Chad Christian Clift – Three Things to Take Care of before You Travel Abroad

Chad Christian Clift loves to travel whenever his busy schedule allows him to. As the head chef, founder, and owner of Swanky’s in Mossy Rock, a busy community restaurant, Clift has a busy schedule, but he still makes time to get out and see the world whenever possible. He sees traveling as a part of his life and he hopes that he can continue to travel throughout the world as he moves ever closer to retirement. Here are three things Clift always takes care of before he leaves the United States:

Chad Christian Clift

  • Passport. These documents expire and need to be renewed from time to time. Chad Christian Clift had a passport since he was 18, but he always makes sure that it is always active and ready to be used to purchase international flight tickets. No one wants to wait a few weeks for their documentation and delay their flight plans.
  • Currency exchanges. If you have to, find out the best way and timing to get your US cash exchanged for local currency. Sometimes, as Chad Christian Clift has found out, it’s easier to make this exchange after you land in another country; sometimes it’s easier to do it before you leave.
  • Immunizations. To travel to certain places, you’ll need a cocktail of immunizations. Make sure you leave yourself enough time to get these shots and get the recommended care before you book your flights.

Chad Christian Clift has traveled around the world. As someone who considers himself a world citizen, he knows how to prepare for international trips everywhere.

 

Chad Christian Clift – Experienced Skydiver

Chad Christian Clift has gone skydiving many times since he has returned to his hometown of Mossy Rock, Washington in 2001. Clift moved to New York City after he graduated from high school in Mossy Rock to be a chef. He earned his Culinary Arts degree from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in New York and started his career as a chef there before returning. He opened Swanky’s in Mossy Rock as a community restaurant catering to all residents of the small town. To relieve stress and set his mind at ease, he goes skydiving high above the beautiful Olympic Peninsula in Washington.

Chad Christian Clift

Chad Christian Clift tells his friends and family to skydive as much as possible. Still, he encounters resistance from people who say they are afraid of heights or are otherwise concerned with the safety of such a way of relieving stress. While skydiving isn’t for everyone, Chad Christian Clift insists that most people who can go up on a plane without having a panic attack should try it at least once in their lives. Skydiving offers views of the world that no other activity can afford. Instead of peering out of your tiny window from your seat on a commercial flight, you can be in the air experiencing the sky for yourself. It’s actually quite safe. Skydiving instructors are specifically trained to help people get over their anxiety and land safely on the ground.

Chad Christian Clift constantly recommends skydiving to anyone who will listen. He hopes that his efforts will lead more people to experience jumping out of an airplane for themselves.

 

Chad Christian Clift – Three Essential Items When Hiking

A native Washingtonian, Chad Christian Clift grew up hiking the many trails near his childhood home in Mossy Rock, Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula, home to the Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park, and many natural areas leading to Puget Sound on the east, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Clift left the area after high school but returned to open his own restaurant in his hometown, and he continues to hike through the area with his son Terry whenever possible. Here are three items Clift always brings with him on his natural adventures:

Chad Christian Clift

  • Water. Even if you hike in wet areas like the Hoh Rainforest like Chad Christian Clift, you’ll always need to bring plenty of water with you. It’s important to stay hydrated and bring more than enough water for your planned hike in case you have to spend more time in the bush than expected.
  • Binoculars. Chad Christian Clift always brings a pair of binoculars with him wherever he goes hiking. They are lightweight, easy to pack, and they allow him to spot wildlife more easily. Seeing wildlife is a large part of the reasons why Clift and so many other hikers around the world go outdoors.
  • Snacks. Food is sometimes risky to bring on shorter hikes because it could attract unwanted animals in certain areas. Still, if you get stranded, it could be the difference between life and death. Just make sure you store your food smartly and always pack out your trash.

Chad Christian Clift is the owner of Swanky’s in Mossy Rock.

 

Chad Christian Clift – Founder and Owner of Swanky’s in Mossy Rock, Washington

Chad Christian Clift is the founder, owner, and head chef of Swanky’s in the small town of Mossy Rock, Washington. Clift trained as a chef in New York City, where he earned a degree in Culinary Arts from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. He worked with many experienced and skilled chefs until he had the skills to match his mentors. Instead of beginning a promising career in New York as a chef, Clift returned home to serve his neighbors and family in the town he grew up in. To that end, Clift founded Swanky’s, a community restaurant serving top-notch gourmet food to everyone in the community regardless of status or income.

Chad Christian Clift

Chad Christian Clift is first and foremost a chef. He rotates the specials on his menus and changes them from top to bottom regularly, like many of the top restaurants in New York. His ingredients are locally sourced and he never settles for second-best for his customers. Chad Christian Clift is also a community organizer working to empower the working poor in his community. He offers his gourmet food to anyone willing to work in his restaurant to pay for their food. He employs as many full-time workers as possible in the community, and sources other labors for his organization to those who need a place to enjoy a hot meal but can’t afford the menu prices.

At Swanky’s Chad Christian Clift ensures that everyone is treated with equal respect and dignity, no matter their economic status.

 

Chad Christian Clift – My Hiking Essentials

Chad Christian Clift enjoys hiking when he is not working as one of Seattle’s most successful chefs. Living in the Pacific Northwest means he has plenty of opportunities to go hiking regularly and enjoy the beauty of Seattle’s surrounding areas. Being an avid hiker means that there are plenty of essential items that he uses every time he goes out on a hiking trip. Here are some of Chad Christian Clift’s favorite hiking essentials.

Chad Christian Clift

– A good backpack is crucial for any regular hiker. After all, your backpack is what carries all of your other essentials! Camelbacks are particularly good, because they make it easy for you to stay hydrated while out on the trail, without having to reach for your water bottle constantly.

– Sun protection is extremely important for anyone who spends extensive amounts of time outdoors. A good, sturdy pair of sunglasses as well as a strong sunblock will help keep you protected from the sun’s strong rays as well as reduce the risk of skin cancer.

– Snacks are extremely important, especially if you are embarking on a long hike. Energy bars are always good to pack because they are portable and contain many different nutrients, but fruit and trail mix are two other good snacks to take as well.

– It’s always good to keep a flashlight with you when hiking, because you never know if you’ll get stuck in the middle of a storm or end up out past sunset. Even though you may not need to use it, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Chad Christian Clift’s Tips for Stress-Free Travel

Chef Chad Christian Clift loves to travel in his free time, and has explored many interesting places around the world throughout his lifetime. Although traveling can be a very enjoyable experience, it can also be very stressful. Here are some of Clift’s best tips to keep your travel experience fun and stress-free.

Chad Christian Clift

Create an itinerary for yourself, no matter what kind of trip it is or how long it is. Having all of your plans written out will help you stay organized. Include all of your flight information, your hotel information, and some rough guidelines for your activities while you are there. This will also help you manage your time wisely so that you can get everything done that you need to.

Bring a few comfort items to help you stay calm in a tense situation. This can be anything from playing your favorite song on a bumpy flight, to wearing your favorite sweater in an unfamiliar hotel room, to looking at pictures of your family on a long and lonely business trip. By having things with you that make you happy, you’ll have something to hold on to when things get stressful.

Give yourself more time than you need to do everything. Unexpected events are particularly likely to occur when you are traveling, so it will be very helpful for you to have a little wiggle room when it comes to your schedule.

Chad Christian Clift finds that managing his time wisely and staying prepared for stressful events helps him keep calm while he is traveling.

Chad Christian Clift – American Cities with Underrated Food Scenes

Chad Christian Clift is a chef based in the Seattle area, a city known for its wide range of great restaurants. He also is particularly passionate about traveling and has ventured to many cities and countries all over the world. However, there are also many cities in the United States that have great restaurant scenes that are often overlooked. Here are some of Clift’s favorite underrated foodie cities.

Chad Christian Clift

– Kansas City, Missouri is often thought of as a cow town, home to farmers and ranchers, but there’s plenty of great food here other than barbeque. From organic eats to classy cocktail bars, there are numerable great options for foodies to enjoy here.

– Many people overlook Baltimore in favor of some of the East Coast’s bigger cities, such as Washington D.C., New York, and Boston, but Baltimore actually has some of the country’s best seafood around. Baltimore is particularly known as the home of amazing crab cakes, but diners can also enjoy a wide range of different cuisines here.

– Asheville, North Carolina, is considered a hidden gem in many different ways, but there are a huge number of great restaurants to choose from in this small Southern city. The artsy vibe of the town also makes it a great place to explore in general.

– Cleveland is a Midwestern city with a surprisingly great food and craft beer scene. The city’s affordability also means you can explore the restaurant scene without breaking the bank.

Chad Christian Clift loves exploring the best places to eat and drink in every new city he visits.

Chad Christian Clift’s Favorite Meals for Kids and Families

Successful chef Chad Christian Clift loves cooking for his young daughter, and as a busy chef and single parent, is always looking for easy and quick meals to make that are also nutritious and tasty. Over the years, he has found many great dishes to serve kids that do not take too much time to make, but still give children everything they need to stay healthy and keep growing. Clift has even been adding fun and innovative dishes for kids to the menus at the restaurants where he works.

Chad Christian Clift
Chad Christian Clift
  • A fun Asian dish that kids love is Teriyaki chicken and rice. This dish can easily be made in a slow cooker or in the oven, and both kids and parents love the distinct and salty flavor of Teriyaki sauce. Chicken provides kids with much-needed protein, while rice is a healthy way to add carbohydrates to the meal.
  • Another fun and easy snack that kids will go crazy over is pot stickers. They can be made with both chicken or pork, and there are many high-quality versions readily available at the grocery store if you don’t have time to make your own. Pair them with some grilled vegetables and rice for a healthy but delicious meal.
  • Instead of making pizza, why not make eggplant parmesan? Kids will still get the yummy taste of tomato sauce and cheese, but without the grease or the heavy crust. Eggplant is also an easy way for kids to get their vegetables.

Chad Christian Clift loves making these and many other fun and easy dishes to enjoy with his daughter.

The World’s Most Consumed Food with Chad Christian Clift

Seattle Chef Chad Christian Clift knows the value of rice, which happens to be the most consumed food in the entire world. This grain is most often harvested as a cereal, before it is dried and sold. It is estimated that one fifth of the total calories eaten by a human each year comes directly from rice. With numbers that high, it is shocking to think where the world would be without this important grain. Rice was domesticated nearly fourteen thousand years ago, and has provided nutrition and sustenance to the world for as long as it has been grown.

Chad Christian Clift

Around the globe, there are over 40,000 different strains of rice, so many that it is nearly impossible to keep track of the various types. Many countries have their own varieties and species, each with traits that are needed or useful for the people of that particular nation. Bangladesh has forty different varieties of rice that are grown readily in the country, and Indonesia grows more than seventy different varieties. While there are so many different types, there are only a handful that are well known and readily used in the western world. These include long grain rice, basmati rice, white jasmine rice, and risotto rice. Other common varieties are dark wild rice, black rice, red cargo rice, and brown short grain rice. As a Chef, Chad Christian Clift has yet to find a strain of rice that he does not love cooking with or eating.

Joining a Bowling League with Chad Christian Clift

Bowling is a social sport that Seattle Chef Chad Christian Clift is very fond of. He tries to spend as much of his free time as possible perfecting his technique and game. He has found that joining a bowling league is a very rewarding decision. While there are some people who prefer to bowl by themselves, maybe to practice certain throws or placements, the game of bowling is really meant for human interaction. This is ironic, as play of the game is only dependent upon the player, the ball, and the lane itself.

Chad Christian Clift

For new bowlers, joining a league can be intimidating. Unless you are an absolute natural at the game and continually break triple digits, it can be scary showing others that you are not the ideal bowler, yet. The best thing to do, according to Clift, is to look around the local bowling alleys and get a feel for the leagues that are already in existence. Remember, it is not only the league members that you need to be comfortable with, but also the bowling alley itself. If the alley is too crowded, too noisy, or set up poorly, you may not want to join a league there. Once you have found an alley that you are comfortable with, then start talking to the league members. Chad Christian Clift reports that a good bowling alley will have its own league coordinator, who can tell you which leagues have open positions.