Wine and Spirits Travel

 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 ...

As the weather warms, it’s always a great time for an outdoor day trip. I had never been to Knights Action Park in nearby Springfield, Illinois , before and I was anxious to check it out. For a small amusement park, Knights Action packs a lot in. They have a waterpark, amusement rides, miniature golf and a golf range, and a racing track. I had a teen and a pre-teen with me who were anxious to hit the long slides, while I am always happy to grab a tube an relax in a lazy river. I enjoyed that for a while and ten hit the wave pool, where I met up with Brittany, Jacob, and  Kyler. We walked around for a while and saw the Seal Bay area for younger kids, as well as the river, where they have paddle boats. Unfortunately, the paddle boats weren’t available the day we where there. It’s something I’d definitely enjoy next time I’m back. There is a snack bar inside at  Knights Action Park , but the consensus was to go outside and take a short dr...