Wine and Spirits Travel

It was day two of my girls’ getaway in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. I had brought two friends on this trip, Cortney and Amy, and we were having a blast. I let them sleep in at Maxwell Mansion and I met with Karen Arthur, Lake Geneva's Convention & Visitor's Bureau Marketing & Communications Manager, for breakfast at Simple Café. It was a bright and friendly spot with an inviting menu. We talked about everything there was to see in Lake Geneva and I knew this trip would only be the first of many. It was also probably going to be the first of more trips to Simple as their Pumpkin Pancakes were delicious. I went straight from breakfast back to the Lunt-Fontanne Project Center for a tour of the Ten Chimneys estate that had once belonged to the acting duo of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. Maggie and Richard, dressed as Dolcet and the Shadow, were my guides. I received a private tour because I was working on a Midwest Living Magazine story, but publi

I woke up in my suite at Hotel Lone knowing it would be my last morning in Istria. Although my friend Lynn and I would be staying in Croatia a few more days, this was the last day we would be spending with the Share Istria group, a terrific set of guys we had gotten to know well. It was the first place Lynn and I had our own hotel rooms so we met down at the restaurant for breakfast.  The Hotel Lone in Rovinj has one of the biggest buffet breakfasts I have ever seen, and it was included with our room. The rows of fruit, cheese, Danishes, croissants, meats, eggs, yogurt, and covered half of the large dining room. I took my selection of a yogurt smoothies, chocolate croissant, brie and spinach quiche out to the deck. It looked to be another comfortably warm day in this area of Croatia .  We sipped our cappuccinos for a bit before going to our rooms to get ready for a full day. Goran Franinovic of the Istria Tourism Board had been our guide throughou

When I woke up in Wall, I was ready for a very full day two in South Dakota . The rain had not let up all night and it was pouring as I headed into Wall Drug. From the moment I pulled my rental car up I knew this was going to be a place like no other. It seemed to go on for blocks and I soon learned that this was only the front. I met with Rick Hustead, whose grandparents had started Wall Drug in 1931 as just a drugstore. Ted, a pharmacist, and Dorothy were having trouble getting customers until Dorothy had the idea to put up “Free Ice Water” signs along the highway. The ice water turned into .05 coffee and both brought in enough customers for Wall Drug to now be 76,000 square feet and one of the biggest attractions in the country. Rick and I continued to talk in the restaurant over breakfast about Wall Drug and the endless products being sold here. Breakfast certainly satisfied my sweet tooth, though I did at least add a scrambled egg for a bit of healt

I grew up on Eastern Long Island so I’m always anxious to explore when I have a chance. This time it was a family affair, with my mother, and my daughter and her boyfriend. You know the saying, “So little time, so many places to see?” That’s me when it comes to Long Island. For this trip I only had one day and decided we’d do the North Fork , which I haven’t been to in a while. I contacted the Long Island Wine Council for some advice on new and unique wineries that would give me a wide range in a short period of time. They did a good job in choosing. Our first stop was at Raphael Winery in Peconic. It’s a beautiful winery so it’s no wonder it’s popular for weddings The winery is family owned and has been around for 13 years. Their selection included a little of everything. I especially liked the 2013 Rose, which is mostly merlot with a bit of pinot noir. It has a strawberry nose and hints of berries in a semi-dry wine. The 2010 La Fontana is a delicious red bl