Why I could live in Madison, Connecticut

Isn't that beautiful? This is the beach at East Wharf Beach in Madison, CT. Hubs and I took our little Valentine's Day getaway to this lovely little town. Not only does this town lie on the Connecticut shoreline, it has more to offer than just a beach. The town's center is quaint with a few restaurants of varying styles, a little movie theater, independent bookstore, and a few local coffee shops/cafes.

We stayed at the Scranton Sea Horse Inn which was a fantastic deal! Our room was cozy and perfect and we were served a delicious breakfast this morning with our fellow guests. I would love to go back in the Summer and spend another weekend there.
The Sea Horse is full of cozy little nooks and places to relax, like this sweet window seat. The Innkeepers Michael and Brian have taken the guest into account in every way at their Inn. When you enter the Sea Horse you are like a guest in their home. Their inn is cozy, inviting and elegant while still being very comfortable.
Saturday night we went to Elizabeth's Cafe, which is a homey yet elegant bistro-style restaurant that serves a little of everything. We went with seafood, hubs having the monkfish (he raved over it) and me the scallops (cooked to perfection). We finished it all off with vanilla cream and chocolate cake bread pudding.


After dinner, we walked the five minutes or so to the cute, little movie theater and saw, "Crazy Heart." That is the movie that stars Jeff Bridges as "Bad Blake" with Maggie Gyllenhal and Colin Farrell, in a profile of an aging, country troubadour. We really enjoyed the movie and the music was surprisingly good. Colin Farrell sang a bit on camera (I think that was him) and Jeff Bridges undoubtedly sang on camera. Bridges was surprisingly good and had a real Waylon Jennings meets Kris Kristofferson thing going on.
Source

All in all, it was a lovely weekend and my valentine and I had a much needed change of pace in a very romantic location. I hope that everyone out in blogland had a happy Valentine's Day as well. Whether it was spent with your significant other or best pals, I hope it was an enjoyable day.

Now I must retire, because unfortunately my place of business does not close in honor of our favorite Presidents. How lame. I'm all about celebrating the Presidents!

Anyway, bon soir!

Short and Sweet

Wooowww. I got a bit long-winded yesterday. It was a lot of describe, but geesh. I'm such a geef. (that's not a typo, it's a word I invented... geef. Use it.)

So, today I'm keeping this one short n' sweet. Remember that trip to Connecticut I was talking about taking earlier this month? I decided that throwing it together with less than a week's notice, while fun and spontaneous, is also majorly more expensive. So, it's on the books for Valentine's Day weekend.

The hub and I aren't big Valentine's Day people, however. This will mark the second time we've ever done something besides give one another card. We're not big on gifts, so I consider this trip our gift to each other.

Very exciting! I've got calls into this little inn and this little inn and a couple of other too. It's going to be a short getaway, but still a getaway. And a big plus, if all goes well, I will be checking one destination off my 2010 list. I hope it snows while we're there... lots and lots.

Do you celebrate Valentine's Day? If so, how do you shower the ones you love with affection or do you throw up the finger at the very mention of "VD?"

*photo source

My destination wishlist

From my last trip to PEI. The bay at Sunset.

A couple of weeks ago I had a dream that I was travelling with a big group of friends (which I luuuv) to do. Anyway, we were all in an airport waiting for plane and discussing our trip. Our imaginary voyage was going to take us somewhere (can't remember the end destination), but we were to have a 24 hours stopover in Dubai. And in my dream I was ecstatic about the opportunity to visit this place. But why?

Why Dubai? No idea. When I woke up I started thinking about it. Do I want to go to Dubai? I know virtually nothing about it. Michael Jackson posted up there, tallest building in the world, recent real estate boom, beaches, near some body of water (no idea which one).

This all has a point, I promise. So the sudden, subconscious urge to visit Dubai symptomatic of something else? A need to visit something so foreign, so different from my own life? The thrill of the entering a land full of the complete unknown is one of life's greatest pleasures to me, but Dubai? So I chalked the dream up to being, well, a dream, and started making a travel list for this year.

2010's travel list is much different than my lifetime travel list which could go on and on. I basically want to go everywhere. This list is an effort to set attainable travel goals for the year and being realistic about it. I have a life goal that I will try to visit a foreign country every year, preferably a new one. But if it's been over 10 years since I visited, I think it still counts.

So here goes:
1. Visit California. I have never been to the West Coast of the country at all.
2. Go back to France. I intend to start grad school in the near future (I'm shooting for August) and need to get my French-brain working in high gear.
3. Colorado. I can't believe I've never been! Not a single person I have ever spoken to about visiting Colorado has anything negative to say. It's high time me and hubs make it there.
4. Further explore NYC. We are three hours away, and I can't move out of PA without a couple more trips to NYC. That city has so, so much to offer and I want to see as much of as I can. But in a cool, look like a local-way. Not in a "follow your tour guide who happens to be dressed up like Lady Liberty" sort of way.
5. Stay in an inn in Connecticut/Vermont. I think it's from watching "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney a few too many times, but I want to spend a weekend in a cozy inn by a fireplace with my man. Sounds fantastic. And while I'm in CT, we will hit New Haven. Gotta have a steamed burger.
6. Visit our dear friends in Canada again. They've made their home on Prince Edward Island and it is so lovely! So quaint, with friendly people and amazing lobster, and of course great company. I truly hope that we can visit again and this time I can take my husband along.
7. And of course.. home. Go to Nashville, see my family, hug my nieces and nephews, laugh with my sisters, brothers-in-law and my parents. Lounge in my house and sleep like a baby, where it is so quiet and dark and peaceful. Ahhh... home.

And, I think that about wraps 2010. The list is quite an undertaking! But, I am a travel junkie and just writing it made me want to pull out my camping equipment, throw Mick (dog) in the car, steal Tyler from work and hit the road!

Do you make travel goals? I am a list-maker, so I make them for just about anything. Are you a bit anal retentive like me? Or do travel by the seat of your pants? Do tell :)

A case of the blahs....

It's that time of year. The boring time of year. I can guarantee that I spend more time googling vacations at this time of year than any other. I am just itching to get out of town, or get something on the books that states in writing that I will be taking some sort of vaca soon. I need it on the books!

My sisters and I share this. I think it must have come from my Mom as she is as bad as I am; and it gets worse every year. The "borings" hit me as soon as all of the holiday excitement ends and we're left with the LLLLOOOOONNNG stretch from here till Easter.

So what to do to make the time pass? Winter is in full swing and I have lots of books to read, recipes to cook, yoga classes to take, volunteer hours to do, work (of course) - but I still find myself bored. Saturday nights roll around and my husband and I stare at each other blankly wondering how to pass the evening. Are we so lame?

The answer is yes.

So - here's the plan. I got the itch big time this morning and decided that even taking a little 36 hour getaway this weekend is better than staring at one another or the tv this weekend. Which is why we will be spending our weekend in lovely..... New Haven, CT! Actually we will be staying in
Branford, CT, which is very close. I want to visit Gillette Castle, Yale University, have one of those famous steamed burgers like I saw on Man vs. Food!

Now that's what I'm talking about it! It's not the Caribbean, but it's a change of scenery!