CABO IDEAL FOR QUICK GETAWAY

It's no secret that Cabo San Lucas, just a two-hour flight southeast of LA, makes for an ideal getaway. What's astonishing is the massive growth that continues to occur unabated.

The iconic Cabo arch

The hubby surprised me for a major birthday back in 2004 with the first trip to Cabo. The locals were thrilled that the first Costco had just opened up, and they could purchase essentials like bread and milk for significantly less than the area markets.  We stayed at Las Ventanas which was a splurge to say the least. Infinity pools were unique back then so entering that gorgeous resort seemed staggering as the pool "fell" into the ocean beyond.

The next trip was for our daughter's graduation in 2009.  At the time, the area was just desolate due to fears of kidnapping and the like.  We had a great time and never felt the least bit unsafe.

Flash forward to 2017.  Unlike the first trip where five-star properties were just three -- Las Ventanas (Rosewood), Esperanza (Auberge) and One & Only Palmilla -- there's now La Pedregal, The Montage, The Cape and a Ritz Carlton still under construction. And that's just the high end.  The growth is at least 10% annually, and up to 20% at times.  Three thousand rooms will be added in 2017.  During the high season (November through May), there are sometimes 40 commercial flights on Saturdays and Sundays.

It's not just the high end experiencing growth (multi-million-dollar vacation homes), but the huge amount of "all-inclusive" resorts that are very affordable and abundant.  This trip was the result of purchasing a three-night stay (at a charity auction) at Fiesta Grand Americana.  Personally I am not a fan of all-inclusive -- typical of cruise ships and the like -- where one almost feels obligated to indulge because "it's free." I'd rather think twice about consumption while paying as I go. To each his own.

So what to do in a short time span?  Visit the spa!  An 80-minute deep tissue for $90 works for me (after some sort of discount plus gratuity).  But the big outing was whale watching via Cabo Adventures ..

We were given the choice of either a small but very fast boat (which was like a life raft) holding 26 plus 3 crew, or a very large double-decker.  We opted for the small one, which adventure was called "Whale Safari."  Having experienced an African safari last year, I get the connection:  both vehicles go very fast and communicate with other vehicles when game (in this case whales) are spotted. This thing flew over the water! No wonder we were asked if we had any back issues beforehand; I was indeed reminded of the safari jeeps.

Sea lions sunning themselves

It was worth it to catch multiple glimpses of these beautiful creatures, both full size and young-in's.  Taking photos is challenging, as the action is swift and the boat rocky.  But you get the idea .. happy I got just one!

Absolutely worth mentioning are the following restaurants: Los Tres Gallos was a last-minute decision that was amazing. Delicious food, with some unexpected twists, in an indoor/outdoor setting.  We also loved Mi Casa, with traditional fare in a lively atmosphere.  Both spots are in downtown Cabo, close to the marina. 

Mi Casa had fabulous margaritas (mango in particular) plus carnitas 

and mole (ole!).

Open kitchen at Los Tres Gallos plus some            delicious courses we enjoyed.

It's the thought that counts from housekeeping --  the letters were formed from rice.  Buenas noches!

THE LONG ROAD TO A GRAND OPENING!

You know all those parables recited when thinking about starting a new business?  Here are a few good ones: "Make every detail perfect and limit the number of details to perfect." -Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder "The last 10% it takes to launch something takes as much energy as the first 90%." -Rob Kalin, Etsy founder "Find an unmet need and meet it." - Ross Perot Every last word recited above was truly experienced during the concept, build-out and opening of The Cellar Beverly Hills (est. Jan 2017).   And what is this miraculous achievement? Not just "a premier fine wine concierge and storage service," but:  "From on-demand bottle delivery and decanting to James Bond-esque security, our flagship facility introduces a multitude of innovative wine-centric services designed to optimize the collection experience." This is a sample of pre-opening social media (works for me!) So why is The Cellar Beverly Hills relevant here?  Because it is the brainchild of my son Sam.  And the endeavor would in all probability have been stalled (to say the least) without the guidance and financial acumen of the one and only hubby (and Sam's business partner).  They deserve enormous credit for not only surviving the process but for a job well done.  I even played a part with all the branding, incorporating my "day job" skills.   Beautiful wine openers (top) embellished with Swarovski crystals are presented in the leather case above. Sam's first foray into wine: Figuring out what to do with our wine at home. Not only did he design the cellar shown at left -- formerly a hallway closet (glass doors are open for the photo but it remains a cool 55 degrees in there), but he created an online inventory for us, including when the bottles are best to drink.  We knew he was on to something ... Photo:  Tamara Leigh Photography  It is with great pride and excitement that I share photographs of the space and from the Grand Opening on 1.17.17.   Next time you're in Beverly Hills, stop in for the grand tour.   Cheers!  Every locker has a beautiful brass plate (top).  The reception desk was conceived and executed by master woodworker Bill Schwalm to replicate a wine barrel and wine press.        At the helm ...  Upper left: bite-size delicious tastes from Divino Restaurant Above:  Some of the guests. Left:  It was "all Bialosky hands on deck" leading up to the opening event. Photos: Marvin Stendler Let's get this party started!

NAVIGATING ALL THOSE LISTS!

We're barely a nanosecond into 2017, and I can't even count how many "where to go" and "best places" and "should not be missed" lists of destinations I have received.  I began to think:  How in the world does one take all of that in, and what to do with all that information!   Following is my plan of attack, plus which sources I value/trust the most. I try to make an effort to read what comes my way. But I also do a lot of unsubscribing as I'm sure most of you do as well.  Given that I don't always remember what I signed up for (sound familiar?), I better at least check out the content before deciding to continue subscribing or end it there.   The hubby receives a huge amount of columns vis-a-vis his political writing; his method is to print them out on the back of used copy paper, then read them later -- at a ball game, or while watching something at home (he has reinvented the concept of multitasking). He never goes anywhere without reading. It might seem like a chore, but it's a very efficient system and a stress reducer when he has those inconvenient pauses in life.   I previously shared my filing system (shown below), separated by travel regions, airline info and the like.  When I have a free moment (ha!), I'll go through and purge old stuff. Believe me it helps to have a place to go for reference. As for the lists received, here are three that I like al                              ot.  Interesting that nearly every writer includes a specific number in the header -- most seem random -- but clearly it's a way to grab a reader's attention.  1.  New York Times: 52 Places to Go in 2017 -- where else could you find locations as disparate as Botswana and Minneapolis on the same list?? (Two of mine included: Agra and The Maldives!) 2.  Travel & Leisure: 50 Best Places to Travel in 2017 -- I like that it's in alphabetical order for some reason -- if I need to revisit, I can scroll faster! (One of mine:  Perth; but lots of others I would go back to in a heartbeat: Queenstown, Jerusalem, Cape Town ..) 3.  New York Times:  Eight Ways to Save on Travel -- because who doesn't want to know how??? I like #4 -- pick an airline and stick with it.  Don't drive yourself crazy.   Whatever you do, remember that travel is good for the soul ... at least it is for my soul! Happy trails in 2017.

BYE, BYE 2016 ...

Once again, it's time to look back on where we went in 2016 ... New York City South Africa (Capetown, Kruger, Sabi Sand, Johannesburg) Zambia & Zimbabwe Mauritius CA Road Trip Turks & Caicos New Orleans And look forward to where we're going in 2017 ... Cabo San Lucas India (New Delhi, Agra, Rathambore, Jaipur, Udaipur) Maldives Australia (Perth) Hong Kong Rhode Island Somewhere in the Caribbean (where should we go?) May all your travels be memorable for the right reasons!  Thank you for taking this journey with me ...

CAN'T BLOG WITH CLIPPED WING

Nothing quite like having one's right extremity immobilized for a month to preclude or at least pose a big challenge to blog posts.  I suppose I could overcome this with basically a one-handed "hunt and peck," but that goes against the "you need to take it easy" concept. The latest in a string of orthopedic maladies was a tear in the rotator cuff and a bunch of other necessary clean up in the shoulder.  Much better than a full-on replacement, to be sure, but losing one's dominant hand for four weeks is not the optimal situation.  The positive news is minimal laundry and cooking, and after PT I can return to my beloved pilates classes.  So there's that! Prior to the outpatient procedure, I was fitted with this nifty and very advanced sling which is part of me except for showering for four weeks at least.  Lots of fun belts and straps to play with. Can I drive with this thing on?  Technically not supposed to (hehe); the seatbelt is a bit of a challenge, but manageable.  No parallel parking for sure!   You try sleeping in this!

Back to the imminent challenge of writing with my "clipped wing," I think it best to say I'll be back in touch prior to month end and for certain after the New Year.  For now, a bit of R&R ...

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!