Locally Made Foodie Stops in Fredericksburg, Texas

Farm-to-table. Pick-your-own. What about locally made? Next time you visit Fredericksburg, Texas, plan to savor these locally-made favorites. Chocolat Specializing in liquid-center chocolates filled with spirits, wine, coffee, and fruit nectar, Chocolat is the sole American manufacturer using the European method which dates back nearly two centuries. Locally made and more than 28 years in business, Chocolat…

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The best places to go apple picking in the US

THE SEASONAL CHANGE from summer to fall is a sensory event for many of us. After the heaviness of the summer heat, there’s a briskness in the air, a depth of colors, a crunch underfoot — and the anticipation of tasting the autumnal harvest: apples. Read Jill’s entire article on Matador Network.

Follow the Trail of Tears in Southeast Tennessee

I stood in front of the Memorial Wall, reading the names of the 2,535 Cherokee heads of household identified in the 1835 Census, the Henderson Roll, and then forced into removal along the Trail of Tears. The number of household members was listed too, so in all, of the 16,542 Cherokees identified for removal by…

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Chattanooga Whiskey Co.’s “Vote Whiskey” Campaign Brings Whiskey Back Home

The Chattanooga Whiskey Co. rewrote century-old laws with their Vote Whiskey campaign to be able to distill Whiskey in their hometown. Pre-Prohibition, Chattanooga, Tennessee, was once one of the largest Whiskey-distilling cities in the nation with more than 30 distilleries in Chattanooga’s downtown area from 1866–1915.  Although Prohibition was repealed in 1933, until 2009 only…

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The Lavender Fields of Washington Island, Wisconsin

When Martine and Edgar Anderson moved to Washington Island as young retirees, they looked for a business in which to invest, but nothing seemed to suit. Martine, born in France, dreamed of one day owning a lavender farm. She felt that Washington Island shared similar characteristics with Provence, so Edgar did weather studies, took soil…

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Eating Well in Kansas City

“Pick the very best cantaloupe for me. I want to go home and eat it immediately,” I said to the farmer. He sent me home with the assurance of a great cantaloupe. It cut and tasted like butter and I silently thanked him as I ate the warm cantaloupe at my kitchen counter. Personal touches…

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Trends in Alcohol | Interview with a Liquor Broker

George Vesel knows spirits. The owner of Veselbev, a beverage brokerage since 2006, Vesel spent his entire adult life working in the spirits industry. His resume is impressive: managing partner of an award-winning restaurant, manager of a sales division for a wine and spirits distributor, and, now, liquor broker. “In my brokerage, while I was…

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The Ultimate Guide to West Palm Beach

West Palm Beach is one of the lesser-known of the three cities in the South Florida metropolitan area. Miami, is, well, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale has beaches and boats. West Palm Beach is a nice middle ground, with all the attractions of city life while also being home to a more down-to-earth community. Those of…

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Surrender to the Moment

Although I’m a goal-oriented person, I have also found the importance of learning to release the need to control the outcome of situations. Acceptance, and surrendering to a situation has helped me overcome fears and phobias in the process. E.g. I can plan a trip and set it into motion, but I cannot control the…

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3 Days in Door County, Wisconsin-Itinerary

Day 1 Check-in Open Hearth Lodge. Start with Breakfast at the White Gull Inn—It could be a story from modern-day Silicon Valley: a middle-aged professional gives up his lucrative practice and moves to a quaint village to become an innkeeper. Except that it happened in 1896. Now owned by Jan and Andy Coulson, The White Gull…

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