Shorter Days/Cooler Nights - It's almost that time again

Not too much happening around here right now.

Family will take me to New England later this summer. Such a beautiful part of the country. I love visiting there.

Fall is right around the corner. Hard as that is to believe. Hopefully we'll be able to get back to the Smoky Mountains this fall. It's been a while since we last visited and fall is the perfect time to be there.

Speaking of fall. There is a town in Georgia (Helen) that has been hosting an Oktoberfest celebration for at least the last 45 years. It claims to be the longest running Oktoberfest in the US. I really want to check it out. The promise of beer and brats amid cries of Prost! What's not to love. Next best thing to being there.

So that's it for now. There'll be a few more patios to visit yet, a road trip here and there and another good burger to go in search of.

Before we know it the air will be filled with the scent of woodsmoke and apples, pumpkin spice lattes will be back at your local coffee shop and the clocks will swing back an hour.

Enjoy the rest of the summer. Grab a drink on your favorite patio and toast to the adventures ahead.

Happy travels!

Marriott Plaza San Antonio - San Antonio, Texas - NO LONGER PET FRIENDLY

The Dining Companion and I recently spent a long weekend in San Antonio. It's a city that we both love and one in which we've spent a fair amount of time. A lot of our time there has been spent along the River Walk. It's a vibrant part of the city that is home to many bars, restaurants, various shops and attractions. Lot's to see and do and we always enjoy it. Having spent so much time along the River Walk, we've been branching out and spending time in and around the South Town area of the city. South Town is what feels like a pocket neighborhood that's adjacent to the more well known King William area.

We stayed at the Marriott Plaza San Antonio. It's location is perfect for both exploring in nearby South Town as well as being within walking distance of the Alamo and the River Walk. It's also very near Hemisphere Park and the Tower of the Americas. Just about the perfect location for exploring the area on foot. You can park your car and forget about for the weekend.

The walk-up to the entrance is very inviting.

 A walk across the lobby leads out to a courtyard and the park like setting beyond.

The Marriott Plaza San Antonio is a beautiful hotel. The property sits on six acres of lovely grounds. 

 

There are many walking paths located on the grounds that are perfect for a leisurely stroll.

The grounds are also home to several peacocks and pheasants.

You may find yourself sharing those very same walking paths with one or more of these feathered residents.

You'll find fountains scattered around the grounds as well...

...and some beautiful wrought iron work.

We didn't get a chance to go for a swim but the pool area looked great.

When the hotel was being built there were some existing structures located on the property. These historic buildings were saved and in some cases incorporated for use by the hotel.

The rooms are well appointed and there is both a bar and a restaurant onsite. If you wished to you could spend a whole weekend here and not have to leave the property.

Lastly, the Marriott Plaza gets a very high recommendation from the 4-Pound Wonder.

A spot of sunshine to lie in, huge grounds to explore and big birds to admire. What more could one small dog ask for.

Happy travels!

Fall in the Carolinas

The Dining Companion, me and the 4 Pound Wonder are still getting settled here. Hard to believe we've only been here a little better than a week. It's fall in the Carolinas and the weather has been really wonderful. Warm days and cool nights, so refreshing and enjoyable.

I was wondering out loud the other day how can it already be November? Seems like it was just summer on the Gulf Coast. (Probably because it still feels like summer on the Gulf Coast)The Dining Companion reminded me that with us living in three states in the past year it's no wonder time feels like it zooming by. It's a whirlwind but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Now that things are calming down a bit we'll be back to normal programing here soon. Thanks so much for stopping by and following along with our crazy journey.

à votre santé!

Another Sunrise, Another Beginning

We had a nice trip through the south. The weather was good and our newest family member proved to be a great traveler. We really couldn't have asked for more.

Ready to hit the road!

Along the way we enjoyed some beautiful scenery.

We even managed to make time to stop for breakfast at my favorite breakfast spot in the country, The Red Eyed Mule. Love!

Best breakfast sandwiches ever - The Red Eyed Mule - Marietta, GA

And now we're back in the land of the biscuit breakfast. Not that I'm complaining. There's definitely an art to great biscuits and there are no shortage of wonderful examples here.

And all of this for the princely sum of $3.50

To say nothing of the Pimento Cheeseburgers, Shrimp and Grits, Low Country Boil. I'm happy to be back in the South. And just to be on the safe side I've added some extra time to my workouts cause you know, Southern Food!

It's nice to be in familiar surroundings and also interesting to see how things have changed over the years. I'm sure we'll revisit some favorite places and discover some new ones along the way. I'll be posting my thoughts and impressions as well as thoughts on the places we visit and the great food I know we'll be eating. Now pass the biscuits and lets get this party started!

Happy travels!

Note: The title is a quote: Another Sunrise, Another New Beginning ~  (Jonathan Lockwood Huie)

Onward we go...

I wanna die with a worn out passport
In the pocket of stolen jeans
On a beach somewhere I've never been before
Full of people I've never seen

And I want my body filled with
More alcohol than blood
Don't take this as self destructive
Because this wish is filled with love

So we drank and talked for hours
About the places you wanna go
I suggested every country in the world
And I never heard a 'no'

(-Worn Out Passport- The Copyrights - abridged )

Is it scarier to be at the mercy of the winds or to fight the ocean for the course you choose? It's hard to tell some days but this much I know - in order to have a chance at either you have to set sail.


Happy travels!

Note: Travel will take us through the gulf states soon. Stay tuned for more stories, new places and if we're lucky, some delicious food.

Sau Paulo's Restaurant - Austin, Texas

 

Ad for a local market

 This past weekend found us in Austin again. No BBQ stops this time but we did stop in for dinner at a favorite of ours. 

While we were there we got talking with our waiter and the conversation turned to authenticity and Brazilian food in general. Our server, I can't believe I didn't get his name, had just come back from a trip home to Brazil visiting family. I noted that we wished Fogo served feijoada (fesh-wah-duh) and he promptly told us about a Brazilian restaurant in town that did serve it and also something called coxinha (co-shee-nya) and did we know about coxinha? Umm no. He said that they would be hard to explain and what we needed to do was give them a try. 

Which is how we wound up at Sao Paulo's the next day.

 
Sao Paulo's is a Brazilian restaurant but not a churrascaria. That is to say it is nothing like Fogo or any of it's kin. The menu at Sao Paulo's gives a nod to the local Tex-Mex cuisine and also has a burger and a few sandwiches listed. We were there for two things: the feijoada and the coxinha. We looked over the menu for one other entree to add and we ordered the Galinhada which is a Brazilian take on paella. 

First up were the coxinha. These are pear shaped fritters made of cornmeal that are stuffed with different things.We had some that were stuffed with spicy chicken and a type of cream cheese. Very flavorful. We really liked this dish and could honestly eat these by the dozen.

Coxinha

Sorry about the photo but this was the best shot of the stuffing in the coxinha

 Next up that delicious stew. Feijoada is a black bean stew made with various meats. It's served with rice, greens and farofa as accompaniments. 

Feijoada

The first time I had this dish was at a small churrascaria in Sioux Falls, SD of all places. It was love at first bite. While most of the Brazilian steakhouses we've been to have black beans on the menu very few of them have this lovely stew. Because it's so hard to find on any menu I learned how to make it myself. Definitely worth doing. The feijoada at Sau Paulo is perfection. Hearty, full of deep rich flavor, pure comfort in a bowl. The perfect antidote for a cold winters day.

Next up was the galinhada, a one pot rice dish similar to paella. The rice and shrimp were perfectly cooked and the saffron struck just the right note.  This was a lovely plate of food but with so many choices we'll try one of the other entrees if we get back here.

Galinhada - Jasmine rice seasoned with saffron, onion, cilantro, tomatoes and mushrooms with shrimp

But I'll definitely get the feijoada and the coxinhas. Everything else will have to fight for a place on the table. 

The Austin area may be well known for barbeque but don't be fooled. Hidden gems like Sao Paulo's are out there waiting to be discovered. If you're at all interested in Brazilian food outside of their steakhouses give this place a try. You'll find a lot to love.

On another note we came across this while we were out walking the dog...

 A free public solar powered charging  station. You can charge up a cellphone, tablet or what have you. How cool is that? And what a great idea.

So that was the weekend. We had a great time walking around the city and eating some good food. If you're looking for a unique experience give Austin a try. It's a great city served with a big dollop of fun and a side of weird. Just perfect if you ask us. 

Happy travels!