Wine and Spirits Travel

One good thing came out of my fall last year. It certainly wasn’t the broken (in two places) humerus or the nerve damage in my arm. It was finding a wonderful surgeon at Tufts University and giving me lots of opportunities to explore Boston. I had spent a lot of time in Boston as a child. It wasn’t far from my New York home and my parents loved showing us the history of the city. I went a few more times in adulthood but had not been in many years. I decided to take advantage of my trips to the Massachusetts city by revisiting the city I had seen in the past and learning about what was new. What was definitely new about going to Boston this time around is that I am now in a wheelchair. I would be looking at everything from a different position and my arrangements needed to be much more carefully planned. I asked for help from the Meet Boston tourism board, and they were extremely helpful in planning what would be the first of many trips to the city, each focusing on a different area. ...

(This story was previously published in Discovering Sonoma) When you are looking for a place to stay, location is always an important factor, but you also want something clean, comfortable and with lots of amenities for a reasonable price.   Although that can be a tall order in a lot of wine country, Camellia Inn fits the description quite nicely. Camellia Inn is located just a few blocks off downtown Healdsburg, the center of Sonoma. You can reach restaurants, shops and tasting rooms within a five minute walk.  Innkeeper Lucy Lewand and her staff keep the place running like as well as a major hotel, with a feel like you are visiting a friend’s home. The nine rooms at the Inn are each beautifully decorated, varying a bit in size and shape.  You can find some with extras such as a Jacuzzi tub or fireplace.  There is even a family suite that testifies to the fact that children are more than welcome here.   I had the pleasure of staying at Camellia Inn for thr...

  I live two hours from downtown Chicago, so I almost always stay overnight. Occasionally, the time is too short and the opportunity too great, so I make an exception. This was the case on the day my friend, Kim, and I went for brunch at Sofitel’s CDA and checked out the Driehaus Museum. The CDA Restaurant at Sofitel Hotel in Chicago is the epitome of modern elegance. The decor and service are first class, yet it feels very comfortable with the large windows and white design.  The brunch menu is most definitely French, though they do have their version of the Mexican breakfast favorite Chilaquiles. Named “Sofitel Chilaquiles Rojos,” they are made with sunny side eggs in a crispy corn tortilla and served with a cilantro yogurt. It was difficult to decide as everything sounded so good. After my initial excitement at the Ricotta Pancakes, topped with bananas and cocoa nibs, then drizzled with Cinnabon topping, I decided to save my sweet tooth for dessert and order the Chicken...

 A few years ago, I had a wine tasting and dinner with friends at Cooper’s Hawk in Indianapolis. It was my first experience at one of their restaurants and it was a great one. I was recently invited back to check out a contest they were running. This time I went to the Springfield, Illinois , location. It was larger than I had remembered the other had been. I found a lot had changed with the brand, and all of the changes were positive.   The tasting was my first clue Cooper’s Hawk has really upped its game. The number of wines they now produce, as well as the variety, rivals the largest wineries in the country. I also found they have invested in some other options, such as sangrias and sparkling wines. Cooper’s Hawk outsources grapes from around the world. They have a plant for bottling and a winemaker, Emily Wynes, for blending in the Chicago area to create the wines they sell at their nearly 80 locations. My friend, Amanda, was with me and chose the sweet selections and ...

It was the final day of the Bourbon & Beyond Festival, and I was ready for an exciting one, with interviews to do and bands new and old to see. My brother, Mark, and I checked out of our wheelchair accessible room at the Tru Hilton Louisville South and headed to the Kentucky Exhibition Center. The weather was still warm and humid, but it looked like we might be heading for some rain.   One of the acts I was most looking forward to was first up at Bourbon & Beyond. I had always been a fan of actor Kevin Bacon and was looking forward to catching his performance with his brother, Michael. The Bacon Brothers were fantastic, with Kevin as the lead singer. He also showed off his dance moves, especially when performing the title song from his most famous movie, “Footloose.” The growing crowd was dancing and singing along with them. It was quite a show. After they were done, I went back to the press area for a while to get my questions ready for upcoming interviews. I had met and...

My brother, Mark, and I both agreed we wanted to enjoy a good Kentucky barbecue meal in Louisville before we got started on the day at Bourbon & Beyond. I went online and searched for reviews. One place kept coming up: Shack in the Back . It was clear we picked the right place when we saw the crowd at 11:00 am on a  Saturday morning. It was even clearer when we tasted the food. I had a brisket sandwich, with a side of mashed potatoes and a side of corn. Mark went all out with the Sampler. It included brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and wings. He chose the mac and cheese and the green beans to go with it. We didn’t make it through all the food, though it wasn’t for a lack of trying. We had to get to the festival as I had interviews to do and music to watch. My first appointment was at Eastern Light Distilling. I was intrigued with this company and even more so after meeting with the owners.    Eastern Light is not “a” bourbon company. It is a group that is locally...