Joy to the World

Ama Ama at Disney's Aulani

2015-07-26T18:33:00.002-07:00

Lunch and Dinner at Disney's Ama Ama at Aulani

We had both lunch and dinner at Ama Ama. Over our three night stay, we actually had lunch here twice and it was not only much better than our dinner meal, but also probably one of the smartest options for lunch. Compared to the counter service restaurants, a meal here was only a few dollars more for lunch and you didn't have the crowds, plastic silverware, etc... Instead, you get this amazing view!

View to the left looking from the restaurant's patio.

View to the right looking from the restaurant's patio.

For our first lunch, I had the pasta primavera with chicken. Amazingly, you don't find a whole lot of vegetables on the menus throughout Hawaii, so, this was refreshing. It was also delicious. I think it was $16, but $21 with chicken. It was a very hearty portion and definitely worth the price considering the options.

My husband had the cheeseburger on the first trip for lunch and I repeated his choice for our second lunch there. This was one really good cheeseburger and it was huge! It had a red onion jam on it that was simply delicious. On top of that, the fries were excellent. They were crisp, but tender and seasoned perfectly.

For lunch on the second day, he chose the parmesan panko pork loin sandwich on Japanese white bread with Tonkatsu sauce. Having traveled often to Japan for work over the past few years, this was reminiscent of some of the dishes he had while over there. Although, he enjoyed it, I found him ogling that cheeseburger that was on my plate! He knew how good it was from the day before.

For some reason, I can't put my finger on the pictures from our dinner. I had the filet and he had a vegetarian option. Both of these meals were less than exciting and less impressive than lunch at a much higher price tag. I had specifically made a reservation for Friday night because it was the night before we were leaving, but also because there was supposed to be live music. By the time we were seated shortly after 8 PM, the band was roaming and wrapped up with one or two songs. So, there was not only no live music really, but also, the view kind of disappears at night. The live music in the bar area closer to the main building was much better too from what we heard. So, given the choice, lunch was a much smarter choice here!

Mama's Fish House - Maui

2015-07-24T08:52:00.002-07:00

It was over fifteen years since our last visit to this restaurant. We almost cancelled the reservation because we weren't feeling the drive from Ka'anapali as we had done the drive to Hana the day before and well, we didn't know that if the dinner could ever live up to what was in our memories. You know the experience... You visit somewhere, have a good meal, and over the years, the memory changes... The memory gets greater and greater and the food tastes better and better. After doing so much traveling and eating around the world, we began to think our standards might have been different back then as this was one of our first truly fine dining experiences. Well, we didn't cancel the reservation. We made the drive. I ordered the same thing I had so long ago and my husband decided to get the same as me. He will tell you that he has never tasted lobster so sweet. That although the restaurant has undergone a number of changes, the food remains impeccable. The feeling is casual as it is in Hawaii. However, we weren't disappointed in anything. The service was great and not rushed despite the restaurant being booked solid. Now that we've been here on both of our visits to Maui, we can officially consider dining at Mama's a tradition. This is one tradition we hope to keep for many years to come. Oh, and don't forget to get the chocolate pearl!!

Entryway

Amuse Bouche- Asparagus bisque

Fresh Hawaiian Bread

Won Ton Shrimp with Macademia Nut Dipping Sauce

Wasabi Calamari

Macadamia Nut encrusted Mahi Mahi stuffed with crab and lobster.

Chocolate Pearl

Rainy, but still peaceful and beautiful.

The beach outside the restaurant.

Some Aulani Treats & Duffy and Shellie May Merchandise

2015-07-06T15:43:00.003-07:00

One of my favorite treats on a Disney cruise is the Mickey ice cream bar. Although they have these in the parks, I rarely get one there because they melt too fast in the heat. However, when I found them in the gift shop, I had to have one. You can find these both in the main gift shop off of the lobby and in the Ulu Cafe. There may be another spot, but these were the only two spots that I found them easily. Ulu Cafe also has the Mickey shaped cake/cookies as well as the Rice Krispy treats you find at Disney World. I didn't try the Rice Krispy treats, so, I can't vouch that they are the same, but they looked the same if not just a smidge smaller.

Here is a sampling of some of the gift shop offerings if you are a fan of Duffy or Shellie May. I'll have to take some pictures of all the Duffy and Shellie May loot I had shipped home, but I was a very happy girl! Shellie May apparently just recently made her debut at Aulani and I couldn't have been happier. She is slightly different than the one I have from Japan and her tag is different, but she is the same size. There are some really cute Aulani outfits for both Duffy and Shellie May. My Shellie May came back with a dress or two and one of the Aulani robes in her size. I'm regretting not brining one of those luscious robes home with me in my size!

Some of the Shellie May merchandise.

Duffy phone case

Duffy and Shellie May mugs

A wall full of Duffy bears and Shellie May! I got one of each!

Mickey & Minnie cookies/cakes

Disney Characters Abound at Aulani

2015-07-05T19:49:00.002-07:00

Duffy!!
This was the first character I encountered at Aulani. I was so thankful to get my picture with him because I never saw him again the rest of the trip. He also wasn't one of the ones with scheduled photo ops while we were there.

Finding Disney characters at Aulani is easy. If you compare this to the experience in the parks or even on the cruise, you will be pleasantly surprised. Not only do the characters regularly wander the grounds, but you can call a certain number from your room phone to get the list of scheduled character photo opportunities. The only time I used the phone to find a character was to find Stitch. Unfortunately, my Stitch pictures are still on another memory card, but we found him just as he was about to leave and there wasn't one person waiting to take a picture. I have to admit that I found the characters at Aulani much more friendly than in the parks or cruise. Perhaps this is because the lines weren't as long, but they all spent time with people and took plenty of pictures. Duffy also gave especially good hugs!

I don't know that I ever saw Mickey wandering the grounds like Donald, Minnie, Goofy, Duffy and Chip and Dale. We got our Mickey pictures at the character breakfast at Makahiki. Before getting seated for breakfast, they had you line up for pictures with Mickey. They took pictures that they sold, but they also were more than willing to use your camera(s). During breakfast, the other characters that came around were Goofy and Minnie.

Other opportunities to see the characters were at the Starlit Hui as well as the pool party. Having a waterproof camera at Aulani is pretty important if you want to catch the characters in action because you never know when you might be on the lazy river and a character might appear along one of the bridges.

A wooden Stitch

Donald

Goofy at breakfast with my little Sully

Pool party anyone?

Minnie wants to party too!

and Goofy of course!

Taking a stroll

Mickey waiting for breakfast pictures.

Aulani Starlit Hui

2015-07-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

Aulani Starlit Hui

First off, these pictures aren't the best, but we haven't uploaded all the pictures from the good camera yet.

The Starlit Hui is a free show offered by Aulani usually twice a week. We were lucky that our stay was during the Thursday evening show. The show is on the Halawai Lawn which is kind of hidden by the resort itself. However, it is helpful to find the lawn ahead of time as there are often characters there for photo ops throughout the day as well.

We had heard it was best to line up about 15-20 minutes before the show starts, but we got in line probably 45 minutes or so beforehand as the resort was full. When they open the gates, they guide you in and give you a grass mat to sit on. The size of the mat that you receive depends on the size of your party. We were just two and ended up with a small mat in the second row.

Many people compare this show to a luau and although it features some of the same elements, please don't skip out on the luau experience unless money is an issue. There are activities before the show throughout the lawn for the kids and adults alike. This is similar to a luau, but the show itself is very, very short.

The show is hosted by Uncle. The resident storyteller at Aulani. He tells the compelling story of the history of Hawaii with traditional hula dancers, interpretive dance, and even fire dancers. There is some traditional Hawaiian music. However, shortly after the show starts, it moves into a dance party for kids and families. So, if you are sitting anywhere up front, be prepared to move for the crowds that move up towards the stage. The characters make a quick appearance, but don't stay around very long. All that said, it was a good, but short show. It really does not replace a traditional luau experience.

E Komo Mai to Aulani ~ Disney's Resort in Hawaii

2015-07-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

E Komo Mai to Aulani

Apparently the name Aulani means King's Messenger. The name itself seems to be more beautiful than its meaning in my mind. After visiting Disney's Aulani for myself, I think paradise or beauty may be a more appropriate meaning.

The trip to Aulani was scheduled at the end of a two week Hawaiian vacation so we could just relax. The original plan was to rent a car for a day and head up to the North Shore, but after arriving, it was hard to make myself leave even for a few hours. We stayed for three nights, so, maybe, if it had been longer, a car would have been warranted. It is important to note too that we've been to Oahu before. In fact, my husband lived there for a short time when we just met.

We found plenty to keep us busy at Aulani and we took advantage of much that the resort offers except for the spa. A reason to go back! The resort welcomes you better than any of the other Hawaiian resorts we have ever stayed in. There is usually a beautiful Hawaiian woman at the entrance greeting you. The ladies received a beautiful orchid lei and the gentlemen a Kukui nut lei. I have to admit that I loved my lei, but wished it would last like the nut one that my husband received.

The check-in process was super smooth and although our room wasn't ready when we arrived before the check-in time, they gave us the option of using the hospitality room to change to use the pools and such. We opted to wait for the room and have a nice lunch at Ama Ama. I'll cover this restaurant in another post, but it was a much better option for us for lunch than the counter service places. Also, lunch was better than dinner.

After a very short wait, we received a text message that our room was ready and the room number. Since we already had our resort cards, we were able to go right to the room and have our bags delivered. We ended up with a poolside studio. I was kind of afraid that the room would be loud, but it was fantastic. It was nice to easily pop in and out of the room. The downside was that there was no way to lock and unlock the glass door from the patio, so, we did have to go around if we wanted the room locked from both entrances. It was super convenient though if one of us stayed in the room for one reason or another.

Below are some pictures of the welcome materials, resort, and room decorations. There is also a shot of the hidden pineapple Dole Whip machine in the Lava Shack. This spot is kind of hidden, but it is a gem. Not only do they have self serve Dole Whip, there are some extra little souvenirs that aren't in the upstairs shops. I found a nice baseball cap for my husband in here along with a great rash guard. Both of these were unique to this shop. Stay tuned for more information on the shops of Aulani!

Well, this was my welcome to Aulani. I didn't want to say goodbye for many reasons, but I have plenty more pictures to share!

The welcome lei and newsletter.

View of the central lobby area from the grounds.

Poolside Entry

The Lava Shack
Home to Pineapple Dole Whip

The nondescript Pineapple (and Vanilla if you want) Dole Whip Machine
It is self serve!

Bedding
(not super comfy..the only negative)

A welcome Mickey.

Toiletries.

Rain shower head.

Some of the Disney details.

Pappy's Smokehouse - St. Louis, MO

2013-10-27T17:33:00.004-07:00

Pappy's Smokehouse was our first stop in St. Louis after checking into our hotel which luckily enough was less than two blocks away from this famous BBQ place.

Having read numerous reviews, I wasn't surprised to expect a long line. However, I was thankful that the line was mostly indoors thanks to some rerouting because it was quite hot this Fourth of July when we visited.

I think the line took us a good 45 min-60 min before we were able to order. After waiting in line for quite some time, we were hungry. Not hungry enough to eat all the food we ordered, but hungry enough to definitely taste it at least. Being a bit indecisive, we opted for the Adam Bomb combination dinner which is enough to feed at least four to six people. Being only two people, we had a lot of food leftover, but this was the best way to taste a bit of everything.

The sides were decent, but the fried corn that was frequently mentioned in the reviews, was something I could do without ever trying again. I don't know what it was, but I hated it. My favorites in this combo were the ribs. They were more of a dry, smokey rib. They were tender without falling apart. The smoked chicken was my next favorite. The brisket was tasty, but surprisingly wet. The pork was pork. My husband loved the frito pie and the ribs the most.

Oh, and I broke the no soda rule to try a Fitz's root beer to go along with all that meat! It was a good decision on my part. Fitz's was definitely tasty and made digesting all that food a bit easier.

Next time in St. Louis, we will visit Pappy's again, but we'll stick to the ribs and chicken. Sides optional. It was worth the wait though.

Snooze - Denver, CO

2013-10-27T16:56:00.002-07:00

We had a short stay in Denver after exploring some of the more beautiful areas of Colorado such as Aspen, Breckenridge, and Boulder. Denver left much to be desired in my mind overall, but we had some good dining experiences and the sunset from the baseball stadium was pretty incredible. We finished our Denver visit with a breakfast stop at Snooze.

Snooze was a bit of a walk from our downtown hotel through some not so great areas of town, but it was definitely worth the walk. Our visit was on a weekday around 9:30 AM, but even then, there was a bit of a wait, so, we opted to eat at the bar. I really would have liked to have eaten at one of the funky booths, but time wasn't on our side.

The inside of Snooze was delightful. It was cheery and colorful. The staff was friendly and welcoming and the food was quite delicious. I had some simple scrambled eggs and hash browns with one chocolate chip pancake. Believe it or not, this was the first time this chocolate lover ever had a chocolate pancake and it did not disappoint. It was fluffy and light and as chocolatey as one could hope.

My husband had the chilaquiles benedict and he loved the combination of flavors. The barbacoa beef and the ranchero sauce made him very happy that morning. Satisfying his tastebuds at breakfast can sometimes be a challenge, but not at Snooze. This was a meal that we both enjoyed immensely including the service, atmosphere, and food. If we are ever in Denver again, this will be our first breakfast stop and maybe the only.

Nuet Nigenough - Brussels, Belgium

2013-03-17T20:23:00.004-07:00

We found this restaurant through the Tripadvisor app on my iphone. Brussels was one of the cities on our most recent trip that we didn't have a guidebook for, so, we kind of played it by ear. Finding the city guide app by tripadvisor proved to be a mixed blessing. Most of the time it steered us right, but there were a few hiccups. This was not one of them. In fact, this turned out to be one of our best meals on our trip that included Paris and a number of other towns.

My dish was the beef stew with rochefort beer sauce. This dish reminded me a bit of a Guinness stew that I had a number of years back. The flavor was rich and the beef was tender. The stoemp that I chose as my side was the perfect addition to the meal. It reminded me of bubble and squeak from the UK.

My husband's dish wasn't on the menu, but was one of the specials of the day. He loved the sausages and the sauce that accompanied them. These were the first of many sausages he'd eat on this trip.

Overall, this restaurant was a win. The food was delightful, portions ample, and it was quaint and cozy. That being said, it could be hard to get a table here as there weren't many. I think I recall only 11 or 12 in total and a number of those were two tops. The website says they don't take reservations, but we saw one local come in and reserve a table for about an hour later when we were about to leave.

By the way, it seemed one of the most popular things at this restaurant was their beer selection. There was another American eating at the table next to us who was thrilled to find his favorite which he claims is incredibly hard to find. There was an extensive selection, but we didn't try any. We stuck to entrees this time around as they were accompanied by bread and a nice salad to share. Dessert would be a waffle or something chocolate on the way back to the hotel.

The Doughnut Vault - Chicago, IL

2012-09-26T17:18:00.002-07:00

The Doughnut Vault - selection of the donut of the day (powdered), chocolate, glazed, old fashioned glazed and jelly (raspberry)

Powder Sugar Donut

Glazed- Bigger than my hand!

Glazed- Not only big around, but tall and fluffy too.

Glazed up close

Chocolate Glazed up close

Another donut bigger than my hand.

A friend of mine had been in Chicago a few months back and told me how her and her husband stood in line for well over an hour on a Saturday hoping to try one of these beauties. Unfortunately for them, they sold out of all donuts before they got to the front of the line. Fortunately for me, we were in Chicago mid-week and I showed up about 20 minutes before opening to find that I was the first one in line.

The donut of the day was the powdered sugar one. I had no idea that meant you received three powdered sugar donuts! These were actually probably my favorite along with the old fashioned glaze. They had a good flavor and although they weren't light and fluffy, the density of the donut combined well with the light sugar.

I wasn't a huge fan of the original glazed although it was huge and you could clearly see the vanilla in the glaze. The donut itself wasn't as airy as I had hoped and had a stronger flavor than most donuts I've had in the past. The jelly filled was almost the same with some raspberry jelly or jam in the Center. The jelly actually provided a nice contrast to the flavor of the donut and I'm not generally a fan of any pastries or anything that are fruit filled.

The chocolate glazed was as big as the original glazed as you can tell. The glaze was yummy and had a good chocolate flavor. The donut itself was the same as the original glazed and had that same strong taste that I didn't care for as much. Perhaps it was yeast?

The old fashioned glazed was fabulous! It was dense and moist. The glaze was the perfect contrast to the flavor of the donut itself. I wish I had purchased more than one of these as it was gone as quickly as the box was open in the hotel room.

Girl & the Goat - Chicago

2012-09-21T20:02:00.001-07:00

Girl & the Goat open kitchen

Greek bread with hummus and kalamata olive butter

Airy and full of feta and herbs... Greek bread.

Chickpea Fritters

The best green beans ever! Seasoned with fish sauces, cashews and some creamy and delightful cheese.

Pig Face

Any fan of Top Chef is familiar with Stephanie Izard. She rarely failed to impress the judges and by the wait to get a reservation at Girl & the Goat, her restaurant in Chicago, she isn't failing to impress the diners who are lucky enough to score a reservation.

After checking Open Table for weeks on end prior to our visit to Chicago, it was clear that reservations don't frequently open up. So, we decided to try to walk in and grab a cancellation or sit at the bar. Thankfully we arrived in Chicago on a Wednesday and not a weekend, so, we headed right to Girl & the Goat for an early light meal when they opened up at 4:30. First of all, if you are staying in the Gold Coast area, this restaurant is a bit of a hike! The walk wasn't bad, but we had to visit during a major heatwave, so, it seemed further than normal.

Upon arriving, there were plenty of seats around the bar area, so, we decided to just grab a seat where we could watch the kitchen and relax a bit. We had a very late night reservation at Topolobampo, so, we didn't want to eat too much, but there were a few things we wanted to be sure to try.

There were three different breads to choose from which I believe is the norm. We opted for the Greek bread that was filled with feta and some classic Greek herb combination. The bread was light and dense at the same time if that's possible. The hummus that came with the bread was smooth and creamy. The kalamata butter was definitely strong on the olive taste which is not my favorite flavor, so, I stuck with the hummus.

The chickpea fritters were crisp and creamy. I was a fan, but my husband didn't care for them much which is surprising considering he loves anything fried.

Then there was the Pig's Face which from what I read seems to be one of the signature dishes. I'm not sure what I thought it would be like, but it didn't wake up my taste buds. I loved the maple flavor of the sauce, but the rest was just so-so.

Last but not least were the green beans! Oh and what great green beans! They were sautéed in fish sauce, sprinkled with chopped cashews and topped with a wonderful cheese. The bowl of beans that arrived was beautiful to look at and even better to eat. There was definitely enough for four people to share, but I will admit that we finished these off easily between the two of us. These were by far our favorite part of our experience at Girl & the Goat. Who would think it would be the green beans that would make us want to return? Green beans will never be the same.

Clinton Presidential Center - Little Rock, Arkansas

2012-04-01T10:04:00.001-07:00

Clinton Presidential Center Library

It Takes a Village

Upper Level - Clinton Presidential Center

The Art of the Brick
Clinton Presidential Center

Clinton in Legos
The Art of the Brick

The Art of the Brick - Nathan Sawaya

The Art of the Brick
A romance told by Nathan Sawaya

Oval Office Model

As part of my quest to get to forty states by the time I turn forty, we paid a visit to Little Rock, Arkansas one long weekend. Surprisingly, this is somewhere I've wanted to visit for some time. Those who know me would know that Little Rock wouldn't be my first choice of destinations, but the Clinton Presidential Center has been on my bucket list for some time. You see, my first experience with any kind of politics was his first presidential campaign. After spending a summer in Spain before my senior year in high school, I came back somewhat disheartened by the view that so many in Spain had of America. I was determined to get involved and do something, so, I volunteered for the Clinton presidential campaign even before I was eligible to vote myself. That was the start of many things including a chance to meet President Clinton on many occasions at various political events in and outside of Washington, DC where I ultimately went to college. Thanks to my position within the U.S. House of Representatives, I had many opportunities to visit the White House and even was there the day he addressed the country the day that he was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives. His history is very much part of my history as well, so, this visit was a long time in coming. In fact, there were a number of times that tears came to my eyes as I remembered some of the amazing experiences I had during those years and the friends I had made. It seemed like so long ago... It was long ago, but fresh in my mind and in my heart.

A Taste of Queensland

2012-03-18T12:55:00.002-07:00

Seafood Pasta- Port Douglas

Lagoon Vue Fish and Chips

Lagoon Vue Fish, Squid, Bay Bugs, Shrimp

Kuranda Ice Cream- Pre Scooped

Mango Wine - Kuranda

Grilled Plate- Raw Prawn, Cairns

Raw Prawn Seafood Sampler - Cairns

Raw Prawn Steak Frites

Gelocchio - gelato pops

Most of our meals involved seafood of some kind while we were in Queensland. Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures of any of our lunches or the one meal we had at a Churrascaria which wasn't very memorable. One of the most delightful finds was Gelocchio in Cairns which featured a variety of gelato pops that you could customize with toppings. The gentleman who owns this little shop was so pleasant and warm. On top of that, the gelato pops were delicious. I had a straight up gianduja pop which brought back memories of the gelato throughout Italy. My husband had the same, but had it dipped in chocolate and hazelnuts. He was asking go back a few nights later which is rare for him as he's not the sweet lover that I am. Apparently, these shops are a trend in Europe or at least Italy and I hope to find out if that is the case sooner than later.

The first night we went exploring the Night Markets we opted for a quick meal at this little cafe right outside. There was a big conference in town, so, most of the restaurants were booked solid. However, I have to admit that this small spot had the best fish and chips I had during our visit throughout all of Australia. I forget what type of fish it was, but they had three different options for fish and chips. This was the most expensive of the three at probably about $15 which we would later discover was pretty much a bargain. Outside of our meal at Harry's Cafe de Wheels and the cheese and cracker night on Kangaroo Island, this was probably our cheapest meal.

The Raw Prawn was good. It had a nice atmosphere and a nice patio. The service was very good. However, there was nothing that blew us away which is okay. That's obviously not going to happen at every restaurant, so, a good solid meal is more than welcome.

The Rocks Sydney

2012-03-11T17:57:00.001-07:00

Pancakes on the Rocks

The Rocks Friday Market

The Rocks area of Sydney really does have quite a bit of charm. We didn't get to explore too much of it, but we did get to the food market that they have on Fridays. I wish we would have been able to explore their Saturday market, but we had to get to the airport.

We did have breakfast one morning at Pancakes on the Rocks. The food was decent, but the service awful. Also, do not use google maps to find the spot! I can't tell you how far out of the way we went when in fact it wasn't too far from the Shangri-La where we were staying. So, I guess you could say we did explore quite a bit of the Rocks, but unintentionally and early in the morning when no one else was around.

One night we had dinner at Fish at the Rocks. It was lovely. We ate in the small front room and it was cozy, romantic and my husband loved his food. Mine was so-so. However, I stepped out of my box a bit to try some things I normally wouldn't choose, so, I was pretty pleased with myself. I wish that we had a restaurant like this in our town. It would be our spot. I really felt like I was transported to somewhere really far, far away and in retrospect, it was so far, far away. I may do a separate post featuring some more about the food from this restaurant if I can find the pictures. However, if you are in Sydney, this place is definitely worth a visit!

Manly Beach

2012-03-02T05:12:00.004-08:00

The Corso - Manly Beach

Manly Ocean Foods Accolades

Many Ocean Foods Fish and Chips

Manly is about seven miles or so from Sydney. The ferries are pretty frequent with beautiful views in each direction. I really could have spent a day just riding the ferries.

There is about a three or four block walk to the beach from the ferry stop. You walk right through the center of the shopping and dining promenade. The shops are pretty much your classic souvenir shops, but there were a few clothing stores, drugstores, etc... At the ferry landing, there are a few other shops including a grocery store, Aldi, and some small cafes.

The day we spent in Manly there was a warning about the rough seas, so, there weren't many people in the water except for some surfers who were determined to catch the big wave. After watching them for about an hour or so, that big wave never came. In fact, it was kind of funny to watch because they were all clustered together, so, it was interesting to see which ones would go for the waves that did emerge. The beach itself is stunning. It was very clean and the esplanade was full of activity. There were so many families walking even during the week and lots of dogs getting their daily exercise. The quality of life for those in Manly is probably great!

Aside from walking along the beach, we tried one of the fish and chip places on the promenade or "The Corso." Manly Ocean Foods highly touted its accolades on its sign. That should have been a warning for us. However, it wasn't. We saw quite a few locals ordering food from here too, so, we thought it would be a good choice. We were highly disappointed. For being right on the ocean, we are pretty sure the fish we got was not fresh, but frozen. It had an extremely fishy taste. My husband's squid rings were tough. The best part were the chips. The prices were good, but the food not so much.

While I did some shopping, my husband visited Oceanworld. He spent about an hour exploring this small aquarium and he was pretty impressed with some of the exhibits. Apparently, he thought some of the exhibits were better than those in the Sydney Aquarium.

Overall, Manly is most definitely worth a visit. It is a quick roundtrip from Circular Quay. I'm sure it is much different in summer when the beach is packed with people, but hearing the sound of the waves and smelling the sea air is something I enjoy year round.

Harry's Cafe de Wheels - Sydney

2012-02-26T08:32:00.001-08:00

Harry's Cafe de Wheels Menu

Harry's Cafe de Wheels Chili Pie

Harry's Cafe de Wheels Chicken Pie with Mashed Potatoes

I came across Harry's Cafe de Wheels on Trip Advisor and a few other places before we left for Australia, so, it was on our list for when we got to Sydney. The fact that our guide for our two days on Kangaroo Island also recommended it made it move to the must list. In fact, we were down to our last full day in Sydney and we still hadn't made it there, so, we hopped in a cab to try the pies from this institution.

My husband had the chilli (they spell it with two "l's" there) pie and I had the chicken pie with mashed potatoes. This was by far our cheapest meal of the entire trip (including the price of the cab) except for maybe the cracker and cheese dinner we were forced to have in Penneshaw, but it was also one of the tastiest. We weren't generally impressed by the food in Australia and we tried some of the most recommended spots. However, these pies were good. The chili one was spicy according to the husband and mine tasted homey and delicious. I don't care for gravy, but there was enough sauce inside the pie that it wasn't too dry with the potatoes. Coupled with a Bundaberg Ginger Beer, this was a great, cheap meal.

We opted to walk back to the hotel thinking we could do it through the botanical gardens. Well, we had a h-ll of a long walk. We made it to Mrs. Macquarie's Chair to watch the sunset through the park, but little did we know that the park closed a few minutes before sunset that day. So, we had to walk around the entire exterior of the park and completely out of the way to get semi close to the hotel. So, what should have been a 30 minute walk at most turned into about an hour and a half walk as there were no short cuts. It was a pretty walk, but just unexpected as the map we carried was very deceiving. That walk made the climb up the hill to our hotel, the Shangri-La, that much harder that night.

Sydney Fish Market, Darling Harbour, Sydney Aquarium

2012-02-22T17:31:00.003-08:00

Darling Harbour

Sydney Monorail - Darling Harbour

Nemo at the Sydney Aquarium

Although we stayed near Circular Quay, we made our way towards Darling Harbour quite a few times during our stay. We visited the Sydney Fish Markets early in the morning to see the freshest of fish on display. However, we didn't get to try any of the food that was available. There are a few places to pick up a quick lunch, so, I'd recommend visiting around lunch if you are interested in trying what the fishermen bring in that day. It is important to note that some of the fish is imported. For instance, there were Maine lobsters. The best part for me was that it didn't smell too fishy. I didn't want to offend anyone by walking around with my nose plugged, but thankfully, that wasn't necessary.

As for the Sydney Aquarium, there was some construction going on while we were there. In fact, Wildlife World which is right next door was closed for renovations which made us quite sad. The Aquarium though was really nice. For the first time, we got to see a platypus. He was very elusive to the camera though. The Great Barrier Reef was pretty incredible as was the large area where you walked through with the stingrays and everything swimming around you. It creeped me out a bit because some of the sea creatures were huge. I suppose it is worth mentioning, if you can't tell, that I'm a bit of a scaredy cat. All in all the aquarium was worth a visit. It took us about 2 1/2 hours to go through everything.

A funny note: Everywhere in Australia it seems people refer to Finding Nemo. Nemo is everywhere!! Even if there isn't a clownfish in sight, people are referencing Nemo. In fact, our theme for the days where we did so much was "Just Keep Swimming." I think Australia might owe some tourism dollars to Pixar.

There are quite a few restaurants and shops in the Darling Harbour area. We gave in and ate at Hard Rock one night because we were craving a good burger. However, I think my husband's favorite part of that meal was the free Coke refills. Soda is incredibly expensive in Oz. The small plastic bottles were about $4 a piece and in restaurants, a small glass of Coke was $4-$6 with no refills in site. So, the refill the waitress brought him without even asking if he wanted one truly made his day.

Taronga Zoo - Sydney, Australia

2012-02-19T12:08:00.000-08:00

We kicked off our last full day in Sydney with a visit to Taronga. By now, we had seen lots of kangaroos, koalas (who can have enough?), emus, etc... However, Taronga gave us a glimpse at some of the creatures we weren't lucky enough to see in the wild such as the wombat. The wombat at Taronga was quite the poser. Even the volunteers at the zoo were enjoying watching him put on a bit of a show for us. We also were able to catch a view of the echidna (no pictures) and some other unique creatures.

Taronga is a beautiful zoo. My husband said it wasn't his favorite, but I liked that it was so spread out and there were some beautiful views of the city. The one part of the zoo that I gladly skipped was the reptile area. My husband wasn't going to go in because he has a fear of snakes as much if not more than I do, but he went. I wouldn't even look at the pictures he took in there and it seemed like he was in the exhibit forever. Apparently, it is quite large which is understandable considering the size and popularity of the reptile population in Australia.

To get to Taronga, we took the direct ferry from Circular Quay and then the bus up to the zoo. We purchased a combination ticket for the ferry and zoo which saved a few dollars. Entrance into the zoo is pretty expensive, but it is worth it. It does include a ride on the sky rail as well. The sky ride had just been refurbished that week which is why we waited until our last day, but it still wasn't open that morning. However, we did get to ride the sky rail back down to the pier and it was worth it for the views.

The zoo does tend to get busier throughout the day, so, starting our morning off there was a smart choice for us. However, we did have to backtrack a bit because some of the exhibits didn't open at the same time as the zoo. Getting there early did allow us to miss some of the large school groups we saw as we finished up our visit.

Overall, I think we spent about four hours exploring Taronga and having lunch. There were good options for a quick bite to eat with a food court of sorts that had three or four different options for lunch. We opted for the rotisserie chicken place. It was quite reasonable for the amount of food we received and it was pretty tasty. The sandwich bar looked quite good as well. We saw plenty of people with packed lunches too as I have a feeling a lot of locals have memberships to the zoo which would be the smart thing to do. We could have easily spent more time here if we watched some of the shows, but there was still much to see and do around Sydney.

Sydney Opera House - A Variety of Views

2012-02-16T18:14:00.000-08:00

View from our flight into Sydney

Flying into Sydney

Jorn Utzon projected in the interior of the Opera House

Sydney Opera House Inside at Sunset

Club 33 - Disneyland

2012-02-12T17:33:00.000-08:00

Club 33 Entryway and elevator

Club 33 Lunch Menu

Club 33 Dining Room

Dessert Buffet

Desserts

A sampling of the salad and seafood offerings.

Club 33 Chateaubriand

Fish of the Day

The view from the Club 33 Balcony

View from Club 33 Balcony

I thought perhaps we could take a break from Australia and I could share our experience at Club 33 at Disneyland the day we flew out to Australia. We flew to LA the day before our flight to Oz, so, we wouldn't have to worry about any delays or problems getting to LA. Of all the things to do in LA, I had to pick Disneyland. My poor husband has only been to LA twice each for a day and each time we've done Disney. Whoops!

For this trip, I thought spending the day in Disneyland was going to be essential to make sure I was able to sleep some on the long haul flight. It worked like a charm! The one thing we did do though is book a hotel for two nights instead of one, so, we could shower and get refreshed before heading over to the airport late in the evening.

This was our second trip to Disneyland together and our second trip to Club 33. The first time we tried dinner, but our schedule this time demanded a lunch reservation. We had heard good things about the lunch and my husband who wasn't too impressed by our dinner the first time around really enjoyed the lunch. There is a buffet of salads and chilled seafood to start and a buffet of desserts to cap off the meal. The entrees are served to the table when you are ready to give up on the salad and seafood buffet. My chateaubriand was wonderful. This is the same dish I had for dinner a few years back and this time it was much better! His fish was delightful as well. The desserts were delicious. The one thing I wish is that there were little signs in front of each dessert to let you know what they were exactly. I felt kind of greedy trying so many, but it was often hard to tell what was hidden inside each little treasure.

The atmosphere at lunch is quite a bit more laid back than at dinner which was nice as well. They still enforced the dress code especially the restriction on sandals for men and women. We saw two women sent to go buy other shoes. At lunch, the dining room is just brighter and seems more pleasant than in the evening. If we get the chance to go back, we'll choose lunch over dinner. Also, lunch is a fixed price meal. There are no prices on the menu, but it was very reasonable for the experience especially considering a park hopper pass was included for the day.

Perhaps I will dig up some pictures from our first visit if I can find them. I actually took a picture of the ladies restroom on that visit because it is rather unique.

Remarkable Rocks - Kangaroo Island

2012-02-11T16:59:00.000-08:00

Remarkable Rocks - Flinders Chase
Kangaroo Island, Australia

This was another of Kangaroo Island's highlights. The Remarkable Rocks are part of the Flinders Chase National Park. There are lots of crevices to explore and beautiful pictures to be had as these are perched right along the ocean. There are signs along the rocks urging visitors not to explore the backside as the waves and wind have been known to carry a few visitors off the edge into the ocean.

Kangaroo Island- Part 2

2012-02-09T05:18:00.000-08:00

Penneshaw Sunrise

Penneshaw Coast

Kelly Hill Caves

Ballet Slipper- Kelly Hill Caves

The Cape du Couedic Lighthouse on Kangaroo Island

The path to Admiral's Arch

Flinders Chase National Park Coastline - Kangaroo Island

Flinders Chase National Park coastline

Admiral's Arch

Fur Seals on the way to Admiral's Arch

Kangaroo Island Coast at Flinders Chase National Park

Our stay on Kangaroo Island really was incredible. We spent one night in Penneshaw at the Kangaroo Island Seafront Resort. It was a nice hotel with a really large room. We had a small kitchen and a balcony with ocean view. In fact, we were greeted in the morning by whales doing flips outside our balcony.

The one thing we paid extra for was the penguin tour in the evening at the Penneshaw Penguin Center. We honestly didn't even know about this before we arrived, but our tour guide told us we could do this. I think it was $10 per person. Since it is done in the dark, it can be hard to spot the "Little Penguins" or Fairy Penguins. That is why our guide carried the pink lights. We did see quite a few on this tour including some little families of penguins, but we saw so many more the next day when we were arriving back on the mainland of Australia by ferry as they were all lined up along the coast as if to welcome us back. Either way, it was exciting to see these little creatures in their natural habitat instead of a zoo or aquarium.

The one thing to note about Penneshaw is that in the off season there are few places to eat. Not like there are many more during the peak season, but there are a few others that are open seasonally. The hotel had a restaurant and there was a pizza place we tried the night we left as well as a pub. However, they close early! Thankfully we purchased a block of cheese at one of our stops on the island and some crackers at the grocery store behind the hotel to snack on because when we got back from the penguin tour, all the restaurants were closed. So, there was no dinner for us. This was our dinner that night:

The Faces of Kangaroo Island

2012-02-05T03:16:00.000-08:00

Kangaroo Island Koala in the wild

Kangaroo Island Seal Bay

Baby Koala

Fairy Penguin Penneshaw - Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island Part One

2012-02-03T16:58:00.000-08:00

Sealink Terminal

Approaching Kangaroo Island

The first lookout point near Penneshaw

Kangaroo Island

Emu at Emu Ridge

Baby Wallaby

Penneshaw

Penneshaw at Rush Hour

View from Kangaroo Island Seafront Resort hotel room

Oh what I would give to be on Kangaroo Island today. For those who know me, I am very much a city girl who lives in the country due to the location of our jobs. I love cities. I love shopping. I love restaurants on every corner. Kangaroo Island is the opposite of everything that I love or thought I loved.

We arrived on Kangaroo Island via the Sealink ferry just a few days after the ferries had been shut down for some maintenance issues. Although I wouldn't have minded being stuck in Adelaide a few more days, if we had missed this gem, I would have been devastated now that we've been there and know what the island has to offer.

For two days, we were with a small group of maybe twelve people touring the island. Most of the people in our group were from Europe with one couple from Australia rounding us out. Again, this was winter, so, the island was pretty quiet. Our guide for the two days said that normally he has about 45 people on his tours during the peek season and that there are usually multiple buses at each and every stop. This time, we were usually the only bus at each of the stops which made this a very personalized experience.

Our stops on the first day included some look out points not far from the ferry terminal in Penneshaw as well as the Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery. The owner here was a character and not necessarily in a good way in my opinion. He was very rough around the edges and honestly, I think more interested in the money his farm can make him and is looking to try to farm Emus to do the increase those profits. It was an interesting short tour with a little shop at the end, but not the highlight of our trip. However, we did love the baby wallaby he and his wife were raising.

The first day also had us stopping at Seal Bay where we saw some beautiful Australian sea lions up close and personal. We even saw a few of the moms returning from the sea and calling out to find their babies. It was nature at its best. After Seal Bay, we ended up at a small place for lunch and a bird show. Again, because this was the off season, it was pretty much a private show and everyone who wanted to participate was able to do so. My husband got to hold a Kookaburra on his arm and that made his day.

All around Kangaroo Island are wildlife preserves and sanctuaries. We visited one where we were able to pet some koalas, feed kangaroos and even hold a baby kangaroo who decided to give me a kiss! I really wish we had more time to explore some of these places as there was a koala walkabout that looked tremendous, but wasn't part of our schedule.

Kangaroo Island was the only place we saw koalas in the wild too. They were often hard to spot in the trees, but our guide helped us find a few. The sad part though is that because they are in the wild, they are often seen where you don't want to see them while driving across the island. This saddened me and I think much of the "accidents" could have been prevented if the speed limit on the island were lower. The cars and buses went across the island quite quickly which I didn't think was necessary and quite harmful to the beautiful inhabitants of this island.

To be continued....

Adelaide

2012-02-02T04:35:00.000-08:00

The start of Rundle Mall

Adelaide's Central Market

Bargain Bananas

Adelaide was a surprising little gem during our trip. We had two nights here, one before our Kangaroo Island trip and one after. Personally, I wish we had at least two or three more days here. I was pretty impressed with the city and everything they had to offer. There were a lot of side trips that one could do, but we didn't have time. There seemed to be quite a few places to interact with koalas which was my favorite part of this whole trip.

The one thing that I absolutely love is shopping. Adelaide had fabulous shopping! However, the fact that stores close early really caused me a bit of a heartache because I had to squeeze in as many stores as possible in about two hours. I managed to find the cutest stuffed koala and some wood Christmas ornaments at the Australian Geographic (I think that is what it was called) store. Otherwise, I didn't do too much damage here which was a shame.

One of our favorite things to do in every city we visit is to visit a local market or two. Some cities don't have markets or only have them on weekends and we miss them, but we were lucky enough to get to Central Market on one of the days that it was open. This is a fabulous market and we were surprised that most of the prices were quite reasonable except for the bananas perhaps. There weren't a lot of prepared foods to buy and sample, but we did get a few things including one of the chocolate crackles pictured above, some bread, and I think my husband had something else. There were some small cafes inside, but we didn't get a chance to try any as we had to get back to the hotel to get to the airport. However, we were very pleased with this market and its offerings. It is definitely worth a trip if you are in town.