I’m completely nuts, but in a good way. That’s what my family says.  

Several days ago, I returned from a trip to Scotland to visit my son, which was bookended with a weekend in New York City and a weekend in London. For an entire month, prior to leaving, I spent hours researching. Travel prep for me begins with researching neighborhoods within the cities we are going to visit. Then I research art museums and historical sites within each neighborhood. Next comes my search of foodie sites, including my favorite, eater.com

Based on reviews and menus posted online, I make a list of restaurants worth visiting. All of my research winds up on a list of places, organized by category and neighborhood. For each destination, I include the name, address, hours, prices, and walking distance from our AirBnB. Yes, I’m completely nuts, but Alan says my lists are like mise en place—the French term for the hours a chef spends prepping all the ingredients ahead of time so when it comes time to cook, the chef can be creative. 

Stay tuned, because in my next posts, I’ll write all about this trip.