Black Angus Steakhouse & Chevy’s Fresh mex Restaruant

Blank Angus Steak house is a chain restaurant in only about 6 states. It was started by a Rancher that wanted a good, fun place to go and eat with friends. We will say this place was impressive to walk in to, with the wood columns, second story and large bar area. The dining room has multiple levels and a wide range of seating. We were greeted at the front by the Hostess, (no not the Twinkie maker) and were sat in a booth.
We were promptly greeted by the waiter and then the search began as to what to order. The menu had plenty of choices; from seafood to prime rib. The waiter returned with our drinks and warm bread and we ordered. Forbes got the NY Strip and Webb got the Sirloin with grilled Shrimp. After several laughs and some bread our food came. Yay!
Forbes NY Strip was thin and too much fat and over cooked. The baked potato was good size and prepared correctly. Her forearms got a work out from cutting the fat off! Her salad was good.
Webb’s Sirloin was too rare (ordered it medium rare), but flavorful. The mashed potatoes were Real potatoes. The broccoli came with slivers of parmesan cheese, but half of the cheese was on the side of the plate, very sloppy. The shrimp was on a small bed of wild rice, which is odd since mashed potatoes also came with the plate. There was a small cup of butter that was in the center of the plate, which had spilled over and got onto everything on the plate. For someone who doesn’t use butter, that was disappointing.

Overall we would rate this place a 5 out of 10. The atmosphere was nice, waiter was good, but the food is everything. It wasn’t the worst we’ve had, but wasn’t the best either.

Chevy’s Fresh Mex

It has been about 6 years since we stepped foot into a Chevy’s and not that because of a poor experience but due to locations. Chevy’s is owned by a large corporate that has many other chains and we could tell from the second we stepped foot in the place, things were different.
At the entrance there were several other customers just standing around with no Host or wait staff to help seat them. After a several minutes a waiter came from the dining room to seat us. It was noon on a Friday and the place wasn’t even half filled (or half empty for you pessimist).
When the chips and salsa came to our table, we commented on the salsa, because it was black. The waiter said it was grilled, Huh? Yeah, it tasted burn. It’s ok to have something different, as long as it tastes good, this however did not.
Forbes ordered Enchilada and a Tamale with rice and pinto beans. Webb ordered Mesquite-Grilled Chicken Tacos with black beans.
We noticed all the waiters had their own clothes on, no uniforms and one waitress was not dressed appropriately, unless she there was pole dancing at the bar or perhaps double as a piñata at a party later. We also noticed that the machine that makes the “home-made” flour tortillas wasn’t visible. Which we questioned, once we finally got some and tasted them, if they are still indeed made on-site.
Once our food arrived, we felt the presentation of the plates were horrible. Everything kind of ran into each other. Forbes cheese Tamale tasted like it was old for spoiled, the Enchilada was ok, but the pinto beans were more like chili and not good. The rice looks like it’s from a packet, there’s no need to put corn, pees and green peppers in the rice. Spanish rice is made with sautéed onions, rice and a quality tomato sauce, simmered to perfection. Boom!
Webb’s meal was less than desirable. Here is the menu description:
“It’s Taco Time! Two homemade, soft flour tortillas filled with grilled chicken, crisp lettuce, pico de gallo, chipotle aioli and cotija cheese”
However, what is served is two small tacos, basically salad with chopped up chicken, very little sauce and tasted horrible. Only could eat half of one taco. The black beans were good and the Spanish rice, well you already read about that.
When Forbes went to the bathroom to inspect it, it was very small and very dirty. When she asked a waitress if they had another bathroom, the waitress replied, Why? WTH the correct answer is yes or no!

It took a long time to get our check and we reluctantly paid and left, only to have stomachaches later.

The Return

Hello and Good Day!

Sorry for the extended delay on new posts. We have been traveling and making plans for launching an new non-profit Foundation.

Hawaii was great, two weeks visiting with family and eating local foods can’t be beat.  

However, there was a fly in the soup, sort to speak. Webb ended up with pneumonia on the trip and had to spend a couple days in the hospital. At least he had a great view from his hospital room!

This is a coming out blog as well, hmm, let’s reword that since coming out has been taken over by the gay community. So, this is an informative blog. Webb has a lung/internal disease called Cystic Fibrosis. So he is prone to pneumonia, which happened to show up while in Hawaii.

Hence the start up of Forbes-Webb Foundation, a non-profit organization with a multitude of tasks to bring to light. For instance;

– Public Awareness about Cystic Fibrosis (CF), It’s not only a baby disease but an Adult disease as well.
– The people with CF are not contagious to you, but you could be to them and to other people with CF.
– Hospitals need to be made aware if the severity they face when entering an ER and proper protocol needs to be followed.
– We feel it’s very important that mandatory Sweat Testing (the test to find out if you have CF) to be given to all chronic Asthma patients. It’s been known for years that adults with asthma will suddenly become sick and be tested and confirmed to have CF.
– Being an Advocate for those CF patients that are not getting the best care possible, due to lack of Doctor knowledge or insurance issues.
– Finding out why insurance companies require thousands of dollars from a dying patient before they will approve a transplant.

The above are just some of the many things we will do to help people with CF live the best quality of life possible.

A web-site will be set up soon for others to join our fight and help spread the word. For now, if you have questions feel free to email us here and we will certainly do our best to answer any questions.

And now, back to talking about food, travel and customer service.

Next up, we will be making home made spring rolls. NOM!

LA Trip, Day 6 & 7, the final strreetttcch

On the road…oh you get it. We busted out of Dodge, actually Abilene, and headed west, yet again. It’s a great day, no storms and we’re just heading into the wind. We felt like Leo and Kate on the Titanic.

  (whoa, not that one)  (ya, we felt like this)

We traveled all of two hours to Midland Texas, home of George W. Bush.   

Let us just say, this town is pretty big and got paper (money). That’s not a bad thing, for all you Bush haters. We drove into town looking for something authentic to eat, after the mess at Two Senorita’s…drive heave. We wanted something real. We noticed this one place, La Mission Restaurant, with the parking lot over flowing with vehicles, 90% of them being pickup trucks. So we pulled in.
The exterior was painted nice, like an old Spanish Mission.

 

We went in and the place was huge, complete with an upstairs for parties. 

The décor was very well done and we were greeted by the Hostess. Forbes immediately asked do you have carne asada, the Latino hostess smiled and of course we do. Webb then asked, who is the owner? The hostess replied, “Martinez”. We said, “we’ll stay”!
They have a small buffet, mostly for tacos. But we ordered from the menu. This is the sad part, we were so excited and hungry, we forgot to take pics of the food .  But let’s just say, our plates were clean when we finished eating. Nom Nom!
Upon exiting, we came across this little beauty in the parking lot. What a sweet, gentle soul.

We set off from Midland all fueled up both in our tummies and in our car. No Tums needed. There is literally nothing else to see for hours of driving in Texas. This is one of the days we dread each time, because it’s such a boring ride and very long.  But we always get a little crazy and have fun somehow.

That being said, we hit Interstate 10 and then New Mexico. Wahoo!

Then we hit traffic, oh joy. They always seem to be doing road construction in New Mexico, which is ok sometimes, if the roads are nice. But what wasn’t nice is the confusing detour signs. Instead of staying on the I10, we followed the traffic to go onto I25. As we got further and further from the 10, we planned on taking the first exit and turning around. Here’s a teaching moment, sometimes life gives us detours, if we ignore them we may miss out on something special. So we embraced our detour and got off the first exit to find a hotel. We stayed at the Sleep Inn in Las Cruses, N.M.

      (sunset view from our room, nice right?)

The front desk clerk was very nice and was able to give us a great price, much less than what we would have paid if we stayed on the I10. She also recommended a restaurant just down the street called Lorenzo’s Italian. It’s very nice when the desk clerk of a hotel knows of a good place to eat, saves a lot of wasted time searching for something.

So, we headed off to dinner at Lorenzo’s.      It was very quaint; décor was very nice and felt warm and cozy.   Like this would make a great place to hang out with family and hey, isn’t that what Italians are about, family?    That’s a rhetorical question. We were greeted very properly and we could tell right off that the server was a professional. She knew her menu inside and out, was happy to be there and gave some nice suggestions on her favorites. Webb had chicken cataloni and Forbes had grilled chicken over pasta fettuccini. Both plates were over flowing with food, typical. We enjoyed our meals and had a great conversation with one of the owners, Mary. The murals on the walls were fantastic. We rolled out of there stuffed to the gills and headed back for a good night’s sleep.

Yawn, stretch and a scratch here and there. We’re off and running, back on I10 and with a few short hours we made it to Arizona, home of cactus’s or is it cacti?

We drove a little longer so that we can stay at a special Bed and Breakfast type place called Smelly and Paul’s. They had several guests staying, Jack, Lola, Lucy and Spencer, four friends we got to know very well. The local pizza they provided was great, along with the fresh pastries the next morning. Webb enjoyed taking a fast ride on their personal toy called the Genesis. We felt very safe there. When we tried to escape early to Starbucks we were locked in like Fort Knox. We shall return some time in the near future.

The final day of driving we were excited about our journey coming to an end. As we crossed the border to California  (we were so excited, the pic blurred!) we reflected back at all the faces we’ve seen, places we stopped at, and roads we’ve driven on. This has been one of the best trips we’ve taken across America and if you ever get the chance, we say experience it yourself and appreciate the land you live in.   (what do you see here)

Our next step is to help local businesses in Southern California to grow and prosper. If you know of a restaurant, hotel or business that could use a kick in the ass, let us know.

Follow us on Titter @forbesmeetswebb

LA Trip, Day 5 (day 2 in Texas)

“On The Road Again” by Willie Nelson, seemed appropriate to start out for this state.

One thing we love is real, authentic Mexican food, we are not too crazy about Tex-Mex that America have become accustomed too. So when we came to our lunch time and pulled off, we chose this place;
Two Senorita’s Mexican Restaurant 17279 Interstate 20 Frontage Rd, Canton, TX.
The parking lot wasn’t too full, but when we went in, it was kind of decorated nicely. Then we noticed all the Caucasian waitresses, we’re sorry “Servers”. Our server had the personality of a bowling ball. Perhaps she had a bad year. We asked who were the owners. She said, “Al Schmidt, for 20 years” (we should have run out then). When Forbes asked about the carne asada the waitress said “it’s hamburger, or ground beef”. Well, that is NOT carne asada. We ordered a #9 and #5, I guess it’s easier for the servers to remember a number than an actual dish name. The food came to our table minutes later, hmm that tells us it’s not homemade.

The beans were from a can, probably El Paso brand, the rice was from a box and the cheese was Cheese Wiz. We both had one bite of each from our plates and then called for our waitress, we were not going to eat this slop. She said, “fine, I tell the boss” and then took the plates to the kitchen. She came out two minutes later and said that the boss has taken care of the check. We offered to pay for our drinks, that we hardly touched, but she said no (with a zombie look) and then left to the kitchen again. We got up to leave and noticed every single server was gone, they had all gone into the kitchen, maybe to hide or something.      (this is real carne asada)
On the road again, just to get the heck out of here and never to return.
About forty minutes later we came to Dallas area. We stopped to get gas and we noticed all the trash behind and next to the gas station. Oddly, there were trash cans outside, but all were empty. Webb told Forbes how he has noticed a lot of trash on the sides of the highway as well. Not a pretty sight Texas, take Pride, clean up your state. This is not what America is about.

(wanted, trash crew. Apply to Texas)

We stopped for the night in Abilene Texas, as we did a year ago. Abilene seems to be the last affordable town heading west. If you try and go to Midland or even Odessa you will pay well over $100 for a Motel 6 and who wants to stay there! We called ahead and got reservations at the Quality Inn and Suites. They had a good price and nice place.  

day 5 has come to a close. Good night John Boy!

LA Trip, Day 4; the storm

We woke up in Monroe Louisiana with all the news and weather channels screaming about a large storm headed from Dallas Texas area and headed east. Well that’s just great, that is exactly where we are headed, to Texas. Although no one could pin point where it will hit and at what time or how severe it will be, just that it was large and gonna effect many states.     (The head of the storm)

So, we said a quick prayer to keep us safe and got ready. We got out onto the road around 8 am and the clouds were rolling in fast. We had one heck of a time fighting the wind, our gas mileage suffered too. Our plan was to drive until we feel it’s safe to and pull off when we don’t. If we could make Tyler Texas, that would be great, but anything is better than nothing.

We drove roughly three hours and then the dark clouds got darker, the wind got windier and it started to rain lightly…We’re not in Kansas anymore, ah we mean Louisiana. No, no we weren’t, that’s because we hit TEXAS, Yeehaw!

The first real town, we say real because when the cows outnumber the people, then there’s not too many places to eat or stay, so it was Marshall Tx. We used our cell phones to quickly check the rating of the hotels and prices. We picked two hotels to look at, one was the Quality Inn and Suites, which had all good ratings and the other was Comfort Suites. We drove up to the Quality Inn and then turned around and headed to the Comfort Suites. The Quality didn’t have the quality we were looking for at this time. We past a Baymount Inn, which was more money than Comfort and Quality, but by the looks of it, it’s had its day.

We pulled into the Comfort Suites parking lot and the place looked brand new, Score!  

They have professional landscaping, complete with flowers that run all the way up to the front entrance. We walked in and the place was spotless and decorated very nice, yup we picked a good one. We took a quick look at the pool and dining room while the manager helped another customer at the front desk. When it was our turn, the manager was very nice and helpful. Even though it was only 10:30am, she still allowed us to check in, we explained we were coming in for the day to get away from the storm. We got to our room and it was homey and large. The décor was very nice and we felt very relaxed after a few hours of stressful driving into a storm.

Then after we took in all the luggage Webb was hungry, so he walked the fifty yards or so to the Wendy’s and got a Baja Salad and a grilled chicken sandwich, both were great.

We checked on the storm and sure enough it was getting bigger, but most of it seemed to be headed north of us, but again they couldn’t pin point, how frustrating is that?

A couple hours later we decided to venture out to WalMart for some supplies (i.e. snacks and water). We drove into the town of Marshall and on one side was a large high school football stadium, looked like a college stadium. On the sign it read MARSHALL, we thought, was this the Marshall from the movie, We Are Marshall? No, just so you know, and so you don’t look like a fool for asking a local!

We got our “supplies” and headed to eat at the Golden Corral,     I mean when in Texas, do as Texans do and wrangle up some grub at the Corral. We grabbed our drinks and headed to the right side to find a seat, then Forbes stopped, turned around and headed to the left. Even though there were plenty of seats to the right. We found a seat and put our drinks down. Immediately Jack, our server came by to welcome us. Forbes had a very strange look on her face, almost like she was holding her breath too long and she was. Jack walks away and Webb says, “what’s wrong with you”? Forbes replied, “he looks like Mr. Clean”. Webb says, “and”? Forbes says, “Mr. Clean and The Jolly Green Giant freaks me out. Had a bad experience as a kid”. Never the less, we had our food, which was pretty good for a buffet.

Back at the hotel the storm came closer as the night grew darker. We said another quick prayer as we went to sleep.

The next morning the local news said the heavy part of the storm blew north of us and we got mostly wind. Our car was covered in dirt, but that we could handle.

That was the ends day four.

LA Trip, Third Day (We love that band)

After a crappy night’s sleep(less) in Oxford at Comfort Suites, run by GM Theresa, we headed out for a 6 hour tour of Interstate 20 West.

Our travels along the Alabama roads were bumpy due to potholes. We past a large white factory on the left side, it was the Mercedes factory. And further down the road we came to Mississippi.

And here’s where the whopper part comes in (see day 2), we stopped at Burger King, at roughly 11:00 am or so we thought…oooowwwweeeeooooo! We entered the empty dining room of the Burger King. Two employees stared us down as we looked at the menu and then it happened. They asked, “can we help you?” We said, “We want a burger”. The confusing look on the employees told us something was wrong, very wrong. The cashier replied, we don’t serve lunch until 11:00am. Suddenly Forbes & Webb realized they had lost an hour, as their phones said 11am, but it was really 10 am. We quickly exited the building, got back in the car and noticed several other restaurants not opened. What had happened here, where did we lose an hour? With a call to Cat to ask, had we had been abducted and probed somewhere in Alabama? Dun Dun Daaa! She confirmed, no you weren’t probed, you past the time zone yesterday coming into Alabama. Oh!

So we hopped, skipped and bounced our way across the roads in Mississippi (they really need to improve their roads). We finally stopped for something to eat at, we’re embarrassed to say, but at a gas station. Hey desperate times call for desperate measures. Not wanting to venture too far off the road for a real restaurant, we took a chance at a Country something, something restaurant just before Jackson MS. Forbes wanted a salad, but they didn’t offer a side salad, yet they had a salad bar. Oh the logic here in Mississippi! JK. The food was exactly what we would expect from this type of joint and we would pay for it later (if you know what we mean). Webb had to run out of the place because they allow smoking (get a grip people). Forbes held her breath as she paid and we got the hell out of there.

Onward! We crossed the mighty Mississippi River and said goodbye to yet another state.  (not such a good pic, but ya cant stop on the bridge, hello)

Hello Louisiana.

Home of New Orleans, crawfish and Cajun talk:

peeshnick—————–to thump something with your finger

fuh shore, for true————that’s the truth

go play; go to bed————I don’t believe you!

rodee’——————to run the roads and never stay home

pirogue————————small boat like a canoe

Just prior to stopping for the night, we paid a little visit to the Days Inn Monroe, 5650 Frontage Road, Monroe, LA 71202. We stopped here last year, about this same time. We contacted the Wyndham Group prior to our leaving on this trip, to see if they would like for us to quietly report back to them about their hotels. After all, Days Inn and Super 8 have been rated some of the dirtiest hotels in the US. After a few emails from Christine Da Silva VP, Marketing Communications of Wyndham Hotel Group, which Days Inn is affiliated. Christine replied to our email: “Thanks so much for thinking of us but we already work with a variety of partners at this time.” 

And here’s the result of our findings. Upon pulling up to the hotel two employees were standing at the front door smoking, when we stopped the car near the front door, one employee ran inside. We went in, asked the price and we were quoted $76 for a double. We notice the tiny lobby area was just as we remembered it from the year before, old, smelly and tired, just like the rooms. We asked for our AAA discount and were quoted $68. We asked if any remodeling has been done and the desk clerk said “no”. Forbes said to Webb, “so it’s still a dump and $68, way too much for this place”. Politely the desk clerk said, “sir you should listen to you wife” and gave us a slight smile. We walked out, looked around the parking lot and hotel, noticed nothing had changed, even though we talked to the manager last year about how dirty and smelly the place was. This picture is the only thing worth taking, and yes the hotel is in the back of a Sam’s Club. Christine we sadly report your team is doing nothing to help the Wyndham cause for the customer. Shame!     (old tv, old comforters, old carpet and you can’t smell with a picture)

And our third night on the road comes to an end at the Comfort Suites, Martin Luther King Jr in Monroe, La. This place was under renovation, but you couldn’t tell, we had to ask. That’s a good thing, just because a hotel is renovating, doesn’t mean you have to see it, especially after work hours. We were offered one of the already renovated rooms. The front desk clerk was very helpful, friendly and even though there were many guests checking in, she handled it with no problems.

Our room was very spacious, although we didn’t care for the busy carpet.  

The bed was soft and comfortable. The bathroom was nicely done and spacious. But the best part was the place was so quiet. With all those guests, you would think you could hear something, but nope, very nice and quiet as we drifted off to slleee

Shhh!

(whispering) Wait for day four, it’s a crazy storm of a story…no literally wait to you hear about the storm.

follow us on Twitter @forbesmeetswebb

LA Trip, second day of traveling the US

LA Trip, second day 

It’s all about the timing; the timing for missing morning traffic, especially in Atlanta. That is one thing we decided early on to do, is to take our time with this trip and not rush out the door first thing.
Eleven am and we finished packing the car with our nightly bagssss, you know how women need ALL their shoes when traveling!
So many bags that Webb pulled a muscle; not the good kinda muscle either. Navigating through the city of Atlanta was pretty easy, straight through the heart of the city on the 20. Forbes handled it with ease. Webb only had to close his eyes twice this time, ha just kidding.

Our first meal break was at Olive Garden in Douglasville Georgia.

It was the only real restaurant, not fast food, that we found. We’ve been to O.G. several times before in other states, so we gave it a shot. The parking sucked, had to walk all the way around the building to find the entrance, can ya tell how this meal is going to go? The place was packed, with a waiting line, so we sat at the bar. The décor was very nicely done. The bar top was a custom tile with plenty of room. We waited and waited, there was no one behind the bar. Finally the bartender showed up with one of her hands wrapped up from a previous work related accident, therefore she couldn’t keep up and had no help. Several more people sat at the bar as well.
Forbes ordered Penne Di Mare which was less than appetizing. Webb got the Chicken Toscano, O.G. version of teriyaki chicken we’re guessing. The salad was good and so was the cappuccino. We escaped from there after paying the $33 bill.

So we’re driving and driving, having lots of laughs, talking and then Bam…we mean AlaBama.

We cross over the border and said good bye to Georgia on my mind and say hello to Roll Tide Roll (we have no idea what that means, perhaps an inside joke). Next stop, Oxford Alabama.

We stopped here last year out of shear accident, but we liked how everything was new or being built. Which is an interesting story of why the town is up and coming. The Mayor Leon Smith, who is now in his 80’s, had a real vision for his town. To build it up so his people can have jobs. That’s exactly what he’s been doing. Good for you Mayor Smith. By the way, Oxford is right next to Talladega Motor speedway.

Our exit to Oxford takes us to hotel circle. There you will find a Fairfield Inn by Marriott, to which the employees couldn’t tell us if they had refrigerators in each room or not, odd.
The Holiday Inn Express, where they tried to price gouge us and made it clear that they cater to corporate clients. Which is fine cause the place looked run down, like the manager.
The Jameson Inn, which is a simple motel, no frills but pleasant.
Hilton Garden and Courtyard by Marriot who wanted way too much money for a little town like Oxford on an off season.
The Sleep Inn, where you get so little for so much.
We settled on the Comfort Suites, 125 Davis Loop, Oxford, AL.
We were welcomed by a very friendly Desk Clerk who gladly checked us in after we looked at the room first. Did you know you can request to look at the room before you pay?
After checking in we lugged all our bags in, it was roughly 3pm and the place was pretty empty. Sarah was next front desk person on duty and what a great story she has and what a great women. We talked to several other employees during our brief stay and they all seem to say that they are not appreciated, even though they work hard.

We stepped out for dinner, after driving around the little loop area and rejecting Fuji Japanese restaurant  that was owned by a Chinese couple and had all Caucasian workers. Side note, we find it hard to eat at a specialty place, such as Mexican or Japanese or Italian, if they are not owned or operated by that type of ethic group.
Then we found Lone Star Restaurant : when we walked in, it felt dark, but once the sun went down it was ok for dinner. The decor was in a Texas long horns with cowboy type stuff, but not overly done. Some ceiling tiles had water stains and the first booth we were offered had a huge rip in it. The booth tables are covered by tired table clothes, some had rips. Then came our server, Tara,  who was very friendly and was able to hang with our quirky style. She recommended the Spinach dip, it was homemade and a little different flare (they owned it) that’s good and came with homemade tortilla chips.
Tara knows the menu (which is very important) and has eaten here. Her recommendation was the ribeye.
We got Salad, which was fresh and served in a chilled plate (the way it should).
Webb got Bubba Burger, a bacon, cheese burger that was presented nicely and very good.
Forbes ordered the Sirloin. When it came it looked dry, but had plenty of flavor and moist and the baked potato was perfect.
We talked to the manager Chrissy, who seems to have a good handle on things there. Keep up the good work.

Night time came about and we were ready for a restful sleep, but what we got was restless sleep. The bathroom was all messed up, toilet ran, the toilet seat cover didn’t fit, the sink didn’t drain and the walls were paper thin. We thought we were back in Japan with their rice paper walls. The dude in the next room snored so loud it woke us up at midnight. Then he got a call on the hotel phone at 1am, we could hear the conversation. I guess the guy had been talked to by another front desk clerk about his noise prior to him snoring. The following morning when talking to the general manage, Theresa, who plays dumb very convincingly and not customer friendly at all, she could only offer this advice, “I’ve never heard anybody hearing noise from another room ever”. She offered nothing, no help. We suggest she get out of the customer service industry, perhaps concrete factory worker, where it’s cold and hard.
We wish the hard workers and Mayor much success and we wish the rest would get a grip.

Stay tuned in for Day 3, it’s a Whopper!

Follow us on Twitter: @forbesmeetswebb

LA trip, day uno (one).

Captains Log.
Star date: the day of Saturn, twenty sixth day of the first month of the new year, twenty thirteen.

Ouch, I just got smacked in the back of my head and was told to write normal! So, here’s the boring way; Saturday. January 26, 2013. Blah

We hit the road precisely at 3pm, leaving Charleston South Carolina in our rear view mirror. However, we did not get very far, about 1 hour 20 minutes, as we pulled into Columbia SC for some eats.

Our first official stop was at Maurice’s BBQ. A home brand which was started in the 1950’s by Maurice and it’s still going strong. Side Note; only 20% of the business started in the 50’s are still in operation. So that’s saying something, especially for a restaurant.

That being said, here’s our break down on what we thought. The entry way is filled with old awards and old photos and then we wondered where are the awards from recent years? The place seems pretty large, although has a funky layout with different sections. They have a counter to order, which the cashier is eager to take your order. The menu is pretty large, but somewhat confusing. They also had out a buffet, if you want to call it that. We took a pass on the buffet and just ordered the ¼ chicken and a brisket sandwich. The bbq sauce is mustard based, very Carolina like. It had a nice taste, not too overpowering, as mustard can be.

See Picture (sorry, Webb took a bite before we could snap a pic): 

Once we started eating we looked around the place, read up on the memorabilia of the old Maurice’s and talked to the staff. The kitchen looked clean for the most part, but the décor of the dining areas are tired and a little worn out. Kinda of like the buffet equipment. All the staff were friendly and enjoyed working there. Perhaps a good overhaul on the place could bring in more than just the few locals that frequent there. He hopes for many more years in business for Maurice’s BBQ.

I.E. Forbes still has yellow mustard fingernails.

Enough stuffing our faces, we have to hit the road. So, onto Atlanta Georgia we go.

With the sun going down and blinding us as we headed west, we stopped for some gas and something to get rid of gas…hmmm BBQ returns!
By 9pm the headlights are on and we’re ready to pull off for the night. We chose the La Quinta inn and Suites in Conyers GA (Forbes loves their pet policy), just outside of Atl. This place was just down the street from where they filmed Fast Furious 5, which Webb was lucky to be a part of. The hotel was beautiful on the outside and inside. The front desk staff was very helpful and nice. Al, the manager takes pride in training his employees correctly, customers come first. The lobby has live plants and a great view of the pool.
The King Suite was very large and spacious. With the desk and couch, you could hold your own meeting. The bed was very comfortable and had full sized pillows (what’s with the little pillows these days).

pulling up.     The entry

 (courtesy of La Quinta website)

We received two emails from the La Quinta thanking us for staying with them. We highly recommend this place if you’re in the area.

This is the end of Day 1. Please keep checking back as we will be adding each day of our trip.

also, follow us on Twitter; @forbesmeetswebb

Around the World luxury hotels, our personal best.

World Travel: traveling the World can be a wonderful and life changing experience. We suggest that if your travels are taking you to another Country, try renting a house/condo as opposed to a hotel. Getting to know the culture, people and food are priceless. Check out the best times to go, not always the best time is during the “tourist” seasons. In most cases, you will spend less by renting a house or condo than at a hotel and in some countries you get so much for your buck.

When traveling around the world, here are some of the luxury hotels we’ve personally stayed at and highly recommend in random order, however we love the Bali one best.

 Ubud Bungalow, Ubud Gianyar, Bali – Indonesia –

http://www.ubudbungalow.com/
Where to start? This is located in a magnificent spot, tranquil and calming. It has so many amazing qualities to mention, but we will say that it’s worth the trip. It’s become one of the fastest growing tourist areas and we know why. A great place to find yourself. If we’re still there, leave us be!

Here is the view from our bungalow:

.  and here is our Balinese family that took care of us and we miss.

 

 

 InterContinental ANA Tokyo Hotel –

http://www.hotel-rn.com/hw/a126669/index.htm
Welcome to Tokyo, this is a fantastic place to visit and get the real treatment of Japan. Very close to it ALL.

 Pan Pacifica BC Canada –

http://panpacificvancouver.com
It’s everything you want in a luxury hotel. You will get some good exercise because there is so much to do there. The interior views are breath taking.

 THE RITZ-CARLTON, KAPALUA, Maui,

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/KapaluaMaui/Default.htm
Rated one of the best in the whole wide wicked World. The views, are you kidding me, like painted from the hand of God. The service and food makes you feel like Royalty.

 China Hotel, A Marriott Hotel, Guangzhou –

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/canmc-china-hotel-a-marriott-hotel-guangzhou/
Huge, modern and clean. This place is close to great food.

 Jardin del Eden – Costa Rica –

http://www.anywherecostarica.com/destinations/tamarindo-costa-rica/hotels/hotel-jardin-del-eden
The stay here was very welcoming and we were treated like part of the family. We hope you have the same amazing service and charm we experienced. Steps from the beach and ahh.

 The Reef Hotel, Playa del Carmen, Mexico

http://www.reefplayacarresort.com/

Located right on the beach, the resort grounds are picturesque with lush tropical landscaping intertwined with walking paths that are kept clean and clear of any debris. There are always friendly staff members. Our room was immaculate, the bed was very comfortable. There is a poolside bar if you aren’t in the mood for getting wet. There were activities and entertainment right on the resort so that you really didn’t need to go outside of the resort. We ate at the resort’s Italian restaurant one evening, which is by reservation only, and found the food to be very good. Thank you Cat for sharing this one. Hope you get back their soon.

Now for some of the greats in the USA:

 Napili Sunset, Lahaina, HI –

http://www.napilisunset.com/
Oh yeah, the sunsets are wonderful to take in. Prop your little beach chair in the sand and enjoy a pineapple, coconut something drink. If you have time stay there for at least two weeks.

 Adolphus Hotel, Dallas –

http://www.hoteladolphus.com/
Right in the center of Dallas. The hotel is vintage as it was started by Adolphus Busch, yes Busch the beer dude. The architecture is awesome and the rooms are very comfy. The food was ridiculously good. This is where I met baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr.

 Cannon Beach Newport, Cannon Beach, Oregon –

http://www.hallmarkinns.com/index.asp?property=1&rec_id=50&mnu=&gclid=CJzm8uXC9LQCFQSqnQodAxkAwg
This Hallmark Inn is by far the best they have to offer. Right on the beach and the birds often come up and say hello, we suggest wearing a robe at all times! Cannon beach itself is breath taking.

 Fog Catcher Inn Cambria CA –

http://fogcatcherinn.com/
When I think of the Fog Cather Inn, I think of the movie Arachnophobia. But it’s not about the movie, it’s about the quaint Inn. The fireplaces in some rooms and the brightness gives you the sense of calm and a great place to unwind.

 The Palazzo, Las Vegas –

http://www.palazzo.com/
The rooms are huge and decorated to the tee. This is Top Shelf baby.

 Edge Water Hotel in Seattle –

Home

Friendly staff, amazing views, the rooms are incredible, they are literally on the edge of the water. Makes for a wonderful getaway. Bring your fishing pole, rooms on the water literally let you fish right off the balcony, LOL.

  We were told that the Beatles stayed here, well what do ya know!

In just a few short days, we will be traveling across the USA for the 5th time in 12 months. We ask you check back here daily to read our reports, sure to please!

Also, follow us on Twitter @forbesmeetswebb

On the furry side, Forbes & Webb love Animals

Animals of all shapes, sizes, color and breed, we love them no matter their need. When it comes to animals we’ve come to care, we want to take a moment to share.

Pets are loyal, even when they do things that you think is bad, they will always hug and kiss you when you are sad.

Wow, the rhymes keep coming!

We’ve met some great animals in our time and we wanted to share a few that have been in our lives as well as some funny pics to put a smile on your face.

 “Redneck fox”    “Service here sucks” “Aaa yo, pretty ladies. check out my pecs”   

Here are some of the pets we have loved:

Meet Hana & Micka, two very special German Shepherd’s.

Here’s Eve, a funny Golden that is retriever to the core, checking out a friend.  

This is Cambridge, part wolf and part Shepherd, but all human!

And Freedom, a very active little guy that licks your face clean. 

Hello to TITAN, the joyful German Shepherd

It’s Sachi 

And the cute Baby, that plays with a rubber ducky 

Cain, the wonder horse

Wittle Wittle Tavie, looks like a kitten, but is 14 years old

Sweet blue girl, Athena, sitting so lady like!

Our friend Molly, so friendly  “Squirrel!”

From Bali, this family of monkeys by the road.

Best buds, Rondo and Athena 

Chaz & Arial sucking down a soda, not really, just making the sounds of it.

Jack, who lives up to his breed and then some. 

Hotels are becoming more pet friendly. Several chain hotels accept pets, like La Quinta Inn and at no additional charge at most locations. Even a few luxurious hotels are caring for your pets while you stay.
Check out this link to Forbes.com for pet friendly hotel.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2011/08/22/11-great-pet-friendly-hotels/

And an awesome kennel club in LA.
http://www.kennelclublax.com/about-us/

We’ve seen a couple restaurants that allow and even cater to dogs.

Some friends with their pets:

We know your time and resources sometimes can be short, but animal shelters will always accept donations of any size, like blankets, food, animal’s toys and time.

More Funny Animal pictures we’ve come across:

 BEFORE    AFTER Dude, you’re my best friend”

“humans embarrass me”

 “Darn popcorn”

 “Cats rule and dogs droll”

 “This hide-n-go seek is easy”

“oh, my nuts”

 “See, we’re the same. You’re just a little taller”

 

If you have a favorite furry friend, share with us.