Travel Alaska
Sunday, January 18, 2009
While getting the mail this weekend I noticed a letter with a giant Seal of the State from Alaska and the Office of the Governer. Quickly I opened it thinking, wow Governer Sarah Palin must be congratulating me for helping defeat her and John McCain but no instead it was a travel brochure request. Interesting that Palin would use a photo of herself, I would think a moose, whale or sled dog would have been much better. Over the last 4 months we have all learned that Sarah Palin loves the attention and will do anything to remain in the spotlight and that includes pimping out her own state.
I have been to Alaska twice, once to the interior where I stayed in Anchorage, went whale watching in the Kenai Peninsula and flew around Mt. McKinley. The 2nd time was on a cruise where we walked on a glacier, canoed thru a rainforest and rode bikes thru the changing elevations. Alaska is a beautiful state and one I would definitely go back to but pleas from Sarah will not bring me there. Sorry Sarah I am not giving up my information to your "travel dept" because if I know anything about Alaska and their local politics this information would only be used by you to further advance your crazy agenda.
Posted by mardenhill 1/18/2009 11:53:00 AM 0 comments
Vegas Recap
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Well Erika and I made it out of Vegas without any issues (other than lighter pockets and fine food hangover). The flight out was surprisingly easy considering that it was the day before Thanksgiving. We made it from the parking deck, thru check in and security within 45 minutes which was a record for us. We landed in Chicago for a few hour layover (courtesy of booking 1 week before leaving) and had some lunch. Same here, O'hare was not that crowded and the scene of what you would expect for the day before a holiday. Anyways we landed in Vegas and made it to our hotel where we dropped our stuff off and headed over to Zine Noodles and Dim Sum for a late lunch. The food was good a bit over priced tho but its Vegas. That night we had dinner at Emeril's Table 10 where I had the lobster pot pie. You had huge bits of lobster mixed with veggies in a creme sauce topped with a flaky pastry crust. It was very good and one I would definitely have again.
On Thursday we had lunch at San Marco's Enoteca which is a Mario Batalli restaurant. We split a salad and pizza. That night we ate at Bouchon where I had a turkey dinner fancy french style. It was very good but we were more intrigued with the table next to us. It was full of young asians who probably spent over $1000 for their dinner. They had a few nice bottles of wine and a huge seafood appetizer. We left before they had dessert so who knows what would have been ordered.
Friday we ate at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grille for lunch where I had a shrimp tamale appetizer that was freaking amazing. Next I had the chicken tacos which you had to build yourself. The flavors were intense and really made the dish. I would have to say this was my favorite meal so far and in the end the best. We will definitely visit Mesa Grille in the future, next time for dinner. Friday night we had dinner at Michael Mina's SeaBlue in the MGM. I had the Artic Char which was very good but light on the seasoning. I think I was expecting a little bit more but it was still good none the less. We also had a wine pairing with each course which finished with a port for dessert. I was surprised at the wine list for SeaBlue, it was full of affordable bottles not just overpriced luxury like some other places.
Between our restaurants we did hit the casinos where we probably broke even. We didn't gamble much, just some penny, nickle and a few quarter slots. We also made our way down to the largest souvenir shop in the world where we found some really tacky and quite cool gifts.
We already have a list of restaurants for our next trip but won't be for a while. I love Vegas but need some time between visits.
Posted by mardenhill 11/30/2008 11:18:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Travel
Vegas
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Next week Erika and I are off to Vegas for a few days and will be staying at the Venetian which is one of my favorite hotels on the strip. We are leaving Wednesday for 3 nights and will be spending Thanksgiving out in Sin City. Last year I stayed at the Venetian for a week while out in Vegas for work. Unfortunately I never really got to enjoy the hotel since the majority of the time was spent in a windowless conference room in the basement. I decided the next time I went to Vegas we would stay at the Venetian. Usually its out of our price range but we were able to get 3 nights for $423, which is a steal since they are usually no less than $250 just for one night.
We are not big gamblers so when we go to Vegas its for the food and restaurants. Wednesday night we have reservations at Emeril Lagasse's Table 10 and on Thursday we will be dining at Bouchon for Thanksgiving. Friday night we will check out one of Michael Mina's restaurants SeaBlue which looks to be very interesting. We will also try to get over to Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill for lunch either Thursday or Friday. I will keep you posted with our daily adventures.
http://www.palazzolasvegas.com/table10.aspx
http://www.bouchonbistro.com/
http://www.mgmgrand.com/dining/seablue-mediterranean-restaurant.aspx
http://www.mesagrill.com/lasvegas/
Posted by mardenhill 11/23/2008 04:12:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Riedel Vitis
Friday, August 22, 2008
It's a late posting but I still wanted to get it done. I wanted to thank Erika for my anniversary present last weekend which was a set of Riedel Vitis Riesling glasses. The wine glasses are very cool and they are quite tall with a tight pull at the bottom. This is a new series for Riedel and my favorite so far. The Pinot Noir has a more pronounced V style which separates these glasses from others and you can see the whole line at the website below. I think the Pinot will be my next glass to get.
August 16th was our 5 year anniversary and this weekend we are going up to Traverse City for a couple days. We plan on checking out a few new vineyards as well as dinner at Stellas.
http://riedel.com/
http://galiantdemos.com/stellatc.php
Posted by mardenhill 8/22/2008 10:32:00 AM 0 comments
Holiday Weekend
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Due to an exam on Thursday my holiday weekend was cut short but oh well, I still had a good time. I met Erika up at her parents on Friday where we hung out on the lake. On saturday we went up to Traverse City for the day and saw part of the Blue Angel's air show. Unfortunately the air show dragged on way to long and really not being too interested we took off early and hit the vineyards. We stopped into Blackstar Farms and L. Mawby for a few good bottles and samples. From there we met up with Erika's sister and her friends for dinner at a great restaurant in Sutton's Bay called Samuels. Now that we are back home its time to work in the yard and get to all the weeding and mowing I have neglected over the past couple weeks.
Posted by mardenhill 7/06/2008 02:08:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Cleveland Weekend
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
This past weekend Erika and I went to Cleveland for a quick getaway and had a great time. The 1st photo is from the Cleveland Indians baseball game where they beat the Toronto Blue Jays 12-0. We had a couple Toronto fans a few rows in front of us and they were pretty embarrassed. The stadium is nice, it holds about 40K but feels smaller than that. The basketball stadium is right next door and with the Cav's in the playoffs and playing this past Saturday, the city and that area was booming.
The 2nd photo is of Lola's an excellent restaurant we went to Friday night. We called about a week before and were able to get a reservation. The owner Michael Symon is now the newest Iron Chef and since then, business at the restaurant has picked up big time. The food is heavy on the meat side with a few fish choices. The style is a bit of midwestern, home cooking prepared in an upscale manner. I had duck which was very good and we split a key lime dessert which was amazing. The wine list was pretty extensive and we had a bottle of Peter Franus Napa Valley Zinfandel which I highly recommend. The wine comes in at 16.2% and sneaks up on you.
The final photo is of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. We spent over 3.5 hrs inside and didn't really see everything. Its next to impossible to read every display and watch all the videos but we did a good job at seeing a good chunk of things. They focus on the 60s with large exhibits devoted to Janis Joplin, The Doors, Jimmy Hendrix and touch on the beginnings as well as the 70s, 80s and early 90s. They have outfits from David Bowie as well as Madonna and Michael Jackson. It was amusing to watch some baby boomers stare at the exhibit that focused on Seattle and the grunge era. They were at a loss regarding Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Tad, Mudhoney and Pearl Jam. There were large gaps of the music history that I personally feel should be represented but the museum is only so big. I do hope they broaden their 80s section and expand on more than just the New York scene.
We really enjoyed Cleveland and would definitely go back. Its only a 3 hr drive and the city is pretty easy to get around. We parked our car at the hotel the whole weekend and walked everywhere.
Posted by mardenhill 5/13/2008 09:34:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: Travel
Cleveland Rocks
Friday, May 09, 2008
This afternoon Erika and I are heading to Cleveland for a quick weekend getaway. Tonight we are having dinner at Lola's, a very cool restaurant that was featured on Anthony Bourdain's travel show as well as the home of the newly minted Iron Chef. Tomorrow its off to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame and a Cleveland Indian's baseball game. Then its back home on Sunday where I will have to work in the yard and study for a math exam. I will post an update on our trip when we return.
Posted by mardenhill 5/09/2008 11:43:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Traverse City
Monday, October 29, 2007
Erika and I went up to Traverse City to see her sister and had a great weekend. We ate at the Blue Tractor a bar/grill that had some amazing mac n cheese and old man beer for $1.50 after 9pm. I got a can of Carling Black Label and a draft of Old Style, it doesn't get much better than that.
Saturday we started at some hippy restaurant where I had french toast which was ok but not groundbreaking. Everyone else enjoyed their food so I won't completely write off the establishment. It had some funky name but I can't remember and they are selling the place so I guess it really doesn't matter. From there we made our way to Fishtown an area right on Lake Michigan in Leeland. This was very cool, a bunch of old shacks with stores, a bar and fish monger. Our next stop were the vineyards, went to BlackStar Farms which is always fun and full of good wine. We bought a Chardonnay and Late Harvest Reisling from them. From there we made our way to Shady Lane, a new vineyard for me and I was impressed. Although we only bought a bottle of their Estate Reisling, I did enjoy a number of their other wines. Our final stop was L Mawby, my favorite vineyard up in Traverse City, its all sparklings and the people who run it are very cool. We splurged here and bought a bottle of their Talismon which was $30. We also picked up a couple Blanc de Blancs which are very good and reasonable at $18. Although you can get Domaine Chandon for $12 at Costco, I do like supporting our MI vineyards and would buy L Mawby if its available.
After the L Mawby we went back over to Leeland where we watched the sunset on the beach and enjoyed a bottle of the Blanc de Blanc. I left my camera at home so I only had my phone but you get the point.
The weather sucked on Saturday until 3pm when it stopped raining and the sun came back out. Sunday was great and made for an easy drive back home.
http://www.blackstarfarms.com/
http://www.shadylanecellars.com/ourStory.asp
http://www.lmawby.com/
http://www.bluetractorcookshop.com/
Posted by mardenhill 10/29/2007 09:30:00 AM 0 comments
Life In Vegas
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Here are a couple photos of our room (and where Joe and I have spent the majority of our time here in Vegas). Its actually quiet right now, everyone has vacated for one reason or another. Give it 20 minutes and it will be full once again. Actually went outside today, hadn't been since Friday nite and its damn cold. Its hotter back in MI which blows me away. Had a good dinner last nite, we ate at the grill at Valentino, its the cheaper part of the main restaurant. Still a bit pricey but it did fall into our per Diem for the day.
http://www.venetian.com/VALENTINOGRILL.aspx
Posted by mardenhill 10/07/2007 05:12:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Emeril
Saturday, October 06, 2007
While taking a short lunch break today, we had our first celebrity sighting and it was none other than Emeril Lagasse. We were sitting at the Enoteca San Marco and Emeril walked thru behind us. At first we were not sure if it was him but when he came back out and past our table we got a better look and heard him speak. Weather wise, its pretty cold out here, in the high 60s low 70s. You would think the desert would be warmer but a cold front moved in paralyzing the city.
http://www.venetian.com/ENOTECA.aspx
Posted by mardenhill 10/06/2007 06:14:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Las Vegas
Friday, October 05, 2007
I am hanging out at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas for the next 5 days and will be blogging intermittently. Not here for a vacation tho, out here for work and the majority of the time will be spent in a windowless conference room maintaining the local network. Joe and I arrived yesterday and today spent the whole morning setting up the network. I will post some photos of our room so you can enjoy the scenery alongside us.
Posted by mardenhill 10/05/2007 03:42:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
I'd Rather Go To Hell Than Texas
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
This shirt sums up our last 24 hours and I am thinking of ordering one. Our trip was great except for our return home. Our plane left late out of Portland putting us a behind. The storms in Houston our connecting hub were so bad the airport was closed. We finally land and were stuck out on the runway waiting for a gate to open. Mind you, we are already behind schedule and had to catch a connecting flight back to Detroit. By the time we made it off the plane and down to the other end of the terminal we missed our plane by 5 minutes. Our luggage made it but not us. So it was off to the Continental service desk where the unfriendly people told us there wasn't a flight until tomorrow and due to weather they wouldn't give us any food vouchers or hotel. Even though we were late coming in with repairs in Portland, they decided it wasn't their responsibility. They did give us a number to call for a discounted rate which we did. We made it over to the seedy Econo Lodge where we hung out for a total of 8 hrs. We had to make a run to Walgreens to grab a few things since the only things we had on us were our carry ons. After dinner at the local IHOP and about 2.5 hrs of sleep (the beds were awful) we were back to the George Bush International airport for our 7am flight. Luckily we made it ontime (the driver from the Econo Lodge showed up 30 minutes late to work) and onto our plane. So our travels started out at 7am Monday with a 2 hr drive to Portland, a long flight and overnite stay in Houston with a final return time of 12pm today. Had to call into work and spend extra money all because the bastards at Continental screwed us over. Houston is their hub and the majority of people on our plane had to catch flights but that didn't bother them.
So I hate Houston, TX, Continental Airlines and George Bush International Airport.
Posted by mardenhill 9/04/2007 08:37:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Our Trip To Oregon
We had a great time this past weekend out in Oregon, went to Powells where we bought some great books and checked out US Outdoors. I love this store, it has all the camping, hiking, skiing, surfing etc gear and all at a discounted price. Tack on the no sales tax in Oregon and you have yourself a great deal. I have been wanting the new North Face Red Point jacket and saved over $30 by getting it out there. We also picked up some Sigg water bottles which are much better than Nalgene. You don't get that plastic water taste with these and they are lightweight and sturdy. I ended up with 3 pounds of coffee beans and 1 bottle of wine as well. So all and all, a very good trip.
Getting back to the reason we were out there, my friends Tonya and Karl were getting married. The ceremony was great, it was outdoor at the Eugene rose garden and the reception was at a park where they had a bluegrass band playing. And to throw tradition to the wind, Tonya and Karl had a bicycle precession with all their friends riding the bike path along the Williamette River.
It was great to see all our friends out west and spend some time catching up with ones we hadn't seen in years.
http://www.usoutdoorstore.com/
Posted by mardenhill 9/04/2007 08:16:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Off To Oregon
Friday, August 31, 2007
Well we are off to Oregon for a long weekend, we have a wedding to attend. I doubt I will be posting before Monday but you never know. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend and more when witty insights when I return.
Posted by mardenhill 8/31/2007 08:28:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Recap Of Our Vacation
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Well our trip started off with a bang, we flew Northwest who was in the middle of a labor dispute. Luckily we had a crew for our flight and made our way onto the plane. From there we sat for over an hour due to inclement weather, i.e. it was storming and lightning while we were sitting in a big sardine can. We finally made it to Baltimore where we picked up our rental. I got the car thru a great deal with my MBNA worldperks card and had to book a small suv to get the price. I figured I would negotiate when I made it to the counter to get a smaller car but they wanted to charge me. I was willing to take a 4 door car instead but they said no. So I was stuck with a Chevy Equinox which wasn't that bad of a vehicle. It did have XM which I listened to Fred, Ethel, Lucy and a couple other stations non stop the whole time. I did hate parking the beast of a car and how much gas it sucked up. I was glad to turn it back in and go back to my focus.
So we left Baltimore and headed towards Philly which took forever due to construction. We hit 5 different zones within 100 miles, it was crazy. Philly was fun tho, we saw Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and Reading Market. It was 91 degrees and humid so our walking around the city was cut a bit short. We did find a really cool restaurant by the name of Swanky Bubbles. It was a sushi and champagne bar where we had an excellent meal. The next morning it was pouring rain so we skipped the last couple places in Philly and headed south towards the beaches in Delaware.
Our hotel was in Lewes and the wedding in Primehook Beach which was about 25 minutes north. We were only 5 miles from Rehobeth Beach but at times took almost 30 minutes to get to due to traffic. There is a huge boardwalk with food, games and carnie rides. The wedding was amazing since it was at the house and ceremony on the beach. We had excellent weather along with food and alcohol all nite. One of the highlights was the bottle of Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1996 we broke open. It was an amazing champagne and we did a taste test against the Pol Roger Brut Réserve Non-Vintage. Hands down the 1996 blew it away but it was fun to taste the different levels. We also ate lots and I mean lots of Maryland crab all weekend. I thought I would be crabbed out but I am ready for another round. I will post a few pics later today once I get all the photos copied to my computer.
http://www.swankybubbles.com/
http://www.polroger.co.uk/champagne.php?name=cuvee_churchill
http://www.jerrys-seafood.com/index.htm
I had the 6oz Firecracker crab bomb, all seasoned lump meat and good to the last bite. I could eat one of those at least once a week for the rest of my life.......
Posted by mardenhill 7/03/2007 09:21:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Off To Philly
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
We are off to Philly for a few days and onto Delaware for a wedding so postings may be sparce or non existent until Monday. Lets hope Northwest have their act together and don't cancel our flight, they have been doing so for the last 4 days.
Posted by mardenhill 6/27/2007 09:12:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
Photos From Our Trip
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Here is a shot from Anne Amie Vineyards and I feel that their view rivals many in Napa. The wine is amazing as well, you have some outstanding Pinot Noirs, Viogniers and Pinot Gris to choose from. We picked up a bottle of the 2003 Deux Vert Vineyards Pinot Noir. We also visited Elk Cove Vineyards where we bought another Pinot and late harvest Riesling. Our final stop on the wine trail was Argyle who specializes in sparklings. We bought a Blanc de Blanc from them.
http://www.anneamie.com/
http://www.elkcove.com/
http://www.argylewinery.com/
Here we are at Pike Street Market up in Seattle. This is the famous fish tossing stand which was jam packed the day we were there.
This is another Seattle landmark, the troll that lives under the Freemont Bridge. And yes, that was a real VW Bug the troll is crushing. I would hate to live on the street next to the troll since its always covered with tourists.
Posted by mardenhill 5/31/2007 09:07:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Travel
Back From Oregon
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
We made it back from Oregon last nite and now I am back at work. I will post some photos later tonight/tomorrow of the trip. We checked out some very cool vineyards, went to Seattle and Portland. I brought back lots of good coffee and wine and we also got some artwork for our spare bedroom.
Posted by mardenhill 5/30/2007 09:33:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
My Day In Kalamazoo
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Erika had a baby shower to attend today in Galesburg which is a city outside of Kalamazoo. Both of us went to college at Western Michigan University which is located in Kalamazoo, one of the best cities in Michigan. I dropped Erika off at her girlfriend's house and got back on the road to head in the Kzoo. 10 minutes later I was at the Kalamazoo Brewing Company (Bells) for a beer. Bells is my favorite beer of all time, it is the best microbrew in the country and I would say the best in the world. Half my college career was spent at the brewery and I still drink their beer to this day. Unfortunately they didn't have wi-fi so I had a beer and took off. The beer I had was their Thumpin Pumpkin, by far the best pumpkin ale I have ever had. I used to think Old Penninsula, a small microbrew/restaurant in Kzoo had the best, but not anymore. Bell just started up a pumpkin ale this November and I loved it. They don't bottle it so its only at the brewery which is disappointing. Bells also has a kitchen but its open and staffed by a bunch of dirty hippies with dreads so I decided i would skip lunch.
Posted by mardenhill 1/06/2007 02:25:00 PM 0 comments
World 66
Monday, January 01, 2007
create your own personalized map of the USA
I snagged this link off another blog Chez Bez so I would like to give him credit for the find. Its a pretty cool site, you can log all your world travels. Above is a map of all the states I have been to. Out of the 35, I think 4 are kinda iffy. In highschool we had a bus trip down to Florida where I drove thru Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia. While at the Hoover Dam I stepped into Arizona and also landed at the Phoenix airport but never deplaned (Southwest Airlines). I don't know if those count but I will include them for now. Some states I have fond memories of while others like Nebraska I would like to forget. I was stranded in Lincoln, Nebraska for 2 days due to a snow storm at a hotel/truck stop exit. It was after a college ski trip and we were tired, broke and stuck on a bus. After the roads were open, it took another 24 hours to finally get back to MI. Since that experience I never want to set foot in NE again. I will say the people of NE were very nice, the hotel went out of their way to make us comfortable but thats all.
http://www.chezbez.blogspot.com/
Posted by mardenhill 1/01/2007 07:53:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel
