My Perfect Day

{Photo by Jason Evans}

The perfect day in Newport, Rhode Island begins at 6:15 am. I awake without an alarm clock and lie in bed considering images and thoughts from dreams the night before. 6:30 am. The house is quiet. My beautiful wife smiles while she sleeps. I get up and put on a pot of coffee and sit on the couch to meditate. On the way to the couch I greet the valencia-orange sunrise that quickly fills our living room. It’s like that just about every day but on this particular Friday morning, the view out the window is exceptional. Fog blows in off the Atlantic Ocean a few hundred yards south of us. I watch it for a moment as it makes its way up the valley below our neighborhood. 6:45 am. Breathing deep and counting the calls of the new birds of spring in New England. I disappear from there and feel energized and ready to go when I open my eyes. I pack up my faithful canine companion Jack and head for work.

7:30 am. I’m the first one at our studio – a short walk from the house. This morning I needed to finalize the new salaries for our staff. In a difficult business climate our studio is busy and doing well. Everyone gets a raise this year and is still working 40-hour weeks. We’re thriving and it feels great. I write letters to each employee thanking them for their hard work and detailing the raise and new salary.

{Photo by Jason Evans}

8:30 am. I take a coffee and cigarette break outside while the studio staff arrives. While I’m out there I get the perfect phone call on the cell. It’s my neighbor who tells me he has a referral for me. His good friend and colleague is a boat builder in Bristol and looking to design and build a new website. I take some information and thank my neighbor. He’s a great guy all around.

10 am. A quick morning pow-wow with the other designers. Projects are going smoothly and looking good. I check my to-do list and I’m pretty well caught-up. Still have to prepare the bloody taxes – which aren’t that hard to do but too many numbers for an artist on a Friday. Procrastination kicks in and I check the local web cams to see if there’s any surf. Should have been flat as a lake but to my surprise some really nice looking waves at first (Easton’s) beach. I send out a few texts and IMs to the guys I surf with. No response… they’re trapped in meetings. I call the Water Brothers surf report. A mystery swell is hitting the rocky corner at Easton’s Beach perfectly. It rarely breaks like this and when it does it’s the perfect wave. Picking up the pace at my desk I dash off 10 or 20 emails to clients, prospects and staff. In come a few more… our office admin has prepared much of the numbers for the taxman. I get back in touch with a prospect at Harvard Law School’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society. I check in on a logo contest we submitted work to.

11 am. We’re working on an environmental project for a filmmaker attempting to traverse the Northwest Passage and interviewing politicians and locals about what will become of this new frontier. The Passage is an illusive shipping route through Canada and the Arctic that’s opening up due to climate change. Its a great project and the client approves the design work of his website and movie title treatments without any changes. Amazing. Our Intern comes into my office with a great looking flier she designed for the RI Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation‘s new member movie night event. Such a great group and its a pleasure to support their efforts. Made a note to write them a check for our corporate membership.

{Photo by G.E. Long}

12:30. Surf is still looking really good at the beaches. Still no word from my surfing companions. My wife and I decided to do a vegetarian diet for the month of March so I grab a granola bar and a banana, chug some water and head outside for the mid-day cigarette - pure contradiction but hey no one’s perfect. I work through lunch sending another 10 or 20 emails off followed by a long phone call with a client looking to expand their website publishing system. I gather the specs and give her some tips on the books and publications she’s working on. I get another email from our Northwest Passage Film client. His director wants historical maps, charts and other graphics incorporated into the film website and trailer. Fun stuff. The work is rolling in and the client is one of our favorites. Everything is going so smoothly today but the real joy of this perfect day is yet to come.

2 pm. The important stuff on my to-do list is done (except for finishing taxes which we already filed an extension for). One last call to the surf report – no update, the beach cam still looks really good. I can see a few guys are out in the water. It’s sunny and the birds are saying that this is one of the first warm days of spring. I make a final round checking in with designers. They don’t need anything from me so I let them know I’m leaving early. It’s Friday and I’ve already put in 60 hours or so. I need fresh air and exercise. I tell the staff I may be back around 4:30 or 5pm and that if I don’t see them thank you for your hard work and have a great weekend. I speed home, tear of my clothes and wiggle into my wetsuit. It’s a 6x4mm winter wetsuit. Heavy, but warm. I leave the car running and crank up the heat. Jack stares at me sadly because he knows I’m going to the beach without him.

{Photo by G.E. Long}

2:30 When I arrive at First Beach a few minutes later I’m astounded. A chest-high set of waves is peeling in long lines. There’s one or two guys out and the sun is still shining. I grab the longboard from off the car. It’s just big enough to consider wearing a leash (that cord that attaches the board to your leg). I much prefer surfing without it even though I’ll be over by the rocks. I go without the leash and paddle out into the frigid water as a flock of geese fly overhead. The sun is shining and the water is clean and clear. The waves are coming in and peeling off the rocky coast. I grab the first one and drop in, then cut back and get a little cover up inside the tube. It doesn’t get any better than this. I grab another wave. This one’s really walling up and again I cut back, drag my hand along the wave to stall out and wait for the lip to peel over my back. I get low and tuck in. Another guy paddling out is looking down the line of the wave at me… just far enough away not to intrude. We’re both “stoked.” About an hour goes by… more prefect waves rolling in. A bunch more guys are in the water but no one seems to want to line up in the cove along the rocks where I am. I’m all alone frolicking in lovely weather and perfect surf.

4:30. I take one last wave in and check emails at the car. Nothing critical. I blast one or two more emails out from the iPhone trying not to get any water on it. Still in my wetsuit I throw the phone back in the car and head out for a few more waves.

It’s 5:30 when I finally get back to the house. I crack a beer in the basement bathroom and it goes down pretty quick while I peel my way out of the wet and heavy winter wetsuit. Jack comes down to see what’s the commotion. A long hot shower and the feeling returns to my toes and feet. I finish getting dressed and my lovely wife Fede walks in the door. I tell her all about my Perfect Day. She had one too. We’re both really enjoying life and nothing feels better than that. We hang out for a while on the back porch but it gets too cold as the sun goes down through the gigantic tree in our backyard.

7pm. Fede and I make a few pizzas in the kitchen – Tomato and garlic and another with left over veggies. Fede applauds my skillful pizza making. She loves that I cook for her and I love that she loves it. We eat and drink and talk for a few hours and eventually make it to bed for long night’s sleep.

Matt Dutra is the President and Chief Creative Officer of Rubic Design/RDI, a graphic design and website development studio in Newport, Rhode Island.

{My Perfect Day is a weekly Tidepooler series that reveals the most wonderful and interesting places in cities and towns around the world, as shared by the people who live there}

Mason’s Perfect Day in Roanoke, Virginia

20 Mar 2009

My Perfect Day, Travel, USA

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The perfect day in Roanoke starts early. The western Virginia valley air is crisp in the early morning hours. From my house in north central Roanoke we ride bicycles past Huff Lane public school into an adjoining park. We pass through a chain link fence and enter sprawl-city: Valley View Mall may be a self-contained indoor mall but it’s surrounded by haphazardly placed big-box stores. Fortunately there’s a wide sidewalk and not even a mile later we’ve split off the road and descended down the Lick Run Greenway into a wooded area in Northwest Roanoke that’s home to at least 73 different species of birds. In spring or fall, we’re likely to find neotropical migrants following the locals birds in foraging flocks.

{Photo of Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial courtesy of vacationplanning.net}

After a couple of miles we’ll ride through Booker T. Washington Park before crossing busy Orange Avenue – the city’s major east-west corridor. We pass through Gainsboro – an inner-city neighborhood that’s one of the city’s oldest. It was home to Henry Street, a bustling black commercial district that during its heyday hosted such luminaries as Cab Calloway and was at one time home to Oscar Micheaux, one of America’s first black filmmakers. But Gainsboro was subjected to urban renewal, a government experiment in the 60s and 70s that replaced many blocks of houses with industrial development.

On the decimated neighborhood’s periphery we see the historic Hotel Roanoke and the Winston Link Museum, which is home to iconic photographs that are better known than the name of the man who shot them. We’ll gawk at the Taubman Museum of Art but generally ignore it en route to Ernie’s, where we’ll grab breakfast. The grits are fine, but this greasy spoon is best known for its potato cakes. After breakfast we’ll again pick up the bike route that now winds its way past the homeless in Elmwood Park and up Williamson Road – the city’s major north-south corridor – before slicing up Mill Mountain’s western face.

Not many cities have their own mountain – and aside from the 89-foot neon star it’s largely undeveloped near the top. We’ll pass joggers, hikers and other bicyclists on our way to the 1,740 foot summit, which offers a view of the city’s downtown that’s broadcast on a city webcam.

From here we’ll descend the summit, passing through South Roanoke. Known by locals as SoRo, South Roanoke is just about as white as Northwest Roanoke is black. Roanoke avoided the strife that affected much of the South during the civil rights movement when white and black leaders cut a deal to talk businesses into integrating without force or violence. Despite that – some say because of it – the city remains one of the most segregated in the nation. As the school board considers shifting school attendance zones, it faces the possibility that it may worsen the problem further.

{Photo by shyzaboy}

But it’s our perfect day, so we sweep through SoRo, bidding the city’s gentry farewell before climbing Wonju Avenue – named for Roanoke’s sister city in South Korea – and arriving at Awful Arthur’s. Roanoke is a good five hours inland, so the seafood isn’t what you’d expect in someplace like Charleston, SC, but we’re not here for the food. Instead, we take advantage of Roanoke’s recent surge in microbreweries. When I returned to the city in 2003, Roanoke lacked a local microbrew despite a large contingent of advanced home brewers. In recent months, however, there’s been a small explosion of local brewers entering the market. And Awful Arthur’s boasts not one but several varieties. So let’s toast to your and my health.

Then we’ll ride down the road another mile or so to Grandin Court. Some folks say this is where the SoRo wanna-bes live, but Grandin Road itself is ground-zero for Roanoke hipsterdom. We should grab a quick bite at Grace’s Place Pizzeria before stepping next door to take advantage of the going-out-of-business sale at Plan 9 Music – Roanoke’s last indie record store. Let’s grab dessert at Pop’s Ice Cream & Soda Bar before leaving Roanoke to head 30 miles south.

I guess leaving the city may be technically breaking the rules? But it’s my perfect day, and one of my favorite spots in the Roanoke area is Franklin County. This is largely a rural county, but it’s packed with tons of interesting stuff. To the north, FrCo supports Roanoke as a bedroom community. To the east is Smith Mountain Lake, which has drawn a large number of retirees from New England, New York and its surrounding environs. To the south is tobacco country, and to the west we find deep dark hollers that gave Franklin County its reputation as “the moonshine capital of the world.” It’s impossible to go to a party down here without running across a mason jar or three filled with some variation on the basic recipe – smooth or harsh, fruity or clear, you find all kinds.

Don’t take my word for it – check out the late Keister Greer’s definitive “The Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935” or the sexier, probably-gonna-be-a-movie-someday novel “The Wettest County in the World.”

The reason we’re in Franklin County, though, is the county’s system of blueways – kinda like this morning’s greenway except we’re talking about rivers. We can fish for trout on the Pigg River – it just got stocked on Tuesday. Or better yet, we can hop in a canoe at any one of dozen put-in spots and take a trip up the Pigg or down the Blackwater. The county hosts a weekend of river events – going from an after-dark float down the Blackwater to the heavily crowded “see and be seen” Pigg River Ramble to the calmer, catered Breakfast on the Blackwater.

I know we’re in Franklin County now, but on another perfect day we could do something awful similar except on the Cowpasture River – my favorite waterway in all the world. So whether in a canoe or inner tubes, let’s float a while. Maybe wet our fishing lines. Then let’s find a party somewhere close. There’ll be moonshine. And since this is the perfect day, we don’t have to worry how we’ll feel tomorrow morning.

Mason Adams covers city, state and federal politics for The Roanoke Times. When not working he hikes, scours used bookstores, referees women’s flat track roller derby and looks for other excuses to run around Virginia and its sister states – generally acting like a damned fool along the way.

{My Perfect Day is a weekly Tidepooler series that reveals the most wonderful and interesting places in cities and towns around the world, as shared by the people who live there}

Katie’s Perfect Day in Memphis

13 Mar 2009

My Perfect Day, Travel, USA

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An early start to a warm, sunny day in March or April would be how my perfect day would begin in Memphis. I would waken to the chatter and songs from the plentiful varieties of birds adding to that great spring-fever mood. First thing, I’d put on my running shoes to get some exercise and fresh air. My cat, Ted thinks he is a dog and literally follows me just like one so it would be more of a choppy run-walk trying to get him to stop stalking the squirrels and morning doves along the way. We’d go from our home to the very south end of the river walk which runs along the Mississippi to Martyr’s Park. This spot has the prettiest view of the trestle bridge that reaches across to Arkansas, and of the tug boats bustling along moving their huge loads of cargo.

{Photo by jbcurio}

After a relaxing hot bath, the next item on the agenda would be brunch at Quetzal with my boyfriend, Gary. This is a wonderful cafe on Union Avenue which is only one of a small handful of restaurants that offers a healthy menu as opposed to the usual sausage, biscuits and gravy served elsewhere in this city. The homemade cashew granola served with fresh strawberries, pineapples, bananas, and mango is my favorite. We would linger for a leisurely meal, complete with coffee and a USA Today crossword.

Since it is still such a gorgeous day out, I can’t pass up a good healthy hike in the woods at Meeman Shelby State Forest. It’s about a 20 minute ride from downtown Memphis but well worth it. It is filled with miles of beautiful nature trails and the hike can be as short or long as you so choose. We’d just do the 3-mile loop on this particular day because there are a lot more things to get in before it draws to a close.

Because this is my perfect day then my niece, Molly and nephew, Ben would be visiting from New England, and we’d go to the Memphis Zoo. This place has such a phenomenal array of animals and the exhibits are generally pretty nice. There are so many big cats, from ocelots to snow leopards to white tigers. I think that the pandas, hippopotamuses, and orangutans would make Molly and Ben laugh the most with delight. We’d get ice cream cones and walk around until their little feet would tire.

{Photo by ChaseGordon}

After getting home to shower and change, Gary and I would venture out to Beale Street to meet up with some friends. Specifically, we’d head on over to W.C. Handy Park where there is fantastic live music and even better people watching. Along the way we’d be entertained by the boys who, on a daily basis, do back handsprings and all sorts of flips from one end of Beale to the other, hoping to earn a little monetary reward from the tourists. At the park, the music is usually a fun bluesy mix and inevitably an Elvis tune will be covered at some point. We’d enjoy a Corona or two as a little pre-dinner treat.

{Photo by memphislocationscout}

Speaking of dinner…The restaurant at The Inn at Hunt Phelan would be sounding mighty tasty about now. Just a three block walk east and there we would be. This beautiful building is an old antebellum mansion that has a very interesting history. In addition to being a great example of old haunted southern architecture, it served at various times as General Ulysses S. Grant’s headquarters for a portion of the Civil War, a hospital, and a postwar school for freed slaves. And now it serves a mean Kettle One and Cranberry and offers a menu containing delicious gourmet southern fusion. We would be dining out on the courtyard where there are lush, gorgeous gardens surrounding us complete with the only pomegranate tree in Memphis (although I’m not certain this is true), and a regal, ornate fountain that has a fire lit atop it casting eerie but beautiful shadows upon this historical site.

{Photo by bearclau}

To conclude this fine evening, we’d head on over to The Flying Saucer where they serve a full bar in addition to over 80 different types of beers on draft. The Dempseys, my favorite local band would be playing. We’d be entertained by their awesome energetic rockabilly show complete with stunts on a bass fiddle and big personalities from this musical trio.

I would probably start to hit the wall before the band is even done with their last set as a result of my early get up and full day. At this point I would have to call it a night, say good bye to our buds and Gary and I would catch one of Memphis’s finest Mr. Roger’s Neighborhoodesque trolleys home to end my perfect day.

Katie recently lost her job as a national account executive for an employee background screening company and is now preparing for the arrival of her first child come June.

{My Perfect Day is a weekly Tidepooler series that reveals the most wonderful and interesting places in cities and towns around the world, as shared by the people who live there}

Isabelle’s Perfect Day in Antwerp

06 Mar 2009

Belgium, My Perfect Day, Travel

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My perfect day in Antwerp would be a Friday during summer. I’d have the day off and would get up at 9 a.m. and start the day with a cup off coffee and the newspaper. After a shower I’d ride my bike to the city center and go to the Friday market, known as Vrijdagmarkt in Flemish. There, they auction clothing and furniture from people and businesses that went bankrupt. Everything starts at 5 euros. In a way it’s kind of sad to see all that stuff being sold for so little money, but it’s a great place for bargains and cool old things. The bidding is really exciting, it gives me a strange rush, even if I’m just bidding two euros. I’ve bought a vase and a clock there.

After the market I’d meet my friend Saskia for a long brunch. There’s a cozy place nearby, called Lunchbox, where they have fresh juices. We’d chat about work and friends and make plans for our trip. This year we are going to Brazil.

In the afternoon I’d take a walk along the Schelde River. It’s always nice to feel the wind and breath the fresh air. After that I would stop by the Foto Museum and take a look at the gallery where they show the work of new photographers. I work at the Foto Museum, but I hardly ever have time to stroll around and take a good look at the images when I’m working. So on my perfect day, I’d just be there for half an hour and enjoy the photographs in the gallery. After that I’d stop for a smoothie in a place called Sano Sano. I go there a lot, they have my favorite smoothie ‘Red Mystic River.” It gives me a nice boost energy boost.

{Photo by Dodidoune}

Antwerp has plenty of nice shops. I would walk the Nationalestraat and do some window shopping. Dries Van Noten and Annemie Verbeke, two Belgian fashion designers, have really nice stores here. Mostly I just look at the windows, but if there was a sale I’d go in and look for a bargain. On my perfect I’d surely find my perfect pair of shoes at the Dries Van Noten store.

At the cafe De Muze I’d meet some friends and we’d sit on the terrace and watch people passing. I’d have a cappuccino with lots off whipped cream and I’d show them my new shoes.

{Photo by E3000}

I’d ride my bike home again and on my way I would stop at the zoo and the central train station. I’d stroll around the zoo for half an hour, past the sea lions and the hippo’s. The hippopotamuses recently had babies, and they are really cute. The Antwerp Zoo is really old, and right in the middle of the city. Inside there are a lot off nice old buildings and the atmosphere is very nostalgic. After that I’d go to Antwerp’s Central Station, which is right next to the zoo, and look for a while at all the people travelling by train. They just renovated the train station and it is really big now, and pretty impressive. It’s rated as the third most beautiful railway station in the world.

{Photo by Jane V.C.}

Back at home I’d meet my boyfriend Joris and we’d talk about our day and just hang out on the sofa. For dinner we’d go to a pizza place nearby, called Pompei, in Borgerhout, and share a pepperoni pizza and some warm crunchy bread and olives. At 10 p.m. we’d meet up with friends in the city center, and go to a bar with a terrace, and afterwards to a party like “Soirée Gainsbourg“, a special night where they play all kinds of French music, great!

I love Antwerp because there is always something going on. We have nice places where you can relax and there are also a lot museums, theatres and other cultural places. On top of that we have almost the best shopping in the world, and our bars are open until the morning light. All my friends live in Antwerp and I also work in Antwerp. It’s just perfect!

Isabelle is responsible for press and communication at the FotoMuseum Provincie Antwerpen. The photo at top was taken at the museum, during the Studio Chez Jacky event.

{My Perfect Day is a weekly Tidepooler series that reveals the most wonderful and interesting places in cities and towns around the world, as shared by the people who live there}

Peggy’s Perfect Day in New York City

27 Feb 2009

My Perfect Day, Travel, USA

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My perfect day in New York would hopefully start out in my perfect apartment in New York. This might make me sound annoying, but I really do have the perfect apartment. I have a decent-sized studio in the East Village that’s on a street that has a really sweet neighborhood vibe to it. There are only a couple businesses, like a dry cleaner and a restaurant called Supper on the corner. Ideally, I would wake up and not be hungover. And I’d make myself some instant coffee and maybe watch a couple of episodes of a show I’m really addicted to. Currently, it’s Friday Night Lights.

{Photo by nsanch}

People can take or leave the weather in New York, but as long as the sun is shining, I’m pretty happy. I love walking to Tompkins Square Park on a Sunday and buying local apples at the market. Sitting in the park and reading while watching the dogs play is one of my favorite nice-weather pastimes. I love that I can walk around in my neighborhood (and walk everywhere in general) and never feel bored. There’s always a cute dog to pet, or an interesting outfit to gawk at. Growing up in the suburbs where everything’s pretty samey, this is an aspect of New York that I never take for granted.

{Image via Earth Matters}

I’m also pretty habitual about what I like to eat. They have these vegan muffins and vegan sandwiches called Power-Fu at the local gourmet deli that I’m addicted to. I eat one or the other depending on whether I’m feeling sweet or savory. I also love the salad bar at Earth Matters, an organic grocery store on Ludlow [Street]. Or sometimes it’s sushi at Sunshine Mart, the Japanese grocery store where I go and swoon over the Japanese snacks and the current Japanese issue of Nylon.

{Image of Crystal Stilts via Highrize}

The reason why I would never move out of New York is because my best friends ever live there. This is really the first time in my life that I’ve had a big group of awesome friends who share the same interests as me. In high school, I was kind of a loner and I really missed out on having a clique. I’d read The Babysitters Club or Sweet Valley High and I just really wanted a big group of friends so badly. I guess now I have my own grown-up version of The Babysitters Club! Whether it’s going shopping with my friend Brian, or grabbing brunch at the aforementioned Supper with Kevin and Andrew, or hanging out at Cake Shop with my bandmates, it’s pretty hard to choose which of these might be my favorite activities. Ideally at night, one of my favorite NYC bands would play, like the Crystal Stilts, or Cause Co-motion, and all my friends would be there.

Now that my band tours a lot, I get pretty homesick. In fact, the next time I am away from home, I will probably re-read this and cry softly into my shirt sleeve. I guess you could say I’m one of those people who would be perfectly content to live in New York forever.

Peggy Wang sings and plays keyboards in The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. She’s also the editor for BuzzFeed.com.

{My Perfect Day is a weekly Tidepooler series that reveals the most wonderful and interesting places in cities and towns around the world, as shared by the people who live there}

Amy’s Perfect Day in Boston

20 Feb 2009

My Perfect Day, Travel, USA

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My perfect day in Boston/Cambridge would be a Saturday in early fall. I would start with a morning run along the Charles River. At this time of year, the air is crisp and the leaves are just starting to change color. Even better, the river is full of rowers training for the annual Head of the Charles Regatta. On the way back, I’d grab a coffee at the Dunkin Donuts in Harvard Square and sit for a bit in Harvard Yard to read the paper.

{Photo by M.V. Jantzen}

After a quick pit stop at home, I would meet friends for brunch at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Isabella is my favorite character out of Boston history and her museum is breathtaking. The Cafe at the Gardner serves weekend brunch in the museum’s gardens.

{Photo by wallyg}

In the afternoon, I’d have tickets for a day game at Fenway. Ideally in late September, the Red Sox would be in the midst of a heated pennant race, but it really doesn’t matter when you’re sitting out in the bleachers on a sunny afternoon. The main thing is to enjoy some beers, make new friends, and cheer on the Sox. After the game (a win of course), there would be a celebration beer at the Lower Depths in Kenmore Square. The Lower Depths is one of my favorite recent finds. They have a great beer selection, but even better, they serve $1 Fenway Franks (as compared to $4 at the park). I usually like to stop in and grab one before games.

{Image by Boston Chomps}

Next on the agenda would be dinner in the South End. There a few great places to eat in the South End, but in September, you want to try and squeeze out the few remaining opportunities to dine outside. So I think I would go to The Dish. They serve delicious comfort food and really yummy pizzas. For dessert, I would hop over to The Buttery and grab one of their red velvet cupcakes. Crazy good!

{Photo by mkrigsman}

Next, I’d walk off my day of overindulgent eats by strolling across town, through the Public Garden, and down Charles Street. On the way down Charles, I’d stop for an after dinner drink at 75 Chestnut. This place is everything you picture when you think of Boston: a cozy oak-paneled bar that is almost hidden amongst the brownstones in Beacon Hill. After my stroll down Charles Street, I’d hop on the T and head back to Cambridge to end the night at the Cantab Lounge in Central Square. The Chicken Slacks is Boston’s funkiest dance band and they play every Thursday at the Cantab. This weekend, however, they would be playing a special Saturday set so I could close out my perfect day grooving on the dance floor at my favorite bar.

Amy Dufour is an admissions counselor at Wentworth Institute of Technology. She is a New Englander through and through, but is usually dreaming of far off lands.

{My Perfect Day is a weekly Tidepooler series that reveals the most wonderful and interesting places in cities and towns around the world, as shared by the people who live there}

Mandy’s Perfect Day in Austin, Texas

13 Feb 2009

My Perfect Day, USA

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My husband Jared and I would take our dog Coco for an early morning hike at Turkey Creek, a leash-free trail at Emma Long State Park with lots of doggie swimming ponds along the way. My favorite moment is when we first take off her leash and she darts away down the trail ahead of us. There are always plenty of friendly dogs and she’s thrilled to make new friends.

After that, I’d meet my dear friend Connie, for a late breakfast at Juan in a Million on East Caesar Chavez. I’d have the mini Don Juan – a breakfast taco filled with bacon, egg, potato and cheese. Delicious. Then we’d go for a walk around Town Lake and do some people watching.

{Photo by Mr. Juicebox}

Next, I’d sit outside somewhere – anywhere – and read the latest People magazine. Since my perfect day would be in April, the weather would be gorgeous and definitely not too hot. Later, after a bit of lazy time around the house with Jared and Coco, I’d go to an afternoon Bikram yoga class at Yogagroove.

{Photo by Rawksteadi}

Jared and I would start our evening with micheladas and edamame at Hotel San Jose – a boutique hotel on South Congress with a quiet, hidden patio. Then we’d make our way over to Moonshine Grill. We’d start with a drink at the back patio bar followed by a yummy dinner. A final glass of wine with friends on the front balcony of the Stephen F Austin Hotel and our day would be complete!

A former financial analyst at American Airlines, Mandy became a new mom last October.

{My Perfect Day is a weekly Tidepooler series that reveals the most wonderful and interesting places in cities and towns around the world, as shared by the people who live there}

Liz’s Perfect Day in Los Angeles

06 Feb 2009

My Perfect Day, USA

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It’s Saturday! Everything begins at Millie’s, where nearly all breakfasts come with biscuits and you get your own little pot of strawberry jam and the waitstaff’s really ace about constantly refilling your coffee. I always order the Jackie G. Special (scrambled eggs + cream cheese + scallions + sherry wine = LOVE), but the Devil’s Mess is also divine (if you dig on meat, especially greasy spicy sausagey goodness).

You really can’t ever avoid overdoing it at Millie’s, so afterwards let’s try a slightly slackerish hike through Runyon Canyon. It’s off of Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills, and on the way I’d stop at Laurel Canyon Country Store for water and maybe some vintage British candy, or even a bottle of Canyon Country Store Wine for later (because the label’s all trippy and groovy, and sometimes it’s fun to pretend that you too are some trippy/groovy product of the Canyon).

After stomping around Runyon and getting our brains completely melted by the sweeping views of El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de la Porciuncula, we’d climb back down the mountain and take off for the ocean (with either Exile on Main Street or Neil Young’s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere on the stereo, probably, definitely). En route there’ll be a quick stop at Malibu Kitchen in Malibu Country Mart – they’ve got cupcakes as big as your head with lots of gumdrops and shark-shaped gummy candies plunked into the frosting, and of course you can’t go to the beach without cupcakes!

My favorite swim spot is El Matador, even though I’ve heard tell that the water’s kinda dangerous there: The riptide’s really intense but the bodysurfing’s fantastic, and there’s lots of crazy sea caves and rock formations and – a little ways down the beach, where it’s more secluded – you can find starfish and sea anemones and other happy ocean animals just hanging out and being lovely.

Once we’ve crawled out of the ocean, we’ll get back in the car and head up the Pacific Coast Highway for Neptune’s Net (a heavily biker-populated seafood joint that’s great not only because it’s featured prominently in the movie Point Break and because Bret Michaels takes Rock of Love contestants on dates there sometimes, but also ’cause you can get pitchers of beer and corn on the cob and New England style clam chowder and really fresh fish all fried up like paradise). Heading back down the PCH after Neptune’s Net, we’d turn at Topanga Canyon, ideally right around dusk. (The perfect driving-through-Topanga soundtrack, by the way, would be Devendra Banhart’s Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, recorded right in these very hills.) Maybe stop at Hidden Treasures for some vintage-shopping, but maybe just keep going till we get to Froggy’s. You sit on the back deck, which is sort of like some elaborate treehouse for beer-guzzling weirdos, drink a couple pint glasses of hemp ale, and – if you’ve got a hollow leg and can somehow keep on gorging yourself – order some fish tacos and chips and salsa. Totally to die for.

And after Froggy’s it’s back on the PCH, all the way to Santa Monica and then Venice Beach, where the night ends at the Townhouse, aka My Favorite Dive Bar That’s Hardly Even Divey Anymore. (Dear NASCAR decor: I miss you.) The beers are oversized and there’s lots of cute boys with salty hair, if you’re into that sort of thing. And please note that, had this not been a Perfect Day, it’s highly likely that the combined commute time between each of these far-flung destinations would probably make it so we wouldn’t actually get to Venice till dawn the next day. And that would be a sweet thing, actually, ’cause then we could go to Cow’s End for Blanca Cafe Au Lait and bring our coffee down to the pier and watch the surfers wait for waves, which is maybe the most blissfully voyeuristic way you could ever spend a Sunday morning. HEAVEN.

Liz Barker is a freelance writer and executive editor of fashion/music/everything blog NOGOODFORME.COM. She lives in Echo Park but keeps wishing for a pink cottage by the sea.

{My Perfect Day is a weekly Tidepooler series that reveals the most wonderful and interesting places in cities and towns around the world, as shared by the people who live there}

Samantha’s Perfect Day in London

30 Jan 2009

England, My Perfect Day, Travel

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My perfect day in London would be a Saturday. I’d wake up right before the sun began to rise and go for a quick run by the round lake in Kensington Park and loop around to Hyde. I’d come back to Notting Hill and walk down Portabello Market where I would buy a very large cup of coffee and a chocolate croissant from the last bakery stand. I would then find a park bench and relax before heading back to get properly dressed for the day.

My next stop would be the Tate Modern. Once there, I would go directly to Level 3: Poetry and Dreams, pop into the film that plays in the first room (was Meshes of the Afternoon a couple months ago). From there I would head over the Millenium Bridge and sit in front of Saint Paul’s for a bit – hopefully catching some sun. Wouldn’t stay too long, as I’d probably be hungry again. For lunch, I would head up to Soho and eat a Busaba Eathai – now I know it is a chain but the calamari is soo good that it doesn’t matter. Although, if I was feeling a bit poor, I might just grab a three pound pizza from the place on the corner of Charlotte Street. (cheap and delicious)

A pint of cider would be required for the next bit of the day. Not just any cider, though. I always prefer a pear cider served with a glass of ice and lemon. This is pretty much standard at most bars so it would really come down to the jukebox or silence. The three choices would be either The John Snow (funny wallpaper, no music), The Endurance (smells a bit funny, great music) or The Friendly Society (which has barbie dolls glued to the ceiling, disco music.) Could also just end up having three drinks really.

By this time, Saturday night would be evolving. In an ideal world, I would be dressed in my finest attire and heading out for a grand ole evening. There would be two choices – Camden or East. Since it’s my perfect day, I’d like to go to both. I’d grab a quick drink at both the Lock Tavern and the Proud Galleries (hopefully also seeing a quick band set) before heading over to the Moustache Bar. The night would end with closing of the bar and jumping on the night bus. There may or may not be some chip shop chips involved…

{My Perfect Day is a weekly Tidepooler series that reveals the most wonderful and interesting places in cities and towns around the world, as shared by the people who live there}

Lulu’s Perfect Day in San Francisco

23 Jan 2009

My Perfect Day, Travel, USA

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My perfect day in San Francisco would have to be a Saturday so it could start out with a trip to the venerable Ferry Building Farmers Market on the Embarcadero. I could spend all day perusing the selection of produce at the stalls outside, dreaming of jam and pickles I’d spend my day cooking.

You won’t be alone at the market on a nice day, so get there early to get a good spot in the lines. Blue Bottle Coffee has two kiosks, one in front and on the right side. It usually seems like the B-team is out front, so brave the longer line; it *is* worth it. On a warm day, the iced coffee is magical, on a cold day, the mocha is luxurious, and the espresso is wonderful every day of the year. Make haste behind the Ferry Building itself, to the far back corner facing the Bay Bridge. There you’ll find Primavera’s tamale stand. Get there early before they run out of their specials that change every week – maybe Oaxacan gorditas with pulled pork, radish, and queso fresco one week, maybe chilaquiles with scrambled eggs and black beans the next.

Next order of business is to bide your time until you’re hungry again, so head to the Mission. Valencia Street between 16th and 23rd is lined with little locally-owned boutiques for furniture, clothing, and such. I’ve had to impose a rule on myself for visits to Aquarius Records: 15 minutes or as long as it takes to fill one hand with CDs, whichever comes first. Any more and things could get out of control – their selection of obscure indie rock, noise, metal, and oddities is rich and carefully curated. The staff is super knowledgeable, but I’ll admit it’s not the friendliest place in the world. Since you’re on Valencia anyway, you can’t resist swinging by Paxton Gate. My boyfriend describes it as set dressing for serial killer lairs – it’s full of taxidermy, carnivorous plants, bell jars, and handcrafted creepy nature-themed jewelry. All without crossing the line into black-velvet-and-spiderwebs!

Now you must be hungry, so head west on 18th to Guerrero. On the corner is Tartine, arguably the best bakery in San Francisco. Yeah, the one with no sign and a huge line outside. If you’re not in the mood for a lemon cream tart, quiche made with crème fraiche, a candied-orange-studded cinnamon roll, or a meringue cookie with cacao nibs, you should probably go down another block to the Bi-Rite Creamery. There you can get a pumpkin ice cream sundae with crumbled gingersnaps and blueberry compote, or a simple scoop of honey-lavender. They make their own ice cream, cookies, and toppings, which they also sell from their grocery across the street. There you can also find a nice vinho verde, gruener veltliner, or other sunny day park beverage, which the cops will look the other way while you enjoy with your sweet-or-savory treats at Dolores Park around the corner. It seems like half of San Francisco will be sprawled out on the grass there on sunny weekends, soaking up as much heat as they can until the fog starts rolling over the hill.

Once that happens, dash across town to Land’s End, just below the Palace of the Legion of Honor. The trail head has a stunning view of the Golden Gate bridge and the Marin headlands beyond. There’s a well-marked trail there that follows the cliffs along the coast to the mouth of the Bay. I love the wind-swept witchy trees and the seals sunning themselves on the rocks below. Follow the trail and it’ll spit you out at the ruins of the Sutro Baths at Point Lobos, a fantastic spot to watch the sun set over the Pacific.

If your friends aren’t having a bonfire on Ocean Beach that night (a short walk down the beach from the Sutro Baths), you’ll have to head back to the east for dinner. Since it opened last spring, my perfect days have wound down at Beretta back in the Mission. Order a Hemingway, (white rum, lime, cane syrup, maraschino, & grapefruit peel) and you’ll know why. The open, relaxed atmosphere is great if a friend wants to meet you for a drink then split before everyone’s main courses come out. Most importantly, the food is outstanding. From the locally-made salumi from Boccalone, to their perfect pizzas, to their caramelized grilled Brussels sprouts, everything I’ve had there is great. Save room for the panna ice cream with olive oil and sea salt, you won’t believe it.

After all that, you’re probably ready for a quiet drink at a nice cozy dive bar, so walk around the corner to the Latin American Club. The Make-Out Room across the street or the Lone Palm a block up are great alternatives, both wonderful, laid-back bars, but the LAC has one of my favorite beers, Marin IPA, hoppy, bitter, and floral – and around 7% alcohol so be careful! They’ve also got Sudwerks Pilz for those of you not keen on the sulfurous deliciousness. If you’re lucky, and you can stand to eat another bite, the Tamale Lady might stop by. She drags around a cooler-on-wheels shouting “tamales!” so she’s pretty hard to miss. Four bucks will get you one of the tastiest things you’ve eaten all day. Which is saying a lot.

Lulu LaMer is a video games producer and part-time food geek living in San Francisco.

{My Perfect Day is a weekly Tidepooler series that reveals the most wonderful and interesting places in cities and towns around the world, as shared by the people who live there}

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Amy’s Perfect Day in Boston

Mandy’s Perfect Day in Austin, Texas

Liz’s Perfect Day in Los Angeles

Samantha’s Perfect Day in London

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