The Nomad Architect's Guide to Making The Best Omelette This Side of Bessieres

The French and The Incredible - Edible Egg

Ahh! the French. Western civilization would simply not be the same without the French. In addition to one of history's greatest military leaders,  the French have given us some of the greatest culinary creations ever to come from the fertile minds of simple country folk as well as the greatest chefs of Paris. One creation that ensures the French a special place in culinary history is the omelet - la omelette - l'aumelette. No matter how you spell it or pronounce it, nothing says French and nothing says paradisiaque like the concoction of eggs, oil, butter and other tasty stuff discovered by the great general in the small village of Bessieres in southern France. Marie Antoinette may have said "Let them eat cake", but Napoleon is the guy that ordered up a huge omelet to feed his hungry troops.

I have had omelets of every ilk in fine restaurants and greasy spoons from Atlanta to Avignon, but nothing can compare to the intensity, the ecstasy and the creativity of a great omelet prepared in your very own kitchen. Even if you don't now what you are doing, if you follow a few simple rules, you can impress everyone in your circle of influence with your creation of a food item made with one of God's most amazing creations - the simple, beautiful, elegant egg. Architects, engineers, painters, sculptors and designers of every persuasion have tried to create works that capture the pure natural essence of the egg with virtually no success. For instance, this small, petite little piece of nature from our barnyard friend, the poulete, can hold up to forty five pounds! Now that's engineering. And nutritionally, many call the egg the super

food because of its unique combination of protein, vitamins and minerals.

 

Trust Me Guys - You Can Do This

 

The real purpose of today's post is to help my fellow fellows shed their trepidation and boldly go where few guys ever go - THE KITCHEN. That's right. The omelet is one of those rare food preparations that any normal, red blooded man for any and all seasons can make. And, believe me, there is no better way to impress those you love than laying out this delicate concoction on a Saturday or Sunday morning while the real cooks, like my betrothed, offer only technical advice when asked.

 

This past Mothers Day, rather than take my Susie (aka Karen Sue) out for a meal, I decided to cook up my version of the French delight (which I am still trying to perfect) for  the mother of our two children who worship their mother as both a saint and a kick-ass southern cook. Of course, when they both called to wish her a happy Mother's Day (they live in Atlanta and DC), I could here the envy over the phone upon learning that I was preparing the specialty of the house for their mother . One unnamed source has been heard to say that my one and only daughter-in-law became obsessed with the very idea of omelets after having one of my creations not long ago. I am not bragging when I say it was worthy of said obsession.

 

And, by the way, you do not have to prepare this ultimate comfort food only at home. If you want to impress, find a place in your travels that has a small kitchen and, hopefully, an omelet pan. If not, go to a nearby market and purchase all the ingredients and then find a cheap omelet pan or prepare another version of this brunch delight, the dirty omelet (more on that later). All Nomad's love to eat in great restaurants, but nothing says "I Love You" quite like serving up this delicacy at your favorite little cabin in the dell. I still have vivid memories of enjoying this gastronomic delight at  a Natural Retreats eco-cabin in the Yorkshire Dales, UK. And under no circumstances must you allow your significant other to come anywhere near the sink when it's time to clean up.

 

Design Specifications For The Nomad Architect's New Millennium Omelet

The Rules - Like travel with nomads, cooking requires a road map.

• Do not allow ANY actual involvement of food preparation by your lover, friend and help mate.
• Make absolutely certain that said help mate is available at all times for technical advice, because, remember, you really do not know what you are doing.
• Be very organized. Approach this as a project requiring the management intensity of a NASA mission. I always approach it as though I am "designing" the food.
• Do not hurry. Like any activity of real importance, slow is better.
• And most critical. DO NOT COOK TOO FAST OR TOO HOT. That is the number one mantra of all cooks.

The Tools - You gotta have good equipment.

• 8 inch diameter stainless steel omelet pan. Non-stick is allowed for rookies only.
• Large (10-12 inch) sauteing pan for preparation of ingredients.
• Small whisk. A fork will work as well.
• Large, pliable spatula for flipping the omelet. I still have not mastered the art of "air flipping".
• Smaller spatula for stirring ingredients and lifting omelets during cooking.
• Medium or small individual bowls for the eggs for each omelet, unless you make a dirty omelet.
• Simple, sharp knife for cutting ingredients . I still use one we bought in Avignon.
• Cutting board for ingredients preparation.
• French Press Coffee Maker. This shows you have good taste and a sense of style.
• Water Kettle for coffee and tea. I use a very cool red travel kettle by BODUM when we are on the road.
• Baking sheet for bread.
• Bread basket. Remember you are serving to your BFF, so details count.
• Cheese Grater (optional).

The Food - Your stomach and your heart heart will thank you.
m
          Main Ingredients - Nature's bounty.

• Eggs. You will need three large eggs for each omelet.
• Meats and Seafood. The Nomad Architect New Millennium has Italian sausage and shrimp but, you're the boss, at least for today, so do your own thing. Other items might include bacon, ham, crab meat or go veggie if you like. Just make sure that everything is fresh.
• Veggies. This list is endless - tomatoes, asparagus, squash, spinach, bell pepper, mushrooms, ad infinitum.
• Scallions.These little veggie will take your omelet up another subtle notch.
• Cheese. It is preferable to grate it yourself, but, if not, pre-grated is fine. Sharp Cheddar is my favorite, but, again, it's your choice.

          Seasoning - Life must have spice.

• Milk - not required, but adds body to the eggs.
• Tabasco Sauce - also not required, but can give the omelet a little kick.
• Salt & Pepper - preferably Sea Salt and Whole Grinding Pepper.
• Olive Oil or Butter - there are two schools on this. I think the oil is better and its healthier.
• Butter and preserves of choice for bread.
• Lemon

         Bread - The omelet's best friend.

• Croissants, english muffins, toast - whatever suits you and yours fancy.

The Jazz - Food without music - it just ain't right!

• Turn off the TV and put on some Diana Krall, James Taylor, Norah Jones or The Lumineers.
• Rustle up some champagne and OJ for a few Mimosas. Bam!!

The Process - Just Do It!!

• Set the table. Do this first and get it out of the way. Again, with no help from the little lady.
• Make the Mimosas and put them in the fridge, if you are having any.
• Prepare the coffee and tea for pouring BEFORE you start cooking.
• Cut and butter any bread or english muffins you plan to serve and place on a baking sheet.
• Set oven to broil. I am assuming you are not going to make your own croissants. 

          These instructions are for a sausage and shrimp omelet. You can improvise with other

          ingredients as you see fit.

• Crack three eggs per omelet in a small bowl. Add about a teaspoon of salt and pepper, about a table spoon of milk and a dash of Tabasco. Whisk until completely mixed.
• Remove the sausage (about 4-6 inches per omelet)  from its casing, tear into bite sized chunks and place on a spare plate.
• Peel the shrimp (about 4-6 per omelet), wash and let dry in a colander or just lay out on some paper towel, then put in a medium size bowl, add a little lemon juice, salt and pepper and let sit for a few minutes.
• Cut all veggies (about a 1/2 cup for each omelet) and loosely mix in a medium size bowl. Add a little salt and pepper.
• Cut up about a teaspoon of scallions for each omelet.
• Grate a small handful of cheese for each omelet and place on a spare plate. Pre-grated cheese is allowed for  non-purists.

Now for the coupe de haute cuisine!

 

          This is where it can get a little tricky, because, in cooking, like life, timing is everything. 

          Remember, don't get in a hurry and use your multi-tasking skills to ensure a perfect outcome.

• Preheat the saute pan on low-medium heat and coat with olive oil. After a couple of minutes, pour in the sausage. After the sausage looks about 3/4 done, add the shrimp. Shrimp cooks fairly fast, so don't rush this.
• Start water heating for coffee and tea. When the water boils, pour in the tea cup and French Press. French Press coffee takes about four minutes to brew.
• Place the bread in the oven and take out in about 2-3 minutes, depending on your oven. Do not forget about it while you are cooking the omelet, lest you burn it!
• Preheat the omelet pan on low-medium heat and add olive oil. Make sure the sides and bottom are completely coated. And make sure that you do not over heat. An omelet needs time to cook.
• When the sausage and shrimp are nearing completion add ALL the veggies and stir . It should take about 3-4 minutes for the veggies to cook. Once this concoction is done, turn down to low heat and let simmer.
 
• Pour the first omelet eggs into the omelet pan. As the omelet begins to cook, lift up the egg with the small spatula at the sides and let the uncooked egg "slide" underneath. Continue this process until the bottom of the eggs are firm. Then - and this part takes experience to do well - flip or turn the egg over with the large spatula. One day I WILL develop the skill of "air flipping" as seen on The Food Network.
• As the eggs firm up, add the meat and veggie concoction - then add the cheese and half flip one side over the other. Let this cook for no more than about thirty seconds and transfer to the plate.
• Repeat this process for each omelet. Each one should take about three minutes to prepare.

 

Set the coffee, tea, bread and mimosas on the table, thank the Good Lord for the bounty and those around the table and dig in.

 

PLAN B - If you have a really large group or you are just a slacker, you can opt to make a "dirty" omelet. This involves simply sauteing all the ingredients in the large pan, pouring in all the eggs after mixing and seasoning and cooking until firm. Use the same flipping techniques and allow the eggs to firm up. One word of caution. Do NOT over stir. It makes the eggs less firm. Le Cordon Bleu will not be amused, but, if it feels nice, don't think twice. By the way, that is NOT me at left.


Happy Trails & Bon Appetit

D.L.. Stafford
thenomadARCHITECT

Travel Quote of The Week - "If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid the people, you might better stay home." James Michener

Video Artist of The Week - The Lumineers. With tunes like Ho Hey, great lyrics and a nod to tradition, this folk rock band from Denver makes you smile while you think.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vagabond Alert No. 12 - A Great Deal for Hungry Nomads Near Charleston

Low Country High Life For Budget Minded Culinarians

The Middleton Place Restaurant at Middleton Plantation, just fifteen minutes from Charleston, has a pretty sweet deal for people who take their gastronomy serious and need a little relief price wise. Through Restaurant.com you can get a couple of coupons to make a great meal less painful when you get the check. One coupon is $25 for $10 and the other is $50 for $25. The only fine print appears to be a minimum order of $37.50 for the $10 deal and $75 for the $50 deal. In the world of fine dining that's a pretty low threshold. If you want to read a few details about this great restaurant and the hotel located on the grounds of Middleton Plantation, check out my previous post Modern Meets Southern Vernacular at The Inn at Middleton Place. So - if you are in or near Charleston,this little restaurant will complete the evening in style for you and yours. Of course, if you want the Nomad Full Monty while you eat and sleep, I highly recommend the Inn as well. If that's not in the cards, I still recommend showing up a little early and enjoying the plantation and the Middleton Gardens, America's oldest landscaped gardens. The elegant landscaping, old buildings, water features and breathtaking vistas are worth an afternoon.

 

Bon Appetit in The Low Country

 

d.l. stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

 

Random Vagabond Alert No. 11 - The Lotus Beckons Again

Nothing Cures Beach Fever Like The World's Most Famous

 

We discovered the Lotus Boutique Inn & Suites last year in Ormond Beach, just north of Daytona, on a quick getaway in September. It is very hip, very small and very inexpensive. Perfect for Nomads with beach fever in search of a great place to kick back and still come home with some cash in their pockets. So we are heading out this morning for a little sun, sand and surf. Last year, it had just opened and hit all the right notes with us. Ocean front, great design, giant killer shower and a bed to die for. It even sports a nice little kitchenette for dining in. And its a mere fifty paces from the beach. Best of all, its a cool $159 per night and its almost May!

 

I will always have great memories of Daytona Beach from my childhood through high school with mom, dad and big brother. It was pure heaven. The beach is still just as beautiful and, with little hot spots like the Lotus, maybe The World's Most Famous Beach will one day regain its rank as a top spot for the discriminating beachcomber. As for now, I am amazed that this cool little place in the sun has held on to its unique combination of high design and low prices. And the service is second to none as well. If you want more details, just check out my post from last year - The World's Most Famous Beach & The Lotus - Sweet.

 

I'll check back in a few days to see how  the 2013 edition of this great little hotel is doing.  

 

Headin' South by Southeast from The Bunker

 

d.l. stafford

thenomadarchitect

VAGABOND ALERT NO. 10 - CREATIVE MUNCHIES IN A SMALL SOUTHERN TOWN

We Have To Keep Meeting Like This

 

For various reasons, we have been unable to take any extended trips of late. Funny how life gets in the way of big plans. However, don't ever underestimate the therapeutic value of the day trip. This past Saturday, as we were having our morning coffee, tea and McDonald's sausage biscuit in the bunker - even discriminating Nomads go off the reservation on occasion - we looked outside at the clear sunshine and nice, cool day and asked - What can we do on such a beautiful day here in God's country? Not long ago, Susie - an obsessive reader and crossword aficionado - read about a small, family owned, grass fed, free to run around and enjoy nature group of most happy cows which produce, according to their web site, the most delicate, delicious cheese this side of  the French Alps. So, we decided to take the roughly one hour trip to the south Georgia border town, just north of Tallahassee, to check out the appropriately named Sweet Grass Dairy.

 

After deciding on a destination for the day, we needed to find a place to eat. That's where the Nomad and the laptop come in. I studiously checked out the web for some places to eat without any particular expectations in Thomasville. Only thirty minutes north of the capital city, Thomasville was just a small town we used to go through on our way to Atlanta. Even though Sweet Grass serves lunch, I noticed a couple of other places that sounded interesting. After reading one particular restaurant menu that featured fried green tomatoes, hush puppies and shrimp & grits, I made an executive decision - Jonah's Fish & Grits it would be! One of the truly great things created by the world wide web is the ability of small, local hotels, restaurants and even cheese shops to get the word out to a wider clientele, and, ironically, to remain local and organic in the truest sense of the word. Maybe that think globally and act locally thing is more than just a marketing slogan. Yes my fellow Nomads, its not all Chic-fil-A's and Starbucks. Creative entrepreneurilism is alive and well.

 

As we headed to the big/little city, I placed a call to our beautiful daughter and asked if she wanted to join us for lunch. She did not hesitate. Like the good child we raised, she never turns down quality face time with mom and dad. What is it about eating together that brings out the best in those you love? 

 

Thomasville, We Hardly Knew You

 

As an architect, with an interest in urban design, I have witnessed the slow  disappearance of the small southern town as a viable economic entity. Thomasville appears to be the exception to that trend. I was very much impressed with the downtown area of this small, quintessential southern town. With a varied collection of small restaurants, retail shops and other specialty stores, this town center has maintained its historic character while fostering the growth of new, locally owned businesses. It all has an accretionary, natural quality that only happens when a community embraces the real experiences of true small town commerce for locals and visitors alike.

 

After parking, we made a beeline for Jonah's, gave the young lady our name and decided to wait outside for our daughter. After a few minutes, we were seated in this very busy, hip eatery. A simple former retail space, complete with white walls, 12 foot high ceilings, black vinyl floors, funky chandeliers and half of a small wood fishing skiff  hung unpretentiously from the ceiling, it featured an open view kitchen where all the good stuff gets created.  And the menu featured a veritable smorgasbord of good stuff. I settled on the shrimp and grits, Susie ordered the fish and chips and Lauren decided on the chicken/fried green tomato sandwich. We shared a nice little slice of New York cheese cake for dessert. The two women in my life spoke well of their choices and my  shrimp and grits were a 9.5. I am somewhat of a shrimp and grits expert. I have had this southern culinary creation from the low country of the Carolina's to the Texas panhandle, including some of the best ever made by my very own Sweet Magnolia, and Jonah's had the perfect combination of fresh shrimp, white cheese grits, a light sauce and roasted veggies, with a delicate hush puppy on the side. And of course, this was all accompanied by the southern nectar of the gods - sweet ice tea. Hot damn!

 

After bonding  over the great victuals at Jonah's, we headed around the corner to Sweet Grass Dairy. Finding a vast selection of cheeses from other like minded natural farms and cheese makers as well as Sweet Grass's own, we selected an organic goat cheese from Capriole of Greenville, Indiana and a mild tomme from Sweet Grass. Both proved to be outstanding and well worth the trip and the price. After Sweet Grass, we wandered into another organic establishment, Grassroots Coffee, and picked up a bag of organic home roasted coffee, served by a long bearded twenty something right out of 1967. Not your grandfather's Thomasville  anymore, this still small southern town is alive and kicking with a unique blend of old school  and new ideas for Nomads of every age to enjoy.

 

So, next time the weather is great and you just need to get away for the day, head on over to Thomasville, Georgia for a little mealtime R&R and pick up some of the best cheese around.

 

From Our Little Bunker in Dixie!

 

d.l. stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

 

 

RANDOM VAGABOND ALERT NO. 9 - A Very Cool Restaurant In The Most Unlikely Of Places

I Take Back Everything I Ever Said About Valdosta - Well Almost Everything

 

And the beat goes on. Several days ago, we had to make the thirty minute trip north to Valdosta, GA from the underground bunker here in North Florida for some needed car repair on a vintage automobile that shall remain nameless. I called and made the arrangements with the mechanic and said to my fellow life partner, nomad and very fine southern cook - Hey, why don't we have lunch in Valdosta at someplace other than a Chic-Fil-A or other road warrior haunt on the I-75 corridor? And she, never one to turn down an adventure, no matter how trivial, says sure. So I go on line and find a couple of local places that sound really interesting. This is Valdosta, Georgia after all. A town utterly defined by fast food joints, discount hotel chains and bad barbecue restaurants. Every tourist from Ohio, Michigan and Jersey stops in Valdosta for a little R&R on their way to the big prize - Disney or Universal.

So we drop the beast off for repairs and check out the restaurants on my cell. We land on a place we know nothing about except that it has a name that conjures up visions  of southern cool - Steel Magnolias. I check out the menu and turn to my betrothed and say - OK? She says - OK. And we are off to downtown Valdosta. When we get to Patterson Street, we see several other eateries and I, being the architectural critic of the family, make note of some really fine vintage buildings on this particular street. Nice brickwork, colorful awnings, a few minimalist storefronts here and there. Very un-Valdosty, if you catch my drift. We park on the street - for free. How weird is that? We walk up to the front door to the place and there on the chalk board is the following axiom:

Wine does not make you fat. It makes you lean against

walls, floors, chairs and funny people you don't know!

 

I turn to the Suse and say - I'm in. She rolls her eyes and says - OK! After thirty nine years, she so gets me. We walk into a very hip, minimalist southern chic space. Fifteen foot ceilings, exposed galvanized ducts, old painted ceiling boards, old wood floors, white washed walls replete with ancient relics and mirrors and a facing wall with a very southern print wallpaper render a space perfectly adorned for hungry Nomads. I notice a tray with French Press coffee makers for the dinner and dessert crowd. More evidence that we are not really in Valdosta anymore. We are seated by a very nice staff person and greeted by a nice young lady who appeared to be the owner. This would later be confirmed during our meal.

This Place Says Bon Appetite With A Nice Southern Accent
 

The website for Steel Magnolias proclaims "our food base is urban Southern, taking the roots of classic Southern cuisine and showing a new way of looking at them". Reading the menu, it is clear that these people take their culinary reputation seriously. After checking out the various delicacies on the menus in brown file folders, we place our order. My lovely gets the Oyster Po Boy with slaw, tomato and remoulade  and I order the Chicken Salad Wrap with mixed greens, tomato and cucumber. What happened next hooked me. The chicken wrap was just not to my liking. It wasn't bad - I just didn't like it. So, the owner walks by and asks- "How is everything". Without saying anything, she read my mind or my hesitancy to agree and asks - "You don't like it do you?". I said "Not really". She immediately says "Why don't you take another look at the menu and select something else".   After perusing the menu again, I selected the Grilled Chicken Sandwich with cabbage slaw, tomato and garlic aioli. After two bites - WOW! Great service with classic southern charm and even better food. I am now officially committed to this cool little eatery.

 

As we were finishing up, the owner came over a sat down for a brief chat between servicing other diners. Come to find out, she has been open since October 2011 and has many years in the restaurant business. In the short conversation, I also found out that she has the ONLY Steel Magnolias Restaurant in Georgia. There is nothing quite so impressive as an entrepreneur and restaurateur who is this passionate about serving food this good.  

 

So, fellow Nomads - put this intimate little eatery on your must stops for some cool R & R as you travel down the busiest interstate on earth from parts north or south. It's a short ten minutes from  Exit 16. You will have a great lunch or dinner at very reasonable  prices, run by people who really care about the quality of food they serve and the people that eat it.


From the Hinterland

d.l. stafford
thenomadARCHITECT

One Ocean Resort & Spa - A Simple Travelers Review

The Sounds Of The Beach Are The Perfect Elixir For The Post Winter Blues

A few days ago, I posted Random Vagabond Alert No. 8 about a planned trip to One Ocean Resort in Atlantic Beach, Florida. In that post, I talked about The Nomad Architect Florida Boutique   Hotel Theory that states - while there are great small boutique    hotels in the tourist infested Sunshine State, you have to diligently search and seek out those places. I mentioned the Lotus Inn & Suites in Ormond Beach which proves my theory without argument. It took some research and serendipity to find it and, once I found it, it lived up to all the criteria that would warrant a spot on The Nomad Architect Places To Sleep Before You Die List:
 

• It must be small - No large hotel    can possess the qualities that make a place special.
• It must have a strong sense of design - Design changes everything in my book.
• It must pay attention to detail - Mies said it - "God is in the details". 
• It must have great staff -  Without friendly & competent staff, a hotel is just a fancy Motel 6.
• It must take advantage of its locale - A great hotel enhances the environmental experience.
• It must have great food - Either on site or nearby, Nomads have to eat well.
• It must be clean and orderly - This one goes without saying, but, we all have our stories.
• It must have a killer shower and/or tub - Nomads need to wash off the day's dirt in style.
• It must have a bed to die for - Without a great place to lay your head, a hotel just isn't worthy.
• It must be reasonably priced - The holy grail is the great hotel on the cheap.

 

Now how, you may ask, does one come up with such a precise set of criteria to judge a hotel's standing on The List? To paraphrase the great Ed McMahon of The Tonight Show - The   answer to that question "has been kept in a hermetically sealed mayonnaise jar on Funk & Wagnall's Porch since noon today".

 

Having stated the criteria, it is time to objectively rate the One Ocean Resort & Spa of Atlantic Beach, Florida. Each "Must" gets 0 to 10 points.

 

• Size - 8 Points - At 193 rooms, One Ocean is not tiny but small enough to make the cut.
• Design - 8 Points - Good design, but a little over done with the trendy colors and sea shell wall sculptures. The motif is more corporate resort than cutting edge. In addition, because the hotel is in a renovated building, it suffers from some challenges that were difficult to overcome because of the original building. Access to the rooms is rather tedious, having to go down long public corridors and taking two elevators to get to your room. And the interior designer LOVES curtains! The room, however was very elegant, with very clean detailing and what appeared to be venetian plaster behind the bed.
• Detail - 8 Points - Pretty good. Why do architects obsess over this? Sorry. I would have replaced all of the old door hinges - but that's just me. And room doors need better closers and silencers, which would make the door close quietly. Picky, picky picky!
• Staff - 10 + Points - When you check in, apparently a "docent" is assigned to your room. And it is not just a word to One Ocean. When you need something, all you have to do is make a one button call to the front desk and - viola! I have never ordered coffee and tea at 7 AM and had it delivered to my room in less than four minutes. And it was great and hot. The best service I have ever had at a full service hotel.
• Locale - 10 Points - It's the beach. The balcony was large enough for two and allowed perfect views of the sunrise and ocean. If you go, make sure you get a corner room for the best view. And a higher floor would have been better. But third floor was fine.
• Food - 10 Points - We didn't eat at the hotel restaurant, but had two great meals at the North Beach Fish Camp Restaurant only a few steps away. Excellent seafood and a pretty mean shrimp and grits.
• Clean & Orderly - 8 Points - Room clean. Some of the public space  surfaces need some spiffing up. But, overall - very good.
• Shower - 9 Points - Shower was a bit small, more than likely due to the existing space, but, with two adjustable shower heads, this critical component was, if not a killer, a great place to get clean. The bath products were excellent as well.
• Bed - 10++ Points - They spared no expense on the bed. And the pillows, the comforter and the linens would have made any Sheik of Arabi feel right at home.
• Price - 7 Points - Here is where it gets a little tricky. I have noticed hotel costs rising substantially within the past year. More proof that our dollar is suffering due to the US Printing Press. One Ocean is not cheap. The room rate was a bit high, but, acceptable. Even the resort fee was tolerable, since it included the docent services, all the in room munchies, bottled water and goodies you could consume and all the coffee and tea you could drink. What was not tolerable was the mandatory valet parking fee. The idea of requiring someone to pay for parking valet services in a 193 room hotel with the parking lot literally a few steps away is absurd. And to rub salt in the wound, that fee doesn't show up until the final bill.

So - does the One Ocean prove the Florida Boutique Hotel Theory? I would answer with a qualified yes. I must admit, this Nomad and Nomadess are just not that into the whole resort thing. All that pampering and to do is just a bit much. For my money, The Lotus Inn in Ormond Beach beats One Ocean for half the price. So, next time you need some relief from the day to day or need a little beach time, One Ocean works, but I would drive a little further south to The Lotus.

 

From Our Little Underground Loft in The Hinterland

 

d.l.stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

Travel Quote of The Week -The three gret elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach - Henry Beston.

Video Artist of The Week - Maceo Parker brings blues, funk, Hammond B3 and big band sounds together for some serious music to wake you up. Hallelujah I Love Her So is worth a listen
 

 

 

 

RANDOM VAGABOND ALERT NO. 8 - An Oceanfront Cure for The Winter Blues? We'll See.

Spring Is Only Four Days Away - So What Are Winter Weary Nomads To Do?

Check out an award winning boutique resort and spa on old Jax Beach I found on line about a year ago, that's what. The room is booked, the docent has been advised of our needs - that's right a docent - and the weather has been confirmed. So to the beach we are going for our first 2013 Official US of A  Nomad Architect Road Trip to cure those  Man This Weather Sucks - I Just Wanna Go Somewhere - If I Don't Get Out of This Town I'm Gonna Scream - End of Winter Blues.

 

Generally, I am not too keen on resorts and spas, but my research tells me the One Ocean Resort in Atlantic Beach, Florida is worth a look. My last memory of Jax Beach was an insane New Year's Eve Party at the Holiday Inn On The Beach when I was in college. Probably not a good benchmark for travel advice. Due to a variety of commitments, we have been unable to travel of late and the wanderlust spirit has suffered  as a result. So, when we started talking about a quick getaway, I pulled up the web site for One Ocean  and - viola! 

 

This little trip is going to test my theory about Florida boutique hotels. Though few and far between, they are out there if you look. This past fall, we tested the theory with a visit to The Lotus Inn and Suites in Ormond Beach and - In a word - Brilliant! So, as we head out for our little getaway from the day to day, in addition to enjoying all that One Ocean has to offer, I will be taking copious notes to ensure that Aesthetic Vagabonds everywhere can be in the know on this Forbes Four Star boutique on old Jax Beach.

 

Stay Tuned - From The Underground Loft In God's Country Part B,

 

d.l. stafford

thenomadARCHITECT