USA

Welcome to the A-Z Guidebook Link Up. If you would like to join, read the A-Z Guidebook tab at the top of the blog and write a travel post relating to the letter of the month. *Despite having travelled extensively, I found this month a bit of a challenge. As a result, I spent a… Read more

Where to begin with Wall Drug? It’s a destination that defies description but I’ll try. Wall Drug is a drugstore in the town of Wall on the edge of Badlands National Park in South Dakota. When I say drugstore, you probably imagine a quaint dispensary in a small town. In your mind’s eye, it may… Read more

Welcome to the A-Z Guidebook Link Up. If you would like to join, read the A-Z Guidebook tab at the top of the blog and write a travel post relating to the letter of the month. Things have settled in nicely and it’s great to see some regulars and newbies joining in. Make sure you… Read more

When were travelling through Wyoming, we spent a night in the dot on the map town of Lusk. I had read they had an old fashioned Drive-In burger joint and was keen to visit but the ever present ‘closed for the season’ sign that haunted our holiday meant visiting a drive-in burger restuarant would have… Read more

All of these years on, Nigella Bites is still one of my favourite cookbooks. Though many of the recipes would be considered simple or kitsch, that cookbook taught me that it’s OK to take shortcuts and helped me hone my skills at adapting and modifying to suit local conditions. The 12 hour leg of lamb… Read more

On a drizzling Sunday morning as we headed to Grand Teton National Park, we had some time to kill before checking into our hotel. A sign on the side of the road said ‘World Famous Huckleberry Shakes’ and that seemed like a good enough reason to stop. Victor is a small town in north-east Idaho… Read more

This is a public service announcement for all Australians who are seeking a real cup of coffee in the USA. Make your way immediately to the town of West Yellowstone in Montana. There you will find the true secret of happiness. An elixir that you will recall with fondness for many months and bad coffees… Read more

With 12 nights in NYC, there were plenty of opportunities to visit the celebrated restaurants of venerated chefs, doing a significant amount of damage to the credit card along the way. I decided it was easier (and cheaper) to eat locally in the East Village. In part 2, we eat at a couple of restaurants… Read more

With 12 nights in NYC, there were plenty of opportunities to visit the celebrated restaurants of venerated chefs, doing a significant amount of damage to the credit card along the way. I decided however, to go a different route. The East Village is jam packed with restaurants, cafes, markets and delis offering a huge range… Read more

Travelling through the US in Fall has its charms. The trees are at their best, displaying their Autumnal splendour; the crowds have diminished so you can enjoy the attractions in relative peace; and lots of accommodation offers low season specials. One of the disadvantages though are the many signs that you see saying ‘Closed For… Read more

When visiting New York City, make sure you wander Uptown past the end of Central Park, to Harlem. Once with a reputation for poverty and violence, Harlem like many NYC suburbs has gentrified. It’s interesting to note that in the 1950s, 98% of the population in Harlem was black but these days, African-Americans represent only… Read more

What is an Indian Taco? Is it a taco shell filled with curry? These were my thoughts as I saw a handmade sign outside the Minneluzahan Senior Citizen’s Centre, near where our car was parked. We could see people coming in and out of a side door with takeaway containers so I just had to… Read more

So much food, so little insider knowledge… When you head to a new country or city, you naturally want to enjoy the sights that people have been raving about but you also want to find the hidden gems. Sometimes they are hard to locate or opinion is divided about the best example. It’s no different… Read more

Billings, Montana. It’s a place that most of us have heard of but few have been to. Joan Rivers once asked her audience if anyone had been to Billings. You can hear what she thought about it here: Billings is not for Joan.  It’s not really on the beaten track but serves as a stopping… Read more

In the world of globalisation and social media, food trends sweep the world rapidly. Cupcake parlours, copies of Cronuts and more pulled pork than you’d think there were actual pigs on earth. Let’s not forget macarons. One minute they were small dainties in the elegant salons of Paris, the next minute they were available at… Read more

On our travels, I like to research the city we’re visiting and find out more about what’s on offer as far as restaurants, regional specialities and any ‘must try’ treats. Colour me a surprised shade of pink when I found out that Oregon hipster doughnut shop, Voodoo Doughnut had recently crossed borders to open an… Read more

Ages ago, I wrote about the Giant Food of Switzerland.  As part of the same European holiday, we saw a variety of giant food props but ice cream reigned supreme.  As I am travelling this week and have limited access to the internet to write about my adventures, for your delectation, I present the Giant… Read more

Last November I went to Florida for two weeks, to get away from the cold of another European Winter. I had a wonderful time swimming in the lovely warm Gulf of Mexico, trying my first Cuban food and admiring the Art Deco buildings of Miami.     The other thing I did was to lug… Read more