Road trip in Maine and New Hampshire

Echo Lake State Park, NH

For the Memorial Day weekend, I planned a road trip in New England with my fave Italian couple. We met in Boston and we drove all the way to Portland, ME. It's a short drive. Just 2 to 3 hours away.

Oyster bar at Eventide Oyster Co.

I heard really good things about Portland. From nice brick sidewalks and cobblestone streets with elegant mansions to ocean views, it's a charming city.

Food scene is surprisingly good. There are several James Beard Award winners and nominees based in this small city of 65.000. I highly recommend the Eventide Oyster Co. 

Local oysters at Eventide Oyster Co.

Lobster roll at Eventide Oyster Co.

We booked a Kayak tour in the Ocean, in Casco Bay, with the Portland Paddle. Unfortunately it was very windy and that didn't allow us to explore as much as we wanted to.

Guides were very knowledgeable, patient and passionate.

Kayaking in Casco Bay, Portland

In New Hampshire (one of the few States that I was missing), we did a quick detour to check Echo Lake. It is worth it. We went there after 7 PM and we could enjoy a lovely sunset.
We also explored White Mountain National Forest. We hiked for 3 hours in Mt. Hedgehog (via the UNH) trail. It's mostly steep and rocky (moderately difficult) but the views are beautiful. 

Mt Hedgehog trail, White Mountain National Forest

When my friend Ceci told me about the cog railway, I got super excited. It seemed so cool. But now, after I experienced it, I can hardly justify the pricey ticket ($70). Trains are packed with large tours and in order to get the best seat, you have to get in line asap which can be very stressful. 

Line to board the Cog Train

On our way up we got the best seats (first seat for 3 on the left), but coming back we weren't so lucky. And we couldn't enjoy the views. Both guides were nice but they didn't make my experience remarkable. 

Views going up

Keep in mind that you can drive to the Mt. Washington Summit and have the same experience for free. The cafeteria has great views over the mountains, you can take great pics. As the one above.

View over the mountains and cog train

For nearly 62 years Mt Washington held the world record for the fastest wind gust ever recorded on the face of the Earth, 231 miles per hour.
Make sure that you are packing a fleece coat and a beanie.

Tim-Bir Alley

Finding a place to have dinner after 8 PM in this small cities is already hard, but with no phone reception is a big challenge. Thankfully, around Franconia, we came across 2 great places.

At Tim-Bir Alley we had a delicious dinner (cash only). And at Polly's Pancake Parlor I had the best pancakes ever. Both are family owned business for generations. 

48 Hours in Chicago

It's no secret that Chicago is one of my fave cities. We lived there for a while. And we got married there - FYI, in one of the coldest days of the year. 

I had such a great time there. I met nice people from all over the world, learnt proper English, experienced snow for the first time (and hoped that it would be the last), had good food and shook hands with the President. 

Unfortunately, since we moved to DC we hadn't had the opportunity to go back until some weeks ago.

View over Chicago

In order to enjoy Chicago you have to visit it during late spring or summer. Otherwise it gets too cold to walk around and very likely everything will be frozen. Including the lake. 

River walk

Chicago is not as touristic as DC or NYC. It doesn't have as many cultural attractions as any of those cities but it deserves some credit.

River walk 

There are sculptures from famous artists in every corner. Street art is a plus.

You can't miss the Art Institute. It was voted the #1 museum in the world by TripAdvisor reviewers. The Asian collection was my fave. 

Cloud Gate

Millenium Park is a must see. You'll come across Frank Gery's master piece, Jay Pritzker Pavillion. The Cloud Gate (AKA bean) reflects the beautiful skyline. 

And the BP pedestrian bridge that connects the downtown area with the lakefront and it's also a viewing platform for the park.

BP pedestrian bridge

Chicago's Architecture Foundation organizes a really nice boat tour in the river. The guides are very knowledgeable and they reveal very interesting details about more than 50 buildings and how the city grew. Make sure that you take a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses.

Architecture Foundation boat tour

Chicago is home to some of the most acclaimed chefs in the world. 

It's a food(ie) city.
Since I don't live there anymore it's hard to keep up an accurate list of restaurants. BBQ is a big thing in Chicago. Our fave is Smoque BBQ, the brisket is to die for.
For contemporary American cuisine, Rubxin never disappoints. 

Ruxbin