Relaxing Day With BFFs

Posted on February 25, 2015 by kcbernick

Monday, February 23

This morning, we picked up a rental car near the resort. It’s so much less expensive than renting at the airport, and we could walk the half mile to the rental location.

Off we went to do a little exploring. Palm Desert is a fairly easy city to negotiate. This afternoon, we drove to Palm Springs, about 30 minutes away, to pick up our close friends, Sally and Jeff. They spend a week or two every year in this area, and we were able to coordinate our travel to be here at the same time. We brought them back to our resort to spend the night.

Jeff and Sally

Jeff and Sally

We stopped at the local grocery store, within walking distance, and picked up ingredients for dinner. The men tended the steaks on the grill while Sally prepared the garlic bread and I made a mediterranean pasta dish (garlic, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives and feta cheese). For dessert we enjoyed some port.

It was a treat to spend some time with these awesome friends while we are here.

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A 90 Degree Change in Attitude

Posted on February 24, 2015 by kcbernick

Sunday, February 22

Today is our 13th Anniversary, and we always travel somewhere to celebrate. This year it’s Palm Desert, a new location for me. Friends stay every year for a couple of weeks in Palm Springs and have recommended the climate. We left 14 degrees below zero in Minnesota, and arrived to 76 degrees in Palm Desert. Who could blame us for wanting to improve our attitudes by almost 90 degrees!

Our vacation rental wasn’t ready yet when we arrived, so we walked to the Desert Willow Golf Resort for some lunch This resort has a gorgeous Dale Chihuly chandelier in the lobby, at least 10 feet in length.

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We sat outside and when a gentle rain started, everyone else left for shelter. We were so happy to be out doors without our down jackets that we just stayed where we were.

The grounds at our resort, Club Intrawest Palm Desert , are beautiful. Several of the desert plants are in bloom, and we’ve seen road runners, ravens and cranes as well as other critters.

After checking into our room, we walked to The Cork Tree Restaurant
for dinner. The food was delicious, wine list extensive, and the service wonderful – attentive but not interfering with our conversation. For dessert, we had a creme brulee flight: butterscotch, chocolate and vanilla.

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Doin’ Destin

Posted on January 19, 2015 by kcbernick

Sunday to Thursday, January 11 – 15

After leaving the cruise ship, we flew to Pensacola to visit friends, Steve and Joan, and met them for dinner at Jaco’s Bayfront Bar and Grille. After a great meal, and even better conversation, we headed to Destin, where we had rented a condo at the Holiday Beach Resort. It was well located, near plenty of restaurants, shops and movie theaters.  The only available unit was a one bedroom studio, so it was pretty cozy, but very well laid out. and it fronted on a beautiful white sand beach.This part of the resort is about 30 years old, and could use some updating, but it was well maintained and the staff were amazing!

The temperature this week was on the cool side, but still about 50 degrees warmer than back home.

On Wednesday, we drove into Pensacola to have dinner with Steve and Joan and several of their friends. After wine at Seville Quarter, we met their friends at The Fish House, where not only was the food good, it was Ladies’ Night, with $2 drinks on the veranda. We enjoyed meeting these new people, and hope to count them as friends as well in the future.

On Thursday evening, Steve and Joan came out to Destin to spend the night in our cozy little home on the beach. After putting some of the furniture on the attached porch, we were able to open out the sleeper sofa for them. They brought along several games and taught us how to play Farkle. Loved it!

Friday, January 16

The four of us started out the morning with breakfast at the Donut Hole Bakery and Cafe.

We’d all driven by it, and through it would be worth a try. I ordered the granola pancakes and was given enough to feed the whole table. They were so good, I wished I could have eaten them all.

Next stop was Banana Bart’s, a gift shop just jam packed full of goodies: clothing, jewelery, knickknacks, and artwork. The shop overlooks the harbor, and was the first vacation house in Destin. It took about an hour to see everything – we didn’t want to miss any treasures!

Banana Bart's

Banana Bart’s

Then to Harborwalk Village, where we did some shopping, and had lunch at Margaritaville. There is a wonderful art gallery, Special Touch Gallery, featuring works by many local artists. We oohed and ahhed over many items, and purchased a few items as well.

We stayed in Pensacola tonight with Steve and Joan so we would be closer to the airport in the morning. We taught them how to play one of our favorite, though perverted, games: Cards Against Humanity. It was a night full of laughter.

Saturday, January 17

Back home again, where the temperature was in the upper 30’s – a virtual heat wave – which made it a little easier to tolerate.

 

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Sea Days

Posted on January 12, 2015 by kcbernick

Friday and Saturday, January 9 & 10

These were relaxing days on the ship although we did experience some rain and wind, not too bad though. It was a good time to catch up on our rest.

Chocolate was highlighted at Friday’s dinner, always difficult to resist. I heard there was lots of chocolate in the Horizon Bistro dining area at breakfast on Saturday. I wisely stayed away from that area, although I did experience some remorse later.

Sunday, January 11

We left the ship this morning, and flew to Pensacola to visit friends, Steve and Joan. The temperature was quite a bit lower than we enjoyed on the cruise. We had to dig out our long pants and jackets! Still, it’s much warmer than Minnesota (below zero!)

We are staying at a condo in Destin, and will use the rest of our week to explore the surrounding area, so this may be my last post for this trip, unless we find or do something truly exciting.

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Tour of Saints

Posted on January 10, 2015 by kcbernick

 

Wednesday, January 7

We arrived early this morning at St. Thomas. Our first stop was at “Magic Ice”, an ice bar down town that had been created in an old cold storage building. We donned down capes and gloves before entering the exhibit. For us Minnesotans, it was actually warmer than back home. We enjoyed several ice exhibits as well as a sample of chilled rum. I also tried out an ice slide – quite fast!

After the ice bar, we did some shopping in Charlotte Amalie, then stopped at Mojo’s Rum and Surf Shack, settled into a couple of swings at the bar and sampled some more rum. After dinner, we watched a light and water show on the top deck, sort of a mini-Bellagio show. That was followed by a musical show called Fiera. The costumes and lighting were very elaborate, and the music was excellent.

Thursday, January 8

We reached St. Maarten/St. Martin today, an island that is split between the Dutch and the French. It is the smallest island in the world to be shared by two countries. Port is on the Dutch side (St. Maarten), where the inhabitants speak both Dutch and English. We all took a cab to the French side (St. Martin) where they speak both French and English. If you don’t see the sign, you won’t even know you are crossing the border. We did a bit of shopping and then joined Sally and Jeff for some lunch.

Jan and Brian left earlier to do a stint on an America’s Cup Yacht in the afternoon. After lunch, we headed back to St. Maarten, where Sally and I did a bit more shopping, and Mark and Jeff returned to the ship for some napping. After we reached the port, as we were walking to the ship, we could see Jan and Brian lounging on their balcony. At dinner, we celebrated Sally’s birthday! She was presented with a small chocolate cake and was serenaded by the wait staff. Then Mark and I headed to a movie, which he watched while I slept. It was a long day in the sun, and I was exhausted from shopping. What a life!

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Beatles and Motown

Posted on January 7, 2015 by kcbernick

Still Monday

After dinner, we attended a show by the Beatle Maniacs, an hour of some of the greatest music ever recorded (at least it is to my generation). The singers did a good job of mimicking the original, and they had us dancing in the aisles before the show was over.

Then, we listened and danced to an outstanding singer in one of the lounges. I heard that she was a finalist on “The Voice.” We all got a good workout tonight.

Tuesday, January 6

Sea day today, so time to catch up on our rest.  This was our first formal night, with champagne and chocolates being highlighted.

After dinner we went to a Motown show, which got us up and dancing again! Following that, the Beatle Maniacs were playing in the lounge. For us Baby Boomers, this is pretty close to heaven.

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Eleuthera Island

Posted on January 6, 2015 by kcbernick

Monday, January 5

We arrived at Eleuthera Island, Bahamas early this morning. Princess has exclusive cruise shore rights to the island. The harbor is very shallow, so we tendered to shore. We could have opted to spend the time on the beach, but chose instead to visit the Leon Levy Nature Preserve, at almost the midpoint of the island.

Eleuthera is about 110 miles long and only 2 miles wide. About 11,000 people live on this island (part of the total 350,000 population of the Bahamas).

The Leon Levy Nature Preserve was established several years ago to preserve some of the Bahamian habitat, and is proving to be successful, with birds, insects and other critters coming back to this site. We did see some very large spiders, a few birds (could hear more) and some butterflies and other insects. Plant life is doing very well there as well. There are many orchids, but few were blooming at this time of year.

Mark in the covered nursery.

Mark in the covered nursery.

Gardens have been planted to try to study and increase some of the plants as well. Many of the plants and trees have been imported from other countries, but are now part of the habitat that is being preserved. Some only grow on one or another island of the Bahamas.

The Preserve covers about 25 acres, and we could only cover a portion of that. It would be nice to spend more time there (I suppose we’ll have to come back.)

Spider web over water made red by Red Mangrove leaves.

Spider web over water made red by Red Mangrove leaves.

We stopped for lunch on the way back to port, and watched a demonstration of making conch salad. Someone asked when the conch dies, and was told “when it reaches the stomach). Poor things!

Next, we were entertained by a Junkanoo dance. Very lively! Some of us chose to join the dancing.

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Looking for Warm!

Posted on January 6, 2015 by kcbernick

Saturday, January 3

Minnesota is getting way too cold, so today we leave in search for sun and sand. We are traveling with two other couples: Sally and Jeff, and Jan and Brian, all of whom have been great traveling companions in the past. We flew to Fort Lauderdale this morning, and improved our attitudes by about 60 degrees.

We enjoyed a light meal at The Quarterdeck, a restaurant less than a mile from our hotel, which is located very close to Port Everglades, where we’ll pick up a cruise tomorrow morning.

Sunday, January 4

We had a few hours to kill before boarding our ship, Regal Princess, one of the Princess Cruise Lines ships, so we had breakfast at a nearby restaurant, and then caught a cab to the cruise port. Checking in went very well, our luggage arrived at our room before we did. We stopped at the Internet Cafe on board to get connected, then made dining arrangements, and were finally set to enjoy the ride.

Before dinner, we got together with the other couples for some appetizers and wine (and gin, and bourbon, etc.) while we left Fort Lauderdale. It was a beautiful night, with an almost full moon.

We retired right after dinner, too tired to enjoy any shows.

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The Day After

Posted on November 2, 2014 by kcbernick

October 31, 2014

Some of us weren’t feeling too good this morning (myself included.) However, we continued on our adventure, by having breakfast at Downtowner Woodfire Grill, winner of the 2014 Open Table Diner’s Choice Award. It smelled delicious before we even got inside. The restaurant bills itself as American with a Persian touch. Indeed, one of the menu items was a Greek Scramble with feta cheese, kalamata olives, mushrooms, etc. Jeff says it was delicious. It is beautifully and comfortable decorated.

Next stop was Cosseta Alimentari an Italian Marketplace that includes a Restaurant, Pizzeria, and Pasticerria – another sensory delight. The pastries are works of art; the meatballs are at least 2 inches in diameter, the fresh loaves of bread very enticing. Many people had stopped in to pick up a sandwich, pizza, pasta, etc for lunch. We scoped it out, and made note of the items we would purchase on a return trip later this afternoon. These included some flavored balsamic vinegars, some pastas, capers, olive bread, raisin and pecan bread, mascarpone. We enjoyed a little gelato as well.

We then went to the Minnesota History Museum, which was featuring a special exhibit about toys from the 1950’s through 1970’s. The other exhibits were fascinating as well, including “Weather Permitting, ” with a realistic demonstration of what it felt like to be in the basement during a tornado; “Minnesota’s Greatest Generation,” with a recreation of a WWII combat flight in a C-47 plane.

Before heading for home, we stopped at Forepaugh’s Restaurant located next to Irvine Park and housed in a 19th century, 3-story, Victorian mansion, for a snack. All floors are utilized for the restaurant, creating several intimate spaces for small groups. The restaurant uses local foods for its meals, which are creative and beautifully presented. I enjoyed a small plate of Chinese Scallion Flatbread, spicy and delicious. Mark and Jeff had the Beef Satay, and Sally opted for French Fries – yummy!

What a wonderful birthday celebration! This will provide good memories for many, many years. Thanks to my handsome, intelligent, loving husband, and to my equally good-looking and intelligent friends, Sally and Jeff, for these two memorable days.

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Birthday Trip in Minnesota

Posted on November 2, 2014 by kcbernick

Thursday, October 30

Yesterday, my husband told me to pack a suitcase for a couple of days. No more information than that. So, clearly we were going somewhere for my birthday – not someplace warm because I didn’t have to pack shorts – but no more hints than that.

This morning, while dawdling during my morning routine, he told me to stop and get ready to go. Okay! I can do that. We headed to downtown St. Cloud where he dropped me off at a coffee shop and left. He returned soon after with best friends in tow – Sally and Jeff. Sally had planned a kidnapping with an adventure trip to the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. She had a list of places to visit and activities to undertake.

Our first stop was in Maple Grove at Nadia Cakes, a custom cake and cupcake studio which has been featured on a few television “foodie” programs. When walking in the door, we were met with wonderful scents, and the sight of dozens of creatively decorated cupcakes, including worms and dirt, kitty litter, pumpkin spice, triple chocolate, etc. Our task was to pick out the ones we wanted for my “birthday cake.” We selected six, and restrained ourselves from consuming them right away. We saved them for later, and they were indeed worth the wait.

Lunch at Stanley’s Northeast Barroom, a neighborhood bar  which has an extensive craft beer list, and great pub foods on the menu. I shared a grilled cheese sandwich with Sally – yummy! Mark had the brisket sandwich and Lift Bridge Commander beer.

Their men’s room features some old style urinals, worth a look if you go there. And you should go there.

Then we headed to Surdyk’s Liquor and Cheese Shop to pick up some cheeses, breads, wines, etc. for snacks later on. Lavender infused vinegar is delightful with bread. This was my first visit to Surdyk’s, and it was a feast for the eye and nose. They carry deli items, wines and beers from around the world. We consumed some of these marvels before dinner tonight.

We checked in at the Saint Paul Hotel. I’ve had dinner there but had never stayed there. It’s located in downtown St. Paul, right across from the Ordway Theater, not far from the Landmark Center, Xcel Energy Center, the Science Museum – a great location. Our rooms were luxuriously decorated and very comfortable, with a view towards the river.

After enjoying some of our snacks and wine, we headed out for dinner at The Strip Club Meat & Fish. I enjoyed some Calamari, with pickled onions, sweet peppers and an aioli that must have contained an entire bulb of garlic, accompanied by Roasted Forest Mushrooms (more garlic). It was amazing. Mark had the Duck Breast which he enjoyed as well.

Next a stop at The Liffey Irish Pub for Irish coffees (decaf for me), and good Irish music.

Back to the hotel for some Sambuca at the Grill Bar. This bar has a large selection of liquors displayed on glass shelves behind the bar.  It was a fairly busy place, following a hockey game at the Xcel Center. We made several new friends whose names I can’t remember.

After more good conversation and cupcakes in our rooms, we finally headed to bed at about 2 am. Long day, but wonderful.

Posted in Minnesota, USA Travel | Tagged | 1 Comment