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2nd visit to New Orleans with all its history and culture ... Special with wife & sister

Last month's visit to New Orleans was my second.  The first time was back in the early 2000s.  This time it was special because this visit was with my wife and my sister, Edwina.

One of the highlights of the trip, as we always find local places to eat, was our dinner at Mr. B's Bistro.  I thought that it was a smart idea to get more sales at the bar.  The bar opened all the time while the dining room would open like at 5:30.  So for the first thirty minutes the bar was opened for drinks and a limited menu.  Great way of getting sales!

Appetizer: Sea Scallops @ Mr.B's Bistro

Entree: Fried Crab Softshell @ Mr.B's Bistro

Normally, on previous visits--or when I have eaten New Orleans type of meals--the spices are very hot! 

Before that, however, we had to visit Jackson Square before the sun went down.  And, thank goodness, we did.  

I captured some blue skies pictures over Jackson Square, and as we walked back to the car on the shores of the Mississippi River.  

The Mississippi River right off the French Quarters

It was such the contrast of the city of New Orleans, which is trying to get back to its pride and invitation of getting residents to live in the area since Hurricane Katrina.

Driving through the French Quarters was definitely an experience by itself.  The roads were not even, so there was no speeding.  We knew when we were crossing Bourbon Street.  Instead of trying to let the pedestrians cross, there had to be aggressive driving.  If not, we wouldn't be able to cross Bourbon Street because of all the people who were walking on the street.  

Would I make another visit to New Orleans?  Maybe not in the near future.  There are so many other cities that I have to visit first.  

The City of DiamondHead, MS

Who would have thought that someone who visited Hawaii would start a city in Mississippi?  It has a population about 10,000 residents.  It was good to see a little bit of Hawaii in the south.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A lot talk about it, but ... NO above and beyond guest service at the Hilton

There must something wrong with me as I stay loyal to a chain that just doesn't treat me well.

You would expect that a hotel chain, the Hampton Inn, that you booked in early June for a reservation in mid-September would have the courtesy of calling you if the hotel wouldn't open in time for the reservation.  Wouldn't you think?

Well ... fortunately, while at dinner I was checking out the directions to the hotel that we were supposed to check in last night and lo and behold, the hotel web site that I was directed to said that it was not supposed to open till October 7, 2014.  I have a confirmation for my stay last night, so I know that I wouldn't have booked a hotel if the hotel wasn't supposed to open in time for me to stay starting last night.

When I called the hotel, the gentleman who answered the phone told me that they weren't ready to invite guests.  So I called the main Hilton reservation line.  The guest service representative didn’t know why the hotel didn’t open, or bother to call me to make a reservation elsewhere.

To make a long story short, the guest service representative made a reservation for me at the Hilton Garden Inn.  However, when I got to the hotel, they told me that they didn't have a reservation at the hotel.  The clerk had to make one immediately.  Fortunately, they still had rooms available.  This was after getting off the phone with the Hilton reservation line over two hours before I arrived at the hotel to stay.

In the modern technological age, I cannot understand how this can happen.  Just saying.

--9:20am

No one is perfect ... Making amends

Maybe this is why I am loyal to companies.  If it is brought to their attention and they make amends for "messing up," it makes it ok--not above and beyond, but ok.

This morning, after I posted what I wrote, the manager at the Hilton Garden Inn I expressed my frustration called, apologized and offered me a free breakfast, which I did not ask for.  Even though, I still believe that this stay has not gone above and beyond. 

Throughout the day I, also, remembered last year's trip to Washington D.C.  I remember this front desk guest service attendant who remembered my name, calling me Mr. Lum, every time that I arrived at the Hilton Garden Inn.  That made me feel very special, that he would call me specifically by my name.

So maybe that is why I am still loyal to the Hilton chain.

Meeting up with my sister in New Orleans in September ... Visiting Gulf Coast & the South

It looks like my Sunshine and I will be meeting up with my sister in September in New Orleans and visit the southern states of Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia and Tennessee, and maybe a drive-thru in Florida.  We are planning to visit New Orleans, Gulfport/Biloxi, MS; Mobile, AL; Nashville, Chattanooga, TN, and Atlanta, GA.  It would be memorable to visit New Orleans area again since December 2006.

 

As most of you know, I am not into watersports, so visiting the gulf coast for water, just isn't what I would like to see.  I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions on anything interesting to look at during the trip later this year. Please let me know.

Ten Historical places in one day! ... Washington Monument closed

I can't believe that even taking the Washington Metro around town, we took over 20000 steps walking around Washington DC yesterday.  We ending up visiting nine memorials and one building in the Smithsonian.  When visiting Washington DC, take the Metro.  It's convenient.  It reminds me of growing up in Hawaii riding The Bus.  These are the ten historical sites:

• Arlington National Cemetery
• Smithsonian: American History Museum
• World War II Memorial
• 56 Signers of Declaration of Independence Memorial
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial
• Lincoln Memorial
• Korean War Memorial
• Martin Luther King Memorial
• Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial
• Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Pictures will be uploaded sometime in the future.

I was disappointed to see that the Washington Monument was under construction because of the Virginia earthquake of August 2011.  

There is surely another visit years from now in the future to Washington DC! 

Meeting US Congressman Fleischmann

I walked into my US Congressman's Washington office to get US Capital gallery passes, and he was there, remembered me from working at Cracker Barrel. He wanted to sit down and talk with me about how I am being affected by the federal government.  I didn't expect him to be in his Washington office, but he was--just as I opened the door. He invited me in to talk with him one-on-one with him in his private office for about ten-fifteen minutes. He asked what my future plans were.  I said that I am presently pleased where I am, willing to retire from restaurant management, but hoping that one day, perhaps, able to own my own business.  It was an interesting conversation.

Disclaimer:

The views expressed on this blog is solely the opinions of the author and does not represent the present or any past companies to which he has worked in the present or past.

 

Wife almost passed out ... Tours for first day in Washington DC

The day started late, because both of us were tired from the long drive and the night before being busy packing for the trip.  The late started didn't help the plan of trying to find breakfast for my wife before walking around the Gardens at the Smithsonian.  I thought that during our walk from our hotel to the Smithsonian area we'd find a few food places where my wife could get something to eat.  I was wrong.  Most of the places that were open on a Sunday were north or east of where we were walking.  My wife wasn't up to walking without anything to eat that she had to sit down (this about close to noon time) while I went ahead to scout out a place in one of the Smithsonian places, at the National History Museum to see if they had a cafe or something.  Fortunately, they did!  Of course, the cheeseburgers there were already made with the onions, which my wife couldn't eat because she is allergic to them.  She had to settle for a good turkey sandwich.

Sunday's weather forecast is the lowest temperature of the week.  And it looks like the rain will arrive in the area the earliest on Friday, which we are planning to spend most time indoors at the Smithsonian.  Today, it's to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the US Capital, and the Pentagon.  Fortunately, my wife is getting breakfast before we head out for our tours.

Washington vacation & reaching the BIG 5-0!

In about 2 days, after one more day of work, my Sunshine and I will be leaving for our next vacation, the last one of this year.  It will be the last vacation of the year, but more importantly, it will be my celebration of being on this earth for 50 years.  It's hard to believe that I have reached this age.  But I have!

As I consider today, the meaning of the day, to consider what we are thankful for, I consider all the people who give me at least a second of their day, a consideration of thought of encouragement or support.  Others don't realize that thinking about others make our lives much more meaningful than only thinking of ourselves.  

As I about to reach this age of 50, I am taking a look back at the things that has happened to me in my life.  I think back once again when I was younger and I wanted to be a journalist. Looking at the current state of the media these days I am glad that that was not the career course that I took. As I think about what journalism was when I was growing up in the 80s it was more finding the truth, asking the tough questions, challenging the establishment. I just don't see that these days. What I see is a slant of one political persuasion that is totally against my core values.

I appreciate my upbringing in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu.  Living in the islands have really helped me with the values of reaching out to others and considering the Ohana ability of getting along, especially since we had so little land to move around.  I know that the Aloha Spirit and the sense of Ohana will always be with me.

Pictured in 2009 on our one-day visit to Washington DC

I appreciate my upbringing in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu.  Living in the islands have really helped me with the values of reaching out to others and considering the Ohana ability of getting along, especially since we had so little land to move around.  I know that the Aloha Spirit and the sense of Ohana will always be with me.

I am looking forward to the time off that my Sunshine and I will have visiting our nation's capital.  I only spent one day in the city in my life back in 2009.  I hope that I will learn more about the deep history of what our Founding Fathers gave birth to our nation.  So many needs to learn the real history!

As it stands right now we have a busy we climbed for the beginning of December.

• The Bureau of Engraving and Printing

 

• The US Capital

 

• The Library of Congress

 

• The Kennedy Center

 

• The Supreme Court

 

• The Pentagon

We have a couple of days which we on our own we will be visiting a lot of the monuments and of course, this is Smithsonian Institute.

We're looking forward to seeing a little history and reviewed in our institutions.  If anyone has any suggestions on where to go, please let me know.

Out on The Skydeck Chicago Ledge and 103 floors up!

Eight years ago, I took the elevator 103 floors up to what was then, the Sears Tower, and took a 2005 self-portrait.  Times have really changed.  Now, there is the Skydeck Ledge, which when I visited the first time, because it made its debut in 2009.

The first picture was taken by one of the staff member there.  It started when this couple was walking up to the last Ledge out of the four that they had a staff member.  The woman of the older couple said, "I'd pay you money if you would go on the Ledge," she said.  I noticed that she didn't say how much.  I later found out that this gentleman was scared of heights.  He offered for me to go first.  I did.  When I entered the enclosed 1,500 pound glass panel, which only extend 4.3 feet out, the employee kept on asking me to step back out!  "What do you mean???" I thought.  I am as out as I could!  And, it's only 4 feet out.  I must have been at the 4 feet mark with only the .3 left!  Or so I thought!

I noticed some of the people in the Ledge taking a self-portrait lying down with the camera pointed down 1353 feet down.  That sounds like a great idea!!!

The four state view from the Willis Tower

Looking up the Willis Tower

Long, but good, day at the ChicagoLand Speedway!

Just as I predicted early Sunday morning, it was a long day at the NASCAR ChicagoLand Speedway because of a five-hour rain delay.  Since it is the only planned race this year that I will be attending, it was a good thing that it turned out to be a one day event.  The one drawback was watching the second half of the race in upper 50-degree temperature and waiting afterwards for my Sunshine to pick me up after the races.

There is one question that I have to ask:  what is with this guy?

Let's be clear, I am a NASCAR fan, however, I would not wear something like that!  I can understand how some people can't believe that I am a NASCAR fan.

During the late stages of the race, if anything else, I didn't want Kyle Busch to win!  Even though it put Matt Kenseth in the lead for the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship.  Let me repeat that in the unofficial standings as of early this morning, there is two out of the top five that I would say I would not select to win the 2013 Sprint Cup Championship: Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson.  I don't think that it would be good for the sport.