The devils are coming!

Ahhh, runaway! I mean no, that's wrong... I mean YAY come on our awesome cruise! I'm funny I know.
My boss, the glorious Harold (cha-ching), gave me an assignment to write up a tour presentation for our website (awe big britches here I come). It was about Tasmania, and like all of us young at heart, I started picturing Kangaroo boxing and running from Tasmanian devils screaming in fear.  But, as I'm learning, I'm learning! I didn't know Tasmania had all these wonderful produce, some of the best wines, and the BEST oysters around.

This whole learning business doesn't bode well for me, you see I already know everything. Like all my cliche Americans I know I am always right and know better than everyone else. Sorry if you disagree with that statement, but allow me to clarify it for you, you're wrong I'm right.

Well perhaps that's not how it is, but I'm only learning that because my boss is helping me learn all this brilliant information. I don't know how I feel about being so informed, how I feel about my eyes being open to all these new worlds. I hate to think I like being the fresh slate, the clean palate ready to taste what the fine gastronomes have laid out for me all over this world.... Damn me for loving to learn, I guess I don't know everything after all.

What I learned this weekend.

Good morning little gnomes, I hope your weekend was wonderful and filled with fun. I did a huge boo boo this weekend I assumed that this little ole town of Rockwall was no big attraction, so waiting till the day of to book my reservations at the Hilton Bella Harbor wouldn't be such a bad idea. And like the time I thought it was cool to make smoke rings by waving a tissue above a candle, I found out I was wrong. It was BOOKED. Woe is me! I didn't get my poolside day or an umbrella drink! What a shame.

 I made it up to myself by devouring far to many crab legs and buying more movies than I could watch at the movie trading company! I feel that the lesson here is, that in no way should you put off booking once you realize what you want to do with your free time. I think it's important to get out and relax, and thanks to my poor planning I missed out on a great opportunity to do so. I think it's important to know this as someone who is going to be consulting people about their travels. I'm a "grab the bull by it's horns" girl now! Or perhaps a "get off your bottom and book it while it's available" girl.

Local Leisure? Really?

What does one do when they live in Dallas and all they want is it to lay by some gorgeous water and drink some fruity umbrella drinks? Where do you find the sultry escape like in the photo below (look now).

I know I said in my first blog that I now dream of the Red Square, but it doesn't mean that I don't still drool over a white sandy escape where I can float around all day and just relax. Yes my eyes have been opened to the fascinating world of travel where a diving board and a cabana boy aren't always present, but it's hot in Texas and I need my splashy escape pronto! Well rather than just flail around in my office chair pouting adorably about how I'm so hot and I want a resort-ish get away I hit the computer and did what I would do for any of my clients... RESEARCH!

Listed below you will find some of the most tantalizing poolside get-aways in the Dallas area: 

Hotel Zaza Dallas

First we have the luxurious Hotel Zaza. The fancy boutique hotel is known for it's social poolside interaction. All the sexiest and hard bodies of Dallas can be found in this quaint 4ft deep pool. It may not be ideal for those looking to swim some laps, but it's got great scenery and I'm not just talking about the palm trees surrounding the pool. 

Palomar Pool

Next on the list is Hotel Palomar, a Kimpton hotel. When the words Kimpton are attached to a hotel I am sold, it's horribly bias I know and I apologize for my great faux pax, but it is true, Kimpton does it right! They are luxurious and classy, they know how to bring together a fresh feel on hotels while making them feel cutting edge yet still lavish and refined. I am saving all my pennies and dimes so I can afford to stay at one when I finally wrangle my boyfriend into settling down. But to be honest I would have never suggested this hotel had it not been listed on the top hotel swimming pools for 2010. It's earned it's right to be on my blog! 

Now I could continue to list pools like the ones above all being small and intimate great for laying out and drinking while getting that bronze glow. But these are not what I considered the best pools to swim in. Are they divine and have amazing views? Yes, but they don't have the feel of a pool you can play chicken in with your friends (yes I can appreciate a 5 star restaurant and good game of chicken, I'm versatile). With that said I offer you the last two pools with the Wide Eyed stamp of approval. 

Award Winning Four Seasons Dallas

First up, the award winning (I don't know what award exactly but it says that on all thier headers) Four Season Hotel in Las Colinas. It's a beautiful resorts with pools made in the mindset that it's intended for family. And family fun means big splashes and lots of swimming. I love the fact that it's HUGE it's a massive pool area and you can always find a cozy spot just for you and your's, and if you get there early enough you can have the whole pool to yourself. 

Hilton Bella Harbor

Finally we move onto the last but not least in the slightest, the Hilton Bella Harbor. Right in my back yard is the wonderful lake front Hilton resort... ish.  I only say "ish" because there is no spa there, and sorry Bella Harbor I love you bunches but you don't get the resort stamp until I can get my mani/pedi's in a zero gravity chair at your location, it's just not right! But the pool is AWESOME! It's a massive fun pool with a walk up to the circular indoor bar, or you can just go get a fantastic umbrella drinks from the cabana, which you don't have to even walk up to, because the cabana boys will come to you as you float in the water. It's a great addition to the Rockwall community, and it's a great get-away for those who can't afford to fly away from the metroplex.

So there you have it, my little underpants gnomes. Four great watery get-aways just next door. Enjoy your weekend, I will see you all Monday a little tanner than today!

Harry Potter day is here!

Today is Harry Potter day, the final installment of the great series will hit movie theaters at midnight, and the masses will be out and ready to see if the Chosen One will be capable of taking down the Dark Lord. I love Harry Potter, it's a huge feat for me to love reading a book series, seeing as I have crippling dyslexia. I spend my drive into the office today wondering how I would make a blog about the boy who lived and relate it to work, how is a fantasy series going to tie into culinary tourism? Well hold onto your wizard caps my little muggles I think I have some good ways to spin this. 


I'll start with the suggestion Harold made to me when I brought up my concept for this blog.... 

TADA BUTTERBEER!


There's been quite the debate on several websites on which recipe is the best. As a future brewery tour specialist I thought it was odd that there is no Butterbeer recipe I have found that has actual beer in it (just as a funny side note, I have to keep back spacing because every time I write "beer" I end up writing "bear", goodness I'm a goober sometimes). There is only one JKR approved Butterbeer recipe and it belongs to Universal and only sold at their very own Harry Potter land. Luckily I'm pretty good at fishing around and I found the assumed recipe Universal uses at it's park. 


1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 package Spiced Alpine Instant Apple Cider
8 oz Water
8 oz Cream Soda
Buttershots Schnapps
Dissolve 1/4 cup of Brown Sugar into 8oz hot water. Add one half of 0.74oz Apple Cider package to mixture. Let cool.
Put 1/4 cup of Cider mixture in glass. Add 8oz Cream Soda. Add Buttershots Schnapps to taste.
May reduce 8oz water and Soda to fit into 8oz glass.


Now I'll talk about the travel part of today's blog. London. Gorgeous, inviting, wonderful London. If you haven't caught the drift, I LOVE London. I went there at the end of a very long tour of Europe when I was eighteen, and as homesick as I was, I was just captivated by it's rich fun culture. It is where I truly became a wide eyed traveler. I stood in Trafalgar Square looking around with a gaping mouth staring at the exciting city around me. If you have a chance to visit London, do so. If you need someone to help you book a glorious vacation to see this magnificent city... Call me at Epicopia Culinary Journeys, I'll get you fixed up!


Happy Harry Potter Day Everyone!

Day off!

I had a dream last night about my precious Augustine, I know I'm destine for this hotel! I MUST BOOK A TOUR TO PRAGUE!!! But yes, today is my day off, I have every Wednesday off, although I spend most of my days off either swimming or thinking about work. I love my job, have I gushed about how in love with my job I am. It's sick really, I'm that annoying friend who talks about how happy I am with my life, but instead of lying and blowing smoke up your rump, I mean it. I would print "I love my job" t-shirts if I didn't think I'd get rotten fruit thrown at me for being a show off.

So this ends my blog for the day. I actually came into the office to write this, granted I'm in pj's. But still I have to let the world know how much I love being here. Now off I go to be a bum on my day off.

Are mini buses the new location for clubbing?

I'm planning something fun and small here in the Dallas area. A bus tour of the city that takes it's guest on an eye opening tour of the Metroplex to it's finest wineries and breweries. It's going to be a nice pleasant day trip where everyone will just relax and enjoy some of this great cities hidden pleasures.

I had to locate a reasonable and polite bus service to use for our exciting adventure, but while finding some wonderful companies to work with I found something rather... interesting. Buses are being "tricked out" to suit a more party atmosphere than I ever expected. I never in my whole life thought I'd have to say "Um, no.. A stripper poll and purple neon will not be needed, but thank you." when finding out prices for a twenty-five person mini bus. I can't have a leisurely day visiting the refined wineries here in this wonderful city if I have to keep resisting the urge to dance to electronica and be a "woo" girl. I need something small and quiet where I can have an enlightening conversation about the venue we just left. When did I miss the mini buses debut into the world of hardcore clubbing and nightlife?! I feel so left behind!

When I grow up I want to be a Brewery Guide.

I mean look at the lodging alone.

I was given a list of the top six hotel locations in the world that specialize in breweries. Now I would never take something the wise and brilliant Harold Partain gave me lightly, but I must admit on this day I was a tad sleepy.

It only took a second, a blink of an eye for me to wake up and stare at the first hotel in awe, in total amazement of it's fascinating beauty. The Augustine, the majestic structure that haunts my dreams, I loved it the moment my eyes saw it. It's got this fantastic gothic design with a clean and homey interior. It brings together the feel of a mystical castle, and a hip new culture only Prague can bring to your life.

Let's try and find something good.

Morning blog readers... Or just myself. I'm not sure how many people are reading these if any, for all I know it's only the underpants gnomes (who find my laptop open late at night) that giggle at my cutesy word play. But like I said, good morning. Today I'm conquering the exciting world of making a mailing list. I know, it's far to stimulating to discuss the process of making a spreadsheet complied of name and emails, so let us move on.

In addition to my impressive list of high school alumni being added to our mailing list (check us out and sign up at www.Epicopia.com), I got to speak to the brilliant Erik (the founder of the International Culinary Tourism Association). The fantastic Harold allowed me the chance to speak to him briefly, I got to enjoy having a few moments to listen to the captivating intelligent  Erik Wolf It was a short and sweet conversation that quickly covered my new blog and a quick recap of why Portland is so breathtaking.

I must say, after doing some research for our soon to come Brewery/Wine bus tour of Dallas, getting a booking for a client to go to a cabin underway, and now my talk with Erik, I'm starting to feel like a true (on my way to becoming) travel consultant. But alas, I must go, the cut throat world of data entry for mailing list is pulling me away and I must get to it before someone else comes along and takes this fun task from me.

My First Blog

Today is my first official blog as a travel consultant. I'm new to the travel industry, but quickly learning the ropes with incredible enthusiasm.  I’m working for Epicopia Culinary Journeys (Epicopia.com) working for the great Harold Partain (he pays me $5 every time I tell people about how awesome he is). We book tours and create our own small group special programs all over the world. We make sure where ever you go it lives up to what you dreamed of and then some.

 

We have some wonderful associates one of which is Aliza Green (AlizaGreen.com). She is the Experience Director for our, Italian Maremma & Umbria: A Pasta Lover's Culinary Tour (we only have two spaces left).

 

I suppose I should explain my chosen name for  this blog. Ever since I started working with, Epicopia, every time I look up a new location for a tour, I’m awe-struck by either  the culture, food, or the beauty of the location. Everything seems like a fantasy. I started out only dreaming of sandy beaches with crystal clear water, but now I dream about the Red Square in Moscow, and seeing the breath taking Blue Mosque in Istanbul. So now, I do my research with wide adoring eyes feeling a rush of excitement that I never felt filing paperwork or doing massages… However there were a couple massages where stinky feet lead to me having watery eyes…

 

Join me for this new journey in my life.