ThursdayGirl

I’ll be honest, my mouth is watering at just the mere thought of this place. Cakes, ice cream and just about any type of chocolate confection you can imagine—how can you not love this place? My absolute favorite item from the Chocolate Bar is the caramel-coated, chocolate-dipped pretzel rods. I’ve never had anything so delicious (or addicting)!

Although there are Spec’s located all over the city, it is the flagship store downtown that is a true tourist attraction. Located at 2410 Smith, the 80,000-square-foot mega store has an unrivaled selection of wine and liquor. In addition, this Spec’s has a huge selection of gourmet foods, chocolates, cheeses, meats and produce; a walk-in humidor; coffees and candies; glassware; and lots of friendly staffers to steer you in the right direction. And, if you pay cash (or debit), their prices are the best in town.

Miss Ima Hogg (I swear it’s her real name) bequeathed her beautiful home and gardens to the Museum of Fine Arts 50 years ago, and it now stands as one of the Houston’s great architechtural and botanical treasures. Although the home is a showplace of American antiques, it’s the gardens that can take your breath away, especially in the spring. To walk among the azaleas, camellias and tall loblolly pines is like entering another time and place—it’s easy to forget that you’re just five minutes from the skyscrapers of downtown. I count Bayou Bend among the many hidden gems that make Houston such a unique city.

I had to go to Vegas last year for a friend’s wedding. I have a tendency toward anxiety in crowds, so I was hesitant but I went anyway. Bad idea. By the second day there, I was curled up in a ball on the bathroom floor in my hotel room, begging my boyfriend to score me some Ambien from his mom just so I could try to calm down. Every place we went was an absolute circus of people, noise, smoke and flashing lights. Also, the food pretty much sucked.

I know lots of people really love Vegas, and that’s cool. But if you’re the kind of person who gravitates toward life’s quieter pleasures, you may want to look into other places to visit.

Of course, not all my memories of my weekend there are bad. My boyfriend and I figured that, since we were there, we might as well go ahead and get married too. It was the best decision I ever made! However, I’d prefer to celebrate my anniversary in Tahiti. ;)

I visited San Francisco for the first time in 2005 and loved it. My husband and I (both Jack Kerouac fans) stayed in the North Beach area at the charming Hotel Boheme. Stops at the City Lights Bookstore and Cafe Trieste were manditory, as was a factory tour of the incomparable Scharffen Berger Chocolates.

The people were great, the city was electric and the food was out of this world. I haven’t had pizza that good since I lived in New Jersey as a teenager. And the espresso houses were top notch. I can’t wait to visit again.