Travel
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The Finger Lakes, Gateway To American Wines
Riesling Rules
By: - Jun 26th, 2018Only hours away from millions of people, the Finger Lakes, located in central New York state, is home to a large wine making population. With over one hundred twenty vineyards, located on or near one of the eleven lakes, the Finger Lakes 'cold climate' wine culture thrives year round, focusing on the Riesling varietal.
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Denver's Museo de las Americas
Celebrating Era of Pachucos y Sirenas
By: - Jun 26th, 2018Museo de las Americas, begun in 1992 as one room in a cabinet shop, now occupies a 12,000 sq. ft. building in the heart of Denver's Santa Fe Art District.
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Mt. Greylock’s Bascom Lodge
I Could See for Miles and Miles and Miles
By: - Jun 13th, 2018It was a picture perfect Sunday afternoon when we took a long and winding drive to the 3,491 foot summit of Mt. Greylock. It's rustic Bascom Lodge was constructed as a WPA project in the 1930s. It fell into neglect but was renovated and the road repaired in 2009. There are dorm and private rooms for hikers. In season three meals a day are served and dinner on weekends is generally sold out. There are free events on the porch and we attended a mashup organized by Berkshire Playwrights Lab. At 7 PM we joined the family style dinner. For spectacuar views and a sense of adventure it's a summe treat that's hard to beat.
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Finger Lakes New Vines Vineyard
Unique Winegrowing Region
By: - May 30th, 2018The Finger Lakes are New York states largest wine growing region, with over 150 vineyards crisscrossing the eleven Finger Lakes. One vineyard is home to New Vines B&B and is located within two miles of seven other vineyards. With a resident winemaker on premises and the use of local and homegrown crops for breakfast, it was easy to digest what the Finger Lakes region was about.
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Exploring Idyllwild California
River Deep Mountain High
By: - Apr 07th, 2018It’s not unusual to spot a herd of colorful deer right in the center of Idyllwild, the famously art-hearted small town (pop. 3,874 year-round) in the mountains (elevation 5,413) above Palm Springs. Not your ordinary deer, mind you, but 22 fabulously painted aluminum bucks, does and fawns, each decorated to reflect a part of Idyllwild’s history.
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Northern Spain
The Basque Country
By: - Mar 12th, 2018The Basque region of northern Spain stands out with its beautiful coastline and unique culture. In addition to being historic towns with notable architecture, the cities of Bilbao, Guernica, San Sebastian and Pamplona boast a vibrant contemporary life flavored with local charm. The network of ancient pilgramage routes, the Camino de Santiago (Way of Saint James) also stretches through this region.
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Southern France
Along the Foothills of the Pyrenees
By: - Jan 02nd, 2018The walled city of Carcassonne, the heritage site Albi with its Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, the Basque cities of Auch and Bayonne, and the Atlantic coastal cities of Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz are treasures that make this region of France unique for the visitor.
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Military Working Dog Teams National Monument
Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
By: - Dec 29th, 2017In the center of a spacious plaza, a 9-foot modern day Military Working Dog Handler stands with larger-than-life bronze statues of four of the more common breeds of Military Working Dogs utilized by the United States Department of Defense since World War II: Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, and Belgian Malinois.
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Pay Attention To Israeli Wines
Quality, Not Quantity Is The Focus
By: - Dec 12th, 2017Since Biblical times, wine has been produced in Israel. Originally for religious observances, but, now for consumers, who compose 85% of the market, with the United States, as the leading importer. Kosher wines are produced the same way as non-kosher wines. For that reason, consumers are looking at the wine for what it s, not because its Kosher. Six wines were sampled for this article.
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Judging Wine At 40,000 Feet
Sampling 600 Wines For TAP Airlines
By: - Dec 11th, 2017The tedious work of sampling six-hundred plus Portuguese wines for TAP airlines in-flight wine service was an involved project. There were ten wine tasters, seven from Portugal, two from Brazil, and myself from America . Wines were first sampled on the ground and then the top fifty were sampled in the air on a round trip flight from Lisbon to Prague.
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TAP Enhances the Portuguese Experience
Michelin Star Chefs And Top Portuguese Wines on Flights
By: - Dec 01st, 2017TAP Airlines cares about their country and customers. Somewhat like a tourism company, TAP prepares you for a Portuguese experience starting 40,000 feet above the earth. Fine Portuguese wines are paired with dishes designed by Michelin Star Chefs. There are videos that educate the viewer about the Portuguese experience.
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The 2017 TAP Wine Tour
Visiting ,the Douro Region.
By: - Nov 29th, 2017The 2017 TAP Wine Tour culminated with visits to the regions of Portugal which produced the winning wines for TAP's 2018 flights. Choosing to promote Portugal through its fine cuisines, with five Michelin-starred chefs, and the best quality Portuguese wines as determined by a panel of wine experts, TAP hosted over 50 journalists to visit the winning areas.
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Hanging Out With Brad Smith
In Search of Exquisite Port in Porto
By: - Nov 28th, 2017Brad Smith, a fellow traveler in the TAP Wine Tour is a port authority, reaconteur and comedian. It was a non stop flow of information, insights and humor as we paired up for day trips first in Lisbon and then during the following weekend in Porto. The experience evoked hints of apricot, explosions of flavor, with an aftertaste of Dante and Poe.
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TAP Is On The Move
TAP Re-Brands
By: - Nov 27th, 2017TAP Airline of Portugal re-brands and becomes the largest promoter of Portugal in the world. Led by Abilio Martins, VP, of TAP, the airline has invested for the future resulting in great results since 2015. Marketing Portugal through its fine wine and cuisine is an important part of its new image.
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TAP Gala
Annual Awards Celebration for Wine and Tourism
By: - Nov 26th, 2017For its annual TAP Gala the Portuguese airline pulled out all the stops. It was a spectacular evening of food, drink, awards and entertanment. There were some 350 VIP guests assembled in a vast Porto warehouse. The event ran well past midnight ending with a performance by renowned Fado singer, Ana Moura.
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TAP Dancing in Portugal
Final Day of Wine Tour
By: - Nov 25th, 2017Concluding the TAP Wine Tour after three days and many tastings I'm now a fan and convert. ASAP I plan to find a case of the Alvarinho style of white wine. Hopefully it will evoke ecotic memories of ancient quintas and elegant gourmet meal pairings. Even the best trips, however, have their challenges and pratfalls.
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TAP Tap Tap in Portugal
Day Three of a Wine Tour
By: - Nov 24th, 2017By day two of the TAP Wine Tour we were locked into an endurance marathon. We tasted the wines of several regions; the Alentejo, Dao and Douro. Off schedule by two hours we arrived after dark at the venerable and ancient Quinta do Bomfim Symington. After a long hard day I passed on a late dinner that ended at 1:30 AM. The extra sleep helped to get back on track for the third and final day of the program which ended in Porto.
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On TAP in Portugal
Wine Tour Day Two
By: - Nov 23rd, 2017The wine tasting officially started in the late morning on the terrace of Quinta da Alorna. Some dozen or so wines later, after an elegant lunch, we flew to another region and Esporao. There was a third tasting and dinner at Monte da Ravasquaira. It was lights out at 2 AM then back on the bus at 9 AM. It was a pace that continued for the three day TAP Wine Tour.
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TAP Wine Tour of Portugal
Day One in Lisbon
By: - Nov 22nd, 2017In mid November there was glorious, summer-like weather during the TAP Wine Tour. We were among 70 journalists from the States, Europe and Brazil. Over three days of bus and airplane hops we visited the major regions and quintas or estates in Portugal. Even for experienced food/ wine/ travel writers this was a rare opportunity. There were four daily vineyards or tasting rooms with several wines at each stop as well as five paired with gourmet meals for lunch and dinner. This is a report on day one, a Monday, which previewed the launch of the three day tour that ended with a TAP Gala in Porto.
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Owens Pottery of North Carolina
North Carolina's Route 705 Is the Pottery Highway
By: - Nov 11th, 2017The oldest, continuously operating pottery along the Pottery Highway is Owens Pottery of North Carolina, also known as Original Owens Pottery. The Owens family has been involved in pottery since the early 1800s.
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Exploring Annapoilis Maryland
Three Hundred Years of History
By: - Oct 21st, 2017The state of Maryland was named after Henrietta Maria of France, the queen consort of England, Scotland, and Ireland as the wife of King Charles I. Maryland is the only state in the United States whose judges wear red robes.
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The Roads of North America - Part 6
San Francisco Bay and Sausalito Houseboats
By: - Sep 14th, 2017This is our second article from the San Francisco area and continuation of The Roads of North America. More than 50 photographs accompany this report. The views along the Bay and other discoveries are well worth seeing - no doubt!
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Greenland
A journey South of the Polar Circle
By: - Sep 13th, 2017Greenland, the world's largest island, offers majestic mountains, green valleys and picturesque fjords dotted with icebergs along its eastern coast. Towns of Tasiilaq and Kusuluk are home to Inuits, who have a unique way of life mediated by their environment.
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Iceland: Part Three
Wonders of the North and South Coasts
By: - Sep 05th, 2017Traveling from the northern fjords near the Arctic Circle by way of Lake Myvatn to the south coast, Iceland offers breathtaking displays of geological wonders. Craters, hot springs, lava fields, roaring waterfalls, geysers glacial rivers and black sand beaches are all within easy reach. Landscapes of beautiful farmlands and cliffs with seabirds are the added bonus.
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Iceland: Part Two
Reykjavik and Western Iceland
By: - Aug 27th, 2017Iceland is a destination for both the culture and nature enthusiast. Although Reykjavik is a small capital city, its cultural offerings are as varied as those of any major European capital. Snaefellsnes Peninsula in western Iceland is dotted with charming coastal villages and a feast of natural wonders. Snaefelsjokull, a glacier capped 700,000-year-old volcano, looms large over the western end of the peninsula.
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