Andrew Lee

November 7, 2016November 7, 2016

Apartheid in Cape Town

No trip or review of South Africa can be done without addressing the Apartheid. Before I came to South Africa I knew the Apartheid existed; and by I knew it existed means I had seen Lethal Weapon 2 and knew the whites were the bad guys.

So I had a general awareness of Cape Town’s racist history. But I’m telling you folks–it was REALLY racist. Full on, government sponsored racism. And right up until the early 90s!! Although we didn’t get to go to Robben Island, a couple of our guides had amazing stories to tell about their time as a black person during the Apartheid. I can’t really tell you everything, but here are just a few highlights:

One of our guides hadn’t eaten with a fork and knife in a restaurant until 2000 when his tour group invited him to join them for dinner in a previously “Whites Only” restaurant.
Scattered throughout the city used to be Whites Only and Non-Whites benches (most have been removed at this point). The penalty for sitting on the wrong bench? 3 months in jail. So how do you know if you’re white or black? Well…
You would need to be classified as White, Colored (something like Asian or very light skinned African would be classified this), or Black by a government official per the Population Registration Act. From there, based on how you looked according to this one guy, you’d get either all the benefits or jackshit for benefits…and the craziest part–if the guy labeling you couldn’t tell if you should be black or colored, he’d drop a pencil in your hair. If the pencil stuck, you’re black. If it didn’t, congrats you’re colored.

Like I said there’s a lot more, but if you ever visit South Africa I’m sure you’ll meet plenty of people who’ll tell you their own stories. And after hearing their stories, it makes me really appreciate what a great man Nelson Mandela was for having the patience and the forgiveness in him to advocate non-violence once he became president. Because I know personally, if all that crap happened to me, I’d wanna take out all those motherf**kers.

So in order to really get immersed in what racism was like we needed to leave the comfy confines of the waterfront and make our way to the townships. The townships were the designated areas where blacks and coloreds could live. These days those that live in the townships are still in pretty dire straits, and the housing there can be described as a rundown gated community at best. The black townships are extremely poor and the people who live there are living on the bare minimum.

A lot of these townships also still have their tribal traditions, some of which are pretty brutal. Warning: The following story is pretty graphic. When we visited the Langa Township, we were shown a wooded area that was fenced off and used as a coming of age ground for men. Boys have to survive in this wooded area for 3-6 weeks to prove that they were a man. Okay, whatever, I can roll with that.

However, that’s not all. Boys, ranging from age 16-20, also have to go through a circumcision procedure, done not by a trained doctor, and without anesthesia. I am very not okay with that. Our guide told us 10% of all the boys that go through the ritual do not survive and that if they don’t do it, they won’t be considered a man by the tribe. Oh yeah and after they survive the circumcision the “now” man would get part of his finger cut off so that public could see he fulfilled the ritual (and yep, one of our drivers had part of his pinky missing…).

giphy — Every man in our group listening to this story was squirming nauseously in their seats.

Now this is just one tribe; they do not all do this, in my opinion, super barbaric ritual (our tour guide’s tribe doesn’t have any comparable rituals). But it is interesting that in the 21st century this kind of stuff is still around.

Anyways, moving on to the township itself…I’ll give you a second to breathe and get over that story…the residents in the area were all very friendly (at least in the one we visited). They lived in housing ranging from cargo containers to run down apartments. Obviously some were nicer than others (the coloreds had low income housing essentially), but they were all still crazy overcrowded. During peak apartheid however there’d be like 14 families in one 3 room apartment. It’s absolutely nuts.

There were also several memorials around, such as the Gugulethu Seven and Amy Biehl memorials, that commemorated those that died to end apartheid and their stories. I highly recommend clicking on the links and reading about them.

November 6, 2016November 6, 2016

Video: Table Mountain

Looming over Cape Town is the beautiful Table Mountain, a must visit on any Cape Town trip. Just like stupid Robben Island, Table Mountain is subject to worker strikes that may or may not make your excursion possible. On our visit, there was a strike going on and there was a 50/50 chance of us being able to go up. Unlike Robben Island however, we were able to make this stop actually happen because the day of our visit the workers and employers and come to an agreement.

That being said, it was a little cloudy on the day we went which is not uncommon, so keep that in mind. But we were lucky enough to catch a few breaks in the clouds to get some spectacular views of Cape Town.

There are multiple trails of varying degrees of difficulty to hike up or you can take a 4-minute, 255R cablecar ride that has a pretty cool 360 degree rotating floor. As a group, we took the cablecar, but a return trip to South Africa to hike up the mountain has been added to my to-do list. Once at the top, there are 15-, 30-, and 60-minute trails to walk around the top of mountain as well as cafes for refreshments. A rock climbing company was also at the top offering tourists a chance to scale down the side of the mountain (another on my to-do list), and you’ll most likely run into a dassie or two, an indigenous animal that looked like a mix of a squirrel and a gopher.

November 5, 2016January 6, 2017

Cape Town, South Africa

Back in 2010 South Africa hosted the World Cup and several of my friends went down there on a trip I unfortunately was unable to attend. They came back and raved about the country and everything it had to offer. Luckily my chance to visit South Africa happened with a family holiday trip.

Our journey started in Cape Town, a beautiful European, non-smoking, English speaking (1 of 11 national languages) city with Southern California weather; it reminded me very much of Sydney. It didn’t feel like Africa, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing after a 14-hour flight, and quite honestly, as I discovered throughout the trip, South Africa is a really easy country to negotiate for foreigners (just watch out cause they do drive on the left there).

One major thing to note is this: The tap water in Cape Town is fine. Our tour guide, Warren, insisted that we ignore what the guidebooks said, so we took the chance and didn’t have any problems. I wouldn’t go drinking it in large amounts, but for brushing teeth and eating vegetables it’s perfectly fine. (Warren was a great tour guide, I’d highly recommend reaching out to him if you ever visit: warrenmorris34@gmail.com) We also discovered that South Africa is also pretty progressive, as it’s the first country in Africa to legalize abortion and gay marriage; just a small step towards making up for the years of racism, which I’ll touch upon in depth later.

We stayed around the Victoria Wharf waterfront, which is super touristy, but very comfortable. The waterfront, with live calypso bands playing constantly, is the center where most of the activities, food, the aquarium, and shopping can be found. And there is plenty of shopping and eating to be had. The exchange rate when we were there was a generous $1 to 13 South African Rand (R), so let’s just say we indulged in some very nice meals for the price of a trip to Olive Garden.

Here’s a rundown of a few things you can find at the Victoria Wharf waterfront.

Ferry to Robben Island

I’m going to start my coverage of South Africa with this. 1) Buy tickets in advance for Robben Island. They should be around $23. 2) Even then there’s no guarantee you’ll make it there. We did NOT go to Robben Island. Robben Island is like the Alcatraz of South Africa, the place where political prisoners were held, including the great Nelson Mandela who was imprisoned for 27 years. And we didn’t make it there. Why? Who the hell knows. The official excuse was that the ferry broke down. The unofficial theory is that there was some form of corruption in play that apparently is not unusual that stopped the ferries. Even though we got our money back, it was unfortunate and disappointing to say the least. So if you’re planning a trip to Cape Town, yes you have to try and go to Robben Island because it’s like the Statue of Liberty of Cape Town. But it’s annoying that you may travel all the way there and something might throw a wrench into that plan.

Breakwater Lodge (Protea Hotel)
Portswood Road, V & A Waterfront
Cape Town, 8001 South Africa

If you’re looking for a place to stay, Protea Hotels (the Protea is the national flower) are all around Cape Town, but the Breakwater Lodge is the location that’s closest to the waterfront; it’s about a 10-minute walk. The hotel is super clean, very modern, and has a fantastic breakfast buffet. The hotel is located on Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business, which also happens to be a former women’s prison, so it’s unique to say the least. But it’s the proximity to the waterfront that is it’s biggest selling point.

breakwater-lodge-gallery-111867-20140825154940 — Two bedroom

Quay Four
4, W Quay Rd, V & A Waterfront
Cape Town, 8001, South Africa

Pronounced “Key Four” (dropping some knowledge on you there), this was our first meal in Cape Town and was quite honestly one of the best. The restaurant is right on the water and is composed of two parts. The downstairs is a bar and patio with cheaper fare, whereas the upstairs and upstairs porch is a bit more fine dining. We grabbed food upstairs and I had my first taste of Kingklip, a regional fish popular in South Africa. The fish was quite good, a lot meatier than I thought it would be, and it was served with potatoes and butter sauce. I’d also recommend their calamari appetizer.

Willoughby & Co.
Shop 6132, Lower Level, Victoria Wharf

This seafood restaurant is actually located in the mall, and you can’t miss it because of the crowd of people sitting in the atrium tables they’ve set up and the line of hungry patrons trying to get in. After we saw the line we figured it had to be good and worth trying. While in line, they offer a wine tasting to ease the waiting period. We were told the sushi was the most popular dish by our wine server, so that’s what we tried. They have a “4 X 4” sushi platter which is a combo of their popular rainbow reloaded roll (tuna) and spicy creamy rock shrimp roll. The food was great–the service, well…the waiter was pretty smarmy. I couldn’t tell if it was him being just being a dick or if it was a South African attitude thing, but it rubbed some in our group the wrong way and it takes the restaurant down a peg.

Belthazar
Shop No. 153, Victoria Wharf

If for some reason you’re craving steak there’s a restaurant option in the mall called Belthazar that was actually pretty good. They claim it’s rated the best steakhouse in Cape Town, which could easily be made up, but also could easily be true because I’m guessing there aren’t THAT many steakhouses in Cape Town to compete with. Regardless, the steak was damn good, and as I mentioned before, pretty reasonably priced, but again it’s only really worth going to if you’re craving steak.

Watershed and V&A Food Market at the Waterfront

These are just two of several places to go shopping on the waterfront aside from the traditional mall, which is like any other mall you’d find in the U.S. The Watershed and V&A Food Market are quite charming and offer some non-chain products from locals. In there you can find local artisan foods and goods, such as jewelry, nuts, fudge, teas, textiles, home goods, etc. It’s worth a walk through if you’re looking for a souvenir.

September 8, 2016September 8, 2016

Quick Hits: The best Caesar salad is in London

London. It’s the city that boasts Big Ben, royalty, pubs galore…and evidently the best Caesar salad? Returning from her honeymoon just a few days ago, I asked my friend the usual travel question, “What was your best meal?” You don’t expect a lot of things from English food–maybe perhaps a great fish and chips, bangers and mash, or Indian food. But I was quite shocked when she said an out of this world Caesar salad. Here she is:

“Jet lag set in, which required a bit of a nap, and by the time we awoke most restaurants in the neighborhood had already closed, as it was a Sunday. We decided to pop down to the hotel restaurant for a bite to eat, and once settled in to the dimly lit, cozy lounge with its plush velvet chairs, serendipitously happened upon what was undoubtedly the world’s most exquisitely delicious Chicken Caesar Salad. Classic in its elements, though deconstructed enough to make it interesting at a glance, the salty, creamy, freshness of this salad made it one that I would plan another trip to London for. It was so mind melting, that my husband is planning on writing to Bon Appétit to beg that they publish the recipe so that we and the rest of its readership can feast privately on this edible masterpiece in the privacy of our own homes forevermore.”

So yeah…

Unfortunately, she was too busy eating her salad to take a picture, but I trust her culinary taste-buds like they were my own. Where in London does one find such a delicious dish?

“We stayed at The Zetter Hotel in Clerkenwell which was amazing and the bar/restaurant is called Club Zetter Wine Room & Kitchen. Right behind the hotel is The Zetter Townhouse, which is a much smaller sister hotel built into a Victorian townhouse, and hosts a super quirky cocktail bar, also pretty bomb. I had an absinthe cocktail there and sat in the chair with the yellow pillow :)”

The Zetter Townhouse Cocktail Lounge, Clerkenwell

Thanks Jenny Eggert Bourque for the Quick Hit! And remember, if anyone has any quick recommendations or stay-away-froms, feel free to send them to Here and There Travel!

August 24, 2016August 25, 2016

Looking for a getaway in Virginia?

For booking click here: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/8123738

In early August a group of friends and I decided to take a weekend off and rent a house in Heathsville, Virginia to decompress from our work lives D.C. We found this house on AirBnB and it worked out pretty darn well for us, so I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to get away from the hustle and bustle of the work week.

Located two and half hours from D.C., this house easily held the 9 of us staying there. The host was very generous, attentive, but also left us alone to enjoy our weekend once all the rules were covered (there weren’t very many). It should be noted that the house is the owners actual residence that she rents out, so it’s furnished like a real home and not a summer home. Here are the details of the house.

4 bedrooms (2 queens, 2 doubles), 1 living room with queen pull out couch, 2.5 bathrooms
- great historic architecture; each room is “themed” by different countries the family has lived in. For example, the son’s room was British themed, one of the adult bedrooms was Australia themed, etc.
- It’s a bit of a hike for the two people who get the kids rooms upstairs FYI, and the ceilings are pretty low in those rooms
Fully stocked kitchen with plenty of dishes, silverware, and cooking supplies
A/C in every room except the hallways which was key since it was ridiculously hot out
Grill on the back patio for use
Sun room (which we didn’t use because it was too hot)

In addition to the house itself, the property offered several activities for us to entertain ourselves with. (The videos below were provided by Kristal Ernst Przeklasa)

A beautiful salt water pool with basketball hoop was where we spent most of our time
- There is a Bluetooth speaker attached to the pool house which provided the tunes for the weekend, along with plenty of towels and chairs provided by the host
- One thing to note: At the height of summer, the salt water pool gets pretty warm. Like almost bathwater warm. So if you want to go for a icy, refreshing swim, you’ll need to do that in the morning
A soccer net and huge field to play football/bocce/croquet/etc. surrounds the property
There’s a quick walk to the river (although down a steep and rocky hill, so be mindful of that) with the owner’s kayaks, and cages for crabbing available

In the immediate area there’s one neighbor who isn’t very close, so noise isn’t a factor. The house is also a 10-minute walk to Athena Vineyards, which wasn’t anything to write home about in terms of their wine, but the $5 tasting of ALL their wines (I think it was 8 total) is a steal. They are however turning it into a cidery at some point.

If you need supplies, such as food, sunblock or bug spray (something only I and not necessarily the group needed because all the f**king bugs were attracted to me), there’s a Wal-Mart and Food Lion a 10-minute drive down the road. (Some of the photos were provided by Victoria Zapata and Chad Barrington)

August 23, 2016August 24, 2016

Quick Hits: Be wary of Get Your Guide; Use Reykjavik Excursions

Be wary of Get Your Guide if you’re planning to travel to Iceland.

When you travel, you always need to expect the unexpected. Even if everything is planned perfectly, things can change on a dime. Sometimes the changes are good, but sadly in this following example the changes are bad.

It’s a pretty simple thing–If a tour company confirms a booking for a tour, that means you have a spot reserved right? Apparently not with Get Your Guide. I’ll let my friend’s experience speak for itself:

“We had a tour booked to go to the Blue Lagoon, around a fishing village and some of the country well in advance of our trip. And then, 5 days before our tour, they told us that time was booked and asked if we could go an hour earlier, and we said yes, not really a big deal. Then they told us 2 days before we were supposed to go, that they didn’t have any slots. WHY did we wait this whole time, if you never had any spots to open to begin with?? So then, by the time they told us all the slots had been taken, the individual Blue Lagoon tickets themselves were sold out.”

I always want to give people, and even companies sometimes, the benefit of a doubt. But if I’m going to pay money to fly all the way to Iceland, booked one of the key sights well in advance, and then 2 days beforehand they cancel — that’s totally unacceptable. You tell’em Joe.

To end on a happy note though, my friend ended up booking a different tour with Reykjavik Excursions that took them to another one of the less-touristy hot springs which they thoroughly enjoyed, despite not seeing the main attraction they wanted to see most, and said their guide was amazing. Here she is again:

“We took a 9 hour tour around the Golden Circle, waterfalls, and geysers. The small hot springs they took us to ended up being a really cool experience. They actually cook their own bread under the sand along the beach, where one of the hot springs bakes it. They bake it for 24 hours, and when we got there, they had finished a loaf, and so we got to try it!”

All’s well that ends well I guess! And a special thanks to Laura Remis for the heads up!

June 3, 2016June 3, 2016

Beers and Bites in Denver

My trip to Denver didn’t really include any food places that would knock your socks off, but there are a few dishes and some breweries (there are A LOT of breweries in Denver) that are worth checking out if you happen to be in that particular area. However, I wouldn’t go out of your way to find any of these places if aren’t already close by.

La Biblioteca
1610 Little Raven St, #200
Denver, CO 80202

One of the appetizers at this bar pretty much made the night. The Ahi Tuna Taco appetizer is phenomenal. Because the bar is attached to the Zenga restaurant next door, the taco shell they use is made out of wonton. The crunch from that, along with the guacamole, mango, sticky rice, and fresh tuna make this the single favorite dish I had in Denver. Admittedly, it’s a little pricey ($13.50 for three pretty small tacos), but it’s something I had no problem getting over because the dish was that good.

Steuben’s Restaurant
523 E 17th Ave.
Denver, CO 80203

This retro diner had one of the most eclectic crowds I’ve ever seen in a restaurant. Sitting at tables around us were, and this isn’t an exaggeration, a fancy Great Gatsby dressed baby shower (I think?), three Amish looking people, two African American guys dressed like they were extras in Straight Outta Compton, Grandpa and Grandma Joe, and, of course, a slew of plaid wearing hipsters. Wearing just t-shirts and jeans, I’d say we were the “normal” looking group, but I’d suffice to say that each one of those tables also thought that about themselves.

Along with the diverse crowd was a fun, neighborhoody vibe. The music was loud, the food was good, but their beer selection needs work (there are no draft beers). Their cocktail list however was extensive. There’s an outdoor patio for the warmer days in Denver and our waitress was super efficient. If I was going to suggest one thing to get on the menu, it’d be the gravy fries appetizer. It’s essentially their version of poutine. It’s not as good as Duckfat’s, but it’s right up there.

Denver Beer Company
1695 Platte St
Denver, CO 80202

In keeping with my recent tradition of going to local breweries, Denver Beer Company wins the prize for the most dog friendly of the breweries I’ve seen. Beyond being able to play with other customers’ puppies (which truly is awesome), Denver Beer Company is a pretty run-of-the-mill brewery. The place has the same feel as Allagash in Portland, ME and their beers, although very good, aren’t anything spectacular.

Illegal Pete’s
Several locations throughout the Denver area

This Mexican place looks like a group of BMX bikers and skateboarders got a hold of a Chipotle and made it their own. Imagine a Chipotle, but with skateboarder stickers all over the place, tattooed employees, and a bar with 20 local beers on tap. The setup is the same as Chipotle where you make your own burrito, but they do offer fish, and before they roll up your burrito they mix up all the ingredients in a bowl (so that you don’t get that annoying bite of only rice). Outside there are picnic tables and a giant bocce court. It’s open late night as well, so you can get your Mexican fix at 2 AM after a night of drinking.

Wynkoop Brewing Company
1634 18th Street
Denver, CO 80202

My co-workers and I discovered this place because it was the answer to one of the team building scavenger hunts we had earlier that day. Apparently it is Denver’s first craft brewery. Located downtown, the brewery itself is actually pretty large; there’s a giant pool hall on the second floor which they say is Denver’s biggest. We only were able to pop in for a drink and a quick pic with the Wynkoop gorilla (which sadly is on my co-worker’s phone), but the best beer of the trip goes to Wynkoop’s Cowtown Milk Stout — definitely worth a try if you like darker beers.

Panzano
909 17th Street
Denver, CO 80202

Unbeknownst to me before I got there, Panzano is actually the restaurant for the Hotel Monaco Denver downtown. Since my company’s meeting was in that hotel, we had an informal dinner there the night we flew in. I wasn’t really expecting that much thinking it was just the hotel restaurant and I was pleasantly surprised at how good my dish was. The Ragu di Agnello (House made mafaldine pasta, lamb ragú, demi-glace, and Pecorino tartufo) was delicious. Having just been in Italy a few months ago, this dish comes pretty damn close to what I had over there and I would definitely recommend it.

June 2, 2016

Quick Hits: Bad Saint

Bad Saint
3226 11th St NW
Washington, DC 20010
Hours: Sun, M, W, Th 5:30-10; F & Sat 5:30-11; Closed Tuesdays

I’m going to take a quick pause from Denver stuff to let you in on a well-known D.C. secret at this point. Bad Saint is excellent. I’ve passed by it numerous times on my way to soccer and have been meaning to try it out for a while. Tonight, I finally made it.

They don’t take reservations and the restaurant seats only about 15 people, so expect to wait (1.5 hours for 2 seats tonight), but there are plenty of places to grab a drink in the area and they’ll call you when your seats are ready.

The atmosphere was what you’d expect from a hipster, Filipino restaurant. I really felt like it belonged in Brooklyn, NY more than D.C. That being said, there was nothing pretentious about it and it felt pretty homey. You could feel the love from the staff for the food that they serve there. Our waitress talked about the changing menu being like an art where the flavors will always be complimentary regardless of the fact that the options are different every night (depending on what’s in season, what they have, etc.). And to be honest, you do feel the care that’s put into the dishes.

Chicken, Palapa, Burnt Coconut (Spicy)

Pork, Fried Egg, Garlic Rice

It’s weird to review this place because the food I had probably won’t be on the menu when you go. Regardless, if some variation of what I had is available, I’d highly recommend it. I had the Tocino, which consisted of slow-cooked pork, fried egg, and garlic rice (and fresh greens which wasn’t noted on the menu). It’s a pretty incredible feat to be able to create different, well-liked dishes enough to constantly get rave reviews. I loved my first experience; the true test of this place will be if I feel the same way with the new dishes I try the next time I go back.

May 17, 2016May 17, 2016

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Red Rocks Amphitheatre
18300 W Alameda Pkwy
Morrison, CO 80465

I’ve been to a lot of concerts in my time and I have to say that Red Rocks is arguably one of the best places to see a show. Before going, I had heard from several people that it was an amazing place, so the hype level was already high going into it.

For those of you that don’t want to drive to get there, a $35 train that leaves from Union Station in downtown Denver is available. When you arrive, the first thing you should be prepared for is a bit of a steep hike up to the amphitheatre. Give yourself a little time to do that, especially if you decide to tailgate beforehand. Since I still wasn’t fully acclimated to the thin air, by the time I made it to the top I was wheezing like an old man.

You’re allowed to bring in food, but no drinks (including water). And obviously weed isn’t allowed, but I’m more than certain that most people brought that in. One other tip: Make sure to pack in layers. This actually applies to everywhere in the Denver area. I haven’t been to a city where the temperature varies as much as it does from minute to minute as it does in Denver. It could be 75 degrees and pleasant one minute and then a cloud covers the sun and it becomes bone chillingly cold the next.

Most of the amphitheatre seating is general admission so if you really care about the band you’re seeing you should show up early. That being said, there’s not really a bad seat in the house. The incline of the seats is steep enough and there’s a ton of room between your feet and the seat in front of you. You can easily stretch your legs forward and not even come close to hitting the head of the person in front of you. This not only gives you an unobstructed view of the stage, but it also gives you a lot of room to dance and allows beer sellers easy access to get through (they serve beer pretty late into the night, 10:30 seemed like the cutoff time).

But the real star of the amphitheatre is the sound. The sound goes right through you. It’s incredible. We went to see the Thievery Corporation and they were great to watch there. Even if you’re not familiar with them, you probably know their song Lebanese Blonde from the Garden State soundtrack. Because they have such an eclectic sound, it’s hard to describe how your body gets so enveloped in the music. As the sun goes down and the stars come out, the rocks that make up the ampitheatre illuminate and it really feels like you’re in a time machine that’s stuck between today and the ancient Roman times. If you’re in Denver and a fan of music, my recommendation is to try and plan a night out at Red Rocks regardless of who is playing. The venue also shows movies and offers yoga as well, but getting there for music should be the top option.

May 16, 2016May 16, 2016

LivWell Dispensary

http://www.livwell.com/

As many of you are aware, the state of Colorado legalized the sale of cannabis in 2014. Since then marijuana dispensaries have popped up all over Denver for both medicinal and recreational purposes. I’m personally not a pot smoker, but seeing as I was in Colorado I was interested in seeing what the scene was all about.

From what I could tell, there are dispensaries scattered throughout the city and no matter where you are you’re probably within striking distance of one. The one my friend and I popped into was called LivWell, which is well-known for their partnership with rapper Snoop Dogg.

I’m not sure why, but when I imagined going into a dispensary, I sort of pictured someone’s old living room with all the plants in their backyard. My beliefs were quickly quashed the second we stepped inside. LivWell was extremely clean and put together. The moment you walk in, you get your I.D. checked by the front desk/security and they give you a number (it has a very DMV like feeling). You wait in the Apple store looking waiting area until they call your number and take you in one of two storerooms.

The storerooms again are incredibly put together and look like something out of a store at the mall. Because of their 3:1 customer to “budtender” policy, the storerooms aren’t too crowded. Our budtender was extremely knowledgable — it felt like we were talking to a chemist more than a legal drug dealer as she educated us on all the science behind each item/bud. She showed us all the offerings, which ranged from candies to drinks, brownies to patches. And of course there were jars and jars of different marijuana strains. Prices obviously vary depending on the product, but to give you an idea: a single cookie is $3, a three pack of mini-brownies is $12, patches that you place on your arm or ankle like nicotine patches are $10, and a bag of about ten sour patches gummies is $24.99 to name just a few of the prices. Again, I never get high (Getting drunk? Well, that’s a different story), but I figured, “When in Rome…”, so I purchased a small edible for myself.

Pictures weren’t allowed, but I managed to sneak a few in.