HAPPY THANKSGIVING IN NEW ORLEANS!

Want the best and easiest solution for solving who goes where and who cooks what for Thanksgiving?  Leave town.  Especially if you can with those you love most.  That is exactly what I did with the hubby, son and daughter  ... headed off to beloved New Orleans for great food, music and time spent together. 

 

Over the years of flying this time of year, we've found that leaving on Tuesday while crowded isn't quite insane.  Having a non-stop flight -- particularly on Southwest -- also helps.   Of course weather is something over which no one has control and it seems like the snow came early this year, no doubt adding to fliers' frustrations.  

View of the Mississippi from our hotel room 

Accommodations at the Westin provided not only great views but walking proximity to everything.  Although the hubby will never believe me, I honestly did not know the hotel is attached to the Canal Shops -- i.e., an elevator ride directly to Saks.  That happy accident notwithstanding, the staff is wonderful; rooms very comfy; and the view of the river is superb. Win/win/win!

My minor concern over how to spend our time here when not eating was quickly allayed by the hotel concierge who suggested we try the Canal Street trolley.  At $3 for a 24-hour pass, it was indeed a fun and convenient way to see a bit of the city.  We headed up to the Carrollton neighborhood and found Katie's in a Google search.  And what an amazing find ... this local "joint" has understandably been visited three times by Guy Fieri (Diners, Drive-in's and Dives).  Great food, terrific service, reasonable prices.  Cannot recommend highly enough. 

Clockwise above: Can't argue with the logic; inside view; amazing onion rings (with a kick); catfish po'boy.

A sobering reminder at Katie's is the plaque by the front door, about 6' high, noting the water line from Hurricane Katrina ...

The afternoon took us to the City Gardens and New Orleans Museum of Art where timing was perfect.  The priceless, private collection of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen was on display prior to heading back to Seattle, presumably not to be seen again soon. Oh, my ... everything from David Hockney to Picasso to Monet to Ruscha to you name it all focusing on landscape.  This was indeed a happy find.

 

 

Above top is the museum; bottom is from the adjacent park. As an orchid person, the sight of so much live spanish moss growing from the trees was amazing.

The son joined the party late Wednesday and it was off to Frenchman Street into the wee hours (for the boys only). Thanksgiving Day was a chance to stroll through the French Quarter after the obligatory stop at Cafe du Monde.  The Cafe closes for just 30 hours of the year (6pm on Dec 24 until 6 am on Dec 26) and was packed as usual.  For dinner we truly enjoyed Mr. B's Bistro featuring a traditional Thanksgiving meal or regular menu items.  

Ready for the delicious food below (clockwise from upper left): Traditional turkey dinner; Lamb chops; Pepper Steak; Rabbit

 

A visit to the National World War II Museum should definitely be on everyone list of "things to do" in NOLA. In fact, one could visit several times to take in everything the six-acre, five-building campus has to offer.  We did just that after lunch at Cochon in the Warehouse/Arts District.  A quick stop in the stores this Black Friday was also on the agenda.  Hey, we do what we can to help the local economy! 

	Above are bricks engraved with the names of WWII heroes in many of the museum pathways. Left is today's version of  the famous "Victory Gardens" planted at durring WWII.

Our last dinner in NOLA took us to Gatreau's in the gentrified Garden District. Good thing we allowed ample time as the city was in full gridlock at Canal and N. Peters requiring a short walk to find an available cab.  The restaurant has no signage whatsover in the beautiful residential area. We had a very fine meal as shown below.  The Uber trip back was most interesting -- our driver was a stay-at-home-mom of four (ages 5 to 15).  She loves getting out periodically to earn some dough in her Chevy Suburban which is akin to riding in a luxury mobile home.  I asked her if there were any safety concerns (as did her own mom, apparently); she takes some precautions but generally enjoys the company of customers such as our family ....

Clockwise above: Red Trout; Sea Bass; Duck; Roasted Chicken; Below: California Syrah; Goat Cheesecake; Peanut Butter & Chocolate "Pretzel"; No signage anywhere

    

Who knew the trip would be memorable for the college football game played on Saturday -- an epic battle between our beloved Ohio State Buckeyes vs arch-rival Michigan Wolverines.  It was literally a race against the clock as the hubby refused to leave for the airport before the game ended  -- in double O.T.!  We watched in the hotel bar as the Buckeyes finally prevailed, let out the appropriate screams of delight, and raced to the airport for the happy trip home.  All's well that ends well! 

PERFECT ISLAND PARADISE POST ELECTION

An island jaunt proved to be just the thing one needed, especially with an early-morning departure November 9th.  Nothing like gorgeous white sand and pristine turquoise water to provide a respite from all the noise that surrounds the never-ending news (especially in my political household).

Five glorious nights in Turks & Caicos, just 1-3/4 hours southeast of Miami. Only wish it had been longer, but I'll take whatever time we had.    

Turks & Caicos -- located in the North Atlantic, southeast of the Bahamas

Does it seem like a long way to go for a relatively short trip?  Maybe. Perhaps for some.  But when you think about one longish plane ride and one very short one with little time in between, it passes quickly. Since the Hubby and I decided several years ago to add a November trip that would be the antidote to the non-stop movement of our big April trip (i.e., pretty much find white sand and do nothing), it's been fun ticking off various island resorts visited.

Waking up with much anticipation after an evening arrival is fun ... will the setting be as gorgeous as depicted on the website and in magazines? Happily that answer is yes! Grace Bay Club (part of Leading Hotels of the World) is one of three T&C resorts offered via Amex Platinum Fine Hotels.  An Aman property is at the top of that list, but their rates are staggering. Nothing in T&C would be considered "affordable" by most (more on that later).  We discovered from our patio doors, it was a straight and short path directly to the beach. That's about as close as one can get!  The accommodations are not the most luxe experienced (even with the upgrade to a one-bedroom suite), but very spacious with a comfy bed and vast cable selection on two SmartTV's.  No, we're not here to watch TV but it's nice to have that available. College football is in the thick of the season, and the hubby was happy to watch important games late at night (local time is an hour later than east coast). But I'm thinking someone quite tall came up with the idea to locate the room safe on the closet's top shelf -- not the best idea.

Straight from our patio to the beach.  Pool is off to the left.

In the relaxing and quiet "Adults Only" pool --  there is another one for families

Service is attentive, welcoming and very friendly but not what I would consider polished (like blowing our wake-up call).  We were given a cell phone with a direct line to our duo of dedicated concierges who help with anything and everything ... typically restaurant reservations and outdoor activities.   All accommodations include a mini-kitchen (coffee maker, small fridge, microwave and even 2-burner cooktop).  I literally run from hotel rooms equipped with anything that reminds me of what I do at home, but it can be convenient -- especially with a simply curated checklist of staples ready to be acquired and delivered (milk, cereal, diet coke, spirits).  Careful, though -- the cost for the aforementioned soda six-pack was an eye-opener.  In fact, with just three things native to T&C -- conch, lobster and sand -- costs are high as everything must be imported.  

Two conchs right out of the shell.  One is male and one is female.  Pretty obvious which is which.  Most of the front portion is removed and thrown back in the sea (eaten by fish); the rest is deliciously evidenced in the ceviche (below)

  

Having no agenda other than pool time and a spa visit (excellent), we were fortunate to encounter T&C guru Marty at the pool for restaurant recommendations (Coyaba; Caicos Cafe; Le Bouchon, Coco Bistro)  We figured he knew the area fairly well as he had just made his customary return to the resort from his home in Boston .. for the entire winter. He provided excellent guidance, needless to say.  

T&C, while officially a British Overseas Territory, could easily be a part of the US.  It is on the US currency and electrical current (no adapters or converters!), and everyone speaks English.  Yet one distinctly feels that they have left the country for sure.

Grace Bay beach in front of the hotel 

Snorkeling is always at the top of the list for a beach trip.  Island Vibe Tours literally pulled up in front of the resort for a half-day outing. We enjoyed chatting with folks on board from all over the US and a couple of avid travelers from Sweden as we collectively marveled at the turquoise water.  After a few stops we ended up having an opportunity for a last dip via diving off the boat (maybe 15' from the top) or with the water slide. We all encouraged one another and got quite chummy. Somehow everyone knew the hubby by journey's end, as evidenced when we got off the boat to "Bye, Bruce! Take care, Bruce! Nice to meet you, Bruce!"  Yep, I'm forever "Bruce's wife."   

One of the nearby cays visited on the snorkel boat

Below:  I look like I'm saying a prayer just before descending -- the man in the red trunks is on the diving board from which the hubby jumped (as did I).  What the hell were we thinking??? 

After the above activities, believe me, I was tempted! Fortunately cooler heads prevailed.

 

Are you thinking about going somewhere but are stuck getting started? Do you need some ideas and/or expertise in planning your next adventure?  an  Instead of spending your valuable time, send me an email (travelwithterib@gmail.com) -- and let me help you with all your travel needs!

FUN WITH FALL FOODS

I am having a blast with fall foods.  Pretty much every Sunday morning, the Hubby and I head down to the Studio City Farmers Market to see what's in season.   We don't linger like lots of families with toddlers in tow, but rather are in and out before the crowds get really large.  We have our favorite vendors with whom we chitchat for a few minutes and are on our way. Delicious late-season plums Such glorious colors! Love these sweet peppers One of the delights is seeing what's coming in and saying good-bye to others until next year.  To me, summer melon season is always too short. But having the good fortune of living in So Cal means never going without wonderful produce all year long, so absolutely no complaints! I am so thrilled with my own Fuji apple tree!  The fruit is nearly ripe and plentiful due to netting and  sprinkling with ground pepper to keep everyone away!   Small but delicious (below) So what am I buying and cooking now?  Well, here's a few items that are so delicious I buy them and then think about what to do with them. The sweet peppers (shown above) became one of the ingredients in a frittata, along with onion, fennel, leftover corn on the cob, eggs and cheese.  Instructions follow below. Saute onions in butter using cast-iron skillet; add fennel, pepper & corn - cook for a few minutes; add beaten eggs (I used 9) and sprinkle with mozzarella; cook  in the oven at 375 until set (20-30 minutes)  Before cooking above; after below    I cut the frittata into wedges (below); great to pop in the microwave  for a quick and easy meal. AS for the apples, I made a delicious crisp as seen below.  I skip any type of flour in the crust in favor of a dollop of vanilla ice cream later on.  The slow-churned flavors from Dreyers are relatively low-cal and terrific. Directions: Mix the topping: 2 cups oatmeal, cinnamon, 1/2 cup brown sugar and enough room-temp butter to moisten the dry ingredients.  Chop the apples. Spread topping over the apples and bake at 350 until the top is brown and the apples are soft.   The aroma in your house will be amazing!