Going Nomadic https://goingnomadic.com Fri, 01 Oct 2021 18:00:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Mono Lake, California: Alien Landscapes on Earth https://goingnomadic.com/mono-lake-california-alien-landscapes-on-earth/ Fri, 01 Oct 2021 17:26:10 +0000 https://goingnomadic.com/?p=208

Last summer I road-tripped from Las Vegas up to Washington State and one of my “must-see” stops was Mono Lake.

Mono Lake is one of the oldest bodies of water in North America.   It’s a salty, alkaline lake (it has a ph of 10) and is located in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California (only a couple hours from the Nevada border).   Because of the ph, no fish can live in this water, but it is home to brine shrimp & alkali flies – whose pupae was a staple of the Kutzadika’a people (part of the native Northern Paiute tribe).

The water of Mono Lake feels very soapy on your hands.  It’s actually possible to wash your clothes with just the water from the lake, but it is not recommended, because the high ph will eat through fabrics in just a few washings). But what makes Mono Lake so magnetic, is the tufas that emerged as water levels in the lake sank.   These tufas make this lake look like an alien landscape, and are something that one has to see in person to really appreciate the beauty of.

(click on each photo to see the full image, or scroll to the bottom to see them on my photography site)

]]> You Know You’re In Egypt When https://goingnomadic.com/you-know-youre-in-egypt-when/ Wed, 29 Sep 2021 17:26:13 +0000 https://goingnomadic.com/?p=361

 

Egyptian Sign

You Know You’re in Egypt When…

Signs can be revelatory about a culture. And we came across this one walking down the seafront in Dahab, on the coast of the Sinai desert in Egypt.

The local Bedouin have moved more to pickup trucks than camels nowadays, which, if you’ve ever ridden a camel, should come as no surprise. But the odd camel and plenty of horses ply the desert between the two sides of town and you can tell you’re a long way from home

 

Theodora Sutcliffe blogs at Travels With A Nine Year Old   about her long-term journey with her now-11-year-old son. For some comedy signs from Asia, visit here: http://travelswithanineyearold.com/2010/08/29/6-signs-that-say-youre-a-long-way-from-home/

   

This is part of a new series of photos I’m calling:

“Things You Don’t See At

Home”.

Have your own photo of something strange, new, awesome, or funny that you have seen while traveling and want to guest-post here as part of my weekly, Friday THINGS YOU DON’T SEE AT HOME series?

Send me an email at nomaddanib@gmail.com with ‘THINGS YOU DON’T SEE AT HOME’ in the subject, along with your photo (JPEG), short caption, link to your travel/fanpage and short bio.

Look for “Things You Don’t See At Home” photos every Friday. (to coincide with #FriFoto on Twitter).

CHEERS!

]]> World Water Day | Photography https://goingnomadic.com/world-water-day-photography/ Wed, 29 Sep 2021 17:26:13 +0000 https://goingnomadic.com/?p=359

 

World Water Day is Friday March 22nd, 2013 (next Friday),  and to celebrate World Water Day,  here are some water photos from my collection.

Playa Caribe, cartagena, colombia, south america, water, goingnomadic, la gringa photosla gringa photos, goingnomadic, boat, water, caribbean, ocean ,sea, blue water, people fishing, buoy, water, goingnomadic, la gringa photos, fishermen, boat, caribbean, colombia, south america, cartagenafishermen, boats, tourists, water, goingnomadic, world water day, la gringa photos, caribbean, cartagena, colombia, south americaisland, water, clear water, clean water, caribbean water, crystal blue, colombia, cartagena, sea, goingnomadic, la gringa photostour boats, tourism, travel, water, cruise boats off the shore, beach, playa blanca, going nomadic, la gringa photos, 2 boats in water, caribbean, colombia, cartagena, south americafishermen throws scraps to Pelicans on juan griego, margarita island, venezuela, water, ocean, caribbean, goingnomadic, la gringa photosgirl, pelicans, water, ocean, caribbean, venezuela, margarita island, girl watches birds, la gringa photosocean, tide splashing against rocks, waves, ocean spray, caribbean sea, playa caribe, margarits island, venezuela, water, world water dayoceanscape, margarita island, playa caribe, venezuela, caribbean sea, water, world water day, goingnomadic, la gringa photos, women in crystal blue waterwarao boys playing in water, orinoco delta, venezuela, water, jungle, river, swamp, wooden canoe in water, la gringa photosyoung boy in a canoe. warao in the orinoco delta, river, venezuela, native, indigenous, going nomadic, la gringa photosriver plants in the orinoco delta, water, swamp, nature, going nomadic, la gringa photos, water plants, river, swampwarao houses in the orinoco delta, river, houses on the river, indigenous homes, water, venezuela, landscape, going nomadic, la gringa photossunset over the water, water, nature, venezuela, evening sky, sunset, orinoco delta, river, swampboy splashing in a pool to catch a soccer ball, kids playing at a water park, water park ,water, slides, medellin, colombia, south america, la gringa photos, going nomadicplaying in water, cartagena, water, waves, splash, tide, colombia, caribbean, south america, swimmingwaves, cartagena, colombia, south america, caribbean, ocean sea, water, waves crashing against a man, going nomadic, la gringa photosWarao boys playing in the Orinoco delta, water, boys playing in water, indigenous , natives playing, going nomadic, la gringa photos, 2 Warao boys, orinoco delta, venezuelarain, weather, raining at the zoo, medellin, colombia, south america, zoo, animals mural, zoo in rain, goingnomadic, la gringa photosoceanscaope, ecuador, manta, coastline, ecuadorian coastline, ocean, pacific, water, going nomadic, la gringa photosboat in water, tiny boat in large ocean, blue water, blue, just ocean, ecuador, manta, south americatide coming in, rocks, ecuador, coastline, ocean, pacific, rocky coastline, oceanscapewaves crashing near sun-bleached white rock formation, rocks rising from the ocean water, rocky coastline, water, ecuador, south america, manta, la gringa photos, going nomadicviolent waves crashing against rocks, ecudaor, south america, going nomadic, la gringa photos, pacific ocean

into the blue grotto, croatia, otok bisevo, island bisevo, blue grotto, water, adriatic sea, waves, white rock, la gringa photos, going nomadic

fountain outside of casino in las vegas, nevada

Here are some of the ways in which water is important to us: for play, for food, for tourism, for beauty, for weather, etc.  Hope this gets you thinking about how important and beautiful water is, and how we can conserve this valuable resource for the future.

CHEERS!

About Dani Blanchette

I am a freelance travel and music photographer and creator of GoingNomadic.com.
I love music, food, and exploring cities without guidebooks. I’ve flown a helicopter, hitchhiked down the east coast USA, and once snuck into the back of a zoo (in Serbia) and pet a lion.
I am always up for an adventure, and sometimes I videotape them.

 

]]> How Much Sawdust Can I Fit In My Lungs? https://goingnomadic.com/how-much-sawdust-can-i-fit-in-my-lungs/ Wed, 29 Sep 2021 17:26:13 +0000 https://goingnomadic.com/?p=358

 

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette

The other day Diego took me to a woodworking shop in downtown Medellin, where some of his family works.  It was awesome.

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, person, covered in sawdust, man covered in sawdust,

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, unfinished furniture, 2 men,

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, marking the trim, marking wood, stencils

The smell of fresh cut wood, a smell I adore, permeated everything.  We walked through the tiny pathways the weaved in between gigantic unfinished furniture stacks, stepping on a carpet of soft, baby-powder fine sawdust.  The air was thick with airborne particles that created a fuzzy haze throughout the dark and horror-movie-ish looking warehouse.

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, sawdust piles, sawdust on floor

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, airborne sawdust, dust in the air, wood dust

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, wood piled in hallway,

 

I loved every second of it!

 

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, chairs, piles of unfinished chairs, unfinished furniture

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, unfinished chairs piled to the ceiling

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, upstairs in a wood shop

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, chairs, unfinished furniture

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, unfinished furniture

I ran around taking photos of the guys working, getting covered in sawdust as I laid flat on the ground to get artsy shots…

 

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, wood shavings on the floor, broom, sweep

 

…and spent way too much time photographing this man hand carving flower designs into chair backs with a fascinating amount of precision and speed.

 

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, unfinished furniture, carving, hand carving

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, unfinished furniture, hand carving wood

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, unfinished furniture, handcarving wood

 

Each person had one job that they would just do in mass quantities with such skill.  I was loving watching it all.

 

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, unfinished furniture, sanding

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, unfinished furniture, shaving

Inside a wood shop, construction, woodworking, medellin, colombia, south america, going nomadic, la gring photos, dani blanchette, unfinished furniture,

 

I was absolutely amazed with this little wood shop in the middle of Medellin.  I wish I could tell you a name or direction, but this being Colombia, I can tell you it is just some no name wood shop  that you will pass by without notice unless you are specifically looking for it.  All I can say is that it is on Avenida de Greiff, a ripped awning, and yellow out front.

 

CHEERS!

 

]]> Souadabscook Stream Maine | Featured Friday Photo https://goingnomadic.com/souadabscook-stream-maine-featured-friday-photo/ Wed, 29 Sep 2021 17:26:13 +0000 https://goingnomadic.com/?p=357

 

snow maine river

 

This weeks Featured Friday Photo is of Souadabscook Stream, which runs past and under Emerson Mill Road in Bangor, Maine – just around the corner from Dysarts – a must visit truck stop and restaurant on any trip to this area.

Get off the Hampden/Hermon/Cold Brooke road exit (exit 180),  and head towards Dysarts.   You have to turn onto a slight road to get into the parking area, and it is this road, if you continue down it (left out of the parking area), for a couple minutes, where you will pass over this river.

I highly recommend roadtrips in Maine.  There are many beautiful things you can see without leaving your car (or with a quick pull over and walk), just like this.  Maine’s beauty is not just for hikers.  Anyone can experience it.

Check out all the beautiful Winter in Maine photos at LaGringaPhotos.com.   This week only, you can buy prints of this photo for a little as $10, and download the digital version for just $3.

Stay tuned each Friday for a new featured photos.

Go explore!

About Dani Blanchette

I am a freelance travel and music photographer and creator of GoingNomadic.com.
I love music, food, and exploring cities without guidebooks. I’ve flown a helicopter, hitchhiked down the east coast USA, and once snuck into the back of a zoo (in Serbia) and pet a lion.
I am always up for an adventure, and sometimes I videotape them.

]]> Wine With Strangers, Blue Danube Wine https://goingnomadic.com/wine-with-strangers-blue-danube-wine/ Wed, 29 Sep 2021 17:26:13 +0000 https://goingnomadic.com/?p=356

This past weekend i got to have a delicious picnic with Croatian wine and a couple of amazing, awesome travel bloggers in my area; Dianna from DTravelsRound  and Abby from Daydream Away over some delicious red Croatian wine provided ever so graciously by Blue Danube Wine importers out of San Francisco.

croatian wine on picnic blanket, wine picnic

I woke up on the planed picnic day to drizzle with interminglings of light showers.  It’s the desert. Of course its going to rain on picnic day…but was a little moisture going to stop us?  HELL NO when Croatian wine is involved!

So we packed up food and wine and drove up to the mountain (which is gorgeous by the way.  I had no idea there was an actual pine forest 20 minutes north of Vegas!).

After our first attempt at a picnic area (which was thwarted by some young guy on a golf cart who announced it was $42 to use that picnic table cause its an RV area. Seriously? After driving an enormous vehicle that uses 10 gallons per mile you are expected to pay that much to ‘park’? I don’t get the RV’ing world!), we coerced info that there is a free picnic area up the hill.

fancy picnic, wine picnic

We drove up mountain to the free parking area and walked across the street and UP HILL towards the picnic table areas.  After UPHILL past 3 or 4 used tables, we decided it would be much lovelier to picnic on the ground, on the side of the road/walkway, between 2 trees.

Ok so we are lazy and didn’t feel like walking uphill anymore….there’s no time for exercise when we have Croatian wine for us.

pouring wine, woman pouring wine, goingnomadic

We laid out the blanket and spread, opened an amazingly dry, spicy, full-bodied red wine; that went amazingly with the figs and salami, and had a picnic, on the ground, in the road, with real wine glasses, which of course had everyone staring.

Because who brings wine glasses to a picnic?

Oh yea..WE DO!

Also, that all 3 bottles I had were out too didn’t help.  We only drank one before the rain picked up and we got soaked walking back to the car, but 3 girls, 3 bottles of wine, 3 wine glasses and no umbrella or rain jackets does make for a pretty interesting site.

Abby tegnelia, the jungle princess, picnic, rainy picnic

Ok, I lied. We drank half the red. Packed up, all wet, and walked back to the car, in the rain, still carrying our glasses of red, rain watered, wine.  After we drove down the street to a lookout point that had an amazing view of the clouds rolling in over and around the mountains.  So we continued the picnic there, finished the bottle, and sadly drove back into Vegas to end our lovely rain filled, red wine, food paired, picnic with strangers!

clouds over mountains, mount charleston, las vegas, wilderness, forest

(I was not drunk at all by the way. One bottle between 3 people over a couple hours is not a lot.  I was not even a little buzzed, so don’t go around thinking I’m promoting drinking and driving by any means! Driving intoxicated is NOT COOL EVER! )

storm around mountains, nature, wilderness, las vegas, mount charleston

Now that I’ve gotten my PSA over with, the fact that our picnic got rained out earlier than we wanted was not all sad because…

The 3 of us decided before we parted that SINCE there are still 2 bottles of wine, and SINCE our picnic did get cut short, we are going to have another Croatian wine picnic next week!  (but maybe on one of our living room floors or something).

Thank you Blue Danube Wines and Wines of Croatia for helping bring together what turned out to be an amazing day  for food and friend making and plans for even more!

And cant wait till our next Croatian wine party D and Abby!D, Abby, & Dani - picnic in the rain stylin

 

CHEERS!

———————————————————————————

 

This is the wine that we drank on our picnic:

]]> Win a Trip to Thailand While Saving Elephants – Do Good! https://goingnomadic.com/win-a-trip-to-thailand-while-saving-elephants-do-good/ Wed, 29 Sep 2021 17:26:13 +0000 https://goingnomadic.com/?p=355

UPDATE*  The winner of the grand prize trip to Thailand, who has asked to remain anonymous, asked that in lieu of going on the trip, that the cost of the trip instead be donated directly to Save Elephant Foundation.  FlightNetworks gladly accepted this request, and the final donation received from our project was $7500!   Save Elephant Foundation used the money to purchase more land so they could save and rehabilitate more elephants.   Thank you everyone!

NOTE*  This post is from 2014.  This calendar and giveaway are no longer valid.  But the charity, Save Elephant Foundation, is, they are still doing amazing work, and you can donate to them on your own.

elephants 11

For the second year in a row, a group of travel bloggers such as myself have banded together to help raise money for a small charity.  This year, we are raising money for the Save Elephant Foundation which rescues and protects elephants in Thailand.

And you can win a trip to Thailand for donating! 

sef

The Travel Blogging Calendar 2014  is a digital trip around the world.  For a $20 donation you get exclusive access to a private blog that each week highlights a festival or holiday from around the world happening that week, along with providing a hi-resolution photograph you can download and save.   Also with each $20 donation, YOU GET ENTERED TO WIN A TRIP TO THAILAND!

What’s better than that?

Helping save elephants AND getting to go to Thailand?

elephants 1

Awesome!

Flight Network has donated $2000 towards flights to Thailand, and Ian Ord, from the blog,  Where Sidewalks End is giving an 8 day, 7 night trip around Thailand…INCLUDING a day at the Elephant Nature Park – the park the Save Elephant Foundation runs.  So not only do you get to help save these majestic creatures, you can win a trip to Thailand to visit them as well!  It’s a $3,300 prize you can win for a $20 donation.

SWEET! 

elephants 13

 

Increasing your donation also buys you EXTRA ENTRIES INTO THE GRAND PRIZE DRAWING! You will find the different donation amounts, with the number of entries you receive for each on the donation page here:

Travel Blogging Calendar Donation page

This digital calendar-blog makes great presents too.  Know anyone who loves animals?   Why not buy them their own subscription and give them a chance to win the trip.  With $2000 in flights, they can bring you along too!

Plus the best parts is you get to help the Save Elephant Foundation rescue and rehabilitate captive and abused elephants in Thailand.  Sangduen “Lek” Chailert (below), founded Save Elephant Foundation to help reshape the ways captive and wild elephants are treated.  She has received many accolades, including receiving the 2o1o award for Woman Heros of Global Conservation and has been featured in multiple facets of the media including National Geographic, Animal Planet and Discovery.

lek

All the money raised (yup, that is 100% of the donations) will be used by the SEF to purchase more land for the park and to build new and more shelters for the elephants.  The park is currently at capacity for its size and can’t rescue any more elephants. But your $20 (or more if you so wish) donation can help change that.

You can help save more adorable elephants like this:

elephants 7

In addition to the exclusive blog access, weekly world holiday lessons, beautiful travel photographs, and chance to win a trip to Thailand, you will receive monthly newsletters which will keep all you donors updated on the fundraising progress, the elephants, and the weekly articles you may have missed.

This is a great present for all eco-friends, animal lovers, travelers and travel lovers, and philanthropists.  

So head over to the Travel Blogging Calendar 2014 and order your digital subscription today.  And while you are at it, sign up a couple of friends and family and get them a present that will last a whole year!

Follow the links provided in this post, or click on the photos, to go learn more about the Save Elephant Foundation and the Travel Blogging Calendar.

tbc2014 250x250 donate

DONATE NOW!

 

elephnats 5

All photos used with permission of Save elephant Foundation and you can see these and more on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SaveElephantFoundation

About Dani Blanchette

I am a freelance travel and music photographer and creator of GoingNomadic.com.
I love music, food, and exploring cities without guidebooks. I’ve flown a helicopter, hitchhiked down the east coast USA, and once snuck into the back of a zoo (in Serbia) and pet a lion.
I am always up for an adventure, and sometimes I videotape them.

 

]]> Win A Photo from Going Nomadic https://goingnomadic.com/win-a-photo-from-going-nomadic/ Wed, 29 Sep 2021 17:26:13 +0000 https://goingnomadic.com/?p=354

 

Congratulations to the winner – Jessica Crisp of Norfolk, England! 

Jessica is starting on her own journey soon.  Be sure to follow her on twitter at:

@JessicaRose_91

Recently, Going Nomadic reached over 1,000 followers on Twitter.   To thank everyone for being so awesome,

We are giving away an approx. 16”x20” photograph

to one of our lucky followers.

looking over the outdoor escalators and landscape of medellin, Colombia

This is a Rafflecopter hosted giveaway, which many of you will be familiar with.   For those who aren’t, it’s easy to enter.

1. You have to follow Going Nomadic on twitter (@GoingNomaddanib).   If you already follow us, you just have to enter your twitter handle on the entry form.

2. Once you either click to follow us, or enter your twitter handle, you open up more option for entries.
These include:
– Tweeting about this giveaway
– Liking Going Nomadic on Facebook
and
– Subscribing to Going Nomadic’s email list

You don’t have to do any of the last things.  Those are totally optional, but they give you more entries and chances to win a photograph.

Here’s the entry form:

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This contest runs through Jan 20th…so enter now!  If you want to see some of the photographs from Going Nomadic, visit our sister photography site:

La Gringa Photos

You will win one of these travel photographs to hang in your home.  Which one is a surprise.  🙂

juan griego, margarita island, vbenezuela, girl in water with birds

CHEERS

AND

HAPPY TRAVELS!

]]> Wicked Good Sandwiches – Edna and Lucy’s in Pownall, Maine https://goingnomadic.com/wicked-good-sandwiches-edna-and-lucys-in-pownall-maine/ Wed, 29 Sep 2021 17:26:13 +0000 https://goingnomadic.com/?p=353

AND YES THEY ARE!

red building, 'OPEN' flag, and sign saying "Wicked Good Sandwiches"

Wicked Good Sandwiches – the sign doesn’t lie!

This bright red building is Edna and Lucy’s in Pownal, Maine. (407 Hallowell Road, Pownal, ME 04069)(207) 688-3029

Edna and Lucy’s is one of the best sandwich shops ive been to, and they are located in a tiny rural town in the countryside of Maine; just north of Freeport. I had a Maine Italian (different than an italian sub).  Maine italians are (my family will be correcting me if I get this wrong) ham, provolone, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, pickles, and olives on a soft roll (or hotdog bun).  They are not toasted. There is no ‘italian’ meat.  It is a MAINE italian.  So all you Bostonians and New Yorkers; stop your cursing…im kinda with you; till I had one…Maine italians are really good.  They are much closer to what us people who grew up in MA (except for the cheese choice) call AN AMERICAN.

Not the point

Edna and Lucy’s has a whole range of sandwiches that would stop the cursing,and fill gaping mouths of all the New Yorkers and  Bostonians (still reading in horror) with delicious awesomeness.

I also tried the (im so looking at the menu photo to get this right) GRILLED EGGPLANT on Wheat bread with (surprise) grilled eggplant, onions, spinach, goat cheese, and tapenade. MMMMM  (ok, my mouth is watering right now).

Oh im just going to show you the menu photo

Sandwich shop menu written on chalkboards on walls of inside shop

Edna and Lucy’s menu is written on chalkboards that line the walls of their shop

 

(yes, I distorted the photo a bit to make it bigger).

BUT WAIT…THERE’S MORE…

Homemade desserts and pastries on a wooden table in a sandwich shop in Maine

Homemade desserts and pastries…and the are all fucking delicious!

OH YES, Homemade treats (remember the sign on the outside from the photo at the top?…)

Look at that…on the back of the table..

HOMEMADE DONUTS!

I don’t even like donuts…and those are AMAZING!!!!!  (I had some for breakfast on another day).  Fruit, Scones, Molasses Ginger Cookies,..

Oh, and look in the background.  Oh yes,… that IS a refrigerator display for MORE TREATS!  I had some delicious baklava (so good in my mouth)!

And the lady’s who work here are the cutest, sweetest people ever!  I miss country life, just how nice everyone is, and how everyone knows everyone else.  If you have grown up in the city you probably think im wicked naive, and the people here may scare you because you will be positive that no one is that nice or trusting; and the whole town is up to something…and I will feel sorry for you; because in the country, they are. (nice; not up to something).  Unless you have grown up in farmland, you wont understand, so I wont try to explain further.  If you have, you know what I mean, and probably miss the atmosphere right now too.

Hey, look at me totally getting off the topic of the food – you are thinking this right now – but this is about the the whole place; people, food, simplicity, all of it.

Now if you look at photo 2 again; there are 2 doorways (one you just see the frame of).  Guess what’s behind those doors?

A DINING ROOM!  OH yes, you can also sit down and eat here at Edna and Lucy’s Wicked Good Sandwiches & Treats Shop of Awesomness! (ok, so I lengthened the name a bit)

Girl stands inside interior of a sandwich shop. Pastries on table in middle, drinks on the sides, blue floor

Inside Edna & Lucy’s. I love how the pastry/dessert table just calls to you

This is a bigger picture of what you walk into from the outside. Open, clean, lots of natural light and fresh air!  And the ladies are right behind the counter cooking everything in front of you; joking it up with each other and you.  And since I knew someone from the area…they already knew who I was when I walked in the door.

So if you are ever in Pownal, Maine…or Freeport, Maine (Pownal is next town up and Edna and Lucy’s is only about 15min from downtown Freeport)…

…Go to Edna and Lucy’s!…(aka Wicked Good Sandwiches)

front door of red sandwich shop. sign reads "EDNA & LUCY'S"

Edna & Lucy’s – wickedest awesomest sandwich shop

407 Hallowell Road, Pownal, ME 04069

And check out their Facebook page here

And no, this post is not created out of sponsorship, advertisement, or any other business or monetary arrangement.  I just think Edna and Lucy’s is WICKED GOOD!

All opinions are my own…and in my opinion EDNA AND LUCY’s ROCKS!

Cheers!

]]> Why I Like Solo Travel https://goingnomadic.com/why-i-like-solo-travel/ Wed, 29 Sep 2021 17:26:13 +0000 https://goingnomadic.com/?p=352

 

me on red rock

There are many pros and cons to be a solo traveler.  So why do I do it?

Cause I’m a deuche.

That is why.

I want to be able to go where I want, when I want, and not have to deal with someone else’s moaning, whining or desires.  Really!  It’s fun to travel with people you meet in hostels and stuff, but really…I want to be able to say “ SEE YA” when what I want to do, is not, what they want to do.

Why?

Cause I like to stay in some days, and go out with no plans and see what happens on others.  I like the ability to say,  “Yes, I would love to go do this crazy thing with you right now” and not have to worry about someone else. 

I go to rock shows, randomly bounce out of the room (yes, I bounce) to go follow the sound of creepy carnival marching band type music I hear outside on the street,

 

IMG_9136

I like to get ‘kidnapped’ by my friends with no idea where I am going, who the other people in the car are, and when I will be back.  And I like to be in a city for a full week (or month and a half ) without ever seeing a single damn touristy guide book thing.  (I also don’t carry a guidebook.  If I need info I go to Lonely Planet and such online).

Why am I like this?

Cause I’m kinda a brat.

And I am unapologetic about this. 

Its easier to get invited to things when you are just 1… (especially when you are 1 solo gringa chic in South America).  And I’d rather meet people and make friends and hang out like I would at home when I travel.  There have been a couple times I’ve been able to go to places (like the Colapso Show Fail Of Awesomeness) because I could smush into the backseat with 3 other people..but if I was with someone else, there would not have been room for 2 more and I would have had to stay home with said hypothetical travel partner to be nice and caring and crap.

There are still some touristy things I feel I must do,

IMG_2067

but I’d rather go see them with local friends  than because my guide book says I should see it. (above here: my friend and Couchsurfing host brought me on a locals guided tour around important Caracas buildings, like this at the House of Representatives… and I loved it!)

But usually…I just don’t care.  I live in Vegas, one of the most touristy places in the world.  I work in the casinos there.  I have to deal with touristy crap and crowds every day. (See my LOCALS GUIDES TO VEGAS and F*%K THE STRIP posts).

Why do I want to do it on  holiday too?

Yeah, sometimes I wish I had people with me.  Like on a 50 hour bus ride from Maturin, Venezuela to Bogota, Colombia with no money and not speaking Spanish.  (still haven’t wrote that post yet.  Still scarred).  That would have been nice to have a friends with me on.  But for the most part, solo travel is better (for me).  Because I can do things like :  blow off half my South American trip to go back to Quito and Medellin for the music festivals and rock shows (see my IM A HORRIBLE TOURIST post).

Yup, I’m kinda a bitch. 

I want what I want, when I want it.

That’s why I travel solo.

 

CHEERS!

 

]]>