Month: October 2008

Wow! number 10 already! And mind you, already two weeks ago I started to approach some fellow male travel blogger friends with my 10 questions and dared them to be the first male subject – to no avail. Which shows me that female writers are at least more punctual and / or more willing to share something of them self 🙂

Happy to introduce another traveling mama:

Shannon Hurst Lane

1) Who are you?
Sometimes I wonder the same thing and must admit that who I am seems to change with each decade. I’m a mother, a wife, a writer, and a Communications Officer for a nearby fire department. My name is Shannon Hurst Lane and I’m a Traveling Mama. I’m also and expert on my state of Louisiana and my portfolio and clips can found at Shannon Lane.

2) What do you like about what you do?
I really enjoy the excitement and anticipation of every journey I take. I love the planning. I love the adventure of getting to my destination. I cherish each personality I encounter and absorb all the experiences that occur while on a trip. And upon my return, I love to tell stories of the events that happened during my research travel. I like to inspire people who don’t travel to leave their comfort zones and see the world.

3) What don’t you like about what you do?
The pay for travel writing is feast or famine, and as one with family responsibilities, a steady income is imperative for survival. I really miss my children when, and sometimes my husband J, but we all need a short break from each other every once in a while. My Cajun great-grandmother used to call this a “good miss” meaning that while we missed each other, we had a greater appreciation for the other person upon the return. Lastly, people think being a travel writer is days upon end of laying in the sun near the beach with umbrella drink in hand. If only that were true!

The 4 Traveling Mamas

4) Please tell us all about your blog and your aims with it.
I’m one of four mamas at Traveling Mamas and our initial purpose in starting the blog was for purely entertainment purposes and a personal outlet to place stories from our print assignments. We share our experiences in hopes of assisting travelers make the most out of their travels. It is miserable to plan a holiday for an entire year, save up for said holiday, only to be surprised at how awful a hotel is. Truly we are saving marriages, relationships, and helping parents have an easier time to bond with their offspring.

5) Your top 3 destination experiences you’ve ever stayed to date and why?
Ocho Rios, Jamaica –
This was the first place I traveled to outside of the USA and it was my honeymoon. My husband and I made friends with a local taxi driver=2 0who showed us around the island and introduced us to the “real” Jamaica. I witnessed my first cricket match, which was a competition between resort teams, drank lots of Red Strip beer, and picked up a wooden fertility goddess by accident. When I realized what I was holding, I dropped it like a hot potato, however it was too late for me. I ended up making a baby in Jamaica, but I’m sure there was more to i t than just holding a wooden icon.

Wellingborough Station, Northamps, UK
I extended a research trip to London so that I could see the town where my grandmother grew up. I ended up staying with cousins in Irthlingborough, meeting an aunt that I didn’t know was still living, and learning so much more about my grandmother than I ever knew. I remember sitting at the station waiting for my train to Salisbury looking at the scroll work It was an overwhelming moment, thinking that my grandmother sat at this same train station almost 60 years before and left her country to live a new life.

Brazil
Years ago I was to meet up with a press group in Miami. My flight into that airport was late, so I missed the one flight for the day. I was upset, angry, and frustrated at the situation. I must also admit that I was a bit nervous. I ended up entering a foreign country, totally alone and couldn’t speak the language. I talk a lot, so I befriended three men who were sitting in front of me and looked definitely American. They thought I was some poor student traveling by backpack (judging by my looks and not asking me what my purpose was), so they offered to get me through customs and then gave me money to eat with. At first I wouldn’t accept the money, but then when they told me they worked for RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, I felt entitled to take it due to the fact that my dad is a smoker!

6) Your top 3 accommodations you’ve ever stayed to date and why?
El Monte Sagrado Resort and Spa in Taos, NM
This resort is set around a sacred area to the Taos natives. It has been blessed by every religion in the world and is a luxurious place to run away to for a few days. The quiet setting with the view of Taos Mountain really helped me find an inner peace.

The Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge, London, UK
This hotel was my first introduction to London. I felt like I was royalty returning home from a long trip and my every need was anticipated. I had a two bed two bath flat with a private entrance and truly began to think I was a rock star. Plus, I was just steps to Harrod’s and the Tube.

WaterColor Inn, Northwest Coast of Florida
This small hotel is set directly on the beach in a planned community. I think the Northwest Coast of Florida has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The white sand is so fine it makes a barking noise when you walk (it squeaks). This place can b e explained in two words – relaxed elegance.

7) Your top 3 most memorable food experiences to date and why?
Banana Nut Cake from Museum of Appalachia in Tennessee
There is a small cafe inside the museum grounds that serves authentic southern dishes. I tasted the Banana Nut Cake and could taste the history and hardship of the Appalachian people in each bite. I could also taste love and heartache, which sounds like something unbelievable. I wanted to weep because this dessert was so good.

Seafood box lunch leftovers in the Outer Banks of North Carolina
Late one night after a research day of learning how to hang glide at Kitty Hawk (site of Wright Bros. first flight), a few of us took our leftover lunches of crab spread, crusty bread, seafood pasta, and a bucket of beer down to the beach. We were staying at The Sanderling Hotel in Duck, NC. We climbed over the dunes with food and beach chairs in hand, searching for a place to just chill after such a long day. The light pollution was non-existent at this place on the beach and the stars were bright and glorious. We munched on our edible goodies, grabbed a local beer out of the galvanized bucket full of ice, inhaled the scent of the ocean on the air and felt the breeze blow by our necks. It was a glorious night of appreciating being on Earth. Definitely memorable.

Sunday Jazz Brunch at Arnaud’s in The French Quarter, New Orleans
In Louisiana we live by the mantra Don’t eat to live, live to eat and no place celebrates this more than New Orleans. My favorite restaurant is Brennan’s, where the three course prix fixe breakfast isn’t just a meal, its an event. However, I was treated to a Sunday Jazz Brunch at Arnaud’s Restaurant during Mardi Gras season. The meal began with a Mimosa and Creole Cream Cheese Evangeline (a=2 0fruit dish). The entre was Eggs Sardou, which is a poached egg served over artichoke bottoms and creamed spinach topped with a Hollandaise sauce. The meal was topped off with Crepe Suzettes and memories of the Jazz band leading diners around the tables, elderly ladies dancing waving their dinner napkins in hand, and the entire restaurant singing a Mardi Gras tune. Now that’s a way to celebrate a Sunday.

8) Your 3 worst destination/ accommodation/food experiences to date and why?
They were so bad that I’ve blocked them from my memory 😛

9) Can you offer the readers 3 travel/ food / accommodation / things to do tips about the city you are currently living in?
I actually live in the small city of Zachary, LA
which is just north of Baton Rouge. My favorite place to recommend to someone for lodging is The Shade Tree in nearby St. Francisville, LA. This historical town shows its English roots in the architecture, the people, and the gardens. There are a large number of plantations to visit, even one of the most Haunted Houses in America, The Myrtles Plantation. The Shade Tree is a collection of three cottages overlooking a bluff in a private and shady setting. It is by far the most romantic place to stay in this area.
The food here rivals many restaurants in New Orleans. Mike Anderson’s Seafood Restaurant near LSU in Baton Rouge is a popular place to bring out of town guests and to celebrate special occasions. If you are searching for sushi, Tsunami is the local place to go. It is set on the roof of the LSU Arts Museum in Downtown Baton Rouge and offers a spectacular view of the Mississippi River while you dine. Here in Zachary, my family and I enjoy eating out at Sammy’s Grill, which serves various seafood dishes and steaks. The food is always good, as is the company, and the price is just right for any pocketbook.

Finally, to get a good introduction to the culture of Louisiana, just visit the LSU campus on game day (American Football). The entire campus is filled with tailgaters, cooking, eating, drinking, and enjoying camaraderie of friends. The dishes include jambalaya, gumbo, crawfish etouffee, and sometimes even grilled alligator. Tailgaters usually adopt out of town visitors and introduce them to what southern hospitality really is.

Handlebars Saloon

10) Any Question(s) you’d expected me to ask that you would like to answer?
What is one place I would return to if I could? Waimea Valley Park on the north shore of Hawaii. I swam in the falls a few years ago and it was a magical experience that I would love to visit again.

Thank you Beth. Your mouth watering description of the Louisiana food made me make a mental note to put that experience on my wish list!.

Happy to introduce Rachel, who answered my 10 questions within 24 hours, but who I kept on my back burner for some time. Mainly because I had hoped she would send me some photos, but also because of my busy work and being busy on revamping this blog. Luckily I noticed that she had joined Karen Bryan’s Europe a la Carte Blog team recently and found a nice portrait of her there.

Rachel Webb

1) Who Are you?

I’m a born again writer, it’s only in the last few years that I’ve taken up writing. It’s something that means I can stay home with my three boys, 17,15 and 9, it keeps me more than busy and more importantly is fulfilling.

I’m from the UK and moved to Spain with hubby and boys twelve years ago, when a little more time and independence came so did the boredom and frustration so I took a correspondence writing course and haven’t looked back.

I write and blog for various sites and have now started my own website about Andalucia – Andalucia for Holidays which I hope will create an income stream to support the rest of my doodlings. My two blogs, Luxury UK Travel and Luxury Spain Travel that I started are twins – I couldn’t make up my mind whether to concentrate on the UK or Spain so I’ve opted for both together – they may mean they both grow slowly! Unfortunately there are never enough hours in a day.

2) What do you like about what you do?

I love being nosy, my blogs are my memory, notebook and excuse for reading and surfing to my hearts content – and my future intend to visit locations.

3) What don’t you like about what you do?

The fact that it doesn’t equate to more than the pocket money my boys get – yet.

4) Please tell us all about your blog and your aims with it.

Being so young my blogs are my babies – I’ve no intention of letting anyone else to write in them yet. But I do hope that they may become a scrapbook that others may want to join in the future, when I’m not quite so possessive!

Parador and Capilla de El Salvador

5) Your top 3 destination experiences you’ve ever stayed to date and why?

Gas Street Basin in Birmingham!
I remember it as a child, it was awful, dingy run-down full of scary people! Now it’s fantastic – waterfront pubs, breakfast on a barge and just 2 minutes from the Bull Ring shopping centre!

Granada
The Alhambra is magnificent, I can’t wait to go again, especially now I’ve read The Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving. Mary Lee Settle also had a profound remark in Spanish Recognitions “If you cannot relearn wonder again at the Alhambra, you may as well stay at home and die.” The trouble is when you live close-by to somewhere you can always go tomorrow! Have to book it in my diary!

Nantes
I was driving from the UK to Spain with my sister-in-law who really wanted to ‘do’ a French flea market. We drove around & around Nantes late at night, not being able to find any hotel at all! Finally we spotted a not-so-nice brand but would have settled for anything.
In the morning -outside the hotel door – just across the road was the most enormous flea market I’ve ever seen. What heaven we were in – and how it postponed our journey! Fortunately I had a laden car so limited she bought a wonderful baroque style lamp and me? A rustic wrought iron coat holder with hat rack and mirror – it’s perfect in our rustic holiday rental house here in Jaen.

6) Your top 3 accommodations you’ve ever stayed to date and why?

Tricky – certainly the most recently enjoyed was Combe House in Gittisham, Devon, UK. Gittisham is an unspoilt timeless little hamlet which HRH Prince Charles described as ‘the ideal English village’.
The Combe House Hotel is a glorious Grade 1 Elizabethan manor in 3,500 acres with Arabian horses roaming the grounds.
We arrived to find a glorious old Rolls Royce with snake head horn – I haven’t yet found out what model it is, and a wedding party taking place.
Such a glorious location I almost expected bustles and ringlets, butlers and gaslights inside. The whole thing was just right, great food, lovely room, good service and a welcoming feel.

I also liked the Carlyon Bay Hotel for its spectacular views over St. Austell – when the sun shines after the rain England is glorious.

For a larger family gathering Hotel Playa de la Luz in Rota near Cadiz was fantastic, family apartments and 4* rooms made for a budget choice.
I really loved the 2 steps to the beach with the tide that went out forever and freshly grilled ‘catch of the day’ fish.

The Fat Duck in Bray, UK

7) Your top 3 most memorable food experiences to date and why?
Memorable, experiential Michelin starred The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire.
We had the tasting menu which went in the teens of courses. Incredible, we sat without realising for 4.5 hours sampling strange creation after strange creation – a never to be forgotten experience including Roast Foie Gras adn Nitrogen scrambled egg and bacon ice cream.

A massive platter of mixed grilled fish on the beachfront in Malaga = absolutely fresh – superb.

My husband and boys catching loads of mackerel on a sea-fishing trip in Boscastle, Cornwall. We bought chips in a newspaper and grilled the mackerel, I’ve never tasted better – but hope to equal it!

8) Your 3 worst destination/ accommodation /food experiences to date and why?

I don’t really have any worst experiences, could have been better ones maybe.
It’s all about making the most of where you are – but I do hate cold/rain and wind combined- they make anywhere hard work for me!

Madrid airport wasn’t too pleasant with a 5 hour wait for an early morning connection – but hey ho – I wasn’t thrown out for sleeping on the seats – some were!

9) Can you offer the readers 3 travel/ food / accomodation / things to do tips about the city you are currently living in?

Jaen is the underestimated understated little sister to Granada and Cordoba. It’s well worth a visit. Stay in the hilltop Parador with majestic views, visit the castle/interpretation centre on the same site and walk to the huge monumental cross to survey the small city below. It’s breathtaking

If your budget is up to it then dine in the Parador to, if not do a bar crawl around the town. Tapas are still free here, usually the best tapas comes first to encourage you to stay on – don’t, move on to another bar and another “best tapa”.

You can eat enough without needing a meal this way – and may have to ask for no more food!

Tourist Train and Old University, Baeza Jaen, Spain

If there’s time take a bus to Baeza and/or Ubeda wonderful UNESCO Renaissance cities and Cazorla, Spain’s largest national park – it’s glorious especially in the autumn.

10) Any Question(s) you’d expected me to ask that you would like to answer?
No, I think I’ve waffled enough anyway.

Thank you very much Beth! You seem a busy bee to me. Hm a very good friend of us has promised me a diner at the Fat Duck whenever I manage to reach London with my motor boat. Your recommendation makes me think to make time in the near future…