Category — USA (outside of CA)

Have you heard about the cronut craze that’s sweeping the nation? Here’s the story in a nutshell: some guy in New York took the fried, glazed goodness of a donut and introduced it to the flaky layers of a croissant. They had a baby and behold, the cronut was born. And people are out of their minds over it. Like, spending $40 to buy one black market cronut out of their minds.

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What could be better than spending the day with dozens of sweet, energetic dogs pulling sleds through the snow? In a word, nothing. Sure, it’s cold and snowy, but the exhiliration of guiding your own eight-dog team takes care of that quite nicely. A major plus of this experience is that I got to spend a little time in the picture-perfect Old West town of Livingston – a treat whether you’re hanging out with huskies or just on your own. 

I arranged my dog sledding experience through the funky and fabulous Chico Hot Springs Resort. Rumor has it that Teddy Roosevelt once stayed there, too. 

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Every year on Memorial Day, there is a huge Floating Lantern Festival at Ala Moana Park in Honolulu. People make paper lanterns to commemorate loved ones who have passed away, and at sunset they light a candle with each lantern and set them into the ocean. It is a moving experience that is aesthetically and emotionally very beautiful. For more information, check this website. You can find more of my Oahu and Honolulu recommendations here. 

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To get there, you take a little 7-seater prop plane from Vancouver, which lands at an airport that is approximately the size of your house. As you fly in, you see the incredible landscape of Clayoquot Sound and the countless inlets, bays, and islands that define the landscape.

You probably think of Oahu and your mind goes somewhere like this:

It’s a great place to visit – with sparkling white sand, clear blue water, peaks to hike, and palm trees swaying in the breeze. But one thing you might not realize is that this island paradise also boasts all kinds of unique and delicious culinary delights! Fortunately, the best things also happen to be pretty cheap eats. Here are some of my favorites.

Mochi at Bubbies
You can get ice cream almost anywhere in the world, but fresh mochi is a rare find. Head to this unassuming strip mall location for homemade mochi balls in dozens of flavors ranging from chocolate with peanut butter ice cream to passion fruit and sakura (cherry blossom.) The ice cream at Bubbies is also top-notch, and as a bonus, the sundaes are named to raise an eyebrow or two. Bubbies: two locations in Honolulu; check website for details. 

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For some reason I keep going to Chicago in the middle of winter, so mostly I spend my time eating and drinking (and being cold) when I’m there. Occasionally I get around to doing other things, too – so here are my top picks all around.

Eating & Drinking

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1. Wolf down a wacky doughnut from Voodoo Doughnuts

Voodoo Doughnuts is famous for a reason- they have fabulous donuts and a slick sense of humor. While I opted for a relatively tame maple-bacon bar (maple bar with 2 thick slices of bacon on top) the special that day was intriguing: a caramel/Cheeto mashup called “Chester’s Revenge.” There’s often a line, so get a cup of coffee before you stake out your spot.

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In the heart of unassuming Albuquerque, New Mexico, lies a street that’s neat for those who like mid-century masterpieces and sci-fi spectacles. Central Avenue, surrounding the University of New Mexico in a neighborhood known as Nob Hill, is a fun street to walk around and provides surprises and delights at every turn.

The first sighting was a rocket ship and a UFO within a few stores of one another, housing a used clothing store (rocket ship) and a cafe (UFO.)

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Last week, I spent five days in New York. Since I was traveling with my gelatoholic husband, five days of travel means I was expected to sample a minimum of five ice cream places–one for each day, sometimes two. I’m not usually a big ice cream eater, but somehow, I managed to put quite a few cones and cups away. Here is a rundown of seven ice cream experiences to try in New York!

We unanimously agreed (in this case, unanimous only required two votes, but whatever) that the best ice cream in New York right now is a Salty Pimp from the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck. No one was as surprised as the gelatoholic, since he usually eschews soft serve. But this was no ordinary soft serve! It was special soft serve, injected with liquid dulce de leche, sprinkled with freshly cracked salt, and chocolate-dipped. Five bucks might sound steep for a soft serve, but after one bite I knew I would have paid like $500 for this thing. The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck roams around, so you can check their website or their Twitter feed to see where they are on any given day.

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You might have noticed by now that I love meat. Steak, especially! I also have an incredibly detailed memory for all of the food I have ever eaten in my life. So if you are wondering about my very favorite steaks, look no further. Here is a handy list of some of the best steaks and related steak-like items I have found in my time and travels thus far.

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