2017 Travel Year in Review

Life is a journey with certain mile-markers lighting the way.   On the final day of the year, I frequently like to take a timeout to consider the road I traveled since January 1st.  In my travel life, this year has been amazing.

It started in February with a trip to the Oregon Coast with my partner and a few of our best friends to celebrate a rather monumental milestone in one of our lives.  One of the group had just received her first cancer-free report one month before her 50th birthday.  We celebrated with a beach house rental, shopping at the local outlets, and an ocean-side seafood dinner.

In April, I spent some time in North Dakota with my family.  I was immersed in Mid-west farm culture, visiting livestock auctions, prairie churches, and some good hometown, North Dakota hotdish!  For those of you who've never experienced a North Dakota hotdish, you're missing out!

In May, We visited the beautiful city of Portland, Oregon for a Wedding.  We stayed downtown, and spent time in the Pearl District, and visited the famed VooDoo Doughnuts, and Portland Saturday Market.

With summer, came international travel, where we flew to Stockholm, Sweden.  We toured museums, Viking ships, and indulged in the best food Scandinavia had to offer.  We took the train across Sweden to Trollhatten to meet my Swedish family.  After a week in Sweden, we visited Iceland for the first time, taking advantage of Reykjavik's annual Culture Day, and relaxing at the world-renowned Blue Lagoon.

This fall, we found ourselves in Indianapolis for yet another wedding.  Much to our surprise, we found a secret foodie heaven lurking in the great Midwest.  Who says there's no such thing as hidden treasure?!


As for the road ahead?  I'm not sure where 2018 will lead us...  Stay tuned to find out!

Indianapolis: Secret Foodie Destination!

Earlier this Fall, my partner and I had the opportunity to visit Indianapolis for the first time when our dear friends were getting married.  As someone that grew up in the Midwest, I wasn't expecting much out of the ordinary.  Was I ever surprised!  I'm pretty sure that Indianapolis is some super top secret foodie destination!

This was a tremendously quick trip:  We flew in late Friday night after teaching all day, had a wedding to attend Saturday night, and a flight back to New York early Sunday morning.  This only left us with Saturday morning, and some of the afternoon to investigate.  We got a hotel in the downtown area so as to maximize our ability to see as much as we could in a short period of time.  We were not able to get a "breakfast included" deal, which is one of my favorite budgetary travel hacks, but in this situation, I didn't really mind. It gave us the opportunity to get out early and explore.

We made our way on foot to a local brunch hot spot called The Garden Table.  Now, I am admittedly a self-proclaimed health-food loving, vegan enthusiast.  It's not that I won't flex while I'm traveling, but I certainly have my preferences, and The Garden Table certainly delivers!  This fresh juicery and eatery boast a seasonal menu that is primarily sourced locally.
We started off with a cold-pressed juice flight.  The juice blends are fresh and top-notch.  You can mix and match, choose up to 4 of the 8 premium juices offered, served as one elegant flight in 5-ounce glasses.  I was delighted with each of our 4 choices but highly recommend the neon nectar.  For those wishing to take a walk on the vegan or lacto-vegetarian side, the Tuscan toast is to die for!  The thick cut house multigrain bread is served smothered in pesto, yam bacon, tomato (optional), greens, feta cheese (also optional), olive oil.  Lamb bacon is available for meat eaters.  Add a small soup of the day to round out the meal.  For those with slightly more traditional tastes, the biscuits and rolled omelets are also brilliantly composed.  This restaurant has something for every dietary need ranging from the standard American diet all the way to vegan and gluten-free.  Each dish is hand-crafted and composed as if it were a piece of art, all for a reasonable price.  I would literally go back to Indy just to eat at The Garden Table.

After a brunch so good we almost forgot it was healthy, we went for a little walk to take in the sights and made our way past a bar on a bicycle.You can either reserve a seat or two on one that isn't filled, or you and 20 of your best friends can book one for yourselves.  To be honest, it sounds like a lot of fun if the weather is nice, and you're planning something for a group.  It's a beautiful wooden bar with bar stools all around it.  Each bar stool is essentially a bicycle?  unicycle?  While I'm uncertain which label to appropriately give it, my point is that each bar stool is connected to peddles.  So, each person sitting at the bar is responsible for helping to keep the bar in motion.  These rentals tend to be for a couple of hours.  Now that I know this exists, I am definitely returning and doing this!  I mean, seriously, what a way to take in some of the city!

After our walk, we came across a place called Rebar where we met up with a couple of friends. This beer bar is far from the traditional pub.  If you're drinking beer, you need to see the bartender to get you connected to a plastic swipe card.  Once you're set up, you walk toward the back of the bar to a wall of beer taps (mostly local).  Once you decide what you want, you swipe your card and serve yourself as much or as little as you like:  a little screen will show you the ounces poured and money spent.  Rebar, where have you been my whole life?!

What I loved about this was the ability for me to try a lot of local beer without drinking too much.  I typically only poured myself a couple of ounces at a time, so I could try several things without being affected.  The owner and operator happened to be there when I was visiting and was absolutely professional and personable.  I was interested in how this system was able to function legally.  I mean, letting people serve themselves?  Brilliant for saving money on staffing, but people might really overdo it!  Apparently, the cards are programmed to stop at certain limits in order to prevent over-consumption.  Well done Rebar!  Genius.  Not only was the system pretty amazing, but the local beers presented a great variety, and the atmosphere was clean and inviting.  At this point, I had to head back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding but vowed to return on a future trip 


It was a quick trip Indy, but a good one.  Unfortunately, your secret isn't safe with me.  I've uncovered your secret identity as a little-known food destination, and I'm definitely telling!

Icebar Stockholm

After dancing ourselves silly at the ABBA Museum, we headed across the water for an inexpensive lunch, while waiting for our appointment at Icebar Stockholm (also called Absolute Icebar).  We popped into a fast food place because we were hungry and limited on time.  MAX is a fast food restaurant in Sweden.  If you keep it simple and stick to a small burger, fries, and soda (also small),  you could easily get lunch for two for $10-15 (USD).   I am a bit more experimental with food while traveling, but those who know me know that I regularly consume a plant-based diet. That's why I was excited to learn that while a bit spendier, it is also possible to get Gluten Free and Vegan/Vegetarian options at MAX.  I rarely eat fast food, but I must admit to being a fan of MAX.  I also rarely consume sodas, but there, the soda is actually made with real sugar (GASP!)!  Anyhow, I am detracting from my original point.  We found MAX  primarily because it was about a block from the hotel that houses the Icebar.

We were a bit early to our appointment (you can walk-in, but run the risk of being declined if they're booked up), and looked about the gift shop.  I was amused to see that you can purchase the mold used to make a glass out of ice.  I didn't buy one due to my lack of desire to carry it around, and overall mission to declutter.  Once the majority of those sharing our appointment time had gathered, s staff member came over to offer a few instructions, and assist us in putting on our special garb.  They give you a special cape and mittens intended to keep you comfortable while inside the Icebar.

An appointment lasts approximately 45 minutes and begins with a short ice lined hallway up to a bar, where each attendee gets one drink with admission.  Like the old saying goes "When in Sweden, do as the Swedes do..."  So, I ordered a drink called "River to River."  It was made of Absolute Vodka, Lingonberries, and Lingonberry Juice.  It was deliciously tart in the way that a Granny Smith Apple might taste.  I had preordered a second drink (to be served in my original glass).  For that one, I chose "2098." I accidentally chose the correct order because this one was much sweeter.  This flavor was caramel apple with vodka.  The atmosphere was quaint with little cafe table constructed of ice blocks, a throne and face-sized holes in the walls to create the perfect photo opt.

The experience was phenomenal, and I'd like to say I would have stayed there all day, but by the end of my 45 minutes, I was cold enough to depart....until next time.

The ABBA Museum

Since we were planning on being in Stockholm for about a week, we knew there would be days that we wouldn't be able to use our Stockholm Pass.  Fortunately for us, there were things we really wanted to do that weren't available to us on the pass.  One of those things was the ABBA Museum.

Yes, of course!  Only in Stockholm is there an entire museum dedicated to the musical group, ABBA.  Upon entrance to the museum, there is a gift shop to the left, a cafe to the right, and exhibits downstairs.  First a stop to the free lockers.  This is pretty common in Stockholm museums and attractions:  free lockers to keep you from needing to carry your bags with you the entire day.  As you proceed into the exhibit space you are launched into a history lesson on each of the four members of the band, complete with artifacts and information on the artistic backgrounds of each prior to formulating ABBA.  Next, a visual display featuring the many costumes designed for the band.  

If the history of this pop groups doesn't appeal to you, the museum's got you covered.  There's a plethora of interactive experiences to enjoy.  For the techie in us all, a hands-on exhibit allowing you to digitally remaster an ABBA song.  They give you the raw tracks, and you get to decide on all of the levels.  At the end, you are scored on how close your mix was to the original.  

If performance is more your speed, you can karaoke any ABBA song in a sound booth that will rate
your vocal skill according to how close you come to the original recording.  Moreover, you can take the stage and dance with holograms of the group to one of several ABBA song choices.  

For those of you with children, there is a special children's theater featuring an ABBA cartoon that takes children on a journey of the four friends' careers from start to finish.  I am a huge ABBA fan, and so is my partner, so we were both pleased as punch with our experience.  If you feel as though your family is split in terms of their interest in ABBA, you might consider the bonus exhibits.  If you keep going further into the ABBA museum you see a rather large side exhibit dedicated to popular European music through the decades.  My partner is also a great lover of Jazz and found some rather interesting pieces of music history there as well.  

Admission to this museum is 250,00 SEK (about $30 USD).  So, this one is a splurge.  They do have a family ticket option, which can save you some money (good for 2 adults, and up to 4 kids).  I genuinely do love ABBA, so this was well worth the splurge!  

Next, we went for pre-planned splurge #2.  The Absolute Icebar (complete write-up coming soon)...

The 10 Best Holiday Gifts for Travel-Lovers

When I need to come up with the perfect gift for someone, I really struggle.  I am at a point in my life where I really don't want a bunch of extra stuff to store, or clutter up my space.  I also don't want to be the reason other people have clutter either.  I really like gifts that are either experiential, extremely useful, or otherwise make some of my life experiences easier or more enjoyable.   That being said, I have compose a list of my top gift recommendations for the traveler in your life.

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1.  A Universal Travel Adapter

This thing is amazing!  This is the exact one that I have.  It is small, easy to pack or store, and works in over 150 countries.  Given how inexpensive these little devices are, there's no reason not to have one in your suitcase.  This adapter allows the user to plug in any of their devices the old-fashion way or via USB as needed.

2.  A Portable Cell Phone Charger

This is the exact one that I currently use.   I used to be one of those people tethered to the wall outlet in the halls of the airport, seated on the ground, waiting for my phone to have enough charge on it.  Well, I'm not that person anymore.  Now, I can be seated anywhere, or even on the go and have my phone charging as needed.  Originally, I bought it to slip into a special cell phone charging pocket of my suitcase, but truth be known, it can easily be thrown into a purse or backpack for every day usage.  Bonus:  It's got two USB ports, allowing it to charge multiple devices at a time.

3.  Headphones



I can't tell you how many times I've forgotten to pack my headphones because I can't do it much ahead of time.  I use headphones during my daily commute so, they frequently don't make it into my travel gear.  It's not a problem for me anymore!  This is the set that's been designated for travel.  It's inexpensive, and lives in my suitcase ready for take off.  Also, this Sony pair comes with a built in mic, so technically it can be used on the airplane, or your cell phone.  Don't worry; it comes in other colors.  This is just the one that I like best!

4.  Carry-On Size Suitcase


I cannot tell you how much I love this suitcase (but I'll sure try)!  I know almost everyone sings the praises of Samsonite, and I agree that they're great, but what most people don't realize is that Delsey's been around since 1946, when they got their start making leather cases (camera bags, etc.).  I have searched high and low for a suitcase I love, and this is it!  First of all, I am a light packer, and prefer to use a carry-on.  Additionally, I love compartments.  There is a compartment on the outside sized for you to place a charging pack (like the one listed on #2). It has a tiny hole for your charging cord to come out through, thus allowing you to plug your device in from the comfort of you suitcase.  Furthermore, there is a small, square lined pocket that can be unzipped from the outside, allowing you to place something inside of your suitcase without it touching you other things.  For example.  Once I am in the airport, I might take off my coat, fold it up, and place it in this pocket.  Since the pocket is lined, my potentially damp coat will not touch my other clothing.  I can also access it again without getting into my entire suitcase.  I can't tell you how much I love this feature.  You don't realize how handy it is until you are in the airport  wanting to stash a coat, or swap shoes, etc.  There are also some pockets inside of the suitcase.  The one that captures my attention the most is a small, waterproof pouch.  This pouch is terrific for dirty clothing, or wet bathing suits.  It's waterproof nature means that it's contents won't taint clean or dry items in the rest of the suitcase.  Overall, the quality is durable, the price is relatively modest, and it's organizational features are first rate. The traveler in your life is sure to be thrilled with it.

5.  Under-the-Seat Suitcase



This Delsey suitcase is very much the same as the carry-on size that I have, but even smaller.  This is for the ultra-lite packer, and can be stashed under an airline seat.  The beautiful thing about it is that it has many of the same organizational features that can be found in the larger sizes (only compact).

6.  Hanging Toiletries Bag



One of the most annoying things about traveling (especially on multi-destination trips) can be packing and unpacking your toiletries.  If you have the right kind of set, this can be as easy as pulling it out of a suitcase, and hanging it in the bathroom.  It also makes repacking a much easier task!

7.  Packing Cubes



Packing cubes will change the way you travel!  Even if the travel-lover in your life has a set, these are useful.  I find that mixing and matching between regular travel cubes and slender.  I find the larger ones useful for bulkier items.

8.  Slender Packing Cubes



The slender cubes are great for making slightly less bulky items more compact.  As previously stated, I feel that combining regular styles with slim styles often yields the best result.

9.  Traveler's Wall Map



Any travel lover is literally guaranteed to fall in love with this piece of art.  This beautiful wall hanging comes with multi-colored push pins designed to track the travels of it's owner.  Not only is it a wonderful conversation starter, but it also comes in both standard and personalized designs.

10.  Travel Journal



Travel lovers are frequently passionate about documenting their adventures.  I personally use a leather bound travel journal with unlined pages so that I can paste items into it, in addition to jotting notes about my discoveries and experiences.

What are the go-to gifts for the traveler in your life?  If you are a frequent traveler, what are some of the best gifts that have enhanced your travel experiences?

The Stockholm Pass

Stockholm, Sweden, "The Venice of the North," a city that has captured my heart.  I most highly recommend this gem of a city to anyone looking for a European getaway.  We elected to spend a week in Sweden, the majority of which was in Stockholm.  The one thing about Stockholm, as with most Scandinavian cities, is that it's pretty expensive.  There are, however, ways to reduce your costs.  One of which is to purchase the Stockholm Pass. 

You can purchase the Stockholm Pass online, or at any number of outlets once you're in Stockholm (hotels, retail locations, etc.).  You can buy a Stockholm Pass for 24, 48, or 72 hours.  The folks at the visitor's center gave us two complimentary 48 Hour Stockholm Passes to review and write about.  If I had purchased this, it would have cost SEK 795.00, which is equal to about $95 (USD).    The Stockholm Pass allows you entrance into over 60 attractions.  This includes Sightseeing tours, museums, palaces, monuments,  as well as, hop-on-hop-off buses and boats. 

As if this isn't already a huge money saver, a 48 hour Stockholm Pass is actually good for 48 hours from the time you first use it!  We first used our pass at 11:00 AM and used it all that day, and the following day.  That third day when we woke up, we went to the place that gives you tickets for boat tours, and got in line.  By 9:00 AM, we had our tickets for a 1:00 boat tour called "Under the Bridges of Stockholm" that would take about 2 hours.  We still had time on the pass, so we grabbed a hop-on-hop-off boat across the water to the Nordic Museum.  By the time we left the Nordic Museum, our Stockholm Pass was expired so we had to take public transit back to catch our boat tour.  Since we had already been issued a ticket to the boat tour, it didn't matter that our pass had expired.  

In the United States, we typically get passes for things, and they are good for a certain number of days, but those "days" expire at midnight, or the end of the business day.  The Stockholm Pass is actually good for the number of hours that you purchased.  Because of this fact, I was able to get three days of activities out of a 48 hour pass.  Now THAT'S what I call a great deal!

Scandinavian Breakfast

We all know that one of my money saving strategies is to try to stay somewhere that has a breakfast included.  That strategy paid off quite well on our recent trip to Scandinavia.  We spent 7 days in Sweden and 3 days in Iceland, both of which are extremely expensive in general.  So, any simple way to cut expenses is worthy of mention.

Our first day in Stockholm, we awoke from our jet-lagged fog,  scurried about quickly and clumsily to get dressed and appear decent enough to go to the breakfast room.  You see, there was no coffee maker in the room, and we both require coffee to operate as decent human beings...  We entered a room with a rather impressive spread, not that I should be surprised.  The Swedish did, in fact, invented the Smorgasbord. I immediately made my way up to the coffee machine, taking mental note of the tiniest coffee cups I had ever seen.  I calculated that I'd probably have to drink at least 5 or 6 of these in order to get the proper caffeine intake to survive my day.  Tiny coffee cups are fairly traditional in Scandinavia.  While initially, I found these coffee cups quaint, if not a slightly inconvenient delivery system for my coffee, I was delighted to realize that the Swedish take their coffee quite seriously.  Scandinavian coffee is NO JOKE.  It is extremely strong, and I was thrilled.  Perhaps the coffee's sheer strength would help me limit the number of cups I'd consume.  Funny side note:  apparently Swedish folks find American coffee cups to be pretty comical.  It seems we've acquired a reputation for bizarrely, huge coffee mugs.

Next, I made my way over to the cold beverage station.  What can I say, I'm a gal that likes her beverages!  I had my choice of water, orange juice, and apple juice.  Just to the right of this was a station for yogurt and cereal.  The primary cereal choice was muesli (and something else, perhaps corn flakes).  There was also a large container of mixed berries, followed by a large container of yogurt.  The berry mixture was relatively tart, containing Lingonberries, blueberries, and blackberries it seemed.  The yogurt is quite different from what an American would expect: much thinner and tart.  An American might expect these to be sweeter foods, but in Scandinavia, they're tart.  I quite liked it that way, as I don't have much of a pallet for sweet foods in general.  Even for me, it was a little tart, so I sweetened it slightly with honey from the coffee and tea station.   Just to the left of the cold beverages, there was a large wooden cutting board with several loaves of bread.  There were mostly darker varieties and a toaster.

There was a separate smorgasbord set up with baskets of rolls and hard bread (think: WASA variety hearing.  I've seen eggs three ways: scrambled, soft-boiled, and hard-boiled, complete with egg-cups.  Your average American doesn't use an egg-cup, so I was eager to give this a try.  I am pleased to report that I was successful at taking the top off my soft-boiled egg with minimal mess, though I'm sure it didn't look particularly elegant coming from me!  For those looking for some familiarity, bacon and sausage were both available, right next to the meatballs and lingonberry jam.
crackers.  Long, hard, rectangles, grainy, and limited flavor on their own).  The rolls and hard bread (crackers) are meant to be topped with cold cuts and vegetables.  Cheese, a couple of salami's, and ham seem to be fairly traditional choices, along with cucumbers, tomatoes, and maybe some sliced red bell peppers.  The most common way to eat this would be to make open-faced sandwiches with meat, cheese, and vegetables on it.  You are also likely to see

In general, a Scandinavian breakfast is a savory one.  There are a few similarities to a standard American breakfast, but several marked differences.  The above described breakfast was in Stockholm, Sweden.  Breakfast in Reykjavik, Iceland was similar with a few exceptions.  The only eggs to be seen were hard-boiled, and no breakfast sausage, bacon, or meatballs.  Everything else was more or less the same. Overall, it made me rethink breakfast, and I think I could definitely get used to a traditional Scandinavian breakfast.