We can’t all travel all the time, unfortunately.  However, luckily for us, movies provide an escape substitute in a pinch.  Sometimes it’s nice to sit back, cuddle up on the couch and watch someone else’s travels (and maybe let them inspire your own adventures).  If you couldn’t guess, my favorite kinds of movies are always adventure movies with a touch of romantic comedy thrown in for good measure.  For our movie night in, we always require boozy beverages and popcorn, a big blanket and a exciting film.  See below for our movie night popcorn recipe:

• ½ cup popcorn kernels
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Pour oil and popcorn into a saucepan, set heat on high and cover
2. Have a paper grocery store bag ready for when it starts to pop
3. Once the kernels starts popping, pour the popcorn into the bag and return to heat, repeating the process until all of the kernels are popped
4. Melt the tbsp of butter in the same pot and drizzle melted butter over popcorn in bag
5. Add in seasonings and shake
6. Enjoy!

While I usually enjoy a glass or two of wine (Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, yum!), Mike tends to gravitate towards whiskey drinks.  Here is one of his favorites: Whiskey Ginger:

• 1 oz Whiskey
• 3 oz Ginger Beer
• Twist of Lime
  

As I said, we usually like to watch travel adventure movies.  While there are a lot of really great ones, and maybe some that fit the genre better, here are some of my favorites:

1. Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark – This has been one of my favorite movies since I was a kid. Who can resist a young Harrison ford racing around the globe, fighting Nazis, getting the girl, and looking handsome?  I certainly can’t.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that this is THE BEST action/adventure movie out there.
   Favorite Scene: Any one where Marion is a badass, especially when she joins the fight in her own bar after drinking some dude under the table.
2. Romancing the Stone – I just recently saw this movie for the first time and I instantly loved it. It’s a classic 80’s rom-com meets adventure movie.  Set in Columbia, this movie features a young Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas, who star as an unlikely couple that need to fight their way through the jungle together.  It’s a little bit cheesy but very fun.
   Favorite Scene: When the two main characters meet amongst the bus crash that lands our leading lady in the middle of the Columbian jungle.
3. Only You – This is one of my all-time favorite movies. Marissa Tomei jets off to Italy to meet her so-called soul mate and winds up in a full tour of the country trying to find him.  Bonnie Hunt joins her and adds to the female-driven adventure.  The 1990’s kitsch + Robert Downey Jr. + all that beautiful Italian scenery makes for a winning combination.
   Favorite Scene: When Bonnie and Marissa get lost and run out of gas, leaving them to split a bottle of wine and some honest conversation in Tuscany.
4. James Bond: Spectre – All of the James Bond movies involve travel and plenty of adventure, but Spectre has such an abundance of beautiful scenery that I couldn’t NOT include it here. It’s filmed in Morocco, Mexico, Rome, Austria and of course England; what’s not to like?  It doesn’t hurt that Daniel Craig is such a fox.
   Favorite Scene:  The opening scene during Day of the Dead in Mexico, so beautiful!
5. The Darjeeling Limited: I love most of Wes Anderson movies for their whimsical story lines and gorgeous color palates. I especially love this one because it speaks to my wanderlust and shows India for the beautiful country that it is.  I love the idea of traveling by train, but have yet to try it out.  For now I’ll have to watch Darjeeling Limited and dream about bar cars and train beds.
   Favorite Scene: The one where everything was colorful and beautiful and I loved the main characters…oh wait, that’s the whole movie.

What are your favorite movie night refreshments?  What’s your go-to adventure movie?