Flashback Thursday: Finding the perfect hotel

Finding the perfect place to stay can make or break a vacation. I have certain criteria for my hotel and the most important is location. 

Determining what the perfect location is, takes some careful thought. Are you stopping at this hotel en route to somewhere else or is this your final destination? If I am en route I want the hotel within a mile of the highway and with a restaurant within walking distance. Once I have arrived at the hotel, I don't want to drive out again. 

If, however, it is the final destination I want to have free parking as a must. This isn't always possible but at least try to get the charge as part of your rate. City parking can run over $40 a night which takes away money from your fun-things-to-do budget. 

I like an indoor pool with a hot tub but that is me. Again, I want restaurants close by. I demand cleanliness and staff that goes out of their way to please. It doesn't have to be a 5-star hotel to get this and it doesn't need to be a boutique hotel though I am a sucker for charm. 

I start by getting a Google map on the screen of where I am staying and I locate the hotels. I then check availability on Booking.com and price. Once I have narrowed it down to a few hotels, I check Trip Advisor and see what people are saying. Read a lot of reviews, so many of them are fakes. I want someone who has written a lot of reviews not just one terrible or glowing review. 

Now compare all the info, usually one or two will stand out. I am loyal to certain brands, so at this point, brand loyalty will trump. Read between the lines as well, even the hotel website can tell you a lot. 

I will always book directly with the hotel on their website or on the phone. I like being in control of my own reservation. Don't be afraid to call and ask questions, you will know right away how helpful the staff is. 

So really, this is how I book my hotels. I look for a deal, I want to get the best price but I want a lot for that price. I prefer charm but I can live without it. Free Internet access is a must, I don't compromise on this.

Labor Day in Nashville

NASHVILLE'S LABOR DAY WEEKEND

You have worked hard this year and now it's time to have a little fun. You owe it to yourself to have one amazing Labor Day weekend. Come join us in Music City this Labor Day weekend as we will celebrate with the best art exhibits & performances, amazing family fun, laugh out loud comedy, awesome events,sports, and of course live music. Take a look below to see what is happening in Nashville Labor Day weekend.

CHECK OUT #NASHVILLENOW THIS LABOR DAY WEEKEND

The Ultimate Music City Experience

Maybe you don't want to do something specific, but just enjoy the day relaxing. That's completely understandable and sounds perfect. Feel free to browse throughNashville's bountiful parks to take a break on the grass. Let someone else do the cooking and check out Nashville's food scene. Or sit back, relax, and enjoy some time on Nashville's rivers and lakes. No matter what, just have fun.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Live on the Green ft. Young the Giant, Band of Horses, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, and more @ Public Square Park - September 1-3

Southern Living #NashvilleNow Weekend @ Throughout Music City - September 2-5

National Beard & Mustache Championship @ Ryman Auditorium - September 3

InterNASHional Food Crawl @ Casa Azafrán Community Center - September 3

Musicians Corner @ Centennial Park - September 3

Tennessee Volksfest @ East Park - September 3-5

Rewind Music Festival @ Riverfront Park - September 4

Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City @ Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum - Continues until December 31, 2016

Dierks Bentley: Every Mile a Memory @ Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum - Continues until September 6

Blake Shelton: Based on a True Story @ Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum - Continues until November 6

Homegrown: Zac Brown Band @ Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum - Continues until July 18, 2017

John A. Merritt Classic Weekend @ TSU and Nissan Stadium - September 2-4

An Evening with Glennon Doyle Melton, in conversation with Ann Patchett @ War Memorial Auditorium - September 8

Take a look at upcoming events in Nashville.

FAMILY FUN

Zoovie Nights: How to Train Your Dragon 2 @ Nashville Zoo at Grassmere - September 2

Zzzoofari Slumber @ Nashville Zoo at Grassmere - September 3-4

Day Out with Thomas: The Celebration Tour @ Tennessee Central Railway Museum - September 3-11

Fireworks @ Nashville Shores - September 4

Swamps, Seminoles, and Snakes: The US Army in the Second Seminole War @ Andrew Jackson's Hermitage: Home of the People's President - September 4

International Playhouses @ Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art - Continues until September 4

Wolf to Woof: The Story of Dogs @ Adventure Science Center - Continues until September 5

Take a look at Family Fun in Music City.

ARTS & CULTURE

First Saturday Art Crawl @ Nashville's 5th Avenue of the Arts - September 3

Arts & Music @ Wedgewood/Houston - September 3

Steve Tobin: Southern Roots @ Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art - Continues until September 4

Shakespeare in the Park ft. Macbeth @ Centennial Park - Continues until September 9

Pastorals, Landscapes, and the Arcadian Vision @ Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery - Continues until September 9

Inka Essenhigh: Between Worlds @ Frist Center for the Visual Arts - Continues until October 9

Bellissima! The Italian Automotive Renaissance, 1945-1975 @ Frist Center for the Visual Arts - Continues until October 9

Shakespeare in the Park ft. The Comedy of Errors @ Centennial Park - Continues until September 18

Macchine Italiane: A Tour of Italy's Motoring Spirit @ Lane Motor Museum - Continues until May 22, 2017

Find out what Nashville's Art Scene is doing right now.

SPORTS

AAA Baseball Nashville Sounds vs. Iowa Cubs @ First Tennessee Park - September 1

SEC Football Vanderbilt Commodores vs. South Carolina Gamecocks @ Vanderbilt Stadium - September 1

John A. Merritt Classic: TSU Tigers vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff @ Nissan Stadium* - September 6

*To ensure ease of entry, please read the Bag Policy for Nissan Stadium prior to arriving.

Discover more Sports and Recreation in Nashville.

COMEDY

Ralphie May @ Zanies Comedy Night Club - September 2-4

Kathleen Madigan @ Zanies Comedy Night Club - September 6

Brian Regan @ Ryman Auditorium - September 10

LIVE MUSIC

Live on the Green ft. Young the Giant, Band of Horses, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, and more Public Square Park September 1-3 Nathan Angelo 3rd and Lindsley September 1 William Elliott Whitmore with opener Josiah City Winery Nashville September 2 Together at Last X Full Circle presents Jade Cicada & Bogtrotter The Basement East September 2

Belphegor Exit/In September 2 Cameron, Bedell, David DeVaul, and Friends Listening Room Cafe September 2 10XP Concert 3rd and Lindsley September 2 Grandy Ole Opry ft. Suzy Bogguss Grand Ole Opry September 2 Chris Wilcox with Tyler Boone, Human Resources, and Cody Parks The High Watt September 3

Visiting Winterthur in Wilmington, Del.

Winterthur is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Delaware. Part of the legacy of the du Pont family, the estate consists of over 900 acres with 60 acres of naturalistic gardens. A variety of opportunities are available to guests, including a narrated garden tram tour, changing exhibits, organized house tours and the ability to walk through the grounds. Children are welcome and special activities are available for them.

The museum consists of 175 room displays with over 90,000 items. Two hundred years of decorative and fine arts, from 1640 to 1860, tell the story of America. Parts of the house are still set up as a home and it is important to understand that H.F. lived here among his collections right up to the time it became a museum.

A little history

Originally, the land was purchased by E.I. du Pont in the early 19th century. When he died, it passed to his children and his daughter Evelina bought out her siblings so that she and her husband, Jacques Antoine Bidermann, could build their home. They named it after Antoine’s hometown in Switzerland, Winterthur.

After the death of the elder Bidermanns, Evelina’s brother, General Henry du Pont, bought the house from the heir and it then passed into his family. Eventually, Henry Francis du Pont, the grandson of General Henry, became the owner and it is through his management and expansion that we see the Winterthur that exists today.

In 1951 H.F du Pont created a museum in the mansion that had been his home and opened it to the public. He moved to a cottage on the property. Calling it a cottage is a bit of a misnomer, it is over 20,000 square feet.

What to do here

A variety of tours is offered. With the basic entrance fee, visitors can take a narrated tram tour of the gardens, visit the galleries and, when available, take an introductory tour of floors 5 and 6 of the house.  

For an additional fee, several other tours are available which must be reserved in advance. The full list is shown on their website but it includes both one and two hour tours. Some are family-friendly, others are not. There are however, many family-friendly activities offered at Winterthur including the Touch It Room.

The estate offers the opportunity to spend just a few hours or a full day visiting. The website offers suggestions for everything from a two-hour visit to a full day. It also has suggestions for family activities.

The Campbell Soup Tureen Collection is on display in the Dorrance Gallery, it has been a popular exhibit since 1997. The grounds are extensive, over 900 acres with more than 60 acres of gardens. Several stops on the garden tram tour are available for visitors to get off and explore, including a fairy garden which is a favorite with children.

Several gift shops are located throughout the property including a magnificent one outside the mansion and another in the visitor center. A cafeteria in the visitor center serves very high-quality food and is a perfect place to grab lunch or just a snack.

After just one visit, there will be no doubt why this is such a popular destination for visitors and locals alike. You will also understand why Bride’s Magazine named it one of the 50 most romantic wedding venues.

To learn more about the roots of the DuPont  family, I recommend you visit Hagley Museum. 

Warther Museum Dover, Ohio

To call Ernest “Mooney” Warther a carver is equivalent to calling Rembrandt a painter. Both of them are masters of their trade and in a category of their own. After a visit to the Warther Museum in Dover, Ohio you will feel quite comfortable calling “Mooney” the Rembrandt of carvers.

Ernest Warther was born in 1885 to parents who had emigrated from Switzerland to Dover, Ohio. His father died when he was only 3 years old. His family struggled to make ends meet which meant he was only able to attend school through the second grade. He went to work herding cows to pasture for a penny a day. It was during this time that he got his nickname “Mooney” which is short for the Swiss word “moonay” which means “Bull of the herd”.

His interest in carving was also born during these years. He met a hobo who carved a pair of pliers for him in 10 cuts and this along with the penknife that he found began a career that would span his entire life and lead to incredible works of art. He was offered vast amounts of money for his works which he refused; he enjoyed his life and felt he had everything that he needed without selling his works.

As he grew older he went to work in the local mill. His interest in carving remained but since he never sold his art, he also needed to make a living. He worked in the mill for 23. At the age of 25, he married Freida Richard and together they would raise 5 children in the house that you can still tour today.

#warthermuse

The visitor center at the Warther Museum is connected to Mooney’s workshop and if your group is small, you should be able to actually go into it and see where he created some of his most famous masterpieces. Visiting the museum is on a guided tour and if the next tour is not scheduled too soon, you should be able to go and tour the family home.

Freida’s button collection is located in a small building behind the house. Freida was also an artist. She created amazing works of art from the over 70,000 buttons that she collected. The garden is also lovely and depending on what time of year you visit, will offer a wide variety of flowers and colors. All of these are worth visiting but of course, the main attraction is the museum itself.

You can watch several films at different points during your visit. You may also get a visit from Mooney’s grandson who will carve a set of the iconic pliers for you. It is amazing to watch and I still carry those cute little pliers in my purse to impress people.

In all honesty, until I saw the first of his carvings, I wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about. It’s just wood carving after all. I was so wrong, this is not wood carving, this is Art. In 1923 he began carving The History of Steam. This is a series of trains carved mostly from ebony and ivory and the detail is extraordinary. To say that our mouths were hung open through most of this tour is not an exaggeration. It is beyond anything you can even imagine. It is a gorgeous history lesson that every member of the family will find fascinating.

The trains are so detailed you will be in awe. In the Lincoln Funeral Train, you can see the face of Lincoln in his coffin inside the train car, it is unbelievable. All of the trains are working models, the wheels turn and the trains move. When I say you have never seen anything like this, I am not exaggerating.

This is a museum that should not be missed by history lovers, train lovers, carving lovers and just anyone who want to tour a really interesting museum that is one of a kind. I have been to hundreds of museums and guess what; this one is in the top 10 ever. I was so impressed by this man who I had never heard of before I went here that I feel compelled to share this with everyone. 

I want to thank the couple that we met in Indianapolis who recommended it because otherwise I might have missed it and that would really have been too bad because it was amazing and I don’t use that term to refer to a museum often.

After you finish your visit to the museum you will see the family knife making business which is how Mooney supported his family since he did not sell his art. He could not find a knife of the quality that he needed to carve so he created one. His philosophy that products should last forever is evident in the quality of his knives. The knives are still handmade today and are of the finest quality. You will get a chance to purchase some of them when you visit the gift shop.

I can’t stress enough how special this museum is and if you are going to be anywhere where near Dover, Ohio please visit here and find out why the name Mooney Warther is so well known in this little town. With so much to see here, one visit may just not be enough, plan accordingly.

We did stay at a hotel near the Warther Museum, we were traveling between Dayton and Canton. We actually stayed in Hartville, Ohio at Quail's Covey B&B.  It is 37 miles so could easily be a daytrip. 

Maine: Seal Cove Auto Museum

The Seal Cove Auto Museum is not exactly on the beaten track. As a matter of fact, unless you are in Bar Harbor, Maine and looking for something unusual to do, it is unlikely that you would ever hear of this museum. It is located on Mount Desert Island in the town of Seal Cove, which these days is an enclave of wealth and status. This is where Martha Stewart and Susan Sarandon have their summer homes. It is where the wealthy went when Bar Harbor became too bourgeoisie.

The museum was a wonderfully unexpected but delightful surprise. The vehicles here, the autos, bicycles and motorcycles are mostly from the “Brass Era” 1895-1917. This is not the first auto museum we have been to. As a matter of fact, we have been to some of the finest in the world and I really thing that this one deserves to be included among them. I was impressed from the moment we entered the door. I even paid to see it which if you know me you realize is a big deal.

The Seal Cove Auto Museum is housed in a simple building, you would never guess the treasures that it holds. The collection began as the private collection of Richard Paine. According to the museum website “The Paine collection represents not only one man’s love of automobiles, it also reflects an aesthetic wrapped in Richard’s love of Maine and his roots in New England, coincidentally the birthplace of the American automobile industry. Born near Boston in one of New England’s patrician families, his eye—rather than his modest fortune—created his world famous collection. “

Allow at least an hour to visit here, if you have more than a casual interest allow more. The collection is quite amazing and there are often other exhibits and events happening at the museum. Among the treasures that they have on display are Indian motorcycles, Model T Fords and many very rare cars created in towns all over New England from manufacturers that we have never heard of including Pope from Hartford, Conn.

The museum is open from May 1 through October 31 daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check their website for the latest entrance fees and schedule of events.  

Quebec: Huron Traditional Site ONHOÜA CHETEK8E

Located on the Wendat Huron reservation, Onhoua Chetek8e is a unique opportunity for visitors to learn about the history of the Huron, past and present.

Guided tours are offered in French, English, and Spanish at specified times. When you enter the village and pay, you will make several choices. You can go for the complete experience that also includes food and a performance or a more standard entrance fee which includes the guided tour. They will tell you when the next tour in your language will be offered and where to meet the guide.

The tour takes about 45 minutes was very informative. You move around through the village to different locations to actually see what your guide is talking about. We sat in a canoe at one point as we talked about the many ways that the Huron got around.

Since we have a little Micmac in our DNA this was very interesting for us in particular. They definitely showed up on the map of where the Huron can be found in the Province of Quebec.

While we were waiting for the tour to start, we enjoyed a short performance by two young dancers.

After your tour is over you can walk about the village at your leisure to spend more time at any of the displays that were of particular interest to you.

Amie went back to look at the "three sisters" the way that Native American plant their gardens. 

Allow about an hour and a half to visit here if you are not taking the full experience. The restaurant here serves so really interesting Native American food if you are adventurous.

Onhoua Chetek8e is a very interesting place to visit and I really liked that we learned about the current life of the Wendat as well as the past. Our tour was small, just our 6 family members and one person from Switzerland. The French tour was huge. 

The gift shop is quite large and the prices were okay so be sure to visit. 

Costa Rico: Planning a trip

Did you know that 28 percent of Costa Rica is preserved in National Parks? It has become one of the go-to places in the Americas especially if you are interested in sustainable or green tourism. Whether you want to lounge on pristine beaches or hike into the jungle, Costa Rica has what you are looking for

Visit Costa Rica is the official site of Costa Rican Tourism. Costa Rica is all about the outdoors and the environment and their tourism website highlights that. The site is easy to navigate and has loads of information. The first set of tabs includes Menu, Home, About Costa Rica, Sustainability, Planning your vacation, Multimedia, Maps and Press Room. There are also photos that take you to airlines, rental cars, hotels and travel agencies. If however you click on Planning Your Vacation it includes all the previous mentioned thing as well as requirements for entry into Costa Rico and exchange information for money.

A second set of tabs includes:

• ·          Sun and Beaches
• ·          Culture
• ·          Adventure
• ·          Ecotourism
• ·          Families
• ·          Cruises
• ·          Meetings & Incentives
• ·          Wellness
• ·          Honeymoon
• ·          Rural Tourism

Three-quarters of the way down the home page is another “Planning Your Vacation” section with six boxes that you can click. One of them is maps and it includes:

• ·          Tourist Zones
• ·          SanJosé (city map)
• ·          Main cities and towns
• ·          Best areas for surfing
• ·          Beaches with the Blue Ecologic Flag
• ·          Mains places for diving
• ·          Coco Island
• ·          Map of Incentives and conferences

When you click this box it changes the site and a photo appears at the top of the site and a list of links to all the main categories down the right side. It allows you to search for places to stay by type of accommodation and region that it is located in.

This is an interesting and comprehensive site but it does have a lot of duplication. So, if you can’t find something you are looking for, just click another tab or link, it probably will show up.

Tourism.co.cr is a very good site loaded with helpful information. The links to all the good information are right on the home page, you don’t have to go looking for it. The Tourism Center has links to valuable information about things like eco-tourism and Costa Rican volcanoes and beaches.

The volcanoes article is very useful and at the end there are links to other articles about similar topics. This is a site where you will want to be printing out some of the articles after you read them.

Tourism Costa Rica is the perfect site if you are looking for brochures to print out about Costa Rica, at the top of the homepage there are some tabs and one of the is brochures. When you click it, you go to another page where there is a list of brochures to choose from. One of them is Costa Rica Honeymoons and it is a very slick brochure that really makes Costa Rica look like the perfect romantic honeymoon destination. This brochure is provided by the Costa Rican Tourism Board. Another tab is safety tips and this is always an important one to read.

Costa Rica has a lot of offer to anyone looking for an eco-friendly nature vacation. These three websites will get you off to a good start when it comes to planning your trip.