Here and There Blog

I always thought I'd do something different to celebrate my 50's. I had a vision of trekking in Nepal, seeing the Himalayas,  or maybe a relaxing Bali beach week. I never thought I'd be traveling to Quito for a business trip in Ecuador. It doesn't really matter because I have so much else going on but still, a day of flying with other passengers isn't the best. Arriving in Quito I was already not amused with the hotel, the shuttle took too long, my reservation didn't contain my number or profile, the return car to the airport only goes back at 1:00 pm or 4:00 pm. My flight is at 4:00 pm so 1:00 pm it will be. Then the front desk clerk was already feeling bad and she looked at my passport and said Happy Birthday! No one else noticed and I had already shown my ID 3 times. Then just to be nice since I was traveling on my birthday, a birthday cake was sent to my room. Now that is service that you never see anywhere, let alone a Sheraton property! What a nice way ...

Signs around the park -it's sad that there has to be a reminder not to vandalize the park  L.J. at Cataract Falls  What you'll see along the Sugarlands Nature Trail    And what it looks like when you are the driver

Before the Great Smoky Mountains became a National Park, the site of present day Sugarlands Visitor Center used to be the area of the Forks of the River community. A reminder of that community is present in the unmarked Cemetery near the park headquarters. Most of the markers are from the early to late 1800's although we saw the last burial was 1927 so maybe that was the last of one of the original family members. Artificial flowers cross the trail as a reminder not to bike through and show respect.  We saw several dozen marked sites but many graves were only marked with a flat stone.  This is the entrance from the park HQ.

Adjacent to the Sugarlands Visitor Center is a moderate trail that does a 1.5 mile loop. The trail meanders around streams and you do have to cross some bridges of various size so it is not a city hike but easy enough.   The trail takes you to John Ownby Cabin which was built in 1860 and restored in 1964.  This is one of the last surviving cabins that were build before the area became a National Park.  L.J. is getting ready to go under the bridge along the stream path. Our next stop is the waterfall.  Cataract Falls. This short hike is almost all flat and can be done from the park headquarters instead of the visitor center.

After Zorbing it was time for a beer! Turns out that there is a microbrewery in Pigeon Forge so it was off  to the Smoky Mountain Brewery for local flavor! Ah, nothing like a cold beer to ice down the elbow injury. By the next morning this small red area had turned into a lovely shade of purple bruising. The beer was a summer IPA. Overall, they had good beer that reminded me of Oggi's in San Diego. Our waiter was nice and stunned that two women were in there for the purpose of drinking beer. Most of the other women were watching their husband/boyfriend drink. http://www.coppercellar.com/Restaurant-SmokyMountainBrewery.html

Way back when, on Amazing Race, when the racers were in New Zealand, one of the challenges was to roll down a hill in these giant white balls. It looked like a ton of fun and it turns out, you can do a version of this in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. You get driven up to the top of the hill and have a choice of straight track, zigzag track, single or double rider. For ride #1, we choose to do straight line, together. I couldn't figure out the release waiver, after all, how can you get hurt inside this thing? One of the questions was "are you able to do physical contact sports?"  I have no idea the last time I did a physical contact sport. I checked "YES." After passing the written test and signing the consent, Lisa and I loaded ourselves inside the ZORB and it was filled up with a small amount of water so we could enjoy a rolling slip and slide. Let me say, I don't know what happened but I came out of the ZORB with a cut on my elbow that turned into a giant s...

Had a 3 hour delay that put us in the hotel at 3:00 am this morning. Next stop - Zorbing!

It is always on the fun trip. Travel karma hits and weather delays flights. Late night arrivals turn into early morning arrivals. In Houston where our flight crew to Knoxville is delayed somewhere. We can only hope that when they arrive, they won't clock out due to overtime. It feels so déjà vu. I hope the next update is from Tennessee tomorrow with fun happenings.

PubCakes - Cupcakes here in San Diego using local San Diego craft beer as an ingredient. Match it up with a PubCake beer pairing and you end up with a really fun event. Featured on Cupcake Wars, this small start-up business has a good thing going and I wish them success. The event we went to was at KnB Wine Sellers, featuring Green Flash Palate Wrecker IIPA and Pubcakes made with said beer. This is one of the few events you don't see a table of dark beer surrounding all of us. It was there but we all ordered the pairing. Homer, Ms. Kitty and I are waiting to munch on food.  The PubCake. It looks small next to the beer but this was one good cupcake (description on the last photo)  Go Gretchen! To learn more about PubCakes click here: http://pubcakes.com/About.html

Young people camping in remote creepy place.  Joss Whedon of vampire fame. These two elements sounded promising for a good scare so I gave it a go. I knew this would not be a typical slasher movie and this is true. The 5 friends are part of a larger, filmed, production where every step is nudged by a white lab coated team. The concept is good, watching people suffer for as yet audience unknown purposes and have a death competition against Tokyo. Bring in the zombies, werewolves, and your worst fears into The Cabin in the Woods and see what happens. Actually, sadly, not much happens and that is bad news because what is an different take on this genre of horror is slightly boring at times. I expected a bit more humor since Whedon is know for witty, wise-cracking writing but while there is humor here, it's mostly of the dark type. The zombies don't seem fully realized (I know, they're zombies but still) and only stoner Shaggy seemed to have a grasp on what was happening. A...

The Grotto is a Catholic garden and shrine located near the Portland airport. The full name is The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother. With a focus on religion and peace, The Grotto will appeal to Catholics, but it's an interesting stop for anyone who wants to wander around. The feature is the shrine inside a rock cave.  Essy walking trails let you stretch your legs, and plenty of religious statues and big trees keep the eyes busy.    Some wildlife. This squirrel was not amused with me stalking it.  The shrine inside the rock cave. Near here is an elevator that takes you to the top of the rock cliff. While I didn't take the elevator to the top, this statue is way up above the shrine. If you wnat to learn more go to: http://www.thegrotto.org/

The same week that Oregon learned that Homer Simpson lives there, it was fitting that I found my way to Voodoo Doughnuts. Given this mission by a friend I soon overcame my ignorance and learned that Voodoo Doughnuts is the new "it" place and must be eaten. I'm more of a plain cake but if you're gonna go for it, go big. Voodoo Doll (jelly filled) and Diablos Rex seemed the best choices though I was tempted by Grape Ape. This is a cash only business, seating was limited and I did get to enjoy a line but it moved fast. The doughnuts themselves? Fun! Enjoy the menu here http://voodoodoughnut.com/menu.php

Really, there are thousands of flowers here. I'm not a flower photographer so I deleted more than I showed but up close and walking around it is really colorful.  The white tree in bloom in front of the old residence.  This was looking up at a tree full of blooms.  

Located south of downtown Portland along the Willametter River, Elk Rock Garden provides a pleasant, easy trail walk through flowering trees, ponds, roses, and nature. (Take your allergy meds ahead of time) I did a fast 30 minute walk-thru but the trails extended on and I probably could have used another 20 minutes. Parking is limited but free. I was 1 of 4 cars in the lot. Admission is free but there is a donation box at the visitor center.  Important note - no public restrooms available. Plan ahead. The gardens had a long history as a private residence that was turned over to the Episcopal Bishop of Oregon on the condition that the gardens remain open to visitors. Visit http://www.elkrockgarden.com/index.html for more information on Elk Rock Garden.  Even the fish are relaxed here.  All kinds of flowers, everywhere. Spring is a great time to visit.

Baseball on Sunday is always fun but baseball on Easter Sunday is even better because less people show up. This is not so good for baseball but great if you don't want to be packed in with long lines for everything. We got to the game early and watch the groundskeeper at work. The tarps rolled up.  The Marines filed in - Sunday was Marines/Armed Forces tribute day.  The pitcher's mound was nicely SD'd before it was returned to dirt for the game.  Even the outfield was logo'd. Padres' won, 8-4 over LA so it was a good day.

An Easter Sunday 1:05 pm Padre game means that Easter brunch gets to be in or near the ballpark. We went with trying a place we'd never been and that ended up being BUB's.  A sports bar with ambiance that everyone would like (or at least the type of person who wants BUB's) I had fun. The place is open so you get fresh air without sitting outside. There a good beer selection for everyone and plenty of unique food choices. I went with the Mac N' Cheese Scramble.  It was more filling than great but I enjoyed trying something new. If you want a sports bar setting next time you go to a game, try http://bubssandiego.com/

Looking south from the bluffs  Seal not committed to water or sand but rolling in the waves while the others lie about on the beach