This weekend Snowflake and Sunshine went to Baltimore, Maryland for the 134th Preakness. Preakness is the second leg of the Triple Crown Horse Race. The first is the Kentucky Durby and the third is Beltmont Stakes. This year Mind that Bird won the Kentucky Durby and Rachel Alexandra won Preakness. Lucky for us we bet on both horses in the Preakness and came out a small winner. The Baltimore crowd is a site to see - a varity of cultures and clash. This was the first year attendees could not BYOB and it reduced the popularity of the event. It was not as well attended as years past. The big "R" could have also impacted the attendance level.
Sunshine and Snowflake had an amazing time, as it was our first Preakness together. This video was specially made for mama and papa in Germany, enjoy! Piep piep piep...
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Easter in Germany
Sunshine and Snowflake traveled on their first European Holiday to Germany. This Easter we traveled for 5 days, non-stop, from Holy Thursday to Easter Monday.
1. From Newark, NJ to Frankfurt Germany
2. Frankfurt to Hamburg
3. Hamburg to Beckum
4. Beckum with dinner in Soest and a tour of Munster
5. Beckum to Frankfurt
6. Frankfurt to Newark, NJ
We drove over 10 hours between cities. The drives were long and beautiful, at least the parts I saw while I was awake. I'm lucky to have Snowflake with me to do most of the driving. My first Germany driving experience was a bit scary. Driving over 120 MPH on the autobahn was crazy, not to mention all the odd looks from drivers when I passed on the right side. The best part was when I slowed down because a car cut me off and the car to my left slowed down, as if I was suppose to speed up! German drivers are like Jersey drivers, watch out! Now I know why my Snowflake drives so well in Jersey.
We arrived in Hamburg on Thursday afternoon at the Marriott Hotel in Hamburg. The Hotel was beautiful and very central to shopping and key tourist spots. We walked around the city and got some beers and a lite dinner. We sat in a beach basket for a while and dreamed about our future home on the beach. It was an early night since we had a long day of flying and driving, the bed was almost as good as the Westin Heavenly Bed, but not quite.
On Friday we had a bit of a late start of the day. Ate breakfast at the hotel on the patio with a nice selection of healthy foods. Then went for a city walk (stopped into a church), got a coffee and got on the hop on bus. We did a boat tour of the Port which is the largest in Europe. It reminded me of Seattle because of its size and the activity of boats. Hamburg is definitely more popular than Seattle, Washington. We had a nice lunch at the harbour and did some people watching.
After the long day we went back to the Marriot Hotel Spa and Gym with a hot tub for our sore feet. We went for a late Italian dinner (no meat on Good Friday) and then headed to the red light district. Yes, the red light district... I didn't even know one existed in Hamburg. It's much like Amsterdam with sex stores and clubs every where. There are no girls in windows and it's also the central place for "hanging out." All the normal clubs are in the same district just on the opposite side of the road like the Vegas Strip.
Saturday we got up a little earlier and had breakfast before our next road trip to Beckum. Beckum is Snowflakes' hometown. After 3 hours of driving we arrived at a beautiful hotel, Hotel Hoxnog. It was the best in town and had a beautiful landscape and farm animals (a petting zoo for kids). It was perfect. It reminded me of a country club like North Hempstead with hotel rooms. First thing we did was meet his parents for Lunch. We picked up Doners at the local Greek Deli and ran into his friend. Like me, Snowflake knows everyone in town and they were all excited to see him and meet me. We went home to eat lunch and spend time with family, our first time together... yes, it was a big day for us ;-)
For dinner we ventured to Soest, the next town over from Beckum... like Manhasset and Port Washington on Long Island. We met up with some more friends in total 12 of us at a long table. The seating was like a picnic table in an old micro brewery, typical German style. The guys ate and drank so much I was impressed with the quantity of meat they were able to consume. Of course I kept up with the drinks, my Irish background comes in handy in Germany!
Easter Sunday was a long day. We got up for church and then went to his mom's house for an afternoon meal. It was my first mass in German, it was very spiritual being with Snowflake. It was also our first holiday together and we share so many of the same values and family traditions.
I met his grandfather (95) and his brother + wife and nephew. We had a great lunch, laughing and telling stories about each other. We had given them gifts from the US and took lots of pictures of the family while we were together. It was a really yummy meal with your typical German affair - sour brotten, potatoes, white asparagus, and peas and carrots. The meal was really good and I even had seconds! For dessert we had ice cream and pudding with lots of Easter candy, too much!
Sunday afternoon Snowflake and I took a walk into the central part of town (a big square) and met a friend for coffee. We chatted with him for a bit and chilled out enjoying the nice weather (70's). All the shops were closed for the holiday weekend so there isn't much to do in town but drink coffee.
Sunday night we went to the Easter Fire. It's a festival of bonfires in different locations across town. It's like the Italian Feast in Port or Sea Cliff with lots of people around a bonfire drinking micro brew beer. There was no rides but lots of food and beer where everyone knew everyone.
Monday morning we got up and went running after eating so much food over the past couple of days. The hotel was surrounded by woods with trails so got lost together and got in a good run. In the afternoon we went to Snowflakes' brother's house for a BBQ (lunch) and met with the whole family, again. It was really cool to see how they BBQ - chicken and brutworst, no hamburgers! I saw some old pictures of Snowflake was he was young and we told the story of how we meet. They packed us up with candy for the road and we headed out to Munster for a city tour.
Munster is another large city next to Beckum. It was the last city in WWII to get destroyed in Germany. The sad part is there was no reason for the city to be bombed other than the Airforce not able to bring the bombs back to the UK, it was never a target but rather a dumping ground. Munster is a very catholic city with a large Cathedral or Dome and several churches. It was know for it's wealth and beauty. We walked around the city and Snowflake was my private tour guide ;-)
The drive back to Frankfurt and flight back to Newark was long. We were excited to be home and get some rest. Going to work straight away, checking email was tough to get back into the work mode. The best part is we were home, safe and sound.
Till next time my travel bugs...
1. From Newark, NJ to Frankfurt Germany
2. Frankfurt to Hamburg
3. Hamburg to Beckum
4. Beckum with dinner in Soest and a tour of Munster
5. Beckum to Frankfurt
6. Frankfurt to Newark, NJ
We drove over 10 hours between cities. The drives were long and beautiful, at least the parts I saw while I was awake. I'm lucky to have Snowflake with me to do most of the driving. My first Germany driving experience was a bit scary. Driving over 120 MPH on the autobahn was crazy, not to mention all the odd looks from drivers when I passed on the right side. The best part was when I slowed down because a car cut me off and the car to my left slowed down, as if I was suppose to speed up! German drivers are like Jersey drivers, watch out! Now I know why my Snowflake drives so well in Jersey.
We arrived in Hamburg on Thursday afternoon at the Marriott Hotel in Hamburg. The Hotel was beautiful and very central to shopping and key tourist spots. We walked around the city and got some beers and a lite dinner. We sat in a beach basket for a while and dreamed about our future home on the beach. It was an early night since we had a long day of flying and driving, the bed was almost as good as the Westin Heavenly Bed, but not quite.
On Friday we had a bit of a late start of the day. Ate breakfast at the hotel on the patio with a nice selection of healthy foods. Then went for a city walk (stopped into a church), got a coffee and got on the hop on bus. We did a boat tour of the Port which is the largest in Europe. It reminded me of Seattle because of its size and the activity of boats. Hamburg is definitely more popular than Seattle, Washington. We had a nice lunch at the harbour and did some people watching.
After the long day we went back to the Marriot Hotel Spa and Gym with a hot tub for our sore feet. We went for a late Italian dinner (no meat on Good Friday) and then headed to the red light district. Yes, the red light district... I didn't even know one existed in Hamburg. It's much like Amsterdam with sex stores and clubs every where. There are no girls in windows and it's also the central place for "hanging out." All the normal clubs are in the same district just on the opposite side of the road like the Vegas Strip.
Saturday we got up a little earlier and had breakfast before our next road trip to Beckum. Beckum is Snowflakes' hometown. After 3 hours of driving we arrived at a beautiful hotel, Hotel Hoxnog. It was the best in town and had a beautiful landscape and farm animals (a petting zoo for kids). It was perfect. It reminded me of a country club like North Hempstead with hotel rooms. First thing we did was meet his parents for Lunch. We picked up Doners at the local Greek Deli and ran into his friend. Like me, Snowflake knows everyone in town and they were all excited to see him and meet me. We went home to eat lunch and spend time with family, our first time together... yes, it was a big day for us ;-)
For dinner we ventured to Soest, the next town over from Beckum... like Manhasset and Port Washington on Long Island. We met up with some more friends in total 12 of us at a long table. The seating was like a picnic table in an old micro brewery, typical German style. The guys ate and drank so much I was impressed with the quantity of meat they were able to consume. Of course I kept up with the drinks, my Irish background comes in handy in Germany!
Easter Sunday was a long day. We got up for church and then went to his mom's house for an afternoon meal. It was my first mass in German, it was very spiritual being with Snowflake. It was also our first holiday together and we share so many of the same values and family traditions.
I met his grandfather (95) and his brother + wife and nephew. We had a great lunch, laughing and telling stories about each other. We had given them gifts from the US and took lots of pictures of the family while we were together. It was a really yummy meal with your typical German affair - sour brotten, potatoes, white asparagus, and peas and carrots. The meal was really good and I even had seconds! For dessert we had ice cream and pudding with lots of Easter candy, too much!
Sunday afternoon Snowflake and I took a walk into the central part of town (a big square) and met a friend for coffee. We chatted with him for a bit and chilled out enjoying the nice weather (70's). All the shops were closed for the holiday weekend so there isn't much to do in town but drink coffee.
Sunday night we went to the Easter Fire. It's a festival of bonfires in different locations across town. It's like the Italian Feast in Port or Sea Cliff with lots of people around a bonfire drinking micro brew beer. There was no rides but lots of food and beer where everyone knew everyone.
Monday morning we got up and went running after eating so much food over the past couple of days. The hotel was surrounded by woods with trails so got lost together and got in a good run. In the afternoon we went to Snowflakes' brother's house for a BBQ (lunch) and met with the whole family, again. It was really cool to see how they BBQ - chicken and brutworst, no hamburgers! I saw some old pictures of Snowflake was he was young and we told the story of how we meet. They packed us up with candy for the road and we headed out to Munster for a city tour.
Munster is another large city next to Beckum. It was the last city in WWII to get destroyed in Germany. The sad part is there was no reason for the city to be bombed other than the Airforce not able to bring the bombs back to the UK, it was never a target but rather a dumping ground. Munster is a very catholic city with a large Cathedral or Dome and several churches. It was know for it's wealth and beauty. We walked around the city and Snowflake was my private tour guide ;-)
The drive back to Frankfurt and flight back to Newark was long. We were excited to be home and get some rest. Going to work straight away, checking email was tough to get back into the work mode. The best part is we were home, safe and sound.
Till next time my travel bugs...
Monday, March 9, 2009
Hanging Loose in Hawaii
Traveling from New York City to Honolulu is quite the long flight. With a lay over in Dallas, Texas (DFW) and 12 hours later I arrived in Hawaii for 6 days. I'm here visiting Lauren and her new baby girl, Lily. Her husband is stationed in Iraq, on tour till October. My friend Deirdre and I are taking a "girls" trip to get away from the hustle and bustle of life in New York.
I've been here for 5 days and have learned a lot about the Hawaiian American lifestyle. Lauren lives on the island of Oahu and about 30 minutes from the Honolulu airport and Waikiki, the Leeward Coast. Over the past week we've been all over the island to see the major tourist highlights like Turtle Beach, The Pineapple Plantation, Downtown, The Windward Coast, Paradise Cove, White Plains Beach, and Ko Olina Beach Resort. It's been a busy week and we've covered a lot of the island.
My favorite parts of the visiting are:
1. Meeting baby Lily... even before her daddy!
2. Kaula Pig - it's pulled pork... yummy!
3. Mai Tai's - I'm good after 2... yes, 2 drink limit!
4. Luau - photos at sunset, learning how to hula, and the Hawaiian music and show
5. Beaches - crystal blue waters, hot surfers, funny sunburns
6. Lauren's House - the 3 mile run, chocolate & red wine, home cooked meals and the hot tub!
7. Rainbow - the world's most beautiful rainbows live in Hawaii... they are magical!
After hanging loose in Hawaii I can understand why Lauren doesn't want to move back to the East Coast of America. There is a certain love and affection for the islands. Now I understand why everyone who visits always loves and raves about the Islands of Love. The next time I come back it will be with my love.
Till next time Hawaii... Hang Loose!
I've been here for 5 days and have learned a lot about the Hawaiian American lifestyle. Lauren lives on the island of Oahu and about 30 minutes from the Honolulu airport and Waikiki, the Leeward Coast. Over the past week we've been all over the island to see the major tourist highlights like Turtle Beach, The Pineapple Plantation, Downtown, The Windward Coast, Paradise Cove, White Plains Beach, and Ko Olina Beach Resort. It's been a busy week and we've covered a lot of the island.
My favorite parts of the visiting are:
1. Meeting baby Lily... even before her daddy!
2. Kaula Pig - it's pulled pork... yummy!
3. Mai Tai's - I'm good after 2... yes, 2 drink limit!
4. Luau - photos at sunset, learning how to hula, and the Hawaiian music and show
5. Beaches - crystal blue waters, hot surfers, funny sunburns
6. Lauren's House - the 3 mile run, chocolate & red wine, home cooked meals and the hot tub!
7. Rainbow - the world's most beautiful rainbows live in Hawaii... they are magical!
After hanging loose in Hawaii I can understand why Lauren doesn't want to move back to the East Coast of America. There is a certain love and affection for the islands. Now I understand why everyone who visits always loves and raves about the Islands of Love. The next time I come back it will be with my love.
Till next time Hawaii... Hang Loose!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Toronto, Canada
I spent the last four days in sub-zero weather in Toronto, Canada. It was a very productive work week and I wanted to share my city experience with you. There are five great parts about the city:
(1) walking underground and feeling like you're walking on a NYC sidewalk
(2) drinking beer to keep warm, far more bars in Toronto with great selections
(3) staring at the lakeside, it's the calm waterfront in the middle of winter
(4) going to the Eaton Centre is larger than Roosevelt Field Mall and way more hip because of the Euro trend stores... it's closer than flying to London!
(5) people watching is actually people meeting, everyone is so friendly!
Toronto is a must visit and it's only a flight away.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Tri-State
This weekend was all about trains. From NYC on the NJ Transit and Metro North. NYC is the metropolitian hub! It's the easiest place on earth to get around and here's the top 3 reasons why:
1. Trains, Planes, Buses, and Taxi's make all the connections possible
2. You can be in 3 states within 1 hour
3. Enjoy the best of the NY life with the suburb lifestyle at your finger tips
1. Trains, Planes, Buses, and Taxi's make all the connections possible
2. You can be in 3 states within 1 hour
3. Enjoy the best of the NY life with the suburb lifestyle at your finger tips
Monday, January 19, 2009
Winter 2008 - 2009
To start off the new year I joined a ski house in Mt. Snow, Vermont. With over 20 guest, skiers and shredders, there's bound to be fun on the slopes and apre. The first week at the house my new friend Shannon and I went bar hopping to explore the cozy spots between the mountain and our house.
30 December 2008
For Snow…
6:30am wakie wakie
7:40am half price tickets
8:00am ski vouchers due to high winds and a quarter of the Mt. open leads to….
Snow tubing, bar crawling, and hot tubing!
12:30pm Bad Hair photos for the season pass
1:00pm Wi-Fi from Sundance to forward important emails
2:00pm break for exploring Route 100 toward Wilmington
“9 Bars Later”
Silo
Tied up our rounds of pool
Met Bret, the LI bartenders in VT
Learned about the Pre-Fix New Years Menu
No one under 21 allowed and live band tomorrow!
The Dover
Ordered Diet Cokes and got diet Pepsi
Lost my Air Hockey game, 7-ZIP!
Took a bathroom break, too smelly for my tooshy
Met Chris, the SC Golf Pro here to visit his friends for 2 weeks and picks up some extra cash between the Dover and Roadside
A man was passed out at the bar but Dr. Mix was playing on New Years
Not the place I would order food
Roadside
Looked too nice to stop in…
We’ll see Chris next time
Have to make a dinner reservation to write a just recommendation
The Deeghan
Once the Deacon’s Den
Now the “club of Mt. Snow” with 1 Flat Screen for all
Free soup and an outhouse of men and women,
4 bars, 1 band, and a cover of $25 for a glass of Champaign
Everyone must be under 21
Cheryl will be working till 2 on New Years
…then back to school after winter break with cash in hand and good times to remember
The Maple Leaf
Everyone recommended
Ate healthy home cooked foods – Turkey Burger with sweet potatoes fries and Grilled Cheese!
Good microbrew and no Coors Light!
Darra made San Diego sounds so glam and loved being a true wicked bartenda
With local mugs listed by number it attracts tourists from the tri-state
A must see, eat and drink while in Mt. Snow’s Wilmington
The Anchor
Where everybody knows your name
Small bar with a friendly face
No tourists only local families
Dining for 5 only with a reservation
Life’s too short not to know the locals at this place
NORM!
The Village Pub
Best for under 21
Local hangout with pool table and video games
Low lights and perhaps a live band
The rest remains unset
Fennessey’s
Awesome locals flavors with a tasty Irish Coffee
Cozy dining for two
Reminded me of the Prince and Pauper
Owned by Deacon Den’s son
A must eat and visit for two
The Vermont House Tavern
A local spot good for flat screens
A separate dining area for burgers, from what we hear they aren’t bad
Not a night spot perhaps a living room rest stop
To be determined by the house majority
Your turn to vote on your favorite Low Land Loop Pub for the season!
30 December 2008
For Snow…
6:30am wakie wakie
7:40am half price tickets
8:00am ski vouchers due to high winds and a quarter of the Mt. open leads to….
Snow tubing, bar crawling, and hot tubing!
12:30pm Bad Hair photos for the season pass
1:00pm Wi-Fi from Sundance to forward important emails
2:00pm break for exploring Route 100 toward Wilmington
“9 Bars Later”
Silo
Tied up our rounds of pool
Met Bret, the LI bartenders in VT
Learned about the Pre-Fix New Years Menu
No one under 21 allowed and live band tomorrow!
The Dover
Ordered Diet Cokes and got diet Pepsi
Lost my Air Hockey game, 7-ZIP!
Took a bathroom break, too smelly for my tooshy
Met Chris, the SC Golf Pro here to visit his friends for 2 weeks and picks up some extra cash between the Dover and Roadside
A man was passed out at the bar but Dr. Mix was playing on New Years
Not the place I would order food
Roadside
Looked too nice to stop in…
We’ll see Chris next time
Have to make a dinner reservation to write a just recommendation
The Deeghan
Once the Deacon’s Den
Now the “club of Mt. Snow” with 1 Flat Screen for all
Free soup and an outhouse of men and women,
4 bars, 1 band, and a cover of $25 for a glass of Champaign
Everyone must be under 21
Cheryl will be working till 2 on New Years
…then back to school after winter break with cash in hand and good times to remember
The Maple Leaf
Everyone recommended
Ate healthy home cooked foods – Turkey Burger with sweet potatoes fries and Grilled Cheese!
Good microbrew and no Coors Light!
Darra made San Diego sounds so glam and loved being a true wicked bartenda
With local mugs listed by number it attracts tourists from the tri-state
A must see, eat and drink while in Mt. Snow’s Wilmington
The Anchor
Where everybody knows your name
Small bar with a friendly face
No tourists only local families
Dining for 5 only with a reservation
Life’s too short not to know the locals at this place
NORM!
The Village Pub
Best for under 21
Local hangout with pool table and video games
Low lights and perhaps a live band
The rest remains unset
Fennessey’s
Awesome locals flavors with a tasty Irish Coffee
Cozy dining for two
Reminded me of the Prince and Pauper
Owned by Deacon Den’s son
A must eat and visit for two
The Vermont House Tavern
A local spot good for flat screens
A separate dining area for burgers, from what we hear they aren’t bad
Not a night spot perhaps a living room rest stop
To be determined by the house majority
Your turn to vote on your favorite Low Land Loop Pub for the season!
Introduction
The purpose of my blog is to write to you about my travels in the sky, skiing mountains, and going to the beaches around the world. Over the past 10 years I've met incredible people from around the world and will use this blogspot to share my sunshine and love of life.
My mission in life is to share happiness and meet a million people who have touched my life, inspired me, laughed with me, lived with me, smiled with me, and posed for a picture or video.
I hope you'll enjoy the stories about my footprints around the world.
My mission in life is to share happiness and meet a million people who have touched my life, inspired me, laughed with me, lived with me, smiled with me, and posed for a picture or video.
I hope you'll enjoy the stories about my footprints around the world.
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