Gavin's digital garden — posts, thoughts, photos, travels.https://gav.landhttps://gav.land/thoughts/#2026-08-01-listeninghttps://gav.land/thoughts/#2026-08-01-listening(Swap in whatever's on rotation — these little "listening" thoughts are how the "what I'm into lately" stuff lives in the garden.)Sat, 01 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://gav.land/thoughts/#2026-07-31-untitled-demohttps://gav.land/thoughts/#2026-07-31-untitled-demoThoughts don't need titles. This one exists to prove it — a couple of sentences, maybe a photo, done. Drop an image in and it'll render right here in the stream.Fri, 31 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://gav.land/thoughts/#2026-07-30-plantedhttps://gav.land/thoughts/#2026-07-30-plantedFirst seed in the ground. The layout is up, the streams exist, and everything else is compost-in-progress. 🌱Thu, 30 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/bhutan-travel-in-2026-our-road-trip-through-the-countryhttps://gav.land/posts/bhutan-travel-in-2026-our-road-trip-through-the-countryWe took an amazing trip to Bhutan in March of 2026, traveling through Phobjika Valley, Punakha, Thimphu, and Paro. Staying at places like Gangtey Lodge and Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary.Mon, 06 Apr 2026 04:11:40 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/impromptu-trip-to-seoul-south-koreahttps://gav.land/posts/impromptu-trip-to-seoul-south-korea🕰️I took this trip in March of 2025, another late post! The stars really aligned for this impromptu trip to Korea. My wife was going to India for 3 weeks for a yoga retreat in early March of 2025 and I had been keeping an eye on Japan Airlines first class tickets to Tokyo via points about a week prior (thank you, seats.aero!) I was pleased to see a nonstop ticket on JAL to Tokyo pop up the same day she'd be leaving, making the timing perfect to visit somewhere new. Within a few days I booked Sat, 04 Apr 2026 18:02:10 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/christmas-in-austria-vienna-halstatthttps://gav.land/posts/christmas-in-austria-vienna-halstatt😭I'm so far behind on writing and really going through pictures, we took this trip over Christmas/New Years of 2024/2025. We went to Budapest just after this, I wrote about that first – check it out! This was my first time in Austria I wasn't really impressed with Vienna. My wife visited in college and it had been one of her places she's visited. I really enjoyed it, but for whatever reason I just was not super impressed. I'll say, they do Christmas very well and we had a great time bouncing fTue, 24 Feb 2026 03:28:53 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/i-alaska-airlines-milk-run-flight-as65https://gav.land/posts/i-alaska-airlines-milk-run-flight-as65I've written a bit about some aviation-focused trips I've done. The milk run is a pretty interesting flight that Alaska does (well, technically it's multiple flights) that's mostly responsible for cargo, as well as being the only flights in and out of a couple of small southeast Alaska towns. Alaska Airlines can do a better job explaining than I can, here. This is some total avgeek stuff. Of course Alaska, especially southeast Alaska, is absolutely beautiful from the sky, but it's not exactly Sat, 24 Jan 2026 18:11:18 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/working-in-mexico-cityhttps://gav.land/posts/working-in-mexico-city💡I went on a solo remote work trip to Mexico City in February of 2025. This was my second time in the city and it's one of my favorites, a true top tier North American city IMO. As I create this post and work on my backlog we are gearing up to head to Guadalajara, Mexico in a few days. While my favorite Mexican city I've been to is still Oaxaca, it's hard to beat Mexico City for just "hanging out", and that's exactly what I did for about a week here while I was deep into some work at the time.Sun, 11 Jan 2026 19:04:17 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/winter-and-christmas-in-budapesthttps://gav.land/posts/winter-and-christmas-in-budapest😭I'm so far behind on writing and really going through pictures, we took this trip over Christmas/New Years of 2024/2025. We stayed at the Parisi Udvar hotel, and it was absolutely stunning. Located on the "Pest" side of the city (but really close to the Danube River), the hotel is a historical landmark and, despite being a fantastic place to stay, is also a bit of a tourist attraction. We used Hyatt points for the stay and got upgraded to the corner suite, which just had an insane view. The bTue, 16 Dec 2025 03:47:46 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/a-first-timers-glimpse-at-the-petra-complex-in-jordanhttps://gav.land/posts/a-first-timers-glimpse-at-the-petra-complex-in-jordan‼️Still finding time to go through all my photos and travel stuff from last year and this, I went to Jordan in the winter of 2024 and have previously posted about my time in the beautiful city of Amman. It would be criminal to visit Jordan and not venture down to Petra. Known for being one of the most recognizable "New Wonders of the World", the Petra complex is a stunning reminder of what once was in modern-day Jordan, not unlike the country's capital, Amman. I stayed at the Movenpick Petra hTue, 15 Jul 2025 00:32:38 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/i-love-oman-this-is-authentic-gulf-culturehttps://gav.land/posts/i-love-oman-this-is-authentic-gulf-cultureThe entire time, Oman and its people felt very authentic and unapologetically themselves. No skyscrapers, no influences, just a kind country with kind citizens. I can't wait to go back.Wed, 11 Jun 2025 06:10:03 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/introducing-points-credit-a-travel-focused-points-and-miles-resourcehttps://gav.land/posts/introducing-points-credit-a-travel-focused-points-and-miles-resourceI created points.credit as a resource for credit card points and miles history, as well as current and upcoming transfer bonuses.Mon, 02 Jun 2025 14:53:52 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/big-island-hawaii-i-like-turtleshttps://gav.land/posts/big-island-hawaii-i-like-turtlesIt's taken me until the age of 33 to visit our country's 50th state, Hawaii.  Well, technically, I had an overnight layover in Honolulu around 1 month prior (read more about why here), but this trip to the Big Island was my first chance at really spending a substantial amount of time in Hawaii.  We were fortunate enough to visit the Big Island for around a week in October of 2024. I had minimal expectations about the Big Island.  I knew it was the product of two volcanoes, infamous around the iWed, 07 May 2025 04:00:33 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/pictures-from-bostonhttps://gav.land/posts/pictures-from-bostonContinuing to work through the backlog of my travels last year – I can't believe it's already May, geez. Tagged along with my wife to Boston on one of her work trips. It was my first time there and I left a huge fan – it's definitely a cool city.Mon, 05 May 2025 19:50:15 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/asia-again-fall-2024-singaporehttps://gav.land/posts/asia-again-fall-2024-singaporeI visited Singapore for a few days on my trip to Asia in the Fall of 2024. Great food, great public transportation, and great hotels, but a little sterile and boring for my taste.Thu, 17 Apr 2025 17:18:58 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/kualua-lumpur-and-singapore-2024https://gav.land/posts/kualua-lumpur-and-singapore-2024Brief Kuala Lumpur visit highlighting Batu Caves, street food at Jalan Alor, and Petaling Street exploration. Enjoyed nasi lemak and teh tarik while dealing with city traffic during this three-day Malaysian stop between Japan and Singapore.Fri, 28 Mar 2025 17:42:10 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/middle-east-part-one-amman-jordanhttps://gav.land/posts/middle-east-part-one-amman-jordanFrom Oman's tranquility to Amman's energy—enjoyed bustling markets, exceptional street food at Hashem, and ancient history at the Citadel with its stunning city views. Despite regional tensions, felt completely safe experiencing Jordan's rich culture.Sat, 15 Mar 2025 19:26:45 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/my-year-in-hyatt-stays-2024https://gav.land/posts/my-year-in-hyatt-stays-2024A Hyatt Globalist's journey through 21 properties in 2024, from Chicago to Singapore. Top stays include Park Hyatt Siem Reap, Parisi Udvar Budapest, and Andaz Singapore, with luxury perks and cultural immersion across four continents.Tue, 18 Feb 2025 05:39:24 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/pictures-from-portland-and-oregonhttps://gav.land/posts/pictures-from-portland-and-oregonFirst time in Portland (actually, Oregon as a whole). We have some friends East of Portland in Hood River so we made the drive to visit them for a day.  The whole Columbia River Gorge area on the drive out was absolutely stunning. Being our first time in Portland we really weren't sure what to expect.  We initially stayed at the Hoxton in Old Town – which was pretty sad, to be honest.  Being from the Bay Area we are both very aware of squalor and homelessness, but Portland's Old Town just seemTue, 11 Feb 2025 06:03:53 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/my-year-of-flying-in-2024https://gav.land/posts/my-year-of-flying-in-20242024 was by far the most I've ever flown in a single year, and not sure I'll ever break the pure mileage either (looking like I'm on pace to break 60 flights in 2025, but not miles). I made an effort last year to travel as much as I could. I'm sure I've mentioned it elsewhere on the blog but I had a unique situation due to both being laid off (best thing to ever happen to me) as well as starting full-time contract and freelance work. It's looking like 2025 will also be a big travel year for me,Sat, 08 Feb 2025 05:42:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/the-flying-honu-first-class-on-anas-a380https://gav.land/posts/the-flying-honu-first-class-on-anas-a380 One of my bucket list flights was experiencing first class on ANA's "Flying Honu" A380. ANA owns three of these massive aircraft between Tokyo and Honolulu, each painted with unique sea turtle liveries as a tribute to Hawaii.Sun, 02 Feb 2025 04:06:01 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/asia-again-2024-yokohama-for-some-baseballhttps://gav.land/posts/asia-again-2024-yokohama-for-some-baseballFrom ANA's sea turtle-themed A380 to Cathay's 777 first class, this journey took me beyond Tokyo to discover Yokohama's passionate baseball scene.Fri, 31 Jan 2025 03:16:38 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/portugalhttps://gav.land/posts/portugalExplore Portugal's stunning Algarve region and historic Lisbon. From the beautiful Benagil Caves and pristine Marinha Beach to the charming Alfama district and iconic 25 de Abril Bridge, discover the perfect blend of coastal beauty and urban culture.Thu, 16 Jan 2025 05:11:11 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/first-time-in-buenos-aires-argentinahttps://gav.land/posts/first-time-in-buenos-aires-argentinaBuenos Aires beckons with vibrant neighborhoods, affordable gourmet steaks, and cultural gems. From tango cafes to colorful streets, this South American city offers an unforgettable blend of European charm and Argentine spirit, perfect for food lovers and urban explorers.Wed, 11 Dec 2024 03:50:09 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/our-first-time-in-atacama-desert-chilehttps://gav.land/posts/our-first-time-in-atacama-desert-chileDiscover the breathtaking landscapes of Chile's Atacama Desert, from stunning lagoons and starry nights to unique geological formations. Explore San Pedro de Atacama, enjoy incredible stargazing, and experience the contrast with a visit to Santiago's urban charm.Sat, 07 Dec 2024 14:52:38 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/asia-2024-part-iv-taiwan-nahahttps://gav.land/posts/asia-2024-part-iv-taiwan-nahaThe last leg of our Spring 2024 trip to Asia was a stint in one of my favorite countries, Taiwan. While the original plan wound up getting derailed by an earthquake (more on that later), we still spent four days in Taipei and an unexpected three in Naha, Okinawa. It was my wife's first time in Taiwan, so I was excited to show her one of my favorite cities, Taipei.  Taipei is wholly unique but I often think of it as a grittier (in a good way) Japanese city – think Osaka with motorbikes.  While tSun, 10 Nov 2024 03:30:12 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/angkor-wathttps://gav.land/posts/angkor-watI feel like I can't even begin to try and describe or give a backstory on Angkor Wat and the surrounding structures.  The Angkor Wat complex is one of the most stunning collections of ancient structures in the world and the largest religious site in the world.  What started as a Hindu temple and later transitioned into a Buddhist temple, the Angkor Wat complex is one of the most popular travel destinations in Southeast Asia. While the main focus of the area is Angkor Wat itself, the temple is sSun, 20 Oct 2024 21:42:07 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/asia-2024-part-iii-trang-an-hanoihttps://gav.land/posts/asia-2024-part-iii-trang-an-hanoiWhen visiting northern Vietnam we knew we wanted to spend time somewhere more naturally beautiful besides Hanoi.  Most travelers seem to opt for Ha Long Bay, but the thought of spending the night solely on a boat with essentially no way off gives me pause.  Often referred to "Ha Long Bay on Land", the Trang An/Tam Coc area is seemingly just as beautiful, with a lot more freedom and way, way less traveled. We left Trang An feeling like it had been the best segment of our Asia trip to that point.Fri, 04 Oct 2024 05:36:53 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/asia-2024-part-2-southern-vietnam-hcmc-can-thohttps://gav.land/posts/asia-2024-part-2-southern-vietnam-hcmc-can-thoThe Cai Rang floating market in Can Tho, Vietnam is a beautiful, photogenic, and unique part of the country. While unfortunately marred by trash, the infamous Mekong delta market is well worth a visit.Sun, 18 Aug 2024 21:23:15 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/asia-2024-part-one-hong-konghttps://gav.land/posts/asia-2024-part-one-hong-kong‼️I'm busy as hell lately—new job, traveling a lot, side projects, etc, etc. I am finding it hard to find time to really devote a few hours to writing like I want to. Posts for the foreseeable future may be a bit lighter on the narrative. Stay tuned! Hong Kong is a place that has oddly enamored me before I even discovered travel.  As a kid, I was fascinated by the now-destroyed Kowloon Walled City and loved Bruce Lee movies despite having no interest in martial arts. Fast forward 20 years and Wed, 17 Jul 2024 04:25:31 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/first-time-in-mexico-oaxaca-rules-allhttps://gav.land/posts/first-time-in-mexico-oaxaca-rules-all‼️I've got a lot of blogging to catch up on! We semi-recently made a huge trip to Southeast Asia which I'm super excited to post about but before that, we had a trip to Mexico that was fantastic and transformative for my opinion on our southern neighbor. Mexican culture is pervasive in America.  Despite growing up in the Midwest, which has a much lower density of Mexican residents than where I live now in the Bay Area, the exposure to Mexican food and culture was thankfully unavoidable. Maybe Sat, 29 Jun 2024 01:55:11 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/our-time-on-taketomi-island-okinawa-japanhttps://gav.land/posts/our-time-on-taketomi-island-okinawa-japanTaketomi Island is one of the most culturally rich places in Japan. This island is a small island in the Yaeyama Island chain within Okinawa Prefecture. Wed, 29 May 2024 03:36:14 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/hoshinoya-taketomi-island-reviewhttps://gav.land/posts/hoshinoya-taketomi-island-reviewMy partner and I were looking for somewhere special in Asia to take our honeymoon.  We considered multiple locations – Fiji, the Philippines, etc – just about anywhere tropical in Asia.  We ultimately settled on somewhere in Okinawa due to the ease of travel (we were already in Japan finishing up a trip through Tokyo, Osaka, and Hiroshima), but still wanted something more remote and secluded than the Okinawan mainland. We found the Yaeyama Islands, Japan's southernmost and westernmost islands, Sun, 04 Feb 2024 21:55:35 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/first-time-in-osaka-japanhttps://gav.land/posts/first-time-in-osaka-japanDespite this being our second trip to Japan, it was our first time visiting Tokyo's grittier cousin, Osaka.  A short Shinkansen ride from Tokyo, Osaka is often paired with Tokyo Shinsekai is a bit like Tokyo's Shinjuku, just on a much smaller scale.  While Shinsekai is much older (and presents itself in that way) you'll find much of the same kitschy stuff as you would in Shinjuku.  While Osaka itself is a little less polished and grimier than Tokyo, Shinsekai embraces that aspect a little more Sat, 20 Jan 2024 18:21:30 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/hiroshima-and-miyajima-2023https://gav.land/posts/hiroshima-and-miyajima-2023For most Americans, hearing the word "Hiroshima" elicits a singular and universal mental image that starts in elementary school.  We learn about World War II and the atomic bombs we dropped at a surprisingly early age. Despite the early association, Hiroshima isn't all A-Bomb Dome and World War II – it is a unique city with an identity stretching far back before 1945 – and Itsukushima island, the city's adjacent neighbor, is considered one of Japan's best views and natural experiences. I'll stSun, 31 Dec 2023 20:13:02 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/my-second-time-in-tokyohttps://gav.land/posts/my-second-time-in-tokyoTokyo is "the" quintessential Japanese destination – I think just about everyone would agree regardless if you've visited the country or not.  Being Asia's incredibly obvious premier city will have those effects.  Tokyo was of course ours, and probably 90% of other visitor's, jumping-off point for visiting Japan. I started our trip with the impression that you have to at least spend a few of days in Tokyo no matter if it's your first trip or your tenth – but I left our time in Tokyo holding thaSat, 18 Nov 2023 21:24:38 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/nychttps://gav.land/posts/nycThe first time we visited New York was almost a decade ago for a wedding, spending our long weekend essentially solely in Manhattan.  Manhattan serves its purpose for a first-time visitor to NYC, but we were more interested in spending less time in the tourist traps, and more time around Brooklyn for this trip. We called the Ace Hotel Brooklyn home for about a week, and it was fantastic.  I've heard a lot about the Ace Hotel properties but this was my first (my partner's second or third) time sSat, 28 Oct 2023 03:48:19 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/our-first-time-in-seattle-a-short-long-weekendhttps://gav.land/posts/our-first-time-in-seattle-a-short-long-weekendMoving out West a couple of years ago means we have an entirely new set of destinations a short flight away – gone are the days of exclusively flying to the South and Northeast for a long weekend. We decided Labor Day would be a good chance to sneak out of California and visit one of the places we've wanted to go most since being a short flight away – I personally was very curious as to how Seattle would compare to San Francisco. Staying at the Lotte Hotel in downtown Seattle, we had a great bSat, 16 Sep 2023 18:19:05 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/a-day-trip-to-pinnacles-national-parkhttps://gav.land/posts/a-day-trip-to-pinnacles-national-parkPinnacles National Park is one of the country's newest with the area formerly known as Pinnacles National Monument making the switch over in 2013, signed by President Obama. Only a 2.5-3 hour drive from the Bay Area, this park is well-known in Northern California.  It was our first time visiting the park and while it's on the small side for California's National Parks it is definitely worth a day or two if you're in the park's general vicinity. We hiked 2 trails in addition to the drive, MosesFri, 30 Jun 2023 17:58:18 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/a-days-drive-in-big-sur-californiahttps://gav.land/posts/a-days-drive-in-big-sur-california‼️I'm going to try and write a little more often, including posts about shorter trips or overall quicker things we do. I've tended to just stick to larger out-of-state or international trips to blog about but looking back I've only done about 30-40 posts in almost 8 years – more to come more often! It was my fiancé's birthday wish to spend her 31st trip around the sun in one of California's most beautiful stretches of Highway 1, the infamous Big Sur.  This was an area of Northern California thaMon, 29 May 2023 18:52:22 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/way-up-north-in-california-del-norte-countyhttps://gav.land/posts/way-up-north-in-california-del-norte-countyDel Norte County is California's northernmost county, is it worth traveling to?Fri, 12 May 2023 19:12:33 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/skull-and-roses-2023https://gav.land/posts/skull-and-roses-2023On a whim, I reached out to the Skull and Roses team via email, expecting to get denied for a media pass as I had never shot a concert (or any event for that matter).  I was pleasantly surprised to hear back from Dennis McNally of all people who for some reason thought I was worthy of a photo pass. I was both honored and excited to take my first stab at concert photography, especially at Skull and Roses.  I felt like this opportunity warranted a lens with a little more reach so I decided to renTue, 09 May 2023 03:53:22 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/southern-taiwan-in-tainan-and-xiaoliuqiuhttps://gav.land/posts/southern-taiwan-in-tainan-and-xiaoliuqiuPart 2 in a 2-part series on my trip to Taiwan, view part 1 in Taipei here! Tainan is more conservative and has a much slower pace than Taipei (although having "slow" pace in most parts of Taiwan is a misnomer), but that also means generally older and with a more established culture. Tainan was where I started my trip in Taiwan. Fresh off a two-hour high-speed rail ride from Taipei that I thought rivaled Japan's Shinkansen, I was ready to take my first real steps into the country and was thrilMon, 17 Apr 2023 01:21:39 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/taiwan-taipei-jiufen-trip-2023https://gav.land/posts/taiwan-taipei-jiufen-trip-2023Part 1 in a 2-part series on my trip to Taiwan, view part 2 in Southern Taiwan here! I began my tour of Taiwan meeting my close friend in the southern Taiwan city of Tainan.  While the southern sector of the country was fantastic (more on that soon), I was most looking forward to experiencing Taiwan's capital, Taipei, on my first trip to Taiwan.  I'm fascinated with large metropolises and Asia in general, so when those two overlap it's hard for me not to get too excited.  Taipei has so much hisMon, 13 Mar 2023 04:10:32 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/less-than-24-hours-in-copenhagenhttps://gav.land/posts/less-than-24-hours-in-copenhagenWe were fortunate enough to have a long layover in Copenhagen on the way home from Germany.Mon, 16 Jan 2023 01:47:50 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/germany-2022https://gav.land/posts/germany-2022Much like our trip to Morocco in 2019, we didn't have Germany on our minds for much time prior to booking the trip.  Honestly, it was a bit of a spur-of-the-moment decision combined with Dark Star Orchestra going on tour in Europe (more on that here) 😈.  My wife spent a good amount of time in Europe in college and spent time as an au pair in Sweden shortly after, but this was my first time in Europe sans layovers in Spain. We typically like to spend at least 2 weeks when going overseas and we Fri, 13 Jan 2023 03:45:38 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/dark-star-orchestra-in-germanyhttps://gav.land/posts/dark-star-orchestra-in-germanyI recently visited Berlin and Munich to see Dark Star Orchestra's Europe '72 tour. I showcase my thoughts and some videos for the two shows I was able to catch on the Europe '72 tour.Fri, 09 Dec 2022 03:10:34 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/alaska-2022https://gav.land/posts/alaska-2022It's been a minute since I've posted any sort of travel related stuff.  With COVID still lingering and us spending our first year in California we haven't really had the desire to do a whole lot outside of our new state. My family does a group vacation once a year (sans 2020, and 2021, of course) but Alaska was on the docket this year.  It wasn't planned until after we had already committed to Germany a mere 3 days after getting home from Alaska, so it was a major first-world problem month in SThu, 24 Nov 2022 19:48:28 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/new-beginnings-in-the-bay-areahttps://gav.land/posts/new-beginnings-in-the-bay-areaThe first time I visited San Francisco was for Dead & Company's 2019 New Year's Eve run at the tail end of 2019.  I had no idea what I was in for or that I'd be living in the same area 2 and a half years later.  Life is wild. There seemed to be so many unique things about San Francisco: the hilly and brutal landscape, the cable cars, the Golden Gate Bridge, the urban density (2nd most in the country), Chinatown (one of the largest Chinese diasporas, period) – not to mention the city's history aWed, 13 Apr 2022 23:54:43 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/dead-and-company-wrigley-deer-creek-2021https://gav.land/posts/dead-and-company-wrigley-deer-creek-2021Dead tour has been a long time coming – a very long time.  For better or for worse the COVID-19 situation has made the past year and a half fly by, it's hard to believe the last time I saw Dead and Company prior to 2021 was New Year's Eve 2019 in San Francisco. Having just moved out to the San Francisco Bay Area (more on that soon) the visit back to the Midwest was a welcome relief to some of the unfamiliarity and clutter that moving somewhere over 2000 tends to do. Dead and Company were back Sat, 30 Oct 2021 23:01:15 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/burlington-vermont-2021https://gav.land/posts/burlington-vermont-2021Ask most people about Vermont and I think the first thing that's going to come to their mind is Bernie Sanders – there's also a good chance that Bernie is the only Vermont topic that they're able to conjure up.  I can't really say that I knew too much more other than Bernie about the state prior to our visit, but after spending a little over a week in The Green State I will say it's quite possibly one of my favorite places I've had the pleasure of traveling to domestically. In between our move Thu, 02 Sep 2021 04:05:22 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/trying-my-best-to-keep-my-life-organized-a-guide-feat-the-hobonich-techohttps://gav.land/posts/trying-my-best-to-keep-my-life-organized-a-guide-feat-the-hobonich-techoA review of the 2021 Hobonichi Techo and how I use it to attempt to keep my life organized.Sat, 30 Jan 2021 00:24:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/2020-new-mexico-road-triphttps://gav.land/posts/2020-new-mexico-road-tripOur road trip through New Mexico in last 2020. Including Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Truth or Consequences, Taos, and moreMon, 26 Oct 2020 00:45:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/snowmobiling-in-yellowstone-national-parkhttps://gav.land/posts/snowmobiling-in-yellowstone-national-parkThe last couple of years my immediate and close extended family have made trips up to Yellowstone in February. While we usually ski one day (snowboarding is fucking HARD, btw) and relax another (reminder how dope hot springs are), the main attraction each time is the snowmobile tour throughout the park. While Yellowstone is apparently a clusterfuck in the warmer months with bumper-to-bumper traffic through the park, the winter is much more accessible as long as you’re not scared of the cold. ThTue, 10 Mar 2020 17:06:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/dead-and-company-new-years-2019-in-san-franciscohttps://gav.land/posts/dead-and-company-new-years-2019-in-san-franciscoThis is the furthest I've ever traveled for a Dead and Company show – about a 4 hour flight from Indianapolis to San Francisco. This was also my first time in San Francisco, or the Bay Area as a whole.  Not sure I would have normally shelled out the dough to come this far for a normal stop on a tour, but it being two days of NYE festivities combined with the birthplace of the Dead, I said fuck it and used the rest of my credit card points to buy my airline ticket. 12/30 (Night One) Even in mySun, 05 Jan 2020 18:59:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/sofubi-and-more-designercon-2019https://gav.land/posts/sofubi-and-more-designercon-2019DesignerCon, or DCon as it's more colloquially known, is an annual convention in the Los Angeles area featuring essentially any type or medium of art or tangible creations you could think of.  Having said that, my main reasoning for attending was to check out the sofubi (Japanese vinyl toys) — many of which are usually only available in Japan sans special gatherings like Dcon. The DesignerCon team was nice enough to provide me with a press pass after applying, so much appreciation to them for aThu, 28 Nov 2019 00:06:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/in-the-mountains-in-chefchaouen-morocco-2019https://gav.land/posts/in-the-mountains-in-chefchaouen-morocco-2019Chefchaouen is touted across Instagram and the internet as Morocco's "Blue City" and while the city's aesthetic is no doubt unique, it's much more than a photo opp.  Chefchaouen is located in the Northeast part of Morocco in the Rif Mountains, a lush, green sector of the country most notably popular for the upwards of 800,000 people employed within the illegal cannabis "industry". Chefchaouen is small enough to be able to walk around its entirety, but also full of everything that makes a standaSat, 08 Jun 2019 00:30:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/road-trip-around-morocco-2019https://gav.land/posts/road-trip-around-morocco-2019The first question people ask me every time this Moroccan trip has come up in conversation is, "Why Morocco?".  To be honest, my girlfriend and I didn't really expect to visit Morocco when we started thinking about our next trips.  I had heard about some places, namely Marrakech and Casablanca, but for the most part, the country itself was a mystery to me. Plane tickets from Chicago to Marrakech were expensive at USD $800+, but after some extensive research, we decided that Morocco looked increWed, 29 May 2019 23:06:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/fes-morocco-2019https://gav.land/posts/fes-morocco-2019Fes is really the place that defines Morocco, for worse or for better.  We had a killer time weaving through and getting lost in everything that one of Morocco's oldest civilizations gave to us.  Having said that, I could see how someone with a different personality could easily feel overwhelmed — but to me Fes' charm can't come without the chaos. Fes is located in the northern, more mountainous region of Morocco — a more lush green than most of what we'd seen up to that point. We checked into Thu, 23 May 2019 00:30:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/sahara-desert-in-merzouga-morocco-2019https://gav.land/posts/sahara-desert-in-merzouga-morocco-2019As if we weren't already sold on the Moroccan lodging and accommodation industry being the seemingly hardest working one in the world, Dar Hassan – located in the southern area known as Merzouga – showed us a new type of paradise in the desert. We arrived in Hassilabied (a town inside the Merzouga area, Merzouga isn't actually a city) late in the the evening, immediately in awe at the riad we were going to be staying at, Dar Hassan.  The riad provides an optional dinner for €10, which wound up Sun, 19 May 2019 23:06:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/morocco-2019-our-time-in-marrakeshhttps://gav.land/posts/morocco-2019-our-time-in-marrakeshMarrakech was probably the city I was most stoked for in Morocco (or Maroc, as it's known within the country).  I had heard the name Marrakech  through various mediums my whole life, but didn't really know much about it before researching for this trip.  While not the biggest or oldest city in Morroco, Marrakech is one of the centerpoints of Moroccan culture and tourism. We arrived at our riad, Dar Tasnime, in the afternoon, and after getting our first taste of mint tea and the extraordinary MoTue, 30 Apr 2019 23:13:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/first-time-in-tokyo-japan-by-neighborhoodhttps://gav.land/posts/first-time-in-tokyo-japan-by-neighborhoodJapan has been at the top of my travel list for years and it was an amazing and some what cathartic experience for myself to finally visit.  Tokyo specifically has been enticing me since I was a kid and first learned about Japanese culture – culture that at first glance seems to be about as different from America as you can get.  Once you get closer though, you realize that in addition to the excitement that lies in the differences, you see there is a part of the culture that feels very familiarFri, 01 Dec 2017 19:53:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/kyoto-old-japan-meets-new-japanhttps://gav.land/posts/kyoto-old-japan-meets-new-japanKyoto is probably known most for its temples and shrines, no doubt a product of Kyoto being the capital of Japan for so long.  Some of Japan's most popular and oldest historical sights are in Kyoto, and for good reason.  The city gives off an incredibly historical and attentive feeling.  Downtown Kyoto for nightlife and debauchery — shrines and suburbs for history and appreciation. Taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo, which is an experience worth doing in itself, we arrived in Kyoto in around 2 hoThu, 30 Nov 2017 21:55:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/hakone-tent-onsen-reviewhttps://gav.land/posts/hakone-tent-onsen-reviewLocated southwest of Tokyo, in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Hakone is a small-ish town located in the mountains, most known for its onsens and proximity to volcanic activity.  Famous for it's hot springs and onsens (bathing facilities), the Hakone area is a fantastic dichotomy to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo.  If you just spent 5 days in Tokyo walking your ass off and would like to get soak your body and mentally reset before the next leg of your trip, Hakone is the perfect place to do so. Wed, 22 Nov 2017 00:58:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/staying-in-shimokitazawa-tokyo-japanhttps://gav.land/posts/staying-in-shimokitazawa-tokyo-japanOne of the biggest struggles that my girlfriend and I had during our time researching everything about Tokyo was what neighborhood to stay in while in the city.  So many options, as I'm sure anyone who's traveled to the area or any massive city for that matter can attest to.  Shibuya, Koenji, and a couple others were also on the list, but eventually we decided on Shimokitazawa (Shimokita as it's commonly known). Shimokita is about 5-10 minutes West of Shibuya by railway, specifically the ODAKYUSat, 18 Nov 2017 00:30:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/fushimi-inari-taisha-kyotos-gatewayhttps://gav.land/posts/fushimi-inari-taisha-kyotos-gatewayA lot comes to mind when you think of Japan: the lights and allure of Tokyo, sushi, bullet trains, maybe even weird porn.  Having now visited and experienced Japan for a couple of weeks the incredible amount and quality of historical shrines and temples is what first comes to mind for me now.  There is one of these that stands out, though – none other than Kyoto's Fushimi Inari-taisha, colloquially referred to as Fushimi Inari. An initial clusterf*** once we arrived, my girlfriend and I quicklyThu, 16 Nov 2017 00:57:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/dead-and-company-wrigley-2017https://gav.land/posts/dead-and-company-wrigley-2017If you're a Deadhead then you're well aware that the true power and holiness of the Grateful Dead experience is deeply rooted in the band's thousands of live performances over their 30+ years touring career.  I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the second night of Dead and Company's 2 night run, their first appearance in Chicago. Thankfully the Deadheads came through – and in droves.  The surrounding streets of Wrigley Field were full of all types of merchants, selling everything from bMon, 03 Jul 2017 23:54:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/backpacking-the-nantahala-headwaters-loophttps://gav.land/posts/backpacking-the-nantahala-headwaters-loopWhen my friend and I decided to go backpacking for the first time in two years, we wanted to settle on something that would be around a three day hike for the two of us to complete.  With about an eight hour drive the furthest we were willing to travel (because fuck long car rides), somewhere in Western North Carolina was a perfect fit. The Nantahala Headwaters Loop, AKA the Standing Indian Loop, is a 25 mile trail in the Appalachian Mountains, more specifically the Nantahala National Forest.  Mon, 22 May 2017 20:39:00 GMThttps://gav.land/posts/hostel-detroit-reviewhttps://gav.land/posts/hostel-detroit-reviewHostels don't get the recognition in the U.S. that they deserve.  What a lot of people initially think of as a community cesspool of bedbugs and athlete's foot are actually incredible community-driven and well-thought-out passion projects.  If you're unfamiliar with the hostels popping up in the U.S., you can think of them as giant homes, often old apartment buildings, boarding houses, dormitories, really whatever building you can find with a suitable amount of bedrooms and bathrooms with commonSun, 27 Nov 2016 22:23:00 GMT