Month: July 2012

Finally!

We are leaving Ohio and heading home. We spent two days at a non-traditional B&B, located in the middle of an electronic wasteland. No wi-fi and almost no cell phone coverage.  It was isolating and strange. But when I get home I will have interesting stories to relate, including 42 wines, and an antique store miracle.

For now, I have about 600 miles to go, and as much fun as we had on this vacation, we are both ready to go home.

Later!

Sitting Here in the Niagara Tower

Our room is on the 29th floor of the Niagara Tower Hotel.

  The American Falls, as seen from our window.
The Horseshoe Falls, as much of it as we can see from our window.
Both falls.
But before we got here, we had to leave Portland, Maine. We planned to leave early because I wanted to stop at Brewery Ommegang, in Cooperstown, New York. The entire plan was to take the brewery tour, eat at their pub, enjoy a pint or two, and then drive to Niagara Falls in time for dinner at an Italian restaurant, Fortuna’s. Since it is about 11 hours of driving, if we leave at 7:30am, spend 90 minutes at the brewery, we will get to the restaurant at 7pm, and the hotel by 8:30ish.
 
 
Again, those are the plans. What really happened is:
 
 
We left the B&B at 8:30. Most of the drive was uneventful. Many toll booths and all Interstate travel. Until Samantha told me to get of the Interstate to get to Cooperstown, New York and the Brewery Ommegang. (Samantha is the voice of my GPS unit, and I think she is a bit psychotic.) She had me take state highways. Then county highways. Then we were turning down narrow, tree-lined country roads. Then she said, “In 400 feet, turn left on the goat path. Prepare to ford a stream.”
 
 
Not really. But we were way off the beaten path. I kept looking at my gas gauge to make sure I would have enough to get back to civilization (which is defined as roads with at least two lanes running in each direction.) Finally, painted on small wooden sign was “Brewery Ommegang” with an arrow pointing to the right. So we turned right, and after a few miles of extremely country roads, we came to the brewery.
It was 2:30. A little later than our plan, but working. I LOVE this brewery. All their beers are exceptional Belgian-style ales. When we first decided on the idea of this vacation, I was waiting for this visit. I was completely geeked to be here. We walked into the brewery store, and found it filled with people. Apparently I was not the only person to want to see the brewery. We signed up for a tasting (I was really looking forward to trying a few of their specialty and seasonal beers. I enjoyed their five regular beers and they had three unique varieties that I wanted to taste. And then buy, of course.)

We decided to do our shopping first, then the tasting, followed by the tour and finish with a light lunch. I picked up two of the three beers that I have not had previously as well as some glassware and a t-shirt. Tammy was standing in line to pay and I went to the tasting. My first disappointment was they only offered samples of their six year-round offerings. But at least one of those was new to me.
My second disappointment was that new one was the only beer that I did not like. (I tried to call Tammy and tell her not to buy that bottle, but of course I had no cell service.)
The guide to the tasting tried to do a good job of teaching everyone about the beers, but unfortunately the room was filled with people making these comments: “This is terrible beer. It isn’t anything like Bud Light” and “How are we going to get a buzz on samples that are so small”. Everyone was too busy chugging their two ounce portions. It was frustrating.
The next disappointment was when we went on the tour, our guide really didn’t know much about the brewing process. Or if he actually did have knowledge of the process, he was “dumbing it down” for everyone. But even Tammy, who doesn’t like beer, and has never brewed a beer, could identify when he made obvious mistakes.
“Even I know that was wrong!”
The final disappointment was after the tour, we still needed to wait another hour before getting a table in the cafe. We had asked to make a table reservation before the tour so that we could get a table when the tour was done, but they don’t do that. So we left. I couldn’t wait that extra time.
The bottom line is that the parts of the trip that I most anticipated ended up being the bigger let-downs. Maybe that is to be expected. The greater the anticipation, the greater the chance of disappointment.
We hit the road and got to Niagara Falls, New York at 8:30. Later than we wanted, especially because the restaurant where we wanted to eat closed at 9:30. But we got a table right away, sat down and quickly ordered. Because we had looked at the menu while driving, we knew what we wanted. We ordered a mixed antipasto platter and a meal of capellini with olive oil and garlic. (My cell phone’s camera did a poor job of getting the picture.)

Dessert? Cannolis. It was too much, and yet we couldn’t stop.
If you want classic Italian, eat at Fortuna’s.

We arrived at the hotel at 10pm. Tired after a long day of driving and eating, we went to bed, ready for the next day’s activities. And what are those activities? I will post them tomorrow, but they include wine, food, and martinis.

Whale Watching and Great Food

Tammy and I were at the pier by 8am, at Dunkin Donut (for a 24ounce coffee, only) at 8:15 and waiting to board the Odyssey for a whale watching excursion. The crew (with Captain Fred running the boat) got us underway on time. They announced that we might experience “mild to moderate chop” when we clear the harbor.  I wondered what they meant by “mild to moderate chop.”

Have you seen the George Clooney movie “The Perfect Storm”? Where he tries to power his fishing trawler up a vertical wall of water?

It was almost like that. I’m glad I had a bagel and cream cheese, yogurt, an orange and a lot of coffee for breakfast. (No, I didn’t lose it over the stern, but I was considering it for the first 2.5 hours of the excursion.)

Eventually, the waters calmed, and I started feeling like maybe I’d eat food again sometime later this year.

The nausea was resolved and I was feeling good. Finally.

The whale watching was as successful as last night’s fishing trip. (Seriously, if I needed to live off my fishing and hunting abilities, I would be a very skinny vegetarian.)

That was the one harbor porpoise I saw. Of course, I missed it here.
Take my word for it. It was THIS big!
When we returned to stable land, we decided that it was time for lunch/dinner. So, back to the Portland Lobster Company for lobster rolls. And clam cakes. And onion rings. And a wild blueberry mead (not really worth mentioning any further–if I hadn’t paid $8.50 for the glass, I wouldn’t have finished it.)
This is what the entire meal (for both Tammy and myself) looked like:
A fantastic meal!
The lobster rolls here are very different from Boston’s. In Boston, it is a hot dog bun, a layer of lettuce and a mixture of shredded lobster and mayo. Nice. Like an upscale tuna salad sandwich. But here, where lobster is lord, it is more simple. The same bun and iceberg lettuce, but then they add all the meat from a one pound lobster. Not shreds, but the whole tail, both claws and all the other bits Then they pour a little clarified butter over it. Here is a close up (try not to drool on your keyboard):
This simple sandwich was a better meal than yesterday’s feast.
The place was busy, with live music and a lot of tourists in town.We shared a picnic table with another couple (Sara and Brian, visiting from Virginia) and eventually had a few beers. I enjoyed an Allagash Belgian White Ale and an Allagash Belgian Black Stout. I also had a sample of Allagash Black Prince (too much American hops for my tastes, but I think it was a well-made beer.) The Belgian Black Stout was excellent! Allagash Brewing is a Portland craft beer brewer and I am glad I had the opportunity to try them.
All four of us had a great meal and several great beers. So of course, we were stuffed. But there is always room for a crepe. Just across the street from the restaurant was a pushcart vendor making the lightest and tastiest crepes I have had in a long time. Tammy and I had a simple lemon and sugar crepe. Sara and Brian had the banana-nutella crepe.

Sara and Brian

The crepes put me over the top in terms of calories, but it was so worth it!

Life is for the living. And life is meant to be enjoyed. That does not mean eating with abandon and completely ignoring the consequences of over-indulging. But vacations like this do not happen all the time. And both Tammy and I are staying very active. We are also logging everything. And we are still making choices. We know that all the fried food is an indulgence. We also know that when we return home, we will return to a tightly controlled intake until we return to our goal weights. But we are having a helluva good time. We are eating foods that we simply can’t get at home, especially the fresh seafood, being served less than a day from harvest.

Tomorrow we drive to Cooperstown, New York to tour the Ommegang Brewing Company and a meal at their brewpub, and then on to Niagara Falls.

Just a Quick Update

We arrived in Portland at around 2 pm. The traffic out of Boston was not bad. Our bed and breakfast, the Inn at St. John, is very nice.

The two of us, sitting on the deck, waiting for our lobsters.

We went to the Portland Lobster Company, and the feast began! I went a little nuts, and ordered the Down East Feast. Mine was a 1.25 pound lobster, a dozen steamed oysters, clam chowder, french fries, corn on the cob, cole slaw, and drawn butter. (Tammy’s was the same, but without the steamed oysters, clam chowder.) I also ordered a local beer (Peepers Ale.)

Life is soooo freakin’ good! I cried a little inside when this arrived.
The devastation–and satisfaction–was achieved about a half hour later.
Now I am waiting for the fishing charter to start. We will be fishing for mackerel. We are allowed to keep what we catch, but we won’t be home for about a week, so I can’t imagine they will keep on ice that long. I will practice catch-and-release, and still have a lot of fun.
Tomorrow’s activities:  Whale watching in the morning. Lobster rolls at the Portland Lobster Company for lunch. Fireworks in the evening, either on board a boat or ashore, following another lobster dinner, of course.
Are you thinking that I am focusing on lobster too much? I’m in Maine! I don’t want to eat burgers, or chicken or pork or veggies while I’m here. But will it get boring?
Not a chance.

Touring Beantown, Day 2

(Disclaimer: Yesterday, my Fitbit showed huge numbers. I took them at face value, but I has some doubts. This morning, on my ride into town, I realized what happened. The roads throughout the city are rough and the trolleys have terrible suspensions. My Fitbit registered all the bumps as walking, and all the hills as climbing the equivalent in flights of stairs. Oh well.)

And the Boston vacation continues …

Another beautiful day in Boston began as all the others, with a hearty breakfast and a ride on the Beantown Trolley to start the day.

Happy and excited. This was before we started walking!

We decided to spend the day not riding the trolley. We wanted to walk the Freedom Trail, as well as take in a few other sites. So we hit the trail at about 9am. We planned to be at Fanueil Hall for lunch by noon. (Remember how my plans turn out?)

I’m not going to inflict upon you all the pictures that I took. I try to not be excessively cruel. But I had fun wandering the area and finding really nice scenery. The wonderful architecture, both classic and modern, is impressive as is the almost constant use of flowers and plants everywhere. And if you are interested in cemertaries, Boston has some great ones. With a few big names, too.

Yup. Ben Franklin’s family.
Those are pennies on the plaque, left in honor of the family.
John Hancock. You know?
That very large signature on the Declaration of Independence?
Yes. THE Paul Revere.
But it was not all heavy and serious. Towards the end of the day, I stopped at the Beantown Pub. I was tired. Hot. Thirsty. And Sam Adams (Boston Brewing Company) makes good beer.
So I went in and got a pint of Sam Adams Brick Red Ale. I walked over the the window and hoisted the pint.
Saluting with a delicious beer.
Do you see that little green square, just under the “No Right Turn” sign?
I think my act of honor was appropriate.
(Appropriate but completely unoriginal, according to the bartender.)

Okay, so I earned my merit badge in “Corny Tourist”, but who cares? It was a delicious beer, and how often am I on Boston?  It was fun. And seriously, I was hot, tired and thirsty at that point of the day. Why was I so hot, tired and thirsty?

We were only on the trolley from our motel to drop-off point. After that, we spent the rest of the afternoon walking. Today, my Fitbit numbers are accurate: Steps: 23,614  Miles: 10.45  Flights: 53

Half of the 53 flights came from climbing the Bunker Hill Monument.

There were 294 steps in a continuous spiral up the inside of that obelisk.
Actually, going down was more uncomfortable than going up. (I wish I had worn my knee braces.)
A view of downtown Boston from 221 feet up.

My plan for lunch was not met exactly. (Surprise!) By the time we got to Faneuil Hall, it was 2pm, and we were hungry.

But the Lobster Rolls were great.

Later, while waiting for the shuttle back to the motel, we found a fruit vendor for a quick snack of plums and oranges.

We returned to the motel and decided to find seafood (again) but not from a restaurant in the tourist district and not from a chain. We looked for a shop that only locals would know about. And we found one: “K Seafood.” They don’t have a web presence. They don’t have flashy advertising. They don’t have a fancy building. They don’t serve on china plates. They just serve really good fried seafood. To go, only.

This meal was better than the meal at Legal Seafood. More flavor. Less price.
K Seafood is a fishmonger. I forgot my camera, but they had fresh fish on ice from red snapper, bluefish, eel, and squid to live lobsters and crabs. I would kill to have access to a fish market like that on a daily basis. And I am sooooo happy to find K Seafood.
A few other pictures, not food related, but fun:
Tammy is a teacher who works with 11-13 year olds. One of the books that she uses is Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey. Boston Garden has a bronze sculpture from Nancy Schon of those ducklings.

And at Faneuil Hall, a statue of Samuel Adams stands where he made several speeches encouraging independence from England. (Apparently he did more than make beer. Who knew?)

Samuel Adams. Statesman, philosopher, patiot, Founding Father of the United States.
And a brewer, too.

About the only similarity is that I brew beer.

It was a long day. Tomorrow, we leave Boston and head to Portland, Maine. And more lobster. (Do you sense a food theme?)

Touring Beantown, Day 1

The morning started a bit early, up by 6am and eating breakfast at 7am. Our motel, the Comfort Inn in Randolph, MA offers a nice complimentary breakfast, much more than the usual pastries, coffee and juices. I know that we will be doing a fair amount of walking, and I like to start my days with a big breakfast. This place allows that. Yesterday and today I ate two hard boiled eggs, a whole wheat bagel with two tablespoons peanut butter, a banana, Dannon Light and Fit blueberry yogurt with 1/4 cup Fiber All cereal and coffee. We planned to grab a meal somewhere along our tour at noonish, so this would be a great start to the day. (It’s good to have plans. It’s better if they work out. Which is never guaranteed.)
We bought two day passes to the Beantown Trolley tour. This is a guided tour of Boston,with trolleys running at half hour intervals. This allows riders to get off at any location for greater exploration at specific sites and then climb back aboard the next trolley and continue the tour. If you are visiting Boston, this is a great way to learn about the city. Buying a two-day pass is very efficient because it gives you a chance to see the whole tour, and then spend the remaining day and all the next day on adventures visiting sights that are of special interest.

The trolley picked us up at our motel and we started the tour. At the end of the first circuit, we exited the trolley and took our first adventure on foot. Yesterday, Alyssa with Bites Of Boston Food Tours told us about an art and food outdoor market, located in the Art District (near the theater district and Chinatown), an area known as SoWa (South of Washington Avenue.) Since the Beantown trolley stopped near that area, we decided to check it out.

The first layer of this adventure was completely out of our control. It was hot (90F) and humid (64%). That is not a terrible thing, but the second layer of the adventure was that we were not completely sure of how to get where we wanted. Boston’s city streets are not laid out in a normal straight grid pattern. We first walked a few blocks one way, then realized that we were going in the wrong direction and backtracked several (many?) blocks. Then, we found out that we were headed in the correct direction initially and turned around. Eventually, we decided to go “that way” and hope for the best. We got where we wanted to go.

It was a nice market, focused on artwork of every type. (Alyssa, thanks for mentioning that while we were on the food tour.) Painting, sculpture, fabrics and repurposed materials shared space with food trucks, a pet snack bakery, and organic food vendors.

And there was a henna artist, too.

By the time the henna tattoo was completed on Tammy’s foot, we needed to get back to our pickup point. I wanted to visit the U.S.S. Constitution and since that is not open on Mondays, I needed to do that today. We didn’t stay at the market to eat, because I didn’t get in line early enough. Everyone wanted the same thing I wanted (Lobster Roll). Oh well, we’ll get some food soon. (Riiiiiight.)

We walked back to the drop off place turning the corner just as the trolley drove off. Sigh. Another one will arrive in 30 minutes. That will still give us time to grab some food and do the U.S.S. Constitution. Probably. Eventually, the trolley arrived and all was fine, except that this driver took us on slightly different routes, and took several long stops (15 minutes at one for no apparent reason, 10 minutes at another stop for a bathroom break) and then stopped to take his lunch break two stops later. At that stop, we were told that the next trolley would be there to pick us up in 20 minutes.

Okay.We will just see the ship. We will find some food when we get to the motel. (Gotta love it when plans fall into place!)

The ship was cool. I am glad I wasn’t in the US Navy serving on that ship. It is small!

We finished that tour and waited for the final trolley ride back to the starting point, for the shuttle back to the motel. And food! We arrived back, and were told that our shuttle wouldn’t be ready for 75  minutes. So, that gave us time for food!

It was Italian time! Just down the street was a nice Italian place, Vapiano. We ordered a mixed antipasti platter to eat there, and then a small pizza to go. We didn’t know how long it would take to prepare the food, and I really didn’t want to miss the shuttle back to the motel.

Mixed Antipasti

Very good food. A rustic bread with chopped tomatoes, some marinated artichoke hearts, shaved parmesan, slice tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, giardiniere of veggies and some Kalamata olives. It tastes even better that it looks!

Roasted Tomato and Garlic Thin Crust Pizza

The pizza arrived right away, so we ate it there instead of taking it to go. Such a good pizza! We waited a lot longer than planned for our meal, but I can say it was worth it. (And this meal kicked the butt of the Mexican meal yesterday.)

Dessert was at the motel. Our first night, we had stopped at a Godiva shop in the mall the held the Legal Seafood restaurant. Tonight we enjoyed two truffles each. We each had a tiramisu truffle, and Tammy had a dark chocolate shell, while I had an extra-dark chocolate truffle.

Tomorrow’s plan? The Beantown Trolley to start, then a 3.5 mile walk on the Freedom Trail, ending back at the U.S.S Constitution. Then we will ride back to Fanueil Hall for some shopping and snacking. From there we will wander to the Boston Aquarium, followed by a seafood restaurant.

Those are the plans. I wonder what will really happen?

FYI: Boston has quite a few hills and we climbed up and down the streetswhile trying to find our way to the market. That, combined all the other stairs we climbed made for some impressive numbers on my Fitbit. We walked 8.31 miles, 18,570 steps and climbed the equivalent of 101 flights of stairs.