January 30, 2013

Laguna Beach, California: Casey’s Cupcakes; things to do

Casey’s Cupcakes  

303 Broadway St./Ocean Ave., (949) 715-8245. 

cupcake case at Casey's Cupcakes in Laguna Beach, California
cupcake case at Casey's Cupcakes in Laguna Beach, California


Just another cupcake shop, but the Rockin’ Red Velvet, turquoise and chartreuse Beach Boy, and Grandma’s German Chocolate at Casey's Cupcakes are not to be missed.  Decorate-your-own-cupcake parties are available. 


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image c2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 


January 28, 2013

Polanco, Mexico City, Mexico: El Bajio; restaurant review


horchata margarita at El Bajio in Mexico City

El Bajio  

Avenida Alejandro Dumas #7, in Polanco, 5281-8245, 5281-8246; . Daily 8am-11pm.

Founded in 1972, popular El Bajio now has nine locations. Traditional Mexican fare from Veracruz is served, including empanadas, gorditas, chicken enchiladas with mole, and capirotada (Mexican bread pudding). Don't miss the delicious plantain-black bean empanadas or the unusual horchata margarita.




image c2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

January 25, 2013

Pismo Beach, California: Hotlix; things to do

Hotlix  

179 Pomeroy St., near the Pier, (805) 773-1942.  Daily 8am-8pm.  

tequila suckers at Hotlix shop in Pismo Beach, California

Though it looks like your everyday candy shop in the front, with taffy and chocolates and other classic treats, Hotlix becomes a little more unusual in the back.  That’s where you’ll find the special tequila suckers with a worm inside, not to mention ant, scorpion, and cricket candies and more!  



January 23, 2013

Portland, Oregon: The Real Mother Goose; things to do

The Real Mother Goose 

 901 SW Yamhill, downtown, (800) 968-1070, (503) 223-9510.

The Real Mother Goose shop in Portland, Oregon
The Real Mother Goose shop in Portland, Oregon


The Real Mother Goose shop is huge and filled with fine crafts from more than 1,000 American artisans. Items include clothing, ceramics, furniture, jewelry, and plenty more.




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image c2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

January 21, 2013

Introduction to AKKO or ACCO or ACRE in Israel

Introduction to AKKO or ACCO or ACRE in Israel


Known by three names--AKKO or ACCO or ACRE--this ancient port city is located 14 miles north of Haifa.  A 5,000-year-old fortress on the Mediterranean, it was the capital of the ancient Crusader kingdom of St. Jean d'Acre.  It was also the city that Napoleon was unable to conquer in 1799, bringing an end to France's ambition to reach India.  A tunnel once connected the palace with the little village.  Today, the old walled city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  An atmospheric spice shop in the market is worth seeking out.

spice vendor in Akko, Israel
spice vendor in Akko, Israel








image and video c2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

January 18, 2013

Laguna Beach, California: Pacific Edge Hotel; hotel review

Pacific Edge Hotel  

647 S. Coast Hwy./Sleepy Hollow Ln., (800) 843-6895, (949) 494-8566.  125 rooms.  2 heated swimming pools, hot tub; fitness center.  2 restaurants; room service.  Valet parking $20/night; no self-parking.  Pets ok. 

view from guest room at Pacific Edge Hotel in Laguna Beach, California
view from guest room at Pacific Edge Hotel in Laguna Beach, California


Situated south of Main Beach and Park, this boutique hotel is an easy walk from restaurants and downtown shopping.  The Pacific Edge is an unusual hotel in that it is composed of six separate guest room buildings dating from the 1960s, plus a cottage and house.  Built originally as apartments, the guest room complexes are scattered over a compact area that is two blocks deep, between the Pacific Coast Highway and the beach and ocean, and it is the town’s closest hotel to the water.  The lobby has a beachy feel, and both salt-water taffy and housemade citrus water greet guests at check-in.  Amenities include a game room with three arcade games, Ping Pong, Wii, Foosball, and vending machines, plus, on the beach, guests have complimentary use of lounge chairs, umbrellas, and beach towels, and stand-up paddle boards and body boards are available to rent.  Sunset yoga on the beach and a wine hour are sometimes scheduled.  Complimentary access to a fitness center that is just around the corner is available to guests. Decor is the same throughout--simple ‘50s-style interiors spiffed up with white furnishings, white duvets, and print fabrics from the era.  As an example, one of the Waterfront Rooms in the Reef building features a lime-green wall and a turquoise wall and—reflecting the hotel’s status as the world’s only official “Endless Summer” hotel--a decorative “Endless Summer” movie poster.  Waterfront Rooms are prime, and those in the Reef building are extra-prime because they have less outside sounds, and at times the surf comes up so close to the building that you can see baby sharks swimming in the shallow water below. 

Though sitting on the open-air beach-side deck of The Deck on Laguna Beach is almost spectacular enough, diners here get the bonus of fresh seafood and a usually showy sunset.  Live music is also sometimes scheduled.  Menu favorites include ahi chips, lobster bisque, coconut shrimp, crab cakes, a grilled artichoke, the garbage salad, and a big cheeseburger.  Paella, lobster, and steak are available at dinner.  Drinks include a delicious mango margarita with Azunia blanco, and the best dessert is definitely s’mores on the beach for two.






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image and video c2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

updated 1-14-18

January 16, 2013

Portland, Oregon: Pioneer Courthouse; things to do

Pioneer Courthouse  

700 SW 6th Ave., downtown.  Free.

entrance to the Pioneer Courthouse in Portland, Oregon
entrance to the Pioneer Courthouse in Portland, Oregon


The well-maintained, ornate federal building that holds the Pioneer Courthouse is the oldest west of the Mississippi and still in use.  Though some rooms remain off limits, it is open to visitors and features educational displays.  A ride in the building’s original ornate Otis elevator is a must, as is visiting the fifth-floor cupola--where you are treated to a 360-degree view of downtown Portland through the original wavy-glass windows. 



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image c2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers


January 14, 2013

Pismo Beach, California: Monarch Butterfly Grove; things to do

On Hwy. 1, at south end of city, (800) 443-7778.  November-February; Docent Trailer open daily 10am-4pm; talks daily at 11am & 2pm.  Free.  Free parking on either side of Hwy 1. 

The monarch colony at Monarch Butterfly Grove is one of the largest in the nation.  An unusual variety, their relatively long 6-month life span is attributed to a unique fat-storing system (the more common variety of monarch lives only 6 weeks).   On sunny days you’ll see them fluttering about, but on overcast days they huddle together in cozy clusters in a grove of eucalyptus and pine trees.  The beach is a short walk away.



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image c2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

January 11, 2013

Eugene, Oregon: Inn at the 5th; hotel review

Inn at the 5th  

205 E. 6th Ave., in the Fifth Street Public Market, (855) 446-6285, (541) 743-4099.  70 rooms.  Most rooms have a fireplace.  Restaurant; bar; room service.  Fitness room.  Valet parking $15/day; no self-parking. 

lobby of the Inn at the 5th in Eugene, Oregon
lobby of the Inn at the 5th in Eugene, Oregon


Located on the west side the market, this luxury boutique hotel is under the same ownership.  Guests are greeted to the Inn at the 5th by a spacious lobby featuring a white-washed oak floor and furnished with a large big-leaf-maple-burl coffee table made from a rescued city cut-down (a miniature stump coffee table from the same tree is in each guest room), comfortable seating, and a rectangular fireplace that is flipped on in the evening.  A dramatic amber-tortoise shell-style hand-blown chandelier hangs here, and locally-made sconces and glass lamps are found throughout the hotel. 

Instead of having its own gift shop, the hotel has partnered with several boutiques that are just off the lobby.  They include a garden decor shop, a high-end jewelry boutique, a serene Aveda day spa (hotel guests have complimentary use of the dry sauna and can arrange for some in-room services), and a winery tasting room that sometimes schedules live jazz.  A Mercedes car and van are used as free shuttles within a four-mile radius and for airport pick up and drop off.  An adjustable Bike Friday is available to borrow and especially nice for riding the local river trail.  A van excursion to King Estate Winery for lunch and tasting can be booked on weekends. 

General Manager Erik Cole says, “We sell sleep, so we make sure it’s very quiet.”  Indeed, double sheet rock was used to assure sound-proofing from the trusty town train.  Also, ice is pre-bagged and kept in a silent, energy-efficient freezer on each floor.  Decor in each guest room is different, but each has a Sealy Posturepedic pillow-top bed made up with made-to-order 400-thread-count white Italian cotton sheets. 





image c2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

January 9, 2013

Solvang, California: Solvang Restaurant; restaurant review

1672 Copenhagen Dr., (800) 654-0541, (805) 688-4645.

customer reads menu in comfy booth at Solvang Restaurant in Solvang, California
customer reads menu in comfy booth at Solvang Restaurant
in Solvang, California


Home to famous round aebleskivers (they taste like waffles), fresh-squeezed lemonade, and open-face sandwiches, the Solvang Restaurant lets you choose between sitting inside in a charming Old Country-style carved-wood booth and ordering from an expansive menu, or purchasing some Danish fast-food through a sidewalk window outside for take-away. Local specialties and coffee shop-style sandwiches and soups are on the menu, plus, of course, plenty of pastries, and counter seating on swivel stools is available in the back. It is particularly popular with locals at breakfast, when they gather for friendly chatter and a plate of sour, crepe-like Danish pancakes with a side of mild, unfatty, and flavorful white sausage served with housemade mustard. Owner Jeff Paaske, whose great grandfather helped found Solvang, uses some of his mother’s recipes and says “every pancake on the menu is made with a different flour.” A children’s menu offers up a reliable hot dog, hamburger, and peanut butter & jelly sandwich. Aebleskiver mix and the special pan to cook them in are available for purchase.

open-face sandwich at Solvang Restaurant in Solvang, California
open-face sandwich at Solvang Restaurant in Solvang, California



ableskiver pan for sale at Solvang Restaurant in Solvang, California
ableskiver pan for sale at Solvang Restaurant in Solvang, California



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image c2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
updated April 2014; July 2023


January 7, 2013

Cuernavaca, Mexico: La Universal; restaurant review

La Universal   

Guerrero 2, downtown, 777/318-6732. Daily 9am-midnight; $.

The popular La Universal restaurant is well located overlooking both central plazas. It features traditional Mexican specialties—I especially liked the enchiladas verde-- at reasonable prices. On one of the usually perfect afternoons in this town, seating on the large outdoor patio--watching the parade of street vendors and passersby--is ideal. The specialty is a Mexican grilled sampler plate, including carne asada, enchilada, pork cutlet, green onions, beans, and tortillas. On weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., try the full breakfast special for two. Live music is scheduled weekdays from 3 to 5 p.m. and from 8 to 10 p.m.





January 4, 2013

Laguna Beach, California: Brown Park; things to do

Brown Park 

551 S. Coast Hwy.

fence with message overlooks ocean at Brown Park in Laguna Beach, California
fence with message overlooks ocean at Brown Park
in Laguna Beach, California


One of the town’s many mini parks, secluded Brown Park provides an overview of Main Beach and coastline. At one time the 25-foot-wide property held Joe Brown’s 1920s home, but a storm devastated it and he then donated the site as a public space. Artwork makes it even more special.



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image c2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

January 2, 2013

Laguna Beach, California: Wyland Galleries; things to do

Wyland Galleries  

509 S Coast Hwy., (949) 376-8000. 

Famous for his paintings of whales and marine life, artist Robert Wyland is also an activist and philanthropist.  He painted his first Whaling Wall here in 1981.  Titled “Gray Whale & Calf,” it is on the side of the Wyland Galleries building and was redone a few years ago in tile.  Wyland’s goal of painting 100 whaling walls in various locations is now completed.  In front of the gallery, a Coffee Cafe purveys refreshments that you can take to a deck in back where you can enoy  an exceptional view of the beach and ocean. 






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