Dreams Resort and Spa Punta Cana

April 6, 2012 By Christin M Leave a Comment

We are just back from a week in tropical paradise at Dreams Resort and Spa in the Dominican Republic, located 50K north of the Punta Cana Airport. Dreams is an expansive all-inclusive Resort with a beautiful beachfront, one of the largest pools in the Caribbean, a casino, tennis courts, and activities for the whole family. We so enjoyed spending time on the beach, we didn’t even step foot into the pool until our last morning there!

We were fortunate the resort wasn’t at full capacity while we were there and we had little to no wait at the restaurants and no trouble getting lounge chairs. We upgraded to the Preferred Club and had access to a private lounge with computers and a bar stocked with top-shelf liquors, complimentary wi-fi in our room, and access to a private beach area. The beach area was well worth the extra expense as there were approximately 14 king-sized four-poster beds that were available on a first come, first serve basis. After spending the first day on one, we knew we needed one everyday. They were unbelievably comfortable. Getting one required getting out to the beach well before 8 every morning. But all you had to do was lay a few of your belongings on the bed and give a tip to Rafael, the man in charge of the Preferred Club Beach area, and the bed was yours for the day, even if you went off to do other things for a few hours. Afternoon naps on the beach were the highlight of the trip for me. I’m thinking about getting one of these beds for my back yard!

Among the many activities offered are Spanish and dance lessons, Big Screen movies on the beach, an ocean trampoline, tennis, night club, batting cage, an electric bull, and a climbing iceberg in the pool. We went on 1 excursion to Catalina Island to do some snorkeling. It was a long 1 1/2 hour bus ride, followed by a 30 minute boat ride. We drove through several towns and it was very interesting to get a glimpse at how the Dominican People live.

The only negatives of the resort were the food, which was just so-so (but no one got food poisoning!) and the people who haggle you to buy things. When we went to Jamaica last year, there were lots of people trying to sell us things on the beach, but they were not allowed on the resort property and they were friendly when you said ‘no Thank You’. At Dreams, there were actually people set up selling things inside the resort several nights while we were there. They were very aggressive in their selling tactics and did not want to take “no thank you” for an answer. There were also people trying to pressure us into going to visit a nearby time share. Only other thing that didn’t appeal to me about the resort was the long distance from the airport and excursions.

But all in all, we had a wonderful time and as you can see below- we took LOTS of pictures.

Sailing

Beach Front Area

Flamingos- one of the best things about the resort was the wonderful array of birds everywhere.

Parrots watching us play tennis.

A tennis court unlike any I have played on before!

View from breakfast restaurant

trampoline

Nothing better than a bed on the beach.

Lobby area

View looking up from bed on beach

On boat to go snorkeling

snorkeling- really liked that they did not make us wear life jackets.

On beach at Catalina Island

Catalina Island

Free form pool meanders through resort

Punta Cana

April 4, 2012 By Christin M Leave a Comment

Greetings from Punta Cana!

We have been enjoying beautiful weather in the Dominican Republic.

One of four resident flamingos at the resort.

Our trip is coming to an end. We have played tennis and ping pong, snorkled, sailed, and consumed many cocktails on the beach.

Looking forward to being home in time for Easter!

Filed Under: Weekend Trips Tagged With: Punta Cana

Tupelo Honey Cafe

November 5, 2011 By Christin M 4 Comments

During our trip to Asheville last week, we stopped for breakfast at Tupelo Honey’s South Asheville location before heading home. This second location of the nationally recognized Asheville restaurant opened last year and is much easier to get in and out of than the downtown location. Plus they offer reservations and the downtown location does not. Even with a reservation, we had to wait a good 10 minutes for our table. But that is nothing compared to the wait at the downtown location. Tupelo Honey gets insanely busy.

The South Asheville location has seating for 170. They have done a wonderful job of transforming a strip mall space into an inviting, warm atmosphere. Southern Folk Art and old windows hanging from the ceiling create an eclectic yet cohesive space. We sat in a large, comfortable booth with ample room for the 6 of us.

Complimentary biscuits and homemade blueberry jam are delicious and filling. I made the mistake of eating a whole biscuit and I barely had room for my pancakes. The biscuits are a meal in themselves.

Eggs Betty- Poached eggs on a biscuit with all-natural ham and homemade hollandaise $8.99

Sweet Potato Pancake topped with whipped peach butter and spiced pecans $5.75

The peach butter has a wonderfully unique flavor. I’ve never tasted anything like it before.

Fried Chicken and Biscuits $9.95

You can’t get much more Southern than this.

Tupelo Honey Cafe is all about “Southern Favorites with a creative twist” and they place a heavy emphasis on fresh, local ingredients. Some of their more popular lunch menu items include Applalachian Eggrolls, the Grateful Dead Black Bean Burger, Shrimp and Grits served over goat cheese grits with spicy roasted red pepper sauce, the Southern Fried Chicken BLT, and Not Your Mama’s Meatloaf with rosemary tomato shallot gravy.

If you’re in the Asheville area, time spent waiting for a table at Tupelo Honey Cafe is time well spent. If you can’t make it to Asheville, they just released a cookbook this year. I bought a copy at the restaurant and have already tried one recipe. The recipes are creative and modern, but without hard to find ingredients.

Tupelo Honey Cafe

Downtown Asheville

12 College St

828-255-4863

South Asheville

1829 Hendersonville Rd

828-505-7676

Filed Under: Restaurants, Weekend Trips Tagged With: Asheville, Tupelo Honey Cafe

Gourmet Chip Company

November 2, 2011 By Christin M Leave a Comment

The Gourmet Chip Company in Asheville is a snack heaven for those who prefer their treats to be on the salty side. Neala Stuery opened the shop 6 months ago after coming up with a business plan to do the chip version of Coldstone Creamery. Two large chalkboards display the menu. You can choose one of their signature creations or create your own. Two of the more popular Signature Creations are the Napa, kettle-style chips with blue cheese crumbles, lavender, and sea salt and The Parisian with rosemary and thyme encrusted goat cheese, truffle spritz, and sea salt.

To create your own, pick a type of chip – kettle, sweet potato, plantain, or taro. Choose toppings and or a dip. With toppings such as applewood smoked bacon, dark chocolate shavings, and sun-dried tomatoes, there are many creative combinations that can be put together. The chips are cut lengthwise instead of crosswise and are very crispy. The kettle chips are cooked at a low temperature for a longer period of time than you would normally fry a chip. This results in a chip with a nice crunch and very little grease.

Once you order, your chips are mixed with your toppings in a large stainless steel bowl. They are then placed under a heat lamp so that the chips are served warm and the toppings really cling to the chips. We tried the Cajun Sweet Potato, the Southern BBQ, and Salt and Vinegar. Careful preparation ensures that each chip is evenly coated with seasoning and toppings. My favorite was the Salt and Vinegar. The balsamic drizzle really produced a nice flavor.

At almost $5 for a cone of chips, the prices are definitely a little steep. But then again, you are getting a totally unique experience that you can’t get anywhere else.

The Gourmet Chip Company is located on Broadway St right across from the Mellow Mushroom.

Gourmet Chip Company

43 1/2 Broadway St

Asheville, NC 28801

828-254-335

Just down the street from the Gourmet Chip Company is a quirky Gift Shop that is well worth a stop. The L.O.F.T. which stands for Lost Objects Found Treasures has so many delightfully unique items, that I think of it not just as a shopping destination, but an entertainment destination as well. This is a great place to go if you are feeling a little glum. The bright colors and whimsical gifts can’t help but lift your spirits.

The store is crammed full of stuff from floor to ceiling and the merchandise spills out into the street outside where there is an impressive display of yard art.

Apple, Pumpkin, and Pear Bird Feeders

Among The L.O.F.T.’s offerings are funky light fixtures including chandeliers made from wine glasses, cool children’s toys, soaps, candles, jewelry, off-color holiday cards, and unusual food items such as Bacon Mints. Many of the gift items are handmade. They also have a selection of books that will give you a chuckle like How to Feel Manly in a Minivan.

The L.O.F.T. also offers a design service where they help you revamp the look of hidden treasures in your house.

The L.O.F.T.

53 Broadway

Asheville, NC

Filed Under: Restaurants, Weekend Trips Tagged With: Gourmet Chip Company Asheville, The Loft Asheville

Weekend in Asheville

October 30, 2011 By Christin M Leave a Comment

We just got home from a wonderful weekend in Asheville. Friday night we ate at Rezaz in Biltmore Village. Rezaz features Mediterranean Cuisine from Executive Chef Reza Setayesh.

Rezaz is located in a turn of the century building. The decor is modern yet warm and inviting. We were a party of 10 and sat at a long table with bench style seating on one side. The waiter was attentive and knowledgable and helped us pick a white and red wine from the extensive wine list.

For appetizers we had fried shrimp and calamari coated with a sweet and spicy glaze. We also tried the appetizer special, clams cooked with chorizo.

I had a delicious, slow-cooked lamb shank served on mashed potatoes with broccolini. The sauce was rich, earthy, and complex. The huge portion of lamb was tender, fall-off the bone.

Desserts were magnificent. We tried a stout oatmeal cake with salted caramel drizzle and pistachio baklava.

REZAZ

28 Hendersonville Rd

Asheville, NC

Saturday, my mother, daughter, niece and I had fabric shopping on our minds. We went to not 1, not 2, not, 3, but 4 fabric stores. The first 2 stores were the best. Asheville Cotton Company is located in a strip mall about three miles out Hendersonville Rd from Biltmore Village. It is a quilter’s paradise with over 8,000 bolts of quilting cotton. The colors were absolutely gorgeous.

Asheville Cotton Company

1378 Hendersonville Rd

Asheville, NC 28803

Next we headed back to Biltmore Village to Waechter’s Fine Fabrics located in an old textile mill just across the railroad tracks.

This place is an absolute wonderland for any sewing enthusiast. Contrary to the other fabric stores in Asheville which cater to quilters, Waechter’s caters to those who sew clothes. Think Project Runway.

Waechter’s has been around since 1929, making it the oldest fabric store in the southeast. Even though it is an old store, it has a very hip vibe which has undoubtedly helped it stay in business so long. They have a huge variety of fabrics from silks to wools, rayons to Liberty of London cottons, all hand-picked by the owner. The button wall is fabulous. I’ve been to many fabric stores, but I’ve never seen such a great collection of buttons. They also have a great selection of hard to find patterns, including many by Amy Butler. I found a wonderful pattern for making children’s crown’s and party hats out of fabric.

There was a wonderful selection of sale fabrics (50% off). Usually I can’t find anything I like on sales tables in fabric stores, but because the fabrics in this store have been so carefully selected, there’s really not a bad one in the bunch.

Best of all Waechter’s Fine Fabrics has wonderful customer service. The gals who work there take pride in the shop and in helping the customers. You can even go to the website and read their bios. They told my daughter all about a week-long sewing camp they run for kids in July – and she wants to go! I’m just wondering how I can shave 25 years off my age and sign up to go with her….. maybe they need an intern?

If you live to far from Asheville to visit this wonderful store, all of their fabrics are available for purchase on their website.

Filed Under: Weekend Trips Tagged With: Asheville Cotton Co, Rezaz Asheville, Waechter's Fine Fabrics

Weekend in Debordieu

August 15, 2011 By Christin M 2 Comments

We are just back from a weekend in Debordieu/Pawleys Island. Most of the weekend was spent watching my son and his 2 friends play in the Debordieu Junior Classic Tennis Tournament. Thanks to a long rain delay, we got to enjoy visiting some friends at their gorgeous oceanfront house in Debordieu.

Our beach time was cut short when our son’s match unexpectedly got moved ahead 4 hours. We had no time to return to the hotel for his tennis clothes, so he had to play in his bathing suit and newly purchased T-shirt and socks from the pro shop. The USTA ref couldn’t help but giggle.

Debordieu, pronounced Debidue in Southern, is a private community just off of US Route 17 near Georgetown that includes 2,700 acres of land and wildlife reserve. With only 1,250 home-sites in Debordieu, this is where you want to go if you desire privacy and seclusion. It is also the place where the who’s who of Charlotte vacation. The Country Club includes an 18-hole Pete Dye golf course, 10 tennis courts, and an oceanfront pool and beach club. Although it seems many in Debordieu do not rent their homes, there are quite a few rentals available. Many of the rentals include either social club or golf club privileges.

Just a short drive north on Route 17 are Pawleys Island and Litchfield. If you find yourself in this area, be sure to stop by Latte Litchfield for an assortment of specialty coffee drinks. The Iced Coffee Toffee was rich and decadent enough to put most desserts to shame. They also sell Wholly Cow Ice Cream from Charleston.

Latte Litchfield

13088 Ocean Highway

Pawleys Island, SC 29585

843-235-7575

Filed Under: Weekend Trips Tagged With: Debordieu, Latte Litchfield, tennis