Almost at the top of Diamond Head...

Hiking Recommendations

The overall hike should take approximately 1.5 hours to reach the top and take pictures along the way. To avoid the sun, many people will hike the crater when it first opens around 6:00am as the temperatures will be a bit cooler and won’t be as crowded with other tourists. It’s recommend that you wear shoes that provide some ankle support as there are a few areas of loose rock. I wore my Quiksilver flip-flops and thought I would roll my ankle a few times during the hike. Lastly, there are a few tunnels and bunkers which get pretty dark so it doesn’t hurt to bring a flashlight or headlamp like I recommended in our “Holiday Gifts for Action Sports Travelers” article in December.

Your Physical Condition

You don’t need to be the world’s greatest athlete to hike this crater but it wouldn’t hurt to be somewhat in shape. I enjoyed seeing locals (from what I could tell) sprinting up and down the entire path even though it made me a bit jealous knowing that these runners were getting a superb workout with amazing views of the area. The hike is pretty gradual with the first portion being paved with cement until it becomes a hard dirt-packed pathway with a handful of switchbacks. You will also have to hike a few hundred steps which also includes a spiral stairway through an old military bunker. Once reaching the top of the spiral stairs, you will need to climb a small ladder through the bunker to reach the outside of it. Be prepared to either crawl or walk very low to the ground as the bunker window is pretty small.

The last few steps to reach the bunker ontop of Diamond Head Crater

Diamond Head Entry Prices

Walk-In – The bus is by far the easiest and cheapest method to reach Diamond Head as it picks you up in Waikiki and drops you off outside of the crater. This requires you to walk up the hilly road and through a skinny dark tunnel which you will be sharing with cars. The price for this entry method is $2 per person for the bus ride and $1 per person for actual entry into the crater. Can’t get much cheaper!
Drive-In – The other method is to drive into the crater which will cost you $5 per car-load, meaning you can cram a bunch of people into the car and the price will remain the same.

A light house on the beach that is directly below Diamond Head Crater

A surfer at Barber's Point standing up on the longboard after a few tries

The famous Waikiki Beach on the southeastern side of Oahu is a tourist haven with many locals avoiding the area at all costs. The countless number of hotels in the downtown area condense all the tourists into a small strip of sand and ocean. Now don’t get me wrong here. The downtown Waikiki area near the ocean (Kalakaua Avenue) is absolutely beautiful way to spend a day shopping at high-end luxury and surfing stores, as well as markets to practice your haggling. I tried haggling for some coral earrings for my fiancé only to have a Japanese women tug at my ear and lightly punch my stomach while saying, “Why so cheap!” So beware!

Trying to learn how to stand up and balance on the surfboard will take a few waves if you aren’t familiar with similar sports, such as snowboarding or skateboarding. The last thing you need to think about is how to avoid using your surfboard to hit the swimmers heads popping out of the water. There is a very low chance that you will be able avoid them as you are trying to stand up and then balance yourself.

The other reason why it is good to avoid Waikiki Beach is that you won’t have thousands of other tourists watching you from the beach when you take a nasty fall. Why have the ocean waves physically crush you and possible humiliation from other tourists emotionally crush you?

So Where Should I Learn How To Surf?

There is a saying goes, “Do as the locals” which fits in perfectly with the best place to learn how to surf. Barbers Point Beach is located on the southwestern side of Oahu (about 22.7 miles or 40 minutes from Wakikiki). The locals teach their children at Barbers Point Beach because there are constant beginner sized waves (only a couple feet) for longboards and boogie boards, which means you do not need to wait for the tides to change. The reason for the never ending waves is that coral reefs a few hundred feet from the beach cause the larger waves to break and then reform, leaving beginner surfers with easy waves to stand up on.

The two biggest surfing companies in the Barbers Point area are the following;

Girls Who Surf

When Cherry Fu graduated from Harvard College, she believed that “lifestyle is a choice”. She quickly moved to Hawaii, picked up surfing, and founded “Girls Who Surf” based on her job experience in teaching, coaching and high-end tourism. Don’t get confused by the name as there are male instructors. The company is not limited just to females either even though my fiancée used this company in April 2010 and thoroughly enjoyed the lesson with only two other individuals.
2 Hour Semi-Private Surfing Lesson Price: $130.00 USD per person with a maximum of four (4) surfers per instructor

Hawaiian Fire

The surfing company consists of Honolulu City firefighters who have a strong passion for surfing and providing guests with a memorable experience. Hawaiian Fire instructors focus strongly on safety considering that they need the certifications (e.g., EMT-B, CPR, Open Water Rescue, etc…) for their job as a firefighter.
Adult Group Lesson: $109.00 USD

Disclaimer: For transparency purposes, we did not receive a media discounted rate when taking surf lessons at Girls Who Surf.

Just to take a step back and give a tiny language lesson, a tico is the term for a native of Costa Rica. One of the major reasons that this town hasn’t been invaded by swarms of tourists is because it takes about four hours, by car or bus, from San Jose, Costa Rica.

Flickr.com (Sean94112)

Shake Joe’s

Located right on the beach and near the market stalls, this outside restaurant makes a great spot for lunch after soaking in the sun or learning how to surf. Shake Joe’s has five tables with huge cushion seats directly under palm trees. The panini-type sandwiches are pretty massive but nothing is more refreshing then drinking a local beer (Imperial or Pilsen) while eating a mozzarella, tomato and lettuce with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic goodness.

Al Manglar

A nice little Italian restaurant located in a local Costa Rican beach town. Who would have thought? Al Manglar is one of the first restaurants established in town and continues to be a great place for locals and tourists to catch up with a glass of a wine. The outstanding home-made warm bread and gnocchi is a favorite as well as the pizza. The quiet atmosphere makes this restaurant the perfect spot for a date with that special someone in your life.

Flickr.com (azure elixir)

El Lagarto

Hands down, El Lagarto has some of the best food that I’ve eaten in Costa Rica, plus the presentation of the food and overall atmosphere is unmatched. Some of their serving plates are made of slabs of wood which make you feel like a caveman (or cavewoman to be politically correct).

As I sat down enjoying spicy grilled shrimp and wood-charcoal grilled chicken, I noticed that the ground around me was moving. No – I wasn’t drinking that heavily. There were dozens, if not hundreds of hermit crabs of all sizes just walking around. It was pretty cool as I used to own a few as pets when I was younger, they sell them all over New Jersey boardwalks. When I left El Lagarto, I had to watch every step as I would have felt terrible if I accidentally stepped on one of the little guys/gals.

Esmeralda

This indoor restaurant is a bit off the beaten path as it’s on eastern side of town but this isn’t a bad thing! Esmeralda’s is trendier then the other restaurants on this list and their menu shows this as well. After checking out the menu for a few minutes, I stumbled across an interesting dish – a fillet of local white fish with a delicious avocado-sauce spread on top. I personally never heard of an avocado sauce prior to reading the menu so I had to try it out. The meal was by far one of the tastiest meals I had during my entire trip. I highly recommend this menu item if you are to ever visit the beach town of Samara.

Hotel Giada’s Pizza and Pasta a Go Go

You might be thinking to yourself, “Why is a restaurant that sounds like a Western Italian chain restaurant?” I couldn’t argue with the name; however, there are times as a traveler when you just want to enjoy types of food you are accustomed too. The pizza that Hotel Giada’s Pizza and Pasta a Go Go serves is on a very thin crust and has the perfect crunch to it. It honestly tastes like heaven after eating rice and beans for more meals then I can count on both hands.

Have you been to Samara before? What is your favorite restaurant? Want to share any other good restaurants near Samara?

The acronym “Benny” is rather easy to remember for those living in the Jersey/New York area because it stands for the major cities where the seasonal beach-party tourists come from; Bayonne, Elizabeth, Newark, and New York.

While there are many beaches along the Jersey Shore coastline, there are some beaches that just seem to attract Bennys. I suspect it’s mostly because of the never-ending cheap motels, tons of beach house rentals, the party-vibe, the expansive beaches and of course…the out of control night life.

The following are beach towns along the Jersey Shore that you should try to avoid during peak-summer season unless you don’t mind bumping people like Snookie or “The Situation” from the wildly popular “Jersey Shore” television show;

• Seaside Heights, NJ – This coastal town will be the party epicenter for years to come after being the location for MTV’s ‘Jersey Shore’. Expect to see a lot more people fist pumping and skimpy clothing worn by the ladies at the Beachcomber Bar, which is one of the more well known bars in town. The boardwalk amusement piers have lots of t-shirt stores to help ensure you are only wearing the trashiest t-shirts possible. That’s a good thing, especially if you want to fit in with this crowd. On top of that, this party-favorite town was also used as the MTV Summer Beach House for a few years in the early 2000’s.


Courtesy of Beachcomber Bar

• Wildwood, NJ – The ‘after-prom’ capital of New Jersey is full of young adults drinking cheap beer after Junior and Senior high school proms. During the summer, Wildwood, NJ is a favored destination due to the beyond cheap motels and summer beach rentals. Just expect to be wearing a colored arm band as most motels use this to keep track of trespassers on the property.
• Atlantic City, NJ – The coastal gambling-mecca of the mid-Atlantic. Free booze when playing at the casino tables and some trendy bars make this a great location for locals and Bennys alike. The boardwalk and beach are also pretty massive to allow for some great partying.
• Point Pleasant, NJ – I will make a bet with anyone that you cannot spend more than three minutes on the boardwalk, during the summer on a weekend, without seeing a group of spiky haired guys rocking gold chains while trying to pick up some young ladies. It’s simply inevitable. Check out Martell’s Tiki Bar as it is another New Jersey shore bar that is packed during the summer with Bennys.
• Belmar, NJ – I didn’t want to add this town as I do have some respect for this place being mostly left to locals during summer…except for Bar-A (Bar Anticipation). They host the immensely popular “Beat the Clock” every Tuesday night where, starting at 8:00pm, draft beers only cost 50 cents and increase 25 cents every hour till midnight.


Courtesy of Bar-A

Don’t like being called a Benny? Did you grow up near the Jersey Shore and share my thoughts? Any other towns on the Jersey Shore that you think are tourist traps in the summer?

Courtesy of Jianca Lazarus

You’ve traveled the world for snowboarding, surfing and skateboarding…what has been your most favorite country that you’ve visited?
When it comes to snowboarding I would have to say Japan! Best snow of my life, amazing culture, awesome experience! Can you say powder and karaoke? I’m in! My two other favorite experiences was in China and Bosnia. Traveling is always amazing, but going to dynamic zones like those, really opens your eyes to a bigger picture. Especially walking through or riding on the bombed out Olympic Village from the 1984 Games in Bosnia! There was war art everywhere, and it was really surreal. China loves blondes, so my experience was even more fun! It was like another world!

When it comes to surfing – my heart lives on the north shore of Oahu. My favorite countries have been Fiji, Brazil, and Mainland Mexico!!!! The culture and Tavaura Island in Fiji is irreplaceable. It is the most magical spot I have ever been! The people have such a high vibration and connection to the earth, and you feel that when your there. Also the waves are insane and mostly private! As for Brazil, they love to play, and work as little as possible. Most youthful and active country I have ever visited! Such high energy and connection to nature, and awesome food! Lastly, mainland Mexico, the most attainable location, full of yummy food that always makes my sick, and PERFECT point breaks! Its affordable, beautiful, amazing waves, upbeat, just sometimes dangerous. Stay as south as possible…

So you mentioned that when it comes to surfing, your heart lies in Oahu. I heard you spent some time in Hawaii with a few friends to film ‘Surf into Yoga’, can you tell us a little bit about?
Since 2006, I starting traveling to Hawaii every spring and fall to refresh my body and soul, and to immerse myself in the beautiful ocean and waves! I was born and raised at the beach, but really feel in love with surfing when I graduated highschool, and met some professional surfers that inspired me. Rochelle Ballard is like a sister to me, and we share many similar passions, so it is no surprise that we decided to take on the ‘Surf into Yoga‘ project together! Timing was great for both of us, it was my summer, and things were started to transition for her.

Courtesy of Claire Bevilacqua

I watched the ‘Surf into Yoga’ teaser clip and already feel relaxed – where was your favorite location to practice yoga in Hawaii?
Rochelle’s house! She is actually having a studio built at the moment, but her place in Hawaii is my favorite place to do yoga. I have learned so much about myself, my process through life, my yoga practice, and my connection to the earth at her place. We have been on such a fun journey creating, cooking, growing, diving, surfing, hiking, stretching, breathing, mediating, and gathering with the local community. I am really learning the power in community, growth, connection to the earth, myself, and my food.

Are there any popular spots on the islands that you would recommend to a person looking to practice yoga while on vacation?
Well Rochelle Ballard teaches most days now at her place at Sunset beach. She is also hosting a yoga retreat there April 18th-25th, 2010 (see surfintoyoga.com for more info). There are also Co-Op’s and good bikram’s class in Haliewa….and donation yoga at Waimea. Hawaii has a lot of connected beings, and a lot of access to yoga and wellness. It is an amazing place to heal….I live there two months out of the year, and those two months create my foundation for the rest of my year! It is definitely one of my happy places.

Courtesy of Chanelle Sladics

So what is this ‘Surf into Yoga’ retreat about that Rochelle Ballard will be hosting?
I have no doubt the ‘Surf into Yoga’ can offer an athletic, progressive, youthful, artistic approach to yoga and life. I know you would walk away way more in tuned with your breath, body, soul, passion, earth, food, health, and happiness! Happiness is a choice, sometimes we need to slow down and see how what we think or move effects our life! She has a Shaman building a Balinese yurt yoga studio in her jungle of a backyard! She has the most beautiful property, and amazing yoga practice! Rochelle is a legendary surfer, that is incredibly in tune with her body, and soul.

There is no doubt you are an adventurous person. What is one activity in Hawaii that you would easily recommend to other fellow adventurous types?
Skydive Hawaii or Shark Cage in Haliewa are my twp favorite spots at the moment! I started accelerated free fall (AFF) school at Skydive Hawaii because I fell in love with the jump, the drop zone, the view, the vibration! The shark cage was magic as well! They are such beautiful creatures, and we can learn so much about our fears with them, when we get a chance to look them eye to eye! One of my other very favorite activities is cave diving and free diving at sharks cove. Diving is so peaceful and quite, and I love observing the sea life!

Courtesy of Chanelle Sladics (www.chanellesladics.com)

In speaking to you before, I know you’re very into keeping our environment clean, which is great to see from a role model such as yourself. What are some things you can recommend to other travelers to keep a low carbon footprint?
Use public transportation as much as possible or walk! Travel with your own water bottle, so you don’t need 5 cups on the airplanes. Reuse what you can. Support companies that are conscious, even if its more expensive. Educate those around you….slow down and appreciate the abundant resources around you, and be grateful for them, because the earth continues to give, and we continue to take, and without us supporting her, she can’t continue supporting us!

Check out ChanelleSladics.com to learn more about her snowboarding and more environmental awareness tips. To check out more of Jianca Lazarus’ photographs, navigate on over to Jiancalazarus.com.

Flickr.com (Rick McCharles)

Wildlife. Wild Flowers. Mountains. Meadows. Glaciers. These are just some of the images that will be forever burned into your memories which will last a lifetime. Sounds like annoying marketing language, right? I hate using gimmicky phrases but it so describes the feeling when you begin following your hiking guide in the middle of the mountains with family, friends or friendly strangers.

When unloading from the helicopter for the first time, you’d be surprised to be told to kneel firmly on the ground and keep one hand on your hiking packs for balance. The gale-like winds produced by the rotor blades can easily knock you down if you were to stand up. I almost realized this on my heli-skiing trip when I stepped out from the helicopter and loose debris started to pelt my face as I knelt near the other skiers. Still thinking to yourself that you can get the same enjoyment from hiking local mountains? Let me tell you, once the helicopter takes-off and you’re standing in the middle of a rugged mountain range surrounded by wooded forests and glaciers is unmatched – it’s complete and utter rapture.

The following are some pros and cons if you are thinking of planning a heli-hiking trip:

The Good:

• You won’t hear automobiles, you won’t see industrial smokestacks and you won’t hear the helicopter once it leaves the area or if the engines are shut down.
• It will be just you and the rest of the group surrounded by abundant wildlife with thousands of amazing photo opportunities.
• It doesn’t matter your hiking ability as most, if not all, heli-hiking operators will place you in an appropriate group (i.e., Canadian Mountain Holiday places hikers in groups – gentle, moderate, moderately challenging and rigorous).
• Some operators offer themed excursions such as rejuvenating yoga lessons to action packed mountaineering challenges to heli-weddings.
• The ability to be totally disconnected from work by knowing your cellphone or smartphone will not be able to find a signal – priceless!

Flickr.com (Rick McCharles)

The Not So Good:

• It’s very expensive when comparing it to the alternative – driving to a local mountain and paying a park entrance fee (if applicable).
• You’ll be with a tour guide with a set schedule to meet you at a specific pick up point – so there usually is no chance just to wander by yourself.
• Most lodges are in a remote area away from any towns so you might run into some downtime of just hanging around the lodge after a day of hiking.

Heli-Hiking Operators:

• Canadian Mountain Holidays – This operator can accommodate private trips and family trips from their lodges located in the Canadian Rockies. The prices vary based on the length of your stay but you can expect to pay about $2,490 to $4,690 (Canadian Dollars).
• Alpine Helicopters – This operator does morning and afternoon hikes near Banff, Canada that last about four hours with prices ranging from $389 to $549 per person.
• Denali Heli-Hiking Adventure – Operating just outside Denali National Park you can go heli-hiking for almost four hours with the legendary Mount McKinley towering in the distance. The price will be around $479 per person but travel lightly as there is a $125 weight surcharge.(

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro was one of the most memorable experiences of our life. It gave such a sense of pride standing on the roof of Africa. We had just made it to the summit of the highest peak on the continent. It is definitely one of the most famous climbs in the world and many people may be intimidated before going, but climbing Mount Kilimanjaro doesn’t have to be a daunting experience. In fact, it is one of the most climbable mountains of the big peaks. It’s altitude makes it enough of a physical challenge that certainly puts you in an elite group of people that have made it to the top, but you don’t have to have technical climbing experience to climb the world’s tallest walkable mountain. It also doesn’t have to be an expensive trip that you will have to save for years to make.

The Climbing Route

Here are some of the things that you can expect when climbing Kilimanjaro and a few things that you may want to know before climbing the worlds highest free standing mountain.

1. Located in Tanzania, most people think that Arusha is the place to book your climb up Mount Kilimanjaro. Actually, Moshi is the best place to book your climb. It is a small town very close to the mountain and you can find a tour operator there. It will be much cheaper than by booking at online or in Arusha and if time is a factor, don’t worry, you can be on your way up the mountain the very next day after settling on a price.
2. If you can manage to climb with other people you will have more room to negotiate your deal. The more people in your group, the more the price will go down per person. We climbed with 7 people in total and we paid $960 US dollars each. That price included the $630 park entrance fee! If you are not in a hurry, try to find some other people either at the airport or in town that want to climb as well. Get together and negotiate a deal. Talking to people at Kilimanjaro airport is a good idea as you can also share a taxi to Moshi. Cabs are a fixed rate of $60 USD, but if you hire a van, you can split the cost with up to 7 other people.
3. Don’t book your climb in your home country. You will end up paying extra fees on top of your more expensive climb. One fee that we have seen in all tour companies that sell guided treks up Kilimanjaro is a local fee of around $200 US dollars. If you book at Kilimanjaro, you won’t have any of these fees. You pay a fraction of the price and you will support local companies. Your tents may not be as “pretty” as the package tourists, but they will be dry and warm.
   You can take the money you saved and give your guides a juicy tip. They deserve every penny.
4. Your guide will most likely stop at a supermarket along the way for provisions. While they will feed you more than enough food during your excursion, it is a good idea to get some goodies for yourself. Chocolate is a savior. At times I felt a little sick, especially after my summit and couldn’t stomach food. However, dairy milk went down very well and gave me the energy that I needed.
5. Take your time during your climb. Don’t be in a hurry each day to get to camp. Pace yourself and enjoy the scenery. Hydration is also a key factor in staying healthy. Dehydration is a large contributor to altitude sickness. The better you feel the better chance you have to summit. There is nothing to do at camp and believe me, even if you take your time, you will still get there early in the afternoon. You will have plenty of time to take a nap before dinner.


Dave and Deb With Their Climbing Party

6. If you have the time, take the extra day to do the Machame Route, known as the Whisky Route. It is a day longer than the Merangu Route aka The Coca Cola Route and it will give you extra time for acclimatization. It is also a more beautiful route. You stay in tents as opposed to cabins and you get to have the added bonus of climbing the western breach. It is a fun climb up a spectacular rock face that gives you a little thrill.
7. Keep your camera batteries close to your body and bring plenty of batteries. As you climb higher in altitude, the temperature drops dramatically draining your batteries quickly. On summit day, make sure to keep your camera under your coat or you just may not have any battery life left for your prize shot at the summit. A solar charger is a big bonus to keep your batteries fully charged.
8. Be prepared mentally that the summit day is one of the hardest days you will have in your life. You will be starting in the middle of the night, it will be freezing and you will be tired. Make sure to force down some food before starting to give you the energy that you need. Once you reach a certain altitude of around 5,500 meters (18,000 feet), your body will feel the effects of altitude and at times you will not want to go on. Your legs will be heavy, your heart will be pounding and putting one foot in front of the other will be difficult. Just keep drinking your water and keep a steady pace. Don’t rest for too long or you won’t want to start back up. Soon you will settle into a rhythm and you will have worked through the effects allowing you to go on. But take care, altitude sickness is a serious concern on Kilimanjaro and if you start to feel too bad, go back down to a safer altitude. Deaths have occurred on the mountain.
9. The summit is surprisingly spacious. It isn’t technical at all so you don’t have to worry about falling or stumbling. It is simply a slow walk up a very wide and safe path. When you take your photo at the famous sign on Uhuru peak, you are nowhere near the edge. There is only one spot walking up to the summit that is a little scary. There is one moment where you have to go around an outcrop. You have to be careful with your step, but if you hold on and take care with your footing you will be fine.
10. Going down is the hardest part. After you summit, you don’t get to rest. You have to make your way down to camp quickly where they will have breakfast waiting for you. You think that you will get a good break afterwards to recover, but you have to keep walking down to Mweke Hut at 3,100 meters (10,170 feet) right away. It makes for a very long day, but it is a great feeling the next day when you only have a couple of hours to walk until you are at the bottom enjoying a beer and receiving your certificate.

Dave and Deb @ The Summit of Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro is a very rewarding experience and it doesn’t have to be the big and scary experience that so many people make it out to be. Anyone that is reasonably fit can do it. Don’t let your lack of training stop you. While being fit will make the climb more enjoyable, even some of the fittest athletes can have a problem with altitude. A triathlete may not be able to summit due to their genetic make up while a person that is in average health may have no problem at all simply because their body can adapt to altitude better. If you have been thinking of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro what are you waiting for? Get out there and have that adventure that you have always dreamed of.

Dave and Deb – “Canada’s Adventure Couple” – have hiked, climbed, paddled, biked, throughout five different continents. You can read more about their hike to the summit of Kilimanjaro or follow their other adventures by visiting their blog ThePlanetD.com. They are also on Twitter @theplanetd.

Breakfast

Lucky’s Cafe – located on Starkweather Avenue – is our first stop. The must have breakfast meal is ‘The Shipwreck‘, which can also be alternative used to cure hangovers. A tasty blend of eggs, hash browns, roasted seasonal vegetables, mild cheddar cheese, served with house-made toast and juicy fresh fruit.

Courtesy of Lucky's Cafe

I personally have a slight obsession with breakfast burritos which I think stemmed from them being sold at almost every ski resort. Luckily, Lucky’s Cafe also offers a breakfast burrito with vegetables and scrambled eggs wrapped in a flour tortilla and topped with somewhat spicy guajillo pepper sauce and mild cheddar cheese. Or you could be like me when I have to travel to Cleveland for business and hopefully be given access to your hotel’s concierge lounge to pick up a quick breakfast.

Lunch

Vietnamese food at Saigon Restaurant & Bar – located on East 4th Street – for a slightly sweet and spicy meal. The grilled chicken vermicelli makes a great choice with perfectly charbroiled chicken served with rice vermicelli, fresh crispy lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, cucumbers, radishes and crushed peanuts – It’s a healthy choice too! This restaurant is mostly packed with nearby business folk looking for a great meal with friendly service. Just remember to get there a bit earlier prior to lunch as the seating can get filled pretty quickly. There is also some outdoor seating that makes for some great people watching – when the weather is warmer and not so windy.

Beer/Alcohol

The delightfully crafted Christmas Ale, by The Great Lakes Brewing Company, is easily the most sought after microbrew ale in the region during the holidays. The beer is brewed with honey and spiced with fresh ginger and cinnamon. The holiday brew has also won four gold and one silver medal at the World Beer Championships since 1999.

The coveted beer – by myself and locals – has also been featured in a hysterical song by two local musicians (Jim Tews and Mike Polk)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dinner Entree

The Flying Fig – located on Market Avenue – is a perfect establishment for business discussions or romantic dates due to the restaurant’s relaxed atmosphere. The seared scallops and crispy pork belly dinner entree, which is served with grits, mixed greens, and delicious house-made apple butter, is a popular choice by locals and visitors. Just try your hardest to not devour the warm house-made bread that will be placed in the center of your table. You won’t want to ruin your appetite for our last stop on our gastronomical tour!

Dinner Dessert

We finish off our tour with a unique dessert found at culinary master Michael Symon’s Lola Bistro – located on East 4th Street in Cleveland – and also featured on Anthony Bourdain’s ‘No Reservations’ television show. The 6 A.M. Special is a creative culinary combination of caramelized apples drizzled in maple syrup, maple bacon ice cream and a well portioned slab of french toast. Why even eat breakfast tomorrow morning after eating this late night and breakfast treat?

Flickr.com (bzarcher)

The Biggest Loser

Airline industry please hear my plea – If an airline passenger is rather…obese…can you please force them to purchase more than one seat? I’ve had the lucky honor of sitting next to a few individuals who were probably on the borderline – as they required a seatbelt extender – and it just isn’t fair or safe for all nearby fellow passengers. While I do realize that everyone has the right and freedom to travel there should be some limitations on who is actually allowed to fly. Just check out this photograph that a flight attendant took on a flight of hers. Could you imagine being the guy sitting next to him? Ugh.

This isn't photoshoped either...

The Arm Rest Stealer

You don’t have the right to take both armrests in your seat just because you were the first one to sit down. I know that there are an odd number of armrests that will unfortunately leave someone without one but let’s try to play nice. Just know that if I peg you as this type of passenger, I will be plotting how to win back that turf the entire flight.

The Gabber

I’m sorry to be rude but the last thing I want to do on an airplane flight is talk to an absolute stranger. It’s always the same questions, “So what do you do for a living?”, “What brings you out to (city you’re landing at)?” and so on. I really just want to get a few hours of sleep even though I never feel fully rested when I do wake up.

The Sleeper

This is a special bulletin for those passengers who can’t stop themselves for falling asleep on the shoulder of me or other passengers. You can make your own head rest as a few airplane seats have movable headrest cushions or purchase one of those Travel Nook pillows. I don’t mind consoling an upset person that is leaning on me for emotional support – however, I do have an issue with a stranger physically leaning and possibly drooling on me.

The Drunk

This type of airline passenger was made famous by television show “Airline” that showcased the lives of Southwest Airline employees dealing with their daily duties – mostly covering unruly drunk passengers. I can’t stand when the person sitting next to me is pretty intoxicated and they keep purchasing those five dollar beers and wines once the plane reaches cruising altitude. I don’t want you getting up every few minutes to go to the bathroom or worse – getting sick.

The Texter

You’ve been in flight for only two hours and can already see these people salivating for the chance to power up their cellphone when the flight goes into the final descent. The first message they will fire off to their friends or Facebook status will something similar to “OMG! My pLaNe landed! Yayyy! 1 miss U!” Don’t worry but I’m pretty sure that you haven’t missed much in two hours of flying from one airport to another.

The Recliner

Is it that hard to follow the rules when the flight steward/stewardess ask to keep the seats straight before take off and during the landing? I already don’t have that much leg room as it is and some of us look forward to the take off and landings as our only times to enjoy the ’spacious’ area in-front of our seat.

The Seat Kicker

You really are the devil of the skies. Your constant kicking of the back of my seat can easily drive me insane in a mere few minutes. You’ll more than likely be spared if you are a young child but your mother or father will probably hear the wrath.

The Creep

This is the person who sits in their cramped airplane seat and stares at any good looking girl who steps foot on the plane. The only thought racing through their mind is, “Please, I hope she is sitting next to me on this four hour flight – I bet her hair smells like sunshine.” I apologize to any female reading this who did not know this happens because now you will be creeped out each time you walk into the cabin of the plane.

The Nervous Wreck

The chances of the plane falling apart – like the first episode of the television show L.O.S.T. (about 46 seconds into the video below) – is pretty rare. The probability of yourself becoming a causality is about 1 in 13,500,000 so you will probably have a better chance at the lottery. I was on a flight that had serious turbulence for about forty-five minutes as we attempted to land at LaGuardia in a nor’easter. Upon the landing gears going down and only a few feet from landing, the jet engines kicked onto full blast and we shot straight back into the sky – to which you felt gravity pushing back on your face. A young lady ran out of her seat and locked herself in the bathroom for the remainder of the flight because she was so nervous. We all survived.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This story is my travel shame. I hesitated to tell anyone about this event for months, because not only do I look like an idiot, but I look like an idiot who picks on people with disabilities.

When my company sent me to France to work with the engineering team in Lorient, Brittany, I flew for a billion hours with a terrible hangover on absolutely no sleep. This was my first solo trip, and I approached the journey with great trepidation. After fighting my way through the horrific maze of Charles de Gaulle, I took a 50 euro cab downtown to the Montparnasse train station in Paris, and then waited for hours for my train.

At that point, I was feeling pretty great about myself. I mean, my company was sending me on an all-expenses paid trip to freaking France. I was covered in food stains, wearing sweatpants and my hair was in shambles, but damn, I had made it so far without any incident.

The train to Lorient was fairly empty. I boarded in awkward fashion, having no idea where to store my suitcase until some old French lady screamed at me in near-flawless English. I shared a table with another woman whose grandchildren ran beside the train as it pulled out of the station, and the other two seats remained unoccupied.

My goodness, I thought. I’m doing moderately well with hiding the fact I’m Canadian.

But I was already taken aback by the language barrier. I studied French (not immersion) for ten years in school, and assumed I had enough knowledge to get around. I did not. Not even close.

So there I was sitting on the train, so proud of myself for making it thus far without being shot, when the lady across the aisle approached me and started talking in French.

“Je ne parle pas francais,” I said apologetically.

The lady switched to broken English, and pulled out a card with a “disabled” symbol on it.

“My daughter is ill,” she said nervously, her confidence wavering. “Would you switch seats with her so she can move her legs?”

“Of course!” I replied, nodding furiously.

(Except the conversation did not go nearly that smooth, and so we stumbled through an explanation for about ten minutes with lots of awkward hand motions and hesitant smiles.)

For some reason, in my sleep-deprived, brain-cell destroyed head, I assumed she meant we would switch seats at the next stop, as the train was lurching all over the place and I could barely stand up. For the next little while, her and her daughter eyed me warily, while I warily stared back with a half-smile plastered on my face.

Of course, when the train stopped, two new people sat themselves down in my booth with the two empty seats. I don’t know why this thought never occurred to me, I mean come on. Train stops, people get off, new people get on. Not a hard concept.

The mother and daughter ignored me entirely afterwards, although I sent pleading glances of apologies their way. I was too embarrassed to do anything while the daughter rested her head against the window, her face clenched in pain. And so I left them thinking I was a stupid Canadian, when really I’m just a cognoscente of awkwardness.

Candice Walsh is an associate editor at Matador Network bringing a unique and hysterical voice when discuss her wild social life. Her travel blog, “Candice Does The World” was recently launched to capture her personal travel writing.