InnerSpace Caverns
(IH-35, Georgetown, TX) – June 2016
This
would be my fourth visit here within the last decade, but it would be the first
for my fiancée. Since the weather was
hot, and humidity was high, I let her know this would be a good activity to
stay cool. The exterior of the location
hadn’t changed much from any of my previous visits, and there was still plenty
of parking this weekend afternoon. Our
timing was perfect, as we were able to join the “Adventure Tour” which was only
minutes away from departing.
Previously,
guests would ride a short tram down a man-made opening to enter the caverns,
but now we just walked down the steep incline.
From a maintenance aspect that made sense, but it was something which
pointed to change within the caves. Our
guide was knowledgeable, and provided all the explanation of how the caverns
were discovered and what the various geologic aspects were.
But I
noticed the interior of the caves were far hotter than on any of my previous
visits, and it was very humid. The
design of the tram tunnel had been done in such a way to keep the cooler air in
the cave, and that wasn’t happening now.
I’m not sure if it was because due to the current weather there had been
no “cool air” to sink down and enter into the cave. It was not the “escape the heat” activity I’d
intended.
My
fiancée felt the tour moved too fast, as there wasn’t a lot of time to enjoy
the sights. She understood the necessity
of shepherding the groups through, but she would’ve liked to have a few moments
more at each of the stops. I recalled
the past tours I was on being longer, and allowing a bit more “linger” time,
especially for taking pictures. Of the
commercial caves in the area (and I’ve been to them all), this is still the
best one.
Bombay Bistro (Highway 183,
Austin, TX) – June 2016
My
fiancée and I came here to celebrate an anniversary recreate our first
date. Since we’ve always had good
service and great food here, this was a place we enjoy coming back to. We tried some different items on the menu on
this trip, and found some new favorites.
The cashew roll appetizer was extremely tasty due to the very thin
breading. The korma she had and the
kadai I tried were new flavors that were spicy without being hot. While it’s fun to have “the favorite dish”
every time, it’s equally fun to experience new items. The menu here has a lot. Our service was as pleasant as always, and
the interior warm & inviting.
Manuel’s (Jollyville
Road, Austin, TX) – June 2016
I had
a craving for good Mexican food place, and as this was a place my fiancée and I
drove past often, we decided to check it out.
We arrived at the tail end of the Saturday evening dinner rush, so we
didn’t need reservations (our wait was short).
The interior was spacious, and not at all noisy (as is common for Austin
venues). We started with an appetizer of
chili con queso, and my fiancée had never devoured so much cheese product. That’s how good we thought this was, with the
right mix of tomatoes and chilies. My
main course was the ranchera enchiladas (cheese) which had a tangy flavor
without an over-powering spice level.
She had lomo de res, and the Black Angus beef never tasted so good. My fiancée said this was one of the best cuts
of meat she’d ever gotten in Austin. She
also liked how the garlic butter soaked into the rice, which just enhanced the
flavor even more. With a great wine
list, and awesome top-notch service from Welton & Connor, my fiancée has
found a brand new favorite restaurant that we’ll be returning to
frequently. Our only quibble was the AC
didn’t seem to work as well as it could have (so it would get hot for a few
minutes now and then). We didn’t let
that detract in any way from the excellent experience we had here. Thank you very much for such a great meal!
Pluckers Lakeline
(Lakeline Mall Blvd, Austin, TX) – July 2016
I’d
been to all the Pluckers locations in my area over the years, so I have my
favorite haunts. My fiancée wanted to
try a different venue, so we ventured up here.
Being a free-standing building in a plaza, there was plenty of parking
available. Seating was immediately
available either in the spacious dining area, or at the bar (we opted for the
bar). There were other tables open on
the covered patio (known as the “Coop”).
Our food was very good, just like every other visit I’ve had to this
Austin-born establishment, although the service wasn’t the best. Considering it wasn’t that crowded that
afternoon, the bartender wasn’t quite attentive as what I’m used to (as we had
to ask for utensils and paper towels, which were delivered after our
food). I considered this just a
“one-time” off-experience. We enjoy
going to Pluckers and will continue to do so, because of the great quality of
food we get.
Pinballz Arcade (Highway
183, Austin, TX) – July 2016
This
is located in a strip mall (tucked between a Burlington Coat Factory and Hobby
Lobby, so there’s plenty of parking available).
True to the name, the main draw is the many pinball machines (most from
the 80’s or 90’s), although there’s a selection of classic arcade games
too. Additionally there’s a large air
hockey table and “mini-bowl” (which combines bowling and skee-ball). A well-stocked bar and decent menu items
round out what’s available here. Like
their competition, Pinballz has a reloadable account card which could be used
to play the larger games, although we still had to dump quarters in the pinball
machines and arcade games (most running between 50-75 cents). The area is clean and spacious, and very inviting. Our only quibble was not being able to use
the account card on the machines (hopefully that’s something which will be
corrected later). It’s a fun alternative
to the similar nearby locations because of the different items available.
Starbucks (Aviation Rd,
Queensbury, NY) – July 2016
While
visiting the region, we stopped at this location every morning for a week, as
it was the closest to us. The interior
space was nice, and still retains the look of the restaurants this property
used to be. The passage to the bathroom
location was a little narrow, but accessible.
The service my fiancée and I had during the week here was very good,
considering the drive-thru customers had ordered filled before those who were
inside. That was the only quibble we
had. The mocha and hot chocolates we got
every day were done exactly as we wanted them.
O’Toole’s (Aviation Rd,
Queensbury, NY) – July 2016
When I
lived in the area (more than a decade ago) this was a place I frequented, so it
made since to stop by for lunch when I was visiting the region. The interior had only changed slightly, but
the ambiance had retained the welcoming feel I was used to. It made a great return to familiar memories. My fiancée got the bone-in wings, and I got
the boneless. Both were very meaty and
filling, and exactly as I remembered them.
We sat inside, which was a good choice because there was a short shower
which got the outdoor patio area wet.
Service was excellent, bathrooms clean, and it wasn’t too noisy or
crowded. Thus was worth crossing time
zones to come back to.
Pirates Cove Mini-Golf
(Route 9, Queensbury, NY) – July 2016
My
fiancée and I were on a quest to find the best (and most-interesting) mini-golf
course in the area. Most locations were
flat and had very little in the way challenging obstacles. This was the exception, and during the week
we were in the region, we visited here three times. Our best score was 10 over par, but we had a
lot of fun. Since we were able to visit
in the middle of the day, we were able to enjoy the course without them being
overly crowded. The change in elevation
throughout the courses added to the fun, and water rushing nearby kept it cool
on the hot summer days. There’s plenty
of parking, and it was easy to turn into from the main road. Reasonable bathroom facilities and vending
machines allowed refreshments to be available, be we were able to walking in
with our own drinks. Staff was friendly,
and they kept the course groomed of leaves and other debris. This was the best place we found in the Glens
Falls-Lake George region.
Lumberjack Mini-Golf
(Route 9, Lake George, NY) – July 2016
On our
quest to find the best mini-golf in the area, we stopped here and found it
rather lacking. Set back from the road,
we couldn’t see the course until we pulled in.
This was 18 holes of putting green, with very little elevation change or
obstacles. No shade, and no way a breeze
could blow through the course to cool it down.
Cash only, but in exchange you’re given tokens for “free ice cream”
which only amounted to a small soft cone.
Inexpensive to play, but not even worth that.
Prospect Mountain State
Park (Lake George, NY) – July 2016
To get
a great view of Lake George, and the surrounding area, this is a great place to
go. If you have the time, then enjoy the
hiking trail, otherwise you can take the memorial highway which comes up the
west-side of the mountain. While the
elevation only goes up about 2000 feet, it’s enough to give a view of about 100
miles. We drove up the highway, and
passed on the other look-out points along the way, because we wanted the view
from the summit. The highway ends at a
parking area, where you can use a guide bus or short walking path to reach the
very top. Considering the ease of
getting here, this was a good place for a picnic and/or sight-seeing. Because it’s a state park, its $10 bucks for
the car-load to use the highway, so worth it for views.
Cooper’s Cave Ale
Company (Sagamore Street, Glens Falls, NY) – July 2016
I
visit the area once a year, and this is one of my favored places to return
to. I made two visits during the week I
was here, and noting them both in a single entry, as the first one was filled
with bad experiences, but the second was the wonderful service I’d come to
expect from this great establishment.
The first visit was a Monday evening with my fiancée and parents for dinner. The server (I believe her name was Emily) got
most of the orders incorrect. The fish
& chips my dad ordered came without the chips (his fries didn’t arrive
until his meal was done). Only my
buffalo chicken wrap came out correct.
At the conclusion of the meal, the server brought the check, and then
vanished. We were apparently the last
table of her shift. We sat on the patio
for another fifteen minutes waiting for her to come and pick up the payment. Finally, we took the bill in and handed it to
the servers at the bar, and let them know we’d been abandoned. As this was the first experience here for my
fiancée, it wasn’t a good one to start with.
Now my
fiancée and I came back a few evenings later, and we had a fabulous
experience. Our server (Cassie) was
extremely attentive and very friendly.
My fiancée had the chicken Caesar wrap and I went for the “build a
burger.” Everything came out the way it
was supposed to, and was extremely delicious.
This was the experience which I was used to, as the friendly nature
exuded from the cozy atmosphere. I even
showed Cassie the review I wrote last year about my awesome visit then. My fiancée agreed this was a great place, and
she now looked forward to coming back here during our once-a-year visits.
Lookout Café (“board
walk” Lake George, NY) – July 2016
We
stopped here for lunch while waiting for a boat ride, as it was close to where
we were going. Situated on the upper
level above boardwalk shops, it gives a nice view of the lake. The dining area is airy and covered, so it
was comfortable to sit there on a summer day.
We each took advantage of the “create your own burger” option, which
resulted in a really good meal. I had
the pepper jack cheese and BBQ sauce on mine.
We got there before the lunch rush, so service was good and the
atmosphere friendly. Prices were
reasonable, and quality decent.
Lake George Steamboat
Company (Lake George, NY) – July 2016
While
my fiancée and I were visiting the area, we opted for a cruise on the
Minne-Ha-Ha in order to see the lake.
This was the only paddle-wheel boat, and the only one-hour cruise (as
all the other boats had significantly longer journeys). At a cost of $15 per person, it was reasonable. Before the cruise began, we had to wait for
every passenger to have their souvenir photo taken. We declined to have this done (as we weren’t
going to purchase it), and received a little pushback for it. Certainly in the age of everyone capturing everyone
else’s images to place on social media, we don’t necessarily want someone else
taking our photo. The tour was fine, as
we went up the east side of the lake, and then came back down the other
side. Some of the descriptions of the
area were hard to hear over the PA system, and we kept changing locations in
order to be able to listen better. The
front of the ship was the best, but we still were unable to hear over half of
what was said. One of the more notable
items was a small replica of the Statue of Liberty on the east bank, and the
boardwalk area on the west, plus being able to see Fort William Henry from a
distance. I’ve been on the cruise before
(about a decade ago), and it was much clearer in the presentation then. Overall, not a bad experience.
Log Jam (Route 9, Lake
George, NY) – July 2016
After
our original dinner plans changed, we came here because of the reputation for
quality this has. Because we called
ahead, we didn’t have a wait. The
interior had a nice rustic feel, with small separate dining areas (as opposed
to a single large one). A single giant
salad bar (with bread station) is centrally-located, and ended up being the
best part of the meal. My fiancée and I
each ordered a NY Sirloin, but I asked for mine with mashed and my fiancée for
a baked potato. I was given a baked, and
she was given broccoli for the side. Not
quite what we’d asked for, so we shared these side items to balance our meals
(as the server had not brought our plates out, so we couldn’t report upon
arrival of the error).
We’d
both asked for our steaks to be done medium rare, and they weren’t at all. When we cut into them, blood still poured out
(not juice). As we sliced them open, we
saw the steaks were simply browned on the outside, and completely uncooked in
the center. We had to wait about ten
minutes for our server to come check on us (as it appeared she was the only
person working this room) to report the issue.
Once our steaks were returned to us, they came out well-done and
dry. The taste was horrible. Worse, when this was reported to the server,
she didn’t seem to care. There was no
apology for the order being incorrect, nor any offer to adjust the bill. Since we were unable to locate any managers
in order to fix this concern, then we were obligated to pay a high-price for a
meal which was complete crap. As we
visit the area once a year, we have let others know of this experience. Suffice to say, this did not live up to the
reputation nor is it an establishment we’ll return to on future visits to the
region.
Davidson Brothers (Glen
Street, Glens Falls, NY) – July 2016
As a
former resident of the region, I visit the area once a year to re-enjoy my old
haunts. This was also an opportunity to
introduce my fiancée to one of my favorite spots when I lived in Glens Falls. It was a nice day, so we were able to sit
outside, and my fiancée liked how the tables had been set up in the alley. Our servers were very attentive and friendly
(one was a trainee). My classic Black
Forest sandwich was no longer on the menu, so I went for the buffalo chicken
wrap, which was a very acceptable substitute.
My other favored dish was the buffalo chips, which my fiancée devoured
as she talked about how good they were.
The atmosphere of the place was just as friendly as I remembered it, and
I’ve always had a great experience here.
This was another top-notch visit.
The interior still had the same charm, and my fiancée felt the sense of
history from the building. New-to-me was
the gratuity included on the bill. While
I understand the reasoning behind it, I still like being able to reward a
specific server who does an exceptional job.
My fiancée looks forward to coming here when we next visit the region,
as she loved it so much.
Hyde Collection (Warren
Street, Glens Falls, NY) – July 2016
This
is located just minutes from downtown, and easily accessible. The museum was formerly the residence of the
Hyde family, who completed construction of this Florentine Renaissance style
home in the early 20th Century.
Since it was first opened to the public, it’s expanded into an adjoining
similar-style home. When my fiancée and
I arrived, the current exhibition was on how the Hyde family acquired a
Rembrandt. I recalled coming to this
location in grade-school, before the additions were done, so I was able to
provide a guided tour to period-era furnishings and extensive art
collection. One of the docents was
extremely helpful in assisting us in locating the original Jane Austen works
nestled among the hundreds of books in the library. One of the things which resonated with me was
this once was a home, so it was interesting to imagine the daily life
here. The tours are self-guided, and a
great piece of local history.
Steininger’s (Main Street,
Salem, NY) – July 2016
I’d
been here once last year and had decent quality, so I thought it was a good
suggestion when my fiancée and I were to be taken here. During the time, both the menu and quality
had changed, and not for the better.
While this was primarily a “soup and sandwich” shop, most of the meat
selection was ham-based (which limited what we could consume). The only available turkey was pressed
deli-style, thus something processed (as opposed to actual meat). The soup of the day was broccoli cheese, but
I was given a potato soup which had neither broccoli nor cheese in it. The “half-sandwich and soup” meal was of
meager size, with only a single slice of processed meat on it. Not worth the value we paid, and essentially
this turned out as simply an appetizer, as opposed to balanced and filling
meal. I think this was the only time I
left hungrier than I’d arrived.
Fort William Henry
(Lake George, NY) – July 2016
As a
former resident of the area, this was a place to bring my (British) fiancée to
so she could see the history of the area where I grew up. The original fort was sacked by the French in
1757, and the ruins lay pretty-much undisturbed until the 1950’s, when the
replica fort was constructed. Built from
wooden logs and stone, this gave a great look into the history of the period
(further complimented by employees providing historical reenactment). Within the walls (what used to be barracks)
are various displays of the time period and the pivotal battle which resulted
in the British surrender. Cannons are
fired (over the lake) on a regular basis for demonstration purposes. Be sure to hold your ears, as they are quite
loud. Flags of France and Britain fly
overhead to commemorate the nations which used to claim the region. Everything here is designed to give a sense
of the history which happened here, and worth investigating. Parking is accessible behind the fort, and
it’s easy to move about. Also a good
activity for those with school-age children, as they could understand the
context of the fort.
Harvest (Bay Road,
Queensbury, NY) – July 2016
This
has been a Glen Falls establishment for a few decades. While there’s a mix of sandwiches and
Italian-American fare, the best menu item is the pizza. We got a meatball and green pepper pie, and
the other couple we were with had a Hawaiian.
What’s nice was a metal fame-stand is placed on the table, so the pizza
tray has something to sit on. Crust was
hand-tossed and chewy (not cardboard), the ingredients fresh, and not greasy in
any way. We were seated quickly, and had
friendly attentive service.
Establishment is easily accessible, and plenty of parking. Great place for lunch or dinner.
Clark’s Steakhouse (120
Broad Street, Schuylerville, NY) – 22 July
We
were gathered here for a family dinner.
While the establishment didn’t take reservations, they’d “hold” a table
for a short time-window for us. That’s
reasonable, as the interior space is small.
Considering the surrounding area, the restored interior of the building
is much nicer than any exterior in the vicinity. The host and servers were friendly. There was an extensive menu of available
items. My fiancée and I each got one of
the available chicken entrees. She got
the Cajun chicken (sans Cajun sauce) with mashed potatoes and salsa, which was
very good. I know, because I ended up
needing to eat half of her meal.
I
ordered the chicken Alfredo, which was something I’ve gotten at many other
establishments. At any other location
I’ve received an entire chicken breast on a decent bed of pasta. What I received here was a full two-pounds
worth of pasta, with no more chicken than the mass of four of my fingers. What little meat there was I had to hunt
through a congealed mass of starch to find.
By the time the server had come to check on us, most of the family had
completed their meals (which except for the plastic in my niece’s meatball,
turned out okay). The server said she’d
have the kitchen cook up an entire breast for me as an apology for the meal not
to my liking. That seemed to be an
acceptable resolution.
What I
received back in a take-out box was the same two-pounds of congealed inedible
pasta, with the “additional” chicken inside.
The family was prepared to remain at the table while I finished my meal,
but it was clear the establishment was ready for our party to depart. After we returned directly to my parents’
house, I opened the box to consume the meal, only to discover not only the
“additional” chicken I was provided was about half of what I was originally
given, it wasn’t even cooked all the way through. Not only was this not an acceptable meal, the
resolution was even more inedible.
Since
this had never been deducted from the bill (as a good restaurant would do),
this place got the money for a meal out of us that they failed to deliver
on. Because of my personal experience
here, this is not an establishment I recommend nor do I plan on returning here.
Silk’s Saratoga Bistro
(Albany Airport, NY) – July 2016
After
being starved by SouthWest on our outbound flight, my fiancée and I made sure
we were going to get a good meal before our return flight. Considering the number of times I’ve flown
out of Albany, I’ve never dined here, so we weren’t sure how good things would
be. After looking at the menu, we
decided this would be a good place to try, and it ended up being fabulous. We sat at the bar, and had great service from
Kristen. My fiancée had the French dip
sandwich (with a glass of champagne), and I had the BBQ chicken strips with
chips (waffle fries). The portions were
far larger than what I was used to seeing at an airport establishment, and at
$14 for each dish, they were pretty reasonable.
The food was very good, and extremely filling. Not greasy at all. We had so many fries leftover, than Kristen
got a zip-loc bag to put them in so we could snack on them later on. For anyone departing from here, or if this is
your layover, this is my recommendation for some great food.
Firkin & Flyer (BWI
Airport, MD) – July 2016
Our
layover was here, and it was a chance to explore some of the new venues in the
Gate C area (as the other areas were standard fast-food fare). We were initially drawn to this establishment
because of the prop-airplane motif out front, and the “London feel” of the
place. We sat at the bar, were Carlos
took good care of us. We started with
the Classic Spuds appetizer (which was extremely tasty), and followed it up
Caesar salads. My fiancée thought hers
was great, but mine wasn’t tasting right to me.
Since my fiancée didn’t have any issues with her salad, I believe it was
more a situation of the food just not being to my liking, as opposed to
something wrong with it. Didn’t see any
fault of the establishment there. But
since I was still hungry, and we had another leg of our flight to go, I got an
order of Buffalo Tenders which I found to be very good. The atmosphere of the place was nice, and I
thought it was interesting to have an additional seating area (which kept the
same theme) across the corridor. On
future layovers here, this is a place we’d return to.
BB Rovers (Jollyville
Road, Austin, TX) – August 2016
We met
friends here one evening, because we’ve always had good experiences here with
both food and service. After starting
off with a bowl of queso, we got a very excellent taco pizza. The ingredients were masterfully put
together, and every bite was filled with cheesy heaven. While the food was good, the service wasn’t
up to their usual standards, as we had to ask for napkins when the appetizer
came, and then get utensils ourselves when the main dish came. Beyond that, everything was good. This place has always been clean, the patrons
friendly, and the atmosphere welcoming.
To get pizza, I feel this is one of the best places in Austin to go.
Thai Spice (Route 360,
Austin, TX) – August 2016
My
fiancée heard about this place when they brought lunch to her office, so we had
to try them out. Thai Spice has only
been at this new location a few weeks (as they were formerly downtown), so that
explained why the place was so empty during dinner time on a Saturday evening. As time goes on, more patrons will discover
this place, and get a chance to experience its excellent cuisine. The interior space was nicely laid out, and
there was a great western view, which was perfect to see the setting sun.
We
started with the chicken satay appetizer, which came with a very good peanut
sauce. For our main courses we ordered
the garlic chicken and the King Recommended (a spicy beef dish). The meat in both were tender, and the
vegetables crispy. Each came with the
appropriate amount of sauce, so the meat and veggies weren’t drowning. We shared each other’s dishes in order to
double our enjoyment. As these were
fabulously well prepared, this is a place we look forward to coming back to
again and again. And when the heat
breaks, we look forward to watching the sunset from the back patio.
Fast Eddie’s (Highway 183, Austin,
TX) – August 2016
This had been a
favored place of my fiancée and I to go because it was an excellent music venue
in addition to a pool hall. That has all
changed. After their management decided
no longer to have live music, we still had a certificate for an evening’s worth
of pool to use. The establishment has a
juke box to play music, but it wasn’t being used that night, because the
manager had decided to subject everyone to the atrocious music that only he
liked. This establishment was in a
suburban neighborhood, and that clientele was now being excluded. As we tried to play pool, and dealt with some
other rude thuggish patrons, it painfully became clear that we’d need to find a
more welcoming venue to play pool or hear music in the area. A sad end to a once great establishment.
Brick Oven Pizza
(Jollyville Rd, Austin, TX) – September 2016
For a
city the size of Austin, there are few places to get good pizza that aren’t
national chains or places which soak their food in grease. This is not either. Located in a strip-center anchored by an HEB,
there’s plenty of parking available, and easily reachable from both 183 and
Jollyville Road. The interior was clean,
and the brickwork along the walls gave a nice Italian feel to it. Booths and tables are available indoors, and
there’s a side patio area for outdoor dining.
We ordered the Mediterranean Pizza, which was fabulous. The meatballs on it were excellent (and these
are something which are available as a stand-alone appetizer). Every bite was enjoyable.
Our
server had a couple of small issues with getting our order right (didn’t remove
the olives from the pizza, brought me the alcoholic root beer when I asked for
the regular), but those were minor and didn’t affect our enjoyment of the
place. Not long after we’d come in, a
mob of elementary school children came in and took over all the seats around us
(with their parents being as far away from them as possible on the other side
of the place), so noise level greatly increased. As the kids had moved a tables around to suit
their needs, our server was good about pushing some of the tables back so we
weren’t completely surrounded by screaming kids with absentee parents. While we didn’t have a “quiet” evening, the
food was good so this is a place where we plan on coming back to … just not at
a time when we’d be mobbed by two dozen loud youths.
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