New York City with No Agenda

On August 25, 2020August 25, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn New YorkLeave a comment

Whenever we travel to a location that we’ve never been to before or one that has too many attractions to visit in a single trip, we make sure that we prioritize the places we want to see, but leave time for the unexpected. Several years ago we took a four day trip to New York City and we made the most of our time. We used to live on the east coast, so we’d been to New York City a couple of times, but just for day trips, in and out with a few hours in the city, so we were excited to spend several days and immerse ourselves into what the city has to offer. We had a few priorities while we were there, the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, the 9/11 Memorial Museum, seeing a Broadway show, and eating a New York style pizza. By the time our trip was over, we had an unbelievable time and have tremendous memories of the sites, the food, and the people we met.

We arrived in New York City on Saturday, July the 4^th, and obviously the city was abuzz with excitement for the fireworks.. Being from Colorado, the heat and humidity of New York was somewhat of an adjustment. As we arrived by taxi, a billboard taunted us with the Minus 5 Ice Bar, a bar where the tables, glasses, seats, and the walls were all made of ice. We dawned fur coats and gloves and a few drinks later we were ready to start exploring the city. We always like to take our first day and try to acclimate ourselves to our surroundings, so we made our way to the streets of midtown Manhattan and worked our way towards Rockefeller Center. After a couple of glasses of wine at the Rock Center Café Summer Garden and Bar, we saw Radio City Music Hall and then found a little restaurant for some food. By the time the lights of the city were burning bright, we made our way to Time Square for some pure tourist photo opportunities.

On the second day, we made sure that we hit some of the attractions that were important to us. Our first stop was at the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center with amazing views of the city including a view over the roof of our hotel, which was just two blocks from Central Park. Even if you have a little bit of vertigo, seeing the city from these heights simply can’t be missed. After viewing the city in all of its glory, we went to Central Park to get some lunch. As is our typical practice, we asked several locals where we should go. We knew that Tavern on the Green was quite famous, but everyone we asked said to go to Loeb Boathouse on the lake, we were not disappointed. Gondolas and row boats in the lake, and a wonderful bar for wine while we waited for a table.

We’d gotten plenty of suggestions on where to get the best slice of pie in town and one place definitely stood out as far as recommendations. So, on our next full day in the city we grabbed a cab and headed towards lower Manhattan. When we arrived at the restaurant, mouths watering, the sign on the door at Arturos indicated that they didn’t open until 4:00 pm, our pizza experience was going to have to wait. These are the little surprises that make a trip that more enjoyable. After walking a few blocks heading towards the 9/11 Memorial, we came across a tiny Italian restaurant and stopped to check out the menu. The owner came out to greet us, full Italian accent, ingratiating smile, and we had to stay for lunch. We couldn’t have been more pleased, Peplino Restaurant was one of the most satisfying meals of our entire trip. Once our stomachs and souls were nurtured, we continued on to the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Words cannot describe how emotionally overwhelming it is to relive that horrific day through audio, video, and tactile content that truly moves the soul. Someday soon, we’ll talk specifically about that experience, but it is too much for a single post about New York City. Upon leaving the memorial museum, we were emotionally exhausted, but there was more of the city to be seen and we were determined to get our New York slice, so we headed north towards Arturos. Luckily we arrived just in time, this place definitely has a reputation for a reason and the place was packed with locals, always a good sign. We order a full pizza, knowing that it will likely be too much for us, but every bite was as delicious as the next, and for another few moments, we felt like locals sitting in our local watering hole. Our day wasn’t done yet, though. It was a long walk back to the hotel from Arturos (100 blocks), about half way, we were ready for a break and we were fortunate to find the Belgium Beer Café just in time for their happy hour. Oysters and Manhattans while we were in Manhattan seemed a must.

With one full day left in the city, we booked our Broadway show, “Finding Neverland”, and started out for a full day of enjoyment. This was the day to do the Empire State Building with more incredible views of the city and another stark reminder of the loss of the twin towers. After enjoying such an incredible view of the city, lunch was in order and we lucked out by finding another little restaurant where local’s way outnumbered any tourists. After an afternoon of roaming the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, we found an Irish restaurant with a good happy hour and excellent food called the Malloy’s Irish Pub and from there we were off to Broadway. The show was incredible, we laughed, we cried, we were thoroughly entertained.

Enjoying the View from the Empire State Building

All in all, it couldn’t have been a better trip. We weren’t on a schedule, rushing from attraction to attraction, but we saw incredible sights, met amazing people, and actually decompressed from our day to day lives and enjoyed a completely new environment. New York City is a truly special city and is definitely worthy of spending several days there in order to see everything it has to offer.

The Food of Telluride, Colorado

On July 15, 2020July 15, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado, Food5 Comments

The town of Telluride has managed to keep a small-town feel despite being a popular destination for tourists. Excluding the restaurants that are located in the Mountain Village, there are only about 36 restaurants in Telluride. During our visit, which was obviously impacted by the pandemic, not all restaurants were open and some were only open for pick-up and not for inside dining. The town did make every effort to have as much outside seating as possible in order to allow for people to enjoy the scenery and still be able to enjoy food from the local restaurants.

Spicy Tempura Rock Shrimp with Shishito Peppers

Beers at the High Pie Pizzeria and Taproom

Typical of any resort area, restaurants of varying price ranges and styles of food can be found. There are casual restaurants as well as fine dining restaurants, but like almost anywhere in Colorado, even in more upscale restaurants, people tend to dress casual. We went to several restaurants during our short stay and enjoyed a variety of food. We also had a couple of glasses of wine at the Historic Bar in the Sheridan and a couple of beers at the High Pie Pizzeria and Taproom.

Winter Warmer Beer at the Smuggler Union Restaurant and Brewery

On our first night in Telluride, we enjoyed a wonderful Italian meal at Rustico where we had Caesar Salad and Spaghetti Rustico. For a more casual dinner, we ate Barbeque Ribs with Mac N Cheese at the Smuggler Union Restaurant and Brewery. On our final evening in Telluride we decided to splurge and have dinner at The National, which is a newer fine dining restaurant where we had spicy Tempura Rock Shrimp and a 5 Spiced Duck with a Fig, Sage and Pecan Pudding as well as a Sweet and Sour Huckleberry Sauce.

Ornate Ceiling in the Historic Bar at the Sheridan

Scrambled Eggs with Poblano Peppers at The Butcher & The Baker

Since we wanted to get and do some hiking early, we went out early and stopped for brunch before getting on the trail. The first day we went to The Butcher & The Baker and the following day we went to Baked in Telluride, both of which offered fresh baked food. We only ate one lunch in the Mountain Village as we spent most of our time in the town of Telluride itself. This was our second time in Telluride, but it has been a while and we certainly enjoyed the food and drinks that we had during our short stay.

Exploring Hanoi’s Old Quarter

On February 25, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Vietnam2 Comments

When visiting Hanoi in Vietnam, most of the hotels and rental properties are located in Hanoi’s old quarter. It is a very busy district with plenty of shops and restaurants making it a perfect location to explore the best of Hanoi. Some of the highlights of the old quarter are “Sword Lake”, Hoan Kiem Lake, the night market, and St. Joseph’s Cathedral. You will find plenty of street food and vendors walking with sweets and fruit for sale. Regardless of the time of day, the old quarter in Hanoi is extremely busy and the streets are packed with motorcycles, cars, and rickshaws. In fact there are so many motorcycles parked on the sidewalks that it is often easier to walk in the street than on the sidewalks.

The first thing that you need to do when exploring Hanoi’s old quarter is to learn how to cross the busy narrow streets. Many of the intersections don’t have stop lights and crosswalks and even when there are, the motorists usually ignore them. The basic rule when walking or even driving on the streets of Hanoi is that whoever gets to a spot first has the right of way. If you wait until there is no traffic, you will never make your way through the old quarter, so you simply need to walk out into the street, avoiding vehicles directly in front of you, and the other vehicles will simple swerve around you as you make your way across the street. It is a little unnerving at first, but once you get used to it, it becomes quite natural and is completely safe.

Strolling around Hoan Kiem Lake is a popular activity as the lake is centered in the heart of the old quarter and is a quiet refuge in the otherwise hectic area. The streets around the lake offer some of the best choices for restaurants featuring Bun Cha, Pho, and Egg Coffee. On weekend evenings, the streets on the north end of the lake are blocked to motorized traffic and converted into outdoor markets with live music and a variety of entertainment. Just north of that is the section of the old quarter referred to as the “beer streets” due to the number of pubs that can be found in the area.

Easier to Walk on the Street Despite the Traffic

We would highly recommend walking the streets of Hanoi’s old quarter in both the daytime and nighttime hours to get a true sense of the city. You are likely to see other tourists walking the streets as well, but it is predominantly local residents that you will find there. Families and friends gather on the streets at dinnertime and sit in their tiny chairs as they enjoy a meal together. We spent many nights in Hanoi’s old quarter and found every exploration to bring us a new and enjoyable experience.