Wood Goblin wrote: Anyone ever been to Newfoundland? What did you think?

My brother and I drove there from Florida about 26 years ago. The ferry docked at Port Aux Basques. We drove to Gross Morn and hiked for a day and then started driving east. Our goal was to make it to St John’s, but at Gander we decided to turn around and head back to the ferry. It was very scenic and I wish now we had gone to St John’s but we were exhausted and sleeping in a tiny Ford Festiva and the driving conditions were not great for a tiny car. I hope to go back some day. Folks were friendly.

Jon

In Silverthorne, Colorado, on a ski trip with my son. Weather should be perfect. We got lucky.

Barbo wrote: Sun Mar 10, 2024 11:15 am

Wood Goblin wrote: Anyone ever been to Newfoundland? What did you think?

My brother and I drove there from Florida about 26 years ago. The ferry docked at Port Aux Basques. We drove to Gross Morn and hiked for a day and then started driving east. Our goal was to make it to St John’s, but at Gander we decided to turn around and head back to the ferry. It was very scenic and I wish now we had gone to St John’s but we were exhausted and sleeping in a tiny Ford Festiva and the driving conditions were not great for a tiny car. I hope to go back some day. Folks were friendly.

Jon

Thanks! We’re thinking it looks vast and beautiful and relatively undiscovered by Instagram tourists and are hoping to visit this summer.

Headed to Japan next week for 10 days. Hitting Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara (for a few hrs maybe).

Welcoming any must dos. We have a pretty extensive list for Tokyo (hotels in Shinjuku and Chuo), but less so for the others. We’re doing the Sumo tournament in Osaka and a Ryoken with Onsen in Kyoto. Will also likely do a few walking tours (Golden Gai, Izakaya row, Geisha). Also hitting the Hands store and a food court with conveyor sushi.

There's a Japan-specific travel thread. I'll be reviewing it too as I have a trip penciled in for late this year:

https://www.premierrockforum.com/viewto ... ilit=osaka

tommy wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2024 9:17 am Headed to Japan next week for 10 days. Hitting Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara (for a few hrs maybe).

Welcoming any must dos. We have a pretty extensive list for Tokyo (hotels in Shinjuku and Chuo), but less so for the others. We’re doing the Sumo tournament in Osaka and a Ryoken with Onsen in Kyoto. Will also likely do a few walking tours (Golden Gai, Izakaya row, Geisha). Also hitting the Hands store and a food court with conveyor sushi.

We went there last year. I don’t have time right now to write more, but my biggest recommendation by far: if you’re planning to visit the torii gates that ascend the mountain in Kyoto, go at night. The site will be virtually empty and just beautiful and haunting.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Mon Mar 04, 2024 5:14 pm Going to Istanbul, where we've not been since 2003, for five days in May. Would love some food recommendations (hole in the wall, traditional, fine dining, and experimental, all welcome). And also anything to do beyond the typical tourist stuff (since we've done most of that already). Staying in Şişli first, then somewhere in or around Beyoğlu.

After that, will be heading to Sarajevo, which is new to us. Restaurant stuff would be amazing. Plus a bunch of small towns and villages (Lukomir, Konjic, Stolac) in Bosnia's Dinaric Alps.

Followed by the Luštica Peninsula in Montenegro.

And a windup, mostly in Albania: Shkodër, the Accursed Mountains (based in Theth), the Lake Koman ferry, a bit of Kosovo (Gjakova, Prizren), and Tirana.

Anyone?

Bump. Istanbul or Sarajevo recs? (Not expecting much input re: the rest.) Leaving in just over a month. Whole thing will be like six weeks.

Having just recently traveled to Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto) I’d like to give a few broad tips for anyone going, that I wish I’d known beforehand.

1) download the Suica app to your wallet if you use iPhone. You can load yen to it and use your phone to ride the local trains effortlessly. You don’t even need to have the app open. Just tap your phone to the turnstiles in and out of the train stations and it auto deducts what are very inexpensive trips. 3000 yen each (just under $20 USD) got us a 10 days of train rides all over the place. This won’t work for the Shinkansen (high speed) trains from city to city as far as I know but maybe someone else can chime in if it does.

2) if you are going to go to Kyoto, MAKE FOOD RESERVATIONS BEFOREHAND. I’ve never had a harder time eating dinner anywhere.

3) We ate Japanese the entire time there and didn’t have a bad meal anywhere. Highly recommend if you like fish and are even remotely food curious. Don’t worry though, there is plenty of chicken and beef for you if that’s your thing.

4) Avoid cherry blossom season in Kyoto if you can. What a tourist shitshow that was. Since the misses went for a work thing we didn’t have a choice, but I’d defo try to avoid that next time.

5) Tokyo rules. Give yourself an extra day than you think you need there.

6) Uber calls cabs in Japan, and is typically a little less expensive. Use this if the train isn’t a viable option or when the time is drastically reduced by doing so.

My girlfriend and i confirmed our Chicago trip May 14-18 - she visited as a kid, i've never been. Thanks a lot for the tips rsmurphy. Logan Park, Ukrainian Village, Pilsen, and Wicker Park seem good... still hunting around for places to stay. Suppose we'll go the airbnb route, but we're open to any suggestions. much obliged.

Planning a western US road trip later this year.

Question for those of you who live or have lived in the PNW (or anyone familiar with the area):

Taking into consideration both timing and scenery, what would be your preferred route between Seattle and Idaho Falls?

Looks like there are two main ways to go via interstate highway (I-90 to I-15.. or I-90 to I-82 to I-84), but am open to other routes, too.