Perhaps.....

...... there are just so many episodes of House Hunters and House Hunters International one can watch before what the Germans call extraordinary sitzfleisch--an ability to persist with sedentary determination--begins to give way to getting up and going.

Cheese Shop on Rue Cler, Paris

Perhaps it's my surprise at what, at least to me, seems to be an extraordinary amount of travel and restaurant-hopping for this self-described homebody.

Perhaps it has been my extraordinarily good fortune to travel (and dine away from home) more than I'd ever hoped.

Perhaps it's the 200+ reviews ("and counting"!) I've written for other people's sites.

Perhaps I should thank my husband, Jay Boersma, who is sharing some of our travel snaps here, forThe Considered Traveler. Take some time to look at his professional photography:  www.re-vision.com
 
Keep in mind that I will update existing posts periodically, so don't let the date at the top of the post mislead.  And feel free to comment!

My Favorite Airport:  Charlotte-Douglas International Airport

Yes, friends, the results are in, even though there is no poll of which I'm aware:

As I sat in the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport the other day, awaiting the departure of a small plane to New Bern, NC, I realized that my peaceful, easy feeling in this very busy airport was an indication of how much I like this place and how much its designers and businesspeople seemed to ensure its being so, well, nice.

Having just tussled with and then rejected the fee-for-wireless at O'Hare International in Chicago, I confess that I felt something akin to delight and pleasure as I accessed the free (hear that, O'Hare?) wireless in Charlotte, allowing me to continue unabated my inevitable loss in "Words With Friends" to my nemesis back in Chicago, Marilyn.

Perhaps the easy access to gelato and frozen yogurt shops is what's doing the talking here, but this Considered Traveler has considered it, and this airport is a favorite.  (I've never really had a favorite airport before.) Food chains?  Sure.  But lots of choice to suit every type of hunger pang, easy access between and among terminals, comparatively serene decor (OK, for an airport), and, of all things, the type of variety that allows for Brooks Brothers, Bojangle's Fried Chicken, and Jamba Juice.

And then there are the friendly and yet professional TSA agents, one of whom addressed me as "miss," rather than the suitable-for-my-age "ma'am."  I thanked the man.

Beaufort, North Carolina--Plaza Mexico

Plaza Mexico Restaurant
521 Front Street,
Beaufort, NC

(No URL available.)

Why Plaza Mexico?  Kind service; serviceable food.

Our flight into New Bern, NC, was late.  Once we took the drive from New Bern to Beaufort (where restaurants close rather early, it appears), there were twenty minutes left for us to grab something to eat before the 10pm closing time.

Consequently, we didn't have much opportunity to consider the expansive menu with any detail or care.  (Or, to be precise, we didn't feel we had the time; no one on the staff rushed us.)  My spouse and I centered on the steak quesadilla, which, given the hour, we decided to share.  Our son and his significant other ordered a cheese quesadilla.  We were surprised when ours arrived as a full meal (rice, etc.), with two steak quesadillas, but their cheese quesadilla arrived in solitude and on a small plate. We had assumed we'd ordered similar types of meals.

So, there appeared to be difficulty in our translation.  But no matter. 

The food was good, we were still un-rushed, the chips and very garlicky salsa were welcome, and we had finally gotten something to eat after our journey.  We stayed, engrossed in conversation, until we noticed that staff members were putting chairs on tables. 

It was all just fine, and perhaps when we're back, we'll have more time to peruse the menu carefully, and I will be able to write much more.  For now, I can say with confidence that Plaza Mexico is certainly worth a try.

Elmwood  Park, Illinois--Jim and Pete's Italian Restaurant

Jim and Pete's Restaurant
7806 W. North Avenue
Elmwood Park, IL 60707
708.453.5204
www.jimandpetes.com

Why Jim and Pete's?  Why not?  Good, basic Italian fare.

So, here we are in Illinois, with a hankering for Italian food of the most basic, substantial, and fairly un-upscale sort.  (And we'd just finished working out at the gym, too.)

Since I receive emails from Jim and Pete's to alert me to daily specials and the like, I had noticed that Mondays feature a "buy one entree, get the other half-price" offer, additionally fueling our post-gym, less-than-virtuous intentions.

To put it simply, this place is great for basic, red-sauce Italian food.  My husband ordered his favorite:  angel hair pasta with marinara and a side of two meatballs.  Not to be outdone, I ordered the same--but with regular spaghetti.

Now, the dinner salad that I had before the meal was nothing special, but it was certainly adequate.  The crusty bread was fresh and nicely warmed, and we joyfully doused our respective slices in olive oil (and my spouse added the parmigiana). Instead of salad, my husband had ordered and enjoyed his "Italian Wedding Soup," the feature that night.  The pasta entrees, however, were quite delicious and big enough that we each were able to take home half.  Ah, yes:  dinner for tonight.

Keep in mind that one has to mention the special of that particular night, a way that J and P's gets customers to subscribe to emails or to friend and like them on Facebook, the latter of which I try to avoid.  But it's certainly worth getting the notifications; just remember to mention them when you order or before you receive your bill.  (The nice servers will repair the bill, however, if you forget.)
 

Beaufort, North Carolina--The Pecan Tree Inn

 The Pecan Tree Inn
116 Queen Street
Beaufort, NC  28516
252.728.6733
www.pecantree.com

In case you're wondering, and even if you aren't, we do, indeed, seem to be spending some time in Beaufort, North Carolina.

Did you know--you probably did--that there's a Beaufort, NC and a Beaufort, SC?  And we're told by some sources in the North Carolina Beaufort that these towns are pronounced differently: that is, "BOW-fort" in NC, and "BIEU-FERD" in SC. 

And apparently, it's very important to keep these straight.

Issues of elocution aside, and in any event, I can report four enthusiastic thumbs up for the Pecan Tree Inn (mine and my husband's thumbs, that is).  I'd booked on line, which was simple, and I received follow up emails from the husband of the husband-wife owner team.  Sherry, the manager of the place, is welcoming, helpful, and generally terrific.

My husband is not an overenthusiastic fan of bed and breakfast places--he prefers the comparative anonymity of a hotel--but we both agreed that this is a place we will come back to.

I was particularly impressed with the diligence of one of the owners, David, who wrote to me several days before we arrived.  We'd chosen a room on the second floor.  As it happens, that room was being renovated, and the renovations wouldn't be complete in time.  Rather than spring this on us upon our arrival, David instead took the time to write to us several days before to see if it would be acceptable for us to be relocated to a comparable room on the first floor. 

I confess that the notion of a first-floor room didn't please me.  I assumed that people would be walking by--potentially at all hours--but I needn't have worried.  The room was very quiet, the other guest courteous (the breakfast ample, by the way, with good coffee), and our visit a success.  This is not a place with flat-screen TVs or mini-bars; we didn't even use the modest TV in the room, so I can't report on that.  But there is access to wireless, and the room has been fitted with a power strip and enough outlets for any technologies that accompany you.  The simple, retro-style shower was strong, warm, and more than adequate.

Located on a quiet side street but near the waterfront, the Inn is also across the street from several popular restaurants and in easy walking distance to Beaufort dining, shops, and historical sites.  This is a lovely and scrupulously clean oasis for a relaxing visit to Beaufort and environs.

Beaufort, North Carolina--Cru Wine Bar (and Coffee Shop)

Cru Wine Bar and Beaufort Coffee Shop
120 Turner Street
Beaufort, NC 28516
252.728.3066
www.thecruwinebar.com

Well, if ever there were a place for my husband (a drinker) and me (a non-drinker), it's this place:  One side for the tea-totalers, and the other side for the totalers.

A lovely wine bar and store on one side and a coffee/espresso/soft beverage tour de force on the other, Cru was perfect for our eclectic group: we had a great time one evening hanging out with folks on the "wine side" after I'd taken a decaf cappuccino over from the "other side."  The establishment also keeps a number of board games, so we played a multi-generational game of "Trivial Pursuit," with our son's friends dazzling us with their smarts.  (In case you're wondering, I did get "Thelma and Louise" as the correct answer to one question.  Don't ask about the rest, please.  I missed the one about Tom Landry, even though I could visualize him on the Dallas sidelines of yesterday.)

My husband and I returned to Cru the next morning to supplement our morning coffee-drinking and to share an egg-cheese-bacon flatbread, which, despite its having been heated in a microwave rather than an oven (which would be an aesthetic preference of mine), was quite tasty.

This is a terrific, casual place, for the beverages, light fare, and sweets--and for watching the eclectic group of people that gather here, locals and tourists alike.

Beaufort, North Carolina--Clawson's Restaurant

Clawson's 1905 Restaurant
425 Front Street
Beaufort, North Carolina 28516
252.728.2133
www.clawsonsrestaurant.com

Why Clawson's?  Better Than It Might Look (at First)

I must say, the exterior and entrance of this place aren't particularly appealing, nor is it that appealing to be in a back room that looks like a restaurant I'd have found in my undergraduate days.  (Not that there's anything wrong with that, mind you.)  The place is cavernous and brown, with a kind of overwrought rustic look, and, well, it can seem somewhat uninviting.

But as you've likely heard much of your life as I have mine, "don't judge a book by its cover."  (Hmm.  Wonder what e-books will do to that old adage?  The subject for another blog, I suppose.)

So, don't let the posted beer specials on the windows and door fool you, as they almost did me.

We couldn't score a reservation for eight of us to a local trendy, boutique-y style restaurant, and Clawson's is big enough to accommodate us. We went.  My expectations were very modest.

The server impressed us immediately by asking which group of us was with which group, offering from the first to give us separate checks without our having to ask (or, as it often happens, to beg).  She was attentive, friendly, and appropriately unobtrusive.  The menu is fairly comprehensive, and my husband had the special:  blackened fish over cheese grits, with collards on the side.  Naturally, I took several bites (I confess to gulping down most of the collards), and the meal was delicious.

I took what I thought would be a risk and had the crab cakes.  Risk?  No.  They were full of crab--what little filler there was was unnoticeable--and absolutely delicious.  I also chose the brocolli salad on the side, which was also very nice. Our son had the Monterey Chicken, which looked terrific.  Other folks had the quesadillas (a huge portion, which our friend noted was excellent); the cobb salad (huge, nicely cooked and moist chicken atop); and pasta with shrimp and scallops.

Unfortunately, we were too full for dessert (and when we're back, I'll have "Death by Chocolate").  But Clawson's was quite good--I admit, it was a surprise--and, unlike other places in town, more moderately priced.  A good bet.