Anatomy of a Night Out

Last night I was out for a friend's birthday. The evening got off to a fitful start.

The plan: live music. Where: Hmm, how about Chop Suey? OK, cool!

Wait, that's an all ages show (and we're all over thirty... some well over thirty). Hmm...

Plan 2: The Crocodile! Awesome! In theory that is...

The reality: I drive around for 15 minutes and never find a spot to park. Plus, the Croc is sold out.

Plan 3: Back to Chop Suey. I find a fabulous parking spot on Pike Street.

But then Chop Suey is sold out, too...

Plan 4: Neumo's! We wait outside for others to arrive (others who had managed to find a parking spot near the Crocodile and as a result became very attached to that spot), but at least this place is not sold old. And bonus: someone on the street gives the birthday girl a free ticket! And we are able to snag a booth in the Moe Bar! Things are looking up. While not everyone ends up making it (somehow we lost them in the course of this little adventure), the rest of us enjoy drinks and the Celtic rock band Handful of Luvin', which turns out to feature an incredible fiddler. The evening is saved! Happy birthday, Kristina!

The Frugal Fifteen - Another Fabulous Five

We are up and running! Continue along with the next five of the Frugal Fifteen, or travel tips for tightwads.

6. Walk
Well, that seems self-evident, doesn't it? Most of us do much of our sightseeing on foot. But there are times when it's just easier or more convenient to hop the nearest tram or (shudder!) even catch a cab. Or are there? While I'll grant that in many cities it's hard to avoid public transportation, there's a lot to be said for schlepping around on our own two feet, even when it's not the quickest option. While most would consider Budapest, for example, a city that's not readily walkable, I spent a great two and a half days there last year, and managed to only take public transportation once, and that was only because I needed the ride in from the airport. If you have the time, why not walk? You'll see the back streets and get to know the lay of the land, and perhaps burn enough calories to enjoy a guilt-free gelato. OK, I admit that if you're buying the gelato you may not have saved much money. But how would you rather spend that money: packed like a sardine (in a place that also smells suspiciously fishy) on the local bus, or walking footloose and fancy free with a cone of creamy goodness in hand? I thought so.

7. Skip the Souvenirs
What? No shopping?! While I realize that for some this can be a travel highlight, think carefully before you buy. For me, photos are generally the only souvenir I need, and since I already own the camera and store them on my computer rather than make prints, they're virtually free. But for others, especially those experiencing a place for the first time, everything from little trinkets to leather jackets can add up to one spendy budget breaker. Do you really need so many refrigerator magnets? Would a free beer coaster from the pub be just as good of a memento? Ultimately, the time and money you spend shopping can be a real drain on your time and money if you don't reign it in.

8. Use Cash
This is the year 2009, and traveler's checks are so last century. And as for credit cards, who wants to pay those 3% fees on top of the exchange rate? When it comes to traveling frugally, cash is king, and the ATM is the castle. Sure, you'll be charged when you make an ATM withdrawal, but you will almost certainly be charged more using any other method to exchange money. Traveler's checks are particularly a pain because no one wants to accept them and so few places, other than the ones that gouge you with particularly high fees, will exchange them. Plus, since credit cards charge merchants fees every time you make a transaction, some businesses, including quite a few hotels, may offer you a discount for paying in cash. Just be sure that you notify your bank ahead of time of where and when you will be traveling and find out exactly what fees you will incur (there's really no way to completely avoid all exchange fees). You can also check with your credit card company, because some cards really do give you a better deal when making foreign purchases. But even if you're one of the few whose card gives them a stellar rate, keep in mind that many of the smaller, more budget friendly places won't accept credit cards anyway - but they do take cash!

9. Choose Your Splurges
Unless you are on the tightest of budgets, you'll probably want to tuck into a few good meals out on your travels, and such splurges can be well worth it. But to get the most for your money, think about where to head out for that three course dinner, and where to lay low. Off the beaten track in a lazy Tuscan hill town you can enjoy an amazing feast for less than the cost of a mediocre - or possibly downright terrible - meal in Venice. And any place away from the tourist hordes is bound to be a better deal and probably offer better service, too. Sometimes this means only moving over a matter of blocks. Another option is to head to a restaurant for lunch, then dine in style with a grocery star picnic. In Paris you can find terrific lunch deals in the local bistros, especially when sticking with the Plats du Jour, and enjoy the cafe life for ten euros per person, then spend only five euros apiece (less for a take away doner kebab!) for dinner on the Champs du Mars with an Eiffel Tower view.

10. Use the Internet
The Internet, as we all know, can be a great tool, but it takes sifting through a lot of garbage at times to find any pearls. Like guidebooks, the Internet can be an essential planning resource, but keep in mind that all the many, many, many reviews posted by fellow travelers on sites like Trip Adviser and Boots'n'All are inherently biased and what one person loved another hated. Still, there is so much information available that wasn't around even ten years ago that it's a shame not to utilize it. Plus, Internet connections are commonplace in Europe now, and often offer a cheap or even free way to keep in touch with friends and family and to make advance reservations while on the road (you'll find that many hostels, for example, offer free Internet access, although their terminals can be a bit temperamental). Use it to find deals and save on postage and phone fees.

Note: In the photo above, Michael once again demonstrates tightwad travel tips, enjoying a well-earned gelato after trooping through Rome all morning - with our luggage, no less!

The Frugal Fifteen - First Five

The combination of being in travel mode and the influence of all the budgeting advice that is surfacing in the wake of our downtrodden economy got me thinking about travel tips for the budget conscious. While I doubt any of my suggestions are unique or new, one never knows when a new insight might be gained. Also, while these tips are geared specifically towards European travel, many can also be applied to travel at home.

As a final caveat: no one size fits all, and some of these tips may not work for you, but they are all tips that I personally have tried or use routinely, so they have been tested.

Without further ado, here are the first five:

1. Pack Light
OK, anyone who knows anything about the Rick Steves' style of travel has heard this. But is this really a budget tip? To my mind, one of the most important results of packing light is that it changes your mindset; it's freeing not to be weighed down with more than you can easily carry, and rather than worrying about your stuff, you can focus on having the best experience possible. Plus, it makes it much easier to stay in cheaper places, like hostels or inexpensive hotels that don't have elevators, if you can handle your own luggage. It's a good reminder that some of the best things in life have nothing to do with our possessions.

2. Buy a Guidebook
While I am usually the first to point out that you can't save money by spending money, the fact is that if you're going to visit some far-off land, you really need a guidebook to help you make the most of your time and money (after all, time is money, right?). You'll learn when you can peek into the cathedral for free, if it's worth your while to the get the museum pass or not, and where to find the cheapest hostels that you wouldn't be scared to sleep in. You may be the type that doesn't like to plan in advance, but you still need a guidebook so that when you do take that spur-of-the-moment jaunt to London you won't be stuck paying too much for your tube tickets, eating an overpriced Big Mac because you never heard of Pret a Manger, and spending half the day trying to find a hotel that fits your budget.

3. Drink the Tap Water
This one is applicable to most of Western Europe, but I'll admit you shouldn't try it in places like Mexico, Turkey, or south Asia. But in Western Europe most of the tap water is actually pretty good (better than even the filtered tap water I've had in L.A. and Las Vegas), so don't be fooled if it seems the locals don't drink it. I buy a bottle of water at a grocery store the day I arrive, then carry it with me for the entire trip, refilling as I go. In Italy there's also the fun option of outdoor fountains that offer potable water. These are great - and don't be surprised if you see the locals filling up their own bottles, too.

4. Forgo Water at Dinner
Now, as you may have heard, it's typical to be charged for water with a restaurant meal in Europe and tap water does not come automatically. Sure, you can ask for it, but in some places that can feel a little gauche. Wine, on the other hand, while not free, is a great bargain. In Italy, Michael and I would split a carafe of wine with lunch or dinner, and just skip the water. We didn't want to miss out on the wine, especially since a half liter of house wine in Italy cost less than a single glass does in most Seattle restaurants, and since we'd been drinking water (free tap water!) all day, we just didn't miss it at dinner.

5. Go Grocery Shopping
Ah, picnics! What a way to enjoy a meal, and to do it for a minimum of cash. Step outside of the tourist zone a block or so, and visit a local grocery mart for great deals on bread, cheese, meats, fruit, yogurt, and all manner of snacks. It's also fun and lets you feel (almost) like a local. Deli counters in Europe are fantastic, offering all manner of cheese and meats that they will slice at your request. 100 grams of each is generally good for two people, unless you have a large appetite. Many discount chains, such as Aldi in Germany, offer even less expensive prepackaged slices. Of course, don't forget about the farmer's markets. These are the most fun, and you're sure to find great quality food. Putting together a picnic for two for ten euros or under (I've even done it for about five) is a snap.

Note: In the photo above Michael demonstrates two of the fabulous Frugal Fifteen tips - picnicking and using a refilled water bottle. And with that view, could you ask for a better meal?

Travel on My Mind

The wait is over. Each year, as we inch closer to spring, I can feel my pulse quicken as I wait for the answer to this simple question: Where will they send me this year?

And in 2009, I was a little afraid the answer might be "nowhere". However, I am happy to report that I will be touring this year, again as an assistant guide with Europe Through the Back Door, and am in fact in the process of booking a plane ticket to Barcelona! In mid-May I'll be heading out, happy to assist on a seven day tour in San Sebastian, followed by a twelve day tour of Berlin, Prague, and Vienna (with one night thrown in in both Dresden and Cesky Krumlov for good measure). The time in Barcelona will be on my own; having never been to this city yet, how could I turn down this opportunity? I'm most grateful to Michael, who agreed that I should leave early for a chance to do some exploring in Spain before my tour begins, despite the fact that this means I will be flying out a couple of days prior to his birthday.

All my life, I have looked forward to travel. Always, potential trips are swirling through my mind, some dissolving before my eyes as other obligations take their place, some coming into clearer focus as actual dates are set. Even as a child, I longed for the day when I would see Europe for myself. I knew it would happen some day, I just wasn't sure exactly when.

As an adult my plans for travel didn't materialize as soon or as frequently as I had once hoped, but I bided my time. Some years ago, I had finally had enough, and convinced Michael that I simply had to go back to Germany. I could do it on the cheap, flying out in February, staying with family and friends, and avoiding the typical tourist traps, but I had to go. This trip, I also intimated, should satisfy me.

I'm wiser now. I took that trip to Germany, and was satisfied. For a little while. But wanderlust does not fade with time, and I have reached the point where the thought of not visiting some foreign soil (and Canada does not count) on an annual basis fills me with dread. It's a disease, you know. It eats away at you.

The good thing is, a temporary fix - travel itself. After a trip, I'm always so happy to be home. Everything is brilliant, new, exciting - Seattle, our house, Michael himself. In some cases, absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

Of course, it's only a matter of time, and not very much time at that, before I'm mentally planning my next escape. Here's hoping it's a good one!

Sushi in the Hood

Being as there was no food in the house yesterday to speak of (no vegetables, fruits, or protein other than beans, that is), there were two logical options:

a) go grocery shopping

b) go out for dinner

While the more frugal option would doubtlessly have been (a), we chose the more enticing option of eating out. After buying a couple of beers at The Beer Authority, I was on a support-local-businesses roll, and as it had been years since we'd eaten at Toyoda Sushi, the choice seemed obvious.

Amy, Michael, and I took our seats at the bar, which afforded us entertainment along with our dinner, as we watched the chef prepare plate after plate of tempting sashimi, maki, and other sushi. Toyoda is a real neighborhood place, typically packed with locals, and the whole time I was there I kept wondering to myself, "Why has it been so long? What reason have we not gone here lately?"

I also sadly recalled the demise of Shian, the Chinese restaurant across that street that opened a few years ago but has since closed. Shian never managed to build the kind of following Toyoda has, despite stellar Chinese food. People were doubtlessly scared off by the "American Chinese" sign by the door (not what you want to advertise as a Chinese restaurant in Seattle) and the very un-Chinese faded pink and mauve Victoriana of the interior, a relic from the old Baker's restaurant and candy shop. Once Michael and I were bold enough to try it, we fell in love with the spicy dumpling soup and homemade noodles, and we showed our loyalty by eating there almost every time we chose to eat out in Lake City for at least a year. Sadly, our efforts were not enough, which is hardly surprising when we typically ate alone in a space that could easily seat 50 people or more.

Thankfully, Toyoda's popularity does not seem to be waning, and I'm happy to add it back into our (admittedly rather infrequent) rotation. I was also thrilled to discover that Michael will actually eat raw fish - and enjoy it! He has a newfound love for spicy tuna rolls, which is quite something coming from the man who will typically only eat three kinds of seafood: canned tuna mixed with mayonnaise on a sandwich, halibut or cod that has been battered and fried, or shrimp, preferably the small salad shrimp that don't "pop" when you bite into them (and preferably doused with plenty of cocktail sauce). He even branched out last night and tried the eel - and declared it to be "not too bad".

As for me, I pretty much love it all - there are few edibles from the sea that I won't eat, and sandwiching a course of sushi rolls between an appetizer of vegetable tempura and a dessert of tempura ice cream was just right. Now I long to go back again - and I don't intend to wait a few years between meals there this time!

You've Been Good, Have a Beer!

OK, so Las Vegas was, in its way, fabulous, but let's be honest - the desert and casinos just aren't really my thing. So I was just a little happy to be back in Seattle today, despite the clouds and cooler temperatures, and I was also more than a little happy to check out the newest addition to our downtown Lake City merchants: The Beer Authority.

Yes! I kid you not! Lake City now has a beer shop! And, in all seriousness, I didn't intend for those last sentances to (almost) rhyme, but I must have been so excited that I spontaneously burst into verse. The Beer Authority has taken over the spot that once was Flava Coffee, and, while it is admittedly smaller and feels less lived-in than Bottleworks, they offer a fantastic selection at prices comparable to the other, not quite so local, places I go for beer, plus they have a 5% neighborhood discount. They even have a website already: http://seattlebeerauthority.com/

OK, I should probably stop before I start to sound like a literal advertisement for the place. No, I am not being paid, I just really enjoy good beer and supporting local independent businesses. Lake City has lost too many of those in recent years, so I hope the neighborhood will show it's dedication to the ones that are still there and the ones just starting out as best we can.

And in further Lake City news, I also saw that the vacated space that used to house the upholstery shop next to Toyoda Sushi (and which has since moved down the street to the former Taco del Mar location) has proclaimed in handwritten black marker on the brown paper lining the windows that it is soon to be a coffee shop! Now I am doubly excited because since Flava and Cranium's left we have had no real coffee shop to speak of, and I do not count the two Starbucks shops. They are too far from the downtown core to be easily walkable, anyway, aside from the fact that Starbucks in Seattle - or anywhere, fo that matter - is hardly unique.

But our future coffee shop needs a name and they are seeking submissions. You can leave yours by the door of their humble location. Let's also hope that they can put forth a good paint job and some fun decor to appeal to the locals, too. Lake City, I knew you had it in you!

Gettin' Hitched, Vegas-Style

Michael and I are back from our brief trip to Vegas for his brother Ryan's wedding. It was a whirlwind of hot pink, glitter, too little time with friends and family, Cirque du Soleil, late breakfasts, and toasts - with or without the sparkling wine.

While I have, in fact, worn a hot pink dress as a bridesmaid, I never thought I would get to see Michael subjected to this color in tux form. Pink checked satin peeked above the lapels of all the groomsmen, complete with matching ascots. Katelynn, our niece, was perhaps more thrilled at the prospect of pink. She and her younger sister, Lindsey, walked down the aisle in white dresses with pink polka dots, strewing pink petals from the intensely hot pink baskets their mom, Nicole, had decorated for them. After a practice run half an hour before the ceremony (and I'm not sure whose idea it was for the practice run, but I have the feeling it was a decision made without adult input), they had their petal placement down pat.

Ryan's bride, Lyndsay, glowed in a beautiful white gown, but still gave a nod to Las Vegas style with her show-stopping make-up. She looked stunning, and everyone else had a fun time trying on different looks for the photo booth that had been rented for the reception.

Weddings are always a special time, and at their heart, all weddings are celebrations of family and love, a chance to see friends and family together who otherwise may have never met, but who all share a common joy in seeing the couple make a public commitment to each other (and, in this very special case, a public commitment on Ryan's part to be a father to Lyndsay's son Kenny, as well as her husband). Best wishes for a lifetime together, Ryan and Lyndsay!