Author: Paul

Paul’s Reading List, October through December

Paul’s Reading List, October through December

We’re doing a pretty good job reading on this trip. Which is easy to do without a TV. Here’s what I’ve read so far along with some notes. October through December: Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage — This book is phenomenal. Lansing’s writing is great and 

Lessons from Temecula

Lessons from Temecula

In Temecula, we learned the difference between a winery and a tasting room. Temecula is filled with tasting rooms, but we couldn’t find a single winery even though people were making wine everywhere. Let me explain. Temecula is one of California’s B-list wine regions. It’s 

Eating Our Way Through Los Angeles, California

Eating Our Way Through Los Angeles, California

Full full full. We’re full of good food thanks to LA. Loved eating here. I think the food sold us on this town. Me at least. I could live here. We get LA. The farmers’ market in January with multiple varieties of avocado? Yum. The fresh 

The $5 California Wine Challenge

The $5 California Wine Challenge

Our friend, Ellen, has a theory: $5 bottles of wine can be very good. Spend more, and you may get a good bottle, but it’s certainly not guaranteed. But failing at $5, that’s no big deal (that’s NBD, for the young’uns). And at $5 a 

A Failed-Flasher’s Guide to Death Valley Showers and Baths

A Failed-Flasher’s Guide to Death Valley Showers and Baths

“Yeah, the Hearst Castle is amazing. The guest houses are four-bedroom mansions! Can you believe that? I’ve been there 10 times.” I’m getting travel tips from a gent that’s probably 60+ years old. He works in the area and just finished a night shift. I 

Taking a Bath in Tecopa, California

Taking a Bath in Tecopa, California

I take the “no lewd behavior” posting as a good sign. This place seems well-run and professional, I think to myself. Creepy, well-run, and professional. It’s tough not to be a bit creepy when it comes to nude bathing. Clothing not optional. It starts with 

Finding a Decent Drink in Death Valley

Finding a Decent Drink in Death Valley

We’re at the Corkscrew Saloon in Furnace Creek and in search of saloon salvation. We’re on a run of bad bars and can’t seem find a decent drink in Death Valley. Seems odd to complain about this so close to actual tragedy and tribulation. Death 

Would a mustache by any other name taste as sweet?

Would a mustache by any other name taste as sweet?

I stopped shaving at the end of October, about 4 weeks into our trip. For a while, it was Movember, so I rationalized it with that. Then it was December, and we were camping in increasingly remote spots as the temperature continued to drop. Shaving 

Searching for Happy Hour Deals in Las Vegas

Searching for Happy Hour Deals in Las Vegas

Finding a decent happy hour deal in Las Vegas is getting to be as difficult as winning big at the casinos. You can pay pretty much as much as you want for a drink, or you can pay basically nothing. Here’s what we found: Drink 

Charlie Palmer Tries To Mr. Hankey On Our Christmas At Aureole

Charlie Palmer Tries To Mr. Hankey On Our Christmas At Aureole

Las Vegas is different now. I interned at UNLV one summer nearly a decade ago and got to know the city pretty well. I shopped at the grocery store where there were shootings. I bought tacos alongside prostitutes on their lunch breaks. I got to 

Cure Your Holiday Debt Hangover In 4 Steps

Cure Your Holiday Debt Hangover In 4 Steps

Did you just rack up a lot of holiday debt? Get back on the right track with these four easy steps: Get the right bank accounts. Be smart at lunch. Cut monthly cell-phone and cable TV expenses. Brew your own coffee. Follow these and you 

Post-Present Blues: Save for Travel in 2012 by Reducing Monthly Expenses

Post-Present Blues: Save for Travel in 2012 by Reducing Monthly Expenses

This week, we created a series of posts to help you save money in 2012 to make your travel dreams a reality. Today’s is about cutting unnecessary monthly expenses.  Monthly expenses kill savings. They chip away while you’re not looking, weakening your financial strength. You