tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48744417244301105972024-02-07T01:49:59.702-06:00Micah brews. Calily cooks.Micah is a home brewer, Calily is a home cook;
together we imbibe on craft beers and nosh on yummy eats in Austin.Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-45124080984013920732022-12-24T11:15:00.001-06:002022-12-24T11:23:36.304-06:00Puppy Love<p>Last Christmas, we had two pups in the house. This Christmas, we'll have zero.</p><p>Porter, died a few days after Christmas last year and Spark was euthanized earlier this month. Needless to say, our house has been pretty quiet the past few weeks. </p><p>I found Porter, our 60-pound mutt, in January 2009 just sitting on a driveway at a home in our San Antonio neighborhood. He was probably a couple of months old at the time. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiw8R2xVY_nYZUC4FopwiCUMe0931FBp1RAaCzXmW8Spax1dXgXxwu4wVFQP4IZRgTxSvc2dJ3-H3SeNHSPNdBW3PLZfefuh6bISScJ6E8kzyHvChWILjecOvYLGnMu93kICMffPYwR1l-YGrga_0O3n5z6nkPXR2ob50nzW8xKW3JsxBPHUn6shpiRw/s604/228505_1079529900770_5059_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="604" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiw8R2xVY_nYZUC4FopwiCUMe0931FBp1RAaCzXmW8Spax1dXgXxwu4wVFQP4IZRgTxSvc2dJ3-H3SeNHSPNdBW3PLZfefuh6bISScJ6E8kzyHvChWILjecOvYLGnMu93kICMffPYwR1l-YGrga_0O3n5z6nkPXR2ob50nzW8xKW3JsxBPHUn6shpiRw/w640-h480/228505_1079529900770_5059_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How could I give this cute face away after I found him?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>After putting up "Found" signs, nobody claimed him and instead of bringing him to the dog pound, I convinced Micah to get a second dog (we had another corgi, Rogue, at the time). Porter was a chill mama's boy. He loved being invited on the sofa and would have the best howls. </p><p>In July 2009, Rogue abruptly died from a health issue. Heartbroken, Micah found a corgi rescue and we got Spark a few weeks later by way of Kansas. The rescue had a harder time adopting her out because she was diagnosed with <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/patent-ductus-arteriosus/symptoms-causes/syc-20376145#:~:text=Patent%20ductus%20arteriosus%20(PDA)%20is,called%20a%20patent%20ductus%20arteriosus." target="_blank">patent ductus arteriosus</a>—a heart condition. If you listened to her heart with a stethoscope, it would sound like a washing machine. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bJ8k3EYxWcGbO5x4fWOy-_2sHN024i57DwuOSYAte_ttDMezCKYh8cmWizBOUGGDeUkYV48MEz0ms-M0OT4v4CnawHmBVhJ9MXrW7j-Kd93aZBn3_TSw2RPI6Z9r47V-QJJX730JcPSN7eDgCHYzkQBIUjoByuPds_hqw0UUk8A8qwIp5IhVvAde7w/s604/1936609_1172084854586_2702420_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="604" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bJ8k3EYxWcGbO5x4fWOy-_2sHN024i57DwuOSYAte_ttDMezCKYh8cmWizBOUGGDeUkYV48MEz0ms-M0OT4v4CnawHmBVhJ9MXrW7j-Kd93aZBn3_TSw2RPI6Z9r47V-QJJX730JcPSN7eDgCHYzkQBIUjoByuPds_hqw0UUk8A8qwIp5IhVvAde7w/w640-h480/1936609_1172084854586_2702420_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KLzbJNiVBP3sTc5YlCandA0U0PKM13eV_mWsM-vEQH1AsmZnugyTG21hlZVQtz-kVEItrPWCpMEPkttvg3zvXeoUeuohnjlXNSeEaqX-vCPOAd3Me-XZbwn-J9onn5GeYptYD9otdJdjBqeTL3KSmNtT3lGoDfTS7sseqY4k_PbpUimRQihfEfYp1Q/s604/1936609_1172084934588_1252681_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="604" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-KLzbJNiVBP3sTc5YlCandA0U0PKM13eV_mWsM-vEQH1AsmZnugyTG21hlZVQtz-kVEItrPWCpMEPkttvg3zvXeoUeuohnjlXNSeEaqX-vCPOAd3Me-XZbwn-J9onn5GeYptYD9otdJdjBqeTL3KSmNtT3lGoDfTS7sseqY4k_PbpUimRQihfEfYp1Q/w640-h480/1936609_1172084934588_1252681_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first day with Spark! She was so stinky and furry!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>With her medical condition, we checked vet schools to see who could fix her heart for a decent price. We ended up at OSU's Vet School since they were able to do it for $1,000; we just had to spend several days in Stillwater, Okla. Eskimo Joe's! She was scheduled to have the noninvasive surgery but when they went in with the catheter, the monitor had an electrical fire so they had to abort the surgery (she really lived up to her name!). Since they weren't able to get a new monitor for several weeks, we decided to go ahead with the more invasive approach where they cut open her chest and do the surgery. The surgery went well and because of it, she lived a long and healthy life. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsEcwOkXrIrLCJ1x2iDdi5sidx_4DmOXbXGXeR83vq0hyszuPYONRXdjWlpwoC_a2UkeyszW0nGCOSisyOu5lEsWNCC1GpBGZtW_Li-BMbYOf6jhrHt_n4ggObrPUaOyvcsS0TfB_hk5Qrjp8FZFBUPaajl1y4IAD-_L1d7znqYd564KDmtaz2jF4hA/s604/1914582_1216309640178_926955_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="604" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsEcwOkXrIrLCJ1x2iDdi5sidx_4DmOXbXGXeR83vq0hyszuPYONRXdjWlpwoC_a2UkeyszW0nGCOSisyOu5lEsWNCC1GpBGZtW_Li-BMbYOf6jhrHt_n4ggObrPUaOyvcsS0TfB_hk5Qrjp8FZFBUPaajl1y4IAD-_L1d7znqYd564KDmtaz2jF4hA/w640-h480/1914582_1216309640178_926955_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p>The two poopy heads got on together like peanut butter and jelly. Spark would jump on Porter every morning as they got ready for breakfast and while Spark would chase after the tennis ball, Porter would work to block her. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy00yqMOMMQlBuMHINlUryJI-yvDqvUeGqZ1Nrb1I3q3s6HjiyZDmRNQcBnvnkDdTN7gLF26nspG_7bq7lPyeZrTNEdxQ3M9e9GsKDFZqvvzehx6HcV-20DdZQGdegYP8Gkb0mzjKqH8Sz2dmNzNq-jv5DB3XEGzSQMQlbFrAsQYctmP22CZ3212qncw/s2048/1276687_10201075260695970_215507903_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy00yqMOMMQlBuMHINlUryJI-yvDqvUeGqZ1Nrb1I3q3s6HjiyZDmRNQcBnvnkDdTN7gLF26nspG_7bq7lPyeZrTNEdxQ3M9e9GsKDFZqvvzehx6HcV-20DdZQGdegYP8Gkb0mzjKqH8Sz2dmNzNq-jv5DB3XEGzSQMQlbFrAsQYctmP22CZ3212qncw/w300-h400/1276687_10201075260695970_215507903_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeshXFgSuzWwCFEWeLITP3_2-KehJAkR-2dQZsXAzzSOkGtiKn1VPbi2ph2QKqWgJsVCbHk-11VMFhKH0e3MbVX4IX5nQgZ0ZLlAJvsu8Dtr48Zlhn8zHDdzfH8QD9Y_2D4qNcUDsUe66y3R0amkpuHgKUkrgAodaQhkeC9et-8Is1Gp01aE_I2U9O8g/s2048/1267339_10201075258295910_917561392_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeshXFgSuzWwCFEWeLITP3_2-KehJAkR-2dQZsXAzzSOkGtiKn1VPbi2ph2QKqWgJsVCbHk-11VMFhKH0e3MbVX4IX5nQgZ0ZLlAJvsu8Dtr48Zlhn8zHDdzfH8QD9Y_2D4qNcUDsUe66y3R0amkpuHgKUkrgAodaQhkeC9et-8Is1Gp01aE_I2U9O8g/w640-h480/1267339_10201075258295910_917561392_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LalGas95PMwLOUT0JdLZQW5zNDNSSpmi_soY4mb-BS729mrXhw67z8vWvoFvQmYu1sjV0QBaegWuCCWCsjIPDqKqRPWkgUHTj8WBBweWdvxOw6fVax9rrKwrdKc2GiyS3qjmoMfw_piNr54TtcDE02sPbl7Uk5vG2_pm5HOL8JejOuetL0gSy1xZZQ/s604/1918136_1252108855136_709682_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="604" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LalGas95PMwLOUT0JdLZQW5zNDNSSpmi_soY4mb-BS729mrXhw67z8vWvoFvQmYu1sjV0QBaegWuCCWCsjIPDqKqRPWkgUHTj8WBBweWdvxOw6fVax9rrKwrdKc2GiyS3qjmoMfw_piNr54TtcDE02sPbl7Uk5vG2_pm5HOL8JejOuetL0gSy1xZZQ/w640-h480/1918136_1252108855136_709682_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The two worked together to break through the chicken coop for a delicious and organic meal. I'm sure it was a Pinky and the Brain scene. Porter broke through the fencing, killed the birds and Spark ate a whole chicken! She was happy as a clam! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx5eSk7X_7pDzD0iqxo-Mqv2qEvRwui1-YBj_KsjQye9BEaqmHMCYWqmX6flVPqJLJG4pztfxX7-VVDY4OJaQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p>Porter was also a cherry tomato thief - always digging through my garden for a sweet snack. Every time Micah would snap a banana open, Spark was there ready for a piece. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz7x_X4k01MhSv9aDFd7P0eSUmQI82_LqQJ5Igm-OxCGMvYf_KCOrc-7T_8LPsviLK6hvr995v651awyVRqiw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p>For more than a dozen years, Porter and Spark filled our home with doggie kisses and farts (mainly Porter, he had some gut bacteria issues). lol. Dogs are truly the best. I would know, my Chinese zodiac is the dog. </p><p>Thanks for the memories, puppies. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU81PiOOJSCDzkqm-XrTqiYPUaRTzA3jOUeSYq1m3jBFRKxDWhF0fJv6Lj6lWErp8W1S_Hdx44CbD2prBN6YSBEqV9U1HasK5nWW5AAepHt5RsUSymxald1-UwqtzDvUSO2kbQMyBG0__DvAMynLT87md92Q_2p_OhE-ZLjhedjRwQehj1iFXI337rTA/s2000/66152853_10216923784219153_4493304629416689664_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU81PiOOJSCDzkqm-XrTqiYPUaRTzA3jOUeSYq1m3jBFRKxDWhF0fJv6Lj6lWErp8W1S_Hdx44CbD2prBN6YSBEqV9U1HasK5nWW5AAepHt5RsUSymxald1-UwqtzDvUSO2kbQMyBG0__DvAMynLT87md92Q_2p_OhE-ZLjhedjRwQehj1iFXI337rTA/w640-h480/66152853_10216923784219153_4493304629416689664_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRcT68BeFaPEFS3zJ1tAlXAzVM9UY4InxY1WDMkL3jUJlUQDHaKA2qmJSxCQjRtEGCUWyaeEJ2yvk-V9AXwA5x0bZg4gvM0bvRlWaovE0gs42dg0dg4Tugguxn49FFffZAVmIujQtqP8au8uUU4o3Fmq-5pxpYkW_7FDLCV7nTk2B7xXkR7nmWbvXAw/s4032/IMG_20210215_150512118.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRcT68BeFaPEFS3zJ1tAlXAzVM9UY4InxY1WDMkL3jUJlUQDHaKA2qmJSxCQjRtEGCUWyaeEJ2yvk-V9AXwA5x0bZg4gvM0bvRlWaovE0gs42dg0dg4Tugguxn49FFffZAVmIujQtqP8au8uUU4o3Fmq-5pxpYkW_7FDLCV7nTk2B7xXkR7nmWbvXAw/w300-h400/IMG_20210215_150512118.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsL-cXA8FN2A1MmDETsYdbXV_rcghuRilUDb9hmlc9IlOx5KJzzUbzkwmSvji6s4TNHoDLQ-rgjup11U-A2dMM_zFW4kKJkpsBr5ejAvat8Cmybl5QSWaq_1oKNPbqFyMyYy960KNzkdq0FCCaTVlQqUdcXoEvqQ2bV3iutS6omOhZKMzg9X5aFBUVA/s898/65966606_10216923770858819_884531996166979584_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="673" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsL-cXA8FN2A1MmDETsYdbXV_rcghuRilUDb9hmlc9IlOx5KJzzUbzkwmSvji6s4TNHoDLQ-rgjup11U-A2dMM_zFW4kKJkpsBr5ejAvat8Cmybl5QSWaq_1oKNPbqFyMyYy960KNzkdq0FCCaTVlQqUdcXoEvqQ2bV3iutS6omOhZKMzg9X5aFBUVA/w300-h400/65966606_10216923770858819_884531996166979584_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></p>Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-87377868942681280652021-07-18T12:17:00.006-05:002021-07-18T12:21:16.650-05:00Beach bum life in Destin, Florida! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Being a beach bum is my ideal chill vacation. For the past several years, Micah and I have been vacationing in Destin, Fl. because it's an easy vacation for us. We usually rent a pet-friendly vacation rental for a week in September (after the peak summer season), get a rental car and load the dogs up for the 12-hour drive to the Florida Panhandle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BoFgqrlFA0I/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by calily (@calilyb)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Micah grew up going to Destin with his family but stopped in the late '90s. He introduced me to Destin more than a decade ago and about five years ago, we decided to revisit the area and since then we've made it an annual vacation spot. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As far as vacation rentals go, I usually book through a local vacation group in the area since they've provided consistent and good service. We prefer townhomes or single family homes instead of condos. With the dogs, it's easier to just open the door and let them go potty. No elevators needed!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the past three years, we've stayed at <a href="https://www.holidayisle.net/booking/south-bay-by-the-gulf-062" target="_blank">this rental</a> with Holiday Isle. While the Southbay by the Gulf townhome community is older, this unit is updated and is in a great location. We love being able to walk around and there are grocery stores nearby. This condo is located on the pond so it's nice to have the two patios—we keep our inflated SUP boards on the 1st floor patio so it's perfect! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD69Vyq0C2US5vrLpwtLSJtiR9pC3qMxJuQG8aNGmbbEGvnI7m5OIKPMmY8MGXFf6tQQNbTtPYzgc2igo_N105JQssVqzUgTeRzs9R-fnAB5gtZbbCWfY8-W3nKAGGxlEUzspbg7TPAFkH/s1600/destin+%252835%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD69Vyq0C2US5vrLpwtLSJtiR9pC3qMxJuQG8aNGmbbEGvnI7m5OIKPMmY8MGXFf6tQQNbTtPYzgc2igo_N105JQssVqzUgTeRzs9R-fnAB5gtZbbCWfY8-W3nKAGGxlEUzspbg7TPAFkH/w640-h480/destin+%252835%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Southbay by the Gulf Unit#62</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These townhomes are also a short walk across the parking lot to the private beach entrance. No crossing streets! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.ecvr.com/" target="_blank">Emerald Coast Vacation Rentals </a>is another great local rental company that we've used to book another unit at Southbay. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are some of the reasons why we love vacationing in Destin! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1. The beach. It's called the Emerald Coast for a reason. The water is super clear and the sand is soft. Some years, there is seaweed and sometimes there are jellyfish, but it's still always a good time! </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHI1jo-U_cqVpTdKvkEttfB0Xqrqkfb9ZYzbUmkbbApurKRXzoAZnQTQYTVeUMuh9f73a4fwhPFLg14y5pWioj_Q-Qvr0LD0vOCDivjwhhwyiZz-xE2QDDWQY0pxGFCgL-rzpu3o4LyJAo/s1600/destin+%252825%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHI1jo-U_cqVpTdKvkEttfB0Xqrqkfb9ZYzbUmkbbApurKRXzoAZnQTQYTVeUMuh9f73a4fwhPFLg14y5pWioj_Q-Qvr0LD0vOCDivjwhhwyiZz-xE2QDDWQY0pxGFCgL-rzpu3o4LyJAo/w640-h480/destin+%252825%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOevoWCuxwr1EjHYHBiY84HIh2psVeHunhSL54QfIAbUIDXJoqcpwto2uPZdD4yqoDy3U0YG8QO-en4JAXsb1oE-W6XsU1jvauSrnHJnaqY7lp3tn4kLfdQlGvV_BwlJktvBhcFdxNdYh2/s2048/beach2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOevoWCuxwr1EjHYHBiY84HIh2psVeHunhSL54QfIAbUIDXJoqcpwto2uPZdD4yqoDy3U0YG8QO-en4JAXsb1oE-W6XsU1jvauSrnHJnaqY7lp3tn4kLfdQlGvV_BwlJktvBhcFdxNdYh2/w640-h480/beach2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">2. Seafood is plentiful! We always hit up <a href="http://www.destinseafood.com/Seafood-Restaurant/" target="_blank">Dewey Destin's</a> (the original location) for simple, fresh seafood. If we want a fancier dinner, we'll go to Lagniappe. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">There are numerous seafood markets around town, so I always pick up pounds-on-pounds of Gulf shrimp for a boil! A few years ago, I also learned that I might be allergic to a specific red shrimp. I still at it though. #YOLO</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShB_yVpuTIIXQpfmEX-Gs9mA1KqUr63fMaiitl0j_m_z5nNcP6QAVfl0NlPnWpU87hqyqBinOsGvI78GMW8mSX505OIHkbZnTNTS8w7ooB2nbCyq1eG7IPkLicTg5mwMmitikLCY22suY/s1600/destin+%252832%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShB_yVpuTIIXQpfmEX-Gs9mA1KqUr63fMaiitl0j_m_z5nNcP6QAVfl0NlPnWpU87hqyqBinOsGvI78GMW8mSX505OIHkbZnTNTS8w7ooB2nbCyq1eG7IPkLicTg5mwMmitikLCY22suY/w640-h480/destin+%252832%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrimp boil at home.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPflqEvdUxKe0wmW21XLCn5kByPJtEzW9SXP05R97-szxQAm35zofzfA-HbJzQyUwYdWsdUDyTQhmXkhWWP2lb7sxVqzpjM9laPNAE6C3kvMaum6GS7WPWhtB7Hc5Fd-p31M1iZnd9xjOw/s1600/destin+%252819%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPflqEvdUxKe0wmW21XLCn5kByPJtEzW9SXP05R97-szxQAm35zofzfA-HbJzQyUwYdWsdUDyTQhmXkhWWP2lb7sxVqzpjM9laPNAE6C3kvMaum6GS7WPWhtB7Hc5Fd-p31M1iZnd9xjOw/w640-h480/destin+%252819%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish plate at Dewey Destin's.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">3. Other yummy restaurants! We frequent <a href="https://www.thecraftbarfl.com/destin" target="_blank">Craft Bar </a>to see what beer they have on tap and their food is also good. And I know it's a chain, but in Miramar, there's my favorite pizza joint: Grimaldi's. I know Austin has one now, but it's nice going to the Grimaldi's there and then walking around the area for the evening. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yr5Vg-bf81YYyYd8DjQHG2IbgxEN19u_e5vEfgrhJ7xZbOW1ovJzOo1Tzfbr5swlbeQdOc2ike-hJV92ss04yuAGzqK7qcJUwsWUUQIZ6AFt1KOZVn0g1GBHzbSAVhK0J27wDQqZGuDP/s1600/destin+%252812%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yr5Vg-bf81YYyYd8DjQHG2IbgxEN19u_e5vEfgrhJ7xZbOW1ovJzOo1Tzfbr5swlbeQdOc2ike-hJV92ss04yuAGzqK7qcJUwsWUUQIZ6AFt1KOZVn0g1GBHzbSAVhK0J27wDQqZGuDP/w640-h480/destin+%252812%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beer at Craft Bar.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOgOnwObEUAfuqKs8k_xccxUP9uEpbL4HctCDRwHpZYQIaH_CuzaDnShBfHIUDb_VpshXCJffSVsQDiCIu0WI6pQIuBtmjXG7QnXBVILQINrcz6PEk321bcp70gxnRCapLdTsUr9Sw4FD/s1600/destin+%252824%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOgOnwObEUAfuqKs8k_xccxUP9uEpbL4HctCDRwHpZYQIaH_CuzaDnShBfHIUDb_VpshXCJffSVsQDiCIu0WI6pQIuBtmjXG7QnXBVILQINrcz6PEk321bcp70gxnRCapLdTsUr9Sw4FD/w480-h640/destin+%252824%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only pizza Micah will eat. Grimaldi's.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">4. Activities! If you have kiddos, there is fun to be had at several small amusement parks in the area. You can find them in Destin and Fort Walton Beach. We usually battle it out over putt putt at the Track location right down the street from our rental. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We also bring our SUP boards with us but you can rent them at numerous locations. When we have family with us, we rent extra SUP boards from <a href="https://bluecrabwatersports.com/" target="_blank">Blue Crab rentals</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Since Micah and I like a challenge, we actually take our SUP boards through the harbor side and out to Crab Island (where the party people are!). Crab Island is just a shallow area on the northside of the 98 Bridge in Destin. Boats anchor there and people just walk around and have a good time. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77MpBi-fYozyWLch0S5Pp48b0y_liNlNrdtAhWgRlZ0EP6DsHxJ3_-kDCiF41qeWxp3o7hC8YzS1FrxVxaPifcmlEJlLEXHDs2QYzImgNBUrLDSDLIdlfZK0tG1dracqaqfilFWxlp7eI/s1600/destin+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77MpBi-fYozyWLch0S5Pp48b0y_liNlNrdtAhWgRlZ0EP6DsHxJ3_-kDCiF41qeWxp3o7hC8YzS1FrxVxaPifcmlEJlLEXHDs2QYzImgNBUrLDSDLIdlfZK0tG1dracqaqfilFWxlp7eI/w640-h480/destin+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaKHVJ1Po4flkowxRZUEzqORB3RWe-OM3Qlw_APbOagTR9tYQw3hcv86RuRXjPD6WZif3UiPv_jyd6oM-SIrTsGjoTCw0f5t5rl3Cmvi72hTLox1hHO1GI678Fom7HIM3eorq6J309RaM/s1920/beach3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaKHVJ1Po4flkowxRZUEzqORB3RWe-OM3Qlw_APbOagTR9tYQw3hcv86RuRXjPD6WZif3UiPv_jyd6oM-SIrTsGjoTCw0f5t5rl3Cmvi72hTLox1hHO1GI678Fom7HIM3eorq6J309RaM/w640-h360/beach3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7CEVV-KBHHj-bKBDjYWWBGwq1PjItn8yLaLWyOApRLUY4b25GIkXmtO8avxBo246CO6Gi64ba-xQ_zHIXgSN7AWVTqaRmS6JGxEgLDgXN4odKrnvzPi5LcAkPSioTPwYPEq7Ueq_cENc/s1600/destin+%252836%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7CEVV-KBHHj-bKBDjYWWBGwq1PjItn8yLaLWyOApRLUY4b25GIkXmtO8avxBo246CO6Gi64ba-xQ_zHIXgSN7AWVTqaRmS6JGxEgLDgXN4odKrnvzPi5LcAkPSioTPwYPEq7Ueq_cENc/w640-h480/destin+%252836%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crab Island life.</td></tr></tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. RELAX AND CHILL. Our usual Destin day means waking up (me, earlier than Micah, always). Eat breakfast, walk the dogs and then we try to hit the beach around 11/ 12 p.m. We make sure to bring our cooler with plenty of beverages and snacks. Even though the unit is close, going back is still annoying! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We'll stay out for at least 3-4 hours, where we'll SUP, swim, walk the beach, etc. I usually always have a good book in hand as well! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then we'll head back in late afternoon, get cleaned up, take a nap, get ready for dinner and the evening. Of course our dogs' evening walk is in there too. They actually don't love the beach (and dogs aren't allowed on Destin's beaches), so we don't take them out there very often. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8FmLAT1abi2puGtipXqqjGCD1PzsOp4NRWd4bpuILezyDSB6EcAMYLOME2_tniHoJwBArHRJ__MQ9z34jhFbjOi-IdE_o7G1_A0lq138X58Dpi1e22qNUuIxKmoFtq_ZTX-itpB1ogzx/s1600/destin+%25286%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8FmLAT1abi2puGtipXqqjGCD1PzsOp4NRWd4bpuILezyDSB6EcAMYLOME2_tniHoJwBArHRJ__MQ9z34jhFbjOi-IdE_o7G1_A0lq138X58Dpi1e22qNUuIxKmoFtq_ZTX-itpB1ogzx/w300-h400/destin+%25286%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VCK9Vd3bPlO4BAjeb8f7HjsXuVBUWpZFuhwT2wangOzUE6FC3h0UkC5aSI81jfTSgvaRVM9IYcRJVkGY4r6-NSOXbxKvufM03Oxz3iorPxx_cQwOxUKSJnHw0xp1Ygt-a__Nf5vOHZwu/s1600/destin+%252833%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="973" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VCK9Vd3bPlO4BAjeb8f7HjsXuVBUWpZFuhwT2wangOzUE6FC3h0UkC5aSI81jfTSgvaRVM9IYcRJVkGY4r6-NSOXbxKvufM03Oxz3iorPxx_cQwOxUKSJnHw0xp1Ygt-a__Nf5vOHZwu/w242-h400/destin+%252833%2529.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99WVeQlyirLJHn_2HMVeyF5hCMyHzl_Pf1BqIxRgaHj5UVo867pJcCgR4QcJl8AVFR4mbxAxL2ZnuwWRSNyZ7nubEsWnb4HB7Xs_zysVIvazBk-c7IIvcX0HbAeyMgYZTz47qZ8c1ioCR/s1600/destin+%25283%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99WVeQlyirLJHn_2HMVeyF5hCMyHzl_Pf1BqIxRgaHj5UVo867pJcCgR4QcJl8AVFR4mbxAxL2ZnuwWRSNyZ7nubEsWnb4HB7Xs_zysVIvazBk-c7IIvcX0HbAeyMgYZTz47qZ8c1ioCR/w640-h480/destin+%25283%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spark is annoyed.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5ESNz3e_PP8izyj-erl3IxVDGQjQl8VTR17mgV-8DiJB6jar25mAirq8yJlYeYt_J-gH-V_HQg9tX5goIe2qVKJ6D-1eJMRkFK4VIjLuDEsgT_o4CxREBOaDlNoftV4SCg0O4WsUc8pb/s1600/destin+%252817%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5ESNz3e_PP8izyj-erl3IxVDGQjQl8VTR17mgV-8DiJB6jar25mAirq8yJlYeYt_J-gH-V_HQg9tX5goIe2qVKJ6D-1eJMRkFK4VIjLuDEsgT_o4CxREBOaDlNoftV4SCg0O4WsUc8pb/w640-h480/destin+%252817%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach sunsets.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are other areas of the Florida Panhandle that are just as gorgeous, but we stick to Destin since it has close proximity to restaurants, bars and other activities. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we go in September, it usually isn't that busy, but Labor Day weekend is. Last September—during the pandemic—was the busiest we've seen Destin. It makes sense though since people weren't flying as much and wanted to vacation without going too far. Normally there would only be one or two rows of umbrellas where we stay, but last year there were three rows during Labor Day week! We expect this upcoming year will be back to normal. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you're looking for a great beach that is family-friendly, check out the Florida Panhandle! You won't regret it. In fact, we've been able to meet my cousin and his family in Destin a couple of times since they vacation there as well from Indiana! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGudei5PlkQYvOHiqG3jnnKdXRe0U3mjVPvCNCmuKZbry8l1Oico7KVJ-XV306tb7gYMl1n6F2V1jBNT8BuQOH-A8ZO9TzXGOhNVf7egSntyDwlCdHB5vgyIJ-EBX7dpdm3irD3LCixhXZ/s2048/beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGudei5PlkQYvOHiqG3jnnKdXRe0U3mjVPvCNCmuKZbry8l1Oico7KVJ-XV306tb7gYMl1n6F2V1jBNT8BuQOH-A8ZO9TzXGOhNVf7egSntyDwlCdHB5vgyIJ-EBX7dpdm3irD3LCixhXZ/w640-h480/beach.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-69223869674334457962018-10-07T21:29:00.001-05:002018-10-07T21:31:21.528-05:00Bitches be brunchin' A couple of years ago, I was talking with a friend about why I love to cook and entertain. I love being able to sit around a table and catch up with friends without having to worry about sitting at a restaurant's tabletop too long. I lamented how in this foodie age, people love going out to eat but not enough people host, cook and in turn share it with friends.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCNDEWQn6xDQmoazQsxN2HLjF1zA39zHLNvDYuly4_5wrguKr0BSaPhWEJ2IW99nTtUZnuf7Jlf_qGW241PCFsIcsQF1pQ6ncYRSDxUOwhzW9_6tG8whXp5Ig3YVl65eqOP5H0ruY-oA-T/s1600/38419775_10214523707538736_8685961771451678720_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="960" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCNDEWQn6xDQmoazQsxN2HLjF1zA39zHLNvDYuly4_5wrguKr0BSaPhWEJ2IW99nTtUZnuf7Jlf_qGW241PCFsIcsQF1pQ6ncYRSDxUOwhzW9_6tG8whXp5Ig3YVl65eqOP5H0ruY-oA-T/s640/38419775_10214523707538736_8685961771451678720_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm a dork and even had tanks made!</td></tr>
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That's how my brunch club was born. I extended the invite to five friends -- all of us have a TV news background. Our club meets the first Sunday of every month and the hostess for the month rotates depending on who is available to host. If the first Sunday lands on a holiday, etc. we sometimes slide it into the second Sunday. </div>
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Ever since we've started, we've only skipped a couple of months and I know I've only missed a couple! While everyone can't make it every single month, it's still fun to have a smaller group of girls to chat with. In some cases, we'll go out to a restaurant if there's only a few people available for the month. </div>
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When I host brunch, it gives me a chance to try new recipes. I know some of the members will see a fun brunch recipe somewhere and save it so they can try it for their next brunch! </div>
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Besides the food, the best part is just being able to settle in with a mimosa and catch up with friends for hours! We talk about work, relationships, politics and the moms in the group talk about child rearing things. </div>
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Sometimes we'll have our significant others attend, but most of the time it's just 'bitches be brunchin.' On some occasions, if we have other friends in town, we'll invite them to join the party as well. </div>
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In the nearly two years we've done this, people have had life changes but brunch has been a constant and for me, it's a job and something I look forward to. Even though I initiated the club, it's our group and our energy that has kept it going!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7BaFPtTb7zEreAmOEUNbkJZUAPlk_T2Sc7P2uyUrCMQbn33RByYYM_GxLBfAZYbYFsHJMEtkAlpQFc8SlO7tTCug4w41W-qHwtw4FEuwfUAyp6gcGSgnk0QrFGpE964F9PmGqZNwD4na/s1600/31950493_10213888871108222_1450974428014837760_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7BaFPtTb7zEreAmOEUNbkJZUAPlk_T2Sc7P2uyUrCMQbn33RByYYM_GxLBfAZYbYFsHJMEtkAlpQFc8SlO7tTCug4w41W-qHwtw4FEuwfUAyp6gcGSgnk0QrFGpE964F9PmGqZNwD4na/s640/31950493_10213888871108222_1450974428014837760_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A baby shower brunch for Sarah when she was preggo!</td></tr>
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Thank you to Larissa, Erin, Mandy, Alicia and Sarah for all being awesome women who I love to spend lazy Sunday mornings with. </div>
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What's one of the best things I've made for brunch club? This <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/potato-basil-frittata-recipe-1940220" target="_blank">Potato Basil Frittata</a> from Ina Garten. It's delicious. I usually ramp up the greens by adding fresh kale or spinach to it!</div>
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I also tried a few of Ina's recipes from her Party cookbook for another brunch:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-AxgKCHVLt2Vc1Y4nc4aD29gdm1C5DsFn4H0g6yEdMtFdpLEDQVY-asiXxKPnYgD8f1nbilB6JooboGH_z9xmNCphLfAMKP-4sem1nvYyjmsk2fEQtGBiQoIj7LUG9rugt0D5YNP9ySjt/s1600/brunch1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-AxgKCHVLt2Vc1Y4nc4aD29gdm1C5DsFn4H0g6yEdMtFdpLEDQVY-asiXxKPnYgD8f1nbilB6JooboGH_z9xmNCphLfAMKP-4sem1nvYyjmsk2fEQtGBiQoIj7LUG9rugt0D5YNP9ySjt/s640/brunch1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I made her raspberry french toast and mini Italian frittatas.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnvrvc7tLWYtdn0hFhHRUWjVHefqLySmnlEqJhkK7UOIiy8pxHv0f3281jp45W0RMKQdMckHiXH2zd83cdNlvS-ZDUbbiu219KC89KhuoxlEAv0fBf9dPORNUQaTAxKHdIjqzw223uQ-p/s1600/brunch2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnvrvc7tLWYtdn0hFhHRUWjVHefqLySmnlEqJhkK7UOIiy8pxHv0f3281jp45W0RMKQdMckHiXH2zd83cdNlvS-ZDUbbiu219KC89KhuoxlEAv0fBf9dPORNUQaTAxKHdIjqzw223uQ-p/s640/brunch2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was thinking it'd be fun to have a future brunch be based on a new cookbook. Everyone would pick a brunch recipe from the book and make it for that day. OR everyone picks recipe from a new book, make it and bring printed copies of the recipe for people to take home. So many ideas!</div>
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Erin made this beautiful fruit tart the last time she hosted:<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjm-JDUBH3Z/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">I’ll admit, I needed my first fruit tart to look good for Insta {Sunday Brunch Club perfection} • #fruitpizza #fruittart #figs #brunch #sundaybrunch #instaready #mynewkitchen</a></div>
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/erincargile/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> Erin Cargile</a> (@erincargile) on <time datetime="2018-06-04T16:09:11+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 4, 2018 at 9:09am PDT</time></div>
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Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-57710952641163097802018-07-15T21:20:00.002-05:002018-07-15T21:20:04.569-05:00Vienna: My favorite type of sausage in a canThe last leg of our April European adventure landed us in Vienna. When Micah and I were planning our trip, I threw around the idea of ending in Budapest but Micah wasn't enamored with that idea so we settled on Vienna, since it was a mere 4-hour train ride from Prague.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehre9doeB-Si8GZNEzTM9XtSiBXO2I5Q8F_gjyGSO3l52yATZRHYnHf5gxYFsjOz4sw_IcTwg39SY0TUAhwtUFL4shP3UcBLjeMT855qV5arIio-ji_3E20LFIb0HmvnpknnrF61cVJ2I/s1600/IMG_8089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehre9doeB-Si8GZNEzTM9XtSiBXO2I5Q8F_gjyGSO3l52yATZRHYnHf5gxYFsjOz4sw_IcTwg39SY0TUAhwtUFL4shP3UcBLjeMT855qV5arIio-ji_3E20LFIb0HmvnpknnrF61cVJ2I/s640/IMG_8089.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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When we got into town, we took the subway to our hotel, which was the Hilton Vienna Plaza. It was perfectly situated along the Ringstrasse — a road that encircles the historic center.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lqqWuj-wjl0xFOovftDuHm2c0Q09g2uD1Q8hV31rFRyLi2ZoG7O1i2ymgKNoBxjlN6gv9OaEkz9mVWGvtVUqvQL2BpL4OKgynwBF627gpVdRy-WHEWnJs50j5ZnQckBt07Rv3KmkQh9y/s1600/IMG_8094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lqqWuj-wjl0xFOovftDuHm2c0Q09g2uD1Q8hV31rFRyLi2ZoG7O1i2ymgKNoBxjlN6gv9OaEkz9mVWGvtVUqvQL2BpL4OKgynwBF627gpVdRy-WHEWnJs50j5ZnQckBt07Rv3KmkQh9y/s320/IMG_8094.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful arrangements at the Hilton Vienna Plaza</td></tr>
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Our friends Kat and Will were staying at a different hotel so we would coordinate meetups at various places for the rest of our trip.</div>
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<b>The Basics </b><br />
Time there: 3 nights<br />
Where we stayed: <a href="http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/austria/hilton-vienna-plaza-VIEPWTW/maps-directions/index.html" target="_blank">Hilton Vienna Plaza </a><br />
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<h3>
Day 1</h3>
After putting up on things, Micah and I went to grab some dinner at <a href="https://www.beaverbrewing.at/" target="_blank">Beaver Brewing Company</a> at the recommendation of some people we at a beer store in Prague.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCkGVv7MuyTfOfW6bCt0srxGGG0mY103ceMAZiNoN9QYyPBcdQxPBjLD8TxrB3UWQi1wxNWa-qctwJ52xnh1KycCvStjyB7KUY_SXjAXoSs0KacfwjBJrPcN5PZ1ZuijgRxHl7UcRc5v_/s1600/IMG_8087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCkGVv7MuyTfOfW6bCt0srxGGG0mY103ceMAZiNoN9QYyPBcdQxPBjLD8TxrB3UWQi1wxNWa-qctwJ52xnh1KycCvStjyB7KUY_SXjAXoSs0KacfwjBJrPcN5PZ1ZuijgRxHl7UcRc5v_/s640/IMG_8087.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was a brewpub that served burgers and had very American-centric beers on tap. Burger was really good but the beers were nothing special for us.<br />
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That evening, we walked around the area and saw Votivkirche, a neo-Gothic church across the street from Sigmund Freud park.<br />
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We ended the night at a brewpub called 1515 Brewing. What's odd about Vienna is that it still allows bars to have separate smoking rooms. YUCK! At one bar we walked into, you had to walk through the smoke-filled room to get to the non-smoking section — but we all know smoke permeates everything so even that section will leave you walking out of there smelling like an ashtray. Get into the 21st Century, Vienna!<br />
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<h3>
Day 2</h3>
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On our first full day in Vienna, we decided to start it off with a proper Viennese (not Vietnamese, but close!) breakfast. We walked to Cafe Landtmann and had a beautiful breakfast with proper cafes. </div>
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I had the salmon eggs benedict and Micah had an omelet. </div>
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In a city full of museums, it's hard to pick one or two to visit, but I ended up making Micah go to the <a href="https://www.khm.at/en/" target="_blank">Kunts Historisches Museum</a> with me. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QxV7J7b9g-bMYZSXbVBywT1lFsWQkll5by5jhiy4FSJsr6EtaDrMGmGgMUFM78U49avNxjyBz7KUDRyNGWoI7UCBLDTMU_AAisUECbvSiJhZ37stT95bgzFRPbXJdk18GTj05WF3awuf/s1600/IMG_8110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QxV7J7b9g-bMYZSXbVBywT1lFsWQkll5by5jhiy4FSJsr6EtaDrMGmGgMUFM78U49avNxjyBz7KUDRyNGWoI7UCBLDTMU_AAisUECbvSiJhZ37stT95bgzFRPbXJdk18GTj05WF3awuf/s400/IMG_8110.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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If you love art history, this place is for you. Most of the collection dates back to the House of Hasburg and their private collection. </div>
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When you walk in and look up, you'll see murals done by Gustav Klimt, which are gorgeous. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmq3MOrPSLUcGWc2iw-Snd_uA8G4NJ8gAcGJYnLl0HuZtjoeAP4WD-ap0E1Ag_sy-PLYjGkGlubNmIPvHFXvRGu3ExybEyalin8-Od4pzRfHchYCia-xLbRxnvSVh-1R2JWdmqde1NQy1O/s1600/IMG_8107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmq3MOrPSLUcGWc2iw-Snd_uA8G4NJ8gAcGJYnLl0HuZtjoeAP4WD-ap0E1Ag_sy-PLYjGkGlubNmIPvHFXvRGu3ExybEyalin8-Od4pzRfHchYCia-xLbRxnvSVh-1R2JWdmqde1NQy1O/s400/IMG_8107.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite piece in the museum.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
After making Micah suffer at the museum for several hours, it was time to get some traditional Vienna beers. A travel pamphlet mentioned<a href="http://www.7stern.at/en-gb/" target="_blank"> 7 Stern Brau</a> as a place that brewed traditional Austrian beers, so we made a beeline there. </div>
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We enjoyed most of their beers but I did have to send one back because it was infected, however, they didn't give me a refund. Apparently, the Viennese do not believe in refunding bad beer.<br />
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I also had their goulash here and it was delicious. It had the quality of a Vietnamese beef stew, which I really enjoyed.<br />
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Kat and Will met us up at the brewpub and Kat had her 20th goulash (I jest, I think it was her fifth).<br />
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After 7 Stern Brau, we went to a brand new beer bar called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Ammutson/">Ammutson.</a><br />
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The bar owner, a lovely Egyptian with a head of curly hair, had opened the bar just that week and it was already seeing a decent crowd. He doesn't believe in big beer and all the beers he has on tap are made by small businesses he supports. Some of the best beer we found was at this bar.<br />
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<h3>
Day 3</h3>
Since we had nice breakfast the morning before, we settled on McDonald's for Day 3 breakfast. Unfortunately, McD's in Austria do not carry my fave: sausage McMuffin with egg. T'was a sad morning.<br />
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It was a beautiful spring day, so we just spent the time wandering around the center and made a stop at St. Stephens Cathedral. We didn't do the catacombs, but our friends did and they said it was worth it!<br />
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And because I couldn't leave Vienna without trying their famous desserts, we had a mid-day snack at the famous Cafe Demel.<br />
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I ordered the apple strudel (which reminded me of that scene in Inglorious Bastards) and a tea sandwich with salmon on it. Both were divine.<br />
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After taking a nap, we took a stroll along the graffiti-laden bank of the Danube River. I love graffiti art and they sure do it right in Vienna.<br />
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Micah had one other brewpub he wanted to try called <a href="https://www.the-tap.bar/">CraftMuhle</a>, but before we got there, we walked around a vibrant open-air food market called Naschmarkt.<br />
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It had everything from spices to Mediterranean foods. Numerous vendors trying to sell you dried figs and other goods.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Menu at CraftMuhle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Beer Street</td></tr>
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Once we made it to CraftMuhle, we had a few beers (Kat and I switched to Aperol Spritz) and then made our way to a place called <a href="https://paddysco.at/">Beer Street,</a> which has tons of beers on tap. Be forewarned though, they ONLY accept cash.<br />
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For our last meal in Vienna and our trip, we ate at this adorable place called<a href="http://www.brezl.at/"> Brezelgwolb Cafe, </a>tucked away in a busy area of the city.<br />
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To start off the meal, you get a fluffy, salty pretzel. One of the best pretzels I've ever had.<br />
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I ended up getting a pork dish and Kat went for her last goulash of the trip.<br />
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We ended up going back to the hotel for one last nightcap before calling it a night for our early morning flight out of Vienna.<br />
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That Saturday morning, we missed the bus we were supposed to take to the airport. Frustrated that we might miss our flight, a lovely young man tried to help but we ended up getting an Uber and we made with plenty of time to spare. Crisis averted, even though Micah and I almost killed each other that morning.<br />
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When people ask me about Vienna, I have to reply that it was unremarkable for me. The city is clean, pretty and has tons of great museums, but it lacked a certain quality that I'm looking for in a European city. I know the city was heavily damaged during WWII bombings, so much of the city is "new." But for me, it wasn't <a href="https://micalily.blogspot.com/2018/06/prague-land-of-cheap-beer-and-red-clay.html">Prague</a>. It wasn't Paris. It wasn't Brussels. It wasn't Munich. It just wasn't special. I'll skip it next time and go to Salzburg instead.<br />
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I also realized I never ate ANY sausage in Vienna. I fail at life.<br />
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<br />Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-69633506494988871302018-06-02T13:59:00.002-05:002018-06-03T08:37:30.148-05:00Prague: Land of cheap beer and red clay rooftopsAfter trying to stay warm in Sweden, we landed in Prague on a Saturday and it was beautiful spring weather! We shed our jackets and made a beeline for beer -- yes, give us all the cheap beer! We chose Prague (or Praha) because it was another new place we've never visited and we know we love pilsners.<br />
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Prague is special because it was pretty much spared from the bombings during WWII. The red, clay roofs are still intact and its historic buildings are still standing.<br />
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Did you know there's a decent Czech population in Texas? <a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2017/10/touring-painted-churches-in-fayette.html" target="_blank"><b>Read my Painted Churches blog to find out!</b></a><br />
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While Micah and I were on our own in Sweden, our friends Will and Kat from San Antonio met us in Prague and would stay on our adventure through Vienna as well.<br />
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<b>The Basics</b><br />
Time there: 4 nights<br />
Where we stayed: <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/20791635" target="_blank">AirBnb just north of the main square</a> in an area of Dlouhaa- Chose it because it was well priced, within walking distance to everything and was in a great spot for eating/drinking.<br />
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<br />Day 1 </h3>
Our vacation rental was right across the street from <a href="http://lokal-dlouha.ambi.cz/en/" target="_blank">Lokal</a>, one of the most popular beer bars in town—loved by locals and tourists. That was our first stop once we dropped off our bags.<br />
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We ordered the fried cheese (yes, it was gooey and delicious). On the menu, it says it's aged six weeks, fried and served with a tartar-type sauce. Best friend cheese, EVAR!<br />
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I had the beef cheek goulash (look at that beautiful brown gravy!), Micah had marjoram chicken and of course, we both had plenty of beer. The goulash was unctuous and hit the spot. I mean, you can't go wrong with meat and potatoes.<br />
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They really only serve two types of beer here: Pilsner Urquell and Kozel black. What's funny is that you can get your beer with normal head or you can ask for beer that's pretty much all foam—but why would anyone just want foam? In America, you'd send a beer back for that! Czechs are weird. On average, beers around $2USD for almost 1/2 liter.<br />
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After lunch, we tried to go to a home Sparta game, but it was a big match so it was sold out when we got to the ticket stand. We decided to go to <a href="http://www.dejvickasokolovna.cz/" target="_blank">Dejvicka Sokolovna,</a> a nearby bar, and watch the game there to get the <i>real</i> experience.<br />
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After that, we talked to Pivovar Bubenec, a small brewery Micah found. I think it was one of his favorite beers while we were Prague.<br />
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When you walk around Prague, you realize there are a lot of Vietnamese restaurants around town and apparently a decent Viet population. Who knew my peoples were making themselves a home here?!<br />
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For dinner, we gave a banh mi place a try. It was OK, not great, but perfectly adequate.<br />
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This is the Powder Tower. It was the entrance where Czech kings would go through to get to Old Town during coronation processions. It was built in 1475 and it's very indicative of the Gothic era.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4vupzaJ5-YvibV9tMFBrsyoTuAipGDlKQOn4Q5mphtgRofvYqU-ZpAE8n7cqzpVqZ9OPVHT1gOGDW9ZAnRGCw6Z7n46yYcIXmTgyfiPp5g52e9a5UQ2TBcuxgo8_CSmpUnRl1RiNbRxZ/s1600/IMG_8080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4vupzaJ5-YvibV9tMFBrsyoTuAipGDlKQOn4Q5mphtgRofvYqU-ZpAE8n7cqzpVqZ9OPVHT1gOGDW9ZAnRGCw6Z7n46yYcIXmTgyfiPp5g52e9a5UQ2TBcuxgo8_CSmpUnRl1RiNbRxZ/s400/IMG_8080.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyn Church -- apparently the Sleeping Beauty castle is modeled after this?</td></tr>
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We spent the rest of the night exploring the Old Town, which is extremely busy with tourists and hustlers. Because there are so many tourists in Prague, there are always going to be people who want to get you a "great deal." Just keep on walking and you'll be fine.<br />
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The Astronomical Clock is currently undergoing renovation so I was never able to get a good picture of it.<br />
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<h3>
Day 2</h3>
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We started off our Sunday morning getting breakfast at <a href="https://bistroteka.lacollezione.cz/en" target="_blank">La Bottega Bistroteka.</a> An adorable place with fresh oj and bread baked on site. </div>
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I had cannellini beans in a tomato sauce topped with sausage and eggs. It was a great way to start our full day in Prague before Will and Kat would join us mid-day.</div>
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Since we had a fridge at the rental, Micah and I went walking around to hit up a grocery store. We stumbled across small little festivals that were happening throughout the town during the weekend.</div>
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We then made our way to the old Jewish quarters. Unfortunately, if you want to see something you have to pay for it. Cemetery? That'll cost you. So we just looked at the area from afar. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4rqpUvBGUey_UbjhxUGF7Bzha_9h9KRrCW83c7KYBmxtLfaG955al23jgSEW0UoLyzePOAFzRKbq0sWZ65FFdbWAACyWzIKhPpd5JXm5RuwwtedMDptA1x1IRsLM1EA0N1EJSK8nVxkE/s1600/IMG_7983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4rqpUvBGUey_UbjhxUGF7Bzha_9h9KRrCW83c7KYBmxtLfaG955al23jgSEW0UoLyzePOAFzRKbq0sWZ65FFdbWAACyWzIKhPpd5JXm5RuwwtedMDptA1x1IRsLM1EA0N1EJSK8nVxkE/s640/IMG_7983.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Charles Bridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life is Art!</td></tr>
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We then meandered our way around Old Town and stopped off at Medvidku, one of the oldest breweries in town. It also makes one of the strongest beers in the world, but we chose not to get it because it looked like it would be like barley wine but 100 times sweeter. Nope. Their regular beers weren't great either. We left our beers half full when we left.</div>
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By that time, Will and Kat had made it into town from their stint in Berlin. Of course, we immediately took them to Lokal for a beer and then we headed over to <a href="http://www.pivolod.cz/" target="_blank">Lod Pivovar,</a> a brewery on a boat, to meet with some Austin friends who were staying in Prague for a whole month. I want your life Stuart and Sandy! The beers on the boat were actually fairly good. </div>
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That evening, we ventured out to find the <a href="http://www.anonymousbar.cz/en" target="_blank">Anonymous Bar</a>. When we walked into the cocktail bar, we were greeted with tons of paintings and drawings of the "Anonymous" mask. </div>
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The cocktail menu is eclectic and the drinks have great names. Kat's drink was dispensed from a blood bag. And depending on what you order, everyone gets a mask and "say cheese!"<br />
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The drinks were a bit on the pricey side for Prague but perfectly mixed! The experience was definitely a fun one!</div>
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We ended the night at U Zajíce - Pivovar Kynšperk. The bar was in a cave so the smell was dank and funky. The beers were not good. Do not go there.</div>
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<h3>
Day 3</h3>
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This was field trip day! We started off by getting breakfast and then made our way to Pilsen, home of Pilsner Urquell. If you're drinking a pilsner made by another brewery, that type of beer was started here. We got tickets for the tour and after an 1.5 hour train ride, we were there. </div>
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While we don't normally drink Urquell at home, it's delicious when it's fresh and hasn't been shipped in green bottles across the ocean. The facility is huge and makes several other beers for other companies as well. Apparently, they were bought out by a Japanese brand awhile back.</div>
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The best part of the 90-minute tour was getting to go in the caves where they used to store the beer and drinking fresh, unfiltered Pilsner Urquell from the tap. The beer was phenomenal. Why can't we get this beer here?! </div>
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The tour could be made better if they gave you the filtered beer at the beginning and then ended it with the unfiltered so you can taste the difference while you're there. Also, one beer for 90 minutes is lame, even if it is a really good beer.<br />
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We ended up having lunch at the brewery's restaurant Na Spilce, which is apparently the largest restaurant in Czech.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbeez3i8XuoiFthAsfBWpEfwJsiUcdq0DrJF7XS4_SKUDRNBHv44y1IbWx8c-zD6bj_RLfBlz3QoMCHGU9b8wkawNjtLpDGJRAC97wKev7fsIwBirNeC0SrBrFMwytNtuOMx8mgBceN61/s1600/IMG_8042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbeez3i8XuoiFthAsfBWpEfwJsiUcdq0DrJF7XS4_SKUDRNBHv44y1IbWx8c-zD6bj_RLfBlz3QoMCHGU9b8wkawNjtLpDGJRAC97wKev7fsIwBirNeC0SrBrFMwytNtuOMx8mgBceN61/s640/IMG_8042.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love me some head cheese.</td></tr>
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Initially, service was weird and abrasive but we finally got our food and were happy campers.<br />
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It's like a hard funnel cake with ice cream stuffed inside!<br />
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When we got back into Prague that evening, we wandered around and made our way to the<a href="https://www.prague.eu/en/object/places/1886/statue-of-kafka" target="_blank"> Kafka moving head.</a> Will and Kat are more cultured than us so we followed their lead on these things and it was a unique installation. As each section moves, the face gets distorted but then all lines back up again intermittently. </div>
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<h3>
Day 4</h3>
On this beautiful spring day, we finally got up the courage to fight the tourists and walk across the St. Charles Bridge. This bridge is full of pedestrians trying to snag the best selfie.<br />
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It's honestly exhausting walking through that crowd to get to the other side. I think Kat went on a run at 7 a.m. and she said it was already getting busy on the bridge at that time!<br />
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After we crossed the bridge, we got a workout by walking uphill to the <a href="https://www.prague.eu/en/object/places/406/strahov-monastery-strahovsky-klaster" target="_blank">Strahov Monastery, </a>where there happens to be a brewery. Funny how that works out.<br />
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Once you make it up, the view is breathtaking—and not just because that was a long ass walk uphill. You can really see Prague in all its glory. The river, the rooftops. Just beautiful.<br />
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We had a lovely lunch at the monastery and met a lovely British couple who were also craft beer lovers. They were hitting up a lot of pivovars (breweries) that we were!<br />
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Will and Kat met us for lunch but broke away for a tour they booked where you take photos on an old-school camera.<br />
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Micah and I then made our way to the Prague Castle. Inside the castle are intricate and colorful stained glass windows. Pro Tip: You don't have to pay to go into the castle!<br />
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While it's no <a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2017/10/touring-painted-churches-in-fayette.html" target="_blank">Painted Churches of Schulenburg</a> (ha!), the castle was gorgeous.<br />
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That afternoon, we met up with Stuart and Sandy and we proceeded to have several beers and several locations.<br />
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We had a great time checking out the southeast side of Prague with these crazy kids!<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">For our last dinner in Prague, we ate another meal at Lokal and once again, it was delicious. While in Europe, Kat also started her love affair with all things goulash. I think she had it at least six times. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span> To end our trip in Prague, we got a nightcap at <a href="http://www.bankersbar.cz/" target="_blank">Banker's Bar</a> next to our rental.<br />
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The next morning we would say goodbye to this romantic city and take a nearly 4-hour train ride to Vienna. I must say that Prague was probably my favorite city that we visited on this European tour.Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-3488018191325359382018-05-09T21:39:00.002-05:002018-05-10T21:18:41.451-05:00Sweden: Land of Volvos and Swedish meatballsDid you know Volvo has an <a href="https://www.volvocars.com/us/shopping-tools/shop/overseas-delivery" target="_blank">overseas delivery (OSD) program </a>where you can purchase a vehicle and get a "free" vacation?! I didn't. But Micah did. And when he was looking at getting a new vehicle and settled on the XC60 T8 hybrid, he ended up going through the OSD route to get all the specs he wanted—and it wasn't really any more expensive than if he had purchased a car from the dealership lot!<br />
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The Volvo OSD program gives you two roundtrip tickets to Volvo's HQ in Gothenburg, Sweden. However, you're able to add in a layover or fly out of another city as long as it falls within the price range allotted. Since we were going to be in Europe anyway, we decided to make it a 2-week vacation and visit several other cities. Volvo's travel agency allowed us to have a 30-hour layover in London before getting to Gothenburg and then we would fly back home through Vienna. In between, we would visit Stockholm and Prague! We decided to visit all new places for us. </div>
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We flew British Airways for the long legs from Houston and it was the first time we flew Economy Plus—which was included in the tickets. Micah was in heaven. Larger seats, seats that recline back further AND a foot rest. Oh, the 6-foot-3 man was happy. I will say the Economy Plus is a nice option and after experiencing that, Micah says he's only going to fly Economy Plus for long oversea hauls. He's bougie. I'll be in regular old economy. </div>
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London Layover</h3>
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Since we only had 30 hours in London, we decided to stay at the Hilton Paddington since it's connected to the Paddington station. We were coming in from the Heathrow Express train so it made sense to stay there and not have to haul luggage around for such a short pitstop. </div>
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Having visited London before, we only made plans to eat and drink! After getting through Passport security, we got to the hotel, ate breakfast sushi and ventured out.<br />
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I managed to drag Micah to the British Museum (it's free!) on Easter Sunday morning. 'Tis a miracle. </div>
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After the British Museum, we stopped off at The Victoria pub, which dates back to the late 1800s, if I remember correctly. It's a Fuller's bar, which means it serves only Fuller's beer, which is a-ok! The fish and chips was massive, it was basically half a fish on a plate. </div>
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The bar is charming and quintessential English. Ther'es a winding staircase that takes you up to the smaller rooms upstairs. </div>
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After a quick power nap, we ventured to the <a href="http://www.caskpubandkitchen.com/">Cask Bar and Kitchen</a> in the Pimlico area. Great craft beers on cask and a good selection of Belgian sours available! There was a funky jazz band playing, so we settled in for a few beers and a bottle of Cantillon.<br />
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We ended up waiting for an hour for dinner at <a href="http://www.dishoom.com/carnaby/" target="_blank">Dishoom Carnaby</a> location. The place made their own naan!<br />
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The place had a black daal (lentil) dish that was superb. It reminded me of chili but with no meat.<br />
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After a quick trip in London, we said bye to Paddington Bear and got back on a plane and made our way to our Gothenburg, Sweden.</div>
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<b>The Basics</b><br />
Time there: 3 nights<br />
Where we stayed: <a href="https://www.nordicchoicehotels.com/hotels/sweden/gothenburg/clarion-hotel-post/" target="_blank">Clarion Post Hotel in Gothenburg</a> (Volvo choice)<br />
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<b>Day 1</b> </h3>
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First and foremost, Gothenburg is pronounced "Yur-tor-boree." Sweden has never been on my list of "must see" places but I was excited to visit a place I didn't know much about. I know about Ikea, H&M, Volvo and meatballs. That's about it.<br />
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When you land, Volvo has a driver pick you up and take you to the hotel. Normally they would only comp one night, but since the vehicle's price dropped after we booked, Micah got Volvo to comp two extra nights for the slight difference.<br />
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Volvo also gives you a meal at Norda, the Marcus Samuelson restaurant inside the Clarion Post Hotel we were staying. We decided to do that the first night we checked in and it was a lovely and delicious 3-course meal!<br />
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We both had the cured arctic char, I had the veal and Micah had a cod dish. The dessert was a perfectly plated cheesecake.<br />
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We went to bed early since we had to get picked up early to get the new Volvo the following morning!<br />
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Day 2</h3>
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New car pick-up day!<br />
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The Volvo customer center is airy, spacious, well lit and very Scandinavian. We chatted with several other people who were also there to pick up their brand spanking new Volvo. Then came the reveal. When you pick up the car, you can drive it around for several weeks and drop it off at a variety of ports for shipment to the US. We decided to only keep the car for the time we were staying in Gothenburg.<br />
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I think our two dogs will appreciate Micah's new SUV! I, too, will appreciate the extra space. Micah's basically a soccer mom, sans kids.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Micah's intrigued!</td></tr>
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After picking up the vehicle and going over all the details, we had lunch at the Volvo cafe (my first plate of Swedish meatballs! They also love these little scrimps, which I think they call crayfish.).<br />
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We then took a tour of the manufacturing plant. It was interesting to see the robots on the production line but the company still employs a good amount of humans to do a variety of tasks.<br />
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With keys in hand, we made our way to the nearby Volvo museum.<br />
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The tickets come part of the OSD deal, so we went back in time to see all the old models and concept cars Volvo made. They even had a Volvo made of Legos!</div>
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After getting our fill of Volvo history, we ventured back to town and spent some time visiting the Haga neighborhood.</div>
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In a tale of a small world, a former co-worker was also in Gothenburg with friends and we met up for a quick chat in front of the fish market.<br />
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Micah and I knew Sweden was going to be cold, but while we were there it was also really dreary, so it made it even colder. We had to stay bundled up the entire time! I'd love to revisit when it's slightly warmer.<br />
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We ended the night grabbing sushi, which was surprisingly affordable!<br />
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Day 3</h3>
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Since we had the new car, we decided to take a drive up the Bohuslan Archipelago coast—which is made up of thousands of islands. Our main destination was <a href="https://en.nordensark.se/" target="_blank">Nordens Ark</a>, a wildlife sanctuary about 1.5 hours north of Gothenburg.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red pandas!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild dogs</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pallas' cat. Who are you looking at?!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leopard getting his/her meal. They feed them horse meat.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Found the perfect place to rest.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Otters!</td></tr>
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The wildlife sanctuary was one of the highlights of the entire trip! The sanctuary is built in a way that you walk through the canopy and can see the animals in a very natural environment. I was worried the animals wouldn't be active due to the dreary weather, but they were strutting their stuff.<br />
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What's nice is that they only keep animals that live in climates similar to that of Scandinavia. The Persian leopards, which are extremely endangered, were a sight to behold!<br />
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After seeing the animals, we decided to take the scenic route back through the seaside towns.<br />
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However, since it wasn't full spring season yet, all of the seaside towns weren't really open for visitors. We wanted fresh seafood but all we could find was a pizza joint.<br />
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That night, Yelp led us to a great meal at <a href="http://www.smaka.se/eng_meny.html" target="_blank">Smaka. </a>The meatballs were some of the best I've ever had, legit. The sauce was perfectly unctuous and played well with the lingonberry sauce.</div>
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<h3>
Day 4</h3>
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We dined on our last continental buffet breakfast offered at the hotel and got sad that we wouldn't be eating like this every morning on the rest of our trip.<br />
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The hotel seriously had an awesome breakfast spread. </div>
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We had a few hours to play with on our last day in Gothenburg so we wandered around and went to the oldest building in town, <a href="https://www.goteborg.com/en/kronhuset-och-kronhusbodarna/" target="_blank">the Kronhuset, which was built in the 1600s.</a> There, I found a lovely souvenir made by a clay artist. </div>
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As we were driving to Volvo, we decided to stop off at <a href="https://www.goteborg.com/en/vega-bryggeri/" target="_blank">Vega Brewing</a>, but because of Swedish laws, the taproom wasn't open. So it's not just Texas with weird alcohol laws. But, the owners were so lovely they offered us a couple of their beers to go! </div>
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After dropping off the car, we hopped on a 3.5-hour train to make our way to Stockholm. As I write this, it's been a little over a month since we dropped off the car. From there, it gets cleaned up, prepped and placed on a ship for transport to the US. We expect it to be in Austin by the end of May, maybe before Memorial Day? Yes, folks, it takes awhile to move vehicles across the ocean.</div>
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<b>The Basics</b><br />
Time there: 2 nights<br />
Where we stayed: <a href="http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/sweden/hilton-stockholm-slussen-STOSLHI/index.html" target="_blank">Hilton Stockholm Slussen</a><br />
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Since we didn't get into Stockholm until close to 9 p.m., we made a beeline for dinner. Micah found a Greek restaurant nearby and while the service wasn't the best initially, the food was great!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Church grounds we walked through.</td></tr>
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In a twist of luck, our hotel was mere steps away from one of the best beer bars in Stockholm: <a href="http://akkurat./">Akkurat.</a> The place had a ridiculous cellar list.<br />
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Apparently, the owner collected Belgian beers for the longest time before he decided to open up this bar. Micah's favorite thing was Cantillon on tap! And the prices weren't obscene! WIN!<br />
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Day 5</h3>
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We ventured out into the cold on a Friday morning to take in the sights and sounds of Stockholm. </div>
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We bought a day transportation pass so we could take the ferry and subways around town. </div>
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Our first stop on our one and only full day in Stockholm was the <a href="https://www.vasamuseet.se/en" target="_blank">Vasa Museum</a>. The museum was built to house the world's only pretty-much-intact 17th century ship. Because of poor human error (more like the king's ridiculous request for more canons), the ship sank as it was leaving the Stockholm harbor. The ship would remain dormant in the brackish water for more than 300 years before it was discovered and carefully removed from the water. </div>
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The ship's detail and enormity are impressive. The museum spans 5 floors so you can walk all the way around the ship. I highly suggest a visit! It even has a great cafe!</div>
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We spent the next few hours walking around Gamla Stan—the historic part of Stockholm. It's on an island that full of shops, restaurants and bars. </div>
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For drinks and dinner, we jumped on the subway and headed a few stops south to Brewdog. While there, we talked to a couple about the prevalence of chewing tobacco in Stockholm. While they don't actually chew it, it's like a piece of gum they slide into their gum line. We saw tons of guys with the package in their pocket. Gross, but I guess it's better than tons of people smoking at the door—which is prevalent in Prague/Vienna. </div>
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We ended up having Peruvian food for dinner at <a href="http://www.checa.se/" target="_blank">Checa</a>, a teeny tiny place. The wait was excruciatingly long, but it was tasty and beautifully plated. </div>
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We spent our last night in Stockholm drinking one last beer at Akkurat. We had an early plane to catch Saturday morning from Stockholm to Prague. Pro Tip: Take the Arlanda Express train from the central station. It's super easy and cheap if you book it in advance.</div>
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</h3>
<h3>
Take Aways</h3>
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Sweden was actually a really beautiful, clean and friendly country. The people were all lovely and traveling around is a breeze. I would really love to come back and explore during the warmer months, especially the seaside towns. I want to kayak in those inlets! </div>
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Dining and drinking is not cheap, so come prepared to spend 25-30% more than you normally would. All those things are taxed at 25%. On average, our beers were running around $10USD/beer. </div>
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Stiff taxes is how the country provides such great benefits to its citizens. Moms and dads get more than a year off from work when they have a baby, yep, both of them! Can you imagine if America did that? </div>
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I definitely would've liked to spend another night in Stockholm since we were kind of pressed for time there. Oh, and I would've eaten more seafood if I had time.</div>
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Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-33762826398401307772017-10-08T10:07:00.002-05:002017-10-08T10:07:36.189-05:00Touring the Painted Churches in Fayette CountyIf you live in Texas, you know about kolaches. But do you know how that doughy, Czech goodness made its way to Central Texas? If you drive along Interstate 10 between Houston and San Antonio, you've seen the Czech influences there -- that's because several families settled there in the 1800s.<br />
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When the Czechs settled in Texas, they also immediately built beautiful churches for their communities. While they weren't huge churches, they were vibrant and unique. The ones that are still standing have been dubbed the Painted Churches of Fayette County.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghw5Pd0ASwEa3gpLSWtYHq2FhhsGE1PxkSmcQ15eNC98yyaOQZc6uVRX12GLbDcWV6ibsV5jmm1-mTK0FhAWw5kcy70KWGVRc0VFOCcgM9jt9LwzkxwmQrtjz5b7PvMcjavNrsLTGysoEb/s1600/20170520_141557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghw5Pd0ASwEa3gpLSWtYHq2FhhsGE1PxkSmcQ15eNC98yyaOQZc6uVRX12GLbDcWV6ibsV5jmm1-mTK0FhAWw5kcy70KWGVRc0VFOCcgM9jt9LwzkxwmQrtjz5b7PvMcjavNrsLTGysoEb/s640/20170520_141557.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Schulenburg</td></tr>
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At the Schulenburg Chamber of Commerce, visitors can book a group tour or private tour. Or you can just pick up a map and do it on your own! On a Saturday in May, my friend and I decided to book a private tour (it's around $60 bucks + tip). Every tour starts at the Schulenburg Chamber of Commerce. Normally you drive your own car and the docent sits with you, but in our case, our docent (Linda) offered to drive her Audi SUV so we were all about that.<br />
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We visited four locations and it took about three hours.<br />
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<b>First stop: Saints Cyril and Methodius Church in Dubina</b><br />
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The church was originally built in 1876, but was destroyed by a 1909 hurricane. It was rebuilt in 1912 and been there ever since. Be prepared for the bluest church you've ever seen.<br />
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If I remember correctly, the community and parishoners painted the accents in the church after it was rebuilt in 1912. The colors just bring you in and make the space so enjoyable.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.stmary-highhill.com/history.html" target="_blank">Second stop: St. Mary's Catholic Church in High Hill</a></b><br />
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This is the most ornate out of the Painted Churches and it's more German. There are still services here and a lot of people have weddings here.<br />
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When you first walk in you're welcomed by these beautiful entry way.<br />
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As you can see, there's a lot more gilded areas of this church than other churches you'll see. </div>
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The stained glass were windows are masterpieces. They were made at factory in Berlin -- that factory was destroyed during World War II.<br />
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Even the ceiling fans are really pretty!</div>
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<b>Third Stop: St. John the Baptist in Ammansville</b></div>
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This church has a similar history as Dubina. Built in 1890. Destroyed by a hurricane in 1909 and the rebuilt. However, the church was also destroyed in a fire and then rebuilt again.<br />
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If pink is your color, this church will your favorite.<br />
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The grounds of the church are really pretty. There's a cemetery right next door and there is a good restroom you can use (important when you're on your third church).<br />
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The pink has a dusty-rose hue. Muted but very pretty. The church is simple, has no a/c but they still have service--although not a huge congregation.<br />
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This is a shot facing the pulpit.<br />
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A look at the inside facing the entry way.<br />
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I just thought this small tree with pink flowers was just the perfect touch outside of the church.<br />
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<b>Fourth and last stop: Praha St. Mary's Church</b><br />
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This church still has a father that lives on site and they still see a large congregation every week.<br />
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Did you know? Per capita, the town of Praha lost the most men to WWII than any other city. Nine men died in the span of 12 months. The town's Veterans Day festivities apparently draw a huge crowd. On the church grounds, there are three small stone shrines dedicated to the Praha Nine.<br />
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This was the old school house in town.<br />
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When we went in May, the church had just reopened after being closed for a major remodel. There were still minor things they needed to finish, but overall the remodeling was done to perfection.<br />
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Can you believe these wood floors were hidden under linoleum? I'm so glad they refinished them because the floors are gorgeous.<br />
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The roof is modeled after Noah's ark, if I'm remembering correctly.<br />
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The organ area. This church does have air conditioning, which is nice during the heat of the summer!<br />
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The new front entry doors that were recently installed.<br />
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My favorite church was probably Praha. It wasn't too ornate and had the prettiest touches.<br />
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After touring the churches, it was about time for a late lunch. We decided to make a full day in Schulenburg and decided to eat at The Garden Co. The restaurant has a garden store next door and adorable little shops. This place would be crazy business in Austin!<br />
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The food was good and it was a great place to chat about all the cool churches we saw.<br />
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After lunch, we decided to check out a couple of wineries in the town of Moravia. I came across the fliers at the Chamber of Commerce and they were only a 15 minute drive away so onward we went.<br />
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Our first winery was <a href="http://majekvineyard.com/" target="_blank">Majek Vineyard and Winery. </a>Pronounced "my-yak" like kayak, the vineyard is owned and operated by a Czech family. All the land for the winery and nearby have been owned by the family since the 1800s. The owner of the vineyard is actually trying to acquire the rest of the parcels from the rest of his family so they can continue growing the vineyards. </div>
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When you pull up, this joint just screams cute. The tasting room is simple yet inviting. The tasting was $5-$10 for 5-6 samples. While their wines are a bit sweeter, my friend and I both got a full glass of their original Black Spanish Lenoir. It had a slightly acidic quality that we both liked.</div>
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After Majek, we drove down the hill to <a href="http://moraviavineyard.com/wines" target="_blank">Moravia Vineyard and Winery.</a> This place is legit Italian and is run by an Italian transplant who actually lives in Katy but comes in every weekend to run the vineyard. </div>
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All the tastings here are free. My friend and I chose a cozy sofa setup and settled in for the tastings. The owners even give you a little small plate of nuts and cheese for your tasting. While we didn't love any of their reds, the blanc du bois was perfectly refreshing and balanced.</div>
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After the wineries, we were on our way out of Moravia when we decided to make a pit stop at the general country store down the street where we proceeded to crash a 50th birthday party. </div>
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The general store is what I think of in my head of old honky tonks. There was a dance floor, a bar teaming with locals and country music blasting in the background. It was great. The people who were their for the birthday party pretty much all had Czech ties -- it was really fun chatting with them about their time in the Moravia area. </div>
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It was the perfect night cap to our lovely day in the Schulenburg area!</div>
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I highly suggest you visit the Painted Churches and Schulenburg! It's the perfect day trip from Austin, San Antonio or Houston!<br />
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<br />Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-47323779063860662752017-05-06T12:15:00.002-05:002017-05-06T12:39:50.297-05:00Egypt Pt. 3: Snorkeling in Sharm El Sheikh <br />
Our flight from the beach resort town of Sharm El Sheikh from Luxor was at a ridiculously early time and we were all exhausted. What's interesting about all of our internal flights, which we booked via Expedia on Egypt Air, was that all of us were in "Business class." The whole cost of all the internal flights was right at $300, so not bad at all!<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2017/04/egypt-pt1-chaotic-cairo.html" target="_blank"><b>Egypt Part 1: Cairo</b></a></li>
<li><a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2017/04/egypt-pt-2-cruising-nile-river.html" target="_blank"><b>Egypt Part 2: Nile River Cruise</b></a></li>
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Can I just say that the road leading into Luxor Airport is probably one of the most well maintained roads I saw while in Egypt. Kudos to them!<br />
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I was not familiar with Sharm El Sheikh or much of the Red Sea resort aspect until recently. <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/russian-plane-crashes-in-the-sinai/russian-plane-crash-tourists-stranded-sharm-el-sheikh-n457781" target="_blank">Most of you probably know about the Russian airliner that was blown up in the fall of 2015.</a> The plane, carrying mostly Russian tourists, took off from Sharm el-Sheikh when it blew up over the Sinai Peninsula. Ever since that crash, Russia stopped flights to the resort worried that the airport wasn't doing enough in terms of security. Apparently a lot of the tourism into this resort town was from Europe/Eastern Europe and with nary any flights coming in, the tourism industry has plummeted.<br />
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Throughout this blog, I'll show you the various locations that were once bustling areas are now desolate. There are still some European countries with direct flights to Sharm, but they are few and far between. While there, we saw some Ukranians and Italians, but not that many.<br />
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<b style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The Basics</b><br />
<b style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Time there</b><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">: 2 nights</span><br />
<b style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Where we stayed</b><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">: <a href="http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/egypt/hilton-sharm-el-sheikh-fayrouz-resort-FAYHITW/index.html" target="_blank">Hilton Sharm El Sheikh Fayrouz Resort </a>(we got it for a family discount, which was $50/night)</span><br />
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When we landed at the airport, we got picked up by our new tour group we hired. Since we were able to get a good deal at the Hilton Fayrouz, we stayed there.<br />
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The hotel, while older, still has beautiful grounds and is on the beach. You can't beat that. After a whirlwind trip through Egypt, I was ready for some beach time... but we had our first trip planned at 11 a.m. There's no rest for the weary!<br />
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Because of the 2015 plane crash, the tour groups insist on hiring a tourism police officer to go with tourists on trips throughout the Sinai Peninsula--regardless of where you're headed. Obviously, their biggest concerns are in the areas closer to the northern part of the peninsula where there ISIS is conducting attacks. I didn't have a problem with the officer, it just made for a tight ride on the minvan!<br />
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Day 1</h3>
After we checked in, I toured the grounds for a bit before donning my swimsuit for our snorkeling trip at Ras Muhammad National Park. Prior to the park, our guide stopped off a location in town where we rented our snorkel gear.<br />
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I really didn't do much research on the snorkeling in the Red Sea but I knew it was supposed to be pretty. I JUST DIDN'T KNOW HOW PRETTY. Within Ras Muhammad Park, we snorkeled in two locations. One in a smaller cove that was pretty shallow and then one in an area where you could easily get swept away or thrown against the rocks if you're not paying attention. Both were equally majestic.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First snorkeling location</td></tr>
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At the first location we had it to ourselves. No one else was there... which is crazy. When my friend Sarah came in early 2011, she said all of Sharm and its tourist locations were packed. How quickly things change when a plane falls out of the air. Yikes.<br />
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The second location was even MORE amazing than the first. I saw so many beautiful and colorful fish that I couldn't keep count. If you remember,<a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-land-down-under-part-1-sydney-and.html" target="_blank"> I snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef (albeit a very small section of the GBR)</a>, which was great, but the Red Sea was 100 times more impressive. I can't say enough good things about everything I saw. The corals were all so vibrant!<br />
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Also, they have jellyfish that don't sting. What's that all about?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mangrove area at Ras Muhammed Park</td></tr>
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After snorkeling, we made our way back into town to get some dinner. Everyone told us Fares was the best restaurant for seafood so that's where we went, wet clothes and all.<br />
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Since the seafood was so fresh, we all chipped in for this monster of a fish! I don't know the name, but it was a firm white flesh fish.<br />
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You know what else was good? This bread. We inhaled probably 6 baskets. No joke. So airy and light. </div>
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I also had to try their seafood soup, which was chockful of seafood. They serve the soup with plenty of limes and it's a great sweet/sour mix.<br />
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The chef prepared the big fish three ways and all three ways were delicious. I particularly liked the baked dish with potatoes.<br />
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When we made it back to the hotel and got cleaned up, most people went to bed but I wanted to check out the area so I made my way down the walkway that connects the resorts to Naama Bay, which is where most of the nightlife is. I never felt unsafe walking alone.<br />
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I stopped in a hookah bar that had bedouin seating and hung out there and chatted with the business owner. I was one of only a handful of customers there on a Thursday night. Granted, March isn't peak season for them, but the owner said before the plane crash, his place would be packed and he would easily make several thousand Egyptian pounds a night.<br />
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He also told me most of the resorts have also closed because of the tourism downturn. When the European tourists stopped coming, several resorts/group started offering Egyptians deals to come to Sharm at a deeply discounted rate. I think someone said something along the lines of less than 100USD for a 2-3 night stay with food, etc. While it's great for Egyptians to see the rest of their country, the people who live and work in Sharm says the ones that came on the deal didn't give two-F's about the environment, etc. and would just tear things up when they would go snorkeling, etc. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naama Bay area</td></tr>
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After getting my shisha on, I made it back to the hotel for our second day in the Sinai Peninsula.<br />
<h3>
Day 2</h3>
This day also started off early but thankfully our tour guide brought homemade foul and falafels to get us ready for the long and bumpy off-roading trip to the Colored Canyon and then Dahab for more snorkeling.<br />
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Most groups that go out to to Colored Canyon take Jeeps that don't have normal seats but rather bench seats. It was a tight fit for our group, but I still managed to take power naps throughout the ride. I am blessed to be able to sleep almost anywhere.<br />
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After about two hours, we got to the Canyon. Now, it's not as big as the Grand Canyon, obviously. But it's still pretty nice to visit. <b>What's so depressing is that we were the only ones there! </b><br />
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The shops are not in operation anymore and all the bedouins (Arab nomads) who use to setup shop here to make money off greeting guests with tea and snacks all left when tourism dropped. What's left are sad remnants of once was a profitable business.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfCeOH6X1tO1wzewlOjUNN_L9oRzzbxJtxNjGpBdUVmtzoAfmsqPyhFbAHDSXnUAv_NeoeEXytE8SeHj0liqYO5QZCkPKeTG5jA71STFsAIAXAujVJq8oMlPi58TBb09e9FPcHuzacN4h/s1600/mary+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfCeOH6X1tO1wzewlOjUNN_L9oRzzbxJtxNjGpBdUVmtzoAfmsqPyhFbAHDSXnUAv_NeoeEXytE8SeHj0liqYO5QZCkPKeTG5jA71STFsAIAXAujVJq8oMlPi58TBb09e9FPcHuzacN4h/s640/mary+%25285%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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You start the hike at the peak and make your way down into the canyon where you can look at the old rock formations. The hike we did was a little less than 2 hours (if I remember correctly) but make sure you pack plenty of sun screen and water! I can't imagine hiking this in peak summer. Pass.<br />
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Let me out of here!<br />
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We are now all warriors!! Or playing football. One or the other. The natural color is from the red rock mixed with a smidge of water. It's basically mineral make-up!<br />
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Huzzah! We made it.<br />
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After hiking, we made our way to Dahab to snorkle in the Blue Hole. We picked up snorkeling gear right on the outskirts of time at a gas station/convenience store.<br />
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Part of the trip included a short ride on camels along the beach to the Blue Hole snorkeling site.<br />
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I finally relented and got on a camel. It was fine. But I don't need to do it every time I go to the Middle East. I'm just saying. Why do I look like a weirdo in the above picture?<br />
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Once we got to the Blue Hole site, we put on our snorkeling gear and made our way into the water. The water depth drops quick, so you're constantly going in and out of warm/cold water. What's amazing about the snorkeling in the Red Sea and South Sinai Peninsula, it's literally right off the beach. You just get in the water, swim a few feet and you're among the corals. No need for boats or anything!<br />
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A lot of divers dive in the Blue Hole but a lot of people have also died doing that. I'll just stick to snorkeling.</div>
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The fish that we came across here were even more plentiful than at Ras Muhammed, but just as beautiful. We even saw a barracuda! </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/P5WrMyyjlkM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P5WrMyyjlkM?feature=player_embedded" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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My videos barely do justice for what you see in real life. It's kind of surreal to swim in the middle of a sea of tropical fish.<br />
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The Blue Hole was definitely busier than Ras Muhammed. There were probably a couple of hundred people there that day, but apparently still a lot less busy than it was several years ago.<br />
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After snorkeling, our guide set us up with a late lunch at a cafe on the beach where we could change and relax for a bit.<br />
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Friday night consisted of dinner and we all kept it low key the rest of the night since half of our group were going to St. Catherine Saturday morning. I opted out of that for a chill last day on the beach.<br />
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<h3>Day 3</h3>
Our flight out of Sharm back to Cairo was around 9 p.m. so I had some time to explore Sharm some more.
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I started with a few hours on the beach, but I didn't really get in the water because it was so breezy and cold.<br />
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In the evening, I spent some more quality time at my new favorite hookah bar in Sharm, Moonlight Cafe.<br />
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The best hookah bar owner, Mahmoud! Hooking me up with the best hookah!<br />
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Before we left for the night, we picked up some jewelry from this lovely shop owner! He even threw in some legit turquoise (from the Sinai Peninsula) earrings for us since we each bought several things.<br />
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That evening, we all loaded up and made our way to the Sharm Airport to head back to Cairo. Before I get into my ordeal that was Cairo Airport, I would highly recommend Sharm and the southern Sinai Peninsula. It is beautiful. The people were amazing and so unbelievably friendly. <b>I can't say it enough: don't be scared to visit. </b><br />
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<h3>What I Thought Was My Last Day in Egypt</h3>
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When we all got to Sharm Airport we would find out that our flight to Cairo was running about 1.5 hours late. This really put me in a pickle because I had the earliest flight out of Cairo back home (1:30 a.m.). If our flight would've been on time, we would've landed at Cairo Airport at 10:35 p.m., giving me three hours to get to the other terminal and check my bag for the international flight. However, we didn't land back in Cairo until right before midnight.<br />
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I hurriedly grabbed my bag, said bye to my friends and high-tailed it to Terminal 2, where Air France flies out of. I got to the security line at 12:10 a.m. In my mind, I thought "whew, I made it with more than an hour to spare."<br />
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As I threw my bag onto the security belt (bag goes through security first, before you go to the check-in counter), the airport security worker said I was already too late for that flight. He said for international flights out of Cairo, you have to be there with your bag 2 hours before departure--regardless of whether you checked in online or not (which I had checked in online).<br />
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I pressured him into letting me through and I made my way to the counter, where another Cairo Airport employee said I was too late. He escorted me back out to the security gate where there were six other random people who couldn't get on the same flight as me because of the same reason.<br />
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The crazy thing was that there was no Air France rep to talk to. Just Cairo Airport employees who were useless. I could've checked my bag through and made it on the plane in plenty of time (more than 1 hour!). But alas, they're pretty strict about their rules. One Parisian man who travels to Cairo frequently for work was surprised about the changes as well.<br />
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The airport folks tried to get us resolution but nothing happened so we were stuck without any recourse. The next Air France flight to Paris was 24 hours later. One Russian girl was almost in tears because she was so ready to get home. Neither one of us had internet on our phones (the WIFI at the airport doesn't work) so I had to use my charm to get an airport employee to call my friend Salma to ask if I could crash at her place overnight as I figure out my next flight situation.<br />
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I took the Cairo Shuttle Bus to Salma's house where she woke up in the middle of the night to greet me. She was my angel that night. I immediately got in contact with Micah back home and asked him to call Air France for me and get me on the next flight. They were able to rebook me for $150 fee--I should've fought it after the fact but I was so over it.<br />
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I finally fell asleep as 4 a.m. And I slept until noon.<br />
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Although I technically had another day in Cairo, I didn't do much. I just hung around Salma's house and helped her make dinner that evening. So thankful for her and her family's hospitality!<br />
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That night, Salma and her father drove me to the airport... EARLY. I'm not going through that again. Her father even thought it was weird that they wouldn't let me on the plane the other night. Anyhow, I made it through and was finally on my way back home.<br />
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Let's just say that last 24 hours was my least favorite part of my trip. Everything else about Egypt was fantastic.<br />
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In parting, these were the only words I was able to learn in Arabic while there:<br />
-Yella (let's go! We used this a lot when it came to Sarah. Ha!)<br />
-Shukran (thank you)<br />
-Bikam (how much?)<br />
-Laa (no)<br />
-Salaam (hi)<br />
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That's all I got! I'll learn more the next time I visit. There will be a next time.<br />
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<br />Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-39759747050834526672017-04-22T09:00:00.000-05:002017-04-22T09:00:02.238-05:00Scaling down the Pho Party!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This post is long overdue, but better late than never, right?</div>
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At the end of January we held our annual Pho Party for hungry friends. This year, I scaled it back a bit and had a smaller invite list. <a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2016/02/pho-for-pho-ty.html" target="_blank">Once I'm making two pots of pho</a>--which was the situation last year--that was probably a bit too much.</div>
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The menu was pretty much the same except that I added homemade veggie eggrolls to the mix! My next task will be to write up the recipe for my mom's veggie eggrolls.</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2011/03/pho-shizzle.html" target="_blank">PHO RECIPE!</a></li>
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Spread of spring rolls, veg egg rolls and <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/joyces-vietnamese-chicken-meatballs-in-lettuce-wraps" target="_blank">turkey meatballs.</a><br />
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And of course banh pate chaud (meat filled puff pastry).<br />
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And then there was this beauty.<br />
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After I cook people's noodles, I let them put whatever additions they want into their bowl. This is cooked brisket and raw eye of round. I put the raw meat into a double nesting ice container to keep it cold! Pro Tip: I cut the big chunk of eye of round into four smaller sections and then I wrap them in foil and plastic wrap and put them in the freezer for 30 minutes before I make slices with a very sharp nice. It's the best you can do for thin slices without a machine.<br />
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Sliced onion (red and white!), green onion and cilantro for garnish.<br />
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Another great time was had by all!<br />
<br />Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-14784323173096548052017-04-16T10:55:00.001-05:002017-04-16T17:20:49.861-05:00Egypt Pt. 2: Cruising the Nile River!On Monday morning, we loaded up and took a short flight to Aswan, where we would embark on our 3-night Nile River cruise aboard the <a href="https://www.steigenberger.com/en/nile-cruises/steigenberger-minerva" target="_blank">Steigenberger Minerva</a>.<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2017/04/egypt-pt1-chaotic-cairo.html" target="_blank"><b>READ: Egypt Part 1 - Chaotic Cairo!</b></a></li>
</ul>
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We used <a href="http://luxorforyou.com/" target="_blank">Luxor for You</a> for our Nile River cruise and it was a great experience. The owner of the company, Ahmed, was able to work out a deal where for $450USD/person, we got to go on a 3-night cruise which includes all the tours and pick-up and dropoffs. That price also included a hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings. It was an incredible deal!<br />
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<b>The Basics</b><br />
<b>Time there</b>: 3 night river cruise starting in Aswan and ending in Luxor<br />
<b>Where we stayed</b>: <a href="https://www.steigenberger.com/en/nile-cruises/steigenberger-minerva" target="_blank">Steigenberger Minerva</a><br />
<b>Tour Group</b>: <a href="http://luxorforyou.com/" target="_blank">Luxor for You</a>
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Day 1 of Cruise</h2>
When we landed in Aswan, the tour group picked us up and our first stop was the Aswan High Dam which was built in the 1960s to protect the cities along the Nile River from flooding.<br />
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When they built the dam, they had to "relocate" the Nubian people who lived in the area. There were also some ancient temples that also had to be moved because the new lake/dam would've put a lot of them underwater.<br />
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After the dam, we visited the <a href="https://discoveringegypt.com/pyramids-temples-of-egypt/philae-temple/" target="_blank">Temple of Philae, </a>which is only accessible via boat.<br />
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It's one of the temples that had to be relocated to higher ground when the High Dam was built.<br />
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The temple was built for Isis during 380-362 BC. So it's not even that old compared to all the other old buildings up in this country. However, it is still quite impressive.<br />
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After we got back onto stable land, our tour guide took us to an essence oil shop.<br />
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Aswan is known for their oils and hibiscus teas. Of course, these stops are included since tour guides make money off these stops, so you do have to sit through the shop owner's scripted talk about why their product is awesome.<br />
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I must say, the shop smelled wonderful. Lotus oil was one of my favorites so I picked up some of that as well as a mix of eucalyptus and peppermint for my mom (it's basically like Chinese oil, but no alcohol mixed in).<br />
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Also, why is hibiscus tea so darn delicious in Egypt?!<br />
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After we all got doused with a slew of oils and were smelling nice, we headed over to a papyrus shop to learn how old-school papyrus paper was made and to check out some of the artwork available.<br />
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I picked up an amazing Tree of Life artwork on papyrus that I plan on framing and placing in the house! For a fairly large piece, I only paid around $60USD.<br />
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After those two big stops, we finally made it to our cruise ship and checked in.<br />
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The ship is one of the nicer ones on the Nile River, according to guides that I spoke to throughout the trip. In another sign of tourism being extremely down, during the peak of tourism, there were 300 or so cruise liners going up and down the Nile. Currently, there are around 50!<br />
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I can't say enough about the Minerva and its staff. The boat was clean, the beds were comfortable, the buffet had good food and the staff were so friendly and accommodating. Big shout out to Khalid, the bartender up in the cocktail lounge and Mohammed in the overnight reception desk. They were my two faves on the boat!<br />
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After a full day, it wasn't over. Most of group decided to pay a little extra money to visit the Nubian Village. To access the Nubian Village, you have to go by boat up the Nile. The people who live here were relocated here by the government and the government paid for them to build their homes there since they had to move out of the area where the High Dam would leave underwater. </div>
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The boat ride out to the Nubian Village was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip because this section of the Nile River is so beautiful and refreshing. </div>
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Whereas the Nile in Cairo is murky (and full of dead animals), this section is clear and cool. I just loved being able to enjoy the sunset with an amazing view. </div>
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<a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/why-nile-flows-north-more-questions-readers-180952438/" target="_blank">Did you know the Nile flows north from Burundi to the Mediterranean Sea? Mind blown!</a></div>
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You know you're approaching the Nubian Village once you see the brightly-colored buildings. </div>
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The colors are just breathtaking! The blue powder is indigo and the rest are just a slew of spices.<br />
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This kid was my favorite. He was running around and playing with his little sister as his mom was preparing some hibiscus tea for us.</div>
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On our way back to the cruise ship from the Nubian Village, we stopped off at the Old Cataract hotel in Aswan.<br />
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This place is adorned beautifully. Apparently this hotel inspired Agatha Christie's <i>Death on the Nile</i>. The hotel is now recently getting a lot of tourists because the popular <a href="https://thinkmarketingmagazine.com/eye-opener-grand-hotel-series-awaken-influence-drama-tourism-marketing/" target="_blank">Arabic TV show <i>Grand Hotel</i> </a>is filmed there.</div>
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After we got back to the cruise ship, we were all ready for dinner and a good night's sleep! </div>
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Day 2:</h2>
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As we slept, the ship sailed and when we woke up, we were docked in Kom Ombo. Our tour of Kom Ombo Temple started at 7 a.m. and we only had a little over an hour to see the site before everyone had to board back onto the ship.</div>
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The Kom Ombo temple is dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus, the falcon-headed god. At this location there's also a crocodile museum. </div>
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I will say, while I don't normally like to use tour guides, the guides that took us through the temples are very helpful. They are Egyptologists and have studied hieroglyphics, so they can explain the writings on the wall and give you better perspective on the timeline of the temple and what was happening in Ancient Egypt during the time of the temple and the changes it saw throughout the years.<br />
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Some of the carvings still have color!<br />
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My offering to an Egyptian goddess (obviously!). </div>
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After we got back onto the ship, the ship started sailing to Edfu. The 3-4 hours it took us to get to Edfu finally allowed most of us to take a breather. For the past 5 days, we'd be running non-stop and most of us were tired. </div>
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Once we got to Edfu, we had one of the best tour guides on the trip! </div>
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To get to <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/egypt/edfu/attractions/temple-of-horus/a/poi-sig/1073702/1298044" target="_blank">Edfu temple,</a> everyone went by horse buggy.<br />
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After a short buggy ride (and a kid stow-away that kept bugging us for money), we were at one of the most impressive temples I've ever seen.</div>
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Just outside the main temple though are these ancient mud brick homes.<br />
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Can you believe all this was buried under sand and only excavated in the mid-19th century? </div>
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Looking up towards the ceiling, the dark spots are from people who camped inside the temples during the Roman Empire and it's the soot from their cooking fires.<br />
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I really just cannot believe I'm seeing all this ancient civilization in real life. Shout out to San Antonio's Freetail Brewing as well! As you walk around the temple you'll notice that throughout various occupations, the temple has changed. When Christians came through, they scratched up all the gods' faces, since they don't believe in pagans.<br />
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SO BIG. </div>
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After Edfu, we made it back to the cruise ship and set sail for Luxor.</div>
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AND I FINALLY GOT TO HAVE A BEER. Mama was thirsty! </div>
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This is Egypt's Stella. A nice and clean lager. I approve! </div>
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On the second evening, as the ship makes its way towards Luxor, it has to go through the channel lock in Esna. It was kind of fun to see the ship traffic waiting for their turn to go through.</div>
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After that, it was time for the Galibaya party on the ship! It was nice the ship provided entertainment throughout the evenings. </div>
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Luckily, I had picked up a few galibayas the first day we were in Cairo. I was prepared!</div>
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Mary, left, and Tricia, right, got the fun outfits with jingles on them! This picture cracks me up.<br />
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My new Kuwaiti friend teaching me how to dance to Arabic music.<br />
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The closest thing Sarah had to a galibaya. She fails at being Egyptian! </div>
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While some folks called it a night (we had to wake up early the following morning for hot air ballooning), I stayed up a little later and took in the fun!</div>
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Even in Arabic, Marc Anthony's <i>Vivir Mi Vida </i>still gets people up and dancing!<br />
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After getting in my dancing exercise, I hit the hay for a busy third day!<br />
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Day 3</h2>
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On our last full day, we had to wake up before dawn to make our way to our sunrise hot air balloon ride over Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. When they picked us up, we had to get on a boat to access the western side of the Nile (it's apparently faster than a drive around the town).<br />
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It was dark when we started.<br />
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The group handling the hot air balloon rides were fast and efficient. There were probably 8-10 balloons all going up at the same time.<br />
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There were a total of 16 people in the balloon. Our group took up one side and another 8 people took up the other side.<br />
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The view from above was breathtaking. You're able to see the lush landscape along the Nile, but just to the west is the desert and rock. The morning we were up, you could also see the agriculture burns going on.<br />
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It's also crazy to see Hatshepsut's temple from above and to really understand how large those temples are. Just beyond the temple is the Valley of the Kings--where we'll head to in a few hours.<br />
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After an hour or so up in the air, we made a gentle landing in a field of sugar cane.<br />
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After our balloon ride, Ahmed from the tour group picked us up and we started the rest of our tour. These are the Colossus of Memnon and Ahmenotep. In the background, you can see there are several other colossus that are still being repaired and put back together. They say only a small percentage of ancient treasures have been discovered! </div>
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Hatshepsut's Temple! I'd like to equate Hatsheptsut to Cersei from Game of Thrones. <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/hatshepsut" target="_blank">She was Ancient Egypt's FIRST female pharaoh.</a> Her history to the throne is quite interesting. She did whatever it took to rule and only became ruler because she banished her stepson to another part of Egypt when he was little so he wouldn't take the throne.<br />
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Inside the temple the colors are still very well maintained.<br />
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So, when her step-son became old enough to understand that throne was really his, he came back and apparently destroyed all images of her that he could get her hands on. At her temple, he lobbed her the heads of her statues and scratched up all carvings of her face<br />
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Before we made it over to the Valley of the Kings, we stopped off a shop that makes stone products. These two men are carving away at limestone. Limestone is plentiful in the area!<br />
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On the right hand side is the fertility god! Can you tell?</div>
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Your ticket to the Valley of the Kings includes three tombs--currently there are a dozen or so out of the 60-ish tombs that have been discovered in the valley dating back thousands of years. It's so crazy that they've identified dozens but have really only excavated and maintained a dozen of the tombs where people can actually visit.<br />
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You're actually not allowed to take photos inside the tombs, so we don't have that many (some got in trouble for sneaking in the pics!). The tombs are so well preserved and the colored writing is incredibly vibrant.<br />
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We did pay extra to go inside King Tut's tomb--which was one of the tombs that hadn't been pillaged. That's why we know so much about him! </div>
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Inside his tomb lies his mummy. I didn't get cursed... </div>
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Interestingly enough, while we were there, a research team made a possible discovery that King Tut's mom's tomb could potentially be adjacent to his tomb. They were actively using sonar to determine what were on the other side of the wall. </div>
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It's amazing how much energy the pharaohs put into their tombs for their afterlife. In their case, they believed you can take everything with you when you die. </div>
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After the Valley, we went back to the ship for lunch and then made our way out to see Karnak and Luxor temples. <br />
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<a href="https://discoveringegypt.com/karnak-temple/" target="_blank">Karnak is the largest religious building ever built and it's 4,000 years old!</a> Once again, I can't believe this whole site was under sand just until a few hundred years ago.<br />
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This sphinx lined walkway into the Karnak temple. Several years ago, archaeologists made the discovery that a similar lined street towards Luxor--which builds upon the idea that Luxor and Karnak were connected via a long sphinx-lined street that built a whole community.<br />
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This is the new section that was discovered.<br />
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The government is currently working on excavating the other sections and eventually make the two temples connect for a pedestrian walkway like in the ancient times.<br />
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Since they didn't have cranes back in the old days, how did they build such high buildings? This mud mound at the base of this wall shows that they would build these mud stairs to allow workers to climb higher and higher. </div>
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A pup basking in the sun at the Karnak Temple!</div>
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The Luxor Temple before sunset.<br />
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Luxor Temple at night. Magical!<br />
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My cameras can't encapsulate the greatness of the temple at night.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ancient-egypt-online.com/luxor-temple.html" target="_blank">This is a mosque that was built on top of the Luxor Temple </a>in the 13th century when the temple was still covered in sand. When they excavated the Luxor Temple in the 1700s, they kept the mosque intact and just moved the front door to the street side.<br />
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It's amazing to think that so many of the current homes/buildings in these areas probably are built on top of ancient buildings that have yet to be discovered or may not be discovered at all.<br />
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Our last night on the ship ended with an entertaining one-man show! This is traditional Turkish/Egyptian dancing! To me it's a mix of magic and dancing! Very impressive!<br />
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I would say the Nile River cruise was one of the highlights of the trip. I thoroughly enjoyed the stops and the cruise ship itself. I would highly recommend it! I think you get to visit great places via boat--it's so much better than driving around Egypt!<br />
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After only a few hours of sleep, we woke up at 4 a.m. to get to the Luxor Airport for the last leg of our trip: Sharm El Sheikh. </div>
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Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-7916266721845885362017-04-04T22:52:00.004-05:002018-02-09T23:02:51.799-06:00Egypt Pt.1: Chaotic CairoEver since I was a child, I've been obsessed with Ancient Egyptian culture. I remember making a pretty awful mummy project in the third or fourth grade. I even tried to make canopic jars with clay, but that was an utter failure.<br />
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I also really love Brendan Frasier's <i>The Mummy. </i>I mean, who doesn't?<br />
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For the past several years, I told my friend Sarah that if she plans a trip to Egypt (she was born there) anytime soon, I want to tag along. The stars aligned and a group of eight of us were headed to Egypt the first day in March. Only Sarah and her sister had been, the rest of us were newbies! Micah opted out of the trip because he thinks the country is unsafe right now. You know, reading too much<a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/egypt-travel-warning.html" target="_blank"> into these travel warnings</a>. I, on the other hand, had no reservations about going! #YOLO.<br />
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Sarah was the hostess with the mostest and was an angel when it came to planning our vacation and what cities we would visit. We all settled on four nights in Cairo, three nights on a Nile River cruise and two nights in the beach-town of Sharm El Sheikh.<br />
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This post will focus on our first leg in Cairo, the largest city in Africa!<br />
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All of us got in late the first night, so when we got there, we went to dinner at Ahlein at the <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-information/restaurant/caijw-jw-marriott-hotel-cairo/" target="_blank">JW Marriott at Mirage City</a> and called it a night. The restaurant itself had good food and even a fun belly dancing show with a band.<br />
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On the first night, I, along with a few other people stayed at Sarah's childhood friend's (Salma) house in the suburbs of New Cairo.<br />
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This is a shot from their patio. The area is still seeing a lot of construction so people are definitely moving in!<br />
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Kids playing in the neighborhood.<br />
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Cairo is like any other major city -- people who have the means are moving away from the hustle and bustle and setting up shop in the 'burbs. There are IKEAs, big malls and everything else you would expect to see if you were in Katy, Texas.<br />
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<b>The Basics </b><br />
<b>Time there</b>: 4 nights (3 in a hotel)<br />
<b>Where we stayed:</b> <a href="http://conradhotels3.hilton.com/en/hotels/egypt/conrad-cairo-CAICICI/index.html" target="_blank">Hilton Conrad along the Nile River</a> (we got an employee discount so it was $60/night or something like that)<br />
<b>Car Service (10-passenger van)</b>: Shahd and our driver was Moustafa (although he didn't speak much English)<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Full Day 1:</span></h2>
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On our first morning in Cairo, we went to the Cairo Festival City Mall to have breakfast. We ate at this place that had the best foul (pronounced fool). It's like refried beans, but better!<br />
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The breakfast came with baskets of Egyptian bread and it was glorious dipping the bread into the foul. So delicious. </div>
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After stuffing our faces, we headed to the Hilton Conrad Hotel along the Nile River to get our stuff checked in and then head out to the Egyptian Museum.<br />
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Sarah did an amazing job and called around to get a travel van and driver for us. Since there were eight of us, it just made a sense to hire a driver/van combo instead of trying to get taxis, etc. I believe for the entire three days the cost was around $300, give or take.<br />
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The Egyptian Museum was fantastic. I read articles where before the Revolution, tourists would fill this place to the brim and you'd have a hard time walking around because it was so crowded. When we were there on a Friday, it was busy but not crowded at all.<br />
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I didn't take that many photos inside because I didn't pay for the camera fee... so the ones inside are totally illegal. Yikes.
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REAL canopic jars. I want my organs to go in these when I die.</div>
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The mummified animals sections was pretty cool. There was a ginormous crocodile, dogs and other various animals.<br />
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I took these and sent them back to Micah because it shows the ancient Egyptians brewing beer. It was the safest thing to drink back then!<br />
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So... while at the museum, I started noticing something really strange. A couple of groups of kids/teens came up to me and asked for selfies with me. Umm... okay? Some might say it's because they haven't seen tourists around these parts in a few years... I'd like to think that I'm famous for... being Asian.<br />
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That evening, we all jumped on a felucca (small boat) and cruised down the Nile River. The Nile River in Cairo itself is not the prettiest part of the river. People there joke that the only thing that is in that part of the river are dead animals. Gross.<br />
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After the boat ride, we had dinner at <a href="http://www.abouelsid.com/Locations" target="_blank">Abou El Sid</a>. Mary and I decided to split a few dishes since both of us wanted to try different things. After a delicious bowl of chicken orzo soup, we dug into a seafood tagine and Circasian chicken in a walnut sauce. Both were delicious.<br />
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The circasian chicken dish wasn't anything I've ever had before so it was a treat. It's basically a mound of rice with shredded chicken on top and then the walnut sauce covers it. It was perfectly nutty and creamy.<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Day 2</span></h2>
Our second day started in <a href="http://www.coptic-cairo.com/oldcairo/oldcairo.html" target="_blank">Coptic Cairo</a>, which is in Old Cairo. Coptic Cairo is made up of a Fortress named the Fortress of Babylon.<br />
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Within the fortress are several churches and other buildings: Abu Sarga, the Church of the Virgin Mary, the Church of Saint Barbara the Martyr, Mar Girgis (Coptic), The Hanging Church, The Church of the Monk Mar Girgis, the Fortress of Babylon, The Greek Orthodox Church Mar Girgis, the Coptic Museum and the Ben Ezra Synagogue.<br />
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<a href="http://www.coptic-cairo.com/oldcairo/church/mollaqa/mollaqa.html" target="_blank">The Hanging Church</a> is one of the oldest churches in Cairo--dating back to the late 4th century A.D. The church's roof is in the arc shape of Noah's Arc.<br />
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The Cavern Church (Abu Sarga) is the OLDEST church in Cairo.<br />
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The church is famous for being built upon the crypt of the Holy Family (baby Jesus!) where they stayed for three weeks during their escape to Egypt to avoid persecution by Herod the Great.<br />
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After Coptic Cairo, we made our way to the Citadel--a building that was turned into a fortress in the 1100s by Saladin.<br />
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On the summit of the Citadel sits the mosque of Mohammed Ali--which was built between 1828-1848. The mosque is beautiful and from the summit, there are great views of Cairo below.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Mohammed Ali mosque</td></tr>
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Remember how I told you about the kids wanting to take photos with me? Well, that happened more often at the Citadel.<br />
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In one instance, I got a little worried because what started as a selfie with a couple of kids turned into a group of 15 or so around me. Our friend Salma jumped in and rescued me from the group and chided them for being so aggressive about taking pics.<br />
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After the Citadel we made our way across the street to visit the Mosque of Sultan Hassan, which was built from 1356-1363.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite pics!!</td></tr>
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The mosque is massive. The mosque has great architecture and all the hanging light fixtures makes it a beautiful site.<br />
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Visiting all these mosques made us hungry. <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g294201-d1508799-Reviews-Koshary_Abou_Tarek-Cairo_Cairo_Governorate.html" target="_blank">Koshary Abou Tarek</a> was the only restaurant I really wanted to visit in Cairo. And koshary we had--that's all they serve there! The place was busy but service was quick and easy.<br />
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Koshary is a simple meal that consists of noodles, lentils, chickpeas and fried scallions. You top it with a mild tomato sauce. One of the best meals I ate in Egypt! For sure.<br />
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Once we got our fill of carbs, we made our way to the <a href="https://www.memphistours.com/Egypt/Egypt-Wikis/Cairo-Attractions/wiki/Khan-El-Khalili" target="_blank">Khan El-Khalili bazaar</a>. It's a labyrinth of markets selling everything from spice to souvenirs. Egypt is very much a haggling country. There are no set prices at these markets so it's really up to you on how well you bargain. The picture above shows us bargaining over some jewelry.<br />
<h2>
<b>Day 3</b></h2>
This was a big day for us. THE PYRAMIDS in Giza. We were supposed to start early that day, but our driver overslept and we were running about two hours behind schedule.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ramses II Colossus</td></tr>
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Our first stop was the city of Memphis--once ancient Egypt's capital. We stopped off at the museum that houses the Ramses II colossus.<br />
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We then made our way to Imhotep and Saqqara pyramid. While enroute, Salma (who was not with us) notified us that Will Smith was in Cairo and that he was at the Mena House (hotel/restaurant) the same day we were going to that restaurant but later that day. We joked that wouldn't it be funny if we were to run into Will Smith...<br />
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Saqqara is the oldest step-pyramid. They created the step pyramids before the more triangular ones that people are familiar with.<br />
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While we were getting into our van to leave Saqqara, our driver said he overheard that there was a famous American actor at the pyramids. We were like -- could it be Will Smith?! The parking lot wasn't busy at all and we noticed there were a few vans that might've been shuttling a celebrity. To confirm our suspicions, we had our tour guide as one of the guys in the van if he was driving Will Smith and he said, yes, but he couldn't say where they were headed to next. As we were sitting in the van, an entourage sauntered down from the side of the pyramid. And sure enough, it was WILL SMITH.<br />
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Some of us (I didn't get out of the van since I was in the back) tried to walk towards him but his security waved us away and all we got was a wave from the super star. We had to travel all the way across the world to meet Will Smith. Crazy.<br />
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After our brush with the super star, we visited the Pyramids of Giza. To go inside one of the tombs, you have to pay a few extra bucks.<br />
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If you're claustrophobic, going inside the pyramid is probably not the best idea. The route up is steep, narrow and a low-ceiling. It was a fun workout though! The tomb itself is basically a room. Once again, because tourism is down, there were no lines to go inside the pyramid.<br />
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This is also where most visitors take a camel ride down towards the Sphinx. You've seen the pics.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary taking her bear for a ride.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mena striking a pose on her camel</td></tr>
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Everyone in my group opted for the camel ride, except for me. I wasn't really interested in the camel ride, so I just took our van down to the Sphinx.<br />
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After the pyramids, we had dinner at the <a href="http://www.menahousehotel.com/" target="_blank">Mena House</a> Hotel which has a gorgeous view of the pyramids. Dining with the pyramids behind you? Priceless.<br />
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Even with a tiring day in the books, we managed to make it to Sarah's cousin's 25th birthday party in New Cairo! Sarah's family was lovely and the food they brought in was delicious.<br />
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Spending time with Sarah's family was the perfect way to end our last day in Cairo before we flew to Aswan to start cruise the Nile.<br />
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One of my biggest takeaways from Cairo was that the traffic is horrendous. Even at 1 a.m. there was traffic. And rules don't matter. Lanes don't mean anything over there. It's a free for all.
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Trash is a problem. <a href="http://kxan.com/2017/03/15/cash-for-trash-egyptians-in-cairo-can-sell-their-garbage/" target="_blank">So much so that the city is paying residents </a>to bring in trash!</div>
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The city is safe. I never felt unsafe in Cairo. You hear a lot about the Revolution of 2011 and how not all changes have been for the better. Tourism had dropped since 2011, but tour guides say 2017 is looking better--even though the Egyptian Pound is dropping fast. When we were there, the exchange rate was around 16 Egyptian Pounds for every US Dollar. Just 8 months ago it was 1 to 7. </div>
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Selfishly, I liked that the touristy spots were less busy, but for a country that depends on tourism, it is tough times. I think Egyptian officials know that which is why they're so tough on terrorism. </div>
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I was a little taken aback at first when I heard prayers booming over speakers. Five times a day, the prayers from the closest mosque would be broadcast over the intercom system. It's a little loud before dawn, but after the first day, it became a soothing sound. </div>
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Everyone we came across were absolutely lovely! The hospitality made me feel at home! </div>
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With that being said, Cairo was an exciting place to visit and explore. </div>
Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-32141145461811124272017-02-11T09:34:00.002-06:002017-02-11T11:08:56.230-06:00Jensen Ackles is getting into the beer brewing business
I am a big fan of the CW's Supernatural. I've watched it since it started in 2004 and got Micah on board when we moved in together in 2007. The best part of the show is really the two main characters played by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles—both of whom are Texas boys!<br />
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<a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2012/10/supernatural-top-chef.html" target="_blank">I've met Jared Padalecki a couple of times around Austin</a> (since he has a home here) but I've never run into Jensen Ackles. Apparently my chances of running into him might be increased due to the fact that he and his wife are investing in a brewery out towards Dripping Springs! (you know, where every other brewery is.)</div>
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A few days ago, Jensen tweeted this:</div>
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And here we go friends...and family. This is happening! Stay tuned! <a href="https://twitter.com/TheFamilyBeer">@TheFamilyBeer</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FamilyBeer?src=hash">#FamilyBeer</a> <a href="https://t.co/xXrN01H43X">https://t.co/xXrN01H43X</a></div>
— Jensen Ackles (@JensenAckles) <a href="https://twitter.com/JensenAckles/status/829500256396128256">February 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
When I saw that, I immediately started digging around to see what I could find out about the Family Beer Business Company. In the tweet, it showed the brewery would be open by spring 2017. If you know anything about Texas beer laws and zoning, you know it'll be more like summer 2017 by the time it opens.<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BQRZ92Vj1pF/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Serving people...fermented things. The Family Business Beer Company.</a></div>
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A photo posted by FamilyBusinessBeerCo (@familybusinessbeerco) on <time datetime="2017-02-09T01:12:32+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Feb 8, 2017 at 5:12pm PST</time></div>
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://micalily.blogspot.com/2016/12/a-bevy-of-beverages-along-fitzhugh-road.html" target="_blank"><b>MORE BEER STUFF: A bevy of beverages along Fitzhugh Road in Dripping Springs</b></a></li>
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Either way, it looks like construction has already started on the brewery's lot located at 19510 Hamilton Pool Rd. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FamilyBusinessBeerCo/" target="_blank">In a Facebook post on the company's page,</a> they started pouring concrete a few days ago. Apparently the brewery started in SoCal but then decided to move to Texas in early 2015. I'm not sure when the Ackles family got involved in the brewery or if they've always been involved.<br />
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Looks like their space will be similar to the other breweries in Dripping Springs: space for bands, outdoor games and food trucks.<br />
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According to TCAD records, the 15-acre property along Hamilton Pool Road was purchased back in the summer of 2015 for the brewery space. TABC records shows the company filed for their Brewery license in December 2016.<br />
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Now we wait and see what kind of beer this place comes up with and if Jensen will be a part-time bartender at the brewery, if so, I might be there every damn weekend (but only if the beer is good). Micah immediately asked if the beers will be named after Supernatural characters. I mean, it makes sense to me. A Scottish ale for Crowley will be a must.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Family Business Instagram</td></tr>
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Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-48338399566940190092017-01-17T21:49:00.001-06:002017-01-18T16:17:22.950-06:00The Land Down Under - Part 2: Melbourne<h2>
Final Stop: Melbourne</h2>
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<b>The Basics</b><br />
<b>Time there: </b>9 nights<br />
<b>Where we stayed: </b>With family in Melbourne (specifically in South Morang)<br />
<b>Highlight: </b>Hanging out with my loud and crazy family!<br />
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We made it to Melbourne the day before my cousin's wedding. Even though we had never met Julie or Anna (my other cousin) it was easy and effortless! My aunt and uncle from Vancouver were also there as well as my mom, my great-uncle and his wife. They were all in Vietnam for a few weeks prior to coming to Melbourne.<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-land-down-under-part-1-sydney-and.html" target="_blank"><b>How do I have family in Australia? I talked about it on the first leg of the trip</b></a></li>
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Julie and Dung's big day was beautiful. Julie was the most elegant and gorgeous bride!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julie and her dad at the tea ceremony</td></tr>
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There was a traditional Vietnamese tea ceremony the morning of her wedding day.<br />
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Her bridal party made the boys jump through some hoops before they could come inside. They had various games and shots of soy sauce, eggs and other not-so-tasty shots.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna and her husband Hai at the tea ceremony</td></tr>
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The reception party in Melbourne was great. The family drank a lot of wine and ended the night with cognac, obviously.<br />
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Linda said I couldn't wear a jumpsuit to a wedding, I said "what kind of nonsense is that?! I'm wearing my jumpsuit!" BAHAHAHA.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my sister and my aunt from Vancouver. <a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2013/07/pacific-nw-pt-3-vancouver-bc.html" target="_blank">You might remember her from our Pacific NW trip.</a></td></tr>
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How amazing is this photograph that the couple took? It was taken in New Zealand and they incorporated it into their wedding video. GORGEOUS.<br />
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Did I tell you how beautiful it was? Because it was.<br />
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FAMILY TIME.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom, middle, and her two sisters</td></tr>
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Congrats to Dung & Julie!! I'm so glad we were able to be there for the big day.<br />
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Since Julie's wedding was the first few days of our Melbourne leg, we were able to spend the rest of the week doing some touristy things.<br />
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We spent one day driving along the coast to see the <a href="http://www.visitmelbourne.com/Regions/Great-Ocean-Road/Things-to-do/Nature-and-wildlife/Beaches-and-coastlines/12-Apostles" target="_blank">12 Apostles.</a> This is a full day trip on some very winding roads so give yourself plenty of time!<br />
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On our way there, we stopped off in the city of Geelong. There's a cute little pier area with apparently some of the best fish and chips in the state of Victoria.<br />
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Checking out a lighthouse that is apparently really popular in the area and has been filmed in various shows in Austrailia.<br />
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This is the 12 Apostles, but there's never been 12 rock formations. Odd.<br />
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It was freezing the day we went but Patricia still managed to eat ice cream. Crazy kids.<br />
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When we returned, we took the shorter route which reminded me of Ireland--so lush and tons of sheep!<br />
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In between various side trips, we ate and drank and explored various pockets of Melbourne. We visited a few breweries but nothing blew us away, unfortunately.<br />
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What is this? It's a smoothie with cotton candy on top. Insane.<br />
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Taking the family to Stomping Ground Brewing. Very hipster vibe with good beers. </div>
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Noshing on cheese and wine flights.<br />
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The sun is really bright in Austrailia you guys.<br />
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Melbourne has some really fun night markets during their springtime. We went to one night market in the downtown area that was mainly a food fair. Tons of yummy eats everywhere!<br />
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We also went to the Queen Victoria Night Market, which is mainly focused on eats too!<br />
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One of the coolest things we did was the <a href="http://www.zoo.org.au/healesville" target="_blank">Healesville Sanctuary.</a><br />
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At this sanctuary, you're able to pet wombats, kangaroos and koalas! Oh my!<br />
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While it was a great trip, Micah suffered some major allergies while we were at the sanctuary. Come to find out, it was one of the WORST days they've ever seen for hay fever in the Melbourne area. I even had some sniffles and one of my uncle's got some pretty bad allergies as well.<br />
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On our last two days of our trip, Micah (who was already suffering from allergies) also came down with some kind of viral infection and I wasn't feeling that great either. So that put us on our asses the last full day on vacay, which was disappointing to say the least. What's so crazy,<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/29/world/australia/melbourne-australia-thunderstorm-asthma-attacks.html?_r=0" target="_blank"> the day after we left, Melbourne there was a massive allergy/asthma attack that killed several people </a>and sent hundreds more to the hospital! Even though we suffered some of that the few days before, I'm glad we got out of there before that storm came through! Whew.<br />
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Sickness aside, Melbourne was a great time spent reconnecting with family! It was so nice and heartwarming to eat homemade family meals with my extended family.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first family meal on our first night in Melbourne.</td></tr>
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I can't thank my Aussie family enough for their hospitality! They made the trip so memorable and enjoyable. We ate a lot, drank some and laughed a lot. I can't wait to return... just not during the spring.</div>
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<br />Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-49596052195742203872017-01-07T10:33:00.003-06:002017-01-08T12:50:32.242-06:00The Land Down Under - Part 1: Sydney and the Great Barrier ReefWhile most of my extended family still all live in Vietnam, there are several families that live in other parts of the world. The only family members who were able to get out of Vietnam after the war were my parents, two of my mom's sisters and their husbands and my mom's uncle. They were all "boat people" and ended up in refugee camps in Thailand and other southeast Asian countries. When countries opened up to the refugees, my parents and my mom's uncle decided to come to America, one of my mom's sisters went to Vancouver, B.C. and another one went to Melbourne, Australia.<br />
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People always wonder how I have cousins elsewhere, and that's how. While I've met most of my extended family members, I never had the chance to meet my two cousins in Australia... until just recently! (I've met their parents a few times when they visited the U.S.)<br />
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When my cousin, Julie, told us about her upcoming nuptials, we all decided it would be a great excuse to finally visit family and Australia. Working around the wedding date, I scheduled our 2-week vacation to the Land Down Under. Since I was trying to make the most of our trip, we decided to hit up three main locations: Sydney, Hamilton Island (Great Barrier Reef) and Melbourne.<br />
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Micah, my sister and I went on the 1st leg together (while my mom and several other family members went to Vietnam first). For me, I was debating whether or not to add Hamilton Island to the roster due to timing but I figured it's now or never to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef. Humans, stop destroying the world.<br />
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<b>1st Stop: Sydney</b></h2>
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<b>The Basics</b><br />
<b>Time there</b>: 2 nights<br />
<b>Where we stayed: </b><a href="https://www.rydges.com/accommodation/sydney-nsw/capitol-square-sydney/" target="_blank">Capital Square Hotel</a> (right next to Chinatown)<br />
<b>Highlight: </b>The diversity!<br />
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There were moments when I would step into a building in Sydney and thought I was in Tokyo! Kaiten sushi, ramen houses, Japanese cakes, matcha ice cream, the list goes on and on!<br />
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Since there is such great Asian food in Sydney, we did eat a lot of Asian food while we were there.<br />
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We landed at Syndey airport around 7 a.m. and made our way to the hotel. After freshening up, we decided to head over to Marigold Dim Sum, which was right around the corner from our hotel, to get some food. Marigold was probably some of the freshest and tastiest dim sum I've had.<br />
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After getting food into our belly and perusing our map (I love using real maps when I travel to a new place. It allows you to get a lay of the land without depending on a cellphone) we took the subway up to The Rocks area where the ferry terminals.<br />
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My favorite area was The Rocks neighborhood of Sydney. The old stone streets are so quaint and cute!<br />
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We made a pit stop at a bar right at the bottom of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. They had a great cider on tap!<br />
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The area is also going through development woes as well. </div>
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We also made our way to the oldest brewpub in Sydney: Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel.<br />
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Their beers were indicative of English brews and all were solid, nothing amazing, but good.<br />
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We then made our way down to King Street Wharf where we stopped off at another brewpub. We took a breather, ate some fish and chips and took in the Sydney sun from the wharf.<br />
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Instead of taking a train back to our hotel, since we were already half-way back, we just walked back to the hotel.<br />
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Since we were all jetlagged we ended up crashing that night after Micah I couldn't get into a club because I had sandals on.<br />
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<b>On our second full day</b>, Linda and I started our day off with breakfast at <a href="http://singleo.com.au/surryhills/" target="_blank">Single Origin in Surry Hills</a>. This place had great reviews on Yelp and I wanted to see what all the fuss with flat whites were.<br />
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The place, while small, is efficient and nicely decorated.<br />
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I got the beet hummus and Linda got their famous banana bread with cappuccino butter (or something like that).<br />
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My beet hummus on toast was art on plate and it was perfection. This beet hummus was creamy and earthy and once paired with the avocado and fresh ricotta, it was scrumptious. I want to recreate this beet hummus at home! Give me the recipe if you have it.<br />
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And about these flat whites. Why don't we drink those here? It's more coffee than a latte and frothier. I fell in love with flat whites after drinking this one.<br />
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After breakfast, we made it up to Manly Beach with the help of Tiffany (friend from Houston who was also in Sydney at the time) and her friend. While it was a COLD and cloudy day, we still jumped into the ocean because the waves were so enticing. </div>
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After a few hours at the beach, Tiffany and Linda broke off to try to get to the sand dunes (which they didn't make it to) and we ventured to the nearest brewpub in the Manly Beach area. We ended up at 4 Pines Brewing.<br />
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The brewery is situated right across the street from the ferry landing that takes you back to Sydney.<br />
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After enjoying the little bit of sun and brews, we took the ferry from Manly Beach back to the main city—we even lucked out and got a free ride back because the ticket machines were broken!<br />
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The ferry is great way to see the Sydney Opera House, which in my opinion isn't that interesting.<br />
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To make our way back to the hotel, Micah and I went through the Botanical Gardens.<br />
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It ended up being kind of dreary the second night, so we had dinner at a nearby Thai place and called it night before out next city!<br />
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2nd Stop: Hamilton Island</h2>
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<b>The Basics </b><br />
<b>Time there: </b>2 nights<br />
<b>Where we stayed: </b><a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/10637213?wl_source=list&wl_id=167314568&role=wishlist_owner&guests=4&adults=4&children=0&infants=0" target="_blank">Air bnb condo - Poinciana 106</a><br />
<b>Highlight: </b>Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef (obviously!)<br />
<b>Tip</b>: There aren't really any hotels here, just apartments/units for rent.<br />
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So this is what you need to know about Hamilton Island. It's the largest island to anchor the Whitsunday Islands—the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hamiltonisland.com.au/" target="_blank">Hamilton Island </a>is an interesting place because it's a privately owned and developed island. There is <b>NO FREE </b>wifi on this island. Really. And there are only a handful of actual vehicles on the island, the rest of the transportation is done by golf carts/buggys. I love this island life!<br />
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The condo we rented was a great 2br/2ba unit in an older complex but it still had a great view of Catseye Beach. This was our view:<br />
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The unit also came with a brand new buggy! Everywhere on the island you'll see plenty of white cockatoos and wallabys. There's a harbor area where the main market, bars and restaurants are located.<br />
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On our first day there, we hung out on the beach, played some beach volleyball and we did get to do some hiking up Passage Peak (about 740 feet above sea level). The hike is a good 45-minute hike to the peak, with the last section that is quite steep.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catseye Beach looking towards Passage Peak to the right</td></tr>
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Once you're at the peak, you get rewarded with this beautiful view. We made it right as the sun was setting.<br />
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We were all sweaty and exhausted after tackling the hill. Whew.<br />
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We actually did this hike as the 2016 U.S. election was being called. By the time we came down and got back to the condo and turned on our TV, <b>Donald Trump had won the presidency</b>. That happened and we didn't even know it for hours. That's how disconnected we were!<br />
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Our second day on the island was Great Barrier Reef Day! I chose Hamilton Island because we really wanted to visit the Great Barrier Reef and this is where most of the tours depart from. We booked our trip through the <a href="http://www.exploregroup.com.au/en/amazing-places/hamilton-island/" target="_blank">Explore Group</a> for the full day snorkel/dive tour.<br />
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My sister opted for the diving and Micah and I chose to just snorkel. If you've never dived before, have no fear, they'll train you for a few hours the day before your trip.<br />
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This was Linda dive training (with ze Geramsn) the day before our boat trip. That background though.<br />
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I can't recommend this excursion group enough! The trip was amazing and the service was top notch! You get fed and they'll answer any questions you have about the fish and corals.<br />
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I had an underwater camera on my head but my hair kept getting in the way so in a lot of my video clips, you see some fish, some coral and a whole lot of hair.<br />
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The chance to swim among beautiful fish and corals was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me and I enjoyed ever bit of it!<br />
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We also made some friends with some nice German guys who were also on the reef tour with us. It was just fun playing sand volleyball with them as well as doing the tour with them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having an adult beverage at One Tree Hill</td></tr>
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Catseye Beach at sunrise.<br />
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Stingrays in a little cove at Catseye Beach early in the morning.<br />
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We also got a big ass plate of seafood for one of our meals. It was glorious. Do you know what baybugs are? They're like mini lobsters!<br />
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If I had more time, I would've booked at least 3-4 nights on the island. It's that relaxing and beautiful. I will see you again Hamilton Island...<br />
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Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-20885470037055546642016-12-11T10:06:00.001-06:002016-12-15T08:10:17.586-06:00A bevy of beverages along Fitzhugh Road<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Ten years ago, the homeowners and ranch owners along Fitzhugh Road in southwest Travis County probably never thought their sleepy little two-lane would end up being home to a whole slew of companies making beer, wine, cider and spirits. </div>
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While Fitzhugh Road isn't technically in Dripping Springs, it's pretty darn close and whenever we have visitors in town, the easiest and funnest trips we do is a trip down Fitzhugh Road and then a stop at the Salt Lick for bbq. It's the perfect day trip! </div>
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Jester King Brewery kind of started the booze trend on this stretch of road when they officially opened in early 2011. I remember seeing fliers at Austin Homebrew in 2010 for investment opportunities into Jester King and fast forward five years and they're one of the hottest breweries in town and the crowds line up early for their special releases. Why didn't I invest?!? </div>
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After JK opened and started doing well, a lot of companies followed suit out to the winding road. Permitting/zoning seems to be easier since it's not in the City of Austin. </div>
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If you're looking for something to do on a Saturday afternoon, I suggest you mosey on down to Fitzhugh. Here are a few of the places that you should visit:</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.laststandbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Last Stand Brewing</a></b></h4>
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This brewery is in a commercial park that seems like it was made just for drinking (Argus Cidery and Revolution Spirits are in the same complex). </div>
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Last Stand recently expanded their facility (they took over a 2nd warehouse) and now they have a fully functioning taproom that has a/c! You know that a/c is needed when it's 100 degrees during peak summer. </div>
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For a fairly new brewery, they brew some of the most solid selections of beer in town. We always enjoy the various belgian beers they have on tap. The only real problem? They tend to brew beers that have a higher alcohol content, so I would stick with the tasting trays if you're hitting up several places! </div>
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The new and improved tap room has plenty of seating and the all important a/c. They still have an outdoor space that you can enjoy on a nice day.</div>
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Take it slow and get a flight. We have several more places to hit up.<br />
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<b><a href="http://revolutionspirits.com/" target="_blank">Revolution Spirits</a></b></h4>
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Right next door to Last Stand is Revolution Spirits, which specializes in gin. While I'm not a fan of gin, it's still a great place to visit to try the gin (samples are free) and even get a cocktail made with their gin. If you're a fan of super-spiced gin, you might like Revolution's. They put a good amount of juniper in it!</div>
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The company is also making a new coffee liqeur that is delicious! Pro Tip: Spec's sells it for cheaper than they do at the distillery. </div>
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<a href="http://www.arguscidery.com/" target="_blank">Argus Cidery</a></h4>
After you're finished getting your gin and tonic on at Revolution, walk down to Argus Cidery. They're in a green building as well, but the shop is at the entrance -- it's on the immediate left when you turn into the commercial space. It's kind of unfortunate the shop isn't as visible as Last Stand and Revolution.<br />
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The ciders they make here are dry and delicious. If Austin Eastciders has the hipster can cider going on, Argus Cidery is the fancier sister. They only sell their stuff in 750ml bottles, which I think is nice but for them to be more accessible, they might have to start canning to compete with Eastciders.<br />
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Argus Cidery actually introduced me and Micah to Tepache awhile back and we've been fans ever since. Micah now brews his own Tepache (pineapple wine) and it's great!<br />
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Argus is small but there's decent seating along with some outdoor space. The interior space is nicely decorated though! P.S. there's no a/c here.<br />
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Argus also teams up with Treaty Oak (which I will get into next) to barrel-age their ciders in the whiskey barrels.<br />
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<a href="http://treatyoakdistilling.com/" target="_blank">Treaty Oak Brewing & Distilling</a></h4>
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Treaty Oak has technically been distilling for 10 years but only recently opened their new and inviting space on Fitzhugh this fall. The space that they've created is very similar to Jester King's. There's a barnyard and no air conditioning here either.<br />
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While they're known for their spirits, the company just officially launched their three year-round brews. When we were there for their grand opening party in October the "test" beers they had on tap were not very tasty, so hopefully they fine-tuned their brews for the market. Treaty Oak follows what Ranger Creek did in San Antonio but in reverse. Ranger Creek was always going to make whiskey, but since that takes a few years to get out of the barrel, Ranger Creek started making and selling beer first as the whiskey was in the queue.<br />
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But enough about their business model. When you get to their space, there's a shop towards the front where you can buy bottles and other gear. Towards the middle is the main space with drinks on tap and a small menu. Their cocktails are priced well and I was thoroughly impressed with their Old Fashioned.<br />
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There is plenty of seating and if you really must watch TV, they have that here too.<br />
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<a href="http://jesterkingbrewery.com/" target="_blank">Jester King Brewery</a></h4>
Last but not least, the biggest kid on the block is JK. If it's a pretty day, you should expect to see a large crowd here with their dogs and children in tow. However, the lines can get long depending on what beers they have on hand that week so be prepared! The brewery has one main taproom (teeny tiny) but they supplement that by having a couple of mobile tents that have servers as well, just be mindful that the outside tents usually have a smaller selection.<br />
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If you don't know about JK beers, I don't know where you've been. They're known for their farmhouse Belgian-style beers. If you come on a day where there's a special release going on, someone might approach you about buying a bottle for them (since JK usually limits special releases to 2 per person). These people then turn around and trade/sell their beer with other beer folks across the country. If you don't like funky beers, JK also has a full list of wines and other breweries beers on hand, so you'll find something!<br />
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If you're hungry, there's a pizza joint down the hill along with another bar space operated by another entity.<br />
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For the longest time, my biggest pet peeve with JK was the lack of real bathrooms. They always had one bathroom in the main taproom and several port a potties, but that was it. After five years, they finally put in some REAL bathrooms!<br />
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Hallelujah!<br />
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Drinking on the edge of the Hill Country on Fitzhugh Road at dusk is the perfect way to end a great day!<br />
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While I didn't include it in this post, here are some other spots along Fitzhugh Road you should visit:<br />
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<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://solaroestate.com/" target="_blank">Solaro Estate Winery</a></b>: Not my favorite wine in the area but the space is pretty and has plenty of seating. The wines are a bit pricey for the quality.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.bellspringswinery.com/" target="_blank"><b>Bell Springs Winery:</b></a> Not technically on Fitzhugh, but right off of it! Solid winery but smaller than Solaro.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://texashillcountryoliveco.com/" target="_blank">Texas Hill Country Olive Company</a>: </b>Like olive oil and bread dipped in olive oil? This place is for you. </li>
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Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-83959414364016605002016-08-20T10:26:00.003-05:002016-08-20T12:00:17.670-05:00Five years of slipping and sliding!It's been nearly a month since our 5th Annual Slip and Slide party and we haven't fully packed up the slide from the backyard. It takes time to re-roll the slide and get everything nice and neat before we put it away for the next 11 months. Soon (after this rain clears).<br />
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The fifth year was another great success and was, once again, pure fun.</div>
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While I still made a big ol' batch of sangria, I did mix it up a bit by making my own kegged Moscow Mule with homemade ginger beer. Obviously cocktails on draft are all the rage, so I had to get in on that action.</div>
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The ginger beer (recipe below) turned out great—it was spicy and not as sweet as commercial products. I thought it was a pretty good effort for my first batch! And once I added the gallon of vodka, it was even better! We tapped all 3 gallons of it at the party. We also had some of Micah's tepache (pineapple wine) on hand so we threw that into the dispenser as well.</div>
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Micah decided to go with a pilsner theme, so all the homebrews we had on tap were pilz, with a Trump twist. </div>
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Food menu was about the same with a large taco bar! I did have some deer sausage in the freezer so thought that would something else for guests to nibble on. </div>
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We're in our mid-30s now, how long can we keep this up?!? As long as we can!!<br />
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And every party needs emoji balls!<br />
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This poor alien doesn't know what's going on!<br />
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CHEERS TO ACTING LIKE KIDS FOR A DAY!</div>
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<a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2015/07/fourth-annual-slip-n-slide-party.html" target="_blank">Last year's slip and slide party included more video</a> than this year's. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Recipe: Kegged Moscow Mule</span></b><br />
Makes 3 gallons of kegged cocktail<br />
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<b>Ginger Beer:</b><br />
Makes 2 gallons of ginger beer<br />
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<ul>
<li>2 gallons spring water</li>
<li>2 C. grated ginger (about 4 large ginger roots)</li>
<li>1 1/2 C. white sugar</li>
<li>1 1/2 C. light brown sugar</li>
<li>2 limes juiced</li>
<li>1 lemon juiced</li>
</ul>
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1. Over medium heat, heat 1 gallon of the water with all the sugar in a pot to 180 degrees. Don't let it boil, you're just making a simple syrup. Once it gets to 180, turn off the heat and let it cool down to 150 degrees.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubbkoO6VUTkqacnt65xUeWKbyD9u2ZUahpI4SN5wnPJNs3LEONak68LslpGMGCKdSnkQLAMEAJtkmODqidi7PKe5wUcpolPvjFqelm0YpTeWGG9p7adlr6L-7YiUC7UYdWq2gEy1VV0Y-/s1600/ginger+beer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubbkoO6VUTkqacnt65xUeWKbyD9u2ZUahpI4SN5wnPJNs3LEONak68LslpGMGCKdSnkQLAMEAJtkmODqidi7PKe5wUcpolPvjFqelm0YpTeWGG9p7adlr6L-7YiUC7UYdWq2gEy1VV0Y-/s320/ginger+beer.jpg" width="173" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ginger beer without vodka</td></tr>
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2. While the sugar syrup is heating up, trim off most of the ginger skin (it's ok if you don't clean all of it). I then chopped the ginger into 1/4 inch chunks and threw it all into a blender and blended it until the mixture was slightly chunkier than a puree.</div>
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3. Strain the ginger and save the ginger liquid. </div>
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4. Put the ginger puree into a cheese cloth or something similar. </div>
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5. Once the sugar/water mixture cools down to 150, put the ginger bag into the water mixture and let it steep for 30 minutes. </div>
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6. Take out the ginger bag, then add the ginger liquid plus lemon and lime juice into syrup liquid mixture. </div>
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7. Make sure you have a sanitized keg and add the entire syrup liquid mixture into the keg along with the other gallon of spring water.</div>
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8. Close up the keg and carb it for at least three days (this was not a naturally carbonated ginger soda). </div>
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<b>Turning it into a Moscow Mule</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>2 1.75L bottles of good vodka</li>
<li>1 C. fresh lime juice</li>
</ul>
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<div>
1. After the 4th day, test the ginger beer and see if you need to adjust for any sweetness (you can always make more simple syrup and add to it).</div>
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2. Add the vodka and lime juice. If you like your moscow mule more tart, add more lime juice. I happened to have one cup of sage infused vodka sitting around so I added that as well which made the end product a bit spicier.</div>
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3. Close the keg back up and carbonate again. We ended up serving it around 3.0 Volume of CO2. </div>
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Then it's ready to serve after it's fully carbonated. </div>
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Get a copper mug, fill it with ice and top it off with this delicious drink! (or in the case of some of my friends, they just drank it straight with no ice dilution, yikes!)</div>
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Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-61106979242195911542016-06-25T20:32:00.002-05:002016-07-02T09:32:20.819-05:00Mexico City: Besame Mucho<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When people hear I'm going to Mexico, most people assume I'm planning to lounge at a sandy beach with a Coronita in hand. But when I tell them, "No, I'm actually going to Mexico City" their usual reaction is: "Oh! Be safe."<br />
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I've been to Mexico City twice now (first time in 2008 and recently at the beginning of the month) and I've never felt unsafe walking around the streets of the D.F. (Districto Federal). As always, I'm aware of my surroundings and try to stay out of sketchy areas after dark (smart to do that anywhere!). I've actually walked in a sketchier area of Paris before and I never came across anything like that in the D.F.<br />
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When people ask me about the city, I can't praise it enough. I've thoroughly enjoyed it every time and I think everyone should visit (brush up on your espanol, though). It slightly reminds me of Vietnam with its flurry of people and chaotic traffic. You can walk along and smell exhaust fumes but then the fumes are overpowered by the intoxicating smell of freshly made blue corn gorditas on the street corner. The historic center is also a <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/412/" target="_blank">UNESCO world heritage site</a> and city is home to dozens of museums, Aztec ruins and so much more. Just go!<br />
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After my 2008 trip with <a href="https://fridascafe.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">my friend Frida</a>, I was just itching for a reason to go back. When my friend Mandy approached me about it a few months ago (after seeing the D.F. featured on 007's Spectre!) we decided to make it happen. I invited my other partners in crime (sister and Frida) to join us on this weekend adventure.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Day 1</span></b><br />
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Since Mandy and I landed first, we immediately dropped off our bags at the Hilton Mexico City Reforma Hotel and headed to the streets to find some food. The hotel is nicely situated just one block west of Belles Artes.<br />
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The first thing we found were these sizzling hot gorditas with chorizo.<br />
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The ladies topped the gordita with nopales, queso fresco and lettuce and yummy salsa. It was perfect. </div>
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We also stumbled into the <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Calle+Ernesto+Pugibet+21,+Colonia+Centro,+Centro,+06000+Ciudad+de+M%C3%A9xico,+D.F.,+Mexico/@19.4301787,-99.1450802,19z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x85d1fed5760c211d:0x5d645fbf7184c1a3!8m2!3d19.42997!4d-99.1445947" target="_blank">San Juan Mercado</a>. </div>
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The market was full of fresh fruit, veggies and my fave: aguas frescas.<br />
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After seeing Chef Jorge Vallejo, of Quintonil restaurant in Mexico City, taking Rick Bayless to one of his favorite taco joints <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/taquer%C3%ADa-los-cocuyos-m%C3%A9xico-2" target="_blank">Taqueria Los Cocuyos,</a> I had to make a stop there. </div>
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The owner literally has a vat of eyeballs, tongue, tripe and other innards/cuts of meat he braises.</div>
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We both ordered the campechano (combination of several meats) and it was glorious. </div>
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The fatty meats nestled on top of two small corn tortillas that were perfectly crisp on the edges was heaven for a measly 16 pesos (about 85 cents). </div>
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We wandered through the Zocalo a bit before returning to our hotel to meet up with Linda and Frida. </div>
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Our BIG dinner that night was at <a href="http://www.quintonil.com/" target="_blank">Quintonil</a>. One of the top-rated restaurants in Mexico City right now.</div>
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<a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2016/06/ant-eggs-grasshopper-all-included-in.html" target="_blank">READ about our 10-course, 3-hour long meal at Quintonil.</a></div>
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After getting a slight buzz from a total of nine drink pairings (one of which was non-alcoholic) we decided dancing would be the next best thing. We were planning on going to a latin nightclub but as we were walking there, there were some fun jams coming from<a href="http://www.cantinalapiedra.com/home" target="_blank"> La Piedra, a rooftop restaurant/bar</a> that lured us there.</div>
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We saddled up to the bar, grabbed a couple of drinks and proceeded to dance with some locals and even the bartenders. It was the perfect night cap.</div>
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"I got this feeling inside my bones. It goes electric wavy when I turn it on." </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Day 2</span></b></div>
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The last time Frida and I were in the D.F. we walked a million miles, went to numerous museums and experienced a lot of things, but we didn't get to visit Xochimilco, so that was on our top to-do list. </div>
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We took a $14 45-minute Uber ride down there to explore the old canals that were built for agriculture and transportation purposes 1,000 years ago. While some of the canals are still used for agriculture now, most of the waterways are used for tourism. </div>
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For 350 pesos you can rent a brightly colored gondola for 1 hour. While on it, we decided we were having so much fun that we got the 2-hour tour. It was worth it. </div>
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To make sure we were properly hydrated, we also got these 40 oz. micheladas. I mean, if the locals are drinking we should be too!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elotes for sale by a passing vendor</td></tr>
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The gondolas traverse the waterways with all the other gondolas along with food and trinket vendors. Want a mariachi band to serenade you? No problem! They're on their own small boats and the full band can jump onto your boat with ease (about 100 pesos for one song). </div>
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In order to get the full Xochimilco experience, Frida waved a mariachi boat down and a great time ensued.</div>
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Locals bring their picnics, booze and have a fiesta on the boat!</div>
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After a full day in Xochimilco, we headed home to get ready for dinner with a couple whom Frida and I stayed with in 2008. </div>
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We ended up eating dinner at Azul Historico in the mixed-used development called <a href="https://www.downtownmexico.com/" target="_blank">Downtown Mexico</a>. It's in an old building in the historic district that was remodeled about five years ago to include dining, shopping, bars, a boutique hotel and even a hostel. There is also a fabulous rooftop bar!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main restaurant space with real trees and tons of candlight</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living wall</td></tr>
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We started our meal with a mezcal served in the cutest bowl along with some orange slices. The mezcal was super smoky and luxurious, but it was muy fuerte (strong). We all had various dishes and all were solid, I thoroughly enjoyed my traditional tortilla soup. </div>
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Our friends were utterly amazing and charming as usual. Even though we hadn't seen Alicia and Carlos in eight years, it was like we've known them forever and restarted our conversation seamlessly. So great to be able to reconnect with old friends!<br />
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After dinner, we roamed around Centro Historico and then finished out the night at the Mojito Room, a nightclub with a live salsa band.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Day 3</span></b><br />
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On Sunday we woke up early and roamed the nearby streets for some breakfast tacos before we made our way to the Teotihuacan ruins.<br />
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Just to be clear, breakfast tacos in Mexico City do not contain any scrambled eggs--it just happens to be tacos for breakfast, although you can get a boiled egg added. The tacos shown above were 5 peso a piece! and these were chicharron and picadillo.<br />
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Since the ruins are situated about an hour north of Mexico City, we took the subway to Autobuses del Norte bus station. Once there, we bought tickets from the Teotihuacan bus stall for 90 pesos round trip. The charter bus ride was smooth and by the time I woke up from my nap, we were there. The ruins cost about 50 pesos to get in.<br />
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You should definitely give yourself about four hours to go up the various pyramids and really take in the vista views.<br />
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Best Tip: Make sure you also put on sunblock and wear comfortable shoes!<br />
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On top of the Sun Pyramid looking towards the Moon Pyramid.<br />
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The queen on top of the Moon Pyramid!<br />
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Sisters conquering the world!<br />
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The whole time we were walking through the ruins, we kept hearing rave music coming from a distance. We realized there was a full weekend rave happening not far from the ruins. It's definitely weird to traverse something so historic and hear raving music in the background.<br />
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After getting our glute workout in, we wandered the outskirts of the ruins to find some snacks.<br />
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A little girl tracked us down and told us to check out her family's food stall. Since she was so persuasive we followed her to the brightly colored stall and settled in with a couple of micheladas and some nomz.<br />
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My delicious mushroom sopes!<br />
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After our bellies were happy, we got back on the bus and made our way back to the hotel to get ready for a night out.<br />
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Unfortunately we had to shorten our evening walk once it started raining.<br />
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We ended up hanging out with some friends in the Polanco area before calling it a night.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Day 4</b></span><br />
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Since Frida's flight was the earliest out of all of ours, we made a mad dash to find some breakfast.<br />
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We found a great place that had a cheap but filling breakfast. For less than $4-$5 you got a fresh juice, a fruit plate, a coffee and the main entree.<br />
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I opted for the chilaquiles with verde sauce. It had the perfect tang although I did have to scrape of some of the excess cheese!<br />
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After breakfast, we rushed back to the hotel to get Frida on her flight.<br />
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Since the rest of us weren't flying out until 6 p.m., we spent the rest of the day checking out the Coyocan neighborhood where Frida Kahlo's museum is located. Because it was a Monday all the museums were closed!<br />
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Since we couldn't get into the blue house, we roamed around, shopped and took some photos.<br />
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The Coyocan neighborhood is so bright and lively! Even on a Monday morning the shops were buzzing as were the parks.<br />
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Parroquia San Juan Bautista in the Coyoacan area is a beautiful 16th century church.<br />
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There was also this artist who was stationed in the Jardin Centanario painting the wolf fountain.</div>
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For our last official meal, we decided on mole at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Restaurante+Oaxaca+en+Mexico/@19.431482,-99.147665,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m11!1m5!8m4!1e2!2s114596070218032705843!3m1!1e1!3m4!1s0x85d1fed55fae5b95:0x40d304bde20c536a!8m2!3d19.431477!4d-99.145471" target="_blank">Oaxaca en Mexico Restaurante Tipico</a>, which was a place suggested to us by an Uber driver. </div>
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The meal started with these adorable little tamales and delicious sauces. Since it was my last meal, I ordered a mezcal to go with my meal, that's how I roll!<br />
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My mole negra enchiladas. The mole was well-balanced with the darkness of the chocolate and spices. Glorious! Why can't I find mole like this in the U.S.?<br />
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Linda's dish was a lighter mole which kind of reminded me of a curry!<br />
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After lunch we made a trip to the Zocalo one last time and went inside the Cathedral of Mexico City.<br />
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Since we were still having so much fun, we kind of lost track of time so we had to mall-walk back to the hotel to make sure we got to the airport in time! </div>
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As we boarded the plane and said adios to the largest city in North America, I know it won't be the last time I visit the D.F.</div>
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To be able to travel to exciting places with people you adore, life doesn't get any better than that!</div>
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Parting shots of the D.F.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making tacos al pastor early in the morning</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">China Town!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angel of Independence</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue tile building</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belles Artes</td></tr>
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Derricious crickets. I wouldn't eat them solo but with some cerveza, yes!</div>
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And just a little GIF Action of my sis doing a handstand at the ruins.<br />
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Hasta Luego!</div>
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Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-31280969110171332032016-06-12T15:27:00.003-05:002016-06-12T15:40:53.923-05:00Ant eggs, grasshopper, all included in Quintonil's 10-course meal!<div class="" style="clear: both;">
A few months before a recent Mexico City trip (recap of trip in a separate post), I booked reservations for <a href="http://www.quintonil.com/" target="_blank">Quintonil</a>—one of the HOTTEST restaurants in the D.F. right now. I debated between Pujol and Quintonil, but figured Quintonil's menu was slightly more interesting and unique. I told traveling sisterhood that this was a splurge meal of the trip. I would usually never do a tasting menu in the states, but it's really quite affordable in the D.F. </div>
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So, on Friday night, we made a trip to Quintonil in the Polanco area. The place is small but very well decorated and uber modern. </div>
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All four of us opted for the 10-course tasting menu with the drink pairings. YOLO! We then proceeded to settle in for a 3-hour meal/experience!<br />
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If we only did the menu without drinks, it would have cost us 1300 pesos; with the drinks it was 2425 pesos. After tip and everything, it was around $160USD. Not bad at all in my opinion.<br />
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While it was 10-course meal, the meal was started with a palette cleanser of sorts with a ceviche mango freeze—which was kind of like mango dipping dots.<br />
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They also brought out house-baked bread, tortillas and bean sauce. The bread and homemade butter was amazing!<br />
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<b>Dish #1: Cactus salad with beet root and seaweed</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fridascafe.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Photo Credit: Frida's Cafe</a></td></tr>
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It was really refreshing and it was served with an amazing beet juice.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">We all wanted more of the beet juice! Austinites would freak the F out about this beet juice. It was earthy but not dirt-like (you know what I'm talking about) and sweet from the oj. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><b>Dish #2: Half moon scallop in orange 'aguachile'</b></span></div>
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The scallops were thinly slide and placed on a plate with the aguachile. For me, this was a top 4 dish. The flavors were refreshing and delightful!</div>
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<b>Dish #3: Charred avocado tartare with escamoles (ANT EGGS!)</b></div>
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Did you know ant eggs in interior Mexican food is a delicacy? It's like their caviar. Fo reals. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Frida's Cafe</td></tr>
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I will say that the dish was beautifully presented. The dusting of pepper (or whatever the black stuff is) was great. My sister couldn't eat all of her dish so I gladly accepted. The ant egg sacks don't have a distinct flavor, it's more of a soft texture thing. </div>
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<b>Dish #4: Salbute with cuitlacoche and chile powder</b></div>
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Cuitlacoche is basically a corn fungus. Sounds good, right? The dish actually needed a bit of salt but it was basically a snackable gordita. We had a really good laugh when my sister proceeded to make it talk. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Frida's Cafe</td></tr>
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The dish was served with a nice Mexican IPA but the IPAs they're making are not overly hopped like American beers. It was quite muted and great floral aroma.</div>
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<b>Dish #5: Catch of the day with chileatole made with hoja santa and seaweeds, chayote and flowers</b></div>
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I think most of us agreed that this one one of the BEST dishes of the night. The sea bass was perfectly cooked and presentation was amazing. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Frida's Cafe</td></tr>
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Tableside, the chayote sauce was poured on top. I cook with chayote all the time, but I never make a puree out of it... so I totally came home with a new idea.</div>
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The dish was served with a mezcal cocktail that had the perfect amount of spice from the pepper. </div>
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I think my sister approves of the mezcal!</div>
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<b>Dish #6: Durango dry-aged rib eye, grasshopper and quelites chimichurri, rutabaga puree</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Frida's Cafe</td></tr>
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This dish had very earthy components to it. The puree was really good and you couldn't even tell the grasshopper was made into like a rub of sorts. Meat melted in your mouth!</div>
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<b>Dish #7: Chilacayotes (squash) in homemade mole, charred tortilla, basil and lemon thyme sprouts</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Frida's Cafe</td></tr>
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While this was was beautifully presented, I thought it lacked any type of flavor. The mole was there but it wasn't as forward as I would like. Overall a mediocre dish.</div>
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<b>Dish #8: Cactus sorbet</b></div>
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When Mandy took I bite of this, I nearly died on the floor laughing. The fast she made when she took a bite of the super tart sorbet was priceless. </div>
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This was basically a palette cleanser after the heavier meat dishes. </div>
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<b>Dish #9: Berries "caos"</b></div>
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I dream about this dessert. So light and airy but tangy and sweet. It's the perfect light dessert I don't feel bad about eating.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Frida's Cafe</td></tr>
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A nice brachetto type wine was paired with it and it was delightful.</div>
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<b>Last but not least, Dish #10: Mamey panna cotta, sweetened corn crumble and mamey seed ice cream</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Frida's Cafe</td></tr>
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Seriously, how beautiful is this?? The colors, the flowers, the "dirt." Mamey is a type of fruit that is reminiscent of papaya. The corn crumble actually reminded me of graham crackers. I devoured this plate, flowers and all. </div>
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<b>Nightcap: Mexican cafe and sweets</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJskJRPM10q7iZA3FdNI2LSXpOZjnfkApWls4PCEleS2yXwCnBXxtVG7S5x6mOCT5RoZx5DwU1O09e1_WtzeckxnbnMxGjtGoC7zJtH2xCxYeL8Rn5BTAq7vXmuTr4xHNtTga1km-j2mQY/s1600/Mexico+City+-+Quintonil+%252814%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJskJRPM10q7iZA3FdNI2LSXpOZjnfkApWls4PCEleS2yXwCnBXxtVG7S5x6mOCT5RoZx5DwU1O09e1_WtzeckxnbnMxGjtGoC7zJtH2xCxYeL8Rn5BTAq7vXmuTr4xHNtTga1km-j2mQY/s400/Mexico+City+-+Quintonil+%252814%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Frida's Cafe</td></tr>
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After three hours and a full belly, we all wanted a little cafe before we headed out on the town... and sure enough that was the last thing they brought out. The cafe had the quintessential cinnamon in it which helped settle our tummies after 9 beverages. </div>
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The cafe was served with some traditional Mexican desserts. </div>
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<b>Let them eat cake!</b></div>
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Before we officially walked out the door though, my sneaky friends alerted the waitress to the fact that my birthday was a few days earlier, so the staff brought out this lovely cake!</div>
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We were so full we couldn't even make a dent in the cake but the gesture was pure love. </div>
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Quintonil, Gracias for one of the most memorable dining experiences I've ever had.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5Lzei723BJIJ1evh9RBxmu9IvaWiGEMZA6lMIkZUERT1HlOEblwOMomz_ZhvqQQ65K3x1tyH-DCZOoSkBNF4hJ4QZ6Now878xArb5e0H-Uof6EtGiCLGTKFHkEPZCj24Bc7oANAFHwL0/s1600/IMG_5593.JPG" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGk_cBJQ5adgM5YM-jdupLcTJnqSV6NH9YnQUdO23I2IUFIAL8mcyJu5XwUi-O8LjX2Vyi3hz6N639dAKNJkr4gqz3v83rAz4g4pNhGAIQYUHpzCd_oBh-NMauNTfVws5DiDrp0NC1BVG0/s1600/IMG_5594.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGk_cBJQ5adgM5YM-jdupLcTJnqSV6NH9YnQUdO23I2IUFIAL8mcyJu5XwUi-O8LjX2Vyi3hz6N639dAKNJkr4gqz3v83rAz4g4pNhGAIQYUHpzCd_oBh-NMauNTfVws5DiDrp0NC1BVG0/s320/IMG_5594.JPG" width="320" /></a><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5Lzei723BJIJ1evh9RBxmu9IvaWiGEMZA6lMIkZUERT1HlOEblwOMomz_ZhvqQQ65K3x1tyH-DCZOoSkBNF4hJ4QZ6Now878xArb5e0H-Uof6EtGiCLGTKFHkEPZCj24Bc7oANAFHwL0/s320/IMG_5593.JPG" width="320" /></div>
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I'm just glad I was able to share the experience with an equally amazing group of women.</div>
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Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-34874082666371473092016-02-14T18:38:00.001-06:002016-02-14T18:52:28.402-06:00Pho for Pho-tyWhile we haven't had any ice storms this winter (thank goodness), it was still cold enough for our annual Pho Party a few weeks ago.<br />
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This year's dinner party was the largest crowd yet! Around 40 people came for dinner, which meant it was a lively fun night. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_Y_uzgpJtBd5facwS20c_ksSCncRUYNrSDTvOlTFv_y1mKrMsUAyYt7rTc6LsmVrO4lqpNWJ54Ol02dAnFbB8gCx-ABiER3aJ4T1smQB6cEGV4sEt661NPc1SvPiFeU5ChlF-UXgKUo-/s1600/pho3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_Y_uzgpJtBd5facwS20c_ksSCncRUYNrSDTvOlTFv_y1mKrMsUAyYt7rTc6LsmVrO4lqpNWJ54Ol02dAnFbB8gCx-ABiER3aJ4T1smQB6cEGV4sEt661NPc1SvPiFeU5ChlF-UXgKUo-/s400/pho3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Since I knew it was going to be a larger crowd, I did get a few more pounds of extra beef bones and made an extra large pot on the stove to add to the large turkey fryer when I got low on broth. Since I was already at Sam's Club picking up brisket and eye of round, the store had some good looking ox tail so I grabbed a package of that and added it to the broth. </div>
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I added pre-made veggie eggrolls to the apps roster this year. While I know how to make viet eggrolls, timing was an issue so I decided to cheat and get the <a href="http://www.saigoneggrolls.com/" target="_blank">Saigon Eggrolls</a>. The Saigon Eggrolls are actually pretty legit and are a good option if you're in a hurry but still want quality. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right: banh pate chaud, veggie eggrolls, turkey meatballs, tofu spring rolls. (Photo Credit: Angi W.)</td></tr>
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The other apps were the same: banh pate chaud, tofu spring rolls and turkey meatballs.</div>
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I also made 4 gallons of cider (recipe will be up later) and Micah made some tepache (pineapple wine) along with several other brews.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manning the noodle line.</td></tr>
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While it was a BUSY night, we had a great time and people left with full tummies. That's all a hostess can ask for. </div>
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By the end of the night, I only had a few quarts of broth leftover. Success!</div>
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Previous Pho Parties</h3>
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<li><a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2011/03/pho-shizzle.html" target="_blank">2011 in San Antonio</a></li>
<li><a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2014/02/pho-for-crowd-dinner-party-for-two.html" target="_blank">2014 </a></li>
<li><a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2015/01/slurp-it-up-annual-pho-party.html" target="_blank">2015</a></li>
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Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-19777250346249453392016-01-05T23:10:00.001-06:002016-01-06T13:32:58.155-06:00Zoos and Brews in Sunny San DiegoThe Germans discovered it in 1904, and they called it <b>San Diego, </b>which in German means “<b>whale's vagina.</b>"<br />
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For Micah, quotes from Anchorman were his favorite past-time while we visited San Diego in early December. We decided to visit SD after we discussed other options and determined everything else was going to be too cold in December (Micah's a wuss when it comes to cold weather).<br />
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When planning trips, I always have to consider beer options... hence why SD was on this rotation.
While I've been to SD before (a decade ago!), Micah had never been so we figured it'd be the perfect 4-night trip. And besides, the San Diego Zoo has been on my must-see list for a long time.<br />
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Once we had the flights booked, I went searching for our lodging. After searching around, I settled on staying in the North Park neighborhood (there's a crapload of brewpubs in the area) and <a href="https://www.vrbo.com/3690046ha?unitId=3704766" target="_blank">this vacation rental.</a> The bungalow was within walking distance to most of the brewpubs and plenty of restaurants.<br />
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Since there are so many breweries in the San Diego area, we narrowed it down to the ones we really wanted to visit and then added on from there if we had time. If you get a chance, grab the San Diego Craft Brewer's Guild map from the airport or you can check the online version <a href="http://here./">here.</a> I like having a real map with the guide that I can open and close and store in my purse... I blame it on loving key maps as an assignment editor.<br />
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So, this is a brief rundown of how our vacation played out.<br />
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1. <a href="http://www.thebrewproject.com/" target="_blank">The Brew Project</a>: Place only serves SD brews. Good way to get an idea of what breweries you like in the area.<br />
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2. La Jolla Cove: We had to see the seals, right?<br />
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3. Dinner at Underbelly (a ramen place on 30th Street and within walking distance to our rental)</div>
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4. Right next door to Underbelly is Modern Times Flavordome. We were going to initially go there first but when we got there the bartender said their CO2 tank had failed and they were waiting on a new one. That's the first time we've ever encountered anything like that! We were actually unimpressed with their beer, even though we've heard great things. We didn't really like anything on their December roster. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztTg-MH13Xuz91bPdf6eYAX1FETVftm0xqrjeRuYJVFKMdqz8iclYoq1K_a6HhpeB-U4J-a2uc2lqO4vnXvZbe4Gm2Wn_N42zk8w0LGWZoOEpV78PS6IEmkFqZtqHjsIF8_jc6LHy2xAF/s1600/IMG_4982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztTg-MH13Xuz91bPdf6eYAX1FETVftm0xqrjeRuYJVFKMdqz8iclYoq1K_a6HhpeB-U4J-a2uc2lqO4vnXvZbe4Gm2Wn_N42zk8w0LGWZoOEpV78PS6IEmkFqZtqHjsIF8_jc6LHy2xAF/s400/IMG_4982.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They serve their beers in cigar boxes. Cute but not practical.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">5. Mike Hess Brewing: We walked up 30th and made our way to this place. It's beautiful and clean and stark, but the beers were OK. Not bad but not great. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">6. Waypoint Public: We ended the night there with a few beers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Day 2</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">1. We ate breakfast at Mission Restaurant to make sure we had enough food in our tummies to tackle the...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">2. San Diego Zoo: It's pricey but worth it! We spent 4 hours there and it was fabulous. There were no lines on the Thursday and I enjoyed every moment of it. I highly recommend it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">3. Stone Brewing: We went to the location at Liberty Station. We didn't love anything they had on tap but Micah did pick up a few bottles to go.</span></div>
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4. <a href="https://www.whitelabs.com/about/white-labs-tasting-room" target="_blank">White Labs Tasting Room</a>: Learning while drinking. I can get behind that. If you brew, you're familiar with White Labs yeast and a few years ago they decided to open a taproom to showcase their yeast strains - genius! I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and it's fun to see how the yeast strains vary.<br />
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5. AleSmith Brewing: Since we were already in the Miramar area, we decided to check out this place. If you like big and boozy beers, this place is for you. Their new taproom/brewery is massive.<br />
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6. Ballast Point: Since it was right around the corner from AleSmith, we checked it out too. This place was hopping! CROWDED! I can see why they got bought out for a bajillion dollars. My least favorite drink there? A watermelon beer -- tasted like a jolly rancher. Gross.</div>
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<b>Day 3</b></div>
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1. Breakfast Republic: Great breakfast joint in North Park!</div>
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2. San Clemente and time with childhood friends: A childhood friend of mine and his girlfriend were able to meet us halfway in San Clemente from L.A. We met up at Pizza Port in San Clemente. </div>
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3. <a href="http://artifexbrewing.com/contact-us/" target="_blank">Artifex</a>: We then moved over to Artifex, which I really enjoyed. The beers were solid and the price points were spot on for their samplers.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So glad to see familiar faces!</td></tr>
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4. <a href="http://leftcoastbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Left Coast Brewing</a>: Nothing memorable at this brewery.<br />
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5. <a href="http://www.toolboxbrewing.com/" target="_blank">ToolBox</a>: After saying by to Doug and MaiAnh, we headed back towards SD but made some stops in Vista. We heard that ToolBox had some good sours so it was a no-brainer. We chatted with the bartender, who happened to be the guy who helped them plumb the place and originally worked at Stone Brewing. We really liked the Autumn Bliss and took a bottle home.<br />
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6. Lost Abbey: We had less than one hour at Lost Abbey and we made it quick. Micah loves Lost Abbey so he would've loved a some more time to enjoy the beer there but they were kicking everyone right at closing time. We grabbed a few bottles to go and called it a night.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lost Abbey</td></tr>
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<b>Day 4</b><br />
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1. Coronado Beach: Beautiful day for sun and beach! We spent some time just walking around the hotel and the area around the beach.<br />
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2. <a href="http://coronadobrewing.com/" target="_blank">Coronado Brewing Company</a>: The brewpub was so busy! After stalking the bar for a few minutes we were able to snag a seat for two at the bar. I didn't love any of their beers but none of them were bad either.<br />
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3. <a href="http://www.halfdoorbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Half Door Brewing</a>: Cute place in the downtown area. I liked the gose and the red they had on tap.<br />
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4. <a href="http://hamiltonstavern.com/" target="_blank">Hamilton's Tavern</a>: Saw that they had Pliny on tap so we stopped there on the way back to the house. It's kind of divey but has a great beer selection and is well priced!<br />
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5. <a href="http://www.oscarsmexicanseafood.com/menu/" target="_blank">Oscar's Mexican Seafood</a>: I didn't get to take any pictures (I was HONGRY), but the Mexican ceviche and seafood tacos here were fantastic. Get the grilled octopus - perfectly cooked but still chewy.<br />
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6. North Park Bar Crawl: Since there are so many brewpubs in the area, we decided to do a crawl on our last night. We went to <a href="http://toronadosd.com/" target="_blank">Toronado</a> (great beer bar!), <a href="http://tigertigertavern.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Tiger Tiger</a> (not as a great beer selection as Toronado, but good gastropub), <a href="http://belchinbeaver.com/" target="_blank">Belching Beaver</a> and the last stop was <a href="http://ripcurrentbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Rip Current Brewing</a>.<br />
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Since we had to wake up early the next day for our flight, we called it a night and finished watching Master of None on Netflix! It was the perfect vacation!<br />
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<br />Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-86221111650419095142015-10-18T18:02:00.001-05:002015-10-18T18:34:13.948-05:00Guinness Nitro IPA: Not your typical IPA<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBGAGlCx6sS3s07es0tPPItCWb6kqYdtOo3uu5ttZQFUvrUuucpB-ZYCg58ard5lqy6kPULsrAMEtqOAed-fuvNz2Ws3rMfRkhzt2_oDw7qjP1UoaQ5UX7K0Uc4uk8orlHUu88ifx5vS6/s1600/20151001_183602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBGAGlCx6sS3s07es0tPPItCWb6kqYdtOo3uu5ttZQFUvrUuucpB-ZYCg58ard5lqy6kPULsrAMEtqOAed-fuvNz2Ws3rMfRkhzt2_oDw7qjP1UoaQ5UX7K0Uc4uk8orlHUu88ifx5vS6/s400/20151001_183602.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
A few weeks ago, Micah and I attended an amazing beer dinner for the launch of Guinness Nitro IPA. I thought it was going to be a more casual party, with passed apps and snacks, but when we arrived at <a href="http://austinfixe.com/" target="_blank">Fixe </a>in Downtown Austin, it was an intimate sit-down dinner for two dozen.<br />
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When we arrived, we met with Ian Colgan, Guinness' Beer Ambassador, along with several other Guinness reps. We chatted with Ian about Ireland and beer places he should visit while he was in town (we told him to check out Jester King, obviously).<br />
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Before we even sat down at the table, the table was already full of delicious biscuits (served with andouille paste), deviled eggs and a beet salad. The biscuits were fluffy, buttery and everything you want in a biscuit!<br />
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If you haven't eaten at Fixe, you should. It's "new" southern and it's great! The space is best described as sophisticated, French country-ish. I also noticed that the male kitchen and wait staff were abnormally good-looking. Just an observation.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">While we were snacking on the apps, Ian gave us the lowdown on the new IPA. The IPA is brewed in Dublin and contains five hop varieties: Admiral, Celeia, Topaz, Challenger and Cascade. I like that it is a mix of American and European hops. European hops are much more subdued than American, which I prefer. Guinness does use a similar "torpedo" system to run the beer through the hops so the hops don't clog the system and you get a fresher hop flavor. The beer is also brewed with the same yeast used to ferment their stouts.</span><br />
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Since IPAs are so popular in America, Guinness obviously wanted to add an IPA to their lineup to capture some of that audience and shelf space. The only problem is that the American IPA is so hop-forward that European IPAs have a hard time keeping up and this is true for the Guinness IPA.<br />
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When I cracked open up my can and poured it into the glass, it was a perfect swirl of nitro and caramel. Once the beer settled, it was a gorgeous reddish-brown color -- kind of reminiscent of a Kilkenny (my favorite Irish beer).<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwDj8kzyMhY7FrBzgCIo-tPNAvE2TsgISUVltPclLJqpmL0xpICj5G9Hz4gOaLkaol5F_ZufChNYkiJulEy' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pretty delicious pairing!</td></tr>
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The nose has great hop smell, but once you taste the beer, you realize it is definitely not an American IPA. I actually really liked it, which means it's not an AIPA--I am not a fan of IPAs, which is odd, because I love bitter foods, just not bitter beers. The Nitro IPA has 44 IBUs, while most American IPAs hover around 70-80 (or higher!). While the IBUs in the Nitro IPA were lower than AIPAs, the maltiness and body were a hit for me. It is basically a hoppier Kilenney!<br />
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Micah thinks Guinness should really market it as a Pale Ale -- but the problem is nobody wants to buy pale ales! Everybody wants IPAs. But then Micah retorted that Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is one of their best sellers... touche. I think marketing will be the biggest challenge for the Nitro IPA. People wanting an IPA will be surprised that it's not that hoppy and won't like it, and if you were to judge it in an IPA category, it would score really low. But as an overall beer, it is balanced, malty and just plain tasty!<br />
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The bottom line, would I buy this beer? Yes! I would gladly pick up a six-pack. And now you can! All the major grocery/liquor stores were stocked with the beer a few weeks ago. Just don't compare to an American IPA and you'll be fine.<br />
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And if you want to learn about how the nitrogen widget works, watch their video below. I ain't no scientist so I'm not going to explain to you how that thingamabob works. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qJsM_HCNqg8" width="560"></iframe><br />
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And because every time I hear an Irish accent it reminds me of my trip to Ireland, here are a couple of pics from our 2009 trip.<br />
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<br />Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-50352949493040677402015-09-26T13:15:00.002-05:002015-09-26T13:16:33.780-05:00DIY: Chicken water dispenser with nipplesIt's been four months since we got our first set of chickens and I've yet to consume one egg from my urban farm. <a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2015/06/my-chickens-bring-all-boys-to-yard.html" target="_blank">We're actually now on our third set of chickens</a>. Yep, you heard that right. It's like the killing fields in our backyard. Even with a reinforced fencing, the dogs still managed to kill two of the chickens (one died of natural causes the week before the second massacre).<br />
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Before we got our third set, we reinforced the gate again! I ended up getting chickens from a person who was actually one of the homes we visited during the Chicken Coop Tour back in April. He had three black polish hens, so I got all three! They should start laying eggs in the next few weeks (fingers crossed).<br />
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In the past few weeks, we also decided to build a water feeder. I had been using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Little-Giant-Poultry-Waterer-7906/dp/B004L62JF8/ref=sr_1_35?ie=UTF8&qid=1443290735&sr=8-35&keywords=chicken+water+feeder" target="_blank">something similar to this, </a>which worked fine but the chickens would kick crap into it and I had to clean it out every day.<br />
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So, we decided to make our own water dispenser that would be clean and efficient.<br />
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Here are the items we used to make the dispenser, which ends up holding around 1.25 gallons of water and lasts about four days. The total cost of the dispenser? $45.<br />
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<ul>
<li>4 inch PVC pipe</li>
<li>4 inch PVC cap for the top</li>
<li>One cheap door handle for the cap</li>
<li>4 inch to 2 inch reducer</li>
<li>2 inch to 3/4 inch bushing</li>
<li>3/4 inch pvc pipe</li>
<li>3/4 inch 90 degree elbow</li>
<li>3/4 inch pvc cap</li>
<li>-2 worm clamps</li>
<li>small worm clamp</li>
<li>2 3/8inch spacers</li>
<li>pvc glue</li>
<li>water nipples</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakdown of the items used and where they were used. Fancy captions, right?</td></tr>
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We were able to put the water tube together in less than 1 hour. It was a lot faster than I thought. We had to cut down the 3/4 inch pvc pipe, but that's super easy with a saw and we drilled out the holes for the nipples, but that was quick and easy as well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We drilled out a small hole out of the coop to insert the pvc pipe.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 water nipples for 3 chickens!</td></tr>
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And here are our new chickadees.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwVnoxK0zNaZqrpFgSLhAjOUqCr3JqZDln-Pf34DEnVBsqE5cnInitjAukSXS9qnuLEURYrzjtic_u3zl5eCD0k1n8IzlKDACxcxz5OzNQna2OoMf3sVdMdLtds5bU-W_5_wRACFA2h33/s1600/IMG_4862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwVnoxK0zNaZqrpFgSLhAjOUqCr3JqZDln-Pf34DEnVBsqE5cnInitjAukSXS9qnuLEURYrzjtic_u3zl5eCD0k1n8IzlKDACxcxz5OzNQna2OoMf3sVdMdLtds5bU-W_5_wRACFA2h33/s640/IMG_4862.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-88933690547627256612015-07-30T22:32:00.002-05:002015-07-30T22:41:20.393-05:00Fourth Annual Slip-N-Slide Party!Now that we're in our fourth year, I think we've got this slip-n-slide party thing down.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1zOqZuw6U1HUuRZin1466ugzOQp7RFXz7Tid2Ai2WMMpbDQQ2RLqLkvF612Os_wl88b6bNIIQjv_kcqcxxXK7KaKn7vH9wOIeKqvQKrkdp5M_cnqq2raOdfjWyYUthJUhT40PyHia0Gm/s1600/IMG_4747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1zOqZuw6U1HUuRZin1466ugzOQp7RFXz7Tid2Ai2WMMpbDQQ2RLqLkvF612Os_wl88b6bNIIQjv_kcqcxxXK7KaKn7vH9wOIeKqvQKrkdp5M_cnqq2raOdfjWyYUthJUhT40PyHia0Gm/s400/IMG_4747.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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The week before the party, Micah and I spent 45 minutes repairing any tears in the main slide and re-taping/re-grommeting any grommet areas that came loose (info on how we originally added the grommets <a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2014/07/longer-wetter-and-slippier-third-annual.html" target="_blank">here</a>). Thankfully there were only a couple of small tears and grommets that needed replacing -- which means our grommet experience from last year passed with flying colors.<br />
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Since we had the same layers going down as last year, this year it took less than one hour to put up the entire slide. Shout-out to my family and friends who helped us set-up! You guys rock!<br />
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Micah had the genius idea of doing a time lapse of the day. With a little engineering and duct tape, Micah secured his phone to the grill and this was the outcome:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="400" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QpcnSFsmPNs" width="600"></iframe><br />
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As for the food offerings, I threw around some different ideas but came back full circle to the same ol' nacho bar! I mean, it's just so easy... and I'm so lazy... and everyone loves queso... and everyone loves guacamole.<br />
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I did, however, add tacos to the menu. I needed something I could make in big batches and would keep well in crock pots. I ended up making 6 pounds of green chile chicken tacos and 8 pounds of pork tinga tacos. Both are from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mexican-Everyday-Rick-Bayless/dp/039306154X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1438311525&sr=1-2&keywords=cookbooks+rick+bayless" target="_blank">Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday cookbook</a>.<br />
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What I did the day before the party:<br />
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<li>Roasted the pork for in a large roasting pan for three hours. Everything went into the fridge. </li>
<li>Fire roasted and prepped the green chiles for the chicken</li>
<li>All the mise en place for pico de gallo and guacamole</li>
<li>Made salsa verde (recipe at the end)</li>
<li>Made 3 gallons of sangria (same one as mentioned <a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2012/07/a-big-kids-slip-n-slide-party.html" target="_blank">here</a>)</li>
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Since I had most of the food prep done, on the morning of the party all I had to do was pick up fresh tortillas and corn chips from the local tortilleria shop (on Rundberg, of course).</div>
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My sister helped with making the delicious guacamole (I bought 20 avocadoes for it) and the queso. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1tYRxxm9M28JxckUWQH-69oTudcrGxaEByYE_yS8Sqos4Yh3GHBzK0I1G8F51dwtpzGPDvPeN1Y2im069d81qqPAAxkJYMXAJvhh9wizPgA6njL76yIU4k6y95JJgU8492R8bWoQ5N4z/s1600/IMG_4692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1tYRxxm9M28JxckUWQH-69oTudcrGxaEByYE_yS8Sqos4Yh3GHBzK0I1G8F51dwtpzGPDvPeN1Y2im069d81qqPAAxkJYMXAJvhh9wizPgA6njL76yIU4k6y95JJgU8492R8bWoQ5N4z/s640/IMG_4692.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guests digging in... once again I fail to take real photos of the food.</td></tr>
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A few hours before the party, I did cook the chicken and have it ready for the heating plate. Once the party started, I combined the chicken with the rest of the ingredients and everything was ready. I put all the pork tinga into a crock pot and voila!<br />
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All the food I made fed nearly 40 people, with pork tinga left to spare!</div>
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I didn't make any sweets so I'm glad several friends brought some cookies to share! </div>
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Micah made three beers for the party: IPA, saison and a orange berlinerweisse. There was something for everyone!</div>
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Between the noshing, there was some sliding! </div>
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Since we love a good game, we decided to add flippy cup to the mix. In actuality, we just want friends to stop posting <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0ETyhahJVw" target="_blank">this video</a> to our FB pages. Slip and Flip was the perfect addition to the party! </div>
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I would say this year's party is the best one yet! We even had folks from Cali fly in JUST FOR THIS PARTY. It's that legit. </div>
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And no party would be complete without a montage of the day. Enjoy.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="400" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/738RYVcGImY" width="600"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>**Editor's note: "Drip Drop" is one of my favorite songs off the Empire 1st season soundtrack. Get it.</i></span><br />
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<b>Salsa Verde Recipe:</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>6-8 tomatillos, husks removed</li>
<li>1 jalapeno, sliced in half</li>
<li>2 garlic cloves</li>
<li>1 white onion cut into quarters</li>
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1. Put all the ingredients into a pot and fill with water.</div>
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2. Heat until boiling and then lower to a simmer for 5 minutes.</div>
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3. Remove all the solids and place into a blender.</div>
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4. Add a bunch of cilantro and juice of one lime.</div>
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5. Blend together. Season with salt and more lime if needed.</div>
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<br />Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-88341311921687211532015-06-19T19:59:00.001-05:002015-06-19T22:48:12.398-05:00My Chickens Bring All the Boys to the Yard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2015/04/chicken-coop-for-soul.html" target="_blank">Last I left you guys, we were deciding what kind of chickens to get</a>. Micah said, "If we're going to have chickens, they're going to be cool chickens." </div>
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With that in mind, I went to good old Craigslist and came across some Polish chickens. I was immediately smitten by their bouffant! I mean, it's absolutely ridiculous!</div>
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While they're not prolific egg layers, they are fun to look at. I found a lady in Leander who had several Polish hens to choose from and we settled on these two ladies.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWzxiGWT3nrFtRDrIfpuV8007GG1L1xqm-KbNApnbSR6EyASqh3fnuxr5OFKijLgmmXx0Z9PGBwIP6lFarefVMFMRv748oCX40SGEgILLPxyZTbIWpfziaNNaVvxIrOJmQNuhOUAw0pJC/s1600/chicken2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWzxiGWT3nrFtRDrIfpuV8007GG1L1xqm-KbNApnbSR6EyASqh3fnuxr5OFKijLgmmXx0Z9PGBwIP6lFarefVMFMRv748oCX40SGEgILLPxyZTbIWpfziaNNaVvxIrOJmQNuhOUAw0pJC/s640/chicken2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We got them in early May and they were about 2.5 months old. They were rambunctious and the golden laced one (black top) was feisty and wanted to get out immediately. Don't they kind of resemble Big Bird? </div>
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By June, the hens were getting a lot bigger. They started digging around the roosting box more so I figured they were going to start laying eggs within the next few weeks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzOfr3B6_6I9lHUwZj45gyJS9Hb5vBqJvRIwjPg54XpdpoqIZZv1meLRgFD63t6ZikaR7P5ZuGAW9gG0ViBq6CUX9WCFUNp0mQupPA7Uc32PXv4gb_83ay4ET_WL7-ZkQHvD_m9vTZJN2/s1600/10156175_10205649470648360_9150362143115220292_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzOfr3B6_6I9lHUwZj45gyJS9Hb5vBqJvRIwjPg54XpdpoqIZZv1meLRgFD63t6ZikaR7P5ZuGAW9gG0ViBq6CUX9WCFUNp0mQupPA7Uc32PXv4gb_83ay4ET_WL7-ZkQHvD_m9vTZJN2/s400/10156175_10205649470648360_9150362143115220292_n.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
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But an unfortunate thing happened in mid-June. While out at dinner, we let the dogs out in the backyard for a few hours and when Micah came home, he was greeted with nothing but feathers in the yard. </div>
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Our dogs had slaughtered the hens. </div>
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<span style="text-align: right;">I'll spare you the gory details; but while the black chicken's carcass was found, the red one was nowhere to be found. Spark's (our corgi) belly on the other hand, was 3x it's regular size! That's where the red chick went. [cue sad face]. </span></div>
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We think our dogs managed to push the gate in far enough to where the chickens got scared and made a run for it.</div>
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Both dogs slept outside that night. Even with her bloated tummy, Spark was probably the happiest Corgi in the whole wide world. </div>
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After recuperating from the loss, Micah found a woman a few days ago who had numerous Polish hens to choose from. Micah was a trooper and picked these hens out (he said her backyard had 100 chickens and reeked!). </div>
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This time, we got three hens. These fellas are bit younger than the ones we originally got, but they're still funny as hell.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTet1G7Ze515EH6xCJInu40vZWfht44LYZBRjI23mH6UV5psWFt0AO8vygIX6fs-V3i-NPZ6ZU293pYFmsY0jAcVIYEnyjScbA-nWshXtyAokUcGuBD8_QO3IPluKt-fDkhQrmvts12Gz/s1600/20150619_190333_Richtone%2528HDR%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTet1G7Ze515EH6xCJInu40vZWfht44LYZBRjI23mH6UV5psWFt0AO8vygIX6fs-V3i-NPZ6ZU293pYFmsY0jAcVIYEnyjScbA-nWshXtyAokUcGuBD8_QO3IPluKt-fDkhQrmvts12Gz/s640/20150619_190333_Richtone%2528HDR%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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There's a silver laced, gold laced (middle) and buff laced (white one). They were pretty timid when we first got them and they don't mind being handled at all, unlike our last two. Apparently these are "show" chickens because theire bouffant is larger than normal... which means I can barely see their eyes! IT CRACKS ME UP!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJihiwoOHmEWY8uentSU6vVZh4b06SHYIuBffGT6CvTRFJCnNZYMAoDCWaVH0BDsXU4j_R_Mpf85qZgZO3Iw1PMjzz-ysR5UaNhio433lbz96bpE60k_6oU1Bct9VhVlEjrswicIvCyRoi/s1600/20150619_190727_Richtone%2528HDR%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJihiwoOHmEWY8uentSU6vVZh4b06SHYIuBffGT6CvTRFJCnNZYMAoDCWaVH0BDsXU4j_R_Mpf85qZgZO3Iw1PMjzz-ysR5UaNhio433lbz96bpE60k_6oU1Bct9VhVlEjrswicIvCyRoi/s400/20150619_190727_Richtone%2528HDR%2529.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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This lady says: Whatcha looking at homie?? </div>
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To deter the dogs from ever feasting on our chickens again, we are trying to train them with a shock collar perimeter. We hope to only use it a few times before they learn not to go anywhere near the coop. </div>
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With an egg shortage, I really need these hens to start laying eggs ASAP. </div>
Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874441724430110597.post-91397950212100320612015-04-30T21:20:00.001-05:002015-04-30T21:20:45.129-05:00Chicken Coop for the Soul<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's official. After four years of living in Austin, we are now Austin hipsters (not East Austin), but close enough. Our yards are xeriscaped, I have a <a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2013/05/cage-stake-or-sprawl.html" target="_blank">garden </a>in the backyard, Micah brews (hobby prior to moving to Austin) and now we have a chicken coop!</div>
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I'm not even joking, a chicken coop -- sans chicken. </div>
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We weren't planning on getting chickens, but this red beauty came into our life a few weeks ago.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhNsnbe0nWiVcSibU2MMEiapb2eIjo4pShlXLCh8yfvE6twSC2bxzUh8MCA6lWka_2zJeEgTVH3VcsomgjNu_TJn7PFTT0ABPBp9-Fbw47t6LmF3dVXMkM513asyghVY7nZZd6KzeVxky/s1600/IMG_4218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhNsnbe0nWiVcSibU2MMEiapb2eIjo4pShlXLCh8yfvE6twSC2bxzUh8MCA6lWka_2zJeEgTVH3VcsomgjNu_TJn7PFTT0ABPBp9-Fbw47t6LmF3dVXMkM513asyghVY7nZZd6KzeVxky/s1600/IMG_4218.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Let me tell you how this all came about. On the Saturday before Easter, Micah's parents came to Austin for the weekend. Since his parents own several chickens, I figured it would be fun to go to the <a href="http://austincooptour.org/" target="_blank">Funky Chicken Coop Tour</a> (Yes, Austin has funky chicken coop tours, it's that kind of city). I bought 4 tickets online and off we went! The tour is actually really fun and informative. There were some homes that had a huge space for their chickens... and even turkeys and ducks!</div>
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At the end of the day, we were sitting at Meridian Hive Meadery tasting some meads when someone from the tour called my cellphone. I thought we had left something behind at one of the homes. The lady asked for Clyde (Micah's dad) and while he was speaking to her we realized we had won something.</div>
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What we didn't really grasp was that it was the GRAND PRIZE! I didn't even realize that when you bought tickets online, you're automatically entered into a raffle for various prizes. Apparently we won the grand prize! The grand prize was this red chicken coop.</div>
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They asked if they could deliver that evening. I looked at Micah and he wasn't amused. We made room for it in the driveway that night. </div>
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Specs on the coop: 5' x 6', fiberglass composite construction, gelcoat surface, sliding windows, rear ventilation screens, built-in nesting boxes, chicken door and the lovely bright red paint! It really is well constructed. These types of coops are usually priced at $1,500! Crazy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIO_6z2j6zTjvQwOnB9yZwa8jCJvoiQbVhE8R-lXuuyydhq0H7Jh18wiZkIw6QhkpFfucP4A5usn6pm6eEl_i1qlk4cB6uvTz5UdqzTO1F_W7hyphenhyphenpencEpo6xeTBMM-N3e9vtquw9L6RsS/s1600/IMG_4469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIO_6z2j6zTjvQwOnB9yZwa8jCJvoiQbVhE8R-lXuuyydhq0H7Jh18wiZkIw6QhkpFfucP4A5usn6pm6eEl_i1qlk4cB6uvTz5UdqzTO1F_W7hyphenhyphenpencEpo6xeTBMM-N3e9vtquw9L6RsS/s1600/IMG_4469.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Inside the coop. It's a mansion!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkWttppIBJkPcZfRKJCfkih5JWbjXAtk8KNW-1yXxKHZwtk5kOHdwhiC35XyCMcsz4VZO-XXNjhdq7PV3_HLxoA1xV6DwRjAl02_l4kBaoc0SRv-EAfWJd5FCRJ1k_hyphenhyphenXd2lgCME91c8R/s1600/IMG_4468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkWttppIBJkPcZfRKJCfkih5JWbjXAtk8KNW-1yXxKHZwtk5kOHdwhiC35XyCMcsz4VZO-XXNjhdq7PV3_HLxoA1xV6DwRjAl02_l4kBaoc0SRv-EAfWJd5FCRJ1k_hyphenhyphenXd2lgCME91c8R/s1600/IMG_4468.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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The coop holds six chickens comfortably. Look at all these nesting boxes! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimzg3Cgz_8JnHPXZL7VuCbYVvvmPZgnSxu5b3eoNEPWMqIe33lXwHils3FOtMPX4xK_khOcpNPE__xbHzMz-7TAnrQm3pHK0KZ2YjgXti-1TtL612TbE7JPSRISBfWoMpoxe7s2FAVu63/s1600/20150404_181521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimzg3Cgz_8JnHPXZL7VuCbYVvvmPZgnSxu5b3eoNEPWMqIe33lXwHils3FOtMPX4xK_khOcpNPE__xbHzMz-7TAnrQm3pHK0KZ2YjgXti-1TtL612TbE7JPSRISBfWoMpoxe7s2FAVu63/s1600/20150404_181521.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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You can tell by this photo that Micah is beyond thrilled this was sitting in our driveway. While we weren't 100 percent sure we were going to keep it, I wanted to sleep on it and see what to do with it. I offered it to Micah's parents but they already have a chicken coop so being their lovely selves, they told us to keep it! "It's a sign!" they said. A sign from the fresh egg gods.<br />
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After sleeping on it and talking it through, we decided to keep it. Micah and his dad took down a part of the back fence and we rolled it into the backyard.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Y_hrt4wWkMPS2igKSTtFMN9Js0_Mgb0sruCGk7qNKETszTDh3Y4Txgafn4ZrX06nTPSmchV7Lv88JVw5e46s1yLyR0vYWZPHyRE730fBjuYxFH_kFYa51KVhLigMxFcM6zGBE7OGLmIr/s1600/IMG_4217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Y_hrt4wWkMPS2igKSTtFMN9Js0_Mgb0sruCGk7qNKETszTDh3Y4Txgafn4ZrX06nTPSmchV7Lv88JVw5e46s1yLyR0vYWZPHyRE730fBjuYxFH_kFYa51KVhLigMxFcM6zGBE7OGLmIr/s1600/IMG_4217.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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After looking at various locations in the backyard, we decided on this spot. It's an area where the grass doesn't grow that well and we can cordon it off without too much effort. A lot of friends were worried this coop would take away the space for our <a href="http://micalily.blogspot.com/2014/07/longer-wetter-and-slippier-third-annual.html" target="_blank">slip-n-slide party</a>, it doesn't. Calm down, friends.<br />
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To give the chickens good walking space, we put down a metal border and put down some rubber mulch. We also put in pavers set in concrete for a firm footing. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfQ4D-3MVz1UszYnLwAWjjH9HVt2KeNJZzUnJ-C6eN9xcWq4ipuAaE5nFAQ_5uEpp1Q0ZksUA6MX63WoIAA7-o9TrBj5TYGfal1poAoUUN6B8zLbnzhzg3INw8P34LP4xzznJEDZL756A/s1600/IMG_4464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfQ4D-3MVz1UszYnLwAWjjH9HVt2KeNJZzUnJ-C6eN9xcWq4ipuAaE5nFAQ_5uEpp1Q0ZksUA6MX63WoIAA7-o9TrBj5TYGfal1poAoUUN6B8zLbnzhzg3INw8P34LP4xzznJEDZL756A/s1600/IMG_4464.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Because we can't let the chickens have free range of the backyard, we had to find a way to fence it off. After spending $150 at Home Depot for fencing items, we came up with this plan.<br />
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Without much help from me, Micah put up the metal posts and built the gate frame! It's that engineering mind! I'm glad he's able to do that stuff, because I know I'm no good at that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxoZdTtcA_sxTtIU0kU9rWz1amhbiiS-DHiy8vqwJz7Vjx9iTuTnW3KsXP5XzMpIdwUUmEHXRHsIlSQkQpohxgKqpAyfJqYKp_eKldG0tSVZUmiE7DeG_PtATMcj1zbHm9EAAEMMpWRdSs/s1600/IMG_4466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxoZdTtcA_sxTtIU0kU9rWz1amhbiiS-DHiy8vqwJz7Vjx9iTuTnW3KsXP5XzMpIdwUUmEHXRHsIlSQkQpohxgKqpAyfJqYKp_eKldG0tSVZUmiE7DeG_PtATMcj1zbHm9EAAEMMpWRdSs/s1600/IMG_4466.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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This gate will keep the chickens in and the doggies out. There's a latch on it so I can get in and clean out the area if need be.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLjOjK-ToQvgxxjJ8SnP4KM36RRepldeB244rGNh37o483tDHvcyirsiMfp6eDH70_26xf6z4WBTGmSq8eyHLPFcrdnUIdv6vjFeMgsvpRK1bnQBpFWmBrPHXeOJ9_kRe6KKiaRpuNvrT/s1600/IMG_4467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLjOjK-ToQvgxxjJ8SnP4KM36RRepldeB244rGNh37o483tDHvcyirsiMfp6eDH70_26xf6z4WBTGmSq8eyHLPFcrdnUIdv6vjFeMgsvpRK1bnQBpFWmBrPHXeOJ9_kRe6KKiaRpuNvrT/s1600/IMG_4467.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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View of the gated area from the terrace. I thought it wasn't going to be enough space for the chickens, but really is a large space. For a cover, we're going to use a bird netting to drape and secure over the top. Hopefully that'll keep out any other rascals.<br />
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And by rascal, I mean T-Rex. He wants chickens.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyz73Zo0DCgdNvgexQVGjAqENn1wKn3mXGBK0wmSWAfk299mqkHfxeJOKmSSS6kf3AZZ75ag9ma5P8pp-g6GQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Not only does T-Rex wants chickens, so does our big dog, Porter. This video is of Porter running around the chicken coop at Micah's parents house.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-q0rFYI5UdlFw-h_LiSjirlsFqwbBkRrfTVzRgPote7wSoN26xQHoI1_MGA893yYeFJk8qtznW-ENu_TJf-oeFPmklXAQgJyu9jbiBcBCrrwfQUlxnZ0j0MxSoumWvLtEXTTpRKuVp8b/s1600/porter+nose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-q0rFYI5UdlFw-h_LiSjirlsFqwbBkRrfTVzRgPote7wSoN26xQHoI1_MGA893yYeFJk8qtznW-ENu_TJf-oeFPmklXAQgJyu9jbiBcBCrrwfQUlxnZ0j0MxSoumWvLtEXTTpRKuVp8b/s1600/porter+nose.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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Porter nearly lost his snout! The chickens didn't take it easy on him when he put his snout against the fencing. Hopefully he's learned his lesson and won't do that to our chickens.<br />
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Now that we have a chicken coop, the biggest decision is deciding which chickens I should get. There are several types out there. I think we're going to start with two chickens and go from there.<br />
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So a question for the folks who have chickens, what type should I get and why?<br />
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<b>Other Chicken Thoughts</b><br />
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If you think it's cheaper to have chickens lay your fresh eggs, it's not. It's still cheaper to go to the grocery store. But, we will have a sustainable program going on because chickens love spent grain -- so when Micah brews, the chickens will have delicious spent grain to nibble on. We're living that sustainable life.<br />
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People also think farm fresh eggs taste better than caged, mass-produced eggs, but <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/08/what-are-the-best-eggs-cage-free-organic-omega-3s-grocery-store-brand-the-food-lab.html" target="_blank">Serious Eats put that to the test </a>and determined most people can't tell the difference when it comes to taste. But if eating "organic and free range" eggs make you feel better, than have at it! I really just like the idea of colorful eggs and being able to go to my backyard for eggs!<br />
<br />Calilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09515730762237167474noreply@blogger.com1