Fuck it, Let's Go to Nantucket

Another summer, another New England island checked off the list! After hitting up Provincetown and Martha’s Vineyard over the past two years, Jamie and I couldn’t not visit Nantucket. (It would’ve felt niggling and wrong, like when one ear pops on a plane but not the other.) So back in February, when I was deep in the doldrums of winter and my own annual malaise, I checked the availability of the Nantucket Hostel, found a lone opening in the middle of June, and booked it.

This time around, we vowed not to get stuck in the terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad Cape traffic, and instead opted to drive down mid-day, camping out for the rest of the afternoon at Cape Cod Beer, a local brewery in Hyannis. Highlights included: a veritable cornucopia of quahog menu items and my first taste of oyster stout. Not too shabby.

We hopped on the first evening ferry out and basked in the sunshine and salt spray for an on-the-dot hour-long trip. So relaxing. So full of atmosphere. Can we just travel everywhere by ferry, please?

Here’s how the rest of the weekend shook out.

WHERE WE STAYED: HI Hostel Nantucket

I’ve stayed in a significant number of hostels at this point, several even here in the U.S., and I must say that this is probably my favorite one Stateside. Located off the beaten path from the main downtown drag of Nantucket, this hostel is literally across the street from the beach, has its own fire pit, volleyball court, complimentary beach chairs + towels, and an outdoor shower for those hot summer days. The free breakfast is nothing to write home about, but when you’re staying on Nantucket, any free or even affordable food is a blessing.

Pro tip: In my experience, the female-only dorms are generally quieter and, on the whole, more pleasant. Mixed gender dorms often mean rowdy groups of friends and, just, no thank you. I’m over thirty and like my sleep.

WHAT WE ATE:

The Brotherhood of Thieves: We got off the ferry and decided it was imperative to grab dinner before venturing away from town’s center to get to our hostel. This spot was was within walking distance and seemed the most casual option at our disposal… No complaints! Plus, there’s a patio.

Yummy: This one was a complete surprise. During our walk into town the next morning, we passed a food stand that seemed to come out of nowhere (it’s surrounded by residential homes), and took advantage of the smoothie offerings. They had plenty to choose from, so this would be a great option for gathering provisions for the beach or a future picnic.

Sconcet Market: I knew Nantucket was gonna be bougie, but I didn’t truly feel it until we stopped at this supermarket – the only food option near the beach on the east side of the island. We swallowed the high costs and then proceeded to chow down on a lunch of fancy crackers, prosciutto, cheese, and (of course) seafood dip.

Millie’s: Though this spot is located a bit out-there on the west side of the island, we decided to check it out anyway and biked over one evening. Its fame seemed warranted, because the place was bumping. We opted to eat at the bar and made friends with the staff while we had margaritas, tacos (me), and a po’ boy (Jamie). Highly recommend for a casual atmosphere and delicious food. (Plus, we weren’t alone in preferring it: The team from Cisco was arriving shortly for a private bachelorette party.)

Pro tip: You can take the shuttle out this way from key areas of the island if you don’t feel like biking home in the dark. (We sure didn’t.)

Downyflake: I was dreaming of these donuts after reading all about them before the trip. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one with donuts on the brain the morning we went, because they were all out of most varieties when we arrived. Major bummer. Plan accordingly!

Black-Eyed Susan’s: A popular breakfast joint in town, this was worth the wait. (To be fair, it was also Father’s Day, so… let’s just say brunch on most peoples’ schedule that day.) Good portions, delicious food, and a convenient location.

Pro tip: This place is cash-only, so stop at the ATM before going.

The Juice Bar: Despite the name, this is the place to go for ice cream. And it’s right by the docks for the ferry, so you can time it to grab a scoop on your way to or from there.

WHAT WE DID:

Biked around the island. Like, a lot. I brought my bike from home ($14 cost, roundtrip) and Jamie rented one from Cooks Cycles Nantucket. (Bonus: When my bike seat became permanently stuck in the lowest position ever, the guys at Cooks fixed it for me, free of charge.)

BEACH. Obviously. We went to Sconcet Beach, but there are plenty to choose from. We didn’t think it would be warm enough for a beach day while we were there, but lucked out, so bring your suit just in case.

Cisco Brewery Tour: Jamie confessed that this trip was her excuse to check Cisco off of her breweries list and, well, I can’t argue with that logic. Cisco is without a doubt one of the major attractions on Nantucket, and the place to be for locals and visitors alike on the weekends. We opted to take their tour, which included information and tastings related to their Triple Eight Distillery and Nantucket Vineyard, as well as the brewery. Tours are $20, which for the number of tastes you get, seemed reasonable. Feel free to bypass the tour and just hang out in the impressive courtyard – there are usually food trucks, and sometimes live music.

There's a Path for a Reason

In 2001, I quit my job, moved all my stuff into storage, and spent the next four months driving around the country by myself. There’s hardly a week that goes by where I don’t think about that time – usually with wistful longing and an aching homesickness for the time in my life when I legitimately had no home.

And then, sometimes, I remember how that was also the time I almost died.

Both of my arms were shaking as I braced myself against the inner walls of the crevice. I tried again to lift myself up and over the edge of the cliff, back to safety.

Not happening.

Twelve feet below my dangling legs was the compact desert ground, littered with rocks and small boulders. Overhead, the gray sky rumbled and drops of rain continued to fall, getting faster with every minute. I could see the parking lot in the distance.

My racing heart suddenly slowed and I felt a surprising clarity.

Okay. So this is how my trip ends.

Here’s the thing: I swear I’m not a careless idiot. I’m the girl who spent more than six months meticulously planning the aforementioned four-month-long solo road trip. I’m that weirdo who accompanies all decisions, from college to dates, with a pro/con list. Y’know the nerd who never had detention a day in her life because she always followed the rules? Present.

Yet there I was, hanging off the edge of a cliff somewhere in the heart of Devils Garden in Arches National Park, all because I didn’t stay on the trail.

I had made it halfway through my hike and was ready to turn back when thunder crackled in the distance. The trail was empty; the dark clouds had deterred everyone else that morning.

A flash of lightning. I needed to get back to my car now.

In that moment, I made the cardinal mistake that derailed everything: I tried to take a shortcut.

The parking lot peeked just beyond the horizon and I recklessly thought I could get there before the skies opened up if I made a beeline straight for it. I scaled boulders that made backtracking impossible and dead-ended on the edge of a small cliff.

As an experienced jungle gym scaler and rock climbing dabbler, my solution was simple: I’d wedge myself in the large crack in the cliffside and shimmy down. But as soon as I lowered myself over the edge, my brain finally kicked in: WHAT. NO. TOO HIGH. WHAT ARE YOU DOING. ABORT. ABORT.

I froze.

There was no way back up. There was no one around to help me. The only way was down.

I took a deep breath and made peace with the fact that I was probably going to break a few bones. Then, I let go.

I fell, scraping and banging against juts along the way. The ground rushed up, uneven and angry, and – miraculously – my feet each landed on impossibly narrow channels of dirt between the large rocks.

For a long minute, I was numb. Then the burning of my skinned shins kicked in; the throbbing of my bruised hips. There were tears on my face and my hair was soaked from the rain, but... nothing more. I took a hesitant step. Then another. My legs were still in tact.

I hobbled the rest of the way to the parking lot and got in my car, the lone vehicle remaining.

I sat for a minute behind the wheel, and two crucial thoughts pulsed in my brain.

1. My mom must never know about this.

2. Stay on the path, you dummy.

Hola, Mexico City.

… And we have now exhausted 40% of my Spanish knowledge!

A few weeks ago, I went to Mexico City with Jamie (of Provincetown fame) and it. was. awesome.

I’ll be 100% honest: My main motivation for this trip was the desire to be warm. Yes, I understand that I’m from Michigan, and went to school in upstate New York, and currently live in New England and blah blah blah I should be one with the cold by now. BUT I’M NOT. Luckily, Jamie’s desire to visit Mexico City aligned perfectly with my quest for heat and a longing to finally see my own legs again.

(Sidenote: Mexico City is apparently the new “It” destination for basic Instagram girls now? I had no idea until after I returned. Oh well. Some things are popular for a reason.)

SO. Here are the deets.

WHEN WE VISITED

February 28th – March 4th (but really, 5th. I’ll get to that.)

WHERE WE STAYED

Consensus was that the places to be (if you’re a tourist) were either Condesa or Roma, and we happened to find an Air BnB located pretty much on the border of both in Roma Norte.

(Another sidenote: I was surprised by the outcry of concern from both my mom and boss alike when they found out I was going to Mexico City. According to the average mother, you have a 98% chance of getting kidnapped and murdered in Mexico City – never mind the fact that Detroit has a waaaay higher murder rate. I will admit that I’m not the most anxious person when it comes to my own safety and well-being, but I also never felt nervous or fearful the entire time we were there. Have common sense and you’ll be fine.)

WHAT WE DID:

Bosque de Chapultepec:
Basically, the Mexico City version of Central Park. This green space is huuuge and encompasses a lot – we made a stop in the park nearly every day of the trip trying to check out as many things as possible and still barely scratched the surface. Here’s what we did manage:

• National Museum of Anthropology:
  Just know that you will not see everything in one trip. We made it all the way around the first floor (going in reverse chronological order, whoops – make sure you go counter-clockwise!) and felt pretty accomplished until we realized there was a whole ‘nother floor. My favorite part was the water feature at the entrance and the subterranean mammoth bones.

• Botanical Garden:
  Hot tip: This is cool, but the grounds surrounding the greenhouse are just as – if not more – interesting. Definitely stop by, even if the greenhouse is closed.

• Chapultepec Castle:
  Hot take: This wasn’t that cool? It was… fine. It’s a long walk up the hill to the castle, and once you get there, it’s just a lot of furniture and a garden and some cool stained glass. (I’m an uncultured buffoon, I know.) Basically, don’t kill yourself trying to visit if you have other things on your list.

• Wandering! We walked through the park as many times as possible, and I highly recommend a stroll for the sole purpose of checking out all the vendors and street food carts. It’s a little overwhelming, but also really fascinating just to see the breadth of junk food they have in Mexico. (Skip the pork rinds and get some street corn.)

The Blue House:
Frida Kahlo’s home-slash-museum of her artwork. It is highly recommended that you reserve your tickets ahead of time as they limit the number of visitors allowed in at a time. We also paid a small extra fee to be able to take photos, but no one seemed to be enforcing that.

Lucha Libre:
As far as non-food-related activities went, this was the one I was weirdly most excited about (don’t ask why, I’ve never been interested in wrestling here in the States). We very easily bought our tickets at the box office when we got to the arena (and also immediately purchased two ginormous micheladas).

The match itself was lots of fun, and I had a great time yelling and cheering even though I didn’t know what was going on half the time. Highly recommend.

Folkloric Ballet:
First things first, this isn’t ballet. It’s a mix of dance routines that are meant to tell the history of Mexico and highlight various elements of Mexican culture. We snagged some cheapo balcony seats, and I was able to see everything just fine (including the insane stained glass “curtain” the stage uses), and since we didn’t shell out a ton of money for it, I wasn’t annoyed that the show felt a little long at parts and included some particularly head-scratching costume choices. Overall, I’d recommend it. (We bought our tickets at the actual box office when we were there to meet up with our food tour group.)

Museo Soumaya:
This was a last-minute rec from my boss and we just happened to be near it one day, so we went into this having no clue even what type of museum this was. If you’re into art, you’ll probably enjoy this, but honestly what interested me more than the paintings and artifacts were the architecture and layout of the museum itself. Admission was free when we went, so it was a worthy way to kill a couple hours.

Biblioteca Vasconcelos:
One of Jamie’s friends recommended this stop, which is legit just a public library. BUT. It’s one of the trippiest, coolest libraries I’ve ever seen. Definitely worth a stop – it was one of my favorite parts of the trip. (There’s also some cool street art on the walk over.)

Club Tengo Hambre Food Tour:
Spoiler alert: The best part of Mexico City is the food. (I was consistently disappointed in myself for not being able to eat more while we were there.) And while Jamie & I actually managed to taste-test a lot of the more wild foods that were on this food tour before the tour itself, I would still highly recommend it for anyone who’s a more adventurous eater. Our tour guide was great, and we had some really bomb-ass tacos. This was one of the more expensive things we did (about $90), and it was well worth the cost.

La Ciudadela:
A giant artisan market where you’re sure to find a souvenir. It’s basically a maze of independent sellers, and you can find anything from huarache shoes and embroidered peasant tops to sugar skulls and woven blankets. I bought one of my two souvenir pillow cases here.

WHERE WE ATE:

Taqueria La Negra:
This was the first place we ate, literally as soon as we dropped off our luggage. At this point, we were both so starving that anything would have been delicious, but I feel confident that this spot wouldn’t have disappointed either way. (Yes, we were handed the English menu almost immediately. No, we had no shame at this point – too hungry to worry about attempting real Spanish conversation.)

Fonda Margarita:
We got a hot tip from one of Jamie’s friends to stop here for breakfast one of our mornings, and it wasn’t too out of the way on our journey to the Frida Kahlo Museum, so our first real day in Mexico City started off with what ended up being one of my favorite meals of the trip. This article from Bon Appetit should be enough to convince if my own glowing review isn’t – the frijoles negro con huevos were so. fucking. good. (And shaped like a torpedo!) I was also a fan of the surprisingly sweet and mild coffee they served us.

Second to the food, the people watching and overall ambiance was a treat; we shared a large communal table and sat across from the most fastidious couple I’ve ever seen. (Meanwhile, I went through probably half a stack of napkins in my attempts to slurp down the chicharron en verde.)

El Moro:
Oh, El Moro. At first, we thought we’d been led astray by all who had raved about this place, but do not be deceived. There are several locations of this popular churro chain, and it’s very important to hit the right one in order to get the best churro experience possible. It was during our food tour that we finally had the El Moro experience we were looking for; make sure you go to the location in the Historic Center neighborhood (and order the chocolate dipping sauce – it’s served cold and closer to chocolate pudding that simply melted chocolate).

Pujol:
Of Chef’s Table fame! Jamie is a superfan and I’ve never really eaten at a super-nice restaurant before, so we jumped at the chance to dine at a Michelin-starred spot. Reservations are a must, and even though we made ours months in advance, we were only able to get in for a lunch service (which was still totally fine). You can choose to do a traditional or taco tasting menu (the taco option wasn’t available when we made our rez), and the very attentive staff will bring out the courses one by one, telling you allll about each one. We ordered one of each menu so we could try everything, and while it was all delicious, my favorite was ultimately their take on street corn, covered in a sauce made with crushed up ants. (Seriously.) Definitely worth it.

Panaderia Rosetta:
I wish we had found out about this place earlier in the trip so we could have gone more than once. It’s a tiny space pretty much guaranteed to have a line down the street, but you can order everything to go and it’ll be your turn in no time. I dream of going back and tasting everything on the menu.

Eno:
This place was a rec from one of our fellow food tourers, and we managed to grab breakfast here on our “last” day, the FIRST time our flight was delayed. Try the chilaquiles and fruit & granola yogurt bowl – the portions here are huge and easy to share.

Lardo:
Yet another food tour rec. This is where we got lunch/dinner the SECOND time our flight was delayed (and then ultimately canceled). This one’s the wildcard and is not Mexican food at all… but maybe at this point in your trip, you’re okay with that? Everything was quite good and it was a great spot to kill time while on the phone with Jet Blue, trying to figure out WHAT IS HAPPENING.

Lalo:
This place is just plain fun. Our canceled flight ended up being a blessing in disguise, because it meant we had one more morning and, therefore, the chance to check this place off our list. Seating is mostly long, shared tables, and we were able to watch one of the chef’s make pasta for the evening while we waited for our food to arrive. I forget the exact name of what I ordered, but it was scrambled eggs and chorizo, and came with avocado, tortillas, and black beans. IT WAS SO GOOD. We also split a fruit bowl, which was perfection.

La Pantera Fresca:
This popsicle stand was located literally outside the front entrance of our Air BnB and yet we only managed to eat here once. SO DUMB. The key lime pie popsicle was amazing. I’m very into these newfangled, ice cream-y popsicle concoctions.

WHERE WE DRANK

There were, of course, drinks consumed at all of the establishments above, but if you’re strictly looking for libations, try these.

El Palanquito:
Our mezcal experience the first night before was pretty ho hum, so we were determined to remedy that. Jamie came across this spot in her research and it ended up being a splendid antidote. One of the lovely servers hooked us up with a double tasting of various recommended mezcals, explaining the difference between each of the varieties as we went. (Oh, and we also opted to snack on fried crickets as an accompaniment. Not terrible, honestly. There was also excellent guac.) (And, oh look! Another Bon Appetit article!)

Limantour:
A bar in the super-bougie neighborhood of Polanco, this was a rec from our food tour guide when we realized we’d done mezcal, we’d done micheladas, but we’d yet to have a fancy cocktail. And boy are these things FANCY.

La Burra Blanca:
We were game for trying anything and everything Mexico City could throw at us, including the very polarizing beverage, pulque. Pulque is a fermented drink traditional to the area, and while I hear it’s better mixed in with cocktails, this spot served it straight-up in gigantic clay pitchers. Unsurprisingly, Jamie was a fan and I was not, though I really tried to drink my fair share of our jug. More than anything, the smell was what got me – it’s hard to describe, but very sour – along with the consistency, which offered a sort of liquid-y snot mouthfeel. I’m glad we tried, it though! This particular spot was nothing to write home about, but if you’ve ever been to dive bars in Allston, MA, you’ll feel right at home.

EXTRA STUFF

How much cash?

One of the big questions we had on the flight over was how much cash to take out, and we ended up managing just fine with withdrawing what equated to about $55 USD for the six days we were there. Between the two of us, we always had enough cash and in reasonable denominations, but if you’re flying solo, maybe get slightly more. (Those street food stands will be calling your name!) Most brick & mortar businesses will accept a credit card.

How to get around?

We walked a TON pretty much every day, and it was a great way to see even more of the city and get a feel for the different neighborhoods. When we needed to get somewhere fast (or were too tired/lazy), we Ubered. Rides were rarely more than $10 whenever we needed one, so as much as I would have loved to experience the Women-Only cars on the metro, it was just always way more convenient and still cost-efficient to Uber when walking wasn’t an option.

What’s up with the toilets?

I would say a good 10% of the trip was me trying to figure out what to do in the bathroom. At our Air BnB, there was a sign instructing that all toilet paper go in the trash rather than flushed, and similar signs appeared in public restrooms, too. (Until they didn’t, and then I wasn’t sure if the rule was simply implied instead of overtly spelled out.) All of this is to say that I still don’t understand how Mexicans do this on a daily basis in their own home without stinking up the joint, and I’m very glad to be back to flushing most things.

Actual Iceland Extravaganza 2018

For nearly three years, I had a Google Doc saved to my drive entitled "Theoretical Iceland Extravaganza 20__." I dutifully updated the year whenever another 365 days had passed.

WOW Air ads on the T here in Boston mocked me with their claims of 5-hour flights to Reykjavik. Blue Lagoon pics threatened to outnumber Machu Picchu selfies when it came to dating app profiles. Everyone and their mom was going to Iceland. Everyone except me.

Every year, I exhausted my list of people I could potentially go with, throwing out invitations left and right, and still came up empty. Every. single. year — until now. After many, many pep talks (from others and from myself), I finally bought a plane ticket and prepared to explore the island solo.

(Spoiler alert: Once she got wind that I was definitely going, my aunt jumped on board. So now everyone and their mom's sister were officially heading to Iceland.)

Wanna go, too? Please feel free to reap the benefits of three years of research and nine days of actual experience. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I'm gonna be pretty sporadic with my use of proper Iceland accents and punctuation. There's only so much copying and pasting I can handle. Also? THIS IS HELLA LONG.

DAY 1 (BOSTON --> KEFLAVIK)

Does this even count as part of the trip? If you're cheapskating it like I was, your flight likely leaves in the evening and you arrive at the crack of dawn in Iceland the next day. I left work early, booked it to the airport, and made myself comfortable on the plane with hours of podcasts, downloaded Netflix shows, and two books to keep me company. For the first time in my life, I even took the time to wash my face before the flight, took out my contacts, and applied extra moisturizer. Let's call this the Forever35 effect. I also popped a melatonin and inflated my camping pillow, but maybe you're someone who has no trouble sleeping on planes? If so, I'd like to know your secret. I managed a couple of subpar hours.

DAY 2

We landed at 4:30 a.m. and made the bleary walk past all of the food vendors that were for departing guests only. I've never encountered this rule before, but it's a real thing that is actually enforced. Someone please tell me why. 

The first perhaps crucial tidbit of the trip: I rented our car from Hertz after spending waaaay too much time researching car rental options, including reading nightmare stories about ash and gravel insurance, picky agents, and the state of roads in Iceland. ("Do I need 4WD? It sounds like I do. Everyone is recommending it.") (In fact, more likely than not, you don't. For reals.) 

To save money, I chose a basic sedan (a Nissan Pulsar — no, I'd never heard of it, either) and opted to pay for it upfront. That locked me into the trip, and I had a few hours of panic thinking this would be the one time in my life where I'd fall ill or be injured and unable to travel, but... it was fine. Hertz had our car ready on time, they weren't insane about it, we pointed out one small thing that might be construed as damage that already existed so we wouldn't be blamed, and then we were off. Way to go, Hertz! Also important to note was that Hertz didn't require an insane security deposit like some other local rental dealers did. Just FYI.

Arrive @ KEF, 4:30 a.m.

HELLNAR SEA CLIFFS & ARNARSTAPI BEACH
I remember very little about this stop aside from the fact that we first stopped at this hilarious stone statue of what looked like a giant, and then ended up here. At first, we started walking down a mysterious path along the water, but it soon became clear that it went on for potentially miles and we had no idea where it went. So then we backtracked to the car and continued driving. There's supposedly a black church around here, but we completely missed it (though we were looking!).

SNAEFELLSJOKULL PENINSULA
This is mostly a scenic area that's pretty but lacking in the way of actual things to stop and see. Lots of horses along the way, and if you're into it, you can arrange to go horseback riding. You can also see the glacier in the distance, but we didn't do any excursions related to it.

KIRKJUFELL MOUNTAIN
Apparently, this mountain was in Game of Thrones. Sure, if you say so! There's a parking lot across the road from the mountain, and a small waterfall on the lot side with a pathway to go up and take pictures.

STYKKISHOLMUR
We stopped at our first Bónus here to grab provisions, but arrived too late to take the ferry to the Westfjords. (We literally missed it by minutes. But in our defense, it wasn't on the official itinerary to take the ferry, so it's not like it was an official failure. Stay positive, folks.)

Good things to know about Bónus:

• It's your best bet for buying the cheapest food possible.
• Its logo is a giant pig that puts Piggly Wiggly to shame.
• The produce and dairy items are kept in separate rooms from the rest of the store (at this one, at least), and they carry the biggest lemons known to man (the produce in question apparently tastes like nothing, according to the local woman we ran into).
• They aren't super abundant, so if you see one, you should probably stop and get whatever you need. Another decent option is Krónan.
• I'll blather on more about what I survived on in a separate packing/buying post.

BUDARDALUR CAMPGROUND
Since we missed the ferry, we drove on to our original destination for the evening — this campsite that is almost unsettlingly in the midst of a town. Aside from the lack of nature, it was a pretty impressive site, complete with kitchen setup (sink, hot plate, and toaster oven), washer & dryer, and piping hot showers. Cost? About $15 a person/tent, which includes a shower voucher (you scan it, the shower runs for about five minutes).

We set up our tents next to some German dudes and fell asleep at around 10 p.m. The sun was 100% still shining. (Hellooo, Iceland summer!)

DAY 3

Lotsa driving today. This is a road trip, after all. One thing to note: When Google Maps gives you an approximation of how long it will take to get somewhere, it's not taking into consideration the fact that these roads might become unpaved. And even though the suggested speed on unpaved roads is 80 kph, you miiight feel the urge to go, like, 40 kph because you're paranoid that rocks will kick up and ding your car at any moment. 

Basically, it can take a while.

LÁTRABJARG
OMG Látrabjaaaaaarg. This was one of the stops I was most looking forward to, and one of the most treacherous to get to. AND I LOVED IT. So, so much. 

Látrabjarg is the westernmost point of Iceland and one of Europe's biggest bird cliffs. It's also really freaking hard to get to, involving miles and miles of winding unpaved roads and a memorable stretch of cliffside dirt road where we got stuck facing a tractor that was coming the other way. I'm not sure how he managed to pass us without falling off the cliff or scratching our car, but you better believe the encounter involved me gesturing wildly at the operator not to come any closer to us. He just laughed.

This experience was seriously everything I wished the Puffin Cruise had been and MORE. Just ask and I will gladly show you all of the 400 puffin photos that I took. (I may or may not be joking.)

DYNJANDI
Dynjandi is an enormous waterfall that cascades down rocks like a staircase, making it pretty distinct from the other dozens of waterfalls we encountered on the trip. By the time we finished checking out Látrabjarg and drove to this area, it was past 10 p.m. But, since it was June in Iceland, it looked and felt like it was the middle of the afternoon. Yes!

There are a bunch of smaller waterfalls right by the parking lot, but you really need to make the climb all the way up to the main one. It's amazing and slightly terrifying — Iceland doesn't seem to believe much in protective barriers, and the top consists of slippery rockface and a cliff's edge. And people were not shy about getting right up to that edge.

FLOKALUNDUR CAMPGROUND
This was the campground I had planned on us staying at and was where we ended up, but I just want to note that we did a crazy amount of driving on this day, so if you're not sharing the work or just don't have the stamina, then spreading the Westfjords across two days is probably wise.

I would also like to take this moment to dispel some rumors: my aunts and uncles seem to think that my tent rolled down a hill with me in it at this campsite. False. My tent tipped over early in the morning, with me in it, because of how strong the wind was blowing. It was so windy that I couldn't even get it re-secured, so I gave up and broke down my setup. I ended up with some bent tent poles, but on the bright side, we got a head start with our drive and spotted a waterfall on the way to breakfast.
 

DAY 4
AKUREYRI
Like most of the "big" towns in Iceland, this one didn't have much worth stopping for. It'd be a good place to stock up on gas and groceries if you're in need; we took advantage of the local library's WiFi to figure out if we'd be able to visit the nature baths in Myvatn before they closed and tried to scope out lodging since it looked like it would be too cold to camp that evening.

MYVATN NATURE BATHS
We made the somewhat controversial decision to NOT visit the Blue Lagoon (I know, I'm never going to attract a man now), and instead opted for this soaking spa. I'm told it offers much of the same in terms of amenities (poolside bar service, a restaurant, a sauna) but is much less crowded and less expensive (only $47 vs. about $100). Unlike the Blue Lagoon, it's not necessary to make a reservation ahead of time.

As someone who is fairly cold-blooded and seems to possess little body fat (as evidenced by how easy my tent can blow away with me in it), I like it hot. Showers, hot tubs, weather — what most people find unbearable, I find comfortable. So for me, the temperature of the main pool at the nature baths was disappointing. (Oh wait, did I mention that it was also supposed to snow that evening and plenty of guests opted to wear their knit beanies into the pool? No? Well, maybe take that into consideration.) The sauna and hot tub more than made up for it, though, and by the time I was done with stints in both, the chilly walk back to the changing room was less daunting.

Things to keep in mind: At these nature baths (and with the cheaper Blue Lagoon packages, as well), towels are only available for a rental fee. I brought my tiny microfiber camp towels in with me to use, but they were no shield from the freezing cold during the brief outdoor trek from the showers to the pool. Also, I had totally packed shower sandals specifically for these situations but forgot to bring them in from the car. If you go, don't make the same mistake.

This is also probably a good time to warn you that Icelanders are fanatic about washing before going into these geothermal pools since they aren't chlorinated or anything. That means washing, ahem, key areas with soap before putting on your suit. Makes sense, but also very different from what we're used to at pools in the U.S.

GAMLI BISTRO
Restaurant options were fairly limited in this area, but I dug the vibe of this bistro and my spicy lamb pizza with tomato chutney was delicious. Everything sounded pretty good, honestly — it's all just (unsurprisingly) expensive.

DIMMUBORGIR GUESTHOUSE
The original plan was to camp this evening, but the weather proved too harsh for us to bear. We came upon this guesthouse — a series of tiny cabins, really — and they happened to have a one-bedroom cottage available for us. Despite being a drop-in, the price was pretty reasonable and the cottage was super cute. It included a well-stocked kitchen, so would have been great for a longer stay, as well.

My absolute favorite part of our stay here was the complimentary breakfast. After several days of having nothing but granola bars, yogurt, and instant coffee for breakfast, I was pumped to see the insane spread that was provided. Smoked trout, lamb, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, fruit, hearty loaves of bread, and, yes, skyr (yogurt) were all laid out first thing in the morning. I was really bummed when I wasn't hungry enough to go back for a third round. (Be sure to try the homemade "hot springs" bread!)

Also, there were two resident dogs (!!!) and the main gathering house overlooked directly onto Myvatn Lake. A really great find.

DAY 5

GRJOTAGJA CAVE
I really like that this cave has more recently gained notoriety not for its geological significance or brilliantly blue water, but because it was the setting for the love scene between Jon Snow and Ygritte in season three of Game of Thrones. 

While this hot spring used to be enjoyed by locals, these days the temperature is too unpredictable to be safe for bathing, so it's more about getting a peek at that beautiful water. Totally worth it. (Try to go early and avoid giant groups of tourists taking selfies inside the cave.)

HVERIR GEOTHERMAL AREA
Right down the road from Grotagja is a wildly different landscape (and pungent smell) that has been compared to the surface of Mars. Having never been to Mars (yet), I can't attest to that, but it's certainly a barren, red, rocky expanse. Most notable, though, are the glistening pools, bubbling mud pits, and thick pillars of steam everywhere you look. 

A group of tourists from a bus trip was all equipped with disposable booties to put over their shoes, and I gotta say, it looked silly but was genius. The mud here is super thick and you will be a mess afterward. Just be prepared to throw your shoes into a plastic bag immediately until you can clean them off. (Or simply be careful in the car until you get to the next stop, because spoiler: more mud is coming.)

VITI CRATER
This crater, formed by a volcanic eruption, features a dazzling blue pool in the center. Though hiking down to the lake seems unwise, you can easily walk around the perimeter of the crater in under an hour. On the day we went, it was snowing and the wind was still blowing pretty hard, so the one small stretch of narrow pathway felt a bit treacherous, but it doesn't last more than a half a dozen steps.

As I mentioned before, the landscape can be extremely muddy (there's no vegetation, so duh), and my boots were literally weighed down with mud toward the end. Have a fresh pair of shoes ready to change into, and take advantage of the no-longer-random shower station that's by the side of the road on your way back to the main road.

ESKIFJORDUR
Our Air BnB for the evening was situated a bit farther away from the next day's locations than I would have liked, but this town ended up being quite pretty and enjoyable to stay in. If you want to cut down on driving the next morning, however, I'd recommend finding lodging further south.

We made a failed attempt to see a local waterfall that was recommended by our guide, Einar and then ended the evening with a meal of seafood gratin and reindeer meatballs at Randulff's Seahouse. The place was almost completely empty when we got there, so the hostess was happy to chat and tell us about the history of the area and the restaurant's former life as a museum. It's still filled with artifacts and the upstairs has exhibits about the area, so it's easy to stay entertained while you wait for your meal.

Seafood? Delicious. Reindeer? Legit delicious.

DAY 6

JOKULSARLON GLACIAL LAGOON
The night before, we'd checked the various booking sites to try to secure a spot on one of the amphibian boats that tours the lagoon, but found that all the trips were full until at least 5 p.m. We had plenty of other stops still to make after the lagoon, so it seemed as if we'd have to give up on the idea... but! when we arrived the next day at around noon, there were still spots available when we walked up to the ticket booth. Just goes to show: sometimes not having your shit together still works out.

The view of the glacial ice from the shore is still breathtaking, but I'm glad we got to get a different (and often closer) look with the boat ride. It lasts about an hour, you get to hear a bit about how glaciers are formed (and subsequently melt), and if you're feeling curious, you can even taste some pure glacier ice.

After the boat ride, we walked across the street to the black sand beaches, where the chunks of ice that make their way out to sea often wash up. There was a massive piece of ice that tourists were taking turns snapping pics on and we, of course, could not resist.

This was another highlight of the trip, so if you can't make it around the entire island, I highly recommend you at least find a way to get this far.

VATNAJOKULL NATIONAL PARK
This place wasn't on anyone's list of recommendations when I talked with people who'd already been to Iceland, and I'm honestly not sure why! Maybe because there's another glacier not too far off and everyone only went there? Regardless, I think this place is worth a stop, and if you time it right, it's an option for camping, as well.

Aside from the ice in the lagoon, this was the first glacier we encountered up close on the trip, and it's a little startling to discover that they aren't these pristine blocks of ice that you imagine — the majority of the surface, I'd say, is actually blackened with dirt and gravel that gets ground into the ice as it moves. 

You can opt to do a guided glacier walk here, though we didn't have time to. It's strongly discouraged (dare I say forbidden?) to walk on these glaciers without guides, so we settled for checking it out from afar.

VIK CAMPGROUND
Uh, don't tell her I told you this, but I'm pretty sure my aunt was sick of camping at this point. I, on the other hand, was just settling into a groove: Sleep in several layers of clothing and avoid seeing my legs for days at a time. Hoard outlets and charge devices whenever possible. Subsist on a diet of ramen noodles and madras lentil from Trader Joe's. Bury into the cozy depths of my sleeping bag each night, sleeping mask firmly in place.

All this is to say that the campgrounds in Iceland were pretty impressive. Well-equipped. Easy to access. And boasting pretty clean facilities. This one was no different, and I especially enjoyed my evening spent eating my ramen, drinking white wine straight from the bottle, and listening to my fellow campers cheer as they huddled around phones, watching Iceland compete in the World Cup.

DAY 7

REYNISFJARA BEACH
Okay, so this one tripped me up. There's a black sand beach almost immediately across the street from the entrance to the campground, and at first, we thought that was Reynisfjara Beach. It most certainly is not. It wasn't until we drove all the way to Dyrholaey (pretty meh) and talked to some fellow tourists that we realized we'd completely missed the beach we'd meant to see.

The backtrack was well worth it but unfortunately meant that it was almost noon by the time we got there, and it was swarming with tourists. (Again, go early if you want a little more breathing room.) Even still, the basalt columns and roaring waves were a sight to see, and I hear you can sometimes even see puffins in the area.

SOLHEIMAJOKULL GLACIER
This is a popular spot for guided glacier walks, but we were able to get really close to the glacier even though we weren't part of a tour. Highly recommend stopping at both of the glaciers on this itinerary.

SKOGAFOSS
If you have the proper rain gear and are confident in how waterproof your equipment is, you can walk very close to the base of the waterfall where the water hits the ground. It looks very cool. 

BUT, if you're like me and had already spent plenty of time cold and damp, it's still enjoyable to view from afar. The surrounding area is lush and green in the summer, and there's a rickety staircase leading to the top of the waterfall, as well. It's a pretty decent workout, but totally doable for most folks.

One thing to keep in mind is that this kicks off the portion of the trip where we're deep into Reykjavik-driving-distance sights, so the crowds are much larger and the bathrooms and parking start to cost money. (Have I mentioned how much I loved the Westfjords?)

SELJALANDSFOSS
The best part of this waterfall is that there's a campground right next to it, so that's where we set up for the night. (There's even a small waterfall in the campsite, and we parked our tents right next to it.) We took a quick stroll to see the main waterfall in the evening, but then went back again in the morning when we were dressed to walk behind it, as well. You'll definitely want to throw on your rain pants and raincoat for the quick loop, but it's worth it.

DAY 8

SELFOSS
We stopped here for lunch at Kaffi Krus, which my friend Jess recommended. She raved about their burger, but my aunt and I were both big fans of the seafood soup. Definitely a great place to stop with a really chill vibe and delicious menu.

KERID CRATER LAKE
Okay, not gonna lie... at this point, my aunt and I were both turning into crater snobs (and waterfall snobs, to boot). This lake is fine, but Viti was by far my favorite of the two as it felt bigger and less crowded. There's also a fee to visit this one ($4).

HAUKADALUR GEOTHERMAL FIELD
Again, I thought the other geothermal area (Hverir) was cooler, but if you've never seen a geyser before, then this would be a neat stop. The namesake, Geysir, goes off pretty frequently and regularly, so you're guaranteed to see it erupt a few times, but other than that one, the rest of the area is pretty ho-hum. I'll put it this way: it's no Yellowstone.

GULLFOSS
Another waterfall. But this one was, in fact, quite lovely, and as promised, we saw several rainbows. 

THINGVELLIR NATIONAL PARK
Jess warned me that this wasn't worth going to, and I was ready to skip it, but somebody in the car still wanted to check it out, so... away we went. Seriously, don't bother. Save your time and drive directly to...

REYJADALUR VALLEY
One thing we still hadn't accomplished on the trip was a soak in a roadside hot pot. Since we'd decided to skip the Blue Lagoon, it seem paramount to make this, at least, happen. The problem was that we hadn't really planned for it, so a lot of the ones I could find info about were too far out of the way. 

However, when I was making the original itinerary, I'd including a hot river that Jamie (of P-Town fame) had recommended, and I saw that it was on the way to Reykjavik, still, so definitely within the realm of possibility. It would be a long day, but hey, we'd already had 8 long days at this point, so what's one more? The sun was STILL out, guys!

After some trial and error, we found the way to where the parking lot was, awkwardly changed into our suits in the car, and started the hike to the river. 

I've linked to the article that I initially read about the river in, and the writer describes the hike as "relatively easy." Friends, I vehemently disagree. It was, as she described, long ("45-60 minutes"? More like definitely 60, at least), but felt even longer due to how steep the inclines were. Plus, the wind was blowing viciously when we went, so there was the added effort of hiking uphill into the wind.

Still, even with all that, I can't recommend this stop enough. The hot river is really like nothing else I've ever experienced — and it has amazing amenities, too, with a boardwalk alongside that includes occasional changing screens for privacy. I was worried that the river wouldn't be warm enough to make the trip worth it, but we found a spot where it was as hot as any man-made hot tub I've been in. (I believe the water gets progressively warmer the farther you walk.) It felt amazing. I only wish we could have stayed longer, but it was already past 10 p.m. when we got there, and we still had to find a place to stay for the night.

We opted to crash at the nearest campsite. It wasn't the best, but it did the trick. Sadly, it was too late to eat out by the time we got back from the river, so we missed out on trying any of the local restaurants. Instead, I shared a picnic table with some tourists from France and Germany; we were all eating different variations of ramen. Cheers!

DAY 9

REYKJAVIK
Finally! The place where the majority of people stay when they go to Iceland. We made it... 9 days after arriving. We made reservations to go on a free CityWalk Tour, which started near the Parliament building, and spent two hours wandering the city with our delightful guide/my dream husband, Eric. When I wasn't distracted by his beautiful face, I learned plenty of new and interesting facts about Iceland. Because let's be real, U.S. public schools DGAF about Iceland.

Seriously, though, I highly recommend attending one of their tours. It was entertaining, fascinating, and culminated with a ton of local recommendations. It's called "free," but is actually donation-based, so... cough up something.

BREIDHOLTSLAUG
Sooo... not only did we end up doing the hot river, but we also decided to check out a local pool, as well. Since it had ben raining and cold in Reykjavik since we arrived, it seemed like as good an option as wandering around downtown any more. Plus, it was within easy walking distance from our AirBnB.

The pool was nothing impressive from the outside, but inside? Guys. There was a lap pool, a waterslide, four hot tubs, a wading pool, a sauna, and an entire indoor workout area, too! It was insane. Even though it was raining, there were plenty of people in the (outdoor) pools, and I spent most of my time relaxing in the hot tubs, listening to the locals and imagining that they were sharing all the hot gossip. It was fascinating.

THE LEBOWSKI BAR
Duh. I had to go in. (Was slightly dismayed, though, by the crowd of drunk bros that circled the front entrance.)

DAY 10

HALLGRIMSKIRKJA
The famous church in Reykjavik, known for its striking architecture and amazing views of the city from the very top. Worth the elevator ride fee.

And then it was time to head to the airport, turn in the car, and wave goodbye! Thanks for being such a great host, Iceland. You were magical.
 

P-Town Getaway

This summer's been go, go, go — which has been great for satisfying my restlessness, but not so great for catching up on blogging. Whoops. Let's see if I can remedy that in a whirlwind of updates, shall we?

Sometime during the recent endless replay of dating app intros, it hit me that I've lived in Boston for half a decade. I haven't stayed in one place that long since, well, I was underage and legally had to. And with that realization came this accompanying reality: there's still so much I haven't seen or experienced yet, especially in the greater New England area.

My Maine road trip was a big check off my list, and a few weeks ago, I crossed off another must-experience destination: Provincetown. Situated on the very tip of Cape Cod, P-Town is known for its beautiful beaches, great food, thriving art scene, and gay-friendly community. I've barely even approached the Cape in all my time in Massachusetts, so I was ready to dive in headfirst with a weekend trip to Provincetown.

My partner in crime this time was my buddy, Jamie — someone with a love for planning that almost matches my own, but paired with an easygoing demeanor that's key for travel. Plus, she's goofy and curious and adventurous, so... any outing with her is pretty much guaranteed to be interesting, hilarious, or both.

After much debate, lengthy pro/con lists, and an email chain that may have broken from its own sheer weight at some point, we finalized our strategy:

Warning: The ferry gets pretty windy.

METHOD OF TRANSPORTATION: Bay State Cruise Company Fast Ferry ($90 roundtrip + $14 with bike)

Popular topics of conversation in Boston include: the Patriots and/or Tom Brady; now what's wrong with the T?; and traffic. Most often: Cape traffic. I've heard enough wailing about the drive from the city to the Cape to make me pretty much never want to do it, ever. Especially on a weekend in the middle of summer. Plus, isn't there something romantic about traveling by sea? It's like being on the Titanic, only minus the classism and, hopefully, sinking.

Jamie was equally entranced, and we figured Hey, we're not going to make a habit of this, so we splurged and ferried our way out Friday evening after work. Pros are, obviously, the coolness factor, but also convenience: the ride was an almost-exact 90 minutes, and delivered us straight to the center of town.

ACCOMMODATIONS: The Outermost Hostel ($40 per person, per night)

Confession: We had originally planned on camping, but hemmed and hawed too long in our decision-making to secure a site for the weekend we wanted. For a hot second, it looked like our P-Town dreams were ruined, but we stumbled upon the second-rate website of what is literally the only hostel in Provincetown, and made it our hail Mary play.

Jamie did the heavy lifting and made numerous calls to the hostel, leaving messages for the owner and praying we'd get a call back. When she finally got a response, she was told that we'd need to provide a credit card number to secure a reservation, but would need to ultimately pay in cash when we arrived. All in all, slightly shady but not terrible.

The night before, I was doing my typical pre-packing obsessing, and tried to look up the hostel so I could see if I needed to bring a towel or not. When I did, I discovered a slew of abysmal guest ratings along with it.

Having now stayed at the Outermost Hostel, here's what I can say about it: the guest complaints I read were all fairly valid, but I think your stay all depends on your expectations. I've stayed in some really nice hostels (in Europe) and some really shit hostels (also, coincidentally, in Europe). We were planning on camping initially, so really, pretty much anything with a bathroom attached was a bit of an upgrade. If you go, just know that you're in for some bare bones accommodations — bare bones, but still very much providing of all the necessities, and with a location (right by the Pilgrim Monument) that really can't be beat for the price. Seriously. If we had camped, we would have wasted so much time walking or riding bikes from the site to town that we definitely would have missed our ferry going home instead of just almost missing our ferry going home. (Blame it on the frosé.)

Note: You don't need to bring a towel! Or sheets or a sleeping bag, for that matter. But you might want to, depending on your germaphobia or thread-count standards. I'd still go back.

THE FUN STUFF

The Canteen:
We started and ended our trip here, and if we had just eaten here for every meal in between, I think I would have been fine with that. A varied menu with interesting takes on the basics (I got to have another bahn mi hot dog! Let's continue this trend.) and a sick back "patio" (you're literally on the beach) make this the perfect chill P-Town grub spot.

Happy Camper:
The Canteen's sister spot, Happy Camper serves coffee, ice cream, and donuts — along with a variety of vintage-inspired merch that'll have you wanting to rewatch Camp Nowhere and Heavy Weights just to keep the camp nostalgia going. We actually discovered this spot via the local farmer's market, where they had a booth set up on Saturday morning, but also visited the brick & mortar shop several times after during our stay.

Mama Matcha Green Bar:
Too often, I find myself eating nothing but overindulgent crap when I'm traveling (see: hot dogs, donuts, endless servings of ice cream. Thanks, Maine.), so I was overjoyed to start our mornings by sampling from two trendy, healthy spots. Mama Matcha served up the prettiest avocado toast I've ever seen, and it was seriously tasty (it includes chopped tomatoes, sprouts, sunflower seeds, and crumbled goat cheese). Think I've officially earned my Millennial Card now.

ScottCakes:
This place was on no one's recommendations list, and we probably would have walked right past had it not been for the fact that (1) it was our dear friend Scott's birthday that weekend, and (2) he and his wife had honeymooned in Provincetown. We simply couldn't resist picking up a t-shirt for him and, well, if they wanted to throw in a free cupcake, we certainly weren't gonna turn that down. Scottcakes serves exactly one type of cupcake, varying only the size (regular or mini); each is plain vanilla with gloopy pink frosting, and each is crazy delicious. If you're like me and your preferred type of birthday cake is boxed funfetti from the grocery store, you'll love ScottCakes.

Grab 'n Go Health Bar:
Had my first-ever acai bowl. Felt super hipster, and then felt super full because those things are huge. Next time, I'll be splitting mine with someone.

Tim-Scapes:
Super cool graphic designs representing a variety of major cities, all for sale as prints, t-shirts, tanks, tote bags, and more. I was seriously tempted to get a Boston or Provincetown one, but in the end, my overflowing t-shirt drawer at home made me decide against shelling out for another. But you should!

Marine Specialities:
It's hard to describe this store, which is nothing like the many boutique shops that also line Commercial Street. Need an irregular top from Urban Outfitters that has just slightly crooked seams? How about random vintage army patches? Camping gear from brands you've never heard of? It's all here, crammed into every available nook and cranny. I could have wandered this place for hours, but it gets crowded easily due to, well, all the stuff.

Post Office Cabaret:
I got the impression that no visit to P-Town was complete without seeing a drag show, and we were enticed by the offer of priority seating at the Caberet since we had grabbed a late lunch there. It's a tiny theater, with short rows of seats that extend waaaaay back... but we were plopped in the very first seats, and didn't need to wait in any line. Thanks, soup & sandwich! We saw Raja: Gawdess, starring one of the winners of RuPaul's Drag Race. I'd probably go for a more traditionally campy show next time, but it was an interesting and entertaining experience, for sure. (Raja's boyfriend in the audience may have been my favorite part.)

Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch:
Our whale watching experience was 100% the highlight of the trip for me, and would be my number-one reason to encourage anyone to visit Provincetown. The Stellwagon Bank National Marine Sanctuary is right off the coast of Provincetown, meaning it's only a short twenty-minute ride to get you to prime whale-viewing territory. In other words, we spent nearly the entire four-hour trip seeing whales, including the famous humpback Salt, who was first spotted in the 1970s and has been a staple in the area since. We were lucky enough to be the first to see her this season, along with a mother and calf that literally swam under our boat and just hung around, playing, for a solid half hour or so. It was the coolest thing I've seen in a long time, and I can't recommend the experience enough.

Race Point Beach & Herring Cove Beach:
Our last day, we finally put our bikes to use and rode out to first Race Point Beach and, later, when we were ready for lunch, Herring Cove Beach. Race Point was the nicer of the two, but Herring Cove had the benefit of a snack bar so... there you go. Neither was particularly crowded, but if you're looking for a more kids-free (yes, please) experience, go with Race Point.

Provincetown, I finally get what all the hype is about. 

Roadtrip Revival: Maine

Back in 2011, the year of Ye Olde Life-Changing Roadtrip, I made a painful omission to my country-wide route: I didn't stop in Maine.

I know. Now that I live in New England, I'm sure I would get even more crap for that decision today. But in my defense, it was still early spring/practically-still-winter when I departed, and I would have hit Maine in the midst of its chilly, wet defrost. It didn't sound like the ideal time to fall in love with a place — and this seemed like a spot I could really fall for; something right up my outdoors-loving, crusty-old-sea-captain-smitten, low-population-👍  alley.

So I passed. And this summer, I made it my mission to get some Maine-exploring in.

The first toe-dip in the water was a weekend to celebrate my Aunt Barby's birthday (just a week after Momstravaganza weekend, so it was really a Momstravaganza month). First stop: the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. (What did I tell you about moms and gardens, people?!)

Sidenote: Living just an hour away from my Aunt Barby & Uncle Mike is one of the best things about being in Boston. My aunt is delightfully just like my mom, yet also nothing like my mom (read: she will go hiking with me), and my uncle is just like my dad (curse of being a Mike?), yet also nothing like my dad (read: won't try to convince me to buy a car with the same number of miles on it as my current car). It's Parents 2.0, just a short ride away, and I love it.

The gardens were followed by the main (Maine?) attraction: a Puffin-Watch Cruise. Let's add "birds" to the list of Things Moms Like, shall we?

A word of warning before you go and book your own spot on a Puffin Cruise, because I did zero research and had unreasonably high expectations. Puffins are tiny. They are not — as I assumed — the size of small penguins. And vast swarms of them do not cover the islands that they roost on. (Again, I was imagining penguins.) So... bring your binoculars, people. My camera's zoom lens barely did the trick capturing those orange beaks.

We stopped at Red's Eats in Wiscasset on the way home to try one of their famous lobster rolls. The evening stop was perfect timing, actually, because both times I passed Red's on my later Maine trip, the line was always snaking around the building and into the street. This place is popular. And for good reason, too: their lobster roll is the most gargantuan I've ever seen; a normal-sized bun spilling over with what must be a literal entire lobster's worth of meat. To be honest, it was a little too much after a day that had already been filled with lots of eating, but I totally get the hype.

So. That brings us to two weeks ago, the weekend before the Fourth of July. Because that first peek at Maine was nowhere near enough, I planned an entire road trip dedicated to it. (If you want to see concerning proof of my madness, just check out any Google Doc I create that has to do with travel planning. And prepare to back away slowly.)

I limited myself to just the coast — I only had four days, after all — and prioritized time in Bar Harbor and Portland, since those seemed to have the most things to do. There were some hits, some definite misses, and a whole lotta fog, but it was a beautiful weekend. 

Here was the route:

PORTSMOUTH, NH
OGUNQUIT, ME
KENNEBUNKPORT, ME
PORT ELIZABETH, ME
GEORGETOWN, ME
SURRY, ME
BAR HARBOR, ME
ELLSWORTH, ME
BRUNSWICK, ME
PORTLAND, ME

(That's the abbreviated version.)

I left Portland bright and early (with just ONE dashboard warning light illuminated in the Blueberry — ayyyye) and arrived in Ogunquit in time for a leisurely pre-breakfast walk along the paved Marginal Way cliffside path. It's a little over a mile from the start to the end in Perkin's Cove, where I grabbed an iced coffee for the walk back.

In Kennebunkport, just a half hour away, I had the most satisfying breakfast sandwich ever at H.B. Provisions. (Full disclosure: It's nothing special, but I was really hungry.) H.B.'s is apparently a staple for the locals and does, indeed, feature a framed photo of George W. Bush. on its walls. But I won't hold that against the place.

After wandering a bit more in Kennebunkport, I drove north to Cape Elizabeth to take in the famous Portland Head lighthouse...

...It was a little foggy that day.

The fog continued as I wove my way around the jagged coast, taking a detour to the tiny fishing village of Georgetown to visit an obscure yet highly praised lobster shack I'd read about.

Five Islands Lobster Co. consists of a couple shacks on a pier overlooking the harbor in Georgetown, Maine. I arrived well after lunch time on a foggy Saturday, but the parking lot was still packed. Cars filled the nearby municipal lot, too, so I was forced to leave my SUV on the edge of a residential lawn guarded by an overzealous poodle. No joke.

Is the lobster roll good? Yessir. However, as someone who arrived in Boston almost five years ago having never tasted real lobster — and later choked on one in front of her undying college crush — I've now sampled a decent number of rolls. Five Islands' is good, yes, but it was disappointingly small. I could have easily polished off two. But you can't really beat the ambiance, so... maybe just bolster that roll with any of the other delicious-sounding items on the menu.

YOU GUYS. This is where I stayed for two nights (in Surry, Maine), and I already want to go back. I initially looked for a campsite but was having trouble finding one where I could reserve a spot ahead of time, so I turned to Air BnB. In the end, it was between a teepee on someone's private property and this, the Morgan Bay Zendo.

(Morgan Bay won out because it had a shower, but I'm determined to sleep in a teepee in the future.)

The cabin was exactly as tiny as it looks, with only a twin-sized storage bed, rocking chair, and wood-burning stove inside. Yet as rustic as the accommodations were, I was blown away with how thoughtful and precise the design was. My crappy cell phone pics don't do it justice, but trust me when I tell you that these dudes know their interior decorating and architecture.

In case you couldn't tell, the Zendo is a Buddhist meditation retreat and consists of a main meditation hall, a meeting hall with communal kitchen and showers, and four small rustic cabins. That's not counting the grounds, which include several gardens, a pond inhabited by some very vocal bullfrogs, and the winding path through the woods from the parking lot. (The walk ensures that the location is extra peaceful and secluded, yes, but is also extra terrifying when you get back after dark and remember that you're 100% alone in the middle of nowhere with just the light of your headlamp.)

During my stay, I crossed paths with exactly three people. One was a fellow lodger who I saw for maybe fifteen minutes, and the other two seemed to be a local grandma showing her grandson the weird hippie commune down the road. It was awesome.

I also chose Surry as my home base because it was less than an hour from Bar Harbor, the front yard of Acadia National Park.

The fog was still in full force Sunday morning when I arrived in the harbor, but by the time I finished breakfast at 2 Cats (three words: homemade strawberry butter), it had mostly burned away.

I followed Aunt Barby's advice (she worked at Acadia last season, so she knows her stuff) and hit the Bar Harbor Land Bar first. At low tide, the sand bar connects Mount Desert Island to Bar Island, which is off in the distance in the above photo, hidden by the remaining fog. 

Once I checked Bar Island off my list, I hitched a ride on the shuttle into the park and tackled the Gorham Mountain Trail. During my previous visit to Acadia a couple years ago, I did Cadillac Mountain, Jordan Pond, and couple other well-known ones, so this was my chance to conquer something new and — more importantly — not too lengthy (I had only one day, okay?). The top of Gorham Mountain rewards with views like the above and the kind of sweat that's synonymous with well-earned accomplishment.

After my hike, I relaxed on Sand Beach for a couple hours and then wandered along some more trails until dinner time.

The evening began with a flight at Atlantic Brewing Company, which was followed by a refreshingly different dinner of enchiladas and mole sauce at Havana. (Vacation rule: always take the hot bartender's dinner recommendation.)

Dessert was a mandatory stop at my fave, Mount Desert Island Ice Cream. (Flavors so good, I got it again the next day in Portland.)

The next morning, after a detour to Big Chicken Barn Books & Antiques (oh yes, I did), I headed back south, eventually stopping in Brunswick, Maine, for my second lobster roll of the trip. Haunted by my puny lunch at Five Islands, I made sure to order the large lobster roll at Libby's Market, which looks like a glorified gas station convenience store. But that Yelp rating don't lie, folks. It was goooooood.

I rolled into Portland with enough time to stop at Foundation Brewing Company for a tasting before they closed. Alas, I didn't have the sobriety left in me to head next door to Austin Street Brewery, too, but it's earmarked for next time. (Hot bartender recommended it, after all.)

Dinner was a BBQ bahn mi hot dog from The Thirsty Pig. It's not blurry in real life and I would very much like another one, please.

I celebrated July 4th the best way I know how: with donuts, french fries, and beer.

At The Holy Donut (known for their potato-based donuts), I sampled the ginger-glazed sweet potato, blueberry with blueberry glaze, and dark chocolate with coconut and coconut milk-glazed donuts. Despite mixed reviews of the bakery from friends and fellow travelers, I was a fan. I'm also the farthest thing from a donut connoisseur you can find, though, so take that with a grain of salt.

After attempting to walk off some of the donuts, I circled back to DuckFat just as their doors opened so I could grab an order of their famous duck fat fries to go — along with a salad. (I like food, but I could feel this trip murdering my cholesterol with every passing moment.)

The final stop in Portland was a tour of Allagash Brewing Company, where I got to sample an excellent sour and saison. Probably should have bought a couple bottles, but at this point I was ready to swear off beer and junk food for the foreseeable future.

Hey Maine, let's stay friends, k?

Momstravaganza Weekend

May was all about moms — most importantly, MY mom. Mother's day, her birthday, and her retirement all coincided last month, so it was obvious we had to do something special. That's how most of the Lombardis ended up in Washington, D.C. for Mother's Day weekend and a slew of Carol-centric activities.

Let's take a moment real quick to talk about my mom, because this is my blog and she's awesome. My mom is a hilarious combination of old-school Catholic who also loves raunchy comedies like Wedding Crashers and The Hangover. She always gives my friends big, warm hugs (hers are the best) when she sees them, yet will be even quicker than I to groan if we end up seated near small children in any situation. She has introduced me to fine, Carol-approved ideas such as breakfast cake ("it's healthier if you eat it for breakfast") and taping down the front of your pants for a smoother look. And she passed on to me an unhealthy interest in Zac Efron films, epic eye-rolling abilities, and the worst decision-making skills known to man.

She is the only person I look forward to talking on the phone with, and she is an endless source of entertainment, often because — sorry, mom — she's the butt of many jokes between my brothers and I. But it's all done out of love, I swear!

Most importantly, though, my mom is a source of unending love and support for her kids, even when she's scolding me for swearing too much on this blog or arguing with me over the importance of pointless, outdated, boring wedding rituals. 

Basically, she's the best. So when my dad was going to be in D.C. — where my eldest brother, Matt, lives — for a work event the week of Mother's Day, she decided to come along. And then I decided to fly down. And all of a sudden, four-fifths of the Lombardis were taking D.C. by storm.

Here's what we did:
 

HIRSHORN MUSEUM & SCULPTURE GARDEN

My mom was super psyched about this art exhibit called "Infinity Mirrors" at the Hirshorn Museum & Sculpture Garden. Apparently, it was kind of a big deal, because all of the free tickets immediately sold out in less than 60 seconds after they were released. No joke. She was quite bummed, because it was the last weekend for the exhibit.

Luckily, I started stalking the Hirshorn Museum on social media and discovered that they were selling tickets for a special evening admission to the exhibit. So we snapped those up, and as soon as we all got to town Friday night (...after taking too long to eat dinner and literally arriving only minutes before our designated timed entrance...), we fulfilled my mom's first wish.

This was the first thing we saw.

My dad and I stood in front of this for a moment. "They're like, stuffed pantyhose?" I ventured. My dad looked dubious. He and my brother, of course, had zero interest in this outing in the first place, so they were trying to ration their jokes for the evening.

Then we entered the next room and saw this.

I stood looking at the chair for a moment, thinking that it kind of looked like it was covered in white sweet potatoes. Then my dad pointed to a sign. "They're dicks!"

Needless to say, my dad and brother used up all of their jokes within the next fifteen minutes.

The actual Infinity Mirrors exhibit was pretty cool, though. (I highly suggest Googling it, as my pictures probably aren't the best representation. Also, they wouldn't let you take pictures in the last room, which was my favorite. Apparently too many people have lost their balance and fallen...)

The Artist. (No one else got my Power Rangers reference.)

GEORGETOWN GARDEN TOUR

You know who likes gardens? MOMS. It's a fact of life, just like how moms also love Josh Groban and Michael MacDonald. Think about it.

We spent Saturday afternoon poking around various backyards of Georgetown, which were more about fancy landscaping than flowers, and my mom was haaaaaappy. Me, I was more interested in the free refreshments served at the end, but hey: everybody wins.

I even refrained from pushing Matt into several pools. You're welcome.

NATIONALS VS. PHILLIES BASEBALL GAME

Being from south Jersey, my mom has a history of rooting for the Phillies. Having been forced to watch an ungodly amount of Phillies baseball at relatives' houses over the past 30 years, I have developed a passionate hatred for them and find great pleasure in rooting for their defeat. Play ball!

Even better than getting to watch the Nationals beat the Phillies, though, was the fact that it was Pups in the Park Night. Dogs. Baseball. Beer. So many good things happening all at once.

I'm having a hard time remembering the last time I was this excited about something.

My brother and I share our curly blonde hair, blue eyes, and a never-ending obsession with one day owning a dog. #goals

BRUNCH AT OLD EBBIT GRILL (& OPEN HOUSES)

We had some good food that weekend, but the best, in my opinion, was the Mother's Day brunch we had at Old Ebbit Grill. I convinced my mom to share the lobster frittata and brioche french toast with me, and I'm still thinking about how good they were, weeks later. Also, the grill has a long history in D.C., dating back to the mid-1800s, and it totally looks like the kind of place where government bigwigs come to knock back a few drinks and make some shady deals. Basically, lots of wood paneling.

After brunch, we spent the rest of the day visiting open houses, because my brother's in the midst of trying to buy a condo somewhere. Luckily, open houses are on my mom's list of interests, along with brunch and ice cream, which came later.

In case you're interested, we also ate at Graffiato (the White House pizza and did not disappoint) and Founding Farmers (a cool mix of decor on the inside, an interesting mix on the menu itself).

It was a pretty solid weekend and, more importantly, I think my mom had a decent time. Just a  reminder, folks: call your moms. It's Sunday.

This is 30.

I turned 30 on December 1st. In the words of my Uncle Mike, "Oh, fuck it. Life is over."

Just kidding. It's a weird thing, though. And since a birthday party with all of my closest friends is never an option anymore, I decided to celebrate with a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

This guy came with me. And made it his goal to eat All The Things. (Starting with breakfast at Tune-Up Cafe.)

We stopped at the Tent Rocks National Monument on our way from the airport. Matt was not impressed. I don't care what he thinks.

Matt vs. The Cactus. (The cactus won.)

Kowboyz, home of the most brilliant array of cowboy boots, hats, shirts, and anything else you could ever dream of.

The Santa Fe Railyard. Prettiest trains ever. Also, had the best mini (blue) corn dogs of my life at the Second Street Brewery.

We wandered through all the various levels of Double Take, an awesome vintage store filled with cool treasures. (I found a sweet little lidded basket for keeping my earrings and bracelets in.)

It's my birthday, and I'll go on long drives through the mountains if I want to!

We made it to Cowgirl BBQ and I finally got the t-shirt I always regretted never splurging on when I was a broke intern. (This may have occurred after several beers and shots of whiskey.)

Bye, New Mexico! Thanks for a special birthday. (And, y'know, thanks to my brother for coming with me. As my mother says: "Such a nice boy!")

Other notable stops not photographed for posterity: Cafe Pasqual's, Tecolote, Maria's, Kakawa Chocolate Shop, Jackalope, and the CVS where I stocked up on medicine to combat the Worst Cold Ever. (Happy birthday, have some germs!)

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

It's been too long, I know. This summer flew by in a flurry of apartment hunting, packing, moving, and traveling, but I made a special effort to plan one very important trip: a visit to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

For all you non-Michigan natives out there, the Pictured Rocks are located in the Upper Peninsula of my fair home state, a region known for its pasties, smoked fish, taxidermy, and Canadian-esque accents. Also? It's crazy beautiful.

My first visit happened back in 2009, and it remains one of my favorite places in the world (I already want to go back again next year for a longer stay). This year, I managed to convince my two brothers to join me. Here are some tips and things to do and see if you go (which, no question, you should):

Break up the trip.

People in New England are used to being able to drive half a day or less and be in another state, but that ain't how it works in Michigan. Unless you're wildly wealthy (let's be friends) and can afford to fly into one of the small airports in northern Michigan, you'll probably be driving from one of the larger, more southern hubs, like Detroit. My brother, Kevin, lives in Petoskey, Michigan, so we drove up to his place one day (roughly 4.5 hours), hung out around town, and then continued on to Munising (where the Pictured Rocks are) the next morning (another 2.5 hours).

Northern Michigan, whether you're on the Upper or Lower Peninsula, is gorgeous, so it's worth spending time in some of the cities along the way. Though we didn't stop there, Mackinaw City is a popular spot, along with Mackinac Island, which is entirely car-free and accessible only by ferry (that's where all the famous fudge comes from). Traverse City is known for its cherries. And Petoskey and Harbor Springs are cute beach towns that are also close to the major Michigan ski resorts, Boyne and Nub's Nob.

If you're near Harbor Springs, I highly recommend checking out Pond Hill Farm, which has a winery, brewery, and cafe, and is a working farm (there were piglets!). We did a tasting in the winery (the Cottage White and 2013 Chardonnay were my favorites, though the cherry wine was pretty interesting, too) and enjoyed the beautiful view of the grounds. They also have farm-to-table dinners and barn dances, which I really, really wished I could go to. Basically, this would be my regular hangout spot if I was a local.

For dinner, we tried Barrel Back, which was right on the water of nearby Walloon Lake. The food was good, the view was great, and there was randomly a bouncy castle set up right outside. Pretty much the perfect combination.

Book a campsite ahead of time.

I had grand visions of camping in one of the few sites within the park itself, which was foolish on my part since you can't reserve them ahead of time and my brothers are especially slow at getting going in the morning. Unsurprisingly, by the time we got to town, all those sites were full (there are only three major sites)  — and all the surrounding ones outside the park, too. We wasted a lot of time driving around, trying to find an open spot (that far north, there's practically no cell service, so we couldn't call ahead or look up places on the fly).

In the future, I'd book a spot at one of the closest campsites and either be satisfied with that, or try my luck at one of the park sites first thing the next morning. Even then, though, I don't know the likelihood of securing a place, so reserving elsewhere is your best bet. We grabbed the last spot on the grounds at Jack Pine Lodge, which was actually fairly charming in its cheesiness. When I have the choice, though, I prefer sites where there's some brush and trees between you and your neighbor, and no RVs.

Backcountry camping is possible without a permit, but we heard differing rules about building fires in the backcountry (was it allowed? or not?), and we'd been talking about hot dogs and s'mores for days at this point, so that was a dealbreaker. If I ever got a bigger group to go for a longer stay, I'd definitely look into renting a house, too, but I personally enjoy camping and get a kick out of putting all my gear to good use.

Get on the water.

The first time I was here, I went with two friends and we brought kayaks with us. (Thinking back, the fact that we drove eight hours, on the freeway, with two kayaks tied to the top of my mom's car with nothing but some straps and bumpers is pretty insane.) I highly recommend doing the same if you can, because I loved the freedom of exploring the rocks at my own pace and being able to go into the caves and jump into the water when I felt like it.

Since we didn't have enough kayaks to go around this trip, we chose to book a guided kayak tour along the rocks with a company that seems to be having an identity crisis and is either Paddling Michigan or Uncle Ducky Outdoors. Either way, it was fun and a great way to see the rocks.

There are also pontoon boats available to rent, so if I went back with a larger group, I'd definitely rent one for a day and explore that way, too. Do it all!

Go hiking.

I think my brother Matt would disagree with this one, but half the fun of this place is walking around and exploring. We got in a pretty major loop on our last day, and while I don't think any of us were really prepared for how long it was, it gave us some amazing views along the way.

Above is the route we took, and I would definitely do it again. Next time, however, I'd pack a lunch and towel and take a break at the beach near Chapel Rock to relax in the sand and go for a swim. From there, the hike along the water is the best part; make sure to stop at Grand Portal Point and enjoy the cliffs and clear view they allow. From Mosquito Campground back to the parking lot is just walking through the woods, but the time along the water makes it all worth it.

Hit the beach.

We didn't have time for a dedicated beach day, but on longer trips, there's nothing I love more than laying in the sun, napping, and occasionally dipping your toes into Lake Superior (it's freezing!). The sand here is unlike anything I've experienced else where in the U.S. It's soft, but not powdery. Thick, but not rocky or heavy. The closest thing I could compare it to? Brown sugar.

The beach near Miner's Castle is perfect, and if you're brave enough to go in the water, you can easily swim to some of the caves and climb onto the rocks (and then jump back in!). 

Embrace the quirk.

The Mystery Spot. Moose heads. Puns. Motorcycle gangs. Road-tripping retirees. The Upper Peninsula has it all (except, perhaps, Wi-Fi and cell service). While you're here, embrace the fact that your best food options are pasties and smoked fish, and take in all the weird, cheap, and low-brow treasures that Northern Michigan has to offer.

Pictured Rocks, I love you.