Unique digital nomad travel adventures from around the U.S.
![European Christmas [A Travelogue]](https://i0.wp.com/janeseestheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/IMG_6735-e1521154486919.jpg?resize=760%2C400&ssl=1)
For 2017, we opted to try out a European Christmas instead of our usual celebrations. B and I joined together with four more people to take on The Continent during the holiday season. We’ve discussed the importance of keeping a travel journal, so we wanted …
Yeah for your birthday! I do not know very many people who enjoy getting older (besides kids that is). Regardless of whether you embrace getting older, pretend it isn’t happening or actively work to prevent it, those birthdays roll around once a year no matter …
As we might have mentioned once or twice, we spent Christmas this year in the Benelux region of Europe. Apparently, these countries are pretty small and close to each other geographically and culturally, so they get their own cute acronym. (BElgium, NEtherlands, LUXembourg.) We had a fantastic time over the holiday season and this post highlights ten reasons to visit Europe at Christmas.
People in this region know how to do Christmas lights right. We didn’t see one blow-up Santa or the Grinch. Instead, lights are strung tastefully on the already adorable buildings. This is even more impressive when you think about how the buildings are mainly tall and skinny and you’d have to get real creative to string lights on the highest gables. In Amsterdam, residents who lived on the houseboats in the canals decorated their homes (?) boats (?) so when you looked down the canals you’d see twinkling in your peripheral vision.
City centers were the main concentration of lights and nothing was better than the Grand Place in Brussels. This is a must see for Christmas in this area. So cool!
As we learned in the movie, Elf, “the best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear.” Well, Christmas cheer was around us several times on this trip thanks to random Christmas Carolers. The funniest one was when we were walking down the street in Ypres, Belgium, and heard music coming at us. Turns out a group of people dressed as polar bears were making the rounds playing different instruments.
Most of the towns we visited had small ice skating rinks set up in the center of town. It was really sweet to see all of the kiddos out there having a great time as they circled the rink. A few of us in the group were slightly injured and not quite up to ice-skating form, so we didn’t actually skate ourselves, but it warmed my heart every time I saw one of these rinks set up.
Alright, in all honesty, we didn’t eat any desserts that were specific to Christmas. However, as Christmas is the time to indulge in all matter of deliciousness anyway, it was terrific to be able to partake of these delicacies in a place that just does them so much better than we do here in the states. I have no idea why pastries taste so much better in Europe (maybe massive quantities of butter?) but they just do. Pretty much every meal ended with some sort of waffle, doughnut or chocolate.
Christmas is a busy time to visit Benelux. We definitely didn’t have the place to ourselves, and usually massive amounts of tourists make for grumpy locals. But at Christmas time, it seemed like everyone, no matter if they were visitors or residents, was happy. On Christmas Eve we had reservations for dinner at a small, fancy place. The staff were all dressed up and at one point they all headed outside to get a group picture. I bet stuff like that doesn’t happen in the middle of the summer rush of tourist season.
Belgian chocolate has a well-earned reputation for being some of the best chocolate in the world. During Christmas time, you can just straight up eat the chocolate bars and truffles. Or…you can drink your chocolate, liquified, with a little milk. I’m sure you can order hot chocolate at most restaurants throughout the year. But at Christmas time, you can purchase cups of it in the street at the markets. Instead of starting with hot water and adding powdered sugar (?) cocoa (?) whatever it is, hot chocolate in Benelux starts with steamed milk, most likely whole, and then chocolate is mixed in. That’s it–chocolate and milk. At chocolate shops we found wooden spoons with a massive hunk of solid chocolate on the end that you can take home and warm up your own milk, stirring until the chocolate dissolves. I have to be honest–it’s hard to go back to our hot chocolate after having this stuff.
You can just feel the merriment in the air. Probably because they have fun things set up like amusement rides and races. I’m actually not 100% sure whether the carnival-type atmosphere was just for Christmas, but it looked fairly transient, so I’m thinking so. Around the markets there were fun things like carousels and Ferris wheels. In Brussels we had to wait for about ten minutes to cross the street to our hotel because hundreds of runners dressed up in Santa hats were racing in a 5K. I defy people to be unhappy seeing that many Santas.
I don’t really ever need an excuse to shop, but shopping in Europe at Christmas was a goal before I left. We lived in Germany when I was a kid and my mom got some great wooden ornaments that we still use on her Christmas tree that I just love. I wanted to see if I could find some that were similar. Sadly, I didn’t, but I did get some great ornaments that will look smashing on the tree next year. Most stores had cute Christmas items put out and as the dollar was doing pretty good next to the Euro, we had some fun shopping.
There seem to be cathedrals on every corner in some of the cities. In Ghent, I had my heart set on seeing the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, which lives in St. Bavo’s Cathedral. We had a slight problem by not being able to locate which, of the five cathedrals we came across in a quarter of a mile, was St. Bavos. The point is, cathedrals in Europe are frequent, beautiful and inspiring. It seemed especially nice to visit these during Christmas time. We had hoped to join a Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, but that didn’t work out. Next time!
When it comes to the reasons to visit Europe at Christmas, I saved the best for last. Christmas markets consist of cute little wooden sheds all stacked up next to each other in rows. People sell a variety of knick knacks, handicrafts, beer and food and everyone just mills around and soaks up the Christmas cheer. We visited markets in most of the cities we came to; some had the ice skating rinks nearby, most had music playing and all had Christmas trees placed around decoratively. It was so wonderful! I spoke with a local who said you have to go to Germany to really experience the Christmas markets, but I’m not sure how these will be topped. (I’m all for accepting that challenge, though.)
Update: we have now experienced Christmas markets in Germany and have a whole post dedicated to that experience.
There are plenty of reasons to visit Europe at Christmas. We were barely able to scratch the surface of things to see and do, but visiting during Christmas time added an extra element of specialness to our trip. I think I might have been converted; I told B that Christmas in Europe might be my new thing.
Travel resolutions and goals are the best in my opinion. 2017 was an incredible year for travel. I knocked off not one, but two bucket list items (Australia and the Azores), had a lovely Christmas in Europe and experienced many, many weekend adventures. I am …
This week we are excited to have a guest author, my friend from grad school, Genevieve Brown. Like us, Genevieve enjoys traveling. Unlike us, she sometimes travels with a side of volunteering. We asked her to tell us a little bit more about volunteering abroad, …
Salt Lake City is not the most exotic location on the planet. However, there are plenty of fun things to do and see there. It is an especially good location to begin a trip out west. Due to its proximity to Idaho, it makes an excellent weekend getaway and we find ourselves there a couple times of year for various events (mostly concerts). Below are my five favorite things about Salt Lake City.
I go to a lot of concerts. I hesitate to put a number on it because then I will realize how much money I am spending on concerts and I would rather not go there. So I will just leave it at “a lot.” When one goes to a lot of concerts, one spends a lot of time in concert venues. I have enjoyed large events at places like the Gorge and Red Rocks as well as events at hole-in-the-wall bars that hold 15 people. Each venue comes with its own set of pros and cons.
Of all of the concert venues I have been to, the State Room is my favorite. The only con, in my opinion, is that it is not located in my hometown. I would attend events there a lot more often if it was closer. The State Room is small and intimate and even during sold-out performances, there is room to move. You can choose to sit down or stand. Either way, you will have a great view. Sometimes R and I go to concerts in Salt Lake City instead of Boise simply because of the State Room is hosting. If you get a chance to see one of your favorite bands there, do not hesitate.
The Wasatch Range, a mountain range that stretches north and south from the Idaho border to central Utah, is awfully pretty. It is also really close to Salt Lake City. Not only are you afforded gorgeous views just by looking up, but it could not be easier to go exploring in the mountains. A short drive from the city (sometimes less than 10 minutes) can find you winding through a canyon with gorgeous views of breathtaking scenery. Salt Lake City’s proximity to the mountains means easy access to skiing, hiking and camping. The people there really are spoiled with this range right in their backyard and it is wonderful perk for those of us visiting the city.
I only recently discovered Bruges Waffles and Frites on a trip for work. A coworker had tried it out and raved about it so I figured I would give it a whirl. Excellent decision on my part. From their website, it appears they have several locations. However, I went to the teeny-tiny original location in downtown. There were three places to sit and barely enough room for two people to stand. Since I was the only customer “dining in,” the cramped space did not bother me. If you have a larger party, I suggest one of the other locations.
How was the food? It was better than fine. The menu is interesting and I had a hard time deciding what to order. I finally settled on some sort of hot dog, fries and a waffle for dessert. It was all tasty, but the dipping sauce for the fries and the waffle exceeded my expectations. I was an instant fan and I cannot wait to travel to Belgium to see how it compares. I also recommend you try it out for yourself ASAP.
Okay, so this one is not exactly in Salt Lake City. It is about an hour drive north in a town called Ogden. If you are driving to or from Idaho, it is right on the way and well worth a stop. (Note: it is closed on Sundays so do not try then.) They sell just about everything at Smith and Edwards. I am serious. From clothes and tools to penny candy and kitchen gadgets, they have everything you need and several things you did not even realize you did needed. I have bought over-sized bags of Swedish Fish, kid-sized boots that fit me like a glove, garlic power and a clay pigeon launcher. Seriously. Everything.
About the only thing you cannot buy, as far as I can tell, is groceries. But there is a fast-food restaurant inside so it is not like you will go hungry. The people watching is also pretty good. I do have a couple of warnings however; be prepared to feel overwhelmed. There is a lot to see and a lot of people shopping, especially on Saturday. It is very easy to feel overwhelmed. Also, I recommend you set a spending and/or time limit. I always to seem to walk out an hour later and $100 dollars poorer. I guess that works for me, but you may want to set some stricter guidelines. I do not know of any other store like Smith and Edwards and I always enjoy the time spent meandering its vast and varied offerings.
After having visiting Salt Lake City numerous times, I rarely visit Temple Square anymore. The exception, however, is Christmas time. The hundreds of thousands of lights transform Temple Square into a winter wonderland, making it a delight to stroll around at night. It will be cold this time of year so you will want to bundle up first. And maybe grab some hot cocoa. Once fortified against the cold, you will be ready to enjoy the sights and sounds of Temple Square. It is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit.
Salt Lake City is an excellent place to visit. It just so happens to be a good example of a place in our “backyard” that we can easily visit in a weekend. So we do so often. If you have never visited before or are looking for something new to try, give one of my top five recommendations a go. Then let me know what you think.
Recently, R and I spent a day in Boston, Massachusetts. Now one day may not sound like much, but even a short amount of time in Bean Town is better than no time at all and I am going to share with you some tips …
R and I spent five and a half days driving around and exploring São Miguel Island in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. Locally, it is referred to as The Green Island. I just called it stunning. Turns out the Azores make a great micro …
Last July, B and I ventured to St. Louis, Missouri, to attend the Antiques Roadshow. While there, we were pleasantly surprised by several attractions and left with a very positive view of this city, which, to be honest, we weren’t expecting much out of. This post will discuss five St. Louis things we saw and did so next time you find yourself randomly in St. Louis, you’ll have as nice of a time as we had. (To be fair, I’ll leave the highlight of the trip, the Roadshow, off this list because it isn’t a permanent fixture.)
From our downtown hotel, we hopped on the St. Louis Metro Red Line and headed to the Delmar Loop. This is a hip, groovy part of town that is chock full of restaurants, entertainment and funky shops. We walked up and down Delmar Boulevard and enjoyed looking at the different stars in the St. Louis Hall of Fame (kind of like in Hollywood, only these are St. Louis people). I was especially pumped when I found Nelly’s Star. To be perfectly honest, I was singing Country Grammar all weekend.
In Delmar Loop, we did one of our favorite trip rituals of wandering around a local grocery market. This particular one had a very robust section of Asian goods…not sure why. We also saw our first example of a quick, cheap place to eat in St. Louis that we did a few more times. At several grocery stores, there is an excellent selection of prepared foods. Not the gross kind like a Tornado at a gas station, but good quality. Instead of a sit down restaurant where you have to wait and pay a tip, you can pick what you want and get sushi, barbeque, sandwiches, etc.
We also found a few cool shops and enjoyed spending our money on interesting local items before the heat and humidity finally did us in and we had to catch the train back downtown. Sadly, last month Delmar Loop was the site of vandalism after a what-had-been peaceful protest. Several of the shops that we had visited in July had their windows broken. Hopefully, by the time you visit, the Loop will have been restored to how it should be.
It seems like most regions of the south are known for their barbeque. To be honest, I don’t have a refined enough bbq palate to be able to distinguish what city does it best. I can say, though, that barbeque down south just tastes better than it does in Idaho. After we finished up at the Roadshow, we walked down the road from the convention center and B found a highly recommended place on her phone called Sugarfire. So we decided to stop in. It was around 3:00 in the afternoon, so we walked right into the establishment, ordered our bbq and took a seat. It was quite delicious, so much so that I was in no mood for dinner later that night.
If you are going to hit up Sugarfire, you might want to get there during in a non-peak hour. We had no idea we had lucked out the first time with no line; whenever we walked past this place around meal time, the line was out the door.
The St. Louis Arch is iconic, and all other times I have been to St. Louis I have made a point to go to the visitor center and get a stamp in my passport and one time, I even took the elevator to the top. However, when B and I visited St. Louis, I got a new appreciation for the Arch. Instead of being a destination, we enjoyed it more as part of the landscape. We took a walk around the park that begins at the Arch and runs along the Mississippi River. Then we sat at the base of it and watched the tour helicopters take tourists on quick flights around the city while eating pizza in the plaza in front of it. Most magically, we watched the sunset set it on fire from the roof of our hotel.
The Arch was built in 1965 and was dedicated to the American people. I hadn’t fully appreciated how cool the Arch was until I looked at it as something other than as a structure–this trip helped me think of it more symbolically, as a representation of ingenuity and ambition.
I have seen the New York Mets play baseball at 90% of the major league games I’ve attended. I’ve seen them in San Francisco, New York, Washington D.C. and even interleague in Baltimore. So it came as no surprise to me that when we decided to see a St. Louis Cardinals game, they would of course be playing the Mets. (This would all be cool if the Mets were my team..they aren’t.) ANYWAY, we weren’t sure if we were going to be able to make a game so we didn’t buy tickets beforehand. This made our experience at the stadium even more magical. Here’s how it went: we showed up and bypassed the ticket office line by purchasing tickets at an electronic kiosk. The machine spit out our tickets, receipt and coupons for free hotdogs and drinks (Miracle #1).
We then walked through the gates and a ticket checker handed us our commemorative St. Louis Cardinals baseball caps so we could support the hometeam (Miracle #2). We then found our way up, up, up to our cheap seats. You’d think we’d be sad about our nosebleed seats. However, because our seats were so high, we were in the shade. Yes, instead of roasting in the heat and humidity, we were the first row of shaded seats (Miracle #3). We didn’t anticipate we would last long at the game because of the heat, but we ended up watching the whole game. The Cards won and we were fed and clothed for a very inexpensive ticket.
A few months before I found out I had been selected to get tickets to the St. Louis Roadshow, I came across an article about an ancient culture in the southeastern United States. I was astounded. How is it that I have a degree in American History and have dragged B halfway around the world multiple times to see ancient structures and I had never heard of this in my own backyard? So embarrassing! I resolved to visit at my earliest convenience. Fortunately for me, I did get tickets to St. Louis so I knew I’d be adding this piece to the Roadshow trip.
The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site is located a short 15 minute uber ride across the Mississippi River into Illinois. The grounds are about 3.5 miles and look like a very well manicured lawn, with some hills every now and then. I had purchased a Groupon to the site, so B and I each got our own ipods and could learn the history of the place as we climbed the hills. The Site is very well managed and we learned so much about the people that lived here a thousand years ago who had decided to carry bucket upon bucket of dirt to create hundreds of these mounds. If you visit St. Louis, the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site is an absolute must. I’m quite surprised that this park is only a National Historic Landmark and not a full-fledged National Park.
I would feel remiss if I didn’t mention the fine establishments in St. Louis called Insomnia Cookies. One day we weren’t quite hungry enough for a proper dinner so we popped into an Insomnia Cookie and had a delicious ice cream cookie sandwich–which we did manage to eat most of before it melted in the sweltering heat of a Missouri summer. This bakery delivers cookies ’til 3:00 a.m. Guaranteed the students at local universities make good use of this place.
St. Louis has a pretty bad reputation. Yes, we did see some rough areas and wouldn’t have felt comfortable in a lot of places after dark. That being said, B and I were pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable a time we had there during a long weekend. There’s always good places mixed in with bad. So if you find yourself in St. Louis, don’t stay locked up in your hotel room. Explore!
Girls’ weekend getaways and micro trips are the best. Wouldn’t you agree? As part-time travelers and single ladies, our lifestyle is quite conducive to mini vacations. So we take full advantage of that whenever we can. Below are 10 ideas for a girls’ weekend getaway …