Wine and Spirits Travel

My dad commuted from Eastern Long Island to Brooklyn for 15 years. He used to bring me a cheesecake from Junior’s original location every year for my birthday. I was about 12 when he started and it continued until he retired. He would then still make the trip to get me my favorite cake. After my dad passed away and I moved to the Champaign , my mom started sending one for my birthday, as well as any time I needed cheering-up (like when I had surgery). It’s now come full circle with over 40 years of Junior’s sharing my life. I was in Florida for the newly opened of Junior’s in Boca Raton .   Mom and I will shared Junior’s in a third state, with another milestone -- she’s leaving Florida and moving to Illinois, so we can once again live in the same place. Junior’s in Boca Raton looked just like the ones I was used to, with cheesecakes lining the shelves of the bakery area, red and white stripes everywhere, and walls full of nostalgia. Photos of famous

It was day three in Daytona Beach, Florida , for my friend Betty and I. We were definitely not running out of things to do. We decided to sleep in a bit and have breakfast downstairs at the Oceanside Inn . By 9:00 am we were still off to the Marine Science Center . It was smaller than an aquarium, but still offered plenty to do, including the opportunity to touch sharks and stingrays, and see and learn about the rehabilitation and breeding of sea turtles. We also saw examples about how things in the environment, especially garbage thrown into the water, affects marine life. Before we drove off, we took a walk across the road for a short hike and a glimpse at the beach. We were then off to the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse & Museum . It was very different from most National Historic Landmarks I have been to. It wasn’t about famous people in history, it was more an honor to important people you may not know about. In this case, the site pays homage

I’ve spent a lot of time in Florida, but one place I haven’t visited much was Daytona Beach . When the tourism board contacted me about doing a trip, it didn’t take a lot of convincing. The plans went quickly into action with my friend Betty coming along for her first trip exploration with me. We had a very early flight out of Bloomington, Illinois, but the next one would have gotten us into Daytona too late in the day so we went for it and planned a fairly light day ahead. We had also decided to make our first stop to get in the downtime mood by finding a Groupon for manicures and pedicures at Aadvanced Bodyworx .  It was definitely relaxing and we were ready to get the flip flops on! Just down the road from the spa was Woody’s BBQ . Judging by the lunchtime crowd, it seemed to be a popular local place. We weren’t disappointed. We ordered combination plates and the roast turkey, mac n cheese, and coleslaw were delicious.  The pulled pork loo

It was a short trip, but I had some time before meeting my mom for her birthday celebration, so I decided to go for it. I had flown into West Palm Beach Airport more times than I can remember.  From there I always headed straight into Delray Beach without even exploring the area, even though I never actually got to the “beach,” the area didn’t disappoint. This time, with an invitation to stay at The Chesterfield , a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, I decided to stick around Palm Beach – at least for 24 hours. While I was there I decided to check out a few restaurants. The Palm Beaches include many towns, including Ocean Ridge, Palm Beach Gardens, South Bay, West Palm Beach, and Riviera Beach. The area has its own airport so I was able to fly right in from Chicago.  Palm Beaches Tourism arranged for a car to pick me up and take me to Avocado Grill for lunch, where I would learn more about this region – while enjoy a fantastic lunch.