Fort Ticonderoga (Ticonderoga, NY)
– June 2018
The day was
overcast when we arrived at the Fort. It
had been more than twenty years since I’d been here last. So much of the Fort had been improved, so it
was like seeing it for the first time again.
There’s plenty of parking, and the admission fee gets you the necessary
coin to also go up Mount Defiance (so be sure to do that). Volunteers dressed in period costumes
wandered about the area or were stationed in specific locations to give
information and do demonstrations. It
was nice that they weren’t “in-character” because it made the presentations
much more effective.
Inside the
buildings are many exhibits showing not only the daily life at the fort, and
what types of weapons and equipment the residents would use, but an entire
section dedicated to the World War II-era aircraft carrier of the same
name. That was an interesting, if
anachronistic, find.
Some of the fort
walls are noticeably crumbling, and parts of the structure are closed to the
public. This is for your safety as
there’s an effort to go a restore the fort.
After the battles the fort participating in, it was left in ruins for
decades as the Americans of the time period had their version of “ancient ruins
like they have in Rome.” Sure while the
fort had a lot of work done on it to make it what it is today, there’s still a
lot more which needs to be done in order to preserve this. Coming and visiting the site will help with
that.
Mount Defiance (Ticonderoga, NY) –
June 2018
When purchasing
admission to Fort Ticonderoga, you’re provided a coin which can be used to
access nearby Mount Defiance that day.
When standing in the Fort, you can see Mount Defiance, and the drive over
takes only a few minutes. There’s a toll
gate which the coin is used for, and w winding road takes you up the rest of
the way. The outlook is breathtaking as
not only can you see the Fort, but much of the countryside for miles. There’s cannon placements to give you a sense
of the conflict which happened here. You
can come to Mount Defiance other times without visiting the Fort, and enjoy the
pavilion with a spectacular view.
Stewart’s (Whitehall, NY) – June
2018
Stopped here for
ice cream. What else can I saw that I
haven’t already said about this regional chain of convenient stores which serve
ice cream. I have a one-track mind. I came here for my peanut butter pandemonium
milkshake, and it was good.
Auction Barn (Route 40, Argyle, NY)
– June 2018
Located on Route
40 near the Argyle-Greenwich town borders, this used to be the eating
establishment of the nearby livestock auctions.
The auctions are long gone, but this is still a popular location for
diner-fare for those passing through. I
was her with my parents and their retired friends for their weekly breakfast
gathering. I had a great meal of
over-easy eggs, home fries, English muffin, and a chocolate milk. There’s plenty of parking, although the space
inside can be limited when large parties come in. It’s a great place to get breakfast.
Stewart’s (Route 50, Ballston Spa,
NY) – June 2018
During the week I
was visiting the area, I was determined to go to “a Stewart’s” every day to get
a milkshake. Since I was in the area, I
stopped here to get my new favorite peanut butter pandemonium milkshake. It was awesome, as I’ve come to expect from
any Stewart’s locations I’ve gone to.
Sure you can get gas and other convenient store items here, I just came
for the ice cream.
Chapman Museum (Glen Street, Glens
Falls, NY) – June 2018
This is a piece
of Glens Falls history which most people simply drive by every day and pay no
notice too. This Victorian-era house
sits unassumingly on the corner, surrounded by trees. In years past, the main portion of the museum
was the house which was a “snapshot in time” from when it was a dwelling. During X-mas time, it would be decorated for
the holidays. Many of the artifacts were
fragile to keep being displayed, so the main house portion is currently closed
to the public as it was being renovated.
The connecting
annex remains open, and it worth viewing as it contains much local history of
the Glens Falls region. During my visit,
the special collections had an exhibit of various business signs in the
region. These ranged from paintings on
brick buildings to motel signs, as well as some famous local landmarks (like
the Martha’s chicken). The special
collections are always changing, so there’s always a reason to stop by. This is an excellent place to go and spend an
afternoon.
Peppermill (South Glens Falls, NY)
– June 2018
We were looking
for a place to get lunch as we were on our way to our next destination, and
this was suggested. Sounded good to me,
as I was told I could get a good meal here.
This place lived up to the expectations.
Located in the plaza across the street from where Joy Store used to me
many moons ago, this had plenty of parking, and was easy to reach. The interior space was small, but good layout
kept it from being cramped. This has
decent diner-fare, and the service was friendly. I had a chicken wrap with fries, which was
very good. This is a nice place to go
for good food at reasonable prices.
Grant’s Cottage (Wilton, NY) – June
2018
This is one of
those hidden gems you’ve probably driven by hundreds of times and didn’t know
it was there. That was true for me. Since this was located on the same property
which had the Mount McGregor Correctional Facility, it wasn’t high on my list
to go there when the facility was still in operation. Now that it’s been decommissioned, there’s
easy access to this historical place.
Once you get past
the winding road hilly roads passing prison buildings, you arrive at an old
cottage. A guided tour takes place to
give you a lot of historical information about the last days of US President
Grant that you would’ve missed if you went without the guide. The cottage is very old with all the original
furnishings, so you get to see a “snapshot of history.” You’ll see where Grant sat to write his
memoirs, the infamous “medicine bottle,” and his funeral wreaths.
Nearby is a short
path which takes you down to an overlook which Grant was wheeled down to
frequently. The views are nice. This is a nice way to spend an afternoon to
learn about how the life of one US President became part of local history.
Argyle Brewing Company (Cambridge,
NY) – June 2018
Tucked away in
what used to be a railroad station is this great tap room. All that is served here is beer, and it’s
done so in a nice location. The historic
building has been restored and updated, so it’s a good venue for small musical
acts to perform. There’s also an outdoor
covered patio section where you can sit with your brew. A local food truck is parked nearby, so you
can wander over to get grub. You can’t
take your beer off the patio, but you’re welcome to consume the food truck
goodies on the patio. It’s a nice
partnership that works good for both.
A.B.C. also has a small selection of locally-made pre-packaged food
products, so it enhances the ability to spend your money to support local small
businesses.
Fitzgerald’s (Route 9, South Glens Falls,
NY) – June 2018
When I’ve visited
the region in the past, I’ve driven past this place a dozen times and never
gave it a second look. My mistake, as
it’s such a great place! Parking could
be a little tough, but the interior space is nice as it really has the nice pub
feel going on. Each booth had an
individual monitor for sports watching, which was nice. The service was friendly and the portions
were huge. I ordered the shepherd’s pie,
and that was enough for two meals. The
layer of potatoes were so thick, that was filling by itself. I ended up having to scoop underneath it to
get to the meat and veggies underneath.
This is an excellent place, and one I look forward returning to when I’m
in the area again.
Southwest Flight 5254 (Albany to
Baltimore) – June 2018
This was the
first leg of my return trip. As my
flights at the beginning of my vacation ended up being a total cock-up, I
expected more of the same on the way home.
This has always been a short hop, so I didn’t expect there to be any
issues getting here (as getting out I surmised would be the problem). The flight crew was friendly, but not in the
welcoming way Southwest used to be.
Southwest Flight 3252 (Baltimore to
Austin) – June 2018
Considering the
current model of Southwest has been to delay and/or ground flights for any
reason, I was rather surprised we departed on time. I was even more surprised that the crew was
attentive to the needs of the passengers and that we arrived at our destination
on time. If I had this experience on
both the start of my vacation as well as the end, then I’d be inclined to
believe that Southwest had turned themselves back around. While this flight was okay, I was only on it
because it had been previously booked before the crappy experience I had on the
outbound part of my trip. I got home
safe and on time.
PF Chang’s (Jollyville Rd, Austin)
– June 2018
It was a Saturday
evening we were in here on, and it was surprisingly empty. With our table secured via reservation, we
were able to get seated quickly and easily.
Our server was very nice, and we enjoyed an excellent meal in a nice
atmosphere. We had the entries of the
Chilean sea bass and the sesame chicken, which were great. The dining area is nice and roomy, even
though the tables are a reasonable distance apart. Getting in and out of the parking lot is
easy, and the parking is good. We’ve
found making a reservation ahead of time has made everything. We enjoy going to this place.
Caspian Grill (183 & Oak Knoll,
Austin) – July 2018
This was a nice
“hidden gem” we’d discovered, but no longer.
The chef had changed, so what formerly had really exotic tastes were
very bland. My wife had the beef barg
kabob, and I the chicken koobideh. The
savory flavors we were expecting were not present at all. She couldn’t even finish hers that it was so
bad. The service was practically non-existent,
as we had to ask multiple time for napkins and for our waters to be
refilled. When we did mention how things
weren’t very good to our server, he didn’t seem to care as there was no apology
or offer of amends. Certainly as it had
taken an unacceptable time just to get beverages, and there was nothing going
to be done about an adjustment on the bill, we simply paid cash and left. It’s been a rare occasion where we leave a
restaurant looking for another place to get a snack. We’d liked this place because it was nearby
and easy to park, but now there’s no reason to return to it. It was very obvious they didn’t care about
providing a positive customer experience.
We’re scratching this off of our list of places to eat.
Manuel’s (Jollyville Rd, Austin) –
August 2018
This is a place
we’ve frequented, as it’s (to my knowledge) the only place in the city you can
get “interior Mexican” food, as opposed to Tex-Mex. The parking here is always ample, the
interior always clean, and the staff always friendly. Making reservations on OpenTable is always
good, especially for peak times. What
was odd on this visit, it was a Saturday evening (thus “peak time”) and it was
barren. We commented that the hostess,
who’d pointed out how unusual it was.
We always get the
queso, as the hot melted white cheese (with some bell peppers thrown in) is
very good. That could be quite the meal
in itself. On this visit for my main
course I got the chicken fajitas for the first time. The meat and peppers were sizzling when it
came out, and the sides of pico, quac, and cheese were ample. (I could use more cheese, because I like
cheese.) One thing I’ve always liked
about this place is how the rice has carrots in it. Everything was tasty and fabulous. This is an example of how good food can still
be found in this city.
Mimi’s Café (Mopac, Austin) –
October 2018
After a long
flight to get into town, my parents were looking for a nice place for lunch
which was near their hotel. Based on
past experiences I’ve had with this place, and the variety of the menu, I knew
this would be good. They enjoyed the
food they got. I had a cheeseburger with
fries which was very tasty. It was pretty
basic, but it was filling, so it was satisfying. The interior décor is warm and inviting, and
the staff was friendly. That was a good
experience to have.
Springhill Suites (Mopac, Austin) –
October 2018
I spent a lot of
time here as my parents stayed on this property. The staff was very friendly, and assisted the
guests, especially since Austin’s “boil water” emergency happened during this
time. The staff provided clear
instructions about not using the fountains and ice makers, and provided bottled
water. The indoor pool was refreshing
for the short time we got to swim in it (due to the water emergency, not the
fault of the hotel). I was able to eat
breakfast here occasionally, and found it filling for the traveler (scrambled
eggs, muffins, etc). The room had a nice
layout, with a separate seating area from the beds. My parents were right next to the elevators,
and reported no noise from that. Good
and quiet. The room also had a small
fridge and sink, which was helpful to keep goodies during a week-long stay. The only quibble was the drawer space was too
small. The drawer doubled as the TV stand
(good placement), but a third of the drawer was an empty space for a vase. Nice piece of artwork, but having wider
drawers would’ve been nicer. But that
was really the only issue. My parents
had stayed here in the past, and would do so again when they come to Austin.
Newk’s Café (Jollyville Rd, Austin)
– October 2018
A quick and light
dinner was what we were looking for, and this was a perfect place to go. My Mum didn’t recall the name, but she
remembered the place once she walked in, so she knew there’d be good food. The staff was good about doing some menu
modifications to fit my father’s dietary needs.
I had a bowl of the wonderful chili and it was awesome. My parents had the soup and sandwich
combinations, which they enjoyed. I’ve
been coming to this place for a number of years now, and the quality continues
to be good.
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen (183,
Austin) – October 2018
It had been a
while since I’d been here. The sign
outside had changed, but the interior and the menu had not. That was good, as I wanted some place casual
with a varied menu of American fare for my parents for lunch. Our server (Andy) was very nice in assisting
making modification to fit the needs of my parents. My Mum had the grilled salmon, my Dad had the
blackened whitefish, and I enjoyed my favorite buffalo chicken wrapper. Everything came out promptly and
correctly. It was a great experience!
Bob Bullock Museum (Downtown
Austin) – October 2018
Every time my
parents come to visit, my Mum wants to visit here because she says it’s one of
the best museums she’s been to. It has
its own parking garage, so that’s one thing you don’t have to worry about. The current special exhibit on the history of
the rodeo was something my parents enjoyed.
In the main museum, much of the first floor was closed as the exhibits
were being reconfigured. So much Texas
history was packed in here, and we did notice some new things since the last
time we were here (like the theatre featuring ACL acts). A museum docent gave a very detailed history
of the conclusion of the Texas War of Independence that was as interactive as
it was informative. This continues to a
great place to visit, and highly recommended.
Wendy’s (IH-35, Waco) – October
2018
This was on the
way to our destination, and served as a good place to get lunch. The design of the parking lot was a little
difficult to get into, but the food had the same good quality as I’ve come to
expect from this chain. It was tasty,
filling, and fast, exactly what we wanted.
Mayborn Museum of Science (Baylor
Campus, Waco) – October 2018
Here was a museum
I hadn’t been to yet, and it was advertised as a “science museum” so naturally
I wanted to check it out. Location was
easy to find, and parking was good. The
staff told us about the many interactive exhibits on the second floor, but what
they didn’t tell us that it also doubled as a children’s daycare. That was not the museum which was listed on
the website. That takes up a full
two-thirds of the indoor space of the place.
The eastern portion of the first floor had actual exhibits for adults,
the best of which was the mammoth fossil.
Outside was the historic village was far more enjoyable, especially as
there weren’t hordes of screaming kids running all over the place. These buildings showed what life was like in
a frontier town, and we found that very interesting. Overall this was an okay place to visit, but
this primarily was not meant to be place for adults who want to expand their
knowledge. Keep in mind if you go you
will have to deal with the chaotic mess of uncontrolled elementary kids running
rampant over the area.
Texas Sports Hall of Fame (Baylor
Campus, Waco) – October 2018
This is a small
place which could be easily overlooked, but is so worth visiting. All the athletes featured within are from
Texas, but it was nice to see people represented other than those who played
football. The gallery portion was nice
seeing all the various people, as it brought back lots of great memories. Dallas Cowboys were primarily featured in the
Tom Landry Theater (which has one of his hats).
There’s also sections devoted to the teams of the Cotton Bowl and some
notable high school athletes. This place
can also be rented as a venue for gatherings, so the exhibits made a nice
backdrop. Easy to get to, and lots of
good parking. Consider this a hidden gem
that you need to check out. Fun for even
non-sports fans.
Applebee’s (LaFrontera, Round Rock)
– October 2018
Thanks to the
“boil water” emergency in Austin, we needed to find safe places to go for
dinner, so this old standby was tonight’s choice. Applebee’s is the same no matter where you
(as it’s a national chain), but the quality was always good, and I always found
the staff at this locale welcoming. My
parents went for the larger meal of getting entrees and burgers, but I wasn’t
as hungry so the appetizer of the boneless chicken was sufficient enough for
me. Good tangy BBQ sauce tasted
well. I’ve spent a lot of time at this
location, because it’s a good one.
George H.W. Bush Presidential
Library (College Station) – October 2018
No review can do
this justice as this was so awesome! This
is a storehouse of information which goes into great detail of the family life
of President Bush, as well as his WWII service before even reaching his
political portions. The layout has a
nice flow, so everything unfolds chronologically. The recreation of the Oval Office was nice,
because no other President had so many family pictures present. I really liked the mock-up of Camp David,
something which I hadn’t seen in other Presidential Libraries. A nice exhibit detailed the entire history of
the Gulf War. There’s so much to see
here, and worth the time to explore everything.
Kerbey Lane Café (IH-35, Round
Rock) – October 2018
Due to Austin’s
water emergency, we came to this location rather than the one which was closer
to us. This is a good place, as there’s
a lot of parking, and the seating area was good sized. The menu had gotten considerably smaller
since the last time I’d come here, so the selection of American fare and
dinner-type food Kerbey Lane was famous for wasn’t the selection my guests were
looking for. The food we ordered was
so-so, but not the quality it used to be.
I got the cheese enchiladas, which I pointed out to the waitress they
weren’t very melted (so not the “gooey cheesey” consistency the enchiladas
should be). I did mention that to the
server, who just shrugged it off. I did
mention that again when the bill came, and again the server made no comment
about it. I did look for the manager,
but that person was unavailable, and my guests didn’t have the time to wait
around to debate this. Since it was
clear the staff didn’t care, and couldn’t (or wouldn’t) locate someone who
would assist, I’ll just plan on not coming back here, and hope that all other Kerbey
Lane locations haven’t adopted this attitude too.
Stagecoach Inn (S Main Street,
Salado, TX) – October 2018
When we arrived
in town, the first thing we wanted was lunch.
Considering that it was raining, we opted for the first place we saw
(and something which was close to the visitor’s center). The exterior showed this was clearly a
historic building which had been renovated, but still kept the original
feel. The interior had a great layout,
as there were many small dining rooms so the place didn’t feel crowded. The soup special we’d ordered they were out
of (probably due to the large party in the front room). The soup and sandwiches we did have were
good, but not the thick-and-hearty ones we wanted. The service was very friendly, and the
atmosphere very nice. This is a place
worth going back to for a more elegant dining experience.
Salado Museum (S Main Street,
Salado, TX) – October 2018
This is a nice
little museum within the visitor’s center which gives some good history about
the town (especially the Scottish heritage).
It is confined to a single room, but has a large map on the wall of
various places in the town you could drive to see. It won’t take you long to look through, but
you should.
Old Fashioned Burgers & Ice
Cream (N Main Street, Salado, TX) – October 2018
Once I saw the
name of this place, I knew I had to go and check it out. We’d already eaten lunch, and our plan had
been to come here for snacks. Located in
a strip mall, it’s easily viewed from the road and has decent parking. The interior was cozy, so a good hangout
spot. My mum got a float, where they put
the ice cream in the mug and she poured the soda herself from the fountain. I got a chocolate milkshake, which was very
tasty. The smell of food cooking was
very nice too. Nice little
establishment.
Cracker Barrel (S IH-35, Round
Rock) – October 2018
On a wet night,
we went looking for some comfort food and this appeared as the logical
choice. It was crowded that night, but
we were able to get seated right away.
It’d been years since I’d been to one of these, and I’d forgotten how
huge the portions were. The
chicken-fried chicken I got came with mashed potatoes, double sides of corn,
plus salad and cornbread biscuits. I
felt like I was going to explode afterwards.
Everything was good, and the server very attentive.
Dick’s Classic Car Garage (Hunter
Rd, San Marcos, TX) – October 2018
Since I’d been
here before, I knew what to expect, so I knew this would be a treat for my
parents (who got to drive many of the vehicles here when they were new). While this was still a great collection,
there had been some notable differences since my last visit, as the Tucker was
gone, but there was now a Batmobile present.
Each of the cars has been restored to prime condition. I would love to be able to look inside at the
dash boards or under the hood, just to be able to compare to modern
vehicles. Even if you’re not a car enthusiast,
you’ll find this interesting for the historical aspects. One of the best parts is to see what was a
“brand new feature” on some models then which are standard now (like a
backlight on the dash board items).
Centerpoint Station (S IH-35, San
Marcos, TX) – October 2018
This was the
hidden gem I found years ago and visited frequently when I came that way a
lot. Since I knew I would be looking for
lunch in the area, I had the chance to return to a favored spot. On one side is the country store with ice
cream parlor, and the other side makes great burgers. The seating areas are many scattered about,
and the décor of the old signs is great to see.
The atmosphere is very friendly, and continues to be a great place. The building has so much history, it’s worth
taking the time to look around.
B.J.’s Brewery (E Whitestone Blvd,
Cedar Park, TX) – October 2018
Due to Austin’s
“water emergency” we ended up here for a place which had a varied menu of
American fare. The service was friendly,
and allowed some alterations in order to meet my Dad’s dietary needs. The layout was open, and was not at all
noisy. I had the BBQ chicken bites,
which had a great tangy sauce. It was
also nice that this was one of the few places in area where I could be a decent
cider. The location is easy to get to
with lots of good parking, so this is worth coming to.
Airport Diner (Fredericksburg, TX)
– October 2018
I found a
pamphlet for this in the visitor’s center, and thought it sounded like a fun
place to try out for lunch. Wow, what a find! An airport hangar had been converted into a
diner, and had a great a view of the tiny airport. The décor was full of flying themed items,
food was great, and the servers all had smiles.
It got very busy right after we arrived, so we knew this was a place
which was doing well. Put this on your
hidden gem category, as it was a fun place!
Hangar Hotel (Fredericksburg, TX) –
October 2018
We didn’t stay
here, but they were allowed us to look around.
I thought this was such a great find, I needed to make people aware of
this. An airport hangar was converted to
a stylish hotel, and the foyer had a 1940’s feel about it. It had a nice porch complete with rocking
chairs in order to watch the planes take off and land. The “officer’s club” was an outdoor bar with
a nice tropical feel to it. This place
had so much class, it’s certainly now on my list to actually have a weekend
stay.
Pioneer Museum (W Main Street,
Fredericksburg, TX) – October 2018
This is hidden
and easily missing when going down Main Street, but it is so worth
stopping. A number of historical
buildings (some in their original locations) dot the area, each with specific
history to the settlers of the area. One
nice feature is pre-recorded informational briefs play when you enter, which
makes the self-guided nature more enjoyable.
All the buildings are filled with artifacts of the time period when
Fredericksburg was settled. While the
area is open, there’s many shady spots and places to sit too. Very informative!
290 Wine Castle (Johnson City, TX)
– 26 October
What a great
thing to stumble upon! A medieval castle
overlooking the countryside was enough to make me want to stop. There were gearing up for their grand
opening, and were letting people look around.
Wines by the glass or bottle were available. Great patio view, as well as some small
meeting areas. Loved the décor. There are many places you can go and
experience wine tours in the area, but this was the only one I was aware of to
feature a selection of Spanish and Italian wines (not the run-of-the-mill Texas
local wines). Great parking. Worth the drive!
