where to stay / new york

we got to new york yesterday afternoon for our third trip to the city since we have been married. we are lucky to say the least. the last two times we have visited the city, we have stayed in hotels in central manhattan- which is awesome and very convenient for getting around. this trip, we could not find a single hotel for under $250 a night, which we are totally not willing to pay. i have seen lots of people using airbnb, and decided to give it a try. we are staying in brooklyn in an apartment that was really well priced and is so adorable i would live here. we are just so excited for our weekend here, and to do more exploring in brooklyn! let me know if you have any recommendations of new things to do, it is so hard for us to stray from our favorite things that we have done before!

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10 favorite things to do / tokyo

jarman lived in tokyo for two years,  so i asked him to share his favorite things to do in his favorite city. after watching the newest wolverine movie (which was mostly in japan), his hankering to go back and visit had increased a ton. he is tentatively planning a trip for us next spring, we will see if we can make it happen!

I am not familiar with the procedural etiquettes of the blogosphere but I have included some of my suggestions for those who are planning a trip to Tokyo.

1. things to eat: 

Walk and eat as much as you can in Tokyo. I spent nearly two years there and still haven’t seen it all. The people are very friendly and most can speak a little bit of English, so they are excited to speak to foreigners. I found the best places to eat just by asking random people. Eat ramen, oyakodon, donburi, tonkatsu, and go to a sushi bar.

2. orion: 

Also, try to find a little restaurant called “Orion” and order the soba noodles. This was possibly my favorite place to eat in Tokyo. It is right by the Higashi Nagasaki train station, two stops away form Ikebukuro.

3. ueno koen and the sakura: 

My favorite place to see the sakura blossoms was Ueno Koen. If possible, go at night. There are high power lights throughout the park that illuminate the blossoms from all angles. Visiting Ueno Koen at this time of year is a popular destination for locals and travelers so expect a crowd (It’s Tokyo, avoiding crowds is nearly impossible). That being said, expect to see several culinary options to choose from as you wander through the enormous park. Some of the best tonkatsu I’ve ever eaten was from a food cart at Ueno Koen. Aside from the blossoms, there are museums, temples, and shrines to check out as well. You can literally spend days just exploring the park, so make sure you go in with a plan.

4. harajuku

this is a must do while you are in Tokyo. Its basically Halloween everyday here. You will see some of the weird things and think to yourself… what in the world? I always got some good laughs in while passing through harajuku. 

5. isozaki shinto shrine:

My favorite place in Japan is the Isozaki Shinto shrine near Mito Ibaraki Ken, which is just north of Tokyo. The shrine stands on an exposed bed of rocks in the water. When the tide is low enough and if the surf is calm enough, you can actually walk out to the shrine. I would definitely make time to go here. It is out of the city and pretty isolated which provides a nice break from the crowds and chaos.

6. shibuya:

 While you are in Tokyo, I would recommend checking out the busiest crosswalk in the world in Shibuya. It is UNREAL how crazy it is. Pictures and videos do not do it justice.

7. akihabara: 

this is the technology capital of the world. if you are remotely interested in any sort of gadget, widget, computer chip deal, or anything of that sort, akihabara is a must. it is also very entertaining to walk around akihabara to see everyone running around from shop to shop and taking advantage of the low prices. i am not a big technology guy, but i do like akihabara and would not be opposed to visiting it again when i go back to tokyo. 

8. yokohama:

this place is awesome. My number 1 recommendation is the ramen museum. please go there. You will not regret it. Also, the osanbashi pier is a nice little walk. My suggestion would be to read up on the history of yokohama before you go. It was one of the first major Japanese ports that was opened up for foreign trade. One of my regrets is not knowing much about Japanese history before I went there.

9. nikko: 

this is a popular place for tourists and locals alike. it is located northwest of tokyo up in the mountains kind of by utsunomiya. the traditional architecture of the temples and shrines is excellent. nikko is also famous for having the statues of the three monkeys- see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. nikko would be a day trip and your best bet to get out there might be an express train of some sort. there are also awesome waterfalls and rivers. the scenery is especially pleasant in the fall or spring time.  

10. ginza:

this is basically the times square of japan... which is probably why i did not spend a lot of time there as a missionary. the arts and theaters are popular and there is epic shopping for those who are interested in fashion. also, if you have ever seen the documentary on netfllix called jiro dreams of sushi, i think his shop is in ginza. if you are a high roller, you should go there. i would if i could.  

Tokyo is a fascinating city with deep cultural roots. Absorb as much as you can as you walk and eat your way through the city. Also, try to experience the morning rush hour at a crowded train station. Checkout this hilarious video:

a perfect day in... / london pt. 3

i am finally finishing my london series! on your last day of your trip to london i am going to give you plenty of options, because maybe i realized that you just can't do london in three days. so this is going to be a kind of pick your poison ride where you can choose whatever you want from a few different categories: museums, classically london, and walk till you drop.

(ps. for those of you who are new, i am writing for my cousin krista who will get to spend a weekend in london this month. to see the first two day you can look here and here) 

museums: 

option 1: the british museum. if you do not choose to go here, i have to say i will be quite disappointed in you. this museum is amazing, it has treasures from around the world, it would literally take days to get through if you wanted to look at every single thing. there are two must-sees on my list. first are the mummies, if you're lucky maybe you will see a modern dance/theater interpretation of egyptian life (which actually happened to me). the second must-see is the elgin marbles (taken from the parthenon), they are classically beautiful.

option 2: the tate britain. this is the one museum that i did not spend enough time in when i was in london. and i regret it more than anything. just looking at their collection online gives me butterflies, they have so many great works. if i were to go i would check out the pre-raphaelite brotherhood works, like this one and this one, as well as their significant collection of modern works.

option 3: sir john soane's museum. this is one of the few museums that you have to pay for in london, but its kitschy and quirky and i loved visiting it. sir john soane spent his life collecting architectural pieces and displayed them in his house. he donated his house to become a museum with the one provison that it not be changed. it is completely filled from top to bottom with the most interesting details.

classically british: 

option 1: buckingham palace. when i lived in london, the queen resided at buckingham so i never got to go inside. however, if you are there when she is out you can get a short tour. either way, visiting the palace is positively royal. i love looking longingly through the gates and wishing i were a princess living in that palace. if you choose to do this you should also go to st. james park. though sometimes it is filled with more tourists than other london parks, it is still lovely and worth the visit. 

option 2: st. paul's cathedral. this is the second major church in london and lives up to the name. the outside is classical white marble, and the inside is decorated to the nines. it is the place where princess diana got married (need i say more?). be sure to go up to the 'whispering gallery' at the base of the dome. if you go to one side, lean against the wall and whisper, people at the other side can hear you!

option 3: sir christopher wren's monument. walking up the many steps of this monument is not easy, but the view is totally worth it. you can basically see all of london. the monument commemorates the great fire in london, and is beautiful. it is near st. paul's, so you could try to do both at the same time. 

walk till you drop:

option 1: walk around hampstead heath. one of my favorite days was spent in hampstead heath. you can walk, hike, bike, visit a lovely house turned into a museum. you can do no wrong there. it is a little out of the way, but is definitely worth it. also, remember the house that julia roberts is filming at in the end of notting hill? that is in hampstead heath. 

option two: walk down oxford street. if you are looking for a more urban experience, oxford street is the place for you. there is great shopping and eating, and some of london's finest architecture. this is a great place to go at night and to enjoy london nightlife. 

option 3: walk around camden town. camden is a funky place. i'm not sure if there is a better word for it. it is kind of a punk central, but could also be almost hipster in it's oddities. there are lots of fun outdoor markets: food, clothing, jewelry, etc. there are tons of cheap thrills and delicious eats.

so, there it is. the final piece to your weekend in london. there are so many more things to do and see, but this is a good start for your first time. have fun for me, and tell london i love and miss her!

10 favorite things to do / portland

for today's post i asked my friend michelle to write about her ten favorite things to do in her hometown of portland. i still have never been there, but after reading this list am dying to find a way to make it happen! 

Portland is the most unique city that I’ve ever been in. Whenever someone finds out that I live in Portland, they ask me if I’ve seen the TV show “Portlandia,” to which I respond: “Yes. And it is 100% accurate.” The writers for that show just need to walk around downtown and they will have plenty of material. There is lots of weirdness, but that means that there is so much character. Plus, there is plenty to do and are lots of hot spots for foodies. I describe the atmosphere as being a big neighborhood. It’s a big city, but it still feels like a neighborhood where people still say hi to each other on the street and the house was quaint. 

When Brittany asked me to write about the perfect day in Portland, I couldn’t resist! I love the City of Roses!

1. If the weather is nice, take a bike ride along the waterfront. Or, like a native Oregonian, you go even if it is raining. You get a great view of the city and the waterfront trail is lovely. I would start on the west side, where you can rent a bike, and make your way north across the Steel Bridge, then down the east side so you can see the west side.

2. Saturday Market. This is my favorite things about the city. They have local farmers selling their produce and stands of people selling their art and other crafts. There are also food carts and street performers. I always recommend the market to the place to experience Portland and have a fun Saturday morning. It’s the first thing I do whenever I come back to the city.

3. Go to brunch. Portland is a city that brunches. You can’t go wrong with brunch, so find a place based on your breakfast preferences.

At Slappy's, pictured on the left, you can make your own pancakes. Each table has its own griddle.!

4. Browse Powell’s City of Books. This is block-long bookstore in SW that is a main attraction in the city. And it gets the attention it deserves, in my opinion. It is Disneyland for bookies, I tell ya. It is so big, they have maps and directories. So many books! Love it!

5. Lunch at the food carts. There are a few hubs of food carts downtown on both sides of the river. They have everything and the food is delicious. I like Pyro Pizza and PBJ’s Grilled on the east side.

6. Explore OMSI. The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is a fun museum with a permanent exhibit hall that’s all hands-on and pretty cool temporary exhibits. You could spend a solid amount of time here, so plan accordingly. Maybe this is for day two of the Perfect Day in Portland series. Either way, you can conduct your own experiments and see dinosaur bones and experience what it would be like to be in an earthquake.

7. Pioneer Square. There is always something going on in Pioneer Square on the weekends, like festivals and movies on big screens. It’s a central meeting spot in the city by the historical Pioneer Court. Some of my favorite street performers set-up around here. It is also by the Pioneer Place Mall, where there is good shopping.

8. Dinner/happy hour at Portland City Grill. The grill is on the 30th floor, so you get a commanding view of the city. If you go at a certain time you can get happy hour specials so it’s not too crazy expensive. Also, if you go at a certain time, you can get the sunset and the city lights at night.

9. See a show. My love of going to concerts stemmed from the music in the city and its venues. My favorite venue is the Crystal Ballroom in SW. There is a good mix of hip local bands that you’ve probably never heard of along with big names.

10. Voodoo Donuts. Probably the most popular food place in Portland, it is the collection of pure Portland spirit in one place. This place has it all: hip cashiers, post-modern art haphazardly tacked to the wall, puns, and owners that are authorized to officiate weddings. Oh, and there are donuts. Coco Puff donuts, donuts in the shape of Texas, voodoo dolls with raspberry filling. If you go at night, take a friend because you will run into…characters. It’s open late, so it’s a good place to go for post-show munchies.

I hope you are now motivated to visit this lovely city! There are so many more things that I want to add to this list, but this should easily cover a solid weekend. Come on by; I’ll show you a good time.

*visit michelle's blog here. 

**most photos taken by michelle erickson, click others for source.

a perfect day in... / london pt. 2

saturdays in london are the most magical because of portobello road. i'm not going to lie, kira and i spent 8 hours the first saturday we had there. which i admit may be a little excessive, but how could we not look at every antique dress, piece of fabric, book, chandelier, jewelry, fur... etc. so, first things first, you need to go to portobello. and you can stay as long as you want. you'll probably want to eat- so get a crepe and be prepared to have the best time. also, if you see any bands playing, stop and listen. this is where me and kira fell in love with the ryan o'reilly band. they may still play there. and i will be infinitely jealous of you if they do.

since you are in the area you need to go to kensington gardens. (hopefully you read peter pan before your trip, as depressing as it is, it's one of the best books ever). in kensington gardens, walk past the peter pan themed park (sadly you can't go in unless you have children, which i am determined to do someday), and around the circle pond. you can visit the kensington palace which i would highly recommend. it is no longer used by royalty, but you can see all of the rooms that were used by diana! there are rotating exhibits there, luckily, kira and i went when it was an exhibit on debutantes so there were gorgeous dresses on view. 

while you are in kensington you also need to go find the peter pan statue. it is kind of on the other end of the park (any of the park maps will tell you were to find it), but it is magical! j.m. barry asked that it be placed there in the middle of the night 'as if by fairies'. to me, this was so much more exciting than platform 9 and 3/4. 

next you should probably walk to south kensington for some lunch/dinner (depending on how long you took), and do some shopping. this one was of my favorite areas to shop in in london. many great stores are there. be sure to look for zara and topshop- they are both classic london stores, and i actually regret not spending more money there. you also want to check out harrod's, it is a massive and expensive department store that you could probably live it. it's perfectly british. you might only be able to afford the treats that they have, but who doesn't want more treats?

if you are done early you can stop by the victoria and albert museum, they close at 5:45 on saturdays (or you could go here and then do your shopping). there is a great collection of art and probably the best permanent collection of fashion. the museum is huge, so look online beforehand to find which things you want to see the most. 

again, your options for what you want to do at night are limitless but up to you. i would check out time out to see what plays are on, and if there are any special events. 

{click images for source}