18 miles and 2000ft of elevation gain...

Welcome back to the new and improved T.O., offering the best travel recommendations and write-ups in the game.

I hope you all enjoyed the new format. I got enough positive feedback that I’ll be sticking with it for now. If you’ve got suggestions that could make it even better, let me hear ‘em!

Let’s get to it 👇

Experience in Bariloche, Argentina

Circuito Chico

The night before we left Buenos Aires for Bariloche, a new friend recommended we rent bikes and cycle along the Circuito Chico — a route with breathtaking views of Northern Patagonia’s lakes and mountains

“Sounds awesome!” we said as we placed it firmly at the top of our to-do list.

Now, our friends had gone with a group. Some had opted for e-bikes, while others chose regular mountain bikes. They said that if we had ever ridden bikes before, we’d be fine on the mountain bike.

After 18 miles and 2000ft of elevation gain, I think we may have different definitions of “fine.”

We took off on our journey and were immediately hit with view after view.

A few miles in, we stopped for a quick hike down to Villa Tacul — a popular beach amongst travelers and locals alike.

After the hour-long hike, we continued on our way.

The ride was gorgeous but difficult, and by the time we hit Cerveza Patagonia about 11 miles later, we were more than ready for burgers and beer.

We stayed for about two hours — resting, eating, drinking, and of course, admiring the mountains off in the distance before heading back to complete the circuit.

With about 2 miles to go, fast approaching the deadline to return our bikes, we hit a fork in the road and followed what we thought was the way back to the rental shop…

2 miles later, we realized our error. With ten minutes to go until the deadline, we turned around and raced back.

Arriving roughly on time, but scattered and exhausted, it took some recovery time before we were able to truly appreciate the ride.

It was the most scenic 6 hours I’ve ever experienced and imparted in me a deep appreciation for this region of the world.

Plus it was great exercise and a good story to boot! But next time, we may consider the e-bikes. 😂 

Weekly Write-up

Feeling the obligation to travel “off the beaten path”

As I write about travel, I can’t help but feel this obligation to be unique, to travel to and recommend locations “off the beaten path.”

It’s an idea that seems to permeate through the underbelly of the travel community.

The more I reflect on that, the more I ask, “Why?”

Travel is an opportunity to explore, both the world and yourself. It will look very different for different people.

I don’t want to feel like someone is looking over my shoulder, making sure that I see and do all of these different and unique things in the places I visit, so much so that the anxiety begins to overshadow the enjoyment of the experience.

That sounds like a terrible way to travel.

Here’s an example:

On my recent trip to Buenos Aires, I was researching some steakhouses for dinner. When it comes to steak, the city’s reputation precedes itself, so I wanted THE BEST.

We ended up taking a recommendation from our cab driver.

We showed up and the place was crowded — usually a good sign, but as I observed, there was a lot of English being spoken, which wasn’t too common in Buenos Aires.

We ate, and it was good but expensive and not great.

The restaurant was a bit of a tourist trap.

I felt deflated. I felt like a bad traveler.

That’s partly the perfectionist in me and partly this notion of what travel “should be” that I’ve bought into.

But that’s stupid.

There’s no merit in judging my experience based on some notion of what travel should be. The “shoulds” are what get you into trouble.

Of course, we all want to see and experience something truly new and unique. But that should not be the end all be all.

It also seems that you rarely find those things by actively seeking them out.

We’re all chasing authenticity in some capacity.

Some people live exclusively for those unique one-of-a-kind experiences. That’s ok.

And maybe there will come a time when I’ve been there, done that, and I’ll want to chase those experiences exclusively too.

But the point is, let’s stop putting expectations on travel and telling people how to travel.

Or better yet, here’s the road map to traveling well:

Do what you want, as long as you’re respectful. Explore, try new things, prepare for the hits and misses, and don’t spend too much time or energy trying to get it perfect. Because it won’t be, and that’s the best part.

Airplane Content

This dude is technically an electronic music DJ, but for those who cringe at the thought of electronic music or DJs, I’ll say this: my mom, who loves Norah Jones, also enjoys his music. Check him out and let me know what you think!

AI Travel Art Piece of the Week

Cheers ‘til next week,

T.O.