Driving the South of France

Our Europe adventure continues!

After hopping on a bus in Barcelona, Spain, we arrived in Perpignan France 2.5 hours later. We followed the little conspicuous signs (that we later decided was a French-thing) and found our Europcar rental.
An insider tip: our German friends we were traveling with would of had to pay double for the same booking. We're not sure why (and we didn't want to ask!) but booking from the US saved us 150 euros.

From there we decided to "wing it". We had a few checkpoints in mind, such as Montpellier, Marseille, and Nice (where we were scheduled to drop the car to), but other than that, we spent each night setting a game plan for the next day!

Day 1
From Perpignan, we drove to the coast and followed it until we saw something of interest.
Not too much longer, we stumbled across Beziers. We found parking, took our own tour of the city on the hill, and bought picnic supplies.

Banquette, cheese, meat, and wine. After a fisherman helped us open our bottle of wine, we shared our splendors and became friends with no common language. We watched him fish and soaked in the afternoon sun.

By nightfall, we realized no wifi meant no place to sleep...
We fled to our "oasis", as we joked, of McDonald's for a coffee and free wifi.
The accommodation we found, Le Gambetta in Vias, France, was wonderful. The B&B owner greeted us warmly after the reception hours had closed. Our only complaint was the 100 Euro/night cost on our traveler's budget. However, that may have been our own fault for waiting two hours before we needed a room to book one.

Day 2
After a lovely croissant breakfast on the terrace, we departed for Sete, France. A bustling fisherman's village flowed with tourists. We did a little (chocolate) shopping and enjoyed the scenery for an hour or so before departing again.

A short while later, we arrived in Montpellier, France. The afternoon hours were spent walking the city. We found some pasta and made a picnic on a set of stairs and settled in to people-watch.
Back in the car, we kept our journey moving. After an unsuccessful time in finding a beach, we decided to head to Arles, France for the final stop for the evening.

Arles was a beautiful small town I wish we would have had more time in. It seemed shops all closed (even though it was maybe 5:30/6pm) so we settled for finding dinner and drinks instead.
A delicious Le Burger, a drink at a 3-story Irish Pub (which, sadly, I'm blanking on the name), and we found our way back to our hotel.

Day 3
And we're off to Marseille!
Traffic: Terrible.
Parking: Terrible.
City: Beautiful.
We spent all day and evening in Marseille, which I believe was a good choice. By just walking around, we visited a few monuments and churches. Marseille also has a pretty beach, although a little chilly on the day we were there. The beach is certainly not able to walk to...Thankfully we had our rental car.
At night, we decided to walk and see where the roads led us. We ended up in another Irish place (go figure), but this time, with karaoke!

1.5 Days In Barcelona, Spain

The start to our Euro-tour took off from Chicago with a 9 hour flight to Berlin. We met up with some old friends, and boarded a plain to Barcelona! 

Getting Around

Once we were in the airport, we quickly found the signs for the train and took it to the station closest to our apartment.

 A local gave us a tip: buy the T10 ticket (10 Euros = 10 uses) which can be shared among your group...saved us some money in the end!

Aside from taking the metro to different areas in the city, we just walked. Barcelona is easier to navigate than you may imagine, so unless you are completely lost, don't bother with a taxi!

Accommodation

For Barcelona, we used Airbnb.com to find somebody's apartment for rent. Airbnb is a great website if you are looking for more bang for your buck. For a full apartment (2 rooms, kitchen, living room, and bathroom) we paid 60 Euros a night. 

Tip: Airbnb is better if you plan ahead of time as the host often has to accept your request before it's certain. So if you have short notice or limited phone/wifi use, maybe use an instant booking website (like booking.com)

Sights

You can check out all the sights we chose with our limited time in the video above! 

My recommendation if you also have limited time is to choose more of the free sights (the Gaudi museum and Sagrada church are ones we chose to walk and take pictures of in place of paying 15 euro a person to get in) 

If you're a beach goer, Barcelona is the place for you. The water is incredible (even in September) and the sun is always shining. We spent only a couple hours here, but if you have more than 2 or 3 days in Barcelona, make the beach a destination.

Tip: There are many hustlers on the beach selling water, beer, mojitos, sunglasses, etc. Don't be afraid to haggle with them. The mojito man asked for 5 Euros a cup, and we got it for 2 Euros. If they say no, 1: they will most likely give in and sell it to you, and 2: another mojito man will walk by willing to take your deal.

Food

Tapas! Tapas! Tapas! 

....When in Rome...or I suppose, Barcelona!

Find a restaurant with 2/3 Euro tapas and order a few for yourself. You can share with the table (and most restaurants will offer a larger portion for a couple more euros) and order more if you are still hungry.

California | Part 3

The last few days in California!

We explored Monterey Bay and Alcatraz Island.

Part 3 Sights:

Monterey Bay Aquarium, 17-Mile Drive, Carmel CA,

Golden Gate Bridge, & Alcatraz Island

Next up: Europe!

California | Part 2

Part 2 of our California Adventures! On this leg of the journey, we headed north on Highway 1 to see the Redwoods. Then, we took a drive back south to Monterey Bay, CA and the surrounding areas.

Enjoy!

Part 2 Sights:

Highway 1, Chandelier Tree, California Redwoods,

Monterey Bay, Fisherman's Wharf

Next up: Monterey Bay & Alcatraz Island

San Fransisco | Part 1

This August I visited San Francisco, California with my family. We had an amazing time in the city and driving along the coast. I thought I'd mix it up and try my hand at film making. It's a bit rough around the edges, but it was a blast making each video.

Without further ado...here's Part 1 of the California triology...enjoy!

Part 1 Sights:

Fisherman's Wharf, the Piers (39), Sea Lions on Pier 39

The Real SF Walking Tour: Chinatown, North Beach, Downtown, Macondray Street, Lombard Street, Ghirardelli Square, The Painted Ladies, The Mission

Haight Ashbury, Union Square, & the Golden Gate Bridge

Next up: Driving Highway 1 north to the Redwoods!

What To Do In Door County, Wisconsin

I've listed just 5 of the MANY fun things to do in Door County, Wisconsin. If you're interested in some good eats, see my previous post, "What To Eat In Door County, Wisconsin"

Walk The Towns - Fish Creek, Egg Harbor, & Sister Bay

These three are my recommendations if you want to walk and shop. All three towns are along the coast of Lake Michigan, so those tired of shopping can grab an ice cream cone, and sit by the docks!

Visit ALL the Country Markets

Yes, they all sell the same essentials: cherry-flavored EVERYTHING (cheese, salsa, mustard, wine, juice, jelly, etc.), but stopping by multiple on a rainy day will keep you full and happy. All have free samples of almost everything!

State Parks: Biking & Hiking

-Peninsula State Park - west side of the peninsula

• best for biking
• has a small beach to swim, rent kayaks, paddle boats & boards,

 -Whitefish Dunes and Cave Point - east side of the peninsula

• best for hiking

Go-Karting

In: Egg Harbor, WI - Egg Harbor Fun Park

The park is recently built and in business and is therefore modern and up to date. Because it has become more popular, expect many people enjoying all of the parks amenities, and thus some lines.

In: Sister Bay, WI - Johnson's Park

This park is a little older, but the go-karts are excellent and most nights the wait is not too long. These karts are reasonably priced and offer a double-kart for young riders with their parents.

PLUS there is a mini-golf course next door.

Drive-In Theater

One of my favorite Door County past times is the Drive-In theater, Skyway Drive-In, just outside of Fish Creek. They are extremely well priced and include 2 movies. The first is generally family-friendly and the second is rated PG-13 or R. 

My family loves to pick up pizza on the way for the first showing and buy popcorn from the concessions stand for the second showing munchies.

And overall...just enjoy! It's easy to drive from town to town along the shoreline exploring and finding special places of your own.

What To Eat In Door County, Wisconsin

Door County in Wisconsin, USA is my favorite summer past time. Since I was a kid, my family has been packing up the cars either every or every other summer to travel to the peninsula. It's a great destination for almost any type of traveler as the towns offer such a wide variety of attractions, parks, and places to stay and eat.

Here are some of my favorite eats you can find in Door County, Wisconsin.

Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant & Butik 

(breakfast) 

Sister Bay, Wisconsin

          Ordering the Swedish Pancakes is a MUST here. But be prepared to wait for them...I have never been here without a 30-60 minute wait (especially for our large family), but they are worth the wait!
          Plan ahead: come about an hour before you'd like to eat, put your name on the list, and take a stroll through Sister Bay. Lake Michigan and a park are right across the street, there's shops lining the roads, and of course, you can take some pictures with the goats roaming on the roof.


Husby's Food & Spirits (lunch, dinner, pizza recommended) - Sister Bay, Wisconsin
          Husby's has a full menu, but my family always gets their pizza. I would recommend the Tree Hugger for veggie lovers (it's delish!) or the Meatza Pizza for the meat lovers. Husby's can get fairly busy on any given night, but I've never had a wait longer than 20 minutes.

JJ's of Jacksonport (lunch, dinner - Mexican/American) - Jacksonport, Wisconsin
          JJ's is just what you need if you're craving Mexican. If you're staying on the other side of the peninsula (i.e. Fish Creek, Egg Harbor, etc), then it is a 30 minute drive, but well worth it!

Joe Jo's Pizza & Gelato (lunch, dinner) - Ephraim, Wisconsin
          Major tip I've learned: order pizza for carry-out to grab on the way to the drive in theater (which is not too far away) for a snack better than popcorn and soda.

Not Licked Yet Frozen Custard (ice cream) - Fish Creek, Wisconsin
          On a warm night, take a walk (or a drive if you're not staying in Fish Creek) to get some custard. It's a bit pricey, but is yummy and unique enough to make it worth it. The best feature about Not Licked Yet is that it has a massive playground and a lot of outdoor seating for warm summer nights!

Shipwrecked Microbrewery

(burgers & beer) 

Egg Harbor, Wisconsin

          The location could not be more perfect - on the corner of a couple main roads in Egg Harbor, Shipwrecked has a beautiful outdoor seating area, porch seating area, and indoor seats for whatever your mood.
          If you're sitting outside, cross the street and walk down to the docks while your order is cooking back in the kitchen.


Country Stores (wine, cherries, pies, mustards, salsas, & much more) - any town in Door County
          Just driving from town to town, you can't miss the little country stores scattered along the road. On a rainy day (because there's always bound to be at least one), I suggest enjoying the drive and stopping at a handful of stores.
          A lot of the stores will have complementary locally made wine tastings and almost every store has free samples of all their products. Door County is known for their cherries, so you must try the cherry flavored goodies, especially the salsas and mustards!