• Food - Travel

    Dining in Breckenridge, CO, US, in 2025

    September 19, 2025 - By 

    In summer of 2025, I stopped at these eateries in Breckenridge, CO. Breckenridge is a mountain town that seems very tourist-oriented, but it is very nice for walking. It was easy to push a stroller around most of the time. I did have to drink a lot of water, probably because of the dryness at the altitude. The morning I woke up feeling best, I drank 64 ounces of water overnight. (Also relevant is that I was breastfeeding during this trip, which necessitates some extra water intake.) These are not necessarily the best places to eat, but they are places…

  • Travel

    Toddler’s Travel Potty

    February 15, 2025 - By 

    I was concerned that my daughter would lose her good potty habits and act as a young diaper-only baby once more when if she spent too much time without a potty. Most places are not like Sesame Place, which has child-sized toilets for the very young. After some research, I purchased this potty: The look resembles a potty, which I think is important for the baby visually. Some travel potties look like a collapsible crate with a vaguely oval hole on the top. At about one foot tall assembled, this was not too big for a 1-year-old. The dimensions when…

  • Travel

    What Happens When United Has a Flight Delay in 2024?

    December 11, 2024 - By 

    In November 2024, one of my relatives travelled from the United States to Asia and encountered a long delay. The first leg of the flight was delayed by an hour and a half after two changes. This left a layover of a 45 minutes, which is difficult to consider smooth in SFO, the layover airport. Although the traveler initially worried while at SFO, because time was ticking and no deboarding had happened yet, we soon discovered that the second leg— the final leg— of the flight was delayed. First, it was for a mechanical issue. Then, a new crew had…

  • Travel

    Hakone Open-Air Museum in Japan: Soak Your Feet While Viewing Art

    October 5, 2024 - By 

    The Hakone Open-Air Museum, first opened in 1969, allows for a nice walk and has a very comfortable hot foot bath. One of the main highlights is supposed to be the Picasso Pavilion, but my favourite part of this attraction was the foot bath. The museum is open from 9 AM to 5 PM daily. Adult tickets are JP¥2000 (~US$13.51 in 2023) each. As I already mentioned, my favorite part of the visit was sitting with my feet in a hot foot bath while gazing out at the enjoyable scenery of grass and sculptures. You sit on a wooden bench…

  • Travel

    Can You be a Transgender Tourist in Japan?

    September 30, 2024 - By 

    In 2023, one of travel companions in Japan was a transgender woman. She was a little worried about how she might be perceived and treated, so we all did a little research to figure out if there were any precautions to take or if a trans person in the group would limit us in any way. The main potential things that came up online were that public hot springs would be difficult, that rural areas would be less welcoming, and that you might occasionally get a brief stare/glare for going in the bathroom you think you belong in but someone…

  • Travel

    Taiwan’s High Speed Rail

    September 16, 2024 - By 

    The Taiwan High Speed Rail was a very exciting thing back when I first rode it in 2007, which was also the year it opened. It cut the travel time between the two major cities of Taiwan, Taipei and Kaohsiung, from ~4 1/2 hours to ~1 1/2 hours. It is usually roughly US$50 to travel one-way from one end to the other, so many older people thought and still think it is an unnecessary expense and would rather take a much slower (and cheaper) train or a bus. Tickets can conveniently be purchased online, at the station, or at a…

  • Finance - Travel

    What is COT*PCH627-23633070MA?

    August 30, 2024 - By 

    If you see a description starting with COT*PCH on your Capital One bill, it is probably a Capital One Travel Premium Choice Hotel. Since this is rather nondescript if one books multiple hotels of this type through the portal, I noted what hotel this was on the side. Now that I know what to expect when using the Capital One travel portal (especially after COTHTL844-422-6922MA), the abbreviated item is less suspicious.

  • Travel

    Sleep on History in the Noon-Collins Inn in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, United States

    August 15, 2024 - By 

    The Noon-Collins Inn, originally built in 1834 as a judge’s residence, was also a YMCA, a small library before it became the bed and breakfast it is today. In 2024, it cost US$122.10 for a night. I called to make the booking, but they requested that I just do it online through Expedia. When I booked, they asked us to call ahead to let them know when we would arrive. I told them in a note that it would be 7 or 8 and called on the day of to let them know 7:30. The parking lot belonging the inn…

  • Travel

    An October Day at Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan

    July 26, 2024 - By 

    In 2023, our tickets for Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan, were bought as a group of 6. It sent a single .pdf with 6 tickets. Unlike at Disney, we could not scan the tickets to our individual apps. We had a group talk the night before about what to do if the first pair to go managed to keep the rest of us from scanning the remaining 4 tickets in that .pdf. However, we did not have to all enter at the same time! The two who prefer to arrive early did so and were able to scan the .pdf…

  • Travel

    TSA PreCheck is Not Available for All Airlines

    July 9, 2024 - By 

    TSA PreCheck is wonderful to have at a US airport— unless you cannot actually use it. Whether you can or cannot use it depends on what airline you are flying on. To check whether your outgoing flight is going to let you take advantage of TSA Precheck, see if your airline is on this TSA list: TSA PreCheck® Participating Airlines | Transportation Security Administration. If your airline is not on the list, you will be unable to use the TSA PreCheck line. Why would TSA PreCheck be related to the airline? Because on your ticket, they mark who is eligible…