Road Trip Status

Well, I am back from the trip! It was so much fun. It was done on an incredibly strict budget, so I did not get to explore as much as I would have wanted, but I did get to see most of what I wanted. (Next time around, I will have to save up more and plan better but hey, this was beyond worth it).

I am currently in the process of packing and moving soon, but a post on the road trip will be up in the next week. I am going to cover a few things in it:

• Traveling on a budget
• Places I got to see
• Prices for food/gas/etc.
• Time of year and weather
• Possibly other things

I have been working on writing this on my phone since the beginning of the trip, so it should not take me too long once I am not as busy with things.

I posted some of the pictures of my journey on my travel Instagram page:

wildheartedtraveler

Hopefully you enjoy the pictures and I look forward to writing this all up for everyone to see!

Have a great day or night!  

xo Nikki

Boston Adventure: Part Two - Harpoon Brewery

I am a bit of a beer fanatic and I enjoy trying new beers whenever I get the chance. One of the best ways to do this is by going to the brewery itself; you'll get to see how the beer is made, learn some history, and taste a few of the beers they make. I have been to the Samuel Adams Brewery before, but this time around in Boston, I went to Harpoon Brewery. Let me tell you, this place was amazing!

First of all, the primary Harpoon Brewery is in Boston, Massachusetts (Seaport Area), but they have a much smaller location in Windsor, Vermont. The Boston location is where all the mass production takes place. Another cool thing about Harpoon is they are environmentally conscious and make sure their products are recycled properly, winning them the Boston Green Business Award in 2012.

The first room of the brewery had a shop, a bar, and long wooden tables. There were no TVs there because they went with the old fashioned idea that people drinking beer should sit together and socialize, which I thought was a wonderful idea. There were plenty of beers on top (all for pretty cheap, too) and they had samplers for those who are not into alcohol, there was nonalcoholic rootbeer! And fresh squeezed lemonade. The food looked good, too. We got the cinnamon pretzel and it was to die for.

Aside from the pretzel, my friend got the

nonalcoholic rootbeer and I got the "specialty sampler" which came with 1) Apple Cinnamon UFO, 2) UFO Cranberry, 3) Captain's IPA, and 4) Nana's Nightcap. The UFO versions are their unfiltered options, and they are so good. It was my first time trying the Apple Cinnamon UFO and Nana's Nightcap. Both were so good! I was really happy with my choice in that one. Another awesome thing is that they make sure the beers on the sampler palette are numbered in accordance to the chalk board above the bar, so you always know what you are drinking. The sampler was also only $6, which is basically a steal.

The brewery tour itself cost $5 per person and the tours run on the hour. We were all given protective goggles before going through the tour. We also lucked out that our tour group was really small, so we got to hear everything and have it be a little more personal.

 At the beginning, we got to see the beer being put into bottles, cans, and kegs with this really intense machine. The "bottling line" can fill ~250 bottles a minute!

The main ingredients of beer are:

• Water
• Malted Barley
• Hops
• Yeast

The employee giving the tour takes you down to where the beer itself is brewed (The Brewhouse) and goes through the process. There are several steps to making

beer, starting with the malted barley, which is broken down so the starches become exposed. It is then mixed with hot water in the Mash Tun--this mixture creates what we call mash. After that, the mash is put through a filter so the husks do not get mixed in with the wort (the liquid). The next step is the Brew Kettle, where the
hops are added to the beer (the amount and kind depending on the type of beer being brewed). A whirlpool treatment is then used to separate the wort from the excess hop and barley particles. The last step is sending the wort to the tank to start the fermentation process.

A fun fact is that the broken down barley is given to local farmers as feed
for their livestock. This is beneficial for them because the cows, horses, etc. do not need to break down the extra starches after eating--it was already done at the brewery!

After this, we went back into a room and learned about some of the current
beers on top. We also got to try "green beer" which is the title given to beer before it becomes what it is supposed to be. After trying the green beer, we got to try different beers on top. I tried an IPA, a Nitro Stout, and this limited edition porter. Again, everything was really good.

The last stop was to learn about bottling and sales. Harpoon bottles

their beer in brown bottles to ensure no exposure to sunlight (something that can cause the beers to get "skunked"), which effects a lot of beers in clear or green bottles. They also pay attention to the shelf life of the beer, so if you buy a package of Harpoon and it tastes funny or is past its shelf life date, bring it in and they will exchange it for you to ensure your overall satisfaction!

Another topic covered was location. Harpoon's products do not span as far as the west coast and they do not have any current plans to do so.

Overall, I would recommend going to the Harpoon Brewery, no matter your feelings on beer. There's so many different options there and the people working are really friendly.

Revisited Plan: Another Road Trip

Yes, you read that correctly: On February 1st, 2017, I will be starting another trip! This time, nothing is going to hold me back or ruin it! (Though last time I ended up living on an island for 5+ months, so it was not all bad, haha).

(2016 - Hiking to the Horse Caves in the Holyoke Mountain Range in Massachusetts)

I am beyond excited to see all the things I missed out on last time. This one will be just under two weeks (financially, I will not be able to afford much more than that (long story, this is normally not the case), but whatever). To me, that's still enough time to see some of the things I am longing to see, and I will be able to narrow down more ideas for other road trips.

I definitely know I want to hit the Grand Canyon in Arizona, and no one understands how pumped I am to FINALLY be going to Utah!! (Legitimately have been waiting for this moment for so, so, so long!) I want to go to a National Park there as well, though I know I am going to need to go back to Utah--there's too many parks there and not enough time to see absolutely everything. Colorado would be cool as well, but I want to go there again, too. (A possible trip idea I have is going across the top area because I want to hit South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and then into Oregon. Planning still in process as this will be much further down the road).

It's nice to be able to have the freedom to do this now, though I am going to be a little stressed when it comes to money after. I was contemplating writing a quick guide to traveling on a budget. I know it has been done before, but everyone's experience is different and I think looking at these kinds of things from various viewpoints is always a plus. Hopefully if I do this, it can help someone out with a trip they are planning!

Until then, I am going to Connecticut this weekend and trying to figure out what I want to pack for all my adventures! I honestly think packing is the worst part, and it always results in me having 5 different lists of what I need.

Time to get back to writing my book--hopefully I can get it finished up soon. Hope everyone is doing well and has a great day. <3

Boston Adventure: Part One - Food for Days

Recently, someone said to me,

"If you're going to travel and write, why would you go to Boston?

I would want to go overseas."

(Boston Seaport)

This resonated with me a bit because I love all kinds of traveling, hands down. Whether it's taking a five hour drive to Boston, Massachusetts for a three day trip, or an eight hour flight to Lima, Peru to be in South America for two weeks, being somewhere different is exhilarating. People take for granted what is around them, the amazing things that are nearby. This happened to me when I lived in Connecticut; I saw quite a few things that were amazing, but I did not take full advantage.

This time around is far different. I might not be living in New England, but I am going to take advantage of living up north while I still can.

On January 8, 2017, my friend and I went to Boston for a three day mini vacation. She was looking for potential jobs (and Boston is definitely an amazing area for that) and I just wanted to get out of New York, per usual. Either way, we turned it into an adventure. Boston has so much offer, from history to great food to interesting sites to see. This first post on Boston is going to revolve around food because we ate A LOT of it, at a lot of different places.

(Shrimp Tempura Roll and Philly Roll at Thelonious Monkfish)

The first place we went to was Thelonious Monkfish, a Japanese restaurant that offers live jazz at night located on 524 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA. Not only was the atmosphere of the restaurant absolutely spectacular, the jazz playing in the background tired everything together and gave it a very cool vibe. Not only do they have an extensive sushi section, but their entire menu was varied and moderately priced (considering it's in a major city). We delved into the sushi right away, which was outstanding (seeing as I am a bit of a sushi freak). They even have a list of rolls known as Fairy Tale Sushi, which are named after different fairy tales, such The Snow Queen Roll and Red Riding Hood Roll. The drink list was also really good--we got the same drink, and forgive me for not properly remembering the name but it was something like "Bitchy Witch" or something. It consisted of Tito's, muddled strawberries, and mint... almost like a Mojito, which is a personal favorite.

(Bitchy Witch (or whatever it's called) at Thelonious Monkfish)

(Fried pickles and poutine at Veggie Galaxy)

After Thelonious Monkfish, we went a few doors down to Veggie Galaxy, a vegan/vegetarian restaurant for dinner round two because yes, we are those people! Now... I am not a vegetarian and I am not a vegan, but I appreciate good food regardless, and this place... let me tell you! It was so good! We started off with poutine and fried pickles because everyone needs appetizers for round two. These two appetizers were both basically meals within themselves, though, and beyond delicious. My friend got a sandwich melt and I went for a Caesar salad with red and yellow peppers and homemade croutons on top. The small salad was HUGE and I was impressed, even though I could not finish everything in front of me.

(Small Galaxy Caesar at Veggie Galaxy)

To top it off, the chocolate frappe was Down East (one of the absolute best ciders out there, in my opinion).

(Down East at Veggie Galaxy)

amazing (and I don't even like chocolate that much) and they had

Our third stop on the first night was to Brick & Mortar, a "hidden bar." The concept of this was awesome, and I am going to refrain was putting in the address (though you can probably find it online, or at least something close). This place was cool, and fun to try and find. We accidentally walked into a kitchen twice because we looked at the map wrong... and because when at first you don't succeed, close the door and open it again and it might turn into the place you want it to be! When we finally found the proper door, we walked up the stairs and into a cozy little bar area. We were had to come here. I found they had Bantam Rojo, which I was pleased about. Down East and Bantam in one night?! It's reasons like this (and a few others, obviously) I miss living in New England.

(Bantam Rojo at Brick & Mortar)

tired, but we

The next day, we went to Amelia's Taqueria (309 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA) for lunch. It's a walk up to the counter and order kind of restaurant, similar to Chipotle. This place was so good, and for the price, you got a lot of food. My friend got the vegetarian quesadilla and I got a chicken burrito... which was massive!

(Cranberry UFO - Harpoon Brewery)

In between everything, we adventured to the Harpoon Brewery (306 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA) and took a tour. Before the tour, we ate a delicious cinnamon pretzel and tried different beers (well, I tried a bunch of different beers, my friend isn't a huge beer person but she got adventurous, too). I am going to write a whole separate section on Harpoon, but those pretzels... EAT THEM ALL. It was spectacular, and I am craving one as I write this.

That night was time for Fire & Ice (205 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA), one of my absolute favorite places to go! If you love pasta and you have never been here, YOU NEED TO GO. It's an all-you-can-eat pasta restaurant. There's a circular stove top in the center of the second floor and you wait around the stove with your bowl of pasta, meats, veggies, etc. and they cook it right in front of you. Pasta is not the only thing you can get here--Fire & Ice offers burgers, Phillies, fajitas, and much more. If you have a food allergy or you have a food restriction, they will give you a ticket and when you bring your food up, they will cook it in back so it does not get mixed with anything else, which I always thought was pretty cool. It's $19.99 for the all-you-can-eat pasta dinner (prices vary for lunch and brunch), which is not a bad price to begin with. We went on Monday night, which is college night (and we only paid $10.99 because we had our college IDs!!) but if you want to go for that, make sure you go earlier. Around 7-7:30pm, the place fills up!

(Fire Bowl at Fire & Ice)

Another thing about Fire & Ice that was good was the Fire Bowl, their own take on the popular scorpion bowl drinks... and so yummy. The Fire Bowl was fruity and delicious, and definitely enough for the two of us!

On the last day, we went to Zuma Tex Mex Grill in Quincy Market. This was another place where we got so much food for such a great price. The service was not the best, but we went at an off time. Regardless, the food was really good and filling. I highly recommend the chicken enchiladas from there.

I wish we had more time to try other places, but Boston is basically right there and I am more than willing to go again--maybe when it's warmer out, though!

(Other parts of the Boston adventure will be up soon!)

((ALL PHOTOS IN THIS BLOG POST WERE TAKEN BY ME, NIKKI KRISTAN))

Hiking Wayna Picchu

Located in the Andes Mountains in Peru rests Machu Picchu, a 15th century Inca citadel and one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Machu Picchu is 2,430 meters ( approximately 7,970 feet) above sea level in the Cusco Region of Peru. The location of Machu Picchu is astounding, as it rests on the side of a steep ridge overlooking the turbulent Urubamba River, but that is what makes it so fascinating. (Specifics on Machu Picchu to be continued in the next blog post!)

Towering just behind the site of Machu Picchu is Mount Huayna Picchu (otherwise known as Wayna Picchu, which is the Hispanic spelling). The Urubamba River bends just around this mountain that towers 360 meters (~1,180 feet) above the site of Machu Picchu, and it 2,720 meters (~8,920 feet) above sea level. The Incas built a path to the top of the mountain, in which it is believed that smalls groups of people would journey every morning to signal the start of a new day. This path can be taken by travelers and tourists coming onto the site, but there is no way around hiking to the top. Yes, that's right, everyone has to hike the same path the Incas took!

The path, in some areas, has a thick wire to hold onto, but other than that, it is free reign. Anyone taking this trail will be hiking on uneven ground, jagged rocks, and up incredibly steep sections. Personally, I find that this makes the adventure far more enjoyable because of the experience it allows. There are regulations to taking this trail, though. Only 400 people are allowed to hike Huayna Picchu a day, and it gets separated into two groups (this is done in order to preserve the mountain and ruins). The hike itself takes about 1.5-2 hours up for the average person, and about .75-1 hour back down. Make sure you bring lots of water, and even a few granola bars or a sandwich just in case!

The view from the entire hike is astounding. As you climb the steep slopes, the view of Machu Picchu below becomes better and better. It looks as though the mountain peaks in the surrounding area are reaching up and touching the clouds. You can also see the zig-zagged bus path that leads up the side of the mountain and the rushing Urubamba River below.

Nearing the top, terraces are what you will be climbing on. The Incas built terraces on the sides of Huayna

Picchu and there are even temples on the steep mountain. Around the terraces, there are small steps to walk up and you can go out onto the terraces and overlook the valleys below. It's amazing to think about how they managed to built these creations in precarious areas. It's even more amazing that they are so well preserved that some of us get the chance to see them firsthand and get this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Keep on going up and the peak starts to come into view. There is a small, narrow cave everyone has to crawl through one at a time and at the end is a makeshift wooden ladder, held together by frayed rope. Climb up that and--Voila! You are at the peak of Huayna Picchu!

This is nothing like a peak most tourists would expect. It's not made to have a platform or railings, it is literally the tip of the mountain, jagged rocks and all. The air is fresh and the echoes of the river below are relaxing--unless heights make you nervous! A few people up there--myself and my aunt included--crawled out to sit backwards on the edge of one of the rocks. It is a feeling like no other. The mix of relaxation and adrenaline is a unique feeling, literally taking your breath away.

Once done at the top, the trek down begins. Sure, the time is shorter, but the way down is far more precarious. How? Well, you'll be first stepping down to the

very narrow path (approximately 1-1.5 feet in width) and have to shimmy along it until you reach this giant stone that gives you maybe 8 inches of the path to work with. Don't look down--there's a sheer drop right behind you. After you're around that, you climb down the stairs that run alongside the terraces. If you think that sounds easy, wait until you do it! The stairs are extremely narrow (one foot can fit the length of one) and very uneven. The terraces offer some support, if you can find areas of the rocks to squeeze your hands through. That sheer drop is still right behind you and you can hear the wind howling in your ears as you make your journey to the bottom.

When you make it past the narrow pathway and the terraces, the rest of the hike is not so bad. You'll have to

jump down the rocks or climb at certain areas, but it's nothing like the hike up. If you are in the second group, make sure you check your times and make it back down to the bottom before the early afternoon rains start! They set up the two hiking trips in the morning so no one gets caught up on the mountain while it's raining because of how dangerous it is. (Be careful on this hike anyway because they do not land helicopters on the mountain and the only other way to retrieve someone that has been injured is to have medics hike up the mountain to your location.)

At the bottom, you follow the trail that leads you right back into Machu Picchu. It's interesting to look at the ruins after seeing them from such a great height, it adds a whole new perspective to the civilization and what the Incas were able to create.

(My aunt booked our trip through Abercrombie & Kent Travel Agency; all photos taken by me on a Nikon D40 (except for the one of me at the peak, which was taken by our wonderful tour guide, Edgar.))

Sunsets Over the Sound

I am still in Frisco, North Carolina... figuring out my life and going on adventures when I can. Although I want to end up in Florida as soon as I possibly can, I cannot deny the beauty of this place. Even when I am feeling down, all I have to do is look at the water and no matter the time of day or condition of the weather, it is astounding.

This photo was taken by me of the sunset on the sound. I have quite a few photos of this, 1) because I adore sunsets, 2) the colors are always so unique and different, I find it inspiring, and 3) I think clouds are sick.

Photos like this make me smile. I hope other people see things like this and smile. Of course, the beauty is always much, much better in person, but a photo captures something. Anything. Something different for every person.

I think I am going to put together something about sunsets, but I don't know for sure yet. What I do know is that I need to get myself in gear and see more of the world. I need to see what else is out there and what I am missing out on from moping around. I never needed much to do the things I wanted to do, and now, I need to get back on that track.

Until then, I am going to see adventuring when possible, enjoying the sunsets and sunrises, and try to make myself smile--if not, maybe a few other people as well.

And don't you forget, make sure you see and do the things that make you happen. If something seems impossible, go for it anyway. Find a way to make it work. In the long run, I would rather struggle with money for a few weeks than realized I missed out on something that could have and would have been absolutely amazing.

Enjoy. And be happy.

xo

(Both photos were taken by me (Nikki Kristan) on a Nikon D40)

Jibtopia Wake Park

JIBTOPIA WAKE PARK

Over the last few days, I camped out with a friend at the Jibtopia Wake Park in Semora, North Carolina. (Click link for phone number, address, and addtional information). I was not entirely sure what to expect, and although I did not wakeboard this time (I am going to next time, hopefully!!), I found the place entirely enjoyable... on all levels. To start things off, he staff was friendly and welcoming, and the owner (Andy) was absolutely awesome. We even got a campsite right on the water. It's a fresh wave of positivity than any person can respect.

The park consists of camping grounds, a man-made lake, a bar/restaurant area, clean and well-kept bathrooms and showers, and a shop for shirts or wakeboarding gear (Liquid Force). There are three cables in the lake, the third cable being the beginner one where anyone can go and learn how to ride and get used to things. The other two cables are varying levels of difficulty. The campsites are for tents or RVs and there is a nice, full service bar/restaurant right on the location.

The bar/restaurant on site has anything from cheeseburgers to chicken fingers to fries, and more. The drinks are priced well--nothing to break the bank, which is always pleasant to find out--and the service in excellent. The rates are reasonable, too: a one hour pass is $18, a two hour pass is $30, a full day pass is $45. If you need to rent equipment, the rates depend on how many hours you are riding (main website link at bottom of post).

Always keep watch, because on weekends, there seems to be something fun going on quite often. If you're not sure about wakeboarding, there are also dirt bike trails and horseback riding. The weekend we went, country singer Jason Michael Carroll was performing. The concert was awesome, with nifty beer tents lining the area and people dancing. The bar area was slammed and filled with people enjoying themselves. When the concert was over, there was an after party at Bar 119, located right next to the grounds (which is convenient because anyone going can safely walk to and from their campsite). Bar 119 is huge, with multiple bars inside, a stage, and a large dance floor. There are even pool tables there. This was one of my favorite parts of the weekend; a DJ was playing between Matt Boswell performing onstage. The drinks were not crazily overpriced and everyone seemed to be having the time of their lives.

If you need to grab a few things that you did not bring with you or just need something extra real quick, don't worry! About a mile down the street, there is a Dollar General (which we ended up living at because Red Bull was a necessity in every sense of the word). A gas station is also right across the street from the Dollar General. Roxboro, NC is about 20-25 minutes away if Walmart/pretty much anything else is needed (there is a main street there that has restaurants, other gas stations, Walmart, Home Depot, etc. etc.)

I am definitely looking forward to coming back here in September (there is a wakeboarding competition going on). The hospitality alone made my experience worthwhile. Everything else was a definite plus. I would definitely recommend visiting Jibtopia for a fun camping weekend, to wakeboard, or just to enjoy and meet new people.

- Nikki Kristan xo


(Additional blog post information: Written on July 24, 2016; Modified on August 27, 2016; Jibtopia main wesbite; photo #1 - view from our tent; photo #2 - lake and cable runs; photo #3/#5/#7 - Kieran Bowman (Facebook Page & Instagram); photo #4/#6 - EPIC Kites 8M)