Category Archives: USA

South Carolina: Charleston

October 27, 2013 champagne&backpacks Leave a comment

The border on I-95 is rife with amusement rides and fireworks, clearing any confusion that you have switched states.

We arrived in Charleston after midnight and I missed the turn off Route 17. Just a few blocks from our intended destination, I stopped the car to re-orient. I said to Jenni that it felt like the ghetto, which surprised me because I had previously considered only the touristy images of this renowned destination and we were so near downtown. As we drove away, the lights flashed in the rear view and I got pulled over. Two cops approached with flashlights on our faces. The gentlemen on my side was a little scary himself with tats and a beanie, and he asked what we were doing. Oddly enough we were not attempting to procure narcotics but only to locate our hotel. He advised, “well you lost, son, you in the hood!” He gave us directions and warned us not to return. Things got much better from here.

October 24-27, 2013 (Thursday-Sunday)

Lacking a full appreciation of Charleston’s popularity and cost, we did not attempt to reserve accommodation until our arrival day. We booked a private room in the annex building of the Not So Hostel at 33 Cannon Street, which was mediocre (squeaky bed, doors hard to shut, breakfast non-existent, toilet requiring my plumbing skills) but priced right at under $80 including tax. Despite these flaws we might have stayed the next two nights but private rooms were sold out, and we preferred to keep alive our streak of sleeping in the same room as a married couple. If you are really budget conscious and don’t mind a shared room, the regular Not So Hostel on Spring Street seemed to have a good vibe and the Cannon annex was not so bad.

A great many places were sold out or even pricier, and we wanted a premier location for two weekend nights here. So we bit the bullet and paid $249/night for a fairly lousy Days Inn with a terrific location on Meeting Street. Fine lodging was available much cheaper across the river in Mount Pleasant and elsewhere.

Friday was a lousy and stressful day. City Lights Coffee shop on Market Street is a charming spot frequented by locals, but I would have preferred to spend fewer than seven hours here working on visa applications and logistics. A couple more hours at FedEx and $1029 plus $39 for copies and shipping later, our applications for multi-entry India and China visas were in the mail. Unfortunately, we had to miss the Friday parade at the Citadel.

It was unusually cold during our visit which meant perfect days and cool nights, similar to Los Angeles. My initial impression is that Charleston is a charming blend of the south and the Caribbean. There are palm trees and we passed a couple corners with guys playing steel drums. Unique to this city is the eternal presence of young men wearing perfectly pressed gray and white uniforms of the Citadel. I was struck by how many people are out cavorting day and night. The crowd tends to be attractive and apparently this is a popular spot for bachelorette parties. So pay attention all you single guys…

We walked to dinner at Slightly North of Broad (aka S.N.O.B.) and with no reservation on a Friday night were seated quickly at the chef’s table, which is a bar with six seats at the back of the room facing the open kitchen under a brick archway. The space is pleasant with high ceilings and exposed pipe, but the pipe is closer to black than stainless and there are dark brass chandeliers. The result is a nice blend of industrial and southern cozy.

The charcuterie plate arrived in an instant and was delicious. Jenni’s favorite was the rabbit pate and at yesterday’s fair her favorite attraction was the rabbit barn, so we concluded she likes observing and devouring. And since I said my favorite attraction of the fair was the pig races, a trend emerged. The highlight of the meal was the butternut squash bisque. I had a couple interesting beverages. Smoke on the Water consisted of Cathead Pecan Vodka, chipotle puree, Oloroso sherry, orgeat syrup and orange peel. In my martini I opted for pimiento cheese olives instead of my standard blue cheese order. Overall the meal was enjoyable but nothing special.

The next morning we strolled to the Saturday farmer’s market in Marion Square, where I fell in love with Charleston. Two sides of the square were lined with booths selling photographs, varied flavors of pecans, fruit, vegetables, shrimp, pottery, honey, flowers, pickled everything, various prepared meals, etc.

Marion Square farmer’s market

Holocaust memorial

A woman with a raspy voice headlined the singer/songwriter duo well-versed in Bob Dylan. Puppies were omnipresent. Not just puppies as Jenni uses the word to signify any dog, but actual, adorable puppies. We were surprised to see a Holocaust memorial on the southeast corner of the square.

It was not yet time for lunch but we were tempted by Ted’s Butcher Block which is a deli with great looking artisanal bacon and sausage and all kinds of meats and cheeses plus freshly made paninis. The City Market was less exciting and very touristy with cheap jewelry and apparel plus knick knacks and a couple food spots. Charleston Cooks is a nice little kitchen store that offers cooking classes, and it was here I first heard Everlast’s acoustic version of Jump Around.

Waterfront Park

Re-energized from this auditory gem, we walked through Waterfront Park with its fountain water pink for breast cancer month. Whoever came up with that public awareness and fundraising campaign is a genius. Rainbow Row on East Bay Street is worth a visit, and the homes become grander as one walks south towards the beautiful, live oak filled White Point Garden. Many of the homes south of Broad are spectacular and some function as museums. We were enamored of the huge porches which scream (whisper?) relaxation and good living. Horse carriage tours are everywhere, and we preferred to walk but the informative nature might make these a good bet for orientation.

Rainbow Row

Mansion on East Bay

Our disappointment that Husk (a restaurant by James Beard award-winning chef Sean Brock) had already stopped seating for lunch dissipated quickly inside Bull Street Gourmet and Market. One orders at the counter, there is a robust collection of beers and wines, and my smoked duck club was delicious. Alright y’all, now I’m REALLY far behind as I’m sitting in Hong Kong at the moment, so I’m gonna blow through the rest of this!

White Point Garden

Love the live oaks

We grabbed a nice exercise sesh in Marion Square and saw lots of folks in their tuxedos going to weddings on a Saturday night. Pre-dinner cocktails at Closed for Business were pleasant, dinner at The Macintosh was near excellent. The dessert menu was so impressive that I must share it with you.

Yet another waiter who mistook us for bumpkins ignorant in the ways of burrata…After dinner we poked our heads in at Halls Chophouse which was vibrant and reminiscent of Mastro’s. I think traditionally Calhoun Street was something of a dividing line, but at least now much of the hip restaurant and bar scene is on King Street north of Calhoun.

On Sunday, Sven at last went topless again and there were many folks out jogging as we crossed the bridge to Mount Pleasant. Brunch at Water’s Edge on Shem Creek was OK, after which we walked around the boardwalk through the salt marshes. I like this part of town. And I learned that in the Gullah dialect, cooter means turtle. How fun.

Shem Creek

Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge in distance

Periwinkles (snails)

Puffer fish!

Boone Hall Plantation is about 15 minutes away and touring this still-working property was wonderful.

I think there are other plantations on the other side of Charleston and don’t know which are the best, but I definitely recommend visiting at least one. It is hard to imagine others have a more picturesque driveway entrance lined with live oaks.

Boone Hall began growing indigo and rice before focusing on cotton. Apparently a plantation is a large farm focusing on one crop. Pecan trees were their big thing at one time. Now they grow blueberries, peaches, squash, grapes, strawberries and more, plus a little cotton and pecans and wedding venue business. They filled some of The Notebook here, and Jenni was elated. Oh, there is also a huge Halloween spectacle and corn maze, and a butterfly garden.

Charleston is a terrific city, just try to avoid making any wrong turns.

North America, North Carolina, USA

North Carolina

October 24, 2013 aleavitt77 Leave a comment

We crossed the state heading to Charleston, and though we did not spend a night, we did notch a couple more college campuses and one serious state fair.

October 24, 2013 (Thursday)

With all due respect to my friends and family who attended Duke, I am no fan of the Blue Devils. But game recognize game, so I had to check out the campus and Cameron Indoor (where I caught a quick glimpse of practice). The campus is hilly and most beautiful, with masonry of gray and beige instead of the ivy-covered red brick to which I am more accustomed. A short drive took us to UNC, and though I did not see enough of Durham for a fair comparison, Chapel Hill seemed like the more attractive town.

We had lunch at Top of the Hill on Franklin Street, the main drag which is lined with shops and restaurants. Jenni made a nice southern selection of grit cake with mushrooms and shrimp. See my BBQ post for details on the pulled pork sandwich. This place is also a brewery. A couple other recommendations we got were Crooks Corner in town, G2B in Durham and Foster’s Market in between.

A little further south we paid $10 to park across the street from the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh, then $9 each to enter. The village of yesteryear was our first stop, which is a big indoor circle with live demonstrations of how to make things like: soap, candles, pottery, guns, tin, origami, glass, horse hair pottery, brooms and more. Duane Raver is a nature-painter there that Jenni’s family has known more years than I have lived.

At the Neomonde Bakery artisan bread making show, Jenni guessed correctly that 200k people are born daily worldwide. This earned her a gratis pumpkin spice cupcake with thick cream cheese frosting. We fared less well at several games like toss the ring on the bottle, shoot out the red star with the rifle, knock over the blocks with a softball or lift the bottle with a pole and string. I was quite disappointed with myself. And with the game operators who pursued customers more aggressively than Allen Iverson avoided practice.

A highlight of the day was the pig race show, which entailed a string of races including the categories of piglets, baby goats, ducks and Vietnamese pot belly pigs. The hosts had creative NASCAR names, and some of the clientele was entertaining.

We probably should have saved our appetite for things like BBQ turkey legs, fried oreos and sloppy joe’s sandwiches between Krisy Kreme donuts. Instead, we ate only the fair classic of fried dough.

The livestock section was educational. I did not know a cow could fetch $25k at market, nor that Zoe the Holstein could give 84 pounds of milk per day. For $2 each we got a quick lesson in how to pull the udder.

There was an exhibit dedicated to honey bees, largely to raise awareness about their dangerously dwindling population. A separate building housed the rabbits, and I was surprised by the wide variety of breeds. I liked the furry white English Agoura.

There was also an agricultural section, where we saw an 800 pound pumpkin, a 5 pound potato (and some really cool decorated spuds), and a 241 pound watermelon. Jenni saw walnuts and thought they were truffles. We are a long way from Cali, sweetheart.

On the drive towards Charleston I stopped for gas in Lumberton, North Carolina. Based on the cast of characters at the station, you certainly should not if you can avoid it. If we had more time, it would have been nice to visit the Asheville area where Dave’s mom and dad live or the Outer Banks. Alas, one must leave with reasons to return.

North America, North Carolina, USA

North Carolina

October 24, 2013 champagne&backpacks Leave a comment

On our way to the North Carolina State Fair (touted by my southern Virginian family as the best in the country) we stopped to drive through Duke so Alan could see the campus. I had come down to look at it when I was in high school, but had forgotten just how impressive a campus it is. After Duke, we popped over to UNC Chapel Hill and drove around the campus there for a few minutes before stopping for lunch at the Top of the Hill. I tried a mushroom grit cake with shrimp and Alan got a barbecue pulled pork sandwich with beer cheese sauce. Both were tasty but not mind blowing.

Next was the state fair! It was $10 to park and $9 a person for entry which we thought was pretty reasonable for such a huge fair. Of course, they get you with all the alluring purchases (read: so many carnival games) inside. We checked out the Village of Yesteryear before popping into a Bread Making Show, which was more of a comedy show for the brief time we were there. I won a free cupcake by guessing correctly that 200,000 people are born a day (woohoo! I never win things!).

::ice cream machines made out of some heavy duty machinery::

After that we headed over to see a pig race! Oh my god, so adorable. These little piglets, goats, ducks, and Vietnamese potbelly piggies took turns racing around a little track while a very packed crowd cheered them on.

We played a ton of games ourselves. Like, we totally blew the budget and frustrated ourselves trying to win a giant teddy bear, then a medium sized teddy bear and eventually anything, dear god just give us a stupid toy! (See, the cupcake was a fluke). We were surprised by how aggressive the game operators were. And maybe that’s part of what kept us going… all the “don’t you want to win something for the pretty lady?”’s took their toll on Alan’s confidence I guess.

::look at that concentration::

They had just about anything you could ever desire deep fried – the usual twinkies, oreos etc, but for the more aggressive, you could opt for a deep fried uncrustable PB&J sandwich, a deep fried cinnamon roll, or even a deep fried slice of pecan pie or cheesecake. Not your style? How about a deep fried PICKLE? A burger served on a Krispy Kreme Donut? No? Anyone? We opted for a classic, and shared a fried dough. We struggled to finish it, and I was amused that Alan got yelled at by a random woman for throwing away some fried dough.

Later on, I was very excited to learn how to milk a cow for the first time, though a bit embarrassed that my hands were too cold and her poor nipple – err udder – shriveled up upon touch. Sorry girl. I also learned that the black and white cows, like the ones in the Chick-Fil-A ads are dairy cows, not beef cows.

::a big, and expensive, pig::

::milking::

::milk it baby::

There was an impressive agricultural display, including a 5 lb potato, 241 lb watermelon, and the cutest display of vegetables decorated like animals by the North Carolinan children. In addition, there was a vegetable petting zoo. While these things are probably designed to appeal to the under ten crowd, I was like a kid at, well, this place.

::mighty pumpkins::

::now that’s a big watermelon::

My favorite part might have been the bunny room. Granted they’re all in cages and you’re not allowed to touch, but they had a massive room of rabbits of every breed imaginable on display. Oh the cuteness overload. I hadn’t the faintest idea there were so many kinds of bunnies. Especially the English Angouras (?). they looked like something out of a horror movie, like a Frankenbunny that’s part-bunny, part-IT, with eyes like burning embers.

All in all – really fun. So glad we stopped to check it out. who doesn’t feel like a kid again at a fair?

North America, USA, Virginia

Family Time in Southern Virginia

October 23, 2013 champagne&backpacks Leave a comment

We left D.C. with a quick stop at Georgetown bagels (just realizing after writing all these posts how many bagels we’ve eaten on the road, yikes). I was really excited and nostalgic for the tollbooths where you have to throw change in. I think Virginia was the only place we saw these.

::this little guy joined for the ride down to VA, I thought it was good luck::

We stayed with my aunt Susan and Darrell, who live in South Boston, VA and were very generous hosts. I loved the chocolates she left out on the bed! Our first night in town a whole bunch of my extended family came over to Susan and Darrell’s for dinner and a lot of catching up (including four of my five uncles on my mom’s side). This was so fun – I was even telling Susan the next day how my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Darrell showed us his kids’ impressive website that covers their hunting and noodling adventures. I had never heard of noodling before – it’s where you stick your arms into these deep mud holes in the river to catch catfish. Sounds scary as you could accidentally find a snapper turtle in there, not to mention the “flathead rash” one gets from the catfish themselves. They had some impressive catches – catfish, turkey, deer, you name it. Most of the men in the family are big into hunting, and we heard some great stories about their adventures hunting.

We ate some great Southern home cooking – including chili beans with venison, biscuits, cornbread and ham my aunt Susan made, jalapeño poppers Darrell made, fried chicken and livers my uncle Billy (aka Billy Crocker) made. Hot dog, I love biscuits (note also the very Southern use of “hot dog” as an exclamatory phrase). Lynn told me how grandma made biscuits with clobber, which is pure milk fat. I guess that’s the secret.

It was so interesting getting everyone’s perspective on who in my family I looked most like. Normally people say I look more like my dad and my brother looks more like my mom, but everyone down there said the opposite. I was also told I have the “Scheier nose.” I’m hoping this is a compliment… ?

There was a distinct difference in dialect as my family all have the Southern drawl. A few phrases we noticed used differently: they say “fix” rather than “cook,” “reckon” (which reminds me of Australia), and they opt for “right” in lieu of “very” (as in, “he did a right good job fixing that chicken). Wendy even made fun of Alan’s accent, for the way he said “June.” This is not to say Alan was not accepted with open arms, everybody loved him. In fact, my cousin Will was so excited he told my uncles, “I think we could turn Alan into a redneck in a week!”

My uncle John shared a story about going up into a tree as a kid to retrieve a dog or cat that was stuck up there, and he credits my mom for saving his life when she broke his fall. This is one of many stories about family injuries I heard.

Susan and Darrell’s place sits on a big piece of land, and just across the street is the land where my mom and her siblings grew up. Some of my uncles have been working on building new structures over there. Sometime during dinner a handful of the boys snuck off and called Susan to tell her to bring everyone outside. From the porch we got to watch a fireworks show they put on from the property across the street. It was quite the welcome!

I forgot how funny my family is. When leaving, Billy’s goodbye was, “well, I’m glad y’all got to see me!”

I played with Susan’s dogs for a bit the next morning. They are Norwegian Elk Hounds and they’re super cute. They’ve trained them to roll over and play dead when asked, “would you rather be a democrat or die?” They also drop to the floor if you point at them like you’re aiming a gun and go, “Bang! Bang!”

Susan fixed us a hearty breakfast of biscuits, bacon and cheesy eggs and after that we headed out for more family time. We visited my grandma in the nursing home. Susan is so incredibly great with her, and with older folks in general. She stopped to say hello and remembered everyone we passed in the halls. I was touched to hear that my grandma affectionately calls Susan a “hummingbird.” We also enjoyed the story about how when my grandmother would drive to the North Carolina state fair with my aunts and uncles as kids, when she got lost she’d just start following the other cars because “everyone must be going to the fair!”

::from Grandma’s nursing school yearbook::

Next up was Grandpa and Lucy. Alan was impressed with the furniture he’d built, and possibly more impressed by his gun collection. Then it was time to start shooting. Grandpa taught me how to shoot and I fired my first shot with his rifle. Alan wowed everyone with his impressive aim as a beginner and proudly took the paper plate with bullet holes home as a souvenir. I told him he could now officially be accepted by the Scheier side of the family.

I loved the story about how everyone called my brother Rainbow when they took him hunting as a young boy. He didn’t have any orange to wear so he just wore a really bright jacket that had lots of colors on it. Instead of Rambo, he became immortalized as Rainbow.

We checked out Grandpa’s garage and workshop, stopping to admire his and Lucy’s Native American spears, headdresses and jewelry, as well as coyote, wolverine and raccoon skins.

Our last stop of the day took us to uncle James and June’s house. They gave us a beautiful Brazilian cherry wood cutting board as a wedding gift that James had made himself. We were very impressed with his carpentry work, as well as the beautiful paintings he’s done. I must get my creative side from the Scheiers! We also discovered upon leaving that there is a superstition that warns against leaving through a different door than the one you entered.

::one of James' paintings:: — ::one of James’ paintings::

We got back late and had some steak and potatoes with Susan and Darrell, which were delicious.

Our last morning Darrell tried to teach Alan how to shoot the bow, but Alan couldn’t get the bow back. Hadn’t realized how difficult those things are! After that we went over to the land across the street from Billy’s to shoot some of Darrell’s guns. We saw the platforms up in the trees that Billy built for deer hunting. Then we fired the big guns. I shot Darrell’s AR-15, which was stunningly loud, and a little terrifying for me. Once was enough, and I left the heavy weapons to the men after that. Alan continued on, practicing his aim with the AR-15 and then a revolver called “The Judge” and another handgun.

Just before heading out we stopped by the property across the street and checked out the work my uncles did. It’s really impressive how skilled they are!

I’m sure I’m leaving out lots of wonderful stories we heard while visiting with the family, but it was really an incredible experience getting to spend this time with my family that I hardly get to see.

North America, USA, Virginia

Virginia

October 23, 2013 aleavitt77 Leave a comment

We spent a couple amazing days visiting Jenni’s family in Southern Virginia, where her mom grew up. Except for Susan, this was my first time meeting everyone. Jenni’s grandmother, Margaret Scheier, passed away last week. May she rest in peace. It is a blessing that we were able to spend time with her.

October 22-24, 2013 (Tuesday-Thursday)

I knew on the drive down from D.C. that I was entering less familiar territory when some road tolls in Virginia required me to throw quarters into that plastic basket, and also when I spotted the first Confederate flag of the trip. South Boston, VA was our destination. It is near the border with North Carolina and the economy centers on manufacturing, which has not been easy for some time in America. A short drive down the road is Dan River, which once was home to a textile company that sadly was the debtor in the first major bankruptcy assignment of my career.

Susan and Darrell kindly hosted us and the first night they had over nearly all Jenni’s aunts and uncles who live nearby, except James and June who were out of town. Southern fare was in full effect, including bean stew with venison, fried chicken and fried livers, baked ham, biscuits, cornbread and jalapeno poppers wrapped in bacon. Billy brought the chicken and livers, and for his cooking prowess he is known as Billy Crocker. Lynn informed us that grandma used to make biscuits with clabber. Susan taught us a great trick: a mix of peanuts and candy corns makes a good treat.

Mid way through the evening some of the fellas disappeared and called Susan with instructions to gather everyone and come to the front porch. The guys had driven across the road to the family’s property (where Jenni’s mom and her siblings grew up, though the house is now gone) and surprised us with a fireworks show! After Devin’s in Maine, this was the second fireworks show in a few months courtesy of Jenni’s peeps.

I learned some new lingo like “fix” for cook, “reckon” for believe and “right xxx” which is hard to explain. Molly and Hogan, Susan and Darrell’s Norwegian elk hounds, roll over when asked if they’d rather be Democrats or die. We heard the story of how Jenni’s grandma Margaret loved the NC State Fair and each year she would get lost driving there. She always said, “it’s OK, we’ll just the follow car in front of us because I’m sure they’re going there, too.” As luck would have it, we were in the area during the 10 days this fair is open for the year and vowed to go. Which you will read about it in my North Carolina post.

One of Darrell’s two sons joined with his family and there was robust discussion of hunting, fishing and noodling. In case you don’t know, “noodling” is yanking enormous catfish out from the muddy banks of rivers with one’s hands. These creatures are often 40-50 pounds and have been recorded well over 100 pounds! Gloves are worn often these days to minimize flathead rash, which is the painful looking injury inflicted by catfish bites. Even gloves will not save digits if one is unlucky enough to find a snapping turtle hole instead of catfish.

There are different hunting seasons for different animals and implements. My memory is a tad foggy by now, so please excuse any inaccuracies or omissions. They hunt deer and wild turkey, along with various other animals. Bow and arrow, muzzle loader, rifle or shotgun may be used for different targets and at different times. A heavy contraption may be used to ascend and set up a platform in the trees. Darrell’s boys have an impressive website dedicated to the outdoorsman lifestyle. Check it out here.

On Wednesday we went into the historic old town area and saw Susan’s friend. The day before Jenni and I had stopped at Caffe Peroni which has a surprisingly eclectic beer selection. A couple doors down is Bistro 1888, which is supposed to be good. I saw a little structure selling 20 pound bags of ice 24 hours/day for $2, the first of many in the South. Later we visited Margaret at the nursing home in Clarksville. She was beyond thrilled to see Jenni and gave us ear to ear grins when she voiced her approval of Jenni’s good choice in marrying me. Susan was wonderfully kind and loving to Margaret and is like the mayor there. Afterwards, we passed a widemouth bass mailbox and crossed Buggs Island Lake before heading to Jenni’s grandpa George’s and Lucy’s home.

This is quite a special place. George is a gifted carpenter and built much of the furniture in the home, including a bench that in a style I can only describe as pointillist writing since I don’t know the carpentry equivalent says “Caglayan” on top and “Open Sesame” on the side, which was the name of one of Alper’s companies. George shared old photos of Jenni’s immediate family (by the way, when Devin visited at a much younger age he wore bright clothes to hunt and thus earned the name Rainbow, not Rambo) and told us his ancestors were brewers in Hungary.

Devin

Alper and Teddy

He has a garage workshop where he used to make bullets, including shaping the metal and loading the powder. He was an award winning archer. There is a side house with an astounding collection of Native American pieces, dolls, spears, pelts of coyote, wolverine, and raccoon, and much more.

Then we got to the guns. Tons of guns, as Guru would say. Again my memory is foggy and I will not do this justice, but his collection includes several handguns, a Winchester 1873, the Colt equivalent of the Bushmaster AR-15, a Tommy Gun complete with violin case and all, and more. I shot the plain old .22 rifle. And I did the family proud. After a couple rookie rounds, I hit my stride and from about 20-25 yards showed the paper plate who was boss! Jenni let off a couple rounds, too.

Juices now flowing, Susan took us over to Danville to James and June’s home. James is quite the artist. He showed us many paintings and flawless woodwork he has crafted. The man is passionate about wood. (Yet again, that’s what she said.) He sent us off with a handmade Brazilian cherry cutting board. That night, Darrell grilled some ribeye steaks, Susan made baked potatoes and garlic bread, and we watched the Red Sox win their first of four World Series games.

Before continuing south on Thursday, we got a bit more QT with Darrell and the hunting tools. I was slightly embarrassed when I could not draw his compound bow. It is the wrong length for me, but more strength might have done the trick. Darrell could not have been kinder, assuring me that it’s all about what muscles you use regularly and that even he struggles at the start of the season. I reckon the latter was a pity nod. Whether he struggles at the start of the season or not, he was masterful before our eyes. He put two arrows in a blue dot the size of a plum from 40 yards out.

We drove to some property that Billy leases by the river and broke out the big guns, literally. Darrell’s collection rivals that of grandpa George, and he generously let me empty a bunch of rounds. Ammo is not cheap for guns like these. I shot a Sig Sauer 9mm with a 15 round clip and The Judge, an epic piece that can shoot .410 shotgun shells or .45 long colt bullets. The AR-15 was probably my favorite, and I was pleased to hit a log sticking out of the river perhaps 90 yards away. I was also pleased when my hearing returned to normal a day or two later.

Here are some other things I learned in Virginia…two new superstitions: (1) touch the windshield and make a wish when driving through a yellow light; and (2) it is bad luck to exit a dwelling from a different door than that which you entered. Jenni’s family does not mind eating with hands nor off each other’s plates, just like my family. There are a lot of towns around here that end with “ville.” Hard work and being down to earth command great respect, and success is not begrudged. The Midtown Market in Danville is said to be enjoyable. Chains include Cookout drive through with lots of milk shakes, Bojangles and Sheetz Gas. We saw gas as low as $2.89/gallon. Spending time with Jenni’s family was a highlight of the trip for me, and I look forward to some hunting, fishing and Billy Crocker’s frog legs and pork shoulder on my next visit.

D.C., North America, USA

The District

October 22, 2013 champagne&backpacks 2 Comments

We were in a sorry state when we finally arrived in D.C. so we pretty much went straight to bed. Being so hung over in a 6-year-old girl’s room covered in Selena Gomez posters and all things pink feels a little wrong. I should probably explain that we stayed with our friends Seth and Jill just outside D.C. and their daughter Chloe generously let us use her room for a few nights.

We got a bit of a late start the next morning and started out going to Seth’s local Dunkin Donuts where Seth is famous and the manager loves their son Cooper (who couldn’t?). We headed down to the Georgetown area as neither Alan nor I had ever seen or spent much time there before. We grabbed lunch at J Paul’s and then walked down to the Potomac where we could see the Kennedy Center and Arlington buildings across the river. I fell in love with the residential areas near Georgetown with the stunning row homes and pleasant streets. This is one of the few places on our trip I felt like I could see myself living (though I’m sure this particular area is no easier to get a starter home in than Santa Monica). We meandered around the campus for a bit and Seth showed us where he taught a class.

Another one of Alan and Seth’s fraternity brothers came down (up?) from Baltimore for the day and met up with us here, and we all went over to drive by the national mall, and walked over to the White House and WWII memorial.

::white house, obligatory around the world photo::

::high fiiiive::

::i love fall::

Back at Seth and Jill’s we kicked some soccer balls around with the kids. I thought it was cute that the neighborhood kids go “ghosting,” which is when they ring the doorbell, drop a bag of candy and run. The neighborhood was full of young families and obviously a great community for raising kids. I was jealous of this, as it’s harder to find in LA.

::cooper and jill playing with the neighbors adorable puppy::

:adorbs::

::how cute is this munchkin?::

::jumbo in a diaper::

Much to Chloe’s dismay the adults went out to Mexican for dinner at Mi Cucina where I was regaled with more stories of the Tufts college experience. Those crazy kids. Seth and Jill even dug out their old photos when we got home and we enjoyed seeing how young everyone looked and how different Alan was.

It was a short visit, but great to catch up with Seth and Jill and I was very happy to finally meet and get to spend some time with their too stinking cute kids.

D.C., North America, USA

Washington D.C.

October 22, 2013 aleavitt77 Leave a comment

I finally made it to Chevy Chase, Maryland to visit Seth and Jill. It was so nice to catch up with Chloe and Jumbo and meet Cooper and Winnie.

October 20-22, 2013 (Sunday-Tuesday)

On our drive from Long Island to Maryland occurred three milestones. 1) The most expensive toll I have ever paid, $15 to cross the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge; 2) The Delaware House Travel Plaza was such a vibrant highway rest area that it earns print; and 3) We crossed the Mason-Dixon Line.

The area where Seth and Jill live is great. It really has a neighborhood feel to it. Everyone walks with their kids to and from the elementary school. Well, it is mainly nannies but the spirit is there. In the weeks leading up to Halloween, ghosting abounds. This is where you leave a bag of candy on someone’s steps, ring the bell and run. Seriously. “Bag of candy” is not code for some nefarious prank. This is how they roll on the gentle streets of Chevy Chase.

Nearby, on the rough and tumble blocks of Bethesda, we grabbed coffee at Dunkin Donuts where Seth and Cooper are famous. Then we walked around Georgetown and got lunch at J. Paul’s. My reuben was quite good and Jenni ensured we did not go too many days without a lobster roll. We were both impressed by Georgetown.

Jenni placed it high on the list of locations to consider living. It is a beautiful area with colorful row homes, right on the Potomac River, and the university campus is pretty. Commercial activity centers around Wisconsin Ave and M Street, and there are a few F&B spots down by the river. Tucker drove down from Baltimore which was awesome; I love that dude.

While waiting for drinks at Saxbys Coffee, which has flavors like Grasshopper and Chunky Monkey, Seth asked Tucker a toilet question. He said, “you told me you know how to curve wood so maybe you know something about plumbing.” A candidate for that’s what she said?

Near the Mall, after Seth pulled an outrageous U-turn that should have alarmed the Secret Service, we debated whether the depressing David’s Tent display was a tent rental company or Jesus preacher. It is the latter. The buildings in D.C. are most impressive, and I believe the law still limits height to not exceed the United States Capitol. This makes D.C. feel more light and airy than a typical large city. The Washington Monument was covered in scaffolding but we saw the relatively new WWII Memorial across the pond from Lincoln.

That night, the Giants finally won a game (the first of four straight) and Jenni was a trooper while we perused boxes of old Tufts photos. I already miss the Cohen family and look forward to returning soon!

New York, North America, USA

Long Island

October 20, 2013 champagne&backpacks Leave a comment

After we fought Friday traffic out of the city, we arrived in Long Island to celebrate Phil and Eileen’s nuptials. The rehearsal dinner Friday night was at a nearby restaurant where food and alcohol were provided in abundant supply. The toasts were my favorite part, especially father of the groom, who gave his toast in Russian while Phil translated.

The next morning Alan and I drove out to Great Neck to visit his paternal grandmother, Elsie, and his uncle Mickey and Sharon and their son Jonathan. I was obsessed with the collection of mid-century modern furniture in Elsie’s house. we had a great conversation over some tasty bagels, and we also enjoyed the family photos she had on display.

::I’m Ron Burgundy?::

::my handsome father in law::

::how cute! alan and kenny::

Back at the hotel we quickly got ready and hopped onto the shuttle to the wedding. This was my first Russian wedding, and boy was it Russian. Rumor has it they chose this location because it was the only county within driving distance from Boston that lets you put a bottle of vodka out on each table. And a bottle of vodka there was, in addition to cognac, wine and a full bar, not to mention the vodka martini bar that literally dropped from the ceiling amid dry ice during the cocktail hour, and the most impressive spread of edible offerings I have every seen at a wedding. My favorite part was that every time someone says “Gorka! Gorka!” the bride and groom have to kiss (and I think everyone is supposed to take a vodka shot). Given the ample supply of vodka its no surprise the party lasted past 5am.

::just a glimpse of the food situation::

The ride out of Long Island the next day was the worst. I’m not naming names, but someone whose name rhymes with Schmalan may or may not have booted in the car, and I may or may not have had to stick my head out of the window to avoid vomiting myself on account of the smell.

P.S. Anyone know why there are no tolls on the west coast, but they’re all over the east? Also, when did they get so expensive?! The Illinois toll was $7.90 and then Ohio was $9.75… and then the Verrazano Bridge toll was $15! (I was happy to see tolls of 70 cents upon entering Virginia).

New York, North America, USA

New York: City and Wedding

October 20, 2013 aleavitt77 Leave a comment

I lived in New York for over six years, which is like 12 years elsewhere since New York moves twice the speed of any other place in America. I am always happy to return. My employed visits entailed non-stop meetings and business meals. This time, I took more of a tourist approach and slowed it down a bit.

October 14-20, 2013 (Monday-Sunday)

We arrived to Jack’s place in the East Village and had dinner with John and Ellie (Jenni’s friends from Cornell) at Café Mogador on St. Marks Place. It is a cozy, subterranean spot with good food.

OK, I am having a hard time writing at this moment but feel compelled to catch up more so please excuse me as I do this post in bullet format…

Bagels, lots of them…tasty sable sandwich at Russ and Daughters
I love the energy of New York…it is not an exaggeration to say that in a five block radius one can find an assortment of restaurants, bars, shops and ethnicities to rival most mid-sized cities in America…actually, said blocks would easily surpass in the ethnicity category
The electronic walk signs count down the seconds remaining until the light changes, and when I cross an avenue I like gazing at the synchronized wall of vehicles approaching a few blocks away since all the lights are timed…and unlike in Los Angeles, you might get a ticket for not jay-walking

I had my first experience at a TKTS booth…we walked from the East Village down to the South Street Seaport location and got two tickets to Jersey Boys for $177, not a small sum but a substantially discounted price for very good seats dead center in orchestra Row T. The show was very good and a nice cultural injection since we so rarely see plays or musicals
After the show we had drinks with John at Annie Moore’s Bar, and while I figured this Irish pub next to Grand Central would slant towards men, I did not expect that Jenni would be the only woman in the establishment
For the first time I saw strollers with neat skateboard like attachments so the toddler can ride along and keep up with the adults pushing the infant
The Maine style lobster roll I got from the Red Hook Lobster Pound booth at Madison Eats rivaled anything I got in Maine…it might have been the best of the trip, with a dusting of paprika and perfectly buttery, toasted split top roll

Roberta's pizza at Mad Eats — Roberta’s pizza at Mad Eats

Eataly is pretty impressive with its huge selection of Italian food and beverage and rooftop restaurant
While watching Project X briefly before dinner at Redhead with Emily, Mike and Jayme, Jenni said “I bet this makes everyone in the world nostalgic for college. Except Jack, because I bet it makes him nostalgic for last Tuesday night.”
For old time’s sake, I got my haircut at the legendary Astor Place
Despite unemployment, we paid the full freight $50 for two tickets to the Met…if you don’t know, ticket prices are merely a suggestion and you can enter free, but I decided to atone for some past transgressions. The roof top affords some of the best views in Manhattan

We had a fun, Tufts group dinner at DBGB (solid burger) where I ran into Eduardo who is the sommelier and was an acquaintance in Los Angeles…so, Doug, I misspoke and there were at least three chance encounters on the road trip
Before meeting Ross for drinks at the swank top floor bar of the James Hotel, Jenni and I popped into The Dutch for a snack. We were not dressed terribly well and struggled to understand the extraordinary treatment we received. Sitting at the crowded bar, we did not even order alcoholic beverages and along with our lattes and two small dishes we ordered came cornbread, an extra oyster sandwich, broccoli gougeres and a piece of key lime pie with coconut sorbet. Did they recognize alisnotlost and butitsonmylist?!
I rode public transportation more in a few days in New York than eight years in Los Angeles
Over drinks at The Wren I concluded that the pickleback has gone mainstream…someone even told me of a bar that offers several flavors of pickle juice. This is a good development
We had lunch with cousins Nina and Jonathan at the Breslin and then saw Jonathan again the next day at my grandma Elsie’s house along with Mickey and Sharon. Elsie just turned 97 years old!! I always considered her house décor less than attractive, but Jenni was enthralled by the mid-century modern…and some outstanding photos of me and my family from days past!

Ron Leavitt or Burgundy?!

Handsome lad

My policy is to be sparse when discussing friends’ weddings, but I have to say a few things about Phil and Eileen’s nuptial bash, in addition to the supreme Guinness served at the Viana…

At the rehearsal dinner, Phil’s father spoke in Russian and Phil translated…it was pretty neat to see Phil talking about himself through his father’s voice
At the wedding itself, there was a pre-cocktail nearly hour with drinks, then a cocktail hour+, then a reception that lasted until about 2 am…with a bottle of cognac and Russian standard vodka on each table…then an after-party…I went to bed around 6:30 am

Jenni had to drive the next day down to Seth and Jill’s house in Maryland, and Jenni had gone to bed not that much earlier…she was a tad displeased

So that was our time in New York in a nutshell. Countless details omitted. There is so much to see and do in New York and I make no attempt to offer comprehensive guidance, but in addition to the “usual” websites like Yelp or Tripadvisor or Citysearch (does that still exist?), you may find useful information at http://ny.eater.com/, http://www.timeout.com/newyork, http://nymag.com/, http://www.villagevoice.com/bestof/, http://gothamist.com/ and I’m sure lots of others…

New York, North America, USA

The Big Apple

October 17, 2013 champagne&backpacks Leave a comment

Seven and a half hours of driving took us into the city for some good eats and friend time. We stayed with our friend Jack in the East Village.

Our first night in town we headed over to Café Mogador on St. Marks for some Moroccan food and a great time catching up with two of my Cornell friends, Ellie and John.

The next morning we stopped for our first bagels of the visit. Russ and Daughters’ bagels were tasty, but more than $15!? What?? Granted Alan ordered sable, which is apparently fancy bagel ish, but honestly. It’s a damn bagel. Then I ordered a small latte at a coffee shop nearby which cost more than $5. New York, you were not nice to the budget.

We wandered all the way down to South Street Seaport to get discounted tickets to a Broadway show from TKTS. We ended up choosing a Jersey Boys matinee the next day (though I was really bummed they didn’t have tickets for the Glass Menagerie or times that worked for us to see First Date). Afterwards we met Jack for lunch at Mad Square Eats, which was a collection of tented food and drink stands from popular New York eateries out for a limited time near Madison Square. I opted for some fabulous thin crust pizza and Alan got a lobster roll. Jack gave us a quick tour through Eataly – which is super cool; I could totally spend a lot of time in there (and eat a lot). The roof deck is equally amazing, and perfect on a sunny day like the one we were experiencing.

Later, we caught up a bit at Jack’s condo as he regaled us with stories of his fast paced and sleepless New York life. We had on Project X in the background (we’d all already seen the movie, which is awesome by the way) and I said that this movie makes everyone in the world nostalgic for college, except Jack because it probably makes him nostalgic for Tuesday night.

We got dinner at one of Jack’s favorite spots – the Redhead – with my friend Emily and her boyfriend Mike. The fried chicken Jack had raved about did not disappoint, and it was as always super fun hanging out and catching up with Emily.

On Wednesday we again got bagels, this time from David’s and they were much less expensive. We did a little bit of work in the am before grabbing a slice at Vinnie Vincenza and heading up to the August Wilson theater for the Jersey Boys show, which was really good despite the fact that people were singing along in the audience. Am I the only person who finds that annoying? I came to hear the talented actors and singers perform, not the audience.

After the show we met up for drinks with Alan’s friend John whom I’d never met (and was lovely), then ran over to our friends Mili and Sharath’s to catch up and meet their uber-adorable little boy. We hurried next over to Ippudo to meet our friends Morgan and Conrad for dinner (always hurrying in New York). I unfortunately found out about Beyaz’s passing right before the meal. I managed to keep in most of my tears to enjoy dinner with them, but let’s just say the rest of my evening was quite unpleasant.

The next day we went to the Met, and in between crying fits I saw the Balthus cats and girls exhibit and an Arab section we liked a lot, with tiles and carpets and various implements. The views from the roof were spectacular on that again sunny day.

::view from the met::

In need of a snack, we stopped at the Dutch in SoHo. I think we may have been confused for food reviewers, because we were given a second oyster sandwich, appetizer, cornbread and pie for free, all this while sitting at the bar and not even ordering a cocktail. Maybe it was the “you look like you lost your best friend” consolation prize. Or with swollen eyes I look like someone famous? Who knows. It was quite baffling as nobody around us seemed to get all the extra treats on the house.

From there we went to the James Hotel to grab drinks with another one of Alan’s fraternity brothers whom I hadn’t yet met. Then it was off to DBGB to get dinner with lots of Tufts alum, most of which were in the city for Phil and Eileen’s wedding on Long Island that weekend.

Before heading out to Long Island the next day we grabbed lunch with two of Alan’s cousins – Nina and Jonathan at Breslin.

OK, granted my dog died and I was in a terrible mood for much of my time in New York (grieving while on the road – and especially while trying to connect with friends and family left and right – is no fun. And this was worse than when my cat died and I took three days off of school to grieve), but here are some general thoughts. I’ve never been a huge fan of New York. I think my blind faith in all things Boston and my love for the Red Sox may have played a role in this growing up. But I also think it’s just too much for me. New York City is a city of excess. One never feels the proper amount of any sensation – too cold, too humid, cramped, loud… I gave it a shot, especially given Alan’s love and respect for the city, but the over-stimulation that New York provides on a constant basis is just not my cup of tea.