Touting Time: WagWorld

A few years ago, I worked at an outdoor restaurant that welcomed customers to bring their dogs along, which it had done for years. I never thought much of it one way or another until the city slapped an ordinance on the restaurant, saying that allowing pups violated city health codes. The restaurant complied with the officials, and dogs were phased out within days.

And then came the eruption.

Hundreds of patrons were outraged, having peacefully courted their pets long before the order. They protested, they petitioned, they lobbied, and before long they managed to convince the city brass that our restaurant should remain dog-friendly. I was stunned.

I'd seen it myself: Get between any reasonable person and their dog, and chances are they will go on the warpath; call them crazy, but you can't question their dedication. Put all this together, and that's why I'm certain that WagWorld, a site that gathers and profiles all dog-friendly locales throughout the United States, is a brilliant idea.

In its search interface, WagWorld simply asks for your zip code and gives you the answers. It's bound to be eye-opening to many, whether you're a tuned-in dog owner, a tuned-out one or just someone who really likes to watch people with their dogs. Users can submit entries like parks and restaurants to the dog-friendly database or write reviews and post pictures of the pre-existing spots. The navigation is unobtrusive and clean, and it seems like it can only get better as more people get wind of the site's noble goals.

And speaking of eye-opening: I don't think I had any idea just how many hotels allowed pets. It's good information for families uncertain about leaving Fido with Aunt Bea, or for those souls desperately needing a road trip getaway for some alone time with Spike (if that's, you know, your thing).

WagWorld is an example of a site that focuses on a good idea and never strays too far from the task at hand (good dog), and for this alone they're probably destined for success. And they're catering to a group that adores their enablers and gnashes their teeth at their detractors, which will come in handy should civil war ever return. So if you're looking for a pleasant day out with the pup, Where I've Been highly recommends you check out WagWorld to find a peaceful, welcoming spot for recreation.


Eddie
Where I've Been

Where I've Been: Huaraz, Peru

This is a post in a series about Eddie's recent trip to Peru.

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Huaraz, Peru



"Los turistas son sus amigos," or "Tourists are your friends," read a sign just outside the mountain town of Huaraz. Whether small-town Peruvians believe the saying or not, you wouldn't be able to tell--there was an overarching warmth projected by the locals here. Greet or smile at a passerby and you can expect the same greeting in return, which too often feels like an entirely lost art in bigger cities. Their warmth is even more impressive considering the city is still recovering from a massive earthquake in 1970 that nearly destroyed the town and led to the loss of thousands of lives. As you can see in the picture above, their main old cathedral is still under renovation from the tragedy.

Huaraz is about an eight-hour bus ride from Lima. It's the kind of place that can easily get buried in a map, but there's quite a bit to offer in a weekend visit--mostly in the way of natural wonders.

CITY RUNDOWN / TRAVEL INFO ON HUARAZ

Huaraz is a fairly sleepy town of 100,000, much of it rather poor. Like much of Peru, the poverty can be painfully staggering. But if you let it possess you too much you might overlook just how comfortably the city cooperates with one another, or how even the poorest indigenous people still can find some kind of livelihood. You might still feel that guilty feeling in the pit of your stomach, being that privileged outsider, but the city wants and embraces tourists, as the sign above indicates. It's never easy to provide perspective on something like this without sounding pretentious, so all I could really do is be thankful and enjoy what good we encountered.

At night is when the city comes alive. Shops open and streets fill. Check out the wares offered by dirt-cheap street vendors, or stop in the city center and sit in the park to relax. There isn't anything in Huaraz's downtown that will leave you starry-eyed, but you probably didn't come here expecting that in the first place--it's a relaxing, easygoing kinda town.

EATING IN HUARAZ

Food is sometimes unconscionably cheap in Peru, even at some of the more tourist-y locations. Creperie Patrick has a wide variety of crepe concoctions if you're looking for a good dessert or obscenely sugary breakfast, complete with the faux-rustic glamour of a French bistro soundtracked by 90s alt-rock. It was affordable and delicious with clean bathrooms to boot. Replace "French" with "Italian," "faux-rustic" with "faux-Venice" and "90s alt-rock" with "Footloose soundtrack" and you have Piccolo, another easy, cheap and tourist-oriented restaurant in the heart of the city. Lastly, while I can't remember the name for the life of me, we dined in a restaurant offering anticuchos, Peru's answer to shishkebabs, which come highly recommended wherever you stay in the country. It's heavy on meat, and trying to guess what kind of meat you're eating is all part of the fun.

HOSTAL CAROLINE

A driver from Hostal Caroline kindly picked us up from the Huaraz bus station, and that marked the first sign that our living situation would be a pleasurable one. They stored our things and immediately treated us to continental breakfast though we hadn't officially checked in. The minute you sit for breakfast, you're in the midst of dozens of hungry travelers--even if you're alone, it's possible to drink a cup of coffee with someone and rent llamas with them on an excursion through the mountains later that day.

Hostal Caroline is a family-owned North American/European oasis in a pleasant nook of the city where trekkers find refuge. The building is separated into two parts, one of which is being renovated for more private rooms. We stayed in a room among the renovations, and aside from some chillier nights and bouts with the water heater in the shower, it was a steal of a deal--50 soles a night for the room, or about $15. Caroline's staff was knowledgeable, laid-back and always willing to assist you; their familial spirit and warmth seems to carry over to their guests, which you can't put a price on.

TRANSPORT IN HUARAZ

It's confusing, but there's a method to the madness. Buses are privately run throughout Peru, meaning there will be a man or woman frequently yelling at you from an open van in the streets. They're not asking you to be willfully kidnapped or to roll up for the Mystery Tour (how I wish). Each mini-bus squeezes in fifteen or so people and they'll shout out the final destination--if they stop near you, you can ask if yours is in between. But it's best to head over to the bus station, situated off the main city drag just by the river, where there's slightly more order and a better chance you get a comfortable seat. The minibuses are cheap--we paid $1 for an hour trip--but they're also a little less safe on mountain roads, so be warned.

Taxis are also widely available and very cheap--you'll usually pay six soles ($2) at most for any trip that's 30 minutes or less. Be wary of non-licensed taxis, however, and always ask the taxi driver how much it will take to get to your destination before you get in the car, as there are no meters--just negotiated fares.

HUASCARAN NATIONAL PARK

There are many grueling and exciting treks to be made around Huaraz, but probably the easiest (at least in terms of exercise) and certainly one of the more spectacular views is offered at Huascaran National Park, where the stunning mountain lake Llanganuco resides. In this gorgeous scene from the Cordillera Blanca region, you'll get a pleasant view of the almost comically blue Llanganuco as well as a close-range snapshot of its massive glacier, located a few thousand more feet up. Walk along the trails or rent a rowboat and bask in the magnificence.

A few caveats: We arrived in Yungay a little confused as to where to get a taxi to the top of the mountain, which takes about another hour. Long story short, after some taxi mishaps and miscommunications, we clearly got scammed. We didn't have enough cash and we were stuck at the lake. If it wasn't for the kindness of a passing tour bus, we might not have made it home that day.

So to conclude this story: Organized tours may seem boring or more expensive, but in this case it would not only have been cheaper but would have saved us an entirely unnecessary and frustrating hassle. Going it alone brought more headaches than we had bargained for, so oftentimes it's smart to ask your hostel rep to help you get on a tour bus.


In all, Huaraz offers a friendly haven for trekkers or shoestring travelers who want a place to relax and admire the scenery offered by the Andes mountains. If you're on an extended stay in Peru, see if you can't set aside a weekend to appreciate Huaraz's small-town charm.

World's Most Mouthwatering Microbrews

It’s routine to cling to your go-to brand-name brew when you hit the corner bar. But “routine” is synonymous with “boring”: The best beer you’ve ever had probably isn’t readily available at your local grocer. It’s buried in a corner brewery-pub somewhere, perhaps thousands of miles away, being consumed by dozens of rosy patrons who can’t believe there are people out there who stick to only one brand of beer. These microbrewery creators are meticulous craftsmen, championing the recipes and processes of their forefathers even if it means going out of their way to focus on what seem like the most minor of details. And if these microbreweries are generous—and most of them are—a visit to their digs will end in a thirsty traveler sampling the precious fruits of labor. Yes, free beer. There’s no time to waste—here are a few of Where I’ve Been’s favorite small-scale breweries from around the globe.

Brouwerj t’IJ, De Gooier Windmill – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam stands as the Heineken headquarters, but look beyond the over-saturated advertising and you’ll find a crop of small city brewers offering a great variety of tasty and cheap beers as an alternative.

Walk from Centraal Station and look for the big De Gooier windmill and you’ll find the beloved Brouwerj t’IJ next door, a classic small brew-pub rife with aficionados. T’IJ packs in daily throngs of visitors into their large U-shaped bar and giant picnic table seating area inside, which projects a smoky, quaint and fun atmosphere. It’s all about the beer, of which they offer a dozen varieties for around two to three euros each—cheap enough to sample many without worrying about your budget.

Anchor Brewery – San Francisco, CA

Big brands like to boast about living their traditions and “brewing the way Dad did” and all that, but few go the lengths that Anchor Brewing Co. has to preserve the old-fashioned methods of beer craftsmanship.

Every piece of the brewery, from the building to the beer itself, is virtually handmade. The building itself is a throwback to the brewhouses of old, and if you’re fortunate to book a tour, you can watch its old-fashioned methods in action as their popular Anchor Steam Beer is processed. Just in case you doubt their belief in tradition, in 1989 Anchor helmed the creation of Ninkasi, a beer with a recipe from the 4000-year-old Sumerian empire.

Brewery Ommegang – Cooperstown, New York

While Cooperstown is known for its shrine to baseball’s traditions and heroes, another landmark has quickly made a name for itself: Ommegang Brewery. Begun just 12 years ago on the site of a 136-acre hop farm, Ommegang strives to put a modern twist on the strict artisan method of old-school Belgian brewers. Take a tour and you’ll get a look at Ommegang’s unique take on aging beer in a dark, cool cellar, and at the end of the tour you’ll be able to sample the five pillar beers Ommegang produces. Free beer is always a draw, but the trip may be worth it alone to view the rolling hills and attractive colonial style architecture offered in the upstate area. Ommegang proves you don’t need a storybook history to brew a tasty, well-regarded beer.

Paulaner Brewery – Munich, Germany

Sure, their parties may have been a bit less exciting, but make no mistake—17^th-century monks knew how to get down, if only because of their shrewd beer selection. The Paulaner Brewery in Munich is named after these friars, the order of St. Francis of Paola. Their bock beer, Salvator, was so popular that many big breweries tried to prevent the monks from selling it. Later, the big companies then tried to use the Salvator name for beers of their own until it was trademarked in 1895, and Paulaner lives on. Tough their monastery became secularized, Paulaner still employs the monks’ age-old beer recipe to stand as one of the more popular and most historic small-time breweries in the beer junkie’s heaven, Germany. Take a tour of the site today and watch their high standards for cleanliness and quality.

Batemans Brewery – Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, England

Family heritage is a touchstone of many breweries, and Batemans have fought to keep it that way. A proprietor of what they call “Good, Honest Ales,” Batemans recently took home the award for Pub Company of the Year by The Publican Awards. Despite almost being overtaken numerous times, they’ve remained one of the oldest independent family breweries in all of England, and their grounds, with the trademark old-fashioned brick and ivy, are a throwback to the Victorian era. Tours are extensive and fun, featuring a virtual-reality tour and a collection of documents and artifacts from the days of old. And they don’t forget about the family during visits—there’s a children’s play area and adjacent restaurant should someone get restless. Relax at their Windmill Bar and wax poetic on times past with your mates over Batemans’ well-regarded cask beers.

Touting Time: AdventureGirl

In the blink of an eye, Twitter unwittingly got a travel mascot. @AdventureGirl, aka Stefanie Michaels, now flaunts over 850,000 followers, and sits atop the social media travelsphere as one of the top voices in the industry.

A regular voice on CNN, FOX News and countless other talk programs and a nationally-published writer, Stefanie seems to have exclusive connects in every corner of the globe, taking her on wild trips from the Iditarod sled race in Alaska to safaris in Africa. And it doesn't just stop with the limitations of earth travel. Michaels recently completed a full-fledged trip into complete weightlessness, hopping on board the initial run of ZERO G in Las Vegas, where riders can experience what gravity is like for space travelers (it's a bit different). And did I mention her first crewmate was former NASA hero Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin?

Even if she's out doing some extreme tourism or gallivanting at the hottest celeb travel hangouts, you can find her documenting her adventures and re-tweeting some of the top travel stories at all hours. And if you can't get enough of her on the web, fear not--she's currently writing the next books in her Adventure Girl Guides series, where she promises "adventure, without breaking a nail." Probably harder than it sounds.

Michaels says she lives by a mantra that's hard to disagree with, said by the late great pilot Amelia Earhart: "If someone asks you on an adventure, never refuse." Inspired yet?

Be sure to check out Adventure Girl on Twitter. But we're pretty sweet, too--keep up with us @whereivebeen.

AtlasObscura

There are two things I am a huge fan of when it comes to travel: history & culture. You can only imagine my pure excitement when I was introduced to AtlasObscura by a fellow co-worker.

(Yes, I did use Photobooth for my psychedelic pic. Yes, I am a huge geek.)

While most travel websites and guides shower the reader with information on the usual hot spots (Paris, Rome, London, New York), AtlasObscura takes a leap and dives deep into the unknown, more foreign lands. If you're a history buff, or just thoroughly enjoy reading about cities you've never been to, then I strongly suggest visiting this site. AtlasObscura is split up into various categories, that cater to every interest, including "Catacombs, Crypts, & Cemeteries", "Natural Wonders", "Small Worlds & Model Towns", and "Outsider Art". When you log-in, you can add your own photos to a specific place or story already created. You can also add new places that you are curious about to their atlas. Go here for more details.


Read some of their most recent articles:

Alnwick Poison Gardens The sign at the garden gate reads "Warning, these plants can kill you" http://atlasobscura.com/places/alnwick-poison-gardens

The Root Bridges of Cherrapungee Centuries-old bridges, grown from tangled roots http://atlasobscura.com/places/root-bridges-cherrapungee

Catedral de Sal de Zipaquira Cathedral carved out of salt, located a mile below the earth's surface http://atlasobscura.com/places/catedral-de-sal-de-zipaquira

If you are already a fan of AtlasObscura, you might want to follow them on Twitter!

... but you might want to follow me, too.

Happy travels,
Katy Lynch
Community Manager
katy@whereivebeen.com

Touting Time: SoulTravelers3

(pic source: http://www.soultravelers3.com)

Stop by the SoulTravelers3 home page, glimpse through their mission statement and you'll find this quote: "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." It's a quote from Helen Keller, and you have to imagine the family behind the site took that absolutist outlook when they decided to embark on an around-the-world journey with no end in sight.

Beginning in September 2006, two Santa Cruz parents (who nickname themselves "Da Vinci" and "Jeanne D'Arc") took their five-year-old daughter ("Ms. Mozart") and embarked one-way from San Francisco to Amsterdam and haven't looked back since. Visiting the SoulTravelers site feels a little like visiting a self-help clinic--they're so geeked up on affirmation and spirituality that a less cheery reader might get nauseous--but their belief in their journey and values is just so gosh-darn charming and contagious you can't help but fall in love with their approach. As such, the SoulTravelers were just recently awarded "Best Travel Microblog" for their popular Twitter page and "Best Themed Travel Blog" by Lonely Planet.

The Soul Travelers are still exploring every nook and cranny of Europe, most recently in the beautiful beaches of Cinque Terre, Italy. Many of their photos place Ms. Mozart as the centerpiece of some of Europe's most storied destinations--imagine a more lively and huggable Flat Stanley--and the family's YouTube channel is even more exciting in that regard. Scope out this fascinating little montage, which has nearly 1 million views, and you'll watch as young Ms. Mozart plays her violin for onlookers throughout the world. It lasts for four and a half minutes, but the video is enrapturing and almost surreal, giving a stunning summary of just how much this crew has seen together. Hallmark, eat your heart out.

Their concept is so simple in theory, so why is SoulTravelers3 one of the most popular, award-winning travel sites on the net? Like most success stories, what is simple in theory is often much more difficult in practice--not only are they accomplishing their goal of traveling the world, but Da Vinci, Jeanne D'Arc and Ms. Mozart are consistent in their updates and friendly in their affect. Their style is particularly inviting because of its emphasis on family travel, which doesn't seem to have a truly authoritative voice on the web. Where I've Been hopes SoulTravelers3 inspires families everywhere to take a risk and go somewhere exotic, and salutes the trio for their unflagging commitment to their beliefs and goals. :)

The Super-Fantastic, Recession-Destroying Where I've Been Mobile Giveaway

The recession: You're tired of hearing about it, but you're still probably playing it safe on travel expenses. We understand. That's why Where I've Been is giving away $500 in American Express Travelers' Cheques! All you have to do is subscribe to the Where I've Been Mobile Community. Let's hammer out the details:

• The $500 Travelers' Cheques promotion runs from July 20th to August 10th. So act fast! On August 15th, we'll select the winner at random.
  
• To sign up, text the word "travel" to 89074, and you should get a response confirming your place in the WIB Mobile Community and the $500 promotion.
  
• This message will remind you that "Standard rates apply"--in other words, however your texting plan is set up with your service provider, you will be charged that amount for each text you receive from us. It'd be the same as receiving a text from a friend. Can we be your friend? We're not in it to scam you--no hidden charges, no funny business, just a few sweet periodic promotions and offers.
• Now you're probably skeptical about what "periodic" and "promotions" really mean. You're sharp, pilgrim. Let it be clear: We're also not in it to spam you. You will receive one text from us every few weeks reminding you of a new giveaway or promotion. No signing you up for jokes, no semi-frequent philosophical questions, no late-night pillow talk. Just stuff that we think can help you out--free round-trip airfare, big discounts, iPhones. You'd like that, right? We thought so.
  
• As of now, this giveaway is only open to the United States and Canada. But we promise we haven't forgotten the rest of the world--we're still working on making the current promotion and all future giveaways international, so stay tuned to find out more.
• If you ever wish to quit receiving promotions from us, all you have to do is text "stop" to 89074. It's that easy.

Have we convinced you yet? We hope so. Imagine what $500 can buy you in your dream destination--that's, like, 43 round-trip camel rides in Egypt. If you haggle, you might even be able to buy the camel. But don't take our word for it. You'll never know until the sweet bounty rests in your very hands, so join the WIB Mobile Community today!

Cheers,
The Where I've Been Team
support@whereivebeen.com

Touting Time: TheBudak.com

Remember that time you went on that long trip and had that great idea to start a travel journal? Remember when you wrote two entries and then forgot about it? I know I do. But believe it or not, there actually are people who have the discipline to turn out updates, and one of the finest is Alex Budak, a pal of Where I've Been, who has been religiously documenting every step of his time abroad in India at TheBudak.com. A story decorated with pictures is posted each day, recording a trip that he calls "1 part studying, 4 parts exploring India."

Here's another thing about travel journals: We may publish them thinking the world cares to hang on our every last word, but let's face it--we can be pretty boring, and sometimes things are only funny or cool to us because they happened to us. Fortunately, TheBudak not only writes informative posts, but they're quite entertaining to boot.

Budak just returned from visiting the world's largest turban (pictured above), which might be too big for any human (except for Burt Reynolds). Ever wanted to purchase a novelty metal figurine of a monkey, but worried its pose is too... erotic? Yes? Well so has Budak, and he went to great lengths to make the gift a tad more chaste. He also learned the lesson to never stuff your gym short pockets with too many heavy items during a sporting event, as you will most certainly be pointed and laughed at by unforgiving children. And we are all better people now that we know Sylvester Stallone has made the inevitable crossover to Bollywood.

Budak has a deep archive of his past travels as well from all over Europe, and we can only imagine this is just the beginning of more international tomfoolery. Be sure to bookmark his page and keep up, and maybe he'll inspire you to be more punctual about updating your own travel blog (good effin' luck).

Like TheBudak, be sure to follow @whereiveBeen on Twitter, and we'll be sure to tweet like there's no tomorrow.

The World's Most Impressive Architecture

From the Great Pyramids of Giza to Machu Picchu to the Sears (Willis?) Tower, humans have always been driven by the hunger to build larger and more lavishly than our neighbor. “Keeping up with the Joneses” has become more difficult than ever, as the new record for “world’s tallest building” has changed no less than five times in the past 40 years. But today, it’s about more than just scraping higher clouds. Architects the world over are still challenging each other in countless ways, leading to a golden age of the odd, magnificent and over-the-top, whether it’s building a replica of the earth with man-made islands (Dubai) or a shopping mall that looks more akin to a giant metal handbag (Birmingham Bullring).

The great benefactors of this architectural arms race? Us travelers, who have more shiny and marvelous destinations to add to our itineraries. This week, Where I’ve Been takes a look at these modern wonders of the world, their origins, and how to see them.




Burj Dubai

The rapidly-expanding Dubai is the world’s hotbed for mind-boggling structures, and the soon-to-be-complete Burj is its centerpiece, its office space costing a stunning $4,000 per square foot.

Soon to take the crown as the world’s tallest building at 818 meters—though who knows for how long—the $4.1 billion tower was begun five years ago as part of the massive “Downtown Dubai” project, wherein countless new attractions are being created to add to Dubai’s reputation as a world cultural center.

As it stands, the building looks like a giant steel needle—perhaps what Oz would look like if the wizard were a robot. Its design is based on the Hymenocallis flower and its pattern can be found frequently in Arabic architecture. The developers don’t want the Burj to just impress with its heights, either. The interior will be designed by Giorgio Armani, and will feature an entire floor dedicated to a swimming pool, not to mention a massive fountain at its front door that features 6,000 lights, 50 color projectors and a 24-hour soundtrack.

Oddly, it wasn’t always the original plan to make the Burj the world’s tallest building. Instead, architect Adrian Smith requested a series of height increases in new blueprints, as he thought it added more balance to the building’s overall appearance. His demands probably didn’t faze the developer of the Burj Dubai, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, as they were the masterminds behind former monoliths the Sears (Willis Tower) and New York’s former World Trade Center.



Bahrain World Trade Center


These two jagged, pointed buildings are strategically positioned in Manama, Bahrain, to accumulate wind for the three giant turbines that sit in between, which help power the building. The Bahrain World Trade Center has been lauded as a landmark in building greening technology.

The Basket Building

A joke turned reality, corporate office buildings are rarely as inventive as the one devised by the Longaberger Company in Newark, Ohio. Former company CEO Dave Longaberger had long desired this cheeky exterior for his basket company headquarters, but many of his employees didn't believe he was serious. Longaberger dreamed of all offices getting the basket treatment, but only the HQ was completed before he passed in 1999.




Niteroi Museum of Contemporary Art of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

It’s fitting that a building full of art is a work of art in itself, and the Niteroi Museum of Contemporary Art in Rio uses its surroundings to its full advantage. The building juts out and swirls, like the main lair for some sci-fi supervillain.



Lotus Temple

The Baha'i House of Worship, more popularly known as "the Lotus Temple," is the gem of Delhi, India. This sanctuary for worshipers of all religions looks like the world’s largest piece of origami (though it's made of marble), and since its opening in 1986, the temple attracts more than 50 million visitors per year.

Where I've Been: Peru

The following post is written by the brilliant Eddie Schmid, who works here at the Where I've Been HQ. Eddie recently returned from his trip to Peru and has already shared around 48969346 travel tales with me. Here's a snippet of his adventures below:

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We had just sat down for dinner with our new Peruvian friend, Jesus, and I was curious about the origins of his French last name.

"It's actually a very popular name in Peru," he said. "My grandfather gave birth to 64 children."

Jesus had been our wine tour guide earlier in the day and kindly invited us to dinner, mostly because he likes to meet new people but also because he likes to practice his English. At this juncture, I thought it reasonable to imagine he meant to say "16 children," or perhaps "anywhere from four to six children." Men "giving birth" could also be considered problematic.

But Jesus remained forthright, and his English was already good enough to give him the benefit of the doubt. Jesus watched our jaws drop, and probably thought it fair to give some background to his grandfather's, erm, "experiences."

"You have to remember," he said. "At this time there were no iPods, no television, nothing."

Did Jesus just equate the act of lovemaking with listening to his most recent On-the-Go playlist? In a word, yes. I laughed until I thought I'd choke on my kebab.

He smiled. "In Peru, anything is possible."

_________

While promiscuity may have been the focus of Jesus' final statement, it's hard to argue with his belief in the general sense. While barely scratching the surface, Peru showed me both glaciers and desert, bustling metropolises and quaint towns, lavish wealth and unthinkable poverty. Living within such extremes, you might expect its residents to be driven slightly batty. But despite my painfully evident gringo status, I can't count one instance where I felt unwelcome--the Peruvians I met were unfailingly friendly and generous. One minute a dude might be telling you about the process of fermenting grapes and the next you could be out learning about his redwood-sized family tree.

Over the next few blog posts, I'm going to outline a bit of the marvel that made Peru one of the most rewarding trips I've taken--stories, tips, reviews--and hopefully I can convince you to add it to your list of dream destinations. In the meantime, I'll be reminiscing and thinking of the day when I get to go back--and marking Peru on my Where I've Been map.

Eddie
Where I've Been

Best Minor League Baseball Stadiums

With the All-Star Break here, the boys of summer are in full swing—if you’re a baseball fan, you’re probably breathing a whole lot easier this time of year. But even if you’re not a follower of America’s Pastime, the sport has plenty to offer intrigued travelers of all stripes. If you’re interested in the glitz and muscle of the professional realm, major league stadiums can provide rich historical value and state-of-the-art technology in addition to the game’s drama. But if you’re a general fan of baseball, paying a visit to the minor leagues can give you a look at baseball in its purest form—players hustle on a stipend rather than a salary, and there’s a good chance you’ll see one of the game’s future stars. Autographs are easy to come by. Minor league owners will do whatever it takes to draw fans, which spells frequent promotions, ridiculous between-inning entertainment, great food selection and bizarre mascots. You’ll leave a scorecard full of names you’ve never heard of, but it’s one of the most affordable and pleasurable ways to spend a summer night out.


AutoZone Park
Memphis, TN

LOWDOWN: Sadly, many modern stadiums aren’t much more than glorified flood plains built on the outskirts of town. Autozone Park throws that trend under the bus. Erected in smack-dab downtown just minutes from the historic Beale Street, Autozone sports a classic brick look, an intimate view of the players and a splendid variety of food.
Home of the St. Louis Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate, the Redbirds, Autozone Park doesn’t need its colleagues’ finicky gimmickry to attract a crowd (though it has its share of it, too). The stadium was modeled after classic parks like Fenway in Boston and Wrigley in Chicago, and to that end there’s nary a bad seat in the park. If you’re looking for a cheap place to snag a home run ball, bring a blanket to the left field Bluff area for a paltry $5 admission. The best seats top out around 20 bucks, and nearly every angle of action is visible, including a sexy snapshot of downtown Memphis. Regardless of where you sit, the video screen in center-right field is the largest in minor league baseball.
-Visitors rave about the park’s food selection, which can be encapsulated in its choice of hot dogs—traditional wieners are also joined by kosher and veggie dogs. Memphis’s trademark culinary fingerprints can be found on the fan favorite Barbeque Nachos.
-Autozone Park’s front office must have some sort of stake in the bobblehead industry, because their promotional schedule is flush with offers for the kitschy collectible. You can expect at least two per month, so new season ticket holders will have to make sure to keep some shelf (or closet) space clear. You can also bet on fireworks at least once a weekend, typically on Saturdays.
All in all, Autozone Park has the look of a classic major league park for minor league prices. It makes for a fine stop before a night out on Beale Street or as a family destination.

Dell Diamond
Round Rock, TX

LOWDOWN: Diehard baseball fans know it’s a tough task to convince agnostic friends or family to tag along for a game. Why waste a night watching swings and misses when you could be, say, rock climbing? Or swimming? Jumping on a trampoline? Enter Dell Diamond, the home of the Round Rock Express, where there’s so much to do you might forget there’s actually a baseball game going on.
- Named after its partial owner, Hall-of-Fame pitcher Nolan “The Express” Ryan, the typical beer, brats and baseball fare is all there. But Dell Diamond really wants to entertain you. If the Houston Astros-affiliated Triple-A squad fails to keep the attention of you or a loved one, you can pick up a pass to the recreation area, which features all the activities listed above—trampolines, a swimming pool, hot tub, climbing wall, basketball court, batting cage, and more. Seating is intimate and clear throughout the stadium; some seats behind home plate reside closer to the batter’s box than the pitcher’s mound itself, while affordable seating can be found in the 3,000-capacity grassy berm that stretches past the outfield walls.
- Texan pride is evident throughout the stadium—80% of materials used to build the park are from in-state businesses. Stop by Texadelphia, outside the grassy berm, to sample some fine Texas eateries. No worry if that’s not your gig—there’s a fantastic variety of food kiosks positioned all around the stadium offering anything from pizza to margaritas to funnel cakes.
As modern and fan-centric as Dell Diamond is, they haven’t lost sight of tradition, either: Fans have been known to “pass the hat” after a player hits a home run, a pre-World War II custom that gives donations to players who don’t make fat major-league salaries.

Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium
Neward, NJ

LOWDOWN: Newark admittedly isn’t the most appealing tourist destination, and attendance at Bear and Eagles Riverfront Stadium has taken a major hit over the past couple years. But we’ll be damned if its new owners aren’t doing everything in their power to try to attract visitors: Of all the independent league teams in America, the Bears reportedly boast the most former major league players ever assembled on one roster, as well as a clean, spacious ballpark with a view of the Manhattan skyline.
- This season, management took advantage of a frugal free agent market to sign fifteen former major-leaguers. Depending on how you look at it, it’s either the most talented group of players in the independent leagues or the biggest collection of has-beens and retreads ever assembled, including former All-Stars Keith Foulke and Armando Benitez and bad boys Carl Everett and Shawn Chacon (it’s worth a ticket price alone to catch a potential ego meltdown). Autograph seekers may have no easier chance to meet Expos great Tim Raines, the current Bears manager. Many of the guys are playing with the hopes they will be signed to major-league deals, so you can still expect some hustle despite their age.
- Bears and Eagles Stadium was built within the city, meaning some concessions had to be made to fit it in; luckily, this works to the fan’s advantage—the seating area is still spacious, there’s just less foul territory. That means a seat near the first or third base side gives ample opportunity to snag a souvenir ball. And tickets are dirt-cheap, topping out at ten bucks. Center field also offers a distant but clear view of downtown Manhattan.
There’s a light-rail system to and from the park, though many complain about long wait times. If that ain’t your gig, parking is affordable and easy around the stadium, usually peaking at around $5. In all, Bears and Eagles Stadium plays the affordable alternative to its perennially overpriced and over-dramatic major-league neighbors, the Yankees and Mets. It’s a great place to grab a dose of summer baseball with the family without getting gouged.

Touting Time: Brooklyn Nomad

What we've learned from the world of blogging: Text is fine, but words can never quite satisfy like a vivid image can. Most of our days are spent staring at black print on white backgrounds, and except for the occasional image of a potbelly shrinking into a glistening six-pack in 30 days, we've become even more starved for something to jog our corneas.

Enter the Brooklyn Nomad. Not only does the Nomad rid us of that eye-rotting black on white background, but he litters his site with some of the most visually appealing photos I've seen in the travelsphere. His most recent entry is a fine example of such pleasing accompaniment: In four frames, we get to see a flat circle in the ground morph into a sci-fi-style port-a-potty. Some posts exist for the sole reason of pleasing our weary eyes with one gorgeous photograph, such as this entry on the Portland Head Lighthouse in Maine. If you missed the fireworks on the Fourth of July, his montage of stills from the top displays in the U.S. stands as a pretty fantastic document.

But the Nomad site isn't just some excuse for a pretty photo album. Andrew, the site's editor, has been writing about travel for years for media outlets from MSN to the New York Times and all in between, so you can trust his voice has credence. Some musings err on the side of informative, humorous or plain bizarre travel news--for example, the story of a man taking off all of his clothes mid-flight stands right above big news that Southwest Airlines has debuted in New York City.

Other posts take extensive looks at the Nomads' most recent destinations, which are picked apart and documented to an almost ridiculous extent of completeness. Each photograph is captioned with insightful info, such as in his massive log of the Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland or the mountain resort Zakopane. And the Nomad is a thrifty traveler, but he's not greedy about his eye for good deals. He scooped us on a new jetBlue Airlines promotion on Twitter, jetBlueCheeps, which scopes out airfares as low as $9 before taxes. You can expect updates in that realm often, as he seems pretty in tune to the travelsphere.

The Brooklyn Nomad's approach to travel blogging isn't anything revolutionary--catching news, uploading pictures, providing commentary--but a trustworthy voice and a visually appealing site will always be welcome to fellow travelers. And for that, Where I've Been salutes the Brooklyn Nomad. (pic above courtesy the Brooklyn Nomad)

Where I'll Be: Peru

Cheers, WIB faithful--it's Eddie the Lowly Intern reporting, and I'm manning the office at a pretty surreal period right now. I just got back from visiting family and friends for the holiday weekend, and needless to say I'm exhausted from going to barbecues and setting things on fire. And now, for today and Tuesday, all of my attention is pretty much focused toward my 10-day trek to Peru which starts this Wednesday. Yes, Peru. Still trying to figure out how it makes sense. You know, why not?

Not that this was some knee-jerk quarter-life crisis decision (completely). My girlfriend and I had our sights set on this kind of trip for many moons, but we're at that weird stage of adulthood where dream trips like this can actually become reality--if you're willing to go broke, of course--and it won't feel real until the first time I shamefully mispronounce the l's in "pollo" at the local eatery.

Peru has hosted countless empires and ethnic groups over the years that have contributed to a wholly patchwork population, weaving in both old and modern traditions to make one all its own. Peru could ably represent a mini-collection of all the ecosystems on Earth--jagged mountain ranges with snow, wildlife-rich rainforests, arid deserts and pristine beaches. With so much to see, it ain't easy focusing on the burdens of real life. Thankfully, Where I've Been is supportive of my self-indulgence, and I'm going to give a pre-trip de-briefing of the coming adventure. It'll be good for a laugh when I return and confirm I didn't know what I was talking about.

Days 1 & 2: Lima

Lima is the capital and main hub for Peru. It also has a bean named after it that I avoided like the plague as a child.

That, in two shameful sentences, constitutes the wealth of knowledge I've retained on Lima in all my years of existence.

I'm not particularly proud of this. But I'd be lying if I said it were my all-time anticipated go-to city--I haven't gotten the chance to extensively study the town and my father isn't Rick Steves. The benefit I take from this is that I don't have unhealthily high expectations to color my experience, so I can only leave impressed, right?

We're going to stop in at a hostel called Pay Pirux, which is right by the airport, and spend a portion of a day checking out the cityscape. It's noted to harbor a historic city center, and that will be the ultimate destination in our quick jaunt through town.

Days 3, 4, 5 - Huaraz

Huaraz is roughly 400 km north of Lima and an eight-hour bus ride, where we're going up both horizontally and vertically. It's a smaller town in high altitudes, characterized by its spot amidst the Andes mountains and Cordillera Blanca agricultural region. It's a stop along the Inca Trail, which features a wealth of ancient architecture and ruins, and the views offered during Huaraz treks are said to be breathtaking. I'm also looking forward to the evening festivities, as July is host to some of Peru's national celebrations.

Days 6, 7, 8, 9 - Huacachina

I'd never heard of sandboarding and I'd never heard of Huacachina, but virtually all friends and books I've consulted seem to think the small town of 115 represents some form of heaven on earth. Just outside Ica, Huacachina is a literal oasis, a tiny city erected around a lake that once hosted vacationing aristocrats but now is more fit for hippies and thrill-seekers. Sandboarding is the big draw, which is pretty much what it sounds like (snowboarding on sand), a sport developed on the city's massive enveloping dunes. My awkward disposition sets me up for failure on that front, so I'm looking forward to an extreme dune buggy ride. Someone on Wikitravel claims a fellow by the name of "Chupon" is the finest buggy-master in the town, and naturally I'm intrigued to find out what the lifestyle of a dune buggy master entails. And despite the supposedly inflated tourist-special prices of the town, I'm fixin' to pretend I'm worldly and sip some Peruvian wine produced by some of the local bodegas. It's what the ghosts of the aristocracy would want me to do (they probably wouldn't, actually, which is more incentive to sip).

Per usual, I'll be spreading the glory of WIB wherever and whenever possible along the way. I'll be reporting back with pictures, video, stories and miscellany I gathered from the trip, and I'm sure there will be much to take away from the mistakes I make. In the meantime, be sure to follow @whereivebeen on Twitter for all the latest from the HQ.

Eddie, Intern
Where I've Been

Explosions in the sky

If you look at summer in America as one long, hot, sticky timeline, kicking off with Memorial Day and ending with Labor Day, then you could probably consider the Fourth of July the climax: It's the centerpiece of the three holidays, where we celebrate some our most treasured pastimes-- lawn games, baseball, barbeque, and blowing things up. And not necessarily in that order.

Past Fourth celebrations with my family in St. Louis were once carefully organized events--appetizers coincide with running through a sprinkler while the baseball game blares through a radio somewhere; that's all followed by a game of washers, then dinner, and then my uncle's wholesale-bonanza-of-fireworks show that seemed to grow unhealthily each year. That's a fine itinerary for worried mothers, who can stave off imagery of stumpy fingers until late into the evening when a few beers might have taken the edge off. But no longer.

From the moment we pull into my grandparents' driveway, my brother, cousins and I giddily dig through the piles of cardboard and gunpowder, like some sort of psychotic children on Pyro Christmas. This is the one time a year where it's socially acceptable to set things on fire. "What does this one do? A monkey on a tricycle that has turbo rockets, huh. Emits showers of sparks? Great, who has the lighter?" Blame it on the "have-now" culture of the Internet, maybe, but we no longer find a discernible reason to schedule when our fleet of tricycle monkeys should meet their ultimate end. If there's a wick and a lighter, forget it--it's in smithereens.

Call it morally reprehensible, dangerous, stupid--it's all of those, actually--but fireworks time also brings out a unique unifying spirit. The childlike grins on my father and uncles' faces as they chase each other with Roman candles--that's freedom, and the forefathers themselves wouldn't have it any other way. Regardless of their fears, the mothers eventually set out lawn chairs to watch us set our testosterone into flight, and as long as we come out with our appendages intact, the balancing act between entertainment and utter terror usually tilts toward entertainment. Reckless risk of injury in favor of explosion is a synonym for patriotism. And this weekend, call me Patrick Henry.

When the sparks have flown and the last snakes and smoke bombs have met their maker... now what? There's a whole stretch of arid dead air space until Labor Day. So why not explore the massive world outside America? Where I've Been has teamed with Lufthansa to land a spectacular $100 off promotion for any flights booked until the end of the year. But you have to book by July 5th! So in between the potato salad and the burger, plan your next adventure with Lufthansa and Where I've Been!