kerry's Newest Blog Entries

Angel Lake, Nevada

kerry — 2007-09-28T02:01:18-08:00

About 15 minutes outside Wells, Nevada is a beautiful glacier fed lake surrounded by snow dusted mountains. It has some excellent trout fly fishing and a trail that runs all around the lake. Mark took care of the fly fishing while Joey and I ventured around the lake trail.

It was amazing to be at the Metropolis Ghost Town which feels like the bottom of a dust bowl then 30 minutes later to be exploring around a lake sheltered by the snow covered mountains, in Nevada, at the end of summer. It's quite high up at 8378 feet above sea level and well worth a visit if you're cruising around the area.

Rock formation on the drive up to the lake.

Angel Lake,very nice!

Joey and Kerry on the other side of the lake

Trout that Mark caught fly fishing

Mark and Joey flyfishing

Moonrise driving down from the lake

Metropolis outside Wells, Nevada

kerry — 2007-09-28T01:35:53-08:00

Metropolis was a showcase community of farms and a city built in 1911 just outside Wells, Nevada. The city boasted of graded streets, cement sidewalks, fire hydrants and street lights around a 4 square block area. It included a luxury 3 story hootel, and the ornate Lincoln School which opened in 1914. It all came to an end when water rights were disputed and Metropolis lost. The city dried up with parts of it burning down.

Today you can see the Hotel foundation and the grand arch of the Lincoln School. You can even make out the Lincoln School name etched above the remaining arch.

It's a rather cool ghost town to check out as it's a windy drive through the pastures and when you come over a hill, you can see the arch off in the distance.

Lincoln School arch off in the distance

Hotel foundation with arch in the background

Remains of the Lincoln School with the original steps leading up

Close up of Lincoln School arch. It's hard to see in the photo but if you look above the arch and right below the first set of bricks, you can see where Lincoln School is still etched onto the concrete.

View of the school where you can see the remains of the ground level windows in the back.

Dingo in the Wild!!! Nah, just our aussie cattle dog Joey and the view the residents of Metropolis would have had.

Historic District in Wells, Nevada

kerry — 2007-09-28T00:53:34-08:00

Driving from Seattle to Southern California, we're stopping in VEGAS BABY! for a night and decided to make an adventure of it by driving down Highway 93 that runs north/south on the east side of Nevada. This included an overnighter in Wells, Nevada and a visit to the historic district there that runs along the railroad tracks.

It's pretty much falling apart now but you can still get an idea of how it might have looked in the late 1800s. Wells is described as a crossroads of the West, a junction between Highway 93 that runs from Canada down to Mexico and Interstate 80 that runs coast to coast.

The clerk who checked us in at the motel said Wells has a population of 1000 and it is a very small city.

Joey and Mark in front of the old post office. You can still see the post office eagle symbols at the top.

Mark and Kerry in front of the Historic District

Imported England Food Items

kerry — 2006-12-25T10:56:37-08:00

If you have a craving for clotted cream, crumpets, flakes, wheatabix and a variety of other English food items, head over to the 7/11 on the corner of Yorktown and Brookhurst.

I'm not sure why this 7/11 sells these English items but I sure like it! There's quite a selection of goods located along the back wall. Prices are a bit high but comparable to other stores selling imported English items.

Mississippi Caviar

kerry — 2006-12-20T23:51:18-08:00

A couple miles outside of Solvang, California is a Market/Deli grocery store. This store has a dip called Mississippi Caviar that my family became hooked on years ago when we were camping at Lake Cachuma.

The dip is a blend of avocado, tomatoes, black-eyed peas, spices and a bit of this and that from grandma's kitchen.

We've tried to make it ourselves but we just seem to be missing that one ingredient. It's a great snack with crackers and if you're camping at Lake Cachuma or shopping for the day in Solvang, take an extra 20 minutes and pick up some of this great dip!

Tips:

If you're in Solvang or Lake Cachuma, it's east on the 246 a couple miles outside of Solvang. It's the only main grocery store along that stretch of the 246.

Mardi Gras World

kerry — 2006-12-15T16:31:03-08:00

Do you ever wonder where all the floats go from the Mardi Gras Parades? My husband and I found out when we visited Mardi Gras World located across the Mississippi river from the French Quarter in New Orleans.

It's a really cool place to visit as you get to see all the floats and props for the upcoming year in the works. Kern Studios, started by Blain Kern in 1947 is the man behind the magic earning him the title "Mr. Mardi Gras".

The studio reuses the floats year after year renovating them with the latest characters or patching up the old time favorites. You can see all this firsthand at the Prop Shop where artists are hard at work in various stages of float making.

One of the themes from 2005 when we visited was Lord of the Rings.

Tips:

It's very easy to get to Mardi Gras World. Take the free Canal Street Ferry to Historic Old Algiers across the Mississipi river. There were free Mardi Gras buses waiting outside the ferry that took us straight to the warehouse.

Bring a camera and comfortable walking shoes, the warehouse is a good size with thousands of props to see.

The website for Mardi Gras World: http://www.mardigrasworld.com/

Greyfriars Bobby

kerry — 2006-12-06T15:24:49-08:00

For those who haven't heard the story yet, Greyfriars Bobby is a statue dedicated to the little skye terrier that faithfully sat near his masters gravesite for 14 years.

When sightseeing around Edinburgh, we happened across the statue and enjoyed reading about the history. Several movies have been made about this devoted little dog and there are many variations but most seem to agree the dog raised by John Gray while he worked the streets as a night watchman, later could be seen leaving the gravesite for a daily visit to a local restaurant when the 1pm cannon boomed.

In 1867 when dog licenses came about, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Sir William Chambers paid for Bobby's license himself. Bobby is buried inside the gate of Greyfriars Kirkyard across the street.

Tips:

If you'd like further info, I found this on wiki about Bobby:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyfriars_Bobby

Carrot Top at the Luxor

kerry — 2006-11-28T22:30:02-08:00

I've been a huge fan of Carrot Top ever since I saw him use a megaphone to shout back into the drive thru window box. If you ordered a drive-thru burger in the 80s when the powers that be were just figuring out how to make those things work, you'll know how funny that is.

During a road trip, we made a pit stop in Vegas and were able to score tickets to Carrot Top's show the next night at the Luxor. His show is based on props he's made himself such as the fake beard where you can hide your 3 oz gels on the plane, Hooters application consisting of a board with two holes cut out of it and many, many more much funnier during the show.

His use of music, lights and excellent timing make for a very funny and entertaining evening.

Tips:

When I tried to get tickets a year ago, it was booked out for weeks. We were able to get tickets the night before this time around but it was Monday night after the Thanksgiving weekend which may have been slow so I'd book in advance.

Tickets at the Luxor: http://www.luxor.com/entertainment/entertainment_carrot_top.aspx

Oak Alley Plantation

kerry — 2006-11-21T08:45:00-08:00

An hour outside of New Orleans along the Mississippi river are several impressive plantation homes. I visited the Oak Alley Plantation in Jan 2005 before Hurricane Katrina hit. The plantation didn't sustain too much physical damage but is still suffering from the lack of tourism throughout the Gulf Coast region.

Around 1718, a settler claimed land from a royal grant and planted live oak trees in two rows leading up from the Mississippi river to his dwelling entrance. 300 years later these Oak Trees have created a majestic entrance to the classic Greek-revival style antebellum mansion.

During the tour of the mansion, I learned about pineapples being given to guests when they arrived to welcome them to the plantation. Back then, horsepower meant real horses and travel time could be weeks so guests tended to stay for months. If the hosts felt their guests were staying too long, they would again be given a pineapple as I suttle reminder it was time to go.

The plantation is on 25 acres and includes a nice restaurant and blacksmith shop. Be sure to try one of their famous mint juleps. We bought one after the tour on the back side of the mansion and enjoyed it while browsing the grounds.

Tips:

Directions, tour info including operators offering day trips out of New Orleans and details can be found on their website: http://www.oakalleyplantation.com/

Cherokee Ranch & Castle

kerry — 2006-11-19T20:33:43-08:00

Tonight I visited the Cherokee Castle owned by the Cherokee Ranch & Castle Foundation. It's 3500+ acres of land donated by Tweet Kimball in 1996 when she setup the Foundation.

To get to the Castle on the hill, you drive along a long, winding country road. We visited at dusk tonight and saw 300 elk roaming the area and crossing in front of our car.

At the end of the road is the Castle built in 1924. It's amazing inside with furniture dating back to 1450, a bed slept in by King Charles, scenic bathroom tiles imported from Portugal and rooms decorated according to different centuries. The library contains many first editions including one from Shakespeare.

I attended one of their special events tonight with a performance by the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. There was about 35 people in the Main Room with arched ceilings and comfy couches. 4 musicians played 2 violins, a viola and a cello. I was amazed at the variety of music they played between them. One of the pieces was written by a Czech during World War II with influences from Argentinian tango. It's one of those things you just have to hear to appreciate.

Our tour was given by the former butler of 20 years and his wife, the former chef for the castle. There is an American flag flying at the top of the castle and he said whenever Tweet had guests from abroad, she would ask him to replace the American flag with the visitor's country flag so they would feel welcome.

It was a very enjoyable evening and worth checking out if you're in the area. Tours are by reservation only so be sure to check their website.

Tips:

The Castle has events throughout the year including Afternoon Tea complete with clotted cream and jam. You can check their website for details.

http://www.cherokeeranch.org

Old Town Tequila

kerry — 2006-11-15T16:09:48-08:00

For the ultimate collection of Tequila on this side of the border, visit Old Town Liquor and Deli in San Diego. It's a small, unassuming liquor store that sells endless brands of 100% Agave Tequila in your choice of Plato, Repasado or Anejo. It's definitely my favorite place to stock up my booze cabinet.

Located directly above the liquor store is the El Agave Tequileria restaurant that sells a huge selection of premium tequila by the shot glass.

Tips:

Old Town San Diego is located just up the street that has historic buildings from the 1800s including a courthouse, school and chapel.

Ocean View Train Ride in Southern California

kerry — 2006-11-11T23:37:01-08:00

This is a scenic ocean view train ride I've done several times between Orange County and San Diego. I've always left from the Amtrak station in Santa Ana though there are others nearby in Irvine.

It's about a 2 hour ride and great fun for all family ages. I've taken the train down for the weekend in San Diego without renting a car as the public transportation in San Diego is good.

You can also take a day trip for lunch in Old Town, visit Sea World or see the San Diego Zoo.

Tips:

Traffic can get hectic going from Orange County to San Diego, the train lets you sit back and enjoy the ride. As of 11/06, tickets are $40 US roundtrip.

Huntington Beach pier

kerry — 2006-11-02T22:16:43-08:00

Huntington Beach pier is one of the best summer hangouts in Orange County. You can see skateboard, bike and surf tricks galore. I spent many summer nights at the firepits roasting marshmellows and socializing.

Main Street has tons of surf shops and restaurants including the Electric Chair which has all the latest in punk fashion.

Rubys Restaurant at the end of the pier is a nice stroll past fisherman and great views while enjoying good burgers, shakes and fries.

Tips:

There are parking lots along the beach as well as a parking garage located just off main street. It's crazy packed in the summer but worth the wait to get a parking spot and walk around the area.

Knotts Scary Farm

kerry — 2006-09-12T23:00:07-08:00

Are you ready for the scream of your life! I am a huge Knott's Scary Farm groupie and never missed a Halloween visit for 16 years in a row. Only moving out of state dragged me away. For the uninitiated, Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park decks out their amusement park every Halloween with the most terrifying and wicked scary ideas they can devise.

Local newspapers carry photos of the auditions for monster roles. It requires being able to creep, crawl, hunch, and drag all body limbs. My particular "love to hate" monsters are Santa Claws and the Pig Lady. Santa Claws crept up behind me one time in line for the log ride and all my friends went death quiet. I turned around and saw dear old Santa transformed into a creature even Stephen King couldn’t have thought of. Christmas just wasn't the same for me that year.

Many years ago they introduced creepies in the fog lit alleys that run at you shaking stones in a metal can and slide right up to you on their knees. Now that is SCARY!

There are mazes with hanging ropes you have to navigate through and pray that behind the next bunch isn’t some new horrible monster to submit you into a fetal position.

I always enjoy the stage show, it varies every year with new characters and digs at the latest politics. When I need a break I head for the Ghost Rider roller coaster. It’s a huge, modern, wooden roller coaster. Not one of those old school ones that rattle your brain inside your skull but a slick, fast wooden coaster that screams through the night.

Unfortunately I don’t have any photos but they would be banned for being too disturbing anyway.

Tips:

Don’t wear a costume, they banned wearing those way back when. Too may bozos doing stupid stuff and getting away with it because they weren’t sure which Elvis to arrest.

Scoot through Florence

kerry — 2006-09-12T17:33:55-08:00

Forget the tour buses, rent a scooter in Florence and cruise on down to Greve in Chianti. We scooted through the beautiful countryside of Chianti and stopped at some wineries along the way.

We drove through some small residential areas and had a glimpse of what it might be like to live in this picturesque countryside.

Take a deep breath getting out and back into Florence. You're zooming right along with all the rest of the Florence traffic.

Tips:

There are plenty of places to rent scooters in Florence. From Florence, take the A1 towards Siena then take the SR222 to Greves.

Best local african curios

kerry — 2006-09-12T16:55:34-08:00

If you find yourself in Malawi, it's well worth a stop at the curio stands outside of Monkey Bay. Here there is an incredible selection of handmade curios from local artists without the added cost of the goods traveling far, far away to big cities.

Along with the masks, jewelry and statues, there is plenty of unique pieces I haven't seen elsewhere yet.

My favorite were the handmade safari trucks made entirely from banana leaves. They came complete with little engines, doors and rooftop storage boxes that open and close.

The artists were very friendly and the huge Baobab tree that shades the stalls impossible to miss.

Tips:

Located on the main road from Lilongwe at the turn off for Monkey Bay