Should you skip the Open AIr Museum in Cappadocia, Turkey… and other advice from globetrotter, Nailah Hayward of There’s So Much Too See.
Click the photos for more about Cappadocia, Turkey through Nailah’s eyes…
See more with Nailah:
https://www.facebook.com/theressomuchtosee
Mommy & Me Day 1 @ Grape Arbor B&B, North East, Pennsylvania.
After driving something like 10 hours (we got lost O_o) to redeem our Living Social Escapes deal for Grape Arbor B&B, my mom and I arrived in North East Pennsylvania to have a relaxing girls weekend. Our suite is pretty plush with elegant Americana decor with one bedroom that had a half bath and a smaller bedroom (cause mom snores like a bear) and a full bath down the hall. We had it all to ourselves :)
We started our next day with a FANTASTIC three course breakfast of apple crumb pie, fresh fruit, fresh harvest rolls, and a choice of eggs florentine or french toast with a side of bacon. Filled up and energized we took a walk through town and found some antique shops to satisfy our internal urge to shop. We found some vintage earrings and bracelets, kitchenware, and of course vintage luggage at Marks Coins & Collectibles on Main Street, Olde Times Sake and Ye Olde Vineyard on Lake Street! Tomorrow… mom is thinking about going back for some lamps.
Here’s a listing of some vendors local to the Erie/North East area of Pennsylvania: http://www.pavendors.com/antiques/eriecounty.htm
Next while I took a little afternoon siesta, mom got an hour massage back at the B&B. When she was done getting her rub down we had an afternoon wine, cheese & chocolate pairing at South Shore Wine Company. We tried 6 wines made from grapes and fruit made in one of the many rolling vineyards in the area. (Fun Fact: Welch’s Grapes come from here.)
Afterwards, just up the road we soaked up the wine with some comfort food from Freeport, a local family restaurant on Lake road. Behind it we enjoyed the majestic view of the sun filtering through the clouds at Freeport beach.
Great Times at the EscapeMaker.com Travel & Food Fair!
It was a beautiful day for a weekend trip upstate this past Saturday, but since I couldn’t make it there- I invited a friend to join me at the Escapemaker.com Food & Travel fair in downtown, Brooklyn.
We learned about the 300 vineyards surrounding the Finger Lakes and tasted MANY oftheir fine wines, tried a variety of maple syrups from Vermont, and who knew that Cabot Cheese of Vermont had a gluten free Cheddar that tastes PHENOMENAL?!
Every booth had something to try from their areas and really lovely people ready to tell you about the many B&B deals that us city folk take for granted. FYI: If you’re looking for quiet and don’t want to go far, check out Warwick, NY about 50miles from the city. Greyhound and Amtrak stop in the town’s center and there’s Dorothy the innkeeper that will even pick you up from the station.
There were panels about green travel and also local spotlights on food and festivals from Brooklyn as well. Like the locally made honey, smoked salmon jerky, Empire State Beer, and cheese made by a beautiful Frenchman named Pierre that you can get on 7th avenue (I think I have a crush on his cheese).
*sorry about the photos or lack there of.. I was wine tasting ;)
As a New Yorker, I’m always surprised at the things that smaller metropolitan areas have that we don’t and should. Cool stuff like, Capital Bikeshare.
I was walking around the highly gentrified Columbia Heights area and past a Capital Bikeshare rack and a sign explaining how to rent a bike for the day or even get a membership right at the stand. First, I walked around the bright red bicycle. Just for kicks, I tried to take it out of it’s locked stand to see how “in there” it was. It was locked up tight. Only to be undone with a membership and the pressing of a secret code.
I went back to my hotel room. Thought about how I barely ride bikes back home and how happy the local hipsters looked as I walked past them earlier. I went back outside and crossed the street. There was one bike left. Shiny, new looking, it beckoned me to ride it with it’s cushy seat, front bag rack, and bell. I read the instructions, slide my credit card into the slot and with $5, I became a member of Capital Bikeshare.
I removed the bike from the slot, adjusted the seat for my height, put on a fresh coat of bright red lipstick and my black wayfarer shades and I was off. As I rode down 11th street, past U st, and onwards to Dupont circle- it felt like the pedals were loose… maybe i’m using the wrong wording, but there was no umph to the bike. I changed gears- nothing. I would later learn that perhaps the bike having no “umph” was a good thing. D.C. has lots of hills and being able to push thru without any resistance was now a blessing for this deceivingly out of shape city girl.
I got up the hill and back over to 11st as the sun went down. I slide the bike back into it’s space and waited for the light to blink before I walked away wishing we had something like Capital Bikeshare in New York City.
For more information, visit: http://www.capitalbikeshare.com
Follow @bikeshare on twitter.
The Museum of Unnatural History.
In the Columbia Heights shopping district, nestled between Pollo Campero and Julia’s Empanadas is The Museum of Unnatural History. Free to enter and well air conditioned, you’ll find such oddities as “Unicorn Burps”, Future Amber (a bottle of tree sap), and an account of the planets that were kicked out of the solar system and why. Compleatly tongue in cheek, the museum is a great place to lighten up a date or bring some kids. Proceeds from anything you purchase goto 826 DC, which provides outing, tutoring, and mentorship to children and teens.
Location:
3233 14th St NW
Washington, DC 20010
Columbia Heights Metro Stop
I don’t know if we manifested it or wished really hard, but there it was the coveted Red Hook Lobster Truck parked in front of Trader Joe’s on Atlantic Ave. and Court St. The woman taking orders explained it wasn’t planned for them to be there, but here they were.
The lobster is fresh caught and transported six hours to New York City from Maine and given to you in a warm roll with two options: a cold salad style Maine sandwich or a hot buttered Connecticut style sandwich.
We had it Connecticut style for $16, a reasonable splurge considering it’s always someone’s birthday everywhere in the world. Lobster Rolls are how we toast to them.
Happy Birthday!
Find out where they are today by following them on twitter: @lobstertruckny
Mariaville Lake Bed & Breakfast:
Last week my friend and I were hell bent on getting out of town, away from the noise and the tension that was threatening to explode from within. I remembered I had a Living Social deal I was saving for such an occasion for two nights at Mariaville Lake Bed & Breakfast and a few phone calls, a borrowed car, and a 3 hour drive later we were there.
Innkeepers Rick & Lorrie were awesome. Rick, a natural born storyteller told us about the time legendary musicians from Phish, and The Grateful Dead that had stayed at the B&B and his wife Lorrie was so lovely, she made the fantastic breakfast daily and didn’t laugh when we said we wanted to go row boating in the cold.
We ended up in the Colonial Room, which has a homey presidential log cabin feel to it and windows facing the front and sides of the estate. The bed was so comfy and the room so quiet, I fell into what I describe as a much needed comatose state at 9:30pm, way too early for a city slicker like me… but I couldn’t fight it.
The next day we had breakfast bright and early at 8am which was delicious and fixed with care, complete with coffee, tea, juice, eggs, cakes, fruit, and a side of meat. If you have allergies or dietary restriction you just let Rick or Lorrie know before you arrive and they will make sure to have something equally spectacular to eat.
My next move after breakfast was to enjoy the fire in the sitting room where I would do some reading and drink alittle more tea. On the second day, we thought it would be fun to go out on the water.
Rowing a boat is hard and Mariaville Lake is pretty big, but once we got the hang of it, we went from end to end without any issues. The B&B also has canoes and kayaks for you too choose from, but since I’ve never been in a boat I chose the most stable option.
The entire experience showed how important it is to step away from the hamster wheel and relax your mind, body, and soul. I’m already planning on going back…. hopefully I’ll see you there!
For more information, visit: http://www.mariavillelakebb.com/
Visit us on facebook for additional photos.
Photos and article by TastyKeish.
My first memory of wanting to go to Paris was between the ages of 6 and 11. I know it was that time of my life because of where my family was living at the time. I was watching Babar on HBO. In the episode he was driving down the Champs Elysées at night, during Christmastime. I remember feeling that I have to do that one day. I guess that’s when this all started.
I attended the FIAF Travel Day Fair, yesterday, March 22, 2011. The first booth I visited was Call in Europe. A phone and my food are the most important things to me when traveling. Discussing the phone options in France reminded me of a conversation I had a few weeks ago at Les Enfant Terribles. A couple, who are regulars there as well, were going to Paris to get married. They were picking the brains of the staff about where to go, what to do etc. My friend, and bartender, told them about The Phone House where they could get cheap cell phones to use. I laugh thinking about the man’s quip, “It’s not Le phone house?” I added my notes to the inside of their travel guide by referring them to Real Time Travlr (the Founder, TastyKeish, is one of French connections).
REVIEW: CHEAPCARIBBEAN.COM
It’s only the beginning of February but by now you’re probably sick of “Old Man Winter”. The east coast has been plummeted by snowstorms on a weekly basis while the west coast has experienced one of the wettest winters to date. At this point you’ve probably given up on watching the weather. You already know the forecast. Snow or Rain. Both failures in my book. So what’s a person to do? Escape the cold with a winter getaway!
Of course “money is a major issue” but as a fairly seasoned winter weather escape artist I have learned that you can get some amazing deals around this time to some of the hottest Caribbean Islands without breaking the bank. My number 1 choice for Caribbean vacations is Cheapcaribbean.com.
Cheapcaribbean.com is a one stop shop Caribbean getaway website that makes booking your 1st or 15th vacation a cool beach breeze. Everything from flights, hotels, airport transportation and activities can be purchased through one of their many vacation packages. Their list of destinations is astounding and their prices can’t be beat. One of the best and highly recommended vacation add-ons is their all-inclusive package. I’m a tiny girl that LOVES to eat so not having to worry about having extra money to spend on food and drinks (yes, alcohol included) is a lifesaver. I can say with confidence that I’ve used this website for my last 5 Caribbean getaways (Aruba, Los Cabos, Freeport Bahamas and Cancun Mexico twice) and I have been extremely satisfied with each trip. If you have any questions or concerns their knowledgeable and friendly staff is available 7 days a week and their founder “Caribbean Jim” is even on twitter @caribbeanjim. So what are you waiting for? Get your passport and get out of dodge! See you on the beach!
Here’s some video of me on an ATV in Cabo (that was harder than it looks) and pictures from a few of my caribbean getaways can be found in the Travel folder of my photography site, photos.thebsideshow.com
NO, I did not get a check from http://www.cheapcaribbean.com/!
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