Author - Chris

Things to do at Yellowstone

January 7, 2014

With its ever moving Western Frontier up until the 20th century, the United States has long been a nation connected to wilderness and the outdoors. Though America’s great cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles are connected with the urban essence of America places like Yellowstone National Park are the heart of a more rural and rustic America which is no less important. Filled with a wealth of varied outdoor pursuits as well as several landmark natural wonders there is plenty of things to do and see in this massive national park. Things to do in Yellowstone include:

Mammoth Hot Springs

Definitely one of the marquee attractions of Yellowstone are the Mammoth Hot Springs. A natural wonder both for the warm water emitted from the earth’s crust, but equally so for the intriguing natural sculpture that has developed because of both the warm water and the calcium carbonate that colours and shapes the surrounding rock. The hot springs have had a variety of terraces set up near them so visitors can enjoy them from different vantage points. If the history of the hot springs, and Yellowstone Park in general, is of interest the Albright Visitor Center features information on the park and the nearby Fort Yellowstone which was a former army base. You’ll find a few places to eat at the visitor center.

Yellowstone Lake

Situated in the center of Yellowstone National Park is Yellowstone Lake. First discovered by Lewis and Clark’s scout John Colter in the early 1800’s Yellow Stone Lake is the largest lake above 7,000 feet in North America. A great location for animal watching visitors to the region can enjoy seeing bears, moose, bison, and even bald eagles above in the sky from nearby to Yellowstone Lake. Winter is especially interesting for wildlife viewing as many animals travel to the shallow area of the lakes southern shores where thermal activity below the earth’s surface provides enough heat to prevent freeze over. There are two villages – Grant Village and Lake Village – that each have places to eat and visitor centers.

Mount Washburn

Mount Washburn is Yellowstone Park’s most prominent peak. Mount Washburn and the Washburn Mountain Range is one of two full mountain ranges inside of the Yellow Stones boundaries. With a summit of more than 10,000 feet Mount Washburn provides great opportunities for mountaineering, hiking, and camping. For an awe inspiring view over northern Yellowstone visit the peak’s visitor center’s observation deck.

Three Meals to Warm Your Soul

January 3, 2014

Chris

All Things Food

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This time of year all I want to do when I get home is curl up on the couch in front of a roaring fire and dive into something hearty and inspired by my travels. After spending the warmer months avoiding cooking to keep my place cool and having far too many patio excursions, there is little else that brings me great comfort than the simple pleasures of a hot dish from my own kitchen that has been cooking all day.

Many of these dishes are things I have picked up from friends throughout my travels, not necessarily region specific to the traveller but hey, that’s the beauty of food, isn’t it? I add my own little twists where I can and the dish becomes my own – I encourage you to do the same. I will say this though: these dishes become all the more magical when done in a slow cooker, allowing the flavours not only to infuse your food all day but to spread the goodness througout your home as well. There’s nothing quite like opening your door after a day at work to these fragrant aromas to put you instantly at ease. If you don’t have a slow cooker, I recommend you get one – they aren’t expensive and they’ll blow your mind at their versatility.

Chili

This simple tex-mex dish has become one of my favourites over the years to come home to because of its simplicity and because it’s never the same each time I make it! I usually use the old staples of ground beef, tomatoes, onions and peppers as a base but will often substitute the beef for pork, turkey or leave the meat out all together! Want to take it to the next level? Add a handful of fresh cilantro just prior to serving and wonder how you ever ate it without it.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

Clam chowder is such a guily pleasure but wow does it pack on the calories with all that dairy! Opt for the tomato based one that really comes alive in the slow cooker and won’t come with all the guilt of the cream based one. A few cans of baby clams (or a few dozen fresh if possible), tomato juice, celery, peppers and garlic are all it takes to have a great meal waiting for you at night. Toss in some fresh parsely just prior to serving and you’re all set.

Beef and Root Veggies

This works equally well with a side of any piece of meat, be it pork, venison, mutton or moose, but it was my Danish friends who used beef and so it’s beef that holds a special place for me. I like to quarter two large onions, thickly slice two sweet potatoes, two large carrots, one parsnip and about 15 garlic cloves, season with sea salt and fresh pepper and a few sprigs of rosemary before placing the meat on top to cook for at least six hours. The result? The meat is beyond tender and everything in the pot shares their flavours like a big hearty food orgy. Last minute tip? Have the horse radish sitting nearby to compliment all those hearty earthy flavours.

Get Through the Party Season in Style

December 19, 2013

Chris

All Things Food

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Everyone loves an excuse to celebrate and these days there’s certainly no shortage of occasions to toast with a little drink. Between birthdays, weddings and stressful work days, a drink can become an easy way to let off a little steam. But with Christmas fast approaching it is important to remember to stay hydrated and happy throughout the festive period.

Swap spirits for soft drinks

Rather than sticking to the traditional festive tipples like wine, spirits and beer why not try the fab fizzy flavours of a multitude of delicious soft drinks? Whilst it can be tempting to turn to those old staples like lemonade and coke, the market offers an exciting array of drinks with no alcohol content designed to thrill all palettes, so why not branch out and try a new soft drink? After a while, alcohol can all begin to taste quite similar as your taste buds become accustomed to the same old flavours, so introduce yourself and your friends to a new selection of drinks you can discover together.

Try a refreshing alternative

Whilst overindulging at Christmas is a tale as old as time, rather than drinking to excess take a break between alcoholic drinks and down a glass of water or grab a refreshing hit courtesy of soft drink alternatives. As many of these alternatives are made with natural ingredients and boast bold flavours there’s no need to feel like you’re missing out on the festive fun. And even better, you get to skip the hideous hangover the next day.

Complement those light party nibbles with a soft drink

Avoiding drinking alcohol on an empty stomach is sound advice, as an absence of food in your system means that the alcohol molecules can reach the brain and liver much faster than usual. Since many end up hopping from party to party with usually only a handful of token nibbles to pick at, it can make good sense to stick to the soft stuff. Sipping non-alcoholic drinks throughout the evening not only allows you to keep your best party persona on form but also means you can have fun knowing you’ll get home safely when the dance floor clears.

Pace yourself for the perfect party

Whilst you don’t need to abstain from drinking altogether, just remember if you start the party at five and carry on the celebrations until 11 that’s six hours on the sauce – a heavy night out by any standards!

Still More of the Types of People You Meet in Hostels

November 28, 2013

Chris

Travel Talk

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The hostel is a wondrous place where like minded travellers come together to share in the experience together. Each hostel is its own little world, complete with various characters that make it just what it is. Often though there are certain character types that show up again and again… now some of these characters are enduring to certain levels while other flat out are as annoying as hell. The hostel is truly is a great laboratory of humanity. Still more of the types of people that you meet in hostels include.

The pretentious girl who corrects people’s pronunciation of foreign place names

So she has been in Buenos Aires for three days and from her lips the word comes out Buenos Aye-des. At first you need to ask her again – sorry what was that? She replies the same with just a hint of pre-tense on her face. Uhhhh, you realize she is saying Buenos Aires. As you talk to her more, she takes the time to correct your pronunciation of some of the sites around the city that you want to see. Feeling significantly schooled by her, you excuse yourself to go talk to somebody else.

The guy who is traveling to light

A person on their first trip is probably going to over pack. A seasoned traveler knows to pack light as additional luggage can get lost and more importantly it weighs you down and slows your movement. With that said, in hostels there usually is that guy who has only packed two changes of clothes – including t- shirts and underwear. Personal hygiene is a bit to bourgeoisie for this guy to maintain and though he often is an interesting guy the sheer smell of him makes it hard to truly connect. The reality is that you will always know when they are in the room as that wafting smell will alert you.

The insular British Group that doesn’t care about the others in the hostel

They all went, as they call it, to Uni together and they are carrying on loudly in the hostel common room. There is a group of about 6 of them. The discussion is a loud re-telling of how one of them picked up some girl last night in lewd detail. A girl from across the room looks up from her book to send a subtle social cue of social disapproval. They continue talking, louder now more boisterous… they are drinking a lot and the antics are getting worse. Somebody finally says they can keep it down a little. They look at each other, and quiet for a moment. The person that told them to shhhhush up… leaves the room and not a moment later, one of the Brits yells out loudly to the others in his group– “twat!” They all burst out laughing and continue on just as before.

More People You Meet in a Hostel

November 15, 2013

Chris

Travel Talk

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Hostels can be a special place, a literal melting pot of different nationalities and personalities, that allows travellers to come together to experience a new place. So many friendships, and even romantic hijinx, have spawned inside their walls and chances are staying in one will make your time even better. With that said though, not all is constantly great and there will be people that may bring your time down. Sometimes there may be some pretty odd types loitering in hostels. A few more people you meet in hostels include:

The guy who plays his guitar

This is a guy who took the trouble of bringing his guitar along with him for a backpacking trip, which is no small feat. Generally life on the road is no time to practice so there is only one reason that the guitar is there… to play in front of the other people at the hostel. Now this can be a good thing depending if the guitar guy is good, but an ear screeching atrocity if they are bad. Also, listening to a person play guitar amounts to just watching them rather than talking to the other travelers, which is kind of a buzz kill. The guitar guys is alright, and is thought of a such by the other travelers, but really… they should have left the guitar at home.

The I can top you traveller

So there is a group together in the common room of the hostel all having beers. You have the floor and you are telling everyone about the time you were almost pick pocketed in Paris…. all of a sudden, he blurts out: “ohhh that’s nothing, you should have seen the pick pockets in Rome.” The topic changes and someone talks about an amazing night out in Amsterdam. All of a sudden the same guy blurts out: “ohhh that’s nothing, you should have seen the things I saw in the Red Light District.” And without explaining more, there you have the” I can top you travelers”, a kind of narcissist who always thinks their experiences are better and more important than those of everyone else. Generally a hostel citizen that is quickly not liked by most people…

The overly eager American girl

Now she may be pretty, which is a benefit, but she will come with a seemingly unreal amount of enthusiasm about this new experience she is having. Everything will be amazing, praise worthy and her smile will not leave her face… All the people from the different countries will be so interesting to her, with their little accents and customs, and she will enjoy telling you at length all the wonderful perceptions she is having about all this “newness.” This is the overly eager American girl who hasn’t, and perhaps never will, notice that people will only be interested to listen for a little – unless it’s the guy trying to score her…