#231: Sandcastle (pg 865; Listed as Jost Van Dyke in 2nd Ed, pg 1069)

Nov. 28, 2018

We arrived by cruise ship to Tortola.  We hopped in a cab and took a cab ($12/person) to the West End where we got on a ferry ($30/adult; seniors and children are discounted:  Note: BRING CASH!  They say they accept cards, but their machine wasn't working when we were there and they said it hadn't been working for quite some time, so they were only accepting cash and the closest ATM was all the way back in Road Town, a half hour drive away not to mention an addition $24/person to go back to Road Town and then back to West end again.  Also ferries only leave every couple of hours, so look ahead at schedule).  We took the 10am ferry and were on Jost Van Dyke by 10:30.  Once there, we hopped in another cab ($5/person - again, BRING CASH!  There are NO ATM's on the ENTIRE island), which took us to Sandcastle....

And the Soggy Dollar Bar.....

And White Bay Beach!

Look at that WATER!!!!!

Chillin with my mom.

My husband's view

My son, Tanner looking for fish and shells

Verdict:  Yes!!  Do it!!  This day at White Bay will go down in my mind as one of my very favorite "beach days."  The water was breathtakingly beautiful, clear and warm.  The sand was white and soft.  The beach was clean.  The people were friendly.  It was the "total package!"

#230: Sailing the British Virgin Islands (pg 864, 2nd Ed pg 1071)

Nov. 28, 2018

We arrived in Tortola via (Disney Magic) cruise ship.  We made our way from Road Town to the West End and then we hopped on another boat and sailed along the Sir Francis Drake Channel, taking in the unspoiled beauty of the BVI.

My dad and I

The dock where we got on our boat.

My kids soaking it all in

"I'm the King of the World!"

Raising my babies to enjoy travel as much as I do!

We docked at Jost Van Dyke and made our way to White Bay Beach, along with several other sailboats!

Beautiful!

Cost:  Obviously getting to the BVI is your major cost.  For us, once we were in Tortola, we took a cab ride from Road Town to the West end which was $12/person.  Once at the West end, we hopped on a ferry which was $30/adult RT.  Children and seniors were discounted.  Once at JVD, it was a $5/person cab ride each way to White Sand Beach.  Of note, everything is cash only and since the hurricane, there are NO ATM's on the entire island of JVD.

Verdict: Sailing around the BVI was beautiful.  I guess I cheated a little because most of my "sailing" was either on a cruise ship or a ferry boat.  So for me, it was the destination that was a "must do" rather than the sailing part (although that part was very enjoyable too!)  Maybe if I was actually on a sail boat for hours or days on end (with a staff to do all the work! ;)), then the sailing part would be a "must do" too!

#229: Cattlemen's Steakhouse (pg 692; Listed as Oklahoma City's Cowboy Culture in 2nd Ed, pg 852)

Oct. 7, 2018

We drove to Oklahoma City from Dallas and headed to Cattlemen's Steakhouse for dinner.

We checked in with the Hostess and they handed us a buzzer and told us to head up to the "Waiting Room".  It was a huge room with a (closed) bar and we were the only ones up there.  So we kicked it for 10 minutes or so until our buzzer buzzed and we headed to our table.

 The menu.

I chose the the Small Filet.  All steaks come with a salad, baked potato and homemade roll.

The history

The dining room

Bon appetite!

The plate in the middle was full of toppings (whipped butter, cheese, bacon crumbles, sour cream) for the baked potatoes. Yum!

Here's my analysis of the food..... I ordered the steak medium well.  I debated between medium and medium well. I like a "little pink" but sometimes when I order medium, there's way too much pink for my liking and sometimes when I order medium-well, there's no pink at all, so I always debate what to order.  So I basically said as much to the waiter hoping it would come back perfect!  It didn't. It came back with no pink at all.  It was definitely well done. So, if I ever go back, I'm definitely ordering medium!  Anyway, regardless of the steak being a little too well done, it was seasoned to perfection and tasted delicious.  The salad was "fine" (nothing to write home about, but fine).  The baked potatoes and toppings were yummy.  The rolls were dry and didn't really taste homemade.

The vinyl bench covers could use some refurbishing....

The Open Seating/Counter area

And they even have the book on display!

Verdict: No.  The steak was yummy and there's some definite history in this place.  I love that it's located in the middle of the Stockyards.  But, honestly, I have no idea how it earned a place in 1000 Places to See Before You Die.... because it's not. Not even close.  Maybe in 10, 000 Places to See before you die?  Maybe.  But not 1000. No Way.  It's just a good steakhouse with a very casual, somewhat charming, historical atmosphere. 

Note:  The new edition mentions this restaurant as part of a broader entry under "Oklahoma City's Cowboy Culture" which talks about the Stockyards (where we stayed) and more.  And while I think this is a much more appropriate entry, it's still not a must-do before you die.  As I've mentioned about some other sites, this would be a more appropriate entry in the 1000 Places in United States and Canada but I don't think it should make the top 1000 in the world list. 

#228: The Mansion on Turtle Creek (pg 715, Listed as The Dallas Arts District in 2nd Ed, pg 877)

Oct. 6, 2018

The Mansion on Turtle Creek is just a 15 minute drive from the Dallas Love Field airport, which worked out great for me since my flight landed at 11:30 and I had 12:30 Brunch reservations.

We pulled up promptly at 12:30 and Valet (complimentary) was waiting and parked our car.

The Mansion is a 5 star hotel and also a restaurant. 

They serve Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner M-F and Brunch and Dinner on Sat and Sun.

We went for brunch.  The first thing they did was bring out a basket full of rolls.  There were 5 different kinds and we were told they bake them fresh and switch them up on a regular basis.  We of course tried them all and the winner is.....

The scone!  This was the best scone I've ever tasted.  It was warm and buttery and oh so flavorful!  It was cranberry/citrus flavor.  They said they change their scone flavor on a regular basis and if you have a particular favorite, you can call ahead and they will make it for you.  Talk about service!

They are famous for their tortilla soup.

And here's what I have to say about it..... It was very tasty.  Even though it was delicious, it still isn't the BEST tortilla soup I've ever tasted......

But it was by far the best presentation!

They bring out the bowl with fresh avocado and other ingredients and then pour the broth/base over the ingredients as they serve it to you.

And the salad with the citrus vinaigrette dressing was 👌

The dining room was beautiful - there is indoor seating, patio seating, outdoor seating, private rooms and a bar area.

I always check out bathrooms in places like this and they were as I expected - beautiful.  Each sink was a separate vanity with linen cloths.

My college roommate lives in Dallas, yet this was her first time visiting The Mansion.  I'm guessing it won't be her last!

We of course also checked out the beautiful hotel area.

The entrance to the restaurant. 

Verdict:  No, this isn't something you have to do before you die.  It's a lovely hotel and a beautiful restaurant with delicious food.  But I've been to many lovely hotels with great restaurants, so you don't need to go to this one in particular before you die.  BUT the service was spot on (our server was Barbara and she was lovely) and if you ever find yourself in Dallas, then I highly recommend!

Note:  This is listed under the wider topic of "Dallas Arts District" in the 2nd Edition, which is more appropriate.  Dallas is not a country bumpkin city!  There are so many nice hotels, restaurants, museums, concert halls, etc.  So, Dallas is a pretty cool place to visit.  I'm still not sure I'd place in the must-do-before you die category, but it's definitely higher up the ranking when viewed at as a whole rather than this one specific hotel/restaurant. 

#227: Montreal's Summer Festivals (pg 771, 2nd Ed, pg 936)

June 20, 2018

I go to Montreal in the SUMMER and read all about their Festivals and figure that as long as I'm not picky about what festival I go to, then I'll hit one because there are dozens of festivals all summer long! But alas, a few nights before arrival, I researched what festival(s) I will be going to (by default of when I will be there) and discovered that sadly, several festivals (Fringe Festival, Mural Festival, Montreal Folk Festival) just ended 3 days ago and the Jazz Festival is getting ready to start next week, so I was super bummed that I just missed a festival on either side of when we are here (the one I REALLY want to go to is the Fireworks Festival from July 7- Aug 8th!)

So, anyway, I had to settle for going to the Place Des Arts on Sainte Catherine St where it all goes down.  We walked all around and saw them taking down and setting up for the festivals that just were and are about to be and got a feel for it all.

 Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

And went to the closest "festival -type experience" I could find. 

Across the street from the Museum of Fine Arts (and just up the road from Place Des Arts where all the festivals take place), I came across opening night of this Moving Dunes temporary exhibition.  Because it was opening night, there was music and food and a bar and people and a festival-type atmosphere.  So, I'm counting it!  The Montreal Summer Festival of the Moving Dunes inauguration!

Verdict:  No.  I totally get why this is a great place to see festivals.  The Place Des Arts on Sainte Catherine Street is absolutely built for festivals.  Huge open spaces.  Several big stages.  A convention-center type building.  Open areas, closed areas.  And on either side of all of this are streets lined with restaurants and shops and such.  But even so, I don't see why seeing a festival here is a must do.  I don't think seeing a festival here versus somewhere else is a "must do before you die."  But if I ever do come back here in the summer, rest assured, it will be during the Fireworks Festival!

Price:  Varies depending on what festival you go to. Some are free.  But this area is open and a pretty impressive place clearly built for the festival experience.