My parents have been doing a lot of traveling in the last few months.
In November, they won a cruise vacation. It sounded like a relaxing way to explore the western coast of Mexico. My dad brought back several bottles of tequila and snapped some beautiful pictures at sea. Together – they had plenty of good food, bright sunshine and warm memories.
Now – they’re somewhere over the Pacific. This journey has brought together my mom’s side of the family.
In the Philippines, they will sample some amazing fresh fish and other dishes that you can’t find here in the States. They will hug nephews and nieces who have outgrown their elementary school uniforms and who are now trying on the shoes of adulthood. They will sing along to sentimental songs in Tagalog. They will laugh over absurd family gossip. And, I’m sorry to say, they’re hearts will break as they say good-bye to the woman who made it all possible.
My Lola passed away last week. May she rest in peace.
Nearly a decade ago, I met my Lola at this nipa hut. My Auntie opened the gate and let us inside her little home. I remember her rubbing my back as I crouched down in front of her wall. There – my brother and I grew-up in yellowing photographs. From the medal stand to the piano, she knew where we came from. She also knew we would eventually find our way back to her.
That night – my Tito’s family cooked fried milkfish, chicken adobo and other tasty dishes you can’t find on this side of the Pacific. My Lola got out of her seat and swayed to the music blaring on the TV. She was sipping a bottle of San Miguel. She wanted to go out and go dancing.
Spirited, loving and celebrating life. I will remember my Lola like this: enjoying her family and looking forward to our next visit home.
COVINA, CALIF — Watching the morning news. KTLA’s chopper had a cool shot of the Rose Bowl Stadium. It’s all decked out with the colors of the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks. According to the pilot, choppers are not allowed to fly over the Rose Bowl on Game Day. That’s a damn shame.
A few minutes later, he flew over Highway 134 and showed us a CHP officer dragging a red couch out of the middle of the road.
Random.
This is my idea of the perfect winter day: Sunny skies, 70 degrees and people playing on the beach.
It’s my last day of my Christmas vacation in Southern California. The other day, I ran 4 miles by Newport Beach. My waistline needs all the help it can get after all the holiday eating.
I’ve told my hubby that this is how my family says “I love you” – Cooking up a feast and watching us come back for seconds.
Another holiday tradition – spending about 4 hours on I-15 and hanging out in Sin City. My dad hooked us up with a beautiful room at Mandalay Bay. It was a cool time – taking a swing at the slot machines (the Glitter Kitty machine snagged about $20 from me. Bad Kitty!) We also spent some time at my Ate’s house. I really wanted to visit her since she had to work on Christmas day. I know what it’s like to work on the holidays.
Now – getting ready for our road trip up I-5 and back to Cow Town.
Posted in travel blog on 12/18/2009 02:34 pm by Queenkv
Short weekend vacations rock my world.
It’s wonderful to head to the Sierra when we need a change of scenery and break from life in Vacaville and the Bay Area.
I missed watching snowflakes fall and our Tahoe trip gave me plenty of the white stuff. I snapped this picture of the mountain off Ski Run Blvd.
For this trip – it was all about walking in the snow and enjoying warm bars with cozy fireplaces. Some local merchants said it was a bit icy on the mountain for skiers and snowboarders. I was happy to be a simple snow bunny with no work commitments or responsibilities. It was a very relaxing weekend.
Cold weather calls for soup. So, I went with the Seared Ahi Udon at “Off the Hook.” I warmed up nicely after slurping up the thick noodles, shiitake mushrooms and tuna.
The most important thing about our weekend escape: spending time with each other. We spent most of our weekend trip eating good food and sipping warm cocktails or cold beer. We played chess inside a cafe as a winter storm dumped a few more inches on the South Shore.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. — Watching delicate snowflakes fall outside our motel room. It’s beautiful by the lake and kinda empty. Apparently, we arrived a week before the start of the big ski/snowboard season.
I’ll have to help my hubby clear off the all this white stuff from his car. Soon.
It seemed like a good time to do a weekend trip to the Sierra. I was inspired by a fellow journalist taking off for Guatemala after she finished up her contract.
My plan for this vacation: catch-up on sleep, eat, drink and enjoy the snow. Sounds like we’re getting another big dumping of snow later today. We may get snowed in. I think that sounds romantic for now. I suppose my hubby can telecommute from our motel room.
Inside my newsroom, I surprised people with my plans to visit Cleveland on my 2-week vacation.
They thought I was crazy. I rattled off some places worth visiting, like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They nodded, but I don’t think I changed any minds. Screw it. I had fun. This city by Lake Erie has amazing food, great drinking spots and compelling cultural institutions.
Plus – it was sunny in Cleveland. That was a welcome change from our soggy days in Western New York.
Cleveland also introduced me to the joy of pierogies. I fell in love with these Beef Cheek Pierogies at Lola. One bite was filled my mouth with savory, rich goodness. I almost ordered seconds.
I wanted to make a foodie pilgrimage to this bistro because of Chef Michael Symon. I followed his TV career on “The Next Iron Chef.” On top of that, Anthony Bourdain added his snarky approval to Symon’s bistro.
“…a dizzying, post-modern riff on traditional Midwestern fare.” – Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations.
For travelers on a budget, Lola’s lunch menu has plenty of dishes under $20. This lunch in Lola’s was my favorite gourmet experience of our vacation. We even had a taste of home from the wine menu. Marked ordered a glass of Pinot Noir from Lodi.
From the pierogies to the Walleye fish – Lola’s offers clean, straight-forward flavors with decadent flourishes. For example, goat cheese transforms the Mac-n-Cheese dish from comfort food to a grown-up entree that satisfies any gourmand’s palate.
On my next Midwest vacation, hopefully I can carve out more than 24 hours for Cleveland. I missed a lot and I can’t wait to see what else I can explore in this city.
Posted in travel blog on 09/24/2009 03:14 am by Queenkv
After passing by this nursery in Lockport, I think it would be cool to add a Statue of Liberty to my front yard.
This was one of the many roadside landmarks we passed by on our Buffalo vacation.
We also had a chance to check out the Artpark in Lewiston. I knew about the spot from Ruth Reichl’s memoir: “Tender at the Bone.” In the 1960’s, the New York Times food critic spent a summer at Artpark. Inside the artist commune, she made a name for herself
by baking some amazing brownies without weed.
Our trip to Artpark was a blast to the past. Thousands showed up for Tuesday in the Park. It’s a free concert series and on that night, Peter Frampton was the headline act.
Frampton performed this interesting cover of Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun. He’s old, but still a fine guitar player. People went wild for “Baby I Love The Way,” and other Frampton classics. That was one of the only songs I was able to ID in his line-up. I felt a little out of place because I didn’t fit the audience demographic. I was under 40 and one of 3 Asians in the crowd of thousands.
Still, it was a fine night to listen to live music under the stars. I also had a couple of Mike’s Hard Lemonades. That helped me make it through the rest of the night.
I felt more comfortable at a Emo Rock concert in Williamsville. Red October is not easy-listening music. However, the band had a fresh, raw sound and they were willing to challenge the boundaries of Emo and Punk music. They didn’t have to rely on tired crowd-pleasing tunes to get fans bumping around on the dance floor.
Posted in travel blog on 09/19/2009 09:03 am by Queenkv
The work week is over. Thank God. Now, I’m recovering from a stressful week in the newsroom by going over my vacation pictures.
I suspect I’ll need another break from work. Soon.
On our Buffalo trip, I gave my new passport a workout. This one has my married name on it. Sadly, the border guards didn’t feel like stamping it with a Canada stamp. In retrospect, I should have asked for one.
Bizarre Question at the Border: What do you do for a living?
I think I saw the border guard raise his eyebrows when I squeaked out: “News Producer.”
Hooray for our moms! Terri and Linda took the girls to the beach while we went on a day trip to Niagara-by-the-Lake with Kaine and Missy. Plus Mark rocked as our DD for our personal wine tasting tour.
I was tickled to add some tasty red wines from Jackson Triggs and Hillebrand wineries to our collection.
I also had to see Niagara Falls again. This tourist spot on the Canadian side has become a pilgrimage of sorts for my Buffalo vacations. The misty air feels refreshing on a hot day. The majestic views are free. I’m happy to join the lemmings who are snapping away at one of the 7 Wonders of the World. It’s still a thrilling sight for me. I’d love to take my parents here some day.
If you’re reading this via RSS or Facebook – check out the photo slideshows on my blog.
My first week back in the newsroom felt like culture shock. At 2 AM, I discovered our station was at the heart of two major news stories – Jaycee Dugard and the Auburn Wildfires. I did my best to get up to speed. And as one producer likes to tell me: “Write your ass off.”
So, I think I’m caught up with work and all the death and destruction in the world. I’m also adjusting to my new role as the keeper of the calendar. In addition to producing our morning show, I’m now booking guest segments. Chefs, authors, movie stars, snakes and more. Bring them on, I’ll put them on TV. Just check with me on when and where.
I finally had some time to reflect on our two-week trip to Buffalo, NY. I also carved out some time to go over our vacation pictures.
I never had a two-week vacation. I thought it was time well spent. We caught up with our family – swapping stories about life on the West Coast and life in Western NY.
Oh yes, and the rain sucked. So we took advantage of the sunny days with day trips to Niagara Falls and along the Niagara Wine Trail.
This is the vineyard at Eveningside Winery in Cambria.
Mark’s best friend/man, Kaine, and his family drove up from Pennsylvania to hang out with us. Mark’s mom, Terri, played the role of tour guide on the Niagara Wine Trail.
We zipped around country roads to hit the different wineries. We passed by green lawns and lush farmland. I watched fruit trees, cornfields and aging barns melt into the landscape. Hour by hour, time started slowing down for me. As I sniffed the iced wines and savored the sweet bouquet, I realized I didn’t have to wake up before the crack of dawn. That helped me settle into this vacation.
The $3 wine tastings also helped. A lot.
She’s only sniffing a candle!!!
So, I was wondering how Kaine’s girls would handle driving around and waiting for us as we did our wine tasting. I offered all three of them sniffs of my flights and I got their feedback on wines’ bouquets. Some of their observations synced up with my own. Impressive.
They also decided to help me document our wine tasting experience with my cameras. Some shots were a little shaky, but they also came up with some interesting compositions. I noted who took what in my Flickr notes.
We ended the day with dinner at Pizza Junction in North Tonawanda. I couldn’t stop munching on the honey garlic Buffalo wings. The Pulled Pork pizza hit the spot after a day of wine tasting. Sweet and savory BBQ sauce paired with succulent meat and baked into a cheesy pie. Heaven. No wonder I gained 5 pounds after this vacation!
A few days later, Guy Fieri followed in our footsteps and shot this local favorite for an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Posted in travel blog on 08/29/2009 02:47 pm by Queenkv
JFK INTERNATIONAL, NY — Sipping a Magic # 9 Ale inside the Jet Blue Terminal. Spicy, hoppy and it has a clean finish.
We have a little bit of a wait for our flight back to Sacramento. We also had a little bit of a delay. Earlier, authorities grounded all flights at JFK because of stormy weather. I am so happy that system moved out of our area. Now I’m looking forward to 90-degree weather and sunny skies.
This is the view over Chippewa Street from our room at the Hampton Inn. We celebrated our 4th anniversary in downtown Buffalo. On that night, I introduced a bartender to his first mint julep and we had some amazing gourmet Cajun cuisine at the Shango Bistro near the University of Buffalo.
I love spending time with my hubby and waking up with him. My work schedule has me falling asleep without him. Plus, it was lovely to catch up with his side of the family in Western New york
And from beef on weck to chicken feet – we sampled a staggering amount of food on this vacation.
We logged more than 2,000 miles on the rental car and visited the following states, territories and countries:
New York
Seneca Indian Nation
Tuscarora Indian Nation
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Canada
Viva la vacation!
Now, I miss California.
I’m ready to go home.
