All posts in Destinations

Christmas is…All Around

by Hot D on December 5, 2011 in Culture, Destinations, Opinion, Random Thoughts with No comments
The White House and the National Christmas Tre...

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While I’d like to take the entirety of my post and talk about having connections, that would really diservice what I’m trying to get across here. I’ll take a brief moment to recognize the Press Secretary from an unnamed Congressman who was so gracious in getting me the hook up this morning. Fortunately, I also had the pleasure of spending the morning with her so it was a major win for this gloomy Monday.

If you haven’t been to the nation’s capital on or around Christmas/the holiday season (stretching from Thanksgiving to NYE) you would be smart to book your flights, train tickets, or bus tickets now! Your best bet would have been to enjoy the Christmas tree lighting last weekend but I found a much more worthy Christmas-mood-making endeavor – the White House Tour, Christmas style.

If you’ve never been to the White House, there is no better time than the holidays. Today was my first time and from stepping on the property to leaving past the armed-badass secret service guys, I was truly in the midst of power and grandeur. We went through the East wing of the White House seeing notable rooms such as the Blue, Green and Red rooms as well as the East room which houses official state dinners. I’ve gotta say, seeing these during the summer would have been cool but during the holidays they are spruced up (no pun intended) with trees, lights, ornaments, garlands… the list goes on. A few highlights had to be the giant white-chocolate-gingerbread White House replica, 5 Bo-the-dog replicas in various rooms, and some sweet string and piano music as you walked out the door to the driveway of the White House. On another note, seeing secret service agents all over and going through the three security checkpoints and seeing just how thick the glass in the White House is, makes you fully understand the power housed within that iconic structure. Next time I go back, hopefully I can get an in with someone who is working in the White House and see the West wing, as that is where the real stuff goes down, if you had no clue.

Until then, I’ll go back to watching reruns of the West Wing and hoping for the day I’ll get to see the real White House…as an employee, a friend of a future President…or spouse? If you can’t make it to the tour during Christmas which is, unfortunately for you pretty unlikely, take a stroll around town to see Christmas lights or get out there to a holiday party. Don’t be a Grinch, get in the Christmas spirit. Sip some hot toddy around the fire and go caroling around the neighborhood. Don’t wait too long, Christmas is a mere 20 days away. I guess the only question is, what are you getting me?

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Affordable Hotel – Courtyard by Marriott

by Hot D on October 19, 2011 in Advice, Destinations, Opinion with 1 Comment
Courtyard Logo

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I’ve had the pleasure of traveling around these United States lately. When I have, I’ve stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott. For my money, if I had unlimited funds, I think I’d stay at the Ritz or a bed and breakfast or some fancy upscale place. However, if you are trying to get a good deal and a good night sleep, the Courtyard by Marriott is a great place to check out.

The Marriott hotel chain screams quality to me. I know that the Courtyard seems like the downgraded version of Marriott and it probably is. However, the amenities are still there.

The current Courtyard that I’m staying in has a delightful downstairs restaurant, bar, and Starbucks inside the lobby. There is room for businessey stuff and a nice seating area in front of a fireplace. The outside might be my favorite, as this Burbank Courtyard offers up some tiki torches and a giant fire pit. While the lobby and outside are nice, I stay at particular hotels for their rooms. A few of the features here that set the Courtyard out above the rest are the blackout curtains and memory foam bed. It seems most of the king bed rooms have a seating area and a fridge to store libations.

Now how does this set out over other hotel chains? I think the price is pretty comparable to other chains but you get so much more for what you pay. From the bed to the pool and common areas, to the brand new feel as most are going through some type of refurbishment.

Whether you are away on business, trying to have a booty call, or away for pleasure the Courtyard is where you want to stay. If you are looking for a clean and comfortable place, this is for you.

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Destination: Charleston, SC

by Hot D on September 7, 2011 in Destinations with 2 Comments

Well I’m back, unfortunately.

I had a glorious 5 day weekend, about 3 of which was spent in Charleston (Chucktown) SC. Some old pals of mine, including thehorseyourodeinon, rented a 3 bedroom/2 bath house in the heart of Charleston. I don’t know if you’ve been to Charleston but let me tell you a few reasons why its worth your time to visit. Tuna can probably clue you in on a few more reasons, as he is our resident ex-resident. These are a few highlights of the trip:

1 – Fresh Croissants: Fresh, flakey, buttery goodness! I have found that its hard to find a mediocre croissant up in these parts, let alone a freshly baked delicacy. “It was like being in Paris”, said one connoisseur. I had a regular croissant and one of the ham and cheese filled variety. While the plain one was delicious, that ham and cheese one will be forever ingrained in my mind. If you are down there, check out Kudu.

2 – Markets: Farmers markets, market street…what more could you ask for? Saturday was chock full of vendors at Marion Park. I, unfortunately, was feeling the effects of Friday drinking and missed the stroll through the farmers market but I did get to enjoy a delicious homemade all natural granola bar. I don’t know how much thehorseyourodeinon spent for these but after having one…I would have spent a good $5 per bar. My typical market/farmers market experience is no where as vast as what Charleston has to offer. The proximity to the beach provides a fair share of fresh, delicious seafood and the local artisans have everything from handcrafted baskets to homemade jewelry.

3 - Southern Cooking: Two words: Fried Okra. The clear downside to Charleston is the ridiculous lines for their restaurants. However, we found a gem that was a bit north of the hubbub downtown. You guessed it, this place did serve delicious fried okra. We also had fried pickles which were equally as good. The Carolina Bouillabaisse was loaded with shrimp, scallops, fish, and clams (or mussels) and screamed freshness. If you can’t stand the wait at Jestine’s – the suggested Southern food place in Chucktown – I would definitely suggest Virginia’s on King. Good prices and Southern delicacies like fried chicken, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and more graced the menu. Side note: this just made me ridiculously hungry.

4 – Golf/Landscape: We played golf at Legend Oaks, an amazing course right beyond some enormous plantations. Magnolia Plantation has been gracing Charleston’s burbs since 1676. Their gardens and house would rival the Biltmore or Mt. Vernon. While I can’t explain how gorgeous it was in person as we had a tee time to catch, I can only assume by the pictures and from seeing the front gates, that Magnolia and the other plantations were quite a view to behold. Back to golf…the course, thanks to Groupon, was two for one. I would have paid full price as the greens and fairways were in great shape and the views from the tee were spectacular. Plenty of golf and plantations to see down in these parts which make it ideal for bachelor party or a “bro” golf weekend.

5 – The Oyster Shot: It wouldn’t be a proper review of the city if I didn’t talk about some drinking. While you can get oyster shots from other places, there is something spectacular about being in a hundred year old + building, right near the water, shooting a raw oyster down your throat. This, I can say, was my first and won’t be my last oyster shot. I can tell you right now, its not for the faint of hearts. Chalked full of hot sauce, horseradish, and vodka – the shot is sure to make a spicy aficionado rejoice and a “mild is too hot!” person, cry.

Impromptu Flights

by thehorseyourodeinon on August 19, 2011 in Destinations, Random Thoughts, Transportation, Uncategorized with No comments
plane

I for one have never booked a flight one day and flown the next and I’m sure most of you have not either (unless for a horrific family tragedy).  There are however a few whimsical, free spirited, albeit borderline crazy people, like my friend MT, who do these sorts of things for emotional well being and with a sense of irrational urgency. Knowing she has a vacation starting the next day but bored with her Ivy League New Hampshire surroundings she found a last minute deal to RDU and 12 hours later she is disturbing the peace on an American Airlines 747 bound for the City of Oaks. I, the unsuspecting friend, receive a text saying “dinner tonight at a place TBD.” I do the text message equivalent of laughing in her face until after a series of exchanges I realize that she’s already in town.

It’s this kind of randomness and departure from one’s comfort zones that wow an unsuspecting public and make me want to go a step further, i.e. quit my job and go backpacking through Tibet, Chechnya or somewhere east of Eden. While there’s no need to go quite that far, I think a little randomness (on a weekday mind you, in line with dgleese’s post) would do us all some good. So take a lesson from MT and be a little fucking crazy every once in a while, it’s good for your psyche.

 

Best Chickpeas of all time – Kabob Palace

by tuna on August 2, 2011 in Destinations, Food with 3 Comments

Rarely do I go out on a limb and declare a restaurant to have the best of any type of food.  It’s just too hard to pick something like that when I’ve only eaten at less than a fraction of a fraction of all the places to possibly eat in the world.  I’ve only declared something like this once before and it was for Peruvian chicken from Pollo Rico.  It’s just a fact of life.  The sky is blue.  The grass is green.  Gravity is -9.8 meters per second squared.  Pollo Rico has the best Peruvian chicken on the planet.

The same can be said about the chickpeas served up from the Kabob Palace in the Crystal City area of Arlington, VA.

These chickpeas are hard to describe.  If you’ve never had chickpeas before, it’s hard to determine what the best chickpeas taste like and what the shitty ones taste like.  Therefore, there are three qualities that went into judging these chickpeas:

Softness – The outer shell of the pea should break with the slighest touch of a fork.  They should melt in your mouth.  No hard chickpeas.  No mush chickpeas.  Just the perfect amount of softness that I’ve only experienced at the Kabob Palace on a consistent basis.

Sauciness – For the most part, when you order chickpeas, they’re going to be served over rice.  You need the proper about of sauce built into the chickpea so that the rice and sop up the flavor and they can be eaten together.  The rice should be moist with the chickpea sauce but not turned into a soup.

Spiciness – Chickpeas need some heat due to the bland flavor of the bean by itself.  Without the right amount of spiciness, it might taste like you’re eating plain beans and nobody wants to eat plain beans.  That shit is boring.

Now I’m going to rate the Kabob Palace chickpeas on those three qualities:

Softness – A+

Sauciness – A+

Spiciness – A+

Overall – A+

Hand down, the best chickpeas ever.  If you doubt me, ask a cabbie in the DC area where he goes to eat.  Guaranteed, 100% he’s going to say Kabob Palace.  It’s the Mecca of Middle Eastern food.  Anyone who knows anything about chickpeas is going to have my back on this.

PS – I’m thinking about having our TBSE party catered with fuckin Peruvian chicken and chickpeas.  If you live in the DC area, you should plan on raging out with the TBSE crew at Whitlows in Arlington.  August 27th.  Hot chicks only.  Just kidding.  But kind of not really.

Guest Post – People Watching in DC’s Chinatown

by tuna on July 25, 2011 in Comedy, Destinations, Random Thoughts with 1 Comment

Tuna’s Editorial Note – My friend wrote this post.  I don’t know if she wants me to put her real name or not, but we’ll refer to her as “the original mermaid” because I can’t think of anything original.

Over the past six months, I have been able to experience one of the best parts about downtown Washington DC: people-watching in Chinatown. After a grueling 30 minute metro ride, walking up the escalators at the Gallery Place station always brightens my day. If you’re lucky, you too might be able to spot these rare gem’s. In fact, you could even plan a whole day witnessing these unique individuals. Let me give you a preview:

Wear Your Sneakers to Work Man
To all mah ladies- if you are strolling between Metro Center and Gallery Place stations trying to get your fitness on, there is a homeless man with a long beard who WILL CHASE YOU. No one knows why (he babbles as he runs), but it’s pretty scary so you might just want to wear your sneakers to work and pack your purse light. Pepper spray might not be a bad option juuuust in case. I might rent-a-rotweiler from my friend just for shits and giggles.

Hopscotch Dude
Post up around noon on the corner of 7th and H. Hopscotch Man always has a shit-eating smile on his face while he hops around on one foot, spinning in the middle of the intersection holding up traffic. Normally dressed in tight neon-spandex pants, the world is his oyster. Rumor has it, he’s an ex-executive of a huge corporation, who retired early and chooses to spend his days smiling and pissing off nearby motorists One Tuesday, I witnessed him trying to hold up a firetruck- he was chased down by a cop and thrown down on the sidewalk. #winning

Chipotle burrito Bowl Guy
My friends know how much I enjoy a good Burrito from Chipotle. This guy is probably my favorite out of all. About once a week around 2-3PM, this guy sits under a tree in front of Zatinya, and downs 5 Chipotle Burrito bowls in about 7 minutes. The best part? He doesn’t use a fork. Now that’s true talent.

Sear sucker Pimp
A rarity- sear sucker pimp is only visible between 4-5PM Fridays. He stands right above the Metro, always with new tatted up girl who weighs as much as a 9 year old and is sporting clear stilettos. He’s easy to spot (no, he doesn’t wear a fluffy pink hat el Jefe)- but his suit is unmistakable. I will give $5 to anyone who befriends this man and learns his name. If it’s anything like his outfit, it’s gotta be good.

So come on down to Chinatown! Forget Verizon Center events, eating authentic cuisine, and visiting the Smithsonian. I can show you for FREE true Chinatown culture. Oh and we can get shitfaced at Rocketbar after.

So you like Airplanes, do ya?

by Hot D on July 15, 2011 in Advice, Destinations, Electronics, Random Thoughts, Technology with No comments

Do you enjoy the following words:

  • Squawk
  • Roger
  • Over and Out
  • Whiskey
  • Zulu
  • Foxtrot
  • Heavy
  • Vector
  • Approach
  • Cleared to Land

If you haven’t guessed, I’m talking about airplanes and air traffic control or ATC. Now, call me a nerd, but I enjoy hearing what the tower has to say to the pilots inhabiting the skies at thousands of feet above me. I occasionally will sit in my apartment and listen to Washington Tower to hear of upcoming takeoffs and landings. Now this may be just me but when you live literally steps from the airport, you kinda get into this sort of thing.

If you decide this is for you, let me suggest a site for your enjoyment – Live ATC. This site is great. Just go onto the home page and put in your airport code. I usually listen to DCA and Washington Tower. However, Potomac Approach is cool too. You get to hear all the air traffic live. This works especially well if you are waiting on someone to fly in. In combination with FlightStats, you can listen to your friend or family member on final approach as well as track their flight in nearly real time. For me, this is extremely helpful as these two sites tell me when exactly I should get my lazy ass off the couch and to the airport.

Another thing to keep in mind, United (for one) offers the ability to listen to ATC as you are flying! This is a pretty sweet feature. All you have to do is plug your headphones in to the armrest and tune to channel 9. Its pretty interesting to hear your captain and tons of others talk with the various air traffic controllers throughout the US or the world for that matter. Its amazing how these guys actually take in information, air traffic controllers speak like a million words per minute. I get lost hearing them talk about all the flight numbers, speed, frequency, and navigation changes, its truly amazing that we can get from point A to B so seamlessly.

My last bit of wisdom on listening in to ATC is the following: if you are listening to ATC live, you will know where you are at en route to your destination. Lets not forget, as well, you will be the first to know of a change in schedule, direction, speed, or god forbid some type of terrible situation about to unfold at 30K feet.

Hopefully you now want to listen in to ATC or perhaps become an air traffic controller yourself. For either, I suggest Pushing Tin with Billy Bob, Angelina, and Cusack – excellent flick on ATC. I leave you with a small clip.

Jefe Went to Pittsburgh

by El Jefe on June 29, 2011 in Destinations, Restaurants, Weekend Recap with No comments

Over the weekend, a co-worker and I took a trip to PA. He’s an enormous MMA fan, and the UFC was making a stop in his hometown of Pittsburgh. I’ve never had the opportunity to see a boxing match, let alone two people trying to choke each other out professionally, so I was immediately on board with the idea.

My buddy and I left DC early Saturday morning. We were hoping to see the fighters get weighed in that afternoon. Luckily, traffic was minimal, and we rolled in about four hours later. We were, however, significantly early for the weigh-ins. I was also very hungry.

Normally, I’d look for a McDonald’s or some other form of cheep and shitty nourishment.  But my friend wanted to keep the trip as close to authentic as possible. And people from Pittsburgh don’t do McDonald’s. They do Primanti Bros.

My friend didn’t let me order. Instead, he opted he serve me his childhood favorite — the pastrami and cheese seen above…with double meat. The fries, coleslaw, and tomatoes acted as garnish. It was an absurd sandwich, but holy fuck was it incredible.  After twenty minutes of eating and some minor meat sweats, we headed over to Heinz Field to see the fighters do their thing.

Now, let me say this about weigh-ins. They are, without a doubt, the most homo-erotic event one can go to. Here’s why:

Before a professional bout, fighters have to prove that they meet the weight limitations for the upcoming brawl.  They do this by walking onto a stage and stepping onto a scale practically naked.  This is followed by the combatants taking a promotional photo, where both men stare deeply and intensely into each others eyes. They then shake hands and walk away, like no biggie.  It was fucking bizarre.

Either way, I was still pumped to see guys get put on dream street.  And by that point, it was time for drinks.

Tuna advised me before the trip to visit Pittsburgh’s Hofbräuhaus.  The only things I can remember him saying were “shit show” and “sluts.”  And Tuna never steers me wrong.

The place was bananas.  People were standing on tables, singing along to polka, and slamming beers and shotskis.

I showed up stone sober.  Forty minutes later, I was yelling along to the house-band’s rendition of Hit Me With Your Best Shot. It’s probably no surprise that we wound up back at my friend’s place around 4:30 — making Sunday afternoon come rather quick.

I wish I could give more details about the fights that day.  I honestly can’t. There were eleven bouts, and almost all were amazing in one way or another. Ultimately, we saw six people get knocked unconscious, including the one seen below.

Everyone’s calling it the greatest comeback ever.  I could of told you the black dude was going to win.  I knew it the moment he took his shirt off Saturday.

Hey! I told you it was homo-erotic.

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