Category Archives: On Travel

Travel related Rants & Raves

Top Places To See When Traveling In Texas

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Texas is one of the most popular and most exciting states in the nation. This place just so happens to be America’s second most populous state, and it hosts many of the nation’s most affluent cities such as Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Fort Worth. The Lone Star State consists of more than 260,000 square-miles, and it has some of the very best historical sites, national parks, amusement parks, train rides and science museums. Another great reason for coming to this destination is that there are a number of family-related activities that people can enjoy as a group. It’s time to pack your bags and take a trip to America’s last frontier.

Houston Museum of Natural Science

One of the absolute best things to see up close and personal is the Houston Museum of Natural Science. This extraordinary museum has been around since 1909 and over 2 million people visit this place every year. Science and education meets at this intersection as visitors will get a chance to view dinosaur exhibits, get a chance to see some of the rarest gemstones as well as see some of the best taxidermied animals. Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction.

San Antonio Riverwalk

The San Antonio Riverwalk is by far one of the most interesting and relaxing destinations on the planet. Located in Texas’ second most populous city, this destination provides up to 2.5 miles of walkway along the San Antonio River. Did you know that the Riverwalk is the most visited attraction in the state of Texas? Yes, this is 100 percent true as this place offers artisan shows, festivals and parades. This long channel of water was first designed to provide flood control for the city, but as of today, it is lined with affluent restaurants, lodging facilities, museums and shopping outlets. TripAdvisor.com states that over 76 percent of people who visited this area gave it an excellent rating of 4.5.

The Fort Worth Zoo

Who aren’t amazed at wild animals? The next great attraction is basically the Forth Worth Zoo. There are over 542 species of birds, reptiles and animals here. Kids will get a thrill while viewing silverback gorillas, lions, tigers and other majestic animals. The prestigious USA Travel Guide ranks Forth Worth Zoo as the 5th best zoo in the US. This huge wildlife refuge hosts a splash park, a carousel, a train ride and a theater.

Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Resort

This particular waterpark is a fan-favorite as it allows you to beat the heat with downhill racing slides, a water coaster, a lazy river ride and pools. SW&R is located in New Braunfels, and it has a variety of attractions for kids and adults. Swim-up pools and cabanas roundoff some of the more popular venues here.

There you have it! The great state of Texas has many activities to participate in, and it has much to see. All in all, visiting Texas should definitely be on your bucket list.

Did you enjoy reading about travel to Texas? Maybe you might like some more articles on travel, like 5 Other Must-See Beach Vacation Destinations or 5 Local Things Not To Miss in San Francisco!

 

References:

MommyPoppins

Visit Fort Worth

Avis

All Storage Online

Read, read, read. Time to prepare for my summer read list

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Read, read, read. Seems like I always have something to read or listen to with me.

Reading tools readFrom the classic paper-based books I still buy, collect and read, to the digital versions on various e-readers that travel so well.

But even with an Amazon Amazon Unlimited  (What is Kindle Unlimited?  Kindle Unlimited is a service that allows you to read up to 10 books at once for one low fee of  $9.99 a month and you can cancel anytime. They offer a “Try it free for 30 days.”) and an account with Scribd which offers a similar plan (but with an $8.99 per month for unlimited reads of from what they have in inventory), and has a great blog at https://literally.scribd.com/ buying books add up.

So I started to give a few of the newsletter membership based book lists a try. The two that I seem to find the most offered from; one is BookBub. with a simple sign up, you get emails every day with reduced and free reads for most of the available e-readers. Members also have access to the BookBub blog which I check out on a regular basis.

The other list I get daily is from The Fussy Librarian which is also based on interest, and provides me with several suggestions that link right into the e-reader of my choice. You can also find out more details on its website thefussylibrarian.com .

Prepping for my vacation read

As I get ready for the annual vacation I always go back and review lasts years post to make sure I am packing the right tools for the trip and multiple e-readers make sense. When out on the bike, I tend to want my smaller Kindle Oasis with its small format and expanded battery. Poolside or on the bear I tend to use it as well. The rest of the time, I use my trusty Ipad Pro 9.7″ which does the job perfectly. Truth be told I also keep an older Ipad mini at my bedside too!

My 2018 Delemia; Read or listen

I have never been a big fan of audiobooks. I find that they end up putting me to sleep (even when driving – so not a good combination for me) but earlier this year I fell back into podcasts with a few new genres that really caught my fancy. Since I tend to be Apple product based. I use its native app for podcast listening but also recently downloaded Stitcher as an app alternative.

Note: Make sure you check your device features and settings – and know when you are streaming and downloading versus already have downloaded it via wifi or you will hit some pretty big data jumps as you get engrossed.

Prepping for vacation meant a search for more creative, provocative, compelling and thought-provoking listens. My tastes range widely which is definitely is reflected in my playlist and why am always on the listen for new ones.

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5 Local Things Not To Miss in San Francisco

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Some local things to do in San Francisco

The United States is filled with great cities to visit during your travels, but few of them can top the majestic beauty of San Francisco. Whether you are there for the weekend or much longer, you will always find something fun to do in the city. These are the five things you must not miss during your time in San Francisco.

Alcatraz Island

The iconic prison that held Al Capone is located on a small island just 1.25 miles off the coast of San Francisco. The excellent audio tour provides a detailed history of the prison as you walk around at your own pace. You will also get to experience some of the best views of the city while taking the ferry to the island. Note: It is important to plan ahead for this one as tickets sell out fast. Visit here for information on tickets and further details

Fisherman’s Wharf

Fisherman’s Wharf is a small neighborhood located near the water that is filled with enough attractions to fill the entire day. There is no better place to enjoy a fresh seafood meal than Fisherman’s Wharf. Watching the sea lions on the pier, visiting the shops and enjoying the beautiful environment are a few of the other popular activities in the area. One of the best parts of this visit – is its easy to get to using our SFMTA trolly or bus systems. Visit the SFMTA for details on tickets, maps and more

AT&T Park

If you are visiting San Francisco in the summer, then there is no better way to spend your time than watching the Giants play at AT&T Park. The picturesque stadium was originally constructed in 2000, and it is widely regarded as one of the best spots to watch a baseball game because of its views of the San Francisco Bay.

Asian Art Museum

San Francisco is the home to a lot of award-winning museums, but none of them can surpass the Asian Art Museum. This wonderful museum has more than 2,500 pieces of art on display at all times. Some of the pieces date back more than 6,000 years. In addition to the permanent collection, the museum regularly hosts special exhibits that display rare pieces that are rarely seen out of Asia.

Golden Gate Bridge

This orange suspension bridge dates back to 1933, and it is easily one of the most famous landmarks in the world. Riding a bike across the mile-long bridge is one of the best ways to fully appreciate this architectural marvel. Fog regularly obstructs the view of the bridge, so plan your visit accordingly.

Other great places to plan a visit to while in town include the Academy of Science, The Winchester Mystery House, and the Exploratorium.

These five attractions are just a small reason why San Francisco is considered one of the best cities in the world. Visiting these iconic spots will ensure your trip is a success, but be prepared never to want to leave. You might also want to visit my post on places to eat which I try to update every few months.

 

Sources

San Francisco Tourist Tips | Trip Savvy

Things to do in San Francisco | Avis

San Francisco Travel Tips | Tripadvisor

 

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What A Day! So much for a quiet uneventful weekend

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That would be the smoke we followed then passed after our 5:50 pm flight got cancelled due to mechanical issues after boarding. Oh yea, that and two of the flight crew going down and being removed by EMT’s with heat stroke as we were asked to disembark ..
So after hearing Alaska Airlines plan for resceduling folks, it was another car rental, then off to dinner, and a drive to LA and a few hours sleep at the Renaissance Marriott, to be able to catch rebooked Virgin America flight at 6:50 am Tues am. Either that or stay in PS another day or two. Given we could only get waitlisted on the 5pm Tues Alaska Airlines flight or confirmed on the 5pm Wed one.

Other than that snag, we had a great few “disconnect” at our favorite “home away from home” at the Triangle Inn, in Palm Springs.

Kept the trip low key with temperatures from 98 – 120+. Which meant lots of pool time


And eating at our fav spots when we could drag ourselves out of the water long enough.

Now this is a glass of Iced Tea!

A Chicken Parm sandwhich

Need I explain

More liquids

Spencer’s for brunch

Spencer’s for brunch

Sensing a theme yet?

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Don’t let the summers end, mean you can’t still eat like its a day at the fair

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On his September 2016 website post- fav food traveler and culture cuisine explorer Andrew Zimmern posted a great list of Classic Fair recipes; I think I have my winter blahs recipes well in hand now!

Give it a read at: Classic State Fair Dishes To Make at Home  Also check out his website for his Recipes, his own blog aka Editorials and follow him on Twitter at @andrewzimmern or on Instagram @chefaz

All images are from the article and posting.

One of the fun things I caught on his site I caught was the AZ Canteen, which according to the man himself; “That’s why I’ve created AZ Canteen. This carefully curated menu showcases some inspired versions of the best food items I’ve discovered on the road. From a Nicaraguan shaved ice that I’ve seen only once outside of Central America, to goat sausage grinders (one of the most delicious meats on the planet!) made with an exclusive cabrito blend from my friend Pat LaFrieda, these foods resonated with me and I’m thrilled to share my culinary experiences with you.”

@AZCanteen is an   food adventure

And because he isn’t busy enough; he also launched Foodworks Inc. and check out his Podcasts

It’s happening again! #Ptown24

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I got a chance to participate in this last year and I have to say it was really a lot of fun. Seeing other folks images that had been in similar places over the course of day, taken over different times and angles.

It really resonates with the diversity and history that Provincetown offers and how we all saw things differently, but when packaged together for those 24 hours create a cohesive story.

Any of you local peeps or those of you planning to be on vacation in town August 24th think about taking part #PTown24 . It’s really easy to participate and you help build a part of local history as well as capture moments in time.
Share the word

Sponsored by Provincetown Community Television and LIPTV, special thanks to the #Ptown24 folks whose contributions appear in this video!

The Canteen is not to be overlooked

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Canteen was one of the suprises when they first opened in 2013 that has managed to keep it a favorite casual meal spot. With its rough and simple “shake-like chaos” to the incredible fresh and vibrant flavors – Canteen is always a perfect way to each and people watch. One of the signature dishes is the fried brussels sprouts. In fact that was was usually brings us in. They manage to do make the smoky, crispy and tender all at the same time. It’s like “vegetable crack”. 1001572_10201541924447545_1570023088_n-2

But on this trip it was all about the hot  “lobster roll”. While some folks prefer the cold kind blended with mayo – I much prefer my warm (barely cooked) and dressed with butter.  In this Canteen blew us away. Often time we here people refer lobster meat as being “sweet’. Generally it’s not and an imagebe rubbery and tough. Canteen manages to bring the sweetness out, kisses its with butter and lovingly scoop it into the grilled role. This is a “not to miss” dish.  Note: they have a back eating area that often time people miss.. so don’t be turned away if you don’t see seating in the front.

Check them out on Facebook or visit them on the web at thecanteenptown.com or Yelp

225 Commercial Street
Provincetown, MA 02657

Open lunch and dinner
11 AM-11 PM
No reservations

Because its more than just eating I do..

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I do take pictures while on vacation!

 

Cafe Heaven

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While always a good standard when we visit, Cafe Heaven with it’s new Bar area, has a new vibe to it, that definitely works. We stopped by for dinner one night and couldn’t have been happier. The food was dead on. We started with my favorite dish in most resturant’s – but one that I know is big enough here to serve as lunch or a lite supper. The Antipasto, nothing on it feels tossed on, cheap or low end. For dinner we went to basics with my having the Shrimp  & Grits; with aa sweet, sour, sticky glaze meets sauce spicy with chorizo and Paul jumped in with a broccoli & chicken penne pasta. Now Paul being Paul, the only comment I heard was; “it could use more broccoli”. Him and that green stuff.

I can honestly say these shots don’t do the dishes credit – so get you butt over to find out!

For more on Cafe Heaven:

199 Commercial St, Unit 10, Provincetown, MA 02657-2126, (508) 487-9639

 

Ptown date 08.01.16

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Sorting out our “must sees” this am; already top on the list is my pal, Varla Jean Merman’s “A Little White Music” and Varla & Ryan’s “Brown is the new Pink“. Last night, we took in Dina Martini’s show, to a full crowd at the Crown & Anchor.

Also on the list is several new shows & restaurants we had wanted to check out is Saints & Strangers (a take on the book, Saints and Strangers – Being the Lives of the Pilgrim Fathers & Their Families, with Their Friends & Foes: & and Account of Their Posthumous Wanderings in Limbo, Their Final Resurrection & Rise to Glory, & the Strange Pilgrimages of Plymouth Rock),  as well as  a few old favorites like a grown up date night  at Jimmy’s Hideaway and hopefully next week dinner at the Red Inn

One we won’t be able to see is The Calamari sisters  at the Sage Inn, as we found out they had been cancelled for the summer due to health issues.

Capped off last night with one of our favorite Monday night activities by hitting the Showgirls show at the A-House. While you never know what will happen – even tonight took the cake when a “sword swallower” came up on stage…