Tracy's Backpack – Page 9 – Off to see some mother-effin monkeys, bitchez!

NYC: Dinosaurs and Hamilton. June 2016

Tracy, June 23, 2016

Jun 23 2016

Admittedly, I am terrible about writing the posts describing my final travel updates. And then my super talented sister wanted to play around and re-design this site, and now it looks fantastic. But I’ve become aware that I never wrote about our final two days in NYC, so here it is, two months later. We’ll see what happens.

My sister Reagan met us at our hotel at 8am, which is very early for her night-owl self. Turns out she’d actually been up since before 5am (she was staying with pals in Brooklyn, and her pal got called into work super early that Monday, so Reagan caught a ride with her). What should we do today? I start to list off options of museums, starting with Natural History. Reagan and Kate both yell “Dinosaurs!” so our decision is easily made. We first stop for bagels for breakfast, and don’t ask for them toasted (thanks to Joseph for telling me this. As a Pacific NW gal, I had no idea of the “never toast bagels” vitriol. He related a story from his first week in NYC, ordering a bagel toasted, “and they looked at me like I was a MONSTER!” “Because the bagels are fresh,” his wife Michelle (native New Yorker) explains. Huh. So even though the bagel place gave us the option of toasting (seems most shops have caved to the pressure of tourists and will now allow toasting), we were glad to know how to order it. 🙂 Then a subway ride up to the Natural History Museum (“American Museum of Natural History” but who has the time for all those words? In truth, we just called it the Dinosaur Museum).

The subway stop has fun mosaic animals on the walls. Then, the museum edifice, and it’s gorgeous. Guys, they are REALLY into Teddy Roosevelt. Like, a lot! * laughs.* Had fun taking photos next to the appropriate carved descriptions of Roosevelt, Reagan next to “Scholar” and myself next to “Explorer.” Sadly, we couldn’t convince Kate to pose next to “Ranchman,” even though she is from Montana. Then standing in an epic line, but that’s okay because DINOSAURS! Then exploring the museum. Hooray!

The dinosaur stuff does not disappoint, and neither do their giftshops. Such a sucker for museum shops, especially when they have animal stuff. All the fossils! Reagan shares deep thoughts with a Dodo.

I find the most METAL prehistoric deer ever, as well as my beloved Giant Sloth. We see TITANOSAUR!!! More museum. (Took a break for an expectedly mediocre meal at the food trucks out front. Now, food carts can be delicious, but unsurprisingly, this prime tourist real estate doesn’t require quality. Still, it was warm (mostly). Ha. Back to the museum for another hour.

There’s an entire exhibit on primates, with its own giftshop!! “Off to see some mother effing monkeys!” Mission Accomplished. When trying to decide which museum exhibit to see next, Kate and Reagan say they were only here for the dinosaurs. Mission Accomplished. So we left and wandered into Central Park.

And, wonder of wonders, the sun is shining!! And it’s over 40*. Downright tropical! We wander through the Ramble, at each intersection of paths, one of us would shout out a direction, and we’d turn that way. Reagan sees a sign for Hans Christian Anderson, we assume it’s a statue and not his remains, and head that way. This inspires her and I to start singing Copenhagan from the Danny Kaye Hans Christian Anderson movie (a beloved part of our childhood). And we continue singing until the entire song is finished. It’s fricking magical, you guys! Kate tries to interject a few times, but we just sing over her, big goofy grins on our faces. Once we’re finished, I try to use this as an example of why Kate should be jealous that she doesn’t have siblings, but she’s not having it. *smile * Now, visiting NYC for the first time is surreal, because the city is such a prominent part of our cultural landscape. Especially throughout Manhattan, so many of these views have been a part of my tv and film experiences for my entire life. In Grand Central Station earlier, I kept expecting to see a police chase, with inept FBI undercover agents and a spooked target. Similarly while walking through Central Park, there were “memories” of places I’d never been. We found the pond with all those wooden toy sailboats. And I learned a thing! Seeing this in movies over the years, I’d just thought there must be a dedicated group of wooden sailboat enthusiasts in NYC. Nope, they rent them, right there at the pond. That makes a lot more sense. Oh, and while at the museum and then at Central Park, Joseph keeps texting me different ticket deals he’s finding for broadway shows tomorrow (Tues). I keep reminding him that this trip isn’t necessarily about seeing more plays than there are days in town, and that Kate isn’t a die-hard theatre junkie and she’s been so gracious in going along to all these shows already, that I think we’re set. But then Kate says, sure, we can see another show. “Really?!?” “Yeah, I mean, I’ve liked everything we’ve seen so far, and I don’t drink, and we’re past our “clubbing” days, so it’s not like we have a lot to do in the later evenings, anyways.” These are good points. So then I’m coordinating with Joseph and downloading this app for tickets and it’s very exciting/stressful, but then we’re confirmed to see the new Fiddler.

We find the Hans Christian Anderson statue. We smile, sing a tiny bit more, and take a photo. Then we see a tiny plaque that is a huge bummer: “In honor of the children who lost their parents on 9/11/01.” I mean, thanks to the Stuart Frankel Family, that’s a lovely tribute. So then we had some poignant reflection time. Wandered back through the city to our hotel (Eventi, because y’all know I love a Kimpton Hotel. And it was great space, with decent free coffee in the morning. Although the staff wasn’t as noticeably friendly/go out of their way to help you as at other Kimptons, but this was also much larger/had way more guests than many of their more boutique hotels, so they are just too busy, which is fine). We get changed for the evening, and share our prizes from the museum gift shops. Then we’re discussing timing and where to eat near the theatre. Reagan suddenly notices that I had the WRONG start time. Oh no! Because the show Sat was at 8pm, I’d just been assuming 8pm. She points out it’s earlier on weeknights. Duh. Also, holy hell. My heart drops into my stomach. I mean, we didn’t miss anything and we still have a few HOURS to get over there. But just the realization of the potential terrible that could’ve happened. As we could have been happily having a drink somewhere and we wander over to the theatre to find it has already started and they’ve given away our seats to standby. And my heart would’ve broken. I mean, none of those terrible things happened, but it still gives me chills just thinking about it. Guys, I’m a planner. I plan. I triple check everything. Yet I somehow hadn’t checked the start time of the show I bought tickets for 6 months in advance and flew across the damn country to go see?!? What happened?!?

Anyways, crisis averted, we head to the theatre district. Reagan has changed into her new Dinosaur shirt from the museum. Then, there it is. THERE IT IS!!! The Richard Rodgers theatre. So exciting. Reagan bounces up and down. The show isn’t for 2 hours, so we go to grab dinner at a very disappointing tourist trap irish pub nearby. But that’s fine with me as I’M TOO EXCITED TO EAT!!!!!!!!!!!!! https://youtu.be/O29mQbQMoOI Now our nice weather luck is ending, as it’s raining as we wait in line for the lobby to open.

We happen to be right by the stage door. The delightful Christopher Jackson walked past to the stage door with a wave. As a longtime “In the Heights” fan, I was extra excited!! Reagan quietly said, “Here comes the General!” which was pretty rad. Then into the theatre and our minds are being blown seeing the stage. Kate’s excited too, although she’s not obsessed with the show. Just a fan of theatre in general and down for travel adventures.

I try not to weep one million tears when it’s announced that Leslio Odom Jr (Burr) is out sick. Nooooooooo!!! I tweet healing vibes tinged with sadness at him. He replies with condolences and hopes we enjoy the show. Reagan says she’s pretty sure that means he and I are dating now, and that while Long Distance Relationships can be tough, she thinks we can make it work. Nobody tell his wife. *laughs * This was the very first performance with Rory O’Malley stepping into the King George role, and he was great. Okieriete Onaodowan (Mulligan/Madison) was also out, but the rest of the cast were principles. It was amazing and the understudies were, of course, very very good. Austin Smith was a good Burr and really seemed to grow into the role as the show progressed (his “Room Where it Happens” was amazing!). And Andrew Chappelle was wonderful as Mulligan/Madison, and had a few very surprising moments/choices.

The show happens, and it’s amazing. Broadway houses tend to be smaller than the regional stages used on tour. So our seats were great. Row R meant we were almost the very last row of the main floor (unlike a theatre that goes back to Row PP, for example). And Reagan’s seat was in row M. She was so excited. “You can actually see their faces and everything!!” There is so much movement and so much to see and I wanted to take it all in and it was wonderful. Reagan and I had expected to weep buckets of tears, and we did, but she started crying during “Satisfied,” which was a surprise to her. (Sharing this anecdote with a pal who has seen the show, this pal was not surprised. “That’s because Renee is a Goddess!!” Boy was her Tony Award well earned). No after-the-show Broadway Cares performance, unfortunately (that’s probably just a weekend thing), but they had some impressive donation incentives (signed copy of letter informing Hamilton of Laurens’ death for $500 and signed playbill (including Questlove and BlackThought) for $300. I did not purchase either, but dang, The streak of Book of Mormon raising the most money will have ended with Hamilton. Good for them and great for the charity.

After the show, Kate heads back to the hotel while Reagan and I kind of self-consciously wait around the stage door, along with hundreds of others. She decides this is silly, so we go across the street, grab a slice of pizza, and watch from over there. (2 months later, after the Tony Awards, Lin-Manuel Miranda will Tweet a photo of his pal at the pizza place holding his Tony Award, and I’ll get an unreasonable burst of excitement because I ate a pizza slice there!). We’re discussing the huge crowds still around the Stage Door and debating if there was another door for sneaky exits. Reagan suggests they could exit through the main lobby doors. As she says this, we see the incomparable Phillipa Soo (Eliiza) walk out those lobby doors, quickly cross the street to us and walks right past us, head down and staring at her phone, walking quickly off (as it’s late and she’s got to get home). While I wanted to tell her she was amazing and made us cry all the tears, I didn’t want to interrupt her secret getaway, so Reagan and I just smile big goofy smiles at each other as she walked by us.

From across the street we’ve seen a few folks say Hi to the crowd and sign autographs for a bit. But then it’s apparent that the amazing Daveed Diggs is graciously signing and posing for photos and working his way through the ENTIRE crowd. So I ask if Reagan wants to cross the street and join the mob. She’s all flustered, so I grab her arm and drag her across the street. While we’re waiting for him to work his way towards us, and nervous/hopeful that he WILL have the time to get through everyone, my sister is an adorable bundle of nervous excitement. Whenever I express some excitement or say something too loudly, she’s all, “just be COOL, man!” Then a mom and her 12 year old join the line behind us. YES!! He wouldn’t stop signing autographs right before a kid! We tell him he was wonderful and we pose for some blurry low-light photos (my hands may have been shaking just a bit).

The blurry big smiles one is my favorite. Reagan made actual Squeeee sounds as we walked away. Pretty dang cool. And so amazing and gracious of Diggs to still be putting in this much time and effort. Their 8 shows a week became 9 when they added Monday nights (which is what this was) and he’s been doing this for months already, and he’s got to do it again tomorrow, and he still spends almost an hour after the show greetings fan. CLASS ACT!

Tuesday morning, Kate and I go off to explore. We go to Saraghina in Brooklyn on a pal’s recommendation. As we walk in the door, the cute bartender in the Michigan shirt says, “Hey. No Georgetown Bulldogs allowed!” We pause for a moment, confused. Then I look at Kate’s “DAWGS” hat, and explain, “that’s okay. We’re University of Washington Husky fans.” And that’s how we spend the next hour chatting College Football with this man. “I never knew you all called yourselves “Dogs” as well.” It was a slow Tuesday afternoon for them. West Coast teams just get such little coverage out here, but he had heard about UW getting the coach from Boise State. Plus, as he was a Michigan fan, we obviously had some history in the 90’s. And his dad spent some time in the army at Fort Lewis. Reagan joined us for lunch. Then we’re off to do more exploring. We visit Big Gay Ice Cream in the East Village. And a “creme brulee” cupcake at Molly’s Cupcakes that raises the bar on what a gourmet cupcake can be. Dude! Carmelized sugar shell on top! That evening we meet up with Joseph again to see “Fiddler on the Roof.” (Directed by Bart Sher, so yay for Seattle connections). We are amused at the sharp audience demographic differences from Hamilton (this is much older and a lot more families, too). They’ve actually closed the very top mezzanine and are seating all of us “cheap seats” folks in the order we arrive in the next lower mezzaine, which is pretty cool. Joseph thinks this hilarious, as his go to comment whenever faced with pushy lines before a theatre show is always, “It’s okay. Today isn’t the day they’re seating by general admission,” except it turns out that today WAS THAT DAY. *smile * The show was so so good. Danny Burstein does seem specially created for this role of Tevye. Joseph points out that it’s actually a really sexy production of Fiddler, and I agree. Not in a crass way, but it’s passionate and slick and great. And I totally cried my eyeballs out, which I had NOT been expecting. Who knew I had more tears for this story, a story I’ve grown up with, a story Joseph and I helped tell in a high school production, even. But I did. SO MANY TEARS!

Wednesday morning and we have a few hours left in the city. Kate points out that we should probably at least see the Statue of Liberty once, so off to Battery Park. It is particularly freezing, but at least it’s not raining. Wandering around we see the stupid Bull statue, but my dad loves all that “Mad Money” crap, so I join the crowd waiting to get a photo with it. Then we see a sign for Trinity Church, and I decide we should continue the Hamilton nerd-dom and visit his grave. So we do, and see the resting place of his wife Eliza, as well.

More wandering. We go into more pet stores as we encounter them (professional curiosity on Kate’spart). We wander through chinatown. I get a bubble tea! Kate finds a Haagen Daaz store so gets her beloved milkshake. Then I see a line of people in Little Italy, and join it. While in line I google Parisi bakery and so know to order “The Dennis,” the most ridiculous and delicious sandwich (chicken cutlet on a hero with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar or pesto. How can you go wrong with that combination?). It’s also enormous for only $11. I struggle to make it through half (worth it!!) and then I gift the rest to a homeless gentleman. Back to the Eventi Hotel, we collect our luggage, I tell the taxi driver the entirely wrong airport (happily Kate instantly corrects me) and we’re on our way. Seriously though, I’m blaming Hamilton-mania for the fact that I didn’t double check my travel facts. On the flight back to Seattle, my heart is warmed as we pass over some snow capped mountains. I sure missed you, mountains.

Flying 2,400 miles to see Hamilton. June 2016

Tracy, April 10, 2016

Apr 10 2016

Early Oct 2015, after streaming the Hamilton cast recording non stop (NON STOP!) for two weeks after its late Sept release, I had a revelation. I am a grown ass woman, in charge of my own finances and scheduling. And so it’s actually possible for me to buy tickets to a Broadway show and go to Broadway to see it, hopefully still with much of the principal cast. And so I did! And I’ve been counting the days for the last 6 months. (Also, it’s totally ridiculous that I did this, having already had my March New Orleans girls weekend booked, but eff it, I was not throwing away my shot! (If you’re wondering whether I’ll continue quoting Hamilton, probably. I’m really Helpless about it….and yes, I know that one is a stretch)).

Then last week Ticketmaster sent me the most unecessary reminder in the history of the world!

And we got on the plane! Friday morning, overwhelmed with all the possibilities and choices this city has to offer (it’s first time viisting for both Kate and myself), we headed off to Brighton Beach for all the piroshki, dumplings, and pastries we could carry. The weather isn’t cooperating, but at least the projected snow didn’t happen. Still, 45* to 34* and rainy isn’t ideal. But we’re from Seattle. We know how to layer our clothing. AND you basically get the boardwalk to yourself in this weather. Not that we spent a lot of time at the actual beach, but still…

The Oceanview Cafe (which is two blocks from the ocean and has no view), offered many Ukrainian and Russian dishes, so we had some Vareniki and Pelmeni. Which honestly are the same dumplings, right? I mean, not looking to start an international incident, but they’re also the same as Polish pierogis, yes? All equally delicious and magical, but I sure can’t discern a difference. *smile* When we couldn’t eat any more, we bought pastries and piroshki as we wandered around, taking several back to our hotel room. Yay for delicious snacks!! (Kate, who has strong food preferences, had to do some googling to find the Russian for ‘potato’ filling. I made a few $2 gambles…biting into the dough and wondering what filling would greet my tongue. Sometimes this was wonderful (peas! Some yummy type of seasoned meat!) and once, not so much (holy crap, that is salty. Like, wow, that’s just the saltiest cheese ever, and it’s a fist sized lump of cheese in this dough. I mean, this cheese would be lovely in smaller amounts or as a garnish (like with feta or gorgonzola), but as the only ingredient and in such a huge quantity, it was like a salt lick)! Later, we found a place with english translations, and they offered both sweet cheese and salty cheese as fillings. Truth in advertising!

Friday evening, we wandered over to Greenwich Village to meet up with Joseph (high school pal and fellow musical theatre nerd. He hipped me to Hamilton a year ago, during its off broadway stages) and his delightful wife Michelle. Lovely dinner at Joe Jr’s Diner. When Kate asked for more gravy for her open faced turkey sandwich, they brought an entire BOWL of gravy. Best place ever!!! Then off to see “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” (NYC’s 8th longest running show! “Suck it, Blue Man Group!”). Great fun, as they attempt to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes, with the audience determining the play order by shouting after each play ends. New York Neofuturists Theatre

As we made our way back to the hotel at 1:30am, Kate and I were very impressed to be living a rock and roll lifestyle. Ha! Not so much, as bars and clubs are open until 4am, we definitley passed several groups just heading out for the evening, as we were stumbling back to our beds, feeling proud of how late we’d been out.

Then my alarm went off stupidly early in the morning, as Kate got to roll over and go back to sleep in her bed, because Joseph had come up with a great idea for our 2nd Broadway show (Hamilton isn’t until Monday). Joseph says “I’ve decided we’re lining up early on Saturday morning for ‘Disaster’ tickets because, after twenty years, you DESERVE to finally see Adam Pascal at the Nederlander Theatre.” Yay!! I got to add a new piece to my collection of RENT actors I’ve seen live! (Although this was the first time ever outside of Seattle, and at the Nederlander, no less!).

Once rush tickets were acquired, back to the hotel to meet Kate. We walked over to the Chelsea Market for lunch. Very crowded madness, but some tasty options and fun things to explore. Then a rainy wander through the Chelsea neighborhood. Found a Samsung Experience building (Man, being in THE major media market is interesting). Got to take a virtual reality tour, where I ended up swimming with Beluga Whales and freaking Narwhals. It was magical and amazing and tugged at my heartstrings. Narwhals Song (Kate was gladded the waiver we signed didn’t force her to abandon her Apple phone or watch)

Sat evening, off to the Nederlander Theatre, and to meet up with Michelle and Joseph again. “Disaster” is a delightfully stupid show. It’s so silly, and it uses its jukebox 70’s songs as punchlines, which works pretty well. And it was wicked cool getting to see Adam Pascall from 7 rows away. The show was pretty full of big names, actually. AND it happens to be Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS fundraising time. So after the show, they auctioned off the opportunity to be on stage as Jeremy Jordan showed up to sing one of his songs from Newsies. Hey, those things I’ve only ever seen on youtube…I actually got to be in the audience for one of them. Extra bonus! Then to another Diner for a late night meal. Michelle ordered the $12 quiche special, and I kid you not, they brought her HALF OF A QUICHE. Value!!

Today (Sunday) we went to a Mets game. It was the first (and probably only) day without rain and with sunshine. Unfortunately our seats were in shade, so it was freezing. Still, it was great fun. Opening weekend. Great energy. The fan trash talk was most excellent. Getting to hear a person with a thick New York accent non-ironically yell “You’re a bum! A bum!!” was great. And the interplay between the Phillies fans scattered around and the rest of the Mets fans were great. The Mets lost, sadly. But they did get a home run which was fun to see. And the guys in front of us LOST THEIR MINDS, which was great, but then they started taunting the lone Phillies fan in our section, leading Kate and I to ask, “do they realize that the Mets are still losing, even after that homerun?”

HUGE congrats to The Mets and Citifield employees. They were, unilaterally, the most genuinely friendly and helpful and nice stadium employees I’ve ever encountered. Like, every single person was unusually friendly and nice. The wand check security guy asking each person, “how you doing today?” as he wands you. And folks throughout smiling and offering advice. I’d been a bit concerned as my jacket is red (and my scarf is white) and we were playing the Phillies. Happily the hat I bought seemed to help. Plus, it was free Rally Towels day. The food options at the stadium were great, too. We joined the legendary line at Shake Shack. Delicious burger. And Kate was SO excited about cheese sauce on her fries AND hot dog! And even though the line was insane, we managed to get our order and just get our butts into our seats before first pitch. Yay!

Weather was gorgeous, and probably wouldn’t have been freezing if we’d been in sunshine. Still, hooray for baseball!

This evening we rode up to Harlem for super excellent soul food at Sylvia’s Restaurant (on Michelle’s recommendation). Yum! Ribs and fried chicken and rad mac and cheese. Plus, when a really rocking gospel song would come on the radio, the little kids at several tables around us would dance in their chairs…and one little guy just had to get up to dance, and then he had drum sticks to play on the table. His parents came prepared!)

It’s been a really lovely and low stress trip. While we’ve done a lot, no day has felt “overbooked.” We even came back to the hotel for a brief mid-afternoon rest on both Fri and Sat.

Tomorrow we’ll probably see a museum or two, and maybe wander in Central Park (depending upon how hard it’s raining). And then get ourselves near the Richard Rodgers Theatre with a few hours to spare (because, ya know, they’re sold out months and months in advance and principal cast will start leaving, so this really isn’t an opportunity we’ll be able to reschedule, should a subway train breakdown or who knows). Yay!!

poolside thoughts:new orleans. March 2016

Tracy, March 14, 2016

Mar 14 2016

Frick do our feet hurt. We walked over 10 Miles yesterday and danced another 2 with the second line. Today’s been over 6 miles and it’s only 5pm. Stopped at our hotel pool to soak our barking dogs in the freezing courtyard pool. Then a group of drunk guys came out to push each other in. Kind of hilarious antics. Kind of irritating. They did have one really sweet moment. The exceptionally cold water had them making Titanic jokes. “Man, I’ve watched that movie at least 30 times.” “Bro, why?!? It’s like 3 hours long!!” “My grandma liked it.” Awww.

Thoughts from Saturday: Sure hope this rain stops (it did). Beignets. Nom nom nom. Hope Nichole’s having good time with her sister at the Black Lunch Table event (She was). I’m glad to see most of these horse drawn carriages are actually mule drawn, cuz while you can work a horse to death, a mule will just stop if you aren’t resting them adequately. I don’t want to ride in one of the carriages but Nichole and i wonder if we could rent a mule for 20 minutes and give it hugs and pets?

Oh my freaking god. Every menu item on Besh’ Luke restaurant sounds amazing. While my stomach may not be ready for real food yet, I’m going for it! Happily, food poisoning was over! The famous onion bacon tart thing was ridiculously delish…and huge! Followed with shrimp “etouffe” served on homemade pasta, and gumbo and cheesy jalapeno grits that were transformative.

Rejoin Nichole for dinner. Fried pickles and hushpuppies, “Guys. Why don’t we fry all the foods all the tine?!?”

Who the Frick is telling all the tourists about Frenchmen street. This is way too many people and the frat house party kind of people. Also, apparently Sat night is not the night to go. Music was sparse and not the best. Apple Barrel was empty and had no band at all. The night time art markets were very cool. Met a tshirt designer who did grad school in Tacoma. And a guy who makes little brass monster sculptures with the most appealing faces ever. So wonderful. But at $150 they couldn’t come home with me.

Guy selling street jambalaya. Deciding if we’re brave enough (smells heavenly), when homeless man comes up and puts beads on us. We explain we have no dollars and go to give the beads back. He tells us to keep them and have a lovely night.

Beautifully talented slide guitar street musician. Super cool cat just playing his tunes. Appreciative crowd gathers. (I wish he had cds for sale in his guitar case). Woman asks his name. “Chris.” “Chris what?” “Christie.” “No, really, where can I find you and your music?” “Right here,” as he gestures at the street corner. I do wish he’d had an online presence, but gotta respect a guy whose just gotta get the music out and isn’t interested in any of the rest of it. Definitely one of the better guitar players I’ve ever seen. Cool moment.

Johnny Po Boys & biscuits for breakfast on Sun. Ordered to go and ate them on the banks of the Mississippi, watching the paddle boat load up tourists. Then wandering through the already blazing sunshine into Treme to try to find that afternoon’s second line. I’m melting! Then Italian ices in the park and suddenly I’m restored. The power of a slushie. 🙂

About two blocks from listed start of second line and Jen hears the whisper of a brass band. We hurry in the direction of the music (not of the published route) and find lively community second line and a group of the “Indians,” too. We join in. Using umbrella as a parasol I’m better able to survive the heat and sun.

Some of the dancers are little kiddos, and the mood is vibrant. Guys pulling wheeled coolers, selling beer. We break off at the park. The Indians do a performance there as brass band and others continue on. It’s beyond hot now at mid-afternoon.

Cocktails at super cute Tonique. “Do you serve food” “No” “Okay we’ll be back.” “Or y’all could order and take your drinks with you.” “Oh yeah!” Raised with WA state’s puritanical liquor laws, I can’t quite wrap my brain around this. $5 Mai tais are strong. I get two to go. And they hit me quick!!! Must’ve been way dehydrated. Off to a late lunch. Wandering through the flea market . Alligator parts for sale make me sad.

Man, of all the soap box crazies, those in old timey political garb are generally my favorite. I was initially feeling fond of crazy guy in Uncle Sam outfit, ranting his black helicopter conspiracies. But then saw and overhead some horrifying racist crap and it was way less charming. Pleasantly surprised when a few frat-looking white guys rightly called him a racist p.o.s. Lesson in not pre-judging a person, even if they look super douche-y. Because there they were, trying to explain white privilege and inherent racism to this guy. 🙂

Resting up at hotel room. Off to get dinner. 2nd time this trip Port of Call has 1.5 hr wait. No delicious burgers and baked potatoes for us. Off to Coop’s Place. Another line, of course. Sarah really doesn’t want to wait but I really do. Happily she agrees (Jen and Nichole were fine either way). Line moved pretty fast. And dinner was fricking delicious. Fried chicken. Rabbit jambalaya. One of the best bloody Mary I’ve ever had. No frills place, still patronized by tons of locals, seriously great food and very reasonable prices. Waitress hollers for entire restaurant’s attention, “This couple is celebrating their 34th. Wedding anniversary!!” We all applaud. End up chatting with that woman afterwards. She’s from Mobile and they go to Nola once a year. Her son spent a year working on Mount Rainier restoring trails. I tell her Mazel Tov on her anniversary. “Oh honey, I’m not Jewish. I’m Italian.” Ha. That’s not what/how I meant my general comment.

Meet up with Seattle pals Teresa and Lindsey for music on Frenchmen street (They’re in town for a family event for Lindsey). Fun zydeco band. Lovely conversation. Go to sleep.

Mon morning. Sarah and jen get up early to go for a run, bless their souls. I get up early to make the pilgrimage to Croissant D’Or. I get 9 pastries to go (I’d collected orders from everyone last night). Nom nom nom. So many buttery flakes. Nichole sleeps in, like a sane person. Then we get ready for the day.

@tracynoreen: Impromptu “Golden Girls” theme song sing-a-long as we got ready this morning. Kind of my favorite thing ever. #NOLA

Out the door 10am to meet our tour guide Judy for a group cemetery tour. (Private tour booked with Strange True Tours fell through, but Jeffrey recommended Judy, and she was beyond wonderful).

The 7 of us (Lindsey’s sister Maria also joined us) off to explore St Luis Cemetery #1. Judy is a a wonderful storyteller and a great soul and an obvious lover of history (She was a history teacher for many years). And she speaks so quickly we got about 5 hours of information out of our 2 hour tour.

The sun was once again punishing, and the cemetery close quarters and crowds made using my umbrella for shade less possible. Very cool stories to learn and Judy is fricking hilarious, too.

When discussing a famous area archbishop, “You may be familiar with his work. JFK’S funeral. RFK funeral…” As an 8 yr old tennis player, she knocked on his door and asked if she could use his courts. He said, “baby, you can play here any time you like. No need to knock, just go on back.” She ended up going to college on a tennis scholarship. And says she’d have to hug that archbishop every time she saw him. 🙂

After the tour, she stayed chatting with our group for another 10 minutes. Took my phone number and asked me to call her in a few days (we’d asked for some book recommendations). She runs a Plessy v Ferguson tour and a free people of color tour. Also a literary tour that sounds great too. Fun story, the descendants of Plessy & Ferguson are friends and work together in New Orleans . Also I’d not realized Ferguson just happened to be the judge who got the case, not someone actively fighting for segregation and separate treatment.

Walking around later we passed Brennan’s. On Judy’s recommendation we asked if we could see the Morphy Chess room. Hostess was sorry they didn’t have anyone to take us upstairs. Then said we could go up by ourselves. So that was pretty cool, seeing room in honor of late 1800s chess champion.

Someone’s bright idea (Jen) was for us to walk all the way to Cochon for our late lunch reservation. So that was a trek in this heat again. But so worth it. Dammit this place is delicious. Smothered greens. All things pork. Lovely bright and spicy cucumber herb salad. Crawfish pie (it is “pi day” afterall). Catfish. Gorgeous yeasty rolls. Even Jen’s Lima beans were amazing. Offered a variety of bourbon flights, too.

Nichole says, “Guys. We’re REALLY good at Vacation” as we toast over lunch.

And met a guy on the sidewalk also wearing a Seahawks hat. Sea-HAWKS! But I said it quietly back. We are in Saints territory (Judy and I’d commiserated over years of not good teams. The Ain’ts took a long time, “But we finally won a super bowl and they can’t take that back. Oh, you’re from Seattle” (as she sees my hat) “y’all have that super cute quarterback. You’ve got a really fun team to watch.” And somehow I’m filled with civic and personal pride, as if I’m somehow a part of the team. *smile*

Then we finally sprang for a rideshare back to our hotel. Our driver was super hot and charming, too. Bonus of being the tall one in the group, I got the front seat.

Not sure how we’ll spend our last night in town, but I’m sure it will continue to have great friends, good conversation, and ample laughter.

NOLA photos. March 2016

Tracy, March 13, 2016

Mar 13 2016

Due to technical issues too boring to explain, blog details of Sat & Sun aren’t really happening. Instead I’ll upload a few random pics from our adventures.

Rainy wanderings in French Quarter. Off to get beignets.

Mississippi.

Ridiculously delicious brunch at Chef Besh’s “Luke” restaurant. Guys, can you marry a side dish? Because the creamy jalapeno cheesy grits were beyond amazing. Everything we ate was. Always a good sign when one keeps closing their eyes after every bite. Yum!!!

Do not mess with Jen! (Alternate title: The Queen will see you now). It’s very game of thrones.

Walked over to the Treme to see the Sunday second line.

We joined in.

Jen loaned me her umbrella as parasol and so my normal Nosferatu-like reaction to the sunlight wasn’t as bad. Hooray

Italian Ice in the park.

Rabbit jambalaya, fried chicken, and bloody Mary at Coop’s Place .

starting New Orleans not with a bang, but with a whimper. March 2016

Tracy, March 11, 2016

Mar 11 2016

It’s said there are no atheists in foxholes, which may be true. But I’d add that there are definitely no atheists suffering with food poisoning. I was laid low low low this Wednesday. Frick, it was awful. My only silver lining, and it was shitty one (pun intended? Perhaps), was that at least it wasn’t happening on an airplane. Imagine the announcement, “Ladies and gentlemen, did anyone happen to pack a waste basket in their carryon, because there’s a woman trapped in the bathroom and we’ve run out of those tiny barf bags.” Too much information? Probably. Apologies.

And I spent my time, when not praying and whimpering (to tie into this post’s title), having a pity party that if I had to spend the weekend in NOLA eating bland foods, I would cry one million tears. This whole trip started when my pal Sarah asked, “you wanna eat your way through New Orleans?”

But when I got up this morning for our flight and found, to my dismay, that my bout with gastroenteritis wasn’t over, all worries about not getting to eat rich and spicy foods went out the window and it just became about surviving the 5 hours on the plane. Happily my prayers were answered, and while the time at the airport wasn’t great, once we boarded, my iron gut powers activated (or something). And I didn’t become the latest viral video because something horrifying took place. And my “meal” of apple juice and a few peanuts went well.

Okay, let’s move on. On our flight Nichole made great use of the bendy sticks to make some epic eyewear. Art powers!!

Terrible rains and thunderstorms have heaped havoc upon LA the last 2 days. And our pilot sure was concerned about turbulence, but we lucked out. And even had a dry spell when we landed to a really gorgeous sunset.

Taxis are a flat rate from the airport. This proved especially great when our taxi was blocked because a st Patrick’s day parade was going through the French quarter. And so we got to see the parade for 10 minutes, as well as the madness that is Bourbon Street area on a Friday night. Including the very drunk older woman who kept trying to open the locked minivan taxi door and get in. Our driver kept saying, “no. I have passengers already. Please no.” Then a guy walks up and says, by way of explanation, “This is my mom.” “Ok. But I still already have passengers.” The guy looked in the window, saw the 4 of us sitting inside, I waved, and he said, “oh,” and pulled his mom off of the car door. So, ya know…

Finding a dinner option that wasn’t swimming in cream or spice or deep fried provided a challenge. But bless the place we ate for offering their one “diet” option of a grilled chicken breast on top of salad. (Text predict wanted that to be “grilled chicken breastfeeding,” and I’m not even sure how to process that).

We’ll be doing the requisite Cafe du Monde for beignets tomorrow morning. (Well, the other 3 will be, and I’ll keep them company). It’s open 24 hours and we have 3 more days, so I’ll get my fried dough covered in 4″ of powdered sugar at some point.

Laissez les bonnes Temps roulez. (And I’m too lazy to check my half-remembered french spelling, so apologize if that’s incorrect). Good night everybody.

“Heathers: The Musical” Day trip to Vancouver, BC. Feb 2016

Tracy, February 4, 2016

Feb 4 2016

I’d thought to limit posts to travel adventures where I at least spent the night somewhere. Then I realized this is my silly site, and I can do with it what I like. A 14 hour trip that requires a passport seems to qualify. Plus, the show Heathers: The Musical is so much fun! You can listen to the entire cast recording on their official youtube channel here: Heathers Cast Recording

This last minute roadtrip is all thanks to my pal Joseph in NYC. We were nerding out over “Hamilton” and Joseph asked me if I’d heard about “Heathers” during its off Broadway run last year. I had not, but admitted to a fond nostalgia for the film (although I hadn’t seen the movie since high school). “We saw it in its Off B’Way run a couple of times and, when it closed, were hoping it was in preparation for a transfer that never happened. The explosion of regional, and professional, and even ACTUAL HIGH SCHOOL productions suggests that it won’t be coming to Broadway this year. BUT it means that it is organically growing and maturing as a work so if it ever DOES hit B’way, it will be as a revival that has a history and a community extending far beyond the B’way production itself. In the mean time, I suggest YOU take the trip to BC this week! http://thecultch.com/events/heathers-the-musical/ ” Based upon his recommendation, I sent out the tweet: So who’s got a passport & wants to join me in roadtrip to Vancouver BC next weekend to see “Heathers the Musical”? NYC pal raves about it.

My pal Heather jumped at the invitation. I love that my pals are so willing to take last minute ventures into the semi-unknown. Also, ya know, her name is Heather! BONUS for our trip: the Canadian dollar was only worth $0.70 USD at the time. So it was a really discounted adventure, too. It was just a lovely day. Left early on a stormy Saturday morning. The border wait was about 30 minutes, which isn’t bad (although the freeway billboard had advertised <5 minutes, so I felt scammed). Then into the wilds of Canada. Grabbed brunch at Havana because they offer 15% discount for those with Cultch theatre tickets. I was wary, as most of the Seattle theatre restaurant partners tend to be more mediocre restaurants, but it was fantastic. And the vibe was wonderful, too. Definitely a place I’d go to regularly if I lived in town. And with the currency conversion and 15% discount, it was a screaming deal.

The show itself was such great fun. A full cast of young, diverse, and earnest actors, making the most out of their space and limited set pieces. I was humming “Dead Girl Walking” all weekend. And it was wonderful to get to see this show, as the cast recording is only part of it, obviously. It’s very funny, and has several memorable songs. Also, Devon Busswood, who had wowed us in “Dogfight” at ArtsWest in Seattle last year, was in the show. Fun to see her again. Plus, SHOUTOUT to the actor playing Ram for his choice to have a different memorable walk/physicality every time he exits the stage (which happens often). I’m still laughing about it two weeks later. And the guy playing J.D., well the “long-swoopy-Christian-Slater-bangs & trench-coat-swagger” clearly triggered memories of junior high crushes. *laughs* The show also has lots of sexual content (there’s an entire song/ode to blue balls, or the alleviation of same). (The fact that an actual high school in NY is performing this, that’s pretty dang cool). I mean, three of the actors, after being murdered, are onstage in just their underwear for the rest of the show, which requires a pretty confident actor. Bravo to this crew and cast for managing to keep everyone’s mic packs secure, especially when they’re only wearing undies.

After, we drove around a bit, enjoying the nighttime cityscape. Then off to another tasty meal, this time at The Whip. After our meal, the rains returned and we began our long rainy drive back to Seattle. Inspired, I decided I needed to watch Heather the movie. Happily it was on Netflix streaming. However, it does NOT hold up as well as I’d have guessed. This musical adaptation has successfully grabbed the soul and wonderful gems and outlines from the film, and updated it perfectly. Making better and more interesting choices, and creating a much greater show than the film. Most notably, beginning BEFORE Veronica has joined ‘The Heathers’ clique, and combining the characters of Martha Dunnstock and Veronica’s nerdy friend into one.

I am hopeful one of the Seattle theatres will do a production soon. (This would’ve been perfect for Balagan Theatre. RIP. But maybe ArtsWest will pick it up?). We’ll definitely go see it, probably more than once.

Seattle Waterfront: Cafe Nordo & Hotel Alexis

Tracy, January 6, 2016

Jan 6 2016

Oh! Just realized I could blog about my overnight on the Seattle waterfront in November, so here goes: Some dear pals and I were going to see Cafe Nordo’s new show “Sauced,” set in a 1930’s speakeasy and including a cocktail flight. There just are not many affordable ways to get home to the north end after a night of drinking in Pioneer Square. (“Drinking in pioneer square” could mean lots of things, and it doesn’t immediately conjure the swanky cocktails evening we had). Serendipitously, Kimpton Hotels sent an email about their annual sale, and I realized that Hotel Alexis was only 0.4 miles from the Cafe Nordo theatre. Woohoo! A roundtrip Lyft would have been almost $80, so for only a few dollars more, why not enjoy a fancy hotel room and amazing customer service? (To economize I could have taken the bus to Pioneer Square and just had the $38 Lyft home, but taking the bus solo in my formal wear and heels didn’t appeal). Then, when booking the hotel room, their system cleverly offered me an AMAZING DEAL on an upgrade to an Executive Suite…for only $30 more, would I like over 700 sq feet?!? Yes, yes I would!!

Arranged to leave work early, grabbed my overnight bag and dress, and headed downtown. Now, my only planning fail was not thinking about parking. Guess what, there aren’t any decent overnight parking options down there. Darn. If I’d thought of this ahead of time, I could have driven to a good overnight parking garage and then just bused (or taken Lyft) a few miles to the hotel (as I was in my street clothes and would be changing into formal wear once at the hotel). Instead, I found myself obligated to pay the $42 (yikes!!) for Hotel Alexis valet parking. Aw well. Suddenly this evening was no longer the screaming financial deal it had started as. Still, life is short and there wasn’t anything I could do about it at this point, so I handed over my keys and went to check in.

The Kimpton staff was lovely, as always, and provided us 4 champagne flutes so we could celebrate before the show. The room was very nice, with a lovely dining table area and nice living room area, too. Although it wasn’t nearly as nice as the Executive Suite photos listed on the hotel website.

http://www.alexishotel.com/seattle-waterfront/hotel-suites.html Oh well, that’s what you get for booking at their “deal” rate, I guess. Melissa and Alex were able to meet me at the hotel, and we had a lovely pre-party, including gorgeous “dark and stormies” (with my own pumpkin-spice-infused rum…tastes like the holidays). My sister ended up joining us. I’d initially invited her to make use of the spacious room, as it would be empty from 7pm to midnight, but she’d been uninterested. As the date got closer, however, her schedule changed, and so she came by to visit with us and then do her homework in some fancy digs. *smile*

The Cafe Nordo show was great fun. The songs were wonderful and well performed and the band was great. Folks were committed to their characters and our waitress “Kitty” was a delight, taking excellent care of us and bringing some old-timey charm to the event. Some of the plot and characters were overwrought and messy, but overall a unique and great night out. Predictably, as it’s Seattle, 2/3 of the audience were in jeans. But those of us who had dressed up were having more fun. (And I don’t begrudge folks being comfortable. Just always excited to see folks at live theatre events, with no need for a dress code. Although this is definitely a setting where dressing up adds to the fun). The meal was mostly amazing, and always at least decent. Their cocktails were interesting and tasty, although the portions were smaller than anticipated. This is probably better from a legal and inebriation standpoint, and also in case most of the audience had not made designated driver/hotel arrangements. But my pals were a bit bummed. Of course, Cafe Nordo always allows you to purchase additional full sized cocktails, but that’s on top of the $95 for dinner and show.

This November evening was pouring down rain and cold, but being all dressed up, seeing a great show with dinner, and having a swanky hotel, turned a night in my hometown into something super memorable.

Whirlwind overnight on the Oregon Coast: Dad’s birthday edition. Sept 2015

Tracy, November 29, 2015

Nov 29 2015

(Okay, so I always seem to be late in posting these. But this time I’m blaming wordpress, because dang are they having some weird issues and not letting me post at the moment. So I’m blaming them for a 24 hour delay. Let’s not get into how it’s still 6 weeks after the travel, hmmmm? Ha.)
End of September, had a whirlwind overnight in Cannon Beach to celebrate my dad’s birthday. This meant a ROADTRIP with my sister and my dog, as our folks were already down there, having a relaxing extended vacation with their dog, and I just had 36 hours. Sometimes being grown up is great. Our roadtrips are definitely more fun. Less fighting and tormenting each other. More rocking out to playlists. And The Thrilling Adventure Hour podcast. Plus, we still play “the alphabet game” and hold our breath over bridges/in tunnels. And it was wonderful that I’d had my own Cannon Beach adventures this July, so I’d already done all my “must do” items. I try to be a “go with the flow” person in any case, but these two days were even easier because I honestly didn’t care what activity we did or which beach we explored. It was just about spending time with fam.

We were spoiled with glorious sunsets both nights. Truly vivid colors and a gorgeous moon over Haystack Rock. Evening walks with the dogs were awash in vibrant oranges, pinks, and then settled into dusky pinks and purples, before that gorgeous “midnight blue” crayon shade appeared.

Even more magical were the whales. Never seen the like here before, with such a large pod SO CLOSE TO SHORE and stayed for several days. It brought strangers together in a way that Pacific Northwesterners don’t normally interact with others. “Have you seen THE WHALES?!?” folks would ask as you walked past. Walks along the beach were punctuated by “ooohhs” and occasional squeals as the whales continued to spout, breach, and dive. Folks lending their binoculars to passerby. People obviously running errands in town having to stop and watch as these creatures spouted.

Additionally there were two rafts of sea lions (apparently they’re only called “a colony” when on land, but “a raft” when at sea)…one near Haystack Rock and the other at the lighthouse end of the beach. Barking and carrying on all weekend, they were a wonderful acoustic addition to the whale visitors. Super special. We spent both afternoons reading at the beach. Well, ostensibly reading, but we all found ourselves often looking up to watch the whale activity instead. And with the sea lions hollering and the seagulls swooping around everytime a whale surfaced, there was plenty of action. You can learn more about the unusual whale visit here: http://www.beachconnection.net/news/cbhump092115_531.php

Knowing the evenings would be the four of us (and 2 dogs) stuck in one tiny room with dad in charge of the TV, I planned ahead for some entertainment options, and brought DVDs of Fast & Furious 5, 6, & 7 (once the characters become full superheroes and the ridiculous levels skyrocket). So that helped. And mom, Reagan, and I would also play Canasta.
On our evening walks, we befriended a large poodle named Pearl when, to the extreme surprise of her family, she leapt over the fence and ran over to play with Reilly and Shasta. Her owners were shocked and bit worried, “She has hip problems!” We were just impressed at her skills. And the dogs got along great. In fact, when we came by the next day, they invited our dogs into their fenced yard to run around and play with Pearl.

For dad’s birthday dinner, we picked up takeout pizza (and I stopped in the tiny market for birthday candles and matches). So he had a festive slice as we all sang Happy Birthday! And the dogs got to eat some of the pizza crust, so they approved, too.

Meals in town with both dogs went relatively well. Again, Cannon Beach is super dog friendly so many restaurants have dog allowed patios. Reilly would need to squeeze & contort himself so that he could be near all four of us at once. Sure didn’t look very comfortable, but he seemed happiest this way. And Shasta was her normal mostly zen/slightly nervous self.

It’s a lot of driving in a weekend (leaving Fri afternoon and then returning Sun after breakfast). But it was great fun to get to celebrate Dad’s birthday. Plus, it is a town full of family memories. We’d spend 2 weeks each August here when we were growing up. Keep being magical, Oregon Coast, and we’ll continue to visit.

Escape to Cannon Beach: ‘My Dog is Adorable’ edition. July 2015

Tracy, September 11, 2015

Sep 11 2015

Man, I need to get better about timely updates to this blog. In July, I took my dog and my pal Nichole for 3 nights on the Oregon Coast. It was lovely and relaxing, an adjective not often used on my travels (the relaxing part, I mean. The lovely part happens often). Our only itinerary item was to eat meals as necessary.

I’d been quite looking forward to this. It was booked months ago. And, as Seattle continues to have record breaking heat waves, I was thinking the one bonus of 90*+ days in Seattle would be 75* or more at the Pacific Ocean. No such luck. Weather predictions were for a weekend of 63* and clouds. But that’s okay. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, so a temperate cloudy time at the Ocean is pretty much the only way I know to experience the beach. We pack the car in the morning and head off for adventure (forgetting to bring any CDs or ipods). Too reliant on streaming media sources, spotty cellular service forced us to rely on local radio. A lot of country, conservative talk, and Christian music options. Happily we found Clammy 99.7 FM “All the music you dig!” Get it?!? But it was actually rather entertaining mix as they played a pretty wide variety. In today’s focus-grouped massive media conglomerates, this felt like local folks just playing the music they like. I would have preferred my own tunes, but Clammy (TERRIBLE name!) was at least listenable.

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Arrived at the very nice and super dog friendly SurfSand Resort late afternoon. Just steps from the beach, with very friendly staff and lots of adorable touches (freshly baked cookies in the lobby each day, a weenie roast on Sundays, and a warm water wash off station for dogs (and human feet) returning from the beach). The rooms have been recently updated and the beds are super comfortable. Unfortunately there is no AC and some of their rooms become unbearably hot and stuffy. There is absolutely no temperature control unit in each room, and when we called the front desk they informed us that they store a large box fan in the closet of each room to help offset this. Keep in mind, it had only been 63* that day, so the fact that the room was sweltering seemed unreasonable. Having a ground floor unit meant we couldn’t sleep with the balcony door open as we had no balcony, just the door to our room. When in the room in the evening, we’d open the door, build a gate with the side table so the dog couldn’t run outside, and it would only minimally help cool things off. It would be actually COLD outside at night, but still sweaty and sticky inside the room. The fan made it kind of possible to sleep, but those foam mattresses just absorb and hold the heat. Ugh. A check of tripadvisor shows that this is a known issue, but only affects some of the rooms. I can say for sure avoid the rooms right next to the lobby if you don’t want to be overheated and stuffy. Still, the staff and the location were great. And aside from the fact that our room temperature was very uncomfortable, the rest of our trip was just what I wanted.

Had a windy, chilly, and fun exploration of the beach, followed by a nice dinner in town. Then an early evening of reading in our room. The next day, we explored several of the area beaches. Haystack Rock, of course. Then through Hug Point, which is always fun things to explore. The sun came out and it actually got hot, which was an unexpected surprise. Went and read our books on the beach near Haystack Rock. Into town for a late lunch at Driftwood Inn. Their patio is dog friendly (and a few tables had dogs with them) but is fenced all the way around with no gate or door. So we entered the door of the restaurant, hung a left into the bar and walked onto the patio. Apparently that’s not the way to do it. Our waiter tells us they normally have people pass the dogs over the fence. I look at my 65 pound mutt and say she’s not exactly easy to lift over a fence. But we did see there is one area of fencing that only has a top rail, so larger dogs can walk through there, I guess. Feeling badly because we’d been scolded, I didn’t cause a fuss when we were seated in direct sun. I should have. I know this. And after our hour long meal, I could tell my face was so so sunburned, that we stopped at the small market to buy some Aloe Vera. And two different strangers in the market told me “oh boy. You better buy some aloe,” so you know it was bad. Here’s hoping I’ll speak up next time. The meal itself was great. The lunch prices are much more attainable than dinner menu. Their Bloody Mary is delicious (although you only get one sad celery stick). And their clam chowder remains one of my favorites with a pat of butter melted on the top of your cup. We made friends with the group at the next table (who also were yelled at for bringing their Black Lab through the only door available (which happens to be the restaurant door). Dear Driftwood Inn. If you’re not going to install a gate in the fenced patio, then please PUT UP A SIGN telling customers how to get dogs into the dog-friendly seating area. None of us are trying to break your rules, but it is not intuitive to look for a gap in the fencing and to have one person in the group go through the restaurant door and into the patio and then you pass your dog under the fence to that person and then you go through the restaurant door and into the patio. Just a thought. We saw three people (including us) do it incorrectly in a one hour period.

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By the end of the first full day in which we explored 2 beaches and one state park, Shasta excitedly hopped on the bed (she’s only allowed to sleep atop human beds on vacations), and then pretty much passed out. After an hour long nap, I tried to rouse her to go to our hotel’s beachside weenie roast. She managed to sit up and she looked happy, but was absolutely uninterested in moving or getting off the bed. Even when I put on my shoes (an activity that causes paroxysms of joy at home because shoes equal potential adventure), she couldn’t be encouraged to get off the bed. And so Nichole kindly volunteered to go out while I stayed in the room with the dog. When Nichole returned with two hot dogs after less than ten minutes, the dog was already snoring. We saved her a bite of hot dog for when she awoke. And then watched terrible movies that night, which led to this interaction: Me: Hey Nichole, this ‘Scorpion King’ flick is only 92 min. Nichole: SHUT UP! We’ve clearly been watching this garbage for 2.5 hours & it’s still not over yet.

The next morning we journeyed to the Tillamook Cheese factory. It’s only 30 miles or so south of Cannon Beach, but at Hwy 101 speeds, it’s a leisurely and beautiful hour or so drive. There are some good tunnels for holding your breath and making a wish, too. It was another beautiful hot day, so we each had to do the self guided tour solo, while the other stayed outside with the dog. Which was fine. There’s a decent area of lawn for her to explore and smell smells. And then we made all kinds of new friends, as families eating their ice cream outside would ask if they could pet Shasta, and we (that’d be me and the dog) would agree. The place was JAM-PACKED! And it was a Monday morning. Weekends must be a zoo. There’s an extensive field for RV parking that had over 20 RVs in it, as well. Seeing the factory itself was total Mister Rogers magic. Loved seeing how the cheese is made. (I’m sure if I’d ever worked a job on an assembly line, it wouldn’t seem so special). The cheese sampling section was super disappointing.; just 5 of their very generic cheese flavors. I’d thought that, like touring a winery, you’d get to try some of their more limited lines. They didn’t even offer samples of the truly delicious aged white cheddar (the one in the black wrapper at the grocery store. Yum!). If I wasn’t already a fan of Tillamook’s cheeses, this sample selection would NOT have impressed me. But their ice cream flavor game was legit. There were over 40 flavors (suck it, baskin n robbins), and some really exotic stuff. The huckleberry ice cream was so flavorful and lovely. And the mango sorbet was super refreshing.

On the drive back we stopped to explore this cool jetty beach area. Back at hotel, I changed into my swimsuit, packed up our books and supplies, and back to the beach. Relaxed. Did some reading. While it was nice and very warm, the wind was brutal, carrying a constant scouring layer of fine sand into our faces. The dog was NOT amused. So we left the mini-sand-storm of the dry sand area, and went to play in the ocean. It was lovely. Shasta’s never been much of a water dog. But she’ll generally go in if it’s warm outside. She even had fun for part of it. But after about 20 minutes, and after a wave went up past her belly, she was ready to go back to shore. Nichole kindly took the dog so I could go deeper into the waves. While the water was still Pacific Ocean freezing, the 80*+ weather made it refreshing. But then I started noticing jelly fish and decided I was done, right quick.

That evening, we had a late dinner on the dog friendly patio of the Lumberyard. Apparently they’re owned by SurfSand Resort folks, so we could charge the meal to our room. Also, their patio has a gate and clear entrance for guests with dogs. Plus our table had a whole ‘war zone’ of spilled food underneath it (folks told us two toddlers had been seated there previously) so Shasta got some free snacks. And a staff member actually brought over a giant milkbone for her later, which was a sweet touch. Also, they serve margaritas in plastic sand buckets that are yours to keep. So… that happened. They even salt the rim of the bucket, which is hysterical, because anyone picking this thing up and trying to drink from the bucket rather than use a straw…well, that person has a problem. Even brought us each a small plastic shovel to go with our buckets, which is adorable but we didn’t really need to take these home. Happily there were two families also still dining in the patio, each with a 4 year old girl with them. After our meal, I offered a bucket to each table, unsure if the parents would be interested or creeped out. They were both very appreciative and told us that their kiddos would be thrilled. There was a particularly lovely sunset that evening, as well. Don’t think I’ll ever get tired of watching the sun set into the ocean. Grateful for a chance to have a restful vacation, a fantastic low-key travel companion, and the ability to give my older dog such a fun trip.

World Cup 2015: Vancouver BC Roadtrip. July 2015

Tracy, July 20, 2015

Jul 20 2015

I only learned that the Women’s World Cup was in Canada one month before the games. And then I found that there were still LOTS of tickets available in Vancouver, a mere 3 hour roadtrip from Seattle. The final match was sold out, so we snagged tickets to the quarterfinal on Saturday, June 27th. Wooo! As the tournament progressed, we learned we’d be seeing Canada vs England, and were super stoked. Not only was world class football (that’s right, I said it, because it’s a ballgame played with your foot!!) a stone’s throw away, but seeing Canada defend on their home turf would be amazing! Plus, how fun to have a roadtrip with my folks, as a grown up? Didn’t have my sister in the backseat, because she’s doing an out-of-state internship this summer. That felt strange, not having a person to pester and taunt for the drive, purely for nostalgic reasons. But it was nice to get the whole backseat to myself.

Border crossing wait times weren’t too bad. Dad tells us, after we’ve crossed, that the only reason we avoided a stripsearch is because he told the Canadian agent we were going to watch Canada beat England in the world cup. Ha! Also, are border stripsearches generally a problem for you? Yikes. Then we were off to find the “Fan Experience Zone,” an entire block converted into FIFA approved celebrations. The website touted the fact that the Vancouver Fan Zone was the biggest of all the Canadian host cities. But the actual experience was super sad and disappointing. They had two nice sized screens which would broadcast the match for those without tickets. One beer garden. Two food trucks. Five sponsor booths (trying to sell you a car, or allowing you to kick a soccerball, or play a small portion of a video game. And about 12 porta-potties. All laid out in a parking lot. Glamorous! Nobody seemed excited or even interested in anything, because the sponsor booths were pretty lame (except the one offering free airbrushed face “tattoos.” This was the only line in the whole place). Really sad commentary on the undervalued nature of women’s sports. (The pre-game festivities for local Seattle sports teams are WAY better than this. Seahawks Touchdown City has been a huge deal since even before the team was good *smile*).

All was not lost. The weather was gorgeous (and too hot! Because we’re temperate zone people). Still, the sun was out, which is always nice. And I did find THE MOST CANADIAN GRAFFITI EVER! It’s so dang polite and adorable.

After a restorative lunch at a nearby restaurant, we made our way to BC Place for the match. The stadium is really lovely. (It has inspired me to roadtrip for a future Sounders/White Caps game.) Once outside the stadium, we finally encountered the excitement and pageantry we’d been expecting. The fans attending the match were super pumped! (The fact that England’s colors are also red and white made immediately identifying a person’s team of choice a bit difficult). Maple leaves and St George’s Crosses everywhere. Stood in the ridiculous cashier line to buy some swag. Well, my dad didn’t, obviously. Pretty sure he’s allergic to any type of queue. But he placed an order with me, and I stood in line to get scarves for myself and the folks. There was even poutine available from the stadium concessions stands. And it was as mediocre as you’d expect from a stadium. Still, we felt very Canadian while munching on it. Afterwards someone told me that Vij’s has a concession stand in the stadium, for a mediocre but faster (and cheaper) version of some of their famous Indian food. Ah well. Maybe next time I’ll track it down. Genius thing in their concessions: they provide plastic LIDS to all of their plastic glasses of beer. Yes! Finally! The amount of beer splashed everywhere at stadiums in Seattle is ridiculous, so wasteful, and so messy.

The stadium people-watching was fantastic. Lots of amazing face paintings and headband antennae bobbles. I wanted some ridiculous hat or headband, but none for sale inside the stadium (guess we should have planned ahead for that part). My mom, concerned about the extreme heat, had ordered these bandanas filled with silica gel, that you soak and then wrap around your neck to help stay cool. I was a bit worried about bag search security giving me a hard time about these weird squishy tubes of fabric, so just tucked them at the bottom of the purse and it was never an issue. It’s not that they’d be illegal, only that it would require lots of explaining. They actually worked remarkably well for helping keep us cooler in the extreme heat, plus we looked ridiculously jaunty with bandanas tied around our necks. See?

Sadly my camera battery died before the match, so I wasn’t able to play paparazzi during all of our people watching. Just take my word for it that the sold out crowd looked amazing. And that BC Place is lovely. And they have a water zamboni machine that drives up and down the pitch with hoses spraying the field. Never seen that before a soccer match (I’m used to actual humans holding actual hoses). Also note that a quarterfinal match between Canada and England might be the most polite thing ever. Seriously, these folks needed to get LOUD!!! Not that I really wanted hooliganism or fights, but lots of loud cheers, songs, and trash talk would’ve been appreciated. Canada sacrificed their homefield advantage by politely watching the match. In truth, it was probably England’s two goals in four minutes that stifled the crowd, rather than an innate national predilection for politeness. (I can personally attest to the fact that some of the WhiteCaps fans who come down for Sounders games are real loud assholes. ha). The Lionesses simply outplayed Canada the enitre match and deserved their victory. Plus, they have a much cooler team nickname. The stadium which was 80%+ for Canada did liven up when Canada finally scored a goal. But the team just didn’t gel and couldn’t find their confidence. As a fan of the sport in general but without any strong leanings (although a part of me would have preferred to see the home town/country team win), it was still an amazing experience. Felt very lucky to have been there. So I guess, paradoxically, I’m a bit grateful that women’s soccer doesn’t garner the respect and following it should, as it allowed me to get tickets to a friggin QUARTER FINAL match only 4 weeks before the game. And I’ll type it once more, the interior of BC Place is really lovely. Here’s a photo of the suspended screen showing a photo of the stadium which also features the suspended screen. Meta!

On the way home, mom and I convinced dad to stop at a Tim Horton’s so we could buy the obligatory Tim Bits (doughnut holes). They’re not particularly amazing, just generic doughnut holes. But they’re a Canada tradition. And it was delightful that dad kept embarrassingly chuckling every time we talked about Tim’s Bits. “I’m not sure I want to eat those. heh heh.” At the border back into the states, we’re asked to declare our purchases. He says we bought some soccer scarves and I proudly hold up the Tim Horton’s box, adding “AND TIM BITS!!” Dad looks a little horrified at me and quickly explains “they’re doughnuts,” to which the border agent replies, “Oh yes. I’m very aware. The Maple-glazed ones are the best!” Dude. MAPLE Tim Hortons?!? That might be the most Canadian thing ever.