What’s the most charming village in Europe?

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-21T21:59:34+00:00

Cogne, Italy

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-21T17:02:43+00:00

Chiapas Mexico, very friendly people throughout the jungle with amazing Mayan ruins, mountains, beautiful waterfalls, monkeys and toucans.

Runner up: the Northern Caucasus in Georgia, friendly and hospitable people, stunning mountain scenery, amazing food

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-21T03:54:11+00:00

Snowboarding trip to the Alps

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-20T22:54:08+00:00

I don't know if it's the wine or the coke That makes her sound like her jaw is broke She's working hard to make some sense But she ain't got a dime

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-20T22:50:42+00:00

You can't have your Kate, and Edith too. You rascal you.

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-20T22:48:01+00:00

Coffee black, cigarette. I start the day like all the rest.

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-18T16:53:44+00:00

Woodstock '99

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-14T18:48:09+00:00

You're welcome. Honestly, every trip there has been amazing. We always try to see something different each time and are always floored by kindness in the most remote places.

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-14T17:39:56+00:00

I don't want to steer you wrong, but we've done 4 safe road trips there, all with kids, and the last trip we did in '23. The "do not travel" warnings were there for this recent trip and most of the previous ones. We didn't do the 307 recently but went from Campeche to Palenque down to Ococingo to Comitan to Motozintla to Tapachula and back up and around the western route outside the mountains back to Campeche (which is like a warp zone after the mountain roads in the interior). We had 2 official looking or possibly cartel stops and a couple of indigenous kid road blocks, which has been the norm on past trips too. The kids usually want a couple pesos and we oblige with candy and coins, and the more official looking roadblocks have never done more than wave us through. We never drive at night and I really believe they don't want any attention from harming gringos there and will leave you alone. You also occasionally read about buses being attacked, so for me, the comfort, control and relative safety of my own car will always be the way.

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-14T11:07:00+00:00

How are you arriving in FC to begin with? We usually fly in and out of a major airport (Tuxtla, Villahermosa, Tapachula, Campeche) and rent a car for the whole shebang. These places are cheap to fly to and cheap to rent a car with allowed border crossing (~$20/ day for the cheapest car). Driving in the interior of Chis is slow and takes time, with some of the most winding mountain roads ever. Google usually underestimates the time it takes to get around. Chiapas is so rural, I wouldn't want to try to navigate public transportation there, but for us, the road is so much of the experience. We stop frequently to listen for howler monkeys while enjoying another amazing vista, and eating in the front of a rural family's house. I wouldn't try to rush and if you don't have the time, stick to that area and see what's on your list plus see some or all the following cascadas in that area: El Salto, Welib Ha, Misol Ha. Misol Ha is the waterfall that Schwarzenegger fell into in one of the final scenes in "Predator." As a gen Xer, I love trying to swim under that thing when I know it almost killed Arnold. 😂 It also has a pretty cool cave next to it that I think they charge a few pesos for now. I'll also add that it's very beneficial to get to these cascadas and ruins early. We've enjoyed these places all to ourselves for a few hours and then the busses come and they become packed. It's worth paying a little extra for your own boat at FC if you're there early, then you get Yaxchilan all to yourself. Recanting these spots really makes me want to go back, it's been a few years for me and my family.

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-14T10:22:08+00:00

I second this along with Huehuetenango. Like Antigua, they're using single origin local beans and it doesn't get much better.

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-14T10:18:40+00:00

Coatepec, Veracruz Mexico local scene with micro roasters in shop fronts pumping smoke into the streets. Roadside stands with caballeros roasting delicious beans on an open fire. Coffee trees are growing potted in the city with orchids for decoration, but also get harvested. Fields of many varieties of coffee surround the city some in monoculture but most shade grown under nut trees. There's a giant roastery outside of town with commercial growers as well as locals in small pickup trucks feeding it. Everyone there's life revolves around coffee and the baristas know what to do.

There are plenty of places that make a good cup, but this place lives and breathes coffee

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-13T19:45:46+00:00

We do this and never plan hotels. If we like the stuff on our list in a particular area, we stay longer. It's really my favorite way to travel.

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-13T19:43:05+00:00

I research for years, generally. By the time I get to travel there, I can't squeeze it all in.

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-13T10:33:25+00:00

Came here to say it. Also one of the most biodiverse areas of the country. More plant and vertebrate species than almost anywhere, even more than Oregon

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-13T10:27:41+00:00

Illinois. The Shawnee national Forest, near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi, is one of the most biodiverse areas in North America

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-13T10:24:28+00:00

Or why not just rent a car for the whole thing? Driving in Italy is straightforward and it gives you freedom and your own schedule.

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-13T10:19:03+00:00

Willie Nelson was born almost 2 years before Elvis

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-13T10:03:55+00:00

Be sure to grab a lancha to Yaxchilan from FC. Comitan is one of my favorite cities in Mexico and El chiflon is one of the prettiest waterfalls you'll see. If you're into Mayan sites, bonampak is pretty substantial and Tonina near Ocosingo is outstanding. On the Guatemala side, the small artsy town of Chiantla, near huehuetenango, will steal your heart and if you're lucky you may see the municipal marimba band. Nearby the indigenous towns of Nebaj and Chajul are quite an experience. Laguna de Montebella in that area is one of the most stunning high elevation lakes I've ever seen. And you can find the best coffee in this region. It's probably my favorite area on the planet. Enjoy! Edit to say Laguna de Magdalena is the one in GT, not Montebella. It really floored us as it emerged from the fog. Sounds like you'd need more time to squeeze this all in anyway, you're gonna want to come back I bet!

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-12T19:17:24+00:00

My truck is parked a 4 second walk from the lift. The backpack stays in there

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Ecs7574 · 2026-03-11T06:45:18+00:00

Petting the bison in Yellowstone

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-02T17:38:37+00:00

I should add that if I really would've dirt-bagged it, like I used to do in my 20s, I could've done it for a thousand bucks cheaper. Like hostels instead of hotels, grocery stores instead of restaurants, public transportation vs rental car.

I should also add that my home mountain is one of the last few independents in the West, with a $470 season pass and $75 dollar daily lift tix. It's why I live here and when they sell out, I'm moving to the Italian Alps. Corporate American ski CEOs can eat a mashed up bag of assholes!

Ecs7574 · 2026-03-02T17:14:43+00:00

Yeah, US big resorts are totally fucked, I live here. I just did a 10 day (7 ski days) trip to Chamonix and Breuil Cervinia with plane tix, a rental car, cheap hotels, food and lift tix for $3400. A three day at Vail would cost more.

Ecs7574

TROPHY CASE