A 44-year old Minnesota man named Mike Hanson will set out tomorrow to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, which is of course always a major undertaking for any hiker. But in Hanson’s case, it is an even more formidable challenge considering he has been blind since birth, and will navigate all 2174 miles of the AT through the use of a GPS device.
The Appalachian Trail is considered one of the true classic long distance treks by backpackers the world over. Running from Maine to Georgia, while crossing through New Hampshire, Vermont, and a dozen other states, the Trail offers everything from steep mountain passes to beautiful open meadows and gorgeous alpine valleys, complete with rushing rivers. By all accounts, it is an amazingly scenic hike from end-to-end. Of course, none of that will matter to Mike, who won’t see any of those backcountry vistas while he makes the hike.
Hanson will use a special GPS device that connects to his cellphone, and he hits the trail with it already programmed with all of his waypoints, including sources of water, campsites, shelters, and more. With all of that data in place, he’ll be able to hike confidently knowing where he is in relation to those places at any time. To make things even easier, the device will actually talk to him in a computer generated voice, keeping him updated on his progress. A high capacity 32-hour battery will help keep the GPS powered at all times.Mike says he intends to average about 15 miles per day, which means it should take him approximately seven months to reach Mount Katahdin’s Baxter Peak, the trail head for the AT in Maine. He will also stop in a town once a week in order to restock his food supply and pick up any gear items that he might possibly need.
The blind hiker won’t be alone on this trek however, as he’ll be accompanied by filmmaker Gary Steffens, who will document the entire hike. Steffens says that he won’t do any of the navigating along the way, and that he’ll simply follow Hanson up the trail, capturing every moment of the hike.
Mike says that he is making this journey to prove that the visually impaired are still able to lead full, independent lives and are far more capable than many people believe. If successful, he will become the first blind man to make the trek by navigating it himself. You can find out more about Mike on his website and follow his progress on his Facebook page.
For many years I have been talking — dreaming — about writing a book called Café du Monde. The book would be a collection off some two dozen essays, each one set in a different café around the world. The underlying notion would be my long-held (and repeatedly confirmed, latte by latte, croissant by flaky croissant) belief that spending a few hours in a café and really closely observing, absorbing, the small world there can inimitably illuminate the larger world around it. My plan would be to choose one great café in two dozen locations – Paris, Tokyo, Venice, Cairo, Istanbul, for example – and plant myself there for a few hours over a few days, and watch and listen and write. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?
So it seemed appropriate to make my Gadling debut with a piece about a café. And I couldn’t think of a better café to begin with — and in — than the Caffe Strada in Berkeley, right across from the UC Berkeley campus at the corner of College and Bancroft avenues.
The Strada is appropriate partly because it’s one of my favorite cafes in the world, and especially because it’s the very place where I sat and composed ninety percent of my book Travel Writing, a how-to guide in which I tried to compress everything I’d learned in a quarter century as a travel writer and editor. When I was writing that book, I came here three or four days a week, installed myself at a table, fanned notes and journals around me, and climbed the mountain of my manuscript, sentence by sentence, chapter by chapter.
The Strada was the perfect setting for such an endeavor. The cafe’s L-shaped terrace wraps around the corner of Bancroft and College. On cool days I’d sit on the Bancroft side, paralleling the campus, where twenty-some tables are set under a high ceiling graced by a fanciful, globe-lamped wooden chandelier for inspiration and two powerful heat lamps for warmth. On really cold days I’d park myself at one of the dozen indoor tables, where classical music fills the air. And on sun-warmed days like today, I’d sit on the College-side terrace, under the flowering boughs of plum trees, whose white petals drift down like snowflakes on this late February morning.
Inside, the Strada is simple and spare. In a space roughly 60 feet by 40 feet, a friendly foursome presides behind a cedilla-shaped counter. Wooden panels mounted on the wall behind the main counter serve as menu, showing a standard selection of coffees and teas, milk, hot chocolate, cider and the specialty I always order: the Strada biancha mocha, a creamy confection that injects just the right mind-jolting mix of caffeine and sugar. This main area, where orders are taken and cash handed over (no credit cards, please), displays croissants, scones, pastries and madeleines, with baskets of apples, bananas and fruit cups for the health-conscious. More ambitious concoctions – chocolate and carrot cakes, banana cream pie, cheesecake – are showcased on the left. If you’d prefer more substantial fare, there’s a ham and cheese croissant. That’s it – no fancy sandwiches or salads. One doesn’t stop at the Strada for the food.
The Strada is an extension of the university without being the university. That’s why it was the perfect place to write a guide to travel writing – a profession that essentially brings the classroom into the world and transcribes the lessons of the world-as-classroom.
Or at least, I don’t. I come here because I love the cafe’s convivial community of students, professors, and professionals – plus the quartet of people I have come to think of as “the residents,” who seem to be here whenever I come, whatever the hour or weather. I come here because at this very moment in one corner a tweedy professor is lecturing on archeology while six students scribble intently in their notebooks, and in another an editor for a school publication is summarizing the fine points of editing for a new copy editor. I come here because at 10 am gaggles of undergrads are huddling over tea and laptops preparing group reports, teaching assistants are dissecting papers with earnest English majors, professors are breaking bagels with colleagues, and sweet, slow-paced couples are perusing the Times over steaming lattes.
An hour ago, students paraded past on their way to class, spanning the spectrum from just-got-out-of-the-shower to never-made-it-to-bed. An hour or two from now, cops and postal workers will gobble croissants on coffee breaks, and city maintenance workers will devour danishes and crack jokes. Members of fraternities and sororities will evaluate anxious pledges, jotting notes in ring binders; foreign students will cluster with their compatriots, creating a mellifluous music of French, Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin, Italian and Korean; awkward seniors in suits and ties will interview for internships; and club leaders will commandeer tables to sell their groups to prospective members.
The Strada is an extension of the university without being the university. That’s why it was the perfect place to write a guide to travel writing – a profession that essentially brings the classroom into the world and transcribes the lessons of the world-as-classroom. The atmosphere of intense inquiry still sizzles here just as it does on the campus across the street, but the Strada is also a bridge to the town beyond the gown, a place where office workers stop by for an americano on their way to work and suburban spouses bring their kids for cupcakes and lemonade in the afternoon. Sealing its appeal, the Strada spans coasts too, commingling east coast intellectualism with west coast hedonism – two poles that are integral to my own Connecticut-meets-California make-up.
Over the years, the Strada has come to feel like a second home to me. I like the way the terrace’s leafy boughs filter the sunlight; I like the comforting cosmopolitan chatter, the combination of marble bundt cake and biancha mocha, the easy mix of old and young. I like the staffers who always have a smile. And on a springy day in February, I like luxuriating under the plum petals reading Paul Theroux and Peter Hessler, tapping on my laptop, and occasionally glancing up to watch the unceasing stream of students surging by in sweatshirts and blue jeans, t-shirts and thigh-high skirts. They hug and laugh and banter about classes, parties, what they did for dinner last night, where they’re going for spring break. The air is infused with their innocent energy.
I love the optimism that pervades this place, an optimism I still associate with Berkeley as a whole, even in this cynical age. I sit on this sun-dappled stage and think: There is so much still to be learned, so many adventures still to come. The world looms large.
On a fine February day, the possibilities bloom like plum blossoms on the terrace at the Strada cafe.
The hottest new development in Las Vegas, City Center, is in the midst of a rolling opening this year, a sprawling glass and steel complex in the heart of the south strip. Among the most recent additions is Aria, an MGM hotel and casino billed as chic luxury. Gadling stopped by for a look last month.
In 2010, we’re at the point in hotel design where oversight is just not made. Rooms, environments and features – especially at an MGM property — are all engineered to suit a target demographic, and any missing or superfluous facet is as such for a reason. Aria’s rooms and hotel strike me as perfectly engineered for my friend Bruce’s mom.
The rooms, to start, are gorgeous, well appointed (and stocked,) clean, wood and white, with very tasteful art, floor to ceiling windows, automatic curtains and enough digital gadgetry to make any technophile dance with glee. Perhaps the best part of the room is the digital control that rests on the nightstand between the beds, a touch screen from where lights, curtains, music and television can be coordinated.
%Gallery-86682% It is a handy but clumsy and slow interface, with frequent delays in response, breaks in communication and the occasional curse word. One accustomed to the speed of an iPod touch or iPhone, for example, might feel frustrated at the speed of the interface, while those less familiar with the technology will likely be more patient. That said, its novelty is outstanding, and once calibrated to its idiosyncrasies, most users should be happy.
A connectivity panel further enhances the multimedia capability of the room, with space to plug in HDMI, RCA, mini-jacks and to also charge USB devices. Once connected, it’s reported that external devices can be controlled through the bedside touch panel, though we were unable to locate cables to connect our iPhone.
And speaking of iPhones, AT&T reception at City Center is atrocious. Whether this is by design or because there is too much bandwidth strain in the area is unclear, but it’s something to keep in mind in case you have an important call to make.
Inside of the sprawling first-floor casino, trademarks of the standard MGM properties are apparent, a semicircular floor with satellite drinking and entertainment establishments scattered about, clean, well integrated design and generally smooth flow. Pursuant to their apparent targeted demographic, a steady, mid volume stream of adult contemporary music is pumped through the public areas (of note, Sarah McLachlan, Shawn Colvin, Rob Thomas,) enough to get a mid-life pair of vacationers in the mood for white wine or maybe make a teenager cry. And though we were unable to participate in much of the food, drink and nightlife options, the $24 morning buffet was delicious, well attended and refreshing, with rays of sun reflecting in from an adjacent courtyard.
It is these glimpses of sunlight that are perhaps my favorite part of the Aria Hotel and City Center in general, a real contrast to much of the Las Vegas architecture of the 90’s. With numerous angles, glass and mirrors, the entire campus seems to glow with energy, from the luxury mall on one shoulder to the well appointed (free) art gallery on the other. For these reasons its at least worth walking through the complex to absorb the grandeur.
Some hotels consider their pool to be the only way to entertain younger guests. Homewood suites by Hilton takes welcoming kids one step further by being the only chain in the world to publish a line of children’s books.
The books revolve around the adventures of an adorable wood duck called Lewis. In the books, you join Lewis on his trips. Not only are the books really well written and illustrated – they are also educational. In the first book, “Lewis the Duck and his long trip”, kids learn about hotels and how to locate a Homewood Suites (look for the duck!). In the newest book, “Lewis the Duck goes to Canada”, kids learn about our neighbors to the north.
The books are available in the “Suite Shop” at Homewood Suites properties, or online at the fantastic Lewistheduck.com. At that site, kids can also play a Lewis the Duck game or create their own Lewis luggage tag. The books cost $7.99.
One cute fact I learned – the books are written by the global head of Homewood Suites brand management – Bill Duncan. As we mentioned earlier this week, Homewood Suites are a great pick for families traveling with kids, and being able to read to your kids from a Homewood Suites may make their trip even more enjoyable.
Deciding on a top ten list of anything is usually pretty difficult. Unless you’re talking about, say, the top ten numbers one through ten… narrowing down and choosing only ten of whatever often takes a great deal of effort.
When it comes to the world of beer, with the vast array of choices out there, things become extremely problematic. Luckily, choosing ten of the best cities in which to drink a beer isn’t quite so difficult. While there are no definitive answers to the best places in the world to sip a brew — and beer culture in certain areas changes from year to year — there are certain cities that deserve special attention. In no particular order, here are 24 outstanding beer cities you should definitely try to visit with your mate — or your bar mate.
Portland, Oregon, USA
Portland is a beer lover’s paradise. Often referred to as “Beervana” or “Beertown,” the city boasts a collection of production breweries and brewpubs totaling a whopping 31 — more breweries per capita than any other city in the world.
Well-known craft breweries Widmer Brothers and Pyramid call Portland home, as does near-cult status brewery Hair of the Dog, and popular craft breweries Rogue Ales and Deschutes Brewery operate brewpubs practically around the corner from one another. In addition to such a proliferation of great brewing operations, Portland is fairly well-regarded for its beer culture and gastronomy, making the city’s title of “Beervana” difficult to refute.
Brussels, Belgium If Portland is leading America in the fine art of beer gastronomy, Brussels is certainly leading the way in Europe. While its sister to the south, France, is content with basking in the fame of the grape, Belgium has taken on the glory of the grain. The country is world-renowned for its unique beer specialties, many of which use spontaneous fermentation by wild yeasts and bacteria, and there’s no better place to enjoy Belgium’s famed beers and Cuisine à la Bière than its capital city, Brussels. However, if you’re looking for a “beer vacation,” be sure to check out this essential guide to Belgian breweries by region.
San Francisco, California, USA For any lover of American craft beer, San Francisco could be considered the Mecca of the American beer world. It was here that Fritz Maytag purchased the floundering Anchor Steam Brewery in the mid-1960s, reviving not only the brewery but several near-extinct beer styles, and re-introduced Americans to styles like Barleywine, Winter Warmer and IPA.
It’s no surprise, then, that San Francisco is thought of by many as the birthplace of the “craft beer revolution” in America, with Maytag the founding father. Maytag and his brewery are still churning out popular beers today, alongside many of the other breweries and brewpubs that have sprouted up, such as the popular 21st Amendment Brewery.
Bamberg, Germany No guide to good beer locale can truly be complete without the inclusion of Germany’s historic city Bamberg. The city, located in the Franconia region of Bavaria, survived Allied bombings in the Second World War, and its Altstadt is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In Köln, Germany, Kobes (waiters) in the city’s Brauereien, keep the 200ml glasses (Stangen) coming until you signal you’re finished by placing a coaster over your drinking vessel.
But the city’s biggest attraction for beer lovers: it’s traditional specialty Rauchbier, or smoke beer, which uses malt dried over beechwood fires. The beer takes on a deep smoky flavor that pairs perfectly with smoked dishes, and nowhere can this specialty be enjoyed fresher or in greater quantity than in its historic hometown.
Dublin, Ireland Brewed and imbibed the world over, the prototypical Irish stout was first brewed up in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James’s Gate, Dublin. The brewery celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2009, having been founded in 1759 when Arthur signed a 9,000-year lease for the spot at St. James’s Gate. While every batch of Guinness stout brewed around the world uses a little of the original, visitors to Dublin know that it’s best consumed at the source, served up from a cask at one of the city’s classic pubs.
Köln (Cologne), Germany Cologne is another one of Germany’s cities with its own special beer tradition: Here it’sKölsch, a pale, subtle top-fermented ale that drinks as easily as a light lager. Perhaps it’s because it goes down so well that theKobes, waiters in the city’s various Brauereien, keep the small 200ml glasses (called Stangen) coming until you signal you are finished by placing a coaster over your drinking vessel.
And because Kölsch is protected by an appellation, the city is the only place in the world to truly enjoy this delicacy, and to enjoy it fresh at that.
Atlanta, Georgia, USA Though the American South lagged for quite some time behind the rest of the country in embracing craft beer, it’s catching up quickly. Next to Asheville, perhaps the greatest city in the South in which to enjoy beer is Georgia’s capital, Atlanta.
Two award-winning production breweries operate in the city, Atlanta Brewing Company and Sweetwater, and brewpubs and great beer bars are scattered throughout. But for a real treat? Head to Decatur, where you’ll find one of the nation’s premier beer bars, the Brick Store Pub. Here you’ll find constantly-rotating taps, a second bar dedicated to Belgian beer, an extensive bottle list, and a wonderfully eclectic, beery atmosphere.
München (Munich), Germany
Not to mention Munichin a list of great cities in which to drink beer would be like leaving hops out of the libation — sure, it can be done, but it just wouldn’t seem right.
Though the traditional beer culture in many of Germany’s cities seems to be slowly withering away, the famous beer halls of Munich’s Altstadt, especially the (in)famous Hofbräuhaus, provide a jovial atmosphere full of kitschy charm stoked by huge liter mugs of beer freshly brewed on-premises. Then there is what is undoubtedly the most famous marriage-ceremony-turned-beer-festival in the world, the annual Oktoberfest celebration. Sure, there may be some cities in the world better-suited than Munich in which to enjoy beer, but there are none more well-equipped for drinking it.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Alcohol isn’t the drug most associated with Amsterdam, but maybe it should be. Because of its central location, the Netherlands capital is practically overflowing with English and Belgian beers. It’s also got cobblestone streets, scenic waterway views and beer bikes. Wait, beer bikes? Yep, in Amsterdam you can rent a bicycle that fits 10 to 20 people – and a full bar. So you can do your sightseeing and beer-guzzling at the same time.
Asheville, North Carolina, USA
Underdog Asheville beat out brew king Portland in a battle for “Beer City USA” in 2009 and some Pacific Northwesterners will never forgive them. But they should. Along with a big city-worthy music scene, a drop-dead-gorgeous mountain backdrop and good old southern hospitality, Asheville has one brewery for every 10,000 of its citizens, including the rocking Highland Brewing Company. That puts it right at Portland’s heels with the second most breweries per capita in the U.S.
Boston has a history rich in both rebellion and beer drinking. Heck, the rebellion may have started with beer drinking, as colonists met in taverns to plot against the English.
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Boston has a history rich in both rebellion and beer drinking. Heck, the rebellion may have started with beer drinking, as colonists met in the taverns to plot against the English. Some of those old bars still stand today, like the historic Green Dragon and the Warren Tavern, the oldest tavern in the state.
After the Revolution, Boston saw a surge of Irish immigrants – and Irish pubs, many of which are still pouring Guinness. But Beantown’s culture of revolution isn’t stuck in the past. Boston kicked off the microbrewery trend with one of the country’s first craft brews, Samuel Adams.
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
As arguably the most European city in North America, Montreal boasts brew houses that resemble British pubs and French taverns and beers that rival the best Irish stouts and Belgian wheats. At Le Cheval Blanc, the city’s oldest brewpub, try a Canadian specialty like a maple or cranberry ale. Also like Europe, Montreal patrons like to stay out late – most bars don’t open until late afternoon and stay open well into the wee hours of the morning.
San Diego, California, USA A sunny, semi-tropical paradise where serious craft brewers mingle with Corona-swigging surfers, San Diego was named the country’s top beer city by Men’s Journal. There are a mind-boggling 24 breweries mentioned on the San Diego Brewers Guild’s Web site. One such brewer, Green Flash, is named for the phenomena purported to appear over the horizon at sunset as you sit sipping a cold one and noshing on fish tacos.
Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
The Rockies don’t just taste like Coors anymore, thanks to a certain broken bicycle. Before it swept the nation, New Belgium Brewery’s toasty amber Fat Tire was dreamed up in a Fort Collins basement. Host of the Colorado Brewer’s Festival, where else can you swig brews from up-and-comers like Big Horn Brewing Company (home of the Buttface Amber Ale), tour the first wind-powered brewery and also visit the home of the country’s most famous beer maker, Anheuser Busch Brewery, all while surrounded by Old West storefronts and purple mountain’s majesty?
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
It can get cold in Wisconsin. Real cold. Fortunately, Cheeseheads have a history of warming their spirits with beer, wine and spirits. Like many U.S. cities, Madison has seen a rush of microbreweries in recent years, like Ale Asylum and The Great Dane Brewing Company. But lest you think the progressive college town’s suds scene is getting snooty, remember you’re in a state where sports bars still outnumber gastropubs by a long shot. Wisconsinites drink beer because it’s their state mascot, because of their region’s deep German roots and because, well, they really like beer.
Portland, Maine, USA Portland is home to six microbreweries, including the award-winning Shipyard Brewery. Gritty McDuff’s in-house restaurant features outside seating which is dog-friendly. The state as a whole is home to a tremendous number of craft breweries, creating a beer culture that runs through the taps of the finest restaurants and the coolers of the simplest convenience stores. Be sure to pick up a six-pack to enjoy on the Casco Bay Lines sunset cruise, which allows discreet imbibing.
San Antonio, Texas, USA
With its pedestrian-friendly climate and the Tex-Mex cuisine that invites pairing with good beer, the Riverwalk of San Antonio is a great city for beer drinking. Whether sitting and sipping beer while people watching, or strolling after sampling the offerings at any of the local brew pubs, the beauty and beer of San Antonio make a combination not be missed.
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
In New Orleans, it’s not unusual to find great beer deals, such as “buy one get three free”; you can save enough on beer to cover your flight and hotel.
Nawlins is the undisputed home of amazing food, great music and parties that never end. The Quarter is the center of all of this. To-go cups are common, making it easy to continue the party as the mood motivates movement. It is not unusual to find great beer deals, such as “buy one get three free”; you can save enough on beer to cover flight and your hotel in a heartbeat.
And let’s be honest, even if The Big Easy weren’t that awesome, the city would still make this list, thanks exclusively to the incredible Abita Brewery.
Key West, Florida, USA
Key West has “end of the world syndrome.” As the Southernmost point of the North American continent — and home to the country’s southernmost brewery — Key West boasts an eclectic group of locals and visitors, which translates to a (nearly) judgment-free zone. It is also another one of the few places where beer is offered in to-go cups, allowing you to wander the streets and sample the music in any of the open-air venues before committing to going in to any one of them.
Seattle, Washington, USA
Seattle is also known for having a bit of the “end of the world” syndrome. While the climate is not as bad as it is reputed to be, it is not quite as welcoming as that of Key West. Regardless, the weather is more than compensated for by the music and microbrew culture. Seattle itself is home to a slew of brew pubs and six breweries, including the now bi-coastal Red Hook Brewery.
Burlington, Vermont, USA There is much to be said for the atmosphere of a college town. It doesn’t fit the pattern of “end of the world” syndrome, but it still has an atmosphere of acceptance. Even better, Burlington is strongly influenced by the presence of Magic Hat Brewery (located in nearby South Burlington) and is host to the annual Vermont Brewers Festival. Located on the banks of Lake Champlain and surrounded by Vermont’s trademark mountains, Burlington is a perfect beer-love nest.
Northampton, Massachusetts, USA
NoHo, as locals call it, is far from your average college town. Local schools range from the University of Massachusetts to two of the Seven Sisters. You will be hard-pressed to find an establishment that doesn’t have at least one beer you’ve never tried, with plenty of street performers to entertain you from site to site. A short drive will take you from the city’s center to the Northampton Brewery and restaurant to cap off your visit.
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Every city on this list celebrates its beers. To that end, Baltimore hosts Baltimore Beer Week, which, appropriately, is a ten day celebration. The city proper boasts several breweries, and the bars in town pride themselves on the variety of craft beers on tap. Just remember that when the bartender calls you “Hon,” it’s not flirting – it’s just the city’s trademark hospitality.
— The above was written by Cate Kulak, Seed contributor.
If you’ve been counting, you’ll see we’ve only listed 23 cities. So what happened to City Number 24? Well, we meant to include 24, but when we looked over our research, some of our <burp> notes were too hard to read. So we’ll just close with this: whatever city you’re in, enjoying with friends or family and a cold beer — that’s the 24th city on the list.