TravelStream™ news feed for member 2olives on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/2olives en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:38:43 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/e_caribbean_07/1191199500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/e_caribbean_07/1191199500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/e_caribbean_07/1191199500/tpod.html Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:38:43 -0400 Carnival Imagination: Eastern Caribbean 2007 (Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, Nassau)

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At Sea, Bahamas

We arose early and went in search of a cup of coffee and some breakfast. It was slightly chilly and grey as the sun rose, with winds that prompted the crew to restrict the use of certain glass doors lest they swing wildly and break while in the strong wind. Though we ordered breakfast at the grill by the pool, we ate it inside, as there were no tables available outside.  This seemed to be the theme of dining on Imagination.We wandered the ship a bit and decided to sit in on the port talk.  During the talk, the speaker would sometimes throw small tokens to the crowd, from plastic rings to t-shirts. I was able to snag a couple of rings that change color in the sun. After the talk, we noticed that the sun was peeking out from behind the fast dissipating clouds, so we gathered our books, puzzles, iPods, and pool gear for some time sunbathing and relaxing. After a few hours (and buckets of beer) we felt it was time for a nap.Having missed lunch, we awoke hungry and headed to the lido deck for some food. We snagged a few pieces of pizza and settled at the bar at the back of the cafe to watch Jeopardy and chat with the staff. I hadn't ordered any fun drinks yet, so I asked the bartender for a suggestion. She prepared a Kiss on the Lips, a frozen mango concoction with almost no alcohol, but the best taste ever. I was hooked; Jeopardy and Kiss on the Lips became my evening ritual. 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/e_caribbean_07/1190681040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/e_caribbean_07/1190681040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/e_caribbean_07/1190681040/tpod.html Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:03:27 -0400 Carnival Imagination: Eastern Caribbean 2007 (Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, Nassau)

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Miami, Florida, United States

It's the only time when I jump out of bed with enthusiasm at 4:00 a.m. - the first day of vacation! It was a Monday, giving us the time over the weekend to calmly pack our bags, enjoy the Plaza Art Fair before we left town, and get to bed early the night before departure. Like well-oiled machines, we fed the cats, showered, dressed, put the luggage in the car, made sure all cats were accounted for, and headed to McDonald's for breakfast and coffee. We arrived at the Parking Spot about 6:00 a.m. The shuttle was crowded. Luggage was piled on the racks and the floor, teetering and tipping with every turn. Our driver was flustered and a bit hard of hearing. We did manage to get all four pieces of luggage off the shuttle, but we were unable to get a card from the driver with our location. We jotted down the location in our trip book, hoping that this information sans card would not cause trouble when we returned home. Check-in went well. We learned the first of many valuable lessons here. The airline representative pleasantly informed us that our flight to Orlando would be located at gate E3. We both dismissed her mistaken reference to Orlando as a mis-speak and headed to gate E3. The security staff informed us that we were in line for the incorrect gate and directed us to gate E19. The lesson? - to check your boarding pass and the monitors for your gate. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. There was another surprise once aboard the plane - we were flying to Tampa before heading on to Ft. Lauderdale. Nowhere on the Southwest website, our reservation, or our boarding pass was there any mention of the stop in Tampa. Oh well, nothing so small could dampen my spirits on my way to Miami. After an uneventful flight, we boarded the shuttle bus bound for the port of Miami. Upon arrival, we realized that checkin was going to take some time. The lines were wound and threaded like a long queue at an amusement park.Finally on board and hungry, we dropped off our bags in our cabin and then headed to the Lido deck for lunch at the buffet. It was packed. Frustrated about the lack of seating, we carried our trays to a table in a too warm hallway beside the automatic sliding doors leading out to the pool. This was not a great start to the trip. We retired to our cabin to unpack and relax for a while, emerging with a better attitude. After dinner we headed up to find the mini-golf area open. I managed to kick some golfer butt. We were having a great time. We were standing with a crowd, enjoying the immense wind at the front of the boat when we heard someone say - "Hey, are you Heather? IndigoFairy from the forum at Cruise Critic?" This is how we met Suzanne, a solo cruiser from Texas on back-to-back sailings.We explored the ship, noting the strange layout of the elevators. It took a while to figure out that to get to certain places we had to take one elevator to a certain deck and then find a different elevator to the area of the ship we wanted. This would become a source of constant frustration for Kelly, who refused to study the diagram to understand, and would get mad at me for dragging her all over the ship. Anywhoo...we were exhausted from a long day of travel, so we retired early to catch some TV, unpack, and relax. On a side note, our cabin had a large window, our first exterior cabin. Between the window and the ginger capsules, I found I was having much less trouble with nausea than our previous cruise.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/17/1248531158/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/17/1248531158/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/17/1248531158/tpod.html Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:33:45 -0400 Daytrip to Topeka

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Topeka, Kansas, United States

The temperature was cool as we drove from Kansas City, Missouri to Topeka, Kansas early on Saturday morning. We enjoyed our coffee and brief rain showers as we made the hour drive on the Kansas Turnpike, confident in the directions from Samantha, our GPS guide. Along the way we stopped at QT for fuel and later at a rest stop for, um, me. Both times Sam's voice seemed mildly exasperated as she suddenly announced, "recalculating" and began instructing us how to return to our programmed route. As we arrived in Topeka I was excited to see the dome of the capitol from the highway, but that glimpse of downtown was very brief. Instead, we arrived at the entrance of Gage Park, which hosts the Topeka Zoo, and noted the monumental arch that welcomes visitors and conveys a sense of historic wonder to this little city in Kansas. We were one of only 4 groups who entered the zoo as it opened at 9:00 am. Large red Macaws screeched in welcome from a cage just inside the entrance. Immediately behind the cage we saw two reticulated giraffes in a very small enclosure. Two of the groups had some very excited, loud children, so we decided to start exploring in the opposite direction than they had taken, so we veered to the right. We were treated to a serene morning exploring. The two orangutans had just finished eating and were waiting to be let outside, it seemed. The younger one was very active, climbing and sliding. The older one stuck her tongue out at me when I waved. I was tickled by that. The very small gorilla enclosure was heartbreaking. We found one lone gorilla lounging very close to the glass, with sad, brooding eyes. Next we came upon the lion exhibit, but keepers were busy repairing a fountain and maintaining the enclosure. One of the keepers told us to come back in about 10 minutes as the lions were eating and weren't ready to be out. We wandered farther along the path and were astonished to see two zebras in an enclosure that border a busy street, completely visible to guests and the animals. We talked about how the chaos of sirens and lights, horns, people, etc must affect the animals. It didn't seem right. We could also see the side and back of houses from the path close to the lions. I wonder how they feel about their proximity to the zoo. We also noticed that the wooden fencing along the path had signs every so often that explained that the fencing had been built by Hallmark employees. We wondered why a Kansas City corporation was supporting the Topeka Zoo and not the Kansas City Zoo, where there are no corporate sponsors. Kansas City is in need of help, too!The two elephants on display were also very close to the street. An electric fence of four thick cables threaded around the enclosure, secured to concrete posts. The fence clicked and zapped like a slow metronome. We found the tigers, two ladies and the king of the pride, active in their enclosure. The nearby hippo vocalized much more than the Liberty and Labor Day, the Kansas City resident hippos. The panther paced and hid in some bushes in its enclosure. A nearby fountain smelled as putrid as it looked in the ever more hot and humid air. The landscaping in this area was beautiful, with butterfly bushes and flowering foliage everywhere.In the tropical rain forest building, flamingos wandered freely in the hazy, wet heat. Keepers noticed as I searched for an armadillo, eager to explain how he had buried himself in some mulch and foliage in the corner. From the top of the stairs I could see a small, deer-like creature huddled behind the plants, yet unrestrained. I wouldn't have known of it's presence had I not spied it from above. From here we came across a shy porcupine and two bald eagles who had been rescued but are unable to fly. Their keeper explained that if we saw them try to fly and sink like a stone, that they were hindered by their injuries and not to worry, they are well cared for. I was amazed by that we had encountered so many keeper working in their exhibits and eager to talk to us. The path suddenly became a wooden deck way leading to an observation area for the black bear exhibit. Country Black Bear carvings ornamented signs, benches, and the walkway. it was a very cute setup.Corporate sponsorship is strong at the Topeka Zoo. We found many of the structures and exhibits underwritten by Security Benefit, Hill's, and Hallmark. As we left the zoo, we noticed a magnificent pavilion open for guests picnicking. There were numerous benches and picnic tables throughout the zoo. I was surprised and really pleased with this zoo, despite its shortcomings. I do wish that the planners would rethink the smallest enclosures, like the gorillas, and the visibility of the street. A tall fence and some water features could minimize the impact. We decided to take a drive through the rest of Gage park. It is a great space with so many uses! There is a carousel, many playgrounds; picnic tables placed throughout the park, a decent dog park sponsored by Hill's, an RC field, tennis courts, a baseball diamond, a water park/pool, and an huge, old monument to the Kansas pioneers. Gage Park is a lovely space. On the drive through Topeka we were astonished at the number of religious references on billboards and store signs. The zoo staff had been quite friendly to us, but they had also seemed a very young and alternative group, some even seemingly family members. We wondered how we might be received in the rest of town. This is the home of Fred Phelps and his wacko following, after all. In hindsight, I kind of wish I had thought to find the church, just to see it. I must have some kind of death wish, huh?Our next destination was a local brewery called Blind Tiger that we first encountered at a brew festival a few years ago. We settled into a bay window sort of nook near the bar and immediately ordered samples of all 11 beers on tap. We were surprised to find that smoking is still allowed in restaurants. Even though our city's ban wasn't so long ago, we have quickly become accustomed to it. We looked around as we waited for the beer, noting the hops, rye, and barley bags, growlers, and other beer paraphernalia as well as the air force posters and military paraphernalia decorating the walls. The place is enormous, gong back deeper and deeper with large service rooms.Of the 11 beers we sampled, 4 were wheats. They were all okay. Kelly really enjoyed the filtered County Seat Wheat. I thought it had a strong penicillin taste. The raw wheat was more to my liking, especially with a dose of lemon. The raspberry wheat was clean and refreshing, a nice treat. The fourth wheat (I didn't write down the name of it, sorry) was just average.I was intrigued by the Tiger Paw Pale Ale, an American PA, very autumn in nature. Their Amber was very nice, with a hint of caramel. I'd like to take these two beers to the porch on a crisp cool day. The Tiger Bite IPA was super hoppy, not my favorite characteristic, but lacked the bitterness I expect with IPAs. Not terrible. :)The Porter tasted far less bitter than others I have encountered, with a chocolate finish that made me, almost, order a pint. The coffee porter was wonderful, very rich and smooth. It could be a contender for my morning beverage if my employer wasn't so picky about drinking on the job. lol My favorite was the Cuvee, a cherry lambic. Jolly rancher beer, anyone?There were very few losers for me, but I have to mention the South Wind Rye. The taste was fine, but I couldn't get over the initial shock of the presentation. Kelly said it best, "It presents like thunder and never settles down to that gentle rain you expect."The food we tried at Blind Tiger was remarkable. The stuffed mushrooms were tasty. But the fish and chips Kelly and I shared were the very best I have ever eaten. The fish was perfectly cooked in a light, crispy batter. I can't recommend this dish enough.On our way home, we made a quick stop in Lawrence to pick up some Dutch liquorish from the French store on Massachusetts Avenue and browse the show sales at Footprints. When we arrived home, we were exhausted. It had been a really fun day! 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/13/1244479486/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/13/1244479486/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/13/1244479486/tpod.html Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:20:00 -0400 Fort Lauderdale: Beach Birthday

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Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

  Waking up, I felt pretty rocky but no where near as bad as the night before had promised. I was starving, so after a long, purifying shower, we headed out to find some breakfast. Several restaurants line the sidewalk along the A1A south of our hotel. We came upon the Cafe Del Mar. Though we had eaten here once before on our first trip to FLL, the menu posted in front seemed reasonable and tasty. We took a chance. We were glad we did. I had lox and bagels with some delicious salmon, a garden ripened tomato slice that was heaven, and a huge glass of chocolate milk. Kelly loved her omelet. I was feeling better by long strides.Our order of the day was to play in the ocean. Kelly has great trepidation about swimming in natural water (rather than a pool, for example) and thought she might like it better if she had a boogie board. We both purchased boards at a local beach shop and then went back to our room to get ready. Before long, Kelly was remarking about what a great time she was having as we splashed and lounged around the water.The beach at Ft. Lauderdale is unusual - the water is clear blue-green right out to the dark blue depths. The part of the beach near the hotel is calm and uncrowded, with life guard stations along the sand. The sand is clean and flat, raked every day by the city. The far side of the beach along the A1A is bordered by a meandering, low, white wall that opens regularly in a twisted cone to allow pedestrian entrance to the sand. Near every entrance is a foot bath and shower. It is really a beautiful and serene city setting for a beach. A few times, the serenity was broken by the whistle of the lifeguard, bringing swimmers and snorkelers who had gone too far out back into the safe swimming area. It was easy to get out too far. We stayed in water where we could touch the bottom, but felt quite far from the shore many times. Later, we could hear a man whistling in that loud, shrill, "trying to get your attention" sort of way, but thought nothing of it. After all, we weren't too far out nor did we know anyone on the beach. And then we saw what all the commotion was about - a long dark shadow slowly gliding along the beach in water just shallower than ours, passing between us and the beach. I held my breath in building terror, not knowing what it might be. My only probable guess was that it was a shark. I prayed that the enormous thing would continue right by us and down the beach. We were standing facing the beach, in water up to our necks, Kelly was on my left. The shadow slid closer to us as it passed, then stopped suddenly just 5-10 feet from Kelly. I started backing up to the beach very slowly, trying to coax Kelly along with me. But she stood frozen in terror, facing the shadow. I couldn't leave her. I couldn't convince her to swim back to shore. And then the shadow moved on down the beach. People all around us came to talk about our encounter, guessing that it was not a shark, but a dolphin or a manatee. We later learned from a lifeguard that it was a manatee. As we exited the water, I was just sure that I would never get Kelly back into the ocean again. Luckily, though she was clearly shaken by the experience (as was I) Kelly had enjoyed the beach enough that she got back into the water again that very day.Despite many applications of sun block, we were feeling the effects of the sun. We decided to call it a day and go back to the room to clean up and make plans for lunch. We decided to take the #40 bus out to 17th Street Causeway to find a local seafood joint that Yelpers promised was the best in town, a place called Southport Raw Bar.The bus ride to the restaurant was action packed. The front seats were filled. The rows beyond them had many open seats, but we could not get by the stroller parked in the aisle next to a women in the 2nd row, so we were forced to stand in the front, as were all of the other half dozen people who got on the bus after us. It was awkward, so I was very happy when Kelly pointed out to me that two seats in the front row had become available. I let go to approach the seats and took as step toward them and then the bus driver unexpectedly hit the breaks. I went flying into a older couple seated at the front of the bus, bruising my pride, my shin, my thigh, and god only knows what parts of the people I fell upon. We made it to our stop with no further incident, though at this point Kelly said that FLL buses have probably put our pictures up on signs that state "DANGER." The Southport Raw Bar had a patio in the back overlooking the intercoastal, so we sat outside for a seafood feast, watching a neighboring business pry down a sign and boats glide in and out of the slips behind the patio while enjoying the Old Bay peel and eat shrimp, friend scallops, smoked fish dip, bimini bread, and some of the best key lime pie I have ever eaten. We will definitely be back to this place. Next we went to the Publix grocery store to browse and get change for the bus ride back to the hotel. For anyone looking to find the place, from FLL Beach, take the #40 bus south to the Southport Shopping Center. It is an announced stop, so you can't miss it. And the ride is short, about 10-15 minutes total. The bus ride back was uneventful. We were full and exhausted, so we relaxed in our room for a bit, and then tried to go out to the beach. We were driven back in by rain. We lounged some more, then went back again, this time leading the way for many people looking for a magical dusk stroll and an opportunity to find shells as the sky became dark. Earlier beachgoers had left behind sand castles and holes dug close to the shore where the water was just barely making it to touch the sand. Kelly became fascinated with the waves slowly eroding the sand and filling the hole. She stood there watching as I gathered shells. We laughed at the eccentricity as we returned to our room for the evening.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/13/1244652314/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/13/1244652314/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/13/1244652314/tpod.html Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:27:13 -0400 Fort Lauderdale: Beach Birthday

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Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

We woke early and finished the last of our packing before walking to the Hilton's cafe, Le Marche, for breakfast. I had an amazing quiche and key lime pie. Back at the room, we called the front desk about 15 minutes before we needed a cab. No cab arrived. About 30 minutes later I called again. We saw a cab arrive about 15 minutes later, but there was no phone call. We took our luggage downstairs and the cab was gone. Luckily, another cab showed up, just before we began to panic. The cab driver was great and we were at the airport in about 10 minutes with plenty of time to spare. II wish i had asked if he had a card.We learned that the Westin Beachfront in Fort Lauderdale has removed the phonebooks from their rooms, effectively isolating travellers and forcing them to rely on the hotel for information, services, and even food. We had considered ordering a pizza one night and discovered there was no phone book. Internet is stupid expensive at Westin. We knew before we left for vacation, so we didn't bring our laptop. From now on, we'll travel with numbers for the local cab, food delivery, etc especially when dealing with high end hotels. We boarded our non-stop home about 20 minutes late, but otherwise the flight home was great. We even managed to get the row of three seats to ourselves.We arrived home to find the boys well and happy to see us. I was overjoyed to squeeze my Balthasar. Zues was exceedingly affectionate, which is unlike his usual nature. When we picked up Harper from daycare, she was sqeaky clean and freshly cologned. We were so happy to see her.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/13/1244306651/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/13/1244306651/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/13/1244306651/tpod.html Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:19:43 -0400 Fort Lauderdale: Beach Birthday

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Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

Happy birthday to me! It's my first ever birthday trip and we're heading to beautiful Ft. Lauderdale Beach! I'm SOOOO excited! We flew Southwest early Saturday morning with a layover in Tampa. Mechanical troubles forced the airlines to find another plane and transfer our already transferred luggage to the new ride. Kelly taunted me about how our luggage would never make it. But I, infinitely positive (or naive, since my luggage had never been lost), shrugged her off too easily. We arrived in Fort Lauderdale almost 2 hours late due to the plane change and storms in the area we circled for an hour to avoid. Still, I was thrilled to see the ocean out of the plane window. My spirit refused to be shaken. Turned out that Kelly was right. My bag hadn't made it on the plane. The SWA baggage office assured me that it would probably be found in Tampa, and it would be returned to me that evening. Forcing myself to remain optimistic that they were right, we headed to our hotel.Fort Lauderdale has an institutionalized problem with extracting tips. The taxi stand guy at the airport grabbed my bags before I could say no. We tipped him. The doorman at the hotel had my bags out of the trunk of the taxi before I had paid the fare (and tipped the driver, but in this case, I have no idea for what. He never got out of the vehicle.) and exited the vehicle. Of course we tipped him. He led us to the reservation counter where another young steward waited beside our luggage while we checked in. I had had enough. Our luggage is on wheels, for crying out loud! I had loaded our bags, very easily, into our vehicle that morning. I tried to handle my bags, but Kelly became embarrassed and insisted we allow the guy to take them. I was furious. We spent over $20 in tips for people to perform services we did not need or want, all so that Kelly wouldn't be embarrassed. I am more than happy to tip for help I need, but this is crap. And Kelly, being a complete control freak, refuses to see my side. I'm out to humiliate her, she thinks. I guess she doesn't understand that those folks are laughing at her meekness all the way to the bank.Anyway, so there was tension over this ordeal. We regrouped pretty quickly, though. We had endured a rough morning and we were ready for things to turn around. The hotel room was magnificent - ocean blue with cherry accents and stone tiled bathroom. The sliding glass floor gave us a partial view of the magnificent beach just steps away from the hotel. And we were a 10 minute walk along that magnificent beach to what we knew would be a magnificent meal. We didn't even bother to unpack before rushing out to begin our time in Fort Lauderdale.Good things began to happen right away. First, just as we left the hotel a bird pooped all over Kelly. That is a sign of good luck, I am told. It sure seemed that way, except to Kelly of course. Luckily, I carry wet wipes in my bag at all times. We arrived a few minutes later at Lulu's Baitshack, a beachside bayou grill with mediocre food and drinks, but a spectacular ocean view if you're lucky to get a seat overlooking the ocean. Our first stroke of good luck (other than the bird poop) was an available table right where we had hoped. We ordered the mussels and smoked fish dip, both of which were great. The mussels here come coated in a white cream sauce that is delicious. The smoked fish dip was new to us both, and we both enjoyed it very much. We also indulged in one of Lulu's famous fishbowl drinks, the Volcano, with some added 151. As we ate, my phone rang. Southwest informed us that my bag had been located and that it would be delivered to our hotel later that evening. I was thrilled!We stopped at CVS Pharmacy in Beach Place before we returned to the room to pick up beer and beach umbrellas. It turned out that the beer was sour. We talked about returning it over the course of the next few days, but we were so busy that we never did return it. Beware beer buying at CVS! We were not fazed much by the beer. Instead, we decided to run down to the beach and watch the storms on the horizon. What a beautiful end to a great beginning!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/13/1244565901/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/13/1244565901/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/13/1244565901/tpod.html Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:32:23 -0400 Fort Lauderdale: Beach Birthday

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Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

We slept in late, knowing that this would be our last vacation day. We walked to Cafe Del Mar for breakfast since the previous day it had been so good. I ordered the lox and bagels again, but this time the tomato was mushy and tasteless. Kelly had the French toast and wasn't impressed. Still, sitting beachfront for breakfast is pretty spectacular however the food seems, so I was happy. We went back to the hotel, gathered our beach gear, and make our way to a stretch of isolated sand near the water.Our beach gear is very well thought out and can be packed in a large suitcase. We have a neat sheet that is this, light, and waterproof. It is the perfect beach blanket. We both have packable travel chairs that break down into their own bags and are super lightweight. We have beach towels we bought in FLL on our first trip. We have a beach bag that holds our books, snorkels, camera, iPods, sun block, water and snacks. And we have our boogie boards to add to the collection now.We played in the water off and on over the morning, taking time to relax in the sun every so often. On one occasion, we were sitting on the beach and noticed the manatee heading toward us along the beach from the opposite direction than we had encountered it the previous day. We giggled to see the reactions of those in the water as it swam close to them. I caught a couple of photos from the shore. Another time, I could see a large, round shape swimming near the shore. I jumped up to follow it, and it swam up to me. It was an enormous ray of some sort. Passersby joked that I brought my pet ray. It seemed as curious in me as I was in it. I stayed a few feet away from it, however, as I was told that the tail could sting me.After the beach we showered and dressed and then went north on the A1A so that I could also experience Primanti Brothers. I ordered the sausage pizza. The sausage was awesome, but the slices had very little sauce, so I didn't love it. Still, it was pretty good. Kelly had the pepperoni. The cashier, Kelly, remembered my Kelly from the drunken visit she had made a few nights before. My Kelly loved that. It made me wonder what she had done. The shops and restaurants around Primanti Brothers seemed much more cleaned up and inviting than I recalled from our last visit. I wanted to spend time poking around, but Kelly was determined to go to the Pirate Bar where Bartender Kelly was working. I agreed reluctantly. We caught the bus south to Las Olas and went inside the Pirate Bar.The Pirate Bar is in an alley between the Elbo Room and some other restaurant on the A1A close to Las Olas Blvd. It was stifling hot in there. The clouds of smoke seemed to permeate my skin. I hung in there for the first bucket or beer. I took photos of Trina around the bar. I wrote "Kelly + Heather 2009" on the wall. Kelly called me a romantic. I watched though refused to participate in the round of "Walk to Plank" drinks that involved dropping cheap sake into even cheaper beer and then drinking it. Kelly did it, despite my warnings, and wished she hadn't. Kelly ordered a second bucket of beer and I just couldn't stand it any more. The beach was 10 steps away, but I couldn't see it from the bar. It was my last day to enjoy it. I decided to take Traveling Trina out for some photos. Then I sat on the beach wall and people watched. Kelly showed up about 45 minutes later. I wasn't happy with her, but I was glad she hadn't objected to my leaving her at the bar. We walked back toward the hotel, but I wanted key lime pie. We decided to see if Lulu's had some. I stopped into Maui Nix and bought an awesome jolly roger scarf while Kelly went into Lulu's to get my pie. When I joined her, she was drinking banana rum and coke. I ordered my pie and some smoked fish dip to take back to the room while she used the facilities. She ordered a second drink. I left to shop some more while she finished the second one. When I returned, yet another drink was being placed in front of her. I was irritated, so she drank it quickly. We returned to the room to pack and then spent a few tense moments on the beach in the dark. She didn't want to walk along the beach and look for shells as I did, so she walked far away from me in drunken difficultness. I was frustrated that she was being an ass on my final walk on the beach. I tried talk her down, but drunk Kelly is an irrational and stubborn Kelly. I knew I would get no where, so I shut up and went dejectedly back to the room far earlier than I had hoped to.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/13/1244393067/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/13/1244393067/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/13/1244393067/tpod.html Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:03:58 -0400 Fort Lauderdale: Beach Birthday

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Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

I was awake and ready to start the day at 6:30 am. I made some coffee, sneaking around the room quietly so I wouldn't disturb Kelly. I opened the sliding glass door to more fully appreciate proximity of the ocean - the sparkle of the sun on the water, the scent, the sounds... I was disappointed that the cars going past at that early hour, effectively drowning out the sound of the crashing waves. Still, the sight of the ocean was magical, so I relaxed on the chaise lounge to look over bus maps and schedules to plan our attack on the day while I waited for Kelly to wake up. It was a heavenly morning.Once everyone was up and ready, we went to a nearby bus stop to catch the #11 bus into Las Olas Blvd for some breakfast at Le Bonne Crepe. We hopped off the bus at the 7-11 Store to pick up a bottle of water and a newspaper and then walked west, passing a small farmers market just being set up, many shops yet to open, and finally made it to our destination. Neither of us ordered crepes, it turned out. I had 2 eggs and sausage links, Kelly had an omelet. Our breakfasts weren't anything special, but we were glad to come back to this place where we had previously enjoyed ourselves. We read the paper and people watched, excited to see the little Jewish lady we met last time we were at this place show up with the same familiar manner, chatting up a table near her. The heat was beginning to feel oppressive, so we wandered to the Riverfront shopping complex to escape the heat and see a movie. We were just in time to see the Disney movie UP. We both enjoyed it very much. Afterward, we wandered even farther west along the riverwalk, coming upon a Sunday jazz festival in full swing. All along the walkway people had set up blankets, chairs, umbrellas, and even tents on every available grassy area. Many people had brought their dog along. They were relaxing, lounging, and listening to the bands scattered along the riverwalk as they enjoyed cold beverages and picnics from their own coolers or from the vendors set up nearby. Food vendors were set up along one part of the festival. We saw the Melting Pot, a cart with local festival foods like empanadas, and the Fuze people were giving out free bottles of their juices and teas. A main stage set up in front of a park had a band and later contests for the onlookers. It was full and festive, and we were so happy to have stumbled upon it.One of the reasons we had wandered this direction was to check out the Hamershee/2nd Street district, which we had missed on our previous trip to FLL. Leaving the festival, heading east on Hamershee, we passed many promising looking establishments that I wish we had looked into further. However, we entered Coyote Ugly, and that was to be our only true exploration of the district.From past trips, you may know that it is a bad idea for Heather and Kelly to go into any Coyote Ugly on a Sunday afternoon. We weren't afraid. We remarked on how cool the bar was with the fans going even as the front door stood open. We each ordered a beer. Kelly, to my surprise, ordered a jager bomb. "Why not?" I thought and ordered one for myself. Before long, our bartender, also a Kelly, had introduced herself. We had another round. Not much later we were fascinated by Bartender Kelly humiliating and controlling three guys who were all too happy to buck up $20 for body shots and old fashioned belt whooping. Kelly's camera caught all the action. We ordered another round. We gave Bartender Kelly our card to see the photos. She invited us to come and see her at the Pirate Bar on the beach on Tuesday. We had another round. We made friends with the locals. And then Kelly decided it was time to go. Thank goodness, because everything from that point on is a blur. We waited for the bus in the rain; I lay down on the steps nearby to wait for it....I think I passed out. The bus driver yelled at me for inserting my bus pass in the wrong way. Kelly didn't have her bus pass ready and couldn't find it, but got on the bus anyway. Kelly led me off the bus at a stop near our hotel. We snuck into the hotel, bypassing the front desk and lobby, using the walkway from the beach. Once in the room, I crawled into bed. Kelly left, caught a bus to Primanti Brothers, and got herself a pastrami sandwich. When she came back to the hotel she realized that she didn't have a room key.  She knocked; yelled, called...I was passed out inside, oblivious. She thought I was trying to deliberately lock her out. Apparently she didn't know I was drunk, because she left me 8 voice mail message pleading with me to let her in because it was her room, too, and accusing me of locking her out. She finally realized that the front desk might give her a room key since she had apparently lost hers, and came in screaming. I had no idea what had happened at the time, and I felt so sick that I could hardly care. That must have made her even madder, because she turned on the TV to a decibel level that must have provoked our neighbors to call the front desk and proceeded to watch the blaring of the Tony awards as I struggled not to get sick. This is love, folks. Next thing I knew, I woke up to the room completely dark and Kelly snoring so loudly that the earlier Tony awards seemed calm. I was starving, but there was nothing in the room to eat. I drank some water and went back to bed. The night went on like that, me waking up sick with my head pounding, drinking more water, until morning. All night long, all I could think was that our trip was ruined, I was so sick and humiliated and furious with Kelly.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/denver-june_07/1182715271/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/denver-june_07/1182715271/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/denver-june_07/1182715271/tpod.html Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:12:28 -0400 One Hot Weekend in Denver

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Denver, Colorado, United States

We spent the morning exploring more around 16th Street. We kept saying "if we only had more time, we could..." We began by finding a nice breakfast at a restaurant I don't remember the name of. Too bad, 'cause it was a really great meal. We stumbled into a huge chalk art festival where we watched some amazing chalk drawing take shape. We shopped, discovered a great bakery/market/cafe called The Market, shopped some more, found a trail by a creek by some huge convention/entertainment venue/museum place, and then found ourselves doing Jager bombs with the girls at Coyote Ugly. We had a plane to catch! We grabbed to go at the Noodle Station and boarded the bus back to the airport. What a great place!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/denver-june_07/1244145476/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/denver-june_07/1244145476/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/2olives/denver-june_07/1244145476/tpod.html Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:58:58 -0400 One Hot Weekend in Denver

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Denver, Colorado, United States

Day two was packed, we had so many things we wanted to see and do! We took in the sights - the far end of the 16th Street Mall, Union Station, Wynkoop Brewery (we had a trip of $50 to spend there, but in an odd twist, we ended up not liking any of the beers and the food was only mediocre!), Coors Field, a beer at iconic (and totally unimprerssive) Falling Rock Tap House, a wonderful beer sampler at Rock Bottom Brewery which led to meeting two super nice, fun guys who were in town to peddle gyros to the Denver Pride festival going on nearby, but whose truck had broken down, dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory (finally got to try the mizithra cheese Kelly is always talking about. I was not a big fan of the place, but pasta is tricky and I am picky about al dente..anyway) and then back to the hotel to get ready for the concert.Joan was playing the Paramount Theatre and we had front row center tickets. It was a pretty amazing concert, even for me and I'm not a super fan like every other person in that audience. There was a brief scuffle between Kelly and an overenthusiastic audience member who decided to stand in front of us at the edge of the stage for the encore, but we headed back to the hotel exclaiming about the wonderful day we had spent in Denver.
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