Wine and Spirits Travel

When I first received an email about Ravinia , I have to confess that I had no idea what it was. I had heard of it, but didn’t think of it beyond being a venue in Chicagoland. I was certainly wrong about that. Ravinia is actually the longest running outdoor music festival in North America.  Unlike what you would normally expect from a “festival,” this one lasts for four months and has been taking place for over 50 years. It is also non-profit. Each year, from June-September, Ravinia Festival schedules 140 musical performances, from classical to rock.  Among those for 2018 are Diana Ross , Tony Bennett, and Seal. My friend and photographer, Brittany, and I went through the schedule to decide which event would work best for us.  We decided on the concert with ZZ Top and John Fogerty, neither of which we had ever seen. We drove to see the event. I was not feeling my best and was immediately impressed with their complimentary and easy t...

Long before I wrote about travel, food, wine, spirits, or even tennis, I was an entertainment writer. I was young and it was a lot of fun going into New York City and seeing plays, movie previews, and concerts. I knew it wasn’t the kind of life that I could keep up with once I was an “adult,” but it was a great time for a while. I’ve recently received a lot of opportunities to cover music. While I’m not going to make a full time job out of it and trips into the “city” – now Chicago – are not something I can handle nightly, I do like to go to a concert and meet a band whenever possible. I was especially excited to see Soul Asylum and meet the band backstage at the House of Blues in Chicago. My friend John accompanied me into downtown and we arrived early enough to do some exploring around Navy Pier and enjoy a cocktail or two. When we arrived at the House of Blues, there was still plenty of time left before the concert so I asked for a tour. The only House of ...

My first career in journalism began as a teenage entertainment reporter. I probably appreciate more now the things I got to do and see than I did as a kid at the time.  Even though I was young, I was enthusiastic and not only worked as an editor of the Post Pioneer, but I managed to get myself a gig as an editor for the short-lived New York’s Nightlife Magazine. One of my assignments was to cover a Beach Boys concert at the Nassau Coliseum (for those not familiar with Long Island, you probably know it as where the Islanders play hockey). My photographer, Joe, and I had front row seats and press passes. While we were getting set up, a gentleman came over to me and said, “I’ve got a great story for you. Come with me backstage.” That man was Bruce Johnston. He had recently started playing with the Beach Boys and was interested in getting me to write about his joining the group. Along with Bruce, I met Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Mike Love, and Al Jardine. They w...

I’ve had a lot of interesting opportunities over the years. I’m always on the lookout to write about things I don’t often get to, so when I was approached by DKC, the public relations firm that I’ve worked with on Caesars and Harrah’s properties, I was ready to listen. The offer was to not only check out the Horseshoe Hammond Casino just outside of Chicago, but to see a concert there – as a VIP. It’s an experience that is available to the public at reasonable prices (amount varies depending on the event). I had even more reason to look forward to the night since two bands I really enjoy were playing, Staind and Theory of a Deadman. John Uremovic, who handles marketing for the casino, met me at the entrance and gave me a tour of the property. I didn’t realize how big it was and how many different events they hold there, like the Brews at the 'Shoe beer festival in March. I also wasn’t aware that the casino had a large   Asian Gaming Room   which has Pai G...

Those who have followed my work know that I streamlined my focus in the last few years from writing about tennis to mostly travel, wine and spirits. There’s actually much more to my journalistic background and I got to revisit it recently. My first published writing was in college and it was all on entertainment. I wrote about theater, movies and celebrities, but most of it about music. I now describe myself as the “Almost Famous” (one of my favorite movies) kid, as I was way too young to really appreciate what was around me at the time. I had finished high school early and spent the last of my teen years going to college full-time (Long Island University, Post) while I spent most of my nights at concerts. It was the 1980s and there was always plenty happening in music on Long Island and in New York City. I got to see a lot of it from the front row and backstage. I was there for one of the final performances of Freddie Mercury, actually panning Queen’s show because, lik...