A few years ago, I decided to combine my love of baseball with my love of travel and try to see my favorite team, the Washington Nationals, in all the ballparks I had yet to visit. And last year, I finally coaxed my baseball-tolerating girlfriend to come along with me. There are 30 major league teams in 26 cities, 18 states and 2 countries. Turns out baseball tourism is a really good way to see the country.
Sastre Burgos
Normally I wouldn’t do an entire post about one specific store, but Sastre Burgos was way too much fun to gloss over. The Sastre Burgos vineyard was founded decades ago by some dude’s great grandfather. It was passed down from generation to generation, and the guy that runs it now (Ignacio? Javier? Leonardo? Donatello? I don’t remember his name now) runs a great little tour of his shop in downtown Mendoza.
Wine in Mendoza
The morning was almost brisk enough for a jacket, but a long sleeve shirt over a t-shirt was my wardrobe of choice for the day. It was amazingly quiet, almost unnaturally so. But that’s the exact opposite of what it was; I’m so used to the background noise of my laptop humming, the air conditioner running, traffic on the streets outside, and the occasional Air Force fighters screaming overhead, that I’m not used to the sound of actual nature. In this case, there were no insects chirping, birds calling, wolves howling or anything. It was as quiet as a tomb. Actually, it was even more quiet than the Recoleta Cemetery that we had just visited, but we were telling jokes and laughing in the cemetery, so it’s not a fair comparison. It was so quiet that morning, it was almost unnerving. The stillness was broken only by the sound of me drinking a bubbly rose that was as crisp as the morning was.
The smartest thing I’ve ever done
I don’t know if I read it somewhere or if it was a stroke of genius or a random thought that popped into my head after drinking, but I recently came up with the one thing you should do after landing. I dare say that this might be the smartest idea I’ve ever come up with (which leads me to think that I read it somewhere and that it’s not my original idea).
The Argentinian Experience
What would you say to an evening of tasting local cocktails paired with tasty bite-sized snacks, followed by a class on how to make traditional empanadas, then a damn fine steak and some great wine, and then you wrap up the evening with a delicious dessert. How’s that sound?
Riu Palace Las Americas, Cancun
One of the nicer, but still wallet friendly, options in Cancun, the Riu all-inclusive chain offers a lot for a reasonable rate. The Riu Palace Las Americas property is located well outside of downtown Cancun, roughly a 30 minute shuttle ride from the airport.
Don’t Use Expedia! Click here to find out why!
Sorry about the click-bait title. I just couldn’t think of anything better for this post. I actually don’t have any issues with Expedia or similar services; I use them all the time when I’m researching and planning a trip. But there are some significant downsides.
Schlitterbahn
The Schlitterbahn water park is a family friendly destination about an hour south of Austin, Texas. Located in the heart of German country, this 65 acre water park is the go-to destination for local families during the heat of the Texas summer.
Wurstfest
In the late 1800s, a German nobleman bought a large plot of land about an hour south of Austin, Texas, and made it available for German citizens to live in if they wanted to. Following the naming conventions of New York and New Jersey, the immigrant population named it New Braunfels after their home near Frankfurt. Nearly a century later, a local sausage contest grew and gathered national attention, and Wurstfest was born.
Finding Restaurants
Whether you travel for work or fun, to seek adventure or to get away from your troubles, some things are always necessary: You need a place to lay your head and you need food in your belly. There are hundreds of articles on finding good lodging, as well as dozens of websites dedicated to helping you find the best deals on a hotel. Finding good restaurants isn’t quite as easy. But then again, it’s really not that tough….