Category Archives: Travel

Feb26

The Italianate Gardens of Princeton

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The Italianate Gardens of Princeton

One of the finer things to do in any city, is to walk through the gardens.  Most of these gardens have rich histories, filled with the lives of the men and the women who designed them, and those who have for them over the years.  There is one such garden located in Princeton, New Jersey.  Now, there are many fine examples of buildings and architecture in the center of the city, the older and fine hotels and restaurants, the museums and galleries, and the historical sites and monuments.

But there really is nothing like getting away from it all and strolling through the Italianate Gardens that surround the Drumthwacket Estate.  This estate has a rich and a very long history, and is now the official residence of the Governor of New Jersey.  The history of the Gardens begins just over one hundred years ago, when a man named Moses Taylor Pyne purchased the property and began expanding not only the mansion, but the landscaping and the gardens surrounding that mansion.

History is fill with people like these, people who had a desire to create something, a beautiful place for the people of the city to come to and feel at peace.  A place where nature is nurtured, and returns the favor by nurturing the souls of the people walking through the trees and flower beds.  The completion of the Gardens was in 1905, and was celebrated in one way, by making the cover of the October issue of American Home and Gardens Magazine.

Pyne and his wife were socialites, and where known for having wonderful parties and for their style and elegance in entertaining.  Pyne paid concentrated attention to the design of the gardens, and as he was well educated in landscape architecture, this attention to the small details of the park is what makes it all so exuistite today.  His gardens flow in and out of the house, and were heavily influenced by the Italian Gardens created by Charles A. Platt.  This is a breathtaking bit of land, and one that should not be missed during any visit to the city of Princeton, New Jersey.

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Feb16

Jackson Valentine

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Jackson Valentine
Well if you are a snow bunny couple and like to snuggle up for Valentine’s Day then check out the winter town of Jackson in Jackson Hole Wyoming. There are many charming hotels around Jackson that you can find here that should ever everything you need to romance your sweetheart. When you make your reservations you can add on things like have a bottle of wine, cheese and box of chocolates in the room for when we arrive. There is nothing like getting into the luxurious room and having a glass of wine with a nice treat. It is a great way to start of the vacation.

Then you can get out and walk around the old western town. The square has a quaint little park in the center that has massive antler archways at each corner entrance. When you stand in the snowy center of the little park you can turn around and see it surrounded with shops, galleries, restaurants and saloons. It is a charming as it gets as you chat about your favorite subjects while swinging on a swing set under the snow filled trees. When the sun goes down you may start to feel the need for a hot totie as the chill hits your face and all you need to do is walk across the street to a place like the Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse
The Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse is offering up some specials for Valentine’s Day along with other restaurants in town. The Mangy Moose has bee in town for a while and is considered quite the hot spot. It is a restaurant and Saloon that features live entertainment through out the week. You can head in for dinner or after dinner and catch a favorite cocktail and see The Ooo La Lahs for Valentine’s Day. They play bluegrass/folk music and should keep you twirling you love around the dance floor all night.
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Feb14

Families First Road Trip is to San Antonio

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Families First Road Trip is to San Antonio

We had one week off from school and we took one week off from work, so My family and I are off on a road trip to San Antonio. We packed our bags in the Volvo and had not an inch to spare. The six of us set off on the first road trip for my family. We stopped for a great lunch at this cafe in Austin, the food was fresh and most of it was grown in the gardens behind the restaurant. What a treat is was for us to eat fresh food; it was so much better than fast foods any-day, but I know I’ll never be able to convince my kids otherwise.

We arrived in San Antonio late in the afternoon and we checked into our hotel, I got us a great deal on 2 rooms at this website, the site was really helpful and I had a great choice of hotels to pick from according to my needs. We spent almost an hour to get everyone unpacked and who was sleeping in what bed. So, later we walked along the river-walk path, which winds past nice buildings, cafes and restaurants that are all below street level. We found a place to have dinner, one that catered to adults as well as children, because it was time for mom to have a margarita!

The next morning, we visited the Alamo and after that we took a river cruise starting at the La Villita Historic Arts Village. For dinner, we arranged for a babysitting service, which our hotel helped us with, so my Husband and I could go fine dining at a restaurant called the Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse. 15 different cuts of meat, which have already been grilled, were brought to our table, we could sample which ever meats we wanted and the waiter sliced pieces off for us. I loved every piece I tried, it was really hard to choose, but I ended up with a 7 ounce sirloin and my husband pick the Fillet Mignon. For dessert, we shared a creme brulee’.

The next morning we went to Sea World, which was about an hours drive from San Antonio. We watched seals and walrus, but what we all enjoyed the most were the Killer Whales. My children were able to feed the dolphins and I must admit, it was pretty thrilling to watch my children toss fish to one of the most exquisite creatures on this earth. We drove back to San Antonio and had a Japanese dinner. It was fun to show the kids how to use chopsticks, I think they now actually prefer the chopsticks over forks and spoons.

Our last day, we spent poolside at our hotel, to just take it easy. My husband and I looked over at each other and smiled, we knew we were staring a great road-trip tradition.

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Feb10

Summer Home in Ogunquit, Maine

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Summer Home in Ogunquit, Maine

My wife had been trying to talk me into buying a summer home in Ogunquit, Maine for as long as I can remember. Well, as it turns out her good friend’s parents have a place there and last summer she invited us to visit them with her. I agreed, but have to admit it was with hesitation because I was worried the trip might further progress this madness that seemed to be developing in Sarah. As I mentioned before she seemed to have always wanted to get a home there but the desire was growing in her and it began to be a standard topic of conversation. Maybe not a full conversation, as I generally tried to change the subject before an actual conversation could develop.

However, almost as soon as we arrived in Ogunquit, I was completely enchanted and found the entire area to be absolutely beautiful. My wife had a great time of course and she and her friend went off together. I’m not sure what all they did, probably shopped. I spent my time down along the Ogunquit River and found such a peace of mind that reminded me of my carefree college days. I could definitely see myself learning the fine art of deep-sea fishing along here in the summer.

Just as I had imagined my wife had been out shopping all day but the most interesting thing she brought home was information on the Ogunquit Playhouse. I have always loved life performances and this seemed like a great little place. That night I had to confess to my wife that I was convinced that this was the perfect place for us to have a summer home and maybe even plan our retirement. Sarah grinned her knowing smile and told me that she knew all I had to do was visit the place and I would fall in love. Next summer we’re going to stay in one of the local Ogunquit hotels and try and pick out a potential place to buy.

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Feb8

Trances Arcs Atlanta

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Trances Arcs Atlanta

There is always a gorgeous scene in Georgia.  Whether it’s the open country that speaks to those who come from here, causing at least a little bit of an ache in the heart when you see it, or whether it’s the entertainment and art produced by the people who live here, there is a sense for beauty here.  The same could be said for its opposite, and it would be expected that the same artists that can create sweetness can also invoke the bitter in a second, because the extremes tend to exist simultaneously.  This is particularly true in the music, and here, the indie-alt scene is very strong.  This is one of the birthplaces of this music, after all, with REM reigning in from Athens, and kicking the thing into high gear with Murmur.

Today it’s possible, and even likely, to come into town and stay in a local hotel, and spend your evenings out on the town, and discover some new band that speaks to the bitter and the sweet sides of the human heart simultaneously.  I don’t know why it works like that for me, but live music in a particularly small place can make me think of lost love quicker than bitter almonds.  For my money, one of the coolest new groups out there worth watching is TrancesArc.

They have drive, and they certainly have innovation.  It shows in their music, and it also plays out in their presentation, soliciting funds on their website to release their new EP.   This is real indie, without compromising anything.  TrancesArc is also uncompromising in its music.  This is tight and brilliant stuff, the drummer pulling together the dueling chords from the guitars and the vocals singing from a place that knows what it’s like to know too much and still feel the pain of the ignorant.  This is music sung from the place where love doesn’t understand you any more, but you don’t understand it, and you’re both locked in a sweet agreement to misunderstand.

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Jan25

The Fremont Troll in Seattle, Washington

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The Fremont Troll in Seattle, Washington

When I was a child, and I lived in a small town in the Northwest, my parents would venture the two hundred and forty-odd miles to Seattle, Washington, the largest city I knew about, to buy a new camper shell for a pick-up or simply to see the sights, such as the Seattle Space Needle or Puget Sound.  There’s one sight, though, that exists in Seattle that wasn’t there when I was a kid (and as a kid I would have loved to see it): The Fremont Troll, which crouches below the Aurora bridge at the north end.
 
The troll is a gigantic sculpture, created by four area artists for the Fremont Arts Council (Ross Whitehead, Will Martin, Steve Badanes, and Donna Walter).  This object of art consists only of the troll’s head and shoulders, but he’s still eighteen feet all, suggesting an immense creature lurking under the bridge.  Its hair is shaggy and he has a gleaming metal eye that stares to the south.  He’s holding in his left hand an old Volkswagen beetle.  Every October 31st, the local community celebrates with the troll in a kind of movable feast known as “Trollaween.”  The party starts at the bridge next to the troll, then moves along to other art sites in Fremont, such as the biggest statue of Lenin in the United States.
 
If you’re traveling out to Seattle for a vacation, seeing the Space Needle or taking the Underground Seattle Tour, be sure to include the Fremont Troll.  You can visit it during daylight hours at N. 36th St. in Seattle, beneath the Aurora Avenue Bridge (also known as the George Washington Bridge).  There’s plenty of spots in and around the troll to pose and take pictures, and that’s fine to do.  I know that if the Troll existed when I was a child, I’d have insisted on going, because who can resist the opportunity to stand in front of an eighteen foot tall monster?

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Jan19

Getting Married in New York

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Getting Married in New York

We were up early to return our car hire in New York, then headed to City Hall in order to apply for our marriage licence. We were warned to arrive early as possible, because New York’s City Hall is a very busy place.

We hailed a taxi and went to the Financial District, where we found City Hall. We went inside and were astounded by the huge reception desk. We were asked by a man why we were there, we told him and he pushed a button and gave us a specific ticket and then points to where we must wait in queue. As we waited, we felt like it was waiting for our goods in Argos. We got to look at computer screens that showed the numbers and informing us which desk we will go to for service when its our turn. We apparently didn’t get here early enough, because the queue was already quite long.

We were having an interesting time, that is if you enjoy people watching. City Hall is the best place to people watch, all kinds of people are going into the chapel, and coming right back out in what I’d say about half a minute! We saw a young girl wearing a designer dress and blue Manolo Blahnik shoes, the same ones from ‘Sex in the City Movie!’ We saw a young Marine and his fiancee’ with both of their families at their sides and they were dressed to the nines. There were people that were dressed in jeans, just as we were, which made us feel slightly better. There’s a small shop in City Hall where they sell beautifully made bridal bouquets and they also have a backdrop set up to take photographs.

We waiting in queue for an hour before we got our marriage license. We went outside and it was freezing! We weren’t dressed for the sudden cold front, so we ducked into the nearest restaurant and ordered breakfast. Afterwards, we headed back to our hotel to get on some warm clothes and our coats. We then headed back out to see Ground Zero. It was really strange when walking to the site and we were surrounded by all these buildings and then when we turn the corner there’s wide open space. But, from what we could tell, not for long, the new construction seems to be moving right along.

We then went to the Flower district to meet up with our florist. I was a longer walk than we expected, so we were a little late. Our florist, Saul, was really great! He had us all set with the perfect arrangements for our wedding. That only took us a half-an-hour, were we thought it would take hours! So, we headed up to Times Square were we were to meet our friends, who are a part of the wedding party. Since we were there earlier than expected we got to check out several of the stores there and got to watch a few street performers.

We will soon be married, right here in New York City. We couldn’t think of a better place to be right now.

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Jan18

Seattle is a Playground for Adults

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Seattle is a Playground for Adults

Our first morning in Seattle, after having breakfast at our hotels restaurant, we hopped on the shuttle to the Seattle Center, which is home of the Space Needle, the Experience Music Project, theaters, parks, performing arts venues, fountains and the Key Arena. We had eagerly been anticipating the EMP and we weren’t disappointed. The design of the building was totally awesome; it’s the brain child of Frank Gehry. Inside were well-designed exhibits all about Jimi Hendrix, an interesting history of the guitar and of the music scene concerning the Pacific Northwest. The highlight was the music lab! We got to play with all the musical instruments: drums, electric guitar and the keyboard; we had a blast!
From there, we took a brisk walk to the waterfront and went through the Olympic Sculpture Garden. The weather was absolutely perfect, which made our expedition more pleasant. We back-stepped to the Seattle Center and found an Italian Heritage Festival taking place in another area. They had grape stomping, food booths, cooking demos by some famous TV chefs, singing groups, a cured meat competition, a bocce ball tournament, a beer and wine garden, which had a strolling accordion player. Then there were the vendors selling everything from olive oil to t-shirts. We soaked up the fantastic atmosphere and had a cannoli!

We returned to our hotel, which wasn’t too far away from the Seattle Center. We found this luxury hotel on this site: http://www.seattleluxuryhotels.com, it had the best location and reasonably priced. We were beating ourselves up for forgetting to take the elevator to the top of the Space Needle. There were too many wonderful distractions. Besides, there’s always tomorrow, since we plan to head back to the Seattle Center and see what surprises are in store for us and to play along.

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Jan16

Hopping Mad in San Antonio

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Hopping Mad in San Antonio

I’ve heard lots of stories about children and railroads, but this one really takes the cake.  I’ve lived here long enough to know who’s the head cow in the herd, and I know which side my bread gets buttered on.  I’ll give you a hint: it’s the side I don’t touch so as not to get butter all over my hand.  It’s just common sense.  Now, there were lots of times in my short life when I’ve been out well past midnight, with a flashlight and a little sifter can full of baking soda, ready to make some headlines with my discoveries of ghosts, but I haven’t found anything yet that I can’t explain.

Now it might be all right for some people to come here for a vacation and have a taste of luxury.  San Antonio hotels are really something else.  There’s no doubting a good thing.  But some people like to come here looking for ghosts, because they say there are more here than in most places.  I say that’s a lot of hooey.  Any place that has people in it is going to have its share of ghosts and what-have-you.  No place is more special than any other, but maybe, just maybe, they’re a little more active here.  That’s because they’re mad.  They’re not mad at anything in history, mind you, but just annoyed at all the people who come looking for them.

Now I know all about the Gravity Hill ghosts.  Supposedly, there were some children in a school bus stopped on the tracks somewhere in yore, whenever that was.  The train hit the bus, and now whenever a car is stopped on the tracks, it will roll by itself.  That much is true.  The other part of the story is that if you put powder on your bumper, you’ll see little handprints, from these little ghosty children pushing your car over the tracks.  Well, I say it’s the powder industry that’s got us all fanagled in this one.  You’ve got to look at the bottom line, to see which direction the cookie crumbles.  And if you want to know what scares me, it’s not ghosts, in fact, it’s clowns.  Pure and simple.

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Jan14

Island Song

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Island Song

There are plenty of fabulous hotels Key Largo has waiting for you. It’s time to check in and see what all the fuss is about. This is a paradise that offers up the best most relaxing or sporting experiences off the coast of Florida. It is the home of the very first underwater state park. There are many unique adventures available at the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The amazing colors of coral and fish is best appreciated with a snorkel in your mouth. There is a two and a half hour tour that you can sign up for. There is no scuba skills needed. Just bring your swimsuit. Masks and snorkels can be rented for a reasonable price.

Think of all the island music you will hear when you visit the local restaurants and pubs. Some of the great songs of Jimmy Buffett come to mind or how about some Bob Marley. The Beach Boys are not just a California band. They have written Key Largo into one of their big hits Kokomo. Notice that the music of such artist reflects a light happy tones with upbeat danceable rhythm. The inception of Reggae music happened to come along in the early sixties around the same time as the formation of the Beach Boys. Jimmy Buffett came into play in the late sixties. All were inspired by living or being around the oceans of the world.

Each of these three performing acts were known for different things. The Beach Boys had their sweeping perfect harmonies. Jimmy Buffett had is well written songs about everything you would see, find or do on or near a beach. Bob Marley and the Reggae he put out into the world reach a spiritual side of people with its steel drums and deep bass oriented grooves.

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