It was cold last Wednesday so we braved a bike ride along the wash near St. Phillips Plaza at Campbell and River, riding west. Nice level ride but it was cold riding into the wind. For lunch we ate at the former Chopped, now Choice Greens, or some such. As good as ever. That night we ate at Zin Burger – big juicy rare burger but pricey. Tuesday night, we had a good meal – pizza and salad at Vivace Pizza (in st. Phillips Plaza) Best part of Tucson: Being with my dad!
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vivace pizza, biking along the rillito trail near St. Phillips square Plaza, chopped (now choice greens) and zin burger
Filed under Arizona, Tucson, Uncategorized
Other highlights along Highway 6 east through Grinnell, Brooklyn and Homestead Iowa!
During our next road trip along Highway 6 in central Iowa, I must remember to check out:
In Grinnell, Relish, an interesting-looking restaurant in a spruced up old Victorian house at 4th and Park. Apparently it’s brand new and touts its “local foods, global flavors.” Word has it you can find out the name of the farmer who raised the cow you’re eating… (During our visit last Saturday, we had very good coffee and cappuccino in town at Saints Rest coffee. Near closing time at 5 p.m. the nice kid working behind the counter offered coffee on the house.)
In Brooklyn, (Iowa), the Brooklyn Pharmacy building – which appears to be a good antique shop – and SkyDive Iowa– an outfit just outside town with the catchy phone number 522-JUMP.
In Marengo, we found a new antique shop that was open at 6 p.m. on a Saturday night – it’s called Country Arts and Antiques and had some cool stuff including art by local farmers and an ancient leather steamer trunk.
We also drove along the quaint main drag of the small village of Homestead, in the Amana Colonies, which had more tourist draws than I remembered from visits long ago, including an inn, b&b, cider mill and restaurant.
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a few St. Louis ideas
A few St. Louis ideas, by request:
– The last two times I went, we spent most of our time around Wash U. and went to a Cardinals game.
– I went to the old garden district one very hot sweltering day for lunch.
– then there’s the arch of course. and a new-ish downtown sculpture garden near by.
– The beer garden (Busch beer) we went to was at Grant’s Farm but doesn’t appear to be open until april: http://www.grantsfarm.com/TheBauernhof.htm
– fun fact re The Hill neighborhood (italian) in St. Louis (which I haven’t been to):
“It’s so crowded nobody goes there anymore.” This was said by Yogi Berra about Ruggeri’s (a Hill neighborhood restaurant) where he and Joe Garagiola had worked as waiters, which had become so popular that his old friends couldn’t get in anymore.
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2012 hot spots: Bocas del Toro and Dominican Republic’s Samana Pennisula
I was surprised to see two fairly obscure places we’ve visited on the NYTimes Travel sections list of 45 places to go in 2012. But I have to agree with them:
#1 was Panama including Panama City and Bocas del Toro. Lower down the list was Las Terrenas, a village on the Samaná Peninsula, Dominican Republic (although no mention of the cool, low-key place where we stayed in 1990 or thereabouts: “The Hotel Tropic Banana” in Las Terrenas, which I gather from my googling is still there – although place seems more built up than when we visited.)
Below are the details.
1. Panama
Go for the canal. Stay for everything else.
It’s been 12 years since Panama regained control of its canal, and the country’s economy is booming. Cranes stalk the skyline of the capital, Panama City, where high-rises sprout one after the next and immigrants arrive daily from around the world. Among those who have landed en masse in recent years are American expatriates and investors, who have banked on Panamanian real estate by building hotels and buying retirement homes. The passage of the United States-Panama free trade agreement in October is expected to accelerate this international exchange of people and dollars (the countries use the same currency).
Among the notable development projects is the Panama Canal itself, which is in the early stages of a multibillion-dollar expansion. The project will widen and deepen the existing canal and add two locks, doubling the canal’s cargo capacity. For those who want to see the waterway as it was originally designed, now is the time. The expansion is expected to be completed by 2014, the canal’s 100-year anniversary.
Other high-profile projects include the construction of three firsts: The Panamera, the first Waldorf Astoria hotel in Latin America (set to open in June 2012); the Trump Ocean Club, the region’s tallest building, which opened last summer; and Frank Gehry’s first Latin American design, the BioMuseo, a natural history museum scheduled to open in early 2013. Even Panama City’s famously dilapidated historic quarter, Casco Viejo, has been transformed. The neighborhood, a tangle of narrow streets, centuries-old houses and neo-colonial government buildings, was designated a Unesco World Heritage site in 1997 and is now a trendy arts district with galleries, coffeehouses, street musicians and some of the city’s most stylish restaurants and boutique hotels.
Across the isthmus, on Panama’s Caribbean coast, the Bocas del Toro archipelago has become a popular stop on the backpacker circuit, with snorkeling and zip lining by day and raucous night life after dark. FREDA MOON
2) Samaná Peninsula, Dominican Republic (although no mention of the cool, low-key place where we stayed in 1990 or thereabouts: “The Hotel Tropic Banana” in Las Terrenas.)
Unspoiled beaches, but not for long.
For years, the Samaná Peninsula on the northeast coast of the Dominican Republic was one of the Caribbean’s remaining natural holdouts, largely untouched because of its remote location. But an international airport, El Catey, built near the peninsula’s base a few years ago and, more recently, a highway that shortened the drive from Santo Domingo to two hours from five, are bringing new development.
Balcones del Atláantico, a RockResort that opened last May in the village of Las Terrenas, is the newest luxury resort on the peninsula. Its 86 two- and three-bedroom villas start at $500 a night, supplying a cushy base from which to explore ecotourism. The Peninsula House, a plantation-style estate with just six suites from $580 a night, was named a 2011 Grand Award winner by Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report. And Auberge Resort’s’ Casa Tropicalia , with 44 beachfront suites and an open-air spa on Samaná Bay, is to open in 2014.
There are plenty of off-resort attractions, too. Just last month, Bravaro Runners, an adventure tour operator, opened a new zip-line tour consisting of 20 platforms and 10 zip-lines.
Go now, before the crowds arrive. MICHELLE HIGGINS
Filed under Dominican Republic, Panama, Uncategorized
Next likely travel adventure: Peru
When we were in Hawaii, a fellow traveler at a b&B asked us what are next trip would be? We told him, wherever our son studies abroad next year, most likely Chile. Now our son says he’s taking his semester abroad this fall – and wants to go to….Peru. So Peru it is.
Yet again, it’s a place I know little about so I’m starting to collect some string – including these bits culled from VBT’s catalog of walking and biking tours:
– Itinerary: Fly to cusco/transfer to Sacred Valley/Oilantaytambo – Pisac Ruins/Moray Terrarces/Maras/Cuyuni Community/trek Machu Picchu, Cusco, Tambomachay/Puka Pukara/Sacsayhuaman…
– Machu Picchu view from the sun gate. stay at Inkaterra, trek Inca trail or ride Vistadome narrow gauge rail.
– Urubamba Valley
– Sacred Valley/Oilantaytambo (stay at Casa Andina PC Valle sagrado)
– Pisac
– Inca Trail
– Cusco – stay at Casa andina Private Collection Cuso
-Cuyuni market; Colonia Cusco, a UNESCO world Heritage Site, sampling chica (native corn beer) and Andean weaving.
– Lima – Ramada costa Del Sol Lima (day room)
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On Valencia in the Mission District of San Francisco
So we walk into a cheese bar (Mission Cheese) in the Mission District of San Francisco and there, sitting the bar, is the owner/operator of The Cheese Shop, a cheese and wine bar that just opened in my neighborhood in Des Moines. I had just been telling my friend S. about it. How strange is that? Apparently there is a “good food” event going on here – a trade show for foodies – so maybe that’s why he is here. We said hello and wen toff to our respective cheese plates.
Also on or near Valencia Street, we visited Paxton Gate gift shop, Bi-Rite Creamery (for ice cream), Cafe Tartine. We also walked past an old favorite, Delfine pizza.
Yesterday, we went to the Ferry Building for the farmer’s market and strolled by the stalls inside. Produce is far pricier than my friend’s neighborhood farmers market near the Sunset district ($3.50 vs. $1 for a pound of satsumas ) but can’t beat the scenery (overlooking the bay vs. a mall parking lot.) Next stop, Potrero Hill area – had coffee, popped in and out of various shop including Christopher’s book shop (where I got an advance copy of a new nonfiction book I’ve wanted for $1.) Also walked down the Vallejo steps in North Beach – beautiful.
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Glorious san francisco – greetings from The Sunset
I’ve lucked into beautiful weather in San Francisco where I have already made one shopping trip in the Chinese neighborhood near my friend S&E’s lovely house in the Sunset neighborhood. I’ve bought a few cheap Chinese ceramic bowls to replace the ones I bought when I was last here four years ago (that broke) and bought my favorite dried apricots from the market at 22nd and Irving. Also picked up some hummus at the Sunrise Deli, a terrific middle eastern place on Irving.
Imagine walking your dog every morning in Golden Gate Park. I live vicariously by joining S on her morning walk of her sweet mutt.
Last night we went for Indian food – very good – at Bistro Roti in West Portal neighborhood.
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Iolani Palace – Elton John sighting at Alan Wong’s –
I knew when a very suave guy in a pink sport jacket with a folded handkerchief in his front pocket arrived with a group of about seven other equally interestingly-dressed people walked into Alan Wong’s – the famous foodie hotspot in Honolulu – that someone famous was part of this group. And there he was: Elton John. The entire restaurant played it cool – and no one made a fuss. But it was astonishing to sit at the table next to a singer I’ve listened to since I was a teenager – over 30 years. The pink sport jacket guy turned out to be Elton’s husband (at last, my People Mag reading comes in handy.)
Beyond that, the food and service at Alan Wong’s was terrific – he does very creative takeoffs on traditional Hawaiian dishes, which we appreciated after almost 10 days of getting to know what those dishes are. We had a very unique take on poke (my favorite Hawaiian food) and a very clever “coconut” – coconut sorbet inside a chocolate brittle crust resembling a half coconut shell, served with a few native fruits and a yellow tangy sauce. Wow. We also had very good short ribs (we’ve eaten a lot of pork this trip) and red snapper in a miso sauce with corn and mushrooms, fantastic garlic mashed potatoes (one thing we never ate was poi. next time.) And I had the best mojito I’ve ever had (not that I’ve had many but this one had bits of watermelon in it and tons of mint.)
Earlier in the day, I toured the Iolani Palace and then wandered around Chinatown where I found a fantastic char siu place – a tiny hole-in-the-wall called, aptly, Char Siu House. The char siu pork was chopped behind the counter and served on a bed or rice with steamed greens. A Hawaiian food tour group prompted stopped by and the guide introduced the place as the best char siu in Hawaii. Who knew? Around the block I stopped at Summer Frappes for a smoothie – mange, pineapple and kiwi. And thought of my friend Myra as I passed Myra’s Leis across the street.
Today, I toured Doris Duke’s phenomenal estate Shangra La, packed with Islamic art and artifacts on a glorious four-acre spit of land in a posh Honolulu neighborhood then D and I rented a car (dollar rental $48) and drove to the north shore to Hale’iwa, a fun funky surfer town, where we had a good burger and fries at Kua’aina sandwich shop and then made an obligatory stop at Matsumo’s grocery store for shaved ice. There was a surfer competition at sunset beach and watching the surfers try to make it through enormous waves and the famous Bonzai Pipeline (where the surfer rides inside a tunnel of water created by the wave as it arches up and over and then onto the water – was mesmirizing. The drive itself all the way around the island was gorgeous and next time I’d love to do some hiking around Waimea Valley, which is a gorgeous area of jagged mountains and valleys. I was somewhat underwhelmed by Kailua but the beach did have the most perfectly soft sand I’ve ever walked upon – it turned to a soft paste when wet. After dirck left tonight (i leave tomorrow for san francisco, he had to go home) I found a perfect place to eat alone – the counter at a japanese noodle restaurant near our restaurant called Ramen Ezogiku.
Tonight, before D left, we snuck in one last drink (I was back to maitais, dirck has stuck with Kona beer) at the Hosue without a Key – a lovely outdoor bar at the elegant Halekuia hotel next door. Three hula musicians and a beautiful woman dancing hula performed – a perfect way to say a reluctant goodbye to hawaii. Aloha.
I’ve loved this trip!
Filed under Hawaii, Uncategorized
From Hilo to Honolulu – one world to the next
Suddenly we are on the Las Vegas strip – or so it seems – which is a bit of a shock after being in much more low-key communities including Volcano and Hilo for the past week. We arrived here at about 5:30 p.m. and I haven’t figured out yet where one hotel ends and the next begins – or even where exactly our hotel ends since it seems to be an endless shopping mall that has engulfed our hotel. But it’s all good – interesting in its own way.
Hilo turned out to be much nicer once we got out of the car and started walking around (at first glance, when driving through a few days ago, it looked grimy and gritty.) Today it looked funky and charming. The farmers market was a densely packed assortment of stalls selling gorgeous flowers, vegetables and fruit – only some of which I could name – and all manner of homemade concoctions from pad thai to various semin (sp?) – a flipino sweet that’s sort of a pressed patty of coconut, rice and who knows what else wrapped inside a banana leaf. We visited a mochi shop – Two Ladies kitchen I think was the name – that is known as having the best mochi in all of hawaii. It’s a tiny place where it’s made fresh and although I don’t like this japanese sweet that much I bought a piece in honor of my sister-in-law Heather who loves it and first introduced me to it (she lived in Japan for awhile.) We also got great Poki – raw tuna lightly dressed in sesame oil and I dont’ know what else) at Ocean Sushi which is a popular spot w/locals (we found out about it by asking a local where to find Poki.)
We ate our meal – including our new favorite Hawaiian fruit, apple bananas – near the waterfront in the Lilipxxxx. (can’t remember the spelling) park with its lovely startling green lawns and japanese gardens and palm trees and little coconut island where signs warned us to beware of coconuts falling on our heads. A bunch of dare devil boys did dives and back flips off an old ruin of a ledge near the harbor. Can’t imagine what it must be like to grow up here.
Our flight to Honolulu was quick and uneventful – good viewing from the plane window of the other islands en route to Oahu. We had a fantastic dinner tonight at another place popular with locals – the Side Street Inn. The place was packed and we can tell why – we had the special fried rice with the bits of char sui pork, vegetables and amazing sizzling korean short ribs atop sautéed vegetables. The couple next to us turned out to be farmers from Illinois so we shared our food with them and they shared theirs with us since the portions were so enormous and we ended up sharing a cab back to Waikiki Beach with them. (We’re here for a national farm conference…so lots of farmers around, and lots of very well-heeled looking japanese people.)
One bummer: I seem to be missing my cell phone cord so that may mess up things a bit. Will work around it if need be.
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Into the volcano – on Hawaii’s Big Island
Sometimes it looks like the top of a very crusty pan of brownies. Other times, like the dark rough folds of a rhinocerous or elephant. That’s what came to mind as we were walking across the other-worldly surface of the Kileau Iki crater. It was also easy to imagine a sci-fi film crew suddenly appearing to take in the scene.
The four-mile hike on a glorious sunny day did not disappoint. We made our way along a path zigzagging through dense tropical vegetation down into the black barren wasteland of the crater surface where we walked right straight across. The only guide were cairns (stacks of rocks) scattered at various points to let us know where to go, sort of.
The drive down to the sea – Chain of Craters Drive – was spectacular. It took us 19 miles first through forest, then through lava-flattened and blackened fields and then to an overlook where way down below the ocean crashed up against more cliffs. Winding down another level towards the ocean we looked back at the green mountains we’d just been standing on and could see stretches that were blackened by lava flowing to the sea. The last 11 miles of the drive are closed due to previous eruption damage and there was no active lava flow but we did have not one drop of rain, which I gather is somewhat unusual. In fact, it’s only rained for a few hours during our six days here.
We also stopped in at the art gallery next to the visitors center in the park which was full of terrific stuff – koa wood bowls, painted gourds, wood block prints, wooden furniture, paintings – but all too expensive fur us. At 4 p.m. we had lunch – sharing a tuna melt at the pleasantly funky lava rock cafe and waited for my laundry to dry at the nearby Volcano Wash and Dry. After a brief stop in the hot tub here, we’re off to see some hula dancing back at the park on the grounds of the military base there.
The Kileau Lodge, by the by, did a MUCH better job with breakfast this morning (than dinner last night). We enjoyed sitting by the old stone fireplace with plaques set into it from YMCAs all over the world. And the food was well prepared and served.
Filed under Hawaii, Uncategorized
TakeBetsywithyou 