Back in Tampa from New York, NY!

Great trip to NY for business, which led to a great long weekend for play. Some highlights from this trip included:
Momoya - Chelsea
Otto Pizzeria - Great Wine and Food, a Mario Batagglia restaurant - West Village
5th Ave Window Displays - Barneys, Bergdorf and Goodman, Sachs, Macys, Lord and Taylor, etc..
Rockefeller Plaza - Top of the Rock
Murray's Flaffal on 1st Ave
Union Square Holiday Market
Museum of Sex - Flatiron District
"In the Heights" - Broadway Show - EXCELLENT!!
Blue Fin at the 'W' hotel in Times Square
Mercury Bar - Hells Kitchen
Il Porto - South Street Seaport

Nothing like a Trip to New York to get anyone in the Christmas and Holiday Spirit!
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TampaIam Back from Colorado

Back from a very nice loooong weekend visiting family in Colorado - Golden and Colorado Springs...some highlights included seeing Depeche Mode at Red Rocks Amphitheater, must be one fo the nciest amphitheaters to see a concert, and all natural venue, huge rock formations providing the perfect acoustics and viewing.. i wll now be making this an annual visit each year. Golden is just a pefect little town, just like the old west...Aces Lounge, Buffalo Rose, Table Top Mountain Inn Cantina, Naures Food Store, Farmers Market, Cold Creek Park...and then just overall family time with the two of my brothers and their families.

NC Mountains Getaway - Hawkesdene House

WOW...just a quick write up to say what an AMAZING trip to the North Carolina Mountains for Memorial Day weekend, and Hawkesdene House in Andrews, NC was all it was said to be, and MUCH MUCH more! I cant remember the last time in my life I have been sooo relaxed, sooo pampered, laughed sooo much, and just enjoyed life..the owners of Hawkesdene, Rob and Phil, took care of me and eight of my friends like no one else could.
Some highlights:
Lonesome Dove for Horseback Riding
Ocoee Adventure Rafting for White Water Rafting down Class III/IV Rapids of the Ocoee River
Ingles for everything
Be sure to have Rob and Phil prepare your meals, and fun!!
The 'Pit'
Hiking the Waterfall, Waterpipe and the 'Top of Hakesdene'.
The never ending Creek, and hammocks, and Gazebos
WINE WINE WINE
The 'Pavillion'
The 'Farm' with Llamas, Goats, Mules and Chickens and the Great Pirnaese Dogs watching over everyone.
'The Arbor'
'The Garden Cottage'


We will see you again real soon Hawkesdene!!

Back from Nashville, TN and A night out in a Tampa Village

Back from Nashville(actually Franklin, TN)..some highlights included the quaint little town of Franklin, TN and the Red Pony restaurant on Main Street, some great hiking in the Smokey Mountains.

As I flew back, I met with a few friends at the monthly Hyde Park Village Music Series, always the last Wednesday of the month through October. The air was very dry this evening, actually wore pants tonight, it was great to feel such a change in the weather as Fall arrives in Florida, and seeing that this was the largest crowd i've seen all year at the Village for this small festival, everybody in the local area was also taking advantage of the nice weather....again as usual, I am always running into people I haven't seen since college, or even my old employer....Good Times!!

Waking up on this Thursday morning, it was actually a bit chilly....ahhhh, a touch of whats to come in Florida for the next 8 months.

Brooklyn, NY

It was a good trip to Brooklyn for work this week, I have been many times, but experienced a few new things this trip to the Brooklyn Heights area....Brooklyn Promenade great views of downtown Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge, Henry's End restaurant-some of the best tasting food and great small intimate dining; Juniors for Cheesecake!!

Greenville, SC...who knew?

Just finished a week long business trip to Greenville, SC, what a very very nice downtown area for this small city....one of the nicest i've seen, and it was America's top Main Street in 2003....lots of restaurants, bars, live music venues all along the 10 block Main Street, and very pretty parks surrounding the immediate downtown area with Rivers and waterfalls...some highlights included Reedy Falls, Cleveland Park, High Cotton Jazz, The Handlebar, Liberty Tavern, Soby's, Smoke on the Water, and great hiking in the foothills...

Kansas City...WOW!

Just getting back from Kansas City, MO...and what a surprise! Just had no idea KC was what it is...some interesting tidbits from the trip include:
KC airport, the airplane pulls up, and you literally walk out the plane to the car at curbside, never seen anything like this; KC Power and Light district(reminded me of City Walk at Universal or Pleasure Island at Disney); Ward Parkway - beautiful estates, rolling green hills, lots of trees, and a river running along the middle; the Plaza - very Rodeo Drive/Beverly Hills.

Some of the numerous highlights from the weekend included the KC Irish Festival, Missy B's, my buddies get together the first night at his house, World War I memorial, Harry S Truman Presidential Library, Lucky Strike Lanes....