THE ANTI TOURIST

To a lot of people, the thought of crawling in the pitch black hundreds of feet below the earth doesn’t really sound appealing. Caving is a dirty, dangerous sport. And I love it.

I ventured out to Laurel Caverns in western Pennsylvania this past weekend for my first, but certainly not last, caving adventure. I swelled with excitement as the guide explained to my group that rescue would take up to 12 hours–should anything go wrong on our expedition. I stared down at my map, trying to envision what all of those miles of passage ways underground actually were like. Decked out in clothing head to toe, a hard hat, multiple flash lights, and a very heavy back pack, I started my trip through the caverns with eight other fearless souls.

The first part of the trip was easy. It was well lit and stairs were built into the rock. This was the section that most people came through. Those are the people sensible enough not to go hiking through small spaces 47 stories down into the dirt. As I climbed and crawled away from the lights, the blackness increased as the temperature did just the opposite. I thought of that horrible movie, ‘The Descent’, as I scurried over the huge rocks. Would there be monsters living in the pits of these caves like there were in that movie? I didn’t know, but I didn’t care.

All of the fallen rocks everywhere should have alarmed me. I mean, they obviously fell…proving that the rocks above my head (and all around me) were very capable of falling…but I marched on, unphased. (more…)

After a few trips backpacking through Europe I finally took heed of other travelers insistence that I, “go to Slovenia.”  Slovenia, and more particularly its capital Ljubljana, was rumored to be, “magical,” “inspiring,” and, “like Prague only cheaper, with better markets and hardly any tourists.”  So when I found a thirty dollar Easy jet ticket from London in the middle of February – not the best time to go by the way, unless you enjoy the exciting possibility of frostbite – I thought “fuck it,” and packed my bag.
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Tucked away in the Garden District of New Orleans, on an unexpecting residential block amidst centuries old antibellum mansions, lays Jamila’s- one of my all time favorite restaurants of all cities I’ve visited (thus far). A Tunisian treasure, operated by Tunisian husband and wife: Muncif and Jamila, the overall experience is enchanting.

For those who are unfamiliar with Tunisia, it is a North African country, next door to Lybia and Algeria, and residing on the Mediterranean Sea, so the cuisine is very much Mediterranean, serving traditional dishes with ingredients such as couscous, lamb, fish and seafood, and an array of vegetables, all of which is handcrafted by Jamila in traditional preparation- including cooking the meats in clay pots. (more…)

Heading due east out of Bellingham, Washington is one of the most amazing scenic byways in the country — Washington State Route 542, affectionately known as the Mt. Baker Highway.  This two-lane thoroughfare undulates and meanders its way some 57-miles into the Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest before ending at the Mt. Baker ski area parking lot.  The twists, turns, ups, and downs of the road allow brief glimpses of the snow covered 10,778 foot escarpment of Mt. Baker and its accompanying glaciers.  However, just when you are beginning to become awestruck by the majesty of this monolith, the road doglegs amongst the foothills and the pine forests and the view becomes obstructed. (more…)

The person snapping this photo for us (a fellow Goat Hill customer waiting to be seated), said with mild odium as he handed back the camera, “You just want street cred, huh?”  Well, if my reputation on the streets of San Francisco can be built by gorging on cheap pizza, then I will willingly strive for local infamy.  I disagree with this guy’s opinion of the place anyway.  Though Goat Hill Pizza is clearly a neighborhood favorite, I doubt it is well known the city over, even by long-time locals.  True, Monday nights you’ll find a moderate crowd gathered outside the front door, but should the restaurant be of such high repute, I’d imagine locals swarming the place in higher numbers.  Now I don’t mean to say Goat Hill is not deserving of such swarms, especially on Monday nights, when you pay only $10.95 for all-you-can-eat pizza and salad.  The salad is served buffet style, but the pizza is served like Dim Sum by the friendliest staff in town.  And though pepperoni and cheese pizza is available, you’ll see plenty of unconventional toppings: feta, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, scallions, red onions, chicken, anchovies, and even clams. (more…)

Whether you’re in the hip WIlliamsburg of New York City or Silver Lake of Los Angeles, you probably know the drill: there are a lot of cool things to do in these neighborhoods, but more often than not, you have to dig through layers and layers of too-cool-for-school pretension to uncover these fabulous things. Luckily, Tantra restaurant on Sunset Blvd. in Silver Lake stands out like a sore thumb-and I mean that in the most endearing of ways.

This terrific Indian restaurant shows its beauty before you even enter. The gorgeous architecture catches your eye and encourages you to at least entertain the idea of having Tantra serve you a meal. If you’re anywhere in Los Angeles, I’d suggest you listen to that encouragement and take a seat in Tantra.
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Back in March, 2008, I went on a little spring break vacation to Chicago, Illinois. When you hear the word Chicago, also known as “The Windy City”, some thoughts that come to mind are The Sears Tower, or Millennium Park. These are both fun and popular places to visit while in the city, but there is one place that I think more people should know about. The Alley, located on 3228 North Clark Street, is one of the most interesting clothing stores that I have ever set foot in. With it’s big black and silver sign on top of the door, it’s pretty hard to miss! When you first walk into The Alley, you may be a bit confused. It looks like you just entered one of the biggest leather shops of all time! But don’t get too nervous, just keep walking! Once you pass that part of the store, you will go down a few steps and find a room full of T-shirts. Pick one that is already pre-made, or pick out a design and get it printed on any kind of shirt you want! (more…)

The trouble with traveling is finding that balance between seeking cultural immersion and indulging in vacation luxuries.  Often, the two are mutually exclusive, particularly if you classify yourself an anti-tourist.  It’s not that places like Hawaii, Cancun, and Majorca don’t appeal to us, it’s that we know these places have sacrificed native customs for glittering hotels, cheap baubles, and overpriced (sometimes even chain) restaurants.  Jamaica—a quick, affordable flight from Miami—is among the ranks of these sellout vacation hotspots.  But in Negril, one man has managed to reconcile the divide between local and visiting populations.  His name is Randy, founder of La Bella Italia Ice Cream.  His shop provides three primary services: ice cream, internet, and air conditioning, essential survival tools for the modern vacationer. (more…)

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Perhaps my favorite bar in all of the Big Apple lays on a quaint end of West 3rd in the heart of Greenwich Village- Fat Black Pussycat. Having been to a myriad of bars in the city, it’s unusual to pinpoint a singular favorite, a place that’s so perfect that I’ve often had fantasies (and close-calls) of driving 8 hours just to indulge in a Fat Black Pussycat craving, but this place, in my opinion, is a perfect 10.

Having three very distinctively different rooms, the bar is sure to appease whichever state of mind you come equipped with. The front room, formerly Kettle of Fish, is a traditional English-style pub with old wooden, high-back booths, dartboards, and a bar sticky with the plethora of international beers available on tap.  The bottle list is also internationally friendly offering tasty beers ranging from French (Kronenbourg) to Brazilian (Xingu). They’re very forthcoming with their servings as well- beers are served in a multitude of sizes, but my favorite is the heavy round glass (that’s unfortunately too large to fit into any clutch I may bring with me). (more…)