Seattle September 2014

September 2014

Seattle

If you are a football fan you are familiar with the Seahawks 12th man. Out hotel was about 1/2 mile away and as they made a winning goal line stand in the Super Bowl rematch of 2013 against Denver, the 12th man was clear. The sound that rushed into our room from a partially open window was astounding. Those fans know how to cheer and Paul Allen knows how to built an acoustic tribute stadium to them.


The video begins with music by Earl Klugh, a long time favorite thanks to our friends Russ and Mo. The tickets  to see Earl in Seattle were a surprise for T. The best sound system for bass response I have ever heard in a club. A great show and he stayed to sign CD's after the show. 

Good walking and great food, Seattle is a fun place for a long weekend excursion. And don't use an umbrella or they will know you're a tourist. 

Pikes Place Market
Find a walking tour of the market and let a guide show you the ropes. Otherwise you may actually think that is the original Starbucks. Our tour including a fun guide and tastings lasting about 3 hours. A great value and it always helps to have locals give you the low-down. We started at the gum wall and worked our way around the food and fish tossing. Stop and stare at the weird looking fish  hanging out of the ice and watch the staff startle tourists. Buy some cheap flowers and eat at Piroshkys and your day will be complete.

Yelp is a great help in this city of internet and foodie aficionados so you can get some critical mass of reviews to help make a good choice. Use TripAdvisor to compare and contrast.

Canlis
Do your research on this one and if the budget allows go there for a wonderful experience. It's not just dinner it's the whole package from the moment you walk in the door to the Roederer on the wine list. This is our favorite sparking and we order a case every year at Christmas. I've never seen it on a wine list-though I don't peruse bottle lists very often. From start to finish a wonderful evening and the food is absolutely top notch.

Walrus and Carpenter
We sat at the awesome Oyster bar and struck up a conversation with the shucker. It made for a fun conversation filled evening and he took out a map to guide us on our drive to Taylor Shellfish the next day. 






Chippys Fish and Drinks
Before dinner at Walrus we walked into the wrong restaurant next door. They share an entry hallway. Had we not done that we would have never experienced a Monkey Knife Fight. Not real monkeys, its a cocktail. We closed it out and headed to our original destination for a perfect pairing of clever cocktails and delicious dinner.


Staple and Fancy
This place was an amazing find and I wish there was one closer to home. The chef offers a pre-fixe for $50 that served up some great choices in small perfect for us portions. Delicious and comfortable.  Right next door to the listings above. Brought a bottle of Hendry and the waiter enjoyed a taste with us at the end of our meal. He knew right away it was a club selection which made us smile. 


Chihuly Gardens and Glass
Cool. Go during the day and I've read night time is wonderful too. We would go back at night. It is stunning and very unique.

Space needle

Retro futuristic view.

Sunset on the harbor
We saw it in the distance and hustled down Union Street to take in the incredible view.

The Samsung S3 has a great panoramic feature.

St. James Cathedral, Seattle

San Diego 28th Anniversary August 2014

August 2014

San Diego

Not only America's favorite city but one of ours too and with God's blessings our retirement happy place. We spent a couple days there for our 28th wedding anniversary, we were married there in 1986. 

We found a great rate at the Courtyard in San Diego, the central location was great to get to downtown or the beach or anywhere in town we wanted to go. Cheaper to stay away from main tourist areas. You're going to move around town anyway so no need to be right in Gaslamp or close to the beach.

Stumbled upon the dog beach and ventured out in search of a Corgi. We found one. This place is heaven for dogs, running free and slamming into the surf like teenagers with boogie boards. We met a Corgi named Cheese and his buddy was names Mac.

Corgi Sighting

We booked a Kayak tour of La Jolla Cove, a beautiful day exploring this most beautiful of places. Breakfast is downstairs from the rental place so its an easy fun beautiful morning.

Enjoyed the beach at La Jolla Shores with the crowds since we already had parking near the kayak store. 

Fortunately Teresa roused us at about 2 saying we had better move or we would be there until sunset. We were hungry and a bit sun roasted to it was off to find lunch.

La Jolla Cove and Caves

La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks
Super cool tour guides made this a blast. Very helpful for beginners.

Hodads
Comfort burger extraordinaire after a day at the beach standing in line with everyone else from a day at the beach. This is San Diego.

Caves at La Jolla Shores

All Hallows Church
Married 1986

Gaslamp
A fun-ish walk around this area can be a nice evening if you can find a good place to eat or if you're in the mood for bar food. Caution: Tourist traps afoot.

Harry's Coffee Shop
Teresa's family went here for years and now we visit whenever we are there. Solid breakfast and good coffee in a classic dinner atmosphere with friendly busy servers. 

OB Noodle House
Fun spot. Yummy Chicken Satay.

San Francisco #2 June 2014

June 2014
San Francisco.2.2014

Hard to remember trip to trip all the great things we have loved in San Francisco. Future posts will be more accurate in a timely sort of way. Thanks to the ease of digital photography, memories can be cobbled together, that is between the two of us. 10 years ago no one had a camera in their pocket. Now, everyone does. Every one.

Anyway..

Cal Train to San Carlos for:
Refuge
Amazing DDD recommended Pastrami sandwiches said to rival Katz Deli in New York. It did.

Cable Car up California Street $5

Hopped off at St Mary's for amazing interior artwork exhibit.









Bike ride through Golden Gate Park

Things you see in Chinatown

Bi Rite Creamery




Hog Island, our happy place.





Tea Tasting at Blest Tea, Chinatown

Chicago for Easter 2014

April 2014

Easter in Chicago

I traveled on business to Chicago several times in the 90's. I enjoyed the city having been able to avoid winters there for the most part. I remember the night the local catholic bishop passed away and the local news devoted half their broadcast to his legacy. I thought at the time-Teresa would like it here-very catholic city. 


We finally made our first trip together in 2008. After an evening concert at Millenium Park Teresa turned to me "this is my new favorite city". And so we have returned many times since 2008, moved our oldest daughter there for grad school in 2010, and  hepled her buy a condo there in 2014. We are headed back in January 2015, the weather is always nice when we are there in the spring and fall. We want to try and survive true cold. Uh, no thanks-we will both take the beach any day. But she has survived there and we thought why not...for 3 days only thank you.





Some of our favorite Chicago things:

Purple Pig on Michigan is a great spot for good food, fun atmosphere and a well worth it long wait. Only place I've ever been that the waitress refreshed my drink and I was still waiting for a table. 

Lou Malnatis
and 
Portillos
Everone knows. So go.

The Girl and the Goat
Famous Top Chef Stephanie Izard, wonderful service, good food. We ate there with a nun and she liked it so...endorsed.

Millenium Park Monday Concerts
Free concerts on Mondays in the summer. Magical and wonderful. This one thing reflects all the good things about Chicago in one place. The city the view the culture the people the transportation the civic pride all in one place at one time. 

Walk, Water Taxi, The El.
Do it all to soak up the city from every beautiful angle. Shop and walk and visit a bar. The people are warm midwesterners.

Shaws Crab House
If you like Oysters head here for the Happy Hour. Freshly shucked with some great beers or bubbly makes a nice end to a day of walking and shopping.

Blues and Bars
Hit up Yelp or TripAdvisor and find one and go.

Chicago Institute of Art
We only spent a couple hours here which is enough for museums in a day. They have a guide to the museum for a quick visit. Follow it, a wonderful taste of the museum and you will want to return.

San Francisco Trip March 2014

San Francisco #1 

March 2014

A quick weekend at the end of March to enjoy our favorite city in the Spring. Not too many picture and we set out with no agenda. The weekend was one of our best there. Most trips to SF start at the Ferry Market for Blue Bottle Coffee and Hog Island Oysters. But this time we headed for Anchor Oyster Bar in Castro. Sat at the bar for a wonderful lunch of perfectly shucked oysters and an a-mazing crab melt. 

After lunch we took the F car back to Powell street to walk around enjoying the sights, sounds, people and smells (city skunk!) found in this great city.  Good shopping in and around Union Square. We gravitate to Macys, they always have a sale.

We had heard of the roast chicken at Zuni Cafe on Market Street. We didn't have a reservation so we plopped at the bar and waited about an hour. We ordered the famous chicken and waited the noted hour to get it. After more than a 2 hour wait we ate the best roast chicken on earth. 

Thanks for the view Marriott Marquis

Goodies from the Ferry market to enjoy in our room

Denver March 2014

March 2014 

Denver

Teresa's old homestead. Visited her old houses and school. Hooked up with an old friend and have rekindled a relationship after many years apart. It happened with an "accidental" linkedin post that connected quickly and we were off to dinner. 

We drove by a 104 call pile up on I-25 March 1st. We were headed the other way in snow and ice. My first time driving a highway in nasty weather. 

Garden of the Gods

A beautiful place you must see in winter with some snow on it. Check out the video.

Breckenridge

I wish we both grew up skiing because we would do it more and this place is heaven on earth for skiers.  

Fruition

Small place with great food. Sooo cold outside, 16 degrees as we left that night. A personal record low for me. 

Brown Palace Hotel

Old school Denver and in the Autograph collection with Marriott. Charming and historic. Breakfast in the dining room included every day under our Gold level Marriott membership. Great food and a view of the snow outside. Amazing water that we later found out comes from a spring under the hotel! Fill up your water bottle in the lobby. 

New York at Christmas 2013

December 2013
Christmas in New York City

Teresa's first time in New York at Christmas and we visited....

Ground Zero 

Make sure to visit with the docents, amazing information and iPad presentations

Radio City Christmas Spectacular

Get tickets on Goldstar to save $. Get a cocktail with a lighted swizzle stick.

Grimaldi's Pizza Brooklyn

Walked in the rain to get there. Worth it!
Gramercy Tavern Restaurant

 2 thumbs way up, one of our most favorite dining "experiences" ever. (Food, waiter, ambiance, dessert, timing etc) we brought a bottle of Hendry wine from California to the restaurant and it was perfectly poured to last our 2.5 hour meal. 

Colicchio and Sons Restaurant

So very disappointed. So very..

Kinky Boots on Broadway

Theater in New York, it doesn't get any better. 

Vienna Boys Choir in Carnegie Hall

Surprise for Teresa I found online using "things to do" searches

Picture with Santa at Macys

Yup. Get a reservation from a kiosk and your on Santa's lap in no time. 















Katz Deli

As advertised. Orgasmic.

St. Patricks under scaffolding.

NY Subway trivia