Hail to The Queen City...Charlotte, North Carolina

I think the wife of King George III of Great Britain would

be proud of her namesake city.  It is not only North Carolina's
 largest city, it is an energetic city that beautifully combines its
Southern historical charm with the taste of new.  In short,
Charlotte has something for everyone.

Recently, I had the good fortune of finding myself in 

Charlotte and stayed at Duke Mansion.  It's a charming 20-room
bed and breakfast which was built in 1915 and is listed on the
 National Register of Historic Places.  It was once owned by
 Buck Duke (think "Duke University") and it is situated on
 4.5 acres of lush grounds and gardens with spectacular fountains.
It is surrounded by Charlotte's most historical mansions in a
beautiful neighborhood just two miles from the city's center.

Be sure to ask for rooms like 202, 206 and 207 which 

offer French doors that open onto these spacious

screened-in porches.  It's the perfect spot for to relax!

And, if outstanding breakfasts in beautiful

settings mean anything to you, then you

 will not want to miss their delicious breakfast!

Other notable places in Charlotte to shop, dine and stay:

Charlotte Rug Gallery

Three generations of selling fine rugs

Capitol

Contemporary clothing

Circa Interiors and Antiques

Timeless furnishings and modern accessories

Coral

Contemporary clothing

Isabella

Fine linens and accessories

Addison Weeks

Clothing and accessories

Granville

Lighting, accessories and antiques

Decade

Furniture, artwork and antiques

King's Kitchen

A Rustic farm-to-fork restaurant serving 

traditional southern fare

Community-conscious by employing post-rehab and 

at-risk kids to give them life-skills and job training and

donating profits to faith-based feeding centers

Pike's Old Fashioned Soda Shop

A classic American diner located in the South End

Carp Diem 

Some of the best buttermilk fried chicken 

to pass your lips

Halcyon

Farmhouse-chic dishes and inventive libations

Attached to the Mint Museum Uptown

Gorgeous Uptown Views

Common Market

An eclectic deli with an extensive wine 

list located in the South End

Alexander Michaels Restaurant and Tavern

Great tavern in Charlotte's historic 4th district

Harvest Moon Grill

Simply decorated farm-to-table restaurant

Located off the lobby of The Dunhill Hotel

McNinch House

Serving a 7-course perfection in dining

Reservations are a must

5Church

Cosmopolitan Finery

Dressler's

Great skyline for a backdrop

Pinky's Westside Grill

Housed in an old Wesley Heights Auto Shop

Funky and fun spot serving burgers, hot dogs

sandwiches and salads

The Depot

Largest antique and designer mall in the South.

Luce

Intimate and luxurious restaurant

Serving innovative northern Italian

The Cowbell Burger Bar

Specialty Burger Bar

The Wooden Vine

Wine bar and bistro with creative daily food

 specials featuring seasonal and 

local ingredients

The Dunhill

Charlotte's first elegant boutique

built in 1929 still holds its reputation

today as the "it" place to stay.

The Ballantyne Hotel and Lodge

Resort amenities with golf course and spa.

The Morehead Inn

Historic bed and breakfast located close

to Uptown.

The Ritz-Carlton

 146 elegantly appointed rooms 

in the heart of Uptown. 

HOPING YOU FEEL "ROYAL" EACH 

AND EVERY DAY!

TRAVEL M GIRL

Vail Never Fails

There are a million reasons to love Vail all year long but I

do believe Fall is my absolute favorite time to go. 

Mother nature starts to put on a spectacular show

that really is a feast for the eyes.

The summer crowds are gone, there is a cool

crispness in the air and prices on lodging and 

even in some restaurants are lower.

 More than 100 boutiques, galleries, restaurants

and nightspots are right within walking distance.

The best way to explore Vail is on bike.

With the spectacular scenery, perfect temperatures 

and fewer crowds, it's the perfect time to get out

on one of over a dozen golf courses in Vail Valley.

I think I will just let Mother Nature do the talking for

me in the next few photos....

Of course, this time of the year, Mother Nature can

bring along her own surprises...

It's like the changing of the guard as you watch

the snow start to replace the beautiful Fall foliage... 

Can ski season be that far away??

Soon this entire valley will be blanketed in snow.

Time to start waxing up those skis!

Eating in Vail is as much fun as being there with a

large variety of cuisine.  Here are just a few

of my favorites:

Terra Bistro

a landmark Vail restaurant 

The Tyrolean

Wild game and other alpine items abound

The Red Lion

historic landmark and one of Vail's

original and most popular meeting 

and eating/drinking spots 

Centre V

French brasserie with a spacious

slopeside patio

Larkspur

contemporary cuisine located at 

the base of Vail Mountain

Sweet Basil

inventive American cuisine that

has been a hot spot for years

Kelly Liken

sources local ingredients and meats such as

 Colorado beef and rack of lamb

Campo de Fiori

authentic Italian cuisine

La Tour

 contemporary French sourced

from seasonal and regional products

for over 20 years 

Game Creek

nestled at the top of the Game Creek Bowl and 

only accessible by gondola (or Snowcat-driven

sleigh in the winter) serves Colorado regional

American cuisine

Blue Moose

lively eatery located in the heart of 

Lionshead serving signature New York 

style pizza, subs and salads

Some of my favorite places to stay:

The Lodge at Vail, a RockResort

location, ambience and impeccable staff

has made this hotel popular since Vail

opened in 1962

Game Creek Chalet

unforgettable stay in a European chalet

located at the top of Game Creek Bowl

with a four bedrooms and four baths

Sitzmark Lodge 

family-owned lodge since 1969

in the center of Vail Village by Gore Creek

is a great value for its location

Sonnenalp Hotel

Bavarian-style lodge with 90 guest rooms 

mostly suite-style with ambience that

makes you feel like you are in the Alps

The Arrabelle at Vail Square, a RockResort

36 guest rooms with 50 condominium rooms

located in the heart of Lionshead

 Four Seasons Resort and Residences

just inside the main entrance to Vail Valley

a contemporary European-style luxury hotel and 

condominiums

Vail Mountain Lodge

27 rooms and condominiums alongside

Gore Creek

TRAVEL M GIRL

Air Fare

This is what most of us dread when traveling by

plane these days...that old cattle car feeling as

we sit amongst the masses.

And signs like these surely bring on the headaches.  It's

the travel day we all dread. But, hope is around the corner,

at least for our bellies, because more and more restaurants have 

realized the value of placing more upscale and popular 

eateries in airports.  And, most of the restaurants have the

ability to pack up your meal for you to take on the plane.

Imagine eating food like in the two photos below.  It's not

just a memory of your meal while you were at your destination,

it's THE meal you are eating while you are in the airport and

these restaurants make for great hiding spots while

 waiting out those nasty delays.

Imagine sitting down for fresh seafood at popular restaurants

like Cat Cora or Wolfgang Puck.

Or, even better, imagine getting to enjoy the local flavor of

some of the best restaurants in any given city within walking 

distance of your gate.  

At Dallas' Love Field you can treat yourself to Campisi's

Restaurant which is one of Dallas' most loved Italian

 restaurants. Campisi's has been serving up incredible

 food since 1946 and now you can enjoy their delicious

pizza that doesn't taste like the cardboard box that you

typically find at most pizza counters at airports.

                                                     

And, it's not just restaurants getting in on the action,

there are markets opening up such as Napa Farms

Market in San Francisco International Airport where

you can box up a variety of cold and hot food along

with wine and other delicacies by Cowgirl Creamery 

Acme Bread and famous chef Tyler Florence.

Or treat yourself to a vast selection of wines

like at Cru Bar at Dallas' Love Field.

I'll pick sitting down to a tasty meal like this

any day over grabbing an over-priced and

stale sandwich and chips for my meal.

Other tasty restaurants can be found at the following airports:

Atlanta Hartsfield International

One Flew South

Southern soul with a great sushi bar

Paschal's

Atlanta institution serving southern dishes

New York La Guardia 

Prime Tavern

Great steaks opened by New York's Porter

House Michael Lomonaco

Fig's

Todd English's outpost of his Boston pizzeria

Boston Logan International

Legal Seafoods

Great raw bar and fresh seafood

Bonfire

Global-inspired foods with great fish tacos

Los Angeles International 

Skewers by Marmot

Pinks Hot Dogs 

Legendary Hollywood hot dog shack

serving since 1939

Encounter Restaurant

Designed to look like a flying saucer

serving California-style food

Washington Ronald Reagan National

Matsutake Sushi

Serving good sushi, sashimi, tempura

and terriyaki

Cibo Bistro and Wine Bar

Serving more than 32 different wines

and Italian fare

Chicago O'Hare

Berghoff Cafe

Opened in Chicago in the 1880's serving hand-

carved roast beef and Reuben sandwiches

Tortas Frontera

Mexican food master Rick Bayless serves

up amazing sandwiches

Austin Bergstrom International

Maudie's

To get your Tex-Mex fix

Salt Lick

Get your brisket cut to order

New York John F. Kennedy International

Piquillo

Tapas and Spanish sandwiches

Croque Madame

Great sandwiches and salads serving up

a wonderful salty Croque-Madame made

with Gruyere cheese

AeroNuova

Italian by star chef Mark Ladner

Brasserie La Vie

Run by former chefs from NY's famous Pastis

and Balthazar restaurants

Minneapolis-St.Paul International

Shoyu

A ramen and rice shop that makes bowls of

pork ramen and great platters of crab friend rice

Seattle-Tacoma International

Anthony's Restaurant & Fish Bar

Dish D'Lish

Local celeb chef Kathy Casey puts

her special touch on sandwiches and salads

Denver International

New Belgium Hub

Whole wheat pancakes plus sandwiches

and salads

Phoenix Sky Harbor International

El Bravo

Drawing crowds for 30 years with their

tamales

San Antonio

Vino Volo

A wonderful small-plate restaurant

Dallas-Ft. Worth International

Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen

Pick up delicacies such as shrimp étouffée, fried 

alligator and other Cajun and Creole delights

Memphis International

Jim Neely's Interstate BBQ

Never pass up the chance to eat 

their ribs

And, for the best App that can help you locate these and

other restaurants (along with other information about

airport maps, services and amenities) I use Gate Guru.  

It's a free App that I depend on whenever I find myself

in an airport due to a delay or long layover.

We may not be able to control the weather, mechanical

problems and other things that make our time in airports

longer than desired, but at least now we have some

great options on how to spend that time.

HAPPY TRAVELING!

TRAVEL M GIRL

Something To Sing About In Santa Fe

Less than 15 minutes drive from Santa Fe's shops, restaurants and

 galleries the Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe is

 nestled on nearly 60 acres in the Sangre de Cristo foothills.  There are 65

 guest rooms and suites with an elegant yet rustic modern design that 

blend beautifully with the midcentury architectural style.  And, if you

 think you might ever want to leave this place, there are complimentary

 Mercedes that will transport you between the resort and Santa Fe.  With the 

resort's tranquil spa and plush setting, why would you want to venture out?

  Of course, there is one great reason to venture out and that would be to attend

 the Santa Fe Opera which is currently running through August.

For one of the best opera experiences you will ever have, look no

 further than the open-air Santa Fe Opera House just right across

 the highway.  It has grown to be recognized as one of the world's leading

cultural festivals.   Pre-show tailgating with elegant dinners and buffets at the 

Opera's open-air cantina is a  must.  For more information on the Santa Fe Opera, 

go to www.santafeopera.org.

The Four Seasons in-house restaurant, Terra, serves wonderful
 southwestern cuisine and I think their outdoor fire pit-side dining is
 one of the best in the region. It's a perfect way to capture one
of those beautiful Santa Fe sunsets.

My idea of a perfect day is to start with a great breakfast and I don't have to 

look any further than Tecolote Cafe located on Cerrillos Road.

 It's been featured on Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" 

but locals have known since 1980 where to come get their breakfast.

 Sundays mean cinnamon rolls along with their usual
piping hot biscuits and muffins basket.

After a spicy plate of Migas over their crispy skillet-fried potatoes, 

I'm ready to spend the rest of my morning at the Santa Fe Railyard.
It's a perfect gathering spot for relaxing, dining, entertainment, viewing art,
 and buying locally grown produce.

Spring through summer on Tuesdays and Saturdays, make

your way to the Santa Fe Farmer's Market in the Railyard where 

local farmers bring an abundance of food and merchandise.

Not even a full stomach could keep me from buying these

delicious pastries.  I would advise to go early because

items like these don't last long!

 I'm all set for tomorrow morning breakfast!

 The produce so beautiful they look like a work of art!

Every Sunday you will find the Railyard Artisan Market
where you can enjoy local art, jewelry, sculpture,
artisanal clothing and much more.  

For more information about The Railyard, go to www.railyardsantafe.com.

 I can always find something to sing about Santa Fe.
TRAVEL M GIRL