Wine and Spirits Travel

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

It had been a few years since I had been to Lafayette,Indiana . I visited a few times when I was covering tennis. I was looking to make a quick trip not too far away, and Lafayette kept coming up.  Once I contacted the tourism board at Home of Purdue , I could easily see why. This little college town had a lot to offer. My friend Jaimee was visiting and we headed out for the two-hour drive with a full itinerary.  Our first stop was at Wolf Park . Anything to do with animals is always fun for me and I was surprised to hear this place had been here for 46 years. Wolf Park was opened by a former Purdue professor.  He not only wanted a refuge for these animals, but he wanted to promote the conservation of wolves and help people understand more about them. Thanks to generous donations, the park now has its own medical center and they don’t need to go back to Purdue every time an animal needs treatment. While the wolves are the primary focus, t

It’s always fun when I get to spend a day exploring with a good friend. Angela and I managed to eat our way around Chicago for this trip! I had no idea what to expect when was invited to check out and sample the foods at the  Chicago French Market . I actually thought it was outside, so I was surprised to find it inside a building. The market is actually conveniently located to the train station from the suburbs.  (it’s also only a 10-minute walk from Union Station). They’ve also got something you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the windy city – free parking (you do need to spend $20 at the market). I had set up a meeting with a rep from the market to take me around and provide us with some samples.  Before she met us, I walked around and took a quick look at the variety of shops. It seemed they covered everything among the 30 vendors. In some cases, it was the only location in the city. I saw all types of fruits at City Fresh Market; meats

My introduction to Titletown was a good one (especially the spa treatment at Lodge Kohler ) and I was ready to enjoy day two with my friend, Rich. We started with breakfast at the hotel’s Leaps and Bounds cafe. It’s far from a hotel coffee shop and has a very unique menu. Everything sounded great, but I had to go for the eggs with popovers. It reminded me of a restaurant I worked at while in high school, called 1890 Dining Car. They were known for their popovers and I haven’t had very many since. They were as eggy, light, and scrumptious as I remembered. Rich shared them and also had a frittata with sausage and mushrooms. After breakfast, we took advantage of the free, local car service Lodge Kohler offers to go to the other side of Lambeau Field, where our tour of the stadium was to begin. The Green Bay Packers offer many levels of the Lambeau Field Tours . If you have the time (2-3 hours), take the Legendary Tour we did. It includes some extras, and en