Posts tagged “North America”

Broadway!!! (and more) In New York City

Posted on August 4, 2015

The one thing I had put at the top of my list of things to do during my trip to New York last month (well, the only thing really…other than eat some great food 🙂 ), was to see a Broadway show. More specifically, a Broadway musical. Even more specifically, An American in Paris. After watching the Tony Awards this year I was determined to see this musical during my time in New York. I was a little worried that my Aunt Georgann wouldn’t be on board as she isn’t a fan of musicals, but not only did she humor me and agree to go, she actually enjoyed it! Our Friday started with some fresh pastries and bread I picked up from Grace’s Marketplace (an awesome market…

NYC: From the UN to a Cathedral to (more) Macaroons

Posted on July 27, 2015

New York City is seriously one of those places you could never run out of things to see, do and eat. Which makes it kind of challenging when you only have a few days to see, do and eat EVERYTHING!! Just kidding. 🙂 But not really. During our stay in Manhattan earlier this month, my Aunt Georgann and I had a hard time prioritizing what were “musts” and what were more “would like to”. Especially in the area of food! We had received so many dining recommendations and I unrealistically was determined to eat at all of them. Yeah, that didn’t happen. I’m especially disappointed I never made it to Sprinkles for a cupcake. 😥 But on to what we actually did get to see, do and eat! On…

NYC: A Market, A Museum, A Banana Pudding

Posted on July 13, 2015

Day two in New York City and my Aunt Georgann and I repacked our suitcases and moved from Queens/Forest Hills to our Airbnb apartment in Manhattan! We also took our first ever ride using Über – a great service we used a few more times during our trip. Our apartment was located in the Upper East Side and was soooo nice! We really lucked out with this one. We “checked in” mid-morning, spent some time unpacking and settling in, then headed back out again. We took the subway to the Meatpacking District and the wonderful Chelsea Market. This market was not at all what I was expecting! I had pictured a typical outdoor market selling the standards: fresh produce, flowers, etc. This is a really nice…

New York, New York

Posted on July 7, 2015

New York City. There’s no place like it. Love it or hate it, this city will leave an impression on all who visit. For me, after my second trip here, I feel the same as I did after my first (over fifteen years ago!): I love the excitement, the entertainment and the diversity this city provides. I love visiting… but I don’t think I would love living here. 🙂 I need my space; I need peace and nature; I need occasional silence. Just because I can’t picture myself living here, though, doesn’t mean I’m not already looking forward to my next visit. After spending a relaxing weekend in the Hamptons, my Aunt Georgann and I started the second part of our trip, which began with spending a couple of nights in Forrest Hills…

Weekend in the Hamptons

Posted on July 2, 2015

Because, you know, that’s where I spend all of my summer weekends. Hob-nobbing with the rich and famous, eating at fine dining establishments, proudly sporting my designer sunglasses, designer purse, designer shoes… Just kidding. I’ve spent exactly one weekend of my entire life in the Hamptons. Hob-nobbing with family and friends, eating home cooked meals, proudly sporting my LOFT sunglasses, Fair Trade purse bought at Whole Foods, $20 wannabe TOMS shoes… And it was great! After our adventures in Canada last year, my aunt, Georgann, and I decided to take another trip together this summer. And our travels have taken us to New York! It’s been over fifteen years since I last visited the city of New York – way too long! One of my grandma’s best friends,…

Sailing the Seven Seas (Minus Six of Them)

Posted on June 1, 2015

I recently returned from a week-long cruise aboard the Disney Fantasy – a very much-needed vacation that was full of fun and relaxation! Oh, and food. Way too much food. (Which is one reason why I’m currently in the middle of a 26-day detox… 😐 ) This is the fifth cruise I’ve been on and I must say that I do enjoy seeing the world whilst sailing through gorgeous bodies of water, being fed as much delicious food as I want, and experiencing pampering and entertainment 24/7. I would never choose this as my only form of travel and exploring the planet, but it is nice every now and again. 🙂 I set sail on a Saturday with my friend, Teresa, and her mom, Karen. Our ship departed…

The City That Never Sleeps: Las Vegas

Posted on March 2, 2015

I believe that title was originally given to New York City. I’ve been to both New York and Las Vegas, and I must say that Las Vegas is quite a bit more deserving of that name! I suppose most people don’t go to Vegas to catch up on sleep but still, I wasn’t expecting to be quite so exhausted at the end of my trip. I had been waking up really early for work and going to bed really late for fun. But it was totally worth it! 🙂 My final day (plus a few hours) in Vegas was just as full and fun as the previous days. Teresa and I had both wanted to see a Cirque du Soleil show while we were…

More Explorations in Vegas

Posted on January 12, 2015

Although I saw quite a bit during my work trip to Las Vegas, there were still so many things I didn’t have time to see and do: hotels, shows, restaurants, the Grand Canyon. Okay, the Grand Canyon isn’t actually a Las Vegas site, but this was the closest I had ever been to this geological wonder and it was killing me that I didn’t have time to go see it! Next visit… I got an early start for work on this third day in Vegas, and Teresa got a not-so-early start for sunbathing, gym-going, and hotel exploring. 😐 I was very happy for her. 😐 I was happy once my workday ended and I could join her for some more fun in Sin City! The convention I…

Las Vegas: City of Food and Fountains

Posted on January 5, 2015

Any thoughts I might have had at the beginning of my trip to Las Vegas regarding eating healthy lasted, oh, less than twelve hours. Eh…you win some, you lose some, and I wasn’t about to miss out on some of the culinary goodness offered by this crazy city (and by culinary goodness I, of course, mean ice cream). Second day in Las Vegas equaled work for me and play for Teresa. 🙂 Teresa spent the morning and afternoon walking the Strip (in an entirely non-sleazy way); while I spent the morning and afternoon managing a convention registration desk. Anybody want to take a guess on who had more fun? Anyone?? Hello? Too easy, I suppose. 😛 After I finished up with my work for the day and…

What Happens in Vegas…

Posted on December 15, 2014

Don’t get overly excited now. Nothing too crazy occurred during my recent visit to Sin City. Does that make me boring? Quite possibly. But I’m okay with that. 🙂 That doesn’t mean, however, that my visit to Las Vegas was boring. I took my first trip to this over-stimulating city this past July for work. I spent six nights at the Aria Resort & Casino, working during the day, and staying up late each night seeing, doing and eating as much as I could. My first few hours in this crazy place didn’t do much to impress me. My flight landed after midnight and as I walked through the airport to baggage claim, all I could think was that this was the nastiest, smelliest, most out-dated airport I had ever been…

My Canadian Adventure…The End

Posted on December 2, 2014

Vacation endings are always bittersweet to me. Although I’m usually ready to be home and in my own bed and seeing my family and friends, I also nearly always feel like I haven’t had enough time to see and do and explore as much as I would like to. But I guess life can’t be lived in a perpetual vacation (or can it…?). 😉 The final day of my two-week travels through Canada with my Aunt Georgann started with a trek through the streets of Quebec City to pick up some fresh pastries for breakfast. Which is exactly how my first morning in Quebec started! I returned to our Airbnb apartment with a baguette and a palmier – both of which were “fabulous choices” according…

More Fun in Quebec City

Posted on November 17, 2014

What a lovely second full day in Quebec! We crammed a lot into this day but it was also a lot of fun! Our morning started with a trip outside the old walls of the city to the Citadelle for the Changing of the Guard Ceremony. It was super windy – seriously felt like a tropical storm (at least!). It made for a really cold morning so we were very thankful for the mostly sun-filled sky to keep us slightly warmer. Out of two or three experiences watching a changing of the guard ceremony, this is the first time I’ve actually been able to see what’s happening. Inside the fort is the parade grounds – a very large, open area which we spectators circled around. Front row views…

Escape to the Mountains of Tennessee

Posted on October 27, 2014

I didn’t think it was going to happen this year. But it did. And I am so, so grateful. As each summer comes to an end and fall approaches, I desire nothing more than to be in the mountains surrounded by beauty, nature, color, coolness and peace. I feel the tension and stress melt away; I feel closer to God; I feel at peace. And I really needed that this year! Just the stress involved in the act of actually traveling up here was enough to make me eat this: But I made it and had a gloriously beautiful and relaxing time! I spent five nights in Ocoee, Tennessee with my parents and grandmother. When I found out they were taking a trip up here…

Quebec: Parliament, Pastries & Performers

Posted on October 20, 2014

Okay, before I start sharing about my second day in the lovely city of Quebec, Canada, I just need to take a moment to say: I think Canada has the prettiest money! I mean, seriously: I was so impressed when I handed the bank teller my boring U.S. dollars and she handed these works of art to me in exchange. I don’t remember Canadian dollars looking like this when I visited a couple of years ago. Anyway, moving on. 🙂 My first full day in Quebec City with my Aunt Georgann started with a solo trip to the bakery for some fresh, French pastries (any frequent reader of this blog knows of my intense obsession with authentic French pastries…). It was so lovely walking through town as it…

Quaint Quebec

Posted on September 29, 2014

I thought I’d start out this recap of my recent visit to Quebec City this past July, by sharing part of my journal entry from my first day there: “I’m sitting here in bed in a fantastically old apartment in the amazing city of Quebec listening to live music from a festival through the open window. In other words, I’m in heaven. I absolutely love this town!!! And we’ve only been here a few hours!” Yes, indeed! Quebec is such a quaint city full of so much character. Oh, and tourists. Definitely full of tourists. But for good reason! A visit here is like visiting a really old, quaint town in Europe. Specifically, France, as everyone in Quebec speaks French. There’s the cobblestone streets,…

Music (and Disappointment) in Montreal

Posted on September 15, 2014

Is anyone else ready for fall? I am so, so ready for my favorite season to get here already! Although, being a Floridian, we don’t actually experience “fall” weather until, oh, maybe December. Sigh. In fact, right now I hear the rumblings of another summer thunderstorm making it’s humidity-producing way through the warm evening sky. Right now it’s 70º and humidity-free in Montreal. Can I go back, please? 🙂 Well, until I can make it back to Canada, I’m just going to continue to reminisce about my fun times there this past July with my Aunt Georgann. For our final full day in the beautiful city of Montreal, we had a bit of a theme going: music. We had a leisurely morning in our apartment, then…

Gardens of Montreal (and Fireworks)

Posted on September 2, 2014

And by “gardens” I don’t mean what you have planted in your back yard. I mean some incredibly amazing works of natural art. I mean the Botanical Gardens of Montreal. On my third day in Montreal with my Aunt Georgann, we started our morning with a fantastic breakfast at Olive + Gourmando. This cafe is located in Old Montreal and is small, hip, and quite popular! I absolutely loved my housemade granola with yogurt and a huge assortment of fresh fruit! And the pastries we picked up for breakfast the following day were superb as well! I do love me some fresh French pastries. 😉 From here we made our way by metro to the Montreal Olympic Park, which was host to the 1976 Summer Olympic…

More Montreal: Outdoors and Indoors

Posted on August 18, 2014

Boy, do I love being outdoors! Especially surrounded by nature! And, as is the case in many cities I’ve been to, one of my favorite places I visited in Montreal was the extensive green space there, otherwise known as Mont Royal. On this second full day of my visit to Montreal with my aunt (which also happened to be the 4th of July – Happy Birthday, America!! 🙂 ), we spent quite a bit of time outdoors. Our morning started with a hop on the metro to take us to Mont Royal (or near to it). We got quite the workout just walking from the metro station to the entrance to the park! We’re talking San Francisco-steep streets. Whew! But it was worth it. Mont…

Traveling to Montreal via Le Cordon Bleu

Posted on August 11, 2014

I was very excited about visiting the province of Quebec and some of the French-speaking cities and towns of Canada during my two-week Canadian adventure in July. After spending a few days in Ottawa and enjoying the Canada Day festivities there, I started making my way toward Montreal with my Aunt Georgann. But first, we visited the Le Cordon Bleu Bistro at Signatures. Prior to our trip, my aunt had discovered that Ottawa has not only a Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, but a restaurant associated with it. So we made reservations to dine there for lunch. While I was in high school, I had a short-lived dream to attend Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. I loved to cook (still do!) and thought it just might…

Canada + Food = YUM!!!

Posted on July 30, 2014

I’ve never dedicated an entire blog post to the food I’ve eaten during my travels…until now. I experienced some amazing restaurants and food during the two weeks I recently spent traveling through Canada and I just had to share more about them! Now, I typically eat very healthy while I’m home, but I will definitely splurge a bit when I travel. During this particular trip, I really tried to keep up the healthy eating for the first week, but finally threw in the towel by the second week. Oh well. You win some, you lose some. 🙂 Okay, time to share more about one of my favorite subjects: food! 😀 My Canadian adventure actually started in Youngstown, NY where my Aunt Georgann and I stayed while we visited Niagara Falls.…