Outings:

Tenement Museum, in particular the “Meet the Residents – Confino Tour.”  Built on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in 1863, this tenement apartment building was home to nearly 7000 working class immigrants.  Today, the museum tells the stories of the people who lived in the building and the surrounding neighborhood.  I took my teenage daughter and her friend to the Confino tour and they were completely engaged.  The Tenement Museum is located at 103 Orchard Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

The Cloisters museum and gardens, on the opposite end of the island, is the branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe.  It was assembled from architectural elements, both domestic and religious, that date from the twelfth through the fifteenth century.  This magical and serene place is located in Fort Tryon Park.  A bit of a trek but definitely worth the journey!

Whitney Museum, always has something to challenge and engage the visitor!  Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th St.  Before or after, grab a meal at Via Quadronno (see below).  Closed Monday and Tuesday, open late on Friday.

The Neue Galerie is a small, intimate museum devoted to early 20th century German and Austrian art and design.  I have seen many special exhibits here, including a Van Gogh exhibit where I was able to get so close to the paintings that you could feel the wind blowing through the sunflowers.  There is a cafe in the basement where you can get scrumptious pastries.  The Galerie is located at 1048 Fifth Avenue (at 86th Street), Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Smithsonian, Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum is the only museum in the nation devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design. The Museum presents compelling perspectives on the impact of design on daily life through active educational and curatorial programming. Currently closed for renovations.  Exhibits are at various locations throughout the City.

The High Line is a public park built on a freight rail line elevated above Manhattan’s West Side. The High Line is a great place to walk, see the City, eat ice cream and people watch.  The High Line runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues.

Eating:

Vegetarian Dim Sum House – all vegetarian, all yummy!  It is hard to choose a favorite but I do love the deep fried lotus bun, BBQ mock pork buns and bean curd rolls!  This tiny restaurant is located at 24 Pell St (between Doyers St & Mott St).  Don’t be put off by the lack of ambiance or unfriendly wait staff.

Via Quadronno, located on the Upper East Side at 25 East 73rd St., between Madison & 5th Ave., has divine Paninis topped with cheeses, truffles, and high quality cured meats, soups, hot dishes, cappuccinos and scrumptious homemade pastries.  I highly recommend the Tartufata, finely chopped champignons in truffle oil over Fontina cheese and the Montanara, warm Taleggio cheese over fresh steamed asparagus.  This restaurant is always packed so be prepared to wait!

Bearded Papa Sweets Cafe – Cream Puffs, ’nuff said.  These yummy treats can be found at 2167 Broadway (between 76th St & 77th St). 

1WRONGTURN:

Kinokuniya Bookstore is a Japanese bookstore, cafe and gift shop.  Great finds, cool gifts, and delicious Japanese snacks!  Located at 1073 Ave of the Americas, between 42nd and 40th Streets on Bryant Park.  

Classic Car Club Manhattan, located at 250 Hudson Street in Tribeca,  is full of lots of grown-up toys.  If you want to live in lala land for a bit, saunter on it and take a look!  There is also a location on the Upper East Side at 182 East 73rd St.  I will save that for my next visit.

Here are a few tips for a visit to San Francisco:

Starting points:

• San Francisco Travel
• A View on Cities (I like this site because it tells you other sites that are nearby)
• San Francisco Recreation and Parks
• San Francisco Shopping Districts

Bring layers: I started the morning with a heavy coat, which came off around noon to reveal two layers, one of which came of around 3 p.m.  Around 5 p.m., the sweater went back on followed by the coat.

Public transportation: Take time, in advance, to familiarize yourself with the buses and trams, which are really good.  Things are spread out and the hills can be hard.

• General Transportation in and around San Francisco
• San Francisco Municipal Railway /Muni (within San Francisco)

Outings:

The Presidio, formerly a military post, is a National Park and recreational area featuring great vistas, beautiful trails, and historic and architectural treasures. You can hike, picnic, or just sit on a bench. We really enjoyed our walk through Crissy Fields, which has an interesting conservation project.  The Presidio experience can be an entire day!

The Wave Organ, part of the San Francisco Exploratorium, is a wave-activated acoustic sculpture located on a jetty in the San Francisco Bay.  You need a windy day to get the full-effect.

The Coit Tower was built in 1933 with funds from Lillie Hitchcock Coit, an eccentric personality who was best known for her support of the local firemen. When she died, she left one third of her fortune for the beautification of the city. The result was the Coit Tower, which is both a memorial for Lillie Hitchcock Coit and for the San Francisco firemen. Inside are amazing WPA murals.

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market: Great food to eat, buy and simply adore! Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays.

Eating:

Aziza: A modern take on Moroccan food with incredibly delicious cocktails.  The dishes are all about showcasing the great flavors of his native cuisine in ways that harmonize with the fresh, local, artisanal ingredients of Northern California. Directions to this wonderful eatery.

Lucky Creation Vegetarian Restaurant: Don’t be deterred by the lack of ambiance or the sharing of tables.  Just go and dig into some great, all vegetarian chinese food.  We had great tofu dumplings with fried noodles and gluten puffs.   We even bought some of the various gluten “fake meat” products home and made dinner for days!  The address is 854 Washington St, San Francisco, CA 94108.

1WRONGTURNs:

Red Blossom Tea Company: This tiny tea shop has a superb collection of teas that range from light and green to downright dirt-like.  Part of the wonderful experience is the tastings that you can experience.  The staff is very knowledgeable and want to share their love of tea.  We are hooked and order tea online for gifts, which we share with everyone!  Red Blossom is located at 831 Grant Avenue in Chinatown.  

Palace of the Fine Arts Greco Roman Rotunda: This amazing Rotunda, which was built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition world fair, is connected to the Exploratorium and very close to the Presidio.  We stumbled into it while weaving our way home after a stroll through Crissy Fields.  It is rather surreal and a great place for picnics and photos.  You can’t miss the Greco Roman structures.  But, if you do, here is a map.

Next time:

Alcatraz Island: Because it is an amazing site and has recently undergone a major prison garden restoration!

Golden Gate Park, which includes the Conservatory of Flowers (Victorian greenhouse), Japanese Tea Garden, and architecturally dramatic de Young Museum.

Octagon House (1861), built only a few years after the Gold Rush, has a view of the Golden Gate from its cupola. The house was a family residence until the late 1920s, when it was acquired by a utility company. Its purchase by the California Society in 1952, for one dollar, and subsequent restoration in 1953, saved this charming landmark for future generations.   Octagon House is open to the public on the second Sunday and the second and fourth Thursdays of each month except January and is closed on holidays. Visiting Hours are from Noon to 3:00 PM. The last admission is at 2:45 PM.

Filoli: Located 30 miles south of San Francisco, Filoli is recognized as one of the finest remaining country estates of the early 20th century.  This remarkable 654–acre property, including the 36,000 square foot Georgian country house and spectacular 16–acre English Renaissance garden, is a historic site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

No trip is complete without a visit to the local amusement park – at least for my husband and daughter.  They go off and get turn upside-down, dropped from heights, eat sweets, and experience the other side of town while I do something “boring” like go to a historic house museum or temple garden.  Tokyo was no different except for the fact that the amusement park was like something out of Spirited Away.   Hanayashiki amusement park, originally opened as a flower park, has a history of more than 150 years. Located just a few steps from Sensoji Temple in the Asakusa district, the miniature amusement park offers a small Ferris wheel, roller coaster, carousel, a ride that is powered by you pedaling, Space Shot and great crepes.

The two-day drive was easy enough but long and boring (no offense to my husband and daughter who are great company).  Just as we were reaching the Georgia / North Carolina border, we made “1 wrong turn.”  As we tried to figure out which way to go, we sped past it – too quickly to make the sudden turn but slowly enough to read the sign – SPRING RIDGE CREAMERY.  It had me at “CREAM.”   My husband asked, “Do you want to stop?”  I gave him that look of “After almost 20 years of marriage, do you really need to ask?”

So, we made the U-turn back to SPRING RIDGE CREAMERY.

After subduing the store dog that tried to attack our little poodle, I entered this little dairy heaven.  Made fresh from local cows, there was homemade cheeses, butters, ice cream of all flavors, milk and because it was November, eggnog.  I filled my basket with cheddar, havarti and mozzarella cheeses, a gallon of eggnog and a pound of butter.  My arteries are closing as I write this post.  For my sweet, loving daughter who did not complain once on the trip (NOT), I purchased a scoop of raspberry chocolate chunk ice cream that tasted of fresh raspberries and lingered on your tongue because of the high fat content.

Needless to say, our North Carolina hosts were most grateful for the creamy bounty that we brought.  The eggnog was a particular hit, even for those who do not normally like eggnog.

Needless to say, we stopped on our way back home.  This was “1 wrong turn” that turned out (or churned out) so right!

SPRING RIDGE CREAMERY is located just 1.5 miles north of the Georgia border on hwy. 441 (11856 Georgia Rd.) in Otto, North Carolina, 2 miles north of Dillard, Georgia (See Map)

Phone: 828-369-2958

If you can’t make it to North Carolina, try making ice cream at home.  I have a Cuisinart and I love it.  Homemade ice creams and sorbets are easy and always delicious.  Make sure the check out your local farmers markets for milk, cream and fresh fruits.

Since my last jaunt to beach, Perdido Key and the nearby communities have welcomed several new businesses. I am also very pleased to report that the beaches were pristine and the water clear – not a tarball in sight!

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, my beach vacations are VERY SIMPLE. They include:

• Wake up and eat breakfast
• Go to the beach
• Come up for lunch followed by a nap
• Go back to the beach
• Come up for the evening, shower, go to the grocery, drink wine and eat dinner on the balcony
• Go to sleep early

REPEAT THE NEXT DAY

I was pleased to see that a new Publix has opened up right over the Intercoastal Waterway. It has a nice selection of cheeses, seafood, etc. What I really liked were the plastic bags filled with ready-to-roll and bake pizza dough. How clever and a great way to get everyone involved in making dinner!  Click here for a map to the Publix.

This past time, I was forced into straying from my beach routine. My friend has a very different idea of a beach vacation. For her, a beach vacation must involve putt putt golf and a trip to the local ice cream parlor. Ice cream – yes; putt putt – no! We found a great ice cream parlor just 10 minutes from the condominium and right down the road from the new Publix. It is the Hershey Ice Cream Parlor and they have a large selection of yummy ice creams, homemade fudge as well as savory items (if you want to make a meal out of the excursion).  Click here for a map to the Hershey Ice Cream Parlor.

The address and phone number are:

10427 Sorrento Rd, Pensacola, FL 32507

(850) 456-0585

Call before you go because the weekday and weekend hours are different.

I had wonderful photos of both places but they were lost in my recent phone upgrade. So, just picture in your mind a scoop of wonderful mint chocolate chip ice cream after a hot, summer day on the beach.

May 2010 – SPECIAL NOTE: I am saddened, angry and disgusted by the BP oil spill.  Our beautiful beaches and wildlife all foresaken for oil profits.

Visit my friend’s Blog Coast of Living and read her poignant insights into the lives of those affected by this horror.    Through her blog, you can make a donation to Gulf Aid, a 501(c3) nonprofit corporation, has been established in response to what has been called one of the biggest oil spills in history just 50 miles off of the Louisiana Coast.

Written in happier times …when the waters were blue & clear.

White sand, blue water, splashing dolphins and beautiful sunsets.   These words might conjure up beaches in Mexico, Greece, and other exotic locales.  However, when I let my mind wander to beautiful beaches and lazy days, I don’t have to travel any further than the Gulf Coast of Florida.  Known as the Emerald Coast, or the Redneck Riviera, there is a lovely strip of beaches that rival the most famous beaches of the world.

These beaches start with Orange Beach, at the Florida/Alabama border, and run all the way to St. Joe, Florida on the east.  The most popular beaches include Perdido Key, Pensacola Beach, Santa Rosa, Navarre Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Grayton Beach, Water Color, Seaside, a charming community made famous in the Jim Carrey movie The Truman Show, Rosemary Beach and Panama City Beach.

My family has gone to Perdido Beach for the past 20 years.  Our routine for the past 20 years has been as follows:

Perdido Key Beach Umbrellas

• Rent a condo on the beach, with a balcony overlooking the Gulf.
• Drive to Florida and stop at the Burris Farm Stand to buy fresh veggies & fruit.
• Arrive at condo, lather up & go to the beach (Don’t even unpack).
• First evening, go to grocery and stock up on cheese, bread, fresh fish, lots of wine & pina colada ingredients.
• Make a nice dinner & eat on the balcony.

• Watch a movie and go to sleep.
• Next day, wake up, have breakfast on the balcony and watch for dolphins.
• Lather up, go to beach, come in for lunch (on the balcony) and nap.
• Go back to beach in afternoon until 6 p.m.
• Come in to the condo, bathe, lotion up, make dinner, which is eaten on the balcony.
• Go to sleep, wake up the next morning and REPEAT THE PREVIOUS DAY.

What I love about the beach is that you can do as much or as little as you want.  Most condos have pools and gyms or you can walk on the beach and play in the surf. For those who are more energetically inclined, you can do the following:

The Track - In the evening, head on over for go-karts, water rides, bumper cars and family. There are several different go-kart tracks, including one for adults only.

Foley Outlet Mall - If it’s raining and you want to get out of the condo or hotel, go shopping at this giant discount outlet mall.   You can get some really good deals here!  While you are there, eat at Lambert’s in Foley, Alabama where you can, and are expected to, throw your rolls.  Great southern cooking and good portions.  At the call of “Hot, fresh rolls” hands go up and a guy wearing oven mitts starts tossing them out. Diners close by get an underhand lob; those across the room get more of a baseball pitch.

Dauphin Island is a barrier island located 3 miles south of the mouth of Mobile Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. You get to the island by crossing a high-rise bridge or by the automobile ferry from the eastern shore.   The entire island has been designated as a bird sanctuary and thousands of visitors come to experience the annual migration.  While on the island, you can sit on the beach, explore Fort Gaines, or visit the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.  Hotels, motels, condos and private homes are available for rent to both summer and winter visitors.

Where to stay:

There are hotels, motels, condos and private homes available for rent across the Emerald Coast.  As I mentioned, we always stay in Perdido Key.  However, a great resource for lodging rentals is Resort Quest. I always have great luck finding places when we have not been able to stay at our regular condo.  If you don’t find what you want online, give them a call.  The staff if very helpful.

1wrongturn finds:

Greek Food in Perdido Key

Greek Food on Perdido Key Drive close to the Winn Dixie. I don’t have a name and there are no regular hours.  This is basically a trailer hitch that turns into a Greek restaurant.  The food is yummy and the ambiance, well, check it out for yourself!

Spear Hunting Museum

Spear Hunting Museum - a family outing in Summerdale, Alabama!

I will admit that the traffic is fierce and tall buildings dominate the landscape – all of these aspects make Houston – Houston.   However, when you move beyond the “fast and big” Houston, you will discover that this city has so much to celebrate.  You have modern & historic, art and nature, Mexican and Indian, vegetarian and barbecue.  If you allow yourself to experience the many contradictions that Houston has to offer and you will see that the tall, modern, fast-paced, uber-shopping areas “yin” to the smaller, low-key, funky elements “yang.”

I think it is only fare to issue a statement of full disclosure – I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to the city of Houston and its residents who embraced my family and many other victims of Hurricane Katrina.  At a time when we were all crushed and vunerable, Houston took care of us.  I know that many may say that I am biased because of my positive experience and not all people were so lucky.  That may be true.  However, I have returned to Houston since 2005 and still find it engaging and welcoming.

Enough about me . . .

General guides and information

• Visit Houston Texas
• World Guide to Houston – some good facts
• Houston Neighborhoods
• Houston Ice Houses
• Nileguide.com Things to Do in Houston

However, our favorite place was a strange little restaurant in a small strip mall, which looked more like a cafeteria than a restaurant, i.e. no ambiance.  The restaurant is Pepper Tree Veggie Cuisine and it is a vegetarian restaurant that serves a buffet of mixed Asian cuisines (map).  All I can say is that everything is fresh and delicious.  The owners replenish the buffet frequently so that the food is always hot (when appropriate).  The customers range from young families, to older folks, to veggie eaters.  For my family, Pepper Tree is a must!

No, it’s not Houston barbecue but I promised to show you a different side of the City.

Of all the museums in Houston, I have to admit that my favorite is The Menil Collection, which opened in 1987 to preserve and exhibit the art collection of John and Dominique de Menil.  The Menil Collection is considered one of the most important privately assembled collections of the twentieth century and houses one of the world’s foremost Surrealist collections.  In addition, the Museum is always FREE!  The Menil Collection is also a great place for kids.  Not only are they intrigued by the art, but they also love to climb the fabulous trees that surround the Museum.  Tucked away in the museum district (map) , the Menil Collection is a nice change from Houston’s hustle and bustle.

Houston Arboretum by Kevin McCarthy

If you are seeking a bit of the outdoor, Houston will not fail to deliver.  I was surprised by the amount of public green space.  Many of the neighborhoods have small parks with sports fields or swing sets.  If you want big space, go to Hermann Park and explore their open fields, ponds, art sculptures and Japanese gardens.  Another green space in Houston is the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center (map).  The Arboretum has great walking trails and is truly an unexpected find in the midst of a highly urban area (worthy on a Houston  “1wrongturn” designation).

My final outing recommendation may be considered macabre by some but perfectly normal for someone from New Orleans.  For a beautiful, serene and interesting outdoor experience, take a stroll through the Glenwood Cemetery (Directions to Glenwood Cemetery)!  Yes, a cemetery.  It is a beautiful setting, with interesting planting and architecture not to mention that Howard Hughes is buried here in a tomb that is most appropriate.

And you thought that Houston was all cars and shopping!

While we were there, we ate a great hole-in-the-wall called Taqueria Leon.  We ate great enchiladas, pupusa, and munched on delicious pastries, all washed down with tamarind soda.  YUUUUUUM!  There is no website but here are a few comments on Chowhound.  If you want to see the city, take a look at these Rosenberg videos.

Partly because it is a neat little town and partly because it is where my family settled in Texas, I recommend that you take 1wrongturn and visit Rosenberg.

A little over two years ago, my family had the opportunity to visit Japan. The definates included Tokyo and a wonderful coastal town, Kochi. The rest was up to us. After weeks of exploring travel options, including trains schedules and accommodations, our trip looked as follows: 4 days in Tokyo, 2 days in Kochi, 3 days in Kyoto and back to Tokyo for 3 additional days. This required some serious planning and advanced details. If we had more time in each city, we could have allowed more to chance. However, with such brief stays in each place, we had to have certain things in place and be well versed in our travel cities to make the most of our time. So the research began.

Although I have written specific posts about Tokyo and Kyoto, I am writing four posts that will provide some important background information (and some cost savings). The four posts are: (1) transportation; (2) accommodations; (3) language; and, (4) food. There are just a few tips that will help you organize your travels, create a unique experience and enable you to take MANY 1wrongturns.

The following three links are to sites that I found really helpful in understanding and navigating Japan, as a whole.

Japan National Tourism Organization was my first stop. It provides a very thoughtful understanding of Japan culture, food/dining, transportation and accommodations. I highly recommend that you download the brochure Your Guide to Japan.

Japan-guide.com is rather commercial but has a tremendous amount of information.

Wikitravel: Japan – I like Wikitravel – get over it!

Useful tips:

• Dialing Code – the international dialling code for Japan is +81.
• Time – Japan is +9 hours GMT.
• Capital: Tokyo
• Religions: observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)