Archive for the year 2011
Trip Easter Egg
Posted on July 7, 2011 by Ching under Travel.
Jay and Becca put an “Easter Egg” on the trip itinerary. They wouldn’t tell us where we were going, and wouldn’t even let us help navigate. We had to drive through Mystic to get to the location of the “Easter Egg” – LOL.
This is the scenic overlook by the road where you can see Mystic Seaport and all the sailboats in the bay. It’s so much prettier in person. The camera phone picture just doesn’t do it justice.
The owner was really nice and helped us take this photo. I think he felt bad when he saw Brian laying on the pavement to try to get us all in frame.
The trip “Easter Egg” turned out to be Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Stonington, CT. The wine tastings are not free, but they give you a free wine glass with your $8 tasting fee. The experience is totally worth it. Just ask Brian and Jay.
Jay and Brian hung out with Paul while Becca and I explored the vineyard.
The property is really pretty.
I’d never had a trip “Easter Egg” before, but I have to say this was the best “Easter Egg” ever! Totally worth the trip to Stonington!
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First Day in Connecticut
Posted on July 7, 2011 by Ching under Travel.
These photos were taken on our first night there, Wednesday, June 29. The hotel hosted a Caribbean-themed cookout. The weather was absolutely perfect!
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Hyatt Summerfield Suites Hartford North/Windsor
Posted on July 7, 2011 by Ching under Travel.
Becca selected a great hotel for us in Connecticut. That’s Connecticut with a “C” and not a “K” for those terrible spellers like Brian. LOL.
I liked the comfortable king-sized bed and the spaciousness of the room itself. Our accommodation included a separate living room and kitchen (equipped with a full-sized fridge, dishwasher and microwave — they even provided dishes, silverware and glassware like wine glasses and such) and the shower in the bathroom is large enough for a couple of people to shower together — a must for Brian and me.
There’s a ledge in the shower that is too small for a bench but is the perfect width and height to prop your leg up when shaving. I didn’t really have to do that since I had my legs and arms waxed prior to the trip, but I thought it would be a helpful tip to share with everyone (well, mostly the ladies I guess).
I really liked the entertainment center that serves as a divider between the bedroom area and the living area. The best part is that the TV swivels 360 degrees in either direction so you can watch TV while sitting on the couch with your feet propped on the hassock or while laying in bed, though you can’t do both at the same time. There is only one TV after all. =P
Speaking of watching TV, the rooms are equipped with DVD players so you can watch a movie or, if you prefer, you can hook your laptop up to the TV via the HDMI connection and watch something from Netflix or Hulu on the TV since wireless internet service is complimentary — another must for us.
Other things that are complimentary are the hot breakfast every morning and wine, beer, water and other beverages during social hour Monday through Thursday. Every other Wednesday in summer is “grilling” night where the hotel hosts a complimentary cookout. The night we checked in it was Caribbean night.
Breakfast is nothing spectacular but, as complimentary breakfasts go, it’s pretty good. They usually have sausage or bacon. They have eggs, but they make it different ways each day. One day it was scrambled. Another day they had folded eggs with cheese in the middle. I’m not really a fan of either, but I lucked out that the chef Carlos is a nice guy. I asked if I could get eggs made to order and he first told me no, but then felt bad for me because he later agreed to do it. We skipped breakfast at the hotel because we ate at the Harvest Cafe & Bakery in Simsbury the next day, but the day after that Carlos asked me if I wanted my fried eggs without prompting when I ran into him the next day.
The room we had is great enough by itself but, even if the facility wasn’t, it’s service like that of Carlos’ that will keep guests coming back. He sure made me feel special. If you ever find yourself in the Hartford, CT area, I highly recommend staying at the Hyatt Summerfield Suites in Hartford North/Windsor. You won’t regret it!
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Coolest Luggage Tags Ever
Posted on June 27, 2011 by Ching under Travel.
Guess what. Brian and I finally get to use the cool luggage tags that we got from KLM a couple of months ago.
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Boston Here We Come
Posted on June 26, 2011 by Ching under Travel.
Less than a week before we leave for Boston. Woot! I’m starting to get really excited. Well, we’re really flying into Hartford, CT first and then working our way to Boston throughout the week. Here are some of the trip highlights:
- Dinner at Debbie Wong’s with the Dills – I hope it’s good because they’ve been really talking it up.
- Trip to Foxwoods and Mystic – I’m hoping we get to check out Mystic Pizza, the restaurant made famous by the Julia Roberts’ movie of the same name. I hope it lives up to its reputation.
- Harvest Cafe in Simsbury
- Tubing in Farmington
- James Taylor at Tanglewood – This was going to be my favorite part of the trip because at the time we were making our plans, I’d never seen James Taylor perform live before; but then Brian and I went to see him when he played at the Intrust Bank Arena a coupe of months ago. I’m still excited about it, though.
- Boston Segway Tour
- Red Sox vs. Blue Jays on 4th of July, Fireworks, Boston Harborfest
- Scoot around Martha’s Vineyard
I’ve never been to Hartford and Boston before so I’m letting the Dills take the lead on this. I’m just going to follow whatever they have in store for us, which is a huge departure from my usual MO of being in charge of creating the itinerary. LOL.
Brian participated a great deal in the planning. For me, I was tired of being the trip planner on all of our past travels so I decided to just relax and go with the flow. And take lots of pictures. 🙂
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