World Family Travelers

Best Sushi in Las Vegas-Sushi Roku

2013-05-03T11:35:00.000-06:00

Just like almost everyone else in this country, I started eating sushi about 7 years ago (if you started after that, you’re just a poser). I thought I’d become pretty refined as I’d advanced past California rolls to rolls in general to nigiri and sashimi. Rolls are how they lure you in to eating raw fish, but for me, it’s increasingly become more and more about the quality of the fish.

Recently I was in Las Vegas with a buddy of mine who is a sushi connoisseur (code for sushi snob). He insisted we go to Sushi Roku at Caesars in Las Vegas where his friend is the head sushi chef. Hands down it would rank in one of my top 5 dining experiences.

We sat at the bar and had them make whatever. The thing I first noticed when they passed us our first dish is how perfect the rice was. It wasn’t pressed into some tight white clump. Each grain of rice could be individually counted and with each piece of nigiri I thought the rice would fall off but it somehow defied gravity and stayed together. Kind of weird thing to geek out about, but I’ve really never seen this before.

Some of the delicious items included: Uni, Toro (Tuna Belly), Saba (Mackeral), Tako (Octopuss), Chilean Sea Bass with Truffle Miso Glaze. There was one last item that took the cake as one of the best things I’ve eaten, Foie Gras wrapped with Hamachi and Chiso leaf, topped off with a white truffle and gold flakes. You’re welcome for the picture.

The food was awesome. The ambience was great with an amazing view of The Strip. The service was perfect. Johnny the General Manager was very attentive. Jason, the Sushi Chef, was the best sushi chef I’ve come across. This place has certainly taken my expectation level of sushi to a new level.

Service: 10/10
Ambiance: 9/10
Food: 10/10

India Palace-South Jordan Utah

2013-04-09T15:58:00.001-06:00

I feel like I'm late to the game with Indian food. I've dabbled in it, much like 2nd graders dabble in water colors. But I always have this slight intimidation factor when trying new foods because I hate dropping money to see if I'll like something. What if I don't, do I get my money back? Do I give up on the food entirely because I ordered the wrong thing or went to the wrong restaurant?

Perfect solution...a buffet. I realize buffets aren't going to be the freshest or best food, but it allows me to try multiple items to see if I'm into it. My Indian friend invited me to India Palace for a lunch buffet to ease me into Indian Food (my 10th grade English teacher would be disappointed that I used Indian 3 times, no wait, now 4 times in one sentence).

India Palace has been around in Provo for many years. If you read the reviews, some love it, some think it's ok, but everyone agrees that the lunch buffet is a good deal. I was a little nervous when I walked into the new India Palace restaurant in South Jordan and saw how empty it was, but later learned it was new and hadn't quite developed the loyal following that the restaurant in Provo has. On the plus side, for now it's a nice quiet place to have a business lunch.

The restaurant itself was nice and well layed out and clean. I typically prefer dives, but I'm not going to hold it against them for having a well kept restaurant. The wait staff was friendly. Another positive for me was that they accepted American Express, unlike a lot of the smaller restaurants.

Some of the buffet items included: Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Coconut Korma, Mango Chicken, Lamb Madras, and Chicken Tandoori. There were other items as well but honestly, with all the meat and options, I almost wondered how they can make any money. I thought it was all excellent, and I did make sure to try it all.

Will I go back? I already have. Would it be my first choice for dinner out? Probably not, but I'm just a little partial to some other foods. Is it an excellent place to go for lunch when it's rainy and you're looking for some comfort food? Absolutely.

Service: 8/10
Ambience: 7/10
Food: 7/10

5 Airline Travel Gripes

2013-03-26T00:23:00.000-06:00

I feel like a jerk to even comment on complaints while traveling. It's so diva to say "I had a horrible flight to Paris" when the trip is in no way work related. I'm sure a lot of people that read this are like, "yeah, I feel really bad for you ***hole." But, the only thing more pretentious than having a travel blog, which obviously I do, is to be that guy that complains about his flight to Paris. So hear goes a few gripes.

1) Anyone shorter than 5'10" in economy that has to lay their seat back the first second they possibly can and then lay in your lap for the entire flight. I get it, leg room is practically non-existent, especially with Ryanair (my least favorite airline ever), but does a 5 year old's mom really need to put his/her seat all the way back? Do you really need to keep your seat back while you eat? And I know that the counter argument is "hey, I paid money for my seat just like you and have every right to put my seat back" or even "if you don't like it, why don't you pay for a first class seat." OK, good arguments. Just a little courtesy, try not to have it back unless you're closing your eyes to go to sleep. If you're a tall person, I guess I'm just more understanding of that.

2) The French guy on a AirFrance flight (he had a V-neck t-shirt with plenty of untamed chest hair long before "metro" was a part of our lexicon) that had the nerve to turn around and say "you just bumped my girlfriend's seat." It would sound even more ridiculous if you read that with a French accent. A little context, he made this comment about 30 minutes before we landed in Paris after a red-eye flight from New York and his girlfriend (about 5'5" if you're wondering) had kept her seat all the way back the entire flight. My faux pas occurred when I changed which leg was crossed and accidentally brushed the back of her chair. No credit given for the 7 hours I had gone out of my way to not bump her chair that was literally 1" from my knees the entire flight. Douche.

3) Any international terminal that appears as lonely and bleak as the inside of a tomb. I'll admit, it's been years since I've waited in the International Terminal at either LAX or O'Hare, so perhaps improvements have been made, but for the love of Pete, passengers often wait in these terminals for 4-6 hours. Can a restaurant, a quiet place to relax, or even a television bank showing anything other than CNN be made available? Hospital wings have more personality. I've left the country several times since encountering LAX or O'Hare, so even if they are improved, the fact that I vowed I would never route an international flight through either airport means I don't care if they've made improvements. On the bright side, those 4-6 hours waiting in a bad International terminal can feel like a week, so in that sense it does make your vacation feel longer.

4) People sitting behind you that crowd forward and try to get off the plane the second the plane comes to a stop. OK, so there is the rare case where the plane lands late and they have to rush to get to a connecting flight. But it's the person who hurries to grab their carry-on, get in the aisle, and try to move up two extra rows, knocking you over as you reach to get your own carry-on, that I just want to punch in the face. And the best is that that guy never looks at you, just straight ahead as though they didn't notice that every freaking seat on the plane ahead of them had a passenger sitting in it.

5) The idiot that has to feel like they need to open their window shade on a red eye flight. If you haven't experienced a red eye flight, hear me out. You leave NY at let's say 8:00 at night. Are you going to fall asleep the second you get on? Not likely, especially with that overhead BONG about every 5 minutes to announce a service cart or whether you can wear your seat belt. So there you are, wide awake, knowing that you land in 8 hours and it will be 7:00 in the morning. So about 1/2 way through the flight, you finally fall asleep to try to get those precious 3 1/2 hours of sleep needed to get you through the entire next day. Then about 2 hours before you land, the guy next to you opens his shade, just a crack mind you. Surprise, surprise, light comes pouring in the cabin. It has to do with the way the earth rotates around the sun, but it gets light earlier in Europe than in North America. Dude, that is why the announced to please close your shades following dinner service! Does this brilliant guy realize his mistake and quickly close the shade? Of course not, he has to look out the window down at the white fluffy clouds that obscure his view from seeing anything that might be remotely interesting.

I feel better.

Johnson's Arch, Snow Canyon State Park

2013-03-18T20:40:00.000-06:00

Gwen and Mason on hike to Johnson's Arch

Johnson's Arch Snow Canyon State Park

Snow Canyon State Park is one of Utah's most visited state parks, and with good reason. Snow Canyon is very close to St George and is an amazing canyon that features red rocks, black volcanic rock and fine sandstone sand dunes. It is convenient to stay in St George and I had a great stay at the St George Courtyard Hotel. Some people don't believe me, but I swear I found an arrowhead once as kid at Snow Canyon-I wish I had kept it as evidence for my non-believing wife and daughter.

The park recently has begun charging to enter. I'm ok with that if the money is used for good purposes. One thing they've done is added a great bike/walking trail that extends through the park. Gwen and I have biked from the top of the canyon down through Ivins and to Santa Clara. It's a simple, relaxing ride.

Another recent addition is the hiking trail to Johnson's Arch. When I was a kid, Johnson's Arch was on private ground just outside the park. Whoever owned the land allowed access so people could see this unique rock formation. Sadly, he closed that access when some idiot hurt themselves and decided to sue. It was closed to the public for many years.

Now the arch is part of the state park. There is a great parking lot and a well marked trail accessible to the public. Unfortunately the trail is closed between March 15th and October 15th to protect the rare desert tortoise. However, if you find yourself in St George between mid-October through mid-March, this is a very short hike and quite easy for a young family. I'm not sure the exact distance, but I would guess the hike is about 1/2 mile roundtrip.

Mason on trail to Johnson's Arch

Johnson's Arch Snow Canyon

Snow Canyon Bike Ride

2012-11-26T19:01:00.001-07:00

Snow Canyon State Park in St George, Utah is a great way to see the red rocks that Southern Utah is known for. It has been a state park since 1958 and is very well developed with bike trails, hiking trails, camp grounds and bathrooms. Most out of staters visiting Utah spend all their time at Zion or Bryce National Parks and miss some of the spots us locals enjoy like Snow Canyon State Park and Kodachrome Basin State Park which are every bit as beautiful but perhaps on a smaller scale than their National Park cousins.

Gwen and I decided to start biking from the top of the canyon to the bottom which would be approximately 5 miles and drop 1,500 feet in elevation. Needless to say, I don't think either of pettled once. We made a quick pitstop at the sand dunes which Gwen loved playing in. As we wrapped up, she commented a couple times that it was the best bikeride she's ever been on...I think not having to pedal might be part of the reason.

It had been many years since I'd visited Snow Canyon. The north entrance is only about 2 miles past one of my favorite golf courses in the St George area, Valderra, so it's difficult to drive past. We had a great time and plan on playing there again in the future.

Gwen biking in Snow Canyon

Snow Canyon State Park

Gwen biking in Snow Canyon

Playing at the sand dunes in Snow Canyon State Park

Angel's Landing, Zion National Park

2012-11-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

Probably the most famous hike in Zion National Park is Angel's Landing. Our family has done more "family friendly" hikes in Zion in the past, including the popular Canyon Overlook Trail. Anyone who has made this hike is proud to share that they hiked a trail so perilous that they had to hold on to a chain in order to keep from falling down a several hundred foot cliff. It is this slight degree of danger and the bragging rights that come with it, along with the tremendous views, that makes the famous Angel's Landing hike in Zion National Park so fun.

Katie and I took Gwen to climb to the top of Angel's Landing on the day before Thanksgiving. It was a perfect day to do this 2.5 mile hike in that hardly anyone was there and the temperature was a perfect 65 degrees.

The hike starts out with a warning sign that points out 6 people have fallen to their deaths since 2004, this had Gwen concerned to say the least. It sets out fairly easy, following the river at the base of Zion Canyon, but soon starts to climb up switch backs with about a 10% grade. The hike is paved to the top, but is still a bit of a workout due to the steepness.

After about an hour we got to the top, and Katie felt very content to call that good. She has made it to this point several times in her life and didn't feel the need to go any further. Gwen was stuck in the middle, me prodding her to continue and Katie telling her to "just do what she was comfortable with." It was Katie's subtle way of having Gwen stay put. I was proud though as Gwen did decide to go on, and Katie reluctantly followed.

The final stage of the hike is where Angel's Landing gets interesting. The trail goes up about 1/2 mile across what can only be described as a sliver of land that at times is only about 20 feet wide with 300-400 foot cliffs on either side and a chain bolted into the ground to give some peace of mind that if your footing slips, you can grab hold and keep yourself from plummeting to the canyon floor below. I was proud that Gwen moved easily through this section. I was even more proud that Katie overcame her fear of heights and made her way over this last 1/2 mile, at times on all fours.

By the end, Gwen was happy she did it. This really is one of those hikes that is just a "must do." It was a great way to spend some good family time together.

Start of Angel's Landing hike informing that 6 people have died since 2004

The last 1/2 mile of Angel's Landing Hike

View of Zion Canyon from the top of Angel's Landing

View from Angel's Landing

The thin strip of land to reach the top of Angel's Landing

Gwen and Katie on the switchbacks walking down Angel's Landing Hike

Our Top 10 Favorite Hawaiian Beaches

2012-11-12T23:06:00.003-07:00

We were lucky enough to have lived on Oahu for a few years. Other than Oahu, we have only visited Kauai and Maui, so if there are any amazing beaches on the Big Island, Lanai, Molokai or any outer islands, our apologies for not including them. We hope to visit them all one day.

Playing with the kids at Waimea Bay Beach

Oahu
Oahu tends to get a bad wrap by travelers who imagine Hawaii will be a quiet pristine location with grass skirts and palm trees. True, parts of Oahu are quite urban, but I don't think it gets enough credit for having some of the best beaches in Hawaii. In fact a good friend that had lived on many of the islands claims the north shore of Oahu has the best beaches in all of Hawaii.

Sunset Beach-Found on the North Shore, Sunset Beach is wide and long and perfect for a family day at the beach. The waters can be calm and peaceful in the summer and have 20 foot waves in the winter.
Lanaikea Beach (Turtle Beach)-This beach is famous for the sea turtles that can often be found there.
Waimea Bay-A gorgeous scenic bay on the North Shore, the waters can be perfectly clear in the summertime.
Bellows Field Beach Park-Found on Bellows Air Base, it can only be accessed during weekends and holidays by the general public. It can get windy, but the waters range from blue to green and about 1,000 shades between.
Waikiki Beach-Maybe not a beach I could relax on for 5 straight days of vacation, but certainly worth one day as it's great for people watching and a pretty impressive urban beach.

Kaui

Kaui tends to be what mainlanders imagine Hawaii to be, sparsely populated and amazingly beautiful. It is the island of steep mountain cliffs waterfalls (also rain).

Ke'e Beach-This is the last beach found at the end of the road on the north shore of Kauai. It is also the start of hike of the Napili Coast. Very beautiful beach.
Poipu Beach-Fun family beach with good snorkeling and generally sunny on the rainy island of Kauai.
Hanalei Beach-Maybe the perfect beach; big, beautiful, breaking surf, and just amazing.
Anini Beach-A 2 mile beach protected by a reef.

Maui
A lot of tourists love Maui because it's a hybrid between enough shopping and restaurants, but not too many. We liked Maui for many reasons, but not necessarily for its beaches.

Kaanapali Beach-This is pretty busy beach with surrounding resorts. It has great views of Lanai and whale watching in the winter.

Turtle at Lanaikea Beach

Some nice homes on Hanalei Bay Beach

Ke'e Beach and the start of the Napili Coast

Sunset Beach

Mason on Waikiki Beach

Hotel Review: Hyatt Escala Lodge at Park City

2012-11-09T14:06:00.001-07:00

We were invited to stay at The Hyatt Escala Lodge at Park City with some friends in a 3 bedroom unit and were very impressed. It was named one of SKI Magazine's "Top 10 Hot Hotels in 2010."

Park City is really broken up into 5 locations to stay, Newpark, The Canyons, The Base of Park City Ski Resort, Main Street Area and Deer Valley. For a long time The Canyons was the least developed of the ski resorts areas and felt very isolated, but they have poored a ton of money into the resort and the addition of a few very nice hotels and timeshares have helped add to the area. The Hyatt Escala is certainly the best hotel at The Canyons.

Things I liked:

The rooms were gorgeous and quite spacious. The bathrooms are beautiful. The kitchen was amazing.
The location is right next to the main lift for the resort.
The service was quite good.
Very nice restaurant.
A very nice rock fireplace.
The Hyatt Escala is only a quick 30 minute drive from the Salt Lake City Airport.

Something I wasn't a huge fan of:

The swimming pool was quite small.
Some of the lower floored rooms in the back lacked a view.

There are several high end lodging options in Park City. Our stay may have been a little unusual in that we in a 3 bedroom residential suite instead of the standard room, but our daughter commented that it was the nicest hotel room she's ever stayed in. She lists it as one of her 10 favorite hotels in the world. It would be difficult to argue that.

Hotel Review: Courtyard St George, Utah

2012-11-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

I recently stayed at the Marriott Courtyard in St George, Utah. I've stayed in many Courtyard hotels through the years and would put this one quite high on the list.

Things I liked about this Courtyard:

The St George Courtyard is quite new. The property feels fresh and well maintained. The rooms are nice with very clean look that included granite surrounds in the shower.
The staff was quite friendly and seemed to have a good handle on the area.
The location of the Courtyard Hotel was easy to find, it was right off I-15, but tucked back from the freeway so there wasn't any freeway noise.
Very nice pool and lounge areas.

St George is an amazing location with a ton of options to stay busy. It is a town with a population of about 75,000 people. It sits in the southwest corner of Utah about 7 miles from the Arizona border and about 1 1/2 hour drive on I-15 from Las Vegas. It is famous for its red rocks and blue skies.

Things to do:

Golf. That's what I do when I'm in St George and some of my favorite courses anywhere are in the area and at a great price. Sand Hollow is a must play.
Hiking. There are countless options for hinking in the area, but Snow Canyon State Park and Zion National Park tend to be most popular.
Boating. There are a few smaller reservoirs close by, Sand Hollow and Quail Creek. Lake Powell is only about 1 1/2 hours away and is one of the most incredible bodies of water in the world.

St George is an area that has long been known by Utahns, but word is getting out. It's a great town and I highly recommend the Marriott Courtyard in St George, Utah.

Valderra Golf Course-St George, Utah

2012-11-01T23:28:00.000-06:00

Valderra Golf Course in St George, Utah is the same course that was once called The Ledges. It is a Dye designed course (Matt Dye, not the famous Pete Dye). To reach this course, you have to drive through town and take Bluff street about 8 miles outside of St George. I've played this course 3 times and enjoy it it. I don't crave playing this course, but never would say "no" to a round at Valderra.

The Valderra Golf Course in St George, Utah is almost like two separate 9 hole courses.

Front 9: The front 9 is fairly straight forward, flat and nothing too special. A couple of the holes are challenging, especially 7 and 9. Hole 9 is a fairly long par 4 with reeds down the left side and a very narrow fairway. It is tempting to pull out your driver so you'll have a short approach, but it better be accurate as the fairway narrows as it gets closer to the green. Then the approach shot is to a deep, narrow green with wetlands immediately to the left of the green and bunkers down the right of the green. It requires an accurate shot and it's important to land the ball close to the pin so you're not left with a long putt.

Back 9: The back 9 of Valderra Golf Course is where the course really starts to come to life. Once you get to hole 11 on the other side of the highway, the course starts to meander along Snow Canyon State Park. The green for hole 11 backs up to this gorgeous red rock canyon followed by hole 12 that is a beautiful par 3 with the red rock canyon all down the left side. The course tightens up on the back 9 and accuracy becomes quite important from tee to green.

Complaints: I wasn't overly impressed with the greens. It might be due to them being a little wet when we played, but other golfers had done a poor job of repairing divots. The front 9 lacks imagination, but their still nice holes and in good shape.

Positives: The back 9 is gorgeous. The practice area is better than any course in the St George area not named Sand Hollow. The restaurant is delicious and offers some good choices, not just hotdogs at the turn. The golf carts have GPS. And the price is very good.

The green of Hole 11 at Valderra Golf Course

The Par 3 Hole 12 at Valderra Golf Course

Green Springs Golf Course-St George, Utah

2012-10-27T17:49:00.000-06:00

In my opinion, Green Springs Golf Course is the most challenging course in St George, Utah. From the blues, it has one of the highest slope ratings in the state. From the whites, it is still a challenge. That said, it's a course I love to play.

What makes Green Springs challenging is its length, fairly narrow fairways and false fronts on many of the greens. But it's fair. I never get the feeling that the designer did something unnatural just to try to impress the golfer by its difficulty. Rather, you just finish the course and look back on your score card and realize holes 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 13 were really tough pars. And 14 and 17 weren't easy either. The par 5s on the course offer some risk reward and the opportunity to make up some shots.

Hole #6 at Green Springs has been ranked as the toughest hole in the state of Utah. From the whites it's 230 yards to the end of the fairway with a 100 foot ravine all down the right side. At the end of the fairway, the next shot is a 160 yard shot back across that ravine if the ball is ideally sitting at the end of the fairway and on the far right side, bringing the ravine in to play. However, if your ball is sitting in the middle of the fairway or on the left half of the fairway, the approach shot can be 180 to 210 yards-all carry. The green is wide, but only about 15 yards deep. It really requires 2 perfect shots just to hit the green and a challenging putt. Bottom line, it's a challenging par. All this said, I have pared #6 a couple times. I have only pared #11 once and for me, that is the toughest hole on the course.

Complaints: The first is that the tee boxes aren't in the greatest condition. The second is that the club house restaurant is somewhat limited. That only matters because I love to re-round at Green Springs and take advantage of their all day rates.

Positives: On the plus side, the greens are always in great condition. The fairways are in good shape. There are some beautiful views of Pine Valley Mountain on the front 9. Green Springs usually offers great all day rates. As an example, I just played during peak season and paid $82 for an all day rate. Even with in October with limited daylight, we managed to get in 54 holes. Also, I can usually make my way around the course at a pretty good speed with the highly popular nearby courses of Sand Hollow and Coral Canyon taking a lot of pressure off Green Springs. It's a great course.

Hole #5 at Green Springs Golf Course

Hole #11 at Green Springs Golf Course

Sand Hollow Golf Course-St George, Utah

2012-10-25T14:27:00.000-06:00

I just got back from my annual "mancation." Usually I head out to on a golf trip with a couple buddies each year as the last hurrah for the golf season. This year we went to St George, Utah to play some old favorites: Valderra Golf Club, Green Springs and Sand Hollow.

Sand Hollow is my all time favorite course played anywhere. It has been awarded the best public course in Utah 2 years in a row. It's just a few miles outside of St George and sits a top bluffs that offer amazing views of the surrounding red rocks, Pine Valley Mountain and even Zion National Park.

The lay-out of the course is deceptive. With very open fairways and huge greens, it appears the course will be quite easy. However, the undulation, wind and yardage can make this course quite difficult. It is a course that the designer describes as "every hole is a very difficult birdie and fairly easy bogie." Many of the par 4 holes are over 420 yards from the blues. The wind tends to pick up every afternoon. And there is no perfectly flat lie on any fairway or perfectly straight putt on any green. The course designer did an amazing job of taking advantage of the natural landscape and it almost has a feel of little to no use of earth movers in creating this course. It feels more like the course just laid down some grass and used every natural mound, elevation change and natural rock that were found.

The condition of Sand Hollow is perfect. It may be the best manicured course I've ever played and that includes several that host PGA events. Every tee box is perfectly flat, there are no pitch marks on the greens and fairways are perfectly mowed.

The back 9 of the championship course is unlike anything I've ever played. Several of the holes hug a cliff line to a valley a couple hundred feet below. It is from these tee boxes that Zion can seen off in the distance.

If you're in St George area and a golfer, you have to play this course. If you're in Vegas and a golfer, it's worth the day trip.

View from #1 Tee Box at Sand Hollow

Sand Hollow Cliff Side Hole

#17 at Sand Hollow Golf Course

Sand Hollow Golf Course

Blue Canyon Country Club-Phuket, Thailand

2012-10-15T21:10:00.000-06:00

Any time I can play a course the pros play, I jump on it. Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket was one of the best golf experiences I've had. It has been ranked as one of the top golf courses in all of Asia. There are two 18-hole courses at Blue Canyon's 700+ acres, the world championship Canyon Course that has twice hosted the Johnnie Walker Classic Tournament and the Lakes Course, for the days you're more interested in an easy going round. I chose the Canyon Course.

So Thai hospitality is legendary, but that hospitality is amplified by the caddies at Blue Canyon Country Club. All caddies are female and wear jumper suits like the caddies for The Masters Tournament. On the first hole, my caddie sat my bag down next to the green, scampered onto the green, marked my ball, washed it and set it down with the ball perfectly lined up. She then stepped back and looked at me saying, "hit medium." I put a medium stroke on the ball with my putter and sure enough watched it bend 6 feet from left to right and then drop in the hole from over 20 feet.

The service continued throughout the round. There was one moment in particular that I found amazing. Literally my brain had just fired the chemical synapses that I was thirsty when my caddy looked at me, handing me a water bottle and said, "you look thirsty sir." It was a great afternoon spending my time with this lady who had caddied for golfers from around the world and took great care of me. Her course knowledge was incredible and it took her about 2 holes to understand my abilities and limitations and make club and shot recommendations.

The course itself was challenging. It was also very beautiful. There were perfectly flat tee boxes that were surrounded by wild orchids. There was a surprising amount of elevation change. And at sea level and in that kind of humidity, it makes a 380 yard par 4 a challenge for an average golfer like myself.

The value to play a course of this level is amazing. That is what makes Thailand the best vacation spot in the world, the service, the beauty and the value.

Awesome Thai Caddy at Blue Canyon Country Club

Hole #1 at Blue Canyon, makes you think it's going to be easy

Challenging Island hole on Blue Canyon Country Club

Perfectly manicured course of Blue Canyon Country Club

The Best and Worst Airlines We've Flown

2012-10-09T21:04:00.000-06:00

There are many airlines we haven't flown with, so this is certainly an incomplete list. Perhaps this isn't fair, but my opinion can't help but take into account the hub airport for some of these airlines as well.

#5 Worst: Southwest aka Southworst. The cattle call thing sucks. Who wants to make 4 mini flights to get to the other side of the country? Rewards program...I'm not impressed.

#5 Best: Delta. This was debatable because by putting Delta I had to leave off JetBlue. I needed to include a domestic carrier and Delta is about as good as we have and the domestic airline our family typically uses. Plus with their acquisition of Northwest, and partnerships of Korean and KLM, Asia and Europe are covered. We use the Delta American Express card and have cashed in several thousand dollars of free tickets through the years.

#4 Worst: Skywest. This is a personal beef-if you're not from Utah you won't understand. Skywest operates the regional Canadian jets out of Salt Lake. There terminal is in a basement and it seems that 1 in 3 passengers is a screaming baby. That coupled with the constant barrage of the speakers practically begging passengers to sell their seats due to the massive overselling of flights leaves my head throbbing.

#4 Best: Hawaiian. Maybe this has to do with the fact that if you're on a Hawaiian flight, chances are good you're going somewhere beautiful. But I've also been impressed with the planes and service.

#3 Worst: American. Total speculation, but if you hated the United States and wanted to target an airplane, wouldn't the plane called "American" be the one you go after? I'm sure statistics don't back this up, but still a fear. Plus, their planes suck.

#3 Best: SAS. Scandinavian Airlines just has that Scandinavian sophistication. Nice planes, delicious breakfasts of cheese, fresh fruit and yogurt, and great last minute deals. Stockholm and Copenhagen have lovely airports that aren't super crowded. We've also noticed that Stockholm is often the least expensive European city to fly in and out of.

#2 Worst: Malaysian. The KL airport is beautiful, too bad their airline doesn't match. Asia is famous for great airlines with totally modern airplanes along with great meals and service. Perhaps that is why I judge Malaysian Airlines even harsher. We had a flight cancelled-no notice. They put us up in a hotel-cock roach infested. Planes-crappy.

#2 Best: Emirates Airlines. Everything from the UAE is supposed to be better right? This was by far the most leg room we've ever enjoyed in economy. The food was great. They give great assistance to families traveling with kids. The satellite TV had more channels than any flight I've ever been on. I also liked the added touch of stars on the ceiling when they put the cabin lights out.

#1 Worst: Ryanair. What a deal...not! You want to fly from Paris? Be prepared to pay for a shuttle bus to some airport 2 hours from Paris. Got a good deal on the ticket? Be prepared to pay big money for every ounce of weight on your luggage. Tired after a long flight? Be prepared to take a long shuttle from some ridiculous airport at your "city of arrival" to your actual city of arrival-which you pay for.

#1 Best: Korean Airlines. Our overall best flight experience. The planes are top notch. The flight attendants are super attentive. The food was excellent. The Seoul Airport is very modern and nice and even has a few quiet play areas for families to rest and a place for arts and crafts. Plus they tend to really take care of Skyteam travelers by opening up Frequent Flyer seats.

Honorable Mention: Bangkok Airlines. This is the domestic airline of Thailand and affiliated with Thai Air. The prices are amazing and meals are included on even the shortest of flights. Plus the new Bangkok airport is impressive.

Most Overrated: Singapore Airlines. I did say I was taking into account the airports and in Singapore Airline's case, their airport is a huge plus. But the flight and leg room and customer attention, at least in economy, was not impressive. In fact, we were disappointed because our expectations were so high.

Hobble Creek Golf Course-Springville, Utah

2012-09-25T20:46:00.001-06:00

When I was 10 years old, my grandpa was in town from Georgia. My dad took the day off work to go play golf at Hobble Creek. I tagged along and it was the first time I was ever on a golf course. Although I didn't play, it was still a memorable day. We stopped at a sporting goods store and bought a jr. set of clubs and I've loved the game ever since.

Hobble Creek Golf Course is one of those courses that I'm sure just about every Utah golfer tries to play at least once a year. I make it a point to get there every September when the leaves are changing colors. It is one of Utah's most popular and scenic courses. Hobble Creek Canyon sits above Springville, Utah and the golf course is integrated beautifully into this canyon. Hobble Creek runs through this canyon and helps present several challenging shots throughout the round. This course is one that challenges you with its demand for accuracy rather than its length, particularly the back 9.

The first hole is one of my favorite opening holes anywhere. The tee shot of this dogleg left is directed toward a mountain that is covered in red foliage during September. At the end of the fairway is a pond and down the left side are thick trees and a fence. This hole just sets the tone that it is going to be a gorgeous round of golf.

The front 9 is certainly easier and much more open than the back 9. Many of the back 9 holes are lined with trees and oak brush and missing the fairway by much can be death. A couple of the holes involve getting the ball deep down the fairway and then having to hit over Hobble Creek onto the green, with large trees demanding that your approach come from a certain angle. If you can hit those angles however, there will be some scoring opportunities due to the length of a couple of the holes. Ball placement is also quite important on the greens as some putts above the hole are lighting quick.

My only complaint about this course is that it is so heavily played that at times some greens are a little bumpy. Also, this isn't necessarily a complaint, but be warned that there is little to no cell phone coverage.

Hobble Creek Golf Course

Hole #1 at Hobble Creek Golf Course

Approach Shot on #15 at Hobble Creek Golf Course. Springville, Utah

Pho Hoa Noodle Soup-Salt Lake City

2012-09-10T15:27:00.000-06:00

We finally found our Pho restaurant in Salt Lake. The bad news is it is several miles from where we live. The good news is that it is worth the drive.

We probably live in one of the whitest parts of a very white city, not proud of it, that's just the way it is. For us to find good Asian food, we sometimes have to make the drive to the west side of Salt Lake. Our daughter's soccer game was out west on Saturday, so we decided for lunch we'd try to find a good Vietnamese or Korean BBQ restaurant. We've tried several Vietnamese restaurants and were almost to the point of thinking we'd just have to eat Pho when we leave town. That concern went away when we stumbled on Pho Hoa.

It's located on about 43rd South and Redwood Road, in the same parking lot as an Asian market. We walked in about 2:00 on a Saturday afternoon and the place was packed, however we only saw about 4 white people...good sign. Shortly after sitting, I ordered a coke. It was brought out in a can along with a glass of ice...an even better sign. I knew this was going to be a good place.

We had a Chicken and Rice Plate, Pork Vermicelli and the Stew with Flank, Tendon and Tripe. It was all delicious. The Stew had an excellent rich to the broth. It also had very good meat and lots of it, something other restaurants we've tried skimped on. The spring rolls in the vermicelli stayed crisp and had good flavor. The food came out quickly. I don't know if this would be considered the best Vietnamese restaurant by people who eat Pho regularly, but for Utah, it's the best we've found.

So this falls in my preference of finding something good in strip malls, so understand that how I reate service and ambience is based on a scale as compared to other strip mall restaurants. I'm not comparing them some Michelin Star experience. If I give service a 7, it's because I like the fact that a good Asian restaurant basically points where to sit, gives you about 15 seconds to place your order and brings the food out fast. If you have thin skin, you might not appreciate it. If you've been to Asia, you understand this is authentic, and is actually sort of charming.

Service: 7/10
Ambience: 7/10
Food: 9/10

A Quick Hike at Zion National Park

2012-09-05T15:14:00.003-06:00

I had no idea this year that we would find ourselves in 3 National Parks in one year. I felt buying the season pass was only for people that get special invites to REI sales, but came to realize it would have been a good value for us this year. 2012 we found ourselves visiting Bryce Canyon, Zion and Yosemite National Parks.

Although Angel's Landing sounded like a lot of fun, we decided a 4 year old boy probably wouldn't do so great on a hike that has an 800 foot cliff on one side and a 1,200 foot cliff on the other side.. For those of you not familiar with Angel's Landing, this blogger did a good job of showing some pictures of the intense Angel's Landing hike.

Our group included Katie and I, Mason-4, Gwen-10, her friend Kembree-10, my dad-72 and mom-66. So we searched for somthing a little more family friendly and decided to hike the Canyon Overlook Trail which is a fairly simple hike for all ages. The hike is found on the east side of the Mt. Carmel tunnel. There are only about 10 parking spots, so depending on how crowded the park is, it might not be easy to find a place to park. The hike is only a little over a mile and takes just over one hour. It starts by hiking up some steps carved into the sandstone and eventually ends at a scenic overlook of lower Zion Canyon. It has an amazing view of West Temple, East Temple, Towers of the Virgin and Streaked Wall. Even though the hike is short, most of the time is spent in the sun, so bring some water.

I'm choosing to leave out the parts of almost losing it on our four year old that dumped all the water out of our water bottle, started climbing the fence of the look out spot, wanted to be carried, and whined and bawled for about 1/3 of the hike. Just trying to take away the positive. Clearly you can see I've almost forgotten about all the other stuff.

It's a perfect short little family hike.

Gwen and Kembree on hike at Zion

Mason on hike at Zion

Mason taking in the beauty of Canyon Overlook Trail

At the top of Canyon Overlook Trail

Dragging a crying Mason down Canyon Overlook Trail in Zion. When will hiking with kids become fun?

Hotel Review: Marriott's Grande Vista, Orlando, Florida

2012-09-01T21:13:00.000-06:00

I'd be curious to know what percentage of American families find themselves in Orlando, Florida at least once while raising their kids. I know I went there with my family while I was growing up. It's just unAmerican to not take your kids to Orlando.

Orlando has gained a reputation as the timeshare capital of the world. Rightfully so as timeshares seam to be all over the Orlando area. I know both Marriott's Timeshare Division and Westgate are headquartered in Orlando and are two of the largest timeshare companies in the world. It probably makes sense since Orlando is the quintessential family vacation and timeshares are designed for family travel.

Our family has had the chance to go to Orlando a couple times and both times we stayed at Marriott's Grande Vista, which is one of and the largest of several Marriott Timeshares in Orlando. It is a huge resort with around 700 rooms, but we didn't feel like it was crowded. Right when we arrived, we noticed that the resort itself sat quite far from the main road making it feel secluded and the drive up was beautifully landscaped. The buildings themselves had quite a bit of separation and the resort must sit on a huge amount of acreage because it had several swimming pools and each one of them would be as large as just about any pool we've seen at any other resort.

The rooms are great with ample space and all the kitchen fully stocked with everything we needed. There wasn't a single thing missing, but our experience at other Marriott Timeshares has proven that if something is missing, housekeeping is quite quick in replacing that item with just a simple phone call. The rooms were very clean and I got the feeling that they had been recently remodeled. Plus the added space of a 1, 2 or 3 bedroom unit is so nice when traveling with kids.

The question everyone wants to know is how far it is from the parks. It's about 15 minutes to Disneyworld and simple to navigate. Universal Studios is also about 15 minutes from Grande Vista. Seaworld sits practically 3 minutes away and the longest part of that journey is simply driving out of the Grande Vista driveway.

The resort also has a very challenging 9-hole golf course and Faldo golf school. If you're looking for a challenging course, just across the street from the Grande Vista is a championship course called Grande Pines, one of my top 10 favorite courses played on vacation, but be warned it is tough. If you're looking for an enjoyable and reasonably challenging course, Marriott has a course at the World Center that I've played several times and really like.

Our family really enjoys Grande Vista. There are great kids activities, many pools, golf, a good restaurant (although a little pricey) called Nick's Grill, tennis courts and an excellent golf facility. It's a property that I can whole heartily recommend to any family doing their Orlando pilgrimage.

As for our trip, we went in January and there were no lines and very little humidity. Gwen was so excited that when we entered the Magic Kingdom she stated coughing so hard that she started to throw-up. We were 8 steps into the park before when he had to buy a $50 sweatshirt to replace her clothes. We discovered pineapple floats and ate plenty of churros. Gwen loved it all.

Mickey and Minnie shrubs

Gwen pulling faces

Disney's Magic Kingdom in Orlando

Gwen watching the Disney Parade

How Far is 3 Miles? Apparently it's Far at 10,400 Feet with a 4 Year Old.

2012-08-28T11:55:00.001-06:00

Our family probably wouldn't be considered the "roughing it" type, and this despite the fact that Katie grew up camping and I was an Eagle Scout. We drop the occassional snobbish joke of staying at a Courtyard is roughing it. Truthfully, I'm not sure why we haven't done a lot of camping. I think part of it is that we both work and are so busy that what little time we do have to get away, we like ease and comfort. I think in the back of my mind I sort of wish I was more outdoorsy, I love walking into REI and seeing all the cool stuff. I certainly did my fair share of camping and even some backpacking as a teenager. I mean Katie and I even had a family wedding shower where all we wanted was camping equipment. The items we received from that camping shower have been used a total of once.

So I was feeling sort of guilty about not exposing Gwen to the great outdoors. She complained about never going camping and Katie was always quick to remind her that we often go to Grandpa's Cabin in Fish Lake, Utah. "That's not camping, I mean somewhere where we build a fire and sleep in a tent." It's funny how Gwen often doubts anything that Katie or I claim to have once done. I've explained that I've camped, fished, backpacked, hunted, and she mocks. She only sees me as a late 30 something whose only engagement in the outdoors is to swing golf clubs while riding a cart and eating a hotdog. So I decided to kill two birds with one stone, first to prove to her that I'm not as big a wuss as she thinks and second to fulfill her request of sleeping in a tent. However, as she and I discussed where and when to go, Mason caught wind and that was that...he was going.

I spent the next 2 weeks trying to prepare for our one night camping trip, and buying all the essentials to pull this trip off (how nice of a hotel could we have stayed in for the $500 I spent on camping and fishing gear?). I admit that it was slightly complicated by the fact that I insisted on backpacking 3 miles to a remote mountain lake at over 10,000 ft. above sea level. It would have been easier to drive 10 minutes from our home to American Fork Canyon, pile out of the car, put up a tent, roll out some lawn chairs and eat pizza we picked up along the way. But I wanted Gwen to have the authentic camping experience of hitting a trail and finding a remote camp spot with no one else in sight.

We invited Katie's sister and her 2 teenage sons to join us. I admit there were some sinister motives in the thought of having two healthy pack mules along. We met at 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning and started our 3 hour drive to Spirit Lake in the High Uinta Mountains. Katie learned from a co-worker that had recently been to Spirit Lake that it had a lodge, cabins that could be rented, a convenience store and restaurant and thought that sounded about perfect. But Spirit Lake was simply the spot we parked to start our hike to Tamarack Lake. I had camped around Tamarack 3 or 4 times as a teen ager and always had fond memories of my trips and therefore wanted the family to see it. So we got out of the car, loaded on our borrowed packs (has anyone weighed a 5 man tent?) and started on the path.

The hike back in was well marked but had countless large rocks in the trail. This meant that either Katie or I had to hold Mason's 4 year old hand the entire hike rather than deal with the inevitable facial damage and stitches that would have occurred had he walked 10 feet on his own. I was proud of him though, he kept moving those little legs and only broke down into absolute tears about 300 yards from our camp spot. As the trail finally arrived at Tamarack Lake, 10,400 feet above sea level, I could see the defeat when I explained that the camp spot was on the far end of the lake, another 3/4 of a mile away. We trudged on. The challenge of the hike was made better by the beauty of the lake and surrounding lodgepole pines. We also had enjoyed the neat experience of walking up on a cow and calf moose. We finally found our overnight home tucked back in the far corner of the lake. The camp spot wasn't quite how I remembered it, back when I used to camp in the spot, it appeared as though and overly ambitious scout troop had cleared out tent spots, built a makeshift table and fire pit. The camp was still pretty nice, but in the 18 years since I'd been there a few trees had fallen in the middle of the camp. I lately sheepishly admitted to Katie we probably could have stopped at some other spots about 1/2 mile back.

Setting up camp was a breeze and Katie jumped in to help like an old pro. It was just in the nick of time too because within about 20 minutes of getting everything set up, it started to rain and there was some thunder. There are two things that really scare Mason; the dark and thunder. I guess I didn't think through that he' be faced with both in a big way on this trip. He decided he only wanted to be in the tent and I don't think Katie minded because they spent the next 3 hours in there napping while Gwen and I went off to try our hand at fishing. Over that time I think I witnessed the full emotional range of a 10 year old girl. I wasn't going to baby her and basically handed her a pole with bubble and fly attached, showed her how to cast and said "ok, there you go." I think she had casts that hit rocks, casts where the bubble wrapped around the pole, casts where about 20 feet of line got tangled by her reel and I just told her to "figure it out" and "that's part of fishing." I swear I must have some Chinese Tiger Mom gene in me. Meanwhile she was mumbling how stupid this is and couldn't figure out why people even like fishing in the first place. She finally got it figured out and had a hit. I saw the determination set in and about 15 minutes she caught her first fish. It was a beautiful 12" native brook trout that was bright and colorful (why did I leave the camera in my bag!). So the mood went to elation and joy. I was proud of her for sticking it out.

Later the kids got to enjoy a dinner of canned chili thrown in a campfire. Gwen also wanted to cook her fish, and then ate one bite. As we talked, Katie asked Gwen what she thought of her first camping trip. She answered, "um...I'd rather be in Thailand, but this is pretty great too". After some clean-up and more fishing we called it a night around 9:00. I had forgotten how much I hated sleeping in a sleeping bag. I also forgot how difficult it is to get comfortable sleeping on a tent floor. But this time I had a few new experiences. I didn't know how difficult it is to sleep next to a coughing 4 year old. I had no idea that right when I finally drifted off into a deep sleep would be the exact moment that our 10 year old would get up and frantically engage everyone's assistance in getting out of the tent to go pee. About 4:45 a.m. I gave up, got my shoes on and went out and started a fire. I was lonely until about 5:30 when Katie's sister came out after trying to sleep in a soaked sleeping bag all night. All that said, I'm actually happy I got out before the sun came up because I haven't seen stars like that in many, many years...they were amazing.

The next morning was all about eating breakfast, burning about 15 pounds of crap that we didn't need to pack back out with us and setting our course back to the car. Although the packs were lighter, I think poor Mason's legs must have been exhausted. He asked to be carried several times and for a short distance I gave in and carried him up this incline, 45 pounds of kid, 50 pounds of pack, uphill at over 10,000 feet elevation and I was starting to wonder if another hernia surgery was in my future. We arrived back to our car about 10:30 a.m. We were all exhausted and I was secretly glad Katie couldn't get off early Friday and thus only have one night in the mountains. I'm sure we'll camp again soon, but it might be the kind where you pull up and empty the car and throw up a tent. We might have to save backpacking until the kids are a little older.

I don't know if it was everyone's favorite trip, Gwen would have rather been in Thailand and I know Katie would always rather be at a beach and Mason a pool, but it was still a new experience. I'm not sure why but I have this thing that really wants to create as many memories as I can with our kids and I'm already getting a sense of how short our time together is before they leave us. I hope Gwen will remember that fish she caught, I know I will.

Tamarack Lake at Sunset

Mason trying to hook a fish

Quite the fisherman

Gwen enjoying her first camping trip

Hike back out toward Spirit Lake

Evening time at Tamarack Lake

Katie and Mason hiking out

3 mile hike to 10,400 ft elevation Lake Tamarack

Golf Course: Wasatch State Park

2012-08-23T22:36:00.001-06:00

If you're a golfer and live in or are visiting Northern Utah, Wasatch State Park is a golf experience that needs to be enjoyed at least once a year. I, along with a couple buddies, try to get a full day to play both 18-hole courses. Today was that day this year-thanks for a great time Dave and Ryan. I can't say it was even close to my best round of the year, but it was one of my best days of the year.

My reviews are based on playing from the blue tees.

Mountain Course: The Mountain Course is probably the more popular of the 2 courses, and rightfully so. The holes work their way up and down a gorgeous canyon with beautiful scenery that includes deer, views of the Midway Valley and the Wasatch Mountain Range. If golfed at the very end of August or through September, the colors of the surrounding trees can be amazing. The course is interesting because you can play a decent round and shoot a good score, or quickly get in trouble and blow up. There are a few narrow fairways but several of them open up at about 250 yards. The par 3s are challenging and from the blues, the shortest of which is an uphill shot about 165 yards and the longest par 3 is 215 yards, so none of the par 3s are a "gimmie". A few of the par 4s add a degree of difficulty with a blind shot, elevated green, or sloped fairways that kick the ball to the rough. The par 5s aren't overly challenging, but do require an accurate drive and the ability to hit many shots on a downhill lie.

Tip: Resist the temptation to hit 3wood on your second shot on par 5s. The downhill lies can make it difficult to hit a solid shot and the Mountain Course does a good job of narrowing the fairways or adding bunkers at the usual landing spot of your second shot on par 5s, so accuracy is very important.

Hole #5 at Wasatch Mountain Course

Hole #9 at Wasatch Mountain Course

Hole #10 Tee Box on Wasatch Mountain Course

Hole #13 at Wasatch Mountain Course with Midway Valley Below

Lake Course: I imagine this course wouldn't feel as unique in Eastern U.S. It is tree lined, has several doglegs, and old-school back to front greens. However, in Utah, it is quite unique where so many of our newer courses are more of a links style that saves on water. I would think though, that even if you were from PA and played similar courses, you would still think this is a great course. It is a valley course, so if your first round was on the Mountain Course, you'll appreciate some flat lies. Even though the course is fairly straight forward, it is still quite challenging. Many of the par 4s are well over 400 yards. The par 3s are all longer than 180 yards and a couple of them are shots over water. There are several dogleg holes, but for the average right handed golfer, they'll appreciate that most are left to right doglegs that favor a fade (an outright slice will usually get you in trouble).

Hole #1 at Lake Course Wasatch State Park

Dave is aiming at that building but hit into that bunker on the left

I can't emphasize enough how beautiful and well maintained these courses are, especially for state run municipal courses. If you find yourself visiting Park City in the summer, take the short drive to Midway. If you live along the Wasatch front and haven't played Wasatch State Park, get up there.

Hotel Review: Marriott Courtyard Waikiki

2012-08-21T13:30:00.000-06:00

It's not fair to write about the difference between Waikiki beach The North Shore or some of the outlying beaches of Oahu. If you've never been to Hawaii, you might not realize that a lot of people actually live there and many of those people live in and around Honolulu. If you have the idea of staying in a pristine quiet oasis with palm trees and secluded beaches, Waikiki may be a disappointment for you. It is an urban, thriving city that just happens to be on the ocean with a beautiful beach. Would I prefer to stay in Honolulu vs. something more remote? No. But, I can see the appeal if you are young, enjoy shopping, clubbin and dining and just need to sleep off a long night on a warm beach. If that's your thing, you'll love Waikiki Beach.

So, considering my beach vacation bias is more geared toward a quiet resort than a highrise hotel, I'm going to try to stay objective and simply rate the Waikiki Beach Marriott Courtyard for what it is rather than what it is not.

Pros:

The Marriott Courtyard is in a very good location.
It's just a couple blocks from Waikiki and is surrounded by shopping and dining. One of our favorite restaurants, Tokkuri-Tei is just a few blocks away.
They have valet service and we never had any difficulty parking our car.
The loby has been recently renovated and is very clean.
The staff is very friendly and helpful, which tends to be the case of any hotel we've stayed at in Hawaii.
Decent work out facility and game room for the kids.
The beds, as always at a Marriott, were quite nice.
Waikiki beach may not be a quiet secluded beach, but it is a great place to spend the afternoon with your family.

Cons:

Noisy. You can't avoid it. The downside of being so centrally located is that there is traffic, both automobile and foot trafic, all night. And then the "behind the scenes" people of the lodging industry-delivery trucks, garbage trucks, cleaning crews, employees, all start hitting it hard before the sun comes up.
The rooms have been redone, but not very well. It just comes off as a quick spackle and paint job trying to Marriotize and old, tired room.
The rooms were small.

Take this review with a grain of salt. We had just come off staying at the Marriott Ko'Olina Timeshare in a 2 bedroom unit for a week when we checked into the The Courtyard by Marriott Waikiki Beach Hotel. I'm sure most any hotel would have been a let down after our great stay at Ko'Olina. In fact, maybe that's one good way to look at it. When you've stayed in a gorgeous Hawaiian resort and you don't want to go home, book 2 nights in Waikiki at an older hotel, then you'll be ready.

Gwen and I at Waikiki Beach

Gwen trying to boogie board

Mason playing on Waikiki beach

Mason gets sand in every possible crack

Rudy's Favorite Barbeque in Austin

2012-08-17T11:34:00.000-06:00

I'm treading lightly here. I know people can get pretty passionate about their barbeque. Couple that with the fact that Texans are passionate people and are extremely passionate about their BBQ, opinions on the best BBQ in Austin can get as heated as Rachel Maddow and Sean Hannity arguing the Presidential Election.

Everyone in Texas has their Q joint, and feels if you don't see it their way you're an idiot. So I'm just going to start this out by saying, "Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q is my favorite Q joint in Austin and if you don't see it my way you're an idiot." So much for treading lightly.

Our family loves Rudy's and has since we lived in Austin 10 years ago (if you're a new BBQ restaurant that has come to town in the last 8 years, we don't know about you and frankly have no need to). We were introduced to Rudy's by our neighbors, both Texans by birth and with that "divine lineage" were heirs to the spiritual gift of BBQ expertise. Bottom line, two transplants from Utah are going to trust two Texans that recommend a BBQ joint.

When you walk into Rudy's, you pass the side dishes. Make sure you get some beans. Make sure to get some potato salad. Then you step to the counter to put in your meet order. They have a plastic tray lined with butcher paper waiting for your selection. Brisket-a must. Jalepeno Sausage-a must. Smoked Turkey-a must. Ribs-a must. You order by the pound, and watch them pile the meet up on your wax paper. Finally they ask how much bread you want, usually about 1/2 a loaf is good for 4. Then then take a handful of wonder bread and throw it on top. Trust me, it will come in handy later.

Next you stop by the condiment bar and have your choice of onions and pickles. Simple and to the point, but that's Rudy's. That's where they also have their amazing sauce that patrons have shipped to them all over the world. The sauce is vinegar based and has some kick to it. If you're not from Texas and think you need something a little milder, you can ask for it. But be prepared as the person you ask for the mild sauce will yell "we need some sissy sauce."

Now what I like to do is create a concoction that I've been told is not pleasant to witness. I make a BBQ sandwich that includes two slices of wonder bread, potato salad, beans, brisket, pickles, onions, and Rudy's sauce. It strikes BBQ nirvana for me. After eating this ridiculous sandwich, I take comfort in knowing Rudy's has a trough and paper towels to clean up with.

There are few eating establishments that you carry in the back of your mind for years. Rudy's is still a place I crave. My wife and I literally talk about shelling out $1,000 in airline tickets to fly our family to Texas to go eat Rudy's. It's just that good and you're an idiot if you think there's a better BBQ place in Austin.

Service: 8/10
Ambiance: 9/10
Food: 10/10

Link to Rudy's website: Rudy's

Occasionally Everyone Just Needs Some Grease-Italian Village

2012-08-09T23:58:00.000-06:00

I don't think this restaurant is a hidden secret, I mean I remember going there when you were asked "Smoking or Non-Smoking?" They had a lot of nerve to claim there was a non-smoking section.

"Foodies" might blast me for recommending this restaurant. They would go there and say this place is not Italian food. I'll admit, there may be some nostalgia behind why I love this place.

Occasionally everyone just needs some grease. A great way to satisfy that craving is "Italian Village" on 9th East and about 54th South in Murray. Anyone who has eaten at IV (that is what a Murray High Spartan called Italian Village), knows about the pizza bender. It is a delicious grease blast that just tastes so good.

I grew up in Murray and IV was the gathering place after many high school football and basketball games. My friends and I have spent many late Friday nights at IV, and usually had to wait for a table even after 9:30 at night. They were open late, the food was good and the price was cheap. It was dark and pretty smoky. Over 20 years later it still looks the same, although they've done a recent carpet replacement and paint job. My 10 year old daughter made an astute observation as we pulled into the parking lot tonight when she said "this doesn't even really look like a restaurant and it's in kind of a weird place. If they're this busy, it must be good."

If you go, order a pizza bender. It's a classic and certainly the most ordered item on the menu. You can be a poser and call it a "bender" but you almost have to earn that right by knowing a few of the servers who have all worked there for years. It's basically a calzone, but the crust is quite thin, covered in a dusting of flour and chuck full of cheese and your choice of 3 topics. I go with ham, pepperoni and mushroom. The marinara dipping sauce is fantastic and even a grown man is quite full after eating one. You will use your napkin eating this glutinous treat. They cost about $6.

All orders come with delicious garlic bread and if you order a salad, the lettuce will be crispy and the Italian dressing is quite good.

Don't go to Italian Village to eat something light. Don't go there looking for high brow Italian food. Don't go there if you even want to feel good about yourself afterward. But if you just need something good that might also be greasy, Italian Village is a can't miss.

Service: 8/10
Ambiance: 6/10
Food: 8/10

San Francisco Trip 2012 Part II

2012-08-08T19:45:00.000-06:00

Wednesday-Day 4: The day started so promising. I'm a huge SF Giants fan and haven't been to a home Giants game since our honeymoon when they played at Candlestick. This was my first time at AT&T Park, and I was pumped.

Katie had purchased tickets online Monday night for the Wednesday day game, at least that was plan. The Giants don't have trouble selling out their stadium...translation, there aren't really cheap seats to be found at AT&T Park. Katie had purchased 4 upper deck tickets down the left field line for $130. That included the $7 per ticket "convenience fee" you pay per ticket to buy them online. After parking a 15 minute walk from the BART station, riding bart for 45 minutes to get downtown, changing trains for another 20 minutes to AT&T, the anticipation had only built. Our family walked ambled up to security, had our backpack rifled through and stepped up to the ticket taker. He scanned our tickets and a red light on his scanner appeared with the words, "not valid." Huh? What? C'mon. He looks at our tickets and said "folks, these tickets were to last night's game." So Gwen once nicknamed me "Rip-off Chicken." By that, she meant I hate spending money, and I really hate wasting it. Well, what do we do now?

What we do? I go to the and buy the cheapest available tickets for 4 seats next to each other, upper deck behind home plate for $180. Now the good news, we didn't have to pay a convenience fee. Katie said things like "I'll never buy anything again, I always only make mistakes." I'm sure she didn't mean it, and am quite certain she's actually made several purchases since then. So we walk into the park, a little over $300 poorer, but so excited to really be there.

The game was great. The park was even better than I anticipated. Gwen and Mason found the slides out in center field and that kept them busy. I dropped about $50 on a drinks and hot dogs and by this point, that felt like a deal. The Giants lost, Lincecum played horribly, but I'd do it over again. One thing we've learned about traveling through the years, don't skimp on experiences just to save a few dollars. That lesson was learned when we once decided not to spend the $20 to go to the top of the Patronas Towers. Now, who knows if we'll ever have the chance again. So my family made sure I had my special day. We then went back to the hotel and gave the kids exactly what they wanted, we went swimming.

Thursday-Day 6: No plans at all today. To an adult, that sounds perfect. To adults with kids that is big trouble. Katie came back from her morning run and said, "what should we do today?" The kids were looking at us with that look of "if you don't have something fun planned, you're dead to us." So on a whim I looked up and saw that Yosemite National Park is only 122 miles from our hotel, little did we know that it took about 3 1/2 hours to drive those 122 miles. Still, when would we have the chance to go to Yosemite again, and I'd always wanted to see it.

Off we went, on a long drive. As we finally arrived in Yosemite, it really lived up to the expectations. The Yosemite Valley has a spiritual feel to it, something that can sometimes be experienced in nature. What a beautiful, amazing spot. I'm not great at painting a picture with words, but can only say that everyone should try to make an effort to experience this amazing location. We didn't do too much in the park, a short hike to Bridal Veil Falls, and some time playing in the river, but the kids still thought the 7 hours of driving was well worth it.

Friday-Day 7: Honestly, this was kind of a low-key day. We were in the process of winding down. We went to the park to play at the playground. We went to lunch in Pleasanton. We sat at the pool. We went to dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant. Mason got to eat with chopsticks. Gwen admitted she liked Pho. Got a good night sleep.

Saturday-Day 8: Drove home. Read Day 1. Nevada...blah.

How do you spell the sound of angels singing? AT&T Park

One out of three looking at the camera isn't too bad

Arriving in Yosemite

Gwen at Bridal Veil Fall

Gwen and Mason catching tadpoles

"Dad, take the picture already!"

Gwen and Katie in Yosemite Valley

Amazing Yosemite Valley

I don't think we're going to squeeze Mason in a pack and play for much longer

San Francisco Trip 2012

2012-08-07T15:58:00.000-06:00

Sunday –Day 2: Now that we’re in the Bay Area, it’s finally time to relax. And by relax, I mean try to fill every waking minute so that there isn’t a 10 second delay in action so our 10 year old can let us know that she’s bored.

We went to the town of Pleasanton. It’s a really great little downtown area for lunch or dinner. Then we drove. The idea was to go through downtown, across the Golden Gate Bridge, to the Muir Forrest and then back home. Surprisingly in a metro area of 7,000,000 people, 5,000,000 of them had the same idea. It took a good hour to get across the Bay Bridge. From there we followed the serpentine route to the Golden Gate Bridge and were excited to learn you don’t pay to cross the bridge when leaving the city. When we got to the parking lot of the Muir Forrest, and then to the overflow parking lot, and then to the overflow to the overflow parking lot and still hadn’t found a place to park, we just drove on, all the while telling our kids how amazing these giant sequoia trees are and to just take our word for it.

After driving through Grass Valley and then back over the bay, past Orinda, Walnut Creek, Danville and finally back to our hotel in San Ramon, we logged some serious car time. It all looked so small on the Google Maps.

Monday-Day 3: We fulfilled all of Mason’s wildest dreams. We took BART into San Francisco. Anything on a train to a 4 year old, that thinks all forms of public transportation is how the better half live, is pure nirvana. It takes about 45 minutes from Dublin station to Embarcadero Station. Once we were there we thought we’d explore the city. Trouble is, we didn’t remember a stroller. This is where the other part of fulfilling Mason’s dreams comes into play, Katie and I ended up carrying him for a good 2 miles between our walk to Fisherman’s Wharf and back to Embarcadero Station. It’s times like these we’re not so proud of his 90% height and 90% weight. He is a lug, but got whisked around royalty on our backs, taking in all the sights and sounds of the city. When did it become $6 per person to take a one way trolley ride. Our reward for all this effort? “I want to go back to the hotel and play at the playground.”

Tuesday-Day 4: A selfish desire on my part was to see Pebble Beach. We drove down to the Monterrey Peninsula and took the famous “17 Mile Drive”. Monterrey is about 2 hours from our hotel, but the kids were great. We brought along some swim suits in case they wanted to enjoy the beach. The beach was scenic and beautiful, really amazing. The water was multiple shades of green and blue, the sand was a gorgeous white. That said, it didn’t feel like summer. The kids couldn’t resist putting their feet in the ocean, but we barely avoided amputation. The air temperature was in the 50s and water temperature even colder.

We pressed on to drive the “17 Mile Drive” and I soaked in Spyglass and Pebble Beach. It’s always been a dream to come out and play both courses, but I must admit, after experiencing the wind and cold, I think I’m a little less interested. All the same, it’s one of those bucket list items for me.

Next we were off to Santa Cruz up Highway 1. Along the way we stopped at a fruit stand in Watsonville and ate literally the best strawberries I’ve ever had. Santa Cruz was great for the kids. It was cold, but after 5:00 all the rides at the amusement park are $1. We bought $30 of tickets and didn’t even spend them all-when our faces were frosty after riding the Pirate Ship ride about 7:00 at night, we decided we’d had enough. However, Gwen and I did ride the roller coaster and I was proud of her for sitting at the very front. On the way out of the park, I experienced pure gluttony and tried a deep fried Twinkie. Delicious, but the guilt was too much.

We took Highway 17, The Santa Cruz Highway, over the mountains. It was so pretty. The scenery was a perfect way to cap off a very nice day. Everyone came back to the room completely satisfied with our day and the kids were both sound asleep in the back as we pulled into the San Ramon Courtyard.

Mason was so happy to "beat" the cars our train passed

Ever try carrying a 45 pound kid around SF?

Trying to warm Gwen up

Mason playing in the sand

Gwen convincing Mason to get in the water

Now he's tempted

And there he goes, just couldn't resist

Awesome fresh California fruit stand in Watsonville

Front row on the roller coaster

Santa Cruz Beach