I can’t believe my trip to Washington D.C. was a year ago. It seems like decades ago, an era before pandemic and a global crisis. A time when going to a museum was a fun day out and not a potential source of COVID. Le sigh. However, I can’t wax too lyrical about the National Air and Space Museum. Not because it wasn’t cool but because… I’m a terrible travel blogger. My problem is I go to museums and take a lot of pictures of crap without actually going through and figuring out exactly *what* the crap is. And being
Category: Travel
Memories from Huntington Beach, California
My trip to Huntington Beach feels like a million years ago. Considering that my hair is long and brown in these pictures, you could say that it was at least two years ago. But quarantine has me thinking of funner times when travel was the *thing* to do and going out where the crowds were was not a nerve wracking experience involving the possible spread of COVID-19 I remember thinking of the absurdity that surfers were out in the middle of December which would be a wish for hypothermia if they did this anywhere in Washington. I was also vastly
An Open Letter to New Orleans, Louisiana
Dear New Orleans, It’s been two years since I’ve been to visit you, and I want to go back so badly it hurts. I want to walk down Bourbon Street, step into a night club, and maybe eat some beignets. Oh, and definitely get some fried chicken because for some reason, it tastes like magic in your city. Unfortunately, Mardi Gras, spring break and COVID-19 have taken it’s toll on your city and it breaks my heart to pieces. Your city isn’t made for social distancing. It’s made for get togethers, jazz shows in small venues… and beignets. Let’s not
Thrashers – A Food Stand in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
I’ve had a long time to think about Thrashers, and you know what? I still don’t get it. When we went to Rehoboth Beach, I did the typical thing that any tourist would do–Google must-eat things in area. Thrashers was the place apparently. It was touted as the “must-do” because if you didn’t, then you missed the point of going to the boardwalk. Okay, well then. Go to Thrashers. The only thing Thrashers served was French fries. Also, you had to salt them yourself. Oh, and you could douse them in vinegar if you so chose. Did you hear that?
An Open Letter to Portland, Oregon
Dear Portland, We did not start off on the right foot. As a matter of fact, you were kind of a sloppy second. Our original plans included going to spring training in Phoenix, Arizona… But that was cancelled so we ended up with you. One thing you’ve gotten right Portland, is the love of books. Anywhere else, and a place like Powell’s bookstore would go out of business. Instead, it’s a monstrosity of a building that I could get lost in for hours. It was everything I’ve ever wanted a bookstore to be! And despite all the panic regarding coronavirus,
An Open Letter to Seattle, Washington
Dear Seattle, I visit you occasionally but it should really be more often. However, depending on the day and the hour (and, let’s face it–traffic), you can be kind of a pain-in-the-ass to travel to. Besides, you can be a wee bit expensive when I decide to do things like buy artisanal wines, macarons, bread, cheeses and meats so I can be bougie and have the best movie snack EVER. Unfortunately, you are the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak. Although I’ve usually bemoaned the fact that you and my favorite piroshki stand are roughly an hour and a half away,
Why I Shouldn’t Be Allowed at Hockey Games
Yesterday I went to my very first hockey game. It was the Seattle Thunderbirds and they were going up against a team from Portland. I’d watched a few NHL games on television and figured it’d be a good fit for me since I’m pretty barbaric. I mean, my fiancé and I shared our first kiss at a bar while watching Floyd Mayweather teach Conor McGregor a thing or two about boxing. I wouldn’t be surprised if my ancestors were amongst the spectators at the Coliseum, giving a giant hurrah everytime blood spilled. So you’d think grown men with hockey sticks
“The Nutcracker” by the Pacific Northwest Ballet – Seattle, Washington
Attending The Nutcracker is almost a rite of passage in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve rarely met a Seattleite who has not seen the show in question, and even rarer to find someone who is disappointed in the performance. I myself saw the show years ago as an eleven year old. It was the Maurice Sendak version and I loved the sugarplum fairy. She was gorgeous, knew how to dance, and had excellent fashion. In my tween years, she was EVERYTHING. Fast forward, and the current rendition being played is George Balanchine. I’m much older now but when I’d heard that
Tatte – A Restaurant in Boston, Massachusetts
Tatte – at least I believe that’s the name of the restaurant – was my saving grace in Boston. It gave me food that felt homemade and full of carbs. Warm, delicious and simple without any millennial hipster vibes thrown in. Tatte came into my life like a beacon of hope–it was the place I ran to after the disaster that was Pressed. It thrived on good ol’ fashioned breakfasts and pastries and made me drool as soon as I stepped inside. Please note, I was famished when I made my way in here so this cafe will probably get
Ray’s Pizza – A Restaurant in New York City, New York
One thing that was a must-do in New York City for me and my BAE, was get pizza, which is my other BAE. Clearly, the Before Anything Else idea encompasses lots of areas of my life leaving me with an inability to make decisions. But pizza? It was a must. And would you believe we had a hard time trying to find pizza in New York? Some places were closed, some were jam-packed to the point where the place would be closed by the time our turn came at the register, and some places just had bad health food ratings