Bluebirds and Butterflies

Visit to Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands (Part Two)

Happy Friday and welcome back for part two of my posting on Friday Harbor.  I am so glad you are here for the ride back on the boat with us.  (If you missed yesterday's posting, please visit Part One---scroll down or go to the category "Field Trips from the Nest" on the right of the blog.)

Here are Sadie and I on the "Glacier Spirit" taking in the last view of Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands.   Beautiful, sunny day!  Sadie was enjoying the sunshine...as was I!

In fact, I had to put on my sunglasses at one point...

As we left Friday Harbor and headed back, the Captain announced that he would stop the boat if he spotted any whales along the way.   While we were up on the deck watching for signs of any whales, we passed this small lighthouse...

After a little while, the Captain had spotted the sign of whale in the distance..

He stopped the boat and announced that we would wait a few minutes to see if this whale would come closer...

We watched and waited for a while to see what would happen...  We know that there are whales spotted all the time in these waters...   Ashley pointed out where to look to Brenna...

Unfortunately, the whale never came close, and this was the only one spotted this particular day.  We were a little dissappointed as my husband, son, and I  had just returned from a great whale watching trip in Alaska.  We wanted Ashley and Brenna to experience a whale....  The whales were quiet this day...but we plan to go back again with Ashley and Brenna on a future trip.   Whale spotting is common in the San Juans, so I am sure they will get to see one!  Until then, this was the only other fin we saw...   :)

"Silly Papa!"  xoxo

Even though the whale didn't come close to the boat, Brenna still got a treat...

We were invited to sit up in the front of the Glacier Spirit near the Captain.  Very nice of him!  Here is Brenna watching everything that the Captain is doing.   She enjoyed being "Co-Captain" for a while.... :)

Puget Sound Express is a family owned business.... I'll post a link at the end.  We enjoyed our trip and they were super nice!  

Let's see what is going on on the deck..   Passing a lighthouse...

We are nearing the marina in Port Townsend.   We stood on the deck to enjoy the view as we motored towards the marina...

We enjoyed the nice breeze and the beautiful day!  As we motored along, we started to see several sailboats...

Miss Brenna was enjoying looking at the seagulls and sailboats through the binoculars as we made our way into Port Townsend...

Coming into the marina area of Port Townsend...

You can see the many boats moored at the marina.   The building in the background with the green umbrellas outside is a restaurant.

My husband and I visit Port Townsend frequently.  On a nice day, sometimes, my husband and I will put the top down on his convertible and take a leisure drive to the town.  There are a lot of victorian-style  historic homes in Port Townsend.  There is also a nice area of shops near the marina.  We enjoy visiting the shops and browsing through the antique stores and then having a nice lunch.  There is also a yearly Wooden Boat Festival that is quite popular in this area.  My husband and I attended this event last year and had a wonderful time. There were many wooden boats that participated in the event at the marina.  Several of them would let you climb aboard for a tour.  It was a lot of fun and well attended by the public.

We also love to visit a place called "The Upstage" in downtown Port Townsend.  A friend of ours, who loves great blues music, introduced us to "The Upstage."  You can enjoy a good dinner and hear some wonderful live music while you dine.   Great place and a lot of fun!  Thank you, Pam, for introducing us and for the fun times we have had together there! xoxo

If you visit Port Townsend, you can also visit Fort Worden.  If you do, you might see some familiar surroundings.  Fort Worden was the location of several of the scenes in the movie--"An Officer and a Gentleman"--starring Richard Gere, Debra Winger and Louis Gossett, Jr.   You can view a posting I did on it by going to the category "Fluttering About (Places I love nearby)" and viewing the "Fort Worden" post.  I have several photos of Fort Worden on that post.

If you enjoy staying in bed and breakfasts, Port Townsend has several nice places to choose from. There are also some older historic hotels in the area.  My husband and I love to stay at a place called the Manresa Castle when we visit. 

We are almost at our dock and ready to disembark the "Glacier Spirit."  I hope you have enjoyed seeing the photos as we have made our way back from Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands to Port Townsend.

I hope you enjoyed hearing a little about Port Townsend as we have motored along, too.   Perhaps you will visit Port Townsend and take the Puget Sound Express over to the San Juan Islands yourself someday!   The San Juan Islands have been named on several lists that feature beautiful places to see.  They have amazing sunsets in the San Juans.  Well, our boat has arrived at it's final destination at the dock.

They retrieve our suitcases for us, and it is time to say goodbye.  

We thank the Captain and crew of the "Glacier Spirit" for the nice cruise to and from Friday Harbor....also for their nice hospitality.   Our family had such a wonderful weekend together on our first trip to the San Juan Islands.  What great memories...  

I hope you enjoyed coming along with us to the San Juans and enjoyed the many photos from our trip.  These photos were taken before I purchased my current camera.   I look forward to taking this camera along with me when my husband and I visit Roche Harbor this summer.  I look forward to exploring a new place in the San Juans and sharing my memories and photos with you.   As always, I am wishing you "Bluebirds and Butterflies" and a beautiful day!  (As promised, scroll down for more info. on The Puget Sound Express and also on The Upstage...just click on the links)  xoxo Kim

Click on the link to Puget Sound Express: Puget Sound Express info 

If you live near Port Townsend and would like to check the schedule for  entertainment at The Upstage, please click on this link:  The Upstage

From Sadie Mae and I.... have a wonderful weekend!  xoxo Kim

Additional comment:  Thank you, Puget Sound Express, for featuring Bluebirds and Butterflies on your website!   It was a nice surprise, when I visited your website today!  xoxo

 

Visit to Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands... (Part One)

As the weather is getting nicer here, my husband and I have been talking about things we would like to do together over the summer.  On our list is a trip to the San Juan Islands.   We have never visited Roche Harbor yet in the San Juans.  We have been told that it is a beautiful place!   While talking about a future trip to the Islands, memories of a trip a couple of years ago to another Island in the San Juans...Friday Harbor...came to mind.   Today, I would like to share some of the photos of the trip.  My step-daughter, Ashley, and grand-daughter, Brenna, were visiting from Florida.  

In the photo above...(left to right) Me, Brenna, Ashley and my younger son, Elliott, right before the trip to Friday Harbor.  We live close enough to the San Juan Islands to go by motorboat for a day trip.  We drove to nearby Port Townsend and then took a whale watching boat service called the "Puget Sound Express" over to the Islands.  The name of the boat was Glacier Spirit.

The boat at Port Townsend, Wa...

We had never been to the San Juan Islands before, and were excited to visit.   Puget Sound Express will take you over to Friday Harbor.  You can choose to either come back that same day as a day trip...or you can spend the night and catch the boat back the next afternoon. The boat makes one trip every day and arrives around 2 p.m. or so.  We had found a bed and breakfast that would allow us to bring our Maltese, Sadie Mae, so we decided to spend the night.  Here is a photo of Sadie and I on the Glacier Spirit.  That Sadie gets around!  :) 

On this sail, the captain of the boat looks for whales along the way.   If one is spotted, the boat stops and views the pod so that people can take photos.  We were ready with our video camera just in case...

   We had to leave Port Townsend very early, but they have plenty of coffee and a delicious blueberry buckle that they serve along the way.  They have nice tables set up inside the cabin, so no worry if the weather is cool or drizzly...

Here is a photo of my son, Elliott, and I at the table together as we began our cruise to the Islands.  As mentioned, it was very early and you can tell that Elliott is a little sleepy...

So, he and Sadie Mae decided to take a little snooze...   zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Here is Miss Brenna at our table as we left Port Townsend...

We had a little early morning fog on the way at first.  But, soon it cleared, and the day was gorgeous!  After some coffee, we decided to venture outside onto the deck of the boat to take in the view...

Me outside the cabin on the Glacier Spirit...

The fog was just lifting...   Here is Ashley taking in the view from right outside the cabin on the back of the boat.  Even though it is still a bit hazy at this point, we could tell it was going to be a beautiful trip over to the San Juans...

After a little while, the fog totally lifted...  Yea!

Many people sail over to the San Juan Islands.... it is a beautiful trip!

You spot many boats along the way...  We even saw the ferry pass by...

At this point, Sadie and Elliott were awake and came out to join us...refreshed from their nap...

Brenna was enjoying her time on the boat...

And so were the rest of us...

It didn't seem to take very long...and, suddenly, we were nearing Friday Harbor...

We were now seeing LOTS of boats as we neared the marina of Friday Harbor...

It had turned out to be a beautiful day!

Not sure, but this looked like a tiny car ferry to Roche Harbor and neighboring Islands...or could be some type of small barge for delivering things...

Woo hoo!  We are here!   We are excited to explore Friday Harbor...

We are on foot with our small suitcases....hmmmm.....which way do we go?

Wow!  It is so pretty here....and so many boats!

Brenna stops to play along the way...

As we walk towards our bed and breakfast...you can see the ferry has arrived in the background. 

We pass by a couple of apple trees as we walk toward the B & B...

Nice looking apples!

Soon we notice the sign for our Bed and Breakfast..

After getting settled, we decided to explore and go for a walk...and support the local merchants, too...

We thought this sunflower was cute...

As they say...."It's five o'clock somewhere..."    As we had gotton up very early, we were ready for some early dinner....

We were close to the marina, so we decided to walk around and explore this area after our meal...

Wow, look at all the crab!

My husband and I enjoyed seeing the many boats...

As did Sadie Mae...

Maybe my husband and I should stay here sometime....

What do you think?

After a little walking, Sadie got thirsty...

Yes!  A water fountain just for little doggies!  Miss Sadie is really getting used to this life here.... ha ha...and the pampering...

The rest of us stop for a little break, too, and to take time to enjoy all the beauty of the area around us...

And to take time to enjoy each other's company....and say, "I love you!"....

and clown around a bit...

We spotted what looked like kelp in the water...

We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon and early evening.  After walking back to our Bed and Breakfast, we relaxed for the night.   The next day, we walked back into town and went into some of the local shops.

We also went to a whale museum...

Where Sadie met a little friend..

We set up our timer on our small little camera and made a group photo....  I think we had the camera a little too low... ha ha!  Not the greatest shot of us together...but a good memory!

Time for lunch...

After lunch and a little more exploring, we walked over to the area where The Glacier Spirit would pick us up.   We spotted the boat coming in...

We arrived at the dock a little early, so made some pictures to remember our boat...

We said goodbye to Friday Harbor as we boarded the Glacier Spirit...

And.....we were off!

Another beautiful day...Friday Harbor was so pretty as we left the Harbor...We saw some seaplanes....and lots and lots of boats...

Ashley and I enjoying the deck together...

Brenna, Sadie Mae, and I...

Wait a minute....is that a shark????

"No, Mimi, it is just Papa and I clowning around."   :)

On this happy note....I think I will say "goodbye from Friday Harbor" today...  I have several more photos that were taken on the trip back and will post them tomorrow!  Hope you join us for the fun ride back to Port Townsend....   We will look for some whales along the way and go up front to the captains spot.  Then, I have some nice photos of Port Townsend as we motor in.   I hope you have enjoyed part one of our trip to Friday Harbor!  See you tomorrow.... Until then,  have a beautiful day today! xoxo Kim

Tides Tavern in Gig Harbor

Spring has been late arriving this year for the Northwest.   We are, finally, beginning to have some very beautiful days.  When the weather is so nice here, it brings everyone out to enjoy the day.   Over the weekend, my husband and I decided to take a little drive in his convertible over to Gig Harbor.  There is a little restaurant/pub along the waterfront there that we love to go to....Tide's Tavern...

Tides Tavern is a great place to go on a nice and crisp sunny day.  The food is good and the atmosphere is casual.   The best part is that Tides is situated right on the water with a large seating deck.

The deck area is usually very popular on a very sunny day...  From this spot, you can see the boats in the marina and also have a little peekaboo view of Mt. Ranier...

If the wait is too long or if it is a little cool out, you can opt to dine indoors at the restaurant.  There are windows looking out to the water all across the back of Tides Tavern so there is really no bad seat in the house...  The next photo was made from inside the tavern.  I love the pink hue on Mt. Ranier as the evening passed...

After my husband and I were seated at the tavern, I walked out onto the dock (which leads to the back of the restaurant) with my camera to capture a few of the many boats passing by for you. The next photo shows the dock I was standing on when I made the next few photos...

It is deep enough in the passageway to accommodate some very big boats!

There were a variety of boats that passed while I was photographing...including several nice sailboats...

If you love to sit and watch the boats pass by, you would love Tides Tavern!

You see every sort of boat imaginable pass by... boats of all sizes...large and small...all sailing in harmony on this beautiful day...

If you have a boat and would like to sail or motor over to Tides Tavern in Gig Harbor, they have places where you can temporarily moor your boat right at the restaurant.  Someday, we want to sail our little Catalina, Skye, over to Tides...

You would just temporarily moor your boat and walk right up this dock...

On the other side of the waterfront area, you can see several beautiful homes that have a million dollar view of the waterway and boats...

The homes have some nice deck areas and balconies that look out to the water.  It would be so pretty to open your french doors in the early morning and late afternoon to watch the boats slowly passing by...    I can picture sitting on the deck in the late afternoon or early evening with a glass of merlot, a nice dinner, candles burning, music playing and this view....   Nice!

Sailboats on the deck spinning with the breeze...

Boats moored in the marina...

So many people out enjoying the day today...  Looks like this family is having a great time in their zodiac....probably headed in from one of the large boats to the restaurant...

Back inside the restaurant, our food had arrived...  I had a warm roasted vegetable salad which I love.  My husband selected fish and chips.  Both were delicious and the view was awesome from our window seat.  When we arrived at Tides Tavern, it was quite busy as the great weather is bringing everyone outdoors to enjoy the day.  We took "first available" and were seated in ten  minutes by the window overlooking the water.  As the evening progressed, the Northwest air got a little chilly.  We saw a few people moving indoors that had not brought a light wrap.    We were happy to have our water view table inside...








As I am enjoying my dinner, I am thinking about last July, when we brought my younger son, Elliott, to the restaurant.  He was celebrating his 21st birthday, and we thought it would be a fun place to go for a family dinner.  Here is a photo of my son and I on that day...

Elliott had just been accepted into the University of Washington (Go Huskies!) and I had his cake done in their color with UW as the theme.

A photo of my husband, my son, Elliott, on his birthday last year at Tides Tavern...

A great memory for all of us...   My husband and I also took my sister to Tides Tavern when she was visiting from Florida a couple of years ago...  

Another view of Gig Harbor waterfront...

You can see Mt. Ranier in the next photo...

My husband and I had a great late afternoon/early evening at Tides Tavern.  We enjoyed our food and watching the boats meander by....   

After a nice time at Tides Tavern, we drove back in the car with the top on my husband's convertible down again...  The evening was cooler, but I had a little blanket to throw over my legs in the car....a nice ending to a beautiful and relaxing evening spent with my husband....my very best friend....

If you live in the area and have never been to Tides Tavern, I hope you try it sometime!   It is a fun, casual place to go on a beautiful afternoon.   Wishing you a wonderful day today! xoxo Kim

 

The following was taken from their website and talks about the history of Tides Tavern...

The building that now houses the Tides Tavern was built by Axel Uddenburg in 1910 and served the area as a general store. Located next to the "People's Dock", the town's only public ferry landing, it was called the West Side Mercantile. The ferry dock provided a steady stream of customers through the first half-century. With the end of prohibition in the 1930s, a tavern was added, and a tradition of good times began. Beer was sold for 10 cents a glass, and 20 cents a bottle. The tavern never made much money, but no one cared. Through the years, the building has seen a number of colorful owners, not the least of which was "Three Fingered Jack," a Jerry Garcia look-alike whose tenor voice resonated across the dance floor on Friday and Saturday nights in the late 60s and early 70s. In 1973, current owner Peter Stanley bought the run-down, but well-known tavern, and began a two-month re-construction project which culminated in the memorable opening of The Tides on the weekend of "Harbor Holidays." Soon after, Stanley opened an enlarged kitchen, and a tradition of great tavern food had begun. Since then, the food has expanded to healthy portions of specially made pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, chili, clam chowder, great home-made soups, and the Tides' famous fish and chips. Through several renovations, The Tides traditions remain intact... live music can still be heard on weekends...original signs, painted by Gig Harbor painter Toby Reid, add to the nostalgia of the tavern...and the walls remain covered with snapshots sent in by patrons who have donned their Tides T-shirts around the globe. Since 1973, The Tides Tavern has been a place to celebrate the bond of friendship, a place for us to gather, a place for old friends to re-unite and even a place to fall in love. Today, vestiges of the building's historic past, when groceries and fishing supplies were loaded onto horse-drawn carts, are still visible to those who know where to look. Perhaps the secret of The Tides lies in the comfort it affords people; a feeling that, while it may change with the passage of time, it will always be there.

For more information on Tides Tavern, visit their website at this link:

Tides Tavern

Llamas in Bainbridge Island

Over the memorial weekend holiday, my husband and I drove over to Bainbridge Island  to pick up my son from the ferry and, on the way back, got a big surprise...

We take a backroad from the ferry because it is a little quicker than following the long line of cars that get off the ferry.   Along this path, we pass by a lot of various homes.   We have gone this way many times, but, on this day, we were surprised to see three beautiful llamas behind a wooden fence gazing at us as we drove by.  

One of the homes we pass is set back off the road a bit.  On one side of the property is a wooden fence that goes down the yard very close to the street.  As we passed, we saw the three llamas you see in my photos.

In the very back of the property, past the home, is a wooden structure that must be where the llamas are housed and fed.  

We have travelled this route several times and have never seen a llama  in view before.   Timing is everything I guess...

We had a couple of beautiful days over the memorial day weekend, and I think the weather was so pretty that it brought the llamas out to explore.

After spotting the llamas, my husband found a spot where he could safely turn the car around, and we came back to take a closer look.   I was so happy that I had brought my camera with me!  

The street we were on runs right next to the fence.   I got out of the car and with my camera and walked over to the fence.   I was cautious because I didn't know how the llamas would react to me.  

At this point, they were back a little ways from the front of the fence.  At first, all three llamas perked up their heads and kept their eyes on me.   I walked slowly to the fence and held my camera up to try to get some nice shots.  

When they realized that I was just going to stand quietly and take photos, they went back to the business of exploring and grazing...except for one...

This pretty white and brown llama was curious and wanted a closer look...

I thought this lama was so pretty and quickly nicknamed her "Dolly" Llama.  :)

"Dolly" kept watching  me and moving closer.  As she neared, she would stop and stand very majestically with her head up very high.  The other two llamas ignored me and went right on grazing.

"Dolly" moved away from the group and kept coming closer to me.    As she did, she would stop occasionally and stand very erect.   It was almost as if she was posing for me..

I thought "Dolly" had a very sweet face...

I will say that I was also on alert, however, as I have heard the stories about llamas spitting on people.  But, these llamas seemed very calm.  I think it is because the fence is on a street where there are several houses nearby.  The llamas are probably used to people talking to them as they pass or stopping to look.  On the fence facing the road, was this sign:

From the sign, I learned that even though they spit at other llamas, they rarely spit at people...

They also had a phone number in case someone wanted to buy a llama.

I was so happy that I had brought my camera with me on this day.   I try to remember my camera when I leave my home to go on an outing.   It seems that when I don't bring my camera with me, I always see a beautiful sunset, rainbow, or something unexpected like this and wish I had brought it with me.   Seeing the llamas and having the camera to capture the moment just reinforces my desire to always have a camera nearby...just in case...

I have also noticed that starting my blog has brought out the creative side of me again....   I am more alert to the beauty around me and see so many things that would make a beautiful photograph.   When I was younger, I used to draw and paint with watercolor.   When you paint, you look at things in a different way.   I am discovering that photography is very much a form of art.   My husband has been very supportive of my blog and is also beginning to notice things around him that would be of interest to someone else and make a good subject to photograph.   I think my blog has sparked a little artistic side of him, too!  Just goes to show that if you are open to the world around you and take the time to really look, there is beauty everywhere...   So, after a few photographs, we said goodbye to "Dolly" and the other llamas.  

Thank you "Dolly" for posing for me!   You were a beautiful subject to photograph.    After my husband took this photo of me with the llamas, we continued on our drive home.   We will be looking for "Dolly" and the other two llamas on our future trips to the ferry.  

Today, May 3lst, my friend Sandy Gibson is celebrating a birthday.  I would like to dedicate this post to her and wish her a very Happy Birthday today!   If you saw the lavender farm posting I did, you saw Sandy with me in the photos...

Happy Birthday, Sandy!   I hope everyone has a beautiful day today! 
((((hugs)))) xoxo Kim

Spray River in Banff, Canada

One of the last areas I wanted to show from my trip to Banff, Canada, last week...was this very scenic spot at Spray River.

We were told that there is a lot of wildlife in this area including grizzly and black bears, coyotes, deer, elk, cougar, eagles, and a variety of other small animals and birds...

The bridge is a great area to take in the breathtaking view...

Lots of river rocks in the cold, clear water below..

My son's friend, Alan, was nice enough to make a photo of my son and I on the bridge...

We noticed a restaurant on the bluff above with windows looking out to the water.  I would love to try this restaurant sometime...

Here is a photo I took of my son, Brandon, on the bridge with the beautiful scenic background...

There is nothing more beautiful than the natural beauty of nature...

I was so happy that my son and I were able to be in a photograph together with this beautiful background...

My camera could not truly capture the magnificient area we were in...  My son and I were in awe of the scenery around us.

 

I love this next photograph....

There is so much beauty in the world out there....


No matter where your road takes you...

If we slow down our pace and take the time to see it....

the beauty around us is present and will inspire us...

My wish for you is that seeing this beauty fills your heart with peace.

Enjoy your day...  love, Kim xoxo












 

Photos from downtown Calgary, Canada

My son invited me to fly to Calgary, Canada, to meet him while he is on a business trip.   Since he was going to be in Calgary over a weekend this time, he thought it would be a good opportunity for me to come and see the area he works in and spend the weekend together.   My sweet husband thought it was a great time for me to see the Calgary area and spend time with my older son so he bought a ticket to come!   My son has to work during the weekdays but we have the evenings to spend together and also this upcoming weekend.  

Downtown Calgary is a big city...  Today, while my son was working, I headed out to explore some of the nearby area.   The flowers hanging on the lightpoles remind me of my town in Washington State...

S

Some of the buildings on the streets in downtown Calgary are very ornate...

My son usually stays in a hotel near the Calgary Tower....we hope to visit it tomorrow.

I noticed these statues on the street...

There was a shop I liked that had beautiful flowers outside...  It is called Twigs...


I love these windows with the flower boxes...


The red trim on the windows and doors really spotlight them....

All these beautiful flowers were outside the shop...

This next shop was a chocolate shop...

Looking down the street...

This horse sculptured work of art was standing on one of the streets I walked down...

Another view down one of downtown Calgary streets...

The top of this building was very ornate..

There are a lot of tall office buildings in Calgary...

I hope that you are having a great day today.   I am enjoying seeing Calgary and spending a little time with my older son.   I will be posting more photos over the next couple of days.  We are going to tour the Calgary Tower tomorrow, and will post some photos from the top.  

Have a beautiful day and we will see you at the top of the tower tomorrow... xoxo Kim

Ruggles Grill in Houston

My son and I had a wonderful dinner last night at a restaurant in Houston that I have loved for many years.  

The restaurant is called Ruggles Grill.

I lived in Houston in the 1980's and early 1990's and discovered this lovely restaurant when I was working as a legal secretary in downtown Houston.

Many of the attorneys in the law firm I worked for used to have dinner at Ruggles Grill.  Sometimes, we would celebrate birthdays at the restaurant.  The food was always delicious and is still owned and operated by the same person...the creative and talented Chef Bruce and his beautiful wife...

I fell in love with this restaurant in the early 80's, and it continues to be one of my very favorite places to dine in the Houston vicinity.
The restaurant is located in a building that used to be an older home.  The home was quite charming on the inside.

The restaurant is divided up into different sections throughout what used to be the historic home.  The photo you are going to see next with the painted sky is the dining area that also contains the bar.  

I love the atmosphere of the bar area because it has a beautiful hand-painted ceiling with a sky, clouds and cute characters with a Texas flair.

Here, you can see little sea turtles riding sea horses.   The turtles are dressed as cowboys...

Here is a closeup of some detail in the ceiling...

I love the small stained glass windows at the top of the ceiling in the photo above...

Here is a closer view of the stained glass windows...

Another closeup of a painted character on the ceiling in the bar/dining area section...

For dinner, we selected a Malbec red wine...

And our entree was chicken with cheese and spinach and a medley of fresh veggies...

My son and I love the vegetable selection that comes with the dinners.   You have a little bit of everything!  So good!  Then, after dinner---

we had a nice warm cappuccino and a wonderful meringue.  Great way to end a fabulous meal...   Next, are some other dining sections of the restaurant.  

I love this room with the painting of the fish and the portrait.  I believe the portrait might be a painting of Chef Bruce's wife.  The light streaming through the stained glass gives the room a nice ambiance...

I enjoyed having dinner with my son last night.  It was great having a nice meal and chatting about his upcoming wedding which will be in November.   He has a sweet and beautiful fiance that I adore.  They make a great couple, and we already consider her part of our family. While at the Ruggles, my son and I took a look at one of the private rooms at the restaurant  and are considering Ruggles as a place for our rehearsal dinner.  We know the food will be great!  

My son knows that Ruggles is one of my very favorite restaurants, and so he plans for a nice dinner at the restaurant one night each time I visit him.  He loves Ruggles as well, and it is a great time for us to chat and enjoy a nice evening together.  I love to visit my son and wish we lived closer!  It is great to spend time with my children.  I enjoy spending time with my son who is away at college in Washington State as well.  I am blessed!

After a great dinner and taking a look at a possible room for a rehearsal dinner in a few months, it was time to have the valet bring our car and head back to my son's place.  Tomorrow will be my last day in the Houston area.  I hope you have enjoyed some of the places I have shown you while I have been visiting my son in Houston.  It has been fun, and I have really enjoyed spending time with my son, his fiance, and her family. I am happy my husband was able to accompany me on this trip. Today, I am visiting with one of my dear friends. We have been friends for several years, and I look forward to seeing her. 


Thank you for being a part of my visit to Houston...

I hope that if you are ever in the Houston vicinity, that you will be sure to visit Ruggles Grill.  Say hi to Chef Bruce and keep an eye out for a Houston sports celebrity...   Many of the ball players love to eat at Ruggles and dine there frequently.  My son and I saw basketball player, Clyde Drexler having dinner at Ruggles one evening a couple of years ago and were honored to meet him outside the restaurant.  He was very gracious to us... Thank you, Clyde!

I hope you have a beautiful day today!  Enjoy your day...  xoxo Kim

Beautiful River Oaks

 When in Houston, I always enjoy going on a leisure drive through the beautiful River Oaks neighborhood of Houston.   River Oaks has some of the most gorgeous homes and mansions in Houston...although there are many fabulous neighborhoods in the Houston vicinity.   I hope you will enjoy coming along with me for a relaxing drive down just a few of the lovely tree lined streets in the River Oaks community.

 

I love the well-manicured grounds of some of the homes...

 

 

Many of the beautiful homes have gas lanterns near the entrance way or front door...

 

I love this home with the green shutters and the plants hanging from the window boxes...

Some homes feature terraces and circular drives...

The top of this next home makes me think of a castle...

The next home makes me think of an old Southern mansion...

 


 

Many homes are made of brick...

Some homes have a Mediterranean feel...

Many of the homes are quite large...

Texans are very proud of their State and many homes fly a Texas State flag as well as the American flag...

I love the stone fence of this next home...

 

River Oaks Blvd. has some beautiful homes...

 

There are some magnificent tall oak trees in the area...

The next photo is of the River Oaks Country Club.   I have actually eaten dinner at this club before.  The interior really has the feel of the old South...

I love the fig ivy growing on some of the stone and concrete walls...

Some of the oak trees are massive in the neighborhood.   They add to the old Southern charm...

Did you know that the old movie, Terms of Endearment, with Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger was filmed in the older section of the River Oaks neighborhood?   In the movie, Jack Nicholson played a retired Astronaut who lived next door to Shirley's character who was named Aurora.

During the Christmas holidays, all the homes are magnificent with all the large oak trees wrapped in white twinkle lights.  

Some of the homes have yard decor such as topiaries on the grounds..  Here is a Texas Longhorn...

 



I hope you have enjoyed coming along with me today for a leisure drive through the River Oaks neighborhood.   The neighborhood has a very active garden club which sponsors many activities.  One of the events each year is an Azalea Home and Garden Tour.  This tour will walk you through a few of the fabulous gardens and even take you inside a few of the houses.  I used to love to attend this yearly event.  Many of the homes feature pretty azaleas and roses.   You can get some great gardening landscape ideas when you browse through some of these well-manicured gardens.   The Azalea Trail, as it is called, is usually in the month of March or April.  This is well worth attending,  and I hope that if you visit the Houston area in the springtime, that you get the opportunity to walk the path of this tour.   Don't forget your camera because you will get some lovely photos!

Thanks for joining me on the drive today, and have a wonderful day!  

xoxo Kim

Relaxing by the pool

.  Sometimes, it is just nice to relax and unwind....

My husband and I took our coffee this morning and headed out to the pool at my son's apartment complex in Houston.  It is still fairly cool in Washington State, so it was so nice to feel the warmth of the southern Texas sun on our feet.

 

The lounge chairs were inviting...



We enjoyed our morning coffee and listened to the sound of the fountain flowing into the pool...




There was a slight breeze in the air which was blowing the roses softly...




Because it was a work day, we had the pool all to ourselves...

The light played upon the water of the pool...

It was so nice just to stretch out and relax and put our feet up in the warm Texas sun...



I hope that you have a beautiful and relaxing weekend.   xoxo Kim

Field trip to Houston

I hope everyone is having a great day today.   Yesterday, I flew to Houston, Texas, to visit my older son.   I will be posting from his home in Houston this week.   I am hoping to go to the beautiful River Oaks neighborhood this week and take some photos for you.   If you saw the movie, "Terms of Endearment" with Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger, the home that Shirley MacLaine's character--Aurora--lived in was located in the older section of River Oaks.  There are some gorgeous mansions located in this neighborhood.   While I am visiting my son in Houston, I will share a little of each day with you.   

Today,  I flew to Houston, and my son picked me up at the Intercontinental Airport at 7:45 p.m.   I grew up in Florida but lived for several years in Houston and always feel a little like I am "coming home" when I land at the airport.  Both my sons were born in Houston in the 80's.   My older son moved to Houston after graduating from University of Florida with a Mechanical Engineering degree.  He works for a well-known, major company in Houston and it is nice that I can return to Houston to not only visit him but enjoy the area again.   I lived in Houston for about 18 years before returning to Florida and, ultimately, moving to the Seattle area.  I love visiting my son and his fiance in Houston.  I also enjoy returning to some of the restaurants and places that I used to frequent when I lived here.   My son is also introducing me to a few new places that he has discovered.   Tonight, after he picked me up from the airport, we went to a restaurant not far from where he lives called Oporto.   

Oporto's is a tapas bar and restaurant.   It was so nice spending time with my son again and enjoying a nice meal together.   I made some photos of our dinner selections.  Below is a portobello tapas dish with spinach and cheese.  It was very good!

Next, is a Risotto ball with cheese in the middle and a marinara sauce.   So delicious!

We also had a pizza dish...

 

I had a salad with chicken strips, pear, feta cheese, cranberries and candied pecans.  It was a large salad, so we split it and the other items.  In a tapas restaurant, you usually order several small plates and then everyone shares from each of the plates.   Dinner was awesome!

I really enjoyed seeing my son and giving him a big hug.    Dinner was great but the company was the very best part...

I am wishing you a wonderful day today!  I am taking all of you along with me and  hope you enjoy the photos from Houston this week.     See you tomorrow...  xoxo Kim