Bringing Down the White Picket Fence
A Couple's Quest to Live Globally
My very first memories of my childhood begin at the age of 5. There are two early events that remain solidly etched into my mind. 1. The overwhelming excitement of waking up at 4am on the first day of kindergarten. 2. My first trip to Niagara Falls.
Now all I remember about that first day of kindergarten is that I could finally wear my first day of school dress. Don’t ask me about the rest of the day; I don’t recall. All I know is Mom built a strong foundation for the rest of my life. I’ve still got a burning passion for “back to school” clothes.
However, the trip to Niagara Falls is quite a different memory. If you think I’m going to tell you how gigantic and great those waterfalls were to my 5 year old brain, then forget it. The truth is, the endless rushing roar of the water, those ridiculous “let’s take your picture in a barrel” displays, my babysitter, and Eddie Murphy, left me completely mortified. I guess that explains why I waited until I was 35 to safely return.
Let’s go back in time: After checking into the hotel, I realized that I left something behind in the car. Obviously, in my 5 year old mind, it was an item so priceless that it just had to be retrieved immediately. My babysitter kindly offered to escort me to the parking lot while my parents settled into the room.
A bit of a side note here: babysitter traveled with us everywhere. She was/is family to us. I’m an only child and she was like a sister to me. A sister with a pet skunk. It’s not everyday you get a babysitter who is allowed to bring Stinky the Skunk over to play. And no, we weren’t wealthy people who traveled with a personal nanny or anything. We just liked her, and she liked us (and free travel I assume).
Anyway, we went out to the car and on the way in, she opened the huge 1986 glass door to the hotel, and inadvertently took my big toenail off at the same time. Cue the screaming and crying and running down the hallway back to the room, blood trailing behind. I was bound and determined to tell my parents that she had to go, along with my toenail left behind at the front door. But, after reassuring me that I wasn’t going to die, they put me on life support and tucked me into bed. I must have fallen into a deep sleep, enough of one that my babysitter decided to share her collection of Eddie Murphy comedy tapes with my parents. Do you know how incredibly awful it is to hear people laughing their heads off in another room while you are dying of missing toenail? It’s just the worst.
The next day they took me to see the waterfalls and told me that there are these (crazy) people out there who try to travel over them in barrels. So after trips down in the caves behind the falls, and an up close and personal view on The Maid of the Mist, I was fairly certain I didn’t want any more rides at this insane amusement park. And then they thought it would be cute to put me in a barrel at the aforementioned ridiculous “put yourself in a barrel and take a picture” displays. The only problem is, when you’ve barely gotten kindergarten under your belt, all you can think is, “I’m going over…without my big toenail.” The photos say it all. My big, red cheeks are streaked with tears while I wait for my life to end in a barrel built over falls of cardboard.
Well, it turns out, I lived. The toenail grew back, and I married an amazing man whose mom is Canadian. Since she’s from Ontario, she’s claimed for years that she has no time for Niagara Falls. I’ve gotten the, ‘Oh please, who wants to go there?’ line quite a few times, as if instead of a plastic pool in her backyard, she grew up with a rather annoying hundred eighty some feet of rushing water knocking at her back door. At first I didn’t get it, but now, after visiting some thirty years later, I totally understand. I will explain; just keep reading.
In March, the invitations to a Canadian wedding arrived in our mailboxes, and Paul and I, like we always do, decided to make a trip out of a rather long drive to Simcoe, Ontario. Never heard of Simcoe? That’s okay. It’s somewhere near Stratford, which used to be famous for my mother-in-law, but now is all, ‘We knew the Biebs when…’ Or I could be wrong; maybe they don’t like to admit to that. Either way, this is the place the Mom’s-in-law calls home, and there was going to be a family wedding, and we were invited.
You can imagine my mother-in-law’s disgust when we broke it to her that we were stopping at “The Falls.” The very ones from her backyard years ago. She was less than impressed, and I think, at one point, strongly considered hitching a ride with other relatives. But, as she always knows, we promise a good time no matter where we wind up, and we assured her, it would be worth the trip. These were the waters of her youth and, at 83, she just had to see them again.
So with our Starwood Platinum status in tow, we, along with what seemed like a million other Americans (is there an election going on or something?), crossed the border and made our way to the towering Sheraton on the Falls.
To put it short and sweet, they upgraded us to a room with a spectacular view of the falls, and thank goodness, because, I needed a serene escape from the chaos below.
I’m just going to say it…
Can we stop Pigeon Forging all of the beautiful places in this world? Can I see a remarkable natural wonder of the world without Ripley and friends? Believe it or not, I came here for the waterfalls! Just like when I go to the Great Smoky Mountains, I come for the camping and the bears, and not the go-karts of Gatlinburg and Dollywood. And I love Dolly, but please.
Truth is, I know, it’s all about the kids and giving them something to do, because, as I know from personal experience, those falls are terrifying. But you know what else is terrifying? Dad’s wallet. We don’t have children, but I can imagine Clifton Hill is not Dad’s favorite place on the family Niagara vacation. “Believe it or not, we don’t have any more money for the Rainforest Cafe! Just look at the water. It’s free.”
And this, my friends, is why I can understand why the Mom’s-in-law couldn’t possibly understand why we wanted to stop in Niagara Falls. But there is something remarkably special about us dragging her there. With the sliding glass door open to the glorious rushing roar of water, we all got to see the falls without the tourist frenzy. We got a front row seat to the fireworks bursting over the rainbow lit water. And we got to truly appreciate this incredible wonder of our Earth. It’s truly all in how you look at something.
Early the next morning, Paul and I boarded The Hornblower (the Canadian version of The Maid of the Mist), and once again, I journeyed to the bottom of those falls, thirty years later. Donned in a red plastic rain slicker and a baseball cap, with both big toenails and a husband, I came to understand how incredibly lucky I am. I’ve sat beneath the twinkling Eiffel Tower; I’ve eaten tapas in Madrid; I’ve seen the sun set over Sorrento; I’ve been to Napa; and I know how small I am in comparison to the great Niagara Falls…even at 35.
The most common question we got when people asked us where we were headed for Spring Break was: Why Austin, Texas? Our question was: Why not?
Austin is an easy direct flight (about 3 and a half hours) on Southwest Airlines from Newark Airport. But hold it cowboy! This isn’t quite like the Texas most people imagine. That’s not to say you can’t buy yourself some high quality kicks at Allens Boots, because you totally can, but I’d recommend saving your hard earned money for the music, the drinks, and the food. This is the “live music capital of the world”, the home of the Whole Foods, and a city that prides itself on being a bit “weird.”
Here are the places we visited and the hotels we stayed at while visiting the state capital of Texas:
Our first night in Austin we stayed at The Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol. We hold a bit of love in our hearts for this hotel since it is the hotel we stayed at during our cross country trip several summers ago. We were so tired on that trip that the Sheraton was about all we saw of Austin. On our most recent trip, this hotel was undergoing a bit of a facelift while we were there, but we loved the new addition of the The Yard Bar at Waller Creek. It was a great way to unwind after our rather unusual and hectic airport experience in Newark (you don’t want to know). I also love that this hotel is just around the corner from Arlo’s, a vegan food truck serving up some delicious vegan burgers outside of Cheer Up Charlies, one of the many fun and unique drinking establishments in the city of Austin.
Being Starwood Preferred Platinum Guests, we always make sure to visit as many Starwood properties as we can while visiting a city. Since Austin has three Starwood options within downtown, we were able to add three stays to our Starwood portfolio. After the Sheraton, we headed straight for this lovely place:
What do you get when you combine raindrop shower heads and Heavenly Beds with an amazing rooftop pool? The Westin hotel of your dreams. Welcome to the Westin Austin Downtown, a bright, beautiful, and modern place to rest your head during your visit to the state capital of Texas.
Located on East 5th Street, the hotel is a short two block walk to Congress Street, and just far enough away from the rowdy crowds on 6th.
Enjoy the sunshine by the pool during the day, then return in the evening for a peaceful view of Austin. And don’t forget to stop in across the street for some live music at Antone’s. Enjoy the convenience of having “Austin’s home of the blues” directly outside the Westin lobby doors.
Ahh…we wish we worked for Starwood. We’re always hoping they’ll discover us and send us around to stay at their properties while Paul takes photos and I write about their lovely hotels. #dreamjob
Unfortunately, due to rain, we didn’t get a lot of time to experience that amazing pool during the day, but the hotel was within walking distance to two gems that we discovered while staying there. First, we became slightly obsessed with Frank Hot Dog. This was our go-to lunch establishment for two days in a row. All they had to do was serve up the most authentic tasting vegan Chicago dog and we were hooked. I know, I know. A Chicago dog in Austin seems like the least authentic thing you could eat, but it was good. Even the bartender from Chicago agreed that they nailed it. I can’t help myself when it comes to those irresistible little sport peppers.
Our other fun discovery was Garage , a place recommended to us by a friendly bartender at Stella San Jac, the Westin’s restaurant and bar. The Garage is a glamorous cocktail bar located in the office space of a parking garage. You can sit and sip on a cocktail while cars whirl around you to and from their spots. It’s different and it’s one of the places you can’t miss while visiting Austin. Apparently, this bar used to be one of Austin’s best kept secrets, but as we’ve learned with our own little city by the sea (Asbury Park), these amazing things don’t stay secrets for long.
You can’t go to Austin without having the breakfast tacos. Unfortunately, since I gave up eating eggs in America several trips to France ago, I couldn’t settle for just any old taco. Since one of the highlights of my trip to Austin was a visit to the Whole Foods Headquarters, I was ecstatic to find a taco bar with amazing vegan breakfast tacos. They were so tasty, that I dragged Paul there two days in a row because I became quite addicted, quickly. I’ve heard all the jokes about it being “Whole Paycheck” and all, but I must admit, this grocery store is one of my guilty pleasures in life and now, no other Whole Foods will compare to Austin.
Okay, so it’s not one of his guilty pleasures in life, but he’s supportive. This was after our second visit for vegan tacos…
#husbandoftheyear
Our third Starwood stay was at the W Austin. They kindly upgraded us to a corner suite with spectacular views of the city. Our room was huge, and since we weren’t able to enjoy the pool, we enjoyed a lot of HGTV and this dreamy popcorn…
We also took the longest Uber ride we’ve ever taken to the Noble Sandwich Co. for a taste of the “best sandwiches in Austin.” Judging by the their outstanding vegetarian options, I’m sure their meaty sandwiches are fabulous. I loved my oyster mushroom reuben with sauerkraut and swiss, and Paul enjoyed his pimento cheese with smoked green onions, romaine, and olive oil pickles.
We didn’t get a chance to see everything in Austin. In fact, and no pun intended, due to all of the rain, we missed Rainey Street. We hear this is one of the must-see streets in Austin for good food and drinks. Just one more reason to go back!
So go see Austin. It’s the Texas you’ve never dreamed of…
Took my photographer to New York City this past weekend. Sampled a few delicious items at Chelsea Market, walked the High Line, indulged at Mario Batali’s Babbo, snacked at The Pennsy, and, once again, took a few minutes to admire Grand Central Station.
The tickets to the show sold out in 8 minutes, and we were lucky enough to get two. Bruce Springsteen’s The River Tour-January 24th-Madison Square Garden. A perfect excuse to escape the monotony of our daily routine for a long, winter’s weekend in New York City. And then, like it sometimes does in January, it snowed. The kind of snow that gets you a day off from school, cancels your big evening with The Boss, and with some odd twist of fortunate luck (that didn’t feel fortunate at the time), officially makes you one of Springsteen’s “snow people.”
And that seems to have made all the difference…
Why? Because Bruce Springsteen understands the agony endured by his biggest fans (my husband) as they were made to wait until March to see his sold out show. He understands that some people flew to New York on that blustery January day (i.e.the guys sitting next to us who flew all the way from London), only to find a city silenced in white, and sudden new travel plans.
So when he welcomed his “snow people” last night and told us he’d make it up to us, we understood he meant it. Until almost midnight, he rocked the Garden with not only the show we’d all signed up for, but with songs like “Rosalita”, “Jungle Land”, and “Meeting Across the River.” We even got to see him dance with his mom to “Ramrod.” It was an unforgettable show, worth every minute of the wait, and every flake of the snow.
We also can’t complain that we got to spend a Monday in March, strolling the busy streets of New York City.
And despite these gray clouds above…
The “snow people” saw some beautiful signs of spring!
A few years ago we took the ultimate sampler tour of the United States, adding 9,000 miles to our new Jeep Wrangler in 30 days. Our coast-to-coast adventure included mostly sleepless nights in the great outdoors, with glorious hotel stays in the big cities in between. Since it was impossible to fight the ultimate collapse into the lush linens and fluffy pillows of a comfy hotel bed, fatigue often limited our sightseeing. In the end, we returned home with a mental list of all of the intriguing places we hoped to return to, on an airplane, fully rested without thousands of miles of highway behind us, or ahead of us, to steal us of our energy.
One of the places we couldn’t stop talking about was New Orleans, Louisiana, one of the most unique American cities we’ve ever had the pleasure to visit. We could barely enjoy New Orleans during our first visit as we spent two days alternating between some much-needed napping and eating. We swooned over 50 cent oysters, tender pork belly, and crawfish dip, all the while our minds consumed by planning the unavoidably long trek through the sprawling state of Texas that lay ahead of us.
So, this past December, we decided the time was right for us to visit NOLA again; to fully experience the city, meet its people, and, most importantly, indulge in some Southern delicacies. Here’s the scoop on where we stayed and the places we chowed down.
4 Nights, 3 Starwoods
With Starwood Platinum Guest status in sight and within reach, we reserved four nights in New Orleans at three different Starwood hotels. We began our stay with one night at Le Meridien New Orleans, then walked over to Westin New Orleans Canal Place for two nights, and spent our last night at the Aloft New Orleans.
All three hotels were in great locations and gave us the opportunity to experience three different parts of the city. While Le Meridien and the Westin were within walking distance of each other, Le Meridien was situated closer to the Warehouse District, while the Westin was just steps away from the French Quarter. Staying at the Aloft for our last night gave us the opportunity to see the Central Business District of New Orleans.
Our NOLA Food Finds
A cozy little bar located in the Loew’s Hotel, just across the street from Le Meridien. This bar serves up crafty cocktails, local beers, and a satisfying menu. After a long morning of flying, we cured our hunger pangs with an order of the shrimp panzanella, and a warm bowl of shrimp and okra gumbo.
You can’t go to New Orleans without a visit to one of Emeril’s restaurants. On our first trip we welcomed ourselves to the city with a phenomenal dinner at Emeril’s Delmonico. On this trip, we made sure to visit the flagship restaurant, the original Emeril’s New Orleans. Since the restaurant fills up quickly, we got there early, grabbed a seat at the bar, and ordered a bunch of small plates to share. My favorite dish we ordered here: the Emeril’s New Orleans barbecued shrimp. Bam!
Standing in long lines in touristy places is one of our least favorite things to do, but since our hotel was just a few blocks away from the mile long line at Cafe du Monde, we decided to see what all the hype was about. Here’s a tip: don’t stand in that line. If you really must have the coffee and beignet experience of your dreams, go around the line and straight to the patio of the restaurant where you’ll find another line (the much shorter”to go” line), and get those doughnuts in a bag. Go sit or stand awkwardly by the Mississippi River, as you coat yourself and your shoes in white, powdered sugar. Then say, “Well, at least we can say we’ve done that,” and move on.
Okay, so this is touristy too since everybody wants to sit at that bar that goes round and round, but we totally get why everybody wants to sit here. It’s just different and fun, and their Bloody Mary’s have pickled string beans in them. At that makes all the difference! Who knew?
Our first and only po boy of the trip came from Big Killer Po Boys. They seem to be appropriately named since our Seared Gulf Shrimp po boys were simply killer. Just imagine tender, succulent seared shrimp topped with radish, cucumber, carrot, sriracha aioli, and herbs stuffed inside a flaky, crusty roll. This is the sandwich dreams are made of.
Since Bourbon Street gives me the shakes with all those party go-ers milling around, we tend to stick to much quieter streets like Royal Street. But there was something about the Desire Oyster Bar, on Bourbon Street, that made me want to go in. I’m so glad we did. The oysters are huge and the red beans and rice is insanely addictive. Actually, this experience started my love affair with red beans and rice. Where has this dish been all of my life? Don’t forget to catch some music inside the Royal Sonesta hotel at Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse.
Cochon Butcher is the ultimate sandwich shop for meat lovers. The sandwiches here are so incredible that you’ll probably call this your favorite restaurant in New Orleans after your first visit. We shared the Cochon Muffaletta piled high with house meats and olive salad. It was the best muffuletta we’ve ever had, and this is saying a lot coming from two people who rarely eat meat.
There’s nothing I love more than going to a celebrity chef’s restaurant and actually seeing the chef in the kitchen. So when I saw Nina Compton, runner-up of Bravo’s Top Chef New Orleans, actually in the kitchen, I was amazed. Although we were only here for a snack, (brussel sprouts at the bar), I’d like to think this cozy restaurant attached to the Old No. 77 hotel has a good future ahead of it, especially if Nina Compton remains cooking in the kitchen.
If, after all of this rich southern food, you just want pizza, like we did, head straight to Domenica. This was our last meal in New Orleans, and I must admit, we were a little hesitant at first. I mean, being from New Jersey, we know good pizza, and we were a little apprehensive about pizza in New Orleans. But, Domenica nailed both the food and the service. In fact, we had such a good time eating at the bar and talking with the bartenders, that we might consider this evening, one of our best in New Orleans.
Much more than Bourbon Street…
We’ve heard way too many people say, “I’ve been to New Orleans once and I don’t need to go again.” We hate hearing this, especially because this statement usually comes from people who survived some crazy bachelor or bachelorette party on Bourbon Street. Please understand New Orleans is so much more than that. The amazing mix of food, culture, and music makes it a far richer experience for the senses than those just looking for the next party.
Until we meet again NOLA…
You can read about our first visit to New Orleans by clicking here.
We are thrilled to announce that we are now officially Starwood Preferred Platinum guests! We reached our goal on December 31st, and we are looking forward to our first year of shiny, platinum SPG benefits.
So where did we get our final stays in the Countdown to SPG Platinum? The answer is: New York City and New Orleans. Two incredibly unique cities. Two separate blog posts.
It is not unusual for us to go into New York City for a night on the town. By train, it’s an easy escape for us, and we love indulging at one of our favorite restaurants, or enjoying a drink at a swanky bar. In the mornings, we pick up our favorite NYC breakfast fuel: pumpernickel bagels with tofu scallion spread, and we stroll through Central Park, sipping our coffee, until we find a perfect place for our bagel picnic, the perfect place to watch the baby strollers, the joggers, the dog walkers, the “fit bitters” taking their 10,000th step in the great outdoors of New York City.
For 3 stays to go, we finally got the opportunity to stay at Le Parker Meridien, a Starwood property located only a few blocks from Central Park. This hotel has a pretty interesting vibe, from a rooftop pool overlooking Manhattan, to a hidden-behind-the-curtain burger joint in the hotel lobby. People are drawn to this hotel for the appropriately named, Burger Joint, with an ever present line of people waiting to get a glimpse of the delicious items waiting behind the curtain.
Our guest room was huge, with a flat screen television my husband swooned over for the duration of the stay. In New York City, spacious hotel rooms are rare, and this one had more than enough room to spread out. We were amazed by the view from the pool, especially when Paul took this photo of the pool’s reflection in the glass. How often do you see a pool floating over Manhattan?
Since we don’t often get to stay in this part of town, we made a new delicious discovery just down the street from the hotel. Bengal Tiger Indian Food looks and feels like your typical hole-in-the-wall, which usually means that the food is fabulous. If you can get yourself past the door and up the stairs of this tiny establishment, you will be rewarded at the top with fluffy rice and warm naan. The service is friendly, the food is tasty, the portions are huge, the price is right, and it’s BYOB. What more could you ask for?
In New York City, we live by taking as many steps out of Times Square as we can, finding the magnificent things beyond those twinkling lights, like the Indian food heaven hidden at the top of the dark stairs, the burger behind the curtain, the pool party floating above Manhattan.
Cheers to the SPG Life! We think Platinum looks good on us.
It’s an annual thing now. Every fall we head down to Carolina to see a Gamecock football game. Sometimes we fly into Charlotte, other times, Greenville, depending on how convenient Southwest Airlines can make it for us. Then we rent a car and make the hour or so drive to Columbia. But this year, we changed it up a little.
This time we flew into Charleston to meet up with one of our good friends, Bob. Paul and Bob have been friends since their days on the playground of Wayside School, attending the same elementary school and high school, then making their way down to the University of South Carolina, where legend has it, the fun began. They joined a fraternity, ate nachos at Yesterdays, and from what I hear, met for coffee a few times at Group Therapy. Their stories are endless and their Gamecock loyalty unbreakable. It’s the kind of friendship you cherish for a lifetime.
Although Bob invited us to his house for our first night in town, we opted to stay at the only Starwood property in Charleston, the Aloft Airport and Convention Center. We did this for two reasons: we flew into Charleston late on a Friday night and we needed a stay!
Aloft hotels are “a vision of W hotels” and they are great when you just need a place to rest your head when you’re on the go. Most of our Aloft adventures take place at an airport, where we usually drop our luggage in the room and head on down to the XYZ Bar for a game of pool. We’ve spent many an evening dreaming of the next day’s vacation while sitting in an Aloft lobby.
Bob picked us up early the next morning to drive us to Columbia for the game. Whenever we are in Columbia, we make it a point to stay at the Sheraton Columbia. We love this hotel because it used to be a bank and it’s different than most hotels. The hotel bar is in the vault and the rooms used to be offices. There is even a rooftop bar overlooking the city of Columbia. It’s rather unique for a Sheraton, and we hope this hotel will always remain part of the Starwood Brand.
The Gamecocks played the Citadel and lost by one point, but, as always, win or lose, we had a fantastic time. Paul got to meet up with many of his fraternity brothers, and reminisce about their college days.
One of my favorite things about visiting South Carolina is the food, and although Paul doesn’t remember Columbia for its cuisine, it is apparent the food scene has changed here since Paul’s college days. One of my favorite restaurants in Columbia is Bourbon, and I was thrilled to see they’d added vegetarian gumbo to their menu since our last visit. Located on Main Street, this restaurant is small and cozy, with that dark, speakeasy vibe we love so much.
We also ate at DiPrato’s for breakfast, which is another one of my go-to places in Columbia. DiPrato’s is one of those family owned places that makes you feel good about eating there, and the food is delicious. From biscuits and gravy to huevos rancheros, you will never go home hungry when it comes to a trip to DiPratos.
After breakfast, Bob drove us back to Mount Pleasant, the beautiful town he calls home, just across the bridge from Charleston. We were able to get downtown for a bit to walk the streets of Charleston. We only wish we had a few more days to spend exploring this amazing city.
We can’t thank Bob and his wife Ashley enough for having us in their home and treating us like family. We also want to thank them for introducing us to some of their favorite restaurants, Basil and Page’s Okra Grill. We loved our tofu pad see mow from Basil, and we are hoping they plan on a Basil North location real soon. We also loved the shrimp and grits and biscuits and gravy at Page’s, even if we veered off the vegan path just a tad.
Keep reading our blog as our countdown to SPG Platinum continues. We only have until December 31st, but we’ve got this. Stay tuned!
We are well on our way to Platinum! We made a road trip out of stays 8, 7, and 6 by heading to Philadelphia, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.!
Our first stop was at the Le Meridien Philadelphia, a hotel we love for its unique design and history. Since this hotel used to be a YMCA, it has a character all its own which makes it stand out from other SPG properties.
This hotel is conveniently located within walking distance to Reading Terminal Market, as well as some of our favorite restaurants in the city, Strangeloves and Charlie Was a Sinner. And, since Philadelphia and SPG partner with Uber, we can always pick up a ride whenever we get caught in unexpected rain or snow.
Le Meridien Philadelphia
On this particular trip, Paul’s sister Vicky and her husband John joined us downtown for drinks and snacks at Charlie Was a Sinner, a cocktail bar that serves up some of the very best vegan food available in the City of Brotherly Love. We love the dark and cozy speakeasy vibe this place gives off and we always make sure to put this place on our list when visiting the city.
We just can’t get enough Alexandria in our lives. Our next stop was to one of our favorite spots to stay when we are in the D.C. mood: The Westin Alexandria.
While The Westin Alexandria is not located in the heart of Old Towne, it is within walking distance to King Street. This hotel is tucked away in its own part of town, with easy access to the trains going downtown to D.C., and an easy stroll away from my favorite Alexandria restaurant, the Brabo Tasting Room. See my Bravo for Brabo post for all the details.
On this trip, before arriving in Alexandria, we stopped for lunch a few miles down the road, to enjoy a delicious vegan feast at Busboys and Poets. This was our first Busboys and Poets experience and we can’t believe what we’ve been missing all of these years! This bookstore/restaurant/bar is an incredible concept, and the food is just divine. I highly recommend the chickpea tuna sandwich with Moroccan lentil soup. We loved this place so much we returned the next morning for breakfast burritos, and hit up the original D.C. location for dinner the next night. The tempeh sandwich I had for dinner was super delicious! I’m pretty sure I’d be a Busboys and Poets addict if I lived in the D.C. area.
For our last stop, we continued our Westin Weekend at The Westin Georgetown. Here we were greeted by the manager who remembered us from one of our previous stays in Alexandria. He really made us feel golden with an upgraded room and two free drinks.
With our trendy Westin umbrellas in hand, we dodged puddles as we made our way to the Smithsonian Gallery of Art. After checking out a few photography exhibits, we took another long and wet walk to our favorite oyster bar, Hanks.
No, oysters are not vegan, but they are one of our guilty pleasures in life. We can never say no to an oyster of any kind, raw or barbecued. Hank’s Oyster Bar is the place to go for good, fresh seafood. With three locations in the D.C. area, our hearts are just a little bit more in love with the Dupont Circle location. Want to know more? Read our Hungry for Hank’s post for more information.
Stick with us as our Countdown to SPG Platinum continues, and as I brave the elements while standing next to these hotel signs. It’s a little tricky to hold your Westin umbrella when you still need two hands to countdown.
Good thing we’re down to a one handed countdown now…stay tuned for stays 5 and 4!
Until this past weekend, I’d never been to Princeton. I feel I only have the SAT’s to blame for this…
Since I never quite fulfilled my quest for the perfect score with the Educational Testing Service, the terms “Ivy League” were just as foreign to me as the vocabulary words that plagued my young teenage mind in cold classrooms on early Saturday mornings at Manasquan High School. As a result, places like Princeton didn’t make it on my list of safety schools, and therefore, I was never given the opportunity to tour the campus, nor did I dare fill out an application. I was destined to a future of higher education in two less-than-Ivy League, but more than incredible universities in the beautiful state of Maryland. To Salisbury and Loyola, I am most grateful for the education I received and the memories I made. I was too busy developing a Maryland accent, pumping my own gas, and picking Old Bay smothered crabs, to ever find the time to explore my home state and travel to Princeton. Until now…
Back when Paul was a school administrator, he attended a week-long principal’s academy in Princeton. Each evening, once released from the fun and excitement of principal camp, Paul enjoyed roaming the town, stopping in restaurants for a quiet dinner, and exploring the beautiful campus of Princeton University.
Since Paul always looked forward to returning, and since we’d heard so many lovely things about the Grounds for Sculpture in nearby Hamilton, we decided a quick last-minute fall trip to Princeton was just what we needed. Plus, they have a Starwood…
The Westin Forrestal Village, while not located in downtown Princeton, is conveniently located off of US 1, just a short drive away from Princeton University. Here, in Forrestal Village, we discovered another Salt Creek Grille, a restaurant we used to believe only existed in the town of Rumson, New Jersey. Now we know it is a small, NJ chain with another location in a Princeton shopping center overlooking the highway. We much prefer Rumson’s version with its beautiful view of the Navesink.
The staff at the Westin Forrestal Village were outstanding and super accommodating when it came to adding our “stowaway” (my mother-in-law) to our reservation. We all got a good laugh out of the situation, including the ladies at the front-desk. In addition to their pleasant personalities, they also served up warm hospitality by providing us with information about the Grounds for Sculpture, and honoring our Gold status by upgrading us to a better room.
Grounds for Sculpture is amazing, especially in the fall when the leaves are boldly colored and seemed perfectly placed and scattered along the paths and around the sculptures.
We especially loved Seward Johnson’s sculptures, as you almost have to touch them to believe the people are not real.
We also got the chance to eat at Rat’s Restaurant, a beautiful dining location serving up delicious country French cuisine, right on the grounds of Grounds for Sculpture. Sticking with my love for vegetables, I was pleasantly surprised by the eggplant “mignon” dish I ordered, which looked just like a piece of filet mignon, but when cut into, was a juicy and thick, well-flavored piece of fleshy eggplant. It’s crazy what chefs can do with vegetables these days.
After a beautiful morning of touring the Grounds for Sculpture, and after a quiet and relaxing lunch at Rats, we made our way to downtown Princeton. I was amazed by how beautiful the university looked as we past by its grand buildings and vast lawns. We parked the car in the cheapest parking garage we’ve ever parked in, and made our way to the Triumph Brewing Company, to catch up on college football.
While we didn’t get a chance to see a lot of the university itself, we did wake up early on Sunday morning to make our way over to Carnegie Lake to watch the crew teams row. We stood along a crowded overpass overlooking the lake, sipping our coffee, with the sounds of paddles and coaches roaring below us. It was the perfect way to end our little weekend getaway.
We invite you to help us express our loyalty to the Starwood Preferred Guest program by following us on our journey towards SPG Platinum status. If you are not familiar with the Starwood Preferred Guest program, give us a chance to fill you in on how much we love the Starwood hotel chain and how we plan the majority of our trips around “getting a stay” at as many Starwood properties as we can find.
Staying loyal to a hotel chain is a wise choice if you travel frequently. Almost all hotels offer some kind of loyalty program, but it can seem almost impossible to gain the ultimate rewards from these programs if you try to belong to them all. By choosing one hotel group to remain faithful to, you can be assured the hotel will thank you for your devotion each and every time you check-in, whether it be through points, upgrades, free amenities, or a complimentary late check-out.
So why did we become Starwood Preferred Guests? While we’ve always been suckers for a swanky stay at a W, or a good nap in a fluffy, white Westin Heavenly Bed, it was the American Express Platinum card that sealed the deal when it comes to our Starwood devotion. American Express Platinum card members are automatically granted Starwood Preferred Guest Gold status, a benefit usually reserved for those who complete 10 eligible stays or 25 eligible nights in a calendar year. The first year we were Starwood Preferred Guests, we did absolutely nothing, other than possess an American Express Platinum card, to earn our status. Yet, after a year of being “golden”, we couldn’t help but fall in love and now we make sure to earn our 10 eligible stays as soon as possible each and every calendar year.
SPG Gold membership gives you all of the benefits of being a Preferred member, but with the added bonus of earning three Starpoints for every dollar spent, a room upgrade at check-in, complimentary 4pm check-out, and your choice of a welcome gift upon arrival (SPG points or a beverage). You can even link your Uber account to your Starwood account and earn points while you Uber around town; earn double if you Uber while you stay.
With all of these golden opportunities awaiting us at every check-in, you can bet that we don’t stay anywhere but Starwood. But towards the end of every year, we get this sparkle in our eye for something more: Platinum status. This elite status is only earned after 25 eligible stays or 50 eligible nights in a calendar year.
We’re only 10 stays away.
We’ve always come so close and this year we’re not going to let it pass us by. We’re counting down to Platinum, and we’re inviting you along for the ride.
We’ll do the traveling and feature each Starwood hotel we stay at from now until December 31st. We’ll give you all the details on the hotel’s location, as well as our take on what to do and where to eat (just in case you want to become Starwood Preferred Guests too). So cheer us on as we count down to Platinum.
212 East 42nd Street, New York, New York 10017
Our most recent stay features The Westin New York Grand Central. We enjoy this Midtown Manhattan hotel for its convenient location to Grand Central Station, our favorite Mexican restaurant El Rio Grande, and the easy walk to the legendary New York bagel shop Ess-a-Bagel. On this particular stay, our SPG Gold status got us an upgrade to a corner room with a stellar view of both the Empire State Building and the Verrazano Bridge in the distance.
We believe the best way to enjoy New York City is to walk around. On fall mornings, we like to get up early, bundle up if it’s cold, grab a bagel and coffee at Ess-a-Bagel, and take a walk to Central Park. Be advised, you’re probably going to have to wait in line for the bagel, but it’s worth it. Find a sunny spot to sit and eat and bask in what we think is the most magical place in all of New York City. Central Park is gorgeous, especially when the leaves are changing and the air is crisp.
Looking for some literary inspiration? Take a trip to the Morgan Library to check out the Hemingway exhibit, Between Two Wars. Here you can see some of Hemingway’s original drafts of some of his earliest novels and short stories, as well as view correspondence between Hemingway and some of his famous literary friends. This exhibition runs until January 31, 2016 and it is definitely a must-see for any Hemingway fan.
Craving a bite to eat? While there are an endless amount of restaurants to choose from in NYC, there is one that keeps us coming back for more every time we visit. El Rio Grande is a Mexican restaurant on 38th and 3rd. Not only is the food delicious (guacamole made table-side, steak nachos, homemade tortillas), the food and drink prices are extremely reasonable.
Are you as crazy for rooftops as we are? Make your way past the Flatiron building to Eataly and take the elevator up to Birreria for a warm and cozy place to dine outside. Enjoy a platter of salumi or a selection of cheeses while enjoying a glass of wine.
Want something a little more fancy? Uber your way over to the Village for an elegant meal at Lupa, Mario Batali’s Roman masterpiece in New York City. Get there early for a seat at the bar or make a reservation; Lupa is tiny and crowded. Don’t miss a good meal here because you didn’t plan ahead.
Love black and white photography like we do? Catch the Matt Black Photography Exhibition at Anastasia Photo until October 31st. Matt Black is a California photographer who has captured the harsh realities of poverty through vivid and captivating images. His work is stunning and will grab your attention from the minute you walk in the door.
So where will we stay next? I wish we could say, “We’ll just spin the globe and hope there’s a Starwood wherever we land,” but our jobs keep us from being that unpredictable.
Starwood Preferred Guest Platinum status is within reach, and we’re on our way!
Stay tuned!
Bringing Down the White Picket Fence 