Category: Announcement

Bourbon City Steam 2024

[2024 31-May through 02-June Louisville, Kentucky US]

Went to Louisville, KY for “River City Steam Expo 2024” which has been renamed for next year as “Bourbon City Steam 2025”.

Which is funny, because I was at “The Atlanta Steampunk Exposition” which was renamed “ConPossible Atlanta” in 2024. Met my new steampunk friends, Ophelia and Otto, and after ConPossible we decided to meetup at Bourbon City Steam in Louisville, KY.

As usual, the con has the requisite vendor room, con suite, seminars, etc. Here are random pictures of the con. I took a few more of Ophelia and Otto because I didn’t take a single pic of them at the prior con. Here are the some pictures from the con, click on the link or the pic below to see more:

Bourbon City Steam 2024

See you at the next Bourbon City Steam in Louisville, KY US in March of 2025!

San Antonio APR 17-20 2024

[2024 April 17-20 San Antonio, TX, US]

I received an email from Chart House that said they were having a four course dinner with “The Prisoner” wine pairing. It was from the DC Chart House – where I always visit my intrepid friends. However, I wanted to go somewhere else and looked up all Chart Houses there were and picked a location where I never have been. I always wanted to go to San Antonio but never made it thus far, so I charted a course there.

Stayed at the Omni La Mansión del Rio which was a super nice hotel. From there went to the “Tower of Americas” for the Char House Dinner and “The Prisoner” Wine Pairing event. The wine was great, the food was great, and the atmosphere was great!

The Alamo

Then made my obligatory visit to The Alamo. Actually, nothing is really left of the Alamo – it’s surrounded by the current modern city. The main building there is the only thing left and that isn’t “a correct rendition” of the remains. During the time period of the infamous battle, that building was already an abandoned ruin. The current building standing there was reconstructed after the battle from the ruins.

If you go into the museum, you can see a scale replica of the “fort”. And to call it a fort is a misnomer. It was a complete and utter ruin. Even with a fully armed proper regiment or two, it was an indefensible position – how they figured a group of a hundred rag tag hooligans can stave off an attack is incomprehensible.

History time: The Alamo was in Mexico, in Tejas. The intruders wanted their own country by taking it away from Mexico by force. They should have surrendered, but self-proclaimed “Lt. Colonel” William Barret Travis, the renegade commander of the so called “Texian Army”, figured he’d be executed by Mexico anyway since he clashed with them previously in an attempt take territory away from Mexico during the “Anahuac Disturbances”. So he decided to make his stand (as he would rather die in battle than a hangman’s loop), callously refused to surrender, basically signing death warrants for everyone in the fort – and it did: resulting in the the deaths of his entire force. Yeah, nothing to remember about that selfish ingrate.

Later, “Texas” became an independent republic from Mexico in 1836. The story gets a little weirder. During their brief “independent country” status, they opened an Embassy in London. I visited there and took a picture of the plaque back in 2017:

You can read about the Embassy on Atlas Obsura if you are so inclined.

Enough talk. Picture Time!

Click on the picture below (or the link below the picture) for all of the pictures from (a) the Chart House The Prisoner dinner event, (b) The Alamo, (c) downtown San Antonio river walk plus “river boat”, and (d) a bar/restaurant I was not expecting: Waxy O’Connor’s in San Antonio! Waxy’s is my favorite when I go to London so of course I went in had their fish & chips 🙂 The one in London is massive, if you ever visit or live around there, go visit: Waxy O’Connor’s in London. Again, click on the picture below to go to the San Antonio album:

San Antonio Riverwalk

Key West Food and Wine Fest JAN 2024

[23-JAN-2024 to 28-JAN-2024 Key West, FL US]

As always, went to the Key West Food and Wine Fest in January. I went to the first one and every one since then, except for 2021. This time around, the festival was lower key than usual – without the trolley tours on any wine crawls; however, I got to met my best friends of the weekend like every year.

I stayed at the Hilton “Casa Marina” hotel (which was previously known as the Waldorf Astoria). The hotel itself was grand as usual; however, the exterior facing the beach still has not been rebuilt from the hurricane several years back.

I only went to two events this time. One was a stroll through Fort West Martello Garden Club on Thursday. The last thing later than night was a light dinner and I sabered my first champagne ever. I thought I would goof, but it went okay; well, other than me looking totally surprised that I did it without a hitch 🙂

Skipped Friday and walked around Key West, mainly on Duvall Street. A bunch of places were out of business but it looked like a few new ones were under construction. On Saturday, had the Grand Tasting at Fort East Martello Museum. Click on link below for all of the pics.

See all the pictures by clicking on the picture or link below:


Key West Food and Wine Fest 2024

The Key West Food and Wine Fest is every year on the last weekend of January and you can get the information here. The program for each year is posted around October of each year at the Key West Food and Wine Fest official site.

(P.S. Went to visit the old La Concha Inn which used to be an IHG Crowne Plaza hotel with a Starbucks and a wine room “Wine-O”. Well, it’s all gone and Marriott took over, everything wiped clean, and it is sell under heavy renovation with daily noise and debris so DO NOT BOOK a room there yet – the reviews are atrocious!)

Thanksgiving in New Orleans 2023

[2023 – Nov 22 through 25: Thanksgiving in New Orleans, LA, US]

I was all ready to go to London, UK for the week of Thanksgiving. However, the volcano in Iceland was about to blow it’s top so I canceled the trip (since I did not want to get stuck in England if it did spew ash into the air).

So I thought I’d just stay in my abode; however, last minute, I decided I wanted (British) afternoon tea and turkey for Thanksgiving. I searched on “british afternoon tea and restaurant open for thanksgiving” and New Orleans popped up. Did some quick sleuthing and I booked Hotel Monteleone to stay, starting on Wednesday. The hotel, although French sounding, was as British as you can get. Had the typical British umbrella in the closet. The room had both ‘still’ and ‘sparking’ water (as opposed to typical US hotels, nothing), and to top it off they had “Gilchrist and Soames” (not imported from the UK, it was made in the US – bummer) ameneties in the lou. Plus the hotel definitely had British vibes to it, like the hallway with stairs jutting out randomly in the hallway.

Once there, I visited their rotating Carousel Bar that night. The bar on the first floor of the hotel just to the right side of the front desk area is very popular. It rotates. It is cool. Never knew about it until I literally was sitting at the bar. =snort=

On Thursday, I went to hit Jack Rose for Thanksgiving Dinner. Three course dinner with wine pairing. It was awesome. For desert, I had their signature Mile High Pie 🙂

Then on Friday afternoon, walked over to Le Salon for Afternoon Tea. It was great. Bottomless tea of course! Although I do have two minor issues: (a) they did not have Pimms! Oh well, I had some minty concoction instead, which was good. And, (b) the serving tray was only a double-decker! Must be three! It doesn’t have to be, but it would have been nice. But no matter, it was great. I had, Earl Grey, hot – of course. (Although I didn’t say “hot”.)

So here are all of the pictures I took in chronological order, just click on the picture or link below:


Thanksgiving in New Orleans 2023

San Diego Food and Wine Fest 2023

[2023-11-09 thru 2023-11-12, San-Diego, CA US]

San Diego Food and Wine Fest 2023 is one of the top 10 food and Wine Fests in the US. So I had to go and see, of course. Well, see, eat and wine away (as well as beer and liquor if you choose to do that to). The festival is all week long culminating in the Friday, Saturday, with bonus Saturday night after party at the House of Blues, and Sunday food and wine tastings.

I just did the weekend affair with the VIP tickets (you get to go in an hour early before the HUGE throngs of people fly into the area; plus VIPs get a VIP section with different food and better wine in the section.

FRIDAY – I was talking to the winemakers (usually owners, winemakers or reps) of this one winery where they said they only brought a few bottles of each for the VIP section. I said won’t you run out, and they said yes; however the wines are $500 per bottle. Okay, and yes their wine was exquisite.

SATURDAY – Unlike Friday night where the tasting was held inside, this was all outside. The venue was right at the bay so the view was great, the weather was warm without wind so it was another great day in San Diego.

I had a ticket for the Saturday night after party at the House of Blues but I was totally wiped out. (As in, walking all day sipping wine and eating great food – and no water, like I totally forget to drink water. That’s bad – I was utterly wiped out.) SO the pics are from the official hotel, the Hyatt, and I scored a corner room so that was magnificent in itself. Friday was Lyft to venue and light rail back; but Saturday, I just went downstairs and walked to/from the venue so it was awesome. Pictures are here:


San Diego Food and Wine Fest 2023

The San Diego Food and Wine Fest is every year in November and you can get the information here. The program for each year is posted three to six months before the event, but the exact schedule is not available until a few weeks to a month before the event: San Diego Food and Wine Fest official site.