A Traveler's Log

Falmouth...take 2!

2011-05-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

This morning we woke up to great news! A.J. and I were both selected to run the Falmouth Road Race this summer in August. Last year, A.J. ran it and loved it! I had to forfeit my spot becuase of new pregnancy, but still had a great time cheering everyone on.
This year will be a little more challenging when it comes to training. As soon as Audrey's old enough to break in her B.O.B. stroller, we'll be tearing up the neighborhood! Until then, her Dad and I will have to take shifts running :)
This will be the first big trip for our little girl! We hope to take her to PA sometime in July to meet everone, but this will be her first flight. She won't even be 5 mos. old and will already be jet setting...I think she'll take after her mama!
While I haven't been traveling much for obvious reasons, I'm about to get on the road again soon so hopefully I'll have some more fun tips and exciting places to write about! Stay tuned!

Pre-baby Mini Vaca

2011-01-06T16:12:00.000-08:00

We have lived in Georgia for almost 7 years now. During this time, I have been to Savannah at least 50 times (I used to have accounts there). A.J. had been there zero times. That was until October. We took a 3 day weekend and got away from it all. For those not it the know, October is a perfect time to enjoy Savannah. Most of the tourists are gone, hotels are easy to come by, and the weather is still warm enough to enjoy walks through the city or even a day on the beach at Tybee Island.

We stayed at the Doubletree right in the heart of downtown. We love this hotel because it is within walking distance of anywhere in the city. We started off the trip with lunch at Shang Thai and then strolled through City Market. I must admit that I was a little surprised by A.J.'s reaction. He absolutely fell in love with Savannah! Which is a good thing because it is one of my favorite places down here. Later in the evening we walked along River St. and enjoyed dinner at The Boar's Head. This restaurant is fantastic and the shrimp and grits aren't to be missed (but we are in the south and the same can be said about many places down here). After dinner I took A.J. to the Savannah Candy Kitchen. Let's just say it blew his mind. This is THE place to go to sample warm pralines, get some salt water taffy, or grab some after-dinner gelato. All in all, it was a great first day!

The next day, we drove out to Tybee Island, which is only about a 20 minute drive from town. The weather was perfect and the beach was almost deserted...my kind of beach day!

After the beach, we headed over to the Crab Shack. This place is an institution. Families head here because it's cheap, kid friendly, and has about 50 live alligators. I know...it sounds like a tourist trap. But the crab here is worth the trip. I recommend eating outdoors if possible. You can grab a table over looking the creek and if you're lucky you'll even see a manatee or two.

In case you don't know me that well, I live to shop. And that's exactly what I did once we got back into town. Broughton St. is the best shopping area that Savannah has to offer. I usually start at the top by Marc Jacobs and keep going until I reach the Paris Market. The Savannah Bee Company should not be missed as you can sample all of the honey, see how it is made, and find great goodies to take home to friends and family. I always have to stop by James Gunn. I love this store. She used to make some of the clothing herself but much to my dismay she has given that up. That being said, the store is always well stocked, beautifully merchandised, and the staff is super helpful. I can't ask for more! If you still haven't found what you're looking for on Broughton, just hike over to City Market. Be sure to checkout Paula Dean's store. Her restaurant is a bit over-rated but her store is stellar. If you're a chapstick fanatic like me, grab at least 6 tubes here. Trust me, you'll thank me!

We rounded out our trip with dinner at The Pink House. It's one of the oldest houses in the city and also rumoured to be one of the most haunted. Let's be honest though, every building in Savannah is rumoured to be haunted.
The dinner was amazing! Although it took a little longer than expected the food was well worth the wait. The menu changes seasonally but keeps some tried and true items year round like the BLT salad. Order this! It was featured on "Best Thing I Ever Ate" and now I know why! The service was impeccable and the atmosphere perfect for a cozy dinner for two. You'll definitely need reservations and if you'd like to have a more private table, just request it and they'll be happy to accomodate. It's easily become one of our favorite places to eat.

If you've never been to Savannah, you should definitely put it on your to-do list. No matter what you're into, there's something for everyone. And hands down, it is one of the best culinary experiences the South has to offer. I'm so glad A.J. loved it as much as I do. We can't wait to go back this Spring!

OBX Baby!

2010-09-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

OK, so I know I'm way overdue catching up on all of the trips we took this summer. I have friends visiting this area soon, so I wanted to get these up. Also, I'm trying to play catch-up this week. Hopefully by the end of it, my blog will be updated, my expense reports caught up, and a fall vacation will be booked! (High hopes, I know but a girl can dream can't she?)

So, back to the Outer Banks...we had an amzing vacation here. We stayed in Kitty Hawk but spent time in just about every area. The best dinner we had was at The Covington Cafe in Kitty Hawk! This was not my first time here, however I forgot how great this place is! Each little room inside is different and unique. The food is fantastic and the deserts are to die for! Definitely go for the crab cakes and be sure to get the warm chocolate cookie pie for desert. Both A.J. and I devoured it!

We also really enjoyed Duck! A.J.'s family was staying at a house up there so we took a day to spend with them. If you're looking for family things to do, Duck is the place. There's a restaurant called Diane and Mike's that has the BEST seafood chowder you will ever taste. Add the go-carts, shopping, and paddle boats and you've got yourself a whole evening out. Side note: paddle boats are not for whimps! I seriously couldn't feel my legs by the time we finished!

Also in Duck, I highly recommend the shopping! There's a little area right off the main road that has amazing local finds. You can't miss it, it's right as you get into Duck. The shops sit on the water and across the road tucked into little wooded areas. I found an amazing chip and dip bowl that I brought back to remind us of our trip. (We try to get something for the house on each excursion so we can be reminded of it when we're back to reality)

All in all, it was a great vacation spent with family that we adore! We couldn't have had a better time.

Falmouth Weekend

2010-08-18T09:26:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was spent in the New England area. It was A.J.'s first time there and I couldn't wait to show him around. Some of you may or may not know this, but I interned with the company I work for while I was in college. For one summer I lived in the Boston area and loved every minute of it!

On some Saturdays, one of my favorite things to do was walk the city. So, I took A.J. on my favorite walking tour. We started at Fanuil Hall, walked down through the Public Gardens, and finished off with a stroll down Newbury St. and had lunch at an outdoor cafe. It was perfect! The only thing that could have made it better would have been dinner in the North End, but we had to drive out to the Cape to meet everyone for the race.

I think I may have mentioned once or twice how awesome my company is. Well, I'm going to say it again! I love working for Learning Express! This weekend, they coordinated a company retreat that coincided with the Falmouth Road Race. A.J. and I had been training for this since the Spring and were not disappointed! The race was amazing! It's a 7.1 mile race that snakes along the Cape right along the ocean. Bands and D.J.s play along the route and happy spectators spray you with water hoses. All together, 28 people ran from our company. We were very well represented! A.J.'s time rocked! He finished second out of our group with a time of 1:00 48 seconds. I was so proud of him!

The hotel my company put us up in was amazing! We've already agreed that we want to go back. It was such a cute sea-side inn! It was right on the beach, with private patios, beach volley ball courts, a pool, and more charm than you can possibly imagine!

Falmouth is such a cute town! Cupcapes was by far out of this world! If you're ever in the area, we highly recommend it! All their baked goods are made
from all natural, organic ingredients...which meant that I could have 2 cupcakes!

We ended our weekend with an amazing New England Clam Bake overlooking the ocean. A.J. even got to disassemble a lobster with his bare hands...he's been initiated!

All in all, it was a perfect weekend! We can't wait to run the race again next year and revisit one of our new favorite spots!

The "I really love my job" weekend...

2010-06-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

I've been working a lot lately. I'm in the midst of a crazy 2nd quarter schedule and honestly I forget where I am from one week to the next. On these trips I haven't had as much time as I would like to explore the areas I've visited. Last weekend was entirely different!

I'm currently in the middle of a trip to our home office in Boston. Since I had to stay through the weekend, I was able to escape for a few days and see some of the best New England has to offer.

On Friday night we went to Foxwoods Casino in CT. I'm not a big gambler. I enjoy about 2 or 3 hours of Craps and then I'm done. So I put in my time at the tables and then went exploring. This resort is insane! It's like a mini city! I loved everything about it! I was even able to grab a last minute ticket to see Brad Garrett...and let me tell you he was hilarious! From the food (I highly recommend Prime Steakhouse) to the shopping, it certainly was impressive.

I wasn't sure that the weekend could get any better but Saturday proved me wrong! Mystic Pizza is one of my all time favorite 80's movies. Since the town of Mystic was less than 8 miles from Foxwood's, I couldn't pass up the chance to see it for my self!

The town was so cute! Talk about a quintessential New England fishing village. I grabbed a slice at the famous Mystic Pizza restaurant and then went shopping where I found an amazing local jewelry designer that made awesome bracelets! And yes I bought one...did you really even have to ask?

All in all? An amazing weekend! It reminded me of how fortunate I am to have this job. It gives me the opportunity to see and experience places I normally wouldn't. I'm a lucky gal.

Ch Ch Ch Changes...

2010-04-26T09:26:00.001-07:00

Here at the Walton house many things are going on. From the backyard to a second guest room, things are getting changed up all over the place.

This time of year always means a little sprucing up in our household. The biggest change this year is coming in the form of a fence. We've debated putting one up since the day we moved in here. At first, we didn't think we needed one and we actually liked the idea of getting to know our neighbors. Fast forward 5 years and it's a different story folks. Both of our neighbors have put up unsightly trampolines and have added tiny, yippy, dogs to their families. Don't get me wrong, I love dogs. I do not, however, love them peeing on our outdoor furniture. Which leads to another change...new patio furniture. This was ordered two weeks ago and has yet to show up. I'm hoping it does before we leave for D.C. on Wednesday.

The other big change this year is the second guest room. Our house has 4 "bedrooms" and we've always used at least one of those as a guest room. One room has been changed 3 times in 5 years. It has gone from a guest room, to A.J.'s man cave, and now back to a guest room. We've moved the old guest room furniture into said room and our now just waiting on new furniture for the back room.

So while there are a lot of changes going on, right now we're just playing the waiting game. We're waiting for our fence to up, waiting for the landscaper to give us an estimate, waiting for the patio furniture, and waiting for the new bedroom set. These last few days have been a lesson in patience. Something tells me the next few days will be as well!

As soon as some of these projects are complete, I'll be sure to upload some pictures!

Girls Weekend

2010-04-12T06:32:00.001-07:00

This trip to Daytona was just what the Dr. ordered!! It's been quite a while since I was able to escape everything, hang out with one of my favorite people, and just enjoy the view.

This was the first time I'd been back to Daytong in 2 years. That's a record for me. As soon as I crossed over the Dunlawton bridge I felt like I was home. And now for the life of me I can't remember why I stayed away so long. I already have an itch to go back. Daytona for me, truly is a second home. I have so many friends and family members there. So many of my favorite times have taken place in that town. It was so nice to finally share it with one of my girlfriends.

We started off the trip with a stop in Savannah for one of the best bloody marys I've ever had. (I highly recommend you go buy a bottle of Zing Zang mix immediately) After finishing lunch, we continued the drive down 95. From the minute we got to the house it was perfect. From the Ocean Deck, to a party at Razor & Libby's, & the time spent with friends and family, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect weekend.

Everyone needs a girls weekend. I love my husband to death, but every now and then it's good to get away and have some girl time. My girls include friends far and near, my mom, sisters, aunts, cousins, and grandmothers. Any time spent with any of them is precious! It makes me realize how lucky I am to have people in my life that I can truly count on, bring out the best in me, and know how to bring on the good times! Here's to many more great girls weekends to come!!

Ft. Collins

2010-03-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

This trip was like something out of the Twilight Zone. I never thought I would have trouble getting out of Augusta in March due to SNOW! But that was exactly the case. While we didn't have snow in Augusta, they did get about 3 inches in Atlanta. Did I mention that it's March?? Believe it or not, Colorado was sunny and upwards of 50 degrees the entire time I was there! While snow in GA may have people thinking there is no global warming...I've got news for you. This is the result. I just can't wait for the weather to mellow out so I can start being on time again. I did the math (because I'm a geek like that) and my on-time departures for this year are below 25%! That's a lot of late flights!
But I digress...I'm here to fill you in on my trip to Colorado. I love Colorado! There's nothing better to waking up in the morning, looking out my window and seeing that amazing view of the mountains. (OK, maybe an amazing view of the beach would beat it) It's beautiful! While I get to visit Ft. Collins 4 times a year, I never really get to do anything touristy. I'm going to try to fix that. What I do accomplish in all of my travels is to eat well! I base my opinion of a town on the meals I enjoy while I'm there. Ft. Collins never fails to deliver. Normally when I'm in town, I enjoy one of the local breweries. While I did sample a tasting at the Ft. Collins brewery, the top meal of this trip goes to Rodzio grill. It was my first time trying rattle snake and I loved it! Rodizio's a Brazilian style grill that serves all kinds of freshly cooked meats. If you haven't been to one, I highly recommend it. A well known chain that can be found in most large cities is Fogoa de Chao.

While I didn't have that much time on this trip, next time I swear to take a few more days and explore the area. (For the record, I've been saying this for the last 2 years)
Next week I head to Boston for St. Patty's day...look out!!

Beginning Again

2010-02-23T10:21:00.001-08:00

So 2009 came and went without one blog post from me. When I began this, I really did have the best of intentions. I've taken some time to regroup, reevaluate if you will. I think I've come up with a way to keep everyone informed to my goings-on and write something that will be of some use.
Since I travel so much for both work and pleasure, I thought this would be a good place to start documenting those travels. I get quite a few requests for restaurant, hotel, and activity recommendations. I've decided to archive my best of the best here. Rest assured if I've visited the town, my favorite picks will be listed here. That being said, there will be no back-logging. I will begin from today and chronicle my trips here after.
Next up: Ft. Collins, CO...stay tuned :)

Baggin' Macy's

2008-10-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

So...I consider myself pretty aware when it comes to "green" issues. I recycle everything I can. We no longer use paper plates in our house. I carry the cloth bags to the grocery store. Recently I've taken it a step farther and I take my Inconvient Bag to the mall with me. Up until yesterday, no one has given me any issues when I ask to not put my items in a plastic bag. Then I walked into Macy's. I don't shop there regularly, but A.J. needed Calvin Klein undershirts. So in I walk, I grab a package of shirts and I go to the register to pay. When I ask the nice gentleman behind the counter to not put my shirts in a bag, he tells me that's not an option. It is Macy's policy that anything bought in their store has to go into their bags. They want us to "advertise for them", (his words not mine). I do not consider myself a crusader. However, I felt it necessary to tell this sales man how Macy's is killing the planet by insisting their customers take plastic bags even when they don't want them. If I could've gotten the shirts anywhere else, I would've put them back. But that wasn't an option. So I took their plastic bag, went home and then put it in my recycle pile. In the future, I will not shop Macy's! Maybe if there are enough people out there who complain about it things will change. Until then, the boycott is on!!!

Feeling Fall

2008-10-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure that Fall is my favorite time of year. Don't get me wrong, I love the warm weather of summer but there's just something about this time of year that makes me happy. I love football season. Always have. I love putting on my Steeler jersey and going to a bar and cheering on my team. I love the cooler weather. I love the apple harvests, the color palate, the smell of my house (You may think I'm crazy but I can tell the season's are changing just by the way my house smells). Trust me I could go on and on. I live for this time of year!
In about a week, my loves will change. I like nothing better than to curl up on my couch with the lights out and watch a marathon of horror movies. Pumpkin carving, apple cider, trick-or-treaters and candy corn are just icing on the cake! This year, we're going to Universal Studios for the FrightFest. I absolutely can't wait! I'd promise to post pictures on here, but let's be honest...I'm not that good with keeping up with this & I don't like to make promises I can't keep.
So to those of you who share my love for this time of year, enjoy it! Jump in a pile of leaves for me. (Georgia isn't that condusive to leaf jumping)
Oh~ I almost forgot...I have one more love to pass along before I wrap this up...Pumpkin Ale. If you haven't tried it yet, go grab yourself a six pack. You'll thank me for it!

Bad Blogger With the Best News!!

2008-08-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

So I started this blog with the best of intentions...really I swear I did. But as life goes (or ours at least) I never quite have enough time for things I would like to get done.
But since my last post, we have had some amazing news! A.J. does not have to go back to the army!! Yay! For those of you out of the loop, the army tried to recall A.J. in June. We fought it with everything we had. Just when it looked like there was no hope, low and behold he was notified that his hardship application was accepted! Which means the army can neve again try to recall him! Which means I can finally throw out all of the army crap that takes up half of the walk-in closet in our guest bedroom. Which means my dream of owning a vacation home may only be a few years away! Not bad for a 28 year old from GA! Truly all of that pales in comparison to the fact that A.J. will not be put in harms way!
He most likely will go back overseas, but it will be on our terms and under much safer conditions! I just like feeling that we have some control over what happens to us and our future plans!
So after going through all of that, I can honestly say that my opinion on a few things has changed. I will not get all political on you. I only urge you to take a look at some of the laws that have come into effect over the term of the last presidency. Mainly the laws affecting our troops and their families. It's time for a change and that's all I'll say about that!
So as I step down from my soap-box (no applause needed) I promise to do better with this blog! Perhaps I'll even post a picture or two next time! Perhaps...but please be patient :)

In the beginning...

2008-07-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

So I've been contemplating creating a blog for quite some time now. As yet another one of my friends has moved far, far away I figure now's a better time than ever to start. Between my many adventures for work and the very real possibility that A.J. is going back to Iraq, I figure I will never be at a loss of subjects to write about. Plus this seems like the ideal way to keep all of our friends and family up to speed with the happenings of our little family here in Georgia!
I can't gaurantee page-turner quality quips here but I can promise you a few laughs, perhaps a few tears, and definitely all the juicy goings-on of the Walton household. So stay tuned!