In his book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, Anthony Bourdain confessed that for his very first meal on his first trip to Tokyo, in his jet-lagged and exhausted state, he was so intimidated by the soba restaurants and overwhelming nature of Tokyo that he went to Starbucks. After considering his options, though, he bought a latte, rallied, and dove in to Tokyo.
Read MoreOn our most recent Facebook Live (you can see them all on our Facebook page if you missed one), one of the questions was about using guides. It is important to us that RedDotBlueDot be a place where readers can learn from our mistakes and benefit from our experiences. So a more detailed answer to this question is in order . . . .
Read MoreWe ‘ve taken many food tours over the years, usually through Culinary Backstreets, which works with local guides to offer tours in cities all over the world. They don’t offer one in Seoul, so I decided to see if I could find one that might be comparable, since it’s fair to say that none of us were experts in Korean food beforehand.
Read MoreWhen we were deciding where to go in Asia, Japan was our number one choice. As we booked our tickets on Korean Airlines (using Ultimate Rewards points!) , we discovered that we could add a free stopover in Seoul, South Korea. While we didn’t want to cut short our time in Japan, ultimately the prospect of being able to visit the DMZ and see another city weighed out, and we found ourselves (the two of us and Keith’s mom, Betty) arriving in Seoul at 4:00 a.m. one humid morning in July.
Read MoreRed Dot Blue Dot readers who signed up for our email list had the opportunity to choose our next destination around the world. The readers chose Odessa, Ukraine, so that is where we are headed. Gotta get there, so here is the story.
Read MoreOdessa, here we come!
Read MoreWith about 22,000 miles traveled so far, we each reflected on the last month of non-stop travel (July 1-August 1). We didn't discuss our answers before combining them and hitting publish. As you can see, it's been a great month, but we definitely have our own perspectives on it. August has already included some amazing experiences -- stay tuned, and let us know in the comments if you have other questions we didn't answer.
Read MoreStudies show there are long-term effects from decreasing your exercise for even two weeks but that’s actually not why I try to run in every city and country we visit. I try to run because by running, I learn something about the people and culture that I can’t from a walking tour, a museum, or even a restaurant.
Read MoreIf you are traveling to Machu Picchu, you’ll almost certainly fly through Lima. Rather than rushing through, we stayed in Lima for 5 nights, and highly recommend as much time in Lima as you can spare. Below are some tips to help you get the most out of your time in Lima.
Read MoreFirst let me come clean on something. I wanted to travel to Japan to see camera shops. I’ve followed Bellamy Hunt (a.k.a. The Japan Camera Hunter) and his website japancamerahunter.com for years…and a few times I’ve even been incredibly tempted to put down money on a vintage film camera.
Read MoreIt was like having dinner with an old friend.
For years I have watched Anthony Bourdain use his writing and travel documentary style to bring the sights and sounds of far off places right into my home. His irreverent, sarcastic, and detailed style of describing what travel is really like served as a mentor to my travel style. He helped teach a boy from rural Iowa what travel is all about.
Read MoreI used to think I was a churro connoisseur. Then I went to Lima, Peru and learned my churro education was woefully deficient.
Let me back up. I once had a summer job where I needed to “make” churros…
Read More“Ya gotta have a guy.”
When I was first out of law school, I had a conversation with a colleague about everything that Keith and I didn’t have the knowledge or time to do in our condo. My colleague replied “Ya gotta have a guy.” As we continued to talk, I learned what he meant: Regardless of gender, you need someone who can fix whatever issue you’ve encountered.
Read MoreWe started our 2018 round-the-world trip in Medellín, Colombia for several reasons, including my wanting to brush up my Spanish, both of us wanting a chance to decompress after a hectic eight weeks leading into our trip…
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