On this virtual wine tasting, we feature Angie Malave from The Wine Cafe in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Angie chose two wines for the tasting from JOLO Winery in Pilot Mountain, North Carolina, as she felt that these were representative of the fine wine selections made with the state’s grapes. We tasted a 2019 Golden Hallows (white) and a 2018 Jolotage (red). These wines are available at The Wine Cafe. May is North Carolina wine month, so put that on your calendar for future wine travels. Watch the episode below: (We had some sound difficulty at the beginning of the episode, but it resolves soon, and we’ve fixed the problem for future episodes.) We also have the episode available in an audio format. You can listen directly from the player below. Or, we’re also set up on the major podcast player platforms […]
Read MoreCategory Archive: Uncategorized
Wine with MJ: Virtual Wine Tasting with Country Heritage Winery
Our second virtual wine tasting event featured Jennifer Lutter of Country Heritage Winery in Indiana. For the tasting, Jennifer selected two wines, a 2019 Traminette and a 2016 Marquette. The wines are available through the winery – they are currently doing pickup service and shipping – and at a number of restaurants and retail outlets in Indiana. Country Heritage Winery provided complimentary wine to us for this tasting. Watch the episode below: We also have the episode available in an audio format. You can listen directly from the player below. Or, we’re also set up on the major podcast player platforms and you can listen and or subscribe to this virtual wine tasting series there. We’re currently on: Now let’s talk about the wine! 2019 Traminette Tasting notes: A semi-dry white wine made with estate-grown fruit; soft floral notes with […]
Read MoreSilver Dollar City’s Succotash Recipe: The Comfort Food We Need Right Now
If you’ve ever been to the Ozarks, a region made up of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and the most southeastern parts of Kansas, you’ll know it’s characterized by a distinctive culture that permeates everything from the architecture to the dialect and traditional foods in the area. It’s pretty incredible. In the heart of this region, on the outskirts of Branson, Missouri, you’ll find Silver Dollar City, a theme park known for its unique rides, delicious food, and retro Ozarks theme. While you’ll find the typical hot dogs and hamburgers on the grounds, they also serve up some of the most incredible, down-home comfort food you can find anywhere. Maybe that’s why it’s the only theme park in the United States with its own culinary school! We could spend all day looking through their impressive dining options, but today we’re going to […]
Read MoreMJ Recommends: 2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Travelers
I’m a big fan of the “you don’t need more stuff” philosophy. I have everything I need, and a good portion of the things I want. I no longer feel that “things” define who I am, my values, or worth. Over the last year or so, we’ve been trying to take more things out of the house than bring into it, and while we haven’t always been successful, we’ve definitely cut down our conspicuous over-consumption. So why, you might be asking yourself, is a Holiday Gift Guide appearing on Traveling with MJ? Fair question. This holiday gift guide represents goods and services that I either use regularly or are on my personal shopping list – it’s an assortment of needs, wants, and splurges. These are things that make my business, travel, and home life simpler, easier, better. Any item on […]
Read MoreHow to Use the NYC CityPASS for Savings on New York Attractions
So you’re finally making the trip to the Big Apple. You plan to see all the sights, take in a Broadway show, and check out the amazing dining scene. But all that is going to be heavy on the wallet. While there are a free things to do – wandering Times Square, looking for admission-free museum days, walking the High Line in NYC – most of the top attractions are going to cost you. If you want to get more for your dollar, you should buy a New York CityPASS. Offering admission to up to six New York attractions, the NYC CityPASS is a smart way to save money when visiting New York attractions. What’s Included There are two types of passes to choose from: the New York City CityPASS and New York C3 Pass. There are ten attractions in […]
Read More23 Spectacular Places to Watch Sunrise
After traveling in Norway on our Into the Midnight Sun cruise itinerary, I’ve grown an appreciation for sunrise. We spent the better part of a week where the time between sunset and sunrise was only about an hour, so it was easy to watch the sun come up. But what about when watching a sunrise is a little more difficult? Here are some creative places around the world where watching the sunrise can be a romantic, inspiring, and enjoyable experience. Pawleys Island, South Carolina – The beach houses and historic inns on Pawleys Island offer a feeling of home while still providing a nod to generations of island tradition. Arrogantly shabby properties provide both character and comfort, and the natural beauty and peaceful atmosphere of the island are a great combination to watch the sun come up. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania – […]
Read More18 Off the Beaten Path Places to Find Great Barbecue
Here are a few off the beaten path places to find great barbecue. It makes a great starting place if you find yourself in the neighborhood.
Read MoreIt’s a Whole New World
Welcome – I’m glad you’re here! Last week I celebrated my 12-year anniversary of blogging. Today, I’m excited to roll out the new look here on Traveling with MJ. It’s been a long time since I’ve changed the theme and narrowed in on the focus of the site, and it was long past due. Here are some of the changes, new features you’ll find here, along with some tips to help navigate the site: I deleted close to 1,200 old posts that date back to 2006. It was tough letting go of those old archives, but the reality was that they weren’t serving anyone. My writing style and focus have evolved over the years and many of those posts don’t represent my focus any longer; they don’t represent my best work and don’t serve you – so they’re gone. Some […]
Read MoreTravel Bucket List Update 2017
Last year (2016) was a crazy busy year of travel and I checked several things off my bucket list. Bucket lists seem to get a bad rep these days, evoking the image of someone rushing around the world it pursuit of checking off sites on a to-do list. That is not the case with my list. My bucket list is a result of being an inveterate list maker. I make lists, I use lists, and I refer to lists often. There’s nothing rush-rush about my list and that should be evident by a few guidelines I follow in making it. My list is capped at 100 and is an assortment of destinations, things to do or see, and experiences. When something is accomplished, or I’ve changed my mind about it, it gets crossed off the list and something new is […]
Read More2016: A Year of Travel in Review
If there was one theme to my travels in 2016 it would be Asia. I made six trips to Asia, including three new countries (Philippines, China, Israel), and at one point had made three trips to Asia in a 35 day period. I visited several new countries in Europe as well (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Poland, Russia, and Estonia) while on a Viking Ocean Cruise. A secondary theme for the year was new projects. I started a podcast, a quest to visit every winery in the state of Washington, infused a neglected site with more enthusiasm, created space for more indepth stories, and have a food site ready to launch in the first quarter of 2017. Whew! The next year will be even busier than this one. Since some of my trips, both international and domestic, were made on relatively short […]
Read More