In March 2019, my wife and I went on an “REI Adventures” trip to the South island of New Zealand for some hiking and kayaking. It truly was a memorable adventure! What is an REI Adventure? REI Adventures are multi-day group trips, usually involving hiking...
My wife and I spent a day in Christchurch, New Zealand before embarking on an REI hiking trip in the southern island. We had no real plans in Christchurch, so we decided to just head to the city center, walk around, and play it by ear. Luckily for us, Christchurch is...
If you’re planning a trip to Orlando to go to the Magic Kingdom at Disney World, check out these tips which I compiled during my trip there. These are the most important things I think attendees of the Magic Kingdom should know before going. 1. FastPasses are a...
For a long time, I had been annoyed by sun getting into my eyes while biking. Even when wearing sunglasses and a helmet with brim, the sun seemed to “leak in” from the sides. Sure, wrap-around sunglasses solves that, but when I wasn’t wearing...
Las Vegas is famous for gambling and the Strip, but there are many other cool things to do there that are often overlooked in the afterglow of the casinos. If you aren’t into gambling, or you ran out of money, or you’re just plain tired of the madness of the...
This is the best solution I’ve found for carrying a U-lock on a bike. I discovered the hard way that a steel cord bike lock is NOT secure and can be cut in seconds, so I switched to a U-lock for my bike. I’ll never rely on a cable to lock my bike up...
Los Angeles is the “car capital” of the world, but it’s been getting easier to get around without one In 2016, I was hit by a drunk driver and my car was totaled. After I recovered, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to do an experiment: to...
Here’s the travel checklist that I use before traveling, whether for business or pleasure. These are things that I’ve been prone to forget when traveling in the past. International Travel If you’re going on an International trip, make sure...
Are you planning to move, relocate, or just take an extended vacation in a different part of the country? I recently saw a presentation by one of the developers of the Zip Code Lookup Tool, which gives you really cool demographic information about any zip code before...
In the U.S., we might think of train travel as a slow, outdated, and expensive way to get around. Yet, in other countries, it’s the primary means of transportation and it works well! In certain parts of the U.S., taking the train can be a great alternative to...
Providence, RI is a small but very charming New England city with a lot to offer, including culture, great restaurants, lots of outdoor activities, and a riverfront modeled after Venice, Italy! After living here for some years now, I’ve compiled a list of my top...
…continued from part 1 12. Discover Unbeatable Italian Cuisine on Federal Hill If your date likes Italian food, you must check out one of the restaurants on Federal Hill. Atwells avenue and the surrounding area feature some of the best Italian...
My beloved Specialized Hard Rock mountain bike was stolen back in 2012. After that happened, I did a whole bunch of research (including talking to a cop) to insure that it doesn’t happen again. Here are my findings, which I hope will help insure that your bike never...
A few years ago, I packed up everything and moved cross country from Los Angeles to Providence, RI for work. Having lived in Los Angeles all of my life, all of my friends and family were there, and I was starting from scratch. I wondered how an introvert like me would...
One of the worst parts of intercontinental travel is jet lag. If you are traveling for business, you probably are not given any time to get used to the local time zone. You’re expected to arrive and hit the ground running. Here are my suggestions: Before Your Trip Eat...
You’re at the airport and your phone or computer is about to die and you need desperately to charge it. You’re at a low-tech airport like LAX (this is my home town airport, so I can diss it all I want), where the few outlets that are available are all taken. What do...
My Specialized mountain bike was recently stolen, so I had to go out and find a new one. After doing some research, I settled on the 2012 Giant Revel 2. This lists for $379, but I was able to find it at a local bike store for $359. To be sure, this is considered to be...
Here are ten spectacular L.A. bars that anyone can get into. These have great ambiance and/or great views. Some have mild dress codes or require reservations, but if you do that little bit of homework, you’ll be rewarded with these really unique bar experiences....
