Wine and Spirits Travel

It’s been a crazy year trying to organize my work life and my health. I got tired (as I’m sure my readers have) of apologizing for not getting things done. It was time to streamline and not attempt to do more than I physically can, only to apologize when I don’t get it done! I’ve been doing this blog for 14 years. I haven’t continued the way I’d like to and it’s not because I don’t consider it a priority. I’m only able to work part time now and I need to make sure I earn money during those hours. I no longer want this blog to suffer so I’ve given up my time in the others, the most notable of which is Spiritstraveler . That column was all about products I discovered. The problem was that it took a lot of time and earned very little money. I will still be doing some product reports, but it will only be on things I’m really interested in and you’ll see them floated here, on my Pinterest , and in my social media (@Spiritstraveler on everything). I will not be updating the Spirit

After an unexpected day on the river, we had a busy day on and off the American Queen . I got up early and went to breakfast in the dining room. It looked like another picture-perfect day and I sat by the window for my pancake breakfast. My friend Lynn joined me in a little while and then we headed off the boat to Clinton, Iowa . The low water levels on the Mississippi had kept us from Dubuque the previous day and had changed the Bettendorf stop to Clinton on this way.   I had made arrangements to visit Le Claire from our stop in Dubuque. It took some reorganizing, especially since the Clinton stop was shorter than Dubuque, but I was able to keep that appointment. I still wanted to see some of Clinton, so I took my scooter around the scenic waterfront and a bit of the town. I saw the Veterans Memorial and lighthouse in a town that once had more millionaires than anywhere else in Iowa. Lynn met me at the curb in front of the ship, where Bob Schiffe, Executive Director of the Buffalo

​ Happy New Year! The last few years have been different for everyone around the world. This is especially true for those in the travel industry. I’ve stayed pretty close to home.     I do not travel as much as I used to anyway.  I’m now looking for more accessible locations and needed to be cautious since I have autoimmune issues.    I’ve been using the time at home to train Teddy, so there will be a lot of pet friendly trips in the future! I’ll be catching up on previous travel soon. With everything I’ve learned since getting my first dog since I was a child, I decided to write a book.  12 Things You Must Know About Raising A Puppy  will be out this spring. It’s filled with tips, stories, and hope. I’ll be posting when it’s out.   As for 2022 travel, I have some fun stuff coming up, including a very unusual cruise.    If you’d like to know more about my health issues, read through my  Medium   page (there are some interesting travel stories there too).   Best, Marcia

It was a very comfortable night at the Hyatt Centric the Loop in Chicago . We were able to take our time in the morning and I was excited to find out my friend and fellow writer, Kristine Hansen, was in town. We met for breakfast at Cochon Valent Brasserie, just downstairs from the hotel. Their blueberry pancakes were loaded with fruit and as delicious as everything always is there. My Joan picked something up to eat and relaxed in the room. and we met up to head over to the Art Institute of Chicago . I have been to the Art Institute many times. I try to check out all of their special exhibits as well as some of the smaller ones. The exhibition that brought me here this time was Manet and Modern Beauty.  Edouard Manet was a late 19 th century painter known for what was a modern style at the time. He especially flourished when painting women. The collection, the first of its kind in 50 years, was well worth a trip, but we decided to spend some time looking around. I stopped at

No matter how many times I go to Chicago, the minute I see the skyline there is an excitement that runs through my veins. I know I’ll always have a fun time in the Windy City. This trip was for a 24-hour getaway with my friend Joan. We had the perfect mixture of food, activity, and chill time. We started with lunch at Cantina Laredo . It had been years since I had been there and it was even more welcoming than I remembered, with our seats in front of a gas fireplace. The waiter brought us tortilla chips and immediately suggested some of their famous margaritas with the current month’s guacamole. It was as delicious as it sounded, with cotija cheese and tomato, for a combination of sweet and a bit spicy. I sipped one of their fruitful Pineapple Infused Ritas, a mixture of pineapple infused Avion Reposado Tequila and Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur. Joan had the current margarita special, which was Jalapeno. Although we were starting to get full from devouring every bit of the gua

I know, it's been a while since I've been here and I'm way behind on stories on past trip from the last few years. Health problems have slowed me to a snail's pace, but, eventually, I'll catch up! In the meantime, check out this essay I wrote for Medium, which will also tell you a bit more about what's going on with me. It’s not an ‘Opioid’ Crisis https://link.medium.com/9cxk3YQwVU Marcia Frost

...and Made Me Money I’ve been using Dosh for months now and, truthfully, I’ve just gotten a little money here and there. I’d certainly never turn down cash, but I just didn’t have a lot I could use it for. I know that over $15 million has been given out to Dosh  users. I heard from people who have made thousands in money back and referrals. I’m not in that group, but I’m also not one to give up easily. I’m glad I didn’t because this month Dosh gave me significant cash back – and some place to sleep. In one night I found out what three million Dosh users already knew, the app is easy to use, offers great deals, and gives you cash for doing very little. I was up in Green Bay, Wisconsin (story to come soon on that great trip). It had been a perfect weekend with a special friend and the weather cooperated the whole time. I arrived at the airport a few hours early for my flights and was immediately greeted with the news that my flight was delayed. I would have

Don’t get the headline wrong, I’m not one of those people who believe you make a resolution you’ll have more money and “poof,” it appears! I do believe that you have to do something to get something back, but it doesn’t have to be that difficult. I’ve gone through many “cash back” sites and applications. Whether it was selling clothing and old electronics, or using coupons, scanning barcodes, and filling out rebate forms. I’ve added it up to a lot of time, effort, and aggravation. I once spent days of emails and phone calls over a guy I sold my laptop to on eBay. He insisted there was a defect I hadn’t mentioned, and I should refund half of the price. I finally told him to send it back because I gave him a more than fair price. Suddenly, when he realized he wasn’t getting money back, I didn’t hear from him again! This is why I like Dosh . It’s a set it and forget it app. (Of course, if you do go in and click through before you shop you can also earn additional cash.)

It’s been quite a year. Not all of it has been good, but I’m probably in a more positive state of mind than I ever have been. I apologize for being so behind on this blog, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten anything! Unfortunately, I’m still dealing with health issues.* I am traveling much less than I previously did, so I am slowly getting caught up. It’s now two stories forward and one behind! You may have also noticed a lot of blogs here for the Dosh application . It’s noticeable because I’m behind on my trip reports. (Be assured that I will be “filling in” during the new year so it doesn’t look – or read – this way.) I am very choosy about sponsored posts such as the ones for Dosh. I like to pay the bills as everyone else does, but you won’t find inappropriate ads or advertorials here (i.e. gambling sites). Dosh is an app that I feel is beneficial to my audience of travel, food, and fun lovers. If you are looking for what’s to come, check out my “Upcoming S

Remember to Download the Dosh App Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday… they are just the beginning of a long holiday season that ends in the one thing you don’t want – bills. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could receive cash too? The Dosh app can help you do that and it requires very little work on your part. The list of stores offering cash back in your pocket is huge, and it includes stores such as Bed Bath & Beyond, The Body Shop, Speedo, Hollister, Neiman Marcus, Sam’s Club, Hallmark, and Cost Plus World Market. Don’t forget when you are out and about shopping to check for the latest local restaurants and activities in your area that are giving cash back. Just keep your Dosh app up to date and press the “Nearby” button to see what’s there. Cash back at restaurants is easier than you can imagine. Once you securely enter your credit card in the Dosh app, you don’t have to do anything else. There’s no coupons, scanning, or showing a card with Dosh . You s

Happy Halloween! If you haven’t gotten your costume, candy, or even decorations, it’s not too late to get some great cash back with your purchase when you sign up and shop with the Dosh app . In fact, you’ll even earn the same money at stores such as Target, Jelly Belly, Big Lots, Walmart, Jet.com (one of my favorites) when you purchase all those discount Halloween products when the holiday is over. Dosh money does not stop coming when the store slash prices. If you haven’t checked out the Dosh app yet, there’s never been a better time. Halloween is just a start of the end of the year holidays.  With all those gifts to buy, we all could use all the savings we can get. Wouldn’t it be nice to get a chunk of cash back to help with those credit card bills? I didn’t do a lot of shopping this month (I’m saving my purchasing power for next month), but I did stop by Denny’s for some scrumptious pancakes. With my card registered at Dosh , that means 10% back on everything

It had been an exciting trip to Nova Scotia , a place I hadn’t visited in many years.  My daughter, Sam, and I would be heading back to the States, but first we had a lot to see and do with our group at Fox Harb’r Resort . We packed up our things and said goodbye to our one-bedroom suite. The view would definitely be missed. The group convened in the Cape Cliff dining room for another delicious breakfast. After we ate, Executive Chef and Food & Beverage Director Shane Robilliard met with us to talk more about the cuisine of Fox Harb’r. Chef Robilliard talked about how much he loves the opportunity at Fox Harb'r to work with the ingredients available to him, including the greenhouse, where nearly all his fruits, vegetables, and herbs come from. He’s also proud that the resort uses sustainably harvested seafoods and local meats. Our group then divided up for our last two activities at the resort. The first for us was fly fishing. Sam always l

Honestly, there is no shortage of apps out there to help you earn cash. Some of them have been around for years and, yes, you can get money from them. The problem is that “earn” is the key word. Most of them make you work hard to get a little money back. There are rebate forms to fill out, receipts to worry about, codes to remember, or cookies to clog up on your computer.   Dosh is different. While you can definitely get some great deals on shopping, vacations, restaurants, and activities by clicking through on one of the fantastic offers on the Dosh app , you don’t have to work to earn money with this app. You can receive cash back with Dosh by just living your life, spending money on things you always do. With Dosh, you simply and safely link your credit and debit cards to the application. Then, every time you use it at a place that works with Dosh , money is automatically deposited in your account! No need to remember which places give you money and which don’t. Th

It was the final day of my Branson, Missouri adventure with friends Brittany, Amanda, and Marsha. We had been out late celebrating Brittany’s 21 st birthday, but sleeping in wasn’t on the schedule. We packed up and said farewell to the Radisson Hotel Branson staff.  It is a convenient hotel and they had done a good job of making it feel like home. After we left the hotel, we drove down to Main Street, an area we had not previously made it to.  We all looked at each other at once as we saw all the interesting shops, knowing that we would need to explore. First, we were having breakfast with Tamra from the Branson/Lakes Area Convention and Visitors Bureau . She had been the one who had worked so hard on providing us with a great itinerary of things to do over the last four days. Tamra had also picked a great place for breakfast. The Farmhouse Restauran t is a popular spot in the city and their menu is inviting. She told me they were famous for their