Beringia

I was there several weeks ago for the first time and have fallen in love with the place. If you’re a nature lover, you should definitely go. Some things that I recommend:

Road to Hana (Gorgeous waterfalls and plant life, black beach, red beach, rainforest area, etc.)
Haleakala National Park (The crater looks like a Martian landscape!)
Snorkeling in Molokini Crater
Seeing wild dolphins off the coast of Lanai
Shopping in Lahaina
South Maui Beaches
Drums of the Pacific Luau
And more!

Links:

http://www.visitpa.com/things-to-do/attraction-details/index.aspx?id=9091

http://www.fallingwater.org

http://www.paddlerslane.com

Books:

Unforgettable Walks to Take Before You Die by Steve Watkins and Clare Jones

I’m planning a surprise for a friend and taking him to Face of America: Hawai’i (http://www.wolftrap.org/performances/foa/2006/webAdvHome.html) next month. I’ve never been to a performance at this National Park for the Performing Arts (what a neat concept!) and I love the sentiment behind this series: exploring our national parks through a combination of live performance and film. I’m also using this as an opportunity to explore a variety of picnic recipes, as food and beverages are allowed on the lawn. The combination of beautiful setting and the arts is something I greatly look forward to.

On our tour of Baltimore’s Mount Vernon cultural district, my friend and I decided to have dinner at this contemporary and elegant, yet quirky establishment. As it is located a block and a half from the Washington Monument on Charles Street, Ixia is a very convenient location for those who plan to spend the day touring the sites, including the Walters Art Museum, Peabody Institute and Maryland Historical Society. Parking lots around the surrounding streets range from $6-9 daily.

We arrived twenty minutes before our reservation time at 6:30 pm and were promptly seated in the raised platform area by the window facing Charles Street. While this meant being less immersed in the wonderful decor (Chinese blue walls with gold trim, vibrant pop art, huge semi-industrial chandeliers, and ceiling to floor irridescent white curtains at times held back by expressive matt silver hand sculptures), it also resulted in being further away from the loud beats of club music that emanated from the inside of the restaurant.

The food itself was superb in taste, texture and arrangement and brought out in a timely manner. The complimentary bread came out warm and soft, already buttered and with two variety of olive oil dips as well as whipped lemon butter. We were also presented with a complimentary hors d’oeuvre of a grape half wrapped in goat cheese, covered with almond flakes, and garnished with a light potato flake and delicate purple sprouts. The combination of sweet, tart, and lightly crisp was a delight.

I can only speak for my main entree, Desconstructed Crab and Corn Chowder, which came out warm and practically melted in my mouth. The rich and flavorful twin crab cakes sat in a light sweet corn sauce and the potato fingerlings were roasted to the perfect outer crispness. Also, I couldn’t leave without partaking from their infamous martini list. The Thrilla of Vanilla, consisting of vanilla vodka, navan and pineapple juice, was moderately strong but smooth.

History and information about the Snickersville Turnpike can be found at http://www.snickersvilleturnpike.org

Very smooth and quaint drive, full of tree tunnels, stone walls, historic houses, beautiful land, curves and bends… It was delightful cruising along it in a convertible and feeling the wind through my hair…