Our Best of 2023 Wrap-up and Travel Awards

Little Sister – Sometimes, the best things seem to happen out of the blue. We were sitting at a fantastic outdoor café in Salzburg.  We had seen this bachelorette party earlier in the day taking photos at Mirabell Palace, then suddenly there they were 3 hours later, drunk, walking through Altstadt in their matching T-shirts and towing a little red wagon.

They were carrying a Ziplock bag full of toothbrushes and assorted toiletry items, and two of them approached us, excitedly trying to tell us something. They didn’t speak English, we didn’t speak German.  Then they start calling for their friend, their one party member who spoke broken English.  Apparently, they were asking for donations for the bride, asking us to buy a toothbrush or whatever to raise money.  We were just loving this and gave them 20 Euros. They wanted to give us the whole bag for that amount, and we were not interested in any of the items and kept saying “No, really, take the money” “no, really, its for the bride” – finally one of them says “how about schnapps? Would you like some schnapps”.  Well, heck yes, we do!!!

So, we ended up doing sidewalk shots with a random bachelorette party at a sidewalk café in Salzburg (I like to think of it as the European version of pocket ribs).

Salzburg post here

Big Sister – Shortly after arriving at our gorgeous suite, we were sitting on our thrones of judgement, in our sarongs, enjoying the view when there was a CRASH and we looked around to see monkeys in our kitchen!! The living space was open to the jungle and we were told to keep everything in the bedroom with the door closed for just this reason. We quickly retreated behind the sliding glass door to watch them. As Patti says, we became the zoo animals, caged for their entertainment.

Langkawi post here

Little Sister –  For Christmas last year, Peggy got Pat and I tickets to see Phil Rosenthal with her in Denver.  So, once in Denver, we proceeded to bar hop and drink too much.  And Phil was smart enough (?) to have a question and answer session in his show. AND THEY CALLED ON ME!

So, me, slightly(?) tipsy stands up and simply asks Phil “Is Richard here?”.  He had mentioned earlier in his talk that he was so lucky to travel with his best friend, his brother, Richard, and drunk Patti figured she needed to meet his brother, NOT him!  We were dying, he flipped me a bunch of shit for not caring about him and only his brother.

Big Sister – Wir Suchen Dich. You already know… When we were on the top deck of the Hop On Hop Off in Vienna, Patti and I spotted this on a sign. The uncontrollable giggle fits lasted the rest of the trip. And to this day. In fact, she got me a coffee mug with this on it for Christmas. BTW, It translates to “We are looking for you”

Little Sister – Right in my own backyard, the North Cascades National Park supplied my best view of the year.  As I wrote about in our blog, NCNP is just as beautiful as Glacier or Banff, only with a fraction of the people.  No entrance gate to get stuck waiting at, no lines of cars, just beautiful trees, viewpoints, and Diablo Lake.  It was amazing, I can’t believe in the 40 something years I’ve lived in this state I had never been.

Big Sister – Patti picked our destination of Langkawi mainly for the SkyBridge. And if you know her fear of heights and bridges, you know it had to be worth it. It was a long ride up in a glass bottom cable car with an intermediate stop before getting to the top. The views from the top were SPECTACULAR! The bridge is also so pretty and definitely something unique – it is the longest free span & curved bridge in the world with views of the hills, jungle, sea, and the coastline.

Little Sister – I chose one that our new friend Julian from Uchi recommended, from Plachutta in Vienna.  He had told us not to miss the boiled beef, even though the sound of that held zero appeal to us.  So, in Vienna, and trusting our friend from Vienna, I ordered the Tafelspitz boiled beef.  And he was right, it was fantastic.  It is served in a big copper pot filled with seasoned beef broth, chunks of boiled beef, leeks, and root vegetables. It comes with sides of potato, bread with bone marrow, and apples.

Big Sister – This is going to sound ridiculous next to the Lobster in miso butter BUT…hear me out. The Smoked Paris Mash at Morrison’s Oyster Bar & Grill in Sydney. These were so stupid-good. The rest of the meal was wonderful too, Wagyu ribeye and an incredible selection of oysters. Potatoes should not be this good!

Little Sister – The best meal of the week is always brunch!  We discovered Gravy Baby in Penang on our first morning, when we struggled to find any place with cocktails open before evening.  But Gravy Baby was awesome!  A mimosa flight, a wide variety of avocado toast style options, and the cutest little servers!  Their menu was pretty extensive, so on day two I had their Miami breakfast which had eggs benedict with spinach served on sweet potato.  The food was solid, the service was awesome, and the whole vibe was fun and inviting!

Penang post here

Big Sister – I think I am becoming a brunch snob (I don’t know why I said “becoming”, we know it’s true and it isn’t new). We had a lot of brunches this year and few were outstanding. Patti’s choice, Gravy Baby was probably the winner. So, I’m going outside the rules a little and choosing the Mazama Store in Mazama, Washington (near North Cascades NP). It is a super cool, family-run grocery store with local, organic, high quality products and eco-friendly household supplies sold in bulk.

There is an espresso bar and cafe on the back patio that serves amazing coffee, pastries and breakfast sandwiches – all made on their homemade breads. They are known for their Sel de Mar baguette – people line up and wait for these to come out everyday. Can confirm – it was delish, even hours later as we watched the sunset from Deception Pass Bridge.

Little Sister – My choice is definitely The Fat Elvis from our visit to Skein and Tipple.  A speakeasy at the back of a yarn shop you ask?  YES!  It’s in Clinton, Washington, on Whidbey Island, part of the San Juan’s in the Puget Sound.  The island is gorgeous, definitely grab a ferry, spend the day, but then get in line early for the opening of Skein and Tipple. They open at 5:00, they only seat 23 people, and they are worth the wait.  The Fat Elvis was a peanut butter whisky mapley, bacony concoction with a burnt sugar coated banana and bacon, and as much as I’m not a whisky person, I loved this cocktail.

Seattle Speakeasy post here

Big Sister – When in Malaysia, we stopped for a night in Ipoh. Ipoh is known for it’s food – and while we failed at trying it, we were told about some seriously great bars and speakeasies. Tiga Bar is a bit of a hidden bar above a bar. The bartenders were obviously passionate about their craft. I went out of my wheelhouse for the “Buttery N I Know It”. A bourbon drink that is a take on PB&J. It is a full experience – the berry compote, maple and bourbon cocktail was served in a little barrel, topped with peanut butter foam and then torched. A hot & cold combo that was easily the most memorable of the year.

Ipoh post here

Little Sister – This one was a TikTok find.  I saw a TikTok, sent it to Peggy and we agreed this was a HAVE TO for Salzburg.  St. Peter Stiftskulinarium is one of the oldest restaurants in the world, dating back it’s opening to 803 ad (yes, the year!).  It is right next to the St. Peter’s cathedral, within the walls of the St. Peter’s Abbey. It is set back into the stone wall, so that half the restaurant is inside the cave.  The part not in the cave is open air, fully open to the sky above.  On the back of all the chairs they provided fur blankets, to guard against the cool evening air. The ambiance is colorful and fun, but still elegant as the cave gives it a cool stately feeling.

The service is amazing.  The cocktails, the food, it has all be carefully crafted to for an amazing overall experience.  And go read the blog about the steak selection – fresh from the butcher daily, in limited quantities, and the daily bread and butter combination, my world is forever changed after that molasses butter!

Big Sister – Hands down (for both of us), it was Uchi Denver. We had tried to get there on previous trips but finally secured a reservation when Patti and Pat were here in February. The interior is beautiful and modern and we got incredibly lucky to be in Julian’s section. Julian made the entire experience incredible – he is our new best friend. He helped curate all of our selections and gave us tips for our upcoming Oktoberfest trip to Munich and Austria (he from Munich and had worked in Vienna).

While not everything was as life-changing as the Lobster Miso, it was all delicious, fresh and we loved the way it came out as it was ready. The suggestions and ordering continued and Julian kept it flowing. We drank sake out of little wooden crates and ate as much as possible. Then we decided to come back the next evening before they headed to the airport. And I went back in June. And Patti and I went twice in November – we requested Julian both times but sadly, he wasn’t working.

Little Sister – There were some great one’s this year, so it was hard to narrow it down.  However, if I have to pick just one, I’m picking Williams and Graham in Denver.  A hidden entrance disguised as a book shop, welcome shots, a great cocktail list, and a bone marrow luge.  It was a great experience, and so well done in the speakeasy niche!

Big Sister – I am so predictable, I am a total sucker for a Asian themed bar – a WELL appointed Asian themed bar. When we went to Penang, Malaysia, we had researched speakeasies (of course!) and found Manchu Bar. The entrance was truly hidden – it took us a minute to find the door behind the heavy velvet drapes inside of the unmarked entrance. Inside was gorgeous with fantastic drinks (mine had something to do with popcorn), amazing headdresses that we could wear and a huge dragon head coming down from the ceiling.

Little Sister – We finally hit a bar that has been on my list for far too long, after way too many trips to Seattle:  Inside Passage.  Billed as a speakeasy, because it’s a bar within a bar, it is a fully floor to ceiling Tiki bar explosion.  A huge octopus hangs over the bar, their number one drink, and most instagrammable experience, is their One Eyed Willie – yes, like the Goonies pirate.  It is served in a dry ice fogging treasure chest.  But the whole bar is fabulous, the full package for themed, kitschy bars.

Big Sister – This summer we road-tripped to Reno to see Rod Stewart. We, of course, decided to do some day drinking – strictly for the content, haha. The first stop was Death & Taxes – it was immediately impressive. A standalone house with a modern, black exterior and red geraniums. Then the interior was truly a surprise – all surfaces were black but with chandeliers, fireplaces and elegant furniture. So beautiful and unique. The bartenders were chatty and adorable. I had a Bam Bam Milk Punch with rums, clarified cereal milk, grapefruit and pineapple – garnished with fruity pebbles.

Little Sister – This honor will be hard to top after my 2023 selection, Ambong Ambong.  Peggy really nailed this selection.  Slightly secluded, the staff had to drive us up to our suite, yes, suite.  The staff was amazing, they made us sunset dinner reservations and took the best care of us.

We get to our room, the outer area is the kitchen, a huge soaking tub, and two thrones of judgement.  Like they knew we were coming.  A giant stuffed tiger sat on the counter to “scare away the monkeys” – which, as you can see, did NOT work.  The big glass sliding door led to a beautiful bedroom, tile, air conditioning, and a beautiful bathroom.  The room was gorgeous, the view was spectacular, and the staff was absolutely wonderful.  And the monkeys!! WOWZA!

Big Sister – For some reason, this is the toughest category for me this year. After all the amazing hotels in amazing destinations, I’m pretty comfortable saying the The Ramble in Denver was my favorite. It wasn’t the necessarily the fanciest, the best view, or the most unique, but it felt like home. Located in RiNo, across from Uchi (haha), and we’ve been trying to stay there for ages. It did not disappoint. The decor, the rooms, Death & Co in the lobby, immaculate vibes, and hands down the best hospitality of the year.

Little Sister –This is one I missed my sister on.  Pat and I visited Yogyakarta on our way to Bali this year.  Borobudur Temple is known by the iconic bell-shaped statues and being inset with hundreds of Buddha statues.  We had terrible luck that sunset was completely fogged in, but the guided tour we took of the actual temple was amazing, we learned so much, and loved our guide! It was beautiful.  Even though you can’t climb the temple anymore, which is a bummer because I’ve seen so many amazing pictures online of when you could climb up, but it is still worth the visit, it is truly an amazing architectural site.

Big Sister – When Patti came back from Malaysia in 2020 (after her trip was cut short by Covid), I was so jealous of the Batu Caves pictures. It is so stunning – the colors, the stairs and the enormous gold Lord Murugan statue guarding it. On our 2023 trip to Malaysia, it was our first stop on our first morning. We got there early to avoid crowds and heat. It was breathtaking and I am so happy I got to see it.

Kuala Lumpur post here

Little Sister – One of our big bucket list items got checked this year with Oktoberfest.  Originally we had planned to go in 2020, then 2021, then 2022, so finally we made it in 2023.  And it was absolutely everything I wanted it to be. We got the dirndls, we got the oompa band, we got the beer and pretzels (and my new obsession Obazda cheese).

My only disappointment was not getting to do a John Denver sing-a-long. Luckily, drunk guy in a bar was happy to keep giving us his Sweet Caroline rendition – and yes, it’s a Europe thing, but it also still upsets me that they say “Oh, Oh, Oh” instead of “Bah,Bah,Bah”.  The rest of the experience was awesome, glad we did the tour, glad we got the “German Breakfast”, and the potato tornado will live in my dreams until we go back!!

Oktoberfest post here

Big Sister – Yosemite Fire Fall (Fail). For years, my friend Kelli and I have been intent on seeing the firefall that occurs around the 3rd week of February in Yosemite National Park. This event is insanely popular so when we found a room at the Yosemite Lodge, we knew it was a sign! Well, I will spare the long story but the plot twist was that we arrived on the first night of snow in what will turn out to be the snow storm of the century. We were able to spend one beautiful day in the park with barely another soul in sight.

We were never able to see Half Dome and the firefall was not visible due to the heavy snow clouds. And they closed the park the next day for nearly a month as they received over 15 feet of snow! While this was a complete bucket list fail, Yosemite was spectacular and it was something I will never forget.

Little Sister – For me, without hesitation: Salzburg.  I didn’t want to leave, I want to go back, I want to live there.  It is beautiful, full of culture and history, and I just fell in love immediately.

Big Sister – Mine would be Australia. My friend Dana and I had this trip planned since 2019 and were finally able to get it scheduled. I loved Sydney so much – and I really didn’t expect to. But Cairns…beautiful beach town, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, snuggling Koalas and gorgeous landscapes.