Picture for the Week!
Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda Florida-Jewels in a S. Western, Florida Sunset
APressTravelNews-Feb 25th,-Bob and “Barb On The Road Again” & “Stopping to Smell the Roses” in Port Charlotte, at the Wyvern Hotel. Barb and I love great dishes, great ice cream, great views, friendly, hospitable folks and the feeling that your always on vacation. No kidding, Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda are such places. We came into town to work on our assigned article from New Pioneer Magazine. The article is about the Worden Farms Agri-Business and 3-Suns Bison Ranch, as the side-bar. While in Punta Gorda we visited with our friends Janis and her husband and Jack Montague. We tried to get some daylight between our short time we had in the area, so we could also visit the great Van Hubbard. Just couldn’t do it! We were scheduled to visit the solar powered new town of Babcock Ranch. We did and were mightily impressed. A gorgeous planned community that will have everything any fine town or village has, but with one giant unique feature: Totally sun-powered electricity! Not open to public yet, there is a school, lake-front restaurant, homes lakes, boardwalks, bike paths, sports store, gift shop, ice cream shop, etc. Grand opening will be next November we were told. There will be a show and tell on the ranch March 12th.
The best ice cream we ever had was just across the parking lot from the Wyvern. Walk around the waterfront marina and enjoy at this great mom and pop ice cream shop, the Harbor Walk Scoops& Bites! 
Wahoo’s At Whale Harbor Marina “Rocks” With Great Foods and Bar-Friendliness
AmericanPresstravelNews-Jan.16th, Bob and Barb “On The Road Again” at Whale Harbor Marina (home of the best fishing fleet in the Keys) and Wahoo’s Bar and Grill. When we visit a restaurant, lounge, bar and grill, cafe, we ask for one thing: are their offerings consistently good, at least good! Well, happily we have found over a period of times that Wahoo’s fare is better than “good” its actually “great!” WE went for a surf and turf last night, a hot grilled Mahi (dolphin fish) over a melange of fresh fruits including mango, honey dew, cantaloupe, grapes, berries-never had fish this way and it was outstandingly deightful and also we felt we were eating great, but also very healthy (no sugary dressings necessary). When we saw Surf and Turf with Churasco Steak on the menu, we opted for this as our second entree’. The Florida lobster tail was big enough to share and it tasted terrific. I am very fussy about my “tail” it’s got to be firm, tasty and with all the right flavors. The steak was grilled medium with a crisp edge-WOW! So with our cool Key Lime Pina Colada was special with graham cracker edged glass instead of salt or sugar. Then it was time for dessert. Jody the very nice Director of food and drink recommended Key Lime Pie there way! So we dug into a portion of this iconic Keys offering. He was right, excellent pie and authentic. Whale Harbor is located at 83413 Overseas Hwy. Islamorada FL. 33036 (305)-664-9888 www.wahoosbarandgrill.com
Historic Boone Tavern Hotel & Restaurant at Berea College -Southern Hospitality At It Finest
WWW.AMERICANPRESSTRAVELNEWS.COM – Jan 25th, Berea College, KY.-Bob & Barb “On the Road Again” and “Stopping to Smell the Roses, We dined at the Historic Boone Tavern Restaurant, a place to to enjoy traditional and modern offerings of excellent cuisine, libations and a feeling that you’ve come home to family. Don’t remember when I felt this way before on any writing assignment, needing to researching the essences of a “place in time and space.” Berea founded in 1885 started and has grown to be a college of highly respected by it’s Alumni, professors, college staff, especially students and their families and friends. We spent two nights at Historic Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant. We visited all their crafts departments, ate dinner at their restaurant, met and interviewed students, instructors, the 500-acre farm Director, ate and purchased the makings of what has become a century old tradition of “Spoon Bread” with all or almost all ingredients produced on their working student operated farm. I guess what really shone through throughout our stay and experiences was the deep respect for the work ethic and cooperative nature of the peoples that made up the “Berea Experience.” Today Berea is know as the “Crafts Capital of Kentucky” and for very good reason, crafts in woodworking, pottery, broom making, farm-craft among others, are taught, created and sold in the many crafts shop both in Berea, state and nationwide.
We settled in comfortably in a great King bed, bath and beyond, and were spoiled rotten at the Tavern. Our waiter (student) brought us our Fried Green Tomato Salad, out of their farm gardens, a traditional dish offered here for many decades-” Chicken Flakes in a Birds Nest”and Barb’s opted for glazed salmon. We had a Bourbon, local wine, and a real Mint Julep, all KY. style. The special Souffle’ like Spoon Bread was fantastic and has been served here for more than 70-years, an Appalachian traditional recipe.
We finished, or they finished us off with a Pecan Pie with crust steeped in chocolate and a Caramel swirl and a nice big square of bread pudding. We slowly walked out for a longer walk around the block before heading up to our room for some hot showers. Go to Berea, visit the school and all its craft programs, stay at the Historic Boone Tavern, get spoiled at lunch or dinner, talk to some of the students, stop by at the nearby Kentucky Artisan Center to make a hand-made craft of a lifetime. I promise you will come away wishing as we did, to have gone to school there yourself. www.berea.com
