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    Flying Solo: Savoring Savannah, GA

    August 1, 2011 /

    A Travelogue with Rick Rose Like neighboring Charleston, the city of Savannah, Georgia is historic as all get out. What is way cool about the city is that it was laid out in 1733 around four open squares. The city plan anticipated growth and expansion of the grid. Additional squares were added during the 18th and 19th centuries, and by 1851 there were twenty-four squares in the city. Many of us know the city because of the recent fame brought to it by John Berendt’s best selling novel, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” and subsequent Clint Eastwood movie. When you take a “Walk through Midnight” tour, you see the squares and learn the story of Savannah in a very amazing way. The true star here is the wonderful city itself. Guides offer personal insights and observations, as well as new stories that would create an incredible sequel or two. Many of the friendly guides were even extras in the movie and have added memorabilia to show you along the way. A two mile tour is spread out over just under two hours. Check out the tours here.

    Savannah has been rated by Walking Magazine as “one of the 10 Best Walking Cities in America.” The pristine squares and bordering tree-lined streets, incredible parks, and laid-back pace make Savannah an ideal location for leisurely and intimate vacationing where the heat of the South rarely gets to you. You can always hop in and out of air conditioning as you need to by touring the city’s many historic homes. My favorite and that of many other young girls (ha!) is the birthplace of the founder of the Girl Scouts of America, which has been a virtual mecca to nearly 3 million visitors since it began a restoration to splendor in the 1950s.
    Half way through the day, Susan and I grew hungry. As you can imagine, a Southern City has plenty to offer the weary walker. We chose www.mrswilkes.com for some rib-sticking Southern cooking. A line gathers each morning at 107 West Jones Street, the address of what was once and in some ways still is the boarding home of Mrs.Wilkes. Today the Wilkes’ kids swing the door open wide and friendly at 11 o’clock as they welcome a lunch crowd that scurries to find seats at one of the large tables-for-ten shared by strangers who over a meal become family, of sorts. Tabletops are crowded with platters of fried chicken and cornbread dressing, sweet potato souffle, biscuits, black-eyed peas, okra gumbo to name just a few of the dishes.
    You may want to enjoy a meal from the lineage of the Lady and her sons at http://www.ladyandsons.com. That’s right, Paula Dean calls Savannah home as do her sons. Every day of the week, the host at their establishment begins to take names at 9:30am for lunch and dinner on a first come first served basis from her famous podium on Congress Street in front of the restaurant. You must appear in person to receive a priority seating time. Sunday, the Dean clan offers up a scrumptious buffet from 11am until 5 pm. The wait at Wilkes is typically less, and it is more joyful for me to dine there, but Susan and I did check out the accompanying kitchen goods store to the Dean restaurant. Cool stuff can be purchased on the recommendation of Paula who clearly knows the need of those of us who love to cook. To complement your walking exploration, take a Carriage Ride; the horses in Savannah are some of the prettiest I have seen. When darkness covers the city, check out one of the many famous Irish pubs spread throughout the squares for a quick pint of Guiness or my favorite, a Black Smith (like a Black and Tan but with Smithwicks Irish beer). You willl need it to calm your nerves before you board the trolley of one of the city’s famous ghost tours (www.savannahtours.us). We screamed our way through basements of old homes that were left intact the day they were abandoned and many city cemeteries. I assure you that you will too. Take lots of pictures, as we did, because looking for the “orbs” in them afterwards is part of the fun. Savannah is filled with spirits. Speaking of spirits, there is a great LGBT scene in and around the beautiful riverwalk where drinking happens all day long! If you get energized you can join in for some spirited gay volleyball which is played every Sunday in Daffin Park from 2 to 6 in the afternoon. www.gaysavannah.com is undoubtedly one of the best directories and magazines I have seen in any city. It will guide you to places of interest that range from antiquing to green living. An added bonus for me on this trip was meeting Ronni Carpenter, whose grandparents owned a general store out in the countryside of Savannah. There they sold shoes made in Hannibal, MO during the days that followed WWI when Hannibal was the largest shoe manufacturer in the nation. It’s a fascinating piece of American history, and Ronni was kind enough to invite me and Susan and a couple friends who once lived in Hannibal over to see the shoes that survived over these many years. Savannah has survived and is currently thriving! Go check it, and let me know what you think! Travel deliciously, Rick

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    Rick's Travelicious: Orlando, FL – more misses than hits

    June 28, 2011 /

    Mickey Town
    More Misses than Hits in Orlando
    June 27, 2011 Orlando is one of those cities for me like St. Louis where I visit several times in a year. Therefore, this past weekend, I decided to try something different and explore parts and places in Mickey and Minnie Town which I have never experienced before. Bad idea. I tend to see the positive in everything, yet this Thursday thru Sunday weekend had far more misses than hits for me. I write as a matter of prevention for your next visit to Central Florida not because I’m a pissy blogger. My college friend Susie and I checked into Loew’s Portofino Hotel at 10pm on the Universal grounds after I arrived late on Thursday to Sanford Airport via Allegiant Air. From the vast well-appointed bathroom in our room, it is easy to see why this Italian-inspired getaway earns a Four Diamond AAA rating. It was the first bathroom I have had in all my travels with a his and his (or hers and hers) sink…very nice…as was the individual pod coffee maker with lots of choices and the view of the bay from the room. The grounds of the hotel wreak of Italy…albeit a bit theme park like, including the permanently mounted Vespas and gondolas which were more art than practical. This I didn’t like. What I liked far less was that for a tourism destination, there wasn’t a restaurant at the hotel or adjoining Universal CityWalk that served food after 10pm!!! Room service was adequate for humans, seemingly better suited for canines and felines who are welcomed at Loew properties as the menu had dry and wet foods in different brands and flavors available by the ounce! So if you travel with your pet, check in and check it out! I did enjoy a bit of time at CityWalk on the next morning, however, when I met my dear friend Fani who worked for me when I owned B&B’s and bistros in Hannibal, MO. Fani is from Bulgari and now lives in Orlando with her husband…so great to see her and meet her new baby boy, Anthony!
    Trying to make up for the lack of a great tasting meal, Susie and I met our friend Charlie on Friday night and went bananas over the lack of good service at Bananas Diner in the “gay area” of Orlando on North Mills Avenue. Our waiter, Shawn, was as equally gorgeous as all the waitstaff, but there was little to personality to back the beauty (and I am surprise, why?). Two of our three entrée choices were brought out wrong and all of the side dishes were not what we ordered. Our Malbec was served in champagne flutes because, according to Shawn, “our other restaurant next store steals all our glassware because they have a better wine list.” One thing Shawn did well, though, was split our check…down to the penny, splitting the wine and shared appetizer in equal parts. Dare I say, in love, my lesbian friends would be very most happy here! There is a great drag show here each week, too, which most of my lesbian friends, I know, would not really enjoy. Still on a quest for a fine dining experience, the three of us took on the other gay-owned restaurant next store, Funky Monkey, looking for better wines and stemware. Anoop, the manager, host, waiter, sometimes chef, chronic talker and obvious control freak, selected a bottle of Shiraz for us called TIK TOK. Any wine that pays tribute to my girl Ke$ha is fine by me…and it was. The dinner however was NOT! A three hour experience included us having to move tables mid meal because Anoop needed ours to adjoin to another for a party of 20 which never showed up. For our move, desserts were to be “on the house,” which only happened after Anoop recalculated the check three times! Where was Shawn from next store when you needed him? So there is something to be said to being loyal to your favorite places when you return somewhere on vacation! My picks in Orlando are on the quaint shoppers mecca known as South Park Avenue in the Winter Park area by Rollins College where my dear friend Leanza Cornett, Miss America 1993 and AIDS activist attended: Bosphorus for the “to die for” lavas (hollow) bread, baked per table, served steamy with wonderful sesame seed crust and Eola Wine Company for its weekend brunches that features a flight of bagels and champagne…after trying five kinds of mimosas, you pick your favorite and it IS on the house (that is providing Anoop doesn’t come work there). Nearby you must visit the Louis Comfort Tiffany Collection at Morse Museum and the Orlando Museum of Art with a great outdoor collection of sculpture! Night life is something I love in Orlando although I still mourn the loss of the wonderful wonderland known as Pleasure Island in Downtown Disney (ever get dizzy on the revolving dance floor at Revolver there?). Going with the plan to try something new, on Friday we checked out Sak Comedy Lab for improv in the active Central Business District downtown…it was a delight! I highly recommend you go: great space, fun performers who can also sing, no two drink minimum required…really nice! We followed the laughs by hitting the bar at Savoy on N. Mills. With nightly drink specials and underwear only clad dancers and bartenders, the place is always easy on the eye and on the pocket book. We met several of the Saks performers there. I was bummed I had to head home on Sunday afternoon, breaking our tradition of going there on Sunday evenings for the $1 Long Island Ice Teas, all night long. Those of you who have been to Orlando would also agree with me, I am sure, that Parliament House or dancing is a must….you can even dance around the pool where drag shows and concerts are held. This coverted motor lodge has the perfect mix of kitsch and class. Of note for those that love this landmark club, despite recent forclsure proceedings, its owners are moving ahead with a million dollar renovation and are launching a three-story, lakefront time share. Check out Allegiant Air in a city near you for a cheap fare to Orlando. Sanford Airport is small and easy to manage and not that far away really. If you are going to Daytona, it is actually the more convenient airport to fly. I’m booking my next trip now for mid-July. You know it will include no new restaurants and for sure, a Sunday overnight.]]>

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    Rick's Travelicious: Gastronomical delights on Wisconsin’s 94: East to West

    June 15, 2011 /

    Editor’s note: I know one of the photos is sideways; it refuses to rotate! Just turn your head a bit . . . Mark From Frozen Custard in Milwaukee to Spicy Cheese Bread in Madison – Gastronomical Delights on Wisconsin’s 94: East to West You can easily eat your way through Wisconsin. Beer and cheese provide the obvious ways of doing so yet there are many other variations of eating and drinking derived from the state’s European heritage that will surely satisfy any visitor. Last Saturday I found myself enjoying the Dairy State’s two largest cities and what I suggest are their best culinary offerings! You can do the same by traveling East to West along Interstate 94. My journey of expanded waistline began in Milwaukee with a beer sampler with my friends Fuji and Carol. (Oh my, I pray my trainer Cody in Shreveport doesn’t find this blog!) There is nothing more refreshing than catching up with a couple of my many interesting friends and the latest brews at the newer St. Francis Brewery near Mitchell Field, the city’s international airport, and at my all-time favorite Milwaukee Ale House wonderfully located on the Milwaukee River. Fuji is an incredible artist who I journeyed to Cuba with years ago on a visual artist exchange (she represented calligraphy, I represented TV arts) and Carol was my assistant for years and is American Indian and has been active with Indian Summer for years (North America’s largest gathering of Indian heritage, held every September (this year the 9-10-11…GO!) at Summerfest Grounds in the “Brew City”). Most ale houses offer samplers of 6-8 beers for less than a buck a piece and have a wide menu of foods to accommodate all palates.
    My dear, dear friend Noni (my intern from years ago whose wedding I attended in Karachi Pakistan many years ago as well) then picked me up to head West on 94 to the most amazing gathering of tastes you will find anywhere in the world, I promise! The Madison Farmers Market, officially the Dane County Farmers Market on the Square is located all around the square of the state capitol and now spills out to the side streets including the renowned State Street which will take you to the University of Madison (where, by the way, you can enjoy more beer at Der Rathskeller in the wonderfully creepy and dark Wisconsin Union and homemade ice cream created by ag students there at Babock Hall where my suggestion without question is orange custard with chocolate chips). The Market’s offerings change with the season, so this time of year, we enjoyed sampling and purchasing green onions, white and red radishes, mushrooms of all colors, shapes and sizes, tender asparagus, incredible organic tomatoes of various kinds, popcorn, fresh spinach and lettuces from bitter to sweet. Of course, we stopped along the way to taste cheese curds made and brought in that very morning and the famous Stella Bakery’s spicy cheese bread bread baked moments before being sold, served hot and steamy! Sign of the times or perhaps better health, but the amount of cheese is disappointingly far less than I remember. The Market unfolds under the cover of Wisconsin’s stoic capitol building, the only state capitol to be designed by the same man who did the US Capitol and only inches shorter in size. Of course, being in Madison during Walker’s reign proved interesting. The usual political and social agendas were represented amidst the market vendors including PFLAG (an organization that certainly has bettered many of our lives…I know mine for sure…having grown up in small town Northern Wisconsin!). But this time, countless petitions were available for signature from recall to repent! Ah, I love the activism in liberal college towns…and it doesn’t get better than in Madison, Wisconsin 2011! Along the square are great restaurants like my personal favorite for fish, the Blue Marlin and cool theatres (both film and live) which consistently feature art we LGBT appreciate…no agenda, often, just good story! The Bartell Theatre had just closed a production by the Proud Theatre. When in Madison, you will want to take in a show at the glorious olden golden theatre, the Orpheum, which is one of the venues of the fabulous springtime Wisconsin Film Festival. Returning on 94 to the shores of Lake Michigan, Noni dropped me off to my car which I conveniently left at Kopp’s Frozen Custard on 76th Street (one of three Kopp’s locations). I picked up a pint (or two!) of the flavor of the day…peach melba…and headed out to visit my longtime friend Shirley who celebrates 82 this year! It is our tradition to enjoy custard and pour over Kopp’s Flavor Forecast, printed out each month to make planning easier for custard freaks like us. Some flavors we LOVE; others, not so much. And there is usually one new creation that creates a conversation of curiosity. This month’s concoction of concern: Pancakes and Syrup custard. Would you try it? Five pounds heavier, I headed back to downtown for more beer samplings with friends and a run along the beautiful county parks that dot the shoreline of one of the five greatest lakes ever which are overseen by my incredibly gifted friend Sue Black who formerly ran the State Parks in Wisconsin . . . my favorite being Bradford Beach! Okay, I did sneak in one stop on 27th Street for a scoop (or two!) at Leon’s Frozen Custard, which boasts the “world’s finest custard,” is open til midnight and was the inspiration for Al’s Diner on Happy Days. You gotta love Wisconsin….such a flavorful state! Happy to call it my homeland. Before heading there, you must visit www.travelwisconsin.com and send a message to my good friend and former co-host of Discover Wisconsin, Stephanie Klett, Miss Wisconsin 1992 and now Secretary of Tourism for the state. I couldn’t be more proud!]]>

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    Rick's Travelicious: A day in Quincy, IL

    June 3, 2011 /

    Quincy, Illinois…one short flight from St. Louis
    Travelicious heads to a place remembered by Lincoln, the Mormons and now Rick-a-Licious

    I found myself with an extra day in St. Louis during a recent four week trip. Although I love this Midwestern city, I had visited too often in the last year and was itching to do something different. Roaming around Lambert Airport and being amazed by the devastation it faced with a recent tornado (hundreds of broken windows are still boarded up), I discovered an airline I had never heard of: Cape Air. Its $22 fare to Quincy, Illinois just up the Mississippi River was enticing enough to take a daytrip to the home of one of the Lincoln/Douglas debates (held in 1858) and the 10 most architecturally signifcant streets in America (Maine Street, according to National Geographic). Boarding a small Cessna which was booked to capacity with 7 just others (one being the pilot), and my laptop secured in the wing storage space, I was in Quincy in less than 40 minutes, all the while taking in fantastic views of the River, Hannibal, MO. and vast farmland below. Retrieving my one piece of no-fee luggage (wow!) from what must be the world’s smallest baggage carousel, I decided to make this a “one city, one site” visit. I headed directly to the Villa Katherine, a Moorish Castle, sitting proudly one of the many bluffs overlooking the Mississippi. There I met Holly Cain, Executive Director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau for the “Gem City,” as Quincy is fondly known. What a treasure! The Bureau is based at the Villa and you won’t find a more friendly, familiar advocate for the Castle or for Quincy than Holly. There I learned all about the Islamic residence listed on the National Register of Historic places. Modeled after the Villa ben Ahben in Morocco, this Villa was build for Quincy native and world traveler George Metz in 1900 based on his sketches of villas in various parts of the Islamic world. Built and trimmed with local materials, it boasts a beautiful “harem room” and a courtyard surrounding a marble mosaic reflecting pool. A replica of the Mosque of Thais in Tunisia surmounts the main tower with waving stripes as decoration covered by a dome. Quincy publishes a 101 guide that lists area restaurants, lodging, attractions, museums and activities. Right near the Villa, you can rent a bike and tour the city’s rich bounty of historic homes, dating back to the early 1900s. Or you can rent a kayak complete with guide and traverse the amazing Mighty Miss. All the while you will witness the hospitality of the locals, such as Holly, and see why the kindness extended by the people of Quincy holds a place in history. During the winter of 1838-1839, five thousand members of the Church of Jesus Chris Latter-Day Saints were driven from their homes in Missouri and arrived in Quincy. Though vastly outnumbered by the new arrivals, the residents of Quincy provided them food and shelter. Joseph Smith then led his followers 40 miles up river to Nauvoo, Illinois. The kindness extended by the people of Quincy continues to be remembered by Mormons. In 2002, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir gave a benefit concert in Quincy, with the proceeds donated to the city as an expression of gratitude.
    With a population of just 40,000, Quincy is extremely LGBT and Senior-friendly as well. The Illinois Veterans Home there is a destination in itself, with a museum inside, and surrounded by a wildlife park! The Cabaret and Phoenix both host regular drag shows. Brix Wine Bar, Martinis at 515 and One provide great music and libations. Check out seequincy.com and flycapair.com for all you need to know. Live on the edge when you find yourself with unexpected time on your hands and experience a city you’ve never met before! For under a hundred bucks, I did, and was treated like a Moorish queen! Travel deliciously, Rick]]>

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    Rick's Travelicious: Destin and Seaside in Florida's fabulous panhandle

    May 30, 2011 /

    Sure, you can listen to the media hype about the oil drenched beaches of beautiful Destin, Florida and surrounding communities and stay far away, or you can do as I did in the last month, and travel at least a couple times to indulge in some needed rest and relaxation . . . and do your part to help rebuild tourism. This place is hospitable, invigorating and sundrenched! While you may notice the slight black caps on some of the white sands and the occasional government workers swinging by to take sand samples, you’ll nonetheless enjoy a lot of rest and relaxation anywhere along the shoreline, whether Destin or Seaside, my two favorite coastal communities. You’ll also notice that traveling there these days is inexpensive, a reward for “brave travelers” like me and my friends. Find a Vision Airlines near you and fly them to their home base of Ft. Walton/Destin for as low as $19 each way (as I did)! Rent a fully-equipped and furnished beachfront condo for a partial week for less than $500 (a rate that hasn’t been honored there in decades)! And enjoy the landscape (both natural and human…it is a military town after all filled with handsome, tanned Airforce men and women)! Arrive on a Saturday or Sunday, as I did, and follow the lights immediately to Harry T’s Lighthouse (www.harryts.com). Ask for Kim, she’s a local and one of the best servers I’ve met in all my travels. Then order the Nachos for the table (as big as a bushel) and unlimited champagne or pineapple cranberry mimosas for under $10. There’s even a server devoted to refills who wears a belt adorned with champagne bottles. You’ll be overlooking Holiday Isle, a peninsula filled with revelers wearing barely anything, hanging from the beach-wrecked boats. You’ll see just how fun your week can be!
    I’d suggest you stay on the other end of Holiday Isle or Sandestin, which is half way to Seaside. The beaches there are more grown up, more mature, more quiet. On three occasions, my friends and I even swam with porpoises less than 10 feet away from us. They are friendly sorts, and, between me and three friends, we saved over $1000 had we traveled to the recreated Dolphin World on the other Florida Coast. There are many travel sites that will save you money too such as sandestin.hotelreservations.com where you can search for the amenities, location, room sizes, views and prices you like! And the Goodwill shopping in Destin is amazing (with 50% off funky, recycled clothing on Mondays). You’ll want to rent a car to get around. Pickup is conveniently right at the airport (no shuttles) and as our Hertz rep flavorfully told us, “we aren’t big enough to have check-in and checkout folks for gates out there, so throw your keys back on the counter when you return.” From sunrise to moonlight, you’ll find beachcombing amazing! It was on a morning barefoot run, following inspiration from the full moon the night before, that I met a former Calvin Klein model who set my day off right. I got little sleep while in Destin, and I didn’t need much because when you’re in the Panhandle of Florida, all is bliss and you lose track of time, as it should be. There is a night life in the Destin area and like many places these days, the Str8 and LGBT communities mix together freely. Many folks will lead you to Nighttown on Palmetto Street (www.nightown.com) for dancing, however my female friends and I recommend you go to one of the various establishments at Sandestin’s Baytowne, a gated community with golfing, shopping and clubs. Check out www.sandestin.com/Baytowne. There are wonderful worship opportunities in this town as well, for the morning after. Easter morning, which fell during my first trip to the Panhandle, offered me a choice of two sunrise services, both on the beach: one Lutheran, one Methodist which have become tradition. On my second trip, I took the treasured advise of the Calvin model and my friends from Missouri, Matt and Kate (meet Kate Lauman at www.connectmidmissouri.com/about/bio.aspx?id=693) who became engaged in this area, to take my trio of friends to Seaside, Florida where Jim Carey shot his “Truman Show” (learn more at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Truman_Show). I knew a print model, a liquor rep and and a morning news anchor couldn’t go wrong and they didn’t. While the beaches were a bit more family-friendly (and I mean it in the traditional way, not our way), they were every bit as gorgeous. Seaside, Santa Rosa, Grayton Beach and WaterColor, FL (you read it right, the community’s name is WaterColor; visit it first at www.joe.com/watercolor-community then visit it real time) are must-dos. The shopping around these communities were in a more stylin’, self-contained areas. The choice of unique dining experiences was amazing. Kate directed us to the Red Bar which you’ll recognize by its Indian-inspired door, funky interior and slate board menu . . . that’s right, there are only a few options for lunch and again for dinner. Each choice we made, based on the recommendation of Kim, another friendly server, was delicious (grouper fish and chips, a burger, fresh tuna salad, crawfish), topped off by Florida Key Lime Pie…where one slice easily fed four of us. Ask Dorothy, Rose or Sophia, my travel mates from Shreveport, LA (they know their crawfish) and they will confirm that this pie was the piece’ de resistance! Check out a sample menu at www.theredbar.com. This area is also home to the sweet Seaside Rep (www.seasidereptheatre.wordpress.com) where two recent theatre grads of Centenary College (in Shreveport) are performing this summer. Check out their current production of Commedia Pinocchio which runs through August 10th. Be sure to say hi to Destin and Scott! Yes, my friends and I travel as the “Golden Girls,” and just happened upon Florida this trip, appropriately and gladly so. Thanks gals for a golden good time! And thank you Kim, the other Kim, Matt & Kate, oh and Mr. CK, as well as the many happy folks working in tourism in this area of the Pandhandle for a wonderfully memorable May! I’m grateful, too, that this last four day adventure wasn’t broadcast 24-hours-a-day to billions of people across the globe ala The Truman Show, but then again much of it is, now, thanks to a blog. Travel deliciously!
    Rick]]>

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