Frozen yogurt at Snog

This summer, I decided to start posting about my search for the best ice cream in Masssachusetts. Of course, I couldn’t go to London without looking for some ice cream to satisfy my addiction. I didn’t waste anytime.  The first night, we visited Snog, a fun frozen yogurt chain located throughout London.  We stopped at the one in Covent Garden.

Reminiscent of Pinkberry and Berry Freeze in Boston, Snog was decorated white and bright pink with modern-looking white tables and chairs, the ceilings covered in lights and music blaring.

Their tart soft serve is fat-free, sugar-free, and healthy. Their flavors include a few fruity options, plain, and chocolate.  I, like usual, chose chocolate, hoping that it would taste like Pinkberry’s chocolate yogurt.  I ordered a small (I think?) and had it topped with strawberries and dark chocolate chips.  If I remember correctly, it was overpriced, probably around 5 pounds.

We sat outside to eat our frozen yogurt, and it was pretty good, but not amazing.  It definitely had that extra tart taste that some frozen yogurt has.  I was hoping for something a little more sweet and creamy, but it satisfied my ice cream craving, none the less.  The strawberries and dark chocolate chips were delicious toppings that added some sweetness.

Our room

In my mind, the word “hostel” always had a slightly negative connotation.  Maybe it was that ridiculous scary move that came out years ago, or maybe the thought of staying in a room with bunk beds and 10 people you don’t know was never very appealing.  I also had never really been anywhere where hostels were even an option.

Since Katie and I were paying for a hotel for an entire week in London and were staying in Amsterdam for less than 24 hours, we faced our “fears” and opted for a hostel.   Shelter Jordan, which we found on Hostel World, to be exact.

Like the hotel in London, I arrived in Amsterdam, after waking up at 4:30 am and walking 10 miles around Paris, not expecting much.  Again, I was pleasantly surprised.  After getting slightly lost making our way from the train station down streets named Prins Hendrikkade and Bloemstraat, and having to ask a few locals for directions, we finally found the hostel.

The young, friendly guy working at the front desk informed us that we were at a Christian hostel, and helped us check in.  After purchasing a lock, and putting down a 15 euro security deposit (which we got back), we paid our 54 euros (total for the two of us), and headed to our room.  The room was clean, and only contained three bunk beds, some lockers, and a small sink and mirror.  There was only one other girl staying in the room, so we had it basically to ourselves.

After putting our bags in the locker, we headed out to explore the city for a couple of hours and end our long day of two train rides, four countries, ten miles of walking, and countless French pastries.  When we returned to the hostel, it was quiet, and I quickly fell asleep on my top bunk.

Katie with the bunkbeds

The next morning, we woke up and got ready in the bathroom, which was also clean. I was going to say it reminded me of the bathroom in my freshman dorm, but it was definitely cleaner than that!

The other plus, free breakfast! After checking out, we headed into the hostel’s cafe, a comfortable room with tables, couches, comfortable chairs, computers, and walls decorated with Bible verses.  The free breakfast included a drink (juice, tea, or coffee), and either toast, french toast, or muesli and a banana.  Of course, I chose the french toast.  It was prepared quickly, and actually tasted pretty good!

Overall, Shelter Jordan was a great place to spend the night.  The staff was very helpful and friendly; the rooms were comfortable and clean; and the free breakfast and good location were both pluses.

Outside the President Hotel

As many of my few readers know, I went to Europe for the first time a few weeks ago.  I know, you’re probably asking, “How can you have a travel blog without ever going to Europe?!” Well, the answer is, in the past, I focused much of my vacation time and money on planning cheap, local trips.  Although I’d wanted to go to Europe for years, the thought of dropping $2000 on one trip seemed crazy (ironically, dropping $500-$1000 multiple times a year didn’t bother me at all).  Finally, this fall, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime.  A good friend of Katie’s was studying abroad in London, and Katie decided to book a flight and hotel to visit her.  The day after Katie booked her trip, I was convinced.  After spending $700 on a flight and $400 on a hotel, I was officially going to Europe.

Later, we decided to also take the train to Paris and Amsterdam, but more on that to come in future posts.

Fast forward five weeks, a red eye flight, and an hour long subway (or tube) ride that cost 5 pounds later. Katie and I are standing in the lobby of the President Hotel, our homebase for the next week. My expectations weren’t high; all I wanted was a comfortable bed to nap on after the long flight.  We only spent around $400 each for the week, which in pounds is basically nothing, so I was pleasantly surprised by much of what the hotel had to offer.

Exhausted, Katie and I arrived around 11 am, hours before the check in time of 3:00 pm.  We didn’t expect them to let us into a room so early, but we decided to try anyway.  The helpful woman at the front desk told us that there was only one room ready, but it was on the first floor and didn’t have a great view and was on the noisy street. View? Who cares about the view in London? I just needed a bed.  We agreed to take that room, and quickly realized that the “first” floor was not the “ground” floor; it was actually the second floor.

First funny thing about the President Hotel: they gave us a giant room key with a long metal tube attached to it, and we had to turn it into the front desk every time we left the hotel and retrieve it when we returned.  Kind of odd when you’re used to rooms with key cards.  Also, all you had to do to get the key back was say your last name and room number…I don’t think they checked anything.

The room

We opened the door to our room with the giant key, and again, I was pleasantly surprised.  The room was small, but clean and had two comfortable twin beds…Also funny, I’ve never been to a hotel with twin beds! Unlike what the hotel staff mentioned, we actually had a very nice view of the park at Russell Square.

Another perk, the hotel had free wifi! It was nice being able to check my work email, especially since I couldn’t turn on my Blackberry, email family and friends at home, look up directions and restaurants, check Facebook, etc. Unfortunately, both my computer and the internet were very slow, so none of this was done efficiently.

Like I’ve mentioned countless times, free breakfast adds huge value to a hotel, so I was happy to start each day with a free English breakfast at the President Hotel.  This saved us at least $5 per day, and definitely filled me more than a coffee and pastry at Starbucks would have.  For those who don’t know, a traditional English breakfasts consists of eggs (they had scrambled and some other type that seemed like a cross between over easy and hard boiled), cooked tomatoes, bacon and/or sausage, beans, and toast.  They also served some type of fish (I think??) in a butter sauce.  Definitely did not try that one! Every day, I made an egg sandwich with eggs, sausage, and wheat toast, and ate it along with a bowl of fruit and juice.  It kept me full for many of our days of walking countless miles.

Another plus: location. The President Hotel is located in the Russell Square section of London, just steps from the British Museum, a short walk from many restaurants and stores, a 10-15 minute walk from the St. Pancras train station, and a 30 minute walk from most of the touristy attractions (Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, London Eye, etc).

I enjoyed my stay at the President Hotel, and when we returned from our two-day trip to London and Amsterdam, the hotel felt like home. Over all, it is the perfect place to stay if you’re looking for a comfortable room for an affordable price in a great location.

Pumpkin Spice Latte, http://www.starbucks.com

For as long as I can remember, summer has been my favorite season.  Sun, warm weather, no school, vacations, ice cream, swimming, longer days, the beach…the list goes on and on.  Also, for as long as I can remember, fall has always been my least favorite season.  School, homework, busier work days, colder weather, sunsets at getting earlier and earlier…blahh Of course, the main reason for my dislike was school.  Now that I’ve been out of school for a while, though, fall is beginning to grow on me. Here’s why:

1. Apple picking: It’s always been one of my favorite fall activities.  For years, my family and I would go to Marshall farm in Fitchburg, but sadly, it’s now closed. Last year, I went to Sholan in Leominster, but it just wasn’t the same.  This year, I hope to try a new apple picking location, preferably one with a little shop that sells caramel apples, apple crisp, apple cider, etc.

2. Hiking: This is the first fall since junior year of high school where I haven’t had to work on the weekends.  I’m trying to spend my weekends outside, doing fun activities like hiking. Last weekend, I hiked to the top of Wachusett with some friends. It was definitely more of a workout than I remembered!

3. Apple crisp and apple crisp ice cream. One of the best fall treats.  J.P. Licks has a great apple crisp flavor this September; head there before the end of the month to try it out.  I also enjoy homemade apple crisp with vanilla ice cream.

4. Pumpkin Spice lattes at Starbucks. Delicious.

5. Shipyard Pumpkin beer. Definitely one of my favorite beers, especially when they put cinnamon sugar on the rim!

6. Thanksgiving. Food, food, and more food. Enough said.

7. Biking. Another perfect fall, outdoor activity! I’m doing a 30 mile bike ride this Sunday morning, so fingers crossed for no rain.

8. I’m going to Europe for the first time in October! My friend and I are visiting, London, Paris, and Amsterdam. Can’t wait!

And…I can’t even make it to 10.  All in all, though, fall is beginning to grow on me and I appreciate the season more and more as I get older.  Now that I’m not writing papers, working doubles every Sunday during football season at a sports bar, or wasting my time at a second job at Friendly’s, my fall weekends are actually turning out to be pretty nice.   And, like usual, I’m sure winter will be here before we know it.

I visited Cherry Hill many times when I lived in Leominster and was fortunate enough to visit twice this season.  Their flavor board boasts a variety of homemade flavors, and each sounds more delicious than the next.  On my first visit this year, craving hot fudge, I opted for the kiddie size sundae with Mint Moose Tracks (new fave!) topped with hot fudge, whip cream, and a cherry.  It was the perfect size, perfect price, and perfect combination of mint and chocolate.  The Mint Moose Tracks features mint ice cream, large dark chocolate chunks, and small mint truffles. Yum!

During my second visit, there were just too many flavors to choose from. I couldn’t pick one! Fortunately, one of my friends mentioned that they wanted to order two flavors, so once I got up to the window I asked if I could have a kiddie size with 2 different flavors.  ”Of course!” the girl replied, probably not knowing that she just made all of our days. I opted for a combination of the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough and Moose Tracks in a cup with no toppings.  Amazing.  Moose Tracks is, of course, a classic favorite of mine, and the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough combines so many of my other usual favorites! I totally just typed out – It was love at first bite…and then deleted it because that’s wayyyyy to corny, but true!  There’s no need for toppings on a flavor that good.

As far as sizes and pricing goes, you can’t beat Cherry Hill.  Their kiddie size is huge (they say 1 scoop, but it’s actually 2 big scoops), and is under $3 for a cup or a cone; I don’t think the kiddie sundae is much more than $4.  Definitely worth the drive from Boston.  A deal, great flavors, and big sizes, ordered from a classic ice cream stand window and eaten on picnic tables on  a grassy hill in rural MA.  I don’t think anything tops that!

Oh, and for those of you feeling a little more healthy, they also have some good choices of hard frozen yogurt.  But really, when you’re at a place like this with creamy, rich, homemade real ice cream, why settle for the healthy stuff?

I’ve written about Restaurant Week before, but for those who don’t know, Restaurant week occurs in Boston a couple of times a year, and during these weeks, expensive restaurants offer pre-fixe menus that include a choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert for $33 per person.

Like usual, I figured that a steakhouse would be the best value during Restaurant Week.  I mean, who would want to spend $33 on a $25 meal, especially when you usually don’t get an appetizer or dessert.  I tend to go with places that have $45 steaks and $10 salads so I can save some money.  Morton’s seemed to have one of the best menus, so Greg and I made a reservation and headed there on a Wednesday night.

Mistake #1: we left too late to take the T and drove down to Boylston St. and parked near the Prudential Center.  Parking couldn’t be more than $15 for a couple of hours, I figured…

We headed to the restaurant, which is located in the basement of a nice apartment or office building on Boylston St. and almost missed it because all you see from the street is a small sign over a door.  We stepped into the busy restaurant, and immediately felt too poor to eat there.  We were seated by a host in a tux and brought to a nice table covered in a white linen table cloth and set with wine glasses and multiple utensils.

Our server arrived and asked if we wanted to see the full menu or the restaurant week menu.  I responded by saying that we wanted to see both. I needed to add up the regular totals to see how much we were saving! Little did I know, that “seeing the full menu” meant listening to the server recite the entire menu while pointing out different cuts of raw meat on a cart. Impressive! They didn’t make us do that at Chili’s…

While we reviewed our menu, we ordered some wine (cheapest Pinot Grigio on the menu-$10 per glass).  It was good, but not any better than the $7 per bottle wine I usually drink.  I happened to glance at the table next to  us while their food was being delivered, and saw the size of the Filet Mignon. TINY!  There was no way Greg would be full from that, even if we had a salad and dessert.  Of course, they had two Restaurant Week menus, one for the regular $33 and one (slightly haha) more expensive one that added seafood to the entree.  At this point, any thoughts of saving money were out the window.  We both ordered off the more expensive restaurant week menu, and decided on Caesar Salads, Filet Mignon with seafood (scallops wrapped in bacon for me and stuffed shrimp for Greg), and a chocolate lava cake with ice cream (me-of course!) and key lime pie (Greg).

Before our salads arrived, we got a large loaf of warm bread. It was delicious and free. The salads were very good, and the portions were big.   Our entrees arrived, and I enjoyed every bite.  The steak was cooked to perfection and the large bacon-wrapped scallops were great.  Even the sides (mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus with a balsamic glaze) were tasty.  I tried one of Greg’s shrimp, and I think it was one of the best parts of the meal!  Then, dessert came, and it was definitely my favorite course.  The chocolate lava cake was the perfect size, and came with fresh raspberries on top, and a scoop of cool vanilla ice cream.  The contrast between the hot fudge in the cake and the cold, sweet ice cream was amazing and the fresh berries made it even better.

The service was perfect, as it should have been since the server was making off of just our table what I used to make during a slow lunch shift at Sports Depot or Friendly’s.  She was friendly and attentive, and between each course, she scraped the crumbs off our table and gave us new silverware.  Once, I got up to go to the bathroom, and when I came back my napkin was folded in a fan shape on the table.

When the meal was done, I was extremely full and not even upset when I saw the bill.  The final total was more than I expected to pay when I walked in the restaurant, but not as much as it could have been.  I think the final total, if we had ordered everything separately would have been around $200.  Needless to say, we saved quite a bit.  The experience was worth every penny, although I don’t plan on going back again soon.

We strolled back to car, happy after a great meal, and headed out of the garage.  On our way out, I was hit with the biggest price surprise of the night. $27 for parking for a little over 2 hours on a Wednesday evening. Ridiculous!

Pinkberry photo from their website

As everyone knows by now, ice cream is by far my favorite food.   Unfortunately, it’s also one of the main reasons why I’ve gained so much weight since starting my job back in early 2010.   For about 6 months, my mentality was: work=stress=ice cream.  I worked late, stopped going to the gym, and ended each and every day with ice cream.  Not a smart plan.

Recently, I joined a new gym, and in the process remembered that going to the gym is actually a much better way to deal with stress than a pint of Ben & Jerry’s…of course my love for ice cream still remains.  I am trying to find some healthier alternatives, though.  I love Berry Freeze and the rest of the self-serve tart, healthy soft serve frozen yogurt, but sometimes I need something sweet and chocolatey.

I’d always been skeptical of trying Pinkberry because I somehow thought that you had to pay per topping, and  I loved Berry Freeze where you could pile on as many toppings as you wanted, covering the tart taste of the yogurt with strawberries, oreos, and chocolate sauce.  A couple of weeks ago, though, my roommate finally convinced me to try Pinkberry.

The closest location to my apartment is on Newbury Street. “Kind of far for ice cream,” I thought. Especially considering there are 4 great ice cream places with in a 10 minute walk.  Up for trying something new, though, I got on the T and headed to Hynes.

When we arrived, the line stretched out the door.  Fortunately, it moved quickly.  Once inside, I realized that they charge a flat price for as many toppings that can fit in your dish. “Perfect,” I thought, knowing I wanted multiple toppings.

Their current flavors are: chocolate, salted caramel, original, coconut, watermelon, and mango.  I ordered chocolate, but they were out, so I settled for the salted caramel.  I’m glad I did. It was delicious! It didn’t have the strange, tart aftertaste that some of the more healthy soft serve yogurt does; it tasted like real ice cream.  Sweet, creamy, caramel ice cream, which I chose to top with dark chocolate crunchies, strawberries, chocolate chips, and heath.  The strawberries didn’t go so great with the caramel, but overall a good combination.

Another plus: they list out the calories of each topping and each size so you know exactly what they’re getting.  Imagine if Friendly’s listed the calories for the 3 scoop Reeses Pieces sundae on their menu?! I don’t think I want to know…

I was so impressed with my Pinkberry experience, that my roommates and I decided to go again a few days later.  This time, we decided to walk the entire way there and back.  2.1 miles each way.  Not such a bad walk on a nice summer evening, and we figured that walking 4.2 miles would burn off most of the calories from the  ice cream.

Luckily, they had chocolate this time.  I tried it topped with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and chocolate chips.  Another great combination!

The only downside is the price, I think my medium was around $6.50.  A little on the expensive side, but I’ll definitely go back.

Beginnings of sunset- Rock Harbor

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sunset at the beach, and if I have I don’t remember.  I always knew that there would be places on the bay side of the cape where you can see the sunset, but I never knew which beach or where to go exactly, until a couple of days before my trip.  I just thought, why not google it, what’s the first result say: Rock Harbor in Orleans.  Hmmm, I think, that’s right down the street from Skaket Beach.  The same beach that I’ve gone to countless times my entire life.

How did I miss that one?

Anyways, we headed over to Rock Harbor and Skaket one evening for the sunset.  It was pretty, although the millons of swarming bugs were not.  Bugs don’t usually bother me, or try to bite me.  I rarely get any bug bites. But these bugs, they were vicious. We were only able to stay outside for a few minutes.

Sunset at Skaket Beach

Skaket Beach

End of the trail in Wellfleet, yup I got that helmet when I was 8

A few weeks before my Cape Cod trip, a friend from work was spending over a week bike riding hundreds of miles in Europe with her family.  This quickly got me thinking that if she was able to ride hundreds of miles, I could probably tackle the 22 mile Cape Cod Rail Trail (well 44 miles if you go from one end to the other and back).  Of course, she spent months in spin classes and had definitely been on a bike more than once in the past 10 years.  I, on the other hand, had not.   I really think the last time I had been on a bike I was 12…maybe 13. 15 tops.

Early in the summer, I had made the Cape Cod Rail Trail, a paved bike trail that goes over former railroad tracks between Dennis and Wellfleet, one of my goals.  The week before my trip, I headed to Target and bought a $40 bike rack, and went to Leominster to get the bikes.  Of course, my bike had a broken tire, so I took my mom’s. My dad ended up putting the bike rack on the car (who knew this would be so difficult, I thought you just somehow hooked it too the truck, put the bikes on, and you’d be ready to go).  Apparently not.  Finally, an hour or so later, the bike rack and bikes were safely loaded onto the car and we were ready to go.

Greg and I headed down to the Cape for a relaxing 4 days in Orleans. Our first day, right after check in, I was ready to get biking.  What’s that saying?…you never forget how to ride a bike.  It’s true, I didn’t forget how, but bike riding was not tiring when I was 10!  We went a total of about 8 miles from our hotel which was pretty much in the middle of the trail and headed back. One of Greg’s tires lost air after a couple of miles and we had to head of the trail to a busy road…well more like the busiest road of the Cape -Route 6, to go to a gas station for air.

Along the trail

Two days later, after spending the morning at the beach and fueling up with some expensive lobster rolls, we were ready for round 2. This time, finally, we rode the 9 miles from our hotel in Orleans to the end of the trail in Wellfleet.  The trail was mostly flat, except for a couple of hills, and the scenery was nice.  The trail is mostly shaded, which was perfect since we were riding on a 85 degree afternoon in July.  We passed some marshes, wooded areas, ponds, seafood stands, but no ocean.  Each mile is marked on the side of the trail, so we knew exactly how far we went, and as we got closer and closer to 22, I began wondering what the end would be like.  Would it be a great ocean view? A place to get ice cream? Maybe a place for clam strips? No, the end….was a parking lot.  That’s it, a parking lot in Wellfleet, a mile marker that said 22, and a map.

All in all, though, it was a fun afternoon, and we got some exercise in during those 18 miles.  Bike riding became easier as I went along, although I swear no one has a butt small enough to sit comfortably on those seats.

Now I want to head back to the Cape and ride the trail in the opposite direction toward Dennis.  Some day, maybe, I will ride the trail from start to finish, and back. Maybe.

View from the room

When it comes to Cape Cod hotels, my expectations are pretty low.  I’m never expecting 5 star accommodations; all I ever hope is that my $150 gets me a clean room with a comfortable bed and maybe a small pool.  On our trip to the Cape last summer, Greg and I stayed at Seashore Park Inn in Orleans.  I had stayed there…oh probably about 10 years before, and it was clear that nothing had been done to the hotel since.

This year, I decided to try something different.  I spent some time on TripAdvisor, searching for a hotel in the Orleans area.   The Cove Motel was ranked number 2, and after reading a couple of reviews and seeing that it was on the water (not the ocean but a little  bay/river) I decided to book it.  To tell you the truth, one of the deciding factors was that “The Cove“  is also one of the towers at Atlantis in the Bahamas.  Click the two links above and you’ll quickly realize how different these hotels with the same name are.

Now the Cove, a small, older motel on the Cape, is definitely not a luxury tower at a large, expensive resort in the Bahamas, but I thoroughly enjoyed my stay there.  We arrived at the Cape a couple of hours before check in, but we figured we’d stop by and see if we could get into our room early.  The woman at the front desk was nice, and told us that unfortunately our room wasn’t ready yet, but she would call us when it was.  They must have sent a maid to clean it the second after we got there because within a half hour I got the call.

We had forked over the extra $20 a night for a small waterfront room, making the total around $160 per night, which got us a clean, comfortable room with a shared balcony overlooking the water.  The room was big enough; the bed comfortable; the bathroom clean.  The decor seemed to have been recently updated with light beachy colors, the TV wasn’t from 1980, and we even had a mini fridge.

Another plus: the hotel even featured free wifi, an amenity I now look for after realizing my hotel in Vegas charged $7 per hour to use the internet (not that I wanted to spend any of my vacation working). I just knew it would be inevitable with my wonderful blackberry serving up constant email reminders of work that needed to be done.  Unfortunately, our room seemed to be too far from the wireless router, and I had to either bring my laptop out by the pool (not such a bad place to send a few work emails) or head up to the shared computer above the hotel lobby.

The dock at the Cove

Greg’s favorite part of the hotel was definitely the dock on the bay, where he spent some time playing his guitar each day.  It was a great spot to dip your feet in the water,  enjoy the sun, and watch sailboats and kayaks go by. Very relaxing.

A couple more things about the Cove that make me want to go back: It was within a 2 minute bike ride from the Cape Cod Rail Trail (more about that in a future post); there was ice cream next door; and it was a short drive to both Nauset and Skaket beaches.  I look forward to going back, and wish I could stay there again this summer.

Of course, once I arrived home from my trip at the Cape, I realized that Atlantis was having a $99 sale. I could have stayed in my favorite hotel in the Bahamas for 4 nights for the price that I paid for 3 nights for my hotel at the Cape…oh well.  There’s always next year.