Background and Intro As mentioned in my prior post on The Herbfarm Restaurant, I spent Memorial Day weekend 2021 in Seattle. Part of the plans was to spend a night at Willows Inn in Lummi Island, 3.5 hours north of Seattle, but those dreams got dashed when the NYT Expose was published and we opted…
Category: Guide
Review: The Herbfarm Restaurant, Woodinville, Washington
Background Over Memorial Day Weekend 2021 I visited Seattle for the first time, as in finally stepping outside the airport. I lucked out in the 5 days that I was there, sunny clear, occasionally overcast days, contrary to the stereotype rainy and gloomy weather expected of the region. Over all, I found downtown Seattle to…
Exploring Paso Robles Wine Country and the Central Coast, California
Intro After spending a week in the Bay Area and Napa Valley in April 2021, I headed south to the Central Coast of California. I have family friends in San Luis Obispo at Pismo Beach specifically and had never been to the proper Central Coast Area, furthest south from the Bay I been is Monterrey…
Napa and Sonoma Valley Wine Tasting
I love wine. But my wine journey is a continued learning experience. I am by no means an expert nor do I claim to be one. I keep discovering new wines from all over the world and figuring out what it is that I like. I also continue to learn about the varietals, harvest and…
Review: Jakes Hotel Treasure Beach, Jamaica
Over Thanksgiving 2020 I spent a week in Jamaica. It was a fantastic and relaxing time, wherein some impressive COVID Protocols were adhered to by the two hotels I chose to stay at. I spent 4 nights on the North Shore in Oracabessa at Goldeneye then I spent 3 nights on the South Shore in…
Guide to Matsu Islands, Taiwan: another must
Matsu Islands 馬祖列島 On the far east coast of the Taiwan Strait, just off the coast of China’s Fuzhou city lies the Matsu Islands, and archipelago consisting of primarily 5 inhabited islands. It is part of Taiwan. While not as close to China as Kinmen, it is still very close and you can see the…
Street Food Guide to Tainan, Taiwan 台南小吃懶人包
Tainan in Southwestern Taiwan is a historic city/county. Its where the Dutch set up their colony in Taiwan and where the Qing Dynasty established the island’s capital when they took it over from the Dutch. The city has many important historic sites from the Dutch Colonial Era, the Qing Dynasty and Japanese Colonial Era. It…
Culinary BackStreets of Taipei: Street Food Guide to Old Taipei 老台北美食懶人包
Intro Ever since moving back to Old Taipei nearly 11 years ago, I have come to rediscover it and have gained a newfound appreciation and understanding of this area of Taipei. Not only is my own history deeply rooted here, so is Taiwan’s. As I left home for college, work and my travels, every time…
Taitung Food Guide: Where and What To Eat in Taitung, Taiwan 台東美食懶人包
This is not a full travel guide to Taitung, but rather a food guide as I find many people ask and wonder what exactly is there to eat here? This is a high level summary of mostly places I have been, taken by local folks or folks who have since lived here for years. Finally,…
Guide to Green Island, Taiwan
I have just returned to the United States, sadly, after spending a wonderful 6.5 months back in Taiwan as a COVID refugee. During my time home, I was able to expand my Taiwanese horizons and visit many new places. Taiwan has been a COVID safe haven and domestic travel this year has boomed. One such…
TheGastronomicTraveler 