Paso Robles, California has a lot going for it. Located halfway between San Francisco & Los Angeles, it’s a perfect layover break up the drive along the 101. Thanks to its hot springs, it has long been a getaway spot for travelers. The abundance of local wineries only serves to make Paso Robles a more […]
Flushing, Queens, New York is known for a lot of things. The New York Mets. The U.S. Open tennis tournament. One of the most diverse populations in the country, with particularly large Chinese & Korean communities (and with those, amazing food). The Nanny. The World’s Fair. That clip of Homer Simpson seeing a bus heading […]
There’s a reason why millions of people flock to Japan to see the cherry blossoms bloom each spring in what is known in Japanese as the sakura. The sight of skies filling with tiny pink petals truly is magical. I’m usually someone who enjoys visiting places off-season, but when I had the chance to visit […]
There are three options for driving between San Francisco & Los Angeles, depending on how much time you have for the journey. Following the 101 is the middle speed option, taking a somewhat less direct route through the small cities of central California. These cities make for nice weekend getaways or stopovers along the way. […]
After spending the previous couple of days in Paso Robles, my next stop on my road trip through California was Carpinteria. Carpinteria is a nice beach town located just east of Santa Barbara, along the 101 heading toward Los Angeles. It’s a nice place for an oceanside getaway in a place that’s pretty, but not […]
Český Krumlov is a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site popular with day trippers from Prague. However, both the town itself & the area around it are worthy of a much longer visit. On the first day of my visit to the area, hosted by South Bohemia, we spent the afternoon & evening relaxing at the […]
My visit to South Bohemia kicked off with a visit to the Budweiser Budvar brewery in České Budějovice. In Pilsen, I had visited the pride of the region, the Pilsner Urquell brewery. Here, I would visit the other side of the friendly brewing rivalry courtesy of Visit South Bohemia. Our Budweiser Budvar tour began in […]
Pilsen, Czech Republic is best known as the birthplace of the pilsner style of beer. The Pilsner Urquell brewery is the obvious main draw for beer drinkers in the city, with the smell of freshly brewing beer permeating the air. However, if you’ve come to Pilsen for beer, you’d be missing out on a lot […]
The Czech Republic was one of the first countries to experience the tragedy of World War II, and one of the last to escape it. In May 1945, the western part of the Czech Republic was liberated, including Rokycany, which is about 20 kilometers east of Pilsen. On May 7th, 1945, American troops arrived in […]
It’s no secret that the Czechs love their beer. The country is quite proud of having created the pilsner style of beer, and rightfully so. Much of the beer sold around the world today descends from Pilsner Urquell, which is still made today in Pilsen. If you enjoy beer at all, a visit to the […]
For the second straight morning of my trip to Pilsen, I started the day drinking Bohemia Sekt. The previous morning, I had joined a group of travel bloggers on a train journey across the Czech Republic as part of a press trip to Pilsen following TBEX Ostrava, during which we were treated to complimentary Bohemia […]
Long Island City has historically been known as an industrial area. Located just across the East River from Midtown Manhattan, it is now slowly evolving into more of a residential neighborhood, particularly for artists & people who want an easy commute. Several subway lines pass through Long Island City from Manhattan & Brooklyn, making it […]
Ostrava, Czech Republic is a nice city with a rich mining history & good craft beer. If you’re visiting and looking to get away for the day, a day trip to Opava Silesa makes for a nice getaway. Opava is less than an hour away from Ostrava. I did the day trip as part of […]
Ostrava, Czech Republic is a hard drinking town. Most mining & steel towns tend to be that way. In a sense, it’s a cousin of Pittsburgh. Ostrava’s Stodolní Street does nothing to dispel this notion, as it is lined with bars that stay open late. It’s not uncommon to find people passed out in parks or […]
Ostrava was the heart of the Czech Republic’s coal mining industry. As with many mining towns around the world, the mines have been closed in recent decades. This evolution is not easy. What does a city do when their heart no longer exists, when jobs are gone, and along with them, money? In the case […]
