Some old guy once said “The journey is what brings us happiness not the destination.”   With Billy Rivera, Charlotte’s very own Karaoke Cab service, the journey is definitely the best part!   In this unique cab ride passengers are invited to perform karaoke tunes with Billy while in-route to your destination. What could be more fun than that?  I would love to hear your cab stories especially if you’ve had the karaoke experiencing.

Need to get somewhere and want to enjoy the journey,  call Rivera at 704-661-6873

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery

My friend Melissa and I are making a point to try something new in our city at least once a month, this month we hit up The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery (OMB.) I’m not gonna lie when I turned onto Southside Drive off Old Pineville I was a bit skeptical…a few old warehouses and not a lot of curb appeal.  I was, however,  pleasantly surprised when I walked into a large dark wood tasting room with a distinct German beer hall look and feel.  The tasting room has three of their beers on tap, Copper, Kölsch, and the winter brew Dunkel.  After a generous sample of each (they are all delicious by the way) I decided on a 1/2 pint of their lightest beer, Copper  and settled in for some background information on this little diamond in the rough. I found out that most of the equipment in the brewery is second-hand and it was all started for the love of good beer, they are even thinking of building a conference room for companies to hold meetings and enjoy a brew.  The most authentic part for me, having been to a few German beer halls in my day, was that our tab was kept on our coasters and at the end of our visit we just took our coasters to the front to pay!

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery is a great way to switch up your normal routine and support local business-I will be going back!

Brewing local beer

Keeping the tab on my coaster

Love that they have reusable jugs that you can buy and have refilled on your next visit

I recently took a trip to Napa Valley, California.   It rained almost the entire time but who really cares once the wine tasting begins right?

There are so many wineries to visit and so many things to do you really need a plan, especially if you only have a few days.  Here are my suggestions…

Like the bubbly?  Sparkling Wine a.k.a Champaign (The French don’t like to share names)

Chandon:  This winery specializes in sparkling wines and have a fantastic tasting room busy with young hip individuals mingling about.  The tastings are from $16-$22, they also have a wonderful selection of posh snacks that you can nosh on as you taste. My friend Melissa fell in love with the parsnip purée and caviar.

Domaine Carneros:  This château-style building and grounds are absolutely beautiful.  It was actually the second time that I have paid them a visit.  The staff is really knowledgeable and I happen to enjoy the complimentary raw almond snack they bring to your table with your flutes of bubbly.  Tastings are $15-$24, but I just went for the whole glass at this one, the Blanc de Noir is delicious.

Wineries

Cuvaison:  For sure one of my favorite modern wineries.  Their new Carnaros tasting room is in the middle of their vineyards with stunning views.  The wines are incredible and so are their Sustainable Winegrowing Practices. They have also partnered with Yemm & Hart, a recycling company that converts cork into self-sustaining products, to create a recycling program that promotes the education and collection of corks.  I love that they are so into being green!  I highly recommend visiting.

Artesa:  Just off the beaten path you will find the beautifully landscaped modern winery, Artesa.  Not only do they have good wine they have an amazing view and fantastic sculpture art.  I was blown away by the work of resident artist  Gordon Huether, I asked so may questions that they gave me a book about it.  I must also note that there were cute little sheep everywhere as we pulled up…it was a girls trip and we thought it was just the sweetest.  Tastings are from $10-$15.

Reynolds Family Winery is so comfy with its large dark wood tasting bar, cozy chairs,  and their adorable cat Bert .  For Valentines day each year they offer chocolate dipped bottles of the signature wine Persistence. The bottles are  hand-dipped by Napa Valley’s own Vintage Sweet Shop .  The combination of chocolate and wine had me salivating.

Minor:  A family oriented winery with a great staff of individuals working the tasting room. They have incredible Reds worth shipping home.  My friend Kenny is a member of their wine club so I have no idea how much the tastings are and to be honest this was the last winery of the day…but I do remember that it was good.

Other Must Do Activities

If you’re done with wine and you want to drink beer with the locals check out Thompson’s Corner.  Don’t be alarmed by the bras hanging from the ceiling, the beer is cheep and the people watching is priceless!

Enjoy a demonstration at the Culinary Institute of America for only $15.   It’s a great way to learn a new recipe or technique, not to mention that you get to taste everything.  The demos are only on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm .  You need to call ahead for reservation 707-967-2320.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right?  You must try Bouchon Bakery , where I saw famous chef Thomas Keller (French Laundry…) AMAZING pastries and yummy coffee and Boon Fly Cafe homemade donuts and a cuppa joe for $6.25 no better way to start your day!

Packing a picnic in Napa is a great inexpensive and romantic way to have lunch.  Stop by the Napa Valley Dean & DeLuca to pick your favorite snacks and sandwiches to pack up and take with you.

What would a trip to Northern California be without a tour of the Jelly Belly factory…it’s cool because you can try all the new flavors at the tasting bar, see a huge Jelly bean collage of Ronald Reagan, it’s close to Napa, and it’s FREE.

If you happen to be really bored or maybe over drinking wine you could consider taking a tour of Budweiser, the tour is free and you get 3 free beers.

Domaine Carneros

Cuvaison tasting room

Artesa

Culinary Institute of America

Boon Fly Cafe

*If you have been to Napa and have suggestions please let me know your favorite places for the next visit.

Mobile Boarding Pass option is currently available for departures from the following cities:

Recently, I was laid off from a job that I loved.  I felt like my life was spinning out of control and that I would become a permanent lump in my ever-so-comfortable bed without purpose or reason to get up.   Funny thing is I actually  have more control and bigger purpose.  A blessing in disguise…lemonade from lemons…either way, life is better.   Check out the inspiring documentary Lemonade, it’s not a pink slip. It’s a blank page. About individuals who were laid off and how they filled their blank page with a better story.

My only concern is couples getting a little too comfortable…

So the bottom line is, I go For The Love of Travel…something inside of me desires to see, learn, and experience people, food, and culture. Why would I sit around doing and seeing the same things?  I need adventure in my life!  No one else can write my story or live my adventure for me, I have to create it myself.  I believe that doing and going teaches more than any class or book ever will and I know deep down everyone needs adventure.  If you don’t have the money to start with a big trip, why not start taking advantage of the great places that are just down the road from you?  I mean, everyone has to start somewhere.  Go, do, write your story, and make it good.