The A to Z of the 2024 Olympics

A is for  Archery

Let's start with the one event that goes right at the beginning, which was given an amazing location (as so many were in this Olympics). We saw some incredible things, from South Korea continue their almost laughable dominance winning every gold medal (again), to surprising finsihes in the team events from the Mexican women winning Bronze to a super chill Turkish Men's team winning silver. Finally, we saw some insane drama - from a semifinal coming down to a magnifying glass to see if a bow caught any part of the 10-point line (it did). Finally, we all collectively saw the moment the first time we saw the video angle of how for they really are shooting at. The accuracy is batshit insane. Oh, and the guy shouting "Ten!!!" - never gets old.

B is for  Belgian Biker Pose

So, half of these roughly are going to be about the sports and athletic acheivement and what not. As it should be. The other half is going to be around just the great moments, images, memes and things that will just always last. Let's start with the amazing, cinematic moment of Belgian biker Remco Evenepoel, who won by a ton, just bossing that moment. The slow down at the line,, the turning his bike sideways, the amazing "are you not entertained?" pose, and of course the slow zoom out of the Eifel Tower looming above. Just magical. 

C is for  Crowds

It goes without saying really but part of the reason why this Olympics jsut worked so much more than the last was having crowds back. The crowds in France were amazing. Seemingly every venue was packed. The fans were loud, teh DJs egging them on perfectly. These were just amazing moments that were so pointedly absent last time around. Weirdly, I feel bad for Tokyo as I imagine the Olympics there had it been Covid-less would've been fantastic as well, but Paris, and more broadly Europe's centrality in the world geographically, just made it a place for millions to descend into and turn Paris and all the events into long parties.

D is for  the Duel in the Pool

The pool returned to a whole bunch of fun, I would say specifically because America didn't outright dominate. We eked out the overall Gold race 8-7 over Australia, mostly due to strength in relays (four of the seven). American still won the Gold race, won teh most overall, but in so many cases we didn't have the best swimmer in certain sports. Of course, the story was Leon Marchand winning four gold medals, or Summer McIntosh winning three as a 17-year old, or the continuing dominance of people like Kristof Milak or Sarah Sjostrom. Other countries, other than Australia, don't have dominant swimmers in every stroke and length, but somewhere in teh world there's someone every bit as good as the American - other than against Ledecky in the 800m and 1500m that is.

E is for  Eifel Tower Beach Volleyball

I honestly think every host city should take a page out of Paris's playbook and just build a beach volleyball court in front of your most iconic location. Fine, if you have a famous beach, like of course the Copacabana at Rio 2016, or Venice Beach for the LA28 games, but if not, hell if say Toronto was ever to host, put that in Eaton Square (an ice rink), or go ahead and put it in front of the Hagia Sophia if Istanbul is to win the 2036 games. That setting just made this tournament so cool. Of course, so was the DJ playing Imagine to breakup a tiff, or seeing the world take that sport over (first time the US didn't medal). Beach Volleyball is always fun, but that setting just elevated it so much further.

F is for  Fencing at the Grand Palais

Talk about a location elevating the sport - fencing at the Grand Palais was just magical. It helped sure that the US did surprisingly well (Lee Kiefer ftw!) but that setting - the fencers descending down the stairs, the beautiful, haunting shade of light on teh glass ceilings. It was poetry, it was perfection, it was "grand". Fencing rose highly in my rankings of Olympic sports, in no small amount to just how amazing that setting was.

G is for  GOATs

If there was anything this was missing from 2012 or 2016 was the lack of a Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt, but we did still have GOATs getting their flowers - from Katie Ledecky becoming the msot decorated American Woman in Olympics history, to Cuba's wrestler Mijain Lopez becoming the first person to win the same event in five Olympics. You had Djokovic win his gold. And of course, you had Simone Biles cementing her legacy as the greatest Gymnast of all time. Oh, and of course LeBron, KD and Curry sharing the court (and the US needing every last bit of their brilliance). The starpower wasn't as traditionally high profile as when you had two all-timers in Phelps and Bolt one-upping each other, but it was pretty close.

H is for  Handball

I don't understand how this sport isn't more popular. I haven't understood for a while now, to be honest. It should be huge. It is fast, it is fairly easy to follow, it is surprisingly violent. Everything should be adding up to handball taking over the world, and this might've been the best tournament yet. Out of the eight knockout games in the men's tournament, five were decided by one goal. The final was a bit of a blowout, but an upset at that with Denmark winning. Out of all the sports, barring one to come, that I wish was a more constant presence throughout the years, none probably matches handball.

I is for  Ilana Maher and US Rugby

Couldn't figure out how to get the Rugby Sevens into this, but figured I would link it to the baddest woman out there, America's Ilana Maher who bossed her way around the field. I just love the fact that the US did well - and not only did well but we beat the damn UK. I'm not overtly nationalistic - of course I root for American's to do well in the Olympics but I rarely outright lose for another country to do badly. My one exception to that is with teh UK at sports they decide to claim they invented and feel it is within their birthright to dominate - well my British friends, our country that doesnt' give two shits about rugby just beat yours. That's what I'm talking about.

J is for  Judo

It's funny how much Judo is loved in France. I guess partially because Teddy Riner is like some sort of greek god of heavyweight Judo, but beyond that the France team did well, and because the French crowd got into Judo for the France judokas, they did for all others as well. I still don't quite get all the rules, mostly what times you can attempt a pin/submission when taking someone down vs. when you can't, but not to worry as there were a surprising number of Ippons this time around. So many great flings, great spins, great grabs, great attacks and of course good old Teddy Riner just ragdolling fucks, which was amazing.

K is for  

L is for  Lyles's 100

What else to say other than that was the most meaningful .005 seconds maybe ever. Hell, it was the msot important .01 seconds that separate Lyles and the guy who finished fourth. The race itself was great, with no one person taking a big lead, with Lyles chasing Thompson down, with the craziness of the aftermath where no one really knew who won. That is what the 100m race should be! It should come down to fractions of a milisecond. It was fun to watch Usain Bolt put people away for three Olympics, but the alternate result of an incredibly tight race was as much fun.

M is for  Mondo Duplantis

Do you know how baller it is to already have won the Gold medal, reaching a height that you missed already but deciding to say "fuck it, let's go another one," and setting a new world record? That was just amazing. It doesn't hurt that the guy has model good looks, as does his actual literal model Swedish girlfriend, and they had their great celebration when it was done. Moreso than in years past, for me at least, these non-running track & field athletes got so much atetntion, and other than the French guy who's penis tripped him up, none more so than the great Armand Mondo Duplantis.

N is for  Nadal

It's pretty clear Nadal is just physically unable to compete at the top level. He can compete in spurts, as we saw with his riveting comeback from 0-4 down in teh second set against Djokovic, but from his meek first set, to his tune-ups for this, it is clear the end is nigh. But man did he go out in a way that was still uniquely special - from some incredible moments with Alcaraz in doubles, to again that amazing four game run, there was some magic in that man. But none more than his role in the opening ceremony - so dominant was he in that city over his career that no one even batted an eye when he got the torch from Zinedine Zidane. In a weird way, it was French Royalty giving it to another member of French Loyalty.

O is for  Opening in the City

I wrote a whole post about it, but still felt that I may have sold Paris a bit short on just how cool it was to have the opening ceremony play out all across the city. I'm shocked no city had tried this before, and while I implore LA not to do this (while the beaches and mountains are nice, the urban beauty of LA is next to zero) I do hope others take inspiration to try different things. Those moments of lighting the torch in the Tuileries, or of course Nadal, Serena and others floating down the Seine. All of it was unique, was beautiful, was weird at times, but perfectly French.

P is for  Peacock

Seriously, Peacock and NBC deserve a whole bunch of credit for how they were able to Broadcast the Olympics. Technically, NBC's app had all the world feed streams of every event in 2021, and most if not all in 2016, but the interface was confusing. This time it was amazing. Of course, the Gold Zone got deservedly a lot of hype - how it took NBC this long to replicate the Red Zone for the Olympics is beyond me - by London 2012 the Red Zone was already established within the NFL. But finally they did it - and the rest of hte interface, from the key events, the multi-sport view, the live events were so great. As were the ways to see what times various things would be on. Peacock made it a pleasure to watch the Olympics, something I honestly thought I never would be able to say.

Q is for  

R is for  Relays

Be it in the pool or be it on the track, the relays were amazing this tournament. Nothing probably better than Femko Bol chasing down three other countries in the mixed relay with a ridiculous last 200 metres. Of course, it only gets elevated when you hear her delightful voice. Then we have the Canadian men's teams thrilling win in the Men's 4x100 with the great return of Andre De Grasse winning another medal. The US dominating the women's field was as great. These relays require such timing and precision on the handoffs and what-not, but also showcased some great comebacks and great dominant runs - one or the other always.

S is for  the Seine

The Seine river played such a weird role in the entire spectacle, and in the end I don't know if it was quite worth it. Setting the opening ceremony on the banks of it worked, except I wasn't sure if I liked the boats for the parade of nations. And of course, we can't not talk about the poop water that delayed races, nearly cancelled some, and made it seemed a good amount of competitors sick. Talking about the E-Coli levels in the river was fun for a bit, but probably just next time don't pick a river in the heart of a city that gets overflow sewage if it rains.

T is for  Turkish Chill Shooter Guy

This was the meme Olympics, but from the gymnast with the Parmesan sponsorship, to RayGun, there were people who had their moment in teh sun but no one, and I mean no one, will match the Turkish shooter. The assassin, John Wick the Babayaga himself showing up in a t-shirt, no fancy glasses, hand in pocket, strolling up and knocking out silver like a boss. I've never seen such a clear winner of the meme Olympics, to the point that dozens of other athletes started copying his pose as a celebration. That is true lasting power. We'll forget about RayGun's 15 mins of fame, but we'll never forget about the Turkish Hitman.

U is for  US Exceptionalism

I mentioned earlier that in general I'm not super nationalistic, and generally don't cheer for the US to beat specific countries excepting those dastardly Brits, but that doesn't mean I don't take pride in our country continuing to do so well. Yes, China nearly beat us in Gold Medals, but in the end the US tied them, and cleared everyone in Silver, Bronze and Total medals. We won in stuff we normally don't like - men's fencing, rugby and others. It's also great when we continue dominance in certain sports, like the shot-put guys going 1-2 for a third straight Olympics. There was just such annoying discourse early on as China, and a few others took an early lead in gold medals, while the US basically always had the lead in total medals. The argument was how best to rank countries - and that Gold should outweigh total. In reality, we should go to some weighted system (say Gold is 3 points, Silver is 2, Bronze is 1) but in the end, be it by Gold medals, total medals or weighted, the US came out on top.

V is for  Volleyball

The best Olympic event, or at least the best in long-form (e.g. not where they award umpteen medals). The striking ridiculousness of what these athletes are doing multiplied by how tall and giant they all seem, and finally sprinkle in how ludicrous the rallies can get, and you get something truly special. It all got exponentially increased by the French winning the men's tournament in front of maybe the best party scene crowd. The DJ's are always on point, and the "Monster Block!" song that comes on a big block is always a treat. I can't wait until Volleyball 2028.

W is for  Waiting for Waves

In the run-up to the games it never struck me that while Paris has the Siene it is far away from actual ocean or sea of which you need for sailing and surfing. Of course, there ahve been inland hosts before - though surfing was only added in 2020. Choosing Marseille for the sailing, and inspirationally picking Tahiti for the surfing was a stroke of genius - two just amazing locations, but for these sports you are so beholden to the wind. It eventually came around but those early sailing races were slow moving disasters. The surfing was on and off throughout with a lot of jsut sitting there. Granted, that's how I remember surfing as well a lot in 2020. Hopefully LA can bring some better wind and waves - one of the few areas I have hope the LA games can improve on Paris.

X is for  X-Canoe/Kayak

I'm butchering the name of the sport to make it fit into the 'X' category, but Kayak-X, where they just drop 3-4 kayaks into the water at teh same time and have them fight each other along with the rapids, was just unbelievably wild and enthralling. I was always finding myself more and more of a canoe/kayak slalom fan when it was jsut one person in the water navigating the gates, but when I saw them needing to do barrel rolls, and oar on top of each other, and the gamesmanship of what gate to pick to circumnavigate - it was all so fun and raw. I hope this stays for a long, long time.

Y is for  Youth

It is amazing how young of the stars of the Olympics are each time. Yes. of course this is somewhat depressing for someone who is now 33. I'm already a bit annoyed that I'll be 37 next time around. Soon enough every medalist will be younger than me. But anyway, back to the youngsters, of course for years we had them in skateboarding (it is always crazy when I remember the Gold and Silver women's stakeboard winners were 14 and 15), but then add in Summer McIntosh at 17, or Lauren Scruggs at 20, or so many others that are still in US collleges. The youth came to play, and set us up so well for their return in four years.

Z is for  Zero Regrets

My Favorite 18 Trips I've Taken

Yes, 18 is a weird number, but also I've taken six week-plus-long trips since the last time I wrote this, and given I can go to 64 on Top Cities without thinking twice, I wasn't really in position where I can take things off, now am I?

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18.) Germany and Poland (2014)

Itinerary Overview: 9 days total, three in Berlin, three in Krakow, two in Warsaw, one for travel

Cities in my Top-50 List: Berlin, Krakow, Warsaw

This was my first trip as a gainfully employed adult, using hard-earned PTO days to go to Europe for a week. When I was in Berlin at the start of the trip, some medum-sized fire flared up on my project and had to spend more time answering e-mails than I wanted to - a beautiful head-first dive into the world of traveling as an adult. Anyway, the trip itself was quite good. The only reasons it wasn't higher are (1) I went in mid-March so it was still slightly cold, and (2) the food in these areas isn't the best compared to others on the list. Remove those two and it was a great trip.

Berlin had a lot more history than I expected even outside the stuff with the Wall and War. The museums detailing Germany's full pre-Weimar history was great. The city is a little big despite having a good transit system, so it made it tough to see too much of the city. Krakow was the opposite, being small enough for almost everything worthwhile to be within a 10-15 min walk of their great main square. That main square is probably my favorite main square in Europe. The history there was both chilling in a good way (stuff related to the Pope) and bad (Auschwitz). Both places were great, and I would go back to either for a qucik hang. As a first trip abroad alone as a gainfully employed adult, this was about as good a start as I could have wanted, knowing that many better were still to come.


17.) Peru (2016)

Itinerary Overview: 8 days total, three in Lima, four in Cusco/Machu Picchu

Cities in my Top-50 List: Lima, Cusco

I took this trip with two friends. As a reminder, this whole list is being judged on how fun, how memorable, how special these trips were, not just how good each city is to travel to. The latter would be basically just some mathematical equation of my Top-50 cities list. This is differnet. For Peru, the two most memorable aspects were the food, and Loki hostel. The food was amazing, with our central meal being at Maido (generally in the Top-10 of the San Pellegrino list of the World's Top-50 Restaurants). That was my first foray into a beautiful tasting menu, and the 13-course Japanese-Peruvian infusion still remains maybe my favorite meal. Even outside of that, the other meals were mostly all great.

Loki is something else. We all were working, and probably could have split a normal hotel, but chose to stay at Loki Hostels because they are known for being a good time. I don't think we knew what we were getting into with it. The one in Cusco is probably the most noted, and for us it basically served as our ngith spot, with the nomadic bartenders serving blood bombs and rounding the crowd into 'Loki, Loki, Loki.... Aye, Aye, Aye!' chants over and over again. The fun in the trip emanated from these things, and the friends I shared it with - this being the first international trip with buddies.

From a travel perspective, Lima is a bit flat for tourism, and while Macchu Picchu is incredible, it takes a whole 1.5-2 days to travel to and fro even if you aren't doing the Inca trail. It is all worth it, but a longer trip than we took is probably more ideal for Peru. I would though highly recommend what we did which was do Macchu Picchu towards the end, because with the hiking and all we were all basically beat up physically for a couple days.


16.) Scotland and (some) England (2023)

Itinerary Overview: 1 day in Edinburgh, ~3 days in the Scottish Highlands, ~2 days in London

Honestly, I considered putting this lower, but any trip with friends gets a little boost for that fact itself. The real pain point was just not enough time. One day in Edinburgh was not nearly enough. We did a really productive crash course through the Scottish highlands, touching the Isle of Skye, a great Scotch tour, and Loch Ness. But in reality I could've spent a lot longer there. The scenery, the north-ness of it all (stupidly never appreciated just how far North it is) was just so cool.

London in a way puts a damper on it, specifically our accursed trip to to Wimbledon, which featured about as little tennis as you can expect, but even London is elevated by having friends around. On the whole, there was some great food, some incredible scotch, some great memories, and I can't say enough about how cool Inverness and the Highlands were. I truly wish I could spend even more time there, just soaking in one of the cooler places I've been too. Honestly, if it was just a week in the highlands, this might be further up, but alas.


15.) Germany and the Rest (2000)

Itinerary Overview: ~17 days, split between Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic

Cities in my Top-50 List: London, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Prague

Three of these trips took place before the purview of this blog, and this is the earliest one. This was the second year my family and I went to Europe for our Spring Break holiday. To be honest, I have far less memory of hte first trip (UK, Belgium, Netherlands) than this one, though even if I did, my guess is I would rank this one higher. The best aspect was just the sheer number of countries and cultures. Yes, being 9 at the time they all blended in together, but the difference of seeing the Alps in Swizterland, the open fields in Austria and the classic beauty of Prague and Budapest was fascinating.

I loved this trip because of how large it seemed at the time, how fun it was to drive oin the Autobahn, to eat Goulash (which I still love and want to go back to Budapest at some point to eat again). I still remember the night river cruises in Budapest and Prague seeing the flood-lit gothic buildings on each end of hte river. I still remember all the music-related stuff in Salzburg and touring the Sound of Music house. This trip will always hold a place in my heart because it was the first one that I have a significantly good memory of - even more than later trips that didn't make the list because of how cloudy that memory is.

In the end, it was probably trying to pack a little too much into 17 days to see so many countries, diverse cultures, and see them all well. However, that's how my family rolled back in the day. My Mom and Dad were vigilant in waking my sister and I up every day early so we could see as much as we could, and I couldn't be any more grateful for that.

14.) Hungary and the Baltics (2024)

Itinerary Overview: ~4 days in Budapest, ~3 days in Tallinn, ~3 days in Helsinki

It's hard to judge a trip I just went on, but I think this is about right. 14 shouldn't be seen as an insult, there are a lot of amazing trips to come on this list. Anyways, this is a trip whose genesis started eight years earlier with me getting a Miles and More Lufthansa card, earning enough miles for a business class (one-way) ticket. I pushed that year after year until I was basically told by Lufthansa I couldn't, si my goal was to come up with the most random collection of cities. So - here goes Budapest, Tallinn and Helsinki.

I honestly wonder where this would rank had I done the trip in reverse. All three cities were great, but Budapest was my favorite, Tallinn second, and Helsinki by default least (though it was mainly lovely). Had a gone least favorite to most instead, maybe it goes higher? The food in all places were amazing. The history in specifically Budapest far more than I expected. If anything, I really got to learn how storied a history Hungary has. Tallinn to had maybe my second favorite old town / old town square of any place in Europe after Krakow. There was really no real downside.

The only thing keeping this from being higher is that Helsinki was probably slightly less amazing than what I had pictured in my head. Granted, that is my issue, not anyone else's, other than maybe Phil Rosenthal, who made Helsinki look totally amazing in Somebody Feed Phil. Well, Phil, I challenge you to go to Budapest and have some Goulash, have amazing upmarket meals at a Salt or Laurel, and walk down the main party drag where doner kebabs and karaoke belt out all the time.

13.) Turkey and Cape (2024)

Itinerary Overview: ~4 days in Istanbul, ~2 days in Izmir, ~4 days in Cape Town

I probably have never gone on a more random trip than this one. After the amazing experience of combining a place onto my annual Cape Town retreat (that trip is way, way up), I wanted to do that again, but found a hard time finding a place that worked - mostly initially looking for other African destinations. In the end, I settled on Turkey, wanting to try Istanbul again, a place that in my head was one of my favorite cities. The good news is that it mostly lived up to my expectations. 

Istanbul really is just a fantastic city. I dock it a bit because the weather was a bit rainy at times, but that is mostly of my own doing going in February. Take that away and everyhting I loved about it before, I continue to do so, a perfect blend of Eastern and Western sensibilities, from the sites, to the food (Adana Kebab!) to everything else. Izmir was also super cool, if a little less important culturally than expected.

And of course, there's Cape Town. I will say, part of the reason this isn't higher up is that this was the first time visiting there that I did think "Do I come here too often?". Now, not to say I won't go again. My God will I, and that first time seeing the serene blue above Table Mountain, I'll love it instantly but this was three years in a row, and while I love my familiarity (hell, I wrote a whole post about it one time) maybe three years in a row is a tad too much. Anyway, Cape Town even in slight disillusionment is still plenty good enough to love. 

12.) Italy with Friends (2019)

Itinerary Overview: 9 days, three in Rome, three in Positano, three in Palermo

Cities in my Top-50: Rome, Positano, Palermo

It is hard to judge a trip that just happened, but I think I'm fair in saying this was truly a very good trip edged to great because I went with five close friends. If not for that fact, this probably lands up around #10. What was great about the trip, outside of just hte people we traveled with, was seeing such differnet parts of the Italy, from the megapolis that is Rome (the original megapolis, one would say) to the hills of Positano, to the gritty realness and beauty of Palermo. It was three very different, interesting aspects of Italy.

Despite going to Italy the first time three years after the European trip I detailed at #9, I had little actual memory of that trip, so even Rome with the Vatican and Colosseum and Forum were more new than expected. Positano was interesting given we were literally 7-10 days before the rush season began (and prices would start jumping >50%) but the town was lovely with its perfectly manicured hills, great views, well maintained trattorias and the rest. The real star, for me, was Palermo. I don't know exactly what it is aobut that place, but it was a huge hit with my friends and I.

Palermo had a lovely mix of new urban chic design for newer restaurants and bars, but a very earthy traditional foundation. The food was great. Our AirBNB was conveniently located right above one of the main bar crawl drags, allowing us to mix with throngs of local Sicilians enjoying their Friday night, up to including getting routed in a game of foosball. Turns out they can play that better too. Somehow I haven't really mentioned the food yet, which was great ranging from fancy tasting menus (my favorite: I Pupi in Bagheria) to modern classic to hole in the wall pizza in Naples. This was a great classic one-week trip.


11.) Korea + Thailand/Vietnam (2022)

Itinerary Overview: ~2 days in Jeonju, ~5 days in Seoul, ~2 days in Bangkok, ~3 days in HCMC

I've done five 2-week September/October trips. All of them are on this list, and this is the lowest. Meaning yes, five of the top eleven have the same relative structure of "let's take two weeks off right after a bunch of people take holiday." One of them had to come last, and this one days mainly because of something purely out of the trips control - a typhoon hitting Korea right before I was to arrive, forcing me to delay the trip. The delay cost me Busan and Jeju, gained me Jeonju (a loss of a trade). I arrived as it was still raining in Seoul, but within five hours it cleared up and then basically never rained again on the trip. 

As it actually went on, the biggest "wow" part is a combination of how much I loved Seoul and Korean culture, combined with how little time I spent there. I'll come back to Seoul, but me doing two full days in Bangkok probably wasn't needed, but I do value seeing Wat Po and the National Palace again, and the experience at Gaggan was memorable given how much he was there. I'll come to a trip that I think showcased HCMC even more than this one in due tiem, but going back made me fall in love with the place all over again.

Anyway, the reason this is so high up is Seoul, and Korea at large, was amazing. The culture was amazing, the sights were neverendingly fun, the artwork pristine. The food was amazing, from the BBQ, to a spot like Mingles showcasing refind as hell tasting menu food. And the nightlife was something amazing - a place with incredible cocktail bars, and incredible clubs, with a combination that hit highs as high, if not higher, than any other place I've been. Also, this was the trip where I flew first class - that experience on Korean Air's first class with an 80" flat-bed seat and a full (amazing) Bibimbap, and Johnny Walker Blue till I was properly tipsy was just amazing. Honestly, having gotten to the ened of this I can confidently say if not for that damn typhoon, this might have made the Top-5.



10.) Turkey (2007)

Itinerary Overview: 16 days, split between Istanbul, Capadocia, Anatolya and others

Cities in my Top-50: Istanbul

I wasn't actually supposed to be on this trip. That same Spring Break my school's Orchestra did a tour of Russia, a place I missed out on and still hope to go to (see: it being #1 on my list). Then again, instead I got to go to Turkey and have a fantastic time. The other unique aspect of this trip was this was the first (and so far only) guided tour I have been on, with my family meeting ~40 other people in Istanbul for a 14-day Gate-1 tour program.

There are definitely negatives to this: the speed they operate is slower, you are kind of boxed in to their itinerary, there were a lot of early morning starts to drive on buses. But the positives way outweighed them - primarily in that all the logistics were taken care off, and we got dinners to ourselves. The food in Turkey is execptional, be it the kofta kebabs on the streets in Istanbul, the great many preparations of lamb, or hte fresh fish in Izmir.

The tour was great even at its leisurely pace. I loved every aspect of Istanbul (which I sitll have ranked #3 on my cities list). I loved the varied topography of Kapadokya or the day in Ephesus, which set my then standard on Roman ruins. Turkey was such a great place to go at that, even if I still have a 2% regret about missing out on playing Orchestra music in the halls of Russaia. Turkey was a great, excellent, brilliant consolation prize.


9.) Asia Trip (2019)

Itinerary Overview: 18 days, two in London, three in Taipei, three in Ho Chi Minh City, three in Luang Prabang, three in Hanoi/Halong Bay, one in Singapore, and three mostly in transit

Cities in my Top-50: All of them

This was the longest trip I've taken fully alone. I'm somewhat cheating adding London to this, but the trip did start in London for my company's Summer Party, where we were up singing karaoke in a room till about 6:30 and I got up at 8:30 to head to Heathrow to head to Taiwan. Anyway, the rest of the trip was alone, and it is basically only that fact that keeps it from being higher up. I don't dislike traveling alone, but still there is some added benefit being with people. The trip itself was amazing. Taiwan was far more impressive than I expected. After a largely disastrous trip to Vietnam in 2013, this more than redeemed it, with me falling in love especially with Ho Chi Minh City, and Luang Prabang was one of the msot serene, remote outposts I have ever been to.

Taiwan was an amazing start - I spent months thinking of a place that I could spend 3-4 days before starting the trip proper, and Taiwan was like my 3rd choice, but it more than made up for it with great food, underrated sights, and just a great overall vibe. All of those things are true of Ho Chi Minh City, but add to it the beer culture, and maybe the single best "club" I've been to in my life in The Observatory - each night ending with a motorbike taking me from there to a Pho place to my AirBNB.

But what made the trip really is Luang Prabang, the remote two-road town deep into Laos. So calming, so relaxing. The sites, from the many Wats in the city, to the two great waterfall ponds outside of it, to the Elephant Village - all of it was just so incredible. Again, I've been lucky to go on many great trips. This very easily could be higher, but the ones higehr were all incredible as well.

8.) Japan Trip (2023)

Itinerary Overview: ~3 days in Kyoto, ~3 days in Takayama, ~1 day in Nikko, ~4 days in Tokyo, ~3 days in HCMC, ~1 day in Bangkok

Never have I done a trip more complex than this one. Never have I done a trip more rewarding in a way. Japan was my white whale. By the time I went there in 2013, I was a bit burnt out. I did some stuff but mostly went through the motions. I got a second chance, and my word did I make the most of it. What leaves behind with me is not even Tokyo (where I prefer Seoul), but how much I loved the escapes to Takayama, the temples of Nikko, the brilliance of every bit of Kyoto. Japan is an amazing place - and a significantly weaker Yen than when I went in 2013 didn't hurt.

Takayama and Nikko make this trip for me, random sojourns to the Japanese hinterlands where the Japanese brilliance still shone through, from amazing Izakaya's and Craft Beer shops and the like. There is a certain pride any Japenese business owner takes that is so commendable. Kyoto was one of my Top-5 citiies after I left - never have I been to a place that combines that much culture, history, gastronomy, fun and life. Honestly, Tokyo in a sense was a disappointment - just too damn big. But every other part of Japan was magic.

So was Ho Chi Minh City. This was my third real time being in HCMC, but in many ways did a lot of firsts. I saw their culinary scene expand to new heights with a true tasting menu at Anan. I saw the best of their cocktail scene. I saw their art museums and got increasingly excited at the level of their modernity. But more than anything, that damn Observatory keeps bringing me back. Nothing is more dependable time. At the end, I wish Southeast Asia was closer to Northeast Asia to make the transit times less, becauase other than that, this combination was damn perfect.


7.) Israel + Jordan (2018-19)

Itinerary Overview: 16 days, four in Jerusalem, three in Tiberias, two in Tel Aviv, three in Jordan Coast, two in Amman, two for travel

Cities in my Top-50: Jerusalem, Amman

These top-5 were all tremendous, and it was quite tough to rank them all against each other. Out of these top-5, this is the most recent (and the first one that I painstakingly chronicled on this blog). Yes, this is elevated by emotional chills gained by visiting Jerusalem. As I said many times, I wouldn't classify myself as particularly religion, yet it was still fascinating and exhilerating being there and walking the same streets and steps that Jesus did, both in Jerusalem, and in a more pointed way, in Tiberias near the Sea of Galilee. This was such untapped land.

But even looking at the Jordan half and it was an incredible vacation. Other than maybe the trip I have ranked #1, there were few better back to back days than visiting the magic of Wadi Rum - climbing rock and sand dunes, eating with bedouins - and the lost city of Petra. Jordan also gave us incredible hotels, great food (lamb, lamb and more lamb) amd amazing kunefe. Jordan was just as good as I could have hoped for.

Ultimately, this trip was thrilling and special, and I do see myself going back at least once, maybe in another 5-10 years when they uncovered more hidden gems in both countries. The lasting memory, beyond the tight bond to my faith, is how advanced both countries were at their best (Israel obviously more-so than Jordan). Both show a better side of what we commonly see as the most dangerous, tightly wound part of the wrold. Instead, they are a goldmine for tourism bliss.


6.) Iberian Peninsula (2001)

Itinerary Overview: ~15 days split between Madrid, Andalusia (Sevilla, Granada, Malaga), Lisbon

Cities in my Top-50: Madrid, Granada

This is the other trip from way back in my childhood. It left such an impression that Spain is probably my favorite country to visit (and there are so many more areas of Spain to go to). Portugal wasn't too bad either, with its fado music, rolling hills in Lisbon, a little religion thrown in (Fatima) and incredible food, simply incredible food. This also lined up when I was learning about such things as Ferdinand and Isabella, so that too was a nice touch of symmetry.

Back to Spain though, it left such an impresion that I remember so much of that trip despite it being 18 whole years ago (God, I'm old). I remember the Prado and Reina Sofia, and being enamored by Dali despite not really knowing what it was at the time. I remember so much of Madrid, what an incredible city it was. I remember the brilliance of Andalusia, with the white hills of Costa del Sol, and of course the Alhambra in Granada.

I can certainly say that the Alhambra is somethign I would appreciate a lot more now than I did then, but even the 10-year old me loved walking around those grounds, seeing the incredible views, and of course getting the chance to retreat back to our resort and eat that lamb. Oh that lamb. I have no idea how it was made, or what sauce they used, and who knows if 28-year old me would like it, but man was it one of my favorite meals from my childhood travels. This trip has certainly been played up, but I've been to Madrid twice since, and I remain steadfast in my undying love for everything Spain.

5,) Iberian Peninsula (2021)

Itinerary Overview: 15 days, three in Barcelona, two in Granada, one in Sevilla, three in Lisbon, two in San Sebastian, two in Bilbao, one in Madrid, one traveling

Cities in my Top 50: Barcelona, Granada, Lisbon, Bilbao/San Sebastian, Madrid

Hey - it's Spain and Portugal again! 20 years later I did a trip that repeated a lot of the elements of my first trip to Spain & Portugal, but traded more time in Andalusia and going to Malaga for the Basque Region and Barcelona, which is a net positive. The other inextricable advantage this trip had in particular was it being the first lengthy trip I took since the start of the Covid pandemic. It was also with friends. While places in Spain and Portugal closed way earlier than they would've had we gone two years prior, it was still us letting loose.

This trip had it all - from great restaurants, especially Belcanto in Lisbon and Azurmendi in Bilbao, to great, if short, nights out, to just a lot of experiences and running jokes that the five of us that went (three of us in the first half of hte trip) would always have. When I travel with my friends, it is always a bit slower than when I go alone or with family, but here that pace added to the experience. Each part of the trip had something memorable, from meeting a 6th friend in Barcelona who moved there early in the pandemic, to seeing the Alhambra with "adult" eyes, to enjoying Lisbon with friends, the one place that stayed open until at least 2am, to seeing the long heard about Basque region for the first time. It was all excellent.

This was the one international trip I took that was impacted by Covid, in the sense that many of the main sites required masks, places closed by 11:30 (Barcelona, hilariously) or 1am (rest of Spain) instead of 4-5am like normal, and there was still a certain "is this real?" vibe in the air. By the time I took my next trip out of the country the following Feb to Cape Town, Covid was largely in the rear view mirror in terms of impacting every day life. I do enjoy the fact that I got this one trip during Covid, and the memories taken from it. May we never have to travel that way again, but may I always remember that I did and still had an amazing time.

4.) Victoria Falls & Cape Town (2023)

Itinerary: ~3 in Victoria Falls, ~5 days in Cape Town

It will take a lot to top my Top-3. I hope a future trip does. And if this was a bit longer maybe it does. That said, this trip was about perfect, mainly because I could share Cape Town with my parents. They're the reason I love traveling. Their love of traveling, having us take international trips from 8-10, waking us up early to see the next museum and whatnot. That set my sister and I on this course. Cape Town is my love, and thinking now of that first moment that my Mom and Dad, on their anniversary no less, saw the image of the powerful Table Mountain, clear blue skies above it, from the V&A Waterfront, will always bring a tear to my eye.

Getting away from the sapiness, what elevates this trip is how amazing those three days in Victoria Falls were. The Falls themselves are fun, but the river boat crusie on the Zambezi redefined serene beauty in my mind. The one-day safari in Chobe National Park was amazing - we saw it all. Sure, would it be better on a week-long safari waking up at dawn or what-not? Of course, but that isn't all that practical - this was, and it was great. Getting to say we stepped foot in Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe was amazing.

But let's cut the shit, this is about Cape Town, and sharing it with my family. Nothing was more rewarding than them telling me a couple days in that they "get it" when it comes to my love for the place. Having them at Pier, Pot Luck Club, Belly of the Beast was great, but nothing greater than my Dad absolutely loving the environment at Cause Effect. Seeing them love these things that I had for ten years was something else. It was also my most encompassing Cape Town trip since the first one - the first time I went back on a Cape Point tour, learning to re-love Table Mountain. There was even just enough new with the Neighborgoods Market to really exploring Camps Bay in detail. Just an amazing time.

3.) Egypt + South Africa (2018)

Itinerary Overview: 17 days, one in Johannesburg, four in Cairo, four on a Nile Cruise, five in Cape Town, two for travel

Cities in my Top-50: Johannesbug, Cairo, Luxor, Cape Town

It's interesting that this ended up being three different types of trips. This was mainly solo (for Egypt, then with a friend for Cape Town). My #2 was with a large group of friends and my #1 with my family. This was the most complex trip I had done from a logistics standpoint, but also the ressurection of two aborted trips. The most direct connection was me not being allowed to go to Cape Town in 2017. The other was when I decided to move Egypt to Cape Town as the launching point for my 2013 Round-the-World Trip. Finally they both came together, and man was it great.

These were such great contrasting differences. Egypt was all about the history, the legacy of this great Ancient civilization. Cape Town being all about the natural beauty, incredible food and incredible people. One was hot, one was perfectly temperate. They both combined for an excellent vacation. There are so many lasting memories, but the best honestly mght have been the Nile Cruise on the MS Dolphin. Being able to say I sailed down the Nile the cradle of so much civilization. All the temples and tombs were so enriching. So incredible old.

Cape Town was Cape Town, but it was great to enjoy this incredible city with company for the first time. I had more interesting food this time, going for a few medium-sized posh dinners around the Western Cape. Did more hiking this time, getting to see all aspects of that beautiful Table Mountain from way up high to the forests that careen into Kirstenbosch. I may never go on such a complex trip in terms of flights back and forth (I first flew to Johannesburg before then heading up to Cairo via Dubai - did allow me to go to a Lion Park in JoBurg though) but for one 2-week stretch it was amazing.


2.) The Balkans (2017)

Itinerary: 10 days, three in Belgrade, three in Dubrovnik, two in Split and one in Zagreb

Cities in my Top-50: Belgrade, Dubrovnik, Split

As mentioned, this is my highest ranking trip with my friends. It was a group of five of us in Belgrade, and then two others joining us in Croatia. So many memories of this trip. Belgrade is still a little rough around the edges, but that roughness allowed us to get affordable bottle service on a floating club on a barge playing classic hip-hop bangers. This trip launched a thousand running jokes as well.

It really kicked off in Croatia however, which was about as whirlwind a 7-days as you can get between Dubrovnik, Split and a day at Lake Plitvice (a truly stunning experience with such variety of untouched blues). The crazy thing about this trip is how littel we slept, being out till 2-4 AM each night and up by 8 to have seven of us shower in time to make 10am tours. A whole lot of espressos were had sitting in outdoor patio'd coffeeshops in the red tiled main square old towns of Dubrovnik and Split. Somehow, I slept less on that trip than any normal week of work.

The food was great, the views were great, both in teh cities and the drive between them. I got to cross three more countries off the list (I'm including Bosnia which we drove through for a good 30 minutes on the way to Split). It was days and days and days of laughs, our first turly group international trip. And the fact we picked a place that was not too tourist heavy (in terms of sites) and more about fun (club in a castle!) it made it all the better.


1.) Patagonia (2017-18)

Itinerary: 13 days, one in Buenos Aires, two in Punta Arenas, two in El Calafate, two in Puerto Natalas, two in Santiago, two in Wine Country, two for travel

Cities in my Top-50: Punta Arenas, El Calafate, Santiago

It had been a good seven years since our full family took a trip together - that one to Greece in 2010 (probably my #11). We had gone to India together, but that is more about family and what-not. This was pure tourism. My sister and I were old enough to do most of the logistics, painstakingly picking out restaurants (both of us), hotels (mostly her) and flights (me again). In the end, it all came together in probably the most perfect 12-day vacation you can imagine.

Other than maybe the one day we lost just driving form Punta Arenas to El Calafate, but even on that day, we got to see some really cool, open terrain (tons of photos), a bunch of cute sheep and vacuna, and have two great meals. The food was amazing throughout, with such interesting range of cuisines from the more earthy food in Patagonia, to fresh seafood in Vina del Mar (near Santiago) to tasting menus to grab and go ceviche. The drinks were nice too, be it well manicured but not overbearing wineries in the main wine region, to the beer spots I dug out - my favorite being Zorra's Taproom in El Calafate, a truly one-road town.

What makes this trip sing though is the tourism, the indelible images and experiences in Tierra del Fuego - as South as I'll probably ever go, and then the two-day combination of Perito Moreno Glacier and Torres del Paine park. The Glacier I've already ranked as my favorite outdoor site ever, and from both the cantileverd steps on one side, and walking with crampons on its Hoth-like presence on the other, it was amazing. Torres del Paine was just the best National Park I have ever been to. Finally to cap the trip was two days in Santiago, which very quickly jumped to being my favorite South American city. This trip was perfect, and it will be a long time before we recreate anything close.

My 20 Favorite US & Canadian Cities

 **Updating this after a few years, as I can add a few onto the list and also re-evaluate a few decisions.**

Not eligible becuase I live too close / can't speak to as a tourist attraction: New York City (obviously would be really high), The entire rest of the Northeast Corridor (Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, Washington), Jacksonville, Houston

Not eligible because my time there was limited to work: Raleigh, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale

20.) Atlanta (2017)

I went to Atlanta once, on a bachelor party of a family friend. It was a great time, and sure it may be hard to separate the city from the bachelor party-ness of it all (a good one is about as good a long weekend as possible), but the city itself seemed like a better, not as hot, Dallas. Really nice restaurants featuring southern cooking. We ventured out to a couple nice suburbs for meals as well. Of course, there are a few aspects of the city that make it a particularly apt Bachelor Party spot - some that are basically cultural mileposts. Won't say more. The only thing keeping it from being higher is the lack of historical importance and natural beauty; most of the cities on the list have one or the other.


19.) Orlando (1998, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2016)

Removing Disney and Universal, Orlando wouldn't be anywhere close to this. I have visited Orlando a couple times without really touching either park system and found it decent, with good shopping and decent restuarants/bars. But we can't just ignore that those two monster park systems, in Disney's case, a literal city. Those parks to have some magic to them, changing enough each half decade to not get fully old (haven't really visited any since 2009). Disney is quite a bit magical, and despite the cost, the crowds, it is one of the world's best destinations.

18.) Houston (many times)

It's hard to really judge Houston as a tourist destination because it hasn't been one too often for me, going there mostly for work our to visit my cousin and his family - both of those two drawing me more to The Woodlands, a posh Houston suburb that beacuse of Houston traffic is far away. That said, I've spend a decent time downtown and while Houston is as sprawling as we think, there's many cool neighborhoods, many great night spots, and it might be one of the best food cities in North America. Truly they have great food of many cuisines, having some of the best Mexican food of any American city, and extending that to Vietnamese, Nepalese and so many others. There's not too much to "see" but tehre's a lot to eat and do, which makes up for it.

17.) Portland, ME (2021)

Portland will always remain in my mind as the place I went to first during the pandemic, with four of us taking a group trip. While there were some restrictions, it was also a way to see the city and the surrounding area in the height of the fall colors without it being too busy. The place though had a lot to offer. Really nice restaurants with a great mix of high brow cooking without the fuss. A lot of great breweries, including some really great set-ups in converted warehouses. The night scene was pretty good, with its few cobblestone alleys lined with pubs and bars and the like. In the end, we had a nice time in Portland, and my only real quibble (other than the ridiculous cost of lobster rolls) is that the sights, including Acadia Park, are a bit too far away.

16.) Las Vegas (2004, 2022, 2024)

We can throw that 2004 trip out. I do remember it, but in reality this ranking is based on 2022 and 2024. There are probably few places better to spend 24-48 hours. But the second you get to that third day, things get rough. There is so much to like about the city though, to the glitz, to the food, to the life of it all. Yes, I'm nowhere near rich enough to enjoy it in full, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying it in little. What I do like in Vegas is nothing feels like a rip-off. On a recent trip there for a friend's bachelor party, we paid a decent amount to (1) go to a day-party at the MGM pool hosted by Martin Garrix, (2) eat at a steakhouse and (3) go to the Omnia Club with Zedd. All of it was at the very least worth the money. That's all one can ask for, right?


15.) Vancouver (2018, 2020)

Vancouver is beautiful, that much is obvious. With the mountains to the north a constant presence above a great modern North American city. If anything, I'll hae to give more reasons for not ranking Vancouver higher than this. The city is quite big, with potential traffic issues. There are a few nice neighborhoods, but they are hard to reach from the outsides of the city. The nice nature is a little too far. Anyway, if you have time, and a car, the city is great. The food, especially the various asian-inspired bistros, are great. The nature is wonderful, particularly if you have time to drive up the Coast.


14.) Austin (2002, 2016)

May seem low, but that more speaks to the strengths of the cities above it, which include truly unique factors, great restaurant & beer cultures, and/or historical relevance. Austin has some of these things, if not all, but not at the high degree of some of the others. The best aspects probably are the barbecue and live music, but there's other cities that do each, if not both in one case, at a reasonably good level as well, without the added heat and sprawl. Either way, Austin is a fantastic city, but is starting to get slightly too popular and slightly overcrowded to add to the fact that American does indeed have a lot of great cities.

13.) San Francisco (1999, 2008, 2014, 2017)

San Francisco actually somewhat proves my point about Calgary maybe needing another go. Had I not spent a long weekend there in November, it would likely be higher, but there is a couple glaring issues I found this time around, mainly the almost unimaginable homeless problem driven mostly by opiods and drugs. There are streets deep inside SF's main area that are basically unwalkable. It disfigures what is a great city outside of that, with incredible food, a world-class art and drinks culture, good museums, great sightlines and parks, and so much more. The only other negative to me might be the price, which is somewhat unescapable. Either way, San Francisco has a few black marks on it that hurt it from being a truly brilliant city..

12.) Minneapolis (2022)

The only downside I can think of about Minneapolis is that they didn't have a lot of hiking, something that I probably would have realized with a bit more research ahead of time. Anyway, with that little exception, I found the rest of Minneapolis quite lovely. Great food, with some really upmarket restaurants, like an excellent tasting menu experience at Travail. Beyond that, of course there's umpteen increedible breweries that were all amazing. This wasn't a surprise at all, I was expecting some amazing brews in Minneapolis. What was more unexpected was a truly great Art museum, beyond just the normal fare with a bunch of surprisingly great Asian art. Also the city was eminently drivable, which I'm starting to think is more a localized NE problem (of course add in places like Chicago, LA).resta

11.) Portland (2017)

I went to Portland three weeks before I went to San Francisco in 2017, and found it quite a bit better. They are similar in some ways, but Portland is cheaper, with the same asian influences. Also in Portland's favor is a truly astounding craft beer culture, and great food all around, from Pok Pok's wings, to incredible biscuit sandwhiches. You also get some beautiful, remote, scenery in teh 1-2 hour perimiter of the city, from the Mt. Hood region to the East and the Tillamook Forest to the West. It's a truly beautiful city with a great sense of what it is; one of the few cities in America that define everything that a unique American city should have. 

10.) New Orleans (2024)

I technically visited New Orleans back in 1994 or something. Obviously, I have no memories of that trip. I went again in 2024 for a friends Bachelor Party. Seems cliche, sure. and yes we spent probably too much time in the French Quarter, but go a bit astray from that and you get quite a fantastic city. The secondary drag we went to the second night - the area near Frenchman's Street - is just so perfect. There is really no American city like it - our kind of crazier, more "American-ized" version of Montreal. What New Orleans also really has going for it is its food scene - the cajun/creole food that is so uniquely its own. For weird Europeans who claim we have no culture, I submit to you New Orleans. From the music, to the unique architecture, to the food, to the culture, there is really nothing like it - even if it is a bit too trashy to really love.

9.) San Diego (1999, 2017)

We all get the jokes about San Diego, the perfect weather, the laissaz faire attitude that made a whole community do a shrug emoji when they lost their football team. The perfect nature of the city. All of it. It is all true, because we are all just jealous that a city with a perfect year-round climate was made and we don't all live there. I went in March, it was 70 each day and sunny. The city has history, with old churches and military history like the aircraft carrier musuem. It has great food - including multiple great restaurants lining the Gaslamp district. There is a great beer culture highlighted by two of the most successful craft breweries in the US in Ballast Point and Stone. And of course there are some great hiking trails and parks and sports. The city is a perfect place to live, but it isn't too bad to visit either.

8.) Toronto (2008, 2016, 2017)



I almost put The Six in the groups of cities that I can't rank as I did a project in a suburb for four months, close enough to go into the city many times, but I liked it too much to keep it out. Toronto is great, easily the best (NY excluded) mega-tropolis I've been to in the US. The positives in Toronto are endless, from the CN Tower, to the Island, to the bevy of incredible food options, and neighborhoods from Downtown, to the Distellery District, to Yorkville, to so many others. The food is great. The beer is great. The bars are great. The city is large but never has the traffic or urban sprawl problems that other huge USA cities have to deal with. Toronto also has a great comedy and music since (Drake aside), and has as much culture of its US counterparts. It's a lot larger than people realize, and still has all the cultural charms of the secondary cities, A rare combination.


7.) Phoenix (2021, 2022)

The only negative I have to say of Phoenix is that there are limited things to do. There are nice hikes and walks in nature, but its blisteringly hot. The Grand Canyon is a bit too far for me to include it and be fair to other places that I would leave out a site 3 hours away. That said, parts of Phoenix are phenomenal. Secretly, I think its one of the best food cities in America, with just superb Mexican food without the frills of SoCal (or even Texas). There is just great Mexican food everywhere. There's a surprisingly strong beer culture, including some great bottle shop/beer bars. There are some sites, including one of the better 'single focus' museums I've been to in the Heard Museum on Native American history. It's a fast growing city but still eminently drivable. There's a real lot to like, just go between October and April. **After coming back twice since writing this, my impression of Phoenix has only increased. It is the most drivable metropolis in the US, the food and beer are excellent, and the hiking within an hour of the city is great. It is also oddly one of the more green cities in America.**


6.) Salt Lake City (2018)

Of course, Salt Lake City encompasses the cottonwood canyons, and the Great Salt Lake in this ranking. I don't know if there is a US metro area that mixes urbanity and nature quite like Salt Lake (other than maybe the city at #2). The food in Salt Lake was great, with a burgeoning foodie scene. The alcohol options are more varied than you would think. The city is amazingly walkable and easy to transit around. Finally, those views, those hikes, that natural beauty. Salt Lake City's bevy of close by hiking options, all within an hours ride from downtown, are astounding. All double as great ski slopes in the winter as well, for those that like that aspect of the world. My first trip to Salt Lake City took me by surprise, and truly I can't wait to go back.

5.) Chicago (1998, 2001, 2005, 2015)

I need to go to Chicago again, because while I did go for three days in 2015, that wasn't a long enough trip to formulate a changed opinion. My memories of Chicago are more from childhood, where I remember it being somewhat a perfect American city. They have arguably the best collection of museums of any American city. They have a beach. They have incredible sports to witness, including a cathedral that is Wrigley Field. I'm sure they have food and great bars and all the rest as well. The largest four cities in the country for as long as I can remember have been NYC, LA, Chicago and Houston (just city, not metro area), and Chicago seems the least like a true sprawling Metropolis. **2024 Update: I've gone to Chicago many, many times more, mostly because my company opened an office there. In all honesty, I should remove it at this point. It's fantastic, that's all there is to say. Having not really been to Los Angeles enough to judge, Chicago is easily to me America's 2nd best megalopolis. Of course, this isn't a ranking of Megalopolises....**

4.) Denver (2015, 2019, 2020, 2021)



This is somewhat re-written after my trip in 2021, but Denver as a whole is still an incredible city but has grown a bit too big since my first trip in 2015. The food scene is still great, the natural beauty arond it in every direction is still great. The city remains really drivable and workable, and has some great night spots (the best club I've been to in the US - though granted with covid-impacted crowd control restrictions which helped). There's really no down side to Denver. The only reason it's dropped in my mind since my first visit (after which I had it at #2) is because another city leaped over it (a city that share's a lot of similarity to Denver) and because the craft beer which was such a large part of my initial ranking is something that many other cities have caught up to.

3.) Calgary (2005)

This is re-written as the first time I did this list I was only going off my trip in 2005. I went back in 2019, to experience the city itself and the surrounding area again. At the time I was worried if I overrated Calgary (I had it like 10th), having gone back, I seriously underrated it. Calgary is incredible drivable, despite being a metro of 2mm people. It has excellent food including great use of Calgary beef. The night spots were all excellent, from great and relatively low priced cocktail bars to one of the better clubs I've been to in North America (sadly, Habitat Living Social seems to have closed...). The weather is incredible (summer only, obviously), and Banff is every bit as magical as it's made out to be with Carribean-blue water mixed with incredible scenery. It truly is North America's underrated little jewel that I just wish was easier to get to.

2.) Nashville (2016, 2017)



Live music has many homes within the US, but I would argue none touches Nashville, from mainstream spots like the Grand Ole Opry or Bluebird Cafe, to the many great spots that litter Broadway on both sides, to even the others that espouse Rock and Blues. Nashville owns all cities I've been to when looking at music. Of course, that isn't where Nashville's positives ends. There are great restaurants, from BBQ to hot chicken, to a truly special burger place in Pharmacy Burger. The cities' increasingly built up outskirts push the number of restaurants and bars even further higher, The city, nestled nicely in the Appalachian plateau's even rarely gets too hot. What a great slice of Americana.



1.) Montreal (many, many, many times)

Yes, I've been to Montreal a lot, mostly during its annual Jazz Festival it hosts in the Place des Artes area - a tremendously run festival visited by millions. But even outside the festival, Montreal is an amazing city. It has sites, from Mont Royal to the various churches and buildings, to the Old Town,. It has incredible food, from French Canadian staples to world known Smoked Meat. It has a great bar culture, with some great breweries. It has live music even when you remove the Jazz Festival. It has great parks and open streets and little crowding, and crepes, and everything else. Having such a seemingly foreign city, where French reigns supreme, so close to home is fantastic, and i'm blessed to be able to visit it somewhat-annually.