Roadtrip with the kids? Hooters is child friendly!

by Sean McLachlan on

No doubt about it, driving long distances with children can be a real drag–the constant potty breaks, the fighting in the back seat, and the high-pitched pleas to go to some kiddie restaurant like Chuck E. Cheese’s.

Don’t despair. You may be a parent, but you’re still in charge. Go where you want to go. Go to Hooters, even. Because Hooters, I’ve recently discovered, is child friendly.

I was driving across Missouri with my friends Rex and Caitlin and Rex’s four-year-old daughter Aly. We wanted some wings, so we stopped at Hooters just outside Columbia. You know, that Hooters, the one with the busty waitresses in skimpy costumes. Maybe I’m naive, but I thought poor little Aly would be the only kid in a room full of frat boys and lonely old men. Boy, was I wrong! Half the tables had children at them. Entire families had come out to enjoy Hooters!

And why not? Hooters has a special Kids menu, along with Hooters games and Hooters crayons. The waitresses are friendly too, and not in the same way they’re friendly to their male customers. When our waitress arrived wearing her tiny tank top and shrink-to-fit orange shorts, she immediately made Aly the center of attention.

“Are you a cheerleader?” Aly asked.

“I used to be a cheerleader,” our waitress replied. “Do you want to be a cheerleader?”

“Yeah!”

“I think you’d make a GREAT cheerleader!”

All this was said while our waitress leaned over our table showing off cleavage deeper than the Grand Canyon and sticking her rear out in a classic “spank me” pose. According to their employee handbook they’re supposed to act like that.

OK, so here we are at Hooters. There are underdressed buxom women everywhere, two dozen TVs showing sports, and hot wings on the table. What more could you ask for? While the idea of taking a child to Hooters is a bit odd, the fact is they really are kid friendly. But maybe four year-olds aren’t too discerning. When we asked Aly at the end of the meal what her favorite part was, she pointed to the nearest TV and gave us a big smile, grease dribbling down her little chin.

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Wineries with outdoor music offer perfection: 10 wineries and 9 states

by Jamie Rhein on

As I sipped a glass of red wine at Harpersfield Winery in Geneva, Ohio on the last Saturday in August while listening to the Hollywood Slim Band, one of my favorite Ohio-based groups, I thought what a perfect finale evening to the last month of summer. The setting sun that cast its warm glow over the scene–plus the plate of cheese, meats and olives served up with warm bread cinched the thought.

When music is mixed with wine and an outdoor winery patio, the combination is unbeatable, particularly when the weather is favorable. September and October offer similar opportunities. Even as temperatures cool in the evening, there are still days left to enjoy a fine glass of wine where grapes hang in luscious bunches nearby and music plays.

Here are 9 more suggestions for wineries with patios or porches that offer live music entertainment. Several have been in business for years, and others are newcomers. At some, when the temperatures cool, music moves indoors.

Arrington Vineyards, Arrington, Tennessee. With its “Music in the Vines” this winery serves up music regulars on various weekend days through October. From the covered deck you can savor wine while taking in a sunset over the Tennessee hills.

Easley Winery, Indianapolis, Indiana. Kids are welcome at Groovin’ in the Garden, this winery’s weekend music happenings. Through September you can listen to music, drink wine and enjoy food while your kids are indulged with grape juice

Greenvale Vineyards, Portsmouth, Rhode Island. At this winery situated on an historic farm, jazz music is paired with wine tasting. For $15, visitors enjoy the music while sampling 6 different award-winning wines. At the end of the tasting, you keep the glass. Outdoor enjoyment comes in the form of daily wine tours.

La Buena Vida Vineyards, Grapevine, Texas. Spanish tiles and flowing fountains are part of the allure that capture a sense of place. There’s live music every Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon.

Mount Pleasant Winery, Augusta Missouri. Established 1859 in the first Appelation Wine District in the United States, this winery offers live music and more. There are murder mystery performances and specialty dinners throughout the year. Click here for music schedule.

Oak Glenn Winery, Hermann, Missouri. The winery sits on land once owned by George Husmann who was instrumental in the early beginning of American wine production.The music schedule is through October.

Sharrott Winery, Winslow, New Jersey. This family-owned winery that focuses on sustainable practices is one of the newest of winery offerings. Listen to live music through September from the lawn and the patio. Click here for the live music series.

Simon Creek Vineyard, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. With cheese and wine making a fine pair, Wisconsin makes sense as a place to head. At this winery, live music is added to the mix each Sunday through September 20. There are free tastings and tours daily.

Warwick Valley Winery and Distillery, Warwick, New York. Located in the gorgeous scenery of Hudson Valley, this winery offers live music each weekend afternoon. Five times a year the winery also hosts music festival weekends.

Here’s a short clip of the Hollywood Slim Band at Harpersfield Winery and Vineyard this past July thanks to Koskim 23 who happened upon the band on a do-it-yourself winery tour of northern Ohio.

Think local for a low-cost wine-tasting trip

by Katie Hammel on

When most people think of going on a wine-tasting trip, their thoughts tend to head west – to California, Washington, and Oregon. It’s not surprising. From Napa Valley in California to Walla Walla in Washington, these states are some of the biggest producers of wine in the US. But if you don’t live in one of these states, there’s no need to venture far from home for a weekend of swirling and sipping. In fact, almost every state in the US has at least one winery, so you can enjoy a low-cost wine tasting vacation in a long weekend. Check out these wine-tasting regions in every corner of the country.

Midwest
The Midwest states have traditionally been agriculture centers. Now many farms are trading potatoes and corn for grapes, and opening their doors to tourists. Illinois is home to around 80 wineries located on six wine trails within a few hours of Chicago. Most of Michigan’s 50 or so wineries are located in the west and southwest, near Traverse City or along the coast of Lake Michigan. Even Missouri has five wine trails scattered around the state.

Northeast
New York’s Finger Lakes area is the jewel of the northeast wine region. Nearly 100 wineries are spread along three main wine trails, which surround four beautiful lakes. Not to be outdone, Maryland has almost 30 wineries open for tastings, and even tiny Rhode Island has five.

Southeast
Kentucky is now making a name for itself in the wine world, with over 30 wineries clustered in the north central area of the state. Florida is home to over 15 scattered wineries and Virginia, the largest producer in the region, has nearly 150 wineries on several easy to follow trails.

West/Southwest
Grapes in Arizona? Yep, there are over 20 wineries in the state, most just south of Tuscon. New Mexico has almost 40, most of which are clustered around Albuquerque and Taos, and Texas is home to over 80 wineries, predominantly in Hill Country, south of Austin. Colorado, which has over 60 wineries, boasts the highest grape-growing elevation in the country, and even Nebraska has more than 30 wine producers operating in the state.

Theatre in Branson, Missouri has “America’s Best Restroom”

by Katie Hammel on

Worst airports. Best hotels. Rating these things, I understand. But bathrooms? Yes, the Cintas Corporation recently sponsored an online vote for the best bathroom in America.

Apparently, it’s no longer good enough to offer a clean toilet (truly a luxury in some places, believe me), running water, towels and maybe a mirror for good measure. Nope, to compete in the race for best bathroom, you’ll need features like gilded chandeliers, marble fireplaces and 1,800 square feet of space. At least, that’s what the winning bathroom at the Shoji Tabuchi Theatre in Branson, Missouri offers….along with a hand-carved mahogany pool table.

I’m a get-in, get-out quickly kind of girl so I just don’t see the need for such luxurious facilities. But perhaps there really are some people who enjoy hanging out and playing a game of pool while waiting for the loo.

[via USA Today]

Cahokia Mounds – Native American marvel

by Jeremy Kressmann on

We tend to associate ancient civilization with places like the Pyramids in Egypt and the ruins of Italy and Greece. But we happen to have some impressive and scenic ruins of ancient culture right here in the United States. Not far from St. Louis lies Cahokia Mounds, a massive ancient monument that at the peak of its power rivaled the medieval cities of Europe.

Not only is Cahokia Mounds one of only eight cultural World Heritage Sites in the United States, it’s also among the more astonishing untold stories of the history of North America. From around the year 650 until 1400, Cahokia was the crown jewel of the Mississipian culture, a religious and cultural center that was largest city north of Mexico.

Within the 2200 acre grounds lie the remains of over 100 earthen mounds, the largest of which, Monk’s Mound, rises over 100 feet high and covers 14 acres. In a part of the country that tends to be mostly flat, Cahokia’s highest mound makes for an imposing geographic reference, dominating the nearby landscape. During your visit to Cahokia, take the opportunity to wander the giant earthen mounds spread across the site and visit the fantastic museum that tells the story of the mysterious Mississippian people.

Cahokia represents a significant part of our country’s indigenous history that lies before us in plain view, waiting to be discovered. Just like the Native American words that give many of our states and cities their names, it’s a history that is at once blatantly obvious yet easily obscured. It’s only when we begin to dig beneath the surface and uncover the true stories of places like Cahokia that we can start to understand the history of this great place we now call the USA.