The Travel Chica

Live Simple. Consume Less. Experience More.

Is Portland the Foodie Capital of the US?

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I knew that Portland is into local, fresh ingredients, which are readily available. But what they do with those ingredients is impressive. You can find everything from authentic Mexican to classic French cuisine.  You can choose from dining at a food cart, a café, or a restaurant with a James Beard award-winning chef. There are […]

Portland is Brewvana

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I have a lot of friends who are into craft beer. When I told them I was going to Portland, their eyes got big, and they told me at least one brewery I MUST visit. The more research I did, the more excited I got.  I wanted to experience a LOT of different beers, so […]

Me, a beer, and my goldfish

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As soon as I got to Portland, I realized my days were going to be even busier than Seattle. I got a massive list of fun stuff to see and do from Bethany and Ted of Two Oregonians.  I had a great discussion with Visit Portland and added more must-dos to my list.  And everyone I talked […]

Best coffee in Seattle (or How much caffeine can I drink?)

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One of the “comforts” I missed while traveling in Latin America is good coffee. People think that sounds crazy because a lot of the good coffee we drink in the US is from Latin America.  It is possible to find good coffee in Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Colombia, but it is difficult because most of […]

Have you seen my O face?

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After the delicious fresh seafood in Maine, I was eager to check something else off my list of foods to try when I arrived on the opposite coast in Seattle, Washington. Raw oysters. My first night in Seattle, I had dinner with a friend who used to live in Columbus.  I told him that I […]

Best breakfast sandwich ever

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Coming back to Columbus after being gone so long is great because I get to go to my favorite restaurants, cafés, and bars.  But what is really fun is checking out all the great new places that have popped up in the last two years and the places I simply missed because I didn’t have […]

Maine is seafood heaven

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I have eaten some of the best seafood of my life in Maine. Yes, the seafood is incredibly fresh. But I think it is also because I am eating at family-owned restaurants that have been around for years.  Francine and Paul love good food and good value, and they showed me their favorite spots. My […]

How to eat a lobster (in Maine!)

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When I arrived, Francine jokingly asked me if I was ready to eat lobster every day. I EXPECT to eat lobster every day. I would like to eat lobster three times a day. We didn’t quite get to that point, but there was definitely plenty of lobster (and lots of other fantastic fresh seafood that […]