Recipe for a Vegetarian Lentil Salad with Roasted Oranges and Radicchio

January 25, 2016 by 7 Comments

This recipe for a Vegetarian Lentil Salad with Roasted Oranges and Radicchio is healthy and hearty, offering you lots of fiber and protein while also feeling satisfying. This salad leans much more on lentils than the greens, so if you’d like you could serve this on a bed of more arugula or other greens to make it a whole meal.
Recipe for a Vegetarian Lentil Salad with Roasted Oranges and Radicchio

You can serve this warm – I don’t know about you but although I want to eat my greens, with the colder weather I also crave something warm, so this dish offers the best of both worlds.
Vegetarian lentil salad with roasted orange and radicchio, toasted nuts and mint and arugula

My version here was inspired by the recipe from the Vegetarian Times, although my version omits the shallots and increases the amount of lentils, walnuts, and adds in the handful of arugula. The oranges and orange juice add a bit of sweetness as well as acidity, while the toasted walnuts provide the nuttiness and crunchy textures now and then, both which balance out the lentils and arugula.

Ingredients:

  • 4 oranges
  • 1 head of radicchio
    Head of radicchio
  • Olive Oil – you will be using two tablespoons, first to roast and later as part of the dressing
  • 1 1/2 cup French lentils, rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup toasted walnuts –  I toast them in a pan on the stove with a spritz of cooking spray butter whole, and then break them up later after the toasting
    Toasted Walnuts - I toast them in a pan with a spritz of cooking spray butter whole, and then break them up later after the toasting
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped mint
  • A handful of arugula (about 1 1/2 cups)

Directions:

  1. The most prep work will be for the roasted oranges and radicchio. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper to prepare to roasted vegetables and fruits. You will need to thinly slice the radicchio into strips that you will be roasting with the oranges – think about the size you would see shredded into a a taco or salad. This should yield 4-6 cups of shredded radicchio.
  2. For the oranges, after peeling them, you want to cut them into sections so they are in wedges (think like chocolate oranges, but with a real orange) but remove the membrane. Squeeze the empty membranes into the same bowl you are placing the orange wedges to collect any extra fresh juice.
    The hardest part is removing the wedges of orange from the membrane for this Recipe for a Vegetarian Lentil Salad with Roasted Oranges and Radicchio
  3. You will want to toss the shredded radicchio into your orange bowl, and then add one tablespoon of olive oil and toss all together. Arrange all in a single layer on the baking sheet and let roast for 15 minutes or so in the oven. Stir the radicchio and oranges so it will roast the other side, and roast for another 10 minutes or so until the oranges are caramelized.
    Roast the orange wedges and the radicchio in a single layer on a baking sheet in this Recipe for a Vegetarian Lentil Salad with Roasted Oranges and Radicchio Roast the orange wedges and the radicchio in a single layer on a baking sheet in this Recipe for a Vegetarian Lentil Salad with Roasted Oranges and Radicchio
  4. While the oranges and radicchio are roasting, boil a pot of the 1 1/12 cup of French lentils in 2 1/4 cups of water mixed with 1 1/2 cups of orange juice. Once it comes to a boil, lower to heat to medium-low and let simmer for 30 minutes or so until the lentils are done.  Drain lentils and place into your serving dish, but keep the cooking liquid.
    Cook the lentils in a water and orange juice liquid for this Recipe for a Vegetarian Lentil Salad with Roasted Oranges and Radicchio
  5. In the pot with the remaining lentil cooking liquid to saucepan, and simmer over medium heat if necessary until reduced to 1/4 cup. Pour over lentils.
    The cooked lentil is refreshed with a bit of the reduced cooking liquid (water and orange juice) after being drained after cooking
  6. When the orange and radicchio are finished roasting, add those to your lentils, and add in the last tablespoon of olive oil, the cup of toasted walnuts, 2 tablespoons of fresh mint, and a healthy handful of the arugula. Mix everything together. Depending on how it tastes, you may want to add a touch of sea salt and ground pepper to your liking.
    Mix together the olive oil with the orange juice water lentils, roasted oranges and radicchio, toasted walnuts, and chopped mint

Are you a fan of lentils? What’s your favorite way to enjoy lentils?
The Vegetarian Lentil Salad with Roasted Oranges and Radicchio as part of the food spread Vegetarian lentil salad with roasted orange and radicchio, toasted nuts and mint and arugula

As for me, I served this as a side dish during Thanksgiving – they were great mixed in with the cranberry sauce and the mashed potatoes!
The Vegetarian Lentil Salad with Roasted Oranges and Radicchio as part of the Thanksgiving day spread, great with the mashed potatoes and cranberry sauces The Vegetarian Lentil Salad with Roasted Oranges and Radicchio as part of the Thanksgiving day spread, great with the mashed potatoes and cranberry sauces

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Portland Drink and a Bite Highlight: Higgins Portland

January 22, 2016 by 4 Comments

For Foodie Friday today, I continue my new series highlighting a Portland Drink and a Bite of food that I think not only is best in class within Portland, but is a classic representation of the character of Portland. Of course, that Portland Drink and a Bite Highlight is also delicious, and unique.

My pick this week is Higgins Portland. Higgins Restaurant and Bar is one of those classic Pacific Northwest cuisine restaurants that changes its menu weekly to reflect what is the best in local products for not only the season but for the week. There are many restaurants and even food carts in Portland now that take advantage of the best ingredients from the farmers and producers locally here, but Higgins has been doing so for more than 20 years, and promoted this responsibility and represented Oregon worldwide.

Chef Greg Higgins (2002 James Beard award as Best Chef in the Northwest) and the Higgins Restaurant and Bar philosophy strongly sources not only local ingredients, but focuses in supporting on local small farms, organic, and sustainable agriculture practices. Higgins believes not only in delicious food on the table, but stewardship of our soil, water and air.

Higgins’ premise is “food is community – an idea that creates respect, commitment and responsibility from farmer to chef to diner.”  (See more at the Higgins website. There is also a wonderful profile for the Higgins 20th anniversary at Oregon Live.).

It’s no wonder than that when visitors to Portland ask where they can try Pacific Northwest cuisine, Higgins is always on my list of recommendations. Higgins is a white tablecloth restaurant that is perfect for a business lunch or a classy meal of lunch or dinner.

You notice the focus on celebrating freshness and the best ingredients right away with even the complimentary bread service, which comes with perfect bread- crusty crunchy on the outside, soft and doughy on the inside- that you can enjoy with organic extra virgin olive oil.
Higgins Restaurant bread service, which comes with perfect bread- crusty crunchy on the outside, soft and doughy on the inside- that you can enjoy with organic extra virgin olive oil

Try to start with the famous Charcuterie Board of artisanal cured meats and pickles. It’s justifiably reknown – it superb in offering an array of flavors and textures upon its giant marble board, as what you would expect when you hear Chef Greg Higgins has loved charcuterie since he was a boy and has books in his library on charcuterie that daties even to the 17th and 18th centuries.

Higgins Portland Restaurant- Charcuterie board of artisanal cured meats and pickles

The specific bite I want to highlight for this Portland Drink and a Bite though is the Higgins Lunch and Bistro menu option of the Open-faced sandwich of pastrami, grilled onions & sharp white cheddar. Here I substituted the salad with their daily soup, a butternut squash with quinoa that day.
Higgins Lunch and Bistro menu option of the Open-faced sandwich of pastrami, grilled onions & sharp white cheddar - here I substituted the salad with their daily soup, a butternut squash with quinoa Higgins Portland Lunch and Bistro menu option of the Open-faced sandwich of pastrami, grilled onions & sharp white cheddar - here I substituted the salad with their daily soup, a butternut squash with quinoa

I think it’s the best pastrami in Portland.
Higgins Portland Lunch and Bistro menu option of the Open-faced sandwich of pastrami, grilled onions & sharp white cheddar Higgins Portland Lunch and Bistro menu option of the Open-faced sandwich of pastrami, grilled onions & sharp white cheddar

One of the unique things about Higgins is they have on staff not only a wine sommelier, but also a beer steward. You can rest easy ordering any beverage here because all the picks are wonderful at this Portland institution. Instead of a specific cocktail, I urge you to use your best judgement based on what is on the list. In particular I love the wine by the glass list here in highlighting producers I may not have heard of before locally.
Higgins, Portland - menu and a lovely glass of red wine, here Waterbrook Melange red blend of 47% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec, 4% Grenache, 2% Sangiovese and 1% each of Mourvedre, Cinsault and Counoise. From Columbia Valley, Washington.

Have you been to Higgins Portland? Have you had the pastrami there? Where do you think is the best pastrami in Portland?

Higgins Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Japan Travel: Hagoita Ichi Winter Festival at Sensoji Temple

January 19, 2016 by 5 Comments

When visiting anyplace on vacation, I always look at the local events calendar to see if there are any festivals or special happening during my trip. This has lucked out in me finding out about third Friday art walks, or a small town parade, or a local festival occurring. For my trip to Japan in December, besides coinciding with Christmas and New Year’s, it turned out that the first few days we were in Tokyo would also be during the Hagoita Ichi Winter Festival at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa.
Hagoita Ichi at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, takes place December 17-19 annually Hagoita Ichi at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, takes place December 17-19 annually

Japan has many festivals all year round, and some are very localized to a region or even a town or neighborhood. The Hagoita-Ichi is an annual festival held in Asakusa, which is an older neighborhood in Tokyo. Asakusa is considered part of the old neighborhoods in Japan because it has a more traditional atmosphere and doesn’t have the bright lights and stores like you would find in more bustling modern areas. The district has also been around even before it was part of Tokyo, such as in the 1600s where in the Edo period it was an entertainment district and still considered outside the city limits.

Today Asakusa is most famous for Sensoji Temple, although it is also the area for Tokyo Skytree and Kappabashi Street (a street of stores dedicated to the food industry including a chance to view and buy the plastic food replicas). Sensoji Temple is Tokyo’s oldest temple, founded in 645 for the goddess Kannon. When entering the temple you will go through the main gate, called the Kaminarimon, or Thunder Gate. It was built in 942 and erected at this location in the Kamakura period (1192–1333). Here, you will find a giant red lantern that everyone will be walking under while on either side Fujin the Shinto god of wind and Raijin the Shinto god of thunder look on.
Kaminarimon Gate, the first gate of Sensoji Temple. The god of thunder is standing on the left and the god of wind on the right. You can also see a special sign on the left noting the Hagoita-ichi
Kaminarimon Gate, the first gate of Sensoji Temple. The god of thunder is standing on the left and the god of wind on the right. You can also see a special sign on the left noting the Hagoita-ichi

Meanwhile, this giant lantern serves as a symbol for Sensoji Temple, Asakusa, and Tokyo. The gates here have unfortunately been burnt several times so they are not original. The lantern you will pass under is a restoration that in 2003 was donated by Panasonic and is maintained every 10 years. You can also see because of Hagoita Ichi there is a special sign to the left noting the event during my visit.
Sign at Kaminarimon Gate for Hagoita-Ichi The famous giant lantern at Kaminarimon Gate, the first gate of Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo.

Right after passing through the gates you will then see a shopping street called Nakamise Dori. Alongside Japanese souvenirs you’ll also see lots of different traditional local snacks being offered by the vendors. You can see special decorations above the crowd like an extra large New Year’s ema board with the monkey (for the Year of the Monkey) and also the paddle for Hagoita-ichi thanks to the time of year of my visit.
Nakamise Shopping Street at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa Nakamise Shopping Street at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa - you can see special New Year's ema board with the monkey (for the Year of the Monkey) and also the paddle for Hagoita-ichi decorations above the crowd Nakamise Shopping Street at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa Nakamise Shopping Street at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa

If you follow Namakise Dori down, you will reach the second gate, Hozomon Gate, beyond which is the temple’s main hall and a five storied pagoda as well as other halls.
The Hozomon Gate at Sensoji Temple is the second gate, beyond which is the temple's main hall and a five storied pagoda. The Hozomon Gate at Sensoji Temple is the second gate, beyond which is the temple's main hall and a five storied pagoda.

It’s a lot more spread out past Hozomon, so you can enjoy the beauty of the temple without being so packed together with people like on Namakise Dori. You might see near the Main Hall people getting fortunes. They have English ones too if you want to try your luck. If you get a bad luck fortune, follow the others in tying your paper to the metal wires they have so it will wait here instead of attach itself to you. If it’s good, you can also tie it here so it has stronger effect, or take it with you. Other sights may be people gathering to breathe in the incense smoke to ward off illness before entering the Main Hall to offer prayers.
Moon rising over the Main Hall of Sensoji Temple Moon rising over the Main Hall of Sensoji Temple
Moon rising over the Main Hall of Sensoji Temple

If you walk just to the left/west of the Main Hall, you will find several other halls that house various images of Buddhas or other disciples.
In Sensoji Temple, Asakusa In Sensoji Temple, Asakusa In Sensoji Temple, Asakusa In Sensoji Temple, Asakusa

The Five Storied Pagoda is hard to miss.
Five Storied Pagoda in Sensoji Temple, Asakusa Five Storied Pagoda in Sensoji Temple, Asakusa

There are some great specific Japanese snacks you can find on Nakamise Dori – I’ll highlight that in next week’s Travel Tuesday post. We did run into some tents of food vendors that are not usually here but were present because of Hagoita Ichi just outside Hozomon Gate. They are typical of the food vendors that set up stands just to the outside of the temple during festivals.
Some of the food just outside Hozomon Gate at Sensoji Temple for Hagoita Ichi Some of the food just outside Hozomon Gate at Sensoji Temple for Hagoita Ichi
Some of the food just outside Hozomon Gate at Sensoji Temple for Hagoita Ichi Some of the food just outside Hozomon Gate at Sensoji Temple for Hagoita Ichi Some of the food just outside Hozomon Gate at Sensoji Temple for Hagoita Ichi

We also took some time to admire all the 50 some vendor tents of the Hagoita-Ichi, which is held annually from December 17-19th, 9 AM – 9 PM. Hagoita means wooden paddle or battledore, and although traditionally used to play a game called Hanetsuki that’s similar to badminton, the paddles you see at Hagoita Ichi are ornamental.
Hagoita Ichi at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, takes place December 17-19 annually Hagoita Ichi at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, takes place December 17-19 annually

They are often painted, and then handsewn and stuffed for a pillowy effect to the decorative characters of kabuki actors, women in gorgeous detailed kimonos, gods and goddesses, symbols of the new year like the incoming year of the Monkey, or other celebrities.
Hagoita Ichi at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, takes place December 17-19 annually Hagoita Ichi at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, takes place December 17-19 annually Hagoita Ichi at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, takes place December 17-19 annually

If you look carefully you’ll see basketball players and soccer players, even an ice skater, Hello Kitty and Doraeman!
Hagoita Ichi at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, takes place December 17-19 annually Hagoita Ichi at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, takes place December 17-19 annually "Hagoita Hagoita Ichi at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, takes place December 17-19 annually

The Hagoita are considered good luck charms that apparently are a “board to bounce back evil.”
Hagoita Ichi at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, takes place December 17-19 annually Hagoita Ichi at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, takes place December 17-19 annually
Not all the vendors sell hagoita although most of them do – there are also other New Year auspicious decorations at a few, such as handpainted kites – so gorgeous. All the colors were so spectacular.
Kite vendor at Hagoita Ichi in Sensoji Temple, Asakusa

Admission to the Temple is free, and is a definite must visit if you are in Tokyo, whether there is a festival going on or not in my opinion. This is an extremely popular temple, but the crowds are manageable and orderly, and there is so much to see in terms of Japanese culture that is old and new all in one place.

Have you been to Sensoji Temple in Asakusa? Have you seen photos of that famous Sensoji lantern before or heard about this temple? What do you think of the Hagoita?

For more details on Sensoji Temple or Hagoita Ichi, I used these references:

Here’s a summary of my Japan Travel post series:

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Portland Drink and a Bite Highlight: Laurelhurst Market

January 15, 2016 by 5 Comments

For Foodie Friday today, I continue my new series highlighting a Portland Drink and a Bite of food that I think not only is best in class within Portland, but is a classic representation of the character of Portland. Of course, that Portland Drink and a Bite Highlight is also delicious, and unique.

My pick this week is the Smoke Signals cocktail at Laurelhurst Market. This is a famous cocktail highlighted by Portland Monthly back in 2013 but that has been on the menu since 2008. It is comprised of Rye Whiskey, Sherry, Pecan, Lemon, and (super cool!), smoked ice. That’s right, smoked ice, they smoke ice! The smoky nutty whiskey drink is unique and one of my top 5 favorite cocktails in Portland. I can’t go to Laurelhurst without having one.
The famous Laurelhurst Market cocktail of Smoke Signals with Rye Whiskey, Sherry, Pecan, Lemon, Smoked Ice The famous Laurelhurst Market cocktail of Smoke Signals with Rye Whiskey, Sherry, Pecan, Lemon, Smoked Ice

With the illustrious Kevin Ludwig behind the bar though, definitely feel free to expand to other offerings. And then, for the bite at this steakhouse and full service butcher shop helmed by Chef Benjamin Bettinger and Sous Chef Patrick McKee, of course we turn to meat. You can’t go wrong with anything involving beef in this joint, but my favorite is the ribeye (the one pictured below is from a visit where it was served with avocado and pickled jalapenos – the accompaniment varies) which I’ve been having for years and is big enough to share for 2 or is one very manly meaty dinner for one.
Laurelhurst Market Ribeye with Avocado and Pickled Jalapenos Laurelhurst Market Ribeye with Avocado and Pickled Jalapenos

Don’t forget to order that famous side of Mac and Cheese with a Potato Chip Crust! That oozy melty gooeyness…
Laurelhurst Market's side of mac and cheese with a potato chip crust! That oozy melty gooeyness... Laurelhurst Market's side of mac and cheese with a potato chip crust! That oozy melty gooeyness... Laurelhurst Market's side of mac and cheese with a potato chip crust! That oozy melty gooeyness...

Although I realize it’s chilly January, my favorite thing at Laurelhurst Market besides the food and drink is their outside bar that you can enjoy the breeze and setting sunshine along with your steak – something you won’t find at most steakhouses.

Bar at Laurelhurst Market opens up to a patio area. You can also see Bar Tender Kevin Ludwig to the right

And, I love how Laurelhurst Market operates as a neighborhood joint with obvious regulars alongside the bar with me rather than going for the usual fancy feel that appeals to corporate expense accounts. Laurelhurst Market is also open for lunch and dinner everyday, so you don’t have to wait for dinner to get your local meat enjoyment on.

Have you been to Laurelhurst Market, what are your thoughts? What is your favorite Portland steakhouse?

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Guide to Planning A Trip: Mapping

January 12, 2016 by 9 Comments

In my previous Guide to Planning a Trip post, I explained how I researched and created a wishlist of what I want to do and eat and organized it in a Google Doc. I mentioned in that post how I organize destinations by area so that I can minimize travel time and make the most of where I am by knowing what my options are in that area, whether or not I actually visit them. Today, I share how I create my custom Google My Maps to help me do this.

Knowing where various interest points are oriented to each other can help plan your travel – such as below where we did a walking day visiting scenic streets, shrines, temples, and gardens all in Southeastern Kyoto in Japan a few weeks ago.

The My Maps also is super helpful when I’m there, since I can use it to get directions from place to place. Even if I don’t have wireless/data, I can also if I load the custom map before I go offline, use it alongside GPS to help me get to my destination.

It may seem like with a spreadsheet and custom maps, I must have my trips planned to the hour. But, the opposite is true! Because I am armed with information on where everything is located, when each business may open and close, how much each will cost in money or time, what the various options to choose from are among many choices in the area (including ones I find out from locals or discover passing by once I’m there!) and what others may have thought of them from reading reviews, I feel even more empowered to wing it without FOMO.

And, since getting lost stresses me out, or traveling to a location taking longer than I thought only to find out it just closed is so frustrating for me, mapping stuff to find out where it is and how long it takes to get there by train, car, public transit, walking, whatever is important to me.

Guide to Planning A Trip Part 2: Mapping

Did you know you can create a custom map with multiple destinations that you input? You can also share this map!

To start, open google maps. In the search bar, you should see a “hamburger” menu icon – it has 3 lines and appears on the left side of the search bar.
Guide to Planning A Trip: Mapping. To create your own Custom google maps, go to the hamburger menu in Google Maps

Click on that and click on “My Maps“. If you don’t see My Maps, it may be because you aren’t signed into your Google account – you need to be signed in so the map will associate with you.
Guide to Planning A Trip: Mapping. To create your own Custom google maps, click on My Maps in the Google Maps menu.

Now I have a lot of maps I have created over the years, but the important thing is to look for the “Create Map” at the bottom. What you can see from this is later – for instance my second trip to Hawaii, I was able to reuse my map to revisit some of my favorite stops later with my family that I had visited earlier! I love that this is an investment in making maps rather than re-doing the searches and directions later.
Guide to Planning A Trip: Mapping. To create your own Custom google maps, click on Create New Map in the Google Maps - My Maps menu.

Later, when you come to edit your maps, you will want to open one of the maps you saved, which will show the screen below. You have one extra step where you then click on “Open in My Maps” in order to edit the existing My Map.
Later edit your maps by clicking on the name of your map, and click on Open in My Maps

While I’m on vacation, I only need to click to load the map on my phone and not use “Open in My Maps” in order to use it to navigate with GPS.

When you click on Create Map, it should open a new tab for you to work in. Now, you can just start searching for destinations by typing in the destination name (I always try this first!) or the address or GPS coordinates. Naturally, make sure the result matches what you are looking for, especially if might be multiple locations of a restaurant or multiple destinations called Yasaka Shrine for instance in Japan!
Guide to Planning A Trip: Mapping. When you click on Create Map, it should open a new tab for you to work in. Now, you can just start searching for destinations by typing in the destination name (if you're lucky) or the address or GPS coordinates.

Adding Destinations To Your Map

When the Google Maps search finds a destination, you can add it to a default Untitled Layer by clicking on “Add to map”
Guide to Planning A Trip: Mapping. When the Google Maps search finds a destination, you can add it to a default Untitled Layer by clicking on Add to map
Once you add it to the Untitled layer, feel free to name your Untitled map (such as Kyoto, which is the city here) and the Untitled layer if you want. I usually just use one layer because I don’t tend to need to organize too many destinations. But, you might choose to have one layer for Restaurants, one layer for Museums, one layer for Hikes, etc. if you have a lot of different categories you want to divide in.

I personally like to keep it in one layer because I’m too lazy to want to click between layers. Instead, I use customizing icons to differentiate between the different places by clicking on the paint icon when you mouse over the new pin you have added.
Guide to Planning A Trip: Mapping. I use customizing icons to differentiate between the different places by clicking on the paint icon when you mouse over the new pin you have added.

Instead of changing colors of pins, I select “More icons” button at the bottom.
I use customizing icons to differentiate between the different places by clicking on the paint icon when you mouse over the new pin you have added.

Then I pick a bed to stand for my lodging, train for train station, fork/knife for restaurant, faucet for beer places, etc! There are lots of different icons you can use here, or you can even add your own icon you have an url to grab. Pick something that is meaningful that you will remember.
I use customizing icons to differentiate between the different places by clicking on the paint icon when you mouse over the new pin you have added.

I usually don’t end up using too many icons and thankfully the application remembers your most used other icons so you can quickly get to them again later!
I use customizing icons to differentiate between the different places by clicking on the paint icon when you mouse over the new pin you have added.

If you searched by an address or GPS, you can edit the resulting destination to a name that means something to you, such as “Beginning of XXX Hiking Trail” or even edit details in the description if you’d like by adding an url, comments, etc.
When adding a destination to your custom Google My Maps, you can edit the resulting destination with a name or additional comments and such that are helpful to you

Using Your My Maps

I can only speak to my Android where when I open Google Maps, I can choose “Your Places“, which is the equivalent of the My Maps on the desktop and I can pick what I want to open based on my map name (such as Kyoto, Tokyo, etc.”. This then loads up the map.
Looking at my custom Google My Maps on my Maps app on my Android phone

I can zoom in to click on any of my destinations I have placed (as well as search for new ones if I’m online still) then use the directions icon (in the bottom right of the screen, it’s the arrow button) to navigate myself there via car, public transit or walking.
Looking at my custom Google My Maps on my Maps app on my Android phone

The few times I used taxis, the My Map turned out helpful to even show the driver the general area we needed to go since they could be unfamiliar with the street address. And even with my data turned off, I used the GPS to make sure I was on track even as we wandered our way exploring the neighborhoods on the way from one destination to the other walking.
Looking at my custom Google My Maps on my Maps app on my Android phone

Using My Maps was also great in giving me a visual overview of where all the various places I am interested in are located. Based on this, I pick my lodging to be convenient to getting to everything, or to be in the heart of where there are a lot of restaurants, etc. It also helped narrow some things off my wishlist because they were too out of the way.
Looking at my custom Google My Maps on my Maps app on my Android phone

When I’m on the go on vacation, this pre-work on a computer saved me the annoyance of trying to search and find places on my phone. This pre-work also gives you an initial orientation to your destination so that you know where various things are in location to each other in the city!

I’ve also used this to craft a progressive meal in New York, and a drinking/nightclub crawl in Montreal. While I may only make a travel Google Doc spreadsheet for a trip of 5 days or more, I make custom Google Maps all the time even for a day trip to map stops to see, eat, and drink even for a single day.

Have you ever made a custom Google Map? How do you plan the locations you visit in a day on a trip? Do you think I’m crazy?

Here’s a summary of my Japan Travel post series:

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