Sorry for the blur. There is little headroom for your average United passenger and even less leg room.
Why does anyone fly with United Airlines? Really. Tell me if you know.
I thought I would fly to New York City on United Airlines as they offered a number of choices for routes from Sacramento at reasonable prices.
Then my plans changed and I needed to revise my ticket to start in Nashville. United Airlines charged a $200 fee to change my ticket.
Goodbye any savings.
Plus I had to call Customer Service and spend 30 minutes on a very poor quality line. If I had not slogged through the automated computer answering service to speak with a representative I would have had to pay even more.
Really? A $200 fee for changing my $436 ticket!
There was no room at my feet for carryons, so I popped open my overhead and bin to find this. Where are you supposed to put your bag on United? I am not talking suitcase–just briefcase.
Why does anyone fly with United?
I wrote the above in January but did not post. I do not like to rant as a rule. Then I decided to branch out of my usual Southwest Airlines rut and booked round trip tickets to Miami with Delta Airlines. I booked on-line and I distinctly remember selecting an early morning flight on Sunday because I am too old to do red-eye flights any longer. My bad: I just put the Delta confirmation in my travel folder instead of checking it. Turns out the website assigned me the red-eye flight afterall.
My hotel booking is now off by a night and I will be arriving just as the conference starts. Plus I will likely be sleep deprived.
I was hoping to find an alternative to Southwest because sometimes they are not the lowest fare or the most convenient times or in this case they fly into Ft Lauderdale (not Miami).
So I am making the most of the extra day at home with my dog. I checked with the hotel so I can access my room (that I am paying for anyway) for a quick shower before I got to the conference. Plus I will try my old buddy Tylenol PM and hope I sleep.
This is why no one says “travel is glamorous” anymore.
The plot is fairly predictable…spiced up with cross-dressing actors who can really do a high kick!
Our last full day in New York City and we had one more Broadway Show. We were tired and so we took the morning easy and and then had the bellman hail a cab to Amy’s Bread in Hells Kitchen on 9th Street. This is where Cousin Carrie works and also where you can get an amazing chicken salad sandwich and a pastry. We also had our first opportunity to do a bit of shopping in the neighborhood. It was the first time I had spent so much time in New York City without the challenge of lugging shopping bags home. I was packing lots of great memories though.
We arrived at the theater in plenty of time to get our tickets from Today’s Tix and get in the lengthening line. Mom really wanted to see Kinky Boots because the music was by Cyndi Lauper and she had seen “numbers” done on television and like it. Apparently lots of groups of women who were in the City for a girls weekend or day had the same idea. The line moved quickly and we had great seats. Today Tix was able to buy them for less than originally quoted so we received a voucher towards our next purchase. It is only good for 60 days, so I passed it on to Carrie.
We were excited to see Kinky Boots at the Sunday matinee.
Mom’s review:Of all the shows we saw (all fantastic), this one was what I would expect from a Broadway show: singing, dancing and big production numbers. All extremely well done. Lola was a delight–funny and sympathetically played.
We really enjoyed the enthusiastic performance and I am once again impressed with how open-minded my 80 year old mom is. She did not bat an eye at the unconventional plot details.
Even though our next stop at Ray and Jim’s was about three quarters of a mile, we caught a cab and went to my friends’ for a great conversation and Thai delivery.
We ended the evening with a Lyft to the hotel. Both Mom and I were completely satisfied with our theater experience and our time together in New York. We were also tired and the bed at the Hilton Garden Inn in Chelsea felt marvelous.
The next day we just had to get up, walk a half block to get an egg McMuffin and be back to meet Lincoln Limousine for our ride to Newark airport. God willing we will do it again in a few years only we will stay in the Theater District and save money on cabs.
This drink is named after one of their most famous literary customers Dorothy Parker.
Our Beautiful matinee was over about 5 p.m. and our next play did not start until 8:00 p.m. I got out my trusty Google maps and looked at what was close by. The Algonquin Hotel! I stayed here a number of years ago and remembered that they lovingly maintained the historic bar and lounge in the lobby. We sat down and ordered a couple of very expensive cocktails.
The Dorothy Parker is tasty gin concoction. Mom had a peach flavored mojito. We both sipped and soaked in the atmosphere. We also used the ladies’ room (this becomes very important in NYC when you are away from your hotel for long stretches of time!)
Soon it was time to go to for a quick bite to eat and then to see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. It was our only non-musical and highly recommended by Cousin Carrie. I found it fascinating. Mom enjoyed it too, but she much prefers musicals.
I saw a stagehand go in with a “Curious Dogs” polo shirt. Makes sense to shorten the title for staff.
We were in our seats in plenty of time to have fun with the card in the seat’s pocket that challenged us to figure out if our name added up to a prime number. Mine does (163) and I got a button for my effort.
It is difficult to believe this is the lead actor Alex Sharp’s first big break. He recently graduated from Julliard and this is his Broadway debut. He crushes it. Also, stay until you catch his “encore” explanation of how he solved one of the math problems on his A level exam.
Seeing 4 plays in 3 days requires that you see a matinee and an evening performance on Saturday. Beautiful was always in the top 3 shows Mom wanted to see. It is the Carole King life story. We both had great memories of her music. The reviews were also very positive. First we ate at L’Amico, a new restaurant just a few blocks from our hotel that we found through Open Table. Then we cabbed it to the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.
Chilina Kennedy wows audience as Carole King. (official photo)Pick up your tickets 30 minutes before the show from a Today Tix representative. The app has many great features. Check it out.
We bought our tickets through Today Tix. We were not sure how it worked. My email said to look for the person in the Today Tix red shirt to the left of the box office 30 minutes before the performance. It all worked just as the emails said it would. Our person was there with our tickets. We signed for them and voila! We had terrific seats every time at a reduced price. The concept is similar to the Bargain Ticket hut on Times Square, except that you purchase through an app on your phone or iPad and you can shop up to a week ahead. We got all of our tickets, except Hamilton, through Today Tix. Not all shows are available because they are helping the theaters sell unsold tickets and ensure theaters are full.
All I knew about Beautiful was that it was the story of Carole King’s life accompanied by the music she wrote or co-wrote. It was delightful. The performances were superb. As Mom says: Music I can relate to…beautifully sung and a lovely plot well told.
During the closing song I started crying and could not stop. Suddenly I had a vivid memory of all the happy hours I spent with my best friend Harriet in her living room listening to Carole King’s Tapestry album over and over again. Good times then and now.
The view from the rooftop restaurant at the Hyatt on Herald Square
Our plan was to meet Cousin Carrie at the Den restaurant at the Hyatt on Herald Square. We were going to enjoy dinner and then walk to the play. Mom and I walked from our hotel to the lobby bar at the Hyatt. We were enjoying a drink when Jordan, the restaurant manager came down to greet us and offer us a choice of the lobby level restaurant or the rooftop. He asked what we were doing in New York and we explained Mom’s birthday adventure. Then Carrie arrived and agreed that the roof sounded like fun. As Jordan escorted us up to our table, he offered a complimentary bottle of Prosecco to celebrate Mom’s birthday! Woop! Woop!
Cousin Carrie, Mom/Karen, and me on the roof
The view was amazing. The service was impeccable and the food was delicious. The variety of small plates and large plates allowed everyone to get just what they wanted. Mom especially loved her prawn and avocado salad. The atmosphere on the roof was celebratory. When we asked the party next to us to help us take pictures they happily said yes. And one funny guy photo bombed the last few shots. We laughed together and then set off for the theater.
Here’s where my planning broke down. I had now asked my Mom to walk several miles already today. I needed her to walk one more mile in about 40 minutes. She needed to stop and fortunately there are red tables and chairs in the middle of Times Square. We got to the theater just in time. And we already had our tickets. Mom’s knees were wobbly but we got to our seats on the main floor in the last row.
As you can see by Mom’s smile, she was enjoying New York in spite of her tired knees.
Mom’s response to Hamilton:
It was no small feat (for Hamilton) to live up to the hype for this show. But it did and more! I was told I would not like it because it was modern music. I didn’t like it; I LOVED IT!! It is a history lesson in rap and understandable at all times. The author/lead actor who played Alexander Hamilton was GREAT, although it is impossible to think a road show version could be done without him. Aaron Burr was also so well done that one almost felt sorry for him.
Hamilton is the hot ticket on Broadway and for good reason. It was fantastic. Carrie, Mom and me represent three different generations and we all thoroughly enjoyed this musical. The play is based on Ron Chernow’s book Alexander Hamilton. I had started to read it the week before we left for NYC, but the book is a doorstop and I had barely dented Hamilton’s life story. It helped to know a little more about his life, and it was good to be open to learning as the play unfolded.
The cast is amazing. I am so glad we spent the money for the tickets. We bought them from the theater, so no mark up. Still $168 per person is a big night out and, in this case, completely worth it.
We got out of the theater at about 11:00 p.m. and Mom’s knees were about to give way. There were crowds from several other shows already on the street trying to hail a cab. We saw the bike rickshaw and it seemed like a no-brainer.
I was excited because I love bicycle transportation of all shapes and sizes.
Mom and I climbed in and waved goodbye to cousin Carrie who was headed in the opposite direction and taking the subway.
Our pedaler had a few false starts to find a way through the jam of cars in the parking lots and street and soon we were racing through the streets of New York from the theater district west 47th Street to Chelsea on west 28th Street.
It was thrilling. New York City looked beautiful.
Our driver was originally from the Ukraine and very fit. He was charging by the minute and he did not dawdle. He took every advantage to keep moving.
It was $120 for 20 minutes. This makes it as expensive per minute as the helicopter ride we took in New Zealand, and almost as exhilarating.
Here is Mom’s impression:
A bus on one side and a cab on the other. Then were careened in front of the cab and my adrenaline was on high!! 20 min of heart stopping zigging and jagging in traffic was all this old heart could stand but I’m so glad for the experience ONCE.
My mom turned 80 in August and to celebrate we planned a long weekend in New York City to enjoy as much theater as possible. We arrived very early the morning of September 11. The television was dominated by coverage of the reading of the names of the victims in New York City on that fateful day. It made for a somber start. The National September 11 Museum was having a grand opening, but we decided to visit on a less crowded day and instead hopped in a cab to visit the Tenement Museum in the Lower East Side.
My friends Harriet and Brian raved about the Tenement Museum and on their recommendation we purchased tickets to the “Hard Times” one hour tour. We arrived a few minutes late, so one of the docents escorted us to 97 Orchard Street. Laura, our tour guide and storyteller, was still explaining the history of the building when we joined.
The museum has carefully preserved the building and its apartments. They have reconstructed families’ stories to share with visitors. In this particular tour Laura told us about a German Jewish family who lived in the building during the recession of 1873 and then an Italian family who lived in the front apartment during the Great Depression. We learned about the various waves of immigration arriving on New York City’s shores and the laws that shaped opportunities. Immigrants are generally the most vulnerable in a economic downturn. And for these families there was no safety net from the government or from charity.
The small space and basic accommodation was a reminder of how much the dream of a better life in America sustains people. Afterward we talked to our tour guide Laura about her family experience coming to America from Cuba and mom shared how our ancestors immigrated to the Minnesota prairie and lived in sod houses. Immigration became something of a theme for this trip.
Mom’s impressions:
The first family we visited were Jewish. At that time they had only water and out houses in the courtyard. No heat except the kitchen stove. The apartments were three rooms: a kitchen, a living space and a bedroom.
The second family had about the same space but by then they had cold water in the kitchen and a john in the hall. They were Italian. By then the Jewish families were doing better an had moved uptown.
Feast of San Gennaro
Afterward we walked toward SoHo and stumbled upon the Feast of San Gennaro (September 10-20). It was a combination street fair and carnival with a distinctly Italian flare.
We walked on to Houston Avenue and caught a cab to the hotel. My mom has the spirit of a 40 year old and the knees of someone her age. I was going to realize later that there is only so much we can walk.
The Hard Times tour tickets were $25 each and available in advance from the website. Tickets may also be purchased at the corner museum shop at Orchard and Delancey in the Lower East Side.
I drove to San Francisco to meet up with friends from Auckland on a particularly spectacular day. The sky was a stunning blue and the sun was shining warm–almost hot. This kind of summer day is a rarity in the City (just ask Mark Twain). We agreed to meet at the Ferry Building Marketplace for lunch.
We looked at all of our options but on a busy weekend the lines were long at the oyster bar and other restaurants. We bought sandwiches at Cowgirl Creamery and found a picnic table near the bookstore and enjoyed our lunch.
We walked down the Embarcadero toward Pier 39. We passed the Exploratorium on the waterfront and Coit Tower on the hill. I said my goodbyes at the Celebrity cruise ship and my Kiwi friends kept going to shop at Pier 39. God willing, I will see them in January.
Coit Tower on the hill
As I drove back to Sacramento I sighed at the traffic that gets worse every year. It was great to be rewarded for my effort with great weather and great friends.
Plymouth is one of the many Gold Rush towns formed after John Marshall discovered gold in 1848.
It only took a month to find a date to spend the day in the country with my friend. We were celebrating her birthday and she is a busy Mom. So this day was all about a delicious lunch and shopping. First stop Plymouth for lunch at Taste.
Plymouth is in the heart of Amador wine country and there are a number of tasting rooms. Entrepreneurs are investing in a new Guest hotel, Rest. We found some great items at a newly opened wine-themed gift shop Accents by Twisted Cork.
This cool old building on the next block from Taste hosts the new gift shop Accents by Twisted Cork.
We enjoyed a yummy lunch at Taste. We shared two small plates and each ordered a large plate. With wine and tip it was a pricey $83.00. The mushroom cigars and deviled eggs were perfect with complimentary sauces. I loved my lamb meatballs with roasted potatoes. Cameon loved her gnocchi with beef and vegetables. We were too full for dessert.
We decided to drive on to Sutter Creek, which has been our destination on past road trips. It has been years since we have been to Sutter Creek and CalTrans has since completed the new Highway 49. After a little confusion we found it. We had a lot of fun walking both sides of main street popping into shops that piqued our interest. It was the perfect backdrop for a good catch up conversation.
Amador County is about 1 hour from downtown Sacramento and is like another world with old Western towns, lots of ranching and vineyards, and a variety of specialty stores. I do not think it will be as long until our next day out in Amador.
It is not glamorous looking; however, the Fairfax District is chock full of great shops and restaurants.
Ahh, what a luxury: an entire Saturday to do as I please. One of the great things about the Elan Hotel is the neighborhood. Good thing since Los Angeles is still very car centric and my friend needed to car to visit her kids in Big Bear. First things first, I treated my television deprived self to several episodes of Fixer Upper on HGTV. Then I set off for a leisurely shop/walk through the Fairfax District.
It is still very hot and sticky, so part of me made up an itinerary of walking to the Farmers Market for lunch and then recovering in the air conditioned a movie theater and watch a film before walking back to the hotel. I set off later than expected and set off down Beverly Boulevard.
Tess at Tweak the Best Gift Store Ever
First stop was Tweak gift shop where the owner Tara and I had a great conversation. I loved the shop’s concept: a variety of great gifts with one display item and the rest already gaily wrapped and ready to give.
Starting with a West Elm store, the next couple of blocks were focused on furniture. I was looking forward to checking out my next big purchase at Thrive Furniture with my faithful salesman Joe. If my clients pay me I will be able to take advantage of the Labor Day sale. I love the mid-century modern designs in their showroom.
Shrimp Cobb Salad
I kept walking and when I hit a red light I turned right toward 3rd Street. As I reached 3rd I saw Blue Plate Oysterette and remembered Steve and Jodi telling us how much they enjoyed it. I am not a big fish or oyster eater, but by this time I was very thirsty and ready for a break. I looked at the menu and started fixating on the shrimp cobb salad. It was superb, as was the service and the ice tea. And as a special treat, the women’s bathroom has the best wallpaper ever!
Adorable women’s restroom in Blue Plate Oysterette
I put my feet up on my barstool and got out my new Brene Brown book, Rising Strong and settled in for a good while. Brene mentioned an intriguing book, Creativity, Inc by Ed Catmull. I googled bookstores in my area. Up popped the Traveller’s Bookcase which I fully intended to browse. It also mentioned a fancy bookstore with art collector;s books, and then Three Geese in Flight just around the corner from the travel bookstore and quite close to my hotel.
I set off towards the Traveler’s Bookcase and marveled at Los Angeles where people are super body conscious and yet support a donut shop with valet parking and two juice stores on one block. There were at least 4 bakeries within a few blocks including the yummy Cookie Casa Bakery on Beverly Boulevard.
I brake for yarn, so I had to stop at the delicious Knit Culture (more in another blog). At last I reached the travel bookstore. I had a delightful time browsing the shelves and a difficult time choosing what to buy. As I checked out I asked the lovely store clerk Victoria what she knew about Three Geese in Flight as Google did not have any additional information. She heartily encouraged me to contact Sam, the owner of Three Geese in Flight. She said he only opens up by appointment because his shop is in his living room, but that he totally legitimate. She showed me some of his artifacts and books that they carry in the store.
Sam is passionate about history!
I reached out to Sam via email and he called me a short while later. It worked best for both of our schedules to meet just after 5 p.m. It was only a half block from my hotel. I spent over two delightful hours discussing books and shopping for my brother who is a professor of American history and archaeology with a personal passion for Native American studies. There was so much to choose from and Sam worked with my budget. It might seem a bit eccentric to go to his home to shop but makes sense when you think about the book world today. Most of his sales are via the Internet, so why deal with the overhead of a brick and mortar store?
If you are a bookphile, and especially if you are interested in non-Barnes and Noble selections, then check out his website for Sam’s in-stock list or arrange to stop and shop if you are in Los Angeles.
I rushed back to the hotel to meet my friends for dinner at The Gulp Pub and Restaurant on Pico Boulevard in West Los Angeles. They serve delicious burgers, bratwurst and beer. Casual dining was the perfect accompaniment to catching up with more Panthers tribe mates.
americanjulie.com 