The Mesquite Sand Dunes at Death Valley National Park are so much fun to visit. We brought sand toys for my daughter, and she could have stayed there all day. Even my husband and I were running around barefoot and making “sand angels.”
Gotta love those three-day weekends. Hope yours was just as fun.
We were on our way to Golden Gate Park, when a stranger asked us if we needed help. (We looked like such tourists: consulting our map, looking up, the two of us pointing in opposite directions, referring to the map again…) We told this kind San Franciscan that we wanted to visit Golden Gate Park, but weren’t sure exactly how to get there and what we wanted to do once we arrived. He suggested we check out the great views from the de Young Museum tower.
We took his advice, and loved the views from the top. Although there is an admission price for the museum itself, visitors can go up to the observation tower for free!
For more photos from our San Francisco trip, click here. Also, you might want to read about our visit to Alcatraz.
Those of you who have lived in Las Vegas for years will probably roll your eyes at me, but I can’t help it. I am so fascinated by the landscape here: the desert, the mountains, and the colorful rocks that make the perfect subjects for my amateur photography.
So, in honor of my obsession with our western scenery, I decided the blog needed a make-over. I wanted a theme that captures that desert vibe. Hence, the new look of Wandering Off! I hope you like it. This is a WordPress theme called Liquorice by Nudge Design.
I also wanted to share this photo from the weekend. We took a walk at Calico Basin, along the little boardwalk loop that you can find near the picnic pavilions. It’s a short stroll, but a pleasant one, and it’s a very manageable length for young kids.
Thank you for reading Wandering Off!
While we were planning our recent trip to San Francisco, Alcatraz wasn’t something I looked forward to as a highlight of the trip. It turned out to be much more interesting–and less cheesy and touristy–than I expected. Good job, National Park Service!
One thing visitors should keep in mind is that the Alcatraz tours do sell out on weekends. We had to switch around our schedule a little bit because the tours were sold out on the day we planned to go. Luckily, we were able to get tickets the following day, a Monday.
For people like us, who have spent most of our lives in land-locked locales, the ferry ride to and from the island is an added bonus. The trip only lasts about ten minutes, but there are some pretty good views of the San Francisco skyline and of the Golden Gate Bridge. Although we didn’t bring our daughter along on this trip, I think she would have loved the ferry (and been bored at the actual historic site).
Although guided tours are available, we did the self-guided audio tour of the prison. I liked that it provided accounts from actual prisoners and prison employees who spent time at Alcatraz. In describing various riots and escape attempts, the audio tour did an excellent job of guiding me to different points of significance, which helped these stories come to life.
One fact that surprised me: the families of the prison guards lived on the island. Not only that, they often left their doors unlocked and felt very safe there! Personally, if I lived next door to a high-security prison that housed some of the country’s most dangerous criminals, I’d turn that deadbolt every time I walked in the house.
Alcatraz is open every day except Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s Day. Hours vary and tickets should be purchased in advance. The ferry boats leave from Pier 33, which is located on the Embarcadero.
When I asked my friends for San Francisco restaurant recommendations, more than one person suggested Flour + Water. To be honest, I’d never heard of it, but after looking at their website and reading reviews, I thought it sounded like a great dinner option for my husband and me.
I’d read about the fact that it can get very busy and that reservations are recommended. Since we didn’t have our daughter with us, we decided to give it a try even though we might have to wait a couple hours to eat. When we stepped out of our cab, we thought we had it made. There didn’t seem to be many people waiting by the hostess stand. It turned out there was a three hour wait…everyone had gone down the street to grab a drink at a nearby bar. The hostess told us to check back after an hour or so. Sure enough, we came back and were seated after about 90 minutes of total wait time. (We went on a Saturday night, by the way.)
One thing that stood out to me immediately was that despite all of the hype, this is a very unpretentious restaurant. I love that. I don’t like places that are formal, where you feel like the servers are hovering over you. Our waiter was very friendly and helped me decide what to order.
Flour + Water specializes in pasta and pizza. The pasta servings are fairly small, so our waiter recommended that my husband and I share two pasta dishes and a pizza. This was the perfect amount of food for us and allowed us to try multiple dishes.
We ordered the prosciutto pizza (with chicory!), cauliflower tortelli with brown butter and capers, and pork raviolini with black trumpet mushrooms. I liked the pork-filled pasta the best, which was interesting because I usually don’t gravitate to pork dishes. Both pasta dishes were not heavy at all, and they weren’t overwhelmed with sauce. The flavors were subtle.
The pizza was very good, and we really liked the crust. However, I wasn’t so sure about the chicory. If I were to go back, I’d try a different pizza.
For dessert, we ordered the chocolate budino with espresso caramel cream and sea salt, which was the perfect end to our meal. I love the sea salt and caramel combination. The dessert wasn’t too rich or heavy.
Overall, we very much enjoyed our dinner at Flour + Water. We would return without hesitation and would recommend it to others. It’s hard for any restaurant to live up to such high expectations, but I think the accolades are deserved.
For more foodie fun, stop by Wanderfood Wednesday.
Note: All opinions are my own. Menu changes frequently. Contact the restaurant for more information.
Another note: Sorry the pictures aren’t better. It was dark in there!
San Francisco, a set on Flickr.
We just returned from a grown-ups only trip to San Francisco. As much as we love travelling with our daughter, it was nice to get away on our own. Momma needs a break sometimes!
The highlights of the trip were a visit to Alcatraz, lunch near Golden Gate Park, and dinner at the very popular Flour + Water. I’ll be writing more about these in the coming days. For now, enjoy a peek at some of our photos from the trip.
My daughter is a pretty adventurous eater, but there’s one thing she’s never really enjoyed: soup. No chicken noodle soup when she’s sick or creamy potato soup on a cold day. She doesn’t want anything to do with it…
Unless it’s miso soup. She became a fan, thanks to Hokkaido restaurant in Las Vegas.
It took a little convincing, but she finally tried it. Maybe her bravery had something to do with the knife-wielding teppanyaki chef. Who knows! I’m just glad we have another item to add to her eating repertoire.
To see photos from other travelers, stop by the family travel blog Delicious Baby for Photo Friday.
I had been wanting to stay at the Omni La Mansión del Rio ever since we first enjoyed brunch there. The food and service were always excellent, so I had a feeling a stay at this river walk hotel would be just as wonderful.
When we started looking for a San Antonio hotel, I did a fair amount of research considering we’d lived in the area for almost three years. I was surprised how reasonable the rates at the Omni La Mansión del Rio were compared to other nearby hotels.
Our stay started off with the same kind of excellent service that we’d experienced when we’d gone to the Omni for brunch. The moment my daughter stepped out of the car, she received an Omni kids pack that included a magnifying glass, frisbee, and some small toys in a cute little backpack. She was thrilled…which meant I was thrilled too.
There were several things I liked about our stay at the Omni:
Location: Sure, the riverwalk might be a little touristy, but it really is pleasant when it isn’t too crowded. Plus, a riverwalk hotel allows you to be within easy walking distance of restaurants, bars, shops, and the lauching point for the river cruises.
Outstanding Food: As I said, I love brunch at the Omni La Mansión del Rio, but during our stay we got to experience dinner there instead. The service was impeccable. Although everything was wonderful, the appetizer is what really stood out to me. It consisted of three cheese puffs accompanied by sweet bell pepper coulis: one filled with zucchini and mint, the second with gruyère and comté, and the third with brie and sun dried tomato.
Cozy Room: I loved the room’s unique design. It definitely had a San Antonio flare that you don’t find at all hotels. It was warm and inviting, not stuffy or pretentious. Take a look:
Room Service Coffee: One thing I like about Omni hotels in general is that members of their select guest program (you can sign up for free when you make your reservation) receive complimentary morning beverages like coffee or juice. I’m hopelessly addicted to caffeine, so I like being able to have a coffee delivered to my room first thing instead of having to leave the hotel in search of a Starbucks.
Even though we liked this hotel, it might not work for every family. The rooms were descent-sized, but not huge. I could see this being a problem for larger families. Although the room could sleep four people, I think a family of four or more would feel confined in a standard room. Also, the pool is very peaceful and pleasant…perfect for those travelling without kids. However, the pool area didn’t have the kid-friendly vibe that you find at many hotels and resorts these days.
Overall, we really enjoyed our stay.
Note: All opinions are my own. I was not asked to write this post, nor was I compensated in any way.
We first noticed Sambalatte after eating lunch at the nearby Gordon Biersch. We’re always looking for good coffee shops, so we figured we’d stop in for a quick coffee.
But there is no such thing as a quick cup of coffee at Sambalatte. And that’s what makes it great.
Instead of grabbing a quick, been-sitting-around-all-day-on-the-burner cup of coffee, we enjoyed freshly-ground pour-over coffee, listened to live music, and enjoyed some delicious little desserts.
This is a cafe where people actually hang out, talk, read, relax. You don’t see many people here getting their coffee to-go. This is a gathering place.
Despite the fact that this is a pretty sophisticated coffee shop, my daughter loves it (probably because I let her pick a few treats from the dessert case). The prices are very reasonable considering the quality of the coffee and food, and I love that most of the desserts are bite-sized, so you can try a few different things instead of ordering one large item.
As you can probably tell, Sambalatte Torrefazione gets a thumbs-up from my family. Highly recommend!
Sambalatte is located in Summerlin, at Rampart and Charleston:
750 S. Rampart Blvd, Suite 9
Las Vegas, NV 89145
(702) 272-2333
Note: All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for writing this post.
Another note: I’ve stopped watermarking my photos…at least lately. But they are all still mine, unless otherwise noted. No reuse without permission.
One more note: Wondering why I published my food post on Thursday this week instead of Wednesday? Click here and then here.
Since trip-planning is one of my favorite ways to spend my free time, I ordered my free Nevada Visitor’s Guide as soon as I found out we’d be moving to Las Vegas. I’ve flipped through it, highlighted it, penciled it, and dog-eared it to the point that it is almost falling apart. There are so many adventures to enjoy in my new home state: everything from big city excitement to driving Highway 50, “the loneliest road in America.”
After all of that flipping, highlighting, and circling, I’ve managed to narrow it down. Here are five Nevada travel ideas that I’m most excited about:
1. Lake Tahoe: Everytime I see a picture of Lake Tahoe, I want to jump in the car and start driving up there. Lake Tahoe State Park looks gorgeous and I bet the short Sand Point Nature Trail would be a great place to start exploring. Next, I’d head over to South Lake Tahoe and check out Vikingsholm Castle. My daughter would love this “castle,” which was built in 1929 as a summer home.
2. More exploring at Valley of Fire State Park: We loved our afternoon at Valley of Fire, but I know there is a huge portion of the park that we have yet to see. Mouse’s Tank trail is a great hike for beginners, but I’d like to explore some of the longer, more challenging trails too.
3. Highway 50: Known as the “loneliest highway in America,” this road stretches across Nevada and goes through towns like Ely, Austin, and Fallon. I’m really fascinated by places that are in the middle of nowhere, places where you feel like you might be the last person on earth. I’ve felt that way a few times before, like when we drove out to West Texas and later when we embarked on our drive from San Antonio to Las Vegas.
4. Northeastern Nevada: Looking at the offerings in this part of the state, I’m reminded of Texas. There’s the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in January followed by rodeos, car shows, and chili cook-offs scattered throughout the 2012 calendar. I’d love to visit this part of the state, perhaps on our way to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.
5. Great Basin National Park: As soon as I read that this is one of the country’s least-visited national parks–despite its beauty and all that it has to offer–I immediately knew I had to add it to our list. The National Park Service describes it like this: “Come to Great Basin National Park to experience the solitude of the desert, the smell of sagebrush after a thunderstorm, the darkest of night skies, and the beauty of Lehman Caves.” Sounds good to me!
Now I’d like to hear from you: What am I forgetting that I absolutely can’t miss? If you have any Nevada adventures you would like to recommend, please leave a comment.
