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Showing posts from July, 2016

Food and Laughs in Grand Rapids

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My friend Lisa and I woke up in the Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton to another clear and comfortable day. We had heard a lot of wonderful things from people in  Grand Rapids  about San Chez Bistro, but it turned out to be even better than we ever expected for breakfast. It took a while to sort through their extensive and unique menu. With some help from our waiter, we filled the table with excellent choices. We started with the Cinnamon Pecan Roll with cream cheese icing and it was amazing. It arrived freshly baked and was huge! It was hard to stop eating, even though we knew there was a lot more food to come. My vegetable cheese eggs were loaded and topped with guacamole. Lisa went for the Breakfast Empanadas, filled with scrambled eggs, bacon, chorizo, goat and manchengo cheeses. Yes, it was as good as it sounds. I would definitely like to return to San Chez someday and also try their drinks. They do infusions of vodka, gin, and tequ

Introduction to Grand Rapids and LaughFest

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I had been to Grand Rapids only once, for a short trip. I was happy to return with my friend Lisa to explore the city and attend my first LaughFest. The annual event is in honor of Gilda Radner, a former comedian best known for her role on Saturday Night Live. Radner, who was married to fellow actor Gene Wilder, died in 1989 of ovarian cancer. The Michigan native is the namesake of Gilda’s Club, which helps those affected by cancer. LaughFest raises money each year for this worthy cause. Lisa and I checked into the largest hotel in the city, the Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton . The hotel is quite opulent and the service was great from the start. Our room had a great view of the river. We quickly got settled in and headed downtown to the Grand Rapids Art Museum. As we walked the few blocks to the museum we could see that the entire city was ready for LaughFest . Signs and logo products were everywhere, especially the art museum where the

Farewell to Generations and Riviera Maya

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It was time to say goodbye to Generations Resort. Roberta and I were glad our flights weren’t until the afternoon because we were in no hurry to leave Riviera Maya. We started the day with our last room service breakfast. I loved the idea that Generations Resort lets you get pretty much anything you want for breakfast in your suite.  We loaded up our omelets (me with veggies and Roberta with seafood) and enjoyed the fresh baked goods. I decided to enjoy the swim-up suite one last time and relaxed in the lounge chair in the water on our patio for a leisurely breakfast with a view. Roberta headed out for more exploring and shopping at El Dorado Royale , the adults-only sister resort next door. When she came back we ventured to the Riviera Maya beach one last time and had the waiters deliver some nachos to us for lunch. With my ankle injury limiting my standing,  I took advantage of the butler Generations Riviera Maya provides guests to help me