Belgium

A Perfect Day in Brussels

If you could pick any view to be out your window,

If you could pick any view to be out your window, what would it be? I think this view of Vail, CO on the way to Piney Lake is quite nice. I'll just build my log cabin here and enjoy mountain living.⠀
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I love when I'm visiting a place to imagine what it would be like to live there and look at all the gorgeous houses. But for real, who are my fellow travel loving, real estate stalkers?

Spooky season is upon us! Is your yard looking lik

Spooky season is upon us! Is your yard looking like a trick or a treat this year? Show off your Scary Good Lawn for a chance to win big!⠀
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SCARY GOOD LAWN CONTEST: @classicdadmoves is giving away $1,000 and a bunch of @scottslawn products to the coolest, spookiest Halloween yards! Here’s how to enter:⠀
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✅ Share a photo of you or someone in your household in front of your yard decorations⠀
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✅ Mention @scottslawn and @classicdadmoves in the caption⠀
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✅ Use the hashtag #ScaryGoodLawn⠀
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Grand Prize (1): $1,000 + Year's Supply of Scotts Products + Classic Dad Gear⠀
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20 First Place Winners: Year's Supply of Scotts Products + Classic Dad Gear⠀
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Winners will be announced mid-November after entries are judged based on creativity, style and interesting use of the lawn. Doesn't have to be crazy over the top -- just awesome!⠀
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NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Legal residents of the 48 contiguous United States (D.C.), 18 years of age and older. Ends 10/31/20. For Official Rules, including odds, and prize descriptions, visit https://theclassicdad.com. Void where prohibited.
#paidpartnership

Colorado took my breath away! Literally. Altitude

Colorado took my breath away! Literally. Altitude sickness can be an issue for visiting Colorado and I did feel the impact of it when I was visiting. Here are some things I did to lessen the effects:⠀
🚙Drive instead of fly - This allowed my body to slowly acclimate to the difference in elevation.⠀
😴Spent the night in Colorado Springs - Going from Austin which is less than 500' above sea level, stopping in Colorado Springs which is about 6,000' helped to adjust to staying in Vail which is 8,100' above sea level.⠀
🤓Monitor my O2 levels - I brought an O2 monitor with me so that I could keep track of my oxygen and adjust my activities around it.⠀
💨Canned O2 - In just about any grocery or convenience store you can purchase canned oxygen. Taking a few puffs of this can help if you start feeling out of sorts due to the thin air. Just note that this is temporary option for relief.⠀
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Other things to keep in mind:⠀
It can take 24-36 hours to acclimate, and even then your O2 level probably won't be as high as it normally is at a lower elevation.⠀
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🚫Avoid: Strenuous activity, salty foods, alcohol, and caffeine.⠀
✅Do: Stay hydrated, eat carbs (heck yes!), take Advil, take OTC altitude sickness medication or get a prescription for Diamox. Get to a lower altitude or seek medical attention if symptoms don’t go away.⠀
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Luckily, my symptoms were minimal and didn't impact my trip.⠀
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I'm curious if you have ever suffered from altitude sickness and how you handled it, let me know in the comments!

Have you heard about CommonPass? If you love to tr

Have you heard about CommonPass? If you love to travel, I'm betting in the next few months you will be using CommonPass to travel internationally.⠀
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What is it? A framework that will allow individuals to access their lab results and vaccination records, and consent to have that information used to validate their COVID status without revealing any other underlying personal health information.⠀
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Who made CommonPass? I'm actually very impressed by this answer because it's a nonprofit public trust, with no ties to any government. It is operated by The Commons Project on an open, independent, sustainable, not-for-profit basis.⠀
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Why do we need this? If you have traveled at all in the past months you know that travel restrictions and health requirements vary from country to country, state to state, and so on. CommonPass would essentially consolidate that information and make it easier for travelers to show their health compliance.⠀
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How does it work? Travelers will take a Covid-19 test at a certified lab and upload the results to their mobile phone. They then complete any additional health screening questionnaires required by the destination country.⠀
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When will this start? Cathay Pacific Airways and United Airlines will soon trial the system, with select volunteers on flights between London, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore.⠀
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Why I'm excited about it: I think we all could foresee some kind of health certificate for travel emerging from the pandemic but the marriage of knowing you are taking a test that will be accepted by your destination and the ease of having up-to-date information on travel restrictions make this project particularly strong compared to any other current programs. And it might just be the thing we need to return to normal-ish international travel.⠀
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Would you use a program like this?

✨🍁Really cool things you have to do in Vail,

✨🍁Really cool things you have to do in Vail, CO - Fall Edition🍁✨⠀
Save this for later!⠀
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🐎Horseback riding with @vailstables - Go for the 1.5 hour ride through the aspen trees, it is pure magic.⠀
🛶Drive out to Piney Lake, yes the drive is bouncy but the views! Be sure to check the hours on @pineyriverranch and rent a canoe to hopefully get a closer look at the moose that live there.⠀
🚡Take the @vailmtn gondola to the top of the mountain and enjoy the views. There are two gondolas to choose from and they both have dining.⠀
🍂Check out the @betty_ford_alpine_gardens. It's the highest botanical garden in the United States and I'm not just saying that because recreational weed is legal in CO, it's 8,250 feet above sea level!⠀
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So, which one do you want to do first?

Random impressions of Vail, CO:
🏔OMG PRETTY!
🏔So many roundabouts. Some are back to back making it feel like I'm going to be stuck going in a figure 8 for the rest of my life.
🏔All the cute dogs are here! I thought Austin was dog friendly, I think Vail might beat that.
🏔People are FIT. Was I wishing I had the calves of the 70+ year old lapping me on the hiking trails? Yes, yes I was.
🏔It's a baby Bavaria. Am I in Switzerland? Germany? Italy? All of the above.
🤩But seriously, I can see why people rave about this place. It's beautiful, has great restaurants, and so many activities to enjoy. I've got my Colorado highlight up on my page on case you missed my stories from this trip, go check it out. And don’t worry, more photos, blog posts, and tips are on the way!

You are spec-TACO-ular!!! For National Taco Day I'

You are spec-TACO-ular!!! For National Taco Day I'm taking it back to these yummy tacos from @compadres_2020 in Boerne, TX. I got the Smoked Beef Fajita and the Mesquite Chicken tacos and omg they were so delicious! If you want to get you own taco fix at Compadres, make sure you get there early because they sell out!

What's your taco of choice?

🌮🌮And don't forget: inhale tacos, exhale negativity!🌮🌮

📸 @sewstratton

Halloween is not cancelled! Spooky celebrations ar

Halloween is not cancelled! Spooky celebrations around the world that you can attend virtually:
🎃Samhuinn Fire Festival - Edinburgh, Scotland - Celebrating the transition from Summer to Winter. This celebration is said to be able to trace its roots back 3000 years. @beltanefiresociety
🎃Día de Muertos - Mexico City - Each year thousands of people attend the parade and events remembering loved ones who have passed. Mexico City’s Mix Fund for Tourism Promotion (FMPT) is taking the event virtual with an app called “Xóchitl, Mexico’s virtual ambassador for the world” that will work as an interactive digital platform featuring augmented reality.
🎃Kawasaki Halloween Parade - Tokyo Japan - Japan's largest Halloween event is going online with a sub-theme of "Prayer to repel coronavirus" @kawahallo
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How do you plan on celebrating this year?