Dining in South Florida

My wife, Lisa, and I recently took a trip to south Florida with her brother and sister-in-law. Lisa is the foodie of the family, so we thought we'd share a few spots we like to visit when we travel to that part of the country.

The Cheese Course is located in Weston, Florida. It's a great spot for -- cheese -- but they have a great sandwich menu, too. You can also find food that goes great with cheese -- wine, bread, and a variety of special meats. It's cozy, and the staff is friendly.

We like to try to eat at local places whenever we travel. We ask for recommendations when we get there, or we'll do some research before we leave home. But, we admit, we do like to indulge in a "chain" restaurant that's also located in Weston. It's called the Grand Lux Cafe, and it's part of The Cheesecake Factory family. Go here for some really great desserts -- they have fantastic homemade chocolate chip cookies and incredible beignets that come with three different sauces. If you want dessert, though, remember to order it at the beginning of the meal. It'll be ready for you by the time you finish your entrees.

But here's the "big find" of this year's trip. The Blue Moon Fish Company in Ft. Lauderdale is known for its great fare. It's also a bit pricey, especially for dinner. Lisa and I decided to try it for lunch instead, and we got a huge surprise. Their lunch menu had some of the same entrees as dinner, and get this! Everything was BOGO -- buy one, get one FREE. Get a salad, the second one is free. Get an entree, the other entree is free, etc. We got an incredible meal for practically half off. On the right is the yellow snapper, one of Blue Moon's signature dishes.

We've spent a week in south Florida for the past few years now, and we enjoy getting to eat at some favorite places while trying some new ones, too. If you ever get to visit any of these restaurants, I hope you enjoy them as much as we have.

Butler

Gathering in the Gateway City to the West

ST. LOUIS-- It's not everyday that you have a chance to an old city with a rich history that has a strong connection to the profession that you love.

That's the experience I've had this week as a three-day visit here to St. Louis winds down. I've been so busy with events at the National HIgh School Journalism Conference that I hardly have had time to enjoy the city.

After the eight-hour drive up from Birmingham on Thursday, I was treated to a short nighttime tour of downtown St. Louis. All of a sudden the Edward Jones Dome was not just something you see on TV.

But, seeing the Gateway Arch at night was a treat. This view is one I've witnessed once before on a short stop on the way from Kansas City to Louisville, KY on I-64.

This is the first time I've not just stopped, but stayed for not one, but three days in the city located at what's known as "America's Center."

My latest trip to the "Show Me State" will come to an end on Sunday with a couple of daytime stops at Missouri landmarks.

London Calling...

This is it...what a year...first a holiday in Thailand...then the United States with my incredible trip to Alabama...then...Austria and the European Championship in what you Americans call Soccer and which is the most popular sport in my homecountry Germany - and not only there, pictures about crazy soccer fans will be posted soon...now London. The capital of the United Kingdom... I am working for the BBC at the moment, so no touristy photographs so far...let's hope for a free weekend....so this is basically just a tease of more to come...take care, everyone!!!
SiMone

Amsterdam

Paris may be the city of lights but Amsterdam is definitely the city of bikes.

From the time we stepped off the train from the airport we had to watch our step at intersections because of the rapid bike transit.

The other form of transit so often talked about of course is the canal taxi.The view is great in the boats on the economical hop-on-hop off boats in town IF you can catch them. We found that was pretty tricky after waiting through two missed pick-ups in the dark on the cold waterfront.

However, we did make up for it by dodging into the warm taverns. They look so inviting and we found it easy to strike up a conversation with people inside (in English).

Do be aware that while some bars have menus of small appetizers or deserts, “coffee bars” in the city feature a menu of a different sort. Yes, the stories are true, you can actually order up custom blends of various “cigarettes” from a laminated menu!

Just a short walk or float away is Rembrandt Square.

The whole area is absolutely beautiful and a very popular area for young professions--local or visiting.

In addition to the expectedly wonderful museums and art galleries, we also enjoyed learning about the cities “corner” on the diamond market with a tour of the Gassan diamond company and its patented 57-sided diamond.

Even the “just for you today” prices were over my head, but I will mention two affordable gems I found in Amsterdam--

*If you’ve gotten a late late start on dinner, do what we did and follow the locals into what looks like a street side auto-mat. It turns out that behind the machine windows are people frying up wonderful spicy meat and dough inventions. I have no idea what they were but you can’t go wrong by watching what everyone jumps forward to grab out of the windows!

*During Christmas time the famous floating flower market was not running but the Bloemenmarkt between Leidsestraat and Vijzelstraat t featured many open-air stores full of an amazing varieties of bulbs at bargain prices. But do ask which ones are exportable before you get your heart set on a bulb that can’t leave the border.

And on your next trip over the Netherlands border I hope you get a chance to fly on an Amsterdam airline. While our country’s airlines pass out a small bag of ten pretzel grids, their airline defines “snack” as a wonderful warm brown bread and cheese sandwich!

The Black Forest

The Black Forest is a great plan for a winter break vacation in Germany as the climate is pretty mild. My first tip is to hit the Internet for guest accommodations as many people rent out the bottom floor of their house to visitors. We stayed in a little apartment in a house in the middle of a neighborhood with steep hills. When you’re walking you notice features like this water trough and detached stone garages that made us feel like we were thrown back in time. Plus, we could walk to a store mixed right in with the houses that sold the famous black forest ham….great taste and a tad less salty than Kentucky ham from my hometown.

A short scenic drive away is my favorite find--the barefoot park in Dornstetten (http://www.barfusspark.info/parks/dornst.htm. As hiking goes it is not challenging but very interesting with it’s carved trees and various walking surfaces.

It even includes cut but highly polished glass!

And at the end you are rewarded with a stand that serves nice cold Weiss Beer…ahhh the Germans known how to hike!

If you prefer city walking, we enjoyed the nearby town of Freundenstadt. During the weekends this beautiful area in the center of town is filled with stalls selling nice soaps and local vegetables, foods and crafts.

Don’t miss the black forest cake in bakeries… a little less sweet than the American version but richer I think!

Another good one-day road trip I recommend is the glass blowing shop in Wolfbach (http://www.dorotheenhuette.de/). You can watch or help make your own creation!

The prices are very good--around fourteen dollars for most of the simple pieces.

And if you’re looking for souvenirs there are also several wonderful cuckoo clock shops with prices ranging from twenty dollars to the thousands for the ornately carved dark woods.

Looking back on the trip I have to say one of the best parts was actually the drives between these stops. The roads chosen by our Garmin navigator took us along wide open fields then right through the center of neighborhoods on hill tops where you could actually ask directions from someone hanging clothes out on their lines.

We often forget till later that one of the best treasurers of traveling is being allowed to really think about what it would be like to live a different life in a different place.

Happy travels!

Pam and Nguyen

Tupelo!

Tupelo, Mississippi serves as the home to the birthplace of the KING, Elvis Presley. Presley was born and raised in Tupelo, until he was 13, when he and his family moved to Memphis in search of a better life. Little did they know that one day their young son would take they city- and the world – by storm. The Elvis Presley Birthplace is an attraction that commemorates the singer’s roots by showcasing the most important aspects of his life.

Upon parking, visitors are captivated by a 1939 Plymouth, the car that the Presley family fled in to make the journey to Memphis. The car is not the original, but is the same make and model that the family used. Inside the visitor’s center, there is a museum and gift shop. Visitors can purchase admission to the birth home ($4.00), the museum ($8.00) and the church that the Presleys attended. ($6.00) However, you can experience much of the essence just by visiting the Memorial fountain.

The fountain is walled with quotes and anecdotes from those who knew Presley, as well as a specially designed fountain that has thirteen spouts (one for each year that Presley lived in Tupelo). The shotgun house and chapel are all in very close proximity.

In between these attractions has been placed the newest addition to the site: the 5’5” “Elvis at age 13” statue, dedicated in 2002.
The birthplace has had a lot of work put into it to give Elvis fans and tourists alike the full experience of the essence of the King. Seeing where it all began gives tourists an idea of where Presley was coming from – and where he was destined to go.

Driving I-65 in Alabama

Due to personal reasons, I’ve been traveling up and down Interstate 65 for the past 14 months or so. Along the way, you begin to notice certain landmarks. For instance, the giant peach water tower in Clanton; the big, the inescapable confederate flag flapping in the wind; and the sign that forewarns us if we don’t go to church the devil is going to get us! However, lately, I’ve noticed something else that I have not normally taken note of along that long stretch of highway: deer carcasses.

The first time I noticed one was by chance. I was driving along when I noticed the proverbial blue lights from the car of a highway patrolman. That’s a very common sight – nothing unusual there. My first notion was he had pulled over a speeding driver. I’m no light foot, but some people think you should drive at least 90 mph when traveling either direction on 65. That wasn’t the case, however. For, you see, as soon as I moved over from the right lane to place distance between my vehicle and what I perceived to be a soon-to-be-ticketed driver, I noticed a huge deer lying on the left shoulder of the roadway, which caused me to glance back over to the right. And, that’s when I saw it – the driver’s front bumper on his SUV had been almost totally ripped off!

Well, since that day in August, I’ve taken that trip numerous times again – just as recently as last weekend, as a matter-of-fact. I saw no less than four either fresh or repeatedly trampled over deer carcasses. I felt fear. It was broad daylight on an extremely fast-paced and busy interstate – would one leap out of the woods in front of my car? It’s difficult to continue to drive at a decent speed and watch out for darting deer at the same time. So, I guess I say all of that to say this: if you’re traveling Interstate 65, north or south, watch out for our bountiful, bouncing friends. Apparently they have not been taught the rules of the road: look both ways before crossing the interstate.

Pat Sanders

Viewing the Grand Canyon on four feet

So I figure most folks have seen the Hoover Dam in person or on TV at length so I’ll only include the obligatory cool picture of the “Great Engineering Feat.” The new addition is the start on a new road through the Canyon that might also be an engineering miracle.


The Dam visit did make for an amazing contrast as we drove across the desert to the Grand Canyon. It made me think how hard life in this dry and isolated environment must be as we came across the occasional “settlement.” No surprise I thought as I saw a number of hand painted road signs offering plots of property for sale. I couldn’t resist calling on the cell as we drove and found we could lay claim to an acre for two thousand (pre-housing/land crash) dollars!


But I saved my Visa card limit for the mule ride in Grand Canyon…so on we went. The ride started off with a one hour stand up instruction talk/dry wit comedy bit by our guide who I am pretty sure was the model for the trail leader in city slickers. If you heard the recent piece on the Grand Canyon on NPR you heard his voice.

From there it was all down hill…literally! They had explained that while mules love to walk near the very edge of the canyon drop off they are very sure-footed….What they didn’t explain was they mean they will always have at least one or two feet securely on the ground. My heart leapt every time even one of the four fumbled over a rock. That is why this picture of the drop is a view down my husband’s leg. I didn’t unglue my hands from the saddle to take pictures to the last five miles of the return I think.

Fear factor aside, the 22-mile mule back trip was so amazing I would do it again…I think. Box lunches on a cliff with a view, the Indian garden alive with a rainbow of cactus flowers, and canyon views just like in the movies are worth the stiff walk afterwards. And yes people do line up to watch your first steps off the mules when you return ☺.

Pam and Nguyen’s tips of the Canyon…

*Book early they do fill up months in advance

*Do stay at the Red Feather Lodge…when I told them of “the ride” they
immediately booked me on the ground floor to avoid steps.

*Do try fried rattlesnake, rattle snake beer, and prickly pear jelly at the local
food establishments (there are about four places to eat in the “town”--take
your pick).

*Do get some desert tea to take back…if you like sweet teas you’ll be
hooked and I can’t find it outside the Canyon area.

*Do dress in layers (I wore five)…temperatures on our trip down and back
changed from 40 to 65.

*Carabineers! I used them to hang all my creature comforts on me including
sun-screen. I looked like Mr. Brady’s store on Green Acres (think Wal-
mart on a truck), but it was convenient!

*A hat is required but don’t buy a sophisticated one in advance…look how
cool the hat is they provide for seven dollars!

Here’s wishing you happy (and mostly flat) trails!

Pam and Nguyen

If you only get on a plane once...

...take it to Washington DC.

Washington DC - the Nation's capitol, has history on every corner. I say this seriously - you could turn a corner and literally run into the White House, or the National Cathedral , or the National Portrait Gallery there's so much history. The best perk about the city is that 98% of the things in the city to see are totally free of charge (yes!) , but be prepared to spend a little on a hotel and food. This is a small price to pay for a city that is just brimming with culture.

If you only have one day to see the city, see the National Mall . Start with the Lincoln Memorial and continue walking north until you run into the Capitol.


You will pass the Vietnam War Memorial first, where the famed Wall of Names can be found, as well as the special statue dedicatd to the women of the Vietnam War. Books that list the names of those on the wall are next to the granite slabs. The Korean War Memorial is a very vivid recreation of 19 soldiers marching into battle, as well as a granite slab with images sandblasted next to the men. The WWII Memorial, my personal favorite, is the youngest memorial, dedicated in 2004. With its fountains and delicate lighting, this one is best viewed at night. The Washington Monument is next,(come early if you want the opportuntity to go up in the elevator to the top) and then the Capitol.



A personal tour of the Capitol can be given by an intern if you contact your local Congressman ahead of time. Make sure to stop by your Congressman's office anyhow to see business in action!

If you have more than a day, take the not for tourist's approach and delve into the city. Take a walk down M Street, located in Georgetown, and visit the Shops at Georgetown Park for several department and speciality stores. Walk to the end of M Street and view the famed stairs used in the movie The Exorcist! If you get hungry, have a sit down at Old Glory Bar B Que for great ribs or Tackle Box for the best catfish you will ever taste. Take the Metro down to Dupont Circle and visit Kramerbooks and Afterwords, an establishment that features a full bookstore in the front and a restaurant in the back.

U Street is rich in the history's African American culture. Take time to visit the African American Civil War Memorial and stop by the Anthony Bowen YMCA to pick up a map for a walking tour of the area. If you are staying through the weekend, head to Capitol Hill and hit up Eastern Market for a flea market atmosphere and brunch, and walk around the neighborhood to Trover Books (books are the ultimate accessory to be seen with in DC - EVERYONE is a reader.) to take a gander at the bestsellers and the classics, as well as their specialized stationery section. Fulfill your sweet tooth right next door at Firehook Bakery with their larger-than-life cookies and deli.

Stroll on down to the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court building for photo ops, and then trek down to (last, but definitely not least) Pennsylvania Avenue, where you'll see the most famous house in the country. An added perk is the White House Visitor Center, which serves as a museum of all Presidential history (and frankly, is much more interesting than the tour of the White House itself.) To arrange for a tour, you will have to go through your Congressman. Tickets are free, but they go fast, so call as far in advance as possible.







DC is best enjoyed when you are not in a rush - take it all in, and enjoy just being in the hub of our Nation's culture. The city is there for your enjoyment. For help on planning your trip and getting the best out of the city in your visit, click here.

(For more pictures of my summer in DC, click here!)

Yea Alabama! Tailgating with the Tide

From now until November 29, when the Tide bears all against Auburn, just about every other weekend will be filled with a home game here in Tuscaloosa. The city becomes a small colony, holding several fans in its midst during the weekend who have come to watch the game, tailgate, or just take in the ambience. Here, we present the best places to watch the game, pick up Tide gear, and have a bite to eat during your stay in T-Town.

Come down early Saturday morning - parking is first come, first serve. There are nearby lots and businesses that charge patrons for parking in the upwards of $20 or more. The city of Tuscaloosa has a free open lot located at the end of University Boulevard.


Have a hearty meal at Dreamland BBQ where you can find everything in the name of smoked food, slatered with that signature sauce or opt for chicken wings, fingers and fries at Buffalo Phil's. Downtown there are many options to choose from, including Mugshots Grill and Bar, which serves a great Rajun Cajun Salad. Cool off with some ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery, known for their do it yourself creations and ready made ice cream cakes. If you are tailgating and forgot to bring an incidental (paper plates, napkins, the grill) Publix can provide you with all of your needs and can also provide catering.

For those of us who were unable to get tickets in time to watch kickoff, there are several places in the area where the game can be viewed. The newly rebuilt Houndstooth Sports Bar is located on The Strip and has been outfitted with a new porch and plenty of room for you and your closest friends. Directly across the street, the Crimson Café has become a UA institution, known for its salads, flatbread pizzas, and most importantly, Guatemalan coffee. Alcoholic beverages are served on the weekends, and there is a big screen TV parked in the dining room for your viewing pleasure. Egan’s Bar, located downtown is, according to APR producer Brett Tannehill, a “hilarious place” to watch the game. Be sure to rack up points on their classic pinball machine while you’re there.

Naturally, you can’t leave without picking up some authentic Gameday gear to take home. The Alabama Express Downtown store The Shirt Shop is the place to go to find trendy polos, colorful dresses, and sophisticated Alabama wear. The Supe Store also has a tent on the quad, where you can find University of Alabama gear, as well as vendors from all over the area who set up tents around the stadium.

Gamedays are full of spectator action - pitch an outdoor tent on the Quad, have a seat, and take in the festivities. There are always market researchers out giving away various samples - towels, bottled water, ice cream - you name it! You can pick up everything from boiled peanuts to sunglasses to $5 commemorative Gameday tees from vendors set up in front of and around Tutwiler Hall - directly across from the stadium on Bryant Drive. The game can be seen on TV and heard on the radio voiced by the ever recognizable Eli Gold.

So roll on to victory, hit your stride, you're Dixie's football pride, Crimson Tide - Roll Tide, ROLL TIDE!

Learn the University Fight Song here.