Wine and Spirits Travel

When I planned my trip to Rockford , I heard from quite a few people that I must have breakfast at The Stockholm. I was a bit disappointed when it wasn’t on our (very full) schedule, but a twist of fate brought us there anyway.  The first stop of the day on the Rockford itinerary for Brittany, Amanda, and I was the Anderson Japanese Gardens. We were to have brunch there and then explore.  Since they were also having an event that day, there was no brunch. That opened up our chance to go to The Stockholm. This restaurant is on the Cheap Trick Trail because of the Rick Nielsen connection. He’s a part-owner and full lover of this restaurant.  The menu is huge, reminding me of a New York diner, but Swedish specialties where you would see Greek ones. Due to the breakfast mix-up, we were starving by the time we sat down. I ordered a Swedish Coffee Cake for us to share while we waited.  It was as scrumptious as it looked and certainly whet our appetite for the rest. I alwa

After a big, complimentary breakfast at the Holiday Inn & Suites in Hannibal, Missouri , Brittany, Amanda, and I got ready for a jam-packed day. There was quite a bit to do in the city made famous by Mark Twain , who was known in his hometown under his real name, Samuel Clemens. We had seen some of Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home & Museum the previous day and went back to visit some of the buildings we missed. It was interesting to see Becky Thatcher’s House, the Huckleberry Finn House, and J.M. Clemens Justice of the Peace Office.  Becky and Huck Finn were popular characters in the Mark Twain series , but J.M. Clemens was the actual name of Samuel Clemens father. One of my favorite exhibits within the Boyhood Home buildings was something I’d love for every child to see. It was called “Growing Up to Fast.” Using the examples of Becky, Tom, Huck, and Jim, all growing up in different levels of income, it example

It had been a few years since I had been to Lafayette,Indiana . I visited a few times when I was covering tennis. I was looking to make a quick trip not too far away, and Lafayette kept coming up.  Once I contacted the tourism board at Home of Purdue , I could easily see why. This little college town had a lot to offer. My friend Jaimee was visiting and we headed out for the two-hour drive with a full itinerary.  Our first stop was at Wolf Park . Anything to do with animals is always fun for me and I was surprised to hear this place had been here for 46 years. Wolf Park was opened by a former Purdue professor.  He not only wanted a refuge for these animals, but he wanted to promote the conservation of wolves and help people understand more about them. Thanks to generous donations, the park now has its own medical center and they don’t need to go back to Purdue every time an animal needs treatment. While the wolves are the primary focus, t

My friend Lisa and I started our morning with a room service breakfast at the Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton . I had the Michigan Cherry Bread French and she chose the Eggs Benedict. Both were excellent. After breakfast, we headed to Founders Brewing Co. for a tour and tasting. It was pouring rain so we decided to take an Uber. I didn’t know too much about this place before we arrived, but left with a lot of knowledge and a very positive experience. From the outside, the building could blend into the neighborhood. Inside, Founders Brewing was massive, new, and modern, even though they are working on yet another expansion. The history of Founders Brewery only goes back a few decades, but it’s rise in its industry came swiftly and has continued to flourish. The tour is definitely worth it to learn more about it. I have never seen such a clean and detail oriented brewery. It has been set up so that everything could be done to make quality

It was day two of my press trip with SpringHill Suites Downtown Denver and Infinite Monkey Theorem Wine . We had tasted and paired the wine on day one , and now it was time to check out some more food and beer. Our schedule didn’t start until 9:30 a.m. so we got to sleep in a bit, which was much needed after the late night. We got started by all meeting for breakfast. The SpringHill Suites offers a nice hot breakfast to begin with, and the chef from the Degree restaurant next door brought us some scones and treats to go with it. After breakfast, we all piled back into our limousine to hit some of the breweries of Denver in the nearby LoDo and RiNo Art District. Even though I don’t drink beer, the tours were fun and informative as we went through Wynkoop Brewery, Falling Rock Tap House, and Epic Brewing. We then went back to the SpringHill Suites to say goodbye. Most of the group was heading home, but I decided to stay another day.