Our Best of 2025 – Travel Awards and Wrap-up

Little Sister – London Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour

We are right by St. Paul’s cathedral, and area of London I love, and we have toured all of this on a pub crawl before.  If you’ve never been on a HOHO, they give you headphones, and as you pass through certain locations the recorded audio plays facts about what is around you.  The giggles begin as the audio plays what is supposed to be an old timey Londoner ringing a bell through the streets shouting “bring out your dead” in regard to the bodies of the plague of 1665 (clearly not London’s best decade).  It’s cheesy and campy and we get the giggles.

But about two blocks later it moves into talking about the fire. And then they informed us that the fire burned so intensely due to the narrow streets and wind that pigeons were falling out of the sky already barbecued, and we absolutely lose it with laughter.  And we can’t stop the inappropriate laughter at the image of these poor birds falling from the sky en masse.

ssn – reference also childhood memories from WKRP in Cincinnati’s Thanksgiving episode.

Big Sister – Interactive Jack the Ripper Tour, London

Same trip. We may have already been giggling over cocktails at a couple of the speakeasies we had been REALLY enjoying – Cahoots Postal Office and Discount Suit Company – while prepping for the Jack the Ripper Tour. We selected this tour becuase it billed itself as “interactive”, which was intriguing, not just another walking tour.

However, with a few cocktails, we began imagining what “interactive” might mean. And fits of laughter ensued as we began murmuring (to each other ONLY) additions to the guide’s commentary like, “for this role, Patti, you are obviously playing the part of the whore”, or “at the next stop, one of you will be murdered”. That sounds very dark when I write it but it was hysterical, I promise! To be fair, we assumed everyone on the tour would have similarly pre-gamed – they had not. Never the less, it was a great tour – the interactive part referred to us receiving actual case files & photos to follow along with the stories.

ssn – she also fails to note how she shamed me for winning the trivia contest at the end. But let’s remember I WON!!!

Little Sister – My Son Getting Married and Our First Grandchild

Originally, I was going to do the dinosaur footprints embedded in rock we stopped to see in Colorado.  Then I got sappy and realized my best views of the year were far more personal – the marriage of my son to his high school sweetheart, and also the birth of our first grandchild (thanks to our daughter).  Watching my son, so young and so nervous, but so happy will warm my cold heart forever.  But nothing compares to your first grandchild. However, if we are talking non-personally, I’m definitely going with the coolness of the dino prints for the year.

Big Sister – Lemaire Channel, Antarctica

Without hesitation, my best view was the Lemaire Channel in Antarctica. This might be the most beautiful sight I have ever witnessed. Breathtaking is an understatement, it literally brought tears to my eyes (and it wasn’t the cold air).

This channel is nicknamed “Kodak Gap” for its photogenic beauty. We had a sunny, bright day with mirror-like water – it was incredible.

Little Sister – Aux Merveilleux de Fred, Belgium

365 days ago, I never would have guessed my best bite of the year would have been a sweet one.  But here we are. I saw pictures of Merveilleux one morning in Ghent as I was looking for a bakery for morning coffee and pastries. Aux Merveilleux de Fred looked good, and sweet, and I was low-key obsessed (if you know my obsession are usually loud and hyper-focused, this was more, ooooohhhh, I really want one of these).

A few days later I noticed that same bakery had a Brussels location.  We saw them through the window as they were making them, it is basically a disc of merengue topped with flavored whipped cream (chocolate, coffee, vanilla, cherry) then rolled in shaved chocolate.  And O.M.G.  – OMG!  They’re light and sweet without being too sugary, and they are just absolute perfection!  And I drug Peggy into my obsession – we had to go back the next day for more (ps, they also come in large size).  Exquisite is barely the tip of the iceberg in describing Merveilleux.

ssn – she’s right on this one. I was sooo not interested. We were in Belgium and it wasn’t chocolate so I was not into it, it looked like it was all show. I should never have tried it because damn!!! It was insanely delicious. Obsessed – I would fly there tomorrow for another one.

Big Sister – Golden Roosters, Seattle

When we were prepping for our Seattle Speakeasy tour, we were jotting down recommendations from all the foodie creators on IG and came across the Korean Fried Chicken from Golden Roosters in Pioneer Square. Bonus, it was like a speakeasy, it has an unmarked back alley entrance to the bar!

We ordered our chicken but were intrigued with the Bulgogi Creamy Udon menu item. We ordered it and were left staring wide-eyed at each other with how good it was. Just that look we give each other and, “shut your whore mouth”. That is the ultimate compliment.

Even today, 11 months later, when I crave comfort food, it is these noodles! Patti tried to go back and have these before a Mariners or Seahawks game but they aren’t on the game day menu. We just didn’t have time when we were downtown this past fall either. But hopefully soon…

ssn – these creamy udon noodles were the best thing on the menu, and I need to go get some more. But everything else was great there too, and you should definitely go try the chicken that they bill themselves for serving.

Little Sister – Woo Bar & Kitchen, Seattle

The weekend after my son’s wedding we stayed in Seattle for a baseball game (Go M’s).  I was feeling yucky after something I ate (not drank, shockingly), but I found an Asian fusion spot that had congee.  One thing I love about our trips to SE Asia is congee for breakfast.  So, feeling poopy, this was the one thing that sounded good and we were off in an Uber.  Back behind the Seattle Center, just at the base of Queen Anne neighborhood is where we found the Woo Bar & Kitchen.  A beautiful, open, Asian upscale restaurant that had just started serving brunch.  Gorgeous room, our server was super friendly and informative, and our food was amazing.

I felt so much better after a warm bowl of chicken congee, Peggy had this amazing crab (fresh crab, naturally) omelet and Pat had the steak and eggs.  We did NOT drink, but they did have breakfast cocktails.

Side Note:  we didn’t have a lot of brunches this year, which seems weird as it’s the best meal of the week, but we were focused on building our speakeasy brand.

Honorable Mention

And I really want to give an honorable mention to the Marriott Grand Brussels.  It’s a breakfast buffet included with our room, but like most European buffets it was so much better than anything you get included with a hotel in the US.  The reason they are getting an honorable mention is these amazing scrambled eggs they had.  They were like crack!  I consider scrambled eggs the perfect comfort food, and I do not know what they did to theirs, but it still lingers in my memory of the best scrambled eggs I have ever had.  AND IT WAS AT A BUFFET!!!

P.S. Gordon Ramsey, if you would like to challenge this assessment and make me some of YOUR scrambled eggs, I would gladly take you up on the offer.

Big Sister – Suerte, Austin

If you are going to Austin, everyone will tell you to go to Suerte. And those people will tell you to order the wagyu brisket tacos. Those people will be right.

We were only able to fit Suerte into our schedule for brunch but thankfully, they serve these popular tacos on all menus! My friend Roger was gracious enough to meet us for brunch and with three of us, we really ordered up the menu! We had the Suadero tacos (the confit wagyu), a cold salmon tostada, chilaquiles, and the surprise hit of the meal – refried lentils y crema! And let’s talk about the brunch cocktails…Nitro Carajillos! So good!

Little Sister – Phocific Standard Time, Seattle

The Khoa Was here from Phocific Standard Time (PST) in Seattle.  PST is a speakeasy above a ramen restaurant.  It was late, we were “slightly” intoxicated (interpret your own sisbehaving image of slightly, I admit to nothing).  We decided that we were going to finish off the night with a shot and head for bed.  We were unprepared.  Completely unprepared for what we had done with our Khoa order.

It is a pho-fat washed Jameson shot, served with a pho broth back.  And Pho-ck me!!!  It was amazing!  Absolutely amazing.  That broth, I still drool thinking of the warmth, the earthiness, the clarity. Our lust for it was not subtle, and the warm broth was a great pre-bedtime shot.  And I need to go back for another one.  It was the perfect ending of a fantastic night.

ssn – I second this…I’m sure people got tired of hearing about how good this shot was. And I hope we didn’t let the secret out because we told EVERYONE.

Read our Seattle Speakeasy blog!

Big Sister – Jupiter Supper Club, Austin

We ended up with some time to kill before reservations at Here Nor There in Austin and had been wanting to try Jupiter Supper Club but thought we wouldn’t have time. Happily for us, we made it work. This is a gorgeous space! And you know I love the tagline, Timeless Maximalist Luxury. Two floors of unique decor and vibey elegance. I chose the Osaka Seagrass – a little risky but right in my wheelhouse – sesame vodka, Meletti, nori seaweed, ginger, blood orange and lemon. It was perfection – so savory and umami.

And highly recommend the beet crisps with avocado mousse!

Read our Austin Day Drinking blog!

ssn – she is seriously underselling the beet crisps with avocado mousse; they could have easily been our best bite of the year (and P.S. go to our Seattle Speakeasy blog that is linked to see the video of how much we loved the Khoa Was Here).

Little Sister – Foreign – Cahoots Postal Office, London

My international standout of the year came down to two:  Cahoots Postal in London, and Cloak & Dagger in Canggu, Bali.  Both fantastic concepts:  One post office (obviously) and one serial killer theme.  While the serial killer them speaks to my wheelhouse, I ultimately chose Cahoots Postal for my annual award.

From the first moment to the last, Cahoots sucked us in.  The host peeking out the door asking “have ya seen any coppers lurking around?”, the call for a “package delivery”, full décor with mail slots, and cocktail delivery via postal tubes – all of it, every single thing was done with sheer perfection.  Cahoots is a fully immersive experience and deserves my best speakeasy of the year.

Little Sister – Domestic – Red Headed Stepchild, Austin

If you’ve been following our blog, you already know what I’m going to say (if you aren’t, shame on you, go follow us!!!).  My choice is very obviously Red-Headed Stepchild in Austin. First, they made us work to get the code to the door. The door code is only given to insiders but they are free to share, so you have to find an insider to get the code from to enter this bar (thanks, Paul).

It is horror movie themed.  The extensive cocktail list is all themed into categories.  The bathroom was one of my favorites with a Shining theme, axes for door handles, and there is always a horror movie showing on the tv in the corner.  The service was great.  We met a couple of local industry people that helped make recommendations for us for the rest of our trip, and ran into them later when they were working, which is always fun to be in the know with people when you aren’t a regular. I absolutely loved RHSC.

Read our Austin Speakeasy blog!

Big Sister – Foreign – Spy Bar, London

Like Patti, my choices came down to two – Spy Bar in London and Little Red Door in Paris. This was a really difficult decision and I ultimately went with Spy Bar for the elevated, special experience.

Spy Bar is James Bond themed and is housed in Raffles London at the OWO (Old War Office) – Ian Fleming actually worked in the building. It is a very exclusive experience, with hard-to-acquire reservations required. And not only is it completely hidden, but no photos are allowed – adding to the mystique. I won’t say more other than we were treated like honored guests from the front desk to the Spy Bar door where we were greeted by Eugene (one of our favorite people of the year, see below).

Big Sister – Domestic – Lincolns, Denver

This Denver speakeasy is one of my absolute favorites! So far, I have taken every one of my Denver visitors to it because it is just so enjoyable.

Here is the deal. It is completely hidden, and the people of Denver seem pretty intent on preserving that secrecy. It is rare to see the location outed anywhere. There is no task to get in but the door and entrance are very cool!

Once inside, the theme is…Abe Lincoln. But super cozy and friendly. All drinks are $5, cash only. No frills – there are around 10 liquors, standard mixers, beers on tap, and a barreled old fashioned.

Read our Denver Speakeasy blog!

Little Sister – Connaught, London

One of the classiest places we have ever had cocktails at was the Connaught Bar at the Connaught Hotel in London.  The hotel is gorgeous and high end and I would love to stay here next time (hey, Connaught, give me a call, let’s talk!).

The bar is famous for its martinis.  And you absolutely must get a martini from The Connaught.  It’s prepared tableside, choice of gin or vodka, a choice of bitters, a choice of olive or lemon twist.  It is exquisite! There will be a wait for your martini, because they are ordered by dang near everyone. 

We got super lucky as we got there at opening time, and our server took our order second, so after the guy next to us had his prepared, we were up next.  I heard them tell other tables the wait for a martini was 20-30 minutes, and they walked in minutes after us, but ended up 5 tables back by the time their server took their order.  But it is worth the wait and it is an experience.

Side note – if you are looking for a not so classy recommendation The Nickel Bar in Austin gets a nod, for being the best dive bar of the year if we had that category.

Big Sister – Minturn Whisky Co, Minturn, Colorado

If you have been around me in Colorado this year, you know I have not shut up about Minturn Whisky Company’s Wee Dram and their amazing seasonal speakeasies.

The Wee Dram is an adorable little tasting room is located in Minturn, CO, the cutest town between Vail and Beaver Creek.

Patti and I were seeking out speakeasies around the state this summer and decided to go to the Wee Dram on our way to the Minturn speakeasy in Beaver Creek, mostly because it opens early (noon!!) and we had some time to kill. We fell in love with this place! Plus Kyler was the best and introduced us to their Scottish inspired whisky and their story.

We reluctantly left Minturn and headed to Beaver Creek village to see their seasonal speakeasy. It was so impressive – an 1970s-ish real estate agency. So well done!!

And now, they have just opened a winter season speakeasy – built by hand – that I cannot wait to visit!

Little Sister – Sofitel London St. James, London

For this I went with the Sofitel London St. James.  It’s on the higher end of the Accor lines, yes, and it lives up to the Accor standard.  The staff was friendly, the room was beautiful, the lounge, the bar, everything was pretty close to perfect (including its Michelin Star restaurant although we didn’t get to try other than breakfast).  There is a reason people pay the higher prices for these types of hotels.

When we checked in Anna and Jasmine awesomely upgraded our room.  Then out came Jinny to give us a full tour of the hotel, with history and bar and restaurant recommendations – she could be our sister, she should have just moved a rollaway bed into the room with us.

The room was amazing, with tea and turndown service.  All the little personal touches that make you feel like a treasured guest.  The bar at the hotel is fantastic, and the bartenders are all funny and engaging, and apparently Jose is on the list of best bartenders but we never got to meet him (but see our People We Met section about G).

We were settled in like a second home. We discovered GoggleBox on TV when we camped out in bed with a fantastic room service delivery one night. And special shout out for Josue at the bell desk for handling our luggage, getting us taxis, and making sure we were taken care of during our stay.

This place was incredible, but I’m sad we never made it to their afternoon tea, because it looked amazing (and Jinny highly recommended it).

Honorable mention

Honorable mention this year has to go to Populus for their outstanding commitment to sustainability and fabulous staff, AND to Marriott Grand Brussels for those scrambled eggs and also because we checked in the day before my birthday, and the staff noticed, and thought to send up cheesecake for us – it really is the little things that make the biggest difference.

Big Sister – Willow House, Terlingua, Texas

If you have been to Big Bend National Park, or anywhere in West Texas, really, you know it is hot, dry and dusty. But just because it is a National Park doesn’t mean there aren’t some luxury lodging options – there are glamping tents, yurts, star-gazing tents, the coveted cave hotels, and our splurge-find, Willow House.

This little concrete sanctuary in the middle of the Texas desert was heaven at the end of a long, dirty day exploring the area. Absolutely comfort and tranquility.

The Willow House consists of 12 casitas and an absolutely beautiful main house. Each casita has a concrete patio and a sunrise view of the Chisos Mountain Range. The main house has group seating areas, tables, a well-appointed kitchen with storage for each casita, complimentary coffee, espresso, water filling stations. Outside there are a couple of outdoor kitchens, a large firepit area with plenty of seating, and a large pool area with showers and seating but a small pool.

Little Sister – Catacombs of Paris, France

Absolutely amazing!  This was something I always wanted to see but was never a bucket list from me.  It just appeals to my dark and disturbing side.  Our two quick days in Paris was sure to include this tour.  It was everything I wanted, except for the other people there.  Centuries ago, they moved Parisian bodies from the cemeteries into one central location.  And they are now all stacked up in the catacombs.  Tunnel after tunnel, bones stacked along the walls – skulls, femurs, all of it, wall to wall stacks of bones.  It was cool, and completely creepy.  And the horror on Peggy’s face was just a bonus.

ssn – I, too, have always wanted to visit the Catacombs but was not prepared for the unending, vast quantity. It was shocking!

Big Sister – Palace of Versailles, France

A visit to Versailles is something I’ve been trying to do for multiple visits to France, and it was finally happening. Unfortunately, Patti wasn’t feeling well and wasn’t able to come with me so I didn’t get to share the experience with her.

The Palace and grounds were so impressive, as expected. I’m not sure you can be fully prepared for the scale, the grandeur and the opulence. That said, the Hall of Mirrors was everything. And I enjoyed the guided tour very much – super interesting history!

However, even in this shoulder season, the crowds were unbearable. I now understand the appeal of the private stay that includes early/late access to the Palace. I’m so glad to have seen it and it was worthy of my Best of 2025, but will not be returning!

Little Sister – Swimming with Dolphins, Bali

I did not know this was on my bucket list, but here we are.  I tend to shy away from interacting with animals, I don’t believe it’s our part. But here we were, swimming with the Dolphins in Bali.  I started out hating it.  There were about 20 boats, and I felt like we were interfering with their world, the world we don’t belong in.

Then I was in the water, on a pull rope, when I looked down and thought I saw a school of those silver fish.  Then as they started to swim up, I realized they were all dolphins, and they rose up and jumped out of the water all around me. And it was majestic, and amazing, and I felt this sense of euphoria.  I was surrounded by the beautiful creatures just jumping all around me and playing, and for moment I was one of them.  It was breathtaking.

I will still avoid animal interactions when traveling (especially to those who have never looked into it:  do not ever hold sloths or visit interactive experiences that are not ethically treating the animals – yes, you can google this)

Big Sister – Eric Church at Red Rocks, Colorado

I have been trying to see Erich Church for YEARS! For some reason, each time, something comes up. Four times now, I have had tickets and not been able to go. So when he announced three nights at Red Rocks in July, I set alarms, had my browser ready to go and was ready! I mean, Red Rocks is iconic so this HAD to happen.

I got tickets to night 3 (each night at a different musical style) – Eric Church vs The Guitar. Just him, alone on stage.

And it happened! It was amazing. Even with torrential rains, and delays…the show went on. Hands down, one of the best concerts I have ever seen.

Little Sister – Belgium

This year for me, it was Belgium.  I have always wanted to visit Belgium.  Not only do they make my favorite beer, there was always this draw for me to a smaller country, with a medieval feel, old buildings, culture, and cobblestones.  And Belgium did not disappoint. I was very worried when we boarded a train to Ghent that took us through the seedier side of Brussels and I was skeptical of my dreams.  BUT, it got better, so very much better.

I wish we had time to do Antwerp and Bruges, but just Ghent and Brussels made me happy.  And I loved them.  Belgium is so underrated as a destination, and I am glad this trip got to happen (even if it turns out you can’t brew beer with the Monks or tour inside the brewery inside the monastery, which is bullshit, I want to do that!).

Read our Ghent blog!

Big Sister – Antarctica

My favorite destination is a no-brainer, Antarctica. This was a bucket list, once in a lifetime trip for me and one month after returning, I am still in awe.

I traveled with Viking Octantis and everything about the trip was top tier. The ship, the amenities, the staff and excursions. We had fantastic weather, Drake Lake for both crossings, ate delicious food, and of course, saw amazing wildlife. We saw humpbacks and penguins everyday and a huge pod of about 30 orcas one afternoon. Life changing!

I say once in a lifetime, but I would go back! Is anyone interested??