I love to travel! Montreal

Okay, I know I said I would write about Vegas first, but this was a whole new trip for me. I had been to Canada once before, on an Alaskan cruise. We took the White Pass Railroad from the Yukon down to Scagway, and flew out of Vancouver, so this was my first multi-day foray into Canadian life. Make that FRENCH-Canadian!

I was attending the National Tour Association Annual Convention, and I have to say that Steve Hartman (of CBS News fame, and the Convention MC) was right. These people are crazy! But crazy in the best possible way. I had such a good time, and met some really interesting people. I was invited to attend as a Tourism Cares scholarship recipient, and was lucky enough to be joined by three other GWU student, 2 of which are in the same accelerated program as I am. I had met one before, and knew the other through online class discussion rooms.

Our first night involved volunteering at the St. Joseph's Oratory, the largest Basilica in Canada, and absolutely gorgeous. Volunteers helped ready the church for the upcoming holiday season. Some helped, clean, others painted, still more decorated the Christmas trees, wrapped Christmas gifts, and created arts and craft. I decided to delve into my inner Martha Stewart and help make Christmas greetings out of cards. As you can see from the picture, I got more brave with the glue the further I went along. (I made the Merry Christmas! letters.)

St Joseph's Oratory

Volunteering Arts and Crafts

Day 2 started with the Opening Ceremony, hosted by Louisville, KY. I never did go get my very own tube of Kentucky Bourbon Chapstick, darn! A wonderful opening speech by Steve Hartman followed. That guy is FUNNY! So funny, I may just start watching CBS News. The morning was filled with mentoring by DMOs (Destination Marketing Organizations). When I first read who would be mentoring me, I did not even know where the destinations were. My morning mentor was from San Mateo County/Silicon Valley CVB (Convention and Visitors Bureau). I knew Silicon Valley was in Northern California, some where, but I could not pinpoint it on a map if required. Turns out San Mateo County lies directly between San Francisco and Monterrey, and I WILL be visiting there someday soon. Come on, there is a HUGE pumpkin patch in the area, as well as a Ritz-Carlton that looks like it may have been built out of the sand. Definitely want to see that!

One of the beavers from the 2010 Winter Olympics

Afternoon appointments were with Destination St. Johns. I was so excited, the Caribbean, yay! Well, apparently there are several St. Johns, two of which are in Canada. The one I was assigned, St. Johns (not to be confused with St. John, in New Brunswick) is in Newfoundland/Labrador. Where, you might ask is Newfoundland/Labrador? well, let me tell you, it's as far east in Canada as you can go, above Nova Scotia and Prince Edwards Island. And apparently St Johns is a beautiful seaside town, where you can see more humpback whales than anywhere else, and icebergs in May and June. The Titanic went down not far off the southern coast of Newfoundland. Interesting history there for you.

That evening we were treated to food and music at an Icebreaker at the Montreal Science Centre. Here they had the popular smoked meat sandwiches for us to try. Very tasty, however, the bread was really soft.

Monday was probably my favorite morning of the program, as we met with industry leaders and had round-table discussions about the future of the industry and where we saw ourselves in the fray. This is also where I had the realization of what I really want to do with my future, and that is priceless. This was also the day that Broadway.com sponsors lunch. We were treated to songs from 13 different Broadway musicals, and got a sneak peak at the new Wonderland and Spiderman plays (two SEPARATE plays). After lunch involved sitting in on "Fast Pitch" where suppliers were able to meet with tour operators for 5 minutes, to pitch their products. That time just flew by in a whirl of business cards and sales.

Monday night, a group of about 14 of us scholarship students went out for dinner at a local Montreal eatery called L'Academie. I believe it was an Italian-inspired restaurant, as pasta was a major part of the menu. After dinner we attended the Tourism Rocks! event, hosted by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, The Nevada Commission on Tourism, and Hard Rock International. It was a 2-floored event, with live music upstairs and a DJ and dance floor downstairs. May I reiterate, these NTA delegates are CRAZY, and know how to have a good time!

Tuesday was our last day in the city, and a few of us had some time before our flights left. We decided to take advantage of the fact that it did not rain after all and tour Old Montreal. Here are some pictures from the tour.

Notre Dame du Sacre Coeur

(the church where Celine Dion got married!)

Waterfront in Old Montreal

King Edward statue

Christ Church

McGill University

Queen Elizabeth Basilica

(next door to our hotel the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth)

Our hotel next to the Queen Elizabeth Basilica

All in all, I had a great trip, Canadians are very nice, and I look forward to touring more of our friendly neighbor to the north.

Great Recipe!

Last week I watched an episode of Rachael Ray, and she made Maple-Walnut Glazed Chicken with Apple-White Cheddar Rice. I made this dinner last night and it was awesome!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

•1 cup walnut halves

•2 tablespoons butter

•1 1/4 cups long grain white rice

•2 1/2 cups chicken stock, divided

•1 Honeycrisp, Gala or Golden Delicious apple, peeled, seeded and chopped

•3/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, packed

•1/4 cup fresh dill, packed

•Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

•1 brick sharp white cheddar cheese (6 ounces), cut into small, 1/4 inch cubes

•1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

•8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

•1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

•1/2 cup dark maple syrup

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 325°F. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and roast until well toasted and fragrant, 10-12 minutes.

In a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the rice and toast for a minute or two. Add 2 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the apple and simmer for 8 minutes.

While the rice cooks, using a food processor, pulse 1/4 cup chicken stock, the parsley, dill and 1/4 teaspoon salt until finely chopped. Stir into the rice during the last minute of cooking. Turn off the heat and let the rice stand, covered, for 1-2 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Transfer to a serving dish and stir in the cheese.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the EVOO, one turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken dry and season liberally with salt and black pepper. Add to the skillet and cook, turning once, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the skillet and add the vinegar. Cook, scraping up the pan drippings, then add the remaining 1/4 cup chicken stock, maple syrup and black pepper to taste. Cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Add the chicken and walnuts and spoon with the sauce. Loosely cover the pan with foil and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve the chicken, sauce and nuts with the rice alongside.

http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=3573

I love to travel! Orlando

I have been extremely fortunate to travel, and one of my favorite (new) places to visit is Orlando! Walt Disney World is a travelers (and a foodies!) dream. My September trip included trying new restaurants and photo scavenger hunt for pictures. I needed pictures to complete my scrapbook, and Monique was on a quest to document the accessibility of WDW. (You can read more about Monique's accessibility blogs and about Pompe Disease here.)
My first night in Orlando, Monique and I headed to Downtown Disney, where you do not need park tickets, and can visit the world's LARGEST Disney Store (you know this is a favorite destination of mine!). There is a great sandwich shop at DT Disney, called Earl of Sandwhich, which I LOVE! This first night, however, we headed over to Pleasure Island and Paradiso 37. This is an "American" restaurant, with food from all over North and South America. It was definitely an interesting place, but the jury is still out.

Day two was spent at Universal Studios and Island of Adventures, but we headed back over to Disney for dinner. 'Ohana Restaurant at the Polynesian Resort is INCREDIBLE! Hawaiian food served family style. (Okay, yes, I said trying new restaurants, but I had only eaten at 'Ohana once before, and once is not enough!) This meal starts with a salad with a fuity-vinaigrette, then glazed chicken wings, potstickers, and noodles. The main course is skewered chicken, beef, pork and shrimp. The meal is finished with a bread pudding topped with a banana's foster sauce! YUM.

The grill at 'Ohana

Our next day started at Animal Kingdom. While waiting to meet up with Monique, I had breakfast at a quick service hole-in-the-wall, specializing in coffee and danishes. I had an apple turnover, that I have to say was flaky and moist all at the same time. That was a first, and I was very impressed. Once Monique arrived, it was supposed to be a quick trip of getting pictures. I had not been up to Rafiki's Planet Watch, as of yet, so we took the train up to the conservation area. Definitely a good stop for families with kids. We saw Rafiki and Jiminy Cricket signing autographs. Next stop was to get pictures at Expedition Everest. For those of you unaware, this was WDW's answer to the Matterhorn, at Disneyland. In other words, a ROLLER COASTER. I have riden this before, and it is a fun ride, but it generally takes me some time to work myself up. This particular day, I thought we were just going over there to get pictures, me of the area and the ride, Monique of the sample vehicle.

Expedition Everest

 Little did I know that Monique was in cahoots with the cast member. The two of them start chatting it up about blogging, next thing I know, he has talked us (ME) into going for a ride right then. He gave us a fast pass so we did not  have to wait in line. GOODY. Actually, the ride was fun, and Monique was able to get up and out of the car all by herself! Yay, that means I don't have to ride next time, right? RIGHT? Just kidding, like I said, it is fun.

From Animal Kingdom we headed over to Disney's Hollywood Studios. We had lunch reservations at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. This is a really cool idea! You are on a movie soundstage of the Drive-In Theater, and dine sitting in a car. The food was good, not spectacular, but I am learning about the Disney dining options (the more the meal costs, in general, the better the meal). If for no other reason than the ambiance, you gotta try this restaurant. Oh! Our waiter gave us (glow in the dark, as we later learned) water bottles that said Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater! Thanks Tony! :)

That night we had probably the best meal EVER! Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (which in itself in awesome! I have to stay there at some point.) is an African buffet, with food options from all over the continent.

Zebras, grazing at the Animal Kingdom Lodge's savannah

With Monique's dietary issue (she stays away from sugars, starches, and carbs) we weren't sure what we were going to find, but as the chef walked us around, and walked us through each option, we soon learned that there was plenty for Monique (and picky-at-times-eater me!) to eat. Starting off with 3 types of hummus! Oh my gosh, so good! Move on to Peanut Butter soup. Yes, I said soup, made from peanut butter! I am not even a huge fan of peanut butter, and this soup was DELICIOUS! All kinds of proteins to eat, as well, including pistachio-crusted salmon, so good. Something I loved that Monique was not able to eat, was the mashed potatoes, made with Idaho, sweet and red potatoes, oh my gosh, delish! There were also so many good desserts, but Monique probably got the best. Goat cheese cheesecake with strawberries. Yep, I said goat cheese. It was light, creamy, and tangy. So good.

Boma Buffet

You would think how could we even try to top this meal. We knew better, but had reservations the next day at the Via Napoli, in the Italian Pavilion at Epcot. A brand new restaurants, with wood burning pizza ovens, named after Italian volcanoes. This restaurant was what I was really looking forward to. We started out with the Frito Misto, fried appetizers. I had heard of aracini, fried risotto balls, but had never had them. WOW! It's good that Monique can't have carbs, because I got to eat both of them! For our entrees, Monique ordered a chopped salad, and I ordered a pizza with artichokes. When the food came out, Monique's salad was HUGE, and my pizza looked like it was covered in green beans. I am generally really open-minded, but the artichokes on my pizza were hard to eat. Apparently, they sliced up the outer leaves. I had to send it back. I then ordered the four cheese pizza. A much better fit for my taste. After the frito misto, and about half my pizza, I was stuffed. When Monique realized that my pizza was sauceless, she decided to remove the crust and enjoy the cheese. We will definitely be returning to Via Napoli!

Monique enjoying her creation, Crustless Cheese Pizza

Pizza Ovens

I have to say also that if you are Epcot, you need to go over to the UK Pavilion to the Rose & Crown Pub and try a Snake Bite. This is a mix of cider and ale, and one of the things I miss from living in England. Not so big on the ale? Try and Cider and Black, they add a shot of black currant to the cider. (What I really miss from England is the Snakey B, a Snake Bite, with black currant!)

Enjoying a Snake Bite in the Rose & Crown Pub

We also made it back to DT Disney and had Earl of Sandwich for my last dinner! It was a great trip, and I look forward to my next trip. No date as of yet, but it will be soon!

Next I love travel! city: SIN CITY! Las Vegas for my 30th Birthday!

I love to travel! New Mexico

I have been fortunate (especially in these hard economic times) to be able to travel to some places I really love. This is the first of several blogs on my travels this year. As I wrote a while ago, I was given the opportunity to work with the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau on a project for Grad School. While I was an intern for ACVB I got to go to Santa Fe and represent ACVB at a New Mexico Tourism Department at a grant writing workshop. While in Santa Fe, I took in some of the sights of the Plaza.

St Francis Cathedral Basilica

Yummy Restaurant, upstairs, on the Plaza

Delicious Navajo Taco from the Blue Corn Cafe
(only downside of this restaurant, no daiquiris, only margaritas!)

Loretto Chapel

Miraculous Stair Case, there are no nails or screws holding this stair case together

Local Artisans, selling their goods on the Plaza

Santuario de Guadalupe

Santa Fe Train Station

 At the end of my time in Albuquerque, Marshall came to visit, and we took a road trip South, so he could experience more of the land of Enchantment.

Marshall and I in front of the World's Largest Pistachio, Alamogordo, NM

White Sands National Monument, Alamogordo, NM

Looking out over Alamogordo from the Lodge at Cloudcroft,
Cloudcroft, NM

The Lodge at Cloudcroft

The Natural Entrance to Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad, NM

New Job!

I have recently been hired by an independent travel agent as her assistant. It's a part-time job, which is absolutely great! Working 6 hours a week fits into my school schedule perfectly. Only problem now is that it opens up yet another door, but that is a great thing.

While pursuing my Master's degree I've had the opportunity to work for the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau, completing analyises of Albuquerque as a cultural destination and a new event. I learned so much about the city I hope to work for/in once I graduate, but I also learned even more about myself.

The new job is with a high end/luxury agency, and I am very excited because I was able to visit many high end hotels in Cancun and Jamaica. While working as a travel agent, most of the hotels I visited were out of the price range of most of my clients. It will be very nice to be able to recommend some of these beautiful resorts.

I have to say that I have loved being a travel agent. I enjoy helping people plan vacations, and even more, I love helping create a trip of a lifetime. My Master's degree in tourism is something different. Instead of working with the travelers, I am learning to work with the destinations, which sounds great. However, I like helping people. I consider my bachelor's degree a degree in customer service, and I hold service people to a higher standard. I have worked as a restaurant server, and as a front desk agent/manager of a hotel. I know how difficult the job can be, but I also know the bare minimums to expect. For this reason, I feel like even with the Master's degree I want to remain on the service side.

Does this mean I should work for a tour conductor? I don't know. I do have a long term goal, and I have said before that my mom thought I should open my own B&B. Maybe that will happen some day.

All I know right now is that I am happy to have another door. I just hope I can decide which one to open when the time comes.

Mickey Mouse, Food and Friends!

I just got back from an amazing weekend in Orlando. (I know, I know, what happened in New Mexico?!?!?! Don't worry, I will get to that.) I just wanted to take a moment to post about the great time we had, and the food we enjoyed.

Thursday night we had reservations at Tony's Town Square, the Lady and the Tramp themed Italian Restaurant at the Magic Kingdom. The food was good, but not phenomenal, in my opinion. However the atmosphere, and being there with my husband and friends made the dinner what it was, a great night!

Friday we experienced the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and ate lunch at the Three Broomsticks. That was an experience within itself, and the food was good. The frozen Butterbeer was extremely interesting, and hit the spot on a very hot afternoon. It was a little too sweet to be the main drink with a meal, but worked well to curb my hankering for dessert. (Monique ordered a scoop of the Strawberry Peanut Butter ice cream, and all I can say is it delivered on its name. Definitely unique.)

Where my culinary experience really excelled was Saturday at Epcot. We had reservations at Teppan Edo in the Japanese Pavilion. Teppan is a type of cuisine where chefs cook on a table-top grill in front of the diners. Marshall ordered the shrimp, Monique the scallops, and I ordered the chicken, along with a California Roll, which I love. Unfortunately, the food was so filling, but so delicious, at the same time, it was hard to stop eating. The chef put on a great show, making an onion volcano, errupting in a cloud of smoke, and dazzling the table with his knife skills.

My favorite moment of the meal, however, was when I offered to share my leftover California Roll with the table. There were three parties at our table, us, a group of Japanese travelers, and a single gentleman. This gentleman told us that he was facinated by Japan, and was hoping to visit there someday, although he had never tried California Rolls. Watching him take a piece and try it for the first time made me remember why I love food and traveling. He closed his eyes and I could see he was savoring each flavor and texture, and how they married together to make a cohesive bite. I love how food can evoke emotions, and take you back to a particular place and time. Traveling around the world (or around the World Showcase at Epcot) allows you experience many cultures and heritages, and to try something new, or reacquaint yourself with something familiar, and see it in a new light.