Orval Abbey is a Must Stop on a Belgium Road Trip

When visiting a Trappist brewery in Belgium, most of our experience was simply seeing them from a distance- picking up beer just inside the gates of Westvleteren or a tourist-oriented museum with bar and restaurant at Chamay. Getting on the grounds of a Trappist producer is, well, quite impossible most of the time.

But there was one Trappist brewery whose historic grounds were (mostly) open to explore, and that was Orval in southern Belgium. Although we went out of our way to check this one out, we'd do it again in a heartbeat as it was one of the biggest surprises of our trip!

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Where to Stay in Flam – In Town Or Nearby?

When it comes to planning a trip around Norway's western fjords, odds are good you will have Flam as a stop on your itinerary.

This town is one of the most famous spots for tourism in western Norway for its gorgeous fjord, train ride up to the mountains, and so much more.

But in being high on virtually everyone's list, so come the crowds. Although we still recommend visiting Flam when traveling in Norway, the simple truth is that you may not want to stay in Flam proper on your itinerary.

So in this one, we thought we would share a bit more why you may want to stay in Flam and also why you may want to stay in another town nearby.

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How to Plan Your Mezcal Tastings in Oaxaca

If you are planning a trip to Oaxaca, odds are good you have mezcal tasting on your mind.

The good news is that you won't go wanting for more mezcal in Oaxaca. The stores, tasting rooms, and cocktail bars are plentiful beyond even what we expected. The bad news is that mezcal, particularly good mezcal, is expensive and may come at quite the sticker shock.

So in this one, we thought we'd break down ways you can taste mezcal in Oaxaca, share why it is so expensive, and help encourage you to plan a trip out to a palenque to see how agave is grown and mezcal is produced!

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Tips and Advice for Driving to Vail in Winter

When it comes to driving in the United States, the vast majority of the time we simply don't think about it because getting around is incredibly easy. Rent a car, pick it up, and go without hesitation.

On the surface, driving to Vail in the winter seems a lot like that. If you fly into Denver, you pick up a car, drive west on I-70 for an indeterminate period of time (for reasons we'll talk about later), get off the highway, and you are, quite literally, there. You are driving in the mountains, but it is on a multi-lane highway the entire way.

But throw in potentially hazardous snow conditions, the limited (and expensive) parking in Vail proper, the laws for driving in the mountains during the winter, and, of course, opportunistic rental car companies hoping you're not the wiser, and there is a lot to consider when driving to Vail in the winter indeed.

So, let's break down some of the important things to know for what should otherwise be an easy drive!

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