23 Nov Our Favorite Urban Adventures of All Time
When we travel, we love exploring both cities and nature, and for this reason, most of our trips consist of both outdoor and urban adventures. We have been fortunate to have so many wonderful experiences over the years. It was hard to narrow down, but we wanted to recap and compile a list of our favorites.
This list is comprised of our favorite urban adventures from our travels around the world, and we will create a separate one for our favorite outdoor adventures. As we don’t plan to stop traveling any time soon, these lists will never truly be finalized and we will update them with new activities as deserved! With that, here’s a round up of our favorite urban adventures to date:
Robot Restaurant
One of the wackiest experiences we’ve ever had was the crazy show at the Robot Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan. Flashing lights flooded the room and thumping electronic techno music blared over the speakers, while scenes of robots, animatronics, and dancers unfolded in front of us. We weren’t quite sure what was happening for most of the show, but the evening was filled with non-stop laughter and ended with the entire room pumping neon glow-sticks in unison. It was sensory overload at its finest.
Food and Ferrari Tour in Italy
The Emilia-Romagna region of Italy is home to some of the best food around—we took a tour around the area and visited three amazing food producers and the Ferrari Museum. We sampled Parmigiano-Reggiano, Prosciutto and traditional balsamic vinegar and learned how each product was produced. After a full morning of tasting and touring, we had one of the best meals to date. I don’t know how a day can get much better than that!
Thermëa Nordic Spa
Spas always make for a relaxing day, but there was something extra special about the Thermëa Nordic Spa in Winnipeg, Canada. The tasty onsite restaurant, relaxation areas and circuit of hot and cold cycles melted all of our cares away. My favorite circuit was a toss up between the Aufguss ritual in the Finnish sauna, the Eucalyptus steam sauna and the Fläm fire pit—I’m already plotting my return!
Indoor Skydiving in Las Vegas
Las Vegas is always sure to surprise you with endless opportunities for adventure. One of our favorite experiences in the city was indoor skydiving with Vegas Indoor Skydiving. Basically, the entire experience takes place in a wind tunnel—you throw yourself up into the wind and it simulates the skydiving experience. I would love to go skydiving for real some day, but in the meantime, this was a fun alternative adventure that gave us a taste of flying through the air!
Little Havana Food Tour in Miami
We lived in south Florida for several years, and during that time, I developed a love for Cuban food. There is no better place to sample delicious, authentic Cuban fare than Miami’s Little Havana. We were introduced to the neighborhood’s best spots while on a food tour with Miami Culinary Tours. Every dish we sampled was fantastic and we have been back to a couple of the restaurants several times since to get our fix.
Creating Art at the Corning Museum of Glass
I always love hands on experiences, and creating our own glass art pieces at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York was so much fun. I made a glass flower and Micah tried his hand at glass blowing. In addition to making art, we watched professionals in a glass blowing demo and explored the museum full of spectacular displays and exhibits.
Tea Ceremony in Kyoto
When we were in Kyoto, Japan, we decided on a whim to head to a Japanese tea ceremony. The tea ceremony was held in a 100 year old traditional Geisha ryokan. We watched our tea-master gracefully perform the tea ceremony and then learned about the history and culture behind it. To finish off the afternoon, we learned the proper way to make our own matcha green tea before indulging in a piping hot cup.
Caldera Hike on the Greek Island of Santorini
Hiking isn’t typically considered an urban adventure, but our walk along the caldera in Santorini sent us through both beautiful natural scenes and multiple towns along the coastline. We started in Fira and ended in Oia; we fought with some pretty high winds throughout the hike, but it was well worth it for all the gorgeous views overlooking the sea!
Black Cab Tour Belfast
The Black Taxi Political Tour in Belfast, Northern Ireland, gave us a peek into “The Troubles” throughout Ireland’s recent history. Northern Ireland is divided into two main political groups—the Nationalists and the Loyalists—and these groups have many differing views, one of which is whether or not to remain part of the United Kingdom or join a united Ireland. To some extent, this conflict is still going on today, and the city of Belfast is divided by a Peace Wall and filled with politically charged murals. The tour provides an intense look into the raw culture of a unique city. It’s always interesting to dig deeper into a new culture, which is why this memorable tour makes the list!
Sailing in Milwaukee
We love the water, when I had the chance to spend an afternoon sailing on Lake Michigan I was super excited. It was a perfect day for sailing in Milwaukee and I loved checking out the views from every corner of the sailboat. My favorite spot was relaxing in the breeze on the bow of the boat.
Blue Blood Brewing Co. Brewery and Cave Tour
Breweries in general are always fun to tour and explore, but one of our all time favorites was the brewery and cave tour at Blue Blood Brewing Co. in Lincoln, Nebraska. After learning about the brewing process we got to explore Robber’s Cave located beneath the brewery.
Canoeing the Chain of Lakes
Any day we can get out on the water to paddle is a good day. One of our favorite adventures in our hometown of Minneapolis/St. Paul is kayaking or canoeing on the Chain of Lakes. The Chain of Lakes is a series of connected lakes in Minneapolis and you can paddle your way through three of them via interconnected waterways. With views of the city skyline from the lake, it’s a great mix of the city and outdoors all in one.
What are some of your favorite urban adventures around the world?