Daycation | NYC Travel Writer Blog

Snapshot: Colorful Santa Fe Farmers’ Market

Chiles At The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market

The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market really lives up to New Mexico’s unofficial motto: “red or green?” (As in, do you prefer red chiles or green chiles?) The state’s trademark chiles are hard for me to describe from a flavor standpoint, as my spice palate leaves a lot to be desired. (Working on it!) But what I can say about them is that I’ve seen very few other foods regarded with such care, both by the people who grow them and the people who order them at their favorite restaurant.

At the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, a man who’s pals with my guide smoked fresh chiles right there on the spot, in the breezy open air. Right before speaking to him, I’d met a woman who told me about an all-female run goat farm down the road who made local history by selling at the market.

I met a man named Doug who told me about his favorite vendors and slid me a copy of his beautiful cookbook from across the table. I met a group of musicians jamming like they were having the best Saturday morning of their lives (until the next Saturday, of course.) I’d just landed in New Mexico for the first time a few days earlier, but at the farmers’ market, you’re everyone’s neighbor.

Highway To Hell, Michigan

Hell is a place on earth, my friends. It’s just a quick jaunt away from my hometown, in fact. The tiny town of Hell in south central Michigan – okay, it’s actually considered an unincorporated community – has about 70 inhabitants, and exactly three establishments. In Hell, Michigan you can find the Hell Hole Bar, Hell In A Hand Basket Country Store, and Hell Saloon all in a tidy row along the D-32 county highway.

What to do in Hell Michigan…

When it comes to roadside charm, Hell, Michigan has it all. There’s a big-ass rock that says “welcome to Hell” on it in colored paint. There’s a “greetings from Hell” sign plastered on the wall of the country store. There’s an ever-changing sign bestowing the name of the “Mayor of Hell For The Day.”

9 Curious Things You’ll Notice Your First Time In Tokyo

My first time in Tokyo was a sensory overload in the best of ways. At first glance, many aspects of the city seemed like typical quirks of urban life that I was familiar with as a New Yorker. But I quickly discovered that under every seemingly familiar facade was something new to unravel that was totally foreign to my life in the States. It was a constant lesson in adjusting my assumptions about what I thought I knew, and embracing the (amazing) uncertainty of admitting to myself that I understood nothing about how to navigate the culture of this overwhelming, new-to-me metropolis. All I could do was listen, learn, and commit as many moments as possible to memory.

Planning your first time in Tokyo? Here’s what you’ll see.

I first visited Tokyo on a girls’ trip to visit an American friend who was living in Japan at the time, just a few weeks before Christmas (and just a few years into adulthood). I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. There was really no better way to experience my first time in Tokyo than with two of my oldest friends—one of whom was a resident herself.

Of course, I barely scratched the surface of all there is to see and do, but I left with a lot of long-lasting first impressions. Below, a few things that might surprise you on your first time in Tokyo…

1. The balance between historic and modern

It isn’t rare to see a centuries-old structure alongside a towering skyscraper, and that same juxtaposition seemed to show up among local business, city dwellers’ daily habits, and how people related to each other.

8 Things To Love About Hudson, New York

If you were to dream up a perfect community for quiet weekend trips from NYC, Hudson would check off all the boxes. Over the past few years, the upstate New York town has become a haven for creative-ish folks fleeing Manhattan and Brooklyn for a quieter way of life. The result is a blend between the relaxed, welcoming pace of lifelong locals and the buzzing entrepreneurial energy of city transplants who are still learning how to slow down their pace in their new home.

The best weekend trips from NYC begin in Hudson…

The streets are lined with trusty local hardware stores and diners that have been around forever alongside Brooklyn-born stationery shops that sell small-batch candles. In short, Hudson contains a lot of contrasts, but it also offers up tiny slices of charm around every corner. (Seriously: when locals would ask me how I was liking Hudson, I kept calling it “delightful,” like freaking Mary Poppins or something. But that was the only word that summed it up just right!)

If you’re an overworked city dweller, Hudson is the perfect place to escape to by train when you need to get away from life for a few days. Here’s what will sweep you off your feet when you get there…

1. Hudson antique stores

Hudson must be breaking some kind of record somewhere for the most antique shops on any given block. Hudson antique stores offer an array of storied furniture, vintage records, quirky glassware, and historic finds is unreal. And of course, each shop’s whacky displays are a sight in and of themselves. Every shop owner had a different story to tell about how they’d landed in town and where they sourced their treasures, and of these Hudson antique stores were as unique as the antiques themselves.

2. The creative culture

Did you know Hudson has its own elusive local painter who sells his work on the streets, rarely makes appearances, and is something of a celebrity? Yeah, me neither. The town is home to artists and creatives of every stripe, and that’s reflected in everything from the healing crystals sold in the local thrift shops to the flair that goes into the local decor.

NOLA Photo Tour: New Orleans In Snapshots

New Orleans old houses, bright colors, and bright blue skies – what’s not to love about this city? Some of my favorite NOLA pictures below…

5 Things I Learned From Las Vegas Uber Drivers

1. Where to find the best cheesesteaks in Philly.

“Pat’s is perfectly fine, but I find their steaks a bit too heavy,” Ron, a Philadelphia native, tells me after I regale him with the tale of my first-ever cheesesteak experience last fall. “Next time you’re in Philly, here’s what you’re going to want to do: stop by this place called Tony Luke’s, at the end of Oregon Avenue. Now, at Pat’s your steak probably had a few thick slabs of meat and then Cheez Whiz on it, right? Well at Tony Luke’s, you’ll find super finely sliced meat, a lot easier to eat, and more cheese options, you can choose between Cheez Whiz, provolone, or cheddar.” This guy knows his stuff. He tells me afterward that he wants to open a cheesesteak restaurant on the Vegas Strip the second he finds himself a good backer.

2. The backstory of one of the most beautiful bars on the Strip.

Halfway through our commute to the Cosmopolitan hotel, our driver Ryan says, “okay, I have to brag for a second, because I can’t help mentioning it every time the Cosmopolitan comes up…” I have zero clue what to expect next. “My brother is an architect, and you know what his last big project was?” I hold my breath. “He designed the Chandelier bar at the Cosmopolitan.” At first, my only response is a brief shriek. This thing is the highlight of the whole hotel, it’s a bar surrounded by a larger-than-life, multi-story chandelier—and Ryan’s own brother designed it!? “You wouldn’t believe how long that took to get done. He worked so hard on it! He lives in New York now, but every time I pass the Cosmopolitan, I can’t help but tell people about his work here in Vegas.”

3. How to manage the creative process.

“My brother and I, we’re a lot alike in that way: we both need our creative outlets,” Ryan the actor/driver says. “But him, he channels his creativity onto paper in his work as an architect, whereas I’m an entertainer of sorts—depending on who you ask. So we both have that need to express ourselves, but if you were to put a piece of paper and a pencil in my hand, I would have no idea what to do with it.” When I ask what kind of performer he is, I predict he’ll say he’s a comedian—it just seems like it would suit him—but his response is even better: he’s a stage actor.

There’s Nothing Like Brooklyn In The Springtime

I started this spring in Brooklyn with a specific dream in mind: to make it to Sakura Matsuri, the annual cherry blossom festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. (Okay, so “dream” is kind of a lofty word for what could be more accurately described as “a particularly stubborn goal,” but bear with me here. I take my flower viewing very seriously, kay?)

In a twist that’s probably to be expected, when the Sunday that I planned to go arrived, I woke up to a gray, rainy gloom-fest outside my window. Pair that with the burned-out state of myself and my would-be festival companions, and it became clear pretty quickly that there would be no blossom gazing in the gardens that day. I found out a few days later that droves of New Yorkers still braved the rain to turn out for the festival. Naturally, I felt a brief but intense twinge of regret and FOMO for not getting myself out to the garden. But! While I may not have had several hours to devote to standing outside in the frigid elements at the festival that Sunday, I did have 20 minutes to spend enjoying the great outdoors between the heavier bursts of rain on my way home from the grocery store.

Boston In Bloom

Spring is finally here—well, sort of. In the Northeast, we’ve endured nearly a week of constant clouds and rain. While I’d like to say I’m not complaining (at least it’s not winter, right?), it’s definitely starting to get to me. So! Let’s celebrate the season with a few shots of Boston at its springtime finest. On a solo day trip from New York that some might call ill-fated (ahem, I prefer pleasantly detoured), I hopped the wrong train and, instead of arriving in the heart of Boston like I intended, found myself alone in the Massachusetts suburbs.

I missed a not-too-important appointment in the city, but it was far from the end of the world. Spring was in full bloom, the ‘burbs were an unexpectedly gorgeous storybook page, and I had the entire day to myself to gawk at the flowers. I eventually made my way back into the city to wander around Beacon Hill and the Public Garden, but that day wouldn’t have been half as much fun if my plans hadn’t gotten so derailed. The unexpected turn of it all felt so weird and magical. All this to say: life is strange and wonderful, so let’s all stare at some wildlife.