How To Spend An Incredible Two Weeks in Japan: A First-Timer’s Guide

Exploring Miyajima, one of the best things to do in Japan.

Without a doubt, the travel-related question I’m asked most frequently is “What should I do during my upcoming trip to Japan?” If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me this question, I could probably fund my next flight to Tokyo! Well, you asked, and we listened: hot off the press, we’ve finally written our Japan itinerary — full of glorious food, sights, and, of course, booze! Here’s how to spend an incredible two weeks in Japan.

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Midwest Weekend Getaway: The Perfect Long Weekend in Milwaukee

Lakefront Brewery is one of the best breweries in Milwaukee, and one of the best things to do in Milwaukee. #LakefrontBrewery #VisitMilwaukee

Ahh, Milwaukee: I can’t get back to this magical land of top-notch beer and mouthwatering cheese soon enough. When I visited Milwaukee last October, I felt like I had been let in on some amazing secret (but if you’re a local, you know how awesome it is already). Wondering what to do in Brew City? Here’s how to spend an incredible long weekend in Milwaukee — because with a city as great as this, having two days just won’t cut it.

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Where to Eat and Drink in São Miguel, Azores

Cocktails at Whale Watching Bar, one of the best palces to drink in Sao Miguel, Azores!

I can’t say enough positive things about the Azores. Really. Having visited São Miguel, one of the nine islands in the Azores, I can attest that this autonomous region of Portugal is as fascinating as you’ve heard. It’s a full on, head-over-heels kind of love I’ve got going on for this place, and it doesn’t show any signs of stopping.

Planning a week in São Miguel? As you’re plotting how to get to Sete Cidades or Furnas and booking tours galore, don’t forget to mark off time for São Miguel’s restaurants and bars. Need a little help? Let us help you figure out where to eat and drink in São Miguel, Azores!

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Azores Itinerary: How To Spend A Week in São Miguel, Azores

Visiting Sete Cidades is a must on your Sao Miguel, Azores itinerary!

There are certain travel destinations where I can recall exactly when and where I was when I decided I wanted to visit. The Azores is one such place: sitting on my parents’ couch in January 2009, my eyes were glued to the television screen as Anthony Bourdain navigated his way through this enigmatic archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic.

For years, visiting the Azores remained a distant dream of mine due to expensive flights with multiple stops. When I caught wind that Delta Airlines was launching a new route from New York City to the Azores in 2018, however, I was ecstatic. The inaugural nonstop flight between New York-JFK and Ponta Delgada — the largest city in the Azores — went out in May 2018, and we were on board to the islands a mere two months later.

From stunning scenery and soaking in hot springs to sampling the famous cozido das Furnas stew, here’s our epic Azores itinerary for how to spend a week in São Miguel, Azores.

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Circa Brewing Co.: Passion & Pride IPA Can Release and Drag Brunch!

Circa Brewing Co, a brewery in downtown Brooklyn, released their Passion & Pride IPA on June 22. Available while supplies last!

Very few things can get me out of bed super early on a Saturday morning: avoiding long lines at Disneyland, unexpected parades down on the street below our windows, or overly excited cats demanding food. Turns out we can add one more crucial thing to the list: Circa Brewing Co.’s Passion & Pride IPA can release.

Circa Brewing Co. released their Passion & Pride IPA last Saturday, June 22, and we got an awesome sneak peak inside the canning process. Read on to find out what the beer tastes like and why you need to pick some up ASAP!

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Winter Might Be Coming: A Review of the Museum Hack Game of Thrones Tour

Game of Thrones madness is in full swing right now. The HBO show’s eighth and final season is currently airing, with an epic series finale scheduled for May 19, 2019. Sunday night socializing has ground to a halt for us as we huddle around our television set, hanging on every word and concocting new conspiracy theories.

But what if you’re itching to get your Westeros fix on the other six days of the week? Or what if your significant other keeps repeating “Winter is coming” and you think he’s crazy because it’s summer now, that fool? Whether you’re a hardcore fan or have no clue what a White Walker is, here’s why you’ll want to head to NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art for the Museum Hack Game of Thrones-inspired tour.

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How To Spend An Incredible Weekend in Pacific Grove, CA

Walking along the beach in Asilomar us is part of how to have an incredible weekend in Pacific Grove, CA.

Pacific Grove is one of my favorite places in the entire world. Sure, loving Pacific Grove is easy ’cause it’s beautiful, but it’s more than that. Pacific Grove is a small town with an even larger heart, where locals’ pride in their institutions and their history swells just like the ocean that surrounds it. It’s full of gorgeous coastal landscapes, creative cuisine, and charming Victorian-style houses. And, most importantly, it’s the one place where I truly feel at home.

From exploring its scenic beauty to devouring local food and drink, here’s how to spend an incredible weekend in Pacific Grove.

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Why Classic Harbor Line’s Cocoa and Carols Cruise Is The Perfect NYC Holiday Experience

I’ll let you in on a secret: prior to this year, we didn’t have any New York City holiday traditions. Typically, Mr. Five O’Clock and I spend the last two weeks of December in California (and the first two rushing around wrapping up last-minute assignments and purchasing zany holiday gifts), so the festive air and holiday cheer tends to pass us by.

Not so this year. Our fabulous, NYC-savvy friends Lynn and Justin of Mad Hatters NYC invited us to carol the night away on Classic Harbor Line’s Cocoa and Carols cruise, and it was a true holiday offer we couldn’t refuse. Here’s why the Cocoa and Carols cruise is the perfect New York City activity for the holidays.

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RISE Brewing Co.: The Nitro Cold Brew Coffee Company You Need to Know

Listen, as your average New Yorker, the ritual of morning coffee (and, let’s face it, afternoon coffee) has become deeply ingrained into my everyday life. And just like airlines who proudly proclaim at the end of a flight, “We know you have many choices when you fly, so thanks for flying Airline XYZ,” I know that you have A TON of options when you need your cup o’ joe — whether you’re zipping into a coffee shop or purchasing it at the grocery store to drink at home.

I mean, I used to order at the Starbucks near my old office in Times Square purely out of convenience. (Nothing against ’em, I just found myself on autopilot after four years.) But now that I work remotely, we’ve started to up our coffee game in the same way that we care about cocktails, beer, and wine.

Enter RISE Brewing Co., whose nitro cold brew coffee has become my on-the-go coffee of choice. With its current roundup of coffee cocktail collaborations across the country and delicious products, here is why it’s going to be your next coffee obsession.

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The Communion: Cha McCoy’s Wine Pairing Series You Don’t Want to Miss

It’s happened to the best of us at one point or another: you’re perusing the wine list in a restaurant, only to discover that you don’t know a thing about any of the wines listed. Languedoc-Roussillon? Gewürztraminer? Blaufränkisch? What is this gibberish? Help!!

Enter The Communion, Cha McCoy’s unpretentious pop-up wine pairing series. The events, which are all about demystifying wines and pairing them with local cuisine, have been garnering serious buzz: she’s recently been featured in Food & Wine and New York Magazine.

I had the good fortune to attend one of her events in Québec City at the Women in Travel Summit this May, and can safely say I came away from The Communion armed with lasting memories and new friends. Here’s why you, too, need to grab a seat at the table.

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