About

Go Big Mike is the personal site of Mike Manning. Mike likes to travel, take pictures, and enjoy a tasty beverage every now and then.

Popularity: 67% [?]

Re-learning to drive stick-shift for upcoming adventures. I used to drive stick on the farm, but that was 30 years ago... 2012/05/13
Enjoying a tasty Brazilian Marselan (red wine). Some wineries here are experimenting w interesting varietals. Pizzato makes great standards. 2012/05/12
Just walked through airport security with 6 full bottles of wine. Rules are different in Brazil; don't try that in the US! 2012/04/30
Enjoying Brazilian wine country (yes, it exists). Slept in a castle last night & staying at a vineyard tonight. I could get used to this... 2012/04/27
The wax museums & Willy Wonka-esque chocolate factories creep me out, but the pine forests & nearby canyons make Gramado & Canela a-ok. 2012/04/26
Surrounded by people with German surnames, drinking maté, speaking Portuguese & saying "che" @ Swiss chalet-style fondue "haus"es--in Brazil 2012/04/21
Hard to imagine many better ways to start a day than a dip in the water off Ipanema beach on a crystal clear day. I <3 Rio. 2012/04/18
@WineExpo Ate @ Mineira last wk--delish! Loved the included licors & cachaça. Going to BR wine region tomorrow (near Canela) for 10 days. 2012/04/18
Small world: a friend we made while in Kuala Lumpur spotted us walking down the street in Rio. Love random run-ins like that. 2012/04/18
Sugarloaf, Cristo, Ipanema, Copacabana, Lapa, samba, açai. We've hit most of Rio's highlights for my parents' long wknd here. 1 day left! 2012/04/15