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Monthly Archives: January 2019

A Visit To The Duke Mansion; A Charlotte, NC Historic Inn & Meeting Place

Picking up the key to our suite!
Picking up the key to our suite!

AMERICAN PRESS TRAVEL NEWS  Charlotte, N.C.-Barb and I always like to experience the fine mom and pop B&B’s, resorts and middle of the road hotels and motels across America. However, sometimes we enjoy visiting the finest upscale, restored hundred year old homes and older. The architecture and landscaping of a different time, and mind-set, be they diminutive, or sprawling (The Duke Mansion is 32,000 Square feet, nearly a full acre of home) of the highly successful business magnates (now gone to bed in history) of the ilk of Guggenheim, Rockefeller, Loews, to name a few, that were able to afford the utmost in real estate and grandiose homes, now turned into guest accommodations. The Duke Mansion is such a place in time and space. With 14- original acres back in 1915 and today, gardens of roses and flora mirroring the past gardens, rooms with soaring ceilings, and huge windows with brass hardware of delightful industrial Revolution, art era design, juxtaposed near today’s comfortable beds and modern bath facilities-and at a price per day and evening, reasonable enough for any special occasion and exclusive visit.

Bed and a terrific Breakfast! Its what the 2nd "B" stands for!

Bed and a terrific Breakfast! Its what the 2nd “B” stands for!

We pulled into the curved driveway with easy parking, stopped for a picture of Mr. Duke’s original shooting fountain (Duke of Duke Power fame, said his Rolls Royce, Daughter Doris and his fountain was what he was most proud of) and were ensconced, thanks to the delightful concierge into a charming room with chocolates on the bed and homemade cookies and beverages just outside our door. After relaxing and looking over the grounds (So much history, so little time!)  We headed for a highly recommended restaurant; Five Church for dinner! What a delightful meal awaited us after the Valet did the parking: Maine Lobster for Barbara, Scallops, and their 60-second New York Strip for us too (we share everything, and compare notes and tastes). Great service by Brian, our wait guy! We tried shrimp flat bread for appetizer and wonderful tomato bisque! Everything was “multi belle.” www.5church.com Entrance at 5th Street and Church St. 704-919-1322.

IMG_5200Duke Mansion is located at 400 Hermitage Road Charlotte, NC 28207 www.dukemansion.com 888-202-1009

Checking out the Duke Mansion
Checking out the Duke Mansion
Aroma of rose, and Barb was in heaven!
Aroma of rose, and Barb was in heaven!
Almost like a fairy tale!
Almost like a fairy tale!

Koko Crater Botanical Garden Oahu, Hawaii

Signage allows casual visitors to understand the what Koko Crater Botanical Gardens is all about. Image: Richard Hines

American Press Travel News-January 20th, Hawaii, USA–Columnist, Richard Hines at Koko Crater Botanical Garden in Oahu, Hawaii–My wife, Pam and I decided to make one more early morning trip before our 6:00 PM flight out of Honolulu. Pam is active with our local Garden Club and one of the Master Gardner’s in our home county in Kentucky. With these credentials, it was obvious flowers were on the agenda, so we opted for the Koko Crater Botanical Garden. It was our third garden tour this past two weeks and while she was busy checking out the names of flowers, I concentrated on photographing some of the local birds.

During the entire trip bird photograph was a high priority and because Koko Crater was not crowded, I was able to photograph as many if not more birds in this garden than any other location we visited. On this morning, I was able to add several birds to our life list plus photograph Zebra Dove, White-rumped Shama, and Red-billed Leiothrix among others.

The 50,000-year-old crater has created perfect growing conditions for barrel cactus and other desert species across the 60-acre garden which is within the 200-acre crater site. We saw an interesting mix of desert plant species from America, Africa, and Pacific locations

White Rumped Sharma. “I enjoy finding birds that live in exotic locals.” image Richard Hines

When you drive in the parking area, you won’t find a visitor station as at other gardens and as we walked through the gate you will find a sign and information brochures near the gate. This the area where you will first notice the grove of Plumeria trees which provided a unique scent as we walked along the trail.
The Koko Crater Botanical Garden is located on the eastern end of Oahu, Hawaii. You will find four major collections which are organized by region (Africa, the Americas, Hawaii, Madagascar). In all there are around 500 trees comprising 200 species that you will see around the 2-mile-long loop trail.

Harbor Place in Port St Lucie, Florida

American Press Travel News-January 15th,—Harbor Place an Independent and Assisted Living Community–“Bob and Barb On the Road Again” visited!

When the folks from Harbor Place made their presentation at our bagel breakfast, Justin Shaun Iscra, their Dining Services Director was introduced. We decided to meet him at Harbor Place for dinner. Iscra has been with Harbor Place for six and half years. He creates 3-meals per day, 7-days per week. Everything prepared is homemade and we had a chance to enjoy a steak and an Asian themed stir-fry. We finished our meal off with very, very good New York Cheese Cake and coffee. The First course of Chicken and rice soup was like momma would make it. The rolls and salads were first rate. As we eat out nearly every day and evening for our columns in www.AmericanPressTravelNews.com, we know good when we find it! Harbor place meals, as we also noticed the other diners were enjoying, were very good!

Harbor Place 3700 SE Jennings Rd
Port Saint Lucie, FL 34952
Phone number (772) 398-1786