https://www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/holiday-spiked-eggnog/
https://www.brit.co/christmas-party-foods-recipes/
https://www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/easy-white-christmas-margarita-pitcher-recipe/
Bonny Scotland – Travel Wish List
Let’s start this list with a place that isn’t that obvious to some travelers – Oban.
This town is the “gateway to the isles” but it’s pretty amazing in it’s own right. I’ll get back to that but first, The Isle of Skye. I can’t tell you how often I DREAMT of going to this magical and far off place as a kid. I was absolutely obsessed with the Hebrides Isles and with Scotland and Ireland. Later in life, I find out that I’m 73% Irish/Scottish. Funny how that makes so much sense now. I never understood why I YEARNED for this place that I’d only ever read about.
So, yes. I’m still completely obsessed about wanting to go to this place.
https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/scotland-hebrides-isle-of-skye
https://www.obanview.com/
Waterfront Fishhouse Restaurant
Oban Fish & Chip Shop – bring your own alcohol as there are no corkage fees! Good to know.
Will add more later – bookmark it!
NYC in the winter is lovely – let’s go!
I really, really hate the cold and I REALLY hate cold and windy – both of which NYC is in the wintertime.
However, the holiday season in NYC is just so BIG and fun that I generally plan trips during the week after Thanksgiving. This way the decorations are still new and fresh and fun. Sometimes it’s snowy and other times it’s just cold but Rockefeller Center, all the department store window displays, the ice skating, all of it – I just LOVE IT!
I think I’ve been to Manhattan/NYC 7 times…maybe 8? I took each of my kids on separate trips there (3), twice with some friends, and I know I went by myself at least twice.
I remember the first time I went and saw Central Park, the FAO Schwartz toy store was still there on the corner, and it was snowing. It was the biggest, fattest, fluffiest snow ever and it was new so it was still white and clean and I was by myself and I remember thinking how romantic it would be to share that with someone I loved. On that trip, I’d gone to visit my friend Amanda and that was the first time I’d been to NYC and the entire experience was just amazing.
With that, I’m so stoked that we are going to NYC tomorrow. I surprised him with Meet/Great Concert tickets for Amon Amarth at the Hammerstein Ballroom for his birthday. Trust me, it’s true love over here because VIKING DEATH METAL? Umm. I might die but it’s cool – it’ll be in NYC.
SO! We’ll be staying at an airbnb in Hoboken, lord I hope this one is better than the last one! But prices were just absolutely stupid high in NYC so, Hoboken it is!
Details and tons of pics to follow – if I survive that concert!
Raleigh Christmas Parade 2022
I love parades – the marching bands and the dancers especially. J and I went for the first time last year and we went again this year.
Sadly, about an hour into the parade there was a horrible accident – a truck pulling a float couldn’t stop and the driver ran over one of the dancers. The parade was canceled at that point. We didn’t know at the time but she was pronounced at the hospital. She was 11. Such a tragic and traumatic event during what is normally a very joyful time.
I can’t even begin to process the overwhelming grief and shock the families are going through. Or the children and other parents who saw it happen. I’m so grateful that we weren’t witnesses to that.
Counter Revelation – prose
Standing at a counter
and having a random
conversation with
the counter lady
and I look
into the room
and
see the person
teaching class
and think to myself
I don’t know that person
and it’s the norm now.
I strive to catch the eye
of one of my
favorite participants
trying to not make it an
obvious show
but they are lost
in their own world
and work.
Then the teacher
turns and faces forward
and I suddenly notice
the way their
hair wisps and bounces
and the way they move
strikes a familiar memory.
So I turn my full focus to their side profile and i am dumbfounded.
I do know this person.
We used to be friends
Keep Up – It’s Holiday Season!
We have a ton of things already booked to do on the weekends for November and December.
The first weekend in November we went to a Craft Cocktail class and this past weekend was Moonlight in the Garden at the JC Ralston Arboretum.
This coming weekend is one of my faves: Raleigh Christmas Parade and the Homewood Gardens Christmas Open House for the poinsettias!
Then, Thanksgiving is the following week and we are going to Wilmington to stay with my Mom and Ray.
After that comes the first weekend in December we are in NYC for the Amon Amarth concert for Jason’s birthday.
Wikipedia describes this band as: Genre: Heavy metal, Death metal, Viking metal, Metal, Melodic death metal, Folk metal, Technical death metal Types: Melodic death metal
Swedish Melodic Death Metal at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC? Why not? (insert OMG emoji because dude.)
Second weekend in December is the Historic Oakwood Candlelight tour and we are porch hosts. More on that later.
The third weekend in December is our “downtime”, then Christmas, which I’m sure we’ll be at my Mom’s, and then New Years Eve and we will be in Asheville for that at the Biltmore Candlelight Christmas Evening.
Trams & Air Gondolas Wish List
I am absolutely obsessed with trams, ski lift rides, air gondolas, and all things like them.
The first one I ever rode was the Roosevelt Island Tram in NYC and every time I go to NYC, I go and ride the tram. It’s not a big or long one, it’s the location on this for me – It’s very much a part of my personal NYC experience. The tram system accepts only Metrocard and you need to swipe on each leg of trip AND exit tram. Runs on a regular schedule except holidays. Noted.
North Carolina
For my second airlift ride – our NC State Fair added the State Flyer and it’s a permanent fixture but only runs on certain occasions (i think?) and it’s the BEST view of the entire fair. Highly recommend.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CjyZFPWP1dB/
I didn’t realize it was made locally in Sanford NC AND cost $1 million! Wow. This is also a must do for me when I go to the fair. LOVE IT – this video below is pretty cool too.
Tennessee
When we went on the first and likely only, family vacation to Gatlinburg Tennessee, we found the coolest tram and sky chair there! So we rode both of those. The Gatlinburg boasts that it’s The Home of North America’s longest pedestrian cable bridge – you can ride the Skylift to get to that AND have a beer and a app at the top. We had such a fun experience here – I believe the tickets were $35 each for adults.
Now, the Skylift and the Skybridge are fun but y’all. They ALSO HAVE A TRAM!
Ober Gatlinburg – We just happened to stumble onto this one and it’s only $22-25 per ticket! SCORE! You can visit a bunch of things at the top – including a mountain coaster which we ALSO rode. LOL. We had a blast in Gatlinburg. This one happens to be one of the largest and each car can carry 120 people.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVkqCAzr-ID/
Once we reached the top, we went to the Wildlife Encounter and watched some ice skating and went on the mountain coaster. That was my very first ride on one of those and um, wow. I did it! lol Jason freaking LOVED it. He was going so fast that it automatically slowed him down a few times. Me? No worries there – I used my brakes judiciously.
Now, I have started creating a list of “MUST RIDE” trams and gondolas and all things like that.
Canada, Spain
1. Vancouver Skyride
This is the big boy – North America’s largest aerial tram system! The tram operates year round and departs every 15 minutes. Tickets are not the cheap side at about $70 for an adult ticket but that is a round trip and access to the mountain top attractions that are open. AND they also offer a Skyride SURF – where you can ride on TOP of the tram. YES PLEASE!
2. Madeira, Spain
If you know of one, tell me about it! Sharing is caring!
Asheville, NC – Overnight trip
It’s leaf peeping time – Asheville, North Carolina
We hadn’t been to the mountains at all this past year so I booked us an overnight stay in Asheville. I used Airbnb and found a cool looking renovated old school bus to spend the night…I dream of living a life in a van or overlander – I have some old gypsy blood in my heart or something. I’ve always found it fascinating to actually live a mobile life.
Anyway, we will talk about that bus later…let me just say that $335 for ONE NIGHT should yield a very comfortable stay that one doesn’t have to worry about stuffing towels and blankets in the cracks and over windows because the heater left to be plugged in kept blowing the converter in the bus that was supposed to supply electricity…..
Regardless of this minor (albeit irritating) issue; it was fun!
We had a great time – first time for Jason and only the 2 time for me. We missed the “peak leaf” by one week I believe but it was still so beautiful and we were lucky that Green Knob Lookout wasn’t fogged or cloudy. It was pristine, sunny and so much fun!
The Devil Is In The Details
I planned out our route so that we could do a quick little hike during the good early afternoon light because did you actually go to the mountains if you don’t do at least ONE HIKE?
We took the normal route out of Raleigh to Asheville but we had planned to hop onto the Blue Ridge Parkway outside of Marion, NC and just do a loop down to Asheville which passed the Mount Mitchell State Park.
I’m so glad we did! We found the neatest little dam at Lake Tahoma on the way to the BRP. We pulled over to take a look around and explore a bit.
Honestly, I didn’t even realize how CLOSE we were going to be to Mt. Mitchell otherwise we would have planned on adding that since I’ve never been there and neither has Jason. But by the time we got to our actually reason for going on that twisty winding road (to see the Green Knob Fire Tower) that we were pretty hungry by the time we saw we were basically at the entrance to the park.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t go on with our planned route because apparently it snowed a few days prior and our route out was closed since there was still ice on the road. We were a bit bummed because we had to backtrack and go a different direction but whatever. It was fun and we saw stuff, etc.
Green Knob Fire Tower is not accessible above the ladder – they have it locked. Not sure if it’s year-round or just when we were there. But we still climbed the steps and took some pics. Short intense hike from the Green Knob Overlook.
Future PRO TIP aka Hindsight is 20/20 – Check the weather at the actual park before committing to a route. Higher elevations and lack of ability for snow plows to get in (it’s a state park, no snow trucks!), can make having a couple route options a smart idea.
Downside to the detour, we were STARVING by the time we actually made it to Asheville and OMG IT WAS SO FUCKING CROWDED. We THOUGHT we could just stop in Wicked Weed or something and grab a bite. Dude. Not happening.
FOOD & DRINK
Future PRO TIP aka Hindsight is 20/20 – During high peak seasons like fall foliage and summer, make a reservation somewhere OR take some snacks and be okay with a long wait.
We ended up getting a table after a 30 min wait at The Twisted Laurel – we just took a chance on it since I had not read reviews, etc. Please do yourself an IMMENSE favor and get the focaccia. This was just absolutely stunning – apples, whipped ricotta, toasted pistachios, honey. Ugh. I’d eat myself sick on it. The pizza was good and the smash burger was YUM. That was our late lunch and dinner – we ended up heading out to find the Stoked bus before dark (so so glad we did!) and later went to grocery store and grabbed firewood, Firestarter, beer, and ICE CREAM. Perfect.
Breakfast next morning – was at Mayfel’s. The beignets were good but wow that sausage gravy and biscuit would sink a ship! VERY big and solid.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CkD4CeYvRLz/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CkCa5Hrr0NF/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CkIuIGZsKLt/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CkGzZuLs8YN/
Stoked – An Airbnb Review
I’ve been trying to find a nice way to say that I would never in a million years rebook this listing or recommend it…. I guess that sentence is enough for clarify on how I feel.
Maybe it’s just my expectations that when I agree to pay almost as much money for a one night stay in a cute looking Airbnb rather than a high end hotel within walking distance of town, I kind of expect a certain level of comfort regardless of what the package looks like.
Airbnb isn’t doing itself any favors lately though from what I’m seeing and reading. The cleaning fees are outrageous in many instances and it does require a certain level of “cleaning” up after yourself. Which, if I’m paying $100 cleaning fee, you’d think that would apply….
Which brings me back to Stoked.
The saving graces for this experience is that I absolutely knew it would be an “experience” considering it’s a renovated bus. J and I have talked about having an Overlander or living in a tiny house (or boat in his fondest dreams) so it’s best to know if small space living would even work AND to see how other people do their renos so we know what we like and what we don’t like and that it was for only ONE night. So worst case scenario, we can manage that if it’s at all even viable and I’d say it’s not viable for us.
I am not a cold weather person, I don’t need it to be 70 or above when sleeping, actually get better sleep in a cooler environment, but it’s nice to control the drafts and environment itself. With that, I am SO FREAKING GLAD we brought the heating blanket and my woobie.
It’s good points is that it’s just a few miles away from a grocery store and a couple more miles back towards downtown Asheville.
But honestly, for $335 bucks a night? There are better options out there. Keep looking.
40 Questions – Question #2
Did you keep your new year’s resolutions?
This one is way easy as well – I don’t make resolutions. I have never liked them and don’t need or want to make them. I barely like New Year’s Eve.
Why? I’ve always said because I hate making goals or I’m commitment shy but I think this article narrows down why I don’t like them: to vague, too difficult, makes you feel like crap when you don’t succeed, etc.