TravelStream™ news feed for member meganandkevin on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/meganandkevin en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:06:38 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1234807260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1234807260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1234807260/tpod.html Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:06:38 -0500 The trials and travelations of Megan and Kevin.

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Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Ahh back in the Motherland!  We made the short ferry ride into Victoria Harbour where we were promptly met by our friend Jill who took us into town for a bite and some catching up.  From there we headed out to Metchosin where Jill and family resides about 20 minutes from the centre of Victoria.  The Hammond family actually runs an amazing B & B out there.  It is perched up on a hill overlooking the water with the mountains off in the distance.  Quite gorgeous.  Not only that, they also have a few ponies, sheep, dogs, cats, etc... that add even more coziness to the place.  On top of all that, the proprietors are wonderful people that went out of their way to make us feel at home.  All together it is a fabulous set up run by even more fabulous people.  If you get the chance, stay there! It is called Glen Rosa in Metchosin.  After settling in, we headed into nearby Sooke for dinner.  Jill was working that evening and the restaurant was gorgeous.  It is right on the water and of course has the ever-present gorgeous views (and the service wasn't too bad either ;) ).   After a wonderful sleep we awoke to a lovely pancake breakfast with homemade syrup and apple juice.  Ahhh this place is great.  We did manage to break away to head into town with our tour guide Jill to check out Victoria.  It was exactly what we were hoping for.  The downtown centre is right on the waterfront and the shops and restaurants are housed in century old buildings with character to match.  There were even a few bakeries that we couldn't pass up visiting.  After strolling through the quaint streets and passing the parliament buildings along the waterfront, we headed to a pub for dinner (and yes, cider was involved).  We thought it was a fitting last meal out on this trip considering how attached to pubs we have become over the last couple of years.   After another beautiful night we woke up to another wonderful breakfast of French toast with their very own eggs... We know, pretty rough.  Fuelled up, we headed out for a hike.  We did the coastal trail that took us along beaches, up hills, and down rock faces.  The weather was beautiful and it was a perfect last trek on our trip.  That evening we decided to have a dinner party with the Hammond family and a couple of very nice friends of the family.  Mrs. Hammond BBQ'ed up some fabulous Pacific Salmon, and Meg and I whipped up a little cheese fondue.  Considering it was our final meal on this trip, again, it was only fitting to throw a little shout out to our Swiss experience that made so much of this trip.  It was the perfect evening to end our trip.   We have seen and done so much over the last 20 months.  We have seen some amazing places with even more amazing people.  We have made some wonderful friends and shared so much with them.  A special thank you goes to those in Gryon at Chalet Martin for just being so wonderful.  It has been so nice to see so much in such a short time.  Although we loved every minute of our trip (ok maybe minus a few dodgy travel day moments), we are REALLY looking forward to staying in one spot for a while and not living out of a backpack.  So, hopefully it will not be too long before we get to add new entries here, but for now it is time to settle down a little, Toronto here we come!Megan and Kevin   
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1234316520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1234316520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1234316520/tpod.html Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:53:33 -0500 The trials and travelations of Megan and Kevin.

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Seattle, Washington, United States

Rolling into Seattle we were surprised to see such an urban city.  With Seattle being known for its ecofriendliness and the 'green' ideas that we had about the city we didn't expect the vast amount of concrete.  We did spend most of our time in the city centre, but oh well.  Regardless of the lack of greenery we saw, we thoroughly enjoyed the city.  We arrived about an hour earlier than expected so we headed out to check out the Fremont area of town.  It is known for its lefty vibe, odd sculptures (they even have a statue of Lenin), and a legendary Sunday farmers market.  As it was a Sunday we decided to stroll the market.  It was the typical market with arts, crafts, vintage T-shirts and jewelry, old albums, the works.  What was really notable was the quality of the goods, in a relative sort of way.  Many will still consider much of the wares found here as old junk, but it seemed that the goods were high quality and in demand by the market goers at all stands.  From there we checked into our hotel and returned our little Jetta that had taken us over 2000 miles in the last couple of weeks.  After a brief stroll around our neighbourhood (Belltown), better known as the birthplace of grunge, we stumbled across an Old Spaghetti Factory that we couldn't pass up.  After a mild case of food-coma we called it a night.  The next morning we headed to the famous Pike Place Market.  Thankfully it was the morning on a weekday in February.  Therefore we had little human traffic to navigate through as we explored the market stands and oddball shops.  We tried to hang around long enough to see some salmon being thrown around by the bellowing fishmongers, but alas it wasn't busy enough.  The market vendors, however, were among the most pleasant and engaging people we've met in our travels. Within the first 15 minutes and 20 metres, Meg had made several new friends and been told to keep on smilin' twice. We also found the original Starbucks store.  The amount of Starbucks in Seattle alone is amazing, there seems to be one or two on every street.  It is interesting to know that both the Starbucks and Microsoft empires began here yet the city and region are known for their hatred of corporate America.  The contradictions continued with the Pike Place Market ending where all of the major chain stores began.  The core of the city is filled with enough shops to keep any shopaholic busy.  Although we checked out a few of the usual suspects, we think we were a little spoiled in Florida... and they call these prices in Seattle "sales"... please.  After window-shopping for more than long enough, we headed for Pioneer Square, the oldest part of the city.  On our way we passed the massive and uniquely designed library.  We walked down Yesler Way, the original "Skid Row".  It actually got its name back in the day when loggers would send logs skidding down the road to the mill at the pier.  With the decline in the lumber industry the street became more known for its homeless population and the term spread from there.  On that note we headed back to rest up for our last sightseeing day in the US for a while.   We started out that day by meeting with a friend (and Meg lookalike) that we met in Switzerland.  It was great to spend some time with Trina, catching up and sharing travel stories.  After that nice chat we went to check out the Seattle Center.  It is home to the emblematic Space Needle, the Experience Music Project and the Science Fiction Museum.  Although we passed on the Space Needle the other two attractions were fabulous.  Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen is a huge music fan, rightfully so coming from Seattle.  This building is an amazing tribute to the North-West music scene.  Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Kingsman (remember Louie, Louie) are just a few of an amazing list of talent that came from the area, there must be something in the water here.  Attached to the Experience is the Science Fiction Museum, Mecca for the sci-fi nerds that flock here to see the countless props and models from TV and movies.  We saw many of the props from Star Trek, Jurassic Park, and even E.T. (the actual E.T. used in the movie).  Hoping not to sound like nerds, we will leave it there.  We found Seattle to be very walkable with its varying neighbourhoods, cool vibe, and enough coffee shops to keep Seattle 'wired' for decades to come.  Our trip up the West Coast has been amazing.  In such a short trip we have seen so many different ways of life in the US.  It is pretty remarkable to finally see it all after hearing about it for so long.  We have had a fabulous time and are already looking forward to coming back. Tomorrow we head back to Canada!  Victoria, here we come.Megan and Kevin  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1234156380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1234156380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1234156380/tpod.html Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:18:36 -0500 The trials and travelations of Megan and Kevin.

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Portland, Oregon, United States

So after about seven hours of driving we finally made it to Portland.  We were not sure what to expect but were quite pleased with what we experienced.  Portland isn't the prettiest of towns on the whole, but it makes up for it with its well-defined neighbourhoods and very comfortable atmosphere.  Regardless of where we went the city seemed very hip and vibrant.  As mentioned it isn't that picturesque, but it is the vibe we felt here that we enjoyed.  Having some 30 odd brewpubs also helps.  No city on earth has as many.  It is really nice as they are in no-way glitzy and add to the chilled-out atmosphere about town.  We stayed in a hostel in the North-West part of town.  We were situated in between a neighbourhood known for its shops, cafes, and sassy restaurants and another that was once a little seedy, but is now filled with yuppies that call all of the newly renovated warehouse lofts home.  It was by far our favourite area and we spent that evening checking it out.The next morning we headed across the river to Hawthorne Boulevard; it is a relatively self-contained hippie area as many of the locals walking around chatted with the shop owners as they seemingly have done many a day.  It is 99% chain-free and very proud.  It was a nice place but we preferred the North-West part of town.  As we walked around the city we noticed something that our "Simpsons" expert Meg pointed out.  The creator of The Simpsons was born and bred in Oregon.  What Meg noticed was that many of the characters on the show are named after streets in Portland.  We came across Flanders Street, Quimby Street, Lovejoy Street, and even Terwilliger.  You could just hear the joy when she discovered a new one.  It was pretty neat anyway.  On our Simpsons discovery walk we came across Powell's City of Books.  It is the largest independent bookstore in the world.  It is certainly large.  There are directions to various rooms hanging everywhere and it is quite easy to get lost.  From there we headed back to our neighbourhood to check out one of the many brewpubs for dinner.  It was a perfect way to end a day of getting to know Portland.  Although we didn't find the city that beautiful or scenic, it is our unanimous choice for most livable city that we have visited in the US.   It just feels good to be in, laid back and vibrant at the same time if that makes any sense.   We would have loved to spend more time here but Seattle is calling!Megan and Kevin
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233986100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233986100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233986100/tpod.html Sat, 07 Feb 2009 00:59:35 -0500 The trials and travelations of Megan and Kevin.

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Brookings, Oregon, United States

It was another gorgeous day for a drive so we hit the road and headed up the coast.  The views again were spectacular and the vistas that were strewn along the cliffs were stunning.  It was hard not to stop at each one to take it in.  After bearing down we made it to our stop for the evening in the late afternoon.  We chose Mendocino as it was described in our guidebook as having the best vista views in Northern California.  Although the views did not disappoint, the most interesting thing about Mendocino was the communal lifestyle.  This town is a hemp wearing, organic food eating, "tree-hugger's" paradise.  There are no chains of any kind here, all of the eateries and shops are one of a kind and dedicated to the community.  Everyone is very pleasant and if you happen to be into this style of living this place would be heaven.  After our environmentally friendly stroll we called it a night.   The next morning we made the journey into Oregon.  We were lucky enough to drive through the National Redwood Forests.  These forests are incredible, they are like nothing  else in the world.  It is like putting any other forest on steroids.  The redwood trees are bigger than we even imagined.  We even got to drive through one... yes, we drove our car through one of these trees.  It was quite a unique experience.  We hiked around the Lady Bird Johnson Grove and watch countless Elk stroll around going about their daily business.  They were almost as big as the redwoods.  It was an amazing day even if it rained a little.  We finally crossed the border and stopped in the town of Brookings, Oregon.  Although we didn't arrive until dinner, we found the place to be a little "stripmally".  Apparently there is a lovely little harbour and the town is popular with those looking for a nice fishing vacation.  Our motel even has a freezer for the guests' fish.  You can even have dogs as long as you don't wash them in the rooms.  Anyway, tomorrow we are off to Portland for a couple of days.Megan and Kevin
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233727560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233727560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233727560/tpod.html Wed, 04 Feb 2009 01:12:48 -0500 The trials and travelations of Megan and Kevin.

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Sonoma, California, United States

Well it was another stellar day full of sunshine and mid 20's (Celsius).  So why not visit California wine country.  It is not even an hour from San Francisco so we had a solid day to visit the area.  Good thing as there are over 200 wineries crammed into only 30 miles... in the Napa valley alone.  We stopped in Napa to see if the Visitors Centre could give us some tips.  We wanted to visit Copia, it is a wine centre in Napa that has wine tasting, films, interactive exhibits, a restaurant, cafe and even culinary demonstrations... it is too bad it went bankrupt two months ago.  We also wanted to see Francis Ford Coppola's winery and the display of Oscars and art that he has on display.  However, apparently he has removed these from being on display for one reason or another.  By this time we were pretty disappointed as the two things we really wanted to do were now no longer.  We settled on touring the vineyards of Robert Mondavi.  We would selfishly like to thank both the economic situation for closing Copia and Coppola for hocking his Oscar or whatever, because our tour was amazing.  We were lucky enough to be on our own tour as this is the slow season.  We were even luckier to have Doug as our guide.  His knowledge for all things wine is remarkable and only matched by his passion for his craft.  We learned more about wine and wine making in the hour we spent with him than we had in our lives to date.  He broke the process down and articulated it so well it felt that we had just finished a semester of studying viticulture.  And Robert Mondavi himself was quite the pioneer in the American Wine Industry.  He developed many technologies and methods that revolutionized the wine making process not only in Napa, but the world.  He came up with ideas like using stainless steel instead of oak for the fermentation process and using a jacket like mechanism to regulate and manipulate the temperature in the tanks to achieve the desired results. Through these techniques, he not only made his wine better, he shared his developments with the rest of the wine-making world as he wanted to take the whole industry to the next level.  Many in the wine business not only adopted his techniques but praised him for his selflessness.  He is highly respected in the industry and it is no wonder his wines are so revered around the world.  If you are lucky enough to visit Napa, please visit the Mondavi winery and pray you get Doug to show you around. After such a great experience we decided to leave Napa on a high and head over to Sonoma.  Although there were about 60 wineries in the Sonoma Valley we had heard so many nice things about the town of Sonoma we headed straight there.  It is a cute little town with as many dogs as there are people we think.  The main square is filled with unique shops, restaurants, and of course wine cellars.  We went in to one cellar as our hotel gave us a free tasting pass.  Although I passed on the opportunity, Meg took one for the team and sampled their products.  They gave her so many samples she had to start spitting it out into their little bucket if you can believe it.  They even had a dessert wine infused with chocolate which was quite lovely.  It is too bad we are so far away from home or we would have picked up a case or two to bring home and share. Tomorrow we make our last stop in California before we head into Oregon.  Mendocino here we come.Megan and Kevin
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233634200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233634200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233634200/tpod.html Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:46:19 -0500 The trials and travelations of Megan and Kevin.

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San Francisco, California, United States

This is one place that we both were looking forward to visiting for a long time.  It certainly did not disappoint and we barely had time to scratch the surface.  After arriving later in the afternoon we wasted no time in heading out to explore.  We started by walking down Polk Street.  It is full of cafes, spas, and quite a few small neighbourhood style grocery markets.  As an added bonus the street ends at the waterfront and Fisherman's Wharf - home to enough seafood restaurants and stands to feed a small country... or the boatload of tourists that flock to the piers.  Thankfully it is winter and the crowds seem to be marginally thinner.  With all that fresh seafood everywhere we had to sample a little.  We tried what everyone else seemed to be eating - Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl.  It was pretty good although we would like to meet anyone that can eat the whole thing.  After checking out the shops on and around Pier 39 (as well as some amazing breakdancers - see the video), we strolled back to recharge for the next full day.   We started the next morning with a visit to China Town and were actually a little underwhelmed.  Although it felt very authentic, it was very "tourist friendly".  I guess that has to be expected with so many visitors to the city, but we didn't expect that many trinket/souvenir shops.  We did get to see fortune cookies being made which was pretty cool (see video).  From there we rounded one corner in China Town to find ourselves in Little Italy.  It was a pretty drastic change in a pretty short distance.  We found the "City of Lights" bookstore which was famous back in the day for not only selling, but promoting banned books.  San Francisco has seen its fair share of political protest and this bookstore was and continues to be a soapbox for free speech.  From there we headed down Jack Kerouac Alley in search of Beatniks before a lunch break at the famous Ferry building.  With full bellies we boarded our ferry to visit Alcatraz.  Originally an army fortress built to help protect and control the Bay, it became famous as the first super-maximum security prison.  It was home to the worst of the worst with some notable residents being Al Capone and Robert "The Birdman" Stroud.  It was closed in 1963 as it cost too much to operate.  It was also home to political protest when from 1969-1971 the island was occupied by the "Indians of all Tribes".  Their protest was one of the most influential factors motivating the Government to change their Native Land Rights policy and begin giving back some of the land taken in the past.  After 1971 the island remained closed but enjoyed a renewed public interest due to movies such as "Escape from Alcatraz".  Today the prison is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country and we thought it was a well run operation.  They had a very informative movie and the audioguide tour was given by former inmates and guards - a very nice touch.  With enough miles and sites in the books for the day we headed back to catch some of that fabulous Superbowl.  Besides the great game it was pretty cool to actually see all of the American commercials, in Canada we only get to see a few of the main ones.  Our last day in the city was spent walking once again.  We headed out to visit the Golden Gate Bridge, but we had to walk through the Marina area of town.  It is obviously right on the water and each house was uniquely designed.  We had our eyes peeled, but we could not find the "Full House" home.  After about two hours of walking we finally made it to the bridge.  It is huge!  It was super windy and took us a good hour to walk over it and then back again (1.7 miles each way!).  It was interesting to see the phones stationed along the bridge with "Don't do it" signs above them.  They are all patched directly to a crisis and counseling centre... yikes.  We ended up walking for about 6 hours so our legs requested the rest of the day off.  We were happy to oblige.  We honestly could have stayed here for weeks.  Not only did we not get to see some of the other popular neighbourhoods such as the Castro and Haight Ashbury, we found this city wonderfully livable.  Sure it is a big city, but it feels extremely comfortable and each little part of town has its own community feel to it.  We are already looking forward to coming back to explore some more, but for now we are off to the Napa and Sonoma Valleys... darn.Megan and Kevin
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233466200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233466200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233466200/tpod.html Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:45:06 -0500 The trials and travelations of Megan and Kevin.

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Big Sur, California, United States

The Pacific Coast Highway, or "the One", is one of the iconic roads in the U.S.  It goes right up the west coast and for the most part is perched precariously on the precipice.  The winding highway seems to hang off the side of the gorgeous cliffs that plunge dramatically into the Pacific Ocean.  Right away we were in for a visual treat.  We drove through Malibu and were introduced to some of the gargantuan estates that rise from the peaks of the surrounding hills.  We even passed the Scientology Church of Malibu; Meg was hoping to see Tom Cruise or Will Smith, but alas it was not meant to be.  We decided to take a break from our pretty drive by stopping in Santa Barbara.  This town is well put together and State Street is an absolute shopper's paradise.  It has trendy shops, coffee houses, and movie theatres.  There was no shortage of fashionistas strolling with their hands full of designer shopping bags and non-fat-soy-lattes.  What was most interesting about this clean and cute town was the surprising number of homeless people.  There was quite a contrast of different types of locals all going about their respective days.  Very intriguing.  After a brief walk to stretch our legs we headed for our destination for the night, Cambria.   Cambria is a small town with a big identity and a vibrant artist culture.  Seemingly every other store is a gallery or artist's showroom.  Even the restaurants and shops are decorated with the artwork of the local talent.  They are very proud of their local identity and rightfully so.  The town had a wonderful feel and the people were arguably the nicest we have met anywhere in our travels.  Everyone went out of his or her way to say hello and make us feel at home.  The people running the Inn we stayed at were quite pleasant and the eateries in which we visited had a knack for customer care.  We couldn't resist drooling over the bakery products - even they looked like pieces of art!  It was a perfect place to stop even though it was hard to leave.  However, Big Sur was calling.  Big Sur is a 90-mile stretch of coastline that is a stunningly beautiful hiker's paradise.  We thought the drive from L.A. to Cambria was nice but it didn't compare to this.  Shortly after we left Cambria we came across an Elephant Seal colony on the beach.  As we had never experienced one of these before, we had to get out and take it in.  These animals are absolutely massive beasts (hence their name we guess).  It was amazing to see them just going about their daily routine seemingly oblivious to our presence.  See the video for a bit of what we saw.  Although we could have watched them all day we wanted to get some hiking in at Big Sur.  We stayed at the Big Sur Lodge in the heart of the area and home to endless hiking trails and stellar ocean views.  Unfortunately Mother Nature has been a little angry in the area and most of the parks in the region are closed as a result of the forest fires that have wreaked havoc over the last year.  They are expecting more of the same and are calling for even more severe droughts this year.  We did manage to do a couple of trails that took us through some beautiful Redwood forests and we even saw the only coastal waterfall in California.  Once we got back to the lodge a family of deer were waiting for us outside our cabin.  Not a bad day at all!   The next morning we headed to San Francisco.  We decided to take a lunch break in Santa Cruz.  It was a quirky town filled with odd shops and restaurants.  We do believe that the "beach bum" way of life was created (and perfected) here.  After a few arguments with "Carla" our GPS device, we finally made it to beautiful San Francisco!Megan and Kevin
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233465240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233465240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233465240/tpod.html Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:21:09 -0500 The trials and travelations of Megan and Kevin.

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Los Angeles, California, United States

We first have to thank our friend Brian and his family for putting us up and making us feel at home.  It was wonderful to be treated so well away from home.  As we anticipated, Brian made an excellent tour guide.  We first explored a little of their picturesque town of Monrovia.  It is just east of Pasadena and quite pretty.  It is nestled at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains and its winding streets zigzag through beautiful neighbourhoods filled with cute little shops and eateries.  A great location, close enough to the city for you to take advantage of what it has to offer without being too close to what you don't feel like dealing with.  That evening we headed to one of Brian's favourite Thai restaurants.  President Thai was a wonderful experience minus the gentleman changing his screaming four-year-old at the table next to us.  After a few minutes of screaming and slapping the show was over and people could try and get on with eating.  Thankfully the food was outstanding.   The next day we headed into the city with our tour guide and his well thought out plan.  Our first stop was Manhattan Beach.  It feels like a community within itself just on the outskirts of L.A.  It has surf shops and restaurants that have been there for decades, as have most of their patrons.  We ate at the Koffee Kart a fabulous little greasy spoon with exceptional customer service and a side of pancakes to go with just about any meal you order.  We then decided to walk off our meal on Venice Beach.  We had heard about Venice Beach all our lives but we were eager to see it with our own eyes.  Even on a weekday, in January, there is no shortage of odd characters strolling the boardwalk.  We even came across the "World's Best Wino".  A gentleman that resembled George Clinton in his prime that sang songs about donating to his cause (getting money to drink).  "Give a dooooonation for my ineeeeebriation..."  It was pretty impressive making him quite popular with the passersby.  We saw a few rather large individuals around the Muscle Beach area and even a bunch of paparazzi hanging out around some CBS shoot that we didn't feel like waiting to figure out what it was.  We even had a celebrity sighting... sort of.  We are not sure what his name is but we saw the actor that played one of the sons in the remake of the Nutty Professor... the guy with the farting problem.  Anyway, from there we headed for a driving tour of Hollywood Boulevard and the Sunset strip.  We saw the Walk of Fame and the Grauman's Chinese Theatre as well as quite a few characters busking in front of the place.  We think we saw a Pirate, Snoopy, Spongebob Squarepants, and a superhero of some sort all doing their best to service the hordes of tourists swarming the grounds.  We chose the drive-by viewing as it looked a little intense for our liking.  As we drove around, we even got to experience many of the freeways that L.A. is so famous for.  They all seemed a little over-dramatized except the 110 (I think that is the one).  The 110 is the very first freeway, built when cars could do a mere 30 miles an hour.  Now with speeds getting up to 70 and 80 those winding turns and intersection-like on and off ramps, this is the freeway to take if you need to spice up your day... absolutely crazy.  We did make it back to the quiet streets of Monrovia in time to be treated to a delicious Mexican meal at a local place.  It was fabulous to eat some real Mexican food although finishing one's plate was a tall order that no one could meet.   After sleeping off our big meal and even bigger day we had to leave our lovely hosts to begin our journey north.  We had a few extra hours in the morning so we headed into Beverly Hills so Megan could try and improve the list of celebrities she had seen.  Although our efforts were unsuccessful, Rodeo Drive was certainly an experience.  The stores are ridiculously over-the-top, some even have valet parking out front filled with Bentley's and Rolls Royce's.  Megan even made a big purchase on Rodeo, there was a beautiful little black and white... cupcake that she couldn't resist (I was even honoured with a bite of Rodeo Drive cupcake and it was quite good).  So with our cupcake in hand we decided it was time to escape the city for the Pacific Coast Highway, the number 1.  Here we go.Megan and Kevin
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233165900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233165900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1233165900/tpod.html Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:33:19 -0500 The trials and travelations of Megan and Kevin.

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Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

We had always heard about Vegas being "an Oasis in the middle of nowhere" that would provide and allow for just about anything your heart desired.  We were prepared for this yet the excess of it all was still surprising.  It is much bigger and more spread out than expected.  The city itself is quite large and the Strip seemed to go on forever.  All along it are the gargantuan casino resorts that compete with one another on the over the top scale.  We stayed at the New York New York Hotel and Casino.  It is in the middle of the Strip and well situated for exploring.   It was quite nice with very large rooms, great restaurants, and of course more ways to gamble and spend money than seemed possible.  What was really neat about it was the food court area.  It was done up like a New York neighbourhood with pizza places, delis, steakhouses, bars, and cafes lining the streets that are filled with people feasting or walking around with metre long cocktail glasses on their way to make a deposit in the closest slot machine.  After processing what our place had to offer (and fending off people wondering if we were interested in one meal deal or another), we ventured out to check out the competition.  We checked out the Lion habitat at the MGM Grand, wandered around Planet Hollywood, and watched the fountains at the Bellagio come to life (see video).  By this time we were feeling a little peckish and decided to do what most visitors do... head to the buffet.  We were told to check out "The Buffet" at the Bellagio and it certainly didn't disappoint.  You name it they had it although the plates didn't seem nearly large enough to hold what seemed like a modest amount of food at the time.  I even managed to lose a piece of Beef Wellington somewhere on my plate (don't worry I managed to find it after some digging).  Although we didn't have room for dessert we headed up to simply check out the spread and managed to come back with a few samples... each.  Oh well, we are in Vegas after all.  We managed to roll back down to our room before passing out swearing off buffets... at least until the morning when we headed to the breakfast buffet in our hotel... sigh.   We had to fuel up for another big day.   We strolled the streets of Paris filled with cafes and bakeries, watched the singing Gondoliers float by on the canals at the Venetian, and felt substantially underfunded walking around the halls of the Wynn.  We did manage to take a break for a beverage on the gorgeous Wynn patio (they do have the best Mojitos in Vegas after all - thanks Patti!).  After quick stops at the Flamingo, Caesars, and the Mirage, we headed back to take a break.  Once we entered our room we were greeted by a lovely bottle of champagne and chocolate coveredstrawberries!  A perfectly timed gift from Krista, Matt, and Declan.  We thoroughly enjoyed our treats before we headed down to check out a little Cirque du Soleil.  We saw Zumanity, the sensual side of Cirque.  It was an amazing show.  The artists were fascinating and the sexual humour woven in was perfect for the experience.  A great way to end a wonderful day.   Our last day in Vegas was actually spent out of Vegas.  We picked up our rental car and took off for the Grand Canyon.  The drive was just as fascinating as the Canyon.  We drove over the Hoover Dam and through what seemed like a never-ending Arizona desert filled with interesting looking Joshua Trees.  We drove to the west entrance to the Canyon as it is only about a 2.5-hour drive from Vegas.  Getting to the North or South part of the Canyon would take about 6 hours.  The only dodgy part of the journey was the 14 miles of dirt road that we had to get our Jetta through.  We made it without issue even though the stress of potentially blowing a tire in the middle of the Arizona desert was a little unnerving.  It was well worth the drive as it wasn't very busy and the shuttle buses that picked us up and dropped us off at various viewpoints always seemed like they were waiting for us to get on before they left.  It was perfectly timed.  We made it back to Vegas in plenty of time to take a load off before dinner.  For this, we headed to a restaurant called Ferraro's.  It came highly recommended by family for some reason or another.  It was superb!  The owner was quite happy to chat and had the chef Mimmo Ferraro come out so he could meet a cousin.  The food was excellent.  The Osso Buco was amazing and the meat simply fell off the bone if you just looked at it a certain way.  They brought out a complimentary dessert of crème brulee and crepes that Meg managed to finish even though there was only room to "try" a little bit.  Thanks for the experience Dad and Patti.  Vegas is certainly Fabulous.  Inhibitions are left at the city limits.  You can see and do just about anything as long as you have the confidence and of course the cash.  You can gamble on just about anything yet we managed to spend our cash on food and the entertainment although Meg managed to lose a whole dollar (of mine for some reason) in a slot machine.  We will have to try and win it all back next time... if we can stay away from the buffets of course.  For now we are off to LA.Megan and Kevin
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1232956620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1232956620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/meganandkevin/europe/1232956620/tpod.html Mon, 26 Jan 2009 03:02:54 -0500 The trials and travelations of Megan and Kevin.

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Fort Myers, Florida, United States

Well it was absolutely fabulous to be at home for a good seven weeks.  We managed to spend a lot of time with family and friends catching up and enjoying the holiday season together.  We ate like royalty and loved spending Christmas with everyone at home.  To top it off I even convinced Megan to marry me!  I guess spending 24 hours a day together for a year and a half couldn't have been all that bad...  It was nice to be around family to share the news as well.  We were lucky enough to extend our visit with family by heading down to Fort Myers, Florida for a week with my Dad and Patti (thanks again for a wonderful week!).  So Krista, Matt, the greatest-most-perfect-baby-on-the-planet Declan, Megan and I hopped on a plane and headed for the sun.  We spent the week feasting, golfing, and of course shopping.   The food was awesome and the golfing was wonderful.  Although we only managed to get out twice, my scorecard says that I somehow managed to fit another 18 holes in somewhere.  Enough of that, on to the shopping.  It is absolutely insane, this is where all of the surplus stock goes to expire (much like many of the shoppers).  The outlet malls are never-ending and the sales almost make you feel guilty for taking advantage... almost.  Everything is bigger here, the mile-long malls, the 10,000 square foot homes, the supersized vehicles, the highway-looking roads, the restaurant portions, and even the jumbo "Jesus saves" billboards.   Patti put it best when she said that they must have forgotten that Gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins.  However, we are certainly not ones to criticize considering what we managed to consume this week.  Speaking of Gluttony... we're off to Vegas!Megan and Kevin
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