Palm Springs, September 20-23rd, 2017 - First Retirement Get Away

I had said for years that I would like to head out of town the morning after I retire. I thought that might help ease the transition from working 40 plus years to non-stop free time.  So, Doug and I decided to head south to Palm Springs  We had been there once for a conference, however it was so hot we didn’t do much outside of our resort area. This time I was hoping to see more of the area.

We booked our room at the Hampton inn in Palm Desert, about 20 minutes from downtown Palm Springs.

We arrived about 10:30 am on Wed 10/20, rented a car and headed to our hotel. The weather was beautiful, not too hot.  By the time we got to our hotel we were ready for lunch. After checking in we had to wait awhile for the room so we went across the street to Rocs Firehouse Grille (pub) for a bite to eat. The food was great, nice portions and appealing.  

After lunch we checked into our room and I went to check out the pool.  There were places in the shade and it was a nice quiet place to rest, catch up on reading, email etc.   

That evening we planned on going to Palm Springs for dinner so Doug picked the restaurant and made reservations.  We made our way to downtown and found a parking place and walked to the restaurant.  They were not very busy but Doug told them we had reservations and asked if we could sit outside. We were seated and Doug went back in to use the restroom. I was eating chips when he walked out and said we were at the wrong restaurant and he really wanted to go to the correct one. Awkward! They were gracious and said they were actually related to the other one and steered us in the right direction which was about 8 blocks north. 

So, we had a nice walk and got to the other one, Las Casuelas Terraza in time for our reservation.  They were much busier and the environment was more festive.  We sat down at a table outside and ordered drinks.  Once again Doug excused himself and in a couple minutes came back and handed me an envelope.    After some confusion I found out that the restaurant had been selected ahead of time and the envelope was a gift certificate from the financial planning company that we have been working with for years.  What a pleasant surprise!  Doug of course was in on the whole thing and now I understood why going to the wrong restaurant was not going to work. We had a great meal and enjoyed our evening.

On Thursday we got up and took a drive to Pioneertown which is a little western town about an hour from the hotel.  We got there and it was very quiet, with some of the buildings (stores) not open.  They said that it is much busier on the weekends.  The one place that was open was the Pappy and Harriets which is a music venue and restaurant.  They have live music on Thursday nights and an annual music festival weekend which happened to begin the next day.  It’s a fun place with good food.  We didn’t stay for music but it would be fun to come back.  An interesting story was that Paul McCartney played at this venue the year before.  It was not announced until earlier the same day.  How fun that he would chose this little western town in the desert! That would have been fun to see.  

After we got back to the hotel we rested for awhile then went downtown Palm Springs for their Villagefest, which is their Thursday night street fair.  We had dinner at Sammy G’s Tuscan Grill which was very good. 

Friday morning we got up and after breakfast at the hotel, we stopped at Starbucks which was across from the hotel and drove to Joshua Tree National Park.  It was about an hour from our hotel and we actually passed the road to Pioneer Town which we had gone to the day before.  We stopped at the visitor center near the park entrance and got a map and directions for a leisurely drive through the park,  the weather was hot but there were several people preparing to hike in the park.   We drove to the entrance and I used my senior pass which I bought the year before.  They have discontinued selling the senior permanent passes now, but I bought it for 10.00 and it’s good for everyone in the car. My will continue to be good, just others can no longer buy them.  It would have been 25.00 to get in.

Joshua Tree is such a beautiful park with large rock formations, areas of just piles and mounds of rocks, and then areas of natural cactus gardens.  We stopped several times and left the park 3 hours later.  On our drive back to the hotel we stopped at Taco Del Mar for a quick bite to eat.  

Once we got to the hotel Doug did a little work and rested in the room and I took my tablet and went to the pool. 

Friday evening we headed over to Grill-A-Burger which I found under Diners, Drive Ins and Dives and we thought would be a fun place to try for dinner. We got there at 8:00 pm and they we just closing! On a Friday night!  What a sleepy little town!  So after trying to find something other than the chain restaurants we headed back to the hotel and the firehouse grill which we had been to the first day.  We were both tired by then so after dinner we just went back to the hotel.  

On Saturday we had breakfast at the hotel then headed to the airport for our flight home.  We both felt that although Palm Springs is a nice area, and the weather is beautiful, there is not a lot to do if you are not a golfer.

Traveling Sisters take on NC and Augusta, GA May 13th - 21st, 2017

As we were deciding where to go on our 2017 traveling sisters adventure, we received word that our brother Jon was retiring in June.  His family was having a party for him on 5/18 so we decided it would be the perfect time to see family and get together for our sister’s adventure too.  So, where to go was the next question.  Since the retirement party was in Augusta GA, it made sense to fly into Atlanta, take a little side trip, then back to Augusta for the retirement gala.

With a little planning, we decided to go to Ashville, NC, which is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, about 3 1/2 hrs from Atlanta.  We planned to stay 5 nights in Asheville, then drive to Augusta (about the same distance), and spend 3 nights. 

Carol and I flew in to Atlanta Saturday May 13^th, arriving about 3:30 or so.  We got a bite to eat at the airport, then went to get our rental car.  By the time we had eaten and got the car Ruth’s flight was arriving.   We picked her up about 6 then got on the road for our drive to Asheville.  The weather was beautiful and it was an easy drive.  We stopped for dinner at Toss Pizza Pub in Greenville, SC, about an hour and ½ before Asheville. Pizza and salad hit the spot, and enjoyed the fun atmosphere.

We stopped at a grocery store shortly before we arrived at our Airbnb, The Red Gate Cottage about 10pm.  It was nice and cozy with a country feel. There were 3 bedrooms and two baths which was nice for the three of us. The beds were comfortable and had beautiful quilts. We had a little trouble with the TV the first night, but after speaking with the owner the next day we realized that the remote was programmed a little different than we were used to.  Once we figured that out we could watch a movie one of the evenings.

Sunday morning we had yogurt, fruit and granola, then headed out for the day.  Our first stop was the Asheville Visitor’s Center where we got some ideas for the few days we were staying in town.  At the visitor’s center, we bought tickets for the Hop On/Hop Off tour bus.  We had done the same type of tour on several other adventures and we all felt it was a great way to get to see the different areas in town.  We had a fun driver who gave us all the history of Asheville and pointed out different historical locations.  After the 1 ½ tour we headed to the Haywood district and had lunch at Isa’s Bistro. After lunch and a little shopping, we headed home, stopping at Trader Joe’s on the way.  We bought sweet and sour chicken and rice which we cooked at the house and watched a movie.

Monday we went to the Biltmore Estate.  What a beautiful building with lots of history.  In addition to our regular tickets we purchased a special tour called the upstairs / downstairs tour which gave insight into the maids and servants quarters and different workspaces.  We also took time to visit some of the gardens on the estate, although the day was hot so we didn’t see as much as we could have.  We had a bite to eat between tours and overall we spent about 6 hrs at the estate.  Later that evening we went to Zambra, a Tapas restaurant.  We ordered several small plates including olives, cheese, pork spring rolls, and hanger steak.  We enjoyed them all.

On Tuesday we decided to take a drive through the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.  We drove to Weaverville which was the entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway and a short distance from where we were staying.  We had a bite to eat and coffee at the Well Bred Café before heading up the mountain.  We stopped at Three Knobs Overlook (elevation 3875) then went on to Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center.  On our way back we stopped for lunch at 12 Bones Smokehouse BBQ.  You can't leave town without having BBQ.  This place was said to be Obama's favorite and in my opinion it was great!   Then we headed back to the house for a restful evening.  We ordered pizza from Vinnie’s which was a local restaurant and was very good.

Wednesday we all had spa appointments at the Omni GroveHotel and Spa.  Because we had appointments we also had day use so we took advantage of that by going over to the spa around 11:00.  We took a tour of the different pools, indoor and out and ordered lunch by the outdoor pool.  The weather was hot but the water was nice and we were able to get a table with shade.  Ruth and Carol both had facials and I had a pedicure which was so relaxing and included a paraffin treatment, warm neck compress, a mimosa and chocolates.  Not much like my local pedicure (however also nowhere near the cost of my local shop!)  I was done before them so I was able to rest and catch up on reading with my iPad.   After their treatments we went over to the Hotel area and had drinks on the terrace before heading to dinner to Avenue M.  

Thursday we left the house about 10 and went to the Corner Kitchen which was in town in the Biltmore Village shopping area.  Biltmore Village is a series of houses that originally were for the staff of the Biltmore Estate.  They have since turned the houses into retail shops including Talbots, Chico's, White House Black Market, etc.  Before we left the area we stopped for coffee at the Well Bred Café (Carol was hoping they had the coconut cake that she hadn’t purchased at the same café in Weaverville, but wished she had – they didn’t…).  Then, we were on the road to Augusta, about a 3.5 hour drive. 

Once we reached Augusta, we found the condo we were renting through AirBNB.  It was in the downtown area which we found to be quite a depressed area. The condo was nice and clean and had a vintage décor with a mix of reds, oriental motif as well as a bright yellow kitchen and pink bathroom (floor, tile and tub).  We had two bedrooms, one with a king bed and the other with a queen where I stayed.    After getting settled we headed to dinner across from the Savannah River at the Whiskey Bar Kitchen.  We were surprised to see how much of the area was abandoned/closed businesses with sporadic restaurants or other businesses.  Dinner was good and the menu included hamburgers and salads.  My hamburger was great!   

In the morning we had made arrangements with Dave to drive about 45 minutes up to see Hannah who was not going to be able to make it to Augusta for Jon’s retirement party due to the imminent arrival of her twin boys (Miles and Asher, born 2 weeks later on 6/1).  It was great to see Hannah and to meet Elle (20 months).  Jonathan (Hannah’s hubby) came home for lunch so we had a few minutes to visit with him too while we ate sandwiches.  Elle was due for her nap after Daddy left and I’m sure Hannah was ready to lay down too so we bid farewell with well wishes for the upcoming birth. 

We went back to the house to freshen up for Jon’s retirement event which was held at the Savannah Rapids Park Pavilion.  It was great to see family and to see all Jon’s patients come out and wish him well.  We spoke with a few and they all had such kind words and that they would really miss him.  We noted that most were middle aged and older and when we talked to Jon he said that he aged right alongside his patients the last 36 years, and though he did have some younger the majority were older.  There were plenty of appetizers and desserts, and tables with mementoes and photos.  There was even a proclamation from the mayor proclaiming June 30^th “Dr. Jonathan Reimer Day” in Augusta.   It was good to see the respect and love for him. We left without having much time to talk to him, however we knew we would have time the next day.   On our way home we stopped at a baby store and bought a gift card for Hannah and Jonathan for the twins and a book for Elle.  We got it ready to give to Hannah’s mom Cindy when we saw her the next day.  That evening we finished up the pizza that we had left over from Vinnies the other night.

Saturday morning we met up with Cindy Reimer (Dave’s ex) for breakfast and coffee at the Inner Bean Coffee Shop.  It was good to talk with her and catch up on things in her life. She is looking forward to helping Hannah with the twins and Elle in a couple weeks.   After spending time with her we went over to Jon’s house.  Tim, Julie and the kids and Ben, Jeanine and their kids were there as well as Dave. Cindy came also and our nephew Josh.  Josh’s wife Tiffany was helping a friend with a wedding so was unable to attend.  The kids were enjoying the nice weather and swimming in the pool.  Tim and Ben did a “low country boil” which consisted of crawdads, shrimp, sausage, potatoes, corn on the cob and lots of spices.  They cooked it outside in a big pot then strained it and poured it on newspapers on the counter.  Everyone dished up what they wanted – yum!  There was lots of food left from the night before so we had salads, chips and an assortment of desserts.   After stuffing ourselves we visited with Jon for quite a while before heading back to our place.  On the way we decided to stop at Giuseppe’s for pizza and salad (beginning to see a pizza trend here J )

Sunday it was time to head to the airport for our flights.  We stopped at a local Starbucks then were on the highway heading toward Atlanta, about a 2.5 hour drive from Augusta. We reflected on our 8 day trip and started thinking about next year.  Where to go… we all thought it would be fun to go to New Orleans or Branson… we can have some sister time and then invite the guys to join us.   We have more planning to do! 

Paradise Once Again February 4th-19th, 2017 Puerto Vallarta

Our annual trip to Puerto Vallarta, aka Paradise, this year was February 4ththrough 20th.  I was really looking forward to it.  This was to be our last trip pre-retirement…  We still intend to come next year if possible, but we will have the flexibility to stay longer, come at a different time if we decide, etc.  We thought this time around we would see if we could make any decisions about next year while we’re in PV.

On vacations where the weather is hot I really look forward to the rest and relaxation of just hanging out by the pool, catching up on some reading or a few shows that I got behind on.  Doug looks forward the laid back environment, time to sleep in, rest, and meander around the streets of Old Town.  Maybe spend a couple hours in the afternoon at the pool. After several years going to PV we have done the tours, so rest and relaxation is on the top of our list.

We do like to try out new restaurants, and of course go to our all-time favorites.  It’s fun to see the same wait staff at some of our favorite spots, and even though I’m sure they don’t know us by name, they recognize and acknowledge us.

So, for the most part I hung out at the pool… in order to make sure I had an umbrella I was up every day by 7am, down to the pool to put out the towels, then back to the room for a while.  The “game” we all play, and we all hate. 

Late afternoons we were back to the room for a while, then dinner somewhere about 7 or so.  The only break from the routine this time was one day when we got up and went to Old Town and caught the bus to Mismaloya, which is about ½ hour or so south of town.  We had lunch on the beach, and spent the afternoon people watching.

Money exchange – it was the best rate we have ever had in our favor, but unfortunately not good for the Mexican citizens.  In the past the peso has a value of $1 = 11 pesos.  This year it was $1 = 20-21 pesos.  We went to Walmart and bought a bottle of tequila, big bag of chips, eggs, 2 boxes of juice, yogurt, fresh veggies and fruit and a few bakery items.  $15 US.  Overall, we spent about 2/3 our normal spend for 2 weeks.

New restaurants:

La Traditional – down by the church, family owned, very good food.   Would go again.

 

Cheeky Monkey – have seen this restaurant for years and finally decided to try it.  Love the location, on the Malecon, midway, upstairs, has a balcony and great sunset view if timed right.  Sunday special, lasagna, was very good.

Few Longs Chinese Food – nothing good to say – don’t go

Our favorites:

Senior Frogs – On the Malecon, good food, price is good, fun atmosphere.  We had the Victoria Chicken and Coconut Shrimp.  Yum

Joe Jacks – Old Town, went twice, can’t go wrong

DJ’s – Marina, good food and music.   60’s Diner style

Derby Burgers, Old Town – lots of choices for great burgers

Barracuda – North of Malecon on the water – great food

Salsa Grill – a few blocks south of street to Barracuda.  Good food

Fredy’s Tucan – Old Town – great breakfast – I went once but Doug went several times.

Victor’s – Marina, good food, try to go when Victor’s there.  First time we have been when he wasn’t, in many, many visits.

Isabella- Boutique hotel on hill above and south of the church – great atmosphere, and food.  Go for sunset.

100% Natural – across from Sheraton, great breakfast.  Went the morning of our last day.  Fresh juice

Books:  A Long Way Home (aka Lion) by Saroo Brierley, and Cold Kill – The True Story of a Murderous Love by Jack Olsen

As I mentioned, we did a lot of speculating, planning and talking about next year.  Do we want to stay 3 weeks?  I am usually not ready to go home when the time comes after 15 days.  But I believe that is because I know I have to get back to work when I get home.  We both thought that if we stay three weeks we will need to break up the weeks and do something different at least one day a week. We may also want to plan on a few meals in rather than out every night.  Since currently we are “trading in” to the place we stay (Sheraton Bougainvillea) there’s a possibility we can’t stay 3 weeks.  Next year they intend to start a long awaited remodel of some of the rooms and it might limit how many non-owners they can have during high season.  So, we have a few things to think about and decide.   One way or another, we will be back to PV – not sure for how long, or where we stay, but we will be back.