cheers to the weekend!

March 6, 2020

Yes, it’s FriYAY! I don’t know why I get excited, based on the fact that I am working Saturday and Sunday! It just seems everyone is happier on a Friday afternoon – and it puts me in a better mood as well – work or no work!

For today’s Friday field trip, I am taking you to a brand-new restaurant – I just happened to be there for work on the day it opened. I didn’t eat anything at this restaurant – I only sampled a couple beverages.

And, since it was a new restaurant, I wanted to try a new drink! After looking over the drink menu, I had my eye on two different drinks that sounded unique and fun to try.

The first one I tried was called Violeta Magica. The reason for the ‘Magica’ was that the drink changed color! Yup! After pouring in a little added test tube of yellow liquid into the glass, the blue drink turned violet. Interesting since blue and yellow make green! But the change in acidity seemed to be the reason it made the color change. The drink tasted sweet and had a light rum base. Tasty and interesting!

Click here for Violeta Magica!

The first day the restaurant was opened, the drink was served with rocks and the next day, when some friends ordered it, the same drink was served in a more elegant glass with a floral garnish…I guess being new the restaurant was still experimenting! (The color transformation video of the drink in the rocks glass is posted on the pleasure in simple things Facebook page.)

The second drink I tried was the S’more on the Shore: Ron Zacapa 23/Dry Sack Sherry/Graham Cracker Infused Syrup/Chocolate Bitters/Roasted Marshmallow. Loved the chocolate bitters!

I hope I have inspired you to try a new drink this weekend! Whether with alcohol or without, whether you make it yourself or order something out – try something new!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. The new restaurant is Coquina in Amelia Island, Florida. I will show you more of this beach-side beauty in an upcoming post!

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larios on the beach

February 11, 2020

My favorite restaurant stop while in South Beach was to one owned by a famous person from the music industry – Gloria Estefan.

Gloria and Emilio Estefan have been promoting their Cuban Heritage through their restaurants as well as through their music since they opened Larios on the Beach in 1992 in the heart of South Beach.

The restaurant offers guests the opportunity to dine on authentic Cuban cuisine served in an atmosphere that celebrates the spirit of Cuba in its heyday while enjoying the view of famous Ocean Drive.

The instruments that make up this unusual wall hanging include those used by the Miami Sound Machine.

Gloria grew up in the kitchen with her grandmother and developed a love of cooking. Gloria and Emilio opened Larios on the Beach, in honor of both Gloria’s grandmother and their beloved Cuban Heritage.

Larios on the beach became their flagship restaurant as they expanded the vision by opening Bongos Cuban Cafe in Orlando, in Florida’s Downtown Disney in 1996 then Bongos Cuban Cafe at The American Airlines Arena in Miami, Bongos Cuban Cafe at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL and Bongos Cuban Cafe at Miami International Airport.

A fun photograph of Emilio adorns the wall in the dining area at Larios on the Beach.

Estefan Hospitality also grew with the addition of the historic Cardozo Hotel on 1300 Ocean Drive in 1993 and in 2006 Costa D’Este, an award winning 4-Diamond property in Vero Beach. It was named one of the top ten celebrity owned hotels in the world and is in Travel and Leisure’s top 100 list. Its cozy oceanside restaurant, The Wave, was voted Diner’s Choice Winner Best Overall, Best Ambiance and Best Food on OpenTable.

Gloria herself developed the crest that represents the brand. Inspired by the Cuban Crest, it has the sun representing the Gloria Estefan Foundation, which has already donated millions of dollars to many diverse causes, a dolphin and a flamingo both Florida treasures, an American and Cuban flag laying side by side representing their dual patriotic nature and the Bongo man, logo for the Bongos Franchise.

The crest is surrounded by the Hibiscus and the Palm, native to both Florida and Cuba and is crowned with a pineapple, the symbol that sits high atop both Bongos Cuban Cafe Miami and Orlando. The ribbon under the pineapple reads “to serve mankind”, which is something Emilio and Gloria love to do and was chosen by Gloria both for that reason and as an inside joke that they dare anyone to guess. Winner gets a free drink!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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cruisin’ ocean drive

February 7, 2020

My favorite hotel along Miami’s famed Ocean Drive is The Betsy – a chic hotel with a rooftop pool…if I were to plan a future trip to Miami, this would definitely be my hotel of choice.

Walking along ‘the drive,’ there are a couple of super cool features outdoors at The Betsy to check out.

My favorite is an orb-shaped sky bridge, considered a groundbreaking piece of Miami public art. I was so fascinated with this structure!

The other unique feature is a sculptural Poetry Rail honoring local wordsmiths – from Langston Hughes to Muhammad Ali.

Cool, right? And you haven’t even seen the inside of the hotel!

I hope you enjoyed sharing a couple of the interesting features of The Betsy Hotel on Ocean Drive in Miami! Can’t wait to share my favorite restaurant!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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lilly, palm beach

January 7, 2020

If you are a Lilly Pulitzer fan, you really have to visit the Palm Beach store! I know in the past I have shared photos from the Lilly store at The Breakers in Palm Beach, but there is also a store on historic Worth Avenue.

This past stay at The Breakers, I had some time to visit this larger store and want to share some photos with you.

Of course any Lilly superfan would have something custom made while visiting the Worth Avenue store!

I love this piece of art hanging in the store! If you know anything about the history of Palm Beach, you know the monkey is very significant! Johnnie Brown was the pet spider monkey of Addison Mizner, an eccentric Palm Beach fixture of the roaring twenties – and Johnnie’s grave is located in the first shopping arcade built on Worth Avenue!

One of the best parts of visiting any Lilly Pulitzer store is checking out the dressing rooms!

To read about the origins of Lilly Pulitzer design (and see the Lilly store at The Breakers), click here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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the breakers, palm beach at holiday

December 17, 2019

I know I have posted quite a bit about The Breakers in Palm Beach in the past, but today, I am sharing photos of this beautiful, historic hotel decked out for the holidays! Enjoy!

How lucky was I to get the chance to stay at The Breakers at this time of year!

Thanks for stopping by, Jackie

P.S. If you would like to see more on The Breakers, visit some past posts by clicking below:

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old is new again

September 17, 2019

The old song goes “everything old is new again.”

That was the case for me this past weekend when I spent some time in the town of Mystic. Even the evening views were ‘new again’ with the beautiful harvest moon seeming to hold court over the town!

The famous Mystic drawbridge under the harvest moon!

For a Food Network fan like myself, no Mystic visit is complete without a visit to Sift! If you haven’t been in a while, you may not have seen the new addition – including a rooftop bar!

While visiting, I realized that the hints of autumn were unusual since Mystic is always a summer destination for me. So, there you go – ‘new again.’

B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill is not a place I would think about visiting on a hot summer day! The mill is even operational at this time of year!

Even my favorite restaurant in Mystic – Bravo, Bravo is new again! It moved to a new location across the street from The Whaler’s Inn. Yes, still the same fabulous food!

I am sharing a few weekend examples of ‘new again’ with the hope that I can inspire you to also revisit a place you enjoy!

All vineyards seem ‘new again’ after my trip to Napa! I have learned so much more about wines and vineyards!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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an ocean view

July 26, 2019

I can’t imagine enjoying any drive more than the one I took on the Pacific Coast Highway on my recent California trip!

In a previous post, I showed you one of my favorite scenic spots. Today, for Friday field trip, I am sharing a few random views during a drive on the coast of Northern California just so you can see how breathtaking it is!

If you have not yet had the pleasure to cruise the PCH, you definitely need to put it on your to do or bucket list…particularly if you are a beach lover!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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first glimpse golden gate bridge

July 19, 2019

I guess no visit to Northern California would be complete without a visit to the Golden Gate Bridge. I was interested in seeing it while in San Francisco, but really had no expectations.

The walk up to the bridge, and walking on the bridge itself, ended up one of my favorite visits on my most recent trip to California. There are so many awesome overlooks along the walk up to the bridge, it is a major sensory overload! And, the walk across the 1.7-mile expanse provides beautiful (though breezy) ocean views!

It is amazing to think that when opened in 1937 – over 75 years ago – the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world!

It is easy to see why the Golden Gate Bridge is in the top ten of most visited landmarks in the United States.

I hope you enjoyed sharing some of my very first views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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pigeon point lighthouse

July 16, 2019

I love a lighthouse visit! I guess growing up around boats and living along the Connecticut coast has given me an appreciation for all things related to the sea. There were a lot of Sundays growing up when I would spend time by the lighthouse near where I lived when I would join my dad on his visits to the club.

For me, it is always a treat to find a new lighthouse to visit when traveling.

I was able to visit a great one while in Northern California! At 115 feet, it is the tallest lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States!

Located just a few miles north of Santa Cruz, Pigeon Point is a lighthouse built in 1871 to guide ships on the Pacific coast of California.

Because of current repairs in progress, it is not possible to enter the lighthouse, but the picturesque views from the grounds are awesome!

I hope you enjoy sharing the beauty of Pigeon Point Lighthouse.

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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cruisin’ the pch

July 12, 2019

Cruising the Pacific Coast Highway is a must for any beach lover! We covered a nice long stretch of the PCH when I visited Northern California recently and every single mile brought enjoyment!

One of my favorite viewing spots was Shark Fin Cove – just south of the city of Davenport, California.

I am sharing a few photos of this picturesque spot with you for today’s Friday field trip.

You can see by the photos why I love the spot so much!

The fin definitely looks the best (most fin-like) from a distance.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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