OT: Travel & Food ideas, advice and discussions
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Mrs yekrut321 and I will be traveling to a Rapid City, SD later this summer to see some of the national parks. I have only been in that area before once for a couple of days. I quickly saw the Badlands, Rushmore, and Custer State Park. Any suggestions from this well traveled forum?
Never pass up a chance too see Rushmore, they may be tearing it down any day now.
I think my wife is of Spanish descent.. She calls me pendejo( I think it means beautiful)
1 hr east of Rapid City (near Badlands): the (in)famous Wall Drug, plus the Minuteman missile silo.
2 hrs NW of Rapid City: Devil's Tower. Sturgis is in-between.
2.5 hrs south of Rapid City: Carhenge.
Although not technically a bourbon, I cracked open a bottle of Basil Hayden Dark Rye tonight. Great sipping whiskey and worth a try if you haven't.
Nobody has stepped up in a few days, so here's some third-rate thought. Note, I don't live in the Lehigh Valley -- this is from talking to friends who grew up there or currently live there, plus many visits over the years and 35+ trips in the past year.
Schools are generally good (with some exceptions). An average school there is probably top 1/3 in the state. Parkland is the best school. Next tier (no order): Emmaus, Saucon Valley, Nazareth, S. Lehigh, Wilson. 3rd tier: Easton, NW Lehigh, Salisbury Twp. But do your homework on the schools.
From a quality of life standpoint, I like Palmer Twp (Easton), Hellertown (Saucon), and Nazareth the most. Two are nice small towns, the 3rd a suburban area with a small-town feel (except no downtown). All have good restaurants and are within 10-15 min of downtown Bethlehem and/or Easton.
I'd also include the Parkland district, with several caveats. It's huge, more than 30 min end to end, and contains some major traffic bottlenecks. Much of it feels more exurban than suburban (tastes may vary). The west end (Trexlertown, Breinigsville) is has a good range of restaurants, a few chains, mostly local, but further out from downtown Allentown (which is the least desirable downtown of the 3) and 20+ min to the HS. The north end of Parkland is near the HS, about 15 min to downtown Allentown, and near the restaurants around Rt. 22, MacArthur Blvd, and Airport Rd (though these tend to be more chains and thus less interesting to me, again tastes may vary).
There are other nice, liveable areas that maybe don't fit your other criteria. NW Lehigh is quite removed from restaurants and culture. Bethlehem has many nice parts and lots to do, but living there means committing the kids to Beca. Etc.
To the extent these matter: if you plan to fly a lot or internationally, pick Palmer Twp, Nazareth, or Hellertown for greater convenience to Newark Airport. If you need to access the turnpike or points west, then go to Parkland (or maybe the NW section of the Emmaus district, but not Emmaus itself). Dorney is in Parkland. Costco is technically in the Emmaus district, but closer to Trexlertown than to Emmaus borough. Two Wegman’s, near Dorney and in Palmer Twp. Rt. 22, Hamilton Blvd, MacArthur Rd can get snarled in rush hour traffic.
Hope this helps.
To honor the day, Buffalo Trace is available at a couple of our local stores.Happy National Bourbon Day ya'll.
Not in need of too much more Buffalo Trace, but I did pick up 2!
Every day is bourbon day for SWPHappy National Bourbon Day ya'll.
I was gonna save the Larceny for Fathers Day but I may change my mind by the end of the day.
Well at least I know where all the good bourbon is being hoarded. If you ever feel like you need to thin the herd, my liver is available.
Hey, fellow travelers! When it comes to food advice while traveling, I always try to strike a balance between exploring local cuisine and making healthier choices. One tip I have is to research local markets or grocery stores where you can grab fresh fruits, veggies, and snacks to keep you fueled on the go. It's a great way to experience the local flavors while ensuring you have nutritious options. By the way, if you're looking for high-quality food products, I recently ordered some of them at healofoods.com. I just thought I'd share it in case it's helpful for anyone seeking quality food during their travels.
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Hey pal, welcome to the board and thanks for all the advice. My hope is you slowly become an alpha poster and start making wise cracks instead of wholesome content. For example, try this... one tip I have is to get all you fresh fruits and veggies at local Pennsylvania stores. Those stores in Iowa have been rundown and very bare for years. Fruit has dust on it and someone said in the basement there is blood on the walls. Experience those local flavors in PA where the water filters through a gold trough and fruit season peaks in March.
Welcome aboard.
Here’s some travel advice. Have your Dr(s). Prepare a travel bag (of assorted prescription meds) to take with you just in case…. We just got back from a long awaited return to Barbados. On day 3 the Mrs. came down with severe nausea, etc. presumably from something she ate or drank (water?). Pretty much ruined our trip, and after returning home, going straight to ER for fluids and tests, she tested positive for salmonella. Really no idea where it originated and I was not affected. Heard horror stories of the local hospital on island, so kinda ruled that out. Let’s just say we will be better prepared next trip.
speaking of which, anyone been to Sint Maarten? Tips, suggestions?
speaking of which, anyone been to Sint Maarten? Tips, suggestions?
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I went to St Maarten 34 years ago for my honeymoon and we loved it. No real tips other than the beach at the end of the airport runway is cool when the planes come in. We visited a different beach each day and enjoyed them all.
We also loved Barbados when we went a few years ago.
Yeah - if you’re in a place in the 3rd world or a lot of the 2nd, plus places like India, the last thing you want to eat are fruits you don’t peel first and vegetables from local markets. Hello E. coli
Look at it as a cheap cleanse.
The real benefit of visiting foreign markets and grocery stores is seeing the wacky goods like snake liquor and the bad English.
As seen in Buenos Aires:
I've paid a lot more than $86.75 for Assy before.The real benefit of visiting foreign markets and grocery stores is seeing the wacky goods like snake liquor and the bad English.
As seen in Buenos Aires:
If you're looking for an Irish bar nearby, I suggest checking out some local review sites or using a map app. You can also ask your friends or locals for their recommendations.
Thanks for the advice….
Travel advice needed, I guess I will ask my friends and local travel sights, even though I am not looking for an Irish Pub.
Over Thanksgiving my sons and I decided to travel to Detroit for the Thanksgiving Packers/Lions football game then we are going to the PSU/MSU game on Black Friday. I noticed Ford Field is near Little Caesar’s arena. Any suggestions for food and entertainment from those of you that attended NCAA’s in 2022?
@hlstone is invited also but probably needs to stay home to celebrate the holiday with his girlfriend. Cue the whip sound, LOL. Anyone else want to join us? We have an extra 50 yard line ticket for the PSU game.
Over Thanksgiving my sons and I decided to travel to Detroit for the Thanksgiving Packers/Lions football game then we are going to the PSU/MSU game on Black Friday. I noticed Ford Field is near Little Caesar’s arena. Any suggestions for food and entertainment from those of you that attended NCAA’s in 2022?
@hlstone is invited also but probably needs to stay home to celebrate the holiday with his girlfriend. Cue the whip sound, LOL. Anyone else want to join us? We have an extra 50 yard line ticket for the PSU game.
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My sweetie's kid is looking forward to my cooking this Thanksgiving. The kid is already planning the meal and having me buy new place settings and stuff. I am stoked.
Search for Detroit in this forum -- already a lot of suggestions to get you started.
Nothing personal, (he says before getting somewhat personal) but I really dislike posts that say go ahead and search. I am looking for someone thoughts that was relatively recently there. I did do a search that came up with basically reccs for chicken swarma and Buddy’s pizza. And I had to go back three pages for that. Also wanted to see if anyone was interested in a ticket. Oh, and basically throw some shade at @hlstone , though I totally understand his position and would do the same, but gotta throw shade, it is how we roll.
I'll be in downtown Detroit this weekend, and will be happy to report on what changed vs. 2 years ago.
But having been there 5 years before that, and noticing what changed then, the most likely answer is: nothing.
If you want more specific input, it might help to be more specific in what you're looking for.
off the top of my head ... all in vicinity of Ford Field:
Bucharest Grill ... for the chicken shawarma. Can walk from LCA/Ford Field.
Brass Rail ... for pizza and beer after the game
Frita Batidos
Union Assembly
Lafayette/American ... if you want the Detroit coney dog experience
Prime&Proper ... if you want to drop $ on steak
Th
That's hot 🔥Even black and white cartoon GIFS!
But if you require color...
Anybody ever been to Jordan? The country, not the Bucks who can't get off bottom. (And yes, I searched, nothing on this board.)
We're looking at late Feb/early March, say 7-8 days. Looks like technically winter with some reduced hours, but spring-like temps (as opposed to desert cold or bake-off) and lower risk of heavy rains/flash floods.
Some specific questions:
1. Amman and the north: How many days? Can't miss vs don't bother things to do? Public transit vs taxis/Uber?
2. Petra: how many days? Is Petra at Night worthwhile?
Note: we will likely need 1 more day than most, due to some physical limitations of one person in our group. He'll want to see everything notable, and so we'll need to allow for extra rest between sites.
3. Wadi Rum: worth it as a day trip from Petra? We're likely disinclined to spend a night there (esp. in the desert in Feb/Mar).
4. Dead Sea: dedicated stop, day trip from Amman, or not a priority?
5. Should we rent a car to go between Amman and Petra/Wadi Rum? Or stick with buses? (We would avoid driving in Amman itself if possible.)
6. Should we bother with Aqaba? Looks like only a Red Sea beach resort + an airport.
7. Any guide recommendations in Amman area (driver/guide) or Petra?
8. Food recommendations? (Restaurants and/or dishes.)
9. We might be there during Ramadan). What challenges does that pose with daytime closures, roads/traffic, afternoon guide energy, etc.?
10. Any other unfamiliar cultural stuff/customs/traditions to be aware of?
Anything else? TIA.
We're looking at late Feb/early March, say 7-8 days. Looks like technically winter with some reduced hours, but spring-like temps (as opposed to desert cold or bake-off) and lower risk of heavy rains/flash floods.
Some specific questions:
1. Amman and the north: How many days? Can't miss vs don't bother things to do? Public transit vs taxis/Uber?
2. Petra: how many days? Is Petra at Night worthwhile?
Note: we will likely need 1 more day than most, due to some physical limitations of one person in our group. He'll want to see everything notable, and so we'll need to allow for extra rest between sites.
3. Wadi Rum: worth it as a day trip from Petra? We're likely disinclined to spend a night there (esp. in the desert in Feb/Mar).
4. Dead Sea: dedicated stop, day trip from Amman, or not a priority?
5. Should we rent a car to go between Amman and Petra/Wadi Rum? Or stick with buses? (We would avoid driving in Amman itself if possible.)
6. Should we bother with Aqaba? Looks like only a Red Sea beach resort + an airport.
7. Any guide recommendations in Amman area (driver/guide) or Petra?
8. Food recommendations? (Restaurants and/or dishes.)
9. We might be there during Ramadan). What challenges does that pose with daytime closures, roads/traffic, afternoon guide energy, etc.?
10. Any other unfamiliar cultural stuff/customs/traditions to be aware of?
Anything else? TIA.
