Category: Local Adventures

Progressive Dinner – Restaurant Version

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Who says you must eat your entire meal in one restaurant? Only the restaurant, who wants more of your money. Well, it’s time to break that “rule”. Sure, you might get some funny (or annoyed) looks when you order only a dessert. However, if that’s what the restaurant is best at, why not go just for that?

So, what’s a progressive dinner?

A progressive dinner is one where you eat each individual course in a different location. Head to one restaurant for appetizers, off to a second for entrees, and a third for dessert. It’s a traveling meal!

This type of adventure provides the opportunity to go to favorite restaurants and have what they are best at making. While my favorite steak house makes fabulous entrees, I have to go to a local Italian restaurant to get the best desserts in town. It also combats the tendency that we often have to rush through the meal; the travel time in between courses affords extra opportunities to chat with friends.

Some hints

  • If you have a large group, it may be most convenient to divide into a smaller parties and head to different places, rejoining for dessert.
  • You don’t have to head to the next course immediately. My wife and I recently went on a progressive dinner date, and were too full for dessert. So we headed to the movies, and stopped for dessert afterward.
  • Plan your meal so that the restaurants aren’t too far away from each other. You don’t want to deal with traffic any more than you have to, so back and forth across the city in between courses might not be the best idea.
  • I don’t make reservations, so that I don’t have to be concerned about a time-frame.

Progressive dinners don’t have to be planned out before hand. As long as you are somewhere that has a few restaurants close to each other, you can pick one to start at and work your way through the courses as you go. So what are you waiting for? Grab some friends, or your date, and go explore the local cuisine!

Travel The World From Your Kitchen

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One of my favorite parts of traveling is getting to try out new foods. It doesn’t matter if I take an afternoon spin on the motorcycle to the next town over, or spend a semester studying in another country, I’m going to seek out somewhere new to eat. When I was in Ireland for a semester, I checked out some cookbooks of traditional Irish food. Using these as a starting point, my wife and I were able to sample some “real” Irish food and discover what we liked, and what we didn’t.

Fortunately, you don’t have to go anywhere to get recipes to try out. No flying to another country necessary. The internet provides recipes for just about anything that you can think of, and most ingredients can be found in local grocery stores, though you might have to search a bit harder to find some.

If you’ve been in the mood for something different, or perhaps you just want to try your hand at cooking your own “foreign” meals, look something up and see what you can find. My wife and I just had Jambalaya, from a recipe I found online. It tasted great, and was really easy to make. Next on the list: Chicken Curry. Big jump from Louisiana to India, I know. But it’s entirely possible when you’re a kitchen explorer!

Where will you travel to? To get you started, head on down to Cajun country for some Jambalaya.

Quick and Easy Jambalaya

(originally from here)

20 Mins prep time
30 Mins cook time
Makes about 6 servings

    Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 8 ounces kielbasa, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups uncooked white rice
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

    Directions

  • Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Saute chicken and kielbasa until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Season with cayenne, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, or until onion is tender and translucent.
  • Add rice, then stir in chicken stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until rice is tender.
  • Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce.

    Suggestions
    I made the recipe as stated. These suggestions come from comments on the original page, some that I will most likely try next go-around.

  • add tomato sauce/diced tomatoes/Ro-tel
  • add more garlic
  • use half green onion / half white onion
  • use cajun/creole seasoning in place of salt & pepper
  • add a can of drained red beans and a can of diced tomatoes w/green chiles

Don’t Forget Your Camera

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All too often I forget to carry my camera with me, and I miss some great shots. Each time, I tell myself that I need to remember to bring it with me the next time I head out the door, only to forget again.

By neglecting to carry my camera with me on a regular basis, not only do I miss out on some wonderful shots, but I also don’t get the practice that I need to improve my photographs.

Are you doing the same thing? Are you making it harder to improve your photography while missing great shots?

The solution is simple:

DON’T FORGET YOUR CAMERA!


If you have your camera, you’re likely to use it. Using it more often will result in an increase in the quality of your shots. Practice makes perfect, right?

For the month of July, I’ll be doing this. My camera will go everywhere with me. Part of my job this month is to document the daily happenings around me. This will force me to grow accustomed to carrying the camera with me everywhere, and remember to take pictures. I will be treating this forced lesson as the beginning of a long-term habit. I have a nice little point-and-shoot camera that fits perfectly into any of my pants pockets. Soon, it will become a frequent resident of those pockets as it joins me on my daily adventures.

What About You?
Are you going to continue wishing you took better pictures? Will you keep regretting that you missed some great photo opportunities because you didn’t have your camera with you? Join me this month as we work to make a habit of always having our cameras with us.

Go Camping

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This is the final post in the 10 Cheap Adventures That Anyone Can Have series.

I’ve written about an easy way to go camping more often, about making your own gear, a piece of my favorite gear, and even shown you some places I’ve camped. I love camping, and always have!

What You Need

As with so many other adventures, you don’t really need much to go camping. It’s easy to spend a lot of money on camping gear, especially when you’re first starting out. Instead, begin with the basics, most of which you can scrounge from home. Then, with more experience, you will be able to buy just the gear you need.

  • A destination – This can be your backyard, a nearby forest, or a national park. I’ve camped on islands in lakes, on beaches, in my backyard, on a mountain, in my car, and in numerous forests. You can always find somewhere to go camping when you start looking for them.
  • Some sort of shelter – Shelter can be as grand as a multi-person mansion of a tent, or a simple bedroll. I prefer using my hammock with a bugnet when camping, but still have a tent for backup. If you’re just starting out, you don’t need much. A tarp to keep rain off, and some sheets and blanket from home will keep you warm. They wash out afterwards, and can save you quite a bit of money.
  • Food – I love having a campfire to cook over, but it can be hard to find a spot where you’re allowed to build one. I’m also a stove junkie (see the above link about making your own gear). Even with both of those facts, though, you don’t need fire to eat well when camping. There is plenty of food that is easy to carry and tasty without having to heat it. Don’t go buy fancy “camping food” when you’re starting out. You can carry something that you eat at home, and then develop your outdoor cooking skills as you go along and acquire or make the gear.
  • Water – As always, water is vital. It’s easy to buy a 1-gallon jug at the store and carry that. Don’t throw it away, though! Save it for your next trip, and just refill it at home. If you’re car-camping, you can carry a cooler full of drinks.

    • That’s it, those are the basic requirements for a camping trip. Add in some bug repellent and sun screen and you’re good to go. With such a short list of necessities, and all of them being readily available at home, don’t let any excuses keep you from enjoying a camping trip now!

    See What Your Nearby National Forest or State Park Offers

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    This is the ninth post in the 10 Cheap Adventures That Anyone Can Have series.

    You don’t have to go hiking in order to enjoy nature. The National Parks Service does a wonderful job of providing easy-to-access locations that highlight some wonderful views and features of the parks. Within less than an hour, I can drive to a number of natural stone bridges, at least one waterfall, a number of cliff tops with beautiful views, a variety of rivers, and a couple of lakes. Each of these require walking for 100 yards or less.

    Finding nearby parks is easy. Simply go the the National Parks Service website or the National Forest Service website and search by state. After clicking on your state, a map will come up showing the parks in your area. From there it’s easy to find attractions that might interest you.

    An easy way to get an overview of all the parks in your area is to use Google maps. As you zoom in to your area, the green represents parks. I use this to find the names of nearby parks so that I can find out more information on the two official sites listed in the paragraph above.

    Some Last Tips

    When you go and visit don’t forget your camera, as there will be plenty of views that you will want to capture pictures of! Take plenty of water to drink so that you don’t have to leave just to find a drink. Carry some food along so that you can have a picnic. You might want bugspray and sunscreen.

    Last but not least: have a good time and enjoy your adventure!

    Take a Hike

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    This is the eighth post in the 10 Cheap Adventures That Anyone Can Have series.

    Hiking is another of the free adventures that anyone can go on. You may not be able to hike far, or wide, but you CAN get out and explore your surroundings. Discover what your local park has to offer. Find out where those trails you drive by go. Search out new places.

    What You Need

  • You! – It’s hard to hike without being there!
  • A Place to Go – This is the primary requirement for a satisfying hike. It can be somewhere that you’ve never been, or a familiar favorite. Depending on how much time you have available, and what kind of mood you’re in, you can choose to hike through your city, through a local park, or find a trail at a nearby state park or national forest.

    • That’s it! You don’t need anything else to go hike and enjoy nature! After all: “It’s just walking, don’t over-complicate it.”

    Stuff You Don’t Need, but Might Want to Take

    If you’re like me, and a lot of other folks, you probably want a more extensive list, however. So here are a few more things that you might want to consider taking. You have all of them already, so it’s just a matter of deciding what you want to take.

  • Probably – Some Footwear – But that’s not necessarily true. Wear whatever you have available that’s comfortable to walk in. Personally, I’ve worn flip-flops, army boots, running shoes, and occasionally gone barefoot. I generally have my running shoes on, so they see the most action.
  • Water – It’s easy to forget your water bottle, or just not feel like carrying it. However, a nice, refreshing drink of water can be priceless during a hike. Something so simple as a water bottle can make a hike vastly more enjoyable.
  • Camera – You can never tell when you might run across a good photo opportunity. I don’t do a good enough job of always carrying my camera, but I do try. Keep your eyes open and you will discover many great photos and make some great memories.
  • Sunscreen – If your trail keeps you in the sun, you might want to consider protecting yourself.
  • A Map – Even if you know where you’re going, it’s always a good idea to have some more information available. Just in case.

    • While there is plenty more that I could list, this is a good place to stop. This covers the basics for any hiking that is nearby. If you’re heading out into a larger area, there are more items that you might want to carry, for safety just-in-case-reasons.

    Enjoy your hike. And don’t forget, it’s just walking!

    Go Disc Golfing

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    This is the seventh post in the 10 Cheap Adventures That Anyone Can Have series.

    I remember when disc golf was something that people played at camp. They took a regular frisbee and “made” their own course. “Go to the right of this tree, to the left of the basketball goal, to the right of that split tree, and then hit the trash can. Let’s say it’s a par 3.” Then, a few years later, there were “disc golf discs” special baskets, and whole courses devoted to the game!

    How to Play

    The game itself is simple. The rules are exactly like regular golf, except with a disc and basket in place of a ball and hole. Start from the tee-box (concrete pad) and “drive” your disc. Continue throwing from each landing spot until you reach the basket. “Putt” your disc into the basket (normally a metal basket on a pole, with chains hanging down above it). Keep track of how many throws it takes you to reach the basket. See how you compare with par for the hole.

    What You Need

    All you need is a frisbee disc of some sort. Yes, a traditional disc will work, but it won’t be ideal. Special discs, like those by Innova do help. Those are what I use. I bought mine at a local sporting goods store for about $10 each (those in the link provided are a bit cheaper). I carry either two or three… a long distance (driver), a short distance (putter), and sometimes a mid-range. When I go to buy more, I will upgrade to one of the Innova Champion series. They feel much better, and the different plastic will last longer, even though they cost just a bit more.

    Now Go Play!

    The real advantage disc golf has over regular golf is that it so much cheaper. At least two of the parks near where I live have free disc golf courses, one just has to show up with their discs and begin playing. The initial equipment costs are far cheaper than clubs and balls, there are no green fees, and the courses seem to be more conveniently located (at least all of the ones I’ve played on are, since they’re located in county or city parks.)

    I keep my discs in my car, so that I can go play whenever the mood strikes. It’s just so convenient to have some free entertainment ready at a moment’s notice! Not only do I get to go play a favorite game for free, but I get to stroll through some beautiful parts of the park; through the woods, across the nicely mowed grass, and often all of this with friends as company.

    What are you waiting for? Even if you don’t have any discs, or don’t have a chance to buy them, chances are that you can borrow some from a friend for a game or two. So go find some adventure out on the disc golf course!

    (Footnote: The links above are affiliate links. Meaning that when you purchase something after following that link I get a small portion of the price paid. So go and buy lots and lots of discs, so that I can hurry up with the retiring thing!)

    Have a Picnic in the Park

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    This is the sixth post in the 10 Cheap Adventures That Anyone Can Have series.

    This is one of my favorite adventures, one that I go on as often as possible. It’s easy, quick, and adds a delightful new dimension to an everyday activity. As nice as they are, you don’t need any special equipment like a picnic basket, different plates or even a fancy checkered blanket.

    What You Do Need

    • Something to carry food in – You’ll need something to carry your picnic meal in. This can be as simple as a plastic or paper bag, a lunch box, a cooler… or even a picnic basket. I’ve used all of these, depending on the situation. Even though I now have a nice woven basket, I don’t always use it. Sometimes I need something smaller, or quicker, or a container that I won’t mind getting thrown away or torn up.
    • Something to put food on – Of course, you need something to eat on. Paper plates work just fine. When you’re packing your food, you can even divide it into portions for each person, and then everyone can eat out of the tupperware that you use to carry it. If you want to make it a bit fancier, you can carry your plates with you. Just pack them carefully (perhaps place a napkin between each one for protection) and you’ll be just fine.
    • Something to eat food with – Unless you’re eating only finger foods, you don’t need anything fancier than you use at home. Grab a couple of forks (and spoons, if you need them) from the kitchen drawer, and you’re ready to go!
    • Something to drink from – It’s easy, and tempting, to take bottled beverages with you, and that makes it not only easy to transport and drink from, but easy to clean up too! I frequently just grab the water bottles that my wife and I use on a daily basis and use them. If you don’t have bottled drinks that you want to use, or you want to share from one bottle, it’s a simple matter to grab some glasses from your cupboard. I wrap mine in napkins for safe carrying, and carry them along.
    • Something to eat and drink – Of course, all of these other things won’t do any good if you don’t have anything to use them with. So don’t forget something to eat and drink. It really doesn’t matter too much what you take: sandwiches, chips, and water or grilled chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, sugar-snap peas, and wine. While good food will make it more enjoyable, the best part is the location and the company.

      • So pack your gear, package your dinner, and head outside for a picnic! I just checked the weather, and tomorrow looks like it’s going to be nice. So I’ll be eating lunch in the park with my wife. Bon appétit!

    Search Out Local Art Galleries

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    This is the fifth post in the 10 Cheap Adventures That Anyone Can Have series.

    Part of the fun that I have whenever I check out a new part of town (or just a new town) is discovering what kind of art galleries are available. It’s so exciting to see what local artists and craftsmen are creating. As an artist, I can not only appreciate the work that I see, but I can also learn new techniques and gather new ideas for my own work.

    It’s very easy to overlook the little gallery tucked in between two larger stores. Or the one right beside a new restaurant. Many galleries seem to move fairly often, so what’s here today might not be there tomorrow… which only makes it even more fun to go hunting for them. The search always changes, continuing to provide new discoveries.

    Not only can you discover new galleries, but through them you can find new artists. In smaller galleries, you can often meet the artist themself. I find that being able to make that personal connection really helps me appreciate the art that much more. Not only can I discover the artists thoughts about the piece, but I can get to know them as a person, which helps me have even more of a connection with the piece.

    Have you taken the time to search out local art galleries? If not, you’re really missing out on a wonderful opportunity to discover some of the treasures of your hometown. If so, don’t forget that you can’t just visit once, because every visit will be different and you’ll find something new.

    Discover Downtown

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    This is the fourth post in the 10 Cheap Adventures That Anyone Can Have series.

    Just about every time I head downtown, I find something new. I don’t know if the shops keep changing, or if I just manage to overlook stores every time I walk by. Either way, there is always some new discovery just waiting to be made.

    Shops

    There are all kinds of different shops in our downtown area: from antiques to men’s clothiers (and women’s) to art galleries. Even though I never buy anything, I still enjoy taking a stroll to check out the shops and seeing what they have to offer. Not to mention the surprise of finding a new store to check out.

    Eateries

    There seem to be more places to get food than any other type of establishment. There’s always somewhere new to try, with a different flavor from its neighbors. I can tour the world’s food offerings, without leaving a 10 block area. If you get tired of eating the same old thing, it’s your own fault for not heading two doors down to try something different.

    Drinkeries

    Well, there might be more places to get a drink than there are to eat (but almost all of them serve something to eat, so they count in both categories). Even as someone who chooses not to imbibe, there are plenty of options so that I can always try something new. From coffee shops to bars, there are plenty of places to stop in and quench one’s thirst.

    Special Events

    These range from the weekly farmer’s market during the summer and fall to the annual celebrations that close off the streets in the evengings. It is easy to find out what is going on either on the city’s website or in the newspaper. Without doing that bit of research, you can run into a lot of foot traffic on the streets, or miss out on a great event!

    What does your downtown have to offer? Don’t miss out just because you don’t take the time to go exploring. It’s close enough that you can go any time, with enough offerings to keep you entertained. By the time you discover everything, it will have changed and you’ll get the pleasure of finding new treasures. Have fun exploring downtown!