A Great Georgia Wine Drive

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Atlanta Botanical Garden in Gainesville

Looking for an opportunity to see some great scenery and sample some really good American wines? Try a few days driving in the north Georgia mountains, hiking and visiting wineries. Georgia wines were a real pleasant surprise. In general, their quality is very good and the wineries are fun to visit. Before you go it’s a good idea to check in with the wineries first, as many have seasonal reduced hours so be sure and update days and hours before you head out and also ask about pricing, as each winery has a different charge for sampling. Today most have websites you can check for information.

If you’re new to driving around Georgia or you’re flying into Atlanta we have suggestions on a good way to get started.

Amicalola Falls

Head north out of Atlanta on I-75 and for a great first stop check out the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Gainesville, Georgia. The gardens are beautiful and diverse featuring over 1,200 different plants including 80 varieties of magnolias, oaks and maples. There are some nice lily ponds and a mountain stream flowing through the plantings. The gardens are also home to an impressive concert series in the summer.

Sunset Amicalola Falls Lodge

A couple of hours north from the gardens is  Amicalola Falls Lodge inside the state park. The lodge is great, with modern, well furnished rooms. It sits atop the tallest cascading waterfall in the Southeastern U.S. (729 feet). The falls are paralleled by a staircase with 604 steps and the park is also crossed by The Appalachian Trail. Spend an evening sitting out on the deck of the lodge watching a mountain sunset. The Lodge also features a nice restaurant with reasonable prices.

Wolf Mountain Vineyards
Dahlonega, Georgia

WNearby is The Cottage Winery in Cleveland, and Cavendar Creek Vineyards, Montaluce Winery and Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery near Dahlonega, Georgia. Dahlonega is a quant mountain town that also offers tasting rooms for many of the region’s wineries – sort of one stop shopping and tasting.

Tubing thru Helen

From Dahlonega check out the Alpine town of Helen. The town has been a tourist destination for years. There you’ll find the Habersham Winery with a nice tasting presentation and gift shop. Years ago to save the town, Helen rebuilt itself as an Alpine village featuring Bavarian food and gifts and offers a number of interesting restaurants and accommodations. The town is also popular for the tubing stream that flows through it. Be sure to look into The Old Bavaria Inn, an old-world tavern specializing in imported beers and classic German fare.

Helen, Georgia
Helen, Georgia

Not far from Helen is Brasstown Bald, the highest peak in Georgia at 4,784 feet above sea level operated by the National Park Service. Not far from Brasstown Bald is the town of Hiawassee on Lake Chatuge. From there you’re near Crane Creek Vineyards in Young Harris. Friday happy hour may require reservations as it is a very popular evening event in the area.

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Crane Creek Vineyards

For area accommodations there’s the Chatuge Lodge within walking distance of the Fred Hamilton Gardens and the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds. The Fairgrounds opened in 1978, and are home to several popular events throughout the year including the Georgia Mountain Fair, Georgia Mountain Moonshine Cruizin, Georgia Mountain Fall Festival, Superstar concerts, and Georgia’s Official State Fiddlers’ Convention. Any of those events have impact on room availability and rates so, if you’re planning on going, check dates and make plans well in advance. In the same area are also Odom Springs and Paradise Hills Wineries.

Red Barn Café

Down the highway forty miles is Tiger Mountain Vineyards & Winery famous for their wine and restaurant, the Red Barn Café. It was selected as a top-ten winery restaurant by USA Today. Their Petit Manseng won a gold medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition some years back. They also offer a highly recommend Sunday Brunch.

For an off-beat tourist stop there’s “Goats on the Roof” in Tiger, a throwback tourist stop featuring gifts, food, ice cream and yes – goats on the roof. Nearby is also Tallulah Gorge for some serious hiking. This is a beautiful and rugged area and was the setting of the Burt Reynolds movie Deliverance as well as Disney’s The Great Train Chase.

Tallulah Gorge

Tallulah has an interesting visitors’ center and a number of trails with steps that go to Tempeste and Hurricane Falls and then further down into the gorge. To go beyond the main trail into the creek to slide on the rocks, you need a permit. You can get them at the visitors center but only a small number are issued each morning so you need to be there when the park opens.

Another nearby stop is the Mark of the Potter in Clarkesville, an interesting store featuring local pottery and crafts.

Still, the main attraction in north Georgia is the wine. Growing in popularity and quality it offers a number of great wines that can hold their own aainst any other region. Following is a partial listing of North Georgia wineries:

Find More on Georgia Wineries Here

Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Inn

An Incredible Piece Of Americana And An Amazing Location

The Old Faithful Lodge is the original lodge in the very first National Park in America, making it a popular destination for well over 100 years.

The Old Faithful Inn sits right in the middle of one of Earth’s most active geyser fields and very near its namesake, the Old Faithful geyser.

Named after the largest and most regular geyser in the basin the inn started construction in 1903. At the Old Faithful Inn epitomized the use of rustic architecture on a grand scale and has become a model for other major wilderness themed architecture, like Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Construction was done using local stone for the building’s foundation, and local lodgepole pine logs for its walls. Craftsmen framed the windows and stairways with gnarled wood selected for its beauty and character. It was designed by architect Robert Reamer, and the inn combines rugged materials and organic motifs in a way that expresses both frontier sensibilities and elegance.

The Old Faithful Inn opened in 1904, and was equipped with electric lighting, but Reamer designed the light fixtures to look like candlesticks. Both the electricity and the radiators were fueled by a unique steam generator taking advantage of the geo-thermal fields nearby. Dinner was accompanied by a string quartet (which is still a feature of the lodge), and dancing was customary on most nights. The east wing was added in 1919 and the west wing was added in 1927, both under Reamer’s supervision, bringing the inn’s total number of guest rooms to 340. Since that time annexes have been added to increase occupancy and provide for park staff.

View from our window toward the general store
Old Faithful in the distance
Hallway outside our room
Vintage Tours
Lobby fireplace
Old Faithful from the cafateria

Just being in the Upper Geyser Basin is the experience of a lifetime and spending time at the inn is just icing on the cake. The lodge is a magnificent structure with a lobby that stands four stories high with numerous seating areas, a huge fireplace and includes a main dining room, a snack bar and a bar that features light fare. The rustic architectural details are worth special attention and there is a front second story porch where you can sit and watch the geyser shows.

It seems almost a requirement to have at least one meal in this historic log dining room with its impressive stone fireplace, as much for the ambiance as the food. The best buys are a buffet breakfast, a nice lunch menu and a buffet option for dinner. The general store, just down the hill, has a good lunch counter but it closes in the afternoon and there is a cafeteria in the newest building off to the side of Old Faithful.

Room and food prices are not really excessive considering the location. There is, however, very little to brag about in the Spartan guest rooms inside the old inn that offer no air conditioning, no TV or WiFi, but luxurious accommodations are not what draws most people here.

There is one serious issue with The Old Faithful Inn – getting reservations. Officially reservations are made through the National Park Service, but there is very little chance of getting a room. Booking for each year has a start date but within hours the entire year is booked out. Most of the reservations are quickly taken up by tour companies and independent brokers. Land tours to Yellowstone with a stay at the inn are big business with a number of excursion buses there every day. Talking to a NPS representative we were given the names of a couple of booking companies where you’ll pay a “convenience” fee in making a booking.

NPS Reservations Old Faithful Inn
Private Booking Agency Here

Two Days In Bangkok, Thailand

The current(?) Palace

Visiting Bangkok can be an exciting experience. The culture is rich, the food is plentiful and diverse and there are amazing things to see and do. If you arrive on a cruise ship, you dock at Laem Chabang which is a minimum hour-and-a-half drive from the Bangkok. If your ship is only there for the day, it is difficult to get into the city and back and still manage to see much. If you are lucky, your ship docks one morning and departs the next evening providing you time for an adventure.

The trip into Bangkok is interesting because you see a lot and realize how modern the area is. There are many factories and businesses along the way and rest stops which stretch great distances, providing a large number of restaurants and coffee shops for the traveler.

Chao Phraya River

Once into the city, there are numerous temples and markets to visit along with museums and other historical properties. Thailand’s main religion is Buddhism so getting to a temple or two is a must. Keep in mind that there are specific dress codes for entering temples (i.e. no bare shoulders or short pants) and you probably will be required to remove your shoes. Some temples do not allow photos. The word for temple in Thai is Wat.

The Emerald Buddha (actually made of jade) is probably the most famous and it is on the grounds of the Grand Palace (established in 1782). The grounds are huge and include a number of temples and palaces, magnificent statuary, works of art and jeweled walls. There are small admittance fees but you can claim a beautiful brochure once you have paid. The Grand Palace closes from time to time for events/ceremonies so this could affect your visit so be sure and enquire before investing in the trip.

Within a short walk of the Grand Palace is Wat Pho which is home to the Reclining Buddha (covered in gold and 46 meters in length), including several other Buddhas and a variety of stone figures. Another famous temple in the area (not walking distance) is Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) on the Chao Phraya River. It can be enjoyed on its’ own or as part of a river/canal tour.

Maeklong Railway Market

While in Bangkok we were urged to try a number of “street” foods, which are everywhere. Mostly what we sampled were fresh fruits with one highlight being a cup of strawberries dusted with salt, sugar and chili powder. Freshly opened coconuts for coconut water were available everywhere. Other foods included grilled chicken, fried bananas and sliced pineapple. After checking into our hotel we went into the shopping district and stopped in a sports bar for a beer. We ordered chicken wings and were served the tiniest wings we’d ever seen, only about an inch long.

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

50 miles from Bangkok is the Maeklong Railway Market, the most unique market in Asia. It features vendors (mostly food) on both sides of the railroad track. They display their products along the tracks and, when the train is coming, they quickly pull everything back until the train passes right through the market. Afterwards, all goods go back by the tracks. This process happens seven times a day but it is best to visit early in the morning when the temperatures and smells are both lower. Food is the main item sold here.

There are many floating markets in Thailand but one of the more interesting ones is Damnoen Saduak, about 60 miles from the city. Products are displayed in boats and around the canals and you can purchase food items that have been cooked on the boats. You can hire a long boat and the operator will row you around the canals to shop and sight see. Bartering is a must and payment in local currency (baht) is expected.

Some excursions can be arranged with your ship as well most hotels in Bangkok with most offering access to tours. A better alternative, if you are there overnight, is to hire a private travel company like Travel Hub as they have good itineraries and will pick you up at the ship or hotel. In our case we were picked up at the ship in Laem Chabang, spent the day touring, were dropped off at our hotel, picked up the following morning for more touring and then back to our ship. There are fixed itineraries with a little flexibility and each group includes a guide and driver; the smaller the group, the more personal the tour. Pricing depends on the number of people in your group.

Rest area on Thai highway.

A couple of important notes about visiting Thailand: The people love and respect their king and do not tolerate disrespect. Most Thai homes include photographs or art depicting the king and his family. One story recounts an incident where someone dropped Thai currency and stepped on it to keep it from blowing away. The act was considered an insult to the king because his picture is on the currency. Another note regards the Buddha. Thailand is a Buddhist country and disrespect towards the Buddha is not permitted under Thai law. There are billboards and posters all over the country pointing this out.

If you are planning a trip to Southeast Asia you need to put Thailand at the top of your itinerary’s list.

A Visit To Peggy’s Cove

Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

The number one visitor destination in the Canadian Maritimes is Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia. In addition to being a popular tourist attraction it is also a preservation area and an artists’ colony featuring a number of galleries and shops. Although the lighthouse no longer operates, during summer the famous landmark is Canada’s only post office in a lighthouse.

Visitors will find a few good places to eat from the note worthy So’Wester Restaurant to a hot dog cart. There are a number of galleries featuring original art and reproduction prints, a pewter shop and gift shops to browse and of course some great overlooks and a good hiking trail.

History

In the early 1900s, the population of Peggy’s Cove peaked at about 300 people. At that time the community operated a schoolhouse, church, general store, lobster cannery, and a number of fishing and lobster boats. Currently, the small fishing village has a population of only about 30 year-round residents.The narrow cove probably was named after the wife of William Rodgers, an Irish immigrant to St Margaret’s Bay around 1770 but you will be told a number of different legends about its name.

Officially the lighthouse is Peggy’s Point Lighthouse built in 1915, but it’s more commonly called Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse. The lighthouse stands at a height of approximately 50 feet and is perched on top of huge granite rock formations that overlook the Atlantic Ocean. It is no longer an active lighthouse but remains one of Canada’s most photographed structures. In addition to the picturesque fishing village, the lighthouse is also a prime attraction on the Canadian Lighthouse Trail scenic drive.

A popular attraction in “the Cove” is the Fishermen’s Monument, a large mural created on a granite boulder by local marine artist William deGarthe (1907-1983), which celebrates the local fishing family’s relationship with the ocean. Located behind his house it took him 19 years to complete. He started working on the monument in 1977 and finished it in 1996, a year before his death. The monument features 32 figures and is carved into a granite outcropping that overlooks the cove.

Getting To Peggy’s Cove

The small fishing village is located 37 miles (43 km) south of Halifax, on eastern St Margaret’s Bay. To get from Halifax to Peggy’s Cove by driving take Canada Rt. 333 southwest out of town and watch for the signs for Peggy’s Cove Road on the left. One of the most popular area destinations there a literally dozens and dozens of bus excursions. One word of caution about bus tours; the parking is so restricted in Peggy’s Cove that bus visits are limited to only one hour. So if you would prefer to stay longer or see more of the area, a rental car may be the best option and will probably save you some money.

Read more about Peggy’s Cove HERE.

Enotecas, The Wine Bars Of Rome

Not long ago we spent an entire day walking around Rome, stopping several times for coffee with an early dinner on the Via Veneto. It was getting dark by the time we returned to our hotel but it was still too early to call it a day. We were staying only a few blocks from the Termini and referring to our planning notes found a wine bar only a short walk away. Rome’s enoticas are a remarkable place to sit and unwind…

Trimani Enoteca

It comes highly rated and Trimani deserves the praise it gets. It turns out that Trimani has been a name in Rome for a very long time, with its founders selling wine for over 175 years. It is one of the best known enotecas in Rome and features wines from all over the world at more than fair prices.

The atmosphere was welcoming and comfortable and the staff knowledgeable and friendly. We enjoyed a number of good glasses of wine and a generous cheese plate along with an order of small bites.

Italian wine bars are called Enoteche an Italian word derived from a Greek word which literally means “wine repository”. The word is used to describe a type of local or regional wine shop that originated in Italy and recently has spread to some other European countries.

Trimani Enoteca is located at via Goito 20, Rome, Italy not far from the Termini.

Trimani Enoteca

A genuine enoteca is intended to give locals, visitors and tourists the opportunity to taste wines at a reasonable price before buying the bottle. Regionally an enoteca is often run in collaboration with wineries and tourism organizations in an area. They were intended as a source of information on local wines rather than as regular retail outlet.

There are a number of these wine bars in Rome with many serving snacks and light dishes. If you are not looking for a full meal these are good choices. Three additional ones that are highly rated in other neighborhoods in Rome are:

Enoteca Regionale del Lazio

Highlighting regional quality is at the heart of this enoteca, located in central Rome. Because it’s a true regional enoteca it focuses on the wines and tastes of Lazio. All the best of local producers of both food and wine are showcased at Regionale del Lazio, making it a must visit for every wine loving tourist in Rome.

Enoteca Regionale del Lazio, Via Frattina, 94, 00187 Roma RM, Italy

Enoteca del Frate

Located in one of Rome’s Prati neighborhood north of the Vatican, Enoteca del Frate is an historical wine bar and enoteca which is a meeting point for local and foreign wine lovers. With continuous efforts to bring only the very best to Roman customers at discounted prices, and with offers ranging from wine to liquors, this enoteca, along with the nearby wine bar, will have something for every palate and every occasion. On the menu there are a series of appetizers to accompany the wine as well as other more elaborate dishes for those who are seeking a great meal.

Enoteca del Frate via degli Scipioni 118-122, Rome, Italy

Tipping?

After that trip we were looking up the Trimani in a Fodor’s Rome Guide and they noted in the listing that it is customary to leave a tip at wine bars in Rome. When in Rome we are not in the habit of tipping as it is not expected, but more and more in recent years Rome service people are getting spoiled with foreigners leaving tips and are now seem to expect them. The long standing custom is you don’t need to tip in Italy. In fact you’re probably already paying a supplement through the servizio (service charge) on your restaurant bill and/or the coperto (cover charge), sometimes both. At this point I am not sure that Fodor has changed their recommendation but I would appreciate any thoughts on this?

Budapest Goulash, New York Cafe and Kürtőskalács

Eating In Budapest – An Update

A few years ago when planning a trip to Budapest we went on the internet looking for food specialties and where to find them. Hungarian goulash was high on the list of course but once there I decided I prefer the lighter soup version of goulash. We also discovered it was going to be restaurant week while we were there and many establishments were offering special menus of their favorites at special prices. We managed to book a number of reservations before we left on the trip.

Almost a universal recommendation for visitors to Budapest was breakfast at the New York Kávézó (Hungarian for café) located in the Budapest New York Palace Hotel. After our visit we agree this is a very special place. What a gorgeous place and the orchestra played unobtrusively while we sipped our coffee and cappuccino.

My search on the internet also came across Kürtőskalács which were advertised as the pastry of Budapest. It is a sweet, spiral-shaped pastry that originated in Transylvania. It’s also known as ‘chimney cake’, because of its unique shape. Making kürtőskalács requires a cylinder to wrap the dough around and a rotisserie for baking so it is usually not something made at home.

Kürtőskalács

Two articles I read said you could find them at shops in the Market Hall, a famous food hall in Budapest. No trip to Budapest is complete without spending some time in this institution shopping for t-shirts and paprika. (Tip: the deeper into the hall you go the lower the prices)

Budapest’s Market Hall

On our first visit to the Market Hall I had the name Kürtőskalács displayed on my phone (there was no way I was going to attempt to pronounce it) and I would show it to various merchants. Everyone thought you could find this nearby and one man gave me directions to go out and across the street. After about an hour we came to the conclusion that there were no Kürtőskalács to be found anywhere nearby.

I would occasionally show Kürtőskalács displayed on my phone as we traveled around the city but still came up empty. Who would have thought it would be so hard to find?

The New York Cafe

A few days later we were coming out of the central train station just after dark and guess what? Right on the sidewalk was a Kürtőskalács stand with about ten people waiting in line. This pastry delicacy costs about two dollars and you select your coating flavor. Don’t leave town without trying one.

Update: We returned to Budapest last summer and met up with friends. This time The Market Hall had several stands selling Kürtőskalács. Strolling up the pedestrian mall near the Market Hall again lots of Kürtőskalács. Everywhere we went it appeared that Budapest had now rediscovered Kürtőskalács.

On a number of evenings we found local neighborhood restaurants where we sampled a number of Hungarian meals and none disappointed.