Seoul is an amazing city of contrasts. Old Buddhists temples and 500 year old palaces next to modern skyscrapers and mega malls. Here are a few things I learned on my first trip to Seoul. There is more to Korean food than just BBQ When I first visited Seoul, I had this idea that Koreans mostly ate BBQ and that there would be a BBQ restaurant on every corner. While there were tons of tasty BBQ restaurants in Seoul, I …
If you only have a few days in Istanbul, or even one, and wondering what to do, then the historic core walk is your best bet. Sultanahmet, the center of old Istanbul, is home to many of Istanbul’s must see sites including the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, and the Hippodrome. The walk begins at the park between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia not far from the Sultanahmet tram stop. You are now standing in the heart of …
Vancouver. Day one. Hungry after a long day of traveling and willing to eat anything that is within walking distance. Next to my hotel was Twisted Fork. The restaurant, which features a fusion of French and Candian dishes, opened in 2008 in the touristy and always interesting Granville Entertainment District of downtown Vancouver. Twisted Fork is a no fuss, non pretentious bistro that prides themselves on making everything in-house from scratch which ensures quality food. As you will notice in …
One of the main reasons you should visit Nagano is for the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, a unique onsen, or hot spring, filled with wild Japanese Macaques. Yes, you read that correctly. There is a hot spring with wild monkeys that you can visit in Japan. The park, located northeast of Nagano, requires a little work to reach, including a 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) trek on a narrow pathway through a beautiful snow-covered (in the winter) forest. If you are …
I’ll start my story out with letting you know that I am a novice hiker. I hike a few times every year and luckily I have never had any issues or gotten lost, until somewhat today. Today, I decided to hike a quick 3 mile round trip trail to Rainbow Falls in the town of Mammoth Lakes, California. The hike out to the waterfall was easy, but on the way back I got lazy, made a few mistakes, and got …
When you travel to a new city and want to find some great local food, usually you know to skip the tourist trap spots that love to jack up prices for mediocre food. This is mostly true except for the case of Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington. Yes it is touristy, and you should avoid a few shops, but you can still find great food at decent prices if you know where to look. You can find it all …
Italy is one of the most amazing places to visit in Europe or anywhere else in the world. Choosing which locations in Italy to visit, whether it is your first visit or even tenth visit, can be difficult considering the amount of amazing choices. This is my list of places in Italy that should be at the top of your itinerary if you are visiting Italy for the first time. Rome (Roma) No visit to Italy is complete without a …
I have been fortunate enough to have been able to travel to many awesome locations all around this amazing globe. But like any other person who loves to travel, I’m always ready to plan a new trip. Always looking ahead for my next adventure. I think I have a problem, but a good problem. I am addicted to traveling. My goal for 2015 is to travel and write new posts for your reading pleasure. To make that happen, I need …
Every time my friends begin planning a trip, I am asked the same questions. Do you have any tips? Where should I stay? What should I eat. I always try to help them out with tips that I have learned through years of experience. Here are a few of my best travel tips that I always remember. Avoid hotel restaurants I’m not saying that hotel restaurants are bad or anything, but more often than not you will find that they …
Seoul is the unique capital of South Korea that perfectly blends new technology, thousands of years of history, and religion. From Korean BBQ, to shopping, to visiting war zones, Seoul has everything to offer visitors. Seoul is such a fascinating blend of traditional and modern. The city is an exciting blend of local markets, large department stores, street food, high class dining, and friendly locals that always seem to be working hard or partying hard. Here is a list of …