Traveling for Christmas: Bay Area

Before I embarked on my 2014-2015 trip to the UK, my brother, who was moving the family to the West Coast for his new job, invited my parents and myself to come celebrate Christmas 2015 in California. We all agreed and I left the farewell party with my bags to fly off to London. Since the family was going to travel for next Christmas, I started to plan for it as soon as we made the decision.

I love Christmas and I love wrapping gifts. I have rolls and rolls of wrapping paper that I have collected through the years and I have ribbons, gift tags, bows and trappings to present the gifts in a decorative manner. I get excited to find wrapping paper, ribbon and bows for sale after Christmas in patterns that I think look classic. I don't always buy new paper each time since a have about four viable rolls of paper, but when I see something that screams me, I do get it.

Two different Christmases, some of the same snowflake paper

However traveling for the holiday wreaks havoc with wrapped gifts, so I thought ahead. It seems that every travel expert suggests not to travel with your gifts already wrapped. Therefore the first thing I did when I settled into London was hit an M&S to raid the clearance Christmas gift supplies. Gift bags, wrapping paper, crackers and holiday baubles were all discounted. I picked up some very stylish Christmas gift bags for 3 for £1, some matching tissue paper for £1 and a few treats as well. £6 later, I had everything I needed for presenting all my gifts next year.

Christmas in Union Square

Months passed and I had been looking for flights to San Francisco and Oakland. The rates were outrageous even early on; I was pricing round trips at $600 or more. Eventually mid-September, I found two reasonable one way tickets to the West Coast and bought my ticket out on United ($174.60) and my return on American ($203.10). I finally picked my dates, I was traveling from December 22 to 25 and I confirmed that everyone was OK with my red-eyeing home.

Now on to my hotel rooms. I needed to complete a mattress run - the act of paying for a night in a hotel to earn points or credits or to maintain status - to maintain my gold status with Starwood. When I was finalizing my Christmas trip in September, I was two individual stays shy of the ten for the year. I booked the Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf Hotel at my corporate account rate ($133.63 with tax) and the Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square at the SPG points and cash rate, which Starwood counts toward your total number of stays. Additionally, I promised my mom, primarily, that I would book Christmas Eve in the same hotel as my parents, the Hampton Inn and Suites Oakland Airport – Alameda, to help make logistics simpler and I pre-paid for the room to get the best rate ($214.48 with tax).

In the meantime, I made arrangements for a work trip with a wacky itinerary to maximum my time without blowing my work budget. Due to the 5:30 am flight on a Saturday, I spent a night at a Philadelphia airport Starwood hotel the night before to ensure I made it to the airport on time. Therefore, I earned another night, bringing down my total to one night away from gold status.

A nice touch - a chalkboard in the room

On Thanksgiving night, the Hotel Triton started appearing as a featured link on my Facebook feed with offers of a Black Friday sale with rates starting at $89.00 plus tax ($110.16 with tax). I had stayed at the Hotel before in July 2013 and enjoyed it. With the pressure off of me for two nights in Starwood hotels in San Francisco, I canceled the more expensive of the two Starwood rooms and registered at the Triton.

My flights and rooms were set, then it was time to think gifts. First, I suggested to my parents to wait until the Epiphany to exchange our gifts, since we would all be back home in Philadelphia by then and it’s also another traditional Christmastide day for presents. There is no reason to pack gifts to send or take to the West Coast only to exchange them and then pack the new gifts to return home. Now onto the children. I partially spoil my nephew and niece; for both their birthdays and for Christmas, I get them three gifts: a toy, some clothing and a book. I planned to go shopping at Target (in the Metreon) or Old Navy (at 4th and Market) for clothes and I could visit a Barnes & Noble in town for their books. The toys were the fly in the ointment. I headed to the kids’ wish list that my sister-in-law maintains for them on Amazon and remembered that I could take advantage of the Amazon Locker.

Amazon Locker is a self-service parcel delivery service offered by Amazon.com. Customers can select a Locker location as their delivery address in lieu of their residence. Retrieval is simple, go to the Locker location and provide the unique pick-up code and voilà the Locker opens with your parcel. This service was started to combat concerns of stolen packages and for customers missing the mail delivery. I used it to combat sending gifts too early or too late to one of the three hotels that I would be stay at for the Holiday. Also my brother and sister-in-law were taking the kids to Disneyland the week before our visit; I didn't want to worry about making all those arrangements to deliver my gifts to them since they might not be home when my packages arrived. The service is available about 10 areas in the US, so it might not be a total lifesaver just yet, but for me the service is in Philadelphia and the Bay Area. Now that I was sending toys to Amazon Lockers, I was set for traveling light and without needing to check any luggage.

Oh, Amazon Locker, how I love you

Now to the morning of December 22nd, I made it to the airport without a hitch. I landed at 9:00 am and rushed into the Mission to have the Nebulous Potato Thing at the St Francis Fountain. By the time I got to restaurant, its was 10:00 am PST (1:00 pm EST). I hadn’t eaten anything after 6:00 am EST since United didn’t sell any food on the early morning flight out. I was headachy and hangry. The dish was good and I downed about three glasses of diet Coke before heading off to my hotel.

I created this trip to San Francisco like a scavenger hunt. I had three different hotel stays. I had errands on both sides of the bay. I had dates with three good friends. I had Amazon packages to pick up.

I settled in my room by noon, local time,  and I had plans to meet a good friend in Berkeley for lunch. We caught up at Platano and enjoyed some papusas. While there I would stop by Chez Panisse for a gift certificate for my brother and sister-in-law. This was their first full year in the Bay Area and I got them a Lowes gift card for last Christmas. This year, I wanted to give them an opportunity to explore the area and visit Berkeley.

That night I had dinner plans with another good friend, Karen, and before catching the bus to go to the restaurant, Stones Throw, in Russian Hall, I picked up one of my Amazon Locker packages. I retrieved the gift, hopped on the 45 and serendipitously run into her on the bus. One big kink in my plans occurred when she told me over dinner, which was excellent, that night that there were no Barnes & Nobles in the city. They all closed a few years back. I had to go back to East Bay for the closest B&N.

The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption,
Western Addition - my view from the second Amazon Locker

I got up early that morning and picked up the other package at an Amazon Locker and headed over to El Cerrito to El Cerriot Plaza. I joked that you can take the boy out of South Jersey, but I'm always going to find a mall. In 30 minutes, I finished up my shopping and stopped at Lucky for assorted snacks and nibbles. I returned to the Triton, checked out and headed to the Sheraton.

In Fisherman's Wharf by the hotel, I found a Ross: Dress for Less where I picked up the final Christmas gifts, a Safeway where I become acquainted with a delicious Russian River wine to bring on my third friend date and to Christmas dinner and Trader Joe's where I bought a treat for my friends' son.

I made it out to the Outer Sunset to see my friends before they left for there Christmas trip to Mexico. We had a wonderful time catching up and watching their son open up some of his presents from family members before the big day! I took an über back and I treated myself to a drink before calling it a night.

Christmas Eve morning, I gathered all my belongings, gifts and booze and make the trek to BART via the F Market and Wharves. There's something about the F line that resonates with me and connects me to my father. Streetcar lines and rail transportation are my father's interest and hobbies. Obviously with my love of travel, my father and I share this quirky interest. In fact, so many of my relatives have an interest in some form of transportation that we explain it away as part of the "Ryan gene." Therefore during a post-college trip to San Francisco, when I was open to the suggestion of finding a Christmas gift for my dad, I subscribed him to the Market Street Railway newsletter and he's been a member since.

The Bay Bridge from the F Market & Wharves as I Muni my way to BART

I spent the afternoon playing with my nephew and niece. I got a tour of the house from the older one. The three of us fought light saber fights and my niece stole some mad moves from Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and sliced my feet from underneath me at the ankles. My nephew showed me his "second largest crayon" in the world. The younger one and I painted with glitter glue. "Uncle Casey, I like yours the best," she exclaimed at my opus, "You have technique." We went to the children's nativity mass and ate a creole inspired rice dish that my brother calls, "Market Rice."

Being nearly 3,000 miles from home didn't seem really that far when you're together with family. My parents got to tuck the kids into bed. I helped my sister-in-law wrap presents from Santa. My brother served us some egg nog and we enjoyed the silence before the Christmas excitement. Before we headed back to our hotel, I asked if we could go drive through Christmas Tree Lane, 3200 block of Thompson Avenue, in Alameda. It reminded me of our drives through South Philly.

We settled in our hotel and I prepared my gifts for the next day. Then I nestled into my bed and quickly passed out. My alarm woke me up and I joined my parents for breakfast. I was surprised how full the hotel was. We arrived at my brother's and Christmas had exploded all over the living room. There was more playing, more listening to the backstories of all the toys and more gifts. We snacked  cookies in the late morning which held us over until the first of the appetizers were ready. We said grace and enjoyed a tender lamb, fresh vegetables and latkas with the nice Russian River wine. We took a break before dessert and gave the kids a moment to unwind. Again, both the kids were treated with my parents' tucking them in bed. I said good night to everyone and my parents whisked me away to SFO to make my flight back home.

Like a blink of an eye, my visit to San Francisco was over and I was shuttling across the country back home after a very dear Christmas.

Christmas gifts, ready, in gift bags from M&S

The lessons I learned for traveling for Christmas:

• Figure out where in your itinerary you can be flexible and where you must adhere to definitive touch points. This flexibility could save you some cash. Pre-pay for lodgings, etc. for the days on which you have no flexibility.
• Like your favorite hotels on Facebook – Keep an eye out for deals that could appear and if you are social media savvy follow them on Twitter.
• Gift bags – either bring them with you (since they don't take up too much room in your luggage) or buy them in situ. TSA do have the authority to unwrap your presents in your bags and they will. Also you won't need to bother with tape and scissors when you use gift bags. 
• Ship to your hotel – for those of you who want wrap your presents, you can ship them, if you plan to say in one location for a few days, your hotel will receive packages for you (some hotels may charge your a nominal fee). Better yet, stick with the gift bags and ship directly from the retailer to your hotel – then dress all your gifts in your gift bags – that eliminates the cost of shipping from your house to the hotel or host's house.
• Buy from Amazon and ship to Amazon lockers – if you are ordering from Amazon, send the package to an Amazon locker, many of which are in 7-Elevens throughout the country. Find a locker that is en route to a tourist attraction to consolidate your errands with fun. 
• Give restaurant gift certificates – if you are staying at a hotel, ask your front desk clerk or concierge (when there’s no line) for his or her personal recommendation for a local place and give it to your host.
• Give home improvement and appliance store gift cards – no matter how long your host has lived in her or her a place, there will always be an immediate need or a home improvement project that needs to be funded.

myPics: Noël

It's been a while since I've posted. So, I didn't want to go too long without an entry. For the start of your Holiday pleasure - here is our Christmas tree in the new residence.

There's a lot of cool in this pic, I know.

Not yet named travel entry: Raleigh – cultural and celebration

No photos were allowed in the exhibition.

For New Year’s Eve, I traveled down to Raleigh again with my favorite traveling companion, Steve, to enjoy the city and the Rembrandt exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Art.  We had picked Raleigh for the holiday, since we enjoyed the trip last year and Rembrandt in America was a big plus.  Thankfully, we were able to get into the city a day earlier to explore at a leisurely pace.

Kneeling Angel

Rembrandt in America is the largest collection of Rembrandt paintings ever presented in an American exhibition, the focus of which is the exploration of the collecting history of Rembrandt paintings in America. In addition to the Master’s works, the show also delves into the ideas of authorship and attribution.  Several of the pieces in the exhibition were originally thought to be Rembrandts, yet through advanced scholarship, they have been identified as either pieces started by Rembrandt and completed by others in his workshop or the work of his protégés.  Though, not works of Rembrandt directly, they still capture the style and traits of the Masters and have made an impact on the history of art collecting in the States.

Roxy Paine, Askew

More than five years in the making, the show is in its last weekend before moving on to the Cleveland Museum of Art, February 19 through May 28.  The Raleigh stop at the NCMA is the only East Coast venue for this show. The works have been assembled to include some of the finest paintings residing in American collections. NCMA Curator of Northern European Art Dennis P. Weller serves as a co-curator of this see exhibition, which has been. The show will continue on to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts for the last stop, June 24 through September 16.

After the Rembrandt show, we visited the permanent exhibits at the NCMA, including Egyptian artifacts, Contemporary art, pieces by well known names: Pissarro, Monet, Titian, Raphael, Rubens and Govaert Flinck – a contemporary of Rembrandt, as well as a collection of Rodin sculptures. (More photos from the permanent exhibits below.)

Jan Burger & Donovan Zimmerman of Paperhand Puppet Intervention, Rhea

Fireworks at City Plaza after the Acorn Drop

Later in the evening, we headed to Raleigh’s First Night Celebration. The highlight for us is the Children’s Celebration with features crafts, performances and interactive activities. From the Ferris Wheel to the street food, from the giant Lite Brite Board to the circus acts on the street, the culmination of the celebration is the People's Procession. As a metaphor for the end of the year, the Children's Celebration ends and the evening entertainment begins, this passage of time from afternoon to evening, like from old year to new year, is heralded in through a fun, colorful parade for children of all ages.  The NC State University Pipes & Drums leads the parade with music and rhythm from the Capitol and down Salisbury Street into the street fair as folks cheer on the appearance of Rhea, a giant puppet named after the Greek mother of the gods and designed to represent the landscape of North Carolina.  The finale of the parade is the giant Acorn drop at City Plaza (for the children who can’t stay awake to usher in the New Year, and the city repeats this at midnight for those who can stay up.)  

The combination of amazing cultural activities and vibrant revelry kicks off any New Year with the spirit of hope for the potential and possibilities that lie ahead. Energized by the night, we head off to the get dinner and to the bars to ring in 2012.

Additional photos of the NCMA permanent collection

Aaron Douglas, Harriet Tubman

A bust of Aphrodite

Braciole

While I had time off during the Christmas break, I spent it working on a braciole recipe for the slow cooker.
 
In Italian American cuisine, braciole (the word is commonly pronounced /ˌbrä-zhəl/ from the Sicilian dialect) is the name given to thin slices of meat, usually beef, that are prepared as a roulade, a meat slice rolled around a filling then browned and braised. When I first had braciole, they were small individual servings, like the German Rouladen.  However in my search for a slow cooker version, I discovered recipes that made a large roulade versus the individual portions.  If Giada can do it, then so can I.

The effort that goes into crafting the individual braciole is intense. Therefore, I was excited that most of the recipes called for a big roast sized braciole.  Cutting down the directions to a comfortable level of simplicity makes for a delicious meal without the hours of toil and let's the cook enjoy the food.

I played with these two recipes, Bob's Slow Cooker Braciole and Giada's, to get the guidance for the ingredients and cooking times.

Braciole

Ingredients:
•    26 oz. jar marinara sauce
•    1/2 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
•    1 garlic clove, minced
•    2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano
•    1/3 cup grated provolone
•    2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
•    1½ lbs. flank steak, pounded to 1/4 inch
•    Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
•    3 oz. prosciutto
•    2 – 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
•    1 cup dry white wine

Directions:
1.    Pour the marinara sauce into the slow cooker and set on High to warm.
2.    Combine the bread crumbs, garlic, chesses and parsley in a small bowl.
3.    Sprinkle both sides of the meat with salt and pepper. Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly. Layer the prosciutto on top of the mixture.
4.    Starting at the short end, roll up the steak like a jelly roll to enclose the filling completely. Using butcher's twine, tie the steak roll to secure, or use toothpicks.
5.    Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Sear the stuffed flank steak in the hot oil until well browned on all sides, about 8 – 10 minutes. Transfer the meat to the warm sauce in the slow cooker.
6.    Deglaze the pan with white wine and add to the slow cooker.
7.    Spoon sauce over meat to cover.
8.    Turn slow cooker to Low; cook meat until very tender, 6 to 8 hours. Remove string/toothpicks before slicing. Serve with marinara.

My Italian-American co-workers really liked the dish when I brought it to work for lunch, so I'm impressed with the adaption that I did between the two recipes. The marinara does thin out during the cooking.  Yet like most dishes, the braciole improves the day after cooking and the sauce thickens up with time.  I served this with gemelli (or I'd suggest orecchiette) topped with the marinara and a nice side green salad. 

Not yet named travel entry: Lauderdale before Christmas

Warning, this one is long so I added a lot of pictures to make it go quickly.

A picture of our approach, Jupiter is the white dot in the upper left corner

I jetted off to Fort Lauderdale last weekend for some fun in the sun before the Christmas holiday. I had two free nights from Starwood Hotels and on a whim I picked Florida as the place to use them.  I thought that would be nice to get a bit of relaxation before the end of the year holidays completely kicked in.
Friday, I left work a little early for the airport. I breezed through security, got a cup of Peet’s, boarded my flight, miraculously scored a row with an empty middle seat, settled in my flight and lost myself in the pages of a book to pass the time. Finally my attention waned from the book when that captain announced our initial approach to the airport – high visibility, very few clouds, 76°F.  It was dusk and I could see the sunset over the clouds in the distance; Jupiter was high and bright in the sky. I remenisced about my last pre-Christmas vacation, a trip to Abu Dhabi, where I tried to get a picture of the Emirates Hotel with Jupiter high in the sky.  With a minor jolt from our final approach, I focused out the window to see Miami about 30 miles away south of the airport.

My ocean-view from my hotel room

I took a cab to my hotel, a 6-mile trek that cost about $20 with tip. (I was surprised to see that most of the cabs I took weren’t equipped for credit cards.) I checked into the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel and got a room in the Marina building (there three different building in the complex) which was across Seabreeze Boulevard (A1A) via a skywalk. The hotel touts a multi-million dollar renovation. Its investment is evident inside; the lobby is a tasteful decorated with wicker and sea shells in cooling colors of teal and sky blue, evocative of the beach just outside. My room was painted in blues and creams; it was spacious with a king-sized bed and offered great views of the ocean and the marina. The sea is brought into the hotel through the halls and rooms with simple beach and water themed art and photography. I found it easy to get settled and quickly changed into shorts to match my vacation mindset.

I decided to get my lay of the land and googled maps of the area and yelp reviews for places to eat.  I found Coconuts, up the road. While the reviews ranged from okay to excellent, it seemed like a good enough place to belly up from some grub.  The location can’t be beat – sitting on the Intercoastal Waterway.  As a solo diner, I was able to get a table on the deck and take in some of the water traffic.

Sorry, I already hopped in for a nap before I took a picture

I had ordered the conch fritters and the rib special.  The conch fritters were fine, though I have to admit that they were light on the conch.  The dough was a little sweet with a hint of corn and they were fried a good golden brown.  The rib special was a 10oz of pork ribs, in a dry rub of salt, pepper, dried rosemary, oregano and thyme, grilled to fall-off-the-bone perfection and drizzled with a balsamic vinegar reduction. The two dishes complimented each other well, from the light, sweet and chewy appetizer to the rich, succulent pork with good acid finish.  I partnered my meal with a Monk in the Trunk Organic Amber Ale.  It was a nice malty, spicy smelling beer and had a mild spice flavor, with a little bit of earthiness from the yeast.  The beer changed in sweetness first bite of the fritter. All in all, it was a fine meal.  Yet, the location brings Coconuts to the forefront for me; it was a delight to dine by the water.

A tour boat on the Intercoastal Waterway decked out for the Holidays

After dinner, I looked for a watering hole. Again I used the internet to find a bar and learn bus system, but I learned that they end around 10 or so.  Crestfallen, I decide to tackle the one thing that had been bugging me since I decide to visit Fort Lauderdale - the street naming and number system. After reviewing the maps for the buses, I noticed that the city is laid out as a grid; the intersection of Broward Boulevard (x-axis) and Andrews Avenue (y-axis) serves as the zero-point. All numbered streets and courts go east to west and all numbered avenues and terraces go north to south. Each numbered street gets a directional (SE, SW, NE, NW) based on their direction from Broward and Andrews. However the named streets get a cardinal directional depending on which axis they intersect. This seems to be the general model for most of Broward County.

Art, downtown

With that piece of information unlocked, I choose to go to the Cubby Hole, the closest bar to the hotel. I took a cab and a $14 ride to a quiet stretch of US Route 1. The bar is in a strip mall and I tried the door.  It was locked, and it took me some effort to figure out that the entrance was off the parking lot in the back.  I entered; it was a typical-looking neighborhood dive bar - the smell of stale smoke lingered in the air.  Yet, the music was fun.  I looked for a seat, ordered a beer and tried to take in the atmosphere.  However, I couldn't figured anything out because my bartenders were good, friendly fellows.  Recognizing that I wasn't from here, they introduced themselves.  I like when I can pony up to the bar and chat with the bartenders, I can learn a lot about a place doing that. One of them, John, asked me if I had been to Wilton Manors; he described it as their Castro. As the night drew on, the music got more fun.  I had 1/2 a beer more than I should and agreed with the bartenders that the bars don't need to be open until 3am on the weekend in Fort Lauderdale. With that said, I ended up closing down the bar, promising to be back, and getting a cab back to my hotel, but I was armed with the idea to check out Wilton Manors.

Nurmi Isles

The next morning started too early for me.  I thought that I had made my hotel room impervious to light however there was a sliver under the door that was oozing sunshine. It was made worse when the occupants of the room across from me would exit, the sunlight from their open room assaulted my door and burst through that little crack that aimed for my face. Then this attack was punctuated by the slamming of their door. Yet, I lazily stayed in bed for as long as I could, but, eventually, I would need to do things - visit the bathroom, drink water, crave coffee and eat. To bide my time, I ran to the lobby and got a big chocolate chip muffin.  The sweet treat stopped my stomach from growling and that was the reason for getting it in the first place.

Las Olas Isles

I looked up venues to go that night and Bill's Filling Station got some good reviews.  It seemed like it would be more my speed and less likely a dance-a-teria. With my evening places confirmed, I finally figured out the bus system in Broward County to plan the rest of my stay. However, the bus system didn’t have me figured out. I made it to the bus stop to take a ride to downtown and I waited, sitting on the bus stop bench. I wondered if I had missed the bus since I can tend to be late. I looked down on my phone to check the schedule while still sitting on the bench when the bus, on time, sped past me. Annoyed, I decided to walk and I scratched off a hike in Hugh Taylor Birch State Park from my list. I strolled up A1A to Las Olas; turned left and walked.

Sophy Curson, Fort Lauderdale and Philadelphia

Eventually I knew that I would run into the Stranahan House, an important building on the National Register of Historic Places, which roughly sits on the intersection of SE 6th Avenue and Las Olas. It’s been herald as the birthplace of Fort Lauderdale. Yet, I was on a walk and took in the sights. Spanish for the waves, Las Olas runs from the beach to the center of town. After crossing a drawbridge, I walked through the Idlewyld, Seven Isles, Las Olas Isles, Colee Hammoock and Beverly Heights neighborhoods. The road is interlaced with canals and waterfront homes. Boats were docked by houses like cars in driveways. By the Beverly Heights neighborhood, the canals and boats give way to the commercial area which is alive with bars, clubs, bridal stores, shops, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants and hotels in a clash of culture like South Street meeting Rittenhouse Square.

One of the Stranahan House's Christmas Trees

I made it to my destination, the Stranahan House. This unassuming structure served as the second trading post built by Frank Stranahan and today is the oldest building in Fort Lauderdale. Its history is, for the most part, as only slightly older than the city, which celebrates its centennial this year. Not too much in known about Frank but he was originally from Ohio, outside of Youngstown. In 1893, he heard word through acquaintances that there was a need for a ferry operator for the New River crossing to connect Lantana to Lemon City, now North Miami in 1893. The location on both the river and the new road, which eventually became US Route 1, created an epicenter of active.

The Stranahan House

The New River was a source of commerce for the city. Seminoles from the Everglades would travel down to the New River Settlement to trade their pelts, feathers and native crafts and art for sewing machines, canned goods and tobacco. The Native Americans’ goods were in such high demand since women’s fashion at turn of the century was very lavish, utilizing fur and feathers. At the same time, the original journey between Lantana and Lemon City was a $10 stagecoach ride that took two days. Travelers camped overnight in wooden-floored tents. It was a wise decision to move the trading post from up the river to the current location. Stranahan acquired the surrounding land, over 10 acres for around a $1 an acre. The confluence of people and the ample acreage of the homestead contributed to Stranaham's early success.

The New River from the Stranahan House

During its history, the building also served as the town hall and post office before it became his home in 1906 when he completed the renovations of the existing structure for his wife, Ivy, whom he married six years prior. Mrs. Stranahan was Fort Lauderdale's first teacher; she was a Florida native, born in North Florida who moved with her family to Lemon City trying to avoid the frost line. Ahead of her time, Mrs. Stranahan was a vegetarian, practiced yoga and provide for the less fortunate – including funding the first African-American school in town.

In the late 1920’s, the Great Depression hit as well as two hurricanes, the 1926 Miami Hurricane and the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane. These disasters, coupled with Frank’s diagnosis and treatment for prostate cancer, pushed him to take his own life. After Frank’s death Ivy Stranahan kept the house, but rented out the first floor to a restaurant known as the Pioneer House to make ends meet. Mrs. Stranaham died in 1971 and the Seventh-Day Adventist Church sold it to the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society in 1979. In 1981, a non-profit corporation set up to preserve and maintain the house for all to visit.

A pink house in the Tarpon River neighborhood

After my tour, I strolled throughout the downtown area and returned to my hotel via bus.  Finally I was getting the hang of it and by the end of the trek, I had logged over 4 miles of walking.  I picked up a cubano sandwich and a Key West salad at a cafe on A1A.  The cubano was simply delicious; it could have been because I was famished. Though I attribute it to the spicy and honey mustard slathered over a pile of thinly sliced ham and thick slices of pork, pressed together and bound by gooey melted Swiss cheese lined with sweet, crunchy, tart pickles. The mayonnaise-dressed salad would be saved for dinner since I was going back to the hotel for a disco nap.

Fort Lauderdale Centennial decorations

Refreshed from my siesta, I enjoyed the crab meat and shrimp salad with celery and green onions and filled me up for the night on the town.  I showered, dressed and noticed that I had gotten a little sun kissed from my long walk. I was happy to have a slight healthy glow. I finished dressing and headed to Wilton Drive via the bus. I saw a lot of the city and its Holiday decorations, seemingly out of place - snowflakes and snowmen, but I was charmed.  I made it to the Drive and headed toward Bill's Filling Station. While not as over the top as the Castro, I understood what John meant by his comments the last night.  It is the area's gay ghetto.

I was really on A1A

I entered Bill's and was surprised at the low density of the crowd; there were only two scores of folks. It was 11pm on a Saturday night and the bars are open until 3pm on the weekend.  There was a raffle going on from some charity, so volunteers were asking the patrons for donations.There was a lesbian cover band, dressed mostly in stereotypical attire – flannels and sports jerseys – though the bass player was more forward dressing; she simply wore black.  I heard them playing Melissa Etheridge, Adele and Green Day. While I appreciated their rendition of "Come To My Window," no-one can sing like Adele but Adele. After a $5 bottle of Miller Lite, I used my iPhone to find what other places lay around.
 
George's Alibi, or Alibi for short, read like the aforementioned dance-a-teria that I feared, but a different site gave it a more favorable review. It was also in a strip mall, but it took a huge footprint of the mall, complete with outdoor seating for dinner and for smoking. I walked in to find it cavernous. I walked to the far side of the main bar and the bartender smiled to ask me what I'd like.  Nothing too special was on tap, except there was Yuengling. I paid my $4.75 for the pint and enjoyed the crowd and music. Two beers later, I noticed someone I knew. Steve from Atlanta had moved to Fort Lauderdale and landed a gig as security for the bar. We caught up and I realized that I was having fun, yet by 12:30 the crowd thinned. I hailed a cab and headed back to the Cubby HoleI to finish the night with my newly minted bartender friends.

The beach, taken in HDR

I cabbed it back to the hotel after closing the bar down again only to fall quickly asleep. Yet again, the sunshine pummeled me awake and, though I fought it, I succumbed to its power.  I took the opportunity to get to the beach and enjoy the sun, the warmth, the sand and the sea.  I knew it would only be a matter of hours before I boarded back on a plane coming home. I would be ready for Christmas. I didn't know that I was going to be greeted by 34°F weather when I got home.

For a more complete album of the trip, visit here.

myPics: Not a Creature Was Stirring

I love to see presents under a tree which glows bright with Christmas lights. It brings me right into the holiday spirit.  I must confess that I was going to stage a plate of cookies and milk for this picture, but I got too lazy.

Merry Christmas!

myPics: Haul out the holly

I love the holidays.  I still believe that if you have a good Halloween then you're set until Mardi Gras!  Yuletide is the biggest high point for me during this Holiday period.  I'm a strong advocate of decorating for Christmas immediately after Thanksgiving and keeping it up until Epiphany.

  Here's a detail of the tree in the apartment during the day.

This year the tree is decked out in a wintry theme of gold, silver, white and cerulean. Icicles and faceted jems spread glow in the daylight and in the tree lights as well.  The shiny balls reflect the shine and create a festive look that's reminiscent of the delightful chill of a good hibernal night.