It's Five O'Clock Somewhere

Boys and girls, summer is on the way! It won't be long before we're all sitting outside, sipping a cold beverage and enjoying the warm weather. Maybe on a patio somewhere or poolside or in our own backyards.

It'll be time for fruity Umbrella Drinks and ice cold beers (what's better than that on a hot summer day?)

  
Maybe a frosty iced tea is more your style or a crisp ginger-ale with a squeeze of lime, so good.

One of my favorite warm weather refreshments is iced coffee. Nothing like a large cold press to start the day off. Frozen coffee drinks are great too and Caribou Coffee has a Northern Lite Caramel Cooler that I love.

Whatever your favorite is, summer is about to light the drinking lamp.

It'll be time to get outside, stake your claim on a lounge chair and raise a toast to warm weather, sunshine and friends.

Cheers!

Sailing - The Adirondack II - Newport, Rhode Island

On our recent visit to Rhode Island we went for a sail out of Newport that took us on a scenic tour around Newport Harbor. As luck would have it this was the exact same boat that we had previously sailed on in Key West, the Adirondack II. (The Adirondack III now sails out of Key West) More info here.

Adirondack II sailing out of Key West, Florida (During the fall of 2008, Classic Harbor Line made the decision to open up a schooner sailing operation in Key West, Florida. This operation would employ the schooner Adirondack II November through April, 2008-2010. In the fall of 2010 a decision to keep Adirondack III in Key West year round was made.)

We sailed out on a warm sunny morning in relatively calm waters. We did get to experience the boat tacking back and forth in the slight wind which was fun. This time out was much more active than our sailing adventure in Key West. 

The tour around the harbor passes various points of interest and Newport history. One very interesting site is a house clinging to a small rock island in the middle of the bay. It's a privately owned residence that may be available for renting.

This is appropriately known as the House on the Rock

 There are many residences and resorts all around the harbor.

The sound of the sea...a clanging buoy.

Fort Adams State Park

 

The Newport Bridge (Officially the Claiborne Pell Bridge)

Despite the more active sailing (for me at least) we had a great time. This was officially a Mimosa cruise but with my uncertain sailing history I decided to stick to the soft drinks. The ginger ale I had was refreshing and just the thing on a warm summer day.

The boat was lovely and like I remembered it. I couldn't get a picture under full sail from my vantage point but I did get one of a similar boat that gives an idea of what it was like.

Another harbor cruise

Another boat in the harbor that day was one of the ships used in the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean.

You can just make out the cannons on the deck. 

The crew was friendly and made the sail enjoyable. The Captain was a wealth of information about the harbor sites and the area in general.

The Adirondack II leaves Newport out of Bowen's Wharf. There are other fun activities there as well as places to grab lunch or dinner. Sadly our plans for lunch took us out of the area but check out the local spots if you have the time.

Having sailed on the Adirondack II twice now I'm looking forward to going out on the Adirondack III when I get back to Key West. Fun for groups of friends, families or couples, if you're in either area I recommend sailing with the crews of Classic Harbor Line.  Check out their other locations in Boston and New York.

Happy travels!

Presto Latin Cantina - Marietta, GA

My dining companion surprised me this weekend with breakfast at Presto Latin Cantina. Presto calls itself a Caribbean and South American restaurant with an emphasis on Colombian home cooking.

The menu lists several Latin Specialties and Mexican dishes. Breakfast seemed to be a combination of both. Having tried Colombian food for the first time earlier this year in Key West, I was looking forward to having it again. (Colombian Grace, Key West, FL)



We were greeted by our server and shown to a table, the first customers of the day, but we weren't alone for long. Once we were settled with our menus I took a look around. The interior is festive and inviting. Colorful artwork, some of which is for sale, lends a cheerful air to the bright space.

  
I looked over the menu and selected two items for breakfast. The first was called Calentado. It's a rice and bean casserole with chicharron (here that meant thick cut pork belly lardons) served with scrambled eggs and a fried flour arepa with queso fresco. (An arepa is very similar to a Mexican gordita. They can be made of wheat flour or corn and can be fried, boiled, baked or grilled) The second thing I ordered was a Venezuelan specialty called Arepa Reina Pepeada, a grilled flour arepa stuffed with avocado chicken salad.

The Calentado was rich, homey and clearly made from scratch. The combination of rice and beans with bacon hit every comfort food note. I could eat this kind of thing for breakfast everyday. The flour arepa was totally different from the corn type I've had previously. It was a good foil for the sauce served with my breakfast but on its own not nearly as flavorful as the corn version. The slab of queso fresco served with it was creamy and mildly flavored.

 My dining companion had the Arepa de Choclo, a sweet corn caked grilled and served with queso fresco. This was very similar to the breakfast we had at Colombian Grace earlier this year. The sweet corn cake with the cheese has an almost nutty, salty sweet taste. A flavor profile I really enjoy. It was delicious and didn't disappoint. 

It turned out though the clear star of breakfast was the Arepa Reina Pepeada that we shared. The cool creamy avocado mayonnaise, moist chicken that had a real depth of flavor all wrapped up in a grilled flour arepa. Different than any chicken salad I've had before. I will go back for this dish.

 We plan on going back for dinner. The dinner menu looks very interesting and is filled with the types of flavors I love.

On Saturday nights Presto heats up with the sounds of live music to rumba by. A band plays merengue, salsa and vallenato. Muy caliente!

While I wouldn't know the difference between a rumba and a cha cha I can't wait to sit there with a frozen rum drink and take it all in over a plate of Colombian comfort food.  Like the sign outside says:

Happy travels!

Key West, FL - Come Sail Away

I've never been much of a sailor. So it was with some trepidation that I found myself signed up for a sail on one of my trips to the Florida Keys. We were set to sail with the crew of the Adirondack out of the Key West Bight. I can fit what I know about boats on a matchbook cover, but, I do know that this boat had two masts and a bunch of sails. Watching the canvas sails snapping in the breeze made me think of the romance of crossing the seas on a big sailing ship. But only for a minute. Let's face it, the calm of the harbor is nothing, I'm sure, like the feat of an open ocean voyage.

It was a beautiful sunny day and the water appeared calm. Lucky me. Years ago, on another boat outing in Key West, I wasn't so lucky. That boat ride is what put me off of being on the water. But, with assurances from many people who know about these things, I was willing to give it another try. I'm so glad that I did. The sailing was so much fun.

 

We were a very small group so we had time to talk to the captain and crew and to get a good idea of what is involved in sailing one of these schooners. I really can't recommend it highly enough. The view of the island from the water is beautiful.

 Whether you sail with the Adirondack from Key West or another of these beautiful boats out of Newport, RI or New York, I'm sure you'll love it. If you're like me and have had less than enjoyable boating experiences, give this one a try. It was a great time, I'm glad I took the chance.