I go to the Minnesota State Fair for many reasons: nostalgia, the live entertainment, the livestock, the educational exhibits, the display cases full of prizewinning knitwear. But mostly, it's about the food.
My two-week trip to Japan was one of the best travel experience of my life. From fabulous food to serene temples, my time in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka changed how I think about the world, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to experience Japanese culture. Here are my tips for making sure your trip to Japan goes as smoothly as possible, from planning and packing to navigating mass transit and restaurants.
Montreal is often pitched to U.S. travelers as a budget-friendly alternative to Paris: plenty of French cuisine and culture, a cosmopolitan feel, a charming historic district. But as Josh and I discovered on our weeklong trip to Canada's second-biggest city, Montreal isn't a European knockoff—it has a Quebecois appeal all its own. From poutine to pastries, here are my favorite things I ate in Montreal.
Ramen, sushi, udon, tempura, mochi—Japan has an incredibly rich cuisine, with specialties that are popular worldwide. As I planned my trip to Japan, I knew that dining would be a highlight, but I wasn't expecting Japanese food culture to be such a multi-sensory experience. Meals are carefully prepared and presented, often featuring a balanced assortment of dishes. The quality of food (at all price points) was noticeably better than the U.S., and we were constantly impressed by how delicious everything tasted.
Thanks to geothermal activity throughout the country, bathing in onsens (or hot springs) is a quintessential part of Japanese culture. The options range from remote, scenic pools to large resorts and urban hotels, and soaking in the hot, mineral-rich water promotes relaxation. But I had a problem. Most onsens don't permit visible tattoos, and I have three of them.
When I moved to the Twin Cities, a scoop of raspberry chocolate chip ice cream was what convinced me to stick around. Since then, I've become an ice cream connoisseur, scouting out the best frozen treats in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the suburbs. Here are my picks for the best ice cream in the Twin Cities—plus my all-time favorite.
It's time to savor the all-too-brief Minnesota summer by dining outdoors at a local restaurant patio. Here's a roundup of my favorite restaurant patios in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
On our first few journeys along the Road to Hāna, Mike and I skipped the banana bread stands along the route. It seemed like a novelty for people who never made homemade banana bread, and I'm an avid...
I love numbers and baking, so Pi Day is my kind of holiday. As you may recall from geometry class, pi is a circle's circumference divided by its diameter. If you go out to two decimal places, pi...
Singer-songwriter Carole King is a musical icon: she wrote or co-wrote 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100, has won four Grammy awards, and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame not once but twice, both as a performer and as a songwriter. You can learn more about her career and personal life—and enjoy dozens of her songs—at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres with Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
Disney World is much more than an assortment of rides—each section (or "land") of the theme parks is intended to transport you somewhere magical, whether that's a Parisian streetscape or a galaxy far, far away. The theming also carries over to the decor and menus of Disney World's restaurants.
Disney's Art of Animation Resort is like stepping into a Disney or Pixar animated movie—obviously, it's a great base for your Disney World vacation if you're a kid. However, Mike and I discovered that the Art of Animation is an excellent resort for grownups, too.
I recently updated the head shot over on my writing portfolio site, as well as on this blog. For the past six years, I'd been using a photo from the law firm I used to work for—I got a new head shot...
Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday. I'm a sentimental sort who loves celebrating my relationships, and I also like the relatively unstructured nature of Valentine's Day. Sure, there are upscale...
For most tourists, the Road to Hāna about the journey rather than the destination, and they stop in Hāna only briefly (if at all) before continuing along the route. Here are the pros and cons of spending the night in Hāna, things to do in and near Hāna, what kind of accommodations you can expect to find in Hāna, and my take on whether or not spending the night in Hāna is worth it.
The Road to Hāna/Hāna Highway is a winding, narrow rainforest road that's a highway only in the technical sense of the term. It's only about 60 miles from the beginning of the Hāna Highway to Hāna, but your drive will take all day—there's a 25 mile per hour speed limit for much of the route, dozens of one-lane bridges, frequent photo stops, detours for hikes, and multiple swimming opportunities.
Mike and I have done a lot of traveling together, and it's impossible to pick a favorite destination. But our favorite place to return to? That's Maui. We love Maui's natural beauty, diverse landscapes, culture, beaches, and sunsets. Here's a guide to my favorite places to eat, see, and stay—many of which we've found ourselves returning to again and again.
My sixth annual "best things I ate" post is my widest-ranging one yet, thanks to a Mediterranean cruise and trip to Hawaii with Mike, a getaway to Portland, Oregon with Josh, and a press trip to Baltimore. Closer to home, I was fortunate to check out new-to-me spots and revisit old favorites through my work as a food journalist and on my own time. 2023 was a delicious year—let's dig in.
Kaua'i is geologically the oldest of the Hawaiian islands, and thanks to its lush landscape it's nicknamed the "Garden Island." With a population of about 73,000, Kaua'i has a more rural, small town feel than Oahu or Mauai, although there are plenty of businesses catering to tourists. This post is a roundup of my favorite Kaua'i places to to eat, things to do, and areas to stay.
This post was originally published on April 6, 2022 and was most recently updated on December 15, 2023. For the past several years, I've had a Capital One Venture credit card. I like it because the...
