North Carolina is Sticky

Champion pre-funking with the finest materials on Durham Chapel Hill Blvd! Tomorrow the Western Washington Vikings will face the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor and I will be there! I still can't believe it!!! I hope I'm able to sleep tonight!

Stubbe's Haring

For my last meal in Amsterdam I decided to go with a local delicacy and hit a famous traditional fish stand for some herring. Apparently the Stubbe family has been selling herring for over 100 years and I think they have been so successful by keeping it simple. Fresh fish, sweet pickle slices, and onions on a fluffy bun. I was a little skeptical but it was perfect! I was expecting a strong fish flavor but that wasn't the case at all. The herring was very light and flavors of the onions and pickles worked with it brilliantly!

The Secret Annex & The Windmill Brewery

The weather in Amsterdam has been rainy. While its nothing I'm not use to, it was a little brutal to be standing in a downpour for 30 minutes while waiting to see Anne Frank's secret annex. It was a surreal experience to be in the space where she spent 2 years cooped up, unable to go outside or talk above a whisper. It made me feel stupid for being bummed about my rain soaked clothes and cold hands. We decided the best thing to lift our spirits was a trip to the Brouwerij't IJ brewery on the outskirts of the city with at the site of an old windmill. The beer was actually quite remarkable and the friendly clientele, all of which could speak a minimum of 3 languages fluently, were lively and highly concerned about upcoming presidential election. Everyone we encountered was team Obama. 

Amsterdam is My Kind of Place!

This pretty much sums it up so far!

Pis & Giggles

I'm convinced now more than ever that Belgium is one if Europe's best kept secrets. French is the dominant language although half of the country speaks Flemish, which makes me laugh because I have unfortunately come down with a wicked head cold and I'm producing phlegm in record volumes. I'm certain if I introduced Puffs w/lotion over here I would be filthy rich. What passes for tissue has the look of a fast-food chain napkin and it feels like rubbing pressed sawdust under your nose. Thank god they have the most wonderful beer in the world to ease my pain! The city also has various statues of peeing babies (manneken pis, and the lesser known jeanneken pis) which proves they don't take themselves too seriously around here. I have pretty much had a smirk on my face every time I step outside. Fromage je t'aime!

Brussels

Chocolate, Chimay Bleu, cheery tourists, I love Brussels! Not to mention they make the best fries I have ever had in my life. This is the view from our hotel room. So far, this is my favorite city we have hit this trip!

Kölner Dom

Considered to be the perfect expression of Gothic architecture, the Dom is at the city center of Cologne. When you get off the train in its shadow, its hard not to be impressed by its magnificent size! I knew immediately that I was going to have to climb to the top of the cathedral tower.
Before the Eiffel Tower came along, this dwarfed all buildings in Europe. The 522 steps totally kicked my ass, but the sense of accomplishment I felt when I reached the top was worth it, and the view of the Rhine and the T-Mobile tower were pluses too.

Wiesbaden Recovery

This is what the day after Oktoberfest looked like to me. Well, actually I saw bits and pieces of the autobahn as I drifted in and out of consciousness on the ride from Munich to Wiesbaden. The "no speed limit" is true and they are (pardon the term) Nazis about slower traffic keeping to the right. When passed by a car that's doing 130-140 its shakes your hair follicles, at least it did mine, although the 7 liters of beer I had the day before could have been a factor. The schnitzel I tried in Wiesbaden wasn't bad, but I could only have a few bites due to the grease. So far the bread and the beer have been the most impressive things about Germany's food scene. Weight when I left Seattle = 74kg, lets see what this trip can do to me!

Oktoberfest

New amigos: Diego y Raul from the Canary Islands

I don't think I will EVER be able to drink another Lowenbrau in my life, but Oktoberfest was pretty damn amazing! We got there at 9AM, it opened at 10AM, so we were able to get a prime table in an awesome tent! Aside from all of the German songs, they love singing that "Hey Baby"song from Dirty Dancing so I was able to join in at the top of my lungs! The waitresses are capable of carrying 8+ liters of beer with nothing but their bare hands! No small feat considering I could barely lift mine with one hand. I was surprised that the festival is more than just beer tents (there are 12 large tents and probably 10 smaller beer gardens in total) but its a full on carnival complete with roller coasters and all of the various fair attractions, not that I wasn't in any shape to get on a ride. If you love beer, brats, and BMWs, Oktoberfest should be on your bucket list, but consider the before and after shot below as fair warning.

Schwabing!

After missing our connection in Amsterdam, we finally caught a flight to Munich to start our beer drinking adventure. The parking lot at the Munich airport was pretty impressive. I have never seen so many Audis, BMWs, or Mercedes in one place in my life! We finally got to our hotel and hit the city for a little sightseeing. Just a low-key night with beers and pretzels in the Schwabing neighborhood. I managed to find a pretty cool Land Rover that was willing to pose with me. The Schnellbahn (their subway) is very easy to use, although its pretty old and it smells. Next stop > Oktoberfest!

I was in front of the Governors mansion in Juneau, which (fun fact) is surrounded by rhodendrons from Seattle. I couldn't see Russia from the property (Tina Fey is a boss) but I did manage to get a few photo-ops. After many trips up here, I finally has a successful seafood experience. Dinner at the Gold Room in the Baranof hotel was killer. The halibut was perfection! Another successful trip to Alaska!

Checked, But Never Claimed

Here I am back in Juneau, AK looking at the gun Wyatt Earp checked, but never claimed. The Red Dog Saloon is a bit of a tourist trap, but for good reason. Its been around since the mining days, and its one of Juneau's oldest drinking establishments. The collection of taxidermied animals is impressive and somewhat scary. The people here are some of the friendliest I have ever met. The weather is some of the foulest I have ever been in, and I have been to the organic grocery store twice already!

The Week After Mardi Gras

The French Quarter, the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, feels magical (even if you are nursing a wicked hangover). Jackson Square, named after Andrew, was full of life, music, and color. The people watching is on par with Vegas. St. Louis Cathedral is absolutely beautiful. I learned some valuable life lessons in New Orleans including:

1) Always politely decline a Hurricane

2) Always refuse a Hand Grenade

3) A strong cup of black coffee and a beignet makes everything better!

Staying Classy in San Diego

The USS Midway might be one of the most impressive military museums I have ever been to. The flight deck is loaded with aircraft including, yes its true, and F-14 Tomcat! Access felt almost unlimited. We almost got lost in the mess deck! The pier where she is docked is right by the shops, restaurants, and bars at Seaport. The whole area is a must stop for anyone hanging out in downtown SD.

San Diego Knows How to Make the Rules

"They carry AND transmit several diseases", they also like to poop on unsuspecting tourists! I'm surprised I made it this long in life before it happened. Birds Are Evil.

PEAK 2012

It's rough being on mainland time! First person at the pool in paradise (aka Maui). Humpbacks are breaching, the sun is shining, and Maria is joining me today. Almost makes all the hard work worth it, and I escaped "snowmageddon"!