September by the Shore: Point Pleasant

by Kelly Amabile on

I spent half of the holiday weekend at Point
Pleasant Beach, NJ, where, every summer as a kid I would visit the Boardwalk with my parents to get ice cream, ride
the Himalaya or play in the arcade.

This weekend I returned to Point Pleasant (exit 98 on the Garden State Parkway) to enjoy some of my favorite summer
activities. As a child, I rarely stayed at a hotel near the shore, since we usually rented a house. So it did feel
a bit odd to check in to The White Sands on Ocean
Avenue. The place was a bargain, clean, and conveniently located two blocks from the southernmost end of
the Boardwalk. Guests of the hotel can use their private beach, but we walked north, covering the length of the entire
Pt. Pleasant Beach (owned and operated by Jenkinsons) to visit friends at
the far northernmost point, known as the Inlet. It was pleasantly less crowded than the center beaches near the
concessions.

In the evening we dined at The Ark, a great pub with good food
and friendly atmosphere at the opposite end of Ocean Ave., where it meets Rt. 35. We also ate at Martell’s
Tiki Bar, a true oasis at Pt. Pleasant, smack in the middle of the Jenks
monopoly. The Lido Cafe at the White Sands has a limited but decent breakfast menu too, with outdoor seating
overlooking the ocean. On Saturday night, we attempted to remember our college years at the
Jenkinsons restaurant/dance club, but it was insanely crowded. The people-watching (always good for a
laugh at the shore) would have been fantastic if it was not so jammed inside.

For me, the highlight of shore life was — and still is — eating
Kohrs Bros. soft ice cream for lunch while walking the boardwalk. (Be
sure to try their famous original frozen custard.) So, if you
haven’t yet been, you must go visit just for that experience alone. How about on Sept. 17th, for
the 28th annual Festival of the Sea? Fall is a perfect time to visit. I was there once in late October and it was
great then too, although much quieter, of course. NJ Transit can take you there by train from NYC, or by bus from
Philly.

[Last Week: Sea Isle City; Next Week:
Bay Head]

Hungry in Oregon

by Adrienne Wilson on

Best way to describe this incredibly gooey, sugary, mouth-watering, got Milk?, delectable looking,
packed with pleasure, made from scratch cinnamon bun is just as
noted. At first I took it for the Cinnabon’s that always win my affection when shopping at the mall, but the home made
buns are one of Oregon’s secret weapons on the off-road dining scene. Found on the menu at Otis Cafe,
USA Today dishes out all the
info on Oregon’s down-home treats. Save the sticky dessert for later and check out the list. Restaurants vary from
seafood, ribs, sausage kitchens, and oyster bars. Starving yet?

Globe Trekker

by Kelly Amabile on

I caught Globe Trekker’s
Beijing City Guide
episode on public television last night. This was unfortunately the first time I have seen anything from
the Globe Trekker series, although
I’ve heard lots of great talk about it. Now I’m officially hooked and need to get my hands on the local schedule for my
station.

Host Megan McCormick did an excellent job of mentioning and visiting the best sites in the city, and did a Great
Wall hike with a local guide that was educational and fun to watch. I enjoyed learning about the popular kite
flying in Tiananmen Square and watching how Peking duck is prepared. What I liked best about the show was
how Megan interacted with the locals. She always said hello in Chinese and respected those she met with a
friendliness that was refreshing. She went out of her way to say hello and speak with those that lived and worked in
the city, setting an inspiring and excellent example for all travelers.

The Globe Trekker site has lots of good stuff, including info on
all their episodes and
specials, a
shop where you can purchase
DVDs
of the show and albums of the music used in
each episode. I like the listening post where you can hear the songs online, and review the
track listings with information about the
artists/music they use. If you are not familiar with this program, do check out the website or show when you have some
time — I don’t think the trekkers will disappoint.

Green Corn Festival Unripe

by Erik Olsen on

OK, because I like to practice what I
preach, I actually drove up this weekend to see the Green Corn Festival in the Hudson Valley. Why? Because it was a
lovely summer day and I figured there’d be lots of corn and, hey, I like corn. But was there any corn? No. None to be
eaten, anyway.

 

The corn festival, it turns out, was a nauseatingly hokey waste of my $10 entrance fee (actually $20 since I took my
wife). The festival was spread out over the Philipsburg
Manor, an old mill and manor where they interpret life in colonial days. What does that mean? It means goofy,
retarded-looking people dressed in faux colonial garb who explain how the colonists and Indians “did things” in the
kind of detail only a stamp collector or Civil War re-enactor can appreciate. In other words, I spent an hour listening
to some lady explain how corn silk baskets are made and watched a half-naked guy (pictured…although you can’t
really see that he was half naked…that’s a leather apron he’s wearing…behind it was a pair of skivvies) who looked
like Eric Idle but claimed to be Cherokee shoot arrows at a block of styrofoam. And did I mention there was no corn to
eat?

 

Oh, the things I do for this blog.

Real Food Daily in Santa Monica

by Adrienne Wilson on

Now that I’ve invested a little amount of time writing about the Green Festival coming up, why not
keep with the theme of Green today? Sunday’s are one of the best days to take a stroll
through the park and most parks are by far some of the greenest places around. (Check out the
Pacific Park, not entirely green, but great for Sunday.) Before heading out to
the park you’ll want to make sure you pack the perfect lunch and who and what better place to prepare your gourmet
vegetarian fare than Real Food Daily located in Santa Monica, CA?
Kosher certified, this organic vegan restaurant has been a fave in the vegetarian community for years.

Though the food is free of animal products, dairy, eggs, butter, cholesterol, and a number of other
ingredients it doesn’t lose taste and appeal. I’m not a vegetarian or vegan myself and the mention of leaving
out many of the naughty items took me by surprise, but I was incredibly shocked at the creativity used to make the
dishes just as ambrosial than my normal slightly unhealthy fare. The
‘Real Food Meal’ sounds like a good starter and an easy
item to take on-the-go or pick up after a refreshing trek up the Santa Monica
Mountains. The dish comprised of short grain brown rice, beans, greens, land and sea veggies, pressed salad and
radish pickle with your choice of dressing represents the five elements of oriental health philosophy.