Ice Cream and Seafood Diet

Vacation started on a Thursday afternoon and went to the following Wednesday night. My plan, besides heading to the East Coast to hang out with relatives, attend a wedding and float around lake(s), was to consume ice cream and seafood every single day.

So, just for fun, I weighed myself the morning I departed and then again when I arrived home. Expecting the worse.

And I LOST two pounds.

Which is rather incredible because by Day 4 I was nervous that I wouldn't fit in my new inner tube (purchased at the Wolfeboro Hardware Store, for $3.99, it was the last one on the shelf and was meant for kids age 9 and up).

I highly recommend this summer vacation eating plan (in combination with hours on the dance floor and swimming)!

Here we go:

Charles Street in Boston. J.P. Licks

Lobster Rolls and Fried Fish and Fries and Soda at Janine's Frostee

Alvin Rondeau's Dairy Bar in Palmer, MA.

Order the Black Raspberry ice cream, you won't be disappointed.

Frekey's Dairy Freeze in Chichester, New Hampshire.

That is a SMALL cone, guess we should have ordered the 'kid' size!

Incredible shrimp cocktail at Shibley's at the Pier in Alton Bay, New Hampshire.

There are always HUGE lines. This photo was taken two hours before they opened.
Bailey's Bubble in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.
Fluffer Nutter Sundae is on the menu, only in New England!

Our favorite dinner - grilled swordfish tacos at the Wolfetrap in New Hampshire.

Great view.

Lunch in Portsmouth at River House.

One never tires of lobster rolls in brioche buns.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Until this trip, I only knew MIT from Good Will Hunting, that movie with Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Robin Williams.

Turns out that my math whiz of a nephew (junior in high school this year) thinks of this place as his DREAM SCHOOL when pressed to answer the question, "If you could go anywhere you want and money is no object?"

So we walked around campus and soaked up the smarts that lingered in the halls.

Beautiful place. Beautiful location.

Looks out on the Charles River!

Miracle of Science Bar and Grill

Students moving in. What a grand building to call home while you are in college.

Not every building is old and brick...there is a nod to modern.

Charles Street

I love Boston. I worked in Boston. I have visited Boston many times since leaving.

Because it is old and historic, it feels the same and looks the same, even though restaurants come and go and new shops spring up.

Our August trip was all about western Massachusetts and getting to a wedding so we had very little time in our beloved Beantown.

But strolling down Charles Street did the trick.....

 Until next time!

W Hotel on Hollywood Blvd

We are not hipsters nor millennials.

That probably goes without saying.

But we were surrounded by them on Saturday at the W Hotel. 

It was a fun adventure, throbbing music and crowds and all (and just a short Uber drive to the Greek Theatre to see Bonnie Raitt in concert, where the crowd was significantly older and we knew the words to the songs).

.....here is what you can expect if you ever book yourself a room (and are graciously upgraded to a suite) in the heart of the city!

Lobby is quite glam!

No pockets so the cocktail server at the rooftop pool has to improvise.

In-room bar had quite the selection.

Love the Bliss bath products.

View from our bed.

The floor mat in the elevator on Saturday.

And on Sunday (yes, I live in flip flops, don't judge!)

Eat Your Vegetables

Our summer garden has been quite fun for our little guests from Finland!

They run outside, fill their watering cans and make sure that all the plants get wet/soaked.

Before dinner there is the ritual of 'what is ready to pick' ----- carrots, cucumbers, mint, tomatoes, squash, peppers?

Still waiting for those darn strawberries to grow.

Then out comes the hose to rinse their harvest.

Appetizers consist of sliced raw vegetables, mint-infused water for the little ones and sprigs of rosemary for the adult gin and tonics.

Eating out of the garden, one of my favorite summer rituals!!!

Who Ya Gonna Call?

Went from Wait List to Priority a week before taping!

Friends in front.
El Capitan Entertainment Center in the back.
Free tshirt was tossed into the crowd by the warm-up comedian!

Waiting in the back alley for the stars to depart.

If you live in Southern California it is a given that at some point you will see/meet/speak/photograph a celebrity because so many stars of television and film live here.

If you have friends visiting from the East Coast it is super fun to take them to a taping so that they can see celebrities up close and find out what goes on when a show is taped.

If you are lucky, you will get Priority Seating (which means you will get inside the studio and even if you land in the back row it is still a good seat as everything is much smaller than you would imagine).

If you are incredibly lucky, you will see the cast of the new Ghostbusters walk out and sit on Jimmy Kimmel's couch --- Melissa McCarthy! Kristen Wiig! Kate McKinnon! Leslie Jones!

If you are lucky beyond your wildest expectations…….halfway through the segment the original cast will join the gals on stage --- Bill Murray! Dan Aykroyd! Ernie Hudson! Annie Potts!

Akyroyd played harmonica and sang with Jimmy's band while Bill Murray danced with Kristen Wiig. It was amazing. The entire studio audience was on their feet screaming and clapping for the rest of the show (I lost my voice for days afterward and my girlfriend burst a blood vessel in her hand from clapping so hard).

What a night……who you gonna call ?

Here is the link to get tickets.