With travel opening back up, where do you want to go first (internationally)? Because we loved this topic so much we are splitting this conversation into two episodes and therefore splitting our list in two as well. Today, we will be covering our international destinations that currently (May 2021) have their borders open to vaccinated tourists (& only a couple that we are still waiting on).
If you are craving travel as much as we are, this episode will fill your travel list with some great accessible international destinations.
What are you doing when you listen to our podcast? Where are your top summer destinations? Let us know by tagging us in a post on Instagram at @ExtraPackofPeanuts.
Apple Podcast reviews are one of THE most important factors for podcasts. If you enjoy the show please take a second to leave the show a review on Apple Podcasts!
You are really digging our “countdown” style podcasts lately so we are giving you another one but this time we are diving into the 16 best places to live for at least 3 years. We aren’t talking about vacations or short-haul stays but living day to day life like a local, embracing the culture fully, & truly settling into the places we discuss in today’s podcast.
This one is a little more high stakes because Trav has a love of buying real estate and so at any point one of these places could become a reality so I (Heather) had to think long and hard about the possible future commitment this episode could be making for me.
We each picked 7-8 places (hello, honorable mentions) where we could live for 3 years and you’ll have to listen to see if we had any places make both lists. Can anyone say moving possibilities?!
Apple Podcast reviews are one of THE most important factors for podcasts. If you enjoy the show please take a second to leave the show a review on iTunes!
Each year there are always a handful of days that stand out.
Some of those perfect travel days that you couldn’t have planned in a million years, but that really stick with you, months later.
Today, Heather and I go through our top 10 experiences of 2019 spanning the globe from the Good Ole USA to Canada to the warmth of sunny Florida and gorgeous Croatia.
Thank you to Chase for sponsoring this episode of the podcast! Check out the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card by going to CreditCards.com/EPOP.
What were your favorite experiences of 2019? If you get to hit up any of the places we list then please let us know @ExtraPackofPeanuts and snap a pic and hashtag it #EPOPSentUs!
Do you have travel questions for Trav about travel or travel hacking? Tweet us @packofpeanuts or Instagram @extrapackofpeanuts, or even on Facebook! Anywhere you can find us!
If you know anything about us, it’s that we love to eat. And boy did we eat a lot in 2019!
Today Heather and I are going to go through our top 12 meals of the year (each) for a total of 24 awesome places around the world that you should definitely check out if you’re going to be in the neighborhood!
From Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina to Philadelphia and Maine, we truly span the globe with today’s episode!
What were your favorite meals of 2019? If you get to hit up any of the places we list then please let us know @ExtraPackofPeanuts! If you go to anywhere we have ever discussed please snap a pic & post on Instagram and hashtag #EPOPSentUs
Do you have travel questions for Trav about travel or travel hacking? Tweet us @packofpeanuts or Instagram with #askepop to @extrapackofpeanuts, or even on Facebook! Anywhere you can find us!
In This Episode
06:10 Honorable Mentions
12:48 The List Begins
19:25 The Most Expensive Place In Sarajevo
25:10 OH Canada!
30:35 Croatia FTW
35:00 Best Fish & Chips
38:10 2nd Closest To Trav & Heather
42:10 Delicious Mexico
45:00 Closet Place To Trav & Heather
47:42 Heather Is Too Excited To Talk About This Place
After spending over 3 weeks in Vancouver, Heather and Trav are well versed in the best things to do in this beautiful city. Discover how many breweries Trav went to in 21 days (hint: it’s a lot!), Heather’s favorite pizza and coffee spots, and the activity that they both say you “can’t miss” when visiting Van.
Go Fish – The best fish and chips in the world, according to one expert (Heather). Go, and you’ll see why.
The Fish Counter – A close second, the Fish Counter on Main Street is also an amazing choice with lots of different seafood options.
Carp – Awesome poke and sushi place tucked into a small shop in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood.
Pacific Poke – A decent poke shop located right downtown
Railtown Cafe – Big, delicious sandwiches on Main Street.
Via Tevere – Some of Heather’s favorite pizza ever.
Sal y Limon – A quick, fast, fairly cheap, and casual taco spot with lots of good choices.
Tacofino – The Vancouver outpost of this crazy popular taco truck originally started in Tofino.
The Flying Pig – And upscale dining option in Gastown for Italian fare.
Fable Diner – Incredible brunches make the inevitable hour-long wait on weekends worth it.
Cartem’s Donuts – Conveniently located on Main Street, this donut place has an ever-rotating selection of eclectic flavor choices, including Heather’s favorite, earl grey.
Ice Cream:
Rain or Shine – My favorite ice cream in Vancouver. Big portions, nice people, and fantastic flavors. What more could an ice cream lover want?
Rooster Ice Cream – A small, new place that not only has good ice cream but makes a mean ice cream cookie sandwich!
Earnest – With 4 locations in Vancouver, Earnest gets recognized by many as Vancouver’s best ice cream. While I personally think Rain or Shine narrowly edges it out, you can’t go wrong by trying it out for yourself!
La Casa Gelato – Quantity over quality, this gelato shop has the most flavors of anywhere in the world – 238 at any given time! The spectacle itself is worth going for, even if the gelato is just average.
Bella Gelateria – You know a gelato place is good when it’s won an international award from real, Italian judges in Florence!
33 Acres – The best brewery in Vancouver, this place ticks all the boxes – great beer, friendly staff, and a beautiful interior. Go early, because it gets packed (for good reason).
Brassneck – After hitting 33 Acres and then Cartem’s Donuts, wander over to his fantastic brewery. Our second favorite brewery in the Main Street area, it shouldn’t be missed.
Faculty – A small brewery with only 4-5 beers on tap, it’s worth the visit, especially if you’re biking by on the Ontario Street bike path.
R&B Brewing – The atmosphere here is like being in your friend’s basement (in a good way) and the pizza is pretty decent too. Unfortunately, the beer left a bit to be desired.
Main Street Brewing – Nothing fancy or exciting here, but hey, it’s another brewery to stop at if you’re trying to hit them all!
“Yeast Van” Area
Strangefellows – Unique beer selection, good bar snacks, and a cool vibe make this one of Vancouver’s top breweries.
Luppolo – A relative newcomer, their hazy IPA was my favorite of the entire trip.
Callister – With 3 rotating guest breweries plus Callister itself all brewing under the same roof, coming here means you can try 4 completely different breweries all at once, which is a great concept.
Storm – Vancouver’s oldest, and certainly most unique, craft brewery, Storm is a must-visit for the “ambiance” alone. Enter the no-frill “tasting room” through the loading door and be treated to some of the most eclectic beers you’ll ever find.
Other Breweries
Steamworks – This huge brewery and sports bar is found right on the water in Gastown. With good food and good beer, this is whatever large brewpub should strive for.
Coast Mountain – Found up north in Whistler, this tiny tasting room is exactly what you’d expect in a ski town – crowded, lively, and fun with fantastic beer to boot! A personal favorite.
Superflux Beer Company – A gypsy brewery with no tasting room, if you can find their cans at the craft bottle shops in Vancouver, buy them. This brewery is setting the standard for hazy IPA’s in Vancouver…and beyond.
Coffee:
Matchstick – Heather’s favorite coffee in Vancouver, this quaint coffee shop tucked away in Mount Pleasant is a must for coffee aficionados.
49th Parallel – This big, comfy cafe with good coffee is a great place to come, hang out, and relax (especially if you snag one of their overstuffed leather chairs)!
Revolver – Want good coffee in Gastown? This is your spot!
Prado – If you find yourself in the Commercial Drive area, this is the place to head for great coffee!
Accommodations:
One of the best parts of Vancouver is the neighborhoods, which is why we recommend finding a fun AirBnB in any of the following neighborhoods if you’re staying for more than 2 days (click here to create an AirBnB account and get $40 credit)
Mount Pleasant
Kitsilano
West End
HI Hostel Central – A decent choice if you’re really on a budget. But if you can afford it, we recommend you head elsewhere.
English Bay Beach – Located in Stanley Park, this is one of the more lively beaches in Vancouver and a great place to spend the afternoon.
Granville Island – Fantastic views of the city and great indoor markets.
Drive to Whistler – Rent a car, get out of Vancouver, and take the beautiful drive up through Squamish to Whistler.
Dude Chilling Park – Is it the best park in the world? No way. But does it have the best name? You bet.
Wreck Beach – Head here if you’ve got a hankering for a bit of adventure. 300+ stairs down to the beach keep it pretty isolated, which is a good thing because once you get down, you’ll realize it’s clothing-optional (but discouraged).
Jericho Beach – One of Vancouver’s best beaches, especially for sunsets.
Sea to Sky Gondola – At $40 CAD, it’s a bit pricey, but if you’re driving to Whistler, it’s worth it if you like gondolas, suspension bridges, and want to hike around for a few hours.
Capilano Suspension Bridge – Like Sea to Sky, at $42 CAD it’s a bit pricier than it should be, but it’s also every little kid’s dream. Walk along a huge suspension bridge and then a bunch of smaller ones that take you through the treetops.
Shopping on Main Street – Lots of neat shops to poke your head in between eating and drinking along this great stretch of the city.
