Modern Traveler

One of the most historic cities in Scotland, Edinburgh boasts an impressive stone castle alongside its world-famous scotch. With the help of the Balmoral's whiskey ambassador, Alyssa discovers the craft and distinction of the national drink of choice. Alyssa discovers the history of her family clan while visiting Howie Nicholsby's kilt shop and watches as her friends gets a custom kilt fitting.

The Scottish Highlands aren't just home to the Loch Ness monster--as Alyssa finds out, its home to rolling green hills and a life of shepherding and fly fishing. After an afternoon of playing with pup sheep dogs, she takes in local live music at the world-famous Hootenanny. From sheep sheering to rocking out to chowing down on some homemade haggis, the Highlands are full of adventure and charm.

In the heart of Scotland, Alyssa explores the world of Scotch Malt Whiskey with the help of her driver Ken. On the Scotch Malt Whiskey Trail, Alyssa learns how to properly appreciate a glass of Scotch. In Macallan, she visits a world-famous distiller and enjoys a tasting session. At the Craigellechie, she gets exposure to the budding trend of whiskey and food pairings. In Benromach, she visits a family-owned distellry that still makes its product by hand. An expert whiskey distiller quizzes her knowledge, and she gets a little tipsy.

England has a lot more to see than just London. Alyssa discovers a surprising corner of of the English coast when she visits Newquay, Cornwall. Her hotel treats her to the RockStar experience after she requests a hot car with a hot guy and finds the keys to a Ferrari waiting for her. After her joy ride with David Beckham (kind of), Alyssa catches some waves off the Newquay coast, and follows up her day on the beach with a proper tea time--Cornwall-stye.

From the time-honored and traditional to the fresh and modern, Alyssa discovers what London, England has to offer. Amongst the array of accommodations, Alyssa checks out tea time with a modern twist at the Athenaeum Hotel. From shopping the endless stands of hand crafted goods and art at Covent Garden to enjoying the best plate of fish and chips, Alyssa goes beyond the touristy-side of one of the most popular travel destinations in the world.

Nestled on the Western coast of England, Padstow boasts the freshest sea food amongst English oceanside charm. At the Cornwall Cooking School, Alyssa tries her hand at cooking live crab and finds that it's as dangerous as it is difficult. After preparing a delicious seafood stew, Alyssa goes ghost hunting at the haunted Jamaica Inn, a residency of storied fame that offers paranormal detective sessions.

After a fog-enveloped drive through the English countryside, Alyssa explores the food, culture, and castles of Cornwall. Tucked away in St. Ives rests a cliffside, stone-carved amphitheater originally designed for a production of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest.' Alyssa tries her first classic Cornwall Pasty, and checks out the stunning St. Michael's Mount, a centuries-old castle with ties to the Giant that Jack defeated.

Alyssa explores the biggest city in New Brunswick--Saint John, a booming port city with a small-town feel. In this city, there's always something to do (and eat), and always some friendly local faces to share it with. At the Saint John Ale House, she meets up with local Top Chef competitor Jesse Vergen and learns how to cook up some fresh eel. After transforming the ingredients from live fish into a fresh gourmet meal, Jesse treats Alyssa to a locally-sourced pairing of eel and Canadian-brewed ale.

Alyssa decides to find out why New Brunswick, Canada is known as the lobster capital of the world. With the help of a local conservationist, Alyssa releases a batch of two-week old lobsters back into the harbor with hopes that they will have better chances of survival. After taking a boat ride with some locals, Alyssa fully appreciates the lobster circle of life when she sits down with a New Brunswick native to learn the proper way to eat a lobster.

While most travelers choose to visit metropolitan locales likes Toronto, Alyssa shows us the small-town sites in Moncton, New Bruncwick. After helping a local chef smoke some salmon, she checks on fresh blueberry beer at Pump House Brewery. After checking out the town, Alyssa checks out high tide at the Bay of Fundy for a low-tide walk on the ocean floor followed by a high-tide kayaking session.

Alyssa flies to Bern, Switzerland, a UNESCO World Heritage Site full of history and unique sites. After trying out the most popular stinky hard cheeses in Switzerland at a local farmer's market, Alyssa hangs with the natives and takes the plunge into the 18-degree River Aare. She enjoys another locals-only treat when she visits a local gelato shop--part of the Italian community in Switzerland--and serves up scoops.

Alyssa puts her athleticism and bravery to the test when she heads to Interlaken, Switzerland. In the adventure capital of Europe, she takes us climbing up a mountainside in the Swiss alps and slides down the rushing water. After canyoning and a brave attempt at tree-top line walking, Alyssa takes a train ride to the top of Europe, takes in the views at a mountaintop restaurant, and explores an ice castle nestled in the snowy mountains.

Geneva is well known for its world-class refined exports, from chocolates to watches. In this leg of her European voyage, Alyssa visits the Château des Bois to experience one of Swiss's best-kept secret: it's fine wines. After colorful rooftop cocktails at Hotel Geneva, Alyssa takes an exclusive behind-the-scene look at Swiss chocolate-making and learns to makes her own Swiss Army Knife at its original home, Victorinox.

Alyssa heads to Zurich, Switzerland, a European city that is quickly becoming the culinary capital of the Swiss region, enjoying all the tastes from the street to the world's best and oldest established restaurants. A local doctoral candidate teaches Alyssa about the public water fountains, Alyssa takes a peek in the kitchen to see how Rosti is made, and explores the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the entire world.