CAught sight of Naomi watts, Lieb Schreiber and their two tow headed boys looking about as harried as we did this morning in the Newark airport. Keeping it real! Our direct flight from Des Moines went without a hitch. For some reason, d and I were given “TSA preselect” status so we jumped the queue at security, didn’t even have to take off our shoes or take out our liquids. Woohoo. I am usually the person randomly selected for a pat down so nice change. So far so good traveling on thanksgiving day.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Obligatory movie star sighting already accomplished and not yet in NYC
Filed under New York City, Uncategorized
Malibu, Topanga Canyon, glorious
It was about 80 degrees and sunny midday in Malibu where we had a perfect lunch at Malibu Seafood, a unassuming little shack on the side of busy Highway 101 overlooking The beach and Ocean. We had crispy fish and chips, grilled mahi mahi and soaked up the scene. fortune lay we arrived at 11:30 and got in and out quickly, placing our order then eating at an outdoor picnic table, feeling very lucky to suddenly have some Californians in the family to lure me back to Los Angeles after, um, at least 25 years. We drove about 10 miles north to a hidden gem of a beach my cousin Scott, who lives here, recommended that’s such a hidden gem I am reluctant to reveal its name. Okay, it’s Las Pescatores.
There was only one other car in the small dirt parking lot and when we walked through some brush we found below us a brilliant ocean cove with soft white sand, a few jagged boulders in a glistening Ocean and no one but us and way in the distance, a fisherman on some rocks. Odd that this year has found me unexpectedly on coastlines I haven’t visited in decades, Cape Cod last month and now Southern California. the beach today was more rugged, almost masculine compared to the Provincetown beaches, white rather than tan sand, jagged mountains rather than soft grassy dunes, wind whipped trees and lush vegetation rather than grasses and low bushes.
we drove back to the valley through Topanga Canyon which had the same hippie vibe I remembered from the 1980s. We stopped at a classic Topanga haunt, cafe mimosa. Perfect outing.
Filed under California, Los Angeles, Uncategorized
Thanks for being flexible Southwest Airlines
Another thing to love about Southwest: their flexibility. Yesterday when I realized that my connecting flight from Vegas to LA was going to be delayed yet another hour due to mechanical problems with the plane back in Tucson, I decided it was time to act. I tried to get on an earlier LAX flight which was oversold but the airline said I could give it a shot…and not loose my seat on my scheduled flight. No extra cost. No hassles. What a delightful change from other airlines which are rarely so flexible and would charge extra to change my ticket. Even more amazing, as i was,rushing back across the airport to see if I could get,on the earlier LAX flight, I passed a gate where a flight to Burbank was boarding. I remembered that my brother lived even closer to Burbank than LAX so,I dashed over to the desk, asked,if there were any seats left and once again, was told it was oversold but worth a try. A few minutes later , my name was called and an hour later I was at the Burbank airport when I got a,text saying my original flight still had not left Vegas. Even though Burbank was more expensive, no one said a word about charging me more or not letting me on the flight. Talk about a good way to build brand loyalty! meanwhile here (see photo) is the reason why I am now staying in a sweet bungalow in Toluca Lake with my brother and his family. Beautiful,area by the way. We walked in some lovely residential areas, passing houses owned by movie stars like Steve Carrell and even sawmthe house that was used as the exterior for the brady bunch!
Filed under airfare, Los Angeles, Uncategorized
Adventures with American Airlines
So we are flying home from Boston on Monday night, perfect weather (when there was supposed to be a storm) and we are feeling cautiously optimistic that we will get to Des Moines. At O’Hare we have to get from the end of terminal H to the end of terminal G to catch our next flight. a long haul debut we have time…about 40 minutes. after a few minutes, the monitor that just seconds ago showed our flight leaving on time at 9:40 pm now suddenly says it’s leaving at 11:40 pm, because our plane is due for an inspection. (at 9:30 pm??) This is not a good sign.
After waiting awhile, we are suddenly told our flight will leave at 10:30 from gate 7 so we leave gate 21 and head to 7, uprooting other passengers who are now told to move elsewhere. Before we can get comfy, we are next told to move back to Gate 20. Just before we board, the poor people en route to Madison who were reassigned to our original gate 21 (and presumably our original plane) are told their flight is now leaving at 6:30 am. Really? At least our ferry ride from Provincetown was a little calmer!
Filed under airfare, Uncategorized
Bye to Cape Cod
Our last day on Cape Cod was unambiguously gorgeous weather wise and no sudden downpours while we were riding our bikes through the dunes on the bike trails. It felt suddenly like fall, with crisp air, sharp sunlight, yellow and red leaves. Lovely. We ate again at the Lobster Pot, this time on the top floor with a spectacular view of the harbor, the curving stretch of tan sandy beach,and brilliant blue water with boats bobbing in the waves. Couldn’t resist the fried clams, again, at the Pot, but also tried fish and chips (we have eaten a lot of cod this trip. When in Rome) and the clam chowder. the fast ferry back to Boston was much easier on the stomach and head, with a lot less chop, thank god. From the World Trade Center we resisted the temptation to take a water taxi to Logan($10 per person) and took the silver line, which is an above ground bus to Logan. We figured out the transit system too late. We thought we bought a charliecard but instead bought a charlieticket and paid 50 cents more ride. Better explanation needed for tourists! Having recently used public transportation in Chicago, London, Berlin, Krakow, Prague and Washington DC I can speak with some authority on this. Anyway, great trip.
Filed under Boston, Massachusetts, Uncategorized
Provincetown lovely on a quiet October Monday
I hear this can be a wild and crazy and gay party town but not on a Monday night in early October. It’s still gay, of course. but quiet, almost peaceful, and I love it here. We are staying at a pretty old guesthouse, the Fairbanks Inn, a sea captains house from 1776 with pretty old furnishings, wide wood planked creaky floors, old fireplaces in rooms, pretty floral,wallpaper. We rented excellent bikes at Provincetown Bikes and set off on a sunny but increasingly overcast day on the terrific Eight mile bike trail through the dunes by Herring Cove and Race Point beach, past tidal marshes with wheat colored grasses blowing in wind and strands of pine and beech trees. A really lovely trail. IpUmfortunately about midday through it started to drizel and then it poured. We cowered under a tree but it didn’t give us much shelter and we got completed soaked. Then just as suddenly the sky turned blue and clear so we walked on lovely quintessential cape cod racepoint beach to dry off a bit.
Lunch was a shared lobster roll and fried clams, both excellent, at the Lobster Pot, an institution here, with good reason, with an excellent Harbor view. We had cold Portuguese french toast at the portugeuse bakery, oddly the only thing I remember about my last visit here 30 some years ago and a lovely dinner tonight at the classy but warm Red Inn (clams, cod, lobster-shrimp-crab cakes, a surprisingly light delicious cheese cake.The center of town is pretty tricky tacky but we liked the east and west ends of commercial street, which are more residential.
Our fast ferry was very bumpy, as we flew over massive waves but we made it. We went on bay state cruises which left not from long wharf, as we thought, but the pier behind the World Trade Center in, yesterday again, the seaport area.
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Filed under Boston, Massachusetts, Uncategorized
Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Seaport in Boston
I was somewhat relieved to find out that the seaport area where we have spent much of this trip in Boston did not look familiar NOT because of my rusty memory of living here 30 years ago but because it didn’t exist…at least in its current highly developed form. It’s a nice addition to a city that already has a lot to offer. We went to a wedding at Sam’s at Louis and then then next day to brunch at Miel in the Intercontinental hotel (excellent smoked salmon, cream cheese and bagel) and the new Institute of contemporary art (where we saw an interesting show of the work of Amy Stillman, whom i had not heard of but liked) all in the seaport area. it was easy to get back to Back Bay taking the Silver Line, a strange bus that goes underground in a tunnel more suited to a subway train, to the red line.
Earlier on Saturday, we walked from our friends fantastic apartment on Beacon Street through Back Bay and over to equally lovely Beacon Hill where we had coffee and pastry at outdoor tables at Cafe Vanille, on Charles Street and later lunch of thin crust pizza at Fig, the Todd English restaurant. Also managed to remember Louisburg Square, one of the loveliest old squares in the city with streets with large round cobblestones, paving blocks and red brick sidewalks. (See photo) Reminds me of London. We had a good Persian meal at Lala Rokh in Beacon Hill to celebrate a friends birthday.
Our first day in Boston, we took the subway blue then green) to Copley square and then went in reverse to north station where we got the commuter train to our relatives house in Swampscott.
Filed under Boston, Massachusetts, Uncategorized
Red Coat Tavern burger and Rays ice cream- suburban Detroit
One might get the impression that all I am doing during this visit to suburban Detroit is eating which isn’t entirely true but not sure you really want a blow by blow account of the molasses slow days in the Intensive care Unit of William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. Food, even more than usual,
has been my main source of comfort and entertainment, hence you get yet another gastro post. We went last night to a place on Woodward Avenue I must have passed a bazillion times and not noticed. The Redcoat Tavern. That’s the downside of having a business on a retail-lined main drag. Takes a lot to get noticed. it’s got a faux New England exterior of grey narrow wood slats and a Redcoat portrait. inside it feels like a warm and cozy pub with lots of red leather and wood and really superb burgers…hulking patties of beef cooked as rare as you want (a rare find, mine was pink enough that the bun was a bit gooey from the juice) and thick battered onion rings, a great beer list. perfect place to unwind from the real world of a hospital.
another good place to do that is Ray’s ice cream on Coolidge where I did the highly unusual and went for a “kids cup” by myself that was about four heaping scoops packed into a paper cup for $3. Cannot imagine how much ice cream the adult cup holds. but as comfort food goes, it did the trick. I had chocolate with bits of malted balls and coffee with bits of heath bars.
Filed under Detroit, DINING, Uncategorized
Farmers Market at Beaumont. hospital in royal Oak, Michigan
Surprised to find a farmers market outside Beaumont Hospital where I am spending the day awaiting my fathers surgery to be completed. Nice idea and picked up some blueberries. Also a
Surprisingly good cafe inside the hospital, the Mackimac Cafe, with an excellent tuna sandwichand peanut butter cookies. Bakery looked great. Takes the edge off to have this. Comfort food when we need it
Filed under Detroit, DINING, Uncategorized
