adventure

seattle – day 2

kdavis 1 Comment

our final day in seattle was a full one and started with a cozy breakfast at the condo. that is one of the advantages of a rental vs. a hotel: you usually have lots of space and kitchen access to cook for yourself if you care to. on our way back from the falls the day prior, we had stopped at the grocery store and scored a package of snoqualmie falls pancake mix! over sausage and pancakes and mugs of coffee, we gabbed and laughed and solved all the world’s problems. :)

we then washed up and made the short drive over to pike place market. the rain couldn’t keep us nor the locals and other tourists away. the streets were busy, and i can only imagine how swarmed it gets on the weekends and when the sun is out.

our first stop was a quick visit to the original starbucks. the line to order was stretched out the door, so we settled for a picture. i mean, a caramel macchiato here is a caramel macchiato there, right?

as we weaved in and out through the stalls and storefronts, we ended up joining in the fun at pike place fish market. this shop is known for its fish tossing attraction. yes, fish tossing! we did get to see some salmon thrown, and i decided it was time to face a decades-old fear of mine: eating a raw oyster. ages ago my mom and i were with some extended family for a west coast girls’ luncheon. the cousins insisted i have an oyster, and since my parents raised me to be a polite southern lady, i obliged. all i will say is that it’s a miracle i kept that slimy sucker down. now, older and maybe wiser, i figured if i was going to give them another chance, there was no better time or place. i paid my ten bucks, ripped the lid off the shot glass, and consumed that oyster with reckless abandon as the crowd cheered me on. the oyster was actually pretty small, and all the cocktail sauce certainly made the experience more tolerable. the best part, though, is that it was an historic moment that got captured in three parts. :)

i felt unstoppable and convinced mom and aunt cindy we should test our bravery with another seattle staple: the gum wall! folks, this thing is exactly what it sounds like and is as gross as you would think: two alley walls covered in gum. the smell is less than pleasant, but it was still fun to see it for ourselves (despite the faces i’m making here).

all this excitement had us hungry for a little snacky-snack, so we popped into piroshky piroshky bakery for some rolls. under flaky pastry were incredible aromas and big flavor, and mine reminded me of the meals you can get in the ikea cafeteria! the meatballs were well seasoned, but i definitely could have gone for more gravy. maybe a cup on the side for dipping? yes, i think that would have satisfied nicely.

now, what i have left untold until this moment is that aside from aunt nancy’s birthday bash and a general few days of pto, one of the next biggest reasons i was stoked for this trip was because of all the dates in all the cities in all the world, my favorite musician jamie cullum was performing in seattle that evening! the live music gods perfectly aligned all these things so that i could see him perform again. i’ve seen jamie’s concerts in atlanta, birmingham, chicago, and atlanta again. phillip and i had plans to see him in london once, but that trip was derailed due to the pandemic. so, i mean it when i say i’ve been waiting for years for this opportunity. now, we still had a couple hours until the doors opened and did not want to go all the way back to the condo and come all the way back out into town again. so, we spent some time nearby at pennyroyal. this spot is moody and dark but still inviting whether you’re there for a meal or just a cocktail. the drinks and food kept us warm, and it was the perfect way to bid the city farewell.

the time had come, so we hustled across virginia street and dodged the rain to arrive, at last, at the moore theatre for the concert. does this picture say it all? i was beside myself!

this intimate, old venue was full of character and drew a packed house to see jamie jump around on stage, dance with the crowd, hop on the piano, and sing all my favorites. mom and aunt cindy did not know his music and were so sweet to go along with me. as always, his performance was non-stop and energetic and reminded me why i love music (especially live music) so much. there was a lot of anticipation for this trip and this concert for so many months, and it delivered in every way i could have hoped.

seattle – day 1

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our first full day in seattle was packed with adventure and started with a proper french breakfast at le pichet. this spot had been highly recommended by several coworkers and was a delightful way to begin our morning. the space is narrow and cozy with tables close together. they have quite a spirits selection and proper espresso equipment, so i had the cutest cappuccino, and aunt cindy had a pretty and delicious latte.

our waitress mentioned the chef had a few buns left, so we ordered the last of them for the table. don’t these look food magazine worthy! they were slightly sweet and melt-in-your-mouth tender. so far so good!

we knew we’d need more than a little bread to hold us over for our upcoming excursion, so mom ordered the yogurt (a small serving but tasty, she said), aunt cindy enjoyed the oeufs plats jambon et fromage (i was grateful she offered me a bite!), and i ate the salad de tomates avec fruits a noyau, chevre et vinaigrette au jambon. all that produce was so fresh, and as fancy chefs say, a bite of it all at once just made everything “sing.”

with fuel in the car and our bellies, we drove east to tour snoqualmie falls. aunt cindy had heard of it and always wanted to visit, so visit we did! the fall colors were just starting to show off, and we lucked out with a warm (albeit windy) afternoon.

aside from the mighty power of these falls, my favorite element were these words all about the grounds. they were so playful and inspiring and very unique.

the clouds and rain eventually arrived, so we moseyed over to downtown snoqualmie and took refuge in snoqualmie falls brewery. i would have liked to belly up to the charming covered bar, but the weather just was not in the mood to cooperate. oh well, you can still drink beer and eat snacks inside! between sips of this and bites of that, we talked all about the latest in each others’ lives. it’s so interesting and fun getting to still be a daughter and niece to these ladies but having adult conversations. times change, life forms and reforms. i feel lucky to have this pair in my circle.

evening approached, and it was slow going back to seattle. by the time we shrugged off our coats and untied our boots, we were tuckered out and in no mood at all to head back into the city. cue doordash! since it had grown cold, we concluded big bowls of steamy ramen would hit the spot, and they sure did! we tried ramen-ya teinei, and our order was accurate and on time. while mom spooned up dinner, i worked my tech magic to get dancing with the stars streaming on the tv. the host didn’t have regular cable, so after logging into aunt cindy’s directv account and then airplaying her ipad to the tv, we were in business! hot ramen and reality tv. what more could we have wanted?

seattle – evening 1

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our visit to anacortes had come to an end, but we weren’t done with washington just yet! mom, aunt cindy, and i decided to tag on a few extra days and explore seattle. i’ve been to seattle once when my small group was passing through for a trip to alaska. so, it was like a whole new world!

we got a bit of a late start so only had time to really check into our airbnb and grab some dinner that monday evening. our airbnb was a clean, spacious, well-stocked condo in the queen anne area. the owner refers to it as the “kraken cabin,” and all the host instructions were easy to follow. i imagine this view west (and the sweet little porch) is even more pleasant when the sun is out. 🙂

we unpacked a bit and started to do a little online looking to figure out what we wanted to eat. sometimes you know just what you are craving. that night was not one of those nights, lol. so much sounded so good! however, the travel gods looked down on us because we found in the condo a binder full of recommendations from the host. what luck! page after page listed different types of food and different parts of town with all sorts of suggestions. you could find just about anything in there! with the rain picking up and our bellies rumbling, we decided the nearby queen anne beerhall was worth a visit. oh, and worth a visit it was!

as mentioned in another recent post, i have never had the pleasure of going to europe, but wow, this experience felt very authentic! long tables and benches as far as the eye can see, raucous kraken fans ready to root on their hockey team, and pint after pint of beer. what a find!

we squeezed into a table between two pairs of coworkers who were humorous and kind to us out-of-towners and all our questions. if any of you knows us three, you know we are not afraid to strike up a conversation. two of those folks we met were mustafa and christopher. mustafa is an attorney and christopher is a soon-to-be-attorney at a local law firm. throughout the conversation, we found out mustafa grew up in huntsville (what are the odds?) and that christopher has a little eastern europe heritage (again, who would have thought!). it was such a serendipitous meeting, and i could not have planned it better if i tried. we got their stories, they got our stories, and they were so sweet to recommend a whole bunch of local spots for us to try during our stay. i love that they obliged our “old school” request to write the restaurants down instead of just punching them into our phone. plus, this napkin will make for a great page in my scrapbook!

over our chatter and cheers and laughter, we shared the giant pretzel, grilled corn, beet salad, and cheese curds. everything was fresh and rich and flavorful, and i bet if i lived within walking distance i’d be a regular. even though it is good to go through life with a plan, sometimes the most unplanned things end up being the best. mustafa and christopher, thank you for tolerating our little trio. if you’re ever in atlanta, i’d be happy to return the favor!

an anacortes occasion

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earlier this year, i was pleasantly surprised and quite flattered to receive an invitation to my great aunt nancy’s 90th birthday celebration up in anacortes, washington. with plenty of pto and some miles burning a hole in my virtual wallet, my mom and i took a week off from work to venture up to and around the pacific northwest.

our flight saturday morning to seattle was, blessedly, uneventful. however, our luck was short-lived once we got to the rental car center. long story short, i couldn’t pick up the car my husband reserved for us because my name wasn’t on the profile. then, i had the pleasure of waiting for an hour to get a car from a different provider. after declining all the add-on insurance and taking the elevator down a couple floors, we threw our bags into the trunk of our zippy kia soul and hopped on i-5 to make our way north. you know, i feel like we got the true washington state experience right off the beat. downtown traffic, cloudy skies, and rain.

thankfully we weren’t really in a hurry, so it was nice to cruise along and take in the sights of the evergreen state. we all know atlanta is called the city in the trees, but everything here is just so lush. some leaves had started changing, but i think in a couple weeks’ time, the trees will really be showing off.

about two and half hours later, we turned into wisteria gardens. this place was just so picturesque! from the chic farmhouse to the nearby pumpkin patch, i couldn’t imagine a better backdrop for the evening, which was a whirlwind of hugs, meeting new people, re-meeting family i hadn’t seen in decades, eating, drinking, and dancing. the elvis cover band was a huge hit, and i am so grateful we were included in the celebration. aunt nancy, i hope i look as good as you when i’m 90! if you have any secrets to share with my generation, i’m all ears. 🙂

once the party wrapped up, we headed back to the cabin nearby. it had a peaceful view of skagit bay, and we spent the night enjoying some red washington wine while puzzling and solving the world’s problems. it’s so interesting to hear how our conversations have transformed over the years and through different stages of life. so grateful for these women!

sunday was our final day in anacortes, and we piled up and headed to mark’s and shamay’s for some brunch. there were cars and people and food everywhere, and i grabbed a seat out on the porch. what a pleasant view! i feel lucky to have family like this, where you are welcome to join the fun as you are and, generally speaking, the more, the merrier.

after brunch, mom, aunt cindy, sara, julian, and i went to fernhill cemetery to visit and pay our respects to some of the extended family. these grounds are so quiet, and even if i do not make it back up here in my lifetime, i am glad we took some time to remember where this side of my family comes from and who part of me is.

as i am certain i’ve written before, our family is always ready to eat. so, we met our cousin lorri in nearby la conner for a little small town afternoon. the drive there was so relaxing, and i cannot believe all the dahlias we saw along the way. i mean, these things were mondo-sized and everywhere and in every shade you can imagine. i didn’t get to snap a picture, but my mom was sure to because my sister-in-law kari loves these blooms. kari, you would have been in heaven up here!

we ended up having lunch at la conner seafood and prime rib house, which was the same place that catered the party the night prior. we started with the spinach artichoke dip, which was scarfed down quickly. i then treated myself to a cup of clam chowder and crab cakes. the chowder was fine, but the crab cakes were worth every penny and every bite (despite this poor photo quality, i promise).

while we’d been having lunch, phillip had separately mentioned to me that it recently was national ice cream day, so it was easy to convince julian we should go for a scoop! just down a block at lulu’s espresso & ice cream, he had a cone of cherry ice cream, and i went for a cup of triple chocolate. i think he liked his, yes? 🙂

that night was extra dreary out, so we stayed in and munched on leftovers. julian and i got to play in the loft upstairs, and i was quick to fall asleep after such a fun day. i’ve a feeling it’s easy to do that up here. thank you for the memories, anacortes!

Emily Goes to Nashville

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Howdy, y’all!

I am Emily! Phillip is my super awesome brother, and Kelsey is my lovely sister-in-law!  I am so excited to be a guest on Kelsey’s blog today! I currently live in Wisconsin, just outside of Milwaukee with my husband Jon and our sweet little 14-month-old daughter, Evelyn! At the end of March, we met up in Nashville for a few days over my spring break. I have never been there before, and it was at the top of my bucket list! Our trip was way too short, and I really hope we can go back there someday soon.

Jon, Evie and I drove down a day before everyone else arrived. We started off by going to dinner at a BBQ restaurant called Peg Leg Porker. It was fantastic!  It was the type of place with lots of lights, free smells, and a really big bar at the front.  Lots of my friends recommended this place, so I knew we had to try it out.  I got the pulled pork plate with mac and cheese and smoked green beans…yes, SMOKED green beans! The pork was delicious…nice and tender!  The hot sauce that came with it was fire! (In a good way)…I actually used up the last of their hot sauce supply for the night, so I felt really lucky! The mac and cheese was okay, but honestly nothing to write home about.  But those green beans!  I could have eaten a whole bowl of those myself…the smokey flavor was out of this world!  They were also cooked in bacon and the flavor was nothing like I have ever had before with green beans.  If we get back there someday, I will most definitely be going back to Peg Leg Porker!

The next day, Phil, Kels, Mom, Natalie (my sister) and her boyfriend Dave arrived! We went to lunch at a live music bar on Broadway called Tin Roof.  Again, this was a highly recommended restaurant from friends of mine who have been to Nashville a few times before.  What lured me in was their talk of the “world famous queso dip.”  Of course, that was the first thing I ordered! If you don’t know me, I am the queso queen! It is my weakness, and if it’s on the menu, 9 times (okay probably 10) out of 10 I will order it.  The queso dip at Tin Roof  was great! It was nice and hot, and what I loved about it was that it had fresh jalapenos on top.  The tortilla chips were also served warm, and they were nice and crispy. For my lunch entrée, I ordered the Mexican street corn quesadilla.  WOW was that flavor good! It had a few different cheeses inside, black beans, roasted corn, and a super yummy spicy drizzle on top with fresh cilantro.  The quesadilla had a great amount of spice, but it wasn’t too overpowering.  I would have loved some more of that drizzle on the side for extra dipping, though! Overall, lunch was very good, and I would definitely visit there again!

After lunch, we went next door to The Boot Barn!  I always wanted an authentic pair of cowgirl boots, and my birthday was the following week.  On the drive down to Nashville from Wisconsin, I put a bug in Jon’s ear that I wanted to get some boots for my birthday present.  When we went into the store after lunch and yes, a few drinks (wink-wink), I knew it was time to try on some boots!  The first pair I saw, I fell in love with.  I looked at some more, but I kept going back to the first pair.  After walking around in them and begging my husband for them, I walked out of the store with my brand new, BEAUTIFUL blingy boots! Let’s just say I spent the entire rest of our trip with sore feet because I broke them in with all the walking we did.  But it was worth it!

The rest of the afternoon, we spent at the 2nd floor bar of Honky Tonk Central getting our drink on.  It was truly a BLAST!  One of our high school friends who lives in the area met up with us there and it was so great to catch up! Kelsey ordered us all a bottle of vodka infused whipped cream and it was AMAZING! It was mocha flavored and so delicious!  It was fun passing that thing around between all of us.  I felt like a little kid sneaking in shots of whipped cream from the fridge!

Next, on to dinner!  We all went to a cute Italian restaurant called Moto Cucina + Enoteca.  This is also a place that was recommended by a local friend who resides in Nashville. The vibe in the restaurant was dark, but upscale and classy. There was a huge wine cellar that was all window, so we could see bottles of wine shelved from floor to ceiling! We started out with a truffle arancini appetizer.  Arancini are risotto balls that are deep fried. They were delicious! Crispy outer coating, and a cheesy gooey inside. For my entrée, I ordered the Cacio E Pepe, which was fresh house made spaghetti with parmesan and pepper. It was outstanding!  In fact, the entire dinner was so delicious that we didn’t get to snap any pictures!

April, Emily, Evie, and Phil

This whole day was my absolute favorite day of our Nashville adventure.  We had so much fun catching up, exploring the city, eating great food and enjoying each other’s company. I can’t wait to get back there someday! Thanks for reading!

new mexico – day 3

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and just like that, it was our last day in new mexico. we’d been hearing from everyone on our trip that we needed to drive up to santa fe because it’s not too far and definitely worth a visit, so since we had a car and no other plans, that is just what we decided to do! but first, we did make a couple stops to some breaking bad filming locations. the dog house drive in was from the night prior, and walter white’s house was that morning. you can pay for official rv tours, and i imagine mega fans everywhere (like my mom) would be all about that!

we lucked out with a gorgeous day for a drive up interstate 25, and i loved taking in all the landscapes on our way. the skies here are so wide, and i wish i had a better camera and better picture-taking skills to do it all justice. so, if you are not impressed, you’ll just have to go and see it for yourself!

now, i didn’t have much in mind for what we would do when we got to santa fe, but one thing was on my must list: meow wolf. i’d heard about this art exhibition a few years ago, and they only have locations out west. and, who would have guessed it, they have one in santa fe! i figured this was a now-or-never type of thing, so we pulled up, bought our tickets, and excitedly got in line. but, just as they were about to call our group to begin, we heard sirens and saw all the doors suddenly open. i thought maybe it was just part of it all until we were ushered away from the building and informed there was a gas leak. noooooo! only steps away and then it was out of reach. we stood around for a bit and listened to see if there was a chance we’d still get to go, but with the fire department needing to come and check things out, we unfortunately could not wait and had to cancel. surprisingly, there were many out-of-staters also checking out meow wolf. i cannot lie, i was disheartened it didn’t work out. but maybe another opportunity will present itself to check out this immersive experience.

a little down and a lot hungry, we drove into santa fe to get some lunch. we parked in the la fonda garage and chatted it up with the front desk folks to find out where to go and what to do and see and, of course, eat. they overwhelmingly suggested we dine at the plaza cafe, and that is where we went. this bustling spot is right on the plaza, and i can imagine the outdoor seating is extremely popular in the warmer months. the dining room was already pretty full when we arrived, but we were quickly seated at a table right up front.

it was that weird time between proper breakfast and proper lunch, making it hard to decide what to eat. it didn’t help that all the plates on all the tables around us looked incredible. i wish i could have somehow sampled everything! after much deliberation, phillip decided on the norteno tacos and i on the santa fe frito pie. folks, if you know phillip and i at all, we both can do a lot of talking at the table, but the only sounds were our forks scraping the plates and our stomachs growling in satisfaction. we even had a little room left to try their homemade biscochitos, a traditional new mexican cookie. honestly, i cannot recommend the plaza cafe enough!

norteno tacos.
santa fe frito pie.

with full bellies and renewed energy, we spent the rest of our afternoon in santa fe strolling the streets and taking in the local sights and history. some of the highlights included the cathedral basilica of st. francis of assisi, the loretto chapel (including the miraculous staircase), the oldest house in the usa, and the state capitol building (the only round one in the whole country!). this list is just a tiny glimpse into what santa fe and the surrounding areas have to offer. i hope we get a chance to come back again for a longer visit!

it was time to head back to our hotel, pack up our things, and get ready for our flight the next morning. but, new mexico was not done with us yet! phillip took us on a detour so that we could ride the sandia peak tram. now, before our trip, i’d been casually researching what to do in albuquerque, and something that came up again and again was the sandia peak tramway. phillip was a little skeptical, and honestly i did not think we were going to go. however, his adventurous spirit kicked in, and before i knew it we were riding in a very large tram with a lot of other people on a very steep cable up to the top of the sandia mountains (did you know sandia is spanish for watermelon? now you do.). i wouldn’t say i’ve ridden a lot of trams in my lifetime, but for some reason i was expecting a much more gradual incline. this was quite the opposite. the ride is smooth, yes, but you are going up very high alongside very steep cliffsides on just two cables. phillip can confirm i had a white knuckle grip on the handrail the entire ride, and i am certain there was a very audible exhale of relief when we reached the top, where it was barely ten degrees! it was so cold and so windy that we barely could stand to take our hands out of our gloves to snap a couple pictures. maybe it is better that way, to just remember it ourselves. 🙂 we had timed our visit perfectly because we got to watch the sun set pretty much all the way up and all the way down. it was a thrilling and unique experience, and i am so glad we had the chance to enjoy it.

reinvigorated with a fresh spurt of energy, we enjoyed our final meal at the 66 diner. i mean, where else would we go? we sat at the bar, split a chocolate banana milkshake, patty melt, and cheese fries, and reminisced about our trip. i am so grateful we went outside the box to stretch ourselves and explore something different and learn something new. new mexico has so much to show, and i encourage you to consider it when you’re planning your next getaway. you just might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

new mexico – day 2

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our bodies were still two hours ahead, so when we woke up early friday morning, we decided to make the most of the day and start out with a workout at otf albuquerque. a short 5-minute drive away, we arrived at the studio and were politely cautioned by the front desk staff about exercising at high altitudes (less oxygen, folks). we did heed their warning and felt a big difference even in just the first few minutes of the warm-up! i quickly realized i needed to slow it down and pace myself if i was going to last the entire class, which i somehow did (even if just barely). coach greg was kind and checked in on us regularly and thanked us for joining him.

feel the burn!

with our bodies now feeling a little more tired but also a little stronger, we naturally now needed to refuel them. cue the next food scene! we were ready for some brunch action over at the range cafe. this place is funky and cozy and warm and open all at the same time, and the smells that hit our noses right as we walked in had me thinking, “yes, i think this is gonna be good.”

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new mexico – day 1

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like many folks, phillip and i had built up airline rewards over the past couple of years, and one of them (the companion certificate by delta) was set to expire soon. however, “soon” was sooner than we though, as instead of having to only have booked our trip by the end of january, we had to have taken our trip by the end of january. so, it was adventure-planning time!

we considered many possible destinations but very randomly decided to check out new mexico. aside from visiting a state we hadn’t yet, there were no specific reasons we chose the land of enchantment. quite different from the typical big city vacations we take, i’ll spoil it all for you now and tell you that new mexico did not disappoint.

we landed in albuquerque just before noon, checked into the hotel early, and then bundled up to begin exploring. we learned very quickly just how cold the high desert gets in winter; we had our boots and big ski jackets with us always! with it being lunchtime, we checked out the first of many restaurant recommendations: frontier right across from the university of new mexico campus (go lobos!). we’d previously been educated about proper chile-ordering etiquette so started with the breakfast burrito (per the cashier’s suggestion) and chicken enchiladas (with Christmas chile on the side). we were quite excited for our first serving of authentic new mexican cuisine, and although we did eat everything we were served and even ordered a sweet roll for dessert, everything tasted only fine (especially compared to the other new mexican food we would eat later in the trip). i don’t know if disappointed is the right word but do think phillip and i secretly wondered, “is this the best of the best?” good news, folks, it was not.

on our way to frontier (which, by the way, was via THE route 66), phillip had spied a cookie shop. you know what that meant, we had to stop in for some dessert (er, second dessert in this case). we popped into rude boy cookies and were extremely pleased. phillip had a deconstructed ice cream sandwich. it included a mammoth scoop of chocolate blue bell ice cream (although i would have liked some homemade ice cream, you generally cannot go wrong with blue bell) and warmed up and crumbled chocolate chip cookies and double chocolate cookies. i think his face says it all.

ice cream and popcorn (for national popcorn day!)
this was his “i’m getting full but still going to eat it all” face

i went for something a little less complex but equally satisfying: a homemade oatmeal cream pie. you read that right, folks, and although i would not call myself an oatmeal cream pie expert, i could find nothing wrong with this one. it had a perfect balance of slightly spicy but deliciously sweet flavors. and that filling? i could have eaten it by the batch.

we were a little tired from our travels so took a couple hours of rest back at the hotel. what i’ll say is that it is very easy to get around town. the duke city is essentially a grid, and so long as you can locate i25 and i40, you should be able to find your way. if you ever are in abq and have a car, though, heed this warning (which a local was kind enough to share): leave nothing visible in your car. apparently, there is a lot of property crime in the city. so, essentially anything not tied down can be a target. rest assured we stayed smart and never felt unsafe during our visit.

refreshed and not quite ready to call it a night, it was time for more eating! this next spot was highlighted on the local map, and little did we know we were trying a spot that had been featured on albuquerque’s “best of” list in 2022. i present to you clowndog hot dog parlor!

i know hot dogs gross lots of folks out, which just means more hot dogs for the rest of us! clowndog is as fun and circus-themed on the inside as you would hope it would be, and with an extensive menu, tvs, a bar, and outdoor seating, they have something for everyone. phillip and i started out with a couple of local brews and then dug into our generously-topped hot dogs.

phillip went for the tailgater clowndog creation. i promise there was a dog underneath all those pinto beans, coleslaw, bbq sauce, and bacon! these hot dogs definitely require a fork and knife, so don’t be shy to ensure each bite includes some of each mouthwatering ingredient.

i was inclined to try the frito dog but last-minute decided to build my own. mine included an all-beef hot dog on a traditional bun with heaping helpings of mac’n’cheese, bacon, and (per the waitress’ recommendation) green chile sauce. folks, don’t you dare make a grimacing face. this combination slapped (as the young folks say these days). to translate for those who don’t know the modern saying “slapped,” that means it was EXCELLENT. the rich mac’n’cheese with the zippy green chile sauce made for a heavenly bite so good to finish. if you ever visit albuquerque, i implore you to give clowndog a chance. you might surprise yourself how fun (and delicious) it is to go outside the box sometimes.

so, that was a wrap on our first day in new mexico. everyone we encountered was quite polite, the food redeemed itself by the end of the day, and we went to bed excited to explore more of this new-to-us state. stand by for what happened next!

thx for the memories, asheville

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to celebrate my birthday earlier this month, phillip and i decided to enjoy a getaway weekend just a few hours northeast in asheville, nc. phillip hadn’t been, and it feels like a lifetime ago since i visited for a bachelorette weekend. so, with really no reason not to go and a junk ton of breweries ready to welcome us, to asheville we went!

we were a bit parched from our travels, so after dropping our luggage, we hit downtown by foot and started taking in the city. it was a bustling thursday night, and eager to up our own energy, phillip’s eye was caught by double d’s coffee & desserts bus. what a lovely, unexpected surprise to begin our adventures!

i mean, how can you walk by this and not stop. 🙂 phillip ordered an iced mocha, of course, and i tried their unsweetened peach tea, which was perfectly refreshing on a warm summer evening. there were plenty of tables and benches around, so we sat back and relaxed as we enjoyed this little oasis plopped right in the middle of the city. i highly recommend you put this bus on your list!

caffeinated and ready for more, we strolled down to wicked weed brewing. this place seems like an asheville staple to me, and instead of sitting in the main dining room, we walked downstairs to find a couple stools at a hightop. there were lots of folks with their doggies nearby, and i noticed throughout our trip that all of asheville seems to be pretty pet-friendly. perhaps next time grace can join us!

known very much as a beer town, asheville has lots to offer in this category, so we wasted no more time. we both ordered a flight, grabbed some pretzels and yellow mustard, and took a seat. it was not too long before we were chatting with the folks at the other end of the table, getting their stories. you just never know who you might meet! we were lucky enough to get to know chase and tiffany over the course of a few more hours and a couple more rounds of beer. they are a pleasant couple from ohio and vacation to asheville every year, so we lucked out with our own tour guides! and although it was their last night in town, they shared with us the inside scoop on all their favorite places that we had to try during our visit. spoiler alert! everything they recommended was incredible. 🙂

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obx

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with the pandemic upsetting some of our plans, extra time was then suddenly available for some spontaneous activities. phillip and i decided to take advantage and road trip to the outer banks of north carolina. i’d say for about a year now we’ve considered vacationing there but only recently made it happen and are so glad we did.

rather than the standard day-by-day format for my travels, i’m going to do a little something different and share our trip with you by category. so, if you mostly care about what we eat, you can focus there. if you’re more interested in what we did, that’s all together for you, too. enjoy!

the lodging

even though phillip and i knew we wanted to go to the outer banks, we hadn’t yet really planned on where we would stay. well, the good news is that aaa came to the rescue. my mom was browsing through their member magazine on one of her visits and found a quick blurb about the sanderling resort in duck, nc. she didn’t have to do much convincing, as we quickly agreed to splurge on a couple of nights at the four-star resort.

even during the pandemic, the sanderling did not disappoint. it’s hard to complain when you are within a two-minute walk of the beach or when the bar is just a few steps away from the lobby or when you have the perfect view for a sunrise or when the concierge provides complimentary s’mores packs to roast in the fire pit or when the staff takes extra measures to ensure the common spaces are clean. i can only imagine how the service is elevated when restrictions are not in place.

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