tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37165228461683025942024-03-14T01:47:35.385-07:00The Occasional ExcursionistMusings from adventures in travelUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3716522846168302594.post-16896276573323223732009-08-21T21:05:00.001-07:002010-01-08T08:47:49.942-08:00Island Hopping<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9pcjpNSDI/AAAAAAAAAQE/W9JSR577RDw/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br />
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Last weekend, Lee and I went out to <a href="http://www.govisland.com/">Governors Island</a> for a lesson in bike riding. The island was used as a military facility by British and American forces for over 200 years, and now it has been converted into a giant park space open to the public. The island still has all the old buildings intact, and it is really charming and peaceful -- and car-free! The free ferry was a really quick ride out to the island (literally under five minutes), and we had a lot of fun exploring. Lee's bike riding lesson was a success! No training wheels, no assistance necessary... We rented our bikes from the folks at <a href="http://www.bikeandroll.com/">Bike and Roll</a>, and the island is so small that it really doesn't take much time to travel the entire perimeter. Here are some shots of </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Lee on wheels:</span><br />
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<img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9qRDt9M3I/AAAAAAAAAQI/lJh1m2o0WEs/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br />
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<img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9qYcNnH7I/AAAAAAAAAQM/strESyD6zJE/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br />
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It sort of felt like we were kids again, riding up and down suburban streets lined with cute houses like this one:<br />
<img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9q-l2-mkI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/QHyq6e6vXsg/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br />
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This church is now home to a light installation project -- which, really, was sort of weird and creepy when we went inside:<br />
<img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9rMAmn-MI/AAAAAAAAAQU/fRzyuUqvMQk/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br />
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The open fields on the island are perfect for picnics, and Manhattan makes an amazing backdrop!<br />
<img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9rbSd_zEI/AAAAAAAAAQY/PQCHjgFGNdI/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br />
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For lunch, we headed over to the Water Taxi Beach for hot dogs and fries. There was actually an old guy laying out on the sand in a Speedo as if it were a real beach, not imported sand on a corner of an island in the Hudson! (My apologies, no photo of that beautiful sight). Here's a photo of the beach -- again, Manhattan works nicely in the background.<br />
<img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9rz66gUlI/AAAAAAAAAQc/L9pYPeEkZWM/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br />
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<img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9sDA8WlhI/AAAAAAAAAQk/EJDU71F7W-I/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br />
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Downtown Manhattan:<br />
<img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9sKSl0twI/AAAAAAAAAQo/BA950FfT-UA/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br />
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Governors Island ferry... we couldn't decide if we were goats or sheep.<br />
<img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9sPKyAtrI/AAAAAAAAAQs/MhmwCpSZ9fI/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br />
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Nice view of the island from the ferry:<br />
<img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9sTGKYgaI/AAAAAAAAAQw/m1lpiiSeRLc/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br />
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Downtown Manhattan again:<br />
<img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9sZw8hT2I/AAAAAAAAAQ0/GbPYi9Qej5g/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br />
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<img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9sglJJcrI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/4OHgzwqfbw4/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br />
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Brooklyn:<br />
<img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9slpRFsRI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/R2IUlv5HozA/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br />
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The Dirty Jerz:<br />
<img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9sqwWtI7I/AAAAAAAAARA/Oh6X-rwSPjs/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br />
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Governors Island was a very fun (and free) place to spend a beautiful day, and I definitely think we'll be going back! It would be lovely to bring a picnic and relax on the grassy fields with friends. Can't wait to go back before the summer ends!<br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3716522846168302594.post-36244753806177542042009-08-21T19:42:00.001-07:002009-08-21T20:31:39.666-07:00Honeymoon in Greece<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9fGL8rWlI/AAAAAAAAAMw/rNcqPcESHVI/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>As the one-year wedding anniversary has already passed, I think it's high time that I finally post some pictures from our honeymoon in Greece last summer. It was hands-down the most relaxing vacation that I've ever been on, and I would strongly recommend the Greek Isles as a travel destination to anyone that has a few days to spare!<br/><br/>We spent about a week in Santorini, checking in first at the Vedema Resort. It's just off the beaten path of a small town area with some small restaurants, and our room had a nice countryside view that actually looked a lot like the Bay Area. Our room was very cute with a lot of blue and white decor touches, and the resort had a beautiful pool area where we ate breakfast al fresco every morning while we were there. <br/><br/>Our accommodations:<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9fK84lkaI/AAAAAAAAAM0/Iu3MmTxd01Q/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>The view from our balcony:<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9fPb0tANI/AAAAAAAAAM4/XX635YLMCfw/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>Where we ate breakfast each morning and lounged around:<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9fU8A9HKI/AAAAAAAAAM8/IkCpy-wUVKs/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>We visited one of the famous black sand beaches -- the beach itself was just okay, but I have never seen clearer ocean water in my life. We brought trashy reading and spent the afternoon going back and forth between our beach chairs and the ocean. As you can see from the photos below, Lee seems to possess an uncanny ability to float, whereas I sort of just sink... too many gyros consumed on my part, maybe?<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9fZ-lBDEI/AAAAAAAAANA/KAEL6pzttZw/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9ffrxVzzI/AAAAAAAAANE/GGzEXND2cTc/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9fl-0khVI/AAAAAAAAANI/cP1hWKPoGXM/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>After a couple of days, we moved toward the other side of Santorini and checked into Hotel Mystique. No offense to Vedema, which was beautiful and had superb service, but Mystique was freaking amazing. The hotel is built into the cliffside, which allows every guest to have a view of the caldera. The only downside to Mystique was that there was quite a bit of stair-climbing to get into and out of the hotel. However, it was much closer to a "town" area with various shops and restaurants, and it was within walking distance of the spot where you can see the most beautiful sunsets in the world!<br/><br/>Here are some pictures of the hotel -- very Flintstones-esque architecture, if you ask me...<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9frdRIl4I/AAAAAAAAANM/-uZwKYzAZok/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9fwO2d4QI/AAAAAAAAANQ/TIK7CBUGlkM/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9f3VbSllI/AAAAAAAAANU/zLWPXxY7taE/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9gB2nVi6I/AAAAAAAAANY/Sa0rzUCfKBo/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9gQeZnJEI/AAAAAAAAANg/Sr4qZXOBpHY/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9gYdJMAmI/AAAAAAAAANk/a288M-upjUc/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>Since we were so much closer to a bustling area of the island, our time was divided between lounging around by the pool and exploring the area around the hotel. Santorini's beauty is absolutely breathtaking -- and the sunsets are so famous for a good reason! Here are some pictures from our daily sightseeing:<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9gduTkzQI/AAAAAAAAANo/zOGVufCHZ4U/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9gnPVamZI/AAAAAAAAANs/99IwRXNUzqs/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9gsRIe4eI/AAAAAAAAANw/639vQofKsWs/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9g09vT3GI/AAAAAAAAAN0/t6Y56kNKdOQ/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9g9Rue_mI/AAAAAAAAAN4/CaTzL_kKCKY/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9hF0HJK9I/AAAAAAAAAN8/HzX0IBfBnZI/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9hLk74ovI/AAAAAAAAAOA/8-6F_JW604k/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9hWLUyQ5I/AAAAAAAAAOE/7l1r5rRG1Zc/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9hduHmoeI/AAAAAAAAAOI/mmoRaV3Cb1M/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>Unfortunately, we did not get to ride the mules. But it was fun to see them!<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9hlHfQDQI/AAAAAAAAAOM/iaeC0WYLQhA/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9ht41oa6I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/pGR0v-ixAZo/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9iE9XaJXI/AAAAAAAAAOY/v_lP2NYc8_c/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9h3Al0SnI/AAAAAAAAAOU/b6OLq2dyCLw/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>One of the more memorable meals we had on our trip was at Selene, per the recommendation of one of my co-workers. It was so delicious and built into a cliff (like so much of this island), which made it incredibly scenic. My deconstructed lamb gyro entree was divine... very Richard Blais of them! Here's a shot of the restaurant:<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9iKyaelvI/AAAAAAAAAOc/aU_Cn-qUsjE/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>On our second-to-last day on Santorini, we took a boat ride around the island. The group ride ended up being just us and another New York couple on <i>their</i> honeymoon! It was so much fun to be sailing around, and we anchored for a bit so that we could go swimming in the water. The boat crew even cooked dinner for us -- lots of barbecued meat and delicious vegetables. We had a grand old time -- until, of course, I started to feel seasick and had to lie down. Luckily, this happened as we were heading back toward land, so it wasn't too painful. And our day of sailing was definitely worth it!<br/><br/>"I'm on a BOAT!"<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9iQsiGNoI/AAAAAAAAAOg/EItqevYtbk4/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>The Red Beach:<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9iVaxhJ_I/AAAAAAAAAOk/imrB620qmYc/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9iayEJh-I/AAAAAAAAAOo/W-5NJBoV-qE/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9ikgPGzNI/AAAAAAAAAOs/nXNo34HcJx4/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9isV-aXCI/AAAAAAAAAOw/4HhZrats7-E/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9ixaN0N6I/AAAAAAAAAO0/mGeoMrfSGKk/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9i2wZYRYI/AAAAAAAAAO4/B5Eg9C_Yyv4/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9i8rtuIPI/AAAAAAAAAO8/-QB7XAUbdk8/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>After our delightful stay in Santorini, we took an early-morning flight to Athens for a one-day blitz through the foundations of Western civilization. We joined the friendly folks of Hop On Tours for a bus tour that took us through the city and then up to the Acropolis. Most of Athens was nothing too amazing -- pretty much a typical European city. The Parthenon, though... simply amazing. It is difficult to describe how breathtaking the experience of being at the site of so much history is. It is positively enormous and it's so unbelievable to think about the amount of labor and precision that went into constructing such a monument. <br/><br/>Our hotel room at the Grand Bretanne:<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9jDogWvyI/AAAAAAAAAPA/_qjrGiNs2Yo/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>Parliament:<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9jJIo5O4I/AAAAAAAAAPE/hUSpMhFe2H4/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9jPKgFtuI/AAAAAAAAAPI/ZIrKHVF6yC4/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>Changing of the guard:<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9jU3Ye3jI/AAAAAAAAAPM/VS0dm2liM6w/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>Temple of Zeus:<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9jaCaeZ1I/AAAAAAAAAPQ/jAzMwQEgEco/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>Olympic Stadium:<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9jf2jfuKI/AAAAAAAAAPU/wlm0HFpXPq0/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9jlez6WwI/AAAAAAAAAPY/GdZBZdZpd6U/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>Amphitheater:<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9jrEQXMmI/AAAAAAAAAPc/nGkgRIwBNsM/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>We finally made it up the hill!<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9jxkq2R9I/AAAAAAAAAPg/WDTalF4QO4o/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9j3NYt5vI/AAAAAAAAAPk/7WthBw_II0c/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9j_10yQuI/AAAAAAAAAPo/vAozTyNU3Ik/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9kH77UGZI/AAAAAAAAAPs/KW_YVGn5rxw/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9kNJrY4mI/AAAAAAAAAPw/Kn7DWu54o0o/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>Nice view of Athens from the Acropolis:<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9kT2FegWI/AAAAAAAAAP0/F0-5bF9L4N8/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>That night, we were prevented from visiting a museum due to a Communist protest and the hordes of police in riot gear surrounding said protest. So the next plan of action was to watch the protest from our hotel room, and then go up to the rooftop bar for drinks and pretty views of the city. <br/><br/>Some lazy Communists -- seriously, they were hardly trying:<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9khvDEWiI/AAAAAAAAAP4/GZdF5R3PMfg/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>Parliament by night:<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9kp-c8hHI/AAAAAAAAAP8/69ucNIYaomI/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>Grainy picture of the Acropolis by night:<br/><img style='max-width: 800px;' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/So9ku8NcaxI/AAAAAAAAAQA/c_NkCmP9GL0/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800'/><br/><br/>All in all, it was a wonderful trip! I'd love to go back someday and experience Crete and Mykonos!<br/><br/></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3716522846168302594.post-58447734632040870172009-04-12T19:44:00.001-07:002009-04-12T20:22:54.500-07:00New York Staycation<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/SeKlnKEmMmI/AAAAAAAAAIE/7LLAFIZTR0A/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />This year, Valentine's Day and my birthday fell on the same long weekend -- and Lee surprised me with a New York staycation! On Valentine's Day morning, he told me to pack a weekend bag, and we left our apartment for an unknown location. We took a very short subway ride to the Chambers Street stop, and thus commenced our Tribeca staycation weekend.<br /><br />We had lunch at <a href="http://www.sodashopnewyork.com/Home.html">The Soda Shop</a> -- an adorable little place that is very similar to the <a href="http://www.paloaltocreamery.com/">Peninsula Creamery</a> in Palo Alto. It has a huge old-school candy selection and delicious brunch, burgers, sandwiches, and milkshakes. After checking in at the <a href="http://www.duanestreethotel.com/home.cfm">Duane Street Hotel</a> (which is, interestingly, a Robert DeNiro establishment), Lee finally revealed the surprise -- a series of personal shopping appointments at <a href="http://www.calypso-celle.com/shop/cart.php">Calypso</a>, <a href="http://www.aloharag.com/highseas/assets/images/splash.htm">Aloha Rag</a>, and <a href="http://www.bigdropnyc.com/shop/pc/viewCategories.asp?idcategory=202">Big Drop</a>! The weather was actually relatively nice that day, so we had a nice time walking around from store to store and looking at the fun clothes each boutique had to offer. For Valentine's Day dinner, we decided to play it by ear, which was probably not the best idea in a city like Manhattan... after passing by several packed restaurants and a failed attempt to get a table at Bouley Upstairs, we ended up wandering into a random restaurant called <a href="http://www.cityhallnewyork.com/index2.htm">City Hall</a>.<br /><br />The Soda Shop = Candyland!<br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/SeKl07hjt6I/AAAAAAAAAII/ziCcK83tTK0/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/SeKl6551y1I/AAAAAAAAAIM/Ee9kiXFiDTM/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/SeKmBrPkPAI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/6liU2Z7e2Rk/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />Some nice retro-style touches to the Soda Shop:<br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/SeKmHVasqLI/AAAAAAAAAIU/WxBn6NydcAI/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />Our cute hotel room:<br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/SeKmRHBNSqI/AAAAAAAAAIY/curP-prKMMQ/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />The following night, we had a fun birthday dinner that Lee had organized for me at <a href="http://kg-ny.com/">Blaue Gans</a>. The theme was "Project Birthday Party," and prizes were promised for the following categories: Most Stylish, Most Creative, and Wackiest. It was a really lovely dinner party with good food and wonderful company. And my awesome husband baked me a birthday cake from scratch!<br /><br />My birthday cake!<br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/SeKmbvFfVzI/AAAAAAAAAIc/YJ0wdAjtAgQ/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />Christine, Matt, and Charlotte. Quote of the night was from Charlotte: "I tried to dress for the 'Most Stylish' award, but I think I just ended up looking up skanky. My bad."<br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/SeKmjnnYQ9I/AAAAAAAAAIg/R8oinpyW7OA/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />Astrid, who dressed up as a LES hipster, won both the "Most Creative" and "Wackiest" awards. I won for "Most Stylish" -- haha, gee, wonder if that had anything to do with the fact that it was my birthday?<br /><br />Here we are with our prizes:<br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/SeKmpe5G9OI/AAAAAAAAAIk/10_VzDXogVo/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />After a Tribeca-filled weekend, we returned to our apartment and enjoyed a day off of work. My good friend Ann and I spent my birthday perusing the goods at Saks, and then I returned home for the perfect at-home birthday dinner: ordered-in fettucine with meat sauce from <a href="http://www.max-ny.com/">Max </a>(my birthday meal since the day I turned 18, no joke) and a bottle of champagne!<br /><br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/SeKm6dx9NpI/AAAAAAAAAIs/od0aD0ck4HI/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /></div><div class="zemanta-pixie"><img src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=3c1ea498-21e0-8404-9b2e-abba0a1b4ab6" class="zemanta-pixie-img" /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3716522846168302594.post-66358150933667594542009-03-20T20:50:00.001-07:002009-03-20T21:07:38.306-07:00Spring Break in Napa<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScRilzaxKPI/AAAAAAAAAHg/AMSSmLF6KKQ/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />While our counterparts were busy getting triz-ashed in Cancun, Krissy and I spent our final college spring break living up a retired couple's lifestyle. We kicked off Spring Break 2007 with a Christina Aguilera concert (opening acts: Danity Kane and the Pussycat Dolls, not bad) -- which my parents and their friends also went to (random). We then brunched at the country club (again, with my parents and their friends -- what is wrong with us, really?) and drove to Napa, where we checked ourselves in at the <a href="http://www.fairmont.com/sonoma">Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa</a>. That was sort of like what I imagine rehab to be like: lounging by the pool, drinking cucumber-infused water, and using the sauna and steam room. After an early dinner, we would retire to the hotel room, enjoy a glass of wine, and be asleep by midnight. After we left Napa, we spent time in my hometown getting foot massages and eating In-N-Out, one of my main food groups when I'm in California.<br /><br />It was awesome.<br /><br />At the Christina concert. I'm a little bitter that we had "meh" seats while the parentals and friends were down on the floor level. I mean, I really don't think my dad would be able to recognize Christina Aguilera if she walked up to him and smacked him in the face. But it's cool; I'm over it...<br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScRivGcmnLI/AAAAAAAAAHk/6VEVLDh_Upg/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />Itty-bitty Christina:<br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScRi1eC7l3I/AAAAAAAAAHs/wGIBRyuIHD4/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />A very poorly-executed self-time shot:<br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScRi9mn-VUI/AAAAAAAAAHw/0TXa2l4Adrk/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />HEAVEN!<br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScRjLUStLEI/AAAAAAAAAH4/63qYF1PD2hM/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /></div><div class="zemanta-pixie"><img src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=97c213a5-4475-42a5-b1d9-0b11d7b83b1c" class="zemanta-pixie-img" /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3716522846168302594.post-79911195822396156842009-03-20T20:27:00.001-07:002009-03-20T21:09:00.392-07:00Toto, I Think We're in Kansas<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScRdYiOHOUI/AAAAAAAAAG8/H9x3MpIV-bg/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />In May 2008, Lee and I went to Topeka, Kansas -- a first for both of us. We were there for Dylan and Priya's wedding, which was awesome and a lot of fun. The ceremony was half Hindu and half Jewish, and it was really great to see such a cool mix of cultures and customs. Priya looked absolutely gorgeous and had the most beautiful saris for the ceremony and reception. Mazel tov!<br /><br /><br />The newly-weds... so adorable!<br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScRdmPHfmII/AAAAAAAAAHA/q9yxfkpiaO8/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />Former roomies and partners in crime. That is, if by crime I mean the following: <span style="font-style: italic;">24</span>, football, and eating/drinking at Schultzy's in Seattle.<br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScRdtuvkMEI/AAAAAAAAAHE/6mS5fs6hGW0/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />Enjoying the reception. You can't see Lee's yarmulke because his hair is huge here.<br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScRd1dxniTI/AAAAAAAAAHI/1HFp8cKRpzA/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><br />While Dylan and Priya were doing their last-minute preparations and counting down the minutes to their nuptials, Lee and I drove around Topeka and ended up at the zoo. Say what you will about the midwest being boring or whatever, but the zoo was actually pretty cool. In addition to the animals pictured below, there were lions, (no) tigers, and bears -- oh my!<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScReB-5YtlI/AAAAAAAAAHM/E8wUxD998XQ/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />The aviary/"tropical rainforest" was extremely hot and humid, and it smelled disgusting. Don't let the smile deceive you.<br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScReMME1PEI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/IpbT77Sw4c0/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />We couldn't really figure out what was going on with the zebra on the ground.<br />Dead? Playing dead? Sleeping?<br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScReR7JzF4I/AAAAAAAAAHU/zxYqvTxdWiY/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />Adorable otters nuzzling each other:<br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScReYlEgBDI/AAAAAAAAAHY/_SR7PXpDy_c/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />Can you find the giraffe?<br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScRegPQYxcI/AAAAAAAAAHc/kKvNBLoSXOg/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3716522846168302594.post-4075681887945828832009-03-20T20:00:00.000-07:002009-03-20T20:16:30.926-07:00Santa (Barbara) Baby<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScRVfyjRZ2I/AAAAAAAAAGg/eANlF8QKu-8/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />After celebrating Christmas 2007 with our folks, Lee and I took off for a mini road trip to Santa Barbara -- home to Sean and Gus of <span style="font-style: italic;">Psych</span> -- for a few days. On our LA road trip, we really only stopped in SB for burgers. This time, we were able to explore the adorable downtown area (including visits to all of the Blue Bee stores!), meet up with Justin, and go visit the cute candy shops and trinket stores on the boardwalk. It was a nice, relaxing few days before I had to head back to work!<br /><br />For anyone who is planning on visiting Santa Barbara, you must heed this advice: go to <a href="http://www.tupelojunctioncafe.com/index.php">Tupelo Junction Cafe</a>. Order the fried chicken salad with cornbread, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and herb buttermilk dressing. It might change your life.<br /><br />We were pretty tired when we arrived at our hotel, so we decided to be lazy and order room service. I was planning on just getting a salad or something, but Lee, resident hotel expert (in his humble opinion), shot that down and explained that a salad wasn't the proper way to order room service. So we did it the "real" way and went a little nuts -- but we were able to finish almost everything and had some cold pizza left over for breakfast!<br /><br />Lee with our ridiculous feast:<br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScRVnaqs6cI/AAAAAAAAAGk/GxJiBQN_2oc/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />The weather was pretty cold out. We took a walk on the beach across the street from the hotel, but were bundled up in our coats!<br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScRV0gAsYZI/AAAAAAAAAGo/AdhxiRtQRQg/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScRV5vOPO9I/AAAAAAAAAGs/i7XGdftI_mA/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />I think both of us kept insisting to ourselves that we were in (kind of) southern California, so it <span style="font-style: italic;">must</span> be warm enough to swim. We took a frigid dip in the pool, then immediately made a dash for the warm jacuzzi.<br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScRWUZmjYeI/AAAAAAAAAG4/sYwW5phhOok/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />We had dinner with Justin and his friends at the Palace Grill -- it's pretty sweet to be a tourist in a town where your good friend works in the hospitality business! Our friends at the Four Seasons were able to get us great reservations -- thanks, guys!<br /><img src="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v160/91/26/903369/n903369_37402668_3205.jpg" style="max-width: 800px;" height="375" width="500" /><br /><br />I'm not really sure what's going on here... Lee looks amused.<br /><img src="http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v160/91/26/903369/n903369_37402667_2484.jpg" style="max-width: 800px;" height="374" width="499" /><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3716522846168302594.post-43787279796682780732009-03-19T19:21:00.001-07:002009-03-19T19:40:38.515-07:003 Days in Hong Kong<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScL5tq8SwnI/AAAAAAAAAFY/o2w5S4ZW4tk/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">For Christmas 2006, my family took a 3-day trip to Hong Kong. Well, it was supposed to be the whole family -- and then my poor dad got appendicitis the week before, so he had to stay home to recover. He insisted that my mom, my sister, and I go anyway -- I guess this was his way of saying that he'd rather recuperate from appendicitis alone that have three females all up in his business. We met two of my cousins in Hong Kong -- Florence had spent the fall semester studying in HK, and Mimi joined us from L.A. for the ride. It was quite the whirlwind trip, considering that a flight there basically takes up a whole day! We stayed at the beautiful Shangri-La hotel, did a LOT of shopping, ate some amazingly delicious food, went sight-seeing, and I even got to hang out with Kameron and her friends!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />I'd love to go back to Hong Kong, perhaps sometime when I have more than three days to spend there. Trip highlights: just taking in the experience with people I love and realizing that my cramped quarters in New York really aren't so bad. Trip lowlight: choking on a vitamin and practically passing out in the middle of a dim sum joint. Very public humiliation.<br /><br /><br />Mama, Catherine, Mimi, and me on the top of the mountain:<br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScL6USO2HxI/AAAAAAAAAFc/iWqjCyQTQ1k/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><br />The girl cousins of my mom's side of the family:<br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScL6_mNhAtI/AAAAAAAAAFk/rxBVa_rJNAg/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><br />Mango shaved ice with Kameron and Nikki:<br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScL7IQ_vDXI/AAAAAAAAAFo/-Reg78sUiP4/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><br />We paid a visit to Santa in a mall in Times Square:<br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScL7QK2hjHI/AAAAAAAAAFs/QY3NvPQqLyo/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><br />Bird's-eye view of Hong Kong:<br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScL7ZYQqVvI/AAAAAAAAAFw/L37AVNyDuCg/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScL7iN54FdI/AAAAAAAAAF0/JXA6odlTDLw/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><br />View from the Kowloon side:<br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScL7vbxT7cI/AAAAAAAAAF4/6uxlldB5i90/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScL73AeCs3I/AAAAAAAAAF8/09JvrxJ_HEQ/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScL8AmfZ6GI/AAAAAAAAAGA/kejSwPAbl9U/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><br />Demonstrating my best Bruce Lee form:<br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScL8JwNL8YI/AAAAAAAAAGE/L3ZdrHQ8i-c/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScL8S9IlnXI/AAAAAAAAAGI/iWqVlkMWJe8/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><br />A nighttime view of the city from the rotating restaurant where Uncle Corey took us on our last night:<br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScL8n1iyd4I/AAAAAAAAAGQ/fq32TEgKQ3c/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><br />My third mango shaved ice in three days. Yum!<br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScL9DCPcWGI/AAAAAAAAAGY/b1HTZEXaC4k/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /></div><br /><div class="zemanta-pixie"><img src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=6d3b8555-de6f-45bd-8b71-eda25a2b6916" class="zemanta-pixie-img" /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3716522846168302594.post-72336565698252387282009-03-18T18:46:00.001-07:002009-03-19T10:16:50.827-07:00California Dreamin'<div align="center" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGfMXnLLTI/AAAAAAAAAEE/UieqN597jnE/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /><br />The first trip that Lee and I took together was a road trip down the California coast during the summer of 2006. We started with a picnic in Monterey, then made our way down Highway 1. We stopped for a dinner of burgers at The Habit in Santa Barbara (pretty delicious, but it's no In-N-Out!) and got to Los Angeles after nightfall.<br /><br />As much as I hate on L.A., I have to say that we enjoyed ourselves -- a lot. During our SoCal adventure, we went to the Santa Monica boardwalk, the Getty, the Century City Mall (random, I know), spent some time on Rodeo Drive, shared brownies and wine with Ana on her rooftop, went for dinner and drinks at the Bonaventure, visited the college that served as the set for the Harbor School on <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The O.C., </span>went for a stroll and afternoon tea at the Huntington Library, and spent a day in Laguna Beach. We had a nice dinner at Cielo, a Beverly Hills restaurant that was reviewed as "the kind of place you would take your junior prom date." (I guess high school juniors in Beverly Hills are just really fancy?) We were both relieved to find that we made it through the trip without any of that quarreling that tends to flare up when you spend extended periods of time trapped in a car with someone -- the only real issue was that I only had about 3 hours' worth of music burned onto CDs, so we just listened to the same music over and over... until Lee decided that he couldn't handle listening to Hilary Duff's "Come Clean" anymore, haha.<br /><br /><br />All smiles as we set out for our Highway 1 road trip:<br /><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGgs14mQ-I/AAAAAAAAAEM/HL_4e_WKZBg/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /><br />I'm glad we took the scenic route:<br /><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGg1oA_TSI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/vGgRdEslccU/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGhFLSBRpI/AAAAAAAAAEU/Tp8fWLpcIac/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /><br />Hi, Liz! I think this was taken in Santa Barbara.<br /><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGhM9cU7DI/AAAAAAAAAEY/E_5Xi9_Cq48/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /><br />A lovely afternoon at the Getty.<br /><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGhWfiK2JI/AAAAAAAAAEc/jb-Ys6KxyCs/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGhjayGT0I/AAAAAAAAAEg/aolaMwO1EIA/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /><br />Smog, yum...<br /><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGhuBkDQEI/AAAAAAAAAEk/o0lSPhQoL78/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /><br />Hanging out at the beach. Who knew back then that we'd end up married?<br /><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGh-4YVbPI/AAAAAAAAAEo/y9QcFr2scUY/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /><br />Japanese garden at Huntington Library:<br /><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGicHcnr8I/AAAAAAAAAEw/WRepxXhnea0/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGjpKUGncI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/m3j4eJMZgWM/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /><br /><br />Being the good-natured guy that he is, Lee humored me by taking the drive down to Laguna Beach, the site of where all this delicious MTV reality goodness began...<br /><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGilGd1dZI/AAAAAAAAAE0/MOf14Ane9fI/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGivDbkJgI/AAAAAAAAAE4/IC_9DG5LFSg/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /><br />We decided to channel LC & Friends by dining at Pomodoro for lunch:<br /><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGi8KpEiiI/AAAAAAAAAE8/v2eAqjsug_8/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /><br />I thought this was pretty cool; it's mounted in the middle of downtown:<br /><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGjEpG4HQI/AAAAAAAAAFA/8XTdwJH4A3E/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /><br />Laguna Surf & Sport, former place of employment for Stephen on <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Laguna Beach: The Real O.C.</span><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGjOlI6UuI/AAAAAAAAAFE/FIy4YWaiqWA/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /><br />Laguna has a lot of cool artsy outdoor spots, like the below:<br /><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGjfNcl69I/AAAAAAAAAFM/siMzosFYQ1s/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /><br />Since it took us about 12 hours to drive from the Bay Area to L.A., we decided to take the fast way back home. Here's a shot of me on Highway 5. It was... a lot of open land.<br /><img style="max-width: 800px" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/ScGjYIG0EQI/AAAAAAAAAFI/EZqZ544x2eY/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3716522846168302594.post-37693875239342360902009-03-16T20:09:00.001-07:002009-03-16T20:47:21.300-07:00Nantucket Red<div style="text-align: left;" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb8JN8AewBI/AAAAAAAAADE/QBI0ScyEpOw/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />In August of 2006, I spent a relaxing few days in Nantucket with Sarah and her family. After boarding the smallest plane that I had ever seen in my life -- and registering my weight so that they could strategically place each passenger to avoid tipping the mini-plane to one side -- and then a weather detour in Hyannis, I finally descended upon ACK, the Nantucket airport. It was a truly amazing summer getaway -- an amazing host family, delicious homemade ice cream and frappes in town, boutique shopping, a preppy cocktail party with guests dressed in delightful whale-embroidered confections, tubing, Scrabble on the back porch, and lots of fun in the sun!<br /><br />Most gorgeous summer home ever -- and this is just the main house!<br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb8NM-YoDQI/AAAAAAAAADM/_7zjeyUDPPo/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb8NpWaadkI/AAAAAAAAADQ/PcGsqJQTc-4/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><br />My adorable guest room. Unlike Alex during the following summer, I did not have the unfortunate (albeit hilarious) experience of accidentally locking myself in here.<br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb8NxJ-ekrI/AAAAAAAAADU/upA7wM6lVYI/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />Cutest staircase ever! Those are all signs with the names of Nantucket beaches:<br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb8UX665TtI/AAAAAAAAAEA/MxYfOKAoUi0/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />The view from my window:<br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb8OXTtgRHI/AAAAAAAAADY/7yonL9MtmVY/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />Sarah's dad took us out on the boat to go tubing -- my first time! It was insanely fun and quite the arm workout to stay on the raft...<br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb8O3_u8NWI/AAAAAAAAADc/9Fnuu62jwAU/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br />After tubing, we spent a good amount of time in the pool, having fun with my underwater camera.<br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb8PYi9FRwI/AAAAAAAAADg/hYWBlPyHmL8/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb8PnD0qY6I/AAAAAAAAADk/x3UHKcHZtw0/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><br />On my second day in Nantucket, Sarah and I spent a fun day in town. One of the great things about the restaurants in Nantucket is that so many of them have such gorgeous views of the water, and the menus all have such amazing seafood options. We enjoyed a nice beachside lunch and hit up the adorable boutiques that line the main street. And Sarah made sure to take me to the delectable ice cream shop with fresh waffle cones -- you can smell those waffles from down the street!<br /><br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb8RtTdfF7I/AAAAAAAAADo/gahPor8c9J8/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><br />And, of course, we hit up the beach!<br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb8S7lRM66I/AAAAAAAAADw/GT2DfusfLlc/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb8TK1QnINI/AAAAAAAAAD0/EMCPQBXV5uw/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb8TSn6ftVI/AAAAAAAAAD4/fIGyrQfBV2c/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><br />My short visit to Nantucket ended way too quickly. Before I knew it, it was time to go home!<br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb8T0iV91oI/AAAAAAAAAD8/iCW9IOP3bdM/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><div class="zemanta-pixie"><img src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=2f5c71bb-4c8a-4bd5-b0aa-4ddcd406c6a9" class="zemanta-pixie-img" /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3716522846168302594.post-26222539266459123872009-03-15T19:11:00.001-07:002009-03-16T07:17:31.580-07:00Goddag, Copenhagen!<div style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; TEXT-ALIGN: center" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><span style="font-size:100%;"><img style="max-width: 800px" height="355" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb2qi0NmOOI/AAAAAAAAABs/MbvFdercdCA/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="473" /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">One of my fondest memories is a trip I took to Copenhagen during the fall of 2006. I spent a long November weekend visiting one of my best friends in the land of Hamlet and open-faced sandwiches. The cobblestoned streets were darling, the architecture was beautiful, and there were such well-designed housewares and furniture. Highly recommended!</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" height="354" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb2q_DQ-upI/AAAAAAAAABw/h2qTNePJ4zo/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="472" /><br /><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" height="463" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb2rVZ9I-oI/AAAAAAAAAB0/e2oifw_EMns/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="348" /><br /><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" height="459" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb2sMHJRlpI/AAAAAAAAAB4/gtSSDSm96IQ/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="347" /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" height="460" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb2vgMTbVPI/AAAAAAAAACA/r7CJHq5A8XY/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="346" /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><br />Like any good Delta Gamma, I took the requisite anchor photo.<br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" height="462" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb2vx79p0gI/AAAAAAAAACE/EzQHKiaPHWY/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="347" /><br /><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" height="351" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb2v7h5hvEI/AAAAAAAAACI/iuFF03SQCXQ/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="469" /><br /><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" height="508" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb2wGFhe0-I/AAAAAAAAACM/2p8cwZS5dsM/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="382" /><br /><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" height="504" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb2wczUxr8I/AAAAAAAAACY/xUKt_pY00_k/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="378" /><br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">THE Little Mermaid</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" height="501" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb2wlWF_vMI/AAAAAAAAACc/aTmkebX4P-I/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="377" /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><br />An adorable patisserie -- er, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">bageriet</span>.<br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" height="358" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb2xPppg8rI/AAAAAAAAACk/_zlEpDKJAXE/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="478" /><br /><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" height="481" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb2xb6ZotBI/AAAAAAAAACo/E3xGdEcUt0E/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="361" /><br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">Go Columbia Lions!</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" height="481" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb2xokxG1zI/AAAAAAAAACs/h-xe9OvsROw/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="362" /><br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">Dusk settles on the main shopping street.</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" height="478" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb2yEp9_E_I/AAAAAAAAAC0/An3GgnC6Y6k/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="359" /><br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">Hands-down the best street meat ever. Fried onion topping -- mmm.</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" height="475" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb2yOm0WJ2I/AAAAAAAAAC4/9H9ZQ3_K_Ps/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="358" /><br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">All of the bars were really promoting the hell out of the 2006 Christmas beer.</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb2ygUnvBpI/AAAAAAAAAC8/j9QEc3A6f0c/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="361" /><br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">Tintin's Adventures into the Land of Topless Women</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><img style="max-width: 800px" height="353" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JdXQprUykrg/Sb2yowFUghI/AAAAAAAAADA/GPJeekEzfc4/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="470" /><br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">And no trip to Copenhagen would be complete without a meal of Smörgås!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="zemanta-pixie" style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=1c244849-b91e-42c2-8d26-c1b05ad0cd02" /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0