Zurich for a Day

I had an unexpected stop in Zurich due to a delayed flight, so I was excited to explore a new city. I've been to Switzerland twice, but never to Zurich, and I had exactly 24 hours. So I hopped on Google and pinpointed the "downtown" area with lots of things to see in a concentrated place. I got a map from concierge and set out by foot. My hotel was not near the town center, but the trams in Zurich make it super easy to get around, so this city gets tops points for public transportation! Within 15 minutes, I was in the center checking out the rich architecture, gorgeous clock towers and churches, and the serene lake. But honestly, the most fun I had was window shopping! This city boasts the best shopping I've seen in a while. Definitely a destination I'd love to come back to~

Note: Switzerland is not on the Euro, they use Swiss Francs. So you have to do a money exchange when coming from neighboring countries. Lucky for me, this trip was all-expenses paid due to my delayed flight. I really love Swiss Air and I suggest traveling with them whenever possible! They really take care of passengers.

Castellane and Trigalance

When exploring the mountains in the South of France, the little towns and villages are a great way to see a lot in a short amount of time. The towns are usually very small, so you can hit a few of them in one day. This trip included Castellane and Trigalance, two adorable towns very close to each other. As soon as you enter Castellane, you'll spot a church high on a mountain cliff overlooking the village. I immediately blurted out, "Can I go up there?" Of course!

After stopping in a cafe to have an espresso (which I only seem to drink in Europe) I set out on this epic, steep hike. Along the way, there are really cool ruins of where the old village used to live. Ravaged by war, all that remains are a few stone walls, but I can easily imagine myself in the 14th century, running through that old town.The ruins really have a presence to them, I could feel an amazing energy there.

After about 45 minutes of hiking through the ruins, I finally made it to the top where the church sits. The outside of the church was beautiful, but the inside was nothing special. But I don't think seeing the church was the prize for all that hiking; making it to the top just felt great and looking down on the town below, which sits near Le Verdone, was just breathtaking. A must for anyone in this area who is able to keep up with a moderate hiking pace.

After all that, it was time to treat myself. Trigalance is town a few minutes drive away from Castellane, and it's so small, you can drive through it in a few short minutes. While the town wasn't much to look at, at the top there lives an ornate caste. And if you read by blog often, you know I just love castles!

So what else to do but visit the castle for a spectacular 5 course meal? This was honestly the best meal of my life. Each course melted in my mouth. One course alone was a sampling of 15 different cheeses! I really love French cuisine and I've just got to learn how to replicate that experience in the States...

Le Verdone

I can't stay away from France too long and on this trip I was excited to explore the mountains of the Cote d'Azur. About 1.5 hour drive outside of Cannes is a lush mountain full of precious towns, winding roads, cool caves, and the most beautiful river I've ever seen; Le Verdone.

The water is so clear and blue! I loved the changing colors of the leaves too, it was extra great to explore during the crisp autumn season. The hiking in this area is epic! Always on the lookout for adventure, my favorite hiking spot was a series of tunnels that run along the river. Le tunnel de Baou was made in 1905 with the idea of channeling the Verdone between the gorges. The project was abandoned, leaving the coolest, creepiest caves that are fun to explore! Thank god for my iphone flashlight because without it, the tunnel is pitch black for many meters. I didn't come across any bats or serial killers, but I did jump and scream a few times...

After the hiking exploration, I suggest getting in a car and driving the winding roads. There are so many vista points that offer amazing views of the mountains and the river below. It was fun to see hardcore mountain climbers clutching to the side of a rock dangling hundreds of feet above the river! Take the road nice and slow though, there's no guard rail between you and the cliff. That's enough adventure for me for one day...

Milwaukee's Best

I traveled to my hometown of Milwaukee after not being there for 10 months. This last trip was so much fun and proved that this city is so dynamic in the summer time. I was bummed to have missed Summerfest, a huge two-week long music festival on the lake. But I realized that its just one of the many great summer time events in the city. There are so many multicultural events on the lakefront that offer music, drinks, and delicious food (I heard calories don't count on vacations). Click the link below for a list of events Milwaukee has to offer, no matter what summer weekend you plan to visit. From German Fest to Italian Fest to a more direct Beer Fest, there's something for everyone!

http://milwaukee.about.com/od/festivalsevents/a/MilwaukeeFests.htm

Since this is my hometown, it was easier for me to venture into farther lands, such as Port Washington. This  little town is so adorable, it's a perfect slice of Americana and reminds me of a postcard. Their main event is called Fish Day and rivals Milwaukee's larger festivals. People come into town in droves for fresh fish fry, fried cheese (my favorite), music, and beer beer beer! This usually quiet town is transformed with the friendliest drunken crowds I ever encountered. Complete with a U2 cover band, fireworks, and parties til 3am, I had a blast and will definitely come back again next year!

Planning of trip to Milwaukee in the winter? Might want to rethink that unless you love cold, snowy weather!

The Most Expensive Vacations

Now that I'm back to having a full-time job and I can't just go where the wind takes me, I've been day-dreaming a lot about all of the wonderful places I want to go. The best part about day-dreaming is that money is no object. The sky is the limit. Here are my top picks on most expensive vacations I'm dying to take!

Titanic II: Yes, they really are building a replica (with up-to-date safety features) which is set to sail in 2016 from China to England (and eventually to the states). The ridiculously rich tycoon who is building this has an interesting idea on what the best feature is. It's not that you get to say you've sailed on the Titanic, it's that he is sticking to the class structure. First class, second class, and third class will be separate and most certainly not equal. I love the idea of wearing the most delicate gown while playing craps in the First Class casino. Price of tickets yet to be announced...

Vienna: Now this isn't out of reach, but maybe my ideal itinerary might be. This is one of the world's richest cities and they still hold regal balls. How fun would it be to dress up in the finest duds, pour yourself a glass of the best champagne, and eat the finest food (I'll skip the corset) all while chatting up the world's most interesting people, in between dances of course. My date for the ball? Hey it's my dreams, so use your imagination!

Bahamas: I'm talking my own private island. There are rumors that the Fountain of Youth exists here, but maybe it's just because anyone who has their own private island should have NO stress whatsoever. Sign me up, I just bought a new swimming suit.

Trip to Outer Space: Last but not least, this one I dream about often. I totally want to take a trip to outer space! And now you can! In 2015, Boeing will begin shooting people up there, 3 passengers at a time. Docking on a space station, tickets for their excursions cost tens of millions of dollars! Put it on my tab, I'm good for it...

Burning Man & The Meaning of Life

I am so excited to unveil my latest documentary project, Burning Man & The Meaning of Life. I felt so lucky to have been able to speak with so many cool people about such an interesting topic and to become a part of the Burning Man community. I often look within myself to determine what life means to me and what path I should take to navigate my existence and making this documentary allowed me to do that on a bigger scale. During the editing process, I was so touched to be able to watch intimate moments of people doing just that. Looking within to try to understand what this life in this world during this time means. While each person articulated things differently and focused on different aspects of this expansive topic, the overall connectedness of the answers was amazing. Although we each have different experiences from our own unique perspective, the human condition remains the same. What is the meaning of your life? It's fun and rewarding to mediate on the subject...

Screenings of the feature film will be scheduled soon. For more information, visit www.jpifproductions.com

Hollywood Reservoir

When most people come to Hollywood, they check out the saturated tourist attractions, but really there are much better, little-known places. One of my new favorites is the Hollywood Reservoir, right in between the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Universal Studios. It's a beautiful man-made lake nestled in the heart of the Hollywood hills. Built in the 1920s, it supplies much of LA's drinking water. So no, you can't swim in it. But you can soak up the tranquility of this quiet space and can often see deer, coyotes, hummingbirds and turtles. It's a small piece of nature within the hectic streets of the City of Angels.

 It also offers an insiders view into life in this crazy city. If you hike up instead of driving, you can really appreciate all of the beautiful, multilevel homes in the area. Some of them are absolutely stunning and it's fun to imagine what they are like on the inside. The hike around the reservoir offers multiple, cool angels of the Hollywood sign, the iconic reason that brought most of us here in the first place.