Nashville

Okay, so most of you know that I’m a big fan of country music. Well, yesterday, I had a day off and spent it in Nashville with some photographer friends.

Actually, the day started the night before. After finishing my shoot in Martin, TN, I headed to Murfreesboro to meet with my friend Leeann. When I got there, Filipe, another photographer friend told us that he was gonna have the next day off too so we told him to drive down and spend the evening with us. Once he arrived, the three of us drove down to Huntsville, AL to meet up with our friend Adele for dinner at 801 Frankin, a classy restaurant in this middle of nowhere town. After a great dinner and some fun trying to find coffee (“Oh, is coffee supposed to be hot?” – McDonald’s), we headed back to Leeann’s hotel.

The next day, Filipe and I booked a room in downtown Nashville and headed out. The Renaissance we stayed at was in the perfect location, right around the corner from the historic Ryman Auditorium and a block from Broadway where one can find a lot of cool pubs and bars. We spent a number of hours just wandering downtown, souvenir shopping and taking photos.

After a nap, the rest of the gang started to arrive. Once everyone was there, we headed back to Broadway and got a couple of beers at a couple of different bars. It was still early and because of the Nashville Predators hockey game and the Harry Connick Jr. concert, the bars were relatively quiet. The two bars we visited both had live country bands and the music was actually very good. In no time, it was time to head to the Capital Grille for our 8:30 reservation. The restaurant is located in the gorgeous and historic Hermitage Hotel and is one of the top restaurants in Nashville. Our waitress was funny and very down to Earth (ghetto as she put it). Dinner was fantastic. I had a perfectly cooked beef tenderloin that was so incredibly tender, it could have been cut with a butter knife. Absolutely delicious!

After dinner and a brief tour of the hotel (thanks to our waitress), we headed back to one of the bars we visited earlier. Tootsies Orchid Lounge is a famous bar where many of Nashville’s rising stars played. Famous customers include Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Kris Kristopherson and Loretta Lynn. When we arrived, the place was rockin’ and packed with people. We pushed our way through the crowd and eventually settled in a spot right in front of the stage. The band was awesome, the crowd was terrific and I almost lost my voice from screaming and singing the entire night. We also got to hang out a bit with a group of Canadian boys from Toronto who were there on a road trip, so that was cool. We also drenched the floor around our area with some beer bottle tapping (sorry Ronan). The highlight of the evening was when the singer got up onto the bar to sing and invited some ladies, including Leeann and Adele, to get up and dance on the bar! Freaking AWESOME. What a great night. After closing the place down, we headed back to the room and the 5 of us crashed. Definitely a night to remember!

 

Mosaic Tapas Bar – Ocean Springs

This was one of those nights when I found myself in a really cool place in a somewhat unlikely location.

The location was Ocean Springs, MS and the place was Mosaic Tapas Bar. Now, I have to say, I love tapas bars. They are typically pretty hip and you get the opportunity to try out a variety of dishes in smaller portions. So last week, when I was searching for a good place to eat in the Biloxi area, I drove into this cool, Steveston-esk village in Ocean Springs in search of this sushi bar I found online. I had sushi on my mind that night so when I walked by Mosaic, I took note and tonight, I got to go back.

The bar was set up with couches with big fluffy pillows, soft lighting, and hip music – a fine atmosphere. In addition to tapas, they had a small wine list, a martini and cocktails list, as well as a hookah pipe menu. Tonight, I chose the pear saketini (a vodka martini with pear flavoured sake) and my favourite, a chocolate martini. For food, I chose a house salad, fish tacos, chicken quesadillas, and beef empanadas. Delish! Then arrived Patrick, a live musician who played acoustic guitar and sang to familar tunes. Apparently, this was his first time playing there. Lucky me. He was quite good! However, once again, the only thing missing was a good group of friends to share this with. I did get a chance to chat with Robbie, this cute guy that sat at the next table who grew up in Ocean Springs but seemed quite open minded and mature for someone who was around 25.

All in all, a fun night. If you ever find yourself on the Gulf Coast in the Biloxi area, go check this place out… and bring your friends. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Mississippi Earning

Well, I’ve been in Mississippi for the past couple of weeks, trying to make a living and catch up from a month of worklessness. I was hoping to have escaped the unusually horrible Vancouver winter but it seems Mississippi hasn’t been much better. There were a few days when it was just as cold as it was in Vancouver and today, it was absolutely pouring. I guess I could say that it reminds me of home but that would just be wishful thinking.

I started this trip with my friend Adele. We were fortunate enough to have a few great evenings to spend together. We were also “close” enough to Leeann so the three of us went out for a fantastic dinner in Tuscaloosa, AL… and last night, I drove to New Orleans, LA and had dinner with Jesse, another photographer in the area. So cool to be able to spend time with friends while on the road and now be able to say I’ve visited another three states that I had never been to before. Good times can be had on Wyndham trips!

Here are some photos of Adele and I being complete dorks on the road (as usual). I think we were scaring the locals but who cares – they talk funny down here. “Yer not from ’round here ‘re ya?” How lovable? I admit it does grate on me sometimes!

Well, as I mentioned, yesterday I met up with Jesse in New Orleans. I’d never been to New Orleans but what a cool town. The French Quarter (what I saw of it) was really facinating and Bourbon Street was party central. Really great. I wish I had more time to spend there. Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of New Orleans to share but take my word for it. If you’ve never been to New Orleans, you should go check it out. Nice to see that the French Quarter wasn’t too damaged by Katrina.

 

Bisbee and Tombstone, AZ

Today, I had a day off so drove southward to Bisbee, AZ. This is a quaint little historic mining town surrounded by hills and has a tourist village feel. There really isn’t too much to the town other than shopping for gifts and surprisingly good eats.

After spending a few hours photographing and sight-seeing in the area, I drove up to Tombstone, AZ, a historic western town famous for the gunfight at the OK Corral, where Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Virgil and Morgan Earp fought the Clantons and McLaurys on October 26, 1881. The town itself isn’t much to look at and the historic area is now essentially a recreation of an old western town, set up for tourists. However, it was still fun to walk around for an hour or so.

After returning to Bisbee for the evening, I had a fantastic Mexican dinner at Santiago’s Mexican Restaurant. I like Mexican food but am often disappointed with what I find. I’m not sure what they did but the fish / citrus beef tacos were amazing! Next time I’m in the Bisbee area, I’m definitely going back!

 

Another Day, Another Day Off

With a second day off from work, I headed out to Catalina State Park to see the desert sites and take some photos. It was another hot day and I enjoyed some great scenery.

Later, I headed to a restaurant I’d been meaning to check out, Anthony’s in the Catalinas. Quite the fancy restaurant with a wine list of 1700 wines! I had no idea it was that classy and I felt somewhat under-dressed. Still, the food was delicious. The only thing missing was someone to experience it with me.

 

Okay, Okay…!

Well, my friend Adele is giving me a hard time about not having posted in my blog, so this one’s for you, Adele.

I think my lack of motivation to do anything recently is due to several factors:

1. I’m in the middle of a not-too-exciting project/trip
2. There aren’t the opportunities to socialize that I had in DC
3. My friend Cindy was in the area last week and now that she’s gone, I don’t quite know what to do with myself
4. I’m tired of traveling on my own
5. It’s the end of the work year and I feel like I’m soooo done!
6. I have some plans with friends when I get home and now I just can’t wait to go home.

Anyway, here are some recent highlights:

1. Cindy was here for four nights and we had dinner together every night. I almost fell asleep behind the wheel several times driving out to meet her, but it was worth it. Oddly enough, I never felt like I was gonna pass out on my way back to my hotels.
2. One night, we went to this “World Wine bar” called Kazimierz and had appetizers with flights of wine. So cool.
3. Another night, we met up with Leslie, the food and beverage manager at Caleo in Scottsdale. She’s friends with our friend Art and ended up treating us to a great meal and three glasses of wine each at her restaurant. Apparently, Art told her to get us drunk (he’s still apparently cursing Cindy for their latest binge). If she comes up to Vancouver for Christmas, it’ll be our turn to return the favour. BTW, drunk Cindy is so cute!
4. My final night with Cindy had us visiting a local resort called The Phoenician, sipping margaritas while sitting on their patio overlooking the city, then selecting a bottle of wine from AZ Wine Company and having a four-course meal at Atlas Bistro, this great little restaurant I discovered the week before. The owner Todd, and his Canadian wife Natasha were very nice and modeled the menu after Vancouver’s Lumiere, a restaurant owned by Vancouver’s Iron Chef champion chef Rob Feenie. Such a fantastic meal.

Everything else that’s happened recently pales in comparison to the fun I had with Cindy so there’s no point in even mentioning any of it. Here’s hoping Cindy’s visit doesn’t end up being the only highlight this trip.

 

You Only Get One Chance to Make a Bad First Impression…

… ’cause you’re not likely to get a second chance.

Recently, I had drinks with a friend of a new acquaintance and learned that there are still adults out there who are socially inept. As a result, I thought I’d post a couple of tips for what not to do:

1. When meeting someone for the first time, do not hand over your gym bag to your potential new friend with an assumption that this person will automatically carry it for you.

2. When going to a busy bar, do not simply invite yourself to sit with a couple of people you do not know.

3. When with your potential new friend, do not assume this person will pick up the cheque. Even an insincere gesture to pay for your own drink would be appreciated.

4. When your much-less-potential new friend pays for your $12 drink, a thank you might be appropriate. Even some sort of minor acknowledgement would suffice.

5. At the end of the night, when you’ve ordered more alcohol and your likely-not-a-chance-in-hell new friend had stopped drinking because he is no longer intereted in spending any more time/money with you, do not suggest you just split the cheque in half.

6. Get a clue.

 

The Drinkin’ Must Be Helpin’…

… because I don’t know what else could be making the difference.

Tonight, I went to Vivo, a cool Italian restaurant that leases space from the Hyatt in Cleveland. Earlier, I had met the restaurant manager, who was sorting wines in their back room. He let me browse and we chatted about wines for a while. He suggested that I come back during their happy hour to try some of the wines. When I did, I sat at the bar which happened to be serviced by a cute bartender. As the evening progressed, we chatted and I (somewhat) flirted. I wasn’t certain at this point but I was pretty sure he was gay. When it was time to go (I was expecting JR to call soon), I told him I wished I had met him earlier in the week as I would have totally asked him out and that he should visit me in Vancouver. He smiled and told me he would call me if he decided to go for a drink after work.

What’s wrong with Vancouver? This last couple of weeks in Cleveland and DC given me more dating opportunities than I have had in xxx years in Vancouver… and tomorrow night, I sorta have a date back in DC! I love Vancouver, but seriously!

 

A Few Good Men (and Women)

Well, the past few days have been really great… I mean, REALLY great!

The problem with being on the road working is that you’re out there, by yourself, with few opportunities to socialize with familiar faces. Sometimes, you feel isolated and don’t want to do anything. And then, there are days like this past Sunday and Monday.

I had a day off on Sunday and was scheduled to fly out to Cleveland the next day. I decided to book a room in Washington’s Dupont Circle, at a very nice and affordable hotel called Jury’s Washington. Situated in downtown DC and right in the heart of Washington’s gay district, the hotel was in the perfect location for me to just do nothing. After a little bit of shopping, I had a “local’s day”, one where I did what other locals typically did. The Sun had come back out and it was warm and beautiful. I grabbed my book, got an iced coffee at Starbucks and planted myself in front of the fountain in Dupont and read/people watched. After being there for a couple of hours, a guy by the name of Ken (no, I wasn’t hearing voices) came up and we started chatting. A nice guy. I decided to take him up on his offer to go for a bite later. After a nice dinner with decent conversation, we went to a couple of local bars and met with some other DC locals, all very nice guys. It was a day where I felt I wasn’t so alone and fully enjoyed the opportunity to socialize with some new friends.

The next day, after putting up with an hour delay in my flight’s departure, I arrived in Cleveland. I mean, “what the heck is there to do in Cleveland?” I kept asking myself. Well, as it turns out, the hotel I am working on is right downtown and is very close to some very cool restaurants and bars. I decided to go for a nice dinner and found this new restaurant just down the street called Lola. This is actually a new location of an old restaurant (the old location is now a restaurant called Lolita). As I walked in, I noticed a cute guy sitting at the bar so I decided to have my dinner there. We exchanged hellos and kept making eye contact. Unfortunately (for me), he was with a girl, his fiance. As dinner progressed, the three of us started up a conversation. JR and Danielle are just finishing up business school at the local university and are planning on moving to Orange County next year. I talked about what I was doing in Cleveland, how I was from Vancouver and had lived in Whistler. JR, being a snowboarder, told me that next winter, he was definitely coming to visit me in Vancouver. After sharing some wine and some great conversation, some of JR’s other friends came by and they all invited me to join them at this members’-only bar, where local celebrities, mostly professional athletes, hang out. As it turned out, one of JR’s other friends’ best friend is a Vancouverite who has just returned home after 9 years in Cleveland and is finding the adjustment a bit difficult (she’s lonely). Next thing I knew, I was chatting with Tiffany, a complete stranger, long distance on the phone. It was a little surreal, with me thinking about her back home and she thinking of me hanging out with one of her best friends. I told her to call me in a couple of weeks when I get home and that I would introduce her to some of my friends. Anyway, after a chocolate martini, we headed over to one of their apartments and hung out there for a little while, sipping on margarita mix and listening to music. After spending about 5 hours with my new friends, I headed back to the hotel with a big smile on my face.

 

The Emporium of Whistle Pigs

Tonight, I had dinner on the patio of the Emporium Restaurant, a nice place on Niles Avenue in South Bend, Indiana, along the St. Joseph River. I had the “Big Island Chicken”.

Apparently, it was the last night of a summer music festival, held every weekend just slightly down the river from the restaurant. During dinner, they had a performance of belly dancers which I could just barely see from my table. Afterwards, I could hear the band getting ready and after dinner, I went over and listened for a little while. The band was called the Whistle Pigs and played a mix of rock, R&B, folk and just about anything you can play with a guitar, drums and a sax.

Later, I headed off to the South Bend Chocolate Company and got myself an Irish cream latte and some gourmet chocolate. Mmmm… chocolate! Gotta love chocolate.