Wine and Spirits Travel

I had never been to Muskegon and, honestly, it wasn’t on my radar before. I had started hearing more about it and the representatives of Pure Michigan told me it was a lakefront town making strides in the wheelchair-friendly arena. Muskegon has had a big resurgence from the cruise industry which has led to growth in the town. In addition to the ferries that go across Lake Michigan (which we would be taking), three cruise lines are now making stops in Muskegon: Pearl Sea Cruises, Victory Cruise Line, and Ponant Great Lake Cruises. The town was building and improving for the influx of cruise passengers and the feedback on the port stop has been positive. This town would continue to thrive. ' Since we had a late lunch and skipped dinner the night before , we were ready for a big breakfast. Mr. Bs Pancake House was the perfect place. This local favorite has been around over 50 years. The portions were huge and the omelets, pancakes, and hashbrowns we had were delicious. After breakf...

I’ve wanted to visit St. Louis Union Station since it was remodeled a few years ago and the attractions were added. I had heard nothing but good things about it. When I was invited to cover a Yellowcard concert in the Gateway city, I decided it was the perfect time. Brittany and I went straight from the concert to the Hilton at St. Louis Union Station , a Curio Collection Hotel. I was impressed the moment we walked into the lobby, with the high ceilings and light show that magnified all the art. I could only compare it to the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago. We were exhausted and went right to sleep. In the morning, we had breakfast at Station Grille, one of the hotel’s restaurants. It was quite a meal, starting with freshly made pastries. Brittany had Chicken & Waffles. I ordered the Egg, Avocado & Quinoa, which was covered lightly with a balsamic dressing, and I loved it. After breakfast, we met up with our friend `Amanda and headed over to the other side of the hotel ...

With the Mississippi River still running low from the lack of rain, we ended up with a day without a port. As much as I wished we hadn’t missed Dubuque, it was nice to have some time to rest and enjoy my American QueenVoyage . I have always liked small cruises and I think I like them even more now that I travel in a scooter. It doesn’t take long to find your way around and the elevators hardly have a wait. Lynn and I took our time in the morning with a room service breakfast. It was a day full of exploring what the boat had to offer. I went around the ship from the outside first. It was interesting to see the calm Mississippi river and its small islands as we went through. A steamboat goes a lot slower than a cruise ship and you get to really take in the scenery. The weather was about 70 and there was plenty of shade around the boat.     I settled in for awhile in a rocking chair on the Porch of the Riverview Bar and watched the Mississippi go by. After lunch, I ...