Chocolate is a scrumptious addition to any meal, from appetizers, to main dishes, and especially desserts. Road tripping across the US we found some exceptional chocolate treats and so much more.
Milk Bar NYC
Milk Bar NYC
Super excited to try crack pie and coffee for breakfast. This is a planned find in NYC. Watching Chef’s Table on Netflix. I knew I needed to try Milk Bar. This is Christine Tosi’s and is part of the Manhattan-based Momofuku restaurant. This is my first stop in the morning. The little shop has great cookies, cakes, pies, and bagel bombs. I order an iced coffee, bagel bomb with spinach, and crack pie. The bagel bomb is warm and filled with spinach and cheese. It is a nice bite for the start of touring NYC. I save the crack pie for a little later, but it is delicious. The filling is something like a custard, but buttery. The oat crust is light and flaky. This is a must stop and see.
Lagomarcino’s Confectionery Moline Illinois
Lagomarcino’s Confectionery in Moline IL is worth a diversion on any road trip. It is operated by 4th generation of Tom Lagomarcino Sr. They received a James Beard Award in 2006.
Lagomarcino’s Confectionery Soda ShopJames Beard AwardLagomarcino’s Confectionery fudge sauce Dad at Lagomarcino’s Confectionery Moline IL Lagomarcino’s Confectionery
This 110-year-old soda shop is a true find in the middle of nowhere. They have the true old-fashioned feel. The have a soda counter, sandwich shop, homemade ice cream, and beautiful chocolates. The originals owners meet at a soda shop and married in 1949. They had six children and they were famous for their fudge sauce. The shop started reselling the fudge sauce with their 100-year anniversary.
Taking my father here was such a treat. He recalled the stories of going to soda shop his uncle owned as a child. He talked about Ironport soda, a Utah tradition. It is a cross between root beer and Caribbean spices. He went for the hot fudge sundae (a surprise at the bottom was more fudge).
I went for their famous chocolate shake. We took salted caramel milk chocolates, dark marble truffle, pumpkin fudge chocolate, coconut dark chocolate, tiramisu dark chocolate truffle, and orange peel for the road. A few went home to mother.
The decor in the store is old newspaper headliners. Handcrafted mahogany booths to enjoy your sandwich, soda, and dessert. The had beautiful marbled truffles. It was a true sensory experience with the sights, sounds, and smells. They were fabulous.
Sweet Shoppe Candy Store Flagstaff Arizona
Exploring Route 66 in the infamous town of Flagstaff AZ there is the Sweet Shoppe Candy Store. This fudge shop with a lollipop garden, taffy, homemade fudge, covered apples with a vast variety, and scrumptious chocolates.
This store has many great old-fashion fun with a great modern twist. It is located on 15 E Aspen Ave right off Route 66. They have so much to select from. Foodie Ellie had a big interest in the fudge but went with a sprinkled covered marshmallow.
They have homemade gelato. The chocolate is creamy and sweet. The best was the chocolate covered caramel (homemade there) with sea salt sprinkled on top.
This is a must stop when visiting Wilmington You can smell the sweetness down the street. This is just the start of the sensory experience provided. When entering the story your eyes are drawn to all the beautiful handcrafted chocolates and sweets. Located in the Historic Downtown. Ice cream is a popular treat in Wilmington. Kilwins makes bomb waffle cones, exceptional chocolates, and it is worth the wait.
They make their own ice cream from their original recipe with 40 premium, unique and delicious flavors including Mackinac Island Fudge. They use local farms for ingredients. The chocolate creations are amazing.
Sweet Country Charm Payson Arizona
Sweet Country Charm Candy Shop
TheSweet Country Charm Candy Shop is a quant fudge shop in Payson Arizona is a sweet location. Taking the drive up from Phoenix to go from the Sonoran Desert to the high desert landscapes. It is a beautiful drive. This shop is located on the Beeline Highway. Entering the shop it is a location to meet and enjoy the treats.
The shop was a great location for local crafters to sell their artisan work. Customers would bring up the fudge shop that hd been there. Rebecca Acord, the shop owner, decided to take a few cooking classes and incorporate the fudge and treats with the art.
This sweet treat reminded me of fudge at Christmas as a child. It is creamy and smooth. The aroma of chocolate and sweet are immediate when entering the shop. The visual is colorful and enticing. The sounds of community members talking about local news fills the room. The touch of the fudge is not crumbly but firm. The taste is incredible sweet and luscious. The varieties to choose from are a great treat to take home to enjoy later.
Just off the main street in Battle Ground is Battle Ground Sweet Shoppe & Bakery. Main street is very much the center of shopping local artisans and produce. You can enjoy a local bar, restaurant, and shopping exceptional creations and antiques. It is a great stroll of all that is old town in a small town.
Just off your stroll is the local sweet shop. This shop has a great selection of bar cookies, cupcakes, cakes, brownie, ice cream bar, hot cocoa bombs, and more. Would not be a Pacific Northwest business without great coffee to enjoy with the desserts.
You are surrounded by baked sweets. There are so many to choose from you do not know what to choose. The pandemic has changed how many in the state are able to enjoy dinning. The treats are delicious and hand crafted. The location can manage weddings, catering, and just a sit down for dessert and coffee as you shop.
The atmosphere is a cozy and warm from the rainy winter day, this soon turned to 12″ of snow. The desserts went well with dinner. We enjoyed brownie, caramel toffee bar, and red velvet pop cakes.
Honeymoon Sweets Bakery & Dessert Bar Tempe Arizona
The honeymoon maybe over but the bakery and sweet creations continue at Honeymoon Sweets Bakery & Dessert Bar. This is a locally owned and operated business. Co-Owners and Bakers Tim and Joan O’Connor met in culinary school. They create cakes, cookies, breakfast pastries, pies, tarts, and petit sweets.
They cater to major corporations, drop-by visitors, and special-event guests. The shop has a great display of goodies for the public to stop by for a treat or two. This is a fun place to stop for a treat or two or dessert for a dinner party. The treats are as tasty as they are beautiful.
Cincinnati Ohio, my niece and I stop by Abby Girl Sweets Cupcakes. This was a delightful find in the lobby of the Hilton Netherlands Hotel lobby. This little shop has a variety of sweet and moist cupcakes. We enjoyed the coconut, black raspberry chip, red velvet, and peanut butter cup. They were perfect after a long of competition at the USA Gymnastics event.
This business is owned and operated by Nathan & Andrea Thompson (husband and wife). The name comes from their daughter, Abby Girl, she is the top taster for the cupcakes. The cupcakes are sweet and well-flavored.
This was a wonderful road trip in the Midwest especially seeing family. It is always good connecting with your brother and his family. They have six fantastic children. Burt’s Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes With White Tea Extract to the rescue it saved the hotel white towels. It was a wonderful time traveling through the Midwest. There is plenty to see and do from art to culture and outdoor adventures. It is a beautiful part of the country with friendly people.
General Store in Summerhaven ArizonaFudge at the General Store Fudge Shop in Summerhaven Arizona
Fudge Shop
Getting to the top of Mount Lemmon is a great little spot to shop, eat, and get a little sweet treat. This general store has some great snacks, a few souvenirs, and fresh fudge. The tradition of a sweet shop on your adventures that are so fun and memorable.
What is your favorite local sweet shop? Post your answer here.
Traveling across the country you find a variety of traditional American food to traditions for each region. There is beautiful colors, smells, sounds, and exceptional people to meet. Here are a few of the food finds from Arizona to North Carolina.
Arizona Food
Chesapeake Bay Bistro
Chesapeake Bay Bistro
Pulling out of a local shopping plaza fish sounded good for dinner. As I Google the nearest location I did not have a clue that there was one tucked in the shopping center, Chesapeake Bay Bistro, this is was a treasure find.
The restaurant owned by James and Yolanda Brown ventured to open this location during the height of the pandemic. It was an exceptional decision.
Chef Zandra (Zantastic) Vaughn creates fish your way everyday. The menu is created to make your fish your way. The fish is homemade with fresh fish with every effort to use sustainable methods and recyclable goods. The hushpuppies are scrumptious.
The fish is fresh and crabs are live and flown in from the Chesapeake Bay in the East Coast on a daily basis. We make sure that our ingredients are of the highest quality.
The fun is adding your name to a flip flop and looking for an open space for your addition. The customer service the best. Yolanda is passionate and full of energy. The food was delicious and enough for a few meals.
Cameron Trading Post Highway 89
Cameron Trading Post
The food made from scratch daily and is a fusion of the three food cultures. This place is perfect for travelers with their lodging, restaurant, art gallery, garden with fountains, and a massive gift shop. The trading post opened in 1916 and welcomes everyone like a guest in their homes. Prior to being a trading post, the place served as an apothecary.
Breakfast:
Navajo pancake this is a blue corn pancake
Prickly pear stuffed french toast this is French toast served sandwich style with a prickly pear jam and cream cheese
Warrior Surprise is a mini-Navajo Taco topped with one egg
Lunch:
Southwest taco salad served with a prickly pear cactus fruit vinaigrette
Gunslinger ham and cheese with diced green chile to the classic ham and American cheese sandwich
Navajo burger A juicy burger patty served on Fry Bread with salsa and all the trimmings (this was a delicious choice)
Dinner:
Nakahee Becheeyeh ( means south of the border) includes a pork tamale, a meaty beef taco, and one cheese enchilada
Served with tortilla chips, our spicy homemade salsa, refried beans, rice, and your choice of red or green chile
Trout dinner with lightly breaded grilled fish
Liver and Onions Beef liver grilled with onions and bacon
served with soup or salad, a fresh mini loaf and a choice of mashed potatoes, baked potato, French fries, sautéed vegetables or rice pilaf.
Each dish enjoyed this evening brought a new experience to something familiar. We enjoyed the Navajo burger (with a vegetarian patty), club sandwich (served gluten-free) and Navajo taco (made with Blue Bird flour). Ellie enjoyed a milkshake and nibbling off everyone’s plate. Miss “Foodie” (Ellie) really recommends their fantastic french fries. The menu includes the Navajo language providing a fun conversation with the staff. We enjoyed the local flavors and expansion of cultures. The food to the ambiance provided a complete experience with cultural diversity.
Ranch House Grille
Ranch House Grille
This was a great place to meet with a high school friend and his beautiful wife. We enjoyed breakfast at Ranch House Grille. It was a very local place. Many entering the grill knew other patrons and shared stories of their families and community. It was a wonderful meal. Large portions, good café coffee, and great hash browns.
Utah Food
Ray’s Tavern
We stop in Green River just before Colorado. Lisa Sherman recommended having lunch at Ray’s Tavern. This was our first travel contest. Congrats, to Wes Hawkins at Utah Travels for knowing what city we were enjoying lunch. We ordered the chicken sandwich and a Garden Burger®. They had a Utah tradition on fry sauce, created by Don Carlos Edwards in the 1950s. It is as simple as ketchup and mayonnaise whipped together. I have seen variations with adding sour cream or buttermilk. This was a treat for sure. It was a great place. The waitress extremely friendly and the food fresh, including the fries.
Spicy Thai and Joe’s Cafe
Orem Utah Reunion Time Road Trip
Meeting up with my dear friend Lisa Sherman was like we never missed even one day, even though it had been a few decades. Lisa and I have known each other since we were three. We ran the neighborhood streets as two determined little girls could. We enjoyed breakfast at Joe’s Cafe. The food was so delish. Lisa even enjoyed the grits. A dish she was convinced she did not like. Joe said, “You will love them. Nothing comes between your lips and my grits.” It was so wonderful catching up with Lisa after all these years.
Dinner was a fabulous reunion with my bestie from high school, Brenda Anderson. She and I meet at the Spicy Thai in Orem. This was an excellent choice for the food was excellent. Their menu had a great selection of Thai food with the ability to choose your heat. The evening ended at her home where we spent time catching-up, relationships talk, and a little (very little) drinking. Her cute little dogs entertained up throughout the evening. They are both such a ball of energy.
Colorado Food
Aloha Poké Co.
Aloha Poké Co. provides a light refreshing meal with a wide choice of vegetables and rice. This is a perfect meal for this long day of road travel. Cherie and I sit outside enjoying lunch in the spring sun and looking back at the Rocky Mountains thinking a strong contrast from the last two days to the journey that lays in front of us.
Missouri Food
Sugarfire Smokehouse BBQ
Sugarfire Smokehouse BBQ St. Louis Missouri
St. Louis is known for its arch and barbecue. This being a late Sunday afternoon we realize that many locations are not open, but find one near the ball field, Sugarfire SmokeHouse BBQ! This is an award-winning restaurant under Chef Mike Johnson has studied with Myron Mixon, cooked under Emeril Lagasse and Charlie Trotter. It was a great experience of community, exceptional food (sweet potatoes the best) and BBQ pork and salmon.
Cincinnati, Hebron, and Indianapolis Food
3 Sisters Cafe
The first food stop of the trip is 3 Sisters Cafe in Indianapolis, Indiana, in business for 20 years. They serve a large choice of elegant breakfasts from sweet to savory and great lunch menu as well.
They have great beverages (no alcohol) with flair. I enjoyed the turmeric and ginger iced tea. It was a great flavor not too sweet or sugary. The brunch was perfect a great hollandaise sauce over Scottish lox, poached eggs, fresh tomato, and locally made English muffins with caviar on top. The English muffin was fresh with a nice sourdough flavor. The hollandaise sauce was perfect with just a little heat. The porridge was a new experience. It was creamy with a hint of cinnamon.
Hebron Grille
The evening meal was a quaint place in Hebron Kentucky called Hebron Grille. The waitress, Brenda, was so friendly and informative. She provides insight into the southern menu. I decide on the Catfish Grand Bayou. This was a meal for two. It was perfect for a later time as well.
The fish was perfectly cooked with Cajun spice, white wine, lemon, capers, diced tomatoes, grilled shrimp, crawfish, angel hair pasta, and grilled asparagus. The capers brought an exceptional flavor and salt to the dish. The crawfish is a wonderful additional treat.
Abby Girl Sweets Cupcakes
Saturday afternoon in Cincinnati Ohio, my niece and I stop by Abby Girl Sweets Cupcakes. This was a delightful find in the lobby of the Hilton Netherlands Hotel lobby. This little shop has a variety of sweet and moist cupcakes. We enjoyed the coconut, black raspberry chip, red velvet, and peanut butter cup. They were perfect after a long of competition at the USA Gymnastics event.
This business is owned and operated by Nathan & Andrea Thompson (husband and wife). The name comes from their daughter, Abby Girl, she is the top taster for the cupcakes. The cupcakes are sweet and well-flavored.
Champaign Illinois Food
The Midwest food is all American. The area settled by Europeans including Germans, British, Italian, Hungarians, and Scandinavians. The simple hearty foods with strong Christian influences continue today. The fusion food trend is not found here as much. You will find that true honest food as it was from the beginning.
This town is a place you find all American food. It is a place worth stopping and checking out the food scene. This area is in Central Illinois about 2.5 hours south of Chicago. The area surrounded by small farm and dairy communities. It is known for farmers markets, fresh dairy (yes you can buy fresh milk at the farm), ethnic foods, and the classic American food.
Sleepy Creek Vineyard Road Trip
Sleepy Creek Vineyards
Driving in from St. Louis, you take exit 206 from I-74. The winery is a great location to come for many events. Weekly they have local musicians, wieners and wine, and Winery Mary Bar Every Sunday. The winery has great yearly events from Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and more.
The wine is sweet not a real full-bodied wine. They have a jalapeño red wine they substitute with vodka in the bloody Mary served on Sunday. The place is beautiful and serene setting. Locals bring their picnic lunches, you can buy cheese and crackers, or at times, a food truck might be here. The day we were there they had a band playing in the large barn, a strong community presence sitting outside by the creek overlooking the vineyard.
The Courier Café Urbana
The Courier Café brings Champaign history and old Victorian styling in the decor. The main dining room has:
A large palace chandelier from the Opera House in Erie Pennsylvania
The cash register is the first electric cash register
The courier clock pendulum filled with mercury makes the time keeping right
The stained glass comes from a Danville church predating the Civil War
The Pullman lamps light the aisle for passengers on the Pullman railroad cars
The brass chimes a gift from George Malford, a Nickelodeon Maker, they are steamed powered
The Café’s name is for the Courier newspaper that operated for decades in the building. The building was almost lost to fire and remained empty for decades. In 1980, the current owners began remodeling and opened for business on November 10, 1980. They are a farm to table restaurant with the garden and bees on the property for the freshest ingredients.
The menu is a hearty all American menu with breakfast served daily until 11 AM then lunch and dinner menu until closing. The breakfast is traditional eggs, omelets, fantastic pancakes, and hash browns. Their coffee is fresh ground daily and they have special blends. The lunch/dinner menu is hearty with a ribeye sandwich, fries, soups, and steak. The food has that home cooked look and feel. They do have a few items for vegetarians including breakfast sausage. They do have one special treat “Courier water that is sparkling water from deep below the café. It is a great place for large parties and a sense of the community in Champaign.
Amaravati Indian Royal Cuisine Champaign
Amaravati Indian Royal Cuisine primarily brings Southern Indian cuisine to Champaign. Southern Indian cuisine based around rice, lentils, and stews. Dishes The authenticity found in the menu. The waitress knowledge of the menu and very helpful with the dishes.
Enjoying Paneer Tikka Masala with cubes of fresh cottage cheese cooked with green peas in an onion, tomato & cashew based sauce. Garnished with Kasturi methi and cashew pieces. The flavors linger on your pallet. The rice is perfectly cooked. Dessert is rasamalai it is juice and cream. It is a sweet and good amount of heat. This dish has a history of being created in Britain by a Bangladeshi chef.
Champaign Food Road Trip
Core Life Eatery Champaign
Entering the eatery, you hear a local band on an early Saturday morning. The eatery is a location of freshness and wholesome. The food is GMO, grass-fed steak, all-natural chicken, and no GMOs. The broths are center to the soups. You pick your ingredients from a fresh selection that looks like a produce stand.
The soup is heavy in a great vegetable broth the Sriracha soaked bean sprouts make a nice substitute for noodles and Sriracha brings heat to the soup. The kale and Napa cabbage are barely cooked by the hot broth this brings a freshness and crunch to the flavor. The shiitake mushrooms add texture to the soup. It is refreshing with flavors that linger on the plate.
Chicago Food
Chicago sits in the Midwest has a history of all American food. This history is changing to one of sophistication and elegance. The dining experience is one set for the various neighborhoods in Chicago. The traditional American and deep dish pizza is found in each area, but the elegance is found with 25 Michelin-starred restaurants. Chicago is known for their yearly Taste of Chicago a food and entertainment weekend usually held the second week of July. There is a covering deep dish pizza this is a bucket list trip with deep dish pizza on the list.
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria Road Trip
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
This was a fantastic place to take a crowd for lunch. There was a little bit of a wait but well worth the wait. They do allow you to order ahead of time. The entire party pizza enjoyed the pizza. They had great selections with gluten-free and vegetarian options. The gluten-free crust was one of the best. They have a real family feeling to the pizzeria.
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria is a local favorite. The first restaurant opened by Lou, an Italian, opened a pizzeria in a Jewish neighborhood on an Irish holiday in 1971. They are always busy at all 51 locations in the Chicago area. Each pizza is hand created to each patron’s desire.
Pequod Pizza Chicago
Pequod Pizza, 25 years in business, is a popular place in Lincoln Park. We arrive with the dreams of deep crust pizza and watch the Cubs play ball. Arriving we realize that the wait is down the street. Heading into the small hostess station they tell us, “there is an hour for a table about another hour for service from seating.” We walk around the block and decide to find a place with appetizers to wait out the hour seating time. We find a great place called Distilled Chicago.
New York City mayor’s press secretary Eric Phillips has put in his vote on Twitter for the best pizza “Chicago pizza is the best pizza in America, and it’s not even close.” The tweet has a photo of Chicago-style deep dish pizza from Pequod’s. We return for our pizza as our buzzer for the table goes off.
We take the pizza back to the Air BNB for snacking and dinner on Saturday evening. It is a fabulous bucket list experience. Normally a thin crust pizza lover this was a true experience. The crust is caramelized and not as heavy as expected. The cheese strings as you take a bite making it a true cheese pizza. The sauce is the best to date. It is loud and excitable as the patrons are enjoying the final innings of the Cubs game.
Distilled Chicago
Distilled Chicago was a fantastic find just down the street from Pequod Pizza in West Lincoln Park. We sit at the bar. The decor is black and gold with an early 19th century feel. The Cub’s are playing on the TV. It is neighborhood experience as locals enter to enjoy the local menu with a modern twist on bar favorites. We enjoy a glass of wine and a beer. It is best known for being a whiskey bar with our 100 varieties. These are paired with the menu items.
The food is fabulous. We order the mac ‘n’ cheese bits, sliders with fries, and Italian beef egg rolls. The Italian beef rolls turn out to be a delightful surprise with the Au Jus Sauce. This fusion of Asian and Italian together well and our the favorite of the night. The mac ‘n’ cheese bits are crispy and tasty. The dipping sauce is house ranch. There is a good textual experience. The fries are crispy and the bacon jam brings the classic slider to a unique experience the arugula brings a fresh peppery flavor, caramelized onions, and the top quality Angus beef takes a bar classic to elegance. This became dinner. It is a great place to enjoy a ball game, the community, and an American classic menu with an elevation.
Scone City
Scone City located in Wicker Park is wonderful for a morning after bar hopping or late night in Chicago. Jessica and Tim Canning along with chef Laurie McNamara took on the endeavor in a specialized sweet and savory scone menu. This place was perfect stop as my sister Cherie is heading to the airport to return to her family in Idaho. It was so wonderful sharing this experience with here. Seeing places and enjoying the cross-country journey. I truly miss her every day. She enjoyed a sweet blueberry w/ lemon glaze scone she says, “It was delicious!! Sweet. Soft. Perfection!!! Soooo tasty.” They have savory scones as well. I enjoyed a hot Vanilla Bean Latte with the house-made vanilla syrup. It is a perfect start to a day of exploring Chicago.
Bangers and Lace
Bangers and Lace, a local bar in Wicker Park, has a rustic lodge atmosphere and is a great place for a good drink and great company. The patrons are friendly. The bartender for the evening was an instant win with a Big Lebowski shirt. The best feature is the is the classic beer tap handles. The restaurant’s name is Bangers for the British term for sausage and Lace for Brussels Lace, the intricate veil of beer foam that clings to the glass side. This was a great evening spot near the Air BNB for cocktails and a glass of wine. They have a menu of sausages, English beans, vegetarian option, and Belgian fries.
The atmosphere is friendly, fun, and did get crowded as the night went on. It is a great place for sports, conversation, and good drinks. What a fun experience.
Kanela Chicago Road Trip
The last morning of the road trip in the Midwest is brunch at Kanela, the Greek name for Cinnamon. This restaurant place is Wicker Park neighborhood on a street with many older shops. It is a great place, voted best in Chicago by USA Today, for a Sunday morning brunch. The coffee tops and wonderful after an evening at Bangers and Lace.
Brunch includes California Benedict and Fried Egg Sandwich this was an exceptional meal. The hollandaise sauce perfection with a nice touch of heat, the poach egg picture perfect. The sandwich was fabulous with the chili aioli brings the flavors together. The seasoned potatoes nicely cooked not too soft or undercooked. It was a nice brunch with my sister. We do agree that this is a great place for brunch.
New York City Food
Wild Ginger NYC
Wild Ginger NYC
This quaint Asian Fusion restaurant is next door to my hotel, Pod 51, in Midtown New York. Thankful for this find after being delayed at the airport. The restaurant is full of large parties enjoying an order your favorite roll and share mine. I can hear them discussing what they like about each other’s choices. That is a fun way to enjoy a menu. The decor is transforming, and fitting for the theme. The menu filled with a variety of traditional Asian and fusion dishes like Singapore thin rice noodles. Enjoyed steamed veggie dumplings, salmon roll, and mermaid roll. The sauce on the plate is sweet, sour, and a little heat. The food is fresh and elegant.
Milk Bar NYC
Milk Bar NYC
Super excited to try crack pie and coffee for breakfast. This is a planned find in NYC. Watching Chef’s Table on Netflix. I knew I needed to try Milk Bar. This is Christine Tosi’s and is part of the Manhattan-based Momofuku restaurant. This is my first stop in the morning. The little shop has great cookies, cakes, pies, and bagel bombs. I order an iced coffee, bagel bomb with spinach, and crack pie. The bagel bomb warm and filled with spinach and cheese. It is a nice bite for the start of touring NYC. I save the crack pie for a little later, but it is delicious. The filling is something like a custard, but buttery. The oat crust is light and flaky. This is a must stop and see.
Pizza NYC
$1 Pizza NYC
The little find during the day is Market Pizza. It is a small little shop off 6th ave. It is $2.99 for two slices of pizza and soda. This is a great place for a traditional New York pizza. It is good, friendly, and always ready. They have a variety of pizzas. There is a small communal area to sit to eat your pizza before heading back on my NYC adventure. Always fun to explore these great places.
Pescatore NYC
Pescatore NYC
Walking Midtown after a day of exploring and the fashion event it is overwhelming with the choices near the hotel. The restaurants’ selection vast and enticing aromas. The dilemma is decided as rain begins to fall. I wonder into Pescatore. It is a traditional setting with the seasonal tulips on each table. My waiter is Bryan Royas. He is very informative about the menu and attentive.
It is a really amazing experience to see spaghetti Carbonaro done tableside. This dish is pancetta, onions, pecorino cheese & egg mixed in a Parmigiano wheel. The family sitting near me order this dish. There is something about seeing the food prepared tableside. The smells, sounds, and visual bring anticipation.
I enjoy pasta ripiena, warm bread, with Bousquet Mendoza Argentina Malbec, and dessert. The staff that brings me zeppoles with fruit dipped in brandy. The ripiena is homemade pasta sheet stuffed with fresh spinach, ricotta, topped with tomato sauce and crispy parmigiana. The homemade pasta is delectable and the tomato sauce fresh. The dessert is light and sweet the vanilla, chocolate, and raspberry sauces. The raspberry sauce is my favorite brings a little tart to the sweet. The fruit with the brandy is scrumptious.
Wilmington North Carolina Food
Kilwins Chocolate Wilmington NC
This is a must stop when visiting Wilmington You can smell the sweetness down the street. This is just the start of the sensory experience provided. When entering the story your eyes are drawn to all the beautiful handcrafted chocolates and sweets. Located in the Historic Downtown. Ice cream is a popular treat in Wilmington. Kilwins makes bomb waffle cones, exceptional chocolates, and it is worth the wait.
They make their own ice cream from their original recipe with 40 premium, unique and delicious flavors including Mackinac Island Fudge. They use local farms for ingredients. The chocolate creations are amazing.
Mission BBQ Wilmington NC
Mission BBQ Wilmington NC
Always looking for good BBQ traveling across the country. Each area has their own special BBQ. Wilmington’s Mission BBQ is American and traditional to the area. This place brings the flavors of the region to dinner. Enjoying collard greens made with tomatoes, mac-n-cheese, and green beans with bacon, brisket and NC Style pulled pork with the vinegar BBQ (this food tradition is from original settlers, African slaves on plantations and modern ones). This is an Eastern-style sauce that is vinegar and pepper, no tomatoes. Bar-b-que is serious here making it all the way to state Congress to declare the official barbeque.
Mission BBQ opened 09/11/11 ten years after 911. There is a tradition in the 52 restaurants stops at noon on Fridays to honor the military members and stars and stripes. The decor follows this continued theme with a patriotic dining room full of tributes to those who make our country great. There is really nothing more American than a barbeque.
Chicago is one big city that sits in the Midwest of the USA. This is a dream comes true with a visit to this city. Driving in from Champaign, with my sisters Tina and Cherie, we see this massive modern American city, but as you explore you realize that the city has great neighborhoods that swallow the big city vastness. Each neighborhood feels like you are in your own hometown.
Chicago Road Trip
Chicago Neighborhoods
Lincoln Park
This was an excellent choice for dinner(see below). It is no the north side in Chicago. This area has some great restaurants, shopping, and entertainment. This neighborhood has the Lincoln Park Zoo (America’s oldest zoo) and the Chicago History Museum. The streets this evening had many out for dinner and to watch the Cubbies play ball.
River City North
Sending my sister off in the morning was sad. She is a lot of fun to travel with and drove 1,300 of 2,400 miles of the cross-country journey. Tina and I take the subway into River City North. We enjoy a glass of white wine and watch families enjoy the riverfront. We also enjoy Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria.
The neighborhood looks or feels nothing like it started as an industrial and warehouse district. This neighborhood is modern as the many buildings tower over the river. This neighborhood is known for art. It has the largest concentration of galleries outside of Manhattan. We enjoy exploring the many wonderful statues, theatre area, and the most restaurants in Chicago.
Chicago Road Trip 4Chion Lifestyle b
Old Town
Walking to Old Town was a fun adventure to see the other areas of the town. Old Town is filled with old Victorian buildings, churches, great pubs, coffee shops, and history. The streets are lined with beautiful trees. This area was first settled by Germans. Around 1846 the immigrants established St. Joesph’s Parish. The history here is rich from buildings that survived the 1871 Chicago fire, to former speakeasies and ornate beautiful churches. We enjoyed a nice lunch at an Irish Pub.
Chicago Road Trip
The Loop
This is where you will find the “Bean” the name for the statue is Cloud Gate. The sculpture is by Indian-born British artist Sir Anish Kapoor. This was so gorgeous at the night. It is located in Millennium Park in The Loop neighborhood. The statue is a 110-ton elliptical sculpture of a seamless series of polished stainless steel plates and a 12-foot-high arch. The inspiration for the statue is liquid mercury. It is an incredible piece of art. Uber (see the discount code below) provided a great get around from one neighborhood to the next during the evening.
Chicago Road Trip
Wrigleyville
Closing out the first night in Wrigleyville. A great night to see the stadium and experience one of the great bars in the area. It is a great spot day or night. It is a great place for nightlife. We enjoyed Sluggers, a great sports bar. My sisters enjoyed the batting cages and I took in a little music with the dueling pianos. This neighborhood offers some great Chicago experiences
Wicker Park is a wonderful neighborhood. It really takes to a small town feeling. It is close to the subway, has great shopping, and good bars. This neighborhood has many lush gardens with great events in the parks from movies, exercises, farmers markets, and concerts. This area is great for Wicker Park is known for local hipster culture, the art community, nightlife, and food scene. It was a great place to stay in an Air BNB (see discount offer below).
Old Navy Pier
This is a fun adventurous place to visit. Ellie (granddaughter) loves exploring the pier. The great boats, fun, and ice cream. We enjoy walking the pier. The Fifth Third Family Pavillion was so much fun. This is a beautiful place for a wedding, family fun, and weekly events.
The Navy Pier is on Lake Michigan and is 102 years old. We enjoyed an Uber (see discount code below) ride. They have this well set up for pick up and drop offs. Much easier than trying to park. The Old Navy Pier is the vitality of Chicago. Ellie enjoyed the Original Rainbow Cone even though she said it was not good she finishes it. The group enjoys a drink at the Billy Goat Tavern.
Chicago Food
Chicago sits in the Midwest has a history of all American food. This history is changing to one of sophistication and elegance. The dining experience is one set for the various neighborhoods in Chicago. The traditional American and deep dish pizza is found in each area, but the elegance is found with 25 Michelin-starred restaurants. Chicago is known for their yearly Taste of Chicago a food and entertainment weekend usually held the second week of July. There is a covering deep dish pizza this is a bucket list trip with deep dish pizza on the list.
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria Road Trip
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
This was a fantastic place to take a crowd for lunch. There was a little bit of a wait but well worth the wait. They do allow you to order ahead of time. The pizza was enjoyed by the entire party. They had great selections with gluten-free and vegetarian options. The gluten-free crust was one of the best. They have a real family feeling to the pizzeria.
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria is a local favorite. The first restaurant opened by Lou, an Italian, opened a pizzeria in a Jewish neighborhood on an Irish holiday in 1971. They are always busy at all 51 locations in the Chicago area. Each pizza is hand created to each patron’s desire.
Pequod Pizza Chicago
Pequod Pizza, 25 years in business, is a popular place in Lincoln Park. We arrive with the dreams of deep crust pizza and watch the Cubs play ball. Arriving we realize that the wait is down the street. Heading into the small hostess station they tell us, “there is an hour for a table about another hour for service from seating.” We walk around the block and decide to find a place with appetizers to wait out the hour seating time. We find a great place called Distilled Chicago.
New York City mayor’s press secretary Eric Phillips has put in his vote on Twitter for the best pizza “Chicago pizza is the best pizza in America, and it’s not even close.” The tweet has a photo of Chicago-style deep dish pizza from Pequod’s. We return for our pizza as our buzzer for the table goes off.
We take the pizza back to the Air BNB for snacking and dinner on Saturday evening. It is a fabulous bucket list experience. Normally a thin crust pizza lover this was a true experience. The crust is caramelized and not as heavy as expected. The cheese strings as you take a bite making it a true cheese pizza. The sauce is the best to date. It is loud and excitable as the patrons are enjoying the final innings of the Cubs game.
Distilled Chicago
Distilled Chicago was a fantastic find just down the street from Pequod Pizza in West Lincoln Park. We sit at the bar. The decor is black and gold with an early 19th century feel. The Cub’s are playing on the TV. It is neighborhood experience as locals enter to enjoy the local menu with a modern twist on bar favorites. We enjoy a glass of wine and a beer. It is best known for being a whiskey bar with our 100 varieties. These are paired with the menu items.
The food is fabulous. We order the mac ‘n’ cheese bits, sliders with fries, and Italian beef egg rolls. The Italian beef rolls turn out to be a delightful surprise with the Au Jus Sauce. This fusion of Asian and Italian together well and our the favorite of the night. The mac ‘n’ cheese bits are crispy and tasty. The dipping sauce is house ranch. There is a good textual experience. The fries are crispy and the bacon jam brings the classic slider to a unique experience the arugula brings a fresh peppery flavor, caramelized onions, and the top quality Angus beef takes a bar classic to elegance. This became dinner. It is a great place to enjoy a ball game, the community, and an American classic menu with an elevation.
Scone City
Scone City located in Wicker Park is wonderful for a morning after bar hopping or late night in Chicago. Jessica and Tim Canning along with chef Laurie McNamara took on the endeavor in a specialized sweet and savory scone menu. This place was perfect stop as my sister Cherie is heading to the airport to return to her family in Idaho. It was so wonderful sharing this experience with here. Seeing places and enjoying the cross-country journey. I truly miss her every day. She enjoyed a sweet blueberry w/ lemon glaze scone she says, “It was delicious!! Sweet. Soft. Perfection!!! Soooo tasty.” They have savory scones as well. I enjoyed a hot Vanilla Bean Latte with the house-made vanilla syrup. It is a perfect start to a day of exploring Chicago.
Bangers and Lace
Bangers and Lace, a local bar in Wicker Park, has a rustic lodge atmosphere and is a great place for a good drink and great company. The patrons are friendly. The bartender for the evening was an instant win with a Big Lebowski shirt. The best feature is the is the classic beer tap handles. The restaurant’s name is Bangers for the British term for sausage and Lace for Brussels Lace, the intricate veil of beer foam that clings to the glass side. This was a great evening spot near the Air BNB for cocktails and a glass of wine. They have a menu of sausages, English beans, vegetarian option, and Belgian fries.
The atmosphere is friendly, fun, and did get crowded as the night went on. It is a great place for sports, conversation, and good drinks. What a fun experience.
Kanela Chicago Road Trip
The last morning of the road trip in the Midwest is brunch at Kanela, the Greek name for Cinnamon. This restaurant place is Wicker Park neighborhood on a street with many older shops. It is a great place, voted best in Chicago by USA Today, for a Sunday morning brunch. The coffee tops and wonderful after an evening at Bangers and Lace.
Brunch includes California Benedict and Fried Egg Sandwich this was an exceptional meal. The hollandaise sauce perfection with a nice touch of heat, the poach egg picture perfect. The sandwich was fabulous with the chili aioli brings the flavors together. The seasoned potatoes nicely cooked not too soft or undercooked. It was a nice brunch with my sister. We do agree that this is a great place for brunch.
Tina, Cherie, and Tammy Forchion Chicago Road Trip
This was a fantastic weekend with my sisters. This was one of the few trips we have taken just the three of us. It was hard saying goodbye to Cherie, but we have some fantastic memories and stories. Stay tuned as the road trip continues.
Beauty travel tips are important to keep up a healthy skin and look. Traveling across the county, you began to see changes in my beauty routine and skin care.
Road Trip Cherie and Tammy Forchion
Beauty Care Importance
The road trip began in Arizona a dry desert climate, through the Rocky Mountains a high elevation and snow, to the Midwest where the humidity is high, and New York the big city with pollution and urban heat island. The road trip and flight to New York all played a confusing nightmare on my face, hands, and feet, but most of all my lips.
The time on the road took away from the value of continued daily beauty care. The long hours sitting in a car with air condition or heat added to a dryness and dehydration. The value of drinking water on the road trip makes a difference. It provided a way to curb the food cravings (fast food or high-fat (foods) especially keeping the hunger down. This provides much need moisture for your skin and body.
Facial Mask
Beauty Lip Care
The first thing that is the biggest change my lips they were dry and peeling. Using the toothbrush helped some to keep the dry skin, but after getting lipstick on for the day reapplying Burt’s Bees Flavor Crystals 100% Natural Lip Balm. This is a great help during the day to keep the lips moist and the crystals helped with the dry skin. Please note this does not have sunscreen but with the other lip products used i.e., lipstick did have SPF.
Beauty Eye Care
The road trip experience is wonderful. It is great seeing the beauty of the country, but that also creates the issues of changes in climates, time zones, and sleep patterns. Looking tired and swollen eyes Garnier Skin Active clearly brighter anti-dark circle eye roller. This provides a nice covering of the dark circles and reduces the swelling.
Kiss and Do Tell The LipScrub Brush®
Beauty Skin Care
Dry skin for me is more than an oily change. It is important to keep your skin moisturized. Burt’s Bees products have been a brand used for decades to give skin care. Many hotels now have an extra charge for makeup left on towels. The Facial Cleansing Towelettes work well to clean your skin from the long day and road dust while saving the towel. One evening this is an unscheduled stop because of snow. It made it an early in the evening perfect to dedicate to focusing on personal skin care.
We enjoyed an evening of deep face cleansing, moisturizing, and face and lip masks while at the Eagle River Lodge in the Colorado Rockies. My sister and I feel so refreshed. We took the time to give our feet much-needed attention. They were swollen and tired from sitting in the car most of the day. While we beautified we enjoyed a marathon of Tom Hanks movies.
The tip for your lips is the Do Kiss and Tell Lipscrub Brush®. This is replacing the old toothbrush trick. This provides a wonderful way to exfoliate your lips. This is easy to use that is:
All natural
Petroleum free
Activated Charcoal (this makes the brush antibacterial)
Antifungal
Antiviral
BPA Free
Cruelty and vegan free
Dye-free
This the first ever developed specifically for healthier kissable lips. You can order your lisp scrub brush here for $24.99 (price subject to change). Special 20% off coupon for you. Use 4chion at checkout.
Beauty Hacks from Kelly Anne Hair
Kelly Anne Hair provides some great insight “due to the summer heat and California dryness I always travel with Tomboy wicked body wash. I love the moisture that it adds to my skin it keeps my skin soft. I also Travel with whipped Shea butter but I add Castro oil to it. I use on my lips, hands feet elbows anywhere on my body for that beautiful healthy skin feel and look.” She has a great choice of men’s products for their specific beauty care needs.
Beauty Care Tips
A few other tips to help with a healthy road trip outcome:
A few days if a long trip you can go without makeup a day or two (yes photos are important but it is ok to go without).
Choose food that is on the healthier side there are many great selections.
Make sure to stop often during the day to walk around. Pick a few sites along the way to explore and experience travel.
Sleep is key try to make sure you are getting plenty of rest. Using Maple Holistic Pure Lavender Essential Natural Aromatherapy Oil is wonderful to have to help with sleeping and travel stress.
Keep ahead of headaches, nausea, and your sinuses. Maple Holistics has a great Pure Peppermint Essential Oil that assists with keeping an upper hand on travel needs.
The road trip is a great opportunity to experience life, food, family, friends, and new experiences. Keeping your beauty routine in play helps keep you healthy and looking fabulous for those great adventures.
Congrats to @therueschs on Instagram they are the winners of this summer beauty giveaway.
Your lifestyle deserves the best. 4Chion Lifestyle is announcing a social media summer vacation contest for one skin care giveaway. Contest open to U.S. citizens age 18 and up.
Instagram and products supplied do not sponsor, support, endorse, or have any involvement with this contest. Winner agrees to have their name and @AccountName announced on social media accounts for 4Chion Lifestyle. Winner agrees that they are a US citizen, aged 18 and up.
To enter our contest June 20-June 30 (11:59 PM PST) participants must:
Tag 3 friend in the comments section of photo connected to the contest on social media.
You will receive one entry for completing this instruction.
Earn Extra Entrances by
Tag 3 friends in the comment section.
Repost this image on Instagram tag #4ChionStyle
You will receive an extra entry for completing steps one and two each time.
You will receive one entry for each time you follow these instructions and it is verified.
Winner will be notified via Instagram DM 7.9.18 and have 48 hours to respond. The package will be mailed by 7.20.18. The announcement on social media after 7.12.18. They must post a photo of the prize on social media tagging #4ChionGiveaway #4ChionStyle.
Tom Boy
Contest open to U.S. citizens age 18 and up.
There is no limit to the number of times you can enter the contest.
The odds of winning the skin care package depends on the number of eligible entrants received.
Kylie Lipstick
There is one summer vacation care gift package (total retail value $150). The skin care gift package giveaway includes:
Champaign in the Midwest is a place of community, gracious hosting, and friendliness. We spend a little more time here on our road trip. We meet up with our sister, Tina, at her home. It is centrally located to Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, and Kentucky. The food, fun, and adventures seemed endless in food, bars, bands, art, and nature.
Champaign Experiences
Champaign Illinois Midwest Road Trip[/caption]
Japanese Tea House
The Japan House in Champaign is a great community center with beautiful surroundings. It is peaceful, welcoming, and tradition. Japanese tea ceremony is a formal presentation. The service is the winter presentation. This ceremony is preparing and presenting the matcha. This ceremony is centuries old and is about purification, harmony, respect, and tranquility.
The Japan House motto is, “the Way of Tea,” representing nature, heaven, and earth. This service was a winter presentation. The mats are laid in the pattern that each guest sits and the hearth is low to bring more warmth to the room. The hostess and guests bow to each other. The ceremony develops for westerners who find the traditional floor sitting difficult. A chabana, a beautiful flower arrangement sitting to the side. The seasonal arrangement represents winter, this connects the room to nature. There is a connection to water, earth, wood, fire, and metal with the utensils used for preparation. This ceremony and ritual date back centuries with details being the key to the ceremony.
Things all returned the way they were except us. The ceremony brings a deeper sense of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility changing us while all else remains the same.
Japanese Tea House
William R. and Clarice V. Spurlock Museum of World Cultures
The Spurlock Museum at the University of Illinois and there is no charge. It is a great place to explore centuries of sociology and culture. The museum is very open and intimate as well. It brings thousands of years and cultures to one museum. Many of the items in the museum are replicas of famous art exhibits found worldwide. This brings the best opportunity to fully explore and see the great cultures in the world.
The fun of the day was hanging with Kaleb, my nephew, he has been to the museum with school. It was the best to see the different cultures through time in 9 areas. It was fun posing like the statues and seeing the tons of pottery each culture created. Have extra time there are board games to play. The museum offers:
Established in 1911 by the Board of Trustees and housed on the 4th floor of Lincoln Hall
The World Heritage Museum in 1971
Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in 2009
holds more than 50,000 artifacts from six continents from throughout human history
Over 50,000 visitors each year
Collaborates on research projects with universities and museums across the world
Homer Lake
Homer Lake is a forest preserve that has great walking trails, a beautiful lake, and a place to feed and watch the birds on the outskirts of the county. The beauty of the preserve is gorgeous spring is filling in the branches of the tree and flowers are beginning to bloom. The ducks and geese are nesting or wandering with little ones as I make my way around the park. Looking over the lake, soon a large blue herring flies low over the lake. It begins to rain slightly. What a wonderful sounds as the trees move in the winds. Homer Lake has boaters and fishermen trying to get out of the weather.
Homer Lake is free of charge. They do have an interpretive center where you learn more about the area, animals, birds, and more. They offer packs you can use for your exploration around the park. Each pack has specific adventures that are very insightful to the preserve and many trails. Inside the interpretive center, there are many displays, hands-on activities, and more.
Kickapoo State Park
Kickapoo State Park
Entering the park at dusk, you hear the bullfrogs, ducks, geese, and birds give their final song for the day. There are fishermen on the shore with their families. The kids run free and explore the forest. It is green and flowers blooming. Hyde, my traveling dog, is loving the space. It is s a bright evening filled with breezes in the trees. The best part of the exploration was watching the families of ducks make their way to the lake for a final swim. Hyde decided she needed to chase one or two sending the large flock airborne towards one of the 22 lakes in the park.
This park is free and in Vermillion County, close to Sleepy Creek Vineyard. This park offers activities for visitors to fully enjoy the park. The activities include:
A multi-purpose recreational trail that will cover 24.5 when completed. It will cover the regions vast ecosystems
Biking
Tubing
Canoeing
Paddling
Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, crappie, redear sunfish, and during fall rainbow trout. There is a shop for anglers in the park
Food stand
Boating
6 walking trails
Picnic areas
Community events
This was a great find and fun on our trip. Much of the beauty and diversity of the Midwest is seen here at this park.
This community is home to Eberfest, established by long resident Roger Ebert. A supporter of local bands as well as the start of REO Speedwagon with streets carrying the band members’ names. This community brings the arts, farmers’ markets, sports, and education for a great personal or family vacation.
Champaign Food
The Midwest food is all American. The area settled by Europeans including Germans, British, Italian, Hungarians, and Scandinavians. The simple hearty foods with a strong Christian influences continue today. The fusion food trend is not found here as much. You will find that true honest food as it was from the beginning.
This town is a place you find the all American food. It is a place worth stopping and checking out the food scene. This area is in Central Illinois about 2.5 hours south of Chicago. The area surrounded by small farm and dairy communities. It is known for farmers markets, fresh dairy (yes you can buy fresh milk at the farm), ethnic foods, and the classic American food.
Sleepy Creek Vineyard Road Trip
Sleepy Creek Vineyards
Driving in from St. Louis, you take exit 206 from I-74. The winery is a great location to come for many events. Weekly they have local musicians, wieners and wine, and Winery Mary Bar Every Sunday. The winery has great yearly events from Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and more.
The wine is sweet not a real full-bodied wine. They have a jalapeño red wine they substitute with vodka in the bloody Mary served on Sunday. The place is beautiful and serene setting. Locals bring their picnic lunches, you can buy cheese and crackers, or at times, a food truck might be here. The day we were there they had a band playing in the large barn, a strong community presence sitting outside by the creek overlooking the vineyard.
The Courier Café Urbana
The Courier Café brings Champaign history and old Victorian styling in the decor. The main dining room has:
A large palace chandelier from the Opera House in Erie Pennsylvania
The cash register is the first electric cash register
The courier clock pendulum filled with mercury makes the time keeping right
The stained glass comes from a Danville church predating the Civil War
The Pullman lamps light the aisle for passengers on the Pullman railroad cars
The brass chimes a gift from George Malford, a Nickelodeon Maker, they are steamed powered
The Café’s name is for the Courier newspaper that operated for decades in the building. The building was almost lost to fire and remained empty for decades. In 1980, the current owners began remodeling and opened for business on November 10, 1980. They are a farm to table restaurant with the garden and bees on the property for the freshest ingredients.
The menu is a hearty all American menu with breakfast served daily until 11 AM then lunch and dinner menu until closing. The breakfast is traditional eggs, omelets, fantastic pancakes, and hash browns. Their coffee is fresh ground daily and they have special blends. The lunch/dinner menu is hearty with ribeye sandwich, fries, soups, and steak. The food has that home cooked look and feel. They do have a few items for vegetarians including breakfast sausage. They do have one special treat “Courier water this is a sparkling water from deep below the café. It is a great place for large parties and a sense of the community in Champaign.
Amaravati Indian Royal Cuisine Champaign
Amaravati Indian Royal Cuisine primarily brings Southern Indian cuisine to Champaign. Southern Indian cuisine based around rice, lentils, and stews. Dishes The authenticity found in the menu. The waitress knowledge of the menu and very helpful with the dishes.
Enjoying Paneer Tikka Masala with cubes of fresh cottage cheese cooked with green peas in an onion, tomato & cashew based sauce. Garnished with Kasturi methi and cashew pieces. The flavors linger on your pallet. The rice is perfectly cooked. Dessert is rasamalai it is juice and cream. It is a sweet and good amount of heat. This dish has a history of being created in Britain by a Bangladeshi chef.
Champaign Food Road Trip
Core Life Eatery Champaign
Entering the eatery, you hear a local band on an early Saturday morning. The eatery is a location of freshness and wholesome. The food is GMO, grass-fed steak, all-natural chicken, and no GMOs. The broths are center to the soups. You pick your ingredients from a fresh selection that looks like a produce stand.
The soup is heavy in a great vegetable broth the Sriracha soaked bean sprouts make a nice substitute for noodles and Sriracha brings heat to the soup. The kale and Napa cabbage are barely cooked by the hot broth this brings a freshness and crunch to the flavor. The shiitake mushrooms add texture to the soup. It is refreshing with flavors that linger on the plate.
This town is a place to visit and stay a day or two. It has good hotels, offers Air BNB, and a friendly community. There is a lot you can see in town or a little drive.
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Midwest road trip to the Indy 500 Motor Raceway and USA Gymnastics competition is a great time. The spring has settled in to bring a little warmth, sunshine, and lush greenery for this road trip. It is spectacular time to travel. There are some great food, experiences, and sightseeing this weekend.
Road Trip
Experiences on Midwest Road Trip
Stopping in Indianapolis for breakfast there was a must to stop at the Indianapolis Speedway. May is the month for the raceway with NASCAR’s largest motor race.
Indy 500
The month is trials, pre-race, practices, qualifiers, and the last Sunday of the month the Indy 500. It was a perfect day to watch the INDYCAR Grand Prix Practice & Qualifying for Indy Lights Race 1. Colton Herta won the race with a hard fight to the finish. It was exhilarating to be so close to the racecars and feel the vibrations as they made their way around the turn. This year Will Power won the 102nd Indy 500 and sweeps the month of May. Love the Indy fashion. We find a gentleman at the raceway that is already for “This Is May.”
‘This is a place to visit anytime you are in Indianapolis. Here are a few other great places to visit while in town:
The Canal Walk a waterside promenade for walkers, runners, bikers, and sightseers. You can rent paddleboats and explore.
Gondola Rides experience the beauty, mystique, and charm of downtown Indianapolis with spectacular canal views.
Fountain Square this funky Indianapolis neighborhood has vintage and antique shops, a world of restaurants.
Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art one of only two such museums east of the Mississippi.
Indiana World WarMemorial a mausoleum-style limestone and marble memorial pays homage to Hoosiers killed during the war.
This is a beautiful town with many attractions, museums, baseball, and more.
Levi Coffin Home
Down the road about an hour is Fountain City, Indiana. This town houses the Grand Central Home for the Underground Railroad. Levi and Catherine Coffin’s, Quaker and abolitionist, home. This home welcomed slaves seeking refuge while making their way north to Canada. They estimate that he assisted 100 slaves a year to cross the border. The home is strategically built for accommodating Underground Railroad. There is an indoor well, kitchen in the basement, and even a cubbyhole used to hide slaves when their safety was a concern. This is a wonderful place to stop and learn a lot about the underground railroad.
USA Women’s Gymnastics
Cincinnati the final Midwest stop for the weekend brings great sightseeing, food, and USA Women’s Gymnastics National competition. This is an exciting time to see Camie Winger, my niece, compete as one of the youngest gymnasts there. She is a dedicated, hard-working, and focused young woman. Her region took 2nd in the competition. Congrats to all the gymnasts on making a great achievement in Cincinnati.
Cincinnati, Ohio
The afternoon was wonderful with time exploring downtown Cincinnati, “Dream Big and Fly High.” We ventured to the cupcake shop for a little dessert after lunch. It was fun exploring the shop with Camie. The afternoon was great sightseeing downtown Cincinnati. This town is full of great adventures, sports teams, and restaurants.
The riverfront is a great place to really get to know the town and community. The Smale Riverfront Park is situated on the Ohio River center of downtown. They have many activities for an entire day of entertainment. They include:
Anderson Pavilion banquet center on the floor below the carousel is a setting for parties.
Bike Mobility Center serves downtown bike commuters.
Carol Ann’s Carousel displays animals iconic to Cincinnati history.
Castellini Esplanade its design reflects the historic character of the produce industry that at one time was here.
Duke Energy Garden mounded garden at the entrance and oversized swings that offer relaxing views of the River.
Fath Fountain filled with water jets that dance to light and music.
Great Adventure Playground has rock-climbing canyon, log climbers, twin racing slides, a rope bridge and a mist feature.
Gardner Family Grove & Rose Garden plush garden with roses.
Labyrinth a great place for meditation, reflection, and walking.
Ohio River Trail this trail will eventually connect Madison, Indiana, and New Richmond, Ohio. Today it goes to Yeatman’s Cove, Sawyer Point, and Theodore M Berry International Friendship Park.
Pichler Fountains & Plaza The steps aligning with Vine Street are flanked by water cascades, and a plaza containing a fountain, a reflecting pool, water curtains, and glass balconies.
River Play fountains for children.
Schmidlapp Event Lawn & Stage for concerts and sunny days.
Food Stops on Midwest Road Trip
Road Trip Food
3 Sisters Cafe
The first food stop of the trip is 3 Sisters Cafe in Indianapolis, Indiana, in business for 20 years. They serve a large choice of elegant breakfasts from sweet to savory and great lunch menu as well.
They have great beverages (no alcohol) with flair. I enjoyed the turmeric and ginger iced tea. It was a great flavor not too sweet or sugary. The brunch was perfect a great hollandaise sauce over Scottish lox, poached eggs, fresh tomato, and locally made English muffins with caviar on top. The English muffin was fresh with a nice sourdough flavor. The hollandaise sauce was perfect with just a little heat. The porridge was a new experience. It was creamy with a hint of cinnamon.
Hebron Grille
The evening meal was a quaint place in Hebron Kentucky called Hebron Grille. The waitress, Brenda, was so friendly and informative. She provides insight into the southern menu. I decide on the Catfish Grand Bayou. This was a meal for two. It was perfect for a later time as well.
The fish was perfectly cooked with Cajun spice, white wine, lemon, capers, diced tomatoes, grilled shrimp, crawfish, angel hair pasta, and grilled asparagus. The capers brought an exceptional flavor and salt to the dish. The crawfish is a wonderful additional treat.
Abby Girl Sweets Cupcakes
Saturday afternoon in Cincinnati Ohio, my niece and I stop by Abby Girl Sweets Cupcakes. This was a delightful find in the lobby of the Hilton Netherlands Hotel lobby. This little shop has a variety of sweet and moist cupcakes. We enjoyed the coconut, black raspberry chip, red velvet, and peanut butter cup. They were perfect after a long of competition at the USA Gymnastics event.
This business is owned and operated by Nathan & Andrea Thompson (husband and wife). The name comes from their daughter, Abby Girl, she is the top taster for the cupcakes. The cupcakes are sweet and well-flavored.
This was a wonderful road trip in the Midwest especially seeing family. It is always good connecting with your brother and his family. They have six fantastic children. Burt’s Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes With White Tea Extract to the rescue it saved the hotel white towels. It was a wonderful time traveling through the Midwest. There is plenty to see and do from art to culture and outdoor adventures. It is a beautiful part of the country with friendly people.
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Champaign Illinois Midwest Road Trip[/caption]
