Suzanne, Author at Adventures of Empty Nesters

San Francisco: My Birthday Dinner at Frances

June 20, 2016

My Birthday Dinner at Frances ~

Dinner at Frances was recommended to me quite a while ago when Craig and I attended an incredible wine dinner at Campton Place for Jordan Winery. Our tablemates were oenofiles and foodies with discerning tastes and strong opinions. I always like to ask these types of people where we should eat next. The soft-spoken and knowledgable gentleman sitting next to me said. “I eat at very special restaurants around the city at least four nights a week, many of them are quite fancy and expensive, but my favorite place to eat is Frances.”

This statement has been bobbing around in my brain for quite a while. Every time we have visited San Francisco, we have had another restaurant scheduled or it was a last-minute trip. Frances is not a “last minute” restaurant. It is more of a “you must plan in advance” reservation. They do save a few seats at the bar for walk ins, but otherwise a reserved seat is a necessity.

Between the Lines: Adventures of Empty Nesters

June 13, 2016

Between the Lines – This is my guest blog for the series and you can click on the Katherine’s Corner graphic ===> to check out the rest of the other bloggers.

Just when I thought I knew a large number of female bloggers, I was introduced to a whole new group! Katherine, from Katherine’sCorner.com invited me to be a part of a blog series written by some f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s women over 50. Age is just a number, but as we get older, not only do we get wiser, but we are more confident to offer our thoughts that come from years of experience. The best part is that everyone is unique and every woman has a fresh perspective on the world.

I was thrilled to participate with over 80 other women over the age of 50 – what an amazingly large and inspiring group!

Home Renovation Update – Almost finished!

March 24, 2020June 13, 2016

empty nest home renovation — No more construction fence! A brand new replica of the original leaded glass front window has been installed. Dumpsters should be gone soon. The design of the super cool driveway is a bit unique in that it is cut in a large brick pattern. The color of the concrete is called “Fawn” and was designed to be much the same color as the old concrete on the sidewalks. We wanted the house to be updated, but still blend in nicely with all of the other old homes on the street.There is still a lot to do on the outside, but we are thrilled with the results so far.

Saturday Morning Browsing: What is new on the web?

June 11, 2016

What’s New on the Web?

A few weeks have passed since I offered my What is new on the web feature. Between our home renovation and travel schedule, my time has not been my own. I squeeze in as much as I can each day, but there never seems to be enough time. Do you feel that way?

I started this Saturday morning post in order to highlight a few nuggets that I discovered on the internet. There is so much content to read and discover, my guess is that you can’t get to it all either.

Fun Times at TBEX in Minneapolis- The Future of Travel Media

June 7, 2016June 7, 2016

I have just returned from TBEX in Minneapolis – What is TBEX?

What is this thing with the fancy futuristic sounding title?

“TBEX is the largest conference and networking event for travel bloggers, online travel journalists, new media content creators, travel brands and industry professionals. Each year, TBEX partners with fantastic host destinations in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific to bring the travel industry’s most creative minds together to learn, network and do business.”

The first TBEX was held in 2009 after an email was sent to six friends
Since then, it has grown into the world’s largest travel community, with conferences held annually in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific
Each TBEX conference attracts 600-1000 delegates from around the world, making it the best opportunity for DMOs, travel brands, PR firms and their clients, to engage with the most influential travel bloggers and leading digital content creators

TBEX in Minneapolis ~

Seattle: A Mother/Daughter Road Trip to Lake Chelan

May 26, 2016May 26, 2016

A mother/daughter road trip to Lake Chelan ~

We began our road trip on a beautiful, sunny day in Seattle. Yes, seriously it was sunny! My Seattleite daughter and I wanted to squeeze in one last adventure before our move back to California.

My husband and I had been living in Seattle for 8 months while our 1937 fixer upper in Pasadena, CA was being renovated. We chose to live in downtown Seattle so we could live closer to our daughter Alex and experience the “city” way of life. We loved it.

Come Join Us on Instagram in Midlife

July 14, 2016May 23, 2016

Instagram in Midlife and every life ~

It has been months and months since I wrote about Instagram in Midlife. Finally, I see that many more people of my generation are embracing this social media platform.

I am thrilled to welcome my friends from Facebook as they join “IG” or “Insta” for short. Facebook is so 2015… Instagram is simple, no politics and it is perfect for all generations. No one cares how old you are, they just want to look at your photos.

I absolutely love the creativity and fun Instagram brings. I hope to encourage those of you who have not yet joined who are taking photos on your smart phone. With the IG app on your phone, it is a snap to share a photo.

Because really… If I don’t take a photo did it really happen? Ha!

New York City: Singing the Praises of Salvation Taco

May 19, 2016

Salvation Taco ~

Meg, my bi-coastal bestie, is my New York City restaurant secret source. Her latest suggestion was to go to Salvation Taco, which was created by Single Michelin Star chef, April Bloomfield and her partner Ken Friedman who was recently awarded the JBFA Award for Best Restauranteur. Just last night Meg said “You and Craig would love Salvation Taco. The food is fabulous and the views from the rooftop bar are amazing! My dear friend knows what we like and it was just as she suggested! Only three blocks from our hotel, we strolled over to have a casual, tasty, taco lunch.

As a fan of clever design, I especially liked the colorful atmosphere and kitchy Mexican vibe. Located in the Murray Hill area of Manhattan, the restaurant is only about a year old, we had a a really great meal and the service was outstanding. The design of the rooftop deck is something out of the movies. It honestly looks like a movie set, just beautiful.

Salvation Taco - Cheesy Empandas with tomatillo salsa — Cheesy Empandas with tomatillo salsa

13 Things To Do With Your Adult Kids

August 12, 2018May 16, 2016

fun things to do with your adult children

Fun things to do with your adult kids ~

Lately I have been receiving email requests for ideas for fun things to do with your adult kids. As our kids have gotten older and become adults, the family dynamics have changed and we seem to put more thought into what we will do as a foursome when our schedules allow us to all get together.

Saturday Browsing: News From the Web

May 14, 2016

News from the Web ~

Our moving from Seattle to Los Angeles has put a cramp on my ability to gather news from the web. We drove for two days and then we flew off to New York for a week, so life is especially busy and a little confusing. We are camped out at Craig’s mom’s house about 13 miles east of Pasadena, so we are still vagabonds for another few weeks. The fixer upper home we are renovating is almost finished. Can I get an Amen!