Yes, the wife and I are having a vacation (out of town w/o the HB) weekend. I think it's the first one we've had since the NZS.
We decided to head up the Central Coast of CA for some wine tasting. We're staying at a historic hotel in one of the towns. Between her not sleeping well in general, and the grape, she's been snoozing. Since about 5:30pm. It's about 10:15 now. So much for a night on the town...sigh.
I think I'll head down to the bar for a beer.
Showing posts with label vacations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacations. Show all posts
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
NY Wrap Up
Remember how I said that MoMA wasn't going to be any better than the Guggenheim? Well, I was right. In spades. Friday afternoons/evenings are FREE at MoMA, so it was an absolute fucking madhouse. It was super crowded and it was hard to really see anything. I felt badly for the boys because there was some things there they would have normally enjoyed. At least I got a pick of the HB in front of a Jackson Pollack, which is not my desktop background.
The wife was concerned that the airport was going to be a zoo on Saturday morning, so we left about 3 hours before our flight. Even though it was raining, we made every light on the way to La Guardia, there was no traffic, and no lines at tickets counter or security. This gave Mr. United Airlines one more chance to fuck with us.
Of course, they couldn't guarantee that the four of us could go stand-by to make an earlier flight through Chicago (strangely, they didn't even offer to put us through Denver). Then, we had to ASK them to put our four seats together (for the 3rd time in 3 legs). Then, we get to the gate and there's been a change of equipment. They put us two and two behind each other, which is fine, except the put the boys, who are minors, in the emergency row, so we had to swap with them. All this AND a 3 hour layover in Chicago. Hm...wonder why they went bankrupt.
All in all, we all had a good time on the trip. We've pretty much done everything in the big town with the boys, so I can't imagine us taking them there again. I would like to go back with the wife and stay downtown, eat at good restaurants and hear some jazz. Maybe sometime soon.
The wife was concerned that the airport was going to be a zoo on Saturday morning, so we left about 3 hours before our flight. Even though it was raining, we made every light on the way to La Guardia, there was no traffic, and no lines at tickets counter or security. This gave Mr. United Airlines one more chance to fuck with us.
Of course, they couldn't guarantee that the four of us could go stand-by to make an earlier flight through Chicago (strangely, they didn't even offer to put us through Denver). Then, we had to ASK them to put our four seats together (for the 3rd time in 3 legs). Then, we get to the gate and there's been a change of equipment. They put us two and two behind each other, which is fine, except the put the boys, who are minors, in the emergency row, so we had to swap with them. All this AND a 3 hour layover in Chicago. Hm...wonder why they went bankrupt.
All in all, we all had a good time on the trip. We've pretty much done everything in the big town with the boys, so I can't imagine us taking them there again. I would like to go back with the wife and stay downtown, eat at good restaurants and hear some jazz. Maybe sometime soon.
Friday, April 10, 2009
NYC Blues
Not for us, we're still having a great time. But, you can really see how the recession has hit here. First, lots of news stories about getting through tough times. Far more than you see in LA. Second, not nearly as much stuff on Broadway, and what is there mostly revivals.
The weather held today, so we were able to walk around. We made it to the Guggenheim, but it was a zoo. We'll be going to MoMA later, but that will probably be more of the same. Then, since the wife and I promised ourselves we would have real food tonight, we'll either go to an Irish place across from MoMA or a French place near Lex.
Flying home tomorrow (sniff) with a loooooong Chicago layover (thanks, again, United Airlines). The boys are having a good time, as the wife and I are. It's been a good trip.
The weather held today, so we were able to walk around. We made it to the Guggenheim, but it was a zoo. We'll be going to MoMA later, but that will probably be more of the same. Then, since the wife and I promised ourselves we would have real food tonight, we'll either go to an Irish place across from MoMA or a French place near Lex.
Flying home tomorrow (sniff) with a loooooong Chicago layover (thanks, again, United Airlines). The boys are having a good time, as the wife and I are. It's been a good trip.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Spring Sunshine
It's been a busy day for us. After getting in some good sleep we grabbed some breakfast. Unfortunately, we had to switch rooms. The original room was a suite with two queen beds. Oh, and ladies, the shower had quite the "magic stick". We were a little miffed by this at first, until we go into the new room which is awesome. It's on the corner of the hotel with views of Central Park and the Hudson River.
Speaking of Central Park, it was a beautiful day to walk through it. We crisscrossed our way through all the way up to the Guggenheim (which was closed, dammit). The trees haven't greened up yet, but there were lots of flowers in bloom. We hit some of the famous spots (Strawberry Fields, the Obelisk, etc.) before grabbing some lunch in front of the Met.
The nephew wanted to see Grand Central Station, so we took the #6 down Lexington to 42nd Street (we're on 54th Street) and checked it out. I think he was suitably impressed.
Now we're just kicking it at the hotel for a bit. We'll grab some dinner around here (no more Times Sq. food, thank you very much) before seeing a show tonight at 8. But for now, some web surfing and watching the Masters is just fine.
Speaking of Central Park, it was a beautiful day to walk through it. We crisscrossed our way through all the way up to the Guggenheim (which was closed, dammit). The trees haven't greened up yet, but there were lots of flowers in bloom. We hit some of the famous spots (Strawberry Fields, the Obelisk, etc.) before grabbing some lunch in front of the Met.
The nephew wanted to see Grand Central Station, so we took the #6 down Lexington to 42nd Street (we're on 54th Street) and checked it out. I think he was suitably impressed.
Now we're just kicking it at the hotel for a bit. We'll grab some dinner around here (no more Times Sq. food, thank you very much) before seeing a show tonight at 8. But for now, some web surfing and watching the Masters is just fine.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Critters Behind Glass
It SNOWED this morning while we were having breakfast. Woot!
The American Natural History Museum is a very HUGE place. But I always get the sense that it's setup for people who don't get out (even to a zoo) much. However, it does have some amazing taxidermy.
The exhibits on evolution, geology, biology etc. are great and gave us a lot of things to talk to the boys about. But, it's all kind of sterile. Who knows, maybe a guided tour would have been better.
Tonight, we're going back to Times Square and going to a restaurant we like (Ruby Foo's) and then Ripley's.
Tomorrow's supposed to be nicer, so we're gonna spend the day in Central Park. I can't wait.
Happy Passover to those of you who give up your leavening for the week.
The American Natural History Museum is a very HUGE place. But I always get the sense that it's setup for people who don't get out (even to a zoo) much. However, it does have some amazing taxidermy.
The exhibits on evolution, geology, biology etc. are great and gave us a lot of things to talk to the boys about. But, it's all kind of sterile. Who knows, maybe a guided tour would have been better.
Tonight, we're going back to Times Square and going to a restaurant we like (Ruby Foo's) and then Ripley's.
Tomorrow's supposed to be nicer, so we're gonna spend the day in Central Park. I can't wait.
Happy Passover to those of you who give up your leavening for the week.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Crashing in the City That Never Sleeps
We took the train from south Jersey to NYC this morning after breakfast and got here around noon. We tried to get tickets for The Lion King, but since it's about the only good family friendly show on Broadway we were shut out. We'll try again tomorrow.
We did make it to Madame Toussaud's, which the boys loved (and made waxed hand models) before checking into our hotel. I used what seemed like a million points and a sperm sample to get us a suite at the Hilton for four nights. We munched on the happy hour appetizers and called it dinner. As we were planning our activities, we decided to make a run a the Empire State Building in the evening. It still took us over an hour to get up there (much shorter than during the day) and it was about 40 degrees with a really brisk wind on the observation deck. It was clear, so you could see everything in NY and Jersey. We (and about everyone else in our group) stayed up there about 15 minutes before going back down (which took another 30 min).
I'm thinking tomorrow we'll hit the Natural History Museum and the Planetarium. It's supposed to rain, so it will be a good day to be inside. Thursday's supposed to be our good weather day, so we're saving Central Park until then.
We did make it to Madame Toussaud's, which the boys loved (and made waxed hand models) before checking into our hotel. I used what seemed like a million points and a sperm sample to get us a suite at the Hilton for four nights. We munched on the happy hour appetizers and called it dinner. As we were planning our activities, we decided to make a run a the Empire State Building in the evening. It still took us over an hour to get up there (much shorter than during the day) and it was about 40 degrees with a really brisk wind on the observation deck. It was clear, so you could see everything in NY and Jersey. We (and about everyone else in our group) stayed up there about 15 minutes before going back down (which took another 30 min).
I'm thinking tomorrow we'll hit the Natural History Museum and the Planetarium. It's supposed to rain, so it will be a good day to be inside. Thursday's supposed to be our good weather day, so we're saving Central Park until then.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Traisping the Northeast (Updated)
Today we drove out to Gettysburg. It was about 3 hours from southern Jersey. The drive was beautiful through rolling hills and farmland. In CA, except for some of the vineyards, the farmland is flat.
The national battleground site is amazing and mostly intact. There are a few things that are striking about it. One is that some buildings are right in the middle of the site. My sense is that most were rebuilt after the war by the residents as the pictures of the war show most everything devastated on the field (there are some buildings in town that have war damage). Second is the number of monuments. There are markers (some quite large) for every state (US and Confederate), divisions, battle positions, generals, etc. Third, you can walk pretty much anywhere and get the same view the the participants had.
We had a guide drive us around for two hours and he was really great with the boys and made things really come alive for all of us. I can't compare it to the audio tours since we didn't do one, but it was cool to be able to ask questions and get reasonable answers. The wife and I could have easily done another hour of the tour.
The visitor center is about a year old and is well done. The museum provides a good backdrop of the battle as well as a lot of detail about those three days and its aftermath. As you would imagine, there's a lot of space dedicated to the Gettysburg Address. Interesting in that the reaction of the newspapers to it was quite mixed, even in the north.
The boys really enjoyed the visit, especially the nephew. The HB got a bunch out of it as well and said he liked it. Not bad for this kind of side trip.
Next on our itinerary is a train ride from south Jersey to NYC. Looks like we'll have OK weather there. We've got a city pass to all kinds (MOMA, Empire State Building, the Met, etc.) of things and tickets to 39 Steps. I think we'll try to get some Lion King tickets at the half-off booths. Based on searching the web, etc., the bad economy has been tough on Broadway and there aren't many shows that are appealing (LOTS of revivals).
Bummer about Michigan St. UNC definitely showed in the tourney that they were the best team.
The national battleground site is amazing and mostly intact. There are a few things that are striking about it. One is that some buildings are right in the middle of the site. My sense is that most were rebuilt after the war by the residents as the pictures of the war show most everything devastated on the field (there are some buildings in town that have war damage). Second is the number of monuments. There are markers (some quite large) for every state (US and Confederate), divisions, battle positions, generals, etc. Third, you can walk pretty much anywhere and get the same view the the participants had.
We had a guide drive us around for two hours and he was really great with the boys and made things really come alive for all of us. I can't compare it to the audio tours since we didn't do one, but it was cool to be able to ask questions and get reasonable answers. The wife and I could have easily done another hour of the tour.
The visitor center is about a year old and is well done. The museum provides a good backdrop of the battle as well as a lot of detail about those three days and its aftermath. As you would imagine, there's a lot of space dedicated to the Gettysburg Address. Interesting in that the reaction of the newspapers to it was quite mixed, even in the north.
The boys really enjoyed the visit, especially the nephew. The HB got a bunch out of it as well and said he liked it. Not bad for this kind of side trip.
Next on our itinerary is a train ride from south Jersey to NYC. Looks like we'll have OK weather there. We've got a city pass to all kinds (MOMA, Empire State Building, the Met, etc.) of things and tickets to 39 Steps. I think we'll try to get some Lion King tickets at the half-off booths. Based on searching the web, etc., the bad economy has been tough on Broadway and there aren't many shows that are appealing (LOTS of revivals).
Bummer about Michigan St. UNC definitely showed in the tourney that they were the best team.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
The Big Trip
We (the wife, HB, nephew and I) made it to Philly Saturday night without many problems (we flew United, so there was, of course, some buttfuckery to be had). Enjoyed a cheeseteak and some scotch while watching Villanova get beat by UNC.
Today we did some serious tourista stuff in Philly, Liberty Bell and Indepdence Hall. Then we went to the Mutter Museum. We figured the nephew would like it. We were wrong. He LOVED it. Lots of suspended body parts, models, etc. There was one exhibit of drawers that included over 2000 things that an ear, nose and throat doc had extracted from people's throats. Teeth, dentures, toys (jacks), safety pins, all kinds of pits and seeds, machine parts and almost anything else small enough to fit in someone's throat. Amazing.
After the museum, we battled some hellish traffic and drove to Gettysburg. We're scheduled for some tours, etc. I'm really looking forward to it. We'll drive back to Philly in the evening, then catch a train to NYC Tuesday morning.
Today we did some serious tourista stuff in Philly, Liberty Bell and Indepdence Hall. Then we went to the Mutter Museum. We figured the nephew would like it. We were wrong. He LOVED it. Lots of suspended body parts, models, etc. There was one exhibit of drawers that included over 2000 things that an ear, nose and throat doc had extracted from people's throats. Teeth, dentures, toys (jacks), safety pins, all kinds of pits and seeds, machine parts and almost anything else small enough to fit in someone's throat. Amazing.
After the museum, we battled some hellish traffic and drove to Gettysburg. We're scheduled for some tours, etc. I'm really looking forward to it. We'll drive back to Philly in the evening, then catch a train to NYC Tuesday morning.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
A Mormon in Vegas
Well, OK, that's a big of an exaggeration, but it was a fairly pious trip. No sex, no cards and only 3 drinks. Oh well.
Penn & Teller were very good. Most of the act was different compared to the last time we saw them, though Teller did the appearing goldfish trick which is awesome. The wife got us great seats and the NZS loved it. Unfortch, a good chunk of the banter was over the HB's head which he found frustrating and that distracted him from enjoying the magic. We had some good food at McFadden's at the Rio (where we saw the show) as well.
This morning we slept in, grabbed some breakfast and wandered through a few casinos/hotels. By lunchtime the boys had had enough and we drove home. Again, it was a nightmare and took about 6 hours. We picked up Nugz who was as happy to see us as we were to be home.
The NZS loved the trip, which was the primary purpose of going. I can't really see going there with the HB again until he's 21. There's just not that much to do with people who don't gamble, golf or shop (OK, I can go golfing with him there, but it's a bit of a haul).
I am SO looking forward to doing nothing but watch football tomorrow.
Penn & Teller were very good. Most of the act was different compared to the last time we saw them, though Teller did the appearing goldfish trick which is awesome. The wife got us great seats and the NZS loved it. Unfortch, a good chunk of the banter was over the HB's head which he found frustrating and that distracted him from enjoying the magic. We had some good food at McFadden's at the Rio (where we saw the show) as well.
This morning we slept in, grabbed some breakfast and wandered through a few casinos/hotels. By lunchtime the boys had had enough and we drove home. Again, it was a nightmare and took about 6 hours. We picked up Nugz who was as happy to see us as we were to be home.
The NZS loved the trip, which was the primary purpose of going. I can't really see going there with the HB again until he's 21. There's just not that much to do with people who don't gamble, golf or shop (OK, I can go golfing with him there, but it's a bit of a haul).
I am SO looking forward to doing nothing but watch football tomorrow.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Back from the Mountains
Thanks for hanging in there with me while I was gone in Yosemite with my family and my uncle and aunt. The hotel where we were staying did not have local dial-up service and the "high-speed" wireless was for shit (my uncle bought it and I tried it), especially since they were charging $10/day. So, I barely got to check any e-mail, let alone make any blog posts.
Getting to Yosemite on Sunday was a breeze. No LA traffic to contend with and we didn't get stuck behind any trucks on the way up the mountain. So, we made the 280 mile trip (with a lunch stop) in about 4 hours and 15 minutes. Earlier in the day my aunt and uncle made the obligatory stops in the valley floor (Glacier Point, Bridalveil Falls, Lower Yosemite Falls, etc) so we met them at the hotel in the afternoon. Being a trooper on the way earned the HB some pool time and my uncle and I got to hike to a waterfall behind the hotel. This was our first indication that the drought in LA extended to the Sierra Nevada in that there wasn't nearly as much water in the creek as last year. We went to a decent local place for Mexican food and stopped in a market for some food basics for the next few days.
The next day we headed out on Highway 120 (Tioga Pass) to the north part of the valley. We hadn't been that way before and we didn't feel any great need to battle the crowds in the valley. We saw redwoods in Tuolumne Grove then went to Olmsted Point. Needless to say, this was spectacular.
The next day, my uncle and I went on the BIG HIKE to the top of Chilnualna Falls. We chose a hike on this side of the valley rather than the other because when he and my aunt were at Glacier Point they said that the falls were better on that side. It was a great day for hiking and the journey was almost a great as the destination. When we got to the top we found what I would like to think was a Miwok jacuzzi.
And, some spectacular vistas.
When we got back from the hike we had some great news. The HB had lost a tooth!
We didn't have big plans the last day, but my wife had the shits and bad stomach (that continued our sex drought when we got back). She was feeling so crummy that we got a late check out so the imodium had a chance to work for the drive home.
But, everyone had a good time and my uncle wants to hike the eastern portion of the park in the fall. We'll see.
Getting to Yosemite on Sunday was a breeze. No LA traffic to contend with and we didn't get stuck behind any trucks on the way up the mountain. So, we made the 280 mile trip (with a lunch stop) in about 4 hours and 15 minutes. Earlier in the day my aunt and uncle made the obligatory stops in the valley floor (Glacier Point, Bridalveil Falls, Lower Yosemite Falls, etc) so we met them at the hotel in the afternoon. Being a trooper on the way earned the HB some pool time and my uncle and I got to hike to a waterfall behind the hotel. This was our first indication that the drought in LA extended to the Sierra Nevada in that there wasn't nearly as much water in the creek as last year. We went to a decent local place for Mexican food and stopped in a market for some food basics for the next few days.
The next day we headed out on Highway 120 (Tioga Pass) to the north part of the valley. We hadn't been that way before and we didn't feel any great need to battle the crowds in the valley. We saw redwoods in Tuolumne Grove then went to Olmsted Point. Needless to say, this was spectacular.
The next day, my uncle and I went on the BIG HIKE to the top of Chilnualna Falls. We chose a hike on this side of the valley rather than the other because when he and my aunt were at Glacier Point they said that the falls were better on that side. It was a great day for hiking and the journey was almost a great as the destination. When we got to the top we found what I would like to think was a Miwok jacuzzi.
And, some spectacular vistas.
When we got back from the hike we had some great news. The HB had lost a tooth!
We didn't have big plans the last day, but my wife had the shits and bad stomach (that continued our sex drought when we got back). She was feeling so crummy that we got a late check out so the imodium had a chance to work for the drive home.
But, everyone had a good time and my uncle wants to hike the eastern portion of the park in the fall. We'll see.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Are We Destined for Opposite Lives of Our Childhood?
As I mentioned in a earlier post, I had a chance to brew on Saturday. Turned out to be a fun evening eventhough the rest of Joe's family flaked out on us. We brewed, bbq-d (it's been really warm here, so I grilled some chicken and veggies) and soaked in the jacuzzi. I LOVE the smell of freshly made beer in the kitchen. I have been made aware that the pleasantness of this aroma appears to be gender specific.
While hanging in the tub, we talked about places we'd want to go that we haven't been. He work for a giganto technology company, so he has recently been on trips to South America, Asia and Europe. My biz travel isn't nearly that exotic. However, between that and vacation travel, I've pretty much been to every city in the US that I want to go to (which isn't to say that there aren't some places that I want to go back to). The flip side is that there are plenty of Big Nature places I'd like to see (e.g., Yellowstone, Arches, etc.).
Joe was totally down on the nature vacation. A big reason for this was when he was a kid he would go on church camping excursions which would almost always be low budget trips to national parks led by a hyper protective guide. Not a lot of fond memories.
My parents are both from a big city in east coast, so ALL of our family trips were back there (with one exception). It was OK since I really like my cousins, but it didn't really expand my horizons. So now my wife and I take the HB to as many places as possible (Yosemite, Sequoia, NYC, San Francisco, etc.).
It's all good. I figured out many years ago that my parents were trying to live the east coast live style in LA--it's what they grew up with. One of the only good things to come out of the 6 years the wife and I lived in Boston was that we lived there like tourists. We made a mental note to bring that kind of openness to living here when we came back. And I'm sure that the HB will go with his family on completely different family trips. Note: If you are taking the kids and/or visiting family you are on a trip. Only if you leave the kids at home and don't see family are you on a vacation. If you're parenting you are not on vacation.
While hanging in the tub, we talked about places we'd want to go that we haven't been. He work for a giganto technology company, so he has recently been on trips to South America, Asia and Europe. My biz travel isn't nearly that exotic. However, between that and vacation travel, I've pretty much been to every city in the US that I want to go to (which isn't to say that there aren't some places that I want to go back to). The flip side is that there are plenty of Big Nature places I'd like to see (e.g., Yellowstone, Arches, etc.).
Joe was totally down on the nature vacation. A big reason for this was when he was a kid he would go on church camping excursions which would almost always be low budget trips to national parks led by a hyper protective guide. Not a lot of fond memories.
My parents are both from a big city in east coast, so ALL of our family trips were back there (with one exception). It was OK since I really like my cousins, but it didn't really expand my horizons. So now my wife and I take the HB to as many places as possible (Yosemite, Sequoia, NYC, San Francisco, etc.).
It's all good. I figured out many years ago that my parents were trying to live the east coast live style in LA--it's what they grew up with. One of the only good things to come out of the 6 years the wife and I lived in Boston was that we lived there like tourists. We made a mental note to bring that kind of openness to living here when we came back. And I'm sure that the HB will go with his family on completely different family trips. Note: If you are taking the kids and/or visiting family you are on a trip. Only if you leave the kids at home and don't see family are you on a vacation. If you're parenting you are not on vacation.
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