The final stop on our cruise was Amsterdam and though we stayed a couple of days and I could have used a few more even if it rained all but 5 hours of our stay. Amsterdam has a wild food and beverage scene. From the streets, to the cafés, and “coffee shops”, there is so…
Category: Travel
Bartenders, Butlers and Bubbles – All the Drinking – River Cruise Part 3
Drinking is a mainstay on all cruise ships. After all, when you are on vacation you feel freer to enjoy a cocktail at any hour. That has been true on our river cruise as well as ocean cruises we have been on. The difference is the quality, not the quantity of drinking. The bar was…
Service Makes the Difference – River Cruise – Part 2
Detail Oriented Service As I sit waiting to go through one of the many locks (in total more than 60) on this voyage, I am stumped on where to begin and how to share with you how much fun I am having with the food and how much I appreciate the detail oriented service from…
River Cruise? Why You Should Do it!
When we started planning our 30th Anniversary trip, and The Hubs suggested a European river cruise, I looked at him slack jawed and said, “Why would you want to do that?! You hate cruises!” We had been on a few ocean cruises and he said he felt “trapped” and really didn’t enjoy the food (I…
Traveling with Friends and Conch
If you are lucky, you have a few good friends that you can do anything with, including going on vacation. My friend Laurie earned a trip with the Pampered Chef to Atlantis in the Bahamas and invited her girlfriends, me, Lynn and Janet, to go along with her. We had a great time and I…
Is Inclusive Tipping Really the Way to Go?
Living in Vegas I know I have become spoiled in so many ways. Access to dozens of live performances a month. Fantastic restaurants with varied cuisine. And some of the best service the industry has to offer. With a lot of restaurants across the country talking about including the tip in the check, I have…
Downtown Grand – Not So Grand
Ever since the renovation and reopening of the Downtown Grand, I have been a huge proponent of the property. I have booked blocks of rooms for parties, pub crawls and events in the downtown area. Nice rooms, decent house staff, conveniently located, gorgeous pool…and all of that has changed. I have had my final stay…
Sneak Peek at Yardbird
I have a lot of friends who are in the food industry in one fashion or another and happily I get invited to some really great outings, but RARELY do I get to eat somewhere before food writer Friend Al Mancini does. THIS time I can say, “Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner” with glee because I…
A Hill Country Wedding and Four Kings
My recent whirlwind trip was precipitated by two celebrations – a wedding and a landmark birthday. Travel for almost any reason is a good thing, but when you get to travel for a celebration it’s even better. “My Friend Brian”, dear Friend Nanette’s son, married his sweetheart Krystal in charming Texas Hill Country style and…
You Can’t Go Home Again
Recently, as you know if you follow along on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, I was traveling. When I return to a city where I have found great grub, I feel it is a moral imperative that I revisit those dining locales to relive the good times had there. Sadly, sometimes the memory is better than…