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Showing posts with the label cocktail

More Cheap Trick, Gardens & Brew in Rockford

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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

Discovering Mark Twain in Hannibal, Missouri

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After major spine surgery in January, I had hardly left my house. Travel in general has been cut down the last few years because of my health, but now I needed to once again take another step down. When I felt I finally could go somewhere, I was careful to pick a place that’s very accessible and would allow me lots of rest and breaks.  With Brittany taking pictures, and Amanda accompanying her on active activities, it was a perfect mix. The two were very helpful to me with my medical scooter. I thought I had all the plans in place for this first trip of the year (even though half the year was over). Then, less than a week before we were to go, I received an email that the place had overbooked, and they couldn’t accommodate us. It is a place I hope to visit someday so I’m not going to go into details, but I was ready to finally get out a little and I didn’t have much time to plan. The wonderful team at Visit Missouri and their PR

Girls' Getaway to Eaglewood Resort

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My friend Joan and I headed a few hours away to Itasca, Illinois, for a short girls’ getaway at Eaglewood Resort & Spa . You could see the golf course from the balcony in our room. The Deluxe Room is quite large and suitable for a small family. The spa and fitness center are located in a building across the parking lot from the rooms and other common areas.  The pool center at  Eaglewood  is set up to be enjoyed year-round. It’s totally enclosed in the winter and one side opens up in the summer so you can sit around a patio and enjoy the Olympic-sized pool with accompanying whirlpool. During the warmer months, they also serve cocktails and snacks out there. Three separate rooms were in the fitness center, all with all new equipment. One room had state-of-the art machines.  The second was all about weights, and the third was for classes. We saw someone in there stretching. Within the fitness and spa area  Eaglewood Resort  also has its own bowling

Art and Food in Lafayette, Indiana

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My friend Jaimee and I had arrived in Lafayette, Indiana , the previous day for a quick getaway. It had been a few years since I was here and I had no idea how much there was to see – and eat. We woke up in our spacious two-bedroom accommodation at the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Lafayette . Although the hotel offers a big complimentary breakfast, we already had plans for brunch at Town & Gown Bistro. Town & Gown is much bigger than it looks on the outside. It has two floors and they were both full of patrons. Matt O’Neill, former innkeeper and chef at Walden Inn, and author of “Seasons at the Walden Inn,” has made a name for himself in this city. It was easy to figure out why after we finished eating.  Chef O’Neill uses fresh and local ingredients and puts his touch on common brunch items.  Jaimee raved about her eggs benedict, and I thought the house-made corned beef hash was fantastic, as were my latte and eggs. After we f