Wine and Spirits Travel

I enjoyed a room service order of Vanilla Pancakes with bananas and Greek yogurt, but I couldn’t help but be disappointed that my second day at The Resort at Longboat Key was going to be rained out. My schedule included time on the beach and in the pool, as well as tours of the extensive golf and tennis facilities. That had to be scratched, but my friend Lynn and I still scraped out a wonderful day. We took our time getting ready in the morning and were happily surprised when the hotel once again sent two masseuses to our room. The massage was as good as it had been previously – even though it wasn’t the sunshine covered beach I was looking at from outside my window. After the massage we headed back to the Sands Pointe restaurant for another memorable lunch. I had the Cobb Salad, while Lynn went for the tenders and mango salad, which was as good as it was the day before. The hotel provided us with transportation to The Ringling . I have to confess that I was ...

It had been a fun and relaxing two days at Lido Beach Resort, but it was time for my friend Lynn and me to leave Lido Key and head to Longboat Key. We left the resort first thing in the morning to head downtown to the Sarasota Opera House . Sam Lowry, Director of Audience Development, met us at the door for a private tour.  We were lucky enough to get to see every corner of this historic building, which opened in 1984 and went through an extensive ($20 million) renovation in 2008. The building had been kept its history in the renovation and Lynn and I were impressed with the special touches, from the detailed woodwork around the stage to the gold crest in the cream colored Grand Atrium. I had never been to the opera and I fantasized about putting on a floor length evening gown and socializing in one of their well-appointed member lounges while waiting for the curtain call! After the Opera House, we returned to the Lido Beach Resort to pack up. The clouds we...

My friend Lynn and I woke up to the bright sunshine at the Lido Beach Resort. It was our first trip to the western keys off Sarasota and had been a good one so far. I had breakfast through room service and thoroughly enjoyed chocolate chip pancakes with blueberries while watching the waves off my balcony. We had a pretty full day and I was hoping to have some time to also get close to those waves. We were starting the day with a trip to the Mote Aquarium and Research Center , which is dedicated to the ocean life in the area. We learned about Eugenie Clark, still diving and supporting the aquarium’s research into her 90s. We saw some of the research in the form of a project trying to breed octopus in captivity. One way the Mote Aquarium and research laboratory raise money is through farm by raising sturgeon to harvest caviar and sell it. I found it to be quite fascinating as the process was explained. Sea turtles are a big part of life here and the aquarium hop...

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 ...