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The Recipe for the Perfect Roadtrip in Hawai'i

by kelly on 04/06/2011

What's your recipe for a successful road trip? If I hop in the car for the day, I require the following ingredients: fun roadside attractions, breathtaking landscape, lots of snacks and a bit of history. I want to be good and tired by the end of the day and ready to unwind.

I found all of that and then some on the northern coast of the island of Hawai'i. Hop in the car with me and see how to do a roadtrip, Hawai'i-style.

Every good roadtrip needs something that makes someone in the backseat yell "hey, stop the car!" No need to build the world's largest tourist trap, in Hawai'i you've got waterfalls.

show up early to catch the rainbow

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Awaken Your Senses in Hawai‘i at Volcanoes National Park

by kelly on 03/30/2011

I'll be honest, when I learned that I'd be heading to the island of Hawai'i, I wasn't exactly excited about volcanoes. In fact, I may have even been a bit apathetic, muttering "head to the Big Island, see some volcanoes, how cliché." That's not to say that I didn't want to visit, but countless honeymoon photos and uninspiring stories had colored my expectations. However, with my low expectations, Volcanoes National Park had the upper hand during my visit. I returned home inspired and ridiculously excited about what I had seen.

Know Your Food: Belize

by kelly on 03/01/2011

Belizean Cuisine. What does that mean? To be honest, when I was invited to taste the foods of Belize in December, I had no idea. A quick internet search told me that Belize had a national beer (Belikin), relied heavily on the habanero and that rice and beans were a signature dish. I found all of these things when I visited Belize, but I also found a diversity in food that complements it's diverse people and landscape.

A change in location meant a different cuisine entirely. As I moved through Belize's landscape from the jungle to the sea and met it's people, I saw a shift in cuisine. (When is the last trip where you visited both a Mennonite village and then danced with Garifuna, a culture descended from Carib, Arawak and West African people, in the same week?) At first glance, the continuity of beans, habaneros and even fry jacks might lead one to belive that meals were uninspired or standarized. But, close to the border I tried Mexican inspired meals and fell in love ceviche, further south I tasted the Mayan influence in dishes centered around corn or in Mayan-style pulled pork . I snacked on sweets made by Mennonite women with recipes passed down from their European ancestors and ate fresh fish for breakfast just like a Garifuna family.

I'll do my best to take you along on my all too brief tasting journey and help you know what to expect, dare I say, seek out, when you decide to visit Belize. Just a mere six days didnt afford me enough time (or stomach room) to try everything. In fact, my "to do" list of foods to try that I made before my trip still has work to be done. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but an attempt to share with you my most memorable meals.

Photo Tour of Belize

by kelly on 12/20/2010

I just got back from a trip to Belize where I explored the incredible diversity of it's people, places and culinary traditions. As an introduction, I thought I'd take you along on a photographic tour of Corozal, Orange Walk and Dangriga in Northern and Central Belize. I quickly discovered that that the beauty of Belize lies not only in it's beaches. Come along with me, and you'll see what I mean.

Serendipitous Spoleto

by kelly on 11/12/2010

Image: kelly.

Lately, I've found myself daydreaming about my trip to Italy last year, snacking on just pressed olive oil, finding odd hotel restaurants and wandering the streets of Spoleto. This post was originally published in December 2009.

Spoleto, a tiny hill town, nestled in the heart of Italy, was made famous by the arts and theater festival, Festival dei Due Mondi di Spoleto (or the Festival of Two Worlds), that takes place there every summer. Being that it was fall, we knew there were loads of food-centered festivals going on and we found one focused on olive oil to plan our trip around. We went to Spoleto with a quest. A quest for a great olive oil. While we didn't discover it where we intended, we did, however, discover Spoleto.

Staying Travellious in Aruba

by kelly on 07/15/2010

Image: kelly.

First, let me reintroduce you to the idea of travellious (or read more about it on our about page.) When we're traveling we usually forgo the usual tourist experience in favor of wandering around grocery stores, going to less visited art museums, or just spending an afternoon in a cafe. When I got off the plane in Aruba, I quickly realized that those standards weren't going to hold up. Instead, I decided to question my own travel biases and throw myself head first into what an island had to offer. I was completely shocked by my feelings when I got back on a plane a few days later. I actually had a GREAT time doing things that a normal tourist does. I also realized that I needed to break down my elitist definition of travel. In fact, I realized that having a definition of travel at all does nothing for you, except allowing you to miss out on valuable life experiences. I also discovered a few travellious tips for the next time you visit Aruba (or any tropical island.)

Postcards from Aruba: Catching Air

by kelly on 06/30/2010

Image: kelly.

Catching Air

Art Outside the Box: The New York Earth Room

by kelly on 06/21/2010

Museums aren't the only place where you can check out the masterpieces. Here's our series guide to seeing the arts....for free.

Image: iandolphin24.

SoHo may have once a been haven for artists in the 1960s and 70s, but today you're more likely to see Calvin Klein and Chanel, rather than Chuck Close. The next time you're wandering the streets of SoHo, past the big box stores and galleries, be sure to pause for a moment at 141 Wooster Street. It's not a gallery or a collection of works, but a single art installation that has been in this exact location since 1977. Even if you're not a fan of modern or contemporary art, this is definitely a memory you'll take home with you.

Cheap Eats: Austin, TX

by austin on 03/11/2010

Image: _cheryl.

Can't believe it's been a year since we visited Austin, Texas. But it's SXSW time again, and if you're looking for some good eats, be sure to plan some time in for food exploration. The Torchy's Tacos and its neighbors in the South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery are definitely worth the walk.

If you're planning on visiting Austin, but haven't figured eating into your schedule, it's time to change your plans. Austin has no shortage of exceptional food, and you don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy it. Below you'll find some places the check out, and pig out at, when you go.

Travel Stories: In Search of Good Olive Oil

by kelly on 12/29/2009

Image: kelly.

The woman behind the counter pauses when my friend Francesco asked the question, "do you have a local olive oil for sale in this supermarket?" She shakes her head in disgust and replies, "no, there's no good olive oil here." She then turns to her colleague, who's helping an elderly woman choose some cheese and asks "where can you find good olive oil nearby?" And, almost in unison, they exclaim an unintelligible name (later I'll find out it's Frantoio Feliziani) and they begin to rattle off complicated driving directions in unison. "Go to the roundabout, turn right, then go to the end of the street...do you need us to write that down for you?" Francesco shakes his head and says no, and I just hope he was paying attention. And off we went in the car in search of a nameless frantoio. What's a frantoio, you ask? Don't worry, you'll quickly learn (as I did) that this is the place where olive oil dreams are made.