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Will Hess
Will Hess

Will Hess

ha viaggiato in 15 paesi Leggi altro🇺🇸Wisconsin
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  • Will HessFrench PolynesiaViaggiatore

    A triathalon of sorts

    24 luglio 2022, Polinesia francese ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    While this resort does have a few roosters, they did not seem determined to assert their dominance throughout the night, and we both slept well. We enjoyed a buffet style breakfast, but honestly I would have paid the full fare simply for the two cups of strong coffee. It rained for just a minute, which was enough to produce a rainbow that we took as a good omen for the day to come. The weather forecast called for rain all day, but we decided not to believe it and booked a bicycle rental to see what this island had to offer. I raked a razor over my face for about 20m in hopes that it would allow a more secure snorkel mask fit and it was time to head out.

    The first stop was the grocery store to stock up on some water, pack a lunch, and secure a bottle of wine for later. We dropped off the wine in the room minibar and headed out around the island.

    Our first stop was Maeva ("Welcome") Marea Complex, housing the Fare Poree ("Oval House"), a reconstruction of a traditional Tahitian meeting house, now a small museum on the lake. We read the history of the island and its people, and checked out the artifacts before backtracking a little bit to reach the Matairea Hill hike trailhead.

    It was an easy hike, though it branched off regularly enough to have us doubting our choices as to whether or not we were going the correct way. along the way we encountered our first Marea (temples) that had been overtaken by a massive tree. Either by our magnificent wayfinding or sheer dumb luck, we made all the correct choices and popped out at another Marea with a great view of the island. Satisfied, we wound our way back to the main road and continued biking to the Jardin de Corail.

    We stashed our bikes and donned our snorkeling gear. By this point we were both sweaty and ready for a swim, and it didn't disappoint. My baby's-bottom-smooth face did in fact prevent water from flooding my mask, so we both got to enjoy the coral and many aquatic creatures. There was a strong tide at points, but we exercised appropriate care and had a blast snorkeling for a while.

    Feeling refreshed, we threw our towel down and snarfed some prosciutto and toast along with some fruit (and plenty more water). Refueled, we biked along the outer part of the island back to the hotel and beyond to see some sailboats in another bay before calling it and enjoying some downtime and a glass or two of wine. It was a smart call, as the skies opened up just a little while later.

    We prepared for dinner, and more importantly, the 10m walk to dinner. Laura donned the rain jacket, and we made use of the bungalow's umbrella, but still arrived somewhat damp due to the ongoing monsoon. We both had tuna tartar and some great swordfish (Laura's again with coconut, mine with green pepper sauce), before making the journey back -- somehow it was raining even harder. We had to dodge a few crabs on the walk back (no joke), but all in all counted it another great day.    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessFrench PolynesiaViaggiatore

    Low key Huahine Arrival

    23 luglio 2022, Polinesia francese ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    In Laura's research, she identified that some of the other islands would resonate with us more than Tahiti, so we decided we'd only really have it be a stopover -- we used yesterday to adjust our sleep schedule, enjoy a hike and a good dinner, and then prepared to head off to the next island.

    We woke up today, had another light breakfast, and made use of the hotel gym (only upper body, our legs are still feeling it from the hike) before it was time for another harrowing drive to the airport. Laura's stick-driving ability paid off, as the island seemed determined to throw scooters, fast-merging busses, and pedestrians directly into our path while we tried to navigate the complicated sharp turns and hills to return the rental car. There were no incidents, but some few expletives. I focused on exuding a nonplussed demeanor while trying to divine the actual route from the combination of what Google maps suggested versus the reality of actual road layout (all the while recalling our wrong-way debacle from last night).

    After a small struggle returning the rental car, we headed through security and poked at our phones while we waited for our plane to arrive and board.

    It was a short, 40-minute flight on the propeller plane with some pretty cool views, just enough time to sip the complementary ananas juice, and we landed in Huahine. The resort had a van waiting, and whisked us off to our garden bungalow. We went across the street to 'Izzy's' for a hamburger and some beers with some locals for a quick bite of lunch.

    I was hot as hell, so we cranked the A/C and unpacked. While I took a short nap, Laura went on a scouting mission to get the lay of the resort and find the beach. When I woke up, we put our suits and hit the water. My facial hair thwarted my attempts at snorkeling, but Laura went at it with gusto and reported back all the funny fishies she saw swimming in the super clear and warm water. We spent a fair amount of time lounging on the beach and swimming around until the sun started to set.

    Back to the bungalow to read on the patio, shower, and then head to the resort restaurant for some dinner. We both had glasses of rosé and the lagoon fish (hers with coconut, mine sans -- anaphylactic shock on a remote island is probably a poor life decision). The highlight of the dinner was the digestif -- a snifter of 'Mirabelle' -- a strong French plum brandy that was delightful and made us think fondly of our best golden doggy.    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessFrench PolynesiaViaggiatore

    Sleeping and Hiking

    22 luglio 2022, Polinesia francese ⋅ 🌙 77 °F

    After 26 hours of driving, flying, and general travel nonsense, we made it to Tahiti. Quite a long journey, but even I managed to sleep a little bit at LAX and on the flight across the ocean. It was a somewhat stressful 20m drive to the Hotel near Māhina, and after check-in we crashed pretty hard. We had a few blissful hours of sleep, before... Roosters? Many, many roosters -- all very excited to announce that the sun was rising (though they got a little ahead of themselves).

    We had an omelette, some pastries, and coffee to shake off the sleep and began to plan the day. Since the morning looked clear of rain, we planned a hike to stretch the legs after being confined with minimal leg room for a significant part of the prior day. We got the necessary permit from a local government office and drove out to Fautaua Valley to begin the trek. After 2 easy miles, we reached the fork and had to choose the challenging, or very challenging trail. Up for the challenge, we elected for the latter.

    The hike was challenging, but not dangerous. We didn't trust the estimated times (we were moving much faster), and we made good progress switch backing up the hill. The view waterfall popped out unexpectedly, and evoked matching "wow"s from us. We continued on to reach the end of the trail, and then started the descent. As we did, the skies opened up, and after a few minutes we ceased all attempts to keep any parts dry and accepted that we were soaked. Still, it was a warm walk through the lush tropic landscape, and just meant we needed to be a little more sure of our steps as we navigated the rocky/root-y trail. It was just over 3 hours of hiking, and our glutes/knees were ready to be done.

    Once we made it back to the car, we drove back into town to secure some lunch at the market. Simple sandwiches, a smoothie (Laura), and a beer (moi). We were ready for a nap.

    Nap time commenced, and we spent the rest of the afternoon swimming in the ocean and lounging on the black sand beach.

    A quick drink at the hotel restaurant (they were having an electronic rave, a little dissonance there given the venue), and off to dinner at a little place called 'Kozy'.

    My navigation skills fell short as we missed our exit and had to backtrack. While searching for parking, we ended up on a particularly strange road where Laura was convinced that we were on the wrong side, and initiated a correction to vault over the median (nevermind the oncoming truck in the lane that she merged us over into). I did my best to be a calm, if terrified, passenger. Eventually we managed to park, and went into the super cute restaurant. Laura had the fish, I had the boeuf.    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessPuerto VallartaViaggiatore
    Could have this for lunch every day
    Mexican quad -- was not expecting to find that!Caty is digging her new hatSurfs up, dudePost cricket trauma#1 Flan

    Dolphins, Tacos, and Beach Time

    30 dicembre 2019, Messico ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Our last day in Puerto Vallarta, and the weather was everything we had hoped for when planning the trip. We split up for the morning -- Caty and Laura went to swim with dolphins, while I slept in before exercising and going in to town to see if I could find the best authentic tacos.

    Caty said the dolphin adventure was 'the best experience in her life', so we'll count that as a win. Laura loved it too, both the mama and baby dolphin were super smart and super cute. We won't have any pictures for a little while, but we'll get some sent to us by the company.

    My mission was also a success. I did some research (wanting very much to not have a plane ride home dealing with food poisoning) on local street carts and settled on Tacos El Mareno. By the time the cab had made the 10 minute drive down the cobblestone road from the resort, it was the lunch rush. Tons of locals were milling around, which I took as a good sign. I summoned the remnants of high school Spanish to place my order, and then shortly thereafter tucked into freshly made carne asada tacos -- super cool to watch them make the tortilla in front of you. The hot sauce was no joke either. Yum.

    I had some time to kill before Laura and Caty's cab brought them back to meet up, and wandered into a craft brewery in the gay section of town. While not amazing, the beer was better than expected and my fellow patrons and bartender were pretty friendly.

    When Caty and Laura arrived, we headed down to the beach to enjoy some magnificent sunshine and surf. Caty loved getting pushed around by the waves. After ~45 minutes we had to drag Caty out of the water, lest she turn into a lobster. While walking towards a cab location, Laura let out a shriek -- I turned around and found her horizontal, nearly submerged in the water as the tide pulled her towards the sea. She had tripped on a towel, we think; it happened so fast she can't quite remember how she found herself in that situation. She was embarrassed, but laughing too hard to pull herself upright... I ran over and fished her out. We all got a good chuckle out of it, but Laura's phone paid the toll due to water damage :(

    We bundled up our wet belongings and went back up to the hotel to lay in the shade at the pool, aka Caty went swimming again.

    For our last dinner I found an authentic Mexican restaurant in town. Caty was grossed out that they served cricket tacos, and I may have threatened to get some for the table... We had some tasty margaritas, smoked fish tostadas, barbacoa, and duck carnitas. Heavenly. Caty was a big 'flan' of dessert #DadJokesAllVacationLong.

    That's the end of the family Mexico journey. Another early morning to catch a plane back to Madison -- we're ready to see our pup!    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessPuerto VallartaViaggiatore
    1Whaaaaaales
    Water was surprisingly not too coldThe tidepools were pretty incredibleA little windyArriving at the beachCaty made friends with Cady

    Marietas Islands

    29 dicembre 2019, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    Up at the crack of dawn again to ride town to Port to catch our boat to and around the Marietas islands. It was a relatively cool morning, with winds on the ocean making us glad we packed the hoody and jacket I packed.

    It was an hour long boat ride in, with several humpback whale sightings along the way! Once we arrived, we suited up in our wetsuits and dove in to go snorkeling along the rocks. Lots of pretty fishies down there! Caty got pretty cold, so we flippered our way back to the boat and dried off and ate some meager fare until the boat started off to the next location -- the beach!

    We were lucky enough the the clouds started to part as we arrived, and got to spend a good hour in relative warmth. Caty had a blast getting pushed around by the waves and having her suit and hair filled with sand and rocks (which now coat our shower floor).

    The sun was out in force on the ride back to Port, which was very welcome as I drank down several Pacificos, They taste pretty good after the second one, and put me to sleep on the taxi ride home -- I'm getting old...    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessPuerto VallartaViaggiatore
    So good. Red hot sauce had me crying, though
    MmmmYummy GoseSo spicyA feast!

    Lazy day

    28 dicembre 2019, Messico ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    (Apparently I only took pictures of food and drinks today)

    Fairly lazy day today. We slept hard (me especially being the one who can't sleep on planes). All the same, Caty woke up around 6, and had to suffer until 7 for breakfast.

    After breakfast, Laura and I hit the gym for an hour while Caty read and watched movies, before spending some time at the pool.

    Once the sun came out in earnest, we took a taxi down to the Malecón (boardwalk) to walk around and get lunch. Caty was starving by this point (and the grumpies had settled in), but we powered on and meandered towards Layla's, which opened right as we arrived. It took a while before we had food in front of us, but it was well worth the wait. Laura had fish (which will be a constant on this trip), Caty had a hamburger, and I had spicy spicy chicken (spicy will also be a constant for me). I also had a surprisingly good Mexican craft beer -- very unexpected.

    After lunch we continued waking the boardwalk until Caty hit the point of exhaustion, and taxied back up the mountain to the hotel for a nap and more time at the pool/hot tub.

    For dinner we went back into town and had grilled meats and cocktails. We had shrimp wrapped in spiiiiicy peppers and a dish of Ceviche appetizers. Matching our experiences thus far, a meal out was a multi hour affair, so by the time we were done Caty was ready for bed, and we went straight back to the hotel, after a brief stop to pick up sunscreen for tomorrow.    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessPuerto VallartaViaggiatore
    Passport line of dispair
    Such a good TravellerChristmas in WisconsinView from the topFood was almost as good as the view

    Travel in to Puerto Vallarta

    27 dicembre 2019, Messico ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    Though we planned this trip as an escape from the cold, Christmas in Wisconsin has been reasonably mild. Still, the anticipation has definitely been building for us.

    Mira is staying with her grandparents (and their new doggy / fun playmate) while we're away. Tough to leave the pup behind, but we know she's super happy with Grandma and Grandpa.

    It was a bright and early start, with a 4am wake up. I might have been a little grumpy. We slammed some coffee, and started our journey. Both flights, first to Minneapolis and then to Puerto Vallarta, were uneventful for the most part. For the second leg, Laura and Caty had the luxury of sitting next to an unhappy baby (I was several rows back). Once we landed, we began a wait-a-thon to get through passport checks and customs, and finally to our shuttle to the hotel.

    The resort is pretty magnificent. Perched high above the town, it was a twisty ride up, but the view can't be beat. We hadn't eaten since breakfast, and Caty was beyond hungry. We decided to eat in at the fancy hotel restaurant, and it was a great decision. We watched the sun set, ate Ceviche, and drank wine (Chocolate ice cream for Caty). All is well.    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessNapa ValleyViaggiatore
    Market was cute. Art too expensive for us :)
    Garden for famous restaurant French LaundryPedals the Tour GuideThis is actually from one of our hikesBeau, Bartender ExtraordinaireReady to see our Pup!!!

    Market and The Restaurant at Meadowood

    26 marzo 2019, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F

    Last day here in the Valley, unfortunately. We decided to have a leisurely morning, minus the 7am class of HIIT that we had signed up for... One of us made it and the other hung out in the hotel room. I'll let you guess who did what.

    Once the hot springs were open (at least we think they were open -- no one stopped us, though we were the only ones there) we elected to burn an hour soaking it in and willing the aches in our muscles to subside.

    Eventually, we got around to getting dressed and drive back down to Yountville to visit the local Market, pick up a souvenir for Caty, have lunch, and generally walk around and absorb some sun rays.

    Stomachs full, we went back to the hotel room for our final holiday nap, before heading out to one last tasting that we had found last minute -- Reverie II.

    The lack of a tasting fee was a perk, and it ended up being another private, low-key deal. The host's pup, Pedals, knew the entire route and guided us from stop to stop on the property. She was the star of the event for sure. The wine was pretty good, but I can say definitively now that we are done tasting that Barnett's takes top marks, though I'm excluding Schaumburg's as I file Champagne into a different category

    We lounged around and watched some bad TV (Gray's Anatomy and Chopped) until it was time for the finale of the vacation -- dinner reservations at the Three-Michelin-Starred Restaurant at Meadowood. Laura had booked a multi-course meal seated at the cocktail bar, so we got to experience the best of food and drink. Our bartender was highly knowledgeable, attentive, and friendly, which made the experience all the more enjoyable. The signature libation I asked him to make, simply asking "for something with Mezcal" was pure ambrosia.

    Dinner included some equally amazing stuff -- incredible Guegères to start off, tiny cabbage wraps, sole, duck, and then an almond custard with a chocolate concoction that defies explanation for dessert. We finished in front of a fireplace in the lounge, stopping Port/Amaro until it was time to call the the evening, and the vacation, a wrap.

    So long, Napa Valley! It's been wonderful.    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessNapa ValleyViaggiatore
    Riskier than it looks
    Mr. LizardTasting at Barnett'sView from the tasting cave outlookClouds breaking in the ValleyPizza destroyed

    More Hikes and Tastings

    25 marzo 2019, Stati Uniti ⋅ 🌧 45 °F

    After a light breakfast and coffee, we started off the day with another hike in a nearby state park so we could see the redwoods. We walked for a solid 45 minutes before encountering a crossing point that was effectively washed out by the high waters. We spent a solid 5 minutes evaluating our chances of safely hopping across the rocks before writing it off as a potential vacation-ender. Still, the hike was still great, and we made friends with a little lizard that surprised Laura on the trail.

    Hungry again, we stopped in town on the way back to the hotel for a breakfast sandwich and coffee. We had an 11am fitness class that kicked our butt -- pretty sure I won't be able to lift my arms tomorrow.

    Suitably exercised, we showered and left for lunch at Lovina, a cute little place in Calistoga. Then, we headed to our tasting reservation at Barnett's Vineyard. This time it was Laura's turn to nap through a beautiful drive. We passed on renting Benz, which was too bad because the vineyard is 20 minutes up a winding climb that would have been pretty sweet. Still, it was fun even with the rental. We were a bit early, which worked in our benefit as it led to a pleasant surprise to find that we'd be enjoying a private tasting.

    It was low-key, and a good comparison point to the larger operations that we had seen thus far. It was a cloudy day, so we didn't quite get to experience the stunning vista of looking down into the valley, but the clouds did abate just enough for a short time to take it in and snap some photos. The icing on the cake was that the wines were pretty darn good, definitely the best non-bubbles that we've had on the trip. The guide was a perfect host, answering our many questions, and giving us recommendations of other stuff to try and see while we're in the valley.

    We took him up on one of the recommendations, stopping at Tank, which was a quirky prohibition-style operation running out of an old gas station. The wine was fairly good, but we didn't love the guy serving us / spinning his sales pitch.

    That was a good amount of wine, so it was nap time before dinner. We did elect to grab the cool car for the drive down to the restaurant in Yountville, where we destroyed some yummy pizzas. Quite a full day, with an early fitness class on the agenda in the morning, so we collapsed into bed and slept like rocks.    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessNapa ValleyViaggiatore
    Morning hike
    Settlement at the bottom of a bottleLots of ChampagneGondola rideDriving the BenzOur Gonadola buddies helped us with a pic

    Mountains, Caves, Cars, and Gondolas

    24 marzo 2019, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

    Woke up at 5:30am local time, and decided that was much too early, so we rolled over and slept another hour. We had a light breakfast delivered to the room, and then Laura headed to a pilates class at the resort. I drank another cup of coffee and then went to the gym to burn off yesterday's calories.

    We followed our workout with another one, hiking up the Oat Hill Mine trail. We saw some nice doggies on the way up and back down, which made us happy. Suitably tired, we had a quick lunch at the resort bar -- shared crab cakes, a seared yellowfin tuna burger for Laura, and Sole tacos for me.

    The resort has a pretty sweet perk -- three Mercedes-Benz that are free to rent for 4 hours. It was a nice sunny day, so we snagged the convertible and zoomed around.

    Next on the agenda was the Schramsberg champagne/cave-cellar tour, which might turn out to be the highlight of the trip. The tour itself was excellent -- the guide was knowledgeable, and the Schramsberg estate history and photos of bottles at presidential events were interesting. The cave cellars were a sight to behold -- thousands upon thousands of bottles stacked and held together by their own weight. The guide talked us through the riddling process (rotating bottles to get settlement into the neck of the bottle so it can be removed) before leading us to the tasting session -- the samples were all hits.

    We followed that tour with another, riding the Gondola up to Sterling Vineyards. The drive in to the estate and the ride up we're pretty great. The wines, pretty mediocre.

    Laura and I had a good time chuckling at the array of personalities on the tours, including a girl who remarked that the champagne smelled like gym socks (the tour guide graciously remarked that all palates are different and he got notes of fruit), a group of women who took at least 30 selfies in 15 seconds, and another group of middle-aged women drunkenly recounting their sorority days. We were very thankful we didn't have to ride back down in the same gondola with the last group.    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessNapa ValleyViaggiatore
    Very early
    Top speedMedium speedThe jade pond at Chateau MontelenaChateau MontelenaTasting time!

    Arrival in Napa Valley

    23 marzo 2019, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F

    Up bright and early, with minimal grumpiness. Left the hotel immediately to head to the park and ride to drop the car and jump on the train. Naturally, the blue line trains were stopped, so we waited until the CTA said it would be quite a while before they resumed and we gave up and called an Uber.

    Still made it to the airport with plenty of time for coffee and a quick bite. The flight was uneventful -- Laura schnoozed, and I tried but failed. We landed in SFO, grabbed a car, and started the drive north to Calistoga. We switched to have Laura drive after we got out of the city -- I managed to schnooze through a beautiful drive, I'm told.

    Got lucky that we were able to check in early, so we dropped our gear, took a quick power nap, showered, and then hopped on the bike to head to a drop in wine tasting at Chateau Montelena. We walked around the gardens, admiring the swans and ducks while we waited for our turn to head into wine room. The first Sauvignon Blanc was bright, tart, and delicious. The second Chardonnay was good, not my favorite style, but one of Laura's. A Pinot Noir followed that was a bit meh, but the showcase 2006 Cabernet was phenomenal. It was a choice between sweet and savory for the final wine. We elected to have the opposite of each other so we could share and try both. The sweet one was bleh, IMO, and the savory one meh. Still, it was good overall.

    Went to Goose & Gander for dinner one town over, where we shared a salad and a dry aged steak that was perfect after a day of lighter fare.

    Off to bed from there -- both wiped after a long day.    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessNapa ValleyViaggiatore

    Night in Chicago

    22 marzo 2019, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 39 °F

    Trip kicked off with a scramble to get out of Madison before the traffic got too bad. Mira will be staying with her grandparents, and she watched us pack up and load the car worriedly.

    Though we stepped out of work early, we had to make a pit stop (a wallet was left at work -- for once it wasn't mine) we weren't quite successful and hit slow-going traffic pretty immediately. We realized that making our 7pm dinner reservations in Chicago wasnt realistic, cancelled them, and settled in for the drive (meaning the girls napped).

    3.5 hours later, we pulled up to the hotel that Caty and her dad would be staying at and handed her off. Hope she has a great time!

    While Laura performed the handoff, I parked the car and hauled our luggage to the Chicago Athletic Association and rejoined Laura. Unfortunately, her license was needed to check in. Which was in her wallet. In the car. Leaving her wallet behind might be the theme of the trip.

    We had dinner (and cocktails) at the Cherry room in the hotel, as we didn't feel like going too crazy given that we'd need to head to the airport at 4:30 the next morning...    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessDisney WorldViaggiatore

    Epcot

    27 ottobre 2018, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Last day! We made a beeline to Soarin' the main ride for which we didn't have a FastPass. I had never been on it before, and it was pretty darn cool - a hit for the whole group.

    Caty loved Mission: SPACE, though our group elected to do the more mild version that didn't involve a centrifuge. We designed our own concept car before hopping on the Test Track and speeding around. Our sports car design didn't have much in terms of efficiency, but it made up for it with raw power. Last, we rode spaceship earth in the "giant golf ball".

    Spent some time in the Innovention center so Caty could get her science on. They had a pretty cool color exhibit. The presentation was hokey, but the interactive paintbrush part was pretty interesting.

    It's food and wine festival at Epcot right now, which seemed fantastic, but drew a huge local crowd that made lines off-puttingly long. I did manage to get a flight of craft beers, the best of which was a chocolate stout.

    We opted to push Caty around in a stroller for the day, and we made the international loop before calling it and heading back to the apartment for a pre-dinner nap.    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessDisney WorldViaggiatore

    Animal Kingdom

    26 ottobre 2018, Stati Uniti ⋅ 🌧 77 °F

    Another early start, getting to the park right as it opened and hustling over to Pandora from Avatar. The line for the signature attraction was already 150 minutes, so we opted for the visually impressive boat ride instead, which was super cool.

    Our fastpass selection was less efficient than it was in Magic kingdom, so had to bounce back and forth between the different areas to hit them.

    Catys found her favorite ride of the whole trip -- Expedition Everest. Had such a good time that she dragged Laura back into the line for a second go immediately after the first, and would have happily done a third had the line not started to grow.

    We had time to kill before our last FastPass, so we went to do the Safari, which was actually a good conservation, to our relief. The animals seems very happy, and they had a fair amount of space to roam. We got to see pretty much everything. Caty liked the baby giraffe, Laura and I liked the rhinos.

    Other stuff we hit before calling it a day and going back for a nap and the pool:
    It's tough to be a bug! (I got "stung", and practically jumped out of my seat)
    Kali River Rapids (I was the one who got soaked)
    DINOSAUR (Just a smidge too scary for Caty)    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessDisney WorldViaggiatore

    Magic Kingdom

    25 ottobre 2018, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    Day one spent at Magic Kingdom. Got an early start, and made it through the gate slightly after the doors opened. Went straight to Space mountain, easily Caty's favorite ride if the day. In fact, she liked it so much that we went back later in the day to ride again. It was faster than all of us remembered!

    Splash mountain closed down due to mechanical issues, so we were refunded a fastpass that we spent on some other ride. Turned out to be a stroke of luck, as splash mountain reopened right when we were in the area, so it was a short wait.

    We had accomplished pretty much everything we wanted by 2pm, and Caty was running out of steam (she passed out while I was carrying her back to the parking lot), so we called it a day and headed back to our apartment. Aftera quick nap we went to the pool to soak up the sun and have a much needed cocktail.

    Cooked in the apartment, and called it a night early -- another big day tomorrow.    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessDisney WorldViaggiatore

    Flying down to Orlando

    24 ottobre 2018, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    Met my mom halfway to hand off the pup this past weekend. She'll be living it up with her, Ryan, and (most importantly) her playmate Posey while we're out of town.

    The trip didn't get off to a great start. Work was a bit of a scramble trying to wrap up many, many loose ends, which was aleviated slightly by our first flight being delayed. We got a little cocky with how closely we timed our airport arrival, and a sanfu with semi-linked tickets and restrictions around check-in for a minor resulted with us nearly missing our flight.

    A crying nine year old does wonders to motivate airline employees though, so rules were bent to get us through security and hold the plane until we could get on. Two flights later, and touchdown in Orlando!    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessFly-In FishingViaggiatore
    Mr. Bear

    Full Day of Fish

    7 settembre 2018, Canada ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    After watching the sun rise with a pot of coffee, we are breakfast and bundled up for the fridged ride over to the prime fishing spots. We did okay in the morning, catching enough for shore lunch, but watched some other boats haul in more fish which got our competitive spirit going to land lots and land big in the afternoon.

    Shore lunch was divine, with a delicious chowder that accompanied the fresh fried walleye. Mr. Bear smelled the cooking oil and paid us a visit, and posed for a picture (though we were careful to keep our distance).

    We killed it in the afternoon -- I don't think we caught a walleye smaller than 20", and Dad landed some large Pike.    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessFly-In FishingViaggiatore

    Arrival at Oak Lake Lodge

    6 settembre 2018, Canada ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Another early start to the day. Stocked up on snacks, and quaffed a few cups of coffee before heading to the air field. Lots of fog over the water, so we had to wait for the sun to come up and burn it off. It set us back about two hours, but the ride over was pretty killer.

    When we got to the lodge, it was a mad scramble to unpack so we could get on the boat in time to catch some fish for the shore lunch. Forgot to bring my phone, but we snagged two or three keepers pretty quick which ensured that we didn't go hungry. Fried walleye and French fries hit the spot, and it was back on the boat to catch another half dozen walleye each before we switched to trying for Pike on the ride back. Dad caught two of those, and I snagged one to cap off the day.

    It's the end of the season and we're one of the few guests they have, so we have massive four bedroom cabin to ourselves    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessFly-In FishingViaggiatore

    Heading north

    5 settembre 2018, Canada ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    Started the morning early flying out of Madison. Met up with Dad at the Minneapolis airport, and took another short flight to International Falls, MN. The float plane leaves tomorrow morning, so we killed the rest of the day with a nap, some beers outside in the sun, and eating barbeque at a food truck (the only food option for many miles) in fort Vermillion. Off to bed early so we can get up early to catch the plane.Leggi altro

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  • Will HessSpring break in SpainViaggiatore

    Flying home!

    2 aprile 2018, Turchia ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    Flew back to Rome yesterday to be ready to grab Caty in the morning and start the journey back.

    Laura and I weren't feeling so hot on our last day in Barcelona, so we stayed close to the hotel (doing a bunch of reading and relaxing) until it was time to head to the airport. It was an uneventful flight, and we got a few hours of sleep in a nearby hotel.

    5am rolled around pretty early, but we're ready to come home! Happy to have Caty back with us -- sounds like she had a blast.

    On our way, Mira!    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessSpring break in SpainViaggiatore

    Aeri de Montserrat

    30 marzo 2018, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    Slept in later than we had planned, though neither of us were upset about it. After crossaints and espresso, we boarded the train for an hour long journey to the cable car functario. The train was packed to standing room only, and we had the pleasure of listening to a group of women's inane babble the whole ride, which was unfortunate for us. We practically sprinted off the train when the doors opened to get away from them as soon as possible.

    That proved a good decision, because the line to use the cable car was quite long, so we at least ended up in front of the rest of the group from our train. It was a long wait, so we whipped out the books we were smart enough to pack, which distracted us from some children whose behavior was only worse then the parenting they received.

    Eventually it was our turn to ride up to the monestary, and the view along the way was truly spectacular. Once at the top, we went looking for some food and drink, and more importantly, a place to finally sit down.

    The lines for the two restaurants were unappealing, so we settled on some cheese, nuts, honey, and a beer. It hit all the right spots, and feeling better, we walked around until we made it to the church.

    After spending enough time in the high altitude, we started back to the cable car -- neither of us wanted to miss the next train. We shared a cable car with our delightful female friends from the reason ride in, but it was well worth the price of just barely making the train home (though we did make sure to board a train car several down from them).

    We're looking forward to dinner, which I will guarantee is going to be at a sit down restaurant.    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessSpring break in SpainViaggiatore

    Drinks and dinner

    29 marzo 2018, Spagna ⋅ 🌙 55 °F

    We had just over an hour to kill before dinner, so we went to a relatively close by cocktail joint that came highly recommended. It had an old fashioned vibe, and was definitely with the expense -- the cocktails were generous pours, the bartenders knowledgeable, and the other patrons amusing.

    The hour killed, we made a pit stop back at the hotel to change before heading to Bar Cañete for the best meal of the trip by far, and a bottle of bubbles. The tapas of choice included: Oysters, fresh red shrimp, aged beef, oxtail, spicy octopus, and a spicy meatball. Hard to pick a favorite from that list.

    As delicious as the food was, the highlight was probably watching the kitchen staff, which was up to the challenge of a busy night.    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessSpring break in SpainViaggiatore

    Park Güell

    29 marzo 2018, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    Famous houses and Roman Catholic churches didn't seem like enough for Gaudí, he was also tasked with the design of a local public park, though calling it a park feels insufficient.

    We managed to get out of bed at a reasonable hour, and took the Metro to the closest stop and began the ascension to the park entrance.

    Laura had gotten is tickets to the paid area of the park, so we headed straight there before too many people started showing up. We walked around once or twice, then left the paid area to explore the public park. Saw lots of happy doggies -- Barcelona seems like a very dog-friendly city. We miss our puppup, but know she's doing okay due to regular pupdates.

    Satisfied with our walk, we went searching for lunch, and landed on Boca Grande, a cool restaurant with trippy bathrooms and yummy seafood. From there, back to the hotel for nap time.    Leggi altro

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  • Will HessSpring break in SpainViaggiatore

    La Sagrada Familia

    28 marzo 2018, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Went on a self guided tour of Antoni Gaudí's finest work, La Sagrada Familia. Visually stunning outside and in, and absolutely massive. Construction is still in progress, scheduled to be completed in 2026, it'll be even taller once the main tower is completed.

    We ended up going to the top towers, followed by a stressful walk back down the 400 winding steps, all while stuck behind the world's slowest people. Still, probably the most impressive architecture I've seen. The view from the inside was definitely better than from the top, owing lots to the different colors streaming from the stained glass windows.    Leggi altro

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