Grimaldi’s Pizza

I stumbled upon a great pizza place for dinner, Grimaldi’s Pizza. It’s a NY style pizza place in this shopping center just a couple of blocks from the hotel. I ordered a small to take back to the hotel. It was rather expensive; at least that’s what I thought until they brought it out. The pizza was huge! I couldn’t believe it was a small. It could feed a small family! I got it with pepperoni, mushrooms and grilled red peppers and it was also delicious! For any fellow pizza lovers out there, the Traveling Hillbilly recommends.

A Storm’s a Coming!

After a beautiful sunny day, noticed some menacing dark clouds off in the distance. Was it possible it was going to storm? Y’all know how the Traveling Hillbilly loves a good thunderstorm. I doubted it truly was going to storm though because the other half of the sky was totally clear.

However, about an hour later I took the dogs out for a walk and was surprised to see it was raining. Not only was it raining, but there was lightening, and lots of it. Suddenly, there was a big crash of thunder. I was so excited. I totally expected Lucy Grace to run for cover and scurry back to the room. Loud noises tend to terrify her, but she stayed a brave little pup. We watched the lightening for a bit and then headed back to the room, a little damp from the rain. We then just listened to the great thunderstorm during the night. What an amazing sound, the crash of thunder and there’s something to be said for the smell of a fresh rain. Oh how I miss the occasional thunderstorm!

We've Arrived

We finally arrived at the Westin Kierland resort! Of course, the room is not ready when we arrive. What better time then to go to the store to pick up some supplies, and by supplies I of course mean wine!

We get back from the store and I have to carry Chadwick across the parking lot to avoid him burning his paws on the hot pavement! I'm about ready to pass out by the time we finally make it into the air conditioned lobby. And boy did the hounds make an entrance! Everyone had to come over and pet them and give them the attention and adoration they so often seek. I think they were actually disappointed when our room was finally ready.

We got unpacked and then I left the hounds to nap in their heavenly pet beds, while I made a loop around the lazy river.

The Traveling Hillbilly, 2 hounds and a Prius

I loaded up the car the night before so we'd be ready to head out early in the morning. Of course, we wound up leaving a little later than planned but got on the road shortly after 8am. We decided to take the Prius vs. the Jeep this time. It was a tough decision, because a road trip in the Jeep just makes the Traveling Hillbilly feel alive but The Prius has a nav system, a CD player and most importantly, air conditioning!

Chadwick of course, culled up on the floor in the back right away and started to nod off. Lucy Grace on the other, paced back and forth on the back seat for hours, occasionally sticking her snout in the front by leaning on the center consul, back paws balancing on the back seat. After 5 hours of this, I pulled my bag off the front sit and let her move up front. She immediately curled up and finally relaxed!

The highest outside temperature we got was 105 degrees, but I think that might be understated. It was quite toasty outside. We made a couple of stops along the way, so the dogs could stretch their legs, do their business and drink some water. Chadwick decided he didn't really care for the heat and would just plant himself in the dirt, refusing to budge. Of course my attention loving hounds did their best to get the most attention possible at every stop.

The most difficult challenge traveling with hounds is that every stop takes about 30 minutes! When you're in the car, for the most part they're fine. At least they can't ask, "are we there yet?"

Hitting the Road

I've asked myself recently what happened to that person who would throw the hounds in the back of the Jeep for a spontaneous road trip? Where oh where did that person go? Well someone kindly reminded me, that person is still there just waiting to burst out. So I decided to take a week off work and head off on a last minute trip. The Traveling Hillbilly is heading out tomorrow morning, hounds in tow, in the hopes of rediscovering the sheer joy of an old fashioned road trip. I hope you follow along.

In Memory of My Dear Friend Bruce

The Traveling Hillbilly recently lost a very dear friend. He was a kind and true friend and we will all miss him tremendously. So my dear sweet Bruce, this post is for you.

Bruce was an amazing individual who touched us all. He was a true and treasured friend and had a major impact on lives. You can tell just reading his facebook page, there were many qualities that made him special.

Here are just a handful of comments people have made about our dear friend Bruce….

I will always remember your ready smile and laugh!

I hope you realized in your short time you walked this earth how many lives you touched with your caring ways, sweet words and gentle disposition. We don't see many like you in our lifetime

Such a kind, gentle soul. Lucky to have known you.

Thank you for being who you were. You blessed all of us with your wit and charm.
I will never forget your sweet soul.


Rest easy sweet soul. I will never forget my fun times with you.

Bruce truly was a sweet soul and unique individual. I think one of the things that made Bruce such a great friend, was his ability to accept people as they are. He accepted us, warts and all. He was the kind of person you could talk to, about anything. He had that rare quality of being able to truly listen, without interrupting you. He never tried to top your story. He never tried to “fix things” for you. He would just listen, without judgment to whatever you needed to say. Whether you had something funny or sad to tell him, or if you just needed to vent. He was always there. He was someone we knew we could count on to be there anytime, for anything.

Everyone should be so lucky to have a Bruce in their life. He inspired us all with his kind nature. So I think the best way we can honor our dear friend Bruce, is to be a Bruce for someone else. Be a “go to friend, who will listen, love, respect and accept, others. Because as someone wisely posted on Facebook, “the world could use more Bruces.”

Bruce, I love you. I miss you. And yes my heart aches but I will always cherish our memories.

$10 Pasta Night Draws a Big Crowd

We were in town on business and someone suggested this great Italian place within walking distance of the hotel in downtown Miami. As we approached, we saw a huge crowd waiting outside. As we tried to squeeze our way inside and through the huge crowd standing inside as well, we almost said forget it. We were hungry and didn't want to wait. However, we figured if it was this busy it might be worth waiting for. The wait was going to be 30 minutes, so we went across the street and grabbed a drink. Many others were waiting inside the food market, where they were offering samples of the house wine while customers were waiting for their tables.
Once we were seated, we could see how huge the restaurant really is. It can accommodate a big crowd, with indoor and outdoor seating. The food was delicious and turns out Thursday is Pasta Night and all past dishes are only $10 a bowl! Everything we had was delicious. We started with calamari and a caprese salad. We’d never seen such huge tomatoes! While there many delicious options on the menu, we all opted for a pasta dish. The wine list is average and they were out of black Sambuca, one of the traveling hillbilly's favorite after dinner drinks. But all in all, we had a great time, left with completely full stomachs and were glad we took the time to wait!