Saturday morning in Galway started off with an early morning 12 mile run. I am training for a marathon in October and trying to stay on schedule even with all this traveling. The Galway Kellys live in a pretty rural area, and the evening before they showed me how to get to Salthill so I could run along Galway Bay. As I have mentioned before, I am not very good with directions. As soon as I turned out of the driveway, I was going in the wrong direction. This led me to be on country roads for 12 miles. I am not used to driving on country roads never mind running on them. After the first 2 miles I had to have a talk with myself. See, I wasn't enjoying the run at all, and my heart was beating a million miles a minute. I was really nervous running on these roads. So, I said to myself, "relax and calm down or just turn back now because it won't be worth it." Being a big girl, I continued on and calmed myself down. Then, it became a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I passed 3 cyclists on the road and 1 walker. That was it for 12 miles. Along the way, I stopped to take in the view and admire the beautiful animals I saw along the way: cows, horses, donkeys, and even a little bunny. Many people can attest to the fact that I really am not a pet person, and in fact have admitted to my 3rd grade students in the past that I hate cats, but I really love animals that don't reside in your home. Cows and elephants are my favorites. I did see a dead cat this evening just lying on the sidewalk and felt a little sorry for it. See, I am not heartless. If you get the opportunity to run on country roads in Ireland, take it. I would go earlier in the day around 8 or 9 on a weekend to avoid more traffic. All in all, I felt like I really accomplished something when I returned back to the Kelly's, and the rest of them were chowing down on a traditional Irish fry (fried eggs, sausage, black pudding, rashers, beans, homefries).
Next up in the day came a trip to Connemara. See Tim's uncle and aunt live out there, and Maura and Tim happened to bump into his aunt on Friday night at the grocery store an hour away from their house in Ros Muc, Connemara (you'll find the more you travel, the more you realize how small the world is). Driving out there, I couldn't get over how out in the middle of nowhere we were and how different the landscape was. Apparently, feel free to correct me if I am wrong, when Oliver Cromwell invaded Ireland in 1649, he pushed many Irish out to Connemara where the land was nowhere near as fertile which made it difficult for them to survive. I was thinking exactly the same thing as we continued further into Connemara. I asked no one in particular, "how do people live out here?" Tim answered, "oh, Kate, I think you'd love it out here. You'd be like a duck to water!" We all know how far from the truth that is. Despite the barren landscape, the people were absolutely lovely. Tim's aunt had a varied spread set out for us for lunch and served Maura and me Dunkin' Donuts coffee. Ah, a taste of home. Their 2 daughters were just as gracious as their parents, and their youngest took Maura, Ryan, Dylan, and I for a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood. Two things that stuck out were the Twelve Pins Mountains and one of the 2 shops/bars in the town where parts of the film "The Guard" were filmed. Great movie if you get a chance to watch it; I highly recommend it. After a few hours of chatting, eating, and drinking coffee, we hit the road back to the Kelly's for an evening of much of the same.
Maura, Tim, and our cousin, Deidre put together a fantastic meal from Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals cookbook. It was green curry and an amazing coleslaw. I am not a fan of the stuff usually, but this was made without mayonnaise and was the favorite dish by far. We all sat around the table talking and laughing and drinking red wine. If you are ever at their house, I am sure Eileen will make you an Irish coffee, and you should not refuse. For those of you who have never had an Irish coffee, it is made up of coffee (duh!), Irish whiskey, and whipping cream. So yummy! You should really try to limit yourself to one. We all retired to the sitting room (living room) where we caught some of the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics. I am really rooting for the Saudi women; it is the first time they have been allowed to participate in the Olympics. I have to say, I really appreciate the Kellys and spending time in their home. They are all so welcoming and make us feel right at home.
As you can see, I didn't do much sightseeing while in Galway. I will give you some recommendations from previous visits. 1. Salthill - it's a terrific place to walk, run, people watch, or take in a beautiful view. There is a fun fair there for kids and a leisureworld with a pool for rainy days. 2. The Aran Islands - risky boat ride, not for the faint of stomach. I was there 14 years ago and was amazed by their way of life. You can do a day trip there to get a feel for it. 3. The Cliffs of Moher - these are actually in Clare, but it is only about an hour drive and well worth the trip. These cliffs are breathtaking. 4. The Galway Races - these take place the last week of July/ first week of August. Great fun and people watching. The atmosphere is spectacular, and if you get some good tips, you can win a few bucks (euros). 5. Cactus Jack's Restaurant is a good spot for Mexican. I have been there a few times and have never been disappointed. 6. Galway City Centre - small, walkable area that is very pedestrian friendly and has many shops, restaurants, and pubs. The King's Head is a favorite of mine.
Hope you take some of my suggestions for a visit to Galway. It is truly one of my favorite cities to visit.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
It's Not a Start until the Stops are Done
On Friday, we headed to Galway City to visit the Galway Kellys (including my buddy Triona). The previous evening we, Maura, Tim, and I, decided we would leave as soon as possible in the morning because it looked like it was going to be a sunny day. If you are in Ireland at the moment, you know that this is not something you take for granted. I am not one of those consummate complainers about the weather in Ireland. The weather has been pretty cooperative with me through the years, but this is not one of those times. Let's just say I would like Tim to start a fire in the evening, and he has denied me my right to warmth because it is summer. Summer, really? I don't recall wearing a fleece in the summer in Boston, but back to Galway.
As I said, we were going to leave at the crack of dawn of Friday to enjoy the glorious sunshine as much as possible. If you knew Maura and Tim at all or me for a matter of fact, leaving early means two totally different things to them and me. To me, it means waking at 5 and hitting the road by 6. To them, it means whenever we get up and get everything together, and I mean EVERYTHING. We were going to Galway for 3 days, but it looked like we were moving to Galway. You should have seen the amount of food we had in the car! Now, in fairness, we decided we would stop for a picnic on the way up to Galway (again to soak up the sun), so we did have sandwiches, fruit, and drinks for lunch. However, there was a cooler bag on the floor in the back seat, a bag full of various provisions on the floor of the front, and food in the boot(trunk). Thanksgiving dinner could have been provided from our car for the Pilgrims and Indians. Finally, after we had enough food to last us in case we got caught in the midst of a blizzard, we all climbed into the car and buckled up. First stop, Ballincollig to return DVDs and go to the bank to exchange U.S. dollars that Grandpa (or Dad as I like to call him) so nicely sent over for all of us to enjoy. Great! We are on the road; well not really as I soon found out. Maura suggested we all get out of the car to stretch our legs instead of having 2 adults do the errands. Okay, everybody out. Climb back in the car and get a phone call from the video store that one of the DVD cases was empty. Great. Back to the house, collect the DVD, and back to town to return it. Is this a start now? I thought so. Tim drove for about 10 minutes, and we landed in Blarney where we had our picnic, went for a walk, and raised our faces to the sun. Sorry, I forgot to mention that it was about 1:00 by this time. See the difference in thinking? Me: 6:00 AM, them: 1:00PM, all of us thinking an early start. I have to give myself a pat on the back because I have come to accept this difference over the years, and to be fair, they have 2 children and I just have myself. In the end, we hit the road at 1:30 PM.
After that the ride was pretty uneventful. Dylan, Maura, and I all took naps for a good bit of the 3 1/2 hour journey. When we stopped just outside of Galway City, we all woke up, used the toilets (yuck, yuck yuck by the way! Why do people write stupid things on bathroom walls with phone numbers there? Quality people you will find in this manner, I am sure.), and of course, got a snack.
About a half hour later, the wary travelers, us, arrived in Barna which is about 10 minutes from the city centre. Dave had the barbeque going, yes the sun was still out, and Eileen asked us what time we started our journey. I replied, "12:30." M|eanwhile, Maura and Tim said, "1:30." I was slightly confused as we had left the house at 12:30. Eileen said, "oh, it's not a start until the stops are done."
As I said, we were going to leave at the crack of dawn of Friday to enjoy the glorious sunshine as much as possible. If you knew Maura and Tim at all or me for a matter of fact, leaving early means two totally different things to them and me. To me, it means waking at 5 and hitting the road by 6. To them, it means whenever we get up and get everything together, and I mean EVERYTHING. We were going to Galway for 3 days, but it looked like we were moving to Galway. You should have seen the amount of food we had in the car! Now, in fairness, we decided we would stop for a picnic on the way up to Galway (again to soak up the sun), so we did have sandwiches, fruit, and drinks for lunch. However, there was a cooler bag on the floor in the back seat, a bag full of various provisions on the floor of the front, and food in the boot(trunk). Thanksgiving dinner could have been provided from our car for the Pilgrims and Indians. Finally, after we had enough food to last us in case we got caught in the midst of a blizzard, we all climbed into the car and buckled up. First stop, Ballincollig to return DVDs and go to the bank to exchange U.S. dollars that Grandpa (or Dad as I like to call him) so nicely sent over for all of us to enjoy. Great! We are on the road; well not really as I soon found out. Maura suggested we all get out of the car to stretch our legs instead of having 2 adults do the errands. Okay, everybody out. Climb back in the car and get a phone call from the video store that one of the DVD cases was empty. Great. Back to the house, collect the DVD, and back to town to return it. Is this a start now? I thought so. Tim drove for about 10 minutes, and we landed in Blarney where we had our picnic, went for a walk, and raised our faces to the sun. Sorry, I forgot to mention that it was about 1:00 by this time. See the difference in thinking? Me: 6:00 AM, them: 1:00PM, all of us thinking an early start. I have to give myself a pat on the back because I have come to accept this difference over the years, and to be fair, they have 2 children and I just have myself. In the end, we hit the road at 1:30 PM.
After that the ride was pretty uneventful. Dylan, Maura, and I all took naps for a good bit of the 3 1/2 hour journey. When we stopped just outside of Galway City, we all woke up, used the toilets (yuck, yuck yuck by the way! Why do people write stupid things on bathroom walls with phone numbers there? Quality people you will find in this manner, I am sure.), and of course, got a snack.
About a half hour later, the wary travelers, us, arrived in Barna which is about 10 minutes from the city centre. Dave had the barbeque going, yes the sun was still out, and Eileen asked us what time we started our journey. I replied, "12:30." M|eanwhile, Maura and Tim said, "1:30." I was slightly confused as we had left the house at 12:30. Eileen said, "oh, it's not a start until the stops are done."
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
A Little Bit of Cork
Don't worry, I haven't stopped traveling yet this summer. For the past 10 days I have been in Ireland. Some of you may ask why, oh why, Travelkat, have you not been blogging about your experiences in the Emerald Isle? But, alas, I have been here so many times that I don't do much traveling within the country anymore. I come to visit my amazing sister, Maura, her wonderful husband, Tim, and my two incredible nephews, Ryan (8) and Dylan (4). They live in a town called Ballincollig, which is really a suburb of Cork City. It is about 7 miles from the city centre; don't expect me to tell you what side of the city as I am absolutely horrible with directions. Cory is a lovely city with a rich history and many tourist attractions. I haven't been to any of them really in a few years, but I will mention a few that stick out in my mind from previous visits. To get a fantastic view of the city, stop by the Church of St. Anne - Shandon Bells and climb the tower. You can actually play a tune on the bells in the tower for all the city to enjoy. Another one of the memorable places I ventured to is the Old City Gaol. They give you a headset that provides a history of the jail and some of its guests, and there is one frightening bit if you are a nervous Nelly like me! Walking around the city centre you will find buskers and artists as well as lots of great shops and restaurants.
Now, I can't tell you the number of times I have heard people say, "the food is terrible in Ireland." This is a complete fallacy. Maybe 30 years ago the restaurant selection and quality was not the same as it was in the states (I can't really speak from experience as the 1st time I visited I was 8 and didn't return until I was 21), but the times have changed. If you hear this from someone, challenge them on it. A terrific family restaurant with delicious food and a welcoming staff that we visit frequently is Scoozi. The spicy wings are a favorite of all of us and my two favorite main dishes are the warm spicy salad and the chicken pesto sandwich. Everyone I have ever dined with here has enjoyed it. Not too far from Scoozi is the Imperial Hotel. I only had the opportunity to dine there once and all I remember is that the warm bread pudding is out of this world. The memory of it has stuck with me for at least 4 years so it must be good. Cafe Mexican is another terrific spot. It is tiny so beware if you have children and strollers, but they never made us feel unwelcome with both. This is the one place in the city where I have found margaritas and as you all know, I love me a margarita! The best place, in my mind, for coffee is Nosh and Coffee. They have everything you could want from sandwiches to crepes to hot chocolate. It's an ideal spot to stop and relax after shopping or touring. Of course there are loads of pubs to rest in, but I have to plug Counihan's. Downstairs is a traditional Irish pub and upstairs is a modern pub; the best of both worlds. It has been a Cork institution for over 200 years. It is located across from the General Post Office on Pembroke St.
Outside of the city centre, the biggest tourist attraction has to be Blarney Castle. This is where you can kiss the Blarney Stone and receive the gift of gab. Now, I have visited Blarney Castle approximately 10 times and have never kissed the stone for 2 reasons. 1. You have to lay on your back and stick your head off a very high side of the castle. I don't like heights and am not willing to risk my life just so I can talk more. I will stick with the writing thank you very much. 2. There is an urban legend that the locals pee on the stone. So, if you are not afraid of heights, this idea might stop you from puckering up. The castle is fun to visit, the stairs are a bit treacherous, and the grounds are beautiful. Of course, Blarney Woolen Mills is a must stop shopping experience for any tourist looking to buy Irish gifts and souvenirs. Ryan and I popped in to get 2 gifts for 2 new babies in our families (a Munster jersey and an Ireland Rugby jersey). As we were waiting to pay, Ryan observed, "there are a lot of Americans in here" and there were. I pointed out that he too was an American, but he identifies as Irish and he is. Born and raised here. Blarney Woolen Mills has everything from the usual Guinness paraphernalia to Aran knit sweaters, to gorgeous sweaters and dresses. They also have a bar and restaurant there where you find locals and tourist alike. There also tend to be a lot of older gentlemen patiently waiting for their better halves to finish shopping.
Speaking of shopping, if you come at this time of the year or after Christmas, the sales are excellent! I bought 2 gorgeous dresses from Carraig Donn for £65. They were made in Paris even, ooh-la-la!
I will update again later today or tomorrow with information about our trip to Galway and Bunratty Castle over the weekend. Irish hospitality is a real and living thing.
Now, I can't tell you the number of times I have heard people say, "the food is terrible in Ireland." This is a complete fallacy. Maybe 30 years ago the restaurant selection and quality was not the same as it was in the states (I can't really speak from experience as the 1st time I visited I was 8 and didn't return until I was 21), but the times have changed. If you hear this from someone, challenge them on it. A terrific family restaurant with delicious food and a welcoming staff that we visit frequently is Scoozi. The spicy wings are a favorite of all of us and my two favorite main dishes are the warm spicy salad and the chicken pesto sandwich. Everyone I have ever dined with here has enjoyed it. Not too far from Scoozi is the Imperial Hotel. I only had the opportunity to dine there once and all I remember is that the warm bread pudding is out of this world. The memory of it has stuck with me for at least 4 years so it must be good. Cafe Mexican is another terrific spot. It is tiny so beware if you have children and strollers, but they never made us feel unwelcome with both. This is the one place in the city where I have found margaritas and as you all know, I love me a margarita! The best place, in my mind, for coffee is Nosh and Coffee. They have everything you could want from sandwiches to crepes to hot chocolate. It's an ideal spot to stop and relax after shopping or touring. Of course there are loads of pubs to rest in, but I have to plug Counihan's. Downstairs is a traditional Irish pub and upstairs is a modern pub; the best of both worlds. It has been a Cork institution for over 200 years. It is located across from the General Post Office on Pembroke St.
Outside of the city centre, the biggest tourist attraction has to be Blarney Castle. This is where you can kiss the Blarney Stone and receive the gift of gab. Now, I have visited Blarney Castle approximately 10 times and have never kissed the stone for 2 reasons. 1. You have to lay on your back and stick your head off a very high side of the castle. I don't like heights and am not willing to risk my life just so I can talk more. I will stick with the writing thank you very much. 2. There is an urban legend that the locals pee on the stone. So, if you are not afraid of heights, this idea might stop you from puckering up. The castle is fun to visit, the stairs are a bit treacherous, and the grounds are beautiful. Of course, Blarney Woolen Mills is a must stop shopping experience for any tourist looking to buy Irish gifts and souvenirs. Ryan and I popped in to get 2 gifts for 2 new babies in our families (a Munster jersey and an Ireland Rugby jersey). As we were waiting to pay, Ryan observed, "there are a lot of Americans in here" and there were. I pointed out that he too was an American, but he identifies as Irish and he is. Born and raised here. Blarney Woolen Mills has everything from the usual Guinness paraphernalia to Aran knit sweaters, to gorgeous sweaters and dresses. They also have a bar and restaurant there where you find locals and tourist alike. There also tend to be a lot of older gentlemen patiently waiting for their better halves to finish shopping.
Speaking of shopping, if you come at this time of the year or after Christmas, the sales are excellent! I bought 2 gorgeous dresses from Carraig Donn for £65. They were made in Paris even, ooh-la-la!
I will update again later today or tomorrow with information about our trip to Galway and Bunratty Castle over the weekend. Irish hospitality is a real and living thing.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Alamo, anyone?
Waking up after a whiskey filled night with only 5 hours of sleep should have been torture but happily it wasn't! Clearly, we did not start our day off with a run and reminisced about the previous night's escapades instead. With the shennanigans behind us, we climbed in the green monster truck and hit the road for San Antonio. Next stop, the Alamo!
On the drive down I observed that the landscape buffering the highways in Texas is very different than that in Massachusetts. There are lots of fast food places and strip malls that line the roads. Just an observation. We also noticed that there are different medical clinics for various things everywhere. Eyes, ears, feet, ankles, carpel tunnel, etc. . . There were also some really massive churches; I mean massive. One looked as big as a shopping mall and had an extensive parking lot. So different.
Then we came upon San Antonio. It's a pretty small city center, but I loved it. There were plenty of parking lots charging $10, but we did find parking on the street. There were lots of meters if you headed one block outside of the city center. There is a main street with the Alamo, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and a wax museum. It looks like it would be a great place for families to visit. The girls and I decided to save the Alamo and eat first. We were ravenous so we headed to the Riverwalk. This is a really cool spot along the river with restaurants and shops lining it. Of course, there were plenty of Mexican restaurants and we ate at one. You would have thought we had never eaten before. I got guacamole in my nose and Niamh had some food particles under one of her eyes. A bunch of animals if you ask me! Triona and I had classic margaritas, of course. It was a fabulous spot to sit and eat and take in the scenery. There was a constant flow of water taxis, police boats, and tour boats to entertain us. I also got to see a few good cowboys in full cowboy attire.
After stuffing ourselves like pigs, we headed to the Alamo. If you have read my previous blogs, you might have read that sometimes I get really full. Well, this was one of those times. It felt like I had a brick sitting in my stomach. This is terribly awful feeling in the sun and heat of San Antonio. I tried not to complain, "uh, I am so full," too much, but when the girls started there was no stopping me.
Great thing about the Alamo, it's free!!! Every tourist attraction I have been to here has been free. Fantastic. They have a great set-up to teach people about the history of the Alamo and the history of Texas. It is so fascinating to me how different states in The United States of America have such different histories. A tour guide gave a speech about the history of the Alamo, but we think he must have been on the bacholrette party the night before with us. He kept having long pauses and was soaked with sweat. Triona was the lucky one when a rather large woman decided to stand right in front of her to take a photograph. Interesting experience for her to have a stranger's crotch right in her face. We were dying. I couldn't pick up my head for laughing so hard.
We were able to pull ourselves together enough to get up from our spot and go to the tourist information center. I found it to be an excellent source of souveniers at good prices. We tried to find a drink in San Antonio, and that proved harder than we thought! They only had water at the tourist center, and in the end we went to the little concession stand at the WAX museum. I was delighted to get a fountain Fanta orange as it is a rarity to find that in Boston. As we were sitting at the counter sipping our sodas, Triona remarked, "that man over there must be so tired. He has been posing like that all day. " "I know," I said, "it must be exhausting." "Yea, he must be really sore at the end of the day," Triona commented. "Triona, are you serious? Are you really serious?" "Yea, Katie, he must be really tired, Jeany mac." "Triona, look at the sign outside that tells us where we are." "Oh, he is wax." She is not really dumb. The girl is going to be a vet. Let's just hope she doesn't try to operate on any wax pets.
We didn't keep it together for long though. As soon as we got out of the main area, we all lost it with fits of laughter. I was the one that started it off and could not get a hold of myself. I am sure we looked and sounded really obnoxious to those unfortunate enough to pass us by, but I have not laughed like that it ages. Trying to calm myself down, I would take deep breaths and then lose it all over again when Triona asked, "what are you doing?" At one point Niamh thought she might pee her pants. Honestly, it was ridiculous and my back was absolutely killing me from bending over and laughing, but it made me forget about my full belly for a bit.
Once in the car and back on the highway, I couldn't get my mind off how full I was. Seriously, like 4 hours later I was still dying. I felt like my stomach had doubled in size. Every enormous billboard adverstising food, like Wataburger and Chick-fil-a, actually made me want to vomit. I couldn't even look at them and vowed I wouldn't eat for the rest of the day. Niamh promised she would remind me of this vow later on. We stopped for gas, and I decided to use the restroom. It was a good size station and had a large store with it so I wasn't really hesitant at all to use it. That changed when I walked in the door and noticed a man at the hot dog stand staring at me. In reality, he probably glanced my way for a second, but seeing as I am a paranoid scaredy Kat, I assumed he was going to follow me into the bathroom and kill me. Then I figured, Niamh and Triona would probably notice I was taking a really long time and come to check on me. As you now know, he didn't kill me. But I mentioned it to the girls, and Triona said that as I annoucned I was going to the toilet, she thought, "well, I wouldn't really go to the toilet here because it is kind of deserted," but she didn'tsay it becuse she didn't want to freak me out.
Continuing on our journey, we stopped at the San Marcos shopping outlets. We only went into the Nike outlet where I bought a pair of running shorts that I love! It wasn't really a bargain though, $33.00 at an outlet on sale. However, these are the best shorts ever. I told the girls when we got home that if I could, I literally would marry the shorts, they are that comfortable. Niamh suggested that it might be easier to do that in California than Texas.
On the drive down I observed that the landscape buffering the highways in Texas is very different than that in Massachusetts. There are lots of fast food places and strip malls that line the roads. Just an observation. We also noticed that there are different medical clinics for various things everywhere. Eyes, ears, feet, ankles, carpel tunnel, etc. . . There were also some really massive churches; I mean massive. One looked as big as a shopping mall and had an extensive parking lot. So different.
Then we came upon San Antonio. It's a pretty small city center, but I loved it. There were plenty of parking lots charging $10, but we did find parking on the street. There were lots of meters if you headed one block outside of the city center. There is a main street with the Alamo, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and a wax museum. It looks like it would be a great place for families to visit. The girls and I decided to save the Alamo and eat first. We were ravenous so we headed to the Riverwalk. This is a really cool spot along the river with restaurants and shops lining it. Of course, there were plenty of Mexican restaurants and we ate at one. You would have thought we had never eaten before. I got guacamole in my nose and Niamh had some food particles under one of her eyes. A bunch of animals if you ask me! Triona and I had classic margaritas, of course. It was a fabulous spot to sit and eat and take in the scenery. There was a constant flow of water taxis, police boats, and tour boats to entertain us. I also got to see a few good cowboys in full cowboy attire.
After stuffing ourselves like pigs, we headed to the Alamo. If you have read my previous blogs, you might have read that sometimes I get really full. Well, this was one of those times. It felt like I had a brick sitting in my stomach. This is terribly awful feeling in the sun and heat of San Antonio. I tried not to complain, "uh, I am so full," too much, but when the girls started there was no stopping me.
Great thing about the Alamo, it's free!!! Every tourist attraction I have been to here has been free. Fantastic. They have a great set-up to teach people about the history of the Alamo and the history of Texas. It is so fascinating to me how different states in The United States of America have such different histories. A tour guide gave a speech about the history of the Alamo, but we think he must have been on the bacholrette party the night before with us. He kept having long pauses and was soaked with sweat. Triona was the lucky one when a rather large woman decided to stand right in front of her to take a photograph. Interesting experience for her to have a stranger's crotch right in her face. We were dying. I couldn't pick up my head for laughing so hard.
We were able to pull ourselves together enough to get up from our spot and go to the tourist information center. I found it to be an excellent source of souveniers at good prices. We tried to find a drink in San Antonio, and that proved harder than we thought! They only had water at the tourist center, and in the end we went to the little concession stand at the WAX museum. I was delighted to get a fountain Fanta orange as it is a rarity to find that in Boston. As we were sitting at the counter sipping our sodas, Triona remarked, "that man over there must be so tired. He has been posing like that all day. " "I know," I said, "it must be exhausting." "Yea, he must be really sore at the end of the day," Triona commented. "Triona, are you serious? Are you really serious?" "Yea, Katie, he must be really tired, Jeany mac." "Triona, look at the sign outside that tells us where we are." "Oh, he is wax." She is not really dumb. The girl is going to be a vet. Let's just hope she doesn't try to operate on any wax pets.
We didn't keep it together for long though. As soon as we got out of the main area, we all lost it with fits of laughter. I was the one that started it off and could not get a hold of myself. I am sure we looked and sounded really obnoxious to those unfortunate enough to pass us by, but I have not laughed like that it ages. Trying to calm myself down, I would take deep breaths and then lose it all over again when Triona asked, "what are you doing?" At one point Niamh thought she might pee her pants. Honestly, it was ridiculous and my back was absolutely killing me from bending over and laughing, but it made me forget about my full belly for a bit.
Once in the car and back on the highway, I couldn't get my mind off how full I was. Seriously, like 4 hours later I was still dying. I felt like my stomach had doubled in size. Every enormous billboard adverstising food, like Wataburger and Chick-fil-a, actually made me want to vomit. I couldn't even look at them and vowed I wouldn't eat for the rest of the day. Niamh promised she would remind me of this vow later on. We stopped for gas, and I decided to use the restroom. It was a good size station and had a large store with it so I wasn't really hesitant at all to use it. That changed when I walked in the door and noticed a man at the hot dog stand staring at me. In reality, he probably glanced my way for a second, but seeing as I am a paranoid scaredy Kat, I assumed he was going to follow me into the bathroom and kill me. Then I figured, Niamh and Triona would probably notice I was taking a really long time and come to check on me. As you now know, he didn't kill me. But I mentioned it to the girls, and Triona said that as I annoucned I was going to the toilet, she thought, "well, I wouldn't really go to the toilet here because it is kind of deserted," but she didn'tsay it becuse she didn't want to freak me out.
Continuing on our journey, we stopped at the San Marcos shopping outlets. We only went into the Nike outlet where I bought a pair of running shorts that I love! It wasn't really a bargain though, $33.00 at an outlet on sale. However, these are the best shorts ever. I told the girls when we got home that if I could, I literally would marry the shorts, they are that comfortable. Niamh suggested that it might be easier to do that in California than Texas.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Florida - "I hope you die in your sleep
Hello! I have been slack with this bog, but not with traveling! In April, I went to Florida (Daytona Beach, Miami, Orlando, and Clearwater Beach). We covered a lot of ground in the 8 days we were there. Number 1 travel companion (Paul) was with me, and I have to say, he is a very good friend. We rented a car, free upgrade, and he volunteered to be the only driver in order to say about $200 for the week. He was also patient and calm when I thought I was losing my eyesight.
Now, for those of you who don't know, Daytona was the hot spot for Spring Break in the 80s. Not so much today. Don't get me wrong, they have their big weeks, for example, the Daytona 500 and Bike Week, but other than that it is pretty dead. With that all said, it does have gorgeous beaches that stretch on and on for miles and miles. It is the perfect place for a sunrise run. The sand is not too soft and you can go on for however you want right along the ocean. One thing to be leery of in the waters . . .SHARKS!!!! Apparently, Florida has the most shark attacks in the world on average annually. So watch out. Sharks have become a theme for me lately in my vacation spots. Paul was swimming happily in the ocean as I stood in the shallow water when all of a sudden, I spotted 2 fins about 6 ft from Paul. I started yelling his name, but didn't want to scream, "shark!" in fear that Paul might freeze. He kind of looked up and said, "what?". If someone was screaming my name while I was in the ocean, I am pretty sure I would haul ass out of the water. But that's not Paul. He seemed more annoyed by my attempt to rescue him than grateful. Next thing you know, the two fins jumped out of the water, and they were just cute, harmless dolphins. He got to swim with dolphins for free rather than paying $200 at Discovery Cove in Orlando. I was a little jealous.
After spending two nights in Daytona, we jumped in the car and drove to Miami. I would highly recommend this city. I completely felt like I was in a different country. The architecture is very different than the Northeast of the Unites Sates and the rest of Florida. Now, I wouldn't choose the Art deco style that Miami has, but there is consistency with the buildings there that adds to the vibe of the entire city.
Our first stop in Miami was South Beach. Finding parking to go to the beach in Miami can be tricky, but we were able to find street parking and pay the meter using a credit card. After paying the fee, we moseyed on over to the beach with our gear which wasn't much. Paul and I have been known to sit on a beach with nothing but our bathing suits and car keys. However, we didn't have to be such minimalist on this occasion because you can rent chairs and an umbrella for $25.00 in total. I didn't think that was too high a price to pay for comfort. Warm water, good waves, and excellent people watching. On the downside, I have never encountered such filthy beach bathroom in all my life and I cleaned beach bathrooms in South Boston when I was in college. Come on, ladies!
At some point we realized we still hadn't booked a room, and I was having a crazy allergy attack in my eyes, so packed up (it's a relative term) and went hotel hunting. I am not the best sufferer in the world or maybe I am because I am so good at it according to Paul. Since I was nearly blind in one eye and they wouldn't stop running, I was basically useless as a navigator or travel guru. It was not looking good for us. We stopped in desperation to run into CVS for assistance, and that turned out to be as helpful as an umbrella in a hurricane. Useless pharmacist. Back in the car I pathetically started crying because my eyes hurt so much. I knew at the time that Paul would laugh at me at some point for this behavior, but he knows me enough to let it slide until the drama is over. Eventually we found our way to the Riveria Suites South Beach on Liberty Ave. I found availability, on my phone, there while siting outside the hotel so Paul ran in to book a room. We soon found out that Expedia offered a much better deal on the room and we booked it through them. Well Paul did anyway. With the state of my eyes at this point, I was not in any shape to enter credit card information on my iphone. Checking in was smooth and quick, and I ran to the room to get some relief in the form of a shower.
The room was gorgeous. It was tastefully decorated, modern, and brand new. It had a good size living room, a small dining table, a kitchenette with all new appliances, a spacious bathroom, and a large dark bedroom. The shower helped relieve my eye pain, and I went to take a rest after. The bedroom curtains were amazing at blocking out the light. It felt like midnight in there. In this space, I found solace! Ha! Just being dramatic. No, but seriously, I finally felt better. As we headed out to dinner that night, Paul said, "I really hope you die in your sleep." I asked, "for my sake or yours?" Paul responded, "For yours, you just couldn't handle it any other way."
Now, for those of you who don't know, Daytona was the hot spot for Spring Break in the 80s. Not so much today. Don't get me wrong, they have their big weeks, for example, the Daytona 500 and Bike Week, but other than that it is pretty dead. With that all said, it does have gorgeous beaches that stretch on and on for miles and miles. It is the perfect place for a sunrise run. The sand is not too soft and you can go on for however you want right along the ocean. One thing to be leery of in the waters . . .SHARKS!!!! Apparently, Florida has the most shark attacks in the world on average annually. So watch out. Sharks have become a theme for me lately in my vacation spots. Paul was swimming happily in the ocean as I stood in the shallow water when all of a sudden, I spotted 2 fins about 6 ft from Paul. I started yelling his name, but didn't want to scream, "shark!" in fear that Paul might freeze. He kind of looked up and said, "what?". If someone was screaming my name while I was in the ocean, I am pretty sure I would haul ass out of the water. But that's not Paul. He seemed more annoyed by my attempt to rescue him than grateful. Next thing you know, the two fins jumped out of the water, and they were just cute, harmless dolphins. He got to swim with dolphins for free rather than paying $200 at Discovery Cove in Orlando. I was a little jealous.
After spending two nights in Daytona, we jumped in the car and drove to Miami. I would highly recommend this city. I completely felt like I was in a different country. The architecture is very different than the Northeast of the Unites Sates and the rest of Florida. Now, I wouldn't choose the Art deco style that Miami has, but there is consistency with the buildings there that adds to the vibe of the entire city.
Our first stop in Miami was South Beach. Finding parking to go to the beach in Miami can be tricky, but we were able to find street parking and pay the meter using a credit card. After paying the fee, we moseyed on over to the beach with our gear which wasn't much. Paul and I have been known to sit on a beach with nothing but our bathing suits and car keys. However, we didn't have to be such minimalist on this occasion because you can rent chairs and an umbrella for $25.00 in total. I didn't think that was too high a price to pay for comfort. Warm water, good waves, and excellent people watching. On the downside, I have never encountered such filthy beach bathroom in all my life and I cleaned beach bathrooms in South Boston when I was in college. Come on, ladies!
At some point we realized we still hadn't booked a room, and I was having a crazy allergy attack in my eyes, so packed up (it's a relative term) and went hotel hunting. I am not the best sufferer in the world or maybe I am because I am so good at it according to Paul. Since I was nearly blind in one eye and they wouldn't stop running, I was basically useless as a navigator or travel guru. It was not looking good for us. We stopped in desperation to run into CVS for assistance, and that turned out to be as helpful as an umbrella in a hurricane. Useless pharmacist. Back in the car I pathetically started crying because my eyes hurt so much. I knew at the time that Paul would laugh at me at some point for this behavior, but he knows me enough to let it slide until the drama is over. Eventually we found our way to the Riveria Suites South Beach on Liberty Ave. I found availability, on my phone, there while siting outside the hotel so Paul ran in to book a room. We soon found out that Expedia offered a much better deal on the room and we booked it through them. Well Paul did anyway. With the state of my eyes at this point, I was not in any shape to enter credit card information on my iphone. Checking in was smooth and quick, and I ran to the room to get some relief in the form of a shower.
The room was gorgeous. It was tastefully decorated, modern, and brand new. It had a good size living room, a small dining table, a kitchenette with all new appliances, a spacious bathroom, and a large dark bedroom. The shower helped relieve my eye pain, and I went to take a rest after. The bedroom curtains were amazing at blocking out the light. It felt like midnight in there. In this space, I found solace! Ha! Just being dramatic. No, but seriously, I finally felt better. As we headed out to dinner that night, Paul said, "I really hope you die in your sleep." I asked, "for my sake or yours?" Paul responded, "For yours, you just couldn't handle it any other way."
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Whiskey in the Jar-O
Late night last night that started off with my first shot of whiskey ever! That definitely was a sign that it was going to be a crazy night. Felt like a college student again as we drank wine and had the Jameson shot before we even left the house! I won't go into all the gory details but will share some of the stories. Tip 1 for going out in Austin: Don't feel bad if you feel like a streetwalker when heading into town. Niamh, Triona, and I headed out and had to cross, via jaywalking, a major street in our dresses and hop on the bus into town. As we were waiting for the bus, we did get a few strange looks, and a police officer slowed down to make sure he was not needed to clean up Austin. I have to say, I am 100% certain that I was not confused for a prostitute in my sundress, but I can't really speak for the other two! Sorry, Niamh and Triona.
The Speakeasy was our first stop. It's a really cool bar that has 3 separate floors with different feels. The first floor was a typical bar with a Motown band playing. The second floor was mezzanine, and the top floor was a rooftop deck with comfy couches and an amazing view of the Austin skyline. We had a light show just for us curtesy of Mother Nature. One thing I was very unhappy about was the waitress took a $6.00 tip on 3 drinks without even giving me the option to get my money back. So on the second round, Triona asked for her $4.00 back, and we didn't give her anything. She did not like that at all, but she had a nerve, and I hate when people assume they can just take your money. It worked out anyway because we left shortly after that. Warning: to get to the top you need to walk up loads of stairs. Jeany mac that was a lot of stairs. Jeany mac is a phrase that is not used anywhere else or by anyone else in the WORLD other than the Galway Kellys (Triona, Niamh, and the rest of the gang) as a substitute for an expletive. Anyway, the stairs can be hazardous in short skirts and high heels.
From there we headed to Rain, which is a gay bar. It was relatively quiet, but it was relatively early. There was some cage dancing. Those of you that know me know I was for sure not one of the cage dancers! The crowd eventually arrived, and there was a lot of dancing and shots and photos with gay men.
We left the comfort of the gay bar to venture onto 6th Street. 6th Street is like the craziest place I have ever seen. It seemed to me to be miles and miles of bars. It is 9 blocks in reality and is open only to pedestrians on the weekends. First stop here was a traditional Irish bar for a pitstop that turned into a shot stop as well. Triona and I decided that it would be a fantastic idea to have another shot of whiskey. Jeany Mac! Two in one night! I decided that it would be a great idea to get a lemon and squeeze the juice into the whiskey. In my mind, people did this all the time. I think I was really thinking of a hot toddy which it wasn't. But I think I am onto something . . . lemon is just as helpful to suck on after a shot of whiskey as a shot of tequila.
Moving on down 6th we landed upon the Library. This is not the library I take my 3rd grade students to. Lots more dancing, photos of Triona with her mouth open, and drinks.
Really random late night place. Perhaps the strangest one out there. It was the pedicab parking place. Seriously! It was a huge white barn where all the pedicabs park for the night. They had a stocked fridge with a list of the beer prices on the door. They used the honor system. Crazy!!!! They also had a full buffet prepared by a little Mexican lady. It was all free! Now, the lady didn't allow anyone to take the food before she had everything was ready and out. But, how long can a travelkat resist an appetizing chicken-on-a-stick before it ends up in her hand behind her back? Really, y'all understand, but the pedicabbers are a trustworthy bunch, and I saw a few jaws drop when it happened. Luckily the cook never saw it coming!
As we Kelly girls were strolling around San Antonio today, I wondered aloud if the Mexican cook wasn't kept there under duress because the food was free. Triona chimed in that she thought she remembered seeing her ankle chained to the ground. Maybe those pedicabbers weren't such do gooders after all. . .
Tune in tomorrow for our trip to San Antonio. Also, I am trying to be better about reading my blogs before I post them so I can cut down on the grammatical errors. Number 1 travel companion pointed that out to me. Sorry y'all.
The Speakeasy was our first stop. It's a really cool bar that has 3 separate floors with different feels. The first floor was a typical bar with a Motown band playing. The second floor was mezzanine, and the top floor was a rooftop deck with comfy couches and an amazing view of the Austin skyline. We had a light show just for us curtesy of Mother Nature. One thing I was very unhappy about was the waitress took a $6.00 tip on 3 drinks without even giving me the option to get my money back. So on the second round, Triona asked for her $4.00 back, and we didn't give her anything. She did not like that at all, but she had a nerve, and I hate when people assume they can just take your money. It worked out anyway because we left shortly after that. Warning: to get to the top you need to walk up loads of stairs. Jeany mac that was a lot of stairs. Jeany mac is a phrase that is not used anywhere else or by anyone else in the WORLD other than the Galway Kellys (Triona, Niamh, and the rest of the gang) as a substitute for an expletive. Anyway, the stairs can be hazardous in short skirts and high heels.
From there we headed to Rain, which is a gay bar. It was relatively quiet, but it was relatively early. There was some cage dancing. Those of you that know me know I was for sure not one of the cage dancers! The crowd eventually arrived, and there was a lot of dancing and shots and photos with gay men.
We left the comfort of the gay bar to venture onto 6th Street. 6th Street is like the craziest place I have ever seen. It seemed to me to be miles and miles of bars. It is 9 blocks in reality and is open only to pedestrians on the weekends. First stop here was a traditional Irish bar for a pitstop that turned into a shot stop as well. Triona and I decided that it would be a fantastic idea to have another shot of whiskey. Jeany Mac! Two in one night! I decided that it would be a great idea to get a lemon and squeeze the juice into the whiskey. In my mind, people did this all the time. I think I was really thinking of a hot toddy which it wasn't. But I think I am onto something . . . lemon is just as helpful to suck on after a shot of whiskey as a shot of tequila.
Moving on down 6th we landed upon the Library. This is not the library I take my 3rd grade students to. Lots more dancing, photos of Triona with her mouth open, and drinks.
Really random late night place. Perhaps the strangest one out there. It was the pedicab parking place. Seriously! It was a huge white barn where all the pedicabs park for the night. They had a stocked fridge with a list of the beer prices on the door. They used the honor system. Crazy!!!! They also had a full buffet prepared by a little Mexican lady. It was all free! Now, the lady didn't allow anyone to take the food before she had everything was ready and out. But, how long can a travelkat resist an appetizing chicken-on-a-stick before it ends up in her hand behind her back? Really, y'all understand, but the pedicabbers are a trustworthy bunch, and I saw a few jaws drop when it happened. Luckily the cook never saw it coming!
As we Kelly girls were strolling around San Antonio today, I wondered aloud if the Mexican cook wasn't kept there under duress because the food was free. Triona chimed in that she thought she remembered seeing her ankle chained to the ground. Maybe those pedicabbers weren't such do gooders after all. . .
Tune in tomorrow for our trip to San Antonio. Also, I am trying to be better about reading my blogs before I post them so I can cut down on the grammatical errors. Number 1 travel companion pointed that out to me. Sorry y'all.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Mexican again? Yum!
I love Mexican food and margaritas so it seems that Austin is the perfect town for me! Since we knew we'd be eating more Mexican for lunch the 3 of us jumped, well slowly rolled out of bed, and hit the road running at 9. We actually had to drive first. Niamh drove us in her green monster truck to Mueller Greenway. It is a housing development with a pond and nice trails. We all separated and did our own thing when we got there, and I felt completely safe which says a lot as Triona and I are the 2 biggest scaredy cats going! As we drove there we were talking about how because it was overcast it wouldn't be too hot running. We spoke way to soon! The sun came bursting through the clouds about 3 minutes after we started. I felt much better running today than yesterday and thought I could do 6 miles. I felt great for the first 3 but quickly fell apart. The fourth mile was a killer and just when I hit 4, I ran into Niamh at the car. Thank God! It is a terrific spot to run or walk, and there is only 1 small street to cross if you choose.
After hanging out at the house for a bit, we went to Abuelo's Restaurant. Guess what? It's a Tex Mex place which was totally okay with me. There was no wait for a table, the chips and salsa were delicious and plentiful, and again we had tasty guacamole. Triona and I agreed that we would have margaritas every time we went for Mexican and so we ordered classic margaritas on the rocks with salt. They were very refreshing. We were with other people that I had never met before so I stuck to the one drink. I had carnitas tacos from the lunch special menu which they have available daily. They are pork tacos and were served with rice and refried beans. Everything was good, the pork was a bit dry, but I would go back.
With our bellies full, Niamh took us to Mt. Bonnell. We were undecided as to whether or not we would attempt it because of the heat, but in the end, we determined that we would put our best foot forward. Niamh assured us that it was only a 10 minute climb up some steps. It actually turned out to be less than 5 minutes. Don't let the short climb fool you though; the views were gorgeous! You can see the city, river, and mountains from the top. People were also picnicking at the top which looked like a fantastic idea on a cooler day. We took a trail down instead of the stairs, and it was really easy walking. We all had flip flops or sandals on.
At this point in the afternoon, we are chillin' watching "Drop Dead Diva." Yes, I watch "Drop Dead Diva" and am proud of it. Tonight we are heading to the Speakeasy for a bacholerette/hen party. My first Texas night out. Should be interesting.
After hanging out at the house for a bit, we went to Abuelo's Restaurant. Guess what? It's a Tex Mex place which was totally okay with me. There was no wait for a table, the chips and salsa were delicious and plentiful, and again we had tasty guacamole. Triona and I agreed that we would have margaritas every time we went for Mexican and so we ordered classic margaritas on the rocks with salt. They were very refreshing. We were with other people that I had never met before so I stuck to the one drink. I had carnitas tacos from the lunch special menu which they have available daily. They are pork tacos and were served with rice and refried beans. Everything was good, the pork was a bit dry, but I would go back.
With our bellies full, Niamh took us to Mt. Bonnell. We were undecided as to whether or not we would attempt it because of the heat, but in the end, we determined that we would put our best foot forward. Niamh assured us that it was only a 10 minute climb up some steps. It actually turned out to be less than 5 minutes. Don't let the short climb fool you though; the views were gorgeous! You can see the city, river, and mountains from the top. People were also picnicking at the top which looked like a fantastic idea on a cooler day. We took a trail down instead of the stairs, and it was really easy walking. We all had flip flops or sandals on.
At this point in the afternoon, we are chillin' watching "Drop Dead Diva." Yes, I watch "Drop Dead Diva" and am proud of it. Tonight we are heading to the Speakeasy for a bacholerette/hen party. My first Texas night out. Should be interesting.
Day 2: Austin Proper Sighteeing
Boston gets hot and humid, Austin gets awfully hot and humid. I woke up yesterday and decided to go for a run around 9:00. This is not a good idea in Boston for me in the summer, and it for sure isn't a good idea for me in Austin. I thought I would be really happy with 4 miles(by the way I have started my marathon training for the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C. on October 27, and it turned out I would have be happy with 1 mile. I thought I was going to die after a half mile. I am not exaggerating at all. It was pathetic and painful. The longest I have run is 8 miles, and it was nowhere near as horrible as running 3 miles in Austin. I did it though and recommend that you get up at 5 AM to run when running in weather like this.
After starting the day feeling like death, but really happy with myself for doing it anyway, Niamh and I headed into town to the capital building. We hopped on the bus, that is what they have for public transportation her in Austin ($2.00 for a 24 hour pass), and I was greeted with the smell of homelessness. Not I am not being a snob, maybe a little bit, but when it is right in front of you, in a confined space, the smell is just terrible. God bless the poor man. I tried to keep my head turned the other way for the entire bus ride, but I think the whole bus just smelled because it is summer in Texas.
We got of around 12th street, I believe. Austin is set-up as a grid. The capital building looks an awful lot like the Massachusetts State House. It has a very large dome. We were very happy to walk up the steps as we approached the doors and feel the cool air from the AC blasting out. They have free public tours there, and I thought it was well worth the visit. When you stand smack dab in the middle of the foyer and speak even very quietly, it sounds like the entire building can hear you! Our tour guide, Gloria started by telling our group that the circle in the middle of the foyer contain 6 images of the 6 flags of the countries that once controlled Texas: Mexico, Spain, France, The Republic of Texas, The Confederacy of the United States, and The United States of America. She also pointed out that the dome was 50 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty. We proceeded to the senate chambers where they are in session on 5 months every other year on the old year. I never really thought about how watch individual state government works, but that is very different than the Massachusetts Senate. One other interesting tidbit I picked up is that the door hinges are made of solid gold and weigh 3 lbs each and there are 3 on each door. Money, money, money! Tip for tourists and human beings in general: keep your personal grooming habits personal. No one wants to see you filing your nails in public never mind in the senate chambers! Another tip: the gift shop have really cool sheriff badges with names on them. I picked up two, one each for my nephews.
From there Niamh and I took a leisurely walk to Guadalupe Avenue for lunch. Niamh suggested Vert's Kebap which serves Doner Kepab. It is a typical German street food that started about 40 years ago in Gemany by a Turkish resident of Berlin. It has delicious seasoned meat and salad inside a pita. It is also vegetarian friendly (Niamh is a vegetarian). It was scrumptious. I would definitely go back for a quick meal in Austin.
After lunch we cut across the sprawling campus of the University of Texas to go to the President Lyndon B. Johnson Library. We only got to see a tiny bit, and I mean tiny bit, of the library as it is undergoing extensive renovations. However, I quite enjoyed the Oval Office replica and President Johnson's reflection on being president. He surmised that all men who become president go into it wanting to do what is best for the people of the United States. I wonder if he would still say that with our recent history. Another cool gift shop where I bought a huge sparkling costume jewelry ring and not a single thing to do with presidents or government.
On our bus trip back to Hyde Park, the area where Niamh lives in Austin, I sat behind another homeless man. Niamh says they ride the buses during the day to beat the heat. Hey, if it works, I don't begrudge them. I just wished at that point that I wasn't the one who kept sitting behind them.
One short thing about the grocery store chain, it's called HEB- Here Everything is Better. I have heard that that is the motto for Texas!
Up next, go to pick up Triona, Niamh's sister, in Dripping Springs! I was so excited to see this place. Niamh was a veterinary ex tern there for 2 weeks at an Equine clinic. It literally was out in the middle of nowhere, and she had stayed in an Airstream trailed without any toilet. Take about Texas Chainsaw Massacre! I don't know how she did it! She was warned about scorpions and rattlesnakes and was lucky enough to only come across one rattlesnake on the last day while she was sitting in the car. Anyway Dripping Springs wasn't as much of Hicksville as I thought it would be. They had chain restaurants anyway.
Back in proper society we headed to the Hula Hut for dinner. It looks just like the name sounds. You feel like you're in Hawaii; granted I have never been to Hawaii, but Niamh and Triona assured me this connection was accurate. The chips and salsa tasted authentically Mexican, and I started off with a Texas Martini. It is like a margarita but has vodka in it as well to take that little kick. It was not as sour as a margarita. Apparently you can only have 2 of these before they shut you off. Luckily for my dining companions, I didn't even try. For my meal I had fish tacos that had grilled mahi mahi. They were prefect. Triona and Niamh were equally with their pulled pork tacos and fresh-made veggie burger. Service was great and atmosphere was fun and a bit cheesy.
We arrived back at the house around 11 and decided to call it a night! We have a bacholerette party to attend on Saturday night and didn't want to tire ourselves out!
After starting the day feeling like death, but really happy with myself for doing it anyway, Niamh and I headed into town to the capital building. We hopped on the bus, that is what they have for public transportation her in Austin ($2.00 for a 24 hour pass), and I was greeted with the smell of homelessness. Not I am not being a snob, maybe a little bit, but when it is right in front of you, in a confined space, the smell is just terrible. God bless the poor man. I tried to keep my head turned the other way for the entire bus ride, but I think the whole bus just smelled because it is summer in Texas.
We got of around 12th street, I believe. Austin is set-up as a grid. The capital building looks an awful lot like the Massachusetts State House. It has a very large dome. We were very happy to walk up the steps as we approached the doors and feel the cool air from the AC blasting out. They have free public tours there, and I thought it was well worth the visit. When you stand smack dab in the middle of the foyer and speak even very quietly, it sounds like the entire building can hear you! Our tour guide, Gloria started by telling our group that the circle in the middle of the foyer contain 6 images of the 6 flags of the countries that once controlled Texas: Mexico, Spain, France, The Republic of Texas, The Confederacy of the United States, and The United States of America. She also pointed out that the dome was 50 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty. We proceeded to the senate chambers where they are in session on 5 months every other year on the old year. I never really thought about how watch individual state government works, but that is very different than the Massachusetts Senate. One other interesting tidbit I picked up is that the door hinges are made of solid gold and weigh 3 lbs each and there are 3 on each door. Money, money, money! Tip for tourists and human beings in general: keep your personal grooming habits personal. No one wants to see you filing your nails in public never mind in the senate chambers! Another tip: the gift shop have really cool sheriff badges with names on them. I picked up two, one each for my nephews.
From there Niamh and I took a leisurely walk to Guadalupe Avenue for lunch. Niamh suggested Vert's Kebap which serves Doner Kepab. It is a typical German street food that started about 40 years ago in Gemany by a Turkish resident of Berlin. It has delicious seasoned meat and salad inside a pita. It is also vegetarian friendly (Niamh is a vegetarian). It was scrumptious. I would definitely go back for a quick meal in Austin.
After lunch we cut across the sprawling campus of the University of Texas to go to the President Lyndon B. Johnson Library. We only got to see a tiny bit, and I mean tiny bit, of the library as it is undergoing extensive renovations. However, I quite enjoyed the Oval Office replica and President Johnson's reflection on being president. He surmised that all men who become president go into it wanting to do what is best for the people of the United States. I wonder if he would still say that with our recent history. Another cool gift shop where I bought a huge sparkling costume jewelry ring and not a single thing to do with presidents or government.
On our bus trip back to Hyde Park, the area where Niamh lives in Austin, I sat behind another homeless man. Niamh says they ride the buses during the day to beat the heat. Hey, if it works, I don't begrudge them. I just wished at that point that I wasn't the one who kept sitting behind them.
One short thing about the grocery store chain, it's called HEB- Here Everything is Better. I have heard that that is the motto for Texas!
Up next, go to pick up Triona, Niamh's sister, in Dripping Springs! I was so excited to see this place. Niamh was a veterinary ex tern there for 2 weeks at an Equine clinic. It literally was out in the middle of nowhere, and she had stayed in an Airstream trailed without any toilet. Take about Texas Chainsaw Massacre! I don't know how she did it! She was warned about scorpions and rattlesnakes and was lucky enough to only come across one rattlesnake on the last day while she was sitting in the car. Anyway Dripping Springs wasn't as much of Hicksville as I thought it would be. They had chain restaurants anyway.
Back in proper society we headed to the Hula Hut for dinner. It looks just like the name sounds. You feel like you're in Hawaii; granted I have never been to Hawaii, but Niamh and Triona assured me this connection was accurate. The chips and salsa tasted authentically Mexican, and I started off with a Texas Martini. It is like a margarita but has vodka in it as well to take that little kick. It was not as sour as a margarita. Apparently you can only have 2 of these before they shut you off. Luckily for my dining companions, I didn't even try. For my meal I had fish tacos that had grilled mahi mahi. They were prefect. Triona and Niamh were equally with their pulled pork tacos and fresh-made veggie burger. Service was great and atmosphere was fun and a bit cheesy.
We arrived back at the house around 11 and decided to call it a night! We have a bacholerette party to attend on Saturday night and didn't want to tire ourselves out!
Hi y'all! I arrived in Austin, Texas 2 days ago. Let me tell you, it was not a smooth journey. I left Boston at 5:26 AM. You may think that a seasoned traveler like myself does not get stressed while traveling, but that would be a misconception. I arrived at Logan airport at 4:55 AM; the plan was to be there by 4:45 (I had my boarding pass and wasn't checking any bags). I thought that was plenty of time. Turned out, I was wrong. First, we encountered a detour on 93S and could not get access to the airport tunnel where we should have, If you know Boston at all, you know that they don't post there road signs well and the airport entrance is a bit hidden (from me anyway when I am anxious about getting there). So after taking a making a couple of u-turns and a roundabout way, we made it. I calmed myself down and thought, "plenty of time," and guess what? Wrong again! The security line was excruciatingly long. After checking the time a million times in a matter of minutes, I put my phone away to counter this stressful behavior. When I though I had finally made it, my bag got pulled and searched twice for what turned out to be a bottle of vitamin E that was in there (a story for another day). I made it onto the plane at 5:23 AM; 3 minutes before scheduled take-off and silly me. . . there were about 20 more passengers that sauntered onto the plan without a bead of sweat on there foreheads without a care in the world while I, myself, looked like a chicken with its head cutoff.
Needless to say, in my mind anyway, after a start like that, where else would I end up but in the last row of the plane in the middle seat. Traveler tip number 1: Always make sure to choose your seat ahead of time. I really screwed myself this time. Some of you may not realize, but the last row of seats cannot recline, and they seem to be straighter and more uncomfortable that any seat in the world especially when you have a rather large lady to your right whose leg in squished under the armrest and nicely pressing into your own thigh. We arrived in Houston on time. Well, sort of. We circled the airport for approximately 1 hr 20 min due to bad thunderstorms. As the stewards assured us thousands of times, "all flights will be in the same predicament we are, so we are almost certain your connecting flights will be delayed, too. But we don't really know anything, and you'll have to ask the people on the ground." In my mind they were saying, "We don't really give a _________ about you and we are passing you off to the next sorry sack as soon as we possibly can." I was correct in my conclusion. There was one poor soul from United at the top of the gate and about a hundred passengers panicking about their connecting flights so I took my chances with the monitors where I discovered my flight was delayed an hour. That was perfect. I made my way on the tram to terminal A to a satellite area that could barely hold 100 people never mind the 500 or so stranded travelers trying to figure out their connections. I sat down to read for half an hour before deciding I should battle my way through the frustrated mob to my gate where I soon saw that my flight to Austin had been cancelled. I reread that screen about 5 times to be certain I was looking at the correct flight to Austin (there were approximately 5 in all.) Unfortunately, my was the unfortunate flight to be cancelled. I dashed to the customer service line, which at this point was 20 deep, and waited (I have to say very patiently) for my turn. I was hoping that if I was positive and calm the Universe (yes, read The Secret or better yet, watch the movie) would take care of me. "Next in line." OK here we go, this is were I was going to be rewarded. Well, I was wrong, sort of. The polite gentleman at the counter informed me he could get a me a confirmed seat on the 3:20 PM plane not today, but Friday. For a little context, it was Thursday at 11:20 AM. This would not do, but what could I do? I remained calm and patient as he told me he would put me on standby. Just as I was about to go begin my purgatory of standby, he said, "I have good news! A seat just opened on the 3:20 flight for today, and I will put you on standby for the 1:00 flight." Needless to say, the Universe had my back, and my name was called on the 1:00 flight.
My cousin, Niamh (rhymes with Steve, she came up with that) was there to greet me in Austin. She is a Galway girl, but drives a honking Ford Explorer in Texas. It suits Texas, not Niamh. The Explorer does provide you with a good view of you surroundings though. I love looking at a new place for the first time as you exit the airport. I was ravenous at this point not having eaten since 5:00 PM the previous day. For those of you who know me, I am not a happy Travelkat when I am hungry. Niamh quickly put that monster to rest by taking me to Trudy's in Austin (it is a bit of a chain). It is a Tex-Mex restaurant. I had a typical salad that you would find at a restaurant like this, but the drink I had really stood out. It was a Silver Fire Margarita. . . a standard margarita with bits of jalapeno and Tabasco sauce. Sounds disgusting but tastes delicious! And on Thursdays they are only $5.00.
After dinner we went on my first real adventure in Austin. Maybe its because I am from the Northeast or maybe it is because I am from Boston, but I had never in my life heard of a karaoke league. Well, they have one here. A friend of Niamh's is on a team, and he was competing Thursday night. She had never been either so we had no idea about what to expect or the prime people watching we would experience. First off, it was the strangest bar I had ever been too. It is named Ego's and it is on the bottom floor a building attached to a parking garage. If you didn't look hard, you wouldn't find it. It is dark and there are absolutely no windows of any sort. Niamh and I grabbed the last table available. Don't be mistaken though, the place wasn't packed with people, the table were just all covered by what we presumed were team costumes, and we were right! We saw crazy wigs, Bert and Ernie (from Sesame Street), and lots of neon adorning the tables. We sat at our little square out-of-the-way table, and waited. Well, we got a show straight off. A cowboy came sauntering in. He didn't have a horse though, just a laptop. I'll get back to that later. He looked a bit like Kenny Rogers with a long gray beard, cowboy hat, black leather vest, etc. . . . We assumed, as he set up his laptop, that he must have something to do with the music. We assumed wrong. As we watched him throughout the night, we became very perplexed. He had a slide show running with photos of himself that looked to be professionally done and pictures about Texas pride with guns and cannons and such. However, he totally threw us for a loop when he started singing along to Kelly Clarkson, Michael Jackson, and even Blondie singing "Rapture." Strange in deed. The karaoke teams were not as entertaining, except for the blue team. They were really amateurish even though they had a week to prepare. They all had costumes and props though that added to the silliness of the entire evening. Luckily we were spared after the 2nd round when they experienced technical difficulties and had to postpone the 3rd round.
All in all it was a great introduction to Austin. Trudy's yes, Ego's no.
Needless to say, in my mind anyway, after a start like that, where else would I end up but in the last row of the plane in the middle seat. Traveler tip number 1: Always make sure to choose your seat ahead of time. I really screwed myself this time. Some of you may not realize, but the last row of seats cannot recline, and they seem to be straighter and more uncomfortable that any seat in the world especially when you have a rather large lady to your right whose leg in squished under the armrest and nicely pressing into your own thigh. We arrived in Houston on time. Well, sort of. We circled the airport for approximately 1 hr 20 min due to bad thunderstorms. As the stewards assured us thousands of times, "all flights will be in the same predicament we are, so we are almost certain your connecting flights will be delayed, too. But we don't really know anything, and you'll have to ask the people on the ground." In my mind they were saying, "We don't really give a _________ about you and we are passing you off to the next sorry sack as soon as we possibly can." I was correct in my conclusion. There was one poor soul from United at the top of the gate and about a hundred passengers panicking about their connecting flights so I took my chances with the monitors where I discovered my flight was delayed an hour. That was perfect. I made my way on the tram to terminal A to a satellite area that could barely hold 100 people never mind the 500 or so stranded travelers trying to figure out their connections. I sat down to read for half an hour before deciding I should battle my way through the frustrated mob to my gate where I soon saw that my flight to Austin had been cancelled. I reread that screen about 5 times to be certain I was looking at the correct flight to Austin (there were approximately 5 in all.) Unfortunately, my was the unfortunate flight to be cancelled. I dashed to the customer service line, which at this point was 20 deep, and waited (I have to say very patiently) for my turn. I was hoping that if I was positive and calm the Universe (yes, read The Secret or better yet, watch the movie) would take care of me. "Next in line." OK here we go, this is were I was going to be rewarded. Well, I was wrong, sort of. The polite gentleman at the counter informed me he could get a me a confirmed seat on the 3:20 PM plane not today, but Friday. For a little context, it was Thursday at 11:20 AM. This would not do, but what could I do? I remained calm and patient as he told me he would put me on standby. Just as I was about to go begin my purgatory of standby, he said, "I have good news! A seat just opened on the 3:20 flight for today, and I will put you on standby for the 1:00 flight." Needless to say, the Universe had my back, and my name was called on the 1:00 flight.
My cousin, Niamh (rhymes with Steve, she came up with that) was there to greet me in Austin. She is a Galway girl, but drives a honking Ford Explorer in Texas. It suits Texas, not Niamh. The Explorer does provide you with a good view of you surroundings though. I love looking at a new place for the first time as you exit the airport. I was ravenous at this point not having eaten since 5:00 PM the previous day. For those of you who know me, I am not a happy Travelkat when I am hungry. Niamh quickly put that monster to rest by taking me to Trudy's in Austin (it is a bit of a chain). It is a Tex-Mex restaurant. I had a typical salad that you would find at a restaurant like this, but the drink I had really stood out. It was a Silver Fire Margarita. . . a standard margarita with bits of jalapeno and Tabasco sauce. Sounds disgusting but tastes delicious! And on Thursdays they are only $5.00.
After dinner we went on my first real adventure in Austin. Maybe its because I am from the Northeast or maybe it is because I am from Boston, but I had never in my life heard of a karaoke league. Well, they have one here. A friend of Niamh's is on a team, and he was competing Thursday night. She had never been either so we had no idea about what to expect or the prime people watching we would experience. First off, it was the strangest bar I had ever been too. It is named Ego's and it is on the bottom floor a building attached to a parking garage. If you didn't look hard, you wouldn't find it. It is dark and there are absolutely no windows of any sort. Niamh and I grabbed the last table available. Don't be mistaken though, the place wasn't packed with people, the table were just all covered by what we presumed were team costumes, and we were right! We saw crazy wigs, Bert and Ernie (from Sesame Street), and lots of neon adorning the tables. We sat at our little square out-of-the-way table, and waited. Well, we got a show straight off. A cowboy came sauntering in. He didn't have a horse though, just a laptop. I'll get back to that later. He looked a bit like Kenny Rogers with a long gray beard, cowboy hat, black leather vest, etc. . . . We assumed, as he set up his laptop, that he must have something to do with the music. We assumed wrong. As we watched him throughout the night, we became very perplexed. He had a slide show running with photos of himself that looked to be professionally done and pictures about Texas pride with guns and cannons and such. However, he totally threw us for a loop when he started singing along to Kelly Clarkson, Michael Jackson, and even Blondie singing "Rapture." Strange in deed. The karaoke teams were not as entertaining, except for the blue team. They were really amateurish even though they had a week to prepare. They all had costumes and props though that added to the silliness of the entire evening. Luckily we were spared after the 2nd round when they experienced technical difficulties and had to postpone the 3rd round.
All in all it was a great introduction to Austin. Trudy's yes, Ego's no.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
So, a typical Saturday for many people involves lists and errands, right? Laundry, groceries, cleaning, gym . . . gets a little monotonous. In between groceries and the gym, I stopped at home and threw on the news. Luckily I did! I caught a story about right whales on the coast of Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The reported said the whales were close enough to hear them breathing. I text my trusted travel buddy, and off we went.
For those of you not from the Boston area, P-town is about 2 hours from Boston. We hopped in the car around 11 and made it to Race Point at about 1:20 due lane closure on the Sagamore Bridge. As we pulled into the parking lot, I was surprised at the number of cars. I guess travelkat is not the only one who watches the news! We approached the beach and saw loads of people standing on the beach and surrounding dunes. After about a half hour, all we saw were black blobs in the water; I was more than a bit disappointed :( . Hanging on a bit longer took some patience (my mother's nickname for me as a child), but it was well worth it!!!
All of a sudden an enormous tail splashed into the water. I was like a child filled with excitement for the next sighting. These playful guys did not disappoint; we saw the full body of a whale 4 times as they jumped out of the water. It was absolutely a breath-taking sight to see. There are only approximately 475 right whales left in the world. In the 17th, 18, and 19th centuries, these whales were hunted extensively and were named "right" whales because they were the right whales to kill- they have lots of blubber, are slow swimmers, and float after they are killed. Fortunately, right whales have been protected since 1949.
Since we drove over 2 hours to see these beautiful mammals, we decided to set out to P-town center before driving back to Boston. First great thing about P-town during the off-season? Free parking! What a treat! We wandered around town, meandering in and out of antique, jewelry, and bits and bobs stores. Our favorite store, the Marine Specialties Store, was a true bits and bobs shop; they had giant rubber duckies with sailor hats, gas masks, and jesters' hats to name a few items. We even both a "holy toast" mold to make your toast look like the Virgin Mary. I thoroughly enjoyed playing dress-up like I was a 10-year old. Sailor suit and hat, African Safari hat, like I was hunting elephants in the 1920s. Now, I would never hunt an elephant, don't worry, they are my favorite animal on Earth! Recommendation - go the the Marine Speciality Store, be silly and have a laugh.
Now, I was a bit hungry and cranky at this point, or so my buddy pointed out. I am not fun when I am hungry. We immediately began searching for food and stumbled upon Bayside Betsy's; unfortunately, they do not start dinner until 5:00. So we went back to pounding the pavement. If you have been to the Cape in the off-season, you know it is not easy to find an open restaurant. We went into the Squealing Pig and were told that we couldn't sit in a booth because they kept those for parties of 3 or more. Really? At least 5 tables were empty. The one they offered us was smack dab in front of the door (who likes a draft while dining?). We left. I don't even remember the name of the next restaurant we ventured into. The waitress sat us and then disappeared. After waiting for 10 minutes to put in a drink order, we left. At this point we were 3 and 0. We have this problem often with restaurants. Decision time, get in the car and head home, or head back to Bayside Betsy's? Bayside Betsy's won, and we were glad it did. I would go back there for the staff alone! Our main waiter called us kids; do you know how long it has been since someone referred to me as a kid? Loved it. Betsy, herself, even served us. The onion rings with horseradish dip were out of this world, and the fish (of fish and chips) was perfectly fried. I didn't get that though (for my WW buddies); I just tasted it.
Completely stuffed and satisfied, we headed home.
This summer, I have a boat trip to P-town on my activities list. Provincetown is well worth the trip, even if it is for a day.
For those of you not from the Boston area, P-town is about 2 hours from Boston. We hopped in the car around 11 and made it to Race Point at about 1:20 due lane closure on the Sagamore Bridge. As we pulled into the parking lot, I was surprised at the number of cars. I guess travelkat is not the only one who watches the news! We approached the beach and saw loads of people standing on the beach and surrounding dunes. After about a half hour, all we saw were black blobs in the water; I was more than a bit disappointed :( . Hanging on a bit longer took some patience (my mother's nickname for me as a child), but it was well worth it!!!
All of a sudden an enormous tail splashed into the water. I was like a child filled with excitement for the next sighting. These playful guys did not disappoint; we saw the full body of a whale 4 times as they jumped out of the water. It was absolutely a breath-taking sight to see. There are only approximately 475 right whales left in the world. In the 17th, 18, and 19th centuries, these whales were hunted extensively and were named "right" whales because they were the right whales to kill- they have lots of blubber, are slow swimmers, and float after they are killed. Fortunately, right whales have been protected since 1949.
Since we drove over 2 hours to see these beautiful mammals, we decided to set out to P-town center before driving back to Boston. First great thing about P-town during the off-season? Free parking! What a treat! We wandered around town, meandering in and out of antique, jewelry, and bits and bobs stores. Our favorite store, the Marine Specialties Store, was a true bits and bobs shop; they had giant rubber duckies with sailor hats, gas masks, and jesters' hats to name a few items. We even both a "holy toast" mold to make your toast look like the Virgin Mary. I thoroughly enjoyed playing dress-up like I was a 10-year old. Sailor suit and hat, African Safari hat, like I was hunting elephants in the 1920s. Now, I would never hunt an elephant, don't worry, they are my favorite animal on Earth! Recommendation - go the the Marine Speciality Store, be silly and have a laugh.
Now, I was a bit hungry and cranky at this point, or so my buddy pointed out. I am not fun when I am hungry. We immediately began searching for food and stumbled upon Bayside Betsy's; unfortunately, they do not start dinner until 5:00. So we went back to pounding the pavement. If you have been to the Cape in the off-season, you know it is not easy to find an open restaurant. We went into the Squealing Pig and were told that we couldn't sit in a booth because they kept those for parties of 3 or more. Really? At least 5 tables were empty. The one they offered us was smack dab in front of the door (who likes a draft while dining?). We left. I don't even remember the name of the next restaurant we ventured into. The waitress sat us and then disappeared. After waiting for 10 minutes to put in a drink order, we left. At this point we were 3 and 0. We have this problem often with restaurants. Decision time, get in the car and head home, or head back to Bayside Betsy's? Bayside Betsy's won, and we were glad it did. I would go back there for the staff alone! Our main waiter called us kids; do you know how long it has been since someone referred to me as a kid? Loved it. Betsy, herself, even served us. The onion rings with horseradish dip were out of this world, and the fish (of fish and chips) was perfectly fried. I didn't get that though (for my WW buddies); I just tasted it.
Completely stuffed and satisfied, we headed home.
This summer, I have a boat trip to P-town on my activities list. Provincetown is well worth the trip, even if it is for a day.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Savannah Day 1
I made it home from Savannah on Sunday after a whirlwind weekend. We were there for only 3 nights, but squeezed the life out of our time!
After being delayed in both Boston and Newark, we arrived in at the Holiday Inn Express on East Bay St. at 2:33 AM on Friday morning. The staff were welcoming and got us right into our clean and comfy room. As Buntha kept saying, "this isn't like any of the Holiday Inns I've ever stayed in." Turns out, she has only stayed in one other! The point is, the hotel was fabulous. The beds were cozy, the linens were soft, and they gave each guest soft and medium pillows. Breakfast was included; my favorite breakfast item was the light and buttery biscuits. However, I did not deny myself the warm cinnamon buns each day (well, the four of us shared 2 each day). We couldn't have asked for a more central location. The hotel is right in the heart of this Historic District, a 3 minute walk to River Street, and right on the St. Patrick's Day Parade route.
Friday morning, being the early bird I am, I woke at 7 and asked the hotel staff for a good running route. She directed me to Forsyth park, and I am certainly glad she did. If you are a runner or walker, I suggest you get up early while traveling in a new place. You get a whole different feel for a place before the rest of the world is up. In this case, I got to run through 4 or 5 of Savannah's famous squares including Ogelthorpe Square. Ogelthorpe founded Savannah in 1733 for King George of England as buffer between Spanish Florida and the British Colonies. The squares at this time of day, were peaceful and shaded beneath the canopy of Spanish-moss covered trees.
When I hit Forsyth Park, I wasn't disappointed. The perimeter of the park is about 3/4 mile. I went around twice, taking in the natural and architectural beauty in and surrounding the park. I could have easily run around again, but headed back as the 2 Guinness and 2 Baileys from the airport the night before were beginning to make themselves known!
When I got back to the room, we all got our acts together and headed out to do "touristy" things for the morning. After walking around for a bit and asking one person about tours, we decided to jump on board The Old Savannah Trolley Tour. Red Sonia, our driver was awesome! She was knowledge about Savannah's history and kept us entertained with her own tidbits on Savannah's most famous sights. I would recommend this tour over other trolley tours in Savannah because it is a locally-owned company and the tours are unscripted. You can also hop on and off all day for only $25.00.
After our tour, we couldn't resist of pull of the festive atmosphere of River St. There were people and vendors out enjoying the gorgeous day. We soaked in the sun and scenery of River St. with a couple of beers before walking to Blowin' Smoke BBQ on MLK Blvd. It was well-worth the 20 minute walk. Buntha, Carolina, Matt and I share 2 Holy Smoke Platters. They were out of this world! The ribs fell of the bone and the jalapeno corn bread melted in my mouth. I also tried my first fried pickle and realized I am so grateful they don't have them up North because I would be in BIG trouble!
At this point in the day, it was only about 5:00 so we rambled back to the hotel to go for a dip in the rooftop pool. It was small, but had fab views of the river and the jacuzzi was totally relaxing.
Showers and change of clothes by all before we made way to our next dining destination. (Ok, I am beginning to realize that we ate a lot on this trip; I promise I am not obsessed with food although Caro pointed out that I plan meals 3 days in advance!) Anyway, we had a 9:15 reservation at The Olde Pink House which was literally around the corner from the hotel. It is an old pink mansion built in 1789 and one of the few buildings that survived the fire of 1796. Each room in the restaurant is small and separate from the others. The service was good, and the food was delicious. Now, I should clarify, shockingly, I didn't eat much. I was WAY OVER stuffed from our BBQ lunch. However, I would go back to there just for the BLT salad. This was the most amazing salad I have ever eaten, and our waitress informed us it is unique to The Olde Pink House. The ingredients were perfectly cooked bacon, scrumptious fried green tomatoes, and lettuce. Seriously, it was AMAZING. I barely touched the flounder that was my main course, but it too was tasty.
By the end of the meal I was definitely reading for bed and luckily we stumbled out the door to our hotel. Day 2 of the trip with photos to follow shortly!
After being delayed in both Boston and Newark, we arrived in at the Holiday Inn Express on East Bay St. at 2:33 AM on Friday morning. The staff were welcoming and got us right into our clean and comfy room. As Buntha kept saying, "this isn't like any of the Holiday Inns I've ever stayed in." Turns out, she has only stayed in one other! The point is, the hotel was fabulous. The beds were cozy, the linens were soft, and they gave each guest soft and medium pillows. Breakfast was included; my favorite breakfast item was the light and buttery biscuits. However, I did not deny myself the warm cinnamon buns each day (well, the four of us shared 2 each day). We couldn't have asked for a more central location. The hotel is right in the heart of this Historic District, a 3 minute walk to River Street, and right on the St. Patrick's Day Parade route.
Friday morning, being the early bird I am, I woke at 7 and asked the hotel staff for a good running route. She directed me to Forsyth park, and I am certainly glad she did. If you are a runner or walker, I suggest you get up early while traveling in a new place. You get a whole different feel for a place before the rest of the world is up. In this case, I got to run through 4 or 5 of Savannah's famous squares including Ogelthorpe Square. Ogelthorpe founded Savannah in 1733 for King George of England as buffer between Spanish Florida and the British Colonies. The squares at this time of day, were peaceful and shaded beneath the canopy of Spanish-moss covered trees.
When I hit Forsyth Park, I wasn't disappointed. The perimeter of the park is about 3/4 mile. I went around twice, taking in the natural and architectural beauty in and surrounding the park. I could have easily run around again, but headed back as the 2 Guinness and 2 Baileys from the airport the night before were beginning to make themselves known!
When I got back to the room, we all got our acts together and headed out to do "touristy" things for the morning. After walking around for a bit and asking one person about tours, we decided to jump on board The Old Savannah Trolley Tour. Red Sonia, our driver was awesome! She was knowledge about Savannah's history and kept us entertained with her own tidbits on Savannah's most famous sights. I would recommend this tour over other trolley tours in Savannah because it is a locally-owned company and the tours are unscripted. You can also hop on and off all day for only $25.00.
After our tour, we couldn't resist of pull of the festive atmosphere of River St. There were people and vendors out enjoying the gorgeous day. We soaked in the sun and scenery of River St. with a couple of beers before walking to Blowin' Smoke BBQ on MLK Blvd. It was well-worth the 20 minute walk. Buntha, Carolina, Matt and I share 2 Holy Smoke Platters. They were out of this world! The ribs fell of the bone and the jalapeno corn bread melted in my mouth. I also tried my first fried pickle and realized I am so grateful they don't have them up North because I would be in BIG trouble!
At this point in the day, it was only about 5:00 so we rambled back to the hotel to go for a dip in the rooftop pool. It was small, but had fab views of the river and the jacuzzi was totally relaxing.
Showers and change of clothes by all before we made way to our next dining destination. (Ok, I am beginning to realize that we ate a lot on this trip; I promise I am not obsessed with food although Caro pointed out that I plan meals 3 days in advance!) Anyway, we had a 9:15 reservation at The Olde Pink House which was literally around the corner from the hotel. It is an old pink mansion built in 1789 and one of the few buildings that survived the fire of 1796. Each room in the restaurant is small and separate from the others. The service was good, and the food was delicious. Now, I should clarify, shockingly, I didn't eat much. I was WAY OVER stuffed from our BBQ lunch. However, I would go back to there just for the BLT salad. This was the most amazing salad I have ever eaten, and our waitress informed us it is unique to The Olde Pink House. The ingredients were perfectly cooked bacon, scrumptious fried green tomatoes, and lettuce. Seriously, it was AMAZING. I barely touched the flounder that was my main course, but it too was tasty.
By the end of the meal I was definitely reading for bed and luckily we stumbled out the door to our hotel. Day 2 of the trip with photos to follow shortly!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Hello World!
So I got the travel bug when my 2 wonderful parents forced me to go on a high school trip to Europe. They were awful, weren't they!!! Lucky for me, it turned into a lifelong desire to see everything I can. Recently, I have really picked up my travel efforts and my destinations have become more eclectic. What is a girl to do with all of this experience and fun? Share it with you!
Now, I know the way to do that. My friend, Pam, recently started her own blog, Yummocook (yummocookbook.blogspot.com), where she posts yummy recipes she herself has tried. Pam's new endeavour inspired me to give it a shot!
Just a little about me. . . I am a third grade special education teacher, an avid runner, and traveler. As a teacher, I am very fortunate that I have time off to feed my travel bug. Since July 2011, I have been to Peru, Bolivia, Ireland (2 times out of 25 in total), New Hampshire, Cape Cod, Maine, and Mexico. Next weekend, I will be in Savannah, Georgia to celebrate St. Paddy's Day. So look for some great tips on things to do in Savannah!
Please be patient with me; I am new at this blogging thing!
Now, I know the way to do that. My friend, Pam, recently started her own blog, Yummocook (yummocookbook.blogspot.com), where she posts yummy recipes she herself has tried. Pam's new endeavour inspired me to give it a shot!
Just a little about me. . . I am a third grade special education teacher, an avid runner, and traveler. As a teacher, I am very fortunate that I have time off to feed my travel bug. Since July 2011, I have been to Peru, Bolivia, Ireland (2 times out of 25 in total), New Hampshire, Cape Cod, Maine, and Mexico. Next weekend, I will be in Savannah, Georgia to celebrate St. Paddy's Day. So look for some great tips on things to do in Savannah!
Please be patient with me; I am new at this blogging thing!
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