tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126320222024-02-19T01:47:54.237-05:00CHANNEL SIXCarrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.comBlogger175125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-29593274035592987802013-10-09T20:26:00.001-04:002013-10-17T21:52:50.324-04:00Why are you always going back to Britain?
Birling Gap
So it's time for my semi-annual blog travel update. I just got back from two weeks in England, with a little bit of Belgium thrown in, and thought perhaps I would attempt to answer this question.
Back in my 20s, I set myself a goal of going to London before I was 30. A few weeks now into 34, I've been there six times, so I've ticked that goal off perhaps a few more times than Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-13519804122743961192013-06-26T19:59:00.000-04:002020-03-22T20:04:45.928-04:00My scone recipeI made scones the other day to bring into work, and had another request from a co-worker to share my scone recipe. Since I have it typed up nicely now, I thought I would share. This is adapted from Old Fashioned English Lavender Tea Scones and the result of many rounds of experimentation.
Carrie's Scone Recipe
Makes 16-18 scones
3 1/3 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-48473780214409167102012-10-15T22:11:00.000-04:002012-10-15T22:11:10.518-04:00My itinerary kicked ass, you guysSo in the way that I usually do things with this blog, after extensive neglect I am going to post again because I just got back from a big trip. This time, it was 19 days, and I traveled to Germany, where the usual crew and I shared a house, and also — and I'm sure this will come as a shock if you read this blog at all — England.
Okay, yeah, not so much a shock. But I realized something after Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-63954425735255257842011-10-26T21:20:00.004-04:002011-10-26T21:41:12.592-04:00Three five-mile testsLeft to right: Merrell Barefoot Contour Glove,Merrell Luxe Mid, Merrell Tetra Strap WaterproofSo I've had time to do some walking, but haven't managed to post about it, and I'm behind on five-mile tests.First up, in order of the photo if nothing else, was the Merrell Barefoot Contour Glove. I got these for hiking, because I wanted to see how it went with a minimalist shoe, and these, which have aCarrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-28985993814005593912011-10-09T14:29:00.000-04:002011-10-09T14:29:23.959-04:00Tips for Amtrak travelA Northeast Regional train car.My parents recently took their first trip by train, using Amtrak to get to a Canada/New England cruise that departed from Montreal and ended in Boston. And helping them prepare got me thinking about what I've learned over the years in taking the train.So here are 10 tips for enjoying Amtrak travel. These apply to short- and middle-distance trips (I ride the Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-16076925158137064502011-08-14T18:57:00.005-04:002011-08-14T23:20:59.451-04:005 mile test: Merrell Heather and Sundial dressMerrell Heathers and a bit of my Sundial dress.
In my last trip to Europe, I took a Patagonia convertible skirt/dress that did pretty well, with one glaring issue — it was cotton, therefore easily wrinkled, and if I'd have washed it, it would have taken ages to dry.
I spend a fair amount of time on Merrell.com, and while I was there, I ran across the Sundial dress, which I liked the looks of, as Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-54992643366315424562011-08-07T21:45:00.003-04:002011-08-07T22:14:16.092-04:00In which I try video suitcase reviewsSo I've been wanting to talk about suitcases for awhile, because, well, I'm mildly obsessed with them. But the more I started to think about the format for a review, the more I thought that pictures just weren't going to do it justice. And so here we have the first (and probably last) ever video review I've done:Details on the two newer suitcases:International Traveler IT-0-1 is listed as a 3.7 Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-85085930193127623902011-07-31T17:59:00.006-04:002011-08-14T23:16:31.140-04:005-mile test: Merrell Pace Glove, Pure Glove, and BassoonLovely Rock Creek Park, site of two of my walks.
It has been quite hot here in the Washington DC region, so I've mostly been on hiatus with distance walking. I had done a couple of five-mile tests awhile back, though, that I still haven't blogged about.
Merrell Bassoon
Bassoons (with my toenails blurred because they look terrible)
I wear the Bassoons to work all the time, and they feel fantastic.Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-85662276366776033202011-07-22T19:28:00.014-04:002011-07-23T14:10:54.841-04:00Self Merrell-cationThe worn tread under the big toe of my (formerly) beloved ViaSpiga boots shows evidence of years of over-pronating.I've mentioned my bad foot quite a bit on this blog, but I've never really explained how it came to be.That is partially because I don't really know how it came to be. I know the day it started — it was in February, 2010, the week we got two blizzards here in the DC area. I hadn't Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-76536702848564133942011-07-08T19:28:00.024-04:002011-07-08T21:19:41.989-04:00A tale of two palacesChateau VersaillesWhen I decided to put Paris in my itinerary, and began thinking of what I wanted to do there, it didn't take long to resolve to go to Versailles. I felt the need to see this grandest of palaces, like it was the thing to do.So on the Tuesday of my time in France (generally a no-no, as the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, and so everyone goes to Versailles, but that was just the way Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-46718259207406553262011-06-26T13:56:00.018-04:002011-07-02T15:49:21.231-04:00The one bag reportReady for packing. Note: I didn't take the netbook on the end table.Last year, I attempted to travel in Europe with one wheel-less carry-on bag. It didn't go so well. I was still convinced that light travel was the way to go, but I realized that I needed wheels to make it work for me. So I picked up a lightweight roller bag, and had been quite successful in using it in the United States for tripsCarrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-1905316351151200202011-06-26T09:49:00.001-04:002011-06-26T09:49:00.834-04:00Jane Austen's EnglandBath Abbey at night.After my negative reaction to France, I got to thinking about why it is that I'm always so happy when I'm traveling in England, when everywhere else in the world can be hit or miss. After all, Paris, Dublin, and New York — all major tourist cities — have never really clicked with me.And I started thinking that perhaps literature plays a large part. Two of my favorite novelistsCarrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-82768231228322873292011-06-20T20:32:00.006-04:002011-06-20T22:48:46.181-04:00Close your eyes and think of England('s spas)The Lush Spa country kitchen.There were a few factors that tempted me back to the United Kingdom again during this year's trip to Europe, but one of the strongest was English spas.I'm guessing that when most people think of spas, they think of Moroccan spas, or Turkish baths, or at least an outdoor massage table in some sort of tropical location where gauzy curtains billow in the breeze. But me, Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-83730017623567138662011-06-10T21:31:00.010-04:002011-06-12T21:22:26.212-04:0011th-hour barefoot (a shoe report)From left to right: Left-behind mesh shower shoes, Merrell Pure Gloves, Merrell Brios, and Merrell Waterpro Sables.I've had shoes on the brain lately, which is not an unusual thing for me. But it probably means it's time for me to post on the shoes I took on my trip.I ended up taking three pairs. If you do one-bag travel, this is generally a no-no. Normally, you can do pretty much any travel withCarrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-65238895745666852182011-06-10T19:52:00.014-04:002011-06-11T12:14:27.276-04:00And now for a place I likedSkiathos town had no shortage of quaint, cobblestone streets.Greece.Just that word in itself conjures images of crystal-clear water, romantic ruins, and maybe a nice slab of feta cheese. And all of those things were on Skiathos, but it was more than that.Lalaria Beach.As you'd expect, the water was this amazing clear blue near the shore, clearer and deeper and more vivid even than what I've seen Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-4119486462123401482011-06-06T21:07:00.013-04:002011-06-06T22:32:10.052-04:00Cluster FranceRequisite Eiffel Tower shot.This will be taking things a bit out of chronological order, but I don't think I can write about my trip for very long without getting this out of the way: I didn't really like France that much.It's not that the people were rude, which seems to be an unfair stereotype that Americans have about French people. Now, I might have stacked the deck in my favor by at least Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-70226602590639687442011-05-30T12:02:00.008-04:002011-05-30T23:44:23.000-04:00Five memorable momentsSo it's time for Channel Six to go all travel blog again, because I just got back from a 17-day trip to England, Greece, and France. I've got 3,000 photo and video files I'm currently sorting through, so for now, just a bit on my itinerary, and five moments that really stood out.A group of friends and I had a house in Skiathos, Greece, which is accessible by ferry and flights from Athens, but Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-55543255185861926112011-04-17T17:43:00.006-04:002011-04-17T18:10:39.961-04:005 mile test: Encore Breeze & Waterpro SableEncore BreezeI managed to get in two 5+ mile walks this weekend, despite abysmal weather on Saturday. First up was an after-work walk on Friday. Usually by the time Friday rolls around, unless I have plans, I'm so tired I just want to go home after work and veg out. But the weather just was too nice to do that, so I headed down to the mall and took a route around the Tidal Basin, down the Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-1740083069574200222011-04-10T17:00:00.010-04:002011-04-17T18:09:38.874-04:005 mile test: Merrell Apure + CambiaSo many kites flying at the Washington MonumentI thought I'd try something new with this blog and do more reviews. See, since my previously blogged about revelation that Merrell's Q-form technology REALLY helps my feet, I've been starting to walk longer and longer distances in various pairs of Merrells I've bought — up to 5 miles fairly comfortably, now. I did get those orthotics, but found thatCarrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-40835871515451355212011-01-15T11:15:00.003-05:002011-01-15T12:40:29.069-05:00The cult of MerrellThose of you who know my tendency to find a brand I love and stick with it will probably not be surprised that I have a new one: Merrell.I'm coming up on the one-year anniversary of when my right foot mysteriously swelled up, something which was never fully diagnosed, even after an MRI, CT, and visits to numerous podiatrists. Finally, after I saw a lymphedema and then a foot and ankle specialist Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-39597281843425107462010-12-02T22:11:00.005-05:002010-12-03T17:40:04.561-05:00ASPCA donation = surefire mail SPAMSo a year or two ago, I made a donation to the ASPCA. I love animals, so it was a logical thing to do. But oh boy, now I really wish I hadn't.See, the thing is, I like trees, too. And those guys not only send me at least one mailing a week — they've also obviously sold/given my name to other animal organizations, who also now send me mail spam.I wrote them and said I wasn't going to donate to Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-36490918741829327752010-11-14T16:00:00.001-05:002010-11-14T16:14:24.512-05:00The 10 Best Lobster Rolls of My Life (So Far)Yankee Lobster roll looks like a prototypical lobster roll, but it didn't make the list.Lobster rolls are a funny thing with me. The first time I had one, it was transcendendant. Fresh, tender, hot, buttery lobster — one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life.And for some reason, probably because that best-ever lobster roll was consumed in Bar Harbor, Maine, a locale that's not easy to getCarrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-63061387461312600962010-11-11T20:33:00.014-05:002010-11-11T22:02:52.590-05:00One-bagging it: Better with wheelsSo after my last trip to Europe, one thing I didn't write much about was my attempt at one-bag travel. Well, it was at least what I would call one-bag travel; some purists would say that since I had a carry-on and a personal item, that wasn't technically one-bagging it. Whatever. I was traveling light, and I didn't check any luggage going out on my long-haul flight.I got really excited about the Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-16032750805071318382010-10-31T20:11:00.009-04:002010-11-01T21:50:32.904-04:00So what was this rally about, anyway?Crowd at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or FearSo as the glut of photos that landed in my Flickr stream might indicate, I went to the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear on Saturday. Reading the post-rally coverage since has been sometimes amusing, and sometimes infuriating.The trouble is, no one really (still) can put their finger on exactly what the rally was about, except maybe the people whoCarrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12632022.post-17444179182532375922010-10-26T20:21:00.016-04:002010-10-26T23:14:42.291-04:00Underworld concert number 3: "We're old, but we're here"Giant Karl Hyde shadow.Back in my mid-20s, my hands-down number one musical goal was to see Underworld live. I'd seen video of their concerts, and the idea of a non-stop dance party to all of my favorite electronic songs was enormously appealing. I'll admit, I even thought about going to see them in Europe if they never made it back to the U.S. on tour, because there for awhile, they were pretty Carrie Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18162143659924555859noreply@blogger.com2