Wine and Spirits Travel

June was destined to be Mexico month. I had already decided that I needed a break and was only doing one, one week trip. My inbox was flooded with invitations, but there was a definite pattern – more than half were for Mexico! There are a still quite a few places in that country that I’d like to get to so it was a difficult choice, until I found out that one had a focus on food, wine and tequila. The decision was made quickly after that and I welcomed the chance to visit Riviera Maya . The day didn’t quite start the way I expected. I had an early morning flight and left the house at 4:00 am, only to be caught in a horrendous thunderstorm with lightening everywhere. I finally arrived at Bloomington Airport in time for my flight to Chicago, but the storm was heading there and the American Airlines rep told me there wouldn’t be any flights going out until the afternoon. Air Tran quickly accommodated me, albeit with a four hour layover in Atlanta. I did get to check out their business c

No, I haven't been abducted by aliens or run off with a Mexican cabana boy! I've just been incredibly busy eating, tasting and checking out the sites in the Riviera Maya with the tourism board and some other really great writers.  Hold on just a little bit longer because there is lots to come.  I hope to have the first stories and photos up soon. I promise it will be worth the wait. From Playa Carman to Tulum, Grand Velas to Secrets Maroma , Mexican wine to chocolate, tequila to mezcal --  it's a most spirited trip! My suite (with plunge pool) at Grand Velas Rivera Maya

I may no longer live in New York, but the Mets are still my favorite baseball team. I went to games regularly with my dad as a kid and then as an adult. Thanks to frequent trips to Shea Stadium with Grandpa, my daughter Sam is now even more dedicated to the team than I ever was.  I was the first to admit that Shea Stadium had seen better days and was in need of renovation, but when it was completely torn down, there was a bit of sadness in our house (Sam  actually named her cat Shea to honor the ballpark’s memory).  She was out there at the first game of the new Citi Field . It took me a bit longer to approach this massive building that looked nothing like my beloved ballpark, but once I did I found a whole new world of going to the baseball game – one that fits nicely in the life of a spirits traveler. Citi Field is a different planet from Shea Stadium inside and out. It holds nearly 42,000 fans (less people with more comfort); offers various levels of seating and service; and ha

It is amazing how fast 10 days on the Celebrity Millennium went. When I look back, I see that I certainly did a lot and visited a lot of places, but the saying is true, “time flies when you are having fun!”  It was time for the fun (at least the ship fun) to end as we docked at our final stop – Vancouver . I wasn’t about to let the opportunity to check out this popular city get by, so I arranged with the British Columbia and Vancouver tourism boards for Lynn and I to spend the day and night exploring. We were also invited to stay at the Wedgewood Hotel &  Spa , a beautiful Relais & Chateau property, so we didn’t have to worry about getting to the airport until morning. I could see how people love this city, with its modern décor, great food and wide-ranged culture. For me, it was the combination of the water and snow-capped mountains that would draw me in the most. Josie Heisig of British Columbia Tourism , the woman who had orchestrated my visit to the Okanagan Va