Not all ocean liners offer smooth sailing. The first cruise we took in the Bahamas was non-eventful as far as rocking and swaying. You really couldn’t tell you were on a boat at sea. But when you go to Hawaii in the winter season – now – the winds and seas are against you. Our ship, Pride of America, sent pedestrian passengers bouncing off the walls as they approached their rooms. It was … [Read more...]
Birds of a Feather
I missed my backyard birds – my cardinals, my blues the goldfinches and the chickadees. I was glad to get back home after 10 days on the road and reconnect with my fine-feathered friends. While in Hawaii, however, I paid extra attention to the birds on the islands. As best I can tell, there was only one bird there that I also see in my backyard – the House Sparrow. Because Hawaii … [Read more...]
Ruth’s Chris: Dinner For Two
I think we have over 200 restaurants in Charlottesville, but we don’t have a Ruth’s Chris Steak House. I’ve heard their ads on the radio for years, and I’ve always wanted to try it, but I never had the opportunity. In Honolulu, I finally got that chance. It was our last night in Hawaii and we wanted to finish off our 50th Anniversary vacation with a bang. There were two Ruth’s Chris … [Read more...]
Catfish and Remoulade Sauce
For many chefs, two dishes/ingredients are often overlooked - catfish filets and Remoulade sauce. Fresh catfish is a staple in most seafood cases. These farm-raised fish are grown locally, not overseas. They have a nice flavor, they are not overly fishy and they usually go for $6 or $7 a pound. You can get four filets for less than $10. And Remoulade sauce. Remoulade Sauce is a … [Read more...]
Saltwater Update
Despite three nor’easters in a row, Virginia saltwater anglers have found small windows of fishable weather. Tautogs are available on the ocean wrecks and at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Last week Jamal Esfahani and crew had an incredible day. They weighed their largest fish (9 lb. 13 oz.) at Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle. They tagged and released 27 citation … [Read more...]
Virginia Walleye
Quietly, without a lot of fanfare, Virginia has become an excellent place to catch a walleye, perhaps the best-eating freshwater fish of all. Fisheries biologists have collected adult walleye from the New River, Pigg River, Staunton River and South Holston Reservoir for the production of fingerling walleye to stock in selected lakes and rivers in Virginia. Walleye were spawned or hatched … [Read more...]
Hawaii, Hawaii!
Aloha! Aloha is a Polynesian word meaning, “Are we there yet?” We are now in Hawaii, celebrating our 50th anniversary. If you’ve never been here before, let me say this: “Hawaii a long way from Charlottesville. It’s like taking a space shuttle to Mars, well maybe not all the way to Mars, but at least to the outskirts of the Red Planet. It is so far that – due to the time zones – … [Read more...]
Lei One on Me
We chose the Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Pride of America to tour the Hawaiian Islands primarily because it is the only liner that cruises the islands. There are no other choices. They’ve got you by the short and curlies. Our goal for this vacation was to see as much as possible, not necessarily do as much as possible, and we thought that island hopping by ship was the best bet. The Pride … [Read more...]
A Picture Perfect Day
Hawaii is a place of wildly variable weather patterns. Some days, it’s 82 degrees. The next day, it’ll be 83. You never know what to wear. A safe bet is a knit shirt, a pair of shorts and some flip-flops. You also want a camera or cell phone in your pocket to try to capture the beauty of this special place. At about 9 AM, our ship docked at Hilo on the northeastern part of The Big … [Read more...]
We were sipping our first cup of coffee on our private deck at sunrise. Through the gray haze across the water, we could see three boats. They were fishing. With my binoculars, I could see men at the rear of the boat and outriggers. Soon, a fourth boat joined them. The boats huddled for a few minutes, and then the fourth boat sped away. I assumed that the three fishing boats had … [Read more...]
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