Wandering Justin’s Best of 2009

So, it has been a stellar year here at WanderingJustin.com. First, it has seen the creation of this here blog, rising from the ashes of my old No Crocs Allowed blog. So before I even go any further, I want to single out three other bloggers who really made this possible with technical advice: Stacy Holmstedt, The Blog Kitten and SpotCoolStuff.com. You are all awesome, and have been instrumental in the rise of WanderingJustin.com. In Stacy’s case, I’ve learned a bunch of HTML stuff that makes me a lot more useful at my day job. How cool is that? Thanks!

It’s been an excellent travel year for yours truly: New Zealand, Lake Tahoe, Boston, Washington, DC, San Diego … you’re doing alright when the dullest place is the nation’s capitol (and let me tell you, it is). Alright, let’s get on to the inaugural WanderingJustin.com Best of 2009 – just remember, I’m saving something for a post of its own: my Most Spectacular Place of the Year award.

Best Airline: Air New Zealand. Super-friendly and punctual. Part of the reason I want to visit New Zealand again is to enjoy a long-haul flight with its friendly staff – and see how it stacks up to Qantas, which I’d consider last year’s winner.

Best Bike Gadget: The Ergon GP-1 handlebar grip. This is simply the best $30 I ever spent on my bike. See my Associated Content review of the  Ergon GP-1.

Best Hike: The Tongariro Alpine Crossing. From 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., this ludicrously amazing day hike enthralled me. I had to duct tape my socks to my feet to prevent them from being knocked off. Volcanoes, fumaroles, lava flows, spectacular views, Germans in gaiters – this hike has it all.

Best Ski Resort: Well, calling Homewood on Lake Tahoe “a resort” is a bit like calling C. Montgomery Burns a philanthropist. All it offers is easy parking, a reasonable price, great trails and an unpretentious vibe. Go to NorthStar if you want to rub elbows with the Beautiful People.

Arizona’s Best New Brewery: We had a trio open in Arizona this year, and Sleepy Dog Saloon & Brewing slid in just before the calendar flipped. Good thing, too – it handily beat out fellow newcomers Old World Brewery and Electric Dave’s. It’s going to be really fun to see what happens next – the brewmaster mentioned that he’s still got more tricks up his sleeve, both in refining current recipes and creating new ones.

Best Place to Get Away with Farting in Public: In Rotorua, NZ, you can walk down the street lofting air biscuits to your heart’s content. That’s because Rotorua is situated on a volcanic plateau, and many of the earth’s smelly gasses find ways to escape into the open air there. All over town, you’ll see steam rising from the ground, and even bubbling pots of mud and steaming ponds. It’s so much more awesome than I make it sound …

Best Bike Trail: This is obviously slanted toward Arizona since I can’t tote my bike everywhere. But the Black Canyon Trail is pretty awesome. The views are killer. And so are the climbs, the switchbacks and soe of the exposure on the trail. There are parts of it that are not for the faint-hearted or unskilled. Watch for a full review soon!

Best Fellow Biker’s Blog: The Adventures of Mountain Biking Girl. I vicariously get to ride in through trees, rain and even snow thanks to this blog. Teresa is relentlessly Canadian – and by that, I mean enthusiastic and friendly.

Best Place to Get Dessert: Finale, which I raved about in this post. It’s the best thing to be made in Boston since the Sam Adams Imperial Series. And that’s high praise! This was seriously not even a contect. There are great dessert restaurants – and then there’s Finale. Creative and perfectly executed.

Best Wild Animal Sighting: I saw a bunch of young bald eagles northeast of Pima and Dynamite in Scottsdale, Ariz. they were too young to have the signature bald head. But my old high school buddy, David Williams, showed his bird knowledge by solving the mystery.

Best Hung Dynasty Show: Hung Dynasty absolutely owned on Dec. 19 at Donna Jean’s Libations. A destructive set of original tunes, plus rockin’ covers of Metallica’s “Seek and Destroy” and “Breaking the Law” by Judas Priest. The audience was what made it, though.

Best Hotel: I asked Sarah what hotel we stayed at was the best this year. Her answer? “Da plane, da plane!” That would be  one of the two suites in the converted Bristol cargo plan in Woodlyn Park near Waitomo, New Zealand. I suggested Ann’s Volcanic Rotorua, but she’d have none of it. Ann’s, she said, was nice and friendly and well-kept. Woodlyn Park and its cargo plane, yacht, railroad car and Hobbit rooms were simply off-the-charts awesome, however. All-around, New Zealand hotels kick all sorts of butt.

Well, I think that sums up my year pretty well!