October Finds

Whether it’s on tap, in bottles, cans or kegs, beer is what “made Milwaukee famous.” From legendary German brewers Blatz, Pabst, Schlitz and Miller to modern craft brew masters, Milwaukee’s beer heritage and culture still thrives today.  Great beer, great places to drink it and food to pair with it can all be found on Milwaukee’s sophisticated beer scene at microbreweries, thriving brewpubs, corner taverns, brewery tours and historical attractions.

Thousands of veterans, and their guest, will be treated to a free stay on Veteran’s Day as part of a program launched by inns and B&Bs across US and Canada. This large scale effort to thank and honor the men and women who’ve served in the armed forces, now in its fourth year, extends both to those retired and those on active duty.

I love researching travel. I love reading guide books, checking out travel blogs, looking at photos on Pinterest, and pretty much everything about the process of learning about a destination. From the massaging of flight schedules to selecting accommodations and tours, from reading restaurant reviews and learning about food trends to learning about which sights are worth visiting, it’s all a delightful challenge to me.

No matter how much you prepare yourself for a trip to Tokyo, there are things you just won't know until you get there.

When the opportunity came up to take the Boeing 787 Dreamliner out for a spin, plane-geek that I am jumped at the chance.  After all, living here in Seattle, home of Boeing, I’ve avidly followed all the news about the the development and building of the Dreamliner – as well as all the tales of productions problems and delays. Pass up an opportunity to see the Dreamliner up close and personal? Not a chance!

Lions, tigers, bears and many other creatures reside at New York’s Bronx Zoo, the largest urban zoo in the United States. In fact, thousands of birds, mammals, reptiles and primates can be found throughout the facility’s 265 acres of park lands and natural habitats.

Bronx Zoo visitors have plenty choices of what to see, both indoor and outdoor exhibits offer a chance to get up close and personal with the residents.

On my most recent assignment, I took a river cruise down the Danube on the River Adagio, a ship run by Grand Circle Travel. Founded by the same woman who created the AARP, the line caters to retirees and mature travelers. My husband Don and I were the youngest passengers on board, by several decades (I was told that the average age is 70 on most Grand Circle trips). To say that we stood out is an understatement.

At first glance, the countries of Eastern Europe that lie along the Lower Danube might seem like an unusual choice for a vacation. But while the line that Don and I traveled on wasn’t exactly age appropriate, we ended up having a great time and learning quite a bit. I’ll be doing a series of posts that look at different aspects of our cruise.

You are no doubt familiar or even have a penchant for some of Japan’s famous cuisine: sushi, bento, and steamling bowls of ramen. But while exploring the varied neighborhoods of Tokyo, I couldn’t help but notice how much the Japanese like to snack. Everywhere we went, we found snacks – and lots of things I would have never imagined.

I was surprised to find how neighborhood-y Tokyo is, and that’s actually a great way to structure a trip. Get started by familiarizing yourself with the Japan Rail (JR) Yamanote Line. It’s a train that runs in a circle around Tokyo. Most of the major sights are near a stop, and it takes an hour to do a full loop, so I would suggest staying in a location near a Yamanote line stop. From there you can work your way into most any stop on the greater Tokyo metro

You’ll find plenty of haunted places across the United States – from America’s oldest cities on the east coast, to the plains of the southwest where battles of all kinds were fought, from the industrial to the indigenous. Recently I was invited on a tour of haunted Colorado, one of my favorite states (and one where I seem to be spending a lot of time!). It’s been one of the spookiest trips I’ve been on in recent memory.

When you think of the island nation of the Maldives, what comes to mind? Aquamarine-colored sea? Rows of bungalows perched above tropical waters? A bill at checkout that only the rich and famous can afford?

True there are aqua-colored waters, bungalows on stilts, and luxury resort properties that cater to the very wealthy. But there is so much more to the Maldives than this!