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Category: Side Quest

LAX Dungeon
Did I find a secret underground passage that connects all the LAX terminals to the AMEX Centurion Lounge (and others)?

Did I find a secret underground passage that connects all the LAX terminals to the AMEX Centurion Lounge (and others)?

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The short answer is… sort of? It’s not really “secret” in that it’s pretty well known that there’s a tunnel system underneath the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) terminals post-security (although I don’t think this existed back in 2017 when Ariel and I went to New Zealand), but exactly HOW to navigate this dungeon-like maze is really confusing. There’s no guide anywhere and only a rather unhelpful map of the airport that is extremely light on details. The various lounge/points…

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Exploring The Green Grotto Caves And Learning The Meaning Of Runaway Bay In Jamaica

Exploring The Green Grotto Caves And Learning The Meaning Of Runaway Bay In Jamaica

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Unlike the first time we were in Jamaica, this time around we decided to do some exploring. I went off on my own on a long journey to the Bob Marley house. I recently read The Hobbit to Jacob (which he absolutely loved), and so when I found out there was a series of caves – with an underground lake no less) just a few minutes away from where we were staying, we just had to take him to the…

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A 48 Hour Sidequest In Montreal: The Closest Way To (Sort Of) Spend A Weekend In France

A 48 Hour Sidequest In Montreal: The Closest Way To (Sort Of) Spend A Weekend In France

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This is Ariel, Liran’s wife, with another guest post covering our brief and parents-only babymoon to Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  WHY MONTREAL: We had two childfree nights coming from the NY/NJ area. At first I looked into options that we could drive to, but post-COVID, if it’s within 3 hours drive of central NJ, chances are, we’ve seen it. Instead we looked at destinations we could fly to relatively quickly. And given that I was in my third trimester of pregnancy,…

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Find Your Own Rivendell

Find Your Own Rivendell

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When traveling, especially on a long journey, finding an inviting, comfortable, and safe place to get some rest is critical. During the pandemic, when we weren’t traveling as much, it was still important to search for places of refuge from the mundanity and quiet but omnipresent low level anxiety of virus-driven daily life. Regardless of the circumstance, finding an oasis of peace and rest amongst the chaos can go a long way towards restoring both mental and physical stamina. In…

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Mokulē‘ia Beach
‘Lost’ In Oahu

‘Lost’ In Oahu

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So we’ve been in Hawaii for about a week, traipsing around Oahu to literally every corner of this island. Tomorrow we’re heading for Maui, and in a week we start the journey home. Oahu is great, and I’ll try to put together a post with more details on what we’ve been up to while we’re on Maui, where we should have a little more down time. This post is going to be dedicated to talking about a sidequest I had…

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The old Joshua Tree in Death Valley California
Finding The U2 Joshua Tree Location (It’s Not Where You Think It Is)

Finding The U2 Joshua Tree Location (It’s Not Where You Think It Is)

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I’ve never been a huge U2 fan… I mean sure, Where The Streets Have No Name and Sunday Bloody Sunday were big when I was growing up and all that Mission: Impossible stuff was cool. And what teenager didn’t have With Or Without You or I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For on repeat at some point after being dumped by their girl/boyfriend. So when I saw I was passing near Joshua Tree National Park, like anyone who was…

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Sunset in Grace Bay
Taking A Break In Turks And Caicos

Taking A Break In Turks And Caicos

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With Jacob now in daycare, and shifting into full fledged toddler mode, Ariel and I decided it was time for another trip for just the two of us. Unlike our trip to Bermuda though, which ended up being more of an adventure than we had intended, our goal this time was to just relax on a beach and try to stifle our instinctual need for exploration. We really just wanted a break, especially after going through a nearly incessant two…

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Exploring Niagara Falls On The 4th Of July With A Little Guy

Exploring Niagara Falls On The 4th Of July With A Little Guy

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For a change of pace this year, we decided to spend July 4th outside the US. Ariel had never been to Niagara Falls and had always wanted to go. Plus Jacob is still little enough that he gets to do a lot of stuff for free. Anything tourism-related in the USA on Independence Day tends to be zoo, and besides none of us were really feeling extra patriotic this year. So we decided to fly up to Toronto and head…

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Old Mine Road – The Wildest Drive In New Jersey (And Maybe The Entire East Coast)

Old Mine Road – The Wildest Drive In New Jersey (And Maybe The Entire East Coast)

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New Jersey is not really known for isolated places. As the densest state of all, finding places to be alone is always a challenge. In fact, most people are shocked to hear that the Appalachian Trail winds its way through New Jersey for 72 miles, all within less than a two hour drive from New York City. Running nearly parallel to the AT for about half of its run through the state is one of the wildest drives you can…

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High Point State Park
Sidequest: The Delaware Water Gap and High Point State Park

Sidequest: The Delaware Water Gap and High Point State Park

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With Jacob about to turn six months old, Ariel and I decided it was time to finally try a short getaway. Years ago, I discovered a true hidden gem in New Jersey – The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area – and it was one of the first places Ariel and I went together. So, we dropped Sam off at his boarding place, dropped Jacob off with his grandparents and we were off for 24 hours of local adventure. Our…

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