is not an exclusive list by any means.
Maison (French / Bistro) with a solid steak frites as well as a selection of seafood items on the small menu that will change seasonally. https://maisoncharleston.com
Wild Olive (Italian) out on John's Island which is away from the absolute crush of people down in the peninsula area of Charleston if you need a break from all that. Many options. https://www.wildolive.com
Obstinate Daughter (Italian but less formal), on Sullivans Island which is also laid back but very much on the beach. Same folks as Wild Olive but with more of a seafood and pizza focus. They *just* had a fire there a few days ago and so the restaurant is closed now but will hopefully be back up and running by Easter. https://www.theobstinatedaughter.com
FIG (French / Fresh and Hyper Local Seasonal) - FIG is in the middle of the peninsula, just a block or so away from the Market. It's famous. Everyone knows it. It's also very good, and everyone knows that as well. Get a reservation for sure. Menu varies daily based on what is seasonally available. It's a Charleston staple. https://eatatfig.com
The Glass Onion (Southern, Meat & 3, comfort food) - This is in Avondale, across the Ashley River from the peninsula. Avondale is a trendy neighborhood that's a little more relaxed than downtown but still very cool. https://www.ilovetheglassonion.com
Swig & Swine (BBQ) - Multiple locations, there's one in Avondale near The Glass Onion that's burned down before, which is my personal metric for a real BBQ place. https://swigandswinebbq.com
Stuff to Do...
You've hit on the Market and Fort Sumter. There's also an excellent aquarium, especially good if the weather is bad one day. High Battery Park, on the tip of the peninsula is a beautiful spot to walk around. Around the corner from the park are some of the various historic homes that make up "Rainbow Row" on East Battery which turns into Easy Bay streets, right on the water. There's good views of the Ravenel Bridge from a number of rooftop bars. The Pavilion being a large one.
King Street is full of shopping, though the incredible growth in Charleston and the skyrocketing rents are pushing things towards national brands and franchises more and more so there's not as much uniquely SC stuff here as there used to be.
Queen Street has a number of excellent restaurants (Husk, not mentioned above but excellent is here, along with many other amazing places).
There are a number of ghost and graveyard tours that can be done at night which might be fun. The weather will be very pleasant around Easter even at night.
Patriot's Point, on the other side of the Ravenel, has a naval and maritime museum featuring the USS Yorktown and a number of other ships. Probably a hard sell for the wife and kid but if they go shopping and you need something to do for a couple of hours this is an option.
You can also make a stop at Red's Ice House while you're on that side of the bridge, on Shem's Creek. Buckets of beers and seafood on offer, right on the creek where many working boats come in. Very cool place. https://www.redsicehouse.com
The Angel Oak is another popular park. https://www.charleston-sc.gov/153/Angel-Oak
There are also plantation museums that you can visit in many areas.
So - colleges in South Carolina.
I live in Columbia, and have called it home for going on 25 years now after graduating from Tech. People give Columbia a hard time because it's not Charleston but it has its own thriving restaurant scene, lots of recreation opportunities with nearby rivers and a large lake. USCe is an urban campus. There is an old historic core to the university around its horseshoe quad and then newer buildings are scattered all over downtown. Columbia isn't really a big city but if she's wanting a more centralized university experience that's something to be aware of. USCe has an incredible business school that a wealthy benefactor drizzles money on, so the marketing angle combined with some of the arts things that the honors college can offer might be of interest. The city and university have been undergoing something of a student housing boom, so there's good student life / residential stuff around for sure. The summers here are incredibly hot, the winters are mild with just a few weeks of winter.
Clemson is the land grant school, it's out in the country in the same way that Blacksburg is. In many ways Tech and Clemson have a lot of similarities, right down to having a corp of cadets (though the Clemson corps is only part time vs. the full time military school for the VTCC). There's a lake nearby, which is why some folks will call Clemson "Auburn with a lake." They also have a Dabo cult so do with that what you will. It's still hot there in the summer and mild in the winter but probably a bit cooler overall.
Clemson has the better engineering school.
USCe has the better everything else and is also home to the Law School.
Neither are trusted with the Med School which is in Charleston (MUSC).
Columbia is well connected both by direct flights into CAE, or in and out of nearby CLT just 90 miles away. Clemson is more remote, there's not a direct interstate that runs through anything closer than Greenville which is also a smaller market airport if that's consideration.
Hit me up if you want more specifics, especially when you are headed down to tour USCe.
(Also in South Carolina specifically it's USC and/or Carolina)
Dang, thank you so much for all of the details. I'll make sure the ladies take a look at this and see what they are interested. I've actually been to Patriot's Point many years ago when I was at Tech. One of my friend's family had a condo on Hilton Head and we stayed there. Did Patriot's Point one day and I really liked it. But we did not do much in the city itself.
Ut Prosim brother!
Charleston Hokie here and I gotta say, HokieAndrew did a pretty bang up job with the recs. A couple things I'd mention:
- could not agree with Wild Olive more. It's on Johns Island (where I live) which is south of the city by 15 minutes but it's dynamite.
- Unfortunately, you'll probably have to pass on the Wild Olive's sister restaurant, The Obstinate Daughter, as they had a fire last week and will be closed for a while.
- 167 Raw or 167 Raw Sushi are both fantastic if you like Seafood
- If you can't get a reservation at FIG and you like seafood, the owner (Mike Lata, James Beard Award-winner) has another great restaurant on upper King Street called The Ordinary which is great
- Lots of great barbeque here in the city but I'm partial to Lewis Barbeque which is in the NoMo (North of Morrison Street) part of town. Rodney Scott's and HomeTeam Bbq are also great.
- Chubby Fish is my new favorite spot just a block or two off of Upper King Street. They don't take reservations so everyday, a line forms out front to get your name on the list for the night. So so so good.
- Bistronomy by Nico is my 2nd fave. Italian, seafood, fun, it's everything.
Hope you guys enjoy your trip and be sure to check out The Brick bar downtown. It's owned by Matthew Quillen who used to be the Hokie Bird back in the day. Great people and great vibes!
I feel like the Charleston restaurant list could go on forever but you and HokieAndrew nailed some of the frequently overlooked places (Glass Onion, Maison, Bistronomy by Nico [Nico and Laura (Summerville are also dynamite)].
I'll throw in Palmria for BBQ which I put up next to Lewis and Rodney Scotts.
R Kitchen is definitely worth a go if you're family is not picky and enjoys good food. 5 Course set menu you won't know what you're eating until they serve it to you, small casual atmosphere where you're having open conversation with the chefs and other patrons. Awesome experience.
Palmira is the BOMB! Went two weeks ago for the first time. Only reason I didn't recommend is because it's in West Ashley and I try to avoid that traffic as much as possible. But if you're in the area and can make it that way, I'd definitely hit Palmira. If you go, you MUST get the beef cheeks *chef's kiss emoji*
That's part of the reason I love it. I can hop up from Beaufort and get to it from 17/Bees Ferry without dealing with the rest of Charleston traffic....of course my wife will undoubtedly want to go to Trader Joes or something in Mt P after we're done eating and I'll end up sitting in traffic anyway.
I actually spend about a week/month in Bluffton because I do some work for Palmetto Bluff. I really like it down there. If you can believe it, the housing market is even more competitive in Beaufort/Bluffton/HHI than it is in Charleston!
Yeah Bluffton and HHI are definitely competitive markets - Beaufort is getting there. I keep moving around SC trying to find the old coastal slow country life that I remember growing up and its all but gone just about everywhere. HHI leaked into Bluffton (the whole 278 corridor all the way to 95 is insane now) and now Beaufort is starting to explode with apartment complexes, lots of Bluffton people looking for lower cost living and lots of people like myself taking refuge from Charleston. I moved from Charleston 2 years ago and in that time we have had a 400+ Pulte neighborhood, and 3 new massive apartment complexes pop up within 1/8 mi from our neighborhood entrance. I think my coastal SC days are numbered, just can't escape the people anymore.
Yep, I completely understand, mostly because I'm part of the problem. We built a house in a cookie cutter Pulte-style neighborhood on Johns Island and in the 10 years I've been living in my current house, Johns Island has completely exploded. 3 enormous apartment complexes along Maybank Highway (right by Wild Olive, actually), tons of new neighborhoods, and absolutely zero infrastructure improvements.
My kids both go to Academic Magnet in North Charleston and while there is a daily bus, if they do anything after school like sports or clubs, unless one of them is driving, we've got to brave the traffic and a round trip is usually close to 2 hours to go 35 total miles or so. I grew up in Alexandria and thought I got away from that grind but it feels pretty similar down here now. Oh well, at least there's great golf, the beach, and killer restaurants.
Some family friends have a rental on Bittern Street on HHI. We have stayed there a couple times. It is a great place to visit, but unless I was working remotely or retired I am not sure I would be up for the daily hassle of traffic there again. I moved away from New England to VA for a reason.
My sister lives over in West A just off Bee's Ferry so they're very close. Definitely going to hit Pamira the next time I am down!
You will not regret it. Just make sure before you go they still have the Beef Cheeks because they sell out every day.
Thank you sir. I had heard about Lewis BBQ and Rodney Scott's as well. None of us really like seafood. I really like shrimp - which is like the exception that proves the rule in English - so we probably won't be going to places that feature seafood as their main thing, but we have so many good options suggested by the two of you.
By the way, do you have a feel for how good or bad College of Charleston is? Just looking at rankings and acceptance rates, it looks pretty so-so, but you should not put too much credence in these rankings as they all have their biases and 1 department can be good and another bad. It was not on our list of places to visit but maybe we should at least swing by there for her to see it if she likes the area.
CofC is a good school certainly doesn't have the national recognition but it's still a solid school. Charleston is easy to fall in love with especially for people of college age. Definitely more known for their liberal arts programs but they have a few good science programs. The big thing as a parent to consider is housing costs in Charleston are absolutely insane.
Thank you for the info huplek. Probably worth having her at least peek at the campus.
I agree with heuplek. CofC is a good liberal arts school but what I hear about the most is their Marine Biology program that I think is one of the best. I actually work as a recruiter for a local country club and I hire recruit and hire a bunch of local CofC students. Compared to hokies (that I also recruit), I would say the quality on average of CofC students isn't as good but VT obviously rocks, right? Not sure how much your child likes to party but I feel like for me, personally, I would have a tough time at CofC. The ratio of girls to guys is something like 7:3, the beach is 15 minutes away, and there are bars everywhere that are easy to get into if you're underage. That would have been a dangerous combo for me so Blacksburg turned out to be a pretty good landing place.
Regardless, I think Charleston is a special place; I wouldn't have lived here for 15 years postgrad if I didn't think so.
Have to say, my daughter liked your fair city a great deal. On par with how much she liked Savannah. And College of Charleston was her second favorite school we looked at. Probably her #1 legitimate target as her favorite was Emory and, while she is a good, above average kind of student, she's not at that level. Don't see her having much of a shot of getting in there based on her good but not stellar grades and decent but not great SAT practice test. I guess we'll see.
Happy to hear it!
Two spots I love for diner:
https://lolaparkcircle.com/ for Cajun food (although it is in North Charleston.
Lewis BBQ is also really good.
I also like to walk out on Mount Pleasant Pier for a view of the city and the river.
My Wife and I are intending on going to Oktoberfest in Munich this upcoming September as big beer nerds and to celebrate me (hopefully) finishing grad school this May. I'd welcome any recommendations! We're good probably late to the game on booking things at this point, but still trying to gauge interest from friends. We travel to Europe almost annually so we're not too anxious about getting around, more would appreciate suggestions about Munich or general logistics with the event.
I have heard from friends to go on a Tuesday or something when it'll be tamer and less crowded and to carry smaller denominations of cash to pay for beer and food.
Thanks and Prost!
Munich is great. Haven't been for Oktoberfest, but we went for Christmas a few years back.
BMW Museum is pretty awesome, and the restaurant is Michelin starred.
Go to a Bayern game if you can.
There's a bar in the basement of the city hall that was pretty solid.
Seconding BMW Welt and Bayern game. Absolutely do the BMW factory tour and be sure to book well in advance!
Lenbachaus was a really cool art museum if you're into that.
General food recommendation: eat a bunch of doner kebab. Whichever shops look good to you when passing by, they're all over.
Also, Dachau is something everybody should see. Very close to Munich.
Just booked a trip to Munich for the spring. I'm looking forward to it. I used to work for a Munich-based company, so I've been there a lot, and for a few Oktoberfests. My one recommendation would be to try and catch the opening parade. It's a lot of fun in a somewhat cheesy way.
The Deutsches Museum is very neat, in addition to the BMW Museum already mentioned. An easy train ride away is Salzburg, though maybe you've already been there if you go to Europe a lot?
To get away from the insanity of Oktoberfest but still have a few beers, go check out Hofbraukeller, a really great beer garden in Haidhausen, which itself is a very neat part of Munich. Kind of a laidback hipster community.
Book your hotel as soon as possible. The locations near the Oktoberfest (and all around Munich) do book up quickly. Public transportation is great way to get around, so try to get a hotel near the U-bahn or a tram. Hotels will only get more expensive closer to the event.
During the week, or earlier during the day on weekends, Oktoberfest is the least crowded and less crazy, if that's what you want. For a couple, you can move around pretty easily between beer tents and don't really need a reservation. If you convince more friends to go (great idea, definitely a more-is-merrier type of event!), table reservations become more interesting, and the tables are more in the middle of things. Cash to pay for beer/food is just a lot easier as it's a pay-as-you-go situation. Plan on spending time in different beer tents, as they each have their own personality and music. You can find lots of information and pics online.
Some other things to consider nearby: Andechs monastery, Neuschwanstein
I would love to go to Oktoberfest. I have a longtime friend that lives in Berlin and he's been on me to get over his way since high school. I envy you - Prost!
Somewhat related - what is the best way to exchange to local currency ahead of trip like this? Quickest, easiest, best exchange??? I'll be heading to Scotland this summer with family and need to start making preparations. I assume dollars could be used in a lot of places in a pinch??
You should be fine to use card in most places in Scotland. But give your bank a head's up first. Otherwise I'd go to an ATM. Don't go to one of the places in the airport to get cash, it's a ripoff. Dollars aren't going to be accepted.
Good advice. I would also see if your card has tap-to-pay. I haven't been to Scotland but everywhere else I've gone in Europe prefers to use tap-to-pay over inserting the chip.
ATM is always the best bet for getting cash when you need it. Otherwise, use credit card when you can. US currency will be useless in shops/restaurants.
Not sure if they have them in Scotland, but stay away from Euronet ATMs. They and many other ATM's in tourist areas in Europe have up to a 20% conversion charge built in. If you need cash, go to an ATM at a bank. Most places with take your credit card, which usually has a pretty reasonable conversion fee. See tips:
"https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/international-atm-fees"
Agree. Never go to a generic ATM, always go to one affiliated with a real bank.
Also, if an ATM (or vendor) gives you choice of converting dollars to Euro for you, refuse it. Always do your transactions in EURO, as debit/credit card rates are better than anyone offering to "help" with a conversion rate.
For our trips, I just went to my local bank and got about $500 USD worth of either Euros or Pounds Sterling depending on the trip. Those are both common so your bank should have some on hand. If you go somewhere weird then call ahead. The exchange rates are decent and then you can exchange the bills there when you get home. They won't exchange coins though. We used card for dinners and stuff, but used cash for incidental stuff.
Scotland is awesome. Eat all the sticky toffee pudding!
Wait until you get there, and go to a regular bank ATM (not at the airport). That'll give you the best rate.
Post-Covid, Europe is a LOT more contact-free credit card and ApplePay friendly, but having some cash helps with street vendors, markets, cafes, etc, and some restaurants and bars that prefer cash.
Munich is a great city, I love it there. I typically stay at the Sheraton near Olympic Park (U3 Ubahn line)...think it might actually be the Arthotel ANA now....or the Pullman (Nordfriedhof stop on the U3 or U6 Ubahn). Trains from both areas go directly to the Marianplatz, so it is easy to get to the touristy-type places.
Olympic Park is beautiful, and the BMW Welt museum and 4-cylinder building are right there as well. Some decent restaurants pretty close by too.
If you want to take any day trips...Neuschwanstein castle is great, and Dachau is worthwhile. You can also take an early train down to Salzburg, and spend the day there. That's a cool little city.
Food...a lot of restaurants have changed over time, but for traditional Bavarian, I like Brunnwart, near the Nordfriedhof stop (U3/U6)...I always get the Munchner Schnitzel there. Also always get pizza at L'Osteria (Giselastrasse stop U3/U6). I think there is a L'Osteria near the Hautpbahnhof as well. For doner kebab, I always go to Gul Imbiss (Marianplatz, walk east towards the Isar)...but all doner places are probably pretty good. It would also be worthwhile to go to the Hofbrauhaus...very touristy, but worth it...get the Schweinshaxe (pork knuckle). You have get it once while there.
All the little bakeries and cafes are great, everything is very fresh.
If you are just there for Oktoberfest, you should have a blast. If you want Oktoberfest one day, and then explore the city the rest of the time, renting bikes at the Hauptbahnhof is fun for a day, English garden and along the Isar are great for riding.
Also, I typically just go to an ATM at the airport, and buy a weekly pass for the Ubahn/busses there as well (3 rings should get you where you need to go, if I remember correctly). There is also a Lufthansa bus that goes from the airport to Nordfriedhof and then on to the Hauptbahnhof, where you can then take a train to your hotel. Very convenient especially when I stay in the Nordfriedhof area.
Oh my god, the bakeries are fantastic. Wife and I went to Oktoberfest 15 years ago. There was this little bakery next to our hotel where we'd get breakfast every morning. They had amazing sweet and savory pastries. Though going in the first time freaked us the fuck out because the display case was swarming with bees. The workers would just brush them off to get to a pastry. Weirdest thing, but they were amazing.
I was excited for Neuschwanstein, but it's got waaaaay too many extremely rude Chinese tourists, has a lot of areas closed off, and is just all around not worth the day trip.
There's a smaller yellow castle right across the street that's pretty cool though. Has actual history, no crowd, and is way cheaper to tour.
As an alternative, anyone try Hohenwerfen Castle (from the movie Where Eagles Dare)? It's south of Salzburg.
Neuschanstein is on everybody's list for a reason. It's stunning, and the best of breed. This also means it's one of the most visited sights in Bavaria. If you do this during Oktoberfest, it will be crowded, and you need to book the timed inside tour well in advance. Another option would be to skip the inside tour and just hike around and get selfies from Maria's bridge.
If you stay one night in FΓΌssen (pleasant nearby town), often included with your hotel are free bus rides to local attractions, including Neuschwanstein, Weisskirche (picturesque baroque church), and Hohenschwangau Castle. For the least crowd, go during the week first thing in the morning.
We stayed in Fussen last December. With over 2 feet of brand new snow, all of the trails and vantage points were closed, but the setting was magical.
Walked around the outside of Neuschwanstein and toured inside at Schloss Hohenschwangau (the yellow castle). Pretty interesting about the small walkways inside the walls that were used by the servants to stoke the fireplaces from the back side.
Found a decent brewery/restaurant nearby, Schlossbrauhaus Schwangau. The name sounds touristy, but maybe given the time of year or the weather, seemed to be a lot of locals.
Also sourcing Hawaii recs for late April into early May.
We'll do a kind of roundabout trip. Fly into Kona, drive to Hilo and stay 4 nights, then fly Hilo to Honolulu and stay in Waikiki for 5 nights. A few of the Oahu days will be reserved for a wedding and associated events, but we'll have a solid 2.5 days to fill in Oahu before flying home.
Big Island/Hilo will be coincident with my brother, who will fly in with us and join us for the 4 nights in Hilo and then head to Oahu for 3 nights mostly on his own and fly home.
For Big Island we are definitely gonna do Volcanoes NP but open to more suggestions
On Oahu we are planning to do Diamond Head and the USS Arizona
Swimming with the manta rays was the best thing we did on the big island. Volcanoes fun too.
Get a surfboard lesson on the North Shore of Oahu. Best thing we did when we stayed there. And the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie is pretty neat, too.
Edit: I also enjoyed the tour of the Dole Plantation.
Go snorkeling. We took a cat to Molokini. It was pretty awesome, other than goggles and beards don't mix.
I still haven't figured out who your architecture brother is.
I think he was the same class as you, too if your profile is right
Yeah... I'm running out of names of males from Jersey. I ruled out Andrew and John. I'm down to Erik and maybe Brent. But, my memory isn't making me confident they were from Jersey.
If your brother lives in Europe now, that makes the answer really easy.
None of em
It's Kheavinne.
And we are talking someone who graduated in 2009? Because there were a few people who were convinced they were class of 08, despite it being a five year deal.
Graduated in 09, knew it was a five year deal lol
We dont have to play 20 questions though, eventually I'll say something here and you'll go OHHHHHHH or "hm, never really knew him"
Well, there were only 120-some of us, and half of those were female. I'll figure it out eventually. Part of my job is finding information about people, or finding people. I'm impressed I've struggled here.
Not that it's been a dedicated effort.
Edit: it's Jeremy. We were in third year studio together. Had three Jeremys in the same 20 person class. Not at all confusing.
Nope!
Tom C?
Nope!
Maybe try a guy with a last name starting with M?
wow the spreadsheet is coming back to bite me
I deliberately chose not to just spell out the entire last name
I'm down to DM. There can be no other options.
Assuming this is correct, it's wild that DM and I were never in the same studio. There were only 120 or so people, and five years worth of chances to be put in the same class. Unless my memory is flawed, we definitely weren't.
Yup! I took the liberty to edit the name to initials bc i think that's what he would prefer lol
Yeah... memory says that's probably the right move. Actually did a social media search. He looks like an entirely different person with no hair. When the result came up, I was sure I had found the wrong person.
I joke he woke up one day and said "what would my evil twin look like?" And then did that look
Well, that makes me feel even worse. It's just caused more confusion. All the Mlast names coming to mind weren't from Jersey.
A quick AI questions gives the most common M last names in NJ as:
Miller, Martinez, Murphy, Martin, Moore, Moralis, Morris, Mitchell or Morgan.
Michael Moore maybe?
For Oahu:
Bar Leather Apron for cocktails and bourbon.
Tamuras for poke
Good Chicken is the best Korean fried chicken I've ever had.
Mai Tai bar at the Grand Hawaiian has the best Mai Tais. La Mariana probably second best. It's the bar from Magnum PI.
Get malasadas at Leonard's before or after Diamond Head
I love Hilo but be prepared for a lot of rain. My two favorite spots:
LiliΚ»uokalani Gardens- volcanic rock beach waterfront park with beautiful Japanese architecture, walking paths, and beautiful vegetation.
S. Tokunaga Store- the coolest tackle shop I have ever been in. https://stokunagastore.com/
Sadly, we were fed at the hospital where we conducted the site visit, so I don't have any food recs.
The gardens sound pretty beat. We loved Japan when we went so that sounds like something we'd enjoy.
I put some more recs below !
we had one intermittently rainy day in hilo -- actually mostly sunny!
Trip report! The way to eat poke is go to a Foodland or Safeway and get it fresh from the Seafood dept. by far the best value and best quality β just absolutely incredible.
4 nights in Hilo: Flew into Kona and drove across the Big island. Got in around 6 pm and stayed at the Doubletree Grand Naniloa which is one of two proper hotels in town. Nice accommodations that I booked well in advance using Hilton points and we enjoyed the spot. beautiful views and easy walking access to the Lili'uokalani Gardens that french mentioned below (above?). Very nice and one of the highlights of Hilo. Hilo Bay Cafe in that area had great view, great food, and great cocktails. Ken's House of Pancakes was awesome (also walkable). Black sand beaches at Richardson Beach Park and Carlsmith Beach Park a short drive away, if you go to Richardson, head far to the right on the coast and climb up and over the volcanic rocks. Both beaches were rocky and getting in/out was unsteady but doable. Both fairly protected and calm for snorkeling but def good waves if you want to surf further out and plenty were doing that. Combined Hilo Farmer's Market + downtown shopping, Rainbow Falls, Kaumana Caves, Akaka Falls, and the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden into one day, lunch at Liko Lehua cafe and dinner at Sakura Sushi. All recommended things.
Day trip to Hawaii Volcanoes NP -- did the Iki Crater Loop trail, Lava tubes, and Chain Of Craters Scenic Drive to the sea arch. Dinner at the Rim Restaurant at the Volcano House in the park.
5 nights in Oahu: Waikiki is overrated as a beach β it is crowded, there are inconsiderate smokers, and there just isn't all that much beach? But the whole experience of Waikiki is pretty great and good fun β it is absolutely gorgeous and there is a lot of shopping, bars and restaurants, and stuff to do. We walked around a lot, got good food and drinks. Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian did not disappoint. We also enjoyed Lahaina Shave Ice β massive serving portion, delicious, and reasonable. We were a little underwhelmed by Monkeypod after hearing a lot of hype, but it was fine altogether.
two amazing beaches that were NOT crowded at all were Sherwood Beach (Waimonalo coast, more east) and Kawela Bay Beach (by Turtle Beach resort on the north shore). IN CRE DI BLE. Just incredible Kawela Bay Beach was SO protected it was basically a swimming pool.
We also loved hiking Kaneohe Pillbox (north east) and Diamond Head (directly east of Waikiki). Food trucks by the Kuhaku Sugar Mill (north) were great! We also liked Waimea Falls but $25 entry fee per person was a little steep, but nice botanical gardens and waterfall though! The drive out there and back was incredible.
I didn't do surf lessons, but Mrs Chumps did β all the up and down on the waves got her a little motion sick and I was happy to sit in the shade at the beach and read a book. She enjoyed it though! No luaus for us, but we did have the authentic Hawaiian food at Highway Inn in Honolulu.
This is the way. A 10# bucket from Foodland Farms at Ala Moana, for all three meals until it runs out.
Mai Tai bar at Hale Koa is also legit, and inexpensive.
I believe seating at the Hale Koa bar is limited to those staying at the hotel, which makes sense as my understanding is that booking there is restricted to military and their guests?
They served us without question when we walked up. Maybe just lucky?
Yeah, the prices are that low because it is partially subsidized by Morale Welfare and Rec. and because it is Federal Property, there are no taxes collected by the State or Locals for anything, Real Estate, sales, alcohol, etc.
Thanks for all the tips! We definitely have a lot bookmarked in Hilo, but I've added Ken's House of Pancakes. We're actually staying in Volcano, but have some stuff booked for up in Hilo while we're there.
I bookmarked a couple things on Oahu but we're really only there for Pearl Harbor, and we're just there two nights. I think dinner recommendations would be best, if you have any?
The kalua pork moko loko with over medium eggs at Ken's in Hilo was up there for the best thing we ate all trip lol -- just absolute savory bomb. Dont be tempted by a Sumo meal lol
V close to Pearl Harbor is Restaurant 604 (walkable, in fact we parked at the restaurant, ate there, and then walked to Pearl Harbor) which we really liked for lunch. Awesome waterfront views and great drink specials. I had Ahi Katsu which was really good and Mrs Chumps liked her bloody mary and mac nut crusted fish there.
The Highway Inn was in Honolulu (Kaka'ako location) -- the Lau Lau was enough food for two. Authentic hawaiian if you're interested in that
In Waikiki, there is informal sit down open air dining on the third floor of the International Marketplace mall (they kinda pretentiously call it the Grand Lanai level) but there are options and you could find something there. Lulu's on the eastern end had a great Brunch and i imagine their dinner would be good too and it's on the ocean block w water view. We liked the food at the Grand Hawaiian Mai Tai bar as well -- not just the bevs
Edit to add definitely get Leonard's malasadas. Worth the wait and every penny.
The Moco at Ken's is soooo much food. I got a daily special, but definitely very good. The Rim was fine, but you are paying more for the view than the food. The supermarket Poke is the way to go, though we got ours in Kona. We took the guided sunset and star seeing tour to the top of Mauna Kea, and would highly recommend. Going west from Volcano, Punalu'u Beach has beautiful black sand, and there were multiple sea turtles sunning on the beach and several hawksbill turtle nests. They have volunteers helping protect the nests, and they can tell you how likely it will be one will hatch that night if you want to come back to watch. Punalu'u Bake shop Is a bit of tourist trap, but the food was good for lunch. The southern most point of the US was cold, windblown and rocky, but we liked seeing it. We did not hike to or pay a local with a 4 wheel drive to access the Green sand beach, so cannot comment on that, but that is why the people in the 4 wheelers are hanging out there, to get paid to drive you across the sandscape to that beach.
If you had said farmer's market poke, I would vehemently disagree. Went to the farmer's market in Hilo, bought a bunch of fruit that we had never tried, and got poke (just me, rest of the fam got other lunch), and sat at one of the tables trying all the exotic fruits while eating lunch. That poke was bad; I had it coming out both ends for most of the week. Missed the sunrise Lanikai pillbox hike, as I could only make it up the slope to the first overlook (though I did catch the sun rise over Molokai from there). Never went on the sunset pillbox hike (can't remember which one, stayed home). Stayed home for the Koko Head trail. And struggled on the path up Diamond Head, but I did eventually make it. Feel proud as hell about that one, because I'm not really in shape, but I did it, and I wasn't fully recovered from that bad poke.
Obligatory sunrise over Molokai pic. Unedited or filtered or manipulated, just the raw image. Spectacular sunrise.
Pretty sure I'm making my second trip to Hawaii next summer. My dad grew up on the Big Island in various locations, Kona, Waimea, Kealakekua...about 13 years ago he wanted to show me and my sisters his old stomping grounds so he and my mom booked a house and told us, and our significant others', "you pay for airfare, we've got the house covered". Now, my son is about to turn 11, and my dad is ready to show him the area.
Last time we stayed in Kona, went kayaking and snorkeling at the Captain Cook Monument, went to Volcanoes Nat'l Park, toured a coffee farm, hit the green sand beach, bunch more. We packed a lot in. The countryside around Waimea is beautiful
Going to be in Mexico City for work in March. I know they've got a ton of great restaurants but if anyone has anywhere in particular they'd recommend for food or otherwise, dame las recomendaciones!
We have a friend whose talent is picking out restaurants (he was a restaurant inspector which he eventually parlayed into a career with the FDA).
Mexico City was one of his all time favorite trips. Off the top of his head:
I'll jot these down in the notes app and hopefully have time to hit one or two. Muchas gracias!
Best city in North America??? Wife and I have been twice and absolutely love it.
Some of these recommendations may not be the best for a work trip but I figured I'd just throw them all out there. You should really consider extending your trip to include a weekend if possible.
Food:
- General note on street foods/tacos. There are infinite amazing options. Go for a walk and don't be afraid to stop at whatever stands look good and popular with the locals. Tacos Los Juanes (stand) and Taqueria Orinoco (brick and mortar) are great in Roma Norte.
- Maximo. Excellent food in a really cool space. More affordable than the M-star places.
- Expendio de Maiz Sin Nombre. No reservations, no menu. Chefs make rounds of food for the whole restaurant and you decide if you want it or not. Corn-centric restaurant.
Bars (CDMX has tons of cool places to drink):
- Tlecan, Tierra Seca Mezcaleria (intimate spot to try some different agave spirits), Bar Felix, La Clandestina (get the guac con chapulines), Pulqueria Los Insurgentes if you want to try pulque (you should!)
To-do:
- Take a walk or a run around Bosque de Chapultepec (CDMX's Central Park). The anthropology museum. maybe my all-time fav museum, is located there (it's free... check out the Aztec/Mexica exhibit!!!). The contemporary art museum in the park is also excellent.
- Catch a Lucha Libre show at Arena Mexico. Absolute blast. Drink a michelada or two. Can buy tickets at the window, no need to buy ahead.
- Frida Kahlo Museum and Mercado Coyoacan (bustling market with plenty of cheap souvenirs and good food stands) in the Coyoacan neighborhood.
- El Bazar Sabado. Saturday-only bazaar with incredible original art and craft offerings. Stupid cheap. Worth extending your trip to Saturday for and leaving half of your suitcase empty on the way there.
Where to stay?
- Roma Norte or Condesa neighborhoods (if you have flexibility on where you can book accommodations). Super cool, walkable neighborhoods close to the center of the city and Chapultepec park.
Awesome, thanks for the recommendations, amigo!
Watch the first episode of Taco Chronicles on Netflix, and go to that place that serves tacos al pastor.
Saw that during the pandemic, and wanted to jump onto a plane to Mexico City RIGHT THEN!
Hell yeah, definitely going to do that, thanks!
Let us know your thoughts after you watch it, and I'll want to see a review after you go eat there! ;^)
Loved the first series of that show. Not so much the second. Did you see Master Chef - Pasta?
Second series was....okay. Third (the one about American cities) I didn't finish. And no, I haven't seen Master Chef - Pasta. If it's anything near the current season, well, we're not caught up. Have been watching Master Chef Kids during dinners with the kiddos, and haven't advanced well on MC recently.
Anyone here do the inca trail and machu pichu? Looking for a group trip for maybe June/July/August. Obviously need a few days in Cuzco before for acclimation.
If i skip Lima, will I regret it?
I did it a few years ago with my dad. It was an amazing trip. We did 2 days in Cusco, Inca Trail, and then one more day in Cusco and flew out that night. I've heard Lima's great, but we don't have any FOMO really.
We did the Inca Trail with the company Salkantay Trekking. We went over Labor Day weekend and it was just us and one other couple in our group. Our guide was really knowledgeable and porters/chefs were great. What they they do is really impressive.
There's also a Salkantay trek they offer which is an alternative to the Inca Trail. My understanding is that some of the views and landscapes on Salkntay are better, but Inca Trail offers more ruins and settlements along the way. We did Inca because that's what we were more interested in, but there were still plenty of breathtaking (sometimes literally ZING) views along the way.
Always been curious about this trip. If you are afraid of heights, is it doable?
yeah I would say so. My dad is pretty afraid of heights and didnt have an issue really.
For the most part, none of the hiking really has steep drop offs right next to the trails, so it wasn't a problem. There were just a few lookout/photo opportunity spots that he didnt feel the need to get close to.
He sounds exactly like me. I appreciate the feedback!
How much preparation did you do? I plan on running a half marathon in May, and hoping to springboard some training from there.
I've heard similar things with the Salkantay trail (some say its a tad better, some say its a tad worse, all say its much cheaper).
I'm still partial to the inca trail, as I don't think I'd do both in my lifetime (but never say never)
what was your favorite part about doing the inca trail?
Didn't do a ton of training but it was 6 years ago so I was a relatively in shape 24 year old. If you can do a half marathon, you should be good from a cardio perspective. It's just different than running in that you're basically climbing up stairs all day at crazy altitude, so you need to make yourself go 30% slower than you think you can or you'll be stopping to catch your breath often. Slow is steady and steady is fast.
Best part of the Inca Trail is hard. Some of the ruins and views along the way were awesome, but I'd probably have to say making it up to Dead Woman's pass on day 2. It was the toughest day of the hike, but you felt like you were on top of the world when you got up there.
We only stayed the first and last nights in Lima (our non-stops to Cuzco were cancelled right before our trip).
Whether or not there's anything to do here, I can't say, but a quick Google search isn't really a good way of finding out if you'll get some help acclimating in Lima. We thought we'd be at close to a mile up, but our hotel was walking distance from the airport, which was right on the ocean. Most of our whopping 70 feet of elevation above sea level was being on the 3rd floor. :/
Cuzco was full of stuff to do.
We only got to do the 2 day hike due to a last minute Covid restriction (there was lots of spread in the tents). It was not the most taxing hike we did on the trip but it wasn't an easy day. (We ended up at a glacial lake at 14,000 feet the day after and standing up really sucked at that altitude. Macchu Picchu finishes up at around 8,500 feet I think.)
Of note, the night's stay below Macchu Picchu (Aguas Calientes) was in a hotel, which was nice. (We wandered around with Zillow on and the real estate was as expensive as any major city in the US!)
The plumbing infrastructure- not so much. We had to save solid waste in plastic bags in the bathroom. So... that's a thing, and be ready!
Update: looks like I'm postponing the trip. Thanks for all your input
Looking to get out of the August NC heat, and thinking Ogunquit might be perfect. We've never been. Mostly looking for hotel/accommodation recommendations (or cautions). Of course any must-do suggestions would be welcome too.
Headed to Sedona AZ in the spring. It was never on my list of must visit places but I'm excited to go. 7 days (with family so looking to spend as much time not at the house as possible).
Looking for insights on hiking, night time activities, food, and other general activities to do. The less touristy the better.
We have been a twice. Hiking trails all over, and all have great views. We did a different one about every morning - all under 3 miles - and did not have a bad hike. The helicopter tour was an all time favorite, even for someone afraid of heights who sat cowering in the back. Not sure i could have sat in the front. A scale of the area you cannot get anywhere else. We also did a jeep tour - we all enjoyed it, but not special. We took a day trip to the south rim of the Grand Canyon - go online and get a date/time slot ahead of time. Stopped at the Sunset Crater Volcano national park (relatively recently active cinder cone volcano),, and Wupaiki National Monument (ancient adobe village/trading center ruins), and Navaho rest top for Navaho (Fry Bread) tacos for early lunch on the way. Split one if you stop... Drove through the South Rim National park stopping at every overlook but not hiking, and drove back the back way. About 14 hours round trip with all the stops. Well worth it if you have not been to those areas. The are also several very nice small National parks between Sedona and Phoenix if you are coming in that way (Montezum's Castle, Montezuma's Well and the petroglyphs park (V Bar V) were all just a mile or two off the interstate and worth seeing). If from Vegas stop at the Dam and take some Dam pictures from the bridge. We were a little disappointed in much of the food. Elote was good, but pricey. We had the rattlesnake, antelope and bison with margaritas sitting outside at the Outlaw Grill, which was fun, and a great brisket brunch at the HP Cafe. The ladies enjoyed sipping wine with a view at Winery 1912 while the guys went across the street to the brewery (with a stop at the dispensary behind the Matterhorn) as a break from looking at the tourist shops. The ladies liked shopping at Tlaquepaque village, but I sat in the brewery there having meh local beer while watching TV most of the time they looked around. The whole place really shuts down at night. We found nothing going on after 10:00, which on the plus side made it easier to get up and hike before it got hot.
I loved the pink jeep tour! highly recommended!
https://www.pinkadventuretours.com/sedona-tours/broken-arrow/
Kville gave a great list.
Also: Oak Creek Canyon and SlideRock state park.
And hike to Devils Bridge. We did it w snowfall. It was epic. Its 2 miles from closest parking lot. .Legit!
A visit to Jerome is worth it also. The views of Sedona rocks from that mining town are great.
And, this takes more planning and may not be a good idea in April: Havasupai! We did a 2 night stay there was horseride in and helo trip out. And a full day at the falls. Absolutely incredible!
Mrs. Egbert grew up where Slide Rock was local. Loved going there.
Trip report - pretty much spent the entire week hiking with over 70 trail miles in 6 days.
Hikes: Devils Bridge (via Mescal Trail), Boyton Canyon Trail (Subway cave), Cathedral Rock (via Baldwin/Templeton), Huckaby Trail, Loy Canyon Trail, Airport Loop, Fay Canyon, West Fork Oak Creek. Grand Canyon (Rim Trail, South Kaibab Trail [partial], Bright Angel Trail [partial])
The first three were awesome did all of them leaving the trailhead around 6AM and were pretty much alone at the end of trail. Saw lots of cool rock formations and ruins/petroglyphs from the Singagua people. As prepped as I thought I was to see GC for the first time I was still blown away.
Food: Didn't realize how small Sedona was with only <10,000 full time residents and an insane amount of tourism. The food reflected that and most everywhere was 'meh' with absolutely crazy prices (don't think I saw a burger for under $25). The only brightspot was The Hudson which was good, still expensive but it felt worth it.
Didn't end up doing the jeeps or train. My mom went to the wolf sanctuary and seemed to enjoy that. Did quick stops in neighboring towns and a bunch of brewery stops in Flagstaff, Sedona, and Cotton Wood (Sedona Beer Company, Oak Creek, Belfry, Darksky, Lumberyard)
Thanks for the follow-up! Sounds like a great trip.
Thanks for all of the suggestions, all of the ones I incorporated were pretty much spot on. Everything shuts down at 9. Elote was 60 days out on reservations (didn't even try). Stopped at most every scenic overlook sight I could, all were worth it. Beer was OK nothing knocked my socks off Lumberyard and Dark Sky in Flaggstaff were head an shoulders better than the Sedona breweries and Sedona Beer Company is highway robbery, their beers started at $12 and a basket a fries was like $15....9 of my family ate there the first night, almost had to go find a bank loan.
Couldn't work out a helicopter tour, we were close to pulling the trigger on an air balloon but my wife is terrified of heights (which came into play hiking the Kaibab trail) so we opted to keep our feet on the ground.
Yep- Sedona is like Veil, but in Arizona and without ski slopes.
Thanks for the report. In Phoenix now and we'll be in Sedona for 2 days later this week.
2 days is a good amount of time for Sedona. If you're doing any of the excursions (jeep/helicopter/ect) leaves a day for that and a day for hiking. Otherwise hiking in the morning and explore uptown after the hikes both days and you'll see most of the town.
Should hit up dcwilson40 for a beer while you're there.
Wish I had remembered DC is here in Phoenix. I had a free evening last night, but have an event tonight. Leaving for Sedona in the morning.
We went through Sedona on the way to the Grand Canyon because we were still very much on east coast time and woke up before our alarms at 430am local time in North PHX. I was also shocked at how small Sedona is. I also didn't expect it to be "desert Gatlinburg". We passed through before everything was open, but it was beautiful to see all of the rock formations.
That drive between Oak Creek Village and Sedona has amazing views of all the red rocks. Really enjoyed that when I was out there a few years ago.
We also took the Grand Canyon Railroad from Williams up to the National Park. Was a cool experience taking the train.
Elite on a motorcycle- especially considering hellscape I 17 is the alternative
I highly recommend Wet Beaver Creek as a hike / oasis swimming destination near Sedona https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g31263-d8569486-Reviews-We...
Must. Resist. Making. Wet.
Beaver. Joke.
Just got back from Kauai/Big Island, spent about 4 days in both plus 1.5 days in Honolulu (I've been before, so wanted to focus on the other islands this time). Ive been to the big 4 Hawaiian islands now (Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Big Island), I think Kauai is my favorite. I stayed on the northern side near Hanalei, and I couldn't believe the landscapes around me. Every morning I woke up and thought I was in Jurassic Park.........probably because some of the movies in the series were filmed there lol.
Things I liked about Kauai:
- North shore, Hanalei Bay is gorgeous, Tunnels beach also very cool
- K'apa had this place called Pono's really good poke, also the Sleeping Giant hike was nearby and had really good views
- Na Pali Coast boat tour, probably the highlight of Kauai for me, I think I wanna work on my swimming skills the next time I go so I can do a snorkeling tour to get even closer to the coast
The downsides:
- Not really a big downside, but the food options were kinda limited for the most part, definitely some good spots, but Oahu or Big Island have more options. Kind of understandable since Kauai doesn't have a big population
- Pretty much one road to go anywhere on the island that could get backed up
- it felt like everything closes at like 6pm, although this is true for a lot of Hawaii
I also did like Big Island a lot:
- Did a tour to the summit of Mauna Kea which was really cool. It was fun to be above the clouds and watch the sunset
- Saw the manta rays up close. I'm not the strongest swimmer, and open water isn't really my thing, so I decided not to get in the water with the manta rays (I kinda wish I did in hindsight, I would've been fine lol). But I booked a canoe tour and was able to see them up super close still
- Volcanoes national park, Kailauea erupted literally the day before, but not when I was there, but still cool to see the park
- I hiked to the bottom of the Polulu Valley trail where there's a black sand beach and a really cool view of the valley.
Downsides of Big Island
- Everything is kinda spread out - it is the Big Island after all, so you do kinda have to account for travel time. I think a week would be perfect to see most things
- car rentals were way more expensive than the other islands
- Parking in Kona, especially near downtown can be a pain
I think one sort of regret I had is that I packed too much stuff in and didn't allow for enough time to just chill. My main reason for going on this Hawaii trip(aside from finding a good deal on flights) was to get away from work stress and escape the NYC winter. I would almost advise folks who wanna go to Hawaii to pick one island and just stay there for a week and figure out what activities you want to do, but don't forget to enjoy "island time" by just chilling on the beach or relaxing in paradise.
This is fantastic. My honeymoon is this summer with a week in Kauai and a week on the Big Island. I'm stealing all these recommendations.
What boat tour did you use?
Avoid Pinochet's Helicopter Tours.
While I've heard they're amazing (in general), I have an aversion to helicopters so no helicopter tours for us.
I had to check for a moment and make sure that this wasn't a real company because sadly I could see someone doing that
I did Captain Andy's, and liked it overall, the boat was nice and the crew was friendly. Oh if you're going in the summertime, you might be able to get a boat tour that starts from the North shore in hanalei Bay, if you're staying near there that might be convenient. Apparently the water conditions are too rough in the winter, so I had to go to the south shore.
We've already booked captain andy's based off of several recommendations, even though we are staying on the north shore. We'll make a day of it and drive around the island.
Definitely check out Waimea Canyon when you drive south (it'll make for a long day of that and napali coast tbh). If you want to learn about history of island etc there's a "Shaka guide" app driving tour that's pretty good. Capt Andy's is good and I think we've done blue dolphin which was also good. Highly recommend jojo's shaved ice when you drive through Waimea. Enjoy the trip! Probably my favorite place I've ever travelled.
My wife and I got married on Kauai and got our marriage license at the Pono Market in Kapaa for some reason I can't remember. They give you a bumper sticker to commemorate it. 24 years in March so I guess it worked out.
Going to Copenhagen in mid-May and could use some recommendations. Basically booked flights since they were cheap and hear the city is really manageable with toddlers (wife and I will have our 1.5 year old with us, plus another turkey leg on the smoker, so to speak). Any suggestions on activities, restaurants, day trips, etc. would be much appreciated!
Have fun! I really liked Copenhagen, unfortunately I was there for a conference and then my wife and then 2 year old came up for just a couple of days since we were living in Germany at the time. It's been 7 years, but these places still exist. I went to a few other restaurants, mostly in the Meat Packing District, and everything I had was really good. Here's some suggestions of things I/we did:
Drinks/Food:
Mikkeller Warpigs Brewpub: Legit BBQ and outstanding beer (Flæsketorvet 25-37, 1711 København, Denmark)
Fermentoren: more of a dive bar kind of place, but outstanding selection of beer (Halmtorvet 29C, 1700 KΓΈbenhavn, Denmark)
Taphouse: Great selection of beer (Lavendelstræde 15, 1462 København, Denmark)
TorvehallerneKBH-A food hall that has lots of options (Frederiksborggade 21, 1362 KΓΈbenhavn, Denmark)
Things to do:
Tivoli Gardens: An amusement park type of place. It'll be fun for the kid
Den Bla Planet (Aquarium): Really great aquarium near the airport (Jacob Fortlingsvej 1, 2770 Kastrup, Denmark)
Canal tour-Can't remember who we went with, but it was really good
I'm sure others can offer more recommendations, but this is a start
Thanks! Will definitely check out some of those restaurants. I already had tivoli gardens on list at the very least to ride Rutschebanen (oldest operating coaster in europe) but am intrigued by the canal tour too
Great recs. We were just there last month so I'll throw a few more down...
Drinks/Food:
- In addition to War Pigs, you gotta go to the OG Mikkeller Bar on Viktoriagade. Super cozy/great vibes at night.
- Eat a "BMO" for breakfast (bun with butter and cheese). Can get these at any bakery/coffee shop. Best ones we had were at Coffee Collective and Juno the Bakery. Juno is definitely worth checking out, all the baked goods we had there were awesome.
- Eat some kebab/doner/durum. Just go into whatever place looks good when you walk by on the street.
To do:
- Designmuseum Danmark. They have an entire exhibit just for Danish chairs!
- Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is a good day trip if you're into art. Easy train ride N of the city. Museum is located right on the Γresund-- would be beautiful in May.
Appreciate it! Was thinking of taking the train up to HelsingΓΈr one day (maybe one night) so may try and squeeze in that art museum on the way back
good recommendations here.
Seconded on Mikkeler. The one I was at had a street food market in small containers outside with wide variety of food. In Reffen. Was an excellent day.
There's a pizza shop called Bast or Baest with a good brewery nearby which I forget the name of .
The Carlsberg Glptoteket Museum (had to Google that spelling π€£) is fantastic and beautiful.
Went to Warpigs yesterday. Fantastic spot and my 18 month old absolutely loved the ribs (as did all of us) but have to ask.... Which one of you put the put the sticker from the NRV's 105.3 the bear radio station in the bathroom?? Was not expecting to see that
Going to St. John (USVI) for the first week of April. Don't really know much about it. Any recommendations?
Oh if my wife was on here she could really help you. But I will try.
We are returning there the first week of March (have been one time before). A few quick points.
Get a good guide book ahead of time. My wife did tons of research and she was invaluable to our trip. She knew all the ins and outs and local eats. I would recommend restaurants but it has been years since we were there last.
You will need a vehicle as the island has many beautiful beaches and good snorkeling however they are spread out.
Edit: And go kind of early to the beaches you want to hit. Parking is limited (at least it was last time) which is great if you find a spot.
We rented a jeep on St. John itself as we did not want to ferry a vehicle over. You can rent on St. Thomas and ferry. I don't know how much of a hassle it is or not as we never did before and are not this time as our villa comes with a vehicle provided.
Make sure to research which Reef Safe sunscreens are approved. Don't just trust Amazon to tell you the truth. The sunscreen cannot have any of the three O's in it (oxybenzone, octinoxate and octocrylene). Read labels.
Last time we were there parking in Cruz Bay was very competitive. We rented a villa in the hills and only needed parking whenever shopping or eating in Cruz Bay. The jeep rental company we used (cannot remember who) provided free parking on their lot if you rented with them.
Always say thank you and say good morning or good afternoon to the locals.
If not staying at an all inclusive (which we never have), then provision ahead of time (probably Starfish market) will save you from shopping on your first day there.
If you want to go fishing Google Local Flavor Charters. Captain Cleve is great.
Take a bunch of pictures and enjoy. It is truly a jewel of an island.
Great recommendations, much appreciated. Good to know about the sunscreen.
Any experience using the safari's (pickup trucks with the rears converted to bench seats) to get around St John? My wife's coworker said parking and driving is horrible and that there is a safari stand as soon as you get off the ferry.
Do you recommend any guide book in particular?
No experience with those safari's. Not sure they had them there when we were there last. I should qualify that it was 8 or 9 years ago that we were there.
Parking was very tight then but outside of driving in Cruz Bay itself the roads were enjoyable. Part of the fun was scouting around the island. I will say that my wife has told me (from what she is reading) to expect it to be a bit different as it has gotten busier (like everywhere else it seems). I will let you know what I think upon our return. I know we had a great time before but again it has been a while.
Shoot me an email if you want at markac[dot]hokie[at]yahoo and I will forward the email that we received from our host on the island. It has some good information and some restaurant recommendations. Also I will ask wifey about which book.
There are great beaches at Trunk Bay. Take your snorkeling equipment. I'm sure you can find some nice restaurants. I've rented cars there because I stayed on the other side of the island, but the driving there isn't all that much fun. I'd opt for public transport if you're staying in the populated part of the island.
Let us know how it works out.
You can also slip over to WhiteBay on the BVI side for a day if you want to do Soggy Dollar. I don't think it's worth the hassle of customs and $$.
We usually stay in Cruz Bay at an air BnB and scoot around in the jeep and mostly eat dinner in Cruz Bay. Will be there in late April this year before heading over to the British side to go sailing. Really love this part of the world.
Also some other restaurants
Wow, lots of advice! Thanks all, great list of places to investigate!
Just booked a solo trip to Peru (not much booked yet) in July.
I land in Lima and start my Inca Trail trek out of Cuzco/Ollantaytambo (TBD which) 6 days later.
I'd love to get some input on how to spend my time in Lima/Cuzco/Sacred Valley between when I land and when I start trekking (and yes, I know some of that time is for acclimation). Also any accommodations (nothing too fancy or the wife will get jealous)/food you especially enjoyed.
Post trek is just a night in Aguas Calientes, back to Cuzco, and then home.
In Cusco, we stayed at Hotel Rumi Punko. It definitely fits the "not too fancy" category but was walking distance to most activities and had some nice courtyard common spaces to have some snacks and a bottle of wine.
They'll also keep some of your luggage for you if you're doing the trek and coming back so you don't have to drag everything around.
I'll check it out. Did you do any laundry while in Peru?
No we just stuffed our gross hiking clothes back in our suitcase since we didn't have any more stops
Going to Geneva next week for work. Won't be there long enough to do much other than wander around in the evening. Will be staying in the city center. Any restaurant recommendations? Also, wife is requiring I bring back chocolates, so any chocolate shop recommendations in the city center would be welcome as well!
hmm... digging deep here
Bistroquet
Cafe Papon
Birdie Cafe
Apparently, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel has some of the most amazing restaurants in the city. Indian, Peruvian and new British/Middle Eastern place. At least that's what my friend living in Switzerland tells me.
also, if you like coffee go to Valmandin
wouldn't worry about chocolate as there are loads of shops and would be amazing if you found a place that didn't do it well.
Thanks for the recommendations!
How did you make out? Getting on the plane to Geneva tonight to do some skiing in the French alps. I'll have one night for dinner in Geneva before I head back.
Getting there was a nightmare, but I guess it was my fault for booking a connection in Newark with ONLY a 4 hour layover. Two flight changes and a cab ride from Reagan to Dulles later and I was finally in the air. It was a very quick trip, with limited time to do anything, but I did get to a couple restaurants.
Chez Philippe - Weirdly NYC themed restaurant (NY skyline on on wall, American flag on another wall and several dishes that have NYC themes like an empire state building shaped desert that's presented with fucking bottle sparklers). Food was good but small portions and very expensive. Some people raved about it, but it was not worth the price in my opinion. A small tuna tartar was 25CHF and a small ribeye was 49CHF plus the cost of a small side. I think another 10CHF, but not sure because I didn't pick up the bill. I'd definitely pass on this one.
Restaurant Les Armures - Small restaurant that is more what you'd expect in Switzerland. Also not cheap, but the food was fantastic. At the recommendation of our waiter all three of us got the tomahawk pork chop. It was 49CHF, but a lot of food (no starter necessary) and delicious. They also give you complementary bread that was great dipped in the jus. Highly recommend this one.
I was curious about the CHF, so I googled the Swiss currency, and found that it was the Swiss Franc (CHF). But was still curious about why it was called CHF. Google tells me that the Latin name for Switzerland is Confoederatio Helvetica, so it makes sense that their currency is labelled CHF.
Now why Switzerland is named after a font, I have no idea. Somebody else can google that one.
Wow. TIL, thanks.
From the google AI overview:
I believe LBT was joking with the ostensibly rhetorical question
So was I.... or at least I thought it was funny.
Love it! Thank you. I might check out Les AmurΓ©s (definitely don't want the New York themed thing!)
Looking for recommendations for eating and things to do in San Diego (Mid Marcb). It's been over 15 years since I 've been there but craving good mexican food. Is the Toronado still around? how about the Aero Club Bar?
Aero Club is still kicking, and still has best selection AND prices in town.
Fall Brewing in South Park was my favorite of the breweries. Half Door downtown was great too.
ELE Burger pop up is worth going out of your way. They post location on Facebook, but it's usually in PB, though I caught them at a brewery downtown. Best burger I've ever had.
La Perla #3 over in Point Loma was my favorite burrito place.
Bencotto in Little Italy.
Morning Glory for brunch. There will be a line, but if it's just you, you'll get in pretty quick.
Little Italy Farmers Market, the Zoo, and hiking Cabrillo would be my top things to do recs.
These are all pretty spread out, so hopefully you've got a car.
There are a fair number of Mexican restaurants in Old Town serving slop to tourists. There is also an incredible restaurant right as you enter Old Town called El Agave. They're from Oaxaca and make lots of moles, as well as one of the best steaks you will ever have. They also have over 2,000 brands of tequila. There are many things I miss about living in San Diego and El Agave is near the top of the list.
Great to see so much travel going on!
I'll try to hit some recommendations across some of those above in next few days. For me, this is where I've been and going (that I know of).
Been so far:
All over China, naturally
Osaka
Seoul
Bangkok
Going, booked already:
Tokyo
Jakarta
Manila
Singapore
Bangkok again
New Zealand
Boston
NYC
Possible later in year:
Spain or Norway
Los Angeles
Las Vegas
Manila again
Osaka again
Anybody got Denver recs? Trying to go see Turnpike at Red Rocks in May
Denver Zoo is good if there are kids involved. The aquarium is pretty decent too.
Find your way into every dive restaurant you can that has green chili.
I'm running sound beside someone from Denver today. She says there is a place called MeowWoof that is cool.
Meow Wolf - Convergence Station
it's an immersive art experience. I've been to the one in Vegas, it's fantastic and easily worth 2-4 hours of your time.
https://meowwolf.com/visit/denver
I live in Denver. What kinda stuff are you into?
Beer scene is great of course. Some of my favorites: Cerebral, Cohesion (Czech style lagers), Our Mutual Friend. New Terrain near Golden is a good vibe on a nice day and often has live music.
Hogshead is a smaller spot but does British-style cask conditioned stuff that's super tasty and unique.
I'm not real picky. When I go somewhere new I just try and do and see and eat and drink as much as I can that's unique to that place. Tend to avoid touristy things, and no kids so plenty of flexibility.
Thanks for the brewery recs. I'll add em to my map.
Nice, I try to do the same when I travel. A few more recs for ya in that vein...
Eat:
- Blutarsky above mentioned green chili. A burrito smothered in green chili is "the" Denver dish if I had to pick one. El Taco de Mexico is a classic spot to get a no-frills smothered burrito. They actually won a James Beard award a few years back. https://g.co/kgs/Q47ppTb
- Denver has a ton of Mexican food generally. But it's mostly meh, as someone who lived in TX for a few years before moving here. A notable exception is La Diabla Mezcal y Pozole. Awesome tacos (they've always got the pastor trompo spinnin'), pozole, and mezcal/tequila drinks. Centrally located too. https://g.co/kgs/KTdFyM7
- Denver has a substantial Vietnamese American population and a ton of good Vietnamese food. Dan Da is pretty far east on Colfax, but worth the trip. Excellent, excellent food. https://g.co/kgs/sQKGjKL
- Not necessarily unique to Denver, but these places are just great at what they do... Leven Deli for sandwiches/salads/drinks. Cart Driver Lo-Hi for a nicer New American pizza/pasta dinner. Another awesome option for a nicer dinner is Molotov Kitschen + Cocktails-- upscale Ukrainian/Eastern European food.
Drink:
- If you want something stronger than beer, check out Yacht Club. Really inventive cocktails, unpretentious setting. Sometimes live music. https://g.co/kgs/i1XUQto
Do:
- May is probably too early for good hiking deeper in the Rockies. But there are some good foothills hikes near Golden which is a quick drive from town (Table Mountain, Lookout Mountain, Windy Saddle). Quick hike near Golden --> New Terrain Brewing is an excellent way to spend a couple hours.
- Walk Colfax Ave near Bluebird Theater. Colfax is the longest commercial road in the US and an iconic part of Denver. The part near Bluebird Theater is a good stretch with some cool thrift shops. Also where Cerebral Brewing is.
I'm a bigger fan of the pork stew green chili.
I'll take a cup of that and a Coors Banquet please
We enjoyed a DIY walking tour of building murals. Most of them are in the arts district RiNo, a few blocks NE of mile high, and they are spectacular. Stopped by a cidery there (Stem) that was the best cidery I have tried. Ate at a food market (Denver Central Market) there that had great empanadas. Went to a Rockies game. Great venue. The tourist priced tapas (Ultrea) place by the (Union) station was good. The lamb tacos at a dive taco place (machete) just down from the baseball field were killer. The fish tacos were garbage. The burger at the touristy looking local brewery Denver Chop House and Brewery) was better than the beer. We had a car and took a day trip to the RockyMountian National Park. Wow.
-edited to add place names.
Thanks!
Howdy Hokie Fam! My bride and I are headed over to Lugano at the end of March as our daughter is doing her study abroad semester there. We have a few nights booked in Lugano and then pretty much an open week before wrapping up with a few days in Paris.
I've been looking into routes and we can sort of go west/north through Switzerland and come in through the Rhone Valley and into Paris from the east. Or we can sort of go west/south down through parts of Italy and then catch southern France and finally do the long desired Aix en Provence trip and enter Paris from the south.
As far as Paris goes, the general feedback I've received is the Marais District checks a lot of boxes which I believe is the 2nd district.
I know this is super general and there are a thousand variations but if anybody has some general thoughts here I'll take them.
It should be noted that we are renting a car so we do have some sort of romantic road tripping vision through the countryside between Lugano and Paris on our minds.
Cheers and thank you ahead of time.
Lugano is about a 30-mile drive to Lake Como which is absolutely stunning. It reminds me of Lake Tahoe. We stayed in a cute town there called Varenna. From Varenna, it's about an hour by train into Milan if you wanted to check that out as a day trip. My wife and I live in the Pyrenees and are currently spending two months in Nice. Nice is great (we'll probably move here) and there are tons of towns around here that make great day trips (Antibes, Villefranche sur Mer, Menton, St. Paul du Vence, Grasse). It's also a very pretty 2-hr drive to Aix. All that is a lot to cover in one trip. As for Paris, Le Marais is nice but we usually stay in Saint-Germain-Des-PrΓ©s or the Latin Quarter. There are a lot more restaurants and shops there and we find ourselves doing more things on that side of the river. You can't go wrong either way.
Provence is beautiful that time of year, but I'd hestitate to include it based on how much extra driving it would create. Travel time eats into tourism time. However, if your heart is set on it, it can be done.
If you and your bride like wine and fine dining, a nice possibility is Beaune, and also Dijon. Then you could fill in with a couple of days in Switzerland and add some time in Paris. Lake Como is also good idea, as you're very close. Let us know as your plans firm up, and we might be able to suggest some specifics.
I would definitely recommend Lake Como since you're close. As a side note, you didn't say where you were flying in to, but it costs a lot to rent a car in one country and return in a different one. We dropped a car off in Lugano and took the train into the next country to rent another car.
We did the south of France, then up through Chamonix and the Rhone Valley this past summer (with a quick side trip to catch T. Swift in Zurich - I know, I know). While I highly recommend the trip, it is way too much to do in a week from Lugano.
Personally, I would head west/north and maybe catch Chamonix (loved it there, but different season), Annecy (don't bother to stay here, but worth a stop for lunch), Beaune, and Dijon. There are nice wine trips out of each of those last two stops.
I would definitely drop the car when you get to Paris - you don't want to drive in the city free-for-all - and then take an Uber to the airport. For fun, go watch the traffic at Place Charles de Gaulle (Arc de Triomphe is in the middle). It's a multi-lane roundabout (like 5 or 6 lanes) with 12 spokes and no pavement striping.
We've stayed in a few different places in Paris and never found a bad location. We stayed in Le Marais last time and it worked well for what we wanted to see. Paris is a huge city, so keep in mind if you're planning to walk to the normal touristy stuff. The subway system is good or Uber for cutting down the distance between things.
If you're looking to do something romantic, fun, and a little risquΓ©, get dressed up and hit up Moulin Rouge or Crazy Horse.
Have fun!
How was your trip? Which route did you choose?
Staying at the TWA Hotel at JFK for the first time this coming weekend. Very excited as an aviation geek.
My college roommate and his wife are looking at going to Iceland about a year from now, and asked if we may want to go. Their main interest is the northern lights. While that is also big for me, I would not go just for that. What else should one do in Iceland? What is the best way to see stuff - car, tour, cruise, etc? How long should we plan to stay? Has anyone done an Iceland Air layover flight? Where else in Europe would be good to go for 4 days in February/March if we were to do the Iceland Air layover plan? - Worried a lot of the places may be pretty cold that time of year, and we will get enough cold in Iceland.
I went to Iceland for a week and it was awesome. The northern lights are incredible. If you enjoy outdoor adventures and activities, then Iceland is perfect for you. I went to the hot springs one day, backpacked for a few days and stayed in hostels, went white water rafting which included jumping off a cliff into the coldest water I have ever felt, and went snowmobiling on top of a glacier.
This was over 20 years ago so I don't remember too much on the logistics of all of it. I remember renting a van to get around the country and we had a guide with us for the backpacking, rafting, and snowmobiling.
Something my wife is interested in seeing in Reykjavik is the Icelandic Phallological Museum.
https://www.phallus.is/
I'm told Icelanders are very pragmatic about sex. Meaning its a means to an end and people absolutely focus on looks, height, physical features. Not a lot of flirting/dating, etc.
She is just below the line, albeit on the far right side of the scale.
I've always wanted to go to Iceland in the summer and get an after dinner tee time,
Poor Icelandic blind people. They don't have very many hours to play golf in the summer. ;^)
Looking to head to Jackson Hole, in August. Spending a few days at Teton then heading to Stanley, Idaho for a few days. Any hikes and attraction recommendations would be welcomed.
Also, looking for a quiet beach in the panhandle in mid to late April.
I grew up in Idaho Falls (hence the "Ida-Ho" in my user name) and there are a million things to do in those areas. These are some of my favorites (sorry in advance for the brain dump format):
Grand Teton NP: Jenny Lake, Hidden Falls, Taggart Lake, Amphitheater Lake, Paintbrush Canyon.
Jackson: Go to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and take the tram to the top and hike down. Consider the via feratta paths there if you're a little adventurous. Go to Snow King in town, ride the gondola up (or hike) and hike down again. Lots of action there: zip lines, treetop courses, mountain coaster. Sit in the saddles at the bar and have an elk or buffalo burger at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. If you play disc golf, head over to Targhee on the western side of the Tetons.
Between Jackson and Stanley: If you don't mind going a little out of your way on the way to Stanley, stop by Lava Hot Springs to do some tubing down the river, and then soak in the hot pools. I also recommend spending a day hiking at Craters of the Moon on your way to Stanley: cool hikes to cinder cones, lava tubes, ice caves, and lava tree molds. Dont wear nice/new shoes, the cinder rock will shred them. If you like history, you can visit EBR-1, where usable electricity was first generated from nuclear energy in 1951, and the only place in America you can see four nuclear reactors.
Stanley: If you like fly fishing, there's TONS of outfitters all over that region of Idaho: I have fond memories of Island Park, personally, but it's been decades, so can't recommend any guides. The Salmon and Snake River have some great fishing and also whitewater rafting. Lots of cross country mountain biking outfits, too, and the ski hills all support downhill mountain biking. I don't golf so can't comment on that. Lots of hot springs within an hour of Stanley. Kirkland is maybe the most famous. In summer, I like the ones where people stack rocks into retaining walls into the river, so you can regulate hot/cold mixing and move out towards the river to cool down, like Sunbeam and Bonneville. More history: Yankees Fork gold dredge or ghost towns like Custer and Bonanza.
Wow. This is more than I could've imagined getting. Thanks a ton. Will circle back to this once we get the itinerary built out.
And I didn't even mention the summer music festivals at Targhee and Snow King, ice caves near Idaho Falls, motorcycles/four-wheelers at the sand dunes near Idaho Falls or St Anthony, swimming/boating/rope swing at Rexburg Lake, other hot springs (Granite, Downata, Heise, Alpine), or local rodeos like Pioneer Days in IF, hot air balloon races like the Teton Valley Balloon Rally, or anything in Sun Valley or Yellowstone. Some if those might be earlier in the summer, though.
With my advice above, you're also missing out on the best NP in the US. Yellowstone is its own place and needs a week or more though. I've been hundreds of times and can give a two day whirlwind tour, but it really needs longer if you want more than the tourist hotspots like Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, Artist Paintpots, the mud volcano, Minerva, Tower Falls, aFirehole swim area, and Upper/Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (for those interested, thats the two day tour... RIP Boiling River).
Note that I'm VT class of '98, and my father passed away in '04, soI haven't gotten out there much in the last few decades. But I still have friends and acquaintances around, so if youre interested in things I haven't listed, just mention them and I can ask around.
Appreciate it a ton! Yellowstone will hopefully be a separate trip in a couple years, or at least that's the plan. I'm hoping to catch a rodeo and kayaking!
For what it's worth - and echoing Flor Ida Hokie - Grand Teton is my favorite National Park and the hike around Jenny Lake including the spur route up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point is my favorite hike in the entire world. If you can only do 1, that would be my pick.
Also, try and take in lunch or dinner at Grand Teton Lodge.
There used to be some nice raft trips on the river, but last time I was there was over 30 years ago.
per the spreadsheet, Frosty's Dad's favorite place in the world is Jenny Lake in Grand Teton NP
Oh gosh, I just saw this! Guess I should drink.
Going to Ireland this summer and would love any recs. Traveling with wife and three kids 8-12. Basic itinerary as of now is to spend most of our time in south and west Ireland including Rock of Cashel, Ring of Kerry, Dingle Peninsula, Cliffs of Moher, Galway, etc. Then making our way to Northern Ireland - will be staying with extended family there so less exploring but likely will do a day trip or two. Flying in/out of Dublin but probably only staying one night there on the back end before flying back out.
Take pictures. But also drop the camera and take it all in quite a bit. Enjoy the beauty. And if you can, give each of your kids a camera so they can make their own memories of the experience.
Bumping this, anyone have Ireland recs?
Never been, but considering tacking it onto a trip to Iceland in February/March next year, so following. Anyone know what the weather is like in Ireland then?
I did Ireland ~ 8 years ago with my wife and my 3 adult siblings .... flew in and out of dublin and then did a different town every night with over 1,000 km round trip on the rental car. Personally I liked dublin and belfast the least out of everything we saw. The more rural towns were much prettier and a cooler experience. We stayed in a castle one night which was amazing Lough Eske in Donegal (and unexpected since my sister had been booking all the lodging and up to that point we were doing cheap family style stays and she didn't tell us about the castle)
In response to VTNerf's inquiry on the KY bourbon Trail:
There are actually two "trails". the Urban Bourbon trail, which is made up more of tasting rooms near Whiskey Row in Downtown Louisville, and the actually distilleries, which are spread out largely along Bardstown Road South of Louisville.
We went with a group of nine. They have tours which will drive you and go by several with reserved tours, but we just picked where each wanted to go and went.
We started with Buffalo Trace (Frankfurt) - (Hopefully they recover from the weekend flooding soon) even though we could not get a distillery tour (they open up 30 days in advance and sold out in a few days). They do drop some limited release bottles every day, which often sell out around noon. The first day they dropped Eagle Rare and Weller's so we waited in line for them to open and got our allotted bottle of each. We then headed over Woodford for a tasting only and to shop around before driving all the way down to Maker's Mark. One of our team had signed up online as an ambassador, and the barrel they had his name on was in bottles (blended). Beatiful campus and a great tour. The tasting included a taste of the mash for those that wanted, their corn liquor, the standard Maker's, Makers 46, and a custom aged for the Derby where they add different woods slats to the barrel for the second aging. If you buy a bottle you can get a custom label and dip it in the wax for the top yourself. Included seeing old style open barrel mash and the rick houses and barrels. Great tour. We then headed back to Louisville to tour some museums, dinner, and a stop at the Urban Trail Evan Williams just to check it out.
Next day we started at Trace again, this time picking up that day's release (they announce it around 7:30 every morning on their website), which was Blanton's that day. Then down to Four Roses for a tasting and history. They go over their different mash bills, how to tell which one is in a bottle from the label, and let you sample four to get an idea of what you like. Cool, and also a beautiful campus. They typically have one or two single barrel distiller's select bottles for sale there ($99), as well as a standard single barrel and other stock items. On the way back we stopped at Bulleit Bourbon for the full tour. Very modern mass production facility, no rickhouse tour, with disappointing bottle selection at the distillery. Their tasting involved including different scents to see how what you are smelling affected the taste, which was interesting. We stopped at few small liquor stores on the way back to Louisville to see what we could find (I pickup a single barrel select Uncle Nearest I have not cracked yet). We hit up Old Forester on Whiskey row as part of the Urban Bourbon Trail (no single barrel select bottles for sale, only $20 pours which I skipped) before heading to 4th Street Live for some music and dinner.
The next day we toured Churchill Downs - great tour and museum and a few other sights downtown, with a great daily special bourbon tasting at Merles Whiskey Kitchen for lunch. Three single barrel restaurant selects for $20. Next day we headed home. Checked the Trace website to see what they had, but it was Weller's again and not the EH Taylor,, and we had already picked up our 90 day allotment, so skipped a third stop there.
Apologies for the ensuing novel.
Couple things to clean up:
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a commercial partnership of many of the major distilleries throughout the state, primarily concentrated between Louisville, Lexington, and Bardstown, but also a few out of the way places. Each spot has a variety of tour and tasting options, and pretty decent gift shops. Many may have allocated items available, either at open, such as Heaven Hill, or randomly during the day, such as Michters. Of note, Buffalo Trace is not, and has never been, associated. They're on their own program, but offer similar experiences. Doing the whole trail would take a month and a liver transplant.
Urban Bourbon Trail is solely Louisville. It's a mix of distillery tasting rooms and bourbon bars. Great for a weekend itinerary, but you still can't hit them all and not die.
There's also the Craft Bourbon Trail. Little brother to the KBT, it's divided regionally, and you used to get a cool token per region and plaque if you did them all. Lots of variance in quality on this one. You get places putting out 2 year old rot gut for 100 bucks, experimental stuff, and clones of 1970s era Old Crow, all across the state.
Wife and I have done annual trips since 2020, and we've been to almost all of them. A few miscellaneous thoughts:
Tours at the corporate places tend to get redundant. They largely talk about what bourbon is, how it's made, and then some branding about how they're different. That said, there's a lot of cool architecture and history too. Woodford, Four Roses, Buffalo Trace, Makers, Stitzel-Weller are all worth doing once.
Craft places vary wildly. You go to Glenn's Creek, get damned good whiskey, the owner does the tastings and talks a lot of shit about the big boys, but it looks like a set for a horror movie. You go to Hartfield and Co, "the only distillery in Bourbon County" and they're friendly, but it's a lot of money for terrible juice. Try them all, but don't feel like you have to buy any bottles. A lesson I didn't learn till our third trip.
Tastings are often as good as tours, for less money. If you are with your spouse, share one flight. You can try more things at more places.
If you're after bottles, especially allocated, join the "what does (distillery) have today" Facebook pages. Helps to track drops.
Eat. There is so much good food on and around the trails. Bar at Willet egg salad sandwich, burgoo at Elkwood Tavern, chopped mutton in Owensboro, etc, are worth the trip in their own regard. Louisville has White Castle, and that shit is a hangover preventative at the end of the night.
Fire off any specific questions if there are any. Food, drink, tours, museums, whatever. Kentucky is awesome, and it ain't all distilleries.
did not think i'd ever see someone actively and unironically recommend white castle for anything ever. was at a bachelor party last weekend and part of it was that the last groomsman there had to stay one white castle slider and one shot ahead of the groom-to-be, who had to either eat a slider or take a shot every 15 minutes for the first six hours after we arrived. despite a lot of strategizing on the optimal shot-to-slider ratio -- spoiler alert, prevented neither the hangover nor the runs
Wife and I just finished a 2-week trip to Vietnam (North and Central). We had high expectations going in and Vietnam shattered them-- what a country. Happy to answer questions/dispense recommendations if anybody is considering a trip.
Vietnam is an amazing country. Interested in your itinerary and how far North you went. if you went into the mountains, etc. Especially because the South is really the hot zone for Vietnamese tourism at the moment with some of the best beach and island destinations in the world. Hopefully encouraged you try come try more of Asia
Itinerary:
- Started in Hanoi, lodging was in the Old Quarter + spent most of our time in/around the Old Quarter. The hustle and bustle was unlike anything I've ever experienced before.
- Ninh Binh. We were between Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh and ultimately went with NB. If there was one stop I would drop, it would probably be NB. The landscape is stunning but that area is very touristy and the food scene is a step down compared other locations.
- Hue (flew from Hanoi). Hue really surprised me. Maybe my favorite stop of the trip. Hottest/most humid place I've ever been in my life but it's a beautiful city w/ the old, walled portion and newer more modern section separated by the Perfume River. Mountains as a backdrop upriver. In a country with insanely good food, I thought Hue was a standout. Hue would be a cannot miss recommendation for me.
- Hoi An (got there via guided scooter trip from Hue over the Hai Van Pass). Hoi An was by far the most western tourists we saw on the trip but we ended up having an awesome time... stayed on the outskirts away from the uber touristy Old Town. Rented a scooter from our hotel, puttered around the area enjoying food from the local spots and the beach.
- Ended the trip and flew out of Da Nang. Nicest beach resort town I've ever been to. Stayed on the western side of the Han River a bit away from the poppin' beach area which I thought ended up being a good choice. Great spot to end the trip.
There were a lot of other areas/cities we were interested, but ultimately had to pare down the list to not feel like we were rushing place to place. HCMC, Mekong Delta, Ha Giang Loop, Sa Pa, Central Highlands. Curious what your favorite areas/cities are?
Definitely have the bug to get back to Vietnam and Asia more broadly now.
I'd be interested in hearing more as well. Viet Nam isn't on my bucket list, but perhaps it should be.
Itinerary posted in a comment above...
General highlights/thoughts:
- Everybody talks about the food in Vietnam and rightfully so. The food we had from start to finish was incredible, and the best meals often costing $1-2 per person. Amazing restaurants streetside or even in front of folks' houses where they often make just a single dish but insanely well. I'm pretty tall but really just love the experience of sitting at a low table on a tiny plastic stool slurping amazing food out of a bowl.
- The coffee scene in Vietnam is unreal. That was another constant throughout our trip. Vietnamese coffee has a reputation for just being super strong and sweet in the US, but in Vietnam, the drinks were very creative and well-balanced. There are tons of cafes all over the place and they're usually open late since they're a popular "3rd space" for gathering there. This sounds like hyperbole, but it's hard for me to imagine a better coffee scene anywhere else on the planet.
- Scooter is the dominant form of transportation in Vietnam (way moreso than cars). IDK if there is a better fun:dollar ratio than riding your own scooter through Vietnam or on the back of a Grab scooter (app similar to Uber but you can call scooters in addition to cars). Super convenient way to get around.
- The Vietnamese people we met were so pleasant. I was struck by the pride that most people there have in being Vietnamese, in their country, culture.
- First time in Asia and I was surprised at how easy and comfortable it was to travel around Vietnam. Especially not knowing hardly any Vietnamese. The exchange rate is very favorable so you can get some pretty luxe accommodations for far far less than traveling around the US.
Wife and I (plus 2 other couples) went on a 10 day trip of Bolivia. I liked the country. Was at high altitude for most of the trip (10-16K feet). Uyuni Salt Flats was better than expected. Otherworldly. Pre Incan, Incan and Spanish sites and city tours. Used a tour company that had us 'handled' from first flight in to last flight out. History, culture and local perspectives throughout. Lake Titicaca ( Yes I typed that while Cornholio was saying it in my head) didn't disappoint. I too can answer any questions.
It was awesome when Mike Tyson knocked that dude into Bolivian..
Question peeps- we are going to Grand Cayman in two weeks and our phone plan (walmart family talk) doesn't have the option to enable International service. In the past we've gone and gotten a local Sim card for one of our phones to use for maps, searching stuff, etc. when we didn't have wifi while traveling around once we were in our destination. I see you can now get something called an 'eSIM card' download (my wife's android phone is compatible). Does anyone have experience with these and how well/easy they work?
We dove into this technology for our recent trip to Costa Rica. Works just like swapping out SIM cards. We loaded the new SIM card a few days before the trip, then shifted over when we arrived.
Just follow the instructions (there are multiple steps). We used Airalo and my wife says they work great.
There's an app to download that makes the process easy (and tracks your usage as you go).
As Brockman stated Airalo is a very easy app for downloading and utilizing eSIMs, I've used it on multiple international trips myself. I just checked and it appears they offer both data and data/calls/texts for Cayman Islands. I've only ever used data eSIMs, simply meant I couldn't call people on the phone (except via FaceTime or on wifi).
Looks like we're going with Airalo based on you 2 guys recommendations. Thanks for the intel! Were you guys on android or iPhone? Just curious...we're on android.
I've only ever used iphones personally. However, eSIMs are pretty ubiquitous these days so if your phone is less than 5 years old chances are you're good. You can google the model number to confirm or check your phone settings under cellular service.
We have iPhones- we're on Consumer Cellular.
I think some of that depends on your carrier. AT&T on an iPhone is a bitch. Tried a couple of times with different eSIM's and eventually gave up. Part of that is you need to call AT&T to get it set up, the different reps tell you different things, or don't set it up right, and we have a corporate phone account, so we have to jump through hoops just to get them to talk to us. We ended up paying for two plans, and spending way too much time trying to get AT&T to drop charges they said we would not get. I would talk to your phone plan rep well ahead of the trip to make sure they don't need to do something on their end.
Going to kitty hawk this summer, any recommendations?
Do the drive down to Okracoke and stop along the way to enjoy the undisturbed beaches. Just make sure to check ferry times and restaurant hours. Easier now than the last time I was there in 2009.
Had many great times playing in a band at Howards in Okracoke- super cool ferrying over too.
Yeah I loved getting my truck on the ferry down there. Howard's was still closed for the season when I was there. That was the whole destination of the drive too, but this was pre smart phone era and after reading all about it, I didn't realize it was only open seasonally.
Haven't been to OBX in many many years, so any advice I could give is likely out of date. I do have two good memories that appear to be still available:
If youre headed that way, stop by Weeping Radish restaurant and brewery. Used to be in Manteo, but apparently they moved a bit north to get more land to do farm to table. They're now in Grandy, and I remember the authentic German food being great, and their hefeweizen was one of my favorites.
Kitty Hawk Kites offers introductory hang gliding lessons down the dunes of Jockeys Ridge State Park. You don't have to be some extreme sports adrenaline junky for this, it's pretty tame, never more than maybe 10 feet above the sloping dunes, with a safety rope attached. I had a lot of fun.
We also did some nice kayaking tours down that way, but it's been so long that I don't recall exactly where we went.
I live in Kill Devil Hills, work in Kitty Hawk - what kind of stuff you looking for recommendations on?
I will have 4 teenagers 14-17 (mine and nephews) and an 8m old kids to entertain. Also my parents will be there. so something fairly family friendly but we could do hang gliding with just me and the teens.
also any good restaurants that can handle a large group.
I assume the beach is going to be your main draw...
-if it isn't a blazing hot day, Jockey's Ridge is cool, you can coordinate through Kitty Hawk Kite's across the street to do the hang-gliding (I've not done it, but it is basically just gliding from the top of the dune down to the bottom)
-Paradise Golf and Arcade if they are into mini-golf - also has a small arcade and go-cart track
-Aquarium in Manteo is pretty cool, but if it is a rainy day it's going to be packed.
-First Flight Adventure Park in Nags Head is like an aerial ropes course type thing
-Duck Village - lots of little shops, restaurants, etc, walkable, could be worth an afternoon checking it out
Restaurants
Blue Moon in Nags Head is good, small parking lot though
Shipwrecks in KH - typical sports bar fare
Three Tequilas in KDH- good Mexican spot
Outer Banks Brewing station has a good vibe- they've got a new brewer (buddy of mine) who is trying to get the beer back on track (as of right now he's got two of his on tap (Rye Pale Ale, and the Brown Ale) both are great, working to replace some of the others
Nags Head Pizza Company - killer pizzas, doesn't have sit down eating, but you could snag a pizza and take it to Swellsa Brewing
I love golf. Love it. Having said that Nags Head Golf links is one of my least favorite courses I have played. Too small a footprint for a par 72 course and could have much more views than it has.
I'm not a golfer - I would love to find the time to pick it up...but those courses like that one, and Seascape in Kitty Hawk would scare the shit out of me with houses lining the holes. 10 out of 10 chance I would shatter a window or hit some kid in their backyard right on the noggin
I don't mind tight/target golf... I live in AZ... but that particular course is just not fun to play.
Our main draw is getting out of our house and taking our daughters on a proper vacation. But things were limited with a baby as we didn't want to fly.
My daughter's love go karts so I'm sure we'll do that.
I like aquariums, I will have to check to see if they allow strollers because Baltimore doesn't and I'm not walking an 8 month old around (wife would probably just stay at house with her).
Thanks for all the good ideas
I'm fairly certain they do allow strollers (unless things have changed), pretty sure I took my now 11 year old there back when he was stroller bound.
If you go to Manteo (Roanoke Island is where the aquarium is located), check out the Elizabethan Gardens, pretty walk around through there, the do the Lost Colony play there too, I think you have to get tickets ahead of time.
Of course there are the lighthouses too. If you're staying in Kitty Hawk, Bodie Island Lighthouse is about 30 minutes south, and the Currituck Beach Lighthouse is about 40 minutes north in Corolla - could go see the wild horses or the Whalehead Club up there. Another buddy of mine is the brewer at Whalehead Brewery in Corolla, they make some good stuff too
Just confirming here: You moved to the beach and became friends with every brewer in the area?
Livin the dream my friend
lol - I wouldn't say every brewer, just most
But, I'm in the local homebrew club, that's where the Whalehead brewer got his start. Been friends with the Brewing Station brewer for a number of years, since our kids were in kindergarten together I guess
Well that would be the way to meet some brewers for sure.
I'm going to Duck for a week at the end of Summer, so might have to check one of them out. I went to the Brewing Station about 3-4 years ago but it was for a friends bachelor party so we were probably more concerned with quantity than quality.
No, at least two are just acquaintances and one is his mortal enemy/s
Breweries are lost on me, i lost a lot of interest in beers during the IPA phase that produced a lot of swill, but now I don't drink in front of my daughter's due to issues in their past life.
Hello TKP Family,
Next month my best friend and I are doing a turning 40 road trip for 2 weeks. We're renting an Escape Camper Van in Phoenix and driving to Seattle, then across to Yellowstone and down to Salt Lake City. We've both been to major cities out west but have always flown and never enjoyed the open road out there.
I've got our route planned out with lots of scenic things to see that interest us both. Sports, music, and history are our common interests. And The Simpsons. We speak in Simpsons quotes and references.
We also like to eat. I need food recs and some activity recs in a few places.
Food Recs
Phoenix
Vegas (Haven't been in 8 years, anything new)
Modesto area
SF Bay area
Eugene or Springfield, Oregon
Bend (going for the last Blockbuster)
Portland
Seattle
Spokane
Coeur d'Alene
Missoula
Bozeman
Salt Lake City
Activities/Destinations
Phoenix
Portland
Seattle
Salt Lake City
Any and all recs are appreciated. We love hole in the wall joints but are also willing to pay for something unique and really good tasting. I've already eaten at Giada's in Vegas, but something similar would be awesome. We've both done Vegas extensively, so the only thing we really want to do there besides eat is see a Penn and Teller show.
Thank you!
Phoenix- eats- Tacos Chiwas and Pizzaria Bianco... both superb, both tricky to get a table- so be flexible. Durants is a great old school steakhouse vibe if you want that- all 3 won't dissapoint. In terms of PHX activities- If you golf, the density of top courses is the best in the world. Let me know if you want specific recommendations. Otherwise, hiking here is awesome- so many good trails. For anything else entertainment wise- phoenix has everything and is the unofficial sports bar capitol of the world- with much better scenery and weather than fucking buffalo. In terms of Vegas- if you are a cigar guy- check out 8 lounge in Resorts World- top notch. In the past 8 years, several more gordon ramsay concepts have opened there- Hells Kitchen was cool, and you can get a table for lunch.
It's been 20 years since I've been there, but Missoula is a great city. If you're a history buff, check out Traveler's Rest south of town where Lewis & Clark camped before crossing the Bitterroot Mountains and then again on their way back. Undaunted Courage is a great read to get some background on the significance.
Yellowstone is a bit overwhelming for a day trip/pass through. Absolutely stunning views but just so much to see. If you have time, just east of there is Cody WY, which is a great town. The Buffalo Bill Center of the West Museum is there and is pretty cool. Driving out west is amazing transitioning from mountains to valleys to deserts to prairies. Just surreal country and the people away from the large cities are as down to earth as they come.
It's way north of your planned route, but Glacier in northern Montana is absolutely stunning. Hard to describe without seeing it.
Virginia is my home, but if I were ever going to relocate willingly it would be to Montana or Wyoming.
I would second the Glacier National Park suggestion. One of the most beautiful places in the US. It's a hiker's park with only one main road (Going To The Sun Rd) through it, but worth the drive.
I tried to work in Glacier NP and Going to the Sun Rd, but we couldn't make it work with flight locations and times and prices.
Little Bobby Tales and I are riding going to the sun on Harley's this summer... lets go!
That sounds amazing.
Oh it will be- weather permitting of course... I have heard of snow in July there. But praying for dry skies and manageable wind!
I don't care about the weather.
Let's just fucking go. Just start out slowly....
Then yank on the throttle....
I'd probably end up like this, though.
As this shunpiking scooter trash once said.....
"Adventures suck when you're having them."
"Embrace the suck, but later enjoy the memories."
- Little Bobby Tables, 2025
Who is that? Google image search isn't working for me right now.
The image was more for DC. It's Neil Peart, from Rush.
Yes sir!!! the best, the GOAT
His books are such good reads. In Roadshow he mentions going to karaoke at a bar in Bristol and talks about what a "unique" bunch of characters were there. My step-mom used to go sing karaoke at the same bar and it was known to host quite an eclectic and eccentric crowd.
I can't believe I didn't recognize him.
DC's never gonna let me forget that!
Looking into this a bit more, I really don't want to be that guy that's all camera'd out, but I might just have to get a gopro and a boom mount for that ride. Too many scenic views, and I don't want to have to stop for each one. Because if I wasn't getting it captured, then I'd be too tempted to gaze, and end up running off the road.
Anybody have any gopro recommendations, and how to manage the data that a gopro generates over a 10-day motorcycle trip?
Edit: Also, I see that Going to the Sun Road requires reservations.
I'm sure our coordinator is on that, but I might bring that up in the chat once I'm back near my phone. Remind me, bud? ;^)
I bought an SJCam SJ8 Pro in 2024 to record drumming videos and whatever else. I got it on a post-Christmas deal for $120 bucks, which made it significantly cheaper than a new GoPro of similar quality.
https://a.co/d/1rJdhmV
The C300 looks even better for 2 wheeled activities.
https://a.co/d/az51P6J
Not sure if you mount your phone to your handlebars, but the SJCams use an app that you can use to control the camera remotely and see what it's seeing. Might be handy if you mount it to your helmet.
As far as data management, I'd buy a micro SD card for each day. You can get 128gb for about $10 each. Find the recording resolution that will allow you to fit a day's worth of recording on one card. Alternatively, if you're going to have a laptop with you, buy one or two 512gb cards and offload them each night or two onto the laptop.
I think Greg is doing that leg, and he has a go-pro... no mount though, he just holds it up over his head as he is riding 90 mph down the road... all good...
The image of Greg--or any rider, really--holding a gopro over his head as he's riding down the road is the perfect level of amusement to take out of the building and into the weekend. Awesome.
Checked out Traveler's Rest today. Got interviewed by a reporter for the Missoula Daily News about the rising attendance at state parks in Montana. I told the reporter about your recommendation from this great website and community. Good stop between Coeur d'Alene and Bozeman.
Love that area. Have fun and safe travels!
What's your route for the following sections:
1. Vegas to Modesto
2. Modesto to SF
Depending on your answer, I might have a few things for you to chew on.
Also, are you towing a vehicle? Taking Bikes?
We're leaving Vegas super early to avoid the heat and head into Badwater Basin and up to Zabriskie and Furnace Creek. Then getting out of dodge and up to Mammoth Lakes to camp. From Mammoth Lakes we're going to make our way through Yosemite and grab a motel in the Modesto sprawl.
We're gonna sleep in in the Modesto area to let rush hour die down and make our way over to Oracle Park and then across the GGB and up the coast.
No other modes of transportation other than on foot and ubers in the big cities.
gobble gobble bumps
I'll let your wife handle going across those.
So that means entering from Lee Vining via Rte 120, right? Basically going over through Tuolomne Meadows and then dropping back into the West side near Tamarack Flats.
That is a VERY steep and curvy road. I use RV Trip Wizard and I just checked the elevation gradient. From Lee Vining you have 2 sections with gradient > 8%. One is relatively short about 2 miles from Lee Vining. Then from mile 5 to mile 10 you've got that minimum gradient for 5 miles! Wow, your transmission will be tested. Rest of the way is various steep gradients but most are between 5% and 7% - still steep, but more manageable. You're gonna have to take this section slow.
That route is Soooo picturesque, you'll love it. Just be aware of that drive section.
For the route to SF sounds like you're gonna head West and eventually get on I-580. Are you driving over the Dublin Hills into Castro Valley and then North to the Bay Bridge to get into SF?
My wife and I saw The Stones at Oracle Park back in 2004. Epic show. They set up the stage in Left Field and we were sitting along 1st base seating. The View of the bay and bay bridge above the performance was EPIC! One of the best shows I ever saw.
We also went to the VT - Air Force Bowl game there.
We took scenic route 12 (Escalante Hwy) from Bryce to Capitol Reef and saw many of those rental campers along the way, with multiple grades between 7 and 10%. They were slow, especially on the windy downhills. We always appreciated when they hit a pull-off to let us go around, though we, and almost everyone else on the hwy, were going that way for the views, and taking it slow. We also stopped at many of the pull-offs so the driver could get a good look as well, but tried to make sure we hit the road first if we saw a camper getting ready to pull out. It was more that they were hard to see around than the pace. We did not see any that were broken-down.
Are you talking about RVs or vans?
The "Cruise America" rental RV's were everywhere on that road. Mosty the 19' and 21' ones. You could tell them right away from the banner on the cab overhang.
Those things suck generally. And don't have a ladder on the back if you want to hook up a portable dish for TV. The AC actually working is hit or miss too.
Ah, ok. So they'll be in our way, too. We're in a 17 foot Ford E-150.
We'll be pretty inconspicuous in something similar this guy.
Yup. Making the
rightleft at Lee Vining. Slow is sort of the name of the game for us, especially on that day. Worst case scenario we blow a trannie and the van rental place brings us another van. We might have to reroute the trip a bit. But yeah, we're both cautious drivers, and plan to take our Yosemite day very slow. We're waking up in Mammoth Lakes whenever it gets too hot or too bright to sleep, and stopping somewhere NE of Modesto as it gets dark.Yup. That's our route. That one is going to a very long day and my friend would rather drive the PCH than spend a bunch of time in SF. So, we're gonna swing by Oracle Park, visit the dugout shop, see the statues and move on. My wife likes to explore big cities on vacations so I'll be back with her eventually.
Sounds epic! We saw of lot of those campers driving through NM, AZ and UT earlier this month.
We spent more time in Scottsdale than Phoenix. Nice artsy community.
Our favorite place to eat in Vegas is off the strip - Tapas place named EDO. The Sphere is an amazing venue.
We really enjoyed the Chihuly Glass exhibit in Seattle, under the space needle. Piroshki Piroshki is worth waiting in line for a pastry if at Pike Place Market. We had a great dinner at NOI Thai - they also have a location in Bend. The Salmon ladders at the lock are cool if the salmon are running. The Snoqualmie Falls are nice stop between Seattle and Spokane.
Spent a day in SLC two weeks ago. Much of Morman Square was under construction, and closed. You can watch the Tabernacle Choir practice, but check times well ahead if you want to go - by the time we knew that could have been an option we had missed it. The flower gardens outside the Church offices are spectacular. The Great Salt Lake and the Convention Center were a little disappointing. We may been expecting too much. Did have a great time at White Horse Spirits & Kitchen drinking craft cocktails and trying the small plates. The egg fries were surprisingly good, and they are classified as a bar (no-one under 21) so they can serve over 5% beer.
These are great suggestions. Thank you!
Wife goes to BozeAngeles a bunch for work. Here's her food and caffeine recs:
Bozeman restaurants:
- Revelry (American fare, has a smash burger, reasonably priced imo)
- Blackbird (also American fare a little more expensive, but good ambiance & creative dishes)
- finks deli (Sandos π₯π₯π₯)
- wild crumb (unreal bakery in the same building as finks)
- fresco cafe (Italian food with a homey feel, has gluten free pasta)
-whistle pig (Korean, cozy college atmosphere)
Coffee shops : ghost town, treeline, roly-poly
for such a small town, the food scene in bozeman is really good.
agree with you...revelry and blackbird were both really good, copper whiskey bar is also very good, great atmosphere.
rockford coffee was also a nice place to begin each day.
definitely hope to get back in the next couple winters to ski bridger bowl again
BozeAngeles. That made me laugh. Thanks for the list. Going on the map now.
Seattle (used to live there):
Eats:
Wild Ginger β Pan Asian Fusion. Seven Flavor Beef is a must. Dinner or Lunch
Dahlia Bakery β Breakfast or Box lunch. Plus best cookies ever. I used to walk by this every day on the way to work. Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches, and of course pastry and breads to go.
Serious Pie β Pizza, really good pizza
Dahlia Lounge β unfortunately closed! Instead try Palace Kitchen
Salumi β stand in line for a salumi sandwich, don't expect to get a seat, just walk in, order at the counter and go. Lunch Only
Ferry Noodle House β don't laugh, its good! On Marion Street at the end of the ferry pedestrian bridge
Places/Things to Do:
β’ Uwajimaya β Japanese/Asian Grocery and Market. Go. Stroll, wonder. It's amazing. Grab and go Sushi/nigrini/sashimi lunch boxes and more.
β’ Pike Place Market β go early and get a hot bag of donuts to munch on when you walk around.
o Be sure to pick up some Chukar Cherries, dipped in chocolate.
o Here you can also see the original Starbucks β its meh in my opinion but I am not a coffee drinker.
o Beechers Cheese Shop
o Half Shell Seafood Restaurant β stop in for brunch. Tom Douglas knows how to do Seafood.
o The Gum wall. Chew it and stick it. Post Alley
β’ Western Avenue near Columbia St. used to be furniture row... used to be handmade wood but not sure if it still that way.
β’ there used to be a boat tour that did lake union tour and went by the house boat from Sleepless in Seattle and other places.
β’ UW β a campus tour is always fun. Suzallo Library is beautiful make sure you go inside. The quad is pretty.
β’ Benaroya hall if you have time to catch a show.
β’ Seattle Public Central Library 4th avenueβ this is an architectural wonder, go and wander around inside and out.
β’ High End Shopping needs: Westlake Center and Pacific Place Center have it all.
β’ Space Needle β cause you have to and to see Mt. Rainier (make sure it's a clear day)
β’ Museum of Pop Culture β for me this is more about the Gehry building and not what is inside...
β’ If you want to go across the lake:
o Kirkland
ο§ Cure Harbor Downtown walking area and small old town shopping.
ο§ Where Microsoft people live, and you can see Bill gates House on the way across the lake
ο§ Lunch at Cactus. Best Southwest we've had in some time.
o Issaquah
ο§ Boehm's Chocolates β best except for in Switzerland
ο§ Walking and Hiking Trails on Tiger Mountain. Recommend the Bus Trail/Tradition Plateau trail
o Snoqualmie
ο§ Snoqualmie Falls & Lodge
ο§ Great Mountain Views and hikes
There is always more, but it's what I can think of right now!
Wow! Thanks! You are a beauty for taking the time to do this.
Very happy with Grand Cayman so far.....3 days into a ten day stay. We're on the east end of the island (the quiet less developed side of the island) for the first 7 days. View from the patio for the week is pretty sweet!
Enjoy!!!!! Jealous...my view is no where near that. Or my stress level.
Damn, dude. You don't have to twist the knife.
Any eatery or must do suggestions for Scottsdale, AZ?
Going out there to a friend's house to pick up supplies we're having shipped/Amazon'd rather than packing for the plane ride.
Live Music- Wasted Grain... Sports Bar- K ODonnells... Food... The Mission or Old Town Tortilla Factory . There is also golf of course- you can play the TPC stadium course now for a reasonable fee. Talking Stick casino is close and about as Vegas style as you get out here if that is your thing. Some cool walkable shops in old town scottsdale too.
Gilbert Farmer's Market is legit
Been to the Old Town Tortilla Factory. Great vibe with the outdoor patio if it's not 100 degrees outside.
Is that the Kevin O'Donnell?!?
And just because I'm curious, define "reasonable".
Going to my first Grand Prix next weekend. I know nothing about F1 or what do do while I'm there. I'll have Paddock Club access, which seems like a big deal, but again I know nothing about F1.
I've already watched the Monaco Grand Prix episode of Archer, so I'm set for that.
What should I do, what should I see, what should I eat/drink while I'm there?
The Paddock access is all you'll need. can see the crews, eat the good eats, bump into celebs, etc. There are usually some F1 experience stuff to do as well and brands will have various things up too. Good times. find your seats for the start of the race and then go back at the end. If you're not drunk by that time of course.
The invite says we have a Paddock Club suite. Does that mean my seats are in a suite at the club? Or is Paddock Club suite the same thing as the Paddock Club?
You'll have your own suite above the paddock area. There may be some common areas, but think of it like having your our suite/box at a baseball game. Food, drink, bathrooms, seats all inside the suite.
Vid of the Bahrain Paddock Club
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqfiHSncdow&ab_channel=DownieLive
This sounds awesome. Super pumped now.
Pittsburgh PA
Thumbs up-
PNC Park
S&D Polish Deli (terrific periogies)
The chicken noodle soup at Eat and Park
Crepe pancakes at Pamela's Diner
Dippy the Diplodocus at the Carniege Museum of Natural History
Pittsburgh has such an underrated food scene.
Agreed.
definitely Pamela's diner
Primanti Brothers
Church Brew Works - great beer and awesome pierogies
Penzy's Spices - a must stop to see
too many great cheese shops/delis
I gotta second and 3rd this.
Church brewery is a fine atmosphere, great beer and anything with pierogi automatically gets an additional star.
It's revamping now, but Butcher and the Rye was outstanding.
Heading up to Maine - Kennebunkport and Bar Harbor (and Acadia NP) next week. There were a decent amount of recs in the 2024 thread that I used to build a rough itinerary, but we still have a good amount of time for just exploring. So if anyone has some must-do's send them here please
If you have your passport, I always liked slipping up to Campobello Island and the Roosevelt International Park. The only US National Park Service park located in another Country.
+1 for Campobello. We enjoyed it in 2023. Also when you come back across the border in Lubec Maine, there is a Peruvian lady that makes her own chocolate. It is worth a stop. It's called Monica's Chocolates. Get the bourbon truffles.
Also spend some time on Schoodic Penninsula. That part of Acadia is less crowded and has some nice hikes. If you have the ability to cook your own food, we got some amazing swordfish steaks and scallops from Chipmans Wharf up near Millbridge. Super fresh and we got stuff to grill there twice during the week we stayed.
adding Chipmans Wharf to the list -- my family is staying in the gouldsboro/winter harbor area for a week around LDW for both parents' 70ths!
Pickled Wrinkle is a cool bar/restaurant in that area as well.
Seconded. That place was about 5 minutes or less from the cottage we stayed in
Make sure to go see the waterfall created by tidal change. Its a bit south of Sullivan. There's a small park at the site to see it easily. Its a place to have a tailgate lunch or quick stop just to see it. Not much but just cool that tides create a waterfall in 2 directions at the same spot.
Catching the sunrise from the top of Cadillac Mountain in the NP was really special. Highly recommend. If you want to do it, make sure to book your spot in advance.
Also the ice cream game in Maine is great. Really liked Blueberry Hill Dairy Bar in Ellsworth.
If you are driving up and can spare the time, I used to love wandering through the LL Bean parent store in Freeport Maine.
I did Acadia 3 year ago, awesome stuff. Go over to the Schoodic Peninsula, very scenic, less peopley.
West Quoddyhead Lighthouse has some awesome walking trails, and great views. A little bit of a drive from BH
Wife and I just about have our honeymoon in Scotland all planned out. Landing and spending the day/ night in Edinburgh. Driving up to Iverness and checking out several stops along the way and spending the night. Then heading to Isle of Skye for two days (my big item while there will be hitting up some golf), driving down to the outskirts of Glasgow, then heading back to Edinburgh to fly home.
We're both pumped.
When are you guys going? We'll be spending 2 days in Edinburgh the first week of July. No idea what to expect but looking forward to it.
We're going at the end of August. We were unaware of all the festivals going on, so finding accommodations was a little more challenging than we expected.
My wife is a huge Harry Potter fan, so we're gonna hit up the graveyard and Victoria Street while we're there and fill in the rest as we go
I did that once there. Accidentally stumbled over their big summer festivals in real time. Couldn't find a place to stay. Almost had to sleep in the car. Finally got a place around 11pm (after backtracking in the car), and they fed us cheese sandwiches, which were a blessing.
Started out scary but turned pretty good once we adjusted (and had a bed). The performances there are great fun.
That sounds awesome. When we were planning our England trip last year, we were back and forth between the southwest english countryside and Inverness
I loved our countryside trip, but definitely want to get to the highlands
Has anyone been to Croatia? I booked kind of a last minute ticket to Split next week. Was thinking of doing Split, one or two islands, and Dubrovnik in about 8-9 days.
Split is a cool town to walk around, at least the Diocletian Palace section. Don't know if it's still there, but had a great dinner at Konoba Matoni.
Klis Fortress is a fun half-day trip. Cool site even if you're not into Game of Thrones.
If you ARE into GoT settings, Sibenik and Trogir can be a single long day trip.
Spent a week on the island of Vis for BIL's wedding in 2021 and absolutely LOVED it. I'd certainly recommend doing some island hopping. We stayed in the town of Vis but did a day trip to Komiza (across the island) and it was also awesome. Others in the wedding group did Hvar, thats supposed to be the coolest island but I can't speak to it.
Mainland I only spent time in Split. We stayed in the old town area that was formerly Diocletian's Palace. It was awesome and I'd definitely recommend taking some days there if you can. The palace was, at one time, the capital of the roman empire (Diocletian moved it across the Adriatic Sea during his reign). Some amazing architecture and history and really really cool.
I don't think anyone else talked about it in the 2024 thread- I've heard great things about Croatia, and my wife and I had it in consideration for this years vacation but we went with Grand Cayman instead.
We had also talked about Croatia last year, but went to Spain and Portugal instead. Friend and his wife who SCUBA dive chartered a catamaran with a captain/chef husband/wife for 2 weeks in Croatia for a boating and diving trip and raved about it. I don't Scuba, my wife gets seasick, and that is not in our budget, but it sounded fantastic.
With last year's England trip, a smaller budge trip is needed this year.
We're planning on heading to Williamsburg for a week or so. Not sure what all we are going to do there yet, hoping to avoid Busch Gardens. Gonna do colonial williamsburg, yorktown, jamestown stuff. Hit a couple breweries. What are some other suggestions you all might have?
I would recommend staying in some of the accommodations offered by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. They have the Williamsburg Inn and several other associated hotels, or even themed housing in one of the old colonial inn/taverns. Staying anywhere in Colonial Williamsburg gets you access to all the amenities at the Williamsburg Inn too which are really nice. It's nice to also be able to just wake up and walk from where you are staying and spend the whole day exploring Colonial Williamsburg.
Would also recommend Billsburg Brewery right off the marina there at Historic Jamestown. There's the Jamestown Settlement recreation run by the state right there, and then if you want to see the actual Jamestown Island it's just down the road there. A non-profit group is actively excavating and doing archeological digs there and have restored the palisades on the original site of the fort. Pretty cool stuff if you want to see the real deal. Would also hop on the Colonial Parkway and cruise around some too between Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown.
I've been wanting to check out Billsburg, didn't realize it was right there with Jamestown, definitely going to hit it up
That lodging would be cool, but we already got our stay booked, my folks do the timeshare thing and they got a place out there that we're getting for no charge to us
If you have kids or enjoy pinball, check out Precarious. They have good beer, a bunch of pinball machines and a couple of pretty good restaurants.
Not a bad way to kill an evening.
We had a Rust in Peace imperial stout that I remover being tasty while waiting for our reservation at Berret's Seafood, which also hit the spot.
Waypoint, Fat Tuna, and Le Yaca have been good food stops for me. The crab crepe at Le Yaca is huge, and pretty tasty.
Carrot Tree Kitchen near Jamestown, just check the hours it's a tiny place but get a cupcake or three for dessert.
Kephi kitchen for Greek is my favorite place in williamsburg for dinner. Also, dont skip the dessert there either.
On/near Duke of Gloucester street, Dog street pub is fun, i dont think Cheese Shop does sandwiches anymore and aromas is a great coffee shop that does proper crispy bacon on their BLT. If you are just looking to walk in the evenings, you dont need a ticket to walk around Colonial Williamsburg.
Pierces is a staple for BBQ but go early. I like it, but dont like it enough for when it is truly nut to butt.
I dont get down there as much any more, but have enjoyed Virginia Beer Company.
Trying to parse this statement for meaning, and I'm stumped.
(Meme is from Mythic Quest, great f-ing show.)
"Nut to butt" describes packing people into a small space, analogous to "packed like sardines."
Extremely common in military settings, along with the related "pack it in, make your buddy smile."
I was confused by the relation of the word "butt" to bbq. Tracking now.
bout the best I can provide...for context on n-t-b
Staying in Amsterdam for 3 nights next week before heading to Tanzania. I'm interested in any suggestions for a first time visit to Amsterdam. I think there may have been a discussion about Amsterdam on here before, but too busy to look right now.
Also, anyone been to Arusha, Tanzania? Staying a couple of days before going on safari.
We took a safari through the Maasai Mara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro area back in 2019. It was an amazing trip, but it was all a prepackaged deal with a single tour operator, so i dont have much advice because we just went where we were told, as I'm sure your safari operator will do similarly. One thing, unless it's improved since we were there, dont drink the tap water, bottled only. And be especially careful of other drinks that may use tap water, I suspect some hot tea I drank may not have been fully boiled, because that night and the next day were... uncomfortable and messy. My wife doesnt drink tea and had no such issues.
We were based out of Nairobi, so did not get over to Arusha or Kilimanjaro. Would love to go back and explore there, so looking forward to your trip report!
Thanks for the water reminder!
We were supposed to start in Nairobi, but my wife chickened out getting the yellow fever vaccine, so we are sticking with Tanzania only.
We were also starting the trip with a few days in Doha/Dubai, but decided the Middle East probably wasn't the smartest stop. Planning this adventure has been an adventure in itself.
Amsterdam: Worth just walking around. We stayed near the train station and just kinda wandered every day.
Het Papeneilland: jordaan canal side bar, grab a beer and some bitterballen.
Proeflokal Arendsnest: another Jordaan beer bar.
Saint-Jean deli: Saint Jean is a well known, trendy bakery that has ridiculous lines. This place is across the street and has the same baked goods with no line.
Beer tasting room in the wildeman: super old beer bar with awesome service. Get a kopstootje
Three little bottles: great genever bar. Local drinking culture at it's finest
Van stapele: good cookies, massive lines
Wynand Fockink: awesome distillery tasting room. Very cool spot. Owned by Bols. Skip Bols experience (touristy bullshit) and go here.
Flore: Michelin starred and for good reason. Best meal of my life.
Frens Haringhandel: you have to try a street herring. It's weird, but delicious
Gartine: real good breakfast
One of my favorite meals while abroad is the French onion soup and spare ribs at Cafe De Klos. I cannot recommend this highly enough.
Otherwise, find a bar in or near the red light district, sit at a table or bar facing the street and people watch. So good.
If you're going to museums (Rembrant, Van Gogh), it's best to book in advance. They run out of tickets for near-term visits, so it's possible that there's no availability if you wait until you're there.
Will be passing through Toronto on my way to a cabin on Lake of Bays, Ontario. Any recommendations for lunch or dinner spots in Toronto, or anyone familiar with the LoB area at all?
Just landed in Copenhagen for 4 days, three days in Stockholm. First impression is awesome. Any recommendations or must dos?
Random meaningless fact....I was conceived in Copenhagen while my parents were on vacation.
Whatever.
fire up the spreadsheet boys
I meant like sightseeing or restaurant recommendations. /s
I was 17 when I went to Copenhagen for a student trip, so the only recommendation I have is to go to Christiania if you like to get stoned. Just don't take any pictures. The residents will *kindly* escort you out.
You can sneak pictures but don't be a tourist and be taking selfies and holding your phone up. And don't plan on going to the bathroom there.
Wise words - a girl in our group was waving her phone around like an idiot and we noticed some locals coming out of the shadows. Had to shut that down real quick
I got interested and looked into i more, and Pusher street got physically ripped up and what you're describing doesnt really exist any more
Well that's a shame
Just got back from a week there in May with a one year old. Places to check out:
Hart Bakery and get a cardamom croissant. Legit the best pastry I've had in my life. Would recommend the canal tour and Carlsberg Brewery tour. While both are a little on the touristy side, the city views from the harbor are awesome on the boat and there's a ton of cool science/history out of Carlsberg. Plus a 23,000 bottle collection in the cellar that I could have spent hours in. Good restaurant there too. Other than that we had a great time just wandering by the water and various canals (Nyhavn, Christianshavn, etc.) and picking any cafe that looked good. Didn't miss on any and I think they're all solid.
βοΈ got cardamom bun at Hart yesterday.
βοΈ waiting on canal tour right now
βοΈ had 2 Carlsburgs with breakfast...but love the tour idea.
Other great suggestions. Gonna explore.
...as for that conception idea above...
I've trained my 14 year old to say "go Hokies" whenever we leave a store and they say thank you.
Made it back from the epic road trip in one piece. 4,008 miles driven in the camper van. 4 national parks. Lost count of state parks.
The only real screw up we had was that Seattle's Pride parade was on the Sunday we were there, so no Space Needle or Pop Culture Museum. But we still got to see the Mariners' and Seahawks' stadiums, and drove up to Magnolia Park for some sweet views and then drove up to Everett for an Aqua Sox game.
Does a move belong in the Travel Thread? Probably better than necroing my AMA thread.
Any other NNK Hokies out there? Just moved to Northumberland County out on the Northern Neck. The house is on the headwaters of the Great Wicomico River, opposite the nature preserve. Buying some kayaks tomorrow so we can properly explore the area as a family.
Beautiful! Congrats!
Ok folks- looking at next year's destination. Anyone been to Fiji?
Grand cayman was really nice this year but also expensive. Thanks for those that gave Intel!
No but I drank their water
Fiji is beautiful but resort experience is expensive. where you staying?
Just thinking about going there at this point - but the location would be at Club Wyndham, Denarau Island - this would be a timeshare exchange.
Tangentially thread related: the wife and I have been daydreaming lately about buying a small travel trailer. My family had a motor home growing up and I loved camping, so we've talked about something similar for ourselves. A travel trailer seems like a better solution for us than a motor home though. Anyone have any good advice?
Prices seem like they are coming down finally. We have a 5th wheel so I have no experience with a coach.
Make sure you have more tow vehicle than you need, dont be on the limit. Take the rig across a CAT scale at a truck stop when loaded. Most of those things are criminally overloaded.
Be militant about tire pressures and keeping covers on them when not in use. TPMS are also important.
Just assume they are all shoddily built and rattle up and down the road. Walk the roof with regularity. Also get one that has metal lining in the wheel well. If you have a blow out, it can be sacrificial versus the unlined ones that could allow the tread to destroy the floor of the unit.
A small unit gives you more flexibility with campgrounds. Our 5th wheel is 40' long so a lot of state park campground slots are too small.
Oh if your driveway is at all tight, take measurements and set up cones in a big parking lot to practice. Getting ours into the driveway the first time was an adventure and our neighbor let us cut across his yard. We went to a parking lot the next day. Even now a spotter is still needed.
I can think of more stuff, but those are the biggest of the top of my head. We have used ours a lot and enjoyed it even with the occasional issue. If my husband wasn't handy and able to do a lot of work on it himself, im not sure we would enjoy it as much.
How much space would you give yourself on the tow limit? 1000 lbs? 500 lbs?
So if it is a hitch mounted travel trailer, you need to account for everything in your tow vehicle in addition to the weight from the trailer on the hitch. I hesitate to give a hard and fast number because it depends a lot on how many people/dogs/stuff you are planning to take on trips and the terrain in which you are traveling. Fluff is also helpful if you have a one off where you bring a couple extra people and it isn't convenient to take a second car. I am not however, saying everyone should buy a 3500 dually to tow a single axle travel trailer.
The following is going to be anecdotal and probably too long, but here are contributing factors to my tow vehicle logic. I have mentioned in other places that my husband does motorcycle track days and club racing so when I started out tagging along he had a 1995 Ford Explorer with an open trailer to tow the bike/gas cans/etc and the rest of the gear was in the car. Worked fine but the transmission would scream on hills. The explorer died with somewhere north of 300k miles on it and he got a 2006 F150 with the baby V8. The F150 barely noticed the open trailer was back there, no more transmission screams. Shortly thereafter he decided he wanted to chase points and do a whole regional series and I decided that I was done tent camping at Road Atlanta in July. We bought a 7x14 enclosed utility trailer with two axles, insulated it, added a light and put an AC on top. With the now much heavier trailer, the F150 was still well within tow rating, however, the transmission was not all that happy on hills a la I-81. It still made it, but slowly and loudly. It lasted 5 years with that trailer before dropping a cylinder in the motor in 2017. We upgraded to a Ram 2500 diesel that had the air bag suspension knowing that at some point we wanted to get a real RV for a variety of reasons. Meanwhile, the Ram barely noticed the utility trailer on the back. In 2020, we bought the 5th wheel before the prices got stupid and it is definitely on the upper end of capacity for the truck but the diesel engine handles it fine and with the pin placement in the bed of the truck, it is really stable to tow. Only real sway issues we have are when we carry just a little too much water and it sloshes between the two connected fresh water tanks. That was really only an issue the first year, we have gotten better at the RV thing since then even if some of the lessons were mildly painful.
Other folks that I know have had sway issues with heavy trailers being towed by smaller vehicles even with a weight distribution hitch. You just don't want to set yourself up to have a white-knuckle driving experience every time you want to go camping.
I have a dumb question and I know nothing about RVs or trailers. Why the tire covers?
I've seen RVs have them when they're stored for the winter, which makes sense to me, but why when set up at a campsite?
The sun is just really hard on tires and accelerates the deterioration process. When ours is parked on the driveway for more than a week, the covers go on. Our trips are usually weekends or bouncing to multiple destinations so the covers dont usually get used when camping. If we were staying somewhere for a week or more, we would probably put them on if we brought them with us.
We have a small travel trailer (Micro Minnie 1800BH) that we bought in 2021 just before the prices went nuts. We use it 3-4 times a year, typically including a 10+ day trip to the beach, and really enjoy it. Know that they're basically all made of toothpicks and tape, so make sure you're handy/able to fix things. Things will break and they warranties aren't worth the paper they're printed on. Most fixes are pretty simple though.
One thing to be aware of is know how you like to camp. If you spend most of your time inside, a small rig will feel small quickly. We spend almost all of our time outside, so we're fine with a small rig; even with 2 kids and 2 golden retrievers.
Going small does have its benefits. I can fit in almost any spot. I can easily store it at my house. I can drive it almost anywhere I can drive my truck (comes in really handy when you're on your way to a VT game and 81 is closed, forcing you to wind through back roads). I can tow it with a half ton.
Happy to answer any questions you have.
How handy would you have to be? I know how to use a hammer, but I'm not going to say I'm a mechanic.
Nothing I've fixed is mechanical (axles, brakes, etc.). Like I said, most are very easy/quick tasks like replacing the screws attaching the stove to the countertop or taking apart a sticky door latch to apply some grease, etc.
Some are a bit more involved. I've had to do some light plumbing, mostly replacing a couple pex crimp rings because of slow leaks. One included recaulking the shower access panel because the fittings were behind it. I also had to fix a broken window shade. The screw stripped, so I had to drill it out, glue in a dowel plug and re-attach.
There is also annual maintenance. Repacking bearings (I do this every other year, because I don't put a ton of miles on it), adjusting the trailer brakes (also do this every other year when doing the bearings), winterizing and dewinterizing, checking and resealing seams. None of this is particularly difficult with the possible exception of the wheel bearings. Those you can always take to have done.
Big thing is being comfortable changing a tire on the side of the road, you need an impact and a torque wrench. We had our first blowout on the PA Turnpike on 4th of July weekend this year 30 miles from our destination. Luckily, he has all the tools in the RV for working on the bikes so he had it changed in 30 minutes. The turnpike assistance guys showed up and asked if he needed help and he already had the shredded tire off and was putting the spare on by that point. He did ask if they would mind sitting behind us with their flashy lights on. We got really lucky that the only damage was to rip one screw on the skirting. Biggest pain is our trailer has load range G tires that need to be inflated to 110 psi which you can't find off the shelf typically. I had a tire shop put the spare onto the normal rim since the steel rims don't like to keep the lug nuts tight. Then we had to track down a compressor that could get up to 110 since the tire shop could only get it to 90. We drove home carefully with periodic lug nut tightening stops since we didn't have a spare and E-trailer had a new tire to us a couple days later. It is shocking how much those things loosen up in the first 50 miles after changing the tire.
My husband has done brakes, hubs, and all the suspension parts except for axles in our driveway. As he puts it, none of it was really hard, just time consuming and a pain in the ass. However, still way better than making an appointment at an RV shop, dropping off the trailer and still not getting it back for two months. We also had brakes done at a Camping World once, they came back improperly adjusted and he felt like he didn't have trailer brakes the whole ride home. We have had to do some other minor cosmetic stuff as well.
We have a 23 ft Airstream Safari. Its 19 yrs old and still looks like new and rarely does anything go wrong. A lot of the advise in this subthread is solid. The other brands u see depreciate very fast. Our Airstream is worth more now than what we paid for it.
Airstream don't have slides and have limited basements, but they last forever and their solid.
I have some towing safely spreadsheets I could share. Also, $49 a year RV Life membership is worth every penny. The RV Trip Wizard has saved me a lot of stress (avoid 7 to 8% grades, tight tunnels, etc.)
I'd definitely be interested in the spreadsheets. You can send them to me at mdmasc91 [at gmail dot com].
Sent!
Our rig:
Our typical setup (this was Mountain Stream RV Park in Marion, NC - this campground was destroyed by Helene - it will never return):
Not a 'Camper' but I shared this in a previous thread.....this is our rig. We tent camped on the ground up till 2 years ago but it's just getting harder to get off the air mattress on the ground as we get older. This is our hybrid solution between true tent camping and trailer camping. Plus I can use the trailer as a utility trailer for mulch, hauling stuff, etc. Three photos of the trailer, conversion to tent ready, and the set up camping rig....
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A lot of talk about travel trailers above, so I thought I'd throw this question out.
I take periodic outdoor "excursions" that involve the need to take a ton of supplies for extended stays (hunting/fishing gear, coolers, tents, stoves, groceries, etc) along with the occasional need for ATV's and UTV's (think Polaris Ranger). Along with this, it is nice to have an extra living space if needed along with a shower for use in remote areas. In the past I have used a fifth wheel horse trailer with a small "camper" space at the front that included a small shower and a bed in the neck of the trailer.
The trailer is no longer available and I was thinking about getting a toy hauler. I would need enough room to store a UTV (60" wide) and gear as well as have a small living space. Most of what I've seen available was catered more towards smaller ATV's, motorcycles, or bicycles. Does anyone have any suggestions? I would prefer reliable and durable over creature comforts.
Picture of past setup for reference.
We have a Grand Design Momentum that might fit what you are talking about, but likely has more living space than you are looking for. We have dual axles, but tri axles might work better in your application. We bought it specifically to be able to haul two motorcycles.
Other options would be ATC or Sundowner (this might actually be who made the trailer in your picture). We also have friends that have a 40' gooseneck that has 20' for living space and 20' for cargo that they have been happy with though they due have a dually to tow it with. Example
Headed to the Big Island and Maui at Thanksgiving/first week of December - mostly going for the national parks, but any recs that shouldn't be missed? Also up for suggestions of specific hikes, etc. within the parks.
Current itinerary:
2 nights in Kona
2 nights in Volcano
1 night in Waimea
Hop to Maui & pick up a campervan
Camp 1 night in Haleakala (Hosmer Grove)
Camp 2 nights on the east side of Maui
Volcano is awesome. We did most of the park when we were there in August. How much hiking do you want to do? How much do you care about elevation change?
I'm not a big hiker, but my partner is. If there's something awesome that I think will be too much for me, I'm happy to let him go explore on his own while I toodle around, so go ahead and suggest anything and everything :)
(I plan to let him pick a lot of the hiking, because it's his birthday trip, but he doesn't know where we're going (yet), only that we're going somewhere)
My wife and I did most of the main trails in Volcanoes national park in a two day span. None of the back country stuff, that's some serious hiking, but the trails otherwise were pretty easy. The National Park Service app is actually super helpful in my opinion to help you plan. Easy hikes were the Lava Tube and the Sulfur Banks, those dont take long and are pretty neat. The Crater Rim trail you can pick up in bits and pieces. We really enjoyed the Kilauea Iki trail, but that's definitely a harder hike then the others because of a decent amount of elevation change. It's a neat view though.
We tried Kipukapuaulu trail because we enjoy bird watching, but we got to it too late in the day so it was basically just a nice easy walk through the woods.
If you like artsy stuff, the Volcano Garden Arts is a neat store, and it also has CafΓ© Ono which is a pretty tasty vegetarian place. The food at Kilauea Lodge is really good, highly recommend getting dinner there if you can. Thai Thai Bistro and Bar was also tasty, especially if you care for spicy food.
Getting to east side in a campervan will be a bit of an adventure. Road to Hana can be sporty in a compact car. Lots of curves, sections that are one lane, and road raging locals trying to do it going 50.
Stop along the way for some banana bread. Take your time. Service/GPS is spotty. Recommend downloading the GyPSy Guide Road to Hana app. Cheap, narrated, shows all the spots along the way worth stopping, works without service.
Honumanu Bay was a good stop. Cool views, few people. Wainaapanapa state park is cool for the black sand beach, but is main tourist destination. Have to book entrance time in advance. We took the late afternoon slot and it was great. Pipiwai trailhead/seven sacred pools are in Haleakala NP, but separate entrance on that side of island. Pipiwai can be steep and slippery, but it's a nice hike.
I crammed all that in a day, which was a lot. Most my time was around Lahaina, and most recs are food and bars.
Around Haleakala main entrance, Surfing Goat Dairy is awesome. On your way in Hailemaile General Store has solid food and a great Mai Tai. Some of the best food on the island is actually at the food truck park close to the airport. Worth a stop on your way in and out.
anyone familiar with toronto? i will be in buffalo/niagara falls next summer, for a williams syndrome conference, for my daughter...and figured i would take the family to toronto before that...my kids' first time out of the country.
i was thinking of staying near the CN Tower / Ripley's aquarium area...seems to be some stuff for kids to do around there, all within walking distance. anyone know if that is a nice area to stay in for a couple days?
I have not been since we took our boys - then 12 and 15 - on a Road Trip of the Great Lakes. That was a nice area 13 years ago. All of the bay area seemed very nice. We took a narrated hop-on hop off bus tour to get a feel for the city, ate in an open cafe on the water front, and took a ferry to the Toronto Islands, where we took a guided kayak tour. All of that worked great for the kids at that age. Spent the nights with my wife's roommate from VT pretty far out from downtown, so no real recommendations on where to stay.
thanks, appreciate the feedback...my kids will be 9 and 11, so a kayak tour might be fun for them
My wife (along with probably 80% of Canadians that live outside of Ontario and maybe half of Ontario residents that do not live in the Toronto metro area) would say reconsider. Visit Canada, not Toronto. Man, so many people there just feel that the rest of Canada is nothing by fly over country and so many Canadians from Alberta, British Columbia or Quebec just wish the Toronto metro area would succeed and go away. Could give you some great lines.
FWIW, when I was there, they have a small Chinatown that has some real good food.
The hotel at the baseball stadium was very over-rated and definitely not worth staying at.
Niagra Falls is not far away and it is quite impressive.
Sorry, the 2 times I was there were for a scientific conference and a business trip which, ironically, was coincided with another scientific conference, so I didn't get to see much. But I can give you great lines people said if you want them.
yeah, i get that, but the point of the trip is the williams syndrome convention in buffalo, so visiting a new city (and country...for my kids) is just an add-on to that...and toronto is obviously close by.
if i was planning a trip specifically for canada...i would go out west to vancouver and banff
Headed to Germany/Switzerland/France over Thanksgiving - doing 2-3 nights each in Munich, Lucerne, and Strasbourg. We're going to some Christmas markets and Neuschwanstein but the rest is pretty up in the air so would love any recs for other adventures/activities/sights as well as food. Will be four adults and four kids ages 8-14.
Munich: Christmas markets are great, particularly Marienplatz, the Residenz, and to me, best food was at the medieval market. Make sure to catch the Rathaus show while in Marienplatz. BMW world is pretty cool. Bayern games are great, but you've got a larger group. Neuschwanstein was a letdown for me. WAY too crowded, and half was under construction. There's a smaller yellow castle across the road that was much more interesting.
Strasbourg: Did this last November, was not prepared for how crowded it would be. Self-appointed Capital of Christmas, and the markets were so full. The cathedral is cool, but lines get massive. Walking around the old hospital is cool. There's a wine cellar with the oldest white wine in the world. Worth a day trip to go out to Chateau Haute Konigsbourg and Colmar if you can spare it.
Sorry no specific food recs, we ate almost exclusively at the markets in those two places. Lots of good options doing that though.