Category Archives: North America

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Mosquito clouds and Magnolias

In spring, Charleston is filled with flowers. Azaleas, rhododendron, camelias, daffodils and irises pop up in every color. There’s no better place to enjoy the coming of spring than at the many plantation gardens on Ashley River road, with Magnolia Gardens being one of the favorites.

On this early April day, the gardens were busy, but they are so vast that there was plenty of room to spread out. We started with a visit to the petting zoo. I couldn’t resist petting the bunny and deer! This is great for kids, but please keep the under control and don’t let them chase the ducks!

Next, we watched the historical video provided in a small building near the main entrance. The Drayton family established Magnolia Plantation and kept it alive for 300 years- continuing to this day- through wars, near bankruptcy and hurricanes. In fact, Magnolia Gardens it the United States’ first man-made tourist attraction: Rev Drayton opened the gardens to the public in an effort to save them after the Civil War.
Of course the most wonderful thing about Magnolia Plantation is the sprawling gardens. With bridges, countless blooming trees and plants, wildlife and the beautiful Ashley River as a background, one could wander for hours exploring every pathway. Adorable ponds are decorated with lilies and statues of angels or lions. But bring your bug spray! The mosquitoes are relentless, especially near the water. Swarms followed us around, trying to find an un-DEET-ed spot to bite!

If you have the inclination, you can climb a 4-story observation tower and scour the wetlands for wildlife. Perhaps you will spot an alligator or two! Just don’t forget your binoculars.

A boat tour can take you (for an additional fee) around the grasses in the river for a more up-close view of the plants an animals the find their home on the Ashley River. These guided tours are great for bird watching, botany enthusiasts or anyone curious about the ecosystem of the lowcountry.

Tours of the Drayton’s plantation home are also available. The home was burned during the Civil War, but a portion dates to before the Revolutionary War- it was transported from nearby Summerville and placed on the site of the old plantation home. Later expansions have left the house the way it is today.

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Learning to love Loveland

 

About an hour west of Denver is Loveland ski area. A local favorite for years, Loveland is convenient to the city, not crowded, and lacks the ‘resort’ feel of places like Breckenridge or Keystone.

To get to Loveland, take I-70 from Denver and exit 216, just before the tunnel and continental divide. That means less driving in the snow and ice! If you are visiting during peak season, try to stay West of Loveland in nearby Dillon because the traffic to and from Denver can be horrendous, especially on the weekends.

Loveland is right off the highway- in fact some of the lifts are visible from I-70. But don’t worry, the slopes are pristine and you won’t notice the nearby highway.

Loveland has a full service ski and snowboard rental shop, a gear store and large cafeteria. Ski rentals are priced competitively and even the gear shop isn’t terribly expensive. If you have your own skis or board it’s easy to pull up to the front, right next to the main lifts, drop off your stuff and park your car. On less busy days you can actually ski to your car from the lift! In addition to normal amenities, Loveland has several small lodges scattered on the mountains where the brave souls who are out in the biting cold can warm up. They are nothing more than a wooden building with a wood fired stove, but it seems like a 4 star hotel!

The only warning I have about Loveland? It’s is COLD. Known for being windy, especially in the afternoons, Loveland is the coldest place to ski in the area. During our January trip the wind chill reached -30F (no, that isn’t a typo), and since all lifts are open chairs, the cold can be brutal while you work your way up the hill. Dress warm. Warmer than you think you need. And don’t take lift two- it is a grueling 10 minute ride to the top of lift 2, and lift 1 works just as well to get you to the same areas. Mornings at Loveland are less windy and therefore warmer, so try that if you are there on a chilly day.

The crowd at Loveland is more local than at most Colorado resorts, and if you ski alone you will find yourself in a chair next to a Loveland season pass holder often. These weathered locals are there for the wonderful powder, empty mountain and convenient trip from the city. It doesn’t hurt that tickets are relatively inexpensive too- $46 gets you an afternoon during the high season, and $42 gets you an all day ticket for active duty military- just show your ID card! Even normal tickets are a reasonable $59 at a time when Vail and Breckenridge have broken the $100 mark for a days lift ticket.

For those who value great snow conditions, nice open runs and cheap lift tickets, Loveland is paradise.

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Hidden Treasures: Boardwalk on Bulverde

When I asked my husband to go with me to eat a taco truck, I got a resounding ‘no’. Even when I told him there was also a Moroccan food truck. And a barbecue truck. And a cupcake truck.

I finally got my chance to try the Boardwalk on Bulverde when a friend visited from out of town. An adventurous friend, who loved the idea.

Tucked away on the Northeast side is what looks a bit like a gypsy camp- half a dozen food trucks of various shapes and sizes encircle a picnic area with playground and strings of party lights. Some nights a portable projector shows a Spurs game or American Idol.

The trucks are powered by generators, which sometimes go out, shutting down a truck for a few minutes or, at night time, blacking out the eating space. Nevertheless it seems like a place where neighbors can meet- a real sense of community pops up and people share tables with strangers, Freetail Brewery  brings a free keg out nearly every Friday and Saturday and the staff at the trucks joke with you while they take your order. A friendly server hunts down a glass of ice for my dad then chats with him about moving to the US from Belgium.

The food isn’t half bad either- but I will leave that commentary to some much more eloquent foodies at Yelp, on various food blogs and in the newspaper.

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San Antonio Riverwalk- Eat and Drink

The Riverwalk offers an abundance of dining and drinking options, but most of them fall into the category of ‘overdone Tex-Mex that only tourists think is good’. This past week I tried to such venues, and I’ll tell you what I thought.

The Iron Cactus, an Austin native, is a chain restaurant specializing in margaritas. Good appetizers and a very nice margarita can be had here easily- but skip the dessert menu. The chocolate cake was dry and the flan tasted day-old. Iron Cactus is a relatively new addition to the Riverwalk, so time will tell if the margaritas will grow weak and sugary. I especially recommend the Mexican Martini- anyone who has lived in Austin is familiar with this margarita-like drink. Iron Cactus makes theirs with real agave nectar and it is perfectly tart and dangerously strong. For a recipe that will not quite live up to Iron Cactus, but will give you an idea if you can’t make it to the Hill Country, try this: http://www.randomfate.net/MT/2004/10/14/jacks-special-mexican-martini/

Casa Rio and the Riverwalk are inseparable. The food is fair, the service is decent, but the seating along the river and the people watching is unmatched. Their Ensalada de Colores comes with a dressing that I wish I could duplicate. The iceberg lettuce and mandarin oranges are nothing special, but with their house special lime vinaigrette dressing it becomes something amazing. Just don’t expect the same from any of the other food- even the corn tortillas are easy to beat.

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Hiking San Antonio: Friedrich Park

One of the most popular hiking spots near San Antonio, Friedrich Park has trails of several lengths and difficulty.
The heavily wooded park is off of I-10 on the Northwest side of San Antonio. The park has wheelchair accessible trails as well as challenging mountainous trails.

Most of the trails look a bit like this- wooded, closed in and shaded. There are some places with a decent view of the surrounding hills, but assume you will be in shaded most of the time.
Bring your picnic, but not your dog! Sorry, pets aren’t allowed.
Check out the park website for hours and exact location:   http://www.sanaturalareas.org/fp/fpindex.html

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Hang with the locals in San Antonio

San Antonio may be known for the Riverwalk, but every local knows that locals don’t go to the Riverwalk (maybe if it’s Christmas or Fiesta- that’s about it).

So where DO the locals go to have fun? Here are a few suggestions that might help.

Beethoven Maennerchor Halle:
Beethoven is a cultural center that is open to the public the first Friday of each month and for special events such as Oktoberfest. There is a small cover charge, but there’s live music, beer and food is cheap, and you’ll have a great time. Most of the seating is outdoors, so dress appropriately. Everyone is welcome here, and you’ll find people of all ages and cultural backgrounds. Bring your dad! He’ll love it.

The Drink:
This cocktail bar near the Riverwalk has a casual lounge setting that 20 and 30somethings adore. On slow nights you’ll get great service and free nachos as well as a quiet, upscale place to have an after work drink. On Fridays or Saturdays after 10 expect to see a well dressed, lively crowd but a still relaxed environment.

Pedicab Bar and Grill:
Pedicab can be described as a dive bar. A one room establishment that only serves beer and burgers, you can often find live music on its small stage. The bar also has a loveable cat that will demand petting from unsuspecting guests. The crowd is mixed, but mostly under 35 in jeans and t-shirts.

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Front Porch Restaurant, Niceville Florida

During our Thanksgiving trip to Niceville, one restaurant really stood out as the highlight of the trip. Front Porch, a busy local brunch spot, serves delicious food in a quaint atmosphere.

The restaurant was decorated beautifully for Christmas, including a 6ft Santa, hundreds of ornaments glowing on the porch and garland around the bar. Outside of the Christmas season it may not look like much, but I assure you the food is worth a trip. Only open for Breakfast and Lunch, Front Porch has legendary Chicken Salad and Eggs Benedict and everything is reasonably priced. If you are passing by Niceville this is worth the detour. The only downside? The place is tiny; get there early or you’ll be waiting!

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My favorite runs, Taos Ski Valley

Starting at the bottom of the moutain at TSV there are four lifts, although one is rarely operational. Rueggli is the childrens lift, and takes you up a small short hill that is normally filled with small children going to ski school. Lift 3 is the traditional ‘bunny slope’ lift, and takes you up a steeper but still small hill for a run called ‘Strawberry Hill’. Lifts 1 and 5 are your first real stops to Kachina Peak, and after you’ve warmed up they are certainly where you should go.
As an eternal intermediate skier, I stayed on greens and blues during my weeklong trip to Taos. Greens are understandably crowded, but if you can manage a few blue runs you will be very happy with the empty slopes and they are only slightly more challenging.
Most beginners, once they are ready to get off of bunny hills, start with Whitefeather. This relatively long run (about 30min) takes you from the top of Lift 1 back to the bottom of the mountain. On the way you can go up lifts 2, 6 or 8 for more lengthy skiing and longer runs.

Top of Lift 1

 
My favorite trip was to take Lift 2 or 6 to Kachina Peak- a beautiful vista and colder temperatures await you there. Take Honeysuckle down and admire the amazing view and huge bowls, and turn off at Lower Totemoff or Lonestar, or stay on Honeysuckle until you reach Winkelreid. Take Winkelreid down to Lift 4, then ride that up to go down Easy Trip, Japanese Flag and Lower Patton. Exiting Lift 4 can be a little confusing- you should ski all the way across the hill (get some momentum, you’ll need it!) to your left as you exit the lift. There you will find Easy Trip and some crazy skiers hiking to Hunziker Bowl.  Ski down Easy Trip, then all the way across the hill again under the lift to get to Japanese Flag. Lower Patton takes you to a lodge and a restaurant- a great place to stop for lunch if you don’t want to go all the way down to the base.

Kachina

Kachina

To get back to the base, take Rubezahl Run, a very long, almost completely flat trail through beautiful forest. This is a very peaceful run, almost always empty, and I enjoyed it immensely. Don’t go to slow though- take advantage of the momentum when you get it because you don’t want to end up walking! Rubezahl will spit you right back out at Lift 1 so you can do it all over again!

Of course Taos is a haven for expert skiers as well, as there are plenty of black and black double diamond runs all throughout the mountain, often right next to a green or blue counterpart. As you ride Lift 1 you will be treated to the good, bad and ugly of skiers going down a hill of challenging moguls on Al’s Run. It makes for an entertaining trip up!

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Ski Taos: Getting There

From San Antonio we drove to Taos. Yes, drove. Yes it was a long drive, and yes it was boring. I recommend passing through West Texas at night. For some reason it isn’t as boring at night, perhaps because there’s the constant fear that an animal will come out of the pitch black surrounding you and you will be forced to slam on your brakes. Vigilance is crucial, especially since hitting a deer at 70 or 80mpg could devastate your car- and the poor deer. There aren’t street lights out there, and the sky is so dark it seems like the stars have multiplied a million times.
The most eventful portion of the drive was the stop in Albuquerque for lunch. 66 diner, just a quick trip off of the freeway on Central Ave, was a nice stop. Breakfast was still being served so we had huevos rancheros, pancakes, an emormous omelette and oatmeal between the four of us. I regret that I wasn’t able to try a milkshake: flavors like ‘The Dreamsicle’ and ‘The Elvis Presley’ still make my mouth water. They also have a full line of desserts including sundaes in all shapes and sizes, multiple varieties of pie and double chocolate cake.66 Diner Albuquerque

There isn’t much that can rival perfect ski conditions. With luck, you too can experience them, even in New Mexico. We arrived one day after a fresh snow- with slopes perfectly groomed and the sun out again.
The trip up to Taos Ski Valley from Taos or Arroyo Seco takes 15-30 minutes, but it is not a steep climb. Most of the trip you are driving between two mountains, with a small brook on your right, so only the most fearful acrophobe will have trouble.

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Arrival at the resort anywhere near opening time will mean a bit of a wait to park in the icy, inconvenient parking lot. Don’t worry though- whether you are Gila Monster 11 or Deer 14, the shuttle will come get you, normally right at your vehicle.

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Riding the shuttle is a bit of an adventure by itself. The big trailer full of people, skis, snowboards and boots slides around the parking lot, bouncing, stopping and starting. But it sure beats walking! The shuttle drops you off in two locations- outside the Childrens Center or right at the lift ticket office. If it’s your first day at Taos Ski Valley, definitely ride to the ticket office to register for lessons, get lift tickets for the week, and just generally check everything out. Nearby are most of the restaurants, cafes, ski rental shop and travel office as well as condos.
There are not many ski in/ski out options in Taos, but the travel is worth it for great snow. There are tons of rental options in Taos village, including many homes with multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, internet, hot tubs- our rental house even had heated floors! So enjoy your stay, even inside away from the snow.

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In Search of Internet in Taos, New Mexico

This past Christmas vacation I was fortunate enough to go skiing in Taos, New Mexico. I will leave a discussion of the skiing for another time, but it was terrific. At the same time I was unfortunate enough to have some applications due Dec 31st and Jan 1st, and being the procrastinator that I am, they weren’t done when we arrived in Taos on the 27th of December.

Taos is a pretty town, especially if you appreciate Southwestern style, art and architecture. It has small town charm as well- there are tons of local shops, coffee houses and locally owned restaurants. It does not, however, have a whole lot of internet.

At first our rental home was supposed to have internet, but for some reason it had not been installed by our arrival. I waited patiently, but by the 29th I was anxious. Asking a friend over the phone to search for an internet cafe, he directed me to Wired, the only one listed online. After skiing one evening we sought to find the cafe and were shocked to find it closed, completely dark, at 6pm. Granted, the sun sets at 530pm, but to be closed at 6pm? I was appauled. Next I tried a place I found in a directory: it clearly said open until 10pm both in the directory and on the front door. Someone must be confused about when 10pm occurs because the coffee shop was locked, the room was dark and there were no cars in the parking lot.

On to the backup plan: a hotel lobby. Walking into one of the main hotels in Taos at about 7pm I found out where all the skiers went: out drinking. The lobby, bar and restaurant were packed with 20 and 30somethings warming up with beer and cocktails. Needless to say the hotel staff did not have somewhere for me to check my email.

Back at the house I kept my laptop out and searched for a wireless network. I found one accessible in the driveway: but not inside the house. I sat in the driveway working on applications until my laptop died about an hour later.

The next day I thought I’d get smart. We left the ski slopes a little early and tried the public library. A sign on the door read: Internet down, sorry!  Ok, let’s try Wired again. They’re open at 4pm, surely I will have success there.

Indeed Wired was open, so I went in, got comfy and ordered my coffee. By the time the coffee was ready I found out the internet wasn’t working- the barista cited a regional outage of the major provider in the area. Clearly I had found the ultimate internet dead-zone.

In the end we had internet installed in our rental house, for the last night we were there. So I had one night of application work and email bliss during my vacation, and the rest was frustratingly free of technology.