Beach

[CrimsonNBlue]

Mountains are ok. But, if mountains mean cold weather, hard pass.

But, I'm also one of those rare ones that, if it's my choice, I'd rather spend a week or two in Singapore or NYC than in nature miles away from the closest ethnic restaurant.

some of the best “ethnic” restaurants i’ve visited have been right on the beach

Partly why I am a beach person over mountain. I love grilling meats over a fire or charcoal in high altitudes, but not as much as a food truck, Mexican/Caribbean food stand, or some shady dude selling fresh coconuts with a straw in a hole made by a machete.

[Deleted User 89]

Mountains are ok. But, if mountains mean cold weather, hard pass.

But, I'm also one of those rare ones that, if it's my choice, I'd rather spend a week or two in Singapore or NYC than in nature miles away from the closest ethnic restaurant.

some of the best “ethnic” restaurants i’ve visited have been right on the beach

Partly why I am a beach person over mountain. I love grilling meats over a fire or charcoal in high altitudes, but not as much as a food truck, Mexican/Caribbean food stand, or some shady dude selling fresh coconuts with a straw in a hole made by a machete.

i would agree with that, generally

my experiences are probably different from mist everyone else’s on here, in that outside of the US i’ve spent more time in rural settings than urban. in these cases, the ethnic food is pretty much the same regardless of the natural environment. the only exception is when seafood is on the menu. but, i’ve had delicious pig roasts on the beach and in the mountains

[ousdahl]

Seafood may be a game changer as far as being by the beach.

Do you guys find the cool ethnic food trucks in more touristy areas? Or more local spots?

[Deleted User 89]

in my experience, it’s touristy spots

the more local areas have cafes or candelarias, or even just a stall with a single small grill (street food)

[NewtonHawk11]

What are our thoughts on the places that try to be the best of both worlds - if not both mountains and beach, then the whole appealing outdoor elements that also tries to offer ethnic restaurants, and stuff?

That's where foreign countries really come in, which tend to be the trips I get most excited for.

I love traveling in the US and I have seen pretty much all of it. But, where other places have an advantage is that their smaller size gives you mountains, beaches, cities, and different culture all in one trip.

Future BIL is from Croatia. Am hoping to visit out there within a few years. But he's mentioned that there you can go from the beach, to the mountains and then to downtown Zagreb in just a couple of days.

[CrimsonNBlue]

some of the best “ethnic” restaurants i’ve visited have been right on the beach

Partly why I am a beach person over mountain. I love grilling meats over a fire or charcoal in high altitudes, but not as much as a food truck, Mexican/Caribbean food stand, or some shady dude selling fresh coconuts with a straw in a hole made by a machete.

i would agree with that, generally

my experiences are probably different from mist everyone else’s on here, in that outside of the US i’ve spent more time in rural settings than urban. in these cases, the ethnic food is pretty much the same regardless of the natural environment. the only exception is when seafood is on the menu. but, i’ve had delicious pig roasts on the beach and in the mountains

Also, again generally, beaches are more easily accessible to urbanism than mountains, which provides the restaurant scene, which I am personally a big fan.

I am also a hotel suite person over airbnb. A lot because of the bar and table service. Many are the other way.

[CrimsonNBlue]

What are our thoughts on the places that try to be the best of both worlds - if not both mountains and beach, then the whole appealing outdoor elements that also tries to offer ethnic restaurants, and stuff?

That's where foreign countries really come in, which tend to be the trips I get most excited for.

I love traveling in the US and I have seen pretty much all of it. But, where other places have an advantage is that their smaller size gives you mountains, beaches, cities, and different culture all in one trip.

Future BIL is from Croatia. Am hoping to visit out there within a few years. But he's mentioned that there you can go from the beach, to the mountains and then to downtown Zagreb in just a couple of days.

Go for it. Croatia would be a great trip, it would make my list. (Would also be on my slim list of cruises I'd be really excited for along with Alaska).

Something that goes into the variety trip is not just the smaller size of some foreign countries/islands but also that the real 21st century rail systems make things easier. I don't know enough about Croatia if that fits, but certainly in other parts of Europe and Asia.

[ousdahl]

Many American west coast cities offer the beach/mountain/urban in the same trip, depending on what exactly you’re going for.

And I have to remind myself that “touristy” can go in a number of directions.

Here, the food scene is prob a little underwhelming. Restaurants will pimp their “uniquely eclectic menu with world inspired flavors” cuz they recently added like a potstickers app to go with their otherwise homogeneous burgers and wings vibe. But I dunno how many people come to the mountains to be foodies. Most of yall seem to really only want burgers and wings. This isn’t Aspen tho, either.

Then there’s cruise tourism my parents love, where it’s basically a floating resort that stops in some port for 4 hours to walk around and buy a t shirt to say you’ve “been there.”

And last time I was in SF, I killed an afternoon in fisherman’s wharf, and just felt kinda gross. I had to promptly go back to my brother’s part of town with some grungy dive bar blasting GG Allin to somehow feel cultured again lol.

But especially with international travel, I bet there really are places that put their unique local flavors front and center.

[jhawks99]

My kid and her hubby went to Croatia a couple of years ago. He's a yuuuuge GoT fan and a lot of it was filmed there. Anyway, they loved it. Said food and wine were excellent and it was very affordable.

[jhawks99]

When I'm in the mountains, I'm usually cooking for myself. So the food is good.
I've noticed at some beach locations, the food is great. But I have also been offered snow crab legs in South Carolina.

[Deleted User 89]

CnB, you gotta pop on an Alaska trip

i did one with my family right after graduation from HS, and it’s remained one of my most memorable trips, even with all the international travel i’ve done since

i was skeptical of cruises, but going up the Inner Passage and being able to stop at nearly all the ports was so convenient. add to that the food aspect (fresh salmon 24-7, prepared in a multitude of ways), and it’s easy to overlook the potential for things like rotovirus. we did Holland America, which at that time catered to an older generation (my brothers and i were by far the youngest passengers)

i’ve thought about going again and taking the wife, but probably opting for the ferry route so we’ve got more flexibility.

and i’d definitely recommend renting a car after and making the trek to Denali

[CrimsonNBlue]

Many American west coast cities offer the beach/mountain/urban in the same trip, depending on what exactly you’re going for.

California is pretty much like its own country, so it can definitely be that. No substitute for different culture, though. Or turquoise water.

[CrimsonNBlue]

CnB, you gotta pop on an Alaska trip

i did one with my family right after graduation from HS, and it’s remained one of my most memorable trips, even with all the international travel i’ve done since

i was skeptical of cruises, but going up the Inner Passage and being able to stop at nearly all the ports was so convenient. add to that the food aspect (fresh salmon 24-7, prepared in a multitude of ways), and it’s easy to overlook the potential for things like rotovirus. we did Holland America, which at that time catered to an older generation (my brothers and i were by far the youngest passengers)

i’ve thought about going again and taking the wife, but probably opting for the ferry route so we’ve got more flexibility.

and i’d definitely recommend renting a car after and making the trek to Denali

It is on my mom's bucket list, so planning it for within the next 3ish years assuming cruising resumes. I'm not sure she could make the trip to Denali, though. Have heard Glacier Bay is the absolute must on the cruise side.

[Deleted User 89]

CnB, you gotta pop on an Alaska trip

i did one with my family right after graduation from HS, and it’s remained one of my most memorable trips, even with all the international travel i’ve done since

i was skeptical of cruises, but going up the Inner Passage and being able to stop at nearly all the ports was so convenient. add to that the food aspect (fresh salmon 24-7, prepared in a multitude of ways), and it’s easy to overlook the potential for things like rotovirus. we did Holland America, which at that time catered to an older generation (my brothers and i were by far the youngest passengers)

i’ve thought about going again and taking the wife, but probably opting for the ferry route so we’ve got more flexibility.

and i’d definitely recommend renting a car after and making the trek to Denali

It is on my mom's bucket list, so planning it for within the next 3ish years assuming cruising resumes. I'm not sure she could make the trip to Denali, though. Have heard Glacier Bay is the absolute must on the cruise side.

yes, Glacier Bay is a must

we took the afternoon we were in Juneau and hiked to Mendenhall glacier. that was nice cuz you could literally walk right up to the face of it and touch it. but, experiencing major calving events while on the deck of your cruise ship is an awesome experience. the snapping and popping can literally be felt through your body. awesome power.

my whole family is into wildlife, so Denali was a big deal for us. depending on the time of year you go, you won’t see any better color than in Denali. we were there mid-September, and all the fall colors were starting to come in. it was 60 degrees the day we toured the park. saw grizzlies (sows with cubs), gray wolves, and even a gyrfalcon.

we also stopped to do some fishing on the way (salmon run in the fall)

[Deleted User 89]

best ethnic street food i’ve ever had wasn’t associated with beach or mountain



i tried beef, chicken and goat, cooked and sold in this way. the goat was hands-down the best