Category: adventure

adventure

Our DIY Key Lime Crawl

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A recent friend adventure was my 50th birthday trip to the Florida Keys. It was a grand time with some amazing gal pals. We did so much, it’s hard to know how to slice and dice and share it all. With that in mind, here’s the first of what’s likely to be several posts about our extravaganza.

When you think of the Florida Keys, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Jimmy Buffett? Kokomo? Well for some of us in our little group, our eyes lit up at the prospect of all the key lime pies we could try.

As I got further and further into my research, I learned that pie is only the start of the key lime culinary culture of the Florida Keys. Key lime cocktails, taffy, ice cream, soap, lotion, and more could be a part of our key lime caper.

We knew it would be a trip with indulgences. But I didn’t want to go overboard. So, before we boarded the plane, I asked my fellow key lime lovers if we could share the first slice of any pie we tried. If one of us found one we truly loved, we could go back and have a second slice. It was a deal.

Even though I had done my research in advance, I was surprised at how varied the different pies could be. The first one we tried, at the Blonde Giraffe, was extremely tart. This version had a few fat squiggles of whipped cream on top. Not much of a crust. You could also try their dark chocolate drizzled version. Gotta say I felt like an amateur when the extreme tart made me wince. We got two slices and neither were finished between three of us sampling.

Thankfully, things improved from there. Each slice was different. We worked to become key lime connoisseurs. How tart? How sweet? What about the crust? Whipped cream or meringue on top? A couple of slices almost had the consistency of ice cream.

Which brings to mind the many other key lime items we tried. Key lime ice cream. Key lime taffy. Key lime cocktails for the drinkers, complete with a graham cracker crust rim. I read about key lime french toast but we didn’t make it to that place. Key lime pastries. Each unique.

We didn’t settle on a clear winner. But we all had fun sampling along the way and weighing out our choices. As for me, I favor somewhat tart custard (and don’t mind if it’s almost like a frozen pie.) I am a sucker for a thick graham cracker crust. And whipped cream beats meringue, but not by much.

Funny side note…when we first made the plan to go to the keys, my key lime-loving friends and I looked for a key lime crawl. Even with all the bar tours and tiki boats, we couldn’t find one. So, of course, we made our own unofficial one. Next time you’re traveling, make your own unofficial tour of a local food, drink, or whatever you all enjoy! New Orleans? Gumbo (or Po’ Boy, or beignet, or hurricane, or so many other things) crawl. Philadelphia? Cheesesteak crawl. The only limit is your imagination. Share ’em, score ’em, debate the merits and pick your faves. A great way to dive in to local culture, cuisine, and add a bit of fun to your next adventure.

adventure

NYC The Last Hump

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The whirlwind trip had come to an end. The final leg of trip was in sight. The plane ride home was the last hump. Sounds simple right?

11 pm flight becomes midnight. Then it shifts to 2am. Then it’s cancelled. Gone from the radar. Good thing each of had some frequent flyer miles sitting idle with Delta. Now we are booked on the 6 am Delta flight. Sounds amazing but the adventure is just beginning.

The airport closes at 11 pm. That means if you are not in the terminal you are kind of left in a pickle. For us, we made it an adventure of sorts. We entered through the one open door by ticketing. We had a cleansing party in the empty restroom with a pack of cucumber wipes. That was a freshening up we all needed after a day in the dirty city!

We shifted to charging our cell phones, watches and laptops. Each of us perched by a different column or by an elevator with outlets. It was peaceful yet eerie at the same time. Clearly we were on the floor and lucky for us it was just cleaned! We saw a handful of passengers exit off flights that either arrived late or the weary stranded travelers opted for a night in a hotel. We talked with security guards that passed us by with oen eyebrow lifted. We giggled with workers coming in for the new shift. It was a different way to experience the airport in a big city. The calm before the chaos of a new day. An unexpected excursion.

We were invited to be the first ones through security at 3 am. I think they were tired of us loitering. That came with some interesting conversations at the security point. We snagged a few quick photos that we may never get again. See above and below. We enjoyed the open space and the freedom to stroll through the airport as if it was just for us!

We dozed off on the floor of our gate for what seemed like hours but were really minutes at best. We snacked. We giggled. We recapped the trip to the city. We planned breakfast for the next day. We chatted about the same three snacks Delta gives on each flight. Before you knew it, we were ready to board. I slept on the plane so I have no idea how the flight was.

I loved every minute of my time in the empty airport. I felt like it was my own private airport for a few hours. Just out here living my best life full of unexpected adventures.

Until next time or until the next destination post surfaces. Wondering where the next spot will be? Maybe a warm climate. Maybe a remote desert? Guess the story isn’t written yet.

adventure

NYC Mid Day Tour

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Ping pong in the park. One of my travel mates says: when was the last time you went to the park at home to just chill out or meet a friend? I heard nothing. It’s not an everyday activity for us. Is that because we drive more outside the city?

That brought up the thought of walking. Is there less obesity for those who live in the city because they walk everywhere? It got me thinking about how sedentary my day really is in comparison to others. I walk to my car in the garage vs. walking to the bus stop down the street or the subway. I park at the grocery store and do minimal walking vs. toting my groceries ten city blocks in a cart. How many suburban adults make it a point to walk each day? I checked my Apple Watch and I have a lot of room to improve on my personal step count.

Lunch was next on the bucket list. The famous Katz’s Deli. And let me tell you this place did not disappoint. From the moment you walk in the door the aroma is amazing. The vibe is super cool. The people are from all sorts of backgrounds. The sandwich masters are friendly yet very New York in persona. Despite the harsh exterior or tough guy voices, they were very customer-driven. Offering samples of meat to make sure you got what you wanted. I was on the fence between a pastrami sandwich and corned beef sandwich. Then I saw the sliced turkey and was completely torn. Then I tasted the pastrami and I was sold. Just one bite was all it took.

The carving of the meat was fun to watch. The bins of meat were full yet they cleared out fast. Not sure how much meat this place serves in a day, but that’s probably the largest amount of meat I’ve seen consumed in record time.

The end result was a sinfully delicious sandwich. I devoured my meat and left the bread to the side. Not that the bread wasn’t good, rather the meat was far more worth the calories. Turkey sandwich in the background for comparison. Some opted for melted cheese and the variety of pickles they served on the side was a sweet treat as well.

As we departed we had two interesting encounters. One, a family from Ireland who patiently waited for our table. An interesting conversation exchange over lunch in passing. Upon exit we were greeted by a young women under what appeared to be the influence of heavy drugs. The door attendant made sure she didn’t enter thus we had a little street entertainment. This young lady had her hair (weave) in her hand while she was visibility disheveled, shouting a lot of nonsense and not stringing her words together very well. An interesting and sad sight all at the same time. These two experiences were very different yet minutes apart. I chalk this up to big city life. 

A ride on the subway was next. It was the best method of transportation to the next destination but it did take over an hour and we had a few swaps of trains. The stations are dirty and underground. The rats and other creepy things lurk about. The trains are full of people. Lots of different people. What an experience. I could say so much about the sights, sounds and smells on the big city train but I will really just say it’s an experience everyone should have.

Again I reminisce about my limited commute to my garage each day to get in a car and go a short distance. While some of the folks on the train have to ride for hours, walk, stand, etc. just to get to their job. Thinking about it makes me tired, but that’s their life. I see less obesity on the train than in the suburbs. Is there a correlation to movement? Then we see the headlines on the price of gas: I guess it’s much easier to use the mass transport route during these harder times of dealing with rising gas prices!

My day in the city was full of so much. I can’t write it all down despite doing a series post. I hope many readers get to experience New York City their way one day.

adventure

NYC and the US Open

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The US Open 2023 in New York City. What an amazing experience it was. From the moment I entered the event to the moment I left I was in awe. As a friend said to me, the Open will just not be the same moving forward on TV after being here in person. True statement.

Let’s start with this photo. Equal prize money. Enough said. Coco earned it! But as I reflect on my day at the Open, I can’t not talk about wheelchair tennis. Amazing to watch in person. The strength and focus required to serve. The tenacity and grit to roll and hit a ball on one side of the court and immediately shuffle to the opposite side for the next. It’s fantastic to see up close. The facial expressions. The sounds. The celebrations but also the defeats. I was was watching juniors on this day making it more powerful given the age and maturity of these athletes. Made me want to do better in all things I do daily without those limitations.

Of course I needed to share the street art as well. Capturing NYC, its culture and the sport of tennis all in one. Now back to the details of the event. Thank you American Express for your hospitality area and all the cool things to do as part of the fan experience.

A little digital glow tennis. A shoe cleaning station. Some freebie sunscreen. Free customization on your keepsake items. Free charging station which was a midday must for me. An air conditioned hang out space to refresh and recharge. A terrace view of some tennis for lay people to try new racquets. Maybe even some time to sip on one of the fabulous Open cocktails. The Honey Deuce was a fan favorite by far. The commemorative glass with the historical title wins was an added bonus. The iced version was an amazing cool down in the moment as well. They even had fancy straws to take home with cleaning brushes in a nice straw sack. Again thank you American Express. You did sponsor the event well.

I couldn’t not write about the cryo facial that American Express offered its cardholders. A special perk that was well worth it. A first for me but it definitely won’t be a last. If you haven’t tried a cryo facial, you should! And one last big win for American Express: free use of radios. Show your card and pick up a little radio for your ear attached to a lanyard for easy on/off use. A great way to hear up-to-the-minute commentator words amongst the roars of the crowd. One ear on the radio. One ear on the live crowd.

The matches in the Arthur Ashe Stadium were action packed. Of course I was cheering for Coco who ultimately took home the title but being there I cheered for all the amazing efforts and winning points on both sides. We even sat through a one hour delay during the Gauff match thanks to fossil fuel protestors. One of which glued their feet to the ground. I can’t even make that story line up. The ambiance within the stadium was awesome. The open ceiling. The neon lights. The game clock. The stats board. The serve speeds. The people. The fans. The reactions. All of it! An A-plus experience.

I hope I have the chance to be a super tennis fan again in the future. Whether it’s the is Open or another big event I will be first to say yes to the experience. I traveled with a new group this time around. I had a blast. We were bonded by love for tennis and our adventurous spirits. Find your people. Expand your horizons. Try something new. Go. Go. Go. Don’t let fear hold you back from enjoyment.

That’s my Open story. Women’s semi-finals. September 7, 2023. I was part of Coco Gauff’s history making. Feeling lucky to have been there. Proud of all the tennis Coco played to make it to the top!

adventure

NYC By Day Part 1

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Just one day in NYC. Just one day. Less than 24 hours to cram it all in! It’s not my first time in the big city but first time cramming a bunch into one day sure is. So much fun on this day I thought I’d write a post but it will end up being multiple posts. Go figure.

The U.S. Open it is. That’s the main point of the trip. A duo trip on a whim. The duo turned into a trio. Then a foursome. United by a love for tennis. An adventure of a lifetime. A quick easy trip to squeeze into a work week. Why not?

The one and only Coco makes the women’s semi finals. Yes! I couldn’t be more excited to see the showdown live. The 48 hours prior to the semi finals was where the anticipation built. The outfit plans. The snack preparation. Hoping the flights were on time. Will the weather be good? So much anticipation. A short window of excitement on the horizon. Ready. Set. Go!

4 am alarm goes off. Normally I’d be mad but not today. Today I sprung up and rose quickly. Fun little carpool excursion to the airport and off we go on leg one of the adventure. The discount airline flight was surprisingly easy and we made it to the Big Apple without incident, but did have many giggles. And the approach views were just perfect as well. The Statue of Liberty was impressive from above.

Once on the ground we explored a bit. That included a stroll over the Brooklyn Bridge. A first for me. This was an amazing experience on a beautiful day. Helicopter tours overhead. Jet skis, boats, cars all bustling below. The sights. The sounds. The ambience was all spectacular. A moment of reflection think about the chaos of 9/11 and the mass exodus on that same bridge. What a feeling.

Next our exploration took us through Chinatown and Little Italy by foot. Great exercise but also a cultural experience. The smells. The businesses. The building styles. The signs on the windows and storefronts. The graffiti. The hustle and bustle of city life. The people. The languages. The lifestyle that is so different from my day to day. Observing folks pull their groceries home in a cart. The Amazon deliveries packed on carts to go city blocks from a hub parking spot. It’s an experience in itself just to be immersed in this part of city life. The outdoor markets had fish both dried and fresh out of the water. Oddly placed next to fruit sitting out in the heat of the day. Some bins without ice and on the floor of all places.

As our day began as the sun rose in the city there were so many experiences to share that I’ve opted to make this a series of posts. This way I can give you my 50 foot of NYC in 24 hours without missing a beat.

Stay tuned.