Hotel Stay NE Atlanta 11/2012

I had to make last minute travel plans to Atlanta, Georgia. My wife went online to Priceline.com and put in a bid for a hotel room of $40.00 a night for 3 nights. The bid came back with the Fairfield Inn & Suites-Marriott in Suwannee, Georgia. The total for all three nights with taxes was $144.57.

The Priceline site gave the Fairfield’s address as 105 Gwinco Blvd. and the Fairfield Inn’s web site gave the address as 105 Celebration Drive. My older TomTom could not find the Celebration Drive address but could locate the 105 Gwinco Blvd location. As it turns out, the Fairfield Inn is on Celebration Drive.  I guess I need to update my TomTom. 

As I had a 12 hour drive ahead of me, I thought I would call the Motel about 2:00pm, and let them know I would not be arriving until after 8:00pm local time.  The receptionist said that would not be a problem as my room was guaranteed.

TomTom got me to the area without any problems, except for the fact that the Fairfield Inn is not visible from the interstate or the main intersection. It is even difficult to see from the street, until you are right in front of it. 

I arrived about 8:15pm and the gentleman/receptionist had my reservation and room ready.  There were complementary cookies at the front desk and he offered me a $5.00 off coupon for Outback Steakhouse which was located just two doors down the street. 

The room was your typical clean motel room. TV with local channels, CNN, HBO, PBS and sports channels. Two twin beds, desk, iron and ironing-board, in-wall AC/heat and a closet area to hang your clothes.  The alarm clock/radio not only could receive the local NPR station but also had a connection for my MP-3 player.

Breakfast: The complementary breakfast consisted of hot waffles that you cooked right there, hot biscuits and gravy, hot oatmeal with fixings of raisins and nuts if you wanted them, egg and sausage and egg and bacon sandwiches, a selection of cold cereals, milk, juice, assorted fruit yogurts, chilled grapefruit and mixed fruit cups, hard boiled eggs, fresh bananas and apples, and of course toast, coffee and tea. So I guess there was something for everyone.

The staff: They were friendly and welcoming and very knowledgable about the area.  They were especially knowledgable about how to negotiate the local travel-ways.

Other ammenities: The hotel has a pool, hot-tub, USA-Today News paper, 24 hour coffee and tea, a computer (1) with internet access in the lobby and free WiFi in your room. Their web site says there also is a fitness center, coin operated laundry facilities on site and free parking. 

In the immediate area I saw host a of eateries such as, Applebee’s, Checker’s Burgers, Outback Steakhouse, Wendy’s Burgers, Cracker Barrel and Chinese restaurants.

Location: 105 Celebration Drive · Suwanee, Georgia 30024 USA. This is about 30 miles NE of downtown Atlanta, off of I-85 (I-85 & Hwy. 317).

Miller's Grill @ Benton Square, Rolla, Missouri

This Sunday we went to Miller’s Grill at Benton Square in Rolla, Missouri, for dinner.  It was a quiet night.  There were only about four tables of diners there.  We had not been here for dinner since Miller’s Grill had taken over the restaurants operation.  The decor had not changed and was still a pleasing place to have dinner.

The new menu is not as eclectic as the menu was under the old management, but they still had the Sweet-Potato Fries.  Miller’s menu is what I would call typical American, Appetizers, Sandwiches, Steaks, Chicken, Burgers, Salads and Fish.  They also had BBQ Ribs and Pork Chops.

The special for the day was an all you could eat fried cat fish with your choice of soup or salad and two sides for $9.99.  The service was prompt and attentive. 

My daughter and I ordered the special.  She had a salad and for her sides she had green beans and a baked potato. I had the soup, which was chicken-n-dumplings, and sweet-potato fries and mixed vegetables as my sides.  My wife ordered the grilled Mahi Mahi over a bed of wild rice.  She had a salad and mixed vegetables and corn nuggets as her sides.  The selection of sides was very diverse including such items as applesauce, cottage cheese, cole slaw and seasonal fruit, just to mention a few of the selections. 

Everything was excellent and my wife’s grilled Mahi was outstanding!  I found my bowl of chicken-n-dumpling soup and the garlic bread that was served with it to be very filling.  So as usual I found myself asking for a to-go box.  The vegetables were crisp and not over cooked and our waitress keep our sweet teas and coffee topped off.

Would we return????  YES.  Although the atmosphere is not he same as what it was under the previous management, this is still a great place to dine out.  Great ambiance, great decor, good friendly service and great food with a wide variety of entrées to select from.  Here is their contact info:

http://www.millers-grill.com/menu.htm: 

400 E 6th St, Rolla, MO 65401

PHONE: 573-426-4800 

So if you find yourself in Rolla, Missouri you should have dinner at Miller’s Grill - Benton Square.   2sassytravelers.blogspot.com

Dinner on the Hill in St Louis MO

12/3/2011

We went to dinner with our son and his roommate. We went to Rigazzi's @ 4945 Daggett Avenue, Saint Louis, MO (314-772-4900)   Not being familiar with this part of St. Louis, it appears as though the restaurant is in a mix residential/warehouse district.  Reminded me of San Francisco.  We arrived about 6:30 and there was plenty of parking and we did not have a wait to be seated.  The menu was what I would expect for an Italian restaurant.  On the last page of the menu there was a list of their daily specials. Of course I ordered the “Roman Indulgence” which was the special for Saturday night ($12.95).  The description for this meal read “You Get: Chicken Marsala Provolone, Canneloni in Red & White Sauces and  Pasta Cuggiano (the Italian answer to jumbalaya)”.  I thought these were the three choices I had, but as it turned out, NO, this was the meal!!! The meal also came with a salad (which had blue cheese on it), Cheese Garlic Bread and a small scoop of Spumoni Ice Cream for dessert.  

I asked the waiter if I could substitute the soup of the day for the salad and the waiter replied “no problem”. The soup was a pasta, meatball and sausage soup that was a mean in its self.  When the main dish arrived I ask the waiter for a to-go box and he said eat first and we will see what is left.  But after the soup, bread and my beverage, I knew I would be in a serious hurt if I were to try and eat the “Whole Thing”.

The folks seated next to us ordered a beer that came in this huge “bowl” of a glass.  I later learned that this huge glass is called a “fishbowl” which is 32 Ozs. of beer. The restaurant is noted for serving this. 

The seating is quite close and you may feel like you are eating with the folks at the next table. The service is good.  Our waiter was not over friendly but knew his job.  Other staff members (the bus girl) were friendly and very attentive. If you want to see their menu it is posted on line at rigazzis.com  “tu mangi"  2sassytravelers.

Grey Towers

This October I visited a place called "Grey Towers" on business.  Should you find yourselves in or near Milford Pennsylvania you should take the time to visit.  Grey Towers is the summer home of Gifford Pinchot, who was the founder of American forestry and the first chief of the US Forest Service. He was also elected twice as the Governor of the state Pennsylvania.

So here lies two stories. One that tells the stories of the man who coined the phrase " the greatest good, for the greatest amount of people, for the greatest amount of time " when it came to how we should manage our nations natural resources.  Secondly, as the wealthy Governor of Pennsylvania, Pinchot used his money and power to bring about progressive change to American society in the 1900s .
Milford Pennsylvania is near where Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey all come together. If you are in the area you should take the time to learn about this man, his life and his family. I was there in the fall and the county side was beautiful.  The Northern Appalachian Mountains in peak fall colors.  I really liked seeing the paintings and photos of what the area looked like back in Pinchot's time (clear cut forests) and comparing it to what I was seeing today. Make sure you ask about the "Finger Bowl". Now that is a way to have dinner with friends!

Grey Towers is a National Historical Site, so you can look it up on the web.  There is a small fee to tour the house (mansion). You can also read Pinchot's book titled "The Greatest Good".  It tells the story of how and why the US Forest Service and our National Forests were started.

Sorry there is no photo, but I was there on business.   thom

Dear followers

Dear followers of 2sassytravelers, to keep this blog site active Sally and I will be posting all of our domestic adventures.  We are planning and saving our pennies for our next global adventure so keep this site on your favorites and stay tuned.   2sassytravelers.

One Day Left :(

Friends,
I know this is taking forever, but I am almost finished. I left you at Belfast after our day trip to Giant's Causeway and the rope bridge. We got up in the morning and ate breakfast in the Cafe downstairs which was good but expensive esp. after we had been making our own. We took off to find a Black Cab Tour. On the way, we ended up buying tickets for an open bus tour. We walked to the town center to catch the bus. Everyone was so busy going places. Our tour was great. It was a double decker and we sat on the top. The weather was great-second day in a row. Belfast isn't too terribly big, a little spread out. The murals were interesting. So much conflict. After that we went to McDonald's so I could use the WiFi. While we were there, 2 boys were eating nearby and the one boy would eat some fries and throw the rest of the handful on the floor. I had to look twice to make sure I was seeing correctly. Of course Mom & Dad(that was us) let him know that what he was doing was completely unacceptible. He looked at us like we were from Mars, but he started moving when Tom went to get the manager. The manager said it was a common practice along with putting pickles on the windows. Whatever!
We went across the street to the "Mall", up instead of out, and looked for a quick sec. and then we were on our way to go to the Museum on the Queen's Univ. Campus. and Church. The Museum was way cool, wish we had more time to see it. Walked to St. Brigid's and attented Mass. Very diff. from St. Mary's in Killarney. Still pray at the speed of sound, though. Went to dinner in the univ. section of town. Another good meal but we did miss eating in Pubs. Tried to WiFi in Starbucks but couldn't connect there either so we went back to the hostel where I tried again. No luck. That night we thought Mardis Gras was taking place outside our window, it was that busy and noisy.

Breakfast at International Hostel. We paid for it.

International Youth Hostel in Belfast.

Double decker tour bus.

Hotel built like the Titanic's bows.

Government building. Stormont



One of the murals



Got up and made breakfast for ourselves and hit the3 road. We took the picturesque route. I like the villages on the Eastern coast. They have the water on one side and the mts. on the other. I could live there if they had food in their pubs.lol. We found our way to Newgrange with the help of the garmin, however, what it didn't know was that you needed to go to the Visitor's Center 2 miles away. So back we drove to catch the shuttle and go right back. Newgrange is interesting in that it is a passage tomb that pre-dates the pyramids. Big on the outside, it looks like a huge mound, but narrow and small on the inside. Actually built in a cross shape with an opening for the winter equinox sun rays to enter in the morning and light up the passage. Met an interesting man. He was an actor from Australia. We got his card and a list of movies he starred in. Can't wait to look them up. The weather wasn't nice, misty, rainy and chilly. Gave up looking for the Hill of Tara. Drove on to Dublin. Found our exclusive hotel--NOT!. It was right on the Liffey but showing some wear and tear of the years. The reception room is on the 2nd floor. What do they do for Handicapped? Our room was up another flight after that. All that luggage. Ugh. We went out to find a place to eat. A pub! Dinner was okay, I didn't like the chowder, it tasted fishy?? Slept like the dead after we spent 2 hours trying to pack all of our trinkets and goodies in our bags. Got it done but wow they weighed a ton. Tom took the car back next a.m. while I got ready. The breakfast there cost as well even though it was exactly like the hostel's. We didn't partake and instead went to find a place but nothing was open. It was, after all, 9:00a.m. but a bank holiday. We found a bus stop and went to the airport, which ended up being a good thing because it took us 2 hours to get through 4 check points. Apparently you can do US customs there instead of the states. However, it doubles your time at the airport. They actually had to hold the plane for all the passengers still in the lines. We had boarded on time, but ended up waiting 15 mins. for everyone else. This plane was nicer than the one we took before. We each had our own screen that we could watch various movies or tv. It seemed wider too. The ride back was over before we knew it. In Atlanta, I checked on our next flight which was changed we found out. I asked for an earlier flight and lo and behold we got one without xtra charges. Yeah Delta! Unfortunately no one told my bag. Consequently, I stayed with Sarah that night and Tom drove on home. My bag was there the next a.m. and Sarah and I drove back home.
The End.   (of this journey only, we are now planning our next one.)
Thank you all for keeping up with me. If you have ?'s, just send me a note here or my e-mail--mailto:e-mail--haines6@wildblue.net. Ta Ta all and love to you Mom, wherever you are.








Tallest building in Belfast.



This monument structure is actually leaning.



Queen's University

The Mourne Coast

Pastoral scene from Newgrange across the river.

Newgrange-passage tomb

Ruins beside Newgrange in shape of a cross

The opening to passage tomb with original rock in front.

Custom House in Dublin





My family crest-Costello .

Tom and his new favorite drink-Bulmers

Our fully packed bags.

                 

First Venture Out

We finally made it out of the Obama confusion.Trucked on over to Temple Bar. Alas all the stores were closed. We looked around for a pub to eat and found one on the corner. Noisy, busy and fun looking. The band was great but they played all American oldie goldies. Beatles, Van Morrison, Cat Stevens. Sounded really good, though. Sat a small table with a family from Holland. Dad, son and daughter-grown ups. Had an interesting conversation. Ordered steak and Guiness pie-Tom, and seafood chowder-me.  Yummy good and more than enough. Walked back in the windy rainy night. Here are our first pics.