I’ve just cracked open a new vacation-planning effort – a summer trip possibly to northern Michigan. By this time, our summer plans are usually more solid – but with one kid going off to an as-yet-determined college with an as-yet-determined start date, I’ve had to hold off. Now I’m wondering if I’ll be too late to find a place – especially one in the third week of August, which for now (and this could change) appears to be our best bet for everyone to get away. I do have some good websites to start my search: VisitupNorth.com and Leelanau Vacation Rentals.
Category Archives: 2) Frequent Destinations
downtown manhattan and brooklyn
A gorgeous spring day lured us downtown to ramble around Soho, Nolita, Little Italy, Lower East Side, Chinatown – that mishmash of interesting neighborhoods that bump up against east other downtown. We stopped at Russ and Daughters on E. Houston to pick up rugalach and babka for Sunday brunch; wandered along Orchard Street south of Delancy past the Tenement Museum, which was doing a brisk biz, then to Prince Street where we ate a terrific lunch at Cafe Habana – not the sit down place but the one with a counter and a few tables. Place was packed for good reason – as we suspected (we’d never heard of the place) and soon discovered. Delicious cuban sandwiches, spicy sautéed spinach, corn on the cob doused with some parmesan-like cheese, spices and lime; homemade lemonade.
At night, the big event was my brother’s wedding in Park Slope at the lovely old Montauk Club. Wonderful event, of course, but my new sister-in-law made it extra special with all kinds of thoughtful touches including framed photos for each guest with the bride and/or groom. We danced until they kicked us out and a lot of us ended up at a nearby bar on Flatbush Ave. – Sharlene’s. We didn’t get back to our borrowed digs on the upper east side until 2:30 a.m.
Filed under New York City
Return to the High line:nyc
Another gorgeous day in nyc and D and E had never been to the High Line so I gladly went with them. This time, we stopped for gelato at Chelsea markets. Last night we went to a rehearsal dinner for my brother and H at Craftbar.We were in a private room but the restaurant itself looked interesting – our food and service was very good. That area around Broadway and 20th looks like its full of interesting restaurants including the Gramercy Tavern.
Filed under New York City
High life on the High line: NYC
What better place to spend a gorgeous spring day in NYC than the High Line, the new park that was once an abandoned railbed along the Hudson River. My pal Myra and I found wooden lounge chairs overlooking the water. Great people watching, scenery, landscape, had a nice chat with two young Dutch guys who were touring architectural sights in the city. Stopped by the Chelsea Market on 15th Street, had tea and peruvian something or other – a cupcake shaped savory dish that was very colorful – yellow and green. Yellow turned out to be mashed potatoes, the green avocado, and there was tuna in there. Yum. Then onto the west village which was humming with people – in the early evening, you could just hear the sounds of people celebrating the day everywhere, spilling out of bars with the windows removed and sitting at outdoor cafe tables. We ate at Westville, a tiny place on 10th street that is one of my favs – 6:45 was a good time to go. Only had to wait 10 minutes and tables all filled and line got longer through the night. No one does fresh vegetables better. Another gorgeous day.
Filed under New York City
Roaming around NYC
Is it my imagination or are airlines trying harder to be flyer friendly. Today my flight attendant on Delta even offered me peanuts. free of charge. I got two packets. Oh joy.
NYC was overcast but no longer rainy and I did my usual walk until my ankles swelled. The blossoms are coming out in central park – yellow, white, red – and the grass is green. I roamed past Belvedere Castle – which for some strange reason I’d never seen. Walked past the Museum of Natural History and spotted my first movie star of the trip – actor Matt Dillon who was eating at a window table at a restaurant at 79th and Columbus. Then onto Nice Matin at 79th and Amsterdam for a very nice lunch with my brother. Mediterranean Lamb salad and pizza with sundried tomato pesto and anchovies.
Filed under New York City
agritourism – the latest
I first wrote an agritourism story for the NYTimes ten years ago (“Historic Hybrid in Iowa” published Nov. 26, 2000) – and even then it wasn’t all that new. But now comes word, again from the NYTimes, that agritourism is alive and well (or “gaining ground from coast to coast”) My story years ago was about the Garst Farm in Coon Rapids, Iowa. This was a real workaday farm that takes overnight guests and offers activities like riding, fishing and hiking. It also has a distinguished history. In 1958, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev visited as part of efforts to improve his country’s agriculture.
Now there are several websites where you can find farms to visit and even work on. See Worldwide Opportunities in Organic Farms (wwoofusa.org) and Ruralbounty.com, a national agritourism registry.
Interestingly, I looked up Garst Farm on Ruralbounty.com and found it’s now part of something called Whiterock Conservancy (see http://www.whiterockconservancy.org/accomodations.aspx)
Filed under Agritourism, Iowa
New (sort of) Bike Trail in Central Iowa
Just in time for spring comes word that the long-awaited 25-mile High Trestle Trail (previously known as the Ankeny to Woodward trail) north of Des Moines is almost completely ready for riding. Twenty miles of the trail – along a former rail bed – from Ankeny to Sheldahl and Slater to Madrid is largely finished. But the really cool part – the 13-story half-mile trestle bridge across the Des Moines River Valley, which would be one of the country’s largest trail bridges – won’t be done until next fall. T o be honest, I’ve long been unclear about when and where to ride this trail. See if you can figure it out from: a2wtrail.org.
Art along the Iowa interstates
Inspired by the fantastic new mural we stumbled upon inside a welcome center along Interstate 35 in northern Missouri last December, I started looking into efforts by other states to spruce up their highway pit stops with art. And lo and behold, I find out from several knowledgeable sources that the great state of Iowa – where I live – has one of the more impressive programs.
Which means an estimated 17 million people who stop at an Iowa rest areas each year may be in for a treat – if they stop at the right one. Thirteen rest areas or welcome centers – most along I-80 and I-35 – have been redesigned as part of Iowa’s “art-in-transit” program to include site-specific, regionally-themed art projects during the past 10 years – the latest in 2009 and more to come. Iowa has even printed “rest area posters.” For more info see: (www.iowadot.gov/maintenance/restareaposters.html)
Filed under Iowa, On the road, rest area
A Report from: San Francisco Part. 2
Soon after it dawned on me today (apropos of nothing) that I last visited San Francisco almost exactly two years ago, I got another email from my NYC friend who recently visited the beautiful city by the bay with her teen-age son. She offered more details on her trip that are well worth sharing. I know I’ll be using them some day (soon I hope ). Here they are:
Hotel Vertigo: awesome helpful staff, lovely hip lobby, great beds with all white comforters, pillows…good bathroom with big strong shower head, big tub, yummy spa-like products, dock station, free wi-fi, flat screen TV, convenient location to union sq (our BART stop). loved this place. and for $79/nite (did I get some special online rate?) I sorta couldn’t believe the price.
Dottie’s: 522 Jones St; a tiny coffee shop located in a run down hotel in the tenderloin hood, felt like the Bowery in NYC former days. Expect to stand on line a long time, we had a one hr wait, but my cool cuz suggested it and 3 guys we met the day before said we had to have breakfast at Dottie’s!…I never would’ve have waited otherwise, but ok sooo worth it. the best cornmeal blueberry pancakes, non-stop coffee refills, great french toast with fresh fruit, cuz some big egg dish with yummy homemade corn bread…even with it being packed, never felt rushed except our waiter spoke at the fastest speed I’ve ever heard! tourists just need to be prepared for this hood.
Alcatraz, so worth it. I wasn’t into a touristy tour thing but that self guided tour with actors’ voices was really well done. the whole experience felt like theatre. it is depressing but they make it alive and real.
Slanted Door: yummy Vietnamese fusion CA food…in lovely Ferry building, overlooking water, we sat at the bar, weeks booked up for reservations, tattooed Aussie bartender talked us thru the whole menu with suggestions, all great. you can order almost any dish for half amount/$ so you try more items. busboy almost knocked over my delicious Calif. white so he gave me another free glass, B. had a jasmine tea, a flower that blooms in the hot water in a wine glass. sophisticated and grown up and not stuffy.
Cafe Tartine – another hour wait! but those pastries…
we love the BART
Cable car. they smash those tourists in. we rode on the outside. our driver was also a stand up comic, or so he thought. oh man, a long ride!
walked up Telegraph Hill then Lombard st. our legs ached by then but so worth the views.
Filed under San Francisco, Uncategorized
A report from: San Francisco
A friend who recently returned from a trip to San Francisco with her teen-age son, tried out some suggestions from me – and a few others. She gave a thumbs up to the following: Hotel Vertigo, tartine bakery, ferry building, slanted door, cafe sportte, cafe trieste….cable car, fishermans wharf, ghiradelli, alcatraz tour, lombard st, telegraph hill, union st, union sq, russian hill, univ berkeley, dotties coffeeshop.
A few are new to me – Hotel Vertigo and Dotties Coffeeshop – so I’ve done a little legwork (more accurately fingerwork on the computer). As guessed, Hotel Vertigo has a Hitchcock connection – it’s reportedly on the site of the Empire Hotel from Hitchcock’s, you guessed it, movie Vertigo. Sounds like a good location – in Nob Hill near Union Square. Dotties must be “Dotties True Blue Cafe” which gets high marks from Zagat for Best Buys, Breakfast, Diner – and there’s a virtual tour of the place ( if you don’t want any surprises when you arrive). http://www.zagat.com/Verticals/PropertyDetails.aspx?VID=8&R=47594. Dotties is at 522 Jones St. (between Geary &O’Farrell); 415-885-2767
Filed under San Francisco
TakeBetsywithyou 