#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!  

   

 

#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.

#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.

  

#38 Time to Get a Little Artsy

Even though it may seem like my #50by50 adventures are all food based, that's not my goal.  I also want to learn and experience new things.  I used part of my Winter Break to channel my inner artist and experiment with pouring.  Paint pouring is just that . . . pouring acrylic paint on a canvas to create art.  I was surprised to find a lot of different resources online, but this is the one I relied on before beginning my art project.

I found my paints at Hobby Lobby.  They were made specifically for pouring.  And of course, I couldn't help but add some sparkle to my supplies.

This style of painting is an exercise in patience and being ok with how it turns out.  I am sure with practice and studying I could plan what my final product would look like and pour the paints accordingly.   I'm not sure that I knew quite what to expect and there were times I thought, "What a hot mess!"  But I continued to pour and turn the canvas a variety of ways and eventually I ended up with something I'm really proud of.

#37 Southern Eats

One of my favorite things about Winter Break is having extra time to spend with friends from different parts of life.  The first week of the my break was meeting up with some friends at new to me restaurants, both of which feature Southern cuisine, one of my favorites.

My first adventure in Southern eats was Tupelo Honey at The Star in Frisco, celebrating Christmas with Anita & Mitzi.  

We started with appetizers: fried green tomatoes, fried pickles, and biscuits with blueberry jam.  Yes, they were all amazing!  The tomatoes were some of the best I've ever had; definitely the thickest.  And the blueberry jam on the biscuits . . . I would have ordered it a second time for dessert if I hadn't been distracted by the banana pudding.  

For my meal, I went with one of my all-time favorites . . .  chicken and waffles, but with a twist.  Mac and cheese was baked into the waffles.  Yes, you read that correctly - mac and cheese waffles, and yes, you are right, it was delicious.  And it made for a fantastic lunch the next day.

I couldn't leave without trying the banana pudding; luckily they serve these mini versions of their desserts which is all I needed.

A couple of days later, I found myself at Roots Southern Table in my hometown of Farmers Branch, with two of my oldest friends, Kim and Becky.  If the name of this restaurant sounds familiar, that's no surprise.  It's been featured in D Magazine, Texas Monthly, the Dallas Observer, and oh, yeah, the New York Times as one of their top restaurants in 2021 . . . in America!  And yes, it is all that and more.  It's a different Southern eating experience than Tupelo Honey and just as yummy!  We skipped the appetizers and went straight for their signature dish - Duck-Fat Fried Chicken served family style with biscuits.  If you're wondering if Duck-Fat Fried Chicken is any good, the answer is a resounding yes.  It was unbelievably delicious.  And even more delicious the next day for breakfast. The meat was cooked to juicy perfection and the skin was crisp and full of flavor.  Since it felt weird to get a platter of chicken without any sides, we decided to try the Gruyere Potatoes as well.

We ended dinner with the Orange Juice Cake, the perfect size for three people to share.  Our server said it was the most popular dessert and I believe it.  Had it been acceptable behavior, I probably would have picked up the bowl and drank the orange sauce that the warm warm butter cake was doused in.

If you're a fan of Southern eats, then I can't recommend either of these establishments enough.  The food is fabulous and the service was amazing at both places.  If you're going to try Roots, you definitely need a reservation and it wouldn't hurt to have one for Tupelo Honey either.

Cheers to good food and even better times with amazing friends!

#36 Campo Verde

Last Christmas, Anita & I tried to visit Campo Verde, but the timing just didn't work out for us.  Our goal was to make it happen for Christmas 2021 and my #50by50.  If you're not familiar with Campo Verde in Arlington, it's been around for almost 40 years.  It is Tex-Mex and American food, but the food is not what you go for.  A trip to Campo Verde is all about the Christmas experience.  They start decorating in October and leave everything up through March.  And the decorations are intense!  Tinsel and lights and all sorts of Christmas goodness all over the place.  Clark Griswold would love Campo Verde!  

Campo Verde is a holiday tradition in North Texas and it gets bigger every year.  They don't take reservations and it's likely you'll have quite a wait; we waited almost 2 hours on a Sunday afternoon.  Be sure to go when you have plenty of time and you aren't hungry before you even get there.  It's not the most amazing food, but it is definitely a experience you will want to add to your bucket list.