Wanderings Travel Blog

“It’s the journey, not the destination.” Repeat that to yourself 3 times, and then listen up while I do my best to convince you that hitting the open road on your next vacation could just very well be the best time of your life.

First, let me say sure, there’s always the option to fly.  You’ll arrive in a few hours and be on your way. That is, after you’ve dealt with airport parking, security, baggage fees, a flight delay, and a guy in the seat next to you that may or may not be coughing up a small kitten. If that sounds like your thing, by all means, check those flight times and pick that perfect itinerary.

If, however, you’re like me and prefer freedom when you travel – to go anywhere, at any time, to do anything – fill up the gas tank, grab a road map, and prepare to go road trippin’.

Like choosing chocolate or caramel, your road tripping options are pure win-win. All you need to decide is who’s coming with (if anyone at all), and in which direction to start heading. To make things really complicated (note the sarcasm), you might also want to pick some tunes to set the mood for the trip. Personally, I’d select some good ol’ Grateful Dead for a solo trip through the national parks of the Northwest, rock an 80’s playlist for a trip with a friend through Southern California, or pump some Willie and Waylon driving through the Smoky Mountains with the fam.

Are you following me now? These decisions are FUN.  Not to mention, limitless. Why always go left when this time you can go right? Take some time to explore the way that you want to do it.  If you want to go see the House of Mud like Clarke W. Griswald in the movie ‘Vacation’, go see the House of Mud! If you’re dying to see the great peaks of the Grand Tetons, make the drive to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and see the Tetons. If along the way to the Tetons you decide that you’d rather stop in Montana to camp under the stars, then by all means, stop in Montana and camp under the stars!

Enjoy the freedom of the open road.  Share some quality laughs with your family. Blast your favorite song with the windows open. Get out and take a goofy picture in front of the Grand Canyon. I guarantee you it will be worth it.

What are your summer road trip plans? Tell us in the Facebook comments below. (having trouble viewing comments? click here)

Happy Fat Tuesday, you party animals! This pre-lenten tradition is celebrated all over the globe and under different pseudonyms, but today we’re going to check out the American version and its epicenter, New Orleans.

For all of you lucky (or nuts) enough to be in NOLA for the celebrations, here’s hoping you’re stocked up on headache meds and electrolytes for tomorrow morning. For everyone else, check out what you’re missing here. When you get crazytown jealous of everyone there, go ahead and eat your emotions – king cake, recipe here. (Don’t blame us if you chip a tooth on the creepy plastic baby). Mardi on!

How are you celebrating Mardi Gras this year? Let us know in the Facebook comments below. Even if you miss Mardi Gras this year, check out all the fun things to do in New Orleans year round. (Click here if you’re having trouble viewing the Facebook comments)

THE MAN WHO LIVED ON HIS BIKE from Guillaume Blanchet on Vimeo.

Inspired by his father the biker, Filmmaker Guillaume Blanchet spent 382 days exploring life on two wheels. All aspects of life take on a new appeal when experienced by bike, like… shaving, cooking eggs and winning a tennis match… Check it out! Then tell us your favorite biking story in the Facebook comments below.

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Photo provided by Mackinnon Photography

Denver is quickly becoming one of the top places to support local breweries. If you are a beer connoisseur, then Denver is the place to visit! There are new brewing companies popping up left and right in this beer friendly city! These new breweries seem to all be following a common equation. The most important factor in the equation is to create an inviting, neighborly environment with community style tables, high ceilings and lots of natural light. Next step?

1. Let your customers be a part of the experience by sitting amidst the brewing equipment to smell the malts and witness the brew master stirring the wort. Reach out and touch the brew kettle from your seat, while sipping on a full sampler of seven different 6-ounce beers at the Lone Tree Brewing Company. Love the delicious, citrusy Puddle Jumper Pale ale like I did? Then take home a refillable growler fully equipped with a giant koozie and carrying strap!

2. Provide board games and a popcorn machine so people can hang out and enjoy themselves while tasting a flight of all the brews you have to offer. How about a competitive game of Connect Four paired with a Great American Beer Fest Gold Medal award winning Mexican Chocolate Stout from the Copper Kettle Brewing Company? Or invite your friends for a full on rummy tournament. There’s a deck of cards on every table!

3. No need for a kitchen! Support surrounding restaurants by providing menus to the hungry beer drinkers. Order wings from Wing Hut and have them delivered directly to your table at the Dry Dock Brewing Company. You can also browse the Brew Hut, “You’re One Stop Homebrew Shop” located inside the brewery, while enjoying a refreshing, six medal winning, Dry Dock Hefeweizen.

So put down your Budweiser and come find out what REAL beer is all about!

Of course the world is full of fun ways to enjoy a great beer like Amsterdam’s Pizza & Beer Cruise and the Munich and It’s Beer Tour. Tell us about the coolest beer pubs in your neighborhood in the Facebook comments below.
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One of the greatest cities to visit during the summer is Seattle. The weather is comfortable and warm, the seafood is to die for and the activities are endless. Traveling to Seattle during the winter however can be a different story. The cloud cover that most travelers want to avoid on vacations is ever present and that cloud cover usually brings with it the daily drizzle. Choosing the best activities for this weather can be difficult, but to make planning easier I’ve picked out some fun places to explore, even in the company of rain.

1. The Bainbridge Ferry

These large, slow moving ferries offer you the opportunity to see west facing Seattle, which is a spectacular view (see above). If you don’t want to brave the rainy outdoor decks, you can view the beautiful scenery from the indoor window seating. The ride to Bainbridge is only 30 minutes and gives you just enough time to see some of the surrounding Islands as well. Tickets for the ferry are inexpensive and lunch on Bainbridge is oysterific.

2. Alki Beach

On a day that is cloudy but not rainy head on over to Alki Beach in West Seattle. If you’re a brunch fan like me, stop in for some crab and eggs at Salty’s, a waterfront restaurant. Salty’s is well known for its seafood and great views of downtown. Afterwards, work off brunch by taking a stroll down Alki where you’ll find rocky and sandy beaches, docks and friendly locals. Don’t be afraid to stop into one of the tiny restaurants or bars along the way for a mid afternoon drink. You’re on vacation after all!

3. SAM – The Seattle Art Museum

The SAM is located on 1^st avenue in downtown Seattle. It is right next to the Puget Sound and countless stores and restaurants. The SAM is easy to find, just look for the 3 story tall man on 1^st “hammering” away at his next masterpiece. After touring the museum, you have Pike Place Market within walking distance. If it is especially rainy that day, you can opt to check out the market’s lower levels where there are cozy restaurants and quirky shops.

*For great food at Pike Place visit: Place Pigalle, Maximilien, or Etta’s for lunch.

While there is much more to do in Seattle, the rain can at times motivate you to do nothing more than hunker down in your hotel room. Hopefully this list will help get your ideas flowing and put that newly purchased rain jacket to good use! For more cool ways to explore the city, check out Gray Line Seattle Tours.

What are your favorite activities to do in the rain? Share in the Facebook comments below!
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City Lights Bookstore, San Francisco - Photo credit: Flickr Gary Soup

Without starting a coastal civil war, the West Coast is by far the best coast for bookstores. Laid back and socially conscious, these temples of knowledge are the perfect places to browse for reading material during your next vacation. So take a stroll through these bookstore aisles and stop to smell the sweet literature.

The Elliot Bay Book Company – Seattle, Washington

Seattle has some of the best coffee in the country as well as some of the worst rain. Put these two things together and you have the ideal situation for ducking into a cozy bookstore and browsing for a book for your West Coast trip. The commander-in-chief of the Seattle scene is the Elliot Bay Book Company. This book selling pioneer recently moved to the hipster neighborhood of Capital Hill and occupies an incredible new space with artistically arranged books. With weekly readings and cedar wood shelves, this is the perfect place to hang out in your best Gortex rain jacket, soy milk latte in hand.

Powell’s Books – Portland, Oregon

Books, books and more books! Known for it’s giant selection of gently used (and therefore more affordable) books, the odds are that you will likely leave Powell’s Books with an armful of books about Rick Steve’s European adventures or the complete Lonely Planet series. The flagship store carries over one million titles and is a bargain hunter’s dream. While the interior of the building is not exactly inspiring, the literary selection is worth the visit. This will be the best place to snag your copy of the new Portlandia guidebook when it comes out in November 2012. Cannot wait.

City Lights – San Francisco, California

Located in the Italian neighborhood of North Beach in San Francisco, City Lights is a small, unassuming storefront where the cream of the Beatnik crop used to gather and be cool. And when I say cool, I mean write amazingly creative works that shattered the dominant assumptions of their generation. Today this San Francisco bookstore deserves a special kudos for keeping the anti-establishment vibe alive. An independent publisher with an impressive stock of politically progressive and worldly literature, this is a damn good bookstore. The cherry on top? Upstairs there is a complete collection of works by all of the Beatnik generation poets. Cool man, cool.

It appears that in honor of this, the day of love (or, more accurately, martyrdom), there are a ton of last-minute travel deals available. Since they stretch from here to the end of the internet, I’ve highlighted a few of the most appealing. If you’re a last-minute type of guy or gal (which I’m sure your partner loves about you), or if you’re lucky enough to be in a time zone where it’s yesterday, get ON it!

Expedia is hinting at some sweet hotel deals – take it away, imagination.

Fodor’s, always a fount of knowledge, is now a fount of love-cations.

Ask Men’s tips – but let me tell you, if you really want to know, ask a woman.

Today Travel’s last-minute ideas are timely (get it?).

Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day or are celibate on Valentine’s Day, everyone loves a good getaway, so happy trails to you and yours!

Ain't no party like a samba party! - Flickr sfmission.com

Ohhhh yes, it’s that time of year again. CAR-NI-VAL!

The best place to party? BRA-ZIL! If you have never experienced Carnival in Brazil, now is the time. It is five full days of celebrating all that is great and mischievous in life. An opportunity to eat, drink and shake your booty with thousands of other smiling people.

This year the festivities will start on Friday, February 17^th, building momentum until the big event on Tuesday, February 21^st. Celebrations take place all over Brazil, from the world famous Sambodromo in Rio de Janeiro to the roaming street parties of Recife. While each celebration is different, there are similarities within each legendary affair. Visually you will be accosted with the flashy costumes, radical face paint, goofy sunglasses, scary masks and lots and lots of sparkles. All of these elements magically swirl together in the enchanted cauldron that is known as Carnival, spitting out stumbling party goers of all ages and sizes.

If you are lucky enough to make it to Carnival in Brazil this year, you need to be prepared for this once in a lifetime event and here are some tips on what to pack:

Extravagant Costumes: There’s just something about dressing up that brings out your inner Carnival spirit. It’s as if Halloween came twice a year and lasted five days. Group costumes are highly recommended and if all else fails, matching t-shirts with homemade writing will always work. Accessories will get you a long way (think sunglasses and funky hats.) And since Carnival is several days long, multiple outfits are definitely a plus. That way you won’t have to remind yourself what you did the night before in that outlandish tiger outfit. (That “grrrr ” has now turned into “grrrross”.)

Glitter and Jewels: Now take whatever costume you’ve come up with and dump a jar of glitter over your head. Guys, this includes you too. Why? Because it’s Carnival, that’s why. Glitter and glamor are part of the game. How else are you going to stand out among the hoards of people?

Carnival in Recife - Photo by Author

Dancing Shoes: You will never be able to dance better than the Brazilian samba troops that have been practicing all year for their moment in the spotlight. These guys and gals have been building muscle memory in their toned hips and abs since they could walk to the nearest praia. But that doesn’t mean you can’t join in on the party. Let loose and just DANCE. The best dancing shoes have closed toes because your feet will get trampled as you try to tip-toe around spilled drinks and broken bottles.

Musical Instruments: Music is everywhere during Carnival, exploding from the roving bands of drums and trumpets, whizzing back and forth in the air like a 100 lb. hummingbird. The sounds are intoxicating. You will want to join in. Bring along a whistle, tambourine or shaking egg, anything to contribute your personal rhythm to this musical blowout.

Are you going to Carnival in Brazil? Let us know! And don’t forget to check out the variety of tours offered by Gray Line Brazil.

I feel like a grown up. Technically, I’ve been an adult for quite some time, but for the first time in a long time I actually feel like a real grown up. Why? Because I just returned from an adults-only vacation. What?!? Travel without your children? I know what you are thinking, but trust me–it was still fun without them.

This type of vacation doesn’t happen very often in our house. After all, we don’t have grandparents nearby to help nor are we able to pry ourselves from our kiddos for an extended period of time. I mean we dig those little people so why go somewhere without them?

I’ll tell you why. Because sometimes you need a break. Sometimes you want to eat more than one meal in a row without crayons and ketchup. A vacation is just the perfect time to accomplish both of those goals and a few others you will come up with on your own, I’m sure.

To make your transition to being a relaxed grown up easier I thought I would share a few things that helped us prepare for the trip. Although not an exhaustive list, it’s enough to get you started dreaming about enjoying a meal without a slide near your table.

• Get your legal house in order. I’m in no way a lawyer but I felt better knowing that our will, life insurance, medical power of attorney, medical records and other important documents were up to date and available for our caregivers.

• Get your physical house in order. I found it helpful to make sure the house was clean, the fridge was stocked and I had enough meals prepared and frozen that no one had to worry about the terrifying “what’s for dinner?” question every day.

• Stock some gift cards. I heard this tip from a friend and it seemed to come in handy. I left some gift cards (coffee, restaurants, grocery store, etc.) for the grandparents so if they wanted to take the kids out to eat or if they needed extra groceries or something they could just use the gift cards to get what they needed.

• Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. We were lucky to have grandparents come stay with our kids but since they do not know our local area, I left maps and directions to important places like the doctor’s office, emergency room, pharmacy, etc. I also left directions to not so important places like fun parks to play at, the kids’ favorite restaurants, shopping, etc.

• Have a communications plan in place. My anxiety was easily calmed with daily (sometimes more often) video chats with the kids. Whether you call on the phone, text, Skype or send carrier pigeons, planning your method of communications and even the general time of day you will communicate helps ease everyone’s anxiety.

• Let it be a vacation for the kids too. The entire time we planned the trip and talked about it we told the kids it was their vacation from us too. Grandparents helped ease or get rid of some rules while we were gone, schedules were relaxed and I had plenty of food in the house I wouldn’t normally permit unless we were hosting a party. Even these little things helped the kids view the week as a positive of what they were getting rather than what they were missing.

Today is National Hot Chocolate day here in the US – in a move that ‘s probably not surprising to anyone, we’ve taken a global treasure (I’m serious about my hot chocolate, guys) with a rich history far older than our little neck of the woods and claimed it as our own…but I digress.

Hot chocolate actually has its roots in Latin America, and was brought back to Europe by the conquistadors; really, a very unappetizing story for such a delicious drink. I won’t get into the squeamish stuff, but read up on it here – knowledge is power. Much like most of our customs, the tasty brown beverage was brought to the US by way of other people from other places. Long story short, you can take the following away from National Hot Chocolate Day:

1) Hot chocolate is delicious, and if you don’t agree, you’re dead to me.

2) Stuff we have usually comes from somewhere else or someone else, so respect it, por favor.

3) You should take a small (or large) journey to find the best cocoa in your ‘hood (or the world) today. Do it for history.