A Destination for All Ages
| Family Memories - Destinations |
Fun for All in Branson, Missouri
A family vacation that can keep three generations happy – is that mission impossible? Not in Branson, Missouri! With its blend of shows, shopping, natural beauty and clean family fun, Branson will please everyone.
For the perfect overview of the Branson area, including the Ozark Mountains and Table Rock Lake, Ride the Ducks! Strap on your unique duckbill quacker (provided, but purely optional) and prepare to be entertained by their hilarious-showman-trained-as-Coast-Guard-captain for a ride in an amphibious World War II DUKH-inspired truck. The tour includes a turn on the lake, with a splashdown from dry land to water and chances for passengers to pilot the duck while afloat. Branson.
If your family schedules only one Branson destination on the itinerary, Silver Dollar City would be it – plenty of amusement park rides, 40 live shows, more than 100 working artisans, festivals, restaurants, activities and classes, all in a wooded setting. Families can stick together or find their own favorite fun.
Dishing Up Virginia
Review: Like a Cookbook & Travel Guide, Too
We completed our Virginia-inspired meal with a Wakefield classic: peanut butter silk pie, recipe from the Virginia Diner, the restaurant that has been part of the Suffolk landscape since 1929. The dessert was, as the name promised, silky smooth, a perfect blend of rich, sweet goodness. Though each dish was inspired by the foodways of the commonwealth, the final products came from my own kitchen, guided by recipes in Dishing Up® Virginia: 145 Recipes That Celebrate Colonial Traditions and Contemporary Flavors. The author, Patrick Evans-Hylton, is a food journalist, professionally trained chef, instructor, historian and executive editor of Virginia Wine Lover magazine. His passion for and knowledge of Virginia and her food, history and people permeate the book. A Destination for All Ages
With its blend of shows, shopping, natural beauty and clean family fun, Branson will please everyone. Fun for AllFor the perfect overview of the Branson area, including the Ozark Mountains and Table Rock Lake, Ride the Ducks! Strap on your unique duckbill quacker (provided, but purely optional) and prepare to be entertained by their hilarious-showman-trained-as-Coast-Guard-captain for a ride in an amphibious World War II DUKH-inspired truck. The tour includes a turn on the lake, with a splashdown from dry land to water and chances for passengers to pilot the duck while afloat. Read more...Tequila and Tacos and More, Oh My!
Tasting at Casa del Barco in Richmond, VirginiaOne beverage shines on Cinco de Mayo: tequila. And after my recent tasting with Michael Avery, beverage manager and resident expert at Richmond’s Casa del Barco, the Mexican spirit now shines for me year-round. Who knew there was so much to know? We began with the Casa Noble Crystal, Patron Silver, and Siete Leguas Blanco – three clear tequilas. Next up was Asombroso La Rosa Reposado – aged for three months in vintage Bordeaux barrels, this premium tequila presents luscious notes of chocolate and berry. Sip this one neat! We also tasted the Centinela Anejo, aged two years in American oak barrels. The Anejo presents with a light agave nose, honey, fruit and floral notes. Oh, and I held a bottle of rare, expensive 1800 Coleccion Extra Anejo tequila. You can pick one up for yourself for around $1,500! With over 130 tequilas at Casa del Barco, you too can be educated while treating your palate to some proper spirits. Can’t decide? The staff has been educated to help you decide, or you can peruse the detailed menu. Better yet, try one of Casa del Barco’s beverage flights, found on the last page of the menu! Add to the spirits the food from Chef de Cuisine Zach Wingold (specials on Cinco de Mayo, but delightful choices all year long) and you’ve got a perfect pairing. Situated on the Canal Walk in downtown Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom, Casa del Barco is a wondrous place to celebrate any occasion – Cinco de Mayo, birthday, or just because. Ole! Woo-Woo, Chattanooga!
Trains Set the Moodfor so much more...I felt like Chattanooga should be home, though I’d never been there. I suppose that the “Chattanooga Choo-Choo” song, indelibly etching in my mind the image of the town as a train hub, gives me that feeling. After all, both of my grandfathers were railroad men, so the chug of iron horses pulses through my blood.
That feeling was reinforced each night of my trip, as I settled into my accommodations in a renovated, 80-year-old Victorian railcar at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo Hotel. Besides the train cars and other lodging options, the resort provides indoor and outdoor pools, gardens, shops, a model railroad museum and several restaurants.
And though my other activities in this eastern Tennessee town were loads of fun but not railroad related, I always felt at home. Read more at RichmondNavigator magazine. |
The star of the meal was the Thalhimers deviled crab: chunks of fresh crabmeat blended with the perfect touch of spice, inspired by Richmond’s legendary department store of yesteryear. The shellfish was accompanied by tomato pudding (once a stalwart dish on my Grandmother Tobey’s Virginia table), fresh roasted asparagus, and balsamic strawberries with fresh mint. Starr Hill King of Hop Imperial IPA paired perfectly with the spice of the entrée and with its partners.
A family vacation that can keep three generations happy – is that mission impossible? Not in Branson, Missouri!
