Category Archives: Go

Dive into Planet Ocean on Blu-Ray

Posted on by
Reply

As a Jersey girl, I grew up thinking the ocean was downa Shore, the biggest pool you ever saw, a wet and tangy tangle of seaweed, shells and gentle waves just waiting to be jumped.

imagesIn truth, oceans are deep and mystical creatures. You can explore the seas on Planet Ocean, a compelling documentary that takes you on an unprecedented journey into the least known regions of the earth. It’s  available on Blu-Ray and DVD from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

Directed by acclaimed photographer, filmmaker and environmentalist Yann Arthus-Bertrand, the maker of Home, and narrated by actor Josh Duhamel (Transformers, Life As We Know It), Planet Ocean invites viewers to swim the globe with breathtaking aerial views and underwater imagery in extreme geographical conditions.

In other words, leave your water wings behind and dive in. In 93 brief minutes, you will get a deluge of insights on this most precious earthly resource.

You can buy Planet Ocean at Amazon, Target, Kmart, Best Buy and other retailers. Prices start at less than $13.

Travalo, the travel atomizer

Posted on by
1

34144517Just because air travel stinks these days doesn’t mean you shouldn’t smell fabulous when you’re on the road.

Consider a high-tech atomizer, Travalo Touch. Made of sleek but durable aluminum, Travalo Touch is a 5 mL refillable fragrance wand with rollerball technology.

No worries about having your favorite perfume yanked at security. TSA-approved, Travalo Touch is a portable fragrance wand. Its spill-free Genie-S pump system allows you to fill the atomizer before you head to the airport. The cylinder holds 50 roll-on applications of your favorite scent.

You can gauge the level of perfume through a clear window. The cylinder is available in black, pink or silver and slides easily into an evening bag or jacket pocket. Expect to pay about $20.

Broken Shed Vodka is whey cool

Posted on by
Reply

bottle_2011_0-98x300Two guys in a tumbledown shack have lots of time to think. And, odds are they can really use a drink.

In a dinged-up shed on a mountain in New Zealand, two Yanks from Connecticut dreamed up a New Zealand vodka. The aptly named Broken Shed is distilled four times. It’s gluten-free, additive-free and naturally smooth. No sugar, either.

The creamy notes come from whey, which the Broken Shed folks refer to as “milk honey.” The result is an inviting vodka that is round, rather than sharp, with no cloying sweetness.

Whey to go, guys.

Expect to pay about $30 for a 750 ml bottle. Broken Shed is currently available in New York, Connecticut and online purveyors.

0You could tuck a bottle of Broken Shed in the freezer and enjoy with ice and a lemon twist. The makers suggest a classic cocktail to get us through ‘til spring.

In the 1960s, the Old Fashioned cocktail was in vogue. My grandparents traveled with their own blend, delighting hosts who would add ice and an orange slice. Typically made using bourbon or whiskey, Broken Shed has put their own spin on this timeless temptation.

 

Here’s a whey-cool recipe:

Old Fashioned

3 oz Broken Shed vodka

3 dash bitters

1 sugar cube

Zest of lemon/orange/grapefruit

Garnish- flamed or not

In glass, add sugar cube with bitters and few slices of zest, add 3 oz vodka and 4 cubes ice. Stir for 10-15 seconds.

Garnish and serve to copious thanks.

 

Boom Boom! Explodes with kindness

Posted on by
Reply

Handbag_BB_1_0Boom Boom! Revolution’s acts of kindness cards and lifestyle products are a sure shot for folks who enjoy making nice.

Now, you can literally carry the Boom Boom! message of environmental responsibility with you. The company has partnered with eco-friendly and upscale portable tote company, RunRunRun to design the latest addition to its kindness collection: the exclusive Boom Boom! Italia Tote.

handbag_foldedThink of it as the Mother Teresa of reusable shopping bags. It’s a foldable travel tote that’s compact, stylish and practical. (MSRP: $12.99)

The embossed snap on the outside reads “The Uprising of Guerilla Goodness” and the interior message, printed on leather, says: “Measure your life by what you give, not what you receive.” http://boomboomcards.com/italia-tote

You also can play it forward with Boom Boom! Cards acts of kindness cards kits, available in Original, Teen, Green, and Family Decks. Each contains 26 cards with an act of guerilla goodness for users to spread good vibes throughout their communities.

From there, users can engage with the Boom Boom! community at boomboomcards.com  by posting kindness stories, photos and videos, and following their cards (each has a unique ID) on the Boom Boom! map to see how their acts of kindness create a positive ripple effect.

Not nice enough for you? To keep the goodness flowing, users can register their cards at boomboomcards.com and donate 10% of the purchase price directly to the charity of their choice.

Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage

Posted on by
1

The annual Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage, a tradition for the H&G set, returns this spring over five weekends from Saturday, April 20, through Saturday, May 18. For 76 years, the Pilgrimage has offered visitors the opportunity to explore some of Maryland’s most fascinating and noteworthy properties.

The 2013 tour includes about 50 private homes, gardens, farms, churches and historic sites, including a docked Skipjack, across six areas in Maryland. They are Anne Arundel County-Annapolis: Wardour (Saturday, April 20); Queen Anne’s County (Sunday, April 27); Baltimore City: Guilford (Sunday, April 28); Somerset and Worcester Counties (Saturday, May 4) and Charles County (Saturday, May 18).

bcity-201-east-highfiel-resize-site-7-fODx.jpg-resampled-250The annual spring tours showcase MHGP’s efforts to cultivate awareness of Maryland’s rich architectural and cultural heritage. Each year, proceeds  support preservation projects in each host community. To date, the Pilgrimage has raised more than $1 million for the preservation and restoration of architecturally significant properties throughout Maryland while evoking oohs and ahs from tour-goers.

This year, visitors will see Ogden Nash’s home and Sherwood Garden’s, where 80,000 tulips bloom, in the Guilford neighborhood of Baltimore, rarely seem homes in the Wardour community of Annapolis, 300-year-old homes in Queen Anne’s County, as well as homes that have never been publicly toured in Somerset and Worcester Counties.

Guests can buy lunch along the route. In Guilford, home to the stone Tudor house shown above, lunch will be served at the Second Presbyterian Church, where the first 700 visitors  will receive a free Sherwood Gardens poster and can see the restored sanctuary and its  light-filled Georgian Revival interior.

5B.The Manour of Truman' MD med resOther tour highlights include:

Anne Arundel:

The Wardour community in West Annapolis offers a walking tour of nine breathtaking properties, including the waterfront home of the president of St. John’s College with its superb art collection. Other stops include the grand Kent Road home built in 1911 by the architect of the Naval Academy’s Bancroft Hall, the largest college dorm in the world. Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. designed the neighborhood in the early 20th century.

Queen Anne’s County:

Queenstown and Centreville are the focus of this tour, with many of the homes built in the 1700s.  Reed Creek Farm, built in 1775, has a view of the Chester River and an 18th century ballroom regarded as the loveliest room in the county. The original ceiling was discovered during a recent renovation. The South Liberty Street home has an extensive collection of Delft Pottery and samplers dating from the 1730s.

Baltimore:

Guilford is celebrating its centennial, with the garden tour featured as the first of many events during the year (www.guilfordassociation.org). Sherwood Gardens is the most famous tulip garden in North America. The Chancery Road Turnbull House is the former home of famous Baltimore artist Grace Hill Turnbull and features a mix of Spanish Mission and Arts and Crafts styles.  Turnbull’s church-like studio has stained glass windows and a bell tower. The Rugby Road home, formerly owned by famed poet Nash, is a Tudor Revival structure built in 1927. More info at www.facebook.com/GuilfordCentennial.

Somerset and Worcester Counties:

One of the highlights of the tour is the Anderson Road property known as Hollyhurst, with its Flemish-bond brick work. The Federal-style house was lovingly revived in the early 1980s with the introduction of raised-panel woodwork.  Crisfield on Phoenix Church Road,  also known as Watkins Point Farm, has never been on the tour before. The Greek Revival estate is furnished with 18th century period furniture. Beverly of Worchester, built in 1774, is one of the most elaborate and best preserved Revolutionary War period homes.

Charles County:

The Caleb W. Jones Skipjack will be docked in Benedict, one of only a handful of operating Skipjacks in the world. The Manor of Truman’s Place in Waldorf, shown above,  played a role in the War of 1812. Its more recent history includes a rear sunken garden with koi pond and gazebo.

Tickets of each tour are $30,  purchased in advance. For tickets and information, go to mhgp.org or call 410-821-6933.

Brilliant! The Philadelphia Flower Show

Posted on by
Reply

I always leave the Philadelphia Flower Show with a bouquet of ideas for my home and garden. And, of course, I buy a few of the plants, tools and other garden gadgets that will help turn my musings into my own piece of paradise.

2266_lThis year’s show is, well, Brilliant! That’s also the name of the extravaganza that celebrates English gardens. If riotous color, glorious ponds and lush greenery are your cuppa, go straight to the Pennsylvania Convention Center and savor a banquet of miniatures, arrangements and large-scale exhibits. (These sumptuous shots were taken by R. Kennedy for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp.)

Then start shopping — although it’s hard to know where to begin with 125 merchants in house.

1085_lLook for lily bulbs at De Waterlelie, a purveyor from the Netherlands. Check out the cobra head, a tool sold by a company in Wisconsin that goes after weeds like a badger. Have a chat with the folks at EP Henry, a wonderful South Jersey company that can help you to create a Brit-inspired hardscape at your castle. Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is selling themed mementoes of the event, as well as topiaries, herbs and other green goodies.

The show runs through Sunday, March 10. Tickets are $27 for adults, $20 for students, and $15 for children age 2-16. Tots under 2 are admitted free.

 

Say oui to the Frenchie Revolution

Posted on by
Reply

0At times, it’s hard to tell which is man’s best friend. A dog? Or wine?

Visitors can indulge in fine wines while their pets are pampered at Frenchie Winery, located at Raymond Vineyards in Napa Valley’s Rutherford district.

Frenchie, so named for proprietor Jean-Claude Boisset’s beloved French Bulldog, is a tasting room for dogs. While pet parents visit the Raymond tasting room, their pooches can   relax in a kennel furnished with dog beds crafted from wine barrels. A bar dispenses fresh water.

0-1In the tasting room for people, pet-lovers can keep an eye on their four-footed friends via doggie cam. They also can savor the first two Frenchie reds produced at the winery.

Even before you taste Frenchie, the bottle gets your attention. In fact, after you enjoy the wine, you will be tempted not to recycle its charming container.

The labels depict portraits of  Frenchie at great moments in history. On the 2009 Red Blend, Frenchie poses as Napoleon at his coronation. The emperor would have no doubt enjoyed the wine, with flavors of blackberries, raspberries and cassis and notes of oak.

On the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Frenchie is perched on a rearing stallion, a la Louis XIV, the Sun King who reigned for 72 years. The cab is well structured and a long finish. Expect blackberries, cocoa and a hint of vanilla.

The suggested retail price for each wine is $30. (A Chardonnay with Frenchie dolled up like Marie Antoinette is currently sold out. Frenchie’s reply to the masses: Let them drink cake!)

The winery will donate $1 from each sale to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. If you take your dog to Frenchie’s winery, expect Fido to be treated like royalty.

Valentine’s Day in Cape May

Posted on by
Reply

image001Valentine’s Day is fast approaching — and you forgot to book your flight to Paris.

How about a last-minute get-away to the Jersey Shore?

Two of Cape May’s most charming and historic destinations, Congress Hall and The Virginia Hotel, are offering romantic packages for you and your valentine.  Think crashing surf, boutique shopping and the joys of visiting the Shore off-season. And you have a little wiggle room in penciling in your retreat. Packages are available throughout the month of February.

Congress Hall, an oceanfront venue, is floating the My Blue Valentine package.  The deal includes a $40 credit towards dinner at the lively Blue Pig Tavern. Afterward, celebrate  with complimentary Blue Bubble champagne in the Brown Room, a clubby lounge Hemingway would have loved.
image002In the morning, choose between a $25 credit towards breakfast in bed or at the Blue Pig Tavern. Late-check out? Of course.  Rates start at $170.28 per night. To book,  call (888) 944-1816 or visit http://www.congresshall.com/. 

The elegant Virginia Hotel and Cottages is located a few blocks inland. Rates for the Savor Romance Slowly package start at $259.48 and offer couples a $110 candlelit dinner in the sumptuous Ebbitt Room with a special menu selected by Executive Chef Anthony Micari.  Also included are a chilled bottle of Champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries, continental breakfast in bed for two and late check-out.  To reserve, call (800) 732-4236 or visit http://www.virginiahotel.com/.

 

Red Owl Tavern a wise choice

Posted on by
3

A little birdie — actually, it was a large, feathered creature that says “hoo” — told me about Red Owl Tavern, the lounge and bistro in Hotel Monaco, the newish Kimpton property at 433 Chestnut St. in Philadelphia’s historic district.

0

But just because Red Owl is located in a hotel doesn’t mean it caters only to travelers. The restaurant has a warm and welcoming vibe and creative American fare that is sure to attract locals, as well.

We like the tavern’s soaring ceiling, and walls of barn boards and exposed bricks. It has the feeling of an old, industrial loft, even though the decor was created specifically for the restaurant.

As we relaxed and watched horse-drawn carriages roll down Chestnut Street, we enjoyed drinkies. I sipped the signature Red Owl cocktail a frothy, $12 blend of Belvedere vodka, grapefruit juice and spiced berry and pepper syrup shaken with egg white. Dale raised a classic old-fashioned ($10) with Wild Turkey, fine sugar and angostura bitters.

0

Any questions about the menu? Our attentive and well-versed server helped us to focus our choices. Do try the fork-tender short ribs and lamb shank, a reminder that food cooked on the bone is especially flavorful. Chicken pot pie is rustic comfort food, oozing herbs and creamy gravy.

We settled on a perfectly cooked, medium rare prime cut of beef with onion marmalade  and house-made steak sauce for me and red beet pasta,  with house-cured pork belly, sweet peas and Kennett Square mushrooms for Dale. We ordered a side of kale, which was so hearty we almost forgot it’s good for us.

The final bite: mocha in a jar. Yes, indeed, it’s as rich and decadent as it sounds. So share!

At $9 a glass, the 2008 Primaterra Primitivo is the least expensive wine on the list. It’s an earthy food-friendly red that proves wine doesn’t have to cost a lot to make a good impression.

Red Owl Tavern’s balanced mix of laid back atmosphere and attention to detail made a good impression on us, too.

 

Kruising with KISS

Posted on by
Reply

Stick out your tongue and say KISS.

Rock legends KISS are reuniting for the third time for Halloween 2013’s KISS Kruise III, Oct. 28-Nov. 1, from Miami to Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas on board Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Pearl.

The four-night festival at sea gets off to a rocking start with an acoustic sail-away concert on the pool deck featuring KISS performing — without makeup! But not to puke in your beer. There will be another concert, with full makeup and histrionics. A bonus: each band member will host his own onboard activity. Napkin folding, anyone? Band mates also will hold forth in a Q&A session on the pool deck.

New for 2013 is a unique meet-and-greet opportunity for the youngest sailors in the KISS Navy. Limited to kiddies ages 2-14, each child will receive an autograph on one item of his or her choice,  along with a group photo with the band. No parents allowed! This isn’t Disney, mom and dad.

Fares for the KISS Kruise III begins at $750 per person based on double occupancy, plus taxes and fees. Prices include entertainment, meals, and access to Norwegian Pearl’s  amenities, including outdoor pool, hot tubs, rock climbing wall, and fitness center.

Beginning Jan. 8, fans can read more and sign up for the KISS Kruise III pre-sale at www.thekisskruise.com . Staterooms go on sale to the unwashed masses on March 15. Kids sail for taxes and fees only during the pre-sale. Families are encouraged to check out  the new family mini-suites, also available only during the pre-sale.