Packing, Buckeye Style

I'm going to Ohio State's football game this weekend and I've packed for every possible game day weather scenario...

Contents include: OSU hoodie, OSU t-shirt, OSU long-sleeve shirt, OSU jersey, 2 pair of jeans, shorts, capris, OSU purse, buckeye necklace, 2 pair of flip flops, tennis shoes, and (not pictured) rain jacket and galoshes as there is a 60% chance of rain...GO BUCKS!!!

Grandpas Cheese Barn

If you're passing through Ohio halfway between Columbus and Cleveland, Grandpas Cheese Barn is a must! I spent $100 on cheese, sausages, pickles, and chocolate...yum!

Travel Tip

This one is a nod to my sister, Emily. When Em travels she purchases a couple postcards and records on the back the date, where she was, and who she was traveling with. They are a great, inexpensive way to record your journey and could be displayed in a creative way (shadow box, cork board) to remind you of a wonderful vacation.

How to "travel" without leaving your own community

Last Saturday was one of those perfect days. I didn't have anywhere to be or any set agenda, plus the weather was beautiful! The sun was shining and it was over 40 degrees...in Cleveland that's a pretty big deal in February! This also meant that my boyfriend, Mike, would not be called into work (doing snow removal). So after sleeping in, we decided to walk up to one of our local spots for breakfast. This got me thinking... there are times when you don't have a lot of extra spending money or time time to travel but long to experience new things. A great way of doing this is to explore your local community, city, or state. So I thought I would provide my example of how you can turn your own neighborhood into "travel"...

So as I said at around 10:30am we headed from our neighborhood (Little Italy) up the hill into Cleveland Heights to The Inn on Coventry (http://theinnoncoventry.com) for a hearty and delicious breakfast. This is one of those places that I absolutely love, love, love! Its full of local flavor...always packed, full of all types of people, with wonderfully sweet women that serve you coffee and bring your eggs and bacon with a smile. I've lived in Cleveland for almost 7 years and had no idea this place existed...as Mike reminds me, he'll never steer me wrong when it comes to food.

So after breakfast we decided to take a walk through Lake View Cemetery (http://lakeviewcemetery.com) on our way home. We then spent the next 2 1/2 hours walking through the cemetery and enjoying the beautiful day. This cemetery is the final resting place for some notable Ohioans (President Garfield, John D. Rockefeller, Eliot Ness) and houses the Garfield Monument and Wade Memorial Chapel. We wandered up and down the hills enjoying the chilly but sunny day. Other than falling and skinning my knee pretty badly it was nice...side note, I blame the skinned knee on the fact that I was mocking one of the grave stones and either the dead man's ghost or karma caused me to bite it. My most favorite part of the cemetery are the beautiful mausoleums...talk about going out in style...

I also snapped this photo of a tree stump in the cemetery that was in the shape of a heart... I love the things you discover when you're not really looking for anything...

So then what do you do after a long walk??? Nap?....well yes, eventually. But first we opted to head to Maxi's for a Bloody Mary. Maxi's (http://maxisinlittleitaly.com) is our favorite neighborhood restaurant...its very much a "everybody knows your name" kind of place. Mike has been going there for years so I'm happy to reap the benefit of being his girlfriend and accompany him anytime he wants. The Bloody Mary was fabulous and was the perfect ending to a wonderful afternoon.

So this my friends, is how you travel without leaving the comforts of your own community.

I love New Orleans!

With Fat Tuesday approaching, I thought I would mention one my favorite cities in the US...New Orleans! I love, love, love this city! I briefly visited for a conference and had a wonderful time. I stayed at the Royal Sonesta http://www.sonesta.com/RoyalNewOrleans/, located on Bourbon Street. While some will advise not to stay on Bourbon Street, I feel the opposite. I'm very glad I was in the heart of the action...could hear jazz music from my hotel room, walked across the street to a cafe every morning for a beniet (delicious little fried dough ball covered in confectioners sugar), and open container! Did I mention how great it is to walk down the street drinking a frozen hurricane at 1:00pm? But what I really loved about New Orleans was the laid back atmostphere. The people are some of the warmest I've ever encountered. I visited post-Katrina and found the French Quarter to be absolutely delightful. The dark, seedy, historic sites are breathtaking.

Here is a fun quiz from Budget Travel about this amazing city "15 Things You Didn't Know About New Orleans" (I scored 11 out of 15) http://www.budgettravel.com/feature/15-things-you-didnt-know-about-new-orleans,8314/?wpisrc=newsletter

London View

"As a plane draws nearer to Heathrow Airport, the view picks up momentum - from green pastures to suburban row houses to the spires, bridges, and landmarks of London gleaming below the clouds." (Courtesy Michael Schoenholtz) www.budgettravel.com

Beautiful photos from Budget Travel (my favorite travel magazine). http://www.budgettravel.com/slideshow/10-scenic-airport-landings-photos,6185/?jumpToPic=10 Love this article about most scenic airports.

This shot of London made me very sentimental and long to go back... London was the first stop on the trip my sister and I went on in 2010. This was not only her first overseas flight, but her first flight ever! So on Valentine's Day Eve I dedicate this post to my baby sis...here's to many more trips together...

The Best Thing I Ever Ate...

I love the show "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on Food Network (http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-best-thing-i-ever-ate/index.html) for several reasons. First, Michael Symon is often a featured chef and gives lots of shout outs to some awesome Cleveland restaurants. Second, I love food. But third, and probably most importantly, the show gives great tips about where to go for excellent food while you're traveling. I'm a firm believer in "word of mouth" for dining. Always remember the locals know best when it comes to finding good grub. And don't be afraid to ask! But I would caution you when asking for restaurant advice at hotels. Of course they're going to promise you that that hotel restaurant has the best steak you've ever had and the bartender makes a great martini, blah blah blah. In the hospitality business reputation is everything and hotels have working relationships with area restaurants and therefore will recommend them. While I wouldn't recommend approaching strangers on the street and asking where to get a good burger, I would keep your eyes and ears open. Look around and see if a place looks to be filled with locals or tourists. Listen in on conversations...people talk about food...a lot. And if you're comfortable enough, just ask someone where they would recommend eating...say while you're waiting in line at a shop or in an elevator.

So I was watching the tail end of "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" this evening and it was all about burgers...so I thought I would share a great (and unexpected) place to grab a lunchtime burger in Cleveland...

WP Burger at Washington Place in Little Italy (http://washingtonplacelittleitaly.com/)

Probably not the first place that comes to mind when you think about a burger...but it is a-maz-ing! The secret? Quality ingredients put together for a delicious, simply prepared, mound of yumminess. The burger is cooked to order with grass-fed Swiss cheese, grilled red onion, and roasted garlic aioli on the side. My advice is to ask for an extra side of the aioli for french fry dipping. The restaurant is located in a recently renovated building that also houses and inn and offers great ambiance.

Surprise Delivery!

How happy am I right now? Very! 2012 National Geographic Trip Catalog arrived today! I can't wait to read about all the fabulous trips!

Cruise Time!

So last summer my cousin, Cindy, mentioned that her friends were thinking about going on a "girls weekend" cruise. She said the cruise package was a pretty good deal and was put together by a local travel agent with a great reputation. Well this immediately sparked my interest as I'll go anywhere, anytime, as long as I have the funds to do so. Well my cousins and I got to chatting about the cruise and decided we all wanted to go, so its become a family girls weekend for us. I'll be going with my sister and four of my first-cousins. While I've traveled abroad to some very cool places, I've never been on a cruise and I've never been to the Caribbean. So I can't wait!

We depart this September (which seemed very far way when week booked last year). Now that we leave in 8 months I'm starting to get excited. I'll be doing lots of research on cruise travel as we prepare. Because I'm not in charge of booking I don't have a lot of info on the cruise itself. Those who know me, know that I'm a bit of a control freak about the details of traveling. I like to know all the who, what, when, where, why info well ahead of time. So I got online this morning and started looking up info about the cruise itself. What I do know, is we'll be on the Disney Dream which sailed for the first time in January 2011. From the looks of www.disneycruise.disney.go.com/ it looks like a fabulous ship...though I don't have anything to compare it to! lol We're doing a 3-night cruise to the Bahamas and will have 2 stops in Nassau and Castaway Cay. I heard from another cruise traveler that the Disney beaches are fabulous so I'll be excited to see them.

I love the ocean and anything nautical so I'm not worried about the sea travel. Of course I'll be bringing the precautionary pharmaceuticals just in case. I learned that lesson when my sister and I traveled through England/Scotland by bus.