Tag: Jane Sadek

Accommodations, Architecture, ART, Attractions, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, TRAVEL

On Our Way to Greece & Turkey Part Duex

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: THE FRUSTRATIONS OF GETTING THERE!

Welcome to our cruise vacation. Unfortunately, we had three planes to catch before we could get to our port of Embarkation. A member of the United Airlines Ground Crew made our time at DFW a little difficult, but soon we were winging our way to Newark’s Liberty Airport. Come along with us!

Modern Inconveniences

So, we land at Newark, I turn on my phone and start getting notifications. The friendly skies were sending us love notes about our upcoming flights. I was happy to use my data to read all my notifications, instead of trusting the airport wi-fi, but I wanted to juice up my phone, so there’d still be power when I got to Frankfurt. We found a charging station and I filtered through my love notes. Primarily, Lufthansa wanted me to know that I’d be flying with them out of Frankfurt, even though the flight had been booked through United and United was letting me know I should check the departure boards in Newark, because sometimes there were gate changes. Those messages resolved, I checked up on the rest of my digital life and then sat there, very near our gate and let the phone charge.

When they called us to board, we got to participate in the new airport game – Gate Bus Plane. We filed through the turnstile to have our boarding passes read and then marched down the stairs to the tarmac. There we boarded a bus which played chicken with all the jumbo jets to take us to our pond jumper. I’m thinking this new game is a way for airlines to save money. It must be cheaper to drive your customers across the airport and have them climb stairs rather than just walk down a jetway or we wouldn’t have been doing so much of it on this trip. Whoever dreamed up this game should be punished severely.

Friendly Seatmate

For this leg of the journey, we’d opted for the last row of the plane. It gave Bill a window seat, we could sit together and it was close to the bathroom. Worked for us.

Then a guy sat next to me. Very friendly and helpful. Confessed to being military and knew a lot about the plane. We chatted a bit and I felt as if he were a little evasive about some innocent questions concerning his assignment and location. I was a little surprised by how often he seemed to travel, but it wasn’t my business.

Then I as the flight proceeded, it seems he was rarely in his seat and often could be found chatting up the flight crew. Later I decided he was some kind of air marshall, but I didn’t put it all together until long after the flight was over.

Honestly, I wasn’t very impressed with the Friendly Skies of United. The entertainment center was almost useless and the food was awful, but I slept through most of the flight, so it wasn’t a big loss – just disappointing.

And Then There Was Frankfurt!

I had fond memories of the Frankfurt Airport! I’d been through German airports a few times before Mr. Bill, but it seems as if those trips had been through Munich. The first time I remember going through Frankfurt had been in 1994 and I had been impressed with it. The shopping area was out of this world and I recalled a great little English pub.

We were back in 2016 for a layover, but it had been a rough Transatlantic flight and I spent most of the layover asleep in Bill’s lap. None of my fond memories played out in 2025.

The first frustration I will lay at the feet of Viking. They had a guy there to point us towards our next flight, but he pointed us in the wrong direction. We must have spent at least an hour wandering helplessly through the airport.

We finally found the right gate and chatted with an older couple who was supposed to be on our cruise. Some one showed up to take them in wheelchairs to another gate and I asked if we should move, too, but we were told they were being moved to better accommodate their wheelchair status and assured we could stay where we were.

Bill made a bed for himself across several chairs and I read the one of the books I’d brought along. The time of the flight was getting closer, but I wasn’t seeing much activity that looked as if that were true. I had been expecting to see more Viking passengers and that wasn’t happening either.

I’d turned off the wireless network to save money, but something told me I should get on wi-fi and see what was up. Good thing!! Everything had changed. Our flight number had been changed and our flight was delayed AND now the flight was leaving from a completely different terminal

I woke up a sleepy Mr. Bill to catch him up on things, none of which he was very happy about. We gathered up our belongings and began the trek to the next terminal. That was interesting and it was a trek. By now I was hungry and there hadn’t been any cute English Pub. The beautiful displays of German pastries, which were all over the airport didn’t do much for my gluten-free state. When we finally found the gate, I did a little exploration and there was nowhere decent to eat. I found a sandwich store for Bill, but I had to make do with a meat and cheese snack from a convenience store, which I topped off with potato chips. Gluten free is not necessarily healthy.

This gate was a lot more promising. There was more activity that resembled a flight and yes, there were other people with Viking paraphernalia. This looked good. I kept my phone on and watched for more activity, but none occurred.

Finally, they started boarding the plane, but like Newark, we went down the stairs to a bus first and that bus wandered around forever. I thought they were driving to Athens! Then they parked and herded us off the bus. It was cold and rainy outside as we waited to climb the stairs to the plane. I lamented the days when Lufthansa was the gold standard for international travel. Now it was the armpit!

On to Athens

Once we were on the flight it was unremarkable. In a few hours we landed in Athens and Viking personnel were all over the place. At baggage claim we were happy to discover our bags had made it, but before I realized it, they’d already been whisked away by Viking. We kept getting pointed in another direction and finding Viking personnel who wanted to know our name, which they would then check off a list. I don’t even recall how many times we went through this ritual, before and after baggage claim. Eventually, we were pointed in the direction of a bus, which after a while, had a chirpy Viking employee welcoming us to Athens and letting us know why we would be on the bus for at least another 45 minutes.

I was beyond tired, so I leaned back and tried to relax. It had been a very long travel day – two travel days, in fact. The calendar had turned a page since I left DFW, but after awhile I noticed a familiar glow in the distance. There, rising above the dark city of Athens was the Acropolis, with floodlights causing the Parthenon to glow in the night.

I felt like I did at Butchart Gardens and on the porch at The Grand Hotel. Mom was with me. She never made it to Athens herself, but she was thrilled I had. I couldn’t hold back the tears. And to think, the very next day I would be walking up there, where Aristotle, Pluto and other Athenian luminaries strolled.

Embarking on the Viking Vela

The bus pulled into the port and we were ushered off. The check-in process was ridiculously easy. We barely had time to set everything down before they were pointing us towards the gangway! As soon as we stepped on the boat, we were offered champagne and sent to life boat drill, which was actually just a quick lesson on wearing the life vest. We found our cabin and made our way to the buffet for some real food. Something we hadn’t seen in a while.

When we returned to the room, our bags had been delivered. I unpacked and put everything away in the generous storage of our cabin. Afterwards we went to what they called The Living Room and listened to some great music – a pair of string musicians playing popular music in a classical style. We had an early shore excursion the next morning, so we went to bed fairly early.

We’d made it. The journey had been frustrating and exhausting, but I was in Athens, Greece! Exciting, but hard to believe. Join me next week to visit the Acropolis. It was a great shore excursion!

Accommodations, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, Memory Keeping, TRAVEL, Travel Planning

On Our Way to Greece & Turkey Part One

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: BIG TIME BUCKET LIST DESTINATIONS

While some people have their vacation dreams all planned out and can tell you when they intend to see each item on their bucket list, I have a hard time getting Bill to plan the next vacation, much less something years down the road. I do know people who have cruises booked years in advance. I spend a lot of my time trying to interest Bill in our next adventure and showing him various deals to sweeten the pot, but I sincerely think he hears none of it.

We came home from a Newcomers Event last year and Bill tells me about this great cruise someone took to Greece and Turkey. The next day we got a postcard for Viking with an “airfare included” deal on the same cruise. Within days our cruise was booked. I guess I’m going to have to start planting folks along Bill’s path to tempt him into trips, because I’m not having luck otherwise. Come along and let’s head to an idyll on the Aegean!

AIRFARE INCLUDED!

Airfare is a big hurdle in our travel planning. It costs so much money, it takes so much time and there’s nothing fun about it. You juggle suitcases for weeks, hoping to find a combination of bags to fit the various requirements of each carrier. Then you have all the airport headaches the airlines throw at you.

When you’re paying for your own airfare you have a little more control over things, but when you turn your fate over to the cruise line, there’s no telling what can happen. In this particular case, Viking thought a layover in Newark was the right way to kick off our trip to Athens. The next leg took us to Frankfurt and finally we would fly on to Athens. I get leg cramps just thinking about it.

FIRST LEG – DFW TO NEWARK LIBERTY

Things went pretty smoothly on the first leg of our trip, until we tried to get luggage tags. We left the house on time and then realized neither of us had thought to get cash. Thankfully a branch of our bank was right on the way. The Parking Spot makes dropping off your car and getting to the terminal easy. The first real hurdle was checking in our luggage. I’d checked us in online, even got them to check our carry-ons for free, but somehow one of our bags was missing from our luggage list and it wasn’t clear to me which buttons I needed to push to correct the error.

This is what I hate about this DIY internet world. There was a time when my travel agent delivered my airline tickets and all I’d have to do is show up for my flight. I’d drop my bag off at the curb and be done with it. Now even when someone else arranges your ticket, you have to play the online check-in game, which in my eyes is useless, because then you have to go do battle with the kiosk at the airport AND then you still have to deal with a person to hand over your luggage.

So, I’m standing there frustrated and frantic, imagining my luggage taking a different vacation than I do and up walks this self-consumed airline employee. Now then let me start by saying, in situations like this I should remain calm, so I am at fault for being so wound up, but this lady walked up and threw the chip on her shoulder at me before I even knew she was standing there! She certainly had no empathy at all for my panic. I was still in full freak out, trying to sort through it all, when this lady butts in and lets me know I am not being very respectful of her.

Respectful?!? I didn’t even know she was there and she was schooling me about respect. That’s today’s world – safe spaces and ribbons for participation, but zero empathy. Hello – I don’t care if you are green, blue or purple. I don’t care about your gender, religion or sexual preferences. It doesn’t matter whether you’re wearing tattoos, a hajib or a bone in your hair. I just want tags for all my bags. (We didn’t have this conversation. I immediately went into apology mode, but I was thinking this!)

You know what’s next. As soon as she finishes scolding me for my behavior, she throws herself in reverse. She is moving at the speed of a sloth. She piddles around looking at each bag, each tag and the computer screen as if she’s made the next important archeological discovery and doesn’t want to disturb a grain of sand until she’s documented it all. She doesn’t listen to what I’m asking for, at all, but is very careful to point out a mistake we’ve made attaching the tags. The world was probably going to end because Bill’s bags had one of my tags. When she talks to me, it’s in the tone you’d use with a preschooler. If they are teaching this method of dealing with panic to our airline customer service people, no wonder the flights these days are full of crazed people.

I am convinced this woman follows me around. I know she was there as we waited for the flight to our anniversary cruise, She strolled over to me and insisted the carryon with my wedding gown was oversized. I knew it wasn’t, because I had measured it a thousand times, but she took delight in terrifying me. She’s there on the phone when I’ve been frustrated beyond all sanity with phone trees and call transfers. She waits on me in stores to pounce when what I’m having trouble finding what I need. Do you get her in situations like this, too?

I spent my life in customer service, back when you treated people like customers and provided service, You gauged their level of frustration and put your personal feelings on hold. You listened to their words. You didn’t shush them up before you had time to figure out the problem! And you made sure they understood you cared about them and you certainly didn’t threaten to keep them from getting on the plane! I want so much to go back to those days. Where can I get a ticket to go there?

Eventually this woman, who’d stretched a 45 second operation on the kiosk to a five minute confrontation decided to release me from her punishment – until next time. We go to another human to turn in our bags and I guess I behaved, because I got no more lectures. There was actually a time when I looked forward to flying, but that was a long time ago.

Our time at DFW was otherwise uneventful. We waited the requisite three hours for international travel, claimed our seats and went on to Newark.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, TRAVEL, United States

Tulsa Art Deco Tour

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: A WET WALKING TOUR OF WONDER

Come along for the final treat on our visit to Tulsa. We love Art Deco and this walking tour was certainly the way to see it. Be sure to put it on your to do list. Come with me now for some fun.

BEFORE WE LEFT DALLAS

As I was planning our trip to Tulsa, I found a DIY walking tour online, but I’d tried that sort of thing before. You’re in a strange place, trying to follow a map that’s not true to where you are and figure out if the building you are looking at is the one the page says you need to see. I’ve also taken architectural tours with guides and appreciated their presence and knowledge. So, knowing Mr. Bill, I dreaded trying to convince him to put down good money for a guide when I already had what he would consider a perfectly good map of what we needed to see.

Then I asked myself why I had a business in the first place, if I wouldn’t spend the money to do what I want. Well, the short answer is my scrapbooking hobby eats up most of my profit, but not all of it. I could afford this tour for us. So the Tulsa Art Deco Walking Tour was sponsored by Jane Sadek Memory Keeper and I was very interested to getting my money’s worth out of the tour.

The week of the trip I started watching the weather and I could tell we were in for a wet weekend, but I started praying. It’s not like I expect God to change the world so I can go to a walking tour, but I always let him know what I want, even though I know He already knows.

THE MORNING OF THE TOUR

When I woke up the morning of the tour, the rain was pouring down, not heavily, but steadily. Bill said he wasn’t going on any walking tour in that kind of rain. I told him I would, so if worst came to worst he could take me down there and drop me off while he did something else. He did some severe muttering in response to that, but the frugal part of him did hate to see both tickets go to waste.

We both went to the gym and had some breakfast. Bill took a nap and I did crossword puzzles. The rain did not abate. Bill wanted to just stay in the hotel and relax, but I had prayed so hard I had to believe something would give. The weather report on my phone suggested the time of the tour would be the least rainy part of the day – even suggested a breakthrough in the clouds. I somehow convinced Bill to drive downtown, even though it was still raining. I usually just go with the flow, but this I wanted to do. And the rain kept coming down.

The rain kept coming down, albeit a little lighter than it had been earlier, but still a little messy for a walking tour. Then two blocks from the tour’s meeting spot, the rain let up and the sky brightened. God did arrange a little miracle just for me.

ENJOYING MY PERSONALIZED MIRACLE

Needless to say, we went on the tour and it was great. The guide was the entrepreneur who dreamed up the tour and he had other Tulsa tours he and his employees led. He’d cut his teeth as a tour guide in New York City and decided to bring his skill set to the South. It’s been a winner and now he’s expanding to other cities in Oklahoma. Tulsa Tours is who you want to book your tour with. Accept no substitutes!

He was so knowledgeable and entertaining that the tour was wonderful. Because it sprinkled on and off during the tour, the guide walked us through buildings whenever he could. We only got a little damp, instead of soaked by the steady rain of the morning.

Put this on your list for Tulsa. You’ll have a great time and you’ll know a whole lot more about Tulsa AND Art Deco architecture when you’re through.

UTICA SQUARE

Much of what we saw in Tulsa was very close together, near Downtown, which is why I’d first looked at hotels in that area. The short drive from Broken Arrow was no burden and we ended up with more money to spend on our next trip – a cruise to Greece and Turkey – but if you’re willing to spend the extra money, I recommend the Downtown area for your accommodations.

Each day on our way to whatever was on our list, we passed Utica Square. I’d read it was a great hub for shopping and dining. Driving by each day confirmed it was a busy area. So, after our walking tour, we decided it would be the right spot for dinner.

It was busy on a Saturday in the early evening. After lucking into a parking spot, we strolled around seeing what would take our fancy. Had it been a girls’ trip we would have definitely visited some of the lovely boutiques. We ended up trying our luck at Stonehorse and they squeezed us in, but if you go, which you should, I’d recommend reservations.

We got there right before the rush and it was obvious they had to do some shuffling to squeeze us in. I’d also have dressed a little nicer than the layers over jeans I’d worn on for the tour. The other patrons were obviously dressed up for a nice evening out. I felt underdressed.

I ordered a pork chop with butternut squash soup and baked apples. I’m not a big fan of butternut soup and I will not eat baked apples, but I adore pork chops and it was the most gluten free thing I could find on the menu. Surprisingly, it was all delicious and I ate so much I was stuffed.

HEADING HOME

I’ve already told you how we spent our last morning in Tulsa, taking in the Gardens at Philbrook Art Museum. We didn’t rush, but we were time conscious. In the end, we arrived at the airport a bit early and then to our dismay they started delaying our flight. The last entry in my journal lamented that it was already 4:09 and we were still waiting for them to announce boarding instructions. What a waste of time! There were other wishes on my Tulsa list and I could have squeezed a few more in.

Please come back next week and join me on another of my trips of a lifetime. This one a cruise on the Aegean Sea on Viking Vela.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Memory Keeping, Museums, TRAVEL, United States

Philbrook Art Museum & Gardens

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: A SPOOKY NIGHTTIME TOUR AT THE PHILBROOK

Welcome along on our long weekend visit to Tulsa. During the early hours of Friday we visited the sights of Woodward Park and had lunch at the Wildflower Cafe. After Bill’s nap (what would a vacation be without naps) we took off for the Philbrook. It was a little rainy and dark to enjoy the gardens, but we enjoyed the time in the museum. Come along!

PHILBOO!

We did not wake up one morning and say, “Let’s go to Tulsa for Halloween!” Halloween is not a big deal at our house and that just happened to be the weekend we didn’t have other commitments. In fact, Philboo, the museum’s Halloween event, was a bit of an inconvenience, because a museum or garden filled with screeching, running kids in costumes sounds like a bit of a nightmare to us.

My plan had been to go from the Sneedon Mansion to the Philbrook, see the garden that afternoon and enjoy the museum that evening, because the museum was supposed to belong to the kids Saturday. I didn’t realize we’d spend such a significant and wonderful time at Woodward Park attractions and then have naptime, but that’s how it played out.

I have no complaints about our visit to the Museum, but the bad weather made seeing the gardens a bit of a challenge. Friday night was Philboo for adults. Lots of costumed patrons, but no screeching and running, so it was no problem. Not your normal night at the museum, but nothing disruptive. We had a leisurely time enjoying the galleries of the museum and checking out the gift store.

THE MANSION & MUSEUM

The Phillips Mansion is gorgeous – yes, Phillips like the gasoline, but not the Phillips 66 brothers. Waite was an oilman, but he went a different direction than Frank and L.E., his older brothers. Doesn’t sound to me as if there were any losers. All the brothers did well, but Waite was a quieter, more behinds the scenes entrepreneur and perhaps the more successful. Certainly the more philanthropic. He built his mansion, lived there filling it with treasures for a while and then gave it and the art to the city of Tulsa.

Though there’s lots of nice pieces in the Philbrook, for me there were no showstoppers – pieces or artists I went specifically to see, or pieces that moved me spectacularly once I was there. For me, it was the mansion itself which was the real draw. Above is a sampling of the walls’ offerings, thanks to photos made by Bill.

THE GARDENS

During our Friday night visit, it was cold, wet and dark in the gardens. You could step out on the terrace, but there was not sufficient lighting to be able to see what the gardens held. I despaired of ever getting to see them, but I didn’t know exactly what to do about it.

Saturday was given over to the Art Deco Tour of Downtown, which I’ll tell you about next week. It was also the height of Philboo, so as much as I wanted to see it, I didn’t even suggest it.

Our flight back to Dallas was not until 2 on Sunday, but that meant we needed to get to the airport by noon. Bill’s not much for getting up early on vacation without a specific reason and didn’t know whether or not he’d think the Gardens were specific enough of a reason, but he got in gear on Sunday morning and off we went.

As a patron of the Dallas Arboretum I’m used to a garden that takes hours to see. I knew the Philbrook Gardens were less extensive. I think we arrived with about 45 minutes to spare and that turned out to be more than enough, because the gardens are much more compact. Unfortunately, the price was steep, at least compared to the $5 per person admittance we’d had on Friday night. We paid twenty each for our Sunday visit, because that’s the price. There’s no, I-just-want-the-gardens price or even a senior discount.

But it was worth it. You start just outside the mansion on a balcony and stroll down immaculate terraced gardens to a fountain. After the fountain is a pond surrounded by more haphazard gardening.

Then there’s the park like setting with the folly. Very Thomas Kincaid-ish.

The terraces, the pond and the folly are the main attractions and going back up to the balcony is as delightful as walking down the terraces to the folly.

There’s a kind of side garden with a pool and bathroom facilities, where I think they have concerts and events. As you can see, the weather was not great, but at least it was not pouring rain. We saw the gardens and I was happy.

So, that covers the Philmont Art Museum and the Gardens. I was not blown away by the art, but I think you should plan on seeing this place. It’s wonderful. Come back next week and we’ll go on a great tour of Downtown architecture.

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Museums, Music, TRAVEL, United States

Tulsa’s Terrific History Museum

Jane Sadek

THE MUSEUM OF TULSA HISTORY ROCKS WITH LEON

So, on this long weekend in Tulsa, I reluctantly went to the Tulsa History Museum expecting a ten minute stroll through a building full of junk and a segue to the next items on my list. Was I ever wrong! Come find out how wrong!

A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE BUILDING

From the exterior, this museum looks like Sneeden Mansion Part Deaux, because that’s exactly how it started it’s life – as a home for a Sneeden family member and the goal was to make the two home complimentary. In the actual Sneeden Mansion, efforts had been made to keep the charm of its original appearance. The Museum Building had been gutted and redesigned as a museum.

At the entry a charming volunteer was thrilled to have us visit on the damp & cold fall morning. I smiled sweetly and hoped she wouldn’t hear my stomach growl. We paid the admission price and picked up a map. As we walked away, she said the best place to start was in a room to her right and she warned us not to miss the Leon Russell exhibit in the lobby.

LEON RUSSEL!!!!

I think Leon Russell just might be one of the best pianist and song writers of my generation. Don’t think I know what I’m talking about. Ask Elton John. He’s in absolute awe of the guy. I swear tears came to my eyes and I wandered over to the exhibit like Eloi being summoned for dinner – as in to be dinner, not to have it. It was a religious experience for me.

Though Bill totally understands my admiration for the guy, he isn’t of the same mindset and after a few photos he was ready to check out that room to the right of the volunteer. The exhibits in that room immediately let us know we were not going to be looking at granny’s cast offs this morning. This was real history.

The Greenwood District, Black Wall Street and Remorseful Citizens

This gallery covered the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre – something none of my history books had covered – just as they failed to discuss what had happened in Oklahoma City in 1989. However, what happened in the Greenwood District of Tulsa in 1921 was of greater magnitude than anything I remember hearing about growing up in Georgia in the 60’s. It started over something petty and turned into a killing free-for-all. Tulsa was humiliated by her behavior and set out to do better. It’s a horrible event that engendered a gentler citizenry.

From this sad event, Tulsa History Museum goes on to be proud of what came out of this awful time. Though I’d been hungry when I walked in, I soon found myself fascinated by what the museum had to offer and my stomach quit growling. There were some cases showing off the gifts of various Oklahoman artists, such as Native American ballet dancers that were known to the world as The Five Moons. Perhaps the most fun was the wonderful collection of clothing and shoes, wonderful pieces, beautifully preserved and displayed!

PUT IT ON YOUR LIST

Now that I know, I can’t believe I almost missed one of my favorite things from the weekend. I would put it neat the top of MUST SEE’s in Tulsa. While in Woodward Park we did drop by the Teaching Barn, which is part of the Garden Center’s properties. It was the working barn of the Sneeden Family, but the best part was the garden behind it and somehow I left those pictures out of my albums. Not to worry, here are a couple!

Before we left the History Museum, I consulted with the marvelous volunteer who’d been so happy to see us at the beginning. We were looking for lunch, someplace special. Her answer was The Wildflower Cafe. We had to wait, but it was worth it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t exist anymore. They are moving downtown to a new location, but it makes me sad. I’m sure they’ll just improve everything, including the decor, which consisted of old needlepoint pictures, made from kits in the 70’s and 80’s. I know the dates, because some of the pieces were items I completed or at least started myself! Probably worth checking out if you go, but I can’t promise it will be as charming and delicious as I remember!

After lunch, Bill was ready for a nap. So, we planned to take in the Philmont that evening. Take a rest yourself and join me next week for the Philbrook!

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Museums, TRAVEL, United States

Tulsa’s Wonderful Woodward Park

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: SURPRISES AT SNEEDEN MANSION

Welcome to our long weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We got settled in Thursday evening after a difficult flight and lucked into all kinds of pleasantries on Friday. Come along and discover Tulsa’s Sneeden Mansion, their Garden Club Center and a great event space.

Taking Some Tulsa Time on Friday Morning

Being the early riser, I hit the very adequate gym at the Broken Arrow Towneplace Suites. No stretching chair and no rowing machine, but I made the most of the treadmill. I stopped at the free breakfast buffet to see if they realized there were gluten free people in the world and was pleasantly surprised to find a pretty decent breakfast. It wasn’t the freshly made waffles others were enjoying, but there was plenty and it was good.

Upstairs, Bill decided to make some coffee in the room, before he went down for breakfast. We’d already had maintenance up to the room for something the night before and with coffee flowing all over the counter and floor, we had to invite them in again. We saw them quite often over this weekend. They were always very nice, very quick and very accommodating, but who wants to spend their vacation with the maintenance personnel! Eventually, we got Bill some breakfast and got on the road.

Historic Mansion Turned Garden Club with a side of Rain

Going to Tulsa was not a spur of the moment kind of thing. I’d been lobbying for it for years. I heard about Philmont Art Museum & Gardens and knew immediately it would be the cornerstone for a great weekend. Then came the pandemic and other distractions. Finally, I was there.

During my research, I discovered while I could get into the Philbrook almost anytime, the access to what is now Tulsa’s Garden Center was limited. What had been the Sneeden Estate was now Woodward Park and the Sneeden Mansion was now the Garden Club inside said park. The Mansion was open to the public during certain hours each week, but they didn’t have tours and I don’t think very many people took them up on visiting, because they weren’t quite sure what to do with us.

An employee took us on a tour that was more like a sales appointment for an event, because apparently hosting catered events, like weddings and fundraisers, are the primary activity these days at the Garden Club. In fact, the Tulsa Garden Club was having a rummage sale there the very weekend we were there and members were feverishly setting up for the fundraiser.

All that aside, the mansion is a beautiful place. I’m sure the festivities hosted there are spectacular. I imagined splendid evenings with elegant ladies being swirled around the black and while tiled floor under the glorious chandeliers.

One of my favorite things was the his & hers powder rooms at either end of the elegant entry way. This reminded me of a similar arrangement in the entry way to the DeGolyer Mansion at the Dallas Arboretum. The library would have done Hogwarts proud. Downstairs there was an area custom designed for events with more testosterone.

While our designated tour guide was a little awkward at first, our fascination with the place won her over completely and we were fast friends by the time we left. She urged us to see the Conservatory just across the parking lot and warned us to be sure and see the Tulsa History Museum, which was just steps away and had been built by the Sweedens for a family member. Oh yes – and we shouldn’t miss the Teaching Barn either.

THE CONSERVATORY

There was no way we could miss the Conservatory with our new friend standing in the doorway of the mansion, to make sure we found it OK. Not that it would have been easy to miss the glass building with white frames. The central area had a pool and fountain. Various arms of the building created spokes around it. While impossible to miss, it was not particularly large in comparison to the spacious mansion it had been built to adorn.

We snapped a few pictures, while discussing whether or not to take in the History Museum. Now I’m usually all about history museums and I knew it was in Woodward Park, but nothing I’d read about it made me believe it was really worth a visit. Often history museums in smaller towns are just a place for people to drop off unwanted old stuff,

Bill said we were there, so we might as well see it. Most of the things I had on my list otherwise were gardens and this damp day was not exactly designed for garden visits. Bill was right. I had no idea what we would be missing if we’d blown it off. Come back next week and see what I meen.

Accommodations, Attractions, Restaurants & Bars, TRAVEL, Travel Planning, United States

Living on Tulsa Time

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: A LONG WEEKEND IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA

With Southwest voucher dollars still burning a hole in our pockets, I finally convinced Bill Tulsa, Oklahoma had some things we really needed to see. Book it Jane-O! And soon we were on our way. Come along for the fun!

GETTING THERE WAS NOT HALF THE FUN!

The voucher we got from Southwest for getting bumped off a flight in March has taught us one thing. Once we’ve used up these dollars, we’re not flying Southwest anymore, unless there is no other way besides, SW, Spirit or Frontier. All three have treated us dismally in the past and we’d have to draw straws if flying on them was required.

This is such a shame, because I have been a champion of Southwest for decades choosing them over everyone else whenever I could. Everything was great this time around, right up until moments before we were supposed to board. Suddenly, it was announced the flight would be late and we’d need to change gates. Herb Kelleher, you’d be rolling in your grave.

After waiting for our next airplane to show up, we played the new boarding pass game, which is really just a bid to get you to pay for a place at the head of the line. We don’t play that game, which means we end up with some interesting seating companions.

Bill won the lottery on this flight. He sat between two darling little old ladies who flirted with him the whole way. I grabbed a seat in the row ahead of him, the first row in the cabin, which had bodacious legroom. As excited as I was over the legroom I missed two things. The first being that I would not have access to my personal carryon and the other being the rather large guy sitting next to me, which was taking up half my seat. The carryon I got over with a little help from the flight attendant. Someone had scarfed up the overhead bin above me, which was supposed to be for my carryon. This issue was resolved.

As the flight took off, I realized I was a little cramped for space. The extra legroom did not make up for the fact that the guy next to me was a big guy, taking up a good portion of what I was supposed to be sitting in. It was pretty miserable, but at least it was only a 45 minute flight.

The luggage made it OK to Tulsa, our rental car was fine and soon we were on our way to our hotel…but Bill needed a hamburger and he needed it right then! This is one of my pet peeves for which I have no reasonable excuse, but we interrupted the “find the hotel” program, for a “find a hamburger” program and eventually made it to Townplace Suites by Marriott in Broken Arrow- adequate accommodations for this trip, but probably not in line for a repeat. Things were a little dated, even though it had been recently renovated, and Bill kept finding things that frustrated him.

WHY BROKEN ARROW?

If money were not an object, (which is usually is) I would have stayed right downtown Tulsa, in the middle of it all, but Tulsa is quite proud of her in-town accommodations. Broken Arrow was just minutes and many dollars away. So, that’s why we were there.

As a bonus, I’d read about Broken Arrow’s Rose District and thought it would be a good venue for our evening. It was actually a very cute, recently renovated, downtown and done quite well for a small suburban town. However, I don’t know that we selected the best option for food. Bill selected an Italian restaurant that turned out to be more wine bar than restaurant and gluten free was not something they were concerned about.

We first opted for the patio, but things were chillier than we anticipated, so we quickly moved inside, which was the last quick thing of the evening. The waitstaff was comprised of various members of the LGBT(etc.) community and they were a lot more interested in each other than they were anything as mundane as a heterosexual married couple dining in their establishment. I ate some short-rib stuffed mushrooms, which turned out to be delicious, but too small for a meal and I hadn’t had one of Bill’s burgers, so I ordered some fries and waited for what seemed like forever to top off my growling stomach.

The next morning things got much better – if a little damp – so I’ll invite you back for next week!

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

Chillin’ on Navarre Beach

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: THE BEACH IN BETWEEN

Our friends live in Pensacola, but we wanted some time on our own. Bill thought he wanted to stay in Destin. I knew we didn’t want to stay in Destin. What were our options? I’d been to a travel show in Dallas and Navarre Beach showed up in a big way, offering free turquois sunglasses and promising Florida’s Most Relaxing Place. I was sold. Let’s go!

The Quiet Rhythm of Navarre Beach

Navarre Beach kept it’s promise. I can’t imagine a more relaxing place. We rented a place in Sand Castle Townhomes. Somehow both Vacasa and VRBO were involved in the transaction which I started on Expedia. This short term rental stuff is still new to me. We stayed in #18, which called itself a two story townhome, but that’s only because they don’t want you thinking about the first floor where the car is parked. So, the first thing we did was drag our luggage up two flights of stairs.

Sand Castle Townhomes is an older complex, but everything in #18 was brand spanking new. My biggest complaint is that the primary bedroom didn’t have an en suite bath, but I’m healthy, so a few more steps didn’t hurt me and the huge closet in our room was an asset. There’s a pool we didn’t use, but we loved the gazebo and pier behind the complex.

Our days there, for the most part, consisted of hanging out in the townhome for most of the day and then walking on the beach as the sun began to set. We loved our evening beach strolls. White sugar sand and emerald waters – what could be better. And we celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary there, so that made it even more special.

Our Day Trip Fails

I don’t beach well. It’s too sedentary for me. I don’t want to cook in the sand and I don’t want to play in the water. Bill doesn’t like the heat either and if he’s playing in the water, he’d rather be in a pool.

So, I planned a couple of expeditions, one of which failed spectacularly and the other was meh. Warning, there are two parks with similar names in Florida which feature activities in crystal clear spring lakes. There’s Ponce de Leon Springs, a small park for swimming in the Florida Panhandle and another one, De Leon Springs is 500 miles away. The one that’s 500 miles away has kayaks, canoes and paddle boats, as well as pontoon boat cruises.

Do I need to tell you that I took us to Ponce de Leon Springs, thinking we were going to get to do all the stuff they have a De Leon Springs? That was a major disappointment. So, we tried to google up another kayaking adventure, but when we got to Defuniak Springs the kayak rental business was defunct.

So, we headed to Destin instead. It was an interesting field trip and before it was over Bill agreed with me, that I had been right to avoid staying in Destin. It’s a parking lot for a crowded beach. That evening we were very happy to stroll our quiet, beautiful Navarre Beach.

Another day we went back to Destin to see if we missed anything. We went to Harborside Market, an entertainment complex with a $20 parking lot. Bill drove around until he found someplace he could park for free (by a small cemetery) and I’m glad, because our visit was not worth $20. We drove around a little more, didn’t find anything of interest and headed back to Navarre.

Juana’s Pagodas and Other Adventures

Navarre Beach’s answer to the Flora-Bama Bar is Juana’s Pagoda. The complex has several dining venues and bars, a beach and water sport rentals. We had a great breakfast there one morning and somehow got hooked up for a free boat ride, which was a lot of fun. Had I been there on my own or with other travelers, I might have spent a whole lot more time there, but it didn’t ring Bill’s chimes.

The best place to eat in the area is Dewey Destin’s. The food was marvelous and their beachside tables were even better! The Navarre location is relatively new and is on the mainland rather than the channel island where our townhome was. Unfortunately, we didn’t find it until rather later in our stay. After our great lunch there, we showed up for dinner the next day, but they closed a lot earlier than we anticipated.

Another popular spot in Navarre Beach is Andy D’s and it’s hopping most of the time, probably from the lack of other options, because the food is mediocre. So, for most of our stay in Navarre, we either had fast food or made do with groceries we’d stocked in the townhome.

Perhaps one of the more entertaining ways I killed time, until we could have our evening stroll on the beach, was to attend a beachside church service. There was a little music and then an evangelist got up to teach. Well, let’s just say he was not my style. He was a whole lot to the right of me in his political leanings, so that should tell you something scary. He also spent a whole lot of time bragging on himself for having these services and cataloging all the rough souls he had saved along the way. After an hour and a half, I’d had enough. It sure made me appreciate my own church!

We found other ways to enjoy ourselves during the long days, besides laying around the townhouse with me reading the books I found in a drawer and Bill working endless sudoku puzzles. One day we went to some open houses to check out the local real estate and I’ve already mentioned the gazebo and pier behind our complex. We spent a good amount of time out there Another day we visited the Spring Hill Suites Hotel, because it was the only hotel or motel there was. Our friends came over from Pensacola to check things out one day. Lazy, relaxing days.

However, when it was time to head home we were just about lazy-day-ed out. We were eager to get back to our lives. We suffered some of the usual slings and arrows of travel, like the rudest TSA agent I’d ever encountered, but otherwise it was an easy trip home.

So, would I go back to Navarre Beach? In a heartbeat, but I’d be better prepared with ways to entertain and feed myself during the long, hot parts of the day. Otherwise, perfect.

Attractions, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL

Tourists in Pensacola

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: A SMORGASBOARD OF PENSACOLA

From Historic Downtown Pensacola to the Flora-Bama Bar, my friend made sure I didn’t leave P-Cola without seeing the highlights. She didn’t hide the fact that she’d love to see us multiple times a year, instead of every once in awhile, so she pulled out all the stops.

The Driving Tour

Hunger problem solved, my friend drove us to Downtown Pensacola. They’ve done a great job of preserving the quaintness of the past. Row upon row of restaurants and shops beckoned, but we were just enjoying a drive by.

From there my friend took us to some of the more distinctive neighborhoods and showed us how people live in P-Cola. We got the impression she was interested in having us do more than visit.

Then we got serious about what would be for dinner and she took us to an amazing fish market called Joe Patty’s. What started as a guy selling fresh fish off the dock has turned into an institution dearly loved by P-Colers. Inside there’s a long ice filled counter offering every kind of fish and sea thing you can possibly imagine. Over to the side is a shop with spices of every variety and all kinds of gadgets and souvenirs. The lobster tank towards the back had some of the biggest monsters you can imagine trying to figure out how to climb out of the tank. If you want, they’ll steam your seafood right on the spot and take the work out of it, but my friend is an amazing cook, so we were glad she took the fresh fish home and made us an incredible meal.

The Story of the Flora-Bama

Yea, many long years ago a guy bought a huge piece of land near the border of Florida and Alabama. He had a vision that started with a package store virtually out in the middle of nowhere. That package store is still there and you can pick up some iced down brews to take home, but there’s also the kingdom of Flora-Bama.

The Flora-Bama bar itself is a huge wandering building that had to be created by a drunk carpenter – a carpenter that stayed drunk for decades. There might be a rhyme or reason to it, but it didn’t make much sense to me. There are beachside bars and dune side bars and inside bar and patios and dance floors and stages and who knows what all. There’s one room decorated with abandoned bras hung across crossed lines over the bar, as well as hanging off everything else in the room.

The Flora-Bama Bar is most famous for its annual mullet toss. I’m not going to try to explain it to you, but my friend tells me there is not a bare spot on the beach to stick your toe on mullet toss weekend.

But there’s more to the Flora-Bama than the bar and the package store. There are a number of other bars and restaurants all around with the Flora-Bama brand and all of them are pouring money into the pockets of that guy who bought the land and built the package store.

My friend likes the Flora-Bama Yacht Club best of what’s available, so that’s where we started our Flora-Bama tour. It really was a nice place to put your feet in the sand and enjoy a cold one of some sort. I had one of their signature drinks called a Bushwacker. They won’t tell you what’s in it, they say, “think of it as an adult milkshake.” It was interesting, but my drinking is either wine or margaritas, so I’m not the one to ask.

After our Bushwackers we strolled across the street and made our way around and through the original bar. I can tell I’m getting old, because I had no desire to be there for the mullet toss and I agreed with my friend that the Yacht Club was more our style.

The next morning we hung out a while, having breakfast and taking a dip in their pool. Then we headed for the next portion of our vacation. Come back next week and we’ll go to Navarre Beach.

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Museums, Performing Arts, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Off Into the Blue with the Angels

Jane Sadek

Making Memories: Let’s Go Fast!

The Blue Angels are the ace performance team of the Navy’s pilots. They call Pensacola home and Pensacola is proud to claim them. We got the insiders version of their Wednesday morning practice run. Come along for the fun!

Soaring with the Blue Angels

My friend lives about 10 minutes from the air base where the Blue Angels fly, but she never gets tired of watching them. When I told her we were coming, she immediately suggested we go. I was concerned she was tired of seeing them, because everyone who visits must want to go. I had the same situation living close to Hearst Castle, but whereas I got very tired of seeing the same thing over and over again, my friend relishes the opportunity to spend a morning with the Blue Angels and she knows all the tricks.

She got us there in time to get a front row seat. We perched on the edge of the runway and enjoyed the antics of the volunteers as they provided pre-show entertainment. They probably wouldn’t call it that, but they’re so excited about their angels and have so much good information that waiting for the show is no burden. We did take turns going to the souvenir shop and viewing the many planes on display around the air field, but nothing was as entertaining as the volunteer in our section as she shared with us what to expect and how to watch her angels.

Then the jets took off, but there is no describing the show. You are so close to the jets. They make such a roar. The pilots do such amazing things you’d think the jets were merely toys in the hands of a playful god, but these are human beings driving humongous vehicles through the sky and they seem to come within a hair’s breadth of one another time and time again. We were awestruck from beginning to end.

Naval Air Museum

As if we hadn’t been wowed enough, after the show my friend ushered us into Naval Air Museum. A year before we’d spent a whole day at The Museum of Flight and in some ways it was more spectacular, but in comparison, the Naval Air Museum is no less interesting. We wandered through the space awestruck, looking at the wide variety of airplanes and jets. I was particularly interested in some displays they had concerning the training Navy pilots undergo. It’s not a job for the light of heart.

As interesting as it was, we finally had to give in to our growling stomachs. We’d had a nice breakfast spread at my friend’s home, but sitting out in the sun, enduring the power and excitement of the show and then wandering around the museum had used up all our calories. We made our way to the nearest Mickey D’s where I got a milkshake I’d been craving for days. The others celebrated their lack of aversion to gluten and ate Big Macs. Ah, I remember Big Macs.

There was more sightseeing to come, but join us next week for our tour of Pensacola and the Flora-Bama!