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jcmatt · 1 month

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The Good and Bad of Drinking in Chicago

I knew I’d have plenty to try in Chicago — there are a lot of breweries in the city, plus some distilleries. It was a matter of planning the excursions for drinks so it wouldn’t interfere with sightseeing and meeting friends. Fortunately, a lot of the breweries in the Windy City are in a semi-compact area, making it a little easier to visit more than a couple. Bock at Great Central Brewing I…

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#bars #beer #brewery #Chicago

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jcmatt · 4 months

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An Architectural Tour of Chicago

“Chicago’s one of the rare places where architecture is more visible.” – Frank Gehry One of the best reasons to visit Chicago is the architecture. So much of the city is a work of art, and there are plenty of tours around the Windy City to keep a visitor busy for days. Within the downtown area, there is a lot of beauty from early 20th century buildings to more modern residential high rises — the…

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#architecture #Chicago #cities #tours

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jcmatt · 5 months

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First Impressions of Chicago

Chicago has been on my travel list for a long time, but I never got around to going. It’s a city full of history, art, sports, and food — everything I could want in a vacation other than a few mountains, but I can overlook that last point. My American friend in Taiwan visiting home for the first time in three years provided the excuse I needed to finally visit the Windy City. Everyone has to see…

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#architecture #Chicago #cities #tours

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jcmatt · 7 months

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A Colorful Tour of Pena Palace in Sintra, Portugal

While planning the trip to Portugal, the recommendation I received the most from friends, family, and travel stories was to take at least a day in Sintra, the UNESCO World Heritage site about an hour outside Lisbon. With all the transportation options to the region, I settled on a day tour — I figured it’d be easier to have a guide to take me to all the destinations around Sintra and Cascais…

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#palaces #Portugal #tours #UNESCO

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jcmatt · 8 months

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Dining on Seafood Around Lisbon, Portugal

Some of the best food I ate in Lisbon. #travel #foodporn

“standing there,eating forkfulslike white violets,ponderinga sky darkwith storm and rain” – Henri Cole, Sardines I had a list of restaurants to try before arriving in Lisbon, though I knew I wouldn’t be able to get to them all. The plan was to check my offline map pins while I was sightseeing to check out what was nearby. Of course, my experience in Porto made dining a bit lighter along the way…

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#cities #Lisbon #Portugal #restaurants

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jcmatt · 8 months

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A Rainy Tour of Porto, Portugal

“In the faint shadows cast by the last light before evening gives way to night, I like to roam unthinkingly through what the city is changing into, and I walk as if nothing had a cure.” – Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet I thought Porto would be the highlight of my trip through Portugal. The hills overlooking the Duoro River, the port wine houses, river cruises with plenty of wine, and…

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#churches #cities #parks #Portugal #UNESCO

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jcmatt · 9 months

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Taking a Free Walking Tour of Lisbon

“I’ve arrived at Lisbon, but not at a conclusion.” – Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet I thought it’d be a good introduction to Lisbon upon arrival — a cultural tour of the city with some of the sightseeing highlights. I waited until the day before departure to book the tour to make sure the weather would cooperate, and it definitely did. I had an overnight flight and arrived at my hotel…

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#Lisbon #Portugal #tours

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jcmatt · 1 year

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Back to literary events in the area. It was a wonderful evening with three talented poets in the city. A reading and discussion with Terrance Hayes, Claudia Rankine, and @ocean_vuong (he's the only one with an account). Definitely going home with a bit of poetic inspiration. #poets #poetry #poetrymatters #poetryislife #詩 #在家 #poetslife #poetrylovers #poetryisnotdead #poetrygram #writers #writersofig #poetsofig #literary #literarylife (at Skirball Center Nyu) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpTxpBVsEbg/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#poets #poetry #poetrymatters #poetryislife #詩 #在家 #poetslife #poetrylovers #poetryisnotdead #poetrygram #writers #writersofig #poetsofig #literary #literarylife

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jcmatt · 1 year

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Stalking prey in the city. Caught this city feline trying to hunt a pigeon. I don't know if the hunt was successful. #cat #catscatscats #貓 #紐約 #紐約生活 #nyc #newyork_ig #newyorkcity #cityscene #catlife #catoftheday #cats #hunting #nycphotography #nycadventures #nycgo #nycats #gato (at Chelsea, Manhattan) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpJLWxjPSXM/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#cat #catscatscats #貓 #紐約 #紐約生活 #nyc #newyork_ig #newyorkcity #cityscene #catlife #catoftheday #cats #hunting #nycphotography #nycadventures #nycgo #nycats #gato

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jcmatt · 1 year

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If anyone is wondering which team I was rooting for in the Super Bowl, this should answer some questions. This is how I've felt about my team for a long time. Also, it was unintentional to have the dumpster in the background (it wasn't even on fire then). A couple seasons ago, a friend asked what I thought about the Jets' draft picks. I replied, "They could draft Superman and still find a way to lose." They'd probably sign kryptonite as the new center. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed the Super Bowl, commercials, drinks, snacks, and Monday hangover at work. #superbowl #funny #football #nfl #nflfootball #footballgame #nj #tailgating #足球 #玩笑 #好玩 #buttfumble #sports #superbowlsunday #superbowl2023 #superbowlweekend (at MetLife Stadium) https://www.instagram.com/p/ConQ5c3veRa/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#superbowl #funny #football #nfl #nflfootball #footballgame #nj #tailgating #足球 #玩笑 #好玩 #buttfumble #sports #superbowlsunday #superbowl2023 #superbowlweekend

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jcmatt · 1 year

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I decided to try some new cocktails to welcome the lunar new year as I had a few friends over. First drink is an orange blossom, which isn't a new cocktail as it dates back to 1935. Mine is made with @suntory_rokugin, sweet vermouth, and fresh orange juice. This would be good with some spicy dishes (though what we ordered was too spicy for anything other than beer). The second drink is a Set the New Year on Fire, and it literally has a flaming lime husk floating in it (would've been a bigger flame if I had something stronger than 100 proof rye to soak it in). The cocktail contains scotch, @campariusa, mint, lime, and simple syrup. Cheers to the rest of the year of the rabbit/cat. #cocktails #drinking #cocktailsathome #drinks #lunarnewyear #lunarnewyear2023 #newyeardrinks #cocktailstyle #cocktailhour #cocktailsofinstagram #cocktailrecipes #春節 #新年快樂 #好喝 #喝酒 #雞尾酒 #飲料 #gincocktails #scotch #gin #cocktailparty #cocktailgram #cocktailculture #yearoftherabbit #drinksofinstagram #drinkstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn21mN7LqUE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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jcmatt · 1 year

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It's a mess of marine iguanas (and that is the correct collective noun). On the third day of the trip around the Galapagos with @lindbladexp, we explored Punta Espinosa on Isla Fernandina to see the marine iguanas. These reptiles can be found all over the archipelago, but this is a mating ground -- we had to be careful where to walk because we didn't want to trample the nests. We also had to be careful not to step on any marine iguanas that often look like rocks. These mini-Godzillas were one of my favorite animals around the Galapagos. In the background of the second photo is a heron that we watched pluck a baby marine iguana from the group as its late-morning snack. Read more at https://www.boozefoodtravel.com/marine-iguanas-galapagos/ #travel #wildlife #wildlifeplanet #iguana #lindbladexpeditions #natgeo #natgeotravel #旅遊日記 #旅遊 #Galapagos #travelmore #ecuador #travelmemories #iamatraveler #galapagoswildlife #travelislife #naturephotography #nature #wildlifeconservation #marineiguana #加拉帕戈斯群島 #鬣蜥 #イグアナ #ガラパゴス @natgeoexpeditions (at Galapagos Islands, Ecuador) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnK1qW7vLGL/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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jcmatt · 1 year

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It's winter solstice, so here's a chilly view of winter in Iceland. The coldest day while I was there was at Gullfoss, on a tour of the Golden Circle. It's an impressive waterfall, and its power makes it feel colder with all the spray felt high above. My fingers had a difficult time taking pictures. Despite the cold, it was a beautiful time at this magnificent waterfall. Read more at https://www.boozefoodtravel.com/the-icy-golden-circle #travel #travelmemories #travelislife #travelmore #Iceland #winter #waterfallsofinstagram #gullfoss #冰島旅遊 #冰島 #冬天 #冬至 #旅遊日記 #旅遊#icelandnature #icelandscape #icelandtravel #icelandadventure #waterfallwednesday #wintertravel #wintersolstice #ferðast #iamatraveler #instatravel #tripstagram #travelholic #travelgram @inspiredbyiceland (at Gullfoss Waterfall) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmcvCfZrAmM/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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jcmatt · 1 year

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It's unseasonably warm here in New Jersey, but I can enjoy the nice weather anyway for now. Headed to the Colgate Clock in Paulus Hook this morning. In the background you can see the Central Railroad of NJ train terminal, which took immigrants from Ellis Island to destinations around the country. The original clock dates back to 1908 when it was on top of three Colgate-Palmolive factory in Jersey City. It is supposedly the ninth largest clock in the world. #jerseyview #nj #newjerseyisntboring #just_newjersey #yesnj #njviews #colgate #clocks #newjerseyphotography #jerseycitynj #jerseycitylocal #jerseycity #紐澤西 #旅遊 #旅遊日記 #njtravel #njtourism #njphotographer #newjersey (at Colgate Clock (Jersey City)) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkrY5BIvNho/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#jerseyview #nj #newjerseyisntboring #just_newjersey #yesnj #njviews #colgate #clocks #newjerseyphotography #jerseycitynj #jerseycitylocal #jerseycity #紐澤西 #旅遊 #旅遊日記 #njtravel #njtourism #njphotographer #newjersey

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jcmatt · 1 year

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It's always a good day when you introduce a new friend to the beauty of New Jersey. I took @victoria_hess__ to High Mountain Preserve for a bit of hiking on this unseasonably warm November morning. Afterward we got bagel sandwiches as one does in NJ and headed to @seventribesmen for some tasty beer. Brought some of that home too. #hiking #hikingtrails #njtrails #hikingviews #nj #njlife #newjersey #newjerseyhiking #newjerseyparks #newjerseyphotography #newjerseyisbeautiful #newjerseyisntboring #just_newjersey #yesnj #紐澤西 #爬山 #nuevajersey #hikinglove #hikinglife #hikingnj #hikingday #naturegram #naturelovers #naturetravel #autumnleaves (at High Mountain Park Preserve) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkmBTBWvMIp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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jcmatt · 1 year

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The views from around Darwin Lake are spectacular. While much of the journey through the Galapagos Islands focuses on the wildlife (and it deserves to be the focus), there is also some beautiful landscape throughout the archipelago. Darwin Lake is part of Isla Isabela and is a rare source of fresh water in the area. The volcanic landscape is a highlight of a hike at this spot -- you can see some new lava flows (relatively speaking). Read more at https://www.boozefoodtravel.com/darwin-lake-galapagos #travel #travelmemories #travelislife #travelmore #Galapagos #lindbladexpeditions #galapagosislands #iamatraveler #instatravel #tripstagram #islasgalapagos #旅遊日記 #旅遊 #加拉帕戈斯群岛 #natgeotravel #ガラパゴス諸島 #爬山 #nationalgeographicexpeditions #lindblad #hiking #hikingtrails #hikingadventures #travelawesome #Ecuador #ecuadortravel #ecuadorturistico @lindbladexp @natgeotravel (at Isla Isabela) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkbStMXOWs8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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jcmatt · 2 years

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Happy 7th birthday, @departedsoles tasting room! I'm tasting their delicious barrel aged farmhouse version of lievita blond ale, which uses sourdough starter from Razza, the pizzeria that the NY Times called the best pizza in NYC despite being in NJ. This version of the wonderfully light and refreshing lievita has a slightly sour and oaky flavor. Read more about Departed Soles in Jersey City: https://www.boozefoodtravel.com/departed-soles-brewery-jersey-city/ #beer #breweries #NJbeer #nj #NewJerseyBeer #beertography #beerlover #beersofinstagram #beertasting #beeradventures #啤酒廠 #啤酒 #cerveza #bier #ビール #beertime #newjersey #njbrews #newjerseylife #welovebeer #craftbeer #beerstagram #newjerseybrewery #njbreweries (at Departed Soles Brewing Co.) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj_gpPUvhAx/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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