Inspiring Travel and Wellness. Join me for adventures above and below the ocean, exploring nature, luxury travel experiences, spa and wellness activities.
I love Castles! Gothic architecture is so enchanting, like a Fairy Tale come to Life. I was so excited to visit Lyndhurst Mansion in New York state. Nicknamed Lyndenhurst for the beautiful linden trees on the property, it is formally known as the Jay Gould estate for people without any imagination, named for previous Railroad tycoon owner. For the rest of us, this country house and surrounding 67 acre park is an American mini-Castle waiting to be explored.
The entire city of San Juan was a pleasant surprise. It is not quite modern America, but a blend between downtown Tucson and a historic town that time really does not closely pay attention to. At 18 degrees north of the equator, the weather is fantastic and warm year round on the beautiful little island.
We arrived at the port in San Juan and explored the old part of town on foot in a few hours. In old San Juan there are narrow cobblestone streets, historic forts, and gorgeous views of the water. All of that walking made us hungry, and thirsty. As a US territory, my smartphone had excellent coverage and thanks to Open Table we found Barrachina for dinner.
Famous for the origin of the Pina Colada, it was the best Pina Colada that I have ever tasted! The food was amazing and fresh. Barrachina is reasonably priced, providing great service, and amazing food.
We started with Grouper Fritters that were fresh, perfectly prepared (not too greasy for breaded & fried fish), and delicious. Due to all of our walking before dinner, these yummy appetizers did not last long enough for a picture.
Mofongo beef, chicken, and shrimp is a fried green plantain dish, that can only be described as a flavor explosion. My mouth waters just remembering how good it tasted. The spices reminded me of Spanish cuisine, complex and mild that would not count as “spicy” compared to any Mexican dish.
The ultimate treat was the local caught, grilled whole red snapper fish with shrimp and putanesca sauce. Yes, it is a 24 ounce entire fish with scales, eyes, tail, and face. Admittedly, I skipped the eyes and tail. The fish alone could easily serve 4, then they added shrimp, rice, veggies, beans, and hearty tomato putanesca sauce. Two of us barely put a dent in this wonderful dish.
With so much to see just in San Juan, we did not explored much of Puerto Rico and now I have another must-explore list to my future travel plans. We will definitely dine at Barrachina on our next visit to Puerto Rico, which I hope will be soon!
There is so much beauty in the desert. Some of it is hidden away, just out of sight. The Desert Botanical Garden is one of those hidden gems. Located in the very heart of metro Phoenix. This tranquil garden showcasing the desert beauty. In addition to daily tours (recommended for October through May), there are evening events for enjoyment year round.
Continue reading “Desert Botanical Garden | Flowering Jewel located in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona”Last night I attended the Taste Chandler’s Culinary Festival in Downtown Chandler. Single ticket was $35 and Couples admission was $50. All tickets included 12 drink tickets, redeemable for 12 drinks! Chandler was smart to offer free bottles of water. You can eat and drink for 5 hours, which was a great value for the price. We visited both lounges and 
went back to the Vintage 95 Wine Lounge a few times sampling the different wines. 12 tickets went a long way with the generous pours in the lounge! Chandler did a good job organizing the event, with hand wash stations, plenty of rubbish bins, and music.
This is a great opportunity for restaurants to showcase their food. Some of them achieved this goal, while 
others saved me time and money to ever visit their establishment. This is a tasting event, about a tenth the size of Taste of Chicago, but a similar concept. Each vendor brings small plate portion or a small single serving. This allows you to sample a little bit from everyone.
Places now added to my “skip it” list:
If you are going to do one thing, then do it well:
Superstars:
preparing and serving food in an outdoor festival, they were did a great job with the delicious salmon and white fish sushi with crunch rolls. They brought a portable refrigerated case, hand-made everything right there by their best sushi chef, and customized each plate with preferences. It was by far the
BEST dish served at the festival, and it is not nearly as good as what they serve in the restaurant. Seriously, they are that good!
The temperature is starting to cool off and people around metro-Phoenix can finally venture outside with less fear of catching fire, or at least it feels that hot all summer long here. Today a friend and I took my dogs out for a walk along Tempe Town Lake, the man-made lake in the middle of bustling University town Tempe.
The park around the Lake is home to many festivals and concerts, so be sure to check out upcoming events here.
I prefer to plan my own event at the Lake. Bring a picnic basket for a fun family activity during the day, or romantic get-a-way in the evening. There are plenty of bike paths, walkways, shade trees, and benches. The dogs love to walk around the lake with me. There are mountain views to the north of the lake and the park is well kept and clean.
The main attraction is the lake, and there are quite a few activities to enjoy on the water. Today we watched people sailing, kayaking, fishing, and on paddle boards. There is a boat rental office on the south side of the lake for small boats, hydro bikes, and kayaks.
Lake or land, the sunset is worth hanging around to watch.
