Road Trip to Hudson, NY

We had a lovely drive from NYC to Hudson, NY. I was hoping the fall colors would be out in all their glory and I was not disappointed. I took a ton of photos through the car window along the way but, in the end, the best ones were those we took when we stopped and wandered around.

A few from the car

Scenic outlook along the Hudson River

We started looking for a place to stop for lunch and pulled off the road in Poughkeepsie.  I'm sure it's a lovely town but we did not see a restaurant that appealed to us (or should I say "to me" since I am the picky one?)

We kept going.

 Maybe we should have gone into The Derby!

I liked this attempt to make the boarded up windows more appealing.  I think maybe Poughkeepsie has seen better days.

 Next stop, Rhinebeck, and I thought The Terrapin looked just right!

It had a pretty extensive menu and for some reason, I was really craving the soul food plate.  Now, I have had some great soul food in my time and I am not sure why I thought a little place in Rhinebeck NY would necessarily be able to match it, but I couldn't resist.  I never eat like this any more--fried chicken, mashed potatoes AND mac & cheese, plus greens!  It was actually pretty darned good, the mac & cheese especially.   Chicken could have used a little more seasoning but I was happy with my choice!

We arrived in Hudson right around 3 PM, check in time at our lovely B&B, the Croff House.  Mom had the only room on the first floor, luckily, because the staircase to the second floor was steep and winding.  One of the owners, Duncan, met us at the door and showed us around, gave us lots of info, and provided us with some dinner suggestions.  He and his partner Russ were very friendly and welcoming. They live in a beautiful Victorian home right next door and popped in several times to check on guests and take care of business.

We've always enjoyed our B&B stays--it's nice to have a common area to sit and read or chat, especially when you have more than one room.  Lots better than having to cram into one bedroom and sit on the beds to talk.  And, of course, the breakfast is usually quite a bonus!

When my friend Susan and I were in NYC many years ago, we ate at a place called Mexican Radio and LOVED it. I remember the atmosphere being super cool and the food delicious. We talked about that place for a long time after.  To my surprise, Mexican Radio has expanded to Hudson so I pretty much insisted that we eat dinner there the first night.  While the restaurant was just as cool, the food was not as fabulous as I remembered.   Funny how it's so hard to duplicate one's experience, or maybe our memories just get embellished over time.  Either way, it was a disappointment and I am sure Mom and Rich wondered why I raved about it so much!

They even advertise that their flan is "the best in the world" and it has been given an award by Latina Magazine.  It was good, but it was not outstanding. At the risk of seeming completely biased, I will say that Rich  makes much better flan, so perhaps I should have the magazine folks come and taste his!  :)

We were tired after dinner so hung out in the living room of the B&B for awhile and then said our "good-nights" with anticipation of the nice breakfast we'd  have in the morning and the sights we'd see in the Hudson Valley over the next couple of days.

Lots of beautiful foliage photos coming up next!

24 hours in New York City

When we were planning our trip back East, Rich noticed that the New York City Wine and Food Festival was scheduled for one of the weekends we'd be in the vicinity.  We purchased tickets for ourselves and Mom to go for one day, and then planned a little road trip into the Hudson Valley afterwards.

The fest started at noon so we decided to drive almost all the way to the City the night before to save an early morning wake up and a rushed drive in on the day of the event.  We found a reasonable hotel in the town of Avenel, NJ, for the night. We'd never been to Avenel before and found its crazy one way streets to be quite a nuisance.  The hotel was on the opposite side of the highway from where we were driving and it took us forever to find a cross street to backtrack to our place.  Any time we saw a road, "no left turn" was allowed.  Later we went out for dinner and had the same issue going both ways. Whew! I guess everyone who lives there knows all the shortcuts and side roads but we sure did not!

We got up and drove into NYC the next morning.  Rich did a great job, we found our way with no problem and the traffic was not too terrible.

Claustrophobia driving through the Lincoln Tunnel

It was too early to check into our hotel so we stored our bags, handed the car over to the valet, and took a cab to the food and wine show.  We had to stand in line for about 40 minutes before it opened for the day, but luckily the sun was shining!  Finally we were let into the huge building which was crammed full of booths with samples of various food and drink from every vendor imaginable.  Where to begin? What to try?

 We spent several hours sampling all kinds of deliciousness

 Mom and Rich discussing something important, I am sure!

Taking a little break

We wanted to watch some of the demonstrations by famous chefs but the seating area stayed full and there was no chance of getting a chair.  After wandering around a little more, we called it a day and headed back to the hotel to chill out for awhile.

 The view from our room on the 33rd floor

Nobody was too hungry for dinner but Rich and I took a walk later that night and stopped in at Charlie Palmer's  restaurant Aureole for some fancy desserts while Mom rested in the room.

 Chocolate Cremeux, sablee, thyme ice cream

 Lamington, blood orange, pistachio

 Out on the street

The rush of Times Square

After our quick visit, we were up and on our way to the Hudson Valley the next morning.   I heart NYC and can't wait to go back again!

Off to New Jersey!

We're down in New Jersey for a couple of weeks, visiting my mom and the rest of the NJ family.  No matter how far I roam, and no matter that I lived here for only a short percentage of my life, I will always be a Jersey girl at heart.  Both my parents grew up in NJ and although we were military and traveled quite a bit, we always called NJ our home base.  My maternal grandparents' home was the place we felt comfortable and secure even though we never had a long term home of our own.  My NJ aunts, uncles and cousins were somewhat of a mystery to me because we didn't grow up with them and were unaccustomed to their ways and traditions, but they were family and I always felt like this was where I belonged.  I spent two years at McGuire AFB, attending freshman and sophomore years of high school--a mixed memory of good times and teen angst.  :)  Even after living in Texas for many years, raising my girls there and making some of the best friends ever, I never considered myself a Texan and never felt that same sense of "home" that I have in "Jersey."

After the long flights from Unalaska to Anchorage to Seattle to Philadelphia (anyone who's been reading this blog for long knows THAT drill by now!), we were picked up by Mom and my niece Becca.  It was great to see them and to catch up with news on the way home.  Of course, we had to pick up hoagies for supper--that's what we do just about every time we come in!  My sister in law Patty and nephew Billy also came by to visit that night.

Rich and I took a walk around Laurel Springs one evening--the weather has been perfect, sunny and warm and you know I love that!  Mom grew up in Laurel Springs, my grandparents lived here until they died, I lived here with two of my daughters while going to grad school, so it's definitely the one place that has provided a lot of continuity in my life.  Here are a few photos from our walk.

Welcome to Laurel Springs!

I love all the big old houses here. They have so much character and each one is unique.

Skipping down my Mom's street!  Yes, I am happy to be here!

Lots of vibrant flowers still blooming...and another nice house

Laurel Lake, where the poet Walt Whitman enjoyed his mud baths back in the day

House, tree, owl, moon

Mom belongs to a "Red Hats" ladies group and October was her month to host the rest of the gang.  Rich cooked a fabulous lunch for them and I had a great time helping serve the guests and chatting with  them about Alaska.  A fun time was had by all!

 My Aunt Jeannette, my Aunt Mary, my Mom's cousin Louise and lots of Mom's fun friends

Aunt Mary and Mom

 My Uncle Tom came by to say hi

 My cousin Timmy and his lovely wife Brandi

My Aunt Mary and me

Another night, my brother Bill, his wife Patty and Mom joined us at Jose Garces' restaurant Amada in Philadelphia.  Rich and I ate at one of Garces' restaurants in Chicago and just LOVED it so we wanted to try this one as well.  We had a great selection of small plates that we shared amongst all of us and everything was fabulous.  Jose Garces is my favorite celebrity chef these days. I am a huge fan!  :)  If you ever have a chance to eat at any of his places, don't miss out!

More to come....

20th Anniversary at the Grand Aleutian....and the Blueberry Bash

The Grand Aleutian Hotel, where Rich is Executive Chef, celebrated its 20th year with a big party for the whole community.  Of course, Rich had to work since he and his crew were turning out food for several hours.  My friends and I went for a little while and had a good time eating lots of gourmet hors d' oeuvres and chatting with everyone.

 Tammy and Melanie

 Jane and Sonia

Marisa with some goodies

 Meanwhile, back in the kitchen....

Next up, the Blueberry Bash.  Though it was not the best year for local wild blueberries, the annual event still had a good number of entries and I was lucky enough to be asked to be a judge.  My cohorts Erin and Lauren and I got to taste lots of pies and tarts in one category and candies and confections in another.  Did we draw the long straw or what?!  We were definitely on sugar overload by the time we were finished.

  Just a very small sampling of some of the items we "had" to taste

 Do we have blueberries in our teeth?

Here's the part where the judging is done, the winners are announced, and all the attendees get to eat!

Powder Run

There's been lots going on in our little town!

My friends and I participated in the 5K Powder Run for breast cancer awareness.  Well, we are not runners so we walked.  AND we were at the back of the pack, took a pit stop at Sonia's house, and then were so far behind that we turned around before we reached the halfway point.  Yes, I am admitting we did not do the whole 5K, but we COULD have.  :)   If you're not familiar with a powder run or color run, it's basically a big ole mess where people are stationed throughout the course to throw colored powder on you as you go by.  Since we were way at the end, we were spared the worst of it because many stations were about out of powder by the time we got there.

 Checking in and waiting to start

 The walkers pulling up the rear

 A bunch of pink comin' at ya!

However, at the end, we all got one big dose of color to finish off the day!

 Melanie and Sonia

A little messy, but not too bad!

We had a great turnout of women, men, students, kids, babies in backpacks and strollers, and quite a few dogs.  The Powder Run is for a cause close to my heart since I have had several friends who've dealt with breast cancer. My walk was for my friend Karen, who is doing great, and for my friend Rudene, who is no longer with us.  They have both been a big part of my life for many years and I love them dearly.  Of course, we are ever hopeful for better and better early detection and a cure.