Category Archives: Trip Reports

a close up of a flag

How Do You Celebrate the Fourth of July?

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Good morning everyone, happy Fourth of July!  Ever since I was a young kid, I have always loved the Fourth of July.  I love the great food, the warm weather, the loud noises, and the beautiful fireworks.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are late in the year, but the Fourth of July is a smack dab in the middle of the year.  I have celebrated the Fourth of July all over the country and over in Europe (they don’t care much about our Independence Day), but I always love coming to Southern California to see my family.

Yesterday was a really long day of travel.  I flew from Malta to Amsterdam to Seattle to Orange County.  That was a heck of a travel day, but I know the trip was worth it to be home for the Fourth of July holiday.  I don’t have big plans, maybe go to the beach for a few hours, then over to my grandparent’s house for a BBQ and to watch the fireworks.  It’s not the most amazing Fourth of July, but I always look forward to the holiday.

So enough about me.  How do you celebrate the Fourth of July?  Do you do a big BBQ?  Do you go on a harbor cruise to watch the fireworks?  Or go out to a baseball game with your friends and family?  Please share what the Fourth of July means to you, I would love to hear.  That’s all from me, go out, have fun and be safe!

a heart made of coffee beans

Shelli’s World Coffee Tour – Coffee Houses in Madrid, Spain (Part 2)

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I guess it’s time for a true confession. I’m a coffee snob. And when I travel, I have a passion for supporting local roasters and coffee houses. Let’s just say I’ve BEAN Around the World and I’m feeling like now is the time to start sharing the love… and caffeine, one city at a time. Recently, I had a wonderful holiday in Madrid, Spain. And though it was hard to tear myself away from the incredible pinchos and rioja, I did explore the coffee houses, and I’m glad I did. I drank plenty of coffee, talked with baristas, and I’ve got lots to share with you. Let’s open the TWG cafe society doors and talk coffee, Madrid style. If you haven’t had a chance to read Madrid coffee-part one, I suggest you do because it offers an in-depth explanation of the general coffee scene and talks about how people in Madrid typically drink coffee.

two cups of coffee with a leaf design on the foam

Beverages at Toma Cafe. Image source: http://tomacafe.es/

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a red and white text

Greetings from Malta! 3 Photos from this Beautiful Mediterranean Island

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Good afternoon everyone, greetings from Malta!  Sorry I have been missing in action lately.  I was in Athens for a few days, then in Crete for a few days, then in Malta the last week for a wedding.  I haven’t been on my computer much this trip, which is a nice change from most of my trips.  I already wrote these 2 posts about Athens (Small-Group Culinary Walking Tour and Using Uber in Athens).  I am going to do a post about Crete (Radisson Blu, fishing village, and ATV tour of the island) and then a few posts about Malta (the ATV and kayak tour we went on and some other sights we saw).  I am also going to share some of the technology that I used on this trip to make my vacation a little easier.

If you have any questions about Crete or Malta, please let me know and I can answer them in the comments.  If it is a good question, I might even write a blog post about it.  I will be back to San Francisco in a few days, so stay tuned for those posts.  Have a great 4th of July everyone!

a heart made of coffee beans

Shelli’s World Coffee Tour – Coffee Houses in Madrid, Spain

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I guess it’s time for a true confession. I’m a coffee snob. And when I travel, I have a passion for supporting local roasters and coffee houses. Let’s just say I’ve BEAN Around the World and I’m feeling like now is the time to start sharing the love… and caffeine, one city at a time. Recently, I had a wonderful holiday in Madrid, Spain. And though it was hard to tear myself away from the incredible pinchos and rioja, I did explore the coffee houses, and I’m glad I did. I drank plenty of coffee, talked with baristas, and I’ve got lots to share with you. Let’s open the TWG cafe society doors and talk coffee, Madrid style.

a cup of coffee with a note

Cortado at Faraday Coffee

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a close up of a bag

50 Longest Highways in the US: How Many Have you Driven on?

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Planes, trains, and automobiles! We can be so miles and points centric that planes become our number one way of getting from place to place. But sometimes you just want a road trip idea! Especially in such a large country, like the US. If you’re looking to take a road trip in the US, here’s an article about the 50 longest highways you can choose from. I learned something interesting about what used to be one of my favorite highways: it’s a highway no more!

I’ve always loved the leisure of car trips and have been across the US by car many times, so I enjoyed this article and hope you will too. Give it a read!

a screenshot of a road