Gadlinks for Wednesday 9.2.09

by Brenda Yun on


Buenos dias, Gadlingers. I want to apologize for my brief absence over the weekend. I was lodging in Colca Canyon, the world´s deepest canyon, and was therefore unavailable to post my usual Gadlinks. Fortunately, Aaron´s been holding the fort. Here now is today´s dose of Gadlinks, a quick whirl around the travel blogosphere.

´Til tomorrow, have a great evening!

More Gadlinks here.

Deep fried butter and pork chops as Texas State Fair food finalists

by Scott Carmichael on

State fairs have long been the best destination for good carnival style food – kettle corn, ham and hot dogs have always been on offer, but in recent years, competition for the most insane food has heated up.

Things started with the Scottish invented deep fried candy bar, then people started deep frying Twinkies, cookies and other sweetness.

But more recently, vendors have gone to great lengths to compete for the most insane fried food imaginable. Deep fried bacon and deep fried PB&J sandwiches won’t really impress anyone anymore.

The Texas State Fair is where the best in deep fried delicacies are presented, and the current 8 finalists for this years contest have the ultimate in deep fried goodness.

Deep fried butter is the one that stands out, and it is exactly what the name describes; whipped sweetened butter, battered and deep fried. Served on a stick.

Other dishes include cherry peppers, filled with shredded chicken and guacamole, then battered and deep fried. Or, how about deep fried peaches and cream? You’ll find a full list of the finalists here.

For those of you with a good appetite, the Texas State Fair is held from September 25th till October 18th, in Fair Park, Dallas. Check out their site for a list of all the activities.

(Photo from Flickr – Robert S. Donovan)

Work at a winery in New Zealand

by Jamie Rhein on

Working while you travel is one way to fund time away from home. In New Zealand, turn to wineries for seasonal possibilities.

According to Horticulture New Zealand, a Website dedicated to New Zealand’s commercial fruit and vegetable growers, for those who don’t mind a bit of physical labor, opportunities abound to earn money thanks to New Zealand’s wines. Plant, prune, pick, and pack are the four P’s that help fuel the wine industry. Each job can be had depending upon the region where you want to head, the time of the year, and your level of expertise.

From February to May, for example, the demand for workers is extremely high in Hawke’s Bay, but other regions don’t need many workers at all. To help locate where you might find work, check out this link for the calendar that features the regions and the numbers of people needed for each month.

Another Web site, PickNZ, offers contact information to help you land that wine related job. While you’re working, envision those places in New Zealand you can head to come pay day. In the evening, soothe your aching muscles by enjoying a glass or two of New Zealand’s finest.

For more working in winery information, check out this Travelers Notebook post. Although it’s from 2007, the links within it led me to the above info. An important detail not to miss is the need for a New Zealand tax identification number if winery work is in your future.

Following the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail

by Katie Hammel on

Around an hour’s drive from Chicago (close to four hours from Detroit), the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail is located at the southwest border of Michigan, near the resort towns of New Buffalo, St. Joseph, and Saugatuk. The countryside in the area contains over 10,000 acres of grapes and twelve wineries. It’s easy to plan a weekend getaway (or even a day-trip from Chicago) to this beautiful wine region near the Lake.

Where to Drink
With a dozen wineries to chose from, it can hard to narrow down your choices. But you’ll need to limit yourself to four or five per day (those little tastes do add up!). Warner Vineyards, St. Julian, and Contessa Wine Cellars all offer free tastings. Free Run Cellars and the Round Barn Winery are owned by the same family. Buy a $5 souvenir wine glass at one, and it will cover your tasting fees at the other as well. At Round Barn, you can taste five wines, one dessert wine, and one of their made-onsite vodkas. There is also a beer-tasting room where you can sample some of the beers they brew. Tours of the wine cellar, cave, brewery and distillery are available for groups of 20 people at $10 each, and you can enjoy lunch at the picnic facilities that overlook the vineyards.

Where to Stay
You’ll find some hotel chains in the area, but for a little more character, check out the Oliver Inn Bed and Breakfast, a restored Victorian inn where rooms start at $100 per night. The Marina Grand in New Buffalo is a little swankier. Rooms run $140 to $200 per night, but feature luxury bedding, marina views, and the hotel has a fitness center and indoor and outdoor pools.

Where to Eat
New Buffalo and St. Joseph have the most options for dining. Here you’ll find everything from casual pub food at the Stray Dog Bar and Grill to fine dining at The Dining Room at Clearbrook. For a special occasion, try Tabor Hill, which serves meals made from local ingredients in a romantic setting. If you didn’t buy enough wine on your tasting tour, New Buffalo’s Vino 100 wine shop is the perfect place to stop. They have over 100 bottles that cost under $10.

What to Do
Other than staining your lips purple at the area’s wineries, you can take advantage of the Trail’s lakeside location with swimming, sailing, or relaxing on the beach near Saugatuk. You’ll also find several u-pick fruit farms, a cider mill, and your standard assortment of resort town stores – candy shops, ice cream parlors, and “resort wear” boutiques.

If you don’t have a designated driver and wish to have more than a few samples, there are several companies that offer transportation along the route. Fruitful Vine charges $50 per hour for transportation in a Suburban (which seats five) or offers four-hour hop-on bus tours for $39 per person in summer.

Wine, Dine and Raft Your Way Along Idaho’s Snake River

by Kendra Bailey Morris on

What better way to spend an adventure-filled whitewater rafting trip along Idaho’s Hell’s Canyon (the deepest gorge in North America) than to experience it while sampling an array of Oregon Pinot Noir’s and delicious cuisine whipped up on-site by a renown executive chef?

O.A.R.S. (Outdoor Adventure River Specialists) is offering a five day “wine on the river” adventure trip starting September 14th, along the dam-controlled Snake River, which is known for its powerful drops and “roller-coaster” waves along Class III rapids. After a fun-filled day bucking through the rolling waters, participants are treated to an evening of award-winning wines from the Pacific Northwest designed to be savored along the river’s sandy beaches. Hors’douvres along with dinner will then be expertly prepared under the direction of executive chef, Adam Bernstein, owner of Adam’s Place Restaurant in Eugene, Oregon.

Adam’s Place, which specializes in organic and sustainable Northwestern cuisine lightly dotted with European and Asian influences, boasts a menu which includes such regional delights as steamed Pacific mussels in white wine, all-natural Carlton Farm pork tenderloin (all of Chef Bernstein’s meats are hormone and antibiotic-free) as well as stick-to-your-ribs comfort foods like chicken crock pie with a biscuit crust and hand-cut paparadelle with braised lamb and wild mushrooms, which after a long day battling the mighty river, are sure to satisfy any hungry outdoor enthusiast.

Williamette Valley native and local wine expert, Robert Wolfe, who is also president of the Oregon Pinot Noir Club oversees tastings and pairings, and will lead participants on a guided tour of some of the region’s best vintages and varietals. And, this is no run-of-the-mill wine experience. Each wine will be carefully selected to complement Chef Bernstein’s culinary offerings, allowing diners to get a taste of a five-star restaurant right along the banks of the Snake River.

In addition to afternoons on the water, participants can take short hikes to local historic sites, view prehistoric Native American pictographs, fish for Rainbow Trout, or for more gallant travelers, participate in a spectacular vista hike from Suicide Point, which offers a dramatic view of the river and its canyon walls.

Included in your trip is five days of rafting with four nights camping, a scenic charter air flight to the put-in point, all meals with beer and wine at dinner, and expedition equipment (including a 2-person shared tent and sleeping bags) as well a personal flotation device, wetsuits and waterproof bags to hold your gear.

For over 30 years, O.A.R.S. has been running river trips throughout Idaho, Utah, California, Oregon, Wyoming, the Grand Canyon and internationally. Along with enrichment travel opportunities, O.A.R.S. strives to encourage and actively support a deeper appreciation and preservation of its rivers and natural ecosystems through responsible tourism. For more about O.A.R.S. or to book a trip, please visit www.oars.com

–Kendra