12 Amazing Cities I've Visited, Part One

“All cities are alike.” I have heard this from countless nomads and frequent travelers, people who spend months on the road or city-hop every other day. After a while, they say, all the cities start to blur together. 

Since I haven’t traveled as much as some people I know, I’ve been spared that jadedness. While many cities (and practically all suburbs) are generic, several of them still stand out in my mind as amazing, and unique, places. Hence, I’m creating this list.

Although I’ve often been referred to as “the world traveler” among my acquaintances, my travels have not been that extensive. While I have spent considerable time on the road the past three years, I keep on returning to the same places— namely the west coast. Bear that in mind as you read my list of 12 of my favorite cities. For instance, I’ve never been to any of the New England cities, and I haven’t visited Chicago or Atlanta for long enough to pass judgement. To avoid driving myself crazy with the order, I’m arranging them by date I visited them as a traveler, from oldest to most recent. Here goes.

12. St. Louis, Missouri. No, this isn’t cheating! Although I tell outsiders that I’m “from St. Louis,” I actually live in a separate county, so it still counts as “visiting.” It really is an amazing town. I love it for the turn-of-the-century architecture, City Museum, Forest Park, and the ridiculous amounts of free stuff (I’ve blogged about the Zoo, but the Art Museum is fantastic, too). 

11. Seattle, Washington. I fell in love with this sound-side city the moment I stepped off the plane. Breezy and glassy, it’s one of my favorite places on earth. The Pike Place Market, Space Needle, and ferry system are all worth checking out, but my favorite thing to do is just walk around the city, gawk at the architecture, chill in the library, or take a hike down the waterfront. (Hostel recommendation: The Green Tortoise is great.)

10. San Francisco, California. For all my fangirl-love of Seattle, cities really don’t get much better than San Fran. With pristine buildings, a ridiculously scenic coastline, dozens of fascinating sights around the city, and, of course, the Golden Gate Bridge, it’s a place you could stay for a week and never think of getting bored. (Hostel recommendation: Fisherman’s Wharf HI Hostel has a great location for a reasonable price.)

9. San Diego, California. Imagine a small laid-back beach town full of surfers, fishermen, and wealthy people with oceanfront homes. Turn it into a city, and that’s San Diego. This town boasts great weather and beautiful flowers all years long. Different parts of the area have different feels, from the surfer-hipster district of Ocean Beach to the wealthy golden-sand tourist trap of Coronado Island. With tidepools, great restaurants, Balboa Park, and a swingin’ downtown, this city is a place that my sister is happy to call home. (Hostel recommendation: Point Loma HI Hostel doesn’t have the best location, but it’s one of the nicest and friendliest hostels I’ve ever visited.)

Part Two of Three is coming tomorrow!

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Where to Go: Nine Sisters, California

When I told people in California that I was from St. Louis, everyone automatically assumed that I meant San Luis Obispo, located on the coast about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. For that reason, and because there was a hostel there, I decided to visit the town as part of my California Hostel Tour in February of 2010. 

In doing so, I discovering uniquely gorgeous countryside— as well as a string of nine volcanic peaks and hills known as “Nine Sisters” or “The Morros.” I only got to actively hike one, but I walked a 20-mile stretch of highway beside them, ending at the bay, where the final sister rose directly out of the water. The views are still vivid in my mind, intense with green grass and yellow wildflowers. And the hikes in this area are some of the best I’ve ever taken.

Why you should go: The incredible countryside between San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay is best viewed from these peaks. The hikes are not Midwest-level easy, but they are manageable for even a Missourian like myself. 

How to get there: This helpful site has detailed directions for several different hikes all around the area.

What to bring: Good shoes, comfy clothes (with layers), water and snacks. I also highly recommend taking along a camera and binoculars.

What to do: Hike! If you want to do something else as well, take a drive along Cabrillo Highway, and visit the charming downtown of San Luis Obispo and the touristy but fun waterfront district of Morro Bay. 

What else you need to know: You can either stick to the paths or brave the boulders at the top of each hill for better views. Just watch your step, or you may end up back on the plain sooner than you think!

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Where to Go: Marin Headlands International Hostel

Zach chillin' in the common room

This hostel is not on my top five list, but it’s certainly one of the best locations I’ve ever visited, perched atop a hill on the wild slopes of California coast just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco.

Why you should go: This hostel is the ideal place to relax, enjoy the scenery, and get some five-star views for a one-star price. 

How to get there: Ideally, use a car, but they also include bus directions on their website.

What to bring: In addition to your baggage and credit card, don’t forget a $10 cash key deposit, hiking gear, tasty food to cook, and a friendly attitude.

What to do: The hostel has a game room (ping pong, pool, and foosball), a large common room with no shortage of board games and books (as well as a piano), and a full kitchen. But that’s only for the evenings— spend your day out hiking in the picturesque countryside, losing yourself in the foggy hills or having a picnic by the ocean. There are hikes of varying difficulty levels, and lots of amazing views for not much effort.

What else you need to know: It’s not the most “happening” hostel in the world, but it’s clean, comfortable, and ideally located. Take a break from the hustle and bustle and enjoy some time on the California coast!

You can take "scenic photos" like this, too.

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Where Should I Go? (My Top Five Hostels, Part Two)

How is this the only picture
I have of this hostel?

More awesome places for you to check out…

3. Hostelling International (HI)— Monterey, California

Location: You’ll find this hostel in a city a few hours south of San Francisco. It perches on the edge of the tourist district, an easy walk to the picturesque beaches.

Best perks: The kitchen and common room are fantastic. The cupboards are stocked with spices, and they have a huge free-leftovers bin in the fridge. The common room is equipped with big comfy couches, coffee table books, percussion instruments of many kinds, and a piano. 

What else you need to know: The rooms are nothing special, so plan on spending your time in the common room. You can either blend into the background and get work done or actively meet people and socialize— the room is big enough to accommodate both.

My favorite memory there: One night I played piano (with the help of a handy fakebook) while a couple of French women played percussion and sang and a Dutch man and one of the American staff played their guitars. We sang songs in three different languages until almost midnight.

In a nutshell: The hostel is a great starting point for visiting this fun beach town. Go out exploring all day, and come home to a fun atmosphere in the evening.

Yay San Diego!

2. HI— Point Loma, San Diego, California

Location: You’ll find this welcoming hostel in a residential neighborhood to the west of San Diego proper. It’s easily accessible from the airport, and within a couple miles of Ocean Beach.

Best perks: This is one of the friendliest hostels I’ve ever visited, as well as the only hostel I’ve visited more than once. The staff will go out of their way to talk to you, and the smaller common room and TV lounge encourage people to meet up and talk. The rooms are cozy and decorated in different themes. Also, there’s a hammock and ping-pong table on the back patio and a piano and pet lizard in the common room. What more could you ask for?

What else you need to know: You can eat a free pancake breakfast every day (with toppings such as blueberries and chocolate chips), and pay your pocket change for oatmeal and eggs. Free coffee, tea, and hot chocolate abound. Stump’s Family Market nearby is a great place to grab some groceries, but if you’d rather leave it up to someone else, you can pay $5 for a hearty communal dinner any night of the week.

My favorite memory there: I stayed up until 4:30 in the morning having an intense conversation with two strangers about history, life, travel, heartbreak, work, love and God. I felt so refreshed and encouraged after that conversation that I hardly felt tired the next day after three hours of sleep.

In a nutshell: Friendly, beachy, and laid-back, Point Loma’s hostel is a great place for a low-cost vacation, any time of the year.

I don't even know what the streamers are for, but they're cool.

1. Everglades International Hostel, Florida City, Florida

Location: In the middle of a nothin’ neighborhood in a nothin’ town, about 10 miles from the northern entrance of the Everglades National Park, you will discover a hidden gem.

Best perks: Where do I even begin? The owners of this hostel took an ordinary building and transformed it into a fairyland. The rooms are painted with murals and different themes. Outside the building, you’ll find a garden designed by someone young at heart: several rope swings, a treehouse with a tightrope, a clay bread oven, a tent with pillows and hookah pipes available, a waterfall and small pool you can wade in, and a gazebo with a flat roof for stargazing, filled on the inside with couches, pillows, and percussion instruments. You’ll also find a separate building for the kitchen and the TV room, as well as a small lounge with a piano. The community at the hostel is strong, and you’ll often find well over a dozen people from all over the world sitting around a campfire, drinking beer and socializing.

What else you need to know: The hostel leads expeditions into the Everglades National Park, for an additional fee. There are no lockers in the rooms, so if you’re paranoid about your valuables, leave them with the front desk. There is a free pancake breakfast in the morning and $5 communal meals almost every night. The bunks are more expensive than the average hostel, but I can’t emphasize how much it’s worth it. If you’re on a tighter budget, try camping: they will let you pitch a tent in the garden for a cheaper price. Between November and March, you can pay a smaller fee to just “crash” anywhere you can find room to sleep (treehouse, anyone?).

My favorite memory there: I went swimming in the pool with my friend Charlotte, played a dice game at a picnic table with a group of international travelers, and then sunbathed in the garden while eating fresh starfruit. My family back home in Missouri was buried in snow. I felt vaguely guilty.

In a nutshell: This hostel is a destination in and of itself. If you ever find yourself near Miami, make the effort to visit this wonderful place. You’ll be glad you did.

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Where Should I Go? (My Top Five Hostels, Part One)

Announcing my new “column:” The Traveling Mandolin’s “Where Should I Go?” (I know, it’s catchy, right? I made it up all by myself.) Every week (probably on Thursday), I’ll write about a place that’s worth visiting. Since I’m kicking off the series, I’m giving you five. 

Having always been a budget traveler, I’ve only once had enough money to stay at a hotel. I didn’t like it. I felt lonely, isolated, and paranoid most of the time. Fortunately, I discovered hostels, and my travels were never the same again.

Here’s a list of my favorite hostels, which I highly recommend, should you ever get a chance to visit them. You’ll notice that three of the five are in California. This is for two reasons: one, there are a lot of hostels in California. Two, I spent a month visiting the different hostels up the coast one time. I’ve never visited the hostels in the Midwest or New England, so my experience is limited. Now, without further ado, I give you My Top Five Hostels, Part One!

The view out the window is awesome.

5. Green Tortoise Hostel, Seattle, Washington

Location: You’ll find the Tortoise in the upper story of a building directly across from the Pike Place Market, within easy walking distance of everything along the waterfront.

Best perks: The bunks are luxurious, with personal lamps and curtains that you can draw. When I visited they even made the bed for me, which is unusual at a hostel! They have free communal dinners three times a week, and a free breakfast every morning, plus tons of events to participate in (mostly involving booze, but also walking tours and the like). Sometimes there are volunteer opportunities that let you work for a few hours in exchange for a free night.

What else you need to know: This place charges a heftier fee than most hostels, but considering the privacy and the amount of food you consume, it’s totally worth it. Also be sure to have $20 cash for a deposit that you receive back after your stay. Participate in the events if you really want to meet people.

My favorite memory there: I volunteered to wash dishes for supper, and the other volunteer was a slight 18-year old kid. During our conversation, I learned that he had just spent the past 14 months traveling all over the world, everywhere from Eastern Europe to South America. Stunned, I asked him what had inspired him to take such an amazing adventure. He just shrugged and said, “My girlfriend dumped me.”

In a nutshell: The Green Tortoise has a chill atmosphere, great amenities and an international crowd of all ages. If you’re visiting Seattle on a budget, this is a fantastic option!

4. Hostelling International (HI)— Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco, California

And this hostel has cannons!

Location: This hostel is part of a renovated systems of forts, in a state park called Fort Mason. Step outside the front door, and you’ll see the San Francisco Bay— with the Golden Gate Bridge to your left and the island of Alcatraz directly ahead. A short walk takes you to the Fisherman’s Wharf tourist district.

Best perks: This hostel is relatively peaceful, and is surrounded by beautiful scenery including the park, a nice view of the skyline, a community garden, and beaches. They have free breakfast in the mornings as well as a café where you can cheaply purchase snacks for the day.

What else you need to know: The rooms are pretty spartan and host several people at a time, so plan on bringing earplugs. Because it’s such a big hostel, you have to be especially extroverted to make contact with other people. 

My favorite memory there: My sister Mary and I ate breakfast with two Taiwanese sisters who had lived in Argentina for most of their lives. It turned out they were Christians, too, and gave us a lot of encouragement about our upcoming trip. I’m friends with them on Facebook to this day.

In a nutshell: If you want to visit San Francisco without staying at one of the noisy downtown hostels, give this place a try. I love its scenic quality and its easy access to anywhere in San Fran.

Tomorrow, I’ll give you Part Two. In the meantime, what are some of your favorite places to stay?

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Travel Tip Tuesdays: 9 Tips for Meeting People on the Road

“How can I meet people when I’m traveling?”

Some people can go for days or weeks without exchanging more than a few words with their fellow man. I am not one of those people. Having grown up in a family of six, I’m used to constant interaction, and I feel jittery and lonely if I’m by myself for too long. When I travel solo, communication with strangers is essential. Even when I’m not traveling by myself, it’s still awesome! Here are nine tips to get you started.

Join Couchsurfing. Even if you don’t actually surf at someone’s house, you can search for locals who want to hang out and show you their city.

Hostel buddies! (She even let me crash
at her house later on in my trip.)

Stay at a hostel instead of a hotel. You don’t have to stay in a dorm— get a private room, then spend time in the common area, cook meals in the shared kitchen, and introduce yourself to the people you see. 

Wear a really big backpack. Everybody asks about it.

Dress like a tourist. This may not work so well overseas, but in America, there will always be people like me who think tourists are adorable and go out of their way to speak to these cute creatures.

Be open to outside conversation. This is much easier if you’re traveling by yourself, especially if you’re female, but it applies to everyone. If you’re sitting in a café totally absorbed in a conversation with your travel partner, no one will approach you. If you and your buddy are walking down the street with open expressions, greeting everyone who passes with something more meaningful than, “Hi,” you’re on the right track.

Compliment people on their dogs and their babies. If you’re a dog-owner or a mom or dad, bring it up at every opportunity to people who obviously have common ground.

Ask friendly-looking people for travel advice. “Excuse me, I’m new in this city. Could you tell me the best place to get breakfast around here?” (Ask people who will not think you’re hitting on them.)

Just beware of statues asking for a kiss.

Genuinely listen to people. Actually, this is a good tip no matter who you’re talking to. Some folks will actually want to hear about where you’re traveling, but most just want to give you advice or tell you about their own exploits. And, let’s face it, oftentimes people have traveled a lot more than you have!

Dance— anywhere, anytime, especially when there are a lot of people around. Click your heels. Pretend to be a statue. Take a bow. Be goofy. You’re with a bunch of new people anyway. What do you have to lose?

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Have a travel question? Leave a comment and I’ll answer!

Travel Tip Tuesdays: Safety Tips for a Hostel

“How do you stay safe in a hostel?”

Four-star luxury hotel? Nope. Chuck Testa.
(I mean, the Downtown Hostel in Sacramento, CA.)

The word “hostel” often evokes terrified reactions (mostly from people whose experience is limited to that one stupid movie). Who would ever choose to stay in one of these thief-and-rapist-infested houses of horror? The other common reaction is a look of confusion and a comment about hospitals. I always sigh sadly at both reactions, because it means that the person I’m talking to has never experienced this wonderful kind of accommodation.

These cheaper alternatives to hotels let you pay about $20-$35 a night for a bed in a dorm-style room, often located in the hearts of downtowns or scenic vistas. I’ve stayed in almost a dozen hostels during my travels, and I never found a bad one. Some people seem to think that all hostels are hotbeds of crime and prostitution, but this simply isn’t true. Here are three tips for having a safe hostel experience.

Do your research. First, find a hostel through Hostelling International, or Google-search “hostels in [place you’re going].” In the era of the World Wide Web, no hostel can run a prostitute ring and keep it a secret. Look up “[Hostel name] reviews” and look at third-party sites (tripadvisor.com is my favorite) that let anybody comment on their experience. These reviews are often broken down into categories such as safety, location, cleanliness and friendliness. Pay attention to the dates: be sure you’re looking at the most recent reviews. If eight dozen people from all over the globe give a hostel a glowing review, chances are you won’t get axe-murdered in your bed.

It's hard to get much cooler than a lighthouse complex
that's been turned in a hostel! (Point Montara, CA)

Choose your room carefully. A hostel may be clean and safe, but it might not be the kind of place you want to crash! If you’re a hardcore partier, don’t stay at an HI hostel, which are all alcohol-free. If you would rather sit and quietly read a book, stay away from the party hostels. Again, look at the reviews. (If a hostel is mentioned in several reviews as “boring,” I often find that a point in its favor.) Hostels generally have gender-specific dorm rooms, as well as co-ed dorms and private rooms. Co-ed rooms are notorious for hook-ups, so if you want a good night’s sleep, it’s best to stay in a room with your own gender. If you want a guaranteed good night’s sleep, get a private room.

Note: When you book a room, be sure to call the hostel for specific guidelines. Some are exclusively for youths, and some United States hostels don’t accept Americans, as my poor sister found out when she went to California.

Have some common sense. Don’t leave valuables beside your bed, keep your wallet and passport with you, and make use of the lockers that most hostels have (bring your own lock or rent one from the hostel). If one of your roommates has a creepy vibe, feel free to ask to be moved to a different dorm. Talk to each of your roommates when you see them: this will give you a feel for their personalities and how much you can depend on them. If you have seven roommates and six of them are good people, they will look out for you if the seventh turns out to be a thief. Hostels thrive on an atmosphere of mutual trust, so find the honest people and be their friend.

I love the Pike Place Market in Seattle, and the
Green Tortoise Hostel is right across the street!

I can’t say enough good things about hostels: I love the sense of community and the dozens of new and interesting people you can meet there. Next time you’re traveling, give hostels a try— you might be glad you did!

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A Picture of Food

I just finished processing a bunch of produce that was languishing in my family’s fridge. I chopped and froze peppers, cut the brown spots out of cauliflower, and put the grapes on a bowl on the table so somebody will actually eat them. It got me thinking about food, and I realized that I have a photo habit even greater than my duck obsession: taking pictures of my food.

Consider this breakfast at Shari’s that a friend’s parents bought for me in Roseburg, Oregon.

I ordered this ensemble at a fast-food joint in Salt Lake City called “Greek Souvlaki No. 1.”

Mary and I made this tasteless pasta when we were staying at the Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel (the ocean view was more than worth the lack of accessible groceries).

This isn’t actually my food— but I got the next size down at Fat Smitty’s in Port Townsend, Washington.

I had my first panini at Village Books in Fairhaven, Washington.

And seriously, if you’re going to eat hot dogs in Hollywood, you have to take a picture of them.

Sometimes when I look back at my travel pictures, it seems silly that I’m taking pictures of food. And yet, there are entrees that I miss: the ratatouille the two French women made for me in Monterey; the Easter dinner I cooked for the L’s in Utah last year; the giant “mancakes” that I fried for my friends at the Everglades Hostel every morning. I guess that seeing the pictures brings back memories, just like anything else. You don’t always have to have a scenic background or a goofy face to take you back to a place you’ve been.

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Have a travel question? Leave a comment and I'll answer!

Travel Tip Tuesdays: Traveling Solo

“How do you stand traveling alone?”

People ask me this question for a variety of reasons. Some people are scared by the prospect of traveling solo; some are intrigued; some don’t see why anyone would want to. 

For my reasons to travel by myself, see this article. The phrase “traveling alone” doesn’t really apply, because I’m rarely alone. Between couchsurfing, staying at hostels, and doing help exchange on farms and in families, I’m constantly surrounded by people. The question is, how would someone go about trying a solo trip?

Kayaking in the Florida Keys with some hostelling friends

Sign up for couchsurfing and/or find a hostel network. Couchsurfing and Hostelling International have both been essential to me on my solo journeys. If you don’t feel comfortable crashing at a stranger’s house, give a hostel a try— you can stay in a dorm bed or get a private room. Hostel common rooms are often outfitted with books, musical instruments, board games and comfy couches. People are very open at most hostels, so don’t be shy to introduce yourself. You might find yourself drinking beer with a group of Germans, discussing philosophy with a Brazilian and a Swede, or making pancakes for Belgians. Whether you’re surfing or hostelling, you’ll get to meet awesome people who have visited the four corners of the earth. I have yet to meet a boring host or hosteler.

Choose a destination that has some good solo activities. If you have gobs of free time each day, you’ll want to fill it in a way you enjoy. My idea of a fun day is walking and hiking around the city, picnicking in the park, chatting with people on the bus, and returning to the hostel to cook a big meal with whoever else happens to be in the common kitchen. You might enjoy beachcombing, city exploring, riding a tour bus or people-watching. For more social activities, like wine tasting or rock-climbing, try to find some other travelers who will do it with you. You can usually meet someone at a hostel, and couchsurfing.org has resources to help you find people who are willing to come along with you in your adventure.

At Zion Canyon in Utah with my couchsurfing family

If you’re an introvert, learn to reach out. If you’re an extrovert, learn to enjoy being with yourself. I’m an extrovert, so my biggest challenge was learning to enjoy my travels by myself. It was easier than I thought, and I realized the benefit of inhabiting my own space for a while, experiencing things solo rather than as part of a group. For the introverts out there, traveling solo is the easiest time and place to reach out to other people. Travelers at a hostel or couchsurfing hosts don’t often small-talk: you might be discussing global economics or humanist philosophy within a few minutes of meeting them. No matter your personality, traveling solo makes you more available to other people, and you can stretch your mind and meet interesting people you’ll remember forever. 

If you have fear about traveling solo, just take the leap. If you’re intrigued by it, give it a shot. Even a weekend trip to a nearby city could give you memories to last a lifetime.

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What are your travel questions? Leave a comment and I'll answer them!