travel advice

[Travel Advice] Grand Teton Range

Random Observation/Comment #808: I totally want to do a retired “RV Life” tour of the national parks. Things we learned about Jackson Preparing for the trip ChatGPT query and results Similar to my trip to Malta and Amsterdam, a great query to use is: “I’m traveling to Jackson, Wyoming by car with a 5 year old for 10 days. We...

[Travel Advice] Amsterdam (again)

Random Observation/Comment #801: I’m okay with not eating healthy while traveling, but this means I really need to be more mindful when eating at home. Getting fat. Why I still Love Amsterdam I visited Amsterdam for ETHAmsterdam in 2022 (travel advice). It was a short few days and I had a lot of work events, but it was still awesome...

[Travel Advice] Malta

Random Observation/Comment #800: Don’t be ashamed to take personal time to appreciate the beauties of life and nature. What did GPT4 suggest? I’m glad to help you plan your trip to Malta! Here are 10 suggested activities and specific restaurants for your 4-day stay, each taking around 4 hours: Day 1:1. Morning: Valletta– Explore St. John’s Co-Cathedral– Visit the Upper...

[Travel Advice] Monterey Bay

Random Observation/Comment #796: Daddy Daughter trips FTW! Unlike my other trips that are usually jam-packed with activities, I really enjoyed the 1-2 broad strokes and just rolling with it on this 3-daddy-3-daughter trip. The girls were just having fun and I was perfectly fine spending time at the rental house cooking some fun meals. Tips for Monterey/Carmel: Itinerary Thursday Drive...

[Travel Advice] Disney Cruise

Random Observation/Comment #792: If I spent any more days on the cruise, they’d have to roll me back home. We did the 5-night Disney Cruise with Marvel Day at Sea leaving from Miami and it was incredibly fun. Here’s the things we loved and would do differently. Things Disney Cruise Does Well Things Disney Cruise can Improve General Advice Itinerary...

[Travel Advice] Tel Aviv, Israel

Random Observation/Comment #781: There’s so much more to eat and see in Israel. Time to plan another trip. What Tel Aviv Does Well: Things I Didn’t Expect: Quick Itinerary: I didn’t have a long trip. For me, it was more about catching up with old friends and being in the moment. We did walk around everywhere though. Wandering areas Places...

[Travel Advice] Maui, Hawaii

Random Observation/Comment #778: I’m happy with switching my whole wardrobe to Aloha shirts. Things Maui does well Rainbows – To get rainbows, you also need a lot of random rain. It’s overall beautiful weather with a spritz of precipitation and high winds at times Perfect temperatures – It’s always 85 degrees Fahrenheit plus or minus 10 degrees depending on the...

[Travel Advice] Utah Glamping

Random Observation/Comment #769: Get lost in the details of the vastness. Observations about Utah Moab has awesome restaurants – I loved the different food options in Moab. Even though we were comfortable cooking, sometimes you just want to eat without cleaning dishes. Drive scenic route 128 – From i70, take the exit on Cisco to catch route 128. The drive...

[Travel Advice] Amsterdam

Random Observation/Comment #758: I could see myself living in Amsterdam. Things Amsterdam Does Well Beautiful canals and wandering – There’s no shortage of scenic bridge photos overlooking into a canal. I think every corner is just gorgeous and it’s lovely just being surprised. Biking commute – There’s still cars on some major streets and crazy thin one-way roads, but bikes...

30 Refreshed Travel Tips

Random Observation/Comment #757: For me, traveling is a mentality. I look at my experiences differently and just absorb the vibes of the new culture and people. Why this List? I haven’t done an international trip since COVID started, so I needed to think through this process for my devconnect / ETHAmsterdam conference. Here’s some things I wrote down before my...

[Travel Advice] Glenwood Springs / Hanging Lake

Random Observation/Comment #722: Just as I rather buy a business class flight when bringing Evie, I totally rather go glamping than roughing it. Observations about Glenwood Springs: Incredibly beautiful and easy i70 drive (even better if you take the Aspen route) – Take your time driving out there. Cute small town with lots of great food – There’s not a...

[Travel Advice] Keystone

Random Observation/Comment #687: I can’t believe this is all just a 1.5-hour drive away. It used to take an hour just to get out of the city. Things We Loved Driving – The i-70 is just so gorgeous winding between the mountains. While Evie was napping in the car, we just Google’d “scenic drives” and was not disappointed. It’s a...

[Travel Advice] Denver

Random Observation/Comment #627: Every city has its own hidden charm. I see what you did there, Denver. Things Colorado Does Well Hiking and Scenery – Colorado is easily one of the most beautiful places. Walking out of the airport you can clearly see the Rocky Mountains in the horizon. Amazing hiking is a short drive away. There’s enough trails and...

[Travel Advice] Babymoon

Random Observation/Comment #579: Besides the frequent bathroom breaks and lighter walks, this adventure roadtrip was pretty much like the rest. Crushed it. What’s a babymoon? Similar to a honeymoon, a babymoon is a celebration of a life-changing milestone. It’s a last hurrah, but also supporting the foundation we build in our relationship. Kids will grow up and leave the nest, but we’ll...

[Travel Advice] Switzerland

Random Observation/Comment #558: Rural areas of Switzerland are basically the un-ironic representations you might see in Disney World. There are mountains everywhere and there’s a radio station that yodels choir music. Things Switzerland Does Well Efficiency – For the most part, the Swiss get things done and done pretty quickly Maintained Natural scenery and beauty – There are not many power...

[Travel Advice] Bermuda (in Jan)

Random Observation/Comment #539: Traveling during off season is risky, but certainly rewarding when you want some quiet and great deals. January temperatures are usually in the upper 50s in Bermuda, so bring warm layers because the damp code does, “chill ya to da bone.” Luckily, due to our freakishly warm winter, we scored some sunny days in the 70s and...

[Travel Advice] Austin, Texas

Random Observation/Comment #535: Everything is bigger in Texas. Hook ’em! I love long weekend trips and this one to Austin was exceptionally excellent and well-balanced. The wife and I flew out Thursday night and back Sunday night through one of those awesome JetBlue winter wanderland deals, and just had a wonderful time. Austin is one of those super kind cities with...

[Travel Advice] Sag Harbor Mini Moon

Random Observation/Comment #530: MiniMoons are great. I need more of these long weekends away. For our mini honeymoon (AKA MiniMoon), Wanessa did a long weekend out in Sag Harbor with a general agenda of drinking wine, picking pumpkins, and eating cheese. All-in-all it was pretty perfect and really made this whole marriage and spending-the-rest-of-our-lives-together thing sink in. Things Sag Harbor...

[Travel Advice] Ubud, Bali

Random Observation/Comment #526: Napoli and now Ubud – I think I’m unintentionally following the path from Eat, Pray, Love. Bali is a pretty big Island packed with hidden gems and beautiful culture. One may think it’s all about the beaches and surfing, but the side streets and temples really make this place alive. The Balinese people also fully complete the package....

[Travel Advice] Phuket

Random Observation/Comment #516: A productive vacation is one where you’re not thinking about being productive. I actually need to teach myself to relax sometimes (or at least justify that it’s good for me). Things Phuket does well Reasonable prices – one can live very comfortably here with average $3 meals Spices (specifically curry and Tom yum soups) – I love...

[Travel Advice] Hong Kong

Random Observation/Comment #515: If you read TripAdvisor, almost every recommendation for visiting Hong Kong is eating food (it’s not, but it should be). Bring your appetite and elastic waist pants. Things Hong Kong Does Well Seafood. I love the large family style dinners that give you a bit of everything. Give me all the jellyfish, scallops, and steamed fish! MTR....

[Travel Advice] Japan

Random Observation/Comment #513: Japan’s blend of the traditional and downright weird is comforting. Whatever the roots may be, they are firmly grounded. Things Japan Does Amazingly Transportation – while it looks unbelievably confusing, it is pretty darn efficient. Food – I have a separate entry about how much I love Japanese cuisine. I think I just like all Asian food....

[Travel Advice] Italy Emilia-Romagna Road Trip

Random Observation/Comment #486: If you have celiacs, you’d probably die in Italy of starvation (or be miserable and grumpy all the time). This full road trip includes drives to towns of Brisighella, Bologna, Rimini, San Marino (for the passport stamp), Ravenna, Imola, Dozza, Castelvetro, Castelnuovo, Modena, and Parma. Things Emilia-Romagna does well: Pasta pasta pasta. It’s just so freaking good....

[Travel Advice] Norway Activities

Random Observation/Comment #284: If there’s nothing to do, go eat something. If it’s too expensive to eat, go get drunk. If it’s too expensive to get drunk, go take a nap. For context on the socialism and pricing piece of Norway, please first read the previous post. Things Norway does well: Infrastructure and cleanliness Men seem more attractive than women...

[Travel Advice] Norway Prices

Random Observation/Comment #283: Norway is so expensive, it makes NYC cringe. $15 for a Big Mac. Wtf… I normally write my travel advice with “things given place does well” and “things given place needs to improve”, but I feel Norway needs a bit of a preface to the complexity of its environment and economy. The number one thing you’ll find...