Destination: 2015

It's already 2015, and well we aren't getting any younger.

I'm not going to be able to travel as much as I did last year so I'm trying to figure out the one place I have to go to before the end of 2015.

I'm a little stumped because I want to go somewhere different than all my other vacations. So I decided to turn to Google.
I found this cool magazine Travel and Leisure that suggested 50 of the best places to visit in 2015.

Here's a few that stood out.

1. Milan, Italy

Milan would be an amazing adventure. From the authentic pasta, pizza, museums, to the italian country side. Sounds like a pretty awesome time to me. Not to mention, seeing Piazza del Duomo in person would be great.

2. Cuba

I've always wanted to visit Cuba at some point in my life. I think it's because it was something that wasn't allowed up until recently. Now US citizens are able to travel into Cuba through a certain process. I definitely want to look into this more... I'm probably not the only one who wants authentic Cuban cigars.

3. Orlando, Florida

I wasn't going to mention anywhere in the US because I'd rather travel somewhere outside the states.
But then I saw the words "Disney World" and I was sold. In 2014, I went to Disneyland for the first time in my life and after that I got an annual pass and went more than 20 times.
I think it's about time I take a trip to Disney World.
Also.... Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Need I say more?

Not feeling any of these? Check out the full list here at Travel + Leisure to find where you'd like to go. Enjoy!

A.S.F

Inspiration: The Gentleman Blogger

In 2012, Matthew Zorpas launched his personal blog The Gentleman Blogger.

Matthew's first post was about his decision to begin his blog. In his post he said his blog would be "dedicated to his lifestyle, street style, shopping secrets, and will highlight events, places and exhibitions."

He also went on to say "I hope that [TGB] will inspire you to visit places that you haven't been before, to taste something different or wear something that you never had the courage to wear."

Which I feel does perfectly. I have been following his blog since the beginning of 2014 and I really enjoy reading his blog. 

He is from Rio De Janeiro, but frequently traveling around the world to cover major events and experience new things. 

He is currently in New York City for a collaboration with Pal Zileri, which is a clothing line that specializes in men's suits. How fitting. (No pun intended)

In 2014 he really began to become more popular in the blogosphere, and began collaborating more with high fashion houses such as Dries Van Noten, Giorgio Armani, Fendi, and many more.

In January, he attended Milan Fashion Week. He went to the Fendi Autumn/Winter 2015 fashion show and he wrote about the experience. The title of his post was Mr. Fendi, for obvious reasons of course. The show and collection was really good, and I definitely agree with his thoughts.

Check out the blog for yourself, and give me your thoughts below!

A.S.F

When in Seattle...

If you ever find yourself in Seattle Washington, you'll have to stay at the best hotel in town. Hotel Five of course!

Formally known as Hotel Five - A Piece of Pineapple Hospitality, is located in the heart of Belltown. Minutes away from all major tourist attractions in Seattle. 

The location of the hotel is perfect, everything is in walking distance. Only 5 minutes away from downtown Seattle, where there's tons of places to shop. 10 minutes away from the iconic Seattle Space Needle where you can catch killer views of the entire city, the river, and of course Pike place market. 

Pike Place is only about 10 minutes from Hotel Five, and it's the perfect place to grab a bite to eat and get some great clam chowder. 

Back to the hotel... 

If you like staying in a nice affordable "five star" hotel, this is the one! The rates are very affordable for such a cool and trendy hotel. 

Here's a view of a typical room at the hotel. 

The staff at the hotel are so friendly and really go above and beyond to give quality service to their guests. Room service from Max's Cafe is a must! Max's cafe is the hotel's restaurant and is perfect for breakfast.

The only downside is the hotel was next to this pretty creepy building with a bunch of questionable satanic graffiti on the side, as well as interesting figurines inside... Definitely a sight to see for yourself, or not. When we asked the staff about the building they said that it was "An advertising agency that likes to push the bar".... Hmmm. 

Overall, I give the hotel 5 Pineapples out of Five of course. This was definitely one of the best hotel stays i've had while traveling.
Also I forgot to mention that the hotel is pet friendly! So this is the perfect opportunity to take your pup on a vacation with you.

http://www.hotelfiveseattle.com 

Check it out for yourself, and book your stay now!

A.S.F

Expect the unexpected...

Whenever I travel I always try to bring clothes for any weather situation. I feel that we are a bit too spoiled here in California. 

It's never too cold here even during winter, and the rainy weather usually never lasts. More often than not the sun is out in full force, and it's hot. 

When you're traveling it's hard to really know how the weather will be during your time there. I check the weather pretty often before a trip somewhere, and I plan around the forecast. 

It's always good to be proactive and plan activities for sunny weather, or rainy and snowy weather as well. Just so you're not stuck doing nothing in your hotel on a rainy. 

Beach trips, or hikes are a must on a vacation because it's fun to explore new areas. If it's raining or snowing museums are a great way to escape the cold and are pretty fun with the right people. 

I also bring some weather neutral clothes just in case there's a hiccup in the forecast. These are the clothes that you can wear comfortably if it's hot or cold. They're easy to layer up or dress down. 

Some essentials include:

Long sleeve button up shirts: Great to wear in the cold or rainy weather under sweaters or jackets. But they're also great in the warmer weather as well, just roll the sleeves up and you're set. 

Bathing suit: Whether you're in Hawaii planning to snorkel or take a dive with the shirts, or in New York during the snowy season. Bring them! You don't want to be that person missing out. 

Most important thing - An umbrella. 

Whether it's snowing, raining or sunny it'll come in handy. 

Whatever the weather may be, have fun! 

A.S.F

Back to reality...

Coming back from a trip is always such a bummer. 

Whenever I come back home I always say that I go through this "middle bit of depression". Which is highly dramatic and terrible, but don't you ever feel the same way? 

Back to work, school, being an adult, and all the responsibilities that come with that.... Wah wah waaaaah. 

To turn this around.. I like to take mini day trips to cool places with some friends, that aren't too far from home and not so expensive.

1. Big Sur 

Take a drive down the coast and go hiking at Pfeiffer State park. There's this cool trail called The Gorge, that I like to hike. It's a pretty easy hike, and at the end there's a place to swim and relax. 

2. Monterey/Carmel 

There's nothing better than having a beach day with your friends. Take a swim, or catch some waves by going surfing. Or if you don't know how, like me, go boogie boarding. It's just as fun, and maybe even cooler (at least that's what I tell myself) than surfing.

Then, end the night with a bonfire and some s'mores. 

3. San Francisco

What isn't there to do in the city? 

There's so much to do and so easy to get to with the muni. Here's a few suggestions: 

Hike up Coit tower and check out the city views.

Check out the museums 

Walk the Golden Gate Bridge.

Or take it easy and go shopping in the city? 

Whatever you decide to do, you won't be disappointed. And it will definitely help you kick your bit of blues.

A.S.F

It's here!...

Valentine's Day I mean!

There's nothing better than being in love on Valentines day. So where else to go than the "City of Love"... Paris of course!
I've never been to Paris, but it is definitely on my mind and hopefully one of my next trips.

Here are a few ideas for a Valentine's Day date.

Take a walk to the Love lock bridge in Paris.

Taking long walks in Paris is the thing to do apparently because it's so romantic. So why not take a walk to your local Parisian supermarket, buy a padlock and head over to the love lock bridge. The story goes, couples sign their names onto the padlock then lock it to the bridge. Then they throw the key into the river, and they'll be in love forever. 

After go get some drinks or go out to dinner.

http://www.timeout.com/paris/feature/restaurants/restaurants-for-valentines-day

This link has a few great places to go on Valentine's day for drinks or dinner.



And finally.. end the night here at Tour Eiffel

Take a ride up to the top of the tower and you'll be able to see the entire city of Paris. Careful this entire combination is deadly, and may set the bar too high for all other dates in the future. 

But hey, this is Valentine's Day after all so why not go all out? 

Safe travels, and have fun! 

A.S.F

The Gentleman's Traveling Wardrobe

Hopefully by now your tickets are booked for your trip, because it's time! ................ To pack (DUN DUN DUN!!!).
Super fun stuff I know, I can tell you guys are excited. To be real though, I kinda like this part. You get the chance to wear some cool pieces that you might not wear all that often and show them off. I tend to go all out and usually overpack, but oh well.

I usually put clothes out for the travel day which usually consists of a pair of sweatpants, basic black or white V neck tee, maybe a sweater, and a cool jacket. Preferably a leather jacket because it's so classic and adds to any outfit. Also don't be afraid to wear sweatpants out because it's easy to dress them up now a days.

Now for your bag. When I'm going on a trip I like to have options of what to wear during my stay.
These are my usual travel essentials for like a 4-5 day trip:

2 pairs of jeans (1 black/1 denim)
2 pairs of sweatpants
3-4 button up shirts
2-3 sweaters that you can dress up or down
1 more cool jacket
1 blazer for going out
5 basic of graphic tees
1-2 shorts/swim trunks (Depending on weather)
5 pairs of underwear
6 pairs of socks
1-2 pairs of sneakers
1 pair of your favorite boots

Onto toiletries, every guy needs to have a cool bag or pouch for toiletries.

Shampoo
Conditioner
Body wash
Face scrub
Shaving kit
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Favorite cologne(s) but no more than two
Comb
Gel


Still with me? Good... almost done.

Do NOT forget your: 
Wallet: Money, Debit/Credit cards, ID, passport, etc..
Phone/Laptop/Tablet
Chargers
Notebook & pen(s)
Camera/SD card


Are you struggling trying to make it fit? MAKE IT FIT!! Refold it, do whatever you have to do because in my mind it is all necessary. You guys may not be as ridiculous as I am when it comes to packing so go about it with your best judgement. I really like to dress up on vacation when I go out and explore, but then I also like to be able to lounge around and relax. Don't we all though?
Safe travels!

A.S.F

The Perfect Travel Bag

Now that you've got an idea of where you want to go and what you want to see, you need a cool bag to carry your things. I have a few backpacks and pouches from the Herschel Supply brand, and I love the quality of their bags. So my go to travel bag would have to be the Novel Duffle, this one is in the Black Portal color.

The bag is quite roomy and fits enough clothes for about 4-6 days, and has a separate compartment for shoes. 

Another option for me would be the Zara Dotted Bowling Bag in black leather. 

This one is a little smaller than the Hershel Novel Bag, but this is a really nice bag as well. The leather is a step up from the Herschel bag.

Both bags are great for a simple weekend trip, or even a week long trip with the help of a second smaller bag like a backpack if you overpack like me. Also these fit in the overhead cabin of an airplane, so there is no need to worry about those ridiculous check in fees. Safe travels!

A.S.F

Always keep an open mind

This week I am going to write about how it is best to be spontaneous and open minded while planning trips and traveling. I am all about planning a basic travel itinerary for a trip, but from past experience things don’t always go as planned. For those of you that live by a set schedule and need to plan out every last detail of your trip, hear me out. Having a set schedule for a trip is so exhausting and often times more work than anything. Last summer a few friends and I were planning a trip to San Diego, LA, Santa Monica, Huntington Beach and a few other places near there. We started planning the trip a few months in advance, and when it started getting closer one of my friends was trying to plan out what we’d do day by day. I didn’t think he was too serious about that so I left it alone. When we were driving down, he was telling us about the schedule and how he wanted to stick to it as best we could. I thought it was a little crazy because we planned to be down for a week so I didn’t think he would have everything planned out already. To my surprise, he did. The first two days of his schedule weren’t so bad because we were driving and got there late, and the second day we spent it at Disneyland. The third day though we had quite a few things on the schedule, and he had set times for them. Which after a while got frustrating, so one of my other friends and I talked to him and convinced him to ease up on the schedule. We just told him to go with the flow of things and let the trip happen. From then on we had a blast, we went to so many different places in SoCal; and met a lot of new people along the way.

This was definitely one of my favorite trips of 2014. 

I agree 100% that you need to have some sort of plan when going on a trip. But keep an open mind!! Unexpected things do happen, like the museum you want to go to is closed that day; the subway is overrun with loads of people because of a flash mob, or you have an unexpected layover in Denver. Make the most out of that trip even if things might not go the way you planned, don't let it ruin the experience. Especially if you’re with good company, like your friends or loved ones things can always be turned around. 

A.S.F

Introduction

Hello my name is Andre Silvino Figueroa.The feature that interests me the most is the lifestyles section.  My blog is The Gentleman's Guide to Traveling. The title speaks for itself, and will give tips and pointers for a great traveling experience. I would like to become a photojournalist and I plan on traveling quite a bit later in the years to come. I feel like it would be great to have a guide from a someone like me who enjoys traveling, and adventure. I have some experience traveling and have picked up some tips and pointers during my travels and would like to share them.  

The link below talks about a few trends from 2014 and I'd like to expand a little more on them. 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/laraparker/22-travel-trends-to-look-forward-to-in-2014#.pba3lqWJx

Number two on the list talks about improved airline cabins. A good example of this would be Virgin America airlines; the airline cabins are roomy, have comfortable seats and the staff is very friendly. I tend to fly with them because of the great experience, and also because the flights aren't so expensive (#14). Number eight which says that "taxis will no longer be a form for transportation for travelers". There are private taxi companies like Uber, which are private drivers. Uber is like the taxi 5.0, you don't have to deal with a gross smelly cab or the rude driver. With Uber you ride in style in a black town car, or black SUV. When I first heard about Uber, I was immediately interested because a taxi service that only uses black cars sounds cool on its own. In November while I was in Seattle with my girlfriend, I requested an Uber from the airport and she was really surprised when we were picked up by a black town car. Uber is now international and can be found in most major cities around the world, which is really convenient to any traveler.

A.S.F