The Mount Washington Resort

My wife and I are on the same page when it concerns the giving of birthday presents. We would appreciate more an experience as opposed to a physical gift.

I had heard other people talk about the beauty of The Mount Washington Resort. So I looked into it; completed in 1902, so it had the vintage vibe we both like, is situated deep in the woods of New Hampshire just northeast of the White Mountains, and the price was reasonable. Trifecta!

I called the number and made the reservation. The gentleman asked me what the occasion the stay was for so I told him it was for my wife's birthday.

After having lunch in Ashland, NH, I asked my wife, "Isn't a classic movie star buried around here?"
She looked it up and discovered Claude Rains is buried in Moultonborough, about 30 minutes away...in the direction of the resort. Off we go!

We find Red Hill Cemetery and locate his headstone (his name is difficult to read, it being black on black).

Claude Rains' home until his death.

The resort was beautifully lit up at night.

We have arrive and check-in, find our room, and open the door. Hmmm, this looks nothing the picture of the room I booked. My wife opens a door which we discover is the bathroom. We stand there with our bags trying to figure out what to do next. She looks in the bathroom and sees another door. I thought it was a closet, but she opens it and...



...this is our room! I said, wait, don't unpack, this is obviously a mistake. A room this size rents out for $700 a night. I go downstairs to the Front Desk and speak to the woman who checked us in. I explain the size of the room and how much I was quoted. She looked at her monitor and said, "You are here for your wife's birthday, right?" Correct, I reply. She looks at me and says, "We upgraded you as a gift." Pick.up.jaw.from.floor. I thanked her several times and returned to the room. My wife asked me what happened. I told her to unpack as they upgraded us to this room for her birthday.

The Great Hall was bustling with people. There was sampling of wine and dessert being offered.

In 1944, both the World Bank and the International Money Fund were created in this room.

We woke up early for a morning swim and were greeted with these mountain views.

The view from the back of the resort.

This is video is from the bridge crossing the river in the back of the resort.

The breakfast buffet was outstanding! I indulged in an omelet and the sausages were infused with blueberries. 

The mountain views from our table. The view I have at home when I eat breakfast is a wall. 

One of the amenities the resort offered was afternoon tea. I had never experience this, so I made a reservation for two. We had talked about attending afternoon tea in Boston, but never got around to it.

We sampled a charcuterie board from local vendors.

Goodbye!

Off to Atlanta

My wife applied for a media pass to cover movies at SXSW. Her application was accepted so she  booked the hotel and flight.

In the process of planning the trip, she suggested we stopover in Atlanta. She has a online friend who lives there who she has never met. Her and her boyfriend were simply the best hosts and were cool to hang out with.

Perfect! I have always wanted to visit Atlanta. Unfortunately, we were there for only two days and it was brutally cold!

She picked us up from Hatfield International and got us settled into our room. We then ate lunch at Grub Kitchen and Bar. I appreciate this establishment posts the calories for all its food and drinks, but I don't appreciate all the calories in their tasty food. I went right past my daily 2000 calorie max in one meal!

Boozy Minty Chocolate Chip Brownie milkshake with creme de menth.

Wagyu burger (medium) with the fixins'

Erin and Dalvin took us to one of their hangouts, Tiki Tango Hideaway Oasis.

We ate dinner at an Irish pub, Ri Ra. Let me tell you, I thought I was in Southie! This Guinness Beef Stew with a dollop of mashed potatoes was como a avon o fixo.

While in Atlanta one must experience Waffle House. Mutual friend Jessica joined us for breakfast and we also were able to see Jill, another mutual friend who lives in the Atlanta area. She was kind enough to invite us to to her home. I got to meet her daughter and their adorable dog, Sugar. Jill also has an amazing library on the subject of cinema. I am guessing her collection runs 600 books. 

I was walking towards the MLK when I nearly tripped on something on the sidewalk. After I righted myself, I happen to look up and saw this garage. It looked so familiar! I then remembered it was featured on Chasing Classic Cars (season 5, episode 20) and there was a yellow Ferrari involved. 

1992 Porsche 911 Turbo Whaletail

1988 BMW M5 (E28), first generation.

Martin Luther King, Jr National Historical Park

While I did not have a lot of time in Atlanta, the one place I had to visit was the tomb of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The museum was well organized and filled with interesting exhibits. I really didn't want to be disrespectful by taking a 1000 photos. I didn't spend much time here as the entire experience just made me very sad. 

The wagon used to transport his body from the Ebenezer Church to Morehouse College.

Rest in Peace.

Ebenezer Baptist Church

The church where MLK was baptized, attended services, and was ordained a minister.

The home MLK was born in and grew up in.

I wanted to squeeze in a tour of the Delta Flight Museum while in Atlanta. I was in Atlanta for one day on a Wednesday. The one day during the week they are closed is...Wednesday. 

Once I knew I was going to visit Atlanta, I purchased tickets for Dalvin and I to attend a Hawks game. This was the first NBA game outside of Boston I have attended.

The site of Super Bowl LIII. The New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 13-3.