We enjoyed one helluva weekend in NYC, including eating, drinking, socializing, a little culture and even a trip to the theater. Here's a comprehensive, linear itinerary of our exploits.
We visit Palm Springs every March. With all the fresh grapefruit just a pluck away, we’d be fools not to make whiskey cocktails with them. We call this one a Palms Springs Whiskey Sour.
We studied abroad in London in 2003. From United Kingdom, we made many weekend getaways to other Western European countries. We took our first such trip to Brussels, Belgium. Honestly, we didn’t expect much. We had a free weekend and said, “Hey, Brussels is close.” And, it was close; it was also awesome. Travel is all about discovery. We made some brilliant discoveries that weekend in Brussels, namely mussels and great beer. Hailing from the Great Plains, mussels never reached our dinner table. Beer had, of course. But craft beer hadn’t really emerged yet. We thought good beer was like Amstel Light or Peroni. One week in Brussels changed that. We figured that we had to eat mussels in Brussels, mostly because the two words rhymed and it'd be a funny story to share with friends, but we so thoroughly...
We enjoy Eastern Europe for many reasons. For one, they are far less concerned with rules and constraints. Why? Maybe they prefer a mellow, easygoing lifestyle. More likely, though, they have an underdeveloped tort system, so no one worries much about being sued. At moments, this approach proves problematic like when there’s a gaping hole in the road with no signs to warn you or barriers to block you. Other times, it’s the best. The absolute best. No greater example of this exists than visiting the ruins of Eastern European castles. For the price of admission, you literally get run of the castle. You can go anywhere. You can climb on anything. It is the manifestation of all of our childhood dreams. At Devín Castle outside Bratislava, Slovakia, they even provided us with replica equipment—swords, shields, helmets, maces, etc.—to make...
We haven’t been everywhere in the world. But, we have collected a few stamps on the old passport. Budapest ranks high on G@H’s Favorite Cities list. Here’s why. 1. Buda Castle As children, we daydreamed about repelling invaders from a castle fortress. That vision became reality on a January day in Budapest. Buda Castle, a World Heritage Site and the Royal Palace, hosted the most epic of snowball fights. We, four adult men, bombarded a mob of Hungarian children milling about below the citadel walls. Admittedly, ours was a preventive maneuver. But, these little delinquents surely meant ill. Winter, summer, spring or autumn, visit Buda Castle. Beware of tour guides with walrus mustaches, though. One approached us pitching his service. When we politely declined, he called us “idiot American monkeys.” He was both rude and probably correct. 2. St. Stephan...
We at G@H write about the home, but we spend amble time outside of it. We work. We socialize. We travel. For the modern adventurer, cosmopolitan America and the great cities of Europe offer much. Yet, when the call of the wild sounds, a gentleman answers. No fish should go unhooked or mountain unclimbed when you liberate your inner outdoorsman. From Yellowstone to the Everglades and Yosemite to Acadia, America’s National parks are awesome. Add Rocky Mountain National Park to your list. It ranks high on G&H’s top outdoor destinations. Running along the continental divide, RMNP brims with breathtaking vistas. It is a hiker’s heaven with options for all skill levels. Ramble from Bear Lake to Nymph Lake to Emerald Lake or summit Flattop Mountain. If you do not befriend a yellow-bellied marmot, you are not doing it right. Beyond...
