Month: November 2015

Washington, DC: the quick and dirty tourist’s guide

/ SheaTripper / 1 Comment

“You take delight not in a city’s seven or seventy wonders, but in the answer it gives to a question of yours.” ~Italo Calvino

Washington, DC is a beautiful, iconic city. A friend once said, after making her first visit to DC, that it looks exactly as our nation’s capital should look. I have to agree. Having lived in or near it for most of my life, I love to show it off to tourists. I am a self-proclaimed expert at the quick and dirty tour for out-of-towners.

If you have a few days, the museums are great and many of them are FREE. That being said, my quick tour doesn’t include them, but click here for info on the Smithsonian (i.e. free) ones.

Without further ado, here is the best way to take in the history and grandeur of Washington, DC quickly. I first did this with a friend who had just a few hours to see the sights. After the tour, he left saying it was the best part of his trip to the US.

W Hotel Rooftop bar views:

The Washington Monument view
And the White House view

If you get lucky, you’ll see Marine One come in for a landing on the White House lawn.

IMG_1942

You can eat there for brunch or just have cocktails prior to going elsewhere. The view is fantastic, but you definitely pay a premium for it. It’s kind of a club scene after dark, which I don’t appreciate, so I prefer brunch/lunch/pre-dinner drinks.

*special note: if the snipers are on the roof of the White House, someone important is home, or will be soon*

 

The White House:

Just a short walk from the W Hotel

IMG_0046

My mom, sister, and a visiting Australian in between

 

Monuments and the Mall:

If you find yourself there during the day, park near the mall and take a walk. Even quicker, though, hop in a cab/uber after dinner and ask them to drive you past the Jefferson, stop (and leave the meter running) at the Lincoln–definitely run up the steps for photos, then turn and observe the Washington Monument towering over the Reflecting Pool. Round out the tour by driving past the Capital dome, my favorite building, and a stunner whether set against the dark night or a blue, cloudless sky. Right now there is scaffolding on it for repairs, but hopefully it will be back in all its glory soon.

IMG_3549

Vietnam Memorial

Korean War Memorial
Korean War Memorial
IMG_3568

World War 2 Memorial

Ah, the Lincoln
Honest Abe himself

 

Turn 180 degrees, and here’s what you’ll see (click here for the movie version):

IMG_0049

Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool

 

A side trip, which is WELL worth it is to Arlington National Cemetery for the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It’s somber, powerful, and wonderful.

 

Restaurant options:

Founding Farmers  – good for brunch, lunch, or dinner with yummy drinks and very reasonable corkage fees should you decide to bring your own wine to save some $$. The food is delicious also, but can you tell where my priorities lie? Yes, with the booze.

Old Ebbit Grill – historic (the oldest saloon in the city), iconic, and walking distance to the W, the monuments, and the White House. It’s a little dark on the inside, but so convenient.

Blue Duck Tavern – only nearish to all the monuments, but so so delicious.

There are, of course, tons of other scrumptious options for food, but I had to stay on task.

 

I Heart New York in a New Way Every Time

/ SheaTripper / 4 Comments

“My favorite thing about New York is the people, because I think they’re misunderstood. I don’t think people realize how kind New York people are.”    ~Bill Murray

I lived in Manhattan for a year after college and have been traveling there my entire life (dad being a native and all). Still though, the experience is different each and every time I visit. Sure, it’s crowded and dirty and loud, but the city has such grit–in a good way–and energy and truth. Don’t get me wrong, without a second home or millions of dollars, I wouldn’t want to live there permanently, yet a little part of my heart will always belong to New York City.

Sometimes I like to play tourist, other times local. On my most recent visit, over Halloween weekend, it was probably more touristy, and one of my favorites.

I flew up after work on a Thursday afternoon and had just enough time to drop my bag at my aunt’s apartment before walking–my favorite head down, brisk walk that’s only acceptable in NYC–to a delicious Upper West Side restaurant called Bustan. Despite its small size, they were quite accommodating of our large (8 person) group. The food though… THE FOOD WAS DELICIOUS! I don’t think you can go wrong, but be sure to get the spicy feta dip. Ah-mazing! Out of all those people, everyone was happy, if not thrilled, with the food and drinks. Yum!

An undisclosed amount of alcohol may have contributed to a late start on Friday. We did, however, manage to cram a lot into the remainder of the day… starting with Artie’s Delicatessen–a quintessential NYC deli/diner with deliciously fresh omelettes. Then the bikes…

If you don’t happen to travel with a bike, you can rent one from Citi Bikes, which are EVERYWHERE. There’s even an app to track pick-up and return sites–important since some are usually empty, while others are too full to accept a return.

I used to live on the Upper West Side, so that’s where I prefer to stay when visiting. Such a beautiful part of the city, sandwiched between Riverside and Central Parks, for speed walking strolling and bike riding. We set off down Riverside Park on a gorgeous day, stopping occasionally at the piers along the way to the World Trade Center site.

IMG_8882

Riverside Park

 

IMG_8884

The Freedom Tower

IMG_8886

Pier pit stop

 

This was my first visit since the completion of the memorial/museum/Freedom Tower. Time constraints would only allow us to wait in one long line and recalling a memorable visit to the Empire State Building observation deck, we opted to go to the top of the One World Trade Center. You can, and should, buy tickets online before going. That being said, time sometimes gets away from you in New York, so should you find yourself down there without a ticket, buy them online (with your smart phone) instead of waiting in the physical line to purchase tickets.

I won’t blow the little surprise you get at the top–which is great–and the view is amazing, but it’s a little more theme parkey up there than I would like. Also, the observation deck is windowed, unlike the Empire State Building, making pictures full of glare. So, though it has a great view and is a large, wonderful, symbolic F-you to terrorists, it doesn’t have the romance of the ESB. Perhaps the tallest building in the Western hemisphere doesn’t need to be romantic, but I don’t think Disneyland-ish is the right atmosphere either. All that being said, go ahead and go up, just to say you did.

IMG_8893

9/11 Memorial Plaza

IMG_8901

The 9/11 Museum

IMG_8899

One World Trade Center/Freedom Tower

IMG_8911

Obligatory selfie from the top

 

Rather than supply a narrative about how I got from one place to eat and drink to another, I’ll just give you a descriptive list for the blur that was the next day and a half.

“There is something in the the New York air that makes sleep useless.”   ~Simone de Beauvior

UWS Indian Food

I couldn’t decide whether to include this meal in my list of things to do. It’s not necessarily something I’d recommend, or do again when in NYC, BUT it’s cheap! And decent. Located on the Upper West Side, Alachi Masala is a byob restaurant, making for a rare, cheap, full meal in the city. I left completely full and paid $24! Of course, that doesn’t include the wine I brought with me… but still. Definitely not the best Indian food I’ve ever had, but it is good (except for the salad), and the price is great.

The Highline

If you haven’t walked the Highline, you must! DO NOT, however, do it after brunch on a weekend. I had a photo shoot there years ago, at 7 am (see here and here)–a time when weekend NY is surreal and empty. Sadly, the relationship didn’t last, but aren’t those photos fabulous? Anyway, I digress… go to the Highline at an off-hour. It’s such a unique, beautiful place. If you’re lucky, you’ll see something scandalous while glancing up at the Standard Hotel windows.

IMG_8973

Strolling the packed Highline with my bestie Kathryn Budig

IMG_8935

On the Highline with KB and the fab Kate Fagan

Queen of the Night

When I was told we were going to Queen of the Night on Halloween, I can’t say I was excited. Though I heard it was unique and great and crazy, I just couldn’t imagine that it actually was worth $200. Fast forward to getting to wear my blue bob wig with a fascinator/birdcage veil headpiece, and I was pretty excited. So, long story short, there are surprises, weird things, hot things, amazing things, and the dinner is actually really delicious. If you’re looking for something different, but still show-ish, go see Queen of the Night. Wear something fabulous and fancy.

IMG_8953

How you get dessert
Yes, please
IMG_8950

With my mom and aunt, enjoying blue lighting and complimentary cocktails

 

Cafe Wha

Sadly, I had never heard of Cafe Wha prior to going there… and my mom and aunt are the ones who introduced me to it! Please look beyond the fact that it’s in a basement, packed with people, and has stiflingly low ceilings. If you go at a busy time, you’ll wait in line until space opens up, then be escorted through a packed room to your table. Some how, some way, the wait staff is able to navigate through all of this and actually take orders, but more importantly, bring drinks without spilling them. I’ve recently become obsessed with pickelbacks and had a few of those. The truffle fries aren’t to be missed either. You could take away all of that though, and people would still go for the house band. NEVER, ever in my life have I seen such a fabulous cover band. Ever. They play current music, classics, Latin, 90s, 80s, whatever, and they do it amazingly well! I love live music and have seen more than my fair share, but this was really special. Located in the Village, it’s so worth going. Thank you, Comedy Cellar, for being sold out.

The best picture of the weekend:

IMG_8967

The subway. Halloween. 2 am. HILARIOUS!

“As for New York City, it is a place apart. There is not its match in any other country in the world.”                                                                                              ~Pearl S. Buck

See you soon, New York. I totally heart you.

The End

Iceland Part 2… the details

/ SheaTripper / 2 Comments

This trip was planned on a whim, just 2.5 weeks in advance. I booked my flight on Wow Air, as it was the only cheap-ish flight at the time. They are a budget airline that offers no frills and cheap fares, but charges extra for everything– from water to a carry-on over 5 kg (11 lbs). I did the backwards thing and booked my non-refundable ticket prior to reading reviews of the airline I’d never heard of. Many reviews were terrible, but I had no problems. On top of a fare deal, they seem to have a nice sense of humor–a much appreciated feature. Oh, the planes are a stylish fuchsia.

(click photos to enlarge)

Due to the snow potential and time constraints, we stuck with the southern part of Iceland for our exploration. After landing at 5:30 am, we got our rental car, and headed to the blue lagoon, with a breakfast stop along the way. The lagoon is only about 20 minutes from Keflavik airport, so it’s convenient to go on your way in or out of the country. I highly recommend getting your tickets online in advance here. Yes, the lagoon is a tourist trap and, yes, it is worth visiting. Arriving when they open will cut down on the amount of people there ever so slightly. Be sure to put the lagoon mud (located in pots around the edge) on your face–meant to soften skin and contain anti-aging properties. Don’t get your hair wet! The high silica levels in the water render hair completely unmanageable.

Vik and beyond

I chose Vik as our first spot. It’s a very small town on the southern coast, about 3 hours from the airport and 2.5 hours from our farthest destination of Jökulsárlón.

Airbnb has several listings in Vik, but none of the available ones were quite what I wanted, so opted for the Icelandair Hotel. It was quaint, reasonably priced, and clean. As someone who lives for her next meal, the restaurant being good was an added bonus. After only 2 hours of sleep on the plane and driving most of the day, staying in for dinner was a welcomed option.

Vik has black sand beaches, birds, ponies, and picturesque views such as this:

Church on a hill in Vik

Church on a hill in Vik

It is not uncommon to see the picnic site sign while driving around Iceland. Such a sweet country.

IMG_8555

The first night in Vik, we could barely muster the energy to go to the restaurant in the lobby (which was fantastic, by the way) and almost had Jameson on the rocks for dinner. Our second night, however, we did some research and set out for Haldórskaffi, a small, warm restaurant in town. I can’t say it’s a locals place, but it’s hard to tell if any Icelandic haunt is really for locals or not. The population in the entire country is just over 300,000, so a large group of tourists can easily take over an establishment on a given night. Haldórskaffi was packed, so we sidled up to the bar for our wait…go figure. The food is pretty good, but not great. For some reason I didn’t get the burger, but had read that it’s fabulous. 

While eating, we missed a brief Northern Lights appearance, but set out in search of them. Plenty of Jameson, and hours later, we gave up and went to bed. The quest for Aurora led to a hungover late start on the third day. The drive from Vik to Reykjavik is easy and, of course, stunning. Even if retracing your steps in Iceland, the scenery looks different in the other direction. 

On to Reykjavik

Perusing AirBnB listings in Iceland will teach you 2 important things: 1) Icelanders love to use the word “cozy” when describing apartments–something they must think tourists are seeking when visiting a place with “ice” in the name. 2) All listings will tell you the proximity to a pool. The natives LOVE their heated pools and even frequent them after work to socialize.

There are SO MANY great AirBnB options in Reykjavik, so I picked one that was centrally located and adorable, with a really comfortable bed to boot. Most of the island has geothermically-heated water… which means it smells like sulfur (or rotten eggs). Get used to it and embrace the natural resource.

Hverfisgata37-forstofa Hverfisgata37-stofa3

Hverfisgata37-stofa4-1 Hverfisgata37-Eldhus1

Hverfisgata37-herbergi-clone

The owners have a few other rental apartments, as well as a hotel, which I did not see, called OK Hotel. A perk of staying at any of Kathy’s properties is the 15% discount at her really yummy K-Bar–a Korean restaurant infused with a little Icelandic flair. DEFINITELY try the cauliflower and the dumplings (both pork and tofu were delicious).

The warm decor at K-bar

The warm decor at K-bar

Whether you’re in Reykjavik for just a day, or longer, you have time to explore the Golden Circle–see my other Iceland post for pictures–and knock out a few top tourist attractions. It’s easy to do this on your own, but there are plenty of tours to take as well. If on your own, be sure to stop in Laugarvatn and eat at Lindin. IT IS DELICIOUS! And, sadly (kind of), so is the reindeer burger… like, really good. I ate Rudolph.

In addition to all of that, here’s the view:

IMG_8791

So, my 4 full days in Iceland definitely weren’t enough and I WILL be returning. The country is not only stunning, but easy to navigate on your own. At least a week is needed to drive the Ring Road, which is as it sounds and circles the whole country. I’m not sure how passable the road would be during the winter, so it will be a summer trip for me.

Tips:

  • Food and alcohol are expensive–pick up some booze at duty free, preferably in the US, where it’s cheaper, though it’s possible to stock up when you arrive at Keflavik airport. The second duty free you encounter is for incoming passengers.
  • Note that it almost never gets dark during the summer and there is very limited daylight in the dead of winter.
  • The Aurora Borealis is more elusive than you might expect. The lights start showing up in October, but are the strongest on cold, clear nights, and best seen away from the light pollution of cities. If you happen to see anything like the famous photos, consider yourself lucky. They don’t always show up as colors and those photos are often the work of a DSLR camera on a slow shutter speed.
  • Airwaves is a music festival that occurs at the beginning of November every year. Next year, I think I’ll go. My cousin and his wife DID go last year and loved it. If you’d like to know more about Reykjavik’s coffee and music scene, go here.
  • Learning to pronounce the name of that volcano that shut down Europe for a bit–Eyafjallajökull–is a fun activity.

**I get nothing for recommending these places, but would be happily accept freebies**