Meeting best-selling author Patricia Schultz

I brought my friend Amy and her boyfriend, Michael along with me to the 7^th Annual Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show. This show, billed as "the ticket to discover authentic travel experiences, snap up the deals, win trips and giveaways, and be entertained and delighted" was a bit of a letdown.

I was hoping to connect with tourism board reps and agency reps but it seems that everyone working the booths were "volunteers" who were simply "collecting business cards"....oh well. (If I get one FAM out of it--so worth it!)

I did have an opportunity to meet and chat one-on-one with Patricia Schultz, best-selling author of “1,000 Places to See Before You Die.” I promised her that whatever page I opened to in her book, that is where I’d go! And she wants to hear about it.
Oh, and I even got a great workout in a giant hamster ball as I “walked on water.”

(Shout out to Amy for snapping my pic!)

Wine, Food, Beer & Cheese.....uh?

Photo: Andrea Cannistraci

For the 4th year out of five years, I headed down to the Annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival, now in it's 8th year. (I missed 2010 when I was in Morocco--well worth it!) This international showcase of the world’s premier wines, spirits, chefs, culinary personalities, and gourmet foods did not disappoint! And I invited my man, John Puopolo, along this year to indulge with me.

Since we are both huge Kimpton Hotel fans, we called Hotel Solamar home for the weekend. It's an amazing property located in the heart of the vibrant Gaslamp Quarter.

Our weekend of gluttony included a Belgian Beer Tasting & Cheese Pairing with Chef Daniel Joly (Mirabelle at Beaver Creek). This was all for the boy as I dislike "white" beers and we all know how I feel about cheese. I guess this is what being in love is all about :) And at the Reserve and Limited Tasting Event, it was more than just wine... There was scotch!  SipSmokeSavor was pairing scotches with chocolates...and I was in my glory.

It was a sunny San Diego Saturday for The Grand Tasting Event down at the Embarcadero where we ran into a number of unique luxury brands such as Chuao Chocolate, DelGrosso Sauce (yes the sauce from back home!) Wild Hibiscus, and Ca’momi Wines.