Recently we flew from San Francisco to Toronto.  We followed up that five hour flight with a RIDICULOUSLY long 7 1/2 hour drive to Montreal.  Then we made whirlwind visit to family in Ottawa and then drove back to Toronto just in time to catch our five hour flight to Aruba.  There we spent a ... (read more →)

In all of our travels, we have never once used traveler checks. No matter where we go in the world, we’ve always been able to find an ATM. We have a well practiced ritual of hunting down an ATM as the first thing we do in any country.  The only place we weren’t able ... (read more →)

After a disappointing attempt at Italian food the night before, we decided to try our luck at the centrally located Naturally Fjordland Pizzeria.  Right in downtown Te Anau, the restaurant is very relaxed and casual.  The menu is listed on a large chalkboard behind the counter.  You place your order there, and then your ... (read more →)

The downtown area in Te Anau is compact, easily explored on foot and full of restaurants.  Our first night there we chose La Toscana Pizzeria for its outdoor seating and tempting menu.  The restaurant also offers free delivery.  Inside, the restaurant is decorated with bottles on the walls.  It has a relaxed, casual feel.  ... (read more →)

We arrived in Wanaka late in the afternoon and after settling into our hotel we headed down to the lake for a lovely stroll.  There is a small strip of restaurants that face out over the lake.  We checked out a bunch of different menus and chose to eat at The Reef Seafood Restaurant ... (read more →)

It was Valentine’s Day, so we headed out to the Blue Ice Cafe in Franz Josef.  Their lower floor was packed and we had to come back at a slightly later time to get a table.  They offered we could be served upstairs, so we checked it out.  The upper floor is much more of ... (read more →)

It was Wendy’s birthday, so we treated ourselves to a great afternoon soaking and unwinding at the Glacier Hot Pools in Franz Josef.  When we finally stumbled out of there we were relaxed and ravenous!  Right across the street we spied Priya Indian Restaurant and our dinner plans were made!
The interior is brightly painted ... (read more →)

We had been in Christchurch for a couple of days and had already exhausted our guidebooks’ restaurant recommendations one way or another.  (Some we ate at, some were too pricy, some WAY too quiet for dining with a baby…).  It was our last night there and we were wandering around, hoping to find some ... (read more →)

We’d been at a Tweetup with fellow travel bloggers and suddenly realized it was quite late for dinner.  Topkapi Turkish Restaurant’s fast service soon had us tucking into some great food.  They’ve been in business for over 20 years, and it’s easy to see why!  Their reasonable prices and friendly service make it easy to ... (read more →)

Normally, we don’t travel with much technology.  A small unlocked cellphone for emergencies, and sometimes a PDA (remember those?).  However we recently took the plunge and each got an iPhone 4. There are several improvements in the iPhone 4 that make it an even more compelling travelling companion than previous generations of the iPhone.
1. ... (read more →)