Never Forget....

I usually use my packing list when I travel and it helps me not forget things and not leave things behind.  I didn't even really have to use it for the Nashville trip since I'd barely unpacked from Florence/Cincinnati. However, I have some new things I think must be included in my bag from now on...mostly for car travel.

1) The MacBook Air - now obviously this is a new addition since the list was made quite a while ago. But since most hotels now have free wi-fi, why not bring it? Plus when taking pictures on a real camera you need somewhere to load them and see them on a bigger screen when you get back to your hotel room. Which brings me to the next item...

2) SD Card adapters - solely for the image transfer purpose.

3) The MacBook to HDMI cable - this one came in handy in November when we watched movies from my prime account for free on the big screen TV in the living area of the hotel suite. 

And last but not least...

4) An extra sock - now this one is a left over from Aruba. The first day we checked in, there were no wash cloths in the room, like they just forgot them, plenty of towels though. So at some point NativeNewYorker says... "Well, we could use a sock..." And a new tradition was born. Good heart was totally on board and we will all be packing extra socks just in case from now on!

Loveless!

The cafe has been around since 1951! Over 60 years of biscuits...wow, can you imagine how many they've made?  

I had originally found the cafe on a FoodNetwork app but forgot all about it until we saw the rack of flyers in the hotel lobby. Our hotel is on 1st Street right near downtown and it was only about a 20 minute ride out to the cafe so we went for it. There are little shops and things in the old hotel rooms and it's quaint. Worth a look see...

However, if you decide you want to eat there, my advice is put your name on the waiting list right away! The wait on Saturday afternoon was going to be 1 hour and 20 minutes and we had already seen everything on the grounds. The cheat is, you can order to go like we did, get your food in 20 minutes and pop a squat under a shade tree at a picnic table, they are all around! Awesome sauce!

Biscuits were very tasty! Not flaky but fluffy, not large, only about the size of a three year olds palm, but they don't mind giving you several so that's OK. They also provide several jams that are homemade and flavorful. 

I can't speak on the ham...I don't do it anymore. They do have several bacon laced treats in the gift shop. I bought some for the folks in the office, so I will have to let you know the verdict on that later!

This one's for ShinyLegs.....

Saturday morning and time for my shower...seems pretty normal right?  Well, it felt normal until I stepped in the shower and realized that the curtain was snapped wrong! It's one of those with the sheer upper third, then the bottom that snaps in so part is in the shower and the other is outside. A very smart design and it's eco-friendly because it's made from recycled materials, blah blah blah... But it's snapped wrong!

First one snap is undone, so I fix that but in doing so I realize that it's backwards. Now I must emphasize, I am IN the shower, the water is running, I am supposed to be getting clean...yeah, whatever. I proceed to undo all 12 snaps and resnap them correctly. So then I could shower....

Then I realize ... FormerUPSer took a shower the night before...she didn't notice? Rethinking our friendship... LOL! 

FYI... Shower curtains have 12 hooks, did you know this? If so, we probably would get along. Just so you know though the fancy hotel ones with big circles instead of hooks only have 10 circles. I knew this, but yes I did double check while I was in the shower. 

This should all be under the category of "how ShinyLegs and I think"!

Dash to the Nash

You would think I didn't need another weekend getaway but you'd be wrong. I am with my friend, FormerUpser, hanging out in Nashville, TN. 

We got in town about 4 and headed out to check out the city. Eventually we got hungry and found the Sicilian Pizza place. They have a beautiful Capitol building that you can't see from the highway. The batman building is a huge landmark no matter where you are in town. 

Why did I not know that Nashville had such a booming nightlife? It's weird because it's about two blocks of intense crowds, neon lights, loud music and more crowds...then nothing....like crickets.  

Funniest thing ever! 

Plans for tomorrow are sill up in the air. One thing we have already learned is Nashville is expensive! Cheese whiz! Tours run $50 to $140. We are considering the dinner theater and maybe a night tour or the Loveless cafe. We shall see. 

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. -- Saint Augustine

Let me upgrade ya!

On my way home from Aruba, the last leg of my journey is from Charlotte to Louisville.  As I was sitting having my dinner,  they made an announcement. There are two first class seats available on the flight, passengers can upgrade for $55. So an opportunity presents itself. The last time I flew I said I was going to try first class but I didn't and on that last flight I was regretting it. I heard a woman behind me in the terminal say, well the plane is probably so small its not worth the expense. I wasn't sure but this might be the cheapest way for me to find out.

So, I bit the bullet!  I was hoping I could pay cash but that was not the case.  So the only expense on my credit card for this trip is this one.

So far I think it is worth it. We boarded first and were immediately offered water and our drink orders for flight were taken right after everyone else boarded. I also have a small pillow in my seat for my nap!

What? No Wi-fi?

I was originally worried about the resort that we are staying in - Occidental Grand Aruba - just because you can't tell a lot from pictures on the Internet and the only people who write reviews are the ones who are mad. I am glad to say that other than a slight smell in the lobby when we first entered,  the hotel is very nice!

The room is super clean. Towels are nice...not super plush but not scratchy so I am ok with them, ever room has a balcony and oirs over looks the ocean to the left, the pool in the center and the rest of the island to the right...or at least a good enough portion of it to get a feel for the night on the island.

Check in was interesting because they took us to a room to do it "because it would be more comfortable" ... hmmm seemed a bit timeshare like to me so I was skeptical.  They won me over with the punch, champagne and lemon water they served us though.  We had left our luggage with the bellmen because we didnt have a room number yet. After we got one we gave the number to the bellman so they coulf take our stuff to the room. Then we headed to lunch because it was open until five anf it was about 4pm.

They have several restaurants on property and all are open on a scediule where you cann eat constantly if you want to but of course you just cannot. We have four restaurants to choose from for dinner and last night there was a BBQ on the beach so we went to that. It was good food and there was entertainment after dinner. We even got to line dance a bit so you know I was all over that!  After dinner we stopped by the disco but it was obviously too early and I know we are old because the seats were too low and the music too loud!

We went into the casino and  Goodheart won $40! NativeNewYorker won $30! I spent $30...so as a group we are ahead!  lol

All in all it was a busy day!

At 31,000 feet....

Well I am elated to say that we are all united again and well on our way to the isle of Aruba! It wasn't on my original list of places to go but if you know anything about me, you know that all you have to do is ask and if I can make it happen, I will! Plus it was a fabulous idea!

There is about an hour left in our flight. I wont be able to post this  immediately but still...

So I bet you want to know places that are on my list...heres my top five...

1) Hawaii - not only is it one of the fifty states - so I can get a key chsin for it - but it's beautiful
2) Spain - I remember the amazing pictures that MyTravelingManager brought back from his vacations
3) France - I must see the Eiffel Tower after all
4) Greece -this one is totally influenced by a movie -  My Life in Ruins as a matter of fact - they did a great job portraying the landscape and feel of the country
5) ......

Hmmmm, did I say 5? Thats all I can think of right now, I will have to work on that while I am on vacation.