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 […]
Tempe, Arizona is a college town, the home of Arizona State University. It’s also a suburb of Phoenix. I grew up in Tempe. I lived there from when I was five or six, then went to ASU, then eventually moved away. I still go back and visit every year, usually in March for Spring Training […]
I visited Palm Desert & Palm Springs for a conference for work, but I spent as much time as I could trying to hunt down the best craft beer places in the area. Los Angeles was late to latching onto craft beer, so these interior deserts down Interstate 10 were even later to the scene. […]
An introduction to Portugal In Spring 2017, I spent a few weeks in Portugal. It was my first time in the country, aside from having taken a brief day trip to Faro when I was visiting Sevilla a few years prior. I used Porto & Lisbon as my bases, taking day trips from each. I […]
Passengers departing Calgary International Airport (YYC) and heading to the United States will clear U.S. immigration before departing Canada. Thankfully, passengers who end up in this special Transborder Departures part of the Calgary airport still have a lounge that they can visit for the flight, and it’s a pretty good one at that. The Aspire […]
Following my trip to Portugal, I began to make my way home from Europe on a United Airlines award ticket, but I would be flying in business class on Air Canada from Frankfurt to Calgary on a Boeing 777-200LR. The plane (or at least the interior) was brand new. So much so that it actually […]
Most travelers to the Czech Republic visit Prague, and then they don’t end up going anywhere else. That’s a shame because the rest of the country has some beautiful places that are worth seeing. South Bohemia is a lovely area of the country, and it’s easily accessed from Prague. Tábor in particular is a gem […]
