Travel Journal: East Coast Road Trip Part 2

December 12, 2014December 5, 2014 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

When I left you, we were on the way from Virginia into North Carolina. I thought it would be a good place to pause since it was very much the transition from North to South. Know how I know? WAFFLE HOUSE!

I seriously love Waffle House. The hashbrowns! The grits! The waffles! Amy and Molly had never been there, so I insisted we stop at the first one we came across. It wasn’t our last.

As I mentioned previously, we plowed through North Carolina in an effort to have more time in Charleston and Savannah. I don’t have much to report except that 1) We saw a lot of rainbows. A lot. 2) Corn nuggets are the best invention ever. An order came with my meal at some restaurant on the side of a country highway and we ended up ordering more for dessert because we liked them so much! Imagine really good (not canned) creamed corn, mixed with cheese, somehow battered and deep fried. Mmmm…

Anyway, back to the trip: we’re finally in South Carolina! We got the day started off right with chicken and waffles at the Early Bird Diner. The place is tiny and there was a wait, but it was so worth it! Molly loves the south and wanted to go on a plantation tour, so after breakfast we trucked out to Magnolia Plantation in Charleston.

To be honest, a big part of me felt like it was an insane thing to take a tour of… the plantation is not a tribute or a memorial to the people whose lives and freedom were taken there and at thousands of other places like it, it was simply billed as a pretty, historic property. And it was beautiful, but it was also hot and buggy and at one point so humid it was miserable to walk around for the hour or two we were there. It’s hard not to consider the misery it must have been to do physical labor there, day in and day out.

Anyway, the plan was to end the afternoon with a swamp tour, but as we got to that area, the humidity I mentioned turned into an all-out downpour. We bucked up and made the attempt—it felt kind of good after the intense heat of the day actually—but only lasted 15 minutes or so, as the rain kept pounding down harder and harder.

After a classic in-car wardrobe change, we headed in to town. We didn’t really do anything but walk around and take it all in… I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how beautiful old Southern towns are. I love the cobblestone streets and tree roots that have grown around the sidewalk, old doors and awesome architecture.

We spent that night in Beaufort, a teeny little town with cute restaurants and bars… including a tucked-away pub called Hemingway’s whose regulars showed us a great time.

The next morning we drove into Savannah. After grabbing some lunch and checking out the shops in the touristy historic district, we took a carriage tour of the city, which sounds cheesy, but it really was a great way to see a lot of the town and learn a lot in a short period of time.

The shop above was the original Ford showroom—how cool is that? After the tour we did even more shopping (such a great city for reasonably priced, super cute clothes!), and then we decided we wanted to see the ocean one more time before the end of our trip, so we headed out to Tybee Island.

The next morning, we headed to the airport and our trip was officially history. We drove a little more, spent a little more and fought a little more than anticipated, but it was so worth having an adventure with my sisters. Hope you’re inspired to plan (and not plan) a road trip of your own!

Travel Guide: Dubai

November 21, 2014November 14, 2014 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 1 Comment

This week’s travel entry marks our first guest post ever! Elise Mooijman is a Dutch journalist and blogger. For more travel reads check out her blog The Beauty Suitcase.

Dubai: the city of oil and gold. A city where no architectural idea is too crazy and where money flows like water. I visited this city in the United Arab Emirates desert for one week back in September.

The first thing you’ll notice once you get out of the airport is (that is if you’re crazy enough to go in the summer like I did) the intense heat. I can best describe it as a hot blow dryer being turned on right in front of your face. At night it only cools down slightly. For someone like me who is from a colder country darkness and heat just don’t mix. Feeling the scorching heat while it’s pitch black (or as black as it can get with all the neon lights of Dubai) is a weird experience.

My father was in Dubai for work commitments and the company he works for was nice enough to let me stay in an apartment at one of the most luxurious hotels in the city with him. I hope this does not come across as bragging as I would never be able to afford a hotel room – let alone apartment – there myself, but staying in a place like that gave me a good impression Dubai’s high-life. However, the gap between the poor and the rich in Dubai is very large. Always leave a tip for the hotel staff as they earn little and work long hours.

Many Arab women in Dubai are covered completely from head-to-toe in black clothes, including a veil. But don’t let this fool you: Dubai is quite a women-friendly city for tourists. They for example have special women’s taxis that are driven by women only. Men are only allowed to ride in the company of a woman.

It’s important to dress respectful in Dubai: cover your knees and shoulders (it is mandatory inside the malls, so men: ditch those Bermuda shorts ;) ). You won’t be arrested or anything like that if you don’t, but locals will greatly appreciate your decency. I have heard of women (and men) though that were stopped on the streets or in the mall by strangers and scolded for their raunchy clothes.

Highlights

Where to go: Hands down the Dubai Mall, don’t be ticked off by the word ‘mall’, because the Dubai Mall will be unlike any shopping mall you’ve ever been to. First of all it is the largest mall in the entire world, and with that in mind it might not come as a surprise that the Dubai Mall is home to an ice-rink and an aquarium filled with 2,64 million gallons of water and more than 33,000 living creatures (of which 400 are sharks). Standing in front of this giant while surrounded by stores feel very unreal.

Also in the Dubai Mall is the entrance to the world’s tallest building: the Burj Khalifa. From the observatory deck you’ll have a magnificent view, but I’ll be honest: I personally find the ledge experience at Willis Tower in Chicago more impressive. However, it never hurts to be able to stay that you stood on the tallest building in the world right?

If you want to see the historic and less polished side of Dubai visit the Souks. There is the gold souk, which offers silver and gold jewelry for great prices, and the spice souk where sales men will literally shove the most interesting spices under your nose.

Where to eat:

The restaurants around the Dubai Fountain (right outside the Dubai Mall and at the foot of the Burj Khalifa) make for a great place to grab a bite. The food isn’t anything spectacular— you’ll find a lot of typical American chains like Red Lobster and Texas Roadhouse there—but eating while watching the fountain ‘dance’ to the most beautiful music is an experience that you’ll never forget. The water jets get as high as 500 ft. and after 6:00 p.m. there is a show every 30 minutes in which the fountain ‘dances’ differently to each song.

If you’re on a budget try Italian-Japanese restaurant Scoozi, but stay away from the sushi. Not that the fish is bad, but what is a California roll with nothing but crab inside? If you have a little more to spend I recommend having breakfast at the InterContinal Festival City hotel. I have never seen a breakfast buffet with so much choice (sushi for breakfast anyone?). It will cost you an arm and a leg, but you’ll leave with the fullest stomach you’ll ever have.

Thanks so much to Elise for sharing her travels with us! Interested in writing a travel guide? Email me at kristink_64@yahoo.com.

Travel Guide: Toronto

November 7, 2014November 4, 2014 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

My first impression of Toronto was blue glass studded with bright fall foliage. As you drive in from the airport, the first buildings to greet you once you actually get in to the city are tall, modern, glass skyscrapers, and behind that, the blue of the Great Lakes. We went at the perfect time of year: the air was crisp and the small deciduous trees planted in the well-landscaped green spaces between buildings were fiery shades of orange and yellow and red. It was stunningly beautiful.

We stayed in the financial district, which feels like you’re in the middle of everything when you arrive on a Friday afternoon—the sidewalks and underground tunnels are bustling, restaurants and bars are full of business people—but it’s deceptive. Come Saturday morning we discovered this is not the best area of town to spend a weekend—75% of businesses in the area shut down when the working crowd goes home.

I love that the city’s districts are very distinct. You know exactly when you’ve crossed the street from Chinatown to the Fashion District. Toronto is very walkable, with wide sidewalks and ample opportunities to cross busy streets—and everyone obeys walk signals. (Although Andrew attributes that to innate Canadian niceness). I loved the public art and design throughout the city and definitely could have spent another afternoon walking aimlessly, admiring it all!

We spent our evenings in the King West neighborhood, which seems to be pretty hip, but not over run with 20-something hipsters. (Man, I sound like a crotchety old lady.) Great restaurants abound and there’s a great nightlife scene—with plenty of taxis to get you home. We did have to wait in line to get in to the bar—the locals we were with said that if we had arrived before 10:00 we would have been good to go.

Highlights

Where to go: I spent some significant time in the fashion district. Every other store front seems to be a massive fabric store. I loved King Textiles—with roll upon roll upon roll of fabric (and real fashion designers placing orders!), it reminded me of Mood from Project Runway.

What to do: Lots of people told us about a giant mall near our hotel. I’m not usually a big mall shopper, but after a couple months in Bermuda, chain stores (and Auntie Anne’s!) are starting to become a welcome, American-feeling sight. We didn’t go to the CN Tower, but I’m kind of wishing we had—however, I’ve heard the food is not very good in the restaurant at the top, so best to just imbibe a cocktail and the view!

Where to eat: We had some absolutely fantastic meals in Toronto—and yes, don’t worry we had poutine. I absolutely loved Sansotei Ramen. They have a handful of dishes that are really just very slight variations on pork belly ramen—I love when a restaurant is so sure of what they’re doing, they only offer you what they make best. Another standout was Buca—an Italian place in King West. The atmosphere is amazing, and so is the suckling pig! (Oh, and the cheese tray… mmmm… cheese….)

Editor’s Note: This first guide is pretty short since we were only in town for the weekend. Do you have Toronto tips? Please feel free to share in the comments or send me an email! Interested in writing a travel guide? Email me at kristink_64@yahoo.com.

Move over Movember

November 12, 2012 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

I hate the holiday rush as much as anyone (Christmas décor in July? Really?), but when you’re working with retailers, they’re ready to see Christmas cards by September or October, so I’ve had my collection printed for a couple months. I love Halloween too much to bum rush it with holiday announcements, but for all you early birds who have your cards in the mail by December 1, here you go!

Last year’s holiday cards were mostly hold-overs from 2010, but this year I’ve created a number of new designs. Find them all in the shop and keep up with the latest and greatest on facebook. And don’t forget to pick up some gift tags while you’re there!

Gallery Night!

April 30, 2012 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 1 Comment

Not much time to blog this week, since I’m preparing for my first show! I’m not sure what to expect, but I’m looking forward to it! Stop by the Goodman Community Center this Friday evening and support Madison’s local art scene!