Sections
First stop on our whirlwind, nostalgia-inspired tour of France & Italy (index here) was our flight from New York-JFK to Paris-CDG. I was able to find low-level award space using Delta SkyMiles for the flight (which is a feat in and of itself), but throw in the fact that I found Air France Business Class low-level award space using SkyMiles and it was downright impossible.
Nearly missing the flightThe trip really started for me about 2 or 3 days before takeoff as a winter storm was pummeling the Northeast. You see, because of Delta’s horrible award space availabilty, I booked the JFK-CDG, CDG-FLR and then VCE-JFK legs on the award ticket. To get from CHS-JFK-CHS, I [...]
We started the weekend off with a pretty electric show by The Black Keys on Friday night. A lightning delay shut the whole venue down for a few hours but didn’t stop the band from taking the stage by 10pm and playing an energetic set until 11:30pm. Setlist along with some pretty shaky video I shot from the show:
Photo source: Greenvilleonline.com Gallery
Photo source: Greenvilleonline.com Gallery
The Black Keys Greenville, SC Setlist:
Thickfreakness
Your Touch
Lonely [...]
Welcome to Myrtle Beach, the pride and joy of SC. McCown and I recently found ourselves in the, err…colorful ocean town and realized that many people from outside of the area might not understand just what “The Dirty Myrtle” is all about. The best analogy I can muster up for Myrtle Beach is this one: Charleston is to Myrtle Beach as filet mignon is to Vienna sausages. We’ve compiled a beginner’s guide to Myrtle Beach for your reading pleasure:
Step 1: Blending in
Luckily, you’ll find it quite cheap to assimilate to Myrtle Beach fashion. Others from Ohio or West Virginia might find it downright easy. Much of your wardrobe will overlap. [...]
Tomorrow is one of my favorite holidays of the year. Summer fun without all the hustle and bustle of buying gifts that usually comes with a holiday…sign me up!
And, while it may be a little late to plan a visit to these places, I thought it’d be fun to share my top 5 places in the US to celebrate ‘Merica.
Don’t question our patriotism — this is how we celebrated last year
5. Ocala, Florida
Located in northern Florida (and, notably, in the middle of the state), Ocala is home of the Silver Springs’ July 4th Extravaganza, where KC & The Sunshine Band is in concert. [...]
54 Hours in New York
We took a short, weekend-getaway-style trip to New York.
When I say short, I genuinely mean it. Total time gone was 54 hours: 27 hours spent in the city and 27 hours spent on a train going to/from.
TRIP PLANNING:
I had been checking the cheapest/best way to get from Charleston, SC to New York off and on for the past week. Flights were around $450-500 Round Trip with one stop (in Atlanta or Charlotte), or $600+ for the non-stop into Newark or LaGuardia! A lot more than I wanted to spend. Even the trusty Spirit Air flight from Myrtle Beach into LaGuardia was close to $400 round-trip; couple that with the fact that the 6:30pm flight on [...]
1503 17th St NW Washington, DC
I came across Sushi Taro when staying in the Dupont Circle area of Washington, D.C. on a recent business trip. It happened to be closest sushi restaurant in the area, so it only helped that it had pretty good reviews on Urbanspoon.
As I walked up the flight of stairs off 17th street to the second floor dining room, the hostess seemed surprised that I didn’t have reservations and they only had seating at the bar.
Settling in, I found that they have an extensive list of beers that aren’t typically available at your neighborhood sushi restaurant including Coedo Brewery, Echigo Brewing Company, Yo-Ho Brewing [...]
153 East Bay St. Seafood Dinner, Late Night (bar) $$$
Pearlz, on East Bay St., has never really been in the pool when choosing restaurants before – I don’t know if it’s because it’s a “chain” (it’s also in Columbia, SC) or that it seems so touristy, but either way, I’ve always been intrigued, just never enough to act on it.
That all changed the other night – Jeffrey and I were feeling oysters, and we decided to give Pearlz a try. We walked in to a crowded restaurant and grabbed two seats at the bar. It turned out to be the best place to sit – you can see the guys preparing the oysters right [...]
So, I’m no Jeffrey, which means I might not have taken photos of every single thing Kristen & I did in New York last weekend… no hotel room pic, not a lot of food pics… But hey, I did my best.
Here’s a look back at the fun Kristen and I had in the big city!
Welcome to New York!
First stop: the most delicious brunch at Upstairs at The Kimberly
Upstairs at the Kimberly
And one more view from our brunch – 30 [...]
Room: Very narrow, slim rooms. Carpet is dated, tattered at edges. Low ceilings, looks like dated style hotel.
Hotel Lobby/Common Areas: Free parking. Lobby area is nice, very open-feeling. Lobby and common areas just went through multi-million dollar renovation. They’re going for the inside-but-feels-outside style. Running water fountain adds to the “outdoor” feeling. Some rooms overlook [...]
We’re leaving early tomorrow morning and coming back Sunday night, for a full two days and one night in the city! [...]
