The Keys to Enjoyment Day #3: Our Final Day in Key Largo

by reissmd, posted in Key Largo

Last night we had a great dinner at the Atlantic’s Edge restaurant located in the Cheeca Lodge and Spa. The hotel complex was a favorite of George H.W. Bush who put his name on two different fishing contests sponsored by the hotel. Jack Nicklaus was also a frequent guest and he designed their 9 hole golf course. There are a lot of photos of both of them at the hotel (including one of Nicklaus playing tennis). Other celebrities who purportedly frequented this hotel include baseball legend Ted Williams, sportscaster Curt Gowdy, and actors (husband and wife) Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. The hotel can now boast of a visit by the famous travel blogger Robert Reiss.

For dinner we had the yellow snapper which was recommended to us by Patrice’s sister (and loyal blog follower), Fern. We both loved the dish. See below.

As was the case last night Patrice had the Lobster Mac and Cheese. This time we shared it as an appetizer.

This morning I got up early and RAN 3.2 miles in the hotel fitness room. It was very crowded and some jerk asked me, “Sir, how long until you are done with your walk?”. Grrrrrrr!

We then had breakfast and we were off. Patrice found something that looked very interesting. Not too far north is the Everglades Alligator Farm. It included a ride in their air boat (very similar to the one that capsized in Miami two days ago) and a lecture about these fascinating creatures. The ride was disappointing unless you are interested in getting your pants soaked. The lecture was a little more interesting. I would recommend you take a pass on this adventure. We did get a nice look at a number of their gators. That was interesting. See below.

Our guide said that, unlike crocodiles, alligators don’t eat people. I prefer not to test the vericity of his statement.

One other thing I liked about the alligator farm was how they acknowledged my celebrity. See below.

I thanked the staff but asked that they keep others from asking for autographs.

Then it was back to the hotel to do my favorite activity, chill by the pool. This place is really beautiful. Here are some pictures:

A view of the pool.
Playa Largo Resort and Spa lobby.
Our room.

In the early evening I logged in to my book group meeting back home and then it was off to dinner. Patrice found a gem on Yelp called, Hobo’s Cafe (101691 Overseas Hwy, Key Largo, FL 33037). It is a low key restaurant (oops, unintended pun) with excellent parking, service, and oh yes, food. Prices are reasonable. Very reasonable compared to the other places we have been to on this trip.

I had the Lobster and Shrimp Po Boy. Yum.
I am sure you could guess by now, Patrice had the Lobster Mac and Cheese.
We shared the Cracked Conch (again, pronounced like conk) as an appetizer. We liked the Conch Fritters at Sol much more than this.
I think we look like happy diners, no?

Tomorrow is getaway day. Not sure if I will have much to post. I am not sure if it will matter because I am only seeing a handful of comments. Is it time to close this thing down? If you are reading, please make comments.

Later, y’all.

The Keys to Enjoyment: Day #2 “The Longest Day”

by reissmd, posted in Key West

Last night we had a great meal at the hotel restaurant called “Sol”.  One of our friends, Michael  (yes, it seems like almost all of my friends are named Michael which makes remembering their names easier) heard we were coming to the Keys and had some recommendations. Michael is from Chicago and as a kid his family would often vacation in the Keys.  He said we had to have “Conch” (pronounced “conk” by locals).  Last night we saw it on the menu as an appetizer.  We gave it a try and were not disappointed. See below. 

Conch Fritters from Sol in the Playa Largo Resort and Spa. They were spectacular.

The main courses were also delicious.  See below.

Patrice had the LOBSTER Mac and Cheese. When we were dating she was so frugal. What happened?
I had the Red Snapper and it was superb.

After dinner we did some reading and then it was off to bed. We were exhausted. We had a very restful night most likely due to our absurdly early departure yesterday. As we were leaving for breakfast this morning we encountered the housekeeping person entering our room. We had a couple of requests and she didn’t understand so she asked us “In Spanish?”. I thought this was a bit odd because her nametag said she was from Haiti. Don’t they speak French there? Anyway we tried our best to use our Spanish to get our requests understood. With that accomplished Patrice said goodbye in her best Spanish saying, “Vamos a desayunar” (We are going to breakfast). She didn’t seem to understand so I repeated it thinking maybe Patrice spoke too fast. The housekeeper looked at us and said, “In Spanish?”. So much for our many hours of practice on Duolingo.

After a quick breakfast we set out to explore the island. We drove 95 miles south to Key West. Unfortunately I think we did not prepare well for this trip. An air flight from Miami would have been a much better decision. The drive was on the single lane State Highway #1 with traffic limiting our speed from 55 to as slow as 8 mph. It was a difficult drive and not worth the effort.

Key West is an interesting town with lots of bars and restaurants. There are some tourist attractions and bars. And did I mention there are some bars? We decided to visit Ernest Hemingway’s Key West home. Seeing the house was of modest interest. They had a number of pictures and information on the walls that was much more appealing to me. I did find one thing very interesting. They had numerous signs cautioning guests not to sit on or even touch any of the furniture. See below.

It’s understandable that they would want to preserve the furniture at this historical structure.

We were told that 59 cats live on the property and all are descendants of Hemingways original cats. Apparently staying off the furniture doesn’t apply to them. See below

One of the Hemingway cats on “Papa’s” bed. I suppose the cat was too close to the sign to read it. Maybe the cat was from Haiti?

After Hemingway’s house we were off to see Harry Truman’s Key West White House. It was a short walk from the Hemingway location. I was unaware of Truman’s remote White House. I certainly knew about FDR going to the Maryland retreat that Dwight Eisenhower christened Camp David (after his grandson, David Eisenhower) but I never knew about Truman’s love of Key West.

After paying tribute to Harry S. it was off to dinner and back to the hotel. More about dinner later. I need to get some sleep. Today was exhausting.

The Keys to Enjoyment: Day #1 “All Hail Cesar!”

by reissmd, posted in Florida Keys

Loyal followers of this blog remember that in January of 2023 I ignored my USC Trojan heritage and joined UCLA at their Palos Verdes office.  Two months later, in March, I was still trying to figure how to how get to the office and write a note on the electronic medical record.  Since I was so slow using the computer I would try to save time by checking my upcoming schedule.  On one occasion I saw a full slate of patients for Wednesday and Thursday but no one on Friday.  How could that be, I thought?   I soon realized that none of the other doctors had any patients scheduled.  I later found out that the office was closed in observance of Cesar Chavez day.  I have to plead guilty that I never heard of this holiday. For those interested, President Barack Obama declared March 31st a day to honor the activist, in 2014.  Only 7 states observe the day.  Lucky for me all California state agencies are closed and thus I have the day off. 

We found out about the Cesar Chavez Day holiday too late to take proper advantage of this surprise gift last year. This year we had plenty of time to decide where we should go. We talked about the Bay Area but we go there frequently.  We also considered San Diego but frequent trips there made that seem less attractive.  Las Vegas is close but we don’t like gambling, alcohol, or smoking so that didn’t seem like a good fit.  Finally we decided it was only fitting that we honor Mr. Chavez by either going to Mexico (he was born in Arizona but was of Mexican heritage) or the grape growing regions of northern central California (where he had a major impact on the farmworkers). So with that in mind we agreed to go to the Florida Keys. 

Why the Florida Keys you might be asking.  What do the Keys have to do with Cesar Chavez.  I don’t know but I’ll try to make something up later.  The real reason is that we both love the Beach  Boys song “Kokomo” and always wanted to visit the place.  I’m sure you remember the lyrics:

Off the Florida Keys; There’s a place called Kokomo; That’s where you want to go; To get away from it all; Bodies in the sand; Tropical drink melting in your hand; We’ll be falling in love; to the rhythm of a steel drum band; Down in Kokomo

That settled it, the Florida Keys and Kokomo Beach would be our destination.  We booked our flight and to honor Humphrey Bogart found a hotel in Key Largo.  We would have stayed at Kokomo Beach  but we found out they don’t have hotels.  The reason being there isn’t a Kokomo beach.  There is a city called Kokomo but it’s located in Indiana.  No Kokomo in the Florida Keys in spite of what The Beach Boys said. 

When I shared our travel plans with some friends they all seemed very excited.  “They have great deep sea fishing!”….. hmmm, I get seasick on boats.  “The SCUBA diving is the best down there!”…… hmmm, my ears start hurting when I’m at the bottom of an 8 foot deep pool.   “You’ll have a great time basking in the sun by the pool!” …….. hmmm, ever since I had that huge skin cancer removed from my face laying out in the sun has not been one of my favorite activities.  

I thought for a bit and decided I had to tell Patrice that this wasn’t happening.  So I called out to her , “Honey!”

Then I realized  our airline tickets were not refundable and we paid for the hotel and rental car in advance.  

Patrice replied “Yes?”  

“I just wanted tell you that I’m really looking forward to our trip”

The flight from LAX departed this morning at 6 AM.  I know that sounds early but just think of it as 9 AM Miami time.  It was a very uneventful flight to Miami.  We picked up our rental car then headed to the Playa Largo Resort and Spa in Key Largo.  It was about 65 miles from the airport and mostly on a 1-lane highway so it took us an hour and a half to get to the hotel. It was worth the drive; this place is gorgeous.  There is very intense security as well. When we drove up we were stopped by a guard. He checked a list to see if we were indeed checking in and then motioned us to enter the complex. In addition to the exterior being lovely they have a beautiful lobby, outside, the gardens, pools, and beach complement each other perfectly.

In addition to being a beautiful hotel and location it is very high-tech.  Check out the room key.  See Below

The rectangle attached to the band is our room key. No comments about my scrawny wrist please.

This high-tech key is fantastic. You don’t have to worry about misplacing your key or having it come out of your pocket while swimming. If your hands are full you don’t need to reach in your pocket to find a key. It is incredibly handy and works very well.

The hotel hosts a sunset viewing at the beach. They supply drinks, live music and a charming area to sit while you watch the sun drop in the horizon beyond the Blackwater Sound and Everglades National Park. It was a delightful way to relax before dinner.

More about dinner tomorrow.

What a Difference a Year Makes: “UCLA: Happy First Anniversary January 3, 2024”

by reissmd, posted in UCLA

Readers of the blog might recall that in January 2023 I embarked on a new journey. After spending over 40 years with the Westchester Medical Group Center for Heart and Health I left to join UCLA Health at their office in Palos Verdes. I have to admit that Robert Reiss USC Class of 71 (BA) and Class of 75 (MD) was a bit worried when he accepted this position. Yes, it has been one year (hire date 1/3/23 first work day 1/4/23) since I posted about starting my new job. If you want to look back here is the link https://wordpress.com/post/reisstravelblog.com/8695

I am happy to report that things have gone very well and far beyond my expectations. I am loving my new job. The doctors have been a joy to work with. They have all helped me learn the new system. I know many people my age would balk at the idea of learning a new computer system. But with the help of my colleagues and my personal UCLA computer teacher, Debbie, I have survived.

Debbie was great. She helped me learn the electronic medical program that UCLA utilizes. It is called EPIC and it was indeed an epic pain in the butt to learn. Debbie spent countless hours in the office, on the phone, and on Zoom to help me understand the subtleties of the program. She even made a trip to my house to help me learn on my day off. I have to admit the home lesson was a bit stressful because for some reason Debbie kept touching my computer screen. I kept asking her not to do so and she finally said, “I think I need a glove”. I had just the thing for her. See below.

Debbie with my “Please don’t touch the computer screen” glove.

Debbie did most of the teaching but at the office all the doctors, especially Drs. Sun, Poa, Sanna, and Suzuki showed me all sorts of valuable tricks. That was their punishment for having an office close to mine. In addition to the doctors the staff has been fantastic as well. Many of you know that I had a 40 year work relationship with my super-nurse Florann. I knew she couldn’t be replaced but the staff members at the Palos Verdes office have done their best and things are going just fine.

In addition to the staff there have been ancilary personnel who have also been incredibly kind to me. Thanks to Jac and Robbie in marketing, UCLA has supported the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Gala. As you know I am very involved with the Foundation and the UCLA support has meant a great deal to me.

One other surprise to me was that UCLA has helped promote my practice. All doctors are put on the UCLA Health website. Here is the link to my page: https://www.uclahealth.org/providers/robert-reiss. Soon the page will have a video presentation. I haven’t seen it yet so I am taking a risk by telling you about it. 

They also made an instagram post. Good friends Keith and Allie who are a lot younger than me (I know that isn’t saying much) sent me the link since if I tried to find something on Instagram it would remain hidden forever. If you want, check it out here it is: https://www.instagram.com/p/CtuqR7mOzaB/?igsh=ZDE1MWVjZGVmZQ==

When you are on the Instagram post be sure to “Like” it. I am trying to catch up to Kareem Abdul Jabbar in “Likes”. I’m at a little bit over 400 and he’s at about 8,000.

The people in charge of U-magazine (UCLA Health’s magazine) saw the mention of my volunteer work at Homeboy Industries and asked to write a story about it. The article written by Sandy Cohen (who also wrote the Instagram post) will be published soon and the link to the magazine can be found here: https://www.uclahealth.org/pubs/u-magazine

Yes, UCLA has made this Trojan feel very welcomed and I truly appreciate it. But they did do something that might seem a bit extreme. Please see below.

Taking notes in my required shirt.

JUST KIDDING, JUST KIDDING. UCLA doesn’t require me to wear a UCLA shirt (thank you to my friend Chris who allowed me to borrow his shirt and for taking the picture). Although you can’t see in the picture but my lab coat does read UCLA Health. I am not forced to wear it but I can honestly say I wear it proudly. I am very pleased with the health care we provide our patients. The staff and co-workers are great. The past year has been a delight and I can say that there has not been one day where I said, “I don’t want to go to work”.  Especially when I wear my favorite socks. See below.

Here’s to many more years as a happy UCLA Health care provider and let’s all say together……..

FIGHT ON !

New York, New York Day #3 “Our Final Day in the Big Apple”

by reissmd, posted in New York City

Today we headed out to have a New York treat, a corned beef sandwich on rye.  We decided to share a sandwich after our experience yesterday at Carmine’s.  The waiter at the Majestic Delicatessen (200 W 50th St, New York, NY 10019) asked if we wanted mustard to which I said “Of course”.  Patrice then asked if we could have Russian dressing.  I quickly looked around to see if anyone heard this sacreligious request. Luckily no one was nearby and apparently the waiter was used to dealing with people from California and said “No problem”. Patrice here: Maybe I don’t know what is the proper dressing for a corned beef on rye when eating in New York but I do know how to spell “sacrilegious”.

After lunch we headed to Broadway and saw “Neil Diamond, A Beautiful Noise”.  The show was a bit of a downer.  I didn’t realize that his life wasn’t just filled with love and happiness.   The music was incredible of course. Well, with the exception of the guy behind me who would join in at times. I guess he didn’t realize Diamond was a solo act. 

Neil Diamond’s life had so much more than mine in many ways. He created a myriad of successful records, earned millions of dollars, and attained international fame. But there’s one category he exceeded me in that doesn’t make me at all envious. Diamond has had 3 wives. I am happy with just one. Patrice here again: “He better say that!”  

After the show we headed to dinner. Patrice is in charge of dining selections when we travel and she always does a great job.  “Tonight” she said, “we are going to USC for dinner”. I said, “Fight On!, that sounds great”. To which she replied, “The Union Square Cafe”.  Patrice here again: Did I really think it out when this guy asked me to marry him?

We arrived early and they were happy to tell us that they would seat us promptly.   Promptly at the time of our reservation that is. I’d like to tell you that they had a comfortable place for us to sit and wait.  I’d like to tell you that but unfortunately that wasn’t the case.  Well, we had the option to take a walk around the neighborhood.  With the current temperature being 41º that would be a no.  So I decided to use my influence and told them “I’m Robert Reiss, author of REISSTRAVELBLOG.COM”.  The hostess immediately replied “What?”   So I repeated myself a little louder suggesting that she might not have heard me.  To which she replied “I heard you allright, I just never heard of your blog!”   I was duly insulted and told her that my followers will have a word of two for her. To which she replied “Really? All 12 of them?”   Ha!  Not only had she heard of my blog she knew how many followers I have.  

As it was she did seat us early.  See I am an influencial blogger. Patrice here again: “The person Robert spoke to must have been on a break because someone else led us to our table, 2 minutes early.”

The dinner was spectacular.  I think the restaurant might be trying to conserve energy in that three of the appetizers were uncooked (tuna crudo, steak tartare, and seared scallops). 

We shared a Caesar salad. 

They divided the Caesar Salad for us. Good not great (the salad, not the dividing).

Patrice had the trout.

Patrice said it was delicious.

I had the duck.

The duck was fantastic. At least I thought it was fantastic, I can’t speak for the duck.

We shared the Brussels Sprouts.

The plate was empty when we finished.

For dessert we had Baklava Sundae.

This was good but the name had me expecting something a little more special.

Overall USC, I mean Union Square Cafe was delightful. Very good food, excellent service, lovely dining hall, but prices to match.

We took a cab back to the hotel and I have a little travel tip here. Friday night we took a cab back to the hotel from Gramercy Tavern. The driver did not appear to take a direct route. Tonight’s restaurant was one block further from the hotel. When we entered the taxi I put on Google maps with the volume audible. I don’t know if it influenced the driver but tonight we took a direct route which resulted in a lower fare.

Tomorrow we will be waking early to head home. This was a short trip so I didn’t get a chance to collect a series of interesting photos for my final post as I usually do. So this is it. Not sure when we will be posting next but if you are subcribed to the blog you will be notified.

Ciao,

I mean sayonara,

I mean bye.

New York, New York Day #2 “Broadway Overdose?”

by reissmd, posted in New York City

Today we planned to get an early start. So at 12 o’clock we finally got our act together and entered Carmine’s Italian Restaurant (200 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036) for breakfast and lunch.  This is an NYC icon and famous for its “wow-size” portions. Sorry I was a bit absentminded and forgot to take a picture of our eggplant parmigiano before we started to eat it.  We both ate more than we should have and we still had enough for another lunch.  See below. 

This was how much was left after we both ate a ton. It was amazing.

We also had bread pudding. Loyal followers of the blog know that we are on a quest to find an equivalent to our definition of the perfect bread pudding which you can find at Masa of Echo Park Bakery and Cafe (1800 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026). On the “Masa Bread Pudding Scale” with 10 being best, the Carmine’s bread pudding rates an eleven. Yes, Masa has found it’s match. 

Carmine’s Bread Pudding. The picture does not tell the whole story. My mouth is watering as I type.

After breakfast/lunch (and possibly what might be our dinner tonight) we strolled down the street past Times Square and all the street performers.  As expected we saw Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Spider-Man, Elmo, among others.  Superman, Darth Vader, and Batman were absent. Someone said they were at a bachelor’s party for the Incredible Hulk.  Apparently the Hulk is marrying one of the Jolly Green Giant’s daughters. His parents only let him date women of their own color so it limits his field. 

There was one guy out there that I hadn’t seen before. Armed with a guitar, cowboy hat, and little else he billed himself as “The Naked Cowboy”.  See below 

We didn’t hear him sing. I was too cold just looking at him so we had to move on.

A few steps after seeing the Naked Cowboy we went to see “Six” a musical about the 6 wives of Henry VIII. It was a very energetic musical with 6 very dynamic women singing about each of Henry’s wives. The choreography, music, and singing were all very good. There were also some humorus moments. The production was based on historical fact but I think there might have been a few inaccuracies. For example as I recall 4 of Henry’s wives were not Black, were they? After the show we waited for the majority of patrons to leave so as to not get crushed as we exited. One thing we noted as we left was that we are not in Japan any longer. See below.

Blog followers will remember seeing Japanese baseball fans bringing their trash out of the stadium and disposing it in trash bags.

After the show we decided that we didn’t have enough of Broadway so we then walked a short distance and got tickets for tonight’s performance of “The Play That Goes Wrong”. We saw “Peter Pan Goes Wrong” with our son and his family just a few months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it so we signed up for its predecessor.

“The Play That Goes Wrong” was funny and enjoyable but I think I liked the Peter Pan version more. I guess seeing three of your grandsons giggling and having a good time makes the experience much more fun.

Enough for tonight. What’s on tap for tomorrow? Broadway of course.

New York, New York Day # 1 “I Love My New Job”

by reissmd, posted in New York City

As many of you already know, in January Robert “Fight On For Old SC” Reiss became Robert Reiss, MD employee of UCLA Health.  You are also probably aware that I am really enjoying my new work environment. The staff and doctors have been incredibly welcoming and making this old man feel young again.  I’ve been very busy seeing a full schedule of patients every day. Since many of my patients are new to me I frequently look ahead to get familiar with the medical histories of these new people.

Last weekend I checked my schedule for Wednesday and Thursday and saw a full line up. When I got to Friday my slate was blank.  No one scheduled to see me?  How could that be?  I checked the other doctors and their schedules were blank as well.  Hmmmm, I thought for a second and then immediately yelled to Patrice. “The office is closed Friday for Veterans Day let’s go somewhere!”  Patrice gave her usual answer by the time I said “Would like to go to …..”, she interrupted me with YES!   We gave it some thought and decided on a trip to New York.  

I quickly found a hotel then I looked for a flight.  Unfortunately the business class tickets were insanely expensive even if we wanted to use miles so being the travel snobs that we’ve become (flying business class for anything longer than 3 hours) we decided to just chill at home.  The next day I received an email from American Airlines promoting flights to New York.  It got my blood boiling again and we booked two coach tickets hoping we would get a complimentary upgrade.  So today we took off for the Big Apple but no upgrades were offered so we were seated in the back. The last time we took a long flight in coach I was seated next to a 17 year old kid who was bouncing his leg up and down the entire flight. This time I sat next to a guy who slept the entire way – a significant improvement. We watched two movies “Shortcomings” which Patrice would recommend but I would not and “Jules” with Ben Kingsley and Jane Curtin which both of us enjoyed very much.  

Much to my surprise they served us a meal on the flight.  We had a choice of three items all served cold #1. Waffle and yogurt #2. Oatmeal #3. Fruit and cheese.  Waffle and oatmeal served cold?   I opted for the fruit and cheese.  It was not bad and it satisfied my tummy for the duration of the flight.

The flight was smooth and uneventful other than when I spilled a glass of water onto Patrice.  She was very undertanding. I offered her my water so she could reciprocate but she graciously declined. No way would I have made the offer if I thought she would take me up on it.

Stepping out of the JFK terminal we were quickly reminded that we were no longer in Los Angeles. Temp in NYC 51º while back home it was 72º. We got in line for a taxi and were quickly on our way to Manhattan. The ride took over 1 hour for the 15 mile trip to our hotel.

We are staying at the Algonquin Hotel. The room is nice but incredibly small. The bathroom is even smaller than the one we had in Bologna in 2022. I didn’t think that was possible.

Small even by European standards.

We decided to look around the hotel and found ourselves in the fitness center. Patrice did some curls with some light weights. See below.

Patrice doing some curls.

I scoffed at her use of such tiny weights and tried to hand her something more appropriate. Unfortunately my eyes were bigger than my biceps. See below.

A weight lifter I am not.

After touring the hotel we headed off to dinner. Tonight we ate at the Gramercy Tavern (42 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003). We ate there for Patrice’s birthday in 2019 and we were just a few days late of repeating that event. If you want to review that post this link should take you there: https://wordpress.com/post/reisstravelblog.com/7631

The place was as spectacular as we remembered. It has a Michelin star rating and it is well deserved. We walked to the Gramercy Tavern because we knew the caloric intake was going to be extensive.  I remember the meal being amazing in 2019 and tonight was no different.  See below. 

Squash with sunchoke. I thought the waiter said Squash with “Sancho” and when I looked up Sancho all I found was an English Soccer player.
Next I had a salad that was delicious.
Patrice had the beets. Her’s looked prettier but mind tasted much better.
Corn Agnolotti followed for me. It was like a ravioli. It also had shrimp.
Patrice had the gnocchi which again looked beautful but my corn agnolotti was far superior.
We both had the sea bass with cauliflower and bok choy. Another taste delight.
The lamb followed and it looked much better than it tasted. Maybe our expectations were pumped up by the previous dishes.
Finally a little birthday gift for my bride.

The walk to the restaurant was enjoyable. The meal wore us out and we had to take a taxi back to the hotel. Now we will try to crawl into bed. See you tomorrow.

Halloween Away From Home 10/31/23

by reissmd, posted in Uncategorized

At our house halloween is very quiet. We live on a very dark street not far from the local bars. in the 21 years I have lived in this place I have not see one trick or treater. That does not include the drunk who tried to get into our place at about 2:00 AM on a November 1st. As our local police officer said to me (after the guy was in handcuffs), “Someone just really wanted to see our jail tonight”.

Although things are quiet at our place on Halloween it has been rumored that my son and his wife have a little more action at their place. So this year we decided to check it out.

Our daughter-in-law, Robyn, is a very smart, creative, and talented woman. When she decides on doing a project she becomes committed. Halloween at her place is not an exception. She has decided to make it an experience at their house and to this end she is committed. Although some might phrase it differently. They might say not only is she committed, she should BE COMMITTED. Yes the happenings here are truly off the grid.

First check out some of the surroundings.

I think the woman in the chair is someone I dated in college.
Local greeter at the event.
Another welcomer to the house.
Hearse in the front yard.
Aunt Annette in charge of giving out candy. One per child. There were 1,000 pieces to start and grandma Patrice was sent out on an emergency refill mission at 7:30!!!!!

Check out this video of a local witch.

A little outside greeter.
A quick tour of the haunted house before the hoards of kids arrived.

Finally the culprits responsible for this extravaganza, Ken and Barbie

Ken and Barbie aka David and Robyn

During all this mayhem I was assigned to take Charlie and a couple of his friends around the neighborhood so they could do some trick or treating. At one point we met up with another one of Charlie’s friends whose father asked me, “Have you been to the haunted house yet?” To which I replied, “We live in the haunted house”.

Land of the Rising Sun Day #15 “Sayonara, Special Pictures, and a Request”

by reissmd, posted in Hakone, Hiroshima, Japan, Kamakura, Kyoto, Lake Biwa, Miyajima, Nara, Tokyo, Yokohama

This was a wonderful trip but what would it be with out a series of interesting photos. They are in no particular order. Some I found funny, some I found interesting (usually from a cultural standpoint). At the end of this post I have a very important request.

We were given these at one meal but help me here, why are they needed?
If you are not interested in bread or yogurt for breakfast, how about some “serial” at the Gate Hotel in Tokyo
In Nara, beware of deer.
Fashion statement in Kyoto.
If your wheelchair can’t handle stairs how about a ramp at about a 60° slope?
Tired from too much walking in Nara? Try this rest area.
We saw these things EVERYWHERE.
Sorry, this has me speechless.
We were told laundry drying machines are not seen in Japan. Instead you see this.
If the lightning fast elevators in our Hakone hotel are too slow for you, have a seat.
Would you like some water?
Or would you prefer detox water?
If you want to used the public baths in Hakone you better not have any tattoos.
Again I am speechless.
The Gate Hotel in Tokyo watches you when you are in the elevator. Look at this balding guy taking a picture of himself.
I have no clue how this works.
If you are looking for a “bathroom” you will get a blank stare. If you ask for the “toilet” they will lead you here. They might open the door for you as well but luckily after that you are on your own.
Many of the hotels have a small bedside flashlight. Very convenient.
2 in 1? Get a haircut while you have your teeth cleaned?
That does it, it is time to go home!
I leave you with this photo of Kyoto Tower. Quite an amazing picture if I do say so myself.

We are now home but I need your help. Please send me your recommendations of where to travel to next. We are thinking about Norway, Sweden, and or Finland. If you have been to these locations please send me your “Must See” list.

Until next time, sayonara.

Land of the Rising Sun Day #14. “Our Last Night in Japan”

by reissmd, posted in Hiroshima, Japan, Tokyo

The hours are counting down but although it will be good to get home it will be difficult to say goodbye to Japan.  I am sad to report that our hotel in Hiroshima was a huge disappointment. We were at the Granvia Hiroshima which is located at the train station (big plus), has a gorgeous lobby, and a wonderful staff.  The room was awful. It was very small with a bathroom that makes your typical European bathroom seem spacious.  Also the breakfast was very disappointing.  I’m sure you remember me raving about breakfast every day of the trip, well this was the exception. 

We left Hiroshima early because the bullet train to Tokyo is a 4 hour trip. Finding the train was easy (damn we are getting good at this). Our trip company alerted us that we might be able to see Mt. Fuji from the left side of the train. They wisely got us seats on the left side and we got a great view of the mountain which now has a slight snow cap. The train was moving too fast for us to get a decent picture but we enjoyed the view even if you can’t. The bullet train zips along at quite a pace in order to cover about 520+ miles in 4 hours (with about 4 stops prior to Tokyo). In order to achieve these incredible speeds and still maintain a comfortable ride the train takes advantage of “semiconducting maglev” (short for Magnetic Levitation). As the train leaves the station it is rolling on wheels. But as it speeds up, the wheels retract, and the power of magnets allows the vehicle to hover 4 inches above the ground. This is what permits the train to reach high speeds but still maintain a smooth ride. I hope that is clear to you. I know I can get a little technical at times when we discuss science. (Patrice here: I can’t believe this guy, the last section was copied and pasted from the internet. I am sure you probably already realized that).

Immediately upon exiting the train in Tokyo we were met by our “Tokyo Greeter” see below.

Our Tokyo greeter with sign in hand.

The young man welcomed us to Tokyo then took Patrice’s rolling backpack. The two of them started walking to the car. Patrice was quite concerned about me carrying my heavy backpack as you can see from this picture.

“Hey guys!, Don’t forget about me!”

We then had a short ride to the Conrad Hotel and were able to check in (nice surprise). This place is amazing. Our room wasn’t going to be ready until 5 PM so they upgraded us to a suite. I feel like we went from the basement to the penthouse when we compare our Hiroshima accommodation. Here is the view from our room.

Incredible room but still some room for improvement, the toilets don’t salute (yes, there are two).

With the help of the concierge we went on a little outing. First we went to Yelo (recommended by my friend, Fred) and had Kakigori (shaved ice). This was spectacular. See below.

Patrice and I getting ready to eat our Kakigori (looks huge but the shaved ice had a lot of air)
As you can tell, I really liked it.

We then set off for the “Times Square of Tokyo” called Shibuya Scramble Crossing. It was reminiscent of the New York landmark. See for yourself in the 4 pictures below.

You might recall seeing it in the Bill Murray movie, “Lost in Translation”. If you prefer to see the area in live action, check out this video.

Shibuya Scramble in Tokyo. Times Square? You decide.

Our last dinner in Japan was at a fantastic restaurant called Guyan (6 Chome-13-6 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061) which was recommended by the hotel concierge. We both had Kobe beef filets and they were scrumptious.

I asked for medium rare and it was a bit too pink for me. The plate was so hot that I just used it to cook the meat a tad more.

If you would like to read about Kobe beef and what in the US we call Kobe beef but is really “Kobe-Style” beef here is a link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_beef

Time to call it a night since we need prepare for our departure tomorrow afternoon. I will have lots of fun photos for you tomorrow and a very important question I hope all of you can help me answer.

Until then, sayonara.