Travel

Ice Cream and the Bluebonnet Trail

/ lifesloosethreads / 2 Comments


One of the amazing things about writing for a local newspaper is I’ve had the opportunity to visit some pretty cool places and write about them. Several years ago I went on a behind-the-scenes tour with a group of reporters to the Blue Bell Creamery. I mean … what could be literally “cooler” than touring an ice cream factory? And did I mention it’s located in Brenham, Texas which is this time of year located smack dab in the middle of bluebonnet country?

Bluebonnet Trail

After we walked along the production room floor donning our manditory hairnets … inhaling deeply the luscious aroma of Cookies & Cream Ice Cream and snapping photos … the reporters were given the option of entering the blast freezer. That is where all the ice cream hangs out when it leaves the production line in a semi-solid state. Of course I raised my hand and said, “Me first please.” Since the production floor and blast freezer are not on the public tour, you never know when you will have an opportunity like that ever again in your entire life. I lasted about 15 seconds … which was probably a world record, but I’d do it again.

The 45-minute public tour (there is a modest admission fee) is a must and runs Monday through Friday (8:30 a.m. through 3 p.m.). My personal favorite was the ice cream sandwich machine! The tour ends with a serving of ice cream. You pick the flavor. Visit http://www.bluebell.com for location and other information about tours. Oh, and don’t forget to visit the gift shop! We have a nice collection of Blue Bell ice cream bowls, t-shirts and even No. 2 Blue Bell pencils.

So what is your favorite Blue Bell Ice Cream flavor? Mine … Peaches & Homemade Vanilla.

Taking your breath away

/ lifesloosethreads / 3 Comments


“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but the number of moments that take our breath away.”

It’s my daughter’s favorite quote on her Facebook page. Katie and her husband are currently on a European trip to London and Paris with a stop in Bruges, Belgium. Katie is the one that vaccinated our family with the travel bug some years ago when she studied abroad in Italy.

After her summer semester in 2000, I met Katie in Milan. Just the two of us then traveled to Venice, Florence and finished in Rome. The moment that most took my breath away on that trip was in Rome. I remember stepping through the Holy Doors of St. Peter’s and looking up. It was also the moment I spontaneously burst into tears. Yep, I melted into a little puddle right there on the floor of St. Peter’s. It took a Vatican custodian with a large mop and bucket a few minutes to clean up the mess my tears left behind.

You can see photographs of a place all your life but nothing prepares a person to step into that scene yourself. I highly recommend taking a large box of tissues if you are planning a visit to St. Peter’s.

Katie’s recent picture of the Eiffel Tower reminded me of my own recent breathtaking moments last year. There were many … the Eiffel Tower all lit up, Mass in Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle’s stained-glass windows, Mona Lisa in the Louve (who knew she was so small), Sacre Coeur Basilica and I’m just getting started! Rick and I were there to celebrate forty years of marriage. It was amazing Paris … as in France … not Las Vegas.

Talk about a city that leaves a person breathless! Seriously, there should have been an oxygen tank on every downtown corner.

I can’t wait till Katie and Chad get back home on Easter. I want to hear about all the places that took THEIR breath away!

Buc-ee’s … a Texas treasure

/ lifesloosethreads / 2 Comments


On our way home from San Antonio to Houston we stopped at Buc-ee’s in Luling. It’s one of their flagship stores. They call Buc-ee’s a convenience store. Heck, they call it lots of things, but a convenience store doesn’t immediately come to my mind. It’s more like one of those special hometown places that has a lot of everything … gas, ice, snacks, Buc-ee’s t-shirts and other memorabilia, fishing and camping gear … probably even school supplies … but I could be wrong about that last one.

They are famous for their Beaver Nuggets which are caramel and butter-glazed corn puffs. I grabbed a large bag along with some BBQ glazed jerky.

“Ricky and I munched out on a bag when we drove out to California about a year back. The stuff is awesome,” my husband stated.

Honestly, I felt like a bee in the middle of a very busy hive walking through the place. The place was buzzing with people and goodies. There is a bakery counter with tasty-looking treats like pecan pie Kolaches, blueberry scones and an assortment of cookies. I loved the sign that read “Glad to heat your Kolache or pastry upon request.” Heck, they had me at Kolache.

There was a counter with a couple young ladies making all kinds of BBQ sandwiches. Hubby got the pulled pork and I ordered a turkey for the road. Wish we had the time to drive into Luling proper for some of their righteous BBQ but it was not to be.

Did you know Buc-ee’s is famous for the “Cleanest Restrooms in America?” I can attest to that one. First time I entered the restroom “Ode to Joy” starting playing in my head. There were tons of stalls with red and green lights signifying an “opening.” No more quick peeks under the door for a vacancy. And my stall had a pile of toilet paper rolls and hand sanitizer. Their billboard is really true … the “#1 reason to visit Buc-ee’s is #1 and #2.” A little cornball Texas humor … but it totally works.

Of course with billboard signs from Houston to Luling like “Ice, beer, jerky: The 3 Food Groups” and “If It Harms Beavers, We’re Against It,” we were destined for a pit stop. Besides, we have a son still stationed in the Middle East and Buc-ee’s was the perfect place to fill up his next care package with goodies. I even threw in some official Buc-ee’s napkins. A mom can’t be too sure with those sequestration cutbacks if the government is going to cut back on our airmen’s napkins. Just saying.

Rollin’ … rollin’ … on San Antonio’s River Walk

/ lifesloosethreads / 4 Comments


It’s been several years since, like Credence Clearwater Revival used to sing, we went “rollin’ down the river.” Or should I say River Walk. Last weekend I noticed several pleasant surprises. Oh, the infamous Casa Rio restaurant is still there with their reasonable priced plates of all things Tex-Mex and margaritas. I like mine on the rocks … no salt if you please.

The lush landscaping and fountains have expanded way beyond the downtown River Walk. And the Alamo is still located across the street from the Hyatt and historic Menger Hotels. No way anyone would be messing with my Alamo.

What I noticed this time was a new river taxi, with flowing checkered flags, that wasn’t there the last time we visited. The River Walk hasn’t gotten rid of their entertaining river barge tours. They cost between eight and two bucks per person depending on your age and last 35 minutes. Highly recommend this little tour if you are a newbie to the river. It’s a slow, lazy ride down and around the populated downtown part of the River Walk with lots of funny and historical commentary from the boat captain. Don’t miss the gargoyles on the insurance building.

The river taxi shuttle service (prices vary depending on your need and how far you want to go) will take you down the same parts of the river as the river barge tour, but also north to the museum district (lots of funky art hangin’ from the bridges in this area) and beyond, to the old Pearl Brewery area. And no, Pearl Beer is no longer brewed. But the historic area is being lovingly repurposed. There is a culinary institute (check out their bakery … we did), some shopping (linger at “The Twig Book Shop”), a few restaurants and venues for specials events like corporate meetings, weddings and receptions (the “Stable” was hosting a wedding reception while we were there). It is a few years away from being a real destination but certainly worth the trip up the river for a long peek.

And if that doesn’t convince you to check out the Pearl Brewery area, when you take the river taxi, your barge will have to pass through the only lock and dam in the whole state of Texas. It’s pretty cool if you don’t have the Panama Canal on your bucket list. Just saying.

I also noticed how much more accessible the River Walk was to strollers and wheelchairs. It hasn’t been that many years since we took a family vacation to San Antonio with our special needs daughter in tow. It was pretty much a disaster getting Mimi around on the River Walk. Not so today. Back then there was one elevator down to the River Walk but you couldn’t go far. This time I noticed two elevators and lots of ramping in areas that used to have steps.

But that’s the River Walk … it’s a great place to relax, eat a little Tex-Mex, drink a margarita, and watch the lazy river roll on by.

Johnny “Football” Manziel … and the spontaneous night at the Heisman Awards!

/ lifesloosethreads / 3 Comments

Chad and HeismanSo by now everyone that doesn’t live under a ginormous boulder in the middle of the Grand Canyon knows Texas A&M’s very own Johnny “Football” Manziel won the Heisman!

My daughter, Katie, and new husband, Chad, just happened to be in New York City hanging with Chad’s brother and family the very weekend of the Heisman award. They got there the Thursday before the big Heisman announcement. The city was buzzing about the upcoming event that would be held Saturday.

I saw their pictures on Facebook. It sure looked like they were having a great time. There were pictures of Magnolia Bakery cupcakes, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, and the Christmas Market at Columbus Circle. And every day they made sure to walk past the Best Buy Theater on Broadway … just in case there was a Johnny “Football” Manziel sighting.

Did I mention Chad graduated from Texas A&M? This season Chad and some of his buddies attended the game of a lifetime … the A&M/Alabama game where A&M stomped all over Bama. Oh, and anyone that knows our daughter also knows Katie went to The University of Texas. I know … it’s a mixed marriage … but if anyone can make it work … they can.

So the night the Heisman was announced Katie, Chad and his brother, Kevin, decided, what the heck, let’s head down to Best Buy Theater for the big announcement. They were staying in Harlem and unfortunately missed the train that would bring them to Best Buy Theater on time. The important thing was to be down at the theater to celebrate. After all … Manzeil had won!!!

So there they were just after the announcement, Chad and Kevin standing in front of the Best Buy Theater. Kevin was posing Chad trying to get a picture of him in front of the banner sign that was congratulating Johnny. Our daughter was a few feet away at the street corner on Broadway when she saw three guys walk by. They had just left the Best Buy Theater. Two of the dudes had VIP passes around their necks. I don’t know the exact details, but she chatted them up, and one of the guys, a Heisman trustee, gives her his VIP pass. She promptly runs over to Chad and yells, “Get in there now!”

“My heart was racing when Katie handed me the VIP pass and told me to GO!! I had no idea I was heading to the floor where all the action was. I was just a few feet away from the greatest Heisman winners to play football … Doug Flutie, Earl Campbell, John David Crow to name a few,” said Chad.

Chad got a great photo with his hand on the Heisman trophy after the ceremony was over on the very stage where the ceremony was held. While he was standing in line to get the photograph of a lifetime, he chatted with Kevin Sumlin, A&M’s head coach, and with Kliff Kingsbury (A&M’s offensive coordinator, but as 12/12/12, the new head coach of his alma mater, Texas Tech). Both were in line to also get a firsthand glimpse of the Heisman. I could just imagine Chad saying to himself, “God … just pinch me now!”

“It wasn’t until later that I actually shook hands with Johnny Manziel. Katie, Kevin and I were walking the hallways on the 43rd floor of the Marriott marquis, where the Heisman hospitality suite was. Johnny and a few others walked right by so I was able to say congrats and quickly shake his hand,” Chad said.

Chad and Katie call it their spontaneous night at the Heisman Awards Ceremony. What a night … on so many levels!

For Pinot’s sake

/ lifesloosethreads / 1 Comment

I learned there are several ways to approach visiting California wineries. One popular way is to reserve a seat on a limo/bus and travel to a bunch of wineries in one day without getting arrested for playing bumper cars on Highway 29. You can find plenty of limo services on the web that, for a fee, will drive you around all day. Our daughter-in-law did just that for our son’s birthday this year. They had a blast! Oh, and they were so snookered by lunch they fell asleep on the grass during one of the winery stops. Yep, and nearly got left behind by their limo driver. I asked if they took any pictures of the wineries. They figured the camera would get lost, so they left it home. Smart kids!

With only one day to get the teeniest sip of wine country, we considered the limo approach, but opted for just picking one winery that included a tour. We actually were in the area to visit our Air Force son, who is today deploying to scary parts of the world, and our lovely daughter-in-law. With a French oak barrel full of possibilities, how in the world does anyone pick a winery? That was the twenty dollar question. Our oldest daughter and new son-in-law came to the rescue. They had just gotten back from their honeymoon in Napa and Sonoma.

“I went to yelp.com and Hendry Winery had lots of great reviews,” Katie said.

She knew her engineer/dad would love George Hendry and his approach to winemaking. I mean how often does one get to be in the presence of a dude that is passionate about wine and also designs cyclotrons for Pinot’s sake? George is also a physicist. I liked that Hendry wine (www.hendrywines.com) is made of grapes harvested from the 140 acres of grapes planted on the estate. Oh, and the bottle of Hendry Pinot that Katie and Chad brought back to us certainly helped sealed the deal.

The tour/tasting lasted 2-1/2 hours. They do them twice a day. Be sure to reserve in advance. It was $40 per person (fee waived with equivalent purchase) and included an educational tour of the vineyard, where they made and stored the wines, and a seated, formal tasting. Katie indicated a “seated tasting” was a little unusual for Napa/Sonoma and she thought we’d enjoy it better than hangin’ onto a bar for dear life. Did we ever!

Somewhere between their unoaked Chardonnay and the Pinot Noir, I was feeling warm and a tad lightheaded. It’s probably why I couldn’t tell you whether we sampled six, seven or eight different wines. We were taught to swirl and sip and it was all good … especially the Pinot Noir. We noticed the difference in taste and color of the barrel fermented and unoaked Chardonnay. Of the 12 bottles we bought, and they conveniently shipped home to us, three were Pinot Noir. We are saving them for a special occasion. What the heck, we’ll uncork a bottle this weekend. Weekends are special, aren’t they?

Not enough time in California Wine Country

/ lifesloosethreads / Leave a comment

My husband and I recently returned from our first visit to wine country. Our reason for heading to the Sonoma area actually had nothing to do with wine. But we managed to squeak in a couple of days just the same. Before our visit, I bought a book about everything you ever wanted to know about the area and then got thoroughly confused. I asked everyone I knew for recommendations and decided there were just too many choices for the two short days we would be hangin’ there. What follows is where we wound up!

North of Santa Rosa is a quaint little town called Healdsburg. It has a lovely town plaza surrounded by wine tasting shops, boutiques, nice restaurants, two dynamite bakeries, a memorable art gallery and even a tiny quilt shop called Fabrications. We lingered the longest in the Oakville Grocery, bookstore and kitchen shop!

We didn’t have a huge amount of advance notice when we booked the trip, so I was a tad concerned about finding nice accommodations. The B&B we chose was actually our third choice, as two other options were full. The Haydon Street Inn (www.haydon.com) was built in 1912 and restored with the perfect mixture of old and modern. It far exceeded our expectations. The Victorian mansion is a five-block stroll from all the action in the town square of Healdsburg. Our hosts were John, a former executive chef from Churchill Downs in Kentucky, and Keran. Can this guy cook!!! We stayed in the huge Cottage Suite. Separate from the main house, it has a claw-footed tub and modern shower and lots of lovely touches.

Every morning John cooked up an amazing three-course gourmet breakfast for guests in the main house. The cold raspberry soup, grilled grapefruit and ham/cheese omelet were my favorite. In the evening there is a reception with local wine and snacks. Did I mention that John built a pizza oven in the backyard? I know … I had to do a double-take when I saw it. You should see him hand toss that pizza dough. My favorite pizza was the pesto topped with cheese and artichokes. Are you drooling yet?

We soon learned restaurants require reservations and Keran made them all for us. We loved Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar (small plate fare to share … loved the lobster rolls), Ravenous (teeny tiny place with amazing food/great desserts) and Zin Restaurant & Wine Bar (www.zinrestaurant.com) touts farm fresh at your table. Oh, and we also ate lunch at The Girl & the Fig (www.thegirlandthefig.com) in Sonoma after hitting a winery tour in the morning. Loved it!

Come back next week. I’ll be writing about the winery tour/tasting we took!