I'm sure I've made it clear by now that one of the biggest hazards we face when visiting historic estates, arboretums, gardens, important birthplaces, etc, are the gatekeepers. Maybe it's because Jim looks like a hippy (although I don't think that's really the reason), but the old people behind the ticket taking desk can't help but make it perfectly clear that we have no business being anywhere near “their” historic estate, arboretum, garden, etc. Of course, we don't get this reception everywhere, but it's pretty commonplace.

When we approached the Old Bethpage Village Restoration ticket booth this old man immediately (and a little bit smugly) told Jim, “The rabbits are gone!” We weren't sure what he meant, so he clarified, “The rabbit show is over.” But he hadn't really provided enough context. Fortunately, a helper woman?was there to angrily chime in: “It's 3:00, they've been at it all day–since 9:00. They're tired! They're going home!”

Unbeknownst to us, the Long Island Rabbit Show had taken place earlier that afternoon inside the village and we'd just missed it. That seemed fine, we weren't upset or anything–until we got some unsolicited info from a chatty dad. He took time out of his schedule to inform us that they were a real bunch of blubber bunnies: rabbits so fat he thought they they had to be genetically engineered (to be fat), “You don't see ones like that hoppin' around.”

Once this dad's report came through, we were a little bummed that we'd missed the show, rabbits that look like this would have been awesome to behold. Alas, maybe next year we'll make the show.

Inside the village, a bunch of really nice, mild mannered old men taught us about historic hat making, birch beer, general stores, looms and more–but what we really learned is that sheep are crazy animals.

Afterward, we went to the Macaroni Grill I recommended a few weeks ago, but it was effing closed! We wanted to leave a rose and a candle, but we ended up just running over a dirty diaper instead. It was heartbreaking, but we ended up at the excellent Azerbaijani Grill.

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Posted on April 14, 2008

A drive through New Mexico can be both exquisitely beautiful and achingly depressing. Beautiful are some of the vistas, depressing are the poverty stricken towns; so when you hit a long stretch of the latter, any sign that promises wonderful things ahead is exciting indeed.

Signs for White's City litter the highways for miles, and we even ended up diverted off a highway through tricky signs and onto a rural route headed straight towards the biggest tourist trap in the Southwest.

We ate what can be barely described as a meal at the Velvet Garter Steakhouse, which the website's strange copy introduces like this: “What's this? An Italian Restaurant in the desert? You Bet!”

We took to calling the place The Golden Harlot. We didn't have time to go to Carlsbad Caverns due to all the time we lost getting sidetracked to the “resort” of White's City, but Jim did get an amazing tee shirt that I still wear to bed sometimes that says “Doing it in a Cave” on the front and has boxes checked off that read “Been there” and “Done that”.?Jim also bought a bunch of foam geckos that he vividly remembered from the rooms of girls he knew in junior high.

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Posted on March 31, 2008

As you can tell from this photo, I work with a major hunk named Terrance who's as lovely as an orchid inside and out. He recently got back from the most envy inducing trip I've heard tell of in some time. For about two weeks he enjoyed the beauty of St. Barths.

He spent time in the two most popular areas: St. Jean and Gustavia.
St. Jean is a tiny village with beautiful beaches, restaurants and shopping, while Gustavia has the nightlife.

He tells me if you're looking for a crazy goodtime?Go to Le Ti, a hilltop hot spot with Thai food and moonlit all night parties. Other nighttime spots are the Yacht Club “St Barths own little corner of Ibiza”, Jao and the best food around at Eden Rock. During the day, hang out at La Plage and Nikki Beach, both located on the water. Maya's to Go offers excellent take out.

Make sure to visit Anse a Colombier, a twenty minute hike from town (wear sneakers!) and one of the country's most peaceful beaches. Anse du Gouverneur is the most popular small beach and very beautiful while Baie de St. Jean is surrounded by loads of restaurants and businesses.

For accommodations, Hotel Guanahani and Spa is the largest hotel on the island and you can rent a villa from St. Barth's properties.

Here is a link to some more of Terrance's photos.
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Posted on March 17, 2008

Winter isn't quite through yet (it's 30 degrees out now as I write this) — you've still got all of March to get on up to southern Vermont (some Northerners refer to it as the banana belt) and squeeze in some outdoor winter fun before the '07/'08 winter sporting season draws to a close. Whether you're looking to do some downhill skiing, snowboarding, or just hang out in an authentic ski lodge, Bromley: Vermont's sun mountain, may be the ideal destination. But it just as easily may not, read on.

Located not too far from slightly more popular, slightly more sophisticated area destinations like Stratton and Okemo, Bromley is about 5 miles east of Manchester. 10 lifts service the 43 trails (covering 163 acres of Green Mountain National Forest) which are equally divided between beginner, intermediate and expert skill levels but, to be honest, you'll only be using the #1, Sun, and Blue Ribbon chairs if you want to reach the top.

Founded and designed by ski pioneer and beer heir Fred Pabst Jr. in 1936, Bromley is the only mountain in New England to offer southern, sun-drenched exposure. This is a decidedly family friendly destination, but it's not like a uniform national family friendly chain restaurant, it's more like a stalwart local spot that's a bit rough around the edges, sans frills. But if you prefer a more rustic, homey lodge built in the '30s (complete with an amazing original stone fireplace) to more modern glass enclosures with plenty of shopping options, than you are in luck. And it's a tad cheaper too: $63 for an adult weekend one-day ticket compared to $78 at nearby Stratton (and only $25 on weekdays).

My dad and I went two weeks ago, it's only about a 2 and a half hour drive from south central CT and we were geared up and ready to go by 10. It's important to note that the weather wasn't tops, fresh snow had been falling all morning and the grooming machines hadn't had an opportunity to smooth out the powder. The snowfall made for relatively difficult conditions, but it also kept the lift lines to a minimum. We never had to wait, the trails were completely uncrowded and hardly anyone was in the Boar's Nest, which was great! The downside was that by early afternoon we were finished, it's been a number of years since I've done any skiing and my legs were shot. I incorrectly assumed that I was still in peak physical shaped and would have no problem cutting my way through the fresh and deceptively dense unpacked snow, I was sorely mistaken.

In fact, I hadn't been skiing in so long, I was taken aback by the wild popularity of helmet wearing. When I was a kid serving time in ski school, only a real dorkasaurus with an embarrassingly over-protective mother would have worn a helmet (although it would have been acceptable if you were some kind of competitive athlete, but a civilian? out of the question). But the late '80s are more or less gone forever and I'm okay with that, especially since my skiing skills have declined considerably since then and I fell down on my helmeted head more than once.

Speaking of ski school, I can vouch for the quality of the program offered at Bromley. And it's adorable to see all these 7-year-old kids kitted out in full ski gear hop off chair lifts and speed down the mountain without the slightest bit of fear.

And even if you can't make the trip this winter, don't fret. The Alpine Slide, a crazy concrete track you slide down in a crazy plastic sled is how Bromley stays busy in the summertime. Check out the THRILL ZONE!

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Posted on March 3, 2008

Located among the winding, picturesque hills of Pasadena, the famous Rose Bowl opens its parking lot every second Sunday of each month to a huge, overwhelming flea market. It was the prime reason for my recent shopping trip for work. And even though we didn't walk out with as much as I expected, if you're planning on buying lots, bring a wheelie bag, as you will likely park very far away from the carnival like entrance.

There isn't much you couldn't find here. Deer heads, violins, Precious Moments – you name it, a California eccentric is here to sell it. In the main area, you wind your way through lots of home goods and furniture booths, both categories the market excels in. If I had a house nearby, it would be insane, packed with Victorian bedroom sets, old fashioned radios, neat paintings, and chandeliers galore.

We were there for clothes, however, and nearly missed out on the major vendors (hint: they're all mostly across the “river“). The quality of the clothes is varied as to be expected from a flea market. Expect to dig and sweat your way through racks and stacks til you nearly faint (or actually do faint like my friend Laura did one July when she was trying on fur coats). On that note, the best buy of the day is the four dollar frozen lemonade. Prices on everything else vary wildly. Of course, I gravitated to the over priced, like a rhinestone spider brooch that was way cool, but nearly 100 dollars. On the other hand, searching can uncover major bargains. Just make sure you don't get caught in the chintzy area of new cheap tee shirts, baseball hats, and prostitute wear. This section, near the back, by the actual arena is not worth your time with so much vintage.

It's a long day's work. We were there for five hours. Five hot hours even though it was February. But if you start to fade, the promise of totally excellent pies and burgers should keep you going. Nearby, is Pie n' Burger an old fashioned burger stand complete with weary waitresses, wooden backed stools, and lots of juicy calories. It was agreed by all to be the best meal of the whole trip. I had the cheeseburger and boysenberry pie a la mode. My coworkers even added a vanilla shake to their order and the bite I had was out of this world.

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Posted on February 18, 2008