Part III of our Connecticut journey was a stay at Lynette's and Steve's house. It was perfect because we were able to visit with Lynette, Steve, Nanna, Aunt Tessie and Uncle Walter, Mark & Beth, Therese and Chris and all the kids - so great to have a mini family reunion!
And on top of that we were finally able to see Lynette & Steve's house - believe me, I've been frothing at the mouth to see what they did in terms of renovating their ranch. Steve is a general contractor, and if I could do a "plug" for his work...I must tell you if you are in the CT area, you should hire him. As you can see in the pictures above in the kitchen and the family room, he's one talented guy! When I saw their kitchen I just wanted to pass out: vaulted ceiling, beautiful cabinets and granite galore! A total cooks kitchen. Steve's company is Space Builder's Inc. (www.spacebldrs.com). He even was patient with me with the onslaught of remodeling questions I threw his way!
Our visit was so relaxing: great accommodations, wonderful visit with family, fabulous food by Lynette, Nanna and Steve, and to top it off I was able to get my "dog fix" in by hanging out with Buddy, Lucy and Finster - I, unbeknownst to Lynette, Steve and Larry, was trying to figure out how I could "sneak" the dogs into our car without anyone noticing - oh how I wish Jack (our cat) would accept a canine roommate! I thought I took more pictures, especially of family, but I was so busy enjoying the visit that I forgot to take pictures!
Vist with Family (CT) - September 2011
Visit with Sill and Terry - September 2011
Part II of our trip out East was a visit with Sil and Terry, whom we love so much I wish we could "kidnap"/bribe to live in IL so we'd see them all the time! :) But if that's not feasible, a visit with them in CT will just have to do.
We had an action packed 1 night visit with Sil and Terry: a great brunch at the Great River Golf Club, a walk on the beach (oh how I miss the beach!) and a trip to the Orange Country Fair (http://orangectfair.com/). I love fairs...really, what's not to love about piglet races, tractor pull racing, corn dogs and a beautiful day in Connecticut!
Of course in staying at Sil & Terry's house we were treated to a gourmet meals - a seafood pasta dinner and a yummy breakfast - both would rival a bed and breakfast. Although our trip was way too short, we had a wonderful time. Upon leaving their driveway we already missed Sil & Terry.
Can't wait to visit again.
Visit with Scott and Gwen - September 2011
In mid-September Larry and I made a whirlwind trip to New Jersey, Connecticut and New York, to visit family and friends. We managed to get everything in but it was sooo whirlwind it was too quick - wish we could have stayed longer.
Our first leg of the trip was a stop in Edgewater, NJ (next to the GW bridge and across the Hudson from NYC) to visit Scott and Gwen. We love visiting with the "Sgwotts" and especially when we are able to trek into NYC and explore, eat and just soak in the city.
We spent 2 nights with Scott and Gwen. Friday night we managed to swing a trip to La Vecchia Napoli (www.lavecchianapoli.com) in Edgewater, NJ.
This photo of La Vecchia Napoli is courtesy of TripAdvisor
Scott and Gwen are regulars at this fabulous little Italian restaurant. The owners are so nice and you just feel that you are at home - fabulous food. I always order Linguine and Clams - best in the city! :)
Saturday we drove into NYC for the day. We managed to find a parking lot that wasn't ridiculous (I guess by NYC standards) and just walked around and took in the sites.
One stop was Eataly (www.eatalyny.com), which is located down by the Flat Iron building. It's this amazing food market - just beautiful. Although, I will say it was too crammed with people, which I know is a good thing, but definitely hard to work your way through with all these people.
Since it was lunch time, we went up to the roof of Eataly to Birreria (http://eatalyny.com/eat/birreria), a restaurant and brewery. It was really nice to be on the roof, taking in the sun and enjoying the people watching.
This photo of Eataly is courtesy of TripAdvisor
Unfortunately, the cheese and meat plate and salads we ordered were really pricey. Maybe, by NYC standards it's OK, but for us it seemed a lot of money for not that much food. But it was very tasty.
As we headed into evening we went to one of our favorite restaurants - La Palapa (www.lapalapa.com)- which we always try to go to when we're in town. Great Mexican food. Unfortunately, without fail, I always fill up on their fabulous guac and chips before my entree (grilled shrimp) arrives - and then I'm completely stuffed!
The visit with Scott and Gwen was way too short...but were on our way to CT to visit friends and family for part 2 of our trip.
Cruise to Mexico - June 2011
The four of us arrived at the Port of New Orleans on time and ready for our new adventure. Gwen and Scott had already been cruising, but Larry and I were newbies.
I will say that if you are planning on going on a cruise, if you can afford it, go for a suite. Not only is the room a very nice size, all the suites get speedy boarding and departure privileges - I tell you this is the way to travel!
I honestly think I would have had a mini nervous breakdown if we had to wait in line - I swear the lines went on forever for the regular boarding.
The cruise itself was an experience and I definitely would want to do it again, but maybe next time not on Carnival. It's not that it was bad, it's just that it was a little too 20s-something partying - not really our speed.
The room was nice and big, but I'm still trying to figure out how Carnival can say it was recently updated - it looked kind of tired to me.
Unfortunately on the first night Scott started to feel ill and subsequently came down with a bad bacterial infection for the whole cruise. But I will say despite the fact that he didn't feel well, he was a real trooper and came out for dinner etc.
We mainly hung out on our balcony because, honestly, the areas where you would want to go to, the pool, miniature golf, etc., were incredibly stuffed with people.
My only other complaint is that we booked a cruise with only one stop. We did this on purpose because we weren't sure we'd like cruising, but it seemed kind of goofy to go all the way down to Mexico, stop at a port for 6 hours and then head back!
Our one port was Puerta Maya, Mexico. I believe were we actually docked was a few miles away from the actual town. The port had this carefully crafted tourist area, where you could really only see what they wanted you to see - it was surrounded by walls blocking your view of the actual town. After debarking Larry and I managed to walk off site and get a look of town - definitely a hard-hit area. Hopefully tourism helps keep some of the money in the town itself, because it was definitely a poor area.
The tourist area was just that. People were a bit too pushy for my taste for you to buy something. I was actually really looking forward to going to the jewelry shops because they had Tanzanite (my favorite), but it just seemed like a rip off. It could have been fine, but it just made me too nervous to buy something and then have to worry that I was being ripped off. Although, I did buy some beautiful black pearls for next to nothing.
The cruise was a great opportunity to de-stress, eat, take in the sun and hang out with Scott and Gwen.
It was a great time, although we wish Scott wasn't sick. We'll have to have a "makeup" trip for Scott - nothing like having a good excuse to travel! :)
Here's to our next adventure with the Sgwotts!
New Orleans - June 2011
For my 40th birthday, Larry surprised me with a cruise.
We'd never been on one before and I must say despite the fact that we used a travel agent to book the trip...it still was a daunting process to decide where we were going, when etc.
The "known" factors were we were traveling in June and that we were going with Scott and Gwen, our travel buddies whom we always have a fabulous time with.
So after going round and round of where we were going to go, we decided to go to the Western Caribbean. What sealed the deal was that we'd be leaving out of New Orleans - a favorite of ours. Larry, Scott and I had been there, but not Gwen. So we thought, "Let's kill two birds with one stone" - go to New Orleans for a couple of nights and then the cruise. Perfect plan.
It was a perfect plan until IL down to LA was hit rain and it began to flood! Apparently I was very naive about flooding, because I thought "OK, if floods and then it takes a day or two to subside." Well, it apparently doesn't. It takes time to crest and then to subside, leaving, unfortunately potential disaster in its wake.
So by the time we were ready to drive towards New Orleans, our "half-way point" of Tunica, MS, was under water! We love Tunica. It's this amazing town with casinos, literally in the middle of cotton fields. It's about 20 miles south of Memphis and a great little junket if you are passing through or want to try your hand at lady luck.
So Tunica was out and we decided to to go via Nashville - slightly out of the way, but since we love Nashville, we were game. We decided to stay in Franklin, TN again since we had such a nice time there in the Spring. That's what Larry and I love to do - find little cities and towns on our trips - it makes for new adventures and the promise of finding potential great restaurants and shopping!
So despite our serpentine route to New Orleans, we made it almost on time to meet up with Scott and Gwen.
It was nice to see that New Orleans was on it's way to recovery from the hurricane, but it seemed a little worse for the wear. But it seems that New Orleans is a rough and tumble kind of place, so I suspect it will bounce back.
We stayed at the beautiful W Hotel in the French Quarter. As you can see in the slide show above, the hotel has this gorgeous and very private courtyard. Larry and I were trying to figure out how to copy it for our backyard. The appeal other than the fact that it was stunning? No grass or weeds to pull!
We spent our time in New Orleans pretty much walking around and eating. And despite the fact that it was in the 90s, which I hate, for some odd reason it didn't bother me.
We made sure Gwen got a good taste of the city with stops on Bourbon Street, Nola (yum!), beignets at the French Market, Jackson Square, pedis for Gwen and I and MORE food! What's not to love.
It was a great couple of days in New Orleans...now on to the cruise!
Franklin, TN – Our Favorite New Destination - May & June 2011
Larry and I have a new favorite get-away destination: Franklin, TN. I’ve been reading about it for some time: it always seems to be written up in Southern Living or the now defunct Cottage Living (sniff, sniff, sob, sob). So I added it to my “Places we need to go to” binder.
We were there two times recently – once in May and another time in June.
We are huge fans of Nashville, which is about 20 minutes from Franklin, so it’s a great side trip if you’re in Nashville or in my opinion can be a destination in and of itself - it was actually the site of the Battle of Franklin duirng the Civil War (OK, I looked that up, but we have family who went there and knew about the history).
Franklin offers great shopping for the home and cute boutiques. And you have plenty of fabulous dining options.
The town is just darling – if we lived in the area I could see us living in Franklin and commuting to Nashville for work. It’s has a great small town feel with, yet has plenty to offer.
I can see why magazines have showcased this town – it’s a little piece of heaven, with gorgeous homes, yummy places to eat and will certainly satisfy your shopping fix.
If you have time, you should also visit Leiper’s Fork – about 8 miles away from Franklin. It’s a beautiful drive from Franklin to Leiper’s Fork: rolling hills, horse farms, stunning old homes – my kind of area!
Although we quickly visited Leiper’s Fork – OK, I was starved and even a cute little town couldn’t dissuade me from finding food! – we were able to, albeit it very quickly, see it’s charm. It’s literally a ½ block of artisan shops and restaurants. There was the original Puckett's which we tried at their restaurant in Nashville (it’s also in Franklin) – and it just looked like a great place to have beer, BBQ and relax in the country while listening to music.
It’s definitely located off the beaten path – but Larry and I love that and usually find the best food/towns/etc. by traveling the back roads.
Blue Spoon Cafe...Post Thanksgiving Trip to Madison, WI – 2010
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| Culver's Blue Spoon Cafe |
Last year while staying in Middleton, purely by accident, we found a great cafe: The Blue Spoon Cafe (www.bluespooncafe.com). Interestingly enough, it's owned by Culver's, but is not fast food - we just loved it.
We loved it so much on our trip last year, that we went to their other location in Prairie du Sac, WI - another cute downtown and headquarters to Culver's Restaurants (www.culvers.com). The funny thing is that while we were there, I wanted to see the headquarters building. So we drove up to the building, apparently their brand new headquarters building, and we, OK, me, peaked in the window. Suddenly, someone came to the door and invited us in - it was actually the owners of Culver's - Craig and Lea Culver - and they were there on a Saturday, decorating for Christmas! They were so nice and gave us a tour of their new facility - Larry and I got such a kick out of it!
But I digress...
So this year we were quite excited to go to Middleton and go the Blue Spoon Cafe, only to find that it was permanently closed. I was completely thrown because it was so yummy (custard pancakes!) and packed with people.
The good news is that the Prairie du Sac location remains open and just celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Apparently the Blue Spoon Cafe is a test concept cafe and I hope they consider branching out to other locations...say Illinois :), because it's really, really good. And I hope they re-open in the Madison area, because it fits the area to a "T" - great food, artsy and just plain cozy.
So if you are in the Prairie du Sac area, go to the Blue Spoon Cafe for breakfast or lunch - you'll be in for a real treat!
Fabulous Find #3 - Punched Tin Framed Wall Art (Country Living Fair 2010)
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| Punched Tin Framed Wall Art |
This also was a hot item at the fair. I saw someone lugging one around and I had to make a beeline to ask where they found it - which, by the way, is no easy task - there were so many vendors I was getting dizzy!
Finally I found it and was the last person to grab this particular half-moon version - although, this is a reproduction, and like the wreath above, I believe these were massed produced - not quite as "real"/homemade cottagey as I'd like - wish things were hand-made still - but, heck, I like this and darn it, I was going to get it!
Thank goodness I bought this on my way out...because it was quite heavy and awkward to work my way through the crowds, out the gates, through the field to our car - tripping several times because, I will admit...shopping did me in!
Looking forward to the next CL fair - it's a must see!
Fabulous Find #2 - Rooster Prints (Country Living Fair 2010)
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| Golden Polish |
So much to my delight...after trapsing through the fair...almost passing out from the heat...I came across
Eric N. Fausnacht's Fowl Images (www.ericfausnacht.com) booth. Eric is based in Kintnersville, PA which I believe is near Allentown, PA. He was just lovely to talk to and had all these beautiful original paintings as well as prints for sale . I must have flipped through his baskets of rooster prints for 45 minutes, because 1) I can't make a decision and 2) they were all stunning!
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| Black Rooster with Black Mask |
I settled on 2 prints, which brings to a close Fabulous Find # 2...at $10 for 2 prints - an absolute steal! They are just beautiful.
My two little gems are going into our shortly-to-be-renovated-bathroom - can't wait to use them!
Check out Eric's/Fowl Image's website because he's having a sale right now on his prints and you can take a look at his large portfolio of fowl!
Fabulous Find #1 - Shaved Wood Wreath (Country Living Fair 2010)
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| Shaved Wood Wreath |
I was walking around and noticed this one tent with a frenzy of activity - I'm not kidding...it was ridiculous how crowded it was! They had a huge line of people waiting to pay and everyone, and I mean everyone, great natural goodies in their hands: wreaths, twig pumpkins, beaded acorns, corn husk gourds - just fabulous stuff!
So I worked my way into Nest's (www.nestgr.com) tent - if I'm ever in Grand Rapids, MI, I can tell you right now, I will make a beeline for this place!
I had my eye on two wreaths: a rust-colored one for fall and a green one for Christmas. I'm kicking myself now because I was wavering on the green one and now I think I "need" to buy it - I wish I could make a decision a little more quickly than I do - I tend to agonize over purchases and really...is it worth the needless stress???
And then a "bonus" for my stress level, was that I found out I needed to get in line with the hope that the had enough of them behind the counter! So begrudgingly and with fingers crossed, I got in line, hoping that I wouldn't get to the counter and have them say "Oh, I'm sorry, we're completely sold out of the wreaths."
Inching along, I could see the wreaths flying out of the line - would there be one for meeee????
Finally....I reached the counter and...yes!...one medium-sized wood shaved wreath for little 'ole me...and at a bargain (I think) of $35 bucks!
I've seen that Target currently has some red cone trees made out of similar wood shavings, but I have to say, I think my wreath is a little more solid.
I think it's fantastic...don't you?!?
Country Living Fair 2010
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| Country Living Fair 2010 (Columbus, OH) |
Larry's birthday is at the end of September and we typically go away for the festivities. So I thought "Hmmm...away for the weekend...Larry's birthday...why not Ohio and the Country Living Fair!
Now, I'm a University of Dayton grad and I must say I'm a big fan of the Buckeye State and Columbus in general. So don't you think it would be a great idea? So I posed the idea to Larry and he said why not. Of course, feeling a little guilty that I finagled my way into going to the fair for his birthday weekend. I did look up on the Columbus Convention and Visitor's website to see if there were any "Larry-friendly" events. Well, luck would have it that on the very same property that the CL Fair was being held (the Ohio State Fair ground), there was an Oktoberfest....definitely right up Larry's alley!
So on the weekend of September 24-26, Larry and I trekked to Columbus for the 2010 Country Living Fair(www.countryliving.com (2010 Fair).
We headed to the fair on Saturday am - and I will say I was probably frothing at the mouth I was so excited. I wasn't able to sleep the night before because I had visions of all the finds I'd discover. I'm sure Larry thought I was a bit goofy/neurotic/etc. with me poking my head out the window with a grin on my face like some golden retriever with its tongue flappin' in the wind giddy at the wonders of the world (yep, I'm comparing myself to a dog) as we made our way into the fair grounds, cars lined up making their way to the parking area (will we be able to park???).
Finally we settled in to our space and I lept out of the car, excited and....BAM...I see that everyone (I mean EVERYONE) has these little foldable shopping carts ready and waiting to take the fair by storm. I felt completely dejected because how on earth was I going to carry all my finds???
Larry didn't seem to comprehend the seriousness of my dilemma and we made our way to the front gate, me looking a little stunned because I was now completely unprepared.
As soon as we made it into the fair I managed to recover - there were all these tents with fabulous finds - I think I started to froth at the mouth again.
Larry took one look at the crowd and headed to the friendlier confines of Oktoberfest, where I know there was beer waiting for him with his name on it.
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| Huge Crowds! |
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| Love This Arrangement! |
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| Benches And Starfish and Beakers...Oh My! |
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| Tres Chic! |
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| Why Not Ride In Country Living Style? |
because you had to make your way through each tent like a sardine in a tin can - and if you had bags with you, well, too bad!
By the time I made my way through everything (I hope I didn't miss anything) I was about to pass out - who would have thought that shopping could be so exhausting?!? Honestly, I originally thought I'd like to th e3-day pass, but if I did, they'd probably have to carry me out on a stretcher because I actually think I'd spontaneously combust - I'm not kidding! I guess I learned something about myself that day: hot day + lots of people + shopping = equals one hot mess of a Jill!
Seriously though, this was a fantastic fair and I hope we can venture back next year. And if the stars are alignedd and there is an Oktoberfest again at the same time in Columbus...we just might!
Next up...my great finds from the fair...
Brewers Game & The Fruitless Search For The Schlitz Brewery - Saturday & Sunday, July 10 & 11, 2010
Larry and I love to get away on weekend trips whenever we can - it's a mini-vacation, not too far away and always hits the spot.
So we thought it would be fun to go with Mom and Dad to Milwaukee for a Brewers game - I'm sure Dad wished it was a Yankee's game, but we promised a great time in Milwaukee and said he'd love the stadium.
We hit the road early with breakfast in Richmond, at the International - great breakfast!
Then we thought we'd drive around Milwaukee - maybe search out a brewery tour.
Well, let me tell you brewery tours are hard to come by in Milwaukee! We thought we'd try to find the Schlitz Brewery and entrusted our "handy" GPS to send us on our merry way to hops heaven!
Well folks, after driving around forever with aforementioned "handy" GPS, we ended up in an abandoned lot - no Brewery as far as the eye could see - not even a stinkin' beer can!
So we pulled into a Walmart and found a guy to ask about the Brewery. Guess what? The Schlitz Brewery is gone and apparently years ago.
At this point we were all a bit weary of a tour and decided maybe on another trip we'd go on a Miller tour.
Our stomachs were rumbling so we thought we'd go to a favorite spot of ours: The Historic Third Ward District for lunch. I love this - it's artsy, gorgeous historical buildings, great shops and restaurants and the Public Market.
We had a quick bite to eat and headed back to the hotel for a nap - yes, I seem to need naps to function at night - sad, but true.
After the nap we headed to the game. Miller Park is just an awesome sight - whomever was the architect on this really did a fabulous job - and the retractable roof - quite cool!
Larry got some great tickets for the game (Brewers vs. Pirates) and we had a great time watching the game and eating crap food - OK, it was good crap food, but not the best for you. But who cares!
And to top off the night the Chorrizo won the sausage race (can't beat that kind of fun!) and the Brewers won - so it was a joyous night in Milwaukee!
Om Sunday, we were just going to work our way back home, but managed to make a few stops: an RV show we just happened up and a looooong trip to Golfsmith.
I love RVs. Never really been in one except when I was a kid, but it you put one in front of me I need to explore - the bigger the better - so this show was up my alley; and it was free, so hey, why not?
The Golfsmith stop happened as we were driving by a shopping center, Larry saw it and the car just miraculously veered towards it...and hour and a half later...Larry was just glowing. I'm not kidding, he was in some golf induced euphoria!
We had such a nice time this weekend - it was relaxing AND I got my RV fix!
Last Day of Vacation & Back to Home – Friday & Saturday, June 18 & 19, 2010
Friday was our last full day of vacation and I must admit I had a bit of a panic attack because of the realization vacation was ending – why do they always seem to fly by?!?
Friday was a “tricky” day because for the last week, Scott, Larry and I were trying to figure out when to surprise Gwen with a cake celebrating her recent graduation from college, and with high honors, I might add!
Since we all hang out most of the day during vacation, this was going to be no small feat of deception…we had to figure it out!
So on Friday, I told Gwen that I was going to go shopping while she went for a run, which kind of looked like I was blowing her off and not inviting her to shop – but in the name of sneakiness…I had to! But I figured she’d forgive me later when she saw the cake etc…
The problem all week has been that I could not find a bakery in downtown that sold small cakes. And if we tried to make a cake at the house, that would be a dead-giveaway, so I needed to find a darn cake and quickly! One downtown store recommended a place on the outskirts of town, so as soon as I had a chance on Friday I took off on foot for said cake, hoping that I wouldn’t run smack into Gwen on her run – kind of tough to explain a big white bakery box to someone that you are trying to deceive!
So I literally was walking as fast as my little legs would carry me…not an easy feat since it was quite hot that day.
I managed to find the bakery, Willow Cakes & Pastries (www.willowcakes.ca) and just in the nick of time, because it was closing shortly. This place was phenomenal – I’m talking yum with a capital “Y”! It was definitely pricey, but again worth it. I selected several small cakes/treats for us to sample and off I went…Now if I could just get back home without the darn things melting!
That evening we did manage to pull off the surprise without a hitch. And Gwen forgave me for blowing her off that day, when she saw the tasty treats.
Our last night was celebrated with yummy treats, wine and of course games!
Saturday we begrudgingly packed up and our vacation was over. Larry and I headed to Lansing, Michigan for a Saturday night stay over and Scott and Gwen headed home.
It was another great vacation with Scott and Gwen. Can’t wait to see them on Labor Day weekend when they are in town!
Shopping & Golf - Thursday, June 17, 2010
On Thursday it was a division of sexes...Larry and Scott went one way (golfing) and Gwen and I went another way (shopping!).
I have to say that unless I'm missing some shopping mecca in Canada, I just was not experiencing great shopportunities! Maybe I'm "spoiled" because we have a lot of great stores by us, but honestly, my shopping experience was not that great this past week. I should state though that as far as ad cute local shops, there was a plethora of them in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Mass-available designer clothes (like the Loft and Ann Taylor)...no so much.
That being said, Gwen and I trekked to Niagara Falls again to hit an outlet mall. While they had some stores stores we were used, it was small, and well, there were no deals. And folks, I'm a deal kind of gal. If it's not a good price...I walk. And I was really bummed because they had The Body Shop, which I love and it was definitely not an outlet in my book - too pricey!
Since the outlet mall was a short stop, we thought we’d hit a local mall. This was an even bigger disappointment – there weren’t any familiar looking shops. And it’s not that I wouldn’t be interested in something that I haven’t heard of…it’s jut that nothing even looked cute – I felt like I was in some time-warp of outdated clothes stores!
Later that evening we reconnected with Larry and Scott for dinner. Except for a few times this trip, I will say, and I think the 4 of us would agree, we didn’t have the best dining experience. And it wasn’t for lack of trying. Unfortunately, most of the places we went to were just…OK. And this night was no exception – after walking around Niagara-on-the-Lake aimlessly, we finally settled on a restaurant that had 1) a table without a wait and 2) outside seating. Like I said the food was just OK, not even worth mentioning the name and they had a very interesting interpretation of bruschetta…not in a good way!
All was not lost…at least we ended the evening with the Mays trying to squash the Sgwotts at Dominoes. However, I’m afraid the Sgwotts overpowered the Mays…stinkin’ Sgwotts!
Off To The Falls...And S'mores! – Wednesday, June 16, 2010
On Wednesday we decided to get a little honest-to-goodness tourist action! Although Niagara Falls is definitely “touristy”, it is breathtaking.
It was very hot, but lucky for us, the constant barrage of the Fall’s spray kept us cool. Our coifs didn’t fair too well, but, if you are visiting the Falls, you pretty much should just give in to the fact that you will not look picture perfect at the falls – as you certainly can see in our pictures!
We decide to just park and walk around the Falls (Canadian side) for awhile and just take it all in. We went to the visitor’s center, walked out to the overhang to experience the spray and just took in the general splendor and awesomeness of this wonder – it really is incredible.
After being batted about by the spray, we all decided it was time for some appetizers and drinks – we settled on a restaurant overlooking the Falls. Ironically we couldn’t get away from the spray because it still hit is while were eating!
That night, we decided to cook out on the grill: chicken, veggies and…S’MORES!
Unfortunately because it was so expensive to buy groceries, we didn’t cook in as much as we’d like to that week, but this meal was excellent – thanks Larry and Scott!
The s’mores were yummy also, but we all decided that somehow they seemed to be easier to make when we were kids – still though…yum!
We ended the evening with playing Dominoes and drinking Konzelmann Pinto Noir – in my book…that’s a winning combination!
A Evening In Wine Country - Tuesday, June 14, 2010
That evening we went to Deluca's Wine Country Restaurant (www.tonydeluca.ca) for dinner - right across from Jackson-Triggs and Stratus wineries - so it was nice to be in the "thick" of wine country for dinner.
I was so incredibly starved, that I pretty much hoovered my meal; not sure I was able to fully appreciate what I had - the 2ยบ Pork (slow roasted belly and tenderloin/yYukon hash/mustard jus) - although I will say that the food and service was excellent. I do wish, however, that the menu offered a few more entree options. I was avoiding the seafood because of my mussels fiasco of a few days ago and that only left me with limited options. But again, overall, it was a great experience. Great view too!
It's Winery Time! - Tuesday, June 14, 2010
We had been trying to figure since Sunday how we were going to tackle the wineries in the area - there's about 22 in Niagara-On-The-Lake. The management company of our cottage recommended that we use a limo service to tour the wineries. But when we looked into it they were ridiculously expensive and only included 4 wineries!
So Larry offered to be the designated driver and after breakfast we hit the wineries.
I have to say...we managed to visit quite a few - about 15 of the 22!
Although not quite as picturesque as Napa and Sonoma over this region, which the four of us visited several years ago, it was quite beautiful...just a tad flat.
I wanted to mention that Konzelmann (www.konzelmann.ca ) was our favorite - fantastic Pinot Noir and we also enjoyed visiting Jackson-Triggs (www.jacksontriggswinery.com)
There is a great website of the wineries in NOTL - take a look if you are visiting the area: www.wineriesofniagaraonthelake.com.
Enjoy the view!
