A taxi and a car service walk into a bar. After a few drinks and some flirting, then BOOM the next thing you know, Uber was born. Well, not exactly like that — it was probably far more technical but use your imagination. Gross, you actually thought about it? Pervert. Anyway, I can’t remember when I first read about Uber, it was in one of those fancy glossy magazines that I love so much no doubt, but I do remember that I downloaded the app instantly. A service that would find my location, send a car to pick me up, and I could pay for it all over my phone? SOLD. But much to my disappointment, Uber wasn’t available in little ol’ Indianapolis. So I…
Finding adventure in every day.
Posts from the “travel” Category
A few weekends ago, Beau invited me down to Florida for an impromptu visit to Key West. It was my first time there and aside from getting bit by a pelican and a sunburn on my scalp, it was wonderful.
Most of it. The way I see it, there are two kinds of Key West and these days I like to avoid the drunk-until-you-pick-a-fight scenes. So we avoided Duval Street — Coyote Ugly, Sloppy Joe’s and all — in exchange for a very quiet weekend.
My very favorite part was visiting the Hemingway Home. As a lover of Hemingway (not that kind obviously), cats, and historic homes, I was pretty much in heaven. Check out our weekend in photos below!
Categories: books and writers, travel
There are many amazing hotels in the world but to date, The George of Stamford is the best I’ve stayed in. Maybe not the newest, maybe not the trendiest but by far my favorite hotel yet. Just a twenty-minute drive from my family in Eye, Stamford is a little town in the county of Lincolnshire. Known for it’s 17th and 18th century architecture, you can feel the overwhelming history of Stamford as you drive into the town. But nothing prepared me for how lovely the hotel itself really is. The stone walls look as though they can’t possibly be real, something so old that’s the perfect balance between old and worn and yet wonderfully preserved. There’s a large parking lot in the back, wherein…
Categories: travel
When Beau and I first discussed the planning of our most recent trip to the UK, I knew immediately what I wanted to do. I wanted to visit the real Downton Abbey. I had no idea where it was (Newbury) or how we would get there (train) but I knew I wanted to go (we did). We took a 10:30am train from King’s Cross to Newbury and arrived sometime around lunch. We checked into the Newbury Hilton, had some tasty little tea sandwiches and set off for Highclere Castle – the home of Downton Abbey. Like many people, I’ve become fascinated with the British Masterpiece Theatre television show and couldn’t wait to get a glimpse of the real thing. It’s just as you’d imagine it…
Categories: travel
Now that I’ve finally been at home for a full week, I’m getting back into my normal eating, writing, working, routine. However there’s plenty to share about our recent adventure abroad! We spent the first few days of our trip in London while Beau did his business at Harrod’s and I ate my weight’s worth in the food halls. Browsing the produce section, I came across this strange and beautiful thing: It’s called a Romanesco. According to the description, These are pretty green vegetable look like a cross between broccoli and cauliflower but are more closely related to cauliflowers. They taste very much like cauliflowers. That sentence is not a typo on my end, it’s exactly what the sign read. I also spent some…
Categories: food and drink, travel
After three weeks of non-stop travel, I’m finally at home sweet home. Chicago with my lovely lady friends was a blast, Los Angeles with Beau and the little one made me feel like a kid again, and this past week in London was a week of making memories that I will cherish forever. But what I’m excited about right now, at this very moment, is pasta. Specifically this pasta. While one of my favorite ‘easy’ dishes has always been pasta with butter or olive oil and lots of parmesan, I never thought to use breadcrumbs. I came across a rendition of this recipe in the September 2009 issue of Glamour magazine. Originally titled, Nora’s Spaghetti with Sand, it’s a long time favorite dish of…
This is me with Fivel – you know, the one who went west? It’s pretty much my new most favorite picture ever. Why? Despite my questionable sartorial concoction (even the most well-dressed woman struggles when it comes to amusement parks with a child in tow) I’m absolutely, positively, in a state of pure happiness. While I try and maintain a child-like sense of curiosity and humor every day, it isn’t easy. There are deadlines, and responsibilities, and living beings to feed, and all the other things that go along with life. However I think it’s a serious mistake to allow our adult selves to lose touch with the kid inside of us all. Through our day at Universal, we watched as Baby Beau yelled in…
Categories: travel
What’s the best thing you ever ate? I can quickly identify two dishes that stand out for me. The first is the Black Truffle Fettucini from Pelago in Chicago. The second is the homemade lobster ravioli at The Ivy in Los Angeles (What can I say, I love carbs). Located off Robertson Ave. (a shopping-must!), The Ivy is known for many things – their gimlets, celebrity sightings and colorful floral decor. But if you ask me, the real star is their pink sauce which is also found on their rigatoni with peas and sausage. The homemade lobster ravioli is pricey for an everyday lunch ($29.75) so it’s probably great for my wallet and my rear that I live nowhere in the vicinity of this restaurant.…
It was nearly midnight before Beau, his little one, and I checked into The Beverly Hilton after a long day of traveling. While the gentleman at the desk was terribly polite, I just wanted to order room service and face-plant into a pillow. I never made it to the phone to order – I fell asleep as soon as we settled in. Beau arranged for a poolside room as we planned to spend our first full day in LA relaxing and swimming (minus Beau who worked and worked and worked and worked). It was a simple room but I found it far more comfortable and cozy than many rooms in the ‘trendier’ hotels. We woke up bright and early the next morning (one of…
Categories: travel
Hi! This post was meant to run on Friday. However, due to a mild concussion last week I was a little backwards and forgot to hit publish. The good news is, the girls and I had a safe and fabulous weekend in Chicago. The bad news? I didn’t bring any shoes. Tomorrow kicks off what is sure to be a long, albeit exciting few weeks of travel for me. First stop is Chicago for my dear friend Katy’s bachelorette party (stop by and check out her new recruiting blog!). For three days, 15 of the most diverse women I know will gather to celebrate this blushing bride and frolic through the windy city. I’m not going to say anything cheesy here – like, “Look…