Birthday Weekend Getaway in the Mountains

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This was our 4th annual trip to the mountains for my birthday weekend. Hard to believe how fast the time has gone by! We had started going to the North Georgia mountains and getting a cabin – we did that for two years. Then my dad bought a small vacation home in Damascus, Virginia and although the drive is longer, it’s free. We also like that we go through Asheville, North Carolina and can stop on our way up or on our way home. 

As with every year, my birthday seems to fall on the first real cold snap of the season. The chilly weather is perfect for snuggling up with Sean and the pups and watching a movie and also nice for a brisk walk along one of the many and easily accesible trails in Damascus. Continue reading

Buford Highway 201: An Intermediate Guide

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This is the second post in a 2-post (for now) series on the amazing, delicious and unique neighborhood of Buford Highway in Atlanta. The first post covered great spots for beginners. This post is going a little further into the unusual and so I’m calling it an “intermediate” guide. 

Of course, every person’s experience is going to be different so some of these may be very ordinary to you. I’m basing this on my own experience as well as feedback from others with whom I’ve dined at these spots. Continue reading

Buford Highway 101: A Beginner’s Guide

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Buford Highway – known throughout Metro Atlanta and beyond as a mecca for ethnic cuisine, cheap eats, international grocery stores and boutiques selling foreign fashions. While the highway stretches almost 50 miles from Atlanta to Buford, GA, the area that continues to be featured in shows like Anthony Bourdain’s The Layover begins just north of Midtown Atlanta and runs through Chamblee, Doraville and Norcross

Within this area, there are over 1,000 immigrant-owned businesses. It can be very intimidating and daunting for a person to figure out where to eat or shop in this area. In some of the restaurants, little to no English is spoken and the menus are printed in the native language. And even in the more popular restaurants, how do you know what’s good? 

In this mini-series, I’ll take you through some popular BuHi restaurants and give tips on what to order so you can try them out armed with plenty of knowledge and no longer intimidated. New experiences are important and they don’t have to be scary! Continue reading

Spicy Collard Greens

IMG_4427Before I moved to Atlanta, I had had collards maybe once up north and they were not good. In fact, I’d never spent much time in the South before I moved here and so all the cuisine – and the history, ingredients and traditions that went along with it – were new to me. Collards were an immediate favorite of mine, mostly because I loved how they were different from restaurant to restaurant and home to home. I think those variations are what gives this dish its richness and interest – and I knew I wanted to try to make my own. I’ve received recipes from friends and found some online – this is my compilation of all of that plus the result of trial-and-error in my own kitchen. Enjoy! Continue reading

My Brother’s Wedding

tyler and kymLast year on September 12th, my  brother and his fiancee Kym helped Sean and I on our special day in Savannah. This year on September 12th, Sean and I were in the wedding of my brother and Kym. While we share the same anniversary, the weddings and the events leading up to it were very different. It’s always nice to be back in Ohio and this time was no exception. The four days were a complete whirlwhind for me and Sean – I can’t imagine how it must have been for Tyler and Kym! 

We arrived in Ohio on Thursday morning, having left Pittsburgh early that morning. Continue reading

24 Hours in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

IMG_410624 hours is not a lot of time to spend in a city. It’s not a lot of time to spend with your friend who lives there, either. So what is the traveling friend to do? Some research. I studied up on what I wanted to do and leaned on my friend to fill in the gaps, make recommendations and tell us the best approach to maximize our time.

Guess what? It worked. We had a fabulous day in Pittsburgh with some tried-and-true activities and a few things that were new to my friend as well. It didn’t hurt that it was 75 degrees and sunny, either. 😉 Continue reading

Celebrating One Year of Marriage in Savannah, Georgia

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We celebrated our anniversary a little early (September 5th, as opposed to the 12th) and took advantage of the long Labor Day weekend to head back to Savannah. We arrived Friday night in time for a drink at The Distillery. The view from our hotel suite the next morning was fabulous and the sunny skies were all the motivation we needed to get to the beach! Continue reading