Poutine is a Delicious Mess of a Good Thing

A couple of years ago, while vacationing in Switzerland and active on Facebook, I posted that my desired last meal on earth would have to be the Canadian fave: Poutine. Today, my husband sent me this informative article from USA Today. Having recently returned from Montréal, poutine is fresh on our minds and ON our bellies. The article traces the history of poutine back to Quebec in 1963. For those not familiar with the sensation, poutine is three ingredients: French fries, cheese curds and gravy. Right?

Poutine translates into "mess"

Creative Ventures Indoors

I remember too many frigid days growing up in Chicago winters. A good snowfall generated some outdoor play, but most of the time the cold, grey days were spent indoors. Summers in SWFL are the opposite. The days hinge on oppressive humidity, temps in the 90's and state of emergency downpours. It's best to stay indoors after 10am. 

That said, I'm loving my new iPad Pro with the Pencil and Procreate app; providing hours of creative amusement during these early summer days. Will's birthday gift is also coming in handy: a Sofia + Sam lap desk. The desk will be perfect for the camper, too! Here's my new logo I just sketched in Procreate:

 

Asheville NC to Marco

We left Montreal on Thursday, June 27th. Having underestimated the hassle of living out of a suitcase for nearly a month, we decided to take our time heading back home. Asheville seemed like a good place to break up our ride. There, we stayed at an over-priced Aloft hotel so as to be right downtown. Location, location, location. We enjoyed two great dinners on Biltmore Avenue, one at Chestnut and the other at Posana. Tupelo Honey for breakfast was really good. It was challenging riding our bikes to the River Arts District, but we found a short cut home. My aching body!

Asheville to Marco was on the agenda Sunday but not before a meandering and scenic drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Auto-pilot and the need for speed brought us home at 10:45pm! We were on the road for one month.

Montreal

Bill met me in Montreal on Monday, June 24th. He's always happy after I return rejuvenated from a six chix fix. We settled in our first Airbnb, which was very nice. We toured the lovely city by foot and took in some good food, too, especially poutine at Saint-Houblon Brew Pub in the Latin Quarter. My body was aching after a climb up Mont Royal so we Ubered to Chuck Hughes Garde Manger restaurant near the old dock. We were disappointed in the overall dining experience at Garde Manger, but did enjoy the dinner despite the very slow service.

Prince Edward Island

Jill welcomed us into her Chelton home on PEI for a girls weekend. It's a beautiful Island with plenty to do. Here's are some noteworthy spots:

Terre Rouge Restaurant - Charlottetown
The Inn at Bay Fortune FireWorks Feast - Souris
PEI National Park - Greenwich
Chelton Beach Provincial Park
PEI Preserve Company - New Glasgow
Celtic Performing Arts Centre at the College of Piping -Summerside
Lobster Barn - Victoria
Island Chocolates - Victoria
The Dunes Studio Gallery & Cafe - Brackley Beach

Too Busy Traveling for Travel Blog

It got pretty crazy down at the NJ shore once family started streaming in at the beach house. Despite all the June celebrations, Bill stole the show on Father's Day. We had a really nice time in Beach Haven with friends, family, bikes, hikes, pickle ball, cards and dice. Some of the noteworthy restaurants are listed below.

Noteworthy restaurants:
Stefano' Seafood and Pasta - fine dining
Blue Water Cafe - casual and byo cocktails, long wait
The Chicken or the Egg - bargain, iconic, 24 hours
Pearl Street Market - close to rental, to go items, and lobster bakes for a crowd
The Gables - fine dining
Barry's Do Me a Flavor - Philly Cheesesteaks
Dockside Diner - casual
The Bagel Shack - casual
And of course Ship Bottom Brewery

Beach Living

Another fun day at the beach. It's a lot different living three houses from the beach rather than three miles. Walk, bike ride, played pickle ball for the first time, cocktails on the beach, beer can chicken, Big Little Lies Season 2. Exhausting!

LBI Marine Mist

The sunshine left with the weekend visitors. LBI cleared out Monday and was a noticeably different and calmer scene. It was a grey day with intermittent showers and misty skies. We were still able to grab hold of sea shore sights, exercise and fun with a pickle ball lesson, a pleasant walk and a long bike ride. Pat and Glenn had us for dinner and a continuation of our Spades game from the cruise. It's a simple life.

Water on Both Sides of the Road

Sunday morning was pretty quiet on LBI Blvd. I enjoyed peaceful contemplation during my three mile walk; taking in Holgate and the beach front. This narrow 18 mile strip of land is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Manahawkin Bay on the west.

Bill stayed close to the house while I ran around the island shopping for the June and July special occasions in the family.

Our landlords, Pat and Glenn, retuned to the shore after a long weekend in PA. We invited them down to our place for a shrimp scampi dinner. We talked and talked and talked for hours. Good to see them again. After all, it's been almost three weeks since the cruise.

Saturday at the Beach

Although we lived in Jersey for 23 years, our getaway weekends consisted of a quick flight or long, harrowing drive on I-95 to Martha's Vineyard. We loved our Vineyard Haven summer home of nearly 20 years. Many of our NJ neighbors, however, would escape to their stateside summer homes; leaving work and city vibes for the carefree scene at the NJ shore.

Saturday morning we finally witnessed these weekend warriors enjoying a small dose of relaxation. Runners, bikers and beach-goers took to the roads on LBI. Cars had to navigate carefully. Bikes rule. Bill and I enjoyed exploring on our bikes. We did twenty miles from Holgate to Ship Bottom before taking to our books and enjoying the pleasant temps in the afternoon. Meanwhile, it's hot as hell in SWFL.

Book note: I breezed through the memoir by Tara Westover, Educated. It was good; thought provoking and somewhat disturbing. Read it.

Summit to Shore

The ride to LBI was smooth sailing on the NJ Turnpike Friday morning after rush hour. Patty and Owen sent us off with another hearty breakfast and some big hugs.

It was good to unload the packed car and spread out in our cozy rental by the beach! Pearl Street Market was a great suggestion for lunch. After provisioning up and a home-cooked dinner for two, we ventured over the dune to view the waterfront. It's going to be a pleasant couple of weeks in Beach Haven.

Thursday in Summit

Patty prepared a lovely breakfast and we covered a lot of ground during a lazy morning of conversation. Owen, Patty's baby, now 22 years old, just returned from a celebratory college graduation trip in Thailand. We enjoyed his adventure stories and marveled at his ambition.

Patty and I hit a few consignment shops and grabbed lunch at Marigolds before my blow-out appointment in town.

Bill and I were honored to attend Jorge's Deloitte retirement party at Baltisrol Golf Club. Jorge and Patti are longtime friends and travel buddies, soon to be spending a lot more time at their home in Naples! I have no pictures of the nice event, just memories.

Charlottesville to Summit NJ

Wheels were rolling Wednesday morning after a lazy night in Charlottesville. We avoided the mayhem of DC on I-81 and pulled into Summit at 3:30pm. North central Jersey never really filled me with the warm and fuzzies until I moved to Florida. Now, I have only fondness and feelies for my former home of 23 years. I grew up in Chicago, but it was in NJ that I really grew up through marriage and motherhood.

Patty welcomed us into her beautiful home and we chatted over refreshments in her lush and lovely yard. Sarah stopped by for a hug, too. Old friends become the best friends.

Our table for 14 at Benihana's in Short Hills was a tad crowded but very joyous as we were reunited with the kids for a loud and entertaining dinner. We missed a few kids, but they were with us in spirit.

Jefferson’s Monticello

Thomas Jefferson wanted to be remembered for his contributions to the USA, not his titles, jobs or what the country gave to him. His gravestone at Monticello makes no mention of President, Vice President, Secretary of State or US Ambassador to France. The same man who wrote the iconic words, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," owned more than 600 slaves and never acknowledged his six children from enslaved mistress Sally Hemings. Ugh. Greatness is in doing.

We had a thought provoking day in Charlottesville.

Charlottesville VA

An uneventful day on the road, over the byways instead of the highways, had us rolling into the hilly landscape of Charlottesville in the mid afternoon on Monday. The Country Inn and Suites by Radisson was highly rated on the forums but disappointingly farther from town than the advertising indicated. Oh well. It’s clean and reasonably new. We showered and consulted the internet for dinner venues. Sushi was on the agenda. The restaurant TEN offered fresh fish in a funky, romantic setting. After dinner we strolled the pedestrian mall and enjoyed people watching and window shopping in a vibrant college town. UVA is always looming in the background.

Beautiful Beaufort

After a delicious breakfast consisting of Bill’s homemade Greek whipped yogurt with granola, nuts and honey, we hit the Spanish Moss Trail. It was good to stretch our legs and explore Lowcountry on the well-maintained, partly-shaded, 10-mile scenic bike path. We ventured on and off the trail for hours, stopping at a dockside lunch place, Fish Camp, in Port Royal. Bill had to refuel with the chicken and waffles and I opted for a strawberry salad sprinkled with jalapeño bacon. Gotta love the south. Back on the bike to burn off the calories, just after mile 26, I found myself peddling on a flat rear tire. Ugh. Suddenly on a business trip, we were back in leisure mode, with a fixed bike, in no time.

Lowcountry SC is hotter than SWFL now. It reached 97° in the afternoon. It was good to cool off back in the hotel and plan our next meal. 😂 Bill found a most amazing restaurant on OpenTable: Saltus River Grille. A great spot in Historic downtown Beaufort. We shared wood fired oysters, mussels, truffle French fries and then, the star of the dinner, shrimp and grits, of course. I’ve been working on my own recipe for this iconic dish but realized Sunday night, I have a long way to go.

It was a spectacular 48 hours in Beautiful Beaufort all around! Even getting the tire fixed was just another adventure. Another story, too.

The Paris Seamstress to Beaufort SC

With a couple of weeks to catch up with family in friends in Florida, clean the house and do laundry, we hit the road in our SUV for another adventurous road trip. Bill installed the Thule rails at the last minute, but as it turned out, we didn't really need the rooftop storage. We rolled out of town around 9a. Immersed in my current novel, The Paris Seamstress, miles flew by while enjoying breaks in shotgun. It’s always a tedious drive out of the state. East, west and in between, there’s no easy way out of Florida.

Beaufort, SC has been a destination on our radar. However, it’s just slightly out of the way when we’re in serious Interstate driving mode. With this trip up north, we decided to make Beaufort part of the fun. We pulled into our Holiday Inn on Boundary St. just in time for a quick shower before dinner. According to Yelp, TripAdvisor and Google, the top place in town is Old Bull Tavern. Luckily, we were able to get a 6:30p reservation on a Saturday night in June. Dinner was very good. Afterwards, we strolled along the waterfront, plopped on a swing and took in the beautiful sunset at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. The present heat wave in Low Country made for a perfectly comfortable evening outdoors.

meh.

Thinking of adding a couple tee shirts to my badass collection:

Will and I just crack up with these edgy shirts

Although I'm totally off of caffeine

My original

What's wrong with just wanting light-hearted enjoyment in life?

A Long Day's Journey into Night

Packed and ready to go on Wednesday, we met for breakfast at the hotel before boarding buses for Heathrow at 8:15am. Sadly, a Marco Men's Club (MMC) traveler tripped over a bag and fell head-first on the curb. The ambulance arrived within 20 minutes (ugh traffic) and took Brooks to the hospital. That episode delayed our departure, but we still had plenty of time to catch our flight.

Some sort of electrical failure occurred just as we were finishing our check-in at American Airlines. Conveyer belts, escalators and TSA screening came to a halt. Luckily, Bill and I were not terribly effected, but many in our group had tedious manual security checks and lost luggage upon arrival.

We had a comfortable flight. I finally finished my book and watched the movie Free Solo. Once in Miami, it took almost two hours to get our group together between lost luggage claims and erroneous information for gathering and meeting the bus to Marco.

The MMC's group of 39 remaining travelers arrived on the island at approximately 10p. Long day, fun 17 days, Brooks will be fine and lost luggage will be found. Here's some parting shots of our transatlantic adventure: