Road Trips – Page 27

Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, Shopping, TRAVEL, United States

Pinot Days in San Francisco CA

August 20, 2014August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

Pinot Days Brochure, San Francisco CA — Pinot Days Brochure

TRAVEL THERE: TASTING PINOT IN SAN FRAN

If you recall, this vacation went through a number of alterations before becoming a reality. In one of the original stages, a trip to Wine Country was penciled in, but by the time we went, Napa and Sonoma had been erased. Instead we enjoyed Pinot Days at City View At Metreon.

How We Got There

When you’re visiting your hip nephew in San Fran you do all kinds of cool things. Take it from me, Uber is cool. It’s like a taxi, but a lot more chic.

Since all I did was go along for the ride, I don’t claim to know all the details, but to quote Uber “request, ride, and pay via your mobile phone.” That means you don’t call or hail a cab. You request a ride at a certain time with the app and the car shows up. If you wonder if you have time to go to the bathroom, the app tells you where the car is and how long before it will be to your pick-up point. You don’t have to ride in a cab either. A sleek black SUV picked us up and the driver was dressed very professionally.When we left the wine event my nephew punched a few buttons on the phone and by the time we got downstairs our car was waiting.

Uber’s website says they do have taxis, but that wasn’t our ride. Nephew says it’s about the price of parking and since we were going to a wine tasting without a DD it was a lot cheaper than a DWI. Dallas is an Uber city, but I haven’t Ubered here yet. Let me know if you have.

Where It Was

Meteron is like nothing I know of in Dallas. It’s like NorthPark‘s Food Court on steroids, but the anchor store is a Super Target and for kicks there’s an AMC Cinemark. You got it?

Well, upstairs there’s something called City View which is a huge event space. They do weddings, corporate events, whatever. The “restaurant-centric mall with multiplex” is amid the Marscone Center and City View overlooks the Yerba Buena Gardens. Yeah, it’s cool.

How It Was

I’m just going to be straight with you. This wasn’t the most fun I ever had tasting wine. I used to live on the Central Coast and spent Sunday afternoons at Castoro Cellars Tasting Room, Edna Valley Vineyard and other local wineries. My first date with Bill was to a function called Art and Wine at the Dallas Museum of Art. We’ve been to Dallas Opera Wine Tastings. We have also been to other wine festivals, like the Paso Robles Wine Festival. We know from wine tastings.

The Metreon was cool and I loved looking out over Yerba Buena Park and San Francisco’s Financial District. However, I got a little tired of Pinot and there was a crowd.

I love wine, but I’m no wine connoisseur. Were I a wine connisseur, I’m sure the opportunity to compare so many Pinots in one afternoon of tasting was euphoric. However, there were so many people crowding around the tables that there was really no way to have a decent conversation with the winemakers and that’s one of the things I like best about a tasting.

There was also nowhere to sit. There were community baskets of crackers and cheese to give your palate a break, but no where to give your sore dogs a break. Am I glad I did it? Yes! Would I do it again? Probably not.

But come back next week, because we’re going to Golden Gate Park.

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

San Franciso Brunch Bites

August 13, 2014August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

Who wouldn't go to San Francisco to visit this little guy? — Who wouldn’t go to San Francisco to visit this little guy?

TRAVEL THERE: BRUNCH AT ORIGINAL JOE’S AND CAFE FRANCISCO

For us, the main attraction in San Francisco was Jack. He’s our grand-nephew and being one year old was still brand new to him when we got there. Imagine all the wonderful things you can do with a darling one year old boy and insert them here. We also enjoyed some great food.

In the Thick of Things

Jack’s parents are hip. Really! Dad went to Greenhill, graduated from Wharton School of Business, got married in a museum and is an investment banker in the gaming industry. If I wrote a novel about him, people would think I made him up. Mom also went to Greenhill, has her MBA from UTD, had a ballet commissioned for her wedding reception and she spends her days being Jack’s mommy.

So, of course, they live in the coolest part of San Francisco. From atop their building you can see the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Coit Tower and the Bay Bridge. They’re blocks away from Fisherman’s Wharf, Washington Square Park and the crazy intersection of Columbus and Broadway.

Brunch at Original Joe’s

Saturday morning after Jack’s morning routine was accomplished, we took a stroll to Original Joe’s. In San Francisco you stroll a lot. It’s not a car-centric society like LA or Dallas. There are plenty of cars, but you don’t drive one unless you have to.

The beautiful Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul is also on Washington Square. — The beautiful Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul also faces Washington Square.

Original Joe’s faces Washington Square Park on Union Street. The restaurant may be a San Francisco classic, but once I was inside, I thought I was in New York’s Little Italy. Black and white tile floors, lots of woodwork, tuxedo-ed waiters, white linen tablecloths, gleaming chrome and brass; and the aroma of marinara permeates it all.

The food? OMG! We stuck to the brunch menu, enjoying treats like Crab Cake Benedict, Brioche French Toast and other amazing goodies. The food looked so delicious when it arrived, I dove right in! The prices are reasonable, but not cheap.

Brunch at Cafe Francisco

Sunday morning Bill and I ventured out on our own to Cafe Francisco, just around the corner from our nephew’s condo. For me, this brunch spot felt more San Francisco-ish than the more famous Original Joe’s. The space had for many years been an artist’s studio and along with serving great Belgian waffles, Cafe Francisco is also an art gallery.

If I lived in my nephew’s condo, I might just convert my kitchen into a gym and have all my meals at Cafe Francisco. The prices were so reasonable that I doubt you can cook at home for so cheap. The menu is not extensive, but it’s got everything from breakfast to Mediterranean salads to amazing cheese plates paired by the Cheese School of San Francisco. I wish I’d gotten back over there to enjoy a bottle of wine and one of those cheese plates.

These were not our only gastronomic adventures in San Fran. After brunch at Original Joe’s we went to Pinot Nights. Come back next week and I’ll tell you about that.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The Winchester Mystery House

August 6, 2014August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: IT’S A MYSTERY ALRIGHT

Next stop on our California adventure: The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose.

The Real Mystery

Several years ago, I asked my mother which San Jose attraction was better, the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum or the Winchester Mystery House, because she’d been to both. She didn’t stutter or stall – she was all about the Egyptian Museum. So, on that trip I went to the museum and promised myself I’d see the Winchester House another day.

Well, on this trip to California I carved out some time for the Winchester Mystery House and learned the real mystery is why it’s become so popular. Remember last week when I told you Lotusland was worth every penny of the $45 tour price – and more. Well, the Winchester House, in my opinion, is not worth anywhere near the $33 per person they’ll hit you up for – and that’s just the basic tour. Some people pay more for extended and special tours. Ten dollars? Maybe. Anymore than that? Rip off!

Don’t Judge This Book By It’s Cover

An exterior shot of this rambling edifice leads one to believe visitors will tour a beautiful Victorian mansion. Well, the exterior is very pretty and I do recommend that you at least drive by it on South Winchester Boulevard, but what you can see from the street is really all you need to see. The interior of the house is pretty scary – and I’m not talking about the spirits some people claim they encounter.

We found the house, parked the car and went to the entry booth. We actually discussed getting the more expensive ticket which included a behind the scenes tour, but we were supposed to be in San Francisco by six thirty. We were afraid we wouldn’t have time for more than the basic tour – thank goodness. That’s when things started to get weird.

Right This Way for your Cruise Photo

I’m used to lining up to go on a house tour. At the Winchester House, the tickets are timed. A sign tells you where to wait for the next tour and there’s a velvet rope hanging between stanchions.

However, I am not used to lining up for cruise-type photos at historic homes. (They do the same sort of thing at Hearst Castle, but that’s Hearst Castle.) At the Winchester they put you in front of a green screen and hand you a fake rifle. We were not enchanted. Bill resents having his picture taken on cruises, so this really set him off. “I made an ugly face,” he told me.

Welcome to….the Stables?

After all the people on our tour had their obligatory rifle picture taken, we were allowed in the house. We were herded into a sort of holding pen and given a very canned speech by an eager young guide. In his defense, he was fairly new to his job as a guide, but it came off like, “I am thoroughly bored with this speech, and hahaha you’re stuck listening to it.” It did not improve as the tour continued.

From the holding pen we went to the stables, but it was a little confusing, because it was also a sort of warehouse. I thought to myself, “This isn’t a very engaging place to start.” I didn’t realize then that it wasn’t going to get much better. From the stable we used a very bizarre staircase to get to another floor. I hoped better things were coming.

Most of the House is More of the Same

With very few exceptions, things didn’t get any better. The floors were linoleum. The walls were, for the most part wood, though there were some that were wallpapered. Any room looked pretty much like all the rest of the rooms. They had millions of visitors to the house and it looks like it. It also doesn’t look like they’ve done anything to preserve what people may have come to see.

Part of the problem is that most of the rooms are unfurnished. When the builder/owner died, everything was taken out of the house and sold for cash, per the little old lady’s will. There are a few rooms that have items in them, but the furnishings matched everything else about the house – sad and worn out.

I think one of the reasons the house is so empty and so unfurnished is that they want to impress upon visitors just how nuts Mrs. Winchester was. The story of the house is that she bought it and kept building on to it. Another part of the story is that she was trapped in part of the house after an earthquake and after escaping closed down that part of the house, damaged as it was, and kept on building.

Okay, so I get the part about the lady being nuts and I realize her original belongings were sold, but if you’re going to charge me $33 dollars, I want to see more than an empty house in disrepair.

On to San Fran

On any other tour, we might have tried to sneak away and go on with our business, but in this dreadful rabbit warren of a place, who knows where you might have ended up. We endured the rest of the tour and were relieved when we escaped.

The story of the Winchester Mystery House is well worth your investigation. The owner was the widow of the man who invented the Winchester rifle. Her idiosyncrasies are fascinating. The Winchester Mystery House as it stands today, is not.

Our trip to California gets better though! come back next week.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Santa Barbara’s LotusLand

July 30, 2014September 3, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: LOTUSLAND, BEYOND BEAUTIFUL!

First atraction, first day: Santa Barbara’s Lotusland! Talk about a great way to start a vacation – this was it!

Hanging in SB

So, if our adventure started in Santa Barbara, why did we fly to LAX and stay in Carpenteria? Well, this was a road trip which would end in LA, so it was cheaper to fly into and out of LAX, not to mention avoiding a one-way rental car charge. And Carpenteria is only ten miles away from Santa Barbara and about a hundred dollars cheaper than any accommodations I could book in the more famous city.

The Beach

We left Carpenteria early enough to spend some time in Santa Barbara, because it’s one of our favorite cities. The list of things we would have loved to do would be quite long, but all we had time for was a leisurely visit to the beach. Next was lunch and we had fast food.

Finally, Lotusland!

Lotusland is one of those hidden travel gems people talk about, but it shouldn’t be such a secret. Their website says they’ve been having tours since 1993, so I don’t know why more people aren’t raving about it. I lived on the Central Coast of California for six years and in all that time I heard one person mention it in passing and they made it seem like a cactus farm.

Listen to me – you need to go to Lotusland. Beautiful, serene, amazing – these are the words that come to mind. Yes there are cactus gardens, but that’s only the beginning. There are twenty other gardens there, also. From a Japanese Garden to a Water Garden full of water lilies to a Topiary Garden – and the list goes on!

Here’s a map from our tour. At least, Trip Advisor lists it as the number two attraction in Santa Barbara,behind the famous Courthouse, but I’ve been to the Courthouse and it doesn’t light a candle to Lotusland. Santa Barbara Mission is pretty wonderful, but Trip Advisor rates that as number seven. What’s wrong with these people!

First you need to know Ganna Walska, the lady who planned and planted Lotusland, should have her own mini-series. A famous opera singer with five different husbands, ties to both the Polish and Russian royal families and over thirty acres of gardens in Santa Barbara – what’s not to love? Then there’s the gardens themselves. Breath-taking!

Next, you need to know that you can’t just show up at the address on the internet for a stroll through the garden. All tours are docent-led and there are two each day. To tour the garden you have to go online, make reservations and pay for the tour. Then you will get directions about where to show up for the tour. I have to confess that you might get a little sticker shock. The tours are $45/adult and $20/ child, but I am telling you it is completely worth the price of admission. Trust me on this.

We had quite a tour. About half-way through a sweet little old lady fell INTO a cactus plant, which sort of threw everything off – and certainly slowed us down on the next leg of our trip – but that’s for next week. Lotusland is one of those places that I could wear myself out talking about and still not capture the essence of it, so now I’m going to shut-up and show you some of our pictures. Just be sure and come back next week. There’s more fun to come.

The cactus mishap is just about to occur!

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, Travel Planning, United States

Great Hotel in Carpenteria CA

July 23, 2014August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: GOOD LUCK OR GOOD PLANNING

When you’re traveling, is a good night’s sleep good luck or good planning? Or could it be because you’re too exhausted to do anything else?

We Gotta Get Out of LA

As we surrendered to Navi (the GPS) and headed north, I was fantasizing about pillows and linen,but my job as navigator wasn’t over. About the time we got to Thousand Oaks, Bill wanted to eat. Food was just about the last thing I wanted, but through experience I’ve learned, when Bill wants food I’d better find a restaurant.

Gastronomic Detour

Do you remember what life was like before our electronic traveling friends? You drove along hoping to see a sign on the side of the road, but you’d never just pull off the road, because you might never figure out how to get back. Using that method, I might have made it to Carpenteria without having to stop, but no, Bill tells me to get out my phone. Lo and behold, Google Local tells me there’s a BJ’s in the neighborhood and Bill takes the next exit. We kept Navi pointed towards Carpenteria and used Local to get to BJ’s.

Now I really want to whine and complain about how awful it was, because I was really tired and not very hungry, but we shared BJ’s new Roast Beef Dip Sandwich, and I’ve got to be honest with you, it was really good. In my day we called them French Dip Sandwiches, but I guess in this new politically-correct world, that might have some negative connotation – like all French people are dips. Either that or some teenager planning their menu didn’t know their au jus from their assembly line.

A Reward at the End of our Drive

Sandwich happily consumed, we drove on to Carpenteria and found the Holiday Inn Express where I’d made our reservations. This was an older property, but completely renovated, so you had all the charm of the old with all the convenience of the new. The desk clerk checked us in like a champ, then we found a parking place close to our room and we moved ourselves in.

The room was wonderful. A small seating area and mini-kitchen were separated from the bed by an attractive divider. The furniture was new, but some older decorative touches were carried into the new design to add character. We were very happy.

I would have loved to crawl in bed oblivious to everything, but I knew the drill. I wake up at six and Bill doesn’t. I’d get up raring to go and Bill would be livid at my rattling around, if I didn’t get things ready ahead of time. So, with a foggy brain I started re-organizing everything and getting ready for the rest of the trip, because packing for a flight and packing for a road trip are two different things.

Those gifts that took up half my suitcase? Well they were moved to the tote-bag. All my shoes, belts and accessories? I’d packed a fold-up nylon bag for them. Pretty much everything else we packed needed to be shuffled around, too. When I’d reorganized everything to suit me, I pulled out my exercise gear and an outfit for the next day, then fell into bed. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

A Bright New Day

Yes, I did wake up at six. I slithered into my workout clothes and found the exercise room – a nice one I might add. They didn’t have a recumbent stationary bike, like I do at home, but the treadmills were in good working order and I slammed out an hour of cardio. Then I was starving, so I went to the breakfast bar.

Let me tell you this – Holiday Inn Express rocks their breakfast buffet. My particular favorite is their cinnamon rolls. But they have everything from bacon and eggs to a pancake machine to hot biscuits. They also have healthy things, so with my single cinnamon roll I had a boiled egg, yogurt and apple juice.

I returned to the room and Bill was stirring, so I returned to the breakfast bar with him – not to eat, just for companionship. He got breakfast down, we got ready for the day and headed out.

Vacation Day One is ahead and it was a great one, so come back next week.

DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, Travel Planning, United States

California on My Mind!

July 2, 2014August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

Santa Barbara CA — On the Beach in Santa Barbara

TRAVEL THERE: STILL CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’

We just got back from California and it was a crazy trip. In fact, it was crazy before we packed the first bag. Just getting the vacation planned had been all kinds of crazy!

The Best Laid Plans

See, last year one of our nephews moved into a new home and had his first child. We were all geared up for a long weekend once our grand-nephew settled in. Then my mom went into the hospital and that meant all travel was on hold.

She was in and out of the hospital several times, but rehab was planned and Bill thought the care-giver needed a break. Everyone seemed to agree with him, so I re-planned the trip for nine days and bought our airfare – just a little too soon. Rehab turned into hospice and then a funeral.

I wasn’t much in the mood for travel, but Bill thought I needed a change of scenery, so I started trying to coordinate a date for new travel plans. However, the holidays were coming up and nothing worked. So, we postponed the trip until March.

Believe it or not, before we could get the trip planned, another game changer came along. A niece and grand-nephew from Egypt would be in California in June. So we postponed our travel plans to June and the trip grew to 11 days.

Does this sound familiar? Does this kind of thing happen in your family? Well, it got crazier.

The Heath Project

If you’ve been following my Friday posts, then you know that sometime in March we decided to start looking for a new home and that search turned into a building project in Heath. Since one thing always leads to another, we put our house on the market, thinking we might be lucky if someone bought it before the end of summer. So, of course, some one bought it, right before we were supposed to leave on vacation – but that’s for the Friday posts. Bottom line, even though it looked like something might undo our plans, right up to the phone call I got as we boarded our flight. We made it all the way to California!

Confession is Good for the Soul

I’ll just tell you right now, with all this planning and re-planning, more than one thing fell through the cracks. I double-booked myself into two hotels on one night, for instance. I packed way too much and ended up with an $85 extra bag fee for another. So travel stuff happens to the best of us. Come along with me and I’ll show you a good time over the next few weeks as I share my experiences – good and bad – with all my blogospere friends.

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Performing Arts, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Stranded in a Frozen Dickens

March 26, 2014September 28, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: STRANDED IN A FROZEN DICKENSFEST

Galveston‘s 2013 Dickens-on-The-Strand Suffered from Chilblains!

“You can’t always get what you want!” The Rolling Stones were spot on with that one – especially when it came to this vacation. The Polar Express gypped me out of my luminaries on the Riverwalk and then followed me to the beach.

My mom used to say things like, “If you had the sense God gave a goozle,” (and I’m not exactly sure what a goozle is) but I’m sure my husband was thinking the same sort of thing as we froze our assets off, strolling down the Strand.

Important, but Chilly Anniversary

I was expecting big things from this British-flavored festival with its side order of Victorian literature. This was the fortieth Dickens-on-the-Strand and for the first time, it was a three day festival, not just an overnight flash in the pan. What I didn’t expect was London! Actually London has been warmer the few times I’ve been there. This was more like the cold, wet, windy day I’d visited Coventry Cathedral and had nothing but a thin windbreaker between me and the chill. I think that’s the coldest I’d ever been up until that day in Galveston.

Bill really does deserve the Champion Husband of the World Award – at least in the travel department. Anyone with any sense would have headed back to Dallas after our frozen stay in San Antonio, but not me. I was going to Dickens on the Strand and I had friends to see. The friends were worth it. Dickens? Not so much. The festival may have been in full swing the day before, but on it’s inaugural first Sunday, it was a ghost story, and not in a cozy Christmas Carol way.

Still, we found a cheap place to park, walked several blocks to the entrance, paid our fee and landed virtually nowhere. A few braves souls strolled the streets in their Victorian finery, but we had to decide who was dumber for showing up – us or them. A few performers mounted stages and tried to entertain the lost souls wandering the Strand, but it was cold enough out there without stopping and standing in one place. The greatest hub of activity was an area for steam-punk enthusiasts, an important factor in the popularity of the festival, but try as I may, I have very little, beyond a passing interest, in steampunk – and Bill had less than that.

When All Else Fails, Eat

We might have had an interest in chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but most of the heat seemed to be at Yaga’s Cafe. The crowded interior didn’t seem to suffer from it’s lack of an identifiable theme in the decoration or menu. The service was friendly, if not adequate, and the food adequate, if not tasty.

Lunch behind us, we explored the island by car for awhile and decided we’d certainly return, but next time, we’d rent a beachside cottage and the weather would be warmer. For dinner we drove back towards Houston to meet some Pearland friends, Jimmy and Melanie, at Pappas Seafood House. Now that was good seafood and good company. We are fortunate in our friends, even if we don’t always make the best decisions about when to visit the beach.

So, should you go to Dickens on the Strand? I might go back someday, but I’d check the weather, go on Saturday and stay somewhere besides the Beachfront Palms. Come back next week and we’ll start thinking about a new trip!

Accommodations, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL

On the Road to Galveston

March 19, 2014August 12, 2015 Jane Sadek

Friends - great excuses for road trips! — Friends – great excuses for road trips!

TRAVEL THERE: THE SOUTH TEXAS CHRISTMAS RAMBLE MOVES WEST TO GALVESTON

As usual, San Antonio served up a good time. I’d been to some of my old favorites and tried out some new things. The biggest disappointment was the Polar Express that blew in, cancelling the luminaries on the Riverwalk, which had been the impetus for my trip. My favorite new thing was the Blue Crab Salad at Boudros or maybe it was the new Briscoe Western Museum or perhaps… I’ll just have to face it. I love San Antonio. I haven’t even finished writing about the last trip and I’m ready to go again.

Breakfast at Cracker Barrel

Speaking of new things, been to the Cracker Barrel lately? Hubby loves it and in the past, I’ve tolerated it, because breakfast has never been my favorite meal. However, I discovered something new as we left San Antonio. For some reason Cracker Barrel doesn’t have it on their website and that’s a real shame, because I forgot what they called it. Regardless of it’s moniker, it’s an extraordinary frittata with egg, cheese, bacon and who knows what else, with blackberries on the side. I’m not a fan of omelettes. I don’t like scrambled eggs and I prefer my veggies to be cooked before they’re mixed with the eggs, but frittatas, I love! Also, since going on the South Beach Diet, I’ve permanently abandoned potatoes, so I don’t eat those egg casseroles with hash-browns, either. This new dish, that I’ve forgotten the name of, was right up my alley. For the rest of the trip I was suggesting Cracker Barrel for breakfast.

Stayed at The Beachfront Palms

We pulled into Galveston around three and found the Beachfront Palms without any trouble. We’d gotten an expedia deal on the room and it was a decent place to stay, but it was completely no frills and no thrills. They’d recently done a remodel, but only cosmetic fixes, no upgrade. The appliances really needed replacement. The pillows were thin and the bedspread was some sort of slick made-in-china excuse for fabric. We were there for only two nights and had other places to be, so we lived through it. (A little fact checking on the internet revealed that the Beachfront Palms is now a Red Roof Inn. It was an indie when we were there. Good luck with that.)

Our first order of Galveston business was to see Linda and Clay. In the days before I arrived on the scene, Linda was one of Bill’s best friends. Since then, he married me and she married Clay, forming a rather syrupy mutual appreciation society. Now, they’ve retired to Galveston and live in the penthouse of one of those high rise condos right on the seawall. I’ll go a couple of years without visiting and then walk back into their place -OMG!OMG!OMG! It’s like living on a cruise ship and having a balcony suite! You’re so high up that the highway, seawall and beach completely disappear and it seems you’re suspended above an endless sea. I try to play like it’s only jaw-dropping because I see it so infrequently, but if I lived there, I’d probably still wake up in the morning and say OMG!OMG!OMG!

Clary’s for Dinner

Our friends took us to Clary’s for dinner. I’ve got to be fair and tell you that they love it and everyone who works there treated us like we were the King and Queen of Dallas on a state visit to Her Royal Highness, the Holy Roman Empress of Galveston – but that didn’t take a lot of effort. Everyone who knows her, loves Linda. We just thought the food was mediocre. Linda and Clay say they eat there several nights a week, so maybe our mouths were just out of joint, but I’d have rather been at Gaido’s.

It’s always good to catch up with good friends, but we were there for Dicken’s on the Strand, so we returned to the Beachfront Palms and tucked the strange feeling bedspread under our chin, because Baby, it was cold down there.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Performing Arts, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The Nutcracker – San Antonio’s Majestic Theater

March 12, 2014September 3, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: SAN ANTONIO’S MAJESTIC THEATER EARNS ITS NAME WITH A GLORIOUS NUTCRACKER

Here’s how I know Bill was bending over backwards to accommodate my wishes on our trip to San Antonio; he agreed to go to a ballet at the Majestic Theater. He played it really cool until afterwards, but then he made a post to Facebook that revealed the truth. He hadn’t been looking forward to it at all, but enjoyed it anyway.

Off to a Rough Start

We needed a bite to eat before the show, so we went to The County Line, a BBQ joint on the River, because it was close to our hotel and we were in a hurry. In our opinion, a BBQ joint is supposed to let you get a BBQ sandwich, but that only happens at lunch at The County Line. For dinner it’s a meat and two veggies kind of a place. Bill ordered a sliced brisket plate and I nibbled around the edges, but my mind was not on the brisket. WHERE WERE THE LUMINARIES?

Remember, I came to San Antonio because I wanted to see the River all dressed up for Christmas. Well, the weatherman threatened icy rain and sleet, so no luminaries were installed. The primary thing I came for didn’t happen at all.

And it was cold! And a stupid sign outside our hotel sent us an entire block out of our way. And did I mention it was cold. Bill was smart. He ignored the occasion and dressed warmly. By golly, I’d brought a special outfit for the theater and I was going to wear it, even if it killed me. Well, it didn’t kill me, but there was a danger of frostbite.

Majestic Lobby Warms up the Night

As soon as we hit the lobby, I knew we were someplace special. I had no idea of how gorgeous the theater itself was going to be, but the lobby was a knock-out.

We were on time. Our seats were good. And this had to be the most amazing theater I’d ever walked into. The pictures don’t begin to do it justice, but they’re all I have. Bill was wishing for more than his smartphone to capture the theater’s interior.

San Antonio’s Nutcracker

The Nutcracker was marvelous. I hope San Antonio will forgive me for being a bit of a Dallas snob. I assumed that a ballet by the San Antonio ballet and symphony might not stack up. It was charming with great dancers and great music. The sets and costumes were out of this world – but not quite as far out of this world as the theater. I’ll leave you with a few more shots. Hope you enjoy.

DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Mi Tierra Restaurant and Bakery

March 5, 2014August 12, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: SAN ANTONIO’S MI TIERRA RESTAURANT & BAKERY

Delicious Tex-Mex Meal Accents a Day of San Antonio Sightseeing

On our final day in San Antonio, the plan was a tour of murals on the west side of the city. Not exactly the poshest of neighborhoods, but there’s amazing street art. We decided to drive the walking tour, which was fine for a while – but only a short while. I recommend bikes.

What’s for Lunch?

I, of course, planned several dining options, but was hoping for Mi Tierra – THE Mexican food restaurant in San Antonio. (Well, at least one of THE Mexican restaurants. Casa Rio on the River is pretty high up there, too.)

Mi Tierra has been open forever and it’s always open. I’d sort of planned on having breakfast there, but fighting the cold weather gave us a slow start, so I moved it into the lunch slot. As many times as I’ve walked by the restaurant during visits to Market Square, I’d never managed to be there when it was time for a meal, but I kept promising myself that I’d dine there someday. The patrons just looked like they were having a lot more fun than everyone else in the world.

Mi Tierra Restaurant & Bakery, Market Square, San Antonio TX — On the Patio at Mi Tierra

As if it were ordained by the gods, this time we found a parking place on the street right across from the restaurant and thanks to the cold, there was no wait. And then, we found ourselves on a patio again, but this one was a lot warmer than the previous night’s experience. And guess what? Finally! Mariachis!

I was tickled beyond pink. Almost tickled enough to have a margarita, but I’d been so good on my South Beach Diet that I passed up the opportunity, while enjoying every sip taken by the patrons around me. It was almost as good as having one myself. Well, not that good, but nice.

The whole place is a perpetual fiesta. Brightly painted murals, brightly colored pennants, brightly dyed waitress uniforms – everywhere you look is color. And everywhere you looked people were having a good time. This was a Friday lunch hour, but the attitude was definitely late Saturday afternoon.

Being the good girl I had chosen to be, I selected rotisserie chicken as my entree, but the good news was that South Beach allows you to have three bites of anything you want and a cheese and onion enchilada came on that plate. That was the best three bites of the vacation.

Bill chose the special of the day and even though I can’t remember the name of it, I know it was some kind of chicken with vegetables. He even got to eat the rice and beans.

After Lunch, the McNay Art Museum

As we sat on the patio I just happened to mention the costume exhibit at the McNay. Bill had previously confessed he really wasn’t interested in it, but he was quite interested in pleasing me, so under the influence of the cerveza, he decided we’d go. I didn’t jump up from the table and fist pump, but I was tempted.

Sure, Id love to go see the costume exhibit at the McNay.

We paid our bill, stopped to take a few pictures of the bakery case and then headed to the McNay. I’d rave about the costume exhibit, but it was over January 19th and you’d just hate me for seeing it when you didn’t get to. Once he got there, Bill was glad he’d been so agreeable.

I’ll leave you with a shot of Mi Tierra’s bakery case, but don’t fail to come back next week, we’re going to the Majestic to see the Nutcracker.

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