Wine and Spirits Travel

I spend a lot of time at city hotels, mostly in New York and Chicago, and they certainly have their appeal, but there are times when it’s nice to get away from the hustle and bustle and relax at a resort.  It’s not often you can find a place like that near a major city, but the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort fits that category quite nicely. The Hilton Chicago/Indian Lakes Resort is centered about a half hour from both downtown Chicago and Chicago’s O’Hare Airport in the suburban town of Bloomingdale.  It is a full service resort on 260 acres, offering a complete vacation even if you don’t want to go into the city.  I stayed there recently with my friend Theresa Carter (aka, The Local Tourist ) and we proved that point. You can’t have a resort without a spa and the Spa Vargas fits the bill, with massages, body treatments, facials, manicures and pedicures  available.  They offer in-room services and specialize in spa parties.   I went the private route, opting for a Swedish Massage in

I’m less than three weeks from my trip to Mazatlan, Mexico , so I figure it’s time to get tequila on the mind.    Tequila is that great mix between strong, spicy and sweet that you aren’t sure if you want to linger over, or down quickly, so I figure I need some practice before I land in Mexico.  It was easy to do thanks to some samples that I happen to have from Casa Noble and Corralejo.   So what did I think of these tasty treats?  Check out the notes and stay tuned until the end – where we have a winner… Casa Noble is a premium tequila that is made with carefully selected and slow cooked Blue Agave. The tequilas are organic certified, coming from 100% natural ingredients. Casa Nobles Tequila Anejo A complex spirit with more spice than some, perhaps because it is aged in French White Oak for two years. Casa Nobles Tequila Blanco This is  tequila that’s fairly light and smooth, making it perfect for drinking, not just downing shots. Corralejo Tequila dates back to 18 th

During the last few days of the trip, there was a dark cloud looming over us.  It wasn’t the one bringing us intermittent drops of rain, it was the one that could bring Haiti a massive hurricane.  We tried to go through the last day and think about it as little as possible, but Jaimee was unsure where she would be going when our trip was over.   She was finally able to reach a friend on our final night and found that the damage was nowhere near what had been anticipated.  So, with the help of the wonderful staff (including General Manager Francisco “Paco” Castillo) of both Paradisus resorts, she had arrangements made for a ride to the bus station and a schedule to take two buses back to Les Cayes, Haiti. Jaimee left Punta Cana at 6:00 am and I lingered a bit for my final day.  The internet was out at Paradisus Palma Real and I kind of enjoyed the chance to play hooky for a few hours.  I had a leisurely breakfast in Gabi Club, walked the grounds and even spent a half hour lying on

It was my last full day in Punta Cana and there wasn’t an activity-less moment to spare as I savored every last drop of what the Dominican Republic could offer. The weather here hasn’t exactly been ideal for sunbathing, but that hasn’t been on the schedule, so the on and off drizzle, low humidity and not that hot (high 70s, low 80s) temperatures have been welcome.  I waited out a bit of morning rain with a room service breakfast (the cheese plate was almost as good as what I had in France) and then Jaimee and I headed out on our Eco Tour at 8:30.  It was the first thing we had done in a group and it was interesting to see the vacationers from all over the world that come to this island. The day began with horseback riding.  I used to ride regularly as a teenager, but I haven’t been a teen in a very long time.  It took a bit of time for me to get comfortable with the horse and I still wasn’t too happy when he took off on me through the tropical forest, but when I got to trot slow