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Showing posts from August, 2015

The Best Bars & Lounges at Heathrow Airport

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Passing through an airport can be an extremely stressful part of traveling, an issue that a myriad of airline and airport operators attempt to counteract with sleeping capsules, yoga lounges, and kid-free zones. San Jose International, LAX and Miami Airport even have therapy dogs to de-stress passengers, but sometimes all you airport that supplies a wide variety of bars is London Heathrow. The UK’s busiest airport continues to impress in all areas, from the delectable options for food and beverages to the convenient and ever expanding parking services that Parking4Less offers visitors -- long and short stay parking at all 5 terminals, all of which ensure a relaxing and hassle-free journey. If you’re traveling through Heathrow any time soon and in need of time to unwind during your time in the airport, here is a list of recommended pubs and lounges. London’s Pride by Fuller’s, Terminal 2 Just last year, the centuries-old brewer opened a gastropub in Heathrow to offer passen

More Water Fun and Mississippi River Exploration

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It’s not easy to sleep in a room with three kids, but the rooms at Grand Harbor Resort in Dubuque, Iowa, was a nice size and we were all pretty exhausted from the previous night. In the morning, we stayed at the hotel for breakfast thanks to the Dubuque Convention and Visitor’s Bureau .  They set us up at the  Tony Roma’s  in the hotel and I found out they do breakfast as well as they do ribs. I had the Banana Nut Pancakes and the kids also enjoyed pancakes with chocolate chips, while friend Amy went the low carb way and ordered a loaded omelet. We were all full when we left the restaurant. While Amy and the kids stayed at the waterpark at Grand Harbor Resort , I headed over to check out Betty Jane Candies. When I had mentioned on Twitter that I was heading to Dubuque , I got a few different messages about stopping at Betty Jane’s. I have to say that some of my best places have come from Twitter recommendations so I had to follow up. Walking into Bett

Waterpark and True Italian in Dubuque

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I’ve loved living in the Midwest because I can get to so many different states within a few hours. One of the (very) few things I don’t love about Champaign, though, is the lack of good Italian food.  Coming from Long Island, you could find a pizzeria with great Italian on every corner. I have yet to find one place within two hours of Champaign that I can compare to those. On a recent trip to Dubuque, Iowa , I was happy to discover a new city and a restaurant that makes pasta like my aunts used to. I felt comfortable as soon as I walked into Vinny Vanucchi’s in downtown Dubuque.  The checkered tablecloths and family photos were very welcoming and I knew instantly it was a great family place.  That was what I was looking for as I had brought along my friend Amy, her two kids, and a third child. Amy was driving, but I tried one of their martinis from the cocktail menu. The Chuck Berry was simple and perfect, with vodka and raspberry liqueur. We got a pi

Milwaukee Summerfest Finale

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I had a full schedule for my final day in Milwaukee and had a new friend to share it with. It turned out Roberta, who I had met the previous day , and I had a lot in common, including our desire to check out some of the highlights of Milwaukee for the first time. Roberta picked me up at the Hilton Milwaukee and we took a scenic drive to Lake Park Bistro. It was a quaint restaurant with a view and we both new immediately we’d love the French brunch. We started with the pastry assortment. It was tough not to finish the Croissants, Banana Chocolate Chip Bread, and Blueberry Scones, but I wanted to save room for the rest of the food. We shared a wonderful beet salad, which had feta cheese, fennel, and pistachios in a red wine vinaigrette. For a main course, Roberta loved the Crab Eggs Benedict and I was satisfied with my Vegetarian Omelet, though I couldn’t understand why a vegetarian omelet was topped with two thick slices of bacon. Both dishes at the

Exploring Milwaukee and Uber Surprise

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It was day two in Milwaukee, Wisconsin , with my friend Lisa and the day would definitely end much differently than it started. It just goes to show you that you never know what’s going to happen next. Lisa and I were up early to head to the Milwaukee ArtMuseum . This museum had become as famous for its design as its exhibits.  The main feature was a set of “wings” that would open at 10:00 am when the museum opened, “flap” at noon, and close when the museum did at 5:00 pm. While we obviously couldn’t stay all day and watch the wings go, it was quite interesting to watch them open.  We then went inside and saw the phenomenal exhibits, which included art from Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh, Dali, and even Andy Warhol. It was fascinating and I hadn’t seen so many of my favorite artists since I was in Vienna . When we left the Art Museum, Lisa and I decided to take a long walk back downtown to the Milwaukee Public Market .  We admired a few buildings along the w