Will Vacation Food Kill Me?

Hometown slop was on the road this past week. Nothing is more fun than watching your good eating habits diminish and your exercise routine vanish. Fun until you return home and attempt to get back in shape.

Road food is wonderful even if it can be unhealthy. Here are some of the culinary delights we enjoyed:



Old Timey Burger at Slater's 50/50. Yes, the meat is 50% beef, 50% bacon on a Brioche Bun. Very Delicious!





Bacon Mac & Cheese Hot Dog at Disneyland



Appetizer Platter at Slater's 50/50: Sweet Potato Fries, Beer-Battered Onion Rings and Deep Fried Mac & Cheese Balls



Hearty Chili in a Sourdough Bread Bowl at Disneyland

Complimenting the Chef who made some of these dishes possible.



Happy Eating, whether at home or on the road.

Louisiana: New Orleans or Cajun Country?

A roommate from college called me in early December to let me know that he was back living in Salt Lake after 3 years in Shanghai, China. He asked if we could meet for lunch that next week; not an invitation that I would normally turn down. However, I was scheduled to be out of town. He asked where I was going. I replied "Louisiana." Of course the next question was, "why are you going there?" My answer: "because I have never been to that state." He really didn't say anything other than, "oh, okay then."

Yes, I have a goal to visit every state in the nation. Yes, this might sound odd to some but I have learned to embrace what I love; weird or not. I also love to plan travel around locales where I can experience the cuisine. Often, I book the airfare, usually a place to stay and nothing else. Let the day unwind as it was meant to be. Having traveled with my Dad & brothers to Tennessee & Mississippi in 2011, I thought it would be fun to invite them. I called my Dad and he called me back within 10 minutes telling me that he & my mom were coming. They had booked their airfare, a rental car and a hotel in New Orleans for a couple nights. Okay, I thought; "pick me up at the airport" I said since they were going a few days earlier than myself.

I had a little anxiety figuring out what to do since I would only be there for 3 days. Spend all the time in New Orleans or venture out into Cajun Country? I wanted to do both but over scheduling a vacation is worse than not going at all. Ever been on a trip with someone who schedules every minute? You quickly start to wonder if their sudden disappearance could be traced back to you.

Flying into New Orleans late on a Wednesday evening, I got a cab and made my way to the hotel on St. Charles Avenue. This is one of the avenues in the Big Easy with the historic cable cars. I was excited and a little nervous. The nerves came from wondering how many restaurants I could hit the next day.

Usually I have a hard time getting to sleep my first night in a new place. Some NyQuil in my hygiene bag that had expired 5 1/2 years ago did the trick. So much so that the whole next day I was a little groggy. Being able to walk around in shorts in early December definitely helped my mood.

Thursday morning we made our way to the French Quarter. We stopped to take a picture of a quaint little cafe on Royal St. and ultimately decided to eat there for breakfast. Louisiana is famous for their beignets as it's the official state donut. Ironically this place was called Cafe Beignet. It had such a relaxed feel to it; actually much of Louisiana has a relaxed, laid-back vibe. I ate Cajun Hashbrowns and a Beignet. This place must be famous for their coffee because the food wasn't very good. Here I had flown all this way for great food and the bar was being set low. Maybe I should have sprinkled the food with the "Slap Yo Mama's Cajun Seasoning."

Would the rest of trip disappoint also?

A not-unusal store in New Orleans. They didn't have anything in my size however.

Happy Eating

Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound: A Foodie Adventure!

Some vacations are simply getaways are others are soul soothers. Our vacation last week to Whidbey Island was truly a soul soother. Nothing like a cottage on the water, collecting sea shells, riding the ferry boats, hiking in the woods, eating great food, reading a book and gazing into the moonlight.

We had some great food experiences while on the island. Whidbey has towns & hamlets with quaint buildings and fabulous restaurants. Here are a few of those exceptional eateries:

Tomato Bisque at Mosquito Fleet Chili

Mosquito Fleet Chili: This family run restaurant is located right on the water in Coupeville, a small hamlet on Penn Cove. My Cousin was naming a few of the restaurants in town. As soon as she said "Mosquito Fleet Chili" I knew that this was the place. You are not supposed to judge a book by it's cover but can you be impressed with a restaurant by just it's name? Peruvian Shrimp and Corn Chowder was the special of the day. Again, I was impressed with the name. It was an absolute delicious dish cooked in a perfect seafood broth with cabbage, corn and peas. They could have even left out the shrimp and it still would have been wonderful.

Peruvian Shrimp and Corn Chowder

If you are ever on Whidbey Island, do not pass this place up. Eat out on the patio and enjoy the boats and birds. Everything they make is homemade; even the bread. I could plan to have my ashes spread here.

Crab Cake Benedict at Seabolt's

Seabolts Smokehouse: This is a family owned business located in Oak Harbor, in operation since 1978. Part of the building is actually a processing plant for their catch. I believe that they even own their own boats. They restaurant was eventually added to further vertically integrate the business. I ordered the Crab Cake Benedict with Home Fries. My hopes were high having eaten at Mosquito Fleet Chili a day prior. The food was okay. The crab cake had copious amounts of breading which absorbed a lot of oil. It was tough to taste the crab. The hollandaise sauce was fabulous. Not the best food but they have so many options that I would be happy to return.

Red Potato Salad at Pickle's Deli

Pickle's Deli: Now this place is a treat. Located in Clinton on Whidbey Island, it's run by people who are truly passionate about good food. They are very friendly and are constantly talking about their hiking and paddle boarding adventures. They love life and love what they do. The food is certainly indicative of this.

Pickle's Deli Roast Beef and Havarti Sandwich

I ordered the Roast Beef and Havarti: Rosemary Diamante bread spread with mayo and Dijon topped with lots of thinly sliced Italian roast beef, creamy Havarti cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumber slices and alfalfa sprouts. I am always on a quest to find a delicious sandwich and have found such at Gandolfo's and Caputo's. This was just as equal, if not better. All of their ingredients are fresh and organic. Every bite was an explosion of flavor. If only I could eat here everyday. I would be happy, but tight on cash.

There you have it! These are all the reasons you need to travel to the Puget Sound. There are plenty of other activities but this is a food blog, so I will stick with that.


Happy Eating and Traveling

Kansas City Barbeque Society

Since I began my love affair with cooking, grilling and BBQ have become two of my favorite things. This past summer, I received a Traeger Smoker as a birthday present from Rachel. It was a fabulous day. Shortly thereafter I smoked some ribs, a turkey, chickens and some skewers. The whole world is opening up to me.

During this time I was introduced to KCBS (Kansas City Barbeque Society). Despite the name, it is not exclusive to Kansas City in events or style of BBQ. They actually sanction over 450 events every year throughout the country. For all of these BBQ events and competitions they need Judges. At first I was hesitant to sign up for the Judging class feeling like I was a novice myself. I did it anyway and learned so much about ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork and chicken.

The class was held in conjunction with the "Smokin in Mesquite" BBQ competition at the Casablanca Resort in Mesquite Nevada. What a pleasure it was to be there. Not only did we learn a lot about the types of meats, cooking styles and presentation, but we went over all the rules for judging. That was a lot of information. It got me really excited to not only be involved with more competitions but to cook a lot more on my smoker. Seeing the custom built smokers from many of the cooking teams was a majestic sight.

A few weeks after the event, I received all my KCBS membership information in the mail; including my name badge. In big red letters on the name badge it says, "Certified Barbeque Judge." I can't wait to wear it to the next family, friend or neighborhood barbeque. When someone says that their dish is pretty good, I will have formal authority to respond with "I'll be the judge of that." Blatent arrogance or unconditional support?

Happy Eating

Foodie Tour Anyone?

It's that time of year to yes, watch a lot of college basketball, but also to plan vacations for the year. And for me, vacations are planned to experience the most in the area's cuisine. Suggestions anyone?

Should I head on down to Louisiana for some Cajun / Creole Food?






Make a return visit to Scottsdale? It's a Foodies Paradise.


Cafe turkey meatballs with organic whole wheat spaghetti at Cafe Forte, Old Town Scottsdale

Pasta with chanterelles, bacon, tarragon, asiago, and creme fraiche at FnB Restaurant, Old Town Scottsdale

Or should we head to Wisconsin, as was highly recommended by a Co-worker of Rachel. I guess that we could eat a lot of cheese.




Suggestions Anyone?

Happy Eating

Florida Sunshine

What a better time to go to Florida than in January when it is cold & dreary in Utah. It also helps when your cousin invites you down for a week. The sunshine and warm weather do wonders in getting me back into a mindset of focus and motivation.

In addition to sunshine and relaxation, we will be participating in one of the best vacation activities: Food.  There is something about finding great restaurants and relaxing that makes my day. I do not like packing vacation days with endless activities. I actually like filling my vacation days with few activities. Laying low, and enjoying long, great meals is heaven to me.

There are great restaurants here that I will look forward to sharing with you upon our return.

Enjoy your week and most importantly, Happy Eating.

Tupelo, Mississippi - Birthplace of Elvis Presley

You have read how much I love Oxford, Mississippi. This is a quintessential southern town with stately homes, tree lined streets and a beautiful town square. Our hopes were high as we left Oxford and headed east on highway 6 towards Tupelo.

The birthplace of Elvis Presley should be a wonderful place right? After being there for a short amount of time, it was easy to see why the Presley family packed up and moved to Memphis when Elvis was 13 years old. Actually, most of what we saw likely wasn't there in 1948; except for his childhood home.

Replica of Elvis' Family Car

As you enter Tupelo, highway 6 becomes Main St. and you experience mid-afternoon traffic that you would expect in big city rush hour. There were many traffic lights, some of which took 2 light changes to get through. It was chain fast-food restaurants, gas stations, strip malls, and a Wal-Mart. I have nothing against Wal-Mart; I went there to get an iPhone charger for the car. It's the endless commercial sprawl and traffic that make a weather-dreary afternoon even longer. There was no historic town center or any real town center at all; just one busy commercial area after another.

Capturing the spirit of Elvis

Tupelo was not entirely a bad experience. That afternoon at 5:15pm, my brother looked up the hours for Elvis' birthplace. It closed at 5:00pm. We were disappointed, especially my Dad since he really wanted to see either Graceland or his birthplace. He says it was for my Mom but we know the truth. Since our hotel was less than a mile away, we decided to drive by. To our delight, the grounds were open. The museum and home were closed, but you could walk right up, read the plaques, and take pictures. It really was magical.

Elvis' Home. What a magical place.

With our spirits brightened with the ghost of Elvis, we went on the hunt for dinner. Gloster St. was just as busy as Main yet seemed to have more food options which were not fast food. From the outside, Vanelli's looked like a good Italian restaurant. It also appeared that this is where anyone who is anyone in Tupelo goes for dinner (maybe that should have been a sign).

The Church Elvis and his family attended in his youth.  

Outhouse from the Church. Unfortunately no longer in service.

The food was typical, bland and served in large quantities. I finished less than half of mine. Mike and I decided on the way home to get some wings to munch on during the world series. Hammond's Wings looked rough on the outside and was rougher on the inside. Everyone looked at us awkwardly when we entered. It was pretty evident that we were the outsiders and this was an insiders joint. We still ordered our wings, waited, and left.

The rest of the evening was spent rooting for the Texas Rangers and eating overcooked wings. In the morning the motel provided a continental breakfast. It was nothing like the breakfast at the hotel in Memphis. At the beautiful Ameritel Inn & Suites, we could have coffee and a pre-packaged danish. We opted for neither and found a Hardees.

At a supermarket, we bought some snacks. In the parking lot there was a BBQ/smoker/grill unit on a trailer pulled behind a truck. It was a work of art. They take their college football serious down here and their tailgating even more serious. This was one serious Ole Miss fan. The owner had no problem with us admiring his truck when he came out of the store. He even gave us a quick tour of the unit. It was from him that I first heard "We might not win the game, but we will always win the party."

Tailgater Heaven

The best part about Tupelo is that this is where we picked up the Natchez Trace Parkway; one of the most beautiful scenic byways in the country.

Happy Travels.

Memphis, TN to Oxford, MS.

Friday morning my Dad and I walked around downtown Memphis and let my brothers sleep in. They were always less ambitous than I, (J/K). We saw the mighty Mississippi River, Mud Island, and the beautiful historical buildings of downtown.

A bad picture of myself on a very chilly morning by the Mighty Mississippi River

Back at the hotel, we had a great breakfast. Complimentary breakfast at the Marriot Springhill Suites is not just juice and a donut. There are eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuts, cereal, oatmeal, yogurt and juice. It was delicious. They really want you to return; and return I will. After breakfast, we hit the road.

Another benefit of this trip is that I would get to go to three new states. I have a goal of visiting all 50 states and I don't count airport layovers. We drove west on 1-40 across the Hernando De Soto bridge into Arkansas. A few minutes later we headed south on State Highway 131/Mound City Rd. to I-55. We then headed southeast on 1-55 back into Tennessee. During our 15 minute tour of Arkansas, I told my brothers and dad about my goal to go to all 50 states, not counting airports. My brother Mike criticized me for not counting airport layovers but counting Arkansas as "visited" after spending only 15 minutes there. He always was a critic. Despite Mike's protests, I checked it off my list as state #39.

While I am speaking about Mike, let me say that as we re-entered Tennessee, he cut in front of a semi truck attempting to make an interchange. We were only about 15 feet in front of the semi and this is where our obituaries could have been written. Or they could have been written a few minutes later on the route we took into Mississippi.

Our plan was to exit at Highway 78 and head south into Mississippi. In Holly Springs, Ms, we took Highway 7 south to Oxford. While still in Memphis proper, we were grateful we didn't have to get out of the car. Have you seen the move "Blindside?" The rough neigborhood that he grew up in seemed to be our route. Every gas station, office building, apartment house and store looked like a place that you wouldn't dare enter. Thankfully we arrived in Mississippi, state #40 for me, and it morphed into verdant countryside.

The scenic byways that I was hoping for on this trip began to take shape. It was truly spectacular. We arrived in Oxford Mississippi and made our way to Ole Miss University. There is something unique about a college campus. For the most part they are beautiful with stately buildings; especially in this part of the country. We parked right by "The Grove" where some of the best tailgating in the country happens. "Ole Miss might not win the game but we will always win the party" is what one fan shared with us. We happened to be there at noon on a Friday; no tailgating for us. We then made our way to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium to see where the Rebels play. They aren't much of a team this year but the stadium is quite a sight. Something about being in SEC country. College Football is almost religion down here.

Stately Building on Beautiful Ole Miss Campus

Ole Miss Campus

After making our way back to the car by way of the Rebel Gift Shop and the main campus courtyard, we drove to the Historic Oxford Town Square. If you have ever seen a movie about the South or pictured a quaint southern town, this was it. You feel like you are in a novel. The Square surrounds the courthouse and has the likes of cafes, bookstores, antique shops, law offices, and a Rebel fan shop. While strolling arond the square, my Brother Mike decided to get under my Dad's skin when we happened upon a statue of William Faulkner. My Dad was elated and exclaimed "Oh, William Faulkner." To which Mike replied, "Wasn't he the first in flight?"

Walking around Historic Oxford Town Square

Oxford Town Square

For lunch we came upon the Soulshine Pizza Factory. This place looked like it's quite the weekend hangout. Since it was noon, the restaurant performance stage was empty, but the food was great. I ordered the caesar salad for an appetizer and it was delicious. Not sure if it had real anchovies, but it tasted so. Their draft root beer was wonderful and sweet. For an entree I had the carnivore pizza. It's definitely for the meat lover: Marinara sauce, mozzarella, Canadian bacon, ground beef, Italian sausage, pepperoni. It was a medium thick crust with a crispy finish. The array of meats added a spicy bite. With the caesar salad and late breakfast in Memphis, I could barely get through half the pizza. No problem, cold pizza on the road is a delicious treat.

Soulshine Pizza Factory

Soulshine Root Beer

"The Carnivore" Pizza

Although only an hour from Memphis, Oxford is a quiet, quaint, laid-back town in the Mississippi hill country. I would have loved to spend more time there; especially after we made it to the town 50 miles further east on Highway 6: Tupelo. Something about Elvis's birth town really didn't call to me; but that is for another post.

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium

The gate was open & we walked right onto the field.

Ole Miss Rebel Shop

Happy Eating.

P.S. I have heard from many of you that you have tried to leave comments but were unable to. I apologize for the inconvenience and have since changed the settings. Please do comment; I would love to hear from you.

Memphis, Tennessee; Modern Day Deliverance continues.

Who hasn't heard of Graceland, the Peabody Hotel or Beale St? You may not have known that they were in Memphis, but you have heard of them. We had hoped to see a lot of sights in Memphis, however our delay in arriving prohibited that.

After leaving the Nashville airport, we headed west on I-40 toward Memphis. It was a 210 mile drive and we were anxious to get there. The first thing that strikes you is the beauty in the rolling hills of Tennessee. The leaves had began to change and it was picturesque. The hills would flow in valleys of cotton fields. Being from Utah, I take the mountains for granted. People we met on this trip would ask us about the mountains back home. I would say that I could be in the mountains in less than ten minutes from leaving my home. The cotton fields and rolling hills were what they took for granted. So maybe the grass, mountains or hills are really greener on the other side.

We arrived at our hotel in Memphis and checked in about 6:30pm. Hungry, and eager to see the town, we got on the trolley to Beale St.

Downtown Memphis at Night

Historic Memphis Trolley

Being the Foodie that I am, I had previously researched some restaurants. The Blues City Cafe has been around so long it's practically an institution. Their slogan is "Put Some South in Your Mouth." It's a run-down looking dive serving BBQ with live music on the weekend. I loved the look of the place and just walking in, you knew the food would be great.  We were tired and hungry, but sitting there at the bar waiting for our food and enjoying each other's company, we were happy.

The Boys waiting for food at Blues City Cafe. Happy to be here.

Blues City Cafe, Beale St. Memphis, Tennessee

For an appetizer I ordered the seafood gumbo. I love making gumbo at home and was very excited about this dish. This sure had some fire to it and definitely "Put the South in my Mouth." It is a very spicy, roux based gumbo with shrimp, crawfish and a scoop of rice. It had a thick, gritty texture and was delicious. Thankfully my cup of both water and Dr. pepper were full when I started eating. It became a two chugs of water for every spoonful of gumbo.

Seafood Gumbo; Spicy & Delicious.

For an entree I ordered a rack of ribs served with cole slaw, baked beans, texas toast and steak fries. It was a lot of food. The ribs are hickory smoked and basted in maple barbecue sauce. They are slow cooked to perfection and the meat falls right off the bone. In other words: very delicious! After devouring the gumbo, munching on the fries, beans, and cole slaw, I couldn't make it through half of my ribs. They were heaven but I was done.

James showing off the Best Meal on Beale at Blues City Cafe

Rib Plate Meal. A lot of food.

We walked around Beale St. for a while but unless you are an Alcoholic or looking to become one, there wasn't much for us to do. In addition to that, it was 40 degrees with full humidity and the wind blowing off the mighty Mississippi. We were chilled to the bone and therefore surrendered. The trolley took us back to the hotel and we enjoyed game 6 of the World Series.

Fun with Family: A chilly night on Beale St.

Be sure not to leave Memphis off your bucket list. Especially if you are a Foodie.

Happy Eating.

Modern Day Deliverance

For the record, I have never seen the move Deliverance. It is about 4 friends who travel to the south for a river rafting trip. They run afoul of the locals who consider them "city folk" and the trip turns into a nightmare.

In September, I was looking into BBQ classes to become a licensed Judge for the KC BBQ Association. There was a class in Lynchburg, Tennessee on October 21. I began looking into travel plans and got really excited about traveling to that part of the country. Ultimately I was unable to make the BBQ class but decided that the last week in October would be a great time to take a trip. I spoke to my dad & brothers and we were all able to make it. I had not seen my brother Mike for a while (he lives in Washington DC) so it would be a great reunion.

We got to the airport about 3:30pm on Wednesday, October 26, for a 5:10pm flight. We had a layover in Denver and due to a snow storm there, we left Salt Lake late and arrived in Denver two minutes after our flight to Nashville had departed. Argh! The trip was already going to be a short trip and now it was getting shorter.

Frontier Airlines put us on a flight to Nashville at 11:22 the next morning. We found a hotel and enjoyed the snowy, cold night in Denver. My brother's flight from DC got to Nashville on time and he spend the night in the hotel we had arranged.

We had a breakfast buffet at the hotel, got to the airport and our flight departed on time-yeah! Thankfully, Mike already had the rental car and was able to pick us up at the airport at 3:00pm. Initially we had planned to drive from Nashville to Memphis early on Thursday to take in the sights and most importantly, the food. Not wanting to waste any time and also motivated by a $150 non-refundable hotel reservation in Memphis, we hit the road.

Now this is a blog about food right? Yes it is! In my introductory blog a few months ago, I wrote about my love for food and travel. This trip incorporates them both. When is the best time to experience good food? On vacation of course. Over the next couple of weeks, please enjoy the posts about food, travel and family.

Happy Eating (& Traveling).

Southern Food/Road Trip

Currently I am traveling through the states of Tennesse, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama. Why you might ask? For a couple reasons. First, I love to travel and want to go to all 50 states. I have always wanted to go to this part of the country. Second, I want to eat some delicious southern food; especially BBQ. Memphis should have some great BBQ down on Beale Street. I am already eyeing the Blues City Cafe; Great BBQ and Live Music.

While traveling, I am compiling many great recipes and review. Please stay tuned for a review of it all. In the meantime, please enjoy a reprint of a previous post about food and Travel.

Happy Eating.

Sprague's Lobster Shack in Wiscasset Maine

I am a Dreamer and, as such, love to plan vacations to places that will fill my soul and leave me fully relaxed and ready to work tirelessly until the next vacation. Has it happened yet? Definitely. Vacations to the Deep South, Montreal, Oahu's North Shore, New Hampshire, Maine, Boston, and Cape Ann have all been extremely relaxing and soul filling. One getaway which left me feeling like a I needed another vacation upon arriving home was a week in Cape Cod. Something about that place sickens me. Maybe it was the endless highway of chain motels, bowling alleys, arcades, bad restaurants, and tour buses filled with old people at every stop. I must insert here that not all of Cape Cod is bad; Highway 6A (the original higway) is a beautiful drive with antique shops, stores, and old cemetaries (my wife's favorite).

What is it about some vacations that are wonderful and others which leave us unfulfilled? For some it's the people you travel with. My Brother said that when he and his wife travel, they get up earlier than normal and see everything on the list. They wonder why we won't travel with them:-). For others, where you stay is important. For me, as you can probably guess, it's how many great restaurants I patronize. Rachel and I plan very little as to what we are going to do. Somedays we do nothing but go out to breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a little relaxing in between. I would prefer to stay in a $49/night motel room and spend the majority of the travel budget on food. This leaves me fulfilled and gives me something to write about. It works great for us. 

Traveling, much like food, has turned into a passion for me. I love finding places to travel; where to stay and where to eat. My wife leaves the travel planning to me much like I leave home projects to her. She regularly answers "sounds great" to my question "should we go here?" Figuring out where to go can be summed up with this sentence: I don't know what I am looking for but will know it when I find it. It's very exciting for me.

Two weeks ago we planned a trip to Florida. Or I should say that we bought the plane tickets. My cousin invited us down for a week in January and I got very excited about.....................you guessed it, where to eat when we get there. After booking the tickets I started researching restaurants in the area. It was 3 days later that I remembered to let him know that we were coming. That was a little awkward on the phone as I was  hoping that he still had the week available and hadn't invited someone else to stay. No worries, he's looking forward to seeing us. I went there this past January but this time, Rachel, Ruby, and I will be going. My Cousin and I ate at Miller's Ale House in Ft. Myers, Harpoon Harry's at Fisherman's Village in Punta Gorda, Rum Bay Restaurant on Cape Haze - you need to take a water taxi to Cape Haze. Ruby will love this. 

Well I better get back to work so I can save up for retirement? home repairs? new car? Not a chance; I will be saving up for restaurant money on our trip to Florida. 

Happy Eating (and Traveling).  

Food on the Road

Sprague's Lobster Shack in Wiscasset Maine

I am a Dreamer and, as such, love to plan vacations to places that will fill my soul and leave me fully relaxed and ready to work tirelessly until the next vacation. Has it happened yet? Definitely. Vacations to the Deep South, Montreal, Oahu's North Shore, New Hampshire, Maine, Boston, and Cape Ann have all been extremely relaxing and soul filling. One getaway which left me feeling like a I needed another vacation upon arriving home was a week in Cape Cod. Something about that place sickens me. Maybe it was the endless highway of chain motels, bowling alleys, arcades, bad restaurants, and tour buses filled with old people at every stop. I must insert here that not all of Cape Cod is bad; Highway 6A (the original higway) is a beautiful drive with antique shops, stores, and old cemetaries (my wife's favorite).

What is it about some vacations that are wonderful and others which leave us unfulfilled? For some it's the people you travel with. My Brother said that when he and his wife travel, they get up earlier than normal and see everything on the list. They wonder why we won't travel with them:-). For others, where you stay is important. For me, as you can probably guess, it's how many great restaurants I patronize. Rachel and I plan very little as to what we are going to do. Somedays we do nothing but go out to breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a little relaxing in between. I would prefer to stay in a $49/night motel room and spend the majority of the travel budget on food. This leaves me fulfilled and gives me something to write about. It works great for us. 

Traveling, much like food, has turned into a passion for me. I love finding places to travel; where to stay and where to eat. My wife leaves the travel planning to me much like I leave home projects to her. She regularly answers "sounds great" to my question "should we go here?" Figuring out where to go can be summed up with this sentence: I don't know what I am looking for but will know it when I find it. It's very exciting for me.

Two weeks ago we planned a trip to Florida. Or I should say that we bought the plane tickets. My cousin invited us down for a week in January and I got very excited about.....................you guessed it, where to eat when we get there. After booking the tickets I started researching restaurants in the area. It was 3 days later that I remembered to let him know that we were coming. That was a little awkward on the phone as I was  hoping that he still had the week available and hadn't invited someone else to stay. No worries, he's looking forward to seeing us. I went there this past January but this time, Rachel, Ruby, and I will be going. My Cousin and I ate at Miller's Ale House in Ft. Myers, Harpoon Harry's at Fisherman's Village in Punta Gorda, Rum Bay Restaurant on Cape Haze - you need to take a water taxi to Cape Haze. Ruby will love this. 

Well I better get back to work so I can save up for retirement? home repairs? new car? Not a chance; I will be saving up for restaurant money on our trip to Florida. 

Happy Eating (and Traveling).