Wine and Spirits Travel

I had been enjoying some down time with friends and family in New York. That wasn’t going to change on day four, but I added in some discovery as I took my daughter and son-in-law to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City. Even though I had lived 15 minutes from this museum for 20 years, I had never been there. It had been in the back of my mind, and when I would occasionally pass it, I would remind myself. It just never happened. Click Here for Holiday Deals This Long Island trip was planned to include checking out new places, and with this museum close to the Viana Hotel and Spa where I was staying, I decided to include it. The ILoveNY team helped me make the arrangements. I had breakfast at the hotel before Sam and Matt picked me up for the museum. I was happy to see immediately that it was extremely wheelchair accessible.     We were met at the entrance by Joe Pobliner. I soon learned he was a wonderful expert on Long Island’s history in aviation and every...

I don’t get a lot of relaxing days when I am traveling, but my first full day at the Viana Hotel & Spa in Westbury, New York, was a perfect one.   The best way to start a day is without an alarm clock and that’s what I did. I took my time putting on something comfortable and went down to the Marco Polo restaurant for breakfast. The buffet had a nice assortment of items, and there was a spot to get custom omelets, which I did, as well as pancakes and French toast. It was comforting to be in a place that is wheelchair accessible on all floors. There were wide open hallways and, even though there were stairs in the lobby to go up to the restaurant or down to the spa, you could also take the elevator to both. After breakfast, I caught up with emails and then went downstairs to wait for my daughter. We had a spa date at this Long Island hotel I was looking forward to.   Viana Hotel has a full-service spa that includes massages, treatments, nail, and hair services. T...

  I woke up in my room at the Hyatt Place Chelsea . It was my first full day in New York City, and I had a lot planned.   I began by finishing the massive chocolate cake from the previous night’s dinner at Hav & Mar . I then got dressed and ready to go to Chelsea Market.   When I first started planning my trip, Like A Local Tours * had approached me about taking one of their tours. The Chelsea one caught my eye and the idea of staying in this emerging neighborhood came about.   It was rainy so I didn’t want to ride my scooter down to the Chelsea Market . It was nice to be somewhere where there were accessible rides available. I took a Lyft and arrived before my cousin, Marissa.   The Like A Local Chelsea Market +Highlands + Yards Food & History Tour * had just started when I arrived. The group was in front of Fat Witch Bakery and the leader, Chris, got me one of the delicious brownies they were eating.   That was just the beginni...

  I am a New Yorker, who didn’t move to the Midwest until my late 40s. I have never regretted the decision. It’s much more affordable here and I prefer the lifestyle. After years of living near the ocean, I’m also more than happy to enjoy beautiful Great Lakes, with no hurricanes, sharks, jellyfish, or Nor’easters.  What I do miss a lot about New York is family and friends. It’s also nice to check out what there is to offer in the big city and my former home of Long Island. I decided to arrange a trip that would encompass all of this: time with loved ones and discovering some of New York I didn’t know before. For the latter, I worked with the ILoveNY team to create an itinerary. The trip did not start off well. American Airlines cancelled my flight from Champaign to Chicago. I didn’t want to delay the trip a day so I had someone take me to Chicago so I could still catch my flight to LaGuardia. Unfortunately, he was late picking me up and I missed my flight! This was made wo...

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 ...

  Since I’ve been traveling in a wheelchair or mobility scooter the last few years, I have not gone many places alone. I decided to go for it when I was invited to spend a day – and night – at Navy Pier in Chicago. I have been to Navy Pier many times, but was never able to stay there until Sable, a Curio Collection Hotel by Hilton , was built. I always wondered why there wasn’t a hotel there, and after spending time scooting my way around the property and the pier, I can attest that it’s a fun and unique experience. The hotel is at the end of the pier and the entrance is right next to one of the parking lots. It was easy to park my van and take my scooter right into the modern lobby. Once inside you’ll be surprised at just how big it is, with a Kisbi Coffee and the Lirica Restaurant close to the entrance. It did take me a little while to figure out how to get to the elevator to my room, but once inside, I found my biggest draw to this hotel – the windows. Every room has ...