Taughannock Falls

This might be the longest break between posts in the history of this blog, and the reason is because I went on vacation. Yes, my family of five took our first real vacation possibly ever. All of our trips consist of visiting family and/or returning to Pittsburgh, so I don't really count those as vacations. The last vacation I can remember was going to a wedding in New York City, and that was when The Moose was 1. He's going into 6th grade this fall! While I hope to write several posts about the trip to Niagara, Falls, Toronto, and upstate New York, this post is about Taughannock Falls.

Taughannock Falls and the Taughannock Falls State Park are in central New York about 10-15 minutes away from Ithaca. I went to the state park several times in college, particularly to show friends and family that visited from out of town. The falls are 215-feet high, and I spent way too much time unsuccessfully searching online for the largest waterfalls in the continental United States. According to one source on WikiPedia, Taughannock Falls has the largest drop for any waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. This includes Niagara Falls (188 feet), which I'll come back to monetarily.

As part of our vacation, I thought we would go to the park, walk the 3/4 trail to the bottom of the falls, and then visit Ithaca. That all happened, but before the hike, we went to the scenic overlook, which I had never seen before. How did I not know about this? It's an awesome view of the falls with barely any walk, and they had bathrooms! Amazing!

Overall, Taughannock Falls was a great as I remember even though I hadn't been there in probably 20 years. If you ever go with kids, make sure you visit BEFORE going to Niagara Falls about 3 hours away. Despite being taller, the kids weren't very impressed with Taughannock Falls after seeing the vast size and huge mist of Niagara Falls.

Oh, we saw some circling vultures too!

Pittsburgh Vacation

We took a family trip to Pittsburgh recently, and I thought I would share some pictures of the trip which included stops at the Children’s Museum, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, and PNC Park for a Pirates game. Enjoy!

I have family that live on Mount Washington, and I went into their home for the first time during this trip. If I lived here, I don’t think I’d ever leave. The view is just spectacular.

I know that I’ve shared memories of this place before, but I love going to The O. This is a medium order of fries!

We took the kids to the Phipps, and this was the first time I’d been there in over a decade. It’s so beautiful. There was a Vincent van Gogh exhibit, and the Phipps staff deserve major credit for creating a scavenger hunt booklet where kids need to find replicas of van Gogh paintings. The Moose (8) and Pedro Tulo (5) were all about completing the hunt. They also had a special project where kids could dig and make and take a plant. The picture above is Pedro Tulo before he got dirt all over the place (including on his cast). Not pictured is Luigi (1 & 1/2) falling causing a bump on his forehead and a cut above his lip.

These are from the Children's Museum. On Thursday, he ate through four strawberries, but he was still hungry.

I was really hoping to have llama AND iguana during this trip, but sadly this place in The Strip District was out of iguana.

One of my favorite things to do in life is attend a Pirates game. As an added bonus, it was fireworks night!

Until next time, Pittsburgh!

Rascal Flatts Singer In Hilton Head

I spent the past week on vacation in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and while I may write a post about the trip (or multiple posts since I'm sure you want to hear about two 13-hour drives with three kids and how four year old Pedro Tulo fell asleep at Cracker Barrel), I wanted to highlight one part. Gregg Russell is a Hilton Head legend who has performed for over 40 years. Not to take anything away from Russell's musical ability, but he basically leads a Kids Say the Darndest Things concert. He's had the same lines and jokes for years, and he is a master at working the crowd. People come to see him year after year and across generations and are never disappointed. Here's a sample:



You get the idea. Oh, he used that same Justin Bieber joke when we saw him two years ago. Anyway, as part of his July 4th show, he welcomed three kids to the stage to sing a song. Then, he introduced at least one of the kid's father, who just happened to be the lead singer of Rascal Flatts, Jay DeMarcus. I heard that DeMarcus had a guest appearance in Hilton Head just days before I saw Russell two years ago, so I wasn't stunned to see him return. It was still cool seeing a singer who regularly plays arenas engaging with a much smaller crowd.

Some videos of DeMarcus are below. There is not video of the fireworks after Russell's show ended with Pedro Tulo's commentary (That was red; Those are beautiful).

When you are in Harbor Town @hiltonheadsc watching local legend #GregRussell and @JayDeMarcus of @rascalflatts grabs a guitar! #NoBigDeal pic.twitter.com/RULHDmoK86

— Sean (@sezshwon) July 5, 2018

Seeking Summer Vacation Ideas

Let’s say that you’re trying to plan a vacation for 8 people, including two kids under 18 months. You’re looking to take this vacation in late-June or early-July and it must be in driving distance from Washington DC. Let’s also say that a trip to the Maryland or Delaware beaches is out since beach house rentals appear to be too expensive for the prime-time of their tourist seasons. Where would you go? Please note that the group of 8 would prefer to stay in the same facility.

Thank you.

Vegas Vacation - Part II

Now that I wrote about my gambling experience in Vegas, I thought I would share notes from the rest of my vacation.

- I spotted Alexander Ovechkin lying out at the Bally's pool with an attractive female companion. At least, the guy looked like Ovechkin. Naturally, this prompted a discussion among our group. A female member of our group didn't think it was him because she thought Ovie would be in better shape and that his guest would have bigger breasts. My opinion was that it couldn't have been Ovechkin since he would probably rent a cabana or be at Mandalay Bay or the Bellagio as opposed to Bally's. Unfortunately, we did not see whether or not he is missing any teeth, so this remains a mystery.

- Pushing the automatic revolving door at the casino entrances does not make the door move faster.

- When I was in Utah a few years ago, I wrote about a newscaster named Big Budah. Is there a rule that every Mountain West city must have a newscaster with an odd name? As Messiah correctly predicted, I discovered KTNV's Rikki Cheese in Las Vegas. Yes, this is a real person, and I have proof. She was arrested earlier this year and here is her picture:



- At a restaurant I do not want to name (since she or someone who works there may read this*), we had Angel from Greensburg as our waitress. Her breasts are likely not from Greensburg.

- The Planet Hollywood sports book had both the Penguins and Red Wings at 5-1 to win the 2010 Stanley Cup. At the Caesar’s sports book, Detroit was 4-1 while the Penguins were 6-1. I also remember seeing the Steelers as 6-1 to win the Super Bowl. The Pirates were not 6-1 to win the World Series (although that was before the team acquired Milledge & Hanrahan!).

- The local ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates all show the national news at 5:30pm. That seems odd to me since they are either at 6:30 or 7:00 in Washington.

- I’m debating whether or not to share stories about the timeshare presentation. If I do, it deserves a separate post.

- We ate breakfast on Thursday morning at Harrah's buffet. They played a nice selection of 70s music followed by several Michael Jackson songs. During Billie Jean, a kitchen staff member danced near us, so naturally, we smiled and he started talking to us. We learned that loves Billie Jean since he recently discovered that a child that he supported for numerous years was not his son. He was happy about the fact that the kid was not his son and that now he is getting money back. He even showed us three paystubs in his hand. As everyone knows, Michael Jackson died several hours later.

- The highlight of my craps experience came courtesy of two guys at the table, Wayne and Jerry. Wayne was probably in his late 20s/early 30s, slightly intoxicated, and extremely social running around the table introducing himself to everyone. For some reason, he thought my name was Paul and continued to refer to me as Paul even though I corrected him several times. Wayne also revealed to everyone that he had a 2-inch penis, so I referred to him as Hal Gill (#2) for the rest of the evening. The casino staff was mortified. Meanwhile, Jerry was in his 50s or 60s, constantly smoked, had an impressive mustache and did not put up with Wayne’s shenanigans. He was there to drink, smoke and play craps. Naturally, Wayne wanted to become Jerry’s best friend. Oh, have I mentioned that Wayne thought Jerry’s name was Gary? At one point, Wayne had a big roll and went around the table to high-five everyone. Jerry/Gary ran away before Wayne could get to him. The entire Wayne/Jerry/Gary experience was highly entertaining. With Jon & Kate on the way out, Bravo should air Wayne & Jerry. It could be a ratings bonanza!


* It could happen!

Vegas Vacation - Part I

The first question many people ask when you return from Vegas is how did you do? Well, I lost playing blackjack. I lost playing craps. I lost playing Pai Gow. I lost playing three-card poker. I also lost $2 playing slots. (I hate slots, but I couldn’t pass up the Press Your Luck slot machine. I really, really, really wanted to yell big bucks, no whammies, stop! I didn't have that opportunity.) My gambling victories were minor. I bet $2 on a horse named Baseball Card Kid racing at Charles Town Races & Slots. Yes, I traveled thousands of miles to bet on a horse race that took place about 50 miles from my home. When I made the wager, the horse was at 7-1 but by race time, he/she was 3-1. Therefore, when the horse finished second, I won a whopping 80 cents.

My other victory was courtesy of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Knowing that the Pirates usually play well against excellent starting pitchers (though usually terribly against below average pitching), I put $5 on the Bucs and Ross Ohlendorf against the Cleveland Indians and reigning Cy Young winner Cliff Lee. When the Pirates won, I earned $7.25! The sports book was clearly the highlight of my personal gambling week.

However, my wife represented the family proudly. In her blackjack debut, she was dealt an 8-8 with the dealer showing an ace. The dealer did not have a blackjack, so after splitting the eights, she received a third 8. On that 8, she got a 7 and then a 5 for a 20. On the second 8, she was dealt a 2. We contemplated doubling down, but decided just to hit. She got a 10. On the third 8, she was dealt a 3. We did double-down this time, meaning that there were four separate bets on the table. The dealer handed her a 9. I don’t remember the dealer's cards, but I know that she busted meaning that my wife won all four bets. Greatest blackjack hand ever!

I promise to have much more about my Las Vegas vacation including the joys of a timeshare presentation, seeing Alexander Ovechkin, meeting Angel, and I'll present one of the greatest names in local news history over the next few days. Please click here for part 2.

Shut Up and Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

I saw The Hangover last week, watched Ocean's 11 last night and saw the video for Katy Perry's Waking Up in Vegas this morning, so I'm all set for
my Vegas vacation. While I'm sure that you want hour-by-hour details of my trip, I am taking a brief vacation from Sean's Ramblings. To translate: I'm not taking a computer with me to Las Vegas; I will write about my vacation, but not until I return.* Have a great week!



* Unless Mike Tyson and/or a tiger show up in my hotel room.

Seeking Vacation Suggestions

I love asking random questions on my blog. Today’s question: where should I go on vacation? We were planning on taking a trip to Vegas in mid-October, but unfortunately, the price for flights is more than we’re willing to spend. Therefore, we’re looking for an alternative where we can drive to our destination. Does anyone have any suggestions for places to go for a long weekend? Early ideas include Asheville, North Carolina, Charlottesville, Virginia and the Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Please leave any ideas or suggestions in the comments.

Update: For our vacation, we have selected......Asheville, North Carolina! Since we've never been there, does anyone have any suggestions on what someone would do in Asheville?

Thank you!

Visiting Seattle

Next month, I’m going on a real vacation for the first time in over three years. I’m heading to the Pacific Northwest, primarily to Seattle with a two-day/one-night trip to Victoria. Although I am reading up on places to go and things to do, I’m hoping that someone reading this can provide some advice about visiting Victoria and Washington. While I know that I’ll visit the Space Needle, Pike’s Place market and attend a Mariners game while in Seattle and see Butchart Garden in Victoria, that’s about all that is planned at this point. Here’s where I need some help:

- Suggestions on places to stay and eat in Seattle and Victoria
- When going to Victoria, is it worth it to get a package hotel/ferry deal?
- Are there other day or multi-day trips I should take (ex. Mt. Rainier)?
- Should I go anywhere in Oregon?
- Is it OK to wear my Steelers jersey around Seattle to taunt Seahawks fans?

Any help and suggestions are appreciated. As always, feel free to e-mail me at seanramblings at yahoo[dot]com if you do not want to leave a comment below. Thank you!