Category Archives: WEEKEND TRAVEL

The Unforgettable Beauty of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Driving around Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, it’s hard to believe you’re still in the United States. A road trip here comes dotted with charming little towns that give way to the untouched landscape of the coast with the more than 70,000 acres of national parkland waiting to be explored. Here are a few of our favorite things to do in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Throw out your itinerary for the weekend. Simply driving along the lakeshore, you’ll find charming small towns you’ll want to stop and meander through. Munising is the largest and, as the closest to the park entrance, it’s where you’ll want to stay if you’re not camping in the park.  It’s full of shops that will have you wishing you packed an extra suitcase, but, even if you’re not in a shopping mood, make sure to stop at Muldoons Pasties & Gifts and get yourself a pasty. Further from the park entrance, it’s hard to resist stopping in a community called Paradise. Check out the shipwreck museum before taking in Tahquamenon Falls, and follow it up with a craft brew at the Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub.

 

Pictured Rocks Cliffs

No visit to this part of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is complete without taking in the namesake Pictured Rocks Cliffs. The sandstone cliffs stretch out along Lake Superior towering 200 feet above the lake at their highest point. But more than their sheer size, it’s the colors of the cliffs, streaked with red, orange, blue-green, white brown and black, that will strike you the most. Pro viewing tips: the cliffs are best seen from the water and there are boat tours you can take, but, you can also see them by taking a 10-mile hike along the Chapel Basin.

pictured rocks national lakeshore cliff

 

Munising Falls

Waterfalls seem to pop up everywhere along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, but the must-visit for us is Munising Falls. The 50-foot waterfall, located a short, easy walk off Miners Castle Road, is a must-visit for how incredibly powerful the falls are. Take the stairs up to the elevated platforms and watch in awe as the water drops over the cliff. On your way back from the falls, stop at Miners Castle Rock, one of the most famous landmarks in the park and one of the few places you can see the Pictured Rocks Cliffs on foot.

pictured rocks national lakeshore

 

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore’s Lighthouses

Wander down a 1.5-mile trail from the Hurricane River Campground and you’ll find an active light station standing guard over the lakeshore. Depending on the season, you can tour the Au Sable Lighthouse, originally built in the 1800s, but even if the lighthouse isn’t open when you visit, the views along the trail are worth the walk alone.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore lighthouse

The Best Sushi Restaurants in America

Sushi is so common it’s easy for it to become an afterthought — a literal last-minute lunch fix from the Publix around the corner. Of course, the ever-increasing availability of sushi that at least qualifies as edible can only be seen as a good thing. But if you’re really looking to transport your taste buds to Tokyo, you might want to settle in for a night of non-stop, Edomae-style nigiri fueled by junmai daiginjo sake at one of these extraordinary shrines to the art of Japanese seafood: the seven best sushi restaurants in America.

 

Shuko

New York, New York

Shuko sushi
Photo courtesy of Shuko

Chefs Jimmy Lau and Nick Kim sharpened their skills under Masa Takayama, the owner of Masa, a three-Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant in Manhattan, New York. Then they ran their own start-up sushi operation on West 8th Street called Neta. A decade later, they opened Shuko — one of the Big Apple’s hottest and most loved sushi destinations. Unlike the cramped bar at their first restaurant, the C-shaped dining counter here, carved from a solid Tamo Ash that was butterflied, seats 20 people comfortably. The chefs are flanked by a fleet of diligent assistants, including a bewhiskered bartender who mixes exotic cocktails with ten-year-old Armagnac and Japanese tea, then spritzes them with plum-flavored eau-de-vie.

There’s no menu. Shuko elevates fish to an art form. The toro tartare on milk bread and the spicy tuna roll covered with Thai chiles, chopped to bits and ready to set your taste buds on fire, will leave you fondly recalling them for months after they’ve ended.

 

Morio’s Sushi Bistro

Honolulu, Hawaii

Morio's Sushi Bistro
Photo courtesy of Ariana M.

With less than two dozen seats in the entire establishment,Morio’s Sushi Bistro basically caters to those with a four-months-ahead reservation. “The front of the shop looks rather run down,” says Kristine Tan from Honolulu, Hawaii. “However, all the magic is inside of its brick and mortar.” Morio’s Sushi Bistro is a sort of BYOB sushi party. Everyone wears t-shirts and rubbah slippahs. Chef Morio cracks crass one-liners and takes swigs of sake with his guests. A renowned fishmonger who gets first dibs at some of the finest seafood out of Japan, he also crafts sake steamed clams, lobster soup, and shrimp tempura that’s fried in the lightest of batters.  It’ll give you food dreams for weeks.

 

Sushi Ota

San Diego, California

Sushi ota
Photo courtesy of Alexis K.

Parked next door to a 7-Eleven and a Planned Parenthood, Sushi Ota looks like it could be a shady dentist’s office. But this hole-in-the-wall is actually one of the best sushi spots in the Bay area. An army of master chefs, clad in black robes and crown-fitting white hats, serve petite slices of translucent spot prawn along with its deep-fried head. Sushi Ota’s uni is also plucked daily from local waters and is the stuff of legend. “It makes you want to sell all of your possessions to just keep getting another hit of that thick, rich, creamy, and sweet sea urchin,” says Freiler Thompson from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Between the crisp, nubbly octopus fritters and specialty rolls like the Pizza, a California roll topped with eel sauce, that are sold at strip-mall prices, you’ll be so in love with your food that you’ll want to fork it.

 

Toni’s Sushi Bar

Miami, Florida

Toni's Sushi Bar
Photo courtesy of German M.

Sushi has become as prevalent in Miami as flip-flop weddings and golden-thonged bicyclists, with rolls popping up in bodegas and high-end hotels alike. But before all that, Toni’s was churning out high-quality, no-flash sushi in Oriental-style digs (complete with sunken seating and bamboo dividers). South Beach’s first Japanese restaurant, it’s still on the cutting edge — literally. It serves up steaming bowls of soba noodles topped with beef, shrimp, or veggies, plus Tony’s Choice, a single serving of fresh sushi and sashimi artfully arranged atop a bamboo boat. The Washington Avenue restaurant is as notable for what it is — one of the best sushi spots in the Sunshine State — as for what it isn’t: expensive and overblown.

 

Morimoto

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Morimoto sushi
Photo courtesy of Morimoto

The Iron Chef who gave this ultra-modern, color kinetic, Tokyo-in-the-US restaurant its name seldom wields his knives behind Philly’s best sushi joint. “I spend more time cooking at events,” says Masaharu Morimoto. “It’s good to do something different, like creating new menu items. I’ve gotten some ideas from Italian food: for Uni Carbonara, instead of pasta, I use Japanese Inaniwa Udon, thin noodles.” From his infamous fugu (blowfish), prepared three ways in season, to his toro that melts in your mouth like butter, Morimoto’s flagship packs in more species of fish than Finding Nemo. Located a block from Independence Hall on Chestnut Street, the two-story space is a mix between a swanky nightclub and a zen modern art gallery. Unlike most super-fancy joints with a world-famous owner, though, the omakase  won’t put a massive crater in your wallet. Pair it with a “Sakura” — a cosmo made with Sake — or a Rogue Hazelnut beer.

 

Kai Zan

Chicago, Illinois

kai zen sushi
Photo courtesy of Kai Zan

Identical twins Carlo and Melvin Vizconde honed their seafood skills at various sushi gigs before striking out on their own and establishing Kai Zan in a somewhat sleepy Humboldt Park location that wasn’t considered a likely destination for serious raw fish connoisseurs.  And yet, seven years in, this serene 22-seater has established itself as a favorite among sushi snobs for its BYOB policy (limit 2 bottles) and  omakase that includes more food than you can eat — oyster and uni shooters served in ponzu sauce and topped with caviar and quail eggs, seared salmon wrapped around orange-kissed scallops, bite-size rice balls topped with seared tuna, spicy mayo, chili oil, and a creamy wasabi sauce. Then there’s Japanese dezāto like coffee gelatin topped with sweet red beans and whipped cream or green tea ice cream smothered with Anko that’s guaranteed to hit your sweet spot.

 

Nodoguro

Portland, Oregon

Nodoguro sushi
Photo courtesy of Nodoguro

Chef Ryan Roadhouse and his business partner and wife, Elena Roadhouse, specialize in “hardcore” 13, 19, and 25-course omakase that are built around subtle references to artists, fast food chains, or TV shows — including a “Twin Peaks” meal they once cooked at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles for the director David Lynch. At Nodoguro’s ever-changing kappo-style feasts, you might be served a salmon roe “Russian-style” sandwich, a risotto-like uni rice topped with popping roe, or gently crisped Japanese eggplant poached in young miso with a sliver of duck.

It’s hard to say since Roadhouse designs his menu 48 hours before each meal. And he sources some of the rarest ingredients from Japan, found nowhere else in the United States. What’s certain in this “adventurous eaters only” approach to culinary improv? “It encompasses every sense and has the ability to take a person out of place and time,” says one Yelper. “I am still floating on a high from having one of the most exquisite meals of my life.” The Belmont Street restaurant’s reservation books open only once a month, so jump on tickets immediately. Which is to say, check its website for cancellations on the regular if you want to score a seat.

The Best Destinations for Live Music in the US

It seems like a fairly safe bet that most decently-populated destinations in the U.S. have something in the way of live music, if you look hard enough. But certain cities have built their whole identity around their music scenes, which makes them the perfect places to visit if you’re an enthusiast.

But let’s be real — who doesn’t like to see live music every once in a while? That’s like saying you don’t like to have a good time. These are some of the best destinations for live music in the country.

1. New Orleans, LA

best destinations for live music
Photo by Chris Litherland

Also known as the birthplace of jazz, NOLA is famous for its festivals. There’s Mardi Gras, but then there’s also the Jazz & Heritage Festival, the French Quarter Festival, the Voodoo Music & Arts Experience, and a long list of others. The city is also well-known for an eclectic group of famous performers and musicians, including Louie Armstrong, Amanda Shaw, and Lil Wayne.

Nothing fosters the flow of live shows like the lack of a last call. Bars in NOLA stay open all night, which means you should plan to take an Uber, pace yourself, and make sure you bring that tube of lipstick. You’re in it for the long haul.

For music destinations and lengthy reviews, check out TripAdvisor’s NOLA page.

2. Austin, TX

best destinations for live music
Photo by Lonestar Mike

Things take a turn for the country when you head over to southern Texas. Known as the “Live Music Capitol of the World” due to the sheer volume of the acts happening around town on any given night, Austin’s particular flavor of country has a progressive, counterculture twist.

But as the host for big-name festivals like SXSW and Austin City Limits Music Festival, Austin is far more than just a country, blues, and rock music destination. It’s branched out to all different genres, and also exists as a hub for beginning artists looking for somewhere other than Nashville to get noticed.

Check out this awesome guide from the Guardian for more details about where to go.

3. Fayetteville, AR

best us destinations for live music
Photo by Brandonrush

The first time someone mentioned this to me, I was like, “Say what?” It seemed pretty random. But apparently, Fayetteville, with a population of around 80,000 — a figure that is up nearly 40% since 2000 — is a small, Southern community that loves its arts and culture with a fiery passion.

For instance, this spring, they’re hosting Buddy Guy at the Walton Arts Center. And their most popular venue, George’s Majestic Lounge, is the oldest venue in Arkansas and the host of a long list of popular musicians over the years, including Leon Russell, Eddie Money, Pat Green, and Sam Bush.

Check out this Fayetteville itinerary for some suggestions, and make sure to tweet some personal reviews if you make it down.

4. Asheville, NC

best destinations for live music in the us
Photo by pulaw

The “Land of the Sky” is known for being a standout, free-spirited hub in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Another Southern arts town (like Fayetteville, just bigger), Asheville keeps it lively with a constant stream of musical acts and festivals year-round.

Blues is the name of the game in Asheville. When you look at the history behind some of Asheville’s iconic venues, you’ll see musicians like the Black Keys, Madeski Martin & Wood, Bob Dylan, and Sharon Jones — but it’s a progressive environment with a place for R&B, rock, soul, pop, and electronic music, as well.

Check out ExploreAsheville.com, the city’s website, for a great rundown of the local scene.

5. Brooklyn, NY

best places for live music
Photo by Steven Pisano

With its rise to hipster fame in recent years, this seems like a no-brainer for great music. In fact, if you try to look online, the variety of options seems overwhelming. But Brooklyn faces a different challenge than smaller towns like Fayetteville do when it comes to sustaining growth: gentrification. With some long-standing venues shutting down due to increased rent, the Brooklyn live music scene is changing.

If you’re planning a trip and looking for a starting block, Vogue has a pretty good live music guide that will show you where to go dancing and where to chill out. For a slightly more local opinion, check out Brooklyn Mag.

6. Denver, CO

best live music in the us
Photo by Matt Wright

Finally, we arrive at jam band central — or, maybe, what used to be jam band central. Nowadays, what you hear about Denver’s music scene is actually regarding its diversity of genres, which includes punk, electronic, rap, and the like. Another thing you hear about Denver’s music scene is that there’s opportunity for growth, and it seems an influx of transplants are taking advantage.

Regardless of the country roots and jam band undertones, Denver now has a little bit of everything, from large stadiums to warehouses to small, gritty bars. Check out what the Guardian has to say about where to party in Denver before you travel.

The Best Spicy Food Restaurants in the US

Raise your hand if you’re always ordering the spiciest dish on a restaurant’s menu. Sure, your friends may look at you in horror while they munch on their, shall we say, bland dish? But spicy food lovers know the joy of the stages to tasting spice. First you get the flavor, then you get layers of flavor, and then you get the heat.  Plus, according to a study from the University of Vermont, consumption of red hot chili peppers is associated with a 13 percent reduction in total mortality. So really, you’re being healthy when you order that craft beer brewed with ghost peppers. Here are five restaurants in the U.S. that will help satisfy your thirst for spicy food.

 

When in Nashville, make it spicy chicken at Hattie B’s

Nashville is known for its iconic hot chicken, basically, your traditional buttermilk-fried chicken doused in hot sauce. You should order it from Hattie B’s. The no-frills restaurant knows its spice. While they do serve a mild chicken for your friends that can’t stand the heat, you’re going to want to order their five-alarm fried chicken, “Shut the Cluck Up.” Don’t forget the side of mac and cheese.

hattie Bs spicy food
Photo: Jimmy Emerson, DVM via Flickr

 

Drink your spice in North Carolina

You’ve heard of ghost chili peppers, probably even tried them, but have you had them in a beer? Charlotte, North Carolina-based Ass Clown Brewing has two spicy brews you’re going to want to try: the Go Reap Yourself IPA, made with Carolina Reaper peppers, and a Ghost Chili IPA, made with ghost peppers.

 

When in NYC or San Francisco, try Mission Chinese

Eating at one of Mission Chinese Food’s locations (Brooklyn, Manhattan, San Francisco) is like throwing your very own spice party. The food is based loosely on Szechuan cuisine from southwestern China, which, on its own, is known for bringing the heat, but Mission Chinese Food takes it to another level by incorporating classics from around the world. It was one of the favorite NYC restaurants of the late Anthony Bourdain. Order the Chongquing Chicken Wings.

mission chinese spicy food
Photo: Foodie Buddha via Flickr

 

Spice up your BBQ at Big Bad Wolf’s House of Barbecue

Don’t be scared by the dive bar exterior. Baltimore’s Big Bad Wolf’s House of Barbeque is one of the city’s hidden gems, and it has some of the best BBQ in the country. Douse whatever you order in their sauces that range from mild to “Hot Enough for the Devil,” for a sweet and spicy taste you’ll never forget.

 

Some like it hot at Torchy’s Tacos in Texas

Every August, Texas-based Torchy Tacos rolls out a special “Some Like Hot” menu, and every year, people flee from the spicy tacos. (OK, we can’t confirm this, but the tacos seem to get hotter each year.) Even if you don’t hit up the place in August, though, the casual taco joint brings the spice during the rest of the year with classic options like “The Brush Fire: American Jerk Chicken,” with grilled jalapeños, mango, sour cream, and cilantro, with diablo sauce that will have you reaching for a glass of milk.

torch's tacos spicy food
Photo: Michelle Lee via Flickr

Eat the Best International Food in these 5 US Cities

While planning your next vacation, let your stomach be your guide. I love discovering different foodie scenes, and in a country as multicultural and diverse as ours, the options seem endless. Tasting the Caribbean’s best seasonings while lounging on an island, eating fresh sushi in Japan, and exploring Europe’s culinary heritage all sound fantastic, but international travel isn’t always easy. Fortunately, you may not need to go much further than your own backyard to taste some of the world’s most exotic flavors and freshest ingredients. Here are our picks of the best international food destinations in the US.

 

San Diego, California 

When talking about food scenes, California is nearly always mentioned, thanks to culinary superstar cities Los Angeles and San Francisco, but over the last few years, San Diego has seen some of that limelight. Sure, its proximity to Mexico means San Diego enjoys truly spectacular Mexican food, but if you want to be surprised, dive into the Asian food scene.

international food 2

San Diego’s Convoy Street is now boasted as “the” place to go for eating your way through Asian cuisine in the US. Despite stretching less than two miles, multiple vacations may be needed to try every Asian restaurant on this strip. Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, and Filipino cuisines are all offered. From dumplings to ramen, curry to kimchi, the possibilities are starting to seem endless in San Diego. And who wouldn’t want to visit “America’s Finest City”?

 

South Coast, Massachusetts 

As Massachusetts’ locals say, the shortest route from the US to Portugal is over the Braga Bridge, a main connection between Rhode Island and the south coast, where you’ll find the country’s largest community of Portuguese residents. Rich in flavor, Portugal’s culinary heritage has a history rooted in the maritime Age of Exploration, so be ready to taste hints of chili pepper, saffron, cinnamon, garlic, and vanilla, in addition to locally-grown herbs. The other connection to the sea comes from ingredients found in the Atlantic Ocean, and many dishes revolve heavily around fish and shellfish.

international food 3

These links to the sea are reasons why the Portuguese settled in New England during different waves of migration. Now that the travel world is buzzing about Portugal, why not discover what some of that excitement is about? From the famous monastery sweets to New England’s twists on traditional seafood recipes, to wine from the world’s oldest demarcated region (yes, that’s Portuguese!), you’ll find it all around the Massachusetts south coast.

 

 

Portland, Oregon

It’s not always easy to simplify a vegan lifestyle on vacation, especially if you want to get variety into your diet. That is, unless you visit a city like Portland, Oregon. Not only do the dining options seem limitless, but Portland has fun with veganism and it’s easy to find everything from donuts to burgers, cheeses, and wings.

international food 4

Sure, other cities like Los Angeles and NYC top the vegan charts and may offer even more dining options than Portland, but Oregon’s healthy living goes beyond the kitchen. It’s a state for nature enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies: hikers, kayakers, cyclists, and rock climbers are just a few groups who will find their niche in Oregon. Even if you’re not outdoorsy, it’s hard to get bored in Portland, a city boasted as one of the best for bookworms and music-lovers.

 

Miami, Florida 

Feel the heat of the Caribbean’s spices by visiting “The Magic City.” All you need to do is look at a map to know that Miami is a great place for Caribbean food in the USA; you can’t get closer to this group of islands than by heading to Florida, after all, and it’s where you’ll find the greatest concentration of Caribbean communities in the US.

international food 1

Sample the different cultural favorites from Cuban ropa vieja (shredded beef) to spicy Jamaican jerk chicken and fried green plantains that are common in Haiti. Fresh fish, coconut, lime, black beans, and okra are other ingredients often used in Caribbean cuisine, a multitude of influences mixing Spanish, African, French, and even Asian tastes and cooking styles.

 

Louisville, Kentucky

At the end of the day, what is all-American cuisine? Defined by a range of recipes developed in different parts of the country, it may be inaccurate to suggest that one city or state does “American” food better than others. Or is it?

international food 5

One city where you’ll find an undeniable American culinary heritage is Louisville, Kentucky. The land of Bourbon is also a land of barbecue, Derby pie (similar to pecan pie), and stews filled with wild game. In Kentucky, dishes take on a ‘southern-style cooking’ resemblance, but in addition to hushpuppies, grits, country-fried steak, and chicken-and-dumplings, you’ll discover recipes unique to Louisville like burgoo, a spiced meaty stew, and hot brown, an open-faced sandwich topped with turkey and locally-made cheese sauce. And this foodie destination is another great spot to taste a range of international flavors; the German community ensures there are always sausages available to help soak up the local craft beer, another reason to visit.

The Best Lakes in America for the Fourth of July

It’s a general consensus that a proper Fourth of July celebration is spent with lakeside views, preferably lounging on warm, white sand. The exception, of course, is spending the day appreciating our country’s open spaces and preserved wilderness. If you’re making holiday plans, consider these lakes and the endearing small towns nearby.

Lake Tahoe, California
Where: South Lake Tahoe Recreation Area

fourth of july at lake tahoe

South Lake Tahoe’s annual Lights on the Lake festival enchants natives and newcomers alike with dramatic firework views from friendly beaches, limpid mountain peaks, and lake centers. The South Lake Tahoe Recreation Area is the premier place for family picnics and stargazing before the show, while the more adventurous can hike to the top of Mount Tallac for an undisturbed, bird’s eye view. The region offers daytime biking, hiking, and swimming opportunities for a kosher, off-the-grid celebration of our nation’s parturition.

Grand Lake, Colorado
Where: Point Park, The Beach at Grand Lake

grand point colorado lake

Kick it in the heart of the Rockies this Independence Day at Grand Lake. Colorado’s largest natural lake presents an impressive display of pyrotechnics and a full weekend of free festivals. Fireworks rise more than 7,500 feet above reflective turquoise waters. The city of Grand Lake celebrates with pancake breakfasts, fundraisers, small-town rodeos, fishing derbies, barbecues, and a renowned Fourth of July Parade. Spend the weekend hiking Rocky Mountain National Park and Shadow Mountain National Recreation Area before spending the evening in town, celebrating freedom with a drink from Grumpy’s Saloon.

Lake Michigan, Ludington, Michigan
Where: Ludington State Park

ludington lake michigan

Western Michigan is known for its alabaster-colored dunes, expansive grassy knolls, and far-removed lake atmosphere. Ludington is the epicenter of all of this plus something extra for tourists. The city’s Freedom Festival includes the Grand Parade during the day and a lengthy firework show to top off a spectral weekend in the sand. The city of Ludington is a cultural hub for local artists and galleries, and art makes a great memento for those looking to support the local economy and take home a piece of Michigan.

Flathead Lake, Montana
Where: City Beach in Whitefish

flathead lake montana

Just south of Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana is the city of Kalispell and the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi, Flathead Lake. During Fourth of July weekend, the city hosts a number of parades, ice cream socials, barbecues, and community dances. If you make the trek up north, though, your time is better spent hiking and swimming in the wilderness center of the United States. Views of Flathead fireworks are best seen from City Beach in Whitefish, on a paddleboat on the lake itself, or from the impressive Casey’s Sky Bar.

Lake Champlain, New York
Where: Bicentennial Park in Ticonderoga

lake champlain new york

Lake Champlain rests on the eastern edge of the Adirondacks between New York and Vermont. The woodsy composure of the lake and the towns on its banks offer a Fourth of July like no other. The town of Ticonderoga hosts a marathon in the morning, and an all-day “Best 4th in the North” festival including parades, food, and live country music before a fireworks display at dusk in Bicentennial Park.

6 US Destinations for Cheese Lovers

Cheese has come a long way from the orange plastic stuff of school lunches. Throughout the United States, cheesemakers are whipping up flavorful goat cheeses, rich, sharp cheddars, mild bries, and so many more varieties. Whether you like your cheese straight up, on bread, with fruit or chocolate, or in creamy mac and cheese, there’s a cheese for you. And along with these cheesemakers’ creations are artisan cheese shops, cheese trails, festivals, and classes. Here are six destinations cheese lovers won’t want to miss.

Madison, Wisconsin

No list of destinations for cheese lovers would be complete without Wisconsin, and while the whole state could easily be on this list, it’s a big state. To cover the most Wisconsin cheese ground, head to Madison. The state’s capital city is full of specialty cheesemakers, restaurants, and artisan shops selling varieties from throughout the state and beyond. They go great with the many breweries that have popped in recent years as well. Make sure you order a batch of Wisconsin cheese curds at least once during your stay.

Visit: Fromagination, Brennan’s Market, Babcock Hall Dairy Store

cheese tasting

New Orleans, Louisiana

The Crescent City may be known for beignets and hickory coffee (and you should have those when you go) but in recent years, New Orleans has become a foodie paradise. From brewers to bakers to cheesemakers, New Orleans is a delicious weekend getaway. Throughout the city, you’ll find restaurants serving fancy cheese boards, casual cheese tastings, and shops specializing in all things cheese. And if you head just outside the city, you can even visit a farm producing cheese.

Visit: St. James Cheese Company, Belle Ecorce Farms

New York, New York

Photo courtesy of Riverdel

You can’t go very far in New York City without running into cheese. The city is home to every imaginable type, including a Brooklyn shop that specializes in all vegan cheese. Yep, you read that right. The most famous of NYC cheese shops though is probably Murray’s Cheese. Visit them in Grand Central Station or in Greenwich Village, or sign up in advance for one of their many cheese classes.

Visit: Murray’s Cheese, Riverdel Vegan CheeseSaxelby Cheesemongers

San Francisco, California

With so many farms just a stone’s throw from San Francisco, it’s no wonder the city is home to some amazing cheese shops. It’s also the location of one of the Cheesemonger Invitationals, which puts the best cheesemongers from around the country in one room.  Yum! Diehard cheese lovers should sign up in advance for a three-day intensive cheese program at The Cheese School. If that’s too intense, the school also has cheese tastings and pairing classes. Or simply pick up classic San Francisco sourdough and pair it with your favorite cheese from one the city’s many shops.

Visit: Cowgirl Creamery, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese CompanyBi-Rite Market

brie cheese

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Cheese and New Mexico probably don’t seem like they go together, but the state is the fourth largest cheese producer in the country with roughly 150 dairies. Head to Santa Fe for a weekend of exploring art (the city is home to both the Museum of International Folk Art and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum) and hiking in the area’s National Park, followed by tasting cheese from some of those many dairies.

Visit: Cheesemongers of Santa Fe, Bountiful Cow Cheese

Vermont

The small state packs a big cheese punch. Vermont is home to more cheesemakers per capita than any other state and those cheesemakers produce more than 150 kinds of cheese. To make the most of this cheese destination, plan on a road trip through the state following the Vermont Cheese Trail. It’ll take you by breathtaking scenery, quaint small towns with cheese tastings, and buying opportunities at every turn. It’s a dream come true for cheese lovers everywhere.

Visit: Vermont Creamery, Maplebrook Farm, Willow Hill Farm

These American Botanical Gardens Will Give You Spring Fever

If there’s ever a season punctuated by flowers, it’s spring. After shaking off winter’s hold, nature has burst back into life with balmy weather, perfume clouds, and falling petals. Whether you’re interested in seeing the bulbs that have started peeking through the dirt, indulging in fruits and veggies that are straight from the vine, or getting up close and personal with exotic plants that can bite, there’s no better time to visit a botanical garden than springtime, even though many are open year-round, thanks to greenhouse magic.

From Atlanta’s thousands of orchids to Arizona’s cacti collections, these five botanical gardens are sure to give you spring fever—anytime of year.

 

The Desert Botanical Garden

Phoenix, Arizona

Desert Botanical Garden
Photo courtesy of The Desert Botanical Garden

 

In North America’s hottest desert, there’s a 140-acre oasis, where giant cacti, century plants—slow-growing succulents that bloom only once in their lifetimes—and milkweed erupt from cinnamon-red buttes. Here, among paved paths and numerous hiking trails, wildflowers pop up from the sand in a rainbow of colors, especially if there’s been a little bit of rain.  Thousands of butterflies native to the Southwest bandy under a covered pavilion. During the spring, jazz, R&B, and classical music waft across The Desert Botanical Garden. There are also rotating exhibitions by artists like Larry Kornegay and Carolina Escobars that blend in so seamlessly with the Sonoran Desert, they look like they’ve just sprouted up on their own.

Desert Botanical Garden1
Photo courtesy of The Desert Botanical Garden

 

The Topiary Park

Columbus, Ohio

The Topiary Park
Photo courtesy of Friends of the Topiary Park

 

Molded from yew shrubs, 67 topiaries reaching 12 feet tall transform this seven-acre downtown park in Columbus, Ohio, into a living sculpture garden. The brainchild of local artist James T. Mason—who shaped the bronze frames and planted the associated greenery—and his then-wife Elaine, who served as the original topiarist, it includes traditional park features: sidewalks, benches, picnic tables, flower beds, and a man-made lake, where boat-shaped topiaries float beside water lilies.

Topiary Park
Photo courtesy of Friends of the Topiary Park

The Topiary Park’s centerpiece, an interpretation of Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, is a collection of men, women, children, and petsthat’s believed to be the only topiary version of a painting in existence.  “The Topiary Park is a landscape of a painting of a landscape,” Mason says. “It plays upon the relationships between nature, art, and life.”

 

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta Botanical Garden
Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Botanical Garden

 

At the Atlanta Botanical Garden, there’s a 12-foot-wide, 600-foot-long suspension bridge that floats among the branches of oaks, hickories, and poplars.  Here, in the Storza Woods, 40 feet above a patchwork of azaleas, camellias, and trillium, pairs of red-tailed hawks perch on the lowest branches,  waiting to snag squirrels and songbirds.

Atlanta Botanical Garden
Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Botanical Garden

Nearby, in the Cascades Garden, a 25-foot Earth Goddess, whose floral locks turn into ice during the winter, strains water through her hand.  At the Fuqua Orchid Center, 2,000 species of orchids from Asia, Madagascar, Ecuador, Australia, Central America, and Mexico—the largest collection of its kind in the country—blossom in a startling array of colors and shapes. The Atlanta Botanical Garden also boasts an Edible Garden and Outdoor Kitchen where Atlanta’s top chefs present cooking classes and the Garden Chef showcases seasonal recipes using colorful vegetables, from orange cauliflower in spring to purple beans and burgundy okra in the summer to a kaleidoscope of apples, pears, figs, blueberries, raspberries in the fall.

 

San Francisco Botanical Garden

San Francisco, California

San Fransico Botanical Garden1
Photo courtesy of the San Francisco Botanical Garden

The San Francisco Botanical Garden is a 55-acre plant sanctuary, featuring both landscaped gardens and open spaces within the Golden Gate Park.   Its mild Mediterranean climate coupled with its famous coastal fog provides the right conditions to grow and conserve plant from “biodiversity hotspots”, like Australia, Chile, and South Africa, that are rapidly losing ground and are in danger of extinction.

San Fransico Botanical Garden
Photo courtesy of the San Francisco Botanical Garden

In early spring, the branches of 100 magnolia trees burst into a profusion of saucer-sized pink, white, and magenta flowers. Dinosaur food—a prehistoric-looking plant that has monster-sized leaves with teeth on their undersides, commonly thought of as Giant rhubarb—runs along the edge of the Ancient Garden. In the summer, pocket handkerchief trees, native to woodlands in central China, sprout red flowers that are framed by large white bracts, which dangle from the tree like large, white handkerchiefs. In the fall, Angel’s Trumpet blooms with dramatic, pendulous, fragrant flowers in a variety of colors, encouraging the activity of nectar-seeking birds and bees throughout the winter.

 

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

Dallas, Texas

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
Photo courtesy of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

 

A 66-acre floralparadise on the shores of White Rock Lake, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is one of the most beautiful and top display gardens in North America, attracting more than a million visitors from all 50 states, as well as 90 countries, each year. A 15-minute drive from downtown Dallas, this city landmark has 19 specialty gardens.  Highlights include A Tasteful Place—a 3.5-acre garden teeming with fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers, and herbs—and A Woman’s Place, where there’s a native Texas limestone bridge, a 140-foot hanging garden, and a wellspring surrounded by towering Dawn Redwoods.  “A cousin to the California redwoods…[Dawn redwoods] they were thought to be extinct, but were found in a remote valley in California,” says Dave Forehand, vice president of gardens. “Pacific redwoods won’t grow here, but these are more adapted. They’re not as tall; they do get wide in diameter.”

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
Photo courtesy of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

Named the second most-breathtaking garden in the world by Architectural Digest, ranking high among the likes of gardens in Versailles and Rio de Janeiro, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden has rotating seasonal festivals four times per year. During Dallas Blooms in the spring, 500,000 spring-blooming bulbs burst through the soil. Summertime starts “Garden Gigs”, where you can bask in the magic of live music at twilight.During Autumn at the Arboretum, there’s the internationally acclaimed Pumpkin Village, featuring more than 90,000 pumpkins, squash, and gourds. The winter brings the 12 Days of Christmas, which features a dramatic 25-foot-tall glass gazebo filled with charming costumed characters and strung with 500,000 lights.

The 9 Best Fried Chicken Destinations

There’s nothing quite like a plate of heaping fried chicken. It’s the ultimate comfort food indulgence. In the South, fried chicken is religion and everyone has their favorite place or their favorite Aunt that they swear makes the best you’ve ever had. But fried chicken isn’t actually southern.  It’s Scottish.

The Scots have been frying chicken for centuries and Scottish immigrants first brought the dish to the United States, where it’s continued to evolve. Whether you want fried chicken and waffles, hot chicken, or traditional, you’ll find a plate or two to fall in love with in one of these nine states.

Nashville, Tennessee

If you can’t stand the heat, fried chicken in Music City might not be for you. Nashville is known for its iconic hot chicken, basically your traditional buttermilk-fried chicken doused in hot sauce. According to legend, Nashville hot chicken started in the 1930s, when the girlfriend of a man named Thornton Prince III got so frustrated with his philandering ways she taught him a lesson by adding cayenne pepper to his fried chicken. Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack was born where you can still get hot chicken today.

Must-trys: Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken

San Francisco, California

Best known for sourdough bread, San Francisco has been having a bit of a love affair with classic Southern food in the past few years. A number of chefs have been opening up eateries featuring good ole’ fashioned comfort food, especially fried chicken. Here you’ll find everything from swanky supper clubs serving up chicken served with mashed potatoes, gravy, and -wait for it- a house-made chive biscuit, to laid back family joints serving chicken and waffles and more.

Must-trys: Frisco Fried, 1300 on Fillmore

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta takes its soul food seriously and there’s no shortage of restaurants in the city serving up fried chicken. Some have been around for nearly a century; others only a few weeks. But it’s almost impossible to have a bad dish of fried chicken in the city. Granted, as there’s only so much fried chicken you can eat during a stay you’ll want to head to the cafe that’s been dishing it up for more than 70 years, or, if you’re in town on a Wednesday night, the restaurant that only serves fried chicken on that night and often sells out. Get there early.

Must-trys: Busy Bee Cafe, Watershed on Peachtree

fried chicken sandwich

Louisville, Kentucky

Banish the words KFC from your mind. Yes, Kentucky may have introduced much of the world to fried chicken by way of KFC, but that’s not where Louisville locals go when they’re craving some comfort food. For fried chicken the way your grandmother made it (if she was the fried chicken-making type) you want Shirley Mae’s Cafe, whereas locavores will favor Harvest, where all the ingredients are sourced from within 100 miles. Both go well with a weekend of bourbon tasting or a trip to the Churchill Downs.

Must-trys: Harvest, Shirley Mae’s Cafe

New Orleans, Louisiana 

The Crescent City may be best known for chargrilled oysters, beignets, and gumbo but its chefs know how to whip up mean fried chicken too. The city even has an annual fried chicken festival in September. But no matter when you visit New Orleans you’ll find places serving up crispy, spicy battered, Cajun fried chicken and more. Perfect for a day after dancing, drinking and listening to music in the French Quarter.

Must-trys: Willie Mae’s Scotch House, Dooky Chase Restaurant, Willa Jean

New York, New York

The Big Apple may be a world away from the south but that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to do fried chicken right. This is in large part thanks to both southern and international chefs who now call the city home and are leaving their own mark on soul food while creating new twists on the classic. Take, for instance, Virginia native Keedick Coulter who brines his free range birds overnight at the Bobwhite Lunch & Supper Club. One bite of the crispy, flaky, fried chicken and you’ll forget you’re in the middle of a bustling city.

Must-trys: Sylvia’s Lunch Counter, Bobwhite Lunch & Supper Counter

Portland, Oregon

From beer to coffee and everything in between, foodies know that Portland, Oregon is its own type of eater paradise. That reputation extends to fried chicken as well, even if the city is thousands of miles away from the South. Here you’ll find indulgent fried chicken being served up with waffles and on sandwiches piled high with other fried goodies like green tomatoes and more. Fuel up before you spend an afternoon wandering around the city taking in the street art.

Must-trys: Pine State Biscuits, Simpatica

Multiple Cities, Virginia

Rumor has it the first printed U.S. recipe of fried chicken came from Virginia. Today, you’ll find delicious fried chicken options in every part of the state. You’ve heard of chicken and waffles but what about doughnuts and chicken? That’s what you’ll find in the metro Washington, D.C., area, whereas over in Charlottesville you’ll find a traditional fried chicken from a recipe dating back generations. And in Newport News, it’ll be melt off the bones, Korean fried chicken.

Must-trys: Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken, Chic N Fish, Wayside Chicken.
 korean fried chicken dish

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The city on Lake Michigan may seem like an odd place to find fried chicken but, trust us, this up and coming travel destination deserves a spot on every foodie travel list. Surrounded by farms, Milwaukee is a locavore’s dream. Chefs have been moving to the city in droves in the past few years, re-shaping the Milwaukee’s food scene and adding some great options for fried chicken. Here you’ll find traditional fried chicken, wings galore, and even Korean BBQ style.

Must-trys: TomKen’s Bar & Grill, Lazy Susan

Into the Badlands in South Dakota

Southwestern South Dakota is home to 244,000 acres of towering tawny pinnacles and buttes overlooking one of America’s largest protected prairielands. Established as a national monument nearly 80 years ago, the wind-ravaged, eroded formations were named “Mako Sica,” or “land bad,” by the Lakota Sioux Native Americans who reside primarily in the Dakotas. Badlands National Park is considered one of the world’s richest deposits of mammal fossil beds, where the remains of ancient carnivores, reptiles, and marine life rest indefinitely in the otherworldly veins of Chadron and Brule rock. Living mammals are in equal abundance – the park is a fountainhead of bison, prairie dogs, pronghorn, endangered black-footed ferret, and more than 200 kinds of bird. Maybe your first experience with the park was on social media, where it inspired the Alt National Park Service, a vocal and rogue defender of environmental protections and conservation under the Trump administration.

Politics aside, the rugged beauty of Badlands National Park transcends discourse and facilitates respect for a history beyond our years. If you’re looking for a summer of unstinted travel, explore these suggested hikes and sights for an emotionally refreshing sojourn.

 

The Door Trail

This facile, one-mile hike takes you into the heart of the Badlands, where dramatic views of ravines and gullies follow you to the edge of the park’s famous “Wall,” and lets you walk through it. A short boardwalk winds along the perimeter to a viewing deck of broken, prepossessing landscape. Continuing past the Door Trail, you’re rewarded with more challenging terrain deep into the canyons and up into the spires of the Badlands. This trail is marked with daffodil-colored posts to keep you on track.

Sunset along the Door Trail, Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Sunset along the Door Trail, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

 

Castle Trail – Medicine Loop

One of the park’s most strenuous hikes, this multi-junctioned looped trail winds through extensive prairie, rolling hills, carved buttes, sod tables, and washes pressed against the north edge of the Badland Wall. It bends southeast to the Medicine Root Trail – Saddle Pass Trail junction, allowing hikers the option of hiking up to eight miles through various landscapes. These trails are best for wildlife viewing, especially at dusk and dawn. These trials offer the most comprehensive views of the park’s topographic features.

Sunrise over Castle Trail, Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Sunrise over Castle Trail, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

 

Fossil Exhibit Trail

For an intimate encounter with the park’s expansive fossil beds and geological anomalies, this brief, well-trafficked boardwalk trail is unparalleled. Although a popular tourist attraction, the trail offers prehistoric remains, wildflower fields, and birding opportunities.

badlands national park
Badlands Exhibition

 

Pinnacle Overlook

A photographer’s paradise, the short walk up to Pinnacles Overlook yields staggering views of the rocky pinnacles, overhangs, and chimneys that compose Badlands National Park. Once you arrive at the overlook, find the observation area below the parking lot along the Badlands Loop Road for views of the park’s most unlikely collection of Rocky Mountain juniper trees. Compression caused by fallen rocks allows the trees to thrive in the dry region. Views of the nearby Black Hills are also visible from Pinnacles on a clear day.

pinnacle overlook badlands south dakota
Pinnacle Overlook, Badlands National Park, South Dakota

 

Mount Rushmore National Monument

If you missed that class field trip to Mount Rushmore, your excursion to the Badlands region is a good excuse to make up for lost time. Located roughly 80 miles from the park, this national monument in South Dakota’s Black Hills is a manmade marvel. Massive carvings of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln rest in the mountain’s granite stone.

mount rushmore black hills south dakota
Mount Rushmore, Black Hills, South Dakota