4th of July Celebration

4th of July was this past Thursday and like any American, it was a time for celebration and eating great food. We were more low-key this year, but we still had a great meal.

Our feast

We had healthy options...

We tried to make the watermelons look like stars.

The traditional...

Yum.

And of course, dessert...

Cupcakes included orange, chocolate mousse, and french vanilla.

And of course, dessert for the dog.

The rest of the day was spent enjoying the beach.

Seems like everyone had the same idea.

That night, we watched the fireworks. 

I  hope everyone had a great 4th of July as well.  

Blueberries

This past weekend, we decided to check out the North Carolina Blueberry Festival in Burgaw, NC. Located in Pender County North Carolina, the city is currently celebrating its 10th year of hosting the blueberry festival.

With live bands, carnival rides, a car show, and over 120 vendors, the festival is a fun way to celebrate the little blueberry. One of my favorite parts about the festival was the many different recipes created from the blueberry.

Blueberry Ice cream Sandwich

Blueberry Iced Tea

Blueberry Punch

Blueberry Cider Slush

There was also blueberry crumble, blueberry cake, blueberry pie, blueberry desert pizza, and blueberry wine among other things. Who knew the blueberry could be used in so many ways?

The car show was also fun to walk through. There were many different types of cars proudly on display. 

1935 Chevy Truck

I liked this one.

Of course, a blueberry festival wouldn't be complete without buying blueberries.

I was very happy to find organic blueberries.

The blueberry festival was a fun day trip. I was actually surprised I didn't grow tired of eating so many blueberry themed foods and drinks. In fact, we enjoyed the blueberry iced tea so much that we made our own as soon as we got home. 

Refreshing

~A.E. Keener

Interested in the festival?

http://www.ncblueberryfestival.com/

Here's the recipe we used to make blueberry iced tea:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/blueberry-iced-tea-recipe/index.html

A side note: we added an extra cup of blueberries. Also, we wanted it sweet so add 3/4 cup to 1 and 1/4 cup depending on how sweet you desire your tea.

Cambria

For this week, I decided to write about a trip I took a couple months back to the little town of Cambria, Ca. Cambria is a little town about 3 hours north of L.A. Cambria is mainly known for two things, their elephant seals and Hearst Castle.

Hearst Castle was the home of William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper magnate. Also known as La Cuesta Encantada, The Enchanted Hill, the castle-like mansion sits a top a hill over looking San Simeon. It was designed by architect Julie Morgan and Hearst and was constantly being expanded throughout Hearst's life. It was never completed, but Hearst Castle has 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 sitting rooms, 127 acres of gardens, indoor and outdoor pools, and a movie theater. There used to be a zoo on the grounds during Hearst's time. In fact, zebras still roam the grounds.  

The front of Hearst Castle

The view from the top.

A famous reproduction of the Three Graces

The tours take up most of the day but the architecture, history, and beauty of Hearst Castle is well worth it. The rooms are guided tours, but you can roam the grounds by yourself. At Hearst Castle, you feel as if you are on top of the world.

After Hearst Castle, we drove a couple minutes down the road to where the elephant seals were hanging out. Their names come from the huge nose the males have. The noses are used to make loud roaring noises. 

That's a lot of elephant seals

They were very vocal when we went to visit.

I just love their noses. 

Roaring again.

A couple of fun facts about elephant seals. They can hold their breath for more than 100 minutes and spend 80% of their lives in the ocean.  While we were there, the elephant seals were extremely vocal and were fun to watch. 

This was a fun trip that is often overlooked when people come to visit California. It shows a different part of California that also is a big part of California's history. 

~A. E. Keener

Interested in my trip?

Hearst Castle: http://www.hearstcastle.org/
Elephant Seals: http://www.elephantseal.org/

Road Trip

 
Before my graduation from grad school, my mother and I decided to go on a road trip from Irvine, Ca up to Carmel, Ca. It was a six hour drive but well worth the effort.

We spent two nights in L.A. at the famous Beverly Hills Hotel. The "Pink Palace" was the reason why Beverly Hills got its name. The service at the hotel is impeccable.

The hotel room where they leave fruit and cookies.

The outside patio of the famous Polo Lounge. Many of Old Hollywood dined here.

We went to the Grove where we got drinks at Mixology.  

A fountain at the Grove

Mixology is known for its variety of drinks.

I tried the Last Word. A drink from the early 1920's.

The day we planned to leave, we decided to make a stop at some of the famous places in L.A.

We visited the Walk of Fame and the famous the TCL "Grauman's" Chinese Theater.

We also went to Madame Tussauds. The wax figures are very life-like.

Hanging out with Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and Morgan Freeman to name a few. 

Having explored some of the famous parts of L.A., we decided to start our road trip. The route we took showed a part of California that isn't normally seen. It was fun driving through this area. There were surprises around every corner. We saw miles of oil rigs, farms, and mountains. We also saw the last stop of James Dean and the intersection where he crashed his car.

James Dean's Last Stop, Blackwell's Corner, offers a variety of homegrown nuts and fudge. It also has a mannequin of James Dean sitting at one of their stools. 

They have a giant James Dean sign as well.

We arrived at Carmel that night to a rustic hotel overlooking Big Sur. 

It had no air conditioning but the view was awesome.

The little town of Carmel is quaint and small. Boutique shops line the streets and the town is dog friendly. At a local bakery, we were able to buy some fun dog treats for my dog. We also toured the Carmel Mission nearby. It is one of the 21 missions that is connected by El Camino Real. 

The front of the Carmel Mission

We also drove 15 minutes down the road to Monterey where we saw Cannery Row. The old Cannery District is now a thriving shopping area. On the way back, we hit the 17 mile drive at Pebble Beach. The drive is scenic and allows you to see wildlife that lives nearby.

Pebble Beach is full of smooth rocks that look like pebbles.

See that speck in the ocean? That's a sea otter. 

The Lone Cypress Tree. It's the logo for Pebble Beach Golf Links.

The Famous Golf Course.

After two nights at Carmel, we headed back to Irvine. We stopped at a couple more missions along the way but we were tired by the time we arrived home. The drive was exhausting but was worth every minute. This road trip showed me a part of California I never would have seen. 

~A.E.  Keener

For more info on my trip:

The Beverly Hills Hotel: http://www.beverlyhillshotel.com/

Mixology: http://www.mixology101.com/

The Last Word Recipe: http://cocktails.about.com/od/ginrecipes/r/last_word.htm

Madame Tussauds: http://www.madametussauds.com/Hollywood/

Carmel Mission: http://www.carmelmission.org/

Pebble Beach 17 mile drive: http://www.pebblebeach.com/activities/explore-the-monterey-peninsula/17-mile-drive

 

Brunswick Town and Fort Anderson

For a while, I've been wanting to go to Brunswick Town, a historic site that is about 20 minutes from where I live.

I've never had the chance to go so I decided to make visiting this site one of my goals this year.

The history of Brunswick Town is amazing. The town was built in 1726. It has survived 2 burnings from the British and 1 burning from the Spanish.

Fort Anderson was built in the 1880's and burned during the Civil War.

Not much remains of either Brunswick Town or Fort Anderson. Still, you can feel the history this town has experienced.

The St. Phillip's Church is the only building with walls still standing.

Walking through the Church. I still can't believe it survived being burned down.

Brunswick Town borders the Cape Fear River

Live Oak trees with Spanish Moss are always gorgeous

The mounds are what's left of Fort Anderson

The remains of the Royal Governor's house. 

It's amazing to me to be in a place that lived through the American Revolution and the Civil War. It makes you appreciate the history of those who came before us.

Interested in Brunswick Town? Learn more here:

http://www.nchistoricsites.org/brunswic/brunswic.htm

Happy New Year!

It's the start of a new year. A new year means new adventures and new resolutions. 2012 has had its up and downs; but, for the most part, I've enjoyed it.
Besides the adventures that I've already posted, I finished my first year of grad school in California and started my 2nd year.

I explored and had tea on the Queen Mary.

The Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.

I love mini desserts!

I was able to watch as the Endeavor take its last flight.

Not the best photo; but, hey, I was enjoying the moment.

I was able to see the Monarch Butterfly migration in Santa Barbara, CA. This migration is considered one of the great migrations of the world.

Look closely. Those aren't leaves at the end of the branches. They're Monarchs clustered together.

I hope that this year will be filled with adventures as well.

As for resolutions for this year, I have 4 pages worth of them. Hopefully, I'll be able to write about some of them. 

I hope everyone has a great new year and success in their goals as well.