Happy Holiday Travel at SEATAC #becalm

On December 19, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Boise, Seattle, Travel, Uncategorized, vacationLeave a comment

Walking in a winter wonderland…classic holiday image unless that walk is through SEATAC the Saturday before Christmas with my hubby clashing with the hordes of travelers. AARGH!!!

Santa mobile cart with Mrs. Claus and elf sidekicks at SEATAC

So, the trip began with the crush of travelers checking their bags and, though we were only a few deep at the “special” desk that my company employees get to enjoy with a certain airline (great perk), it seemed to be taking FOREVER. While I prayed for patience, Thom seethed. In our short line, many folks jumped onboard only to be told sternly that, if they didn’t have company badges, they needed to get the hell out of our line and instead hop on and enjoy the long lines snaking back/forth/back/forth with the general public.

Fast track here we come! But, NO, it was not meant to be. Was that a certain entitled company employee jumping to the front of our line because he was running late??? WTF! As Thom started to get red in the face and call this guy out for his rude behavior, I gave my hubby the stink eye and warned him that I would kill him if he spoke. Happy Holidays!

So, that went over well and after a heated whispered conversation, he agreed to take the high road and not tackle the guy. So generous of him! After all, it’s possible I could run into this rude dude in the boardroom at work and my husband cussing him out could make for an awkward situation. That didn’t stop Thom, of course, from commiserating with the guy in front of us who was also shushed by his wife before he attacked the guy. With his family in tow, his wife had asked him to not engage as a lesson to the kids. Wives united to keep the peace during holiday travel!

Retro flight attendant fashion at SEATAC

Thankfully I did breeze through security even though they had disengaged the TSA Pre-check line. Of course, Thom got stopped to take out his laptop and gave some attitude to a stern TSA gal–he’s lucky he didn’t get “probed” more deeply but he made it through after a quick exam of his technology. Notice, they didn’t detain me–karma!

Then, it was off to shop at the stores. I love the Plane Fashion store that features old school flight attendant hats, pillow covers with airport call letters and such. They also have a cool vinyl store at SEATAC-it’s definitely a trending thing here in Seattle. After looking at the stores in our neighborhood last night for antlers for a planned reindeer-inspired Mia party this weekend, I was still looking when I finally found them at the Fireworks boutique at the airport. AND they play music and have bells-SCORE! Mia loved them:

The shops and Starbucks teams were working hard at SEATAC with their smiles on to calm the weary travelers. Best moment was when a guy racing around on an electric wheel dressed as a travelling customer service desk took the time to race around a column for at least 15 minutes with a toddler running after him-great way to wear out a toddler! Needless to say the mom gave the guy a hug for his child-friendly attention.

Grateful mother to airport rolling holiday info desk dude

Then, Santa, Mrs. Claus and his elf whizzed by in a cart to offer a knee and an ear to hear Christmas wishes on the go. Nice job, SEATAC, in providing holiday cheer for the hordes. I also saw a dancing gingerbread man and a happy Rudolph making friends with the crowds. If you are out there this week trying to get to your families, keep smiling and take the high road when faced with travel drama. Remember, you need those good karma points to avoid coal in your stockings on Christmas! Happy holidays to all and to all a good night!

FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS–HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

V__615E

Fun Friday Happenings in Seattle!

On November 7, 2015November 7, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, bookstores, Museum, Seattle, Seattle Nightlife, TravelLeave a comment

Despite a busy work day on Friday, I managed to squeeze in some shopping at the new and “only one in the world” Amazon Bookstore at University Village that just opened up and then joined the “IT” crowd at the Seattle Art Museum REMIX event in the evening. Fun in Seattle despite a dreary day!

Seattle Art Museum Remix Event on Friday night-dancing, art and music! — Seattle Art Museum REMIX Event on Friday night-dancing, art and music! What’s not to like?

While working at UV, my team and I tried to get into Din Tai Fung for lunch but to no avail–still widely popular (also in China!) this dumpling superstar restaurant had a one hour wait time at 11:30 a.m. just after opening. WTF!!! They’re good but they’re just pork dumplings people! Okay for tourists and leisure shoppers to wait it out but, on a work lunch hour, not so much for us. So we traipsed across the street to another place that probably loves being so close to Din Tai Fung because it gets people like us who can’t wait. After some lovely fish tacos, I just had to check out the Amazon Bookstore that was all the rage in recent national headlines. Thom shared with me some source that quipped, “first they killed the bookstore and now they’re wearing their dead skin”– pretty graphic but true. As most online retailers are learning, you can make a lot of money online but it doesn’t replace the experience of being able to serve customers face-to-face and hear their feedback.

Each book has a sign with reader review and upc code

Amazon Book Store at University Village was hopping on Friday

The Amazon bookstore is not a comfortable place-no overstuffed chairs or cafés like Elliott Bay Bookstore, my favorite on Capital Hill, though they do have ledges by the window to perch on uncomfortably while checking out the merchandise. Message here is: stay but not too long-buy our stuff and get the hell out for the next customer. Their hardware takes up the center of the store, Kindles and such, but the true star of the store is the authentic, not electronic, books that beg to be bought and curled up with on a rainy Seattle day. I actually liked how the signs for each book feature a customer review and their endcaps have delightful curated selections like “if you like George R.R. Martin, try these” or “if you enjoy series, try these” which helps guide voracious readers like me who are always looking for new material to consume. I finally had to put a halt to my Amazon Kindle book habit as it was costing $100ish a month. I turned to the Seattle online library lending of Kindle books which, while not a huge assortment, still helps feed my reading habit for free. Reading is one of life’s pleasure however you enjoy it but there is nothing better than a cozy bookstore–just don’t go to the Amazon bookstore if that is what you want. Try Elliott Bay or Third Place Books!

Elvis Costello would not be happy that his book is categorized by Amazon next to Donald — Elvis Costello would not be happy that his book is categorized by Amazon next to the Donald

On to the evening’s entertainment! After work I trotted home and changed into my evening attire to check out the Seattle Art Museum REMIX scene. I found out about it through a Meetup group I joined, Seattle Arts & Culture Events, that lets you know about cool stuff happening around town. We got a $5 discount on the $25 tickets for the 8 p.m.-midnight event “after hours” at the museum. We showed up around 8ish and there was line stretched down the block to get in-what a crowd! This is definitely a place to go not only with a date but also to meet and greet new people, i.e. pick up someone. The crowd (about 2500 people, mainly 20-30ish crowd) was dressed to the nines-we even saw a stylish guy with the whole pirate ruffled shirt thing going on paired with a jacked and jeans. Somehow he pulled it off! Kudos to him! While the majority of the guys were still rocking jeans and major plaid, the ladies were going all out with dresses and fierce heels. Very rarely have I seen such a display of fashion in Seattle. Loved the people watching!

Renoir's portrait of Monet, my favorite artist. — Renoir’s portrait of Monet, my favorite artist.

What is REMIX? A packed house for the quarterly event enjoying adult arts & crafts, bands, drinking (on the lower level only away from the masterpieces) and celebrity-led tours. We joined Lorrie Cardoso, founder of our meetup group, as she led us around sharing her favorite and least favorite pieces of art. She was not a huge fan of the golden urinal in the Modern section of the museum. Agreed.

Our tour guide shows us her "least favorite" piece at the SAM-the gold urinal — Our tour guide shows us her “least favorite” piece at the SAM-the gold urinal

We had planned to enjoy the Impressionist exhibit anyway so this gave us new perspective with her guidance. Since most of the pieces in this collection are from the National Museum of Art in DC, we had already seen them but Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, etc. never disappoint no matter how many times you are lucky enough to view them.

We were probably the first to leave around 10 p.m. just as the dancing was getting going but it had been a long week and we had a long walk home on a beautiful fall evening. So thankful, as always, that we live in a great town and are able to enjoy wonderful experiences.

Make A Wish Princess Alexis!

On October 24, 2015October 24, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Seattle, TravelLeave a comment

Princess Alexis, a very brave five year old in a sparkly dress and waving her flower wand, ascended the red carpet with her prince and fairy godmother escorting her and her family into Cinerama today for the world premiere of the video that was her wish. After watching a video that helped her during her personal struggle with leukemia, Alexis decided that she wanted to have her very own animated video of her journey with cancer to share with other children and help them too. I can’t imagine a child under five years old deciding to use her one wish to help others vs. going to Disneyland, the most popular wish for children in this great program. That’s amazing. I am so inspired by her compassion and strength.

The hat is AMAZING! This witch is ready to hit the red carpet and wave her wand.

Thom accompanied me to join the crowd to line the red carpet to welcome Alexis and support her as they showed her video at Cinerama today. Everyone was encouraged to wear their best “fairy tale attire” so off to Goodwill I went and found the coolest HUGE black hat that, teamed up with my all black dress, boots and cape and paired with a glittery wand, created a first class “good” witch. Alexis had on a princess outfit so it just seemed right to hand her my wand that went so well with her outfit as she walked by on the red carpet. Later, the “prince” who was Roger Levesque, a retired Sounders player, was seen holding it and her flowers for her. May I say that in tights and a cape, he made a mighty fine looking prince! I hope Alexis enjoys playing dress up with her wand. I’ll keep the hat just in case I need a quick costume for who knows what in the future. You never know when a witch will be needed… no commentary, Thom.

Princess Alexis is the center of attention at her movie premiere.

I had never been to Paul Allen’s movie theater but from the chocolate popcorn (sounds gross but so yummy) to the cushy seats and sparkly ceiling lights, I was impressed and can’t wait to go back. Cinerama donated the facility for the event today and World Famous studios volunteered their production staff to make the video, working with Alexis and her family to bring her ideas to life. We got to see a video of how they made the video with everyone’s input. Super team effort for such a worthy cause. Check out her video at: https://youtu.be/hsFC697omCM

Alexis’s story reminds me that with the love and support of your family and friends, you can battle whatever challenges you may face in your life. Thank you, Alexis.

World Series Time-Thom’s Dream Comes True!

On October 23, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, New York City, TravelLeave a comment

I made the decision that Thom MUST go to the World Series if the Mets, by some miracle, beat the Goat-cursed Cubs. It wasn’t a hard decision. A lifelong survivor of so many losing seasons, this would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Okay, twice in a lifetime, since he went to the World Series the last time the Mets made it–way back in 1986 when tickets were $30. DAMN, he’s old! My daughter Hannah, who is also married to a huge Mets fan, had the very same idea and called me to collaborate on what could be the best father-in-law/son-in-law road trip of all times. THEY’RE GOING TO NYC TO THE WORLD SERIES!

Miracle of all miracles, the 7 Line company that sells Mets gear sponsored a lottery for true fans (and customers) but only had 589 tickets for each of the three games at CitField. After they sent out 25,000 fan codes to access the site, it was all up to luck and good bandwith to “win” the opportunity to buy max of 2 of these $250 tickets. SCORE! My son-in-law got through and so on Saturday, October 31st, Thom and Mike will spend Halloween cheering on their Mets to victory in NYC.

The agony of waiting for the end to come!

Personally, I can’t wait for it all to be over. The stress is so overwhelming at times that Thom’s face is bright red and he can hardly function. I have my fingers poised to dial 911 at all times during games just in case of a stress-induced medical emergency. We had to wrap an ice wrap around his neck to cool him down at one point during an especially close game. Pathetic–over a silly ball game! He is constantly texting his NYC friends during games, sharing the excitement and pain as the players cause anxiety galore among all.

Game-induced stress = ice wrap around the neck

On Thursday night, when the Mets were set to sweep the Cubs in game 4 of the NLCS, when Thom would normally be glued to the television, we were instead sitting at Century Link Field cheering on the FIFA WC USA women’s team playing Brazil, tickets purchased when the thought of the Mets playing in post-season was just a dream. Earbuds in, I warned Thom not to shout out random profanity as he listened to the game moving closer to it’s conclusion. AT LAST, the smile lite up his face like a small child experiencing their first Christmas morning. Flights now booked, they will arrive in time to watch the game with loyal fans on Friday night at legendary Mets sports bar, McFadden’s with hundreds of other fanatics and go to the game on Saturday. Send good karma to the Mets and pray that Thom makes it through the series with his blood pressure intact. GO METS!

The Total ND Irish Football Experience, Drunken Leprechaun Pirate and all!

On October 17, 2015October 17, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Family vacation, Ireland, TravelLeave a comment

The leprechaun pirate with the ND eye patch and scraggly goatee woke up from his drunken stupor just after the first quarter at the Irish vs. USC game. You got to give it to the grungy dude-can’t be easy being passed out and staying upright on a bleacher seat but somehow he made it happen. At first concerned for his wellbeing, I quickly flipped into ninja defensive mode to protect myself after he started dancing and flinging his arms with great abandon and hit me in the face as he yelled and loudly coached the players from our end zone seats. “Bring your father?” the smart ass but very nice guy next to us asked. HELL NO! Thus began the total ND Irish Football Experience thanks to my great sis, Beck, who scored us tickets to the Game of the Century.

I got the dread pirate Looney Tunes as my seat neighbor but Beck got the adorably nice guys sitting next to her–on a trip to all the NFL stadiums with their fathers. They had decided to also take In a college game on their male-bonding trip before going to the Colts/Pats game tomorrow in Indy. After Beck explained why bodies were being lifted all over the stadium when ND scored–prone body push ups, one for each point on the scoreboard–the traveling sons decided Beck looked tiny enough to lift so they could enjoy a true college football moment. NO THANK YOU KIND SIRS! We directed them to a small child they could pump over their heads and off we ran to get a hot chocolate to drink and warm up in the bathroom that had the heaters going at full blast. At 30 degrees on the field, no amount of layering, Spanx under the jeans, puffy coat and earmuffs could keep us warm, though our ugly Uggs kept our tootsies quite toasty. Mock the Uggs but they get the job done.

I did learn more about football from the fans surrounding us. After ND called for a timeout when USC was getting ready to kick a field goal, then immediately called another one and then ANOTHER ONE, I was coached that ND was “icing” the kicker and trying to psych him out. After the third timeout, the poor USC player finally got to kick his field goal and, sure enough, he was flustered and missed! The icing worked-who knew about such football psychology??? Brains over brawn to win-I like it.

Making the ultimate sacrifice so that ND could win the “game of the century” as it was being called, we left the game before the fourth quarter started with ND behind by 7 points. WHAT??? Yep, Becky was cold and said that last time she left a game early, ND came roaring back to win. And they did just that tonight! In the 15 minutes after we left, ND scored 17 points and won 41-31. Thank the Lord we left because I’m sure the drunken pirate would have been overcome with joy and jumped into my arms to lay a big cold wet one on me to celebrate and I was having none of that action thank you very much. The Irish can thank us with season tickets or extra blessings-either work for me.

Dressed for the cold weather and ready for spring already

Prior to the exciting game, we had to have the whole Irish experience so we walked the campus, enjoyed the ND marching Irish playing tunes on the steps of a classic college building, walked the grotto, went into the rotunda to see the Horn Section play beautifully and check out the tailgating action. Those Irish alumni really know how to party in a parking lot. There were a surprising number of USC fans walking around so I had to interview one guy with his son who were looking to score a blanket to keep warm. After we told them where the book store was, I asked how they were feeling about Coach Steve S. being fired. “FANTASTIC!” the guy enthusiastically replied. He then informed me that they were going to sue the recruiting firm that pushed through his hiring and didn’t do their due diligence to find out he had “issues”. Oh well, don’t we all and hopefully he’ll work out his demons. In the meantime, Go Irish!

The Irish Grotto-where everyone lights a candle to ensure an Irish victory.

Classic Cocktails-The Sidecar goes down smooth!

On October 17, 2015October 17, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Cocktails, Europe, expat, Nightlife, Seattle, Travel, vacationLeave a comment

Cocktail research continues! Next up-The Sidecar. A classic cocktail that my mom fondly remembers from her wild days out on the town in Indy with my dad. At Café Navarre in South Bend, Indiana, Michael shook me up a sidecar and shared his secrets to a fine drink indeed. BTW, no, I don’t travel around the world just to drink cocktails but as I’m writing this I’m thinking that would be a cool idea. Hmmm…..how can I make that happen? A few weeks ago I was testing out appletinis in Vancouver on a vacation weekend but now I’m in South Bend to see mom and also to attend the ND/USC football game with my sis who somehow was able to score us tickets to this “game of the century”. Well done, Beck. With Coach Steve S. fired last week, I’m hoping the Irish roll. But enough about football and now back to the REALLY important stuff… cocktails.

My handy dandy cocktail book tells me that the sidecar originated in Paris at Harry’s Bar and was invented as an elegant cocktail for American expats living there. After Prohibition ended, there were cocktail drinkers who declared it almost made the long, dry years worth the wait. Harry’s Bar has dubbed itself “the oldest cocktail bar in Europe” so I MUST add that to the travel list for next year. Would I travel to Paris just to enjoy a classic sidecar at the bar that birthed it-oui!

Michael at Café Navarro makes a mean sidecar!

My cocktail book back home lists the ingredients for a sidecar as: brandy, orange liqueur and lemon juice. Michael had, of course, another plan as I’m finding out that no cocktail is ever made the same. He shook up 2 ounces of Hennessey cognac (fancy!), 3/4 ounce each of freshly squeezed (of course!) lime juice and Cointreau liqueur and poured into my sugar-rimmed martini glass. Smooth and slightly sweet, it was the perfect balance of liquor to warm me up on a cold pre-game evening. DAMN that was good! Is it proper bar etiquette to lick the glass clean?

Michael was kind enough to share his vast knowledge with us on other cocktails as well. His fav on the cocktail menu at Café Navarre is “Final Word” featuring a complex list of ingredients: Rye whiskey, lemon juice, Luxardo maraschino liqueur, green Chartreaus, spanked mint and lavender bitters. “Spanked” mint? How do you spank a mint you might ask??? Well, Michael gave us a quick spanking demo–lighter than a muddling, just place the fresh mint in your palm and gently bruise it. Gotcha-can’t wait to spank some mint myself.

Handcrafted cocktails at Café Navarro feature a complex array of ingredients

Lavender bitters--who knew? — Lavender bitters–who knew?

Michael also introduced us to the complex world of bitters. His bar houses a wide array of medicinal looking bottles that add another layer of complexity to cocktails and are a staple ingredient for the handcrafted cocktails featured on his menu-orange bitters, lavender bitters, #2 bitters, etc. Michael even suggested that you can add a dash of bitters mid-drinking a cocktail to create a whole different experience within just one glass. A whole “bitter” world to explore in future blog posts-the research MUST continue!

Now, I’m off to throw on multiple layers to keep warm at a chilly 30ish degree evening ND game tonight-GO IRISH!

Walking ALL over Vancouver, BC

On October 10, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Canada, Food, Seattle, Travel, Vancouver, walkingLeave a comment

Now, I’ve been to Vancouver many times but mostly for business reasons. BORING! This past weekend, I got to go for fun with Thom and my best friend Patti and her husband Larry. Got to hand it to Patti and Larry-they have faithfully visited us everywhere from NYC to China to Seattle. So now it was time to add Canada to our list! After enjoying the Amtrak up to Vancouver, we had a blast, though I did walk too fast and too far for my friends. Sorry Patti!!! I actually got up early Saturday to walk 3 miles by myself around the waterfront (sunrise!) and burn off some energy so I would walk slower the rest of the day. I don’t realize how fast I walk because Thom is just as bad until I get around folks who don’t get a chance to walk as much as I do. Let’s face it, most people drive everywhere they need to go especially if they live in the country. I’m an urban chick and my idea of a good day is being able to walk 10 miles. Crazy!!!

Now, I have never dug into the history of Vancouver but now I can say with authority that this is a city built-in a very similar manner as Seattle and San Francisco-natural resources and a wild, wild west attitude. After seeing great reviews on TripAdvisor, I signed us up for two free walking tours-one each day-for Gastown and Chinatown. Now, you may say that you get what you pay for so why go on a free tour??? I thought the same but so glad we went because Ali and Leni, our guides, were both enthusiastic and knew their stuff. They entertained us with stories and a well thought out walking tour designed to make the history of Vancouver come to life. This is their job (or at least one of them-they are not getting rich working for tips) but they ask that, if you liked the tour, you give them something for their delightful storytelling and expertise. Check them out if you are in Vancouver: http://www.tourguys.ca.

Patti and Larry enjoying Leni's stories on the walking tour of Gastown — Patti and Larry enjoying Leni’s stories on the walking tour of Gastown

After our Chinatown tour, we headed straight to the best rated (Yelp!) restaurant in the transitioning Chinatown area. Now, the Chinese residents are moving out as they can afford to so this Chinatown is not a vibrant area but with it’s seafood and produce markets, it did remind me of our home in Shanghai. I miss it so much! Lots of raw fish, baskets of dried seafood and veggies. So pungent smelling!

We went to the New Town Bakery and indulged in egg tarts, potstickers and yummy dishes galore. We met a lovely lady from Perth, Australia on our tour who was in town on a grant from her city job to tour the world and study best practices in urban planning and invited her along to lunch. Of course, now Thom is hooking her up with his contacts in NYC to help her out. So nice to help other world travelers!

The Gastown tour ended thankfully right next to my favorite place to eat in Vancouver-the Water St. Café. Seriously, every time I go there I eat the salmon risotto and this trip was no exception. Patti tried it too and literally licked the plate. So creamy, so delicious!

Water Street Café--salmon risotto so good Patti licked the plate! — Water Street Café–salmon risotto so good Patti licked the plate!

The whole Yaletown and Gastown areas are filled with restaurants and interesting shops as well as being historic. Of course, Thom found a few vinyl stores and had to shop for his ever-expanding collection. With a new Nordstrom’s and their local chain, Roots, everywhere, it was hard NOT to spend money. With a good exchange rate, I wish I had brought more luggage more to carry home Canadian treasures. Oh well, next time! Only a few hours drive from Seattle, I’ll be back soon!

The markets in Chinatown reminded me of home in Shanghai

Thom found LOTS of vinyl stores in Vancouver

The Cocktail Quest Continues…

On October 4, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Cocktails, Food, Seattle, Travel, vacation, VancouverLeave a comment

Ask a bartender for their appletini recipe and you will quickly find out that everyone has their very own special way to make it. What the hell??? You’d think a simple cocktail like that would be pretty standard from place to place. After intensive research (someone has to do it!) I got quite the list of varied ingredients and suggestions on how to make the perfect appletini. Please let me share.

On our first stop, the Templeton diner that was recommended on Yelp as having “character” certainly did as it was in the rough section of Vancouver next to a TripleXXX peep show establishment. Most tourists would run the opposite way if they found themselves in this type of neighborhood in a foreign country. Not us-we embraced it and took photos! Now, a diner known for burgers and milkshakes might not be the best place to try out appletini’s but, you betcha, we did just that. Nothing goes better with a plate of poutine than an appletini!

Our lovely waitress shared her unique recipe—vodka, peach schnapps and apple juice. Crazy tasty! Paired with plates of poutine and salads/burgers plus milkshakes for the boys, we had quite the feast and laughed ourselves silly over our choice of fine dining experiences the first night in Vancouver. We know how to have a good time-pick a shabby diner next to a peep show with a jukebox and liquor.

After our walking tour of Gastown the next day, we were starving and conveniently close by my favorite restaurant in Vancouver-the Water Street Café. Quite the opposite atmosphere from the prior night’s diner, this café had the white table cloth vibe going on and was in a historic gorgeous building. I had been there multiple times when in town on business and always get the same thing-salmon risotto. So delicious but how would their appletini’s taste???

Water Street Café-Sour Puss is the key to an appletini!

Another lovely waitress shared her bartender’s ingredients—vodka, apple sour puss liquor, simple syrup and a drop of lime juice. Now, I’ve never made simple syrup but she suggested a 1/3 raw sugar to 2/3 hot water formula. Even with the syrup, the appletini’s we were tasting were still not as sweet as the ones in Shanghai. The quest for the perfect appletini continued later that day at our hotel because having an appletini at lunch just wasn’t enough.

Patti enjoying the appletini at Water St. Café in Gastown

The bartender at the Marriott Pinnacle was most accommodating to talk us through his appletini creation that included vodka, pineapple juice and fresh lime topped with a slice of apple. Now, he very quietly told us that he prefers apple juice to pineapple juice but the Marriott chain forces him to use pineapple-how dare they stifle his cocktail creativity! He also suggested we could use agave to sweeten it up if we preferred. When I asked him why the appletinis in Shanghai were so very green instead of the light green we were seeing at his bar, he suggested that perhaps they used a tamarin syrup with agave muddled together to “green it up” a little. I appreciated his honesty and sharing of tips.

Now, all appletinis are good (just as there is no bad wine or pie) but the quest must now continue in Seattle. I hear that Canon on Capitol Hill was named the 6^th best bar in the world. Who knew??? I MUST check it out. Also dying to run to the liquor store in the U.S. to see if they have Sour Puss in stock or if that is just a Canadian odd liquor….l’ll be looking for that black mean ass kitty on the bottle and then I’ll know I have the right stuff!

Finally made it to Granville Island, Vancouver, BC!

On October 3, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Cocktails, Food, Seattle, Shopping, Travel, VancouverLeave a comment

As many times as I’ve been to Vancouver, I’ve just never made time to visit Granville Island, one of the top tourist attractions here. Yesterday, I finally made it! After researching the water taxi situation, we made our way to Yaletown and caught the water taxi, a cute little boat that holds about 10 people comfortably. After a quick 10 minute ride across the water, we hopped off ($7.50 each round trip) and immediately immersed ourselves into the market. WOW-what amazing fruit including a long dark purple grape thing I had never seen before.

Granville Market had lovely fruit including kinds I had never seen

We meandered around looking at exotic spices, breads, meats, pasta, etc. If I lived in Vancouver, I would shop here all the time! While there are a lot of touristy shops, we were able to get away from the main drag and enjoyed looking through the handmade broom store. Whether you’re riding one (no, not ME, Thom!) or sweeping away the cobwebs, they make a broom for every need and they were just beautiful.

Next stop was the glassblowing shop where we enjoyed seeing the young gent blowing a colorful glass cup that unfortunately slipped off. To say he uttered a few bad words under his breath is an understatement but he was resolute and announced to those watching, “It happens.” DAMN that glass is expensive in the shop but when you see how long it takes to make it, you do understand the pricing.

After that, we were tired and needed a drink but the distillery was packed so we decided to find the diner I had seen on Yelp with it’s magnificent milkshakes and burgers. Unfortunately, we found out that the diner was on Granville STREET not Granville Island so we took the ferry, walked awhile and finally found it in the gritty part of downtown Vancouver–right next to the TripleXXX Peep show. We only take our friends Patti and Larry to the best places! Actually, the Templeton diner had good food and we were able to introduce Larry to poutine. YUM! Of course, when Larry thought we said another word similar to poutine, we almost spit out our drinks. Correcting him and cautioning him to NOT use that word again in public, we proceeded to enjoy those fries covered in white cheese and thick rich gravy along with our eclectic mix of salads, hamburgers, coconut chicken strips with chili sauce, and Portobello mushroom sandwich plus, of course, candy appletinis for Patti and I and milkshakes for the boys.

Interestingly, they make their appletinis with vodka, peach schnapps and apple juice and they were delicious, served to us in wine glasses because all their martini glasses were broken. Enjoying the jukebox and good company, we had an excellent first day in Vancouver! Today we are taking a walking tour of Gastown and tomorrow we will explore Chinatown. Looking forward to a relaxing foot massage if we can find a place!

Cocktails anyone?

On October 3, 2015 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Cocktails, Seattle, Travel, Uncategorized, VancouverLeave a comment

I have succumbed to the cocktail craze! When thinking of a new hobby, I had to consider the time it will take, the cost and whether I have a true passion for it…considered and DONE! So, cocktails it is for my new hobby! I love my red wine but it’s time to diversify. Mock me for being a sheep by following the latest hot trend but I will be one happy camper when I’m sipping my homemade appletinis while I gaze out at Elliott Bay.

To start, though, you absolutely MUST have a cocktail cart with all the right tools to mix a masterpiece. We switched our former turntable cart and then, being the thrifty shopper that I am, I hit up the local Goodwill store where all the Amazonians donate their barware that they no longer need. I was able to find awesome unique martini glasses ($1.99), an ice bucket ($4.99), shaker ($4.99) and little Pig olive picks ($1.99) to outfit my cart. Add in the necessary cocktail book found at the used bookstore for $9.99 so I know how to mix up a great martini and I’m on my way.

Next, I hit up the World Market in downtown Seattle, one of my favorite stores. There I got classic cocktail napkins, a jigger, a strainer, a muddler (mojitos!) and stirring spoon to complete my cocktail bar. They also had these teeny tiny liquor bottles I couldn’t resist–having a hard day at work? Hit up the little Kahlua or Chambord for a taste! I still have the little Irish Whiskey bottle I smuggled out of China that we got at the Irish Ball. Good times in Shanghai! But, I needed BIG bottles of liquor for my cocktails so I got to visit the local liquor store in Lower Queen Anne for the first time and find the makings for a good appletini.

WOW-hard liquor costs a lot of $$$! I needed apple schnapps, melon liquor and vodka according to my cocktail book recipe-total cost $65, more than all my bar cart items combined. But, after mixing my first cocktail for my visiting friends, Patti and Larry, I realized that a little liquor goes a LONG way! I kept trying to make the appletini less potent but, in the end, just one drink knocked us on our butts. We are such lightweights! I followed my cocktail bar recipe but it sure didn’t taste as sweet as the ones we had in the bars of Shanghai. God only knows what they put into them but DAMN they were tasty!

We’re off to Vancouver, Canada for a long weekend trip. Patti and I will have to get a bartender there to share his appletini secrets with us so I can come back and mix one last cocktail before Patti and Larry head home to Indiana. I think to make the winter months more interesting in dreary, wet Seattle, I might challenge myself to a try a different cocktail every weekend. Now that’s the kind of challenge I can write about!

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