Wine and Spirits Travel

After a few days of girl time with my daughter at the ultra-luxury, super relaxing Zoetry Punta Cana , we met up with her boyfriend Matt at Breathless Resort for a different getaway at an adult-only resort with a bit more of a partying reputation. We had suites next door to each other with patios that had views of the beach and the turquoise water from our lounge chairs, but planned to spend plenty of time separately enjoying Punta Cana . I ordered breakfast from room service (24 hour room service is complimentary at Breathless ) so I could get a little work done before I headed out into the beautiful sunshine. The “Breathless Breakfast” covers it all – juice, tropical fruit, eggs, cold cuts, hash browns, toast, danishes, muffins and croissants. I couldn’t possibly eat it all, but still managed to get quite full. I met with Macerana, the manager of the Xhale Club, an area at the resort where we were staying that offers extra upgrades and amenities. Matt an...

My daughter Sam and I woke up to the warm sunshine of the Dominican Republic at Zoetry Aqua Punta Cana . We were told that a special breakfast was being planned for us, but we certainly didn’t dream of what it was. Our waiter appeared and set up an amazing array of food for us, along with champagne, fruit, coffee, and juice. I had just finished Pilates and Sam was still in the Jacuzzi while he set up. She was amazed when she came out to the balcony and saw the spread. We had a long, leisurely, delicious breakfast, consuming breads, croissants, eggs, Dominican Sausage, and potatoes. After breakfast, we met with Yarenis Nunez, Executive Assistant to the General Manager, and toured the property. Despite the fact that they were at full capacity, the place was quiet and the guests had plenty of room to spread out. We talked about weddings on the property for a destination wedding series I’m working on and saw the beautiful marble gazebo they use for ceremonies,...

It had been a few years since I’d been to Punta Cana. I was excited about returning to the beautiful beaches in this area of the Dominican Republic. I was looking forward to taking my daughter and her boyfriend to check out AMResorts new property, Breathless , but first we got to experience a two day girls only getaway at the perfect spot – Zoetry Agua Punta Cana. I had s pent the day at Zoetry Paraiso Riviera Maya and could not wait until I had the opportunity to return to one of these resorts. I felt it would be the perfect way to do a little mother-daughter relaxing before we headed to a more party-oriented resort. Sam and I met at Punta Cana airport since we had flown in from separate parts of the country. It took us a little while to get through the customs line and get our luggage, but then we were whisked off by our private driver to the 45 minute drive to Zoetry Agua. To say Zoetry is a luxury property is an understatement. It’s about “Endless Privileges,” a...

While I was in St. Louis with Mom , we drove by the new Ballpark Village across from Busch Stadium. It looked like a place I needed to explore and I made arrangements for a trip back before I had even left. It was very easy for me to decide when to make my visit to Ballpark Village and Busch Stadium. As a lifelong New York Mets fan, I picked a date when the Mets would be playing St. Louis. To make it even more interesting, I brought along my friend Amy – a Cardinals fan. We were running a little late so we quickly checked into the Drury Inn & Suites Convention Center and grabbed a cab to Busch Stadium. It was close to 100 degrees and the temperature was climbing so we were happy for an excuse not to walk. Our private tour of the Stadium began at the Third Base entrance we learned about the old and the new, the history of the original stadium and Anheuser Busch, as well as the construction of this new venue that opened in 2006. We loved being able to get in...

It had been quite a week on the Viking River Cruise through the Danube. My friend Tracy and I had been discovering places Christmas Markets and visiting places we had never been. There was only one more to go – Budapest, Hungary.  It was the largest capital city on the Danube and one of the most known. As had been the case with our other stops, the Viking Cruise line included all tours and there was a bus waiting to take us to the Buda district. Along the way our guide Nicholas told us about the city which is referred to as the “Jewel of the Danube.” We learned about the part this area played in World War II, and how it is now a tourist destination with a large zoo, public thermal baths, an amusement park, and large hotels. The bus let us off in the Buda Castle District. It was a bit chilly outside, but we braved the cold for a walking tour. The Square was amazing and each building was filled with history.  Tracy and I enjoyed looking around the area....