This sub has been an incredible source of information and inspiration, so I gave myself an hour to write down and share some insights from the recent three-week road trip I’ve had with my partner.
General remarks:
- Our main goal was to enjoy nature, so we were okay with spending absolutely no time on the golden circle or in Reykjavik. Due to the weather, we ended up doing both anyway; but these would be the parts of the trip I would skip first. Coming from continental Europe, we had almost no jetlag and could safely start directly with our journey. With more jet lag, some more time to adapt is definitely a good idea.
- We rented a 2WD campervan from Star Car Rental and spent all but the final night on campsites. Our experience with Star Car was very good. The price was competitive and included unlimited mileage, additional driver and all necessary utensils (chairs, table, cooking stuff). We got picked up from the airport and were ready to go within 15’. When giving back the car, we got driven to our hotel without any inspection (we did have zero excess insurance).
- Mid-May to beginning of June was a very nice time to travel. The days are long (I’ve seen no darkness), almost all camping places are open, but the crowds at the highlights are small – except for the big boys in the south.
- We started our days quite early and therefore typically arrived during the afternoon at the campsites. The kitchen area, showers and laundry spaces were often free to use. Be prepared to go to campsites that have only 2 stoves and 1 shower. During prime time, expect some waiting times.
- We picked up around 100 € worth of cash – two campsites were cash-only, everything else was absolutely card-first / cash-free.
Useful ressources:
- Vedur and Safetravel: This sub is absolutely right. Learn how to read and anticipate the weather before you get there. We were there during two yellow warnings and these things are really no joke. It helps to have plenty of time to spontaneously adapt the schedule. And we’ve seen it all: blizzard in the West, hail up North, storm in the East and sun in the South.
- Google reviews & park4night: These were pretty accurate for the campsites. 4+ stars are no-brainers, 3+ depend on your needs (kitchen, shower, electricity) and less than 3 should be avoided. Also, remember to rate them yourself during/after your trip to increase the statistical significance ;)
- Google Maps/MyMaps: MyMaps was useful during our planning to fill with random highlights (waterfalls, hotpots, hikes, campsites) and to set up a rough itinerary. Google Maps is accurate on paved roads. On gravel roads, expect some significant delays. Maps calculates with 80 km/h, while you will probably never exceed 50 km/h. In the Westfjords, we guess-timated our times with 2 minutes per kilometer on the gravel roads. The Happy Campers Campsite Map as well as the Hot Pot Iceland Map were nice to have in the back-pocket to check with some time to spare whether something is close by.
- Polarsteps: This was a cute little App, which we used to keep family and friends informed. You can add pictures and some text to your highlights. This way, you don’t send the same picture into various chats and there is a location- and time-dependent context.
Cost: This is the per-person cost breakdown for our 21-day trip (20-day camper rental, 1 hotel stay, total 3’500€).
- Rental (zero excess insurance, additional driver): 1’135 €
- Flight (from continental Europe): 700 €
- Activities (Pools, Spas, Horse-riding, Kayak): 300 €
- Camping (pretty consistent 2’000 +- 500 ISK p.P.): 275 €
- Groceries (Bonus, Kronan, Netto): 255 €
- Coffee, Beers, Food in Restaurants: 260 €
- Petrol (420 € in total for roughly 3’600 km): 210 €
- Souvenirs: 180 €
- Ferries (into Westfjords and to Westman Islands): 95 €
- Hotel: 75 €
Highlights:
- Sundlaug and Spas: When camping in small towns, very often there will be a swimming pool close by. They are not expensive (around 1000 ISK pP) and a great way to relax after a long day. Also, it feels nice to take longer, hot showers without knowing people are waiting in line. We decided to go for some smaller premium spas and were very happy with all of them: Krauma was one of our first stops, the Forest Lagoon was incredible during evening hours and GeoSea was also fantastic. Re: nudity. It takes a bit to get used to, but its very refreshing to see this very open approach to nudity in the pools. No one cares, no one watches – just do your thing. It’s cool to see groups of friends at all age groups be so open about it. Certainly very different compared to continental Europe.
- As we had to skip the Eastfjords a bit due to storm, we had some time left at the end. We spent the last 3 nights on the Westman Islands. It was great to leave the car for a longer while and do everything by foot. There are plenty of things to do and the swimming pool is fantastic.
- Mulagljufur: Use Google Maps to find the exact location, as of now, there is no sign along the road. The canyon is very beautiful and we ended up hiking for almost three hours. Couldn’t get enough of the views.
- Glymur: The infamous log wasn’t placed when we were there, but the short hike to the cave and towards the canyon was absolutely worth it.
- Camping highlights: Melanes campsite at Raudasandur beach (Westfjords): incredible scenery, wild drive to get there; Thingeyri campsite (Westfjords): directly at the fjord, fantastic infrastructure (probably the best kitchen we’ve had) and IMHO a great alternative to the Tungudalur campsite in Isafjordur; 66.12 N campsite (near Husavik): insane ocean view, good infrastructure, one of the best sites along the diamond circle; Glamping&Camping (Westmann Islands): beautiful setting, good infrastructure.
Itinerary (Highlights: *, ** or ***)
Day 1: Arrival at KEF during the afternoon in pouring rain, set up campervan, first grocery stops at Bonus and Kronan, Dinner at Issi’s Fish&Chips*, Camp at Hjalli Kjos
Day 2: Glymur hike** (up to river, no log), Krauma Spa**, scenic drive into Snaefellsnes, Camp at Freezer Hostel
Day 3: Check out Snaefellsnes highlights, get to Stykkisholmur in the afternoon, Ferry Baldur to Brjanslaekur, Hellulaug hotpot*, drive to Melanes campsite*** on Raudasandur beach
Day 4: full day at Raudasandur, great hikes, another night at Melanes campsite.
Day 5: Long drive through westfjords. Highlights included the self-service fish station in Talknafjordur (amazing fisk bollur**), Dynjandi waterfall and Sandfell hike. Camping at Thingeyri*, relax in local swimming pool
Day 6: drive to Isafjordur, check out city (kind of underwhelming, but it was a national holiday; the brewery is nice), do some small hikes in the area. Camp at Tungudalur.
Day 7: very long drive out of westfjords towards Varmahlid. Hot dog stop in Holmavik and arrive at Lambeyri campsite (cash only)
Day 8: woke up with dead battery, but got jump start by campsite owner. Horseriding tour at Lytingsstadir* was very nice, drive to Akureyri, visit Forest Lagoon**. It was Saturday night when we visited, upon leaving we had police checking every driver for alcohol – so better hold off the pool-side bar ;) wanted to camp at Vaglaskogur but campsite wasn’t open. Went up until the CJA campsite in Laugar with a late-night stop at Godafoss (around 10pm, were the only people there)
Day 9: check out Myvatn area: Dimmuborgir hike, Hverir, Leirhnjukur hike**. Then continue to Dettifoss and camp at Asbyrgi. Late night hike to Asbyrgi ‘island’*.
Day 10: Hike in Asbyrgi canyon, continue to Husavik, visit GeoSea**, camp at 66.12N***
Day 11: long drive with very strong winds. We had to go back to Akureyri (optician to fix broken glasses), so went through Myvatn again with a quick stop at Grjotagja. Beautiful drive, weather was too bad for Studlagil canyon, so we continued all the way to Borgarfjordur eystri. Crazy winds during the night and we were happy that our car didn’t get blown away.
Day 12: unfortunately, no hikes in this beautiful area. Waited for storm to pass until lunchtime, visited harbor with puffins**, drive to Egilsstadir (hot dog stop), continue to Seydisfjordur (kind of underwhelming town, the drive is gorgeous though) and, due to weather forecast, continue all the way to Djupivogur campsite.
Day 13: Incredible drive from Djupivogur to Höfn, stops at Hvalnes and Jökulsarlon. Hike at Mulagljufur***, camp at Svenifell.
Day 14: early-morning hike in Skaftafell**, continue to Kirjubaersklausur for campsite. Had to skip Fjardrargljufur due to weather, visited local swimming pool.
Day 15: yellow warning again. Continued to Vik for Skool Beans Coffee*, quick stop at Reynisfjara beach (red alert was on, so we didn’t go further than the sign), continue to Skogarfoss and hike part of Fimmvorduhals*, camp in Selfoss – swimming pool was closed unfortunately.
Day 16: Weather forecast was very bad, so we spent the day in Reykjavik. Walked around town, grabbed some coffees and visiting the local Sundhöll*. Camp at Mosskogar** (cash-only)
Day 17: Golden circle: hike at Thingvellir, look at Geysir, skipped Delfoss. Camp in Selfoss again.
Day 18: quick stop at Seljalandsfoss, ferry to Westman islands. Set up camp at Glamping&Camping** for the next 3 nights. Visited Brothers Brewery*.
Day 19: Kayak tour with Kayak-and-Puffins-company***. Visited local swimming pool* (trampoline slide was very nice) and watched a local handball game.
Day 20: Hike along volcanoes and coast**, visit brewery again, go to puffin bay**
Day 21: Ferry back to mainland. Drive back towards KEF. Drop-off campervan and spent night in Konvin Hotel. Early morning shuttle to airport (we arrived about 2h early for our 7 am flight and had plenty of time).
Of course, I’m very happy to answer any questions you might have!
Hope this is helpful to some of you :)

PREVIOUS - THE NIGHTBUS
We were able to spend the night in the closest hotel, a dinky little inn that had a very disinterested hostess. She just gave us a key and waved us upstairs. Doesn’t money mean anything to them? All of us were too tired to argue, though, so we crawled into bed and fell asleep.
I woke up with the sun shining in my face. I sighed with relief. Okay, maybe it was all a bad dream? Did I have a weird trip from something some asshole put in my drink? When I pulled out my phone, I noticed with a lurch it was 11:59, but I calmed myself down. Noon, then. I hadn’t put my phone on 24-hour time but 12-hour. It was right before noon. I fished my charger out of my handbag (never leave without it!) and looked out the window.
Our room overlooked the town square. It had a memorial, a statue of some explorer - complete with coonskin cap - that stared out into the distance. The clock tower was across from us, still stuck at 11:59, but at least it seems the chiming had been given a rest. I couldn't see the bus terminal, as it was behind the clock tower, but I could see the edge of town from here - we were in a small valley with steep hills all around us, coated in pine trees.
I sighed and scrolled on my phone. I still couldn't see why I had wifi while the others didn't. The network was called TERMINUS - the same name as on the sign on the bus terminal - and it was free to connect to. I could scroll through news sites and wikipedia, but when I tried to message other friends, the messages didn't go through. I could only assume they couldn't send me anything either.
Caroline and the others slowly stirred awake. "Ugh, meggs, what's goin on..."
I turned around. "We're in... Terminus, I guess." I tried looking it up on google maps, but didn't get any results.
"So far from home... What do they have for breakfast?"
I shrugged, smiling. "We'll have to see. You up for getting up?/"
"No... my head..."
I nodded and waited for the boys to wake up as well. All three had a hangover, but Collin's and Caroline's were truly massive. Charlie was fit enough to get out of bed and get ready to explore the inn, at least. I kept the key of the door with me and told both of them to stay inside - not that they were going anywhere.
The hallways of the inn were bland. It wasn't big - one hallway on each floor with about five or six doors and a staircase on one end. The wallpaper was probably supposed to be a calming vanilla with a daisy motif, but it just ended up looking old and yellowed. The doors were exactly the same cream color save for the silver number on the door. Ours was 25 - second floor, fifth room. I noticed it also had a chip near the lock.
Charlie and I made our way to the staircase. The uncomfortable silence was only broken by our creaking footsteps over the carpeted floor.
"So..."
"So."
I chuckled awkwardly. "Last night was... something, huh?"
"Hah, yeah..."
Creaky steps. "How are you holding up? I know you didn't sign up for this... I mean, none of us did."
"What are you talking about? We just took the wrong bus and ended up in the wrong town. I'm sure we can catch a different bus at the bus terminal and go home."
I nodded. "Y-yeah..." My smile felt a little forced, even for me. "Yeah! You're right."
It was quiet the rest of the way down. I didn't mean to sound so insincere.
"There sure are a lot of stairs." Charlie joked. "We were only on the second floor, right?"
"Yeah, we should be-"
We landed on the ground floor. Before us were two doors - both the same bland vanilla as the room's doors.
"Which way to the reception?"
"Er..." I hadn't actually paid attention when we got up, as I was herding three tired drunk people up to a room. Not that I'm naturally good at directions, either. "Let's try the right door."
Behind the door on the right was another hallway with three more doors. Charlie blinked. "This makes no sense. This door-" he pointed to the door on his immediate left "-would just lead us to the hallway to the left door." He opened the door, but when he stepped through, he was in an empty room, lit by a single lightbulb. The same inoffensive vanilla wallpaper lined this room.
He quietly closed the door. "Where the fuck are we."
I didn't answer. I know I must have looked ridiculous, my mouth just open and closing like a fish. I mean, come on, this is physically impossible! "Maybe it's an optical illusion or something? The room looks bigger than it really is because... it's empty, or the light, or..."
"Right." Charlie didn't seem convinced. "Let's keep going straight, then. This building can't go on forever." He walked down the hallway to the last door. I meekly followed him through the door. This time the room had another two doors, and to the left, a staircase leading up.
I blinked. "Are we... back to where we started?"
Charlie yelled in frustration and barreled down the rightmost door. After a little bit, I heard running footsteps coming up behind me, and with a slam, he opened that door. "What the FUCK! I WENT in a STRAIGHT LINE!" He started kicking the walls while swearing, damaging the daisies on the wallpaper.
I chuckled quietly in disbelief. "Ha. This makes me think of Portal. Or Stanley's Parable."
Charlie stopped kicking. "What?"
"Y-yeah! In Stanley's Parable, you're a character in a story narrated by The Narrator. You can - you can choose to go along with him or go against him, but he can also go against you. It's - it's about the illusion of choice."
Charlie still didn't understand. "I don't - I'm not a game nerd. You make no sense."
"We don't... have a choice. Not really. This place will not give us one. So we have to let this place pick for us."
I fished through my pockets. I came across a coin - it wasn't there in my pocket before, but I didn't question it. "Heads for left, tails for right."
It landed on tails. I reached out for the rightmost door, and we both went through.
We stood in the restaurant-part of the inn. Breakfast was still laid out, but no-one else was there. No-one else was eating. I went towards the lady behind the counter. "Hey, uh, we'd... we'd like to pay for our rooms. And breakfast."
The lady stared at us as if we were crazy. "What are ya talkin' about? You already paid."

Hi Go Wild Friends! In case anyone wants to know about beautiful Costa Rica I went there using my Go Wild pass so I thought I would do a story about what happened in Costa Rica. There aren’t really a lot of travel tips in here, its just the wild shit I got into in Costa Rica. I did another write up with actual tips about South Beach in Miami on a budget here if you want to read that one.
Okay, Costa Rica, so fuckin amazing! I want to fly to all the international places Frontier goes so I decided to do Costa Rica second (Cancun is an easy trip for me in Kansas City, they go nonstop there every weekend). The hardest part about Costa Rica is just getting there, I took a bit of a circuitous route.
I always take a big vacation each year after tax season, its fun for me to turn my phone off and go somewhere off the grid and not even think about work. Last year I went to Argentina and Uruguay and it was wild but honestly, this year was even better! I first wanted to stay with my brother and see my nieces and nephews in Orlando so I booked a one way flight from St. Louis to Orlando for only $19 with my Go Wild pass. I got to take a train from Kansas City to St. Louis, it was only $37 and I loved it actually, something about trains is so fun for me, probably because I took one to Chicago in college and stayed in a homeless shelter, my first real experience solo traveling, I loved it!
I spent the afternoon in St. Louis riding around downtown on those fun scooters and eating chicken wings and walking around the baseball experience place they had, it was a good afternoon. I had a late flight to Orlando but I fucked up the terminal (don't google which terminal is Frontier, its wrong). I went through security and bag check only to find out I was in the wrong terminal so that stunk but I had plenty of time for two security checks so no big deal. The flight was delayed so I didn’t get into Orlando until almost 2am and there was a long line for the rental car. I regret not doing the one you can pick up without talking to an agent so much, it was only like $5 more, do the self check car rental if possible. Orlando was fun, got to see my nieces and nephews and my brother and his wife put a little guest bedroom in the shed, easy to get into at 2am without waking anyone up.
After two days in Orlando it was time for my big flight to Costa Rica! So excited! This flight was only $51 with my Go Wild pass, an absolute steal. It stopped in Atlanta and then I was in Costa Rica in no time. On the plane a bunch of us were excitedly talking about our Go Wild passes, its kind of fun to do the spiderman meme thing and be like, you have a Go Wild pass? Me Too! The ringleader told me there were wild sloths if I went to a place called Manuel Antonio. I said what the fuck did you just say, wild sloths? Oh yes! I literally had no plans for a whole week so I mentally added sloths to the list of things I wanted to see. I have a travel buddy I met in Mexico to visit in San Jose and I wanted to see the volcano and the beaches of course but that was it.
At the airport you will want to get some cash, they have an ATM right there when you walk out. Don’t do the currency exchange, those people were giving really shitty rates. After you get cash walk around outside the airport to the backside, it’s a short walk and that’s where all the city buses come. There are buses to San Jose every 15 minutes, just jump on one of those its only like $1.50 and it goes 25 minutes to downtown. I have a huge aversion to taxis in Latin America, I’ve been ripped off a lot and airports are especially bad.
Once in San Jose you can walk most places, it’s a fun city to walk around. I stayed at the Costa Rica Backpackers hostel which I do not recommend for one big reason. Its so fuckin hot. I didn’t even think about checking for air conditioning, most places have it now. Also, I like hostels and the common areas and the hammocks and I always set up my chess board and play at night with beers. But I really like to have my own room at a hostel. This private room was I think $35 a night which is pretty good but it did not have air conditioning, just a fan recirculating hot air and it was right off the street so yeah, no recommendation for that one, I only stayed one night. That’s the fun thing about how I travel though, no reservations and no plans, if its not great I just go to a different place. I hung out with my travel buddy that night and we smoked a lot of um… cigarettes and went to this place where locals hang out. It was like some fuckin fast and furious movie but with Ticos, guys were just flying around on motorcycles on wheelies. I bought a huge meal for my friend and me, empanadas, a bunch of other Costa Rican food, it was so fuckin good and the whole meal was only $7, ha!
The next morning I set my chess board out at the hostel and I put $10 out on the money clip like I normally do when I travel. It’s a fun way to get people to play, if you beat me you get $10 if I win, nothing. My chess is kind of like a parlor trick too because I play in less than 5 seconds every move so everyone is thinking through it and Im having beers and going quick, usually at a hostel there gets to be a crowd and Im playing four dutch people on warm night in Mexico, so fuckin fun. On this morning a kid came up to play and I was teaching him chess for awhile nervously, I didn’t see his mom anywhere and secondly who brings a kid to a hostel? I couldn’t remember the last time I had seen one. He starts just taking my pieces off the board and then he takes the $10 and says welp I guess I won. I laughed and I said alright then, good job buddy. Just then his mom hobbled over, a Danish hippy with a broken foot. She thanked me for hanging out with him and told me the doctor said not to walk too much but it was hard with a six year old. I said sit down, sit down and I got her breakfast and helped her out. We talked for a bit and I told a funny Mexico story and helped them get their stuff together and she said oh you have to come to our hippy community in Puerto Viejo, you can stay in our shack by the ocean. I said oh that sounds fun today Im going to see a volcano but maybe later. She said they are the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica, one is entirely black sand. I said Im listening. She said they were poor in a little shack by the rainforest and they have monkeys and sloths in their backyard. I said um what the fuck did you just say? Wild sloths? She said yeah, tons of them. I booked a ticket right away for the 6am bus the next day. I went with my friend to the active volcano and then he dropped me off at my hotel. I booked the Radisson the second night because I really wanted Air Conditioning. Im soft like that, sorry. And it had a hot tub. I’ve never seen that many people in one hot tub, ha. At night I did a Tinder date, I found out all the cabs are pretty much $6 in San Jose so it was easy to get there and back and I went out with a fun lady who told me in Costa Rica they eat chicken wings with gloves, did you guys know that?
I got up at 4:30am and packed up for my 6am bus. At the front desk I asked them if they could call me a cab and they said its an additional $30 US. I was like nah, fuck that, $30? What a ripoff, I’ll just walk, its only 2 miles. So I walk pretty far into downtown San Jose and whoooooooosh, a bottle explodes near me! I go what the fuck and look up, theres a drunk Costa Rican man in a soccer jersey like two blocks away screaming at me in Spanish! I had so many questions, the first of course was who is balling out of control at 5am in the morning? The second was, who the fuck is that Latino Roger Clemens? I could barely see the guy from two streets away and he was (presumably) drunk getting that close to me with a full bottle of beer? The last question of course was who is drunk and throwing FULL bottles of beer? I walked away from his direction and then saw that there was a whole bar full of drunk soccer fans like him and I noped the fuck out and ran to the taxi stand and got a taxi. I said you know what, a taxi isn’t such a bad idea!
I regretted not Googling anything because my phone didn’t work at all in Costa Rica. They said I could buy a sim card but I didn’t want to, I kind of liked being off the grid. But I really wanted to find wild sloths. Maybe the person beside me will help I thought as I stood in line for the 6am bus. Damn, I hope its not someone rapid firing Spanish at me though, my Spanish is not great. Most of my Spanish I’ve learned from the music of Bad Bunny. I was relieved to see my seat in 44 was next to a Japanese man in 45. Oh that’s awesome I thought, he will struggle with Spanish too and we can find wild sloths together. Nope, turns out Im a racist asshole, he was a Japanese Argentinian who spoke perfect Spanish and no English, none. His phone worked too and he was putting all these upside down house letters in Japanese and beautiful beaches were popping up, I really needed his help. I tried to befriend him but they speak a different kind of Spanish in Argentina, cajes instead of calles and so fast, so fuckin fast! His had like a little stall in it before it winded up too, like a UUUUUU mi esposa no esta aqui! His wife was either sleeping back in San Jose or dead, I couldn’t really understand. I noticed he had a bear avatar on his phone so I knew he liked animals so half way through the ride I decided to try to tell him they had sloths there. Hay peresozos en Puerto Viejo I said but he didn’t understand what I was saying. I said peresozos again and put up three fingers mimicking a sloth and then I panicked, I was like shit, what do sloths do? Its an animal famous for not doing anything. I pretended to hang up side down and he is (loudly) guessing animals in Spanish and Im like no, peresozos! Maybe I was saying it wrong but I had no Google so I said es posible tu telefono? And I typed in sloths and all these upside down houses came up and the words Oso Peresozo. And he goes UUUUUU OSO PERESOZO! I don’t know if you’ve ever been on a bus traveling through rural Costa Rica and seen a Japanese Argentinian get excited in Spanish about wild sloths but it is… ADORABLE!
Si SI! Oso Peresozo! I yelled. People are turning around now, they are like why the fuck are the American and Japanese guys back there in 44 and 45 playing charades two hours into a 6am bus ride? I said juntos? (Together) and he said si si! He told me where we could get bikes to rent and what to eat, he was the perfect travel partner! He said Yelp dices Jerk Chicken is the best to eat here. I said thanks Juan, you are my favorite travel partner! We had an amazing day in Puerto Viejo, beautiful beaches, monkeys, wild sloths, God damn that was an amazing day. He even showed me where my hostel was and I dropped off my bag. This hostel was called 456 hostel which I also do not recommend because no AC and there are weird animals running on the roof but I didn’t care, I just wanted to throw down my bag and get back to looking for wild sloths. The lady said we can’t just take your bag you need to check in first, I said listen lady you see that God damn excited Japanese man out there? We got wild sloths to find! I had no desire to spend one second in that hostel but Juan goes “Esta bien, cerveza” and then he had a beer by the ocean while I checked in. I joined him for a beer and it turns out that is a beautiful setting for a hostel. Still don’t recommend though, so fuckin hot.
Juan and I had an amazing day in Puerto Viejo, God damn that place is beautiful. We saw wild sloths, monkeys, and had an amazing time on the beach. I was sad to see him go, what a great travel partner! He pointed to where my hostel was but I said I would ride back into town with him. To be honest, I forgot to write down the name of the bike rental and there was like a hundred in Puerto. I turned my bike in with his to his surprise because we had rented for a full day but I told him I wanted a motorcycle. He used his expert Googling skills to get me to the cheapest motorcycle place. It was only $30 a day for a motorcycle which I thought was very reasonable. And I didn’t have enough cash on me and they didn’t take cards so the rental guy just said no worries man, take de bike to the ATM. That was pretty trusting! I came back with the money and got the bike and I can’t tell you guys the drugs part because the mods said no talking about drugs.
That was such a fast motorcycle. I turned my Bluetooth speaker up all the way and floored it and zoomed down the coast in time for the sunset, so God damn beautiful! Something about that warm Costa Rican sun on your shoulders and the sound of Khalid and the smell of salt in the air riding along the beautiful ocean, it will change your life. After the sunset I went to Cat’s house and her beautiful German friend Alina was there. There were three kids too and as soon as I got there they went riffling through my bag looking for candy. I had two caramels but was one short so I gave the little kid my chips. This was her sad face for not getting candy!
Cat was hobbling around on crutches so Alina and I said sit down we will take care of dinner. I went to the store down the street and got so much stuff for that poor family- toilet paper, rice, peppers and Barbies for the kids and a soccer ball for Marcello. Gringo santa claus when I came back, both the ladies cried, Alina said her girls had never had a Barbie doll. Alina and I cranked up the music in that little hippy house by the ocean and made dinner and drank wine and laughed while the kids played with their new toys and Cat relaxed and finished her remote work. We ate the food and drank the wine and smoked…cigarettes and had an amazing night. Alina asked if I wanted to share the Tuk Tuk and I said yes. She said it in kind of a mischievous way so I thought maybe she wanted to make out. And she was very beautiful so I said yes. We got in the Tuk Tuk and rode back towards town passing my hostel, she winked and said your hostel was back there you know and then put her hand on my arm.
I thought Cat was poor but Alina was super poor. She told the tuk tuk driver to turn left by the trash dump and we pulled up to an even tinier house right next to the rainforest. She said wait out here and I’ll put the kids to bed. So I waited on the porch. The kitchen was actually outside, a little refrigerator and a little stove and a sink. I sat in the chairs and she came out and we smoke a um cigarette together and then she said wait here. I was like fuck, wait her for what? Is she going to rob me or something but she didn’t seem scary, she seemed sweet. She came back out with a big giant mattress and threw it on the porch floor. Then she took off her shirt and said in her German accent, “Un now we share our bodies.” I thought that was a pretty sexy thing to say so I took off my shirt too and joined her except I didn’t want to have unprotected sex with a hippy so we just made out.
Sometime after she slipped back inside so I was alone on the mattress on the backporch by the rainforest. I thought that was a pretty good place to spend my first night in Puerto Viejo and I looked up and saw a hundred million stars lighting up the sky and fell asleep. But not too many hours later, God damn I awoke to a caucophony of jungle sounds! So many monkeys, just fuckin howling. And there were these weird rat things running around, they weren’t small at all, if you’ve ever seen the Princess Bride fucking ROS. (Rodents of Unusual Size). I honestly thought the monkeys were coming on the porch, that’s how loud they were.
I jumped up and leaned the mattress against the house and started walking, past the trash dump and out to the ocean. The first beach I came across was the black beach, it was amazing and I sat there until the sun came up. I had no watch or anything and my phone was dead so I walked for a long ways until I found a Tuk Tuk driver who took me to Cats. I got my motorcycle and went back to the hostel but when I charged my phone I found it was only 6am so I went back to sleep. But the hostel had no AC and there were some fuckin animals on the roof right over my head so I couldn’t sleep much. I went to the beach and found more wild monkeys and then sent Cat a WhatsApp message to see if she needed my help since she had the broken foot and Marcello was home, it was some kind of Costa Rican holiday.
She said sure come over and so I drove my motorcycle back down the coast and went back to the store and got more supplies and cooked them a big lunch. I had asked before if they eat meat because some hippies don’t and she said sure but its expensive here I don’t know if you want to buy it. It was $4 ha, I got some ham and rice and peppers and made a huge lunch and drank some beers and cooked while Cat did her remote work. She took a picture and I asked if she mind taking a short video of me cooking. IT wasn’t for social media or friends or anything, that video was for me so I could remember when I could be happy. A trip to Costa Rica for only $51 with my Go Wild pass and I got to be by the ocean and I met new friends and I was actually helping someone, I realized that day that’s what made me the most happy, that’s why I wanted the video.
After lunch I cleaned up and then Marcello and I played some chess. She asked if I minded watching Marcello while she ran to town with a client and I said sure, no problem. I was wrong, it was a huge fuckin problem! She said she would be back in an hour and then we could go to the hippy get-together on the beach. She was NOT back in an hour and I fuckin panicked. I didn’t know this lady’s last name, I didn’t know Marcello really, I called Cat and she didn’t answer and I tried texting her, nothing. I thought fuck, she must have abandoned me with this kid. And I don’t know how to get ahold of the authorities and it was a holiday, this shit was basically the plot to the Adam Sandler movie Big Daddy. I started pounding beers because I was so nervous. I asked Marcello if he knew Alina’s number and this little dude said, and I quote, “Who’s Alina?” What the fuck? I said buddy, the lady that was here last night with the kids? He said he didn’t know them very much. Oh my God I thought, I’ve definitely been saddled with a kid. But then I was thinking, you know what, I could raise this kid, wouldn’t be that bad, live in this $400 a month house by the ocean, sounds good. But I have my own kids back home in Kansas City and that made me panic even more, now Im fuckin slammin beers so worried. Every car that goes down this little side road Im like oh please be Cat. Now this kid is starting to yell at me to come back out in Norwegian, I don’t know Norwegian and he wants me to read him books, which are also in Norwegian, Im full panicky at this time.
Finally Cat came back I said Cat, I wasn’t comfortable with that, I don’t even know your last name or anything. She goes, why, whats wrong? And goes running in to see Marcello, I said oh no, he’s fine, nothing happened its just that I thought you left and weren’t coming back. She said why would I leave my kid I love him more than anything in the world. I said I know, okay, its just that I was panicking. She said calm down, all good, lets go to the hippy fire circle. I was not going to go, I was going to get the fuck out but I really wanted to go to the fire circle, I was hoping they would let me spin the fire. So we went to the fire circle, Marcello and Cat with the client and me following behind on the motorcycle. We relaxed on the blanket and then up came beautiful Alina looking like a million bucks in the sun tucking her brown hair behind her ears. She got on the blanket with us close to me and I retold the story about how I thought Cat abandoned her kid with me and we all laughed and smoked again and had beers and then watched the sun go down. I didn’t know Marcello didn’t know how to swim so I showed him how to swim a bit, a little lesson in front of the beautiful sunset. After the sun went down it was time for the fire circle and the main guy said brother, thank you for helping Cat, you are in our circle now, whats ours is yours. I said oh man thank you so much can I do the fire spinning? And he said that you can not do. Damn.
So I watched the others spin it jealously and then I got us some appetizer snacks from the restaurant. After the fire circle and the singing and everything we decided to have a picnic at the black beach. They went to the store to get the food and I went to go get my motorcycle. When I got back I guess Alina had stolen something from the store because the workers were all around her and the police were coming. It was equally sad and scary. They took everything she bought away and Cat said its okay she had enough so we all walked to the black sand beach and I gave Alina a hard time for being a thief until we all were laughing. We had a great night by the ocean and then they both got Tuk Tuks and I got on my motorcycle and drove back to the hot hostel and fell asleep and I never saw those hippies again. The end.

I don’t know how to feel about my partner of nearly 3 years and kind of like someone else.
Context: I’ve been dating this guy since I was 17 so he’s basically been my only love and has been my only sexual experience.
He is loving and caring and I know he would die for me, he always mentions marriage and kids despite our young age.
I fell in love with him at 17 as mentioned before and then he was all that I have wanted. Since then, we have both moved to uni (same city + we live in the same city at home) and I have changed as everyone does.
I kinda know what sort of life I want, don’t get me wrong I know it’s more of a dream than a reality but I just don’t really know how he fits into this but I don’t want to break his heart.
As I said he is caring and I know he loves me, but he has no ambition, doesn’t want to work and then complains about having no money (I work 2 jobs at uni to get by and am always knackered) and I feel like our life is repetitive- I love change.
We’ve never been on holidays, well actually I HAVE made the effort to visit his family in Scotland on 2 occasions whereas he hasn’t met a single member of my family other than my sibling and my parents. My family all live abroad but on multiple occasions he could have come but couldn’t be asked.
On another note, last year there was what I consider to be a big incident in which he went to sleep at a girl (who he knows I don’t trust) house and continuously was caught in lies about it. The excuse was ofc that he missed his last bus but the other people he was at the pub with managed to get it and leave on time, the lack of common sense that meant that (my best friends works next to the pub they were at and reported everything) the last bus DROVE PAST HIM WHEN HE WAS WALKING TO HER BUS STOP is baffling. True lack of maturity. On top of that he didn’t message me til he was home and we hadn’t been anywhere in a month (aka pub, restaurant, got icecream) because he “had no money” but ofc had money to go out with her.
To add the cherry on top he lived with her all of this year because he a) was too lazy to partake in the uni house hunt with his best friend b) had no balls to say anything when she was brought up as a potential tenant.
Anyways I can’t seem to get over it as you can tell.
However nearly a month ago this guy I’m working with caught my eye, and not to sound pretentious but I know I did too because he would only talk to me in a group and bought me a drink after work.
We ended up dm’ing and he asked if I had a bf to which I said yes of course and he said that it’s a shame.
Yesterday a colleague called in sick and was supposed to work on the bar with me so he covered. And I feel terrible for saying this but I can’t get over how I felt in that moment.
I deal with major depression and it takes a lot for me to feel any positive emotion without guilt, but we were kinda playfully teasing each other (pushing each other, squirting each other with the cleaning water) and overall just having great craic and chat.
Physically he is nothing like my bf (bf is : 6ft lanky dark hair curtains musician; he is : blond blue eyes perfect smile, bit taller than me but broad muscular but not entirely lost all the baby chub and is a skater with the coolest tattoos I’ve ever seen)
He complimented me a few times this past month and I have never felt so flustered.
I have been thinking of breaking up with my bf for a year but then I try to reason with myself and say why would I he’s secure.
I can’t help but think about what if I go through with it and then by the time I’m back in my uni city HE HAS a gf.
I keep checking to see if he has messaged me like every 5min and it’s driving me crazy.
Should I stick with what is safe? Or should I finally venture out of my comfort zone?

So, I waitress as a side job. I really like the job all in all and intend to keep it till I've finished my studies in about nine months (which is a fairly long time), but during the last couple of months, some issues have come up that I don't really know how to solve (or feel unable to).
Specifically, there are two colleagues who both make it very clear they don't like me in their own ways. That's fine - it's their right, they don't need to be friends with me. But it's really impacting the work environment and I think even the guests are starting to notice the tension.
Both colleagues are a lot older than me, have full jobs at this restaurant and are "shift supervisors" if they're there, so naturally I respect them as an authority and don't really dare confront them like I would colleagues of my own age. I have no issues defending myself if I'm being wrongfully accused of something, but I do have a terrible fear of specifically addressing interpersonal issues.
But let's roll back a bit to what's actually going on.
Colleague 1 is your average witch a woman in her late 30's/early 40's, overly correct, very confident and communicates a lot just through looks; also the "I wanna speak to the manager" type. She is nice to the guests, but she spends a lot of time standing around near the bar and just chatting - while being completely unaware of her own bad work ethic. While she is standing around, the rest of us is cleaning up tables etc.
We're not supposed to take orders, that's what she's there for, but if it's just one or two drinks, it's okay and we can just tell her rather than telling the guests to wait for her which is unnecessarily complicated. This is causing a LOT of problems, because every time one of us tells her just one or two drinks some guest ordered, she grows increasingly frustrated - I mean, how dare those people order drinks, right? And I wonder why they tell us the order, given that she is never around (I hope you spot the sarcasm).
A couple of weeks ago, she suddenly pressed her lips together like a 7th-grade drama queen and went, in the smugliest tone: "Uhm, do you go around taking orders or do I?" I wish I'd just said, "well, you're not doing it, so somebody has to", but in that second I was in too much shock to say anything. Oh yes, there were guests sitting right behind us who could definitely hear her.
This is not the only issue. The other is that she doesn't like me and shows this very clearly. Colleague xy (everybody loves her and rightfully so!) tells a story, this woman (let's just call her Karen because it fits) laughs heartily, comments the story, tells a story of her own. I say literally anything, she rolls her eyes, simply ignores me or mumbles an uninterested "aha". Those two opposites often appear within seconds of one another. As I said, she doesn't have to marry me, but a little human decency never hurt anybody!
Colleague 2 is a man my father's age (and actually knows my father which is just perfect. He himself is also the father of my first crush, so let's just be glad that crush never got anywhere). I respect him a lot more than I do Karen because he actually does his job properly, explained things to me properly when I first started and is generally, while a little quiet and dull, a pleasant person to be around.
I've been working there for about a year and a half, and during the last half year or so, I've started to notice that he has something against me as well for some reason. I get a snappy comeback at a reasonable (or not reasonable, what does it matter?) question while my colleague xy gets asked what she does for her holidays. She makes a mistake, he laughs it off; I make a mistake, he doesn't trust me with anything anymore and treats me like an idiot.
Whenever I'm nervous or in a situation unknown to me, I start asking questions. This male colleague doesn't like questions at all, even if they're justified and prevent a potential disaster. Just yesterday, I asked whether the table I assumed was reserved for a group was actually the right one - because obviously, I didn't want to seat them at the wrong table. He just snapped back at me to seat them at any godd*mn table and that it absolutely didn't matter. Okay, fine. A couple of minutes later, a lady orders a glass of water from me, I tell him: "The lady from table 123 asked for a glass of water." He snaps: "Did she ask for it or did she order it?", then rants on about how he apparently explained this to me already (I had no idea what he was talking about, he never explained anything remotely in that direction to me). What the heck is the difference? I expressed myself badly, okay, but that's no reason to treat me like some stupid child!
In comes another group that reserved a table. "Really, this one?", they ask. Apparently they want some privacy because they have to discuss some business that is really not for everyone's ears. Completely helpless, I tell them I'm going to ask my colleague, so I go back to the front and ask him what I'm supposed to do. He completely loses it, yelling that I know every table in this restaurant just as well as he does, and I also know that at each table, somebody might end up sitting at the table next to them, and so on. Yes, my friend, that's exactly the issue, you've got it. I didn't come to you looking for some secret table I didn't know about, but because I wanted help in finding the best solution for the current problem.
I get that he wants me to be independent. But every now and then, I'm going to come across a situation that I haven't dealt with before and don't know how to, and it should be okay to ask for help in those cases (especially if he doesn't have anything else to do in that instant)! Anyway, this was my breaking point. I think the guests overheard my colleague, because when I came back to them, they just accepted the table. I basically just shrugged, then found a quiet corner and cried - I can always keep my composure at work, but yesterday was too much, I couldn't hold back the tears. Colleague xy saw me, handed me a tissue and comforted me. The rest of the evening went fine, my male colleague was nice (I'm suspecting he either heard me cry and felt guilty or colleague xy actually talked to him about it).
But the general issue is still there. I know the solution in both cases is to confront them, but I have huge issues with confrontation. I don't know what to say, when to start a conversation about this, and how to not turn it into a drama where all my insecurity and immaturity shows and I end up just looking like an overly sensitive idiot who can't take a tiny bit of criticism - because that's not it. I can take criticism. I just can't take being those colleagues' punching bag anymore.
I should say that I have no issues with our other colleagues - including the boss. There was once a misunderstanding with one of the cooks that was resolved (though only with my brother's help - he works in the kitchen) and everything is fine now. I also confronted my boss when he sent me to an all-night-job at a wedding without telling me before. He explained someone had gotten sick and he didn't have a choice, and everything was fine. BUT confronting someone about their behaviour towards me? That's simply impossible.
Any ideas? Anyone with similar experiences?

Hi all! I am staying overnight in London in a few weeks and have booked accomodation near Paddington (8 min walk). I arrive at 5:30am in T3 on Friday and have a flight out at 7:30am on Saturday.
I have already booked a Heathrow express to Paddington for Friday, expecting I will explore a bit before checking in, sleeping and getting up early to catch the first train to Heathrow T5 at around 5:10am. The problem is I am not that excited about having to walk 8-10 mins with luggage at 4:45am on a Saturday to get to Paddington, so I am considering options around the airport to instead. My thoughts are I can then return to the airport area on the Friday night and wake up fresh for my early flight out to Spain.
Problem is that the hotels surrounding the airport all require confusing bus transfers, or what appears to be lengthy inter terminal transfers.
I am considering either Hilton near Hatton Cross, or Holiday Inn at T4.
Is the transfer between either Hatton Cross or T4 to T5 via train easy enough, or do I just stick to the plan of staying around Paddington and endure the early morning trek?
Any and all advice is welcome!

TLDR; - Traveled 800 miles to visit dying elderly relatives that had rampant feral cat breeding problem in their home. They struggled getting resources due to cat and bed bug infestations. No rescues would take the feral cats as they are feral indoooutdoor cats. Social services are moving relatives into a facility now.
Over Memorial Day weekend, I experienced a situation involving nearly 20-30 cats - and now, I am a firm believer that releasing them into the wild is a better option and/or plan than nothing at all.
Let's journey back in time to 2020, when my elderly great Aunt Beatrice and Uncle Jack (names changed of course) welcomed a female cat into their home who showed up on their doorstep hungry and meowing away. They live in a somewhat rural area of a small city (20k people) in the midwest about 150 miles from Chicago metro. Unbeknownst to them, the cat was pregnant and, within a matter of days, gave birth to 4 kittens.
Uncle Jack is extremely allergic to cats and the dander from the fur causes him to develop severe rashes throughout his body. Aunt Beatrice did everything she could to find the kittens new homes, but ultimately could not part with two of them, keeping a total of 3 cats in the home. Then, the mother cat escaped beyond one of them when they opened the door to get the mail, only to return about 6 months later (2021) -- pregnant.
This time, the mother cat gave birth to a whole new litter of 4 kittens, making a total of 7 cats in the home. Aunt Beatrice again got to work trying to find a way to adopt out the kittens, but during the pandemic, shelters and resources were maxed out as people were returning their pandemic pets for the sake of living or work obligations. She was only able to adopt out 1 kitten, keeping 6 cats in the home. And this time, Aunt Beatrice managed to get the mother cat spayed at the local vet, but couldn't afford any other spay/neuter care for the other 5 cats.
Thinking that the rest of the cats would never leave their home -- one of the female kittens escaped into the wild, returning months later pregnant with her first litter of 4 kittens. Now, they had 10 cats in the home, and it was becoming more challenging caring for them. The original female cat was officially a grandmother. Uncle Jack began suffering from very serious allergies and feeling sick/ill more frequently. Again, all of the local rescues, humane societies, and even animal control turned them down when they called for help.
Within a matter of a month or so, the daughter of the grandmother cat escaped again, returning to give birth to another set of kittens. She did this another THREE times in 2022 alone. By the end of 2022, they had nearly 16 cats and/or kittens in their home. Christmas 2022, I came to visit them and stayed with them for a week. I called EVERYWHERE within the tri-county area and even out of state to get help for these cats, and everyone was unable to help.
Aunt Beatrice was covered in cat scratches and bites, complaining that they jump and run across her in the middle of the night. Uncle Jack had very serious rashes, and to make matters worse, developed liver failure and had now begun end-of-life care with hospice. Aunt Beatrice wanted to keep them all, Uncle Jack wanted to be rid of them. Family and friends alike advised to kill them ourselves or "wait it out". One family friend offered to feed the cats to their pet snake.
Out of time and out of options, I waited for a warm winter's day, a series of days where the weather was 50-60 degrees. My partner and I drove around for hours, searching for rural area with lots of barns or a small village of houses away from major roads. There, I released 3 cats into the wild. And into the woods they ran. It was all we could grab/find in the house, the rest were scattered and so hard to catch. I, too, was out of time. We returned home and scheduled our return visit for the spring.
In that six months, only two more sets of litters were born -- or so we thought. Aunt Beatrice donated them to the church clergyman who showed up to pray for her at the house. A few of the teenage Jehovah Witnesses took 3 of the kittens. Others ran away and/or escaped from the open door during mail time, never to be seen again. Anyone she could pawn them off onto was welcome to have as many as they could take.
In recent weeks, we came back to visit and help declutter their home. Things are worse than ever before. The smell was immediately sickening. Adult protective services made it clear that the cats had to go. Animal control refused to come pick them up, "We don't even come out for cats anymore," they said. Everyone is booked and full to the brim, resources maxed out. Local vets charge $500 to do a spay or neuter, or wait more than a month to get on the list for the humane society or the spay express at $150/cat. It's a lot of money that we don't have to spend on more than 20+ cats.
We found between 12-16 cats/kittens and two of them were no longer alive on the enclosed back porch, which was so heartbreaking to find. So, with the sun high in the sky and winter long gone, we began the venture of releasing the cats into the wild yet again. We released 7 cats in the first few days, all of which were never friendly or touched by a human. Cats are very intelligent and are rather illusive to catch and/or trap. One of the last ones caught kept hiding under the kitchen sink, but we released her.
The next morning, we found 4 more newborn kittens trapped under a drawer in the kitchen. We think they belonged to the cat that would return to that cabinet often... the one we had already released. We struggled so much with trying to feed the kittens, they just wouldn't take the kitten formula. In a 100 mile radius, we called every. single. rescue. Everyone was full.
We don't have the financial means to pay for vet costs, and they are hefty. My great aunt and uncle couldn't afford it either. We were preparing to watch these kittens pass away from starvation as our every effort failed, and we were completely lost. FINALLY, nearly TWO DAYS after we had already released the mother cat, we found a rescue about 120 miles away that could take all of the kittens - just the kittens. And so, we traveled across state-lines and delivered them into the hands of people who could help, thanking them immensely for their care.
Lastly, we tried again for help with the remaining 5 cats to no avail. No one had room or returned our calls. We released the last 4 cats into remote areas or very small rural towns, off main roads. We released the cats in sets of 2-4 each time so they wouldn't be alone or could hunt/survive together. At least they may have a shot at finding a forever home on a farm than they would being starved to death on a hot enclosed porch or worse.
Uncle Jack has been doing much better without the cats. He's been having much better days. We feel confident the worst of his illness and symptoms came from his high allergy to the cats. The cleanup continues, though. The oldest cat - the one who started this all 3 years ago - ran away during the process. Maybe she might return, maybe not. Who knows. At least she was spayed.
You know, even Chicago intentionally released feral cats onto their streets just for the sake of getting rid of rodent infestation. Cats are accustomed to wild. So, I'd like to think that they are taking care of any mouse problems in the small towns they now reside in. And hopefully, someone may have found themselves an outdoor pet or domesticated one of them.
Do I have any regrets? No, I don't think so. If ever anyone else finds themselves in a situation where they have cats they can't care for and no where to turn, I may advocate for releasing to the wild... albeit maybe spaying or neutering first, if possible.
If you ever found yourself in this situation, I completely understand why you released it into the wild instead of intentionally having it euthanized or turned into food for something else. No judgment whatsoever. It is what it is.
Nearly everyone online will tell you to wait it out for help. I'm here to say that in the worst of situations, sometimes, help never arrives. Sometimes, you have to save yourself... or the ones you love. And that's okay.
If you were me, what could you have done differently?
UPDATE -- So a few things to be clarified here:

1. I do not live with these relatives. They live alone. The rest of the family moved away over the past 30 years (including me) as the town has very little work beyond medical careers. They have been abandoned by the family. Maybe the cat fermentation has been keeping them going, I don't know.
2. Cats are all outdooferal cats that come in/out of the house with no restrictions, not touched by relatives. They literally only play with or pet the first cat. The others are all non-human friendly, and bite or attack people. The county animal control and the humane society refused several of them AT THE DOOR.
3. NONE of the rescues would take ANYTHING but baby kittens because they are considered "feral". None of them. They are all feral/wild and not people-friendly. The two that got trapped on the back porch by the hospice nurse? They didn't even know they were on the back porch. Otherwise, they would have been outside, too.
4. The closest vet clinic does actually cost $500. They charge office visit costs, costs for anesthesia, pain medications, use of tools, etc. Seriously, I saw the bill for the first cat and got quotes from them for bringing in 5 cats the first time. They wanted nearly $2,500. That's more than they make on SS in a month. I don't have that kind of money.
5. I called at least 70 different phone numbers to find a place for those kittens. Most went to voicemails. A lot of rescues only work via email. I had dying/starving kittens that I could not figure out how to properly feed. I called everyone on Google Maps across more than 150 miles. Literally had to travel 120 miles to the place that finally did take them. And to make matters worse, this was during Memorial Day weekend. Everyone was closed.
6. They were all released in areas that were about 40-50 miles away from their house, but there's always a possibility they will return as they probably know their way home as they have been indoooutdoor cats their entire lives. It won't matter though because they are being moved to a nursing facility this month, but still. I'm not sure what else I could have done.

Update 2: I never want to be in this situation again. I wish my great uncle and aunt were never in this situation, either. We spent hours on the phone trying to connect with anyone would help, but no help came. It was horrible timing with a holiday weekend. I'm still getting calls from rescues we called and left a voicemail with, so I changed some details to avoid being identified.
I chose human life over the lives of the cats, but even then, I couldn't bring myself to take their lives or feed them to snakes... I can't just kill something like that, but I guess there are many who can do so easily. I let nature decide their fate as nature had brought the first cat to their door years ago. If I had to choose between cats and human lives, I'd probably choose the safety and livelihood of my great uncle and aunt again and again. I wish their adult kids would have helped out because they actually have the financial means to do so, but don't. My great aunt's son lives only 45 minutes away from them and went no contact a while back. He could have helped, but he never wants to see them again and even asked if they were dead yet.
I did my best to make things right for the sake of my grandma's memory with the resources I had. I wish it had been different and they could have found loving homes and been rehabilitated by people, and maybe they will be someday. There are lots of farms in every area they were released. We even saw some cats wandering freely in a few areas. I feel hopeful that they may have a chance at a better life just as my great uncle and aunt now finally do, too.

In just under two weeks, ARMYs will descend upon Singapore to see SUGA!. Help an ARMY out and let them know about safety, how to get around, where to eat, tourist attractions, BTS-related things to do, or anything else that you think someone should know when they visit! (Special thanks to the mods for your input and feedback for this guide!)

BTS' Past Visits

Red Bullet Tour (2014 BTS Live Trilogy Episode II) at the The Star Performing Arts Centre (13 Dec 2014)

• Fancam
• Official photos by Hallyu Singapore
• Official photos of Hi-Five session by Hallyu Singapore. Session was for all Cat 1 VVIP ticket holders ($268), who got a Hi-Five Pass and Concert Poster. The first 100 VVIP ticket holders also got to go up on stage to get a "Dark & Wild" album autographed by BTS.

Music Bank performance (4 Aug 2017) at the Suntec Convention Centre

• Fancam
• Quiz game video
• Outing at the Merlion statue and Singapore flyer: Photos Set 1 Photos Set 2.

Love Yourself World Tour (19 Jan 2019) at the National Stadium
This made history as the first time a K-pop group held a concert at the venue (largest concert venue in the country) and tickets sold out in about 3.5 hours! (45,000 audience)

• Concert review
• Witty notice from the Singapore Police Force abt avoiding ticket scams (it uses the BTS song titles!)
• Bonus: Jimin picked Marina Bay Sands as his special spot in the BTS x Street Galleries collaboration with Google revealed on ARMY Day (July 9) 2022

Concert Venue

Do note that it’s currently the June school holidays too (26 May-26 Jun), so the Sports Hub and surrounding areas may be crowded with many other visitors besides the concert-goers. Please be mindful!

• Singapore Indoor Stadium, right next to the National Stadium (both are part of the Singapore Sports Hub) where BTS performed at their last concert here in 2019. In fact, the Indoor Stadium was then used as the waiting zone for the standing zone ticket-holders.
• Concert guidelines been posted yet (will update here when they are), but here are the general guidelines for events there (links opens a pdf)
• The nearest MRT station is the Stadium station, on the Circle line - here is a train map (with Stadium MRT circled out in light purple). You’ll know when you’ve arrived as the station design is quite unique! Go up the elevator and follow the signage - the path is sheltered.
• You can find Kallang Wave Mall right next to the venue, for a spot of shopping and dining before the concert (opening hrs:10am-10pm daily). There is another smaller mall Leisure Park Kallang located next to the carpark, which houses an ice skating rink, bowling alley and cinema alongside more food options. The open space in front of the MRT station and the two malls is where ARMYs are likely to gather to exchange fan support and stuff (latest info is that for recent concerts, fans have been prevented from gathering for fan support activities at the usual area, so many have moved to another open space nearby, the Stadium Riverside Walk, circled in this image).
• The nearest hawker centre (i.e the affordable street food) is Old Airport Road Food Centre, one of the oldest and largest hawker centres in the country. It is about 20 mins walk away from the stadium, or you can simply alight at the Mountbatten/Dakota MRT stations (one or two stops away from Stadium MRT station respectively); both are about a 5 mins’ walk away from the food centre. Here is a list of recommendations (unfortunately, not a lot of Halal food stalls here. Let me know if you need those).
• There is also a McDonalds’ & KFC near Mountbatten MRT if you want something more familiar, or potentially try whatever new promo is currently going on at these places.

Sightseeing/Activities

Non-exhaustive list (all prices are in SGD)

• National Gallery Singapore. There is a special Namjooning Tour as part of the Gallery Wellness Festival. Slots are fully booked for the guided tours on 25 & 30 June. You could try the self-guided tours instead, which start on 17 July. Gallery passes for general admission to the permanent galleries (needed to access the tour) cost $20 for non-Singaporeans aged 13-59. Closes early (by 3pm) on some weekends in June and July (see dates on website).
• National Museum Singapore. Has very interactive and engaging exhibits. Highly recommended (I used to be a volunteer docent there for abt a year). Tickets cost from $15 (for access to permanent galleries only)
• Singapore Zoo & adjacent parks (Bird Paradise, River Wonders, Night Safari). We have one of the best zoos in the world! Single park tickets cost $50. Multi-park options also available. .
• Gardens by the Bay. Pretty gardens with outdoor sections and 2 indoor air-conditioned conservatories - you may have heard of the supertrees that have been featured in the movie "Crazy Rich Asians" and K-drama "Little Women". Provides a welcome respite from the heat. It’s free to visit the outdoor areas, but it’s really worth it to pay for entry to the conservatories. There are various pricing packages, so best to check out the website yourself.
• Singapore Botanical Gardens is our first UNESCO World Heritage site, the first and only tropical botanic garden on the list. Admission is free.
• The Merlion and the Marina Bay area. I personally recommend going at night to see the famed cityscape of Singapore all lit up (the temperature’s cooler too!). Marina Bay Sands Mall has a light and water show every night. There is also the iLight Festival going on now until 25 June with artistic light installations (mix of free and paid attractions). Bonus: Yoongi wore a Merlion Singapore t-shirt in a travel-themed Lotte Xylitol ad!
• You can also ride the Singapore Flyer for an aerial view of our city like the boys did! Admission costs $40.
• Visit our ethnic enclaves, Chinatown, Little India, Kampung Glam and Geylang Serai to see old shophouses, shop for souvenirs and try ethnic food
• One of the fanbases here, BangtanSG, has teased an ARMY event from 11-13 June. Will update when more details are released.
• Sentosa & Universal Studios Singapore theme park - you can access the island via various modes of transport with varying admission fees. Transport within the island is free.
• If you don’t want to think too hard, the best airport in the world for 12 years running is also an attraction in itself! See the airport section below for more information.
• Singapore is also located in the centre of Southeast Asia - if you’ve never been in this oft-forgotten region of the world, take the chance to check out our neighbouring countries as well! Malaysia can easily be reached via bus, and Indonesia via ferry.

(Note: You may want to check out Klook for discount tickets/passes)

Dining

Singapore is a food paradise with various cuisines from the local ethnic groups, as well as international ones. For Muslims, there are a lot of Muslim-owned or Halal-certified options around (look for this certificate, or the label “Muslim-owned”), including most of the fast food chains like McDonald’s/KFC/Burger King/Subway.
Carrying some cash with you (~$10 per pax) is a good idea, especially if you’re venturing out to hawker centres; while many places now have an electronic payment system in place, cash is still king in terms of versatility, and anecdotally most hawker stalls prefer cash or will charge a credit-card payment surcharge.

Where to eat?

• Most of the malls have a good selection of dining options, ranging from the (relatively affordable) multi-stall foodcourts to fast-food restaurants, cafes, and more upmarket restaurants.
  • It can get crowded during lunchtime (12-2pm) as office workers come out for their break, so try to avoid those hours if possible, or make advance reservations.
  • If you are staying/shopping in Orchard Road, Far East Plaza (level 4 & 5) and Lucky Plaza (multiple levels) have relatively more affordable food options for the area..
  • There’s a myriad of other malls in the suburban areas outside of Orchard to be explored.
• Hawker centres: A “hawker” in Singapore refers to a street food vendor, and in Singapore they’ve been centralised into food centres to create an iconic Singapore dining institution. These places are generally not air-conditioned, but they are the most affordable dining option. If you see an item on a table even if it’s something innocuous like a tissue paper packet or name-card, it means the seat's been reserved (“chop-ed” in the local slang) by people who are off queuing for their food.
  • Look for stalls with the longest lines (the most popular stalls will have long queues all day long), but most stalls should have decent food.
  • Newton Hawker Centre (near Newton MRT station) and Lau Pa Sat (near Telok AyeDowntown/Raffles Place Stations) are probably the most well-known to tourists, but beware of touts and over-charging, especially at Newton.
  • Taking the MRT out to slightly less central areas like Ang Mo Kio, Toa Payoh, Kallang, etc. should bring you to other hawker centres that cater to locals.
• Order in: GrabFood and Foodpanda are the two most popular food delivery apps with extensive coverage all around Singapore. Deliveroo is also available. Just be prepared to pay upwards of $5 delivery fee during peak periods, and the listed online prices are usually higher than in-store. The apps also have pick-up available if you’d simply like to order in advance.
• The ethnic enclaves like Kampung Glam (Malay/Muslim), Chinatown and Little India have a higher concentration of the respective ethnic cuisines, but most places in Singapore have a good mix of different local and international cuisines

What to eat?

Breakfast (These are generally very affordable options that should cost you below $10 per person, particularly if you go to food courts/hawker centres)

• Tea/coffee with kaya toast and half-boiled eggs. Available at most hawker centres (usually at the drink stalls), and chains like Ya Kun Kaya Toast and Killiney Kopitiam in malls. Order tea/coffee like a local by referring to this guide.
• Among the fast-food chains, KFC offers the more local option of chicken porridge (congee)
• Roti prata, a south-Indian flatbread (also known as paratha in India, or roti canai in Malaysia), available at most hawker centres and Indian coffee-shops
• Nasi lemak, coconut milk-flavoured rice with a variety of side dishes (usual ones: omelette, fried chicken wing/fried fish, fried anchovies).
• Beehoon, rice vermicelli with a range of toppings like fish cake, luncheon meat (spam), chicken wings, veggies etc.
• Chai Tow Kway (“carrot cake” - it’s actually radish cake), Tau Huey (soya bean curd pudding) + Youtiao (chinese fried dough)
• Mee Rebus, a Malay noodle dish with thick & spicy potato-based gravy topped with hard-boiled egg, bean sprouts, fried shallots, tau kwa (fried beancurd) and spring onions

Lunch & dinner

• Chilli crab: I don’t have any personal recommendations, and it could be costly because the crabs are usually charged by weight, which may vary daily. The link gives a run-down of some popular places
• Hainanese chicken rice: Again, no personal recommendations, but you can find this in most foodcourts and hawker centres. You should be able to find one of these for $5 or less.
• Murtabak/Briyani: My favourite is ZamZam Restaurant (est, 1908) at North Bridge Road in the Muslim enclave of Kampung Glam, but there is a whole row of Singapore-Indian restaurants serving a similar menu there
• Everything under the sun :) Google maps & data coverage generally works well in most parts of Singapore, so search & explore! Some sites you can start at include Chope & Burpple.

Snacks

• A must try, it’s sold by any ice cream man you see roaming around with a popup like this
• We have a ton of bubble tea (boba) stores if you’re craving it, you’d probably find a bubble tea store or two within 20mins of walking anywhere. Koi/Gongcha/LiHo are quite standard options, and then there’s others like Playmade/Chichasansen with their own unique points. Here’s a list with 61 of them...
• There’re plenty of 7-11s and convenience stores around, as well as “mama shops” around public residential housing.

Getting Around

Singapore has a great public transport system. It’s really easy & cheap to get around on the MRT (mass rapid transit trains) and buses. Use Google Maps or the City Mapper app to navigate yourself and get route recommendations (the latter also has transport arrival timings and fare estimates. It also works in many cities globally, so is very useful for tourists). Various transport passes are available for tourists, but you can also use your contactless credit cards (Visa and Mastercard) to pay for the fares (no registration required).
In general, using the Circle Line (yellow) or Downtown Line (blue) should get you to most tourist attractions. Orchard Road (main shopping belt) can be accessed via the North South Line (red), between Orchard and Somerset MRT stations. Map for reference, with links to versions in Chinese/Malay/Tamil available for download.
Taxis and ride-hailing cars:

• We have Grab and Gojek in place of Uber.
• The largest local taxi fleet - the blue Comfort Cabs - also have their own ride-hailing app to compete, although they can also operate via the traditional meter & can be booked via phone call/flagged down as usual. Fares can be paid via cash post-ride or credit card for all these private car options.
• Ride-hailing tends to be very expensive. At peak periods, ride-hailing services could be even more expensive than taxis, but at least you know the price beforehand. All malls have a taxi stand where you can stand in queue and hop on the next available cab. Queues can be long at morning and evening peak periods, so avoid taking cabs then if you can.

General navigation
All signs are in English, and the locals - esp the younger generation - are able to speak English fluently. If you’re really lost, feel free to approach others to ask for help! People are generally friendly and helpful despite initial appearances :)
As a side note: in general, if Google Maps is asking you to circle around a building to get somewhere - don’t. You can cut through most places on the ground floor quite easily, even the residential buildings (unless they’re private properties like condominiums/landed housing). MRT stations are connected to a good number of places via sheltered corridors if they’re nearby enough. Enjoy the aircon & shade instead of walking outside in the heat if you can.

Shopping

• K-pop merch, CDs and DVDs: There is House of Kpop, multiple locations, the most central being at Singapore Post Centre, next to Paya Lebar MRT station (one MRT stop away fm the concert location), and Beadsofbullets at Level 2, Orchard Gateway. Popular Bookstore has a BT21 corner in some of their stores. The flagship store at Bras Basah Complex (near Bugist MRT) would likely hv the biggest selection (though really not that big). Kinokuniya Bookstore at Takashimaya Mall, Orchard Road, also has some albums, DVD sets and maybe even magazines (not sure if any BTS-member covers are available at that time). You can call ahead to ask if they hv stocks.
  
• Orchard Road is our main shopping belt, running from Orchard to Somerset MRT stations. You can find many shopping malls there, with collections ranging from upmarket to fast fashion. Check out Design Orchard, a retail space for fashion and lifestyle items by Singapore designers.
  
• For an old-style emporium experience drop by Mustafa Centre. It used to be open 24 hours but this was disrupted by COVID19 and now it is only open until 2am (best place for late night shopping!). It's not a glitzy mall, but has crowded aisles chock full of all manners of things, including snacks and souvenirs (avoid going on Sundays when it gets super crowded with migrant workers on their day off).
  
• Already mentioned above are the ethnic enclaves Chinatown, Little India, Kampung Glam and Geylang Serai with smaller standalone shops. Special mention for Haji Lane in the Kampung Glam area, a small street with cute boutiques.
  
• The many, many other malls scattered across the country - a brief list. For example, Paya Lebar alone (just another station up from Dakota!) is connected to several malls like Paya Lebar Quarter (PLQ), PLQ 2, PL Square, Singpost centre, and a couple more within a 5-mins’ walk (Tanjong Katong Complex, City Plaza, KINEX etc.).
  

Weathewhat to wear

The weather is especially hot these days (max temp of up to 35 degrees celsius, or 95 Fahrenheit), with possible spurts of heavy rain at certain times of day, so dress light and carry an umbrella (most places do have sheltered walkways between buildings and bus-stops/MRT stations though, so don’t worry too much about getting around in the rain). Mall air-conditioning can be cold, so hv another layer (e.g. cardigan/wrap/scarf) on hand. Remember to hydrate frequently & avoid staying outdoors for too long!

Airport

• Singapore Changi Airport is often voted by travellers as the best airport in the world, with lots of shopping, dining and leisure options in the various terminals. BTS (except Jin who took a different flight) stopped over at Changi Airport on the way to New Zealand for Bon Voyage 4 (airport lounge scenes shown in Episode 1)! While you may not have access to the business class lounge like them, there are various other options to rest and hangout, like the many gardens (some even accessible from the public areas) and even a free 24h cinema (Terminal 3 transit area).
• Jewel Changi Airport which is attached to Terminal 1 is an attraction in itself. It's worth arriving 2-3 hours earlier than your flight check-in time to grab a meal and have a look around Jewel. A particular highlight is to take the skytrain between Terminals 2 and 3, cutting across the centre of Jewel, to get a spectacular view of the indoor waterfall. There is also shopping aplenty (Tip: Fairprice Finest supermarket at B2 Jewel has a nice selection of food and non-food souvenirs which are pretty affordable).
• There are various transport options for getting to the city from the airport. Public transport like MRT is convenient if you are travelling light, else there is a shuttle service to selected downtown hotels. Taxis and ride-hire cars can be expensive, especially with the airport surcharge.
• Sort of related, Yoongi gave a shout out to our national airlines (Singapore Airlines) for its great seat and amenities in business class in BV4! (He said: let's always fly Singapore Airlines in the future!). The airlines must have taken notice, because they recently announced that they would be adding BTS content like songs, MVs, LY New York concert, and Break The Silence docu in their in-flight entertainment system to commemorate BTS' 10th anniversary. An ARMY also spotted a write-up abt BTS in their in-flight magazine.

We’ve tried to achieve a balance between being succinct and informative, but certainly the above info is not exhaustive. So do feel free to ask in the comments below if the info you need is not here! Fellow SG ARMY, or those familiar with Singapore, feel free to chime in!

This past week I've been looking for a summer job that isn't in the fast-food industry. I used to work at Subway but quit. It was mainly the employees, but I don't think the fast-food industry is for me. I saw a listing for a dishwasher at a Holiday Inn near my house and thought it might be good for someone who doesn't want too much to do with other employees. I'm 15 if that helps your answers. So, my questions are; Does dishwashing at Holdiay Inn just consist of dishwashing? Also, what is the overall experience like?

Sandusky OH 10/10 I know Sandusky is not a major city but it's my favorite place in Ohio and I have lots of great memories here, some cool lighthouses and obviously cedar point
Beaufort NC 10/10 again another water front smaller area, lots of fun things to do and made many memories here over thr last 12 years I've been going there, lots of cool shops as well.
Traverse city MI 10/10 Ohioans all hate Michigan and vise versa but yet again another water front area with lots of fun things to do.
Chagrin Falls OH 10/10 This place is really awesome, everything is walkable here theres shops and restaurants everywhere and also The creator of Calvin and Hobbles based it on this town.
Cincinnati OH 9/10 Cincinnati is the best of the 3 C's in my personal opinion, lots of preserved historical areas, Cincinnati tops Columbus in mostly everything according to US N&WR, I will probably move here to go to collage in around 2 years
Pittsburgh 9/10 Downtown Pittsburgh is a very fun experience and it's very walkable, the water front is really great as well, I haven't been here in around 5 years but I enjoyed it.
Charlotte NC 7.5/10 I never really got to explore Charlotte but the part I went to was pretty nice but legit kinda boring, the reason i felt it was boring is because there is not much real culture left in Charlotte, its all been taken over by nissan altimas with dented bumpers. there is some high crime rates in Charlotte but the majority of it was alright. it's a pretty good place overall but I wish it had some of its original culture left.
Columbus OH 7/10 Columbus is the most midwest feeling city in Ohio, everyone moves to Columbus for work and collage mostly and that's why personally think it's the most boring of the 3 C's, there is some cool neighborhoods like German village that are similar to Cincinnatis historical homes. But theres 100s of new genfrcation building that dont have the same downtown feel as it should. Basically when people think Ohio they think Columbus.There is a new Intel plant being built in Columbus which will bring some more money to the states economy.
Richmond VA 7/10 I haven't explored Virginia as much but I have been to Richmond, it was a pretty good place. Richmond has excellent food and some cool historical homes. Outside of the city is just your basic american metropolitan area but overall it's alright.
Akron OH 7/10 My hometown and current place of living, there has been a lot of improvement over the past 10 years to akron and there is lots planned for the next coming 5 years. Akron has the beat metro parks in the state and also has The CVNP starting at merriman Valley. Our downtown is pretty small but very walkable and there restaurants and bars everywhere, what we need downtown is more stores but the main income goes to The restaurants downtown. We also have lots and lots of old homes, my personal favorite style is the tutor style house. All down portage path and merriman road are all all historical homes. The worst parts of Akron (east side) are basically the average neighborhood in Cleveland which I why I think akron Is 100% a better place than Cleveland. Basically if you got rid of the shitty cleveland like east side it would give akron a giant boost.
Winston salem NC 7/10 This city reminded me of akron a lot, the metropolitan size of it is basically the same, the downtown isn't as fun in my opinion but Akrons isn't all that either. I stayed in the worst area to stay at in winston salem tho (hanes mall) but I wad only there at night so it wasn't all day. If I where to move somewhere out of state it might be here just because I got used to it so easily and have family close in SC. Pilot mountain is also worth visiting and has some great hikes and views, you can see the phallic building of WS from the peak lmao.
Norfolk VA 6.5/10 the area we stayed at here was legit pretty dangerous, my grandma booked a hotel in the shittiest neighborhood at a days inn, but I still am a huge fan of naval shit so this place was awesome. There's tons of boating stuff to do here and some really cool miltary equipment to look at. Honestly if we didn't stay in the worst part of this place it probably would of gotten a 7 but maybe I should try it out again.
The rest will be posted later after this

Returned last week from a 3 week trip in Japan, my first!
Did the very typical route of Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto-Tokyo but did things a little different stayed in 7 hotels throughout my stay. Why? My wife and I are very much food and nightlife focus and love to get a feel of neighborhoods, this enabled us to do one inconvenient journey to then set up base for the next few nights, get a feel of neighborhoods and avoided expensive Taxi fares at night.
This trip report will focus mostly on the wanky food, coffee and drinking spots that I enjoyed - as well as some tourist highlights
 

Tokyo ^{May 10-18}

Shibuya

First couple of nights was a treat hotel stay as this was a delayed Honeymoon. We stayed in the Cerulean Tower in Shibuya on an executive floor and it was worth every cent. Mostly just chilled around the hotel adjusting with the jet lag and using the executive perks. Whilst we stayed here we drank at R261 CIGAR & ROCK and mostly the Executive lounge "free" cocktail hour.
 
Notable spots:
SG Low - great foreign friendly introduction to Izakaya culture.
L'Intemporel - Amazing French fusion tasting course with wine pairing, not cheap (honeymoon remember) but we wanted to try Japanese influenced French and it did not disappoint!
 

Shinjuku

Stayed at the Tokyu Stay East Side, spacious but basic and a little bit away from the madness but close enough to explore the nightlife in the area, also close to Shinokubo.
I know Golden Gai can be a questionable visit but my wife and I loved it, found some real niche bars that we enjoyed, hotel was in close proximity, loved Piss Alley too
Experienced my first basement of a shopping center and was blown away. I know that everyone recommends it but holy shit, the food options are endless. Great if you want to take some treats back to the hotel.
 
Notable spots:
Kodoji Small bar in Golden Gai that is also a photography gallery. Very much a locals only joint, owner eyes you up before you allowed to drink. The regulars were lovely.
Bay Window More laid back and spacious, the owner had extensive knowledge of Japanese whiskey, very much enjoyed!
All Seasons Coffee Fantastic Coffee in an independent shop
養老乃瀧 新宿西口店 Good Izakaya in Piss Alley. Not the typical small and crowded joint, eating upstairs near the window you can see the trains go by.
Uobei Shin-Okubo I know its Kaiten sushi but my wife and I were blown away with the quality. We are Sushi novices so we are likely rating this with inexperienced palates. If you want to dip your toe into Sushi/Sashimi I couldnt recommend it enough!
Hanbey's Izakaya Yes its a chain and the food is average at best but if you book in advance you might be lucky to get a private room. Cheap and cheerful with a great vintage decor
 

Azabu-Juban

Random one to move here but we found a great deal at the Oakwood Hotel & Apartments. Has an amazing view of Tokyo Tower! We also had a steak restuarnt booked, see below, and knew we were going to the Tsukiji Outer Market and Sumo tournament so it seemed like a good base of travel.
Lined up big day of Tsukiji Outer Market - Sumo Grand Tournamet - Asakusa.
Quick take, Tsukiji Outer Market can be missed if traveling to Kyoto or Osaka. I found the markets in Kyoto and Osaka to be less hectic and a little cheaper and just as enjoyable. Tsukiji is a massive magnet to all tourists across the city, I sure enjoyed it at the time but then when I went to Nishiki Market and Kuromon Ichiba Market I found them to be just as enjoyable but with less of a crowd.
Sumo Grand Tournament - If you ever have the opportunity I would 100% recommend to go. We go the nose bleeds and got in a little early to look around. If you want to see the more high profile fights go in a little later, around 2pm. Was pretty cool to see the Sumo walking from the station to the stadium.
Sensō-ji Temple in the evening was great, noone about and you get to take on the temple as the sun sets. Couldn't recommend going later enough, felt like we had it to ourselves and you have a lot of decent food options around Hoppy street.
Made a trip out to Nakameguro on a nice day and it was a lovely chilled vibe. Checked out the vintage shops there and then had a drink chilling by the river. A nice escape from the madness of Shibuya and Shinjuku, some really lovely independent shops, cafe and restaurants
 
Notable spots:
Juban Ukyo Stand Bar Stumbled across this and loved it. If you like your natural wines and are in the area this is a go to, even have orange wine which was hard to come by elsewhere.
Northcote Coffee Shop Small independant coffee shop that makes a decent cup, owner is very lovely and happy to have a chat - she lived in Melbourne previously.
Komiyama-nishiazabu Another splash out dinner, holy shit this was amazing. The Chef used to be a butcher so he buys by the cow and takes you on a tasting course of all the different cuts. One of the best meals I've had
Turret Coffee Tsukiji If you like your coffee strong, this is the one. Like an uppercut of caffeine. Loved it!
Popeye Conveniently located next to Ryogoku Kokugikan National Sumo Arena, if you are a craft beer drinker this is the OG spot in Tokyo. As with all craft beer its more on the expensive side, however, they offer a free place of food from selected drinks during their happy hour, helps soften the blow.
Akagaki Hoppy street wasn't doing it for us and my wife was curious of this place, we stuck our heads in and had a night we will never forget. Very much a local spot but welcoming to foreigners - if there is space. Once we mentioned were on honeymoon the Shochu didnt stop, also made a friend who booked us in at Imahan Honten, more on that later.
 
Quick take - Though its fun getting Ekiben from Tokyo station, in comparison to Konbini or bakery food its pretty poor. Opted for one to share and then grab something quality from a Konbini
Quick take ^again - if you are doing my same overall route there is no need for the JR pass. If you book ahead, a month in advance and the max, on the SmartEX site you can get discount tickets for standard and green cart. Also book an oversized baggage seat if possible, yes your suitcase might fit above or in front of you but if you book the Nozomi train - a non JR pass Shinkansen, you are likely to be one of the few foreigners in your carriage that are hauling baggage so likely no competition. These seats cost no more than the standard, they are just limited, also book the D and E seat for Mt Fuji views, were were lucky and saw it twice! Our tickets to Osaka were ¥12,370 each, little more on return as we only booked them a week in advance. In total it was ¥26,340 return each, cheaper than a 7 day pass and on faster trains.  

Osaka ^{May 18-23}

Namba

First stayed in an interesting container hotel called Distortion 9. Was really in the thick of it, just a short walk from the station.
Dotonbori is hectic, too hectic. I did enjoy the lights and restaurant displays but the sheer amount of people was overwhelming. Very much enjoyed the vibe of America-mura and Yotsubashi, lots of vintage shops and boutiques.
Shinsekai was great, highly recommend going a little later in the day to see at night. Come hungry as there are a lot of great Kushikatsu and Okonomiyaki spots about.
 
Notable spots:
SAKImoto COFFEE A great cup, can also buy and bring over baked goods from across the road.
Gokai Tachizushi Nambanankaidori Great quality Sushi/Sashimi for the price. Very much an Izakaya feel.
Umineko Great craft standing bar.
LiLo Coffee Roasters Really great cup of coffee
Luv Wine Namba A really lovely standing wine bar. The owners where very warm and welcoming. Great selection of wines and quality food.
EDENICO Coffee shop by day, bar by night. Enjoyed having a chilled afternoon here with a local we made friends with at the standing bar.
 

Kita

Moved to her to stay in a cheaper hotel as we were doing day trips for a couple of days. Osaka underground city is mental, when we first got out the station we thought we moved to a ghost town, little did I know there was an entire underground city below stretching for city blocks, makes for some confusing google map directions
Nakazakichō was a sleeper hit of Osaka, great to explore the vintage and art shops of the area and an exceptionally good coffee/cafe scene here. Wish I could have come back later to see what the buzz was like at night.
Nara Park was worth the visit but is overwhelming with crowds initially. Once you hike a little more into the hills it really opens up and you can appreciate the beauty of it more. Would have like to explore the city more but a hot day in the park really takes it out of you.
 
Notable spots:
お初天神 大衆レトロ酒場 オハツ商店 個室居酒屋 Great standard Izakaya we ate at. More flagging this for the area itself.
Not really known by tourists- I think we were the only white folk about. A gem of a spot home to a number of bars, restaurants and Izakaya
Monaca Coffee incredibly well curated coffee spot, surprised we got a seat as it seemed very popular once we got in. One of the best pour over coffees I've had.
 
Quick take If you are traveling from Osaka to Kyoto and are staying in the Gion area opt for the Keihan Main Line trains. Only costs ¥430 and drops you at Gion-Shijo/Ōebashi station. Dont be confused if you think you need a reservation, only the premium seats require that. Just take any seat you can find.
 

Kyoto ^{May 23-26}

Gion

Was really unsure whether to go to Hakone and stay in a traditional Ryokan or not but instead opted to rent a traditional Japanese home in Gion instead, much to the delight of my bank account - Hakone Onsen Ryokans are £££££. Loved our house, had the Tammi mats and a view of the local temple gardens.
Gion was beautiful but also consumed with tourists, however everyone seemed very respectful in comparison to other popular tourist magnets. Was fortunate to catch the last day of performances at Pontochô Kaburenjô. Drank like a local along the river on a nice day which was very lovely, the river is so clean!
Did two "touristy" things whilst staying here, Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine and Arashiyama. The Tori gate shrine we visited in the late afternoon. Was a little hectic at the beginning but the further we got to the summit the less crowded it became. Once we got down there was hardly anyone left. Couldn't recommend going later in the afternoon more, you get a great view of Kyoto as the sun starts to set. The hike to the top is a little more than expected, more that my wife was in heeled sandals. Shes a trooper though and scaled it with ease, I would just recommend flat shoes at the minimum.
Arashiyama was fantastic, we went on a really shitty weather day. Which was great as it only attracted the brave. We did the Sagano Scenic Rail which I can't recommend enough. Pretty spectacular getting out of that first tunnel. We had a massive down pour when going through some valleys, was wild and forever memorable especially all the thick clouds crawling through the valleys.
Bamboo forest was also empty due to the rain but we didnt stay long as how much bamboo can you see?
 
Notable spots:
RUTUBO This place was swarming with tourists unfortunatley, I guess it comes with the area, however I couldn't recommend this place enough. Specialising in smoked Izakaya dishes and drinks. Stayed here all evening and loved it.
Imozou Kyoto Kiyamachi Tried this on a whim and loved it, got a seat upstairs which was a modern traditional Japanese table and booth. Solid food and lots and lots of Sake and Shochu options.
Hello Dolly Great cocktail bar with records spinning. Lucky to get a spot as the bartenders are quick to turn people away
 

Tokyo ^{May 26-30}

Shibuya

Our final stint, Staying at Shibuya Stream as we hadn't utilised the area prior due to the fancy pants hotel and jet lag. This final stretch was to just relax a little but enjoy any spots we potentially missed. Checked out Harajuku again as we visited on our first day and holy hell, never go on a weekend hahaha. Escaped by going to Shimokitazawa which has a great vibe, stumbled upon the Neutral Case craft beer fest which was a score. I found this area better for vintage but still on the more expensive side in the smaller store. Worthy for a visit, would be interesting to see the nightlife here.
We made a friend in Osaka and his girlfriend was performing pole at THE27CLUB That was SUPER fun, a little expensive, but a great vibe.
 
Notable spots:
Ramen Nagi - Shibuya. Ichiran gets all the foreign hype but I actually enjoyed this more (can't go wrong with either tbf). The host was funny as she screamed orders to the kitchen.
BEATCAFE Great genuine dive bar. REALLY loved this place and wish I could have stayed longer but I was cooked.
WOKINI Another big favourite of the trip, great cocktails and tunes. I was pretty pickled prior to arriving, wish I got in earlier so I could have stayed all night.
PIZZA SLICE my second only western meal, was hanging out my ass because of above and sought the pizza gods for healing. Tasty slice, could have stuffed my face but said hangover was having other ideas. Great vibe in there and reasonable priced, well compared to London.
Imahan Honten A friend that we made in Akagaki the week prior married into this family run Sukiyaki restaurant. I'm so glad we did meet her because this was a great swan song. We were given a private room and got the sirloin set. Was unreal! On the expensive side but was an experience I would never forget.
NEW YORK BAR Got to get my Lost in Translation fix. Pretty exceptional views but also incredibly expensive. Still really enjoyed it but sneaky that tax and service is not included
CoCo Ichibanya After throwing down at New York Bar its only fair we balanced the scales. I was pleasantly surprised how good this was, I know everyone will throw shade or have better options but for a chain it was shockingly good.
Bellovisto We end our holiday with where we started, this time in the roof top bar of Cerulean tower. I 100% can recommend this over the New York Bar, of course you don't get the Lost in Translation clout however you get better views cheaper drinks and exceptional service. They had a live piano signer on too. Typically there was a cover charge but its free if you are staying in the hotel - something we only realised when we came back and weren't guests.....
 
Last Quick Take Go to the flea markets for cheap and unique souvenirs. My wife went to Odeo Antique Market and managed to find some bargain Kokeshi dolls and Kimonos. A little more unique than Don Quijote bits, which in the end I thought was a bit of a ripoff.
 
If you made it this far then congratulations. Feel free if you have any questions, I will be happy to share anything coffee, wine, vintage, clothing and craft beer related.
 
Lastly Craft Beer Can shops, found it hard to find can shops for takeaway but loved these two:
ISETAN CRAFT BEER BAR
クラフトビール酒屋 threefeet Tokyo 表参道原宿本店

Layout:
— Individual Team News + Stone’s Cold Takes
— Miscellaneous/Other NFL News
— Restaurant of the Week - Pittsburgh
Arizona Cardinals:

• RB James Conner likes being an underdog
• HC Jonathan Gannon wanted to move forward with who was all in on the team when asked about DeAndre Hopkins
• Gained $4.21m in cap space after June 1st deadline
• QB Clayton Tune could work his way into a starting spot
• Potentially interested in moving on from LB Isaiah Simmons

This team cannot unload folks fast enough it seems. They are now looking to potentially move on from LB Isaiah Simmons who in many folks eyes has not lived up to the hype from the draft. WE shall see if they can get anything for him if they do decide to move on. The storyline I am most interested in watching this year here is first how long Kyler Murray will be out and second how rookie QB Clayton Tune is developing. It seems like they took him so they could try out a young QB in the interim while Murray is working his way back. Apparently thus far he has been doing well in OTAs.
Atlanta Falcons:

• Team expects TE Kyle Pitts to be ready for season opener
• Ditching gradient uniforms and will wear throwbacks 3 times

Not too much news from the Falcons but many will be excited to hear about Kyle Pitts expected to be back for the season opener. Hopefully this is the year he can really break out but a lot will depend on the QB Desmond Ridder actually being able to throw him the ball unlike the past quarterbacks he has had who have not made things easy.
Baltimore Ravens:

• WR Zay Flowers is impressing with his route running capabilities early on

Good news here because receiver seems to be a position where the Ravens have struggled to get good production. With new OC Todd Monken that should start to change and with an added emphasis on the passing game it inevitably should change as more throws are made.
Buffalo Bills:

• Rumored that QB Josh Allen will be featured on the cover of Madden
• Signed:
  
  • DT Ed Oliver to a 4-year $68m extension with $45m guaranteed
  • WR Marcell Ateman
  • OT Brandon Shell
• Supposedly out on WR DeAndre Hopkins
  
• Expect Edge Von Miller to be back for the season opener
  

Great move here signing Ed Oliver to his extension. He is a key piece of that d-line and helps hold them together. I personally don’t believe they or really any of the other teams that have said they are out on DeAndre Hopkins actually are. To me it appears more to be a message saying they are not going to be paying him the money that WR Odell Beckham got earlier this offseason. Only time will tell. Great news for the team that EDGE Von Miller should be back by the season opener. Personally though I would take my time with him and would be overly cautious to make sure he is fully healthy. Hopefully that is by week 1!
Carolina Panthers:

• QB Bryce Young is already impressing with his poise
• Plan to use some Deebo Samuel-like packages for WR Laviska Shenault

The hype appears to be real for the Bryce Young but it is what every team says about their rookie quarterback who is a top pick so hard to decipher how folks are actually feeling. I am excited about how Frank Reich will use WR Laviska Shenault because I have always been impressed with his athletic ability and expected him to break out more. It seems this could have been the type of role he has been waiting for.
Chicago Bears:

• Have other sites in mind potentially for a new stadium besides Arlington
• QB Justin Fields donated $10,000 to the special olympics
• WR DJ Moore has been performing well in OTAs
• Stadium is at risk after property tax assessment

A lot of news around the future stadium of the Bears. It appeared a couple weeks ago that everything was moving along as planned and no issues had come up. This week there was nothing but concerns and problems. I wonder if these are all real storylines or if it is something they are using to try and negotiate more with the government to get help with the stadium. In more football news is appears that WR DJ Moore and QB Justin Fields are enjoying working together and developing a good connection. This is important to give Fields someone he can trust like he did his receivers at Ohio State.
Cincinnati Bengals:

• WR Tyler Boyd feels they one-upped the Chiefs signing Orlando Brown Jr.
• DE Sam Hubbard excited for what’s next this season
• Will hold joint practices with the Packers

Not too much football news here but they appear to be ready to take on the Chiefs again this year and make a deep playoff run. Also, it appears at this point that the team will keep RB Joe Mixon based on comments from the team and HC Zac Taylor. This offense per usual will be an exciting one to watch.
Cleveland Browns:

• Strong possibility that WR DeAndre Hopkins ends up here
  
  • QB Deshaun Watson is working hard to recruit him
• DC Jim Schwartz sees a benefit in d-linemen playing fewer snaps to stay fresh
  
• Gained $10.9m in cap space after June 1st release deadline
  

Good news and good vibes are finally coming out of Cleveland. Feels like it has been while. QB Deshaun Watson appears to be benefitting from having a full offseason and getting work in with his new receivers. He has been pushing hard for Hopkins and the Browns would make sense as a good landing spot for him given the prior relationship Watson and Hopkins had during their time in Houston. I have been pleasantly surprised by how well things appear to be going so far this offseason.
Dallas Cowboys:

• Started long-term extension talks with CB Trevon Diggs
• WR Antonio Callaway was arrested Saturday in Miami
• Micah Parsons is more concerned with making impactful plays on defense
• Supposedly out on WR DeAndre Hopkins
• RB Tony Pollard is a little ahead of schedule with rehab
• Gained $10.9m in cap space after June 1st deadline

Similar to the Bills I don’t think the Cowboys are actually out on Hopkins but probably sending a message that he needs to bring down his asking price. I wonder sometimes if they are still saving room for RB Ezekiel Elliott to come back here and play especially with them gaining the $10.9m in cap space after the deadline. Also, hopefully the team can get something done with CB Trevon Diggs sooner rather than later because he has been an impactful piece on defense despite the big plays he occasionally gives up because he can change a game with one of his interceptions.
Denver Broncos:

• HC Sean Payton puts a heavy emphasis on the importance of Guards in the NFL
• Released RB Jacques Patrick
• Gained $3.75m in cap space after June 1st deadline
• Signed:
  
  • K Elliott Fry

Not too much news here but they did find their replacement for K Brandon McManus in Elliott Fry. I would say less news from this team this offseason is better because ever since QB Russell Wilson struggled it seemed like the media was out to get him and the team any chance they had. HC Sean Payton must be running a pretty tight ship.
Detroit Lions:

• OC Ben Johnson expects offense to take a huge step forward this season
• RB Jahymr Gibbs has been standing out in practice running and catching the ball
• OT Penei Sewell is embracing leadership role
• S Tracy Walker expects to be fully cleared for camp

All good news this week which should be good for morale. Seems they have strung together a couple good weeks during their OTAs. Great to see that RB Jahymr Gibbs is getting some reps in and showcasing his abilities that made the team feel the need to spend a high draft pick on him. Great to see as well that Penei Sewell at the young age of 22 taking on a leadership role and getting good work in as well. With that said OC Ben Johnson could be prepping and is expecting for the offense to have a big year.
Green Bay Packers:

• WR Romeo Doubs doesn’t think there will be a regression with QB Jordan Love
• OL David Bakhtiari says disrespectful to say they are rebuilding
• Will hold joint practices with the Bengals

It appears that it may be a bit tough in the post Aaron Rodgers era as expected. However, it does sound like there is less front office drama now that they are not having to work with him in the offseason. Time will tell whether the drama was more caused by a lack of good communication as Rodgers claimed recently or by the former Packers QB himself.
Houston Texans:

• QB CJ Stroud is ahead of where the team expected him to be at this point
• RT Tytus Howard is in line for a big extension
• Released DT Taylor Stallworth with injury settlement
• Will hold joint practices with the Dolphins and Saints

Good news about CJ Stroud but again as I mentioned with Bryce Young it is hard to find a team that drafted a top QB in the draft not raving about their quarterbacks progress at this point. The joint practices they have setup will be great for QB CJ Stroud. The Dolphins and Saints should each have tough defenses this year and will give Stroud a bit better of an idea of what to expect from an NFL defense in a real game.
Indianapolis Colts:

• QB Anthony Richardson is looking really good overall
• Worked out WR Breshad Perriman

Looks like the Colts are trying to get receiver help but haven’t decided on any yet. This is the team that should go out and get Hopkins. They need a true #1 receiver and Josh Downs while I think he will be really good would benefit from having a big bodied possession type receiver in Hopkins. Also, it would give QB Anthony Richardson more of a safety net in terms of a WR that can help him progress and see things that he may not have picked up on otherwise.
Jacksonville Jaguars:

• K Brandon McManus called special teams coach to express interest in the team after being cut
• EDGE Josh Allen is the only player under contract not attending voluntary OTAs
• Being cautious with WR Calvin Ridley during OTAs
• Plan to have a RB committee approach

I am really excited for the Jaguars this season. They are kind of the forgotten team in the NFL most years but appear to be poised to make a deep playoff run this year. WR Calvin Ridley is going to be a huge difference maker this year and should benefit from QB Trevor Lawrence continuing to progress going into his 3rd NFL season.
Kansas City Chiefs:

• Wife of Chiefs owner Norma Hunt passed at the age of 85
• Supposedly out on WR DeAndre Hopkins
• WR Justyn Ross has the trust of QB Patrick Mahomes

Sad news to hear about Norma Hunt’s passing as the whole league mourned and sent their condolences. They are also supposedly out on Hopkins which I believe means they are really saying we need you to come down on price. The Chiefs though per usual have revealed though their secret weapon in WR Justyn Ross who many had forgotten about due to him sitting out with an injury his rookie year. It looks like Ross may be back to prior form when he was making plays at Clemson with Trevor Lawrence.
Las Vegas Raiders:

• Open to listening to trade offers for WR Hunter Renfrow
• HC Josh McDaniels is not worried about QB Jimmy Garoppolo’s foot surgery

Even though the media and some fans were starting to worry about Jimmy G’s foot surgery it does not appear McDaniels has any worries about him missing time because of it. Will be interesting to see what the team ends up doing with Renfrow with all signs from earlier in the offseason pointing towards a release or trade.
Los Angeles Chargers:

• WR Quentin Johnson has been impressive according to teammates Keenan Allen
• OT Rashawn Slater is at 100% and has been for quite some time

Not much news here but it was great news to get confirmation from OT Rashawn Slater regarding his health and to hear WR Keenan Allen’s thoughts on rookie WR Quentin Johnson. This team should give us what they think they will every year and go far in the playoff this year.
Los Angeles Rams:

• DC Raheem Morris helped save drowning child
• Signed:
  
  • WR Tyler Johnson

Not much news here but signed WR Tyler Johnson who can help them make some big splashy plays on offense. DC Raheem Morris helped saved a drowning child and credited his AED training. Always cool to hear these stories about NFL coaches and players leaping into action to help and save other in the community.
Miami Dolphins:

• Hope to sign DT Christian Wilkins to an extension before the season
• QB Tua Tagovailoa is completely healthy and showing signs of growth as a leader
• Real possibility they end up with RB Dalvin Cook this year
• Opted to only use 6 of 10 available days of OTAs
• Gained $13.6m in cap space after June 1st deadline
• Will hold joint practices with the Texans

This team appears to be click on all levels so far this offseason and there appears to be a lot more good coming with the team working to get a Wilkins extension done before the season and may even still end up with RB Dalvin Cook here soon. Tua being completely healthy at this point doesn’t feel like much of a surprise but it does appear that he is trying to take on more of a leadership role after finding his confidence last year. My main worry though with Tua is that last year he still was very much a rhythm quarterback in my mind so when he got knocked off that rhythm he had some really bad games. However, when he was able to keep in rhythm he at times looked like the best passer in the league. It will be key this offseason now that he knows the offense to be able to play off rhythm when necessary and make those plays that the top quarterbacks in the league make if he wanting to take the next step.
Minnesota Vikings:

• Seems that only thing left for RB Dalvin Cook is an announcement of how he will be leaving the team by trade or by getting cut
• Head Coach Kevin O’Connell described RB Alexander Mattison as a every down RB
• Paid off their debt on stadium 23 years earlier saving taxpayers $226m in interest
• Expected that WR Justin Jefferson to be highest paid WR when he signs his extension
• Will have joint practices with Tennessee

It appears that the Vikings are in a holding pattern and I imagine are hoping to get a trade package they approve of for RB Dalvin Cook. Sooner or later though it appears that Dalvin Cook will not be with the Vikings this year. Big win though for the fans and locals in Minnesota with the team paying off their stadium early and saving taxpayers a bunch of money. Might get some more buy in from good press like that.
New England Patriots:

• QB Mac Jones is aiming to earn the respect of his teammates

Not much news here but it appears things are moving along really well in comparison with last year at this time. QB Mac Jones seems happy and is working hard. It will be tough for this Patriots team with how stacked the division is but maybe a big move to get Hopkins and some improvement from the offense and Mac Jones and who knows they may be right up there with everyone else in the division.
New Orleans Saints:

• DE Cam Jordan will play for the team as long as he wants
• QB Jameis Winston feels that he is still a starting QB in the league
• Excited to WR Michael Thomas to be ready for camp
• Will hold joint practices with the Texans
• HC Dennis Allen had Jon Gruden attend OTAs in order to aid offense with QB Derek Carr
• TE Juwan Johnson has been studying Julian Edelman tape at QB Derek Carr’s urging

Another team where things just seem to be clicking so far is here in New Orleans. QB Derek Carr seems to be doing a good job taking on a leadership role and working with teammates such as TE Juwan Johnson. Things will be going even better if WR Michael Thomas can actually return for camp and find a way to play near a level that he used to. Right now in a wide open NFC South it appears that this team will be the favorites to win it going into the season.
New York Giants:

• Did homework on WR DeAndre Hopkins and are now supposedly not interested in pursuing him
• Officially added Ryan Cowden as executive advisor the general manager
• QB Daniel Jones is ok with rookie center John Michael Schmitz using “dead snap” technique

Not much here which may be a good thing for a New York team to get a break from all the media. This season will be an interesting one with how the team went all in on QB Daniel Jones. It kind of feels like besides the Eagles the rest of the division is up for grabs with no true strong contender emerging yet.
New York Jets:

• QB Aaron Rodgers has enjoyed the communication within the organization
• Signed:
  
  • OL Yodny Cajuste
• Released OL Eric Smith
  
• The team and Quinnen Williams are not far off in contract talks
  

Good news on the Quinnen Williams front and in keeping Aaron Rodgers happy. Williams and the team are not far off in contract talks which hopefully means something will get done here very soon. Rodgers has been raving about the Jets communication skills which was his main gripe with the Packers. Now lets just make it clear that he does not need to be pulling the sled.
Philadelphia Eagles:

• Team is excited for QB Jalen Hurts to make another huge leap
• Offered to trade for QB Russell Wilson but Wilson did not want to play in Philly
• DT Jordan Davis broke a blocking sled

Man what a difference one decision can make. Jalen Hurts I imagine would have been in Seattle had the trade happened for Russell Wilson. I bet Eagles fans are happy this didn’t pan out but it does not mean they need to cut Wilson any slack for not wanting to play in Philly if these teams meet in future seasons or end up playing each other in the Super Bowl. Eagles appear setup to be the main threat in the NFC.
Pittsburgh Steelers:

• First round pick Broderick Jones getting 1st-team reps at Left Tackle

Not much out of Pittsburgh per usual but the good news is that Broderick Jones is progressing nicely and is already getting 1st-team reps at Left Tackle. I am sure QB Kenny Pickett is pleased with that.
San Francisco 49ers:

• S Ji’Ayir Brown is already taking first team reps and has stood out in OTAs
• GM John Lynch feels QB Trey Lance has had a really quality offseason
• Very encouraged by progress and throwing session QB Brock Purdy had
• DL Arik Armstead very excited about adding Javon Hargrave to the group
• RB Christian McCaffrey excited to have a full offseason with HC Kyle Shanahan
• Plan to make DE Nick Bosa highest paid defensive player

Things are moving along just fine for the 49ers. Exciting to hear that S Ji’Ayir Brown is making good progress and apparently had 4 or 5 interceptions during OTAs. I imagine the team is also very pleased with the progress QB Brock Purdy is making in his recovery from elbow surgery. He appears to be on pace with the original timeline. If this team can figure it out at the QB position they just might be the most complete all around team up there with the Eagles.
Seattle Seahawks:

• HC Pete Carroll expects his team to be aggressive when returning kicks and expects more squib kicks to be used
• WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been extremely impressive
• Signed:
  
  • Benjie Franklin
  • Montrae Braswell
• Cut:
  
  • Forrest Merrill
  • LaTrell Bumphus

Gotta love HC Pete Carroll. It seems like so far it has been pretty unanimous that all those that are playing or coaching football do not love the new kickoff rules. I am sure folks will find ways to take advantage of it though. Once again this week WR Jaxon Smith Njigba was impressive and should be establishing himself within that offense. Seahawks could very well be a sleeper team in the NFC that was good last year but that folks are paying a ton of attention to this year.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

• Antoine Winfield Jr. is expected to play Free Safety this year
• Respect is a key factor in the quarterback battle that is ongoing
• WR Chris Godwin feels his explosiveness coming back

This team has all the big name weapons at receiver one could ask for as long as they stay healthy. It was great to hear that Chris Godwin is getting his explosiveness back. Now not surprisingly it comes down to the QB battle and a big part of that is gaining respect from those veteran players and coaches in the building. I still feel like this battle is QB Baker Mayfield’s to lose at this point.
Tennessee Titans:

• Longtime executive Bob Hyde passed away
• QB Will Levis had a rough week at practice
• P Brett Kern announced his retirement
• Will have joint practice with Minnesota
• Signed:
  
  • DL Jaleel Johnson

Sad news this past week here as well with the passing of Bob Hyde. Also, finally some negative news about one of the Quarterbacks from this year’s draft. Will Levis has been struggling. However, this should not be viewed as a bad sign because every rookie is going to struggle and Levis with his situation has the benefit of time.
Washington Commanders:

• The Josh Harris bid after making some changes is inching closer to full approval
• CB Emmanuel Forbes has been thriving in the slot
• QB Sam Howell has looked the part and is taking command of the offense thus far
• OC Eric Bieniemy wants everyone to be like WR Terry McLaurin
• Gained $8.37m in cap space after June 1st deadline
• Released CB Cameron Dantzler
• Releasing G Andrew Norwell once he passes physical

Seems we are inching closer and closer to the Josh Harris Group’s bid being fully accepted by the owners after some minor adjustments. From the actual team and players it sounds like things are going really well and maybe better than a lot of folks expected. CB Emmanuel Forbes has been doing well in the slot and QB Sam Howell is looking the part and taking charge. The Commanders will be a fun team to watch this year and see how they end up when it is all said and done.
Miscellaneous/Other NFL News:

• Still no announcement as to who will be the team featured on Hard Knocks
• CB Damar Hamlin is leading a multi-city CPAED tour
• Several NFL teams are waiting for RB Dalvin Cook to be cut
• Yannick Ngakoue wants a multi-year deal with a Super Bowl contender
• Chiefsaholic fan is still on the loose
• Tom Brady is certain he is done playing and has tried to make that clear to other teams
• RB Ezekiel Elliott is staying in shape
• Executive are nervous about WR DeAndre Hopkins ability to separate and run at this point in his career
• Less than 100 days from the NFL season

​
Restaurant of the Week: (Pittsburgh - Burgatory)
Get excited Pittsburgh fans and all folks going to a game here! Burgatory is only a half mile from the stadium and has some of the best food so far from the restaurants that have been featured. One of my personal favorites is the Piggy Butter & Jelly. Yes, that is a burger with peanut butter and jelly on it. Don’t question it just try it. However, if for some reason you do not my other recommendation would be The Triple B which is a Bison, Beer Cheese, and Bacon burger. Hence the name Triple B. You can’t really go wrong with anything on the menu and the important thing though is that you don’t forget to grab a shake as well. My personal favorite is the Oreo Peanut Butter Pie shake. They are open every day starting at 11am and closer at 9pm everyday except for Friday and Saturday when they close at 11pm. Hop on over and enjoy this delicious food when in town for a game!

After months of working, the only thing everybody wants is a relaxing holiday. This is the time when one wants nothing more than to unwind and have fun. The challenge of planning the perfect vacation is narrowing down the options from among the many stunning tourist destinations. However, picking a fantastic destination is only one part of the process of organizing a trip.
The selection of a suitable cheap Airbnb Fort Lauderdale FL, taking into account factors such as location, desired amenities, and cost, is an essential element of any vacation preparation. While hotels have always been a popular option, these short-term rentals are quickly gaining popularity among travellers.
📷
Airbnb near Fort Lauderdale can be anything from a house to a villa to a condo. No matter what kind of vacation rental you end up booking, you can rest assured that it will be cheaper and more spacious than a hotel room. Vacation rentals can be anything from cozy cabins to huge mansions.
Luxury Airbnb condo fort Lauderdale have everything from full kitchens to movie theaters, saunas to hot tubs, fireplaces to books, and gardens to security systems. Cleaning services, food delivery, catering, and even laundry facilities are available at certain vacation rentals. Private golf courses and fitness centers may be made available by some property managers and owners.
The vast majority of vacation homes are found in convenient proximity to the city’s most visited attractions. Visitors to these rental properties will appreciate their convenient central placement. Fort Lauderdale short-term rental is like having a second home right in the middle of the action at your favourite place.
Vacation rental sites accept credit card bookings safely, or you can contact the owner or manager personally. If you’re seeking for a bespoke service, expert rental managers can help you find what you need. Last-minute and off-season bookings may also qualify for special prices. You should always choose a luxury Airbnb Fort Lauderdale.
Here are a few things to think about when booking a rental property for your next vacation:

1. 📷

• Price - Since money is of the essence during a vacation, it is important to set a budget for accommodations, and then narrow the selection to vacation rentals that meet the budget.
• Accommodation Size - Since this depends on the number of people in the group, it is also an important consideration. The layout of the rooms is also significant, since it must be suitable for families, groups of friends, or solo travellers.Larger homes or cabins are a better fit for groups, while cozy condos or cottages are just right for a couple.
• Location - You should prioritize finding vacation homes in a location that is convenient for the activities you want to do while away. You may easily visit local beaches, ski resorts, stores, and restaurants on foot from a property that is situated in a convenient central location. On the other side, if you’d rather avoid the crowds, you might choose a more rural property that offers more seclusion.

Popular wedding venues in the western and central states were featured in Part 1 of US wedding venues. So in part two, we'll focus on wedding venues in the eastern states. Whether it's a luxurious hotel, a rustic barn, or a spacious meadow, all are included. Again, the features of these venues and the approximate prices will be written. Let's explore these beautiful wedding venues!

Wisconsin Wedding Venues

The Paine Art Center and Gardens

This is an art museum located at 1410 Algoma Blvd, Oshkosh. It is an English-style country estate and has nearly four acres of gardens. It has perennial plants and is a great outdoor ceremony venue. Also, there is a historic mansion, charming carriage house, and greenhouse. The venue can accommodate up to 200 people and costs approximately $3000 to $4000 For 100 Guests.

The Lageret

This is a professional event venue located at 515 E Main St, Stoughton. This historic venue offers industrial and rustic charm with exposed brick walls, high ceilings, and wood beams. It has ample space for ceremonies and receptions. The venue offers event coordination, customizable lighting options, a bridal suite, and access to preferred vendors. Accommodations for up to 250 people start at $3,500 for a 12-hour rental.

The Enchanted Barn

Located at 1543 6 1/2 Ave, Hillsdale, this barn has an old-world rustic atmosphere around every corner. Featuring several indoor and outdoor venues, one of the most popular ceremony locations is located in Barn's upper-level Hayloft, featuring old wood timbers. Several wedding package options are available here and can accommodate up to 220 people. Off-season all-inclusive wedding packages are $5,000 plus $21 per person.

Illinois Wedding Venues

Danada House

This is a historic mansion located at 3S501 Naperville Rd, Wheaton. a short drive from Chicago. The mansion is also surrounded by a forest preserve that allows for nature-filled photos. There are seven ceremony locations in total, and the largest Magnolia Garden can accommodate up to 300 guests. Venue rentals start at $3,500.

The Morton Arboretum

This is a public nature garden and outdoor museum located at 4100 IL-53, Lisle. Inside there are not only mature trees and flowers but also a playground for children. Offering beautiful woodland and lakeside views. The large garden has a total of 12 venues to choose from and the largest room can accommodate up to 300 guests. Prices range from $600 to $9,000 depending on the size of the room and the time of year it is held.

Salvage One

Located at 1840 W Hubbard St, Chicago, this is a very unique location that serves as a store besides being a wedding venue. It preserves treasured furniture from the past. This old Chicago warehouse offers an enchanting vintage atmosphere. The ceremony and banquet space can accommodate about 200 people and space rentals start at $4,000.

Kentucky Wedding Venues

The Barn at Cedar Grove

The address is 1000 Brockman Keltner Rd, Greensburg, which has a rustic barn setting with picturesque scenery. Offering outdoor ceremony space, climate-controlled reception space, bridal suite, groom's quarters, and fire pit. The venue in the barn can accommodate up to 230 people. For fewer guests, the average budget for a wedding here is between $6,000 and $9,000.

The Brown Hotel

This 100-year-old hotel is located at 335 W Broadway, Louisville. The hotel has a striking Georgian Revival look and offers elegant ballrooms, luxurious accommodations, and a gorgeous rooftop garden. The hotel also has extensive experience in hosting weddings of different cultures, such as Jewish and Indian weddings. Prices are $18,000 in the off-season and can accommodate up to 300 guests.

Talon Winery & Vineyards

This winery has a large outdoor space at 7086 Tates Creek Rd, Lexington. Offers vineyard and winery backdrop, outdoor ceremony space, and rustic barn. The best part is the wine-tasting and vineyard tours. The venue can accommodate up to 250 guests and prices for ceremonies start at $1500.

Tennessee Wedding Venues

Butterfly Hollow

Located at 28 Bussell Rd, Gordonsville, our vacation accommodations are perfect for small weddings. Surrounded by scenic walking trails, mountains, and woods. This venue specializes in small weddings of 30 people or less, with a focus on an intimate and cozy experience. Wedding packages range from $1795 to $5000.

Dixon Gallery and Gardens

An art gallery on 17 acres of gardens located at 4339 Park Ave, Memphis, offers a romantic and artistic setting for weddings. The gallery offers two indoor reception venues as well as woodlands and gardens, both of which can accommodate up to 200 guests. Prices are approximately $4000 to $5000 For 100 guests.

The Bell Tower

The Bell Tower, located at 400 4th Ave S, Nashville, is almost 140 years old. The ballroom features large windows that provide plenty of natural light, creating a charming and historic setting for weddings. There are two floors beside the lobby. Seated dinners for up to 400 people range from $3,500 to $16,000 depending on time and venue.

Mississippi Wedding Venues

The Cedars

The site at 4145 Old Canton Rd, Jackson is the oldest residential building in Jackson, with a history of 175 years. The courtyard in front of the house with trees such as cedar, oak, and magnolia provides a natural backdrop for weddings. The venue can accommodate up to 300 people and costs $3,500 for a two-day weekend rental.

Dunleith Historic Inn

A National Historic Landmark located at 84 Homochitto St, Natchez, the mansion features Greek Revival columns and original pine floors. The event space has a main floor, courtyard, and South Lawn, which can accommodate up to 700 people. Wedding packages start at $6,500, not including catering.

The Gin at Flora Station

The address is 4819 MS-22, Flora. The refurbished cotton gin blends rustic charm with modern amenities. It offers indoor and outdoor spaces, including a covered gazebo and a patio with an old-fashioned truck bar. Rentals for ceremonies and receptions start at $3,500.

Alabama Wedding Venues

B&A Warehouse

This building, located at 1531 1st Ave S, Birmingham, is historic from the outside. With its industrial-inspired design and high ceilings along with red brick walls. Three indoor venues can accommodate up to 300 guests, and the cost of a ceremony starts at $4,000.

The Sterling Castle

This castle is located at 389 Deseret Dr, Shelby, and has been voted the best wedding venue in Alabama. The fairytale-style castle, elegant ballroom, charming courtyard, and lakeside and drawbridge venues. This beautiful venue can accommodate up to 300 guests and all-inclusive weddings are priced at $10,000+.

Huntsville Museum of Art

This is an art museum located at 300 Church St SW, Huntsville. With unique indoor and outdoor spaces, the museum is a contemporary art gallery. Offering outdoor spaces with a rooftop terrace, and five indoor hospitality venues. The starting venue fee for a wedding reception in high season is $1,500.

Michigan Wedding Venues

Colony Club Detroit

Located at 2310 Park Ave, Detroit, this Georgian-style, historic venue features stunning architecture and gorgeous interiors. The hotel features a grand ballroom decorated with crystal chandeliers and intricate details. The ballroom can accommodate up to 350 guests and is priced between $12,000 and $15,000.

Castle Farms

This historic building, built in 1918, is located at 5052 M-66, Charlevoix. With a total of four site combinations in the summer. It offers several ceremony and reception spaces, including a charming outdoor garden and a majestic stone courtyard. The largest of these, the East Garden and Queen's Courtyard can host up to 300 guests. And the price range is between $6,750 and $9,250.

The Inn at Stonecliffe

This is a Victorian village located at 8593 Cudahy Cir, Mackinac Island. away from the hustle and bustle of the area. With beautiful gardens and breathtaking views of Lake Huron and the Mackinaw Bridge. Accommodates up to 300 people and prices range from $4000 to $10,000.

Ohio Wedding Venues

Franklin Park Conservatory

This is a horticultural and educational institution located at 1777 E Broad St, Columbus. The most popular venue is the indoor garden with an all-glass ceiling. Besides, there is an industrial-style venue and a 200-year-old barn. The venue has plenty of space and can accommodate up to 500 people, with prices ranging from $7,000 to $11,000 for a wedding of 100 guests.

The Columbus Athenaeum

The historic building at 32 N 4th St, Columbus, was built in 1899. With a total of ten venues to choose from, the Grand Ballroom boasts gorgeous details and a stunning atrium. It is decorated with classical Greek art as well as soaring ornate ceilings. It can accommodate up to 230 guests. Prices for receptions start at $3,000.

Gervasi Vineyard

An oversized wine estate located at 1700 55th St NE, Canton. Picturesque vineyard setting and sparkling lake views. The open-air venue can accommodate up to 300 people, while the indoor venue can accommodate up to 120 guests. Full-service event planning, vineyard tours, and wine tastings are available. Prices for receptions will start at $1,450.

Georgia Wedding Venues

Barnsley Resort

This resort is located at 597 Barnsley Gardens Rd NW, Adairsville. With over 3,000 acres of land, it is a historic southern estate. With lush gardens, luxurious cabins, and grounds that can accommodate up to 250 people. Three wedding packages are available: $275 per person, $320 per person, and $350 per person. And a least of 150 people is required.

Summerour Studio

This is a renovated warehouse located at 409 Bishop St NW, Atlanta. The roof is supported by massive bow trusses, which allow for a spacious, open floor plan without columns or supports. Through a wall of windows running the length of the space, there are breathtaking views of Atlantic Station and the downtown skyline. Accommodating up to 425 people, prices start at $4,000.

The Biltmore Ballrooms

The ballroom is located at 817 W Peachtree St NW 208, Atlanta, and was established in 1924. The ballroom features a handcrafted plaster relief ceiling, ornate crystal lighting, and a marble floor. Capacity ranges from 50 to 1,500 people and offers eleven caterers. Rental rates range from $3,500 to $5,000, depending on the day of the week.

Florida Wedding Venues

The Ancient Spanish Monastery

Located at 16711 W Dixie Hwy, North Miami Beach. This monastery was dismantled piece by piece from northern Spain and shipped to the United States, then rebuilt over 19 months. It offers a chapel and gardens for ceremonies. The garden can accommodate up to 300 guests for $6,500 and includes only the cost of the reception.

The Breakers Palm Beach

This is a luxury resort located at 1 S County Rd, Palm Beach. This luxury resort is located in Palm Beach and enjoys magnificent beachfront views, lush gardens, and an exquisite ballroom. It boasts a timeless and elegant ambiance. It can host weddings for a maximum of less than 500 people, and detailed prices need to be communicated with the hotel.

The Ringling Museum

The museum is located at 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, with a breathtaking view of Sarasota Bay. This venue offers unique views of art, culture, and the stunning waterfront. It includes many event spaces, including a large courtyard and an elegant ballroom. The largest art gallery courtyard can accommodate up to 125 guests and prices start at $20,000.

New York Wedding Venues

Mohonk Mountain House

Located at 1000 Mountain Rest Rd, New Paltz, this historic resort is surrounded by 40,000 acres of pristine forest. Featuring a majestic Victorian castle with panoramic mountain views. Choose from lakeside, garden, and mountain views for your ceremony. Wedding packages range from $275 to $375 per person.

The Foundry

The address is 42-38 9th Street, Long Island City, with a history dating back to the 19th century. Offering an industrial chic atmosphere, a garden courtyard and conservatory, a stunning main space, plus rustic interiors. Accommodates up to 180 guests, with receptions starting at $14,000.

The Garrison

Estate at 2015 US-9, Garrison, with superb Hudson River views and Catskill Mountain views. The venue offers a modern ballroom, outdoor ceremony space, and golf course. The venue can accommodate up to 200 guests for $12,000.

Pennsylvania Wedding Venues

The Curtis Atrium

The historic building at 699 Walnut St, Philadelphia used to be the Curtis Publishing Company. It is now a building with a mix of residential, office, and retail space. It features a stunning atrium, marble columns, and a stunning rotunda. Space rentals start at $8,000.

The Cork Factory Hotel

This boutique hotel is located at 480 New Holland Ave 3000, Lancaster, a converted historic cork mill with exposed brick walls. Offering industrial charm and modern amenities. The venue has a ballroom, a terrace, and a 2,300-square-foot warehouse. Space is available for up to 200 guests, and wedding packages start at $7,000.

Terrain Gardens at Devon Yard

A stunning garden is located at 138 W Lancaster Ave Suite 130, Devon. The venue is decorated with elements such as reclaimed barn wood floors, raised holiday lights, and skylights to create a unique aesthetic. Of course, there is an essential gardening setting and open-air venue that can accommodate up to 140 guests. Prices for receptions start at $4,525.

West Virginia Wedding Venues

Stonewall Resort

The entire resort is nestled beside a tranquil lake at 940 Resort Drive Roanoke, a place of scenic beauty and rustic charm. Wedding venues are available on the lakeside lawn or in the courtyard, with an indoor grand hall and stone-walled ballroom. Spa services, golf courses, and entertainment can also be experienced with wedding packages ranging from $3,500 to $12,000.

The Greenbrier

A luxury resort located at 101 W Main St, White Sulphur Springs. With stunning architecture, beautiful gardens, and breathtaking mountain views. The indoor venue has a dramatic chandelier and stage. The outdoor grounds feature expansive lawns and rustic cabins. Packages start at $10,000 and vary depending on the number of guests, season, and customization.

Sleepy Hollow Golf Club

The Club at 3780 Sleepy Hollow Dr, Hurricane. It is a private golf club for families. Featuring a scenic golf course, elegant ballroom, outdoor lawn ceremony venue, and picturesque countryside views. Wedding packages start at $3,500.

Virginia Wedding Venues

Maymont

Historic Manor River Park at 1700 Hampton St, Richmond. Inside are gardens, botanical gardens, and native wildlife habitats. The scenic setting includes 100-year-old Italian gardens, European-style manor houses, pavilions, expansive lawns, and the Robbins Nature Center. Prices range from $3,500 to $6,100.

Inn At Willow Grove

This is a rustic accommodation located at 14079 Plantation Way, Orange. It is unusually peaceful and romantic, surrounded by ancient trees and beautiful gardens. One of the gardens, Boxwood, can accommodate up to 175 guests and offers idyllic views. A versatile barn is also available as a hospitality venue, with rates starting at $7,500.

The Tides Inn

Located at 480 King Carter Dr, Irvington, the entire hotel is situated on a beautiful body of water with views of the Chesapeake Bay. It is a waterfront resort. You can also come here to take part in fun activities such as tennis, golf, paddle boarding, biking, and kayaking. Weddings start at $3,100.

North Carolina Wedding Venues

The Bradford

Professional wedding venue located at 523 Pea Ridge Rd, New Hill. It resembles a European town building with charming gardens and rustic barns. It can accommodate up to 250 guests for a ceremony in the gardens. Wedding packages will vary depending on the time of year and are priced at $8,000 on Fridays and $9,800 on Saturdays.

The Merrimon-Wynne House

The mansion located at 500 N Blount St, Raleigh was built in 1876 and has been well maintained and is now a venue for various events. The building has a main floor full of Southern charm. Inside are original floors and mantelshelves, ornate chandeliers, and a wide porch. The outdoor area is also large enough to host ceremonies in the garden and can accommodate up to 250 guests. Prices for receptions start at $5,000.

Fearrington Village

It's an English-style country hotel located at 2000 Fearrington Village Center. Besides the quaint country setting there are dense gardens with water features. The largest venue is the barn, which offers spacious dining and dancing space and can accommodate up to 250 people guests. Prices for ceremonies start at $2500.

South Carolina Wedding Venues

Middleton Place

This National Historic Landmark is located at 4300 Ashley River Rd, Charleston. You can experience daily life on an 18th-century plantation and enjoy 65 acres of unobstructed views and private garden rooms. Also, enjoy the oldest landscaped gardens on the property. There are 7 ceremony venues, ranging from small weddings of 50 to 400 guests. Prices start at $5,000.

William Aiken House

The 1807 mansion is located at 456 King St, Charleston, a restored mansion that showcases Southern charm and architectural elegance. The yard features a magnolia tree that is over two hundred years old and an elegant terrace. It is also rated as one of South Carolina's premier wedding venues. The cost of a ceremony starts at $3,000.

The Cedar Room

Modern industrial event space at 701 E Bay St, Charleston. Featuring exposed brick walls, high ceilings, and large windows overlooking the cityscape. The indoor Cedar Room venue can accommodate up to 500 people for events, and the outdoor yard can seat up to 200. Events on Fridays or Sundays start at $3,500.

Vermont Wedding Venues

Inn at Mountain View Farm

The Inn at 3383 Darling Hill Rd, East Burke, has breathtaking mountaintop views. Enjoy mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and visits to animal farms, among many other activities. Venues can range from beautiful fields to cozy campfires. Weekend wedding packages start at $3,500.

Hildene - The Lincoln Family Home

The building at 1005 Hildene Rd, Manchester is full of meaning. The Lincolns built Hildene as a summer home at the turn of the 20th century. Here you can look out over the Taconic Mountains to the west and the Green Mountains to the east. The outdoor venue can accommodate up to 200 people and wedding reception prices start at $8,000.
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(Hildene - The Lincoln Family Home)

The Henry House

The historic house at 1338 Murphy Rd, North Bennington, built in 1769, is one of the oldest surviving houses in Vermont. Overlooks the authentic red-covered Henry Bridge. The site offers several vendors for you to consider. The large trees outside the house make for the best wedding photos. The venue needs to be contacted for a specific quote.

Massachusetts Wedding Venues

The Crane Estate

This is a Tudor Revival mansion located at 290 Argilla Rd, Ipswich. It was the summer home of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Taylor Crane, Jr. with winding salt marshes, miles of barrier beaches, and a beautiful hilltop mansion. And of course the rolling lawns and gardens. There are three sites to choose from in all, with the beachfront site accommodating 200 to 500 people. Weekend weddings are priced at $6500.

Red Lion Inn

The Inn at 30 Main St, Stockbridge has a 250-year history. The entire Inn combines traditional New England hospitality with the amenities of a modern hotel. The largest Hitchcock room capacity is capacity 30-175 people. Venue rentals start at $4,000.

Liberty Hotel

A sophisticated hotel located at 215 Charles St, Boston. Located in the heart of downtown, just steps from shopping, dining, Boston Parks, and more. The hotel offers a private secret garden that can accommodate up to 200 people outdoors and an indoor 3000-square-foot ballroom. Wedding venue rates start at $26,000 for up to 100 guests.

Connecticut Wedding Venues

The Lace Factory

This historic factory is located at 161 River St, Deep River, and offers a charming and rustic atmosphere for a wedding venue. It has wood floors, high ceilings, and large windows overlooking the river. The Lace Factory offers event planning services, on-site catering, and a variety of rental options for weddings of all sizes. The Factory can accommodate up to 225 people and prices start at $5,000.

Eolia Mansion at Harkness State

The address is 275 Great Neck Rd, Waterford. Nestled on the shoreline of Waterford, Connecticut, this elegant mansion offers breathtaking views of Long Island Sound. It has manicured gardens, a stone terrace, and a beautiful ballroom. The price of $5,100 includes exclusive use of the mansion's first floor and south courtyard tent for 5 hours.

The Society Room of Hartford

This event venue is located at 31 Pratt St, Hartford, and the historic venue boasts magnificent architecture. It includes a marble staircase, beautifully frescoed ceilings, and crystal chandeliers. It provides a luxurious and timeless setting for weddings. The venue can accommodate up to 300 guests and prices start at 15,000.

New Hampshire Wedding Venues

Wentworth By The Sea Country Club

Country Club at 60 Wentworth Rd, Rye. This private club is near the shore and enjoys magnificent waterfront views and a romantic atmosphere. The hotel has manicured grounds and a historic clubhouse. It can accommodate up to 250 guests in this setting. Three options are available: lawn, clubhouse, and tent weddings. Reception prices start at $30,000.

The Preserve at Chocorua

This venue, located at 88 Philbrick Neighborhood Rd, Tamworth, is a rustic and secluded wedding venue nestled in the White Mountains. It offers scenic views, a charming barn, and plenty of outdoor space for the ceremony. Outdoor activities such as sleigh rides and hiking are also available. Approximate prices will start at $1000.

Bishop Farm

The Farmhouse, located at 33 Bishop Cutoff, Lisbon, is a historic and beautifully landscaped site in the White Mountains. It offers a restored 1876 farmhouse, a barn, and lush greenery. There is also a romantic bistro with a terrace to relax in. Accommodating up to 200 guests, prices start at $15,000.

Rhode Island Wedding Venues

The Chanler at Cliff Walk

A luxury hotel located at 117 Memorial Blvd, Newport. The Chanler offers luxurious accommodations and a grand mansion setting with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and access to their world-class restaurant. Specializing in weddings for up to 120 guests with access to their world-class restaurant. Site rentals start at $10,000.

Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum

Historic mansion on 33 acres located at 101 Ferry Rd, Bristol with breathtaking views of Narragansett Bay. Large tents are available in the outdoor area, followed by sunset views. Accommodating up to 225 guests, weekend wedding rates start at $12,995.

The Dorrance

Situated in the heart of Providence, The Dorrance is a restored bank building with a sophisticated atmosphere and elegant decor. The most special feature is the long, luxurious bar, which can accommodate up to 200 guests throughout the venue. Venue rentals start at $7,500.

New Jersey Wedding Venues

The Ashford Estate

Located at 637 Province Line Rd, Allentown, this elegant property is nestled in a picturesque setting. Surrounded by hundreds of acres of beautifully preserved farmland, it features sparkling fountains, waterfalls, garden pavilions, expansive views, and of course, luxurious private suites. The wedding venue can accommodate up to 300 guests. Starting at $10,000.

Mallard Island Yacht Club

A club surrounded by water at 1450 NJ-72, Manahawkin. six more venues to choose from in the luxurious private island mansion. The center plaza boasts grand arches and ornate ceilings reminiscent of old-world glamour. The ballroom can accommodate up to 250 people, and prices for receptions start at $20,000.

Liberty House Restaurant & Events

This waterfront event venue is located at 76 Audrey Zapp Dr, Jersey City. It features unparalleled views of the New York City skyline, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and the Liberty Landing Pier. The Grand Ballroom features a marble floor and floor-to-ceiling windows. The venue can accommodate up to 300 people and venue rental fees start at $8,000.

Delaware Wedding Venues

The Queen Wilmington

This dazzling venue is located at 500 N Market St, Wilmington is downtown. It is a historic music venue that offers a unique and eclectic atmosphere. The venue features a grand ballroom with a stage, state-of-the-art sound system, and elegant décor. The venue can accommodate up to 200 guests and wedding reception prices start from $3,000.

The Cordrey Center

The address is 30366 Cordrey Rd, Millsboro, and its restored barn and surrounding gardens provide a rustic and charming setting. The venue offers a range of services, including in-house catering, bar service, and event coordination. It has indoor and outdoor options and can accommodate up to 200 guests. Venue rental rates start at $3,500.

The Waterfall Catering and Special Events

With an address at 3416 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont, The Waterfall has a modern venue. Centered around a stunning indoor waterfall. The spacious ballroom features contemporary décor and customizable LED lighting systems. The venue can accommodate up to 500 guests. Prices for venue rentals start at $6,000.

Maryland Wedding Venues

Belvedere Hotel

Located at 1 East Chase Street and built-in 1902 as a historic landmark in Baltimore, The Belvedere showcases stunning architecture and classic charm. It offers a variety of event spaces, including a rooftop ballroom with panoramic views of the city. Inside, the décor is more vintage and ornate. Accommodating up to 500 guests, venue rentals start at $8,000.

Evergreen Museum & Library

This grand Gilded Age mansion is located at 4545 N Charles St, Baltimore. It is full of history with a house museum and research library. With beautiful gardens, this venue offers a mix of elegance and history. It's architectural details and scenic surroundings provide a unique backdrop. As well as a tour of the museum's collection. Accommodates up to 200 guests and starts at $6,000.

Chesapeake Bay Beach Club

Located at 500 Marina Club Rd, Stevensville, this venue offers stunning waterfront views and an elegant ballroom. It also has an oceanfront ceremony venue and luxurious accommodations. There are four ballrooms in total, three indoor and one outdoor. Accommodations for up to 300 guests start at $10,000.

District of Columbia Wedding Venues

Larz Anderson House

Located at 2118 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, the Anderson House, established in 1905, is a stunning Beaux-Arts mansion that offers a romantic and intimate setting for weddings. The venue features beautiful gardens, a grand staircase, and gorgeous rooms decorated with historic artwork. It can accommodate up to 200 guests and has access to the house's magnificent library. Prices start from $8,000.

The Hay-Adams

Located at 800 16th St NW, Washington, across from the White House, the hotel offers magnificent views of the iconic landmark. This venue has many event spaces, including a rooftop terrace from which the White House can be used as a photo backdrop. Wedding venues can accommodate up to 250 guests and prices start at $15,000.

National Museum of Women in the Arts

Located at 1250 New York Ave NW, Washington, this unique venue celebrates women artists and offers a distinctive setting for weddings. With its stunning architecture and world-class art collection, it provides an exquisite atmosphere for your special day. The venue offers a variety of event spaces, including an assembly hall and mezzanine level, and can accommodate up to 400 guests. However, the museum is temporarily closed for renovations.

Maine Wedding Venues

Hidden Pond

The resort's address is 354 Goose Rocks Rd, Kennebunkport, and is nestled in a secluded wooded area. Featuring elegant indoor and outdoor spaces. Surrounded by 60 acres of birch and balsam fir, it features two outdoor pools and a three-room treetop spa. It ensures an unforgettable wedding experience. Prices start from US$10,000.

Hardy Farm

The farm is located at 254 W Fryeburg Rd, Fryeburg. This rustic and chic site features a restored 18th-century farmhouse and a spacious barn with panoramic mountain views. Of course, there are also seasonal gardens and a woodland church. The most special feature is the provision of a cable car to reach the top of the mountain, which is also a popular backdrop for photos. It can accommodate up to 250 guests and prices start from $6,500.

Portland Regency Hotel & Spa

The address is 20 Milk St, Portland, and is centrally located, offering a blend of classic elegance and modern amenities. With many event spaces, on-site catering, and a spa, it can accommodate intimate and large weddings. Accommodations range from 10 to 220 guests, with rates starting at $3,500.

Conclusion

"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." When Harry Met Sally
Finally, we've rounded up our recommendations for wedding venues in each of the remaining states. Choosing the perfect wedding venue is an important step in creating your dream wedding. It sets the tone for the entire celebration and provides the backdrop for your special day. No matter what style of wedding venue you prefer, there is a venue above that perfectly suits your style and preferences.
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Premise: During World War II (1939-1994), scientists employed by the British and US governments conducted human experiments on inmates from insane asylums and state prisons. These experiments, known as Project Golem and Project Olympian, were driven by the prolonged duration of the war and the Allies' desire for an advantage against the Axis Powers.
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Project Olympian, on the other hand, aimed to surpass the German efforts of creating a man-made god. Upon learning of the German plans through spies and captured Axis officials, the Allies initiated Project Olympian to ensure they weren't outdone. The experiments conducted under this project were exceptionally brutal, causing some scientists to take their own lives. The objective was to achieve apotheosis and create a transcendent human being unrestricted by the laws of physics.
After 37 years of Project Olympian experiments, inmates from Belle County Prison in Tawk, West Virginia, Addams-Jules Asylum in Eldsbridge, England, and Merrydow Insane Asylum in Merrydow, Montana, began exhibiting supernatural abilities. Due to their tortured existence and mental instability, these inmates escaped their captivity and embarked on murderous rampages, distorting reality wherever they went.
Eventually, Allied soldiers managed to direct some of the escaped inmates from Addams-Jules toward Germany, resulting in chaos that led to Italy's surrender and the end of World War II.
With the war finally over, the Allies were now faced with the challenge of dealing with the "Exo-Psychonics," as the scientists had named them. These individuals, unwilling to die and equipped with extraordinary powers, ensured their survival and posed a new threat. Main Cast
The Kalsko Team has been created by the Kalsko Execution Company, a company that specializes in taking down Exo-Psychonics. The team is composed of skilled individuals who come together to investigate the Merrydow Asylum Incident. They each bring unique abilities and experiences to tackle the challenges they face.
The Kalsko Team:

• Nathaniel Holiday, a former journalist-turned-private investigator for the Kalsko Execution Company, is a determined and resourceful leader of the team. His investigative skills are instrumental in unraveling the mysteries surrounding the asylum.
• Amelia Cross possesses extraordinary psychic abilities that allow her to see through the illusions and reality distortions created by the Exo-Psychonics. Her visions provide crucial guidance to the team as they confront the inmates of Merrydow Insane Asylum.
• Elijah Kane, an ex-soldier haunted by his past, joins the team driven by a sense of duty and vengeance. His military training and survival skills make him a formidable protector and a skilled warrior against the horrors lurking within the asylum.
• Aiden Blackmarsh, an enigmatic and agile ex-spy, specializes in infiltration and evasion. He accompanies the group to acquire important documents assigned to him by the US government, hidden deep within the Asylum.
• Dr. Evelyn Rosendale, a respected psychiatrist with a profound interest in the human mind, seeks to study the malevolent effects of the asylum firsthand. Her clinical expertise and understanding of trauma prove invaluable in deciphering the psychological horrors encountered by the team.
• Olivia Sinclair, a resilient survivor well-versed in the capabilities of the Exo-Psychonics, brings her extensive knowledge of navigating their dangerous world. Her resourcefulness and adaptability contribute significantly to the team's progress.

Together, the Kalsko Team combines their skills, determination, and unique perspectives to confront the nightmarish challenges posed by the Merrydow Asylum and the supernatural forces at play.
Enemy Types

• Exo-Psychonics/"Olympians": Former patients of the Project Olympian experiments who have been driven to madness and have achieved godhood. These deranged individuals exhibit unpredictable and erratic behavior, attacking with both crude weapons and their ability to distort reality. However, their manipulation is limited to their twisted perception of the world, which is mostly rooted in actual reality.
• Spectral Wardens: Ghostly entities that resemble deceased staff members responsible for maintaining order in the prisons. Bound by their duty even in death, they patrol the halls with ethereal flashlights, aiming to capture and imprison intruders within their spectral realm.
• Shadowspawn: Manifestations of the dark energy wielded by certain Exo-Psychonics, these elusive phantoms have the ability to materialize and vanish at will. They dwell in the darkest corners of the asylums, attacking their victims with tendrils of darkness and distorting their perception of reality.
• Cursed Dolls: Sinister and animated dolls scattered throughout some asylums. Fueled by the influence of their creators, these seemingly innocent playthings possess a sadistic sentience. They attack with razor-sharp claws and possess the unsettling ability to mimic the voices of others, inflicting psychological torment on their victims.
• Hulking Behemoths: Colossal and grotesque creatures born from the depths of intense hatred within certain Exo-Psychonics. These nightmarish beings are monstrous amalgamations of flesh and metal. They possess immense strength, are nearly impervious to conventional attacks, and relentlessly pursue their prey.
• Wretches: Gelatinous entities that arise from the residual energy of traumatized Exo-Psychonics. These slithering creatures move through the shadows, capable of merging with their surroundings and camouflaging themselves. They wait until the opportune moment to strike, using tendrils to drain the life force from their unsuspecting prey.
• Tormented Surgeons: Doppelgangers of medical professionals created through the trauma experienced by certain Exo-Psychonics. These monstrous beings are consumed by their obsession with experimentation. Armed with surgical tools, they wield their pseudo-knowledge to inflict gruesome wounds upon their victims, reveling in their sadistic pursuits.

A full service, made-from-scratch restaurant & bar near me is trying to “expand their hours” if they can “expand their crew”. My last pay rate was 19/hr at a casual dining establishment for a nights/weekends line cook - This manager listed the job at “$15-$22 based on experience” on Indeed….
So I apply with my resume, follow up over the phone, get an interview - interview goes great, she wants to hire me, get to the part of the interview that asks about desired pay-rate so I asked for the top rate listed for nights and weekends….she tells me “We only start out at $15-$16, that $22 is just more of a cap on what we pay” -ambiguous hand wave-. And she says it in this super chummy way.
Ummmmmm what?? I said, fibbing a little bit but just trying to negotiate politely, “I had an interview earlier this week where they offered 19, so I might need to just end up taking that one, as much as I love the atmosphere here.”.
She seemed pissed and the niceties were suddenly gone. Her veil of professionalism seemed to nearly slip and she barely forced out a polite ending to the interview.
Why in the hell would you post that job if you won’t even hire someone with my experience at the top rate?? Why waste my time and yours? The only person you should be upset with is either yourself, your boss or your HR department.
Edit: I now have another interview for a place that also listed from $15-$22….we shall see! This one is in a spot with a lot more direct competition so I’m hoping for less shenanigans on the pay rate. Interview is Tuesday, I’ll update for anyone who cares by then
Edit 2: Have another interview on Weds for a posting that lists “from $17 an hour” so we will see on that as well!
Edit 3: Attending an interview tomorrow for a cleaning job with full time hours that meets my availability. Looks like around 17/hr plus tips with some paid holidays/benefits, which I think I am okay starting out at since I’ve never done the cleaning industry before.
I will update on all 3! I’m almost booked for the week for interviews, and I just walked out of that interview yesterday, so let that be a lesson in knowing your worth and not accepting anything less than what you know you can get!! The market is hot right now! It’s still not enough money, especially for us service industry workers, but that’s just more reason why you can’t afford to settle for any less than what you deserve.

27 year old mother with 3 kids here. I'm trying to be patient with the current crappy restaurant job I have until I can get something better. I went with this job because they work well with my kids school schedule and they're flexible with hours if I need holidays off or when I go back to school.
The main problem is that it's low paying and it's sucking the life out of me. It doesn't make sense how much work I have to put into working at a dine in restaurant. I've had to turn down numerous better paying jobs since my kids school is out and the summer camp closes right at 5...all of these jobs require me to work until 5. I'm also having to pay the college back and it's nearly impossible since I can only work 33 hours a week (my job won't give me more hours unless I work the weekend and I don't have a babysitter).
Also, their dad is on child support and barely pays anything..the case has been enforced but that takes time too..idk what to do anymore other than wait but my Impatience is killing me and I literally calculate my expenses every single day due to my anxiety being at an all time high...I just feel stuck. I've applied for child care assistance and it has been pending for over a month to determine eligibility...Any tips or advice?? I'm also a Christian so I'm trying to put everything into God's hands but idk anymore...

Hey everyone! Posting this WAMC from a throwaway just because it has more personal details. I had done a WAMC on SDN and here before, but the school list seemed really top heavy, and also there are apparently people out there with 10-30 publications 💀. Hoping to just get some final feedback before I submit.
GPA: cGPA: 3.82 and sGPA: 3.74, B.S. in Biochemistry, minor in chemistry
MCAT: 521
Demographics: URM white hispanic (so marking white and mexican), bisexual.
Illinois residency, ties to Ohio and Michigan
School type: T40 private, primarily paid for with merit scholarships, grants, and work during school
Clinical (all volunteer): 200 hrs EMT emergency response (over 2 years), 700 hrs with a free clinic working primarily with AA and hispanic populations (over 2 years), doing patient assessments and vitals
Research: Roughly 1,000 hrs at 2 labs (400 hrs at first, 600 at second) with 2 first-author presentations at local school conferences from the 2nd lab
Shadowing: 32 hrs shadowing an anesthesiologist, 32 hrs primary care physician
Non-clinical volunteering (most impactful):
I have to double check because it's my part-time gap year work, but it's probably over 2,000 hours at this point over 3 years and my gap year. All my hours have been as a volunteer and now as a director for a 100-person social justice and government policy non-profit. As a volunteer, I largely worked with hispanic and AA students by going into local schools and helping host sessions to discuss issues affecting local students and their communities (food deserts, lack of internet access, LGBTQ issues, etc), as well as leading laptop and internet hotspot distribution programs that gave students hundreds of devices.
As I worked up in leadership, I got more involved in the policy side of things. I've been the director of our national townhall series, which are events hosted with national political leaders. I coordinated and ran the events for townhalls with all the candidates for Cleveland's mayoral election (including incumbent mayor), the candidates for Congresswoman for our national congressional district, and our state's Secretary of State. All these events primarily focused on lack of internet access in our city and have had around 5,000 attendees in total. I also later helped to manage the school program mentioned in the first paragraph, which has worked with over 6,000 students across 40 different schools in the area.
Finally, I helped get legislation passed at the state level, entailing over $200 million in internet broadband funding from the Federal Government for our state. This entailed writing up a policy white paper, going to the state capital to talk to the State congress, discussing the issues and details with the bill's sponsor, and working with another policy research non-profit. This ultimately created the BroadbandOhio program, which I've been working with for the last year on additional legislation for Ohio. I've also been involved with our grant process and have applied for and managed about $200,000 in grant funding.
Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc):
Biology TA for 2 years, resident assistant and senior resident assistant for 3 years, emergency dispatcher for one year, and led a large campus board for 3 years.
This board involved me leading and overseeing about 13 student organizations and 1,000 students, working directly with administration on student issues related to media. I also wrote up a report and created a new student center through the conversion of an old building; got about $300,000 in funding from administration for it and the board itself had about $500,000 in annual budget that I managed directly. Board was advised by an associate dean that I'm close with. I also have some minor leadership in comparison to the campus board and non-profit work.
Relevant honors or awards:
Won two national awards, about $15,000 in scholarships, several campus awards, and featured on the news for the non-profit; won a campus award and a $1,000 prize for leading the student center project. Some other minor stuff like Dean's list and around $10,000 for research funding over 2 summers from 2 separate grants.
Anything else not listed you think might be important:
Letter writers will be the biology professor I took a class with and later TA'd for; nutrition professor I took several classes and a graduate research seminar with; physics professor I had for a small class and who liked my non-profit work; founder and former CEO of the non-profit I'm on the board for; and dean for the student board.
Issues:
Got 2 Cs in Calc 2 and Ochem 1 freshman year and a withdrawal from an economics class during sophomore year (got a concussion and just general difficulties with adapting to college). However, I've had a near 4.0 since then, with As in Ochem 2, 4 physics courses, and 2 upper division calculus courses. Finally, my school offers a committee letter but, because of a change I had to make in my application, it'll be delayed until SeptembeOctober because my school normally submits them in August. Because of that, I've decided to go with individual letters, which I know is a negative and a knock against me, but I'd rather have the guarantee of submitting early with my own letters. I also will not have a PI letter of recommendation and research will not be one of my MMEs (the student board, non-profit, and free clinic will be)
I primarily want to target T20 ish schools (maybe want to do a competitive specialty) in the Midwest/Northeast in urban areas (I do bike and transportation advocacy as a hobby, so they're very important to me) and apply to around 20-30 schools, hopefully with merit money.
Preliminary list:
Northwestern
UChicago
Rush
UIC
Loyola
Washington University in St. Louis
University of Iowa
University of Michigan
Ohio State
University of Cincinnati
Mayo (MN)
Vanderbilt
Duke
Emory
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rochester
Albert Einstein
Columbia
Mt. Sinai
Cornell
Georgetown
Yale
Harvard
UCLA
UCSF
Case Western
Maybe: NYU, Stanford, Penn, JHU, Jefferson, Boston, George Washington, Brown