There are certain trips that leave an impact on you for days, weeks, months & yes, years to come. I’ve had the great fortune to take quite a few, and I know my trip this past weekend to Dublin is one of those such trips. It was certainly quick, but I had just enough time to get a feel for this historic city, complete with plenty of thankful reflection (and lots of on-foot exploration wearing my Orvis Heritage Field Coat!)

Highlights included the Teeling Distillery (go to the upstairs Bang Bang Bar, get the “New” Fashioned, thank me later), stellar menswear at Indigo & Cloth (packed with contemporary menswear brands like Norse Projects and Our Legacy) and the cozy, authentic confines of Bowes Lounge (get a pint of Guinness and take in the crowd). Fancy a bit of record shopping? Duck into the Sound Cellar — it’s next to a Subway shop & across from Trinity College, but that’s all the better!

Among the hustle and bustle of the city, I had two stellar Irish Breakfast platters (Canal Bank Cafe, near my quarters in Ranelagh, makes a great one!), I drank my weight in Guinness at the iconic Guinness Storehouse, and I had the chance to see one of my favorite bands, Scottish synth pop heroes CHVRCHES, play a powerful Friday night show at the iconic Olympia Theatre. If ever you get to Dublin, I can’t recommend sampling a little bit of everything this wonderful city has to offer — it’s a city and an experience I’ll always remember fondly.

As it were, I’ve got another quick weekend trip in the mix — similar to my quick jaunt to Vancouver to see Canadian rock stars Arkells, I’ll also be hitting the road to see them tomorrow! The trip is a much quicker one — a mere train ride to Philadelphia to see this powerful band play Underground Arts! My last time seeing this remarkable band (at the massive, sold-out Pacific Coliseum) was impressive, powerful & life-affirming, so I expect a similar showing this time, but in a much smaller setting! Start your own weekend with this week’s edition of The Friday Read, then coming back around tomorrow for our Style Pick of the Week. Thanks for reading!

• I always talk about the little details making a difference in terms of the way you get dressed every single day — it’s with that in mind that I rounded up several of my favorite everyday carry essentials for The Manual, from a refined leather watch to a durable phone case.
• The work being done by the team at Buck Mason is really never not Buck Mason Bruiser Bomber JacketGearMoose worth a look — case in point being the remarkable , one of my favorite leather jackets of the moment. It just so happens to be the subject of one of my latest features, too!
• Let’s turn back to GearMoose for a menswear feature I had some serious fun writing — the Todd Snyder x Timex partnership always yields some fruitful, stylish results. On that note, it’s been enjoyable to test out the refined, slim Todd Snyder x Timex Mid-Century Watch, a sleek timepiece that calls to mind old-school watches. Again, head to GearMoose to check it out.

As we again transition slowly but surely into spring, I have one more menswear recommendation for you today — namely, check out this rugged workwear jacket from Flint and Tinder to take on all your weekend adventures. That’s all from me for today!