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borkingbarnes · 4 years

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50 questions!

Thank you for the tag @buckyland! You are literally the softest angel and I have mega amounts of love for you. 💗💗

Putting a Keep Reading bar bc its a lil long aha

1. What is the colour of your hairbrush? Black and red. Though I can't really brush my hair bc brushed out wavy/curly hair = hella frizz :/

2. Name a food you never ever eat. Olives, bell peppers, Brussel sprouts.

3. Are you typically too warm or too cold? Too cold. Always too cold, considering I live in a barren wasteland.

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? jamming out in the shower lol

5. What is your favourite candy bar? Hershey’s cookies and cream 😍

6. Have you ever been to a professional sports game? I think a professional hockey game when I was in elementary??

7. What is the last thing you said out loud? “what the fuck is this shit?” (directed at my final exam review)

8. What is your favourite ice cream? Vanilla or oreo!

9. What was the last thing you had to drink? Cofy. 💜

10. Do you like your wallet? Yes!! It was a gift from Christmas!

11. What was the last thing you ate? a singular sunflower seed that was on my desk lol

12. Did you buy any new clothes last weekend? No, I’m not a huge fan of buying clothes if I can't try it on first. However... this hoodie from UO is speaking to me but its so. frickin. expensive.

13. The last sporting event you watched? I think a men’s semi-finals volleyball match against UBC that hosted at my uni years ago? I had a huge crush on our setter at the time LOL

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? butter or caramel.

15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? A text to my bf ranting about how the government will only allow me to get 1 month of BC at a time (before you could get 3-6 months worth at a time), which is fucked bc it just means more trips out??

16. Ever go camping? Yes!! Hoping to go this summer if everything clears up by then.

17. Do you take vitamins? Occasionally, if I open the cupboard and see it. But only the fruity chewable ones bc they're yummy lol

18. Do you go to church every Sunday? No. But my one of my friends does and he was supposed to send in a video of him playing some song for his church’s Easter service bc he’s got a degree in music and just overall v good at his instrument. His brother streaked through in the background of said video. He still sent it in. The church played it for the service. akljsldkj

19. Do you have a tan? No, she long faded :(

20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza? yes. 100% yes. gimme some of that good good sweet and sour pork ANY day.

21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? I don't drink soda lol

22. What color socks do you usually wear? Those multicoloured Puma ones which everyone has that you can get in a bundle from Costco are all I wear 😂

23. Do you ever drive above the speed limit? I usually go like 5 km/h above?

24. What terrifies you? Failure, not getting anywhere in life, being trapped, losing my mom and grandparents, got reaching my goals.

25. Look to your left, what do you see? The disarray that is my unmade bed

26. What chore do you hate most? Dishes.

27. What do you think of when you hear an Australian accent? lol its terrible but they could literally be saying anything but my brain will immediately go “DEOWN UNDAHH”

28. What’s your favorite soda? I don't like soda, but will on a rare occasion take a sip of coke or sprite if my bf is drinking it.

29. Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive? Drive-thru 100%. I will avoid humans as much as possible lol that and im too lazy to get out of the car most of the time 😅

30. What is your favourite number? 8, 38!

31. Who’s the last person you talked to? Like face to face? I guess me mum?

32. Favourite cut of beef? T-bone 😍

33. Last song you listened to? Atlas - Luke Christopher (very fitting for the current times if you ask me, and just overall one of my all time favs.)

34. Last book you read? The mind-numbing bullshit that is my textbook.

35. Favourite day of the week? Saturdaze

36. Can you say the alphabet backwards? No. I have 1 braincell, and she is not able to complete such an extensive task.

37. How do you like your coffee? A good old double double if hot, but I quite enjoy a vanilla iced cofy.

38. Favourite pair of shoes? My black Nike running shoes in general, my black Timberlands in winter, and my black suede Chelsea boots for a more dressy look! (I enjoy wearing the colour black if you couldn't tell😂)

39. The time you normally get up? If I don't have any obligations: 10:30-11:30 😅

40. What do you prefer, sunrise or sunsets? Give me ALL the sunsets.

41. How many blankets on your bed? 3. I am a cold, cold child.

42. Describe your kitchen plates. White, square ones?

43. Describe your kitchen at the moment? Littered with papers and writing utensils because my brother does his homework at the dinner table

44. Do you have a favourite alcoholic drink? Caesars with Walter’s caesar mix 😍😍 Daiquiris are also yum! AND PINA COLADAS.

45. Do you play cards? I play uno almost everyday on my phone LOL (hit me up if you wanna play together!!)

46. What colour is your car? Gray

47. Can you change a tire? I don’t think so? Though I know the basics?

48. Your favourite state? Tranquil. At peace. Basically how I feel when I’m floating on my back in water with the sun on my face. If its US states then I haven't been too too many, but I absolutely adored Florida because of DisneyWorld. I also have some really good memories in Illinois

49. Favourite job you’ve had? I still have this job but a vet assistant!

50. How did you get your biggest scar? lol. ha im embarrassed. buckle up and prepare for story time. it’s kinda gory(?) so don't read if you don't like that stuff!!

Box jumps in high school (we had a proper actual gym with weights and machines and stuff). I took my glasses off (idk why I decided to workout in glasses instead of contacts?) bc they kept sliding down every time I jumped. Mind you my prescription is like -5.50 and I have astigmatism so my depth perception is like non-existent without some sort of corrective lenses. But my half blind, non depth perceiving ass was like eh how bad can it be? Well it was VERY bad!! I completely misjudged how high I needed to jump (the box was on the highest side) and basically slammed my shin against the edge of the box (its wooden and very solid!!) and the weight of the rest of my body plus gravity caused my shin to dig and scrape against the edge of the box v deep on the way down. Idk if it was bone or what but there was definitely something flat and whitish in the deepest part?? Nothing broken luckily, but it hurt like a bitch. Found a first aid kit and bandaged myself up and limped around the whole day. Years later, there's still a longish scar and it’s indented along it.

I also have a fading but quite large scar from road burn when my friend decided it would be funny to push me super fast just out of the blue while I was sitting on a skateboard and not stop me when I started teetering. I was wearing shorts and basically scraped my thigh and part of my butt against concrete. It was painful as fuck and didnt heal for a long time bc it was such a large surface area. I was P I S S E D.

lol thanks for reading if you’ve gotten this far! Tagging some beautiful peeps if y'all want: @evanstar @fightmewiatch @jalapenobarnes @buckthegrump @tropicalcap @sgtjbuccky

#tag game

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heartists · 5 years

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zoey’s cat hierarchy.

cat pokémon, like real cats, have a solid and well-defined pecking order in any community they form. this encompasses both big and small cats, intact and fixed cats, dead and alive cats--if there’s more than one cat on a team, you can bet they’ve formed a ranking. in human-owned clowders, dominance is usually determined by how well a cat does in matches compared with the rest of its teammates; there are occasionally individual spats for dominance, but that’s more important in feral clowders. dominance affects things that we humans would consider petty, such as who gets to eat in what order, who gets to play with what toys first and who gets to sit where in the house. but dominance also affects things that humans would consider important, such as self-respect and propriety of behavior.

the rank of zoey’s cats are as follows.

1. ZOEY

surprise! you thought i was going to start with an actual cat, weren’t you? well, in her feline’s eyes, she’s not merely the lowly human they’ve trained to serve--she’s one of them. just as owen grady is the alpha of his velociraptor pack, zoey is the alpha of her clowder. by no means is she the only human who is viewed this way: being seen as lesser is fine if you just want to keep the cat as a pet, but to get a cat to listen to you in battle, you have to convince them that you are a leader, not a servant.

this keeps her accountable, as any being’s position as alpha cat depends almost entirely on their competence. character of course is a must--an alpha cat that nobody likes won’t stay in power for long--but the nicest trainer in the world won’t do if they are a poor leader. unlike dogs, cats are predisposed to be skeptical, self-interested and assertive about their beliefs; this means that unlike a dog’s loyalty, a cat’s loyalty is always conditional. if following you is no longer a good deal--whether you make stupid mistakes in battle or suddenly start treating your cat like dirt--then the deal is off.

2. GLAMEOW

as the cat nearest and dearest to zoey’s heart, this feisty feline naturally takes the beta spot. she is the de facto leader of the ying cat tribe, second only to zoey when the trainer gives commands on the field. for the most part, zoey lets glameow run the clowder how she wants; she’s noticed that even after accepting a human alpha, cats prefer to settle issues within their own species. glameow is bold and assertive, and isn’t stepping down anytime soon. as zoey’s longest, most consistent companion, and one of her strongest and smartest, she has more than earned her position of top cat--and she knows.

3. MISMAGIUS

he’s by far the oldest cat on zoey’s team--he was a luxray who served her father as a military pokémon, and spends much of his time reverted to his past life form. in times past, glameow tried to defer to him as the beta--many people think she was zoey’s first cat, but in reality, her love of cats started with him. he commands a position of extreme respect among all of zoey’s pokémon as a war vet who fought team galactic and died in the line of service.

there’s one major reason why mismagius isn’t the beta still, even though he’s by far the strongest pokémon on zoey’s team: his guilt. once upon a time, he’d stayed faithfully by zoey’s father’s side through the earliest parts of his current trainer’s childhood; he served as her father’s primary support for his war trauma, and zoey has vague memories of his comforting presence, both in mismagius and luxray form. but as team galactic activity in snowpoint grew worse, he found living there more and more unbearable--it was a trigger for him. eventually he decided that it took such a toll on him, he had to leave the city for his own mental health. too ashamed to admit he was leaving, he instead quietly snuck out at night without even a word to the family he loved, leaving a devastated PTSD-wracked father and his sobbing child behind. he became zoey’s pokémon years later to make amends, and even though he was forgiven by both parties, he still feels like his behavior shows that he doesn’t deserve to be beta.

4. ESPEON

this cat was low on the ranking of felines as an eevee, having formerly been one of zoey’s weakest pokémon. but a while after she evolved, she and zoey learned a technique straight from chinese meditative practices that made her toweringly OP: the calm mind god technique, which you can read about here and here. subsequently believing herself capable of defeating any opponent, she developed a god copmlex and challenged glameow for supremacy over the group. when glameow defeated her, she was forced to accept it…for the time being. she’s biding her time, watching for weaknesses, waiting for the right moment to claim what she thinks is rightfully hers. truth be told, however, she’d be a piss-poor leader: she thinks that the others are inherently beneath her, which rankles with her teammates’ feline pride--no alpha cat ever lasted long who had that attitude, because cats--unlike dogs--simply won’t put up with it.

5. PYROAR

born blind and seemingly without a hope of making it in battle, zoey’s half-vaporeon hybrid pyroar quickly rose up the ranks to become one of her most successful pokémon. he’s like a water-type toph, capable of sensing movements through sent and air or water currents. he used to take fifth spot, but with a series of recent wins he outpaced froslass in terms of his success rate, allowing him to advance up the ladder. he’s complacent with where he is right now, and has no intention of challenging for dominance--he feels like he’s earned a high rank through his strength and prowess, but feels that taking a spot from mismagius or glameow would be overstepping his bounds.

6. LEAFEON

though one would think that she’d outrank pyroar due to her seniority compared with him, leafeon is actually content to be where she is right now. she’s in a friendly competition with pyroar to see who can score the most wins, but if she loses, it’s no skin off her back. really, being the dominant cat on the block was never a priority to her; she’s just content to lay in the sun and photosynthesize. and yeah, sometimes she has to yield her spot to a higher-ranking cat, but when that happens she just shrugs and moves elsewhere.

7. FROSLASS

the ghost sister of zoey’s glameow, froslass is eternally bitter that her sibling lived while she died--and she’s also eternally bitter about her place in the pecking order in general. she believes she deserves to be beta, even alpha, even though her win record compared with those of the cats above her says otherwise.

her low ranking also has to do with her personality. she’s literally had beef with every single other cat on this list; if she challenged for dominance, at least one of them would back up the cat she challenges. she constantly guilt-trips zoey and glameow for attention, and if glameow leaves her alone for even a MOMENT when she’s needy froslass tells her that she isn’t being a good sister. she’s said that leafeon is the weakest one among them and should be at the bottom, and to the shock and horror of all those who love leafeon, has attacked her for the sake of beating her up. hell, she even pissed off klefki, who never fights with anybody. the last straw came when she insulted mismagius’ record as a war hero, saying that anyone who fought and died for a human cause was nothing but a fool who deserved to get shot. this opinion would actually be popular among many cats if you look in the right places--but this is not so among zoey’s cats, as they were raised by someone from a military family.

even though froslass thinks she deserves to be beta, no cat will follow a leader that they think is unjust. unless she changes her behavior, she’s pretty much shot her chances.

8. KLEFKI

by all accounts, they shouldn’t be here. when they use the calm mind god technique, their strength actually exceeds espeon’s due to the fact that they aren’t corporeal, rather a disembodied spirit of a sylveon that zoey trapped in a set of keys. however, like leafeon, klefki is incredibly laid-back and doesn’t give a fucking shit about who is top cat. all they care about is constantly honing their ability to play pranks on zoey, and perhaps someday find a clever excuse to leave her leadership.

9. PERSIAN

this newcomer to the squad could probably claw her way up the ranks in no time due to her aggressiveness and ambition, but like all newcomers to any clowder, she starts at the very bottom. try telling that to her, though. she doesn’t know the meaning of “know your place,” and when she tries to boss around the higher-ranking cats she gets all pissy when they don’t obey. she lacks nothing in terms of power, but she has yet to figure out that advancing oneself in a clowder depends on one’s personality as well. cats are stereotyped by humans (and dogs) to be assholes, but the truth is, cats have a zero tolerance policy of assholish behavior among their own kind and anyone who exhibits it is roundly punished. it’s a lesson that zoey and her pokémon are all too willing to teach.

#headcanon. || ZOEY

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bloodelves88 · 5 years

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Trip to Taipei/Hualien/Taichung/Puli, Taiwan (Part 6)

Part 1 here (Hualien). Part 2 here (Taipei). Part 3 here (Taipei). Part 4 here (Taichung/Puli). Part 5 here (Puli).

Day 7

Day 7. The last full day of this trip. It’s a long day today, waking up at 8am in Puli, and ending up in Taipei.

We went to A-bao again for breakfast. We didn’t eat there though. We took out our food and ate at the bus station. This time, I got a beef burger. It’s not too bad, it’s what you’d expect out of an above average beef burger.

I also bought soya milk, which was again, diluted and terrible. I threw it away after drinking half of it.

We reached the farm around 9:45am. The farm is at the mountain top, so the wind is really cool and nice. But because the sun was up, there was the uncomfortable hot-cold feeling which I really dislike.

The first area is a food area. We would be coming back here for lunch later.

We bought the day pass tickets, which were NT$200 each.

The person selling tickets told us there was going to be a Equestrian show soon at 10:45am, so we headed there first. Along the way, we saw a shop with bees flying all over freely.

You can’t see the bees in the picture, but there’s easily a hundred bees flying all over the entrance of the shop. Eek.

The view from the mountain top. Glorious.

Sheep! Watch out for poop on the ground.

Horse!

The equestrian show stage. We were 13 minutes early and fortunate enough to find some seats in the shade.

The emcee.

A clown and his pony. This was the starting act. He cycled on a unicycle first, asking the audience to throw some balls for him to catch with a net on a pole. Then he divided the audience into three sections, asking us to clap after he clapped. For example, if he clapped twice, then we would clap twice after he clapped.

Sounds dull, but being a clown and entertainer, he did it really well. Very amusing 😆

Then they moved on to a long segment of people performing stunts with their horses. It involved them standing on the horse, hanging upside down off the side of the horse, planking on the horse, getting off the horse onto the floor and jumping back on, and various other stunts. Later on a guy with a whip would stand in the middle of the ring, always staring at the horse and occasionally whipping the ground. It’s really loud. I guess it’s to scare the horses into submission or something? I have no idea.

After all that, there was a photo taking session. You lined up in front of the horses and you could take pictures with them. The red boxes are for you to put money in if you want. I went to take a picture with the pony and the rightmost horse.

Then, we continued our explorations in the farm. We continued the path, which eventually led to the 487 step trail. It’s just a staircase with 487 steps. Fortunately we were going down.

Made it to the end! My right shoe at the hole in the cloth near the front. I have no idea when or how it appeared.

Unfortunately, the area to the left of the equestrian show stage has nothing worth seeing. After going down the 487 steps, we were left rather far from the area we started off from. The nice way back was an elevated, side of the mountain trail which cost NT$50 to enter, so we decided to walk on the road for cars instead. Really bad idea, in hindsight. It was hot, there was nothing nice to look at, the cars sometimes came uncomfortably close, and sometimes where were plants in the way. Icky.

We started walking up around 12pm, and reached the starting area at around 12:30pm. We decided to have lunch at the area with stalls I showed earlier.

After ordering, we decided that we wouldn’t have enough time to finish our food, and changed our order to take out. Then, we went to wait for the bus. It was due to arrive at either 1pm or 1:10pm, who knows. The Nantou bus timetables were all very inconsistent, we’ve noticed. They’re all done with pen/marker and paper.

We decided to buy some goats milk egg rolls. They cost NT$100 for a pack of nine, wrapped in three packs of three each.

It’s not too bad, and because of its size and thickness, it’s much more flavourful than the love letters eaten during Chinese New Year.

As we didn’t know if we could eat on the bus, we waited until the bus was back in Puli before eating. We didn’t really have a place to go to eat, so we ate at the bus station, just like what we did for breakfast.

I ordered some chicken with rice thing. Again, the portions are so generous for the price. I think the food item just said chicken with rice, so I wasn’t expecting all the other items that came with it. I think this was NT$60 or 75 (SGD$2.65 to $3.32). I forgot again.

My friend bought bamboo rice. It’s served in bamboo. Pretty interesting.

After eating, we headed back to J House. I was feeling a little hot, so I bought another cup of pearl milk tea from that amazing shop yesterday. Just a small cup this time though. We called the guy to get our bags, and he offered to drive us to the bus station. What great service. If we had to walk to the bus station, we probably wouldn’t have been able to catch the bus to Taichung.

While getting into the car, I toppled my milk tea cup sideways, but not much spilled out since the only hole was the one from the straw. My friend gave me a tissue to clean it up and it was all good. Anyway, he drove us to the old bus station at first, which might have made us lose our bus. But somehow, we didn’t miss the bus. The bus was really crowded though. The driver had to count empty seats remaining to see if we could board. Ack.

Back in Taichung! The bus dropped us off near Taichung train station. I wonder why they don’t board people at the same place.

It’s 4:50pm now, and we wanted to visit two places. Chun Shui Tang’s original store, and the Painted Animation Lane. Since Chun Shui Tang was on the way towards the Painted Animation Lane, we headed there first. While planning the trip, we also wanted to go check out Miyahara Ice Cream, which was really near the station. I’m not sure why we didn’t go. Too tired to think of it, I guess. Argh.

The origin of pearl milk tea.

It’s 5:17pm now, and my friend made a good point that the sky darkens rather early in Taiwan, so we decided to go to the Painted Animation Lane first.

The Painted Animation Lane is basically a lane with many drawings and paintings of anime, cartoons, and games. I took a picture of every single drawing there, but I’m not going to show all of them.

There’s a random adult item in this claw machine. Lol why.

I don’t know why I didn’t take a panorama of this wall. Instead, I took 5 separate pictures of it, moving sideways slowly. Facepalm.

This isn’t the actual Totoro bus stop. There’s one further south of this place, which is an actual tourist attraction.

At the end of the lane, some guy who was working at a motorbike shop told us we could come in to look. There’s a huge Luffy statue here (worth NT$150,000/SGD$6,644), and a huge figurine collection. There was also a work in progress drawing. Apparently everything is his son’s. Pretty cool.

Anyway, that was it for the Painted Animation Lane. Now, back to Chun Shui Tang.

We reached Chun Shui Tang around 6:20pm. There were no seats at the ground floor, so we were led to the basement. I was told that I could leave my luggage at the ground floor, which I did. I went to retrieve it 10 minutes later as I wasn’t comfortable leaving it there alone. There are no valuables in there, but I would be really sad if all my merchandise was stolen. I mean, clothes are easily replaceable. Merchandise isn’t. Not in Singapore, especially.

I ordered sesame oil noodles, along with one of my friends. My other friend ordered Kung Fu noodles. They also ordered a pot of tea, while I ordered the pearl milk tea. How could you not drink the pearl milk tea at the place where it originated?

To be honest, the pearl milk tea was kind of a disappointment. The one near J House is better. The pearls here were a little hard, and I chewed on one that was harder than the rest. Inconsistent. The milk tea wasn’t as good either.

After the meal, I ordered their Signature Black Tea to go. This was also where cold black tea originated from, so I made it a point to try it as well.

Now, a walk back to Taichung train station. It was finally time to make the trip back to Taipei. It’s 8:20pm now, the day doesn’t seem to end. I was already quite tired before reaching Chun Shui Tang, and I could smell an unpleasant odour from myself. Ugh. The typhoon has passed, and it was a very hot day. There was barely any cloud cover (look at the farm pictures, the skies are so clear).

Anyway, it’s a long trip back. First a walk to Taichung train station, then a train to Taichung High Speed Rail station, then another train to Taipei Main Station, and then a walk to the hotel. We didn’t get our tickets until we reached Taichung High Speed Rail station, and fortunately there were still available seats. We weren’t able to sit together though (it was a two-one split). The train departed at 9:31pm.

My Signature Black Tea. I still haven’t drank it yet. And I dropped it on the floor while on my way here. I was wearing pants without pockets, which made my life really difficult. I already had to use one hand to pull my luggage, so accessing my phone, tickets, passport, etc. was really a pain 😭. I should have drank the tea much earlier. It’s now just warm.

11pm. We were finally at the hotel. We booked a four star hotel this time (all the previous lodgings were three star), but it was roughly the same price as all the other places we stayed at. That’s exactly why we booked it.

I put my black tea in the fridge and went to bathe five minutes after we got into the room. I really needed a refresher. After bathing, the tea wasn’t cold, and I just gave up and drank it. It’s actually pretty good.

Our room was in the middle of the floor, so there were no windows. Instead, there were fake windows and fake lights.

Since there was a bathtub, my friend went to play in it. I was wondering if that friend would fall asleep in the bathtub and drown, a trope commonly seen in anime 😅

Day 8

Last day in Taiwan. Our flight was at 3:25pm, so we couldn’t wake up too late. We decided to wake up at 9am. My friend ate cup noodles for breakfast, since it was bought on the first day in Taiwan in Hualien’s supermarket. It was originally meant to be a night snack, but we kept eating dinner at such a late time that snacking wasn’t required.

We walked out of the hotel and randomly turned down one street in search of breakfast. The hotel had breakfast, but it wasn’t free, and from reviews, it wasn’t good.

We ended up here. I ordered a chicken burger. Again, can’t go wrong with fried chicken. I don’t know how it’s so good everywhere.

I also ordered a cup of soya bean. They’re both pretty good. I mean how can it go wrong? I guess if you order soya bean from A-bao, it can.

My friend ordered some hot soupy thing, which took forever to eat. I was melting in the sweltering heat so I decided to go back first. They wanted to go to a supermarket they saw on the way, so I decided to go there first instead.

Durians, and that’s a watermelon behind. I notice watermelons in Taiwan are all these strange elongated types. I’ve never seen such watermelons before.

After this, we checked out and headed to Taipei Main Station. We decided there was some time left and went to explore the mall on the other side of the station. My friend bought pineapples cakes, which are the typical food souvenir you buy whenever you go to Taiwan. I also bought a pearl milk tea keychain for NT$80. I have no idea why. I wasn’t actually interested until I realized that the pearls and milk tea in it could move. Anyway, there wasn’t many other shops of interest there, and we only had 15 minutes, so we left after a short while. Now, it’s time to head to Taoyuan Airport.

Pretty views from the train.

We soon reached the airport. I had to check in my luggage as all our items were over the combined weight of 21kg (7kg per person). I didn’t really want to check it in as I didn’t want to wait for my luggage to appear after I landed, but ah well.

We haven’t had lunch yet, and the plane was due to reach Singapore at 8:15pm, so I decided I need to eat something hearty. We went to the airport food court, and I ordered ramen. Not worth it for the price. It was 2:25pm when I got my food, which meant that I had to gobble down my food. Not good. My friend ordered Dan Dan Noodles and pearl milk tea, and also had to gobble the noodles down. The tea was brought into the security check area, and my friend was told to finish the drink before proceeding 😅

We walked fast to the boarding gate, and reached around 3:05pm. They were calling for passengers to board, and the waiting area was totally empty. This has to be the first time I’m so late to board a plane 😅

Is that Taipei 101? Who knows. The plane flew at this altitude throughout the whole flight. If there weren’t any clouds, you could see the land or ocean easily.

We soon landed at Changi Airport Terminal 1. One of my friends wanted to shop at the duty free shop, so that one left. Another of my friends had family waiting outside, and didn’t want to make them wait, so that one left too. We didn’t go out of the arrival hall together 😢

Anyway, terminal 1 arrival now exits to the Jewel. I didn’t know that. This is my first time at the Jewel, and I quickly and easily found the fountain in the middle. Pretty nice, I guess. I managed to take a panorama while the lights changed, so there’s two colours in the photo.

I haven’t had my dinner yet, so I was looking for food. I headed to A&W first, but the queue was still long, so I went to Subway. The prices seemed to be inflated, as I don’t remember the prices being so high. Higher prices for an expensive shopping mall, I guess. I went to Burger King next, and the cashier seemed really busy and I didn’t want to bother.

I ended up at BreadTalk, and they were having an offer of three buns for $5. I bought my buns, found a taxi, and went home.

The end.

Part 1 here (Hualien). Part 2 here (Taipei). Part 3 here (Taipei). Part 4 here (Taichung/Puli). Part 5 here (Puli).

#holiday #taiwan

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easyfoodnetwork · 4 years

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It’s Maybe Time to Make To-Go Cocktails Legal

Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

To help struggling restaurants, states across the country have loosened up laws around to-go and delivery drinks — and it’s hard to imagine going back

By 3 p.m. on Saturday, when Dutch Kills’s cocktail window opened for business, there were already a half-dozen people lined up outside. The famous Queens “speakeasy” has given up the last pretense of being secret, with a bartender in a mask taking orders — martinis, Manhattans, mai tais — next to a sandwich board that asks patrons to “keep it safe and keep it moving!” There were snacks for sale, too. And for an extra $2, I could get a float of 12-year rum on my pina colada. I spent the $2, and set off on the half-hour walk home, my only concern being how to thread the straw underneath my face mask.

Two months ago, openly walking down the street with a cocktail would have been impossible, and drinking outside would have required the minor conspiracy of pouring wine into an opaque water bottle before going to the park, or brown-bagging it on the subway.

Across the country, it is largely illegal to consume alcohol in public spaces, to take a drink to-go from a restaurant or bar, or to purchase a bottle of liquor from anywhere but a liquor or grocery store. It’s a confusing system — as long as the drinking age is 21, most liquor laws are left to states and local municipalities — and mostly it boils down to having to consume alcohol in your home or on the premises of a restaurant, bar, or arena, and that walking around on the street with a beer is a big taboo.

But in order to provide restaurants and bars with a boost during the COVID-19 pandemic, many states have loosened liquor laws, allowing patrons to get cocktails or wine to-go from delivery windows, or have them delivered with their food. It seems to be working quite well, both for businesses and customers; businesses get to offload more product at a time when every penny counts, and customers get to enjoy mixologist-quality cocktails at home. And it raises the question of why the hell it hasn’t been like this the whole time.

The new, temporary liquor regulations have their own quirks and inconsistencies, but most states have made it easier to obtain alcohol: In New York and California, alcohol can be delivered or taken to-go, as long as it’s accompanied by food, and restaurants can sell whole bottles of wine and spirits. In Chicago, restaurants and bars can sell “sealed packaged goods in their original container,” like bottles of wine or cans of beer, but not pre-mixed cocktails. The same goes for Washington and Texas, though restaurants are selling “cocktail kits” so you can make your own at home. Public intoxication and public drinking laws remain, but anecdotally, there seems to be mixed enforcement. Fewer people are in public. And everyone has bigger fish to fry.

Richard Boccato, founder of Dutch Kills, was initially skeptical of booze delivery. “The takeout window came first, because the window was there, and we didn’t know what else to do,” he says. “But I wasn’t initially excited about [delivery] because of health concerns, not wanting to put myself and my staff at risk.” He also knew Dutch Kills mostly attracted locals — ”people don’t usually make the trip from fancier zip codes out to Long Island City.” However, with a bar full of cases of spirits, and the infrastructure to deliver through their ice company, he was willing to try.

Restaurants typically make about 30 percent of revenue from alcohol sales, and for bars, it’s obviously much higher. So being able to move alcohol means an extra shot (sorry) at survival. Boccato says that their cocktail packages, which include the bar’s signature ice blocks and a QR code for a Spotify playlist of their jukebox’s most popular selections, have been a hit. And on top of their take-out window and their cocktail delivery service, they also have whole bottles of specialty spirits for sale. “As far as what percentage of our regular business that has earned us, it’s an infinitesimal fraction, but considering what’s happening we can’t complain too much,” he says.

Other restaurants consider the loosened laws an incredible lifeline. “I personally love this license. I wish we could keep this license forever,” says Gina Chersevani, owner of Buffalo & Bergen in Washington, D.C., which is providing bagels and sandwiches as well as cocktails to-go. “The coolest thing in the world is to be able to pick up breakfast and bring home a Bloody Mary.” Chersevani says that alcohol sales currently account for about 20 percent of business on a busy day like Saturday, far lower than the 50/50 food to alcohol sales they were doing before the pandemic. But it helps to both keep money coming in, and to remind customers of everything they have to offer, even if they don’t feel immediately safe going out once things reopen. “Drinking in a bar is great but it’s a different option... we can provide for both of those worlds.”

Chersevani said it took a few days to figure out how to prepare cocktails both safely and in accordance with the new laws, which require alcohol orders to be sealed, and that they include at least one food item: “It’s extra steps.” She says it’s led some bars to break the rules, which she worries could ruin the opportunity to extend this license for everyone else. But she looks to life in New Orleans as a model, where open container laws allow for people to walk around with to-go cocktails, and says there’s no reason that shouldn’t work in a small, walkable city like D.C. “I don’t know if everyone is going to want to keep [these laws], but for my fast-casual business this could work really well for me in the future.”

Anyone who has ever visited the handful of towns and entertainment districts in the U.S. that allow for public consumption of alcohol (or like, Europe) has probably come back with a story of a good time. For those who consume alcohol, the freedom of being able to walk up to a kitchen window, get a sandwich and an alcoholic slushie to go, either taking it home or having a picnic with no one being the wiser is just fun. It almost seems redundant to explain — if you could walk along the river front and watch the sunset while sipping on a frosé, wouldn’t you? And if you can now, how on earth is the government going to take that back?

Chersevani’s point about small, walkable cities highlights one of the big problems: America doesn’t have many of those. What we have instead is large, drivable cities, suburban sprawl, and rural expanses over which public transportation is inaccessible, which means most people face the question of drinking or driving. Allowing cocktails and wine to-go likely ups the chances someone will enjoy their martini from their car’s cupholder, and any laws enacted would have to include provisions about curbing drunk driving.

Even New York’s Boccato does have some trepidation about a permanent switch to cocktails to-go, though. Current laws already make bartenders liable for over-serving, and it would make it harder for a bartender to track intoxication if you can get a bottle of Negronis to-go. However, he notes that the paradise described above already existed. “I grew up in New York City, drinking 40s on the subway and on the stoops and in the parks,” he says. Open container laws have never stopped people from drinking in public.

Instead, it’s always been an issue of who gets away with it. Racism and classism heavily influence who police target for public consumption — someone drinking a glass of wine on the stoop of their million-dollar Brooklyn brownstone is less likely to be called out than the people with the cooler of beers on the public beach. “It’s another racist law used almost universally against the poor, it’s usually an excuse for police to stop and investigate,” says Niki Ganong, author of The Field Guide To Drinking In America, pointing to statistics showing that, in one month in Brooklyn, 85 percent of those issued summonses for drinking in public were Latino, while just 4 percent were white. Permanently loosening open container and alcohol to-go regulations could mean equal enjoyment, and no more excuse for police harassment.

But even if open container laws remain enforced, it’s easy to see how alcohol and cocktail delivery and takeout could become a part of a new dining reality. “The cat’s out of the bag, especially in regards to delivery,” says Ganong. “The whole reason laws were loosened in the first place was to allow struggling businesses to earn some money any way they could. That’s not going to change for a long time, even after things reopen.” Restaurants are going to need all the revenue they can get, and being able to offer a cocktail in the dining room or with a take-out meal just means more options to make money. Plus, customers are used to it now. “They say that habits are formed after a month!” says Ganong.

As more states contemplate the reopening of business, expanded liquor laws would continue to provide an extra revenue option for restaurants — in Texas, where restaurants are reopening, the TABC has also ruled they can still offer booze to-go — and allow customers to continue enjoying drinks at home if they don’t feel comfortable being in crowds.

Walking home with my pina colada, getting slowly tipsy in the sun, hurt no one. I was excited that I could enjoy a drink crafted with far more care than I was capable of, especially considering I don’t own a blender. I was happy to be enjoying a sunny day outside, and to maybe pretend I was in New Orleans. But I was in Queens, and maybe soon enough it’ll stop feeling like I’m getting away with something. Maybe it’ll just feel like normal.

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Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

To help struggling restaurants, states across the country have loosened up laws around to-go and delivery drinks — and it’s hard to imagine going back

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noromannet-blog · 4 years

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The 15 best beaches in Greece

Are you preparing a trip to Greece? The Mediterranean coast has all those charms to enjoy a getaway of disconnection and relaxation while discovering legendary places that were long ago the home of our ancestors. If you are looking for the best beaches in the Mediterranean, you cannot miss this selection of the 15 best beaches in Greece. Ready to take out the ticket?

1. Balos Lagoon, in Crete

If we talk about Crete we talk about one of the most beautiful Greek islands. Therefore, it is not surprising that its beaches stand out among the best in the whole country. Located on the island of Crete, Balos Lagoon beach stands out, which is famous for its spectacular lagoon. You will love to immerse yourself in its clean and crystalline waters while enjoying the best landscape bathed with large areas of pink sand. Located northwest of the island, in the prefecture of Chania, we find it within a nature reserve on the Gramvousa peninsula. Here you can take your photographer side and create stunning images with one of the best beaches in Crete as the absolute protagonist. To enjoy its peaceful landscape and capture the best postcard, the ideal is to arrive early, fleeing the hustle and bustle that can form later.

2. Kleftiko Beach, in Milos

Kleftiko is one of the most famous places in Milos. It is known for its large rock formations that are in the middle of the sea, forming a really chilling network of caves. Thanks to this particularity, it becomes one of the most curious places to visit in Greece. If you are going to make a route through Greece including this corner, it is advisable to do it by booking a private excursion. The road is not very well marked and, if you do it on your own, you run the risk of losing yourself. That aside, it is certainly one of the essentials to visit in the country.

3. Elafonisi Beach, in Crete

Can you imagine a pink sand beach bathed by stunning turquoise waters? It exists and is called Elafonisi Beach. This is another essential corner to see in Crete. Located to the southwest, it is a small islet connected to the island by a shallow reef and that can be crossed on foot without problem when the tide is low. Thanks to its large dimensions, it has already won the title as one of the best beaches in Crete. Although hundreds of tourists come, the good thing is that you will always find a special place for you. Although it does not have a large number of services, that is what makes it special, since it continues to maintain that virgin aura, becoming a paradise beach and the best beaches in Greece.

4. Navagio Beach, in Zakynthos

Navagio means shipwreck and this beach, in addition, is one of the most sought after when spending a holiday in Greece. Its peculiar name comes from the presence of a ship stranded in the sand. This arrived there after a shipwreck suffered in the 80s of the twentieth century. The ship remains as it is, becoming one of the claims of this corner. Located in the eastern part of the island, this beach stands out for being surrounded by huge cliffs that seem to protect it with its arms. You have to pay attention and be careful because the only way to access it is by small taxi boats that make the journey from the port of Vromi, quite close. In recent years it has become one of the best beaches in Greece and is worth a visit.

5. Simos Beach, in Elafónisos

Although small, Elafónisos is one of the most beautiful islands in Greece. If we talk about the best beaches in Greece, where we find one that stands out. In fact, according to the locals, it is the best beach in the country and it is none other than Simos Beach. The combination of its turquoise waters with its spectacular sand dunes delight both locals and tourists, who give this corner a festive atmosphere. Simos Beach is one of the best Greek beaches to go with children during the day. Here you can swim and play in the clear and shallow water. When night comes, this beautiful corner is filled with music, drinks, dancing and partying, as it is surrounded by many bars that contribute to this festive atmosphere.

6. Sarakiniko Beach, in Milos

Milos Island has unique beaches that stand out from the rest thanks to its impressive rock formations. However, there is one that stands out among them and that is Sarakiniko Beach. Rock formations of colors, vertical, horizontal, of all sizes ... It is practically one of the most famous of the Greek coast because of them. But not only rock formations goes the matter. You can also throw yourself in the sand or sit to contemplate this breathtaking landscape, one of the most curious places to see in Greece. It is an ideal place to relax and also to enjoy one of the best sunsets on the island. It is another one of those sites that seem to be especially suitable for taking out the camera and capturing beautiful postcards.

7. Falassarna Beach, in Crete

Falassarna, being the most exotic, is another of the best beaches in Greece. It is located 59 kilometers from Chaniá, in the westernmost part of the Gramvousa Cape. It stands out, in addition to being on one of the most beautiful islands in Greece, and for the ruins, it houses of the ancient Roman city of Falassarna. In addition to being one of the best-known beaches in Crete, there are those who give it the title of the most famous beach in the world. The fine sand that contains its bay is unforgettable and ideal as a complement to its fine and crystalline waters. A set that makes us feel in paradise itself. In case the wind blows from the west, we will have the opportunity to admire the sea bathed in a beautiful turquoise color.

8. Anthony Quinn Bay, in Rhodes

Anthony Quinn was in love with Greece. So much, that he even wanted to buy this small part of the island of Rhodes in order to create an international center for artists and filmmakers. The purchase was canceled despite the promises of the government, but that does not take away the beauty of its beaches. In this beautiful corner, already raised by many as one of the best beaches in Greece, you can rent umbrellas and sunbeds to enjoy a relaxing and pleasant day. At the top, you can enjoy a small tavern where you can taste products such as feta cheese or ouzo. If you are traveling to Greece by car, this enclave is ideal, as parking is free, although this makes it a very busy place in the high season.

9. Myrtos Beach, in Kefalonia

If we talk about the best beaches in Kefalonia, we cannot leave Myrtos beach behind. It is located north of the island, between two mountains and 900 meters high, which makes it a sober and imposing place. This beach gets deep quickly, so you have to be careful. Its steep slope causes energetic waves that erode white sediments, which gives a turquoise look to the water quite striking and intense. Myrtos, without a doubt, is considered one of the best beaches in Greece, as well as one of the most visited by both tourists and locals. There have been a few times that he has captured the enthusiastic votes of his loving visitors.

10. Milos Beach, in Agios Nikitas

One of the paradisiacal beaches that we find in Greece is that of Milos. Here we can enjoy a natural corner away from noise and bustling places. It can be accessed in three ways: walking, swimming or through a taxi boat that takes about 10 minutes to reach the enclave. Going by boat is also to enjoy the journey and to have spectacular views from the sea of one of the most beautiful caves in Greece. A large, elongated beach with spectacular white sand. That is what you will find in this Greek corner where you will feel like a true god. The water is very clean, but also somewhat cold. Keep it in mind as it is not highly recommended for children too young.

11. Petani Beach, in Lixouri

One of the best beaches in Kefalonia where you can enjoy an impressive sunset is Petani Beach, in Lixouri. If you plan to travel to Greece by car, it is advisable to take some care when taking the road that leads to this corner, because it is full of curves, which can turn it into something dangerous. The beaches of this famous island consist mostly of small stones, and this is no exception. Although a bit uncomfortable to walk, so it may not be too advisable to go with children, it is ideal to lose as a couple or alone and relax while admiring the sunset on the horizon.

12. Seitan Limania, in Crete

Colored stones in some parts, but also fine white sand in others. This is the show that we found on the beach of Seitan Limania. As we approach the shore, the waves will catch us, leaving us to evade the mind thanks to the stillness that is breathed there. It is a perfect place to lie down and put your mind blank while enjoying one of the most famous beaches in the world. It is ideal to forget about every day worries. If we put our feet in the water, it is so crystalline that we should not be surprised to see some small fish swimming around us. It is also one of the most spectacular beaches in Crete.

13. Platis Gialos, in Mykonos

Mykonos is one of the largest islands in Greece and also one of the best known, next to Santorini. Just 5 kilometers south of the capital we find the beach of Platis Gialos, which shares the same characteristics with the rest of the beaches in the area: white sands, sun loungers with parasols made of straw and perfect crystalline waters. Although somewhat crowded, it is usually a quiet beach. One of its peculiarities is the 5-star resort that is very close to it. For all those demanding travelers, it will be the ideal place to take a couple of trips and enjoy all the benefits of the Mediterranean beaches. On the beach, there is also a bar with a pool open 24 hours a day. Still not convinced?

14. Porto Katsiki, in Lefkada

35 kilometers from the city of Lefkada and 9 from the Athani village, we find the Porto Katsiki beach. From here you can discover beautiful and unique views of the white-colored cliffs that surround it; its golden sand beaches and the waters of a deep and turquoise blue thanks to which you will feel in paradise. A completely wild beach that has no construction in its vicinity, which makes it almost unique. It may not be the best beach in Greece for sightseeing, but it is ideal for getting lost and recovering inspiration. There are two kiosks that respect schedules to keep calm in the landscape. Its curious name means Playa de las Cabras because in another time only these animals were able to access it.

15. Tsigrado Beach, in Milos

Another of the beaches we find on the island of Milos is Tsigrado. It is one of the most famous of the Mediterranean coast because its access is very particular. It is a very small beach that is accessed by going down a gorge and then through a curious wooden staircase from which nobody knows its origin. This corner away from everything seems a perfect enclave to visit in Greece, but especially for those brave and adventurous who do not cower in any circumstance. It is best to make the journey with the hands-free to avoid losing anything along the way. Once there, you will feel that you have reached another kind of dimension and will believe in Greek mythological legends. Read the full article

#Beaches #BestBeaches #Greece #News #Top

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ruxandraioana · 5 years

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Hi everyone,

How are you today ?

Since I decided for awhile now not to wait too long after my travels to post, here I am with my article on Tunisia.

I didn’t had much time to properly visit this country as I wanted just to sleep and relax before starting a new blogging season. On that note, I decided to take an all inclusive trip at a 4 star hotel somewhere near Hammamet, so most of my vacation was spent at the hotel.

Let’s start with that. The hotel is called Nohza Beach Hotel and it’s part of the Vincci group.

It was rather nice as a resort and very big.. very full for that matter. The concept itself is nice, but I had a rather unpleasant experience due to bedbugs. Yup, I don’t know how, but those critters made themselves appear and I have bite marks all over my body.. we lost about 2-3 days of our vacation trying to get rid of them with the help of the hotel. That was the downside of staying there. At least they provided medicine and help… and a complimentary massage that I will get into later. Even so, our vacation was kinda ruined..

They also gave us another room. A better room… a room that was the same level as ours, but on the 3rd floor so at least we had a nice view. Our first room wasn’t that nice. I even felt bad that I paid extra to have a semi-view of the sea. So I suggest you go for the normal price cause you can get tricked.

I think that in their attempt to make amends, they tried everything in their power to make our stay as nice as possible.

The hotel has a main restaurant where you can have your meals ( prepare for long queues ), and two other restaurants – one Tunisian and an Italian one. I would really recommend the Tunisian one as the service was super nice and they really have interesting dishes. The Italian one was deeply disappointing, the guy in charge was quite rude this after delivering my mom’s plate like 20 min after mine as he forgot, they didn’t ask if we want water or at least leave a bottle on the table and the food wasn’t good at all. Neither of us ate anything… I wish we would have sticked with the main restaurant that evening.

The hotel has some very nice spots though.. the pool is very nice, the beach as well…

Speaking of the beach, I was very disappointed to see kids throwing plastic bags and paper cups in the water without having any reproach whatsoever from their parents. Most of the hotel guests were very dirty and very ignorant towards human morals. As a result, I tried picking up plastic bags from the sea as much as I could…

As an apology gesture, the hotel gave us two massages at the SPA. Honestly, it’s a good thing they were complimentary as I think if I would have paid for them, they wouldn’t be worth it. Do a camel ride instead, it’s so much more satisfying and it’s the same price.

The hotel decoration was really nice though and the staff tried their best to do a good job in keeping the hotel clean regardless of the dirty guests.

I really loved the Tunisian bar and the decoration there. It was my personal favorite.

The only times we went out of the hotel was for the camel ride – that I totally recommend doing ! – and for the souk in Nabeul.

The camel ride was super nice at it costs only 25€ per person ( transport included). It lasts just a couple of hours, but the person in charge, Ali was super nice and funny.

Definitely worth it ! The camels were also super cute and you can see that they are well taken cared of, unlike the camel from the beach that you can immediately detect that she is mistreated.

We even tried out some marvelous Tunisian costumes and took some pics. The house where they live is so pretty and there were even turtles there 🙂 .

And now about the souk in Nabeul. From the hotel, you can take a taxi ( it’s just 10 dinars, but when we took the cab back, it cost only 8; don’t know why).

If you have nerves of steel, then I suggest going to this place. Personally, it drowned me of power and I didn’t feel so good after as the sales people are very agressive and trying always to trick you.

Nevertheless, we got a really cute carpet at a great price ( like 3,5€), my mom managed to negotiate it and had a great price for it. I got a cute backpack and a beautiful straw bag with tissue insertion from an old lady that was making them manually. Also, we bought a dress and a matching scarf in a Tunisian design and the fabric is also pretty cool ( 12€ for both ! ). You can find a lot of lovely local products, but beware as a lot of Aliexpress products also crowd the market, the vendors trying to pass them as being made in Tunisia.

Except for the two first days, we had amazing weather. It was so lovely staying in the sun and going for a swim each day… I will definitely miss that.

It was a shame we couldn’t visit more of Tunisia as many of the roads are closed, Tunis is also to be avoided as well as other regions due to the high risk of terrorist attacks and tensioned political situation in the country. Next time I will definitely visit Carthagena and the Tunisian desert.

So this was my little Tunisian adventure… even though it was calculated to be more relaxing, I still managed to do some pics and have some opinions about my travels in this country.

Thank you for checking out the blog and I’ll be back with more soon xo

Kisses,

Tunisia Hi everyone, How are you today ? Since I decided for awhile now not to wait too long after my travels to post, here I am with my article on Tunisia.

#hammamet tunisia #nohza beach hotel review #tunisia travel

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faucetdouble51-blog · 5 years

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72 Hours in Seattle

Hi, it’s Abby. My mom asked me to write an introduction for this post about our last-minute trip to Seattle a few weeks ago. I was invited to play in a soccer tournament there and this one was different than most because there was only one game a day, which means there was plenty of down time to explore a city. (That is how I convinced my mom to go.) We flew out the morning after my last final and stayed with her college roommate, Jenn for three nights and three days. Mom already told you that the culinary highlight of our trip was eating a Dutch Baby with backyard raspberries in Jenn’s kitchen nook, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t pound some pavement in search of great food around town. Here, Mom and I take turns giving you a run-down of our packed 72 hours.

DAY 1: THURSDAY

1:00 [Jenny] I am forever in search of counter-service spots when I travel, especially for lunch, when you don’t want to spend an hour-plus lounging around while the sun shines on a brand new city that is calling for you. That’s why we dropped our bags at my friend Jenn’s house (in Ballard) at 12:45, then headed straight to The Fat Hen, a sweet, bright fast-casual spot that served avocado toasts, ricotta toasts, freshly squeezed juices, and good coffee. It killed us to forgo Frankie & Jo’s, the vegan ice cream shop sensation right across the street (they have multiple locations around the city) but we were saving room for dinner. FYI: Delancey — remember Delancey? — was right there, too. [Photo credit: Seattle Magazine]

2:30 [Abby] We walked from Fat Hen down 15th Street to Ballard Avenue, the main drag in Ballard, a neighborhood that reminded me of Brooklyn. There was a ton of stuff to do and a lot of fun shopping including a cool second-hand furniture store called Ballard Consignment, an aesthetically pleasing succulent store (I can’t remember the name, can someone help me?), and a trendy clothing place called Prism where my mom tried on a thousand dresses but ended up just buying my sister an iron-on patch for her jean jacket that said “Stay Wild Child.”

4:00 [Abby] We met up with my mom’s friend Jenn, who got out of work early for us, and headed to Golden Gardens Park for a walk. It was so beautiful! I got a virgin pina colada at Miri’s, a new cafe right on the beach. Also, even though everyone says Seattle weather is not so great, look at our sky! It was like that for most of the time we were there. (Here’s a tip to future travelers: Go there in late June, early July.)

5:30 [Jenny] I think the only reason why I agreed to take Abby to Seattle was so I could try to snag a table at The Walrus and the Carpenter, the original Renee Erickson French-style raw bar in Ballard that opened almost ten years ago and that I tried to get into during my last visit, only to be turned away by the long wait every time. This time I wasn’t messing around. At the very un-glamourous hour of 5:30, I dragged Abby, Jenn, and Jenn’s 15-year-old daughter Stella to dine on fried oysters and small plates in their bright happy space. FYI: Erickson has opened a bunch of other places in Capitol Hill, including a steakhouse Bateau, another oyster bar with the greatest electric mint color scheme (Bar Melusine), and stuffed doughnut mecca General Porpoise, which, for Abby, might’ve been more of a reason to go to Seattle than her soccer tournament. (More on that below.)

7:30 After dinner, we walked back up Ballard Avenue to get ice cream at Salt & Straw, the Portland-based makers who have won over legions of fans with their artisanal concoctions…think Fresh Sheep’s Cheese and Strawberries or Oregon Wasabi and Raspberry Sorbet. But the line was too long, and even though it was still early, we were on East Coast time, so we headed home to bed. (For those of you interested, here’s an interview with Salt & Straw founder Tyler Malek on the always awesome Bon Appetit’s Foodcast.)

DAY 2: FRIDAY

10:00 [Abby] I had a soccer game in Redmond (we won 4-0!) where the most exciting food moment of the morning was a pretzel that came with that fakey nacho cheese that is so delicious. We didn’t get to start exploring again until lunchtime and decided we wanted to spend the afternoon checking out Capitol Hill. First stop…

12:30…Rocket Taco for lunch, where we ate some of the best carnitas tacos I can remember.

1:45 It was Pride Month! We loved the rainbow crosswalks which made for especially good instagram posts. (That’s me with our friend Maylie. And this was at the intersection of East Pine and 10th Ave.)

2:30 [Abby] And of course, we had to hit Elliott Bay Books. My mom bought me a paperback copy of The Handmaid’s Tale — I’ve been watching the TV show and it’s very disturbing, but she said I’d like the book. (She wants me to tell you that for school I also had to read Hiroshima and Take the Cannoli)

3:01 [Abby] Then the funniest thing happened. I had been looking forward to going to the iconic General Porpoise Doughnuts from the moment we booked our flights — we practically planned our entire Capitol Hill outing around it — but when we got there at 3:01, we tried to open the door and it was locked. It closed at 3:00! For about ten seconds we were all super disappointed but then, out of nowhere, an employee walks outside and asked “Does anyone want a dozen free doughnuts?” I guess they like everything to be fresh, so at the end of the day, they give away what hasn’t sold instead of selling them the next day. That might’ve been the highlight of the trip. And those doughnuts were some of the best I’ve ever had– the vanilla stuffed ones especially!!

4:00 [Jenny] We hadn’t planned on it, but we decided to hit Pike Place Market (because: of course!) on our way home to Ballard from Capitol Hill. We bought fruit and a lovely flower arrangement for our lovely hosts, but for the most part we just walked up and down the long hallways and gaped at the offerings. Maybe the most amazing part was that I got a parking spot on Pike Place right in the middle of everything (across from the flagship Starbucks.) I kept looking at the spot and looking at the sign saying This is too good to be true (once a New Yorker always a New Yorker, I guess) but it was actually true. Over a month later, I’m still on a high from it.

6:30 [Jenny] I know this is hard to believe, but we still had more to eat. I’ve written about this before, but the way Abby and I go about planning where we want to eat in a new city is completely different. I go to tried-and-true sources like Bon Appetit City Guides or Eater’s Heat Maps. She goes right to instagram, searches by locations, then studies the grid until a particularly inspiring pastry or bowl of ramen shows up. That is how she landed on Fremont Bowl where we went with Jenn’s family. Abby’s review: “Crazy good Japanese bowls, with fish, chicken teriyaki, and so much more. I’m not really a tofu fan, but according to my mom she had the best tofu she’d ever had in her life at this place. Fremont’s a fun area to walk around, too.” She’s totally right, the fried house-made tofu that our friend Maylie ordered was off-the-hook delicious. I was psyched because right next door was Book Larder, a store that specializes in cookbooks and community culinary events, but sadly they were closed for a private event. I guess that’s as good an excuse as any to return to Seattle in the very near future.

DAY 3: SATURDAY 9:00 [Abby] Mom, Jenn, and Jenn’s husband, Ben went for an early run around Green Lake Park (about a 3-mile loop she says) then we all gorged on Jenn’s now legendary Dutch Babies and plotted the day. Ben pointed us in the direction of the giant Asian Market Uwajimaya which was awesome (Oh, before that, Mom stopped for another cup of coffee at Anchored Ship in Ballard) but we ended up eating around the corner at at Dough Zone due to some intense soup dumpling cravings, aka the best food in the world. It’s a good thing my next soccer game wasn’t until 4:00 that afternoon. We pretty much rolled out of there. Those dumplings were amazing.

6:00 [Abby] After my soccer game (lost 2-1) we drove to Mulkiteo and caught a ferry to Whidbey Island, about 25 miles north of Seattle across the Puget Sound, where Jenn and Ben have the sweetest cabin. The ferry was only about 25 minutes, but involved spectacular views of islands and huge mountains in the distance.

7:30 We only had about 12 hours to hang on Whidbey, but we got a good taste of it, snacking on their porch (above), chilling out by the campfire for an epic sunset; Ben grilled some local salmon and hot dogs for dinner. The house only had two bedrooms so my mom and I got to sleep in a tent listening to the crackling campfire.

. Side Note [Jenny] Those of you who follow me on instagram might remember this photo. Jenn and Ben were torturing themselves trying to decide what color to paint the cabin — they were going for a dark Scandinavian cottage look — so I conducted an insta poll asking which combo you all liked. Most of you were in favor of the navy/white palette, the third one down. Last week, she sent me this pic:

How beautiful is that?!?!?! They went with Sherwin Williams Inkwell for the house and Benjamin Moore Oxford White for the trim.

DAY 4 SUNDAY

8:30 [Abby] We had an early afternoon plane to catch, so didn’t have a ton of time to explore, but we did manage to squeeze in a walk on the beach and a quick trip to Langley, where we ate eggs and cinnamon rolls at Useless Bay Coffee, then took a walk to a dramatic sandbar called Seawall Park. The town was so charming! From there was a convenient shuttle from Whidbey to the Seattle Airport, and we were on our way home.

Boy you fed us well, Seattle. We miss you so much!

Related: 36 Hours in Austin; 36 Hours in Portland, Maine; 48 Hours in Montreal.

Source: http://www.dinneralovestory.com/72-hours-in-seattle/

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krystangreen-blog · 5 years

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10 Tips for Visiting the San Diego Zoo

The world-famous San Diego Zoo is an absolute treat for all ages and should definitely be on your itinerary if you’re visiting the city for the first time. Local parents love revisiting this spot with kids, too, and couples or other adults will find it a refreshing excursion to get closer to nature.

Its reputation for being one of the best zoos in the world is well-deserved. More than 3,500 animals representing 650 different species call the zoo home, and visitors can also see 700,000 plant species on the zoo’s 100-acre property. The San Diego Zoo is a leader in conservation research and species preservation, and their beautiful open-air, cageless exhibits are the perfect way to appreciate wild creatures up close.

I recommend that you spend a whole day exploring the zoo, but it is possible to enjoy a half day here. The tips for visiting the San Diego Zoo that I share below will make your visit a great one no matter how much time you’ll spend at the zoo.

Shortcut to the Most Popular Ticket

Click to Save on 1-Day Adult Tickets.

Go straight to the gate! Tickets are good for one year from date of purchase.

San Diego Zoo Preparation Tips

We have been visiting the San Diego Zoo for decades. My husband and I held annual passes even before our daughter was born. We can confidently tell you that arriving prepared makes a huge difference.

Open San Diego Zoo hours are daily, including holidays, rain or shine. Check hours on the date of your visit but it usually opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. though the winter Jungle Bells event and summer Night Zoo extend closing hours until after sunset.

The upshot of the zoo also being a botanical garden is that some areas are shaded but not all are. That being said, no matter the weather or season, arrive wearing sunscreen. Bring a hat, sunglasses, and extra sunscreen.

The terrain across the zoo in some areas can be a little hilly but yet still stroller friendly (this is why many people actually get their morning exercise at the zoo via walks and jogs). The Kangaroo Bus and Skyfari tram help avoid some of these hills, but you’ll still definitely want to wear comfortable walking shoes.

Download the San Diego Zoo app which also has a GPS enabled map. This enables you to go paperless which is in line with the zoo’s mission to reduce waste by avoiding the paper map that most guests usually take. The Children’s Zoo is currently closed for renovation but there is plenty to see otherwise.

A variety of rentals are on offer including strollers (single and double), quarter-operated lockers, wheelchairs, and motorized wheelchairs. You can also store luggage that won’t fit into lockers at $15 per piece. All are available at Front Street Rentals.

San Diego Zoo parking is free. The lot is large so take a photo of the animal section your car is in to avoid forgetting in the excitement of being there.

1. Look at the Schedule Before You Go

There’s an ever-changing roster of neat and interesting happenings at the San Diego Zoo, so be sure to check the schedule of events and the animal feedings for the day of your visit.

There are annual galas and sleepovers, as well as daily interactive activities, upgraded animal experiences, and inside look tours. During school vacation weeks and holiday breaks, the zoo often plans special family activities and performances.

Go behind the scenes during some upgraded experiences at the San Diego Zoo.

2. Arrive Early to See and Do More

Arriving early is especially important if you’re pressed for time and it is one of my top tips for visiting the San Diego Zoo during peak season.

The zoo can get busy (though nothing like the crowds you’ll encounter at theme parks) so get there when it opens and take the bus tour first to avoid the lines that will start to form later in the day. A few upgraded experiences like the Sunrise Surprise Stroll start before the zoo even opens to the public. San Diego Zoo hours are fairly consistent (check on the day of your visit) but it typically opens at 9 a.m.

The animals are at their most active in the morning, too. You’ll also be more likely to see the animals at their most active if you get to the zoo when it opens. If you can only visit on an unusually hot San Diego day, you’ll definitely want to come in the morning as the animals will hide away in the shade as the day progresses.

3. Plan Your Visit on a Weekday

As is the case with many San Diego attractions, weekdays at the San Diego Zoo are less crowded than weekends. Keep in mind that crowds on weekdays may be largely made up of young school children on field trips.

Monday mornings are one of the best times to go because it’s relatively quiet. It could be because a handful of the smaller Balboa Park museums next door are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays might be busier because some Balboa Park museums have free resident entry (and many residents also have annual zoo passes). However, Mondays still can get busy when summer is in full swing.

4. Don’t Pay Full Price for Admission

There’s no reason to pay full price for admission when there are numerous ways to buy discounted tickets to the San Diego Zoo. One of my favorite tips for visiting the San Diego Zoo is to invest in the Go San Diego Card (if you’re going to visit multiple San Diego attractions) or to buy your passes through San Diego based aRes Travel.

In both cases, you’ll save money and be able to skip the ticket line and head straight to the gate when you arrive.

Tip: You can buy a discounted San Diego Zoo ticket through aRes Travel and upgrade it to an annual pass during your visit.

5. Take the Guided Bus Tour First

The 35-minute guided bus tour that takes you around the perimeter of the zoo is included in the price of regular admission.

It’s a nice way to start a San Diego Zoo visit if it’s your first visit because you’ll get a feel for the layout of the zoo and learn some interesting animal facts along the way.

Tip: The top deck of the bus definitely has better views, but on hot afternoons, you may want to sit down below for the shade.

6. Make Time for the Skyfari Tram

This gondola type ride will give you an amazing aerial view of the zoo, and rides on the Skyfari Tram are also included in the price of regular admission.

More importantly, it’s a useful shortcut between the front entrance and the back of the zoo. That means you can take the tram to the back of the zoo to avoid having the scale the zoo’s high hills and then ride it back to the gate at the end of your visit.

7. Take the Kangaroo Express Bus

When your feet (or your kids) start complaining after a few hours of exploring the zoo, the Kangaroo Express bus can be a real lifesaver.

It lets you hop on and hop off at four stops in different areas of the zoo so you can get from one habitat to another without using up all of your energy reserves. Stops are marked with a yellow kangaroo and buses swing by these stops roughly every 15 minutes.

8. Make a Lunch Reservation

While the San Diego Zoo, like all zoos, has its share of quick service and kid food, it also has something many other zoos don’t: a quality sit-down restaurant.

Albert’s Restaurant is a wonderful oasis up among the trees in the Lost Forest. You can choose between indoor and outdoor seating, though I prefer sitting outdoors where we can watch the waterfall. You won’t need a reservation for Albert’s Restaurant most days, though on some holidays and during special events they may be required.

Reserve a Table

Tip: You are also allowed to bring in personal food items. In fact, this is recommended for guests with dietary restrictions as the San Diego Zoo is a nonprofit and unable to customize food items to meet dietary restrictions. Glass bottles, straws, alcohol and large food storage containers like coolers are prohibited. A picnic table area is located outside of the main entrance.

9. Make Time for the Keeper Talks

There are some amazing VIP encounters with animals at the San Diego Zoo at an added expense. If you want an up-close look at some of the zoo’s animals without spending more than the price of admission, use one of my favorite tips for visiting the San Diego Zoo. Find out when the keeper talks and feedings will be and plan your day around them. The animals are most active during feeding time, and you’ll learn a lot during the keeper presentations. Check the schedule.

Tip: If you don’t have time to check the schedule in advance, look at the animal encounter section on your daily map to see what Keeper Talks are planned.

10. Visit the Aviaries During the Hottest Part of the Day

San Diego weather is usually pretty wonderful and there is plenty of shade at the San Diego Zoo, but if you feel like you’re getting a touch too much sun you can head over to the aviaries over in Lost Forest.

These enclosures are not only fascinating; they’re also relatively cool throughout the day, making them a great place to chill out on hot afternoons. Gorilla Tropics is in this area, too, and you’ll be able to sit on a bench to watch them and other nearby primates swing around. Birds and gorillas together? Yes, without the predators the lush untrimmed greenery in this area supports the gorillas’ need to snack in addition to the birds’ nesting and courting habits.

What are your top tips for visiting the San Diego Zoo?

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instantdeerlover · 4 years

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It’s Maybe Time to Make To-Go Cocktails Legal added to Google Docs

It’s Maybe Time to Make To-Go Cocktails Legal

Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

To help struggling restaurants, states across the country have loosened up laws around to-go and delivery drinks — and it’s hard to imagine going back

via Eater - All https://www.eater.com/2020/5/5/21246368/legalize-delivery-cocktails-permanently

Created May 5, 2020 at 09:32PM /huong sen View Google Doc Nhà hàng Hương Sen chuyên buffet hải sản cao cấp✅ Tổ chức tiệc cưới✅ Hội nghị, hội thảo✅ Tiệc lưu động✅ Sự kiện mang tầm cỡ quốc gia 52 Phố Miếu Đầm, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội http://huongsen.vn/ 0904988999 http://huongsen.vn/to-chuc-tiec-hoi-nghi/ https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xa6sRugRZk4MDSyctcqusGYBv1lXYkrF

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bloodelves88 · 5 years

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Trip to Taipei/Hualien/Taichung/Puli, Taiwan (Part 1)

Part 2 here (Taipei). Part 3 here (Taipei). Part 4 here (Taichung/Puli). Part 5 here (Puli). Part 6 here (Puli/Taichung/Taipei).

Wow, that’s a long title, 😅. Probably the first time I’ve traveled so much in one trip as well. That isn’t my only first. This is the first time I’m traveling overseas without my family (well that’s not really true, since I went on a work-holiday trip last month, but I don’t think I’m counting that). I went with two friends I met during one of my projects in university.

The trip was from 21 August to 28 August. It’s mainly a sightseeing trip, so expect lots of pictures of nature and stuff.

Day 1

The flight was at 8:50am, and I was initially planning to take the MRT there until I realized just before I fell asleep (I was already on my bed) that I can’t actually get any bus to the MRT station at 5:30am. The first bus is around 5:30am, sure, but that’s when the bus leaves its first stop. It would be 6am or later by the time it reaches the bus stop at my house, so that’s a no go. I ended up needing to download the taxi app and paying a lot more. But hey, 45 minutes more sleep.

I brought some bread from home for breakfast, but I still bought an Egg McMuffin from the airport anyway. I was going to fly on Scoot, which serves expensive meals and didn’t allow consumption of outside food.

Not my plane. The one behind with the yellow tail is.

We reached Taoyuan International Airport around 1:40pm, then went to obtain a prepaid SIM card to use for internet. It’s unlimited data for $14 for eight days, so it’s a really good deal. After that, we decided to buy some lunch from the convenience store at the airport since we couldn’t find a proper place to eat. I bought an onigiri, a sweet potato, and a meat bun. This is my first time having convenience store onigiri, and it’s actually pretty good. I also opened the packaging the wrong way 😅. The sweet potato was strange though. It’s really chewy and gummy.

After eating, we headed towards the train station. Then we saw the sign for the food court. Geh.

Day 1 is a day of nothing but traveling, so it was us going to the Taipei Main Station first, then boarding the TRA high speed trains to Hualien.

It was almost 8pm by the time we reached Hualien. Now it’s time to find our lodgings. This trip is the first time I’m staying in places other than a hotel as well. Our first lodging is a bed and breakfast, more commonly known as a B&B. The place we stayed at is called Xiong Zhi Mi (熊之蜜). I have to say I’m pretty impressed - it’s very cozy and it doesn’t really lack anything a hotel has. The benefit of such places is that they don’t have many guests, so they can really focus on providing service and a good experience for you.

There was also something really interesting about the room. Pink lights! 😆

Anyway, we still didn’t have dinner yet, so we went out to look for something to eat. Unfortunately, Hualien is considered a rural place, so the shops were mostly closed by then (around 9pm), and we ended up eating at Family Mart.

Convenience store food again! It’s not too bad, but the meat is a little hard and dry. I also bought some cut fruits to eat (guava, dragonfruit, oranges, mangoes). The mangoes didn’t taste as mangoey as I’m used to. And guavas aren’t nice. I’ll never like guavas. Then we decided to explore a supermarket nearby. There’s quite a few supermarkets in the vicinity, which thinking about it now, is a little strange.

I bought two pairs of socks from the supermarket at NT$19 each. The design on the black sock is under the foot. I also saw a farmer’s straw hat on sale and took a picture of myself wearing one. Not showing it here.

Motorbikes are very prevalent in Taiwan, it seems that there’s motorbike shops anywhere you look, and there’s rows of motorbikes lined up almost everywhere you go. In the bigger cities, the area just before the traffic light is demarcated as a motorbike area. They’re definitely not second class citizens on the road, unlike in Singapore.

Helmets with all sorts of designs are very prevalent in Taiwan.

Day 2

Breakfast was at the first floor of the lodgings.

Doesn’t look good, but it’s surprisingly filling and doesn’t taste bad at all. I quite like it. Each sandwich stack has four slices of bread, containing lettuce, fried egg, and some strange meat thing. The tea is unfortunately a little too sweet though. It also came with fruits (watermelon and dragon fruits). After breakfast, we stopped by at Family Mart to stock up on some food for lunch. There’s no food where we’re going.

Anyway, our first place to visit in this trip is Taroko Gorge. We headed to Hualien Station to try to catch a bus there. We missed the bus by a few minutes. Then, we got approached by a taxi driver trying to tout their services, but we declined him. A while later, we got approached by another one. This one was quite a bit cheaper (NT$600 vs NT$350 per person), so we started to think about it. We accepted, and the driver went off to find two more people to bring along. I was a little bleh at this since this meant that we had to wait for these two people, or they had to wait for us while we explored Taroko Gorge. The NT$600 driver was a private one catering to just the three of us though, so I guess their cost is about NT$1800 divided among the available passengers.

The taxi stopped at Taroko National Park East Entrance Arch Gate on the way there, where we could buy some snacks and fruits. I wanted to buy a bunch of bananas, but the driver said he bought some for us already. Nice of him to do so :D

Our first stop at Taroko was Shakadang Trail. The taxi parked in Xi La An Tunnel, and off we went!

(map from https://www.taroko.gov.tw/en/Tourism/TrailDetail?id=209)

It’s a 4km trail that follows the river. I think we stopped and turned around about halfway in. The river has very clear blue water, and it’s very pretty.

The trail was mostly cut into the rock like this. It’s easy to walk and very safe.

We walked until we reached some stalls, and there was a sign warning us about the next section being just wilderness. So we decided to head back.

Next, we went onto Xiao Zhui Lu Trail. The entrance is just next to the entrance of Shakadang Trail.

That red bridge leads to both of the trail’s entrances.

There’s not much to look at in the Xiao Zhui Lu Trail.

I guess the main thing on this trail is this really narrow suspension bridge. Fun 😄

End of this trail, back to the taxi. Next up, Swallow Grotto Yanzikou Trail.

This trail apparently has a risk of rockfalls, so we all had to wear helmets while on this trail.

Looking through my photos, I realize many of them look very strange since there’s no perspective of scale. Ugh.

Example:

Totally looks like random tiny rocks, but I assure you most of those rocks are bigger than you.

Apparently there’s some face-looking thing to see in the above picture. But I’m totally not seeing it.

End of Swallow Grotto Yanzikou Trail. Next up, Baiyang Trail. This trail is about 2km.

This trail also has a risk of rockfalls, but there’s no need to wear a helmet. There’s quite a few tunnels on this trail, and they’re quite dark. It’s possible that there are times you can’t see your hands in front of you sometimes. You’re encouraged to bring a torchlight with you, but it’s not that necessary. There’s the torchlight on your phone if you really need it anyway.

The first kilometer or so is wheelchair and child friendly, so there are actually paved roads. After that, it’s a dirt trail.

Rocks stacked by people. I think these are the rocks from rockfalls. You’ll probably die if hit.

Another suspension bridge. This one is much wider and proper.

This is near the end of the trail. There’s a waterfall inside that tunnel, and it’s very dimly lit. You will get wet. It’s impossible to stay dry in there. There are actually a bunch of raincoats outside, but we didn’t take them for some strange reason. Getting wet was fun anyway 😆

This is the view from the end of the tunnel. The waterfall is just to the right of that bright spot of light inside. It’s not a big waterfall, but it’s loud and cold and wet 😆

Turn 180 degrees. This is the view out of the tunnel.

End of Baiyang Trail. Next up, Qixingtan Seaside Park. It’s around 5:15pm at this point, and the other two who were sharing our taxi were already waiting for us. Whoops, wonder how long they’ve been waiting.

We reached Qixingtan at 6pm, and the driver only gave us 30 minutes to explore it. It was the end of the day 😅

This place is basically just a beach. The unique thing about this beach is that there’s no sand on it, but there’s pebbles and gravel.

Seems like they were setting up for a night market. We didn’t explore that since it was time to go.

Here’s the places we went in Taroko Gorge.

Time to look for dinner.

While wandering around, we came across a honey tea shop, selling tea drinks that had honey in them. I can’t remember what I bought, but I did buy something. We continued walking, and we came across a pet shop. They were selling hamsters and rabbits, and they were all still very young and very cheap. They’re so cute.

SGD$9 for a rabbit.

We went to a tea house called Wang Tea House.

I had Zha Jiang Mian, black tea, and green tea pastry.

It’s not bad. But I wouldn’t say it’s very good either. The pastry didn’t even have any green tea taste.

Thinking about the taxi driver, it would have been a total disaster if we decided to take buses around Taroko Gorge. There was barely any time left after all the activities, and while on the roads, I didn’t see any bus stops, and I only saw one bus. Advice for anyone reading this - take a hired taxi for the whole day. It’s worth it.

The weather was also a lot better than I expected. I expected to be walking under the hot sun, sweating buckets and feeling uncomfortable. None of that was true. The sun was hidden behind clouds, there was ample cool wind, and there were no pesky insects to bother you. I’m not sure if that’s because a typhoon was due to hit Taiwan two days later, but thank goodness for such weather.

After the meal, we walked back to our lodgings. On our way back, I bought a cake that I saw on the previous day while heading towards our lodgings. I was already kind of full, so I kept it in the fridge to eat the next day.

End of day 2.

Part 2 here (Taipei). Part 3 here (Taipei). Part 4 here (Taichung/Puli). Part 5 here (Puli). Part 6 here (Puli/Taichung/Taipei).

#holiday #taiwan

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trippinglynet · 5 years

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How to Pack for Burning Man | Tent Camp Edition

Packing Organization

What to Bring. The list below is our tent-camping packing list, including links to the products we use when relevant (we earn no affiliate fees or any other income from any part of this website). (If you are taking an RV, read our RV Packing Guide as well as our RV Prep and Cleanup Guide). We feel very prepared for BM, but not burdened with things we won’t be using.

How to Pack it. We pack our items in durable bins, which we clearly label on all sides. We also print this list to have a hand inventory. We have found spending extra for tough bins is worth the money because you can stack them high when they are being stored between bins. Cheaper bins will break under the weight of the bins above them. This style of Homz bins work well. Home Depot sells their HDX tough bin — the same bin as Homz, in 27 gal or 38 gal sizes for around $10 each. Figure out which one will fit in your car (and your off-season storage). We then use small (4 gals) clear bins with blue flip up lids for daily stuff (“Mini Bins”). They aren’t sturdy, but we are fine for what we put in them (see below).

Getting Ready. We stage all of our gear well before loading the RV (weeks before). As a result we have a few cardboard boxes of items that will be loaded into the RV and put in drawers, etc. These boxes don’t come with us to the burn, but we want to have them all in one place well in advance of leaving for BRC.

Your Vehicle (and Trailer)

How much you can bring with you, and where you’ll store it at the gathering depends on your specific circumstances. Most people find whatever size car they have, they wish it was just a little bit bigger for packing gear. Fortunately, you can often get a small trailer cheaply, or carefully secure items to the roof of your car. After having attended Burning Man for decades, the lure of roughing it has fully disappated. Instead we want to come to the event fully prepared, and therefore use all available space in our car and have a small trailer we purchased many years ago for $500 and consider it a godsend.

Large Bins

Most cars will accomodate one or two large 30-gallon bins, plus some smaller bins. You may find that three mid-sized bins fit best in your car. If that’s the case, just use your best judgment to order items thematically. If you have a trailer, you can leave the bins in the trailer and keep your tent space much more clear. Without a trailer, you may want to seriously consider adding a tent or other storage for your bins rather than keeping them in your car. Once we part our cars, we never open them again until exodus. We tape reflective bubble wrap over the windows to keep things clean and to save the car from getting baked at the event.

Housing and Housing Supplies

Setup Supplies

White gaffer tape. We use this to tape up our car when we park, to minimize dust in the vehicle during the event.

Cheap door mat for outside of RV (make sure it won’t leave MOOP - our first year we used a high quality front door mat that left us picking up fine bristles for a few hours on our way out).

Ikea mat for inside of tent. We bought a stack on sale for $1 each at Ikea. We stack 5 on top of each other and just peel off the top one every other day (to be cleaned at home and reused the next year). Once scraping off your feet, you’ll stand on these as you remove shoes and clothing.

Old bed sheets to cover surfaces

Clips to keep sheets in place

Star Laser - best $100 you can spend). These are sold by a lot of people under different names.

Electrical (If you are brining a generator)

Generator tarp A tarp to keep generators off the Playa. It protects the ground from oil/gas, and reduces dust in the generator significantly. This tarp is great for Burning Man, but has a strong smell when it arrives, so keep it wrapped up until outside. The smell will disappear when dust covers it.

Lag bolts to secure tarp (including chain links). Read the link to understand why you want these.

Way to screw lag bolts in (socket wrench, ratchet wrench…. or impact driver if you own one). Hammer the bolts in an inch or so, then start turning. A hand socket wrench will do the trick if you don’t already own an impact driver.

Socket head for lag bolts (probably 1/4” is needed)

Cable to lock generators. Generators get stolen. Lock yours.

Lock for generators. Use a re-settable combo lock so you can have the same code for all the locks.

(2) Extension cords Long enough to get power anywhere you think you’ll need it. Bright color help if it’s going to be running somewhere people can trip on it.

(2) Plug bars. Cheap 6 way or 8 way bars. If being used outside, put tape over all unused outlets, and place entire bar in a zip lock bag.

Fuel containment system. You are required to store fuel in a containment system. These probably won’t pass an inspection. we’ve never been inspected, and they are absolutely functional for the purpose. Underinflate. Keep your five gallon fuel jugs in a contractor bag for protection from the dust. (Your generator tarp will also help to ensure you don’t end up with fuel on the playa.)

Tools

Latex gloves (used during fuel/oil handling especially).

Tool box containing:

Screwdrivers, and other basics

Super glue (small, one-use tubes work best)

Small roll of duct tape (you can buy small rolls or just roll duct tape around a pencil).

Scissors

Razor blade knife

Tie down gear

Strap baggy. It’s useful to have old climbing straps/runners and daisy chains. These sell cheaply used (never ever use used for climbing!) and are very useful in life in general. Any good collection of zip ties, tie downs, bungies, etc. will do, however.

Carabiners

Webbing.

Bungee cords

Elastic bands

Zip ties, assorted sizes including some 250 lbs zip ties.

Duct tape roll

Safety tape. Caution tape used to mark anything that won’t be visible in the dark, or might be dangerous.

Bike Supplies

chain oil

chain wax

tire irons

spare tubes (consider Slime tubes)

spare chain

bike cleaning equipment

Fix-a-flat cans. If you RV gets a flat, fix-a-flat isn’t your first choice. But it may be a life saver if you learn a tire change is three days away.

Pan for used oil (aluminum foil type from a grocery store is fine)

Oil funnel (paper or improvised is fine). We use a heavy magazine cover rolled up into a funnel shape.

Generator service baggie

Spark plug socket tool

Spark plug gap tool

(2) spark plugs

Contractor bags. Heavy-duty contractor bags are a must. We put or gas cans in them. All trash eventually ends in them. Many uses. Get as thick as you can find.

Clothing Bins

We each bring two bins of clothing - usually 20 gallons. For these we use lighter-duty bins, such as these. They weigh less than the heavy duty bins we reference above, but we only stack two together, and they are filled with clothing and are much lighter our equipment bins.

We don’t follow as rigorous of a packing list for clothing, because it changes significantly each year. Our general approach is quite classic burner look, but we find ourselves gravitating to a few clothing items each year because of their extreme functionality. For example, it would not be a challenge to wear for the entire week during the day (from top to bottom) a cowboy hat, sunglasses or goggles, jewelry items, funky cargo shorts like these and some workboots, leaving just clean underwear changes required. Evening, throw on a funky t-shirt or just a black t-shirt, a cool fake fur jacket, and some long pants and be set for most of the burn. Accessories can add artistic touches and a few beloved items go a long way.

Here is a sample packing list for us:

Men’s Clothing

15 changes of socks

15 changes of underwear

1 pair black tactical pants.

1 pair tan desert pants like these. For working around camp during hot daylight times.

2 pair cargo shorts like these. These are my go-to pants. This plus a hat and accessories gets me through most days.

10 t-shirts. 3 simple black t’s. Rest more costume oriented. I am shirtless almost always until its too cold in day to do so. Then I put on a t-shirt.

3 to 5 long sleve shirts

2 cowboy style hats. A leather style stetson like this. And a lighter straw style stetson like this. Add draw string if one is not included.

Lots of accessories. Many are gifts, but also etsy stuff and home made stuff. I’ll give away much of what I bring each year.

Sunglassess. Several pair. Cheap ones with UV protection. Will be lost or broken by end of burn.

Long faux fur coat.

Two pair of work style boots, one black one beige

One pair tennis shoes

One pair gloves for warmth

Rain jacket

Compact puffy hiking jacket in case of extreme cold can be worn with fur jacket

Skull cap type hat for cold weather (not costumey but can be worn under other hats)

1 pair long underwear for extreme cold.

Mini Bins

In Handy Mini Bin or Glove Box

Burning Man Tickets

Car Pass

Maps / Driving Directions (Here are ours from the Pacific Northwest)

Auto Insurance info

Roadside assistance numbers

Documentation for RV

Drivers License

Wallet/cash

Identification with age (to carry on Playa)

Medical insurance card

Extra RV keys

DVDs/CDs

Cables to connect phones to stereo, etc.

Female Daily Mini Bin

Foam ear plugs. Make sure they fit comfortably. Earplugs are rated for how much noise they block out, so shop carefully. Men and women often need different sizes.

Headlamp. Any small reliable headlamp will work. Bring extra batteries just in case, but we seldom use headlamps at BRC.

Tinted sun screen

Emery board

Small cuticle pack

Work gloves

Glasses

Gum

Toiletry bag containing:

Comb/brush

Toothbrush

Shaving cream

Razor

Electric shaver

Tampons

Hair ties

facial/makeup remover wipes

Lip moisturizer

Cocoa butter

Contacts

Deodorant

Facial cleanser

Rx meds

Makeup

AZO cranberry pills. UTI’s are common on the playa. AZO may help prevent UTIs. (Cranberry does not treat existing UTIs)

Male Daily Mini Bin

Foam Ear plugs

Sound protecting headset. Used in combination with ear plugs, and you can block out a lot of noise. We often wear ear plugs at events, but when sleeping we will throw on the headset as well. Ear plugs are your first line of defense, but the headset can add another 25 to 40% reduction, and work well to block out low frequency sounds. If you can sleep with the combination, noise will not be a big issue for sleeping unless you very close to a sound camp or a very deep bass source, which will shake your body regardless of what you do with your ears.

Headlamp. Any small reliable headlamp will work. Bring extra batteries.

Toiletry bag containing:

Brush

Toothbrush

Razor

Deodorant

RX meds

Saline nasal spray

Neti Bottle. We use a sinus rinse daily to keep sinuses clear of dust and better moisturized. A squeeze bottle is our favorite method. Always used distilled water.

Neti refills packages

Lip moisturizer with SPF

Skin repair moisturizer

Hand moisturizer. Any good moisturizer works while on the playa so long as it doesn’t attract sand. We like Working Hands for overnight repair, but try it at home at first as it can irritate sensitive skin.

Gloves

Sippy cup. There are two good ways to go. I prefer the sippy cup style (may I recommend these), they are small and never spill. Or a camping cup style like these, which are larger. These cups will be used at bars and the like for offering.

Sharpie

Joint Daily Mini Bin

Skin moisturizing (watch this for some skin care tips)

Coconut oil packs (or sunflower if you have very sensitive skin). Good for skin moisturizer after cleaning up.

Hand moisturizer

Face moisturizer

Body moisturizer

Essential Oils (which can be also used in a diffuser…but may damage typical humidifiers)

Vaseline

Lubricated eye drops

Sunscreen

Sunblock spray We bring ten of these for two people. We use creme before going out but on the Playa refresh with the spray. Very light skin. Very little clothing. Never a burn. Our two favorites are Trader Joes spray or Banana Boat. Re-apply every two hours.

Sunblock creme. Neutrogena Ultra works great on the playa. Apply 15 minutes before sun exposure. Use an ounce/shotglass worth to cover the body. which means one tube is about enough for a single application for two people…if using a separate face sunscreen. That’s the right amount… You’ve been using too little.

Sunblock for face. Eltamd sunscreen is great for sensitive skin. Others may find standard sunscreen to be just fine for the face.

Body wipes. Alcala bamboo body wipes are magical. It’s one of the few times we would strongly recommend a brand. These are fairly large wipes (10”x10”) that are almost as good as a shower. And small and light enough to keep one in your pack at all times.

Personal wipes, for the most sensitive areas.

Aloe vera for sun burn.

Q-tips

Hand warmers

Neosporin can be used in the nose to keep your nose from becoming too dry. Some use Vaseline, although at least in theory there could be issues doing so.

Condoms

Personal lube

Gum

Power

USB Batteries (power banks for USB charged devices)

Extra batteries AAA

Extra batteries AA

Extra batteries (2032)

Lighter

Sharpies

Pens

Safety pins

Sewing kit. For normal sewing needs.

Specialized sewing kit for leather and costume repair.

Disposable dust masks. Having a couple hospital type masks work well in a pinch.

Mini E6000 for fixing

Joint Medical/Restock Mini Bin

Note: Anything we start using regularly in this bin gets moved to our Joint Daily bin for easy access. This bin is usually stored somewhere out of the way.

Medications:

Advil/Ibuprofen

Imodium

Excedrin

Tums

Benadryl

Dayquil

Nyquil

Zofran a/k/a Ondansetron to prevent nausea

Sulfameth/ for UTI

Gold bond foot powder

Bug spray

Bug cream

Backup supplies to stock daily bin

Extra batteries AAA

Extra batteries AA

Extra batteries 2032

Extra headlight

Extra Sunblock spray

Extra Sunblock creme

Extra Wipey wipes

Extra body wipes

Extra Coconut oil packs

Extra sippy cup

Extra Hand warmers

Extra Sharpies

Extra Pens

Backpacks & Backpack Bin (Items that will often end up in your playa pack)

Note: Many of these items just stay full time in our packs, such as a dust mask, clear goggles, a Shemagh, sunscreen, chapstick, notebook, ID, etc. We also keep a bin handy for when we pull things out of our packs so we can easily find them when needed.

(2) Backpacks. Etsy is full of backpacks for reasonable prices.

Food/Hydration

(2) Camelbak bladders. We like larger bladders, with neoprene drinking tubes, which have a wire to allow the tube to remain in any position. The Mil Spec style are thicker and less likely to be punctured. We prefer the 90 degree bite ending to the standard straight one. Get one on the larger size for long days. If you only fill it half-way, “bleed” out all the air before you put it in your pack to avoid all day sloshing.

Water bottle. You can use a standard bike water bottle, but Hydro Flasks are unusually effective at keeping drinks cool albeit expensive.

Road cup/sippy cup

Snacks

Gum

Dust Management

Goggles. You will want a clear set and a tinted set. We use motorcycle style glasses like these (you need to plug the small holes many goggles include). These welding goggles work well in bright light too, and look cool - but we seem to end up with the motorcycle type most days.

Dust mask. We swear by these masks. You can get them on fast, they are comfortable and fairly effective with N99 filtering.

Shemagh. Shemaghs can be used as your primary dust mask, but we tend to use them in connection with a N99 dust mask. Putting a Shemagh over a dust mask adds another level of breathing protection, while keeping dust off your face and hair. You’ll want to perfect tying at home with one of the many online videos. Practice in the dark to get it right. Plus count on strong wind to make matters worse.

Buff. Can be used as a basic dust mask. Nice to keep you warm on cool nights. Tiny to store.

Spray on sunscreen for on the playa

Chapstick type stuff.

Small notebook and a pen

Doorbell remote. To ring the doorbell attached to our bike basket.

Offering of the day

ID/ID copy, Note most, but not all camps will accept a clear photo copy of your ID.

Medical Insurance card (copy)

Porto-bag (replenish as used)

1-ply toilet paper

disposable gloves

ziplock of clean wet wipes

empty black ziplock bag (for used wipes)

Hand sanitizer

Night Lighting

Extra batteries (AA, AAA, 32s)

Fairy light screwdriver (eyeglass size screwdriver, to change fairly light batteries)

mini flashlight

Headlamp

On Bike (Some in basket, some in saddlebag)

bike lock

bike multi-tool

bike pump

bike tube

tire irons

spare tubes (consider Slime tubes)

Kitchen

Latex gloves for food handling and prep

Sponges

Pot and Pan

Real Plates, cups, bowls

Metal eating utensils

A few sets of disposable plates, cups, bowls and eating utensils for guests

Basic cooking utensils - depends on what you will be cooking. Spatulas, stirring/serving spoon, tongs, peeler, measuring cup, ladle are all items to consider.

Kitchen knife

Can opener/bottle opener

Corkscrew

Mixing/Serving Bowl, if needed

Tupperware

Zip lock bags

Debbie Meyer Green bags for food storage (see here)

Paper Towels

Kitchen Towels (blue husk style)

Nuun convenient drop-in fizzing electrolytes. Very mild flavor. (Add some crystal light to your water for more flavor)

Coffee Machine and coffee.

Trash bucket with tight-fitting lid. Hardware stores like Home Depot sell 5 gallon buckets and matching lids for about $5. Just make sure the lid is fairly easy to put on and remove. We have found these to be the best playa garbage cans, although you’ll need to get some 5 gal trash bags like these. On the drive up to BRC, we use the trash cans to transport stuff we don’t want to spill around the RV, such as:

White vinegar (1 gal)

Spray bottle for vinegar solution

409A Cleaner

Biodegradable dish soap

Distilled Water (1 gallon)

Bath

Spare toilet paper (porta-potty safe)

Shampoo

Conditioner

Body wash

Toothpaste

Hand sanitizer (large)

First aid kit

Foot care kit. We don’t have big foot issues on the playa, but some do. If you think you’re prone to problems, meet John Vonhof, the guys who wrote the book on foot care. But we bring a decent foot care kit, which includes a lancing needle to drain blisters, moleskin, leukotape and Activflex Bandaids. I also have a small printout of foot care tips, such as how to lance a blister and how to use moleskin in various scenarios.

Sleeping

Good pillows.

Blanket or comforter for cold nights

Extra sheets for bed. Three sets gives clean sheets every few days. An extra sheet can be used to cover the bed when you aren’t sleeping in it to keep in cleaner.

Bath Towels. Bring extra if you can because they can get dirty/muddy quickly. Expect white towels to stain.

Not in boxes

Generator and companion generator.

We use a Honda EU2200i inverter generator

Because it is an inverter generators, when power draw is low it runs at a low speed, for low fuel consumption and quiet operation. If you can afford $1k this is the best BM generator solution you’ll find.

We cut key parts of the owner manual out and tape them to the inside panel of the generators. How to change oil, filters and spark plugs plus the meaning of the cryptic error lights are explained. Most is pretty common sense, but when exhausted it’s nice to have clear instructions.

Gas funnel (stored in contractor garbage bag). Ideal for filling car or RV with gas, and helpful for generator too.

1 - 5 gal fuel containers. This style, however I remove the spout, and replace with a simple gas cap for transport. I ditch tricky spouts and use a very simple vented spout, similar to this. The auto shut off style are terrible and you will end up with more gas on you than in your generator/vehicle. I fill up the RV and the gas can at the last gas station. The gas can should only be filled 80%. Some participants are known to fill them to 100% if doing an evening arrival, and then using a gallon from the can to re-fill the gas in the car used between refueling and arriving at BRC and to load up the generator. We have never been short on fuel, but have a siphon to move gas from the RV tank to external generators, if need be.

Fire extinguisher for fuel (Class B). Stored outside near fuel and generators.

Fire extinguisher for RV. RV should always have one, but check dates and charge. Should be at least a B:C

(2) Camp chairs (possibly mesh)

Bike rack. Be sure not to cover your license plate with it…. see our Burning Man law enforcement notes for details on this important issue.

(2) bikes. We use Huffy cruisers we purchased for around $70 each.

Bike doorbell. We have a wireless doorbell attached to our bike basket. Find your bike pronto if, uh, “disoriented”.

Straw/Cornhusk broom. Best way to keep RV clean

Dust Pan.

2 rolls of foil-faced bubble wrap to cover windows. Essential for keeping the RV cool. Also keeps the RV fairly dark, allowing for off hours sleeping.

Coverings for floor like this that will stick to wood or the equivalent carpet covering

Heavy mat for outside RV

Rug for outside RV. Acquire a free area rug that will fit in your external RV storage area if you have one. 6’x8’ would work well. When you arrive, roll it out at the door of your RV and then either secure it with lag bolts or put weights on the corners. Then put your heavy door mat on top of it. The rug will bcome exceptionally dusty during the burn, but will keep dust down in front of the RV door, and give an extended area to keep feet clean. Roll it and then wrap it up with cling wrap or the like before loading it in the RV to take home. When back home, a leaf blower will get a lot of the dust off the rug.

Water and Food

Water (in 2.5 gallon “suitcases”)

We bring 10 to 12 of these (25 to 30 gallons) to use for drinking and cooking, which leaves extra to share. This is on top of a full water tank on our RV for all other purposes.

Food Box (non-perishable)

See what we eat to see what goes in the box.

Cooler 1 (1st Half Cooler) - Coleman Xtreme

Read about our cooler strategy here. Our coolers are 70Q Coleman Xtremes, which we bought for $35 each during the winter on Craigslist. Used Yetis in great shape are around $200.

All food is frozen before going in cooler.

No dry ice in Cooler 1

Freeze water in zip lock bags to keep cooler dry as possible

Tape seam for trip down to BRC

Cover with insulating blanket at all times when cooler is not in use.

Temp prob in cooler with alarm set to notify of unsafe temp

Cooler 2 (2nd Half Cooler) - Coleman Xtreme

All food must be fully frozen before putting in cooler. The colder the better. So have your freezer at home at lowest setting the week before BM.

Dry Ice wrapped in newspaper. Do not let dry ice touch cooler sides. We go back and forth on whether dry ice is really that helpful. These days we have moved away from dry ice, but some swear by it. Even in the height of our dry ice years, we only used around 10 lbs.

Freeze water in zip lock bags to keep cooler dry as possible and to be able to re-freeze

Tape seam BUT if using dry ice you must leave the drain plug open a tiny bit to avoid explosion. Only when dry ice is gone can plug be closed. Place a towel or bowl below to catch drips.

Temp prob in cooler with alarm set to notify of unsafe temp

Wrap in blanket

If using dry ice, this cooler will initially be well below freezing due to dry ice. We typically see temps of around 0 to 15 degrees F for the first day. Temp will likely remain below 32F until cooler is opened.

#Packing #Tent Camping #Food storage #Coolers #How to Pack

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easyfoodnetwork · 4 years

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Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images To help struggling restaurants, states across the country have loosened up laws around to-go and delivery drinks — and it’s hard to imagine going back By 3 p.m. on Saturday, when Dutch Kills’s cocktail window opened for business, there were already a half-dozen people lined up outside. The famous Queens “speakeasy” has given up the last pretense of being secret, with a bartender in a mask taking orders — martinis, Manhattans, mai tais — next to a sandwich board that asks patrons to “keep it safe and keep it moving!” There were snacks for sale, too. And for an extra $2, I could get a float of 12-year rum on my pina colada. I spent the $2, and set off on the half-hour walk home, my only concern being how to thread the straw underneath my face mask. Two months ago, openly walking down the street with a cocktail would have been impossible, and drinking outside would have required the minor conspiracy of pouring wine into an opaque water bottle before going to the park, or brown-bagging it on the subway. Across the country, it is largely illegal to consume alcohol in public spaces, to take a drink to-go from a restaurant or bar, or to purchase a bottle of liquor from anywhere but a liquor or grocery store. It’s a confusing system — as long as the drinking age is 21, most liquor laws are left to states and local municipalities — and mostly it boils down to having to consume alcohol in your home or on the premises of a restaurant, bar, or arena, and that walking around on the street with a beer is a big taboo. But in order to provide restaurants and bars with a boost during the COVID-19 pandemic, many states have loosened liquor laws, allowing patrons to get cocktails or wine to-go from delivery windows, or have them delivered with their food. It seems to be working quite well, both for businesses and customers; businesses get to offload more product at a time when every penny counts, and customers get to enjoy mixologist-quality cocktails at home. And it raises the question of why the hell it hasn’t been like this the whole time. The new, temporary liquor regulations have their own quirks and inconsistencies, but most states have made it easier to obtain alcohol: In New York and California, alcohol can be delivered or taken to-go, as long as it’s accompanied by food, and restaurants can sell whole bottles of wine and spirits. In Chicago, restaurants and bars can sell “sealed packaged goods in their original container,” like bottles of wine or cans of beer, but not pre-mixed cocktails. The same goes for Washington and Texas, though restaurants are selling “cocktail kits” so you can make your own at home. Public intoxication and public drinking laws remain, but anecdotally, there seems to be mixed enforcement. Fewer people are in public. And everyone has bigger fish to fry. Richard Boccato, founder of Dutch Kills, was initially skeptical of booze delivery. “The takeout window came first, because the window was there, and we didn’t know what else to do,” he says. “But I wasn’t initially excited about [delivery] because of health concerns, not wanting to put myself and my staff at risk.” He also knew Dutch Kills mostly attracted locals — ”people don’t usually make the trip from fancier zip codes out to Long Island City.” However, with a bar full of cases of spirits, and the infrastructure to deliver through their ice company, he was willing to try. Restaurants typically make about 30 percent of revenue from alcohol sales, and for bars, it’s obviously much higher. So being able to move alcohol means an extra shot (sorry) at survival. Boccato says that their cocktail packages, which include the bar’s signature ice blocks and a QR code for a Spotify playlist of their jukebox’s most popular selections, have been a hit. And on top of their take-out window and their cocktail delivery service, they also have whole bottles of specialty spirits for sale. “As far as what percentage of our regular business that has earned us, it’s an infinitesimal fraction, but considering what’s happening we can’t complain too much,” he says. Other restaurants consider the loosened laws an incredible lifeline. “I personally love this license. I wish we could keep this license forever,” says Gina Chersevani, owner of Buffalo & Bergen in Washington, D.C., which is providing bagels and sandwiches as well as cocktails to-go. “The coolest thing in the world is to be able to pick up breakfast and bring home a Bloody Mary.” Chersevani says that alcohol sales currently account for about 20 percent of business on a busy day like Saturday, far lower than the 50/50 food to alcohol sales they were doing before the pandemic. But it helps to both keep money coming in, and to remind customers of everything they have to offer, even if they don’t feel immediately safe going out once things reopen. “Drinking in a bar is great but it’s a different option... we can provide for both of those worlds.” Chersevani said it took a few days to figure out how to prepare cocktails both safely and in accordance with the new laws, which require alcohol orders to be sealed, and that they include at least one food item: “It’s extra steps.” She says it’s led some bars to break the rules, which she worries could ruin the opportunity to extend this license for everyone else. But she looks to life in New Orleans as a model, where open container laws allow for people to walk around with to-go cocktails, and says there’s no reason that shouldn’t work in a small, walkable city like D.C. “I don’t know if everyone is going to want to keep [these laws], but for my fast-casual business this could work really well for me in the future.” Anyone who has ever visited the handful of towns and entertainment districts in the U.S. that allow for public consumption of alcohol (or like, Europe) has probably come back with a story of a good time. For those who consume alcohol, the freedom of being able to walk up to a kitchen window, get a sandwich and an alcoholic slushie to go, either taking it home or having a picnic with no one being the wiser is just fun. It almost seems redundant to explain — if you could walk along the river front and watch the sunset while sipping on a frosé, wouldn’t you? And if you can now, how on earth is the government going to take that back? Chersevani’s point about small, walkable cities highlights one of the big problems: America doesn’t have many of those. What we have instead is large, drivable cities, suburban sprawl, and rural expanses over which public transportation is inaccessible, which means most people face the question of drinking or driving. Allowing cocktails and wine to-go likely ups the chances someone will enjoy their martini from their car’s cupholder, and any laws enacted would have to include provisions about curbing drunk driving. Even New York’s Boccato does have some trepidation about a permanent switch to cocktails to-go, though. Current laws already make bartenders liable for over-serving, and it would make it harder for a bartender to track intoxication if you can get a bottle of Negronis to-go. However, he notes that the paradise described above already existed. “I grew up in New York City, drinking 40s on the subway and on the stoops and in the parks,” he says. Open container laws have never stopped people from drinking in public. Instead, it’s always been an issue of who gets away with it. Racism and classism heavily influence who police target for public consumption — someone drinking a glass of wine on the stoop of their million-dollar Brooklyn brownstone is less likely to be called out than the people with the cooler of beers on the public beach. “It’s another racist law used almost universally against the poor, it’s usually an excuse for police to stop and investigate,” says Niki Ganong, author of The Field Guide To Drinking In America, pointing to statistics showing that, in one month in Brooklyn, 85 percent of those issued summonses for drinking in public were Latino, while just 4 percent were white. Permanently loosening open container and alcohol to-go regulations could mean equal enjoyment, and no more excuse for police harassment. But even if open container laws remain enforced, it’s easy to see how alcohol and cocktail delivery and takeout could become a part of a new dining reality. “The cat’s out of the bag, especially in regards to delivery,” says Ganong. “The whole reason laws were loosened in the first place was to allow struggling businesses to earn some money any way they could. That’s not going to change for a long time, even after things reopen.” Restaurants are going to need all the revenue they can get, and being able to offer a cocktail in the dining room or with a take-out meal just means more options to make money. Plus, customers are used to it now. “They say that habits are formed after a month!” says Ganong. As more states contemplate the reopening of business, expanded liquor laws would continue to provide an extra revenue option for restaurants — in Texas, where restaurants are reopening, the TABC has also ruled they can still offer booze to-go — and allow customers to continue enjoying drinks at home if they don’t feel comfortable being in crowds. Walking home with my pina colada, getting slowly tipsy in the sun, hurt no one. I was excited that I could enjoy a drink crafted with far more care than I was capable of, especially considering I don’t own a blender. I was happy to be enjoying a sunny day outside, and to maybe pretend I was in New Orleans. But I was in Queens, and maybe soon enough it’ll stop feeling like I’m getting away with something. Maybe it’ll just feel like normal. from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2ylCpFp

http://easyfoodnetwork.blogspot.com/2020/05/its-maybe-time-to-make-to-go-cocktails.html

#EasyFoodNetwork #ComfortFoodRecipes #EasyRecipes #GoodFood #BestComfortFoodRecipes #TastyFoodv

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coffeelevel8-blog · 5 years

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72 Hours in Seattle

DAY 1: THURSDAY

DAY 2: FRIDAY

12:30…Rocket Taco for lunch, where we ate some of the best carnitas tacos I can remember.

How beautiful is that?!?!?! They went with Sherwin Williams Inkwell for the house and Benjamin Moore Oxford White for the trim.

DAY 4 SUNDAY

Boy you fed us well, Seattle. We miss you so much!

Related: 36 Hours in Austin; 36 Hours in Portland, Maine; 48 Hours in Montreal.

Source: http://www.dinneralovestory.com/72-hours-in-seattle/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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amazingviralinfo · 7 years

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Summer will be over before you know it, and if you’re anything like me, you’re not very good at planning vacations in advance.

I tend to book last-minute trips, which isn’t ideal since last-minute flights are usually pretty expensive. There’s one awesome destination, though, that I can always find a cheap flight to, even if it’s on short notice.

That’s Los Angeles.

Depending on where you live, it can even be a beautiful and scenic road trip up to LA.

LA is the perfect last-minute getaway because there’s so much to do there and tons of completely free entertainment, and you don’t need to book in advance. I’ve zipped up theremany times, and I’ve always booked everything less than 10 days prior.

There are several awesome hotels to choose from and lots of scenic natural wonders. You can get park-hopper tickets for Disneyland the day of, and you don’t need to reserve a Universal Studios tour, either. You can just show up and buy passes at the gate.

Here are 11 reasons you should definitely head to LA if you’re in need of a quick and easy summer getaway:

1. The world’s best theme parks are in Los Angeles

California draws in the tourists by boasting the world’s best theme parks. Disneyland, Six Flags and Universal Studiosare some of the most popular, but other parks such as Knott’s Berry Farm, Raging Waters and Magic Mountain are awesome as well. The top priorities should be Disneyland and Universal Studios.

Universal recently opened the mind-blowing Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction, which was over five years in the making and cost the park over $500 million to create.

These epic theme parks are enough of a reason to go to LA on their own, so consider these next 10 things on this list added bonuses of visiting the City of Angels.

2. The beach culture is the best of the best.

The beach culture in LA really can’t be beat, especially since it’s home to some of America’s best beaches. The legendary beaches include Venice Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Malibu Beach, Huntington Beach and many others.

The beach culture thrives thanks to the youthful surf culture, the beach-side entertainment and the fact California keeps its beaches in pristine condition.

Venice Beach, for example, has it all: a boardwalk lined with shops and restaurants, talented performers who put on free performances, beach-side independent vendors, henna tattoo artists, a skate park, a bike and rollerblading path, volleyball nets and even live music by the beach.

Laguna Beach and Newport Beach are quieter, but extremely gorgeous and scenic with lots of bars and restaurants to choose from.

3. There are incredible, iconic hotels.

Los Angeles is home to some of the world’s most iconic and spectacular hotels. The Beverly Hills Hotel, for example, isone of the world’s most iconic and best-known hotels that should definitely be on your bucket list. It’sclosely associated with Hollywood film stars, rock stars and celebrities. This hotel (known fondly as the “Pink Palace”) is beyond luxury and five stars.

It feels as though you’re stepping into a fantasy world and leaving the regular world behind. Since the hotel is over100 years old with much of its original architecture and designs intact, it’s no wonder why staying here feels other-worldly. There are so many Instagram-worthy moments here, which is why you should check it out.

The entrance to the hotel has a red carpet and photo wall. Entering the hotel’s iconicFountain Coffee Room is like stepping backwards in time. It’s surreal. It’s a historical landmark built in 1949, and it features 19 restored bar stools around a classic curved soda fountaincounter inspired by the 1940s.

Can you say milkshake, two straws and a really good Instagram filter? Yes please.

Request a (free) hotel tour, and check out the BungalowMarilyn Monroe lived at during her career, and the one Elizabeth Taylor honeymoonedat with six of her eight husbands. It’s worth your time, trust me.

4. The nightlife is awesome.

LA’s huge population of young and fun Millennials helps its nightlife thrive, so bars and clubs are always busy and never boring. From outdoor bungalow-style clubs and glamorous nightclubs to rooftop hotel pool parties and barefoot bars on the beach, the options are endless.

I must say, LA also has some of the coolest and most unique nightclubs I’ve ever seen. I actually hate nightclubs, but not the ones in L.A.

For example, The Bungalowis an outdoor club in Santa Monica that is designed to appeal to almost anyone. A portion of this venue is an outdoor garden patio setup that has a lounge feel rather than a nightclub feel. There’s an indoor section that is set up to look like cozy bungalows, complete with couches, pool tables and a fireplace.

For the real clubgoers, this venue has a real party setup inside a massive white tent. The tent has a full bar, tables for bottle service, a large dance floor and a DJ booth. There’s even a bonfire set up to drink your cocktails around the fire.

My favorite part of The Bungalow was the outdoor garden lounge area because you could still hear the music, it just wasn’t as loud as it is in the tent. Also, I liked how it felt like I was sipping cocktails in a secret garden with ivy walls. It’s a very memorable and unique venue, to say the least.

You can stay at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows where your room would be practically next door to the club, but the soundproof walls allow you to maintain a getaway feel when you want. Plus, you get hooked up with VIP entrance when you’re a hotel guest, so that’s a perk.

5. California’s food and wine is incredible.

I’m sure you’re aware California is known for its delicious wine. California is home to some ofNorth America’sbest vineyards and wineries. A wine tour is a must during your visit, and great wineries in the Los Angeles area includethe San Antonio Winery and The Malibu Estate, Rosenthal.

The food is incredible as well. California is lucky to be an ingredient-rich state, and the food is very multicultural so you’ll be eating the best of everything with plenty of variety.

There aren’t very many places where you’re sure to find amazing sushi, phenomenal seafood, authentic Mexican and traditional Italian. Many of the world’s most renowned chefs have restaurants in LA.

The City of Angels is a foodie’s paradise, and it’s a great place to visit if you’d like to experience the ideal dining experience, especially if you want amazing food paired with a beautiful view of the water while you eat. Not only that, but some of the farmer’s markets have great food vendors set up with fresh, delicious options at great prices.

6. It’s a fashionista’s paradise.

The shopping is awesome in LA because there’s so much variety. The one-of-a-kind boutiques and street vendors along the Venice Boardwalk are where you can find unique items nobody else has. If you’re looking for cool art to decorate your apartment or unique hand-made jewelry, go there.

The fashion district in Downtown LA has some of the best bargain shopping in the country, and the multiple outlets are a great stop for discount items as well. If you’re fancy, you’re in luck because shopping on Rodeo Drive is where all the best name-brand stores have their flagship locations.

7. The entertainment options are endless.

When it comes to everyday entertainment, the options in LA are ridiculous. If you don’t like bars or night clubs, take a walk along the Santa Monica Promenade instead, and watch the various street performers. Or, see one of the city’s awesome burlesque shows.

If you love stand-up comedy, I’d highly recommend going to The Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip. That place is iconic, and some of the world’s best comedians got their start there. Alumni include Amy Schumer, Dave Chappelle, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Russell Peters and Kevin Hart.

The best part? It’s known for often surprising the audience with a celebrity guest. I was there last month and Dave Chappelle did a 15-minute surprise set. I guess he was just in the neighborhood and decided to stop by his old stomping ground? Who knows? It was just so awesome and the best $15 I’ve ever spent.

You can also get free tickets to be in the audience of your favorite talk show, like with Ellen or Jimmy Kimmel, or go and see an amazing art show. When it comes to entertainment, LA has some of the best options in the world.

8. The sunsets are some of the world’s most stunning.

Los Angeles is known for its stunning, colorful sunsets. The city’s beautiful coastlines, beaches and expansive landscapes offer plenty of places to watch the sun go down, and the palm trees shadowed by pink skies is the cherry on top of that perfect Instagram-worthy moment. Mashable recently named LA the city with themost Instagram-worthy sunsetsin the world.

Some might argue the reason LA sunsets are so colorful and gorgeous is due to the air’s smog, smoke and pollution, but all we really know is that the sunsets are worth seeing here.

9. The world-class spas.

If you love a good facial, massage or body wrap, definitely hit up one of the luxury spas in LA. One of the best spas in LA is La Prairie Spa. Its unique and extravagant treatment options include a Swiss Ice Crystal Facial, a Pure Gold Radiance Facial, a White Caviar Illuminating Facial, a Scalp and Foot Therapy Massage and a Diamond Perfection Body Treatment.

It can be tough to find a spa with luxury treatments like these, so definitely take advantage while you’re in LA. There’s nothing like this where I live, so I definitely took advantage.

10. You’ll see celebs.

Someone told me that if I wanted to see a celebrity, I should linger outside the entrance to the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel. It’s no joke. Within five minutes, I saw Al Pacino and Lisa Kudrow. The host was even kind enough to show me Frank Sinatra’s favorite booth (taking a photo of me in it at my request) and Leonardo’s, too.

You’re also likely to see celebrities at The Grove, Rodeo Drive and restaurants such as The Ivy, Koi and Katsuya.

Since so many movies are filmed in Los Angeles, so there’s always notable A-listers around. Yes, you can even get a guided tour to see where celebs live.

11. Nature porn is all around you.

California’s scenic coastline and surrounding nature is absolutely breathtaking. Beautiful natural wonders such as waterfalls, coves, hidden caves, botanical gardens, pristine lakes, inspired canals, mountainsand beautifulhiking trails are just some of the natural sights you’ll see if you travel to LA. There are plenty of national parks to check out in the area as well.

LA isn’t all Hollywood, celebrities and muscular surfer dudeson the beach. Don’t overlook the amazing nature in the greater Los Angeles area, and make sure to spend some time taking in the natural sights when you’re there.

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trippinglynet · 5 years

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Burning Man Packing List and Bin Organization

Packing Organization

This is how we pack for Burning Man. We are two people in an RV. We consider this packing heavily and not roughing it by any means.

What to Bring. There are some great guides to what to bring based on how you plan to travel. We find Travel Grom’s to be another good list. Read this extrmely comprehensive list to make sure you’ve considered all the options of what to bring. The list below is our packing list, including links to the products we use when relevant (we earn no affiliate fees or any other income from any part of this website). We feel very prepared for BM, but not burdened with things we won’t be using.

How to Pack it. We pack our items in durable bins, which we clearly label on all sides. We also print this list, and annotate where each bin is stored in our RV. We have found spending extra for tough bins is worth the money because you can stack them high when they are being stored between bins. Cheaper bins will break under the weight of the bins above them. This style of Homz bins work well. Home Depot sells their HDX tough bin — the same bin as Homz, in 27 gal or 38 gal sizes for around $10 each. Figure out which one will fit in the RV (and your off-season storage). We then use small (4 gals) clear bins with blue flip up lids for daily stuff (“Mini Bins”). They aren’t sturdy, but we are fine for what we put in them (see below).

Large Bins (in RV outside storage)

These three bins are large, heavy-duty bins (30 gals) and remain stored in our undercarriage (only outside-accessible) storage areas in the RV. If we didn’t have good undercarriage storage, these bins could be locked and stored under the RV itself. Bins 1 and 2 are almost empty once we are camped. Bin 3 remains close to full. Between burns these bins are restocked and stacked in our storage locker - we find the restocking/cleaning process to be a soothing part of our decompression ritual.

RV Setup and RV Protection (Bin 1)

White gaffer tape. It’s more expensive than painters tape but leaves no residue on RV.

Blue painters tape (if gaffer tape runs out). Blue tape will leave a residue if left in the sun. So we only use inside our RV.

Ikea mat for entrance way inside RV. We bought a stack on sale for $1 each at Ikea. We stack 5 on top of each other and just peel off the top one every other day (to be cleaned at home and reused the next year)

Cheap door mat for outside of RV (make sure it won’t leave MOOP - our first year we used a high quality front door mat that left us picking up fine bristles for a few hours on our way out).

Old bed sheets to cover surfaces

Clips to keep sheets in place

Press n’ Seal Glad Wrap

Corn husk broom for RV (we found small handheld “Dustbusters” not be to be effective)

Star Laser - best $100 you can spend). These are sold by a lot of people under different names.

Tapestry for RV protection and decoration.

RV Septic Drop-ins. If you rent, your RV will likely come with these, but you need to confirm.

Small humidifier for RV

White noise generator - Surprisingly effective for a better nights sleep

USB wall chargers. One with multiple charging outlets is best

USB backup batteries. For charging or powering any USB device.

Electrical (Bin 2)

Lag bolts to secure tarp (including chain links). Read the link to understand why you want these.

Socket head for lag bolts (probably 1/4” is needed)

Cable to lock generators. Generators get stolen. Lock yours.

Lock for generators. Use a re-settable combo lock so you can have the same code for all the locks.

(2) Extension cords Long enough to get power anywhere you think you’ll need it. Bright color help if it’s going to be running somewhere people can trip on it.

(2) Plug bars. Cheap 6 way or 8 way bars. If being used outside, put tape over all unused outlets, and place entire bar in a zip lock bag.

Parallel cord for generator. If using two Honda generators, you’ll need this cord.

Adapter for RV if needed [50 amp to 30 amp] (attached to extension cord)

30 Amp extension cord. Cord to plug generators into RV

Hammer (Old heavy-duty hammer). Buy one at a Goodwill donation type store for $2 and leave in your bin year round.

Fuel containment system. You are required to store fuel in a containment system. These work fine. Underinflate. Keep your five gallon fuel jugs in a contractor bag for protection from the dust. (Your generator tarp will also help to ensure you don’t end up with fuel on the playa.)

Tools (Bin 3)

Latex gloves (used during fuel/oil handling especially).

1 QT Mobil 1 Advanced Economy 0W-30 oil for oil change on the Playa. Our Honda generators’ oil can be changed in two minutes. Here’s how.

On the playa do an oil change on a windless, mostly dustless day. Simply pour out the oil from both generators into the aluminum pan (positioned on your tarp to minimize damage from oil spills). Then pour the fresh oil into both generators. Then pour the used oil into the oil can you just used.

Note: Honda 2200i takes 14 ounces of oil, so a single quart (32 ounces) is too much for two generators, so be careful not to overfill generators.

Tool box containing:

Screwdrivers, and other basics

Super glue (small, one-use tubes work best)

Small roll of duct tape (you can buy small rolls or just roll duct tape around a pencil).

Scissors

Razor blade knife

Tie down gear

Carabiners

Webbing.

Bungee cords

Elastic bands

Zip ties, assorted sizes including some 250 lbs zip ties.

Duct tape roll

Safety tape. Caution tape used to mark anything that won’t be visible in the dark, or might be dangerous.

Bike Supplies

chain oil

chain wax

tire irons

spare tubes (consider Slime tubes)

spare chain

bike cleaning equipment

Fix-a-flat cans. If you RV gets a flat, fix-a-flat isn’t your first choice. But it may be a life saver if you learn a tire change is three days away. If you have a rental RV, using fix-a-flat may result in you having to buy another tire for the RV.

Pan for used oil (aluminum foil type from a grocery store is fine)

Oil funnel (paper or improvised is fine). We use a heavy magazine cover rolled up into a funnel shape.

Generator service baggie

Spark plug socket tool

Spark plug gap tool

(2) spark plugs

(2) Feet soaking bins It’s nice to have two if you really enjoy soaking, but if water is short, a single shared bath is more efficient.

RV white hose. We use two of these. One for standard RV refills. And one to go from the drill pump to water barrels. See Drill Pump below.

Electric drill for drill pump. Any decent electric drill will do. Corded is fine if you have power readily available. $20 on Craigslist type drill is fine.

Drill pump. We bring a pump because our RV requires pressure to refill the water. Being able to refill water from 5 gallon jugs is very useful.

Hand fuel pump. Not a key item, but if you need to get gas out of an RV or car into a generator, better than improvised siphons.

Contractor bags. Heavy-duty contractor bags are a must. We put or gas cans in them. All trash eventually ends in them. Many uses. Get as thick as you can find.

Clothing Bins

Here is a sample packing list for us:

Men’s Clothing

15 changes of socks

15 changes of underwear

1 pair black tactical pants.

1 pair tan desert pants like these. For working around camp during hot daylight times.

2 pair cargo shorts like these. These are my go-to pants. This plus a hat and accessories gets me through most days.

10 t-shirts. 3 simple black t’s. Rest more costume oriented. I am shirtless almost always until too cold in day to do so. Then put on a t-shirt.

3 to 5 long sleve shirts

2 cowboy style hats. A leather style stetson like this. And a lighter straw style stetson like this. Add draw string if one is not included.

Lots of accessories. Many are gifts, but also etsy stuff and home made stuff. I’ll give away much of what I bring each year.

Sunglassess. Cheap ones with UV protection. Will be lost or broken by end of burn.

Long faux fur coat.

Two pair of work style boots, one black one beige

One pair tennis shoes

One pair gloves for warmth

Rain jacket

Compact puffy hiking jacket in case of extreme cold can be worn with fur jacket

Skull cap type hat for cold weather (not costumey but can be worn under other hats)

1 pair long underwear for extreme cold.

Mini Bins (Inside RV)

Up Front in RV Mini Bin/Glove Box

Burning Man Tickets

Car Pass

Maps / Driving Directions (Here are ours from the Pacific Northwest)

Auto Insurance info

Roadside assistance numbers

Documentation for RV

Drivers License

Wallet/cash

Identification with age (to carry on Playa)

Medical insurance card

Extra RV keys

DVDs/CDs

Cables to connect phones to stereo, etc.

Female Daily Mini Bin

Foam ear plugs. Make sure they fit comfortably. Earplugs are rated for how much noise they block out, so shop carefully. Men and women often need different sizes.

Headlamp. Any small reliable headlamp will work. Bring extra batteries just in case, but we seldom use headlamps at BRC.

Tinted sun screen

Emery board

Small cuticle pack

Loofah

Work gloves

Glasses

Gum

Toiletry bag containing:

Comb/brush

Toothbrush

Shaving cream

Razor

Electric shaver

Tampons

Hair ties

facial/makeup remover wipes

Lip moisturizer

Cocoa butter

Contacts

Deodorant

Facial cleanser

Rx meds

Makeup

AZO cranberry pills. UTI’s are common on the playa. AZO may help prevent UTIs. (Cranberry does not treat existing UTIs)

Male Daily Mini Bin

Foam Ear plugs

Headlamp. Any small reliable headlamp will work. Bring extra batteries.

Toiletry bag containing:

Brush

Toothbrush

Razor

Deodorant

RX meds

Saline nasal spray

Neti Bottle. We use a sinus rinse daily to keep sinuses clear of dust and better moisturized. A squeeze bottle is our favorite method. Always used distilled water.

Neti refills packages

Lip moisturizer with SPF

Skin repair moisturizer

Gloves

Sharpie

Joint Daily Mini Bin

Skin moisturizing (watch this for some skin care tips)

Coconut oil packs (or sunflower if you have very sensitive skin). Good for skin moisturizer after cleaning up.

Hand moisturizer

Face moisturizer

Body moisturizer

Essential Oils (which can be also used in a diffuser…but may damage typical humidifiers)

Vaseline

Lubricated eye drops

Sunscreen

Sunblock for face. Eltamd sunscreen is great for sensitive skin. Others may find standard sunscreen to be just fine for the face.

Personal wipes, for the most sensitive areas.

Aloe vera for sun burn.

Q-tips

Hand warmers

Neosporin can be used in the nose to keep your nose from becoming too dry. Some use Vaseline, although at least in theory there could be issues doing so.

Condoms

Personal lube

Gum

Power

USB Batteries (power banks for USB charged devices)

Extra batteries AAA

Extra batteries AA

Extra batteries (2032)

Lighter

Sharpies

Pens

Safety pins

Sewing kit. For normal sewing needs.

Specialized sewing kit for leather and costume repair.

Disposable dust masks. Having a couple hospital type masks work well in a pinch.

Mini E6000 for fixing

Joint Medical/Restock Mini Bin

Note: Anything we start using regularly in this bin gets moved to our Joint Daily bin for easy access. This bin is usually stored somewhere out of the way.

Medications:

Advil/Ibuprofen

Imodium

Excedrin

Tums

Benadryl

Dayquil

Nyquil

Zofran a/k/a Ondansetron to prevent nausea

Sulfameth/ for UTI

Gold bond foot powder

Bug spray

Bug cream

Backup supplies to stock daily bin

Extra batteries AAA

Extra batteries AA

Extra batteries 2032

Extra headlight

Extra Sunblock spray

Extra Sunblock creme

Extra Wipey wipes

Extra body wipes

Extra Coconut oil packs

Extra sippy cup

Extra Hand warmers

Extra Sharpies

Extra Pens

Backpacks & Backpack Bin (Items that will often end up in your playa pack)

(2) Backpacks. Etsy is full of backpacks for reasonable prices.

Food/Hydration

Water bottle. You can use a standard bike water bottle, but Hydro Flasks are unusually effective at keeping drinks cool albeit expensive.

Road cup/sippy cup

Snacks

Gum

Dust Management

Dust mask. We swear by these masks. You can get them on fast, they are comfortable and fairly effective with N99 filtering.

Buff. Can be used as a basic dust mask. Nice to keep you warm on cool nights. Tiny to store.

Spray on sunscreen for on the playa

Chapstick type stuff.

Small notebook and a pen

Doorbell remote. To ring the doorbell attached to our bike basket.

Offering of the day

ID/ID copy, Note most, but not all camps will accept a clear photo copy of your ID.

Medical Insurance card (copy)

Porto-bag (replenish as used)

1-ply toilet paper

disposable gloves

ziplock of clean wet wipes

empty black ziplock bag (for used wipes)

Hand sanitizer

Night Lighting

Extra batteries (AA, AAA, 32s)

Fairy light screwdriver (eyeglass size screwdriver, to change fairly light batteries)

mini flashlight

Headlamp

On Bike (Some in basket, some in saddlebag)

bike lock

bike multi-tool

bike pump

bike tube

tire irons

spare tubes (consider Slime tubes)

Items Loaded in RV (Not in Bins)

All of the following items will be packed up in moving boxes before we load our RV. But the items are all loaded directly in the RV storage, and the moving boxes are left at home.

Kitchen/Load in RV box

Latex gloves for food handling and prep

Sponges

Pots and pans

Real Plates, cups, bowls

Metal eating utensils

Disposable plates, cups, bowls and eating utensils

Cooking utensils

Can opener/bottle opener

Spatulas

Whisk

Stirring Spoon

Liquid Measuring cup

Jigger for liquor

Corkscrew

Spatula

Tongs

Peeler

Ladle

Scissors

Cutting board

Mixing/Serving Bowl

Tupperware

Zip lock bags

Debbie Meyer Green bags for food storage (see here)

Paper Towels

Kitchen Towels

Nuun convenient drop-in fizzing electrolytes. Very mild flavor. (Add some crystal light to your water for more flavor)

Coffee Machine and coffee.

Clip on fan. A small electric clip on fan can be a wonderful luxury in an RV or tent. Place a humidifier in front of it for a cool moist breeze.

Humidifier. If you can spare the water, a humidifier, especially while you sleep at night, is a nice addition. Ours goes through about 1/2 gallon per night at a fairly low setting, which is plenty of added humidity.

Trash bucket with tight-fitting lid

Hardware stores like Home Depot sell 5 gallon buckets and matching lids for about $5. Just make sure the lid is fairly easy to put on and remove. We have found these to be the best playa garbage cans, although you’ll need to get some 5 gal trash bags like these. On the drive up to BRC, we use the trash cans to transport stuff we don’t want to spill around the RV, such as:

White vinegar (1 gal)

Spray bottle for vinegar solution

409A Cleaner

Biodegradable dish soap

Distilled Water (1 gallon)

Bath

Spare toilet paper (porta-potty safe)

Washcloths

Small bath mat (towel style). Any decent old towel works well too.

Toilet brush. We buy a very cheap one that comes with a holder each burn and throw it out after the burn.

Shampoo

Conditioner

Body wash

Toothpaste

Hand sanitizer (large)

First aid kit

Bedroom

Good pillows.

Warmie. A microwavable buckwheat pillow is a nice way to warm up a cold bed.

Blanket or comforter for cold nights

Hangers for closet

Extra sheets for bed. Three sets gives clean sheets every few days. An extra sheet can be used to cover the bed when you aren’t sleeping in it to keep in cleaner.

Bath Towels. Bring extra because they can get dirty/muddy quickly. Expect white towels to stain.

Floor length mirror if RV doesn’t have a decent mirror.

Not in boxes

Generator and companion generator.

We use a Honda EU2200i inverter generator and a Honda EU2200i “Companion” generator.

These two generators are very quiet and can be linked together to deliver 30A, 4400 watts surge power and 3600 watt continuous operation power. Together this provides a good amount of power to run an RV with a decent sized AC.

Because they are inverter generators, when power draw is low they run at a low speed, for low fuel consumption and quiet operation. If you can afford $1k for one or $2k for both, this is the best BM generator solution you’ll find.

Gas funnel (stored in contractor garbage bag). Ideal for filling car or RV with gas, and helpful for generator too.

5x - 5 gal fuel containers. This style, however I remove all spouts except for one, and use simple gas caps. I ditch tricky spouts and use a very simple vented spout, similar to this. The auto shut off style are terrible and you will end up with more gas on you than in your generator/vehicle. I fill up the RV and the gas cans at the last gas station. The gas cans should only be filled 80%. Some are known to fill them to 100% if doing an evening arrival, and then using a gallon from each can to re-fill the gas in the RV used between refueling and arriving at BRC and to load up the generators. We have never been short on fuel, but have a siphon to move gas from the RV tank to external generators, if need be.

Fire extinguisher for fuel (Class B). Stored outside near fuel and generators.

Fire extinguisher for RV. RV should always have one, but check dates and charge. Should be at least a B:C

(2) Camp chairs (possibly mesh)

Bike rack. Be sure not to cover your license plate with it…. see our Burning Man law enforcement notes for details on this important issue.

(2) bikes. We use Huffy cruisers we purchased for around $70 each.

Bike doorbell. We have a wireless doorbell attached to our bike basket. Find your bike pronto if, uh, “disoriented”.

Straw/Cornhusk broom. Best way to keep RV clean

Dust Pan.

2 rolls of foil-faced bubble wrap to cover windows. Essential for keeping the RV cool. Also keeps the RV fairly dark, allowing for off hours sleeping.

Coverings for floor like this that will stick to wood or the equivalent carpet covering

Heavy mat for outside RV

Water and Food

Water (in 2.5 gallon “suitcases”)

We bring 10 to 12 of these (25 to 30 gallons) to use for drinking and cooking, which leaves extra to share. This is on top of a full water tank on our RV for all other purposes.

Food Box (non-perishable)

See what we eat to see what goes in the box.

Cooler 1 (1st Half Cooler) - Coleman Xtreme

Read about our cooler strategy here. Our coolers are 70Q Coleman Xtremes, which we bought for $35 each during the winter on Craigslist. Used Yetis in great shape are around $200. We’ve never found the need for an upgraded cooler with an RV. In a tent, Yeti’s are handy if you have the cash.

All food is frozen before going in cooler.

No dry ice in Cooler 1

Freeze water in zip lock bags to keep cooler dry as possible and to be able to re-freeze

Tape seam for trip down to BRC

Cover with insulating blanket at all times when cooler is not in use.

Temp prob in cooler with alarm set to notify of unsafe temp

Cooler 2 (2nd Half Cooler) - Coleman Xtreme

All food must be fully frozen before putting in cooler. The colder the better. So have your freezer at home at lowest setting the week before BM.

Dry Ice wrapped in newspaper. Do not let dry ice touch cooler sides.

Freeze water in zip lock bags to keep cooler dry as possible and to be able to re-freeze

Tape seam BUT leave drain plug open a tiny bit to avoid explosion. Only when dry ice is gone can plug be closed. Place a towel or bowl below to catch drips.

Temp prob in cooler with alarm set to notify of unsafe temp

Wrap in blanket

Remember, this cooler will initially be well below freezing due to dry ice. We typically see temps of around 10 to 15 degrees F for the first day. Temp will likely remain below 32F until cooler is opened.

RV Fridge

We load our fridge with food we will be eating the first few days at BRC. The night before driving we load ice into the fridge and freezer to keep the temp very low, and then remove the ice when we load the morning or evening of our drive.

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