Luna Park Cafe - Mission District San Francisco

There is an area of San Francisco that I had the opportunity to explore on my most recent visit. While it was a cursory at best, the Mission area of San Francisco was certainly worth the sojourn.  It was like stepping out of American and into a whole new world that was not littered with Starbucks on every corner and fast food chains. The Mission District is comprised of a diverse ethnicity and cultural vibe that provides a comfortable, friendly community atmosphere. Historically the Mission District was the location of the Mission San Francisco de Asis and further ruled by Spanish-Mexican cattle barons Valencianos and Guerreros.

While walking around the Mission District, you can’t help but notice all of the amazing restaurants. One night I had the opportunity to have dinner at this authentic Thai after passing by several authentic Asian, Indian, and burger joints. The Mission District just had a authenticity about it that made all of the food look fresh, vibrant, and fun! Even with all the great eats, the Mission Distict is famous for one food delicacy, the burrito. Ay Carumba! While different than Freebirds, the burritos at the Mission are unlike anything I’ve ever had before. They are not to be missed. A trusted source told me, and I agree, that La Taqueria is primo for burritos in the Mission. So if you’re looking for a quick detour from the hustle and bustle of toursity San Francisco, schedule an afternoon to visit the Mission District. It’s well worth the cultural submersion.

Mission District at Night

I suppose I should start with the caveat that in my travels I’ve found that the single most influencing factor has been the experience itself… and by and large the people in it. I’ve been pretty blessed by having a launching pad here in Austin surrounded by some pretty kick ass people who challenge and support me in various ways…. sometimes to do devious and bad things like sushi and martini night but I digress… Each section is delineated by the type of activity held within it as everyone wants to experience various sides of Austin. I will say that my favorite time to visit Austin is during March and April. This primarily coincides with the wildflowers that flourish during this time period and more importantly South by SouthWest! Yeah Baby! \m/ Oh and it’s not too hot!

Exploring Austin – Outside
As many of you know, I’ve been doing the Round is Not a Shape program for a little while now (by the way I’ve lost 3 inches in my waist alone!!! Yipppee!). In doing so, I’ve dramatically increased my outdoor exploration so this section is simply about the wonderful outdoor hiking and walking areas that I have discovered along the way. I’ll probably turn this into a series of my favorite things by talking about my favorite day trips from Austin which include Blanco, Gruene, and Enchanted Rock. So stay tuned. Same bat time. Same bat channel.

For any of you that really love thunder storms, there is one place in Austin to watch the lightening and thunder roll through the hills. Of course you’ll need a rain coat or not mind getting soaked (yes… admittedly I have a thing for dancing in the rain), Mount Bonnell is the tallest point inside the Austin City Limits and it has some breath-taking views. I actually enjoy the climb up the stairs to the summit. It’s not that bad and gives you an awesome view of downtown and the lake.

The easiest place for me to climb up and relax is literally walking distance, across the bridge, from my office. It also happens to be where the search and rescue team practices and drills. Yum! But to be in the very heart of Austin and surrounded by nature, there’s the Barton Creek Greenbelt. It’s a great hike and so easy to get to.  On a gorgeous day, you’ll meet tons of great people here. The Greenbelt also has some extensive rock climbing formations which I recently started exploring and mountain biking trails. Literally a haven for any outdoor enthusiast.

For anyone who is staying downtown there’s several city routes that you can take. For some reason I have always loved walking up Congress Avenue from the South Congress shops (mentioned in the shopping and eateries section) all the way up to the Capitol building. Talk about a great way to ensure you don’t go into a food comma.

Exploring Austin – Eateries
For those of you who really know me, you’ll know that my priorities are good alcohol (more like great alcohol) over good food any time of the week and twice on Sunday. Lord forgive me for I have sinned. But since cutting down on the alcohol and focusing on fitness and health, I’ve really expanded my horizons in Austin fooderies. Admittedly I’m also a closet Food Network junkie where I discovered the likeness of Hey! Cupcake, Maria’s Taco Xpress, and most importantly Flip Happy Crepes!

Austin has some great local places to eat and drink… and be merry! This is just a list of my favorite spots. Let’s start with breakfast first. Maria’s Taco Xpress and Magnolia Cafe are by far my favorite. Just be careful. Both of these places serve some huge portions. Sharing is certainly a good idea! Food fights are optional! Baldy would get mad at me if I didn’t mention his favorite, the South Congress Cafe . It’s great for lunch, brunch, or breakfast or anything in between. Not to mention their mimosas are uber tasty!

For lunch, I typically do something lighter. There’s a ton of little sandwich shops around town. Depending on where you are, I usually opt for The Sandwich Joint or the San Francisco Bakery. They all have great cups of soup or small toasted sandwiches that knock Subway on their ass. If you’re downtown, you can always get a single slice of Home Slice. That place totally rocks my socks. But no food fights please… Don’t want to waste such yummy goodness! LunchGuru might want to chime in here. He’s my go to guy for lunch ideas even if he is in up in the Rock.

Dinner and drinks is where it’s at. This is my bread and butter. My creme de le creme.  coup de gras. You get the idea.This is what a ton of my social interaction rallies around. Okay enough of the preamble let’s talk about some great drinks and eats! I tend to stay south and downtown for dinner since most of the girls work downtown anyway. If you want north, let me know! This section is mostly delineated by cuisine.

For Japanese food, there’s two really great places downtown. I prefer going to Imperia, but there is also Kenechi. Kenechi is wonderful for their sushi. However since I have a lot of friends who aren’t into sushi, Imperia has a much more diverse menu. I highly recommend the Sea Bass. Melt in your mouth delicious!

Now. You can’t come to Texas without some good ole fashioned Tex-Mex or Mexican-influenced cuisine. Austin is a little different than San Antonio. If you want traditional Mexican or Tex-Mex style I highly recommend you wait and go to San Antonio. It’s mucho grande better! (Can you tell I didn’t take Spanish in High School?)  But for a very interesting Southwestern style feel, I highly recommend zTejas. They also happen to have a very good selection of tequilas which never hurts and serve fresh-baked cornbread before every meal. I will even stop by there just to get a cup of tortilla soup and sit out on the patio. You’ll hear a lot of people regale the virtues of Chuy’s. I’m not personally a big fan but you may disagree! Oh! How could I even forget! Trudy’s! Their food is okay but their Mexican Martinis are to die for. OMG the stories those little shakers could tell would make a sailor blush.

For some good soul food you can never ever ever go wrong with Hoover’s . Hoover’s is where my dad wants to eat every time he comes to Austin. (well that and Freebirds… he loves their haberno sauce) They do southern fried with a cajun twist up right. Also again with the huge portions. You have been warned. You might also want to try Threadgills on Riverside next to the Hooters. The other two American food categories include my favorite grilled salmon and french fries in the world, Hyde Park Bar and Grill . If you see Bartender there, tell him I sent you and he’ll serve you up a Appletini that will probably make your knees buckle. “Trust in Titos! Ole!” (it’s a inside joke thing… )

If you want the spreadsheet-o-happy-hours let me know! I have a friend who maintains daily and weekly happy hour specials in Excel. The Roaring Fork on Sunday’s is probably the best deal ever! And Cork N Company’s Monday Madness is to die for. Most of these are week day specials but certainly enable you to eat and drink like a king on a court jester’s budget!

If you want actual bars and other hang outs, please let me know. There are several great ones on 4th street. I’m just trying to be as good as I can and not lead you into a path of temptation… who am I kidding!

Exploring Austin – Events
This section is going to be brief because I’m running late. But there’s a lot of great things to do around Austin that don’t involve drinking, eating, or drinking… did i mention drinking?  Kidding. Because Austin lacks a professional sports league (due to those orange jersey wearing *#*W#), there really aren’t a whole lot of great sporting events around. BUT have no fear! The Dallas Stars are putting a farm team here in 2009! Yippee! I can’t wait to get ice hockey back in Austin! Until that point, you have the option of the Round Rock Express baseball team up in Round Rock and NCAA sporting events. Oh and the rodeo is coming to town! YeeHaw!

Fortunately all is not lost for Austin is well known for being the Live Music Capital of the World. And boy is it ever. If you love walking casually down a street and hearing all forms of music filtering out of the bars, then Austin is your nightlife. Every Thursday through Saturday night you can hear several different bands all over town. Just saunter (yes I said saunter) down 6th and 4th street and find a sound that appeals to you. They have everything from Jazz and Blues (Eric Tessmer is my fav) to Salsa to Hard Rock \m/. The metal scene is on Red River if you want to face the angry crowds. It’s not for the faint of heart. Copa Bar & Grill has some great Salsa and Latin Dancing if that’s your game. Oh! and don’t forget about the Spazmatics. While not an exclusively Austin phenonmia, the Spazmatics rock every Wednesday night at Cedar Street. If you just want to let loose and have some fun to great 80′s and 90′s music, then you certainly have to check them out. Talk about the nostalgia factor! And if you’re planning a trip in March, be sure to check dates for South By SouthWest! It’s awesome and beloved but can make visiting Austin and finding hotel accommodations a little bit challenging.

Oh yeah and go see the bats on congress bridge or rent bikes at the Bike Shop off Lamar and head to the trails! Whatever you do, have some fun and don’t hesitate to enjoy yourselves. There’s tons of other things I didn’t mention here like swimming at Barton Creek but I’ll get to those too I promise!

Exploring Austin – Shopping
Now let it be known. I detest shopping. Detest. Abhor. It’s my least favorite activity in the whole world. I think I’d rather be working… okay well maybe not but still. I’d rather have someone else do this. However it’s the only quality time I get to spend with my mom so I do have to be well versed in the art of the shopping mall. Recently opened, the Shops at the Galleria in Bee Caves is the least painful of all the options. It’s a very outdoorsy open mall with several nice shops and department stores. It’s also conveniently got a Dick’s Sporting Goods, Lowe’s, and Little Woodrow’s (BEER!) for the man in your life. Believe me when I say it’s the least painful! If you want something on the higher end with tons of shopping, go to Barton Creek Mall or the Domain. And most certainly if you’re feeling eclectic or want something localized, hit up South Congress avenue or drive around between 6th and 35th streets on Lamar. You’re sure to find something zany and wacky there. Without a doubt. Trust a sister on this one fact.

Exploring Austin – Websites
I swear I missed my calling. I totally should have been in marketing or a travel agent. But be sure to visit some of these great Austin – specific resources to help cater to your every Austin adventuring needs.
Edible Austin features local Austin restaurants. It’s also where I found the farmer’s market! She writes for more communities as well.

Wanting to explore the natural side of Austin? Look no further than Austin Explorer. This site is totally written by an engineer who doesn’t know anything about HCI but I won’t hold that against him or her. I probably wouldn’t do much better. I am NOT a UI person. This is site has however opened my eyes to the plethora of hiking and biking trails in and around Austin. It’s the best way to find easily accessible locations to disappear even inside a blazing metropolis like Austin.

So now that I’m really late, I’m going to end with this. Whatever journey you decide to make, make the most of it! Enjoy each day to its fullest and embrace the world that comes at you! Most importantly, have fun! Each day I step out of my apartment into a new adventure. Granted oftentimes the adventure is forgetting that I parked down a very precarious, steep, grassy hill and I’m wearing 5″ heels… but that’s an entirely different type of adventure all together. But I do boldly go where no one has gone before…. Or something to that affect. It’s all in the attitude that true exploration and adventure exists. Again, I apologize for not being brief. Tersity is not my thing!

We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.  ~Hilaire Belloc

“To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one’s self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived – this is to have succeeded.” ~  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Round and round she goes. Where she stops no one knows.

Wow what an exhausting trip. But I am no worse for wear. Fear not for I am good. I’m making the most of my whirlwind tours until I came face to face with my new arch nemesis, the revolving door. No. This not some profound nemesis like in the movie Sliding Doors but an actual revolving door that decided to twart my ability to get precious hours of sleep. When I arrived at the hotel in Brussels Tuesday evening, the revolving door was the only one swinging. The hotel was quiet. All of the NATO politicians were nestled in their beds dreaming up new little policies for governing millions. Even the cleaning staff had departed hours ago.

Of course me, I just wanted to sleep. It had been a harrowing day of activity with tons of to and fro meetings. The install and meetings went well but even that wasn’t enough to keep me energized throughout the night. Mr. Sandman decided to blast his sleeping draught at me like an epic blizzard. I had made it through. I was about to reach my goal after taking trains to gatwick, london victoria, heathrow and flying to brussels. Literally feet away from my absolute final destination, I was stopped dead in my tracks. You see precisely at midnight, the revolving door stops spinning. It powers down. No workie, comprendo? A few seconds before, I had stepped into the revolving door to make my journey to the hotel checkin when I saw it start to slow and eventually stop, trapping me inside. It took nearly an hour for me, laughing becuase what else is a sleep deprived girl to do at midnight trapped in a revolving door, to get out as the hotel staff had to call an electrician to power the revolving door back up. I made the night staff’s night by that little stunt. Bridget Jones has nothing on me!

I am attempting to publish this on the blogspot which has automatically determined my IP address is in Belgium. Thus ALL THE FREAKING MENUS are in DUTCH. I should take a picture as you probably don’t believe me… but here I am typing away with menus labelled, Veroffentlichen, Einstellungen, and Vorlage!?!

With the summer heat approaching Texas, visitors are often surprised at how quickly your throat gets parched. So I’ve compiled a list of my five favorite summer drinks that are guaranteed to keep you cool, refreshed, and relaxed during the hot Texas summer months.

Mexican Martini

1. Trudy’s Mexican Martini: Make no bones about it and accept no substitutes, the Trudy’s Mexican Martini is a potent concoction of tequila, Cointreau, Sprite, and OJ. Be careful with this one though. It’s not for the faint of heart or severely dehydrated. Consider yourself warned and enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 oz Tequila(preferably a top shelf Repasado like Don Julio or Herradura)
2 oz Cointreau
2 oz Sprite
2 oz OJ
.5 oz Lime Juice
Instructions:

Combine with ice in a Martini shaker. Serve. Shaken not stirred in a chilled Martini glass with a salt rim and stuffed olive garnish.

2. Texas Tea: For the yankees visiting from the North, the Texas Tea is a non-traditional, more potent redheaded stepchild to the beloved Long Island Iced Tea. It’s a little redneck and a lot of fun.

Instructions

3. Corona While I will probably be skewered alive, disowned, and likely discredited for not recommending Lone Star as my summer beer of choice, nothing beats an ice cold Corona with a little salt-rimmed bottle and lime. You try coming in off a 6 mile hike around Bandera, TX, getting out of the boat on Lake Travis, or tubing the Guadalupe with a nice refreshing Corona. You will not be disappointed.

4. Mojito: There’s just something about the Latin culture that truly understands the nuances of the glaring Texas heat. A hot, sticky sweet sister to the Margarita’s salty sassiness, the Mojito will provide you with a cool, refreshing breeze of rum goodness. You even get in a slight arm workout crushing the mint leaves.

Ingredients

1.25 oz Captain Morgan Original spiced rum
12 mint leaves
1 tbsp sugar
.5 oz lime juice
2 oz soda

Instructions

Place crushed mint leaves in the bottom of the glass. Add crushed ice, sugar, Captain Morgan, and lime juice. Muddle with a spoon and add soda on top. Garnish with mint.

5. Margarita: Last and certainly not least is the glorious goodness of the margarita. Frozen or on the rocks, the tequila-infused margarita will keep you breezy cool in the Texas summer heat. The only real decision you have to make is what tequila you put in it. And I’ll tell you, not since the Hatfields and McCoys fued has something been more widely debated. However you can not go wrong with a great top shelf Anejo. After extensive, repetitive, and often times arduous research, I highly recommend the Suaza Tres Generaciones Anejo for its smooth delivery and price point. Let me know what you think!

Ingredients

1.5 oz Tequila
.5 oz triple sec
5 oz Sweet and Sour (again. Just say NO to the powder mix. Trust me on this one)
.5 oz OJ
.5 oz Grand Marnier
1 oz lime juice

Instructions

Place salt on a dish and rub rim of a margarita glass with a lime wedge. Dip glass in the salt to coat rim thoroughly. Pour teguila, triple sec, lime juice, sweet and sour, orange juice, and ice into a blender. Set on high speed until well blended. Pour into a margarita glass. Garnish with a lime, and serve. Optionally, pour Grand Marnier orange liqueur on top for a float, then serve.

Frozen Margarita with an upshot on the RiverWalk

I won’t say it was pretty. But it was pretty fun. As part of my bucket list, I decided I wanted to complete an Adventure Race. And with the amazing support of my Moxie Pucks team, we were able to complete the Spread Your Wings Adventure Race. While I could wax poetically about the amazing feat, the you tube video below accurately depicts just what I could not say in words. Of course, muchos gracias goes out to the Moxie Pucks, my friends and family for their amazing support throughout this! Am I a lucky girl or what?

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I hesitate to even post about the extraordinary Quad Cities because I’m afraid that visitors would somehow nullify the charm of this quintessential mid-Western town. But fear not fearless reader! I will risk certain ostracism from the Quad Cities by exposing the certain charms and solitude that you will find within its walls. Upon my arrival in Moline, IL, I was greeted with a congenial charm that welcomed me to this amazing little town.

While work may have brought me to this sleepy little town, the people made me want to stay. From the hotel reception staff with 2 kids who moved here from the big city to start a new life with no regrets to the big man who has had the pleasure of living here all his life, the people in Moline are hard-working, genuine people. They possess a certain sincerity and generosity that even this cynical traveller revels in. BigBill, who refers to his wife as TheHoney, spends his evening supporting his children and crafting pens (one of which I was fortunate enough to be gifted with). He mentioned to me that life in the Quad Cities is simply home, good, bad, or indifferent. GenerousStranger finds himself going out of his way to shop in the John Deere Store, andpurchasing a John Deere green cap for a stranger who admired his cap and wants one for her fiance as a wedding present. Ironically this is ordinary life in Moline where people live to support each other. Life in the QuadCitities is about community and a sense of family that you can’t find in the jaded world outside the mid-west. And it’s that sense of community that welcomes everyone into the QuadCities warm embrace.

For those of you intrigued about its charms, Moline also has some great places to eat! Surprised?  Even in this small town, I was able to find quite an eclectic array of great food to inspire the soul and foster a great sense of community! With my initial visit, I had an excellent lunch at Johnny’s Italian Stekahouse. Johnny’s atmosphere provides a comfortable, rat-pack style Italian bistro filled with an awesome wine menu and some incredible traditional Italian fare boasting of original flavors and upbeat music. We all know that any Italian place isn’t worth the cannoli without some great music. While I haven’t had an opportunity to try any of the other cuisines yet, if you have a hankerin for living life on the wild side, try Le Mekong off 5th Avenue in Moline. They serve up some traditional Vietnamese fare to spice up the casual town of Moline. It was fantastic with a side of spicy!

After such fantastic fare, we all need to watch our girlish figures (because round is NOT a shape). So the Quad Cities offers a variety of outdoor activities. Off Rock Island, one of the Quad Cities, is a hike and bike shop that allows you to rent bikes either for a leisurely jaunt up the river or a rapid fire training exercise through the Rock city moutain biking trail. I’ll give you one guess which direction I went. Whatever you fancy, the Hike and Bike Shop had everything I needed to rent a bike and get in a good sweaty workout. Just do me a favor and stay upwind of me. It’s in your best interest. Wanting to take life into your own hands and leave your own trail? Here’s the link to the bike path trail that I found to be the most comprehensive and up to date. May you leave a trail of your own! Or ride a combine! I got up in one myself… And all I have to say is this is NOT your grandpa’s combine!

If hiking, biking and outdoor activities are not your fancy, dance the night away. The QCOnline provides a comprehensive guide to events in the Quad cities. I found it to be an invaluable resource. It even told me about the carnival being in town while I was there! Who am I to turn down an opportunity at a Ferris Wheel? Next on the list, some great music and Bad Boyz Pizza for a few beers and disorderly conduct!

So while work or pleasure may bring you to the Quad Cities, the people will make you feel welcome and wish you could stay forever. And I ask you? Do you know the way to Moline, IL? Here’s the map map just in case you get a little distracted by the wide variety of things that rural Illinois has to offer.