Last week of Cork

Cork_EasterBrunchCork restaurant in Chandler is one of my favorites!

I have attended many wine dinners, special Brunches, New Year’s Eve dinners, and as many new season menus as possible.  When my friends and I have reason to celebrate, we go to Cork.

Cork_Feb14This week my beloved Cork is closing for good.  The final meals will be served Tuesday, June 24 through Saturday, June 28.

They have announced a new name, new decor, and new dining concept.

I am going to savor my last meal at Cork this week, and when it is reborn as Earnest I plan to give it try.

Cork_Dessert

American Girl Cafe Chicago | Afternoon Tea Review and Tour

The American Girl Dolls are hugely popular with little girls, especially for 2 special girls in my life, ages 4 & 7.  While in Chicago, we visited the American Girl Doll store in the Water Tower Place, a close neighbor to the John Hancock Center.

american-girl-doll

AG_BooksThere is a bookstore, hair salon (for the dolls), photo studio, Hospital (for emergency doll repair), snack shop, and cafe. AG_Hospital

This store is 52,000 square feet split between 2 levels and has everything you never knew you needed for Doll and Doll accessories.

I reserved our table for afternoon tea 3 weeks in advance via the web site.  We arrived early to allow for horrible Chicago traffic, plus nightmare parking, which left us a bit of time to shop before check-in for tea (15 minutes before tea time). Afternoon tea is seated promptly at 4 PM.   Continue reading “American Girl Cafe Chicago | Afternoon Tea Review and Tour”

Wild Horse Showroom

I have a new favorite Casino showroom at Wild Horse Pass! This intimate little showroom is perfect for comedy shows and small crowd concerts.

Showroom Stage
Showroom Stage

The showroom is intimate and every seat has a fantastic view, similar to Celebrity theatre, but attached to a casino!  The theatre is split between 2 tiers.  The lower level starts stage side and radiates out for up close view of the performers.  The top tier is angled so that every seat has a perfect view of the stage.  Even the last row in the far corner has a perfect line of sight view of the stage.  It is far superior to other local casino venues.

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White Tanks Mountain Hiking Destination in Arizona

The White Tank Mountain range is located on the far West side of metro Phoenix, within the edge of Maricopa County. Not as popular with hikers in the summer due to the brutal heat, this becomes a popular mountain trail in the cooler months.

The views are spectacular with a variety of hiking trails of several levels of difficulty to accommodate everyone.  The Waterfall trail is even wheelchair & stroller friendly. Best of all, the park is dog friendly, so bring your pup along for a great day outside enjoying the spectacular desert beauty.

  • White Tanks Hiking trail Dog resting
  • White Tanks Mountains Hiking Trail with Dog

Don’t let the name fool you, the waterfall trail is often a small trickle in dry season. After a big rain storm, like the summer monsoon season, the waterfall is flowing and cool. A few special days, the waterfall is big enough to form a small pool for a quick, refreshing dip.

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Seattle and Tacoma Glass Tour | Exploring the Pacific Northwest Glass Art Scene

More than just the home of Starbucks, Seattle and nearby Tacoma in Washington state are a Mecca for  glass art.  In every hotel, street corner, Seattle center, and all around the Seatac area are beautiful displays of glass.  On many earlier trips I noticed the glass, but never knew the story.

On this visit to Seattle I found myself in Tacoma for 4 days and 3 nights in the middle of my Seattle visit.  I remember driving through and around Tacoma, but this was the first time that I spent more than a few hours there.  Over the course of these few days, I discovered a few things. Continue reading “Seattle and Tacoma Glass Tour | Exploring the Pacific Northwest Glass Art Scene”