Augusta to Franklin and Nashville, Traveling Sisters, Part 2, May 2013

Part 2 of the Traveling Sisters 2013 trip.  See previous post about Atlanta and Augusta.

Sunday morning we got up and had breakfast at the Augusta hotel before heading up to Nashville which was about a 6 hour drive.  Our plan was to stop in Chattanooga and have lunch because it was about ½ way.  The weather was threatening rain even though it was warm.  The previous few weeks there had been having rains and flooding in the Nashville area.  Our drive would take us over the Appalachians which we heard was a beautiful drive.

As we were approaching Chattanooga it started to rain heavily, and thunder.  We were hoping to be able to explore the city a little as well as have lunch.  No such luck. By the time we got into the city limits it was raining very hard.  We drove down by the Riverwalk which would have been fun on a nice day.  We settled on having lunch at the Blue Plate which appeared to be fun, modern place. The location was good, right next to the Aquarium near the Riverwalk.   The décor was nice and the menu had a lot to offer.  Maybe it was because we were there after 2pm or maybe due to the storm, but we were not impressed.  The fries were served at best warm and other food was not hot either.  Since we were the only ones there it made us wonder how long the food had been sitting.  We had the experience and if we ever get back that way which I hope to do, we will know to pick another location.

On the road again we climbed the Appalachians, all the way fighting the rain and thunder.  Unfortunately we were not able to do the site-seeing we had hoped to do.

Our next stop was to see Isaac who is living is Murfreesboro which is a small town outside of Nashville.  We were actually planning to stay in Franklin, which is another suburb town shortly beyond Murfreesboro.  We got to Ike’s after 5pm and visited for a while then made plans to meet up later at the house we were renting in Franklin. 

We got to the house that we had rented through VRBO.  It was a cute little 2 bedroom house with a front porch about 2 blocks from downtown Franklin.  The décor was great and it was comfortable and welcoming. 

Shortly after getting settled in Ike showed up with a few of his friends and we headed over to
J Alexanders for dinner.  It was an upscale restaurant /bar with excellent food.  After dinner we went back to the house and decided to turn in for the night and get an early start in the morning.

Monday morning we walked over to Merridees for breakfast and coffee then to the Visitors center to make a few plans for the week.  We purchased a 3 tickets each for tours of houses that played an integral role in Civil War history.  The staff member was very helpful and told us exactly how to get to the first place we should tour.  Because it was threatening rain we decided to go back to the house and get the car, even though the walk would be less than a mile or so.  We drove to the first place which was the Carter House.  The Battle of Franklin took place literally on the grounds of the Carter’s property and was one of the worst and bloodiest battles of the Civil War.  Circumstances leading up to the battle were mostly due to some strategic errors by the Confederate Generals. It was fascinating to hear all about it and stand on the grounds of such a historical place.  Many of the original buildings are still standing today.    Our next stop was the Lotz House which was turned into a make-shift hospital the evening of the battle, and again held a lot of history.  We decided to leave the last tour stop for another day.   As we left the Lotz house we stopped at the Bunganut Pig for lunch.  This was one of the places that was recommended.   The food was good and since the drizzling had stopped we sat outside in the garden area to eat.

Ike had asked his friend Danielle to gives us a list of “must sees” prior to our trip.  She had listed some favorite music spots, dining and other things to see and do.  Monday afternoon we got a call from Ike l that Danielle had discovered that there was a free concert in Nashville that evening in celebration of their new Convention Center.  Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow and others were singing.  We quickly made plans to have Ike and Danielle come to the house and we all headed to Nashville.

Arriving in downtown Nashville we first drove down Broadway.  When we got to Honky Tonk Row, Danielle told us to roll down the windows so we could hear the music.  It was so fun. Each little place had their own music coming out so we got a mixture of sounds as we drove those first few blocks.   We parked our car in one of the city garages and walked over to the Convention Center.  There was a stage and huge monitors set up and lots of people around.  We were able to go into the Convention Center and look around. It is a magnificent new venue with huge banquet rooms and ballrooms, ready to host events, tradeshows, etc.   Outside we stayed and watched Vince Gill and Sheryl Crow sing along with a few other singers, then headed back to town to get some dinner. 

We ate dinner at the Rockbottom Brewery on Broadway in the heart of Nashville.  We have RB restaurants at home but this had a little different menu.  I recommend the Bourbonzola Burger- it was great!    After dinner as we were walking back to the parking garage we walked down Printers Alley and found Ms. Kelli’sbar.  Some of the staff was outside the bar enticing people to come in and do Karaoke.   Danielle convinced Ike to do it so we all went in to watch.  They both are heavily involved in music both instrumentally and vocally so they did great as they sang “Endless Love”.  Next Danielle convinced Ruth to sing also… not quite as good but fun to watch.  We had a great night and had some ideas of things to see when we came back into town.

On Tuesday we stopped at Frothy Monkey for coffee then headed to Nashville to go on a scheduled walking tour.  Walkin’Nashville is owned by Bill DeMain, who was very informative as we went from place to place, telling us stories along the way.  We got the back history of country music, its singers and songwriters, as well local honky-tonks, merchants, music venues, etc.  We thoroughly enjoyed our tour and highly recommend it as a first stop if you are new to Nashville.  He even followed up with an email with links to many of the things that he talked about.

After our tour we ate lunch at the Merchant’s Café then headed for the Grand Ole’ Opry which we planned to tour next.  The Grand Ole Opry used to be in downtown Nashville where the Ryman Auditorium is today.  It was rebuilt and is now next to the Opryland Hotel.   We took a backstage tour of the theatre and got to see the dressing rooms for the singers, hear all about its history and walk out on to the stage.  In the middle of the stage is a circle that was taken from the original theatre and incorporated into the stage when they moved. 

After the tour we went to Opryland Hotel and Resort and Convention Center.  It was like going to one of the huge hotels in Vegas.  There were shops, restaurants, a river with boat rides all in a beautiful garden like setting.   Plan to spend some time if you go because there is a lot to see and do.  That evening it was back in Franklin we went to the Red Pony for dinner. 

On Wednesday morning we met up with Ike and went to the Loveless Café for breakfast.  In its day it was a motel and still has the old sign out front, which in itself is landmark.  Some of the former motel cottages have turned into little shops and galleries.  Come for an awesome breakfast but stay and look around.  A lot to see.  After we left the Loveless Café we went to the Factory at Franklin which is a collection of shops and restaurants in the renovated buildings that were at one time home to Dortch Stove Works and Master Chef.  That evening we met up again with Danielle and Ike and a few of their friends and went to McCreary’s Irish Pub for dinner in Franklin.   We had a full day and chose to head back to the house and turn in early.

Thursday morning we went back to Merridees for breakfast then went up to Carnton Plantation which was our third stop on the Battle of Franklin tour.  This building also was used as a hospital.  The tour included the cemetery which is next to the house.  So many confederate soldiers died during the battle that at the time they were buried where they fell.  A couple years later they were moved to the cemetery and buried in sections by their hometown State.  Each section had a tall marker with the State name and the number of dead.  There is a section for unknowns.  History tells us that Carrie McGavock took it upon herself to keep a create a logbook of each soldier that was buried so if ever their loved ones wanted to pay respect they would know where they were buried.  The book Widow of the South is a novel however it is loosely based on the historical facts about Carrie McGavock.

After our tour we came back into town and walked around the shops for a while then decided to drive to Murfreesboro to see the church where Ike works .  The drive was beautiful along country roads, winding our way. Several places had historical markers.  Ike works for the World Outreach Church in the music department.  He showed us his office and how he is responsible for coordinating the mixing and mashup of the music for various music programs. 

Thursday evening we went to Leiper’s Fork Village to Puckett’s Grocery andRestaurant.  Every Thursday is open mic and we were told that we could hear some great music and might even run into Wynonna Judd.  She had actually come in the week before and sang for the crowd.  We had their BBQ dinner and enjoyed the music.  Wynonna didn’t stop in but Ashley Judd did along with Wynonna’s daughter and Naomi’s husband.  Playing the piano for any one needed the piano back up was Wynonna’s piano player.  Several people sang including locals and others that heard it was a great place to get some recognition.  Johnny Keyser who was a runner up on American Idol was there and sang a few songs.  We had a fun evening, which was our last.

Friday – our time is nearly up.  We drove to Hillsboro Village, a local suburb to have breakfast at the Pancake Pantry.  They don’t take reservations and the line was out the door, around the corner and down the street.  Ike met us there and was in line when we got there.  We actually only waited about 45 minutes.  Our breakfast was great so we were glad to have waited for it.  From there Ruth had to leave and Ike took her to the airport. 

Carol and I did not leave until later so we went back to Nashville to the Country Music Hall of Fame.  This was a great place to end our sister’s trip.  The few days in Nashville gave us a new perspective on country music, the Civil War and the opportunity to spend time with family.  I must say this every time, but it’s true – I would love to come back to Nashville.   There is a lot to see and do and only have a few days gave us a little taste of it – so much more we could do/see if we only had the time!

Atlanta to Augusta - Traveling Sisters, Part 1, May, 2013

When we heard that our niece Hannah was getting married in Augusta on May 18^th Ruth, Carol and I decided it would make a great adventure for the “Traveling Sisters”.   We decided that taking a little road trip up to Nashville from Augusta would also be fun and give us an opportunity to see Ruth’s son Ike.   So, start the planning… here we come.

On Friday, May 17^th, Carol and I took the same flight from Seattle to Atlanta which arrived in Atlanta about 4pm.   Ruth had arrived from Minneapolis about an hour earlier so she met us at the baggage carousel shortly after we arrived.  We got our baggage then headed over to get our rental car.

We checked into the Hilton Garden Inn in Midtown about 5pm.  Our room was nice with 2 queen beds and free internet.  There was a pool but our time there was so short that I didn’t get the opportunity to use it.   After resting for a bit and getting acclimated to the new time zone, we got ready for dinner.  Carol had found a place that had great reviews.   Wisteria is located in the Highland Drive area near Inman Park.  It was a nice ride about 10 minutes or so from our hotel. 

Wisteria has a great menu with lots of choices.  I ordered the Georgia Mountain Trout and would recommend it.  All of us enjoyed our meal and felt like it definitely lived up to its reviews.  Dessert was the “small bites” special with Banana Pudding, Bread Pudding and Caramel and Sea Salt Smores.  After dinner we went back to the hotel.  All of us had gotten up early for our flights and planned to get up early Saturday morning.

Saturday we got up early and went to CNN Headquarters for a VIP Studio Tour.  It’s amazing to see how much goes into producing the news, from the live feeds, the correspondents in the field, the editing, etc.  We were able to watch a few live newscasts and tour the actual studios.   It gave us a better understanding of the process that goes into producing our news broadcasts.
Afterward we wanted to get on the road to Augusta to have time to check into our hotel and unwind before the wedding.  Before we left the area we stopped to get a bite to eat at Victory Sandwich Bar which was a funky little place in the same area as Wisteria.  It had great reviews and a menu with unusual but healthy sandwiches and salads, as well as a full bar.
  
We checked into our hotel, the Hampton Inn about 4pm, rested a bit then got ready to go to the church which was a few miles away.  When we arrived at the church we were ushered up to a pew that had been assigned to family.  Jon, Joyce and boys and their families were already seated so we had a few minutes to talk with them.  

The wedding was beautiful – Hannah was so pretty.  She had 7 attendants as well as the groomsmen.  Nolan (4) was the ring bearer and Maddie (5) was the flower girl.   They both did a great job.   After the ceremony when the minister pronounced them man and wife Hannah raised her arm in a big cheer and they rushed down the aisle, dancing along the way.  As the attendants went down the aisle they too danced which put a special touch to it. 

The reception was at the Barn Pavilion at the Riverwood Plantation which is a great set up for banquets/ weddings, etc.  Decorations were simple yet elegant and the food was an assortment of different things including meatballs, potatoes, salads, breads, fruit and desserts.    Jonathan and Hannah did the traditional cutting of the cake then feeding each other.  Although Jonathan was sweet and delicately fed Hannah a piece of cake, she smashed hers in Jonathans face.  That gave him the OK to play a little and I think she ended up with cake on her nose.  J  They danced and encouraged their friends to dance.   Everyone was having a great time. 

When we left we went over to Jon’s house to visit with him and Joyce for a while before going back to our hotel.   It was so good to see family that we don’t have an opportunity to see very much.  We all went away agreeing that we need to get a family reunion scheduled soon.  Hopefully someone will be able to take that on!

Read the next posting for the rest of the story of the Traveling Sisters

Chicago - September 20th -26th, 2010

We arrived in Chicago about 11:30 pm on Monday night, Sept 20^th. We got a cab and went directly to our hotel, the Intercontinental on Michigan Avenue. We stayed in the historic tower which had beautiful murals and woodwork. Our room also was beautiful with the dark wood. On Tuesday Doug had to check in for his board meeting at noon, but he had some work to catch up on so I started my day with by going swimming in the hotel pool. The pool is well known and has a lot of history behind it. It is a junior Olympic size, and has beautiful tiles and the room is beautiful with a tiered seating for spectators. Johnny Weissmuller (the first Tarzan) actually trained for the Olympics here and went on to win 5 gold medals in 1924 and 1928. Supposedly John F Kennedy also swam in this pool but I haven’t been able to verify it. After my swim I went down to Michigan Avenue and boarded the Chicago Trolley Hop on – Hop off tour bus. I sat on the upper level of the double- decker bus. The guide gave us all the history of the landmarks along the way. One of the stops was at Millennium Park so I got off there. The weather was in the 80’s but it was also very humid. I walked around the park and stopped at the Cloud Gate, the famous “bean” shaped silver sculpture. I also walked over to Daley Plaza which was next to Millennium Park. I bought my first Chicago hot dog from a vendor in the park.Later I boarded the bus again and made my way over to Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower). This is the tallest building in Chicago, and for years was the tallest in the world. I rode the elevator to the observation deck (Skydeck)and had a good view of the city. In May they completed several enclosed glass ledges that stick out from the building and give you the sense of walking on air. It was fun to look down through the glass to the street 110 stories below. I got back on the tour bus to complete my tour before meeting up with Doug for dinner. His conference was having a reception from 5pm -7pm. Once that was over several of us went to Gino’s East for Chicago Style deep dish pizza. We had a great dinner of pizza and salads, and Gino’s was a fun place to go. We walked back to our hotel and were in bed by 10:30. On Wednesday Doug got up early and went to his conference and I went swimming again. Once I was ready to leave I took a taxi over to Harpo Studios where the Oprah show is filmed. The week prior I had signed up for last minute reservations for Wednesday the 22^nd, however I hadn’t received a response. My intent this Wednesday was actually just to go to the Oprah store which was across the street, however when I saw the audience lining up I decided to join them. Eventually I was able to talk to someone who indicated that I needed to be in the standby line, which at that point had about 7 people in it. So we all waited and talked and after about 2 hours we were told that the show was full and only a few of the standby people would get in. I wasn’t able to get in so I went over to the store instead. I bought a few little things then hailed a taxi and went back to the city. Once there I took the train over to Oak Park. Oak Park is a beautiful upper class neighborhood, with some beautiful architecture. I saw Ernest Hemmingway’s birthplace and toured Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio. Afterward I walked around the neighborhood where there were several more homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. He was a great archetect.

I rode the train back into the city and walked back to our hotel to meet Doug for dinner. We decided to walk down to the Navy Pier and get a bite to eat there. We went to Charlie’s Ale House after walking around the pier for awhile. Nothing great – but the pier was nice and we hoped to come back later. On Thursday Doug went to his conference again and after my swim I packed our bags to get us checked out. We moved over to the Palomar Hotel for the next 3 days. Carol & Mike and Ruth & Earl were flying in to spend time with us. They both got there around 4:30pm. The conference was over about 4:30pm also so Doug walked down from the other hotel to meet us. The Palomar serves wine in the lobby from 5pm – 6pm each evening so we sat and visited for awhile before Doug and I had to leave to go the Cubs/Giants game at Wrigley Field. We had purchased our tickets with several other colleagues of Doug’s. We got to the stadium and found our seats at one of the Rooftops. On two sides of the stadium, across the side streets are rows of buildings that have been converted to “rooftops”. Each one has stadium seating on the top and several floors for gathering and viewing the game. Your ticket includes food and drinks and it’s a great way to see the game. We had a lot of fun even though the Giants beat the Cubs 13-0. After the game we met up with Carol and Ruth and hubbies back at the hotel for awhile. In the morning we met for breakfast at the Corner Bakery and made a plan for the day. Carol and Mike decided to go to the Art Institute, and Ruth & Earl, Doug and I decided to go to the Chicago History Museum in Lincoln Park. Prior to that the guys both wanted to catch up on some work so Ruth and I walked up the Magnificent Mile and shopped a little, hitting the Gap, Macys and Feline’s Basement. We got back to the hotel and met up with the guys. We took the bus up to the museum which gave us an opportunity to see more of the city. After visiting the museum we walked over to where Second City Theatre was, and then walked back from there to the hotel. The weather was nice so it was a pleasant 2 mile walk. On the way we passed Moody Bible Institute campus so we walked through that. Once we got back to the hotel we rested for a while before we headed for dinner. Dinner Friday night was at a great French Vietnamese restaurant called Le Colonial. It wasn’t too far from the hotel. The food was great – we ordered several things family style and had just the right portions. Afterward we took a taxi up to Second City Theatre and watched “Spoiler Alert- Everybody Dies”. The show was good – there were 2 scripted acts, then a 3^rd act that was improv with some audience participation. At one point during the show an elderly woman in the front fainted and the paramedics were called. We were all impressed with how quickly everyone responded – a few doctors in the house responded immediately. We were told at the end that the family had called and told them that she was at the hospital and she was going to be fine. On Saturday morning we ate breakfast at the hotel, and then headed over to the river to take the Chicago Architecture Society tour. After several days of 90 degrees and muggy weather we got up to cold and windy weather, however it wasn’t raining. We took the 9:30am tour and got some gorgeous views of the Chicago architecture. Our guide was very informative and told us a lot of the history of the buildings. After our tour we went to Portillo’s for lunch which is well known for the Chicago hotdogs. It was fun and inexpensive. Then the guys left to go on the Untouchables Tour, which is a fun tour that takes you around the city to see some of the famous mafia hangouts and crime scenes, including the place where the St Valentine’s Day Massacre took place. The guides dress up like gangsters and make it a fun tour. While they were on that tour Carol, Ruth and I rode the train up the Armitage area which has all kinds of little shops. Once we got back we spent a little time resting before dinner. That night for dinner we had reservations at Keefer’s, a local steak house. It was elegant and fun and the dinner was excellent. We were able to walk to the restaurant since it was close. Afterward we took a leisurely walk back to the hotel. Carol & Mike were leaving early in the morning so we said our goodbyes. In the morning we slept in, and I went swimming for awhile, one last time. After we checked out we visited with Ruth & Earl in the lobby of the hotel until they had to leave for the airport. Doug and I had a couple hours so we walked around one last time before heading to the airport. Beautiful city, wonderful time, and I already miss my sisters!

If you would like to see more pictures, click below.

New York City with my Sisters, May 2010

Time for a Sisters Trip so off we went to New York City!

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010. We arrived at Newark Airport at 5:15pm. Carol and I flew together and Ruth met us there. Our flights were about the same time so once we landed and headed to baggage we called Ruth, and she came over from her terminal. We went outside to beautiful, sunny warm weather in the 70s. A nice change from Seattle and Minneapolis weather. We took a taxi, during rush hour, through the Lincoln Tunnel and arrived at our hotel in Times Square about 7:00 pm. Our hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn was in a great location on 8th Avenue between 48th and 49th. We faced 8th Avenue, which was much quieter than facing 7th Avenue and the heart of everything in Times Square. We had dinner reservations for 7:30 so we checked in, freshened up a little and walked over to the Eatery which is on 53rd. The food was good, large portions and attractive with great reviews. After dinner we walked along 53rd to 7th Avenue then south on 7th to see all the lights and buildings in Times Square. Last week was the attempted bombing on 7th and 45th so there was a lot of police presence. Although I had been to NYC twice before, it was still awesome to see all the lights and magnificent buildings. Neither Ruth nor Carol had been and they were impressed. Until you have seen it you just don’t know what to expect. After walking as far as 45th street we headed back up to our hotel for the night.

Thursday, May 6th, 2010 We got up and headed over to the Hop On – Hop Off tour bus and scheduled the All Loops Tour which gave us 4 routes, including Uptown, Downtown, Brooklyn and NYC at Night tour. We had 48 hrs to use our tickets so we got on the Uptown bus and road up through Central Park West, past the Dakota where John Lennon was shot, and past St John’s Cathedral, then up through Harlem then down Central Park East. We got off the tour at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met). We all wanted to see the museum so we went in for a few hours. One thing we learned was that all the public museums have a “recommended” entry fee however you can pay whatever you want, or nothing at all. We paid $10 each rather than $20 because we didn’t plan to stay long. After the museum we walked into Central Park. The weather was still beautiful as we walked by the Belvedere Castle, the Bow Bridge, and back around to the Bethesda Terrace Fountain, which was being renovated. We left Central Park and took a taxi over to Serendipity for lunch. Since it was 2pm we had beat the lunch crowd so we didn’t have to wait at all. It is a fun, eclectic restaurant with great desserts, including Frozen Hot Chocolate, one of Oprah’s favorite things. Lunch was good and the Frozen Hot Chocolate lived up to its reputation. After we left Serendipity we walked back to 5th Avenue and stopped at Trump Tower which is beautiful inside, and Radio City Music Hall, then on to Rockefeller Center. We stopped at the plaza and saw all the flags around the area where there is ice skating in the winter and outdoor restaurants in the summer. We walked back through Times Square and to our hotel to rest for awhile before going out again. That evening we had reservations to see Jersey Boys at the August Wilson Theatre. Carol made arrangements through a friend to have a backstage tour beforehand so we arrived at the stage door entrance as planned at 7pm. Our tour was interesting with our guide showing us how the sets are changed so quickly, where the actors get ready and just how all the choreography works so well together. After our tour we found our seats on the balcony level. The theatre is small enough that any seat was probably good. The show told the story of Frankie Valle and was a lot of fun with familiar music from the 50s and 60s. After the show we stopped at Thalia for dinner, which was close to our hotel. The food and drinks were good.


Friday, May 7th. We left our hotel about 8:00 and walked over to Rockefeller Center hoping to go to the Top of the Rock, and also arrange a studio tour. Once we got our tickets we had to wait in line to see which studio tour we would be taking. They had nothing available until 5pm! We had other plans so we knew that wouldn’t work, so we exchanged the tickets for one for me on Sunday and Ruth and Carol decided they would rather go to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) while I was at the studio tour. So we went to the Top of the Rock to see the view and take pictures, and then walked over to where they were still filming the Today Show. People usually line up as early as 5am for the 7am start, but by 9 or so they start leaving, especially if there is not a special guest. We found a place to stand close to the front row as Al Roker, Matt Lauer and Natalie Morales were doing their stints. Ruth actually shook hands with Al and I shook hands with Natalie. Later we found out that I was on the live broadcast, but the other shots we were in were edited out. We left the area and walked back over to 8th street and got on the Hop On- Hop Off Downtown loop. It really is a fun way to learn a little about the city, take a break from walking and see some things you may otherwise not see. It took us past the Flat Iron district, Soho, Greenwich Village, Chinatown, Ground Zero and Wall Street. We got off at South Street Seaport where we transferred to the Brooklyn loop tour. Once we were over the Manhattan Bridge we stopped at Brooklyn Bridge Park so we all could take pictures of lower Manhattan. We got back on and continued our tour through Brooklyn. We stopped at a Pizzaria and everyone got out and got a piece of pizza, then back on the bus for the rest of the tour. At the last stop we got off the bus and walked over the Brooklyn Bridge. What an awesome sight! The walk was fun, the weather was nice and it felt good to walk the bridge. On the Manhattan side we walked through Wall Street area, and over to Lupa for dinner. Lupa is one of 5 restaurants in Manhattan owned by Mario Batali who was raised in the Seattle area and has his own show on the Food Network. It was an excellent choice and we all enjoyed our meal. After dinner we took a taxi back to our hotel. By then it was 10:30 and we had a very busy, yet fulfilling day.


Saturday May 8th, 2010 We got up early and rode the subway to the Ace Hotel. We had read about the little coffee shop next to the hotel that served Stumptown Coffee and it suggested sitting and drinking it in the lobby of the Ace Hotel. The hotel is beautiful with rich, dark décor with the feel of a wonderful, old library. After our coffee we got back on the subway and took it to the end which was the Port Authority pier where the Stanton Island Ferry departs. We walked over to Battery Park and got in line to go to the Statue of Liberty / Ellis Island. It started to rain and the wind was blowing but it was warm. We had brought umbrellas and jackets with hoods just in case so we were ready. We rode the ferry over and walked around the Park taking pictures. The museum had at least an hour wait so we decided that we wanted to spend more time at Ellis Island so we got back in line to take the next ferry. Ellis Island was incredible, to walk in the footsteps of our ancestors as they came to this country, and to see what they went through to be here. We didn’t stay and do any research since you can do it online, however we were able to watch one of the films and go through all the rooms. It was incredible. After we left Ellis Island we rode the subway up to Union Square and had lunch at the Republic, a Vietnamese restaurant. It was a small restaurant with unusual décor, but the food was great. Ruth and Carol both had Vietnamese sandwiches and salads, and I had a bowl of soup, similar to pho. After lunch we took the subway up to Grand Central Station. We didn’t stay long but I wanted Ruth and Carol to see Grand Central. By then we were tired of walking so we decided to take the subway shuttle back to Times Square then walked to our hotel to rest before dinner. Once we were in Times Square we heard that the Stanton Island Ferry had rammed the dock and several people were injured. We had been there in the morning about 9:30 when we were going over to Liberty and Ellis Island, but we hadn’t seen or heard any commotion. That evening we took a taxi down to the Chelsea area and went to the Red Cat for dinner. We had reservations but we were a little early so we went next door to the Drunken Horse for wine and cheese first. Dinner was wonderful – After dinner we went back to our hotel by 9pm. I think it was catching up to us!

Sunday morning we got packed and took our bags down to the bell hop, then walked over to Rockefeller Center. We stopped and had a bagel and coffee at one of the shops along the way. Ruth and Carol left me at Rockefeller Center and went up to the MOMA and I went to NBC to go on a studio tour. They showed us where the nightly news is filmed, Jimmy Fallon’s studio and where Saturday Night Live is filmed. I enjoyed the tour and Ruth and Carol said that the Museum was interesting. We met up afterward and took a taxi over to Grand Central Station again and had lunch at Zocala. Ruth tried their Cuban sandwich and said it was very good, I had a bowl of Tortilla Soup and Carol had a salad which also looked good. The food was plentiful and good. Afterward we rode the subway back to Times Square for our final time before heading to the airport. As we were walking through Times Square we saw the Naked Cowboy… what would a trip to NYC be without running into the Naked Cowboy! We walked back to our hotel for our ride to the airport. It was sad to leave- I love NY! Once again – my mantra, I will be back!

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Sisters in San Diego, May 2008

Ruth, Carol and I decided it was about time we got together and did a “sisters” trip again. We selected San Diego and started making plans. We booked a room at the Catamaran Resort on Mission Bay. I had been to San Diego several times with Doug since he grew up there, but this would be a different experience with my sisters. We got into San Diego on Thursday 5/15 and got a car and headed to our hotel. The Catamaran Resort is in a beautiful location, right on the lagoon. There are beautiful plants around the grounds, a fitness room, spa, swimming pool, restaurant and a walking path down at the water’s edge. We drove down to the harbor where the Aircraft Carrier Nimitz is docked and spent time there looking at the ships and the statues in the park near the port. We had lunch at the Fish Market Seafood restaurant . After lunch we went to Seaport Village which is always fun. There are lots of little shops and restaurants. On Friday we walked over to Pacific Beach then drove over to Balboa Park. There are beautiful architectural buildings in Balboa Park, museums, theatres, etc. It is a nice place to walk around and the weather was beautiful. That evening we went downtown and ate dinner at Croce’s Restaurant and Jazz Bar. On Saturday we drove over to Hotel del Coronado . We walked around the grounds of the hotel which is really pretty and has a great view of San Diego. We drove south on the island and came out at Imperial Beach where we were able to capture a beautiful sunset before heading back to our hotel. On Sunday we drove north and stopped at some of the little beach towns. We stopped at Torrey Pines Golf Course which was hosting the 2008 U.S. Open . We stopped in Del Mar and started to have lunch at the Pacifica Breeze Café until they had a kitchen fire that drove us across the street. Everything turned out ok, and they opened back up shortly after. From there we headed to Encinitas then up to Mount Soledad and spent some time at the memorial honoring those who served in the wars protecting our country. At the top of the mountain there is a wonderful view of the city. After our road trip we went back to the hotel to freshen up, swim and relax for awhile. That evening we went over to Little Italy and had a great dinner at Filippi’s Pizza Grotto. We had read about it in Frommer's guide. When you enter the restaurant you are actually in a Italian grocery store with the restaurant in the back. There was a long wait with the line winding through the store, but it was worth the wait. The food was great, but too much of course. Monday we were up early and headed to the airport for our flights home. Another great Sisters Trip comes to an end!

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Puerto Vallarta, February 2005 with Ruth and Earl

Last year we got a great deal on an RCI exchange visit to the Mayan Palace in Puerto Vallarta, and while there we purchased our own timeshare. So, here we are again thinking about Mexico and wanting to take advantage of our week. Although the Mayan Palace has other locations we both loved Puerto Vallarta and wanted to go back. I asked my sisters if they would like to bring their husbands and come with us. Carol and Mike will be going to Hawaii but Ruth thought it would be a great birthday surprise for Earl, so we started making plans. Last year we had no problem getting an exchange rate room at the Mayan at the Marina, so I didn’t anticipate a problem. As I started looking there was nothing available there, however they had rooms available through RCI at the Nuevo Vallarta Sea Garden, which is part of the Mayan property. We had visited there during our timeshare presentation and I knew it was beautiful; however it was about 20 minutes north of our hotel. Ruth indicated that she would be fine with that and I was under the impression that there was a shuttle between the two hotels. Additionally, we decided to go back to Old Town for a few days prior to moving to our condos, so we both booked rooms at the Posada de Roger where we had stayed last year. Two days prior to leaving for our trip I came down with a sore throat. I started gulping Vitamin C and anything else I could think of to knock this out before we left. Well, that didn’t work and as we flew down I was feeling all the more miserable. When we met up with Ruth and Earl at our hotel I was quick to nix the hugs and let them know to keep their distance. I tried hard to make the best of things as we explored our area, trying different restaurants and shopping. We warned them about the timeshare pushers who were several to a block. We learned that you just had to keep on walking. They would even come out when you don’t expect it, for instance you can be at a restaurant and your waiter might be making casual conversation with you- where are you from, do you like this area, etc. Next thing you know they are inviting you to a timeshare presentation. We walked along the malecon and enjoyed the entertainment that was going on. We love the malecon with all the beautiful statues, scenery, street performers. There are lots of shops and restaurants across from the malecon so there is really something for everyone. We also went into the City Hall building which has several adminstrative offices. There were huge paintings in the lobby and the stairwells. We took a bus down to Mismaloya bay and walked along the beach and went over to the beach restaurants. It was a good time to just take a break, have drinks and relax at the beach restaurant. Ruth and I went to get pedicures at the outdoor spa, and the guys entertained themselves. We had told Ruth and Earl about the “Pie Lady” so while Ruth and I were at the spa, the guys talked to the waiter and found out that Juanita would be coming soon, so they were looking forward to that. By the time we got back they were visiting with Juanita and getting ready to purchase pie. We each ordered pieces and it was just as good as we remembered from last year. Ruth and I had also met Juanita in 1994 when we came to Puerta Vallarta with Carol. We took a walk out to the point where the ruins are from the movie set “Night of the Iguana” which starred Richard Burton. John Huston selected Puerto Vallarta to film the movie and that was the beginning of tourism to this area. There is a statue of John Huston along the Rio Cuale downtown. Down here in Mismaloya out at the point where the movie set was there is a post with an Iguana on it in memory of the site. One of the days we took a Jungle Tour. The tour bus picked us up at the Posada de Roger and we made a stop at le Kliff restaurant on the way, then we went south of Mismaloya Bay and went on to the tiny fishing village of Boca de Tomatlan where we visited a Tequila Factory nearby. After a tour of the distillery we were given free mini sample shots of tequila, (and a free additional shot for me guaranteed to knock my cold out- didn’t work). Once we left there we headed back north to the jungle road directly across from the La Jolla de Mismaloya hotel. We started up the hill toward El Eden which was our final destination on this tour. We climbed the mountain on a dirt road which didn’t seem too sturdy and after more than a half hour we finally reached our destination. El Eden is the site where The Predator was filmed, and some of the set is still in place. They have since built a restaurant around the set, and they also have Canopy Tours that start there. The restaurant does not have any electricity so daily they are bringing in fresh food, and cooking everything over wood stoves. We had a wonderful lunch and if we wanted we were invited to swim in the river, and slide down the natural rocks. We didn’t take them up on that offer! Ruth and Earl had booked the canopy tour for the next day, not realizing that we would be going to the same location on this day. After lunch we made our way back down the mountain and back to the hotel. It was a full day which we all thoroughly enjoyed. After resting a little we headed back downtown to the malecon to take in the evening entertainment. We also took a taxi up the hill above the church and went to the reatuarant Ay Caramba and had a wonderful dinner. We timed it so we would be able to view the sunset. All the seating is outdoors on the deck and there is a beautiful view of the city. The mariachi singers stopped at our table to serenade us. The picture at the top with Ruth and Earl was taken at Ay Caramba. Sunday we moved to the timeshares. Since we were unable to get a room for them at our hotel, we rode with them to their hotel first, got them checked in and looked around the grounds. Then we left with them to go to our hotel to check in. We soon found out that there is not a shuttle between the hotels as we formerly thought, and that the bus they we catch immediately outside our hotel would not take them to their hotel. They could either take a taxi for $13 each way, or they could take a bus from their hotel to the Walmart, which was past our exit, then catch another bus (that came from our hotel) to get downtown, or at the Walmart cross the highway and take another bus to our place. From our place they could get downtown in 15 minutes. It wasn’t going to be ideal, but we would make it work. Speaking of Walmart, it is a good place to go and stock up on things for the condo so you can eat breakfast and lunch during the day, and go to town in the evening. That worked good for both of us. About the time we moved to the timeshare, Doug started feeling sick and I was beginning to feel a little better. We had scheduled an evening at a La Iguana Mexican Fiesta so we went downtown one evening. Doug really didn’t feel well but thought he would enjoy it. Well, as the evening went on we had a good time but at one point I think Doug fell asleep! Ruth, Earl and I enjoyed the evening, but when the show was over we went back to our room right away. From then on Doug was sick the remainder of the time and barely came out of the room. During the day I spent time by the pool and Ruth and Earl came over to join me a couple times. We went together downtown a few times and we all felt bad for Doug who didn’t even want to leave the room. We had a good time, even though we were sick, and even though our condo situation was not the best. Ruth and Earl enjoyed it and agreed it is a beautiful place, especially this time of year. I’m signing off with a picture of a Bougainvillea plant, which are everywhere in Puerto Vallarta.

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