Day 8, Tuesday, September 20, Austria 2016

Our yearling cows were waiting for us as we walked out of our front door. 

Errands, local lunch, museum and a restful afternoon nap in the sixth day of on an off rain.  So you think Ireland is green you should see Austria.  The rivers and creeks are running at full tilt and cows are overwhelmed trying to keep up with the growing grass.  A beautiful sight. 

We woke up with a start this morning about 5:30 a.m. thinking “Did the Dodgers beat the Giants?”  We hooked into the wi-fi and watched the Dodger come back in the 9th inning that moved their magic number to 7 games.  Ain’t the Dodgers and wi-fi great?

We ate a healthy breakfast and decided our trip to Salzburg was not in the books for today.  We decided instead to do errands in Golling, have lunch in our favorite restaurant and then take a nap.  It was raining lightly as we headed out at 10:30 a.m. for time.  The bank, the drug store, the butcher and craft store and bakery were visited with success.  Then to the Golling Castle Museum. 

The lady who signed us in and gave us our senior discount was more nervous talking her very limited English as we our very limited German.  We got along just fine however.

The photo above is of the Salz River from the third palisade of the Castle.  And the photo below was a painting in the museum of the area looked 300 hundred years ago. It truly doesn’t look much different at all as the church and castle and houses haven’t changed at all.

We ate at our favorite restaurant, the Hauslwirt where Libby and I both had a huge bowl of very rich goulash filled with peppers, potatoes, onions and sliced sausage and speck.  Farmers fare. 

We headed for home took a very restful nap and I cooked pokt chops with canned peaches and fresh bread.  Heading off to Salzburg by train tomorrow. 

 

Salt Lake City, Day 1, March 22, 2015

Spring trip!  The first big trip of the year.  We decided that we wanted to drive to Salt Lake City/Park City area this year.  We stopped at a great hotel in Provo last year and we’re heading back there for three nights.

We took off from home about 7 a.m. grabbed a quick breakfast at McD’s…been doing that for 20 years…and headed straight through to St George, Ut and our favorite road restaurant, Cracker Barrel.  It was Sunday Dinner(lunch) and it was fried chicken time.  Oh my goodness.  Best ever. 

Filled up with gas at Costco for $2.30 gallon a dollar and 10 cents less than Cali.  Oh yes food at least third less than good old Cali as well.  Another reason to smile on this trip.

An hour later we are at 6500 feet in Cedar City, Utah with snow capped mountains all around us.  Oh yes, 37.6 mpg for Honda CRV.  Great first day. 

 

Planning 2015 Trips; Utah and New Orleans

I have been working on one of the best part of traveling, planning for the trip.  With the Web at your fingertips and your traveling experience, you can put together a really good trip at a cost that you can afford. 

We are traveling this year to places that we have visited or at least driven through/flown into in our traveling career;  Salt Lake/Park City, UT and New Orleans.

Salt Lake/Park City comes first.  It is a highway 15 driving trip all the way via Las Vegas, with stops in St. George(restaurant), Cedar City(hotel), Beaver(world’s  best local Gouda Cheese factory) and finally Provo, UT. as our home base.  We have come to really enjoy Utah.  Interestingly it reminds us of Germany.  Mountains, pristine wilderness and farm country, excellent roads with speed limits of 85 MPH, friendly hard working people and great universities. 

The hotel we’re staying is located just down the street from BYU on a creek that is roaring clear mountain water from snow pack, run by the college students, has a great breakfast included in a very reasonable cost.

We are going to spend some time in Park City, UT skiing the Black Diamond runs…LOL…not at our age.  Instead, we are going to take horse drawn sleigh up into the high mountains and stay in a mountain lodge which serves a big “home made dinner”  with entertainment.

Finally, testing some great rated restaurants, exploring the Temple Square area, and museums.  I will be ranking our experience in restaurants and and visits on Trip Advisor.  Should be fun.

Travel vicariously with us via this blog.  We leave in about three weeks. 

 

Best Cuban Restauant

With the amount of traveling Libby and I do, we go to a lot of restaurants, hotels and museums etc..  I have been ranking these places for quite a while on Trip Advisor.  Here is an example of one the places we have visited recently: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g32123-d940942-r248715746-Porto_s_Bakery_Cafe-Burbank_California.html#REVIEWS

 

“Cuban Food at Its Best”

Reviewed January 11, 2015 NEW

Our first experience with Porto’s food was pastries and cakes. People drive 60+ miles from the Antelope Valley for their special sweet treats for their parties. We however decided we would try their top rated restaurant in Burbank after a basketball game.

 
Haven’t tried Cuban food? Gotta do it. I had the Cubana Sandwich and its plantain chips for $5.50. Outstanding! My wife picked up an Ropa Vieja(Old Clothes) beef sandwich. Outstanding as well for $7.50

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Don’t be frightened with the lines…yes lines…they move fast. Heard the only day that there are no lines are Monday’s. For the line phobias. Clean, friendly and we are headed back very soon!