Wine and Spirits Travel

  Illinois is filled with small towns with their own personality. Even after 17 years of living here, I still have a list of many I have yet to explore. Toward the top of that list was Metropolis , the hometown of the character of Superman. I recently had the opportunity to visit Metropolis, and it met my expectations. I took along my friends, Amanda and Heather, and my service dog, Teddy.   We stayed at Harrah’s Metropolis Hotel & Casino . It’s a large property within walking distance to everything in town. Amanda and Heather shared a room, while Teddy and I had a larger accessible room with two beds and a big bathroom with rails and a chair in the walk-in shower.  After check-in, we headed downtown to the Superman Museum . The entrance to the museum is filled with photos in the window and something you’d expect the Man of Steel to need—a phone booth.  You first walk into the store. I can’t imagine there is anything related to Superman you will not find for ...

We arrived in Milwaukee on the Lake Express Ferry in the evening. It had been a scenic ride across Lake Michigan from Muskegon, Michigan. It was good to be back to in Milwaukee. I had wanted to return for years, and it never worked out. Although this was to be a short trip, I wanted to make it happen. My friend, Lynn, and I were staying at a most unusual hotel. The Brewhouse Inn & Suites has a long history, going all the way back to 1848. It was a brewery, at one point for Pabst Blue Ribbon. It then became a boutique hotel and was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The current Brewhouse Inn & Suites opened with a remodel in 2013. It is beautifully laid out, with reminiscent brewery tanks and intricate woodwork throughout. Although the front entrance to Brewhouse is not accessible, there is a side door I was able to go in with my power chair. It is right next to the parking lot. They also offer valet parking. We had a large accessible suite with a sitting...

One good thing came out of my fall last year. It certainly wasn’t the broken (in two places) humerus or the nerve damage in my arm. It was finding a wonderful surgeon at Tufts University and giving me lots of opportunities to explore Boston. I had spent a lot of time in Boston as a child. It wasn’t far from my New York home and my parents loved showing us the history of the city. I went a few more times in adulthood but had not been in many years. I decided to take advantage of my trips to the Massachusetts city by revisiting the city I had seen in the past and learning about what was new. What was definitely new about going to Boston this time around is that I am now in a wheelchair. I would be looking at everything from a different position and my arrangements needed to be much more carefully planned. I asked for help from the Meet Boston tourism board, and they were extremely helpful in planning what would be the first of many trips to the city, each focusing on a different area. ...

It was the final day of the Bourbon & Beyond Festival, and I was ready for an exciting one, with interviews to do and bands new and old to see. My brother, Mark, and I checked out of our wheelchair accessible room at the Tru Hilton Louisville South and headed to the Kentucky Exhibition Center. The weather was still warm and humid, but it looked like we might be heading for some rain.   One of the acts I was most looking forward to was first up at Bourbon & Beyond. I had always been a fan of actor Kevin Bacon and was looking forward to catching his performance with his brother, Michael. The Bacon Brothers were fantastic, with Kevin as the lead singer. He also showed off his dance moves, especially when performing the title song from his most famous movie, “Footloose.” The growing crowd was dancing and singing along with them. It was quite a show. After they were done, I went back to the press area for a while to get my questions ready for upcoming interviews. I had met and...

My brother, Mark, and I both agreed we wanted to enjoy a good Kentucky barbecue meal in Louisville before we got started on the day at Bourbon & Beyond. I went online and searched for reviews. One place kept coming up: Shack in the Back . It was clear we picked the right place when we saw the crowd at 11:00 am on a  Saturday morning. It was even clearer when we tasted the food. I had a brisket sandwich, with a side of mashed potatoes and a side of corn. Mark went all out with the Sampler. It included brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and wings. He chose the mac and cheese and the green beans to go with it. We didn’t make it through all the food, though it wasn’t for a lack of trying. We had to get to the festival as I had interviews to do and music to watch. My first appointment was at Eastern Light Distilling. I was intrigued with this company and even more so after meeting with the owners.    Eastern Light is not “a” bourbon company. It is a group that is locally...

After all the problems with hotels the day before, we were settled into the Tru Hilton in Louisville and getting ready for a busy day at Bourbon & Beyond. I had made appointments between all the music. I was looking forward to it all. My brother, Mark, suggested lunch at Waffle House. He said it was on his bucket list. I hadn’t been in years and I’m never one to turn down waffles. It was actually very good, with big portions and reasonable prices.   We had no problem parking in the handicapped area and made it onto the grounds in time to pick up coffee in the press tent and watch Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, followed by Bruce Hornsby. It was a good way to start this bright day. We then headed to the Big Bourbon Tent. We arrived a little early for our appointment with Tyler Rothenberg of Chicken Cock Bourbon and enjoyed the bluegrass while we waited. Tyler set us up with the two cocktails made especially for Bourbon & Beyond :    Wildflower in Paris - C...