Day 17-the road to Hana

This vacation has featured a lot of driving. You'd think that being on an island would limit your carbon footprint, but since it's our holiday we're trying to catch a bit of everything to see (and snorkel). So today we drive the Road to Hana. If you're interested you can pick up a cd to listen to as you drive along, one that tells about hotspots and local info. We chose instead to follow along with our old guidebook, new map and eyes, stopping wherever our fancy took us.

Our conclusion was that the Road to Hana is pretty touristy. We got to dip into a few waterfalls, which was fun, but it was a lot of driving to get to Hana. The best part was the drive on the back road around the tip of the island through the lava fields standing in the jeep and feeling the breeze in our hair. There is always someplace beautiful to see on these islands, and Maui doesn't disappoint. If you don't have a lot of time to drive, skip the Road to Hana and go get another shaved ice while you watch the sunset.

Lobster Me

I was searching the food court at the San Francisco Centre for something interesting to eat when I spotted Lobster Me, a fast food lobster restaurant. Lobster Me serves Maine lobster in many different forms. And they are really fast! My lobster roll was ready in less than five minutes.

You can see the menu more clearly on the website,
but some items are not available in some locations

I'm from Connecticut, so I like my lobster roll with butter, not mayonnaise. The rolls are served with coleslaw and house-made chips. The platters at Jimmies of Savin Rock come with cole slaw and fries, but Jimmies is a little out of my trade area these days. Lobster ME provides the closest to an authentic experience as I'm going to get, and I will definitely  be returning. Besides, if I'm in Connecticut in the right season, I order the soft shell crab platter at Jimmies.

And for dessert, a scoop of Belgian Chocolate at Haagen-Dazs. This flavor is available only at Haagen-Dazs shops.

UPDATE:  Belgian Chocolate is now in stores as part of the Destination Series. If you don't see it, ask your shopkeeper.

Kitchen Table Bakers at the 2016 Fancy Food Show

If you've ever made Cheese Crackers at home, you know they can be delicious. Great for salads, Crudite platters, and whenever you're feeling snacky Cheese Crackers are a hit! Kitchen Table Bakers brand crackers are popular because they are Gluten free and have a good cheesy taste.

HAMO Fundraising Tea

Help A Mother Out is a wonderful organization that provides diapers to families in need. Diapers, which are so essential, are not provided by other agencies, governmental or private, that help the needy. In addition to other fundraising efforts, HAMO hosts a fundraising tea every year.

This year's tea was held at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in downtown San Francisco. We arrived at 10:00 to pick up our name tags, and were treated to bottomless mimosas, which continued to be poured during the tea, which began at 10:30. Afternoon tea makes an intriguing brunch.  Dan Kelly, Director of Planning of the San Francisco Human Services Agency, was presented with the Community Impact Award, and a video was shown, presenting three mothers whose lives were changed by the gift of diapers.

Seating was assigned, but the Eventbrite registration form asked who invited us, so Mel (remember Mel's Daily Cuppa?) and I, and our two guests, all sat together. The tables were set with a three-tier tea tray, with sandwiches, fruit and scones, so there were no growling stomachs waiting for the waiters to get to their table.

The program was emceed, as usual, by Kristen Sze of ABC News. She did something a little different this year: She held a live auction of a behind-the-scenes tour of her workplace, which raised $1,000 for HAMO.

Condiments were on the table. There were three sets of everything on the table, so no one had to resort to a "boardinghouse reach."

Close-up of the food

Close-up of the condiments

There was an assortment of teabags on the table. Waiters came around frequently to pour hot water.

And refill the mimosa pitchers when necessary.

The mimosas kept flowing throughout the tea

A generous assortment of desserts followed the savories. The whole service was generous. Despite the fact that our table included two men, there were a few sandwiches and desserts left over.

 

The format of this tea varies from year to year, but it is always elegant, and supports a good cause.

On my way to the bus after the tea, I was offered a t-shirt in return for having my picture taken with a pair of Beats by Dre headphones. They were draped around my neck, so they didn't have to be sanitized after each wearer, but it wasn't a very popular promotion. I checked their Facebook feed later and discovered that I appeared to be their only taker for the day.

#beatsbyDre