Category Archives: America

Some Interesting Travel Articles

Here are a few interesting articles that I read during the week. Since Valentine’s Day was last week, these articles seemed to fit the occasion.

  1. America’s Most Romantic Hotels – Travel + Leisure: slide show of America’s top 20 romantic hotels. These places are way out of my budget as I am more into hostels and budget accomodations.
  2. Worlds Most Romantic All Inclusive Resorts -another T + L slideshow: the world’s most romantic all inclusive resorts.There are 13 on the list and they all sound amazing but once again they are very pricey.
  3. Places Not As Romantic As You’d think– this T + L article was posted on Yahoo. I was surprised to see Paris'” Iconic Sites” and Venice’s Canals on this list.

Budget Travel: 15 of America’s Favorite Regional Sweets

When traveling, it’s always fun to try local foods. People are usually surprised at some of the things I’ve tried since I am such a picky eater. I feel that when you travel, you are taken out of your comfort zone and are more likely to do and try things that you wouldn’t usually do at home.

Here is a list of sweets that probably has something for everyone on it! Who doesn’t like sweets and junk food! The list is from Budget Travel Magazine:

  1. Idaho: Idaho Spud: coconut- flecked dark chocolate surrounding a springy cocoa-flavored marshmallow center
  2. Hawaii: Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts– self explanatory
  3. California: Turtles– soft vanilla caramel and chocolate poured over toasted pecans
  4. New Mexico: Bizcochito– “the cookie that grandma makes”-  anise and cinnamon combine with a touch of wine or brandy in these Latin-inflected shortbread crumblies
  5. Wisconsin: Candy Raisins– odd little gumdrops, yellow-tan with a wrinkly top, tastes are floral or honey ginger. The name is a mystery as there are no raisins.
  6. Florida: Coconut Patties– chocolate covered coconut squares come in a variety of flavors- plain, key lime, orange, mango, almond, or piña colada.
  7. Virginia: Peanut Brittle– one of America’s oldest treats, brittle is flat broken pieces of hard sugar embedded with nuts
  8. New Jersey: Salt Water Taffy– chewy, pastel colored candy wrapped in wax paper
  9. Vermont: Maple Sugar Candy- maple sugar sap is boiled & compressed into leaf shapes
  10. Pennsylvania: Peanut Chew– the original Power Bar, created as rations for the war- molasses & peanuts covered in dark chocolate
  11. Maine: Whoopie Pies– two round chocolate cakes with a sweet, creamy frosting in the middle
  12. Tennessee: Goo Goo Cluster-“chocolate covered sugar bomb of caramel, marshmallow & peanuts”
  13. Louisiana: Pralines– sugar cane & pecans with cream added- similar to the consistency to fudge
  14. Ohio: Buckeyes– peanut butter mixture partially dipped in chocolate
  15. Washington: Aplets & Cotlets– walnuts jellied with apples & apricot juice, similar to Turkish delight

I’ve only tried a few items from this list. I love whoopie pies and first heard of them while at a Lobster Shack in Maine. I also love peanut chews. I never realized that they were a regional item until about a year ago. They were just another candy option at the store but now seem to be harder to find.
I definitely want to try some Goo Goo Clusters if I ever get to visit Tennessee.

To read the Budget Travel article click here

America’s Best Cities for Dating

I can’t say that this info is of any use to me but some might find it interesting.

Yahoo Travel made a list of the best cities for dating in America. The article says they all have dating-friendly credentials. This is made up of lots of singles, great restaurants, bars & museums and stunning natural scenery.

Here is the Top 10 List:

  • Austin
  • Boston
  • Chicago
  • Miami
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Phoenix & Scottsdale
  • San Diego
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle

To read the full Yahoo Travel article click here