Chicago: Solo

Chicago Solo
The end of July 2013 brought many unique opportunities to Mike and I.  I was offered a chance to go to Daytona Beach for a three day conference at the last minute and I said: YES!  Wah Hoo!!!  Threw my classy suits in a bag and flew south.  Well, further south than I live...and this was the view from my room at the HILTON.  They were inundated with 700+ Higher Education people at what must have seemed to them ALL AT ONE TIME.  Lines were long, people were grouchy from the crazy airline layovers and cancellations and misdirects.  They let us check in early and allowed a late check-out the last day of the conference.  Despite the grouchy people, the clerks were so nice and polite and kept smiling through it all.  They deserve a raise and praise.

So, first afternoon, immediately upon check-in, we started meetings.  Being Florida, this is what it looked like when we were not in meetings:

So, a group of us just meet on the beach every morning at 6:00 (yes, 6:00 am) and walked for 45 minutes or so, then went back out that evening for an hour or so.  It was wonderful...I love the sound of the ocean and the feel of salt spray and sand between my toes.

Then, after Florida, I jumped on a plane and headed to CHICAGO!  Originally, Mike and I were driving to Chicago, where he had meetings lined up in connection with his job.  I was going along for the ride.  However, Daytona happened and I had another trip first.  Lucky me!  I got Mike to bring my casual clothes in the car and so I traveled a little lighter than usual.

I need to start by saying, "I LOVE VISITING CHICAGO!"  We all go ever so often, St. Paddy's day being one of our favorite times to visit.  Any other time being our second favorite time to visit. My first day I arrived LATE due to delays due to mechanical problems and I am not complaining because I want that darn plane in good shape if my seat is in its seat.  Being the savvy amateur traveler that I am, I prearranged a shuttle to take me to the WESTIN downtown.  Yes, the one on Dearborn.  Yes, the one where there is a view of the river and riverwalk.  I LOVE CHICAGO and WESTIN.  But I digress.

Once I knew I was going to be getting to Chicago somewhat late, I went online to find a shuttle.  I did NOT want to navigate the 'L' late at night with purse, computer and luggage (although normally we would have as a group with just luggage). Taxis are pretty pricy and I liked knowing I would have SOMEONE to pick me up as Mike would be tied up in meeting and I was traveling SOLO.  I found Viator at http://www.viator.com/tours/Chicago/Chicago-Airport-Roundtrip-Transfer/d673-3178ORDAPTRND

The reviews looked pretty good, although there were few.  They had the best price I could find on that date and the website was easy to navigate.  I called anyway.  I wanted to make darn sure they were not going to be in an area OUTSIDE of the airport, but would be on the grounds  and I did not want to ride a shuttle to catch a shuttle.   Shondra (?) answered my questions quickly and booked me while I was on the phone (smart girl).  She emailed my vouchers, which I printed off at the Hilton's business center, and I was set.

Once in Chicago, I tried to follow the CLEARLY printed directions and recall what Shondra had told me about where to go.  OK, so I didn't go THERE first.  I had to ask a traffic cop who kindly pointed out to me that it was printed on the darn voucher.  The shuttle pulled up as I turned around to retrace my steps.  There were MULTIPLE stops all around the airport and you really can't miss them...unless you are me and distractable as heck. The driver was funny and so nice.  The entire experience, other than mindlessly walking past the stop, was enjoyable. I'll be using Viator again.

Day 1 ended with a lovely house Cab and a meet and greet with some of my husband's colleagues and friends. I don't even remember eating dinner, but I am sure I did...hmmm, maybe those chips I had with the Cab were dinner.  Day 2 broke early and my walking shoes were ready.  I was set to head out, by myself, to explore Chicago...did I mention that I am sometimes directionally challenged? So, I map-quested this little designer resale shop I wanted to visit; got a map from the concierge,and plugged the address into my MapQuest app on my Iphone.  I was ready to go.  One thing I learned on an earlier visit to DC: never carry around a map in your hand.  EVERYONE, including thieves, know you are a tourist and who are the most distracted people in the world, looking at all the sights and map to boot???  Tourists, the joy of pickpockets and purse thieves.  Keep that map in your bag or pocket and pull it out when you have to, then put it away.

Eight blocks later, I found the shop, which was great because it was supposed to be on Dearborn (and it was).  It was full of so much stuff...I went home with two suits and a dress.  Dropped package one off at hotel and plotted my course to the Art Institute of Chicago.  They had a special Impressionist exhibit and I was going to see it.

While walking to the shop, I had noted that many of the people in Chicago stick their Iphone or Ipod into their pockets or purses wear headphones while walking around.  I always wear an over-the-shoulder bag when traveling, so I stuck my phone in an outside pocket, plugged up my trusty Skullcandy ear pods and proceeded to listen to turn by turn on MapQuest.  Brilliant.

Not Brilliant.  I soon realized that the voice on the other end of my phone was taking me in circles.  The building were blocking the satellites and "she" kept recalculating. I was proud that I noticed that I was going in circles and didn't keep going (directionally challenged, remember). I was ticked. I was hungry. I was not lost, but did not have my bearings and the street I was on was not on the Mapquest list and the stupid map I left in package one; you know, the one I dropped off at the HOTEL. I kept telling myself, "Everything for a reason, everything for a reason."

I had memorized some of streets that ran parallel to Dearborn JUST IN CASE I got lost.  So I started walking, turned the corner, and there, in the middle of Chicago, was a farmer's market.  I LOVE FARMER'S MARKETS.  First stop, organic spring rolls with shrimp.  YUM.  Second, handmade lavender soaps and balms, then a honey stall, then a bakery, then...OK, I spent the next two hours there and ditched the museum.  Everything for a reason indeed!  As I was leaving, and you need to know I only left because they started packing up, I walked by a vendor selling lemon basil tea.  ICED lemon basil tea.  It was so good.

I walked around the area a while longer, recognized a familiar street and headed back to the hotel, taking a few side stops along the way.  Once back at the hotel, I took a hot, soaky, soapy bath with my new lavender soap and dressed for dinner.  Mike was engaged and it was pretty dark, so I opted for sushi in the hotel.  Another glass of cab, miso soup, and a tray of shishimi and california roll.  It was wonderful.  Service is so good at the Westin.

Day 3 started off a little late; as in. I slept in.  I rarely sleep in.  It felt pretty good.  Mike and I had lunch at House of Blues (sweet potato fries and Heat Seeker for me; regular fries and Juicy Lucy for Mike).  I took some back to the hotel for later.  Headed straight for museum.  OH-MG.  It was great.  Impressionists paintings with the dresses from the period in displays beside them.  It was at once fascinating and wonderful.  Best of all, I was all alone and I took my time...no hurry, no worry, no hustle, no bustle.  I had a lovely leisurely lunch of smoke salmon, french bread, REAL butter, and a lovely cabernet (I know the rules about wine and fish and I break them constantly).  The temperature was perfect and the breeze gentle.  Service was SLOW and I think my little waitress was new and green; still, it was almost perfect.  Started back a bit late and it was just getting dark...street performers and hustlers were out.  Put those earphones in and hit the road.  Mike had graduation and then we had a lovely dinner at McCormick and Schmicks, complete with the AMAZING apple pie with cinnamon ice cream.  We celebrate an end to our lovely trip with Processco.  Headed home early the next morning!  I truly enjoyed the entire trip.

WARNING for Wine of the month:  Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir 2006 and 2011.  We typically love pretty much any RM, especially the Cabs.  The Pinot Noir is worse that horrid.  We purchased one (2006) and uncorked.  Vinegar is the closest thing to what it was like.  We both knew this had to be a mistake.  Tried again with the 2011.  HORRID:  Vinegar.  Both these from two separate stores in two separate states.  DO NOT waste your $$.

A June Get-A-WAY: Crownpoint Resort and Beyond!

Crownpoint Resort and Beyond:

Mike and I (Donna) decided to take a spur of the moment trip to a secluded area in Arkansas to get some much needed rest and alone time.  After reading the reviews about the resort several times it sounded perfect:  In the middle of nowhere and miles to drive to find it.  We packed two coolers with steak, fish, cold cuts, cheese, crackers and, of course, wine and headed out. Brought along a few clothes, too.

Crownpoint in Horseshoe Bend Arkansas is situated on a man-made lake.  Houses dot the shores (some of these houses are for sale) and the resort is tucked into a shallow area complete with a small beach.  Canoes and kayaks can be used for free and fishing trips arranged at the local marina. It has a 3.5 or 4 star rating, depending on the site you check.  The link to their website is http://www.crownpointrealty.com/ but we like Trip Advisor so I've included that one, too: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g31677-d260226-Reviews-Crown_Point_Resort-Horseshoe_Bend_Arkansas.html

Please note that some reviews are down-right ugly and some glowing.  We found the place to be what it is:  a resort in the middle of nowhere for folks who want to get away from crowds and crazy.  If your expectation is driving into town for a night on the town or to eat at a four star restaurant, this is NOT the place for you. If you have to have upscale decor and luxury surroundings, stay away.  However, if you enjoy a beautiful view, sipping wine outside by a lake, and an extremely slow, totally laid-back pace, then you will truly enjoy the area. We came to relax, chill and do outdoor stuff, if we desired.  The resort has some moderately easy hiking trails (read ATV trails) through the woods, which are a blast, complete with deer, squirrels, racoons, lizards, snakes (maybe even rattlers), and ticks.  Bring tweezers and don't be squeamish.  There is an organized boat ride (pontoon) around the lake one evening, which is very nice (sign up quickly).  Laying out in the morning with breeze from the lake or just strolling around the resort itself can be delightful.  

We were at Crownpoint from Friday to Friday.  The minute we drove up, carved animals and Ozark-style decor jumped out...we call it country-fried decor...it's whimsical, cute-sy, and down-right over the top cheesy in some cases.  There were cabins on the hill and that is where we thought we were going to be.  After seeing the two story "condos" that were actually on the lake, we decided we would prefer to be in those.  We were lucky and got the condos!  They're blue...and they do have country decor inside, but we are in ARKANSAS.  What do you expect folks?  It was clean, comfortable, and had an incredible view of the lake. 

After checking in we wandered around, casing the joint for things to do.  They have several free shows on site, everything from an Elvis impersonator (who is surprisingly good) to a magic show (we didn't see this one).  I bugged Mike to take me to the Elvis show as the gentleman who portrays Elvis is also the entertainment director for the resort.  He even has a "club" in town that puts on shows.  Be prepared with a little cash: the shows at the resort are free but a cash tip is expected when they pass the hat, or in this case, a jug on a stick.  There is a charge for the music hall in town. Here is a link to the resort show onsite: http://www.ozarksgotsingers.com/Crown-Point-Show.html and here is the one for Mr. Joe Beaver's place in town http://www.ozarksgotsingers.com/

We soon discovered that the reviews we read were wrong with respect to isolation.  While the resort is somewhat isolated, there is a grocery store about 10 minutes away and a greasy spoon called Calabama within the same area. Food is good old-fashioned burgers, fries, onion rings, catfish, chicken...you get the idea.  Oh, and they have home-made desserts...we ate the bacon burger (HUGE) and catfish (delicious), then got cherry pie with ice cream and something called straw pie that was coconut and pecans in a pecan-pie-type filling.  Mike, believe it or not, got the straw pie (he hates coconut, but it looked so good) and ate every bite. I scarfed down the cherry...I love cherry and rhubarb, which are both hard to find.  The desserts were grand with just a little wine on the "porch" right at sunset...amazing.

There is also a coffee shop on site which is open 7:00 am to 3:00 pm.  We had lunch here and ordered off the menu we were given at check-in.  However, when I picked it up, they had "special" selections like grilled chicken salad or grilled tuna...that's what I get for being lazy and calling in our order.  The food was good and their selection of coffee is very well done.  They also have teas and specialty non-alcoholic drinks.  A note here:  the county is dry.  Bring your own wine and beer!

OK, so I told you we went there for relaxation right?  First thing my dearly beloved did was start finding places for us to go and things to do...as usual.  Which is usually perfectly fine, but MY expectation was sleep, sleep and more sleep, then a little rest.  Can you tell it's been a bit stressful?  Anyway, we made some tentative plans and started our week by heading out to a local craft show that was being held in the area (we always load up on those free brochures in the boxes in the lobby of the hotels....they do come in handy).  There were some crazy interesting things there and some amazing jewelery.  Lots of handcrafted items...we bought a few trinkets, brownies, and cookies, then headed out to the Ozark Folk Center http://www.ozarkfolkcenter.com/

The center was amazing: artisans in every booth, showing you how everything was made or is made.  A herb booth with potted plants for purchase or seeds, a blacksmith, basket weaving, you name an old time craft, and you will most likely find it.  We only made it through about half the park before it was time to leave (they close promptly at 5:00 pm).  The one thing we didn't do was check the hours of operation.  There was going to be an Irish band there performing at 7:00, so we headed to the on-site restaurant, which does remain open after the park closes. The restaurant serves country food, including green fried tomatoes, corn bread, peas, etc., etc., etc. We ordered tea, realized how tired we were and decided to leave to travel back (it was about a 45 -50 minute drive back to the resort).  The hostess thought something was wrong and bent over backwards to try and please us.  Honestly, the very young waitress had told us we needed to "wait" just a few minutes until a party had gone through the buffet line and the party didn't move for quite some time.  This prompted us to check the time and decide we really just didn't want to wait.  Everything looked great, but we were just flat out tired.

For this trip, we did not come the area to tour wineries.  However, it was father's day and someone (Mike) got a bur under his saddle and found three wineries just across the line in the Missouri.  All located near each other and within an hour's drive.  In all fairness, we went to Hardy, Arkansas first to allow me to antique a bit, but I knew where he wanted to be...besides, I know how to get to Hardy and he had to work a bit during the week, so off we headed to Mountain View, Missouri.

The three wineries we visited were, in order, Traver Home Winery (http://www.traverhomewinery.com/), Horst Vineyards (http://missouriwine.org/wineries/horst-vineyards/), and Viandel Vineyard (http://viandel.com/?age-verified=4835553006).  Please check times of operation!  We were lucky!  Traver Home's access, per our garmin, was down a dirt road.  We are not strangers to dirt roads and wineries, so we were not surprised.  It was a fairly wide road, so no issues.  Pours were generous and Mr. Jim Traver, vintner himself, talked to us about his wines and his approach to wine-making.  I often find Missouri wines a bit acidic and these were no exception.  However, Mr. Traver worked WITH the acidity, instead of against it.  We even tried his sweeter wines, which we typically do not care for.  The peach and catawba were very good; perfect to sip as a dessert wine with a very appealing tartness.  We wound up buying a crisp Chardonel, a light Dog's Breath Red, a port-style Bear's Den Red, a Chianti-style Eleven Points Red and the lovely house favorite Marechal Foch. Neither the Chardonel nor the Marechel Foch made it back home.  The food we brought from home to cook at the resort paired well with these!  If you only get one, get the Marechal Foch: dark and dried fruit flavor and just delicious. 

Horst Vineyards is on highway 63 with easy in and out access.  The link for Horst was www.horstvineyard.com, but it did not work.  Regrettably, as I had not planned to taste on this trip, my notebook was at home.  The reds were light and tasty, but the blackberry wine was AMAZING.  We do not, as a general rule, care for fruit wines as they are often cloyingly sweet or just noxious.  One buttery whiff and I was sold...we bought two.  Think alcoholic blackberry lemonade.  The raspberry was awesome, too, but the blackberry was the one that truly stood out to me.  Horst was in the process of bottling some of their wines, so we did not have a wide selection.  However, I think we may return at a later date to try their other wines.

Viandel Vineyards is probably what newbies to the wine tasting arena think of when they envision visiting a tasting room.  It is VERY nice.  Expect to be asked your personal preference.  We like dry reds and that is what we were offered.  Which was plenty.  I preferred the Bee Bluff, which was smokey, woody, and velvet on the tongue.  Mike preferred the two Chamboursins, which we purchased to carry home.  They are cherry and a little spicy.  While there we each had a glass of Bee Bluff with a meat and cheese plate and sat on the back patio, which looks out over a piece of the vineyard.  We each then texted Denny and Babs to rub it in.  Another great day.

You do need to know...what we taste may not be what you taste.  That is ok!  It all boils down to personal preference...and the more you taste, the better you understand what your personal preferences are.  We started by just taking notes on the brand of wine.  Then the area; then the grape.  Those notes helped us understand which grapes we preferred and which area we preferred the grape to be grown in.  We just need to go back and visit those we have sketchy notes on!  A favorite wine today may not be your favorite tomorrow.  Wines can change within a year if there is a drought or too much rain or any other crisis during the growing period or during the wine-making process. Wines vary from year to year, despite the great lengths a vintner may go through to ensure consistency.  There is almost always a subtle difference in taste.  That is most certainly NOT a bad thing.   So, the moral of this is TRY everything twice, three times or more!  You may find that a wine you didn't like in the past is now one you love.  Á votre santé!

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FIRST Entry--who we are!

June 8, 2013

Wow...we've been considering "doing" a blog for some time now.  The set-up was way too easy.  So, here we are with a blank page and all the world watching...or at least one or two interested people.

Who are we?  Well, we are four 50+ forever young people who love to travel and who plan our trips around local wines and craft brewed beers.  Now don't get the wrong idea....we're too old for drunken sprees and shenanigans as such, but we do like to taste the local fare paired with a good wine or beer;  and we do like to have fun!

So far, we have toured areas of France, Spain, England, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Canada and, of course, multiple areas of the US.  Our hope in starting this blog is to give you ideas for your own trips, tell you what we love in the areas we visit, including food and local excursions, and just record our thoughts about what we encounter.  We also want to recommend some wines we love (or at least agree on) that you might want to try.  We are not wine snobs and we will not confuse you with terms regarding wine!  We think that the best wine is a wine you like -- no matter the bottle, brand, or price!

Below you will find a brief bio for each of us..hope you visit our site again soon.  Happy travels!

Babs (Beverly): Tech support at local school; former English teacher; married to Dennis.  One child and two spoiled cats.

Dennis: RETIRED (we are all jealous); former sales support person and history teacher; married to Babs.

Donna:  Chair of department of education at local university; former second grade school teacher and married to Mike.  Three children and one spoiled Yorkie.

Mike: Dean of college at online university; former Fire chief and married to Donna.

This is a recent picture of us when we were in Ireland March 2013.  It was taken at the Bellinter House, down a country road near Trim, north of Dublin.  The Bellinter is a great place to stay and the staff went out of their way to help us with directions to sites in the area.  The peat fire in the great room was warm and inviting and service from the bar was quick and gracious.  Our room had a huge hand-made bed and a monstrous shower.  There was plenty of tea and coffee in room, along with various sugars and creamer, plus a bottle of wine as an option.  Breakfast was delicious.  There was an option for a continental or American breakfast or you could order from the menu, which we did.  Pancakes and bacon sides were amazing and coffee dark and thick: the way we like it!  If you go, use the toaster...none of us had ever seen anything like it!  The link for the Bellinter House is http://www.bellinterhouse.com

March 2013 - The Bellinter House

From left to right: Dennis, Babs, Donna, Mike.  

While in Ireland, we discovered that what we have always heard is true:  Guinness does not travel well.    While Mike and I (Donna) love our dark brews, Dennis and Babs have usually selected the lighter ones, but we are leading them to the dark side.  In Ireland, we all loved the Guinness.  It was much better tasting and I am at a loss to describe exactly what the difference was...lighter maybe?  I know that sounds crazy, but in the states Guinness has been described as "meaty" or even tasting of protein.  That was the flavor that was not in the beer in Ireland (my opinion).  And we all agree that Ireland is back on the bucket list; we need to visit again!

The BEST: Guinness

Now, for our very first recommendation of wine for your pleasure.  Our price range for wine has increased over time, but we still watch for those wines that are reasonable and delicious.  I always get tickled when I read a price listing for wines online or in a magazine.  If it says $10.00, it will always be at minimum $15.00 in our area.  So I'll give you our current price on the wines we recommend, but keep in mind that it may be less or more depending upon where you live.  

One of our favorite wines is Pedroncelli Zinfandel Mother Clone from the Sonoma Valley.  I almost hate to share this one with you as we sometimes have to request that the owner of our local wine shop order it for us.  We were introduced to this wine years ago when we were first "getting into" wine.  The person who recommended it kept saying it was "jammy."  What the heck is jammy?  We tried it and loved it.  Now we realize that jammy refers to the thick, and in this case blackberry, jam flavor in a wine.  This is a lovely wine that is for those persons who like dark, heavy wine.  We love it with dark chocolate!  Our price is currently $14.59.  Here is the link for Pedroncelli: http://store.pedroncelli.com/SHOP.AMS?LEVEL=MID&CAT=CABZIN

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