Ocean Beach During a quick break from my conference we enjoyed some sunshine while exploring Ocean Beach, walking down the pier for views of the coastline and the surfers enjoying the storm-driven...
Blog posts from USA Travel
San Diego: beer!
Saturday: Kearny Mesa / Miramar Eric had a full day so I called the shot for drinks! After picking him up from the conference we drove north to Quantum Brewing. I had the Final Gravity Russian...
San Diego: food – Liberty Station, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach
Wednesday We headed back to Liberty Station for breakfast at the Fig Tree Café. The weather was reasonable, so we sat outside next a heater which was quite comfortable. Place was not too busy when...
San Diego: food – Mission Valley, Hillcrest, Liberty Station
Saturday It was an early start for Eric, so we just grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel and then met for lunch at True Food Kitchen in the Fashion Mall. I had the Dashi Ramen bowl with Portobello...
Oregon: Willamette Valley – Food + Drink
Babica Hen Cafe — This was our second visit for dinner and as expected the burgers were still delicious. We opted for wine during this visit and found their choices just okay. I think beer is a...
Oregon: Willamette Valley – wine tasting
Dominio IV — Our first stop coming in from the coast, we didn't get a chance to taste on our last trip so Eric wanted to make this place a priority. We arrived to a small crowd that quickly thinned...
Oregon: Willamette Valley – where we stayed + weekend with friends
La Bastide B&B - We loved the two-course breakfasts and location of this B&B during our trip last fall, so when it was available, we jumped at the chance to stay here again. Thankfully our...
Oregon: Cannon Beach
For our overnight on the coast Cannon Beach was a good spot since it put us within walking distance of several restaurants. We had a free Hotels.com night to use, and one of the few places that had...
Oregon: the coast
After a leisurely drive from Portland we reached our first stop along the coast, Ecola State Park. The road through the park takes you through a lush green forest before ending at Indian Beach and...
Summer 2018: North Fork food + drink
Since we spent half of July on Long Island we had plenty of opportunities to try out a variety of restaurants, breweries and wineries. Food Porto Bello - Eric's parents had eaten here during a...
Memorial Day Weekend: NC waterfalls, day 2
Waterfalls We only got to see one waterfall on Sunday due to unpredictable weather and simple bad luck. Elk Falls was closed due to an accidental drowning and several other falls were inaccessible...
Memorial Day Weekend: NC waterfalls, day 1
Where We Stayed I decided on Morganton as a base for our waterfall weekend and found an Airbnb rental within a ten minute walk of restaurants and breweries downtown. We had our own en suite bathroom...
Pacific NW: Efeste & exploring Bellevue
Our only wine tasting for the day was EFESTĒ to pick up our semi-annual allotment and try out some additional wines. Since it was Monday, we were the only people in the tasting room which meant a...
Pacific NW: Woodinville Wineries and hanging with friends
After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel we met my friend Barb (from high school) & her husband, Jon at Davenport Cellars at noon. Phil was our wine pourer and he definitely opened up a bit when...
Pacific NW: Willamette Valley and drive to Seattle
Stopped in at the Sweet Oregon Berry Co again for another round of raspberry and pumpkin hand pies, then headed to our old favorite Arborbrook Vineyards. Per usual, the tasting here was good, it's...
Pacific NW: Willamette Valley, day 2
We met our friend from college, Nate Wall, at Day Wines for a tasting and tour. Got to try a bunch of different wines and have a great conversation about wine making methods. Our next destination...
Pacific NW 2017: Willamette Valley, day 1
Our flight into Seattle landed at 10pm, so fortunately our friends Dave and Jake who offered to host us for the night live just a few minutes from the airport. Of course we stayed up talking and...
Pacific NW 2017: Introduction & where we stayed
For the past two years we've had a Southwest Companion Pass that lets us buy one ticket, get one free. With only a few months to go before the pass expires we made it a priority to get back out to...
Our Itinerary
2026 Trips
Parrish, FL (Jan)
Medellin, Colombia (Feb)
Wilmington, NC (Apr)
Madrid, Spain (May)
Asturias, Spain (May)
Galicia, Spain (June)
London/Cotswolds, UK (July)
Long Island, NY (July)
Western Ireland (Aug)
Vietnam (Nov)
Laos (Nov)
Cambodia (Dec)
Singapore (Dec)
2025 Trips
Tampa Bay, FL (Jan)
Buenos Aires, Argentina (Feb)
Villa la Angostura, Argentina (Feb)
Bariloche, Argentina (Feb)
Iguazu Falls (Feb)
Miami, FL (Feb)
Richmond, VA (Mar)
Boston, MA (Apr)
Kathmandu, Nepal (May)
Bhutan (May)
Doha, Qatar (May)
Bristol + London, UK (Jul)
Long Island, NY (Jul)
Slovenia (Sep)
Treviso, Italy (Sep)
Bologna, Italy (Sep)
day trips from Bologna (Oct)
Turin, Italy (Oct)
Greensboro, NC (Nov)