Photography highlights from our post-holiday week in southeastern Arizona. First trip with my new Canon R8 as well. We’d been wanting to visit Chiricahua National monument for a long time, and decided a winter visit when the temperatures are reasonable would be best. It turned out to be perfect hiking weather with highs in the 60s. We started with a night in historic Bisbee before staying four nights on a vineyard & lavender farm in the Sulphur Springs Valley, then finished with a weekend in Tucson.
Time to look back at our favorites from 2025. 25 dishes and 25 beverages, plus restaurants, bars and lodging options we thought were particularly noteworthy. It was a Canada-heavy year in travel, with major trips to British Columbia and Newfoundland, so about 80% of the lists come from north of the border.
Best Food (Ordered chronologically) 1. Volaille (poultry) with Macaroni Gratineé – Derrière : Paris, France 2. Halloumi – Rudi : Victoria, BC 3. Fried Chicken – Part and Parcel : Victoria, BC 4. Cauliflower Bites – Six Mile Pub : Victoria, BC 5. Farmhouse Grilled Cheese – Barnside Brewing : Delta, BC 6. Wild Scallop Crudo – Bar Oso : Whistler, BC 7. Hako Sushi Roll – Sachi Sushi : Whistler, BC 8. Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Roll – Chic Pea Hut : Whistler, BC 9. Bánh Cuốn (Steamed Rice Sheets) – Ahn and Chi : Vancouver, BC 10. Duck Pancake – Fable Diner : Vancouver, BC 11. Cod Croquette – Reta’s at Hop Scotch Dinner Club : Halifax, NS 12. Black Cod – Bar Kismet : Halifax, NS 13. Cured Char – Portage : St. John’s, NL 14. Tiger Eye Ice Cream – Quidi Vidi Sweet Spot : St. John’s, NL 15. Cinnamon Toast Crunch Donut – Newfoundland Donut Co. : St. John’s, NL 16. Lobster Roll – Petty Harbour Public House : Petty Harbour, NL 17. Seafood Chowder – Dildo Brewing : Dildo, NL 18. Scallop Toutons – Ragged Rocks Gastropub : Bonavista, NL 19: Seared Duck Breast – The Boreal Diner : Bonavista, NL 20. Figgy Duff – The Norseman : L’Anse aux Meadows, NL 21. Seared Newfoundland Cod – Black Spruce Restaurant : Norris Point, NL 22. Chochoyotes de Yuca – Oro by Nixta : Minneapolis, MN 23. Crepe Cake – Spoon and Stable : Minneapolis, MN 24. Artichoke & Portabella Mushroom Lasagne – Café Roka : Bisbee, AZ 25. Seafood Enchiladas – La Unica : Willcox, AZ
50 highlight photos from our three weeks in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, Canada. 2,530 miles of driving, 56 miles of hiking, a 100-mile ferry crossing and 9 Parks Canada sites.
Time to look back at our 24 favorites from 2024. Fashionably late of course. 24 dishes, 24 drinks, plus restaurants, bars and lodging options we thought were particularly noteworthy. Interestingly, total “bests” score is Canada 25, US 21, France 6.
Best Food (Ordered chronologically) 1. Roasted Cauliflower – Lucille’s : Mont Tremblant, QC 2. Gros Jambon Crêpe – Le Maison de la Crêpe : Mont Tremblant, QC 3. Île Flottante – L’Express : Montréal, QC 4. Panais Rôtis (roasted parsnips) – Foxy : Montréal, QC 5. Braised Short Ribs – The Nash : Calgary, AB 6. Smoked Mushroom Perogis – Deane House : Calgary, AB 7. Pineapple Stirfry – Paper Lantern : Calgary, AB 8. Mushroom Pizza – Three Bears Brewing : Banff, AB 9. Fennel and Apple Salad – Where the Buffalo Roam Saloon : Canmore, AB 10. Caramelized Onion and Apple Quesadilla – Love Apple : Taos, NM 11. Chicken Mango Enchiladas – Antonio’s : Taos, NM 12. Schiaffoni Pasta with Mushroom Ragout – Medley : Taos, NM 13. Signature Burger – James Ranch Grill : Durango, CO 14. Lamb Tenderloin – Bin707 Foodbar : Grand Junction, CO 15. Gratin de Tomates Vertes – Bistro Vendôme : Denver, CO 16. Green Gâteau – The Green Gâteau : Lincoln, NE 17. Finnish Pasty – Suomi : Houghton, MI 18. Chocolate Cake and Homemade Ice Cream – Keweenaw Mountain Lodge : Copper Harbor, MI 19. Wild Boar Cavatelli – Antler : Toronto, ON 20. Gochujang Chicken & Waffles – Sisters & Co. : Toronto, ON 21. La Croziflette – Le Refuge 1110 : Les Carroz d’Arâches, France 22. Chocolate & Orange Bûche de Noël – Au Puits Savoyard : Annecy, France 23. Pâtes flambées dan la meule de parmesan – La Table Des Bros : Voiron, France 24. Paris-Bresse – Brasserie Dubillot : Paris, France
It might be nearly six months since 2022 ended, but it’s never too late to share our favorite food, drinks and lodging experiences from the previous year.
Best Food (Ordered chronologically) 1. Fish Fry – Roxey’s : Ontonagon, MI 2. Brisket Ragu & Pappardelle – Officers Club : Denver, CO 3. Shrimp and Grits with Catfish – Denver Biscuit Co : Aurora, CO 4. Cheddar/Pancetta/Apple/Arugula Flatbread – Adventures Decanted : Winter Park, CO 5. Fish Tacos – The Ditch : Winter Park, CO 6. Wild Turkey Sandwich – New Moon Bakery and Cafe : Nederland, CO 7. Portobello Fries – Bird & Jim : Estes Park, CO 8. Serrano Ham – Le Bouillon : Omaha, NE 9. Sweet Potato Fries – Old Man River : McGregor, IA 10. Drunken Pork Belly Shots – Bob’s BBQ Emporium : Beer Bacon Cheese Fest, New Glarus, WI 11. Miso Cod – Mute Swan : Hampton Court, England 12. Chole Puri – Dishoom : London, England 13. Thyme Roasted Venison – Glaschu : Glasgow, Scotland 14. Scallops – Red Skye : Breakish, Isle of Skye, Scotland 15. Berry Tart – Dulse and Brose : Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland 16. Smoked Mackerel Dip – Hebridean Inn : Broadford, Isle of Skye, Scotland 17. Steak and Ale Pie – The WaterFront : Inverness, Scotland 18. Pork Ribs – The White House : Inverness, Scotland 19. Fried Brussels Sprouts & Cauliflower – Amphora Wine Bar : Green Bay, WI 20. Bison Oxtail Sugo – Trio : Jackson, WY
Other Outstanding Dining: Bird & Jim : Estes Park, CO Le Bouillon : Omaha, NE Red Skye : Breakish, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Best Drinks (Ordered chronologically) 1. Burnt & Smoked – Officers Club : Denver, CO 2. Recreational Therapy Hazy IPA – Hideaway Park Brewing : Winter Park, CO 3. Mighty Madison IPA – Big Trout Brewing : Winter Park, CO 4. Tyndall Porter – Rock Cut Brewing : Estes Park, CO 5. Bird & Gin – Bird & Jim : Estes Park, CO 6. Smokey Bear Latte – Kind Coffee : Estes Park, CO 7. Root Beer Chai – Hardy Coffee : Omaha, NE 8. Pine Negroni – The Chelsea Pig : London, UK 9. Barrowlands – Glaschu : Glasgow, Scotland 10. Scotch Ale – Black Isle Brewing : Fort William, Scotland 11. Allt Gleann Single Malt Scotch – Torabhaig : Teangue, Isle of Skye, Scotland 12. Tarasgeir Smoked Beer – Isle of Skye Brewing : Uig, Scotland 13. Summer Spritz – Hebridean Inn : Broadford, Isle of Skye, Scotland 14. Highlander Scottish Amber – Fyne Ales : Inverness, Scotland 15. Islay Cask Red Ale – Innis & Gunn Brewing : Edinburgh, Scotland 16. Pint – Dragonfly : Edinburgh, Scotland 17. Pickolas Cage Dill Pickle Gose – Three Bridges Brewing : Menominee, MI
In late March and early April, we made a visit to far West Texas, our first since 2016. We were eager to return to both the artistic destination town of Marfa and Big Bend National Park, and covered some new territory in between as well. The key to exploring Big Bend further turned out to be our rental pickup truck. It allowed us access to parts of the park that weren’t reachable with our regular rental sedan last time. Following are some photo highlights.
In July we spent two weeks in the UK, visiting London and Scotland. Our time in London coincided with the heat wave that saw the highest temperature ever recorded in the country. It made for some interesting travel experiences. Scotland was much more temperate but also much wetter. We took in tons of history and some great food and drink. Here are the highlights. Click on a photo to view full size as slideshow.
Great view of London on a 6:45am arrival from Chicago. Arriving at Paddington Station after taking the Heathrow Express from the airport, super easy.Looking up the Thames from the Golden Jubilee Bridge.Houses of Parliament.Hampton Court Palace outside London. Construction started in 1514 and after a major expansion it reached its present state in 1694.Cynthia Erivo concert, part of the BBC Proms, at Royal Albert Hall, London.Nighttime London vibes.Tower Bridge.21st Century “The Shard” photobombs 11th century Tower of London.St Paul’s Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge across the Thames.The Tate Modern art museum’s air conditioning offered a break from the heat. The art on the left is made of mini blinds.Trafalgar Square, 102 degrees fahrenheit.Trafalgar Square lion.The Churchill War Rooms are a series of basement offices used by the British government during WWII. This is the Map Room.Buckingham Palace front gate.London’s street banner game is strong. these are in/near near Picadilly Circus.Euston Station chaos due to heat-related rail shutdowns. We were supposed to be going to Edinburgh, but ended up on a couple different trans and eventually ended up in Glasgow. Long story…Our unexpected night in Glasgow was a hit. We had the best meal of the whole trip at Glaschu Restaurant and learned why all the statues in town are wearing traffic cones.For the first hike of the trip we took the high road up Conic Hill, above the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.Entering the Highlands. Three Sisters peaks near Glencoe, Scotland.Water of Nevis Point, just below Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis.Crossing the “Cable Bridge” on the way back from visiting Steall Falls (background), Britain’s second highest waterfall at 120 meters.Glenfinnan Viaduct, AKA the Hogwarts Express bridge.We entered the Isle of Skye the fun way, by taking a ferry from Mallaig to Armadale. Our car seems to be enjoying the ride.Picked up a bottle of peaty goodness to bring home after touring Torabhaig Distillery on the Isle of Skye.Our Airbnb in Breakish, Isle of Skye.The Old Man of Storr is a 164ft pinnacle of rock. The Cuillen Mountains are in the southern distance.Sheep. Everywhere.The Quiraing is a landslip on the northern end of the Isle of Skye. It makes for some really wierd formations to hike amongst.The Quiraing Path was a wee bit wet, but it made for some great moody scenery.You never know who you’ll run into off the beaten path. Two friendly hikers took our pic and then we ran into this lone sheep hanging out hundreds of vertical feet above his friends.Our trail led through spires high in The Quiraing formation.Colorful houses line the harbour in Portree, the largest town on the Isle of Skye.Wavy river along the path to the Fairy Pools.The Fairy Pools are normally trickling waterfalls and placid pools stretching for over a mile along a trail. The rain caused them to be a raging river at the time of our visit.Dunvegan Castle stairs.Eilean Donan castle, strategically located at the intersection of three Lochs. It was blown up in 1719, but rebuilt in the early 20th century.Eilean Donan castle from the viewpoint above town.Meeting the locals. Can I keep him?Hiking near Loch Ness on the way to Inverness.When the sun shines on that green…Loch Ness viewed from Dores Beach.Church Street in Inverness after a light rain.Inverness spires along the River Ness.The winner of the “best bangs” award goes to this cow at Culloden Battlefield.Culloden Battlefield is a National Trust site that marks the location of the final battle of the Jacobite Uprising in 1746. (It didn’t go well for the Jacobites.)Clava Cairns near Inverness, a Bronze Age cemetery complex featuring ring cairns and standing rocks dating back up to 4,000 years.Nick tried haggis (stuffed in chicken, wrapped in bacon and covered in gravy) at The Mustard Seed in Inverness. My face says I’m still not sure about it.Hike to An Lochan Uaine, or Green Lake. Legend states that fairies wash their green clothing in the lake, giving its distinctive color. It is customary to wear green in tribute while visiting.Views from Cairngorms National Park.Entering Edinburgh on the Queensferry Crossing. Our Vauxhall Corsa outside our Edinburgh digs.Old Town Edinburgh is famously picturesque.Victoria Street in Old Town Edinburgh.Ross fountain and Edinburgh Castle.Edinburgh’s Royal Mile leads from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Hollyrood House.Palace of Hollyrood House, the royal family’s official residence in Scotland.The dining room at the Palace of Hollyrood House.Edinburgh viewed from Calton Hill.This is the actual Dolly The Sheep of 1990s cloning fame at the National Museum of Scotland.That’s a wrap. Edinburgh high kick from the Vennel Steps.Shortly after takeoff from Edinburgh Airport we flew over the Isle of Skye and could see our Airbnb from the previous week (marked by white arrow). The Skye Bridge is visible crossing the narrow water at center right.
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