Vacations Blog

Easter is almost here, which means spring is just around the corner! There is so much to do in Cleveland, and Easter time is no exception. If you haven’t made your plans already, here are some suggestions. But don’t wait until the last minute, places that aren’t booked already will be soon.If you are looking for a fun outdoor family excursion, head to Lyndhurst to view the Manolio family’s egg-ceptional Eggland. This unique display is set up for just 10 days from Palm Sunday until just after Easter each year. The Manolio family has been decorating their lawn with thousands of painted egg shells since 1957, and the display includes cartoons, secular Easter bunnies, and religious images — all made from real, hand-painted eggshells. The 2008 display will be up from March 16^th through the 24^th. It’s fun and it’s free, so be sure to check it out!

If you are unable or not interested in cooking a big dinner at home (I, for one, am all about letting someone else to the cooking and cleaning), think about enjoying Easter dinner on the Lake. Head down to the Flats and out on the Nautica Queen for Easter brunch on March 23 from 1:00pm to 3:30pm. The Easter Bunny will be on-board to help in celebrating spring as it unfolds along the Cleveland shores.

Another option is attending an Easter Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues. The Stan Moore Gospel Ensemble will perform at both the 10:00am and 12:30pm brunches, and plenty of delicious Southern-style food will be available on the buffet. Lively, uplifting, fun, and tasty. Sounds like my kind of celebration!

Lastly, if you want to take the kids to a movie, Atlas Cinemas is showing Easter in Bunnyland at three of its Cleveland area locations. Two cinemas in Mentor and one in Euclid are showing this family favorite, and it may be in a theatre near you and not showing up in the bigger search. Be sure to look up your local movie listings if this outing interests you.

No matter what you do, be safe, have fun, and enjoy your day with your friends and/or family!

Easter is almost upon us! This time of year always brings up a wealth of childhood memories which flit about like gaily colored ribbons through my mind’s eye. I see the pink and yellow filling of my straw basket, smell freshly cut grass as I run across the lawn, am overcome with the mad excitement of being the first to find a hidden treasure. I can feel the cool smooth oval of an egg, right before I dip it into bubbling green and purple dyed water, balancing it precariously on the small round wire holder. And of course, I remember the heavenly taste of gooey milk chocolate!These pure and joyful reminiscences are part of what make Easter so special. So, if you are in Austin, Texas over Easter weekend and have little ones in your life, primed to create some memories of their own…then I can tell you where to go.

The one place you don’t want to miss is the Parks and Recreation Department’s Eggstravaganza, on Saturday, March 22^nd. It is held at House Park stadium ( 12^th and Lamar). Here, you can watch the kids run and squeal in delight as they participate in the Easter Egg hunt, taking place at 11am. There will be special “prize eggs” as well as carnival booths and a concession stand. If you don’t have your own basket, go by the Old Bakery and Emporium, on Congress Avenue to pick one out.

Another event not to be missed is the Austin Farmer’s Market in Republic Square Park on 4^th and Guadalupe.This is a terrific year-round market that will be having some fun Easter activities this weekend. There will be an Easter egg hunt for cascarones, some stuffed with locally made, Kakawa chocolate and others filled with “market bucks”, redeemable for fresh produce and other goodies. The Easter Bunny will make an appearance, of course, so bring your camera! In addition to all of this, local farm animals (used for their wool only) will be on hand for children to pet and learn from. There will be a lap-sitting Angora rabbit and two baby llamas. This is a fun family treat as kids are entertained and parents can shop for local area fruits and veggies, sip on organically grown coffee, and buy fresh spring flowers.

If you are looking for an Easter service, below is a list of some nice Austin churches:

St. Davids

Good Shepard

All Saint’s

University Christian

Here’s to a lovely Easter weekend and the creation of many more wonderful memories!

Please feel free to share any Easter memories that you have from your childhood.

In an effort to perform a little community service today, I am here to remind you that it is not too late to make reservations for Easter Brunch. In fact, if you have not checked the calendar lately, Easter is early this year – Sunday, March 23rd to be exact. Are you planning to be in San Francisco for Easter and looking for a nice place for brunch? Here are my suggestions (mostly family friendly, since that is what I know!):

Buffets scream “Easter Brunch” to me – if I don’t have piles of food to choose from, I might as well just be having breakfast. The best, IMHO, is at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, where they have been serving Easter Brunch since I was a little girl and would go with my visiting grandmother. I just checked and this year will be no different – the menu is four pages long! Anzu is also having a big buffet, including lots of fresh fish and my favorite, a chocolate fountain. For a little more San Francisco history, head over to the Cliff House, where they will be serving brunch in both their Sutro and Buffet Restaurants.

Some Easter brunches often include extra activities for the kiddies in your group. The Ritz in Half Moon Bay is offering brunches in both their restaurants, plus an Egg Hunt, face painting and petting zoo for children. And the Hyatt Regency at the Embarcadero Center offers a champagne brunch with special guest, the Easter Bunny!

Open Table has made it easy this year to find the perfect brunch option. A special list of participating restaurants shows a menu teaser, along with location and cost. Plus, you can make reservations right on-line. Nice.

Personally, this year I plan to stay home with the family, and after a mad dash to find easter eggs, I will whip up a classic Easter Brunch recipe of Eggs Benedict Enger-style (spinach on a bagel with a poached egg and Hollandaise), along with some beautiful Texas Red grapefruit. For our pre-breakfast egg hunt, my daughter and I will make hot cross buns, starting the dough the night before and allowing it to do a slow, cold rise in the fridge, before finishing the project in the morning. And if the weather is nice, I think we will probably take a little bike ride in the afternoon, maybe to our favorite place, Canada Road, which is closed to cars on Sunday for cyclists!

What are your plans for Easter? What is the tradition in your family? Do you eat out, or stay in? Share your secrets!