sunset on the beach with david cook & company

Once again, I had a chance to be in Virginia Beach this year for the Patriotic Festival. Last year, the star of the show was Sugarland with Jennifer Nettles as its lovely bundle of energy and talent. This year we had David Cook. The crowd went crazy every time the announcers mentioned his name. The audience was 98% female!

Speaking of female, the single "girl power" for the evening was the talented Felicia Barton. She wasn't listed on the program, but was the unofficial energetic opening act for the concert. The crowd warmed up to Felicia's smiling face and powerhouse voice instantly.


By the time Matt Nathanson came on board, everyone was ready to rock. And rock the beach, Matt did! Not only that, he was surprisingly funny and charming. He repeated his name at least a half dozen times and so even if one came to the concert not knowing who Matt Nathanson was, one surely left remembering his name without a doubt. :)

As to David Cook, all night long I was waiting for him to do my favorite Billie Jean song (proudly showing my age here) ... but he didn't. Neither did he sing The Time of My Life, Permament or Come Back to Me either. There's no doubt whatsoever from the very first note that a David Cook concert was a pure rock concert. David plays the music he loves, not what we hear on the radio a dozen times a day. Since I have yet to buy any of the songs on his new CD, I didn't know a single tune that night while everyone else around me was humming along with every word. Starting with the opening act, the sound system was already terrible. We could barely hear David's voice or make out the lyrics he was singing. (Last year, they managed to fix the same problem for Sugarland after a few songs, but not so this time.) To make things a tad bit more interesting, the drummer in David's band seemed to beat the living daylights out of his drum set while violently whipping his long hair up and down all night long. At one point, I thought he was going to pass out of exhaustion or deliriousness. Thank goodness, he didn't.

As for the former American Idol champion who's been rocking his way into America's heart, bad sound system or not, he looked and sounded like a soulful, younger Brad Pitt on that stage and could do no wrong in the eyes of the female-dominated audience. Safe to say ... Virginia Beach adores David Cook!

If this little post still doesn't satisfy you (because you are such a huge fan of David Cook or at least secretly possess a healthy curiosity about all things cool), check out Marc Payne's blog. Marc is one of the two official photographers of the Patriotic Festival 2009 and he's sharing lots of details and pictures on this fun event on his blog and flickr site.

the prettiest small town in america

if you're ever in woodstock, vermont, pack a couple bottles of water, put on your best hiking shoes, and climb mt. tom. somewhere up there is the most beautiful view of the valley below, but of course it's all about the journey and not just the destination.

lucky me, i got to hike mt. tom with my friends one autumn afternoon last year. nothing like spending time in nature! it gives you a whole new perspective on things, and hands down the best way to destress. also, being in woodstock, "the prettiest small town in america" (according to ladies' home journal magazine) also helps!

happy hiking!

an afternoon at smith college

Last fall, we managed to squeeze in a visit to Smith College during our annual fall trip in New England. Finally have a chance to post some pictures now. I'm so behind in posting ... a constant case of not having enough time to do everything I want to do. Will we ever ... have enough time?

Anyhow, we even had a chance to watch a volleyball tournament between at Smith. That was a treat. And even though it did rain that afternoon, we still made out on top with a double rainbow event! Life is awesome like that! :)

21+1 Photography Podcasts & the Bridge of Sighs

I love Google Alerts! Every day it fills my mailbox with interesting things. My favorite pick this morning is 21+1 Photography Podcasts That Will Inspire You by Martin Gommel.

Oh yes, and about the picture above, I took it on our first evening in Venice a few summers ago. As soon as we checked into our hotel, we took vaporetto rides to the Piazza San Marco and walked around. Of course, the Bridge of Sighs is a visit not to be missed when in Venice. There were so many tourists crowding around that one spot on the canal, all waiting for their turn to ride the gondolas or take pictures. I was one!

For those of you who love history, the Bridge of Sighs was designed by Antoni Contino (his uncle also designed the famous Rialto Bridge in Venice) and built between 1600 and 1603. It connects the old prisons to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace. Local legend is that lovers will be assured eternal love if they kiss on a gondola at sunset under this bridge. Watch the 1979 film A Little Romance and you'll see! ;)

A City to Love

Each time we're in NYC, I find one more reason to love this vibrant and oh-so-very-unique city. And among the top five on this list is definitely Chinatown!

And it's all about the food for me! :)


Here they are in no particular order ... fried dumplings and sticky rice cakes from sidewalk vendors, tasty noodle bowls and fragrant pastries from bakery shops, delicious dim sum treats, 10-course family meals from local restaraunts, and much much more which you'll have to discover for yourself.

And what fun you'll have trying to decipher the secret ingredients and treasures of Chinatown! The best part is ... everything is amazingly affordable! But don't forget to bargain when purchasing anything from street vendors and shops. You may get a surprisingly good deal if you're a little patient. Last but not least, bring a bit of cash since many places don't accept credit cards and street vendors definitely want only cash.


And if you're hungry at 2:00AM? Check these places out!

Are you ready?! Here's a map to help you navigate the streets of Chinatown, and below are directions on how to get there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to Get to Chinatown from Anywhere in NYC (Directions from www.explorechinatown.com.)

By Subway
6, J, M, N, Q, R, W, Z to Canal St station
B, D to Grand St station
F to East Broadway station
Get subway directions from hopstop.com

By Bus
M1, M6, M9, M15, M22, M103, B39, B51

Walking
- From East Village (Cooper Square, below St. Marks/8th Street)- walk straight down 3rd Avenue, which becomes Bowery, to Chatham Square.
- From SoHo - walk downtown on Broadway, turn left on Canal to Mott Street.
- From TriBeCa - walk uptown on Broadway, turn right on Worth (to Chatham Sq.) or Canal Street (to Mott Street).
- From South Street Seaport - walk uptown on Pearl Street (which becomes St. James PL) to Chatham Square.
- From WTC memorial site (corner of Church Street & Vesey Street) - walk uptown on Church Street or Broadway to Canal Street. Turn right and walk east.
- From Jury Duty/Centre Street - walk east on Worth Street one block to Columbus Park.


I promise you'll find something to love in Chinatown! And most likely, it'll be something to do with FOOD!

living life as you dream it

We got a chance to go to Maine for a mini-holiday again. It's my most favorite retreat on the East Coast. This year we even had the fun company of our friends from Houston. It was their first time in Maine and we couldn't have asked for lovelier weather to show them around. We woke up every morning to the sunrises over the ocean, walked the Marginal Way to gape at the amazing views at every turn, headed into town for some fresh steamy coffee and flaky croissants at Fancy That, browsed our favorite gift shops, picked up snacks and drinks at the Village Food Market, and munched on delicious lobsters in melted butter. Life is oh so good in Maine!

I found this beautiful art piece at Art & Soul, one of the cutest art galleries in Ogunquit. Every time we're in town, we make a stop at the colorful and gorgeous Art & Soul. This time, I asked one of the shopkeepers where these beautiful artworks came from, and she happily said they're by artists all over the U.S. and the New England area. This made me think immediately of my talented sister. She should sell her beautiful whimsical artworks to quaint galleries like this one! Mmmm ... mental note ... remember to tell my sister.

For a few more glimpses of the Art & Soul Galleries:

you can't get lost in waikiki

(Map found on discounthotelshawaii.com.)

Last May, I visited Waikiki for the first time! Talk about excited! I couldn't think about anything but Hawaii during those long months leading up to the trip! :)

In Waikiki, at first glance, I was a bit weary. It seems almost like a "Little NYC" with all the skyscrapers within a one square mile radius. But after a day or two of walking around and staring at my tourist map, I realized it's almost impossible to get lost in Waikiki. OK ... here's how I got my bearings. There are three main streets in Waikiki. Yep! Just three!

The one that almost everyone will find themselves on is Kalakaua Boulevard, the beautiful avenue running closest and parallel to the Pacific Ocean. Here are most of the hotels and resorts, restaurants and shops, markets and ABC stores, and of course the gazillion tourists from all over the world ... including me! One of the hotels we stayed in on this trip was right off of this street. An unbeatable location!

Then there's Kuhio Boulevard, running side by side to Kalakaua Boulevard, perhaps a block or so inland. Most hotels actually congregate between Kalakaua and Kuhio Boulevards. The famous outdoor International Market has an entrance off of Kuhio also. And yes, you have to visit this market! It's one of the few places where tourists can bargain until their hearts' content. Kuhio is not as crowded as Kalakaua, and so if you want to go out to dinner but don't feel like bumping into too many tourists, pick a restaurant off of Kuhio. There are plenty of good ones to choose from. I even spotted a Vietnamese restaurant!

Last but not least is Ala Wai Boulevard which for me stands for the end of Waikiki since beyond it is the serene Ala Wai Canal. I did a quick reading on the internet and found out the canal was built in 1922 to help drain rainwater coming down from the mountains above Waikiki. And so thanks to the Ala Wai Canal, Waikiki is no longer a swampland full of fish and duck ponds. It's funny that almost every local we talked to mentioned that they're from or live in the Ala Wai Canal area. I guess it's where the tourists drop off, and the real life begins.

Well, that's about it on our brief geography crash course of Waikiki! :) Here's our snapshot of Ala Wai Boulevard with the mountains beyond. We came upon this corner almost daily during our week-long stay on the island. :)

twirling

I've always wanted to do this ... press the shutter button and spin round and round just to see what magic would come out of it. And so this is it! It's amazing what a little point & shoot can do!

In case you're wondering where this was ... we were on a family reunion/vacation in Orlando, and on this particular day ... we had such a blast exploring Islands of Adventures. :)

into the blue

I'm so excited! It's my first trip to Hawaii! :)

We are flying from the East Coast to Oahu with a change of plane in Chicago. The entire journey is almost 12 hours! The airline must be in a big financial bind because there's nothing to eat on this flight unless we can dish out $5 for a box of sandwich or $3 for a box of peanuts. {Sigh}

Here we are ... leaving land and cruising over the Pacific Ocean for the next 5-6 hours! The older I get, the more "chicken" I become about flying. And even though I try to remember that "there's nothing to fear but fear itself," it doesn't help much. Perhaps ... reminding myself that we are going to Hawaii would help?!

It does! :)

my afternoon in Stars Hollow

The crazy fan has gone and done it again! Last month while in L.A. for a brief few days, I twisted my friend's arms and made her do another tour of Gilmore Land with me for another unforgettable visit of Stars Hollow. It's our 2nd visit, but the excitement of being in Luke's Diner is still the same for us. Our tour group had 7-8 women ... all HUGE fans of "Gilmore Girls" so we begged our very nice tour guide to let us visit Stars Hollow and as many of its places as we could. He was so nice. He indulged us all! And let me tell ya ... nothing beats sitting at one of Lorelai's and Rory's favorite tables in Luke's Diner! Oh and if you're wondering if this crazy fan will ever get tired of walking the streets of Lorelai's and Rory's ... probably not!
More pics of Stars Hollow to come! Meanwhile tonight ... see you in Stars Hollow on CW @ 8:00PM! Tonight's episode is a "fresh" one!

Gilmore Girls is one of the all-time best family show on TV! It's one of the only two television shows that I must own DVDs of. (The other is Felicity. And that can be another whole subject for this blog!)

carefree on venice beach

I guess this says it all! Every time I'm in LA, I have to stop by Venice Beach. There's so much "life" in that corner of the world ... and I love it!

Living What You Do Every Day

I know I've raved about NPR enough. But then, it's never enough. Each day, I find another great NPR article that touches me a bit more. Today ... it's "Living What You Do Every Day." I'm sharing it with you hoping it'll inspire you to live your dreams, whatever they may be. Perhaps you're already living your dreams. Then you'd be among the lucky fews. We'd love to hear from you so that we too can be inspired ... again.

Btw, this was taken in Nantucket behind our inn. I tried to get up early enough to catch the sunrise and missed it by 3 minutes. By the time I was out by the water, Mr. Sun had already gotten up and dressed and about to have breakfast!

~~~~~~~~~~
Living What You Do Every Day

by Yolanda O'Bannon

Yolanda O'Bannon is executive assistant to biochemist and former National Academy of Sciences President Bruce Alberts. O'Bannon was born in Phoenix and raised on Air Force bases around the world. She lives with her husband in Richmond, Calif.

NPR Morning Edition, November 6, 2006 · I believe in being what I am instead of what sounds good to the rest of the world.

Last year, I left a job I hated as a programmer for a job I love as an executive assistant, which is just a fancy word for secretary. I still feel a little embarrassed when people ask me about my new job. Not because of what I do, but because of what some people, including myself, have thought of secretaries.

I had always thought that secretaries were nice and maybe competent, but not smart or strong or original. I have a master's degree in English literature, have interviewed the Dalai Lama, and co-founded a nonprofit organization. People who know me wondered why I would go for what seemed to be such a dull and low status job. Even my new boss asked if I would be bored.

Why would I want to be a secretary? Because it fits me like a glove. I get to do what I love best all day, which is organize things. I like the challenge of holding the focus on the top priorities in my boss' wildly busy schedule. I can function with a high degree of chaos. Untangling finances feels like playing detective to me. I find filing restful.

The only hard part is dealing with my own and other people's stereotypes, and learning to focus on internal rewards rather than humble appearances. I admit that I feel vaguely embarrassed bringing the faculty lunch or serving coffee to my boss' visitors. But deep down I don't believe that serving food is humiliating. Really, I think of it as a practice in humility. My husband is Tibetan. In Tibetan communities, you serve each other tea as a form of respect. When I'm serving coffee at work, I imagine that I'm serving a monk.

Whenever I get down or defensive about being a secretary, I think of those sharp, fast-talking assistants on The West Wing, and how they speak in paragraphs and remember everything, and I feel pretty cool. Sometimes I just look around at my fellow secretaries -- savvy and articulate women who are masters at multi-tasking. I know I'm in good company.

I've done a lot of solo travel in my life -- in New Zealand, Japan, Africa and India. Taking this job was harder than any of that. When I said I was going to spend a year in northern India, I'd get points. When I said I was going to be a secretary, people wondered what happened to me.

It would be easier if I were someone whose skills were more respected and better compensated -- a doctor, an architect, a scientist. I would feel cool when I meet someone at a party. But a friend reminded me that you only have to talk about what you do for five minutes at parties, but you have to live what you do every day of your life, so better to do what you love and forget about how it looks. And this, I believe.

My Elusive Basket of Gourds

Every year when fall rolls around, I look forward to collecting baskets of baby pumpkins and autumn gourds for our home and front porch. This year, trying to be frugal, I've been putting off buying them hoping a better deal will be around the corner, sometime, somewhere.

It's the 3rd of November now ... and there are still no baskets of gourds to cozy up our house. This means this weekend, there will be several trips to various farmers' markets around town and perhaps even a trip to the country to visit pumpkin patches and apple orchards. I will not be so picky with prices this time for fear Christmas will roll around before I even have a chance to enjoy ... fall.

Ahh ... my elusive basket of gourds. I should've grabbed you when I saw you last at Quincy Market in Boston.

Vineyard's Best

I'm spending a few days on beautiful Martha's Vineyard and wish that I'm an islander instead of just a vacationer. :) Will upload some pics when I get home.

Meanwhile, just want to post the list of Vineyard's Best from Martha's Vineyard Magazine. We refer to this list quite a bit being an island's visitor.

Best of the Vineyard

Introduction by Geoff Currier

Interviews by Tom Dresser

Each July, Martha's Vineyard Magazine polls a group of profoundly knowledgeable voters to find out which businesses on the Island are the very best at what they do. This year we canvassed our subscribers and those who purchased the magazine at a newsstand. Over the fall, winter, and spring, we received some 400 ballots, so the list doesn't get more definitive or Vineyard-specific than this one. (Look for the 2007 Best of the Vineyard ballot in the August edition of the magazine and on line at www.mvmagazine.com.)

We've been conducting this vote for a few years now, and that put us in mind of history: What would we receive, we wondered, if we asked the winning companies to open their scrapbooks and send us pictures and mementos from the earliest days of their enterprises? Tom Dresser, our reporter for the Best of the Vineyard section this year, came into the office with a fine collection of Vineyard artifacts and stories. Just have a look.

(Note: The second name is usually the runner-up, and in some cases there's a tie.)

BEST ANTIQUE STORE

Past and Presents
42 Main Street, Edgartown. 508-627-6686.
37 Main Street, Edgartown. 508-627-3992.

Tisbury Antiques
339 State Road, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-8333.

BEST ART GALLERY

The Granary Gallery
636 Old County Road, West Tisbury. 508-693-0455.

The Christina Gallery
32 North Water Street, Edgartown. 508-627-8794.

BEST AUTO REPAIR SHOP

Cars Unlimited
North Line Road, Edgartown. 508-693-6544.

Courtesy Motors
9 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-5010.

BEST BAIT AND TACKLE

Coop's Bait and Tackle
147 West Tisbury Road, Edgartown. 508-627-3909.

Dick's Bait Shop
New York Avenue, Oak Bluffs. 508-693-7669.

BEST BAKERY

Humphreys
Woodland Market, State Road, Tisbury. 508-693-1079.
1 Lake Street, Oak Bluffs. 508-696-6890.
33 Winter Street, Edgartown. 508-627-7029.

The Scottish Bakehouse
977 State Road, Tisbury. 508-693-6633.

BEST BANK

Martha's Vineyard Co-operative Bank
Main office: 40 South Main Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-0161.
Branches in Oak Bluffs and West Tisbury.

Dukes County Savings Bank
Branches in Chilmark (508-645-3811), Edgartown (508-627-4266 and 9966),
Oak Bluffs (508-696-9355), Tisbury (508-693-2666), and West Tisbury (508-693-3232).

BEST BAR/PUB

The Newes from America
23 Kelley Street, Edgartown. 508-627-4397.

Offshore Ale Company
30 Kennebec Avenue, Oak Bluffs. 508-693-2626.

BEST BED AND BREAKFAST

Hob Knob Inn
128 Main Street, Edgartown. 508-627-9510.

RUNNER-UP

Thorncroft Inn
460 Main Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-3333.

BEST BIKE RENTALS

Martha's Bike Rentals
Five Corners, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-6593.

Anderson's Bike Rentals
23 Circuit Avenue Extension, Oak Bluffs. 508-693-9346.

BEST BOOKSTORE

Bunch of Grapes
44 Main Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-2291.

Edgartown Books
44 Main Street, Edgartown. 508-627-8463.

BEST BREAKFAST RESTAURANT

ArtCliff Diner
39 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-1224.

Linda Jean's Restaurant
25 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs. 508-693-4093.

BEST BURGER

Offshore Ale Company
30 Kennebec Avenue, Oak Bluffs. 508-693-2626.

The Wharf Pub and Restaurant
Lower Main Street, Edgartown. 508-627-9966.

BEST CANDY STORE

Chilmark Chocolates
State Road, Chilmark. 508-645-3013.

Ice Cream and Candy Bazaar
5 Dock Street, Edgartown. 508-627-8735.

BEST CATERER

Fella Caters
P.O. Box 1413, Vineyard Haven MA 02568. 508-693-1572.

V. Jaime Hamlin and Sons
71 Lake Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-6313.

BEST CHOWDER

The Net Result
79 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-6071.

Home Port Restaurant
North Road, Menemsha. 508-645-2679.

BEST CLAMBAKE

Bill Smith's MV Clambake
Edgartown. 508-627-8809. RUNNER-UP

Fella Caters
P.O. Box 1413, Vineyard Haven MA 02568. 508-693-1572.

BEST CHILDREN'S CLOTHING STORE

Basics
22 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs. 508-693-8819.

BEST MEN'S CLOTHING STORE

Sundog
41 Main Street, Edgartown. 508-627-5254.

Brickman's
8 Main Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-0047.
33 Main Street, Edgartown. 508-627-4700.

BEST WOMEN'S CLOTHING STORE

The Green Room
71 Main Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-6888.

Laughing Bear
33 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs. 508-693-9342.

BEST COFFEE SHOP

Mocha Mott's
10 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs. 508-696-1922.
15 Main Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-3155.

Espresso Love
17 Church Street, Edgartown. 508-627-9211.

BEST DELI

Humphreys
Woodland Market, State Road, Tisbury. 508-693-1079.
1 Lake Street, Oak Bluffs. 508-696-6890.
33 Winter Street, Edgartown. 508-627-7029.

Menemsha Deli
24 Basin Road, Menemsha. 508-645-9902.

BEST DINNER RESTAURANTS

Sweet Life Café
63 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs. 508-696-0200.

Lambert's Cove Inn and Restaurant
Off Lambert's Cove Road, West Tisbury. 508-693-2298.

BEST FISH AND CHIPS

Sandy's Fish and Chips
At John's Fish Market, State Road, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-1220.

The Newes from America
23 Kelley Street, Edgartown. 508-627-4397.

BEST FISH MARKET

The Net Result
Tisbury Marketplace, Beach Road, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-6071.

Edgartown Seafood
138 Cooke Street, Edgartown. 508-627-3791.

BEST FISHING CHARTER BOAT

Skipper Party Boat
On the bulkhead, across from the Island Queen, Oak Bluffs. 508-693-1238.

BEST FITNESS CENTER

Vineyard Tennis Center, Workout and Spa
22 Airport Road, West Tisbury. 508-696-8000.

RUNNER-UP

Mansion House Health Club and Spa
9 Main Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-2200.

BEST FLORIST

Donaroma's Nursery and Landscape Services
271 Upper Main Street, Edgartown. 508-627-8366.

RUNNER-UP

Morrice Florist
149 State Road, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-0392.

BEST FRIED CLAMS

Giordano's Restaurant
107 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs. 508-693-0184.

29 Basin Road, Menemsha. 508-645-9239.

BEST GARDEN CENTER/NURSERY

Donaroma's Nursery and Landscape Services
271 Upper Main Street, Edgartown. 508-627-8366.

Vineyard Gardens
484 State Road, West Tisbury. 508-693-8512.

BEST GIFT SHOP

Rainy Day
66 Main Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-1830.

Willoughby Essentials
12 North Water Street, Edgartown. 508-627-3369.

BEST HAIRDRESSER

bouclé
12 North Water Street, Edgartown. 508-627-3853.

Wavelengths
223 Upper Main Street, Edgartown. 508-627-7066.

BEST HARDWARE STORE

Shirley's Hardware
374 State Road, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-3070.

H.N. Hinckley and Sons, Inc./Ace Hardware
27 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-0075.

BEST HOME FURNISHINGS

Vineyard Decorators
Martha's Vineyard Airport. 508-693-9197.

Island Home Furnishings
412 State Road, Tisbury. 508-693-6665.

BEST HOTEL/INN

Harbor View Hotel
131 North Water Street, Edgartown. 508-627-7000.

Mansion House
9 Main Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-2200.

BEST ICE CREAM SHOP

Ben and Bill's
Chocolate Emporium, 20 A Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs.

Mad Martha's
20 Union Street, Vineyard Haven.
12 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs.
7 North Water Street, Edgartown.

BEST JEWELER

CB Stark Jewelers
53 Main Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-2284.
27 North Water Street, Edgartown. 508-627-1260.

Claudia
51 Main Street, Edgartown. 508-627-8306.
34 Main Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-5465.

BEST LANDSCAPE COMPANY

Landscope Landscape Construction
MV Business Park, 16 A Street, Edgartown. 508-696-8812.

Donaroma's Nursery and Landscape Services
271 Upper Main Street, Edgartown. 508-627-8366.

BEST LIVE BAND

Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish
johnnyhoyandthebluefish.com. 508-696-3007.

Entrain
P.O. Box 2223, Vineyard Haven MA 02568. 508-693-1291.

BEST LUNCH RESTAURANT

Slice of Life
50 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs. 508-693-3838.

Linda Jean's Restaurant
25 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs. 508-693-4093.

BEST NATURE WALK

Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary
Off the Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Road, Edgartown. 508-627-4850.

BEST NIGHT ENTERTAINMENT SPOT

The Hot Tin Roof
Closed, but see our feature story on the early days.

BEST PACKAGE STORE

Jim's Package Store
27 Lake Avenue, Oak Bluffs. 508-693-0236.

Our Market
2 East Chop Drive, Oak Bluffs. 508-693-3000.

BEST PIZZA

Giordano's Restaurant
107 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs. 508-693-0184.

Lattanzi's Pizzeria
Post Office Square, Edgartown. 508-627-9084.

BEST PLACE TO CATCH A STRIPED BASS

If we told you, we'd be killed.

BEST PLACES TO GET PICNIC FOOD

Soigne
190 Upper Main Street, Edgartown. 508-627-8489.

Louis' Tisbury Café and Take Out
250 State Road, Tisbury. 508-693-3255.

BEST REALTOR COMPANIES

Coldwell Banker / Landmarks Real Estate
15 Church Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-6866.
55 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs. 508-696-8266.

Island Real Estate
107 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-4800.

BEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANTS

Home Port Restaurant
North Road, Menemsha. 508-645-2679.

The Square Rigger
At the Triangle, Edgartown. 508-627-9968.

BEST SHOE STORES

Brickman's
8 Main Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-0047.

Petunia's Shoes
37 Main Street, Edgartown. 508-627-7505.

BEST SOURCES FOR FRESH ISLAND PRODUCE

Morning Glory Farm
100 Meshacket Road, Edgartown. 508-627-9003.

West Tisbury farmer's Market
Grange Hall, West Tisbury. (Wednesdays and Saturdays.)

BEST SUNDAY BRUNCH

Coach House, Harbor View Hotel
131 North Water Street, Edgartown. 508-627-7000.

Farm Neck Golf Club Café
1 Farm Neck Way, off County Road, Oak Bluffs. 508-693-3560.

BEST TAXI SERVICE

AdamCab
256 Edgartown–Vineyard, Haven Road, Edgartown. 1-800-281-4462.

Mario's Taxi
3 James Way, West Tisbury. 508-693-8399.

BEST T-SHIRTS

The Black Dog
11 Water Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-696-8182.
37 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs. 508-696-9826.
Lower Main Street, Edgartown. 508-627-3360.

Menemsha Blues
2 Basin Road, Menemsha. 508-645-3800.
36 Water Street, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-9599.

BEST VIDEO STORES

Island Entertainment
395 State Road, Vineyard Haven. 508-693-7441.

Hollywood Video
244 Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Road, Edgartown. 508-627-3533.

---

Home Contact Us Subscribe

MVMAGAZINE.COM - Copyright © 2006 Vineyard Gazette, Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Site Design and Development by Metaface

Autumn in Boston

Finally! We are in Boston today, staying at a hotel in Cambridge near Harvard Square. Of course, there's always the choice of staying somewhere downtown Boston, but that would mean I wouldn't be near all my beloved stately bookstores in Cambridge. There are ... it seems ... hundreds of bookstores in Cambridge! There's even a pamphlet for a bookstore tour all within walking distance of Harvard Square. How's that for a booklover haven?!

After all that talk about Cambridge, this picture was actually taken in Faneuil Hall when we were there shopping and having lunch this afternoon. Go figure!

I love Boston! So ... more on Boston later when I have a bit more time to blog. :)

Hyannis Harbor

Being on the Cape again was a dream came true for me! We arrived in Hyannis in the late afternoon before sunset and the last ferry to Nantucket didn't arrive for at least another hour or so. Perfect opportunity to get a hot steaming cup of Dunkin' Donut coffee and walk around the harbor soaking in the fresh air and peaceful scenery.

Not wanting to get on the island too late, we opted to take the fast Hy-Line ferry rather than the much slower (albeit also much cheaper) Steamship Authority ferry. We also decided to dock our car in the parking lot in Hyannis instead of taking it over with us to the island to save some money and also because Nantucket is small enough to discover on bikes. Martha's Vineyard however will be another story!

So ... the coffee was delicious and kept my hands warm. The sunset and harbor were a welcome retreat from a busy weekend in Boston.

Will upload more pics from Nantucket soon!

hot cakes & coffee

We've always heard ... "never ever ever skip breakfast!" ... right?! So we started our day out this morning with a yummy breakfast at McD's using a few coupons my friend's mom had collected recently. If you, like me, prefer smooth and not-too-strong coffee, then you'll like McD's coffee. It's the best after Dunkin' Donuts' and Panera's! McD's hot cakes & sausages are perennial favorites of mine too! They constantly set the bar for a good old-fashioned breakfast!

Now ... it's time to take a long walk ... better yet ... a good run! But ... alas ... we need to head North soon before the leaves start to all fall off. So I'll have to save the walk for another day. :)

Road Trip Into Fall

It's not fall until we do one of our annual road trips to New England. This year, without much planning, we took off on a beautiful sunny day heading north to Massachusetts.

All I could think of while munching on potato chips crossing the Delaware Memorial Bridge was ... how good life is when you're traveling and on holiday!

More pictures to come! I'm back-posting ... so many things to do. So little time!

Sunrise in Ocean City

Each time I'm at the beach, while everyone's still counting sheep, I try to sneak away to catch the sunrise. But first, it's a walk to the coffee shop (Dunkin' Donuts or 7 Eleven) for a cup of hazelnut coffee, then comes a breezy stroll to the beach. With a book safely tucked in the beach bag and my camera around my neck, I'm set for at least a couple of hours.

And it's the most peaceful couple of hours.

Music: Norah Jones Peace

NPR rocks!

I came back from the beach just in time for a bit of good news! My picture of our hike to Flume Gorge (New Hampshire) last Fall ("A Walk To Remember") has just been published on NPR's website featuring the New Hampshire Public Radio's Granite State Stories.

Being a big fan of NPR, I can't be more happy! What an awesome way to celebrate the beginning of my favorite season!