February 19th, 2011
How many times in the past year have I heard the term”Old Florida”? Plenty. Maybe is because we reminisce and wish to recapture that simple, and less hectic lifestyle.
Old Florida is a term given to at least 2 generations ago. It reminds us of “yesteryears” that are quickly vanishing.
Towns, restaurants, and hotels have not been taken over by the development trends of the day; they have kept their own identity.
One of those hotels in Delray Beach is the Colony Hotel. I actually have never stayed there but have friends that have. I even had a friend from Bethany Beach that made this hotel his home for a couple of months of the year.
The Colony Hotel is located in the heart of Delray Beach; 525 E. Atlantic Ave., tel. 561-276-4123. Website? www.thecolonyhotel.com. It has 70 guestrooms, daily yoga, hotel shops, on site laundry, complimentary parking, high speed wireless, guest computer, and exercise room. It is also pet friendly.
The Colony Hotel is an independent, family-owned and operated hotel. It does have a sister hotel in Kennebunkport, Maine.
I have gone by this hotel day and night, plenty of times. During the day people are enjoying the porch with coffee in hand; at night it is a porch bar, with music and people enjoying their favorite cocktails.
I decided to go in and check it out. A few years ago it was painted and given a fresh look. As I came in I took in all the colors. This is what Florida is all about; color combinations that bring a smile to your face. Inside it has a plantation feel; relaxing.
Unfortunaly, I did not see any of the rooms. You can check the website for more info.
The hotel has a Cabana Club about 2 miles away. If you are on Linton heading east, then right at the intersection of Linton and A1A is the Cabana Club. The Colony Hotel has van transportation to and from the Cabana Club. It is a private ocean front beach club with a pool heated by environmentally sensitive geo-thermal. Lunch is served from 12 to 2:30 p.m. to hotel guests and club members.
The Colony Hotel is a founding member of the “Green” Hotels Association. Website? www.greenhotels.com.
This hotel is perfect if you do not wish to have a car in Delray, everything is very accessible.
The Colony Hotel has package, group and corporate rates available.
Have a great Presidents Week-End!!!…talk to you later….
February 19th, 2011
If you are at the Delaware Beaches this week-end you probably feel like you are in Kansas; windy beyond belief.
You might want to check what’s going on:
Clear Space Theatre Company is located on 20 Baltimore Ave. Website is http://www.clearspacetheatre.org.
Today, Saturday – Only 2 Shows – Life like performance of Joseph Cashore and his marionettes. He fills the dual roles of puppet craftsman and puppeteer.
3:00 p.m. – Simple Life followed by a post show talkback session.
7:00 p.m. – Life in Motion at 7:00 p.m.
You can get tickets on line by visiting the above mentioned website, or call 302-227-2270.
Sundays – February 20th – March 13th – Adult Acting Techniques – Scene Study
Beginners from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – Tuition is $50
Experienced from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. – Tuition is $75
These classes explore a broad spectrum of exciting acting tools including improvisation, character development, monologue, and scene work. All classes are held at the Theatre.
Rehoboth Beach Film Society
The Rehoboth Beach Film Society and Camp Rehoboth co-present a quarterly, gay and lesbian themed series called Another Take.
Films are shown in the Upstairs Screening Room at the Midway Theaters located on Rt. 1. Tickets are $7 and nonrefundable and can be purchased by calling 302-645-9095, ext. 1.
Saturday, 2/19 at 8:00 p.m. – Violet Tendencies – Mindy Cohn stars as Violet….Humor and a touch of comedic hysteria, Violet Tendencies tells the true meaning of friendship. This film is not rated. Runtime: 99 minutes.
Sunday, 2/20 at 2:00 p.m. – You Should Meet My Son – A good mother will do anything for her son. Conservative Southern mom Mae and her sister, Rose invite a single young woman to dinner every Friday night in the hopes that only son, Brian will meet his match…..Can the ladies succeed in their search for the ideal mate for Brian? Not rated and runtime is 88 minutes.
Enjoy the long week-end…talk to you in a bit…
February 18th, 2011
So many events and activities going on in Delray Beach. This Village has been and is busy. Besides the big event of tennis tournaments there is a chili cookoff that will be taking a center stage at the Delray Green Market. This is the 14th Annual Chili Cookoff. It will be tomorrow, Saturday, 19th from 10:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.
The location? Right at SE 4th Avenue, South of Atlantic Ave. Every Saturday the Green Market takes place. It is the perfect place to start your Saturday morning. Baked goods, organic foods, specialty foods, outdoor cooking, and music.
It is there again this Saturday from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. with the addition of the Chili Cookoff. If you think you have the perfect recipe then by all means enter by calling 561-276-7511 or e-mail greenmarket@delray.org.
You can also contact Lori Nolan at nolan@mydelray.com.
I love chili and one of my favorites is served at Agave in Historic Lewes, Delaware. It is so well seasoned, a great portion; a complete meal.
Have a great week-end……talk to you later……
P.S. AboutMyBeaches is also on Facebook and Twitter….
February 18th, 2011
Over 300 boats will be at this yearly event in Ocean City, Maryland. Perfect week-end, as well; weather forecast is beautiful.
The Seaside Boat Show will be held at the Convention Center located at 4001 Coastal Hwy., Tel. 410-632-3676. If you need more info., please e-mail Charlie Dorman at ocboatshow@yahoo.com.
At this much awaited event you will find sailboats, canoes, kayaks, inshore and offshore boats. Also, plenty of boat accessories, insurance and finance. Representative will be available to help you.
Please check the website http://www.ocboatshow.com because you will be able to find all the exhibitors that will be attending plus a few more things.
There is an admission charge. Please note that all proceeds go to the area youth programs.
Hours: Friday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Have a great week-end…….Enjoy!!
February 17th, 2011
Why is it that the day you are leaving a vacation is probably the nicest day of all? That’s what happened yesterday in Delray Beach. 80 degrees, people on the beach, but not us. We were on our way to PBI (Palm Beach International) to hop on Southwest and off to Delaware. It is a conspiracy; they want you to go back. Almost like saying; hey, look what you will be missing. Not so fast. I enjoyed my time in Delray; walked a lot, definitely warmer than home, and ate too much. Yikes! Back on the diet. It is good to be home.
Lately, I have been using 2 airlines; Southwest and Airtran. On Airtran I thought I had a deal. Oh, upgrade to business class for $89. How nice of them!! I figured, let’s splurge! By the time I finished splurging, it was $89 plus $75 for changing and $25 for the luggage and then the $6 per seat paid before the upgrading; that was unrefundable. Plus, my original fare of $69. There were 2 of us.
Southwest was on a roll yesterday. We found the perfect seats. Let’s look like we are sick, then nobody would, in their right mind, sit next to us. Do not look at them in the eyes, either. You know what? It worked because we had the 3 seats all to ourselves. Then Country started. That’s how I called the flight attendant that decided to start singing country music and then proceeded to do a stand-up comedy. I don’t know what it’s happening with Southwest. Do they actually think we all like that? I remember the Captain saying sit back and relax. I wanted to get into my book, but all through the flight he was showering us with a song here or a joke there.
I usually don’t order desserts; just once in a while. But, on our last day, my husband wanted a flan. I always think that it is better to order a flan in a Latin restaurant. They usually have the original; just made with milk, eggs and sugar. I don’t want coconut, sweet potato, mango or any other additives. That’s exactly what we got at Cabana on Atlantic Ave., in Delray. It was pretty good and not overly sweet, either.
It was close to 7 p.m. when we made it to Rehoboth Beach and we were hungry. Three of us went to MIXX on 26 Baltimore Ave., I have written about this restaurant before. Their website is www.mixxrehoboth.com. It was Wednesday; burger night. We had a few other things, as well.
The Ancho Barbecue Chicken Satay – spicy barbecue basted and broiled chicken, served with Korean napa cabbage slaw. It was gluten free and the slaw was spicy. My husband loved it.
He also had a Seared Scallops – served with shredded brussels sprouts, bacon, and a Dijon mustard aioli. Also gluten free. Both of his dishes were appetizers.
Michael had the Black & Blue Bison Burger, which was cracked pepper seasoned bison, topped with blue cheese crumbles, lettuce and tomato. His choice for a side was truffle fries.
Mine was the Asian Pork Burger which was freshly ground pork, roasted garlic & chili sauce, topped with Asian Slaw. My side was sweet potato fries. Tasty and just the right amount.
Yes, we certainly made it back home. It is warm, well in the 60s. Tomorrow, the beginning of a long week-end, 70s is the forecast. Presidents week-end and the shoppers will be here to grab anything the outlets will be offering.
There is a slight spring scent in the air. I can’t fool myself; afterall, it is still February…..
Have a great day…..talk to you later…..
February 16th, 2011
If you are a tennis aficionado then the place to be from 2/18/11 until 2/27/11 is, here; Delray Beach. Right at the Tennis Center the International Tennis Championships will be taking place. It combines 2 events; the ATP World Tour and the ATP Champion Tour. Both at the same time.
The best source of information where you will find all special events, information on the players, schedule, tickets, entertainment, and the event’s guide is their website www.yellowtennisball.com. There is also a telephone number 561-330-6000. Please have in mind that this is a much awaited week in Delray Beach and everything will be crowded. Get there early and expect to stay late. Most of all, have patience.
On Friday at 5:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. there will be a Free Exhibition right on Atlantic Avenue. It happened last year and it will happen again on Friday. It was an impromptu tennis match on the Avenue and this year they are playing again. Yes, the pros will be playing. John McEnroe and Mats Wilander will be playing and if you want to catch this match then be there early. I am not kidding, it gets packed.
I have had a place in Delray for several years, but to tell you the truth I had never been to the Tennis Center. I used to play tennis a lot; then it seemed all I did was to go to tennis clinics. Got bored and just let it go. I went to the Tennis Center the other day to check it out and they do have amazing facilities.
The Delray Beach Tennis Center is located at 201 West Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33444. Tel. 561-243-7360. Whether you are arriving or leaving Delray through Atlantic Avenue you will not miss the Tennis Center. The website is www.delraytennis.com.
The Tennis Center is the home of the ATP World Tour and Champions Tour, the Fed Cup, the Davis Cup, the Chris Evert Pro Celebrity Tennis Classic and the home of many National Junior Tournaments.
It is, definitely, a busy place and is open to the public. Their certified tennis professional handle private lessons, adult programs, junior programs and ladies and men’s leagues.
I did not realize until I went in that it was so large. The Tennis Center has 38 Clay Courts, 7 Hard Courts, 19 Lighted Courts, a pro shop, locker rooms with showers and stringing on site.
Onn this day there were group tennis lessons being taken; otherwise it was quiet. The building is beautiful and the Center Court is impressive with stadium seating surrounding it.
So, get ready because the scene will be quite different from these pictures this coming week-end. I have friends that will be parked on that stadium day and night and I hope they have a great time.
See you…back to Delaware…talk to you later….
February 15th, 2011
I have visited the Sandoway House before I started writing this blog and thought it was time to visit it again and see what was new. The Sandoway House is located at 142 South Ocean Blvd., and it is very visible from A1A. Tel. is 561-274-7263. Website? www.sandowayhouse.org.
This house used to be the winter residence of a retired produce broker named J.B. Evans. It was designed by Samuel Ogren, Sr. Since it was built during the great depression, the only ostentation is the cathedral window on the south side of the house. Samuel Ogren, Sr. is considered the Father of Delray Beach Architecture. In 2002 this house was listed on the National Historic Places. You can read more information on the Historic Marker placed by the entrance of the Sandoway House Nature Center.
On Sundays, the shark feeding is at 1:30 p.m. and it was about time. As I walked around the gardens I noticed plaques identifying indigenous plants.
I love porches and the Sandoway House has a beautiful one; I could only imagine sitting there when times were less hectic; life more simple.
The Blue and Gold Macaw was the bird I encountered first. I heard he can be a little cranky. He was calm on Sunday, though, checking everyone coming in.
In this porch you will also find a large fish tank and a gorgeous lobster. Also there is a turtle pond and a gopher tortoise habitat. The gopher tortoise, Speedy, was hiding. This tortoise is protected in Florida because the iguanas are eating their eggs; construction is destroying their natural habitat.
The box turtle, Gigi was out and about. Conservationists are concerned because their habitat is being destroyed.
There is an entry fee of $4.00 and I cannot remember the volunteer’s name working there but him and Steve, who feeds the sharks were very informative.
There is a shop with souvenirs and books on Florida, Delray and nature.
There is a microscope lab for viewing nature up close. Tha’st where I saw The Knight Anole, Pedro. Native to Cuba with strong jaws and sharpt teeth.
The Brown Basilisk was another lizard found from Mexico to Columbia. They are excellent swimmers.
And then there was Rose, the Chilean Rose Tarantula. She eats grasshoppers, cockroaches, and crickets.
In this room 2 microscopes are set to be used by the public to view various objects found in nature.
Another room has photos interpreting Delray Beach History. One watercolor shows the Sandoway right on the beach. It was before A1A was even there.
The Yvonne S. Templeton Shell Gallery is one the largest private shells collections in the world. It is housed at the Sandoway House and even though there are so many on display, this is only about 6% of a collection of 10,000 shells.
Steve called me since it was time to feed the sharks. They were sand sharks and fed by hand once a day. He was very knowledgeable and connected well with the younger crowd in attendance.
There were other fish but one that acted like the residence dog was Bob. It was a Spotfin Burfish. This fish is found in tropical seas. It eats clams, crabs, and lobsters. Bob has a beak and grinding plates that crush the shells of the animals he eats.
The Sandoway House offers educational programs to the public. Besides the shark feedings, they have guided historic tours, nature walks, astronomy nights, summer camp and special events like Earth Day.
Guests speakers add to the special events, talking about environmental topics. The website will be the best information source to check out what’s on the schedule.
Schools and special interest groups are welcomed, as well, so please call to schedule a group adventure.
This beautiful house and grounds are also available for special events, like meetings, weddings and birthday parties.
Hours of operation are: Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Sundays from 12 Noon until 2 p.m.
Shark feedings are Tuesdays to Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. and on Sundays at 1:30 p.m.
Tired of sitting on the beautiful Delray Beach? Too cloudy? Kids are driving you insane? The Sandoway House is located just a block and a half south of Atlantic Ave., on the west side of A1A between Sandoway Park and Ingram Parking Lot.
Have a great day. My visit to Delray is winding down…..talk to you later….
February 13th, 2011
To me, there is no life before coffee. I love it in the morning and there are times when I enjoy it in the afternoon, as well. More so on a chilly day. I consider it a ritual since I drink it every day.
Just opened a few weeks ago is the newest addition to the eateries in trendy Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach. SPoT Coffee is their name. Located at 44 East Atlantic Avenue. Tel. 561-455-4041. Website? www.spotcoffee.com. You can find them on Facebook and Twitter.
I went to check it out because they have been working on that corner for quite some time; teasing us with “soon to be opened” signs. Was it going to be the place to go for coffee or just another coffee shop?
This company’s offices are in Canada and New York. In existence since 2004. Delray is not only a destination for vacationers, but for new businesses, as well.
I wanted to try their coffee because it seems that there are so many coffee shops in every corner of every city, but a lot of them over-roast their coffee; giving it a sour taste.
SPot Coffee is in a great corner. Its doors open to the sidewalk and tables are scattered around.
There is also a cozy corner with sofas in case you want to make yourself feel at home or read the paper. Art depicting Atlantic Ave. is also on their walls.
The coffee selections are on a top board. I decided to have a Mocha. The Mocha is only prepared with whole milk. I could not wait to taste it because so far this year I can say that the other great cup of coffee I have sampled was at One World Cafe in Baltimore, Maryland.
I did not have to wait long and I can say that it was delicious. I sat outside and really enjoyed it. Creamy, nice and hot; great aroma.
Besides coffee, SPoT Coffee also offers other beverages, baked goods, signature sandwiches like focaccia sandwiches, wraps and pizza.
A blackboard is posted every day with their offerings.
I only can vouch for their coffee, at this time. Did not try anything else. It is so good to have so many choices and to see the patrons enjoying themselves. I wish them much success.
Please note that SPoT Coffee also has coffee for sale and catering is available.
Have a great day!!…talk to you later…
 
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