Birthday Trip to Grenada
Elspeth and I traveled to the Caribbean Island of Grenada for my Birthday. My first time at an All-Inclusive resort and I have to admit I could get used to sitting on the beach with people bringing me drinks on demand! The food was mostly buffet style but we did have a great meal at one of the Indian restaurants on the resort.
I managed to avoid getting suburned, mostly, and except for Elspeth's luggage not making it to Philly with us, it was a great trip!
Vacation In Cape May, NJ
My kids, my son's friend Rodrigo and my Girlfriend Elspeth had a great time staying in Villas, NJ. It was about a 20 minute drive to the Cape May beach, but our VRBO was only a hundred feet from the Chesapeake bay! The house we rented was small, but the perfect size for us. It really was a great location.
We went to the beach almost everyday, made it to the Wildwood boardwalk once (that was enough), and did some sight seeing. The Cape May Zoo, the Aviation Museum and the Cape May Lighthouse. Although the day we visited them was really really hot!
John Mayer in Elmont NY
I have to say that I was never a huge John Mayer fan. Elspeth has been for a long time. Knowing my taste in music well, she suggested that I listen to some of the John Mayer Trio. I realized that there more to the guy than just sappy power ballads, and his tendency to date A-List actresses and musicians. He's a really amazing guitarist. So when we had the opportunity to check seeing him off her bucket list, I was in! It was a quick road trip to the UBS arena in Elmont, NY. We had a great dinner and got to enjoy an amazing concert in a venue less than a year old.
It was truly a great show, and I hope we get to see him again the next time he is touring!
Also his newest album Sob Rock is pretty great too!
The Darkness in Asbury Park, NJ
Elspeth and I met one of my oldest friends and his lovely wife in Asbury Park to see The Darkness. It was the second time I've seen them and her first. They put on a great show! The opening act was a great power trio called The Dead Deads. It was loud. Made me very glad I remembered my earplugs. (A quick plug for the benefit of wearing them. A GOOD set of earplugs does not take away from the experience and saves you from ringing ears the next morning. If you have never tried them give them a shot. Worth it!)
We also did some sightseeing in and around Asbury Park. The Air B&B was very nice, located in the Camp Meeting Area. It was just a quick walk to Asbury Park. It was great getting to walk on a real Boardwalk and some time on the nearly empty beach. Had some great meals and caught up with old friends. Even tried some new games: Mille Bornes and Card Assassins.
Two Harbors Minnesota
The middle of winter may be an odd choice for a trip to Minnesota, but we had flight credits, a place to stay, and motivation...we may be a little odd!
Despite the cold, with enough layers it was actually nice to be outside! I purchased a Union Suit(fabulous right?) for the trip, and it is now my favorite cold weather base layer! We did some XC skiing and had a nice hike around Gooseberry Falls. The falls were really beautiful all frozen, and I can only imagine how amazing they would look when they are flowing freely!
Also got to visit the Castle Danger Brewery. Got to try some of their beers, they were all good! The brewery is named after an area at the mouth of the Gooseberry river that has a castle like appearance, or after a ship that ran aground in that area. Either way, it's a pretty great name for a brewery.
An interesting thing about Breweries in Minnesota. After they produce more than 20,000 barrels they are no longer allowed to do growler or crowler fills at their brewpubs. Seems backwards to me. Of course, Minnesota is the only state left that still requires beer with 3.2% ABV in grocery and convenience stores. That's being fought.
Another Venue that was completely new to me, and let me tell you, CAAMP did not disappoint. They played tons of stuff from the newest album and also that i was not as familiar with. The crowd was a lot younger than I was expecting, but the energy was great!
We actually made it until the end of the show and ended up home by 2am!
Last night was the first time I've been to a larger music venue in almost 2 years. The feeling of being surrounded by a couple hundred strangers, loving the shared music experience felt almost NEW after being away from it for so long. Club XL is a great place to see a show, and I'm definitely keeping an eye on the calendar so I don't miss an opportunity to go again!
The Birthday Boy!
Key West
Started our trip by Traveling to Miami with Elspeth! Stayed the night in a great hotel in Miami Beach, and the next day traveled to Key West in our rented Mustang Convertible to celebrate my friend Jeff's Birthday! It was an amazing drive! We got rained on a couple times, but were able to spend most of the trip with the top down. The highlights included singing journey at the top of our lungs! And a few songs from Dr Dre's Catalog. Elspeth knows all the dirty words!
Spent five days alternating between lounging by the pool, enjoying adult beverages, and going on some great adventures! Snorkeling, parasailing, and an Eco kayak tour.
It was a great opportunity to spend time with some amazing friends celebrating this guy!
One of the events planned by Jeff's wife Angie was a "Tiki Cruise to a Sandbar". The Tikis were basically an outboard motor attached to a thatched roof gazebo.
After about a 15 minute cruise we ended up at a sand bar in the middle of the Garrison Bight. They linked up the 3 Tiki's we had chartered and we all got to hang out in the water drinking, and splashing around for a couple hours.
I didn't have high expectations, but it was an absolute blast.
