travel | Not A Perfect LIfe

Second Half of 48 Hours in Chicago

travel
June 2, 2016

Sunday dawned and the second half of 48 hours in Chicago had begun. The first part is here: 48 Hours in Chicago. The morning was designated for sessions at the conference, however, we had learned that the conference hosts had provided the attendees with three tours of Chicago to choose from for Sunday afternoon pleasure, on a double-decker tour bus.

The tour guide in the red shirt wasn’t our first guide. Minutes after the bus pulled out of the station (so to speak) our original guide went down the spiral staircase with an “I’ll be back in a minute” announcement. When she returned, she picked up the microphone to begin the tour. She was in the front of the bus with her back to the goings-on ahead, when suddenly someone yelled “Duck” to our guide. She ducked briefly, raised up and hit her head on the bottom of an overhead we were riding under. She went down as a passenger rushed to her side. The driver was informed and we pulled to the side of the road to await an ambulance.

The tour got off to a rough, traumatic start. The woman was given a good prognosis and taken to a hospital to be checked out. Thoughts and prayers are with her.

Greg, the stand-in tour guide, was informative and a well-versed Chicago native who regaled us with many tales of the city.

This is the Aqua building, an amazing condominium building designed by a woman! No two balconies, are alike which totally rocks.

And the famous clock, though I must admit, I didn’t know there was a famous “Meet me under the clock” clock in Chicago. Apparently there is. Who knew?

We drove by Solider Field and Navy Pier, which was wall-to-wall people, once you got passed the curb-to-curb parking lot called a road. I would have loved to have walked around, finding a nice table beside Lake Michigan by which to dine. Didn’t happen because our tour was still in progress.

The tour guide showed us the building where Alice Cooper resides, and where Oprah and Sammy Sosa once lived, though not together, I’m guessing.

The tour ended at the John Hancock Center, an upscale part of the city near Mag Mile where there is dining, shopping and attraction opportunities galore!

We found an alfresco Italian cafe, Bella Bacino’s, to grab a bite before hailing our last taxi back to the hotel to attend the evening event at the conference.

The weather was perfect and the food was delicious. The bruschetta was a great appetizer and the cheese pizza was delish.

The beauty that surrounded us as we ate is unparalleled to anything I have seen because I don’t live in a big city nor do I frequent one as big as Chicago on a regular basis.

I loved the Trump building which reflected the other side of the street. It was a perfect time of day for that.

The final day in Chicago was short but sweet. I awoke to the sun glistening on Lake Michigan, a special time of day. The view out the window of the Hyatt Regency was stunning.

The morning ended with a walk along Lake Michigan before we hit the road.

48 hours in Chicago was a full and fun weekend.

48 Hours in Chicago

travel
May 31, 2016

I spent 48 hours in Chicago Memorial Day weekend with my husband. I never thought that Chicago was my kind of town, but I am now enamored.

We went to a conference that was held in Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. We attended meetings on Sunday but since we arrived Saturday morning, there was plenty of time to explore, so that’s exactly what we did!

I’ve been through Chicago more times than I can count, mostly on my way to other vacation destinations. This was the first time that I actually stayed in Chicago to explore it up close and personal.

We stayed on the thirtieth floor of the hotel with a spectacular view of Lake Michigan. We didn’t close the curtains once, day or night because of the amazing view!

While we were waiting to check-in, however, we decided to find a place to eat. After walking a few blocks in the wrong direction (I am map-reading challenged) we found Burger Point (I’m sort of a burger junkie), a place in a up and coming trendy part of town. The place was cheerfully decorated and the food was good, with large portions.

We received the text that our room was ready while dining on burgers and fries, so we walked back, with no extra blocks this time, to the hotel. The staff at The Hyatt Regency was helpful, friendly and efficient, and the rooms were well decorated, comfy and clean.

We took a driving tour after we had lugged our stuff to the 30th floor, my husband driving and me ~~navigating~~ gawking at the sights on Mag Mile, the skyscrapers, and of course, people watching.

The best part was yet to come for this day, a sunset cruise on Lake Michigan with the Wendella Boat Company.

We boarded the boat that was docked in the heart of downtown Chicago, after a lively taxi ride with a colorful driver full of conversation and stories. Taxi drivers use their horns as much as their breaks, weaving in and out of traffic (A LOT) while navigating the streets of Chicago, especially Michigan Avenue, which runs through the hub of the city.

There just so happened to be a Beyonce concert at Solider Field and traffic was a nightmare. It was a good thing we allowed plenty of time to get to our destination on a Saturday, a holiday weekend evening.

There are 7,000 taxi drivers in Chicago. That sounds like a lot but it seriously looks like one out of every three cars is a taxi so I totally get it. And, because of the numerous events going on over the 3-day weekend, parking was non-existent and at a premium, so it was a good thing taxis were plentiful.

But back to the boat tour…

There is an architecture cruise offered by Wendella . We opted for the sunset cruise against Chicago’s skyline, however, there is also a fireworks cruise every Saturday and the barge went through the locks right before we boarded. This meant that we actually went upstream on the Chicago River for about thirty minutes worth of Chicago architecture and history. That was a bonus for sure and our tour guide, a Chicago native was great!

This building is the Marina Towers condo building and it blew me away! Crazy to see those cars in the garage part of the building. Occasionally we glimpsed a car wending around the levels of parked cars.

This cannon water shooter blasts water from one side of the Chicago River to the other. We got really close but the captain stopped just short of getting his passengers soaked!

We actually missed the sunset due to lock issues, however, the skyline was stunning. The man who proposed to his girlfriend added to the ambiance of the night as did the couple with amazing dance moves, and the group of drunk college girls singing loudly along with the tunes being played for our enjoyment.

It was a memorable night for sure, that we didn’t want to end, so we found a quaint cafe and sat outside for a bit longer before we hailed a cab to take us back to the hotel.

St. Augustine

life
May 27, 2016

I have a tradition that started when I turned 50. Every year since then, around my birthday, I drive to Jacksonville, Florida to visit my friend Mary. This year, on my birthday, Mary and I took a day trip to St. Augustine.

Here’s the thing, my birthday is in January. Always has been. It’s cold where I live in January. Not so much in Florida. Typically, I don’t visit my friend on my actual birthday, but this year there were some circumstances that led me to visit just a wee bit earlier, and I was there on my birthday. The weather was great in St. Augustine!

We walked along the picturesque streets of St. Augustine once we arrived, popping in and out of the quaint shops that line the streets.

The day was crisp and gorgeous, a perfect way to spend my birthday, and yet it wasn’t.

My friend is amazing in her support and encouragement. She wants the best for me, sometimes more than I want it for myself.

And this particular birthday, due to circumstances I neither wanted or ever expected, I needed just that. Visiting her was what I needed on this birthday, this year.

We had lunch on the balcony of this historic building overlooking a body of water near the historic part of town. That’s the thing about this trip; it was good, but I don’t remember much about it. I didn’t take notice of much that we did. I just enjoyed the light breeze on my skin as we strolled down the cobblestone streets, and the warmth of the sun, because I knew I was going back to cold in just two days and it would be awhile before I would feel that sensation again.

And I was right. This was what I went home to. It felt fitting somehow, because this year, this set of circumstances felt very much like Winter in my soul, which is another story for another time.

This trip that I took reminded me of the vacation my family and I took to Disney World in September 2001. We were at EPCOT on 9/11 (see Remembering 9/11) when our country was attacked by terrorists. In fact, we were evacuated from the park, although at the time we didn’t know why. It seemed odd and unfitting to be on vacation while the rest of the country was forever changed and so many people had lost so much.

This was a similar trip for me but on a very minor scale in comparison.

St. Augustine is a wonderful city full of history and attractions. I want to visit again one day when I know I will appreciate the oldest city in our nation more than the trip on my birthday.

But at that time in January, St. Augustine and my friend provided a warmth and distraction that was balm to my soul.

Thunder Over Louisville 2016

travel
April 24, 2016

Saturday, April 23 was Thunder Over Louisville 2016. I spent the day at Louisville Slugger Field. It was a beautiful day for Thunder, baseball and kicking off The Kentucky Derby.

The early afternoon was a little on the cool side which allowed us to take a stroll down the main part of the festival. Hours later it was sure to be wall to wall people!

Thunder Over Louisville is the biggest fireworks show in North America. It is a continuous shooting of fireworks for 20 minutes before a 5-10 minute grand finale. It’s quite a show.

But before the fireworks, those of us who have purchased tickets to Slugger Field, first got to enjoy a baseball game and the air show, which are both great, but distracting, one from the other.

This was one of the first sights in the sky!

The show went on for hours, regaling us with awesome sights.

Another awesome plane flying over. So big, going so slow (seemingly). It was a great view.

There is always a concert just after the game ends. It’s quite a sight to behold as the crew lays down the planks for the truck which will become the stage, drives out on the outfield. In only a manner of several minutes is the walls of the truck positioned and you are looking at the stage, completed with drums and everything one needs to put on a show. This year the band was The Personnel, an energetic band from Chicago, Illinois, playing a 90’s set of cover tunes including rap, a country song, some pop tunes and the theme song from Full House.

We ended the airshow with this amazing sky writer plane. It was a great way to finish up before the big fireworks show began. At this point in the day people are tired but the anticipation of the exhibit in the sky is humming throughout the crowd. To see this sight is promise of bigger, brighter things to come as the minute hand continues to count down the time until the first boom and brilliance of light displays across the sky.

The fireworks show was a sight to behold, as usual. The sky lite up with an abundance of terrific lights and music combined. The crowd is always in the hundreds of thousands, as people line the banks of the Ohio River, both Kentucky and Indiana alike. The traffic is a bear to endure after the show but people are mostly willing to pay that price to be able to partake of such a day as this.

The weather can vary from snow flurries to an 80 degree, full sun and clear skies day.

Thunder Over Louisville 2016 was just perfect.

Visiting Lafayette, Indiana

travel
April 12, 2016

I recently visited Lafayette and West Lafayette, Indiana for a few days. There were lots of things to see and do. The days were beautiful even if it was a wee bit chilly!

It would have been amazing to stay downtown with a view of the river, but it was incoming freshman week at Purdue University so all the hotels downtown were booked! I ended up staying at Hampton Inn, just a few miles from the action. The staff there was courteous and efficient. The room was nicely updated and very clean. Hampton Inn has the best beds! A very comfy place to stay. The complimentary breakfast was delicious with lots of choices both hot and cold. There was no view of the river but other than that, the place was great!

The first stop that I made upon arriving in Lafayette, Indiana was in a place where the Wabash Canal and Erie Canal come together in Delphi, Indiana. It was too early in the season for a boat ride but I would love to return to experience a guided tour of the canal and to see a few other sights around the quaint town.

There is nothing like a baseball game, if you’re a baseball fan, between Purdue University and University of Louisville (Go Cards!) to end the day. The temps were cool but the game was good. A ride in a golf cart to and from the parking lot was much appreciated!

On the return trip home, I stopped at West Baden Resort, in French Lick, Indiana for lunch. The hotel is huge, gorgeous and old, but in a good way…historical old. 😉

The food, the grounds, the hotel with all of the architecture and design and the history behind this place was more than I could take in during a couple of hours visit. It stays on the list of places to re-visit.

Although the trip was short, there were so many things to see and do in Lafayette, Indiana. The same can be said for West Baden/French Lick.

I do love to travel, whether it’s a cross-country trip to Seattle, Washington, or a day trip to Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, it’s all good for the soul. It’s one of the ways I take care of myself.

Visiting Lafayette, Indiana will definitely not be a one-time trip for me. There’s plenty more to explore!

Baltimore

travel
December 14, 2015

I recently spent a few days in Baltimore. I went with my daughter to the National Stuttering Conference that is held annually and this year it was held in the beautiful city of Baltimore. We went two years ago to the NSA Conference when it was held in Scottsdale, Arizona and it was amazing~

I can’t say enough about the NSA organization. People who stutter, especially with family and friends, love attending these conferences, along with local chapter meetings. This group truly changes lives for those who stutter, no matter what age.
I was driving so I had to keep my eyes on the road but we were stopped at a traffic light and I just had to take this pic. We’re sort of a baseball family. Both boys played while growing up and we attend games of our local team, Louisville Bats, on a regular basis. The sights you see while traveling…

After sitting in traffic for more time than I wanted, we finally made it to our hotel, Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards. Seriously, the traffic wasn’t bad. I found Baltimore to be an easy city to drive, and so very lovely. It was hard to imagine this city was the home to such violence a few months ago.

PHOTO CREDIT: BALTIMORE MARRIOTT INNER HARBOR AT CAMDEN YARDS WEBSITE

I loved my room at Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor. It was spacious and had a spectacular view of the harbor. The fifth floor offered a deck in which to view the fireworks display for the 4th of July, and a nice place to gather with friends, family or to sit in the sun after a dip in the pool just through the door.

I was pleasantly surprised with a fireworks show right outside my window the very first night there. I later learned this show was compliments of Under Armor. Thank you for sharing with all the guests ofBaltimore Marriott Inner Harbor!

I love to travel. Having nice, spacious, clean and comfortable accommodations makes it an even better experience.

I would love to visit Baltimore again and stay at the Marriott Inner Harbor.

Last Day in Washington

travel
September 30, 2015

I heart traveling. I really do! Our last day in Washington was packed with places to visit.

As luck would have it, we were in Seattle the same time the president of China was. Who knew? We had a lot of things to see and do so we couldn’t let a little visit from a national dignitary interfere with our plans.

We hit the road early!

I saw a few sights along the way. My brother was driving so I was free to click away. I’ve been known to snap a few while driving, but let’s just keep that between me and you.

I like to take pics of arenas where professional sports are played, to impress my boys. It never does.

I sent the pic of SAFECO Field to my youngest son, Tattoo boy. We have the best conversations. 😉

Here is what our texts look like:

Me: Saw this (it said underneath the picture).

Tattoo Boy: Wow! An evergreen!

Me: SAFECO Field and Century Link. Don’t be hating.

Tattoo Boy: Oh, I didn’t even see SAFECO and Century. That is a pretty cool tree though.

They’re never impressed.

After the exciting text exchange with Tattoo Boy, we started the day with a walk along Puget Sound, on our way to Pike Place, the famous market in Seattle. We got to see the famous flying fish! It was quite a show.

The market was fun~ It reminded me of the French Quarter Market in New Orleans, ya’ll.

After we were thoroughly entertained by the fish guys we ventured over to the The Space Needle.

We saw the Pike Place pig, Rachel, the funding raising piggy bank.

Did you know you can see Canada from Seattle? You’re welcome.

Our jaunt in Seattle came to an end after a quick bite to eat. We made a mad dash to the majestic Mt. Rainier, the mountain you can see from anywhere in Seattle. Okay, so the mad dash was actually a two hour car ride but you get the picture, right?

I can’t describe the sight of this huge bump in the earth; that active volcano that is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous states. The photos just doesn’t do it justice either. You have to be there to experience the massive, glorious sight for yourself.

If you can go, GO!

That’s what I love about traveling, seeing the sights, both man-made and God-made. I stand in awe of the latter, and marvel at the ingenuity of the former.

What are some of you favorite travel memories?

Travel to Washington

travel
September 28, 2015

Last week I traveled to Washington state with my mother and my older brother. It’s been a long time since I vacationed with that combination.

It was a good trip. My mother traveled by airplane for the first time in her life. I’m a more seasoned traveler. That wasn’t my first rodeo. No sirree, I took my first trip across the country via plane a couple of years ago. My brother, however, that is a different story. That’s why he was invited but don’t tell him that!

We flew Southwest, the same airline I rode on before.

travel, travel blog, Washington, Southwest Airlines, Port Orchard, Olympic Mountains

They have the prettiest planes in the sky!

We arrived in Seattle on Monday afternoon and obtained our Hertz rental to drive to Bremerton, Washington. Baymont Inn and Suites was our home base for a couple of days. It was a pleasant stay with friendly service and roomy accommodations. The complimentary breakfast was tasty and hot with a wide variety of things to choose from. We enjoyed our stay there.

We ventured over to Port Orchard to see Cedar Cove Inn, the place named after the book and Hallmark series by Debbie Macomber, but more about that in a later post.

We were unable to stay in this quaint bed and breakfast because they book up well in advance. We were, however, able to walk around and snap a few pictures. Cedar Cove Inn is a historic house that was built in 1909. The views of the Olympic Mountains and the Sinclair Inlet are both restful and picturesque from the inn. Maybe when I return…

We visited Olympic Mountains after we left Port Orchard. Seattle has several mountains to choose from. As we climbed the road in our rented Jeep Cherokee, the temperatures continued to fall. It was a mere 41 degrees while we walked around the majestic peak.

We were in such awe of the sights we were seeing I just had to fling my arms out, spin around while doing my best Julie Andrews imitation singing: “The hills are alive with the sound of music”. It definitely added to the experience, just ask my brother. 🙂

I loved the time we spent exploring on our first day in Washington. There was so much to see in Olympic National Park but we only had time for Hurricane Ridge, a small portion of the one million acre park.

What a lovely place.

What a nice time we had. Our second day there was just as awesome, if not more so.

A Road Trip

travel
September 8, 2015

We took an impromptu trip last weekend. We left Friday at 6 PM after my husband got off work. We drove for six hours before we decided to stop and get some sleep.

It was late, we were tired and simply wanted to fall into bed. Didn’t happen quite like that. Did you know it is next to impossible to secure a room for the night if you don’t have a credit card? Thank God for prepaid Visas and 24-Hour Wal-Marts! About an hour after we stopped in the lovely town of Forrest City, Arkansas, we finally realized the goal of the much sought after sleep.

We actually left early to finish the trek to Dallas/Ft. Worth. It was a nice drive, albeit a bit boring. There’s a lot of nothing along the way to Dallas via I 30. The goal for that day, since we were arriving mid afternoon was a nice juicy steak. We stopped in the area of Six Flags, Arlington Stadium/Cowboys Stadium and a few other tourists attractions to dine at Dusty Trails Steak House.

road trip, Texas, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Memphis, Tenn, Hot Springs, Traveling

We were due to pick up our daughter early Sunday morning (the whole purpose for the trip) in Ft. Worth so we decided we had better find the hotel where she was staying. Not as easy as it sounds. We did find it, after several tries, and found the route we would take in order to pick her up at 7:00 AM Central time and then needed to find a place to lay our weary heads for the night.

We settled on a place in Dallas but soon became bored just being in the room so we decided to go explore a bit…in the car…again…after being in that vehicle all day! As we weren’t prepared for sightseeing, and it was after hours, we assembled a few pamphlets with some rather poor maps and headed out.

We finally ended up in downtown Dallas in search of the Grassy Knoll where President Kennedy was “allegedly” shot. It was not that late but dark nonetheless, however, there were people out and about, so we found a parking lot, grabbed the camera and hit the street.

We found Dealey Plaza and a plaque, right next to the building where Oswald “allegedly” shot the president. And then we met the homeless woman, digging in the trash cans, looking for something to eat. She of course asked us for money and told us she was hungry.

We didn’t have a lot of cash on us, though what we had was in a wad, making it look like a lot more than it actually was. My husband didn’t want to pull it out so we apologized for not being able to give her any. I saw her cross the road, looking along the curb for change, and digging through yet another trash can.

In the meantime we met another interesting character who wanted to give us a history lesson. He told us a couple of things about the sights we were seeing and then asked us to cross the street “for a minute” so he could “show us something”. Didn’t happen. We decided it was wise to get the heck out of Dodge and made our way back to the lot; to the safety of our car.

We saw the woman digging in the trash can in the lot where we had parked. We pulled out a couple of bucks and an opened pack of crackers, the only food we had in the car, and gave them to her. It wasn’t much, but food is food, and hey, I had just finished reading Breakfast at Sally’s, I had a new perspective on the homeless.

We picked our daughter up on Sunday morning a little before schedule; and after stopping off at Starbucks for some much needed caffeine, and McDonald’s for a breakfast sandwich to eat while driving, (we missed the free continental breakfast because we had to leave so early), we were on our way. Our destination for the day…Memphis, Tennessee, via Hot Springs, Arkansas.

I had visited Hot Springs as a child but didn’t really remember too much about it. It was hot, the temperature 102 degrees, but we walked around the quaint little tourist town for a bit and felt the 132 degree water running in the springs.

We arrived in Memphis late afternoon, tired and hungry. We found a room with a view of the Mississippi River and headed out to eat. We walked around Beale Street until we found a place that appealed to us. We stopped in a restaurant called Bar None. My husband and daughter split a one pound burger. It had the usual dressings along with bacon and a fried egg. Interesting food.

We rose early to make the six hour drive home. And that was our weekend. Not bad for three days! It was tiring but I’m ready to do it again!

Back to Cincinnati

travel
August 24, 2015

Several weeks ago I visited Cincinnati for the day. While I was there I saw other sites that I wanted to explore but wasn’t able to because of time constraints…so I went back!

The first thing we did when we arrived in Cincinnati was to take a Duck Tour. Technically this is in Kentucky, but we entered Ohio from Kentucky to get to Newport on the Levee, the quickest route so I’m told. If you’re unfamiliar with Duck Tours, these are land and water vehicles. Our goal was to see places we wanted to further check out. If you’ve never done a Duck Tour, try it!

The ride on the Duck was entertaining in and of itself. We got quackers (kazoos shaped like duck bills) to blow at various points throughout the tour. We did find a few places we wanted to check out a little more once we were finished with the tour.

First stop a place to eat on the water. Brothers provided AL fresco dining at its best. The Philly Cheese steak was a perfect size for sharing.

We then made our way to the Purple People Bridge. This bridged is a pedestrian bridge that allows you to walk or pedal from Newport, Kentucky to Cincinnati, Ohio much like the Big Four Bridge in Louisville, Kentucky.

We then made our way back to the car: note to self-always make a mental note of where you park in a garage. Once we located the car, we drove to the Great American Ball Park, home to the Cincinnati Reds baseball team. There were lots of things to see as we explored the park and the river walk.

What a picturesque setting on a gorgeous afternoon.

The day passed much too quickly as we turned our sites and our vehicle toward home.

I love to travel, as you well know if you’ve been reading for any time at all. Day trips are a nice mini-vacation to break up a routine week.

Where do you go for day trips?