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Archives
Category Archives: Dani
Eclipse 2024
We planned a year in advance for the April 8, 2024 eclipse, with flight reservations and hotel bookings in Austin, Texas, since it was one of the longest duration points. We flew in from Orlando, and Dani and Trish flew … Continue reading
Posted in Arkansas, Dani, Linda, Technology, Travel
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Road Trip: Pacific Northwest
This was a delightful 12-day trip around Washington State and part of Oregon. Dani and I initially planned it, but I was able to talk Linda into going, too. It was so much fun to have the whole family traveling … Continue reading
Posted in Dani, Dining, Family, Linda, Oregon, Theme Parks, Travel, Washington State
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Road Trip: Orlando to Chicago
In June of 2021 I sold the Lexus Ls460L to Dani and we took a road trip to transfer the car from Orlando to Chicago. It was our first trip since the Pandemic began in March 2020, so we started … Continue reading
Australia 2017
The flight from Hong Kong to Sydney is overnight, and takes about nine hours. Dani had a rough night in coach, with three infants nearby, but Linda and I were able to get some sleep in business (thank you frequent … Continue reading
Hong Kong’s Peak
Guest post by Dani. Hong Kong 2017 – Day 6 We had to check out of the hotel at 1pm, but our flight to Sydney wasn’t until almost 9pm, so we had a whole day to spend in the city. … Continue reading
Ngong Ping Cable Car
Guest post by Dani. Hong Kong 2017 – Day 5 Today we were tourists doing touristy things on Lantau Island. Many companies offer guided tours but we decided to roll our own adventure based on the sights/activities I read about … Continue reading
Hong Kong’s Cat Cafe and Amber
Guest post by Dani. Hong Kong 2017 – Day 4 We started our day with a leisurely breakfast upstairs and debated what we should do for the day. Yvonne warned us Sunday would be very crowded. Despite that, we briefly … Continue reading
Hong Kong History Museum and Yum Cha
Guest post by Dani. Hong Kong 2017 – Day 3 This morning we had a leisurely breakfast upstairs. Dad had avocado toast with a poached egg, Mom had smoked salmon (as always), but I went rogue and tried all the … Continue reading
Hong Kong Central Tour
A guest post by Dani. Hong Kong 2017 – Day 2 A rather impressive thunderstorm woke me up early. The rain drops clattered against the window and there were several long rumbles of thunder. I’ve always thought thunder sounded different … Continue reading
Hong Kong Disneyland and Kowloon
Dani is our guest blogger. Hong Kong 2017 – Day 1 Our first morning in Hong Kong dawned sunnily but with some ominous dark clouds on the horizon. After a fairly restful night’s sleep I felt pretty much on schedule. … Continue reading
Posted in Dani, Hong Kong, Linda, Theme Parks
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Flying to Hong Kong
Dani is our guest blogger. Hong Kong 2017 – Day 0 Mom and Dad had access to a deluxe lounge in the airport before our flight to Hong Kong because of their business class tickets. They indulged in such wonders … Continue reading
Total Eclipse
Everyone has seen photos of partial solar and lunar eclipses, and they look surprisingly similar. In person, the experience is somewhat different, because one happens during the day, and the other at night, but it’s not that much unlike the … Continue reading
Posted in Dani, Family, Linda, Technology, Travel
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Comprehensive Bordeaux Tasting: 1989/1990
Every year, in preparation for their annual Bordeaux auction, Hart Davis Hart hosts a comprehensive Bordeaux tasting that offers an opportunity to taste two different vintages of nearly all the first and second growth Bordeaux, side by side. This year’s vintages were particularly … Continue reading
War Paint at the Goodman Theatre
Last night Dani and I saw War Paint at the Goodman Theatre. It’s an excellent show starring Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole about the rivalry between Helena Rubenstein and Elizabeth Arden. It opened in Chicago a couple of months ago, … Continue reading
Summer Champagne Crush
This trip to Chicago was organized around two events, the first of which was the Hart David Hart Annual Summer Champagne Tasting. It was held at The Ivy, a popular wedding venue in River North. I guess the original intent was … Continue reading
Riedel Stemware Seminar
A few years ago Linda and I attended a Riedel stemware seminar while on a Celebrity cruise. The premise of the seminar was that different shaped glasses make wines taste different. We went in very skeptical but came out completely believers. … Continue reading
Chicago Museums
We picked the right weekends to visit Chicago. The weather was perfect. We originally scheduled this trip for our Next season tickets. The Alps-themed meal turned out to be lackluster, but we had a lot of fun anyway. We visited … Continue reading
Posted in Art & Sculpture, Chicago, Dani, Linda, Technology
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New York Dining
We’ve had a fabulous long weekend in New York, and although the purpose of the trip was to see the new musical, Waitress, we also had a chance to visit some favorite restaurants, and try a few new ones. Here’s … Continue reading
Waitress
This anniversary trip to New York City features a lot of fine dining, but it started because of Waitress, a new musical based on the movie, and with a score by Sara Bareilles. Dani asked for tickets for Christmas, and … Continue reading
Corn Maze and Apple Picking
We took advantage of cool weather and beautiful blue skies to drive 60 miles west of Chicago to All Season Apple Orchard in Woodstock, Illinois. From Late August until early November they have a corn maze, apple orchard, and many other attractions. … Continue reading
Michigan Wineries
Dani and I made a day trip around the lake to visit some Michigan wineries. It was an easy drive, and there were some nice wineries (although not really world-class wines).
Farewell to Evanston
It always seems a shame to sell a place, just when you get it perfect. The Evanston condo served Dani well for six years, beginning with her Sophomore year at Northwestern. Here is a look back. Before OK, it is … Continue reading
Road Trip: Orlando to Chicago
After purchasing the new condo in downtown Chicago we wanted to transport some big, heavy stuff like art work and dishes, so Dani and I decided to road trip via Atlanta, Nashville and Louisville. This would have the added advantage … Continue reading
Universal
For Christmas I gave Dani a VIP tour of Universal Orlando. She was sick after Christmas, so she flew back to town President’s Day weekend to do it. These tours are limited to twelve people. A guide takes you around … Continue reading
Posted in Dani, Linda, Orlando, Theme Parks
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San Francisco and Central Coast 2014
Prior to spending Thanksgiving in Los Angeles, we met Dani in San Francisco for a few days of sightseeing, and then drove down the coast. Our flight in gave us a spectacular view of the coast, the Golden Gate Bridge, … Continue reading
Posted in Central Coast, Dani, Dining, Linda, San Francisco, Wine
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Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing and Crunchy Cashews
Ingredients ¾ cup uncooked quinoa 2 cups shredded red cabbage 1 red bell pepper, diced ½ red onion, diced 1 cup shredded carrots ½ cup chopped cilantro ¼ cup diced green onions ½ cup cashew halves 1 cup edamame Fresh … Continue reading
Chicago Architecture Boat Tour
I really enjoyed this tour of Chicago’s architecture, as experienced from the river. The volunteer docent on the 90 minute trip was a professional architect who provided great insight into the history and design of the buildings. I had been … Continue reading
Bristol Renaissance Pleasure Faire
Having grown up in Southern California in the 1970s, I thought I knew what a Renaissance Faire was: a collection of tents and small booths set up temporarily on sprawling farmland. Bristol Renaissance Faire is something completely different, and closer … Continue reading
Next: Trio
Next is Chef Grant Achatz’ “next” restaurant. Achatz is the creator of Alinea, regarded by many as America’s greatest restaurant, and Chicago’s only 3-star Michelin restaurant. I approached Next with some trepidation because I’m not a fan of Alinea. I … Continue reading
Three Dots and a Dash
I’ve always loved Tiki bars, since I grew up in Los Angeles, frequenting Trader Vic’s, Don the Beachcomber, the Islander, Beachbum Bert’s and many others. It’s sad that they’re all gone. But the good news is that Three Dots and … Continue reading