Archive for the ‘travel’ Category

Vegetarians, personal beliefs, travel, and cultural sensitivity

Friday, September 24th, 2010
Insects at a Thailand Market

Insects at a Thailand Market

As I’ve written recently, I have been dabbling with vegetarian, vegan, and raw diets. I have also been honest in saying that while shifting my diet, I do still eat meat and dairy on occasion. I won’t go into extensive detail about the reasons for this since I’ve explained them in the past, but I will say that it’s still something I still think about often. And after seeing Anthony Bourdain speak last week, I’ve been thinking about diet choices, personal beliefs, and how they relate in the context of travel and culture.

I am a big fan of Anthony Bourdain, and I don’t think it is news to anyone that he is very outspoken in his dislike for vegetarians and vegans. His claim during the presentation (and in interviews I’ve read) is that he […]

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Las Vegas for a weekend

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
The pool at Monte Carlo, Las Vegas

The pool at Monte Carlo, Las Vegas

I spent the past weekend in Las Vegas with my girlfriend and some of her friends. Aside from the fact that we both got sick during our stay (which sucks because getting sick is something that rarely happens to either of us), we still had a really great weekend. It’s a bit ironic because typically Vegas wears you down quickly, but after this trip I came back relaxed and mildly rejuvenated, except for my lingering sniffles and head congestion.

The drive out from San Diego was quick and easy, we left Saturday morning and had the smoothest ride I’ve ever had heading out that way. There was pretty much no traffic at all. We got in around 3:00PM and checked into our room at the Monte Carlo. The Monte Carlo wouldn’t […]

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Getting to Koh Phangan from Bangkok, thru Surat Thani

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Entry #3 from Thailand Trip (see entries #1, #2, #4, #5 and #6)

Hualamphong Train Station, Bangkok

Hualamphong Train Station, Bangkok

We just barely made it to the train station in Bangkok for our overnight train to Surat Thani, but we were now finally aboard the train, ready to head south to the islands in the Gulf of Thailand. We settled into our first class cabin, and as we pulled away from the station, we enjoyed the relative peace and quiet of the train after fighting with Bangkok traffic only hours earlier. The peace didn’t last long though, as there was a rowdy British group in the cabin next door, though this much was expected considering most of the passengers on the train were likely heading to the islands for the upcoming New Year’s celebrations.

There are a plenty of options for a trip like this, as […]

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Bicycle trip from San Diego to Phoenix (NEW)

Friday, June 18th, 2010
Riding along the US / Mexico border

Riding along the US / Mexico border

Day 1 – San Diego to Alpine
We left at about 9:30am from Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach after a few goodbyes, and were riding a high heading out of the city. We made some good progress, stopped for a pizza lunch, then hit the road again. Our last 20 miles were a serious uphill battle, and around the time our weary and not yet road accustomed legs nearly gave out, we had completed 50 miles and reached the Ma Tar Awa RV Park just east of the Viejas Casino. We were too late to check in, as the office had already closed, but we saw someone cleaning who let us slip in on the agreement that we would pay our dues in the morning. It wasn’t quite dark yet, but being that […]

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A Whirlwind weekend. SAN-BDL: CT, MA, RI

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

5/26 – Online flight check in. Arrive airport 12 noon. Washington DC 9PM. Hartford’s Bradley International Airport at 11:30PM. Hertz rental car at midnight. 90 degrees outside. Heavy winds. Get car and head to mom’s house. Heavy rains, crazy thunderstorm. Temperature now 65. Power out at mom’s. Sleep @ 1:30AM.

5/27 – Wake up, breakfast, visit with mom. 2:30PM hit the road, head to Boston. Arrive Boston @ 4. Check into Copley Square Hotel. Relax {briefly}. 5PM Complimentary wine in lobby. Walk down Boylston to Boston Common. Follow Freedom Trail to Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. Bowl of clam chowder and our first quahog. Hop on the T, head to Newbury and the Back Bay for dinner at The Other Side Cafe. Down the street to The Pour House. 11:30 PM to bed.

5/28 – 11AM Farmer’s Market Copley Square. Hop the T again, lunch at America’s Oldest Restaurant, Union Oyster […]

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Mammoth Lakes’ Bluesapalooza, Beer and Blues Festival

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
John Lee Hooker Jr onstage, Mammoth Lakes, Beer and blues festival

John Lee Hooker Jr onstage
Mammoth Lakes, Beer and blues festival

AUGUST – The Bluesapalooza Beer and Blues Festival is a welcome getaway for anyone who enjoys the outdoors, beer, live blues music, or any combination of the three. Even though we’re located a good 6 hour drive away in San Diego, we decided it would be a good weekend trip to head up for a great weekend of relaxation. In case you’re not familiar with this event, it happens once a year at Mammoth Lakes, usually around the beginning of August, and takes place outdoors at Sam’s Wood Site.

The setting is actually quite spectacular. Somehow a stage is set up in a small clearing, and then the beer tents and spectators take their places in and around the trees. So you need to make […]

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Weekend in Idyllwild at the Quiet Creek Inn

Thursday, April 8th, 2010
Quiet Creek Inn cabins

Quiet Creek Inn Cabins

This past weekend I was surprised by my girlfriend with a getaway to the mountains in Idyllwild, where we stayed at the Quiet Creek Inn. It was a quick, one night getaway, and though I would have loved to be there for a week, even taking a day or two away from home is a great way to relax. For those that don’t know, Idyllwild is a quiet little mountain community located in the San Jacinto Mountains, about 100 miles northeast of San Diego, and 100 miles southwest of Los Angeles. It sits at an elevation of 5300 feet, and is a great place for hiking and camping. From town, you have access to trails that take you up to Tahquitz Peak which is somewhere around 9000′ and San Jacinto Peak which is higher at 10,800′. I’ve been […]

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Arrival in Bangkok, Khao San, and Grand Palace

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

Entry #2 from Thailand Trip (see entries #1, #3, #4, #5 and #6)

Bangkok syline at night from hotel roof

Bangkok syline at night from hotel roof

We finally made it out of Guangzhou, had an uneventful but comfortable flight from there to Bangkok, and successfully made it to the Lamphu Tree House Hotel where we had reservations for the first night. Even though we had been in transit for over 24 hours, and had only slept for a few hour increments on the planes, we didn’t want to waste our first night in Thailand. The hotel was really nice and had a lovely rooftop patio, but we really were itching to get out into Bangkok. The hotel was supposedly a 10 minute walk from Khao San Road, and knowing that it has been called the Backpacker Center of the Universe, we figured what better place to […]

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