A much needed and anticipated vacation started out on June 24th finally getting to use my birthday present, tix for Sammy Hagar and the Circle at the Hard Rock Casino in Northfield.
Pam and I hit the Saturday Happy Hour at Burntwood Tavern (highly recommend) in Lyndhurst then headed to the show. Set List
Outstanding performance by half of Van Halen and Jason Bonham on the drums.
After only a little bit of sleep, Pam, myself, Mike (Pam's son) and Olivia (Mike's lady) headed out towards the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.
Not a bad ride south to the Outrageous Cabins resort in Sevierville. Hot tub, game room, great views and fireworks every night you could see from Dollywood not too far away.
Sunday was a pizza hunt and grocery run just to keep a few items in the cabin. As we figured out our plans for Monday. Golf at Gatlinburg Golf Course for Pam and I (a very nice course with some elevation to make it challenging) while the pool and hot tub for Mike and Olivia seemed to suffice for everyone.
Went out for dinner at Mike's choice of The Local Goat . I had very tasty Shrimp and Grits, Pam the Ahi Tuna Salad and a couple of gourmet burgers for Olivia and Mike. Food and service was outstanding, aside from the cast of Sandlot 2 making too much noise at the shuffleboard table, we had a nice meal,
Chilled back at the cabin in the evening as Mike and Olivia had a big day ahead for Ziplining. Pam and I enjoyed watching those two at Foxfire Mountain
I explored the Cider house on the property and found out some info for Hillbilly Golf that we would play later on the trip.
After we got back from ziplining, Pam and I went exploring down Boogertown road, a winding stretch of road that found us in Gatlinburg. We came across some shops and that provided some nice take home items from the Gatlinburg Arts and Crafts Community
Stopped here for a beer, The Ship Pub
Dinner reservations in Old Sevierville at Bistro 109 were for 6 pm. Pam ordered some Goat Cheese balls that SHE enjoyed, me, Mike and Olivia not so much
Our waiter Thomas was a bit of a talker and a lamb chop pusher but certainly no tour guide. Tip City was the only place in Ohio that he had been to. "An hour outside of Cleveland" he said. "Where?" was our response. Turns out Tip City was near Cincinnati....quite the loser
I had a veal dish that was hardly memorable. The atmosphere and decor really impressed Pam but overall, not the best dining experience for me.
Interesting stuff in the Aquarium. I'm sure it would be creepy at night or if you were in there all by yourself. Very little kid friendly which was not my speed but nevertheless, very cool exhibit. A Pearl Harbor exhibit was also available but definitely out of place
March of the Penguins
I was on the search for some authentic Tennessee BBQ and we stumbled upon Delauders bbq and we were not disappointed. Burnt ends, pulled pork, and jalapeno smoked sausage....good stuff
After a short stop for shopping, we headed back towards downtown Gatlinburg for Hillbilly Putt Putt. The ladies showed the guys how to putt on a side of a mountain with Olivia taking low score honors.
Back to the cabin for a take out dinner at the nearby Rocky Top Pizza and relaxing in our wonderful digs for the week.
All in all, a great vacation full of adventure, good food, and great company. Til next time...see ya'll later
Went to my first high school basketball game in probably 20 years last night and I
have a few observations about how the game is different, well, at least different to me. Defense is being
played actually at the 3 point line as everyone is falling in love with the 3 point shot, opening up the inside but nobody likes to go inside. Nobody put a body on anybody on the boards. Of course this was just a one game observation but
nonetheless it was telling it at the beginning of the game that both
teams were firing away. Mid-range jump shots seemed to be a thing
of the past too. There was no energy at this cross town rivalry from the students/and or adults in the stands. No music played during time outs to pump up the atmosphere and the only participation was what seemed to be scheduled clap along. The students seemed like programmed robots. It was like a morgue. This generation of high
schooler's, in my opinion, are so regimented and have to be told every little thing that there is no individuality anymore. As for improvements that can be made for the game itself, the best
solution I can come up with is to move the three point line
back one foot. Make these three point marksman think a little bit more. It would make a considerable difference.
My journey to Seattle, Washington began years ago when my dad told me, "if you ever get a chance, go to Seattle." My dad went on liberty there while in the Navy and he must have had a lot of fun to be able to give that advice.
My lady friend Pam joined me on this trip and as she put it was, "just along for the ride."
Pam and I started out on Thursday morning with a plane delay for a couple of hours but we were able to take advantage of the United Club for breakfast with some free passes. It was a nice perk. Just an aside, we are both "foodies". Trendy word, I know, but it is what it is and I will be sharing our food experiences along the way as well.
Finally getting into San Francisco (a trip to a Giants game and hangin out near McCovey Cove is in the future hopefully but not this time) and connecting to Seattle, a trip on the Lite rail from Sea-Tac got us into Pioneer Square, an older part of Seattle near the waterfront of Puget Sound and after some misdirection, we checked into our hotel.
After a long day of travel, we decided to relax at Safeco field, taking in the Indians Mariners game. In a strange coincidence, my cousin Joe and his wife Annie were thinking the same type of baseball trip and were in town as well so we met up with them for some pre game, after we enjoyed a Calamari appetizer and a Hefeweizen at the Pyramid Ale House.
We made some new friends and even got tossed a ball from the Indians bullpen
After a few drinks and an order of garlic fries (a Seattle staple, I guess and a little over rated in my opinion), we were pooped and headed back to the hotel around the seventh inning, via our new friend, Shannon, who peddled us in a bicycle handsome cab for minimal cost. Walking Seattle, as we found out the hard way, is not the best way to go.
Plans to meet up with Joe and Annie on Friday morning were made to hit Pike Public Market, home of the famous fish toss, incredible seafood selection and the Athenian Inn from the movie Sleepless in Seattle, where we had a toast to my dad with a bloody Mary. Nice of them to pick us up at the hotel.
We decided to split up and go our separate ways until lunch and after sifting through the market, full of interesting shops, food stands etc. Pam and I set our sites on the Space Needle and the Chihuly Glass Museum and Garden in Seattle Center.
Since the weather was gorgeous, the line for the Space Needle was ridiculous, we decided to just do the Chihuly. Pictures don't do it justice.
Using "The Force"
We made our way to the waterfront, on our way to the Crab Pot for a late lunch which was outstanding.
On our way back from Crab Pot, we ran into the infamous "Gum Wall" which I felt was pretty gross so I moved on. Apparently its quite the attraction.
We parted ways with Joe and Annie and took a rest back at the hotel. Since we didn't get to go up in the Space Needle, we decided to take a locals advice and head to the Columbia Sky View Observatory to view the city in 360 degrees.
Unfortunately, I decided to walk us to the
Observatory UPHILL, five blocks....not good .
Century Link and Safeco Fields
This would be our final day walking. We worked our way back to the hotel and in need of a cocktail and a bite, we ducked into the Merchant Cafe, the oldest restaurant bar in Seattle. I had my first Wagyu beef (from Japan) burger and a Buffalo Trace bourbon in a place we later found out, is haunted. Luke was an excellent bartender and manager and the whole staff was very hospitable. They invited us to look at the new Underground Bar downstairs, which was not open yet and was a little creepy, to say the least. Our night ended with ghost stories read by Ms Pam back at the hotel.
Saturday morning our plan was to ferry over to Bainbridge Island to see Seattle from the Sound. And speaking of the Sound, its amazing how the Sounders MLS soccer team is such a big deal there. Just as many if not more than Mariner fans. But the Seahawks own the town.
It started out a little overcast on our way to the island but it cleared up and after a quick 30 minute trip, which was a little brisk, we stopped for a Bainbridge Crepes for a coffee and a Battle Point, which was ham based. Pretty tasty for my first time.
We walked the streets of the island and checked out the quaint little shops and then hopped on a shuttle bus across the island to the Clearwater Casino and proceeded to contribute my usual $ to their community.
We took the ferry back around 2 pst to get ready for Game 7 of the Blackhawks vs Ducks series. It was at this time we decided to use Uber.
Our first Uber ride was quite the adventure as we made out way to Sport Restaurant for the game. Great service from Ron behind the bar and made some new friends as well. The Hawks won to move on to the Stanley Cup finals vs Tampa Bay.
After the game, feeling like a dive bar, we took a short walk to 5 Point Cafe where I was able to play a CD jukebox , get gravy on my french fries, and just relax with many different walks of life. I mean, a place with a sticker reading "I F Nuns" can't be all bad, can it?
We finally Ubered back to the hotel with a little more success this time.
Our last day in Seattle, Sunday, we decided to finally go on the Underground Tour that was highly suggested by many we had talked to. Starting the tour with a bloody Mary, we embarked with our tour guide, Walt, who was excellent. The tour told the story of the great Seattle fire of 1889, the Klondike Gold rush and how the city had to rebuild, over the old city! The tour was entertaining as well as educational. If you are ever there, and if you can handle the scent of a damp basement for about 30 minutes, take the tour.
The tour ended up, ironically, at the Merchant Cafe, where we ended our Friday night. The new Underground Lounge was open so we went downstairs and had a few bourbons and met some more new friends, Brian & Denise.
We parted ways with our new friends after a drink at J & M Cafe, Seattle's Oldest Bar and we went back to the hotel to relax before dinner. We got another Uber ride to Anthony's Pier 66 where Pam and I enjoyed a relaxing dinner as we took our time and reflected on our journey. Wagyu Sirloin and Prawns for me and Dungeoness Fettuccine for her. The view was awesome as was the company.
Our last Uber ride was to the airport, where we got off ok but had an hour and a half delay in Denver before we got home early evening, ending our vacation to the great Northwest and returning to reality. And reality bites.
Had a pretty nice time in Pittsburgh on June 7th, taking in the sights and sounds of the Pirates vs the Brewers and a pretty damn good Goo Goo Dolls show afterwards. Pam, Mike and myself discovered many things on this particular Saturday:
Port o Potty's are unacceptable urination stations for females; small children CAN be put on leashes, especially in the 300 level at PNC Park; Some people just love to tell their life story while walking around with a lighthouse on their leg (POF candidate) and interrupting others who might be watching the game; there are tons of good looking ladies at Pirate games and rest area's are great places to make birthday videos for people you don't even know. Happy Birthday PHIL! (?)
Revamped some things and went back to some old ways after this past Memorial Day weekend gathering. While good in the Brinkman Smoker, I found that the Weber Grill is still the best method for cooking 1 to 2 slabs at a time. Below is my new recipe:
BABY BACK RIBS (Weber Grill) Using indirect heat, separate charcoal to the edges of the Weber grill using charcoal brackets, starting with 18-20 Kingsford briquettes per side. Apply lighter fluid and light both sides of grill.
In a bowl, soak wood chips (hickory, applewood or whatever you fancy) in water for 20 minutes. Drain
Cut away any membrane left on the slabs (butchers usually have this done already)
Coat 1 to 2 full slabs of baby back ribs with olive oil and rub in.
Using a KC BBQ rub (preferrably my recipe), but the one Weber makes is good too
1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup paprika 1 tbsp black pepper 1 tbsp sea salt 1 tbsp chili powder 3/4 tbsp garlic powder 3/4 tbsp onion powder 1 teaspoon cayenne (optional if you want heat or not) combine and mix ,
coat both sides of slabs, liberally.
Once charcoal is white, place slabs in middle of rack (meat side up) cover with lid and cook for 1 hour at 300 to 325 degrees (or as close as possible).
Add wood chips (I used hickory) periodically to charcoal on both sides for smoke during cooking.
Pull slabs off of grill and place on baking sheet.
Sprinkle equal amounts of paprika, brown sugar and honey on aluminum foil. Slather ribs with your sauce of choice (Montgomery Inn is a favorite) and wrap each slab, meat side down with sprinkled aluminum foil.
Add 5 or 6 charcoal briquettes to each side to maintain temp. (go on feel for this step)
Put wrapped slabs back in middle of grill, cover with lid and continue to cook for 1 hour, adding more wood chips periodically for more smoke.
Open foil and place ribs back on baking sheet and add another coat of sauce. Put ribs back on grill without the foil, cover with lid and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
Pull off slabs, and place on serving tray. Cut into individual 1 or 2 bone servings with side sauce for dipping.
Winter 2013-2014 Have not posted on the blog for a while but after this incredibly rough winter, I feel a great spring and summer is around the corner. March Madness is calling with the conference tourney's starting this week and the NCAA tourney starting on March 20th. It's always a great time of year for me and my buddies, as the annual March Madness Friday is scheduled again. Due to a reduction in vacation time, I will I have to work a half day before meeting the fellas this year. You never know who will show up at this event, 2 years ago, after my surgery, all the fellas showed and it was a bit of a reunion. It was pretty cool that they all showed up after everything I went through. Looming on 3/25 is another check up in Ann Arbor but hopefully it's another positive step to "getting out of the woods" as Dr Frohm puts it. But I'm looking forward to a great birthday weekend, (unlike Pammy's birthday month). Since the Twins are in Cleveland and the Blackhawks are in Columbus the weekend after my birthday, it's going to be a great sports weekend. So , accompanied by my partner in crime, Friday night, the Blackhawks game in Columbus.
Staying the night at a discount due to my executive administrator girlfriend and sandwiched in (and as you know, everything can be solved with a sandwich) hopefully lunch with family and then back home for Final Four Saturday night. Then taking in the Twins /Tribe game with brother Tim on Sunday.
Opening day downtown Friday was a possibility but I wasn't going to spend $75 a ticket for upper level at the Jake. Well, that's the plan. Hopefully it works out. Next stop....Seattle in the summertime
on our way to the 
On our way back from Crab Pot, we ran into the infamous "Gum Wall" which I felt was pretty gross so I moved on. Apparently its quite the attraction.
