This World Traveler

So I was leafing through various travel blogs, and I found Blissful Travel. It's a pretty insightful journal and she had a post talking about the cities she lived in. It was inspired by another travel blogger's list of cities visited last year. Taylor Davidson put up a list of cities he's spent a night in last year, and I thought I should do the same. It's neat to see where you've been in an aggregate sense over the past year. So I thought, I'd share.

Asbury Park, NJ - My hometown and a place I've grown to love. This former tourist destination is the home to Bruce Springsteen and a lot of broken dreams. It's currently working on the rebound and is an interesting case for redevelopment. I like it here, even if I think my time on the Jersey Shore may be nearing an end.

Quakertown, PA
Buffalo, NY
Newark, NJ
Jersey City, NJ
New York, NY - The big city nearby, I'm finding my trips there becoming more and more frequent as my heart is drawn to this city. Walking through Manhattan can at times be like walking through multiple cultures in just a few blocks.

Mountain View, CA - My first night in California was shared with some good friends in their small apartment just outside San Jose. I was immediately struck by how comfortable California can be, and after a couple days - I very much felt at home on the west coast.

Boulder Creek, CA
Worthington, OH
Pittsburgh, PA
Port Chester, NY
Boston, MA - Only my second time in the city, the stay was just too short. Yet pleasant. Finally had a chance to take the T, Boston's tram/subway system and frankly, I loved it. I wish my town had a T.

Michigan City, IN
Philadelphia, PA
Trenton, NJ
Atlanta, GA
Granada, Nicaragua
San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
Managua, Nicaragua - I honestly don't much care for Managua, the largest population center in the poorest Central American country, but there are some charms to the city and a small ex-pat community makes it their home. There's a very pleasant hostel run by a goodhearted South African/Canadian who's working on development projects for the country when he isn't running his hostel. Managua Backpackers Inn is the spot, and definitely worth the money for a night in the capital city.

With some good luck, the list of cities in 2008 will grow longer. If there's a specific town or city I should visit, let me know. I love discovering cities that might be a bit off the beaten path. They usually provide some excellent ideas.

Labels: boston, california, cities, list, new jersey, new york, nicaragua

On The Road Eats: 5 Great Fast Food places!

1. In-N-Out Burger (Multiple Locations)
Oh my goodness, what amazing food! And what a simple menu too! I was floored on my first visit there and how packed it was, but when I tasted my 4X4 Animal Style, I knew that this was something special and I understood. The menu is simple. Hamburger, Cheeseburger, Double Cheeseburger, fries, milkshakes and soda. But there are hidden menu items. You can get your burger there protein style, which is with a lettuce bun - or animal style which contains some sort of secret sauce. The fries are fresh cut in the restaurant and always always fresh. I have eaten no finer fast food then that of the In-N-Out Burger.

2. Max's (Long Branch, NJ)
What can I say about this place that can't be described in four words? Foot Long Hot Dogs. And they're great. It's not all that the restaurant which is right off the Atlantic Ocean serves every summer when it opens, but it might as well be. It's what they're known for and rightly so. Nothing says summertime to me quite like my first foot long of the year doused in brown mustard at Max's.

3. L'As du Falafel (Paris, France)
Nothing says fast food to me better than mediterranean food. Be it Falafel or Gyros or Doner Kebap sandwiches - and the Ace of Falafel in Paris is just that. Just the right blend of spicy and crunchy. I was shown the place, which is in what remains of the Jewish quarter of the city in the 4th Arrondisement. Recommended dish here - the Falafel!

4. Random Doner Kebap Stand (Across from Zoo Bahnhof, Berlin Germany)
I went to Germany all the time as a child, and until my late teen years, I was always afraid of Doner Kebap. The everything but the kitchen sink sandwich that Turkish fast food stands sold around seemingly every corner in Germany. Finally, at age 14, I tried one. I fell immediately in love. When I was 16, I'd have a fourth meal after dinner with my grandparents every night. I'd walk to the stand three blocks away and have a Doner. It grew to be my favorite food ever, and its probably because of its location and how it was always near my grandparents. Four years ago, I visited the area. My grandparents were no longer there and nor was the stand. However, I found a stand near Zoo Bahnhof, just off Kufurstendamm that was almost as good. Just not quite the same feeling to go with the flavor.

5. King Gyros (Michigan City, Indiana)
When I thought about the fifth spot for this list. I was torn between this and Skyline Chili, the midwestern chili chain that comes from Cincinatti. I fell in love with the Three Way when I was in college, but King Gyros is ultimately the most special. There's no other reason to go to Michigan City, in my opinion... other than the beaches. But the Gyro platter with what seems like a pound of fresh Gyro meat, nice salad, huge chunks of Feta cheese and fresh French Fries. Sometimes, a meal like this makes you think that everything IS right in this world after all.

Labels: california, food, france, germany, indiana, new jersey, travel