Coffee culture in Seattle...

You can go to almost any city in the world and get a cup of Starbucks, but only Seattle, Washington owns the bragging rights of saying it is home to the world’s leading retailer of specialty coffee.

It all began in a little coffee shop next to Pike Place Market in 1971, and to this day, visitors come from all over to stand in the birthplace of their beloved coffee bean provider. But the coffee tour does not end there, Seattle is also known for the original chains, Seattle’s Best and Tully’s, as well as amazing local coffee shops all around town. Enjoy the artistic lattes, strong aromas, and unique settings of Zeitgeist Coffee (Pioneer Square), Uptown Espresso (Belltown), or Cafe Ladro (downtown).

Once the caffeine kicks in, head over to Lake Union to enjoy the bourbon corn chowder at Duke’s Chowderhouse and soak in the beautiful view from the harbor. The South Lake Union Trolley will then drop you off downtown next to the Pacific Place mall for some good shopping (Seattle is also the original home of the clothing retail store, Nordstroms). There is plenty to do downtown and all around the friendly city of Seattle including a trip up the Space Needle (built for the 1962 World’s Fair); a day at the Pacific Science Center (complete with IMAX theater and planetarium); and the uniquely constructed EMP (Experience Music Project). Regardless of the season, interesting exhibitions are constantly on display at each venue.

After a full day of exploring, satisfy your appetite with fresh salt and pepper crab at the Flying Fish restaurant or roasted garlic rigatoni at the Pink Door. For more options, walk around Pioneer Square, an area loaded with restaurants and bars. The young night life crowd can be found in the fun bars and clubs on University Avenue, located next to the University of Washington.

Real Traveler, Sarah, had fun visiting Seattle, she shared:

“We started by walking through the Pike Place Market, although our real goal was to find the Thai restaurant buried in all the twists and turns of the market. The market was really vibrant, with stalls selling all kinds of foods, fish and flowers.

After lunch, we walked up (and I mean up several very, very steep hills) to check out the new Seattle library, which is really crazy. Its a very modern building, made of steel and glass, designed by Rem Koolhaas. My favorite part was the Meeting Room level, which is all red and pretty trippy.From the library we went down to the Smith Tower, which was the tallest skyscraper west of the Mississippi for 50 years, from 1914 to 1964. We rode an old-fashioned, manually operated elevator to the Observation Deck to get views of Seattle.

Next we headed off to Pioneer Square, which is the original city. Now its a lot of galleries and stores, which makes it fun to walk around.”

For an espresso trip to the Pacific Northwest, visit Seattle, Washington and take full advantage of the wide array of tourist attractions.

To start planning your trip, visit:

Seattle Hotels
Seattle Restaurants
Seattle Attractions

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Hot coffee in Amsterdam...

The winter season brings with it cold weather and the desire for hot beverages and cozy settings. This week, we will let coffee take us around the world to find the best cup of joe and great cities where it can be found.

Amsterdam, Netherlands is the world capital of coffee shops. With over 300 coffee shops and cafes to choose from, you can decide which is best for you. Young travelers usually search for the shops that offer legal “herbs”, but most coffee shops offer much more than that. Locals enjoy the relaxed settings and warm environments conducive to enjoying a coffee and a good book in the afternoon. To complement these great coffee shops are delicious bakeries–Taart van m’n Tante is a well-reviewed colorfully decorated café with large, ornate cakes luring you in the windows and centered at each table to be enjoyed.

Once you’re ready to start the day, walk through beautiful Vondelpark (complete with lakes, mystical trees, and beautiful buildings and hotels), visit the Van Gogh museum (housing the largest collection of Van Gogh’s paintings and drawings in the world) and Rikjsmuseum (displaying Dutch art and history), take a historical tour of the Anne Frank house (walk on the same floors where Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis), and bicycle along Amsterdam’s numerous canals to get the full tour.

Realtraveler cessna152 gives a detailed description of the Van Gogh museum collection. He says:

“The next morning we took a tram to the Van Gogh Museum. The exhibit covered one floor and led us through a complete history of the great man’s work, starting with paintings that looked nothing like what I’d expected. His early work was clearly of the traditional type, showing quite realistic scenes of various descriptions. Before long though we were gawping at the work he became famous for, including The Potato Eaters and the world-famous Sunflowers.”

Walking the city will allow you to find great little neighborhoods and a relaxed and eclectic Amsterdamian culture. Walk into a street art fair, world music shop, unique clothing boutique, or dimly lit restaurant on your city tour.

Discover Amsterdam as other realtravelers had and find the beauty and warmth within it. Sus and Pete did and reflected this:

“Amsterdam is an amazing city, we had no idea how beautiful it would be. There is a Venice like canal system that flows though the city with a number of small bridges connecting the streets. Because the streets are so small almost everyone gets around on old bicycles. We spent hours walking the many canals and found time to visit the Heineken Brewery and the Van Gogh Museum. We really had a blast.”

Enjoy the aged, beautiful buildings, deep canals, rich wooden interiors and friendly crowd as you make your way to the coffee shop capital.

To plan your visit to Amsterdam, visit:

Amsterdam Hotels
Amsterdam Attractions
Coffee shop guide: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2007/sep/26/amsterdam.travelfoodanddrink?page=3

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Cheap travels in Nicaragua...

While most winter vacationers escape to well-traveled island and sun destinations like Mexico and Costa Rica, head next door to the less-discovered Nicaragua where you’ll find a bargain vacation.

Nicaragua offers expansive beaches and not-so-crowded surf, music, cheap eats, and a less touristy polish to provide a true cultural immersionand insight onto some of the less developed countries in Central America. Remnants of Spanish colonialism are scattered throughout the country, leaving some amazing architecture and charming small towns to discover.

The most popular sites to see are the towns of Managua and Granada. Realtraveller, volunteersamerica, gave their description of Granada:

“Reaching Granada, a beautiful colonial town, well preserved, we went into a church and climbed to the top where we had a beautiful view of Granada. We then went to look for a place to stay. While walking around, we bought a little bowl of sweet rice from this man who makes it and sells it on the street. It was delicious!

Volcanoes, narrow streets, cathedrals, and undiscovered hot spots make Nicaragua a great place for a cultural expedition.

Look for more information here:

Nicaragua Hotels
Nicaragua Attractions

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Tax-free shopping in Andorra...

Stock up on items from music to jewelry (and everything in between) in the tax-free country of Andorra. In this quaint small principality located between France and Spain, visitors outnumber residents to take advantage of tax-free shopping, great ski resorts, and the beautiful mountains, lakes, and valleys planted in the middle of the Pyrenees.

Real Travel bloggers enjoyed Andorra’s hot springs, cheap drinks and night life, dramatic scenery, and outdoor activities. Andorra’s capital is Andorra la vella, the largest city with the highest concentration of the country’s 2000 shops. As the Journeyers, put it: “The place is clean, pretty, and unbelievably full of stores.”

Other Real Travel bloggers suggest drinks at El Cau in the Andorran village of Arinsal, Anyos Park where the locals are extremely friendly to kids, and skiing wherever you see fit.

Here’s what Mikey 08 had to say about his outing in Andorra:

“After a drive from Avignon, and a lunch pit stop in a village in the foot of the Pyrenees, we traveled up through the beautiful mountains, until we reached the tiny principality of Andorra. It has a Swiss feel about the place, and also reminds me of Aviemore in Scotland. Our campsite it wedged at the foot of a steep, high mountain, with only a river and road, before another steep mountain goes up the other side. It´s very cloudy here and also rains a couple of times. After pitching our tents, I venture into the local area for a look around. There are houses perched on top of the mountains, and I have no idea how they get into town for the shops. Maybe they abseil? There´s a local pool, so I spend the early evening going for a swim. Our group went out for dinner at a lovely little Andorran restaurant. How many people can say they´ve been to one of those?”

Do some shopping and embrace the small villages of Andorra on your next drive through the Pyrenees mountains.

For more trip information, visit:

Andorra Hotels
Andorra Attractions
www.cyberandorra.com

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Budget Travel Tips...

During this winter season when consumerism is high, there are some great affordable deals and destinations that will leave your pocket full for gift shopping and other activities. Here are some tricks to keep your expenses to a minimum:

1. Flying: If you’re living on a whim, try waiting for last minute hotel and flight deals because when seats are empty, they will want your business at any price. An easy way to track these deals is to get on airlines and travel organizers’ e-mail updates and newsletters. Though we live in a world unwelcoming to spam mail, sometimes an interesting deal for the weekend may pop up on your list that brings you to adventures you hadn’t planned.

2. Sleeping: Who said you have to pay for sleep accommodations? There are now many friendly and affordable ways to sleep based on networks who want to make traveling easier in these economic times. There are house exchanges available through credible companies, Craigslist and other classified options, as well as organizations such as Couch Surfers. With these resources provided worldwide, you will build relationships with locals, get to know the authentic side of town and sleep for free or much less costly than the average hotel.

3. General Advice: If you’re reading this, than you have already found the trick; but tell others to take advantage of travel blogs and reader submissions in travel magazines and websites, as these are real experiences and real advice from the average traveler. Most, probably including yourself, have picked up some useful tips and little tricks along the way that have made your traveling experience easier and cheaper.

4. Eating: Do some research before your next trip. There are many great foodie websites, blogs, and cheap eats suggestions if you look into the area before you have arrived. Secondly, take advantage of local workers (like policemen) as they know the area best and can also make great suggestions.

The best way to optimize your trip without using too much of your budget is really preparation. To begin planning your next trip, visit:

Real Travel Deals
Things To Do

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