L.A.'s New Cocktail Scene

Great local meal... Chapitô, in Lisbon's Alfama neighborhood. This unassuming alfresco restaurant doubles as a circus training school and has breathtaking views over the tiled rooftops of Lisbon. We ate here on our first night and enjoyed some of the best calamari and octopus [PHOTO] we've ever tasted, not to mention a whole grilled fish. Rua da Costa do Castelo 7. Wish we'd known that... Our Spanish would be absolutely useless! We're both proficient in Spanish, and we thought it would help. Not so! Portuguese is a language unto itself (disabuse yourself of any notions that it resembles other romance languages), and we completely botched it. Despite considering ourselves fairly savvy when it comes to communicating abroad, we found that we were better received when we expressed ourselves in English, bookended by many por favors and obrigados, of course. Our favorite part... The tram from downtown Lisbon to Belém. As with any vacation, it's hard to pick just one favorite part, but Belém, a historical harbor, was a great place to visit—plus, lots of attractions that usually require admission are free on Sundays. We walked along the waterfront, checked out a monument to the explorers [PHOTO], toured a 16th-century castle (Torre de Belém), strolled around the beautifully restored Jerónimos monastery [PHOTO], and surveyed the neighborhoods nearby, including a truly spectacular city garden. Afterward, we treated ourselves to the famous pastéis de Belém (custard tarts) and Super Bock beer. [PHOTO] What we should have packed... An extra bag to bring home souvenirs. Portugal was full of wonderful things to buy for friends and family: hand-painted ceramics and tiles, port wine aplenty, olive oil, things made from cork, things made from leather, traditional Portuguese linens, delicious chocolates filled with the national liquor made of fermented cherries (ginjinha), and anything you can imagine with the good-luck rooster Barcelos on it. The list goes on and on.... Worth every penny... The Lisbon Oceanarium. [PHOTO] We ventured up to this newer part of town (the Parque das Naçõs) on our last day in Lisbon and were impressed with the state-of-the-art aquarium's conservation and sustainability work. In a country known the world over for its love of salt cod, it takes some guts to operate an aquarium dedicated to introducing people to more sustainable alternatives to the national favorite! The aquarium is divided into four parts (one for each of the oceans), which are united by a massive central column full of ocean life from around the globe. We were truly awestruck throughout our visit by the regal-looking puffins, the spirited penguins, the constantly grooming sea otters, and, of course, the thousands of fish. It was a true delight and one of the best aquariums we've ever visited. The surrounding neighborhood is also an architectural attraction unto itself, with plenty of great places to grab lunch or a beer after a morning at the oceanarium. Never again... Will we fly Iberia. We missed one connection on the way to Lisbon and nearly missed another on the way home for what appeared to be a general lackadaisical attitude toward schedules. Iberia also insists on booking closer connections than the average person can pull off—we ran from one end of the Madrid airport to the other, full-tilt, on two occasions, trying to make connections. Our bags did not make it home with us; they arrived (thankfully!) a few days later. Fun surprise... Touring the port cellars in Porto. We visited the Sandeman Cellars [PHOTO], and for a cool €4 ($5), we got a well-narrated tour by an English-speaking guide, dressed in the traditional black cloak and hat. Plus, a free tasting after the tour is included; we sipped on tawny and ruby ports. [PHOTO] The gift shop is also worth a stop. Total rip-off... The extra entry fee into Pena National Palace in Sintra. This isn't publicized well, but you don't need to pay admission to walk around the Pena gardens, which are delightful and well worth a stroll through. You can even walk right up to the palace and go to the gift shop without paying admission. The outside of the palace looks neat, but the inside is nothing special. As for sights that are worth the price of admission, we'd pick the National Palace in Sintra and the Moorish Castle [PHOTO], which rivals Belém as our favorite place we visited in Portugal. Moment when things got tense... Getting from the train to our hotel in Porto. After a long train ride up from Lisbon, we arrived in Porto—all our luggage in tow—but were determined to use public transportation. Let's just say it got the best of us. The Metro system is useless in downtown Porto; we got as close as we could to our hotel and still ended up walking about 15 minutes up and down steep hills and cobbled sidewalks in the hot afternoon sun. In the end, we gave up and took a cab—that circled the block and gave us the "gringo rate," so to speak. Learn from us: When you get tired of walking in Porto, TAKE A CAB. Overrated...The flea market near the Castelo in Lisbon—the Feira da Ladra. Despite receiving rave reviews online and in guidebooks, this was nothing more than a sprawling flea market with people selling their old clothes, random machinery parts, and bootleg CDs. There's far too much going on in Lisbon to waste your time here. We're still laughing about... How gosh darn CLEAN the public bathrooms were, everywhere we went. From retail shops to fast food restaurants—even the train station (!)—the bathrooms in Portugal were the cleanest, most well-tended facilities we've ever had the pleasure to use. Plus, they were always free. Sounds minor, but to have sanitary bathrooms nearby really put us at ease and let us focus on the things we came to see. Hotel we liked... Both the Zenit Lisboa in Lisbon and the Eurostars Das Artes in Porto were outstanding. The Zenit is near the Metro system, and the staff was courteous—we got a room with a Juliette balcony, perfect for enjoying alfresco snacks and vinho verde after a long day hitting the city streets. The Das Artes is in a great little arts district about 15 minutes from the riverfront in Porto, near excellent shopping and restaurants. We were newly engaged (and not afraid to announce it), so the staff sent up complimentary champagne and fruit on our first night. A touch of class never goes out of style!

Museum of the City of New YorkNow in its second year, the Speakeasy at 1220 Fifth Avenue is a series of Wednesday-night cocktail parties held on a Georgian-revival terrace overlooking Fifth Avenue and Central Park. As one might expect from a museum that specializes in the history of the city, the Speakeasy holds assiduously to a 1920s theme. Music ranges from the Charleston to the blues, and drinks are Prohibition-era specials like manhattans, sidecars, and Bronx cocktails. A handful of regulars even come decked out in Roaring Twenties garb: flapper dresses for the women and knickers, argyle socks, and newsboy caps for the men. Bonus perk: All exhibitions are open during the event, including this summer's hit, "Cars, Culture, and the City." 1220 5th Ave. at 103rd St., mcny.org, admission $15 (includes your first cocktail), drinks from $9, Wednesdays June 30–Aug. 18, 6 p.m.–9 p.m. The Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe Met has been throwing Friday- and Saturday-evening rooftop parties for years, but this season it has raised the bar. To ornament the martini bar in the rooftop garden, which overlooks Central Park, curators brought in "Doug & Mike Starn on the Roof: Big Bambú," an installation that will expand throughout the summer until it is composed of 5,000 bamboo poles lashed together by 50 miles of nylon rope. Take it all in while sipping a Big Bambú ($12), made with vodka, oolong tea, and ginger syrup. 1000 5th Ave. at 82nd St., metmuseum.org, Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 31, bar open approximately 5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m., suggested admission $20 (for museum entry). The Museum of Modern ArtFor a museum where Warhol sits in the same room with Brancusi, MoMA's PopRally is a fittingly eclectic party. Held year-round approximately every six weeks, the event has rotating themes (in the past it's been Tim Burton, skateboarding, dance), with music performed live or by a DJ. Guests are encouraged to dress up at some of the PopRallys: In summer '09, many showed up wearing costumes for a screening of The Last Days of Disco. The only downside to the party is that museum access is limited to a couple of relevant exhibits. 11 W. 53rd St., (some events are held at its affiliate P.S.1 in Long Island City, Queens) sign up to receive event notices at moma.org/poprally, dates vary, hours have ranged from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., admission, $8–15, adults 21 and older only. American Museum of Natural HistoryArt is nice, but if partying in a planetarium is more your thing, One Step Beyond is the place. Held within AMNH's Rose Center for Earth and Space, One Step Beyond draws some 1,000 guests who come to drink, dance, and listen to top-flight musicians like Moby and Kanye West. In a separate wing, visitors can take a time-out to catch a space show; the current feature, The Search for Life: Are We Alone?, is narrated by Harrison Ford. On pause this summer, the party resumes one Friday per month during fall, winter, and spring. Central Park West at 79th St., amnh.org, dates vary, hours are typically 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. (check online for updated schedule), admission $25 (includes a voucher for a return visit to the museum), ages 21 and older only. Cooper-Hewitt, National Design MuseumSophistication is the name of the game at Cocktails@Cooper-Hewitt, a weekly party in the museum's garden, the largest private green space in Manhattan. Jazz is the preferred soundtrack, views are of Central Park, and this summer's parties are themed to the museum's ongoing National Design Triennial—"Why Design Now?"—open during the event. Expect up to 800 visitors over the course of each night, ranging from Upper East Siders to downtown designers. 2 E. 91st St., cooperhewitt.org, Fridays, July 9–Aug. 13, hours are typically 6 p.m.-9 p.m., admission $15 (for museum entry).

Hello, Budget Travel Readers! Traveling as a dance host to 40 countries in the past 10 years, I've learned how to pack everything I need for formal, semiformal, casual, and expedition gear—and how to get it all into one rolling case and a backpack! Dance hosts must be prepared to show up at the cruise ship dock and be ready for that evening wearing an unwrinkled tuxedo, a blazer and tie, or, on Cunard ships, even a white dinner jacket. I can carry my wardrobe aboard and be completely unpacked, enjoying the ship, while my fellow hosts pace their cabins, waiting for their cumbersome suitcases to be delivered. But often I like to arrive in my country of departure a week ahead of time, or I might stay for another week in my city of debarkation, backpacking, traveling on buses, subways, and trains, and staying in hostels. This requires hauling minimal luggage and a whole different style of duds! Often my monthlong cruise, with an extra shore week or more on each end, will stretch to six to eight weeks in length. I can pack for the entire trip, from studs and cuff links to hiking boots, and get it all into my Timberland rolling Ute and my L.L.Bean Escape backpack! [PHOTO] Here's how I do it: I use lightweight travel bags with zippered mesh covers, sold by L.L.Bean and Eagle Creek, to organize and store enough clothes to last eight days. [PHOTO] The bags allow me to roll and compress my tux, dinner jacket, blazer, and trousers, as well as casual shirts, into incredibly small spaces. Dress and collared shirts go into an Eagle Creek press pack [PHOTO], which holds at least 10 shirts; I pack two tuxedo shirts, three dress shirts, and five collared polo shirts. [PHOTO] I take three pairs of dress trousers: a striped tuxedo, a black, and a khaki, and I take two pairs of nylon hiker pants, one of which has zip-off legs, along with a bathing suit and padded bicycling shorts and gloves (I often like to go biking in the different ports, and I wear them on the trainer in the ship's fitness studio as well). One mesh bag holds eight to 10 collarless shirts, rolled and packed tight, for workouts, hiking around town, or port visits. Another holds eight pairs of underwear, five pairs of dress socks, and five pairs of athletic socks (which are quarter-length, ankle-high, and take up little room). Three bow ties and six color-matched ties go over the top, folded into thirds to prevent creasing. One rule for everything: no cotton! All the shirts are some type of microfiber or polyester blend, as are the dress trousers, the socks, and the underwear. Jeans are out of the question. Cotton just does not pack small, wrinkles way too fast, absorbs sweat, and takes too long to dry. I previously used worsted wool formal wear, but on a recent trip to Singapore, I had custom tailored jackets and trousers made from microfiber specifically for traveling and dancing. They are lighter-wearing, pack tighter, and don't wrinkle. My blazer is an L.L.Bean Traveler, also made from microfiber. Cummerbund? I threw it away. [PHOTO] I pack a flattened Panama hat, purchased in Ecuador for $10, for sun protection. [PHOTO] Which footwear to choose is important because shoes take up a lot of room—especially since I wear a size 14! I pack my dance/formal shoes, which are relatively thin and light and are worn only onboard the ship, and I wear sturdy dark-colored hiking shoes while traveling. The hikers double as sneakers for workouts and as port shoes, and they even look reasonable at museums and in restaurants when worn with dress trousers. I use one belt, a black nylon web with the D-rings also made of nylon. It goes with everything, and there is no metal to set off airport or ship detectors. My rolling Ute has about 15 years on it and is beginning to show its age, although the large inline-skate-style wheels have never failed me and track well even over rough terrain. The worst wear seems to be the nylon corners wearing out from brushing against airport conveyor belts. In situations where I need to navigate long stairways, subways, or gangplanks, it converts into a backpack; I put my smaller backpack on my chest, and the larger Ute goes on my back. This setup is actually pretty balanced and comfortable, but I wouldn't want to climb mountains this way! [PHOTO] My Escape backpack is not large, but it carries everything I need to survive for a few days of travel if needed, and it is a good size to use around cities, hiking, and on a bike. It is narrow enough so that it doesn't interfere with arm and shoulder movement, and it has a decent waist-belt support to carry most of the load. I use it as my carry-on, and often it packs in quite a bit of weight, so the waist-belt support is important. Usually it holds my 10-inch Toshiba netbook (fits into a built in sleeve), grooming kit, sunglasses, two shirts, two pairs each of underwear and socks, guidebooks, novels, notepad, pens, calculator, nylon fork and spoon, cap, cuff links and studs, camera, iPod, earphones, Magic Jack (for Internet calls with the netbook), passport, and food. I stick plastic bottles in the side pockets and fill them at a water fountain after I pass through airport security lines. In addition to wearing the hiking shoes and one of the pairs of nylon pants to the airport, I wear a full-zipper fleece jacket and a breathable rain jacket with a hood. Both of these can be lashed onto the backpack if necessary, but there have been several times when I was awful happy to have them available on the plane or while camped out at the terminal—good luck getting blankets these days! If I'm traveling to a cold climate, like when I went to London a week early in January to board a world cruise, I pack a set of microfiber long underwear and gloves. That basic layer, along with my regular clothes, fleece, and rain jacket, makes all the difference and eliminates the need for a heavier winter jacket. When I'm off the ship, I make sure everything of value is in my backpack—and that stays with me. Always. Everywhere. In Singapore, staying at a hostel, the pack came into the shower stall with me, hanging inside the door. Backpack sizing is important if this is your mode of operation—you don't want too big or too little. For security, I always make sure both zipper tabs are in the lower right corner, making it hard for someone to get into the pack from behind me without my noticing. (Once in Valparaíso, someone unzipped my pack on the street and took my toiletry bag—go figure!) So bring on Egypt, Budget Travel! I'm packed and ready, and won't even need the tux for this trip!

The Ziploc Method Are you tired of your clothes getting mixed-up, moved around, crushed, and wrinkled by the second day of vacation? Weary of shampoo leaking all over your clothes during the journey? Frustrated that you never can find the shirt you packed for that big night out when you need it? Use the Ziploc Method! Step 1: Gather Supplies. Suitcase, permanent marker, two-gallon-size (or larger) Ziploc bags, label stickers, clothing. [PHOTO] Step 2: Roll up your sleeves and turn on your favorite tunes! Sure, you don't have to listen to music while you do this, but shakin' your groove thing to "Jet Airliner" makes packing so much more fun! Try to ignore the strange looks your dog gives you. Step 3: Label the bags with your marker and label stickers according to your preferred method. You may choose to label them by day ("Monday" or "Day 1") or by event ("Day at the Museum" or "Dinner at Nice Restaurant"). The second method works particularly well if you have an itinerary that isn't set in stone. [PHOTO] Step 4: Fold your clothing as desired, but keep in mind that it must fit inside the bags. I suggest the following: Fold dress shirts, pants (into thirds), shorts (in half), short skirts (in half), and underwear (in half). Roll T-shirts (after folding in half), long skirts (after folding in half), and socks. [PHOTO] Step 5: Sort your clothing by day. For example, for "Day at the Museum," you might include a long skirt, a dressy T-shirt, a wrap, and underwear. "Day of Hiking" might include a T-shirt, shorts, underwear, and socks. Step 6: Take a look at your sorted clothing. What types of shoes and accessories do you need? Gather the appropriate items. [PHOTO] Step 7: Open your suitcase and be realistic. Do you really have room for those strappy stiletto heels? No. You are never going to wear those while navigating the cobblestones of Florence or while climbing through the Grand Gallery of the Great Pyramid. Put them back in your closet where they belong. Step 8: Remove your dog from your suitcase. Why is it that dogs always hop in your suitcase the moment you open it? [PHOTO] Step 9: Place your sorted clothing into the appropriate bags. Your museum-going outfit goes into the bag labeled "Day at the Museum." [PHOTO] Step 10: Place the bags of clothing in your suitcase. Later days are packed on the bottom of the suitcase, while the first few days of the trip go on the top. Special-event clothing and accessories go on the opposite, shallow side of the suitcase. Reserve one third of the deep side of the suitcase for shoes and toiletries. You can place the shoes and toiletries in bags also. [PHOTO] Step 11: Remove your dog from the suitcase again. Call the airline to inquire how much it would cost to bring your dog on the trip with you since the dog seems determined to come along. Step 12: Toss in a few extra Ziploc bags for wet clothes (such as swimsuits) and heavily soiled clothing (so that you can easily find them and wash them immediately upon your arrival home). Step 13: Close your suitcase. Can't close it all the way? No problem! Use this tried-and-true method: Sit on your suitcase while you zip it up! OK, OK, with the Ziploc Method you shouldn't have to resort to sitting on your suitcase. But if you do, you just might have room for those strappy stiletto heels. Zippy travels!