Christmas at the San Antonio River Walk

I have a habit of clicking on those "Top Ten" links on yahoo.  You know the ones..."Top Ten Places to Live", "Top Ten Restaurants in a Tree" and most recently "Top Ten Places to See Holiday Lights".  When I read the list and saw that #8 is only an hour and a half from where I live I decided it was time for a quick road trip to check it out for myself and brought my parents and my brother along to enjoy the Christmas spirit while they were here for a visit.

I had been to the San Antonio River Walk before but never at Christmas time and they do it up right.  The day was very cold for this Florida girl who now lives in Texas with highs only in the 40s but it also helped to make it feel more like Christmas.  We walked around the River Walk and froze for a while before eating an earlier dinner, more to get inside and warm up then because we were actually hungry.  It worked though and with full stomachs and warm(er) bodies we went back out into the cold to see the lights once it had turned dark.  It did not disappoint.  The trees were wrapped in lights and the bridges had twinkling lights on them producing a beautiful reflection of light in the water.  The boats were still giving tours on the river but we opted to not try it this visit because I don't think we could stand being in the cold much longer.  All in all, it was really pretty and a nice way to get more into the Christmas spirit.  With so many towns cutting back on Christmas light displays due to the recession it was nice to have one place to go see that is still decorated beautifully.

Victorian Holiday Tea at The Driskill - Austin, TX

I have had a love of going to high tea since I was lucky enough to study abroad in London during college.  There is something that speaks to the little girl in me of getting dressed up and going to a fancy hotel to spend time with girlfriends.  Every time I get together with my old roommate from that time we have to do an afternoon tea at a nice hotel in what ever city we are in.  This time I went to tea with my sister-in-law and her mother who were nice enough to include me in their holiday tradition of tea.

I have wanted to go The Driskill hotel here in Austin since I first moved here 2 years ago.  Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel had visited there several years ago as part of her Great Hotels series and I have always loved getting to travel through watching her shows before I was able to afford more travel on my own but this time I am actually getting to see the hotel through my own eyes.

The Driskill is one of the oldest hotels in Austin.  It is beautiful on the inside with dark wood throughout but made even more beautiful with the floor to ceiling Christmas tree in the lobby.  There is something about the magic of Christmas and all the white lights that can make a place so magical.  I love that when you enter the lobby that the doors are opened for you and that the staff are so attentive and friendly.

Our table for three was reserved with our name on the table which was a nice touch.  While listening to the harpist play we browsed the tea menu and I settled on the Snowflake tea.  We were served sparkling wine and scones while the tea and sandwiches were made.  The Snowflake tea had hints of vanilla and was served on elegant china.  Overall, the actual tea and sandwiches were similar to other places but listening to the live music (of course it would be live- it is Austin after all!) and enjoying good company while looking over the giant Christmas tree made it a unique experience and one I would definitely recommend. It has put me in the Christmas spirit and has me looking forward to all the activities my family has planned for this year.

St. Augustine, FL

St. Augustine is one of my favorite cities in the world.  It combines history with amazing seafood, beautiful beaches, and that small town feel and gives me that warm nostalgic comfort feeling from my past.  It is the beach I grew up going to since it was less than 2 hours from my home and as I got older it was my friends and I all piled into the car on our way to Spring Break.  I was lucky enough to get to spend 2.5 of the toughest years of my life there while I attended graduate school and even those harder times did not tarnish my view of the city but added more life to my love of St. Augustine.  Every time I go back to this city it always seems to bring this amazing sense of calm over me.  I love the water and always feel soothed by it but for some reason St. Augustine just adds even more to that.

This trip back to St. Augustine did not disappoint (well, almost).  The weather was perfect for a day of sightseeing through old St. Augustine.  I had a plan when I left but as most travelers know, plans don't always go as hoped.  I absolutely love the fried shrimp at the Florida Cracker Cafe on St. George street and had my heart and taste buds set on going there until we found out it was closed for renovations.  Talk about disappointed.  I could almost taste the shrimp before I got there and my hopes were quickly dashed with one little closed sign.  Unfortunately, my hunger was still there and we ended up trying the White Lion instead.  The fried shrimp were good there too but not the same.

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the waterfront and watching the Castillo San Marcos and the Bridge of Lions before doing a little shopping and walking up St. George street.  The chocolates from Whetstone are every bit as good as I remembered them and I actually had to go back again to get more before leaving as the first few I bought were gone before I even left the street.

When I am back home in Florida I always have to go see the beach so we took a drive down to St. Augustine Beach so I could dip my toes in the water before going to dinner at Saltwater Cowboys.  For me, Cowboys is another one of those comfort places with delicious southern seafood, complete with hush puppies and creamy grits as sides.  I love deviled crab and always have to get it when I come here.  The restaurant itself sits on a little marsh with a country style porch to sit on and enjoy while you wait for a table.

My time in St. Augustine always feels a bit short but I also always leave relaxed and knowing that I will be back again.

Texas Wine Country- Fredericksburg, TX

I've been wanting to go out to Fredericksburg since I read an article about it before I moved to Austin almost 2 years ago and finally I got to go check it out!  The real drive behind the trip with friends was for grape stomping at Becker Vineyards.  This was my second time grape stomping after trying it last year at another vineyard.  Originally I had visions of a great big barrel with lots of people inside a la the scene in the Keanu Reeves movie A Walk in the Clouds or the famous I Love Lucy Episode but this was a bit different and if you held onto each other you could fit two people in the barrel with a tight squeeze.  The grapes were cool and mushy on my feet and even after I washed my feet off I still found a rogue grape stuck to my toe when I got home!

Fredericksburg is a cute little town with shops and restaurants lining the main street.  It is definitely a tourist area but I kind of enjoy going to a touristy area near where I live.  It makes me feel like I am on vacation even when I am only there for a day.  We only were able to visit 2 of the wineries but I have plans to go back next month when my friend comes to visit so I'm looking forward to returning.  Fredericksburg is also known for it's peaches so we had to stop for some peach cobbler at a road side stand on the way home and I can definitely say there will be another stop made when I go back.  Yum!

Vancouver (and Whistler) or bust!

As I was packing for Vancouver I think I got most excited about checking weather.com and see that highs were only in the upper 60s to low 70s...after over 50 days over 100 deg in Austin, that sounded perfect!  And was it ever!

I arrived on Thursday afternoon and after taking the train into the city, found the hotel easily, grabbed some lunch, and waited for my brother to get back from his conference.  We spent the rest of the day walking down to the water and wandering around English Bay Beach to see the sunset.  We ate across from the beach at a restaurant called the Boathouse where the salmon was delicious and cooked perfectly and the sunset was like a bright red fireball setting behind the mountains.

It was up early the next morning with a walk to Granville Island to catch our boat tour to see some killer whales.  We were given these big heavy suits to wear that were warm and had a life vest built into it for the trip out onto the water.  We were blessed with sunshine for the day and smooth waters which made me feel a lot better after the previous whale watching experience I had done in Maine that had terrible weather and everyone was sick around us.  After viewing some bald eagles and seals, we headed south to USA waters where the whales were located and went from beautiful blue skies to gray and foggy in about 2 minutes but it was a success and whales were spotted!  We saw several orca whales playing in the water and after our captain shut the engine off they came up to the boat and even swam under it.  It is always a bit awe inspiring when you get to be so close to animals in their natural habitat especially animals so big and beautiful.

We made a stop at the Capilano Suspension Bridge which is one of the longest and highest suspension bridges with lots of small suspension bridges up among the trees and a cliffwalk going out from the side of the cliff.  It was very touristy but fun at the same time and a little exhilirating to walk across a moving bridge while looking down several hundred feet.

Our first morning in Whistler was a wet one with drizzly weather most of the morning which was actually quite enjoyable for me to sit and watch while drinking some hot tea since I have not actually seen rain in Texas in several months but luckily it cleared in the evening in time for our Jeep 4x4 tour with a salmon bake at the top of the mountain.  The family that was on the tour with us was from China and did not speak much english but when we got to the top of the mountain we found out it was the first time their two young children had ever seen snow and they laughed and played and got so excited in it!  The salmon bake itself was really delicious with maple salmon as the highlight and a yummy salmon ball that was the appetizer (are you noticing a theme in British Columbia?).  I really wish I could have gotten the recipe for the salmon ball!

Monday brought my first ride on a seaplane up into Garibaldi park to get a look at the glaciers up there.  The water in the lakes were these beautiful blues and greens unlike anything I have seen in person before.  We got to explore an area that is so pristine and untouched because it is so difficult to get there by foot so that the snow on the mountain is still undisturbed and perfect.  The seaplane itself was really cool until about the last 5 minutes when I have to admit I was grateful I didn't spring for the longer flight because I am not sure I would have made it through still feeling ok.

We took the Peak 2 Peak Gondola ride that stretches between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains later that afternoon and did a short hike around Blackcomb to get a little higher and get to test more of the terrain.  It wasn't a hard hike but was more rocky than what I had thought it would be and gave great views of the mountain and Whistler Village below us.

Our final day of the trip took us on a walk through the rainforest and looking for black bears (from the safety of our car!).  We got to see 2 black bears, one of which was black and full grown and the other was cinnamon colored and only a yearling but both were really cooperative and stayed around letting us watch them and even posing a little for pictures.  It wasn't until I signed up for this tour that I even realized there is a rainforest in the area.  There were giant cedar trees that were 1000 year old trees with trunks wider than my car and so tall with great big canopy of leaves coming from the branches.

Our final spot to visit on the trip was back in Vancouver to see Stanley Park which is a must see if you are ever in Vancouver.  It is a large park with trails along the seawall for biking and walking.  There are gardens to look at flowers and there are totem poles to learn a little history of the natives of Bristish Columbia.

Overall, the trip was a success.  We saw animals in the wild, beautiful scenery and, the thing I love most about traveling, got to try new things.  It's funny because when I look back over the pictures I took, there are so many multiple shots of one area because every time I took a picture and looked back at the digital display I would think "that just doesn't do it justice" and then I would try taking it again and again but you can never capture the feeling you get when in a new place or the sweeping views of the mountains and ocean no matter how hard you try.  That's why it is so fun to travel because a book is just the starting point but to actually experience it changes your life in some way.

Just Peachy Weekend in Atlanta

I spent the last weekend in Atlanta visiting a very good friend whom I met when studying abroad in London when I was in undergrad.  She was my roommate while I was there "studying" and who would have thought that 10 years later I would be flying to Atlanta to celebrate her baby shower with her.  We have this tradition of going to high tea whenever we are visiting each other and this time she had her baby shower at the Four Seasons for high tea.  It was so good!  I love all the little sandwiches (cucumber was my favorite!) and yummy scones and desserts.  And, of course, spending it with great company makes it even better!  The next morning she took me to Highland Bakery for breakfast where I had the best sweet potato pancakes that I will now have to scour the internet for a recipe to make at home because these were amazing!  So light and fluffy and sweet but without being sickeningly sweet. 

Can't wait to go back to see her again once baby girl is born!

AMAZING is the only word that could possibly describe it!

I never really liked the saying "the trip of a lifetime" because it sounds a little cheesy and because it implies this is the best it will get BUT if ever I were to give a trip that title, this trip to Kenya on safari would be it.  I took well over 1,000 pictures to document this trip- and many turned out incredible- but nothing can truly do it justice.  There is nothing that can really describe the rush you feel when a bull elephant is walking towards you or the vast openness of the Masai Mara as we dined on lunch with a picnic under the acacia trees followed by a little rest for me while the others played a few rounds of asshole or waking at night to a noise outside your tent that you can't quite figure out what it is but was informed in the morning that it was a lion.  It turns out we were really lucky with booking the tour we did as there were only 6 of us and despite age ranges from 20-35 years old, we all got along really well.

On this trip I learned new things about myself.  I actually can rough it without being miserable despite sleeping in a tent with little padding, long drop toilets (a fancy way of saying a hole in the ground) with occassionally ones that flushed but may or may not have a seat and most of all I survived cold showers which ended up not being as bad as I feared.  There were also a few luxories I was really not expecting including really good food made by Chef Issac.  I didn't even eat a single one of the granola bars I had packed as a just in case.  Issac made the most delicious pancakes (we would call them crepes) and omelets for breakfast and always made some fresh delicious soup with dinner.  Dessert almost always consisted of juicy fresh pineapple or watermelon except on my brother's birthday where there was a special surprise.

Todd was lucky enough to spend his 35th birthday in the Masai Mara looking for lions and cheetahs, which in itself is pretty incredible, but after dinner our guide and driver had sent out some of the Masai who were working at the camp for cake supplies.  Then during the camp fire that night, the Masai men came out carrying their spears and singing happy birthday carrying a cake that the Chef had been able to make over a charcoal fire!  It was so unexpected and really cool at the same time.

On the actual safari part of the trip, I don't think we could have asked for a better experience.  Starting from the very first day of our 6 days spent looking for animals, we saw 3 lions, a leopard, multiple giraffe and elephants as well as dik diks, antelope, warthogs and other various animals in Samburu.  In Lake Nakuru we saw flamingos, cape buffalo, rhinos, more giraffe, pelicans, and various other birds.  I loved the leopards for how sleek they looked and the smooth way he moved through the brush but I think my favorite sighting was of the lion cubs on our last morning drive of the trip in the Masai Mara.  There were 4 of them with their momma lion and they were so cute playing and following her around. 

You know you are seeing something rare when your guide gets really excited.  While in Samburu we saw the African Hunting Dog both lying around and then later in the day running around after a feast.  According to my guidebook, there are only about 5,000 of this species in Africa and 5% of those are in Kenya.  Our guide had only ever seen them one other time in her life when she was a girl.  I'm not sure who was the lucky one out of the group or if we all brought our own little bit of luck because we could not have seen more animals while we were there or felt more happy at seeing what we did see.

On our 2 free days in Nairobi, my brother, my friend, and I spent most of the first day resting and recovering from the safari.  Our biggest adventure for the day was a trip to Carnivore for dinner and while the cab ride was an adventure all its own, the restaurant was truly a unique experience.  A local haunt it is not, when you get there it is no doubt that you are at a tourist stop but it is one tourist stop that is fully worth it.  The restaurant specializes in more exotic meats although less exotic than it once was due to new animal conservation laws in Kenya.  The servers walk around with giant swords full of meat and carve it off the sword at your table directly onto your plate.  We were able to try crocodile (similiar to gator tail), camel (a bit chewy), and ostrich (yum!) as well as more typical meats that you would find in the US like steak, chicken, pork spare ribs with a yummy honey glaze and delicious lamb chops.  There was also salad, which I immediately declared for wimps in a restaurant called Carnivore that specializes in meat, and an excellent drink made at your table called a dawa which consisted of lime, honey, vodka, and a few other ingredients which reminded me of a mojito although it was different.

Our second day in Nairobi we opted to hire a driver for the day.  At only $80 for the entire day it was money well spent!  He was also a guide for GAP (the company we took the tour through) and very knowledgable.  We started our day at the Sheldrick Trust which rescues orphaned elephants, rehabilitates them, then re-introduces them into the wild.  At 11 am everyday they bring all the little elephants out to play and give a presentation on how each elephant was found and rescued, what its name was, and when it would be released then brought them around so we could pet them.  They felt very tough skinned and rough to the touch but I guess that makes sense with what they go through and the tough conditions they live in.

From there we went to the Giraffe center where there is tall decking so you come face to face with a giraffe and get to feed them pellets and feel their wet, slimey tongue take it from your hand.  The first few we fed were polite and would take one pellet or two at a time but the big one was having none of that and would take most of my hand into its mouth, gently where it never hurt, but I could feel its teeth close onto my hand.

We had a very enjoyable and relaxing lunch outside at the Karen Blixon Coffee House before heading to a bead factory where all the beads were hand made and hand painted.  We helped the local economy with a few purchases including some beautiful bracelets and earrings.

We ended our tour for the day with the Safari Walk outside of Nairobi National Park.  We walked around and discovered it was more like a zoo than a park which was a little disappointing after having seen the animals out in the wild in their true habitat.  The best part of the safari walk and the entire day was getting to pet the cheetahs!  They let us into the pen with them so we could take pictures and pet the 4 year old cheetah while he purred and kept licking Todd and Marianne.  His fur was not as soft as I was expecting and Marianne said his tongue was really rough but it was absolutely INCREDIBLE to get to have the experience!

 
And a few more pictures...

All in all, if you are considering a trip to Kenya my advice would be DO IT!  It will be an experience like no other.

Almost here!

I've been prepping and preparing so much for my trip to Kenya that I can't believe it is only one week away!  Right now I feel like I am on the first approach of a rollercoaster, full of anticipation and excitement with a little bit of nervousness of not knowing what to expect on the other side but am confident that it will be one exhilirating ride. 

I know there is some saying about how it is not just about the destination but also about the journey.  I think the journey is what is scaring me most!  Austin to Orlando to New York to Zurich to Nairobi with over 24 hours in flight just seems daunting right now.  My kindle and ipod are loaded and there will be a bevy of magazines to purchase at the airport for entertainment to help me get through plus my benedryl is packed to just knock me out so I can sleep a good part of the way.  I'm just ready to get this started!  Only one week of work to go, hopefully I can make it through without being too distracted!

To mummy or not to mummy?

I made a trip to the sporting goods store for camping supplies this weekend and left more than a little overwhelmed.  Who knew there were so many types of sleeping bags?!  I believe the last sleeping bag I owned the only decision I had to make was what character was on the front and now not only is there the color decision, but also the weight, the size, the cost, the temperature, do I want to be a mummy or the regular version?  And to be honest the whole mummy idea freaks me out a little bit.  I'm the kind of person who takes up the entire bed when given the chance (I'm single so it's allowed) and I'm not sure that being in a mummy position is not going to make me feel more than a little claustrophobic all night long.  I like to be able to move and stretch out or at the very least have enough room to reach down and scratch my foot at night if needed.  So I left the store empty handed except for the camping pillow and bug spray I'm suppose to soak my clothes in to keep the critters away.  I guess I will be doing some more research before I return to the store and hopefully will leave triumphant and happy with my new purchase the next time.

Vaccinations...check!

I'm officially vaccinated!  That Yellow Fever one burns a little, but it was all quick and for the most part painless and one more thing is crossed off my list to be closer to getting ready to leave for Kenya.  Woohoo!

Dreaming a little

When I travel I find excitement in the entire process of it all, from coming up with the idea of where to go, to deciding what to do, where to stay, what to eat that is unique to the area, and of course, the actual getting to experience it all.  As the trip to Kenya is being planned, I am also lucky enough to be planning a trip to Vancouver, British Columbia as well.  I love the process of planning and spending hours in Barnes and Noble with guide books surrounding me while I try to figure out which one is best and worthy of my purchase then getting it home and reading it from cover to cover, making notes, and seeing what I want to do the most.  I will spend time reading reviews on the internet and putting together prices to see what will fit in my budget and what is worth a little more of a splurge because it will be that once in a lifetime experience that I may never get the chance to try again.  I treat every place I visit as if it will be the only time I will ever be there because there are so many places I want to see in the world (and so limited amount of time off from my work-it's crazy they actually want me to be there to work!) that it will most likely be the only time I will make it there.  So this afternoon, I am getting to do one of my favorite things...planning another trip of a lifetime and dreaming of what the next adventure will be.  Watching an Orca jump through the air?  Helicopter ride to a glacier?  Eating fabulous food?  The possibilities are endless and I can't wait to experience it all!

Getting Ready for Kenya!

4/3/11:
It all started on a regular Monday night with an out of the blue e-mail from an old friend. One of those old friends that even though you don’t talk to each other regularly, when you do get together it is just like you are back in sixth grade again and no time has ever passed. Marianne sent an e-mail entitled “AFRICA?” saying that she knew we had been talking about going to Australia next year but would I be interested in possibly going to Africa on a safari with her this year. It took all of 3 minutes for me to write back that I was planning a trip with my brother and wasn’t sure if I could afford to do both but I would check my finances and get back to her as the excitement was already starting to build. She replied with the itinerary and an invite extended to my brother to join us…and a trip of a lifetime was in the making!

4/6/11:
When the idea of this trip first came up I realized it was so far out of my realm and comfort zone that it had never even made it to my bucket list. Africa, maybe, but a camping safari in Kenya with bugs and wild animals, not quite. I love being in the outdoors and hiking but come night time I want a soft cushy bed and a hot shower. I keep wondering what it is going to feel like being in nature with the animals. I’ve been on many a “safari” at Disney and Busch Gardens and been up close and personal with giraffe, hippos, elephants, and other animals…I know that it will not even compare but I have to admit that I will be more than a little disappointed if it does. After all, Disney World does not require a 30 hour flight nor a host of immunizations to get there.

And onto the topic of immunizations…I’ve made my appointment for next Friday to consult on what immunizations I may need and am surprised that I am not all that freaked out by it. At this point in time it seems like just another check on the list of things to get done before I can go on this exotic adventure. We’ll see if I still feel that way when the nurse is standing in front of me holding the giant needle.

4/9/11:
I’m expecting my poor little credit card to pass out from exhaustion any day now. While it will all get paid off at the end of the month, I’ve had to put the plane tickets for both my brother and me and the actual safari on the card (as well as tickets non-safari related but very exciting none-the-less to see Michael Buble in concert and the Zac Brown Band in concert) and now I bought a new fancy digital SLR camera in preparation for my trip! I’ve been eyeing one for a few years now but kept waiting for the right time to purchase and what better time then right before an African safari!? I bought it online so I won’t actually get it for a few days but I am so excited to start playing with it and trying out all the cool features so I will be ready come June for this trip.

4/15/11:
I went for my first immunization appointment and have 2 shots down and 2 more to go! I had to get the tetanus shot and the polio booster today. I was most weary of the tetanus shot and was praying I would not be super sore after it so I planned my appointment for a Friday just in case so that it wouldn’t interrupt my work. A little tip from the nurse that worked fabulously: flap your arm like a chicken wing to disperse the shot into the muscle and keep from getting sore! All these years and no one has ever told me that before about a shot. It worked like a charm. Granted the person in the car next to me on the way home probably thought I had a few screws loose as I was flapping down the road and singing to the radio.

5/1/11:
The trip is booked, I just received my visa in the mail, and now onto the fun part of preparations…shopping! I realized quite quickly that I don’t exactly have appropriate clothing for a safari. I’m not exactly the most outdoorsy of people so a trip to the outlet mall to meet up with a friend was the perfect chance to look for some more safari appropriate clothing. Here’s what I discovered: 1) if you wait until it gets warm out then all the long sleeve stuff is onsale- BONUS! 2) A fabulous pair of pants that can be worn long, Capri, or as shorts- score! And extra score is they come in long sizes to fit my legs J
Everytime I get something new done for the trip it just feels a little bit closer and more real. I’m still a bit in awe of the fact that I am actually getting to do this trip!