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Category Archives: Uncategorized

Lake Erie and Lake Chautauqua – Grape Arbors As Far As You Can See

www.americanpresstravelnews.com News.com – June 27th – Riding around the Lake Erie region of Chautauqua there are vineyards almost everywhere. 

To find out more about the business of grapes in this attractive area we visited The Cornell University Lake Erie Research Extension Laboratory. We learned that there are approximately 30,000 acres in the Lake Erie region of New York and Pennsylvania. 98.5% of these grapes are used for juice, jam and other fresh or fermented products. The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program consists of Extension Educators and research faculty/staff from Cornell University and Penn State University devoted to projects aimed at increasing yields, product quality, diversity and improvement of cultivars, efficiency of production, profitability and adoption of environmentally sound cultural and pest management strategies. To find out more take a look at their website: www.lergp.cce.cornell.edu/.

Our next stop was at the Johnson Estate Winery. This is oldest estate winery in the New York State, established in 1961.

Johnson Estates Wines

The Johnson’s Estate is a Story of Three Generations, beginning in 1877 with an English orphan named Frederick Johnson. In 1908 Johnson purchased this home circa – 1822 with the adjoining farm along the banks of Freelings Creek, in Westfield, N.Y. There is a full history on the website.

Today it is owned by Frederick Johnson Jr. with his wife Jennifer, former president of the Chautauqua – Lake Erie Wine Trail. They completed a renovation of the tasting room in 2011 for the winery’s 50th anniversary celebration. This building has been beautifully renovated complementing the old with the new. They have a full side viewing window with the full size stainless steel tanks.

Wine tastings and pairings are popular at this winery, with a large selection of estate wines and gifts.  They have group tours by

Grape Vineyard

appointment. Also, they have many summer events that a space can be reserved online. Check out their website: www.JohnsonWinery.com or call (716) 326-2191.

Also call: 1-800-374-6569

 

 

 

Hoskins 1940’s Soda Fountain at Hoskins Drug Store Established in 1930.

AmericanPressTravelNews-May 14th, Clinton, TN.-Bob & Barb “On The Road Again” this time at Norris Lake, Clinton, Rocky Top & Oak Ridge, Tennessee–Floats, ice cream sodas, banana splits, tuna sandwiches, hot dogs and chili-a real soda fountain with great old timey lunches. I opted for a “dog” smothered in chili (oh my) with their home made potato chippers. Barb sprung for a tuna sandwich, and we both had malted’s like those served in “days of awe.”There was a display that included the menu seen here. Can you imagine a menu from the 1940’s soda fountain, ten years after the drug store was established in 1930? 20-cent sandwiches, pimento, ham, tuna,  malts & shakes 25-cents, banana split 35-cents, ice cream dish with nuts 25-cents, and WOW root beer at 35-cents. Todays menu everything times 1000 in comparison, boy has our dollar morphed into so little. Hoskins even in today’s dollars is still a bargain. Visit them and feel the nostalgia at: 111 N. Main St.,Clinton, TN. www.hoskinsdrugstore.com 

5 Church Restaurant, Quickly becoming the “Go To” Spot For Exceptional Dining!

AMERICAN PRESS TRAVEL NEWS, Charlotte, NC-Gotta eat, eh? Well this time we dined at 5 Church Restaurant in the City of Charlotte, NC. After we dropped off our bags at The Duke Mansion, we drove about 15-minutes to down town Charlotte, left our car at the door with the restaurants Valet and entered into the “gourmet zone.” Lobster, 60-second NY Strip, Scallops that sat up and said “eat me” and we were off to a salivary circus. The meals were excellent. After our shrimp & cheesy flat bread, the tangy tomato bisque soup, we carefully decided to taste, photo and release. So of course you have to eat, but you have to sleep too! Very full bellies work great for Lions who sleep most of the time during Africa’s daily heat, but people only sleep at night! From mussels, to imported fiz water to dipping breads, steaks done their special way, lobster, shrimp that tasted like shrimp, 5 Church Restaurant came through first class, great! Go 5 church.com call them too at 704-919-1322

Luscious Scallops. Like seafood?
Luscious Scallops. Like seafood?
Braised shrimp on cheesy flat bread. A spectacular appetizer!!
Braised shrimp on cheesy flat bread. A spectacular appetizer!!photo, taste and release the entree’s, before all the great offerings found a crowded home in our soon to hit the pillow, bellies! Gotta eat, yes, gotta sleep, yes!
Lobster and taters- excellence!
Maine Lobster, the real thing-and strange looking, but beyond good taters- excellence!
Broth, perfect and WOW tasty, dipped a bunch of great breads in this taste! Mussels terrific!
Broth, perfect and WOW tasty, dipped a bunch of great breads in this taste! Mussels terrific!
What a great, picturesque bar! 1-lady, hundreds of bottles of grapes!
What a great, picturesque bar! 1-lady, hundreds of bottles of grapes!
Convenient parking! Rain or shine. We like that! Sick of driving around and around and hoping for a park spot!
Convenient parking! Rain or shine. We like that! Sick of driving around and around and hoping for a park spot!
Brian, our great waiter loads us up with 5 Church specialties. Barb was impressed!
Brian, our great waiter loads us up with 5 Church specialties. Barb was impressed!

John Kricher’s: The New Neotropical Companion Book; A Review

AmericanPressTravelNews-March 21st, A book review for The New Neotropical Companion, by Biologist, John Kricher “Bob & Barb Stopping to learn all about ecological issues.This book will help thousands understand the complex ecology and natural history of the most species-rich area on earth, the American tropics. This $35 dollar book has 432-pages with 18-color illustrations covering all of tropical America. It describes the species and habitats most likely to be observed by visitors. It includes every major Eco-system, from low land rain forests to the high Andes. The book features a wealth of color photos of habitats, plants and animals. Check out press.princeton.edu   The book is 7.5 X 9.5 inches and the ISBN: 978-0-691-11525-2. HAVE BOOK WILL TRAVEL!