Contemplating a trip to Tokyo and Osaka, but unsure about where to go between the two visits? Why not get a JR Hokuriku Arch Pass to appreciate the UNESCO World Heritage gasshou-style (合掌造り) architecture in Toyama? Skip to: gassho, what’s that? First, let’s briefly delineate the Hokuriku area. The three mainstay prefectures are Fukui, Ishikawa, and […]
Trip Reports
A Visit to Saratoga Springs, New York
Disclaimer: In early October 2024, I was invited by Travel Alliance Partnership and Discover Saratoga to experience an historical tour of Saratoga Springs, New York. I’m ashamed to say that I don’t know my state that well. Sure, I can locate all of the prominent cities and attractions — and food destinations — but ultimately […]
JR West Kansai Area Rail Pass
I’ve written a lot about Japanese rail passes, but never about one in the Kansai region, which includes Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara. A short visit last month helped change that– let’s take a look at the JR West Kansai Area Rail Pass. I want to skip the JR backgrounder, and go right to the […]
JR Tokyo Wide Pass
Are you a big fan of Tokyo, but want to get away from the unabashedly urban side of things? Then the JR Tokyo Wide Pass might have your name on it. Might.* Who Can Buy the Pass? Just like the JR Tohoku-South Hokkaido, and the JR East (Tohoku Area), rail passes, this one can only […]
JR Tohoku-South Hokkaido Rail Pass
Ever since my first trip to Tohoku last year, I’ve been yearning to visit more of that northern Japanese region. For a quick refresher on what constitutes the Tohoku region, here’s a map: In addition to including Tohoku, there’s a clear bonus for this rail pass: parts of Hokkaido are included! That’s right, Japan’s big […]
Flight Review: Southern Airways Express from Chicago ORD to Quincy UIN
Roughly once a year, I visit the St. Louis, Missouri area. Lacking any real airport competition, I haven’t found prices to be particularly competitive. On the plus side, that also means I get to be creative with checking off new airlines and airports. Enter, Southern Airways Express. Southern Airways Express is one of the larger […]
The First Food Tour of Mexico City
As winter slowly encroaches upon much of the U.S., let’s warm up a little by taking a Mexico City food tour. We’ll start with two examples of comida callejera, or street food. Green chorizo, what?! Nope, it’s not from using avocados. Hailing from the city of Toluca in the state of Mexico (the latter of […]
How to Reserve Train Seats in Japan
The third — and likely final — video in my Japan travel series involves a how-to for Japanese train reservations. Why final? I’m getting out of Dodge soon, so I wanted to get one more helpful video beforehand. It’s also getting tiresome, innit? Anyway, the photo below shows a variety of train tickets acquired through […]
