how is it that an entire year has passed since i wrote a post for the blog? i have seriously neglected this little travel journal of mine.

although there weren’t any “big” trips in 2023, there were a couple of fun smaller trips.

i once again ventured to Savannah to see my old pal JR.

it was a good time. it’s always nice to travel to see a friend and see some sites as well. i actually helped (a teeny bit) build a fence……fence building will not be my new career path.

not long after Savannah, i headed to Las Vegas for the Punk Rock Bowling music festival.

this was the second time going and the shows were great, but the venue…. not as good as 2021.

i also went to Anaheim for a quick visit to see Frank Turner at the House of Blues for one of his Lost Evenings event. that was a great space and show, so glad i made the trip.

i also took another trip to visit a friend in the small town of Julian. Julian is an hour outside of San Diego.

that was a nice get-away. again, nice to connect with a friend I hadn’t seen in awhile, but also the opportunity to see a new place in California. i would like to go back and check out the town and a couple of the shops i didn’t get to see. oh and the Nickel Beer Company, that looked like it would be a good time.

Florence, OR was once again on the agenda this year.

my Mom and i drove up Hwy. 101 this time and it was a beautiful drive. we are already planning our stops for the trip we take this September.

is that it? i think it might be…..all the travel in 2023 wrapped up in this one post.

now, on to 2024.

really? one small post about Troncones…..that’s it?

well, Troncones is a wonderful spot to visit, but there isn’t a whole lot going on there to report about.

after my last post, my friends arrived and we spent four glorious days eating, drinking and catching-up. i couldn’t have asked for a better trip, it was everything we needed it to be.

next up is my big trip to Croatia, and i’m sure there will be a few posts!

in 2021 i placed a bid at The Long Table silent auction, a fundraiser benefiting Food for Thought (a wonderful organization btw) and, “won” a week stay at a condo in Troncones.

i hadn’t been to this part of Mexico before, so was pretty excited to check it out.

Troncones is about 40 minutes north of Zihuatanjeo on the coast. it’s fairly remote and has a population of 4k, where as Zihuatanjeo is the big city with about 125k people.

the condo is Punta Majahua, and the property is made up of six buildings, sport court, pool & social area. it’s a lovely spot, with gorgeous views and very nicely maintained.

this is the perfect time to be here, the weather is mild (you know how i feel about humidity) and i think there are only 10 other people staying here.

my friends from CO arrive tomorrow, so today i’m getting my bearings, and figuring out which of the little restaurants serve what meals when.

Los Angeles restaurant was a short walk down the road, and they’re open daily, serving from 8 AM to 8 PM…..the perfect brunch spot.

now it’s time for a little nap.

note, should you ever visit this area, i suggest stopping at the big market not too far from the airport, to stock up on supplies. although there are a few tiny markets, nothing substantial.

i did pick up snacks and tequila, happy hour is right around the corner.

Savannah, Georgia…….”why visit Savannah?” so many people asked.

well, to be completely honest, it’s all because of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. i read the book, i saw the movie, and thought it would be an interesting place to visit. it looked so charming, and different from home.

also, at the beginning of the year i reconnected with an old friend from elementary school who lives in Savannah. he referred to it as,”magical” and said he wouldn’t live anywhere else. with a recommendation like that, how could i not visit?!

originally i was going to stay a week, but i shortened the trip once there. i came to the conclusion i really don’t enjoy traveling by myself anymore. a bit strange since the majority of previous travel has all been solo.

i’m not sure if it was the location, the fact i’m currently not working, or that i didn’t plan the trip to death like i usually do, but i was feeling extremely lonely and a bit out of sorts from the moment i arrived….sigh.

so what do you do when you’re in unfamiliar territory and feeling a little blue? yes, find the local bar is an idea, but no, i didn’t go that route, although i considered it. i opted for getting out and seeing some sights.

on day one i started with breakfast at The Sentient Bean, where i enjoyed a great cup of coffee and breakfast sandwich on their back patio, delicious! i later found out that the place is owned by a gal from Santa Cruz.

after breakfast i walked through Forsyth Park and then went on a tour of the Mercer-Williams house.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil will need to be watched again, because that is the only way to see the upstairs of the Mercer-Williams house. the upper floor is still used by the Williams family, so it’s off limits. it was a fun & educational little tour, and only $12, not bad.

after that i went out to the Bonaventure Cemetery. i do love a good cemetery. this one was definitely full of history.

i didn’t arrange a tour, i just wandered around for awhile and checked out all the historic areas and of course was drawn to the statues as i normally am.

then back to the hotel for drinks and dinner. i’m not sure if i’ve mentioned it before, but i really don’t like eating alone. therefore, i had a drink at the hotel bar and simply did a Door Dash order from the local Thai place and called it done.

day two. i went to Tybee Island. it reminded me a little bit of Santa Cruz, minus the boardwalk. i went to Fannies for lunch, hung out on the beach, had a drink on the pier, saw the lighthouse…..Tybee Island, check.

my Uber driver, Jimmy, suggested i go to Starland Yard on my way home so i did.

Starland Yard is a very cool food court that is made out of containers. kind of like Nido’s in Oakland, but bigger. it was full of locals and had a good vibe. they had a bar in the center, i had a vodka, cucumber, chili something and a veggie quesadilla from one of the vendors, both rocked.

surrounding the food court there are a bunch of murals created by local art students…..i do love a good mural.

day three was spent with my friend, so much fun catching up and seeing some sights along the way.

we had breakfast at J Christopher’s, then drove to a bunch of places he wanted me to see. after our drive, we traded the car in for his motorcycle.

it’s been a long time since i went on a ride…….i forgot how fun it is, it really should happen more often!!

and that was it, my trip to Savannah in a nutshell.

next up…….Mexico.

hello. did you miss me?

travel in 2021 started mid-year and kept to places i had been before. i finally felt comfortable travelling in May, so i started small, a trip to Disneyland! haha. come on, at that point it was at 25% attendee capacity, when would i ever have the chance to go again with so few people?!

in June my Mom and i took a road trip to Florence, OR to visit one of her good friends. of course no road trip north is complete (for us) without lunch at Granzella’s. we spent the night on the way up, and back, in Ashland, and stayed at the Callahan Mountain Lodge. it wasn’t close to town, but it was a fun place to stay, and the restaurant had some stellar fish & chips plus, live music.

then the annual trip to Bonneville in August. we didn’t break any records this year, but we didn’t break the engine either. sadly one of our records was broken. i suppose after 30 years i shouldn’t be surprised, it was a good run for sure!

i went to Seattle to visit my friends, and for the first time, visited a friend on Orcas. i had never been to Orcas before, so that was a real treat. i especially loved going out crabbing on their boat. just because i’m allergic to shellfish, doesn’t mean i don’t appreciate the fun of catching them…..says the vegetarian.

i also took the opportunity to go to Kauai once again, as you know, a favorite spot of mine. this trip i was finally able to hike part of the Nāpali Coast Trail.

i wasn’t aware you needed to make a reservation to do the hike until i was already on island, so didn’t have time in the day to hike all the way to the end, but made it to the beach which was really nice. i’m not sure even with enough time i would have actually made it to the end….it’s not as easy hike and i was definitely in the wrong shoes!

there were some new bars & restaurants tried on this trip including Tiki Iniki, Happy Talk, B’s Kitchen, and Oasis on the Beach. and of course it isn’t a trip to Kauai without a meal at Bar Acuda in Hanalei. i’m so in love with that place……LOVE.

there was another Seattle trip, a work trip….what, a work trip…..i know right?! and this time i spent a little time in the Ballard area as well. my friend on Orcas also has a boat in Ballard which was my accommodation for one night. new digs and new bars, so fun.

fingers crossed 2022 travel doesn’t get derailed. the plan is, Kauai, Mexico, and Croatia (yes i’ve rebooked). stay tuned for more posts, cuz this gal is ready to get out there and see the sites once again.

you know how i am, months will go by between posts, and there is no one to blame but me. my lack of travel, motivation and sometimes desire. but is that fair to the places i’ve been to in between the larger trips? i think not, so here we go, a quick post about some of the places i’ve seen in the last couple of months.

Dallas in September, New York in October, Arizona and Seattle in November, Austin in December, LA in January and Las Vegas in February.

all places i had been before, except for Dallas……Austin, San Antonio, Houston yes, but Dallas no. this was a work trip for an event and it was more travel than time in the state. due to flight delays, traffic, more flight delays and runway closures, it wasn’t a great travel experience. i am now very VERY familiar with one section of DFW. i saw no sights, but stayed at the Indigo Hotel, which was funky and fun, plus had an amazing dinner at the Capital Grille. made a lot of new friends on that trip, and i would like the chance to go back and maybe see a sight or two.

New York in October, another work trip, with some friend visits woven in for good measure. this visit i stayed at the TRYP Hotel in Midtown. comfortable, convenient, decent bar and breakfast, but the walls were paper-thin and my neighbors were not quiet. i had the opportunity to go check out our company pop-up in SoHo, the High Line, a fancy-ass Starbucks Reserve and saw the Derren Brown:Secret show. The Clinton’s were in the row in front of us, they too enjoy fun theater! more than one good meal was had at Friedman’s, yum.

Seattle in November, again work….i see a theme here with the smaller in between trips….Seattle, right. oh, actually i was there twice in November once for work and once for Thanksgiving, i knew there was fun in there somewhere! the work trip was technically in Bellevue with a very good dinner at Daniel’s Broiler included. Thanksgiving in Seattle, perfect!

Austin in December for, you guessed it, a work trip. short visit, but still had time to see my family and friends. was able to go to lunch at the Magnolia Cafe, which is an Austin staple and dinner at Threadgill’s, another historic venue…….who doesn’t love a little good ol’ comfort food. oh, and let’s not forget……Taco Deli. thank you Austin for another good time.

January in LA for the MPSE Awards, very fun! I also went back to Dallas, another quick trip, no sights but a very good Thai dinner at a place i can’t remember the name of because i went to another place first and it was closed, then drove around for about 15 minutes until i got to one that was recommended. my final dinner and cocktail outing in Dallas was at Haywire. super cool and delicious.

and last but certainly not least February, LA and Las Vegas. LA again, work trip and super fast just an overnight, that being said i had some delicious empanadas for lunch from the Warner Business Center’s Farmer’s Market . i wish i had one now! i went to Las Vegas twice in February, once for work and the other trip for fun. work was work, but fun included going to see the Gwen Stefani show, and Blake Shelton made a surprise appearance and sang a number with her, it was awesome!

i very was very excited to see David Tennant in Don Juan of SoHo tonight, and arrived at the Wyndham Theatre suitably early after a delicious dinner at Patara.

how odd that when i arrived to the theater the House Full sign was out front and the hordes of people usually milling about before a show were nowhere to be found. “hurry” the doorman said to me, “they may not let you in!” what?? how can that be, i’m SO early.

well, had i been there last night, the night my ticket was actually for, i would have been early, but tonight was Press Night, start time at 7 PM, and the show…..SOLD OUT.

shit.

i’m only here for one more day with an evening event tomorrow and there isn’t a matinee. how did i mess this up?? it’s David Tennant. F&#@!!

jetlag? no theater on Mondays in the states? kept thinking during the entire trip Tuesday the 27th? whatever the reason, i found myself in a lobby of a sold out show, with an outdated ticket. nobody’s fault but my own. sigh. so i made a joke to the box office about my monetary contribution to London theater, while trying not to cry, and headed out.

i tell my sad little story to the doorman in front of the theater, we have a good laugh and i start to cross the street to find a glass of something before i head back to the flat. i’m half way across when i think, maybe, just maybe, they will have a seat at intermission i could take……not all the press could possibly show up.

i smile and ask the nice doorman if he thinks i could get in at intermission. he says to check inside, they’d have to answer that question. i go in and walk to the box office where two smiling people greet me and hand me a ticket. really?! for me?!  awesome!

i was in the balcony, not the orchestra and i had to stand the first half, but who cares….i was in!

thoroughly entertaining show.  i liked the adaptation, and it was well acted. David Tennant made a good Don Juan, terrific timing, although i had a hard time separating him from the Doctor at times. i’m sure that will be the case in any role he takes. side note, why didn’t he play Hedwig?? anyhow, good cast, Stanley was excellent, good use of multimedia and some cool effects, wasn’t crazy about the set, musical numbers were fun and choreography was fine, over all nothing spectacular, not a must-not-miss show, but i saw it, and that’s what counts.

a BIG thank you to the lovely Wyndham Theatre box office staff for being very kind to a usually overly organized, well planned (but not tonight) tourist.

image courtesy of londontheatre.co.uk

it was Mother’s Day in the UK today, so the streets were crowded lots of flowers and mother daughter combos.  made me wish my Mom was with me, so we could have had overpriced brunch and gone shopping.

i spent the day not doing a whole lot. slept in, did laundry and had a coffee. took a nap, had another coffee and ventured out into the world.

the world contained a great attempt to help the Oxford Street economy, but alas, it was not my day to buy.  i then went for a massage and had a tasty crepe before heading back home.

the massage was pretty wonderful, although i think there might be bruises appearing tomorrow.  i went to Spa & Massage right around the corner from the flat. i wish i had found it sooner so i could go again!

it was a gorgeous day, so i decided to walk to the Chelsea Farmers Market to meet a friend for lunch.  it was about an hour walk and seemed easy enough until my phone stopped mapping.

i had made it about half way when my phone screen stalled and my map was gone. did I have a paper map with? no, of course not. there was a major road ahead, so i figured i’d go that way and see if  i could reconnect with my phone, or connect with a human.

when i got to the street i noticed it was closed due to a large protest. not ideal when you’re trying to walk across the town, but good if you’re trying to find someone to give you directions. hello officer, could you please help me, i’m a little lost.

i was directed to the tube station (walking today was not advised by the nice police officer), and a short walk, three trains, and another short walk later, i found the restaurant in the market (which was in a parking lot) and met my friend, and his friends.

the rest of the day was lovely….a sunny day, a glass of rose, a delicious pastry, shopping on Kings Road, stop in at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a little walk through the V&A Museum, a glass of white at a pub and we finished with an Italian dinner at Mona Lisa.

hopefully tomorrow will be just as much fun!