Category Archives for On the Ground.
I’ve been a fan of the MGM Grand in Vegas since it had a kid-friendly theme park back in the ’90s (ah, kid-friendly Vegas — what a giant mistake). Nowadays I go because I like their blackjack tables and the Deal or No Deal game. Vegas isn’t the only place to catch an MGM casino,…
If you’re currently recovering from a Thanksgiving food coma, I have the cure. It’s a photographic hair of the dog, of sorts. I just spent a long weekend in New Orleans and ate my face off (not literally — my face is still very much intact). New Orleans is one of the best eating cities…
It’s been a while since I’ve been to a proper hotel lounge. I don’t know about you, but I love hotel lounges. Who needs a cash minibar when you have a well-appointed room with a free real bar? As much as I love hanging out in hotel rooms, I love having the option to go…
Outside of my current home in Los Angeles, there are three other cities in America that I could see myself living in: Chicago (my home and native land), Austin, and Portland (Oregon, not Maine). I’ve loved Portland since the first time I came here roughly ten years ago, long before it was known as #PDX…
Yesterday, I said goodbye to the rustic environs of Mt. Hood and Welches, OR and drove towards the more suburban part of Clackamas County. Just to give you an idea: Clackamas County is HUGE. It spans so much land that a good solid hour of driving won’t even get you from side to side. While…
The days keep getting better out here in Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory. While my first full day here was filled with nature, my second full day (aka Day 3) was filled with alcohol. And nature. We started the day at Tony’s Fish Market, a smokehouse and cannery in Oregon City. The coolest part of this…
Have you ever felt like you were walking in a postcard? That’s what yesterday felt like to me. The highlight of my day was a great hike up Salmon Huckleberry Mountain with the Nature Concierge at The Resort on Mt. Hood (soon to be a Best Western Premier Collection hotel). Lady Fly&Dine and I also…
You may have seen pictures. You may have heard stories. You may have imagined it. No matter what, though, nothing can prepare you for the breathtaking scenery of Oregon. It’s like Norman Rockwell took a bunch of meth and drew the most picturesque outdoor landscape he could possibly imagine. I landed at PDX yesterday and…
Fly&Diners! I’m so excited to report that today marks the beginning of Mt. Hood Territory Week on Fly&Dine. Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory is an outdoor dreamscape filled with mountains, rivers, singing birds, magical princesses, and evil witches. Wait. I may be thinking of the setting of most Disney cartoons. Based on what I’ve been told,…
I just spent my first summer weekend in Maine and I’m filled with regret that it took me this long to see the splendor of New England during August. Wow. What an absolutely gorgeous place to be when the weather is just right. I grew up in the Midwest and always appreciated the rare time…
I’m on the East Coast this weekend for the wedding of one of my favorite people on Earth and before I head up to Portland, Maine tomorrow for the wedding festivities, I’m staying for a night in Boston. I’ve been hearing for a while about the Independent Collection hotel group and since I tend to…
If you love food, you’re probably familiar with the basic titles in a kitchen: executive chef, line cook, pastry chef, etc. If you really love food, you might even know the difference between an executive chef and a chef de cuisine (kind of like the Chief of Police versus the Deputy of Operations in a police…
I’ve never had a great relationship with Indian food. Like Americanized Chinese, the Indian food I was exposed to earlier in my life always seemed over-spiced, over-sauced, and just plain unappetizing. Granted, the Indian food I tried (or, more accurately, avoided) came from low-end take-out shops or buffet joints where the quality of the food…
Our Summer 2015 Greatest Hits series continues with this useful post on the best time to plan your trip back to LA after your Vegas vacation. Read on to save yourself some valuable time! While what happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, there’s one thing that Sin City just can’t contain within its neon-colored…
