Sheraton Universal is an on-site hotel at Universal Studios Hollywood, within walking distance of the park and CityWalk, and a short drive from Los Angeles. In this hotel review, I’ll share photos from the refurbished rooms, and overhauled common areas of the Sheraton Universal Hotel. Truth be told, I never planned on writing this review. […]
Cool Japanese Vending Machines: Drink 2
/5 Comments/in Dining Japan /by Tom BrickerIn a previous post, I shared my odd infatuation with Japan’s ubiquitous vending machines. I wrote that back in this blog’s infancy after a couple of trips to Tokyo and Kyoto, during which I obsessed over finding and buying the oddest/coolest drinks I could find from Japan’s vending machines. Here we are 4 years and […]
Laguna Beach Engagement Photography
/8 Comments/in Photo California, Laguna Beach, SoCal /by Tom BrickerI see a lot of engagement photographers in Laguna Beach, California. It’s an incredibly popular spot for brides and grooms to sit for pre-wedding portraits, and it’s easy to see why. Free public access, beautiful ocean backdrops, and plentiful sunshine. Pretty much the exact same reason landscape photographers like me flock to Laguna. When my […]
Is Muir Woods Worth Visiting?
/5 Comments/in Things to Do California, National Parks /by Tom BrickerMuir Woods National Monument is a 550 acre park filled with old growth coastal redwoods; a humbling place just outside of San Francisco, California in Golden Gate National Recreation Area. In this post, we’ll share some thoughts and photos of these giant trees. If you’ve never seen redwood and sequoia trees, it’s an absolute must-do on any […]
360 Chicago Observation Deck Review
/6 Comments/in Things to Do USA /by Tom BrickerFormerly the John Hancock Building Observatory, 360 Chicago is the rebranded observation deck in the fourth-tallest building in Chicago, with an observatory and cafe at its higher levels overlooking Lake Michigan and Navy Pier. This post provides tips and a review of whether it’s worth your time and money to visit this observatory. Obviously, 360 […]
Sheraton Universal Hollywood Hotel Review
/3 Comments/in Hotels California, L.A., SoCal /by Tom BrickerSheraton Universal is an on-site hotel at Universal Studios Hollywood, within walking distance of the park and CityWalk, and a short drive from Los Angeles. In this hotel review, I’ll share photos from the refurbished rooms, and overhauled common areas of the Sheraton Universal Hotel. Truth be told, I never planned on writing this review. […]
O.J. Simpson Museum Review
/0 Comments/in Things to Do California, L.A., SoCal /by Tom BrickerChinatown’s Coagula Curatorial Gallery in Los Angeles has a new pop-up O.J. Simpson Museum, which features a plethora of pop culture memorabilia about the ‘Trial of the Century’ and all things O.J. Simpson. In this post, I’ll offer some thoughts from our visit to the O.J. Museum. Like many children of the 90s, the O.J. […]
Hiking Grinnell Glacier Trail in Glacier National Park
/11 Comments/in Reports National Parks /by Tom BrickerGrinnell Glacier Trail is a 12-mile roundtrip hike in Glacier National Park starting at Swiftcurrent Lake and leading to Upper Grinnell Lake, with some beautiful scenery along the way. In this post, I’ll share photos from the hike and my experience doing it, along with other info so you can prepare for this hike. For […]
Gamble House Tour Review
/5 Comments/in Things to Do California, SoCal /by Tom BrickerThe Gamble House in Pasadena, California is an exemplar of Arts and Crafts architecture. A variety of docent-led tours are offered throughout the week, and the relatively low price (as compared to other architectural tours around Los Angeles) coupled with the intriguing style and history of the home make this a popular option for visitors […]
Wizarding World of Harry Potter Photos
/13 Comments/in Photo Universal Studios /by Tom BrickerTwo of my favorite lands in any theme park are Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade in Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, respectively, at Universal Orlando Resort. They are also two of the most photogenic lands, and as such, I thought I’d share some of my best Wizarding World of Harry Potter photos in this […]
Great Food We’ve Eaten in Los Angeles – Part 1
/12 Comments/in Dining California, L.A., SoCal /by Tom BrickerWe love to eat, and we love Los Angeles. In this post, we combine those two loves, and share some of the great L.A. restaurants at which we’ve recently dined, with food photos, and recommendations in terms of things we enjoyed. Since I’m guessing most of our readers don’t live in Los Angeles and aren’t […]