90's Rock Rules!

Even 15 years later, BUSH rocked the stage at Stubb's last night as part of the 101X 16th Anniversary concert series. The sold out show did not disappoint and I was pleasantly surprised to hear Gavin Rossdale sound just as good in 2011 as he did when I saw him at Rockfest in 1997. They played all of the oldies from Sixteen Stone and Razorblade Suitcase, plus new material for their new album coming out next month.

Now, for those of you who know me, I can be a little high maintenance about concerts. For one, I am not a fan of General Admission/Festival type events. My back issues make standing on a hard surface for hours not very comfortable and frankly I prefer to pay a little more for a reserved seat, which I can choose to stand or sit as I please. Secondly, I run hot. All. The. Time. So summer outdoor events, and especially this summer, are serious sweatfests in my mind. I'm not afraid to sweat, but I hate being like a waterfall! Last night was both a General Admission show and HOT, but I went and I'm SO happy I did. BUSH is one of my favorite 90's rock bands and I love me some Gavin. The show was great! He ended the show with a shirtless performance for the last few songs and ended it with an encore of Glycerin and Comedown.

Last night also brought back many great memories from college...

My freshman year of college, I attended Baylor University (don't ask me why, I don't really know). On Sundays when I'd have to go back to Waco, I would put on my Sixteen Stone CD and haul ass north on 35. I can remember putting it on as soon as I hit the interstate and flying. In the Spring of my freshman year, I might not have wanted to head to Waco but with BUSH blaring, all was right with the world.

In the summer of 1997, between my freshman and sophomore year of college, Blockbuster Video put on Rockfest at Texas Motor Speedway in DFW. The line up was huge...BUSH, Counting Crows, Collective Soul, No Doubt...and the tickets were FREE. Yes, free. So a group of my friends loaded up to spend the weekend at a family friends house and join 300,000 of our closest friends for this one day mega concert. The stories are too numerous but includes lots of traffic, the radio playing a live BUSH concert on the radio and us thinking we were missing the show because of traffic, a girl with a blown out flip flop walking into the show which sparked the suburban to start singing Jimmy Buffett, seeing girls in thong bikinis in the infield area (not common back then), Katie getting hit on the head by a gigantic roll of toilet paper, and when leaving the show, being stuck in traffic in the parking lot for so long we pulled out of the line for a few hours to sleep and when we woke up no one had moved. In short, it was A-Mazing.

The 4:45 am wake up call this morning was early, but in the end, it was totally worth it. This is my life and I'm going to live it to the fullest. I'd rather be dog tired on the plane, than regret not going to that show. As my cousin always says "You can sleep when you're dead."

With that, I'm headed to Lake Tahoe for a few days of beautiful scenery, cooler weather, and material for my next blog entry.

Until then happy travels and many laughs...


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Gone Fishin' (Again)

After our quick trip to Nawlins last week, we headed south to Venice, Louisiana and hopped on the Big Valley fishing boat. My folks, a couple others, and I were guests of a long time family friend and business associate, who's company owns the boat. While I won't go into the specifics about the boat, let me just say it's a very nice boat and made the 3 night trip at sea quite comfortable.

Late Wednesday afternoon, we pulled out of the marina and "went down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico" for 2 serious days of fishing. (Did you catch the song lyric there? If you did, here's a high five from me to you!) I watched the sun fade into the Gulf and my cell service with it as we headed out into the middle of nowhere. It was an odd but good feeling to completely disconnect for a few days.

Over the next 72 hours, my agenda consisted of fishing, eating, sleeping, drinking, reading and just being. Thursday morning came bright and early with some Black Fin and Yellow Fin tuna fishing. These fish are so fun to watch jump out of the water...its just a show to watch them leap and jump up and then splash back in the water as they feed on a bait ball. The black fin are like little rockets just barely breaking the surface and shooting back in the water. The yellow fin leap up and make arcs in the air, with the big ones jumping several feet out of the water.

Our host's wife caught the first and the biggest fish of the trip, a huge 80 pound Yellow Fin tuna. So immediately her nickname became "Big Fish." Mom was next and caught a nice size black fin. We each took turns as the reels started screaming and we hauled in fish.

Later in the morning it was my turn again and I was down in the stateroom getting something when I heard dad yell in the cabin "Elizabeth!!! Fish on!!!" I took off up the stairs and ran through the kitchen/living area, out the door and jumped in the big chair. It's a good thing no one was in my way because I'm pretty positive they would have had my foot prints on their body. As I land in the chair and they give me the rod, I see s big ol' dolphin jump out of the air! Oh, yea baby!! It's on!!! With the knowledge I've gained from my Key West fishing trips, I deftly reeled in the biggest bull dolphin I've ever caught!!! 40 pounder!! It put up a good fight, but I prevailed.

Now a couple things about my catch:
1. The dolphin I refer to is also known as Dorado or on the dinner menu, Mahi Mahi. So don't worry, I didn't catch Flipper.
2. I know my pics usually are of things, places or food because this blog is about the story and not about the people per say, but on this rare occasion I include my picture because it's the biggest dolphin I've ever caught and I had to share this picture.

For 2 days and 3 nights, we hauled in Yellow Fin tuna, Black Fin tuna, Dolphin and I brought in my first Wahoo. With no real agenda, other than fishing, I completely "kicked the clutch out" and enjoyed the trip. It's rare that I have time to just sit and reflect on the beauty of nature, snap pictures of oil rigs and sunsets, read a book, take a nap at 10 am on a Thursday, or visit with family and friends deeper than just pleasantries.

As the boat docked on Saturday morning, Captain Fun and the deck hands cleaned our fish, we packed our bags, said our good-byes and headed back to NOLA to catch our plane. The world had not stopped because I couldn't check my phone and those emails, phone calls and texts did wait to be answered. If you haven't had time to check out lately, I suggest you do. I think you'll enjoy it.

Until then, happy travels and many laughs...

The Big Easy in less than 24 hours

Before heading off shore for a few days of deep sea fishing last week, our group (my folks & some family/business friends) wanted to hit New Orleans for some good Cajun food and a "little" drinking. Now while I do love the city, I could've skipped it and headed straight to the boat because I LOVE me some deep sea fishing.

But I digress...

New Orleans is a city unlike any other...rich with history, culture and some amazing food and music. For those of you who haven't been to NOLA, definitely do a little research about the history of the city and what not before you go. But definitely go.

It's a quick flight from Austin and we land with a hustle in our step as dinner reservations loomed merely a hour from leaving the airport. Now it's only 15 min from the airport to downtown, but once we arrived in the French Quarter traffic came to a crawl. With our hotel right on Bourbon street and said street closing at 7 pm each night, we had a little detouring to do to get to our location.

In the past, we've stayed at the Windsor Court , which is a very fancy hotel with high tea served every afternoon and antiques in each room. It's a very lovely experience and it still surprises me that it's one of my dad's favorite hotels. For those of you who know my dad, you understand what I'm saying. For those of you who don't, well let's just say that while well educated both formally and in life, he's a boots and jeans guy and not what I'd call "fancy." And the Windsor Court, she's a fancy lady.

Now that I'm completely off track, let's bring it back to the story.

This time, we stayed at the Inn on Bourbon, which sits at the corner of Bourbon and Toulouse. Great great location for being in the middle of the action. Terrible location if you have a balcony room opening up to Bourbon Street when it's not Mardi Gras. You guessed it! My room was just round the corner and when I went to bed, it was loud. Real loud. Guess I should've had one more cocktail before going to sleep...

For dinner that evening, we walked down a few blocks to Galatiore's. I've eaten here once before and enjoyed the experience. The service is nice but no shorts are allowed and men have to wear a dinner jacket. (Don't worry if you left yours at home, they have quite a few that you can borrow. Size, color, and cleanliness are variables to consider however when packing your bags.) Now I'm all about experiencing well established restaurants and this place is one with a long standing tradition in NOLA. It's known for serving authentic French Creole cuisine and is run by the fourth generation of the same family. However, this evening, I was not impressed. The food was solid. The fried soft shell crab and shrimp remoulade salad appetizers were flavorful and my red fish special was very well prepared. The service was good, but the overall experience was a B- at best.

My complaints? I'm glad you asked.

The place was packed and extremely noisy. Super noisy really. So loud that I thought I needed a hearing aid just to hear my mom across the table. On top of the noise, every 10-15 minutes (and sometimes less than 5 minutes apart) the head waiter would ding a glass to get everyone's attention to announce a birthday or anniversary. Really? Yes. Really. The first time it happened I thought nothing of it but after the 15th time, I was appalled. This is not TGIFriday's or some Mexican food restaurant but a $30+ a plate restaurant!! I suggested to our table that for every announcement made the fellas should get to ditch their jackets for 15 minutes. I felt bad for those guys in 98 degree weather plus humidity with a not so cool A/C running to HAVE to wear a dinner jacket in this not so classy environment. Disappointed to say the least.

Now, let me tell you about a great experience...breakfast the next morning at Brennan's. This is a MUST DO when you're in New Orleans. The restaurant has a great history and if you have time, go check it out on their website. I found it to be an interesting read and insightful of the restaurant's success. Brennan's is also home to Bananas Foster...a tasty cinnamon, sugar banana desert flambeed table side and served with vanilla Blue Bell ice cream. The service here is amazing. The dress code is casual, even with it's formality, but if you want to dress up, I say go for it!! Brennan's offers a Prix Fixe menu with three courses of yumminess!!

Our table selections included...

Starter:
-Southern Baked Apple with Double Cream (OMG! It's like Thanksgiving in your mouth!) -Oyster soup
-Turtle soup (actually better than it sounds and a creole staple.)
-Okra gumbo

Main dish:
-Eggs Sardou: Poached eggs on artichoke bottoms nestled in a bed of creamed spinach and covered with Hollandaise sauce
-Eggs Hussarde: (A Brennan's Original) One of the dishes that put "Breakfast at Brennan's" on the map. Poached eggs atop Holland rusks, Canadian bacon and Marchand de Vin sauce. Topped with Hollandaise sauce.
-Shrimp Sardou: Deliciously spicy fried shrimp atop sliced artichoke bottoms nestled in a bed of creamed spinach and covered with Hollandaise sauce. (I'm getting THIS next time!)
-Eggs Shannon: Poached eggs atop fried trout, served in a bed of creamed spinach and topped with Hollandaise sauce.
-Eggs Bayou LaFourche: Poached eggs atop Andouille Cajun sausage and Holland rusks. Topped with Hollandaise sauce.

Dessert:
-Louisiana Chocolate Pecan Pie: served with Homemade Vanilla Blue Bell ice cream
-Bananas Foster: A Brennan Creation and now World-Famous. Bananas sautéed in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and banana liqueur, then flamed in rum. Served over vanilla ice cream. Scandalously Delicious!
-Crepes Fitzgerald: A Brennan Creation. Crepes filled with a delicate filling of cream cheese and sour cream served with a topping of strawberries flamed in Maraschino. Scrumptious!

*Descriptions courtesy of Brennan's website.

As for drinks, they are famous for their Bloody Mary's and I personally love the Mr. Funk (champagne, cranberry & peach schnapps).

You may think it's a bit pricey, but let me promise you this...the food is great, the service amazing and the portions large. In short, it's worth every penny!

Now I don't want to forget that before our late breakfast at Brennan's, Mom, Dad and I took a walk to Jackson Square to look around, take a few pictures, and get our pre-breakfast beignets from Cafe du Monde. What's a beignet you ask? Well as my cousin put it, it's "a little treat sent down from heaven." It's a French doughnut if you will. A fried piece of dough, rectangular, and covered with powdered sugar. This place must go through tons of powdered sugar each week. They are quite generous in their application of the sugary substance. Delish!

After enjoying a beignet or two to tide us over before breakfast, we walk around the French Quarter window shopping and picking up a few postcards to send home. The day is hot and humid and only gets more intense as the day continues. While the summer months are not the best time to go with the heat and humidity, in NOLA the good times always roll.

With our visit complete, we load up and head south towards Venice, Louisiana for the next adventure. And my next blog entry.

Until then happy travels and many laughs...

SPI or Bust!

Last week, work took me to South Padre Island for our trade industry's annual administrative conference. Now, I wouldn't say I did much working, but I thoroughly enjoyed the week day trip to the beach. I've made this trip almost every year for as long as I can remember and this year didn't disappoint.

The Beach

If you've never been to South Padre, it's the best beach and blue water you can find in Texas. I'm not knocking any of our other beaches, but SPI offers a nice beach with clear water, good sand and no seaweed. Now, if you've been to Destin or a Carribbean beach, you will definitely need to remember you're in Texas and remind yourself to not be a beach snob.

The Lodging

While there are plenty of places to stay on the Island, we chose to rent a condo at the Sapphire Towers, located on the South end of the island. For the past few years, I've used VRBO by HomeAway to find our rentals at the Sapphire. It's a great website to find vacation rentals all over the US and abroad, not to mention, it clearly provides the rates, dates available, pictures of the condos, and descriptions of what's included in the rental. Our condo was top notch offering beautiful views of the ocean, comfy beds, free WiFi and even NetFlix streaming. The Sapphire is connected with the Pearl Hotel (Formerly Sheraton SPI) next door which allows you access to the hotel pool, swim up bar, and Buddy's Beach rentals, offering beach umbrella/chair rentals, water sports, etc. We rented a couple umbrellas and posted up for a few days of sand and surf.

The Food

My favorite place, Dolphin Cove, closed a few years ago after Hurricane Dolly came through wreaking havoc with her high winds and rains. (Bitch!) I'm still sad that it's closed. This place was the best little dive bar & restaurant around...killer atmosphere ripe for chowing down on some killer boiled shrimp and fried shrimp tacos and knocking back a few cold cervezas.

With that being said, I do still have a few other favorites and "must eats" when I visit SPI.

-Da Pizza Joint: Tasty thin crust pizza and other Italian tasties! Try Da Pizza Special loaded with Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, olives and lots of cheese. If you like appetizers, the mozzarella sticks are solid and the fried zucchini is delish. On the weekends, the Joint offers a piano player rocking hits from the 50's to the 2000's...he's a little cheesy, but fun.

-Wanna Wanna: This bar sits beach side and offers wonderful atmosphere both day and night. The beers are cold and the food is fried. The kitchen slings solid fried fish, shrimp and oyster baskets, as well as a mean hamburger for you land lubbers. If you're over 21 (or have a good fake ID), check out the house specialty, the Turbo, a pina colada with a shot of Bacardi 151 on top. DELICIOUS!!! I love this place and can spend hours on the deck just drinking beer and hanging out.

-Dirty Al's: While it looks like a dive on the outside (and inside for that matter), it's delicious. You must try the fried fish, fried shrimp or blackened fish tacos! Throw on the magical wing like sauce on top and it's tasty seafood heaven. This local spot also offers a huge botana platter offering all types of fried goodies from the sea. Now there is usually a wait, but for me, the fish/shrimp tacos are totally worth it!

Now there are other places to eat and I'm sure people have their own favorites, but this is my blog and those are my favorites. :) If you have some suggestions for me, please feel free to share in the comments. I'm always up for trying new places and adding "must eats" to my list.

And finally I leave you with one of my shots of the sunset over Laguna Madre, the bay separating South Padre Island from the rest of Texas. Now you can sit at one of the many Bay side bars to watch the sunset, but on this night, I snagged this pic in the parking lot of the IBC Bank. The palm trees added a nice frame to the picture. As I watched the sun slowly sink into the bay, it was as if the sun was melting into the water. The big burning ball dissolved into the horizon and in a matter of moments it was gone. As a avid sunset lover, it was one of the most unique sundowns I've witnessed.

So as Tropical Storm Don brought in higher waves, big clouds, and a little rain, we started our road trip back home with another great beach trip under our belt. This trip a little different from the last, but still with the undertones of relaxation that can only be obtained from time spent with toes in the sand. As I drive north, I begin to think of where my final beach trip of the year will be to successfully complete my 2011 New Year's resolution of hitting a beach once a quarter. Destin, Key West, South Padre Island...what's next? As soon as I figure it out, I'll let you know.

Until then happy travels and many laughs...