Innovate ~ Explore ~ Enrich
From the category archives:
We at Uncommon Lifestyle have been bitten by the travel bug and we’ve got it bad! Our travel affliction has come to the attention of other blogs — namely blogs dedicated soley to the topic of travel. We’ve been asked to guest blog on their site and we were happy to oblige. Check it out at One Travel. One Travel offers cheap tickets to people who are looking for a great bargain.
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Vacations fall into two categories: Those in which you say, “Yes, that was fun but I’ve spent enough time at Disney World (my mother-in-law’s house or fill in the blank) to last me for awhile” and the “Wow, that was a blast and there’s still so much left to do.” New York City fell into the second camp for me and here’s why.
Pop culture everywhere: NYC is the place where EVERYTHING happens. I think the rest of the continent is asleep. Our stroll
Zac Efron nonchallantly showed up while we were watching a taping of the Today Show.
down Fifth Avenue was a case in point. One one street corner, a crew was shooting Justin Timberlake in the upcoming movie Friends with Benefits. Just a few blocks down, we walked through the middle of a fashion magazine shoot as a towering female model dressed in a fur coat and boots walked between taxis on a crowded street (again and again). Then when we were watching filming of the Today Show outside NBC Studios, Zac Efron strolled up to the crowd. (My teenage daughters were quite delirious!)
Art on every corner: The Museum of Modern Art was good but Christie’s, the famed auction house, also had a wonderful gallery of paintings open to the public and free! We also saw the Alvin Ailey Dance Company perform in Central Park. Even the subway was the site of impromptu jam sessions with local musicians.
The city that never sleeps as seen from the top of Rockefeller Center. Magic!
Amazing architecture: Since the city encompasses so many cultures and even time periods, the architecture on each city block is unique. From the cast-iron structures in Soho to the quaint brownstones in Brooklyn, NYC has it all. The best place to see this architectural diversity is from the top of Rockefeller Center at night — pure magic!
Unique neighborhoods: Since all roads lead to Ellis Island, countless ethnic groups call NYC home. The neighborhoods settled by these immigrants are rich in history, good food and shopping. My daughters, who each earned a black belt in shopping, heard the magic words every shopper longs to hear in a Chinatown shop: “Would you like to see the back room?” The bargains they found made them giddy.
Give my regards to … I’m not a huge theater buff but then I had never seen a Broadway play. After seeing Mama Mia (great show) and Wicked (words cannot explain how good it was), I’m a believer. Both shows got standing ovations but the audience at Wicked rose in one accord at the end of the show and people were weeping! It was that good! The music, the acting, the creative story line … Wow!
You may want to add "Taking pictures from the Brooklyn Bridge" to your bucket list.
But our trip barely took a bite out of the Big Apple. There’s still Ellis Island, bike riding in Central Park, watching the taping of a live TV show … Ah, well. We’ll start saving for our next trip.
What are your favorite things to do in New York City?
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We are making summer vacation plans at my house and I know one place I want to go no matter which city we choose to visit –
The Baltimore Farmers Market is located underneath the overpass of Interstate 83. They make good use of limited downtown space!
the local farmers market. You can learn a lot about a community by seeing its farmers market. Some markets offer a variety of children’s activities through music, craft tables and storytelling. Others have a strong ethnic flavor with art, music, crafts and food reflecting the ethnicities of its residents. The Baltimore Farmers Market, which we visited a couple of years ago, is noteworthy for its unusual location — located right under the Interstate 83 overpass. That’s a city that makes good use of every square inch of space!
My favorite by far, though, is the Vail Farmers Market and Art Show. With the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop, the market sprawls through the streets of the Vail resort
The Vail Farmers Market has tasty gourmet food, first-rate art of all types and the mountains as a backdrop.
community. Innovative art — paintings, pottery, jewelry, photography and more — was displayed all around the parameter of the market. In addition to wonderful, locally grown produce, the stalls feature ala cart gourmet food created by a variety of local businesses. We are talking fresh baked breads and pastries, locally made wine, unique flavored pastas, bratwurst and schnitzel, barbequed meats, crepes, the tastiest fruits and vegetables … We purchased a gourmet spread for our lunch. The best part about our visit to the market? This is where we enjoyed our picnic lunch!
This is where we ate the gourmet lunch that we purchased from vendors at the Vail Farmers Market.
Tell us about your favorite farmers market or what makes your city’s market unique.
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Nell Hill's, with two locations in Kansas city, sells lovely decorative items and textiles to help you feather your nest.
A Stitch in Time, in Jacksonville, Florida, is a haven for knitters and other needle crafters.
Jacksonville, FL, A Stitch in Time, “A great yarn and needle crafts shop that has been around forever, long before knitting became trendy,” said Laura. “Knitters love to support their local independent yarn stores.”
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At the end of a stressful day, there’s nothing better than drawing a hot bath, pouring a glass of wine and lighting a scented candle. This hand-poured candle from Mixture in the Tuscan Olive scent will do the job perfectly. And now, it can be yours for free!
Win this hand-poured candle from Mixture!
That’s right, this is our second giveaway! The owners of STUFF, that wonderfully artsy store I profiled in my last post, are giving away one 5-ounce candle from Mixture along with a few trial-size goodies! STUFF carries Mixture’s entire collection of home, body and kitchen fragrance items.
Here’s how to register for this giveaway: In honor of the 3/50 Project I mentioned in the post below, tell me in your comment
You have until next Thursday, April 29 at 10 pm Central Standard Time to register. Then we will draw a random winner and announce the winner on Friday, April 30, at 8 am CST.
Here’s an added bonus: For those of you who love to travel and shop at unique stores, you can use the favorites listed in the comments to plan future shopping adventures!
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Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that I like to shop. I’m not into the big chains so much, though I am a huge Target fan. What I really love are locally owned, one-of-a-kind shops. You know, the ones that give a town its charm. So when I read about a movement sweeping the country to support locally owned stores, I was sucked in.
Called the 3/50 Project, it was begun by Cinda Baxter, a retail consultant whose mission is to strengthen independent brick and mortar businesses. The project is also designed to stimulate local economies by encouraging consumers to spend a total of $50 each month at their three favorite local shops. I’m game!
Stuff is one of those shops that makes you want to stimulte your local economy ... by spending a little cash!
So I thought it might be fun to tell you about MY three favorite shops in Kansas City. Problem is, our town has excellent shopping so I couldn’t choose just three for the whole city. Instead, I chose three shops in a cute area in greater KC known as Brookside. This is a lovely neighborhood of tree-lined avenues with storybook homes and a few blocks of adorable shops. My three favorites are …
Stuff, a stimulating shop crammed with jewelry, art, cards, decorative items and more created by independent artists. The shop also hosts art classes in mosaic making, jewelrycrafting and other fun pursuits. You will want to buy everything you see and you will be inspired to pursue your own artsy projects ….
Shopping at World's Window is like buying your clothes from some exotic bazaar
World’s Window, a lovely store full of clothing, jewelry and home textiles from around the world. The store has the feeling of a very upscale bazaar in some exotic location …
The Reading Reptile is a magical children's bookstore that reminds you of why you loved reading as a child
The Reading Reptile, an incredibly imaginative children’s bookstore that could double as a movie set for some magical movie. Kids in tow aren’t required to enter. If you love to read and lived a childhood marked by several books about which you were passionate, you will love this store.
So, what are your three favorite independent shops in your town? Be thinking about that because we will be announcing a fun giveaway VERY soon and your answer will be what’s required to play! Stay tuned!
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Rolf Potts (left), travel writer extraordinaire, shared stories that made a Tuesday night memorable.
Monday was a turning point for us. Our youngest turned 16 and can now drive herself everywhere! Mr. Blog and I have not experienced this type of freedom for 19 years! So on Tuesday night, we did what any self-respecting, middle-aged couple would do. We grabbed the car keys and headed to the nearest college town. Rolf Potts, travel writer extraordinaire and author of Vagabonding and Marco Polo Didn’t Go There, was speaking at the University of Kansas.
We entered the room at the student union brimming with hip and cool students. Every head turned in our direction as we sat. “Were we Rolf’s parents?” they must have wondered. We did not care, we were free!
The moderator introduced Rolf by saying “Rolf Potts has a more interesting life than you do.” And he was right. Rolf travels the globe as a writer for National Geographic Adventure. His travel essays have also appeared in Salon, Conde Nast Traveler, and on National Public Radio.
I had never attended an author’s reading and you would think it would be a big yawn, but it was fun. He read from a few of his hilarious, insightful essays about
You get the picture. It was not your typical night on the couch channel surfing. He also shared some insights that anyone could apply, such as:
Our next weekend getaway: The Oread Hotel in Lawrence, Kans.
After the presentation, we walked down the street to tour The Oread, an amazing new hotel built at the end of Jayhawk Boulevard in Lawrence. Very cool place. That’s definitely on the list for a weekend getaway.
So what about you? What’s on your list for mid-week breaks or weekend getaways? How are you making time for a little adventure in your life?
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This is my first post because I thought of an important matter that I would like to discuss: who has the best cupcakes in the world. I am known as the “cupcake king” to my family and am ribbed for trying cupcakes whenever we visit new cities.
My wife also likes the interior decorating at Naticakes but let's stick to the issues, people! It's all about the taste!
I have recently tasted cupcakes from many of the states in the Midwest and Southeast. One of my favorites is Kansas City’s BabyCakes. This place is known for a wonderful butter cream frosting, light cake and tasty varieties. Their red velvet cupcake and carrot cake are some of my favorites.
On our recent trip to Franklin, Tenn., I discovered my first true contender — Naticakes. Their cupcakes had some of the best frosting I’ve ever tasted. It was very light and creamy. They also had a unique selection. The two we tasted were the devil’s food and the dulce de leche. The latter had a caramel center that was a true delight.
If you are a cupcake company and would like to be considered for the throwdown, please send me your cupcakes and I will give careful consideration.
So who should win between the two cities? Are there other cupcake cities that should be considered? Who truly has the best cupcake?
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You know those people from elementary school you reconnect with years later on Facebook? Lori is one of those people on my friends list. We were chatting online about interesting people we knew who might be good subjects for this blog. She put me in touch with her friend Marcel Zuidhof, whose recent adventures characterize the Uncommon Lifestyle.
In 2006, Marcel and Verizon colleague Onno Oostveen decided to bow out of corporate life for a couple of years to volunteer for a large NGO.
“Thinking about it more closely, we decided to set up our own project instead with both a social and economic component,” Marcel said.” Both of us spoke Spanish so we searched for a country in Latin America. The poorest country, Nicaragua, was a logical choice. During a discovery trip, we learned two things about the country: that tourism is growing and that many children either abandon school or don’t start at all.”
They decided to open a small hotel, the Hotel con Corazon in Granada, Nicaragua aimed at adventurous travelers who have outgrown hostels. Profits from the hotel would be invested in local educational initiatives.
Marcel Zuidhof (right) is beloved in this Nicaraguan community where he opened a non-profit hotel to fund education initiatives and provide jobs.
“Children who get an education develop themselves early on and still have their whole lives ahead of them,” Marcel said in an interview published in the IESE Business School alumni magazine. “Education is key for their own development and that of the community and economy.”
They found a derelict property in need of major renovations. The first step, though, was to secure funding for their project. Two NGOs provided 180,000 euros; corporate sponsors such as Carlson Wagonlit Travel provided 50,000 euros; and family and friends gave 85,000 euros by purchasing shares in the hotel.
“In reality, you can’t sell shares in a non-profit but we sell shares of 500 euros with a fixed dividend of one free hotel night each year,” Marcel said. “And as one of our Spanish shareholders pointed out, at least this is one investment where the return is fixed.”
Dozens of friends pitched in to transform the derelict property into a lovely hotel that benefits the community.
Then, 27 friends rolled up their sleeves to transform the property into a lovely hotel with 16 rooms, a bar, patios and a swimming pool. Even rotted wood beams were recreated as tables and chairs. As a boon to the local economy, the duo hired local workers to help with the renovation and use local suppliers for the restaurant’s food. Hotel guests can learn Spanish at a local language school or tour the area through a local travel agency.
Since the hotel opened, it has had more than 2,000 guests and stands to make a profit of $30,000 in 2010 alone. “We use the profits to fund two local, internationally backed NGOs and we pay salaries for professional teachers who do catch-up classes with the youngest kids in a very marginalized neighborhood. We have advertised in some local media but the best promotion comes from Trip Advisor. We have also been included in the Lonely Planet as an author’s pick.”
After a two-year stint in Nicaraugua, Marcel and Onno returned to Europe but continue to serve on the Hotel con Corazon and making plans to open additional non-profit hotels. “In our previous corporate lives, we had worked at large multinational companies but our independent spirits were strengthened through this project,” Marcel said. “Now, we work for small internet companies that are more entrepreneurial.”
More than 2,000 guests have stayed at the renovated hotel. In 2010, the hotel stands to earn $30,000 in profits that will be invested in local education.
Marcel had this advice for those in business who want to use their wanderlust to benefit others:
Marcel concluded, “Our enthusiasm for the project kept growing as we went along in the business planning and all at once, we passed the point of no return. It really made it easy to quit our corporate life of working for large multinational companies.”
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There’s a conspiracy going on in Asheville … to make the food scene in every other U.S. city dull in comparison. It probably isn’t intentional but it makes my own city, known for its BBQ, nothing more than a big yawn. We sampled the delicacies of this fair city in January when we could no longer take the subzero tundra of Siberia … er the Midwest. Yes, it was a bit too chilly in Asheville to ski but it was warm enough to walk the downtown, putting ourselves into a food coma.
The interesting thing about Asheville, NC isn’t just the restaurants themselves but the food ethos of the town. This was one of the first cities to hop on the farm-to-table bandwagon. It traces its roots back to the 1800s when the community served as the regional drovers’ stopover where farmers brought livestock and produce to sell. Today, the unique restaurants have teamed up with local farmers to bring the freshest produce and free-range meat to their customers.
Here are our four favorite eateries and the thinking behind their menus:
You will never miss the meat at the Laughing Seed Cafe in Asheville.
Laughing Seed Cafe: Who knew that meals minus the meat could be so amazing? Our palates traveled the world tasting Tico Burritos, the Indian Thali Plate and the Carribean Empanadas. The restaurant began 20 years ago as a juice bar. Some of the produce and herbs used in the recipes are grown on the farm owned by chef Jason Sellers and his partner Laura. At ExploreAsheville.com, Jason explained the concept behind the restaurant: “It’s necessary to grow food, both as a means of assuring quality and to protect our right to do so. Local products feeding local people and the pursuit of civil rights — that’s our concept.”
Early Girl Eatery: Located on a quaint curving street of shops, this place does breakfast right. Think pumpkin ginger bread and the Sausage/Sweet Potato Scramble. Yum! Owner Julie Stehling is religious in her support of food grown on small local farms. She notes:
The Early Girl Eatery will make a breakfast believer out of you.
Tupelo Honey Cafe serves new southern cooking including shrimp and grits, buttermilk pork chops, mashed sweet potatoes and fried green tomatoes. Chef Brian Sonoskus brings eco-cuisine to the restaurant table by growing much of his produce on a neglected farm he is bringing back to life with the help of local volunteers. He keeps his restaurant supplied in winter with a large greenhouse. He also composts the restaurant’s eggshells, coffee grounds and other scraps on the farm. The restaurant stocks local microbrews, rather than beer by the bottle, to support local businesses and avoid the need to recycle the bottles.
Sunny Point Cafe also excels in all things breakfast related. The homemade granola with yogurt and breakfast biscotti was a hit at my table. The restaurant is known for its orange cornmeal hotcakes with blackberry butter. When owners Belinda Raab and April Moon Harper opened the restaurant in 2003, they envisioned a sleepy neighborhood place. Instead, the waiting time usually stretches well beyond an hour.
“What makes Asheville restaurants unique is that they support local producers of food products,” Belinda said. “At Sunny Point Cafe, we aspire to have a neighborhood eatery that is affordable and fresh, with a local focus. We like to have fun with our menu, always remembering that it’s just a great meal, not life or death. Our restaurant is also involved with the slow food movement and we have hosted some slow food events.”
In addition Asheville’s Foodtopia Society offers forest-to-table harvesting and cooking adventures, cooking classes and will soon offer culinary vacation packages.
Serious dieters, don’t even stop in Asheville. Keep driving fast and furious down the highway!
Fellow foodies: What is your favorite city for its restaurants and food culture?
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