Year: 2026

Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute is a Must Try Sake Brewery Near Kanazawa

Whenever we told a sake brewery worker or bartender that we were heading to Kanazawa on our third trip to Japan, there was a near-unanimous reply- you have to try sake from the Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute. When we replied that we had already made a reservation to visit, we got a subtle nod of approval as the reputation of this one truly precedes it.

This brewery is famous not only for making acclaimed products, but also because its Toji, Noguchi Naohiko, is often considered the God of Sake Brewing.

Why is that? Well, he’s been making sake since 1949, was critical to the Yamahai style revival, and helped popularize Ginjo sake in Japan to name a few. And if you’re looking at that year and wondering, yes, he is also in his 90s and helps pass on his sake knowledge at his namesake Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute!

So, given that Angie is obsessed with sake (WSET Level 3 certified), and I love a good sake tour, we made our way out to the institute outside of Kanazawa to check it out and enjoy a tasting!

In this one, we wanted to share a bit more about what the experience was like and offer some booking tips, since reaching this one isn’t the easiest!

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Where to Stay in Telluride – In Town, Mountain Village, or Away?

For a town that is as small as Telluride, Colorado (population: ~2,400), you may look at visiting, stop, and think “well, I’ll just stay in town.”

For most small towns in the USA, this logic holds. But given that Telluride is an incredibly popular tourist destination for festivals, general nature experiences, and of course winter skiing, the limited number of hotels and Airbnbs can book up in a hurry.

Throw on that there is a thriving Mountain Village just a short gondola up the mountain, which is the epicenter of all things ski season, and you really have a few things to stop and think about when visiting- regardless of the season.

So in this one we thought we’d share some of the best things to keep in mind when planning where to stay in Telluride- in town, in the Mountain Village, and why you shouldn’t stay outside of town outside of a few clear exceptions.

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How to Get to Bridal Veil in Telluride – Hiking Tips

When you arrive in Telluride, Colorado, you are greeted with a beautiful view of a waterfall at the eastern end of the valley bowl.

This is not Bridal Veil Falls.

The waterfall you see from the town center is, in fact, Ingram Falls, and is just one of many great waterfalls that you can reach when staying in Telluride. While beautiful, it is not the famous waterfall popular with hikers and mentioned in Sam Bush’s “Circles Around Me” (if you’re into the Telluride Bluegrass Festival like we are, you know this song well).

So, where is Bridal Veil Falls, what is the hike like, and what are some tips for getting there? We’ve got you covered.

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How to Get the Most Out of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival

It has been a dream of ours to attend the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado for many, many years. This festival is often considered to be the best bluegrass festival in the world, and many of our favorite musicians are staple performers who love attending just as much as the fans do.

We finally made our dream a reality for 2022’s festival, plus a second trip in 2026, and we sure did learn a lot from our trips to this western Colorado gem!

So in this one, we wanted to share all the lessons learned from our trips to the bluegrass festival in Telluride to help you have the best time possible when you go!

Disclaimer: This guide is long and is intended to be a comprehensive resource for all things Telluride bluegrass. That being said, we stayed at an apartment rental in Telluride and did not camp. As such, while we will briefly discuss camping information in this article, we do not have first-hand experience there for any extra insider tips as we do with other topics. 

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