November 11, 2016 - Veteran's Day, Places Honoring Vets AND Route 66 Birthday

Elisa's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTING IN: STILL DECIDING

Honoring American Veterans 

A big HAPPY VETERANS DAY to all the amazing men and women who have given so much to make our country safe and have been a voice for freedom around the world!!

Because veterans have been such an important part of world culture because of the good they have fought for and for their bravery and self-sacrifice, there are a few travel sights that I want to highlight.

​The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
​Arlington, VA

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (credit: libraryofcongress)

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located at Arlington National Cemetery.  It is located atop a hill overlooking Washington, D.C.

On March 4, 1921, Congress approved the burial of an unidentified American soldier from World War I in the plaza of the new Memorial Amphitheater.

It is so touching to see Tomb Guards at this sight. They come from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment "The Old Guard" - whih has served the U.S. since 1784.

​The Old Guard is the oldest active infantry unit in the military. They keep watch over the memorial every minute of every day, including when the cemetery is closed and in inclement weather.


​Normandy American Cemetery & Memorial
Normandy, France

Normandy American Cemetery (credit: American Battle Monuments Commission)

The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France is located in Colleville-sur-Mer, on the site of the temporary American St. Laurent Cemetery, established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944 as the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II.

Dedicated in 1956, the cemetery contains the graves of 9,387 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations.

On June 6, 2007, the Normandy Visitors Center opened. The $30 million visitor center was dedicated by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) during the commemoration of the 63rd Anniversary of D-Day.

Normandy cemetery has more than one million visitors per year.


Vietnam Veteran's Memorial
Washington, DC

Vietnam Veteran's Memorial (dc.about.com)

Honoring the men and women who served in the controversial Vietnam War, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial chronologically lists the names of more than 58,000 Americans who gave their lives in service to their country or who still remain missing.

The main part of the memorial, which was completed on November 13, 1982, is in Constitution Gardens adjacent to the National Mall, just northeast of the Lincoln Memorial.

The memorial is maintained by the U.S. National Park Service, and receives around 3 million visitors each year. The Memorial Wall was designed by American architect Maya Lin.

Today, is also a special day in travel...


Route 66 was officially established on November 11th, 1926.

Route 66 is often referred to as "America's Main Street."  

"It is the ultimate joy ride across the country. Taking motorists through vast expanses of nature's majesty and also straight through small towns and the heart of cities, it is a road with a personality that is all about adventure and discovery."
- RoadFood.com

Songs have even been written about this famous highway!  And in honor of this special birthday and with it being Foodie Friday, I'm going to invite you to ​take a look at some of the great roadside Eateries along Route 66, thanks to RoadFood.com

I so enjoyed this article!  And I wanted to share it with you.  CLICK HERE for the full feature.

Roadfood.com has put together a list of 21 food stops along this famed highway, many of which are right on Route 66 and others that are a short ways off. 

I'm going to list them, but I encourage you to get all the details from this article!!

1. Freddy’s Pizzeria, Cicero, IL
2. Green Gables, Hudson, IL
3. Cozy Dog, Springfield, IL
4. Hozak's, St. Louis, MO
5. Ted Drewes, St. Louis, MO
6. A Slice of Pie, Rolla, MO
7. Clanton's, Vinita, OK
8. White River Fish Market, Tulsa, OK
9. Rock Cafe, Stroud, OK
10. Leo's, Oklahoma City, OK
11. Sid's, El Reno, OK
12. Country Dove Tea Room, Elk City, OK
13. Arnold Burgers, Amarillo, TX
14. Frontier, Albuquerque, NM
15. Golden Crown Panadería, Albuquerque, NM
16. Joe & Aggie’s Cafe, Holbrook, NM
17. Indian Gardens Oak Creek Market, Sedona, AZ
18. Donut Man, Glendora, CA
19. Pie ‘N Burger, Pasadena, CA
20. Apple Pan, Los Angeles, CA
21.  Ramenya,  Los Angeles, CA

You can see from the above map, how all these restaurants follow along Route 66!! 
Making me want to plan a Route 66 Road Trip - what do you say Tanya??

Just a few facts about Route 66

(phactual.com)

* U.S. Route 66, also known as the Will Rogers Highway, the Main Street of America or the Mother Road, was one of the original highways within the U.S. Highway System.

* US 66 served as a major path for those who migrated west, especially during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, and the road supported the economies of the communities through which it passed.

* Route 66 crosses 8 states and 3 time zones.

* The states that the Mother Road runs through are: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. 

Well, I'm going to get out and enjoy the day!!
See ya back here tomorrow!!!

-E
xoxo

Tanya's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTING IN: 4 DAYS

Happy Veteran's Day

Good Day everyone and Happy Veteran's Day!

Can you believe that it is ALREADY Friday?!?!

WOWZERS did the week fly by or what!

Currently I'm writing to you from the kids all-day choir workshop, where I will be almost all-day...
I'll sneak out around mid-day to relieve Dave from work and we'll go "do lunch".

And speaking about Food on this Veteran's Day Foodie Friday, let's also recognize all of the Foodie and other freebies that are being offered to our Veterans.

Here's a list of national chains and restaurants offering freebies and deals:

Bob Evans: Free meal from a special menu available all day. Military ID required.

IHOP: Free red, white and blue pancakes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Little Caesars: Free Hot-N-Ready lunch combo from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Applebee's: Free meal from a special menu and get a $5 coupon that can be redeemed Nov. 12-27.

Red Lobster: Veterans, active duty military and reservists get a free appetizer or dessert with a valid military ID on November 10th and 11th.

LongHorn Steakhouse: Free appetizer or dessert, and veterans and their guests will receive 10% off their meal.

On the Border: Veterans and active service members get a free create your own combo with a choose two or choose three selection. Good for dine-in only and must have a vlid military ID or proof of military service.

Fazoli's: Veterans will receive a free "Build Your Own Pasta Bowl" on Nov. 11.

Chicken Salad Chick: Veterans get a free Original Chick meal, which includes a chicken salad scoop or sandwich, side, pickle and cookie, with a drink. No purchase necessary. Find locations here.

Baskin-Robbins: For every ice cream scoop sold in the U.S., the company will donate 11 cents to United Service Organizations.

Outback Steakhouse: Free Bloomin' Onion and a beverage. Outback also is offering active and former service members 15% off their meals and their families' Nov. 12 through Dec. 31.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews: All veterans and active duty military get a free Red’s Tavern Double Burger and bottomless steak fries at participating restaurants nationwide. Red Robin is also donating $10,000 to United Service Organizations.

Ruby Tuesday: Free appetizer up to $10.

Buffalo Wild Wings: Free small order of traditional or boneless wings with a side of fries.

Chipotle: From 3 p.m. to close, all U.S. military, military spouses and veterans get a buy one get one free burrito, bowl, salad or tacos.

Chili's: Free meal from a special menu.

Olive Garden: Veterans and active duty service members get a free entree.

Cracker Barrel: Free slice of Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Cake.

Denny's: From 5 a.m. to noon, active, inactive and retired military personnel get a free Build Your Own Grand Slam.

UFC GYM: Active duty and veteran military and their families will receive VIP status at more than 130 locations across the United States from Nov. 11 to Nov. 13. VIP members receive total gym access. 

Shoney's: Free all-American burger for veterans and active duty military service members at participating locations across the country. There is a limit of one per day per service member and is only available dine-in.

Great Clips: Veterans who go to Great Clips for a haircut on Nov. 11 will receive a coupon for a free hair cut valid through Dec. 31.

Golden Corral: Veterans get a free beverage and buffet meal from 5-9 p.m. Nov. 14.

American Family Care: American Family Care urgent care facilities will offer military veterans free flu shots on Veterans Day.

World of Beer: Free beer for all veterans and current service members with military I.D., VA card or proof of service, on Nov. 11 at participating locations. Guests in Ill., Mass., Md., Ohio, Ga., S.C., Ala., Texas, N.C., Va., and N.Y. will receive $5 off any food item due to state laws, World of Beer said in a statement.

Free movie tickets at iPic Theaters : On Nov. 11, all veterans and active duty military can get a free movie ticket by showing proof of service with U.S. uniform services I.D. or in uniform. Here's a list of locations here. 

Free entry to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio: Free admission with proof of I.D. to the Pro Football Hall of Fame courtesy of Goodyear. Active military, veterans and up to one guest will receive free admission to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Veterans Day and through the month of November.

World of Coca-Cola:  World of Coca-Cola offers free admission to military members (active duty, reserves and retirees) year-round, but Nov. 11 through Sunday, Nov. 13, members of the Armed Forces can purchase up to four half-price general admission tickets. Must have valid ID.

I don't drink Coca-Cola, but I have taken the kids to the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, GA way back in 2006 - and if I were home and had access to my pictures I would share one with you right about here...but since I don't, I'm gonna see if I posted one on my FaceBook page that could work..

Well I couldn't find one, but I did find one from the same trip that was taken at Stone Mountain where the International Peace Choir was performing and as eager as Cosette was to be up on stage, she still too young to be an Ambassador.

America Sings at Stone Mountain, Georgia (c)travelincousins.com

Now before I totally get off of the topic of food, I got a bit of a chuckle yesterday when I received this question on my Instagram page yesterday:
"Do you eat out everyday?"
and my reply
"Not every day, but since I travel a whole lot, so I happily get to try and eat at a ton of new restaurants (and old favorites) around the world. I also have a big heathy appetite - so I order lots! And when I'm local and eating at home I still post excess photos from recent trips"

My Vegan Foodgasms Instagram Page (c)veganfoodgasms

On to our weekend plans:

Tomorrow - the kids will be performing at
Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center for the 
​Grand Opening of Muzeo Express: Holiday Model Trains - CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

The rest of the day will be filled with Cosette doing a horseback riding lesson and us attempting to continue with our holiday shopping!

Sunday - we are spending the day out on Catalina Island
This will be the kids first time & we're expecting it to be a blast!

Catalina Island (c)travelincousins.com

And before I go, let me also share a bit of SCOOP from yesterday:

As you know, we got the kids passports renewed. Whew.

I also pretty much managed to finish most of the Thanksgiving Menu - still need to add the desserts.

I took Cosette to visit Dream - but after a certain point the fees just became absolutely unmanageable :(

We did some shopping, which also included shopping for Christmas presents!!!

And I am well underway with packing for our next trip - as you should know, we are heading to Sedona & Scottsdale, Arizona.
So be sure to take a peek at Elisa's side as she gives you some scoop about the historic Route 66 - which I can say that I've travelled on quite a number of times!

In fact, one of my most memorable stops along the Old Route 66 was in 2014 at the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook Arizona. A location that is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places -

Wigwam motel in Holbrook, AZ (c)travelincousins.com

Alrighty, I've rambled long enough.
Have a fantastic weekend and I'll see you tomorrow,
​-T