Category Archives: Distant Travels

Dispatch From Playa del Carmen, Mexico

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After a long ordeal at the Cancun Airport, and just missing our bus, we finally arrived to Playa del Carmen just before 9pm.  We took a stroll down the main Avenida to exchange money and to scope out our breakfast options.  A few memorable things to note on our first evening here…


1) this is a hotspot of Tourism, so naturally there are many vendors approaching you to sell tours to ruins and other activities.

2) there are many bars and restaurants along the main walkway, so you will definitely be approached with menus to peruse.

3) you can use the tap water to brush your teeth, but it is recommended that you not drink it.

4) this is typical south of the US border, but nothing is to be flushed down the toilet except your natural waste. In other words, any toilet paper must go into the wastebasket and not in the toilet.

5) it is hot and sticky. Fortunately our very cool hotel room has air conditioning and a overhead fan to keep us cool this evening.

Summer 2018

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Here is a quick preview of our summer plans…

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Costa Rica

Transatlantic Cruise from New York to London

Family reunion

The Motor City, Detroit Michigan

And in between these adventures, we will be home celebrating birthdays, hanging out with friends, seeing family, and using our movie pass to catch the latest blockbusters!

Spring Break Day 8: Kansas City Final Day

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The sun came out today, but it was pretty cold, especially later on, when the wind whipped up more cold — the forecasters are saying that there is a chance for snow tomorrow, so I suppose it is good that this is our final day.  We checked out the River District and the City Market, picking out some souvenirs and admiring the cheap produce for sale.  We had breakfast at the venerable Harvey’s Restaurant inside Union Station, which was also hosting an Easter Bunny event that drew in hundreds of kids.  I had the cinnamon roll pancake, which was doused in melted butter, or so I thought.  One bite into the pancake and I discovered that it was melted frosting, which meant that I didn’t need any syrup for this treat.  Actually, I found the cinnamon roll pancake to be too sweet and too much, so I am glad that Lisa allowed me a few bites of her Crab Cake Eggs Benedict and hashbrowns.

After breakfast, we hiked up the steps opposite Union Station and visited the World War I Memorial and Museum.  Traveler reviews recommended a minimum of three to four hours here, and they were right — we spent four and half hours learning about the complexities of how the war started, read accounts of life in the trenches and key battles in the Western Front, and how the US finally got involved and how the war ended in 1918.  Man, some stark stuff, and it ended just about 100 years ago.  That just blows my mind.  I will definitely be paying more attention next month to hear of any events to commemorate the date.

With our museum visit finished, we made our way back to the downtown core for one more final serving of barbecue, this time courtesy of the people behind Joe’s BBQ.  Lisa and I split the combo plate of pork ribs, beef burnt ends and sausage.  This time our sides were french fries and baked beans.  It was pretty good, but Lisa and I both agreed that we enjoyed Jack Stacks more.  And for our next time visit, we will hit up:  Gates BBQ, Q39 and Arthur & Bryants.  Then we will have tried the top five Kansas City Barbecue Joints.  Don’t know when we will ever return, but when we do I will make sure that we have a rental car so that we can also visit Independence, MO (start of the Oregon Trail!) and check out other attractions that were just a little too far out of reach on public transportation.  We had a great visit here in Kansas City, and part of that was the fact that we stayed dry the entire time because it didn’t rain one bit!

Spring Break Day 7: Kansas City Calorie Overload

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Today’s theme was all about eating.  Lots of eating.

In St. Louis, we were able to take advantage of our Hilton Diamond status and enjoy the Executive Lounge — an extensive breakfast, evening hors d’oeuvres and end-of-evening cakes.  For our hotels in Kansas City, not so much.

AM:  breakfast at local hotspot Succotash, conveniently located less than a mile from our hotel.  I got the Kitchen Sink — two eggs scrambled with ham, peppers & onions and served on home fries  and finally topped with cheddar and sausage gravy.  This had to be at least 2,000 calories.  Lisa ordered the Swedish pancakes with eggs and bacon.  And I helped myself to one pancake.  Stuffed!

PM:  lunch at recommended barbecue joint Jack Stacks.  Lisa and I split the combo platter.  We selected the pork ribs, pulled pork and beef burnt ends.  I was also served with a side of baked beans, cheesy corn and some toast.  If that wasn’t enough, we also got an appetizer of smoked jalepeno cheddar cornbread, because I just love love love cornbread!  Needless to say, we were stuffed.  Add another 1500 calories to my daily total.

PM part two:  dinner at our hotel – I purchased a Living Social voucher worth $40 and even though we were not hungry, this was about the only time that worked out in our schedule for us to use it.  Lisa got a glass of wine and the happy hour cheeseburger.  The nice thing is that she could swap the fries for some fresh grilled asparagus.  I ordered the half-slab of babyback pork ribs, which was also served with a cornbread muffin, grilled asparagus and risotto.  I ate most of it, including 90% of Lisa’s burger.  She just wasn’t hungry.  At the end of our meal, we still had $10 to spend, so we got the buttercream cake dessert, served with some homemade ice cream that included beer in the recipe.  Oh man, that dessert put me over the edge.  I reckon I easily surpassed 5,000 calories today.  And I am fully stuffed.  Don’t know if I can even lie down and sleep, but I’ll try.  All the food was great, and we still have tomorrow to try out more.  Well, that is if we have room after today’s gluttony.  Oh man, I am full.  But Kansas City barbecue sure is delicious!