Lifestyle Blog – Page 45

ART, DESTINATIONS, Museums, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States, WRITING

Starting Off on the Wrong Foot

November 3, 2015October 30, 2015 Jane Sadek

AT HOME IN HEATH: THE TRIP WITH NO NAME STARTED OUT ON THE WRONG FOOT

It’s not unusual for someone to go on a long weekend to brighten their outlook on life, but along with failing to inspire me to come up with a better name than The Trip With No Name, things seemed destined to get more frustrating for this recent road trip.

Booking a Room

After I ordered tickets for Living Proof in Wichita, KS, I sort of ignored the hotel information in my confirmation packet. I’m such a huge fan of Expedia and Trip Advisor that I assumed I’d be able to get a great room at a bargain price which would blow away the conference’s negotiated deals. I was wrong.

What’s worse is that my assumption led me to put off making my reservations. I mean really, who was going to go all the way to Wichita for a Bible Study? Well, it turns out thousands and thousands of ladies from all 50 States were going to make their way to the city and thousands more were going to watch on simulcast.

But I didn’t know that, so I waited until about a month before the conference before I finally sat down and researched rooms in Wichita. I quickly found out that the conference had negotiated some pretty amazing deals, but I also found out most of them were already booked. My first inclination was to find a room within walking distance of the arena. Total fail. Then I cast my net further. I ended up getting the conference rates, but they were at a DoubleTree at the airport. Not the end of the world, but not exactly my vision for the weekend either.

An Exciting Invitation

As I continued my planning for Wichita, I received an invitation to a media event from one of the local museums. I’ve been blogging about local attractions for quite awhile now, but until recently I hadn’t made it to their media list. I have a few publicist in New York and Chicago who send me invitations from time to time, but my budget doesn’t exactly cover flights to the Big Apple or the Windy City. Gas to the Dallas Arts District is much more affordable. Since Deb and I weren’t leaving until after she got off from work, I’d have plenty of time to pop by the museum and write the article, right? Well, not exactly.

A Mixed Up Week

I don’t exactly live in a rut, but I do seem to get along better when things happen according to routine. The week of the trip had nothing routine about it. Monday was a holiday and my videographer client was having a picnic for all of us who work for him. It was just the beginning of a strange week. Tuesdays are the day I usually go into the videographer’s office, but Bill was having dental surgery, so I went in on Wednesday instead. As I pulled into the garage Wednesday afternoon I had the realization that in a mere 24 hours I’d be picking up my bestie and we’d be heading north. I hadn’t even thought about what I was going to wear and I hadn’t done the laundry either. It was going to be a long evening. At least I’d picked up sushi on the way home, so I didn’t have to fix dinner.

Dinner was easy, but other things challenged me. Things like my dog, who chose that particular day to have gooped up eyes. And things like the certified letter notification that had been in the mail. Those never have good news, so I promised Bill I would go by the post office on the way to the museum. It should have been easy. The media event didn’t start until ten. It would be a cakewalk – right?

Good Morning Meltdown

I’m an early riser. On the morning of the trip I was in my office about 5:30, even though I’d been up late getting ready to leave. The first thing I did was open up my email. As I perused the inbox, it seemed as if an email from my husband was the most important item, so I clicked on it. Suddenly, a weird article about some celebrity opened up. At first, I assumed I had just clicked the wrong thing, but it was quickly apparent that something was seriously wrong.

My husband is not an early riser. At 5:45 he would not have welcomed a hysterical bedside visit, so I ran Norton while I tried to work around the fact that I had no computer. I did have the laptop from work, but it’s not optimized for all of my sites and passwords, nor is it synched to my printer. So I limped along hoping everything would be alright.

Norton got through at just about the same time my husband woke up, but I had a sneaky suspicion Norton had not killed the beast on my drive. A few clicks confirmed my fears. Then, I broke one of the sacred laws of our house. I told Bill about my problem before he had his coffee. Then I spent the next hour or so trying to get ready to leave while I coached Bill through saving my computer.

Things only got more interesting, but I’ll tell you more about it next week.

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

The Trip with No Name

October 28, 2015October 23, 2015 Jane Sadek

Hibiscus, Myriad Botanical Garden & Conservatory, Oklahoma City OK — And where did we find this in Oklahoma City?

TRAVEL THERE: THE TRIP WITH NO NAME, OKLAHOMA CITY AND WICHITA

It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. I was in a funk. The funk had been building for a long time and wouldn’t seem to go away. I kept trying to think up things that would make it disappear, with little success. My usual chipper mood would bob to the surface from time to time, but I couldn’t shake off the funk. I even thought about going to Mastermind, a motivational event I used to attend back in my real estate days. If anything from my real estate days seems desirable, that means I am in bad shape. That’s when I got the email from Lifeway. Beth Moore was having an event in Wichita, Kansas. Certainly that would beat a real estate seminar!

I Love Beth Moore

If you are a real estate agent I thoroughly recommend Brian Buffini’s coaching system to you and Mastermind is a wonderful event. But I hated real estate, in spite of the fact that I was making more money than I’d ever made in my life. So wanting to go to Mastermind was a weird thing.

On the other hand, I love Beth Moore. She’s a Bible teacher from down Houston way and she gets me. I can’t think of any other way to put it. She’s real, she’s honest and she’s transparent. Her Bible teaching is well researched and well prayed-over. Her teaching gets inside me and squishes around on my private places. Then she makes me do something about all those things I was trying to ignore in the first place. After all that uncomfortable stuff I feel much better. What I love most about her is that she keeps me laughing all the time she’s squishing around in my hidden sins.

I Love My Husband

Bless his heart, he was completely over my funk. He’d sent me off to San Antonio not so long ago and I came back worse than I’d been. He knew I needed something, and he didn’t think it was Mastermind, but he was willing to send me. When I found out about the Beth Moore Event he was like, “Go! Please go. Do something anything to help me get my wife back.” Oh and he wanted me to take my bestie with me.

I Love My Bestie

“Hey, Bestie! How would you like to drive six hours to Wichita, Kansas, spend all day closed up in an arena and then drive six hours back home?” How could anyone resist an invitation like that?

And here’s why I love my bestie. The answer was yes and she wanted to stop in Oklahoma City to visit the Chihulys at the art museum there. I’d told her about them years ago, before I even started blogging, and she’d been looking for an opportunity ever since.

The Trip with No Name was launched. We left on a Thursday after work, spent the night in Oklahoma City and then drove on to Wichita. We stuffed all the fun we could have into those three days and when it’s Deb and me, we can do a lot of stuffing. Come along over the next few weeks and I’ll share the good times with you.

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

More Margaritas Before Fiesta Noche del Rio

August 5, 2015August 13, 2015 Jane Sadek

Buckhorn Saloon & Museum, San Antonio TX — Souvenir of another trip to San Antonio

TRAVEL THERE: JUST A COUPLE MORE SAN ANTONIO MARGARITAS BEFORE THE SHOW

After the Margaritas at the Menger Bar, we took ourselves on a tour of the Menger Hotel lobby. They have extensive displays related to the history of the hotel and you can tell from the architecture she’s a grande olde dame of the accommodations world. If you like staying in historic hotels, which I usually do, I’m sure it’s quite a treat, but I’ll be staying at the Contessa for the foreseeable future.

Touring the Menger Hotel

The front of the Menger is graced with a collection of retail establishments. The antique store, which looked amazing, was closed, but we did go into a toy soldier store and an exotic trinket store. When I say toy soldiers, I’m not talking plastic bags of green army men. I’m talking historically-correct, hand-painted metal soldiers. A chapter of Deb’s life is tied to these interesting collectibles, so we usually stroll through establishments that sell them. The exotic trinket store offered interesting junk that has nothing to do with San Antonio, but it was filled with marvelous aromas and Deb found a bracelet she liked.

Dinner at Casa Rio

Our next stop was dinner and for that we went to one of my favorite places, Casa Rio. I’m not going to tell anyone that it’s the best Mexican Food in San Antonio, but it’s still on on my list of favorites. There is something about sitting there on the Riverwalk, drinking Margaritas, eating Tex-Mex and listening to live Mariachis. I’m sure there are several places to do that along the Riverwalk, but this was the first place to offer it a very, very long time ago and it’s one of my San Antonio traditions, just like pictures of The Alamo.

I have to scold them a little bit though, the Margarita was awful, even though we paid a dollar extra to get the premium tequila. Shame on Casa Rio! The food was great though and we are grateful to each person that paid the Mariachis for a song, because we sure as heck weren’t going to fork over $20!

Every time I go to San Antonio I’m reminded of all the things I want to do there that I haven’t quite gotten around to. The Casa Rosa dinner boats are on that list. You need the minimum of ten people to reserve a dinner boat to ply through the waters of the Riverwalk as you eat your tostadas and tamales. I guess that’s a pretty silly thing to want to do, but there you have it, I’m a sucker for a party. I think I’m going to serve Caronas on my boat though. I’m still upset about our awful Margaritas!

Buckhorn Saloon, Museum, Arcade etc. etc. etc.

With dinner out of the way, there was just time to squeeze in one more thing. Deb had gone to the Menger Bar for me, so I wanted to get to the Buckhorn Saloon for her. It was one place she mentioned having an interest in. Now if you’d wanted to visit the original Buckhorn back in 1881, according to my official Centennial edition of their souvenir book, you would have gone to Dolorosa Street. The bar would have been right across the street from the old Southern Hotel.

When I first the Buckhorn, sometime around its Centennial, it was out at the Lone Star Brewery, which is now the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA). When the SAMA took over, the Buckhorn had to find a new home. So nowadays, you’ll find it right around the corner from the Majestic Theater, just a hop, skip and a jump from the Riverwalk.

The Buckhorn establishment now has a very long name, because it houses two different museums, a saloon and an arcade, but when Deb and I arrived, the museums had closed for the day and the bar wasn’t yet patronized by the evening crowd. Nonetheless, Deb and I ordered up Margaritas (for the sake of research you understand) and made ourselves at home in the virtually empty bar.

Memories, Margaritas and Rattlesnake Tails

Buckhorn Saloon, Rattle Tail Art, San Antonio TX — Rattler Tail Art from the Footnotes of the Buckhorn Souvenir Book

As we sat there comparing notes about our previous visits to the Buckhorn over the years, we agreed the museum part of the Buckhorn is a treat for kids – particularly the rattler tail art. I started my visits to the Buckhorn when I was knee-high to a Longhorn steer and Deb brought her sons when they were young. The whole Texas Ranger thing we can’t attest to. We think the Texas Ranger Museum in Waco is the place to go for history of that sort, but you’ll have to follow up on that, because it was now time for the show.

Come back next week and find out about the best $15 dollars we each spent in San Antonio – and it wasn’t on Margaritas.

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

The Alamo & Menger Bar

July 29, 2015August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

Arneson River Theater, Riverwalk, San Antonio TX — San Antonio’s Arneson River Theater

TRAVEL THERE: THE ALAMO AND MENGER BAR IN SAN ANTONIO, TX

As soon as we moved in to the Hotel Contessa and got our ducks in a row, we hit the Riverwalk. First stop: Arneson River Theater to buy tickets for Fiesta Noche del Rio.

Fun Along the Riverwalk

It’s not very often that buying tickets rates as part of the fun, but then it’s not everyday that you’re buying tickets on the Riverwalk for the Alamo Kiwanas Fiesta Noche del Rio.

Deb and I enjoy life as if we were still the twenty-somethings we were when we met. We strolled over to the theater and found a cute Kiwanas guy selling tickets along the Riverwalk, just as their advertisement had promised. By the way, the advertisement promised they would be selling tickets. It said nothing about cute guys. We just got lucky.

Neither Deb or I have any use for any guys (on a permanent or even semi-permanent basis), because our husbands are more than enough (thank you very much). But if you’ve got to buy some tickets anyway, it’s nice to do so from a personable young man who also happens to be cute.

He was probably young enough to be a child of either one of us, but we won’t go there. As he rattled off the price of the tickets, he mentioned that seniors got $5 off regular admission. We asked what age made you a senior. Thankfully, he looked at us as if to say, “Not any age either one of you will be any time soon,” but what he actually said was, “No gentleman asks a lady her age. If you’re willing say you’re seniors then that’s good enough for me.” When we revealed our actual ages he remained incredulous, so he was immediately became one of our favorite people – but we did get the tickets for $15 instead of $20.

Visiting The Alamo

The Alamo, Riverwalk, San Antonio TX — And there she is – The Alamo!

The show would start at 8:30 so we still had hours and hours to fill. We decided to head over to the Alamo. Deb had a friend who said a relative of hers was in a picture on the Gift Shop wall. We also felt somewhat obligated to go take a picture. It’s like a rite of passage each time you visit San Antonio.

The landmark was about to close for the day, so we high-tailed it to the gift shop, but they must have remodeled since the Alamo defender’s descendant last visited. No historical photographs were displayed in the gift shop.

Margaritas at the Menger

With the obligatory picture in our cameras, we decided to hit the Menger Bar for some Margaritas. Now the Menger Bar is another of those spots I’ve wished to visit, but I never talked anyone else into it. “You mean it’s just an old bar?”, I’ve been asked several times. Well, nanny nanny poo poo, Deb and I went and we had fun. The proximity of the bar to the Alamo and the prospect of margaritas, probably had as much to do with Deb’s cooperative nature as anything else, but who am I to complain about getting what I want.

Tom and Lula Mae on their 50th wedding anniversary.

See, the Menger Bar is not just any old bar. It’s been around for a very long time. Notable figures ranging from Robert E Lee and Theodore Roosevelt to Lillie Langtry and Mae West have sidled up to the Menger Bar to wet their whistle. It’s most famous for Teddy Roosevelt using it as a recruiting station for the Spanish American War, but it’s also the place where barbed wire got its start. I’m partial to the Teddy Roosevelt story, because my grandfather, Thomas Byron Mobley, fought in that altercation and Lula Mae, his wife, was the last one to receive widow benefits from that war. A senator showed up one day to give my grandmother the check in person, but I don’t think Tom signed up down in San Antonio. At least not that I’ve heard.

All that being said, the bar is a small dark hole in the wall with low ceilings and some historical memorabilia spread around. It was great for people-watching, because several large family groups were there scarfing down their evening meals. I can assure you the toddler who was so entertaining didn’t know or care about Teddy or Tom. The bar also had a GREAT Margarita. Perhaps the best we had the whole time we were there. Certainly the best on that particular night.

Well, I’ve about worn out my welcome for the day, but it’s still not time to go see Fiesta Noche del Rio. Come back next week for a tour of a few more Margaritas before the show.

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

On the Road Again – San Antonio Stroll

June 17, 2015August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: SAN ANTONIO STROLL

Any day I’m traveling is a good day. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good hair day. Looking in the mirror for the first time that morning was a startling experience. Maybe I should have just washed my hair again, but instead I decided a few hot rollers would do the trick.

bad hair day, heath TX — The taming of Big Hair!

On the Road Again

Bad hair aside, I was almost giddy at the prospect of traveling. Deb texted she was on her way, so I stacked my luggage outside the garage and went about those last minute things you have to do before you leave home for several days. Hubby was going to be there, so I didn’t have quite as many to do. He’d keep the home fires burning.

My partner-in-crime arrived. We loaded up the car, took a few photos and headed south. The first stop was a brief one in Waco. No sightseeing, even though Waco is a great little town for that. Just a little restroom break, a morning snack and a some gas – then we were back on the road.

The morning snack was pretty darned good. I don’t usually go to Burger King, but it was convenient. Deb had some kind of coffee concoction that was really more like a chocolate shake with a little coffee flavoring. Since we decreed nothing we ate during the weekend would have any calories, I had a cinnamon roll.

Dining and Shopping in Round Rock

Mimi's Cafe, Round Rock TX — Cousin Brenda and the sneaky ‘fro. It’s trying to make a comeback!

Next stop was lunch with my Cousin Brenda in Round Rock. The city’s biggest claim to fame is that it’s just north of Austin, but they also have a pretty good outlet mall. We met Brenda at Mimi’s Cafe.

Can you say Cinnamon Spice Muffin? When they said Cinnamon Spice, I thought Spice Cake, but am I ever glad the waitress set me straight, because I almost opted for a Blueberry Muffin. Instead, out came this amazing pastry filled with walnuts and dusted with cinnamon sugar. My official entree, which was delicious, was a chicken crepe, but the muffin stole the show.

With Round Rock Premium Outlet Mall just next door, we should at least drop by right? We’d thought about making a sight-seeing stop or two down in Austin, but Brenda said the traffic wasn’t worth it. She told us about a new toll road and said we should be headed south by three. That only left us an hour and a half, so we shopped with some very good luck.

This year has been so crazy that even though my bestie gave me a handful of gift cards to Bath and Body Works for Christmas, I had never gotten around to using them. Since this was the first store we saw, I whipped out my cards and went to town. I love my daily bubble bath, but I usually opt for whatever bubbles I can find in the grocery store. The gift cards allowed me to stock up on all kinds of amazing scents the grocery store will never smell.

A few more steps down the sidewalk a few steps were a pair of my favorite clothing stores, Jones of New York and Kasper. The good news was the great sale they were having. The bad news? It was a store-closing sale – and not just those stores, all the JNY and Kasper outlet stores. I can’t tell you how much of my wardrobe comes from those two outlet stores.

Apparently, someone bought them and decided to get out of the outlet business, to focus on their department store business. That makes me sad, because I am not a department store shopper. I really don’t need any clothes because I still haven’t worn everything I inherited from Mom and Aunt Edie, so I don’t hang out in department stores. I’ll visit an outlet mall, because it’s less hassle and I find real bargains on clearance. Every once and a while I’ll stop by and find a few items at give-away prices to keep my look fresh or to replace something I’ve worn to thread-barrenness. Kasper and JNY have been two of my favorites, I guess because they were favorites of Mom and Aunt Edie.

I did virtually steal a navy blue sundress and a sweater set, because the prices were jaw-dropping. If you have an outlet mall near by, run over there and check out the savings. Gorgeous stuff, great prices.

The hour and a half we had for shopping disappeared into the plastic bags hanging on our arms, so it was time to go. We hugged my cousin’s neck and took her toll road to San Antonio. Come back next week and I’ll tell you all about our interesting stay at an not so marvelous hotel bargain.

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

Cannery Row on Monterey Bay CA

November 26, 2014August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

Shopping Cannery Row,Monterey Bay, Monterey CA — This almost came home with us from Monterey Bay

TRAVEL THERE: CANNERY ROW ON MONTEREY BAY

Monterey Bay is one of my favorite destinations and Cannery Row is one of the reasons. Whatever you like to do, you’ll find ways to entertain yourself.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

If you’ve never been to Cannery Row, then the Aquarium should be at the top of your list. We’ve been many times, but on this visit to the area, we were short on time. Still, you should go, because but kids of all ages (including Baby Boomers and the Greatest Generation) will be fascinated by the amazing exhibits, including the one of a kind otter tank.

The John Steinbeck Factor

Had John Steinbeck never lived in Monterey, it would still be a beautiful place to visit. However, his novel Cannery Row, added to the area’s mystique and helped make it the destination it is today. To completely appreciate the Steinbeck factor, it’s well worth the drive over to Salinas for a visit to the National Steinbeck Center – especially since it’s not far away. In fact, here’s an itinerary you might enjoy for a three-day Steinbeck Immersion Weekend.

Shopping Cannery Row

Two words: Outlet Mall. I love them and Cannery Row has one. It’s called American Tin Cannery and it’s across the street from the Aquarium. But that’s only the beginning. The whole area if rife with shopping opportunities. Truth be told, a lot of these opportunities are just tourist traps filled with junk.

Two shops, Turkish Fine Jewelry and Fine Art Turkish Grand Bazaar, were new to us and they were also exceptions to the tourist trap trend. I know, the names of the shops are less than creative, but OMG what gorgeous things they have inside. I’d give you a link, but they don’t have websites! And I’ll tell you this too: Don’t judge the places by their exteriors. Without Bill I wouldn’t have walked into either one and that would have been my loss.

We stepped into the jewelry store first. The pieces in the window were out-of-this-world gorgeous. GORGEOUS! Not your usual stuff. Exotic, but not so weird you wouldn’t wear it. Frankly, I wanted one of everything I saw in the window, but I knew I couldn’t afford any of them. I was glad Bill wanted to see more, even though we weren’t going to buy anything. The decor of the store is pretty boring compared to what’s in the showcases. What I’m saying is that this is not one of your premiere shopping experiences, but if you’re looking for beautiful jewelry, it’s the right place.

Along one wall they display hand-crafted mosaic chandeliers – jewelry for your home. I’m sure the proprietor could tell we weren’t serious jewelry prospects, but he quickly picked up on the fact that we might buy a chandelier. He and Bill chatted for a bit. That’s how we found out about the Grand Bazaar across the street. It’s owned by the same people.

As I said, the jewelry store was not exactly a premiere shopping destination, but the bazaar looked like a place I would avoid altogether. The front of the store was crowded with cheap imported knick-knacks, but they did have dozens of the beautiful mosaic chandeliers, so in we went. Ignore the chotckies! This place is a treasure trove. Stunning pottery, unique clothing, hand-embroidered boots!! I loved it. Bill got me in there and without his restraining influence I would have broken the bank.

In the end we left empty-handed. Bill couldn’t negotiate the owner down far enough on the chandeliers to justify carrying them all the way back to Dallas and I really didn’t need another pair of boots. But my-oh-my, did I ever want a pair, and about four of the outfits, and several of the plates, and some jewelry, and…well, you get the drift.

(Psssst! Dallasites! Since this trip Bill and I discovered Another Place & Time at The Shops at Legacy in Plano. They don’t much of a website either, but they do have a facebook page and they do have the same kind of gorgeous stuff the Monterey store has, though they’re in no way related. The store has been in the mall for a while now, but it didn’t used to have all this cool stuff. They also just moved off Bishop, but I promise, it will be worth the effort to find them.)

Did Someone Say Lunch?

It’s amazing how long we lingered in the store admiring the chandeliers, but eventually hunger pangs overwhelmed our urge to buy. I’ll tell you about that next week.

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Where to Stay on Monterey Bay

November 19, 2014August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE; BEST ACCOMMODATIONS ON MONTEREY BAY

Did you miss me? Yes, I know I said I’d be back in a week, but for the last month or so, life has been interesting. I’ll save the details for another post. Now let’s hit the road! The Pacific Coast Highway to be exact.

Heavenly Highway One

This Texas girl wasn’t crazy about life in California. During the six years I lived there, all I wanted to do was move back to Dallas. Now that I hang my hat in the Lone Star State, I do love visiting my old West Coast stomping grounds. Even though I didn’t love living there, I appreciate the scenery – especially on Highway One.

Every mile of the PCH is remarkable, but some miles are more remarkable than others. My favorite bit hugs Monterey Bay. When I lived on the Central Coast we would frequently drive the shorter inland route to Monterey and then return via the glorious Pacific Coast Highway. If we had to, we could make it home in time for bed – but we didn’t always hurry home.

Rooms By The Beach

One of our favorite places to stay back in the day was the Marina Dunes Resort. The resort has changed hands and is now called Sanctuary Beach Resort. The reviews suggest that it’s even better than it used to be. So, if you’re inspired to visit Highway One, Sanctuary Beach Resort would be a good place to start.

We love it because it’s very different from your usual hotel experience. When you check in, you’re assigned your own golf cart. You see, cars aren’t allowed down by the sandy beach where the rooms are. I have fond memories of those golf carts. On bright sunny days they’re a blessing, but they can also be a curse.

One night we arrived quite late and it was cold, rainy and windy. Thankfully we found the logistics of it all hysterical. We were drenched as we loaded the luggage from the car into the golf cart. Then we maneuvered the less than powerful cart through the thick darkness, because lights are frowned upon down at the beach, also. Had it been our first visit, we might have given up and moved to the Holiday Inn, but we knew what was waiting for us.

The rooms at the resort are elegant and comfortable – fireplaces, french doors to the beach and luxurious linens. One of those places where you’re tempted to just live in your room. On the cold, rainy, windy night we were also hungry and the weather discouraged going very far. So, we decided to eat at the hotel’s restaurant, which was all the way back up the hill near registration.

The golf cart almost didn’t make it. It was going so slow that Bill actually got out and pushed, while I kept my foot on the gas and steered. The hotel was all apologies when we finally got to registration and assigned us a new cart. That might have been the same stay where we woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of a beach creature wandering around in our dresser.

If we still love the place, in spite of the faulty golf cart and the midnight invader, you can imagine how wonderful the place is. We’ve also stayed at the Holiday Inn in Seaside, just a few miles from the Sanctuary Beach Resort. The budget accommodations reminded us that you really do get what you pay for.

More Rooms By The Beach

This trip we didn’t stay in Marina or Seaside, because it was too early in the day and we were on a tight schedule – not so tight we couldn’t drop by Cannery Row. We love Cannery Row. Author John Steinbeck made it famous, but I doubt he’d recognize it today. The sardine canning facilities have been “re-purposed” and the whole area has been “re-vitalized”. I’m not sure that re-vitalized is the correct term. Maybe “tourist-ized” would be a better one. Still, we enjoy spending time there.

Our first stop was the grand old Monterey Plaza Hotel. We love this place and we refer people to it all the time. Funny thing is, we never stayed there. We fell in love with the resort in Marina and made it “our” place, but we’ve always promised ourselves that we’re going to correct the oversight.

Monterey Plaza Hotel is right on the bay, but it’s beach is rocky rather than sandy. Of the two resorts, I’d say MPH has the more dramatic views. The rooms aren’t on the beach, they are overlooking the ocean. It’s also a part of Cannery Row, more congested and busy than Marina. Though both hotels give you a great peek at nature, MPH has a lot more wildlife and nightlife. I don’t say any of that to criticize MPH, it’s a great hotel. I’m just trying to give you a feel for the differences.

Here’s my confession – the main reason we dropped into the MPH was to use the restroom. In fact, that’s the only thing we ever do at MPH. We park near by, stroll the the hotel and hang out on the balcony, but so far we’ve never so much as ordered a drink in the bar. Still, we’ve sent them so much business that we don’t even feel guilty.

You Can’t Lose

The bottom line is that you should go visit Monterey and both of these places are wonderful. In fact, you should go and stay at both and then tell me which one you liked best.

After our MPH potty stop we did spend a few hours hanging out on Cannery Row. Come back next week and I’ll tell you about it. I promise – my sabbatical is over and I will be here next week.

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

The Last Bites of San Francisco

September 17, 2014August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: THE LAST BITES OF SAN FRANCISCO CA

The time to head south is drawing close, but let me tell you about a couple more meals in San Francisco.

Not Your Dallas Goodfellas

On Saturday night after Pinot Days we hung out at my nephew’s condo. Confession: I’m not good at hanging out. I feel like I need to be DOING something – so I read while we hung.

However, I was quite happy to put down my Kindle when the Goodfellas Pizza arrived. You need to know that a Goodfellas Pizza in San Francisco is a whole different thing than your Goodfellas Pizza in Dallas. I haven’t been to the Dallas Goodfellas, but browsing around on the internet it was easy to tell.

The important thing to remember when ordering Goodfellas Pizza in San Francisco is that you only need to order a slice. Heavens know what we would have gotten if we had ordered a whole pizza. As my nephew went around taking orders, he tried to impress upon each of us that we could each have whatever we wanted, because you ordered it by the slice. There was quite a bit of haggling as the other guys tried to convince my nephew that we should all just agree on a type of pizza and order one. What eventually arrived was an array of huge pizza slices, but each slice was more like three slices. There was plenty of each type of pizza and more to share.

Sunday Night at Vicoletto

There’s one more thing you need to know about the area of San Francisco called North Beach, where my nephew’s condo is located. Another name for the area is Little Italy. That explains why in the few days we were there we ate so much Italian food.

On Sunday night we walked to Vicoletto’s. Like the other restaurants in the area, this is a small, neighborhood-type restaurant, greatly removed from anything resembling a chain. Most of the world was still wherever they were after America played a playoff game in the World Cup – and it was a Sunday night. However, Vicoletto’s was not hurting for business.

What they were suffering from was a lack of waiters. For reasons that were never exactly clear, our waiter was the only waiter for the whole restaurant. It might have been a small place, but it wasn’t that small. A large party of perhaps twenty lined one side of the restaurant and then couples were sprinkled about the rest of the room. then there was the four of us.

For being the only guy there, our waiter did a good job, but it was obvious he was stretched. The lack of waiters had no effect at all on the food. It came out hot and seriously delicious. We’d brought our own wine and paid a corkage fee. Their food and our wine made for a wonderful experience.

One of the things I liked best about my nephew’s North Beach digs is the whole walking to the restaurant experience. the walk there whets your appetite and the walk home helps digest the food. I like my house in Texas with a yard and garage, but there’s nothing wrong with having the world within a few blocks of your home either.

Monday morning we got up early and hit the road. Come back next week and find out about the incredible scenery on Highway One.

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The Japanese Tea Garden and More

September 10, 2014September 3, 2015 Jane Sadek

Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco CA — The Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park.

TRAVEL THERE: MORE ATTRACTIONS AT THE GOLDEN GATE PARK

Foiled by the unreliability of the Golden Gate Park Shuttle, Bill and I entered the Japanese Tea Garden. We were unfortunately underwhelmed.

The Trouble with Travel

You know me. There’s no one who loves travel more. But travel comes with a price. The more you do it, the more room for comparison.

I like Japanese Gardens. We’ve got a great one over in Fort Worth and there’s another nice one in San Antonio. We saw one in Lotusland a few days before our visit to San Francisco and a few days after our visit to Golden Gate State Park, we saw an amazing Japanese Garden at the Huntington Gardens.

Japanese Tea Garden, Portland OR — Judge for yourself. This photo was taken in Portland.

Still no Japanese Garden that I’ve ever seen beats Portland’s Japanese Garden. Two years later, my senses are still reeling from the beauty we saw in Oregon and the Portland Japanese Garden was among my favorite attractions there. So that should give you an idea of how stunning it was. (As gorgeous as their Japanese Garden was, it was still my second favorite garden in Oregon. Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens was the best.)

Small and Sad

You can’t judge a book by it’s cover and I suppose you shouldn’t judge a garden by the price of admission, but we were surprised by the $7 entry fee. That’s more than Ft. Worth’s garden, though less less than Portland’s.

The first thing we realized was that the garden was very compact. Fort Worth’s garden is huge and so is Portland’s, though not as large as its sister in Texas. Size isn’t everything , but the size does add to the charm, because in the bigger gardens you seem far removed from the every day world.

In every part of San Francisco’s Garden I felt cramped. I had the sense that just a few feet away was the world, because I could hear it and see it all around me. There were also crowds of other folks. The Tea House was humming with business and the line for it wandered through the garden. Serenity was in short supply.

The sad part was the evident disrepair. The gardeners are doing a great job, but the park needs to hire a company of carpenters and painters. Right now – before the wooden structures rot away! Peeling paint and rotting wood are just unacceptable. The Tea House has a rollicking business. Devote some of the revenue to maintenance.

The Rest of the Story

After the Japanese Gardens we waited around for a few moments hoping the shuttle would make an appearance, but it didn’t. So we wandered over to the Botanical Garden. Two things kept us out. It was closing in less than an hour and they wanted another $7. The last $7 each we spent had not been a good investment.

So we thought we might walk a little. We headed toward the Cherry Tree Azaleas, got a peek of Stowe Lake and strolled past the Rose Gardens. We were tired. It was chilly. We decided to call it a day. We weren’t going to get to see all of Golden Gate Park on this visit either.

I’ll Be Back

In spite of the disappointing Japanese Garden, I plan to go back to Golden Gate Park. I want to see the Conservatory of Flowers, the Dutch Windmill, The Chinese Pavillion, Strawberry Hill, the Carousel and the list goes on. Next time I’m thinking about bikes or one of those surreys I saw people riding. I guess next time I’ll need to do a little more research and be a little more prepared. Third time’s charm, right?

Next week I’ll wrap up my stay in San Francisco, but for now I’ll leave you with a few more shots from the Japanese Garden. It was pretty. It just suffered from comparison.

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.

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