Wine and Spirits Travel

With all the places I’ve been around the world, I’ve actually never been to the Florida Keys (with the exception of covering a tennis tournament on Key Biscayne). I’ve spent a lot of time in the Miami area, but the timing just never worked out for me to extend the visit to the keys. I was intrigued to get an email about visiting the “other keys.” Frankly, I had no idea that Florida had “other keys,” but a little bit of research led me to discover that there were some beautiful islands on the west coast off Sarasota . The timing worked and, with summer ending here, a beach trip sounded like a great idea. I made arrangements to fly down and meet my friend Lynn for yet another girls getaway. The itinerary had us doing everything from visiting (what has been voted) the No. 1 beach in the U.S. to touring the Opera House, but I was excited that first day to just arrive in time to catch some rays. My previous trips had been jammed packed and my time at home limited so the ide...

I had a preview on day one of Sandusky, Ohio, with my friend Lisa, but it was nothing compared to day two. Chad and Ryan Whaley of Green Door Media had prepared quite a full day for us on Lake Erie Shores and Islands . We woke up to a beautiful day and enjoyed coffee overlooking the boat dock on Sandusky Bay. Chad and Ryan picked us up and took us Common Grounds in Port Clinton, where we picked up some more coffee and snacks from this wonderful place that employs people with developmental disabilities and teaches them skills they can use in future employment. Our next stop was at The Kitchen Bounty , where we met owner Terri Bergman and got a preview into her world of gourmet food and dining experiences (we were going to actually experience one for dinner). Lisa and I couldn’t believe all the products she had created and knew we were in for quite a treat, but first we were off to the islands. I have to admit, my expectations of “islands” in Ohio were not very high. I...

When I received an email inviting me to Lake Erie Shores, Ohio , I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive. I write mostly about luxury travel, or areas with a lot of great food and wine. I wasn’t sure there would be enough in this area for me to cover. I began to rethink the destination after visiting Buffalo and Niagara Falls . I couldn’t help but to wonder about what was on the other side of Lake Erie. I contacted Chad Whaley, who handles PR for Lake Erie Shores & Islands. My schedule was pretty full, but we came up with a three day introduction to the area that he was sure would be enough to make me come back for more. My friend Lisa and I drove to Sandusky, Ohio, the center of Lake Erie Shores. It took about seven hours and the ride became more scenic as we continued. I loved the weeping willows welcoming us just as we entered the city. We were given a house on the bay side (Lake Erie is on one side and Sandusky Bay on the other) that was just perfect for ...

They say that writing and publishing a book gets easier with time, but each one present new challenges. This was certainly the case with my latest, the Wine And Spirits Travel Guide to Australia: Yarra Valley, Barossa, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island & McLaren Vale (with a little bit of Melbourne) . I was photographing some of the most beautiful places in the world and I wouldn't give up until I had a product that did it justice. In the spirit (pardon the pun) of my guide to Champagne, France , this guide puts my blogs in portable format (print or kindle) with extra information, photographs and links to the places you don't want to miss. The Australia guide contains many more pages and photographs then the first one did. Let me know what you think of this one and what you think my next one should be.  Marcia

It was the final day of the Longines Future Tennis Aces tournament and I was ready to see the championship match. I was also more than ready to complete my own personal Grand Slam. Even though the American Adam Neff had lost in the first round, he was excited to be able to watch the match with Longines Rising Tennis Star Ryan Harrison. He also felt better knowing that the player he lost to, Rudolf Molleker of Germany was the winner of the tournament. In addition to Harrison, tennis stars Sabine Lisciki (who would reach the finals of Wimbledon a few weeks later), Arnaud Clement and Fabrizio Santoro gave out prizes and did exhibitions before we left for Roland Garros. I have covered the US Open nearly every year in the past three decades. I have been to Wimbledon and I’ve been to the Australian Open , but I’d never been to the French Open. Roland Garros, the fourth major, had eluded me – until this day. I was finally getting to complete my Grand Slam, at least as...

The weather was almost winter-like as we bundled up for a full day of tennis at the Longines Future Tennis Aces tournament in Paris. I was up early for a quick breakfast at the InterContinental Paris Le Grand . We boarded the luxury bus to the Hotel de Ville, where a beautiful red clay tennis court was set up. There was a screen for those who also wanted to keep up with the action at the French Open. Though rain in Paris is not unusual, it was nearly snowing so we went into McDonald’s to warm up with some coffee while we checked our email. It was a McDonald’s like no other I had seen, with a full coffee bar (they even had French macaroons and croissants!) and kiosks you could use to pre-order food. I was quickly reminded that I wasn’t back in Champaign. We headed back to the courts for a while, enjoying the tennis live and on the screen with the marketing group from Longines before walking to Pamela Popo for lunch. The appetizer was scallops so they instead ga...