Gabriel and Angela Laurencia started El Sol 13 years ago as a neighborhood bar after Gabriel retired from 30 years as a butcher. It started with the bar and a kitchen with one small stove and oven. Their reputation quickly spread and five years later they expanded into a restaurant with additional kitchen facilities and seating areas. Today it has grown from one to 12 employees.
Skiing on Long Island… is that even possible? Well, I was about to find out. After a little research, Wildwood State Park was the park of choice for this adventure. According to the Wildwood State Park description on the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation website, “Wildwood State Park comprises 600 acres of undeveloped hardwood forest terminating on the high bluff overlooking Long Island Sound.” At least it sounds picturesque. And we are in luck! Under Amenities and Activities, cross country skiing is on the list.
The only thing here that’s not about money is the menu: we ordered a burger, a garden burger, a huge combo platter of crispy, lightly battered onion rings, zucchini strips, and juicy mushrooms, and French fries served with delicious fresh ranch dressing, as well as two hand-dipped single scoop ice cream cones and got out for under $14… practically a steal!
Once recalling the old adage about the journey and not the destination, we slowed down and realized that there was a lot to take in along the way. The busy street of Paseo de Reforma runs diagonally through the city and as though the street were created with a variety of uses in mind (not merely a thoroughfare for vehicle traffic) it is lined with grand sculptures, unique installations, and historic plaques. The large installations were just too tempting for our son to avoid climbing on and when we paused, we found a ton of unique views to snap photographs of. The beautiful pedestrian-friendly streetscape was our salvation in what became a three and a half hour journey.
Known as “gypsy” chickens, thousands of these feral fowl roam freely throughout Key West and are protected by city ordinance. While chickens have always been a colorful part of Key West history, their numbers increased during the 1950s. That’s when thousands of Cubans fled a politically oppressive regime to come work in Key West’s booming cigar industry — and brought their own chickens with them.
