Bourbon & Beyond Day 2

 Great second day at Bourbon & Beyond!!  Immediately after getting through security, I went directly to the VIP area and secured a table for us.  Then we watched the first several bands including Darren Kiely from Cork, 10,000 Maniacs and The Robert Cray Band.  10,000 Maniacs definitely got the memo, playing their hits from the 1990's as well as a wonderful cover of Roxy Music's "More Than This".  The lead singer is now Mary Ramsey, since Natalie Merchant departed the group in 1995.  She did an amazing job on songs that she didn't originally sing as a lead vocalist. Robert Cray was also very good. Such a good guitarist.  As close to Jimi Hendrix as I'll ever see live. 

Lunch was some chicken from Gus' Fried Chicken. So well seasoned and freshly fried. 

After lunch we saw a Fork & Flask presentation from Elizabeth Banks (Hunger Games, Pitch Perfect, The Better Sister).  She has a new line of canned wines she was promoting called Archer Roose. We tried the rose and it was decent.   She also talked about her career in Hollywood, indicating it is much easier to act than direct.  No one brings you coffee as a director.  Her most challenging role was definitely in the Hunger Games.  We also saw a presentation with Chef Edward Lee, Chef Amanda Freitag and Gavin DeGraw. Chef Freitag made a pulled pork shoulder with cole slaw. 

Access to Kentucky Kingdom theme park was included this year so we took a stroll through the park.  This used to be Six Flags branded park.  Now it seems to be mostly the type of rides you'd see at a 72 hour town carnival. Now rides for us but we did find a really good Caribbean food truck.  Angie had a jerk smoked chicken wrap and I had some spicy chicken curry.  

We then headed back towards the main stage and awaited Phish. I know they have a lot of followers.  It seems to me similar to the following that The Grateful Dead had or Jimmy Buffett.  I had never seen them or heard any of their music so didn't know what to expect.  We stayed for one song and that was enough. I'd define them as a jam band. A lot of talented musicians on keyboards guitar and drums, playing a long jam session.  It just isn't for me. But others were enjoying it. We headed back to the hotel after our short walk and are reviewing the artists for tomorrow which includes Ringo Starr, The Ocean Blue and The Pixies.  We'll likely have a similar plan as today, trying to get a table in the VIP section.  

Bourbon and Beyond 2025 Day One

 We had a great first day at Bourbon & Beyond!  The festival is about twice as large as last year. The five music stages are much further apart than before.  And there are usually three stages active at any one time so lots of places for people to be so it never feels crowded.  After a "walk around" we headed to get some lunch at Prince St Pizza. I use a recipe that is modelled after their pizza. The pizza was really good.  It's similar to a Detroit style. I like my sauce better but this was a top notch pie!!

At noon we saw a Fork & Flask presentation hosted by Chris Santos from Food Network's Chopped and other programs.  He was also here last year in the same capacity. Chef Claudette Zepeda was going to make her Death Row Cheeseburger. Its signature features were pickled tomatillos and a parmesan cheese sauce.  She worked with Katie Crutchfield from the band Waxahatchee. Chris passed out samples and the burger was really tasty. Afterwards we watched several bands from a shaded area with comfortable seating.  

Later we saw another Fork & Flask presentation with Terry Bradshaw and his son-in-law who were making Texas Twinkies.  These were cream cheese and chorizo stuffed poblanos, wrapped in bacon and then smoked. Terry was also promoting his bourbon which is 51.9 proof which also "coincidentally" was his completion percentage in the NFL.  Terry likes to talk and I think he would have spent another two hours just chatting it up with the crowd. 

We saw a really good Bluegrass band named Chatham Rabbits.  The lead singer was a school teacher only a few years ago and her husband convinced her to give the band a try.  They had some great original music.  

After that we saw Marshall Crenshaw. He had a disjointed set of some new music, an extended period of changing his guitar and then finally getting to his big hit from 1982, "Someday, Someday".  It was a disappointing 45 minutes of music. What I've liked about other artists we've seen at this festival is they understand the job. You have a short set and you need to get to the songs people want to hear. 

The highlight of the day for me was seeing Pat Benatar and her husband Neil Giraldi. They had an amazing 60 minute set with almost all the songs you'd expect. Including a finale mashup of "Heartbreaker" and "Ring of Fire". Although I really thought she'd also work in  "Hit Me With Your Best Shot".   But definitely a great set.  We headed back to the hotel after that. We're staying at the Crown Plaza which is only a fifteen minute walk from the festival. 

Today we'll head over to the festival around 11. Today's highlights will be 10,000 Maniacs (sans Natalie Merchant), Robert Cray, a Fork & Flask with Elizabeth Banks, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Marc Cohn.

Goodbye Denver

 We checked out of The Ramble this morning and got our Lyft to DEN. Enjoyed some time in the United Club Lounge for some breakfast. Our flight to IND is on time and we're onboard. It's a full flight so we weren't lucky enough to have an empty middle seat. We'll land about 2:30 so we'll likely be back in the apartment by 3:30. A wonderful trip planned by Angie!! So happy to get to see three more MLB teams play at home. Also two Presidential Libraries and a National Park!! We'll be home for about a week before the next adventure begins.

The picture is our last dinner in Denver which was at a wonderful pizza restaurant called Cart-Driver. Delicious combination of kale and sausage. 

Denver: Colorado Rockies game

 Breakfast time!! What a great menu at Snooze!! I had the Habanero Pork Belly Fried Rice. Angie had the Sweet Potato Veggie Smashup. Plus a pancake and some green chile!! All very tasty. I loved fried rice with eggs for breakfast!! They had added some kimchi for an extra kick. After breakfast we checked out the Denver Central Market which is a collection of restaurants serving everything from oysters to pizza to bagels. We just looked but it would be a great option for a longer trip.

We headed to Tap Fourteen's Rooftop patio for pre-game wings and beer. They have 70 local beers on tap. 

And then it was time to play ball! We had great seats in the section behind home plate. 

Onto Denver

 We had a smooth drive from Angels Camp to SMF yesterday.  We needed some lunch and the Escape airport lounge was in Terminal A, so we made our way there. They had some good bites including pork meatballs and a turkey, Brie and caramelized onion sandwich.  We boarded our flight to DEN at 3:30. We had seats 8D and 8F and were lucky enough to not have anyone in the middle seat.  We landed early, arranged for our Lyft and got to the Ramble hotel by 8:30.  The Ramble is a great hotel. 

We needed some dinner and I had spotted a place called Work & Class across from the Ramble that was busy.  Always a good idea to follow the Bourdain Rules. And its name was appropriate for Labor Day!!  The menu is primarily small plates for sharing.  We started with some tasty plantain empanadas. For our main we had hickory smoked picanha, cooked a perfect medium rare!! And sides of mashed potato and hatch chili Mac and cheese.  Everything was so good but a special shout-out to the chef that knew how good goat cheese and green onions tastes on mashed potatoes!!   We'll be trying that at home. 

This morning we will check out Snooze which is a breakfast restaurant with an interesting menu. Later today we have tickets to see the Rockies at Coors Field.  

Columbia State Park

 With one last look out the window of our room at Half Dome, we checked out of the Ahwahnee this morning about 8:30. We drove two hours to Columbia State Park. This was one of the prominent places in California for the discovery of gold in 1850.

Some of the town buildings still stand today, many with the same purpose as before. Such as the Bowling Saloon, the apothecary and the Wells and Fargo office for trading in your gold. Although sadly, we didn't find any. They have a free daily tour of the town where you learned about the history of the town. There is no admission and free parking. Definitely include this as a stop when you visit this area.

We had planned for lunch somewhere in Murphy's, but our tour guide raved about the pizza at the St Charles Saloon so we were persuaded. They had a great beer list. I tried the Apricot Wheat and Angie had the Must Be The Honey from Belching Beaver. Both really good!! For lunch we had an amazing pickle pizza!!

A delicate garlic white sauce topped with prosciutto and sliced dill pickles. I'd only had pickle pizza once before last year at the Indiana State Fair. It was decent but the St Charles version knocked it out of the park. Great crust, balanced sauce and the brininess of the pickles brought out even more flavor in the sauce.

After lunch we headed to Calaveras State Park to find some sequoias. It was a bust. The North Grove trail was partially closed and we couldn't find a parking spot. We took a little scenic drive around the park. Here's a photo of us with NOT SEQUOIAS.

We headed to the Best Western in Angels Camp. We decided just to grab some meat and cheese at the grocery store and call it.

Yosemite: Valley Floor and Glacier Point

We had a morning tour of the Valley Floor. Lots of scenic views of El Capitan (or frequently referred to as El Cap), a very popular 914 meter cliff face which is very popular for climbing. And of course perhaps the most famous mountain here, Half Dome, named that way since it looks like a sphere was cut in half.

After the tour we took a walk to Yosemite Falls which usually is dry in August. But they had a huge storm one week ago which turned on the faucet!!

In the afternoon we took an eighty minute bus ride to Glacier Point for more views of Half Dome, Nevada Falls and Ventral Falls. This wasn't our best tour. The guide talked for 80 minutes on the way up and 80 minutes on the down about whatever he wanted. It was a good view at the top.

We had dinner in the lounge. Then, we watched the sunset over Half Dome. This is what makes it worth paying more to stay at this hotel. 

Yosemite Day 1

We had a great breakfast at Con Azucar Cafe. The coffee was fantastic and the avocado toast was delicious.

 We headed to the airport to pick up a rental car and drove from Sacramento to Yosemite!! Our first stop on the way was the Lodi Wine Center. We will definitely be coming back here. Wonderfully curated wine tasting. We picked up some bottles for our Yosemite stay.

Then, we headed towards Yosemite. We stopped at California's Oldest Bar: Iron Door Saloon for some delicious wings and burgers. 

Then, it was a windy, up and down drive to the Park. 

We checked into the Ahwahnee and this was our view of Half Dome from the room: 

We headed to Yosemite Valley Lodge's Mountain Room for a great mussels and trout dinner. 

Coast Starlight and Sacramento

 We left the Conrad and headed to Union Station to board the Coast Starlight Amtrak train from Los Angeles to Sacramento. We had a one bedroom and it was fantastic: 

In Sacramento, we enjoyed Field Work Brewing for lunch and then headed to Sutter Health to see the Oakland A's play. It was so fun seeing a major league team play in a minor league ballpark. 

Warner Brothers Studio Tour

 Yesterday morning we had a very fun studio tour at Warner Brothers in Burbank. We stayed at the Best Western Plus on Riverside Drive in Burbank which was only a five minute drive away. We booked the Deluxe Studio Plus tour which includes two hours with a guide and two hours on our own at the museums plus lunch. It started at their lounge where we had it all to ourselves to enjoy some snacks before we met up with our guide Ken. He used to be a camera operator but had become a tour guide about seven years ago. He took us around the various backlot sets which have been used for so many movies and television shows. He would point to a street corner and tell us that is where Chevy Chase drove his car during Christmas Vacation. Or this is where Peter Parker kissed Mary Jane upside down. He was also a very big fan of Gremlins, using that movie more than any others as he would point out where things had been filmed.

The most interesting part of the tour for me was the prop warehouse. It's four floors of what you first describe as a Hoarder House!! But there is an organization to the suspected chaos. Every item is carefully barcoded and tagged. Each area is generally one theme or style of props. Such as one area having a lot of Egyptian statues or art. One area having everything you'd need for the West Wing or any other White House show.

A whole section of any type of phone imaginable. And many famous props such as the leg lamp from Christmas Story or a couch from Casablanca. Some props, including that lamp and the couch, are designated to never be used again. Sort of like museum pieces. Although they are just sitting out, collecting dust. The leather from the Casablanca sofa was thick with dust and cracking. I thought they'd be more preserved. They also have an electronic inventory system where you could search for nearly anything and up will pop a list of what is available and where it's located. The productions will rent out the props for the number of days they feel they'll need it. And the warehouse isn't just for productions filmed at Warner. We saw trucks for other studios pulling up for their pickups.

The studio also has several replica sets of Friends and Big Bang Theory where you can get your picture taken on those iconic coaches. And there is also the famous Friends fountain. Not being a fan of either show, that moment was lost on me. But if you are a fan, you'd really enjoy it. There was also another museum that has interactive sections about sound and sound editing. Plus an impressive collection of some costumes from Batman and Wonder Woman.

We checked into the Conrad Hotel downtown. Loved it. We took their included car service to Union Station to ride the free bus to the Dodgers' game. Another ballpark off the list. It was a beautiful night for baseball.

Los Angeles: Nixon and Reagan museums

 We flew from IND to LAX on Saturday night. On Sunday we got our rental car and continued our Presidential library quest by visiting the Nixon and Reagan libraries. The Nixon one was more memorable and transparent, with a whole exhibit on the Watergate coverup. It was a good bookend for the excellent post-Watergate exhibits they have at the Ford library in Grand Rapids.

The Reagan library wasn't as transparent with only slight mentions about the Iran-Contra scandal. It also had a really strange section featuring all the dictators of the time. It did have the Ronald Reagan Pub although I was disappointed there weren't bar stools or draft beers. The best part was the Air Force One and Marine One you could walk through. We also took a quick look through the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit.

We celebrated all the driving with margaritas at the Mexican restaurant across from our hotel.

Last Day at Hyatt Vivid Grand Island

Yesterday was our last full day at the resort. We ordered room service and enjoyed it out on our balcony, watching the golfers start their rounds.  We then headed to the rooftop pool. Once we arrived we could tell a rainstorm was rolling in as we saw some dark clouds in the distance.  Not to worry since you're going in the pool anyway!!  We survived the short rainstorm and eventually the sun came out. At 1 PM they had very fun music trivia. They'd play a song and you had to shout the password for that round and then the answer. For example, one round the password was guacamole. The winning team then decided on the number of points for the next song. They had some tricky ones including knowing the difference between "Ice Ice Baby" and "Under Pressure". After about fifteen rounds, we were the winners!!  No real prize except knowing you can go home with that important victory under your belt. 

Lunch was at the ceviche restaurant and it was just as good as the prior time. The chef had added some pulpos (octopus) which was so tasty. After lunch we sat by the main pool and I might have had a nap.  We waited for what they labelled as the DJ Pool Party but it was only the DJ playing some songs.  We then headed back to the rooftop pool to see Moises, William and Andrew.

 By 5 PM another storm was rolling in with heavier rain and some thunder and lightning so they closed the pool. We hung around watching the storm from our covered seats.  

It was the time to head back to the room for a mandatory rest period.  At 7:30 we headed to Oishii which is the Asian themed restaurant.  Some really good dishes including tempura green beans, korean-style wings, fried gyoza, spicy tuna roll, mixed teppanyaki and Torikatsu Chicken which was like an orange chicken.

 After dinner we went to the lobby to see the silent disco party. Normally when we've seen these on cruise ships and other resorts, you have people singing and dancing to the lyrics of the track they are listening to with their headsets.  Last night, it was mostly people sitting in their seats, having a coffee or cocktail and contemplating life.  It was like a silent party funeral. 

An interesting vibe. We decided to call it a night and headed back to the room. 

Today we'll check out of the hotel at noon and get our transfer to CUN at 12:30.  We have a 3:30 flight to IND, connecting in IAH.  We should be in our apartment around midnight. It's been a nice five night stay at this new resort. Will definitely return. They have a lot of interesting activities. The staff has been so friendly and helpful. And really good drinks and food. I highly recommend upgrading to a Vantage Club room since that's the only way you can access the rooftop area and pool during the day.  Vantage Club also has higher end spirits such as my favorite Don Julio Reposado. The resort is a great value considering all the amenities they offer.  If you're considering a vacation in Mexico, reach out to my wife at angie@tripswithangie.com.

Hyatt Vivid Grand Island Beach Club

We had a great day at the Beach Club yesterday!! Beautiful weather, nice pool, great service and delicious food. 

The Poke Tuna Nachos were definitely the highlight. 

 We returned to the resort at 4:30 for a mandatory rest period. At 7 PM we headed to dinner at La Lys which is the French restaurant at the resort. I started with the Tarragon Mussels and Angie had the Forest Salad. The mussels were in a Roquefort tarragon sauce which was really tasty. Angie also tried the French onion soup which was thicker than most but had a lot of flavor. I tried the onion quiche which was more like a souffle. It needed a bit more seasoning and more gruyere, but was better once I added some salt and pepper. For our mains, Angie has the beef tenderloin which was cooked medium. She only got one small carrot and a tiny asparagus stalk!! I had the baked ratatouille. I wasn't sure how this would be presented. What came out was really stunning!! Quite a talented use of the mandoline. And the stacks of thinly sliced eggplant, tomato and zucchini were carefully layered in a specific order. Tomato, zucchini and eggplant. Rinse and repeat!! All served on a pureed ratatouille and then baked. Such a great flavor. I am always so impressed by a chef who can bring out the best in vegetables.  

After dinner we headed to the main lobby for some karaoke. Some talented singers. I sang Angie's favorite "Mr Brightside" along with "Ring of Fire". 

 A fun evening activity. Afterwards we went to the rooftop bar for a cocktail and then headed back to the room. 

Today is our last full day at the resort. We ordered room service breakfast. Then we'll head to the rooftop pool. Lunch at the pool side ceviche restaurant. After music trivia at the pool and probably pool volleyball. Dinner will be at Oishii which is the Asian restaurant at the resort. It's located on the rooftop.

A Wild Fire Show at Hyatt Vivid

We had a fun day at the resort yesterday!!  Angie spent the morning having a site inspection with one of the sales managers, getting some insight into the resort. I was in the rooftop pool enjoying the views where Angie joined me about 11 AM.  

Lunch was ceviche and tostada by the main pool off the lobby!! Certainly some of the most flavorful fish I've had. A perfect balance of lime, onion and chiles.  We might have that again today.  After lunch we headed back to the rooftop pool where the staff had organized a game of Pictionary.

Dinner was sitting poolside for a 4th of July buffet.  

They had a great assortment of proteins including a burger and hot dog bar, hot wing station, pork tenderloin, grilled steaks and chorizo. Pretty tasty!!  They had a guitar player singing mostly country songs for about ninety minutes until the DJ took over for a set of dance classics.  At 9 PM it was time for the fire show!  I've seen a few of these over the years but this was the wildest!! At times, the flaming batons would drop and the pool deck would be set afire!!  And one of the men had his pant leg set on fire. He didn't return. For the final act, two of the ladies had "tiaras" that had torches. I don't know how their hair was on fire.  Pretty sure they must not use Aquanet. 

Today we don't have any definitive plans but will likely be up at the rooftop pool. Maybe take the shuttle over to the Beach Club for lunch. We booked a Bali bed for Sunday (tomorrow) so that's our all day plan for that day. Dinner tonight is up in the air. At this resort you need to make dinner reservations each morning for that night. Or you can just walk up to a restaurant and see if they can seat you. It seems as if they aren't taking any reservations today so we'll find out later which restaurants have availability. It will either be French, Italian or Asian.

Welcome to Hyatt Vivid Grand Island

Good Morning from Hyatt Vivid Grand Island!  What a beautiful location, south of the Zona Hotelera and Isla Mujeres!! Angie inquired about possible upgrade options and was able to get an amazing room for a fantastic price.  This has the largest balcony I've ever seen. We either need more friends or more furniture.  

Angie had been staying at the new Margaritaville adults only in Puerto Morelos for a few days at a travel advisor conference. Stay tuned to her Trips with Angie page for details about that resort and this one.  We both met up about 1 PM at Hyatt Vivid. This is a high-rise complex with eleven floors of rooms with a rooftop pool, bar and restaurant.  It has several restaurants and pools as well as access to an off-site beach club. And the views!!

Dinner last night was at Mediterranean which of course features Asian cuisine.  Just kidding.  We started with the most amazing mezze platter.

 Fresh pita along with baba ganoush, hummus, tzsatzi and briny olives!!  A great start. Also had a lamb and beef gyro. The ground meat had amazing flavors of garlic, cumin, rosemary and a hint of mint!!   For our mains we both had seared salmon cooked perfectly medium rare!!  It could have used a bit more salt but the dill sauce and pea puree brought it all together.  

Today we don't have any definitive plans. We may order room service or just yeah something at Coco Cafe, the 24 hour coffee shop.  Angie is going to try to attend a soap making class. There is a pool side restaurant which may be a good option for lunch. And there is pool volleyball at 4.   

For tonight's dinner, the resort is having a special July 4th party and dinner out by the pool. We'll put aside the oddity of a Mexican resort "celebrating" the birth of the United States, especially in today's political climate.   But I expect it to be a fun event.  If you purchased a bottle of wine, you also received a table for two.

Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas

Royal Caribbean invited me (Angie) onboard the Ovation of the Seas to celebrate her new deployment from Los Angeles. It was a great 3 night cruise, but wow! time flies with only 3 nights. 

I had several work functions and cabin tours to attend. 

We still had time to enjoy the ship. We loved the main dining room breakfast and evening entertainment.