Adam Gets Around

This past weekend we hit the road (again; we’re really been over-extending ourselves lately) to visit Sarah’s brother, Lucas. He’s in San Francisco for a summer internship and to be California cool. Even though the main purpose was to visit Lucas, we also wanted to see something new, so we headed east to Yosemite. 

Day 1: San Francisco

For whatever reason, Sarah and I took the earliest flight ever to SF. While I was cursing our decision when we had to get up at 4:00 am, I was singing its praises when we were drinking wine on the San Francisco bay by lunch.  

While waiting for Lucas to finish up work, we hung out and took pics of the bridge, Alcatraz, and anything else that looked San Franciscan. Before long, we found ourselves at TechCrunch’s offices to pick up the family youth. 

Lucas is one jazzy millennial who’s making life happen with his fancy internship in the hipsteriest city in CA. We’re ever-impressed with his rising star. and it was good to see him again. 

After a quick office tour, we piled in the car for the four-hour drive to Yosemite. Now, I don’t know how many national parks you’ve visited, but the few I’ve been to have been fairly easy to access. Sure, they’re off the beaten path, but you don’t typically have to go too far. Even the Grand Canyon is just off a highway. 

Yosemite, however, is a journey to the moon and back. About two hours out of San Francisco, you exit the highway, drive through a few small towns, and poof, you’re in the middle of nowhere. That’s when the windy mountain roads start. And before long, you don’t have cell service either. Which can be problematic when you’re solely reliant on your iPhone’s GPS. Heh heh. 

Just as it was getting dark, we arrived in Yosemite. But the park entrance isn’t the end of the trip. You still have an hour drive to the Yosemite village proper. By this time, it was dark, our phones had nary a bar of service (dot? circle? do phones have bars anymore?), and we were sure the California hill people were laying wait in the forest to eat our souls when the car inevitably ran out of gas. 

But have no fear. We made it safely to our hotel and completely crashed from driving exhaustion and a day of travel. Tomorrow we see Yosemite!

Day 2: Yosemite

We woke up earlier than Lucas because we’re still on Central time. Upon stepping out our front door, we were greeted with THE tallest rock mountain earth Mars-ian formation you’ve ever seen. I almost forgot. We’re in Yosemite, home of the Ansel Adams painting inspiration. In fact, we’re IN an Ansel Adams painting. Is this real life??

A quick breakfast, and we were off to rent bikes. The days plan is to bike through Yosemite’s 12-mile bike path. And it was glorious. I’m so glad we did this because we truly experienced the park. 

Sure, you can drive around to stop and look at things, but then you’re just observing nature from your air conditioned metal can. Biking through the trails was like getting a front row seat to mother nature’s finest show. And she didn’t disappoint.

Two unfortunate circumstances were occurring during our visit. The first is that California is under a serious drought. It’s so extensive that Yosemite’s famous water falls don’t even have a drop of water. For instance, the photo above of the rocks is of a dry river bed. Normally it’d be teaming with rapids, but during our visit it was a bone dry rock field that visitors climbed all over. 

The second is that nearby wild fires were getting a little too close for comfort. We drove through several burned forests on our way to Yosemite. The fires were so close that smoke created hazy skies during our visit. You can see in most of my photos how the background appears cloudy or dim. That’s due to the smoke. Ho hum. 

Day 3: Yosemite to San Francisco

Up early to soak in the cool Yosemite morning. We’re staying in Yosemite Valley, which gets quite chilly at night and warm during the day. After breakfast we hit the road back to San Francisco. 

That evening we had dinner at a hip Japanese restaurant in Japantown, and then saw a movie nearby. We dropped Lucas off at his place, and said our goodbyes. *tear*

Day 4: San Francisco to Chicago

Ooph. Another early flight back to Chicago. Traveling east sucks because you lose your whole day. But we arrived back at our place by 3:00 pm and totally collapsed for the rest of the day. We’re glad to be in the same time zone for a while. 

Even though it was a quick trip, we’re so happy we could see the youngest member of the family in his summer success. It was great hanging out, experiencing new places, hearing what he’s been up to, and getting his advice on when we should have babies. As he starts his last year at Northwestern, we’ll have to make it a point to hang out more. Who knows where life will take him after that! 

Finally, here’s a series of photos that I think captures Sarah and Lucas’ sibling dynamic quite well. Until our next adventure!

The following sections are excerpts from my travel journal with some photos I took along the way. 

Day 1: Istanbul Arrived in Istanbul late Saturday afternoon. The flight was delightfully uneventful. We sat next to this girl who was not interested in talking. She was reading “The Hobbit” when they served dinner. After we ate, she closed her book and watched The Hobbit on the in-flight entertainment system. I wanted to tell her that I don’t like to read either.

Phil met us at the airport, and we taxied back to his place. I’m bummed his family can’t be here, but we have a killer itinerary planned. His new place is great. 10th floor apartment with a great view of the city and the mountains. Turkish food for dinner. Baklava for dessert. Early to bed because tomorrow’s going to be an early one.

Day 2: Ephesus We woke up early for a flight to Ephesus. Actually, we flew to Izmir and then drove to Ephesus (I feel I have to be specific for memory’s sake). I’m totally impressed with Turkey’s amazingly shiny new airports. Their infrastructure and public services are noteworthy.

We ate lunch at this touristy but delicious Turkish joint near Ephesus. Then we headed for the ruins. The day was hot. Like, mind-blowingly, jump-in-a-lake, I’m-unfit-to-be-in-public-because-I’m-sweating-so-much hot. But the ruins were impressive. They’ve done a great job keeping the ancient town together so you really get a feel for what life might’ve been like as you walk the streets.

Sarah met some stray cats, her favorite. In fact, when you look at the photos on her phone, all you see are pictures of cats; not the amazing sites we’re seeing. It’s only day two and we’re missing Tobias pretty badly.

After an awesome day seeing the sites, we headed to the airport for our flight back to Istanbul. Here’s where the real adventure begins. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 9:40, putting us in Istanbul around 11:00 pm and in bed by midnight. Not bad. But things quickly headed south when our flight was delayed 40 minutes, then an hour, then two, then…ugh.

It was completely confusing, mostly because everything was in Turkish and we couldn’t really follow the announcements. Then they had us board only to sit on the tarmac for another two hours. We didn’t leave Izmir until after midnight, and we didn’t get home until 3:00 am. I mostly felt bad for Phil who had to go to work the next morning. We all crashed after a totally long, hot, fun-filled day.

Day 3: Istanbul Our last day in Turkey before heading to Greece. Phil had to work this morning, and because of our abnormal schedule yesterday mixed with a little (a lot) of jet lag, Sarah and I slept til 3:00 pm. Oops.

When Phil got home from work, we headed to the European side for an amazing stroll through Istanbul proper. The last two times we were here was in February. Seeing Istanbul in the summer is completely different in a great way. The parks are alive, the streets are bustling—everything that made Istanbul great before is cranked up 10 notches to make it a totally vibrant city. I actually wish we had more time to bum around.

We grabbed some tea at a cafe, then dinner. I’m glad for the time we spent with Phil, and I hope we can hang out again soon. Tomorrow we’re off to Greece!

Day 4: Santorini Today was mostly a travel day. We flew from Istanbul to Athens, then on to Santorini, where we met up with our Airbnb host who gave us the lay of the land.

Santorini is a group of five Greek islands that are the result of a volcanic eruption a long, long time ago. The islands form a mostly circular shape that’s the old volcanic crater. Santorini is known for its white houses lining the caldera, and is probably the most famous of all the Greek islands (though Mykonos gives it a run for its money). It’s picture perfect in every way, and I had high hopes.

Let me tell you, Santorini does not disappoint. We flew in on the back side of the island away from the crater. It looks like anywhere else in the world. But as soon as you reach the top, walk through the little town, and face the cliffs with the white cave houses, you’re transported into another world.

We’re staying in a little cave house we found on Airbnb. It’s actually an amazing deal. Most of the hotels on the island are super pricey. But for a fair rate, we have a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment with free wifi and air conditioning. It also has it’s own little pool and terrace. It’s completely charming and just so Santorini. Some chick named Maria owns it. She’s cool, young, and pretty. She seems to be wheeling and dealing on this island. She’s totally the “Lean In” queen of Santorini.

After we unpacked our bags, we headed out to explore and to watch the sun set over this magical place. I think we’re gonna like it here.

Day 5: Santorini Good morning from paradise! I’ve been to a lot of beautiful places, but this is taking the cake. We made ourselves breakfast and ate on the patio overlooking Greek island heaven. Several cats immediately appeared to welcome us, much to Sarah’s delight. The cutest one we named Aristotle Onassis. We hope he hangs around a bit.

Today was all about unwinding. We’ve been traveling around so much that we haven’t really had any downtime. After exploring the town a little and having some lunch, we settled in for sunbathing, swimming, and generally doing nothing. It’s exquisite, and I’m trying to live in the moment. I know this isn’t going to last forever. However, two things are standing in the way of me being entirely in the moment. One, I’m still jet lagged and am hoping to shake that soon. And second, at the risk of being too transparent, I’m suffering from a Grade-A case of the travel poos. Thanks, Greece.

Day 6: Santorini We booked a boat tour today in an effort to get out on the water. After a little miscommunication with the tour company (and by little, I mean they didn’t come pick us up. We were stranded until some nice Greek passerby asked us what were doing and made a call), they ‘righted their wrong’ by sending us on a more private catamaran. “You got very lucky,” they told us. “No,” I responded. “luck isn’t you messing up and fixing it.” I guess originally our tour was going to have like 20 people, and this one only had 10. I kept my best game face on, but inside I was actually excited. Perhaps we did get lucky!

The water was so, so, so, so, soooooo beautiful. I’ve never seen water so clear anywhere ever. When you swim in it, it looks like you’re floating because you can see right through it. Our tour took us to several swimming spots, each one more beautiful than the last. Every location looked like it was out of a magazine. And really, I’m sure they’ve all been in a magazine at some point. You know that moment on a vacation when you think of throwing in the towel and just staying? We reached that point today. Who’s thinking about making a living when you have water so beautiful you could cry?!

The other voyagers on our cruise were fun and interesting. There were two Italian couples who upon learning that the other was Italian spent the entire day speaking in Italian and becoming the best of friends. Really. They made dinner plans when we disembarked. Well played, Italianos.

Then there was an Australian mommy-daughter duo. Through sparse conversation we learned that their husband/father owns a retirement community business in Australia. The mom kept saying things like “It’s a really good business to be in at the moment.” and “There’s a real demand for retirement communities in Australia.” OK, we get it. You’re loaded. They had just been traveling through Europe, and Santorini is their last stop before mum heads on to Boston for business and daughter goes back to Oz. They said the most Australian things like “I just finished uni” and “The way they drive here is rubbish, isn’t it?” I heart them.

Finally, there was a culturally ambiguous couple aboard. I swore they were Brazilian, or maybe Portuguese. Was that Spanish they’re speaking? Not even close. Turns out, they’re American! My culture radar is totally off.

All in all, the day was completely and totally exceptional. I think it was most fantastic thing we’ve ever done, actually. I felt like Jay Z and Beyonce on our mega yacht with our boat people serving us cocktails. Except we had no cocktails and the boat workers spoke broken English and only said things like “You can swim now.” and “Don’t throw the toilet paper in the toilet.”

Day 7: Athens We woke up in Santorini and went to bed in Athens. What a let-down.

I don’t mean to be overly negative, but it needs to be said: Athens is a dump. Seriously, Greece. What happened to your capital city? I know you’re in an economic downturn and all, but this place could use one monster spit shine. Unless of course graffiti artistry is what you’re trying to be known for, in which case, bravo. But I digress.

We woke up in Santorini and headed straight for the airport. It’s so depressing I could shed tears, that’s how fantastic this place is. I told Sarah to spread my ashes here. I also told Sarah that I’m glad we went here together because in the event I die young and she remarries, Santorini is ruined for any would-be second husband vacations. Point Adam.

We hit the ground running in Athens. The only real thing to see is the Acropolis with the Parthenon, but it’s so f-ing hot that we weren’t feeling a climb up a steep slope. WHICH is the only way to see the Parthenon. It’s amazing to me how many euro sites aren’t up for people with disabilities. Note to anyone with disabilities out there: don’t go to Europe. They don’t cater to you. No, instead we opted for the Grecian capital’s air conditioned museums. We took in the Acropolis Museum as well as the National Archeological Museum of Antiquities. Not a bad way to spend a day. Unless you’re in Santorini, and then it’s the worst way to spend a day. Le sigh.

Tonight we went to an outdoor movie, and that was actually loads of fun. Outdoor cinemas are apparently a big deal here, and our guide book says there were over 600 of them in the 70’s. Who knew? Today there are only about 10 worthwhile outdoor movie theaters in Athens, but they’re super cool, and they serve alcohol, so.

Day 8: Athens An early-ish wake-up call to beat the heat took us straight up the Acropolis to come face-to-face with the Parthenon. Wow. Totally surreal and impressive. It’s amazing what these old timey people built without modern technology. It’s also amazing that it’s still standing.

We had downloaded a little audio tour of the Acropolis on our phones and listened to that as we walked around. It was super windy, to the point that it was uncomfortable being up there, so we soon ascended the Acropolis to hang out on Mars Hill.

For some reason, I was more interested in visiting Mars Hill than I was to see the Parthenon. I guess maybe because I’ve heard so much about the Apostle Paul’s visit to Athens and his famous speech on Mars Hill that it had more historical relevancy to me. I don’t know what I expected, but I clearly had it built up in my mind. The unfortunate reality is that Mars Hill is pretty nondescript, full of cigarette butts, and strewn with beer cans. Keep it classy, Athens. Did I mention this place is a dump?

We bummed around the city a bit more, took a cable car up to a look out on the east end of town, ate some yummy food, and tried to make the most of our last day in Europe. We go home tomorrow. Tear.

In conclusion… This was a fantastic getaway—one of our best. The places we experienced were exceptional, and I wish travel could be my full time job. My main takeaways include:

Time is short. Seeing structures that people built in BC years was totally mind blowing. These people were just like me. They had hopes and dreams and fears. They lived, loved, and lost, and they built entire cities that people now pay money to walk through. Time may be short, but you can have a long-lasting impact. 


The world is beautiful. I get so caught up in my urban life that I forget that there’s natural beauty to be appreciated in the world. I need to take myself out of the concrete jungle more often  to see take in the earth.

Recharging is essential. And I don’t do it often enough. Sarah and I both have demanding jobs, extra-curricular activities, and personal commitments that keep our lives pretty busy. Taking time out for ourselves is a luxury, but it’s something we need to make a priority.

The following is a day-by-day account of our trip to San Francisco and the surrounding area. It's lengthy, but comprehensive. At times salty, but honest. And I did my best to hit the highlights, showcase the characters we encountered, and leave out the snoozy. I hope you enjoy!

Sunday, Dec 27 - San Francisco

After a late arrival last night, we hit the town with fervor in the morning. Apparently too much fervor because we seemed to be the only living souls in the city. I think we were still on Eastern time while the rest of California chose to sleep in on a Sunday. 7:00 am cable car ride? We’re there.  

San Francisco is way more manageable than I imagined. I don’t know what I imagined really, but this isn’t it. It’s quite charming and clean. The homeless are courteous, and these hills are beautiful, yet challenging. San Franciscans should all have super hot bods from walking these streets on the daily. 

I wanted to hike across the Golden Gate Bridge, but Sarah wasn’t convinced. After some back-and-forth, we compromised with a bike ride to Sausalito. Had either of us known we’d be biking eight miles today, we probably wouldn’t have worn what we did (me some tight jeans; Sarah a winter coat with a fur collar), but we managed OK. The view from the bridge and the subsequent downhill coasting to Sausalito was worth the price of admission. We ferried back to San Francisco—which, was an ordeal, hundred of bikes on one ferry, oy—and it couldn’t have been more relaxing. 

Just as we untangled our bikes from the masses and disembarked, Sarah’s tire burst and the tube jammed her wheel. It was unrideable. Of course this would happen. Everything had been going so smoothly. I called the bike rental place, and they asked me to carry the bike the rest of the way. What?! “I assume this comes with some sort of discount then?” No, was the answer, and I insisted they come pick up the bike. With age, I’ve become slightly better at not being taken advantage of—especially over things I’m paying for. In the end, some dude named Alex, super nice, came and retrieved the bike. I’m still not convinced everything’s taken care of. They seemed sort of not with it. Remind me to check my credit card statement to make sure they didn’t overcharge me.

We had dinner at Jardiniere, which was entirely too fancy, and then we walked ten blocks trying to get a cab. San Francisco, you’re a beauty. 

Monday, Dec 28 - San Francisco - Napa

We picked up a rental car for the rest of our trip and hit the remaining items on my San Fran wish list: Chinatown, Golden Gate Park, the Full House house. That last one was from Sarah’s wish list. Then we scooted across the Golden Gate Bridge into the mountains to get that classic view of the city with the bridge in the foreground. It was worth the detour.

Heading north toward Napa, we decided to take a side trip to Muir Woods. As we descended the mountain into the valley, we noticed a lot of cars parked on the side of the road. Strange. Then we arrived at the Muir Woods’ visitor center and realized that everyone and their entire cavalcade of strollers decided to go to Muir Woods today. All parking lots were full, and there were cars EVERYWHERE trying to find a spot. Several hating-their-lives park rangers kept directing us further and further away until we had been driving around for an hour just for a parking space…to look at some trees. We frustratingly decided it was not worth it and went to Walgreens to buy some consolation snacks. Bad mood remedied. 

Oh, and the bike shop from yesterday called to ask if we still had our bikes. I knew they didn’t have their act together. They seemingly only sort of bought my story of nice Alex picking them up, so I’ll definitely be checking my bill for any shenanigans. I figure this isn’t the last of the bike saga. 

On to Napa! Well, Santa Rosa. We aren’t cool enough to stay in Napa. Plus, Sarah found a good deal on TravelZoo for what turned out to be a fantastic hotel. Vintner’s Inn is wowing us. I keep saying it’s the nicest place we’ve ever stayed. Sarah likes it, but she doesn’t agree. We also got a bunch of free perks with the TravelZoo deal, so we stayed at the hotel and cashed in our wine and dinner gift cards. We love deals! Tomorrow, we hit the wineries. 

Tuesday, Dec 30 - Napa

We woke up this morning in the comfiest bed, like, ever. It’s seriously akin to sleeping in butter, which doesn’t sound appealing as I write this, but it was, and I can’t think of a better way to describe it. 

Our first stop was Pride Vineyards in the mountains surrounding Napa. The drive there was nauseating, and I needed a few minutes to recover after we arrived. Nothing a little breakfast wine can’t solve! 

Our tour guide was friendly, and there was another couple from Chicago in our group. I tried to get chatty with them, but they were fancy (read, dressed WAY too nicely for a butt-crack-of-dawn winery tour) and didn’t seem interested in talking. They lived in the West Loop, which is where I want to live, so I kept asking them where there apartment was exactly, how long they’ve been there. Maybe I creeped them out. I eventually got the message and went back to focusing on the fun and funny tour guide. 

I can’t say that I LOVE wine. I drink it, and it’s good, but I don’t think I’ll ever be that person that sends back a bottle at a restaurant because it was too “fruit forward” for my liking. Then again, Pride was serving up some helpful tips on tasting wine—some common man, non-judgmental, don’t be “that guy” tips—and I was digging it. In the end, we bought two bottles, they waived the tour fee, and we headed to lunch in St. Helena. 

In the afternoon we went to Silverado Winery, which was just SO FUN. Walt Disney’s daughter owns it (well, owned it. She died last year), so the place was a real stand-out with all that Disney capital backing it up. It was on a hill in the middle of Napa Valley, and the view was just perfect. Patricia was our tour guide. She was fun, flirty, and fifty (I’m guessing). Sarah said she wants to be like her when she’s older. Patricia immediately showed us a painting hanging in the winery called Glimpses of Nymphs. She kept saying it. “Glimpses of Nymphs. I just LOVE that name. Glimpses of Nymphs.” I’m pretty sure Patricia either painted this painting or is a nymp(o) herself. 

The tour was super great, and the tasting was fun. We didn’t buy any wine, but we chatted up another couple on our tour. They were from Maryland so we were telling them how we were just there for Christmas. They hadn’t listened to Serial, and they live where it takes place. We encouraged them to get on that. (Speaking of Serial, am I alone in imagining Adnan, Hay, and Jay were all WAY more attractive than they actually are. Thanks, Google, for ruining my murderous imagination. And thanks, Sarah Koenig, for repeatedly and incorrectly yukking up their attractiveness.) 

We ended the day with dinner at Chalkboard, and we both agreed that we need to be richer to truly enjoy Napa’s bounties. 

Wednesday, Dec 31 - Napa - San Francisco

Happy New Year’s Eve! We checked out of Vintner’s Inn—bye, butter bed!—and had breakfast at Auberge du Soleil overlooking Napa Valley. It was, of course, delicious, and the view of the morning sun hitting the vineyards was so Napa. 

Since it was NYE, we hit up Domaine Chandon, which makes sparkling wine. That’s NYE-sy, right? Because the winery is owned by a corporation and not a family, it definitely wasn’t as charming as the vineyards we went to yesterday, but it was still fun. Our tour guide, Lisa, was another fun, flirty fifty-something, except Lisa clearly dabbled with the Botox. And lip injections. And maybe lip implants? I tried my darnedest to focus on what she was saying, but I mainly stared at those giant, glossy lips. I’m pretty sure she’d lost all feeling in them because she had strings of spit hanging between her lips every time she opened her mouth. I just wanted to take a napkin and clean her up. But she was nice! 

We headed downtown Napa proper (note: Napa Valley is an entire valley that encompasses multiple hamlets. The town Napa is at the edge of Napa Valley. It was confusing for me too.) for lunch, and then back to San Francisco for our NYE plans. 

(I should note here that we ended up going back to Muir Woods on our way to San Francisco, and it was SO WORTH IT. My recommendation is to go early, or at least on a non-holiday.)

In an effort to find something unique for New Year’s Eve, we booked a tree house in the hills of San Francisco through Airbnb. When Sarah first pitched this idea to me, I wasn’t sold. I’m more of a cocktails-please, i’ll-have-lemon-with-my-water, can-you-focus-on-my-shoulders-during-today’s-massage kinda guy. But after seeing the pictures, I agreed that it’d be a fun experience. And it was!

It’s literally a tree house this guy, Doug, built for his kids, and now they’ve turned it into a rentable “room”. It was a nice tree house. Like, it had doors and windows and heat, though it did creak when the wind blew, which wasn’t terrifying at all. Doug and Linda were also super nice. We had been texting with them on the days leading up to our arrival. They gave us a tour of our lofty dwelling, including the bathroom, which was not in the treehouse, but instead was attached to their house. A prominent sign in the bathroom read “Limit your showers to five minutes”. We’ll see about that. Then they left us to enjoy our evening. 

We settled in for a night of resolution-making, 2014-reflecting good times. It was super fun. We watched Kathy and Anderson on CNN (hilarious), chowed down on snacks (delicious), and debated what our resolutions should be (it’s always a debate). We also downed a bottle of wine we bought the day before. Oops. 

Thursday, Jan 1 - San Francisco - Big Sur

New Year’s used to be such a big deal to me. I’d stay up late to watch each time zone greet midnight. Last night, I think we were in bed by 10:00 pm. We did watch New York and then I think we made it to central time before we cozied in the loft. We’re old. 

This morning we got ready, which proved challenging in our tight tree house. Note to future tree house dwellers: pack light. I took my sweet time in the shower. I’m paying for this experience, and I shan’t be told what to do. Plus, it was cold outside, and the warm water felt good. 

As we headed out, we texted Doug and Linda to say thanks and to let them know we were leaving, as we were instructed to do. They never texted back. Are they mad about the long shower? 

Friday, Jan 2 - Big Sur

The ocean will always be creepy to me. I don’t care what anyone says, when you’re in the ocean, you’re in the SAME BODY OF WATER as sharks and killer whales and those icky light rod fish that live 20,000 leagues under the sea that they only have like two pictures of. No thanks. 

But Big Sur is fantastic. Mountains meeting ocean is a classic recipe for awesome. With every turn of Highway 1, I’d say out loud “Wow. Wow. Wow. Gorge. Gorge. Gorge.” I also kept singing “pacific coast highway” to whatever tune struck my fancy. There’s an actual song called “Pacific Coast Highway”, right? The artist is escaping me right now. Anyway, Sarah was thoroughly annoyed. 

There’s also this urban legend about something called the Dark Watchers. Apparently they’re these hill people who live in the woods and come out and, I don’t know, eat children? We read about them in a tour book, which was NOT the best thing to do before spending time in this remote part of the country. 

We drove south to Hearst Castle, which is basically the California version of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, South Carolina. It’s big and fancy and unfinished. The views alone are worth a visit. Then back north for a stop at Sand Dollar Beach. I kept saying that we had to stop at a beach to commune with nature, and we did. Sarah hadn’t been feeling the Pacific Coast Highway until we had some beach time. A beach always kills. 

Lastly, we stopped at Nepenthe, a restaurant overlooking everything Big Sur has to offer. Apparently this is like the only place worth going to on Highway 1 because my Instagram was blowing up with people recommending it. A few coworkers had mentioned it, too. We went, OK?? Aaand, it was awesome. We watched the sunset, had dinner, and talked about whether we should quit our jobs and join the Dark Watchers.

*****************************************************************************

I love my job. But after you spend 50+ hours a week doing anything, the very thing you love and dedicated your life to has the potential to become more a source of stress than a reprieve. 

That's exactly what had happened before Sarah and I went to Europe last month. We let our work, volunteerism, and commitments take front seat to everything else in our life. 

And it would've been easy to let that continue into our trip of a lifetime. So how do you avoid those stresses while you're away? 

It's simple. Don't check your email when you're on vacation. 

I know, I know. There are tons of arguments for checking a little email every day and thereby minimizing the damage when you return home. But you have to ask yourself, what's your ultimate goal? If you want to return to an empty inbox, fine. Check all the email you want.

But if you want the office to be the last thing on your mind while you're having new experiences and spending time with the people you love, consider going off the grid. It's temporary, and I promise you won't miss anything you can't catch up on in a week. Priorities are everything. 

It isn't easy. During our last trip, I had committed to not opening a single work email. But during a little down time, I thought maybe I'd tempt fate and dip my toe in the email pond. I started opening a few what-appeared-to-be innocent emails, and suddenly all the work stresses came rushing back in. 

I had to physically turn off my iPad and put it back in my suitcase. It wasn't worth it. Not only had I gone back on my word, but I also experienced first hand why I wasn't checking email in the first place. What was supposed to be a restful time of recharging quickly became anything but. 

Everyone has their own system, and it's up to you to know your limits. I've personally resolved to leave work at work, just as I have in that photo up there. I encourage you to do the same. 

We're just back from our European adventure, and before too much time passes, I want to make sure I get the highlights down. 

The reason for our trip was two-fold. First, my brother who lives in Istanbul gets a week off in February. Last year my family visited because they just had a baby. This year, we wanted to go back and see our now one-year old niece. 

Second, 2014 is our five-year wedding anniversary (time flies when you're having fun!), and we figured that while we're half way around the world, we might as well enjoy ourselves. So we spent a little extra and went to three places we've always dreamed of visiting. 

This post doesn't serve to provide every detail of our trip--though I'd love to bore you with all our travel adventures. Instead, I hit the highlights to hopefully make things easier on future travelers. 

First up, Istanbul. While the purpose of this stop was primarily to visit family, we also got in a little sight seeing, which included ancient castles, new neighborhoods, and delicious restaurants. 

Ultimately, we enjoyed four days with our niece, who's cute as a button and completely her own little person human. I can't wait to see her this summer when her parents visit the US! 

But, before long, we were off to newer adventures. 

Ah, Prague. I've heard nothing but good things about this city. So much so, in fact, that I had pretty low expectations. You know when someone raves and raves about a movie, and finally you go see it, and you're like "This? Hmm, all right." 

Well that was what I figured going to Prague would be like. So you can imagine my delight when me and my low expectations looked out on the view pictured above. I was pleasantly surprised by this story-book town, and I've since fallen into the ranks of those who rave about that movie. 

If you get the chance to visit Prague, take it. Take it, and enjoy this Disney World-like place.

Accommodations: K+K Hotel Central Recommended Restaurants: La Veranda; La Finestra Transportation: Flight from Istanbul on Turkish Airlines (~$100)

Salzburg, Austria is this quintessential European town nestled at the beginning of the Alps right next to Germany and Switzerland. It could not be more quaint, and we enjoyed two unseasonably warm days roaming its streets and summiting its peaks. 

It also happens to be where the Sound of Music was filmed, which believe me, the significance of that was not lost on me! I was Do Re Mi-ing my way through those two days like you wouldn't believe, much to Sarah's annoyance. 

Furthermore, it's the birthplace of child prodigy Mozart, which inspired me to want to put my cat son, Tobias, in piano lessons right away. 

Accommodations: Hotel Stein Recommended Restaurants: St. Paul-Stube; Cafe Bazaar Transportation: Train from Prague (~$30)

If you love palaces, then Vienna is the city for you. It just so happens that I do love palaces, and therefore, Vienna and I got along just fine. We toured both Viennese imperial residences, and we spent considerable amounts of time talking about what life would be like had we been born (or married) royal. Alas, neither happened, so we're relegated to paying money to experience our should-have-been lifestyles like the common peasants we are. 

Also, and this will show you just how childish I can be, the Viennese are called Wieners in German, so everything is wiener this and wiener that. We enjoyed riding the Wiener tram, feasting on Wiener food, and attending the Wiener opera. 

Har har.

Accommodations: Hotel Rathaus Wein & Design Recommended Restaurants: Cafe Sacher Wein; Danieli Transportation: Train from Salzburg (~$20)

I work with a bang-up group of writers, and two of them exercise their writing muscle outside of work on their own blog. Consider checking out these writing fiends' work when you have a chance. 

Fit for the Journey by Kim Sikora. Kim and her husband moved to France last year, and ever since then, she's been writing about their European adventures, much to the envy of her state-side friends. Her blog essentially become what I wish my blog could be: filled with new adventures every week! 

It's been a minute, hasn't it? After a year's hiatus, I'm back. It's been a busy 12 months. I moved into a new role at work that's been grueling. I've been majorly volunteering for a professional organization, and the holidays always take over. Also, this blog started as a fun labor of love, but  turned into a chore, so I took a break. 

Life is starting to even out, so after a year, I'm ready to jump back into the saddle. Hello, 2014 blogosphere! 

Since this blog is a travel blog at it's core, here are trips trips we have coming up in the next calendar year. 

Istanbul, Prague, Salzburg, and Vienna

In February, we're headed back to Istanbul for a visit with my brother, his wife, and their beautiful baby daughter who I haven't seen since she was three months old. I'm excited to wander the enchanted streets, eat authentic middle eastern food, and pinch those one year old cheeks! 

After three days in Istanbul, we're off to the Czech Republic and Austria to explore a new corner of the world. 2014 is Sarah's and my fifth wedding anniversary, so we decided to treat ourselves to a little something special. Check back soon to see if we successfully navigate the European train system, survive in two countries where we don't know the language, and don't let jet lag get the best of us! 

The Grand Canyon

In May, I'm attending a work conference in Phoenix, which just so happens to coincide with our actual fifth wedding anniversary. We've been throwing around the idea of turning it into an extended vacation and driving up to the Grand Canyon, and I'm hopeful it'll all work out. 

I had a pretty lofty list of must-see sites going into Istanbul, and luckily, we got to do them all! My bro and sis-in-law were rock stars with their six week old, and we trampled all over the city like the Ottomans giving the Byzantines the business.

But we actually spent the first day of our trip on the Princes' Islands. The Princes' Islands are a chain of islands about an hour off the coast of Istanbul. Accessible only by ferry, they have no cars, and the primary method of transportation is horse and carriage. Charming, right? 

We spent a day on the largest island, Büyükada (also known as the Big Island), and soaked up the sun while pushing through our jet lag. It's laid back atmosphere contrasted the hustle and bustle of Istanbul and made for a relaxing welcome to Turkey. 

The climax of the day was climbing to the highest point on the island and taking in the views of the neighboring islands. Behold. 

They're truly a beautiful place. And whether you spend your first day here or escape the craziness of the city mid-trip, you're sure to enjoy meandering through the island's enchanted forest. 

As I mentioned previously, you can only access the island via ferry. Our ferry ride home coincidentally became one of the more memorable parts of the trip. Ferries to the island leave the Bosphorus Straight and head right through the Marmara Sea. The sea was choppy and the ferry rocked from side to side. So much so that more than one person lost their cookies. I'm pretty prone to motion sickness myself, but for some reason I kept my cool. By the time we reached shore, everyone was feeling queasy, and we didn't eat much for dinner that night. 

As a writer, one of my favorite exercises is to jot down a few high-level thoughts and then go back and extrapolate the details. This little method helps me out in my job every day as a technical writer, and it's pretty applicable to the trip I just took. I haven't put enough distance between myself and our time away for the detail portion, so in the meantime, here are a few first impressions of my week in Istanbul:

Istanbul didn't meet my expectations. It surpassed them. I'll admit it, I thought the place would be a dump. I've been to several Asian/Middle Eastern countries, and none of them have been one of those fantastic places you dream about vacationing in. I assumed Turkey would be the same, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it completely modern with the old world charm you'd expect to find in Europe. 

Istanbul is facing an identity crisis. In a good way. This may seem contradictory to my first point, but when in Istanbul, one minute it seems like you're in Europe, and the next you're in the middle east. Neither is a bad thing. In fact, I found it endearing. You get the best of both worlds in one city. I've just never experienced a place that constantly complemented and contradicted itself at the same time. 

Ferry culture should catch on everywhere (that it applies). The Bosphorus Straight cuts Istanbul in half, forcing the city's residents to traverse the waterway via ferry. The ferries are so common that they're an integral part of the Istanbul way of life. And since one of the best ways to see the city is from the water, riding the ferry is a fantastic experience! Some may find it annoying having to take a ferry anytime you want to go anywhere, and I'll admit that if I lived there the charm may wear off, but the ferry rides were so delightful that they go down as one of my favorite things about Istanbul. 

Thank God for the return of the strong US dollar. And for, I suppose, the fact that Turkey isn't in the European Union. The exchange rate for the Turkish Lira is currently in Americans' favor. One US dollar is about $0.65 TL, so that equates to exchange-rate-heaven. Our dollars stretched a lot further than I thought they would, which is always a good thing. 

Istanbul is huge. Much larger than I expected. With a population of roughly 15 million, it far exceeds Chicago and most other cities I've visited. It's sheer vastness makes getting anywhere a chore, but if you refer to item 3, it wasn't always unenjoyable. The fact that the city limits seem to stretch on forever doesn't help either. One day we ventured a ways north, and it was still considered Istanbul. In an American city, we would've been in some other-named suburb, but since suburbs seem to be an American concept, Istanbul stretches on. 

I want to go back. We had a great trip. Not only did we see amazing architecture, breathtaking views, and fascinating culture (more on those items in the coming days!), but we also met our brand new baby niece, which was the icing on the cake. We miss her so much, and so perhaps the allure of Istanbul will draw us back sooner than we anticipate. 

Photo credit: ejkraft

Today's the day. After work, we're headed straight to O'hare where we'll board our Airbus A330 headed straight for Istanbul. There's something fantastic and unreal about falling asleep on one continent and waking up in another. 

This trip serves dual purposes. We're most excited to see my brother and his wife and our brand new baby niece. My parents are joining us as well, so it'll be a family reunion of epic proportions. 

We're always anxious to take in one of the most exotic cities of Europe and Asia. We have quite an itinerary set out before us, and I can't wait to see what the next week brings. 

To follow along, be sure to follow me on Instagram and Twitter.

So imagine my disappointment when, after moving to the infamously snowy Chicago, it never snows. 

Last winter was one of the mildest on record and this year isn't much different. We've been experiencing terribly cold temperatures, but not a flake of snow in sight. Call me crazy, but I love snow. And according to me, if it's going to be below 10 degrees (which it is!), we might as well enjoy it with a little snowfall. 

Well, the snow gods must have read my mind, because last week, it snowed. Snow actually fell from the sky! 

Why do I like snow? There are a couple reasons.

First, it provides a change of pace, and for the shortest amount of time, you forget that you can't feel your face because you're enjoying the beauty. 

Second, I love the atmosphere in the city when it snows. Yes, snow is beautiful in the country and everywhere else, but city flakes make everything seem calmer and less hectic and just more enjoyable. 

Third, it's white. And it makes things look new and fresh and fantastic. I love the city, too, don't get me wrong, but every once in a while I grow weary of the run down-ness. Snow puts a fresh face on everything, and I could get used to that. 

Jet lag is like a virus when traveling. Sometimes it comes on strong, knocking you out, and other times you're able to keep it at bay while feeling great. But also like a virus, it's not something you want to take chances with. That's why when I found JetLagRooster.com I was eager to give it a try. 

Jet Leg Rooster allows you to plug in your flight itinerary and what time you normally go to bed and wake up, and it creates a sleep schedule for you leading up to your trip. Genius, right? 

I entered our stats:

Chicago to Istanbul leaving 10:00 pm; arriving 4:45 pm

To bed at 10:00 pm; waking at 6:30 am

And it gave me the following schedule for this week:

Wednesday, Jan 30 6:30 am wakeup

Thursday, Jan 31 5:30 am wakeup

Friday, Feb 1 4:30 am wakeup

It provides a lot of other details too, like which hours are optimal to receive light and when you should avoid it, as well as what to eat and drink on my flight. 

The schedule sounds kind of rough, but I'm willing to give it a try. I'm sure 4:30 will come way too early on Friday, but my goal is to be exhausted when we board our flight, so I'm killing two birds with one stone.

And when you consider that 4:30 am Chicago time is 12:30 pm Istanbul time, I can't really complain too much. The very next day I'll be in Istanbul time, so I might as well get as used to it. 

I plan to fill those early morning hours with a workout, quality time with Tobias, and lots of coffee. Jet Lag Rooster actually recommends avoiding coffee, but c'mon. Give me a break. 

On Friday, I'm boarding a 12-hour flight to Istanbul, which means I have some mega-times packing to do. Given the limited amount of space in my carry-on, I've decided to explain the items that always make the cut. They are, but not limited to:

Instant coffee. Why instant coffee in a carry-on? Well, it's not that I really need it on the airplane, but the minute we land, I'll need a fuel injection, and instead of digging through my luggage, I want it to be immediately accessible. Plus, I don't want to drink just any coffee, so I bring my own.

A travel book. I know, a real original. But if you're like me, you can never learn too much about your destination, even if it's just hours before you arrive. 

My iPad. I always buy an ebook or two before I leave for a trip. In fact, I do most of my reading when I travel. Flights are the perfect opportunity for me and whatever non-fiction page turner I've chosen to spend some quality time together. 

My passport. You sort of have to keep your passport close at hand, so this is a duh item. 

Gum. I'm flying in close proximity to 200 people for 12 hours. Bad breath is not an option. 

Tissues. I think everyone realizes you can't go anywhere without a bundle of tissues these days. Add on that it's the middle of winter and I can barely walk a block without getting a runny nose, and this becomes a must-have item. 

Hand sanitizer. Preach to me all you want about how hand sanitizer causes super bugs, but here's what: a) airlines routinely don't clean planes after each flight leaving who knows what crawling around on your seat and b) this year's flu season is in full swing. I'll take my changes with the super bugs, thank you. 

Disposable tooth brush. Similar to number five, this item will be just what the doctor ordered in hour eleven of twelve when I've just woken from a deep, drug-induced sleep, and I'm about to see my family for the first time in a year. 

Snacks. Airline food--need I say more?

Neck pillow. This is to aid the drug-induced sleep come quickly and comfortably. I researched the bejeezus out of neck pillows and concluded that this beauty is a nice marriage between price and customer reviews. 

Photo credit: ejkraft

Next Friday we're setting off for Istanbul for a week-long visit with my brother, his wife, and their brand new daughter Ariana. It'll be an exciting seven days of family, Turkish mosques, and European streets. 

Even more exciting is that my parents are meeting us in Istanbul on what will be their first step out of the United States. I always love traveling with first-timers. Here are a few items I mentioned to my parents in an effort to make their first international trip successful:

the flight. If you've never traveled over night (like my parents) you must prepare yourself. It has the potential to be the worst night of sleep of your life, but if you're mentally and physically prepared, you can arrive feeling moderately rested. Expect the worst, but bring a neck pillow and settle in. 

the jet lag. Jet lag can ruin your trip if you're not ready to tackle the sleep demons. There are tons of tips for avoiding jet lag, but I've found if you can sleep well on the flight and then force yourself to stay awake the entire first day you arrive, you set yourself up for a nice sleep pattern during your stay. 

the packing. Pack light! We have a rule in our house: you pack it, you carry it. The last thing you want is to inconvenience others because you can't manage your own luggage. Plus, half the things you pack you probably won't use. Include a few key clothing items, and mix and match.

the culture. Whether you're traveling to far east Asia or just hopping across the pond, at some point in your trip you'll come face-to-face with a cultural difference so striking it'll cause you to either cringe or laugh, or both. Leave your "American way of doing things" at home and embrace the experience. You'll love it. 

Hopefully you aren't too tired of year-end countdown lists yet, because I have one more for you. Here are the top five most popular blog posts on Adam Gets Around from this past year. 

Coming in at number 5 is Chicago Man Weekend. This post recounted the events of my friend, Wes', bachelor party, and laid out the plans that anyone could use to have a fantastic weekend in Chicago. 

Number 4 is a little post I wrote about Peapod grocery delivery. We get our groceries delivered, and in this post I explained how it works. I received quite a few hits from people searching for reviews of Peapod. 

Rounding out number 3 is my post about going to Salt Lake City. Sarah and I took a trip to SLC in September, and for some reason, this three paragraph post announcing we were going became my third most-read post of the year. 

Number 2 is a post I wrote about the megabus, titled Megabus the poor man's first class. This post became a hit because Megabus actually tweeted a link to it and reblogged the posting on their Tumblr. 

And my most popular post from the entire year is my birthday post titled Happy Birthday to Me. Don't ask me why. I don't even provide any tips or advice. It's simply a post recounting the happenings of my 26th birthday. For some reason, it received the most hits, and I'm OK with that. 

The top 5 searches that people used to find my blog were:

salt lake city

happy birthday to me tumblr (this might explain why my most popular blog post was most popular)

birthday tumblr

adam gets around, and