#50 Fun Times in Cincinnati

Well, here we are, my final #50by50 adventure and I can't think of anyone better to do it with Anita & Mitzi.  

The original adventure was a quick weekend trip to Cincinnati to see The Chicks.  Not ever having been to Ohio, I was excited to check another state off of my list.  But getting to see one of our favorite groups in a new venue was even more exciting.  And why take an Uber to the concert when you can take a riverboat cruise?  What a fun night!

Beyond the concert, we also spent an afternoon at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.  As you can imagine, it's a somber place to visit, but I highly recommend it.  They do an amazing job of educating visitors on this part of American history, but connecting it with the kinds of slavery that unfortunately still exist around the world today.  

 

You know it's not really a trip unless you've experienced the food that makes a city special.  We were able to have a couple of Cincinnati staples, like Graeter's ice cream and Frito Pie with Skyline Chili.  Brunch at a Taste of Belgium was my favorite though.  I don't know that I've ever had Belgian waffles before; if I have, it was nothing compared to this tasty goodness.

 

Despite all this awesomeness, I think the greatest memory we made this weekend was our day at Midway Airport.  Yep, you read that right.  Our flight out of Love Field was delayed which means we missed our connecting flight in Chicago.  The next flight out was just a mere 8 hours later.  Midway is not the biggest airport and they are still bouncing back from the pandemic, so a lot of places were closed or offered limited menus.  Even our college football options were limited.  I'll be the first to tell you that 8 hours at Midway Airport is not fun.  But life is full of challenges and obstacles and things not going your way. What makes the difference is the people you have in your life and the attitude you choose.  Did the delay mess with our plans?  Yep!  Did we have one less day to do things in Cincinnati?  You bet!  But I can promise you that I won't ever forget the day we had, the laughs we shared and the stories we told.  If you don't have friends you can be stuck with at the airport, you're not doing life right.

After 7+ hours at Midway Airport.

#49 A Longhorn in Aggieland

If you know me, you know that I am a Longhorn.  I graduated from UT Austin in 1994 and I love the city of Austin.  For the past few years, my college roommates and I have made an annual trip to Austin to attend a game.  While I wouldn't trade my time in Austin for anything, becoming a Longhorn was a last minute decision.  I had visited both Baylor and A&M and had decided on becoming an Aggie.  After all, it was where my best friends were headed.  But in November of my Senior year,  I flipped and applied to UT, sight unseen.  I was accepted and just like that, became a Longhorn, although it did take me awhile to warm up to the color burnt orange.  Despite my love of the Longhorns and the intense rivalry of UT and A&M, I have often referred to myself as a closet Aggie, even giving myself an extended Spring Break one year and spending a few days in College Station.  And as a college football fan, attending a game at Kyle Field has always been on my bucket list.  Not that a game at DKR Memorial is anything to sneeze at, but growing up in Texas you know that a game at Kyle Field is something to behold.  Who better to attend an Aggie game with than one of my oldest and dearest friends, Lauren (who at one point was headed to UT).

 We tailgated for a bit and then enjoyed a victory over the University of Miami.  All the rumors are true . . . a game at Kyle Field is an experience.  The waving towels and whoops are intense; I did decide to grab a drink when it was time to saw Varsity's horns off. :(  The precision of the band was impressive and the excitement was pervasive.  

    

If you are a college football fan, I do recommend going to at least one game as it is an amazing experience.  Luckily, my annual college roomie trip was scheduled after my Kyle Field experience so I've had a chance to reset.

#48 Learning How to Crochet

When I think of the women in my family who came before me, I get all sorts of warm, fuzzy feelings.  They all fit that image of the grandma who could do all the things.  Between them all, they cross-stitched, baked, knitted, crocheted, quilted, canned and more.  Some of my favorite memories and most treasured possessions are their works of art.  I did try cross-stitch years ago; while I did finish my project, I didn't feel the need to frame it.  But as I thought about my 50 by 50, I kept thinking about those other talents of grandmas and great grandmas.  I did a little bit of research on knitting and crocheting and out of the two, crocheting seemed a little less daunting.  I found a place in Fort Worth, West 7th Wool, where I could sign up to take a class.  So that is exactly how I spent a September Saturday morning.  It was probably the longest and shortest hour of my life.  I was definitely challenged and pushed outside of my comfort zone.  As a I struggled, when I had the urge to cuss, instead I thought to myself, "Have a growth mindset, Audra.  This is the struggle we want our students to experience so they can grow.  It's only right you experience a little challenge, too."  Even though there were times I wanted to walk out, I'm going to stick with it.  Like my Spanish, it's something I think I will continue to practice and work on.  For now, I'm working on the chain stitch for 10 or 15 minutes a night. Once I feel good about that, I'll move on to the next step.  Who knows one day I may make a scarf or a blanket, but for now, I'm just practicing a new skill and working on my synapses firing.

The day started with crochet, but I also visited a fabulous independently owned bookstore next to West 7th Wool.  Please check out Monkey & Dog for your book needs.  Super cute and friendly staff with a great selection of books to choose from.  For lunch I headed over to Roy Pope Grocery & Deli.  Although it's been updated and modernized, Roy Pope has been a Fort Worth institution since 1943.  On may way home, I just had to swing by my favorite new bakery, Blue Bonnet for some butter cookies and a petite four.

Only two more adventures to go!  

   

 

#47

I try not to live a life of regrets, but one thing I wish I had done differently is take more Spanish in high school and college.  I took the minimum 2 years in high school and the required semester in college.  I remember going to take the placement test at UT and thinking I needed to make sure I did poorly on this test because I had heard stories of people ending up in classes that were too advanced for them.  Well, let's just say I did not have to try and fail that test . . . I did that quite naturally.  😂

Hindsight being 20/20, I wish I had taken all 4 years in high school and continued into college.  But I didn't so instead, I've downloaded Duolingo and I'm practicing every night.  I don't know that I will become fluent, but my goal is to be able to read some Spanish and have small conversations.  I think the Spanish language and Latin culture is beautiful and I love learning all I can.  

I don't know that this adventure will be ever be completed, but I look forward to working on it over the years.

If you are on Duolingo, be sure to find me so we can support each other.

#46 A New State - Wisconsin!

One of my goals is to visit all 50 states and I'm over halfway through.  Lucky for me, my parents believed in the road trip so I did a lot as a kid.  But I still have quite a few to visit.  This summer though, I was able to knock one more off my list . . . Wisconsin!  My family reunion was originally scheduled for Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, but we ended up in the Illinois River Valley instead.  The  good news is, it's only a couple of hours away from Milwaukee, so I decided to head there first.  I was able to pack a ton of things into my two days.

I won't tell you about every single adventure, but I will tell you nothing disappointed.  Milwaukee is a small town city with so much to do!  It is super walkable and the weather was amazing . . .  a great respite from Texas in July.  I stayed at the historic Knickerbocker Hotel on Lake Michigan.  Built in 1929, it has retained its charm and is a great place to stay.

If you know me, then when you look at the things I did, there's probably one thing that might surprise you - the Harley-Davidson Museum.  I'm not a motorcycle kind of girl, so this place wasn't even on my radar.  But I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that every single person I talked to said that it was a must see and since #50by50 is all about new experiences, then I quickly added it to my list of places to visit.  And I'm so glad I did.  I had no idea Harley-Davidson was founded in 1903 right there in Milwaukee.  When you read about the two friends who started the company and how influential Harley-Davidson has been, it really is an interesting story.  Looking at the evolution of the motorcycle, design included, was just as fascinating.

• Milwaukee Public Market & the Historic Third Ward
• Brewery tour and fried cheese curds at Lakefront Brewery
• Pabst Mansion
• Butter burger at Sobelman's
• Harley Davidson Museum
• Milwaukee Brat House on Old World Third Street which was largely settled by the first Germans of Milwaukee
• Frozen custard at Kopp's
• Jewish Museum Milwaukee

The Bronze Fonz

Fried Cheese Curds!

Pabst Mansion

Butter burger at the Original Sobelman's

Frozen Custard from Kopp's

#45 A Twist on Book Club

I love talking books!  I've got a couple of different book clubs and some friends who I know I can always talk with about current reads.  When I was researching different places in Fort Worth to visit, I was surprised to see that the Amon Carter Museum has a book club of sorts, Bookish.  Each quarter they offer a book discussion that is connected to a current exhibit.  I was intrigued by June's offering - read The City of Falling Angels by  John Berendt in connection with their newest exhibit Sargent, Whistler, and Venetian Glass: American Artists and the Magic of Murano.  Doing a book talk with people I don't know is a little scary, but I thought the topic was interesting and it's important to do things out of our comfort zone.  The exhibit was really interesting.  It wasn't just Venetian glass, but the pieces they did show were unbelievable!  A variety of art forms were displayed from the late 1800s to right before World War I.  The book was also super interesting and informative.  It is non-fiction and you really dive deep into Venetian society & history.  If I didn't want to visit Venice beforehand, this book definitely sealed the deal.  I'm intrigued to see what next quarter's book is and how it's related to their exhibits.

#44 A New Country

As soon as I started my #50by50, I knew visiting a new country would be on my to-do-list.  And a country I've always wanted to visit is the Dominican Republic and I was elated I could talk my college roomies into taking a 50th birthday celebration trip to Punta Cana.

We stayed at Bahia Principe Ambar for 4 nights, which of course, was not nearly enough time.  We ended up spending one day at the pool (yay for swim up bars), one day at the beach, and one day on an amazing excursion to Saona Island.

The excursion was an amazing experience!  We took a motor boat to a natural pool in the Caribbean.  It was so crazy to be so far out from the shore and still be able to touch bottom.  The water was that perfect turquoise color and we even saw a couple of HUGE starfish.  From here, we made our way to Saona Island for a Dominican lunch and a few hours on the most beautiful beach ever!  Crystal clear waters and white sandy beaches full of shells and sea glass for my collection.  We took a catamaran back to port, which allowed us to have a slower, more leisurely experience.

    

I would love to go back some day and experience more of the island.  But this trip was all about relaxation and good times with the college roomies.

#43 Being a Tourist in my Hometown

Something I think many of us are guilty of is not taking advantage of the amazing things our hometowns have to offer.  I’ve lived in Tarrant County for 20 years and the city of Fort Worth for almost six years.  But I don’t really know the city of Fort Worth and I haven’t experienced it other than a couple of trips to the zoo as a kid and a few nights out at Sundance Square.  As I worked on my #50by50 list, I knew I needed to include some of my city’s top attractions.

I started my day at the National Cowgirl Museumand Hall of Fame.  If you haven’t been here yet, please put it on your must see list!  

You need just a couple of hours and you’ll get a great look into the history of women who were trailblazers of the West.  I loved Dare to Wear, an exhibit showcasing the gorgeous costumes of women of the rodeo.  The It’s Never Just a Horse exhibit was fascinating as it showed the relationship of many of the museum’s honorees with the horse over time.  The museum is in the Cultural District, which means you could easily visit another museum the same day.  Or, you could move on over to Camp Bowie Blvd. for lunch at one of the many Fort Worth mainstays.  For years, I’ve heard nothing but fantastic things about Lucile’s Stateside Bistro, so I decided that would be my next stop.  I didn’t even attempt anything healthy . . . it was all about trying the yummy fried goodness.  Fried green tomatoes and lobster bites!

As I was leaving Lucile’s I noticed a bakery across the street.  There’s no better way to end an adventure than with a sweet treat.  I am so glad I stopped by.  The blue bonnet bakery, which is housed in an old church, has been a Fort Worth tradition since 1934.  I had a little bit of time, so I ordered coffee & cookies and enjoyed my book to wrap up the day.  Side note:  the butter cookies made me so happy!  They reminded me of my childhood and the cookies the bakery at Skaggs would give us as a treat.

  

#42 An Afternoon in Granbury

Summer is all about fun-filled adventures with friends and Sledge Distillery is the perfect place to spend a hot summer day.  Sledge is in the Tolar/Granbury area, off the beaten path, but worth the drive.  It's a huge property, with a tasting room, a cantina and a speakeasy!

   

The tasting was extensive.  Sledge makes a variety of moonshines, bourbon, gin and a coconut rum.  We tried them all while getting a history of this family business from our friend Everett.  After our tasting, we hung out for a few hours listening to live music and trying some of their signature cocktails.

Before heading home, we decided to stop at Grump's in Granbury for dinner.  It's a hole in the wall so burgers are basic, but incredibly good.  Order at the counter and grab some peanuts while you wait for your order.   Grump's has a lot of yummy sides to choose from - I can highly recommend both the onion rings and the fried pickles.  The only downside to the burger is shredded lettuce.  Other than that, it's a great burger that hits the spot!

Bonus . . . . the fountain drinks are from Dublin.  And if you need something sweet afterwards, they've got Blue Bell.  It's a little piece of heaven.

  

#41 Brunch at Hotel Drover

Even though I've lived most of my life in DFW, I don't know Ft. Worth very well, but my #50by50 challenge is the perfect opportunity to explore the city where I live.  The Stockyards are perhaps one of the most well known attractions of Ft. Worth.  While I have been to Billy Bob's for a few concerts over the years, I haven't really spent much time down there. When I read about the Hotel Drover, I knew it would be one of my #50by50s.

      

Sunday brunch at 97 West Kitchen & Bar at the Hotel Drover is an absolute must!  For an appetizer, we started with the giant cast iron skillet, complete with candied pecans.  Piping hot and so so delicious!  You will definitely want to order one to share, although you may want to order it at the end of your meal for dessert.  It was super sweet.

I splurged and ordered the crab cake benedict.  OMG!!!  Incredibly decadent and scrumptious.  An English Muffin with spinach, Roma tomatoes, poached eggs, crab cakes, and hollandaise sauce.  There really aren't the words to describe how amazing this dish was.  I've ordered it many time before at all sorts of places, but this was the best.

After brunch, we walked around Mule Alley a little bit and discovered the Cowtown Winery tasting room.

There's so much more to explore down there, so I plan on visiting again (when it's a bit cooler) for a part 2.  Hopefully when I return to the Stockyards I'll also get a chance to see the cattle drive.