Jess Moss Travel

Category: USA

  • How to Spend 2 Days in Austin: Travel Guide

    How to Spend 2 Days in Austin: Travel Guide

    I went to Austin for a few days for a work summit. Most of our time was spent in meeting rooms in the W hotel, but I was able to check out a few things while there. Here’s what I did:

    How I Got There

    There aren’t too many direct flights from D.C. to Austin; I flew United nonstop from Dulles. 

    Where I Stayed

    W Hotel: Good location a short walk from Sixth Street. The hotel had a chic design with an industrial edge. Large rooms had awesome attention to detail, especially the bathroom toiletries. Two words: face wash!!! 

    Day 1

    Blue Dahlia: Cute spot for tartines and breakfast/brunch food. It’s a bit dark inside, but there’s a nice outdoor seating area if it’s not too hot out. 

    La Condesa: Upscale Tex Mex is the name of the game at this large high-ceilinged restaurant with moody lighting. 

    Rainey Street: When this residential area was rezoned into commercial real estate, historic houses were turned into quirky bars. Most of them have back yards or outdoor patios, and food trucks pull up to serve eats. Basically it feels like you’re drinking in a buddy’s backyard, not a bar.

    Day 2

    Bat Cruise: Every night between March and November thousands of bats that live in the crevasses under the South Congress bridge fly out around sundown to feed. You can stand on the bridge to look down at them, or hop on a boat cruise to tour a bit of Lady Bird Johnson Lake. The boats float beneath the bridge to watch the bats. You’ll get better photo ops from the boat because you get the bridge scene too. Tip: get a boat with a covered roof; it’ll protect you from the bat droppings.  

    Swifts Attic: Not your average menu here. Inventive courses whip up weirdness like spicy edamame with pop rocks and bacon-wrapped Gorgonzola. Try the ball cocktails: the flavored ingredients are frozen in an ice cube ball that flavors the liquor in the glass as it melts.  

    White Horse: An east side honky tonk where you’ll find a quirky mix of folks. Think sleeve tattoos and ironic hipster t-shirts with unironic cowboy hats and two-step dancing. 

    Rain on 4th: This gay bar on 4th Street has a dance floor with cages and an outdoor back bar. 

  • The 8 Best New Rooftop Bars in Washington, D.C.

    The 8 Best New Rooftop Bars in Washington, D.C.

    August 2, 2016 on Conde Nast Traveler || Want to find D.C.’s hottest bars? Just look up.

    There’s something missing from the D.C. skyline: skyscrapers. A height limit has kept most of the District’s buildings shorter than the Capitol dome, creating a town-like atmosphere while offering unobstructed views. It’s the perfect recipe for rooftop bars—and this summer, the city’s nightlife mavens have taken note. D.C.’s in a rooftop boom, with nearly a dozen new drinking perches open this year. From cozy cornertops where you can people-watch the street below, to Instagram-ready sunset and stadium views, here are some of Washington’s best new rooftop bars.

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  • The Best Road Trip from Seattle to San Francisco

    The Best Road Trip from Seattle to San Francisco

    July 2016 on Marriott Traveler || That PCH route from San Francisco to Los Angeles gets all the attention, but it’s not the only West Coast drive that should be on your map. A road trip through the Pacific Northwest and Northern California is equally epic, but with less traffic. You’ll see some of the West Coast’s fastest growing cities, majestic national parks, windswept beaches and sunsets that need no filter. Here’s the route.

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  • Baseball Fanatic? Here’s Your Dream Road Trip

    Baseball Fanatic? Here’s Your Dream Road Trip

    July 2016 on Marriott Traveler || You’re a baseball stat wunderkind, not unlike Jonah Hill’s character in “Moneyball.” So your ultimate summer road trip has to be all about baseball, beer, and modern Americana. If you’re in the Midwest, the drive from Chicago through Ohio and Kentucky and on to St. Louis is a must. You’ll cheer with some of the sport’s most spirited fans, pay respects to one of its oldest ballparks, see where bats get made and learn how the game was played back in the day. Here’s the route…

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  • An Insider’s Guide to Minnesota’s Boundary Waters

    May 2016 on Visit the USA || The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness encompasses some 1,000 glacial lakes over 400,000 forested hectares of the Midwest along the U.S. and Canada border. It’s one of the largest wilderness areas in the USA. There are no roads here. No stores or restaurants. No other people, once you paddle your canoe far enough. You go here to canoe, fish, camp and hike, and to find peace away from the busy world.

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  • Oahu’s North Shore: An Insider’s Guide to a Wild Side of Hawaii

    Oahu’s North Shore: An Insider’s Guide to a Wild Side of Hawaii

    April 2016 on VisitTheUSA.com || The Hawaiian capital of Honolulu is a cosmopolitan oceanfront city with enough attractions to entertain visitors for weeks. But it’s also Hawaii’s air hub and the gateway to the rest of the Hawaiian Islands. So after you’ve climbed to the volcanic crater at Diamond Head, toured the historic site ofPearl Harbor and shopped for the perfect aloha shirt in Waikiki, hit the road to explore another side of Hawaii: Oahu’s North Shore.

    Less than an hour’s drive north of Honolulu you’ll find a world where time moves slowly, shoes are optional and life revolves around the land and sea. Stretching from Kahuku to Kaena Point, the North Shore is a corridor of jungle valleys, sprawling farmland, small communities and some of the world’s most famous surf spots.

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  • Kona and Kauai: From the Big Island to the Garden Isle

    Kona and Kauai: From the Big Island to the Garden Isle

    April 2016 on VisitTheUSA.com || Most fairy tales don’t include palm trees, but a visit to the tropical Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Hawaii will convince you they should. You’ll learn daring stories of kings and adventurers, taste coffee straight from the farm and marvel at spectacular landscapes that are unlike any others.

    To truly explore Hawaii’s varied, stunning attractions, start your visit in Kona, a storied region on Hawaii Island, then travel to Kauai, whose natural beauty is spellbinding.

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  • Your Guide to 3 Big Cities: New York-Philadelphia-Washington, D.C.

    Your Guide to 3 Big Cities: New York-Philadelphia-Washington, D.C.

    March 2016 on VisitTheUSA.com || It’s easy to combine a visit to three of the USA’s most exciting cities in less than a week. From the soaring skyscrapers of New York City, New York, to the history-rich streets of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the seat of government in Washington, D.C., this six-day itinerary will give you a taste of the country’s food, culture and spirit.

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  • Washington D.C.: See Top Museums & Neighborhoods in 3 Days

    Washington D.C.: See Top Museums & Neighborhoods in 3 Days

    March 2016 on VisitTheUSA.com || With three days in Washington, D.C., you can see both the top tourist sites and experience some of the city’s most popular neighborhoods. Be prepared to cover a lot of ground on foot — comfortable shoes are a must.

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  • 5 Washington, D.C. Neighborhoods Locals Love

    5 Washington, D.C. Neighborhoods Locals Love

    February 29, 2016 on Fodors.com || Talk to any longtime D.C. local, and you’re likely to hear a common refrain: the District is sodifferent than it used to be. A grand revival is underway in the city, with an invigorated food-and-drink scene and a housing boom that’s spreading across all four quadrants, from Georgetown to Anacostia. But some neighborhoods have seen a more drastic shift than others. Here are five areas that have Washingtonians more excited than a D.C. panda rolling in snow.

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