New York Trip Day 2 (July 30th, 2011): Hot Dogs, Rocks, and Wine
There is of course only one first time, and I am so blessed to be able to say that my first time seeing NY out of the corner of the window in the airplane was sitting next to Jenn and marveling at the city we have seen so many times in movies, television, photographs, but for the first time seeing for ourselves.
We made it into the Laguardia airport without any hassles. My bag was checked so we had to go pick it up and made our way to the taxi line to hitch a ride to The Surrey hotel where we will be staying for the entire trip. The Surrey is located on 76th street near Madison and Central Park in the upper east side. It's not your typical 30-40 story high rise hotel but actually is a modern small boutique hotel. We got to the hotel in twenty minutes, paid the taxi and proceeded to check in. We got to the hotel at 11am far before their designated check in time (3pm) but were lucky enough to upgrade our room and get our room right away. Jenn and I took an hour or two to lie around, rest up, and then get out on the road and take in New York!
Jenn in the Taxi From the Airport to Our Hotel
Jenn made us an absolutely beautiful and comprehensive itinerary and for the first time followed it down to the very last detail.
We walked from our hotel down to the Guggenheim Museum about a fifteen minute walk from where we are staying. For both of us the museum is memorable from the movie The International and the epic shootout that happens in that movie in the museum. However before we got to the museum we stopped at one of the many hot dog stands got a Hot Dog and a drink and kept going. The guys in the Hot Dog stand were the prototypical New Yorker a bit rude and short with words however the hot dogs were delicious.
The Front of the Guggenheim Museum
Beautiful View Inside the Guggenheim Museum
Sitting on the Steps of The Met Eating Hot Dogs
We got to the museum and were taken away by the beautiful of the circular architecture of the building. Jenn and I have visited many art museums in the past and so we are accustomed to the very abstract nature that comes along with them. One of the exhibitions going on at this current point is one that involved these massive rocks/boulders and their dimensions with paintings. It was sort of a weird exhibition and often times I would look at Jenn and ask well what's the point with all of these rocks. Another thing about the Guggenheim is that since it is all circular you can get a bit dizzy from walking around the infinite loop to the top. We spent a little over an hour walking around the many different levels and taking it all in. Throughout the whole experience Jenn was constantly poking me saying can you believe that is a so and so. She really has an appreciation for the arts that I wish I had. The museum did have some pretty big names though like Matisse, Monet, Van Gogh, and Picasso.
From the Guggenheim we made our way to The Met which was incredible. We had the City Pass so got to skip all of the lines and literally walked in, got our pin to show we had tickets and were into this massive museum. Although Jenn and I have traveled all throughout Europe it was still incredible to take it all in one big building. We walked through the Ancient Rome and Greece rooms, made our way through the Asia & Pacific room, the US, European, and even Egyptian room as well. The Met was quite the experience and I could totally see how people just get totally lost in there. There is a ton to see and do at The Met and you couldn't ask for a more stunning way to take it all in. The building itself is intimidating to say the least with its massive rooms and structures and literally never ending maze of art, sculptures, and artifacts.
The Beautiful Met Museum
Jenn Checking Out the Egyptian Room Inside The Met
The Day Is Beginning To Catch Up With Us and we are Hungry
As we neared the end of the road in The Met you could tell right away that Jenn and I were ready to throw in the towel. I hoped on my iPhone and looked up Yelp reviews of near buy Italian Restaurants and found the Caffe Grazie a small eatery on 84th street a few blocks away from where we are staying. We had a fantastic time at the restaurant. I had a glass of wine (they were out of Pinot Grigio so I went with their recommendation) and Jenn had water. Jenn had pasta bolognase for dinner and I had lobster ravioli. We split a capachino ice cream dish for desert. It was a very small and intimate setting but we really enjoyed our meal.
Jenn Sitting at the Restaraunt for Dinner
Enjoying a Great Glass of Wine
Lobster Ravioli
Jenn's Spaghetti Bolognase
Jenn Chowing Down on Some Ice Cream
The Outside of Caffe Grazie
From Caffe Grazie we ended up hitting up a Starbucks getting me my goto Grande Mocha and picking us up some breakfast for the next morning. We walked back to our hotel at around 6PM and by this point we are nearing exhaustion and literally have no clue what each other are even talking about. We got back by 6:30pm and by two episodes of Seinfeld later we were gone for the night.
Enjoying Some Late Night Starbucks
After a red eye and a full day of touring what more could you ask for then a great meal and an extremely comfortable bed to come home to sleep to. It was a great way to start off the trip.
New York Trip Day 1 (July 29th, 2011): The Battle of the Red Eye
Lets face it life goes by far to quick. Days, weeks, months, and even years go by and we can sit here wondering what happened to them all. Jenn and I on the other hand are doing everything we can to live in the moment. Enjoy the many blessings that God has provided for us and enjoy the wonderful world He has created. So only months after our recent trip to London Jenn and I are back on the road for our first ever trip to the Big Apple.
This trip is many years in the making in fact. We have talked about going to New York for years but have instead gone to Europe or other destinations. However this year we said we really need to make our way to the big apple and see what all the fuss is about. So Jenn a few months back got us an amazing deal to come stay in New York over our birthdays and tour the beautiful sights and sounds of this massive city.
In order to maximize the amount of time in New York we booked a red eye on a Friday night out of the Orange County airport. We booked a complimentary car through our apartment complex to come pick us up at 7PM to take us the 10 minute drive to the airport. We were told he would call us when he arrived. So 7:10 came and went and I told Jenn I would go check in the circle to see if he was already there which he was. So we picked up our stuff and headed down to the car and off to the airport.
Jenn and I at the Orange County Airport
We got to the airport in ten minutes and went through security without any major hassles which if you have read our trip updates is a huge win. Our first flight was to Atlanta which is about a three and a half hour flight and went super smooth. One thing I liked about the Delta flight to Atlanta flight was that each seat had access to Satellite TV so I got my Sportscenter fix in while Jenn attempted to sleep throughout the flight.
We made it to Atlanta on time and had a tw0 hour layover before our flight to Laguardia airport. The layover was a bit brutal it was really the middle of the night for Jenn and I so sitting in an empty airport for a few hours isn't really what you want to do at the point but we made it through and made our way on our second and final flight of the day.
Jenn Taking a Nap in the Atlanta Airport
It's always a surreal feeling to be one place one minute and a few hours later literally across the entire country. You really couldn't ask for a smoother journey across the country.
London Trip Day 7: Whatever You Do Don’t Go on the Grass (June 8, 2011)
I'm going to start sounding like a broken record but once again sleep was not an issue for Jenn and I. We are averaging on the trip about 10-12 hours a night of sleep and an average wake up time of about 11 AM. Today was no different as we got up at around 11:30 and started to get ready to go out to Wimbledon to take a tour of the grounds.
You may be wondering why we would be going back to Wimbledon; haven't we been there before? Yes in fact we have all been there multiple times but have only got to tour the museum never the grounds. So we met Jenn's Dad down at the lobby at around 1PM, walked over to the overground station only a minute or two walk from the hotel, took that one stop and then jumped on the tube to Wimbledon.
Waiting for the Overground To Take Us to Wimbledon
So if you have never been to London you might not realize that one of the main tubes final destination is a stop called Wimbledon. So from an outsider perspective you would think go to Wimbledon station and it would take you to the All England Lawn & Tennis Association but you would be mistaken as we were. You might even think the stop before that Wimbledon Park would be the right one to get to the famous tennis center but you would be wrong as we were. We first chose the Wimbledon stop and realized right when we got off in this very industrial area that we were not on the right stop. We took the tube to Wimbledon Park and asked for directions and took a good 30 minute walk in pouring rain to get to the beautiful grass courts of Wimbledon.
When we got to Wimbledon we missed the tour by 5 minutes and were told we had to wait another hour to get the last tour of the day at 330. So we walked around the beautiful museum (which we all had been to before), walked around the gift shop, and even got some food at the museum cafe. I got a chicken sandwich, and Jenn's Dad got a bag of chips. When 3:30 rolled around we were off to tour my favorite tennis tournament and the place I have wanted to tour since coming to Europe six years ago.
Welcome to the All England Lawn and Tennis Club
Wimbledon 2011
Immediately we were told that it would be obvious but under no circumstances could we touch or even get near the grass. The tour took us through some of the side courts, Henman Hill (that's right not Mount Murray or whatever they are trying to change the name to), Court 1, Press Area, and Center Court. Throughout the tour the sun would pop out and then a cloud would come over and literally just throw buckets of water down on us. The tour lasted a little over an hour and we were back to walking to the Tube and to our hotel.
Standing on Henman Hill
Touring in the Rain
Hanging Out on Center Court
Such a Beautiful Place to Watch Tennis
We needed to get back relatively quickly as we had booked tickets to go see The Lion King at the Lyceum Theater in London. We got back to the hotel, bought Jenn some blueberry muffins, she took a 20 minute power nap, and we took a taxi to the play. Somehow we managed to get center front row tickets to the play for a reasonable price. We got to the theater with plenty of time, picked up our tickets and headed to our seats. I did get a glass of white wine and Jenn got toffee pop corn to eat during the play.
Drinking Some Wine Before The Lion King
All in all we enjoyed Lion King. The music is of course good, the costumes are pretty crazy, and it was just a fun play to go see. We ended up getting out of the play at around 10PM and decided to take the tube back to our hotel. On our way to the tube station we stopped at a restaurant called Maxwell's which was very much an American style restaurant. Jenn and I split a three course meal which included calamari, ribs, and ice cream. Jenn got a shake and a cosmo, I got an Amstel and Jenn's dad got a rose wine and BBQ chicken. After a week without American food it was nice to get a meal that reminded us all of home. We ended up getting on the tube at around 11:15 PM and made our way back to the hotel arriving there at around 11:55 PM with only a few minutes left on our tube pass.
A Great Quick Bite to Eat After the Play
First Course of Calamari
Jenn and I Split Ribs
Chicken and Fries
London Trip Day 6: The Perfect Day (June 7, 2011)
We have officially given up trying to wake up at any sort of reasonable hour. Even though we are averaging 11-12 hours of sleep a night I don't think Jenn and I have got going once on this trip before lunch time. Today was no exception.
The plan of today was a simple one. Go down to St James Park where I proposed almost three years ago (July 3, 2008), hang out on the bench down there, walk around the massive park, and head out to dinner at Gaucho Sloane the restaurant we had reservations for the night we got engaged but decided not to go to, to rest up for the rest of the big trip.
Jenn Directing us to St. James Park
We ended up getting up at around noon time and walking to Fullham Underground and taking it to St. James Park. It is about a 15 minute walk from our hotel and luckily the weather cooperated all day. Jenn being the navigator got us to the Tube Station quickly and on to the park with no trouble at all. We walked straight into the park on what looked like a mirror replica of the day I proposed chances of rain but the sun shining through. We made it back to the same bench I proposed on, took pictures, and just sat and talked for a good half hour. Also nearly identical to that day three years ago a squirrel came up and joined us on the bench looking for food.
Beautiful View of the London Eye from St James Park
Sitting on the Bench Where I Proposed
Jenn Sitting Just As She Was 3 Years Ago
From there we stopped at a small food stand for lunch, I got a hot dog and a coke and Jenn got a waffle with whipped cream and syrup. We then walked over to some lounge chairs spread out around the park and sat there for a good hour talking, eating, and enjoying the sun shine. It wasn't until we saw the guard collecting the money for sitting in those seats that we decided to head out and take in some of the main tourist attractions in the area. We walked around Buckingham Palace and then jumped back on the underground and came up on the Westminster Tube Stop and took pictures around Big Ben, London Eye, and Parliament. We then jumped back on the tube and headed back to our hotel. This time instead of going to Fullham we took the Tube to West Brompton and then switched to the Overground to take us literally a minute from our hotel at Imperial Wharf. I didn't believe it the first time I came with Jenn to London many years ago but she is the master of Tube travel.
Eating Waffles in the Park
Standing in Front of Buckingham Palace
Jenn Standing In Green Park
Standing By a Tree in Green Park
Beautiful Day to Be Walking in the Park
London Eye
Big Ben
At that point we had about two hours until our 7PM dinner reservation at Gaucho Sloane so we went back to the hotel room and relaxed. Once Jenn got ready in her beautiful dress we walked back to the Overground and took the Tube to South Kensington and had a five minute walk to Gaucho Sloane. You may be wondering what is so special about this restaurant. Well first off we have been wanting to go back ever since I made reservations for the night we got engaged. Secondly it was highly recommended from the American Express travel agent I went through a few years back. Lastly it is a world renowned steak house and if you know Jenn and I you know we both love our meat.
Jenn Getting Ready for our Dinner Date
So we made our way to the restaurant they opened the doors as we walked in, got us seated and walked us through the different cuts of meat they offered. Jenn started with a Cosmo (her new favorite drink) and I had a glass of sauvignon blanc. We started off with King Scallops which looked like anything but "kind scallops". They also had baby scallops on the menu which we joked we would have loved to have seen how small those were. Regardless for the small portion that was offered they were delicious. There was a really interesting seasoning to them that made us go through them within seconds.
Jenn Loving Her Cosmo
Ready to Go with the Wine
King Scallops
Our main course we go the 500 gram Rib Eye for two. We got a side of potatoes and a salad, and I switched over to a red wine for dinner. The steak was the best piece of meat I have ever eaten and Jenn concurred. Not only was it extremely tender but the flavor was out of this world. The pairing of that with the red wine that the waitress recommended really made me feel like I was in heaven. We finished off the meal with dessert, Jenn got a slice of cheesecake and I had a chocolate tart cake with ice cream and a glass of dessert wine. This was by far the best meal I have had in London and one of the best meals I have ever had, it was worth the wait.
Delicious Rib Eye
Side of Potatoes
Side Salad
Delicious Desert
Jenn's Cheesecake
Jenn Standing In Front of Gaucho Sloane
We ended up taking the Tube/Overground back to the hotel and it worked out perfectly with no problems at all. Today was one of those days that six months, a year, maybe even five years Jenn and I will look back and talk about and smile. In a lot of ways today was a perfect day.
London Trip Day 5: Another Day Another Castle (June 6, 2011)
And we are on the road again. After a day of lying around the hotel, watching tennis, and resting we hit the road again. We ended up waking up at around 11 AM again and we all are not sure what is making us so tired.
Today's adventure took us to Windsor Castle a 30-mile drive outside the city of London. This is by far the shortest road trip we have taken thus far. We made it to Windsor right after lunchtime and were able to find parking relatively easy. We still had a pretty lengthy walk from where we parked up to the Castle that was perched on the hill. On our walk we walked through the downtown area lined with shops, restaurants, and all sorts of different things.
Literally within a few steps of reaching the downtown area we came across a Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream place, which is Jenn's favorite. Before we went there though Jenn and I picked up a quick lunch at the place right across from it. I had a pepperoni pizza and Jenn had blue berry muffins and wedge fries. From there we stopped at Ben and Jerry's and she got a Hot Chocolate and a Chocolate Chip Cookie.
Getting a Quick Bite to Eat in Windsor
We then made our way up the hill and through security and in Windsor Castle. Probably even more so then Dover Castle, Windsor Castle is extremely spread out. We started off in the bottom area where the gardens are and then worked our way up. The Windsor Castle is a complete opposite of what we saw in Dover as well. Where Dover was a defensive castle, Windsor is much more of a "show" castle. In fact we were told that the Queen was there earlier in the day and would be holding a big event there the following week.
Beautiful Gardens Right Inside Windsor Castle
Jenn and Her Dad In Front of Windsor Castle
The Beautiful Windsor Castle
We spent around two hours going in and out of the many different buildings. The weather was cool and overcast which made walking around all that much easier. We all enjoyed our time at the Windsor Castle but all agreed that Dover was much more of an interesting castle to look at. After we got done with touring the castle we made our way out of the castle and down back to Ben and Jerry's so this time Jenn could get her ultimate favorite strawberry shake.
We Couldn't Get the Guard to Laugh
The Grass is So Green
Jenn is in Heaven
At this point it was almost 5 PM so we jumped back in the VW Golf and headed back to London. We hit a bit more congestion coming back to the hotel but still nothing in comparison to the past few major road trips. When we got back to the hotel we put away our stuff and headed out to dinner. The first choice for dinner wasn't open until 7 PM and the other wasn't open on Mondays so we decided to go to another Pub that was a great choice. I went with an Amstel and Fish and Chips that was great. Jenn had a rib eye steak with fries and was in heaven and Jenn's dad got a burger that actually looked pretty good for London standards. It was a really good and relaxing meal and by far the best pub food we have had.
Amstel...Mmmmm.....
My Fish and Chips
A Nice Piece of Meat
Nice Looking Burger
At that point we were all pooped out and called it a day. It was really nice to have a break in the long drives and just do a quick up and back trip. Tomorrow Jenn and I are going back to the place we got engaged and have reservations for dinner at the same place we were supposed to eat the night we got engaged so we are really excited about that. We are coming down to the last few days of the trip so let's make sure to make them count!
London Trip Day 4: London’s Rain is Falling Down (June 5, 2011)
After two straight days of road trips, today marked the first in which we stayed in. For good measure to as it rained for the majority of the day. Jenn and I ended up waking up at around 11 AM and started to get ready. Our original plan was to go tour Wimbledon but with the weather and feeling like we all needed a break it ended up being a rest day.
For some reason I thought for sure I saw a Burger King right around the corner from us on one of our walks and thought that would be a perfect quick meal for lunch. So Jenn and I headed out at around 1:30 to go in search of it and bring it back to watch the French Open Final with Jenn's dad. After an hour of walking in about a mile radius we confirmed there was not a Burger King so we made it back to her dad's room and ordered room service. Jenn and I split a burger and fries and her dad got a chicken sandwich and bruschetta.
Come On Federer You Can Take Nadal!
We did stay and watch almost the entire Nadal v Federer final but when it looked like Nadal had it won in the 4th Set we turned it off. We did however go downstairs to the free business center and purchase tickets to go see Lion King (the musical) on Wednesday June 8th at 7:30 PM in the front row. It should be a pretty fun musical to see
Gloomy Day in London
Once dinnertime rolled around (7PM) we went to the local Lots Road Pub and had dinner, well sort of. Jenn only had a roasted tomato soup with a chocolate brownie w/ vanilla ice cream and her dad got bread and butter and a toffee brownie with ice cream. I on the other hand ate dinner and had the same soup as Jenn as well as a sausage and potatoes main course. I also went with the waiter’s suggestion on a beer, which was the same that they supposedly served at the Royal Wedding and it was good but not great a little darker then I prefer.
Jenn's Soup
Good Beer, Just Not My Favorite
Sausage and Potatoes
Jenn's Dads Dinner
After that we called it a night. It was a really simple and relaxing day. The trip will regain some momentum tomorrow when we head off to see Windsor Castle a short 30-mile drive from our hotel. Let's just hope the weather holds out for the rest of the trip.
London Trip Day 3: Is it a Slight Left or a Slight Right? (June 4, 2011)
After a fantastic day exploring Stonehenge and Bath you always have to wonder how your going to top it the next day. I ended up getting woken up at around 10 AM from Jenn bright eyed and ready to make the day’s journey to Dover. We ended up heading out from the hotel at around 11 to make the 80-mile drive.
Today started very different then the last. The directions took us the complete opposite direction we had traveled the last two days. Instead of taking a few streets and hitting a motorway, we ended up going through side streets for an hour or so weaving our way in and out of roundabouts and slights lefts and rights. The Garmin GPS we were provided with our rental was nearly useless. There were more times then I could count that the GPS would say take a slight left and Jenn would say its wrong take a right and 99% of the time Jenn was right. We ended up tuning out the GPS voice directions and just went based off the map.
Around 45 minutes into the drive I thought it would be a good idea to stop at a gas station and fill up. Jenn's Dad went into pay and put down 20 pounds and I picked up a Red Bull and a Twix Bar. When Jenn's dad was filling up the car he just let the pump go past the 20 he paid for and it ended up at around 29 pounds. So we didn't think much of it and were about ready to leave when the gas station attendant ran out after us hitting the car asking why we were stealing from him. We got it resolved paid the difference and headed on our way.
Once we got through the winding roads of central London and hit the motorway the rest of the drive to Dover was pretty straightforward. We did stop at a McDonalds right outside of Dover for a pit stop and lunch. Jenn got a hamburger and fries, I got the big mac and fry combo, and Jenn's dad just did fries. All agreed it tasted literally identical to the US, however my Coke tasted awful.
Eating Some McDonalds in Dover
We ended up making it into Dover at around 2PM. Our main goal was to see the white cliffs of Dover and then head back to Leeds Castle. However while we were driving towards the coast we came across the Dover Castle and we all three quickly agreed to go check it out. So we parked, took a short bus up to the castle and spent the next 2-3 hours walking around the massive defensive castle.
Just Parked at the Dover Castle
From the moment we got out of the bus you could see everyone’s eyes light up. Unlike many castles we have seen in the past this one was still in amazing shape. One of the things Jenn and I both loved was walking through all of these Medieval tunnels throughout the bottom of castle. What was really neat to about Dover Castle is that it has been used for so many different time periods whether it was hundreds of years ago or as a defensive strategy base in WWII. The castle itself was gorgeous and worth the trip. We joked that you can always tell places we like by how many pictures we take and I would say between the three of us we took over 300 pictures during our time at the Dover Castle.
Side of Dover Castle
Jenn Looking Gorgeous at Dover Castle
Sitting on the Steps at the Front of the Dover Castle
Dover Castle
Another View of the Dover Castle
Jenn Looking Amazing In the Tunnels of Dover Castle
I Really Wanted to Take the Sword and Shield Home With Me
Another Shot of the Front of the Dover Castle
White Cliffs of Dover
We got done with the Dover Castle at around 4:30 and realized there was no way we were going to make it to Leeds Castle before it closed at 5 so we headed back for our hotel. The drive home was far smoother then the way out that morning and we made it back within an hour and a half.
Driving Back From Dover
When we got back to the hotel we parked the car and walked over to this Italian Restaurant that we had scouted out a few nights before. We all split a bottle of white wine, Jenn had a cheese pizza, I had a pepperoni and peppers pizza, and Jenns dad got a ham pizza. Jenn and her dad once again got ice cream for desert. It was one of the better meals I have had in London and one that I wouldn't be surprised if we eat at again before the trip is over.
Delicious Pizza Place Down the Street From Our Hotel
We Downed That Wine Quick
Ham Pizza
Cheese Pizza
Hot Pepper Pizza
The day itself was perfect. Sometimes the best times are those that are not planned and today was a perfect example. The original plan was to spend a few minutes checking out the White Cliffs of Dover and heading back to Leeds Castle however we were all so happy that we got to spend the day at Dover Castle.
London Trip Day 2: Stonehenge Rocks! (June 3, 2011)
After a very smooth first day of the trip we were ready to head out to our first road trip. We ended up waking up at around 10 AM London Time and were on the road by noon.
Getting to Stonehenge from London is about a 90-mile drive but the majority of the time is spent just getting through the city and onto the motorway (freeway). Our drive to Stonehenge was pretty uneventful except for having to find a quick pit stop in the middle of nowhere.
We made it to Stonehenge at around 1 PM and it was a picture perfect day. One of the first things we all agreed upon at arrival was how much smaller the rocks were from what they look like on TV and in Pictures. It was still a really neat experience to be able to see one of the most unusual stops on our trips. Obviously once you have walked around it once there isn't a ton left to do there nor is there anything in the surrounding area of Stonehenge so we paid the admission, walked around the sight, and were off.
Just Arriving at Stonehenge
Walking Around Stonehenge
A Great View of Stonehenge
Jenn Gives a Thumbs Up For Stonehenge
Jenn Loves All of the Sheep In the Background
They did have a small cafe at the entrance and Jenn and I got lunch there. I originally ordered a slice of pizza they were out, then I ordered quiche, and they were out, so I got a sausage roll and Jenn got a piece of shortbread. Mine was one of the worst things I have ever eaten in my life and Jenn's was pretty plain but at least was edible.
From there we headed to Bath to see the Roman Baths a 30 minute drive and from many people a must stop. The drive to Bath was absolutely gorgeous, some of the prettiest countryside you could imagine. Rolling green hills, tall trees, roaming animals, the whole bit. Having done little to no research on the city of Bath we all had very little in way of expectations. However it was one of the most beautiful cities I have visited in Europe. There is a beautiful river the cuts straight through the downtown area with a stone bridge.
We got into town right around 4 PM and we knew the museum for the Roman Baths closed at 5 so we had to hustle to find a parking spot. We found one and Jenn was smart enough to ask if we were allowed to park there which we weren't but we found out about a parking lot a bit down the road so I drove us down there and we walked up the heart of the city.
- Walking into the city of Bath
Jenn and I in front of River Within Bath
The Beautiful River Within the City of Bath
The Roman Baths museum was a bit of a letdown. Jenn had expected there to be much more beauty and ancient baths but instead there is the main center bath which was filled with an off green tinted water and the rest were unfilled and not all that interesting to look at. When we were getting our tickets the lady had mentioned that the average person takes around 1 hr. and 15 mins to get through the entire museum. Rounding up I think we spent 20 minutes.
Right In Front of Roman Baths
Roman Baths
After the short trip to the museum we wandered through the beautiful city. We didn't want to walk around for to long, as the drive back was a good 2+ hour trek. We did however stop for some delicious ice cream at this cart on our way back to the car. Jenn got literally 5 scoops of this strawberry ice cream and it was some of the best ice cream I have ever eaten.
Jenn Takes Yet Another Stunning Shot
A Great View of the River Within The City of Bath
Jenn Plowing Through Her Strawberry Ice Cream
We made our way back to the car and headed back for London. Once we got out of the city of Bath and onto the motorway Jenn fell asleep and I listened to UK Sports Talk (AM Radio) listening for updated on the French Open. We made it back to our hotel safe and sound at around 8PM. We ended up eating dinner at the hotels restaurant and were completely under dressed. Jenn got her typical Spaghetti Bolognase; I got Fish and Chips, and her dad a small roasted chicken. I did manage to get a glass of Pinot Grigio and they had a chef's special of roasted ham meat with a nut bread that was delicious.
Chef's Special
It Taste Like Chicken
Jenn's Go To Order
Delicious Fish and Chips
When Jenn was planning out our trip it was days like these that I was really looking forward to. If we do hold the course it looks like we have a few more "road trip days" and then a few days to spend in London. Let's hope they all can match up to the great day today.
London Trip Day 1: Crisis Averted (June 1st – June 2nd 2011)
And so it begins; another adventure through the great unknown. Or in this case a trip over the pond to London for eight days of exploration. The trip to London started easy enough. Jenn and I worked a half-day, and Jenn's Dad picked us up at our apartment and we headed down to LAX for our non-stop flight to Heathrow airport.
The trip down to LAX was smooth, you can never complain when traffic is moving especially the closer you get to LA. We all carried on so we printed our boarding passes ahead of time and made our way straight to security. We were a little over zealous and passed by all of the good eateries and made our way to the gate. Our flight was delayed a half-hour but we made that time up and some in the air. The flight itself was smooth. It seems like the more we fly these 10-hour flights the easier it is to deal with them.
Hanging Out at the Airport Waiting For Our Flight
Leading up the trip Jenn told me that she had five our six movies lined up to watch on the trip and I even spouted off a few. However we both only got through one (Just Go With It) and either slept or stared off hoping to sleep. The flight came and went and 9 1/2 hours later we reached London Heathrow and made our way through customs and off to the bus to take us to the car rental agency.
We Knew We Were Close When We Saw This Sign
After a lot of deliberation in the "trip planning" we decided to rent a car and tour England rather then retrace our steps on past trips. When we got to the car rental agency (Sixt) I was told that because I am 24 (not 25) I would not be able to rent the BMW 1 Series that I had reserved. So instead we got a less expensive VW Golf and a Garmin GPS. It was a quick inconvenience but we got keys to the Golf (sporting only 600 miles of use) and took off. Having driven on the wrong side of the road before (Scotland on our Honeymoon) I volunteered to take the wheel with Jenn taking shotgun and her dad in the backseat still a bit out of it from the long flight.
Tour of Our Room (Room # 401)
I somehow managed to get us to our hotel, the Wyndham Grand London Chelsea Harbour in one piece. In all honesty though the Scotland driving did very little to prepare me for maneuvering downtown London with its crazy drivers and all to common "round a bouts."
Front of the Wyndham Grand London Chelsea Harbour
When we got to the hotel our room was ready however Jenn's dads wasn't. We dropped off our luggage in our room and headed to the lounge for a late lunch. Jenn got Pasta Bolognase (it wouldn't be right any other way), I got a Club Sandwich with a beer, and Jenn's dad got a chicken sandwich. Not only was the lounge extremely relaxing but it was reasonably priced and the food was actually quite tasty.
From there we got the keys to Jenn's Dads hotel room that he received an upgrade on with a harbor view and a balcony. At first he wasn't all that stoked about being on the 1st floor but when he saw the room he let the front desk know he was happy. We went our separate ways to unpack and unwind for a few minutes when we got a call from Jenn's dad that his camera was not powering on. He had just bought a brand new Canon DSLR with extended battery pack and neither his standard battery nor the extra pack were working. So we went down to the concierge asked where a local camera shop was. We were told there was one that was only down the street a 15 minute walk. After a good 30 minute walk we made it down to Jacobs Camera Shop where we found that his camera was still working but just needed a recharge in all of his batteries. Crisis averted.
Walking Back From the Camera Shop
On our way back we stopped at a local Italian Restaurant where for the first half hour we were the only ones there. Jenn's dad had a glass of Pinot Grigio and Lobster Pasta, Jenn got a filet of beef, and I got rigatoni pasta. Jenn and her dad both got ice cream for dessert and I went with a cappuccino just trying to find anyway to stay awake for the walk back to the hotel.
- Happy to Have a Working Camera
Jenn Loves Her Steak
Rigatoni Pasta
Would You Like a Lobster With That Pasta?
Although first days are never usually the highlight of the trip this was a great way to start our adventure in London.
Heading Off to Barcelona, Spain!!!
Well Jenn and I are out of here again, this time we are off to Barcelona, Spain for a nice week getaway from the hussle and bussle of Southern California to the cool air of Barcelona, Spain. This is by far the quickest lead up to a trip either Jenn or I have ever experienced, since we only booked the flights and hotels a few weeks back getting some killer deals on British Airways and using some of our credit card points for some of our stay. Now a few weeks later we now see why BA might have been giving such great deals with this pending impending crew strike that thus far has not altered or affected our flight plans.
So what are we planning on doing in Barcelona you may be wondering, well to be quite frank we have no idea. This was one of those "spur of the moment" kind of trips that Jenn loves to do and we plan on winging the trip the same way we have done in the past. The weather looks like it might be a bit hit and miss but we weren't going for the beach more to take in all of the sights. So off we go again, our flight is at 8:30pm out of LAX on Wednesday and we head back home on March 10th. Expect daily recaps of the trip along with photos and possibly videos will be coming daily after we get back.
