I’ve been fortunate to travel to Vancouver, BC multiples times in my life for work; it’s one of my favorite destinations because of it’s ease and modern sensibilities. And the food!
Sitting on the water, it’s an ideal metropolis that offers everything you could want. Spending a few days here will give you a great sampling of all this city has to offer, and it’ll make you want to come back again and again. And you totally should…
They’re not canuckin’ around here.
So I have to confess something here. I’m not much of a drinker. I know, I know. Is it too late now to say sorry? Just kidding, I’m not sorry. You’re wondering: how could a light imbiber possibly have anything to say about the most famous wine producing region in the US?
Turns out, there’s a ton of things to do here that don’t necessarily involve spirits, and don’t worry, I will feature some absolutely fantastic wineries on our journey through the beautiful Northern California countryside. There’s just one question you have to ask yourself:
Wine or wine not?
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is small, but sweet. Even though it isn’t huge (only ~ 25 gates), there’s actually quite a few international carriers that fly out of here, including discount European airline, Norwegian. There’s not a ton to do here, but there’s local flair throughout the airport, and that’s huge if you’re having a layover where you can’t leave the airport. It showcases the city and makes the visitor want to return for real.
can’t fight this feeling of wanting an OREO SPEEDWAGON. I LOVE PUNS.
There’s only two terminals: the Barbara Jordan is the main and then the much smaller South terminal which only has regional flights (so basically you’re going to see one).
✈️ = get me outta here to ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ = texas hold ’em here forever
Ease of navigating through terminals: ✈️✈️✈️ (very easy)
Convenience of security lines: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (not that crowded, moves quickly)
Dining: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (barely any chains, yes! Local legendary eateries: Salt Lick BBQ, Amy’s ice cream, Hill’s Cafe, Austin Java)
Bathrooms:✈️✈️ (could be more)
Charging stations/wifi: ✈️✈️✈️ (free wifi available, could have more charging stations)
Amenities: ✈️✈️✈️ (there’s live music and an ACL record shop, otherwise it’s small, so don’t expect that much to see)
Budapest is probably my favorite European city…well, maybe within the top 3. It is different than anywhere else you’ve been. You don’t feel like you’re in Europe, you feel like you’re in the old world. It’s got this dark magic, and I love it.
It’s a little more subdued, but yet very distinct from its other former Eastern Bloc neighbors, but don’t let that fool you. There’s so much history from the Ottoman Empire and Turks and Romans to the Soviet influence, everyone has crossed through this area, including the Roma people, who give Hungarians their gypsy culture. All of this historic interchange has led to Hungary (and Hungarians) to be a melting pot of mixed ethnicities.
Heroes’ Square is one of the landmark plazas on the Pest side, featuring Magyar and other prominent Hungarian leaders. The central column is topped by Archangel Gabriel holding the Hungarian crown. It is flanked by the Museum of Fine Arts and Hall of Art.
One of the most memorable places I’ve been is the Central Market Hall. This grand indoor market is full of colors and sounds and smells, it’s sensory way overload. Marketplaces seem ubiquitous in America these days, but this feels so original.
getting hungary just looking at this
There’s giant sausages and other encased meats everywhere (literally so many kinds of sausage), cheeses, pickles of all types. Hungarian food is one of my all time favorite cuisines. Put a plate of chicken paprikash or goulash in front of me and you’re golden. You must (read: MUST) buy paprika from Hungary. So closely associated with this country, their paprika is the smoky and rich and perfect. They sell it everywhere.
On the Buda side of town sits the Castle Hill complex, made up of Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion and the Matthias Church. Fisherman’s Bastion is a Gothic style viewpoint that looks like something out of a fairy tale. This very popular tourist attraction provides sweeping views of the river and the Pest side from high above.
The Danube river runs right through the center of town, splitting it into the two sides, Buda and Pest. The gorgeous bridges that span the river are spectacles in and of themselves, and are lovely at night.
chain, chain, chain…
Along the Pest side of the river is a long promenade dotted with cafes and riverfront restaurants. This is a wonderful way to wind down and watch as the lights transform this city into something even more fantastical. Budapest at night is something else.
Venhajo-Etterem restaurant is located on a converted steamboat and has direct views of the castle. Dubarry is also an amazing dining experience, if the weather permits you must sit outside in the white linen bistro tables. Both restaurants serve traditional Hungarian fare of which I cannot get enough.
Walking along the river front will afford you the most spectacular views, the low light of early evening is the perfect time to snap a photo of the Buda Castle.
Unfortunately, I only spent a very limited amount of time in this wonderful city, and a lot of it was spent with family (yes, unexpectedly have family here), so I didn’t have a chance to visit the thermal hot springs. This is a must when you visit. The Romans were originally drawn to this area for the touted benefits of these mineral water pools. Of course, the Turks came through and built Turkish baths, some of which are still in use. The Szécheny Baths are a grand structure on the Pest side of town that has many baths. Guess I know where I’m headed next time…
have a great weekend!
As I spent a lot of this Labor Day weekend watching the US Open, I got serious green tennis ball colored envy. I need to go to Flushing, NY stat (my friend goes every year, I have no excuse). I mean, what a perfect way to spend a long weekend, exploring the last few days of summer in the city and then enjoying Primetime tennis! Until I make it there, all I can do is dream of past New York adventures.
concrete jungle where dreams are made.
I have often called LAX the eighth portal of hell, and I mean it. There is no worse pain than landing at LAX on a Friday afternoon/night. Well, maybe there is if you’re Chrissy Teigen and John Legend. Y’all need to stop what you’re doing right now and read about their 8 hour flight from LAX to LAX due to a passenger snafu last night. I would die.
Anyway, if you’re flying into LA, hope you didn’t make any plans because you’ll be stuck for an hour before you can even reach Century or Sepulveda Blvds. It has one of the worst traffic flow designs of any place that is allegedly supposed to serve that many people. Like the architect deliberately thought, how can we purposely make it so there’s only one route out that bottlenecks like crazy?
Even though it one of the worse places on this planet (you think I’m exaggerating. I am not), it’s a necessary evil that has to be dealt with because you can fly almost anywhere from there. One of the busiest airports by volume, if you’ve flown internationally from SoCal, you’ve likely flown out of LAX. It is the second busiest airport in the US by passenger load, and maybe for this week it is a little better than the busier ATL (at least there’s power).
There are 8 numbered terminals separate from the Tom Bradley International terminal. 1= Southwest; 2 = Delta and SkyTeam members: Aer Lingus, WestJet, Virgin, Aeromexico. 3 = Delta, Copa, Avianca, Interjet; 4 = American 5 = American, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Allegiant, Frontier, Spirit, Sun Country. 6 = Alaska, Virgin America, Air Canada, Mokulele, Great Lakes. 7 and 8 = United. There are random exceptions in terms of check in counters for some of the international carriers of the codeshare alliances, but all international flights return to Tom Bradley (TBIT).
I will give it one thing though, there’s some good shopping there, particularly duty free. And if you’re uber wealthy, there are separate luxury lounges that are not connected to the terminals where you can get checked in and taken to your plane by SUV. There could be more restaurants, as the selection is dispersed sparingly amongst the terminals.
Remember: ✈️ = welcome to the jungle to ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ = i love LA (we love it)
Convenience to the city: ✈️ (theoretically it is, practically it is not; may the odds be ever in your favor if you’re flying in during peak hours, rideshares help but it takes awhile)
Ease of navigating through terminals: ✈️ (you’re at the mercy of shuttle buses on the tarmac that wind passengers around planes from terminal to terminal)
Convenience of check in/security lines: ✈️✈️ ✈️ (fairly efficient for its size)
Dining: ✈️✈️✈️ (three planes because the eateries are good, but limited in each terminal, so there’s not that many given options. But…you should look for Ink.sack by Michael Voltaggio in TBIT, La Brea Bakery in Terminal 1, lots of Coffee Beans and Starbucks as well as local coffee shops around; Pinkberry locations, Panda Expresses, Shake Shack in terminal 3, Wolfgang Puck eateries in 6, the Habit and Wahoo’s fish tacos in 6; LA’s hipcute cafeteria Lemonade in 5, Umami Burger, 800 Degrees Pizza, SlapFish, etc)
Bathrooms: ✈️ (don’t expect them to be that clean unless you’re in a recently renovated terminal)
Charging stations/wifi: ✈️✈️ (no free wifi, which makes complete sense)
Amenities: ✈️✈️✈️ (every lounge ever (including a luxe Qantas), retail from bliss spa, Spanx to Burberry, Gucci, Hermes, Harley Davidson — wish there were more options per terminal, but hey real estate is a premium here. I took one plane off because the Sanrio store closed. Also, don’t forget to check out the spacey Theme Building on arrival, home of the former Encounters restaurant (wasn’t actually that bad food wise) but now is a viewing deck on the weekends)
As we start traveling for the holidays, I have to shout out to one of my home airports. Ah Long Beach, a lovely little secret. I like flying into this tiny regional airport. It’s no frills, quick, easy and it makes you feel like you’re in the 60s or something because you go out directly onto the tarmac when you come and go.
LGB is a hub for JetBlue, but now Southwest even has some flights out of here. There a couple of regional Delta and American flights as well. It’s one small terminal split into North and South concourses with 11 gates for the whole airport. JetBlue has gates 1-5. There’s not much food, but what are you doing eating at the airport? You’re likely coming from LA/OC anyway.
Overall it’s a nice airport to get from point A to point B quickly. The fact that you can skip LAX to get to NY and Boston from this no fuss airport is awesome and worth giving up on amenities and dining.
Remember: ✈️ = so much drama in the LBC to ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ = sublime
Convenience to the city: ✈️ (it’s in Long Beach, off the 405, may the odds be ever in your favor)
Ease of navigating through terminals: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (I think it takes 5 minutes from one end to the other)
Convenience of check in/security lines: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (not a lot of traffic = fast lines)
Dining: ✈️ (bring your own food)
Bathrooms: ✈️✈️ (not that many of them)
Charging stations/wifi: ✈️✈️ (free wifi available)
Amenities: ✈️ (what are amenities?)
There are not enough adjectives to describe the wonder of Paris. No one needs a guide to this city, there are a million ways to enjoy it, and the little discoveries down every alleyway are what makes this place special. You don’t need a ton of money, you don’t even need to see any of the popular tourist attractions. You could walk around for days and not spend one cent and be content. It’s all splendor. The air is different when you arrive in this city of light and magic. You feel different, you get a new lease on life– nouvelle joie de vivre.
I’ve been all over the world, and there is no city that causes my heart to take flight like Paris. No city that comes close in terms of architecture and art and food. It’s the ultimate muse for any travel fantasy, it puts the lust in wanderlust. There’s a romanticism that cannot be recreated anywhere else; it’s no wonder that Paris salons attracted the best in art and literature to a bohemian lifestyle in the capital city.
To get a true sense of the city, you have to at least spend 4-5 days here. My first visit more than a decade ago lasted for almost two weeks. I saw the entire city as a 16 year old, and even though we did not have smart phones back in the dark ages (le horreur), I’ll never forget the moments during that trip. It started my love affair with France and gets reignited every time I come back. C’est magnifique.
la vie en rose
The Big D is so big, it has two major airports serving it, Love Field and the larger Dallas-Fort Worth. Because I am a Southwest frequent flier, I’ve been through Love Field several times, but recently I had a very quick layover at DFW (like just barely made it).
It is gigantic, the third busiest airport in the US, behind Atlanta and O’Hare by flights. It is second only to Denver in terms of actual acreage, and in that acreage is a plethora of eateries and shops. Everything IS bigger in Texas.
There are 165 gates split amongst five terminals A-E, connected by a convenient skylink train. Each terminal is semi-circular and when you look at the complex from above, it kind of looks like three turtles in a row (there is a future F terminal completing the last oval).
American Airlines has its hub at DFW, so every terminal operates its flights. United, Frontier, JetBlue, WestJet, Air Canada and Spirit operate out of E and International flights are located in the D terminal. This airport has the distinction of being one of the few airports that serve more than 200 destinations.
Remember: ✈️ = D-town (Dallas’ worst nickname) to ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ = jerry’s world
Ease of navigating through terminals: ✈️✈️✈️ (immense distance, made better by train)
Dining: ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ (Wingstop, Chick-Fila, IHOP, McDs, Starbucks, Peet’s, Caribou, ethnic foods, Cantina Laredo and other airport mainstays. But it gets a 5 plane rating for Garrett’s popcorn alone)
Bathrooms: ✈️✈️✈️ (clean, well spaced)
Charging stations/wifi: ✈️✈️✈️ (free wifi available via AT&T)
Amenities: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (American and International Lounges, a few luxury shops including Kate Spade, Tumi, Longchamp; XpresSPa, 7-Elevens, Yoga Studio, Animal hotels)
Inexplicably, I’ve been to San Antonio several times for work. Texas’s second largest city, it’s one of the fastest growing cities in the country. There’s a huge US armed forces contingent there and is probably best known for being home to the Alamo and previously, Tim Duncan.
Beyond that, the food and drink scene in San Antonio is fantastic. Not only do you have spectacular Tex Mex regional cuisine, but every restaurant has it’s own unique look and feel. The decor in some of these restaurants–especially the ones in repurposed spaces is something to behold. It’s a multicultural city with so many identities, and that’s what makes it a great place to create some memories.
Remember the Alamo…
Traveling docs 