Exploring

Austin Hit List {2012}

December 11, 2012

Over Labor Day weekend (how long ago?!?!) Price and I went to Austin to visit our friends Natalie and Jason, and their 2 cats and new puppy. We hated that they moved back to Austin after 2 years in Boston so we had to see them again and the city that pulled them back.

{Friday}

Price and I got up at 4.30 in the morning to get ready, feed the buns, & get to the airport for our early morning flight. I hate early morning flights being that I tend to stay up super late so we can finish packing, clean the kitchen, clean the rabbits’ cage, and then I get all sorts of busy with rushing to finish work stuff I will be missing and then I get sucked into the blogging hole to post things while gone. Ugh. And yet, I love to get up early to start vacatin as early as possible. Plus seeing the sunrise at the airport is so lovely.

Jason picked us up at the airport and then we get Natalie and wham bam full on intro some great food to Chuy’s. Oh so much food! Such good food! Limitless chips with our queso. Their green chili season was in full swing so I got one of their specials. ah-mazing.

After splitting up for some errands and some naps back at the house we were all geared up to get ready to go out in Austin.

We met up with Natalie and Jason’s friends Ashley and Zack at the South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery. We had dinner from one of the food trucks parked in the lot. We split some queso and chips and enjoyed some fantastic tacos from Torchy’s Tacos. Each tacos was in the $3-4 range which made for a great affordable meal before going out drinking at the Rainey Street bars.

We missed the bats but caught a really cool sunset.

We first went to Lustre Pearl where we sat in a front room that had peeling plaster walls and a fireplace. Little candles around the crate box side tables and books on the fireplace mantel made the space feel charming and relaxing it. We found the Book of Mormon. It made my night.

We then went to Bar 96 to have some more drinks, sit outside, and play games. They had frozen mojitos. Sooo good. I def need to make some of these myself.

The night was gorgeous so we hung out back playing corn hole and a massive jenga. Plus they had a massive projector onto a shed!

Lastly, we went to Clive Bar for our lost stop. It was really casual with seating outside. We managed to get a table, which were hard to come by, so major score!

What do you do after you have had plenty to drink? You get Whataburger! So we stopped there on the way home and got some take out. Price loved the burger and I loved the Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit that Natalie and Jason picked for me because I am so indecisive. Let me repeat… Honey.Butter.Chicken.Biscuit. At that very moment I didn’t care about the calories. It was heavenly. Absolutely heavenly.

{Saturday}

Everything is bigger in Texas, right? Well, while Jason nursed a hangover, Natalie took Price and me to a huge grocery store called H-E-B. There was a kiosk where fresh hand made corn tortillas were being made. I wanted to get a back just because but really had no point since Natalie and Jason were planning on taking us to some great places to eat while we were visiting.

Post grocery store run we went to Rudy’s BBQ for some take out. They were so nice and welcoming there! Such a different attitude from the Northeast- which is really hard to get used to for me. They put a piece of wax paper in front of us and asked us what we would like to try as it was out first visit. We sampled the different kinds of brisket and the jalapeno sausage, which was my favorite. Also a favorite… the new potatoes which we figured they slice and then boil in a combination of water and butter making them so GD amazing (and fattening).

I got really excited for Dr Pepper and Coke with real sugar.

As well as getting to enjoy Happy Hour!

We could not get enough of Happy Hour when we were in Austin, so when we went out after Rudy’s and relaxing to check out Austin by UT we first had to stop at Sonic. I could get used to that!

When we were outside the campus store the real life mascot went by. People went crazy for Bevo.

And I went crazy for Whole Foods!!! We went to the Whole Foods flagship store (not the original store) and I fell in love. From the green wall at the entry to the trail mix bar to the wine bar in the store. I could have spent all day there. For real.

Back home we napped again. Seriously, I could not get enough naps. It was so nice just to be able to relax and catch up on sleep from out insane on the go summer.

We had dinner at their neighbors Sara and Andrew’s house. Sara is a super talented graphic designer who owns Stationary Bakery. I need this rabbit print and this mermaid card she made. Anyway, we all had a great time eating, drinking, and watching the Longhorns game while the dogs went crazy playing with each other.

{Sunday}

Natalie and Jason were up in the middle of the night dealing with a sick pup! Poor Zoey had an allergic reaction to something and her cute little pup face swelled right up! awww!! So they took her to the vet in the middle of the night. Such good puppy parents!

Well, when Price and I stumbled downstairs after a full night of sleep they were ready for some breakfast so Jason and Pricer went to Tacodeli for some breakfast taco takeout. Which turned out to be the best idea ever. I don’t know what I would do if there every happened to be a Tacodeli in Boston. I would be their number one customer. I loved the fresh ingredients and creative combinations of tacos. As well as their fresh agua frescas.

What better way to spend the morning than getting pedicures and going shopping. But not just getting pedicures, getting boozey pedicures. I could get used to that! Oh no, wait, I can’t since Mass has super strict alcohol laws and I can’t ever imagine finding a nail salon serving wine. (if you know of one, please let me know asap) So, Texas you win that round.

I think the buns would approve! I wanted to get these from Antropologie.

And then off to the quintessential stop in Austin… SoCo, which is an area of South Congress Street that is filled with great shops and restaurants. It is a great place to wander around to check out shops like Uncommon Objects, where I got a really cool glass, and Creatures Boutique, where Pricer got a pair of bunny earrings for me. Love.

We had lunch at Magnolia Cafe, which has been featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. Since just about every meal we had involved getting queso Price and I split the Flamingo Sandwich, avocado, tomato, sprouts, and swiss on grilled whole wheat. totally worth it since it meant more room for queso. Why does queso have to be so good!?!?

As much as we were full from lunch we headed over to Amy’s Ice Creams after we left SoCo. Glad we did go since the had fantastic ice cream as well as did this AWESOME thing where they scooped the ice cream and then flung it up in the air and caught it on the cone. I would fail miserably at that part of the job.

For the rest of the day we hung out at home watching TV and movies including Snow White and the Huntsman. Which I am surprised I enjoyed let alone I survived since I hate Kristin Stewart. Seriously, did she just smell a fart always?

And then Natalie and Jason invited friends and neighbors over and we played ‘Cards Against Humanity’ and ‘Drawception’. They are my new favorite games. We were all dying at the outrageous card combos in Cards Against Humanity (imagine Apples to Apples but for awful people). And then watching Drawception breakdown over the 3rd person was the best. I really wish I had kept those cards.

{Monday}

In the morning we went to Stand Up Paddle Boarding. I really wish I had photos of this as it was a total blast. It was great to try something new and to be on the water on the hot day. Jason and I managed to stay up the entire time (I got a super big board so I think it prevented me from falling) while Natalie and Pricer fell in. But no worries, very refreshing on a hot day.

Next stop… Tacodeli! Obviously. This time we sat down and had a massive lunch since we skipped breakfast, which was just perfect to me.

We hung out at home for the rest of the day. Of course we had a nap. 🙂 We also watched Men in Black 3 and the guys went out for a Sonic Happy Hour run. And we rounded out the night with watching Contagion which has scared the shit out of me and I can’t stop washing my hands since then.

{Tuesday}

A pretty relaxed day as Natalie went back to work and Jason worked at home. I watched the Hunger Games further instilling my love for the series, as well as my annoyance that they changed the end of the damn movies from the book. Plus we had some puppy time with Zoey.

Natalie came home at lunch since she worked close enough to go back and forth. It was great to get to see her one last time. Plus she brought us a fantastic lunch from Urban Picnic. I had the BLT with Blue Cheese Mayo sandwich, which I need to start making all the time since it was pretty incredible.

For the rest of the afternoon. Price and I lounged around savoring the last of our vacation. I watched more episodes of The Newsroom becoming a major addict. There might also have been some day drinking.

And then we were back in Boston. Back to reality.

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We loved getting to spend time with our friends Natalie and Jason!!! We had so much fun and got to have plenty of time just to relax. It was great to visit a new place and eat the most amazing food as well. Queso… I love you.

Plus they have the coolest pets!

William and Gretta

Of course the cat wants to spend the most time with the person who is allergic to it.

Zoey is just too cute!!!! I was going to smush her in my carry-on but she would not stop moving with that damn dolphin on hers!

Monday Munchies: Monti’s La Casa Vieja- Tempe, AZ

December 3, 2012

As part of my Monday Munchies series, I will feature a different eatery for a review on the first and third Monday of every month. Hope you enjoy!

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I love when I travel and I get to go to some great local places to experience some fantastic regional favorites. Just as much, I love to tell people my favorite places when they are visiting Boston or New England. But getting to discover new places always is the best. And thankfully, Price’s Dad, Tom, was so eager to show us around to his favorite places when we were visiting him in AZ for Thanksgiving. So after several hours strolling around the World Wildlife Zoo and Aquarium, we went to Monti’s La Casa Vieja in Tempe.

Monti’s La Casa Vieja has been around for over 120 years and is connected to a really pasts since it was first built in 1871. Charles Trumbull Hayden built the original adobe hacienda as a home when he settled in the area to establish a flourmill and a ferry service for crossing the Salt River. Over time that home transformed and grew into a hotel, blacksmith shop, post office, general store, and then a restaurant. After the Hayden family moved to a new home in the 1890s, they began referring to hacienda as La Casa Vieja – Spanish for “The Old House.” Originally, the community became known as Hayden’s Ferry, but in the late 1880s, the name changed to the Vale of Tempe, and few years later, the town’s name was officially changed to Tempe.

Since the 1890’s, a restaurant of some sort has been operated at La Casa Vieja as it was convenient to e to those who had traveled a great distance to use the flourmill or ferry service. It was run by the Hayden daughters until the 1930s. The details about the restaurants at La Casa Vieja are sketchy from the Great Depression through 1954 as it was run by several owners.

In 1954, La Casa Vieja was purchased by Leonard F. Monti, who had been operating a 13-stool diner in Chandler since 1946. Monti opened his new restaurant, “Monti’s La Casa Vieja”, for business in April 1956, after waiting for tenant’s lease to expire. Since then it has been run by members of the Monti family. Today, Monti’s La Casa Vieja serves approximately 500,000 customers annually.

Our server was pulling double duty be being out waiter as well as the bartender on the quiet afternoon. We didn’t get there until 3.30 from the zoo so it was during the afternoon lull so it worked out well that we got great seats by the window and fast service. The waiter was so nice and it didn’t hurt that it made a really great banana strawberry daiquiri.

It was so hard not to fill up on the bread that was brought out to us. It was similar to a focaccia bread but was less oily and was a slight bit denser. The bread was topped off with fresh rosemary and the the scent was perfuming the table as it was served warm. I could have eaten the whole basket, but thankfully I saved room for the real deal!

The reason why Tom brought us to Monti’s was for their filet mignons. He was raving about their filet lunch deal and how you get a great steak for a fantastic price. And it was not just about the price as they didn’t skimp on quality.

I had Monti’s Classic Lunch Filet for $12 which was a 5oz filet served with cheesy garlic bread, a side, and cheesy garlic toast. Price and Tom had the regular Arizona Raised 7 oz Filet Mignon for $22. Their dishes came with 2 sides, which they had a side salad and loaded baked potato. Either entrees could have been wrapped with applewood smoked bacon for an additional $2. I think that with a great cut of meat you don’t’ need to add a lot to it so I skipped the bacon.

The three of us split a side of onions and mushrooms. These went perfectly with the steak. Each bite was loaded with flavor from the juicy steak, caramelized onions, and the meaty mushrooms. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium-rare with a nice char on the outside and a tender, juicy interior.

I highly recommend going to Monti’s for their filet’s. It was a great deal and, best of all, it was a fantastic meal.

Monti’s

100 South Mill Avenue

Tempe, AZ 85281

Two if by Sea- Boston’s Waterfront

November 16, 2012

This past Tuesday night, I went on a boat tour around Boston’s Fort Point Channel & Boston Harbor. I volunteer with a group called ACE Mentor Program so I take pictures of the students in action on field trips and in the class room developing projects in the skill set of Architecture, Construction, and Engineering. We went out for an hour-long boat ride so the students could learn about the architecture designs and the structural and MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) requirements for buildings and bridges around Fort Point & South Boston’s waterfront district.

It was raining but I snuck outside a few times to get some pictures of the Harbor as the sun was setting.

We took the tour on the Charles 1 from the Charles River Boat Company. They were so super generous donating their time and vessel for the group of students. How cool! They offer Charles River cruises, architectural tours, and sunset cruises on the Charles River, Boston Harbor, and Fort Point Area. As I may be bias, (I am) I think the BSA guided architectural trour sounds pretty awesome. Their tour season has closed now but I suggest checking them out in 2013, I know I will!

Just taking a stroll {Chelsea, MA}

October 19, 2012

Last weekend I took a walk around our town to get out of the house and get some breakfast & butter, as I was running low and the urge to bake hit. It was a rainy, gloomy Sunday morning but I still enjoyed the walk to stretch my legs and get some fresh air. When I’m out in town I’m typically on a quick mission to get to/from the bus but this time I had the chance to walk around and enjoy the sights.

I highly suggest that you go out in your town with you camera and snap a few photos. I bet you will enjoy opening up your eyes and exploring. Find some beauty. Enjoy it.

Apple Picking At Russell Orchard in Ispwich, MA

September 28, 2012

Two weeknds ago I went apple picking with some coworkers and had a fantastic time together getting bags full of apples. We went up to Russell Orchards in Ispwich as it is one of the closest places to go apple picking around Boston. It was my first time going there for apple picking (Price and I had been there for berry picking years ago). The day was beautiful and we had so much fun picking bags of varieties of apples.

Prior to my friends’ arrival I took part in a wine & cider tasting in their general store from their own winery. For $5 I sampled 2 hard ciders, 2 fruit wines, and received a branded glass. They sample different ciders and wines (11% alcohol)every week. This week they sampled their Apple Cider, Perry, Jostaberry, and Dry Blueberry.

Apple Cider- “A very sweet and fruity dessert cider, great with apple pie” … This was very enjoyable. I liked the sweet subtle flavor.

Perry- “A slightly sweet hard pear drink” … I wouldn’t have even guessed this was pear. It was lovely but was not very fruity, esp pear like.

Jostaberry- “The berry is a cross between the gooseberry and the black currant. This wine has a tart, fruity taste.” … I loved this red fruit wine. It was tart but not pucker inducing. I liked the flavors, specifically the currant flavor,

Dry Blueberry- “Similar to the Blueberry, except this wine is aged in French oak. Bold like a Cabernet with a subtle berry flavor” … I didn’t finish my sample of this, neither did the 2 women next to me. They must not have been a fan of the smokey flavor. Had it been described as smokey I would have not had it as I for like smokey flavors, esp wine. If you like very dry and smokey then this is a great wine for you.

I’m glad my coworker picked Russell Orchard as it was convenient to get to, packed full of apples, and was a beautiful place.

Beautiful, beautiful apples.

It’s hard to go wrong with acres of apples, but they organize their PYO (pick your own) fields well. Everything was labeled with clear signs on each end of the row. Having gone to other orchards that just use flags as boundaries I found that Russell’s fields were very easy to navigate.

The fields are a short walk from the entrance so they offer hayrides to get to and from the fields. We deicded not to do this as the lines was l-o-n-g but it looked like a lot of fun. Personally, I think you should walk to the fields and take the hayride back after you (and your kids) are tired from walking around and carring a bag of apples.

For $15 you get a peck sized bag, which holds about 10-12 lbs of apples. I wanted a wheel barrel full but that was not an option nor, I assume, in my budget. I stuck with only picking apples that were good for baking, which were Cortland, Empire, Jonagold, and Honeycrisp. Their chart was helpful for picking which apples were best for baking, sauce, dessert (eating??), and juice. Their site says that it is cash only for weekends and Monday holidays but they did accept debit cards by the general store. You just need to buy your bag there at the store instead of getting it at the orchards

Before we left I got a loaf of cinnamon bread that we enjoyed for breakfast the following week. While there were long lines for their cider donuts I did not get any. I much prefer cider donuts that are coated in cinnamon and sugar while they are fresh from the fryer. Russell makes a plain donut and I just can’t justify the calories on something I don’t love.

I think this is great orchard to visit in the summer for berry picking and in the fall for apple picking. Don’t miss out on picking local fruit at the peak of season!

Gotta go get a pumpkin next, dontcha think?

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Russell Orchards

143 Argilla Road

Ipswich, MA

(978) 356-5366

open 9-6 daily

We saw Puffins!!!! {Seal Island Puffin Cruise}

September 25, 2012

When Price and I were on our annual trip up to Maine this summer, we went on the Seal Island Puffin Cruise through The Isle au Haut Ferry for Price’s mom’s birthday. Back in February we told her about the gift and we were able to enjoy it during our August trip.

The weather was a bit crummy that morning and we hoped that it would clear & burn off as that day went on, sadly it did not. But we still really enjoyed ourselves on the boat ride and watching the puffins bob around in the water and fly around. It was amazing to see the puffins in their natural habitat. Plus they are cute as hell!

We left Stonington on the 47 foot long Mink and headed to Isle au Haut to pick up a few more people and naturalist Kathie Fiveash. Kathie spoke about the preservation efforts for the islands in the area and about the avian and ocean wildlife that we saw along the way. She was able to point out an eagles nest on Isle au Haut, identify the different terns that we saw flying all around, and point out a seal we saw in the harbor. She brought several books as well people to browse thorugh for additional information. In addition to her work with the puffin cruise, she can be hired to be a tour on Isle au Haut to walk around that lush island.

We then headed about 12 miles south to Seal Island to see a summer colony of nesting puffins there. It took us about an hour & half to get from Isle au Haut to Seal Island. Once there we got along side the the East face of the island & carefully looped around the puffins that were bobbing along in the water. Nobody is permitted to land on Seal Island, so we were thankful that so many where in the water for us to see so well.

puffins!!!!!!!

We stuck around Seal Island for awhile watching the puffins float around in the water and fly around. I was very excited about the puffins flying around. I do have to admit that I didn’t know puffins could fly very well. I thought they were like penguins since every photo I saw of them showed them standing around with fish stuffed in their mouth. Plus they are shaped like squat little footballs so I didn’t think of them as being very aerodynamic. So every time one took off I would snap a dozen pictures.

We had such a great time on the Seal Island Puffin Cruise. I highly recommend checking out their 2013 schedule to plan for a visit as they only go out a few times a summer. I hope that you guys have better weather than us too!

Suggestions to enjoy the Seal Island Puffin Cruise:

Dress in layers- better to be able to take something off if it gets hot than being cold for hours
Bring sunblock- you don’t want to burn
Bring a book or a game with you- it’s a long trip back and forth to Stonington and Seal Island so I suggest something to keep you occupied
Bring drinks and snack- the tour is at lunch time so it’s best to have something to eat and drink on the boat
Use a zoom lens- if you have a camera that allows you to change is lens then I suggest you bring your zoom lens, if you have one

Seal Island Puffin Cruise

Seabreeze Avenue

Stonington, Maine 04681

(207) 367-5193

9.20-23: long weekend recap in Chicago

September 24, 2012

{Thursday night} make a quick dinner | pack | trip to Walgreens for gum, jelly beans, & cash | bed early

{Friday} 4.30am alarm | get ready | cab ride to the airport | starbucks | Boston> Chicago | shuttle to The Acme Hotel Company | architectural boat cruise | lunch at The Billy Goat Tavern | check in at the hotel | nap | get ready for dinner | Frontera Grill – drinks at the bar & apps at the chefs table area | run back to the hotel in the rain (2+ total miles)

{Saturday} PRICE’S 30th BIRTHDAY!!! Woke up early | coffee delivery to the room | get ready for the day | breakfast at the hotel | started on our day of exploring | walk down to Millienum Park | pictures at the The Bean | Crown Fountain | walk through Lurie Garden | Buckingham Fountain | walk to the skip the aquarium- too long of a line | water taxi to Navy Pier | walk to Pizano’s for deep dish pizza | walk back to hotel | nap | get ready to go out | Signature Room at John Hancock Tower | drinks and guac | Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop & Soda Fountain for a birthday banana split | walk back to Acme | SNL and lounging around (7+ total miles)

{Sunday} wake up with the alarm | get ready & pack up | breakfast at the hotel | check out & store our luggage | take the L from Grand to Addison | tour Wrigley Field @ 9.30 | walk to Ann Sather’s & split an omelet lunch | walk to the Lincon Park Zoo- saw a baby zebra! | sticky bun | walk through Lincoln Park to get to Magnificent Mile | Disney store for a gift for Cara | beers at the Weber Grill bar | shuttle pick up at the hotel | fell asleep in traffic | chicago dog for dinner | flight home (7.5 total miles)

Monday Munchies: Doug’s Fish Fry- Skaneateles, NY

September 3, 2012

As part of my Monday Munchies series, I will feature a different eatery for a review on the first and third Monday of every month. Hope you enjoy!

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So I skipped last scheduled installment of Monday Munchies as I was having a blast with S’mores week. But I swear that this postponement is worth it as I am sharing with you a great place that serves fresh seafood in a great town nestled in the Finger Lakes of New York. I was introduced to Doug’s Fish Fry over 7 years ago when I went back to visit Pricer’s family for the first time. Since then I have been hooked on going there for lunch or dinner.

Doug’s is a Skaneateles, NY staple as it opened 30 years ago in 1982. Since then they have expanded their restaurant in size and to a Cortland, NY location. The Skaneateles location is really quaint with wood paneling and hand painted murals on the walls. The lines get long and the dining room gets busy but that just goes to show how great it is. Thankfully, they serve quickly so the lines move fast. Also, if you just want some ice cream you can go up to the side window to order.

I suggest eating at Doug’s, but if you can’t then you can get your order to go and walk down to the park along Skaneateles Lake. They wrap up your order in large sheets of wax paper. Take the bundle with you, pop a squat (who gets that?), and enjoy your dinner along with the view. The lake is always enjoyable and I highly suggest sitting along the waterfront and taking a walk down the jetty.

Their fish sandwich plate is always a favorite of ours. Also the shrimp and scallops plate are some of my favorites on the menu as well. The fish is always fresh as it gets shipped in all the time. I love that they only serve the best… the best seafood, the best fries, the best cole slaw. Basically, I just love it all. The fries are great with a dash of vinegar or with some tartar sauce. The coleslaw that they serve is great as well. We often get large to go orders of the cole slaw to go with BBQ’s at home as well.

Whatever you do don’t miss out on a sundae from Doug’s. I can’t resist their ice cream and sundaes. It just has this incredible hold on me. They sell pre-made sundaes that are really good but I suggest that you get a sundae made to order to the hot fudge is hot and makes your ice cream soupy in the best sort of way possible. I was once to excited to order a sundae that I ordered a large and once I saw it being assembled I had to cancel our 2nd sundae. They are so large that they are the perfect size to share. But I wouldn’t blame you if you kept it all just for yourself! 🙂

Doug’s Fish Fry

8 Jordan Street

Skaneateles, NY 13152

(315) 685-3288

A summer day in Newport RI

August 16, 2012

I can’t think of a better way of spending a day than leisurely strolling around a beautiful New England town. So when it was my turn for our July Surprise Date I decided that we would spend a day in the beautiful town of Newport, RI. I have been to Newport many times but it would be Price’s first time. I find that Newport is fun, relaxing, friendly, and all around beautiful. And that is exactly why I wanted to spend the day down there together.

It was a beautiful, sunny day making this the perfect Sunday. We parked in a lot by The Barking Crab ($15- my advice is to keep looking & you’ll find a $10 lot) and started to stroll around the piers & shops. While walking down America’s Cup Ave we saw a stand for a boat tour around the harbor. I’ve been on several so I could probably give a tour myself but it doesn’t matter at all since I learn something new every time and an hour on the water looking at beautiful mansions does not get old. So we bought our tickets and headed out on the Amazing Grace.

The Amazing Grace took us all around the harbour with our informative tour guide poiunted out several moared America’s Cup competitors and winning sail boats. In addition to all the beautiful sail boats and yacht, we were able to see Castle Hill Inn, Fort Adams, New York Yacht Club- Harbour Court, and all the mansions that line the harbor. One of my favorites is Hammersmith Farm (top right small photo), where Jackie Kennedy Onassis grew up and where JFK and Jackie were married.

After the harbor tour we had brunch at Christie’s. So incredible! Loved the view of the harbor and the food. More to come on our great meal in a later post.

And then after we stuffed our selves we walked all around and peeked into the shops browsing things like rugs, wine glasses, prints, and lots of things stamped with ‘Newport’ on it. We grabbed an elephant ear Country Kettle Fudge to munch on while we walked back to the car. One last stop was to Humidor Cigar World for some cigars for Pricer.

Perfect day together in Newport!

Monday Munchies: Bob’s Clam Hut- Kittery, ME

August 6, 2012

As part of my Monday Munchies series, I will feature a different eatery for a review on the first and third Monday of every month. Hope you enjoy!

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Our yearly trip to ‘gma’s house at Maine’ ends with a meal Bob’s Clam Hut in Kittery, Maine. And not ones to break tradition, we stopped off there today for our late lunch/early dinner.

The menu is large but easy to navigate. Basically, just about everything is fried, but everything is fresh. Don’t let the price’s intimidate you as they are really large portions. The dinner we get always end up being 2 meals. I don’t think it would hurt to share or to order 1 less meal if you are a large party.

Besides the great food one of the things I really love about Bob’s is it’s green initiative. They serve their food and drinks in green containers and even collect rain water for their landscaping. Please just sort your trash in the correct containers for their composting, trash, and recycling!

A ‘Bob & Betty’ dinner with butterflied shrimp and chicken fingers. Several pieces of chicken fingers and several pieces of butterflied shrimp accompany a large serving of fries, cole slaw, and a roll.

A ‘Bob & Betty’ with scallops and clam strips. I often go to a lobster roll but after eating more than my fill of delicious lobster this long weekend I decided to go with a dinner of scallops of clams strips. I do enjoy whole belly clams but I figured Price would be more likely to try the clam strips… ‘they taste like calamari, I swear’. The scallops are cut in half and are perfect size for dipping into a container of cocktail sauce or tartar sauce. Yum!

Whether you are spending your day shopping at the outlets in Kittery or just passing through Maine on 95, you have to stop by Bob’s Clam Hut for a great New England experience.

Bob’s Clam Hut

315 US Route 1

Kittery, Maine 03904

207-439-4233

Our Cruise Dining- Carnival Cruise 4 night New England/Canada Cruise

July 25, 2012

Did you know that avg cruise passenger gains one and 1/2 pounds PER DAY?

Yep! Well that is what Cruise Director Josh said during an info session on Friday morning on our first day Fun Day at Sea. Umm, excuse me? 1 1/2 pounds is 5,250 calories. An extra 5,250 a day! How the hell is that possible?!?! As I sat there in stunned disbelief I started to consider that on a cruise people would eat larger, more indulgent meals, eat more often, and drink a lot of high caloric alcoholic drinks. Well that made me immediately want to die. It actually was good to hear that as it made more much more aware of what I was ordering and made me (try to stick to) the 3 bite rule for desserts.

Here is a little run down on the meals we had in the main dining rooms. There were plenty of amazing food that we enjoyed from the buffets and serving stations for other meals but I didn’t bring my camera around for everything. I do really suggest going to the Mongolian BBQ (Stir Fry) station because that was so good… glass noodles with shrimp. yum!

For sit down meals in the main dining rooms there was a menu that had the standard menu items (left page) and the specials of the day (right page).

-Thursday Dinner-

Cream of Sun-Dried Tomato Soup. Must make this at home

Grilled Flat Iron Steak- Price didn’t get to eat this tonight, he had a horrible headache and went to bed. I was tempted to eat 2 dinners, but I didn’t. I swear!

Steamed fish on a bed of tomatoes & onions, a teeny tiny portion of mac & cheese, and steamed, glazed carrots. Everything about this was perfect

-Friday Lunch-

The weather was crappy and it was the first day at sea so we decided to have a long lunch in the dining room instead of the various stations on the lido deck.

My California roll sushi and Price’s Mongolia Hot Pot. We both loved our appetizers. The sushi roll was made with real crab, none of that imitation junk!

Shrimp and crap sandwich. Not what I expected but it was good. I did find that all of their tomatoes were not a great quality and/or under ripe and didn’t eat any on the cruise.

Creme Caramel. ‘nuf said

-Friday Dinner-

Must hydrate after an afternoon lying out by the Azure Lido (adult only) Pool. We split a bottle of wine for dinner. (Maybe that’s why I fell asleep during the show that night!)

Stuffed mushroom starter. This was very light and so good! Mushrooms stuffed with spinach and topped with some cheese.

Broiled lobster and shrimp with mashed potatoes and broccoli. I heard some people swapping out the shrimp to get some steak instead- wow!

Melty chocolate cake and a carmel apple napoleon. The chocolate cake was insanely rich and the portion was insanely large. I honestly think they should make it half the size, which is what we had and that was pushing it. The napoleon was great and will be easily recreated at home.

-Saturday Breakfast-

Just as the woman next to Price said ‘No, thank you. It’s too early for a drink.’ I ordered one for us. That is just how we roll. It was 8.10 in the morning.

Worst eggs benedict that I have ever had. I had a side of hash. I ignored at as well as I was so turned off from the meal in general. At least that meant I had room for a great lunch in Saint John.

-Saturday Dinner-

ah-MAH-zing french onion soup

Penne with shrimp, scallops, calamari, and mussels. This reminded me of penne al la vodka, but with very fresh sea food.

We always ordered different desserts so we could always have a taste of each other’s. We shared the date and fig cinnamon cake with rum raisin ice cream and a diet lemon cake.

-Sunday Dinner-

My starter: Maryland crab cake | Price’s starter: small portion of the grilled chicken breast over pasta with a mushroom cream sauce

I did not like this as it had olives- which the menu did not say. I picked out all the olives but I could not get past it to enjoy it.

Orange souffle with a vanilla cream sauce. This was the after pic.

I give a lot of credit to the chefs and staff on board for preparing and serving such wonderful dishes. I’m proud of myself when I can cook for a party but I can’t imagine cooking for THOUSANDS of people. Amazing job.

Long Weekend Cruise: Boston to Saint John, NB – Carnival Glory

July 24, 2012

We recently went on our first cruise together (my 3rd cruise). Originally, Price and were supposed to go to Greece for 10 days back in March but that trip fell through at the beginning of the year. It was a huge disappointment as it was totally out of our control, but serendipitously everything else fell into place resulting us getting our first house. We felt that we still needed a little vacation so we began looking around and found a great deal on a 4 day Carnival cruise out of Boston that would take us up to Saint John, NB. A fun, quick trip up to Canada was just what the Dr ordered! 🙂

Long post… I know… but I hope it helps anyone looking for information about taking a Carnival Cruise in New England and Canada.

Embarkation Day (Thursday)

We each took a half day so we could head over to the port early on. Plus I had to buy a pair of sneakers before we left. After a quick T ride to South Station and then a Silver Line bus to Cruise Port and we were quickly breezing through the lines to board the boat. Everyone was really friendly as they ushered us through security, checked us in, and gave us our cards that act as our room keys, security to get on & off the boat, and our debits cards for anything we purchase on the boat.

Before we knew it we were dropping off our bags in the room and running up the Lido deck to enjoy the views.

I was completely and utterly loosing my mind every time a plane came in for a landing at Logan. There is just something so fun and amazing about their power and I love knowing that people are going on or returning from an adventure. (Unless of course they are on a bussiness trip).

Prior to leaving the port we went back to the room, changed into our bathing suits, went on a tour of the spa, went through the safety drill, and went back to the spa for a raffle. Sadly, we didn’t win any spa services so we high tailed it back up to the decks to wave bye to Boston and enjoy the sun on the Serenity area. Unfortunately, we went opposite ways when we left the spa & couldn’t find each other for a while so I just grabbed a lounge and enjoyed the music, sun, and time to relax.

Price did find me so we hopped into a hot tub and enjoyed the whole novelty of being in water while being on a boat. dorks. Serentiy started to clear out as people went to the first seating for dinner so we were able to get a hammock and relax for a bit before we had to get ready for dinner.

Tall ships were arriving for the Fourth of July celebration so we saw a few coming into Boston as we left.

This happy towel animal greeted as when we came back to the room. We headed off to dinner and that is when things went poorly for Price who started to battle a headache. He didn’t make it through dinner since he went back to the room to lay down. I went to the duty free shop and paid though noise ($12) for a small bottle of Tylenol for Pricer. (Remember to be prepared so you don’t have to pay so much too!) Thankfully he woke up feeling fine the next day 🙂

Fun Day at Sea (Friday)

There are Fun Days at Sea which is just when the ship needs a day to travel to get to the next port. Our cruise has 2 Fun Days at Sea, which were the days that brought us to Saint John and then back again to Boston. The daily ‘Today at a Glance‘ brochure that is provided in your stateroom outlines all the activities to available to participate in. We decided to generally keep our days relaxing so we didn’t do a whole lot, which was just perfect!

You are here when you wake up…

rain clouds and fox news… kill me!

After breakfast and a nap, I went to the information session that the Cruise Director Josh hosted to let passengers know what is going on around the ship.

I went to a foot analysis seminar. It was focused on a set of orthotics from Good Feet that they were selling but it actually was really interesting and informative. We did imprints of our feet and that would tell us about our ‘foundations’ and how that could relate to any pain we have. Well my imprints showed my right foot is flatter than my left, which could relate to my issues with my hip on my right side. hmmm… should prob see a DR about that…

After lunch, the weather started to clear and the sun came out so we got our bathing suits on to enjoy the day. We heading out on the Lido deck and saw an ice sculpture being carved away at.

Thankfully, I grabbed some seats quickly so we spent the afternoon laying out by the Azure pool. After getting too hot we would just take a dip into the pool and then layout again. Oh, and we would sip on pina coladas as well. My kind of vacation!

Rib-bit!

Friday night was the Captain’s Dinner night so it means getting dressed up. Apparently that memo did not get to everyone as there were 2 winners for the night. One guy wearing plaid (not madras style) cargo shorts and a polo with some graphic on the back and the other guy who wore jeans and an orange hoodie. (Overall, orange hoodie guy won as we saw him wear that for the rest of the cruise)

soooo good!

After dinner we went to one of the on board Broadway/Vegas style shows called ‘Livin’ in America’. It was good but I dozed off a bit since we enjoyed a bottle of wine with dinner and all the afternoon sun caught up with me. Instead of walking through the ship to get to the elevator bank to take us to Riviera Deck we went up and walked along top. Very cool as it was really foggy.

Saint John, NB (Saturday)

As with all ports, you can book an excursion through the boat to have something secured for the day. We didn’t plan on booking a tour through the cruise line and after having the info session on Friday our initial feeling is that we would not. Saint John is not a very large city and if we can handle 8+ miles in NYC on a typical visit we could handle Saint John. And if we felt we wanted to go with a tour company we could easily book a tour just outside the port, where a lot of companies set up. In the end we just figured we would wing it and we are glad that we did. w

I highly suggest putting something in your window so you can spot your room when you get off the ship. It’s silly but a lot of fun to figure out where you are in the massive ship.

When we got off the ship I was handed a rose from a member of the chambers of commerce. I manged to safely hang on to it the whole day 🙂 Also, one of the tour guides was really helpful as she provided us with a map of the city and explained how to get around, if we didn’t take a tour. We would simply have to walk a few blocks and then could follow the pedestrian trail of Harbor Passage towards Reversing Rapids.

There was a look out along Chesley Drive and that was out first real glimpse of the Reversing Rapids.

Reversing Rapids with Irving Paper and Crow Island. Truthfully, I was really disappointed to have the paper mill right across from the park, and therefore in the photos. It was annoying but watching the rapids pick up pace in the hour we were there made the whole experience worth it. The birds would drop down into the water from the island, ride the current for a bit, and then fly back up to the island and repeat the process. It looked like they were having a blast on the rapids.

The funny thing was that our intent was to book the zip line at the falls but once we got there we decided not to do it. It was not like what we expected with it being out in the open, not really over the rapids, and having such short runs between the platforms. So we decided to save our money and plan on going zip lining again in the Berkshires.

A muskrat (I think) came about 2′ from Price. It came up the embankment and just waddled around for a bit eating the grasses.

After leaving the park we following the map along the route the tour buses take along Douglas Avenue. There were so many beautiful houses along Douglas. And then we turned on to Main Street which gave us the perfect shot of the Saint John sign (above). We did get a little lost at one point as Main Street became a bridge over Rt 100 and there was no sidewalk anymore. We figured out we had go down to Hilyard St, which became Paradise Row and then take the Somerset Street Bridge over Rt 100. That brought us right into the older area of Saint John and by the cruise ship.

Old City Market was nice to walk through.

And after strolling around a bit we decided to have lunch in Saint John. They were getting ready for the Canada Day festivities so there were bands playing on a stage in Market Square. We had lunch at Lemongrass where I had Thai Fried Rice and Price had a Chicken Pad Thai. The service was great and the food was good but the time it took for the kitchen to prepare simple dishes was unreasonable. At least we had a beautiful day with some live music.

After our trip I figured out we walked over 6 1/2 miles that day. It was tiring but a perfect adventure together. We got to experience Saint John at our pace and get plenty of exercise doing it. We came back to the ship and spent the afternoon relaxing in the Serenity area of the ship for a while and then got ready for dinner and enjoyed the beautiful sunset.

And dinner was always very entertaining. Shooooow Time!

Funday at Sea (Sunday)

From my experience on my past cruises I knew that the pool side chairs would fill up fast as sitting poolside is very desirable for the at sea days. So, I quickly got ready once I woke up and was up by the pool by 8.15 and there were already a few people securing their seats. I grabbed 1 pair right at the edge of the Azure pool (adult only) so we could hop in and out as we wanted. Price came up after he got ready and we then grabbed breakfast from the buffets at the Red Sailt Restaurant. From there we did a whole lot of nothing until 2.30. From laying out, ordering drinks, and taking dips in the pool. It was so nice to be forced to relax. Not like when I’m home and I get distracted from relaxing with the computer, laundry, dishes, etc.

My rose from the chamber of commerce started to really open up in the rock vase we purchased at Market Square in Saint John. The vases were so unique and handmade by Gary Kingsley.

We went back to our room to relax a bit and get ready for the rest of the day. We started to roam around the boat, including browsing the duty free shops and the casino. And then we enjoyed a picture perfect sunset.

Most of the wait staff gathered together. I really give them a lot of credit as they leave their families for months on end and really work hard during the cruise. The trays they carry are stacked to the top and they are always running around getting you what you need. Keep their hard work that you see and don’t see in mind when you are tipping on the boat.

Roar!!!! It is always so much fun to come back to the room to a different towel animal.

Disembarkation Day (Monday)

I got up at 5.30am so I could see the sun coming up and our entry back into Boston Harbor. (If you are going to want to to sleep in & just see Boston while still lounging in bed get a room on the Starboard side of the boat.) I made it up in record time to snap photos of the sunrise at 5.35am. The sunrise and entry into the Harbor was so beautiful. I was glad that I woke up early for it. I rushed down and got Price later on when we were further into the Harbor. We then had breakfast and enjoyed the views together.

After breakfast we went back to the room to clear things up and get our belongings to wait on the Lido deck- an approved waiting station- for our room floor to be called. They worked from the top down so we had a bit of a ‘long’ wait but we managed to get off the boat, on to the bus, and then take 2 different T lines and I only got into work 30 minutes late. Def not bad deal!

As it was right before the 4th of July, the Navy ships part of the Tall Ships event were in the Harbor. It was so cool to see them all as we entered into the harbor and docked.

Overall reflection:

We booked our cruise early so we got to do the Early Saver deal. If you know well advance you want to take a cruise (3-5 months ahead of time, depending on the length of the cruise) then you can take advantage of this deal. We paid for our cruise in full but if you want this deal you just have to put a deposit on the cruise.
We also did a deal that allowed Carnival to assign the room for us. We told Carnival we wanted a room with a window and they did the rest. We ended up in Rm 1393, which I don’t actually suggest. This allowed us to save more, which is always great, but I would not suggest that you pick this room on the Carnival Glory because there is some sort of in/outtake in what seemed like under the room. It was very loud and we could feel the water rushing in/out. It was not all that bad but I would not want to deal with it on a 7 day cruise.
Our room steward and our servers at dinner were amazing. Our room was always clean and our servers were all great.
The boat was very clean. There was always staff cleaning the boat- cleaning up dishes, vacuuming,
The Carnival Glory was built in 2003. That doesn’t seem very long ago but apparently that is very long for a cruise ship. It will be dry docked this fall for some work. While we were on the ship we saw a segment on one of the ships channels with the architect speaking about the design of the ship. In all honesty, I think he has his head up his ass as we thought the decor was tacky and the materials and color pallet used dated the ship so much that we thought it was much, much older than it actually was. (Post cruise research revealed that he will no longer be working on the new ships. It will be interesting what see a new design team does.)
While staff was on point with making sure we wanted drinks, cleaning up pool side messes, serving our fantastic dinners, and taking care of our rooms, we felt that the one thing that they lacked was controlling the adult only Serenity Area and the adult only pool. I had to ask for security to come over 3 times to come over to speak to parents with their kids in the adult only areas.
The food was top notch on the cruise. The food selection was expansive, diverse, and located all over the ship. You could not go hungry on the ship if you tried. I could nitpick about little things- like how they served fish & chips in a basket with a napkin like piece of paper and that disintegrated all over the fish from the heat and moisture from the fish & chips – but it is not worth it to pick at little things considering the crew serves endless meals for thousands of people.