One tip of the coast to another....2010 continued

Newport, RI
Despite my mother's love for the city and having spent 4 years of college in close proximity, I had never visited Newport, Rhode Island until Memorial Day 2010. It wouldn't be a trip to Newport without a stroll down Bellevue Avenue to visit the Mansions and walk along the famed Cliff Walk. We arrived mid-afternoon on Saturday and found a passable hotel (I won't name it because you might think me a snot but it was legitimately just OK). Regardless, it was centrally located and afforded us the ability to walk down Thames street to peruse the stores and eat dinner at Smoke House BBQ, which offered a great outdoor venue and fabulous local people watching.

Early the next morning, I took a beautiful early run down Bellevue Avenue and then along Ocean Avenue. The morning was beautiful and the run along the coast was magnificent - outrageously sized ocean front "second homes" spotted the horizon...I thought, "I could live here...how do I make that happen!?". No big deal. We later toured the Breakers Mansion and Marble House, two former Vanderbilt mansions that were brilliant to see. Our afternoon was topped off with a late lunch on the marina at The Mooring with stuffed clams, a great Sauvignon Blanc and steamers. A front row shore side view of the gorgeous sunset sealed a perfect Newport weekend escape!

North Fork
For the 4th of July an escape from the overbearing heat of the city was a must do. Greenport, New York, a city near the far eastern tip of the north fork of Long Island the desired destination. I'd been to the Hamptons (South Fork of Long Island) the year before but wasn't familiar with its distinction from the towns of Greenport, Orient, Cuthchogue, Mattituck, etc. In retrospect, I'd say the North Fork shares some of the nuances of the South Fork (upscale boutiques, culinary power houses, beautiful homes) but it isn't overrun by those elements as can be the case in the Hamptons.

We stayed at the Harbor Knoll Inn in Greenport, a charming B&B run by a former Irish diplomat and located right on the bay. From my window I could watch the sun rise and the ferry shuttle back and forth to Shelter Island. Each evening our host put out wine and cheese, which we enjoyed before heading to Claudio's on the marina for a pre-dinner cocktail and then dinner at Claudio's main restaurant. Dinner was good but the people watching at Claudio's dock bar was fantastic and the atmosphere entertaining. Speckled along the streets of Greenport are singular antique shops, upscale boutiques, wine stores (featuring North Fork vineyards), a lone movie theater and of course the Greenport Brewing Company.

One day during our visit we rented bikes and took a day trip to Shelter Island, tooling around the island and stopping at Sunset Beach for an enjoyable lunch. In the afternoon we visited a few of the vineyards - my favorite for ambiance and wine selection was Croteaux Vineyards, which focuses only on rose wines. The tasting "room" was a combination of old barns and outdoor seating fantastically decorated with curtains of hanging wine bottles and Sanskrit draperies. It is the perfect venue for a girls afternoon of chit chatting, sipping bubbly and munching on cheese and crackers!

The North Fork roads are full of bikers heading towards Orient Point, the eastern tip of Long Island (not quite as far east as Montauk on the South Fork) and the ride is a beautiful one through charming towns with weekend street fairs, roadside fruit and flower stands, locals oyster hunting, clam digging and crabbing, abundant vineyards, and lavender fields that burst forth with color and fragrance.

As no trip is complete without a comment on the culinary adventures, there were two standouts. One was a relatively new arrival - Noah's - opened in the winter and slammed almost from day one. The food was creative, thoughtful, local and so fresh. Loved it. The other (and more obvious) culinary delight was The North Fork Table & Inn, which offers a 3-course Pre Fixe menu and a Chef's tasting menu. The food was superb and the wine selection was dynamic as well; we enjoyed a bottle of Charles Smith's Boom Boom! Syrah and Kung Fu Girl Reisling - both excellent. I have to say that, compared to Southern California, the Eastern seaboard has a deep appreciation for food - it's origin, quality, composition, etc. Eating is so fun here! (If only it was free and not caloric....)

Oregon
The week following the 4th of July I was off to Oregon for my college roommate's wedding. Capitalizing on the cross country venture (and my first trip to Oregon), I took a few extra days to explore the coast, stroll through Portland, wine taste in Willamette and join wedding festivities in the Deschutes National Forest.

Upon arrival late Wednesday night, we drove straight to Cannon Beach. The drive is along a rather desolate county road that becomes quite hilly and dark after 10 PM. Along the route there were signs for Elk Crossings so I slowed down, which was fortunate as several minutes later my headlights caught sight of an Elk staring me down on the side of the road. If it could have, my heart would have leaped from my chest! The beauty of arriving somewhere at night, particularly a place like Cannon Beach, is you're totally unprepared for the scenery when you awake. We'd picked a small B&B fronting the beach just south of Cannon Beach proper - it was spectacular. An early morning run on the beach followed by breakfast on the deck was an amazing start to a fabulous trip. Our hosts were so gracious and great cooks! And we were even more fortunate with the weather. While summers are typically cool (50-60 degrees on average), we were blessed with 70-80 degree days on the coast. We spent the day visiting Astoria including a stop at the Rogue Ale Brewery and the Astoria column where the views of the snow capped mountains in the distance and ocean in the forefront was absolutely breathtaking. Sunset Beach and Seaside were also stops on our drive, which culminated with a walk along Cannon Beach and pool games and dinner at a local watering hole. The views of Haystack Rock and The Needles coupled with the natural ambiance of the ocean and river inlet couldn't be captured in photos - it has to be seen in person. All in all a fantastic day with great weather and absolutely breathtaking scenery.

The next day we met up with friends in the Willamette Valley for a day of wine tasting! We dropped our stuff off at the spectacular Chehalem Ridge Bed & Breakfast, which was such a great find (if I don't say so myself). Our host was amazing, the location perched on the hill overlooking the valley was spectacular and our rooms were perfectly appointed. We had pre-arranged private tours of three wineries so we were set for the day. Our driver collected us and took us to Sokol Blosser, Four Graces (a friend from San Diego's family winery), and Chehalem. Each one was better than the next and our vineyard guides hung out with us like we were old friends, sharing stories about the vineyard and letting us taste practically everything. While a little overwhelming by the end, it was one day and so worth it. Dinner was at Jory at the Allison Resort and Spa, a delectable meal with of course more wine. By the end of dinner we were all desperately ready for some rest.

We departed the Willamette Valley in the morning for the Deschutes National Forest and specifically the Black Butte Ranch in Sisters, Oregon. After a pit stop in Salem for lunch (so we could say we'd been there mostly), we drove the beautiful route through the mountains to Sisters. The scenery was breathtaking and the weather perfect. We had a great time enjoying the outdoors, reconnecting with college friends, swimming, fly fishing, and exploring the town of Sisters. The wedding was picture perfect and the natural backdrop of the lake and snow capped mountains was priceless. The days we spent there were so relaxing and reminded me of adventures in Mammoth and how much I love the mountains....and the west coast. I have to admit the mountains are the one thing (besides my family) that I miss the most living in New York. Hopping in the car at the beach and skiing in the mountains several hours later is hard to beat. Our trip ended with a few hours to wander around in Portland and a stop at Deschutes Brewery, which makes one of my favorite all time brews, Mirror Pond Pale Ale. Deschutes doesn't yet export east of Minnesota so it was an even more exciting visit for me and one I shared vicariously with my favorite beer cohort JWL! We also visited the rose garden in Portland, which overlooks the city. The aroma and color collage of flowers was succulent...I'm sure if I lived in Portland I'd be doing happy hour picnics up there with some wine and cheese. That evening we flew back on the red eye to NYC...another fabulous 2010 trip had come to an end.

Que tal che?...and the rest of 2010

So I started this post back in February upon my return from Argentina and Uruguay, my first sojourn to South America. I had the title. That was it. And apparently 2010 has FLOWN by and I've been remiss to share the numerous adventures I had. South America, the Pacific Northwest, the farthest tip of Long Island, mansion hopping in Newport, revisiting history and art in Philadelphia....all without a peep. As I told a good friend, my goal was to recount the highlights before the end of the year...so here it goes. (Possibly in fragments).

Argentina & Uruguay
In February I had the amazing luck to meet my parents in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They were finishing a month long sail down the eastern cost of South America and it culminated with a week spent in BA. We had rented a flat in the Recoleta area of BA - upscale homes, boutiques, 5 star hotels and Michelin restaurants populate the charming neighborhood. It is also adjacent to El Cementerio de la Recoleta where Eva Peron's body is entombed. I'm getting ahead of myself though.....we arrived to amazingly humid weather. Regardless of the frizzy hairdo's we sported it was a brilliant reprieve from my first NYC winter! A friend had put us in touch with a wonderful guide, Cielo Subiza, who is a native Portena and had lived in La Jolla many years ago. She toured us all around the city and provided invaluable tips for things to do on our own.

On our first day, we hit the highlights with a tour around the Plaza de Mayo, La Casa Rosada (Argentine equivalent of the White House), and the famous Cafe Tortoni where many a highly recognized poet, author and artist would gather to share musings and entertain. We drove through the infamous La Boca area of BA and would have walked about but the unusual yet persistent rain deluge we experienced throughout the trip eliminated that option. Aptly named as it sits at the mouth (boca) of the Riachuelo, La Boca is predominantly constructed with materials from former boats and other maritime ships. It is quite colorful and inviting.

Our outing was finished off with a grand tour of the Cemeterio, an approximately 6 square block elite cemetery that houses some of the most influential and important Argentines in history, including Eva Peron. The tombs ranged in size, ornamentation and architectural style and the cultural melting pot that has become Buenos Aires over the years (particularly post WWII) was clearly evident in the last names and religious symbols on the tombs.

That evening we were driven to Puerto Madero, a newly revitalized waterfront area of BA. It reminded me of downtown San Diego with the plethora of newly constructed condominiums and adaptive reuse of old warehouses turned retail and restaurants all on the marina and waterfront. Our destination was the Faena Hotel and their "Rojo Tango" show. The design of the hotel is quite striking and unfortunately they don't allow photography so you'll have to visit the website to see for yourself. We enjoyed a pre-show cocktail in their chic bar and then were escorted to the Cabaret Room for dinner and the show. It was quite an experience! Some of the published shows in BA are quite large and "touristy" but this was very authentic and extremely entertaining.

We ventured outside of BA for a day trip to visit La Pampa - specifically San Antonio de Areco where we enjoyed the afternoon at the Estancia El Ombu de Areco. The Estancia offers beautiful accommodations, horse rides in the campo with the gauchos, amazing carne a la parilla & vino de la casa (literally made onsite). It was such a beautiful day (after all the rain) and we enjoyed a nice poolside relaxation time post lunch. My dad even showed off his baseball skills to the ranch hands playing "sapo", a game of toss where you try to toss the gold coins into the mouth of the sapo (frog).

One cannot discuss a trip to Argentina without consideration for the cuisine! Cielo will forever be in my debt for instructing us to eat Empanadas at El Sanjuanino. RICO RICO! We went back twice....quite possibly the best thing I ate the whole trip and there was competition for that accolade. Obviously the food at the Estancia was fabulous as well as the steak dinner we had in Recoleta as well. But let's NOT forget the amazing Argentine specialty, the Alfajor. I've taken my stab at making them in the past but they are so much better when prepared by the experts! In addition to the alfajor, we also indulged in several amazing deserts topped with dulce de leche, the "glue" of the alfajor. Let's just say no morsel was left unaccounted for.

Uruguay is only an hour boat ride across the Rio Plata. As we were so close, we decided to capitalize on that fact and visit Colonia del Sacrament, a UNESCO heritage city in Uruguay. The term river was not appropriate for the body of water we crossed that day....it was 10 foot waves and tossing all around the "speed boat" we were in. They handed out barf bags about 10 minutes in....they were greatly appreciated. Let's leave it at that. The rest of the trip was quite charming - definitely worth the trip for a half day visit. The city is still enclosed by a stone wall and has some great old architecture, colorfully painted buildings and artisan shops worth visiting.

As this is written in retrospect, I know I'm missing a lot of details....from the fantastic variety of wines (we sadly didn't have time for a trip to Mendoza for wine tasting...a future trip) to the amazing boutiques (we got some singular pieces of jewelry and clothing), the Sunday antiques market, and obviously just the experience of being in such a dynamic city was fabulous. Upon arrival I felt like I had been transported back to my days living in Madrid, Spain with the similar architecture and "essence" of the people. It certainly felt more European and cosmopolitan than I had anticipated.

Spring 2010
The spring held a variety of adventures. A quick trip up to the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY - think the scene of Dirty Dancing but with snow....adventures in snowshoeing, cross country skiing and just relaxing lake side (in our snow suits). Scavenger Hunts in Manhattan...snow storms in the city followed by snow balls in Central Park...and the first flowers of Spring peaking out through the brown leaves and muddy bushes!

A friend of mine suggested we visit the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia so we made a weekend of it. I took the train down (she drove up from D.C.) and we headed directly to the Barnes Foundation for our early morning appointment. For anyone who even has a small appreciation for art, this is a MUST see. For anyone who really loves art and can appreciate being part of a collector's unique vision and composition, you MUST visit the Barnes Foundation - and hopefully prior to it's sad move from the property. My words can't do justice to the unique vision Dr. Barnes had in creating the composition of pieces he did along with the fixtures and furniture that were part and parcel to his grand picture of the room. He even had a nude Van Gogh something I wasn't even aware existed (I'm a big fan of Van Gogh). Again, words won't do it justice so just go visit.

Post Barnes, we enjoyed a stroll through the boutiques of the Old City followed by dinner at Tinto in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. We did a nice walk through the historical part of town the following morning including stops at the local farmer's market and front row seats for the Gay Pride Parade. Having not been to Phillie since my college tour fifteen years ago, it was nice to get a new introduction to such an accessible and charming city. I'll be back.

Enough for one post....I'll be back to continue my 2010 Look Back.

A Return to San Diego...

In my 30 years, I have only once spent Christmas in the snow. Even when we lived in Minnesota, we would fly out to Palm Springs every holiday break and spend a few weeks in the sun rejuvenating our depleted Vitamin D stores. This year didn't deviate from the norm; however, having moved to New York in June, this trip back to California was the first since the big move!

The most frequently asked question is "Why did you leave California for New York?!" The first 150 times I was asked this, I answered with true sincerity...I had reached a point in my life where I needed a change, wanted the larger than life experience in Manhattan, etc. Apparently that didn't suffice so now my response is more satirical: "Why do you choose to live in New York?" Next topic.

This holiday visit to San Diego was filled with reunions with my favorite people - loads of laughs and quality time catching up, quiet time relaxing at home with my parents, a few movies, and lots of driving! It hadn't been six months since I was last behind the wheel of a car, but I forgot how dependent on cars we are in California. They are great because you can go wherever you want whenever you want and whichever route you prefer (scenic, direct, with a stop at CVS, etc.) You can choose to interact with or avoid as many people as you want. Singular to my current mode of transportation (foot, bus or subway).

My trip included tailgating before the Poinsettia Bowl with great friends - it was about 56 degrees and people were prepared for a snow storm! I'd arrived the night before from 18 inches of fresh snow, 21 degree weather with a wind chill factor of 12. I was loving it!

Twelve weeks without doing my hair was rewarded with a fun and fabulous trip to see Irene and Lisa. We swapped stories on life in NYC vs SD and my hair was fantastically coiffed for a fraction of what I am forced to pay in NY. It was worth the wait for so many reasons!

My typical 500 square foot abode was converted into a week of 4,500 square foot magnificence in my parent's home. Ahh...to sleep in a king size bed in a room practically the size of my apartment with a rain shower, oh the luxury! Breakfast with a view of the ocean, a glass of wine while gazing at the sunset, Christmas dinner with my family and "2nd" family, and coffee at the beach with good friends...moments that encapsulate "home".

That being said, my trip "home" made me realize I now have a new "home". Although my time in New York has been relatively brief in the grand scheme, it is the place where I feel most happy and alive. While I thoroughly enjoyed the time with my family and friends, the warmer weather, the beautiful ocean, etc., I missed the things that make me smile in New York.

Driving in a car is convenient, comfortable, fast (with me driving) and fun (sun roof open, favorite radio station blaring...) However, you miss the forced interaction of the street or the subway or the bus. Whether I leave for work from home or from the gym, I walk or take the subway and see a whole different cross section of the population. In a city as diverse as NYC, it's a small glimpse at the world. Amazingly not every one is a blond and buff Adonis as they'd have you believe in Southern California.

Maybe it is partly because I am still relatively new to New York, but I really missed walking around and having so many options of "things to do" that I could leave my house at 7 am and not return until the evening, filling the day events like: swim at the gym, visit to the architectural museum, quick trip out to Jersey City to see friends, ice skating in Bryant Park, cheap dumplings in China Town, Saturday night football with friends and great beers and a tired stumble home to bed. And that was just one day last weekend!

San Diego offers things I can't get here of course - the beach, the persistent sun (and no sub zero days!), the mountains, great hiking, etc. Don't get me wrong - I absolutely appreciate those things and I'm thankful that I can go there to visit whenever I want. But I kind of like walking down the street horrified at how tremendously freezing it is! It makes the warmer days SO much warmer and enjoyable...even if only 10 degrees warmer! And I can ride my bike to the eastern seaboard or to the NY State parks that have great hiking...it's just a different setting. A new "home". My home.

Here's to a fabulous New Year surrounded by great friends, family and good fortune!

PS For Christmas a very close friend gave me an amazing gift...a new "grown up" camera with a second lens. I've been experimenting with it and love the results! Can't wait to use it on my trip to Buenos Aires next month! These pics are a few samples...

It's almost like traveling....

....when you walk about New York City, you are transported. It might be to China or Ethiopia or even just middle America; it might last a minute or feel like hours that you have been in this alternative location but it's part of the day to day of hustling through this enormous city.

I met one of my friends at Penn Station the other day and commented to him how entertained I am at watching all the people crossing paths in the city. There are some blatant stereotypes about people from the Tri-State area and some amazing specimens to back them up. From the big hair, track suits and gold chains to the stately suits and waspy coiffures, from traditional saris to stone washed canadian tuxedos, you get to witness it all. And its amazing.

This afternoon I had to run an errand at Bloomingdale's, which is only 5 blocks from my office. In the half an hour that it took me to go there and back apparently the local high school was released. I'm not sure if the school is an art school or some sort of alternative high school or if I'm just getting old, but I crossed 57th street and was overtaken by an onslaught of pierced beings in retro 80's ska gear, overzealous make up jobs (boys and girls) and all sorts of hair colors. Girls were comparing their lip piercings while the boys were pulling up their super skinny jeans to slightly cover their behinds. Everyone had their cell phones and were texting or facebooking...probably to their friends walking next to them. I remember being 12 and 15 and wanting to be singular but part of the crowd. I remember wanting to use blue jello to dye my hair. Thank GOD my mom put a quick stop to that particular whim. But oh how the trends have changed...I appreciate individuality and am a huge proponent of it; I'm not sure when you look like every one else (a la Marilyn Manson) that you're acheiving it but that's part of being an adolescent.

That being said, New York is a city where anything goes. You might not appreciate it all, but people put all sorts of "costumes" on and walk around town. From jumpers that look suited for a baby to lime green high tops paired with striped tights, leg warmers and a fur skirt to a man dressed as an armadillo (for fun) with his matching dog, it's all here. They may be trying to make a statement or it may just be their state of being; regardless, it's a priceless part of my commute. Love it.