Wine and Spirits Travel

The Go Rockford Convention & Visitors Bureau set me up with a full schedule of things to do in Rockford. Fortunately, I had Brittany and Amanda to help me out. One of the facts we were learning about Rockford is about the large Norwegian and Swedish population that came here. There was a direct link from Ellis Island to Rockford, Illinois, because of the industry here and many of those immigrants established   themselves and remained in the area.   Our breakfast was at The Norwegian , known for authentic food, homemade jams, and even their own mocha sauce (delicious in a mocha latte). They also have a stage for music.  We had our first taste of Æbleskiver, Danish pancake balls. They were quite good, as was the omelet and steak & eggs.   After breakfast we drove to Riverfront Museum Campus . We started at the Discover Center Museum. It’s a great family outing as the exhibits appeal to all ages.  There are also plenty of hands-on activities to keep kid

I was looking for someplace not too far to go for a last-minute trip. I had never been to Rockford, Illinois, and a quick look at the tourism website showed me there was a lot to do there. After getting in touch with Andrea Cook, the CVB’s Associate Director of Marketing & Communications, I found out there was more than I ever imagined. Andrea put together a great itinerary for Brittany, Amanda, and me. It had the right amount of adventure for them and accessible and enjoyable things for me. We also had a big selection of restaurants to try out together. Our home for the weekend was the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center.   The location was central to the places we were visiting, and our room was big for a standard hotel room. We had lunch at Mary’s Market Café & Bakery . The description is in the name as there was plenty to chose from. Everything there was made from scratch, including a variety of breads, and used mostly local ingredients. The sa

It was the last full day in Branson for Marsha, Brittany, Amanda, and I. We had a full day of fun planned, as well as a very special nighttime celebration. We were up and out of the Radisson Hotel Branson early to head to Silver Dollar City, one of Branson’s most popular attractions. I expected an amusement park, but I also got a period attraction that reminded me of Colonial Williamsburg. Silver Dollar City has as many depictions of historical sites as rides, including period costumes and vehicles, an old school house, animals, walkways that looked like streets from long ago, woodworkers, a glassware maker, a pottery store, and other shops that had a lot more than your typical theme park souvenirs. The park also has lots of shows, such as “Mean Murphy Rides Again” at the Saloon, McHaffie’s Homestead, and the Silver Dollar City Street Troupe. They also have seasonal shows in the fall and Christmas shows in December. Unlike most amusement parks, Silv

Branson, Missouri has been on my list of places to visit in the Midwest for years. Since it was a bit of a drive (about seven hours) and there is a ton to see and do there, I wanted to make sure there was enough time. I planned the time and the crew for a perfect five days girls’ getaway, that would end with an extra-special birthday. Brittany has traveled with me many times, but this was my friend Marsha’s first adventure with us. Marsha and I had actually met on social media when I saw we had mutual friends and a very similar name. She’s Marsha Lynne and I’m Marcia Lynn. As we became closer, our friends started referring to us as ML1 and ML2. So, this was the first of many trips for ML^. We picked up Amanda in Alton, Illinois , and decided our lunch stop was going to be our favorite barbecue place in Missouri, SuperSmokers in Eureka. Their BBQ Nachos, corn chips topped with brisket, chicken, pulled pork, tomatoes, cheese, and baked beans, are not to be match

My stay at the brand new Radisson Blu Aqua in Chicago continued with a full tour of the property and a chance to experience two Michelin Star restaurants in one day. The day started with a healthy fruit-filled breakfast in the Radisson Blu business center. The behind the scenes tour took us everywhere through this building, designed by Jim Hamilton down to the long, single piece fireplace and carpet that represents and aerial view of Chicago and sits in the lobby. While the whole place is modern, warm and attractive, I was most impressed with the fitness facility. I have never seen anything like it at a hotel – 8,000 square feet of the latest exercise equipment; indoor and outdoor swimming pools; a spa area; an outdoor running track; and a basketball court. It fits in perfectly with the Magellan Complex neighborhood (also referred to as Lakeshore East), where a six acre park provides plenty of open space for walking. Meghan Risch of the Chicago Convention & Touri