travel

Dining Outside the Home: Dos Reales Mexican Restaurant in Champaigne, Illinois 

Dining Outside the Home: Dos Reales Mexican Restaurant in Champaigne, Illinois! Everyone loves a rustic cantina where the salsa is spicy and the margaritas are chilled. Add a platter of sizzling marinated meats and sautéed veggies to stuff into a steamed corn tortilla for combination fajitas. Don’t forget the crispy tortilla bowl of lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and Pico de Gallo. Now this is authentic Mexican cuisine. Indulge your taste buds with scrumptious offerings from south of the border without the cost of airfare. An outdoor patio is favorable among locals. Try it. As you sit under the shade of an umbrella, enjoy the company you’re in. Well done, Pedro! 

Dining Outside the Home: 110 Grill in Nashua, New Hampshire 

Dining Outside the Home: 110 Grill in Nashua, New Hampshire! Restaurants face the challenge of offering a menu that encompasses the diversity of palate as well as creativity in diet. Rest assured, 110 Grill raises the bar. Vegan choices as well as Gluten-free options show commitment to customer needs and satisfaction. Even the Beverage Book features creative cocktails, craft beers, and New World wines. Check in and see how they’re catching on. From business to pleasure, 110 Grill creates an ambiance that makes any occasion feel festive. 

What is Motif Number One?

In the quaint harbor town of Rockport, Massachusetts, is a little fishing shack with a huge history. So much so, it has been deemed the “most often-painted building in America”. Initially home to a colony of artists and avid fishermen, the shack was built, at the end of a granite wharf, in the 1840s as a symbol of maritime life. Artists favored it for the simple composition and ideal lighting, making it appealing on canvas. Locals readily offer tidbits of Hollywood films shot at this location: “Finding Nemo” and especially Sandra Bullock’s 2009 blockbuster entitled, “The Proposal”. Now that you see the charming little shack with its weathered red paint, perhaps you’ll flock to Rockport for a closeup of Motif Number One.*
*”Motif” is a French term for a distinctive and recurring subject in a work of art. 

Dining Outside the Home: Blue Lobster Grille in Rockport, Massachusetts 

Dining Outside the Home: Blue Lobster Grille in Rockport, Massachusetts! Some days it pays off to forego classic menu items and roll with the specialty of the gourmet chef, especially when it comes to seafood. Today’s feature: Stuffed Haddock in a creamy butter sauce. Agnoldo Oliveira takes his reputation seriously. Never mind that the Blue Lobster Grille affords the perfect vantage point of Rockport’s iconic Motif No. 1 as well as daily activity around Dock Square. You’ll find yourself trying not to stare at the heaping plates of those customers around you. It’s that good!

Portsmouth History Takes the Lead

People are drawn to the water, that’s for sure. It’s no different today than it was a century ago. If buildings could talk and wharfs could whisper, you’d come to know the bragging rights of sailors who boast over the fish that got away. The next time you’re in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, gather down around Martingale Wharf where together the Old Ferry Landing sets the stage for open-deck relaxation, warm-hearted conversation, waterfront dining, and an unbelievable view of bobbing tugboats on the Piscataqua River. Listen carefully. You never know the stories you’ll hear. 

Manchester-by-the-Sea is a Charmer

You probably know the Massachusetts village by an Oscar-winning film of the same name that awakened the rest of the world to this sleepy little fishing community. But Manchester-by-the-Sea has been around since 1645. Located along the north shore of Massachusetts Bay, where quaint summer cottages become the coveted home-away-from-home for a season, history is still being made. Such notables include a poet, author, actor, politician, comedian, professional golfer, radio talk show host, and more. The town has several points of interest, like Singing Beach, that adds enough allure to keep people flocking back. Unless of course, you’re one of the fortunate ones who get to live there. 

Dining Outside the Home: Joey’s Diner in Amherst, New Hampshire

Dining Outside the Home: Joey’s Diner in Amherst, New Hampshire! Cruise down the highway to a 1950’s-style diner where cherry cokes are the real deal, like soda fountains served in the past. Stroll by the long counter of bar stools, beyond the juke box where the atmosphere is casual and the decor is retro. Did you see the glass dessert case filled with homemade pies and cakes? Pull out a chair where the chrome is hip and the Formica tabletop is the cat’s pajamas. Joey’s Diner serves up meat loaf (like your Momma used to make), grilled burgers, crispy french fries, classic club sandwiches, and hand-blended milkshakes. Decisions, decisions. They’re open every day for three square meals. Check it out Daddy-O!

See and Experience 30 Rock

A Statue of Atlas on Fifth Avenue will immediately grab your attention before raising your eyes to the 872-foot tower beyond the sunken plaza. This is Rockefeller Center, or more commonly referred to as 30 Rock. It has become a focal point and popular gathering place over the years, especially at Christmastime. You’ll also recognize Rockefeller Center by the 200 flagpoles surrounding the plaza at street level. Taking center stage is the gilded Statue of Prometheus, which practically glows on fire. But that’s only the beginning. Colorful gardens, unique shops, international cafés, art and history, rooftop tours, and more make this national landmark truly memorable. 
“I believe that love is the greatest thing in the world; that it alone can overcome hate; that right can and will triumph over might.” ~ John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

New York by Water

Did you know the Staten Island Ferry is a free boat ride that gives one of the most memorable views, by water, of the New York City skyline? Because the ferry commutes back and forth between Manhattan and Staten Island, round the clock, it’s one of the most popular Harbor Cruises by tourists and residents alike. Check out the majestic Statue of Liberty, skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan, and Ellis Island. Be prepared to stand for the view. After all, remember, it’s free. It’s also unforgettable.