Tag: Restaurant Review

Accommodations, Architecture, DESTINATIONS, Shopping, TRAVEL, Travel Planning, United States

Getting To & Into Seattle

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: TALE OF TWO FERRIES, AN AIRPORT AND A TRAIN

Welcome to the back half of our Washington State vacation. We were about to close our big circle of Western WA State: SeaTac, Snoqualmie, Tacoma, Olympia, Olympic National Park and Victoria B.C. We’ll take two ferries and a train before we can go to sleep. Come along!

Two Ferries

The first ferry was right across the street from our hotel and we were supposed to be there at 9 AM. Then they made us wait for 90 minutes. This was the sort of thing that had caused Bill to put off getting on the ferry on the Port Angeles side until the very last minute, but it was an unavoidable delay. They needed to get everyone inside the fence and through customs before we could drive aboard the ferry. It was not fun.

From Port Angeles we turned left and headed towards Seattle. Though some travel books touted this area as a wonderful place to visit, we didn’t see much wonderful as we drove along the main road to the Bainbridge Ferry. It took longer than we had anticipated, so we rolled into the boarding area moments before the 3:30 cutoff. And then we waited, because the ferry was running late.

No adventures, yet, but I was feeling quite clever. I’d purchased Orca Cards for getting around Seattle and as seniors, that made it free for us to travel on the ferry. We had to pay for the car, but being a senior citizen has its perks.

The Artic Club Hotel

Praises to the Black Ball Ferry Line, our hotel in Seattle was one I paid for with them and got a significant discount. The hotel is a doozy. When Seattle was a stopping off point for the Klondike, gentlemen who returned rich could join the Artic Club, a magnificent building on Cherry Street, around the corner from Pioneer Square. What made it particularly attractive to us, was the light rail station across the street.

We’d chosen it for location, location, location, but it was a stunning edifice. A small reception area with a bell hop station fronted the generous lobby where rich gold miners once held court. Close observation reveals many ties to its days honoring the bounty of the Klondike – like the walrus staircase.

Our arrival and initial visit was brief. We got our keys, unloaded our rental car and headed back to the airport, but it was hard to leave the large, well-appointed room we’d be staying in.

The Transportation Game Plan

So, our goal was to return the car to the rental company at SeaTac, take the light rail train to the Cherry Street Station and then walk across the street to our hotel. Everything went well until we were a few stops away from Cherry Street and suddenly we were inundated with a raucous crowd. They’d just left a sporting event and to say they were rowdy would have been an understatement. We couldn’t hear the announcements of the stops and soon realized we’d traveled too far.

So, we got off at the next station, made our way to the other side of the tracks and caught the next train heading back to Cherry Street. We were tired and hungry so this didn’t feel like an adventure. It was more like torture by transportation.

Beautiful Hotel, Mediocre Food & Beverage Services

Safely returned to our hotel, we decided to have a light supper there at the hotel, in spite of the fact that it was a bit pricey. We discovered it was worse than pricey, it was also sub-par. Initially, I was ready to give them a break. A crowd had just left the lobby bar for a concert in the auditorium of the hotel, reportedly a grand souvenir left over from the hotel’s days as the Artic Club. The previous patrons had left quite a mess and it seemed as if the wait staff might have gone to the concert with the patrons.

Once a waitperson did arrive, it became obvious the chef had definitely departed. It took forever to get our food and it wasn’t exactly gourmet. The server seemed to resent the fact we’d shown up at all and certainly didn’t think we deserved anything more than poor service. I assumed it had to do with the concern crowd.

However, as our stay continued things didn’t get any better. There was a free breakfast in a venue downstairs. The food was adequate. The service was not. The service was also bad the afternoon I went down to have a glass of wine while Bill took a nap. So, the Saturday concert crowd aftermath was not an unfortunate fluke. The Artic Club Hotel just needs a new Food & Beverages Manager!

Poor food & beverage service aside, we loved staying there for four nights and we absolutely loved our room. It was so large it felt more like an apartment, especially the generous bathroom. Come back next week and let’s see Seattle.

Attractions, DESTINATIONS, International, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL

The Parliament Building & Other Sites

Jane Sadek

MEMORY MAKING – THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE HARBOR

Come along for a tour of the Parliament Building in Victoria British Columbia. Washington State was so close I couldn’t mis the chance on the day before to see Butchart Gardens. Today we’re taking some of the rest of the city. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Starting the Day Off Easy

Traveling is hard and every once and a while you need to take a break from it. I had carved out this morning for a little R&R before hitting the trail again. The extensive spa in the hotel allowed us to swim, steam and sauna. Then we hit the road, having lunch at a small Mexican cafe at Fisherman’s Wharf and then driving Dallas Road. First, because we’re Dallasites and then because it was another oceanside drive, very different from the busy Harbor area and Fisherman’s Wharf where we’d just had lunch.

The Parliament Building

Free guided tours of the building are offered during the summer, but the schedule had not been published by the time we left Dallas, so we arrived at the building after our lunch and driving tour, not knowing whether we’d have a guide or would be showing ourself around. We picked up this brochure, but we got lucky enough to show up at the right time for a guided tour.

The tour of the harbor’s highlight starts in the beautiful rotunda, where a canoe holds the place of honor. An early Governor said, “We’re all in the same canoe,” and it became a tagline for the government of the province.

The building is graced with some finely worked stained glass windows and other elegant adornments. The Parliament was not in session, so we got a look at their meeting space. The Hall of Honor, where Bill took a picture of me, is where new citizens are sworn in and other ceremonies of merit take place. I just had the honor of being a visitor.

Royal BC Museum

This museum is huge, but we didn’t have much day left or much interest in tackling the galleries of the building. We told ourselves we’d come back some day and instead watched an IMAX feature called Cities of the Future. Entertaining, but not remarkable.

An Evening Around the Harbor

We lucked into a restaurant called Wind Cries Mary. It was quite the hot spot and we were fortunate they made space for us. I haven’t got much praise to offer for the service, but our meal was delicious, if a little avant garde.

As we strolled back to our hotel, Bill took several of the evening photos you see above. As for me, I couldn’t resist snapping a shot of this t-shirt. I don’t wear t-shirts much and neither does my bestie, but since she’s a cat lady, I had to send her this photo.

And so ended our time in Victoria B.C. We’d be up early the next morning to catch the ferry. This time I had no trouble getting Bill there on time. Come back next week for what might be considered a repositioning cruise, if we’d been on a boat rather than in a rental car.

DESTINATIONS, DFW Metroplex, Restaurants & Bars

A Steak in the Burbs & Other Things

Jane Sadek

TRAVEL HERE: RICHARDSON’S SILVER FOX

An Evening Out That Inspired a New Direction

Motivating me usually takes more than one nudge. I was sorting my blog archive over in my FOREVER account earlier this week. I was happily reminded of days gone by, when blogging and traditional scrapbooking were my primary pastimes and I churned out three blogs a week. The golden days of my blogging!

A lot has happened in my life since then. I figured out that I was not going to become the next great novelist of our decade, we moved away from Dallas to a small rural community called Heath, my husband decided he was going to start hanging out at home on Sundays rather than run around with me and my bestie took up ballroom dancing which replaced our Saturday adventures. That wasn’t all. Mr. Bill & I started a real estate photography, video & drone business that ate up our lives for 8-9 years. Then I started a Memory Keeping business and that passion has replaced the others for the most part.

So, back to my blog archive. As I read through my blogs, so I’d know how to tag them, I was reminded of my bestie, who loves my travel posts, and she had mentioned she missed reading what I had to say about local things. I thought if she did, others might feel the same way, so I considered blogging a little more frequently and writing about local things.

Locally this week, we’ve been iced in. The Metroplex doesn’t know what to do with cold, freezing weather when it comes with precipitation. Mr. Bill had a birthday on Tuesday, but everything was pretty much closed and even if it wasn’t, getting there put your life at risk. Last night there was a break in the cold and we went to celebrate his birthday. Come along! There will be no AI used in the writing of my blogs. I will use my usual wandering method of storytelling!

WHY THE SILVER FOX?

Remember what I said about having a real estate photography business. In that endeavor we made many good real estate friends and one of them still sends us monthly coupons for Dallas entertainment and dining. Most of the coupons go into the trash, but when we received one for The Silver Fox, it jogged a memory. My hair stylist had mentioned a dinner at Silver Fox once – said the food was good, but complained about the price. That didn’t recommend the restaurant to me, since my fella is very price sensitive. But if it was his birthday and we had a coupon – well maybe.

Then came the ice storm, which put all our plans on hold and in the meantime, I found a $25 gift certificate I won at a Newcomers Luncheon. So, when the ice melted enough for us to make some reservations, I did so, knowing I was shaving $50 off the top.

A LATE START

If you know Bill, you won’t be surprised we were about 15 minutes late leaving the house. I’ve gotten wiser over the years. Instead of fretting, I called the the restaurant and let them know we’d be there by 7:15, rather than 7.

When we arrived, we were asked to wait a few moments while they sat up the table. That was fair and it gave us time to look around. The decor was dated. The ceiling was acoustical tile, the walls were beat up paneling and the painting in the foyer looked as if it had been purchased at one of those Starving Artist Shows, you know the ones that sold cheap oils in hotel ballrooms. But it was the wine cellar that gave us the biggest clue, that no matter how much it cost, this was not going to be the fine dining experience we’d hoped for! Their wine cellar looked like a utility closet with a wall of wine storage. They didn’t have any mops in there, but there were opened wine boxes and a counter had miscellaneous stuff just laying around on it. They should invest in a curtain TODAY and put it up before the evening rush.

To punish us for being late, they seated us in their overflow room, the place where people have meetings to sell financial planning and cemetery plots to their potential clients. We must have been right at the end of the rush, because only one other couple was sent to detention hall with us. We were determined to have a good time, so we laughed when we had to play musical chairs to find a pair that would actually hold us up throughout the meal. Then we were overwhelmed by the BACKGROUND music which was hindering our conversation.

We’d already decided the Silver Fox did not deserve our respect, so Bill went over and turned down the irritating jazz music, which they probably thought was sophisticated. Our friends were right about the prices. The cheapest steak, a la carte, was about $50. Reading through the menu we found a “Dinner for Two” deal that gave us a small steak, some mashed potatoes and a side to share. We opted for asparagus and waited for our drinks to be served.

NO FOOD YET, BUT DEFINATELY AN OPINION!

I laughed when the server removed the wine glasses which had been on the table. Bill was getting a beer and I ordered a glass of white wine. This little thing, which virtually all restaurants do, is a bit of snobbery that gets under my skin – as if their glasses were to exotic for the house wine. I think that says more about their choice of house wines than it does about me as a patron. So there!

And when the wine was served – which took entirely too long – I swear it was cheap Chardonnay, not the Sauvignon Blanc I had ordered. I’m sure the bartender didn’t have a bottle open and figured I wouldn’t know the difference. (BTW Silver Fox, Costco has a great twist-top Sauvignon Blanc. You should try it.) Yes, I did know the difference, but I wasn’t going to argue with anyone about it. We were already done with any hopes for saving the evening, so were weren’t going to waste our time.

Eventually, the waitress arrived with our dinners – a hunk of meat and a blob of mashed potatoes standing alone like sentinels at the gate of an abandoned fort. The asparagus, of which there was a generous serving, came on another plate, but they were very chintzy with the sauce. Perhaps as a gluten free eater I wouldn’t be having any, but there was barely enough for anyone.

Honestly, not very appetizing, but then we were offered sliced tomatoes and green onions from a platter. Once they were on the plate, it looked a little more edible. Along with installing the curtains in the semi-wine cellar, management needs to do away with the crudité platter thing today and just add the fresh vegetables to the plated meal.

I have to be honest. The steak was delicious, as were the side dishes, but it was too little too late. If we’re paying $150, before tip to a restaurant, then we expect a little more and for this special occasion, we wished we’d just gone to the Texas Restaurant, which is in the same center, and where we’ve had much better experiences.

TIME FOR THE BILL

So, I drug the coupon and gift card out of my purse. The gift card was still in the package and when I opened it, I realized it required activation before use. REALLY? I hate some of the things the internet has done to us. I went with those machinations, but wasn’t hurried. Service was slow and the only ones around were the couple stuck with us in detention hall.

The bill arrived and Bill offered our various forms of payment. I could tell from the get go the waitress was flustered by it and when she returned we found out why. Whoever they are using for credit card processing has some trick that leaves $5 on the card. It was obvious the waitress didn’t want to deal with it and hoped we’d just put the card back in our pocket and use it somewhere else. We’d had a rough evening of it and we didn’t want to hassle of remembering to use that other $5. So Bill asked for the manager, who explained we could use the $5 towards the tip, which was fine with us. He apologized for the waitress’ inability to communicate that. There was a tip, but not our most generous. This had not been an evening to inspire largesse.

OH YES, THE ICE STORM

On the way home we shared a few laughs about our evening and then compared it to evenings we had enjoyed more thoroughly. At home, Bill headed up the driveway and discovered our slush had frozen to a solid sheet of ice and he couldn’t gain enough traction to get into the garage. On his side of the car there was no ice, but I faced a slippery slope in high heels. He gallantly retrieved my galoshes and in them, with his help, I made a safe reentry to our home, to be greeted by our cat who was certain he’d been abandoned to starve on his own.

MORE LOCAL REVIEWS IN THE FUTURE?

Yes I’ve resolved to be more attentive to my blog to include cultural and entertainment experiences from the Metroplex. In the coming week, I’ll be eating at Toulouse, visiting the DMA and attending a Titas Flamenco Performance. I do have a life, even if it’s not as active as it was in my Dallas days.

The travel blogs will continue. In fact, a good number are already written and scheduled: a few more for Washington State, a girl’s trip to OKC, a short visit to Phoenix, a trip to the Florida Panhandle are all awaiting your reading pleasure. What’s not written but coming after that are a weekend in Tulsa and a cruise to Greece and Turkey. Stay tuned!!

Accommodations, Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, International, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL

Hotel Grand Pacific – The Way to Stay

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: WELCOME TO VICTORIA B.C.

If you’re as close as a ferry ride from Victoria B.C. then get on that ferry and spend some wonderful days at the Hotel Grand Pacific. These were some of Bill’s favorite days of the trip. See what you think about our arrival.

Well, Excuse Me!

We drove off the ferry, across the street and parked under Hotel Grand Pacific. I made my way to the reception area and began my transaction with the nice guy behind the desk. Suddenly, there was a woman standing so close to me that she was almost touching me. Wild hair, loud voice and a sort of bright floral house dress. Here I was checking into my room with my billfold, vouchers and notebook wide open and she’s so close to me she could put her hand in my pocket. I was afraid that was her goal and it rattled me.

I think she was merely rude and boundary-less, but I had to complete my entire transaction with her standing right next to me, chatting up both myself and the reception clerk. I must have checked to be sure I had all of my belongings a dozen times, but I couldn’t get away from her fast enough. Bill was outside taking photos.

To say we loved this everything about this hotel would be an understatement. The room was a little tight, but well appointed with a great view. The hotel had bicycles for guests and so our first order of business once we’d dumped our luggage and parked our car properly was to grab a pair of cycles and take off.

Remember that not listening to me stuff. I tried really hard to let Bill know the route he should take on our bike ride, but before I could even get started he was already down the street zooming through the traffic. I thought I was going to get killed. Eventually, he did ask me where he should go, but by that time I was so shook by near death experiences I had no idea where we were or where we should go.

Somehow, probably luck more than anything else, we were at the entrance to a park I wanted to visit. I followed Bill to a bench, got off my bike and spent my time praising God for being alive. Once I was in the park, I’d studied the map of Victoria so much, that I was able to guide us back to the hotel.

Back at the Hotel

Once we returned to our room, it was time for coffee and snacks. Then Bill took his nap. This gave me the opportunity to arrange the room for three blissful days of not packing up and moving EVERY DAY. Then, I caught up in my travel journal and did crossword puzzles, while sitting next to our picture window, drinking a glass of wine.

Come dinner time, Bill decides we’re going to drive somewhere. I usually just go along to get along, but I’m the one who had done the research and I knew everything we wanted was within three blocks of us. We were not going to drive anywhere and try to park in Victoria. And that was that.

Our Evening Stroll

I think Bill cooperated so he could prove me wrong, but we were out of the hotel and on the sidewalk, so I didn’t care. We came to a restaurant called Mosaic Grille & Bar. Bill then decides there are actually restaurants within walking distance and he’s ready to go check out the rest. I really wasn’t up for that. I was afraid I’d end up with fast food and I wanted a meal. I didn’t exactly put my foot down, I’d already done that once within the same hour, but I made a strong case for taking advantage of what was right in front of us.

Once we had dinner, we strolled around the area, taking a closer look at the Fairmont Empress. Then back at the hotel, we went to the spa where the exercise facilities were. I knew then what I’d be doing first thing on the next morning!

The next day started at the gym, but then we went to Butchart Gardens. You don’t want to miss that!

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

Lake Quinault Lodge

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: THE CHARM OF THE LODGE

Welcome to Wild & Wonderful Washington State, our 2025 Road Trip Vacation. We’ve just arrived at the famous Lake Quinault Lodge where FDR fell in love with what would become Olympic National Park. We fell in love with it, too. Come along and find out why!

A Little Early for Check-In

The other side of Lake Quinault Lodge is not as inviting as the picture above. It’s taken of the back of the lodge. Up front it’s a crowded drive and appears to be a very old small inn. I knew we were a little early for check-in, so I was directing Bill to drive past and to visit Merriman and the World’s Largest Spruce Tree, but Bill was looking at the antiquated inn wondering what I’d gotten him into this time.

Good traveling companion that he is, he saved his concerns for later and drove on to Merriman Falls. Most of the falls in the rainforest require at least a little of a hike to view them. Not Merriman! It is right by the side of the road and it’s a beauty – a small gem of waterfall majesty with overwhelming greenery. Enjoy our photo session in the slideshow below.

The World’s Largest Spruce Tree was reminiscent of old fashioned roadside attractions. It did require a bit of a hike, but to tell you the truth, the tree was not all that exciting. The walk to it was lovely!

There was also a small general store in the vicinity. I had Bill stop to see if they had a decent map. GPS is great for point to point diving, but not so great for sightseeing. The National Park System offered an interactive map, but the area is so big I could never make heads of tails of it. The best map I’d seen so far was in my trusty old atlas, that I still carry on every road trip. It’s decades old, but not only was it decades old, it was also small. I needed current and controllable.

The small store did have this map of Olympic National Park, but it was more money than I’d hoped to spend. I stood arguing with myself for a few moments and then I remembered what an absolute bear I can be when I don’t have a decent map. So, I made the purchase, got in the car and started unfolding the map. It was huge! And it had some gorgeous artwork. Lesson learned! Buy the map!

Below are some scans I made of the artwork, pieced together in Artisan. As you can see it was worth the price of the map!

Checking Into the Lodge

We’d killed about an hour with the side trips and the front of the lodge was now a parking zoo. Bill stayed with the car and I went in to get our room, along with all the people representing the various vehicles in the parking zoo. Courtesy was rampant, efficiency was not.

We parked across the street in the official parking lot, grabbed a few things to get up through the night and headed through the parking zoo to find our room. WARNING, there are no elevators in Lake Quinault Lodge. The grand rustic staircase was lovely, but we didn’t love hauling our luggage up it, especially Old Red, who was missing a wheel.

I could tell Bill was now even more skeptical about my sanity than he had been when we first drove by. The room was (shall we say) charming, continuing the rustic look with a wooden bed frame and accoutrements. It was the antithesis of luxurious. The black & white checkerboard tile floor may have been there from the beginning of time and the plumbing was two or three generations older than what we had at home – functional, for sure, but not modern.

Bill’s claustrophobia set in and he was ready to escape. Things got better after that, because he walked out to the back of the lodge and fell in love. Who wouldn’t love this view? Before we left home I had booked a pre-dinner boat ride, which had been cancelled due to mechanical difficulties. One look at this and we were really sorry to have missed that.

Bill happily went into photographer mode and now has this photo as his screen saver:

He kept saying, “It’s as if we walked in the front door from America and ended up in somewhere like Switzerland.” I was offended for America and pointed out the many gorgeous places we’d explored here at home. Somehow he was convinced Switzerland was better – not that he’s been there, of course.

I love it when I’ve found something he really loves, so I reveled in his frenetic effort to capture every single angle. I noticed several people were drinking a glass of wine as they sat in the Adirondack chairs and I wished I had some, too. It was so peaceful there. I have Bill’s permission, more like a mandate, to get him back to the Lodge soon.

Dinner at the Salmon House

I’d had hopes Bill’s largesse which got us meals at the Salish Lodge and the Elk’s Temple might get us into the Roosevelt Dining Room at Lake Quinault Lodge, but his largesse had dried up. Instead we drove over to the adjacent resort and ate at their restaurant. The Salmon House was good, but it left the Roosevelt Dining Room on my wish list.

Then he went back into photographer mode looking for a good backdrop for a selfie of us. Mission accomplished, example below, we went back to the room. I was out like a light in moments. Bill probably did his Tik Tok thing for a while, but for all I know he went back outside and danced with the moon!

Come back next week and enjoy our day in the rain forest.

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

McMenamin’s Tacoma Elk’s Temple

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: IN TACOMA, QUICKY MEETS CLASSY AT THE ELKS LODGE

Well, we’re back in Tacoma where odd is a little more normal than it is in Dallas! We’ve had a great day of sightseeing (and coffee) in Downtown Tacoma and it’s time for dinner. If McMenamin’s is in the name of the venue, expect it to be ordinary. The Elks Temple is no exception. Let’s go for dinner!

Collecting McMenamin’s Locations

I discovered the McMenamin’s brand when we visited Oregon. We spent a lovely morning at Edgefield in Troutdale. The odd mixture of grand architecture, at a poor house, with vegetable gardens was charming and our breakfast was delicious. Bill enjoyed it enough that he didn’t completely nix the idea of dinner at the Elk’s Lodge when I started describing it to him. Actually, a hotel with multiple restaurants & bars, as well as a music venue or two, might not sound all that odd, but I’d done enough research to know it wouldn’t exactly be his cup of tea.

I’m the sort who would stay at a McMenamin’s Lodge just because it was funky and out of the ordinary. That is not Mr. Bill. While I wasn’t crazy about our Best Western lodgings, the creature comforts and familiarity made it a perfect place to hang our hats for a couple of days. Still, I convinced Bill to give the Elks Lodge a try.

It did not go well. It was a Saturday night with a big name concert and everyone, who had not been at the museums, must have been sleeping in for a big night at the Elks Temple. So we had all of Bill’s least favorite things – traffic, no place to park, crowds and noise.

Still, he was a trooper. We got a “Wandering Map” at the front desk and began to explore. In each venue, there was lots of foot traffic, no place to sit, crowds and noise. I expected him to cut and run to the nearest Taco Bell at any moment, but instead he asked where we might get the most normal food. I postulated the Pub might be the right spot. Luckily, the rest of the patrons were more interested in the exotic, so we were seated right away.

We had a lovely meal, perhaps a tad noisy, but it was Saturday night. I think Bill and I shared the salmon to meet my gluten-free requirements. They had a dessert special I could not resist. Being GF makes dessert a hard course to order, but this was a polenta shortcake with mixed berries. Really good!

If you like funky, then The Elks Temple is a must. If you don’t, go to Olive Garden! We headed back to the Best Western to rest up for the next day’s activities and it proved to be a long one. Come back next week for cars, gardens and beaches. You’ll love it!

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

Delish Salish

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: ANNIVERSARY DINNER AT THE SALISH LODGE

I’m taking you along on our 2024 vacation to Wild & Wonderful Washington State. We’ve just enjoyed the amazing Snoqualmie Falls and we’re about to check out the dining offerings at the Salish Lodge.

Thirty Years Later He Can Still Surprise Me

Though we left home a few days after our actual wedding anniversary, this trip was our gift to ourselves for 30 great years of marriage. You’ll notice I didn’t say perfect, because we are two humans, but it’s been a darned good ride.

During those years I’ve come to understand the things that will displease him and feeling as if he’s paid too much for a meal is one of them. I really thought having our anniversary dinner at the Salish Lodge would be a pretty cool way to celebrate, but I also knew that most of the guidebooks considered it pricey.

So, as we climbed the hill back towards our car, I introduced him to the edifice we’d seen at the top of the falls. I told him the history and I told him my concern about the prices, but I also told him how wonderful it was supposed to be. Then I even back-peddled on that and told him about the remodel of the main dining room that was going on. I figured he’d make a hard pass on the Lodge and go directly to the car.

Instead, he wanted to check it out. He went up to the reception desk and started a conversation. I stepped away, because I didn’t want to influence him either way. If we had dinner there, great. If we didn’t, I was determined that was going to be great, too.

To my surprise, he made some reservations and we had about an hour to kill before they had room for us. We hung out in the lobby, read all the signs and just enjoyed the relaxation.

As I mentioned, the main dining room was undergoing renovation, so our seats were tucked away in some other spot, but I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. The bar(?) was cozy, with only a few tables – one of which had to be the best possible view of the falls and we were at the table next to that one, so our view was pretty darned good, too.

The couple next to us was celebrating something, also, but they’d gotten dressed up for their dinner at the Salish. We just had on the casual clothes we’d worn to see the falls. Bill chose the risotto. He claimed he wanted to try something different, but what might have been the difference was that the price was less than the rest of the menu. I opted for the Duroc Pork Chop with Bearnaise Sauce and a spring mix of vegetables.

They brought out some gorgeous bread to entertain us while we waited for our meal, but of course, I’m gluten free, so they brought me a gf dinner roll. Not quite the same, but they get points for effort. We knew we were at someplace out of the ordinary when they added a coconut oil candle to our table.

Then a little later, they brought us a sample of the gazpacho. We hadn’t ordered it and it’s not a favorite of mine, but again a nice touch you don’t get at other places. In fact, the waitress kept us busy with all kinds of samples throughout the meal and topped it off with free hand-made chocolates. The food we had ordered was delicious by the way. Bill felt his meal was worth every penny – even if it was a little out of his usual budget.

When we arrived back at the hotel, it was 9 PM Dallas time and I was beat. I went right to sleep. Bill stayed up a little longer, but I warned him to get plenty of rest, because the next morning we’d be heading to a huge attraction he’d want to be awake for.

You’ll want to be awake, too, next week when we visit the Museum of Flight. Come and check it out.

Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Memory Keeping, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

True Friends Really Are Friends Forever!

Jane Sadek

Lucky She Love Us

My friendship with Lizbet started at work many years ago. I was in a bind with a customer and she fixed it, when everyone else in the company shrugged their shoulders at me. I was in sales back in those days, which I hated, and when I moved to admin, one of the best things about it was being in the same building as Lizbet. What started as a transactional solution, led to being lunch buddies and on to her being one of my favorite people on the face of the earth. There’s a lot of water under that bridge.

No one can make me laugh the way she can. We love talking about odd, esoteric things that few others care about. And she gets Bill. There’s more, but that’s enough!

Tour Guide Extraordinaire

Because she gets me and she gets Bill, she knew we’d love the things she loves about the area. Such as the ferry to Balboa Island, which was her first treat of the day. It’s a tiny ferry that only holds one or two cars. These days there’s a bridge that takes you there without waiting for the nostalgic reminder of yesteryear, but we loved the experience. She also took us up a winding Laguna Beach road which leads through gorgeous residential areas to an overlook that’s known as Top of the World. Bill’s favorite thing was Crescent Bay Point Park, which was a lovely park high above a beautiful bay.

For lunch she chose a very unique Corona del Mar establishment, Roger’s Garden which is part restaurant, part garden center, part event venue and part home décor store. The closest Dallas might have to this experience would be Jackson’s Home & Garden, but you wouldn’t have your wedding there and there’s no restaurant. As to the rest of the day, Dallas has nothing to compare. That part of California is unparalleled.

But the best part of the day, by far, was spending time with such a good friend. Neither one of us is particularly good about staying in touch, but the occasional holiday greeting and texted update keeps the friendship alive, until we spend another wonderful day together. From a day like that, there should be hundreds and hundreds of photos, but there’s not! Here’s some that we did take.

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

Duke’s on Malibu

Jane Sadek

MEMORY KEEPING: DAY TWO OF LA SIGHTSEEING

Family Business Before Monkey Business

Being a tourist and visiting family are two different things. I get that, so I cooled my jets, played with my new grandnephew and did the family things. However, when it was decided we were heading to Malibu, I was very happy to put on my tourist cap and jump in the car.

We took the route through Topanga Canyon and Nephew drove us to a favorite pier for some sightseeing. It was lovely. We enjoyed strolling along and taking in the beauty all around us. We took lots of photos. Here are a few.

Then nephew drove us by several of their favorite restaurants and though I can’t remember the reasoning behind the choice, if there was any reasoning behind the choice, we ended up at Duke’s.

Duke’s Malibu

Having been told by my husband that Nephew had our sightseeing all mapped out, I’d optimistically neglected my usual research. I knew nothing about beach bars on Malibu. When Duke’s got a strong recommendation from Nephew and Niece, we went with it.

I did not realize at the time Duke’s Malibu was an offshoot of Duke’s Waikiki. I wanted a true Malibu experience and Duke’s was more like the Pipeline meets Hollywood – very kitschy in a schizophrenic sort of way. There’s a storyline that justifies a Duke’s in Malibu. After making surfing popular with the tourists in Waikiki Duke did come to Hollywood. That doesn’t explain why there is a Duke’s Canton in East Texas that has nothing to do with surfing, but maybe I’ll go one day and see if I can figure it out.

Anyway, in true Egyptian fashion, we’d shown up in the middle of the afternoon during that lull between lunch and dinner. It’s a constant dissonance I feel when I’m around my beloved Egyptians. I love them to death, but after 31 years of marriage, I still don’t understand their eating habits. Their meals rarely coincide with my appetite. Usually, because I have given up and snacked heartily out of desperation right before they decide to eat.

Duke’s was open, but it wasn’t really ready for us. They recommended we have a Lava Flow while the staff got ready for the dinner hour. We complied and enjoyed the view. I do not recommend the Lava Flow. For me, it was like drinking medicine, but Niece and Nephew swear by it – so it’s up to you.

We had a variety of appetizers and then a meal – all of which they loved. None of which thrilled me or Bill for that matter, but then we are picky.

So, beach & pier – marvelous. Duke’s, not so much. Next week I’ll tell you about LACMOA! Enjoy Memory Preservation and Memory Sharing for the rest of the week.

DESTINATIONS, Photo Organization, Photo Organization Coach, Photography, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, Scrapbooking, Shopping, TRAVEL, United States

A Few Snippets Before Heading Home

Jane Sadek

MEMORY MAKING: HANGING WITH THE GIRLS

Yes, We Were There for The Love Life Conference

Before abandoning the conference completely, I will share a couple of incidents. One was good and one was bad. Let’s start with the good. On Friday morning we were running a little late and as we struggled to find a seat, someone approached Deb and asked her if we wanted to sit up front. Are you kidding? Would we rather be front and center or up there in the nosebleed section. Of course we wanted to move up front.

I’m guessing some group wasn’t making it to the session and they wanted it to be filled up for the people watching online and the videos which I am sure they sell. We certainly weren’t invited back up front for the rest of the conference, but it was exciting to be so close you didn’t even need to look at the monitors. It’s the only time in my life I’ve been glad I was running late!

The second incident of note was not as pleasant, but it was the same day. When we left that night we were ragged. Stomping all over San Antonio in the heat, eating big meals and drinking margaritas had taken their toll. It didn’t exactly energize us to sit for hours in the dark, listening to the various speakers.

We made our way across the parking lot and the car was in sight. I was going to drive, so I wanted to put my stuff in the trunk. I squeezed between two cars parked nose to nose and suddenly I was down. It was one of those bone jarring falls that leaves you stunned and my leg was really hurting. What’s more I was concerned about all my stuff. Where were my glasses which had been on my head? Was the traveling tiara in my tote bag? Billfold? And so forth and so on.

The fall had been bad enough to draw the attention of others who were wanting to call 9-1-1. I didn’t want that to happen, but I wondered what was the matter with my leg. I had on a pair of jeans which had not torn, but I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt something had scrapped up my leg and knee. Then I started looking for the reason I fell. Lord knows I can be clumsy, but even though I didn’t know WHAT it was, I knew I’d been kneecapped.

While everyone else discussed my need for a hospital, I looked for the culprit. On the front bumper of the car I squeezed past was some sort of implement. I have no idea what it was used for but it was sharp and it was at least four inches long – just enough to trip me up!

Being the brave soul that I am, I drove back to Shana’s just as I had said I would do, even thought Deb was wishing I would drive to some hospital. When I got to Shana’s and looked at my leg, things were worse than I thought. I had scrapes and bruises from falling and whatever the implement on the front of the car had been, it was sharp enough to actually cut my leg. By the time we got there, things were swelling. Nurses Deb & Shana got to work on me. In the morning I was much better, but it had been quite a fall.

A Return to Palmer’s

Back in 2016, my friend Shana was thinking of starting a coaching/retreat business. She now runs a very successful concierge business with three Texas locations, but back in 2016 she was in transition. Deb and I went to the retreat and had a great time. It’s when we discovered the wonders of the San Marcos Outlet Mall and we ate at Palmer’s.

Shana, Deborah and I had set aside Saturday night for ourselves. Shana had a local watering hole she wanted to take us to, but for dinner we wanted Palmer’s. Deb and I adore anything al fresco and Shana had warm memories of it from her college days, so that’s what we planned on doing.

On this particular visit, the service was a little off and the food was not the best, but their patio is so amazing, I’d go back tomorrow. The picture you see at the top of this post is one I snapped. Totally awful pic of me, but sharing for the other two.

A Return to Brahmin

Then Sunday morning it was time to return to the Metroplex. We said farewell to Shana and our first stop was the Brahmin store at the San Marcos Outlet Stores. We got there a few minutes before the store opened, so we waited. As soon as they opened, Deb swooped in, grabbed her clearance bag and we were on the road back home.

And that’s the end of this tale. Next week we’ll move on to Cali 2024, the Friends and Family Tour. Don’t miss Memory Keeping on Wednesday and Memory Sharing on Thursday!