UFDC Convention 2014: Part 1

The 2014 UFDC Convention was held in San Antonio, Texas, at the J.W. Marriott Hill Country Resort and Spa.

Licca traveled with me and decided that since we were heading for Texas, that she was going to wear her new outfit that had matching cowgirl boots, in red.

After 13 1/2 hours of flying, and many more hours in airports and buses, we arrived at the hotel and went straight to sleep.

The next day I relaxed at the spa and then went to the Riverwalk for the evening.

I had dinner at Cafe Ole.

The meal was OK, and the margarita was fantastic.

The next day was the start of Convention fun: The San Antonio Tours and the Ice Cream Social.

Mount Takao Beer Garden

Dave and I decided to go to have dinner at the Beer Garden on Mount Takao.

The area below the beer garden was decorated with lanterns.

It was a hazy evening and had been raining, so the view was obscured.

There was tasty beer on tap. - Good.

The food, while plentiful, was pretty bland and tasteless.  - Bad.

It was mostly Japanese food. The write up mentioned western fare too, but that would be the pizza that was not available when I went looking for it. (It was available later, but I was already full.)

I would not go again. There are much better restaurants at the base of the mountain.

Disney Sea: The Food

Recently I had the chance to go to Disney Sea twice, once just for the evening, and the other for a whole day.

The next few blogs will all be focused on my experiences there.

First, The Food:

The restaurant that I visited for dinner on my evening trip was the New York Deli in the American Waterfront.

At the New York Deli, you order and pay at the counter and seat yourself.

Their menu featured sandwiches, mostly. For my meal, I chose the seasonal special, a sandwich with meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a mixed berry sauce. It came with fries and a soft drink.

It was a pretty good sandwich and all I needed before touring the park at break-neck speed.

On my next trip, we ate like royalty.

For lunch, we ate at Magellan's in the Mediterranean Harbor.

A view of the fort that Magellan's is located inside of.

Inside Magellan's. Beautiful!

Dave and I both ordered sets containing an appetizer, main dish, and desert. Dave had a mixed appetizer plate, the beef, and pink grapefruit sherbet.

The beef.

I had a salad, the fish, and the desert of the day, a small slice of cake with sherbet. Everything was amazing. The flavor was heavenly and the presentation lovely. I want to eat there again and again.

For dinner, we dined at The Teddy Roosevelt Longe aboard the S. S. Columbia in the American Waterfront.

A view of the ship from a distance.

The lounge is richly paneled and decorated with paintings and photos of Teddy Roosevelt. The bar is decorated with wooden bears instead of pillars.

Being worn out, the dark and quiet ambiance was just what we needed. We ordered drinks which were refreshing and impeccably served.

I had a the fried shrimp sandwich - two jumbo fried shrimp with lettuce, tomato, and sauce on a foccacia bun. It was served with a few fries. Dave had the mixed platter - 3 sausages, mini beef pot-pie, and a chicken thigh. He said the thigh was bland, but every thing else was pretty good.

                                     

I would definitely eat here again, if I was looking for a quiet place during the afternoon. The food was good, but not 4 star quality like the Magellan's. For that, I look forward to trying the S. S. Columbia Dining Room on my next trip to the park.

Tokyo Ramen Street

On Friday, we wanted Ramen for dinner, so we went to Tokyo Ramen Street, of course.

Tokyo Ramen Street is located at Tokyo Station, in the section called First Avenue Tokyo Station. There are 8 ramen restaurants grouped together. Choosing just one restaurant was tough, but we settled on Kani-Senmon Keisuki Kita no Sho.

The bowls were in the shape of Hokkaido, and the ramen were, coincidentally enough, Hokkaido style. The ramen was tasty and filling, but not too much. Unlike most ramen I've had before, I was actually able to finish this bowl.

Next time we will have to try one of the other restaurants. There was even one that had about 50 people in line for it. (Yeah, not going to wait in that line for Ramen.)

Afterwards, we explored First Avenue Tokyo Station and took a trip outside to see the station in all its glory.

Wow.

The station is a beautiful western style building, and I'm glad I finally got to see it up close. 

We then, exhausted, headed home on the train. 

Sapporo Snow Festival, Part 1: Beer!

We arrived in Sapporo and after checking into our hotel, we freshened up and headed out to dinner. Where did we go? The Sapporo Beer Garden!

Click on photos to see them larger.

The grounds were covered with snow and lit up with sparkly decorations.

The streaks in the air are the falling snow.

 Once inside, we ordered our dinner and yes, beer.

Kampai!!!!!

For dinner, Lamb Genghis Khan that we grilled our self. Oishii!!!

More beer!

Ice luminaries with leaves.

Cut bamboo stalks with votive candles added a festive light.

The food was delicious, the ambiance was lovely, and the beer... was beer. A very good night!