Oh, The Places You'll Go

St. Louis, MO

2011-04-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I took another road trip adventure with the Cline Family for an extended weekend in St. Louis. The main purpose of the trip was to cheer on these guys....

Wichita State Shockers

Although, I think Jordan secretly wished we were there to watch him play some ball.

Jordan posing with his "twin" for Missouri State.

They were all playing for the Missouri Valley Conference post season championship, also referred to as Arch Madness. The winner of this tournament would be granted a spot in the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, the Shocks lost in the 2nd round. But the Cline's still had fun!

Jordan and I before Game 2, looking hopeful...

One of my favorite spots we hit up was Anheuser-Busch. It's the world's largest brewing company and got its start in 1860. Eberhard Anheuser bought the brewery and married the daughter of Adolphus Busch. Budweiser became the first beer available across the US when Busch decided to use refrigerated rail cars and set up ice houses to distribute beer across the country. Today, the company has 12 breweries in the United States, and 2 overseas. The St. Louis location is the largest. I know my favorite part of the brewery tour SHOULD have been the free beer in the hospitality room, but it was actually getting to see the Clydesdale's. And even better, the Budweiser Dalmatians. The dogs roam free in the stables for the visitors to pet. As a dog lover, I was in love!

After the brewery, we were hungry. Hmmm...what goes well with beer? Custard! Not really, but we had some anyway. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard has been open since 1931 and has become a St. Louis tradition. It's a little white stand with a walk-up window to place your order. There are two locations in St. Louis. And this place is SOOOOO good that one of the stands stays open year around. It's so good, people walk up in the freezing cold to enjoy some freezing cold custard. And even better, they sell Christmas trees during December! Custard and Christmas trees, they go together if you live in St. Louie.

I have been lucky enough to visit once before, but this was a first time visit for the rest of my family. As a chocolate lover family, they were a bit disturbed when they found out you can only get the custard in vanilla. But once we arrived, and the menu of "mix-ins" was provided, only silence could be heard as we all carefully weighed our flavorful options. We all decided to get a concrete or crete if you are a regular. It's a milkshake so thick they hand it to you upside down with a spoon inserted. The lady at the counter could tell we were family visiting from out of town. Although, I'm not sure what gave us away? Maybe it was because we were all dressed alike in our Shocker gear, OR, the fact we all ordered Oreo Cretes. I'm sure it was one or the other, or maybe a combination of the two.

Jordan demonstrating the "thickness" of the Concrete.

Me vs. Jordan...When it comes to sweets, I win EVERY time!

And last but not least, we visited the St. Louis Arch. Because who visits St. Louis and doesn't see the Arch?!?! Jordan does! His beloved Jayhawks were playing when we scheduled our trip to the Arch. Gag! So, he elected not to come. This was my 4th trip up in the Arch, and I still think it's pretty cool. Here are some little history tidbits for you. At 630 feet above the Mississippi River, the Arch is more than twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty. It represents the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. President Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the United States when the US payed France $15 million for a stretch of land from New Orleans to Montana that totaled 530,000 acres. Lewis and Clark met in St. Louis after Jefferson sent them to explore the land. St. Louis became a major stop for people heading to Santa Fe, California, and Oregon. It became known as the "Gateway to the West."

Although Jordan wasn't with us, he stayed with us in spirit. Our hotel was one block away from the Arch, and you could view it from our window. Jordan told me to call him when we reached the top. And in true Jordan form, he mooned us from the hotel room. I have to admit, it was pretty funny. And for some reason, my sweet mother thought she needed a picture from the top of the Arch zoomed in on Jordan's bright white buttocks pressed up against the hotel window. After some careful persuasion, I was successfully able to convince her that it would be weird to take a picture of her 23 year old son's bottom. Whew! Awkwardness adverted!

My Aunt and Uncle also came along to cheer on the Shocks. On our last evening, we met them in "The Hill" for dinner. The Hill is a residential Italian neighborhood. What makes the neighborhood so unique is its collection of Italian restaurants standing in the middle of a residential neighborhood. This neighborhood is not listed in my book, and I am very surprised. We ate at Rigazzi's and it was deliziosa. I had the Pasta con Zucchini with Chicken. It's grilled chicken, zucchini, mushrooms, and red peppers in a garlic butter sauce served over ziti noodles. MMMM. I didn't get any pictures, but you can visit them here.

Minus the Shocker's loss, it was an excellent weekend getaway!

Quote of the trip: "What's wrong with my straw?"--Mom

Family: "Uh, it's a coffee stirrer!" ;)

Bobo's--Best known diner in Topeka, KS

2010-11-18T17:06:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I found out I would be spending three weeks in Topeka for work. Some people would hate receiving news like this, but I was pumped. My former (she asked that I refrain from using the word old) college roommate, Michelle, lives in Topeka. She insisted we re-live our college days as roommies. So far, our evenings have been filled with wine, yummy food, and Oprah. When I arrived, Michelle had 87 unwatched Oprah episodes saved on her DVR. Wow! I LOVE Oprah. So, watching 87 unwatched episodes of her doesn't even phase me. BRING IT ON! We've been able to knock out 3-4 each night. Our evenings together may not be as crazy as our college days, but I'm lovin' all the time I'm getting to spend with Shell!

This week, she took me to Bobo's. Bobo's is a small countertop drive-in diner. You can take a seat inside or receive old fashion car hop service outside. The diner has been operating since 1948. In December of 2007, they were featured on the famous Food Network series, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. So, in order to truly appreciate my culinary experience, Michelle insisted I watch the Food Network segment before stuffing my face with greasy goodness.

After watching all of the yumminess on the computer, I was ready to dive in. I started out with a cheeseburger and homemade onion rings.

And then, I moved onto the homemade apple pie, a la mode style. I blame the Food Network viewing on this decision. And it just seemed wrong to order the pie without ice cream on top...

After my delicious experience at Bobo's, I'm sure I'll be a repeat offender. After all, there is a reason it was featured on
Diners, Drive-In's, and Dives.

Quote of the Trip:
"Do you want fries with that?"--Bobo's waitress...What kind of question is that?!?!

San Francisco, CA

2010-07-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

After our day in Sonoma, we headed back to San Francisco to meet up with my great-aunt Margaret. She lives in Menlo Park, CA, which is just south of San Fran. It had been 10 years since I'd last seen her so I was excited for the time to visit with her. I have actually only seen her 4 times during my life, but still feel connected to her. She has done a great job staying in contact with phone calls, letters, and emails. When I was 6, I went to California with my parents. My dad and mom had a business meeting to attend, so they left me with my Aunt Margaret for a couple of days. I still remember that trip well and all of the fun we had together. She loves to reminisce with me about that trip as well and tell me how "cute" I was as a small child. Who wouldn't want to hear that kind of praise?!? She rode the Bart, aka subway, into San Francisco to meet up with us. I found that to be impressive since she is 80 years old.
Aunt M and my Mom.

Aunt M treated us to dinner at Fisherman's Wharf. I stuck to chicken since I am not a fan of seafood, but everyone else raved about their fish. After dinner, we treated her to dessert in Ghirardelli square. As a self-proclaimed lover of chocolate, I would have been just as satisfied if she would have taken us here for dinner! Jordan and I getting ready to enter heaven!

Can you say yum?!?! Here, we have a banana fudge sundae, a dish of Ghirardelli chocolate ice cream, a brownie fudge sundae, and a strawberry fudge sundae.

Inside the store, you can view the heavenly chocolate being made right before your very own eyes. Don't you just want to put your finger in it and have a little taste?

Day 2 in San Francisco was dedicated to baseball. We started out the day with breakfast at Lefty O'Douls in Union Square. The restaurant is named after famous major league player/coach, Francis Joseph "Lefty" O'Doul. He was a famous left handed pitcher. As you can probably guess, this selection for breakfast was made by my dad. The food was good and it was fun to look at all of the baseball memorabilia on the walls.

After breakfast, we headed over to AT&T Park to take in a Giants and Dodgers game. AT&T Park is actually listed in the book as a must see, and after walking through the front gates, I could see why. This place was amazing!

The park overlooks the McCovey Cove. They actually keep a record of "Splash Hits." I was hoping to see a home run hit into the water, but only got to see a foul ball. I thought tailgating on a boat sounded fun!

Just having some fun inside the park!

As you can probably tell, it was a beautiful day for baseball!

We made a pit stop at a 4 story GAP after the game. The GAP headquarters is located in San Fran. And of course, I had to make a small purchase to document the occasion. And then we headed back to the hotel in Japantown for some rest. Even the street signs are in Japanese.

After a little resting, we decided to spend our last night in San Francisco at the Golden Gate Bridge. You can walk all the way across the bridge, but we settled for the half way point because it was a little chilly by this time in the day.

A view of San Francisco from the bridge.

Jordan enjoying the view.

Oh, California, I will miss you!

Quote of the Day: "I didn't realize there would be so many hills!"--Mom

Explanation: We decided to walk the 1.3 miles from Union Square back to our hotel instead of taking a bus. Jordan and I checked with our parents first to make sure they were okay with that distance. They both eagerly replied with, "We walk that distance all of the time at home!" .5 miles later, we were all out of breath...

Sonoma, CA

2010-07-04T11:14:00.001-07:00

If you know me well, then their is a large chance you also know I am a huge fan of wine. When my parents asked me what I wanted to do on our trip to Cali, visiting a winery was my top pick. We didn't have time to visit true Wine Country, Napa Valley, so we settled for a close second. Sonoma vineyards are known for producing Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. They have over 250 wineries to chose from. Deciding which one to visit was an overwhelming task so I turned to my trusty book to decide. The book suggested visiting Buena Vista Winery.

It was established in 1857 and was one of the first wineries in California to plant the European vinifera varieties. Translation: they took common grape vines from Europe and planted them in California. I visited Buena Vista's website and even made a phone call as part of my research before deciding on this location. And I must unhappily report that my book failed me for the first time! I am assuming the location is listed as one of the must sees before you die because of its origin. Buena Vista's website lists wine tastings for $10, which is a bargain. But it didn't say anything about tours, so I made a phone call. The gentleman on the phone informed me they have self-guided tours. This worked for me since I have toured wineries before and was more interested in walking around the grounds than hearing how wine is produced. Upon arriving to the winery, we were all eager to get started. The drive up to Sonoma was beautiful and from what we had seen so far, the property Buena Vista was located on was gorgeous. We made the 1/4 mile trek up to the front entrance. Around the main entrance they had picnic tables and several signs with information to read about the history of the winery. We tried to walk around the property, but everywhere we turned was blocked off with signs that read "employees only." So, I went inside to speak to someone. I was then informed that the signs located right outside was what they considered the "self-guided" tour and you couldn't actually walk around the grounds. But you could pay $10, sit inside, and drink some wine at their bar. I was disappointed...I could do that at home. The guy could sense the disappointment in my voice and was kind enough to suggest a different winery up the road, so that's where we went.
Up the road to Benziger family winery.

This place was a pleasant surprise. It was beautiful, gave a very detailed 30-45 min. tour of the grounds, allowed 4 wine samples, and only cost $15. They are also a Certified Sustainable Biodynamic winery. What's that you might ask? In short, they use all environmentally sound growing methods to produce their wines. Biodynamics is the highest level of organic farming. They avoid using synthetic chemicals on their vines and use all natural methods to control insects and to maintain the health of their soil. The staff was incredibly informative and the wine was so good I brought some home with me.

One the way back to our hotel, we spotted this little diamond. I couldn't help but wonder if I could have scored some free wine since I share it's namesake. Dang! I hate missed opportunities!

Quote of the Day: "I'm sure people get crocked up here!"--Dad

Translation: "I'm sure people get s*** faced up here!"

Monterey, CA

2010-06-28T23:17:00.001-07:00

After traveling up Highway 1 to Monterey, we decided to stop for the night and spend the following day there. I was okay with that plan because it allowed me to see some more sights from the book. Monterey was the original capital of California, a little fact I was unaware of before this week. The town is beautiful and still contains more than 40 buildings built before 1850. We started the morning out at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

We saw lots of fish and sharks...

Jellyfish...

and more jellyfish...

Pink flamingos...

Sea horses...

and even cooler sea horses...

and the cute penguins.

I thought this was funny, but maybe I am just immature.

After the Aquarium we headed over to Pebble Beach. You don't have to be a golfer to enjoy the holy- grail of golf courses. But if you are, you can play a round for $450. Or, you can pay $10 and just view the course along the 17-Mile Drive through Pebble Beach. That's what we did. Here are few goodies from the many pictures I took along the way...

Check out the fog...

Those are Sea Lions on the right side of the rock!

After Pebble Beach, it was time to head to San Fransisco. We booked our hotel off of hotwire.com. We were expecting some sort of national chain hotel, but were surprised when we found out we'd be staying at Hotel Kabuki in Japantown. As soon as we walked into the hotel, we were all excited to stay there. The hotel has beautiful accomodations and I think it's safe to stay we've never stayed in a neighborhood or a hotel quite like this one before. Upon entering our room, we had Japanese robes waiting for us.

Jordan getting some relaxation in...

Quote of the Day: "War! Huh-yeah, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing..."--Jordan, impersonating Jackie Chan from Rush Hour.

The Pacific Coast Highway

2010-06-27T22:57:00.000-07:00

Pacific Coast Highway, also known as Route 1, is described by the book as "America's dream drive." The last leg of our family vacation will take place in San Fransisco, so we decided to take PCH from LA to San Fran. Today, the route took us through Malibu, Santa Barbara, the Santa Ynez mountains, Big Sur, and the Monterey Peninsula. The drive is full of breath taking views of both the ocean and mountains. I convinced my family to stop in Santa Barbara at La Super-Rica Taqueria for lunch. It is in the book and is a street corner "shack" famous for their soft tacos. When we arrived for lunch, the line wrapped around the building. After waiting so long the day before at Pink's, I knew I'd hear some groaning from my family. But as soon as the food hit their mouths, the complaining stopped.

I ordered the #1 and #9, steak soft tacos and a cheese quesadilla. This place was so good, and so far, my favorite food spot the book has suggested.

After lunch, it was time to hit the road again. We made a few stops for some must see views and stopped for the night in Monterey. Here are a few pictures from the drive.

At our last hotel, my brother and I found a CD behind the dresser. So Jordan took the miscellaneous CD for us to listen to on our road trip. We had no idea what was on it and were pleasantly surprised that we actually liked most of the music. We were even more impressed with the amount of songs on the dang thing. It was the never ending disc of music with 88 tracks. Here is the picture to prove it...

So far, I'm loving California and I can't wait to see what it has in store for me this week!

Quote of the Day: "How are we doing on gas?"--Dad

I was in the driver's seat for the majority of our trip today. Our rental car has a fuel gauge that indicates how many miles you can drive before a fill up is necessary. But my dad has never owned a car with this feature. I'm not sure if it was a lack of trust or understanding of how the gauge works, but he felt it necessary to ask about the gas every 30 min. Fun times!

Hollywood

2010-06-26T21:22:00.001-07:00

Day three in Cali was spent in Hollywood. We started the afternoon out at Hollywood Park for some horse races. Jordan discovered a love for betting on horse races (aka gambling) last year. So we headed out to the park so he could show my parents the ropes.

My Dad ended up being the only one that came home with winnings. Being a big spender, he waged $2 on his first bet and won! I had to take a picture to document the earnings from his first win...

This guy came out and played his horn before each race to announce the horses taking the track.

After a few hours at the track, we headed over to Pink's for dinner. Pink's is a famous hotdog stand and a must see landmark in Hollywood. It has been in the same location for 69 years. Celebrity sightings are common there, but we didn't see any during our visit. :( When we arrived, the line to get in wrapped around the building! We waited in line for close to 1 1/2 hours for our dogs! Many thanks to my family for visiting so I could mark it off in my book!

Pink's is famous for their Chili Dogs, so that's what I got...along with onions, mustard, and cheese. Can you say heartburn? We got some onion rings and fries to share. I had an Orange Crush to wash down all of the grease.

Jordan ordered the Giant 12" jalapeno dog with bacon and cheese.

That was taking it a little too far for me, but he seemed to enjoy it!

Quote of the day: "This guy should feel blessed to have people waiting in line to buy his hot dogs."--Dad

Los Angeles, CA

2010-06-26T10:34:00.001-07:00

We decided to kick off day two of family vacation by touring the Getty Center in LA. The center is named after Jean Paul Getty, an American industrialist, who made billions in the oil industry. He was also an avid art collector. He built a house in the Pacific Palisades to house his collection. When he died in 1975, over $661 million of his estate was left to the museum. The Getty Villa is still open and Jean Paul Getty is buried there. However, as the Getty collection grew, more space was needed. So a center was created. The center was designed by architect Richard Meier and opened in 1997. It is 110 acres and six buildings. It took 14 years and $1 billion dollars to create. It is beautiful and overwhelming. The center is free to enter, but $15 to park. And if you think you can find free parking, guess again. The center sits atop a mountain and over looks LA. You have to ride a tram up the mountain just to get to the center! The museum houses many famous pieces of art, including Van Gogh's Irises.
Anyone that has ever traveled with me knows I HATE to look like a tourists. I prefer to blend in with the locals. So, you can imagine my disgust when we got out of the car and I spotted this...

My dad placed his brochure on the museum in his shirt pocket....

"Let me get that for you dad....I'll just keep that for you in my purse!"

Here is one view of LA from the museum.

The center also contains a beautiful outdoor garden and sculpture park. We spent a lot of time outside admiring it all.

This picture features the architecture of one of the buildings.

Jordan was not as excited about the museum as the rest of us...

Jordan and I sat outside next to this sculpture for awhile. Everyone was posing next to it and getting their picture taken...I'm not sure why. But I did it too!

After the museum, we drove to my Uncle's condo in Little Tokyo. I loved his place! He took us on a tour of downtown LA and then to eat at Philippe's. Apparently it is a pre-Dodger game staple. Here is a picture of the crowd of people all waiting in line for a sandwich! Almost everyone was in their Dodger gear. There were a few, including my brother, sporting some Yankee pride.

Philippe's is a sandwich spot. They have five choices, Beef, Pork, Ham, Turkey, or Lamb. And all sandwiches are served in a halved french roll. They claim to have invented the French Dip sandwich in 1908. My uncle has been eating here for the last 50 years. He was amused when I told him it was listed as a place to see before you die in my book. I would love to go back when I have more time to really enjoy the place. But we were in a hurry, we had a Dodger game to get to after all!

The Dodgers were playing the Yankees. And out of all the games we've been to, we've never been to one quite like the one we experienced last night. The game was a sell out and about 40% of the stadium contained Yankee fans. This is rare for baseball. The stadium is usually full of home team fans with a handful of visiting fans. The atmosphere was more like a college football game, not baseball. It made for an emotionally charged game. We witnessed the ejection of many fans, fights, and a Dodger fan pouring a beer over the head of a Yankee. And people say Baseball is boring to watch...

The Yanks won. Here are Dad and Jordan sporting their team pride.

Next up: Hollywood Park for some horse racing and Pink's, the famous hot dog stand.

Quote of the day: "Everybody wants to be a star."--Lindsay, referring to all of the wanna be singers and comedians that seem to be everywhere we go!

Santa Monica, CA

2010-06-24T22:38:00.001-07:00

Today marked the start of my one week family vacation in California. We had our first fight before we even made it to the airport, but as of tonight, we still love each other. We spent our first day in Santa Monica. My great uncle lives in LA. We had made plans to meet up with him at some point during our stay. We were pleasantly surprised to find him waiting for us when we picked up our rental car. He guided us to our hotel and then took us to the beach to get a bite to eat at a place called Back to the Beach Cafe. It was a beautiful day to eat outside next to the water.

My great uncle's full name is Robert. He is my mom's uncle and she calls him Rob, but as a child, I thought she was saying Bob...So, to me, he is my Uncle Bob. At a very young age, he planted the seeds that would develop into my passion for travel. He was always visiting some cool city or country and then would come back to Kansas with gifts and stories from his travels. I remember being specifically impressed with his tales from Egypt and various places he would visit in Europe. In high school and college, he encouraged his nieces and nephews to take a foreign language all 4 years in exchange for a $500 graduation gift. I took him up on his offer, and he helped me pay for a trip to France when I was in high school. As an adult, he still encourages me to visit new places and experience new cultures. I love seeing him and always learn something new from him every time I get to visit with him. At 78, he is still a force to be reckoned with.

My brother, Jordan, enjoying the sun.

After eating, we decided to venture over to the famous Santa Monica Pier. The Pier dates back to 1909! Here is a view of Santa Monica from the Pier.

The pier is famous for Pacific Park which contains several amusement park rides. I LOVE amusement park rides. Unfortunately, no one else in my family shares my love. After some hard core persuasion, my mom and brother agreed to ride the Ferris Wheel with me.

Day 1 in Cali was a success. Tomorrow includes a visit to the Getty Center, lunch at Philippes (home of the French Dip sandwich), and a Dodger's game. The first two are in the book, and if you ask my dad or brother, the Dodger's game should be...

Quote of the Day: "I think I just saw Bob Saget!"--Jordan, referring to our first sighting of a famous person. I watched Full House religiously as a child, so he is famous in my opinion!

Raleigh, North Carolina

2010-04-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

This month I was lucky enough to visit an old friend and meet a new one. I'll start with the old friend first. My friend from college, Erin, is now living in Raleigh with her husband, Ryan. I last saw them almost a year ago in Omaha at their wedding. So, I was due for another visit with my friend! I was really excited to see Erin and hang out with her new husband. Ryan and I had some catching up to do since I met him for the first time at their wedding. He is truly a Southern gentleman and I am so happy for my friend. Did I mention they met at the grocery store? I love that things like that REALLY do happen!
The lovely couple, Erin and Ryan Champion--How cool would it be to say "We are the Champions!" Their last name ROCKS!

The last time I rode around in a car with Erin she was driving a 1997 Honda Civic. I was pumped when she picked me up from the airport in this...

I named him Benny the Beemer, but Ryan insists the car needs a girl's name. :(
We kicked my vacation off with a trip to Moonlight Pizza. This place had a really cool funky and urban atmosphere. We ate outside next to candlelight and the weather was beautiful. Erin and I split the Greenhouse Effect--pizza with tomato sauce, garlic, basil, spinach, black olives, sun dried tomatoes, lemon zest, and mozzarella. We washed down the delicious pizza with pomegranate margaritas. Just a warning, from this point on, this post will contain a lot of food talk. You can't visit the South without eating your way through it! After dinner, we went back to Erin's house to share a bottle of wine. And I loved the wine! We sipped on Charles Shaw Shiraz, aka, Two-Buck Chuck. That's right folks, is $2.99. I loved it so much, I made Erin take me to Trader Joe's to purchase some to take home in my suitcase. And now, I wish I would have bought more...

Trader Joe's is an awesome store that carries great tasting foods, mostly used for entertaining. And the staff all wear Hawaiian shirts. Fun!
Day 2 of my trip was extremely productive because I got to cross 4 things off of the list of must sees before you die! We headed to Chapel Hill for a view of the University of North Carolina and a walk down Franklin Street.
We made a stop for lunch at Mama Dip's.

Not only was this restaurant in the book, but it has also been featured on the Food Network. That qualifies as a must see in my opinion. And just in case that is not enough to convince you to stop by for lunch, Paula Deen, the Southern Queen of food, holds an autographed spot on one of the walls when you walk in. I ordered Chicken and Dumplings for lunch. My meal came with two vegetable sides. I picked mashed potatoes with gravy and mac and cheese. You read that right, mac and cheese qualifies as a vegetable in the south! That's my kind of eating. And did I mention I had some cornbread, too? And did I mention I ate all of my food?
After that meal, some "walking around" was in order. So we headed over to Durham to visit Duke University. We spent some quality time in the Sarah P. Duke gardens. This spot was free to visit, not to mention beautiful. Here are a few of my favorite pictures.

After relaxing in the garden, we took a walk over to the famous Duke Chapel.

After walking off lunch, it was time to eat again! We picked another selection from the book, Magnolia Grill. This sophisticated restaurant is located in the middle of a neighborhood in an old converted grocery store. Magnolia Grill has also won several awards for its tasty food, including being ranked as #11 on Gourmet Magazines top 50 places to eat in America. Wow! We started out with a glass of wine and a crab dish for an appetizer. I had a NY strip for dinner with some yummy potatoes. We all finished with this...

The lemon poppy seed souffle cake with raspberry sauce was perfection!

After dinner, Ryan and Erin took me to Durham's new chic area for entertainment, the American Tobacco District. This was one of my favorite places to visit. This area was once one of America's largest tobacco manufactures. Today, the old warehouses have been renovated into bars, lofts, and office space. We went to Tyler's Tap Room to have a drink. Erin introduced me to this beer...

Lindemans Framboise Lambic, brewed in Belgium. I'm not gonna lie--this is a girly beer, but so yummy! Before it was common to use hops to season beers, fruits and vegetables were used. This beer is seasoned with raspberries and taste like fruit punch.

On Day 3, I made sure we hit up some Chick-Fil-A, which is probably my favorite fast food restaurant. How I wish we had one in Wichita!

Day 3 is also when I met my new friend. In 2005, I took a trip with a group of people from my church to Kampala, Uganda. We traveled to Africa to support the work of Watoto Children's Ministries. The mission of Watoto is to Rescue the precious orphaned children of Uganda, then Raise them in the word of God, and Rebuild Uganda by teaching these children how to be the next generation of Ugandan leaders.--Rescue, Raise, Rebuild. Instead of putting these children in a traditional orphanage, Watoto has developed a model that allows them to be a part of a family. They have 3 villages with medical clinics, churches, schools, and homes. Each home is made up of a mother and 8 children. This allows the children to grow up in a supportive and loving environment where they are allowed the opportunity to learn about the value of a healthy family. In 2005, our team helped build one of the homes in Suubi Village. Suubi is Swahili for hope. The experiences I shared with the people I met there left a lasting impression on my heart. I knew I wanted to continue to be involved with the mission of Watoto. However, visiting Africa on a regular basis is not financially possible for me. How I wish it was! So, I decided to sponsor a child for $35/month. Shortly after my trip, I was matched with Derrick. He was 7 years old at the time. It has been so much fun to see him grow through his letters and pictures he sends me. Watoto also puts together a children's choir. They allow each child to tour a developed country for 6 months. This allows Watoto to share their message while giving the children an opportunity to see what could be possible for their country as well. Derrick was in Raleigh at the time of my visit. So, after 4 years of sponsoring him, I actually got to meet him! And I loved every minute of it. He was incredibly sweet and polite. And his smile screamed innocence and happiness. I am so thankful I got to see him. If you are interested in learning more about Watoto or sponsoring a child, visit Watoto's website.

After seeing the Choir, Erin and I headed to a fashion show. The event was called Redress Raleigh. The fashion show only showcased eco-friendly designers. All of the garments were created from recycled or remanufactured garments as well as eco-friendly fabrics and production processes. One of the designers was Lindsay Kay. In case you missed it, that's my first and middle name. So, I felt compelled to take photos of her line. Please remember, I am not a professional photographer people...

Day 4 meant it was time to leave. I had my last southern meal of Biscuits and Gravy at Bojangles. I can't wait to go back and visit. There is still so much to do in N. Carolina out of my book! Here is Otto, Ryan and Erin's dog, giving me a kiss goodbye.

Thank you Erin for letting me stay in your beautiful home and planning such a fantastic trip! I can't wait to see you and Ryan again.

Quote of trip: "I hope you like your biscuits soaked in butter."--Ryan

Party in KC

2010-03-10T19:42:00.001-08:00

I went to Kansas City this past weekend with my friend, Molly, and her husband, Robert. We made the special trip to celebrate our friend, Lynette's, birthday. In case you can't tell from this picture, she was turning 28!

Our first night, we did some celebrating in the Power and Light District. It was so much fun I plan to make a repeat visit. Apparently, Robert had an enjoyable time as well...

Lynette and I stumbled upon this guy.

He was wearing a real sheep's skin. No joke, we could smell the funk! Molly and Lynette got a kick out of me wanting to take a pic with him. They called me "goat girl" in high school. Supposedly, I tend to sound like a goat when I laugh from time to time. I have NO idea what they are talking about. Saturday night in KC entailed a thrilling night of cosmic bowling. Our good friends from high school, James and Brad, joined us in KC as well. We all posed for a "cool kids" class reunion photo.

Typical James pose....

Some things from high school never change.

James is still goofy and I still love my girls!

Cheers to a great weekend of celebration and great friends!

Robert got a "little" tipsy the first night. (Saying a little is really being too kind.) As a result, he agreed to be our designated driver for our second night out on the town. As he was driving us, he revealed an unknown fact.

Quote of the trip: "I've never been a designated driver before!"

--Robert

Really?!?!?! Wow!

Vacation, Topeka Style

2010-02-01T19:57:00.000-08:00

One of my bestest friends, Michelle, turned 28 recently. Kylie and I decided it would be appropriate to pay her a visit in Topeka to help her celebrate the Month of Michelle. What would a birthday celebration be without gifts? We all share a love for cooking...and eating, so Ky and I thought Shell would love some new cookbooks. Here is Michelle posing with The Pioneer Woman Cooks and The Biggest Loser Cookbook.

After opening gifts, we decided to hit the streets of Topeka for some world class shopping. Kylie was pretty pumped about this find:

We finished our shopping just in time to catch the Cats and Hawks hoop it up at Henry T's. I was 100% confident that my team would pull off a win. However, I must unfortunately report, at the time of this post, KU is #1. You can draw your own conclusions on the outcome of the game...
After the game, a Jayhawk was nice enough to share an Irish Car Bomb with me. It was a tasty first for me. For those of you who do not know the genetic make up of this particular shot, it contains Bailey's Irish Cream, Guinness, and Jameson Irish Whiskey. This picture was captured by Michelle right after the drink consumption...I will allow you all to create your own thought bubbles above our heads.

For those of you who remember my last Topeka blog post, I discussed Glory Days pizza. I declared I wanted to try the Baked Potato Pizza. It contains ranch dressing, potatoes, bacon bits, cheese, sour cream, and chives. It did not disappoint!

We may have gotten a little carried away with our food and alcohol intake. At one point, we were debating on whether to have another drink when a friend of Michelle's reminded us we were on vacation. That's right, a Topeka vacation. So that became our motto for the remainder of the trip. Glory Days is so good, it is almost impossible to decide on just one pizza or one topping. So we didn't....

Thanks for a great weekend girls!

Quote of the trip: "Go ahead, you're on vacation!"--Sarah

Abilene, KS

2010-01-25T18:05:00.001-08:00

It's been awhile since my last road trip so I convinced Julie and Gerry to take a short road trip with me to Abilene. I'll be honest, the only reason I picked Abilene is because it is in "the book." We decided to start the day out with a visit to the Eisenhower Center. The last time I visited the Center I was in middle school, and I don't remember a dang thing. I'm sure it was not from lack of paying attention. I definitely enjoyed the museum and what it has to offer more as an adult. Abilene was the birthplace of our 34th president, Dwight D. Eisenhower. The center contains a museum, the presidential library, Ike's home, and his grave. The museum not only tells Eisenhower's story, but also the history of Abilene.
Check out this bicycle we found on display. How much fun does that look like?!?!

Julie and I chillin' at Ike's.

Next, we did what any other chocolate fan would do....made a stop at the Russell Stover Candies Outlet. I think Julie and I were slightly more excited than Gerry. Here we are sharing some love with the "I love chocolate" bear.

$60 later...

Our last stop of the day was for dinner at the Kirby House. This is not in the book, but it should be. I absolutely loved this place! The Kirby House is a Victorian home that was built in 1885 by banker, Thomas Kirby. The home was restored to resemble how it looked in 1885 and turned into a restaurant in 1987. The atmosphere is fun and inviting. And the food was amazing. I had chicken fried chicken, mashed potatoes and the best iced tea I've ever experienced.

Happy faces and full tummies after a wonderful meal.

Quote of the trip: "I guess you have to be really talented to weave hair into a wreath..."--Lindsay

Referring to human hair wreaths that were on display in the museum.

KSU vs. KU

2009-11-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

Warning: This post may not be suitable for youngsters, easily offended people, or KU fans. The use of blinders may be required for small children.

This past weekend, my family and I traveled to Manhattan, KS for the 107th Sunflower State Showdown. I was pretty excited the event was in Manhattan where I could be surrounded by my fellow Wildcats since my family was rooting for the Hawks. My brother, Jordan, talked crap on the Cats all the way there. Here he is sporting his Jayhawk pride on the drive to the game. Notice he is looking pretty smug about the Jayhawk's ability to pull off a win.

Half time score...

And as you can see, a little bit of the smugness has disappeared from his expression.

Final score, need I say more?

I would have gotten a picture inside of the stadium to show the upset on Jordan's face, but he decided to escape before the roar of the crowd took over the stadium. I was able to snatch this photo as I approached the car. Better luck next time Hawks!

Quote of the trip: "I'm not watching KU football for the rest of the season!"--Jordan

Hermann, MO

2009-11-08T17:15:00.000-08:00

Molly and Lynette are two of my best friends. Lynette and I became friends in elementary school. Molly and I became friends in middle school. And the three of us became inseparable in high school.

Here are a few good pictures from our high school days.

I love wine and so do Molly and Lynette. So, I couldn't think of two better people to explore Missouri Wine Country with. This trip was planned straight out of "the book" and we were not left dissappointed. We started the weekend off in KC so we could spend some time with Lynette's boyfriend, Dave, and a few of his friends. He took us to a local bar called Johnny's where we partook in lots of shots and drinks. It was the perfect warm-up for our day of wine tasting.

Lynette and Dave

After a bit too much fun the night before, some water, and tylenol, the three of us headed to Hermann the next morning. Hermann is a quaint little town of 2700 people that exudes German culture. In 1836, a group of Germans from Philadelphia bought the land in Hermann and started producing wine. In the 1900s, Stone Hill Winery was the second-largest winery in the United States until prohibition occured. The winery re-opened in 1967. According to "the book", Oktoberfest is the best time visit, so that is exactly what we did.

We started the day off with some German food:

After some food in our bellies, we decided to take a tour of the winery.

And after the winery tour it was time for some wine tasting. We went on the tour with a group of 45 people, and I'd say we really enjoyed the tour, but we enjoyed the tasting even more. We were the last 3 left in the wine tasting room.

After purchasing a case of wine, and becoming Stone Hill VIP members, we decided it was time to leave the winery and explore the town. We found this cute little choloate store called Ricky's Chocolate Box and did some more sampling, only it was chocolate this time.

We visited a few beer gardens and listened to Oompah bands.

Our last stop was a local brewery.

Aside from all of the fun, Hermann is also a gorgeous town. Here are two of my favorite picutures of the beautiful scenery.

We stopped in KC on the way home to meet the newest edition to Lynette's family, her niece, Jensen Michelle. I was so happy to meet her!

Thanks for a great weekend girls!

Quote of the trip: "I don't drive bad, I just have a sensitive steering wheel!"--Lindsay

Kansas Humane Society

2009-11-08T16:48:00.000-08:00

On Friday, October 23rd I was scheduled to leave town for a girl's weekend, but decided to make a pit stop at the Kansas Human Society to adopt this cute little girl!

Kya is a Boxer/Boston Terrier mix and one of the most adorable little things I've ever seen. We are having lots of fun together and I am quickly learning her likes and dislikes.
Kya loves too....

Play with her rope

Chew on anything and everything, including the couch

Wear her coat

Sleep in my dirty clothes

Cuddle with her cousin, Doja (My brother's dog)

And play with Doja's tail!

Quote of the trip: "Woof!"--Kya (Translation: "Thanks for rescuing me!")

Sin City Getaway

2009-10-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, my friend Kylie and I realized we have now been friends for 20 years. We decided we needed to celebrate in a big way and Vegas was the perfect place to do so. We opened our trip up to several of our friends, and my friend, Molly, decided it would be appropriate to come along to celebrate her birthday.
Here we are ready to start an unforgettable weekend.

First stop: Liquor Store.

WOW! We really did consume all of that alcohol in three days.

Second stop: Caesars Palace.

I was pumped to discover Caesars Palace was in "the book" as one of the must see's in Vegas, and we were staying there! The hotel was beautiful and had everything a girl could ask for: fine dining, a huge relaxing pool, and it's own shopping mall.
Here are a few pictures of the pool area.

Molly playing Blackjack in the pool.

After settling into our room it was time to walk around the strip. We stopped for a bite to eat and Molly ordered a yard of Margarita. Kylie and I stuck to the normal 12 oz drinks.

And next to our restaurant was M&M World. I was in heaven!

That same night I got my first taste for the slot machines. Although I wasn't a big gambler ( I stuck to the penny and nickle machines) it was fun to try it out. Thanks Molly and Kylie for showing me the ropes...

After a little fun at the slot machines we visited a piano bar in Paris which is always fun. I'm always amazed that someone other than Molly really does know every word to every song!

There are three other must see hotels of Vegas according to "the book" and of course I made sure I got to see them. Here they are:

The Bellagio

All smiles after watching the spectacular fountains outside the Bellagio!

The Wynn

And the Mirage

The Cirque du Soleil show, Love, was showing at the Mirage. We went to the show on our last night and that was the highlight of the trip for me. The Mirage specifically built the Revolution Lounge, shown above, and the theater inside the hotel for this show. Inside the theater, each seat contains surround sound allowing the Beatles music to be heard in perfect clarity while watching the show.

Here are a few more pictures from the Lounge and the theater area.

Our friend, Jason, we made at the Revolution Lounge.

Aside from eating,window shopping, and laying by the pool, we also did quite a bit of going out and dancing.

These two guys danced up to us one night. Check out library boy dancing by Kylie.

And here is crazy eyes shaking his bootie on Molly.

And here is why we call him crazy eyes....

For future reference - Skittles+vodka+soda does not = Zima+Jolly Ranchers. But it looks really pretty and we could tell our drinks a part!

Apparently I am now obsessed with my book and highlighting completed sections of it.

I referred to it several times when trying to decide on activities in Vegas and used the following quote repeatedly when Kylie and Molly shot me down.

Quote of the trip: "But it's in the book!" --Lindsay

Nelson Atkins Museum of Art

2009-09-11T00:24:00.000-07:00

After I first bought 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, I immediately started day dreaming about all of the different weekend getaways and day trips I could take. And then, I started thinking about who I could talk into taking those trips with me. My friends, Gerry and Julie, instantly popped into my head. Anytime I'm ready for a little adventure or wanting to test out a new restaurant, they always rise to the occasion.

I grew up with Julie. We met in middle school in our church youth group and became fast friends. She was my first friend to get a car. I have many memories of her attempting to teach me how to drive her stick shift car in the church parking lot. Or, picking me up every morning for school in her car you could hear from blocks away, but still thinking that was way more cool then arriving by bus, or worse, getting a ride from my parents! Between all the mission trips and church camps we've gone to together, I think I've traveled more with her than with any other friend. Gerry is her husband of 7 years. In 2005, the three of us traveled together to Africa for three weeks with a group from our church. I had hung out with Gerry before that trip, but it was after that experience when I started to truly consider Gerry as a friend too.

One night I took my book over to their house and asked them to take a look and pick a destination we could visit for the day. Gerry picked the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, MO. I must confess, I did not even know this museum existed until Gerry pointed it out in the book.

Our day trip started in Emporia, KS. I met them there after my day of cheering on the Cats. As we were driving, we noticed a truck in front of us that appeared to be driving sideways. Take a look for yourself....

Notice the front tires are almost centered in the driving lane while the back tires are on the white line. Crazy!

We stopped on the Plaza to eat lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen. We ordered three pizzas and did a little sharing.

Pear and Gorgonzola Pizza.

Under all of that lettuce, there is a pizza with carmelized pears and sweet onions, cheese, chopped hazlenuts, and goronzola ranch dressing.

BBQ Chicken Pizza with Bacon, because bacon makes everything taste better!

Hawaiian Pizza with pepperoni

And for dessert, Chocolate Banana Royale cake with vanilla ice cream, please.

After lunch, it was time to head to the musuem. The Nelson Atkins Museum is currently celebrating its 75th anniversary. The museum contains more than 33,500 works of art. It has one of the finest Chinese art collections in the world. I found this interesting because I had never visited a musuem with Chinese art on display. I was very impressed with the diversity of all the different collections. The museum contains paintings, furniture, sculpure, photography, masks, and print. We viewed art by Andy Warhol, Geogia O'Keeffe, Claude Monet, and Ansel Adams just to name a few. Who knew so many famous works of art were located at a museum in KC?.....Not me!

One of my favorite areas of the museum was the outside sculpture park.

I tried to fit inside the bronze jacket, but I was too big! Gerry had to pose instead.

The museum is famous for the shuttlecock sculptures displayed across the lawn in front of the museum.

I love this picture of Julie and Gerry.

I'm so glad I took the time to visit this museum and would go back to visit in a heartbeat. If anyone is interested in visiting, you may be happy to hear it is free (they do take donations) and $5 to park. It was definitley worth the trip. Thanks for a great day Julie and Gerry!

Quote of the trip: "You've got to love the shuttlecock!"--Julie

Manhattan, KS

2009-09-09T17:10:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I got to visit one of my favorite places, Manhattan, KS. And I went to cheer on my favorite team, the Wildcats!

My love affair with the Wildcats started from birth, much to the dismay of my Jayhawk loving family. I was born in Manhattan, and although I only lived there for a short time, it was just long enough for the blood in my veins to run purple. When it came time to pick a college there was no question that K-State was where I wanted to be. I loved every minute of my 4 years there and love going back to visit.

Here I am with my old college roomie, Michelle, and a friend from childhood, Lynette. This happened to be Lynette's first K-State game experience, so we had to properly document the occasion with a picture.

Not only were we celebrating the season opener, but also the return of Coach Bill Synder. KSU called this game the "Family Reunion." The stadium was full of alumni, students, fans, and over 340 former KSU football players. An attendance record was set for being the largest KSU season opening football game.

Inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium, aka "The Bill."

After a long day of tailgating and cheering, a Wildcat Win was the perfect way to end the day.

Go Cats!

Quote of the trip: "I miss Manhattan!"--Lindsay

South Carolina

2009-09-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I took a much needed vacation to Columbia, South Carolina where I visited two of my great friends, Ben and Becca. We all became good friends when we worked together
at B. Dalton Bookseller. When our store closed, they decided to explore the South and moved to Columbia.

My first night there, we decided to do a little shopping and some eating. Two of my favorite things. We ate dinner at the Cheesecake Factory where I consumed some Fried Macaroni and Cheese (Yes, I did say fried), my favorite Tex Mex Eggrolls, and a Lemoncello Cream Torte. What better way to start a vacation?

On Day two we headed to Charleston to visit Boone Hall Plantation from the book, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, known from now on as "the book." It is one of America's oldest working plantations and crops have been produced on the grounds for over 320 years! Several movies have been filmed at the plantation including The Notebook, North and South, and Queen.

This is Becca and I getting ready to take a tour of the grounds.

Here is a picture of the slave's living quarters. They were incredibly small, and some of them even included a loft to fit additional people. It was hard not to get emotional as we toured the inside of the living quarters and imagined the lifestyle of the slaves.

Here is a picture of the driveway that leads up to the main home on the plantation. The trees were planted in 1743 and it took two centuries for them to grow and meet in the middle to form the canopy that can be seen today.

The plantation home:

We took several pictures around what we thought was a 600 year old tree....

Only to find out after the tour that this is actually the 600 year old tree. Oops!

After spending all day at the plantation, we were hot, tired, and hungry. So, we headed to Folly Beach. Ben and Becca took me to an awesome Mexican restrauant, Taco Boy. We had good food, strong drinks, and an incredible dessert known as Tres Leche. (aka, 3 milk sponge cake soaked in Brandy. Yum!) After dinner, we took a leisurely stroll along the beach. And after that meal, I was thankful that our stroll didn't involve swimwear!

Here are some pictures from the beach.

While in S. Carolina, I stayed at Ben and Becca's apartment along with their Great Dane, Ginger. I fell in love with her instantly. We became best buds.

Here is me posing with Ginger to demonstrate her small horse like qualities. I tried to get her to take me for a short ride, but apparently she is not into giving free pony rides.

On our last day, I made Ben take me to Five Guys. We don't have any around here, and I'd never been before. I mainly wanted to visit because I saw Barack Obama eat at one in DC on TV. If it's good enough for the President, it has to be pretty good stuff, right? I was not disappointed.

Here is a picture of Ginger and I on our last morning together. I think she was sad to see me go!

Quote of the trip: "It doesn't smell like a** everywhere," said Becca as we crossed over a bridge. "We may live in the armpit of the country, but not the a**hole." --Becca

Topeka, KS

2009-07-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, my friend Kylie and I traveled to Topeka to visit our friend Michelle. Michelle recently bought a house, and we decided it was time to visit our friend in her new home. So we packed Kylie's son, Graham, into the car and headed north for the day. It was a great trip. We got to see some old friends, meet some new ones, and Kylie and I even did some realaxing in the hammock on Michelle's deck. Too bad both of us trying to get into the hammock wasn't caught on tape, I'm pretty sure it was comical.

Here is Michelle in front of her beautiful new house. I'm so jealous!

Our former KSU roommate, Julie, lives in Kansas City with her family. She had a baby girl at the end of May. Since Kylie and I hadn't met her yet, Julie and her husband met us at Michelle's house too.

Julie, Aaron, and Brooke.

Graham and Brooke enjoyed meeting each other too. Graham was born in February and I'd always thought of him as a little baby until I saw him laying next to Brooke. Look how cute they are!

Brooke and Graham, Sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!

Graham, Kylie, Michelle, Me, Julie and Brooke.

I've only been to Topeka 3 other times in my life. Other than the state capital, I'm not really sure what else there is to do there. However, I'm sure I'll learn since one of my very best friends is now a resident. On my last trip, I was introduced to pizza from Glory Days. Apparently, it was voted Best of Topeka in 2007. It was so good I requested to have it again on this trip. They have a pizza on their menu called the Baked Potato. It has ranch dressing, potatoes, cheese, bacon bits and is topped with sour cream and chives. I'm thinking I'll try that one next time.

Quote of the trip: "This pizza is so good! Can I get it in buffet style?"--Lindsay