Snow Schmo

Well the blizzard of 2009 put a small damper on Dee's winter trip schedule. She missed DREAMGIRLS and Italian dining at Cinghiale, but I plowed through and made it( just barely) to Cheestique!

Cheesetique is located on Mount Vernon Ave. in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandra, VA. I love Alexandria and Del Ray is so quaint. Mount Vernon Ave. is a strip of mostly small restaurants and Cheesetique is a wine and cheese shop located in the middle of all the small town action.

Cheesetique has a variety of well organized wine, cheeses, and meats and they also serve food(sandwiches and such.) The BEST part about Cheesetique is their wine and cheese classes held 3 or 4 time a month.

The class that I attended was the wine and cheese pairing class. We sampled a variety of 6 or 7 wines and several cheeses. The staff is highly knowledgeable and I loved how they vividly described the different wines and explained how they are made.

I highly recommend visiting Cheesetique if you live in the MD, DC, VA area. My friends and I are already discussing when to venture to the next class. The cool thing about the owner, Jill Erber, is that she has a new class theme for each month so Cheesetique classes will be different every month. Oh and don't forget to take some goodies home with you as the shop is open after the classes. My family enjoyed the wine and stinky cheese I brought home. Thanks Cheesetique for a terrific start to the holiday!

Suzanne

Photo Courtesy of http://www.cheesetique.com/

Baltimore Holiday Spectacular & Friendly Farm Restaurant

Baltimore MD is one of my favorite places to visit especially during the Christmas holiday season! There aint nothin honey like visiting the 34th street Christmas lights and Cafe Hon to get me in the spirit!

This year I am taking my group to the Baltimore Pops Holiday Spectacular. No matter which season it may be, the Pops never dissappoint!

For dinner, we will be going to the Friendly Farm Restaurant in Upperco MD. The restaurant is in a farm house that was established in 1959. All the food is served family style. After dinner we will do some shopping at the farm's gift shop and country store.

Stay posted to see how goes and for my Sunday review of the Broadway show DREAMGIRLS at the Hippodrome and dinner at Cinghiale in Baltimore.
Photos courtesy of http://www.bsomusic.org/ & http://www.friendlyfarm.net/

Country Christmas Day 9

Day 9- Touring Kruger Toy & Train museum in Wheeling and heading to my Alma Mater, Fairmont WV. Lunch at Muriale's 32 yr old family owned and operated Italian restaurant. Click here to read more about the history of the restaurant and to see all the awards they have won! Great service, great atmosphere, and great food!

Back to DC!!! So glad to be home. Besides a few disappointments, the Country Christmas Tour went extremely well. If I had to pick my favorite part of the trip... I'd have to choose the Biltmore estate. The estate is a must for any season! The Biltmore should be on everyones 'bucket list.'

Next up... relax and prepare for holidays with family. Stay posted for two more holiday day trips to Baltimore MD.

Photo courtesy of http://www.toyandtrain.com/

Country Christmas Day 7&8

Wonderful, Wild, Wheeling, West Virgina

Day 7&8- Spa Spa Spa, Yes Yes Yes pleeeeeease! Oglebay's Resort is where were staying and they have a new spa. The resort is beautifully decorated and newly renovated! Escape here to upscale and intentionally rustic/elegant suites. The resort supports the town and is great for all seasons especially outdoor activities such as hiking in the summer. Great vacation spot, we'll definitely visit here again!

Dinner was buffet style and it was really good for a buffet. The entertainment was a baby grand piano player. He was excellent and all of this took place at the Wilson Lodge in the resort.

Festival of Lights guided tour was spectacular. Unbelievably, kids from high schools in the area design and set up this phenomenal light display in the 3,000 acre National Park. The high school kids are so talented that they are used as guides for other light festivals. Every year they design and set up new light displays in the park! The gift shops at the resort are very nice too, a must see/shop if you have time. The Oglebay mansion is a self guided tour and beautifully decorated by all community volunteers. What a great community here in Wheeling!

Young Chef and Owner Dave Wohlfeil owns the hoppin Metro Citi Grille and it deliciouso! There is no website for the place because its under construction and I cannot believe I found this hidden treasure because its definitely off the radar; however its a Wheeling favorite!!! 30 % of people in Wheeling are sadly unemployed, but Metro Citi Grille is busy as busy can be! The risotto and blue cheese pan seared snapper was to die for and the steaks were amazing!

The Legendary Wheeling Jamboree is re-opened so the theatre should generate lots of money and jobs for the community. Jerry Seinfeld is visiting Wheeling soon to perform at the Jamboree theatre! I hope he enjoys Wheeling, WV as much as this girl!!!

Photos courtesy of http://www.oglebay-resort.com/

Country Christmas Day 5&6

Renfro Valley, Kentucky... Country to the Core!

Day 6- Kentucky artisan center was beautiful and full of mountain made crafts, but it was very very very expensive! Lunch at the Grille was a very a nice and quick Cafe style set-up. Perfect!!!

Renfro Valley Village Mountain Gospel was beautiful, if you could picture the best church worship service you've ever been to, this would be that times 10.

Kentucky Music Hall of Fame was small but interesting, we learned much about country music history. Renfro Valley is a very very poor area. However; the people made money off of their country music. They sang out of barns and that's how they generatined followers and money. I have so much admiration and respect for country music and it's roots after visiting this museum!

Dinner was at Renfro Valley's historic lodge's Bordin' House restaurant for some home cookin. Unfortunately, the food was really bad and the gift shops were terrible, worse than a dollar store!

The Christmas in the Valley Show was original and they had children cloggers that stole the show!

The whole experience of Renfro Valley brings you back in time to the very roots of country music. I would do this trip again, but instead of the Boardin' House for dinner, I would do dinner at Berea College. Click here to read about the university where students work to pay their tuition, its such an awesome program!

Photos courtesy of http://www.renfrovalley.com/

Country Christmas Day 3&4

Day 3- Gaylord Opryland Resort, dinner at Water's Edge Marketplace for their international and Radio City Christmas Spectacular at the Grand Old Opry House.

Dee is actually disappointed about this day in Tennessee. The premium rooms were not up to par. The bathrooms were dirty. Her word not mine, "I will definitely stay somewhere else next time!"

The international buffet felt like a herd of cattle because there were so many people! The Christmas spectacular was NOT comparable to the show in New York, so if you have ever seen the show in New York you will be highly disappointed with the Grand Old Opry House show.

Overall, Dee would not return back to the Opryland Resort! That's why we do this people so you don't make the same mistakes! Do not follow the bus to the Gaylord Opryland Resort and save your money honey!

photo courtesy of http://www.gaylord-opryland-resort.com/

Country Christmas Day 2

It's only day two and I am already missing Dee!!! I am glad everything is going smooth on the tour and her group is having a blast! She called last night to check on my grandaddy and to update me on her country adventure.

Day 2- Asheville Trolley Tour, Lunch in historic Hendersonville NC, Biltmore Christmas Candlelight Tour and Candlelight dinner at Stable Cafe.

There is so much to do and see at the Biltmore estate! The estate at Christmastime is always so incredibly breathtaking. The estate hires 40 men to place the tallest of their 40 trees(35 ft) in the mansion. They do this three times during the season to keep the Christmas tree fresh! The estate hires a full tree decorating staff to place all the mesmerizing decor on the evergreen! There are no photos or video allowed in the estate; however you have to see the sight for yourself... beauty beyond words.

Lunch in Hendersonville was fun! We found this retro soda shop called, Mike's on Main St. There is no website, but you can click here for reviews on Urban Spoon.

For dinner we went to the stable Cafe which is right on the estate property and located in, what do ya know, a stable!!! The Vanderbilt stable has all of the original brick and the food was good, not as well prepared as Savoy, but good. There chicken with Kale and Gnocchi was yum! The best part about the Stable Cafe is the ambiance and attached wine and gift shop. Another plus about the cafe is that you can see the front entrance of the estate while dining!

Leaving for Tennessee y'all. You have got to visit the Biltmore at least once in your life, truly magnificent!

Photos courtesy of www.biltmore.com

Country Christmas Day 1

Yeehaw Y'all!!!!

As you may know, Dee is not advanced enough yet in the cyber world to write her own blog, let alone blog from the road... so surprise surprise, I am blogging for her while she heads down south for a 9 day Country Christmas Tour!!!

Day 1- Asheville NC, Inn on Biltmore Estates and Dinner at Savoy

Thank heavens that the only accommodations on the Biltmore Estate is the luxurious 4 star hotel, The Inn on Biltmore Estates! Here we will experience Biltmore Estate living up close and personal with magnificant mountain views, fine dining, flawless service, and carefree transportation around the 8,000 acre estate.

"Regret nothing in matters of love and food," Eric Sheffer, proprietor

Chef and owner of Savoy restaurant and martini bar Eric Sheffer is committed to impeccable food and service at his very busy Ashville restaurant. Savoy is a must if you every travel to Ashville and reservations are a must too because Savoy is known to have a full house every day of the week! Click here to see a menu. The Fillet Mignon is melt in your mouth and all the seafood is fresh and deliciously prepared. Dee's favorite part of the meal was dessert which was the lemon cake with goat cheese cream, fresh local blueberries, and pine nut brittle, AMAZING!!!

Photos courtesy of www.biltmore.com & www.savoyasheville.com