Guest Post: Shockingly Fun Girlfriend Getaway with Dorothy

by Dorothy Reinhold on April 5, 2013


Print This Post Print This Post Traveling with Dorothy from Shockingly Delicious

Dorothy says: While I’m on spring break (hint: aloha, baby!), my foodie pal Patti Londre has insisted you’d like to hear from her about traveling with me. Please humor her! (It’s all a little humiliating to me, but she assures me it will be fine. We shall see about that, missy.) 

Surfboard -- Aloha!

Hey there, readers of ShockD.  I’m Patti, the blogger at Worth The Whisk and Fearless Leader of Camp BlogawayI have some things to tell you about traveling with Dorothy. {She’s cringing right now, guaranteed.}

I’ve known Ms. ShockD about four years. We connected via LA’s food blogging community, thanks to our other co-getaway-er, Erika of In Erika’s Kitchen. We three seem to have formed an informal little travel troupe having hit the road together seven times, at last count:  3 to Camp Blogaway, Las Vegas as co-panelists at Blog World/New Media Expo, to the Idaho potato harvest (sadly sans Erika) and our last road trip to magical Carmel by the Sea.  We take these expeditions as bloggers, traveling journalists, foodies on assignment. Each of us post on our own blogs about our experiences.

But in this case, I am blogging for YOU on ShockD! If you EVER have the chance to travel with Dorothy, take it.

Girlfriend Getaways are one way we gals can just exhale. And talk. A lot. Three on a trip is the right number. I think four doesn’t allow everyone the chance to be in the conversation.  It’s a pleasure to hear Dorothy talk about her kids; she gets such a kick out of them. Her son, a high-energy ‘tween totally into surfing gives us a glimpse into how levelheaded her parenting skills are. As he dips his toe into the teen years, Dorothy can be on the receiving end of such all-time classics as “I HATE you and want to move away!” Dorothy: “Well, I would miss you a lot if you did.” (I can only compare this to my mom who typically responded with, “Go ahead.”)

Most recently, we hit the road in Erika’s van, exploring California’s glorious coastline to our destination, Carmel by the Sea.  Enroute, here are some Dorothyisms worth noting:

Dorothy and Patti at Pea Soup Andersen's on Shockingly Delicious Anderson’s Pea Soup – She was happy to eat lunch at 11 AM, my insistence.  I think it is a sin to drive past this joint without scarfing down a bowl of their killer pea soup.

Nail polish on Patti's hand on Shockingly DeliciousPink Trash and Treasures – throughout the getaway, Dorothy endured our shopping desires. She’s not a buyer (If you want a BUYER, shop with Erika!), but she appreciates looking. And she is very generous with compliments (“Oh, that looks FANTASTIC!”).  Good girl.

Madonna Inn – another of my must-do things, Dorothy went into the men’s room. Giggled. Have you been there?  I won’t spoil the surprise.

Wine and cheese plate at the Hofsas House on Shockingly DeliciousHofsas House – she accepted the first room offered, without thinking the other two rooms might be better.  Methinks it was the bottle of Ventana wine and the local cheeses that caught her eye. At sunset, she was the first to offer the goods from her room.

And when it came to MORE eating – Mundaka, Carmel Food Tour, Fandango Restaurant, Jack’s at Portola Hotel and Spa in Monterey – she shares. We eat off each others’ plates like civilized foodies. She’s good folk.

And speaking again of eating. Jack in the Box. My insistence again. I had free coupons burning a hole in my pocket. Not a speck of snob in her, Dorothy was just fine with those free tacos.

Pink shoes in a tree on Shockingly DeliciousWith that all said, she cannot possibly be this perfect, right?  RIGHT.  Because she has no inflated ego (unlike me), she doesn’t think in advance about the fact that we take a lot of pictures OF EACH OTHER. Her official casual travel uniform includes this bright blue fleece jacket. Which I see in photos. On every trip. Which bugs me.  Erika will tell you I am a nut about that. Sorry, Dorothy.

Dorothy in her blue jacket on Shockingly DeliciousDorothy says: Oh great, now I’m going to have to burn that jacket! It’s my favorite jacket, and I love it, and (stamping my foot) I don’t care what Patti thinks about it. Well…at least I am wearing a different shirt in each photo! I might have on the same pair of pants, though. 😈 As you can tell, I am, and always have been, a fashion plate. I yam what I yam. Wait…what if I got that jacket in another color? Would that be acceptable? Readers, do you think I should retire this jacket, or can I still wear it?

{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }

Stacy April 6, 2013 at 9:10 am

Sounds like you all are having a fabulous time! As for the jacket, jackets are outerwear and no one expects a person to have a different jacket every day. Just slip it off for pictures. Problem solved.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold April 6, 2013 at 1:29 pm

Stacy,
Thank you for the validation, and solution! I just never remember to take it off, or else I don’t even see that someone is snapping my photo! I guess there are bigger problems in life, eh?

Reply

Stacy April 7, 2013 at 4:17 am

Definitely a small matter, as a girlfriend of mine says to most things. 🙂 Just enjoy that trip!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold April 7, 2013 at 12:07 pm

Stacy,
You (and your girlfriend) are wise.

Reply

Elizabeth April 5, 2013 at 8:15 am

You have Dorothy pegged. The few times I’ve engaged her have been delightful and leave only craving for more. Dorothy, you the bomb!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold April 6, 2013 at 1:30 pm

Elizabeth,
You must engage me more!

Reply

Connie Kaiser April 5, 2013 at 8:07 am

I think now you HAVE to wear it in EVERY photo. Even formal ones.

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Dorothy Reinhold April 6, 2013 at 1:31 pm

Connie,
You know me too well. I am going to wear it in every dang photo from here one out. To the beach, to the charity benefit, on a hike, on a farm tour. Blue goes with everything.

Reply

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