Archive for North America
Travel to Vancouver: A Don’t Miss and Dismiss of Olympic Proportions
Posted by: | CommentsDon’t Miss & Dismiss is an occasional series of travel guide posts about the best (Don’t Miss) and worst (Dismiss) tourist sites in cities all over the world.
The 2010 Winter Olympics kick off today in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. So here’s my travel guide on the host city’s good and bad tourist sites.
Don’t Miss: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
An authentic representation of a Ming Dynasty scholar’s residence, the garden is a calming oasis in the midst of the city’s hustle and bustle. Read the article I wrote about the garden in The Journal Record.
Dismiss: Gastown
Vancouver’s historic center, Gastown is mostly a collection of tourist shops and restaurants. The architecture is somewhat interesting, and the old steam clock is so-so. Just don’t venture outside Gastown’s core area, as we found the surrounding streets a bit rough to say the least.
Don’t Miss: Museum of Anthropology
Located on the campus of the University of British Columbia, the Museum of Anthropology’s authentic totem poles and sculptures are only a small part of its interesting collection of art and artifacts examining the area’s coastal Native American heritage.
Dismiss: Granville Island
If you’ve never before visited a big public market then stop by Granville Island. Otherwise, it’s just another market.
Don’t Miss: Japa Dog and Tojo’s
Unique and tasty grub is one of the best parts of travel to a foreign destination. Two Japanese-inspired, but very different Vancouver options should not be missed. For lunch, stop in at the Japa Dog stand (see my earlier Japa Dog post here). For dinner, grab some sushi at Tojo’s. Fresh ingredients and a modern flare make Tojo’s the best sushi I’ve eaten outside Japan.
Vancouver Street Food – Japa Dog Takes Gold
Posted by: | CommentsThe world will soon descend on Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Games. As the games approach, I find myself catching the Olympic spirit – and craving a hot dog.
Sports fans who travel to British Columbia should take the opportunity to check out a unique and tasty bite of Vancouver that would surely grab the gold in any street food culinary competition.
If you’re too good to eat at a hot dog stand, stop reading now. But if an outstanding hot dog with a Japanese flair turns you on, then Japa Dog is your place.
More than a hot dog, Japa Dog offers turkey, beef, pork and veggie sausages covered with creative and crazy combinations of Oriental garnishes like seaweed, Teriyaki and soy sauces, grated raddish, bonito flakes, fried cabbage, plum sauce, edamame and Japanese mayo.
It may seem strange to be in Canada standing in line for a Japanese take on an American icon, but it’s worth the wait. You can find the Japa Dog stand on the corner of Burrand and Smithe Streets in downtown Vancouver.
Off the Coast of Belize My Christmas Regret Lies
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Christmas Day is the anniversary of my greatest regret.
I’ve been blessed over the last decade to visit some amazing places, see some incredible sights and meet some wonderful people. There have been a few disappointments and expensive tourist traps, but overall, I really wouldn’t change a thing.
That said, I wish for just one do-over.
At this time last year, I was snorkeling in the deep blue Carribean waters off the coast of Belize. I’m not a strong swimmer, as my swims-like-a-fish brother helpfully reminded me, so I was a bit nervous as we splashed off the side of the boat into the warm, clear water.
Once I realized I wasn’t going to die a horrible drowning death, I quickly became enamored with the colorful fish, gliding stingrays and spirally conch shells that populated my new underwater world. I was so captivated, in fact, that I never noticed when my wedding ring slipped off my finger and drifted secretly to the ocean floor.
“So what.” you might say. “It was just a gold band. Go buy another.”
If it were only that simple.
The ring I wore for almost a decade was more than a metallic marker of my marital status. That plain gold band was my link to a loved one lost.
When my father died in 1998, my mom took the rings they had exchanged 20 years earlier, melted them together and gave me the gold. The wedding band my beautiful bride placed on my finger almost ten years before was forged from history, a round reminder of the love my parents shared and a promise of what was to come in my life.
Distraught, I searched the sandy bottom, hoping against hope to see a shiny reflection against the soft sea soil. I retraced my path as best I could, but my treasure was lost. I cursed and I cried.
When we celebrated our 10th anniversary a few months later I was sans band, and my finger is still bare today.
You see, just any old ring simply won’t do.
Seattle Travel Food – Mac/Cheese at the Icon Grill
Posted by: | CommentsI have discovered what may be the world’s best mac and cheese at the Icon Grill in Seattle, Washington.
Made with four cheeses, the Icon Grill’s Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese is a gooey, crusty-topped bowl of tasty goodness. The culinary masterpiece arrived at our table steaming hot and topped with finely chopped tomatoes, but what happened next really sent me over the edge. Our waiter, who told us that the dish was the restaurant’s top-selling item for about a decade, poured a huge glob of melted cheese right on top.
This is what I call good-nasty. Grab a fork and call the paramedics.
