Annapolis in Autumn

by Kelly Amabile on

Home of the US Naval Academy, the city of
Annapolis is a short ride from downtown Baltimore or DC, and a good bet
almost any time of year. On my last visit, we dined at the Sly Fox Pub after an
afternoon of shopping. The pub has a nice outdoor patio (with occasional live acoustic music), which I’m sure will
remain open through early fall. This
Washington Post
article praises the Sly Fox patio too, and tells us more about this historic tavern. There is also the famous
Rams Head Tavern for good eats and great live
music.

If you’re making the drive to Annapolis, it’s definitely worth it to head over the
Bay Bridge
before or after spending time in the state capitol. The Chesapeake Bay is gorgeous, and riding over the bridge is a
thrill for me each and every time. In the fall, you’ll get a great view of the autumn colors on the trees of the
Eastern Shore. There are numerous scenic drives and attractions to see once you’re there.

This USA Today piece has
a collection of links for a variety of locations to explore in the greater Annapolis and Bay area. One hint, I’d advise
steering clear of the four remaining Navy
home football game
days, as it can get a bit crowded downtown. Unless, of course, you’ve got tickets to a game :-)

Hobo Traveler in Niger

by Erik Olsen on

It’s been a while since we last checked in on Andy the Hobo
Traveler, and man, has he been busy. The uber-vagabond has been traversing the globe now for eight (yes, eight)
years, posting his views and news from far off locales. In what you might say is the king of all understatements: the
guy gets around.

We find Andy now in Niger, Africa, riding buses, visiting villages and eating “lightly curded milk substances”. He’s
also snapping some wonderful photos of daily life in Africa that should be required viewing for students around the
country. The faces of the people are often bright and friendly, nicely conveying the reality that all of Africa is not
some vast miserable stew of disease and poverty…as someone said to me recently in blinkered ignorance.

Take some time today and catch up on Andy’s travels. You might learn something.

September at the Shore: Bay Head

by Kelly Amabile on

This past weekend I spent Saturday with the family clan in
Bay Head, NJ, just south of
Point Pleasant. Post-Labor Day at the shore is divine —
more room on the beach for paddle ball, sand castle building and Scrabble tournaments. We basically played beach bum
all day, with occasional trips back to the house to check the tennis and football scores. The weather was perfect, the
sun still hot enough for a quick dip or ride in the kayak. But as the temps get cooler, there will still be lots to do
in and around this area. Let’s start with places to stay:

The Bentley is open year round with rates from $90 to $225 per night. Their
off-season and extended stay specials for 2005 don’t seem to be posted yet, but they may be similar to what they have
listed for last year.

The Grenville has reduced rates in the fall ($89, Sun – Thurs)
and is open through November 13. The restaurant is one of the
best along the beach, and they are hosting a cooking class on October 20th with dinner immediately following ($60, not
including gratuities).

If you want to just grab sandwiches for a picnic on the beach, head to
Curtis’ Central Market. There are plenty of
sailing or fishing charters
(more listed here) to check out, or head into town to explore
the shops and
art galleries. The
Algonquin Theater in nearby Manasquan has several shows this fall, and the
Annual Christmas tour of the Bay Head Inns is on December 4.

[Last week: Point Pleasant; Next week:
Atlantic City]

Icelandic Cuisine

by Erik Olsen on

For centuries the various cuisines of Europe have been celebrated and savored. From France to Spain to Italy to Great Britain, the countries of the continent have developed unique and delectable ways of preparing food (wait, scratch Britain…at least until they rename the stuff they call pudding). But what about some of the lesser-known cuisines of the region? What about, say, Iceland? Well, they’ve got some rockin Vodka, that’s a given, but have you ever tried smoked puffin? What about fermented shark or lamb smoked over dried sheep dung (hmmm, the dung gives it a tantalizing little tang…why don’t we use more dung in our cooking?). Well, it may be time to celebrate Icelandic cooking, or so says this piece in the Times today that takes a look at noshing in the North.

Icelandic food producers, it seems, are eager to market their wares here and are coming up with creative ways of getting the point across, like coming up with a marketing campaign to market food under a logo entitled “Sustainable Iceland” (gosh, that’s catchy). Whether it works is another matter, given that they are using Icelandic names for some products like “smjor” (butter), “skyr” (a kind of cheese), and “Hofdingi” (well, another cheese), which will challenge the American tongue in more ways than one.

Restaurant Marrakesh at Epcot

by Adrienne Wilson on

The best part of Disney World for big kids and adults is undeniably the various selection of
restaurants. After taking my friends through a couple of the
parks with the complimentary passes I had received a little while back I couldn’t wait to cash in my dinner vouchers. I
had hopes of checking out Jiko, which is said to be a great restaurant in the beautiful Animal Kingdom Lodge, but we
all had flip-flops on which is against dress code. We opted for a foreign African fare in Epcot’s World
Showcase at the
Restaurant
Marrakesh.

Stepping into the Restaurant Marrakesh one is instantly placed in an atmosphere like that of a humble Sultan’s
palace. Traditional Moroccan artwork decorates the walls and restrooms in intricate tile work. The staff, all
from Morocco if not of Moroccan descent are very accommodating and friendly. Brush up on your Arabic as they are
more than happy to teach you a  couple of words or join in when the belly dancer starts twirling around the floor
in traditional Middle Eastern dance. Great ways to kill time before your meal arrives.  

Just as all the aromas from dishes nearby begin to get to you and your growling stomach the waiter will more
than likely be bringing your own. If you do Moroccan you must have a sampling of least one lamb dish. Order one of
the feasts to get a wide variety of fare and the apple crepes for after dinner desert.